Wasatch Back Relay

Let me take a minute to brag.  

This year Steve and I ran Ragnar on an amazing team.  What a bunch of WINNER'S!  Let me start our with the results.  Drum roll please...........

This year 650 team competed.

Our team took 16th overall.  Yes, 16th out of 650 teams.  You heard it right.

In our division, Mens Open (yes, it was an all men team, I was the only girl... don't ask) we took 5th place out of 75 teams.  Wanna know who beat us?  Let me tell you.

1st- BYU Cross Country Team

2nd- Weber State Cross Country

3rd- GoLite Footwear

4th- Weber Cross Country Alumni

So, as you can see, we kicked some A**!  Our time was 23:55:02.  Not too bad for 188 miles.

Here's how it played out.  We all met and started our journey to Logan.  I knew right away that we were going to have a great time.  These guys were all so cool. One of our runners Curtis... well he won the St. George Marathon one year.  He was pretty casual about it too.  A marathon in 2 hours 18 minutes; if I won it everyone who ever met me would know about it.

I would wear a shirt at all times stating that, "I won the St. George Marathon."  When I went to the grocery store and they asked me if I needed help finding anything, I would say, "Well, unless you have some shirts that say, "I won the St. George Marathon, I am fine.  Just because I won the St. George Marathon.  Do you want to hear all about it?"

When I went to church, I would wear it proudly with a skirt.  If I were to get married, I would get a large one, tie a bow around my waist, slap on some running shoes and a vail, and run down the aisle shouting, "Sorry about the outfit, but I just won the St. George Marathon!!"  And when it was time for the vows, I would have them say, "Do you take this Marathon WINNER to be your wife?"  And he would have to say, "I do take this winner to be my wife, not only because she is the coolest girl ever, but because she won the St. George Marathon!"

So anyways, that was Curtis.  He was a fast guy who ran like a mad man, passed a million people and loved every minute of it.  He has a brother Adam.  He was so fast too, and so funny.  He would be running along and pick up a cone and run with it, or moon us, or yell out some crazy thing.  He made us laugh so hard.  

We had Josh, who was really fun too.  The crazy thing about Josh was that he WANTED to run Avon pass.  He also let us sleep in his cabin which was SO great.  The best hour of sleep I have had during an overnight race.

Boyd, our neighbor and the Team Captain had us laughing the whole time.  He nearly killed our rental mini van a few times, but that was why we had a rental... right?  One time we were trying to keep up with a runner going downhill on a dirt road and we nailed a rocked so hard.  Everyone standing there just gasped. We yelled out the window, "It's a rental!"  Good times!

We also had a Kenyan on the team (not in our van) that ran a 4:30 minute mile.  I talked to him a little and he gave me some pointers, I just couldn't really understand him, so I am bummed about that.  Very bummed.

I ran well, and Steve did too.  We are pretty please with ourselves.  I kind of want to have a shirt made that says, "Me and the boys took 5th at Ragnar!"  Oh, and one that says, "Yes, I passed tons of people, and only got passed once!" Or "Ask me about Curtis winning the St. George Marathon."

So, that's that!  Pictures to come.

IN love

Kenna took one look at this guy and fell head over heals in love.  Coren took one look at him chuckled and said, "Look at him there with his Diet Coke!"

Father's Day.

Happy Father's Day Dad.  From your cutest kids ever!

~~Love you dad love coren

~~i love you dad have a great fathers day.  I love you so much.  Happy happy fathers day.  Love carson.

~~you rock!!! I love you so much. when it comes to dads you are a pretty good one! Hope you had a wonderful father's day. love you. love kenna.

Your mission; should you choose to accept it:

Ride your bikes 5 miles to the two big tunnels, have a snack, and then ride 5 miles back.

There will be hills along the way.

We will get rained on making Mom's hair look like crap.

The snack will be sugary goodness.

There will be awesome views.

At times you will all say that you can't make it.  But you will keep pedaling.

You will think that we will never make it back.

And you will get to ride under the freeways.

Can they do it?

YES THEY CAN!

(and yes, they did!)

Run the Rockies

While we were in Colorado we ran a half marathon.  I was totally trained to run a half, but this one was unique.  It was at an elevation of 9700 feet.  I was a little nervous about that because I knew that I would not be acclimated to that elevation, but I agreed to do it anyways.  I am just smart that way.

Steve had met some friends while living down there, and the guy was running the race too, so his wife was kind enough to watch our kids.

We sat at the start line and chatted with a guy.  He was telling us that he had been training at 10,000 feet to get ready for the race.  I told him that I had been training at 4,000 feet.  He looked at me really funny, like he thought I might die.  I looked back agreeing.

Photos courtesy of Makenna

I have to admit that this was the most scenic course that I have ever ran.  It started out with 6 miles of downhill that ran on a trail through the mountians.  It was awesome.  At the bottom of the downhill I started to have the itch, and left my lovely husband behind.  He was glad to see me go.  He hates it when I start to get all antsy.  

I thought I was running really strong, and that I would finish around 1:45, but apparently I didn't account for the lack of air in my lungs.  I felt strong, and ran pretty hard, I'd say medium hard (I kind of slacked to save energy for The Wasatch Back Relay that was 6 days later) but in the end was shocked to see my time of 1:59.  I guess that I should have given it a little more, and probably ditched Steve at the beginning ha ha ha (he knows I love him).  

Steve crossed 14 minutes after me and was beat.   He ran good and strong, and the last half of the course was tough.  He was happy to be done.  Me too.
It was a fun race, and I am glad that we did it.  Would I do it again....  Um, sure, why not?

Avon Colorado

We spent last week in Avon Colorado, visiting Steve wille he is remodeling the local WalMart.

(the WalMart did prove to be in need of remodel)

While we were there we stayed in the most amazing trailer park (amazing and trailer park, never thought I would use those together) which overlooked a beautiful mountain and had a river that ran right next to it.

We finally got to try out the new trailer and the kids spent lots of time on the top bunk!

We had a great time and were really happy to spend some time with Steve.

Ford Park

"Vail, maybe the most beautiful place on Earth."  Is that a saying?  Or did I just make that up because it just may be?  While in Vail this last week I took my kids to the most amazing place called Ford Park and Gardens.  It was so awesome and we had the best time.  

They had this really fun kids garden where the kids got to put on little gloves and actually plant some sunflowers.  They thought it was the funnest thing in the world!

They had the most amazing gardens that had cool plants from all over the world.  The kids had fun making a wish in the wishing well.

We came across a nature trail that had all of these cool things to see.  The kids were convinced that this is where the Indians (excuse me, Native Americans) lived.

It had a great park for the kids to run around on.  We spent hours there.  The weather was perfect, so I just enjoyed relaxing and watching them climb and play.

When I think of amazing days that I have spent with my kids, this one is pretty high up there.  You can take your kids to DisneyLand or any other place and have a great time, but sometimes it is so nice to just relax in the park and enjoy the beauty of your surroundings and your cute little kids.

LIttle Grad

(OK, so I guess the garbage bag background looks fine after all)

Tonight Carson had his graduation ceremony.  He was really excited and loved every minute of it.  He is going to miss Kindergarten, he really loved it.

The one thing he loves even more than Kindergarten is getting his picture taken.  One thing I know about Carson is he loves to strike a pose!  Here he is working it for the camera with all of his best moves.  Go Cars...

What the HAIL?

For a second there I thought it was June 10th, Cameron and Hailey's birthday, and then we had another giant storm and I wondered if we were in March again.  Sheesh!!!  Drink up lawn, protect yourself fragile garden!!!

So... Freakin... Mean!

The last few weeks the kids have BEGGED and just HAD TO have these shot guns that all of their friends had.  I made them want them for a few weeks, so that when they got them they would be all that much happier.  Finally Friday Steve came home with a shotgun for each kid.  He was a hero and they were all really happy... but they still want a snake.  How funny.  They finally get the guns they have wanted for so long, but are wondering about a snake.  WHAT?  But it has gotten worse, much worse.

They now want a coop of chickens.  Yes, CHICKENS!  A couple of friends have chickens and the fact that we don't is really disgusting to them.  They want them now, and it is all that they are talking about.  If we don't get chickens, life as we know it may end.

So, I have been forced to listen to hours of their "kid" reasoning on why we need chickens.  "We will save so much money on eggs... the kids will take care of them; the parents won't need to do anything... they will even buy them with their own money... we just need one chicken per person... anytime we are hungry we just go outside and there are some eggs for us... they are the same as the eggs from the store... we can get 6 eggs per chicken per day (so 30 eggs a day, I hope we like eggs!)... I will never have to buy eggs again except in the winter but we can just not eat eggs in the winter, they are fine with that... the eggs come in all colors..." and the list goes on and on.

As you may know, I have some food/animal issues.  The kids know it.  So they have a great plan.  They will just gather the eggs and put them in a carton from the store, and then I can just never look at the chickens so it will all be OK.  But, it won't.  I can't do it.  So, I took the easy way out and said it was up to Steve.  I knew he would say NO WAAY!  They were on it.  He got a speech from Makenna, well really more of a sales pitch.  It was in her sweetest Kenna voice.  I was in the background saying things like, "I said I can't handle it" and "they are so messy" and was quickly kicked out of the room by her two bodyguards.

In the end, he said that HE WASN'T OPPOSED TO IT!!  (he better watch his back)

Even my Dad who had chickens as a child said that he thought it was a good idea, oh and that they are messy, but not hard to take care of.  (he must have forgotten that I don't want chickens)

For a second I even wondered if I could get past my gag reflex and eat a egg that was pushed out of a chicken booty right in my backyard.  (for a second)

Then I realized that I spend about $4 a month on eggs.  It doesn't break the bank.  I realized that when I make eggs or any animal product I have to mentally go somewhere else, and if I crack the egg and get "twins" I want to puke my guts out!  And then I skip a meal or two.  And avoid eggs until I forget the pain.

So, I told them we would not be getting chickens... at least not this year.  They looked so sad, so I said maybe next year.  Anger arrived, and Makenna said I was so freakin mean and that I was so crazy because the eggs are just the same as the ones at the store.  And that we should get a cow too, because they could just get milk from it, but they realize that a cow it too big.  But they could milk it, if we had it.  But they don't even want it... just the chickens.  But we can just get them next year.  All she really wants is some water because she feels dehydrated.  But we are getting them next year.

Up to 30 different colored eggs, delivered free right in our own backyard, from 6 already named chicks, ready to eat at a moments notice for breakfast or just a snack.  It's like everyday would be Easter!

I'm tired.  Simply exhausted  from the begging and whining and weirdness.

Good night from the farm; the funny farm that is.

People, please!

I have to admit that I was a little bit scared that no-one knew I was joking about that last post.  I thought for sure people would know me well enough to know that I would NOT send my poor child to his graduation dressed as a half naked cowboy!  Even my own husband said, "I just thought it was a cowboy theme..."

So here he really is.  Cute as can be, and graduated!