Blogspot not Bragspot

I've decided to make the switch back to blogspot because it's free! A good friend of mine uses typepad so that she can create beautiful banners etc. I thought I could try it too but I'm not very computer savy and with all of my kids' activities, I don't really have time to figure it out.

Anyway, it's been awhile since I've posted anything so here goes. Yes, I know it's blogspot and not bragspot but I wanted to share my most recent half marathon photo. I think the reason I feel so inclined to post about this is because I have surprised myself. In April I ran my second half for this year. My goal was obviously to finish and match my previous time. The marathon and the half marathon started at the same time and in the same place. Luckily, it was chipped because I didn't reach the starting line until about 2-3 minutes after the gun went off. The atmosphere was exciting. We started under the olympic bridge on the UofU campus with a gospel choir singing. As I passed the starting line my first thought was, "What was I thinking?" I felt like I was in a school of fish fighting my way to the front. It was hard to judge my pace because everything felt slow and I was afraid I would trip the person in front of me (I've done that before in a 10K...embarassing) I eventually found my way to the far left side and tried to focus. The wind was in my face and when we changed direction, it seemed to change direction too. A waste of time...I thought. I didn't feel as prepared or as good as I had felt in the Moab half.

The race finished at the Gateway mall in Downtown SLC. (The same location where David Archuletta was swarmed by all of the screaming girls...if you're an American Idol fan) The finish made it all worth it. My time ended up being 1:39:15....more than a minute faster than my last half. I came in 35th overall (out of about 2700) and 3rd in my age group!! The age group part was really the most exciting because I got a medal and felt special. I know this doesn't really mean much to all of you non runners but those that run might appreciate my accomplishment.

Here is a photo that was taken during the run. The photographer whistled to get my attention and caught a very rare mid-race smile. All of the other photos look fairly painful. I know this sounds like bragging but it's not. It might be the beginning of some sort of mid-life crisis or something. Anyway, I was just surprised. Thanks for listening to my self indulgence.

No More Secrets

Hayden is such a funny 3 year old. This morning when he woke up, I gave him a big hug and he said, "Mom is my favorite". It made my heart smile but he is very diplomatic. He says that everyone is his "best buddy" and you can tell he doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

We went Christmas shopping at the mall the other day. We were trying to find a shirt for Dean and I held up two for Hayden to choose from. He chose the one that I thought was most handsome (he has my taste) and I bought it and had the sales person wrap it etc. We brought it home, I hid it in my secret Christmas present hiding place and knew it would be forgotten until daddy unwrapped it. I didn't have the "this is a secret" conversation with Hayden, I didn't think I had to. He's three! The next morning while we were saying prayers as a family Hayden piped up and very enthusiastically said, "Dad, guess what? We got you a green shirt yesterday at the mall!"

Practice Makes Perfect

I was recently inspired by a blog of a friend of mine who lives in Holland. I was looking for her address (for Christmas cards), googled her name and found her blog. It's very fun to read so I decided to give it a try.

Several years ago my mother-in-law started scrapbooking. She found some old black and white photos of her and her family when they were little and began cropping them until there was almost nothing left. I thought, "she's ruining her pictures, she doesn't know what she's doing". Her pages left something to be desired. She didn't give up and now she has an entire large room in her home dedicated to scrapbooking. It's like a small store. Needless to say, her pages are now beautiful. Worthy of publication. I've asked her to will them to me. So, practice makes perfect! My attempt at a blog may have a shakey start but I hope with time it will become less embarassing and fun to share.

Thanks for the inspiration Debbie!