Paige and Sleeping Dooty

Paige's Big Night

Valentines Day this year was a special one for Paigey. Our gym, Lifetime Fitness did a Daddy/ Daughter Princess Ball and it was a huge hit for Paige and her Prince (Daddy). Earlier in the day the little princesses got a little pampering in the spa with a manicure and a hair-do. She was able to select her favorite Princess, which we all know is Sleeping Dooty for Paige. The pampering also included a princess tiara.

We found a Sleeping Beauty Princess dress, complete with shoes, gloves and purse. We put on a little eye shadow and lip gloss and she was swept away to the ball in the horse-drawn carriage. Ok she didn't go there in a carriage..BUT...they had a horse drawn carriage and a pumpkin carriage there giving rides to the royal couples.

The Disney Princesses were all present at the ball for picture taking and Paige and Eric danced the night away.

This was such a fun event for all these little girls and their Daddys...we will definitely be doing this again.

Photographic Evidence

Somehow they caught me smiling. Maybe thats because this is very near to the end!

Loved running through the Sleeping Beauty Castle. Disney sure knows how to put on a Rockin' event!

I think this is mile 12, thus the "I wanna die" look. And, yes, those are Mickey Princess Ears on my head. Trust me, that was mild compared to some of the costumes that were there. Who knew you could run in tutus and high heals?

Princess Amy- A Journey to Victory

I have run out of excuses about why I have not blogged in so long but truly I have filled my time in recent months focusing on multiple things. #1 has been my health. I read an article in Redbook Magazine a while back about this lady who decided that the only way she would get in shape would be to focus on increasing her activity and be forced to improve her nutrition while being active. She was encouraged by a friend to train for a half marathon so they registered for the WDW Disney Princess Half Marathon and began a training program.

Suddenly the light went on for me...I could totally do that!! Anyone who really knows me knows that I have always struggled with my weight and I will be the first to admit that I have a somewhat unhealthy obsession with my body. I have always avoided mirrors and on a regular, daily and even hourly basis I think about how I look and what short-falls I might have. I have always known this isn't healthy or good. I know I am not ugly and I know I don't give myself enough credit and I certainly do not want to pass this on to my children...I just needed to prove to myself that I can do something that I set out to do and succeed!

Well that was back in about September of 2009. Today it is March 16th, 2010 and I am proud and happy to report that 9 days and 20 pounds ago I ran my first Half Marathon! The WDW Disney Princess Half Marathon, in fact. (The crowd cheers, whistles and screams my name in Victory!!) I set out to accomplish this goal and I did it.

After reading that article I developed a new obsession. I eagerly researched websites, read a few books about running, found a workout, and worked this obsession into my daily routine.

I, of course had the support of my awesome husband who always takes care of our kids and makes dinner so that I can go for my 2 hour runs or go to the gym. He let me spend the money to register for the race, buy the books, pay for the gym membership, buy the equipment (shoes, clothing, etc) and a couple podiatrist visits, get to Florida to participate in this race and all the incidentals that came along with the awesome week in Florida. He was there at the race with me to hug me right before I just about passed out after the finish.

How was the race? It was awesome! It was so much fun and even though I was running by myself, there was so much encouragement from fellow runners (about 14,000 of them) and the crowd that I felt like a conquering hero coming home after a winning battle. It was invigorating. I felt like vomiting and could barely walk for a couple hours afterward, but all that aside, I DID IT! My goal was to finish in under 3 hours and my official time was 2:59:47. Just 13 seconds within my goal! YES!!

I have told myself for years that "I have never been a runner. There is no way I can run 2 miles, let alone a 13 mile race!!" Well, HA!!! I laugh in the face of the naysayers (mostly myself) and am now registered for 2 more races this year.

I want to say thank to everyone who has supported me and congratulated me through my training and since the race. Nobody really knows what it means to me and my self-esteem to feel so much love and even a little bit of, uh, envy (he-he). I mean, I have done something that many people only wish they could accomplish. But to all those people I would say... "Stop wishing and start doing!! If I can do it, you can do it. You don't have to come in first. Just crossing that finish line made me feel like a gold-medalist and all I can do now is get better and fitter and happier with myself than I have ever been."

Anyone wanna go for a run??

Amy Erickson Bib #4578 Official Race time

Disneyland Addiction in action- July 09

So mid-July we did it again...yes you guessed it...Disneyland. 2009 has been a year full of the Happiest Place on Earth. I think this is a record year for the Ericksons.

We again found some great deals and could not help but take advantage of them. Cameron loves flying now. It was a really early morning and a long trip to get to the hotel so the kids were totally worn out by the time we got there. Yes, that is Cameron drinking my Diet Coke...don't judge me...it was just a sip...haha.



We spent 3 days there and the very first night poor Braiden woke up throwing up. He and I spent the day in the hotel while Eric braved the park with the 2 littles all by himself. Luckily it was a fast bug and within a few hours he was back to normal AND nobody else got sick!! Whew! We swam, we went to the parks and we had a ton of fun enjoying the California sun.

The kids got to see the Disney Electrical Parade that is now at California Adventure. I love that parade. It brings back tons of childhood memories. One of my favorite things about Disneyland is seeing how my kids faces light up whenever they see anything that they think would only be in dreams. This parade is one of them. They love lights more than anything and that combined with all their favorite Disney characters makes for a wonder that they will never forget.

While there I was able to get reacquainted with my childhood best friend Sherry. We have known each other since 7th grade and sorta lost touch the last few years but thanks to FaceBook we found each other. She lives in Southern Cali so i can see her every time we go there. I even talked her into buying Disny annual passes for her and her kids. I personally think its a crime to live in So Cal and NOT have an annual pass. There really is no excuse.

Another successful trip to Disneyland and more memories...but don't worry this was NOT the last trip this year...hold tight! :)

Pyromania

Every 4th of July and 24th of July we have our own little fireworks extravaganza right in our own driveway. No, we do not drive to Wyoming to spend hundreds of dollars on illegal fireworks and invite the entire neighborhood over to watch the show.

Its just us. Us and our Walmart fireworks. Eric takes on this alter-personality and becomes a pyro-maniac. Cant you see the crazed look in his eyes??
We all sit on our lawn chairs and watch Eric singe his eyebrows until its our turn to singe our eyebrows with the sparklers.

Generally the neighborhood kids come by and watch the "show" while Cameron and Paige cling onto my legs, scared to death of the flames. This year Braiden got to actually light a couple of the fireworks. I suppose every young boy has to experience his "right if passage" into pyromania and some time or another. I love that Eric tries so hard to make sure that we have a good time for every holiday. Pyromaniac or not...

Summer Fun

Last July we took a weekend and devoted it doing fun summer things...we just dont do enough of that. So we borrowed our good friends kids, Whitney and Kobe, who coincidentally are the exact ages of Paige and Braiden and are the best of friends and took them to the good old Hogle Zoo. I am a closet zoo fan. I really love taking my kids to the zoo becuase they LOVE the stinky animals and I LOVE seeing them wonder in amazement and them. We saw monkeys, elephants, giraffes, penguins, zebras, bears, a very pregnant and MeerKat and lots of very stinky birds and spiders. It was pretty fun and a welcomed break for Whitney and Kobe's mom.



That very same evening we took a field trip up to Park City and ate Mexican food and swam at our hotel (that is, until Kobe threw up in the pool which caused them to have to drain it. Needless to say, we hid. People were not very happy.) The next day we went to the Alpine Slides and took Paige and Cameron on the little roller coaster. They had a blast.

Today, its snowing outside and 25 degrees. Boy I already miss the summer. It will be back soon enough, I suppose and then I will be wishing for snow... I just cant be pleased.

I am back...

I really need to get blogging again so I have been looking through my pictures today and trying to decide where to start and I am thinking I have it all figured out. How do I possibly document all the perfect and fun events in my little life? I have decided thats not humanly possible but worth a try...

SO...

Back in early July I braved a camping weekend with my three kids on my own. We were invited to go up to Strawberry Reservoir for a night to be part of the planned surprise proposal by my now step dad and to my mom. It was fun to be there and share in that event with them...but...

I will never take wild 10 year old, a whiny 4 year old, a clingy 1.5 year, a dog, and a tent with a broken zipper camping with no husband on a weekend when its supposed to rain and be freezing the entire time!!! What was I thinking?
Cameron cried all night and we froze, the zipper wouldn't close so water got into the tent, it rained the entire weekend so we were all covered with mud. The kids and I were in the car almost the entire time watching the rain with a wet dog enjoying Sponge Bob on the DVD player. We ate pop tarts and Juice Pouches and raw hot dogs because we could cook anything on our wet campfire.




But honestly, after the treck home and getting the inch of mud out of my car I realized that we had fun and I likely will never forget that trip. Not that I will be doing it again anytime soon...

I believe in Miracles...

Yes I am actually posting something....Darn Facebook has taken my blogging time and run away with it...I am a slacker. But I just came across a great quote and I have to put it somewhere that I wont lose it but where others can enjoy it. This is the perfect place.



For Attractive lips, speak words of kindness

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry

For Beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself and the other for helping others."

-Audrey Hepburn

I believe in Manicures.
I believe in Overdressing.
I believe in PRIMPING at leisureand wearing LiPsTiCk.
I believe in Pink.

I believe that Laughing is the best calorie burner.
I believe in KiSsInG; kissing a lot.
I believe in BEING STRONG When everything seems to be going wrong.
I believe HaPpY GiRls are the prettiest girls.
I believe that tomorrow is another day, and

I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES.

Audrey Hepburn


That lady must have been a genius...

Happy Father's Day

Eric had a fairly quiet Father's Day this year. Thats how he and I like it. The kids wore matching #1 Fan t-shirts just for the occasion but for the life of me I could not get them to sit still together long enough to take a picture. Stinkers!

The Best Cookie EVER!!

At the end of the rainbow...

This was the view from my house last week. A gorgeous double rainbow.

The Little Fairy Princess

Paige recently had her dance recital so we had to try out the spongy curlers for the first time. Paige's hair has grown like crazy over the last few months so I decided that I need to get a little more adventurous with it. The spongy curlers were great. They bring back all sorts of memories of going to bed with curlers in my hair every Saturday night so I could have gorgeous hair for church.

Paige's costume for her dance recital was so cute and will most definitely be recycled for Halloween this year. She was so cute with her make-up all done and glittering head to toe.

Paige has lots of little friends that go to the same dance studio as she does. They are all so cute together. These two have known each other since they were born and her older brother is Braiden's best buddy. Now that's a recipe for life-long friends!

Memorial Day- Tamara and Marissa

This post is a little out of date but I am working on catching up. As I mentioned back on Braiden's birthday post, Tamara came to town to visit her sister, who lives in Lehi so we got to spend some time together. We had a great time just hanging out.

We had a Memorial Day BBQ at Lara's house and had YUMMY Santa Maria style tri-tip!! Thank you Lara! Thanks for the visit Tam and Marissa. We love you!

No Doubt!!

May 25th, Memorial Day, I went to the No Doubt Conert in at the E Center in Salt Lake City.

It was so AWESOME!!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Gwen Stefani and have been a fan of No Doubt since I was in 9th grade. When I heard that the No Doubt reunion tour was hitting Salt Lake City I HAD to go so we made it a family thing.

~Me and my Lovely sisters~

How Does your Garden Grow?

Three is definitely a magic number. This is the 3rd spring that my roses and peonies have been planted in my backyard and I cannot believe how they are blooming like crazy. My house has been full of bog beautiful blooming roses.

I love it.