20 Years ago...
1. I was 9 years old
2. I painted the tree house in the back yard with polka-dots
3. I was dancing with Jean Taylor's School of Dance
10 Years ago...
1. I was 19 years old.
2. I had just gotten married to Todd
3. I offended my sister over a bowl of spaghetti and have never forgiven myself.
5 Years ago...
1. I was 24 years old.
2. I started school at Kapiolani Community College
3. I learned to live with cockroaches
3 Years ago...
1. I was 26 years old.
2. I weighed 125 pounds
3. I was getting ready to move to Boston.
1 Year ago...
1. I was pushing two children in a double stroller around Honolulu.
2. I was 5 classes away from receiving my Associates Degree
3. I was unaware that we would be moving away from Hawaii FOREVER
So far this year I...
1. Attended Todd's Graduation at the University of Hawaii
2. Completed a Sprint Triathlon
3. Purchased a home
Yesterday I...
1. Took Connor & Abi to Toys R' Us to see Thomas the Train
2. Played with Connor, Abi, Tanner & Wendy at Hidden Village Park
3. Got a bunch of junk food and watched "Spiderwick" with Todd and the kids
Today I...
1. Attended what will now be our "home ward" and LOVED it.
2. Played airplane, kung fu panda, and "pickle" with the kids.
3. Took all three kids in aformentioned double stroller for a little walk
Tomorrow I...
1. Will not get upset with the kids while packing
2. If I do get upset with the kids I will stop whatever I am doing
3. Will remember that the packing will always be there, but those kids will keep changing and I can't take that time back (thanks dad!).
In the next year I...
1. Will payoff 2 student loans
2. Will be a better mom
I tag...Patrice, Suzy, Jeanette, Ashley
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
I Failed To Mention...
...that I turned 29 on the 17th. I don't feel like I am mature enough to be that age. I took an on-line test a friend emailed me that told me my brain was only 22. My brain is only 22? I thought I was was supposed to get older and wiser...I am just getting older. Or maybe I am getting wiser and when I was 16 I had the brain of a 10 year old. That explains so much now!
Is This For Real?
Home Sweet Home...there is nothing like it! We close on Thursday. We'll be just two miles from the grandparents!
The furnishings in the photos are not ours, the original owners were kind enough to let me come through and take some photos prior to them moving out.
As many of you know, Todd and I have moved and moved and moved a lot in the last 7 years of our life. Within the last five years, we have not stayed in one location for more than 9 months. We are very anxious to get settled in somewhere with a big backyard and space for our kids to grow in. I was sort of afraid that if we kept living in small spaces our kids would be like fish and only grow as big as the space would allow...however, Carly proved that to be wrong and we need space to keep up with her growing thighs.
We (once again) sold everything we owned in Hawaii and are starting from scratch (you name it, we need it...except for a piano). So if any of you know of some good garage sales here in Salt Lake coming up...please let us know!
The furnishings in the photos are not ours, the original owners were kind enough to let me come through and take some photos prior to them moving out.
As many of you know, Todd and I have moved and moved and moved a lot in the last 7 years of our life. Within the last five years, we have not stayed in one location for more than 9 months. We are very anxious to get settled in somewhere with a big backyard and space for our kids to grow in. I was sort of afraid that if we kept living in small spaces our kids would be like fish and only grow as big as the space would allow...however, Carly proved that to be wrong and we need space to keep up with her growing thighs.
We (once again) sold everything we owned in Hawaii and are starting from scratch (you name it, we need it...except for a piano). So if any of you know of some good garage sales here in Salt Lake coming up...please let us know!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Cache Valley Classic Sprint Triathlon
I did it! I did not do it well, win an award or even finish in the middle, but I did it!
What did I really do? Swam 1/2 mile in the Hyrum Reservoir, biked 12 miles and ran 5k. This one done back to back and I finished in 2 hours 2 minutes.
If you want to see some pics from the event, go ahead and click HERE. To see any of the other family members pictures, click on the same link and on the right hand side of the page type in Riches as the last name and you'll get an eyefull of us.
I have been training for this event for quite some time and what I thought was my only strong leg (swimming) I quickly learned was almost my weakest. Swimming in a pool warmed to 80 degrees with just a swimsuit, clear water and a cap is much more different than swimming in a reservoir with brown water, 60 degrees and a wet suit.
The first few strokes into it, I wanted to raise my hand and ask one of the helpers to drag me to shore and drop out completely. I felt as though I did not have full range of motion in my wetsuit and the water that was getting logged inside the wetsuit was pulling me down. It was so difficult to swim freestyle, so I spent most of my time doing the elementary backstroke. Not such a good idea, because it can cause one to go off course a bit. Thankfully there was a nice girl swimming or doggy paddling (or at least struggling along with me) that would let me know when I was going off course.
As I finished the swim and came running up the stairs there was a gentleman who had to be pulled out. Our family has been praying for him and his family ever since this incident. We learned yesterday that he passed away. Come to find out he was as strong as an ox and a great athlete who loved to swim. What was so frightening to witness was what I needed to remind me how precious life is and that we should never take our time here forgranted.
I was weeping as I ran to the transition area to get on my bike. Weeping mostly because I felt like such a failure wanting to quit before I had even gotten far in the race and failing in what I thought I was so strong at. As I was leaving the transition area on my bike Todd yelled out "I love you. Just enjoy the ride." It was just what I needed to hear. So I did just that. I didn't race and I just enjoyed the ride, peddling along at 13 mph (to do well I should have been peddling at 15 mph or more).
As the bike came to a finish I wondered how in the world I was going to finish the last leg...the run, without my partner in this whole process...Tonya. She has encouraged me and pushed me along (as I am not a self-motivator). Once again my eyes welled up as I was certain I was the absolute last person to finish the bike leg. When to my wondering eyes should appear my favorite person in the world (at that moment) TONYA!!! YEAH!!! I waited for her to get settled and ready to run and we finished the race together!
Tonya finished first place in her division. She was the oldest woman in the triathlon. More power to her! You'd never know that she was the age she claims. She did great. Ken (my father-in-law) finished second in his age group. Chad (Kimi's husband) slammed all of us in the swim (17 minutes for a 1/2 mile) and the bike (17.9 mph). Ike averaged a 7 1/2 minute mile for the 5k.
As it all rolled to a close I had a really great time and now that I know my weaknesses and strengths I can focus my energy in those areas and try to prepare for the next race. Yes, I am planning on doing another one...but that all depends on how the rest of the summer pans out (moving, Todd helping his brother with an addition, homeownership, etc.).
What did I really do? Swam 1/2 mile in the Hyrum Reservoir, biked 12 miles and ran 5k. This one done back to back and I finished in 2 hours 2 minutes.
If you want to see some pics from the event, go ahead and click HERE. To see any of the other family members pictures, click on the same link and on the right hand side of the page type in Riches as the last name and you'll get an eyefull of us.
I have been training for this event for quite some time and what I thought was my only strong leg (swimming) I quickly learned was almost my weakest. Swimming in a pool warmed to 80 degrees with just a swimsuit, clear water and a cap is much more different than swimming in a reservoir with brown water, 60 degrees and a wet suit.
The first few strokes into it, I wanted to raise my hand and ask one of the helpers to drag me to shore and drop out completely. I felt as though I did not have full range of motion in my wetsuit and the water that was getting logged inside the wetsuit was pulling me down. It was so difficult to swim freestyle, so I spent most of my time doing the elementary backstroke. Not such a good idea, because it can cause one to go off course a bit. Thankfully there was a nice girl swimming or doggy paddling (or at least struggling along with me) that would let me know when I was going off course.
As I finished the swim and came running up the stairs there was a gentleman who had to be pulled out. Our family has been praying for him and his family ever since this incident. We learned yesterday that he passed away. Come to find out he was as strong as an ox and a great athlete who loved to swim. What was so frightening to witness was what I needed to remind me how precious life is and that we should never take our time here forgranted.
I was weeping as I ran to the transition area to get on my bike. Weeping mostly because I felt like such a failure wanting to quit before I had even gotten far in the race and failing in what I thought I was so strong at. As I was leaving the transition area on my bike Todd yelled out "I love you. Just enjoy the ride." It was just what I needed to hear. So I did just that. I didn't race and I just enjoyed the ride, peddling along at 13 mph (to do well I should have been peddling at 15 mph or more).
As the bike came to a finish I wondered how in the world I was going to finish the last leg...the run, without my partner in this whole process...Tonya. She has encouraged me and pushed me along (as I am not a self-motivator). Once again my eyes welled up as I was certain I was the absolute last person to finish the bike leg. When to my wondering eyes should appear my favorite person in the world (at that moment) TONYA!!! YEAH!!! I waited for her to get settled and ready to run and we finished the race together!
Tonya finished first place in her division. She was the oldest woman in the triathlon. More power to her! You'd never know that she was the age she claims. She did great. Ken (my father-in-law) finished second in his age group. Chad (Kimi's husband) slammed all of us in the swim (17 minutes for a 1/2 mile) and the bike (17.9 mph). Ike averaged a 7 1/2 minute mile for the 5k.
As it all rolled to a close I had a really great time and now that I know my weaknesses and strengths I can focus my energy in those areas and try to prepare for the next race. Yes, I am planning on doing another one...but that all depends on how the rest of the summer pans out (moving, Todd helping his brother with an addition, homeownership, etc.).
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Father's Day Pictures
For Father's Day, my dad asked for only one thing. A picture of all of his grandkids together. So we made it happen. All the kids were spectacular and performed well, all except Abi. My little drama queen cried through almost the entire thing.
I cannot post the whole Spencer Grandkids clan yet...at least not until my dad gets his gift. I can, however, post the two pics that I got for ourselves. One of our little kids and one of Carly. Connor and his cute personality made it all worth it.
I cannot post the whole Spencer Grandkids clan yet...at least not until my dad gets his gift. I can, however, post the two pics that I got for ourselves. One of our little kids and one of Carly. Connor and his cute personality made it all worth it.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
The Hawaiian Vacation Pics
I dare any of you who have three children ages three and under, a husband starting a new job, who are looking for a home and trying to do a few other mindless yet important things to sort through over 600 pictures and coordinate, organize and update the pictures then put them into a slideshow to give me any guff about how long it has taken me to get them posted. I am not impressed with the final outcome, however, there have been lots of requests for pictures from the trip. When I get more time I hope to add music and doll it up a gift to make DVD's for each of the family members, but I think that will have to wait until the end of June...you'll know why later. Things are busy and hectic around here lately. The worst part of it all, I just went through it all and discovered that there are a few pictures missing of some very important friends of our from Hawaii that didn't get put in (Miranda, Mano, Carol, Sharon). I did not mean to leave any of you out on purpose...I am just not so good at this whole photo slideshow thing as I wish I was. Phew...with all of that, enjoy the show without any music. Imagine something Hawaiian-y playing in the background.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
ABC's of Me
Here you go Miranda:
A Attached or Single: Attached to Toddy
B Best Friend : Toddy
C Cake or Pie : Pie preferably pumpkin
D Day: Monday...I start life all over again and try to do it better
E Essential Item: Mascara
F Favorite Color: Green
G Gummi Bears or Worms: Bears (see phobias below)
H Hometown: Murray, UT
I Indulgences: Chocolate & Soda
J January or July: July
K Kids: Connor, Abi & Carly
L Life is incomplete without: People, especially family and friends
M Marriage Date: May 30, 1998
N Number of Siblings: 2 older brothers, 1 younger (but more mature) sister
O Oranges or Apples: Oranges
P Phobias or Fears: Crowds and snakes or crowds of snakes
Q Quote "Keep Moving Forward"
R Reason to Smile: Other people are smiling at you
S Season: Spring
T Tag Three: Angie Riches, Angie Richardson, Ashley Crenshaw
U Unknown Fact About Me: I can't take naps for many a reason, mostly lame ones
V Vegetarian or Carnivore: Where's the Beef?
W Worst Habit: Not folding and putting away laundry after it is washed
X X-rays or Ultrasound: Ultrasound, for me it's always been happy news
Y Your favorite food: Junk Food
Z Zodiac Sign: Gemini
A Attached or Single: Attached to Toddy
B Best Friend : Toddy
C Cake or Pie : Pie preferably pumpkin
D Day: Monday...I start life all over again and try to do it better
E Essential Item: Mascara
F Favorite Color: Green
G Gummi Bears or Worms: Bears (see phobias below)
H Hometown: Murray, UT
I Indulgences: Chocolate & Soda
J January or July: July
K Kids: Connor, Abi & Carly
L Life is incomplete without: People, especially family and friends
M Marriage Date: May 30, 1998
N Number of Siblings: 2 older brothers, 1 younger (but more mature) sister
O Oranges or Apples: Oranges
P Phobias or Fears: Crowds and snakes or crowds of snakes
Q Quote "Keep Moving Forward"
R Reason to Smile: Other people are smiling at you
S Season: Spring
T Tag Three: Angie Riches, Angie Richardson, Ashley Crenshaw
U Unknown Fact About Me: I can't take naps for many a reason, mostly lame ones
V Vegetarian or Carnivore: Where's the Beef?
W Worst Habit: Not folding and putting away laundry after it is washed
X X-rays or Ultrasound: Ultrasound, for me it's always been happy news
Y Your favorite food: Junk Food
Z Zodiac Sign: Gemini
10 years...
...of bliss.
Todd and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary on the 30th of May. What have we accomplished together?
1999 Purchasing a home 6 months after we were married on Galileo Lane in Taylorsville
2000 Todd got me a baby grand piano for Valentine's Day (this one we never sold)
2001 Remodeled the interior of that cute little home and ripped out 4 trees
2002 Selling our home and everything in it to move to Hawaii
2003 Visited the Big Island with the Baird's
2004 Visited Kauai with the Baird's & Sorensen's
2005 Celebrated the arrival of our first child, Benjamin Connor Riches (HI)
2006 Lived in Dallas TX for Todd to do his first practicum at HKS
2006 Lived in Boston MA for Todd to do his second practicum at Sasaki
2006 Inviting Abigail Brooke Riches into the family (MA)
2007 Moving back to Hawaii
2007 Moving back to Utah
2007 Welcoming Carly Belle Riches into the world (UT)
2008 Todd completed his dissertation and graduated from the University of Hawaii ArchD
2008 Todd got a real job working for EDA Architects in Downtown Salt Lake City
I'm looking forward to what the next 10 bring!
Todd and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary on the 30th of May. What have we accomplished together?
1999 Purchasing a home 6 months after we were married on Galileo Lane in Taylorsville
2000 Todd got me a baby grand piano for Valentine's Day (this one we never sold)
2001 Remodeled the interior of that cute little home and ripped out 4 trees
2002 Selling our home and everything in it to move to Hawaii
2003 Visited the Big Island with the Baird's
2004 Visited Kauai with the Baird's & Sorensen's
2005 Celebrated the arrival of our first child, Benjamin Connor Riches (HI)
2006 Lived in Dallas TX for Todd to do his first practicum at HKS
2006 Lived in Boston MA for Todd to do his second practicum at Sasaki
2006 Inviting Abigail Brooke Riches into the family (MA)
2007 Moving back to Hawaii
2007 Moving back to Utah
2007 Welcoming Carly Belle Riches into the world (UT)
2008 Todd completed his dissertation and graduated from the University of Hawaii ArchD
2008 Todd got a real job working for EDA Architects in Downtown Salt Lake City
I'm looking forward to what the next 10 bring!
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