Running the Ragnar

Last weekend I ran the Wasatch Back - Ragnar Relay. For those who don't know what this is - it's a 12 man team rely race that starts in Logan and ends in Park City - 182 miles. I heard how much fun this run was and how it was an awesome experience from some woman in our ward recruiting for a team, and so, despite the cost, I gave in (I'm a cheapo - who pays to run?). Each person on the team has three legs. So while the first car of 6 people are running thier legs, car 2 gets to rest or eat. I was in car 2, and since I cannot eat and then run anytime soon after, and since we only get about a three hour break before we start running again, it soon became what they call an "experience". Sure, it was fun, just like the idea of having a kid is fun. The idea sounds great, and there are definite highlights, and a lot of good times, but you never realize how much stinkin' work it is and how hard it really is until you go through it! And just like having a kid, maybe if I had enough time to forget what I just went through then yes, I'd say I would do it again. Well, for journaling sake ( this is long!) I will post my times. My first and Second leg the competitive side definitely got the best of me. This guy from a running club kept trying to pass me and it threw me for a loop. Anyways, the first leg was only 3.5 miles, mostly flat. It was really an easy run except for that it was 3:30 and 90 degrees outside which drains you way faster than you could imagine. And like I said I ran it a lot faster than my usual slow and steady - due to my pride. I ran it in 28 min. The second leg was my favorite. It was a night run under a full moon at 12:30 at night. It was 6 miles downhill and the last mile up = 7 miler. I loved it, I love running downhill because it takes more effort to go slow than to go fast, so I got to feel like I was a fast runner, that is until that last mile, when reality hits. It was a fun run, but the pounding of downhill for 6 miles definitely to a toll on my legs. I ran it in 51 min. The last leg I was beat. I had a 5 miler that steadily went uphill. It was in the mid 70's at about 10:30 am. I knew the only way I was going to finish was by going slow and steady - so I was pleasantly surprised to find out I ran it in a 9 minute mile pace. So there you have it - running 16.5 miles in 1 day, at different times. The only word I can use to describe the "experience" is CRAZY. My legs were feeling mostly recovered yesterday and then I played a soccer game which seemed to negate any progress. Hopefully they get some feeling back so we can play while we are in Sun Valley this next week!

swimming

Tuesday night Aaron's Elder's Quorum meeting got cancelled. He wanted to go for a hike, but since we didn't have any kid backpacks yet and no particular hike in mind we went swimming. I know I've said this in a previous post, but I'm amazed how much life, kids, change in one year. Last year when we went swimming one of us had to stay most of the time with Travis in the shade while the other played with Whitney. This year Whitney pretty much did it all on her own, in fact she insisted that she swim. Travis could handle floating in the water but much preferred going down the slide. It was pretty funny that he would just float and find birds in the sky - wave to them and say hi. We only went for a couple hours but it was really fun, probably my favorite swimming experience with our kids yet. Here are some pics and a lot of videos.

I'm old

Here is a photo from the Orem Summerfest to prove that I have become an old fart. Ever since going on one of these rides at the summerfest before I got pregnant with Whitney and getting severely - want to throw up sick- on it, I have never been the same. All growing up I loved rides - the faster and scarier the better. Well, I'm an old fart now. I always made fun of the people that couldn't handle the motion of a ride, and now in punishment of my mocking I have become one of them. I still have hope that rides that are not so spinny I can still ride. Anyway, to the picture, we went on the strawberry ride, which entails going in a circle - meanwhile there is a wheel inside that you can turn = immense amount of spinning in a hot musty plastic strawberry. Of course Aaron is like I used to be and spun it fast, and then when I contested he would just laugh and spin it some more. I was about to the pucking stage when Aaron took this picture on with his phone. I was closing my eyes at this point because it seemed to be the only way I could keep the contents (cotton candy) in my stomach in ... my stomach. Well, I hope you enjoy this beautiful picture as much as I did, I just can't get over what I've turned into. Sure glad my kids are enjoying themselves.

our summer update

Well, here is pretty much my weekly update to check in and reaffirm that we are still trying to max out our summer. Between our sport games and Aaron's meetings our weekdays are pretty much always full. Although last thursday I got to go play tennis. I absolutely love summer evening tennins - it felt so good to get out and play. Last Weekend we didn't have any plans for Friday so I told Aaron to bring home his projector from work and we'd try to do an outdoor movie night. since our neighbors were camping outside and planning to watch a movie (probably in the peace and privacy of their tent) we integrated plans. By the time we were ready to Watch Evan Almighty we had quite the audience. Whitney was in heaven to be staying up having a party with her friends. The cooks were awesome and provided treats and popcorn (and the movie). It was really a lot of fun. I don't know why a movie is so much more enjoyable when you can watch it on a warm summer night - but it was! We have such great neighbors too.

Saturday we went to the Orem Summerfest and then out to dinner. I didn't realize how much our kids have grown until I saw how well they handled all the rides. Whitney, unlike last year, was more than willing to try anything. Travis was in complete heaven - there was no wanting to wait in lines for him - he saw empty boats and car rides and wanted on!! He honestly would've stayed on those rides all night long if we let him. It was so cute to see him wave when he found me in the crowd and get so proud of himself.

Whitney is on a new kick lately. She wants to go on bike rides, not just rides around the neighborhood, but 2-3 mile bikerides on the pink bike that she is obsessed with. I couldn't believe her stamina. She is getting better and better every ride. I love that I have someone now that will go on a little stroll with me on a summer evening. We did a 2 mile loop Saturday night around the sports park. She of course biked, while I got some much needed practice on my ripstick. I think we will have to do this more often since she slept in until 8:oo on Sunday, an occurrence that hasn't happened in more than a year!!

Sunday we had a good Father's Day. Aaron's cousin had his homecoming so we were able to see a lot of family that day. We had fun visiting and then had a nice relaxing evening with homemade ice cream.

I am trying to get some last second training in for a major relay race I am doing this weekend. I am really excited for it and at the same time feel very unprepared. Since most of the time I train while pushing my 2 little midgets in the stroller it is hard for me to judge how fast or even how far I can go without them....guess will find out.

So there you have it, I'm loving this warm weather and look forward to all the events happening and coming up. Honestly, even though I love Christmas and all, this is definitely the most wonderful time of the year!! If only there was a beach minutes away I'd swear I was in heaven.

My new nemesis

Alright... this will be an interesting post - warning you. I have a new nemesis, flying kites. I decided this year to try and make the most of a windy day by buying a kite. Of course I only buy the cheap ones you can find anywhere, the ones where your small child is more likely to be picked up and fly into the sky before your kite does. I made an attempt when we first moved here that was actually a success, so I do know that it is possible, miracles do happen. I attempted again earlier this year and after a couple hours and a sore arm and beat up kite I gave up. Well, since yesterday it got really windy on our way to the store I figured I'd buy another cheap kite and have fun with the kids, show them the love of kite flying. Well, during the first attempt the kite crashed and broke. So I geniuosly fixed it by taping a pencil to the broken board and was back in action. After about a 1/2 an hour of no success, frustration, and wanting to swear, I told my husband to come help. On this attempt the string broke - but I fixed it and back at it I was. Then after a few more attempts the stick broke again, but I was to into this now, I wasn't being defeated that easy. It was seriously frustrating watching bags fly into the air and trash cans tipping over and I couldn't get this stupid puny kite to do anything! I could feel my blood boiling and realized this isn't a good relaxing activity for me. After all I can only recall about 3 successful kite flying attempts in my LIFE. I gave it a few more shots and realized that the kite was more interested in attacking me than flying. So I learned my lesson, don't fly kites, jump off a trampoline with a garbage bag to enjoy the wind instead, or perhaps buy a nice kite.

My babbler

I'm sure they get it from their father, but my kids seem to want to talk nonstop. Whitney was a chatter box but luckily we could shove a binki in her mouth.. until she learned how to talk with a binki in her mouth - that made church a challenge! Travis has followed in her footsteps. He jabbers away and lets you know exactly what he wants or how he feels constantly. Sometimes it's really cute, for example last night we went to Aaron's basketball game and Whitney taught him how to cheer. He would point his finger into the air and yell and then of course clap. Even Aaron heard it while shooting around and got a kick out of them. Anyway he is the king of mimicking, but his vocabulary is growing every day. Here is some video.

Our Vacation Spot

My poor mom, every time Aaron leaves on a business trip, we go to Grandma's. It's not really that I'm scared of being alone or that I don't think I can handle it. It's more of getting a change of scenery and knowing my kids would have a lot more fun. This last week we went to Grandma's for pretty much the whole week. My head kept telling me to stay home a couple days and then go... but when Whitney found out she could be at Grandma's that is all I heard about. So I forgot what my head was telling me and listened to my kids. As always, my kids had a blast and I probably relaxed a little more than I should....no cooking or cleaning is always sooooooooo nice. Even though it was bad weather most of the time so we had to be creative with our entertainment it all went well. The best part is that the kids slept good, except for Whitney's early mornings which super Grandma covered. I am so thankful for parents that are so willing to be a part of their Grandkids life. When I returned home and Whitney was ecstatic to be playing with her friends again I realized that to her Grandma and Grandpa are her friends. They play with her about as much as the other kids and Whitney adores them. Although it was nice to get away, sometimes for me it is nicer to come home rejuvenated. I don't really think about Aaron much when he is gone because I don't want to be a sob story, but when he comes back it is rubbed in my face even more how much I love him and how empty my life is without him. So thanks to Grandma, Grandpa and Lindsay for our celebration of the first week of summer - despite it feeling like March outside we still had fun. Thanks for the memories and of course Red Robin! I think my kids ate 50 popsicles while there.

This is a usual picture of Grandma's house - the kids attacking Grandma

Whitney went out to the store one night with Lindsay and Grandma and came back with a Snow White dress. The kid is freakin' crazy about princesses!! To the point that the only way I can smother it is to tell her that her dresses need to be washed. After getting the dress she wore it to bed that night (I wasn't about to fight that battle!), the entire next day, I finally made her wear her pajamas to bed so that her dress wouldn't break :), and then the next day - shocker - she wore it again. It is currently in the being washed process:)

Even though Travis has seen me mow the lawn countless times, I guess Grandpa made it look cool. The second we got home he headed straight for our neighbors play lawnmower. He actually has a pretty good stance....maybe in a couple years..... If you look closely - yes, Whitney is in her Snow White dress after church. She wanted to wear it to church but I told her it would make the other kids feel bad that they couldn't.

While Whitney's obsession was Snow White here is some video of Travis' obsession.....besides eating popscicles all day.