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.

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.

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!

Oh What a Day

With all of the products on the market that offer to 'cleanse' your system, one can hardly know which one to choose!

Well, ladies and gents, I have the perfect cleanse! Here's what you do.

First, you sign up for a race. Any one will do.

Then you start training.

The night before the race comes, you gather all your gear, and put it out, ready for the following day.

Try to get a good night's rest. Don't worry - waking up every hour on the hour is NORMAL.

When morning comes - Wake up. Eat a wholesome breakfast. Oatmeal with honey and cinnamon is great, along with a banana, but not green ones - they don't open very well. If you're really hungry, have a piece of toast with peanut butter and honey.

Drink plenty of water.

Allow your nerves to go crazy - and the cleanse will naturally begin.

There you have it. It doesn't cost much, just your time, and there are no harmful chemicals.

Now that we have that settled...

Today was a great day! I woke up every hour on the hour last night, and then at 5am my eyes popped open and they were not interested in relaxing and going back to sleep.

At 5:30am I decided that I had just better get up. I took a nice warm bath, read my scriptures, said a few prayers, had breakfast, and by 7:13am I loaded my gear into the van and headed to Salem.

I got to Salem just before 7:30am and walked my bike to the transition area. I was actually surprised at how many people were there already. The bike racks looked fairly full, but I squeezed my bike in on a rack and started unloading.

I went and got my body marked - Number 61 on each arm, and then 31 on my calf (I guess they wanted to know how old I was.)

After body marking, I took my place in the restroom line. Hmm, 600+ participants and 9 restrooms, combined with lots of nerves (refer above to the cleanse steps) = a very long line. The race director actually apologized for not having enough restrooms - as he should have!

I saw a few people that I knew and chatted for a while, a long while, got a few pictures and put my wet suit on. Those things leave NOTHING to the imagination.

I entered the swim, and finished in 16:14 - an improvement from last year. Hey - not the fastest time, but progress is progress.

My bike time - 47:00 - You get to see this picture because it cuts out the blueberry (muffin).

My awesome husband wrote this in chalk on a killer hill, and someone spray painted it - COOL

I'm showing this photo because you see this girl on the left? Well, I passed her at the very end - Go me! She might be prettier, but today I was faster :). My 5k time - 27 minutes. Again, not the fastest, but it was better than I had expected. I have much to work on for sure, but my over all time was 1:34:03 (transitions included), and I got 16th in my age group out of 57. I'm pleased with my time.

Oh What a Day!

New Route, New Terms

This weekend I will participate in a triathlon. I don't know what it is about the sport, but I love it. Don't get me wrong, I complain about the training, second guess my decision to compete EVERY year and then it happens.

Race day gets closer and closer.

I get out on the course.

...and I fall in love again with the sport.

This year there have been course changes. First they changed the course to be different than previous years. Then this week, they changed the course to be different than the changed course.

I went out and rode my bike today and was surprised at the newer course, but enjoyed getting up to 30 MPH on my bike going down a hill. With that kind of speed, you really can increase your average MPH which is great for overall time.

So, to the new route - bring it on!

Now for the new terms. Even with padding in my bike shorts, I still feel a little of discomfort when getting down in an aerodynamic position. It goes back to the 'sitting on my package' deal. Anyway, I was doing a little research on new saddles for my bike and read an article on 'sit bones' and my new term 'soft tissue'.

That's it. My soft tissue hurts. Now you have it. A little anatomy lesson, and a new term that is less offensive than that 'V' word.

A Tribute

I believe that people are put into our lives for a reason. I just wanted to honor a man that our family loves.

He was put into our lives after much fasting and prayer, and we honestly believe that he was the answer to our family's prayers. Over the years I have relied on him to encourage me when I have feared the worst possible scenarios. He has educated me, and calmly given me strength as a mother.

He works endlessly to give his patients and their families light at the end of a sometimes VERY dark tunnel. Recently he lost his own wife to cancer. When this happened, my heart broke for him as he spends every day helping patients overcome their own battles with cancer. How do you even cope in such a situation?

So, to Dr. Ken Weinberg, we love you. Thank you for being a part of our lives.

Sweet Minutes of Prayer

Sydney was praying tonight and was thanking Heavenly Father for EVERYTHING.

She thanked Him that Ryan was learning at school and helping her to read.

She thanked Him that Brett works so hard for her family so we can get more money.

She even thanked Him that her mom is willing to lose some weight.

The Principle of Forever

Recently I was able to go to BYU's Women's Conference. I received a LOT of spiritual enlightenment that I will share, but since I wrote like 20 pages of notes, I thought I'd start with the Principle of Forever.

My first class was entitled "I love to see the temple."

Since I have stewardship over the little ones at church, I thought I would go to this class to hopefully gain an insight on how I can better serve the children in our ward, and my own children with regards to the temple.

Sister Elaine S. Dalton, Young Women General President, spoke. It is her remarks that inspire my writing tonight.

Whether or not you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, Sister Dalton said "Everyone wants the principle of forever."

Isn't that true?

We don't know when the time will come that we or someone we love will pass from this life.

When it does happen, the pain is real.

Sometimes unbearable.

It is a physical pain.

Sometimes it is hard to describe.

Some days it is a little bit duller than others, and then some days the event flashes before you and the feeling of loss is all encompassing.

As Latter Day Saint Members (Mormons), we have a belief that God wants our families to be together forever.

A love without end.

Not till death do us part....Eternity....Forever.

This principle is made possible through the temple.

Sister Dalton said "We become refined as we prepare to enter the temple."

This is also true.

The temple is a place for those who are striving to live a good life. While we are not perfect, we work to become perfect as we live the covenants that we make while in the temple.

Temples are not new. They existed in biblical times as well in our day.

Today as we drove home from St George, I began singing a song that Hilary Weeks sings called "If I Only Had Today". In this song she talks about what she would do if she knew that she only had one day left to live. Part of the chorus says "Then I'd remind you of Forever, and how our love would never change. Because I have today."

I looked up to the beautiful Azure blue sky and felt FOREVER.

Of course this may be crazy, but my sister is in heaven.

She is my sister FOREVER.

I am bound by sacred covenants to my family. We are a FOREVER family.

This my friends is the Principle of Forever.

It's Mother's Day. I can have my family FOREVER!

The Reason

Well, Saturday May 9th finally came and the reason we went to California arrived. (I have posted the other events of our vacation as if they were posts on that actual day)

We went to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at CHLA. It is always good to see the doctors and nurses that cared for us during our stay in Los Angeles.

After a couple of games the kids were able to make a Build-a-Bear compliments of our dear friends David and Tracey Buelow. They have a foundation that funds a portable Build-a-Bear machine that can go directly to patients rooms and allow them to make an animal while they are being cared for. This operation is a part of their foundation Max of a Million Dreams that was started shortly after they lost their son Max to cancer. We love Tracey and David and have very fond memories of the time that we spent as next door neighbors as their oldest daughter was undergoing a cord blood transplant to cure her leukemia.



We were grateful to Dr Ken Weinberg for making the trip from Palo Alto, CA to go to the reunion. He is a very dear person to us. We are grateful to the other doctors as well, but Ken was the first doc attending when we arrived and he has educated me personally for years. Brett made the comment that we should adopt him as a grandfather to the kids. I agree. He's wonderful. Now we just have to convince him :).


The disappointment of not getting anything 'big' at Disneyland was quickly diminished as there were carnival games galore at the reunion -- complete with free cotton candy, face painting, snow cones and BAGS of prizes.




Thanks to the committee who planned this wonderful event, and to all of the sponsors who make this possible. There were adults there that were transplanted as children. It was very rewarding to see. We were also able to talk to a couple of families who are right in the thick of things and share the hope of our son. Those moments are priceless.

Vacation - Day Five

Well, today was our last day at Disney. We visited both parks to ride some rides for the second time, and to hit some of the attractions that we missed this week. Ryan was not thrilled that we made him go on the ferris wheel. That's ok. It builds character to ride on rides that scare the crap out of you for no reason. Just ask my sister Lori. She'll tell you all about how strong my character is.


We watched the fireworks at Disney tonight. They were fun, but the crowds were crazy. I am SO glad we went during the off season, and that the crowds weren't so bad all week. I take back being uncomfortable taking my kids out of school for a week.

Ryan was so determined to buy something with his money. The only problem was that everything was so dang expensive. At the end of the night he finally found an artist that would draw a picture of Stitch. He was so excited until I asked the man what it would cost for him to sketch this character. Uh...$500 if I wanted it in color and $300 if I wanted it in black and white. Hmm...nevermind. Needless to say we went home empty handed.

Vacation - Day Four

Today was our early day at Disneyland. We decided to hit the Nemo ride first thing. They had a few mishaps with the submarines, so we waited a little longer than we thought we'd have to, but thankfully it wasn't as bad as we would have waited if we had gone later in the day.

I'm not sure why Disneyland is called the 'happiest' place on earth. Don't get me wrong, I think the kids had fun, but Sydney cried on MANY of the rides because she was scared. I was really concerned about how her memories were going to be formed, so we went to Fantasy Land today. It looked a little more kid friendly. We rode Casey Jr's train, and the Dumbo ride. Both kids rode the tea cups - they were on their own with that one. Then we took them on the Pinocchio ride. Holy Crap! That scared Sydney too. Who wouldn't be scared that the whale came out to eat you at the end.

I think the highlight of the day was that we got to see the Princesses! We stood in line for about 30 minutes to see them.



They have a little boutique at the end where you can buy all of the princess gear. Dresses, crowns, gloves, jewels, all of it. They will even do the girls' make up and hair. I took a look at the price tag of the dresses and they were $65. We decided we would pass.

After Disney, we took the kids out to dinner at the Olive Garden. Who knew that soup and salad and Mac-n-cheese could cost $40. I'm not sure that we'll do that any time soon.

We then went to the beach. It was a little bit chilly, but it was great to have the experience. We even got a high tide and every one of us got our shoes soaked and filled with sand.

Vacation - Day Three

Today we spent our whole day in California Adventure, and boy did we have some adventure!


When we got to the park we decided we would hang out near the front as the High School Musical 3 parade was set to begin shortly after opening. We sent Brett and Ryan to get fast passes to Soarin' Over California as both of the kids wanted to ride that one again.

The weather was quite a bit hotter today than the other days so we tried to stay in the shade while we were waiting. Brett also took the kids into the gift shops and Sydney found the perfect stuffed animal that she wanted to spend her money on. We talked her into waiting until later in the week to make sure we couldn't get it cheaper at a local Disney store, and to make sure she didn't find something else. I was surprised, but she readily agreed.

As the parade crowd started to line up I was sure to get the kids right up front.


The music was starting to get loud and I bent down and started singing in Sydney's ear. She started clinging to me and asked me to be quiet. I asked her what the problem was and she told me I was embarrassing her!

Oh brother! For heaven sakes she is not even 6 years old!

After the parade was over we took our fast passes and walked right on to Soarin' Over California, then we headed over to Paradise Pier and picked up fast passes for California Screamin' - an extremely fast paced roller coaster. While we waited to be able to use those fast passes, we went to Toy Story Mania. I have to say that this was by far one of my favorite rides. You sit in a little car that moves you right in front of some 3D movie screens that you are able to shoot at video game targets.

By the time we finished the Toy Story ride, we had just a few minutes until we could use our fast passes again. We hydrated ourselves, then Ryan and I decided to go on the ride. Ryan wanted to ride EVERY ride, and Brett was afraid of getting woozy, so I was the default co-rider. Sydney was just about an inch too short to ride this one, so Ryan and I went on it first.

As the ride ended he put his hands up in the air and said "That was awesome!" Then he leaned over and told me that he thought he was going to puke. I encouraged him NOT to puke and told him that he would be fine in a bit. I then reminded him that if he didn't ride the roller coaster again then Dad wouldn't be able to ride it. - Oh, I'm such a good wife and mother!

Well, we got back to where Brett and Sydney were waiting and Ryan said he felt fine, so we sent Brett and Ryan to ride it again. This time Sydney and I waited for Brett and Ryan, and Sydney whined the whole time.

Brett and Ryan were gone for quite a long time, and we watched as the yellow roller-coaster cart off by itself. I thought that was strange, but figured that they must do that from time to time.

Well....they probably do that from time to time for a reason! Brett came over and said - I need your help - Ryan threw up on the ride. So, I went over and sure enough - poor Ryan was pale, and had puke ALL over himself. I felt so bad.

My wonderful husband took Ryan into the restroom and stripped him down and washed his clothes in the sink. I was so grateful to him for doing that. I don't know too many dads that would do that.

After our adventure there, we took Sydney to A Bug's Land and let her get soaked in the water. By that time Ryan felt better, but we knew better than to let him ride on another ride that would make him want to puke again.

Vacation - Day Three - Continued

As if the puking incident wasn't enough adventure for one day, Ryan managed to leave his beloved new Stitch key chain on a ride and he lost it. We weren't off the ride 2 minutes when he realized it was gone, so we ran back to see if it was at the ride. Much to our dismay it was gone.

We talked to the man in charge of the ride and he said that they would replace it. WOW! Sydney and I went on a little ride while Ryan and Brett waited for guest services to arrive with our voucher to replace it. I couldn't believe we were so lucky. I figured we were out the $6. On top of getting a voucher, they also gave us a pass to get on a ride without standing in line. Double WOW!

We decided to head out of the park and get some dinner. After dinner we went back to Disneyland so we could watch the parade. We were in a perfect position to watch it and the kids were even asked out on the street to dance with the characters. It all ended up being a pretty good day, even though we had more ADVENTURE than we had planned.

Day Two - Safety

We arrived in Anaheim close to noon. We tried checking into our hotel early and they told us to give them 30 minutes. So, we went to the grocery store and picked up some lunch meat so we could make sandwiches. We then went to Target to get Ryan a toothbrush. Apparently I don't know what is Ryan's and what is Sydney's as I packed two of Sydney's toothbrushes. Who knew that Puss 'n Boots was a girl's toothbrush?

After our visit to the store we returned to the hotel and checked in. Ryan made another comment about the hotel only this one had to do with feeling safe. The atmosphere change was amazing.

We ate lunch and waited until right after 2pm when the local transit was done with lunch and we headed to Disney. When we got there we saw that California Adventure looked like it had fewer people, so we opted for that park for our first day in California.

Ryan wanted to ride the Hollywood Tower of Terror, so we headed there first.

We're retarded.

I didn't think that Sydney would ride, but at the last minute she decided she wanted to go. So, good for us. We felt woozy after the ride and the kids were scared to death.

Go us.

After that wonderful ride, and resolving not to be as stupid next time, I took Sydney to Playhouse Disney, and Brett took Ryan to an interactive thing with Crush, the turtle from Nemo.

I took Sydney shortly after that and was amazed at the animation.

We rode a few other rides, and then the park closed at 6pm. Who knew.

We walked over to Disneyland with the rest of the crowd. Then we rode autotopia. We enjoyed that ride with the kids.

After we were done at Disney we went to IHOP for dinner. We went on the recommendation of a friend because kids eat 'free' after 4pm. Well, thank heavens they eat free! I got a burger, Brett got breakfast, and our meal with tip was $34. Yikes!

Day One - The city that NEVER Sleeps

Today we started our trip to California. We decided that we would go part way and stop in Las Vegas.

I'll be honest.

I have never been a fan of Vegas. Ever. The first time I went to Vegas was a year after I got married. We went for a technical conference and I wasn't impressed then. I'm still not impressed.

We got a hotel room at Circus Circus. As we pulled into town Ryan made the comment that he didn't feel safe. We all felt the same sentiment. As we rounded the corner to the hotel, Brett told the kids to quickly turn their heads. We had forgotten that Porn is free and rampant on the streets.

I checked in, and our room was changed from 33 to 220...something something. It was across the street from the main tower, and in a dive section of the hotel. Ryan said again that he didn't feel safe and was worried about where we were. I reassured him that everything would be fine, hoping that it actually would be fine.

Our room was scary. We could hear EVERYTHING....all night long.

Needless to say, we decided that we wouldn't sink our money into the Vegas economy again.

Don't Judge a Book by it's Cover

The other day Ryan and I were driving to the Payson hospital to get his blood drawn for some long term follow-up labs. As we were driving our conversation went something like this:

Ryan: "Mom, do you know the saying Don't judge a book by its cover?"

Me: "Yes, son how come?"

Ryan: "Well, Brayden told me that my Pinewood Derby car wouldn't win because it wasn't aerodynamic. Well, you can't judge a book by its cover"

You see....judging by this...


"You can't judge a book by its cover"

The Beginning of Eternity

Last night Brett cheated.

He took some time and wrote this post, and then scheduled it to be posted at 12:01am.

That's cheating.

You see, for 12 years now we have had this race to be first. Every holiday, I mean EVERY holiday it is a race to see who can say Happy ____ first. Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Birthday, you get it.

So, here I am. I'll teach him. It is almost 12am again and I am just getting around to posting my own.

Twelve years ago today I began eternity with the man I love. Back then we celebrated every milestone.

Happy one month anniversary - let's go out to eat.

Happy two month anniversary - this is cause for celebration.

Now, here we are 12 years later and there is more cause for celebration.

Brett made the comment today that his love for me grows stronger every day. I poo pooed him, but he's right. I feel the same way. Each path we cross and each hurdle we jump over just deepens my love for him.

We started this new thing last week. My duel challenge wasn't working. I think we were sabotaging each other. So, the new deal was that for every day that we don't exercise, we owe each other a dollar. You can bet that he won't be getting any of my money.

We were both busy today so our exercise consisted of taking a 38 minute bike ride together. I love getting out on the road with Brett. I envy him and sometimes I tell him to shut up when he is trying to push me, but the longer he is in front of me, the better the view.

I asked him if his legs were burning. He wouldn't answer.

Show off!

I am grateful for Brett. We often finish each other's thoughts. That's what you do when you're together for a while, working toward the same things.

I love you Brett. Happy Anniversary. Here's to the rest of eternity.

Our Final Day

On our final day in the DC area, we were able to visit the Washington DC Temple. It was beautiful. I feel a special feeling when I walk the grounds here. Brett's grandpa Crowley has pictures of this temple from its construction on through its completion. As far as I know there are no other such pictures out there.

Washington DC Temple

We were also privileged to meet Brett's Uncle Doug. I have never met him, and I was so pleased that he came and had dinner with us. It was also very kind of Kara and Drew to host the meal in their beautiful home.

I could easily live back east. I have been reminded however that I would have to get a job, the kids would have to go to daycare, and we would have an hour commute to and from work.

I think we will stay put.

Uncle Doug, Brett, Deni and Uncle Ken

Drew, Kara, Brett, Deni, Shannon, Aunt Tricia, Uncle Ken, Uncle Doug

VA - For Lovers - or so I hear

On Friday night Uncle Ken and Aunt Tricia took us to their lake house at Lake Ana, Virginia.


Brett mentioned several times on our trip that Virginia was for lovers. I think he was reminding me that I still needed to be in love with him, and especially in Virginia.

Oh how I could LIVE at the lake house. It is absolutely beautiful and I felt so privileged that we were able to go and just relax for a couple of days. I don't think I can ever thank the Crowley's enough for their kind hospitality.

While there, Brett's Uncle Rich and Aunt Andrea came and visited, along with Matt, Gabe, and Lottie (cousins and their cute little daughter). For some reason I don't have pictures of the cousins....

Washington DC - Day Two

Today we went into DC for a second time. I really wanted to see the Holocaust Museum, so Shannon took us to see it. I was fine walking through until I came to a portion where they showed how the Nazi's took out the elderly and children with disabilities.

There was a picture of a young boy about Ryan's age standing without clothes on. I assume he lost his life. That is when I lost it and was ready to leave.

As we left the museum we entered a portion that is especially for children. It started out in a home that was much like our own and as you walked through, the home changed from happy times to desperate times. It was very moving. It is hard to fathom the evil that went on just a short time ago.

After the Holocaust Museum, Shannon had arranged for us to tour the capital bldg with a friend of hers. The friend worked for the UT Senator Orrin Hatch. We were taken underground on a tram that took us from the Senate bldg to the Capital bldg. Not many people get to do that so we felt privileged. Thanks Shannon...and Becky :).

Our Days Away

I'm behind here, so I'm going to plagiarize from Brett's Blog. I must say that after seeing all of the many things that we saw, I want to know so much more about American History. I am very much Proud to be an American despite what might be going on in the world today.

Arlington Cemetery Entrance


Graves at Arlington Cemetery


Brett and Deni at Arlington Cemetery


The Eternal Flame at Arlington Cemetery


Unknown Solider 1


Unknown Solider 2


White House


Washington Monument


Brett and Deni at the Lincoln Memorial


Lincoln Memorial


Vietnam Memorial


Deni reflection


Roosevelt's Dog - I had to have a picture in front of this dog. I thought the kids would love it!



Front of Jefferson Memorial


Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial

A Surprise in the Friendly Skies

WARNING: - It's a Book!

About 6 weeks ago I decided that it was time for a break. We had a lot of things going on with our church callings and work and it had been a long time since Brett and I were alone without the kids. Brett has an uncle that lives in Maryland and we have been saying for years that we were going to come and visit. Well, I did some checking, calling, more calling, arranging for kids, etc and finally decided that it was time to take the plunge and buy tickets to go on a trip.

Just me and Brett.

I didn't want Brett to know, so for the first couple of weeks only two or three people knew. Even my closest friends in our neighborhood didn't know we were going. I had talked with Brett's manager at work and arranged for the time off for him, and for several weeks I put the plan in motion. Church responsibilities had to be taken care of, work responsibilities had to be handled, our travel plans had to be archived in my inbox, and any communication of the trip had to be made in between the hours of 8am and 5pm.

A week before the trip, Brett's manager Ken, called me and told me that he would be out of town that day and that he wouldn't be able to help me pull the surprise off, but that he had arranged for a man at the office to help. I didn't know this man, but he gave me his name.

Well, just two days before we were to leave, I couldn't remember his name. I did a search on Novell's internal web site and found a few names that I 'thought' could be the person and I figured that if all else failed, I would just call them all.

I picked Brett up from work that day and he said "Sorry I was late coming to the car, I was chatting with Doug Christensen." That's it! It was Doug!

I called Doug the next morning and told him what I was trying to do and that I might need his help. You see, just a week before we were to leave, Brett came home and announced that he would start working from home on Wednesdays. Hmmm. We were supposed to leave on Wednesday, so I needed a plan set in motion if he was going to be home. Then the day before we were going to leave Brett decided that he would hold off a week from working from home. So, another plan had to be arranged just in case he went to work.

Tuesday night Brett told me he was going to work until noon and then come home. On Wednesday morning he told me that he was going to come home at 2:30 because I had asked him if he could get off early (I wanted to see if he would be willing to leave work early so that I would know which plan to execute.) In order for this to work, we needed plans A, B, C, D, etc.

Doug arranged for a couple of Brett's co-workers to help me out. One of the co-workers sits right next to Brett so he was the 'eyes' for the day. Brett likes to exercise during lunch, so our plan had to work around his exercise.

Another of his co-workers (Kevin) is on a different floor and his assignment was to lure Brett away from his desk, and then to get him outside to our car. Once Brett was lured away from his desk, our 'eyes' (Jim), would shut down his laptop and bring it to the lobby for me to pick up.

As soon as that exchanged had been made, we would give the sign to Kevin and he would get Brett into the parking lot.

My parents graciously came from AZ to watch our kids. I am so grateful to them for making the trip. They have never had my kids one on one like this and I am so thankful not only that they came, but that my kids were able to be with their grandparents.

Brett likes to be in on the planning of things. I talked to one of my friends in CO and told her what I wanted to do and asked for her creativity. She suggested that I e-mail Brett and give him a heads up that something was coming. I thought that was a great idea, so I sent an e-mail and told him that in 29 hours a surprise would happen. I think that drove him crazy.

He immediately started asking me if he could look at my credit cards to see what I was up to. I agreed. Little did he know that the purchase had been made on his mom's credit card as I knew that he would figure it out if I paid for it myself. I rightfully agreed :).

At 1:30 pm I spoke with Kevin and he told me that Brett still hadn't gone to exercise. My parents had just arrived and we were loading stuff into the car. I told him we would be there as close to two as we could as I needed to stop somewhere to pick up a gift for my mom.

We pulled into the Novell parking lot at 2:16pm. I called Kevin and told him that we were there and he said it was a good thing as Brett had just told Jim that he was going to exercise so Jim was stalling him.

The plan was now being executed. Kevin went up to Brett's desk and had him go and look at some pictures, and Jim brought the laptop to me in the lobby and then called Kevin to let him know the exchange had been made.

It was snowing terribly. I made two signs and had the kids stand outside the door of the building. One sign said "Maryland or Bust" and the other said "If you love them, Leave them". Brett walked out the door and read the sign and looked up at me a little perplexed. They all came to the car and saw that my parents were with us. Brett looked at me and asked what was going on. I told him we were leaving to go to MD and that was the surprise I had warned him about.

He said he needed to go and get his laptop and I told him I had it. He didn't believe me so we showed it to him.

At that point we headed to the airport.

The Third Day

Easter this year was a little more emotional for me than it has been in years past.

I found myself reflecting on the miracle of that third day so many years ago. What a miracle that Christ was resurrected, paving the way for each of us to be the same.

I have thought so much about the resurrection. It means so much more when you lose someone you love, a sister perhaps.

As I have thought about the events of yesteryear, I have thought about the significance of the resurrection, and what it means exactly.

We are taught that our spirits will be reunited with our bodies, just as Christ's spirit was reunited with His.

We taught the primary children on Sunday about the meaning of Easter, and I couldn't help but parallel all of this with the blessings of the temple. While everyone will have the privilege of being resurrected, it is through the temple that we are bound to those we love and hold dear. What a blessing!

My thoughts have also taken me to my personal life and how I can give my commitment to the gospel and my commitment to my family a sort of resurrection/rebirth.

I have been given a Third Day.

What will you do with yours?

A Night of Bad Dreams

Last night was a night of bad dreams.

First at 2:30am Brett declared (out loud, in his sleep) that I could have No Sex unless I was nice. Uh oh.

Then at 5:44am Sydney came in and had had a bad dream, so she climbed in bed. I wonder what her dreams were about.

The Future

This past weekend Latter Day Saints turned their attention to our beloved prophet President Thomas S Monson, and many general authorities, and auxiliary presidents for our annual General Conference. Archives can be heard here.

My favorite part:

President Monson ended one of his talks with this "The Future is only as bright at your Faith."

Today the sun is shining.

Perception

Perception is another one of those words that sends me into deep thought.

We have all been given an opportunity on this earth to make it or break it. Experiences among people aren't felt the same from one person to another. One person's trials may seem trivial, while another who experiences a similar trial may sink to the brinks of despair.

What might be an observation to one, is a form of judgment with another.

Of course then we have one's intent. That in and of itself is a whole other post. One's intent.

I personally like to observe behavior.

One sibling may feel like another has the easy life.

Take Sydney for example. Yesterday she threw a huge fit because Ryan had two pieces of candy. Imagine that. Two pieces. He wanted both of them. She wanted them too. She made the comment that his life was so easy and that he always had candy. Never mind the fact that she had just eaten a few hands full of M&M's. Her perception was that his life was better, easier. What she didn't take into account was that she had made a choice to eat her candy, and he had chosen to save his. Him having candy had nothing to do with how he was being treated by me or anyone else. It was just a matter of choice on his part, and ultimately hers.

The same can be said for many other situations. It's just all in how you look at it.

Perception.

Time

For the past several days I have thought a lot about TIME

It is amazing to me that a concept, a word, well, TIME can be influential in so many areas of our lives.

It takes TIME for a broken heart to mend.

It takes TIME for forgiveness to happen, and for relationships to be strengthened.

When given our TIME, our children are molded into the people we want them to become.

It takes TIME to keep up a house.

I need more TIME to perfect that one.

Each day I live, I am one more day closer to the eternities, where I will spend TIME with my sister, whom I miss terribly.

You see, it's all about TIME

Temple Square

This past weekend we were excited to welcome Kati and Boston into our home. They came up to visit, and to watch General Conference. I absolutely loved having them here. Makes me ache to have my family closer. Neither of us want it bad enough to move though. We both love where we live.

Boston hadn't seen Temple Square, so for FHE we took a trip to SLC to see the sights. You forget how beautiful things are until you are there again.

We first visited the Beehive House. It was built in the 1800s and was one of Brigham Young's homes in the Salt Lake Valley.

I am amazed that it still stands, and that there are articles of clothing, books, toys, and other things that have been preserved. Our lives have changed so much from when the Pioneers first came to this valley. We are spoiled compared to what they had.

We spent time in the Tabernacle and heard the amazing acoustics there.

While I didn't get married at the Salt Lake Temple, I am still grateful for the meaning of it. This structure took 40 years to build.

Us in front of a waterfall just east of the temple. I'm grateful for digital pictures. I was able to crop out my muffin.

We also took a tour of the top of the Conference Center. President Hinckley's vision of what it should be has been realized, and I am amazed at the beauty. There are actual living trees and shrubs that grow on top of that building. It is amazing.