Breaking bones. . . and back

The exciting adventure from this weekend was that we participated in the 19th annual infamous "To Bone (Idaho) and back" relay!! Wahoo!!! 

This is seriously a 40 mile running race that goes from Idaho Falls, Idaho to Bone, Idaho, and back. Our team consisted of 8 members each running 5 mile segments. Initially Mike and I wanted to make this an all family team with us, Richard and Kristin, Brandon, Devan and Amber and Talon. Then then newlyweds decided to stay in Washington for the summer (annoyed sigh :)) and Devan flew across the country cause he was sick of us (j/k). So, we talked a few guys from Mike's work and a girl from the ward into helping us out a little. 

My cheerleader

Got my number on and ready to go!

Luckily, because I was the novice, I got first choice on which leg to run. I chose the first because it was the flattest of the legs but got lucky because it was at 7:30 in the morning so I didn't have the the sun blaring as I ran. It was my first time running 5 miles EVER and I finished in less time that I expected! (Yay me!) Mike ran the uphill section, an elevation gain of 1200 feet in 5 miles (wow). 

Mike                         Richard (love the pose)             Kristin

Brandon and Kaylee after their runs

Brandon followed on the next leg and due to a mixup ran 7 miles before the next teammate showed up. Mike's coworker's son ran, then Kaylee from the ward, followed by Jody (coworker). 

Then Richard got the downhill version of Mike's race (a killer on the knees). Kristin finished up the relay with the last 5 miles back to town in the blaring heat and while she was 17-ish weeks pregnant. That's what I call amazing! We finished around 2:30 giving us a race of almost 7 hours!

The team (as many as were at the finish line) and the kids eating hotdogs

We went to eat hamburgers and milkshakes at the amazing Dixie's Diner to celebrate and to make up for all that weight we surely lost while racing :). 

Now we're sore, sunburned, exhausted, and thrilled to death that we made it through the weekend!

Lucky me

Just over 4 1/2 years ago in September, I had just started my sophomore year at BYU-Idaho. My first day at church I did what everyone else in a student ward does, and scoped out the dating pool. Right away I picked out some LUCKY guy I thought was oh sooo cute! We met later that week. To make a long story short, I'll just say that we didn't hit it off right away. 

LUCKily though, he was assigned as my apartment's Family Home Evening brother, and my home teacher. We became fast friends. Time passed for us as we dated around until LUCKily he realized how great a match we really were. And then LUCKily he convinced me of the same thing.

He proposed after Christmas, we were engaged by Valentines Day. (LUCKily I didn't wait much  longer to answer than that) :)

We were married May 21, 2005 in the Columbia River Temple in Richland, Washington. LUCKily the weather cooperated. Our wedding day was absolutely perfect. (And LUCKily his parents liked me.)

I was LUCKY to have married a man who had already graduated, making it easy for me to go to school while he worked during the day. We were pregnant after being married six months. LUCKily my pregnancy was good with no complications. But our baby was due the day before finals! 

LUCKily she came a week late (Aug 29, 2006), I was able to finish my semester well. What an absolutely perfect little girl we had! What LUCKY parents we are!

After the baby was born, I was extremely LUCKY to finish my degree after only 2 more semesters of school (right before my scholarship ran out). 

What a cute little family we had. Just over a year after our baby was born, we had another LUCKY surprise. Baby #2 was on the way!

May 23, 2008 was the beautiful day that our second daughter was born. Here was another perfect angel we were LUCKY to have helped bring into the world. 

Now, a year later on Father's Day, I can reflect on how LUCKY I have been. I married a wonderful, compassionate, dedicated, and forgiving man who has exceeded my expectations as a patient husband, loving daddy, and righteous priesthood holder. 

 

Thank you, Mike, for sticking with me and helping me through it all!

LUCKY ME!

Happy Father's Day!

escape

It hit me last Friday night while we were sitting around in our messy house, Mike skimming through his favorite websites, the girls running around whining for food or something ELSE to eat other than what I made, and me looking for the NEXT Disney movie to put in to distract the girls so I could finish reading my LDS romance novel, (similar to almost every Friday and Saturday night in our house) that we needed something DIFFERENT to do. We complain a lot about the lack of entertainment in this area of the world and so we set our minds to thinking. We could go out to eat and to a movie AGAIN or...hmmmm? 

 So, despite the storm warning, we spontaneously loaded up our girls decked out with coats, hats and gloves and drove up to Kelley Canyon for a hike. Usually I find an activity like this daunting with kids because of all the planning and coaxing involved and then finally getting to the activity only to find the girls asleep in the car, starving to death or soaked through their diapers. But, I didn't care at this point, so we ventured off. 

My strong man

The slow-pokes

The scenery

Here's Danna posing by the deer tracks. (We decided against the picture by the deer poo:)

The trail was beautiful (and free), the girls were quiet and happy, Danna walked most of the way, Mike and I had a great time discussing anything and everything, and best of all, we didn't get rained on. It was a reminder to me why I love my family so much and am thankful for the chance I have to call them mine!

Class of 2009!

This picture is of my (used to be oh so) little brother, TREVOR, who just GRADUATED from Richland High School last Friday!! Not only is he much older than when I left home but he has easily passed me up in height. We'll miss those days of your finger sucking and crying till you pass out . . . oh wait . . . no, we're glad you grew out of that :). But anyway. . .

 

CONGRATULATIONS TREVOR! You made it! Keep making us laugh!

Cardboard. . .

What a great invention.

Gotta love ranch!

Nothing new to report for the last week so I thought I'd post some pics for all my family out there. Here's Carina slurping up ranch dressing. See it's not just me, this stuff is AMAZING! Tastes great on anything and is worth the extra calories. Can't get enough of the stuff.

Like mother, like daughter!