Crossing the finish line

My friend just sent me this picture. Crossing the finish line with a smile on my face! :)

First half marathon

Last weekend I did my first half marathon. I never thought that I would run that far. I needed encouragement from a friend of mine who has done several halfs. She was a great mentor, and gave me that push I needed. I, in turn, invited another friend of ours to join us. It was a tough, fun, learning experience. The teacher I work with gave me some great advice. Her sister-in-law had run a marathon and chose to dedicate each mile to a different person. I decided to do this and it made a huge difference for me. Here is my list:

1. Mom-thanks for giving me my start. I have always felt so blessed to be your daughter. You have shown me unconditional love, and have instilled confidence in me. (This was a fun mile I ran with my friends)

2. Dad-what a great example you are of living a healthy life. I love your love of life and your lack of fear of trying new things. Thank you for your encouragement and love. So glad to be your daughter. (this mile was mostly down hill, so I let myself go)

3. Pauline-I feel so lucky to be your daughter-in-law. You are an amazing person. I have never met anyone who comes close to your ability to multi-task. :) Thanks for your love and support, always. (I was feeling good on this mile and got to cross a creek on rocks)

4. Rod-Thanks for teaching your son how to be a wonderful husband and priesthood holder. I see so many similar characteristics between the two of you, and feel very blessed to have such great men in my life. (my music stopped working on this mile, and there was a long uphill on the road)

Here is where I had to start putting people in groups. Sorry, I am not going to be running a marathon.

5. Ken, Brent, Kirsten & their families-I have always looked up to you. Thanks for showing me that I can do hard things, and to not be afraid of a challenge. (this mile also had little to no music, mostly on a single file dirt trail)

6. Cindy, Dan, Brooke & Laura-I could just call this group the Portlanders. I always love spending time with you and can't wait to meet Brooke at Thanksgiving. I love how full of life you all are. (this mile continued on the dirt trail, but was mostly in the shade)

7. Shaunalei, Michelle & families-I am so amazed by you and your families. Life is not always easy for you, yet you continue forward, finding the good in life and others. Thanks for showing me how to never give up! (During this mile I came to the turn around spot of the race. Still no music, but lots of encouragement from the other runners)

8. Tom, Dianna & kids-I love your family. I love spending time with you and playing with your kids. Thanks for the fun humor you bring into my life. (this was a challenging mile back on the road)

9. Craig, Dallas & Adrianne-I feel lucky to have such great people in my family. Craig, you are amazing. You face hard things in your life, but you keep pushing on. Dallas & Adrianne-I wish we had more time to spend together. I love your work ethic and love of learning. (back to the dirt and rocks and hills, tough mile)

When I got to mile 10, I felt like it was the home stretch.

10. Kaleb-I am so blessed to be your mom! You were born happy and you are still such a happy, sweet boy. I love how you are already a gentleman, and watch out for me and the girls. I love you! (lots of dirt and rocks, but beautiful view of the lake)

11. Emily-I love my Emily! I have learned so much from you. You are a caring, sensitive person with amazing empathy. You have many abilities and aren't afraid to try new things (like the tuba!) Thanks for being so loving and kind. (this was probably the hardest mile, killer hill)

12. Becky-Love my Bex! I love how you are such a great mentor for Emily and Kaleb. Being the oldest, you have to do a lot of things first and they usually benefit from your experiences. Thank you for going forward and being such a great leader. You rise to every challenge! (more down hill this mile, getting closer)

13. Blake-I almost cried at the start of this mile thinking of you. I never knew love could be this strong. I know that I am so blessed and lucky to be your wife. Thank you for your 100% support at all times. You are my rock. Thanks for making my life so incredible! I love you forever. (lots of excitement this mile, nearly there)

I decided to put everyone's name or initials on my arm before the race so I would remember what mile was for who. I decided as I was running the last .1 mile that I needed to add one more name. I know that I can do nothing without the lord. He's the one that helped me to finish the race. I am so blessed to be His daughter.

When I ended the race it was over 100 degrees! I was tired, thirsty, and super excited to be done. This race was called sheruns, and it was all women. I loved how encouraging everyone was. So, I'm glad that I was able to do this race. I think I will do it again next year. Blake and I might run a half together in January. I'm looking forward to that. Thanks all of my family for supporting me on this race, many of you without knowing it. You helped me through. Love you all.

Birthdays

Emily and Kaleb had an okay actual birthday. Emily got so sick with a high fever that I ended up taking her to the doctor. She had a virus and spent the day watching movies and resting. She missed her class beach trip which was a bummer. Luckily we celebrated her birthday the week before by going to a rock climbing gym and going to eat at The Old Spaghetti Factory. We had a great time. Emily is an amazing rock climber. She was fun to watch. To celebrate Kaleb's birthday we went to Mission Bay with the wave runner and friends. It was fun, but unfortunately pretty cold. The moms stayed huddled up on the beach, but the cold didn't stop the boys from having a great time. I can't believe Emily is 11 and Kaleb is 8. Time is going faster and faster it seems. Kaleb was so excited to join cub scouts. He has already earned his bobcat, leave no trace badge and completed 3 achievements. He is loving it so far and can't wait to go to day camp in a couple of weeks!

End of school madness

I realized that I never did a blog for the end of school activities and birthdays. It is always a busy time, and this year was no exception. Emily ended up getting just about every award she could. I was most proud of her award for volunteering in the library. Becky made honor role and was awarded for her participation in PLUS. Kaleb ended up buying a football with his classroom money he earned by doing homework and being responsible. He also ended up getting a raccoon award for his good attitude towards learning. It was a good school year, but we are all so glad it's summer!

Family

It seems like no matter how long we spend in Utah it's never enough. We loved spending time with family on our trip. We hiked, rock climbed, played on the lake, and went out to dinner. I wish we could have stayed longer!

Friends

We had a great time staying with the Chatfields. We really wish they still lived 5 minutes away. We didn't get a lot of pictures while we were there, but we enjoyed their pool, going to Summer's swim meet, Trafalga, and just being together!

Richfield & Michelle's graduation

We had a fun, relaxing time in Richfield. Lots of food, reading, puzzles and games. We also took the 4 wheelers out one day and got a tour of the firestation. Kirsten, Rebecca and I drove to Utah county for Michelle's graduation. I am so proud of her!