Brent's new girlfriend.

When shy-guy Brent was in grade 12, he faced an English assignment that required him to write an essay about his first love. Brent's 5'7", 110 lb frame had yet to be attacked by teenage hormones and he was stumped by the topic. He creatively solved the problem by writing about BASKETBALL. He actually has a copy of the masterpiece still around. It would bring tears to your eyes and nearly did to mine when he was late for our wedding reception because he was out with this first love too long!! Anyway, basketball and I have been replaced by Kestrel, Brent's dream girl.
She:

• is beautiful and light as a feather,
• doesn't chide him about the (hideously tight-fitting) clothing he wears when they are out together,
• silently glides with him where ever he wants to go,
• is very low maintenance.

I'll miss you, sweet Brent. Happy riding for your triathlon training.

Preschool Graduation

Last week we attended Alec's graduation from JellyBean Junction. He loved going to preschool with his cousin Skylar this year. He'll miss her when she goes to Kindergarten in the fall. I've been unsure as to how much Alec actually paid attention and/or grasped at preschool because, like his older sibs, he's not much for after-school reports. I am happy to relay that he sang loud, had all the song actions down pat, and played the part as a monkey snatched by an alligator to a tee. My sister-in-law took some video of the event which I'll try to post later. He was definitely gettin' jiggy with the songs and accompanying actions. I only cringed a couple of times when this fingers wandered to his nose or up the legs of his shorts. Chanting to myself, "He's a three-year-old boy. He's a three-year-old boy," helped.

Canada Trip #2

Two trips to Canada in two months put a big hole in the gas money budget but have been well worth it. Here are highlights from my latest trip across the border.
Tuesday:

• Texted Quincey that her lucky family would not have to endure inside jokes and lame growing-up-in-Cardston stories because I talked my little sister, Steph into making the trek home with me.

Wednesday:

• Got to Steph's in Pocatello late thanks to a long work day and procrastinated packing. Alec went right to sleep and only kicked me a few times during the night.
  

Thursday:

• Left Stephy's around 6 a.m. and traveled on cruise control. NO TICKETS!! I took Alec and Steph took her 2 youngest kids, Andy and Kasey. They did great. Our older kids stayed home with their studly dads.
• Arrived at Pamela's house in Lethbridge and got ready to go to a "surprise" retirement party for my dad...Yes, he knows he's retiring but he wasn't supposed to know about the dinner. SEVERAL people did their best to tip him off so he knew that something was up.
• Attended Dad's retirement dinner given by the Kainai Board of Education employees. I was amazed and touched beyond description with the sincere tributes and warm feelings shared. It was beautiful to see others recognizing and acknowleging my dad's strengths and hard work. The Blackfoot name that was given to my father not long after he began working for the Blood Tribe means Gentle Man. At least 15 people spoke at the dinner and most remarked on my dad's kindness, steady manner, and wise decision-making. It was a beautiful evening. I feel so blessed that I was able to attend and that each of my siblings were there as well.

Friday:

• Lazed at Pamela's house for a while and went shopping for Canadian candy to bring back for deprived USA friends.
• Partied at Mom and Dad's house with the sibs and awesome nieces and nephews. Have I mentioned that I love being an auntie?!
  

Saturday:

• The race...a disaster for me but a huge success for Quincey, my sister, Pamela, and my brother, David. Quince beat her previous time by nearly a minute. Pamela finished her first 1/2 marathon in 2:16 and David finished his first in 2:18! Pamela's friend finished with a good time too. Yay everyone, except me :( I finished in 2:37 which my worst time at that distance--EVER. The course was a little hilly but I'm going to blame it on being sick, having run a 1/2 last weekend, being spent from the drive, losing 5 lbs in 2 days on a crazy diet, and having a random bad running day. Whatever. I finished and that is an accomplishment. I was tearfully proud of David and Pamela and happy that I didn't quit like I wanted to!
  

• FUN, FUN, FUN night with my beautiful, hilarious friends from growing up. We might be getting old but we've still got it, right?! We missed Stephanie and Tracy. (And Quincey missed Rob.)
  

Sunday:

• We attended church in Waterton on a very rare, calm day. It was beautiful.
  

Monday:

• Did more to support the Canadian economy by loading up on cheap clothing and irresistable treats.

Memorial Day Cemetery Visits

In observance of Memorial Day, we visited the cemeteries of my grandparents and great-grandparents. The events started with dinner at Russ's house. (Thanks Russ and Erin!) We then drove to Grandma and Grandpa Burrup's grave-site in Provo. Someone had placed mums next to the headstone and I placed iris from my yard.


We then traveled to Lehi where we met Sharon with two of her kids and their associated spouses and children. Grandma Zimmerman was with them, but didn't get out of the car. She looked good to me and was in her usual cheerful mood. I think she would have gotten out of the car, but there were thunderstorms forming along with cold gusty winds.

There were already multiple flowers placed at Grandpa Zimmerman's and Kate's headstones. I added more of the iris and also some peonies from my yard. (I chose the iris and the peonies because they were both given to me by Grandma Zimmerman.)

We then drove to American Fork and visited the grave-site of Great-Grandma Dean.

It was a great day and a good way to remember our deceased loved-ones.

Quest Race Report

With Rita and Alec in Canada, I went with Todd and Kenna to Hurricane for a mini-vacation. The purpose of the trip was for me to run the Days of Camelot Quest Race 10K and for Todd and Kenna to skip school and have fun in the pool.

On Friday morning we dropped off the kids' homework at school and then went to IHOP for breakfast. We then drove to the Days Inn in Hurricane, UT. We went swimming in the hotel pool, then went to Pizza Factory for dinner. After dinner we watched the NBA game in our room.

The next morning the kids stayed in the hotel room while I went to the race. (I ran with my phone in my pocket in case they needed me.) The Quest Race is a small sub-event that is part of the Days of Camelot, which is itself a small event. It was the first year for the race and there were only 26 of us that did the 10K. The race consists of two laps over a hilly cross-country course that circles the Washington County Fairgrounds.

I have been working out multiple times per week the past few months, but I have only run about five times this year. My last run was the Ogden Half Marathon a week ago. My target was a nine-minute mile pace, which is a time of 55:48. These are my splits:

Mile 1 - 8:42 - I started out a bit fast, but settled into a good pace.
Mile 2 - 9:00 - This mile was downhill. I stayed on pace.
Mile 3 - 9:11 - This mile is uphill back to the starting line.
Mile 4 - 9:11 - I started getting hot. This stretch was much slower this second lap.
Mile 5 - 8:53 - Downhill again. I tried to do this mile faster. When I checked my splits here I concluded that I wouldn't reach my goal.
Mile 6 - 9:02 - Back uphill. I was so out-of-breath that I was surprised that I was within reach of my goal.
Mile 6.2 - 1:23 (6:55 pace) - Sprint to the finish as the course levels out. I made my goal!
Total: 55:22
Average pace: 8:56

When I picked up my time card I noticed I was 2nd place in my division. It wasn't until later that I learned that there were only two of us in the division. But, I still got to walk up to the podium during the awards ceremony and accept my framed certificate!


I feel great about my performance. I don't enjoy running as I much as other exercises, but I do enjoy the races. My next scheduled race is the Provo Triathlon on June 20.

After the race, I took the kids swimming again. Then I talked them into attending the Days of Camelot Faire [sic]. The event catered to kids, and Todd and Kenna participated in the Dragon Maze and in the archery practice. The highlight of the event was the professional jousting. They had horses and armor and everything. The lances were made of oak and made a loud breaking sound as they shattered against the jousters' armor.

After the Faire we went to Dairy Queen for lunch and then drove back to Layton. Todd and Kenna were tons of fun and thanked me multiple times for taking them on the trip.

Todd's Talk

On Mothers’ Day, Todd was asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting. He did a great job and received many compliments from members of the ward. This is the text of his talk:

My name is Todd Zimmerman. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m the son of Rita Zimmerman. If you don’t know who Rita is, then you’re probably visiting the ward. Oh, yeah…my dad’s in the ward, too, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t know him.

I have been asked to speak today about Mary, the mother of Jesus. We don’t know very many things about Mary. But what we do know is that she was a very important mother, but every mother is important. I would like to explain to you today how great a mother Mary was and also how our mothers are very much like she was.

Mary was humble. She told her cousin Elisabeth how she felt about being chosen as Christ’s mother in Luke 1:48. “For he hath regarded the low estate of this handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.” Our mothers are humble. They sacrifice a lot for us. For example, my Grandma Zimmerman is a very smart woman. She received a Ph.D. and was a professor at BYU. However, she didn’t start working until after all of her seven children were raised. Now she and my Grandpa are missionaries in Peru.

Mary was faithful. She didn’t quite understand how she could be the mother of Jesus but she was willing to do what the Lord had asked her. Sometimes our mothers feel like they do not know the best way to help us, but they always do what they believe to be best for their children.

Mary did hard things including endure a very long, most-likely uncomfortable ride on a donkey. Sometimes our mothers wonder how they will be able to raise children but they stay close to the Lord and work to teach us and make us who we should be. I think that mothers are the hardest working and most patient of people.

Mary brought a little baby into the world under less-than-ideal circumstances. Luke 2:6-7 says, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger.” Sometimes our mothers want more for themselves and for their children but like Mary, they make the best and most of what they have to ensure that their children are clean, comfortable, and cared for no matter what the situation.

Mary lost track of Jesus for a little while when he was 12. She and Joseph were relieved to find him teaching priests in the temple. Our mothers worry that they might lose us, literally and figuratively. They make sure that we are safe and that they know where we are but they also don’t want us to stray away from the gospel. For example, when I go to parties, my mother worries about me. She wants to know who I will be with, where we will be, and what we will be doing. If we watch a movie, she makes sure it is appropriate.

Mary came to understand that she was carrying and raising the son of Christ well before Jesus could have realized his mission. Similarly, our mothers recognize our potential and want us to be the people we were meant to be. They believe that we are good and teach us how we can be great. They understand better than we do that we are children of God. It is important for us to realize that their high expectations of us are because they understand who we can be—that we are all sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.

I hope that we can recognize how great our mothers are and how similar they are to Mary. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Are you sick of hearing about running yet?

Skip this post if you are tired of my race recounting because here I go again...

Yesterday I ran the Ogden 1/2 marathon. It was a nearly perfect day with beautiful weather, gorgeous scenery, and lots of fellow runners to share the fun, including a really handsome tall guy I like.

I've had a worsening chest cold for about a week so I was nervous and saddened worrying that I wouldn't be able to run my best. I set my goals accordingly:

Satisfied: Set a course PR-2:14:31
Happy: Set a distance PR-2:13:40
Thrilled: Run 2:11:00-10 min./mile average pace

Our group consisted of my running friends, Mandy, Susan, and Kellie, 2 of Susan's cousins, Kellie's brother, my sis-in-law, Andrea, and her BFF Danette (that I like to call my friend too because she's awesome!! :) ) , and my beloved Brenty-Boo. Kellie's husband, Ryan and our friend Dale were slated to run the full marathon. Getting up at 3:45 a.m. to make it to the 5 a.m. bus departure was the only negative of the day. We met at my house and caravaned to Ogden, found parking, and were on time for the buses. It was a small miracle that we were able to keep track of each other with so many people around.

The half marathon starts (DUH) 1/2 way into the full Ogden marathon. For you running nerds, I've posted the elevation chart and my mile time splits. The black line shows where we started running at Eden park.

Mile 1-10:21--The starting line was crammed with runners. It was elbow-to-elbow well into the first 1/2 mile. It's hard to remember during a long race to take it easy at the start and not waste energy darting between other runners. A nice easy 10:21 shows that we did just that.
Mile 2-10:47--The second mile has a 1/2 mile gradual hill. The hill isn't too bad compared to the mile-long hill on a route near my house so we were able to slow a bit but kept going.
Mile 3-9:51--Ah. Flattening out. We dropped our bag with long-sleeved shirts, gloves, etc. now that we were warmed up.
Mile 4-9:45--Running by Pineview Resevoir-peaceful, cool, and calm.
Mile 5-9:27--Warm chocolate GU here. Didn't gag. Yay!
Mile 6-10:06--Running across the dam to enter the cool, downhill of Ogden canyon.
Mile 7-9:48
Mile 8-9:19--The next several miles flew by. It was a pleasure to see the mile markers and hear the chirp of my Garmin sooner than expected each time.
Mile 9-8:32--Lost my Brenty when he stopped to stretch and walk for a bit.
Mile 10-8:44
Mile 11-9:29--Knew I needed more GU but they didn't have any at the aid station. Settled for Powerade and kept going. The last three miles of the race are definitely the longest feeling both because you're worn out and also because the course flattens out after the nice downhills. The run follows a parkway with lots of short ups and downs and curves. Not my favorite. Cheering spectators help to make it endurable.
Mile 12-10:24--Long stop for water and a mental pep talk. Susan found one of her cousins about 1/2 mile in and stopped to walk with her. I was on my own for the rest of the race.
Mile 13-9:47--I shortened my gait, put my head down and kept my shortened sites on people ahead of me as goals to catch by the finish line.
.28 to the end-2:08 (8:49 pace)--My 'sprint' to the end was tiring and a little pathetic. The finish line seems to move further away as soon as you pass the "1/4 mile left" sign but I did manage to pick off a couple of runners right at the end. Yay, old lady! It was a treat to hear my name twice as I neared the finish. A principal from one of my schools was waiting for the second of his running daughters to finish and gave me a cheer. The mom of Todd's best friend was there waiting for her husband and yelled for me too. Kind of fun.

Brent pumped my ego and told me (probably lied) that he tried to catch me for a few miles. He finished in 2:10:01...Pretty stinking good for only running about 4 times since January. Crazy guy.

My final time was 2:08:48--a 9:42 min/mile pace.
I beat my THRILLED goal by 2:12 minutes
and I am SUPER THRILLED!

The next running adventure is a 1/2 marathon in my hometown next weekend. My friend, Quincey, my brother, David, and my sister Pamela, are all along for the fun. Can't wait!

Hi, my name is Rita and I'm a Pepper.

I am on the school district's Autism Team which requires me to travel to different schools to help teams with intervention and assessment. The other day I grabbed my Sonic Diet Dr. Pepper the wrong way and popped the lid just as I entered the parking lot of the school I was supposed to visit. With a very wet lap, I called the school and my co-worker I was to meet there to tell of my emergency and need to run home and change clothes.

Some people worry that psychologists will analyze everything they do or say. Let me assure you that my favorite subject to consider and pick apart is myself. The above incident led me to consider my actions in a mostly funny, eye-rolling manner...

On the continuum of substance abuse and dependence criteria for determining addiction clearly spelled out by the American Psychological Association.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE:
One or more of the following:
FAILURE TO FULFILL MAJOR OBLIGATIONS	Still okay on this one...The kids are fed and wearing semi-clean clothing. I show up on my work days...even though I'm toting a rather large mug of the good stuff when I get there..
USE WHEN PHYSICALLY HAZARDOUS	Is a constantly full bladder physically hazardous?
RECURRENT LEGAL PROBLEMS	Hmmmm. Could DDP be contributing to my speeding problem???
RECURRENT SOCIAL OR INTERPERSONAL PROBLEMS	Actually, my love of this elixir helps my interpersonal relationships more than hinders. It keeps me calm in the face of homework and housecleaning and offers Brent a sure thing in the “this will make Rita happy” department
SUBSTANCE DEPENDENCE (ADDICTION)
Three or more of the following:
TOLERANCE	Definitely.I can have a (rather large) drink right before bed and still sleep like a baby.
WITHDRAWAL	Certainly. I arrive for an extended stay in Headache Land when I try to go off.
UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORTS TO CUT DOWN	Most assuredly. I’m sure onlookers do not realize but I try (unsuccessfully) to ‘cut down’ at least once-a-month.
TIME SPENT IN OBTAINING THE SUBSTANCE REPLACES SOCIAL, OCCUPATIONAL OR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES	Sort of. I’m sorry to say that I know which gas stations and restaurants have the good stuff on tap and which don’t. I do not, to my credit, forgo social, occupational, or recreational activities in my search to quench my craving.
CONTINUED USE DESPITE ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES	Guilty. Sporting a clean, DRY outfit, I swung by the gas station for a 44 oz refill on my way back to work. PATHETIC.

I hate to announce something in the LIKELY event that I won't be able to do it but I am going off DDP for at least a month starting tomorrow...Wish me luck.

Happy Birthday, Kenna!

Kenna is 9 today! My little tiny baby girl is growing up.
Pictures are from the surprise birthday party thrown by her aunt Andrea and Aunt Melissa with her crazy and fun little cousins.

9 cute stories about Kenna...

1. At her 2 week appointment, the nurse measured Kenna's head 3 times to make sure that her (GIANT) reading was correct. When the doctor came in, he said, "That can't be right," and measured it AGAIN only to discover that it was indeed a very large head. (HELLO, why did he think I was sitting so gingerly?!) A lady at church was slightly more delicate on the topic. She rubbed Kenna's head and remarked, "Biiig brain..." She was right! Kenna is a SMARTIE PANTS. I love to watch her crank through her homework, read at the speed of light, and do all things computer. She is amazingly bright.

2. Kenna didn't talk well until quite late. Instead she used, with completely correct intonation, the "word" nuh-dutz to communicate. One day she saw a spider and alerted me to the emergency situation. I took care of the problem with a small share of screaming and grossing out. She recounted the entire story to my little sister who was living with us with a combination of gestures (eency-weency motions) and "nuh-dutz". Marina understood the whole thing!

3. This isn't a one-time story but often when I leave the kids alone to run an errand, I will come home and find that Kenna has involved Alec in some sort of project to keep him entertained while I'm away. They play school, build blanket tents, read books, make pictures for me, etc. She is a great big sister.

4. When Kenna was born, Todd came to the hospital to meet her. I could hear him yelling all the way down the hall, "I have a baby sister! I have a baby sister!" She is a laugher at Todd's crazy jokes, a great "atta boy" giver, and even helps him with computer-y stuff sometimes. She is a great little sister!

5. Kenna opened her birthday card from her grandparents in Peru to find a most cherished gift...MONEY. She squealed with delight and in the same breath said, "I love how nice they are to me. I'm going to write them a thank you note right now!" Kenna is a grateful girl. I have stacks of notes and cards from her. She is a good example to me.

6. Kenna recently opted for a darling new haircut and donated the 10+ chopped inches to Locks of Love. This is typical of Kenna's generous, sensitive, loving spirit. She is a giver.

7. Kenna is the original blogger in our family and she taught me all I know on the subject. (Her blog is private.) She posts cute graphics she likes, stories she writes, crazy Alec quotes, school reports, and family updates. She is great.

8. Kenna's labor and delivery was kind of rotten. She came the morning of my comprehensive examinations for my Master's Degree. I lost too much amniotic fluid too fast and had to be pumped full of some crazy stuff that Kenna sputtered up for days. I was exhausted by the time I had to push and that wasn't an easy project. (See story number 1.) Right after the doctor announced that we had a girl, Kenna quit breathing. He said, "Oh--she went floppy on me. Get those guys in here." Floppy?! Is that a technical term, Doc? She was fine but yikes.

9. The first time the nurse brought Kenna to me to be fed, her eyes were wide open. I couldn't help myself from gasping, "Oh my goodness. She is so beautiful." I've felt that same way a millions times since.

I love you, Kenna. You are so special to me.

Hurricane 5K

Last weekend, my sister Steph and I headed south for a little race and a lot of shopping. Stephy has been working her can off (no pun intended) at the gym and is nearing -40lbs! She wanted to accompany me on my weekend race trip and I begged/talked her into testing her new MAD fitness skills outside on the road. We both ran the Hurricane 5K and we both had a great race.

I was so proud of Steph for doing something hard and so proud of her for doing it well! She had next to no muscle soreness or after effects. Pretty good considering it was a fairly hilly course and that she ususally sticks to the treadmill. Coincidentally, Steph ran into her sister-in-law's friend who, like everyone who knows Stephy, thinks the world of her. They giggled and chatted for a long time.

I haven't run a 5K in a while and it is hard for me to speed my pace from a distance running slow-and-steady mindset. I finished in 29:33 feeling winded but great. Under 30 minutes is a new PR for me! Yipee. To top things off, a cute SKINNY girl told me later that she had her sights on beating me at the end but couldn't catch me. Imagine that! The cherry on that whipped cream was that the woman to place 1st in my age category placed 3rd overall bumping me from 4th to 3rd in my age group--hence the third place medal in the picture. AWESOME!

Completing this race means that I don't have to cross my fingers to get into the St. George Marathon. I get to bypass the lottery by completing the requirement to run 2 races in a list of Runner Series race options. Woohoo.

Addendum: My friend Quincey also ran a small 5K race the same weekend and called me with the news that SHE had placed...3rd in her (our) age group and ran it in...29:37. Spooooky! Congrats, Quince!