Get Your RELAY On!

After I had Braden, I really wanted to lose the weight I had gained.  I also developed a strong addiction to gummy bears, which unfortunately seemed to store up in my thighs.  And so I started running.  Which is a shock to friends who knew and loved me in Maryland.  I never went faster than a 4.0 on the treadmill in Maryland.  But I started uping my speed and doing a few 5Ks.  I think I did three this year.

Back in March Garry told me about a new race in nearby Midway, Utah.  It was a relay.  A mini-ragnar called "Women of Steel".  It was 56 miles and you could make a team of 3 - 6 people.  I instantly was dedicated to making a team of six because that meant I would only have to run 9 miles total that day.  At the time I did not focus on running 9 miles.  I just focused on wanting the t-shirt that read "Woman of Steel".

Getting the team together was a little frustrating.  People who said they were going to sign up never signed up and others dropped out.  I saw 18 miles in my future. . .

But in the end I put together a great team of six all from the neighborhood.  We were Team Lucas Dell Ladies, named as such because that is our neighborhood.  We had one of the lamest names there, made even worse because the announcer kept misreading it and called us "Team Locust".  I felt bad I did not plan ahead more and think it through.  A lot of teams even had matching t-shirts and corresponding socks.  Sigh.  As a team leader, truly I was horrible!  My favorite team name was "Team Run Like A Mother".  Highly inappropriate, but funny, regardless.

Running a relay was really different.  They started five runners at a time, at 5 minute intervals.  I was so used to running with groups of hundreds and finding a good pace.  This race, I was alone a lot.  I had to set my own pace, which I was not used to doing.  And when one 5K was done, I was not used to turning around two hours later and doing it all over again.

But I survived!  I am a Woman of Steel!

An Afternoon Two Years In The Making

At our zoo they have a nice thirty minute bird show.  They bring out some beautiful birds that are trained to go from point to point in the little theater, swooping over all of the visitors' heads.  They also ask, at one point in the show, for a child to volunteer to train a bird.  A snow dove, in particular.  They get to hold out their hand and have a snow dove land in their hand and eat some seeds out of their hands.

Every since our first time at the bird show, Emma has been dying to be that kid.  We've tried everything.  Going when it is not crowded.  Sitting on the front row.  Sitting on the second row.  Waving our arms enthusiastically.  Emma has never been selected.

We went to the zoo on Friday and naturally stopped at the bird show.  I have to admit, after going several times a year over the last two years, I now have the entire show memorized.  I even know when they skip parts in order to move the show along.  I know all of the presenters, and I have my favorites.  In other words, the bird show and I are very close.

We took our seats on the second row (I like the second row because that is where the owl swoops across) and, like usual, I prayed and prayed that Emma would be selected.

She wasn't.

Macey got selected, and while I was excited for little Macey (and she did such a great job!) I was bummed for Emma.  But she took it really well.  Maybe next time!

From Macey: I liked feeding the bird.  It felt good because when it chewed the food it tickled.  I was not scared because it was a nice bird.

Well, Alrighty Then

Yesterday Molly and I were chilling on the couch.  Alright, maybe not chilling.  It is still a little warm, and I was working on my laptop during Braden's nap.  But Molly was having a great time, at least, as I gave her a roll of life savers.  She dug into them happily -- until I asked her for one.

"You want one?"  she asked.

"Yes!" I answered.

"A big one or a small one?" she asked.

"A big one, of course," I answered.

Molly then proceeded to hand over a life saver fragment.  About 1/4 of an actual life saver.

"This is a big one?" I asked.

"You get what you get and you don't throw a fit" she responded.

Hmmm.....somehow it's more satisfying saying those words than hearing them.

Molly's Big Day!

 It is impossible for me to put into a single blog how much I love Molly.  Truly, I just love this little girl.  Even though she is a lot of work.  Some days I pray and ask for help because I just do not have enough energy to be Molly's Mom that day.

My favorite words to hear are when she talks to the mirror: "Hello, Gorgeous!" Our favorite act is when she hides behind the couch and jumps out to yell, "Surprise! Happy Birthday!" which she does everyday, and not just on birthdays.  It makes everyday special.  My favorite sound in the WORLD is the sound of her saying "Yay!"  She does it when she is happy or excited, and it is the best.

So I was very excited for her to start preschool.  She just needs to be more active and engaged than I can provide for her.  She attends Bright Child Preschool with all of the other little kids in the neighborhood.  After the first day, she ran outside and said that they were going to learn the letter "M"! I should be so excited to learn everyday.

My sister came and helped Molly get ready and do her nails, and after school we all went out for ice cream.

Molly, you will do amazing in school because you are simply amazing.  It's who you are.  It's what you do.  I love you.

Don't You Know?

As some of you may know, my nephew had a fatal climbing accident last week when he was hiking in Provo.  For the past few days we have been busy making arrangements and food and getting ready.  People came into town.  Decisions had to be made.  It's all over now, and without preparing for the next event, there is just sadness and deep despair for my sister.

His parents hosted a beautiful memorial for his friends on Monday night.  So many friends showed up!  I do not have nearly the amount of friends that he did!  He was so loved!  Some of those friends also came to his funeral and to the gravesite.  That can be a really scary thing for a 18 year old, and I was amazed by the strength and dedication of his friends.  

I was also so impressed with the strength and dedication of his family.  They loved him.  They just always loved him.  Even when he was a teenager and driving his sisters crazy, they loved him.  Even when it was not the cool thing to do, they just loved him. 

It's odd to experience a personal loss.  I find myself wanting to talk to people at Target and tell them what happened.  Don't you know?  How can you buy Tide?  Don't you know?  It seems odd that life is going on for everyone when things are now horribly wrong.

It's truly not fair.  There should be a set pattern as to how these things go: grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles. It would be better if death followed a set pattern.  My nephew should have come to my funeral with his kids and mourned my passing for a few nano-seconds before he dived into a large piece of chocolate cake.

A few months ago my sister told me that her son's "long-term" plan involved staying with her, growing old with her, and taking care of her in her old age.  It was his job, as the youngest.  At the time, we shook our heads and hoped that he came up with a better plan.  Maybe one that involved a 8-5 job, a pretty wife, and a few kids.  But it looks as though the Lord agreed with my nephew's plan.  My sister now has her own personal angel, and I know that she will find big blessings in her life -- all customized by the son whose strong love for her will never die.