MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!! 2010

Is it that time of year again when I have to blog? I haven't blogged for quit awhile... the business of life always gets in the way. Anyhoo... I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas this year and a Happy New Year! The Fossum clan is doing wonderful. Here is a run down of what is going on...

Enoch (11)- just got through with football season, his new found love. He has learned discipline, respect, dignity, and responsibility all in one swoop this season. He is very good at tackling even though he is a skinny little thing. I was very surprised to see him take down the big guys on the field. Enoch is also in the sixth grade and I'm starting to get a little nervous for him to be in junior high! He is a good kid and has grown around four inches or so over the summer. He just started babysitting for us when we go out on our weekly dates and is really great with all the kids.

Isaac- (9) went to soccer camp this year and really had fun in the heat of the sun. He also just memorized the 13 articles of Faith in which he can answer anything a mormon believes.... haha.
He is in scouts and really enjoys it... since it is just him and his best friend in his group. Isaac has become a real chatter box and loves to tell stories. I hope he turns out a good story teller like his dad.

Jacob (7)- the twins are getting big and have started first grade this year. Jacob was struggling at reading so he got into the resource program and has become one of the top readers in the program. He is best at sports and has found that he can really get the moves on when dancing to Just Dance on the wii.
Ben(7)- Ben is always busy. He loves to go from room to room and see what he can mess up... I mean that in a not so bad way. He is always wanting to play with friends, is always hungry, and never wants to go to sleep at night. I'm still wondering where he gets all his energy. Ben is very soft hearted and has become a good helper to his sister.
Rachel (2)- My baby is a big girl now! Rachel is doing well. She got tubes in her ears from all her ear infections and can now hear! She is delayed in her speech but goes around the house babbling anyway. She has just started pretending so a bowl and a couple fake foods can keep her busy for hours. She loves her brothers and they have really learned how to babysit her. They even put her to bed at night! Rachel is a sweetheart and puts the candy into our family of boys.

John is doing great. He is still a seminary teacher at Pleasant Grove High School and is teaching English online for DeVry University. He just got news that his article for a religion scholar magazine is going to be published! Besides work, John just finished a kitchen down in our basement. He was also the assistant coach for Enoch's team in football. I'm glad all that stress is over and we can just enjoy the holidays. John really enjoys being on the high council in the Stake and is in charge of the young single adult ward.
I(Sarah) am also doing wonderful. This past year my two running friends got into the St. George Marathon so I trained with them and then ran my own marathon with another bff. It was challenging and really fun so I'm excited for next summer when I can do a couple more. I have also cross trained and try to keep up on my swimming. I enjoy crafting and have a new blog with my sisters called ziggycrafts.blogspot.com. It is a site that gives demos on all sorts of crafts!
I also still enjoy reading, being involved in bookclub, and working in the Primary in church.

This year has flown by so fast. We had so much fun seeing a lot of you at reunions and other gatherings and look forward to being with you in 2011. If anyone is looking to buy a house in Pleasant Grove (the best area around), we are listing our house and trying to move up the street. Why would I move anywhere else? The mountains are gorgeous, the schools are wonderful, and it is a great place to raise kids.
We hope you have a happy holiday!
love from the Fossum family and hopefully I will blog again soon!

Park City here we come....

We just returned from the Phil Packer Reunion up in Park City! It was a delicious vacation! We rented three condos at Bear Hollow close to the outlet malls. We each had a hottub on the deck of our units and there was a pool in the clubhouse. We stayed there for three nights, and the kids loved playing with their cousins. At night the adults all put their kids to bed and we met in one of the condos and played games. It worked out perfectly because we had a lot of bonding time! We had a talent show and John and I did that act where you lay down on a table and lay your head upside down and wear an outfit on your head and paint your chin to look like a face. We sang the "Jackson" song from Walk the Line and the family loved it! It got a little out of control at the talent show and my sisters and I started clogging a hoedown. For those of you who don't know, we all took clogging back in the day. Anyway, needless to say the next door neighbor came and told us to be quiet. So you can tell how much fun we were having! The next day we had Field Day at a park and played games: relay races, soccer, kickball to name a few. It was sunny and hot but a cloud soon covered the sun and it was perfect. Every morning my sister Liz and sis-in-law Sara and I went on a morning jog on the local trails there and had time to catch up and talk. On the last day I got to go alone with my Dad. It was really nice to talk alone with him as well. Each condo took a turn cooking a meal every night and we all ate dinner together. It was a little chaotic but you just had to laugh at how big the family is now! My brother Sam filmed each family doing a little skit and he put together music and edited them for the last night. We met in my parent's condo and had a little movie night. Our family has a very crazy sense of humor so we got to enjoy some great comedy. The highlight of all the movies was the music video performed by my brother Ben doing a song from Labyrinth "Dance magic Dance". It was halarious. We also made a care package for my youngest brother James who is serving a mission in Argentina. We each wrote him a letter or drew him a picture. The next morning we took family pics in our tiedyed shirts that we made up there and said our goodbyes. It wa hard to say goodbye especially to Ben and Sara who live in Arizona. These are the times that we really bond and make good memories. Can't wait for next year! Love you guys!!

Moab Half Marathon 2010!

We had a really fun time this year doing the Moab Canyonlands Half Marathon last March. My friend Colleen did it with me too. It was a very cold morning because the sun wasn't in the canyon yet. We had to wait up the canyon for about an hour an a half before it started so the first mile or so felt wierd because our toes were numb. but then it warmed up and we took off. It took John 2 hours because he took his time and just had fun. Colleen and I came in at about 2 hours and 13 minutes. We didn't push ourselves and just had a fun time. Most of it was an easy gradual decline but there were some hills. It was fun to run in a place that was unfamiliar. I think that is why the race felt like it flew by. My bro Sam let me use his camera so I could take pics along the way. It was a gorgeous canyon with red rock and the Colorado river. John and I figured it was a bit expensive though because the race itself was $80 each, then with food, gas, and a hotel we ended up spending around $400!!! Next year I'm thinking of running it with a bunch of my girlfriends so we can share everything and cut the costs. Thanks to Sam also for watching all my kids when we were away, very fun for him I'm sure! Running is great and I'm really starting to take to these half marathons!!

Introducing our new Tortoise!

Here is our newest addition! Sawyer James Ford Fossum- a Russian desert tortoise. We bought him from Petsmart last February and since we were in a Lost watching frenzy, decided to name him Sawyer. He sleeps in a huge 52 gallon aquarium in Enoch and Isaac's room. I didn't know what it takes to keep this pet alive but I learned that he needs two kinds of lighting... uva and uvb. But he eats lettuce, some spinach, apples and pears. He really is a good little pet and very very low maintanance. Hopefully we will be able to keep him alive since I have killed fish and hamsters. Yesterday Enoch helped John build a big cage for him to be in the backyard during the Summer. It has to be at least 70 degrees outside. Welcome to our family Sawyer, we hope you will outlive at least me!

The Swim Pro is Back!

John bought me a 24 hour fitness pass for two years for Christmas. I was so excited because I hadn't been swimming for a couple months and now I can go back! I usually have a routine down that includes swimming 20 laps with different stroke rotations. But I am ready for something new! So I have been watching youtube and yes they even have "learn how to swim" videos. I really want to learn how to swim the butterfly stroke but that includes the dolphin kick and really strong arm muscles. Today I decided to try the butterfly and looked like I was hula dancing in place while drowning. Better luck next time. I just learned how to swim last year and owe it all to my sister Liz who taught me. Now the pro is here and ready to go another year!

One of my goals this year is to learn a new stroke every couple months. But haha we will see. I have two triathalons (speed of course) coming this Spring. I have been trying to teach my friend Colleen how to swim as well, but I'm not a good teacher. I think my favorite thing to do though is sit in the steam room afterward. I bought some Eucalyptus Oil to spray in there so it is all healthy and minty. Mmmm, it's nice to relax after a good swim!