Speeding up to slow down!

Is it just me or is time suddenly moving in fast motion?  Life seems to be catapulting by so quickly that it leaves my head spinning!  Could it be that our family is ridiculously over-scheduled and stretched to the max?  Or that, like a marathon, we see the finish line ahead so we speed up just to be done?  I think it's safe to say that, WE ARE ALL READY FOR A BREAK!  Summer can't come fast enough!

Speaking of speeding, I recently ran in the funnest* race (on Saturday the 18th)!  It was called "Running With Ed" and it was a mini Ragnar-type relay race in Park City.  We had a team of 5 [awesome and hilarious] ladies from my neighborhood (and one gracious driver, thanks Diane!) and we all ran 2 separate legs for a total of 40 miles.  It was cold and rainy, and we spent a good 7+ hours shuffling in and out of an SUV (with swass and swoobs a-plenty), but we still had a blast!  Can't wait to do another race with these dedicated ladies!

Team, "Runing From Our Kids"

From left: Carrie Merrill, Jill Gorringe, Barb Jensen, Rebecca Christianson, Me

Re-creating my finish

These gals are tough!

Diane Linford (right) volunteered to be our driver :)

Finished!

Couple of lunches:
The busy-ness of all the end of school year stuff has caused me to fail miserably at spotlighting my lunch dates.  Although my treatment is officially over (YAY!), I had a couple of stragglers, so to speak, that I want to tell you about:

This lady has the best laugh!

First is Terri Brumm.  This pretty lady is in my neighborhood and ward.  She is also the Mia Maid advisor in our Young Women's group, so I get to listen to her teach the 14-15 year old girls in our church most Sundays.  I have to tell you that she gives THE BEST lessons!  She teaches from her heart and by the spirit and I always walk away uplifted and edified.  The girls are lucky to have her!  Terri is mom to 4 kids (one on a mission in The Dominican Republic) and one thing that you will notice right away when seeing Terri are her incredibly bright and blue, beautiful eyes (seriously, that picture doesn't do her justice... her eyes really do jump out at you)!

Next, I went to lunch at Snowbird's Forklift Cafe with two hot mamas, Mona Debenham and Robyn Price.  Interestingly enough, I knew each of these ladies separately, before they became friends themselves.  (I forgot to take a picture that day, so I'm improvising and stealing from Facebook - hope they don't mind :)

The beautiful Robyn Price

Robyn and I met when our now 16-year old boys were in Kindermusic together as toddlers.  We saw each other periodically throughout the years, then this last year our girls took dance at the same studio and we got to rekindle that friendship.  This lady, besides being ULTRA tall (she's got to be at least 6'1'') and ULTRA gorgeous, is also a huge bundle of fun.  She is always smiling and happy and is a presence you just long to be around!  She also "gets it" as a mom (she has 4 kids - one married, one about to leave on a mission and 2 teenagers) and obviously knows how to raise kind, smart and spiritual kids.  I appreciated and needed her wisdom that day, as I'm the first to admit that I sometimes have NO CLUE what I'm doing as a mom!  Especially when it comes to teenagers... I'll take any help I can get!!

Grandma Mona 

Beautiful people, right?

Next is Mona.  Mona is in my neighborhood and is definitely the hostess with the mostess.  She often opens up her oh, so lovely house for ladies lunches or dinner parties, where it is always decorated to the hilt and done up like a house from a magazine.  She and her husband, Dan, also started what we call the 'ethnic dinner group', which is basically an excuse for a bunch of couples to get together and have a unique, new cultural dining experience (Ethiopian has been my favorite).  Speaking of her husband, Dan is always the life of the party.  Together, they are so fun to be around!  Mona has 4 [overly good-looking] kids and even 2 grandbabies  (can you believe that?).  Her youngest is about to graduate high school and go on a mission (Oklahoma City) and her 2nd youngest is currently serving a mission (England).  Lucky for her, her husband gets to travel all over the world with his job, so I have no doubt Mona will be busy and well taken care of when her "nest" is empty.  Take me with you, Mona!!!  I have to note, too, that Mona has had her fair share of challenges over the last couple of years, and she has handled it with the utmost grace, faith and dignity.  She is truly the ultimate example of class, in my book!  Love this beautiful lady!

Okay, next post we will revisit Operation Declutter.  I've made some progress that I want to share... how about you?  Oh, and what books are on your summer reading list?  I plan to do a lot of sitting on my butt, preferably in the sun, and reading over the next 2 months.  What are your summer goals?

Aly




*FYI: while not proper English, funnest IS actually a word that is even in the dictionary (see http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/funnest).  So, use away to your heart's content!

CELEBRATIONS A GO-GO!

CELEBRATION #1:

Tuesday was my last day of radiation treatment.  YAY ME!!!  I got to ring the Celebration Bell and everything.  What's more, the two people who mean the very most to me in my life - my sweet hubby and my dear mom - were there to share the moment with me.  It was pure awesomeness in a bottle!

Celebration Bell

My new friends

My mom, Judy Smith

My biggest fan :)

From here, I will see the doctor every 3 months or so, where they will take x-rays or MRI's and monitor the tumor... which hopefully is no longer growing.  We really won't know if the radiation has worked for 6 months to a year.  I am learning to be patient and to stop worrying about all the what-ifs.  We will cross whatever bridges we need to as, or if, they come our way.  

CELEBRATION #2:

In other Ellis Family news, we had a weekend chock-full of more celebrations.   Monday was our 19th Wedding Anniversary.  As you probably already read, my blog was mysteriously HIJACKED over the weekend by the hubs, where he said a few words and shared a few pics about me (wasn't that 90's hair awesome?)  I won't attempt to compete with his beautiful and unexpected tribute, but suffice it to say that I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have him.  I love this man with all my heart and soul!  We celebrated our day by going on a date to see the movie MUD.  It was pretty good, except I kept wanting Matthew McConaughey to jump into that water he was living next to and wash his dirty face and greasy hair.  The chipped tooth wasn't all that necessary either.  How's that for an amateur review? 

I also went to lunch earlier in the day with these handsome guys:

This is my step-brother, Chad Smith.  Chad and Steve have become great friends over the last few years and he is an enormous bundle of fun.  You are 100% guaranteed to laugh when Chad is around!  He is dad to 3 kids - twin teenage boys (can you say double trouble? hehe) and one preteen, perfect angel of a girl.  He is one of the most involved dads I know.  This guy is also the handiest handy-man you will ever meet.  He can build, fix, install or beautify just about anything in your house.  On many occasions I have asked for his "help" with something and he just ends up doing it all for me.  Come to think of it, I might need his 'help' with some more house projects soon ;)  Thing is, he's on to my little scheme and will gladly do it anyway.  Love that about him and love having him as part of our crazy family!  Or maybe he IS the crazy in our family?  Either way, we'll take him.

We went to Pei Wei, and let's just cut to the chase here, it's the bomb-diggity.  It's PF Chang's food for a fraction of the price yet all the taste and flavor.  My favorite is the Mongolian Beef with rice noodles and extra sauce.  Try it and it just may become your go-to order as well.  And their wonton soup is super yummy, too.  

CELEBRATION #3:

Sunday, of course, was Mother's Day.  My day started off perfectly with a scrumptious french toast breakfast served to me on 'The Special Plate' (if you don't have one of these, it's a must get!  You can find at redplatestore.com).  See, it says so right there, "I am Special today!"

Then we went to church where I got to go to Relief Society and be surrounded by dozens of awesome women and mothers.  They decorated a table with pretty flowers and served little lunch plates of mini sandwiches, fruit and a chocolate while we listened to a beautiful lesson.  The main point of the lesson was the best part of all... "Never forget WHO you are and WHOSE you are."  We are daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves us.  What a great message for all women!

Then we did what we have done for nearly every mother's day since I was about 12 years old - we went out to dinner, baby!  (No judgement, remember?)  This year was extra groovy because my own mom was in town, so we went with the whole fam-damily - my cute sister and new mom sister-in-law included.  We went to one of my absolute favorite restaurants - Texas Roadhouse.  Did you know they have a sirloin steak entree with your choice of two sides for a mere 10 bucks?  And their hot rolls with cinnamon butter are a little slice of carb-heaven (I'm not even getting paid for this advertisement!).   Doesn't take a whole lot to please this lady!  I definitely felt the Mother's Day love!  And, oh how I loooove being a mom!!!

Yes, this is indeed a mother's day message created from raw beef. 

Bet you never saw this before!

CELEBRATION #4:

On Friday I went to a birthday lunch with a couple of my dear neighbor friends:  

This is (from left) birthday girl Rebecca Christianson, Lisa Webster and Kris Hansen.  And you guessed it, I'm gonna brag up these ladies for 2 seconds (enter bullet points, please):

* Rebecca is a quietly thoughtful friend.  By that I mean that she will do little acts of kindness - drop off a loaf of bread, leave a thoughtful note or text, buy pizza for all the kids on a Friday night - all without fanfare or the need for recognition.  She is the mother of 3 beautiful kids and can be found on a spin bike at the gym waaaay too early in the mornings, or on the slopes of Canyons Resort most Saturdays.

* Lisa and I have been friends for 10+ years and can't seem to get away from serving in church callings together (which is perfectly fine by me).  Lisa is an amazing decorator, stylish and fashionable at all times (even looks good in workout gear!) and is an ever-faithful and loyal friend.  Lisa also has 3 kids - a son on a mission, a 16-yr old son and a daughter, Laura, who my girls have adopted as their 4th sister.  

* Kris is my jet-setting, traveling friend.  She is a long-time flight attendant for Delta and gets to travel to all kinds of fun and unique places (like the Ice Hotel in Canada - google it). Kris and her hubby are big scuba divers and have dived in places I probably can't even pronounce.  Kris is the mom to four ultra handsome boys and is currently preparing for [another] wedding and [another] missionary leaving.  She's got her hands full!

_________________________________________________________________________________

So, there's the rundown of my many recent celebrations.  Truth is, I don't need a reason to celebrate because I really have everything I could ever want - family, friends, health (mostly ;), the gospel and time on this earth to enjoy them all.  But once again, a big thanks to all who have drifted into my life and crossed my path at some point - either in the past or the present - and hoping our paths will continue to cross in the future.  

Aly

 

HIJACKED: A Husband's Confession...

In the daily panic of kids, work, and responsibility it’s not often that I find the time to quietly reflect on the macro of this existence.  So it was a welcome diversion when, on a recent, solo drive through an expansive cellular black hole, that I found myself reduced to my thoughts and a long string of random music on my iPod.  As I rolled through various songs, I found a union of music and emotion.  I reflected on life and the curve ball that had been thrown at my family.  I felt such a strong sense of gratitude for all that I’d been given, a greater love for my wife, and a deeper appreciation for friends and family.  I’m so proud of how Alyson has approached this challenge.  I’ve always known her to be a strong person but my love and respect for her has grown through this experience.   As I continued to drive, the lyrics resonated even more…

“But I’ve got all I want when it comes to loving you.  You’re my only reason, you’re my only truth.  I need you like water, like breath, like rain.  I need you like mercy from heaven’s gate.  There’s a freedom in your arms that carries me though.  I need you.” (Leann Rimes)

I love Alyson more than I could ever express in a blog, but at the risk of going full “Tom Cruise on Oprah’s couch”, I’m going to take a crack at explaining what makes her so special and why I consider myself so blessed.

Probably the best place to start is the beginning…well, at least the beginning for us.  I met Alyson for the first time in January of 1992.  I had recently returned from an LDS mission in Brazil.  She had just sent a missionary to Atlanta, Georgia.  We were clearly on different paths.  I was on the hunt, she was headed for emotional unavailability.  I’ll never forget the first time I saw her.  It was at church, of all places.  Since most BYU wards meet on campus, I was sitting in the back of a lecture hall in the Smith Family Living Center as sacrament meeting ended.  As I watched the crowd funnel out, my breath was immediately taken away when I saw her.  She was wearing a modest, loose fitting dress and her blond hair glistened with an overabundance of hairspray.  Her teased-up bangs were the envy of every girl in the room.  It was hard to recognize the emotion at the time but looking back this clearly was love at first sight. 

  

Knowing that she was not looking for a serious relationship, I quickly surmised that my path to this girl’s heart would be a long and arduous journey.  Persistence has always been one of my strong suits (and, ok, weaknesses as well) so I was up to the task.  We became great friends that semester and learned that we had lots in common… both second children, same cultural upbringing, an ability to find humor in almost any situation.  That summer we both returned to our childhood homes in Pasadena and Huntington Beach.  Although 45 minutes apart, I was more than willing to drive the distance three, four and five times a week for us to be together.  We had created a platonic relationship that has continued to grow even after 19 years of marriage.  We really enjoy, and always have, just being together.  I love this about us.

It took me a little longer than expected to convince Alyson that I was more than a great friend.   I used all the tools at my disposal… a Paula Abdul concert, a grunion run, a horseback ride, dinner dates, even an invitation to a family trip to Palm Springs.  Alyson was quickly accepted by my family…especially my three younger sisters.  I loved watching them together.  They are today, along with my wonderful sister in law, Jennifer, great friends.  I immediately loved Alyson’s family as well.  Her mother, Judy, did a tremendous job raising Alyson and her 3 siblings.  As a young girl, Alyson was into dance, soccer, and had a terrific circle of friends.  In high school, although she was the homecoming and prom queen, she never liked the spotlight and still doesn’t.  She was the girl that always made sure everyone was included and often spent time helping the special needs kids at the school.  You see, one of the greatest things about Alyson is that our imperfections, insecurities, and shortcomings are lost on her.  She truly doesn’t see them.  She seeks the good in others, gives the benefit of the doubt, doesn’t judge, and tries to help everyone fit in.  She has a compassion that is truly Christ-like.  She’s a great example to me in this way.  I love her!!!

Easy Tom…Ok, stepping down off the couch, lowering arms to waist level, getting back on track…

Finally, after some strong-arm tactics we were married in May 1994 (Friday the 13^th actually).

We finished school, graduated on the same day and moved to Salt Lake where I began a career in computer software.  The past 19 years have brought great blessings.  Our four children adore their mother.  As I’d hoped, they’ve all taken a maternal path in appearance and intelligence.  We’ve enjoyed growing together as a family.  A great article was written on parenting a while back and I share the author’s thoughts… Some of our most vivid family memories are from on the road: a midnight swim in Lake Powell, a horseback ride through the rainforest in Costa Rica.  Sure, in part they stand out just because they are exceptions to the dailiness of our Sandy, Utah routine, and we see new places.  But for me, the appeal of traveling as a team isn’t that it’s broadening.  It’s the opposite- sweetly narrowing.  Somehow after a day in the car, with all of us cuddled in two beds at $39.95-a-night anonymity of motel America, watching some corny movie and eating pizza, we feel bound, not merely by DNA or circumstance but also by the memories we’ve made together.  This has been the tone of our family for the past 19 years.  This is what has made life fulfilling.  Sure, we have our fair share of challenges… we have two teenagers, for heaven’s sake.  I can’t begin to imagine what life will be like when we have three… and they’re all girls, (deep breath) but I’m not concerned because Alyson brings a calm and comfort to our family that makes any challenge seem trivial.  She is a leader by example.  Classy and elegant in how she comports herself and tender and sweet in her relationships.  She’s humble and charitable and always willing to do more than her fair share.

 

Since that first encounter, I’ve been continuously mesmerized by Alyson’s external beauty.  As she’s grown older, I’ve been amazed at how she’s aged with such perfection.  I honestly think she’s prettier at 40 than she was at 20.  There are still times that she takes my breath away.  Just the other day, I was waiting for her outside of our church building.  For those that know Aly, you know that she’s always late.  I’ve spent countless hours in cars, malls, and at home waiting for this woman (a blog for another day).  So she’s in talking to someone at the Church, probably planning an activity for the youth, and I’m starting to heat up a little.  After about 10 minutes, she comes jogging out with a huge “don’t be mad at me” grin on her face.  I’m not sure if it was the light, the circumstance or something otherworldly but she had a glow about her that made my heart leap.  I told her to stop and took a picture on my phone (see below).  This happens frequently and I’ve made a point of taking a picture so that I can remember the moments.  

Life in Utah is not easy for this California girl.  The warm sun and beach-life beckon her back to warmer climes, but the quality of life and family environment keep us in Utah.  It’s not easy for her though.  November through March is spent in varying degrees of frostbite.  Alyson is a night owl and can be found up late on most nights working on a home project, preparing a lesson…essentially making life better for everyone around her.  On most winter nights, she comes to bed long after I’ve gone to sleep and will cuddle up behind me.  Her body feels like ice in human form as it sucks every ounce of warmth that I’ve generated over the past couple of hours, but I never complain.  In fact, I love it.  I love providing for this woman.  I always have.  So much of my happiness is generated by giving back a fraction of the happiness that she has brought to me and our children. 

Life is never perfect.  Radiation treatment has been difficult, but Alyson is a fighter.  For this, I know that we’ll get through it and life will continue as it always has.  She’s tough as nails and nothing holds her down for long.  To help confront this battle, I’ve come armed with one of my greatest assets (which happens to come from my mother)…an eternal optimism.  The ability to see the good in any situation.  Admittedly, there’s a weakness to this trait.  Sometimes optimists have a hard time seeing reality.  Alyson is more of a realist.  I joke with her that she sometimes only sees the cup half empty.  It’s a fun topic for us to discuss and we’ve conceded that we’re both right…most of the time.  J  This perspective is evidenced in the title of her blog…”It Could be Worse.”  My title would read more like “What a Great Opportunity to Grow and Learn More About Myself in this Beautiful World Where Everything is Wonderful….etc, etc.”  But this blog belongs to Alyson, and it’s her way of seeing the world.  So, I’ll concede to her perspective and say that it truly could be worse.

But…

I can promise you, the next time she comes to bed on a cold night at two o’clock in the morning and I awake to the Himalayan Yeti in my bed, the only thought that will be running through my mind will be…how could it get any better.

Happy Mother’s Day and Happy 19^th Anniversary, Hon.  I love you more than you’ll ever know.

-Steve

Am I there yet?

My recent attitude reminds me of a child on a long car ride, "Are we there yet?"  As of today, I am 3 treatments away from being done... and I am so ready to be done!  Overall, the journey hasn't been all that bad.  I mean, how can I complain when I have had such a blast going to lunch with an assortment of completely awesome ladies.  That is truly what I will remember about this whole experience!  But, my sunburned skin and tired body will tell you that it definitely has had some effect.  Just hoping (and praying) that this will do the trick.  From here, I will have follow-up appts and MRI's probably every 3 months or so to track things.  The hope is not necessarily that it will shrink, but more importantly, that it does not continue to grow.  Keeping fingers crossed!

Beautiful Lady

On Monday, my sweet friend and neighbor Andrea Reynolds, was kind enough to meet me for lunch. When we moved into our house, over 11 years ago, the Reynolds were nearing completion on their home right across the street.  The day I met Andrea, and also learned that she had a 3-year old daughter too, made me so happy!  I knew our families would be lifelong friends... and that is just what we are!  This chica is one incredible señorita for oh, so many reasons.  First, she is the fittest, and probably strongest, woman I know!  This gal is an admitted workout-aholic.  She loves any kind of exercise - running, biking, swimming, kickboxing, weight classes - you name it and she will take on the pain and love every minute of it.  In fact, this weekend she is doing a triathlon (good luck!).  She looks absolutely awesome and inspires me to get my saggy booty in better shape.  Second, Andrea is uber-talented.   She is an amazing painter, an even amazinger singer (she's even recorded...check her out at reverbnation.com/andreareynolds) and can play at least a couple dozen instruments, or more :)-  I've always said that it's just not fair that she got more than one person's fair share of talents!  But the fact of the matter is that she continues to work hard to develop those talents.  So, she truly deserves it all!  Third, she has the purest and sweetest heart.  This girl may be strong and tough on the outside, but she really is a big softie and would do anything for anyone!  She has been a great friend to me and my family over the years and I am so incredibly grateful for her friendship!!!  (Trey is okay too. Hahahaha.  J/K... We love Trey - even though he beat me on Dance Revolution.  I call for a re-match!)

Summer and Andrea's daughter, Libby - Halloween 2002

Despite our BYU/Utah Rivalry, we've remained friends ;) Circa 2008

When Andrea texted me and said she wanted to go to Blue Lemon for lunch, I am sure I let out an audible,  "Woohoooooo!"  Oh, how I love this new place!  They describe themselves as 'express gourmet' and that is exactly what they are.  We both ordered the, get this, Mango Mint Chicken Salad.  Talk about a party in my mouth!  This was soooooooo good that I licked my bowl when Andrea wasn't looking. Haha... not really, but was tempted!  And because I am a girl who likes to eat (that's one of my my talents), I also ordered a side of their butternut squash soup.  Could you just die?  Oh, and a sugar cookie, which I intended to only eat a few bites of (didn't work out so well).

Located on Ft. Union Blvd. & Highland in Cottonwood Hts.

They have a real lemon tree growing inside

Anyone else want one of these in their house?

Mango Mint Chicken Salad

Butternut Squash soup

Was an awesome day.  Thanks again, Andrea, for being my buddy (and listening to me vent - a little too much I'm afraid)!  I'll go to Blue Lemon - or anywhere - for lunch with you anytime!

Aly