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.

I LOVE BEING A GIRL

Last week I went to Deseret Industries (which is like a Goodwill or Thrift Shop) looking for some old books to convert into cute little purses. As I made my way to the book area, I noticed a couple of pieces of furniture. One was a large, overstuffed chair that was practically new. Then behind that I saw this beautiful make-up vanity with an upholstered stool. The stool was still new with a piece of plastic covering it. The vanity also appeared new with a couple of small scratches. And the best part was both pieces were just $35.00. I put it on hold and drove home to see what Steve thought of buying it. He came back with me and looked it over and agreed it was a good deal. The only flaw was there were no lights and where we wanted to put it in our bedroom we would have to install lights. We went to Home Depot and after thoroughly confusing an older gentleman that was working in the electrical department, we walked out with two light bars. Steve, the handyman that he is, attached them to either side of the mirror on the vanity and wired them to have a plug and on/off switch. He did such a great job.

So this morning I moved my makeup into the little drawer. After taking my shower I got to sit at my "girlie" make-up vanity. What a fun way to start off my day...I LOVE BEING A GIRL!!!

I'M DREAMING OF...

A WHITE THANKSGIVING? This is what we woke up to this morning...9" of snow. I am actually pretty excited. Most of the leaves have fallen off the trees and the yards were beginning to look at little brown and dead. So once that happens I am ready for the snow and the winter. Its not our 1st snow...we had gotten a few dustings, but nothing that really stuck through the day. This was REAL snow.
Steve and I got the kids out of bed and they donned their snow clothes and shovels and took to the driveway. It was a pretty heavy snow and it took them about an hour, with the help from Steve, to get it all done. Once they were done they enjoyed hot cocoa and a yummy breakfast. Then Steve left for work. It was then that I got the 1st phone call...

Ring-ring...

"Hello?"

"Oh, hi Lindsi"

"Yes, it is good packing snow"

"What is Steve gonna make?"

"Well, he has gone to work"

"You think he is looking sick last time you saw him and he should come back home? And making snow sculptures is a great way to treat a cold?"

"I'll let him know"

It continued after I got to church. People told me how excited they were to see what he was gonna to make. Telling me they wanted to drive by later to and see what was in our yard. So when I got home from church, I called Steve and told him that I was pretty sure that if he did not do a snow sculpture tonight the neighborhood might rebel. The kids went out to the backyard and tried to make a snow fort of their own, but I wouldn't let them build in the front yard, so they could save the snow for Steve.

So after we finished our Sunday dinner, Steve changed into warm snow clothes and grabbed one of the resin turkeys I have sitting on the hutch and out he went. The kids were excited to join him. Belle actually said that it is a tradition to help dad out. I'm not sure how much they actually help, but I think they enjoy being out there with him while he is doing it.

Even after all these years it still amazes me how quickly he can get one of these up. He did tell me that the snow was already beginning to get crusty when he got out there. Which made it difficult to but much detail into the feathers, but I still think his turkey turned out pretty good.

Hoping that the neighbors who inquired about what he would make, will enjoy driving by and seeing our sculpture. Its neat that he has this talent he is able to share with our neighbors and that they seem so excited to "appreciate" it.

RUNNING SCARED

Steve ran in what will probably be his last race of 2010...the Provo Halloween Half Marathon. What a fun race to finish the year off on. He joined lots of other racers in costumes as the ran down Provo Canyon. He pulled out the "Scarecrow" costume I made him several years ago when we dressed up together as Dorothy and the Scarecrow. We had heard that it is a pretty fast course and that many people can PR on this one. So I was a little nervous that with the costume on he might not have a fabulous time, but he managed to finish with a time of 1:22...which is pretty darn good. Not a PR, but he 2nd best 1/2 marathon time.
I am gonna gush a little. I am so proud of Steve and his ability to do so well when he runs these races. I love standing around the finish line and watching the other racers come by. Then the moment comes when I get a glimpse of him. It is not usually so easy to pick him out as it was this time (not many guys dressed like scarecrows running ). I get so excited. I get so torn between taking pictures of him running or cheering him on. I usually choose the cheering and miss getting some better shots.

HOBBLECREEK 1/2 MARATHON

I wa-ogged (walk/jogged) in my 3rd half marathon of the year. I have been a little more nervous than I usually am before a race. My experience in the Ogden 1/2 in May was HORRIBLE and I was afraid of having some of the same problems. I was also nervous about all the steep down hills that you run in Hobblecreek. Needless to say, I still got myself out of bed at 3:30 am and got my running clothes on, taped up my feet to hopefully prevent blisters and got my bagel and banana to eat before the race. Steve and I drove to Mapleton and boarded the bus about 5:15 am and it took us up the mountain. This, in my opinion, is the most nerve racking part of the day. That 13.1 miles seems so much longer when you driving it in the bus. The bus let us out about 1 mile from the starting line, so you walk up a hill to get to the start. Our friends, the Hanceys, had driven their rv up to the camp site, that is located at the start, so we found them and hung out in a warm rv before the race. I kissed Steve good-bye and wished him luck as he made his way closer to the front of the running pack and I headed toward the tail end. The race was suppose to begin at 7:15am, but we did not actually start until 7:55am. I was a little bothered by this...you want to avoid running when it is super hot and those 40 minutes we waited, was eating up that "cooler" running time. Before I knew it, I was off, crossing the start mat and activating my timing chip. I felt GREAT. I would alternate between jogging and walking. I especially jogged on those down hills and took advantage of the momentum you get. I kept pace with my Garmin watch. I was doing awesome (for me). Last year I had finished this same race in 3 hours and 19 minutes, so my goal for this year was to finish in 3:15. But by the end of the 2nd hour I could see I was on pace to get their closer to 3 HOURS!!! I was so excited and not feeling any of the aches and pains I have felt before during a race. When I got to mile 10, I saw Steve. He had finished his race and came back up the trail and found me. I have to tell you have blessed I feel to have such a supportive husband. I was so excited to tell him about how well I was doing and how good I felt physically. I did slow down a little when I got to the part of the course that leads through the neighborhoods (about mile 11 and 12) and it was then I started to feel a blister on the side of my heal, rubbing every time I stepped. I pulled out my ear buds when I saw the sign that said MILE 13 and ran on the grass trail that lead to the finish line. I finished with a time of 3:08!!!

One of the biggest lessons I have learned in the past 3 years of participating in these 1/2 marathons is EVERYONE RUNS THEIR OWN RACE. I am so proud of what I do. I am slow and I walk/jog the whole thing, but I am doing it. I am in the back of the pack, but I am doing it. And this race was neat because I could see improvement. I jogged more than I usually do, I can feel my body has gotten strong from the work I have put in. I love the sense of accomplishment.

FATHER'S DAY 2010

One of my favorite family traditions...FATHERS DAY HIKE/BREAKFAST.

We have been doing this for a few years. We make a simple breakfast and then find a place to hike to and have a picnic. I think it Steve enjoys it too. This year we headed up Little Cottonwood Canyon. Unfortunately the place we have hiked to in years past was closed due to the snow melt, so we hiked the other side of the road where there was a pretty stream and a cool waterfall. It was a great morning, with a pretty incredible husband and dad!!

SALT LAKE MARATHON

This was my first time running in the Salt Lake City Half Marathon. Steve has run the Full course a couple of times and it was the 5K that I first tried any sort of race. This year I thought I would give the half a try. We got a ride to the start in our friend's motor home. Which made it very convenient for last minute potties before the race. Steve and the other "real" runners took their place toward the front of the pack, while I headed to the back of the line where I would feel more at home. I was a little nervous to be ll alone, but once I crossed the start line, I really got into the fact that I could o at my own pace. No worries about how fast the person with me was running or the fear of going too slow and embarrassing myself. It was my race, my run and I would do it MY way.
I enjoyed the course, more than I thought I would. I did not have my best time, but I had thought it would take me 3:45 to complete the whole thing I was done in 3:25. So that was an accomplishment, for me. And even better was that I felt GREAT. I did have a few blisters on my feet, which I was actually a little proud of and wore like metals of honor. The Salt Lake Half is definitely a race I would like to try again.

BOYS and THEIR TOYS

Since Steve got his truck, 3 years ago, he has wanted to get a trailer to tow behind it. We have gone to the RV shows and walked through them and picked up the brochures, but just couldn't bring ourselves to actually buy one. Well, we began to plan a trip to Yosemite and thought it might be cool to rent an RV and drive it there and sleep in it rather than doing the tent thing. I LOVED the idea. So one day we went to the rental agency and inquired how much it would be to rent one for 4 days and go all the way to California...$2000!!! SERIOUSLY!!! I was a little disappointed, it seemed like such a fun way to do the vacation. As we drove out of the parking lot I noticed an RV dealership next door and thought maybe we should stop there and see if they rent. Unfortunately they didn't but the salesman said he had a used one that had just been traded in. We went and checked it out...it was in great shape and they made us a deal. And that is how we bought a trailer when we went out to rent one for a trip. I have to be completely honest...I think I am as excited as Steve. It is not a HUGE trailer, we actually did not one a great big one. We wanted one that Steve could use in the late fall and early spring to help with his cabin fever, but still be able to use with the whole family. It has beds for 4...I know we have 6 in our family, but we kind of figure that on most of our family trips the kids are gonna want to sleep in the tent anyway.

I also love the thought of having a warm place to go, but by far the best part is having a potty. That was a must if we bought a trailer.

Steve and Zack have already taken it out on an over-nighter and everything seemed to work fine. I am so glad and look forward to more trips and memory making with my family.

VALENTINE DATE

Steve and I decided that instead of buying each other "gifts" just for the sake of buying each other something for Valentines Day, that we would go out together on Friday night. He made a reservation for us to go out to dinner and then we planned to go to a dance that our church was having. I spent much of the week being excited for Friday night. Monday after bowling I went shopping for a new dress.

I went to Dillards and Macys without much luck, but when I got to Penneys that all changed. I went into the dressing room with 10 dresses and loved them all. I was most excited about a red one that I had seen a few months ago when Steve and I had been shopping but it was regular price (and I HATE purchasing stuff at regular price) so I didn't buy it back then. Guess what...it was on the clearance rack today and in my size. WHOOO HOOOO!!! So that was the dress I chose and when I got to the register I was even more thrilled to find it was about 90% off...GET OUT of TOWN!!! Totally made my day. That meant I would have enough extra money to buy new shoes too!!!

Friday as we started our day, Steve showed me the shirt he had bought to wear on our date. I was thrilled to see he had bought something new to wear on our date too. He knows I like the shirts that are out there for men that look like a dress shirt, but then have another graphic on them...so he got one and I LOVED IT!!! I totally would have picked that out for him. Before we left for our evening out my parents and the kids got to see us all gussied up and took some pictures. It was a fabulous evening. We went to Madeline's and had a nice meal together and then went to the church for the dance. They had a photographer there who was taking photographs of the couples for free. So we stood in line and got of pictures taken before we hot the dance floor...which was a good thing because once we started dancing the pretty hair had lost its bounce and much of the makeup had been sweated off. We waltzed, swinged, boot scoot boogied and even chacha'd the night away. It felt like old times, having Steve lead me in a dance, hold me in his arms as a slow song played and twirled me around.
We had our 16th year of doing the 14 DAYS of VALENTINES. I made 14 different tags with a different quote on each one like, "You are the best thing in my LIFE" and then tied it to a box of LIFE cereal or "You LIGHT up my life" and tied it to a light bulb. It was a fun one to do this year. Steve gave me a card everyday that showed different sides of his personality that have come out in him since we have been together. And with each one there was corresponding pictures. I so appreciated the thought and effort that went into his valentines for me this year. I have the coolest husband that continues to do this silly tradition with me, but even more because he doesn't just show me how much he loves me during the 14 DAYS of VALENTINES, but he shows me every single day.

CANOE TRIP

On Memorial Day, after a few years of twarted plans, Zack and Steve finally got to canoe the San Raphael River. The 20 mile stretch passes through what's called Utah's "Little Grand Canyon". With the exception of late May and early June, there usually isn't enough water flow to avoid a lot of walking.
By 9am My mom and I dropped off my guys at Fuller Bottom, then drove to the take-out at the Swinging Bridge and dropped off Steve's truck. It had rained the previous couple days but the muddy roads were still in relatively good shape.
Before long on the river, the sun came out and things warmed up nicely. The canyon narrowed and the river sometimes passed right up against the cliff walls. The steady current kept them moving along with ease. Along the river banks, the lush, green vegetation stood in stark contrast to the dry, red desert surrounding. Birds and beaver made their presence known as they drifted along.
About noon they stopped at a grove of cottonwood trees and had lunch. Steve scouted around and was impressed by the many color varieties of the prickly-pear cacti in the area.
Surprisingly, they only saw one other group of boaters (camping along the river) and only 2 hikers the whole time.
After 5 hours on the water, they made it to the bridge and loaded up the canoe again. It had been a while since Zack and Steve had spent the day together and they both really enjoyed joking and singing together as they cruised through the beautiful gorge.

CANYONLANDS 5 MILE & HALF MARATHON

March 21, 2009 in Moab, Utah

Steve and I participated in the Canyonlands 5 Mile & Half Marathon.

We signed up with a bunch of friends from our neighborhood back in November. We had a friend who was kind enough to arrange for hotel rooms to accommodate 16 runners and some of their families. Through his efforts we essentially had nothing to worry about other than training to complete our own races.
Steve signed on to run in the 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles) And when he crossed the finish line his time was 1 hour and 29 minutes. I was so very proud of him and was there to watch him cross. But I have finally come to the realization that I am unable to cheer him on and take photos of him. I did manage to get a picture of his shoulder (it is the blue shirt in between the two people with orange shirts on). I was so proud of him for doing such an awesome job. I just admire his ability to push himself. I chose to run in the 5 mile race and had a goal for completing it in 90 minutes. I managed to finish in 1 hour and 16 minutes.

BIKING in MOAB

A few months ago Steve signed up to run in the Moab Half Marathon and since our anniversary was a few days prior to the race we decided to make it a little anniversary trip without the children. Mom and Pop were kind enough to take all the children on Friday morning and Steve and I continued the rest of the drive to Moab. The first place we stopped was to Zax's Pizza . We knew that the restaurants would be pretty busy at dinner time, so we hit our favorite restaurant for lunch. I highly recommend stopping there and catching a bite if you are ever in Moab.

After lunch, Steve and I drove the course for the race. I got an idea of what my 5 mile course would be like and then we continued on to where the half marathon would begin. It is a neat course that mostly runs through a canyon along the Colorado River. We then continued down this road another 10 miles or so to a turn off for Onion Creek . The van splashed through little streams as we drove our way up this hill. Steve then pulled off the road and let out me and my bike and then he drove back down the hill and met me back at the start.

We then made our way down. It was so much fun splashing through each little stream that we came across. I did lose a little control as I entered one of the streams and went a little off the road, which was just as fun. It was a fun way to spend the afternoon with Steve.

Be My Valentine

This is the book I made for Steve this year. We did our 14 DAYS of VALENTINES. Everyday I gave him another page for the book. Each page was about one of the songs that make me think of Steve...our PLAYLIST. Then on Valentines Day I gave him a CD with the 14 songs and then an additional 7 songs that I also liked. He seemed to appreciate this gift.

Curious what he did for me? Well my honey made me cards for each day that were maps that had landmarks with "romantic" names like FRIENDSHIP HILL or KISSING LAKE. It was quite creative and must of taken a lot of time and tons of map reading to find 14 different places.