A Season of Gratitude

I love this season....the wonderful Holiday Season. Not the cold so much, but the effervescent feelings of nostalgia it brings.....school beginning, my birthday, my anniversary, Halloween, the birth of my first son, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the birth of my 2nd son....so so many wonderful memories and feelings are flooding over. The thing with this season, though, is that it can so easily become a season of wanting and needing and having-to-have instead of a feeling of gratitude.

The two don't exist at the same time...being without and being with. Just like hot and cold or faith and fear. It's the cup is half full/ half empty concept. So my goal is to minimize and simplify Christmas, and be more grateful for what I have. By minimize I mean cut the wish lists shorter & do more hand made things...they mean soo so much more (...so I guess that's not really simplifying too much). But I think it will give a greater sense of satisfaction. Here's a great link with some great ideas, and Just Organize Yourself has lotsa great prep ideas. Here's another great link!!!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm gonna try focusing on my blessings, and I'm gonna start by writing 10 things that I'm grateful for every week. So here goes:


1~ My family.

2~ Freshly ground wheat.

3~ A wheat grinder.

4~ Homemade Wheat Bread right outta the oven.

5~ When lost things are found (I really hope I can find my lost camara soon, hint, hint).

6~ The sound of scissors cutting fabric. (Oh Yeah!! A project is about to begin.)

7~ The sound of a sewing machine.

8~ A good, deep conversation.

9~ Finding children's handiwork...their names or pic drawn in my notebooks. Not on my walls or furniture.

10~ Finding the perfect quote.

The Retiring of the Running Journal~

Running Journal

6-2-09 I am soo grateful that I'm not bowlegged or pigeontoed or flatfooted..sounds funny? It would be harder to run.
6-5-09 I am grateful for my eternal best friend and love and our 6 little blessings.
6-13-09 I ran 4 miles for the first time ever.
6-18-09 I didn't die from running in the middle of the day.
6-20-09 Running 5 miles this morning was a lot easier than running 3 in the heat of the day. I DID IT ~ 5 MILES
6-22-09 We ran 3 miles in 21 minutes....woo hoo!!!!!
6-27-09 6 miles baby!!! Under an hour at elevation 8,000+.
7-4-09 We ran 7 miles, not bad. Then we did a bake sale fundraiser for Dixie Care and Share and raised just under $200.
7-10-09 8 miles, woo hoo!!!! Under 10 minute miles.
7-11-09 A big day...We did another fundraiser-Rummage Sale, bake sale, and car wash...we raised over $600 that day!!!! Way to go Us!!
7-17-09 I can barely walk, but we made it...10 miles!!!!
7-22-09 WE RAISED $1000 for Dixie Care and Share!!!!
7-24-09 Whew!!! 11 miles was a bit easier with my new pair of Asics 2140's on.
7-31-09 12 miles all by myself, then my DH met me 1/2 way on his bike and helped fight the mosquitoes.
8-7-09 We ran farther than a 1/2 marathon today... 14 miles, it wasn't too bad. Just 12.2 more to go...sounds easy.
8-15-09 Thank you to the best Running Partner evaaahhh. Nissa kept a good pace...16 miles. Where is my Runner's High?
8-21-09 This 16 miles was a bit easier running out and then back.
8-28-09 17 miles, thanks to my handsome man for running with me today. He saved me.
9-4-09 18 miles. My hips need help...Man, we can't seem to get our long runs together. Thanks again to my man for running and biking with me.
9-14-09 The Pinnacle!!! 20 MILES!!!!! It's over, a big burden is lifted. Thank you to my darling husband for getting up early and getting me through a really tough run. Nissa saved me, totally came and surprised me and ran the last 5 miles home with me. I am crying.
Tapering for 3 weeks
10-03-09 26.2 Miles The Marathon!!!!! was awesome. I ran 99% of the time. I made it to the end, and never hit the wall. Amazing experience. I coulda kept goin if it wasn't for my I T Bands, they killed. But finally, it is over, for now anyways. Very special. I am a new person.

The St. George Marathon...Finally

Thanks to the Spectrum Newspaper

Here's a link to some more pics taken by my BIL from Bluebelle Photography!!!

The Marathon is done!!!!!! WE DID IT!!!!!!! I think I ODed on icy hot. Is it possible? I stopped at every aide station and got pretty close to a few strangers totally rubbing my legs down. I am a very modest person, and here I am lifting my shorts up as high as they can go without revealing a bum cheek. Luckily the last few times my darling came and ran along side me and rubbed them for me. But then others saw how awesome and vigorous he was that they got in line too. "I want that guy, he definitely knows what he is doing!" I am really hamming up a very, very difficult part of my race. The hardest part were my I T Bands. It hurt soooo dang bad, it was almost unbearable, but every time it got unbearable there was an aide station with very willing strangers ready to rub them down.

Oh hooray for all the wonderful volunteers!!! They were there at just about every mile marker handing out Vaseline, icy hot rubs, Gatorade, water, cliff shots, oranges (I do not recommend oranges, uugggh I hadda slightly bad experience after eating one, and it dealt with a lot of bubbles and aspirating a bit) and bananas. I had no problem with bananas, they were fabulous. I haven't really trained on the GU, but it settled really well in my tummy, I had one before my run and 2 more during. I tried taking little bits of GU along the way, and it was a lot easier than trying to gulp the whole pack all at once. I also had some ibuprophen, and sports jelly beans, and some electrolyte pills. Just some info for those who might run someday.

Gettin ready to get icy hot!!!

On a good note, I was really feeling great, my lungs, my muscles, my mental, my tummy!!! All absolutely fabulous. It was unreal how wonderful I felt, and it was a darn good thing because I don't know if I coulda handled more than what I was dealing with.

Surprisingly a lot of my fears didn't happen, no uncomfortable, crampy tummy, which meant no diarrhea, (a big fear), no big ol' blisters, just one tiny one. No hitting the wall that I've heard so much about. What a wonderful gift. No cramping when I stopped to drink or get rubbed down (well my I T bands cramped). No heartburn from too much water or Gatorade. K, a lot of fears, sorry. I could probably keep going, but I am just so grateful, I didn't have these other issues.

Oh Yeah!!!


When we arrived at the Vernon Worthen Park there were all these people standing in line waiting for their turn to get on one of the many, many, many buses. The bus just kept on goin, and goin, and going...up, up, into the mtns.. .Sheesh... When we finally arrived there, the street was lined with flags for us to run through...Awesome!!!! It was cold...so good thing for the fires they built. It's a good idea to wear layers and dispose of your layers along the roadside as you start warming up on your run. Also, it's a good idea to cut up those thick girls tights and make sleeves to pull off even later.

Then there is the time when you hafta leave you warm abode and go stand in line to go pee, and if you're lucky, ah hem...how shall I put this?...poo. And hopefully if you hafta do the latter you at least have toilet paper. I recommend bringing some form of T. P.

There are porta potties at most mile posts, and you hafta wait in line or you can go behind a pink bush. You throw a lot of things out the window like discretion. Sorry. Let's just say, when you hafta go you can't and when you shouldn't go you hafta. ..'nuff said...

I saw sooo many people, big and little, skinny and slightly plump, TALL and small, tan and white (me), people with pain, people who I kept passing, and kept passing me back. A lady with her lipstick and foundation on and ultra blonde hair up in piggy tails. Someone with some really cool yellow shoes, make that 2 people. Some really cool signs....Like... "Cash for Klunker Shoes"...and..."That's Not Sweat, That's Your Fat Cells Crying"... A couple of 14 year olds. Some people that would just walk up the hills. I ran up all the hills, but was still passed by those who walked the hills. I remind myself...I'm still good enough. When I got closer to the finish line I saw more people walking than I had seen the whole time. This was a hard time for a lot of people.

At mile 22 my darling man met me and took some pictures and even ran with me for a few miles. It was so wonderful to have him with me, what a special time. He helped me with my legs a lot. When we arrived at his bike he hopped on it and rode to the side for quite a while, til about 24. Not soon after he left, I saw my brother Mark, and brother-in-law Tim. They started running with me, it was so wonderful. It woulda been pretty draggy if it wasn't for them talking to me and entertaining me.
Then we turned the corner and there it was the balloons, the people, the finish line!!!!! I started crying and hyperventilating!!! I had to stop, and gain control, 'cause I couldn't breathe. So down the stretch I went, and before I knew it, Tim and Mark had gone and there was my Darling with all our kids minus one, and they ran the rest of the way with me to the finish line. A very special moment.

This is what all the training was for, FOR THIS MOMENT!!! Oh my goodness it was super awesome, it was heaven. There were my parents and another brother, and my in laws, and sis-in-law, and 2 more brothers-in-laws with their wives and kids, rooting me on. When I got closer to the finish I just couldn't control myself, I sprinted to the end. It actually felt great...I felt no pain. I finished at 5:08:42 about an hr later than I was hoping for. Oh well, I finished. And I feel pretty darn good... it is over. A chapter in my book is filled, {this might cover more than a few chapters in my life}.


After the finish line, I got my medal and there was my dear, dear training partner, Nissa, with a big smile and a hug. I lost her at the starting line, so this is the first I had seen her. We ate a bit and then I went and found my family and got lotsa pictures. My Darling gave me some beautiful flowers, as well as my mom...so fun!!! We then met with everyone at the park and had a taco salad lunch.
What a good time. It was haaarrd, but it was very remarkable, and life changing. I am grateful I was able to do this, I have been able to be healthy the whole time I have trained, and close to injury free. A BIG THANK YOU to a loving Heavenly Father....I will be forever grateful. When you're training for a Marathon, it's hard to really know if you will ever really make it to the starting line, because of the rigorous training schedule and chance of injury. My I T bands have been a very real problem, but I am grateful it was at least doable, I will heal eventually. Thank you to all that supported me, I couldn't have done this ultra crazy thing without you. WOOO HOOOO!!!!! Everyone should run a Marathon, put it on your calendar, Oct. 2, 2010!!!!!! See ya there!!!!