Some Moments to be Thankful for in 2008

WHETHER IT WAS SPENDING TIME ON THE BEACH WITH MY LITTLE PRINCESS.....

TAKING KATIE TO SCHOOL.... MAN SHE IS GROWING TO FAST!

GOING TO CALIFORNIA WITH MY AUNT TERRY AND UNCLE EVAN AND SEEING ALL THE FUN SITES LIKE SEA WORLD AND THE BEACH.........

GOING TO HAWAII WITH THE LOVE OF MY LIFE AND WATCHING HER FACE LIGHT UP DURRING ALL THE FUN ACTIVITIES...... SNORKELING WAS THE BEST, BUT JUST BEING KIDS AGAIN WAS FUN TOO:)

TAKING MY WIFE OUT TO DINNER AND HAVING THE FEELING THAT YOU MISS YOUR KIDS WAS TO DIE FOR :)

SEEING MY KIDS GROW UP AND WATCH ALL THE FUN THINGS THEY SAY AND DO.... LOOK HOW PRECIOUS THEY ARE:)

OF COURSE NOTHING CAN TOP CONDO ON THE BEACH:)

TRAINNING FOR THE IRONMAN WITH MY BUDDY BLAKE AND ALL OUR FRIENDS DW, DARIN, STEVE, KIM, DOUG, GREG, IT WAS CRAZY HOW MANY HOURS WE PUT IN...

HAVING MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO CHEER BLAKE AND I ON DURRING THE MOST ENDURRING RACE OF MY LIFE:)

There is so many more to list... I am just happy to have the best wife and the most beautiful girls in the world. I am also thankful for my friends and thankful for the free country we live in. Not to mention for the gospel, my job and for my new nose which I can now breathe with:) This year has been amazing.... CAN'T WAIT FOR 2009

"It's raining women"

Mr.hotstuff himself surrounded by all the girls he could handle:) Remember no dating until your 25 years old:)

How does she do it?

She cooks and she cleans so much that even the girls have caught on:) Man am I spoiled or what?

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN SUCH A HOT GIRL? Man am I a lucky guy or what? I love my wife:) What a hottie! How she can manage all that she does and still have time to take care of these stinkers?

Salvation Army Stocking Stuffer Party

This past Friday night we had the wonderful experience of filling 400 stockings for the Salvation Army and needy children in Nashville. My friend Holly has done this for the past 3 years and it just keeps growing. She is also my gym "rat" buddy and one day we were talking and decided that I could get my church involved and between the both groups we could definitely get 400 filled....and we did! It was such a great way to get the entire family involved. Her Sunday school and our 2 wards donated many items and we all met to fill each stocking. We ate great food (organized by my other friend Kristi Johnson) and made new friends while doing something great for someone else.

Kristi wrote a long "ODE TO HOLLY" post on her blog at http://www.weloveourlucy.blogspot.com/ and I would just like to mimic EVERYTHING Kristi said. It is all true and then some! Holly is one of my closest friends and does so much personally for me and my family. Plus, it is a good thing because her little boy, Ben, and Katie are crazy about each other so we might be related someday. :)

I also need to add a HUGE thank-you to Stacey and to Christine. They did so much to help with all of this and they had to sweat over getting it all together just as much as I did and I appreciated their help more than I could ever tell them.....so hopefully they will read this, and they will know again that I LOVE them!

What a GREAT start to feeling the holiday spirit!

Christine with Lauren & Brooklyn

A gym full of people and stocking stuffers. :)

Thanks to Kristi......look at all the great food!

Thanks again to EVERYONE that helped donate, stuff stockings and help with such a wonderful cause!

My MAN the IRONMAN!

This time last year I had no idea what an ironman was. Well, I had a vague idea....but did not really know what it involved. These past few months I quickly learned that it means a lot of things. HARD work, early mornings, late nights, time away from babies (and hot wife,) no relaxing Saturdays and mental toughness.....just to name a few. :)

Then the weekend of Halloween, November 1st, all this hard work paid off when Chris became one at the Panama City, FL Ironman. It was one of the most remarkable events I have ever witnessed and was truly inspiring. It starts off with a 2.4 mile swim (in the ocean,) 112 mile bike and a 26.2 (marathon) run. INSANE! They start at 7:00 in the morning and it goes until midnight. There were so many people there supporting over 2200 athletes. Every spectator quickly became like family and we all cheered for everyone. What made it really fun was that there were 4 other friends from our own church ward who did it too and we had a great support system. Isn't this sign fabulous? This was either Danielle or Annita's doing but either way so clever!!! The girls and I made our signs the day before and had them put out on the course so he could see them.

Here is our group. Steve and Kim Gawrys, Chris, Blake Haines and Darin Long
Annnnnnd there off. Watching all the swimmers run into the water and swim out past buoy's you can barely see....twice...was intense. For most people I think this is the hardest part. They are nervous, it is cold, a bit dangerous and a complete mosh pit in water. As a swimmer I would hate to do 2 laps, but as a spectator it was great. I saw Chris after 1 lap (32 minutes) and coming out of the ocean (1:12.)

They then run up the beach, get their wet suits pulled off and they go to the transition point to change into bike gear. I then got to see him head out on the bike. At that point Chris' Dad, Blakes Dad, Danielle and Dave Watson all rented Mopeds and went out on the course. This was great for me as I knew right where he was and knew when to go back down to the course! He finished in 6 hours 24 seconds!

Clearly he isn't running in this picture. He is changing his socks. Up until this point, every time I saw him he looked GREAT. I couldn't believe it. He was smiling and happy. The marathon is 2 laps as well. This is after the first lap and starting the second. This was where he looked like a normal person who would have been hating life at this point. :)

His marathon time was 4:12. He really hates that time but HELLO! That time after all that he had done before is pretty great if you ask me. He finished in 11:40:31.

CHRIS: Katie, Lauren, Brooklyn and I are so proud of you! What an accomplishment. Soooo glad it's over, but really amazed at what you were able to do. You make us so proud!