New addition.....

...to the blog :)

As you can see, I added a link to Hammer Nutrition on our side bar. Clicking on graphic will take you straight to their page and my client number. By using it on your first purchase you can get 15% off which usually at least covers shipping, a lot of times more. If you or anyone you know could benefit from longer stronger workouts and races, click it, order, and be prepared to develop the addiction I have (note: this stuff is not really addictive, I just really believe in it and won't train and race without it). Here is my summary of Hammer found underneath the graphic at the bottom of our sidebar.

I am passionate about these guys. They are a Montana based company producing amazing endurance fuels and supplements. This stuff is not just for crazy marathoning triathletes like myself. Anyone hoping to work out and/or race strong up to and over an hour can benefit from Hammer products. The products are made from ALL natural ingredients, no simple sugars, are easy on the stomach, as well as actually palatable. Please contact me with any questions - I have been a dedicated Hammer user for almost 4 years, I would love to help you.

Fuel Right, Feel Great!!!

Moab!

Ok, so these pics aren't complete, but it's been a week, so I oughta at least put something up. We headed to Moab last thursday for a getaway and the Canyonlands Half Marathon. We arrived in Moab about 8:00pm and started looking for a campsite. Well, after 3 hours and seriously looking through 150+ campsites, we finally found something at 11:30 that night. Yuck. That wasn't so much fun. We were really worried what we were gonna do. We got down there thursday thinking we'd avoid the rush from the racers and all would be well. Well, it would've been had there not been spring break bikers/jeepers that had probably been there since early in the week. Anyway, loved where we ended up at Ken's Lake. It's a small man made lake within walking distance of the campground that was ventured down to to wade and dig in the sand. Stay tuned for the sand castle/fortress picture we took.

Oh funny kid moment. We only opened the tent trailer we brought down (thanks Wade! Jer's dad) just a little thursday to load it, and Mckayla was not too impressed with the size. Well they were all asleep when we finally got set up that night and in the morning I woke just before Mckayla and her little eyes lit up "Mom! It's so much bigger in here than I imagined!" Cute girl. They had a blast in there. We are tent campers no problem, but it sure was nice to have the extra room to move and the warmth.

Anyway, Friday we did some hiking around the campground and went into town to pick up my race packet.
Race Day went great! My conservative goal was 1:45, optimistic 1:40. I had everything prepared and rode the bus up with my good friend Heidi. It was funny to look up in the rocks on he hillside and see people everywhere. We got going, parted ways after a minute or two and off I went. I felt really good and wasn't sure about holding the pace the whole race, but I did. I ran with a really nice guy from the running club I'm with that was a great pacer for several miles. The last 2 miles I was feeling it pretty good, but hung on to finish in 1:39. 2 minutes off my PR, but for this hilly course I was really pleased with it.

I owe so much to Jer. He got up at 7am to drop Heidi and I off at the start, but that's the least of what he does. He packs the car and gets most of everything ready and sets most everything up once we get there. He deals with nerves and anxiousness from me before the race (I am pretty good about it after all these years though), and then wrangles all 3 kids for hours while I'm racing. And for instance, not just the hour and a half I raced yesterday, he has them for hours before the race even starts as I have to get to the busses and get to the start or set up equiptment in the transition area for triathlons. Then he often has to hang around at the finish while I recover and wait for a massage. He's so great, I love you honey! Thanks for making this all possible. Seriously, I do the training, but he watches kids when I have to train long, he makes the money so we can travel to race, he takes care of everything while we're there. I have the easy job come race day :) After the race we did some hiking at our campground. This was our view from our camp site. We hiked the Faux Falls there. Some man made falls, but still very pretty. Mckayla is SUCH a hiker and climber. She got up here all by herself, I just followed her for supervision.

Sweet Talmy, he wants to climb like Kayla but we don't quite trust him to do so yet. So after we all got to the top of the falls and Mckayla and I hiked higher, he hung out with Dad and Kaitlyn. What a handsome man he is, my sweet blonde haired surfer boy.

He did get to do a little climbing of his own though. Good thing it was in front of Daddy, I probably would've freaked out.

And our captive little Kait

The view from the top

This was funny. Mckayla is so fearless. She wanted to get off the ledge I'm standing on to see the water below. Well we told her to wait for Jer but she said she'd be fine. What'd she do? Fall flat on her bum. Was kind of a sickening sound and sight and she was a bit upset, but she was totally fine as is evident by her pose in this pic taken less than a minute after her fall. :)

Kaitlyn is back there in the backpack, I promise, she's not the one taking the picture.

Sunday afternoon became really windy and we were in a pretty wide open high plain, so we decided to pack up for our last night. Didn't take too long, and we drove a couple miles out of Moab and onto Hwy 279 which is a scenic byway through high windy rock faces on each side, it was really neat. Our campsite was right up next to a cliff that allowed good climbing by the kids, it's amazing how fast they can climb!

Loved the high rock walls, and the kids found Indian writing right in our campground. It's real too, we saw it in several other places along the highway.

And oh my Mckayla. She wanted to tell stories at the campfire. It was Jer's turn and she stopped him quickly when she knew it was a story about his past, "it has to be made up Dad!". I started to tell one and she reminded me that it "needs to have some danger in it to be good". I love her cute little crossed hands and legs.

Apparently Talm was a bit bored by our stories as we found him "sleeping" on a nice soft rock.

Monday we hiked to Corona Arch and the kids and Dad went on a drive while I rode 20 miles on a scenic byway down there, very nice. Pics to come.
We had a great time! Great race and weather and it was just so nice to getaway from everyday life. Can't wait to do it again soon!

Oh and on the way home, guess what else I did? Signed up for Ironman St George 2010!!!

Oh baby.......

IRONMAN St George was made official today! I have been itching to conquer it, but my choice not to race on a Sunday gives me the option of, uh, Florida and that's it. Well, this baby is SATURDAY May 1, of next year 2010. And it's in my own backyard. I'd love to travel somewhere cool like Couer d'Alene again or Canada or Lake Placid, but we just don't have the funds for that right now or in the forseeable future. My family could also come watch me. I don't normall care too much if extended family comes or not, but this is different, this is Ironman! The race is in late spring which makes long rides outside difficult, the course is hilly, but baby I want in. Whoever said any day filled with a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run was easy? I was not anticipating registration to open already (it opened today) and these things fill up very very fast. Now the big question........where am I going to get the $ to enter???

Thursday:
We are headed down to Moab today for the first race of the season, the Canyonlands Half Marathon. I am so excited! I'm super excited to race again, excited for warmer weather, and especially for a getaway. We borrowed Jer's dad's tent trailer and plan to take the kids into Arches. I myself have never been to Moab so I cannot wait.

One year ago today

I ran the Rex Lee 5k down at BYU 35 weeks pregnant.  It was fun too!  I pop out dramatically in the front and not at all on the side (literally like a basketball) so it was fun to be passed by people - that is the only time you will hear me say that...seriously :)  - and I looked fine from the back and then they'd see this belly gradually grow as they ran along side me.  I quite quite a few double takes.  It really was good fun though.  If we have another baby my goal is to run a half marathon (13.1 miles) with that baby.

I wish the pictures were better.  They really don't make me look as pregnant as I was.

Look at little Talm

And now:

This was from the Safe Kids Fair we went to a last week.  They had fun learning all about different safety things and sports.  It was free which was a big reason we went.  I really enjoy lots of activities with the kids, but I definately watch what we spend, 90% of the time it's free.

Today for instance I took them ice skating at the Olympic Oval after a ward activity.  It was fun, but they both need lots of practice.  Mckayla does pretty well and can go around the whole track herself with this little walker thing they can hold onto, and I know she enjoys it.  I'd love to put her in lessons soon.  Talm also loves to skate but doesn't grasp standing up once I hold onto his hands so I end up dragging him and his flailing feet around which is kind of exhausting especally after the 75 mile ride I went on today!!!  The farthest I've ridden ever and holy crap that's a long way, but it really didn't feel like it.  I didn't check the mileage till I got home, just went by time knowing about how long that distance would take me.  I really felt fine the whole way until the last 5 miles or so which weren't bad I could just tell I was tired.  I rode east side which was fun, haven't done that in a long time, rode down into Lehi past point of the mountain where not one dump truck was out (awesome!!), west toward the Oquirrh's and then back home past Camp Williams and the new Daybreak Temple.  I am so glad I have Jer to help me.  He puts up with a lot.  Friday and Saturdays I am easily gone 5-10 hours over the two days and it hasn't been early in the morning since it's not light out.  Most of the time the rides at least are the middle of the day.  He balks and complains a bit, which can be expected, but I'm so thankful he helps me to have time for this crazy stuff I love.  I do look forward to the end of May when the Ogden Marathon and the Little Red Riding Hood Century will be over so that I can train shorter and faster concentrating on 50 mile ride distances and 13 mile runs instead of 100 mile rides and 26 mile runs.  I can train more early morning and it will be nice to be home more.  Thanks honey!

A child of God

This morning in Sacrament meeting we had the opporunity to have a special needs group/branch give the program. Most of these people were adults with a few teenagers, all suffering from different ailments. Most all of them bore their testimonies which were so touching. They are so full of light and truth and spirit and faith. They are so happy. They also sang several songs for us, one being "I am a child of God". I've been very touched singing the song holding a brand new baby, but never been quite so touched by the words I italisized as I was when we joined with them in singing.

I am a child of God,
And so my needs are great;
Help me to understand his words
Before it grows too late.

I am a child of God.
Rich blessings are in store;
If I but learn to do his will
I'll live with him once more.

I chose to italisize the words I did for a reason. "And so my needs are great", didn't mean to me these special people are more high maintenence, it meant more of they have different needs to be met and a special spirits with different needs than others. "Rich blessing are in store" is obvious. We know these sweet people are and will be blessed, but I also believe rich blessings are given during their life and are in store after this life for the families of these special people. And it is without question that they will live with Him once more. I wish I could put this in better words, and interject the spirit as strongly as it was during this meeting. I don't cry much, but singing along with these great spirits was so touching and did bring me to tears.

There were two lovely poems read as well. At the moment I cannot find the first one, but if anyone knows it please let me know. It talked of "the sweetest angel" (a special needs child) in heaven who was looking for a mother/family to come down to. She approched several mothers hoping for their acceptance and love but was turned away with things like "I'm inadequate to care for you", "it would inconvinience our life", and "I just couldn't deal with the sorrow", and other such reasonings. She sadly went from mother to mother being told no when she finally came upon a mother who welcomed her with open arms to be her child and a member of their family and who saw that child as a great blessing. Honestly, I do fear having a special needs child and/or the death of a child. I worry about my inadequacy to give them all they deserve, afraid of the lifelong commitment, and I also worry my heart couldn't handle the heartbreak of life and death with a special child. That said, this poem brought to life that these great spirits need homes, they need someone to love them, a home to bless with their presence. I'm sure it's overwhelming to anyone who has such a child, but I just hope and pray if I was faced with that that I would accept all the help of the Spirit I'm sure is given and find a way to make that life a great one.

The other poem that was read was "Welcome to Holland"
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome To Holland".
"Holland?!?" you say, "What do you mean "Holland"??? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy"But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.So you must go and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around…and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills...Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy...and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you willsay "Yes that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned".And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away...because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.But...if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things...about Holland.

I really love this poem and it is fitting for so many different situations. The one situation I've been a part of for the past almost 7 years is with my sister in law Emily. Emily is Jeremy's older sister and has Down Syndrome. She is very high functioning. She's has had a 20 hour a week job for the last 10 years, has graduated from Institute more times than I can count, is an accomplished pianist, and recently had the opportunity to go to the Temple and receive her Endowments. It was an amazing experience, one she looked so at peace with. Jer and I went with her her second time to the temple and got so many comments from people glad they could be in a session with her. People who didn't know her, but were grateful to get to feel of her spirit.
Emily is such a great aunt. She's always loved the kids and I know in a way she thinks of them as her own as she may not get that experience in this life that she so years for. Miss Kaitlyn in particular is fairly attached to her. I'm thankful for the opportunity to be around her and hear her testimony and faith, and also to watch my mother in law be the strong woman she is to raise the family she's been given.

Draper Temple

We had the opportunity to tour the new Draper Temple with the kids. I forget they don't have the opportunity to go in like we do. This was their first time inside a temple. They had fun riding the bus up and running through the tent tunnels into the building, but once we entered the temple they were hushed. The first real place we arrived at was the baptistry and Mckayla just stopped and gazed. Jer asked her how she felt, and the sweet little girl said "like I'm right next to Jesus". Oh how their veil is thin sometimes. It was a beautiful temple. The 2 endowment rooms have muraled walls and the ceiling in the celestrial room was 2-3 stories high. The chandeliers were so ornate and elegant. The temple was very much a place of beauty, but simple too. We had a really great time and I can't wait to take them to the next open house and take more time to stop and talk.
I did just find this blog with over 2000 posts covering the construction and progress of the Temple. Not sure the connection the author is to the Temple, but there are some cool inside shots during construction. Pretty cool to watch the changes.