so here's what's up...

I just finished up my finals. I'm glad this semester is over. I am taking the summer off of school to work. I'm looking forward to making some money, and I'm happy it's just a summer gig. Everything has worked out nicely for us lately, and I'm really grateful for that. I have decided to take a break from running for the summer. My body is so strange. I am losing weight now that I am not running so many miles. Maybe I'm just not as hungry? Who knows, but either way I'm thrilled to be dropping weight. Let's hope I can keep it off. Phoenix and I have enjoyed some good times together lately. We went to the park yesterday. I can't believe how independent she is now. Everything she does is "by myself." Everyday I have been sitting down with her giving her a "writing lesson." We either paint or write simple things like, "I LOVE DADDY, or MY NAME IS PHOENIX." I am hoping I have done enough to prepare her for preschool. It blows my mind to think she is almost old enough to start preschool. Right now I'm trying to find one that is fitting to our schedules and will teach her more than she already knows. If anyone has any suggestions I'd be thrilled to hear them. Bobby has been playing music again lately. He has been writing and recording with TJ Lavin, and he also has another band he's been playing with. Music is definitely the key to happiness for Bobby, so I'm glad he's been doing a lot of it lately. For me, I've been finding my fun playing indoor soccer still. I love it. Bobby and Phoenix usually come and cheer me on which is nice. I'm happy I'm able to play. So that's our little update. I'll leave ya with a few pics. I also have a Coral Pink trip post coming eventually, but there's lots of pics with that. I just wanted to give a quick update to the fam in Oklahoma and my friends too! :)

Bobby is selling this guitar if anyone wants it.


Claire and Phoenix at one of our soccer games


How I spend my Monday nights. :)

Salt Lake City FULL marathon..26.2 miles

RESULTS: FULL MARATHON
chip time: 4:01:17
pace per mile: 9:12
Female overall: 68/409
Female division: 13/79

"To describe the agony of a marathon to someone who's never run it is like trying to explain color to someone who was born blind."
Jerome Drayton

The above quote is very true, but I'll give it my best shot. Here is the description of my first 26.2 mile marathon. Before I get into the race itself I have to begin by thanking my friends, Melissa and Liz, for being great supporters, traveling partners, and runners in their own right. These girls were good company, and their race experiences inspire me a great deal. We were fortunate enough to stay in Liz's parents' condo in Provo, Utah for the weekend of the race. Since the race was in Salt Lake City it was a close commute and much nicer than a hotel stay. The day before the race we went to the expo to pick up our numbers and have our shins taped up. Along the way we had picked up our friend, Dawn, who was also set to run. After the expo we met up with two more girls that were running the next day and we all "carbed up" at Olive Garden together. Having so many girls running definitely kept me from getting as nervous as I normally do for races. After dinner we got in bed early and TRIED to get some sleep before our super early wake up time arrived.

The morning of the race was different for me this time. I suppose ignorance is bliss, because had I any clue how hard this race would be I'm certain I would have been a wreck. Thankfully my nerves were much better this time around though, and things pre-race were pretty good. I started the race too excited for me to describe. I tried to hold my pace back a little and run comfortably, which I did some. I think I was keeping between an 8:00-8:50 pace per mile. I felt really good in the beginning. I hit mile 13 in around 1:51 and still felt strong. At mile 16 I called Liz to see how her race went. She made a PR for herself and had shaved 10 minutes off her half marathon time from her last race. I was happy to hear that. It gave me motivation to hear a familiar voice, and I was making REALLY good time at that point in the race. I hit mile 18 and felt a little tired. I ate another gel block and grabbed some water at a water station. I kept telling myself to just get to 20 miles and it would be ok from there. My pace was slowing; it was in the 9:00s now. I didn't really care about the time at that point, but I was concerned about how tired I was. I hit mile 20 and kept moving, then I hit mile 21, and then mile 22, and THEN I was defeated. I have to say that I have NEVER walked during a race, but I had no choice in this one. I hit 22.5 miles and I thought, "walk for one minute, get yourself together, and then start running again." I did walk, and I quickly realized that my legs were NOT working right. It hurt even worse to walk, but I couldn't run anymore. I didn't know what to do, so I texted my friend Shawna something like this while I was walking,"I want to quit. I'm at mile 23, and I'm crying!" I didn't hear back, so I called Bobby for some encouragement. I sobbed to him, "why am I giving up? Bobby, this is so hard, and I hurt really bad! What am I going to do? I can barely walk!!" Bobby told me to walk for as long as I needed to and to. He told me how proud of me he was and that he loved me. That just made me cry even more. I was a mess, but I DID manage to start running again. I made it to the next water stop and grabbed more water and ate another block(I was desperate!)Finally, at mile 25, I called Liz and told her I'd see her in 10 minutes. She said, "OK, we'll be here. Great job!" I looked at what was ahead with fear in my eyes. I don't know what moron thought it would be a fun idea to make the last mile up hill, but it was all UP HILL! I thought I was going to die. I trudged up that mother though, and once I got to the top I cried again while running. I was an emotional wreck!! I wiped the tears and focused on that last .2 mile that seems to take FOREVER to complete. As soon as I crossed the finish line I felt the same feeling I experienced after I gave birth. My body was completely exhausted, my mind felt cloudy, and I felt like the Lord had heard my prayers and answered them. It was so rewarding. I heard my friends on the sideline and I couldn't have been happier to see them. I cried tears of joy and pain, and they shared in the emotion. I was so proud of them, of me, of us! What a great day. Afterwards it kept getting better. I found out my chip time was 4:01. I had prayed that I would finish in around 4 hours, but because I broke down emotionally during the run I'd given up hope of a good time. I am really proud of my time. It's a solid time for my first marathon, but I know I can improve it. I just have to find away to avoid hitting that dreaded wall at mile 22. My dream is to one day qualify for Boston. I'd have to shave 21 minutes off my time, but I have faith that with hard work anything is possible. For now though I am rejoicing in the fact that I can put a big ol' check mark on the bucket list! I set a lofty goal and "got 'er done!" wheeee!!!!

Things I learned this past week:

1.respect the distance of a full 26.2 miles, because if you don't you'll be crying on the phone to your husband at mile 22.5

2.Inspiration is all around you, but you have to open your eyes to see it.
I found some in the Mom sitting across from me at the table that gave birth just weeks ago and still ran the half marathon, a woman that trained HARD for months to set a personal record despite having a jam packed schedule, the tiny girl who is a true competitor for running through extreme pain and never complaining once, the guy in the race running the FULL with ONE leg,(how could I ever quit if he didn't?) and of course in my loving husband, sister, daughter, and in-laws that supported me throughout this crazy training.

3.I will never find a flattering running outfit, but I don't really care much.

4.There are a LOT of white people in Northern Utah. I know it's random, but it's very true.

5.It doesn't matter what distance you run or how fast you run it in. As long as you leave your heart and soul on the course you will never regret the experience, and you'll always be proud of it.

Here are pictures from the weekend.

Phoenix the ballerina

Phoenix started dance and seems to really be enjoying it. I had to help her out at first, but now she's kind of getting the hang of it. This weekend we took her to her class and it was canceled, so we headed over to the park for a quick photo shoot of my little ballerina! I can't believe how big she is getting. There is nothing cuter than watching this little gal dance!!

Thanks to Ma and Pa in Oklahoma for the birthday money for Phoenix. You paid for her first dance class!! We love and miss you out there.

training update

Warning: I dork out about running, so this is a monster post about my running. If you're already annoyed and rolling your eyes, then don't continue reading. Don't say I didn't warn you. :)

I mentioned a few posts ago that I was considering running a full marathon in April. I have continued training and things are looking good...meaning I'm still in one piece and nothing is injured. HALLELUJAH for that! I am, however, beginning to believe that I am BAD LUCK. My running partner, Melissa, is having issues with her shin. I am praying she can still do the race. This is the 3rd time one of my partners have hurt themselves while training for a race with me, and that's the reason that I kinda think I may be bad luck. If so, I'm SORRY! Thankfully Liz is still hanging in there and is looking like she'll make a new PR at this race.
Ok, about my training for this race. Last week I was SICK with strep throat. THAT WAS FUN! Obviously I was in no condition to run, so I rested. After 6 days of NOT running I couldn't take it anymore. So, I decided to do a long run as scheduled.

I remember a few years back the first time I ran SIX miles with my friend, Shawna, I was pumped! I couldn't believe we had ran SIX miles! That was HUGE for me then, and I remember thinking over and over to myself, "I could have ran from my house to the airport!" Ever since then when I'm driving places I pay attention to how far I've driven, and I think, "I've ran this far before. I could have run here." The farthest drive I do on a weekly basis is to my in-laws house which is 22 miles away according to map quest. I have always wondered if I could make it out to H-town by foot. I just never thought I'd really ever attempt it..until now.

Back to my long run. After a week of rest it was time to run. I was needing to do 20 miles to stick to my training program. I called my friend who bikes/runs/swims a lot and asked him if there was a safe route from my place to H-town. He said, "oh yeah, that's very do-able!" I got excited thinking that I may actually run THAT FAR. I've driven it a million times, so I was very aware of the distance. Before I could chicken out I ate 2 packets of instant oatmeal and a banana. I downed a bottle of water with breakfast, grabbed one for the road, and then told Bobby to stay by his phone, because I'd be calling him to pick me up when I couldn't run anymore. First I headed south on rainbow, then went east on Blue Diamond and stayed on it until it turned into Windmill. At windmill and the 215(mile 9) I stopped at a convenient store for a vitamin water, then I jumped on a bike trail that would take me the rest of the way. I texted Bobby at mile 9, 13, and 17 to let him know I was still alive. I felt better and better the further I went. I kept thinking things like, "holy cow, I'm passing GVR, OMG I'm at Stephanie..this is CRAZY!" It kept me motivated. The course was AMAZING. It was mostly flat or downhill which was nice. Bobby called me when I was at mile 19.5 and he wanted to pick me up. I told him to meet me at a place real close to his parents' house that would put me right at 22 miles. I couldn't believe I felt so good. I did 22 miles!! Bobby kept telling me that he was proud of me, and I thought that was sweet of him.

This was BY FAR the BEST run of my life! It topped all the races I've done. I am excited for the race, but I already feel like I've accomplished something I thought was beyond my capabilities. I feel proud.
So, for you Vegas folks who know your way around, I ran from Buffalo/215 to Wagon Wheel/95. It took me 3:21.

Phoenix at 3

My sweet "baby" turned 3 in January. We threw her a very fun princess party. I have about 1,000 pictures, so I might make a slide of them all later. For now I want to journal what Phoenix is like at 3 years old.

The things she loves: EVERYTHING PRINCESS!! Barbie movies and Disney movies, having me paint her nails pink, lip-gloss, playing dress up, having tea parties, going to the park, flying kites with her Dad, bath time, when I read her princess stories at bed time, taking naps in her princess tent, watching videos of herself, going to her Aunt's houses and her grandparents' house, and playing with her cousin, Ethan, and BFF, Claire-bear.

The things that melt my heart: When she says her prayers all by herself, when she gives me "huggy bears and kissy poos," every time she high-fives me and says, "girl power, Mommy, all for one and one for all," then she looks at Bobby and says, "don't mess with the dress, Dada!" This week when I was sick she told me, "God will make you better, Mama, he fixed the owie on my fumb." I love that she has an AMAZING memory. She always remembers who gave her what; she is genuinely grateful for things. She tells me to be "REAL careful" when I go running, and when I push her in the stroller for a run she'll look up, wave at me, and smile. Phoenix sings like her Dad a LOT, and she absolutely prefers him over me. It's hard at times not to be the "favorite," but I'm happy she loves her Dad so much. She reminds us often that when she grows big she'll go to school like Ethan does and she'll get married(to Ethan). The sweetest thing she says to me, and it stings a little every time, is that her "Grandma Lorrie and Grandpa Bobby live in heaven."

Things that are not so sweet about Phoenix at 3: She cries when I pick her up from other people's houses, because she doesn't want the fun to end. She is getting independent and wants to do everything on her own. The dog has been the victim of many of Phoenix's tantrums which often end in her hitting or throwing a shoe at Marley....because I'm WAY scarier than our pit bull, so she takes out her anger towards me on the dog. She doesn't understand that Bobby and I have rules to follow and we force her to respect others not because we're mean, but because we LOVE her more than anything.

Back to the perfect parts of my child..

Things that she has her own way of pronouncing:

Teegar - guitar
fumb - thumb
Bitamin - vitamin
squincy - quincy
Esan - Ethan
Dinana - Diana
lip glass - gloss
slippees - slippers
dodos - donuts
boops - boots
tactus - cactus
workin' dress - bobby's work shirt

..But don't go thinking Phoenix isn't smart as can be! Check out what all she knows for a 3 year old:

she can..
count to 20,
spell her name, STOP, KIKI, and MAMA,
WRITE her name,
sound out all the letters of the alphabet,(she argued with me this morning, because she was CERTAIN Cinderella started with an S)
sing several songs all the way through,
go note for note with Bobby singing, and she can match a piano even better!

She hasn't shown a great liking for sports just yet, but I will note that my girl can headbutt a soccer ball and stop it and kick it too.

I hope I have covered everything about our sweet peanut. She is sweet, loving, cuddly, smart, sassy, and beautiful! Most importantly though she is LOVED, and we are SO grateful to be her parents.

My Montage 3/25/10 at OneTrueMedia.com

P during a singing lesson with her Daddy.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

26.2 may be in my very near future

I have known for quite awhile that eventually I would run the "big race." I thought it would be when I was closer to turning 35 or 40 years old. After running the Huntington Beach half I realized that my new friend, Melissa, and I ran a very similar pace per mile. She told me she was going to keep upping her miles to prepare for a full marathon. Knowing how AWFUL long runs can be alone, I offered to keep her company on her long runs and see her through her training. I was also fortunate enough that another one of my friends, Liz, was training for a half marathon(same location as Melissa's full.) For the last 4 weeks or so the three of us have been meeting for long runs! I'm thrilled to report that we all get along great. We talk for the majority of the runs, which can sometimes take longer than 2 hours. The three of us laugh, complain, share stories and tips, and share the same feeling of accomplishment when we finish! When I began running with these girls I had NO intentions of running the marathon with Melissa. I didn't think it was something that I could do so soon. I am now having second thoughts. Friday we ran 17 miles, and I felt GOOD afterwards. It felt as if I could keep going. I hit a runner's high at mile 15 and was running a really good pace there for awhile. For the first time I felt like the full was within my reach. So, I have a little ways to go, and I haven't signed up yet, but if all keeps going well I'll be running 26.2 miles. It is crazy how this kind of just fell in my lap. The weather is good during this time of year, my two friends that didn't even know each other happen to be running the same race, my miles were up from the Huntington race, and I needed a goal more than I knew. I'm so happy this has all worked out so well. I look forward to pushing myself harder than ever before during the next month. I'm grateful for my health, and my running is kind of a way for me to say "thanks" to the big man upstairs. Wish me luck, because I'll need it for sure.

Christmas 2009

I am FINALLY adding my Christmas story. Sorry it's just a little late. Better late than never though, right? Just because I haven't gotten around to blogging about doesn't mean it wasn't a really special holiday. As a matter of fact it was the BEST Christmas ever. I know I'm not original in saying this, but Christmas is my favorite time of year. Phoenix made the holidays better than ever before. Her enthusiasm about "Jesus' happy birthday" was too cute.
One thing I want to remember is how Bobby and I took her to see Santa. We told her Santa would bring her whatever she asked for, but she had to ask nicely and be good. So, we go to the mall and find Santa, and Phoenix politely asked for a bike with Pon-pons, a Repunzel barbie doll, and princess dress up outfits. When we got in our car to leave I noticed Phoenix was starting to cry. I asked her what was wrong and she said, "Santa didn't give me my bike?" It was seriously heartbreaking. I guess when we explained the whole thing to her we left out the part about the toys not arriving until Christmas morning. Bobby and I had a good laugh about that one! Poor Peanut.
On Christmas Eve Niki came over and we had dinner together, played cards, and baked cookies to leave out for Santa. After Phoenix was asleep we wrapped a few last minute gifts, and then we all called it a night. The next morning Phoenix, Niki, Bobby, and I woke up to find that Santa ate all the cookies and had left Phoenix the bike she asked for along with EVERYTHING else a little girl would want! I was excited about giving Niki a TV that we bought her. She gave us lots of money, and bought me a pair of running shoes that I desperately needed. I was SO happy! After we unwrapped gifts, played with our toys,and ate a bomb breakfast that Bobby hooked up for us, it was time to head to the in-laws' house. We hung there for the rest of the day. We enjoyed time with family and opened more gifts. It really was a super fun day! I will NEVER forget how special this Christmas was. Maybe it's because the economy is so bad, and a lot of people have been affected by it, but I have just been more aware of my blessings than ever before. I know we have had a life changing year ourselves, and it was full of many challenges and a little heartache, but overall I feel we came out on top. This Christmas was a nice ending to 2009, and it got me all excited about what's in store for 2010. So far, so good!
There's one more thing I have to add. I did black friday shopping this year and had a blast!! I also hit up the after Christmas sales too. I scored the BEST Christmas decorations EVER! So, look out next year, because my house is going to be awesomely decorated!!!!
Here's a thousand pics from our holiday! :)

family pictures 12-09 by marissa[d]photography

These are our family pictures we had taken in December. Marissa [d] photography is who we used this year. I liked her a LOT. She is very good at making you feel comfortable and bringing out the best in children. :P