Texas!

I am in Texas!!  It has been an interesting trip so far.  It started out kind of scary.  On Wednesday morning before I left my mom took my dad to the hospital.  He's not doing so hot.  I was pretty worried, but I didn't feel like I needed to stay home.  I decided to go and do my best to enjoy the trip, and if something happened I would figure out something when the time came.  Turns out that was a good choice.  They found an infection in my dad - not surprising because he has no immune system.  I talked to Sharon last night and she said my dad's fever has gone down, but he's still throwing up and stuff.  She said the doctors wanted to send him home today.  She doesn't think it's a good idea and she said my mom didn't think it was a good idea.  We'll see what happens today I guess.  

Texas has been great.  Riana and I got into Dallas at 11:30 PM...by the time we got our luggage and our rental car it was past midnight.  I bought a GPS to help us get from place to place without getting lost.  It's been pretty useful.  Our car is hideous!!  It's a Chevy HHR or something like that.  It looks like a hearse.  But it gets us around I guess.  We spent Wednesday night at Riana's friends' house.  In the morning we went for a run - it was disgusting!!  It's so hot and humid here...even early in the morning.  Wendee and I joke about elbow sweat when we run - the sweat the runs down your arm from you elbow...eww!  Not only did I have elbow sweat, but I had sweat in between my fingers!!  And we only did 2 miles!!  Gross.  

We spent Thursday traveling.  We drove from Dallas to New Braufels.  We stopped in San Marcos at an outlet mall that was just plain ridiculous!  There's like 250 stores there.  It was so overwhelming!  But, I restored Riana's faith in me as a shopper.  I actually bought some stuff!  The last few times Ri and I have been shopping I didn't buy anything.  

Friday we drove down to Corpus Christi to see some more of Riana's friends and go to the beach!  It's hurricane season here right now.  It's been cloudy and rainy for a while I guess.  But, the sun graced us with it's presence while we were at the beach.  We were there for like 2 hours.  I got a little bit of sun...but not much.  We left the beach when the big ominous clouds started to block our sun.  It was a little bit disturbing to see all the signs on the road as we drove back to New Braufels - they said, "Hurricane season is here - keep your gas tanks full."  But, we were safe.  And from now on we'll be further inland.  

Today we're going to Schlitterbahn!  I'm pretty excited.  Hopefully the sun will come out!

Leaving...on a jet plane!

I'm all packed up and I'm ready to go! I actually followed my plan pretty close. I'm glad I wrote everything down. I'm sure if I didn't, I wouldn't have remembered everything I needed to do!

Work today was really hard for some reason. I got there at about 8:45 and started working on an email I sent out to all the soccer moms. By about 9:00, I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open at my computer. It was pretty pathetic. But, it got better. We had a training meeting for three hours today!! We're getting a new program that will hopefully make our lives easier. But, there are a lot of ins and outs and little things we needed to learn so it took a long time. And I'm sure we only skimmed the surface. It's going to be a wild ride transitioning to the new program, but hopefully it will be worth it.

I got a call from Bryce this afternoon. He had something come up so he wasn't able to play racquetball tonight. Sad day. But, the good news is, that made it possible for me to go to institute, which I love! We just started a new class (Doctrine and Covenants) and I'm really excited for it!

Sharon came over to talk to Jared tonight. She said she had stopped by my parent's house. My dad isn't doing so hot right now. His white cell counts are at zero, which means he has absolutely no immune system. I'm sure it's really hard on my mom. She didn't let Sharon stay for more than a couple minutes. I can understand why, we have to be careful not to get my dad sick. The next couple weeks are pretty critical for him.

I really can't believe I'm leaving tomorrow. It doesn't feel real at all. I hope it will be fun! I can't imagine it not being fun. Even if all our plans fell through and we just got to get away for a few days, I think I would be content with that. But, with Riana planning, I really don't see any of the plans falling through! It'll be great!

I'm not taking my computer with me to Texas. I figured it would just be smarter to leave it at home. That means I might not be able to write every day while I'm gone. I'll just have to see if any of our hosts have internet access I can use.

The plan

When I get to feeling like I have way too much to do, it really helps me if I write everything down - really specific. I used to plan out my days when I was in college down to the minutes so I would be sure to get everything done. I'm kind of feeling like I have too much to do in the next couple of days. So to be sure I get everything in, I'm going to write it all down. Here goes:

Tuesday:
6:04 Wake up (No really...my alarm is set for 6:04)
6:15 Run 5 miles with Wendee (unless the air quality is such that we can't see the mountains - then no running for us...but hopefully it will be okay)
7:05ish Shower, get ready, read BOM
-Start laundary
-Make lunch
-Eat breakfast
8:15 Leave for work
-Try out the new GPS system on the way to work
9:00 Work, work work
12:00 Lunch break
-Shop at Harmons
1:00PM-4:00Pm Sportman training...try not to fall asleep
6:00PM Quitting time
-Stop at Monica's on the way home (if she's there)
-Stop at mom and dad's to borrow a suitcase
7:00PM Get home
-Eat dinner
-Finish laundary
-Pack
-Make bagels
8:30PM RACQUETBALL!!! :)
9:45PM Get home
-Bake bagels
-Finish packing
-Get ready for bed
10:45PM Bed time!!

Wenesday:
6:30 Wake up, get ready
8:00AM Leave for work
8:30-1:00PM Work
1:30PM Get home
2:00PM Leave for airport
4:30PM Leave for vacation in Texas!!!

That makes me feel so much better! The best part is that things probably won't even work out like I planned for them to, but just getting it all down makes me feel so much more organized!

The end of a good weekend

I feel like it's been a long weekend. I always love it when that happens. Then I'm good a ready to go back to work on Monday.

Krista came to church with me today. I'm glad she did. I always feel better when I know there's at least one person who will sit by me in all three meetings. I usually don't end up sitting alone, but it's just comforting to know that I don't have to sit alone. I know that probably doesn't make sense, but it makes sense to me.

I did some planning for my trip to Texas with Riana. I looked at the schedule a little closer and I made a list of restaurant options in all the places we'll be. Doing that made the trip a lot more real to me. Now I'm really excited. I think it will be a lot fun. I hope it will be fun. I've always wanted to go to Schlitterbahn. I watched a show about water parks once when I was little. That water park was on the show and ever since there I've always thought, "I want to go there someday." And now I get to!! Hopefully I can get a bunch of stuff done at work so I won't regret leaving when I come back.

I really hope my tummy starts to feel better soon! I still can't seem to keep anything in my system for more than a couple hours. I just hope my body is going something from the food I give it before it gets rid of it! I think I'm going to eat really basic stuff for the next couple of days and see if that helps. I hope I haven't been poisoning myself on accident!

Hobble Creek Half Marathon 2008

I ran a half-marathon today. I slept over in Provo last night. We didn't have internet access at the hotel so I didn't get to write yesterday. The run was good and bad. It was good because I got a PR. I ran it in 2 hours and 12 minutes. The best I had done before today was 2 hours and 16 minutes. It was bad because I just don't feel good. I haven't felt very good all week. Everything I eat just goes right through me. For the first few miles Wendee and I ran together. We were going super fast. Wendee's mom ran the race too. Wendee and I leap-frogged her for the first 3 miles. It was not fun for me. I felt like Wendee was pulling me super fast so we could get ahead of her mom and I felt like her mom was running fast so she could be ahead of us. I felt like I was running Wendee's race and Suzee race, but not my race. Wendee and I finally passed her. I told Wendee that I couldn't keep running as fast as we were. She left me. It was good because then I got to run my own race. But by then I was tired and I didn't feel good. The rest of the race wasn't my favorite. But, I finished, and in good time, and it's over!

We went out to dinner tonight. The kids are starting school on Monday so we went out to help them be excited. We went to Outback...always fun for me. Except, that was the only thing I really ate today...and now my tummy isn't so happy. LAME!!

I went to my Melissa's wedding reception tonight. She was absolutely beautiful. I am so happy for her and I'm happy that she's so happy! It was fun to see her family and some friends I haven't seen since high school. It's always good to have a little chat and catch up on what's going on in people's lives. It's weird to me that I spent every day with some of those people at school and then when we graduated I never saw them. It's kind of sad that we can lose contact like that.

I went over to my parent's house to get the directions to the wedding reception. My mom said today was not a good day for my dad. They've done the transplant - given his stem cells back to him. Now we just wait for them to take hold and start reproducing (or something like that). My mom said today he was throwing up all day. Poor guy. I wish there was something we could do to help him. But there just really isn't. We just have to play the waiting game that I am oh so fond of...not. And we can always pray while we wait.

Half marathon prep

This morning I had an interesting experience. I got up to go running with Wendee. We were supposed to do 5 miles. We got started and about a mile into the run I had a prompting. Something told me that I should maybe consider taking the alternate route to give us 3 miles instead of 5. I thought about it for a minute and decided that #1 - We needed 5 miles today, #2 - I felt really good (I didn't want to just do 3), and #3 - We were in Kaysville...it's not anything bad would happen. Again, something said - maybe 3 would be a better idea. So I got Wendee's attention and told her I had a feeling we should just do 3. She was very agreeable so we took the turn that gave us 3 miles instead of 5. I don't know why we were supposed to just do 3, but I'm kind of glad I don't know why. And I hope tomorrow's attempt at 5 miles is a little more fruitful!

I feel all sorts of scattered right now. It hit me at about 9 that I need to have my stuff ready to go for the race tomorrow when I leave for work. I'm leaving work early so we can drive down to Provo where we're going to stay the night in a hotel. That way we don't have to drive to the race at 4:00 in the morning! I don't feel ready!! I mean, I'm ready to run - I've trained well and I'm excited for the run, but I don't feel organized enough to leave! I'll just have to be very dilligent tomorrow morning and get ready quick and pack all my stuff up. I'm sure I'll feel better about it in the morning.

I got to go to Holly's gymnastics show tonight. It was just adorable. She's pretty good, too! I always love to go to things like that. I feel like I'm as proud as some of the parents there. I just love those little kids so much!!

I also got to go visiting teaching tonight. I feel really good knowing that I was able to fulfill that calling - at least 1/3 of it anyway. We're supposed to visit 3 girls and we were only able to visit 1 tonight. Hopefully we can catch the other 2 soon!

BAGELS!!!

What a great day!! I love that's Wednesday. It means the week is more than half-way over. It also means that I run a half marathon in three days and I leave for vacation in one week. I am quite excited for both of those things, although neither one of them feels real yet! I'm sure I'll get there.

I had two rock chips in my windshield. Today I decided I would find a rock-chip-repair-place and get them filled during my lunch break. On my way to work today, I got a third rock chip!! Coincidence...I think not!! I found a place really close to work and went over there. Turns out the one rock chip I have is old and has already been filled so I didn't have to worry about it. The second one I had was a "pit" or something like that - it looks bad, but it didn't go deep enough even to fill so I didn't have to worry about that one either. So the only one they actually did anything to was the one I got today!! But I'm so glad I took care of it and I don't have to stress about it anymore!

Work today was good. I feel like the time passed really fast, but I don't feel like I got a ton done. I did get quite a bit done, but it was just lots of little things which sometimes isn't as fun as just a few big things. Somehow it just isn't as fulfilling.

The day only got better after work. During the day I went to a meeting and at this meeting they had bagels. I wanted one so bad!! I thought that I had remembered seeing a recipe for bagels on the bread mix that is my new love. I came home and checked and sure enough - there was a recipe for bagels. The recipe says to make the dough, form bagels, and then let them "rise" for an hour. They don't actually really rise very much, but you still have to let the dough rest. I made them and then left to play racquetball. I love racquetball!! If I could get paid to play racquetball, I would be in heaven. I guess if I just got a little better I could play in tournaments and win prize money...I'll have to look into that. Anyway, I played with Bryce again. He won one, and then I won one and then he won the third one. BUT, it was 14 to 14 for a long time! So close!! I'll get him next time! Game on!! When I got home, I poked the holes in my bagels, boiled them (because apparently you boil bagels...who knew?) and then baked them. They are SO good!! I am so impressed and pretty much love my life!! I love it when things like that work out. Wendee and Jared tasted them and they even said they were good!! I'm really excited to eat one for breakfast tomorrow!

I finally got to watch some olympics today. I haven't watched a whole bunch because I don't have a lot of time. And, we have a lot of it recorded so I don't have the urgency to watch it while it's on because I know I can watch it later. Tonight while my bagels were baking I watched some of the recorded stuff with Wendee. I am just so amazed by the things our bodies can do. We really are blessed to have the bodies we do.

Slacker friend

Two of my best friends served missions. While they were out, I did a pretty dang good job writing them every week. I worked it into my regular schedule and it because a habit. Now I have another best friend who is serving her mission and I feel like I've dropped the ball with her. It seems like every Wednesday, not matter how many times I remind myself, I get an email from Natalie...and then I remember I forgot to email her!! Last night I wrote her a long email updating her on the happenings of the last 3 weeks or so. I realized that while I spent a lot of time writing that...I neglected my blog. Oh well, one day won't kill me right?

I feel like things are finally starting to settle down a little bit at work. There were a couple times today that I had time to just think for a minute - it's been so much better than the whirlwind I'm used to! I had a fun surprise at work today. Jena and Joey came to visit me. It was so much fun to see them!! I miss them! They were such a huge part of my life for a while and then they just weren't. It was good to catch up and it was very sweet of them to make the effort to stop by! And it was even more sweet of Jena to make me the coolest picture book ever!! She never ceases to amaze me!

I went running this morning. Wendee is feeling better and healing nicely after her crash. When we first started running she said it was going to be slow so I told her she could set the pace. It was good for about a mile and then she kicked it into gear. We ran 5 miles in 43 minutes! Way to fast for me!! I was definitely playing catch-up the whole time, but it was good. I'm glad she is feeling better. We're running a half-marathon on Saturday and it just doesn't even feel real to me yet!!

A day of rest

Sundays are just great. If there was one thing I have needed all week - it would be Sunday!! I love that for one day of the week I get to rest from everything - from work, from running, from trying to get stuff done. It's a wonderful change of pace and something I definitely need in my life!

I spent some time with my dad today. We were talking about the family reunion yesterday. He made a comment about my cousin who brought her fiance (interesting guy - seems really nice). He said he just didn't know how people like that find each other. Then we started talking about everyone else that's getting married, and who already are married. He said it makes him wonder why it seems like I have to wait for my chance. We talked about it for a while. He had some interesting ideas. I told him this - I know my chance will come. If I have wait, it just means Heavenly Father something great in store. And, I love where I'm at in life right now. I love my job and I am really enjoying single life. I have been told I will have the opportunity to marry and I know that will happen someday. And in the mean time, I'm going to love every minute!

Mostly I was just happy that I got to spend some time with my dad. He is starting the transplant process tomorrow morning. He will have really high dose chemotherapy for a few days and then they'll do the "transplant" and give him his stem cells back. I can only hope and pray that things go smoothly.

Family Reunion

If someone would have told me that I would be more tired tonight than I was last night, I'm not sure I would have believed it...but it's the truth! I woke up at 6:00 this morning after 3 short hours of sleep to get ready to go to Idaho. We drove to Twin Falls for a family reunion. I love my family, but I feel close to most of my extended family on my dad's side. It was good to see everyone and get a little update, but I was done after about an hour. I was having a hard time staying awake sitting at a picnic table!! I did sleep a little bit in the car, but I just don't think that kind of sleep is very restful! I was kind of relieved when everyone started to leave for home.

We went out to Winger's for dinner when we got back. The marathon was on for the olympics. It was amazing to watch. We came home and turned it on. I remember them being at mile 18 and then I was totally asleep!! I woke up when Wendee cheered when the first lady finished. But, then I was asleep again - the asleep where I know what's going on around me, I can hear the TV and other people in the room, but I'm so tired I can't open my eyes, even if I tried. Finally I decided to just go to bed. I made it to 9:30...that's not so lame!! It's actually good I'm going to bed early...I'll get some good, much-needed sleep!

Midnite Moon Run...check!

It's 2:30 in the morning...and I'm still writing. I might just be addicted. What can you do?

I SURVIVED THE DAY!! I am so thrilled about it, too! It's been quite the day. I didn't set my alarm to go running this morning (Wendee said she was going to try). I didn't wake up until 7:48...and I only woke up then because my phone battery was dying. I got ready for the day and went up to see if Wendee was mad that I didn't get up to run. She was in the laundary room. She said she didn't get up and she didn't know how she was going to make it through the day. She was hurting pretty bad. And there was a bunch of stuff she needed to do. It was grocery day, and laundary day, and we're going to Idaho tomorrow....and she couldn't even pick Jacob up! I offered to go grocery shopping for her. I was happy to be able to serve her. I feel like she does so much for and I don't often get the chance to do things for her because she's got it all together so well. I was happy to help! Then I left for work and the fun started.

We had the Midnite Moon Run tonight. It was surprisingly well! It's a good thing too. I was in a bad mood for most of the day because I let one lady affect me. She came in and wasn't super nice...and then told me I was giving her attitude. I wasn't trying to give her attitude, I was just trying to explain how things were working. She wasn't happy with some of the things dealing with race. I realize that we are far from perfect. I don't expect to be perfect, especially considering that this only the 2nd race I've organized. But this lady felt the need to tell me that she runs races all over Utah and everyone else seems to have things put together better than we did. I don't know if I agree...we run a pretty good show...especially if you consider that it only costs $8 to run our race!! Anyway, the lady was just not nice and rather than just let it go, I let it bother me for a few hours. Eventually I let it go and the day got better!! I was able to get everything put together and ready to go by 6:00. Then me and my co-workers and Krista went out to dinner. We to the Outback and it was excellent! Krista and I killed some time shopping and then it was go-time. Things at the race were a little crazy until we actually fired the starting gun. Then I felt all the adrenaline leave my system because the hard part was over. The race ran really well. I talked to a lot of people after and they all said they had a good time, and that's what matters!! I was a little worried to drive home tonight, but I made it surpisingly well. I didn't even feel like I was going to fall asleep once. I hope I can sleep tonight...I drank some caffeine tonight!

We're going to family reunion in Idaho tomorrow. I'm so excited to wake up in 4 hours, drive there, stay for a couple hours, and drive home. Hopefully I can sleep in the car!

Sore!

I hurt everywhere!! I used to play racquetball everyday so I never got sore after playing. But I should have expected that playing after a 4 month break would result in some stiff muscles. It wasn't so bad this morning - I got up and went running so that loosened things up a little bit. But man! As the day went on today I got more and more sore! It hurt to even shift the gears in my car! But, I kind of like being sore - it means I worked hard. And it was a heck of a lot of fun!

Running today was a disaster...literally. We were up on 2nd North and Wendee and I noticed a man in the weeds on the side of the road. He had a camera and it looked like he was taking a picture of a car in the park and ride lot. Wendee was focused on him and she tripped and fell...hard. Her hands were all bloody and she hit her shoulder really hard. She eventually got up and started putting her headphones back on. She said, "Ok, let's go." But I said no. I knew that she had a ton of adrenaline in her system and she could have a broken bone or something and not be able to feel it. She agreed and we started walking home. We were 2 miles away. We made it almost a mile before Wendee started really hurting and decided she needed a ride home. Since Jared was home with all the kids sleeping, we called my mom. She came and got us and drove us home. Wendee went to the doctor and got checked out. She just has some really good scrapes and bruises...nothing too serious. She thinks we're going to go out tomorrow. I don't think it's a good idea and I'm pretty sure it won't happen. She's bound to be even more sore tomorrow than she was today.

I've decided if I can make it through the next 28 hours, I will not feel so much like I'm drowning! I have been stressed about a lot of things at work and tomorrow night (technically Saturday morning) at 1:30, the biggest stressor will be done!! Tomorrow night is the Midnite Moon Run. The planning of this race has definitely had it's hardships. I don't feel as prepared for it as I did the 4th of July race. Hopefully it will go smooth enough. And hopefully if it doesn't, they won't fire me!

I spent some time talking to Krista today. I love that we can sit in the living room or someone we hardly know and just talk.

Racquetball...oh how I love thee

Wednesday is over! And if I make it to Saturday night, I might just survive!! Today was crazy...so crazy I never actually took a lunch break and there were many times I couldn't think straight. There is so much going on!! I had to get things ready for a baseball meeting tomorrow, and try to figure out the craziness that is the Midnite Moon Run (I know midnite is spelling wrong, but they wouldn't let me change it because it had already been advertised at the "Midnite Moon Run"...next year it will be the Midnight Moon Run.), and on top of everything, we have uniform pick-up for soccer. That may not seem like a big deal, but it is - it was a steady stream of people who all had questions. But, I made it!! And the reward for surviving work was sweet.

I got to play racquetball tonight!! I played with Bryce. We played a couple time in Idaho and now we're both in Kaysville. I had a lot of fun! I think I may have forgotten just how much I enjoy that game. Hopefully now that I have someone to play with, I'll be able to revive my love for the sport. We're already planning to play again next week.

The never-ending gluten battle...

Today was a hard day. Last night I got in a fight with gluten...I hate gluten. As hard as I try to cut all ties, it just finds a way to come creeping into my life...lol!! I don't know what I ate, but my tummy was not happy today. Wendee and I cut our run short, and I even considered coming home early from work. But, there's just too much to do. And, it wasn't like I would feel any better if I was at home. Hopefully I can get it all out of my system tonight so I will be able to run and enjoy my day tomorrow!

Work is moving along pretty well. I've had a hard time with a few of my team not having coaches. All our coaches are volunteers and there was one team in particular - I called all the parents to let them their child's team didn't have a coach and ask if they or someone they know would be willing to step in. I had like 5 moms all get mad at me because no one else had volunteered to coach...after they told me that there was no way they could coach. Unbelievable! There was one mom who said she wanted a refund...the league hasn't even started yet!! Give it some time...we'll find a coach eventually! Anyway, I did get a couple coaches today so that was good. Now if I can find a couple more coaches for the baseball teams, I won't have to worry about no-coach teams for a few months!!

The race is also coming along. I'm still pretty nervous. I don't feel as prepared for this one as I did for the 4th of July. I don't feel like I've put the time in necessary. I hope it will still be a success. And I hope I can get enough people to help out so the runners will be safe. It has potential to be a big disaster...but I try not to think about that. It will work out...it won't be a disaster!

I went over to Nancy's house with Krista again tonight. The dog pooped all over the house! Krista refused to clean it up so I did. It wasn't a fun job. Hopefully tomorrow we'll be a little better about the schedule so the dog can do her business outside. I always felt cheated growing up because my parent's wouldn't let us have a dog. But, I'm beginning to understand now. I'm not a fan.

I'm pretty darn excited for tomorrow. I get to play racquetball!! I haven't played since I left Rexburg months ago. I'm pretty sure I'm going withdrawls. I can't believe I've gone this long, I really love racquetball. I used to play every morning when I was in Idaho...that was probably obsessive, but it just makes me happy! Hopefully I won't have lost too much of my game!

Deciding not to stress

I've been thinking for the last few minutes about where in the world this day has gone!! It was SO hard for me to wake up this morning. I got a good 7 hours of sleep, but I must have been in the middle of REM or something because I could not bring myself to keep my eyes open!! I did something I rarely do - I reset my alarm. I don't believe in using the snooze button - 7 minutes is just not enough time to warrant going back to sleep. Half an hour on the other hand...so worth it! It was only marginally easier to get up the second time, but that was probably because the stress of getting ready super fast kicked in!!

The day was a good day - lots of stuff to keep busy, but nothing too pressing to cause excess stress. I should be a bit stressed though - I have lots of baseball deadlines this week, a t-ball team I cannot find a coach for, and a race on Friday night at midnight that I'm not at all prepared for and have a serious lack of people to help! I know that was a terrible sentence, but it worked for me! But, the truth is, none of those things have eternal consequences for me, so I don't think it's right for me to have to stress about them. I will do them, and I will do my best, but I'm not going to get worked up and upset about the things that aren't going perfectly. It's just not worth it!

I'm going to bed and it's not even 10:00. That's beyond lame. But, I'm exhausted. Why stay up and find something to do when I can crawl into my oh-so-comfy bed and drift off to dreamland. I know the alarm will sound too early! I suppose I better take care of the mountain of clean laundary on my bed before I climb in...that's a good idea!

Happy Sunday!

This has just been a good weekend. I feel refreshed and ready to take on another week! I know it's going to be a crazy week, but hopefully it will be good crazy good.

Church today was good. The talks in Sacrament meeting were wonderful! And the Sunday school lesson was great. I had kind of a hard time with Relief Society. We had a lesson about death and grief. I ususally struggle with that lesson because I feel like the person who ends up giving that lesson doesn't really understand. We are so blessed to have the gospel, especially when we have to deal with death in this life. It is a comfort to know the plan of salvation and understand that our loved ones are not just "gone." However, I think some people expect that knowledge to "fix" everything. The truth is, it doesn't. It is helpful and comforting to know, but that doesn't mean that we aren't going to feel pain, and sadness, and loss. That's part of being human. I don't think it's right to deny ourselves those feelings. Even though we know it's not the end for our loved ones who pass away, it doesn't mean we won't miss them! There is a difference between grief and despair and I think the gospel keeps us from the despair, but it doesn't give us immunity from grief. Jesus himself grieved when Lazarus died. I think it's important for people to hear that side of the story and understand that it's okay to be sad!!!

The rest of the day was wonderful. My mommy made me a birthday cake and Oma and Opa made me gluten free lasagna!! Yum! I even got more presents from Wendee's family, which I wasn't expecting. They are just so great to let me be a part of their family! I love them!

I would probably be asleep right now, but I had to do some laundry - I don't have any clean clothes to wear tomorrow. And, our office apparently has a tradition. Apparently when it's your birthday, you have to bring treats to the office. I personally think that's kind of lame! I made some gluten-free brownies while my clothes were in the wash. It will be interesting to see what people think of them. Maybe they won't ever make me bring treats again!!

Happy Birthday to ME!!

Today has been a great day!! It all started entirely too early when Wendee and I went out for a 16 miles run. I know, I know - who does that!! But, it was a really good run. We left and I told Wendee that we couldn't run too fast. She said, "Oh I know, we need to run slow...you set the pace...I'm happy just be out." We did good for the first 2 miles or so and then Wendee started pushing it! She stayed just a foot ahead of me for the rest of the run, which meant she was setting the pace and I was doing my best to keep up. I would be irritated, but I really did keep up! We finished in good time and I was happy with the run.

I spent some time at my parents' house. My brother Chris fixed my car!! The poor car gets hit by the sprinklers EVERY day! I had water spots that would not come off for anything! But Chris used his magic and got it all sparkly clean. It looks like new. I know I shouldn't be this happy about my car being clean, but I am!! I am so grateful that it isn't ruined forever!

Jared and Wendee took my out to dinner at PF Changs. I love that place and it's gluten free menu! Wendee's parents came too and it was fun just be out. While we were there they gave my my birthday present. Well, the present's still on it's way, but they told me what it is. It's a painting by James Christensen. It's called "The Listener." I saw it a while back and I said to myself - Hey, that's me! I liked it...but it wasn't my favorite...UNTIL I read the little description. It talks says:

There are two types of people — those who wait to talk and those who listen. — Anonymous

In the Dolby® surround sound of our daily lives, we all have to find our own mute button. "Since a painting has no soundtrack, the title character at the center of The Listener has found the best way to shut off all the noise in the visual cacophony around him by closing his eyes," Christensen says. "Listening to his still, small, inner-voice, he remains centered without being overcome. We can all find peace in this busy world, but sometimes need to be reminded that we are in charge of our destiny and each of us has the ability to focus without being pushed and pulled as victims."

The characters found in the colorful "noise" around the listener in this painting take many forms including politicians, mothers-in-law, musicians, and famous artists... can you find Picasso? Through it all, our listener ignores the noise in favor of his own personal tranquility.

I love it and I'm so excited to get it and be reminded of the need to have my own mute button and listen to the still, small, inner voice and remain centered without being overcome! Love it!

After dinner I went to a movie with Krista. We saw Hancock. I thought it was good. I found myself laughing a lot, even when no one else in theater was laughing. I think there are two reasons I found everything so funny: 1. I am exhausted! 2. I drank caffiene at dinner tonight! Hopefully that will all be out of my system so I can sleep well tonight. I definitely need some good sleep!

I was a little bummed when the original plans to go boating today fell through. But, now that the day is over, I'm disappointed at all! Happy Birthday to ME!!

So long 22!

Today is the last day I will spend being 22 years old. I decided it would be a good time to reflect on the things that happened while I have been 22. Here goes:

1. I started (and ended) a wonderful job at BYU-Idaho.
2. I bought my very own car, with my own money - in my own name!!
3. I had my heart broken.
4. I lived in a hotel for 6 weeks.
5. I took a road trip to Kansas.
6. I found a great job in Sandy and moved home!
7. I went to Disneyland with my family.
8. I did my first triathlon.
9. I took a last minute road trip to California to see American Idol.
10. I started a blog.
11. I played in my first non-BYU-Idaho racquetball tournament.
12. I stepped way outside my comfort zone to accept a calling as the Relief Society Pianist.
13. I got to see 2 great concerts in one week (American Idol and John Mayer/Colbie Caillat).
14. I went to lots of wedding receptions!
15. I trained to run the 2008 St. George Marathon (but I'll be 23 when I actually run it!).

It's been a great year and I'm sure 23 will have plenty to offer as well!

Some relief

I always forget that my hair is actually pretty curly. And, it goes curly easier when it's short. So, today when I did my hair curly I was pleasantly surprised. It's a good thing too because I decided yesterday after doing it straight that I'm not a huge fan. But, it's only hair and it will grow back.

I broke down this morning. I got back from running and Wendee asked me if I was mad. I started to tell her that I'm just tired and overwhelmed by everything and I started to cry. I cry when I'm tired - it's a curse. I decided that if I'm that stressed, I need to rethink things and simplify my life. So, I talked to Nancy, the one I'm supposed to house/dog-sit for. I told her I was overwhelmed and if there was anyone else she could ask, I would appreciate it. She basically told me there was no one else. I had told her that Krista was going to come and stay with me. She suggested that if Krista was willing, maybe she could do it. I talked to Krista and she was kind to say that it wouldn't be a problem at all. It's amazing to me how much of a relief that was for me!! I'll still go over there in the evenings and hang out with Krista, but I love knowing that I will be able to sleep in my own bed and keep the running commitments I made with Wendee. It's a lesson I need to learn - it's good to help people, but I need to give myself time to think through things before I agree. I was anxious to be able to help Nancy, but if I would have given myself some time to think about it, I would have realized that it wouldn't work out so well. I need to make sure that I'm taking care of me first so that I will be able to help other people.

I am so glad that today is over. I'm so relieved about so many things that it could be Friday! I feel like even though I have to go to work tomorrow, it will still be a break. It's a good thing too because even though I like the stress, it was starting to wear on me.

The little kids put on a puppet show tonight. It was so adorable. They did Goldilocks and the Three Bears. They had set changes and everything! I love those kids with all my heart! They do a great job of bringing joy and laughter to my life and I definitley need that!

I am a little bummed about this weekend. Saturday is my birthday and I was very excited. We were planning to head up to Pine View and go boating, but we found out today that the boat isn't going...which makes it hard to go boating. Hopefully we'll be able to find something else that will be fun!

A dilema

I'm having a dilema. Last weekend was not a good weekend for the running/marathon training. Wendee and I set a schedule for the next two months to make sure we would be ready for the marathon. We agreed not to change the schedule any more! Well, two weeks ago or so, I told my boss's boss that I would house sit for her while she went out of town for two weeks. She has a dog that she doesn't want to take somewhere and I agreed to help her out. Now I'm feeling all sorts of stressed about helping her. I know it would be possible. I can definitely just wake up early to come back down to Kaysville and run with Wendee. We're supposed to run 10 miles on both Thursday and Friday and 5 miles on Tuesday and Wednesday. But, I told Wendee that was plan tonight and she got pretty upset. She doesn't like the idea at all and she doesn't think it will really happen. I think tomorrow I'm just going to be totally honest with Nancy and see if there's anyone else she can ask to house sit for her. I feel really bad because I know it will put her in a bind, but I just don't feel good about the situation.

Today I was finally able to get my feet back under me at work. I did all the major things I've been stressed about and today was spent tying up loose ends. I even got caught up enough to clean off my desk. I love it to be empty, but for the past two weeks or so I've been collecting piles and piles of stuff to do! I'm so glad to finally have a clean desk, at least for a little while!

Over time

I did it!! I chopped my hair off. I went to the lady that does Krista's hair. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it yet. I'm stoked that it's shorter because it was really starting to get on my nerves. I'm not a huge fan of the style...but I'm pretty sure I will like it lots better when I do it myself. I'm picky like that!

Apparently I am just really stressed at work. It makes sense. There are about a million things I need to!! It wouldn't be so bad, but everyone wants me to do something different so I'm trying to do a million things at the same time...it just doesn't work out so well for me. And, to make everything that much harder, the software program we use to do all the league set-up and schedules and stuff is the dumbest program I've ever used...ever! I hate it! We're getting a new one in September and I couldn't be more excited. My boss is a little nervous that we're all thinking the new program is going to be perfect - he doesn't want us to have false expectations. But, in my opinion, it can't get much worse and it wouldn't take a lot to be better than the one we have now!

The good news about being so busy at work is this - I took the Friday before last off and technically it should cost me a vacation day. But, I've put in so many hours in the last two weeks that not only will I not have to use a vacation day, but I'm getting overtime! Bring on the comp time!

Attitude adjustment

I haven't been so good lately at looking for the good things in life rather than the bad. I know there are good things all around me all the time, but I've been a little caught up in the bad. It's time for an attitude adjustment, starting...now.

Work went by really fast today! There is just so much to do now! I was worried a few months ago when I was a little bored, but boy has it picked up. I spent most of the day today working on one thing - fixing the mistake I made. It took a long time, a lot of phone calls, a lot of explaining, a lot of problem solving skills....but it's fixed!! Now I can move on from soccer to baseball! The fun never ends at Sandy City! Jill is in town this week. She is running our basketball camp again. I just love her. She's a great friend and I'm glad I can count on her!!

Traffic was wonderful on the way home today! I couldn't even believe it! I don't know if they opened another lane or what, but it didn't stop at Centerville like it usually does. I hope this is just the beginning and things keep getting better!

As I was driving home I felt like I needed a little love so I called my Katie Marie Mumford Wilde. I haven't talked to her in ages, but we picked up right where we left off. We chatted about work and life. I really just love her too. And I'm glad I can count on Kate too. I know if I ever need her for anything, she'll always be there.

I came home to an evening that belongs in a movie or something. My family was outside...Wendee was reading while the kids played in the yard and Jared helped the air conditioning people. Wendee and I decided to fill up the kids' swimming pool so they would be able to play in it tomorrow. We took the lawn chairs to the pool and soaked our feet in the cool water while we read our books...or at least attempted to read! The kids came over and put their feet in too...but they weren't as content to just sit still. They splashed and giggled. Jacob wasn't content until he was in the pool, soaked from head to toe...it was a lot of fun!

The best thing about today....we have air conditioning!! It's only been working for a couple hours and it's already more comfortable than it's been in days!! It's amazing how a little bit of air can improve someone's mood! But, I was right...living without it for a couple days has made me all the more grateful. I know I will sleep better tonight!!

A twist in the story

Sometimes things just don't turn out the way I think they will. John sent me a text message this morning and flat out said, "Let's just be friends." I thought he was joking...but he wasn't. I was kind of shocked because that was not the message he was sending last night! I don't know. I guess if that's the way he's going to be, I'm glad it didn't go anywhere. I'm glad I was cautious and kept my heart guarded. He can't break my heart if I never let him have it in the first place. It makes it easier for me at this point.

Chruch today was great! I love fast and testimony meeting. I kind of felt like I should bear my testimony last week, but it just didn't happen. So today during the opening song I decided I would do it this week. People kept getting up and I kept telling myself - I'll go next...and then the next person would get up and I would tell myself - I'll go next. Finally when there was only 2 minutes left in the meeting I got up. There was kind of a theme going throughout the meeting - what would life be like without the gospel. I honestly don't like to think about what life would be like without the gospel. It hurts my heart to think of experiencing the things we have to experience in the life without the peace and guidance and comfort and protection that comes from the gospel. I glad I don't have to live without it!

It's still really warm in our house. But it's supposed to get fixed tomorrow!! I have a fan going in my room, the window open, and I can hear the train. It reminds me of the good old days at the woodshed when Jena taught me the ins and outs of living without air conditioning. I only wish it got as cool here at night as it does in Idaho! Hopefully it will be cool enough that I can sleep tonight! Last night I woke up a lot and had crazy, crazy dreams!

Baptism day!!

Today was a really good day. I had to go to work early this morning. I thought I was going to be sad that I wasn't going to be able to sleep in...but my body woke up on it's own even before my alarm clock. I had to go to work because today was the coaches' meeting. I think it went really well. But, I found out I made a big mistake when I put the teams together. Basically, in order to fix it, I'm going to have to redo everything I've done and start over with 2 of my leagues...not really looking forward to that. Hopefully I can find an adequate solution - since it is my fault.

I spent some time relaxing after work. I bought a new book so I cracked up my fan and read for an hour or so. It was a good break. My tummy still isn't very happy. I don't know what's wrong with but whatever it is, it's getting old. I feel like I'm on the verge of being sick. I wish it would either turn into me actually being sick so I can get over it, or I wish it would just go away!

My cute little neice Melodee was baptized today. She has been so excited for months and months. Every morning she would say to me, "Jetta, do you know what happens in 4 days..." She was literally counting down the days. My mom made her a beautiful baptism dress and she was simply glowing all day! I am so proud of her and her decision to be baptized. Brother Hoagland (a member of the bishopric and our neighbor) encouraged us all to help Melodee by pointing out the presence of the Spirit. She is new to the Holy Ghost so I know it will help her if we point it out to her. I know I plan on taking the challenge!

After the baptism we had an open house at our house. It was a little warm, but it wasn't unbearable. Jared bought a little air conditioner and put it up in the living room. It wasn't super cool, but we weren't dying either. After everyone left Jared and Wendee took the air conditioner up to their room so they wouldn't be melting all night. I hope it works well for them up there. It was ridiculously hot up there earlier. I suppose this whole experience is good for us, especially me. I love the air conditioning and I've definitely taken it for granted. I know living without it for a few days will help me appreciate it more.

John came over later tonight. We hung around the house for a little while, went to the store and bought ice cream, and then came back to the house to watch a movie. I'm glad he was able to come over and I feel kind of bad because I missed the end of the movie because I fell asleep. But, in my defense it was late!!

Hot at home

Today didn't work out as well as I had planned it would. I seem to be feeling that way a lot lately. I had planned and arranged to go into work a little bit later today. Wendee and I were supposed to run a 16 miler this weekend. Unfortunately, I have to work tomorrow morning. That was going to work out all right because Wendee and Jared were supposed to be camping tonight, which means Wendee wouldn't be able to run tomorrow morning either. So we planned to do the long run today instead. Well, we woke up and went out the door at 5:45 this morning. As we were walking up the street, Wendee asked me if I had brought my phone. I told her I hadn't. She said that that meant we couldn't get sick or injured or anything because we wouldn't have a way to get home. I told her that was funny because I was just about to say that the run could be short lived. I didn't feel good when I woke up, but I was going to run anyway because I knew we needed to get it in. Wendee said she didn't feel good about running and we decided not to go. I'm not really sure how the training is going to work for the rest of the summer. We don't have much cushion left for things like this. But, I didn't feel good and Wendee had a funny feeling about going, so we didn't go. Things like that always make me wonder. I'm sure the Spirit didn't want us to go out. But, we'll never know why. We'll never know if one of us would have gotten sick...or hurt...we just have to trust that we made the right decision and be grateful for the prompting.

I could have gotten ready and gone to work on time, but I decided that if my body isn't feeling well, I might as well take advantage of the opportunity I had to go in late. They were already expecting me late so I came home and went back to bed. It was so wonderful!! I took my time getting ready. I felt like it was my little break - a much needed break.

Work went well and it went by really fast. There was a lot we had to get done before our coaches' meeting tomorrow. I think life will get a lot easier as far as soccer goes after tomorrow. That will be good. Then I can really concentrated on the 5K we have coming up and get a start on baseball.

I was kind of looking forward to a night home alone. I love to be around people, but sometimes I just love to be by myself. Since Jared and Wendee were going to be camping I got excited for the empty house. That didn't turn out right either. They were going to go camp for a family reunion, but apparently there was a mix-up at the campsite and they didn't get to go. So they came back here. The kids are having a "camp out" in the basement. We'll see how long they last.

It's pretty much miserable in our house right now. The air conditioner broke. It's so hot!! When I got home from work it was 92 degrees inside our house!! I'm too spoiled to handle that! I don't like to be sweating inside. And I'm fairly certain I will not sleep very well - I never sleep well when I'm hot. I have a big fan in my room and I sleep in the basement so hopefully it won't be too bad. They're coming to look the air conditioner tomorrow. If we have to get a new one, we have to wait until Tuesday!! I'm going to pray they can fix it...at least give us a temporary fix if we do have to buy a new one. It'll be interesting to see what happens tomorrow - Melodee is getting baptized and everyone's supposed to be coming here for an open house tomorrow. I'm sure Aaron would let us come to his house, but I know Wendee was excited to have everyone come see the new kitchen. I'm going to just pray the air conditioner people can do something!!