A New York Christmas!

A month after my surgery, and I'm finally feeling 100%!

What a wonderful feeling it is to be able to have a perfectly happy throat.

No more sores on my tonsils.

No more headaches.

That awful surgery was well worth a month of my life.

We decided last minute to head to NY for Christmas.

It was perfect timing, since Chad's parents and two brothers were flying in from Utah too.

Staying in Times Square is always an adventure.

The kids kept calling people bad guys.

I shouldn't have shown them Home Alone 2 before we left.

We woke up the first morning to head out to the toy stores.

After a long day of shopping we met Mark, Liz, Tom and Travis at a live nativity somewhere in NY.

What a treat that was.

In fact, it might have been my favorite thing about Christmas this year.

To sit in that beautiful stone church, with high ceilings, children singing, and watching Mary ride a donkey between the pews toward the front of the church,

I couldn't help but feel the true meaning of Christmas,

remembering our Savior Jesus Christ.

It was just beautiful.

Thanks Liz for taking us there.

Thanks Liz again for taking some pictures of my family.

I usually choose to leave my camera at home instead of being tempted to watch the kids through a lens.

It's too easy to forget about my parental responsibilities when I've got my camera around my neck.

Here's some in front of the tree at Rockefeller Center

and

Some watching the light display on the side of the Macys building.

So much fun!

Oh ya, and Vanna and Jack on the bus.

My Christmas Day treat was getting to finally meet my new niece, Chantel. Liz is such an amazing mom, and it was a treat to be able to meet her new little baby, who was born 11 weeks early and is still in the NICU.

Wish me luck!

I'm going under the knife tomorrow! (I was going to make a funny joke here, about surgery, but decided it wasn't appropriate.)

The day has finally come for me to get my tonsils out.

And my deviated septum fixed.

And I'm freaking out.

Really.

I think I ate as much as I could today. The thought of not being able to eat scares me. So now, off to sleep, just to wake up and head into the surgery room.

I'm doing my best to be brave, but I'm not so good at that.

Wish me luck!!!!!

I love these guys!! Happy November!

I just found our Ocean City photos from our July vacation. How could I have forgotten about them?

Are you guys tired of race posts?

We just got done with another race! It was really fun pinning the bibs onto my 4 children this morning for the kids run. They loved the race and asked if we could do it again next week. I promised we would do it again next year. I am so glad they are catching on to the energy and fun of racing. Chad was so kind to sit out this year and be the responsible adult so we all could run.

I came down with an awful cold this week...and was a bit worried last night as I went to bed with an aching body and tissue stuffed up my nose. I probably should have not gone today, but I really wanted to qualify for the dc National Half Marathon, and I was worried about it filling up before I could find another race to run.

There is just something magical about racing. Every time I cross the finish line, I get really emotional. Today I felt so silly as I held back tears when I saw the finish line approaching. When I saw my time, I couldn't hold back any longer. I walked up to Chad and my kids and just sobbed. The look on their faces told me they didn't know what to think of me. My goal was to finish in 32 minutes, which is the cut off for qualifying for the Half Marathon. When I crossed the finish line, the clock read 23 minutes. The fastest guy was 15 minutes and the fastest girl was 17 minutes. Crazy huh! The last time I ran a 5k my time was 35 minutes.

I'm way too emotional.

But happy.

I got home and loaded up on the advil to bring my fever down, and I am feeling good. It's good to know that the runners high still comes even if you are sick.

Now for a few days of resting and snuggling my kids, then back to reality!

Thanks for letting me share this with you guys. It's nice having a whole blog of cheerleaders!

DC National, here I come!!!

RAGNAR!!!

Just a quick update! I just finished DC's RAGNAR relay.

What does that mean?

36 hours

7 amazing girls

2 hours of sleep (if that)

our team covered 201.5 miles

Lots of fun!!

Ready to do it again!

Here's just a few pictures. I'll put more up later, with all the gory details.

Bye!!!

Our team

Ready for my last run...

I'm still alive! Natalie and I survived the crazy trail run half marathon this weekend!

And it was so much fun...

I'm already geared up to do it again next year.

We climbed 2,700 vertical feet in the first 3.5 miles. Insane.

The rest of the run was great. I almost cried when I saw the finish line...I know, silly.

Natalie and I both had a couple of almost crashes, but besides a few scratches from branches, the only battle wounds we have are a few sore muscles. It was so much fun!!!

We both decided we have the best husbands...who doubled as camera crew and cheering squad. Thanks Chaddy. And thanks Nat for doing these crazy things with me!

So, lots of catching up to do...
Beach
Flooded basement
School
Rooster attacks
New York and the Waldorf



But my current news is...

I am running my first half marathon with my dear friend Nat this weekend!!!!!

And it's a trail run!!!

And we climb over 3,000 vertical feet!!!

And I think we are crazy.

Pray for us that we don't get lost or eaten by bears.

And I promise to post lots of pictures and news when I am done.

That's me running down Park Avenue in New York. Chad whisked me away for a romantic weekend at the Waldorf. It was wonderful, especially since he had been gone for 2 months prior with work.

Oh, and sorry about the short shorts. I know, they're a bit scandalous. Sometimes I get behind on laundry and have to use the back up running outfit.

It's kinda rated pg13, wouldn't you say?

Just glad to see that there were others out there behind (no pun intended) on their laundry too!

I found Savannah holding on to Tehya's hair like she was in a tug a war tournament, both hands tight around the rope. Quickly I rescued Tehya, and carried a crying Vannah to the time out chair. As I carried her little body to the chair, I was surprised by the feelings that filled my thoughts. A wave of gratitude and love washed across me.

Some days are so hard.

There are times I feel like I am barely keeping my head above water.

I can't help but smile right now as I write this...I am smiling because we are given these small gifts of joy in the middle of our busy, tiresome, and difficult days. These small gifts are sometimes opened in the hardest of circumstances by someone unseen, filling our bodies with peace and love.

My kids are growing up so fast. Carrying little screaming Savannah to her chair, and feeling her tiny waist tucked in my arms made me feel so grateful, and so much love for my children. Soon they won't be small anymore. Soon they will grow up and move out. I am trying so hard to treasure these days... even if they are sometimes difficult.

July 10, 2010

Tehya said July 10, 2010 was the best day ever. At 9:00 in the morning I gently closed the zipper on Tehya's new white dress, hand sewn by her Grandmother. This heirloom dress has tears of joy and love sewn right into it. I could feel it when I first held the fabric in my hands.

I swept Tehya's hair to the side and fastened the clasp on her new silver necklace, a treasured gift from her other sweet Grandmother.

At 9:45 we left the house to drive to the church for Tehya's baptism.

As Tehya entered the waters of baptism, I know that she felt the love of those who watched.

Grandpas gave inspired talks, Grandmas gave loving prayers, and we all gave hugs and kisses.

I listened as hard as I could, trying to remember forever how she sounded singing "I am a Child of God" with Chad. What courage she has to sing in front of everyone. I don't think she saw it that way. She was just bearing her testimony through song.

We finished the day with a game of bowling, and dinner at Pei Wei, Tehya's favorite restaurant.

Almost a perfect day...I forgot to bring towels to the church to dry off with, but paper towels from the bathroom worked just fine.

Taking in the scenery

Folding laundry is not my favorite thing to do.

While engaging in this tedious chore,

I had the strange feeling I was being watched.

I looked up from the table I was working at to see this little guy...

just hanging out.

It's these little surprises that make me love my kids even more,

and make my chores a little more interesting.

I wonder which little mischievous boy placed him there to draw a smile across my face so late at night.

Creative thinking?

We were looking everywhere for my moms phone but couldn't find it. I remembered that Savannah had it last. She likes to put grandma's phone in a bag and carry it around.

"Savannah, have you seen Grandma's phone?" I asked with crossed fingers.

Most the time when you ask her important questions, she just stares and blinks.


"It's in my pocket" was her reply. My eyes rose to meet my mom's. I could tell we were both thinking the same thing.

Savannah was wearing a dress.

Her dress didn't have pockets.

"Where's the phone Savannah?"

Quickly, she grabbed the hem of her dress and pulled up to her head.

It was hard to miss the rectangular shaped object protruding like a plateau in the front of her underwear.

"In my pocket."

...and flashed us that smile.

Laughter quickly erupted and filled every corner of my house.