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7 Things on a Wednesday

January 18, 2017

It’s 12 days post surgery and I can finally move my body.  That first week was a doozy!  I’ve never had a C-section but this past week and a half I’ve really felt some sympathy for the moms that have.  Having your stomach cut open hurts.

Time for a nonsense update.

  1. Brian and I celebrated 16 years together on December 27th. 16! We are old, but not super old because we were basically children when we were married 🙂 Here’s a picture of us at the top of the iconic Sydney Harbor Bridge when we were in Australia.  Globe trotting with him is the best.920085539
  2. A friend texted this to me some weeks ago and it is one of the funniest things I have ever seen.  I just love it. Had to text it to Grandmom immediately.IMG_1741
  3. In December, I hosted a family party and had everyone bring an item for a new-mother’s essentials bag to be donated to an organization that aids refugees.  (I found the organization on justserve.org.)  I am still kicking myself for not taking any pictures.  Why am I so bad at that? Anyway, in the photo below I am dropping off the bags.  Here’s what I captioned on my personal Instagram account: “14 polka dot diaper bags full of new-mom essentials for refugees… collected and assembled by 14 awesome families, ready for drop-off at Lifting Hands International.  My first thought when I looked at these polka dot bags loaded in the back of my car was that 14 just wasn’t enough.  After all, there are so many in need.  And for so many things.  But have you heard the story of the boy that was throwing starfish back in the ocean along a beach lined with thousands and thousands of starfish? ‘It made a difference to that one.'”IMG_0113
  4. I made a goal for the year of 2017 to take at least one photo a day.  For others, this might be easy, but for me, it doesn’t come naturally.  I plan to make a Photo-a-day Chatbook at the end of the year (I love Chatbooks. Moms, you’ve seen their ad right??? Click here if you haven’t.) The pictures aren’t always the best, but I’m getting better at capturing everyday moments.  The past few days I’ve been so happy to be able to move again, plus the weather in Arizona is perfect right now, so the picture for Sunday (scootering with Gus and Posey in my church clothes) and Monday (walking with Lou and her right-hand-man) looked like this:IMG_0299LouGus
  5. A gym opened right by our house, and Connor has been excited to finally go.  He asked a friend of his to meet him there early one morning, but the friend didn’t show.  He texted me this and I knew- he is definitely my son.  (Everyone here is aware of my gym anxiety, yes?)IMG_0419
  6. Which leads me to number 6.  My boys are getting older and sometimes it makes me sad.  Mainly because when I look back I think, did I hug them enough? Did I tell them enough how awesome they are? Do they know how much I love and adore them? It reminds me of the Peter Pan quote, “Little boys should never be sent to bed. They always wake up a day older.” When you’re raising kids, so often you have to dance along the fine line of being firm so that they grow up to be decent human beings, and being sympathetic and understanding so that they feel self-assured and loved.  This motherhood stuff is not for the weak.IMG_1900
  7. The song for the week is “Get Back Up Again” from the Trolls soundtrack. Heaven knows my road back to being in marathon shape will be long and strenuous, but I will get back up again.

 

7 Comments
Filed Under: Family, Kids, What's On My Mind

Motherhood is so weird.

September 4, 2016

IMG_0947I’ve been in a funk ever since my kids started school.

Motherhood is so weird because one second I’m like, when will I EVER get a moment alone??? There’s always somebody there! and then the second they all run in different directions I’m like, I’m so lonely. It’s so quiet.

That’s basically what I’m feeling now. When kids are little they require constant supervision and care.  Once upon a time I changed diapers, I tied shoes, I wiped faces.  Now that my kids are older the mothering role has changed so much.  I have become a driver, personal assistant, time manager, personal shopper, menu planner, the list goes on and on.  I can honestly say that I love and have loved every single stage that my children have gone through, but it’s so crazy that they are all creating these lives of their own.  I’m here to be a cheerleader of that life, a supporter, and someone to drive their homework to school when they forget it for the 7th time 🙂

My motherhood role as of late- It’s a very cool thing.  It’s an honor to be the one they run to when they are in need of something to help them in their quest to create their own cool little life.

It’s just been a little bit of an adjustment.

(Training week in review coming at you tomorrow.)

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Filed Under: Family, Kids, What's On My Mind

Beach Reads

September 3, 2016

We made it to Newport.  Except… last night Lou puked in the car and she threw up about twenty more times after that (there was obviously nothing coming out at that point.)  When a child throws up in a car, I am never fully confident that it is all cleaned up.  There are too many cracks and crevices that it can get into.  But B and I tackled it together on the side of the I-10 using only baby wipes- one of the romantic things you get to experience together when you’re married with children 🙂

She seems to be a little better today, so hopefully whatever happened will pass quickly, which is good because yesterday, while we were waiting for the older three to get home from school and packing up the car, she said about 63 times, “Mom are you soooooo excited to go to California today??” So sad.  The little nugget doesn’t have a pound of body weight to spare, either.IMG_0946Thought today I’d share with you some books I’m into:

  1. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. This book is pure inspiration! My Grandmom read it and told me I had to read it.  She was right.715HieL3iYL
  2. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman.  The movie comes out today, but I brought the book here to read.  It has been on “To-Read” list forever (I buy too many books in too many formats at once.) Can’t wait to dive in.81Fx8H888XL
  3. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.  I bought this one in audible form so I can listen while running.  I’ve listened to about the first 30 minutes.  So far so good.  When I listen to books, I listen while running, but also while walking the dog, doing laundry, driving, etc.  If it’s a really good read, I can finish it pretty quickly. 51w6QuPzCLL

Any good reads I need to know about? I always love a good book recommendation.

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Filed Under: Kids, Lou Clover, Travel, What's On My Mind

Park City Fun

January 25, 2016

A week ago we returned from a trip to Park City to ski, sled and party for the three day weekend with Scott (B’s brother), Rachael, Duke, and Boss.  It’s always a fun time with family.

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The plan was to ski on Friday and Saturday (our flight arrived in Utah on Thursday night), sled on Sunday, and go to Salt Lake City on Monday.

Friday morning I headed to the Silver Mountain Sports Club to use their treadmill (had to pay about $20 for a day pass- did that three times.)  When I got home, we got geared up and headed to go ski.

Well, when we arrived to Park City Ski Resort on Friday morning, we found out that the ski school for the kids was full for the day (next time we’ll book online beforehand).  So we decided that I would stay at the condo with Lou, and Connor, Cash, Duke, Boss and Posey would take a private snowboarding lesson.  It worked out great.  Lou and I had a very low key day at the condo watching youtube, snacking, walking to 7-11, and drinking hot chocolate.  B had fun with the older three and Scott and Rach:

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He kept texting me to tell me how great Connor and Posey were doing on their first time snowboarding.  I found out the next day that he was right! That’s Connor on the left in the black and Posey on the right in the white coat:

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Saturday I was excited to ski (after another treadmill run at Silver Mountain Sports Club.)

Lou was soooooo nervous about ski school so I had to bribe her with a Tiana Barbie, which she has been wanting forever (she’s obsessed with princesses and Barbies.)  I had to remind her about 4,828 times dropping her off that if she was brave, she would get her doll.  She ended up doing great! Brian went to Walmart that night to get her Tiana Barbie. Hooray for successful bribery!

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On Sunday we went sledding at Gorgoza Park.  They drag you up the mountain with your tube and you sled down.

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Then we all hooked our tubes together to come down:

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Then the girls made snow angels, the highlight of their trip.

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After sledding, we ate at Fuego.

On Monday (after my morning treadmill run) we headed to Salt Lake City and spent some time in Temple Square and had a yummy lunch at Hires Big H.  After that we headed to the airport.

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Lou said, “Mom will you take a picture of me with my Barbies in front of the temple?”

Of course:

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There’s nothing better than family time!! It’s so much fun watching my kids grow up and learn new skills and master them.

We’re headed back to Utah (sans kids this time) on Thursday for Brian to attend a dental convention.  Dare I attempt to run outside??? What do you guys think?? If I see even one tiny patch of ice it’s a definite no.  I don’t want to end up like this runner:

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Filed Under: Family, Kids, Lou Clover, Posey Quinn, Travel, Utah

A Birthday, 2016 goals, and a greater plan

December 29, 2015

My baby, Lou, is 4 today.  I kept squeezing her last night and telling her, “I have to keep squeezing you because this is my last night with a three year-old and I don’t want to forget what it feels like!”  And then we played the game I always play with my kids before they have a birthday.  I pretend to be really mad at them for not listening to me when I have told them not to ever get any older.  She giggles and I tell her she’s in BIG trouble.

When the 2011 Boston Marathon was approaching, Brian and I were going back and forth on whether or not we wanted a fourth child.  We were happy with three, and weren’t sure if we should shake up a good thing.  We decided that after the Boston and Big Sur marathons, it would be now or never.

Our family, in spring of 2011, shortly after Boston:

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We went to Boston, I ran the marathon and later that day, while still high on the Boston Marathon endorphins, told him,  “I don’t think I’m up for another baby.  I love our family how it is, I want to keep running.”  He completely understood, and like I said, we loved our little family, so it’s not like he was set one one way or the other.

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I would find out later that week, that my decision came too late.  God had other plans in mind.  Yet, when I discovered this, I wasn’t disappointed, I was so excited! And better yet, I knew that this baby was meant to be.

As I lined up for the Big Sur marathon just a couple weeks later, the last thing I did was put my hand on my belly and think, it’ll be bumpy for about four hours so you hang on tight in there, little one!

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She proved tough that day, and she is still is one tough, stubborn little nugget!!! I adore everything she does.  She is my little built-in best friend.  She makes me laugh all day long.  She is adored by so many.  She is the ultimate encore.  I don’t even want to think about what life would be like without her.

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Four years later, I am STILL trying to PR.

But little Lou is worth a million PR’s and then some.

I’m hoping to PR this year.  It is still a goal of mine.  But if there’s anything that 2015 has taught me, it’s that PR’s are not why I run.  There are other ways to grow as a runner besides setting a new record.

In 2014, with a 3:45 time at the Phoenix Marathon in the spring and then my 3:39 at St. George in the fall, I thought for sure that a PR (3:37 or better) in 2015 was in the bag.

I also thought, once upon a time in a Boston hotel room, that I would never be a mother to four.  God had a greater plan.

The greater plan turned out to be way better than mine because the greater plan gave me Lou.

My plan for 2016 is a PR, but if the greater plan happens to be different, that’s quite alright with me.

3 Comments
Filed Under: Family, Kids, Lou Clover, pregnancy, Races, What's next

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About Me

About Me
I am a wife and a mother to four busy kids who is seeing the world one marathon course at a time. I invite you to take a peek into my life, read about my quest to complete a marathon on each continent (with lots more traveling races in between), and learn how to race with your heart. Read more...

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