October 2015

Here are a few more things that happened in October:
-Layla and I went to St. George with Oakley and Nicole for our second annual girls trip. It's a wonderful tradition! We saw the play "When You Wish" at Tuachan, went shopping, and ate good food. We stayed at Nicole's grandma's new house and it was nice. We have a great time with Nicole and Oakley and the drive to and from St. George flies by! Can't wait until next year!

 
 

-The kids rode their bikes a lot! We had great weather in October and spent a lot of time outside.

-And roughhousing and horsey rides with Dad.

-I went to the Garth Brooks concert! It was incredible! Seriously, I still haven't gotten over how good it was and I'm pretty sure Mitch is sick of hearing about it. Ha! Garth played all his old stuff and was on stage for 2.5 hours. The arena was completely full, top to bottom, every single seat. I've never seen it that full and the energy was contagious! I went with my mom and her friend, Amber. It was such a neat, fun, exciting experience and I will never forget it! 

-And of course, the every day things of getting ready in the mornings, making meals, cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, breaking up fights between the kids, praising them when they play nicely together which they do for the most part, going to the park, Mitch doing school, visiting family, kids sleeping over at my parents, going to the temple, going to church, watching TV, etc. etc. etc. Life is great!

General Conference

We had General Conference last month and it was uplifting, as always. I had a few great take aways. The first was that I should teach my children the stories of Jesus. I can't remember who gave the talk, but he said that it is our job to teach our kids of the events and miracles that occurred in our Savior's life. I've always thought that and believed that, but how much have I actually done that? We've made it a point since to focus our family home evening lessons on the life of our Savior. The Church has release some beautiful videos of the life of Jesus that we have been enjoying.

The second point was to take our kids aside periodically as they get older and tell them the following: I have been where you are before, and I know what it's like. I can help you when you're in a tough spot, and I can tell you what comes next. (Or something to that effect.) The point was to let your kids know that they can have open communication with you and trust you to help them in good times and bad. I thought it was wonderful parenting advice, though again, I can't remember who said it.

The third was to pray and ask God to show you how you can improve. Not just the big, obvious things, but the little ones too. Some examples he gave were: speed less when driving, clean up my language, exercise daily, eat more fruits and veggies, call my loved ones to say hi more often, etc. That was eye opening to me because I think those little things add up to big things and change us into more Christlike people, and mold us into who we're supposed to become in this life. Everyone has something little they can change or improve, and we can pick one and work on it until we've changed in that area, and then add another, and another, just one at a time, so we are continuously improving and growing. I love that idea!

These things remind me of one of my favorite quotes: "The whole idea of Mormonism is improvement: mentally, physically, morally, and spiritually." -President Lorenzo Snow
Amen!

In between sessions on Sunday we went for a family bike ride. Marcus rode in the bike trailer behind Mitch's bike and Layla rode her own bike, without training wheels. We went nearly two miles, which is the farthest she's ever rode on her own and I was so proud of her! She LOVES riding her bike and rides it to school most days. She looks like such a big girl riding down the street with her helmet and backpack on. She'll be so sad when the weather is bad enough that she can't ride it until spring.

I Ran a Marathon

I ran a marathon. Most likely I will never run another one. But at least I did it once. I don't know why, but "run a marathon" was on my bucket list. I think it all started when I ran my first half and saw the marathoners and was inspired by them. Every half I ran after that made me think of what an accomplishment it would be to run a full. When I turned 30 I figured I'd better think about the marathon soon because it would only be harder the older I got (I know, depressing thought, but true). I wasn't feeling up to it that summer though (stupid postpartum depression!) and so this year, my 31st year, was it.

I signed up and posted on Facebook that I was going to run a marathon this year. I figured by making it public it would be harder to back out. And it worked! I stuck to my four and a half month training plan and actually ran the entire 26.2 miles. But not without some set backs.

The first time I ran 15 miles I got injured. Shin splints and they were brutal! I took the next two weeks off, skipping my 16 mile long run and my 10 mile recovery long run. When I started running again, I still had horrible shin splints. At the end of the week I decided to cut my planned 18 mile run back to 8 miles. After that I ran a 20 mile long run on Labor Day. The next three weeks were my "taper" weeks and boy did I taper! As in, I only ran twice. My shin splints were so bad it hurt just to stand in the shower! I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to run the marathon at all.

Thankfully my neighbor let me borrow her calf sleeves that are specifically designed for shin splints and they saved my legs!

But here's the irony of it all: while my legs felt great throughout the race, the rest of me did not. When I got off the bus at the start line, I realized that it was already much hotter than I had planned. I knew by the time I finished that it would be at least 80 degrees out and that meant bad new for me.

When Mitch and I first got married I went through a series of tests that ruled out everything except a condition called Cardiogenic Syncopy. Basically, I overheat and dehydrate really fast, and that year (2007) it caused me to get severe bloody noses and pass out several times. Since then I have learned to manage it primarily by avoiding exerting myself in the heat and staying hydrated.

So, back to the marathon. I got up to the start line and had a neat experience. It was so beautiful up there and the atmosphere was energetic and happy. I had a thought enter my mind that brought me to tears as I was standing there with 500 other crazy runners. The thought was how amazing it was that I was born 12 weeks premature, not expected to live, and yet now I am standing here waiting to run 26.2 miles. What a miracle! I cried thinking of how good Heavenly Father has been to me, how I was meant to be here, and how grateful I am for it all. It was a spiritually uplifting moment for me, one that reminded me how real God is and how involved He is in my life.

At the start line.

Since I knew it would be hot I decided to run the first half as fast as I could without overdoing it and try to get as far as I could before it got too hot. I ran the first half in 2 hours and 15 minutes, which is good for me since I'm a slow runner. I was excited at this point because at that pace it meant I would meet my goal which was to finish in under 5 hours. I was thinking I would finish in 4.5 or even 4 hours and 45 minutes, so I  was happy. I was drinking water and/or Gatorade at every single aid station, as well as GU and whatever else they offered me.

Fast forward to mile 17 and I was worried. It was hot and I was feeling it! I went in a port a potty, sat down, and instantly everything started spinning. You know how you can have several thoughts in rapid succession in a very short amount of time? Well my thoughts were, "I'm going to pass out in the port a potty with the door locked!" and "No one will know I'm in here" and "What if I fall in the poop? Sick!" and "I've got to get out of here, NOW!"

After that I realized that I could either take it WAY easy and actually finish the race, or I could push myself to meet my goal and probably end up passing out and being picked up in an ambulance and never finish the race at all. That seemed a bit dramatic, so I kept trying to run. I got to mile 20.5 before I realized I wasn't being dramatic, but that I indeed was on the verge of passing out. I would stop and put my head down often, and then feel better for a bit, but I really started to worry about myself and decided I better just walk the last 6 miles. I wanted to cross the finish line, regardless of how long it took me, and I did not want to end up on an ambulance. So I walked the last 6 miles.

That sucked! It really did. It was almost 90 degrees by this point, and while my legs felt fine, my feet did not and every step hurt. I passed an aid station run by a dental office with a sign that said, "Make your teeth happy, happy happy!" and I thought to myself. "You know, my teeth are the only things on my body that don't hurt right now." Okay, so that was dramatic, but you get my point: I hurt, I was hot, and I just wanted to be done. The last 6 miles felt like they would never end.

Eventually I did cross the finish line. When I saw the 26 miles sign, I cried. Mitch and my friend Liz Whitesides were waiting for me at the finish line (the kids had slept over at my parents' which I was grateful for). I cried again when I saw them, and I did actually run across the finish line, then went straight to first aid where I sat and they put ice packs on me. By this point I was physically sick and felt very much like I did in 2007 when I would pass out or at least get faint and sick to my stomach.

It was a weird feeling to be done. I started out the morning so grateful and excited for the experience. Towards the end I was so sad that I had worked so hard, and due to something out of my control, the weather, I would not be able to meet my goal. It helped so much to see Mitch and Liz. Mitch was so sweet. He brought me a protein drink, ice packs, Kit Kats, Skittles, and water. He thought of everything! Liz gave me a nice gift of Great Harvest treats and a bath bomb. She is such a sweet friend and helped me stay motivated during my training.

Now that it's all over, I'm glad I did it. I learned a lot about myself during this whole process, and I actually stuck to something, even when it got hard. I could have quite halfway through when I got injured, but I kept going. I think I found a new level of perseverance within myself that I didn't know existed.

The recovery was hilarious. I looked absolutely ridiculous trying to hobble around, and stairs were a complete joke. Layla didn't practice piano for a couple days because I couldn't bring myself to walk up or down the stairs. Also, I had a stomach ache for several days after and felt lightheaded with headaches that came and went until the following Wednesday. It was not fun. I feel 98% recovered now, but I do not feel like running again, so I've been doing the elliptical and that feels fine.

However, now that it's all over, I can truthfully say that I will never run another full marathon. I'll stick to half marathons and 5Ks. Kudos to all those who can easily run that distance, and perhaps on a cooler day I could do it too, but the training takes SO long and it is hard on my body, so I'll stick to shorter distances, thank you very much. :)

Hogle Zoo

Well, we made it on our biennial zoo trip this year. Oh, the zoo. I have such mixed feelings about it. Part of me feels like a kid when I'm there and I love to see the animals, and the other part of me feels like a tree hugger wanting to free all the poor animals. Lol.


Regardless, we did have a fun day! We went with our neighbor Camille and her 15 month old daughter, Brynlee. We rode the train, the carousel, and saw more animals than I can count. We were literally one minute late for the bird show and they wouldn't let us in. Lame! Layla was really bummed and I felt bad about it.

She wanted to wear her cat shirt and leopard vest to the zoo.
I obliged, despite cringing inside. Lol.

Beyond excited to ride the train!

The trip home was interesting. I thought I remembered how to get back to I-80 from Foothill, but we got lost and it took twice as long to get home as it should have. The kids were super whiny by this point and I was mad. So, it didn't end great, but it made me sure of my decision not to buy an annual pass to the zoo. ;)

Layla's First Piano Recital

Layla has now been taking piano for six months. She had her very first piano recital in September and she played, "Mary Had a Little Lamb" with her right hand playing melody and left hand playing two different chords. She had to state her name and piece, play the piece, then bow afterwards. She did such a great job and you never would have guessed it was her first recital!

The entire week leading up the recital she was really nervous. We practiced a lot, pretending it was the recital and going over everything she would do and experience, and what to do if she messed up or forgot the next note, etc. It's a different experience when they have the pieces memorized and don't have any music to refer to!

She did awesome. She marched right up, said her name and piece (and smiled, just like I told her to), played her piece wonderfully (ironically with one minor error on the first note, after we spent DAYS practicing only the ending of the song, lol), then took her bow. My favorite part though, was the proud, sweet smile she gave when she finished and as she came and sat down. The relief and satisfaction were evident on her pretty little face. ;)

We were sad that Mitch had to be out of town for her first performance. I was able to record it and show him later. And, she will have a recital once a quarter from here on out, so there will be plenty more for him to see!

I am so proud of my bug and her musical ability. I know she hates to practice most days, but I also know she'll be glad she can play when she's older. She is quite the talented little lady. I love her pretty face and her sweet, hilarious soul! Oh, and did I mention that she also learned to ride her bike without training wheels?!? Finally! Now she loves it, just like I knew she would, and asks to ride her bike nearly every day. Yay!

Marcus

I need to record that as of a couple months ago, Marcus has started speaking in full sentences. He doesn't always get words like to, and, or, the, etc. in his sentences, but he strings four or more words together at a time. It's pretty funny to hear him use words like "anymore" and "nevermind."

Recently as I was putting him to bed we were looking out the window. Our neighbors across the street were having solar panels installed and there was a man on the roof of their house. Marcus said, "Mommy wook! Guy up there! Whaaaat?!?" I couldn't stop laughing. He has totally picked up on inflection and tone, even if he doesn't understand the meaning of what he is saying. I love my little man and some days I can't stop kissing his squishy cheeks! It will be a sad day when he is no longer okay with me kissing his handsome little face off.

Sometimes Layla dresses him up in her dress up clothes. The other day I came home and he was wearing her frilly Cinderella dress. I should have taken a picture. It did not look right. I did take a pic of the day he wore her cheerleader costume though!

San Diego 2015

We just got back from a wonderful vacation! I felt like our family benefited from a week together with no distractions or commitments. I think it helped us relax, goof off, and not take life so seriously, which was needed. Perhaps having Layla start Kindergarten was a bigger change for our little family than I realized!

We flew into San Diego and stayed at a house we rented in Oceanside, which was about 15 minutes from Legoland.


Every time we got in the car the kids did their own activities:

We spent the first two days at Legoland and it was such a hit! The kids seriously loved it and had smiles on their faces both days we were there. Marcus was just barely tall enough to ride almost all of the rides. We loved the interactive Lego experiences too (Layla has Mitch's nerdy engineering brain and loves to build Legos) and I thought it was genius to have Legos to play with while waiting in line for rides. Of course, we barely waited in line because the park was not crowded in the least. It was so awesome! Mitch and I were amazed by and embarrassed for the "Master Builders" who built all those figures out of Legos. I didn't know whether to be amazed or appalled that someone spent their time doing that. Ha, ha! But I guess if they can get paid for doing it, then more power to them!

The Lego Movie is what started us even thinking about going to Legoland!
The have an ad for it on the movie and that's where the dream all started. ;)

Marcus's favorite ride. Pretty sure they rode it at least 8 times in a row!

No lines = ride all by yourself!

While in San Diego we went to Old Town San Diego and also visited the Mormon Battalion Museum. It had been updated and was so cool! Definitely the most unique LDS museum I've seen. My knowledge of the Mormon Battalion was limited, so I learned a lot. It's crazy to me how things always happen for a reason and have a greater purpose than one might initially realize. The Mormon Battalion seemed to have the purpose of earning money to help the Saints move West, but it was so much more than that. God works in mysterious ways, but His way always works out better than we can imagine! I loved learning the stories of those Saints, and the kids did too, until they dressed Layla up like a Battalion member! Ha, ha! She was fine with it until they handed her the (fake) shotgun, at which point she started crying! She's so sweet and sensitive and I'm glad she knows that guns are dangerous. She got happy again after the sister missionary showed us that the kids could pan for 100% fool's gold. :)


One morning was spent at the Museum of Making Music. Yep, we're total nerds, I know. The museum was pretty awesome though! They focused on music from each decade from 1900 to present time. They had antique instruments, many of which I have never heard of before, and some of which you could actually play yourself. I loved playing and steel guitar and it reminded me of my childhood and my love for Garth Brooks. :) Layla was really into it and got a little piano practice in on their very expensive, top of the line electric keyboard. Marcus did not enjoy the museum because he wanted to touch all the things that were not supposed to be touched, so he spent some time outside with Mitch.

We spent several hours at the beach near the home we rented. To sum it up I would say: Layla wouldn't stop running into the waves and Marcus was scared of the water so he didn't leave the sand. But he did love the sand! I went in the waves and they were huge so I got tossed around and had sand EVERYwhere. Mitch could not be outdone, so he went even farther into the waves. We all loved the beach and I wish we lived closer! We'll just have to go back each year. When it was time to leave the kids were sad, but Marcus helped us carry stuff back to the car and I loved watching him drag a chair that was twice his size across the sand. He's such a good little helper! Layla helped too, but mostly she was sad to be done with the waves. She's my little water girl and I'm pretty sure if we lived near the ocean she would grow up to be a surfer. :)







The last day we went to Sea World. It was fun; Layla enjoyed it more than Marcus, but it still was not as big a hit as Legoland. It was really crowded that day (the weekend of Labor Day) and we were tired from the fun week, so that may have been part of it. I was proud of Layla for overcoming her fear and walking through the shark tank with us. The ocean and the creatures living in it amaze me! I would LOVE to travel to the Arctic someday and see polar bears, walruses, and whales!

Marcus could barely contain his excitement at meeting Elmo and Grover!
He kept giggling and smiling the entire time!

Our last night there was funny. We put the kids to bed at 8 pm and then stayed up watching Big Bang Theory. After two hours we noticed that the Ipad was missing, and then we hear Marcus laughing, and found him playing the Ipad in bed while Layla was sound asleep next to him (they shared a bed)! The little thief had snuck out,  stole the Ipad, and stayed up for two hours playing it. It was SO funny and we had to turn our heads so he didn't see us laugh. But then it got not so funny very fast because of course he refused to go to sleep after that and missed out on sleep on the one night that it mattered since we had to be up early to catch our flight home. Stinker! Thankfully he was good the next day and didn't have an epic meltdown like I thought he would. The flight home was good, except for landing where we had to fly through turbulence and I thought I was going to toss my cookies. We were glad to be home; Layla was a little homesick while we were gone I think. She drew a picture of our house and wrote, "I miss home" while we were in San Diego. It was sad, but at least she had a great time. Now Marcus has asked, "Mom, go Wegowand, peeze, peeze, PEEZE?!?" everyday since we've been home and Layla is already planning to back for her birthday ... her idea, not ours. So I guess we can call the trip a success! I would love to go back, but I feel like there are so many other things to do and see that the idea of doing the same vacation every year just seems wrong. But I'm glad we had a fun, safe, relaxing trip!!!

I had only two regrets on this trip: forgetting to pack my blow dryer and hair straightener, hence the funny hair dos, and not taking a selfie with my hubby!