Sydney is at the stage where everything has to be fair. If I spend 2 minutes with Ryan, I am supposed to spend 2 minutes with her. She is getting quite technical with all of this 'fair' stuff.
For example, the other night we were driving to eat and we came to a red light. She made the comment that it wasn't fair that birds could fly right through red lights and we had to stop.
Last night we were camping and it was raining. We were sitting in the van waiting for the rain to let up so we could put up our tent and she said "It's not fair, trees don't have heads, so it doesn't matter if they get wet."
True my little duckling, true.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Utter and Complete Awesomeness
Last year in October, I committed to run in the Ragnar Relay with my cousins. I'll be honest, I did very little to prepare compared to the rest of my team, (I guess I feel that since I wasn't running as much as they were, I didn't do as much, but I did cross train so I suppose I should count that...) anyway, I was committed, and once I commit, I'm in.
Well, after a lot of negative on my part (I was scared, nervous, all of it), I caught a ride on the van at 10am on Friday to head to Paradise, UT to meet up with the rest of our team. I had never been to Paradise, UT and my nerves were absolutely out of control.
We arrived in Paradise, and sat around waiting for our runner, and the support vehicle to arrive at the next exchange. There were many teams waiting for their runners, and every team has a story. It was fun to write on the windows of our van, and just mingle. I think I liked the 3 visits to the port-a-potties the best.
Once our runner arrived, we picked up our race numbers and we were off to the first major exchange that I was going to be in. I was runner 7, the first runner in van 2 to run, and our projected time for me to start was 5:06pm. We were very close to that projected time so right at 5pm I went and stood in line in the 'shoot'. Looking back at that word I look like a cow, but hey - their words, not mine.
I received the hand off and off I went. I felt like my speed was ok, but it was hot VERY hot. Not too long into the run I started getting a side cramp, so I stopped for a time and walked to breathe it out. I was so determined to get a decent time that I started right back up running as hard as I knew how, still keeping a pace that wouldn't completely kill me before I passed the slap-on baton bracelet. I had told my van to go to the end as I didn't want them to see me at a turtle's pace (it's embarrassing).
At one mile left to go, our van pulled up along side and said good job and they would see me at the end. Those one mile to go markers are a little piece of heaven and hell. Heaven because you are almost done, and hell because it takes longer to get through that mile than it does getting through the rest of them.
I finished my 4 miles in 33 minutes and 50 seconds. Hardly the turtle that I had thought. I projected my runs to average a 9 minute mile, so coming in under that was a pleasant surprise.
In looking at the above image, it looks like I run downhill...it sure didn't feel anything down...just everything HOT.
After I passed off to my teammate Kandice, I jumped in the van, drank a lot of water, a recovery drink, and ate a banana and an orange, and we cheered the rest our team. We ladies were kickin' some butt. The highlight for me was seeing my friends Tami and Alison run. Don't get me wrong, I was proud to be a part of the other ladies' runs, but when you actually know someone, it is a little more personal. Tami ran her first run in a 7:49 mile, and Alison ran up a massive hill and kicked some major booty, passing all kinds of people and getting some serious stares from the men that she left on the road to rot. It was exhilarating. Melissa finished off our van topping another crappy hill and she passed people like they were standing still. I'm telling ya, we were kicking some butt.
Once we passed off again to Van 1, we were able to go to Kandice's house. Her house happened to be right by the route, and it was so nice of her to let us all shower there, and relax for our evening runs.
My second run began just after 1am. I don't know why I thought that all of my runs were flat, but my second run began as a slight incline, I went down about a 1/4 mile downhill slope, and then I climbed the rest of the way. The air was chilly, and it felt wonderful. My goal was to not stop, and that is just what I did. I was able to run 3.9 miles in 40 minutes, mostly uphill. I was actually pleased that I wasn't slower. I had anticipated a 12 minute mile going up that hill, so I was again pleasantly surprised...see the picture below.
After my hand off, I relaxed in the van and cheered our teammates on. My next scheduled run was at 10:30am, so I had hoped I would be able to get a little shut eye...I have since learned however that shut eye is only a figment of the imagination on this type of event.
At just after 5am, we lost a runner to dehydration. We had a scary hour and a half or so, making sure she was ok and didn't need to be rushed to the hospital. That's when my schedule changed. We knew that our runner wouldn't be able to run again. So, we all made changes to our legs. My cousin Sarah took on my leg, as she was the one who was going to hand off to me, and I took the last leg of our lost runner.
I think the interesting thing about this leg, is that for a few weeks, I had the impression that I was going to run the Ragnar leg. We had lost some runners earlier on, and I offered to take that leg, but we always found someone. In training I went with a friend up the Spanish Fork Reservoir hill, which is .8 miles up and very steep. She ran the hill twice in preparation for her Ragnar leg, and I ran it one and a half times. I also ran another hill that was 3.4 miles of gradual incline. Thanks to my friends who took me to these places, I actually made it through one of the hardest legs of this race.
I jogged the first mile and a half of the leg and then I ran walked the rest of the way. It was actually more like a walk, run as the hills were so steep and there were a billion switch backs. I couldn't decide whether I should just look down the whole time so I didn't know what I was up against, or to look up so I knew what to expect. I couldn't help but look up, and it absolutely sucked, I'm not going to lie. My legs were on fire. I would get to the top of a switch back and think I should run, but my mind didn't want to make the switch. I had a really nice man come up to me with about 1.5 miles to go and he paced me for a while. He was doing the leg just for 'fun'. He said his teammate was up ahead of him, but he wanted to say that he had done Ragnar....something I probably would have done, but at the moment thought he was an idiot for doing.
It took me 1 hour and 15 minutes to make it the 4 miles. Easily the slowest leg of the race, but I finished and I conquered the RAGNAR. I was exhausted, I hadn't had sleep in over 24 hours, and I felt AWESOME! I did it! Again it was amazing to watch Alison climb and descend some of the most horrible hills. She ran 7 miles in less than an hour. Absolutely incredible. I aspire to be a competitor one day, just like she is.
We finished the race in 27 hours and 49 minutes. We took 8th place in the over all women's, and 5th place in the Women's Open division. I may not have done as well as I had liked on Ragnar hill, but I was a part of an amazing team, and hopefully I'll be tired again this time next year.
Well, after a lot of negative on my part (I was scared, nervous, all of it), I caught a ride on the van at 10am on Friday to head to Paradise, UT to meet up with the rest of our team. I had never been to Paradise, UT and my nerves were absolutely out of control.
We arrived in Paradise, and sat around waiting for our runner, and the support vehicle to arrive at the next exchange. There were many teams waiting for their runners, and every team has a story. It was fun to write on the windows of our van, and just mingle. I think I liked the 3 visits to the port-a-potties the best.
Once our runner arrived, we picked up our race numbers and we were off to the first major exchange that I was going to be in. I was runner 7, the first runner in van 2 to run, and our projected time for me to start was 5:06pm. We were very close to that projected time so right at 5pm I went and stood in line in the 'shoot'. Looking back at that word I look like a cow, but hey - their words, not mine.
I received the hand off and off I went. I felt like my speed was ok, but it was hot VERY hot. Not too long into the run I started getting a side cramp, so I stopped for a time and walked to breathe it out. I was so determined to get a decent time that I started right back up running as hard as I knew how, still keeping a pace that wouldn't completely kill me before I passed the slap-on baton bracelet. I had told my van to go to the end as I didn't want them to see me at a turtle's pace (it's embarrassing).
At one mile left to go, our van pulled up along side and said good job and they would see me at the end. Those one mile to go markers are a little piece of heaven and hell. Heaven because you are almost done, and hell because it takes longer to get through that mile than it does getting through the rest of them.
I finished my 4 miles in 33 minutes and 50 seconds. Hardly the turtle that I had thought. I projected my runs to average a 9 minute mile, so coming in under that was a pleasant surprise.
In looking at the above image, it looks like I run downhill...it sure didn't feel anything down...just everything HOT.
After I passed off to my teammate Kandice, I jumped in the van, drank a lot of water, a recovery drink, and ate a banana and an orange, and we cheered the rest our team. We ladies were kickin' some butt. The highlight for me was seeing my friends Tami and Alison run. Don't get me wrong, I was proud to be a part of the other ladies' runs, but when you actually know someone, it is a little more personal. Tami ran her first run in a 7:49 mile, and Alison ran up a massive hill and kicked some major booty, passing all kinds of people and getting some serious stares from the men that she left on the road to rot. It was exhilarating. Melissa finished off our van topping another crappy hill and she passed people like they were standing still. I'm telling ya, we were kicking some butt.
Once we passed off again to Van 1, we were able to go to Kandice's house. Her house happened to be right by the route, and it was so nice of her to let us all shower there, and relax for our evening runs.
My second run began just after 1am. I don't know why I thought that all of my runs were flat, but my second run began as a slight incline, I went down about a 1/4 mile downhill slope, and then I climbed the rest of the way. The air was chilly, and it felt wonderful. My goal was to not stop, and that is just what I did. I was able to run 3.9 miles in 40 minutes, mostly uphill. I was actually pleased that I wasn't slower. I had anticipated a 12 minute mile going up that hill, so I was again pleasantly surprised...see the picture below.
After my hand off, I relaxed in the van and cheered our teammates on. My next scheduled run was at 10:30am, so I had hoped I would be able to get a little shut eye...I have since learned however that shut eye is only a figment of the imagination on this type of event.
At just after 5am, we lost a runner to dehydration. We had a scary hour and a half or so, making sure she was ok and didn't need to be rushed to the hospital. That's when my schedule changed. We knew that our runner wouldn't be able to run again. So, we all made changes to our legs. My cousin Sarah took on my leg, as she was the one who was going to hand off to me, and I took the last leg of our lost runner.
I think the interesting thing about this leg, is that for a few weeks, I had the impression that I was going to run the Ragnar leg. We had lost some runners earlier on, and I offered to take that leg, but we always found someone. In training I went with a friend up the Spanish Fork Reservoir hill, which is .8 miles up and very steep. She ran the hill twice in preparation for her Ragnar leg, and I ran it one and a half times. I also ran another hill that was 3.4 miles of gradual incline. Thanks to my friends who took me to these places, I actually made it through one of the hardest legs of this race.
I jogged the first mile and a half of the leg and then I ran walked the rest of the way. It was actually more like a walk, run as the hills were so steep and there were a billion switch backs. I couldn't decide whether I should just look down the whole time so I didn't know what I was up against, or to look up so I knew what to expect. I couldn't help but look up, and it absolutely sucked, I'm not going to lie. My legs were on fire. I would get to the top of a switch back and think I should run, but my mind didn't want to make the switch. I had a really nice man come up to me with about 1.5 miles to go and he paced me for a while. He was doing the leg just for 'fun'. He said his teammate was up ahead of him, but he wanted to say that he had done Ragnar....something I probably would have done, but at the moment thought he was an idiot for doing.
It took me 1 hour and 15 minutes to make it the 4 miles. Easily the slowest leg of the race, but I finished and I conquered the RAGNAR. I was exhausted, I hadn't had sleep in over 24 hours, and I felt AWESOME! I did it! Again it was amazing to watch Alison climb and descend some of the most horrible hills. She ran 7 miles in less than an hour. Absolutely incredible. I aspire to be a competitor one day, just like she is.
We finished the race in 27 hours and 49 minutes. We took 8th place in the over all women's, and 5th place in the Women's Open division. I may not have done as well as I had liked on Ragnar hill, but I was a part of an amazing team, and hopefully I'll be tired again this time next year.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Love at Home
With summer in full swing, we have hardly seen the kids getting along like I would like them to.
I actually see the future here. - I'll take you there...
Brett will retire, he will be with me all day every day, and we will drive each other crazy.
...That's what's happening with the kids. They are with each other all day every day and they each have taken it upon themselves to be the parent. They're driving each other crazy.
Well, I had had enough, so I decided to do a little searching. I found an activity in the Friend Magazine that sad that you sit in a circle with your family and sing "Love at Home" while passing around an object. Each time you get to the word 'love', the game stops and the person holding the object has to say something nice about someone in the family. With only 4 people in our family, we all got plenty of opportunities to tell each family member what we love about them.
It was a great activity, and the kids wanted to play again. We had them laughing and I think they really thought about each other.
Life is too short - we need Love at Home.
I actually see the future here. - I'll take you there...
Brett will retire, he will be with me all day every day, and we will drive each other crazy.
...That's what's happening with the kids. They are with each other all day every day and they each have taken it upon themselves to be the parent. They're driving each other crazy.
Well, I had had enough, so I decided to do a little searching. I found an activity in the Friend Magazine that sad that you sit in a circle with your family and sing "Love at Home" while passing around an object. Each time you get to the word 'love', the game stops and the person holding the object has to say something nice about someone in the family. With only 4 people in our family, we all got plenty of opportunities to tell each family member what we love about them.
It was a great activity, and the kids wanted to play again. We had them laughing and I think they really thought about each other.
Life is too short - we need Love at Home.
Long Day ...but Worth Every Minute
Today I took Ryan to Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City. The weather was very WET as we traveled the road this morning. I had Ryan say a prayer that we would make it there safely. We got to a point that we were traveling at 45 MPH because there was so much standing water on the freeway and the rain was continuing to pour.
As we entered PCMC, we were given directions to a Child Psychologist's office. We went there and they had moved, so we finally made it to where we needed to be at 9:15 (We were supposed to be there at 9am). I was introduced to the Psychologist and he took us back to his office. He told me he would need Ryan for about 4 hours, and I asked if I could leave. He said yes, so I went downstairs to visit someone in the PICU.
After visiting, I made my way back to the 4th floor and asked if I could go back to Ryan's evaluation and they told me they didn't want to interrupt, so I sat and waited, and waited, and waited. At about 1:15pm Ryan and the Dr came and found me. I was given such great information about Ryan.
Please allow myself to brag a bit...
Ryan has just finished the 3rd grade, and he is at an 8-9th grade reading level, and a 5-6th grade math level. The Dr said that normally children who are smart like Ryan are nerdy, but that Ryan was well rounded. I got a good laugh out of that. (On the way home Ryan told me he was glad he was not nerdy and liked being 'round')
I am proud of Ryan and his accomplishments. He works hard in school and he loves learning. I'm not sure where he gets it, but I'll take it.
We also got to see our friends Jill and Emily Heaps. They were there for clinic and we were so happy to meet up with them again.
After the update on Ryan's results, we went to the cafeteria and had lunch with some of the people we know who are up there with their child. I was surprised to see them there, but happy we were able to visit a little bit.
After lunch, we were back up to the 4th floor for the long term Bone Marrow follow-up. Ryan's counts are fantastic. He is still 100% donor (SUCH A MIRACLE), and everything has checked out just fine.
We are so lucky to have Ryan in our lives. He is a sweet boy, and very sensitive to others. I was told by Dr Weinberg this morning that since Ryan is 100% donor 8 years post transplant, that we have a 99+% chance of him staying that way through life.
Miracles are happing every day!
As we entered PCMC, we were given directions to a Child Psychologist's office. We went there and they had moved, so we finally made it to where we needed to be at 9:15 (We were supposed to be there at 9am). I was introduced to the Psychologist and he took us back to his office. He told me he would need Ryan for about 4 hours, and I asked if I could leave. He said yes, so I went downstairs to visit someone in the PICU.
After visiting, I made my way back to the 4th floor and asked if I could go back to Ryan's evaluation and they told me they didn't want to interrupt, so I sat and waited, and waited, and waited. At about 1:15pm Ryan and the Dr came and found me. I was given such great information about Ryan.
Please allow myself to brag a bit...
Ryan has just finished the 3rd grade, and he is at an 8-9th grade reading level, and a 5-6th grade math level. The Dr said that normally children who are smart like Ryan are nerdy, but that Ryan was well rounded. I got a good laugh out of that. (On the way home Ryan told me he was glad he was not nerdy and liked being 'round')
I am proud of Ryan and his accomplishments. He works hard in school and he loves learning. I'm not sure where he gets it, but I'll take it.
We also got to see our friends Jill and Emily Heaps. They were there for clinic and we were so happy to meet up with them again.
After the update on Ryan's results, we went to the cafeteria and had lunch with some of the people we know who are up there with their child. I was surprised to see them there, but happy we were able to visit a little bit.
After lunch, we were back up to the 4th floor for the long term Bone Marrow follow-up. Ryan's counts are fantastic. He is still 100% donor (SUCH A MIRACLE), and everything has checked out just fine.
We are so lucky to have Ryan in our lives. He is a sweet boy, and very sensitive to others. I was told by Dr Weinberg this morning that since Ryan is 100% donor 8 years post transplant, that we have a 99+% chance of him staying that way through life.
Miracles are happing every day!
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