The Sweet Smells of Laundry

Today was laundry day and to be honest, it's kind of throwing me for a loop. Except for the part about the sweet smells of laundry:

Laundry smells soothe me. Correction; MY laundry smells soothe me. (The clean ones, not the dirty's)

Anyway, there's a story in here somewhere. Saturday is not usually laundry day; that's Monday's job and to be honest, I don't really like messing with the schedule. But after a week of vacation and a husband who was "living out of the dryer" (and yes, that's a direct quote) I had to shake up the schedule a bit.

In case you are wondering; living out of the dryer is what happens when a full grown male is left behind for the week on Friday by his wife and four kids. Then when Monday-laundry day-rolls around, he's down to his last pair of underwear, and he doesn't even know it. On Tuesday when he wakes he's in for a surprise and is forced to do the laundry. And in case you're still wondering, Craig doing laundry consists of washing and drying only the essentials and then leaving them in the dryer for the week. Which means every morning when he's done in the shower, he's in for a trip to the laundry room.

And in case you were wondering, he doesn't know the secret to the smells. He totally missed out on that one and he's really glad I'm back!

Third Time's a Charm or Three Strikes You're Out

OK-here it is. The Marathon report. I kind of dreaded putting it up here, but here goes nothing.

Saturday I ran the St. George Marathon. The good news; I am now walking forwards and full speed down the stairs. The bad news; the race was awful. (OK maybe not the whole race, but definitely the last 6 or better yet 16, which kind of makes the rest seem like it was too.)

The story.

Last year, I missed qualifying for the Boston Marathon by a measly 70 seconds--70 seconds! I was so mad at myself because there were a lot of stupid things I did that cost me that qualifying time. It was my own stupidity that was my downfall that day and I was not happy. There was anger. There were tears and there was a whole new drive and focus pushing me from that point on. I spent a whole year focusing on it. Every single run I went on it was in the back of my brain. I pushed myself more. I focused harder and I tried to figure out some of the mental kinks that always seem to pull me down in a race. After a lot of work and time and effort, I thought I had banished some of my demons and I felt ready for the race. Physically it was totally within my reach. Mentally it was too. I left for St. George feeling strong and ready. I wasn't cocky, but I was definitely confident. I knew I could do it and I was letting myself believe it. No self doubt. No negative thoughts. No what ifs?

I. Was. Ready.

Fast forward to the starting line. I was there with Lisa and Laurie and one of us commented on the eerie calm that we felt. And the weird thing is that we all felt it. No butterflies. No stressing. No worries. Just calm. I figured it was a good sign.

Too bad I was wrong.

The race started fine. We ran on pace and everyone felt good. But that eerie calm turned into an eerie silence. Silence. For five whole miles. Usually in our running group if you've got me or Laurie there, you've got stories and gripes and plenty words to last at least 20 miles. But both of us were totally silent. It was weird and it made me wonder what was going on. It wasn't normal; but it was only mile five, so I wasn't sweating it. But that silence stayed. By mile seven we started to spread out on the course. Lisa took off looking as strong as I've seen her all year. (She ended up with a PR and plenty of time to spare on that BQ-YAY LISA!!!) Laurie and I hung back. We kept jockeying back and forth on the course. But still, there was...silence. It was weird and by mile 10 it started to worry me. I realized at that point that something was off. I wasn't myself and I started to worry. BUT... I kept pace, that qualifying time was still within my reach. For the next 10 Laurie and I kept trading spots--in silence--it was weird and that eerie calm was starting to be replaced with a sense of foreboding. Somewhere around mile 16 I finally pulled out my music hoping it would get me focused only on running. It didn't. That sense of foreboding stayed. It was weird and I just felt so uneasy. BUT...I kept pace; that is, until mile 20. Laurie had caught up with me for what would be the last time. She uttered some words of encouragement and I felt good and matched her stride and was determined to stay with her. BUT...I blacked out. My legs went shaky and my vision was black and I had to walk. Laurie was calling for me to keep up. But I couldn't. My body just wouldn't. And it went on a lot like that for the next six miles. I wanted so badly to pick up the pace. I tried so hard. I gave it everything I had. BUT...I just couldn't. In that last six miles I blacked out a couple more times and kept having to walk for just a minute to get my focus back. At mile 22 when the poop out bus passed me it was everything I could do to not tap on their window and just quit. My body wanted me to so bad, but I wouldn't let myself. But I will say I have never been more tempted to do anything in my entire life. When I saw my family cheering for me at mile 24, again, I just wanted to quit. I have never had to push through feeling like that before and I wanted to be done. But those smiling faces and those cute signs saying "run Mommy run" kept me going. That and Craig telling me not to stop but just to keep running. So I went off, slowly but surely to finish the race. As I turned on to diagonal street, there was Andrew, ready to pace me for the last mile and a half or so. Craig was so sweet. He checked to make sure I was OK with it before letting him come out on the course. And Andrew was so great. He made sure to stay a couple of steps in front of me and when I wanted to walk so bad, he kept me running. He also took my i-pod that was driving me nuts. It was so great to see his strong little legs up there and have him pull me along for the end. I felt like crap, but it reminded me that I have so much support behind me and in front of me--even if I don't live up to what I'm capable of.

That last mile seemed to stretch on forever and when I hit the 26 mile mark I tried my hardest to sprint. My legs just wouldn't cooperate. I ended up finishing that .2 with a 9:47 pace--that was everything I had. Thankfully there were national guardsmen at the finish line, because as I crossed, I blacked out again and I had to hang on to one for a minute or so just to make sure I could stand on my own. (I was so out of it I don't even know if he was cute or not-grrrr.) After I was sure I could stand on my own with out going wobbly legged or weak in the knees, I let go of him and used Andrew for my support. Then, I made the slow walk of shame to find my friends.

My final time was supposed to be anywhere under 3 hours and 40 minutes. It ended up being 3 hours 47 minutes and 35 seconds. I was deflated, defeated, and since we're going with a de theme, I was dehydrated. But strangely, I was OK. Last year when I crossed that line and got my official time, I instantly picked out the places that I knew had cost me the race. I knew what stupid mistakes I made and was instantly upset with myself. Last year it was my fault--my mind, not my body.

This year was different. Even though I still feel the pain of disappointment. Even as tears sting at my eyes as I type this, I know that I did EVERYTHING I possibly could in that race. I pushed myself mentally harder than I ever have. There really is only one point in the whole race that I regret taking a walking break-and it was only 100 yards or so. I know that I did my best. Now I only have to deal with my best not being good enough; and that's the hard part.

So as an end to this story-or at least this chapter, I am planning on running St. George again next year. (Yeah, I know I'm crazy) I will set the same goals and I will work just as hard. BUT...I have a new motto. Third time's a charm or three strikes you're out--take your pick! I will do it again, I will try my hardest and give it everything I've got, BUT...if I can't qualify next year, something is going to change. Maybe it will be my distance, maybe it will be my goals, I don't know yet, but I'm ready and willing to give it one more try.

Wish me luck!

Modern Day Fairy Tale

The Three Little Twigs and
the Big Bad Beaver

*Based on real events. (Yeah, real scary ones)
*Names have been changed to protect the not so innocent

One fine dark morning before dawn did crack,
The three little twigs started their out-n-back.
Lauren and Liesl and Becky did meet
In the front of a house on a dark city street.

The girls said "Oh Becky, your schedule does stink,
It makes up get up before we can think!
We'd better start running or else we do fear,
We'd go back to bed and not wake 'till next year."

So off the twigs went, right up that dark street
And those three little twigs, they were light on their feet.
Lauren looked good--a new brace on her knee,
And Liesl was sporting her yellow Nike.

Becky was running and pushing the pace,
It was their last 20 miler before the big race.
But this morning a problem was really quite clear
Not a sound was around for those three twigs to hear.

For those three little twigs were still half asleep,
And their mouths were so quiet; not even a peep.
Then Becky recalled; "I've a story to share-
Of a mountain trail runner--attacked by a bear."

So the story she started, no details were spared
And those three little twigs were a tiny bit scared.
You see it was dark, not a light was around
As they ran up the canyon and heard every sound.

And as the story was told of that nasty attack,
The bushes began to rustle and crack.
The three twigs were worried--"Oh what can it be,
Sneaking out from the shadows to attack you and me?"

When suddenly, down low a big head popped out
Right next to the three twigs which made them all shout.
They screamed as they bunched up as close as can be
(And two of those three twigs just happened to pee)

And what; now you wonder, could cause such great fear
For three strong, brave women with their butts in high gear?
A Beaver.
That's right. You heard me, it's true.
A big giant beaver who made his debut.

A beaver? No really? You ask as you laugh,
But let me just tell you on the three twigs behalf.
That beavers who lurk in dark bushes do scare
Especially when mixed with an attacking bear

The three twigs they had every right to be scared
And that beaver attack left them a bit ill prepared;
Because after the sheer fright had worn off a bit
The three twigs broke into a giggling fit.

They couldn't stop laughing, their legs they did shake
And they just kept on laughing 'till their sides did ache
And finally after the three twigs calmed down
They finished their run with a new found renown.

For beavers and other small creatures that lurk
Behind the dark bushes and quietly smirk
At the chance they might have to catch twigs unaware
And give them a truly unnerving scare.

Now what now you may ask is the point of this tale?
It's simple. There's one thing you should do without fail;
Never go running without someone else there.
Someone who can share the best kind of scare.

The scare that delivers a terrible fright
And then keeps you giggling all through the night.
That's right, you need twigs to help keep you to run
'Cause let's face it--without twigs, running's no fun!

Good luck to the three little twigs on Saturday! Here's hoping we're all Boston bound and beaver free! I love you girls (even the twigs who aren't racing!)

Absence by the numbers

OK, so I know I've been gone....for a long time...and really I can't see anything changing soon, but I do have a minute and a blog post has been swirling around in my mind so I figured it was time to at least get back on the horse so to speak...

So here, are my top ten reasons for my extended absence:

1 marathon coming up--consuming all my mental reserve-hence the blogging is taking a back seat. And thankfully there is not much mental reserve right now so I can say that while this one is major, I haven't even had time to get anxious and/or nervous yet.

2 carnivals that I am playing a large part in putting on--one for primary and one for the PTA

3 days in between the two carnivals--yes, I'm crazy.

4 children whose homework and other various activities keep me running all the time

5 people who live with me but can't seem to clean up after themselves

6 hours of sleep that I am currently averaging a night--I'm trying to improve on that one in the next two weeks so my body has an extra boost for the marathon

7 times a week that I have to be at the elementary school--3 daily drop of and pick up times and four different volunteer spots. Plus what ever other crazy things I agree to do over there--seriously people help our in your PTA--they need you! (I guess technically that adds up to 19, but that would mess up my attmpts to be clever)

8 or more blog posts that I have totally neglected and will inevitably keep nagging me until I get them in done

9 times to many that I have opened my mouth to say--"I can do that!" Really I have got to learn to just shut up!

10 different activities that my kids are involved in on a weekly basis-dance for Sarah, soccer for Ben (which happens to be 3 times a week). Dance, piano, acting and 4-H for Madeline. Soccer (again 3 times a week), 4-H, scouts and piano for Andrew.

Now know this, I'm not complaining. I love it. OK, reality check, I love most of it. I love having busy kids and I love the crazy fast paced life that fall brings to our house. I just know that my first priority is being a mom and so in the midst of all this something has had to get the boot, and for now it is blogging. But I am there and I do read--sometimes I even have the gumption to comment--and I know that sometime I will be back....who knows, maybe even sooner than later, because my kids are quiet and I'm ignoring the long to do list for today so maybe I'll even finish the poem I started three weeks ago.....stay tuned!

Time is of the essence....

But sadly, I don't seem to have any. I have so much I have wanted to post about but life....and kids....and summer, have gotten in the way! But today I realized that I am really missing the blogging buddies I have made. So stay tuned. I hope to have time soon, but know I'm still trying to read and trying to catch up on my own life so that I can come back soon! However, I've got to take care of first things first, and sadly, these days, the blog is the first thing to go. Wish me luck in making it back!

Favorite Picture

Just to get myself back into the blogging game, I am going to do a quick post. Really I have so much I want to put up, and fun stuff too, not just my family vacation. But the whole time thing is throwing me off and as soon as I find some while my brain is still somewhat functioning, I will post. But for now, I just want to put something up there, so without further adieu, here is my favorite picture from the family vacation:
I just love their matching pose! (I won't mention that the only reason she was on the carousel in the first place was to keep her mom from possibly beating her;-) good thing we have daddies!)

Grab Your Barf Bags

OK, I know I have a whole lot of other things to post about--including a very fun family vacation, but for now let's leave it with this: If I have to hear anything else about Michael Jackson

I
MIGHT
JUST
THROW
UP!

Enough already!

So much to say....so little time

This has been such a great week and I wish I had more time to post about it...but that will come later.

Here's the abbreviated highlights:

Still on a bit of a high from the Wasatch Back--withdrawals are probably going to kick in soon

Hair appointment-'nuff said!

Manicures and Pedicures with my mom and sisters and ice cream for dinner and an impromptu road trip--despite the drama, it was so fun and a much needed break!

A fun trip to Thanksgiving Point with the kids. The Children's Gardens have some cool new additions that will make me go back more often. (pictures to come later)

My cute sister got married yesterday. I couldn't be happier for her and we love her husband. They are a great couple and it was a great day. (More later)

Family Vacation starts today. We're headed to Newport Beach and I couldn't be more excited! Maybe I'll post while I'm gone, maybe I won't, but whatever happens, it's bound to be a great week!

See you soon!

Love this Race!

I can't even begin to describe what it is that makes this race so great! Just hearing the play-by-play doesn't even come close to doing it justice, but I can't think of any better way to explain so get ready for the play-by-play.

For a quick explanation, the Wasatch Back is a relay race that goes from Logan to Park City for a total of about 188 miles. Each team has 12 runners on it who each in turn run 3 different legs of the race. The team is split up into two vans of six runners each and you take turns running and having a bit of down time. (Using the word resting was just too big of a stretch!)
If you want a better, briefer and much more fun definition of this race click here for the RabidRunners pre-cap. It pretty much sums it up for me. Except for the part about the crack. And the pioneers. And the nasty hill being my job...

My morning started out perfect when just before I left my cute friend Marta dropped off a good luck goodie bag:
She had put together an all night survival kit and it was the sweetest thing ever. Her gifts were so thoughtful and she wrote the cutest poem to go along with every little thing she gave me:

I was in van 2 and so we didn't have to leave home until about 11:30. (The other half of the team started running at 9:30, so they spent the night in Logan.) After a few minor delays, including a dead battery and a mad hunt for jumper cables, we finally headed out closer to 12:00. We made it as quick as we could to our first major exchange picking up one teammate on the way and meeting the other one up there. Due to the late start and a bit of traffic & construction, we were a bit stressed getting to our starting location but once we were there, things started falling into place and we couldn't wait to start our first leg of the race! I quickly changed into my running clothes in the portable shower and we were so excited to see the other half of our team and get going on our part of the race. It about killed me to not be in a van with Laurie or Melissa. I missed them the entire race, so all the major exchanges were so fun because we got to spend a few minutes with them.

I was actually the sixth runner in our van so it was a lot of sitting and waiting for me once we stared. But it was so fun to watch all my girls run. Camie looked fabulous--as always--especially when she braved wearing her spandex! Lisa was so strong and I loved seeing how much she has improved from last year. Kellie who I met for the first time at our first major exchange, has the cutest little bouncy run that I loved seeing--that plus she's really fast! Marie is a thing of beauty to watch--that girl can RUN! Melody was so impressive, I loved seeing her give her all every single moment she was running.

Finally it was my turn to run. It was almost 5:00 p.m. and I was ready to finally get moving! The only problem was that we were sitting in our suburban in a line of cars that wasn't going anywhere. We knew that Melody had just summited a hill and had a pretty nice down hill to the exchange and were worried that she might beat me there. So I hopped out of the car on the opposite side of all the runners and started to hustle to the exchange. I was about half way there when I heard screaming coming from behind me. It sounded like they were yelling my name and I was pretty sure that it was coming from our Suburban so I just picked up my pace a little and started to hurry to the exchange, but I was still on the opposite side of the road from our runners. Suddenly our car is cruising by me and everyone was yelling that Melody had already made it to the exchange. So I raced across the street and when I looked at the exchange, I noticed that Melody wasn't there. Then I finally picked up on the finally thing the team had told me. She had just run through the exchange. The girl flew down her final descent at something like a 5:20 pace and I had to chase her down to start my leg of the race. Needless to say, it totally took my beginning of the run adrenaline rush as I hurried to catch up with her. But thankfully I was able to settle in to the run shortly after that. It was so much harder than I expected thought. My leg was 3.1 miles and the race organizers describe it as a "tough climb up Snow Basin. Beautiful views of Snow Basin." They were right about both and thankfully I had the view to distract me from the climb and I will gladly admit that I used it as a distraction tool! There are a couple of hills that we like to run for training that I was comparing it to in my mind, but it was just so much harder than I was expecting and I really struggled on that leg. The best part of it was pushing so hard to pass just one more person as I summitted the hill and then looking up and seeing Laurie standing there cheering for me. It made me a little bit teary and it made me miss her so much more! But the smile on her face and the tears in her eyes made it totally worth the final push!

That guy was by far the hardest person for me to chase on that hill. It seemed to take forever to pass him and then he tried to hold pace with me for a couple of minutes. I was so glad to finally see him fall behind because he was starting to drive me CRAZY!

I only walked to get water and sponging from me fantastic teammates!

After I finished we had some down time so we quickly changed our clothes and cleaned ourselves up (as good as you can with baby wipes) and then it was time to eat. Last year the whole eating thing was the absolute worst for me, so this year we came prepared. We had a pasta salad bar and it was so fun sitting in the parking lot at Snow Basin having our own little tailgating party. (I can't wait to see the pictures we took of the dinner) Really, it was the best thing ever and I loved having the chance to eat something that didn't make me feel like crap-it's a new mandatory meal for this race. After dinner we headed off to our next major exchange at East Canyon. We got there with about an hour to spare so we decided to try and get some rest. However, when it's 8:00 at night and you have a view like this, sleeping is a little harder than you might imagine.

We did however make a valiant effort and I think I ended up getting about a 30 minute nap. It was so beautiful and peaceful up there and I just loved having the chance to lay down and laugh and relax with some of my favorite people:


i
n
Finally around 9:15 the stinky sweaty slap bracelet was ours again and we were off and running. Once again, I was totally impressed by our team..and their husbands. Kellie's husband showed up to pace her on her middle of the night leg--it was so cute to see him there with her and it made all of us smile!

We also got to smile a lot due to the fabulous entertainment provided by Marie. First of all, the girl is freaking amazing. She is the nicest, sweetest person you will ever meet (except for maybe Kellie or Melody) and the girl is a running rock star! (We are still waiting for the official confirmation, but we think that she set the course record for Ragnar!) We got the treat of being firsthand witnesses to Marie's first time on caffeine and let's just say she had us rolling! It was by far the funniest thing I have seen in a long time...maybe ever. She was a riot and we really needed her upbeat over-caffeinated energy in our car:

Once again, I had to sit and wait and wait and wait for all of our runners to finish before it was my turn. This leg happened to start for me at 2:19 a.m. and I was slated to run 5.2 miles described as "moderate climb into town of Oakley." The worst part about being the anchor is that you have to watch as everyone finishes and starts to relax just knowing that you still have a long time before you get that privilege. Thankfully I had Marie to keep me awake because everyone else seemed to be feeling the lack of sleep at about this point in time. I was also lucky to have Melissa and Sher texting me to help keep me laughing! I of course had to do everything I could to keep awake and geared up for this run. Thankfully I had a ton of gadgets and gizmo's to keep me occupied. Between my headlamp, arm light, Garmin, I-pod, and glo-stick, I was pretty hooked up:

Last year my middle of the night leg was by far my favorite. This year, I still liked it, but it totally freaked me out. First off, my first two miles I ran into a really strong headwind that just kind of made me mad. Second, the road was so slanted and all I really wanted to do was run in the middle, not on the shoulder, but since it was late and dark, I kept to the designated side of the road cursing the wind and the slant of the road. Also, because of our early start time, we had passed most of the teams by this point of the race. So it was pretty much me and my shadow on the road. There were a few times that I was even worried I was going the wrong way. Of course by this point since I'm somewhat sleep deprived and running all by my lonesome, I started letting my imagination play tricks on me. I had to run with only one headphone in after the howling dog about made me wet myself with thoughts of being attacked by a pack of wolves. And then, when I was all alone on the road and a car passed going the opposite direction of Ragnar traffic I will admit that I was totally freaked out wondering what some crazy guy (I just assumed it was a guy) was doing driving on a dark and lonely road at that time of night and hoping he didn't have any evil plans that included stuffing me into his trunk. I'm sure he was wondering plenty of the same things about the crazy lady running at 2:30 in the morning. I'm guessing he left me alone because of my menacing headlamp and arm light! Thankfully I had such a fun playlist for this leg and every song made me smile or laugh and for the first time ever, music played a major part in my run! I really did like this leg, but after two climbs my calves were starting to protest a bit! Thankfully I was almost done at that point and nothing hurt too bad that I couldn't just push through it!

After that leg was done we handed off to the other van and headed to our final exchange. We figured that it was just smarter to go straight to the exchange and try to sleep there while we waited for our team. Since Lisa, Camie and I were the only ones who brought sleeping bags, we let the other three girls who brought sleeping bags, we decided to let the other three girls try to sleep in the Suburban. The only problem was that once we got our stuff out and they got settled, we realized all the grass was wet! After looking around for a few minutes, we realized that there really wasn't a better option, so we camped out on the darkest patch of cement we could find. Thankfully when your that sleep deprived, your body will at least get some rest no matter where you end up laying your head. I think we got about two hours of "sleep" there before we were off and running again.

It was so exciting to have the last hand off and to know that the end was in sight for us. We knew that there were a couple of really hard runs ahead of us, but we were all excited for the challenge. Camie ran hers--faster than expected. Lisa ran hers--it was hard and she struggled, but she still finished strong. Then Kellie was up for the pre-Ragnar leg. (Ragnar is this horrific hill that no one has any business running, but of course they put it in for the last leg of the race...pre-Ragnar is just about as bad.) Kellie impressed us all with how hard she pushed it up that hill. She ran so hard she puked--twice--and it just made us all love her even more. Then Marie was up for Ragnar. We of course talked her into taking another caffeinated GU and that girl SPED up the hill. She finished it so strong and said she felt like she could have run 2 or 3 more. We all about fell over when we heard her time--38:19--for 4 mile STRAIGHT uphill that is more impressive than I can even begin to explain. Even the guys waiting at the top with us couldn't believe how stinking fast she was. After that it was Melody and then finally it was my turn. I was by far the most nervous for this leg of the race. I have always struggled with being able to push myself past that point when I feel like giving up. I couldn't do it for my 3rd leg of this race last year and I couldn't do it in St. George. More than anything I wanted to be able to not let this leg beat me. It was an easier leg than my previous two, but I still was running 5.1 miles on very little sleep. But I was determined not to let myself down. I had two goals for this leg. The first was that I couldn't walk. The second was to come in a little below my projected pace. I have to admit that it was hard. The first three miles were downhill and I had to hold myself back a little to make sure I had something left to give for the end. I did. After the first two, I was on my own. My team had to leave to head to the finish line and I was literally the only person on the course at this point. I knew that I had something to prove to myself and I wanted so badly to be able to do it. I pushed that leg harder than I have ever pushed myself in a race. There were times I wanted to slow my pace, there were times I wanted to walk. But I didn't I kept going. There were times I wanted to cry. I did. It helped. With about three quarters of a mile left to go I was surprised by the fact that I had to climb about a half mile before I could head for the final push. It was SO HARD. My calves were screaming at me and I totally wanted to give up. Instead I cried and pushed on. It was hard and it hurt. But then, it was over and I was in the final stretch. I headed off onto a dirt path and then it was down the hill on to the field where my team was waiting for me. Seeing them there standing waiting for me was enough to push me over the edge. Of course I teared up again. Then, I yelled for them to make way to let me through (I was way too tired to run around the group). They cleared a path for me and then we ran together to the finish. I was so spent and I almost fell over when they made me stop to rip the tag off my nubmer. But I did it, I beat one of my deamons and I can't wait until we meet up again in St. George. After the excitement of crossing the finish line wore off, I took a minute to look at my watch. I was so excited I was 25 seconds below my goal pace and I was able to meeet my "secret goal" that I will only now admit that I had. I really wanted that leg to be a sub-8 pace, and I made it, only by one second, but I made it!

Finally we got to have some quality together team time and a few great photo opps! I can't even beging to tell you how much I love the girls I run with and how much they mean to me. Experiences like this only remind me more of how blessed I am to be surrounded by such strong and powerful women in my life. They make me a better person and I love them all for being part of my life! (We missed you Abi) :(
Thanks for a great weekend girls--can't wait for next year!

Joggin' BroadsVan 2

Oh, and did I mention...
our team took third place in our division!
Yeah, that's a big deal!

Happy Father's Day

I can't go to bed tonight without taking a minute to say Happy Father's Day to the Dad's in my life. (I can however go to bed without taking the time to put up the proper pictures to go along with the post, so there will be no pic's of my dad or Craig's dad-sorry)

First, my dad. I can't even tell you how much I love him and look up to him. He is so fun and great and I have loved seeing how our relationship has changed as I grow up. He is so generous and giving and he makes me happy every time I see his face or hear his voice. He is the biggest UTAH fan and I love going to games with him. He is the one who inspired me to be a runner and I will be forever grateful for that. I love him so much and I am so glad that we live close and are able to have a great relationship with him! He is a great dad and the best grandpa my kids could ever ask for!

And to my father-in-law, Craig's dad. He isn't having the easiest time right now, but he has taught Craig so much and is such a strong influence in his life. He has also done so many things to help our not so little family out and we love and appreciate him so much!

And last but certanily not least is Craig. He seriouslly is the BEST DAD! Our kids adore him and worship the ground he walks on. He is so good to take the time to play with them and best of all LISTEN to them. Sometimes I have a tendancy to block out half of what they are saying, especially when they are telling me long stories (bad mom moment!) But he is so good to listen to all the details and truly appreciate what they are saying to him. He is always looking for things to do for and with our kids. It is so obvious that they are the top priority in his life and that means the world to me. He is a hard worker who hleps out around the house so much. And he is so supportive of me and the things I do which makes me love him more. He really is the fun in our house and he totally balances me and all my craziness out and I love him so much for it!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

We Came, We Ran, We're Tired

I have so much to say about this race but for now this will have to suffice:

'Cause I'm going to bed!

My Fave 5

No, I'm not talking about those five numbers I call the most, I'm talking about things. I like things. Some more than others. Today as I was working in the kitchen I remembered that I wanted to do this as a post. So without further adieu,

I present my fave 5:

My Bosh and my Wheat Grinder. I'll be honest, if either of these bad boys broke I would go out and replace them without even batting an eyelash because I love them that much.
Because wtihout this:

and this:
I wouldn't have this. And that is just not an acceptable option!
(Try it, you'll love it!)

Next up, my phone--a Palm Centro. I'm totally embarrassed by the many beatings it has taken, but I still love it and totally depend on it-even if it is a slippery little bugger. I call it my brain for a reason and would be beside myself if one of those regular beatings resulted in a permanent loss!

And then of course there's my Garmin. It may be big and bulky. But I honestly feel naked when I run without it on my wrist. I'm addicted and while I don't really do much with all that cool data it records, I would be lost without knowing my time, pace and distance on every run. Now if only there was a low battery warning--sigh.


And last but certanily not least--my sunglasses. This was the first pair of "real" sunglasses I ever bought. And I love them and their polarized goodness. If there's even a hint of sun peeking out from behind a cloud, or even threatening to peek for that matter, you can bet that these bad boys are on my eyes. I don't know if it's possible, but I think I am addicted to Sunglasses.

Those are my fave 5--now let me hear yours!

Ponytail Day

Today is going to be a ponytail day.
Why you ask?
Because,
it's almost 11:00
and I am sitting at my computer
still in my pj's
not showered
and just plain being
L
A
Z
Y
Plus, yesterday
my hair was curly
in it's oh so lion mane kind of way
and rather than tame the beast
I'm choosing to pull it out of my way
And now, it's time to get off my butt
and do
S
O
M
E
T
H
I
N
G
but not my hair.
So, ponytail
Here I come!

Is it bad?

Tonight I have two questions:

Is it bad that I left Craig home with the kids while I went to enrichment tonight?

No way.

Is it bad that as I walked out the door Sarah was sitting on the counter screaming, the other three kids were running around like they'd just sucked down a brick full of sugar, the dishes weren't done and then as I drove down the street and saw the door-to-door salesman walking up the street I burst out laughing?

Probably....
but it sure felt good.

PLAY BALL!!!

Friday was such a fun day for us. Andrew and his friend Chris put together and pulled off a fun baseball game.

Right before school got out, the kids in our cul-de-sac started playing baseball...a lot. It started out as a little bit of hitting and a little bit of catch, but it turned into a daily pick up game that they loved and looked forward to every day. After a few days of thier pick up games, Andrew and Chris decided that they wanted to do it bigger and better. So they decided to organize a game. A week and a half before the game I found them dinking around on my computer. I was totally impressed when I saw what they were doing. They had made flyers to take around to all thier friends in the neighborhood letting them know about the game that was 3 weeks later. I made them change the date so that people actually might remember and then left them to their own devices. They spent the better part of an afternoon delivering flyers and then the better part of a week anticipating the big day! They were so excited. Every day they would be so excited to get together and "work on the game." A few days before the game, the ran around the neighborhood again to find out who was coming. Then on the big day, they made one last trip around to make sure that they would have a team. After they had a head count, they picked teams, paced up supplies and headed to the park. Slowly but surely their friends showed up and it was so much fun. Craig was so sweet to take his lunch break to come and pitch for them and when he had to go, Chris' dad stepped in and took his place. We had about 12 kids there and it turned out to be quite the game. Everyone played. Everyone had fun. And Chris and Andrew felt really good about a job well done!

Don't Go Away

This week I have read a lot of blogs where people have been complaining about the weather, but I have to disagree. I love the rain. I love the smell. I love the sound. I love the way it makes me feel. The only time I can remember not loving it was when I just happened to be running a marathon all by my lonesome in it--that time, I really care too much for it. But other than that once I've always been a fan. So much so, that I make sure we take the time to enjoy it as a family. Sometimes we leave the windows open just so we can enjoy the smell. Sometimes we sit under the awning and read. But my most favorite sometimes are when we run out and PLAY in it!

A Very Good Night

Tonight I just sat on one of these

with a good friend
and a great view of this


and we swang and talked
and swang some more and talked some more.
Then when it started raining, we grabbed a blanket
and kept swinging and talking.
And I sat there totally content
with the smell of rain making me wish
it would rain all night so I could keep my windows open
and add an extra blanket to my bed.

Then I came home and the house was quiet
The kids were asleep
Craig was working on the computer
And he said (in an only slightly sarcastic voice)
"Oh, you finally decided to come home."
But I already knew he would say that
Because that's what he always says when I come home
after I've disappeared for a while
But then he said
"I'm going to get us strawberry shakes"
And he never says that
And now,
I'm excited
To eat my shake
And snuggle up to Craig
And just enjoy the rest of
what's turning out to be a very good night.

Got the message?

Tonight I went out to dinner with some friends (more on that tomorrow). While we were there I didn't realize that I had my phone on vibrate, so when I looked and saw that I missed three calls from home I was worried. I quickly called home to make sure everything was OK and it was so I didn't even bother to check the messages. However when I came home, Madeline raced to me to find out if I had gotten her message. I told her no and she kept bugging me to check it out. Finally when I sat down to listen to her message, it totally cracked me up:

Mom, this is Madeline. Me and Ben were looking at Petz dogs a while ago and we found a dog that is right. It's a German Shepard and it says that they're fun and they love being loved and it's a little hard to groom but not that bad. So I just wanted to let you know. Okay. Bye.

Needless to say, I found it to be quite hilarious--not hilarious enough to consent, but it still made me laugh. I'm thinking she thought this was a more likely approach to get my attention that asking in person--what a hoot! I guess those two have finally figured out that their last pet idea was for the birds!


And I don't blame any of my friends in the slightest for this...or their cute little puggle named Lucy that they brought to the park the other day....nope...no blame there.

Smile

Me: Hey Sarah, you look nice. Did you pick your socks out special just for tonight?

Sarah: Moooom, I didn't find da match for da one with da stripes. So I hab dis one.
Me: Oh that looks nice. Can I take your picture?
Sarah: Can I see it?
Me: Yep. Smile Sarah

Me: Smile Sarah

Me: Smile Sarah

Me: Smile Sarah

Me: Smile Sarah

Me: Smile Sarah

Me: Smile Sarah

Me: Smile Sarah

Whew--it's about time!