My Grandma and Aurora....

Some more sweet stuff....

You know what really makes my grandma smile... little kids- look at that smile on her face! I don't know how Laura looks so good and makes it looks so easy with all those kids- you're amazing Laura... yes you are!

These are kind of sensitive emotional pictures my mom took, and I will cherish them. Some special moments comforting my grandma who has comforted me so many times....

My sweet sweet grandma. She was so emotional today. Just mentioning her mom she started crying and she kept saying "I just want to go to heaven and see my mom". Laura and I trying to comfort our grandma...

Here's the grandma's granddaughters making her laugh again. I think it's mostly Kim's jokes that get grandma laughing.

Next we have some pictures of Aurora in her first play for her middle school. Her school was doing the play "Annie" you know the songs "it's a hard knock life for us, it's a hard knock life for us!" and of course "the sun will come out, tomorrooooow". So Aurora didn't want the lead part she just wanted a smaller part as one of the orphans, she was the orphan Molly. Some of the songs Aurora had solo singing parts. She was so awesome, and they had dancing, too!

Aurora is 4th from the left...

She put in alot of rehearsal time for this! Just ask Jeromy who spent a couple Saturdays, all day, at her school...

There she is! Look at those rosy cheeks from all that dancing and singing!

All the kids in the production had a little paragraph about them and who they dedicated their performance to in the flyer, look what Aurora wrote:I hope you see this Trigg kids, Aurora misses you guys so much as do we!

Later gators!

Still my birthday month.... right???

So anyway, my mom always told me it's not just a birthday but a birthday month! I like that. So it's been kind of busy lately, when is it not- right?, but I finally have a chance to post the pictures my mom took on my birthday!

Here's me and my sweet grandma! I had to go to work for 2 hours, only cause I had some training that I couldn't miss, then I got the rest of the night off. And off to grandma's I go. I love her so much... her nose is looking alot better....Feeding grandma some ice-chips. She's not taking any more medications, and she's not eating anything.... this has been going on for a while now.... this is how she wants it to be. She keeps saying she wants to go to Heaven and she wants to see her mom. She tears up every time she talks about seeing her mom. We all love our moms so much....My awesome cousin Laura came by, also, with a birthday card and CANDY! Thanks Laura! I also got a text from her son, Kyle, wishing me a happy birthday.... Kyle's the greatest! This was pretty cool, too, I didn't ask the kids to make me a cake cause we've just been so busy and just not enough time. But secretly I was thinking... I didn't get any cake on my birthday (ya I'm a big baby people- birthdays are special to me). And then my mom pulls out some hostess cupcakes with rainbow candles! Awesome! I'm getting some cake after all on my birthday! Thanks mom it was perfect- just what I wanted- everyone should have cake on their birthday!They all sang happy birthday to me. There's Jeromy, too. Grandma was also singing, and at the end she kept singing "Jesus love you". Soooo sweet. Hearing her little weak voice sing. I love her so much.We were there today also. I don't know how she's maintaining the way she is... with no food or medications. She's under hospice care who have given the family some emergency meds in case she starts having any pain. Which is the other amazing thing, she has no pain. Nothing. God's having mercy on her in her last days on earth, but she is ready to go. I just know alot of us are just not ready to let her go...

But I know she's going to a much better place. She will be with Jesus, the God who created her, who knew her before she was even born. And my sweet little grandma will be strong and healthy again. No more aches or pains or tears.... I don't want her to go, but I have great peace knowing where she's going, and that I will see her again some day...

Yesterday.........

Yesterday was my birthday!

37 years old!

Pictures to come....

Some cousin stuff..

So Laura was coming over for a visit! And so was cousin Kristi and uncle Stu! Yay Shane, Max and Hannah, too.... but no Kyle.... bummer.... So I thought I'd make some spaghetti! Here's Kristi and Laura obviously amazed at my cooking skills (Jade where are you when I need you!!!). Jeromy also made some chocolate chip cookies, added a wrong ingredient and kinda burnt the last batch- woopsies! (Jade we REALLY need you!- She was baby sitting the cooler Schooler girls!).

And Hannah being adorable!

Here's us girls: Kristi, me and Laura.... just missing my sis Misty, cousin Kimmy and cousin Patty...

Us again- but closer.... aren't we cute! (someone has a shiny square on their forehead... just sayin')

So thankful to God for family. Also talked to Kimmy for a while after everyone left- love you Kimmy!- Family truly is a gift from God.... I guess we just all have to love and forgive each other even when we don't feel like it.

Can't sleep.

And so here we are Sunday morning at 1:00am.

Thought I'd share with you some cool quotes I came across. And since I can't sleep, I found the time to find a picture to go with each one to keep your interest. There are 3.

Here we go.... quote number 1:

Don't look back, that's not the way you're going.

Quote number 2:

Don't ask me why I run, ask your self why you don't!

And quote number 3- I thought this one was pretty great:

When the devil tries to remind you of your past (mistakes), remind him of his future!

Ok, some words of wisdom for ya, or maybe not. Made me smile anyway. Going to read a little bit then try to go back to sleep.

Funny Kent and Jade stuff...

So Kent was making one of his dinners again for food science. Well, we all sat down to eat, it was great. Then after we ate- I don't know how we didn't smell it- but Jade noticed one of the burners was on high still with no food in it (cause we ate it all!) and the spatula half melted into the pan! Oh No! Jeromy was able to save the pan... but not the poor spatula. I was laughing so hard. Kent was kind of upset about it. I told him something like that happens to everyone their first few times cooking- part of the learning curve!
That thing really melted, you can see half way down the handle that it started melting into the side of the pan... too funny...

Poor Kent. He said it was the "Dinner of Shame". I just kept laughing I couldn't help it. I told him a few months from now he's be laughing and he said "Not likely". Poor Kent!

R.I.P. little spatula....

So Jade had been wanting to get her hair cut. Jeromy and I didn't want her to get it cut cause we both like long hair, but she is 19 and she paid for it herself, so what can you do? Here she is before...

Cute little monkey face, I definitely love her long hair, but with a face like that it doesn't really matter how she has her hair- so cute! Love those big brown eyes!

The side, she actually drew a picture for the haircut lady to follow, she wanted her hair to come up around her ears like this...

Jade says she likes her hair cause she can do this with it... weirdo!

So that's all for now, time to go do our Costco/Albertsons/Trader Joe's Shopping marathon.

Snow Day #2!!!

Not complaining about work/school being shut down 2 days in a row.... but I will complain about being trapped in a house with NO CHOCOLATE! How does this happen???

My Grandma's 94th Birthday and a Snow Day!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!!!

My Grandma turned 94 on January 17th. She is so happy to be home and NOT at that rahab facility. Her poor little nose is finally healing. She was hooked up to an oxygen tank for a few weeks and the tube irritated her nose. But it is definitely better. My mom made her and angel food cake- her favorite for her birthday.
She got some beautiful flowers...

My sweet Grandma Shield. Can't believe she's 94 now. She said she had a nice time, that it wasn't as stressful as she thought it would be. She gets so overwhelmed so easily. But she had all 5 of her daughters there, some sons-in-law, some of her grand kids and great-grand kids. Then soon after eating some cake she was ready for a nap and she rested. I love my grandma so much...

So I have been wanting to try this Quinoa. It's hard for me to try something new especially when it seems so weird. But Jeromy and I finally got some at Costco and we cooked it with chicken broth- a recommendation from a couple at church- and we all really liked it. Ok, Kent not so much, but that was too be expected. But it really tasted good. I was shocked. I also made rice with our dinner just in case we didn't like it but it tasted better than the rice. It's hard to describe what it tastes like having never eaten anything like it before. But it makes a great side dish.

Finally we have some snow! The kids college classes were cancelled! And can you believe the shipyard cancelled work for day/swing/grave except for essential personnel? How awesome is that? Still don't know if it will be admin leave or not, we will see. But Jeromy's work also was closed down, so we all 4 got a free day! Aurora also had a snow day in her town!

As soon as Jade got out side she fell to the ground and made a snow angel. She loves the snow!

Me rolling my snowball, I was having a tough time at first it kept falling apart. Jeromy said cause the snow was wet- frustrating! But I finally got it going.

Jade rolling her snowball....

Kent rolling his snowball. He didn't really want to come out side though... but he said he didn't have a choice, I told him he did he just had to come out side. But he said he had fun once he was out there... a little fun.

The only picture of Jeromy I got outside! He didn't really want to come out side either but he did cause I asked (whined really bad) him, too.

I thought our snowman would be bigger, but once we stood next to him, he wasn't as tall as I thought he'd be. But stacking those snowballs was heavy work.

Pretty cool snow man. We used the same scarf the last time we made a snow man- so colorful.

Jade was the last one in. She wanted to stay out there longer... she said she was on mission, she was rolling around in the snow evading the enemy.... yep she's 19 and still a little girl at heart! When I told her to come in- for the 3rd time- she said she was on her last mission to rescue my car. Funny girl! It's weird cause I had to practically drag Kent out side and drag Jade back inside.

After coming in and warming up we needed some hot chocolate! Yum!!!

Jeromy and his hot chocolate.... note his expression matches the character on his cup: Eeyore!

Love snow days!

Some stuff and things...

Soooo.... a couple of things I suppose.... I know I haven't been blogging very much- BUT NEITHER HAS ANYBODY ELSE! Anyway, I'll probably be picking it up more here in a bit, just been busy- but when is life NOT busy right?

So I've been trying to find ways to continue to motivate myself to run. I've read different people's blogs and alot of them have on the side bar their total miles they've run for the year or years past. Sooooo I thought I'd start doing that! Just to see the miles add up over the months will surely inspire me. So check out my new side bar on total miles run for the year for 2012- just starting, and I'll try to update it monthly or what ever... go ahead- check it out--->

OK, so here's some pictures...

Jeromy knew I had been wanting a new blender for a while, cause the one I've had for several years has started to occasionally smoke when I use it- that can't be good. So for my birthday present, we were looking at blenders, and I mainly use it to make my protein shakes for after I run. So I saw this cool little blender that pretty much is perfect for making individual shakes! I like that it's a little smaller cause it stays on the counter 24/7 and this will take up less space than my other one! I haven't used it yet, going use it tomorrow for the first time. Isn't it cute???

Here's my Christmas present Jeromy made for me! It's the sign that says runner with the stenciled turtle. We finally got it hung with all my running medals/ribbons on it! I love it! And just above that are the 2 stained glass mirrors Jeromy made me for Christmas a few years ago.

Along with my cool medals, I had to show you my bibs- my numbers I've run for different races. Those different numbers represent how many different runs there are in a year that I've done. Meaning the one at the top is a run I've done in February all the way down to the last one which I ran New Year's Eve, and if I've run the race the previous year I just pin over that same event- that make sense? Proud of my numbers....Then a few days ago- wait, I think it was just yesterday actually, my parents took Misty and I out to lunch for our birthdays! Misty's is December 6th, and mine is January 24th, so they take us both out which is alot of fun for both of us! They took us out to Sizzler- and guess who we ran into? Jason and Laura! Too cool! Anyway, here's a picture of Misty and me, right now we are both 36... wow I almost typed 26.... anyway, we are both 36 for a few weeks before I'm officially 37- that's going to take some getting used to saying.... 37--37--37!!!!

And here's one of dad and Misty. Mom we forget to get a picture of you!

That's all for now! Stay tuned for some upcoming January birthday! My nephew Denny turns 14 tomorrow, my awesome grandma turns 94 on Tuesday, and of course my birthday! Any other January birthdays out there???

Oh my gosh!

How could I forget to tell you????

Well, last week the whole family had our 6 month dental check-up and:

NO CAVITIES!!!

I just knew you'd all want to know that breaking news!

Finally...

Some pictures.

Still spending alot of time with my grandma. She didn't seem to be doing as well today :o( I don't like it...

Anyway, amazingly I had some pictures taken today.

So today, I went early to visit my grandma for about an hour before church. Made sure she got a few bites of breakfast in her. Then my mom was there, then I had to go to church. I was in the back today with Jeromy help teach the Sunday school kids ages: 6-8. The kids are pretty great, just kind of tough when some of the kids keep acting up... especially when it's the Pastor's grandchild- nobody tell Pastor Kevin! Anyway, afterwards Jeromy and had to do our major shopping at Costco, Albertsons and Trader Joe's. We just get a few things at Trader Joe's that I love: their Greek honey yogurt, kefir milk (use it in my protein shakes after running), Jeromy gets their gluten-free cereal- it's the cheapest place we have found it!, and his almond milk.

So on our way shopping down the main town road we saw tons of people on the sides of the road, and several ambulances, fire trucks and police cars. There was a huge fire right on the side of the road that connected 6 businesses. There were so many people watching and traffic was backed up a bit, but Jeromy got these pictures with his cell phone. There was so much smoke and water splashing everywhere, and I could see the flames still roaring inside the building. I have seen stuff like this on TV but never this close in person. Kinda freaky. I don't think there were any injuries, but one of the business was a tanning salon, and there was a faulty bulb in one of the beds that started the fire- scary...

Some cute pictures of Aurora and her dad...

One of Kent's classes is Food Science, where he has to choose 18 different dinners over the course of his high school semester- it's kind of confusing- he's a college student at OC as a running start student even though he's technically a senior in high school, so he still has 2 classes that are required by the high school to graduate. And one of them is Food Science. Tonight he found a sloppy joe recipe on line. We got the ingredients we were missing earlier while we were shopping then Kent does all the cooking and clean-up and the family grades the meal. Jade took a picture of Kent while he was cooking dinner...

After dinner, I went to visit my grandma for a few more hours. She pretty much slept the whole time. My poor sweet grandma...

After leaving my grandma to sleep for the night, it was time to get Kent all fixed up.

Here's Kent before his hair cut and shaving (after about 2? months of not shaving)...

And after! Such a cutie pie- he does have really nice dark rich thick hair, but he's so cute it's a shame to cover up all that handsomeness...

Cute face... I think he looks younger now...

You know you wanted to see that pile of hair...

Got to get to bed now. Going to see my grandma bright and early tomorrow.