HAPPY BIRTHDAY TABER!!!!

Today is Taber's birthday and I'm so happy I can dedicate a post to him to let him know how happy I am that he was born! I think I will follow his lead from my birthday and do a list of the top 10 reasons I love my birthday boy!

1) He makes me feel safe. I'm definitely one of those girls who likes the "protective-take care of your woman type "and that is Taber! He's always looking out for me, making sure I'm warm if it's cold out, safe when I'm running, comfortable when I'm sick and rested if I'm tired.

2) He is an awesome cheerleader! Whether I'm running a race, giving birth, or just trying to overcome a daily challenge he is right there cheering me on and supporting me all the way.

3) He is a such a hard worker! He works so hard to support our family and it means the world to me that I can stay home with our kids thanks to him. Yesterday I was sitting on the grass in the warm sun, watching the girls play and enjoying the beautiful afternoon. In that lovely moment I thought of Taber, who was at work, missing out on that moment so I didn't have to. His sacrifice for our family does not go unnoticed and I'm so grateful for all he does to support us.

4) He is calm and patient, a great quality for a guy who lives with three emotional girls!

5) He is such a good Dad. I love that he jumps right in when he gets home and really plays with them. Watching him read them stories, give them piggy back rides and play chase around the house makes me happier than anything :)

6) He is smart with money and good at budgeting. Thank goodness because I'm terrible at it! I'm so glad he's helped me in that area so we can make wise financial decisions for our family.

7) He laughs at my jokes. Even if I'm not that funny, he makes me feel like I've still got it : )

8) He never questions how I spend my time, even on the days I'm not as productive as I should be. : )

9)He has a strong testimony and leads our family with faith.

10) He is generous with his compliments and is so good at making me feel beautiful and appreciated!

Happy birthday my love!

This is your 9th birthday we've celebrated together since we've been married. In honor of your special day I thought it would be fun to find pics from the 8 previous celebrations. It was tricky since our computer blew up back in 2007 and we lost a lot of old pictures. I was able scan a few in though so here's what I came up with, minus your 25th birthday which I could not find evidence of anywhere! (sorry babe!)

24th: Provo, Utah. 4 months after we got married.

25th: Provo, Utah. A week before we graduated from BYU

26th: Moorpark, California. Got you a boogie board and wet suit. Too bad we haven't been able to use those in a LONG time!

27th: Moorpark, California, getting ready to go back to Utah for Grad school (hence the BYU sweatshirt present)

28th: Orem UT. 7 weeks after you became a Dad!

29th: Orem, UT. Same week you graduated from Business School

30th: Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The one and only time I was able to convince you to let me throw you a big bash! Brinley was still just a bun in the oven.

31st: Maple Grove, Minnesota. Cozy family party followed by a hot date at Granite City Restaurant.

32nd!!: Nashua, New Hampshire. Today and the rest of the weekend are dedicated to you! Happy birthday! Love you babe!

Friday Foto: It's hard being the little sister

Poor Brinley is getting to that age where she wants to do EVERYTHING her big sister is doing but she's still a little too young.

Last week when Teya and I were getting ready to go on our Mommy/Daughter date she was trying to get into the pictures but mean old mom scooted her out.

She gave me a look that went something like this:

Don't worry Brinley, someday you'll get to do big girl things too : )

If you like Samoa Girl Scout Cookies...

Then I bet you'll like this!

(click to enlarge)

Very EASY toasted coconut ice cream Sundae recipe which tastes to me, like a cold and creamy Samoa girl scout cookie.

Just pour about a cup (or however much you want) of shredded coconut (the baking kind) on a cookie sheet and toast it in the oven at about 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, stirring it up occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn. You want it to be a tan color.

Meanwhile stick your ice cream on the counter so it can soften up. When the coconut is toasted, dump it onto a plate and let it cool down for a minute. Then make a ball with the ice cream and roll it in the coconut till it's covered. Top with hot fudge, caramel and whipped cream. Heaven in a bowl!!!

American Girl Doll Fashion Show

On Saturday Teya and I got to go on a special Mommy/Daugther date to an American Girl Doll Fashion show. I was originally thinking it would be a nice way to introduce her to the dolls and get her excited about someday getting her own. At the last minute though I realized the show was for girls and their dolls.

I should've just grabbed one of her dolls and called it good, but an irrational part of my brain panicked and thought, "Oh no! If she doesn't have a real American Girl doll she'll feel like a deprived outcast!" (Yeah right, the kid is 4, like she would've known the difference!)

But I wasn't thinking about how a 4 year old would handle the situation. I was thinking about growing up in a family where money was tight and I was one of 5 girls who shared everything. I remember seeing an American Girl doll in one of my mom's magazines and wishing she could be mine. But I didn't even ask. I was smart enough to know that even if my mom could afford one for me, she had 5 daughters, and 5 of those dolls would break the bank!

So, in that moment of emotion I got online, found the perfect American Girl doll for Teya, and ordered it to come by next day shipping. I know my 4 year old daughter who has never seen nor desired an American Girl Doll did not need me to splurge on such a purchase. But I guess I just got caught up in some of those old emotions of my own childhood and thought that somehow buying that for her would make up for me not having one as a kid.

Thankfully Taber was very understanding when I explained why I spent so much money on a doll that Teya didn't even ask for, and Teya was genuinely excited about her new look-a-like friend. She named her "little Teya" and spoke to her like a real person.

The Fashion show ended up being a lot of fun. Not because I bought that doll, but because I got to spend some one on one time with my sweet little girl.

Me, Teya, and little Teya getting ready to go in

The girls posing outside with their dollies

Emerson, Teya, Ali and Ave all fancied up with their dolls

The fashion show featured the main character American Dolls and explained the way clothes have changed for women through out the decades. I love that all the clothes were modest and the stories of the girls were really sweet.

The Mommies: Pam, Becca, Jenn and me

Our table was right near the end of the runway so we had a pretty good view

After the show I asked Teya what her favorite part was. She said, "The cookie with the sprinkles." Glad she was paying attention ; )

At the end of our fun day together I thought back on my silly emotional purchase and realized that there was nothing "deprived" about my childhood.

I didn't always have the nicest things as a kid, but I did have the nicest parents!

Next time I'll remember that my kids don't need me to spend a lot of money on them,

It's the time I spend with them that makes all the difference.

The awesomeness of having a backyard!

After 18 months of living without a backyard, we are taking full advantage of having one now! Last week we had a super sunny and warm day, so we dug out the tent and made ourselves a little hang out in the backyard. The girls dragged blankets, dolls and toys out there to make it comfy, and then we played house and make-believe "go to work."

We also brought out the new bubble wand set that Teya got for her birthday.

Here is another iMovie attempt to capture how much fun they were having back there. My favorite is the little clip at the end where Brinley is bent over the bubble dish screaming with excitement, "BUBBLES! BUBBLES!" I love being able to see little glimpses of the world through their eyes, it really is full of wonder : )

Backyard Bubbles from Rigg Family on Vimeo.

Easter with our East Coast Family

We were so happy to be able to spend Easter with Taber's cousins who live in New Jersey. The timing of my race worked out perfectly with the celebration of our cousin Nancy's 60th birthday. Everyone was getting together at Hal and Betsy's house, so we came too and were able to spend the rest of Saturday with them and enjoy a fun Easter egg hunt and delicious Easter dinner before we left on Sunday.

Taber with his cousins, Nancy Rigg on the left and Betsy Maxwell on the right.

They are his Dad's brother's children.

We were welcomed with loving arms and were made to feel at home right away. Even though we hadn't seen them in over 6 years and they'd never met the kids, it just felt like home. Teya completely accepted them as family and was right at home snuggling up to Nancy and playing like best friends with her second cousin Evan.

We ate lots of great food from Nancy's birthday party and then we got to go color eggs with the kids.

Teya and Evan were peas in a pod, She was especially excited when she found out they have the same last name : )

We tried helping Brinley dye her eggs but she kept saying, " I muhself!! muhself!"

So we let her do it herself.

And shortly after this picture was taken there was green dye everywhere. : )

I loved seeing how at home Teya felt there. At one point she decided to entertain everyone with some original song compositions and interpretive dance. Everyone gave her lots of applause and she ate it up!

Another highlight was the pool that Betsy and Hal recently put in. It wasn't heated yet and the water was cold, but the next day the kids found it pretty hard to resist.

They started by just lounging in front of it.

Soon though their shoes were off and little feet were dipping in.

Then they were actually standing inside it.

And before long everyone was in their swimsuits splashing around, cold water and all : )

Luckily they were able to dry off quickly in the warm sun.

We couldn't have asked for better weather that weekend.

After they were all dry they set out for an Easter egg hunt in the front yard.

Family shot after the egg hunt

We ended with an amazing Easter dinner and then we got on the road for the drive back to New Hampshire.

It's so wonderful to know we have family out here. Even if they are 5 hours away, when the rest of our family lives across the entire country, 5 hours feel pretty close : ) Thank you Betsy and Hal for having us!

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

New York 13.1 Half Marathon!

Running season has officially begun and my first race was a huge success! After weeks of training it all came to a climax at the beautiful Flushing Meadows Park in Queens New York. (Home of the 1939 and 1964 World's Fair) The course took us around the Arthur Ashe stadium (venue of the U.S. tennis open) passed the New York Hall of Science, the Queens wildlife center and finished in the shadow of the Unisphere.

The night before the race I had nightmares that I slept through my alarm and missed the start. They were so vivid that when I woke up I seriously thought I had missed the race! Luckily it was just a dream but I was definitely nervous getting ready.

Why do I get nervous for races? I have no idea. But my stomach was in knots and I had to use the bathroom like 50 times before it started. Anyway, I woke up and ate my favorite race day breakfast, a peanut butter and honey sandwich. Then Laura and I caught the shuttle over to the stadium to pick up our packets and get ready. We pinned on our numbers, tagged our shoes, stretched, and visited the port-a-potty's. Soon it was time to line up in the chute.

There were about 3000 runners on the course so it took us almost 3 minutes to cross the starting line. That first mile was so congested, I must've gotten elbowed like 5 times! My goal for the race was to finish under 2 hours and I knew I needed to keep around a 9 minute pace to do that. It was really frustrating in the beginning trying to weave through all the slower runners. At one point I glanced down at my pace on my watch and freaked out when it was 10 minutes +! I used up a lot of energy spurting ahead, getting stuck, weaving around, and navigating the crowd on that first mile. I lost Laura in that big shuffle but was thrilled at mile 2 to see Taber and the girls cheering for me on the sidelines! They were shouting "GO MOMMY!" and I heard a lady behind me say "Wow! That would definitely keep ME going!" And it did.

I also got a chuckle seeing how the kids looked knowing that Daddy had gotten them ready. Teya was donning Tabers jacket and Hat and clutching onto her Elephy. Seriously put the biggest smile on my face : )

By mile 3 the congestion had cleared and we were back in business. At that point I turned on my iPod and pushed my pace to around 8:30 to make up for lost time. Miles 3-6 were pretty fast
Taber and the girls were at mile 5 (where this picture was taken) and it was great to see them again. But by mile 6 I was starting to feel it. I knew I was close to half way there but the fast pace I'd been keeping was taking it's toll. I slowed down at the water station and took a gel. Nasty! Then I went back at it. The gel helped with my energy but by mile 8 I was really starting to get tired. We had to go climb a big hill to get over a bridge and it really sapped my energy. Halfway through mile 8 I looked at my pace and it was 9:30. I kept trying to push it back to 9 but I just couldn't. It was really disheartening knowing that I still had 5 miles to go and I was already so tired. At mile 9 I hit a wall and just really starting giving into my doubts. I was running around a 9:15-9:20 pace and I just felt like my chances of reaching my goal time were gone. I felt like giving up and just walking at that point. But then I snapped out of it and thought, "You know what, I may not set a new PR or even break 2 hours but I'm NOT GOING TO WALK!!" So I stopped looking at my watch, forgot about my pace, and just focused on running. Who cares how fast I do it?! I'm just going to do it!

I saw Taber again at mile 10 and he took this lovely unflattering video. I like it though because it shows how I felt. He asks how I'm doing and I can hardly talk but I give him a big fat 2 thumbs down! (yeah, really nice right?) It's sweet though because he is so positive and encouraging. After I left him I DID feel more motivated and was so happy he was there cheering me on.

Mile 11 I was still just plugging along when I totally rolled my ankle and almost face planted! I caught myself before I fell but I let out a big yell and limp jogged for a few feet before I realized I was okay and kept running. I'm sure I scared the people around me though. : )

At mile 12 I looked up and saw that my gun time was just over 1 hour and 50 minutes! I could hardly believe my eyes! I only had 1.1 miles to go, surely I could do that in 10 minutes! Knowing I still had a chance at cracking 2 hours motivated me like nothing else. Even though my legs were super tired and I was so done running I forced myself to power through. I kept saying, You got this, you got this, you got this!

That last mile was SO long, I kept thinking, it's gotta end soon right? Finally I saw the finish and Taber and the girls were there cheering for me! I used everything I had left to kick it in to the finish and when I looked up at the clock I knew I had broken two hours!!

They gave us water, gatorade, bananas and bagels in the finishers chute. As I was coming out I saw Taber jumping up and down and pumping his fists saying, "You did it! You did it!" Seeing how happy and proud of me he was was probably one of the most rewarding parts of that whole experience.

He took this picture right as I came out of the chute. iPod dangling off my waist, banana in hand and sweat all over my face, but at least I'm smiling!
After I got done I stretched and ate and then we went to watch for Laura to finish. We cheered extra loud when we saw her. This was her first half and she did awesome!

Once we were all settled I started getting really anxious to know my official chip time. I sent Taber to go find out and when he came back I was dying from the anticipation.

"WEll?!" I asked

"Well," he said, "I saw your time."

"SO WHAT IS IT!!"

"I sent you a text" (little devil!)

I scrambled to find my phone opened it up and there was the text: Official Time: 1:57:48!!

I let out a big WOO! and gave him a hug! I guess the fast miles in the beginning made up for my slower miles at the end. I also think it really helped when I stopped looking at my watch and just ran. I must've been going faster than I thought!

I was so happy that I set a new PR and finished strong. Here are my stats:

Official Time: 1:57:48

Average pace: 9:00 min pace

675 out of 2103 finishers overall

237 out of 1180 females

65 out of 302 in my age group 25-29

So there you have it! After a winter off of training I was able to work hard, come back and have a great race. LOVED having Taber and the girls there and the girls really loved my pretty new "necklace" : )

New York City!!

We're back from New York and the weekend was so much fun! New York is a crazy crazy place, not sure if I could ever live there but it sure was fun to visit!

We got into Queens (where the race was) around 4 pm on Friday and after checking into our hotel we hurried to find a cab to take us into the city. We knew we only had a few hours before the kids expired and we wanted to take advantage of it.

We headed straight to Central Park and WOW! What a cool place! It's the perfect little oasis in the middle of the crazy city. There were still tons of people there but it just felt much calmer than the fast paced hustle and bustle of the streets.

The girls collected rocks, chased squirrels, ran around and got some energy out of their systems after the 5 hour drive down from NH. The weather was perfect and we really enjoyed being outside together as a family.

There's an ice rink in the middle of the park and Brinley got a kick out of watching the zamboni smooth out the ice.

The girls got hungry so we grabbed some hot dogs and popcorn. Teya begged us to let her eat her hot dog with the popcorn on top. She was so set on doing it that way and finally I just thought, "well, it all goes to the same place in the end." Guess she started a new trend: Pop-dogs!
After we fed the kids we walked down to Times Square. Teya's eyes were bugging out over all the tall buildings. I just couldn't believe how many people were on the streets! We went into a big Toy R Us store and got some things for the girls, then we went back out to take in the sights and sounds of Times Square.

The whole fam in the center of all the insanity!

Around 8 o'clock the girls were fading fast so we caught a cab and took one of the scariest rides of my life back to the hotel! Seriously, I think cab drivers have their own rules on what is or isn't legal to do while driving. I'm just glad we made it back safely!

Teya conked out in the cab and was so passed out that I got her to go potty, change into her pajamas, and drink some milk without ever opening her eyes or fully gaining consciousness. I love this picture because she looks like a rockstar who partied a little too hard and then passed out on the hotel bed : )

Obviously we didn't even scratch the surface as far as all the things you can do in New York, but I was so glad that we got to see the city and experience some of those sights with the kids.

Friday Foto: They grow up fast!

Brinley with her Easter stuff 2009

Brinley the week before Easter one year later

They grow up fast.