New goals for 2010.

First things first...Blogging hiatus explained.
The reason that I haven't blogged in such a long time is that my ongoing war with real life versus my expectations has reached a pinnacle. I've held the belief that if I tried harder, got up earlier, ran faster, gave more, etc., that things would work out the way I wanted them to. Just like the eagle eggs in Nacho Libre, these things are a LIE and I am fighting against the universe's insistence that I learn this sad, sad lesson. The practice of this philosophy hasn't given me what I want at all. I haven't blogged because I'm hoping that lack of documentation of the last few months will aid me in forgetting what a disaster I have felt like.

That explained, here's my plan for 2010:
Last year's idea to include inspiring words to live by with my resolutions was a bust. I began too many things, persevered through many, and excelled at NONE (except ounces of Diet Dr. Pepper consumed). I am starting out 2010 very discouraged. Here is a mere sampling of what is getting me down:
* I've got nearly 20 extra pounds hanging around and no desire to do what it takes to banish them.
* I find it nearly impossible to keep my cool with my teenager.
* I'm lazy at work but consistently agree to take on more when asked.
* My Christmas decorations are STILL up!
* The house is a wreck. I'm totally disorganized and haven't the will to de-junk and tackle the mess.

I have bid farewell to delusions that I might become a more temperate Gloria Steinem, a mormon Mother Teresa, a less-annoying Don Aslet, an honest Hiliary Clinton, a drawl-less Dr. Phil, a normally nostriled Jillian Michaels, a less wealthy but equally generous Oprah Winfrey, or any other noted world-changer. Even my smallest of goals for self-improvement and mastery go unmet day after day, year after year. So, spurred by a pattern of hard work not working out and an overwhelming desire to take a nap under my desk at work last week, it's time to lower the bar and do the opposite of what I've tried for too long. My new role model...

GEORGE COSTANZA.

If you drop by, you will find me draped in velvet eating a block of cheese the size of a car battery. Happy New Year!!

Halloween Pic

SGM 2009

How many race reports can you read that begin and end with me explaining how sorely (no pun intended!) undertrained I was to tackle the experience? Hopefully you've got it in you to read one more...

Any marathon training should include, at very least, three 18+ mile runs but hot summer weather forces ridiculously early departure times and busy schedules often interfere with the best intentions to get in a long run. These two issues are always factors in my lack of training but cannot be solely blamed. The fact is, I am L-A-Z-Y when it comes to doing long training runs. I just don't like to do them!

I ran the SLC 1/2 (April), Ogden 1/2 (May), Legacy 1/2 (May), and Top of Utah 1/2 (August) this year and a miserable 18.6 miler (except for the great company). Other than those races, my distance training wasn't more than about 10 miles on any run. Therefore, my time and performance goals settled nice and low at:
#1 Avoid injury and
#2 Enjoy my tall, handsome race partner.

Mission and low expectations accomplished!!

Brent and I spent a lovely 5 hours and 21 minutes running the marathon together sans wrecked knees, back, or even unmentionable chafing. Our time included great conversation, much laughing, a tear or two (on my part only and probably unbeknown even to Brent!), and a kiss at the finish line!

The pics are borrowed from the official event photographers at marathonfoto.com, hence the big PROOF across each of them. I prefer to think of the pics this way:
#1 PROOF that even though he could have left me in the dust, Brent stayed at my side throughout the race.
#2 PROOF that running makes me feel tough and accomplished...even if it's really slow running with lots of walking in between :D
#3 PROOF that I still like that guy I married 16.75 years ago.
#1 PROOF that I participated in my 3rd full and 3rd St. George Marathon. Woohoo!!

Pumpkin Patch Pals

Yay me!! Alec's Jelly Bean Junction fieldtrip to Black Island Farms Pumpkin Patch fell on my day off and since he attends preschool in my sis-in-law's neighborhood, I don't know a lot of the other moms so I spent every minute riveted on this cute guy's idea of farm fun. He loved feeding the goats, riding the animal train, sliding down the hay bale slope, and picking out his own pumpkin on the tractor-wagon jaunt. Not pictured: PIG races and my post-marathon quads burning up as we tried to partner on the teeter-totter.

Smiley for Miley

My cute neighbor/friend/running pal invited Kenna to go to the Miley Cyrus concert with her daughter and step daughter. Kenna wore a bright pink, tie-dyed "peace" tee and sported some cool hair mascara for the occasion. Although Miley was a little sick and had to take a few breaks, all the girls had a great time.

Lucky 13!

On October 1st Todd officially became a TERRIFIC teenager. He is a fabulous kid and I do not anticipate a spiked increase in eye-rolling and arguing. (Although, it will be nice to finally have an explanation for said behaviors.)

13 great things about Todd:

1. Todd does great voices, accents and impressions. We watched the Secret Garden a couple of weeks ago and he has been in and out of Irish, Scottish, and English phrases and accents since. And yes, they each sound a little different.

2. Todd is great on the phone. I grinned as I listened to him chat with birthday well wishers. His animation and annunciation surprise me. (If you've met his father, you know why.)

3. Todd is affectionate in action and word. I can still get a hug and kiss from Todd at bedtime and I-love-yous are sprinkled throughout the day.

4. Todd is honest. Even if it means telling on himself, you know that you'll get the facts when his side of the story comes out.

5. Todd called *W* "doogaly" for a long time after he learned his letters. It was so cute that we called him Doogaly for a long time.

6. Todd has an opinion and readily shares it. This trait has landed me in discussions at the school office a couple of times but even given those worrisome times, I know that this quality will serve him well...He will eventually temper the DNA he got from his mum and confidently stand for what he believes.

7. Todd loves his family--immediate and extended members. I don't take this for granted. I feel blessed that he likes to be around us.

8. Todd is a "good" boy. Last week Brent and I traveled to Orem on Sunday morning for our newest nephew's blessing. Because we had to leave early, we let the kids stay home and sleep in. Todd got up on his own and went to church! He also attends his scouting and Young Men's activities regularly. I'm so happy this isn't something we argue about.

9. Todd is active. We've got a lot of pictures of him playing Guitar Hero and RockBand but he can often be found outside shooting hoops a lot too. He's run several 5K races as well.

10. Todd is true blue to BYU. How could he be otherwise??? It's fun to listen to him chew the sports' fat about stats and random trivia with Brent. This is something he does that really reminds me of how old he is.

11. Todd is learning to speak FRENCH! Brent speaks Spanish so I was a little surprised when Todd chose my BYU minor as his 2nd language. He really likes the class and is doing tres bien in there.

12. Todd is a great 'big' brother. He has his moments of being a little too rough with Alec and a lot too annoyed with Kenna but he is usually very respectful and fun with them.

13. Todd changed our family. When Todd was born, Brent and I went from being a couple without kids to being a couple with. My mom and dad got their first grandchild and Brent's parents, their first grandson. My siblings and spouses became aunts and uncles. Brent's siblings got their first nephew. These weren't simple title changes. Todd matured us and gave us something important to do and love.

I love you, Todd!
Happy teenagedom.

Alec on Ava.

Today we were blessed to have Baby Ava for a long visit. I was surprised at how excited Alec was to have Ava in our home. He had asked several times when we were going to help take care of her and even petitioned aunt Andrea to allow Ava to sleep at our house last night. I imagined that the novelty might wear off when he recognized Ava sitting in his Youngest, Cutest, Most-Spoiled seat but he loved every minute of her today. He had quite a lot to say about his little cousin:

Getting a start on Transitive Relation equations:
"Trevor (2 year-old cousin) is bigger than Ava and I am bigger than Trevor...so that means I am really bigger than Ava."

After I enlisted his help to hold her pacifier in while we were driving home:
"Baby Ava cries when you drive too fast."

Randomly:
"I think it's going to be a boy baby."

After I said he could have a treat at home:
"Yeah but that baby can't eat a doughnut. The mouth is too, too little."

Gently rubbing her head:
"I don't see any hair up there."

After I teased that Ava had not answered my question:
"Yeah. Only you need teeth to talk."

Is she not so beautiful?
I love her.

Reasons to Smile.

I got my braces off today and I am still smiling!

Ten More Reasons to Smile Today:
1. I got to hold and love baby Ava. She is a miracle and a blessing. Her spirit is thick and comforting. I love her.

2. Alec was super excited when he saw my braces gone. He has exercised a year of self-control when near my face. When I showed him my teeth, he squished my face and exclaimed, "Ooooh. Now I can do *chubby cheeks* so, so, so hard!"

3. Todd is starting to "get" Jr. High little by little. The last three weeks have been socially and organizationally miserable. I love him. He's trying hard.

4. Kenna has been a dream about getting up and ready for school this year. She is definitely a night person so it is a real effort for her to wake up and be cheerful. What a good girl.

5. A woman that I work with at church picked and gave us a giant box of peaches. Mmmmm peaches. I'm going to make some pies tomorrow. I may even get organized enough to take one to a nice girl I know.

6. Because of Facebook, I am back in touch with many great people from my past. The social networking thing can get out of hand so I try to be careful with my time but I am grateful to rekindle old friendships.

7. I arrived home today to lots of loud sounds in my basement. It's a good thing. We are soon to have an extra 1,000 square feet of room to stash stuff that we don't need.

8. My in-laws are back in the country. I so wish their return were under different circumstances. Their love, faith, and direction is a blessing to our family. I love them.

9. My mom and dad are planning a trip to visit us soon. I. Can't. Wait. And it not just because they are coming to watch our kids while we are in Hawaii. I actually really love them too.

10. Look at the three awesome kids surrounding my bright, straight, metal-free smile in the bottom left picture...I bet they even made YOU smile!

The sprint before the 1/2 marathon.

On Saturday, August 29th I ran the Top of Utah 1/2 marathon with a couple of friends. The course was fast and beautiful. I would definitely recommend it if you fall into the category described by a guy I overheard in during the race:

"Who runs a 1/2 marathon anyway? These people are crazy."

I'll admit to being one of the nuts who seek the pleasure of the pain of running. I love it...when I don't hate it.

I used to get nervous before running a race. Difficulty sleeping and managing my stomach with TUMS were accepted as part of the routine but my days of pre-race jitters are past. I've taken care of race anxiety by preparing well the night before but mostly by embracing the reality of my performance potential! Sad but true. A little more concern about this race, however, may have actually been in order and helped me to do better...

My great running friends, Kellie and Ryan, and I decided we would leave Layton at 4:45 a.m. in order to pick up our race packets and numbers with time for calm and stretching before the run. I set two alarms and readied my race-day pile of supplies the night before. I went to bed too late and jumped out of bed when Kellie called and woke me at 5:04 a.m. I still don't know what happened with my alarms but adrenaline and my lead foot got us to Providence, UT in time to snag our numbers and a bus ride to the start.

I hate feeling rushed and racing that way is the worst. Everything was in fast forward. Trips to the port-o-potties barely occurred before the starting gun sounded. My GPS didn't have enough time to catch a satellite signal and without that, I didn't have a good way to judge pace. I also noticed that, in my sprint to the start, I had forgotten my energy gel I needed to take 2 times during the race. Sheesh.

Even though my GPS didn't load, I did have my stopwatch and remember a few of the mile marked times:
4 miles 37:35
5 miles 46:33
6 miles 54:27
7 miles 1:04:??
9 miles 1:25:??
Finish 2:12:47

I finished better than my initial PR this year at Salt Lake 1/2 marathon but slower than my eventual PR at Ogden 1/2. Not a bad time but disappointing for how good I felt starting out. If you cared enough to read this far, you'll notice that my pace dropped significantly after mile 9. Honestly, I would have been a lot happier with my final time if I hadn't experienced the wheels falling off soooooo badly. I had to beg Kellie to leave me at mile 9 as she was still running very strong . (And she finished in 2:06:16 AMAZING!) I gutted out the last four miles but walked waaaay more than I should have. Blah. I was spent. Ryan, Kellie's husband sped to a 6 minute PR and finished in 1:41:xx. Wow!

Lessons:
* Adrenaline expended by being rushed can't be spent again when you need it!
* Set three alarms the night before a race??
* Don't forget your GU. I hate the stuff but Gatorade and water only didn't give me enough energy to finish strong.
* Running is kind of hard when you're an old lady.

In Loving Memory

Sheri Zimmerman Klein passed away yesterday after delivering her 2nd daughter. Sheri was due in 2 weeks but went into the hospital in a lot of pain Sunday morning. Sheri's blood pressure was very high and they gave her medication to lower it which put the baby in peril. The baby was born emergency c-section--Ava Lily Klein is 5lbs 5 oz, 17 inches, healthy and beautiful. Sheri's blood pressure plummeted and she did not recover despite all the doctors and nurses did for her. We celebrate her life and the birth of her daughter.

Ava Lily Klein

I'm out of the running.

I have a lengthy list of "good mom" criteria constantly scrolling through my hormonally and emotionally ravaged parent brain. I try my best but here is picture proof that the Mother of the Year award will be going elsewhere.


My otherwise easy-going, affectionate, happy little guy is angry at me in these pictures because...
I insisted that we would eat dinner (lovingly prepared by Pizza Hut) as a family at the table instead of in front of the T.V. watching Sponge Bob.

Like (LOOOONEY) father, like (CURAAAZY) sons.

Remember THIS?

Alfred Bandura must have gotten it right. His Social Learning Theory basically states that children learn and do what they observe. Todd and Alec are demonstrating this quite nicely thanks to their exemplar father. I suppose having your mother laugh her head off and think you're funny enough to grab the camera counts as the appreciable reinforcement that will certainly encourage this type of behavior. [Guilty.] Looks like we're going to have generations of pale, shirtless guitar heroes. What a legacy.

What a cute, smart 4th grader looks like.

My favorite little girl got a little bigger today. Kenna's elementary school is on a track schedule so she began her year as a 4th grader today, two weeks before Todd will start Jr. High. This happy picture was taken right before some small tears of anxiety came. I hate it when I see signs of myself in my kids. I rescued her from her genetics and drove her to school, sparing her the bus ride. After I walked Kenna to her classroom, I was directed to the gym and then back to her classroom for the school's "Back to School Morning" which I had completely forgotten about. I'm sure Kenna was very proud to have a sweaty, disheveled parent dressed in her running clothes attending the informative event. Oh well, she'll be much happier to get on the bus tomorrow morning!

Small changes. Big improvements.

One of the by-products of my not working during the summer is that I have the time and energy to NOTICE and work on things that have been neglected or just need refreshing around the house. Sadly Brent gets roped into a lot of these projects. He's definitely the brawn for these ideas but he's usually the brains on the job too. He has been very cheerful about his reluctance and I do so appreciate his help. I love that guy!

Here are some pics of the small things we've done lately.

Brent helped me make this cornice board last year. I finally found some drapery panels that matched the fabric and Brent got creative and hung them for me which was no small task. See, I am good at buying stuff for the project, just not doing the project.

We had to replace our kitchen light because of a bad ballast. (Did that sound like I know what I'm talking about? Because I don't.) Finding a fixture that fit Brent's budget restriction and my design desire didn't happen but we compromised on this one. The end embellishments we actually cream colored with gold specks and not my favorite. I grabbed a can of spray paint and, voila, better :)

I purchased 4 sets of these darling daisy hooks a while ago. Two are stylishly holding keys and cameras next to our garage door. One is in Kenna's room for various bags and pencil holders and this one keeps some of my bracelets and necklaces off of the dresser. Love them everywhere they are!

Swampwater. That is the name of this yellowy-lime green that I painted our front door. The name doesn't do do justice to the bright cheery color. I love it and the fresh coat of white trim improved the area as well! Brent put up the cute dragonfly knocker that I bought on clearance last year. I also spray-painted the brass knob and lock to coordinate with the dragonfly.

I actually dreamed this next idea...really. I had a dream that I put up some wrought iron shutters aside our front window. The next day I checked out two stores in town and found these. There are actually two iron pieces stacked on each side. Brent and my partly-willing, mostly-tricked/coerced brother-in-law put them up in the dark! They did a pretty good job, huh?

I should have taken before pictures for this next project explanation. This garage door started out white. B-O-R-I-N-G. I bought a gallon of yummy-sounding Opaque Cocoa paint which turned out to be the secret paintland code for the color of post food poisoning re-fried beans. My friend Mandy encouraged me to try again. I couldn't go wrong with Bittersweet, right? NOW I like it. The house numbers also look better brown instead of brass now.

I love my latest yard/garden decorations. Metal flowers and insects don't encourage weeds and don't sting :D

Here's the view from across the street. My friend Mandy also suggested shutters next to the bay window above the garage. I looked for some today but the store was out. I'm crossing my fingers that they're not gone for good!
You can't see it well but last year we gave up on the attempted flower garden turned weed patch below the front window. A stamped concrete patio now adorns the space. BEST idea ever. We love it and are saving our pennies for a similar space in the back yard.

Busy kids are happy kids.

Flexible summertime schedules are great but the laid-back expectations, increased together time, and general ease of life can wreak havoc on my kids' moods and ability to 'enjoy' each other's company. We found a small solution. Todd and Kenna have been looking after vacationing neighbors' pets and homes. It has kept them busy and I've been impressed with their willingness to work together and follow through on their commitments. Great kids :D