A touch up and 2 showers?!?!?!

What was I thinking.

So, Thursday the 20th, I had Lasik surgery for a touch up on my eyes. I'm very happy I did, but I was very busy that same day. My mom came and helped me take care of me and boy #2. It all worked out very nicely. Thanks Mom!!!!! So glad I don't have to wear the eye shields anymore while I sleep and now I can wear eye make-up! Yippee!
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Thursday evening, the 20th, Stephen's sisters and I threw a Bridal Shower for his youngest sister-Susie Q. We are all so excited for her and can't wait for the day it happens. Now, here is a gripe so you're forewarned, no-body but two people showed up. No phone calls to even say regrets. No cards or gifts sent ahead just in case. I knew a couple of relatives weren't going to be there, one was not feeling well, some live out of state, I had two wrong addresses. But the best Aunt Becky and cousin Shelly (with her 4 cute, cute little kids) showed up. I love both these people. I feel terrible that no one showed. This is my little sister, the one my parents never had. Stephen's little sister is mine as well. I'm very protective of her. End of gripe. I really hope she had fun. We all had a fabulous time! We played games, ate the terrific food, won prizes. It was great! We had fun with the little group that was there. Wonderful times people, you missed out.
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Saturday, I hosted a Pampered Chef Bridal Shower. Due to the previous shower, I was a little worried. This shower was for a friends daughter. She didn't have a friends shower or neighborhood one, so my friend and I threw this one. More people than I expected showed up, she was given many great and wonderfully fun for the kitchen gifts, and I even got a little somethin' somethin'. Good Times!!!! The food was fantabulously delicious. Fresh fruit and nummy pasta salad. A salad that I would run a 10K so I could just eat that all day. So good! I promise. If you were invited and couldn't come, sorry, but the food was worth it!

Okay, so this is really late....

On Saturday, May 15th Stephen and I ran in the Ogden Marathon Relay race with 3 other fabulous people! I ran the first leg, which is 7 miles, coming mostly downhill from the start of the Marathon. It was HARD on me. I have only run 7 miles once before in my life-the week before the actual race. I got out of my shell and spoke with strangers-uh kinda scary for me-because I needed someone to talk with. I needed someone who was doing the same crazy thing I was only everyone I spoke with is crazier than I am. I have absolutely no desire to run a full marathon. NONE! Go you! if you love them. Not my cup of water. Lisa and I were at the bus loading zone by 5 a.m.ish. I think. It was kick butt early, so I'm not sure. We started out at 7ish a.m. from the start line. I was feeling really good. I had a good pace going. Then Mile 4 came up. My digestive system told me how much it hated me. Mile 5. It screamed at me. I even had to walk about a third of a mile. Mile 6. Only 1 more blasted mile, I can do this! I had to walk again. I felt so defeated. I ran as fast as my chubby legs would take me to my trade off. I did finish in 1 hr. 28 min. I was the last relay runner to get to my team-mate. How embarrassing. Totally not cool. I high-fived Lisa-who is awesome!- and headed straight for the porta johns. So if anybody knows a good something to take for this "Runners trots" problem, please, please, PLEASE let me know. For the love of all, let me know.
Lisa ran 6 miles and was awesome at it. She pulled a 10 min. mile. She in turn high-fived Tara who started out at the 1/2 marathons starting line. Tara is amazing. She hadn't truly prepped for a 1/2 marathon, but she finished the whole dang thing! Tara high-fived Bradi. Bradi is Lisa's s.i.l. and she was very excited to run this marathon. She got to run through Ogden Canyon and she had like a 9 min mile or something. So cool! She then met up with Stephen by the Timbermine. Now my hubby is way cool. He was the last relay runner waiting (uh, I think that is more my fault than anyone else's!) so Bradi didn't have to yell out the name I told her-Stephen is too common of a name. Bradi turned around and picked back up with Tara and finished with her. Stephen took off. He only had the 5K portion of the relay. He had a great pace and was passing other relay runners and felt terrible for passing the marathoners. He really felt bad about that. He ended up having a 8 min. mile I believe or it was 6. I'm not entirely sure, but, he ran fast. Lisa and I waited for him at 23rd and Grant in Ogden. We finished the race with him and our team time was faster than what I had expected. (It must have been the other 4 awesome people on this team.)

It was an experience that, at first, I hated my run-loved everyone else's. Now in hind-sight, I loved my run. It was beautiful. The starting line was great. I was tired and super, super sore the next day, but I would do it again. In fact I'm running a 8 miler with Lisa and Lesa this week. I'm a little worried, but I'll do what I can, they can run ahead and I can just meet them back at the starting line if I have to. No worries. I am working towards running a half sometime within the next year. I will be going on longer runs with Lisa and Stephen and a lot of Ragnar team people. I'm starting to really like this. Now, I truly need a miracle for the "runner" problem I'm having.

Lisa, Bradi, Brooke (Lisa and Bradi's S.I.L. who ran the full), Tara, and Me. Stephen is always behind the camera.

A little late, but that's okay!

On May 8Th, I ran in the Susan G. Komen 5K in S.L.C. I started going to it in 2008 because the year before my Mom had breast cancer. She's all good now with a healthy report card. The first year I walked most of it in 1 hr. 6 min. The second year I ran most of it in 41 min. This year I ran all of it in 34 min. I was so dang pleased with myself I kept telling people, even if I already told them. I loved that race. It was a great day with lots of fun with family. Yay!!! here's to doing what I can to stay cancer free!
My girls went with me this time. Girl #1 ran with my pregnant s.i.l. Sheila and Girl #2 walked the mile with my mom. These are our pre-race pictures. (The post-race ones aren't that great.) I do believe I like the short races.

Oh Yeah!

I'm so excited to be able to say this.....I ran 7 miles on Wednesday with Lisa and two other gals. It was awesome. I only had to stop once and that was at mile 6-ish. It was a great day, no rain or snow. It was warm enough for just the running shirt and pants. I took my camel back with me so I would have plenty of water,which by the way, is a good idea. The camel back didn't bounce like you'd think it would, you just have to make sure it's tight enough to your back. It's the same way with backpacking-tight to your back. Anyway, the only run-in with a dog was about 1/2 mile away from our destination. The others were waiting for me, because, ya know, I'm slow but steady. They were on the other side of the road and were jogging in place. One gal was trying to shew the dog away, but went to the group once they saw me coming. "Just yell at it" they said. Oh I was prepared, I made sure my mouth wasn't dry. I yelled at it telling it to go to its kennel. The dog kept barking at us but started walking away. Ya just gotta know how to handle a dog I guess. This dog was probably trained to not leave the yard, so I really wasn't worried at all. It was the funniest part of our run.
All in all, it was a great run. I loved it and I'm no longer sore. I can't wait to run the Susan G. Komen race on Saturday!!!!! Wahooo! a simple little 5K in S.L.C. No biggie.

Decisions....

Girl #2 was to be baptized on Saturday the 1st of May. I knew this. She knew it. Stephen knew it. We had several things happening that day: Soccer pictures for all three teams, Soccer games, Baptism, Wanting to be outside. The problem we had was that all of it happened at the same time. We didn't know what to do. We asked if she could be baptized later that day or on another day. No to both of those. Stephen finally said, lets ask Girl #2 what she wants to do. She said, with a few pauses, That "I think..it's better...to be baptized." Okay! that made my life easier. Times for pictures were re-scheduled. Make-up games were taken care of. We only had to worry about her baptism. It was fun getting together with family and friends to have some yummy root beer floats. I wish the day would've cooperated though. Rainy days are good for the weekdays, not weekends. I'm thankful for them coming and supporting girl #2. We have the best family and friends in the world.

I'm so so pleased with her for making that decision. She is a beautiful girl who is growing so fast. Sometimes I feel like she's growing so fast, I don't see any of it. She is making better decisions, helping more, working harder in school and at home, practicing her piano more, and in general acting like a eight year of girl should. She is totally excited to be able to participate with the achievement activity day leaders and be a part of it with her friends. She is trying harder to read her scriptures with her brother and on her own.

She is making up her own hairstyles. Side ponytails with the tail still stuck making it a bun type thingy. Braids going in different places. Always asking for a ponytail or bun and taking it out by the end of the day. She is really funny about her hair. She wants to show off her earrings but gets tired of the same thing, so she makes up something totally off the wall. (and of course I didn't get any pictures! lame)

She takes her clothes and puts them together a little differently from what I'd do. She will take a skirt from one outfit, put it with a shirt from another, then add a sweater and make it her own. She does pretty good. It all works together. (again, no pictures, double lame!) It's fun and completely her. I love it and I'm trying to not squash her ideas when I feel they're too different. She is an amazing little girl that is growing up. We are very proud of her decisions she's making. Ya know what, I like my little girl. I like her a lot.