MUD RUN '09

We were excited to try the mud run this year for the first time. I had a friend on facebook who had a team with an opening, so I signed up. It was interesting not knowing what to expect. I was a little bit nervous--the mud run is 4.2 miles, through obstacles, and, you guessed it--mud. There was also a pollywog course for the kids. The kids were really excited; Mikala was born for this, but Amy chickened out when she realized she would have to get dirty. The Mud Run will definitely be a tradition...

Team Mud Pies, pumped and ready to go.

Amy and Mikala in Line at the Pollywog course

Kala dives in.

"Victory!"

"Victory?"

St Louis

OK. First of all, obviously we've had an Extreme Makeover - Blog Edition. We're going with an "elegant-modern" look inspired by our most recent photo shoot of the girls (photos of the shoot will be coming in a later post).

Because we've neglected the blog over the busy summer months. We are going to catch up, starting with our anniversary trip to St Louis:

The Arch

 

St Louis Union Station (where we stayed)

Tammy at the Zoo

Again, Tammy at the Zoo

Joe at the Zoo

Again, Joe at the Zoo

At the Base of the Arch

Tammy in the Tiny Cylindrical Arch-Elevator

The Shadow of the Arch

Us at the Top

Tammy with a 1/2" thick piece of stainless steel between her and 600 feet of nothing

Why St Louis? Well, why not St Louis. It's the gateway to the West. The arch is very romantic, and St Louis Union Station is gorgeous. It really had nothing to do with the fact that we got the the hotel, food, and half the airfare paid for because we coupled our anniversary adventure with a business trip.

How to build a backyard - Part 3: Hiatus

Step 1: Put all tools away (because there's a chance of rain for the next three weeks straight--not to mention the hurricanes.)
Step 2: Dam up dirt piles so they stop spilling into the sidewalk.
Step 3: Turn wheelbarrow over so it doesn't become a cess pool of mosquito larvae.
Step 4: Wait....and wait....and wait. Wait 'til your husband is back into the swing of grad school, wait 'til you're used to waking up at 6:00 am so that Amy can catch the bus at 6:30 am, wait 'til all the school orientations are over, wait 'til all this adoption mess is final, wait 'til Tammy, Sara, and Claire's birthday parties are over, 'til formal family portraits are taken, 'til Sara is sealed to us for time and all eternity, 'til Sara is blessed, and FINALLY, wait 'til after General Conference is over before getting back to work on the most important project for the house. Maybe the weather will be nicer and you can work for longer than 15 minutes before almost passing out and being forced back inside for water breaks to recuperate from the humidity--maybe.

How to Build a Backyard Part 2: The Wall

Yes, it's time to check in on our major backyard renovation. We have completed the demolition work and are now building the wall for the lower level. The walls are being built out of treated wood timbers, rebar and a gravel foundation. The wall is supported by perpendicular "deadmen" that tie the wall into the earth behind it.

For anyone thinking that the Hood's must be expert wall builders, check back with this wall in a couple of years and see if it's still standing. The only thing we're going on is some how-to websites and common sense. We'll see how it works out.

How to Build a Backyard Part 1: Excavation

This is the first in a new blog series about our major backyard rebuild. We decided that whether we sell the house now, or live in it for while longer, we need to make the backyard usable. Our backyard has been a useless slope since we moved in. The plan is to terrace it with retaining walls and make three level areas, with a patio on the lower level. Our plan is also to do it for a $1,000 instead of $10,000.

The Plan:
The first step to this process is moving several tons of dirt. This is very brutal work. It's a good thing we waited until the hottest part of the year to do it (heavy sarcasm).

The Excavation:

We will keep you posted on the progress.

Synchronized Swinging

We went to the lake last week, and yes, the water is still very cold. The kids had a blast, especially Mikala, who loved the water so much we had to manually regulate her temperature by pulling her out into the sun each time her lips started to lose color. Eventually, as the sun started to go down, we had to make the water off limits all together, and we all retired to the playground.

Mikala and Claire both wanted to swing. Because there are four swings in a row, we thought that it would be perfect to have them all swing at the same time. Mikala and Claire were loaded into their swings. We then put Sara in hers, and she didn't cry--which we took as a sign of approval.

Amy, however, had a sudden surge of her trademark fear hormone preventing her from consenting to the swing idea. Amy is very keen about always remaining well grounded. Any activity that separates her feet from the ground is a good candidate for her activity blacklist. Amy did want to push Sara however, which allowed her to keep her feet firmly on the ground and kept her in complete control of the situation.


Makala just wanted to go "High-ah". I had her going so high at one point that I had to wonder if Myth Busters ever busted that myth about being able to do a 360 swing. Makala would love to be the one to prove it right.

Claire had a swinging angle limit of about 30 degrees. Anything above that would consistently cause the tensed-up-shake-of-fear, which every parent is familiar with.

Sara was mostly unimpressed and apparently thought the whole swinging thing was way overrated. She would only laugh with Mommy make funny sound and faces at her, otherwise, she tended to doze off. She doesn't do the tensed-up-shake-of-fear yet, but she does express herself quite well with her spit-ups and vomits when in scary situations.

We should have more lake adventures soon, especially when the water warms up.

"She's been sighted, she's been sighted!"

We have received several anonymous tips from people who believe they may have seen Tammy Hood.



This photo, believed to be of Tammy, was taken on Y mountain in Provo, UT. This corroborates reports that she is staying with her sister, who resides in the area.



This photo of a woman on a moped, submitted anonymously, was analyzed by our experts who have confirmed that the moped is registered to Tammy's Sister, Maria Torres. The person riding the moped is a partial facial match for Tammy.

Our photo expert team has also confirmed that Tammy "looks like a dork" in the photo.

This is a photo believed to be of Tammy at the Phoenix airport, another hideout she is thought to have used. She reportedly stayed there for a total of 20 hours between March 9th-10th. To avoid suspicion, she would claim that her "fight was canceled."

Because of your help, and the expertise of our photo analysis team, Tammy has been found! After much persuasion, she has agreed to answer her husband's emotional plea to come home. We have since learned that Tammy has made it home safely, and is helping her husband recover from his battle with scurvy as well as thanking him for being such a good sport during her absence.

Have you seen this woman?

If you have any information about the whereabouts of this woman, please contact the authorities immediately. She was last seen fleeing from her family at an airport near Charlotte, NC. She may have boarded a plane. She reportedly left a sink full of dishes and several large loads of laundry undone. The latest information suggests that she may be staying with a relative somewhere in the western U.S.

Her husband has made an emotional plea for her prompt return. He is apparently not sleeping well and is having to change "lots of stinky diapers." He is also suffering from scurvy caused by his diet of cereal and hot pockets.

Blizzard - SC Style

It snowed for about 45 minutes Wednesday night. The snow quickly turned into sleet and then rain. It was fun while it lasted. We debated waking up the kids to see it, but the prospect of grouchy kids all day Thursday deterred us. Oh well. Maybe they'll be able to see snow 5 years from now when it comes again. Snow is a very special event here. These little flurries were enough to delay half the state the next day for 2+ hours, because there was a possibility that maybe somewhere there might be a chance that there could be a bridge with some ice on it, . . .maybe. I don't think there were any iced bridges.

Date Night

Nothing says date night like a Glock.

Caleb and Katie (Hood[3]) took us to the firing range Friday night for date night. Caleb brought his gun, and we rented one at the range. It was Tammy's first time shooting something more than a BB gun. For Joseph, being the man of men that he is, it was not his first time, it was his second. Shown above is the result of a little friendly competition between Tammy and Joseph. Tammy's shots have circles and Joesph's shots have x's (hard to see from picture).

We shot at 7 yds, and it was a tie. Afterwords, we all went to California Dreaming. Nana and Pops (Hood[0]) watched all the kids, half of which slept the whole time.