Marathon

Geoff and I ran the Marathon. I am so proud of both of us. I was really worried about being able to finish the race. I was nervous that I would not make it to the cut off spot by the cutoff time. I had been preparing for the race for a while but then didn't do anything for about a month before the race. Geoff and I done a 20 miler a few weeks before the race so I knew that I could go that far. 

The day before the marathon we went to the Dixie Center for the Expo. We got this picture taken. It was a lot of fun to walk around and look at all the booths. One of the booths had a thing where they told you your body fat and also what your levels in your blood were. I thought it was pretty cool that they were able to do all of that stuff.

The next day, we got up early and headed tot he park to get on the bus. I was so nervous. The whole bus ride up I kept thinking what have I gotten myself into. I was so freaked out about being able to do this race. When we got to the starting line it was so cold. Everyone was standing around big bonfires trying to keep warm. It is really a surreal feeling being up there with all of these other crazy people that are about to run the marathon. We were so far from the starting line that it took almost 10 minutes to get from where we were to where we crossed the starting line. 

It was so awesome to see the sea of people running down the street. For the first couple of miles there are just people running everywhere. As the race goes on in starts to thin out and for awhile I swear I was the only one on the road. It was so cool to run past all the people that were out on the street cheering for the runners. There is nothing more helpful in a long run then having someone to cheer you on. I feel like it helped me out so much!

My dad is a volunteer at the last aid station and when I saw him I ran up and gave him a big hug and then had to keep on running because I was starting to cry. I never would have thought that running a marathon could be such an emotional thing. But it really is. It is one one the hardest, best things that I have ever done in my life. 

I finished the race in 5 hours and 45 minutes. I was so proud of myself. Geoff finished in 3 hours and 52 minutes. Geoff asked me if I would ever run a marathon again and I told him that I was a one and done kind of girl. Now that I have had time to recover I am considering running another one. I think part of the reason I was so against ever doing it again was because my feet and legs were so sore. Come to find out I had some pretty awesome blisters on my feet. They were pretty bad. My big toe and the one next to it rubbed together and it was not pretty. I would post pictures but I don't think that anyone wants to see that. 

After heading home and taking a nap and a shower we decided that we would go out and eat instead of having to make something for us We went to Black Bear Diner and let me tell you I was so glad to have someone make something for us instead of having to figure out what to make and having to make it. 

We bought a house!

We bought a house and I am so excited about it. After house hunting all summer long we finally found one that we really liked. We put an offer in and got a counter offer back. After a few back and forth offers we settled on a price and the house is ours. I love it and cant believe that it finally happened. 

We got a new bed to go with the new house. We spent a lot of time at Bed Bath and Beyond trying to decide on a comforter that we both like. I love the one that we ended up with. We also went to quite a few places looking for orange pillow cases. They were harder to find then I thought they would. 

Geoff seemed to think that because I got a new bed set for the bedroom that he had to get a new tv. So here it is in all its 70 inches of glorious viewing space. I was at work one night and I came home and Geoff and Brett had got the tv out of the box and mounted on the wall. We had not even unpacked the house yet. They tv was the very first thing that we got set up in the new house. 

I bought this table at a yard sale. Megan helped me to refinish it. We are still working on the chairs for it. We have 6 chairs to refinish. It is going to look so good when it is all done. And it fits really well in the space that we have it in. 

I also get this entry way table at a yard sale. I have really loved being able to get nice things at a great price. The roses are the ones that Geoff gave me the night that he proposed. I dried them out and have had them in this vase ever since. I love how well they work in our entry way. 

Last but not least here is a picture of our house. It is just adorable. The house is 3 bedroom 2 bath and has a 2 car garage. Geoff has his weight set and punching bag in the garage. So neither of us get to park our cars in there. The Harley is also in the garage. I am so happy that we got this house and we got it at a great price. 

Hoover Dam

Geoff and I decided to take a ride to Vegas on the Harley. When we left Saint George it was really cloudy so we dressed warm prepared for the rain. As we were getting into the gorge it started to rain. It was a long ride trough the gorge as we had to drive slow because of the water on the road and the water the trucks we were passing were shooting out. 

We stopped in Mesquite for gas and had to strip out of our warm clothes. It was getting quite warm. By the time we got to Vegas we had to stop and buy sunscreen. It is crazy the difference in weather over just a couple hundred miles. We went to the Harley store and had breakfast at a customer appreciation party. Before heading home we decided that we should head out to Hoover Dam.

I am so glad that we decided to take this detour. It ended up being a great day and the water was beautiful. It was really fun to be able to just sit on the back of the bike and check out the scenery. 

Don't we look so sexy in our helmets? In the state of Utah you don't have to wear a helmet but in Arizona and Nevada you have to wear them. I always feel so top heavy when I wear mine. It is a pretty cute helmet though. It has a pink Harley sticker on the front. 

Taking a few photos of ourselves trying to get the water in the back ground. You would be amazed at how many pictures we ended up taking to get one that had both of us in the picture where most of us were not cut off. It was a lot of fun taking all the pictures. I am pretty sure that Geoff was sick of me by the time I got one that we both looked decent in. 

A view of the Dam from up on the bridge. It really is pretty. I cant believe how low the water is though. You can see the line on the rocks where the water has been before. I guess that is what happens after being in a drought for years.

Posing with the Memorial Monument. I really did learn a lot of stuff on this trip. We walked around and read all of the signs and learned about the construction of the bridge. It really was a fun trip. I hope to do many more trips like this to other places. 

School is over

School is finally over. I took my last final and now I am free for the summer. What are my summer plans you ask? I will be working and working a lot. I will be doing 20 hours a week at Arturo Prat Concrete and I will be doing 40 hours a week at Sorenson. It really is a lot of working but the money will be nice. Geoff and I are trying really hard to pay off all of our loans. I really would like to pay off all of my school loans by the end of the year. So for now that is the goal. I am sure that we will be taking a vacation at some time but I am not sure where or when. We will try and fit it in somewhere.

We also will be getting to see our new niece when she gets her. My sister Tiffanie is expecting a little girl in just a few short weeks and we are so excited to get to meet her.(Sian Lindsey Wintle was born on May 30th) Also my sister in law Nikki is having a baby in June so we will get to spend some time with them also. (Blake William Demke was born on June 11th)

I am really excited about all the babies that are being born. They really are a joy in our lives. We really love being an aunt and uncle to our 5 nieces and 1 nephew now and cant wait to add to the list!

Spartan

If you dont know what a Spartan race is look it up. This one we did was the Spartan Beast. It is the hardest Spartan race there is. I am not sure why we decided to do the hardest one as our first one but we did. The race was just over 13 miles long and it had about 25 obstacles. 

These orange buckets are filled with rocks. I bet that they weighed close to 50 pounds. You had to fill the bucket up first with the rocks and then you had to climb up a hill with them and then back down to the bottom. We also had to carry sand bags. Geoff made a mistake and carried his around the loop twice. He was a bit upset about that. There was a giant mud pit that we had to jump into. The water was so cold and the mud was slippery. It was so hard to get back out of the water. 

Some of the other obstacles were a bunch of tires all in a row but your ankles were tied together, a set of monkey bars, and a rope ladder net up to the top of a bridge. We also had to climb up a hill on our bellies under barbed wire. There was water running down the hill so there were all kinds of rocks that were getting the dirt washed off of them. I ended up with a lot of cuts on my legs and elbows from there. If you were unable to complete the obstacle you had to do 20 burpees. I only had to do 3 sets of burpees. I had to do them after the monkey bars. I made it all the way across and then fell off trying to get my feet onto the ladder to get down. They said that I did not complete them and had to do the burpees. I also had to do them after shooting a gun and throwing a javelin. I guess aim is not my strong suit. 

At the end of the race right before the finish line there were these gladiators that were trying to hit you as you ran past. They were trying to keep you from getting to the finish line. One of them hit me pretty hard. But I was so ready to be done that I didn't even care.  

The whole Crossfit Zion group before the race. There sure were a lot of us and we all had a blast. 

This is what Geoff and I looked like at the end of the race. We had to get a picture of us with our medals and and covered in mud. We waited a bit to long before we made it to the showers to clean up. The mud had dried and the cup that I was holding was stuck in my hand. I ended up leaving my shoes in a donation pile because they were so dirty that I could not get them all they way clean. This race was long and hard but I had a blast and would love to do another one one day. I am so glad that Geoff humors me and does all of these races that I sign us up for.

Life is like a Train Ride

I got this in an email a few years ago and saved it to my computer at work. I know that it is a long read but anytime I am having a bad day or get my feelings hurt over something I like to go back and read it. There are things in life that we have no control over no matter how hard we try. Just know that even if you think that you have not made an impact on people that you really don't know the answer to that.

A while back, I read a very interesting book that compared life to a train ride or a series of train rides.

Life is like a train ride, it read. We get on. We ride. We get off. We get back on and ride some more. There are accidents and there are delays. At certain stops there are surprises. Some of these will translate into great moments of joy, some will result in profound sorrow.

When we are born and we first board the train, we meet people whom we think will be with us for the entire journey. Those people are our parents!

Sadly, this is far from the truth. Our parents are with us for as long as we absolutely need them. They too have journeys they must complete. We live on with the memories of their love, affection, friendship, guidance and their ever presence.

There are others who board the train and who eventually become very important to us, in turn.

These people are our brothers, sisters, friends and acquaintances, whom we will learn to love, and cherish.

Some people consider their journey like a jaunty tour. They will just go merrily along . 

Others, will encounter many upsets, tears, losses on their journey. Others still, will linger on to offer a helping hand to anyone in need.  

Some people on the train will leave an everlasting impression when they get off…. Some will get on and get off the train so quickly, they will scarcely leave a sign that they ever traveled along with you or ever crossed your path… 

We will sometimes be upset that some passengers whom we love, will choose to sit in another compartment and leave us to travel on our own. Then again, there’s nothing that says we can’t seek them out anyway.  

Nevertheless, once sought out and found, we may not even be able to sit next to them because that seat will already be taken. 

That’s okay …everyone’s journey will be filled with hopes, dreams, challenges, setbacks and goodbyes. We must strive to make the best of it… no matter what...  

We must constantly strive to understand our travel companions and look for the best in everyone. 

Remember that at any moment during our journey, any one of our travel companions can have a weak moment and be in need of our help. 

We too may vacillate or hesitate, even trip… hopefully we can count on someone being there to be supportive and understanding…  

The bigger mystery of our journey is that we don’t know when our last stop will come. Neither do we know when our travel companions will make their last stop. Not even those sitting in the seat next to us. 

Personally, I know I’ll be sad to make my final stop…. I’m sure of it! My separation from all those friends and acquaintances I made during the train ride will be painful. Leaving all those I’m close to will be a sad thing. But then again, I’m certain that one day I’ll get to the main station only to meet up with everone else. They’ll all be carrying their baggage… most of which they didn’t have when they first got on this train.  

I’ll be glad to see them again. I’ll also be glad to have contributed to their baggage… and to have enriched their lives, just as much as they will have contributed to my baggage and enriched my life. 

We’re all on this train ride together. Above all, we should all try to strive to make the ride as pleasant and memorable as we can, right up until we each make the final stop and leave the train for the last time.

All aboard! Safe journey!! BON VOYAGE! 

Karen's Bridal Shower

Karen is getting married! We could not be any  happier for her. She is such a sweet girl and we know that her and Braxton are going to be so happy together.

Jill set up a bridal shower for her and there was lots of good food. I think that I ate more than my share of everything that was there. It was all so good, I couldn't help myself.

Jill and Brooklyn. Brooklyn is a little wild woman but she sure is cute.

I just love the outfit that she got. You can never have a bridal shower with out trying to embarrass the bride. The brothers all made a video with Braxton asking him different questions. It was a lot of fun to watch. I am sure that poor Braxton was overwhelmed. It sure can be a lot unknown marrying into a family that is as large as our is. We sure are excited to welcome him with open arms. Congrats Karen and Braxton!

Marathon

Geoff and I have signed up for the Marathon again. This year I will really run it. Even if I am not prepared and have to walk most of it. I am going to do it. Training starts this week and I am not really looking forward to it. I decided that I have to do it this year because if I dont I may never. Michelle and Hannah are also doing it so there will be a bunch of us.

At times I wonder if we are really crazy for doing the things that we do. And then I remember how much fun I have when I accomplish something that I have worked very hard for. It is fun to have something to work towards and then when it comes time to finally finish and be able to say that you have done it. One day I will be able to say that I have run a marathon. I really look forward to that day.

Sarah's Graduation

Geoff's sister Sarah graduated from Dixie High School. I am really glad that I was able to attend, Geoff had to work so I went without him. Graduating from high school is a big accomplishment and we are all really proud of Sarah. 

The whole family. I love that Hal does not look very happy in this picture. He was a basket case. His baby just graduated from high school. This is the first time that I saw Hal cry. 

All the sisters that were in attendance! I really do love these girls and am so happy that they have welcomed me into their lives!

Devil Dash

In preparation for the Spartan race a bunch of us registered for the Devil Dash in Las Vegas. Everyone dressed up and we started the race. I was all excited for it because I love the challenge of the obstacles. I had been running and doing Crossfit so I thought that I would be in great shape for this race. I was so unprepared for the heat and the lack of water. The water stations were empty by the time that I got to them. They said that there was more water on the way but that they didn't know when it would get out to them. I didn't want to sit around waiting. I was just ready to finish the race so I didn't stay and wait.

One of the obstacles was to climb up this wooden ladder and then go down the other side on a rope. The hardest part was trying not to step on the fingers of the person behind you or to get your fingers stepped on. Everyone was trying to get up and over and didn't really wait their turn or try and be careful of anyone but them self. I managed to get up and over unscathed. 

Running down this hill was one of the hardest obstacles. You get running and then the sand would slide out from underneath you. I ended up going down part of the hill on my rear end. I was running and then I was sliding. It was crazy.

Almost to the finish line. I was so happy to be done with this race. Just before the finish line there were a few obstacles that you had to crawl in the mud under a barbed wire and then you climbed up over a wall and into a pool of water that was dyed red and had what I believe to be manure in it. It was so nice to hop into that water because it was so cold and I was so hot. But I just wanted to get finished so I couldn't stay in the water for long. 

Geoff with his finisher medal. He really enjoyed this race and talks about doing it again. I on the other hand am not sure that I am ready to do it again. At the end of the race there was a shower where you could wash off all of the mud. I was amazed to see how many people were just stripping down and getting in the showers! I guess it is true what they say about Vegas! What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

This is the whole group that went down. We really had a blast and even though I was not a fan of the race, I really am glad that I went down there and did this. 

Relay for Life

Michelle had called me earlier in the week and asked if I wanted to do the Relay for Life with her. Target was putting together a team and her mom wanted to know if she was interested in doing it. We decided that it would be fun to go out there and walk. It made it so that we didn't have to do our Saturday morning run. We had a lot of fun. It was good to get out there and just chat. Michelle had the girls so we pushed them in the stroller or carried Brooklyn on our shoulders. Brooklyn actually ran around the track 4 times. That is a whole mile. She was non stop. She kept saying come on Macole. Come on Macole. That is what she calls me. I think that it is so cute. So I ran with her. It was not very fast almost a speed walk pace. But she sure was having fun running around.

At 10 pm they had a ceremony where they lit a bunch of paper bags that people had put family names on, survivors and those we have lost. Then they played some music and lit them all up. They were shaped in the word HOPE with a heart above it. It was so special. It brought tears to my eyes. I could never imagine having to go through what these people have experienced in their lives. There were many teams there that were there for children. It is so sad to think that all of these young children have to endure this. I am so glad that I was able to take the time and go down there and support a good cause.

Stephanie was there for awhile and she walked around with us. We really did have a good time. I didnt really get my camera out much even though I had it. I really need to get better at that. Michelle and I walked 7.5 miles on Friday night and around 5 on Saturday morning. I was very impressed with us. I can only imagine how many other people did that stayed there all night.

My hope is that one day they will find a cure for cancer and that we can take away all of the pain and suffering that people have to endure when it becomes a part of their lives. I am so glad that I got to take part in this. It really helps put into prospective all that I have to be thankful for. I think of all of the people that I know that are suffering from cancer or who are living with a person that is and I am grateful that all of my friends have the love and support that they do. I know that if anyone in my family were to get cancer we would be a strong support system. I know that I personally would want to do everything possible to help in anyway that I could.

Laughlin

This post is all about Geoff. Over the weekend he had the change to go on his first long distance bike ride. He was pretty stoked about it. My dad invited him to tag along on the annual all guys Laughlin trip. I have to say that I was a little  bummed that it was all guys but it was good for Geoff to get out there and have some fun. I don't have much to say about it because I was not there but Geoff said that he really had a good time. They rode out to Laughlin and stopped in different places along the way.

Funny story that Geoff told me when he got back. They were in some town (Ottoman) I believe. When Scott Gibson stopped to take a picture with a burro. He was speeding to catch up with the group and got pulled over. Problem was that he does not have a motorcycle license, the bike is not in his name, he has no insurance for it, and the group was ahead of him so he had no one to back him up. It may sound like a bad day for him. But he managed to talk his way out of it all. Smooth talker!

Geoff said that they also rode over the Hoover Dam. He said it was crazy because you are so high up. He then said something about how it would only be scary if you walked up to the edge and looked down. He said that if a person ever thought about killing themselves this would be the place to do it. Kind of a bad thought but I guess when you are looking straight down from way up in the air it is a thought that would cross your mind.

He had a great time and cant wait to go again. Next time I will make him take me with. I would love to go on a long ride and one day it will happen. I just have to wait my turn! Soon enough. To all of you that are riders you will know what I am talking about when I say there is nothing better then sitting on a Harley with the wind blowing you in the face. It is a wonderful feeling.

Walk for Diabetes

This morning Geoff and I and some of his family had the opportunity to walk/run in a walk to help fund diabetes. Geoff's sister Jill was diagnosed with Type 1 a few years ago and she called and asked us if we would like to come and support her team. It was the first annual walk held her in St. George. It was a huge success. Geoff Sarah, and Kathie took off in the beginning and ran the whole thing. Michelle and I had the girls in a double stroller so we ran and walked with them. We then waited at the finish line for Momma Kathie, Karen, Braxton, Jill, Brett, and Bart. They all walked the whole thing. It was a 5k and I was impressed that  they all did the whole thing. Marian only ran one lap and then was done. Geoff did give her a little bit of crap about that.

I love this picture of Michelle and I because I think that it makes me look skinny. Yes I am allowed to be vain like that it is my blog and since no one really reads it I can say it!

Some of the gang that was there. This is not everyone but most of us. I sure do love being a part of this family. They make everything so fun.

Brooklyn sure does love her Uncle Geoff. She would chase him and then when he would turn around towards her she would start to run away so that Geoff would grab her and swing her around. He sure is a good sport about playing with them.

After the race they had a BBQ and let everyone sit and enjoy the nice weather. They had a bounce house and a slide for all of the kids to play on. I just so happened to run into Megan and the girls who had walked a lap and then played for awhile. I really love getting to see those two little ladies and I wish that I had time to see them more often. They sure do brighten up my day.

Harley!

After much consideration, Geoff and I finally decided to buy him a motorcycle. We have been talking about it for a couple of years. Ever since the last one died. On account that Geoff fried the motor. We learned that a car jump pack is not safe on a motorcycle. Lesson learned. We spent a couple of weeks looking online at different places seeing what was out there. We finally decided between two different bikes. Lucky for us they were both in the same Harley store in Vegas. So we made plans to head down there on a Friday afternoon.

When we pulled into Vegas, I was driving and Geoff was giving me directions. After driving for what felt like forever we finally reached the Harley store. We walked inside and this store was huge. I mean it was like a shopping mall for Harley Davidson!. I was in heaven. As we are walking around looking for the ones that we saw online a friendly salesman comes up to talk to us. And when I mean friendly, he was pushy and arrogant. Come to find out that there is really two different Harley stores on the same street in Vegas only the other one is 15 miles in the other direction and that is the one that has the bikes that we wanted to look at. So after convincing out friendly salesman that he can not sale us a new bike because we already know what we want to buy and just want to go and look at the bikes we came down for we get back in the car and head the other direction.

When we got back in the car Geoff looks down at the map that he was giving me directions of and says I will never use mapquest again. I take the map and realize that he has been looking at it upside down. We just got lucky in finding the Harley store that we did. Driving down the street at 5:30 pm Vegas time is not what I would call fun. No matter what part of Vegas you are in.

We finally make it to the right place and can only find one of the two bikes. It really narrowed down our decision on what bike we had to get. But in all honestly the one there was the one that I liked the best from the pictures that we looked at. Just looking at Geoff's face as he looked at the bike was all the encouragement I needed to spend the money on the new bike. We find someone to help us and tell them that we would like to purchase a bike. We are buying it cash so we figured we could just write them a check and be on our way. We were sorely mistaken in that. They have to have a finance guy do all this paperwork and get everything set up for you. With our luck it was to late in the day for him to be able to do that so they asked us to come back in the morning. Not really what we had in mind. We didn't want to drive home and then back down again in the morning. So we decided to stay the night in Vegas. It was fun to have a little unplanned get away. It was a quick trip but it was nice to spend some one on one time with Geoff. We went to dinner at a resturant in the hotel. The food was not great nor was the service so I was sad about that.

We got up in the morning and headed back to the Harley store. Today was the day we were finally going to buy us a motorcycle. The weather was not nice and Geoff was worried that it would rain on him on the way home. We were not looking forward to that at all.

After spending a couple of hours at the Harley store we were finally able to purchase the bike. We had a few problems with our bank but it all got resolved. I joked with Geoff that we had just purchased a new motorcycle with out even turning it on. While they finalized all of the details on the bike and we waited for the insurance company to fax over proof of insurance Geoff took the bike out for a spin. He was in heaven.

When all was said and done we hit the I-15 to head home.  The sky was dark and over cast so we were nervous. We made it all the way to the gorge before the rain started. I am glad that we were able to make it that far but wish we would have made it all the way home. Geoff was soaked and freezing when we got home. I felt so bad for him. He said it was all worth it to bring his baby home. He said he now has 3 loves of his life. His bike, his car, and me. And yes he did say them in that order!

Sand Hollow Triathlon

We competed in the Sand Hollow Aquatic Center Triathlon. It was Geoff and Michelle's first triathlon. It was a lot of work but in the end we all did amazing. I don't have the times for us off the top of my head so maybe I will look them up and then update this post. Who knows though. I had to included this photo because I love all of our faces. This was just as we were getting ready to begin.

For those of you that do not know the Triathlon that we did was a beginner one. That means that we swam 200 meters, biked 5 miles, and then ran 1.5 miles. It was a lot, and when I say lot, I mean a lot of stuff to do.

I did this same race last year and I remember the swim being the hardest part for me. I could not even get out of the pool last year. This year I did much better. My arms have gotten stronger from Crossfit. It was still pretty hard but I think that the whole race was pretty hard for me. It really makes me know how out of shape I really am.

Geoff decided pretty much at the last minute that he was going to do this with us. He is in pretty good shape but the pool killed him. He was in the water the longest of all of us. But he still did amazing. I love how he looks like he is smiling for the camera.

Geoff and Michelle were at the bike transition at the same time. I was just getting my bike off the rack when Geoff showed up. So I have no pictures of me at this point. I was faster then both of them up until this point.

Geoff smiling for the camera as he takes off on the bike. He sure is handsome. Even though the helmet does not do any justice for him.

Unfortunately for me, Geoff passed me about 2.5 miles into the bike ride. I guess all the spin classes that he has been going to every morning paid off for him. Here he is crossing the finish line.

I am proud to say that I finished and with a pretty decent smile on my face. The face should say it all.

Here we are after the race waiting for Michelle. She was not to far behind me so we did not have to wait long. She really is improving so much. I love to have her to workout with. I know that I have said that like a million times but it is so true!

Here we are all together. Happy to be finished and talking about the next one that we will be doing. There is one in June that we are planning on doing. Geoff has been hitting the pool at least twice a week to get ready for it and I have started riding my bike to work and school. We know what we need to work on and are hoping to improve out times.