take a deep breath...and run

I skimmed over my half marathon a while back like it was no big deal.  Well, it WAS a big deal.

I wrote this a week or 2 after the race while I was waiting for pictures and then I forgot about this post.  I'm really glad that I wrote down some things then, because there are somethings I might have forgotten. 

SO, here's the story of the half marathon

There was a bunch of us from Derek's family that all went down to run the Hobble Creek half Marathon in memory of Peggy.  We ran it in Utah at the end of August.  It was a race she wanted to do.

I left my kids behind thanks to Alyssa and my parents.

I felt so good the whole race.  My last few miles were sheer adrenalin, I have never felt anything like it.  I'm sure I really didn't, but it felt like I was sprinting the last mile, I couldn't hold myself back.  I think I passed 30 people on the last mile, I'm not exaggerating, it was amazing.  I came up where the family finishers and family fans were, and I was overcome.  I had tiny tears in my eyes, but I was so happy.  I DID have to take a deep breath.  I have never felt that way before, especially at the end of 13 miles.  I can't really describe it, but it was a feeling of so many emotions I'll never forget.  I wish I was better with words to be able describe it, but I don't think it's possible to describe the way I felt.  

(and as great as I was feeling on the last stretch, i might just be calling for help here)

I ran it just over a minute faster than my first half marathon in May, 1 hour 53 minutes.  I was happy with the time, but I would have been happier if I beat Austin and if my time was under an hour 50, but oh well.  Dang 17 year old boys who don't have to train.

(love these gals)

I don't think I'll EVER feel like that ever again during a race.  But, that's ok, because I'll always remember the way I felt that day as I came in 459th place, (hehe, well, there was 1200 people in the race) feeling like I just might vomit, (and completely satisfied with that feeling), being cheered on by hundreds of strangers, thinking how great this family is and thinking of my mother in law and how awesome she was.  I miss her.

Our shirts said, as you can see on the front, 'take a deep breath.'  That was a phrase Peggy often said when someone would be stressing out about this or that.  I can hear her now (for some reason I'm hearing her say it to Brooke....hmmmm)

On the back it says...'and run.'  We were running for her that day!

Also, can I brag about my husby for a second?  his first half marathon, he was in the top 100 finishers!  I think he ran it in 1 hour and 34 minutes.  umm, yeah, he's hot, i know.  (but I kinda want to hate him for it because I probably trained double him.)

alli dear

My little Alli is a 4 year old today! Do I really have a four year old?



I have never minded getting older, and I'm not usually an 'oh, my baby is growing up tear, tear' kinda person. I like all the stages and growing and enjoy the fun that comes with it. But for some reason I can't wrap my head around the whole four year old thing. It's weird to buy size 4 clothes. I don't think I ever really pictured my life past toddlers for my kids or 30 for me. I still have a couple years to go before I see what life is past 30, but it's weird, I never really thought too much about life after the baby/toddler years. And now that James has been potty training this week and gave up his soother a couple weeks ago, and has been in a bed for a while and even that haircut, I realized I have dreamed about what it might be like to not have a baby. So far, it's pretty dang good and the same except I didn't take a diaper to church today.

I know I'm gonna think of a million things more tomorrow, but a little list of what this gal is up to these days.

-These days Alli is very into ballet. I don't remember if I have aid on here that she is in a class once a week and looks forward to it all week, and dances her moves around the house. We had a ballet friends party on Friday. (my first 'friends' party for my child. See she's growing up!?)


-She loves to color, play doctor, dolls, and princess (she is always looking for who will be her prince. James likes to be the monster or the beast while wearing a princess dress, but not the prince.)




-Alli loves all things sugar, but usually always eats her vegetables, so it makes me feel a little better. Also loves chicken nuggets and chocolate milk
-always stays awake in her bed after we tuck her in to look at books.
-writes her own name
-knows which is left and right
-loves this dang snow, but knows I don't
-her hair is grown enough that I can leave it down curly and the chunks almost go unnoticed to the untrained eye (and I'm slightly ecstatic about the whole thing but still won't be straight down for a loooong time) note the non pigtail pictures this week!
-loves to sit and have stories read to her
-asked me the other day when we are getting our own house (no plans in that department yet)
-loves to sing sing sing really random stuff
-always wants to help me in the kitchen
-makes up words on a daily basis. like today she said scrumbly and stubla. i can't think of anymore right now, but it's weird.
-loves going to her primary class at church
-always asks if we are getting a babysitter
-sneaks into bed with us occasionally for a good cuddle
-can still throw a pretty mean tantrum
-wants to be robot for Halloween, but probably won't be. (come on, how am I gonna do that?)
- and, she is so stinkin cute I can't even STAND it!



I'm so happy and proud of my four year old. She is great big sister to James (mostly...) and a great little girl to have around. She is full of life and a personality all her own. I love her so much and just crave to be around her and James having fun doing our own thing

Happy Birthday Alli!


And my big boy James had a great time at the ballerina party. He danced like spiderman, made the ballerina puppet, and just sat and watched all the girls get their picture taken having a great time. He pretty much cracks me up on a daily basis.


Why do we always think it is the cutest thing when a kid put on a pair of glasses/sunglasses? That, and bathtub pictures, random. But look, he IS so cute, and I am clearly entertained!

did you know?

Well, I didn't know.  I have this 'stack' of very important 'things' that happened on this very day I couldn't help but share a few.

But first, Happy Birthday last week to Derek.  I plastered the walls of the Raymond Junior High School with photocopied pictures of Derek in junior high, just to let everyone know he is 31!  He loves me.  He loves me when I put random pics of him on the blog like last month, and he loves it even more when I put them all over the school.  He loves me and I love him!

But, Back to business here.  On THIS day...
In 1908 - The Model T automobile was introduced by Henry Ford. The purchase price of the car was $850. 

1933 - Babe Ruth made his final pitching appearance. He pitched all nine innings and hit a home run in the 5th inning. 

1962 - Johnny Carson began hosting the "Tonight" show on NBC-TV. He stayed with the show for 29 years. 

1970 - Jimi Hendrix was buried in Seattle, WA.

1971 - Walt Disney World opened in Orlando, FL. 

1987 - Eight people were killed in Los Angeles when an earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter Scale hit the area.

1991 - The white crystal-beaded glove worn by Michael Jackson was stolen from the Motown Museum in Detroit. M.C. Hammer offered a $50,000 reward for its return 

1994 - The NHL team owners began a lockout of the players that lasted 103 days.

1995 - Nearly $1 million was raised at the Farm Aid concert in Louisville, KY. The musicians that performed were Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Hootie and the Blowfish, and The Dave Matthews Band. 

2009 - Threw a baby shower for my friend Steph and teeny tiny baby Austyn here tonight, Success!

And, to top it all off on this very day, Julie Andrews was born in 1935, along with Jimmy Carter in 1924 and Vladimir Horowitz in 1903...

oh and ME in 1981!

Interesting STUFF!