Kicking the fan chord

When Brad and I went to the University of Utah, we both took some martial arts classes.  I took Kempo karate and Brad took Krav Maga.  I think we were both surprised by how much we enjoyed those classes.  I took it seriously.  I studied frequently and practiced with our punching bag almost nightly.  I stressed and stressed about our tests and was really proud when I became a 2nd degree blue belt.  As seriously as I took it, I couldn't ever really shake the idea that I was just like Kramer; especially when I had to slow motion spar with a hefty woman that was in our class.

 

I don't remember exactly when this tradition started, but one night a couple years ago Brad and I challenged each other to try to kick the chord that hands down from the fan in my parents living room.  Since that time we have spent countless hours perfecting our technique.  It is not a simple feat.  Many a groin has been pulled trying to do it.

Here is Brad this past Christmas.

Take this, fan chord!

Ben even got in on the action.  

My mom even did it a while back (with the help of a mini-tramp)

Snow caving near Strawberry Reservoir

I was able to go snow caving with the Young Men in my ward from the 21st to 22nd of January.  Mace stayed with grandpa Roy that night since Lyndsay had to work.  

I got up there just after the sun set.  This picture shows the boys huddled around the fire as we prepared for the cold night.

The sunrise was awesome

The biggest and best snow cave I have ever slept in.  We had four adults in here and could have fit six or seven easily.  The best part: it was already dug for me when I got up there.

There were some awesome areas to snowmobile there.

Soccer at the park

Mace and I were kicked out of our house one day when Lyndsay had to do homework.  We decided to go play soccer at the park.  

When you play by Mace rules, he is allowed to use his hands.

Trying to figure out how to get past daddy.

Running past daddy.  That is how you score in Mace soccer.

I think Lyndsay and I made a pretty cute little kid.

After Mace had won several times, he decided we could start playing by the real rules.  He proceeded to kick the ball all the way down the sidewalk and back by himself.  Mace sure wore daddy out.

Mace, say "cheese!"

Skiing up Grizzly Gulch

Lyndsay and I went skiing up Grizzly Gulch on Martin Luther King day.  It was so much fun to have some time to talk with each other and enjoy the beautiful mountains we have around us.  We took it pretty easy on the way up and the way down since Lyndsay is pregnant.

Here is Lyndsay on the way up.

It was snowing graupel, kind of like small hail.

With one kid already and another on the way, it makes you value your time alone with each other more.

A view of Alta

I hope Lyndsay gets addicted to this like me.

Skinning up.

Skiing down.  It was really icy since it had rained the day before.

Car Show

On the 15th of January, Mace, Grandpa Roy, and I went to the car show.  Mace loved it!  For Christmas Mace got some Matchbox cars and he has loved cars ever since.  One of his first words was "car".

Mace had to get in just about every car we saw.

He loved to pretend he was driving.

If you look closely, you can see his head in the drivers seat.

He loved this $180,000.00 dollar Audi R8.

And loved being with his grandpa.

Mace helped me check out the size of the trunk of one of my dream cars, a Subaru WRX.

Can I get this one grandpa?

Or this one?

Mace just about made it over the barricade to see the new Corvette.

Mace's favorite car, a Ferrari Italia.  He actually owns one of these (a Matchbox car).

Here is some ketchup!

I have been quite the slacker with this blog! 

I will say that I will try to be more on top of it, but I can't promise. Now that I am back in school, blogging has to take a back seat! I will blog when I have time, like right now! :)

Tyler and I on Christmas Eve. We had just finished laying out the gifts for our little Macer!

  

The before picture! (Sorry, there isn't an after picture. I am sure you can imagine what it looked like.)

 Christmas Morning! Mace wasn't sure what to do, he was content with the bottle and blanket.

Daddy and Mace getting ready to tear into those gifts!

 Look Mace, you got a red car!

As you can tell, he still wasn't too into the whole gift thing.

He got a Hippo Flashlight, that laughs a funny laugh.

And, as you can tell, it brought a smile to this little face!

Forget about the rest of the gifts, Mace is a happy camper!

Mace got a sled, snow clothes, cars, play dough, a play dough bench, the hippo flashlight, a car track and a dinosaur puzzle. When we opened the puzzle, Mace started saying, "rawr" over and over! 

For New Year's Eve, I had to work. Tyler and Mace went to bed before the new year hit. I guess that means we are pretty boring! Work was great though. The nurses had a competition to see who could care for the more people coming in because they were drunk! It was a pretty crazy night!

On the second day of the New Year, we drove to Delta for a family Christmas party. We forgot our camera, so sadly I don't have any pictures. :( It was a great day and we had so much fun being with the family.

On the forth day of the New Year, I had my twelve week appointment with my OB. I took Mace with me, which I will never do again! (Unless Tyler is with me.) It was a quick appointment, which I was grateful for because of Mace. He was a little freaked out by the doctor and I think Mace thought he was the patient. We listened to the heart beat, which was such a comforting sound to me. I got the flu a few weeks before Christmas, and had some pretty painful cramping. I was worried about the baby, but everything seemed to be great!

On the fifth day of the New Year, Tyler's younger brother, Brad got married! It was a beautiful day. Brad and Liz were so cute and happy! It was neat to be in the temple with Tyler's parents and all of his siblings. 

Roy and Donna looked so nice!

 Mace looked like such a stud! (Thanks Whitney for letting Mace borrow Cooper's clothes!)

All of the cousins. Mace. Sadie. Brenner. Meredith.

Mace and Grandpa!

While I was working last Friday night, everyone went to the Clark Planetarium! Mace weighs 31 pounds! He is not far behind his cousins at 37lbs and 45lbs!