Blessing

We got to bless Kami in AZ! We were very fortunate to have so many family and friends share this special day with us.

Here is Kamryn Melissa with her namesake (my cousin), Melissa

New Record

So, I've been hitting the gym as much as I can, which isn't as much as I'd like. Beggars can't be choosers as I have to wait until Kami is 3 months until I can take her into the kids klub, so I go when Lance is available to be home with her and usually I take gracie with me. Ok, that's not the point. So Monday night I did NOT want to go, although deep down I knew I really wanted the results. I was in a sour mood, and was really down on myself about weight, dieting, food in general and I was beating myself up over it. Ok, that's not the point either! Lance convinces me to go and I get there around 8:00 or so and I tell myself that if I can run a 9:00 minute mile 8-months prego I certainly can do better than that now. So I start the usual warm-up pace and realize it's not quite fast enough, and run harder. I push and push and yes, it pays off and HOLY CRAP, I just ran a 8:02 mile!! WHAT??!! I think maybe it's just a fluke so I go back today thinking, I slowed down a couple of times to take a gulp of water (in reality I was spilling water down the front of my T) so I can go faster, maybe break 8:00 minutes?? and what happens???


7:35 (that's not a typo: seven minutes, thirty-five seconds)

that's right folks, this non-runner hit an all-time personal best. I never ran that fast in HS or Jr. high!!

I thought I would share the happy news! Hopefully next time you AZ residents see me again I'll have my mommy-fied slimmer body back!
Cheers!

For Alexa

Dear Alexa,

We've missed you this week!

love,

Gracie, and Kami

Garden Update

Dad this is for you!

Front "yard" (really a patch)

Backyard: never mind the browned tulips, they have run their annual course

the fruits of my labor

Pleasant Memories

Janey's Wedding March 2008
(please note that I am 8 months prego and jumping higher than most)


Janey, Me, and my girls Summer 2008

New Niece!!!

WELCOME BABY RYANN!!

I was lucky enough to be able to delay my flight to Portland to meet my new neice. I happened to be on my way to the hospital to check on Kathy when she was born, so I was able to see her minutes after she was born. HOW BEAUTIFUL IS SHE??? I am such a proud aunt! So happy Jed and Kath finally got their girl!! What's even better is she and Kamryn are only 6 weeks apart! I can't wait for them to be buddies when we get back to AZ! CONGRATS!!

Summer Swim

Oh, how we miss the hot AZ days (I'm not kidding either) and even more we miss swimming with our friends! So glad we got an opportunity to see and hang out with friends while we were here. Thanks for the good times!

FLYING GRACIE!

Grace, Kiley, Blake and Alexa

Here's the Gang:

Kiley, Macey, Lucas, Brian, Laura, Shana, Jaxon, Celynda, Kade, Nicole, Ben, Kami, Stuart, Blake, Lance, Emali

I also had the opportunity to hang out with some girlfriends (and kids) from good old MHS. We had a great time swimming and playing, thanks Mac!


Raegan, Macy, Gracie, and Belle

Now and Then

Lance is in Portland and I am in AZ, so we are collaboratively working on this posting. If you see this post without all the pics (there will be a big blank space) please check back later to see if Lance has stopped slacking on his side and finished the post.

Then:

Now:

Not necessarily the most flattering pic of us but nevertheless, it is us on our our glory.

Happy 4 years!

4 things I LOVE about us:

1. We have fun. I am way to serious sometimes and Lance reminds me to relax and always makes me laugh.

2. We are best friends! I love that we were best friends long before we were "together" and we still can have long meaningless, yet meaningful conversations.

3. We fit, he's on my same wave length (Mac, I know you'll appreciate that). We compliment each other well, and we are a good team and only have gotten better over the years.

4. We are eternal. Yep folks this marriage thing is forever! Here's hoping we don't get sick of each other. Ok, I'm kidding about the getting sick of each other, kind of, but I am grateful to be stuck to Lance for eternity. Love you babe!

MEXICO 2008

The Mollenhauers sure know how to do a family vacation. The main reason for us to come to AZ during this school break was to head south of the border to our fav vaca spot: Puerto Penasco (aka Rocky Point). I HIGHLY recommend if you haven't been there it is FABULOUS! Here are the pics to prove it:

Gracie and Tyrus

Boys will be boys...






look closely...yes, he got too close to a fuse that was too short and the firework actually hit him in the head as it flew up to explode and threw Lance and David to the ground. Sorry Nat for ruining the hair cut!

Blake and Britt. Notice the view from our balcony.

Gracie, David G., Lance and Tyrus




While the dads and kids were busy in the sand, the girls were lounging. I think I didn't move from a 5 foot radius for about 5 hours or so... but I did enjoy fresh mangos and lime from my fav mango man, and of course the burrito lady passed by and I didn't pass up her potato burrito.

Much needed rest after basking in the sun

What can make a family grow closer than 15 people in a 3 bedroom condo? Thanks Dad and Mom for making it happen. I don't know the last time the ENTIRE family was all together let alone all sleeping under the same roof. Thank you for letting us take an additional car to avoid 15 people in the 15-passenger van (with 4 children under the age of 3)! WE LOVE YOU!

Sienna and Eric

David, Tyrus, Sienna, and Michelle

Us missing the sunset they captured 5 mins earlier


Ready for a day on the beach

Hanging out during nap time


Table no. 1 at our fav taco shop. We stop here EVERY time we are in Mexico and talk to the family that runs the shop.


Table number 2, angle 1

Notice Gracie in this pic. we had a bit of a frightening experience while at the taco shop. Gracie had gotten a bit too much sun and we thought she was tired and sunburned. After shopping downtown we stopped to eat lunch at the taco shop and Gracie started to break down. She got to the point of being inconsolable and we couldn't comfort her or get her to sleep. We happened to notice her head was beyond HOT. I have NEVER felt a body part as hot as I had felt her head. I was very concerned but tried to keep it under control. Soon she started to drift off to sleep on us but her body was slightly convulsing and her head still getting hotter. We thought we might have to pack up and head to the ER across the border (4 hours) so we gave her a priesthood blessing and scooted her back to the a/c-ed condo. Immediately following the blessing she calmed down enough to get into the car to go to the condo. We raced through town and when we laid down in the condo and took her temp her head was CONSIDERABLY cooler (almost night and day) and her temp then was 102.7 degrees!! How grateful I am for the priesthood and for having a husband and bro in law who were worthy to bless her on the spot.I am so grateful that our Heavenly Father watches over and protects us. We are truly blessed.


All in all, we had an awesome time in Mexico and can't wait to return! It was a much needed and deserved, restful, and relaxing vacation.

Catch Up BIG TIME!

Here we go...

I will try to sum up the fun we have had on our vacation these past 2 weeks! It's been a whole TON of FUN! Let's start with the garden before we left. I am very proud of my garden. I was convinced I had a black pinky (opposite of green thumb), but apparently it just takes a little work to develop the green-ness of the thumb:

So sweet tasting, I haven't shared ANY of our strawberries, I've eaten them all myself! whoops!

Lance says that everything has grown like crazy since we've been gone and I have tons of wild flowers and fruits a bloomin', I can't wait to see it!