MY WORDS - Scrabble Style

All of that babble occasionally sounds like words.  Here are the words, see if you can unscrabble the babble

"Appul"

"Dah"

"Bampa"

"BYU Cougars" - (crazy how this one comes out so clear!)

"Apwf"

"MA MA MA MA"

"Mmmmm"

For those not seasoned in baby talk here is the interpretation:

1. Apple

2.  Dad

3.  Grandpa

4.  GO Cougs

5.  Up

6. Mom (favorite)

7.  Universal sound for all animals (including horses) and yummy treats

Sisters Rock!

I am truly lucky to have a sister!  I was thinking about the whole kid situation the other day, and I am so glad that mom and dad decided to continue to have more after Carson.  Even though there is a 6 year difference between us, it seems like only 6 minutes.  

I just love her guts

  We have so much fun together and she is truly my fashion expert.  She is very thoughtful and hardworking!  She will be a great athletic trainer.  I can always count on her to diagnose my hurting and give advice to make it better!

 She is such a fun aunt with Parker.  I love when she gets laughing because she can't stop.  It makes Parker laugh!  

Sweet Ma and Pa

I was going to post this some time ago like on the day of their anniversary, but you know how that goes!  Anyway, on Sept. 7th, Mom and Dad hit their 35th wedding anniversary.  I couldn't believe it.  They are getting so old. j/k  I sat and thought about the many things they have accomplished over those years and there are too many to list.  I can think of five great ones like, Christian, me, Carson, Brittany, and Dust.  That is just to name a few, but seriously my Dad and Mom are two of the most amazing people I know who would do anything for anyone.  They stay true to each other through thick and thin.  Their examples continue to shine brighter each day. As a small child I looked to them for everything, and now as an adult I look up to them in everything and want to emulate their success as parents and friends.  I love them and wish them another great 35 years worth of happiness and love!!  Love you Mom and Dad!!

What better way to top off your anniversary than with a Cold Stone Cake!

FANS

Events such as the "Mammoth Marathons" bring out the best in everybody.  There is a drive and determination in the runners that is unparalleled.  Admiration runs deep to those who braved each step of the run.  Emulation becomes the inspiration for all of those who watch.  

And what about those who "watch"?  The fans.  What is to be said of those who stand on the side and clap as the runners press onward?  I watched these fans.  I watched Tom Eden and his kids as they explored the desert landscape and perched themselves on top of rocks as they attempted to spot the lady in "an orange shirt and black shorts" (their mom).  

And then there was Melissa's parents who seemed to be Parker's biggest "fan" while braving the early morning and being a "fan" for their daughter.  They displayed their "fan-ness" with hugs  and cheers at the finish line and a shoulder to sleep on for the "exhausted" fan.

Finally there was "Parker man" who transformed into "Parker fan".  Fueled by the Eden kids and Grandpa's swedish fish that Grandma termed "Brain food", Parker got into his fan stance and applauded the runners as they rounded the last turn for the finish line.  Surprisingly Parker's fan displays didn't deter too many from completing the race.  Parker's applauding was exhausted by the time mom passed as he found the comforts of Grandma's arms.  Parker again came to life in time to sport mom's medal and eat the race treats that surely were just for him.

Oh, and then there was this fan.  Yes I cheered.  Yes I applauded.  Yes I admired the beauty of the surrounding walls of rock.  But most of all I loved being a fan and witnessing a sprinter become a distance runner.  I loved this because I never did get to be a fan during the sprinting days, but now I am grateful to be a fan for whatever challenge comes her way.

Thanks Melissa for letting us be fans!

WE MADE IT!

I can't even describe what it was like to actually have this day come.  Sept. 12 seemed so far out there on my training schedule, but yesterday truly was a reality!  I never thought that after all those years of telling my distance friends they were crazy, I would join their ranks.  I have definitely trained hard for this and made it a real goal of mine to reach.  Along the way, my friend Heather Eden jumped into it with me.  I am grateful for that because it gave me more motivation. It has been fun to push myself in a different way, beyond limits that I had set for myself.    

So... yesterday, September 12, I woke up at 5:00 a.m., ate breakfast, and got ready for the big Half Marathon.  Heather picked me up at 5:50 a.m. and we headed to Huntington where the buses would shuttle us to the starting line.  My nerves were shot!  I was so anxious and excited to run.  I felt ready, but I was scared all at the same time!  13.1 miles is a long way.  Well, we finally got to the starting line and waited even longer.  I was so fidgety.  By about 7:45 they got us started.  We were off to a great start.  I felt so good and was keeping a pretty fast pace!  Heather told me once that is was outside of her comfort level, and truthfully it was outside of mine, too, but I figured we needed to push ourselves because it was the race!  We continued to cruise along grabbing a drink along the way every 2 miles.  At about mile 7 I was starting to feel some signs of fatigue from the pace we had been going, but we continued.  Shortly after that, we had a guy jump in with us who said we were an inspiration to him.  He had been watching how pumped we were and the pace we had set and figured we could keep him going.  He was actually a good distraction for us from the pain and fatigue we were feeling and he in turn kept us going. Each mile became a little harder and each water station became more sought after.  At the last station for the final mile I had to walk for a bit.  Thanks to Heather and this man named Eric, I got going again.  As we came around the bend I could see Devin, and my Mom holding sleeping Parker, and the emotions hit me.  Then I saw my Dad a few more steps down the road.  I couldn't hold back the tears and felt a surge of adrenaline. I was able to finish with a sprint and come across the finish line in 2 hrs and 9 min.  I was pretty battered and happy all at the same time.  I am so glad to have been able to accomplish this task.  There were many prayers during that race and many thank yous after!  I am truly grateful to Heavenly Father for the strength to do this, a family who supports, a great friend in Heather to keep me going, and a husband to gave me time to make it happen!  It's been a fun ride!  Maybe I will continue.  I won't say that today, because I am sore, but maybe when my legs feel better I will start training for the next one!

 

Heather and I @ 5:50 a.m. ready to run!

Last mile of the race!

Smiling even after 13 miles

Mom, Dad, & Parker - My athletic supporters!

Me and my strength (Devin)

Heather, Tyler, Kate, Cory, and Tommy

The official time sheet!

Friends until the end!

Caught Grape Handed!

Grandpa Carl and his version of the "nectar of the gods" are a hit with Parker.  Just the other day we caught Parker getting into the fridge in the bag of grapes grandpa gave him.  I guess you could say that he was caught "grape handed".  

To be honest I don't blame Parker, they are that good!

Grandpa would have been proud

Though the debate continues on about BYU and Utah in the Esplin home and Parker's final fan destiny hangs in the balance, this picture of Parker in his cougar blue and the football would have made Grandma and Grandpa Esplin proud (especially Grandpa as he was at the Oklahoma v. BYU game).  

Though sporting the blue and white, his night watching or listening to the game was limited as he was worn out by a day full of fun with the Grandma Vicki, Grandpa Carl and Aunt Brittany (who are Utah Fans!) playing Bocce ball and eating scrumptious barbeque.  Melissa's supportive role in allowing this cougar fan (Devin) to go to a friends house to watch the game is recognized and appreciated.

Oh and by the way, the Cougs won!

Ready For Football

With school beginning and fall looming in the air it can only mean one thing (atleast for dad and his moldable son), FOOTBALL SEASON!  With going to the first Emery High football game of the year and recently learning the signal for touchdown (thanks mom though I'll try to take credit for this milestone), I think we just might have a football player on our hands (at this point he may be a lineman but hey we'll take it though he won't be scoring many touchdowns from there!)

And I thought I got excited for touchdowns!

Once a kid always a kid

Parker gets all of the recognition.  This all changed at around 5:37 PM as I heard the blessed sound of the Ice Cream Truck that has been avoiding me all summer.  With Parker and mom in Price I was left to my childish reflexes of abandoning my cleaning of the bathroom and running out the door and joining the neighborhood kids as they swarmed the ice cream truck.  To my disappointment they had sold out of the "Ice Bomb's" but was fortunate to get a different version of the same thing.  

Interestingly enough the ice cream driver wasn't what I expected.  It was a nice chinese lady that had difficulty speaking english but apparently knew her ice cream.  And do the Chinese people know their ice cream?  Yes they do and I came to find this out as I served in Taiwan as this man on a bike came by selling ice cream.  It was nothing like I had ever tasted but hey an ice cream truck is an ice cream truck even if it is in a different country and even if it isn't from a truck.  It all brings out the child in me.

And what about Parker?  I couldn't resist getting him a popsicle so when he did come home guess what, it really was all about him anyway as he devoured his popsicle that was half the size of him

A Devin that can actually speak Chinese

The story goes that I was named after the cougar great (Basketball player) Devin Durrant because my brothers looked up to him at the time I was born.  I never did become a great basketball player unless you count Church Ball but I can now officially claim that there is a Devin that can speak Chinese!

I served my mission in Taiwan - Mandarin Chinese speaking.  After serving two years there I spoke Chinese but I don't know if that was me doing the speaking or the Taiwanese people were just really nice.  Whatever the case may be, while I was there serving me and my companion were able to baptized two brothers that lived in a city called Ching Shui.  The older brother Jason Yen  (Yen Wei Jun) has since served a mission, married in the temple and had their first baby born to them.  You can imagine my surprise when I found out that they named him Devin (they often have an english name with their chinese name).  

And so after serving two years and trying to speak chinese it took having somebody I baptized and his spouse to finally have a Devin that really can speak chinese (and yes I am sure his chinese is better than mine even as a baby).

Most importantly I am excited for the new dad and the new mom.  They will be great parents.

Jason Yen is the second one from the left