Our "Staycation" Vacation - Part One

For our spring vacation this year, we decided to live it up at home.  We tried to plan an activity every day like a visit to the park, watching a movie at the discount theater, or taking a hike.

One of the places we visited was Red Cliffs, a personal favorite of mine.  Bronson was able to come with us, and it was great having him along.  However, DEl still had to put in time at work throughout the week, so he didn't join in on this activity.

Jefferson kept scrambling into every nook and cranny he could find!

Mat wasn't quite sure about this piggyback ride.

One of the many beautiful waterfalls at Red Cliffs.

Best Buddies!

Skipping rocks.

The real boss of the Beatty Family.

"Beaver" Fever

I was relaxing in the family room yesterday with Mathison when he asked me something quite unexpected.

"Mom," he said,"Do you know who Justin Beaver is?"

Of course I know who Justin Bieber is, but I was curious to see what, if anything, my four-year-old knew about him.

"No, I don't," I said, "Could you tell me about him?"

"Well, he's this kid with really cool blond hair who sings and plays the guitar." Mathison enthusiastically added, "I wish I could be like him!"

I thought we'd avoided falling victim to the hype, but it appears one member of the Beatty household is suffering from "Beaver" fever after all :)

My First 10k

I competed in my first 10k yesterday!

The family was there to cheer me on at the finish line:

(the redheaded girl is Krissia's friend, Heather)

The morning was overcast and cool, but not too windy; perfect for running. I set a goal time of 56:00 minutes, which averages out to be about a 9:20 minute mile.  I finished in 52:47 - well under my goal time!  Overall, I placed 13th in my age group (43 runners) and 294th overall out of 800 competitors...as you can tell, I was pretty happy with my performance:

Del arranged for me to get a massage a few hours later, and that's really helped me not be too sore.  Thanks, honey :)

I had a great time and definitely plan to do it again!

Founding Father

We've had the following founding father staying at our house the past week:

It's the fellow on the right; his name is Sir Robert Livingston, a delegate from New York.

If you're wondering why DEl is wearing a wig and going by an alias, it's because he's a cast member of '1776'.  The show opened one week ago and will continue to run through the end of the week, with a matinee performance on Saturday.  If you get a chance, you should really and come see it; there are some incredibly talented actors, and the production offers insights to the history surrounding the creation of the Declaration of Independence.  I went for the third time this evening; the show just gets better and better every time I see it, and I've certainly gained a deeper appreciation for what our founding fathers endured to help grant freedom to our nation.

So here's to you, Mr. Livingston!

Founding fathers Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Edward Rutledge



Please Join Me!

To celebrate/cope with the fact of turning forty, I recently started a new blog, finding forty.  There is also a link on the sidebar of this blog.  I invite you to join me in my quest of "finding" myself at forty - the best journeys are those shared with friends :)  Here is my latest post from my new blog:

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Time glides on,
winds sift memories,
tides turn...the moment's gone.  k.g. beatty, 1998

The above excerpt was taken from a literary project I was working on several years ago.  I was trying to illustrate how quickly time passes - whether we wish it or not.  And once the moment has passed there is no reclaiming it.

The scary thing is, time seems to march by even faster for me with each passing year!  As I look around me, I can't believe I'm now officially middle aged, have been married for 20+ years, and am preparing for my second child's high school graduation.  How did this happen so quickly?

Years ago when I was a mother of two very young children, I struggled to manage the demands of my little ones.  I remember complaining to my mother one day, expecting her to commiserate with my situation as she had raised eight kids herself.  I was quite surprised by her reply.

"Just enjoy your children," she advised, "Before you know it, they'll be gone.  I really miss those days."

At the time, having grown children seemed like a lifetime away.  Now - in the proverbial blink of an eye later - it's arrived.  In looking back across the years, I realize how often I naively assumed things were going to stay pretty much the same for a long time.  I know there were moments I let slip away, figuring there would always be time to make use of them later.  Unfortunately, "later" came much sooner than I expected.  The time for making memories with my oldest kids has passed - all I can do now is hope they are good ones.

However, I still have two kids at home - one of them, a four-year-old.  This little guy was a bit of a surprise, but a very welcome one.  I can see how my parenting style has changed as I interact with him;  I often find myself setting aside some of my daily duties to play with him, as I realize now that if I put it off until "later", it may never happen.  Maybe this is why many siblings think the youngest child of the family is spoiled; I personally feel that by then the parents have finally figured things out a bit :)

I think back to playing childhood games and asking for a "do-over" if I made a mistake or didn't get the result I wanted.  Unfortunately, this strategy doesn't work in real life!  Once a second, or an hour, or a day has passed, it's gone for good.  Sunsets fade, rain showers pass, and the chance to act is gone.  As much as we wish it, there is no going back.

That's why it's important to take advantage of what EACH moment has to offer, especially in context to relationships with people who are important to you. 

I love these words in the song Unwritten by Natalie Bedingfield:

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in

The last line holds the key; you are the only one with the power to make the most of your moments.  To take advantage of each moment.  To live life the way you want to live it.  To have no regrets.  To seize the day.

The time is now, before your moment is...gone.

A Midsummer Night's Dream in Spring



Desert Hills Middle School put on a condensed version of A Midsummer Night's Dream last week.  Jefferson was cast as Starveling/Moonshine and had been rehearsing with the cast for the past month.  I admit I was a little nervous to watch it; taking on Shakespeare is mighty 

ambitious - especially for young teenagers.  However, the play was wonderful!!  The kids did such a great job and the audience was laughing the entire time.  I was so proud of Jefferson :)

His Newest Obsession

Friday

Saturday

Monday

Yesterday

I think it's safe to say Mathison has found a new interest :)