CHRISTMAS: day 1

 Decorating the Christmas tree is not just the application of ornaments when we are putting up the "family tree".  It is like opening up a scrapbook of our adventures.  We have all the handcrafted ornaments that the kiddos have made since they were old enough to hold a pair of scissors or squeeze a glue bottle,  We have the wreaths made of puzzle pieces that capture how young they were at the time.  Reindeers made from their hand impressions and various paper mached items.  Then we have the ornaments that we have gotten on various trips or vacations: cruise ships, mermaids, pieces of Yellowstone or Yosemite.  My favorite is when we start putting up the ornaments that Steve and I have given to each other.  Sometimes they are just cute holiday ornaments and others represent something we did that year.  For example this year Steve gave me an ornament that looks like a purse to represent my new "business" venture.  I made him one with a picture of Suzy Bogguss and a little guitar because he got to meet her this year after her concert. 

  Once it is all done, the ornaments are on, the angel is atop the tree and the pretty red bows have been attached to various limbs.  I love to step back and bask in all we have done in our 16 years of marriage.  A reminder of our good life and how much we are blessed.

RACES turns into a LESSON

Today was the Provo Halloween Half Marathon.  Steve ran this last year and it looked like so much fun I wanted to do it this year.  I ran in the 2nd wave because I run slower than a 2:10.  That did not phase me.  I positioned myself  with the 3:00 pacer.  The gun was fired and we were off.  I loved how the pacer ran.  She ran/walked and it was a perfect pace.  I was feeling great tackling the descent like a pro.  So I am proud to announce I ran the best first 3 miles evah!!! And then it all came to a HALT!!! 

 As I started mile 3, I was running a steep curve and my foot landed wrong and I turned my ankle.  I tried to walk it off and attempted a couple of jogs to catch up with the 3:00 Pacer.  It soon became evident that it was futile.  My ankle was too sore and trying to "hobble" down the canyon was the best I could hope for.  I tried to keep a positive attitude.  I was talking to myself, "...you can do this....its fine to walk...you NEED to finish..."  When I got to the flatter section of the course, it definitely helped a little, but I had definitely slowed down.  Everyone was passing, even a pair of UmpaLumpa.  SERIOUSLY!!!  It was getting harder to keep the positive self talk going.  It slowly turned into, "what was I thinking...I am just fooling myself that I can do these kind of things...Steve is going to be so disappointed in me..."

I run with a Gamin watch. I began to do the math...it wasn't looking good. I also realized I was living up to my saying, "someone has to be last and it might as well be me." I was keeping up with a set of people walking, but around mile 7 I began to drop off.  I was compensating for the ankle, the rest of my body was aching: my knee, my hip, up through my back to my neck.  Now my thoughts are, "I AM PATHETIC...how am I going to get to the finish... please let Steve find me soon,,,"  Shortly before getting to mile marker 9 I saw Steve and I seriously lost it.  I began to cry and apologize for my failure.  He kept telling me to stop apologizing.  It happens.  And I know it happens, but why did it have to happen to me.  I suck at this as it is. 

Steve left me at the parking lot and ran back to the finish, where he needed to catch the bus to take him to where we parked in the morning and then come back and get me.  It took about 1 1/2 hours, while I sat in the freezing cold.  I can't complain.  It was seriously better at that point to freeze to death than to try to walk another 5 miles.  I spent a lot of time thinking.  So grateful for Steve.  EVERY race we have run together, when he is done, he turns around and comes back up the trail and encourages me to finish.  He is my own personal cheerleader.  He is always so proud of my small accomplishment.  He makes me feel as though I am a winner.  All I could think was, "will he be disappointed".  He is such an accomplished runner.  I wish I could be more his equal in this hobby.  Steve finally got there and I entered the warm car and then the complete disappointment enveloped me.  I had not finished.  I may be slow, but I have never not finished!!!  I expressed to him my sense of failure. He then told me he was proud of me.  He knows how hard this is for me.  That at least I try and that these things happens, even to the most accomlished runner.   He asked if I wanted to get my medal...the thought of that medal crushed me.  That is the symbol of completion, of SUCCESS.  How could I accept that piece of hardware knowing I fell short.  The ride home I rode with a broken heart.  Now my biggest fear was telling my kids.  I have liked knowing the see me do these things that I am obviously not good at, but I FINISH.  We walked in the door and on the landing they had made a sign saying "WELCOME HOME MOM and DAD" with a drawing of the two of us running.  That definitely warmed my heart.  Then I had to tell them that I had not finished.  I was injured and did not cross the finish and it was then that one of them said to me, "we are proud of you mom and least you tried".

And that's the truth of it isn't it.  I could just throw up my hands and say, "I suck at running I am not doing this...I am slow...It's too much work" but I don't!!  I keep putting myself out there and trying, pushing myself.  Doing things that are not in my comfort zone.  I don't want to commit to any races now, but I don't think I am hanging up my wa-ogging shoes.   I owe it to myself to keep trying!!!  So grateful for my support system: Steve and the kids that keep me going.

Halloween Crafts...

Mikki saw this at Swiss Days and shared with me...so we HAD to make it.  Love all the different shaped letters and the glittered witch hat

Love the way my fireplace and mantel turned out this year.  Replaced my fireplace screen with these fence post animals. 

Close up of the fence post figures

I purchased 2 vinyl subway arts from Wood Connection...Cut a piece of wood to 12x12, painted it and then applied the vinyl.  So simple but way cute!!

I made this one at the end of last Halloween, but had to share it.  Everyone in the family has said home much they like that little guy!!

Always in my Heart

 

 Much of my thoughts have been on my Grandma Sansevero....Susie Sansevero....for the past few days.  I am not sure why.  Do you ever just suddenly find you are missing someone, even if it has been years (20+) since you have seen that person.  That is how I have felt recently.  I have wondered if it is because I have been watching many of the Soap Operas going off the air.  To many people this probably seems like no big deal, but this would have CRUSHED my Gram.  Well she would have been crushed watching all the early morning game shows disappear first.  I remember as a child the ritual of sitting down and watching Password, Jokers Wild, Tic Tac Dough, Price is Right or Wheel of Fortune in the morning as she crocheted and once we had challenged our brains sufficiently we settled into episodes of Ryan's Hope, Another World and Days of Our Lives.  She loved to watch her "shows".  And now as an adult (I am admitting this for all the world or at least the 5 people that actually read my blog) I LOVE soaps...I have been known to sneak away and watch a little bit of All My Children, One Life to Live or General Hospital.  So now, to what the era come to an end, I can't help but remember Gram and those moments of watching the programs with her.

 In that same mobile home that I was introduced to "over the top" soaps, there sat an end table that held a treasure trove of photos from the 1940s and 1950s.  There were these beautiful images of a much younger Susie; dressed up in fashions of the era-dresses, high heel shoes and beautiful hats.  I loved looking through those pictures.  I am sure that was the beginning of my love for things "retro"or "vintage".  She would tell me stories about what a fun lady she was back in the day and I could see that in the pictures.  I am so sad those beautiful pictures have disappeared and I am pretty sure I will never see them again.

So much of who I am, came from Grandma.  She was a card player.   She Rummy and Canasta.  I was playing Canasta when I was eight and LOVING it.  To this day I love playing cards.  She was a crafter of  sorts.  She crocheted.  She made doilies, blankets, table clothes, dolls.  I remember her giving me one of her crochet needles and some yarn and teaching me to crochet at a young age.  I don't crochet much now, but I am pretty "crafty" and feel good if my hands are busy.  She loved to sun bathe.  I know it is not PC to layout and bake yourself, but I still love to lay out on a lounge chair in the backyard and feel the sun on my skin.  This was an Italian woman that loved the food of her heritage.  I remember the kitchen on Christmas Eve being enveloped with the aroma of different seafood and fishy scents.  She made homemade macaroni (what we refer to as pasta) on the dining room table.  And even with her love of Mediterranean cuisine, she had an love for Chinese food.  YUM!! 

I am so grateful for the time I spent with Gram as a child and all she exposed me to and taught me. I still love her tons and hope I keep parts of her alive to my kiddos by exposing them to the things she introduced me to.

TOP of UTAH

Yesterday, Steve and I left the kiddos with my mom and pop while we sneaked away to Logan for his marathon.  We spent Friday evening birthday shopping for the twins, having dinner and just enjoying a little one-on-one time.  But the main reason we were up there was for Steve.  He woke up at 4am, dressed and went down to the lobby on the Holiday Inn Express we were staying at to meet the shuttle that would take him to the start.  I stayed in the room snuggled up in the bed, just watching the clock as I imagined what he was experiencing-the anticipation, the cold, the build up of adrenaline, etc...I finally got my self dressed and stopped off at WalMart to pick up an umbrella because Mother Nature had played a little joke on us that morning by raining.  I made it to the finish line with my new umbrella protecting me from the rain as I watched  5K runners.  This year I had signed up to get text message notifications of where Steve was a long the course and it actually worked this time.  I kind of liked that.  It helped me anticipate exactly when Steve would be crossing the finish line.  The timer above the finish line hit 3:00 hours and I knew it would not be long until I would see my runner.  There he was about ten minutes later running towards me.  I just can't help myself when I see Steve during his races.  I yell and call his name.  Many of the people around me looked as if I had two heads, but truthfully I didn't care.  I am always so extremely proud of Steve.  He works hard during the months leading up to his races.  He runs on his days off, whether he wants to or not.  I know he sets the bar high for himself to achieve a certain time, but I am always tickled that he comes in as early as he does.  I was inspired by watching him run some of these marathons to tackle my first half marathons.  I obviously don't achieve the excellence that he does, but I have learned that you run your own race and have learned to be proud of my accomplishments.  I hope he remembers those lessons he taught me as he continues to challenge himself and run future races.

TEMPLE to TEMPLE

 What a great way to start Labor Day morning, we woke up early and drove up to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple to participate in the Temple to Temple Steeplechase race.  Steve and the kids did this one last year while I was in Virginia Beach participating in a Half Marathon.  I was actually kind of jealous that they had done such a neat race, so as soon as I heard that registration for this had opened I made sure we were doing it.

The kids took off and Steve hung out with me in the rear of the pack.  It is actually a pretty cool course.  I would like to do it more often.  We caught up with the kiddos at the finish which was at the Jordan River Temple, 5 miles later.  I think one of the best parts of doing these races with the kids is seeing that look of accomplishment in their eyes.

CREATIVE ESCAPE

 Annette and I went to Creative Escape this year.  Unfortunately, this was the last one.  Kathy and Kim  joined us also.  The first day we spent doing the various make and takes.  We made the aprons we are wearing.  Heidi Swapp taught that class sponsored by YuDu.  We did not actually get to use the YuDu machines, the images were all put on the aprons before we got there.  But we did get to make the cute chiffon flowers.  And I love finding new techniques to make flowers.

 The next day, our classes began.  Karen Burniston was our first teacher.  We made a cute album in the Creative Escape colors, but the most exciting part was the pop up we assembled.  I never know I could make something like that and actually have it work.  Our next class was with Amy Totty.  I actually have taken classes with her before and have always loved the projects.  She did not disappoint me this time either.  We mostly worked on the cover for an album.  She had us use UHU glue stick and "smushed" fabric onto the glue to make a ruching pattern.  I was not sure it would turn out the way she was saying it would, but it did.  Probably the best technique I have learned in a long time.  Out final class for the day was with my all time favorite, Ali Edwards.  Her projects are always so simple, but extremely meaningful.

 What is almost as important as scrapbooking, GOOD FOOD!!!  Our meals were included in our registration fee.  The dinner was tasty, but these mini apple pies were to die for.  And after dinner, when we returned to our rooms we had some goodies from Creative Escape waiting for us.  I don't think we cared much what was actually in the gift bags, but just loved getting a surprise.

 The evening was spent getting some of the projects from our day finished up. 

 Saturday was also filled with four more classes.  We made a cute welcome sign with Heidi Lynn Schreiber.  We embossed some of the papers for the sign and again I discovered something new to get excited about.  We then made more fabric flowers.  This was so much fun.  Janet Hopkins was a different class.  It wasn't an album or page.  It was a shadow box frame that you decorate.  It was a fun project and I will hang it in my scraproom, but after having taken a few classes from Janet, I was actually a little disappointed that it was an album.  Our final class was with Vicki Boutin.  She taught a couple of 12x12 layouts and I don't usually do anything in that size anymore, but I loved some of the techniques she taught and other ideas she gave us.  She is totally a cute lady.  So glad I was able to take her class.

Then before we knew it, we were at the final dinner.  The end of another great scrapping get away.  I love having these escapes with other creative women.  Thanks to the teachers at the event, but especially to my wonderful friends that I spent the time with.

PHOTOS of HAWAII

Wait a minute...that doesn't say Washington DC!!!

Body surfing on Kamaole Beach II

Katie ready to do some snorkeling at Black Rock

Belle with her completed sand sculpture.
People stopped and took pictures of it.

After snorkeling with the sea turtles at Hono Cove

Stopped at the BlowHole

A little shaka from my two guys

One of the many waterfalls on the Road to Hana

Stop at "Halfway to Hana" for a shaved ice with vanilla ice cream...YUM-O!!!!

Steve and the kids after hiking down to the "Three Bears" falls

Steve showing us how to climb the coconut tree. 
Its not as easy as you would think

My awesome family at Wai'anapanapa State Park

 

Yes, we have bananas today!!!

Becky making a sea turtle

Nikki boogie boarding for the first time in YEARS!!!

Some good looking kids...can't believe how big they all are

Belle at Haleakala National Park...10,000 feet above sea level!!

My beautiful daughter, Katie, during the beautiful Maui sunset

Can't believe how beautiful these girls are

Aloha Maui....Mahalo for a wonderful family vacation!!!

KISS ME DIRTY

BEFORE the RACE, CLEAN and PRISTINE

I participated in a different kind of race this week...a MUD RUN.

My friends, Jennifer and Mikki, talked me into signing up for this cool race series named "KISS ME DIRTY".  HOLY COW!!!  This has every other race I have every done beat!!!  I was so afraid there would be a 12 foot wall we would have to scale and jump off of.  But quite the contrary, the obstacles were very manageable.  There were walls to climb and puddles to crawl through, but it was hilariously crazy.  I have to admit, having Jennifer and Mikki there to do it along with made it that much more fun.  We were chucking clumps of mud and pushing and pulling eachother into the puddles.  The little streams that we had to traverse were so cold, my feet were cramping up.  In the end there was mud all over our bodies, hair, in the shoes and even in places that were pretty well covered (that's what I discovered when I got home to take a shower). We found out there is another race in August and are planning to do it again.  Who knew physical activity could be so much FUN!!!

If you are curious how some of the course looked here are some pictures the local newspaper took yesterday.



AFTER 4 MESSY MILES of OBSTACLES on WHEELER FARM