What the Wednesday!

Both of my kids still nap

every day

at the same time

It's both amazing and annoying

I feel like I have to be home by noon everyday

and we can't leave again until after 3

But, it sure doesn't give me much of an excuse

not to get things done

While we were in Park City last week

We went to Whole Foods every day

at least twice

It's my happy place

They have these vegan chocolate chip cookies

In the bakery

They are AH MAY ZING!

The last day, my MIL and I went early and bought 8 huge cookies

They were gone by 6:00 p.m.
She said they were "the best cookies she's ever had"

Runners are interesting.

Our garden is growing like crazy

It's so exciting!

I've never had a successful garden

But it looks like that's about to change

While we were on vacation

Jarom decided to change our sprinklers to water the garden a little more

We got back and there are

MUSHROOMS

Growing all over the place

That's what I get 

For being a fugus hater!




Potty training started for Hazel this week
So far, the difference between boys and girls
is that boys are easier
Hazel threw a tantrum
Like flailing, screaming and crying
Because her underpants had a horse on them
Clearly this was unacceptable
And warrented high-pitched shrieking
Heaven help me




My brother is in Texas for the Summer
Installing security systems
He calls a couple times a week
I miss him




 The Bachelorette
Is like a train wreck this season
I can't stop watching

Bentley needs to get a life

He's gross




Wanna see something weird
Check out man-babies
I know, right?




Hazel hit her terrible two's
When will the screaming end?

Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay

The Team

11 girls. One guy.  Two vans.  30 hours 21 minutes.  No sleep.  Lots of running.  Lots of laughing.  A little puking.  Put it all together.  And you've got Canned Heat, baby!

The Course


192 miles from Logan to Park City, UT.  I had about 16 miles to run split into three stretches.  My first leg was 3.4 miles.  Leg number 2 was 7 miles.  Leg number 3 was 6 miles.  I knew I had my work cut out for me.  For sure.

All smiles just before my first leg.  That butt girl (background) was in front of me the whole way.  Lovely.

The hand-off

Of course, I had to get my nails all ready for the big event.  It says "canned heat" on my fingers.  My sister painted on some flames. 

1st Leg

My first leg was great.  It was 3.4 miles which I knew I could do easily.  I took a little longer than I hoped to finish, but I felt pretty good afterward.  It was hot and my mouth was dry but It was a nice little run

2nd Leg

My second leg had me worried from the start.  After I signed up for the team, it was changed from 6 miles to 7 miles.  It started around midnight and was longer than I'd ever run before.  But it was at night and was mostly downhill so I surprised myself by finishing the whole thing and feeling great!  I remember at about 5 miles thinking I felt like I had barely run a mile.  It was an amazing feeling and I cried a little bit because I finished it and ran the whole thing!  I knew it was a stretch for me, but I did it!  I blasted my music and watched the silhouette of the mountains in the moonlight and the miles just flew by.  So cool!

During my 3rd leg.  Obviously, there is very little pep in my step.  :)  Almost done!

3rd Leg

My last leg was hard.  Jarom pulled up to our van just before I started.  He was there to cheer me on!  I knew going in that this would be the biggest test of all.  After going all night with maybe an hour of interrupted sleep and feeling like my stomach was in knots, I was exhausted and emotional.  I've run 6 miles one time before about 2 weeks before the race but it was a flat run.  This 6 miles was grueling.  It was a steady incline and started as the sun started blaring.  My legs felt like lead and my gait slowed with each mile.  I hit about 2 miles in and the thought of having to run 4 more miles got to me.  I had a little bit of a panic attack when one of my team members, Mandi, asked if I was okay.  I told her I wasn't sure if I could finish.  She stayed with me a while and calmed me down.  I was embarrassed to have to walk in front of Jarom and my kids but I walk/ran for the next 2 miles and then she switched off with our driver, Kim.  She walked/ran with me for a bit and we saw the sign that said a mile to go and I started running again albeit slowly, but I ran that last mile.  We got to the quarter mile point and there was this mother of a hill at the very end that I would have been happy to walk up but my stubbornness got the best of me and I charged up it (again, as much of a charge as I had left in me).  I made it up that hill!  I hit the honey buckets and puked then felt a huge sense of relief wash over me.  I had done it!  All the hard work and training had paid off and I was done!


Looking Back

There are not words to describe what I learned and how I felt as I spent time with these amazing team members.  They're all seasoned runners yet were completely supportive and accepting of a first-timer like me.  I met cool people.  I saw funny things.  I laughed my head off.  I learned a lot about myself.  Mostly that I can do hard things.  I am anxiously looking forward to next year (although during that last leg I swore I'd never run again!).  It's addicting.  It's a challenge.  I want to do it and do it better.  I want to do more.  I can't stop thinking about it and talking about it.  So, I signed up for a half marathon in September.  I know I can do this.  It will definitely be hard - at least I'll get to sleep the night before!  I can't wait!

Another huge THANK YOU to my awesome team!  I had a blast and you were all so great!  The company could not be beat.  Go Canned Heat!

Four

"This arm is four, this arm is four and both of my legs are four, too!  All of me is four!!"    

  -Cannon

Cannon is four today.  This boy who makes me crazy half the time.  I also don't know what I would do without him.

Sometimes I think he's too much like me.  He gets frustrated easily and gets hurt doing things he shouldn't.  When I see him acting this way, it makes me feel so guilty for being the one who shows him how to handle situations.  I wish he had patience like his dad.  But I see some of my better traits in him too.  I try to be kind and considerate most of the time and I think he has that desire as well.  He truly loves his little sister.  He isn't always the nicest but he has an obvious attachment to her.  That is one thing that I'm grateful for.  He lets her play with his toys and snuggles her when they watch movies.  He tells people not to give her food and is a fantastic big brother.  I always wanted a big brother like him. 

Anyway.

So, he's four.  He made me a mommy.  I love him endlessly. 

And one quick story before I go.  So we decorate their rooms during the night before their birthday, right?  Well, last night Cannon was talking about it.  He was so excited and asking if he was going to wake up in a birthday room.  I sent him to bed hoping he'd go to sleep quickly so we could decorate and go to bed.  Jarom and I were both super tired after unpacking from our almost-two-week trip.  I went in to check on him about every half hour and make sure he was asleep and he was not.  Each time I went in starting around 9pm, he would turn and look at me and say something cute like "tomorrow I'm going to be four!" or "Am I four yet?"  This continued until about 11pm when sleep finally overcame his excitement.  I'm glad Jarom and I were able to stay up that late and decorate.  What a great kid!

We celebrated with a little trip to the Thanksgiving Point Dinosaur Museum with two of his best buddies.  Pizza, vegan cupcakes, and later some swimming and presents.  Hooray for FOUR!

What the Wednesday!

I apologize for the lack of What the Wednesday posting last week.  I'm sure your life was depending on it and for that, I am truly sorry.  My family was on a little San Diego adventure that I'm excited to share with you.  But for now, I'll entertain you with my thoroughly random thoughts.

The Green Smoothie Girl posted about me

on her blog

I'm pretty much famous now

But, seriously, I love her

If you watch the video

Please know how nervous I was

 My kids love swimming

I think we've gone every day 

For the last 2 weeks

The race

Is this week

I'm part terrified and part super excited

Pray for me

Thankyouverymuch

Margherita pizza 

is my new food obsession

It's so simple

So delicious

 Speaking of food

 Know what bugs me?

Mushrooms

They are not a vegatable!

Mushrooms are fungus

When I ask for a side of "roasted vegetables" 

at a restaurant

And they bring you me heaping plate of roasted mushrooms

with a little bit of squash mixed in

It makes me want to scream

MUSHROOMS ARE NASTY

If I wanted them I would ask for a side of

"Roasted fungus"

But I didn't 

And I won't

Because they are gross

Sorry about that

But it had to be said

I've had the same nail polish

On my fingers

For over three weeks

I'm dying to paint them

This is unnacceptable

Jarom's pet peeve

Is when people us "so"

as quantifying adjective

as in

How hungry are you?

SO hungry

I do it all the time

I'm so fired

Or, Jarom needs a new pet peeve

I love my bed




Have a sunny Wednesday!

NOTW

This is OPI Mermaid Tears from the Pirates collection. It's a dusty bluish green. It reminds me of the ocean. I like it but I think I like Stranger Tides better. I think it would be a cool combo to wear Stranger Tides on fingers with Mermaid Tears on toes. But that's just me. What do you think?

Two

She's two.  Today.  We celebrated with her first night in her big girl bed.  We decorated her room while she was sleeping.  I think she was disoriented when she woke up.  But she danced around her room and pulled the balloons down and got upset with the tape still stuck to her bedpost.  Why are my kids such clean freaks?  And then I made her some pancakes.  We plan to party all day. 

Every time one of my kids have a birthday, I ask the same question.  How did this happen?  I could have sworn she was just a tiny baby.  I can still remember her newborn smell (no, not THAT newborn smell), her tiny hands, her quiet little cry.  I could have sworn I just rocked her to sleep singing a primary lullaby.  But, now, she's sassy.  She's bossy.  She's silly.  She's amazing.  She tells me every day that she's a 'pincess'.  She makes my life complete.  I'm so happy that I get to be her mommy.  She has changed my life.  I said a quiet prayer of thanks this morning that I get to have her in my life. 

Happy Birthday sweet Hazel Gayle. 

I’ll

I love you more than words can say.

What the Wednesday!

 My Summer vacation started this week

*sigh*

The birthday balloon?

I went to Roxberry this week 

To get my favorite green smoothie
at their nifty drive thru window

The balloon was still in the car

The girl in the window recognized me

We both laughed that it is still floating

My 10 year high school reunion is this year

Where did 10 years go?

It's weird because most days I still feel 18

I just have kids

And preschool

And student loans

And a house

Okay, those things don't make me feel 18

My mood

is directly correlated to how clean my house is

But I never remember that until it's really clean

It makes me so happy

I worry about a lot of things

But one of my biggest worries is Hazie

And how her life will be as she grows up

It makes me sad to think that she might get left out

Because of her allergies

Here is a great article about including kids with allergies
Read it if you know any kids with allergies

I have a plan

And that plan involves following her everywhere until she's 21

It's foolproof, no?

My sister, Haley

Graduates from high school tomorrow

She's awesome

Go, Haley!

And goVikings!

Then go Aggies while we're at it

It's June

Here we go again

On Sunday

I used my blender to make

pancakes

green smoothies

salsa

vegan ranch dressing

and 

ice cream

Oh, how I love

My little blender that could

Elizabeth Smart

is beautiful, poised and, well, smart

She's lived through a nightmare

Yet she's the living her life as a survivor

Rather than a victim

I'm so glad for her

and wish her a happy, fearless life

Have a blissful Wednesday!