Time to Hit the Dusty Trail...

We are taking off for good ol' Utah tomorrow afternoon. We are all so excited. For many reasons:

1. First and foremost, we are flying out to see the wedding of Lance's sister Kristy. We couldn't be happier for her and Chad. Kristy is successful, responsible, generous, thoughtful and most importantly... HILARIOUS (particularly as a racquetball partner). Chad is one lucky guy....

2. Zoie is bursting with excitement over seeing Grandma and Grandpa and riding Grandpa's horses.

3. We are all ecstatic to be able to spend time with these people: I have never had any of the "in-law" issues that plague many a married couple. I love visiting the Rasmussens.

4. As an added bonus: I have just learned that I will be able to see these two fabulous girls (who are traveling across the country for the reunion):
With the exception of the tall, bald man that I am married to, Jamie and Jen are my best friends in the world. It is very rare that all three of us can get together. Hilarity is sure to ensue.

I'll post Utah pictures ad nauseum upon our return in ten days.....

The Rallying Rasmussens

Once again, Lance and I participated in our ward's annual Pinewood Derby activity. (As a reminder, our ward Pinewood Derby is for all ages.)

In the past, Lance and I have made some pretty cool cars with fairly abysmal results on the race track. Regardless of our speed (or lack thereof), we still seem to be the only adults who get competitive at "The Derby".

Last year's cars:

This year was no exception with our cool looking cars and competitive nature. The only difference was that this year, WE SWEPT THE PINEWOOD DERBY! That's right-- we won... every single race. Lance only lost to me, and I was undefeated. It was an unforeseen occurrence and we were (are) so excited!

Although I was named Overall Winner (and have the certificate to prove it), Lance deserves all the credit. For the first time, I was too lazy to make my own car and Lance "slapped" one together for me at the last minute. Our cars not only won every race, but were also named Best Design (my blue bullet) and Runner-up for Best Design (Lance's 1939 Lincoln Zephyr).

It is ridiculous just how absolutely excited we were in the wake of our victory. We were riding our "winner's high" all night. Chances are, no one who was there can actually recall (nor care to recall) who won that night. But for Lance and I, it was an unforgettable day in the lives of this nerdy family...

Lucky Enough

My best friend has a quote on her blog:

"If you're lucky enough to live by the beach, you're lucky enough."

I concur.I thoroughly intend to enjoy this summer at the beach-- it will be the first summer in years that I do not have an infant who needs constant care.

Zoie and Tobin entertain themselves with the sand and the water. Although, Zoie does not understand the concept of not opening her eyes under the water. Wintess:And I couldn't help but notice a startling similarity here: (Hint- Tobin is the one on the right)

Stay tuned for many, many more beach pictures of the kids over the next four months. I will not be in any of them. From here on out, you will be hard-pressed to find a picture of me on this blog-- much less a picture of me in a swimsuit. Downright masochistic. But rest assured, I am laying on the shore, working on my tan, and loving every minute of this Florida summer.

Just Like His Mom

It is a common theme in our family that Zoie takes after Lance and the Rasmussens in both personality and looks, and Tobin is more like me and the Slovaceks.I took the kids to the water park for Tobin's birthday last month and I found yet another trait to support this hypothesis.

It was April 2nd and while it was a warm day, the water was a bit chilly (and by chilly I mean probably just under 80 degrees).

Like Lance, who dives into frigid mountain streams every chance he gets, the water temp did not hinder Zoie's play one bit.Tobin, like me (I like my ocean and pool to feel like bath water), was quite put off with the chilly spray of the water. He loves playing in the kids water area, especially on the tubes, but could not reconcile his love for the water with the cold temperature.He finally found a happy middle ground (sitting in his tube next to me on the cement).That's my boy!

Here is a clip of Tobin avoiding the water spray (if you look in the background, you can see Zoie frolicking in that same spray):

Manatee Hunt

I just came across these pictures today. Aren't they awesome??
My sister, Heidi, was in town for a few days last month. We took the kids on our annual manatee hunt. This is the first year that we didn't see one. :(Regardless, we always have fun with Aunt Heidi.

Starting off Motherhood with a Bang

I have healthy pregnancies and have very little reason to complain. But having said that.... I will commence with the whining.

The same thought has been going through my head for months now, "The words 'pregnancy' and 'cute' are not synonymous." At least not for me.

It is more than just the physical changes-- bloating, swelling, acne, stretch marks, etc. It is also the heartburn and sciatic nerve pain that plagues pregnant women for the last 4 months of pregnancy. It is in the way that my eyes well up with tears at the slightest bit of happiness, anger, sadness, nostalgia, hunger, and so forth.

So this is my thought on Mother's Day-- Heavenly Father, in his infinite wisdom, prepares women for the hard work, discomfort, and sacrifice that accompanies Motherhood by having us endure the "joy" of pregnancy.

As much as I may whine and complain about the rigors of pregnancy, I think about these minor inconveniences and would go through them 100-fold in order to have my children. For, as Heavenly Father prepares us for the difficulties of Motherhood, I don't know that it is even possible to prepare one for the indescribable, eternal joy of parenthood.

Lance and the kids have spoiled me rotten today with meals, desserts, a clean house, extra sleep, flowers, Caffeine-free Diet Coke and lots of attention. And I will end this post before I begin to weep (once again) with gratitude for this family of mine.

My Famous Oatmeal-less Oatmeal Cookies

Step 1: Find a great Oatmeal Raisin cookie recipe
Step 2: Put almost all the ingredients in the mixer
Step 3: Have a friend come over and get side-tracked
Step 4: While gabbing with said friend, spoon incomplete cookie dough onto baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes

End Result:I really wish I could chalk this one up to one of those "pregnancy flukes"-- but let's face it: This is way too common an occurrence to blame on the pregnancy.

Zoie Lou Retton

Zoie just finished her first gymnastics season. She loves gymnastics and honors us with her cartwheels each night in the living room. Here is a clip of her final floor routine:

Snips and Snails...

Its a boy!