The Visit and the rest of it......

We had a wonderful visit with my parents over the past week

and a half.

We loved having them stay us. 

As you can see by the pictures we stayed pretty busy.

It was really great timing for mom and dad to road trip out from Utah.

Kev was still away on an extended trip out of the country, 

stuck between Columbia and Peru for days on end.

So this was a sweet diversion for us at home.....

sorry for Kev though : (

One of the things I love about dad, and that I can always count on 

is his busy "go get em" attitude.

He is not afraid to take on a project.

In fact he plans on it (or is it just me that plans on it??)

Either way, mom and dad helped me out a TON!

It was raining solid for the first two days of their visit,

so we were forced into putting off yard work for a time,

 and instead

recovered the kitchen chairs!!!

Wow!!

This would have taken me no less than a solid week.

It is sooooo tedious and laborious and boringous.  

I really dislike doing it...

alone!

My dad and I knocked these suckers out in under 2 days!

They look so, so beautiful.

Plus we added new padding so they are ultra wonderful to sit on as well.

Yeah!!

THANK YOU!

 Dad worked his keester off in the yard.

My mom to....she mowed her brains out!

Dad convinced me to remove a few overgrown trees.

I was apprehensive at first, but am so glad he took them out.

Looks sooooooo much better.

(what was I thinking before??)

We trimmed and cut and raked.

  I sooooooo relieved not to be overwhelmed by that
job prospect any longer.

THANK YOU!

Dad and mom assisted the kids with their dish duties (spoiled),

helped with History projects, gave out mounds of birthday dollars to 

McCauley and Lawson.

Memorized scripture mastery with us, and sang
"The Books of the New Testament"
song with us a dozen times.

Mom was a delight in the kitchen, 

I got her mounds of .25 magazines from the library, 

which we all happily perused for hours on end. 

We watched loads of 

political convention coverage....stayed up as late as I could with them 

every night.

We listened to Glen Beck in the day.

Went on a long Sunday drive taking in the homes and beauty of 

our beach.

We drank Choffy and ate a ton of Choffy cake.

Dad played tennis with our friend Nate a few times,

 I am happy to say he held his own.

He played several time with Ryker and the boys as well.

The day before they left we hit the beach,

mom opted out of this venture....

but it was great fun.

Dad is never one to miss out on the action.

He was in the water with the kids and even tried his hand at surfing....

apparently his shoulder is still reminding him of that.

 We were sad to see them leave.

Please don't wait so long to come again!!

The good news....
 is that the same day my parents drove off....

 Kev finally drove in!!!

Apparently he wanted to make this kid's day, 

he hand picked this 

"Bad Boy" 

Charger to make the drive from Miami,

and so E could take us for a few spins around town.

 I had to take numerous photos for E until I got just the right shot for him.

I didn't mind, 

I definitely know it takes time and effort to get just the right pic.

So, as they say life goes on....

and that is no joke.

My parents drove away and life got right back to normal.

I went to the library yesterday and as I walked up to the front doors

I was greeted by a pretty good sized turtle trying to get in.

I went to the desk and told them about it, and suggested maybe they could move the 

little guy to the nearby woods.

I picked up a few Friday night movies and visited with V and the boys,

and then headed out to leave.

I reversed the van and started rolling back when I heard a horribly

loud grating crunch sound.

My heart dropped.

I pulled forward.

I knew what I was going to see.

That poor turtle was trying to scramble away with a split and 

cracked shell, and blood trailing behind him.

I could not believe that is was ME who ran him over!!!

I felt soooooo bad.

I went back into the library and told them I ran over the turtle and now

what could we do?

He is in bad shape.

One of the employees came out with a box and we had to rassle 

it out from under another vehicle.

Geeeeeeezzzz. 

(I didn't want to be too morbid or have anyone see me taking photos of 

this poor little guy....this is all I dared get.)

you don't even know.

: (

Later on in the evening, the day K got home, 

he came to me 

shocked and surprised and asked who broke the semi-truck key.

I looked at him.... thinking, for real??

Who would do that and just hang it back up?

I suggested that maybe that was the way the key had always been.

Not the right comment.

But it didn't make any sense.

Who is even powerful enough to break a big key like that?

We went to the kids.

The other boys quickly turned on Lawson.

They were trying to force out a confession.

K was not giving up or dropping it....

I am sitting there mystified thinking it is not even true.

Next thing I know K and M are having a heart to heart.

She had thought it was maybe the key to the sports car in the drive way and

wanted to open the door.

She admitted to breaking the tip of the key off in the door,

and then seeing it fall out, but she saw where it landed.

They went out and picked up the key piece.

I was in a dumb stuppor. 

K was the most patient and loving parent I have ever seen.

M learned a lesson in honesty.

Hopefully the older boys won't be so quick to pounce on their younger brother 

in the future.

And we have two new keys ordered (you have to order two)

at the bargain price of $639.

What can you do.

Life goes on....

and hey, you can't take it with you, right? 

Last night was movie night as usual here at our place....

when it is Friday movie night, it is also PIZZA time.

There was copious amounts of feasting going on.

For once I opted out because K and I had eaten out for lunch and I was

still paying the piper for stuffing myself to the brim.

Luckily I listened to my body for once.

K on the other hand made the choice to feast....

he knows he will pay the price, but I guess with him being away so long

he was excited to dig in...who wouldn't be??

Anyway, his night was wrought with heart burn and late night visitors.

I got involved around 6:00am this morning with his activities.

(no idea how I slept through the rest of it)

I felt him get up and then come back and make some exasperated sounds.

I said something like... can't sleep?

No, there is some lizard running around in our bed.

Excuse me?!

I pounce out like a spring and flip the lamp on.

We throw the covers back and I will tell you....

It was NO Lizard, but this rabid creature!!

I do some gagging reflexes, because it is on my side of the bed where I was 

just slumbering.

Kev goes to retrieve a killing weapon.

I told K - as he came to collect his kill.....I don't think so,

it is time for me to write.....first things first.

I got my shot 

(pathetic and blurry as it is, plus this roach was huge!! and you can't even tell),

 and then he took it away.

My sleep was over....but it was like sleeping in anyway,

6:00 is pretty decent.

K went back to bed.

Later after getting home from teaching Pilates at Our Club...

such a fun class....mostly because V, Sonia, Christi, and T came!!

It was a good crowd besides them which is so AWESOME!

Thank you for coming!

So anyway, around 9:30 I go in and K is up,

I said, now tell me how things went down last night.

How did you know there was a "lizard" in our bed?

He said, well I felt something run onto my neck and stay there.

?

My hands and were trapped in the covers and I couldn't get them out,

when I finally got loose, I hit it off and heard it hit the wall.

This was around 2:00am.

?

But I woke up with it in our bed at 6:00am.

Well, that was the second time it woke me up.

?

After the first time I sat on the couch for a while, because my 

heartburn was raging so hard,

I finally came back and tried to sleep.

Not long after I felt something running up and down my arm.

This time my hands were free, but when I got it off it went into our bed.

That is when I got up.

I see.

Yes, things are definitely back to normal.

We had a good laugh....

a really good laugh.

Heck, what are the alternatives? 

TWENTY.

The time came this morning to own that 20 miler that has

been looming over us for the past several months

during our marathon training.

I had a fitful sleep, but woke up excited to take on the day.

I got my cold weather running gear on,

and was getting ready to eat a few baby oranges for

breakie when Amy called.

She had just finished a steaming hot bowl of hearty

oatmeal, a peanut butter spoon, some toast,

and I think there was more.

It got me thinking I should maybe load up also.

I gave a holler into my dad,

who was still in my parents room chitchatting.

"Hey dad, how about coming in to make me a bowl of your

famous oatmeal?"

- silence -

I heard him ask my mom,

Did she just ask me to make her oatmeal?

Yes, she'd like you to make some oatmeal.

He comes into the kitchen.

I will make you some oatmeal but I have never made oatmeal

once my entire life.

what??

Not true.

Your oatmeal is excellent....you used to make it all the time

for us kids.

It was again perfect...a breakfast of champions!!

M, my dad and I listened to "The Best of Queen" so I could get

pumped up for the run.

I arrived at Amy's.

We had her husband Lance capture a few high energy

pre-run photos.

We were indeed ready for the time of our lives.

Off we go.

Mile after freezing mile.

We did take time to get in some "planking".

As well as a few sky shots.

Plenty of stretching.

Photos of our magnificent surroundings.

Snowy over passes.

We did pretty dang good up to our half way point, which was

my brother Jason's home...this is his dog Bo.

We took a pit stop, refreshed our water supply and did a little

stretching.  We felt sure we could do without our gloves and jacket.

They were just weighing us down, extra baggage.

We took off from Jason's,

 and then began our gradual decent into

freezing drudgery.

We were now running familiar territory to both Amy and I.

She and I have run the last 8 miles together several times on other runs.

After our halfway point we had changed directions...

and in so doing the wind and cold changed on us as well.

It turned from a cold day,

to a bitter COLD one.

Our mouth and hands we frozen.

They were two of the "funny" things we had to laugh about.

Each time we hooked up and tried talking it was 

quite hilarious.

When we attempted using our fingers to manipulate the lid on the 

water bottle, or re-zip a zipper.

HA!

Oh....what fun.

Time passed.

It seemed like we ran from morning until evening time. 

This whole was a big mile stone we were looking to pass.

On our last run Amy told me she is always happy when she passes this,

because she knows she isn't far from home.

About 3 miles.....ouch, ouch, ouch.

Here is another we were watching for.

Amy says that she likes to think that this mailbox was put in by

a family whose son left on his mission.

The flames are the mothers hope for his speedy return.

huh...that's cool. 

Whatever passes the time...right?

Here is another spot.

I won't say what happened here, but it was one of Amy's

darkest running hours....the longest 8 miles of her life.

The last two miles for us today were quite torturous.

Not surprising.

Amy rose to the occasion.

She absolutely pulled me along and kept us running.

I had not anticipated being the weak one at the end.

Not at all.

But that was indeed the case.

I was really proud of that girl....not to mention grateful to her.

Not sure what was so ultra funny here...

but for sure we were more than happy to be done.

We were both frozen to the bone.

I took off pretty quickly for my parents house.

I phoned my mom as I started the 10 minute drive.

Mom, I am on my way.

So you are alive?

Yes, just.

Will you ask McCauley to prepare a few baby oranges for me?

I will hop in the tub when I am home.

When I walked (hobbled) into the kitchen,

my dear mother was stirring my hot cocoa.

She said, here are your peeled orange slices.

I heated you up some spaghetti,

and ran your bath, there are clean towels and

I refreshed the bathroom with a little perfume.

?

Home Sweet Home.

I was so happy.

Thanks Mom.

You are so thoughtful.

Dad, thank you for your wonderful oatmeal.

I wish Amy could have been here for the same treatment.

Great job today.

Treasure Trove of RANDOM Topics....

Training in Utah has been a bit evasive...

or at least I have evaded it.

My parents have a pretty sweet set up in their basement....

at least at first glance.

They have a nice room stocked w/ exercise equipment,

a good sized treadmill, weights, pull up bar, and a giant t.v. ....

SWEET FOR ME!!

I believed I could run for days just hanging out down there watching movies!

Good bye family...I will be running,

while I am feeding my mind with constant entertainment!

See YA!

(notice my dads Jerri rigged key)

Well....like I said, "at first glance"

it looks like a sweet set up.

The t.v. does not work...it is just to look at and fantasize about.

The treadmill whinnies and whines like you would

not believe....it is not so bad if you only run in the

upper left hand corner of the mat,

but I can tell you from experience that that is hard to maintain,

and takes away from the joy of trying to read while bouncing

up and down.

The first morning we were here I was pumped and put on my

NECK & NECK tank to keep me inspired and motivated.

I cranked out an hour on the mill.

The next day I had to force my way through a half hour.

I have not set foot on it since.

I can't.

I won't.

However.....

my Utah partner and I have hooked up!!

We got our matching outfits on and took a run two days ago.

It was a beautiful afternoon.

We knocked out 8 miles without batting an eye.

It was a happy time.

Tomorrow we can get scared...we will see who's smiling then...

our 20 miler is due.

It feels as scary as giving birth to a 10 pounder...

I have never done that,

but it seems like it would be just as intimidating.

(OK, maybe not)

Amy has our route mapped out.

We have decided where to plant our waters and Gatorade.

I will let you know how it goes.

..........................

New topic.

Take a look at the evidence below of how my mom applies

lip stick.

She sticks her stick in between her pursed lips and swipes it.

She says it saves time and effort.

....and to an outsider is totally FREAKY!

Plus the lipstick is unbelievably creepy looking.

Mine is the normal flat looking stick.

(very boring tube)

I like to put it on wiping it all all around both lips,

going up and over the edges of my mouth.

Then I go back and remove the excess, and blot it off.

I like the look of just having eaten a bowl of spaghetti.

Or being punched in the mouth, Or just having had a make out session.

Any of the above.

I gave a demo to my sister and mom.

They seemed surprised.

We asked my sister Amy how she applies hers....

she said that lipstick is for tiny children and babies.

She only uses Mentholatum. 

huh.

.................................

New topic.

Eye Bondage.

Good or Bad for you?

That is my question.

Last night I went for it....

I suckered into the peer pressure of eyelash enhancement.

There. It is out. Now you know.

I personally had no idea it would be so tortuous.

Your eyes are in lock down for 2 hours.

There is a bright light shining right into your incapacitated eyes.

It makes no difference whether your eyes become itchy.

oh well.

Your eyes are dried out?

sad for you.

You don't think you can take having your eyes strapped down another minute?

you only have an hour to go!

I am very surprised I did not need a straight jacket to

keep my composure and keep my hands and arms down as well.

Once you are into it an hour there is no going back.

Nothing is worse than spindly eyelashes.....

says my sister.

I trust her.

Yes.  They are pretty. But come on!

I am serious.

COME ON! 

are you guys for real?

......................................

New Topic.

Running Motivation.

This topic is close to my heart right now.

Not sure which way to go with it.

I just started reading Born To Run.

The author wants to know why his foot is hurting so badly.

He goes from doctor to doctor.

He won't believe that "running is not for you" is his answer.

He has been told he has Cuboid Syndrome.

He needs cortisone shots and orthotics....

and he needs to buy a bike.

I have read this quote from my book several times,

"It's not that I'm all that stubborn. It's not that I'm even all that crazy

about running.  If I totaled all the miles I'd ever run,

half were aching drudgery.  

But it does say something that even thought I haven't read 

The World According to Garp in twenty years,

I have never forgotten one minor scene:

I keep thinking back to the way Garp used to burst out his door

 in the middle of the workday for a five-mile run.

There's something so universal about that sensation,

the way running unites our two most primal impulses:

fear and pleasure.

We run when we're scared, we run when we're ecstatic,

we run away from our problems and run around for a good time."

That sums it up.

Not one of us wants to loose the option to be able to

step out our door and be free to run.

Don't tell me not to run.

We want what we can't have even more.

It makes the value skyrocket.

Like they say:

There is a time and a season for all things.

Rest and Repair.

I'm just saying.

That's my dad up there!

We are enjoying our vacation in Utah...

K is still far, far away, but we are hopeful he will be able

to get away and join us soon.

My parents recently became temple workers at the Bountiful Temple.

They have been going through their training, and working their

way up through all of the different areas of service.

They work the late shift each Thursday, beginning at 3:00pm.

Yesterday was a big day for them.

It was my dads turn to officiate a session,
my mom was up front with him as well as one
of the sister workers.

I really wanted to be there to support them and see them in action.

They were extrememly nervous.

Unfortunately,
I realized that I left my recommend in my temple bag at home.

Noooooo!

..... thankfully this did not pose a big set back.

I was able to call the temple, they called my stake president

and I am good to go for the duration of our trip.

Phew.

I am three months behind on my "monthly" temple visits

so I have some making up to do.

Not to mention while I am so close, I would be smart to get a jump

start on the new year and stock up on my visits just in case

unforeseen situations arise in the future.....

and really that is a given.

I was able to get my sister Amy to go with me this evening

on short notice.

The big boys were off on a fishing expedition with K's dad and brothers.

M and L went to my brother Jason's.

I saw my aunt Michelleen when we were in the changing room.

Gave her a big hug...she looked awesome.

Aim and I were running a bit behind schedule...we made  it in by the

skin of our teeth.

As we walked into the session room,

there was my dad up front.

Aim and I were about halfway back in the seating.

It was so exciting.

I really wanted to tell the whole group that that was our mom and dad up there.

Instead, I looked at the sister to my right,

Hello,

How are you this evening....?

awww.....hey, guess what? 

That is my dad up there!

No he didn't wave at me, but we did make eye contact.

Both my parents did a great job.

They looked so good up there.

We were able to visit for a few minutes between their next assignments.

A and I ate a most delicious meal at the temple cafeteria.

Somehow my parents were both able to sneak in for

a few minutes each at seperate intervals while we were eating.

It was a night to remember for sure.

A special experience I wouldn't trade.

I know they were very happy to have us there,

and vice-versa.

I am thankful for my parents fine example.



Trip Happenings......

 We have been in Utah for a few days now.

We are having a wonderful time,

I thought I would post a few favorite highlights so I don't

forget all the good stuff by the time we get home.

This may not be Ryker's favorite moment,

but I love staying at my parents,

my dad is always good about keeping the boys

"active".  Yesterday one of thier jobs was to keep

the four wheeler running so that some

special oil stuff my dad put in it could work.

They had to drive it up and down the sidewalks...

what torture!

 McCauley and Ryker helped my mom make

bread sticks and pretzels...

yummy!!

Now, this is my ultimate thrill.

I love going motorcycle riding with my older brother Jason.

I can almost bet this will be my top favorite activity on

our trip...and we still have weeks to go.

His bike is sooooooooooo comfortable.

I will get a picture next time.

It has arm rests, a sweet back rest.

I feel so comfy and safe back there,

and yet wild and free and out there!

It is such a thrill!

I took a zillion pictures, was instagraming, and just

taking in the beauty all around me.

Jas and I went by several of our old houses that we lived

in growing up.  I snapped photos...

I am going to make a big collage and see if we can get all of them

in this area.  There were several that we couldn't

get to in time before it got too dark.

oh dang...that means another ride for me!

 This was only one shot of so many that were breathtakingly beautiful.

This is the Bountiful Temple.

We have a trip planned to go there tomorrow.

Jas and I also went on a 20 mile bike ride....

which we peddled with our legs.

He is a mega rider.

I am definietly hoofing it hard to try and keep up with him,

although he is still always waiting for me it seem for one reason or another.

I have to build up to the long ones each summer.

Our next one will be 35 miles and so on.

This morning bright and early a few of my siblings and I

went on a sweet hike up the hills above my parents

new home.

We were missing my brother Chuck and my sister Heather.

We did not have any of the kids because we wanted

to check it out before we took the entire crew.

It was beautiful and enjoyable....

and another heart pumper.

This is Jason and his big dog Bo, and Keri's small

rear sniffer Aesop.

Hey look, I have bright hair again!

We had many idiotic photo opps...this is only one of

many fantastic shots!

I need my picasa so I can college again.

A little bit of nature....