2010 in Review...

Well, since I didn't get Christmas cards out this year I figured I would make some use of my blog and do it electronically. I haven't made my blog a priority lately but we have had some fun things happen the past couple months which I will incorporate into our year of review.

This year Adam lost an incredible 100 lbs! He did it the old fashioned way with lots and lots of exercise and watching his calorie intake. He biked, walked, ran, oftentimes working out up to 4 hours each day 6-7 days per week. He also picked up an old hobby of creative writing and started 2 blogs....Vanishing America & Scribbles. He also continued to take photos throughout the year and write stories about them. Although the economy has presented its challenges with his work, he is still employed which we are very grateful for.

I, Shelly, also shed some much needed weight by simply trying to keep up with Adam all spring and summer. In the spring I picked up a new hobby and learned how to tat which has proven to be a fun stress relieving hobby that keeps my hands busy. I, my Mom and sister Kindra finished our block of the month quilt class in June. We worked for months afterwards hand sewing on the intricate appliqués. The quilts all turned out beautiful and it was a fun project to accomplish together. In July I crossed over the half way mark to retirement and began my 15th year with American Fork City. Only 15 more years to go...I hope they go as fast as the first 15 did!

AJ turned 16 in February and it was a year full of firsts for him. He got his drivers license, got his first job, had his first date, first girlfriend and first car accident (only a minor accident luckily). In October we sold his jeep which was a bitter sweet event. He is a Junior this year at American Fork High School. Every other day he goes to Lone Peak High School for one class where he gets to spend lunch with his Grandma before class which he loves. He is currently working at Dicky's BBQ pit and is saving up his money so he can play football his Senior year.

Mike turned 13 in February and started his 8th grade year. In January he was involved in an unfortunate event at school and suffered a broken shoulder. He spent the next 10 weeks healing and going to physical therapy. He was given a clean bill of health just in time for the track team to start which he excelled at. In the fall he played the position of defensive tackle for the 8th grade football team and dominated the defensive line. He was a valuable asset to his team and they made it to the second round of the playoffs. He is very self motivated and likes to keep in shape for football. He goes to weights three times a week at the High School and has set big goals for his 9th grade year.

Family highlights for 2010....

Adam & I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary. Adam & I went on another cruise in the spring and as always, had a wonderful time. In May we added Colonel Leonard Boots to our family. He keeps us entertained and is such a fun addition to our family. In June we all ran the running with angels 5k at Thanksgiving point, which was Adam & I's first 5k. In July we enjoyed a relaxing vacation in Bear Lake. We took our bikes and enjoyed riding them into town. Adam (the over achiever that he is) rode his bike to the Idaho boarder one morning while everyone was still snoozing away. The fall always keeps us busy with football, football and more football. In November we flew to Illinois for the Utah vs Notre Dame game. We were able to drive into Chicago for a day and ever since, AJ hasn't stopped talking about the deep dish pizza from Giodano's.

We then drove to South Bend, Indiana and enjoyed going to the College Football Hall of Fame and the Notre Dame campus. After the game we traveled the entire width of Indiana to Sandusky,Ohio where we met up with my sister Alison and her family for a day of fun at the Great Wolfe Lodge. It was a year full of firsts and fun. We feel blessed to all be in good health, employed and under the watchful care of our Savior.

125 lbs Lighter!

I have been quite a slacker when it comes to updating my blog. The summer months flew by and now we are knocking on the door of winter. Adam & I spent the majority of our summer exercising but all the hard work paid off because we are now 125 lbs lighter. Adam lost an amazing 100 lbs and I lost 25 lbs. Adam was much more dedicated than I was waking up at 3:30am to get in 2 hours of exercise before work then completing another 2 hours of exercise after work. On the weekends he would do between 4-6 hours of exercise per day. On the weekdays, I would join him for a morning walk and bike ride around 4:30am then go again for another walk and bike ride after work. We learned early on that exercise alone does not produce good results. Eating sensibly and counting calories is essential when trying to lose weight which we both did faithfully.

Here are our before and after photos which compare our "fluffier" selves with our current "less fluffier" selves. The before photo was taken on our cruise in March of this year. We both hit our goal weight last month and have successfully maintained our current weight for 1 month now.

Leonard the Great!

As I was looking back through my summer photos, I realized that I have gotten out of the habit of taking my camera everywhere I go. Now that the kids are older, they really arent that exciting and usually complain when the camera comes out so I just dont take it with me as much anymore. I did notice that the majority of the photos I did take are of Leonard, my new favorite son. He cuddles on my lap, doesnt talk back, isnt camera shy and is by far the cutest, funniest and sweetest member of the family. So here is another photo collage of the adventures in life of Leonard. (click on it to see it bigger)

Neighborhood Water Fight!

On Monday evening we were invited to a neighborhood dinner get-together and a neighborhood water fight afterward. At the bottom of the invitation it said "beware of old men with buckets". Our neighborhood is a good mixture of retired couples and young families. We fit perfectly in the middle with our two teenage boys. Not really knowing what to expect, one neighbor warned us in advance to not open our door if someone rings the doorbell. This was serious stuff! According to one neighbor, it used to be a neighborhood tradition until it got out of hand one year when people were chasing each other in and out of houses soaking everything in their path. Well, I guess the tradition is back because one neighbor works for a local excavation company and surprised everyone when he showed up with a water truck. They had fun driving up and down the streets soaking everything and everyone in its path! Everyone had a blast and we all went to bed soaking wet and cold. We live in a great neighborhood!

Steel Days 5K

Adam 35:19 (4 minutes faster than last time)

Shelly 39:43 (3 minutes faster than last time)

Mike 35:11 - he took one for the team and helped Adam keep a good fast pace

Dad & Lee were both good sports and did their first 5k with us. They both came in at 50 minutes.

I think we are done doing 5k's this summer, they were fun but I think we have had enough for now.

Our First 5K!

It isn't sufficient just to want--you've got to ask yourself what you are going to do to get the things you want. --Franklin D. Roosevelt

It's true! Today, Adam & I did our first 5k with the boys but before I get to the details of the race, I would like to give a little background story first. Earlier this year Adam & I entered a weight loss journey together. It has been difficult and has required a lot of sacrifice but all the hard work has paid off. Adam weighed in yesterday and has lost 60 lbs! The weight has not come off me quite as quickly and although its not much to brag about compared to Adam's success I have proudly lost 15 lbs since March (29 lbs total since early 2009). We both feel great and the healthy habits we have learned are here to stay. Adam hit his goal of losing 60 lbs so as a reward he is taking 1 week off then will hit the pavement hard again. His goal is to lose an additional 20 more pounds by September. My goals are just to eat right and exercise consistently and hope that it will be enough to prompt a side effect of weight loss. I lose it too slowly to set big goals so I need to keep in simple and focus on the benefits of eating right and exercise.

The Race....

On Saturday, June 19th Adam, I, AJ, Mike did the Walking With Angels 5k at the Thanksgiving Point Gardens. It was a beautiful summer morning and the perfect place to participate in our first 5K as a family. Every morning for the past month Adam & I walk 3 miles per day (sometimes twice a day) so it wasn't difficult, in fact it was easier than expected and both Adam & I were able to jog most of the 3 miles at our own pace. AJ was operating on 5 hours of sleep so he fell behind and walked most of it but Mike left us in the dust right out of the gate! 5K's are great because anyone can participate. There are the young, the old, the large, the small, the fit the not so fit. There were many groups running for a cause or in memory of someone close to them. I ran behind one lady who was running in memory of her dad David. Another group in memory 10 year old Tiffany who recently died from an undiagnosed disease. Some groups wore bandanas on their head and many of them wore custom made t-shirts. One girl had a t-shirt that said "Most people only dream of angels, I held one in my arms". She was running in memory of her baby sister. Today I wasn't running for a cause which I am thankful for but its good to know that there are great events in our community that provide an outlet for people to honor their loved ones in a positive way. Click HERE to read Adams thoughts on the 5K.

Here are our offical times...

Mike placed 6th out of 15 participants in Male ages 12-14 with an official time of 30:20 (fastest 5k so far!)

AJ placed 19th of 20 participants in Female ages 55-59 with an official time of 58:35 (No I did not type this wrong. He raced under my mother-in-laws name because she unfortunately broke her toe two days earlier and couldn't attend. There was only 1 other lady who was slower in that age group....ha,ha)

I, Shelly, placed 47th of 73 participants in Female ages 35-39 with an official time 42:45

Adam placed 17th of 24 participants in Male ages 35-39 with an official time of 39:31!

My creation
Originally uploaded by smedina221

I proudly introduce Boots (but I call him Leonard)

On Memorial Day Weekend we added a new member to our family. He is the perfect combination of crazy and cuddly. He is soooo cute...and totally worth the itchy eyes and sneezing. He has adjusted well to Rambo and Stan and is the perfect addition to our family. Click on the collage to see it bigger. As you can see, we had fun sewing together.

Anonymous Poem from Mother Teresa's Orphanage

People are often unreasonable,

Illogical and self-centered;

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,

People may accuse you

Of selfish, ulterior motives;

Be Kind anyway.

If you are successful,

You will win some false friends

And some true enemies;

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,

People may cheat you;

Be Honest and Frank anyway.

What you spend years building,

Someone could destroy overnight;

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,

They may be jealous;

Be Happy anyway.

The good you do today,

People will often forget tomorrow;

Do Good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,

And it may never be enough;

Give the world the Best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,

It is between you and God;

It is never between you and them anyway.

Happy 17th Wedding Anniversary!

“I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.” ~Rita Rudner

17 years = Birth to my Engagement
17 years = My wedding day to my mid thirties
17 years = 1 year before my oldest son is 17 years old
17 years from now I will have worked for AF City for 32 years
17 years from now I will have daughter-in-laws and be a grandmother

So much has happened in the past 17 years and although we tease each other about how it feels like its been a lifetime, it has literally flown by for me. There are moments that I would never want to go back and relive but at the same time, there are moments that I wish I could freeze in time and relive over and over again. I can’t imagine what to expect during the next 17 years but I look forward to the new adventures ahead! One thing that I have learned is that life is short and we are not promised good health or life without trials so it’s important to live every day to the fullest and enjoy our health and prosperity while we have it.

Happy 17th Anniversary Adam, and here is to 17 more! I love you!

Note to me from Adam...

17 YEARS AGO TODAY 2 KIDS OBLIVIOUS TO WHAT THE WORLD WOULD BRING STOOD UP AND SAID I DO. 17 YEARS AGO WE SET OUT ON OUR PATH IN LIFE NOT KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT, WHAT TRIALS MAY COME, OR WHAT JOY WOULD BE IN OUR LIVES. 17 YEARS AGO WE HAD NO CLUE THAT WE WOULD HAVE 2 BOYS THAT WOULD GROW UP TO BE FINE YOUNG MEN. 17 YEARS AGO WE HAD NO IDEA WHERE WE WOULD LIVE OR WORK, BUT WE BLINDLY MOVED FORWARD. 17 YEARS AGO I TRUSTED GOD TO BRING ME A WIFE THAT I LOVE MORE NOW THAN I EVER HAVE. TODAY I SAY TO MY WIFE, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY. WHILE IT SEEMS LIKE FOREVER IT IS STILL ONLY A FEW STEPS DOWN THE PATH WE HAVE YET TO LIVE. I LOVE YOU DEAR.

Chapter 3...

This past couple months I have found my thoughts wandering, reflecting back to my kids younger years. This year AJ truned 16 and Mike turned 13... I keep asking myself, where did the time go? If my life were a book I feel like I would be turning the page to the beginning of Chapter 3.

Chapter 1 - My childhood & high school years
Chapter 2 - Stuggling with learning who I am and attempting to be perfect, raising children, tying to find a good balance between being a mom, wife and working a full time job
Chapter 3 - Marriage is good and is on auto-pilot, I have learned to get my strength from the Lord and not from myself, I have learned that attempting to be perfect was a huge stumbling block in my walk with the lord, and the big one....raising teenagers

In April I will turn 35. Adam & I have been married for 17 years and by now we have a pretty good routine down. We know each others strengths and weaknesses and have learned to appreciate and overlook both when necessary. We know how to set goals and problem solve with fewer arguments. Life is comfortable and a little easier in most aspects. As a parent, new challenges present themselves with teenagers. On one hand we all have gained a new level of independence. The "rope" gets a little bit longer and boundaries get a little bit wider. As a mother, my worries have changed. Instead of worrying that they wont have anyone to play with at recess, I now worry that they wont choose the right type of friends. Instead of worrying about them falling off their bike, I worry about them driving and making poor choices (life altering choices). I find myself relying on prayer more now than I ever have before. We live in a very dangerous world and our kids can easily fall victim to it. Drugs, alcohol and other addictions are devastating our youth. Knowing that your child is driving on roads filled with people distracted by cell phones, texting and other gadgets is a terrifying thought. The world is not as simple as it was 20 years ago and we have to be much more aware and on guard. As kids get older, consequenses can be devestating and life altering. Responsibility becomes greater and mistakes are not as easy to correct compared to the mistakes made when they were younger. I look forward to the years to come. Our family will dirastically change over the next 10 years. Just like their first years of life, we can look forward to lots of "firsts". First car, first date, first dance, first job, first paycheck and first heartbreak. Just this month, AJ has already had many firsts.... some good, some not so good. First job, first paycheck, first parking ticket, first fender bender, first checking account, first budget, first time saying "wow, gas is expensive!". During the past two months Mike has also had many firsts. First broken bone, first physical therapy session. Mike is speading his wings and tried our for the Jr. High track team. At first he just wanted to participate just to get in shape for football season but his times qualified him to run the 400 meter (1 lap around the track). He also ran the 400 relay and the 100 relay. He is doing well and enjoying it. He is very self motivated and is already expressing concern about getting out of shape during spring break.

All in all life is good... It is very hectic and sometimes stressful but we are very blessed and thankful for all we have.

Postage Stamp Quilt Update...

Ok... If you recall last fall I mentioned that I had not hit the "what in the world was I thinking" stage in making my postage stamp quilt.... well, guess what... I knew I would hit this stage eventually but really what in the world was I thinking?! The enormity of this project finally hit me today. I think I am a little over a third done and am wondering if I will ever get it done. I am considering setting a goal just to keep me focused like entering it into the Steele Days Craft Show or the Utah State Fair?? I am very happy with how it is turning out BUT now that the newness of it has worn off, it is a very boring and tedious project.

This is one four patch...
I have organized all of my color schemes into stacks like the one below... It takes me 1 hour to sew a stack like this into 18 four patches...

I have 28 stacks left to sew which equals approximately 504 four patches and 28 hours worth of spare time (ha,ha)....

But thats not all... After I have sewn all 28 stacks into the four patches, I then pair them all up and sew them into 16 patch squares....


Then, all of the 16 patch squares are arranged and sewn together to make the quilt. I have no idea how long it takes to do the other steps but it is going to be awhile before I get this thing done!

Happy 16th Birthday AJ!

Well with AJ's 16th Birthday 5 days away, the inevitable is here. Off-road jeeping!.. UGH! On Saturday we took the jeeps out past Elberta in search of some ghost towns. Adam and Mike road in Adams jeep and AJ & I followed behind (AJ was the driver of course) The ride there was ok, except his jeep has really loose steering and the roads west of the lake arent in the best condition in some areas. I had a constant worry that we were going to hit a pot-hole going 60 miles an hour and go flying off the road and left for dead in the sage brush. Then, on the way back we took a muddy off road detour up in some hills. Now dont get me wrong, AJ is a great driver, but as most of you know I have some anxiety issues with off-roading, not to mention, off-roading with an inexperienced off-road driver. If it is muddy, slippery, has drop offs that are more than 2 feet down or basically anywhere that is not paved and dry, I have serious physcological issues. I was certain that we were going to get stuck in the mud, roll the vehicle, slid down a slippery muddy hill, you name it, I feared it! So...I am at a difficult cross roads in my life. Do I go on these little adventures with my family and have anxiety the entire time or do I stay home and have anxiety the entire time they are gone?!?! Oh, boy, what to do??

Happy 13th Brithday Mike!

Even though Punxsutawney Phil says that there are Six more weeks of winter, my front flower bed disagrees. In fact, spring seems to be about 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule compared to last year. Last weekend I saw the first signs of spring emerging in my front flower bed! I know its redundant, but you will probably read a post about the first signs of spring from me as long as I am alive. I love everything about the spring...watching the snow slowly melt away, the ground thaw and signs of life emerge, the smell of fresh soil in the air, birds chirping, warmer weather, more rain and less snow, kids playing outside... I love everything about it! See for yourself...below are some pictures of proof that spring is near!

1 Corinthians 13:4

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love." - Sophocles

Top 10 things that happened in the Medina household in 2009

1. The kids went on their first cruise to Mexico with us in February

2. AJ got his learners permit and has been practicing his driving all year

3. We purchased a second Jeep for AJ to fix up and invest his money in

4. Mike said goodbye to elementary school and started his first year of Jr. High

5. AJ survived his last year of Jr. High and started his first year of High School. He played football for the 10th grade high school team.

6. Mike's football team accomplished an undefeated season and were named the Champions for the Utah County region

7. Shelly started a quilting class with her mom & sister Kindra and is enjoying learning how to do something new

8. Adam has taken an interest in photography and purchased a new camera

9. We remodeled our downstairs bathroom and laundry room. We love our new tub and kitchenette!

10. And last but not least we are still employed, healthy and grateful for everything we have been blessed with this past year.

Trip to San Diego for the U of U Bowl Game

A trip to the Gateway


Going to the Gateway has become a yearly Christmas tradition. We love the fire pits and window shopping. Oh and I cant forget to mention the Rocky Mountain Caramel Apples (which were all eaten before I could snap a picture)!

2009 Family Photos


Wow, I have great looking kids!

The Nielsen Family

Sisters

Check out my new blog which has a collection of my favorite photos... CLICK HERE

Mike's 7th grade team accomplished a perfect season, won their first playoff game and won the final Championship game on Tuesday against Lehi 34-14. Here are a few pictures and video clips of the after game celebration... Of course I forgot my camera so I had to rely on my phone to take a few videos and pictures so sorry for the poor quality....

Glad October is over!

October was a whirlwind of a month and I am glad to say goodbye to it.

Our month started out with pressurized irrigation troubles. Basically it involved a lot of digging, then a lot of mud, then a lot more digging in the mud and last but not least a lot of praying. At one point we thought that our main water line was possibly broke (which is where the praying came in) but luckily it was just the stop and waste valve that had gone bad. Regardless, it was a lot of work and a huge mess. I know this is a month to late but I want to shout out a huge thanks to Lee for all his help with that project, it was back breaking work and he helped us out a ton! Thanks Lee!

Remodeling Project

Over fall break we decided that while we went to Vegas, Adam's buddy could take advandtage of us not being home to begin remodeling our downstairs bathroom and finish our laundry room. When we got back it was about half way done so we endured another week with our house in disorder while they finished up. Neither Adam or I do well with dis-order so living with things not in their proper place required a lot of patience. When they finally finished, we couldn't get our house back in order quick enough. We purchased and hung the cabinets and then began the process of sorting through all our junk and putting things where they should go. So three weeks later I am pleased to announce that our remodeling project is about 95% complete. We just need to decided on a floor for the laundry room and paint the ceiling & floor boards in the bathroom. The window in the bathroom is being installed as I speak. We can now breathe a sigh of relief that our house is now back to normal and everything turned out better than expected. Here are some before and after pictures...

BEFORE...AFTER....


BEFORE...


AFTER...

Halloween at Rice Eccles Stadium