United as One

I love holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. I love how everyone gathers together with those whom they love and spend the day swimming, cooking out, going to the lake, etc. I love that Cory has the day off of work and that I can spend the whole day playing and having fun instead of housework. But, there is something I love even more about these holidays. This morning as I was running (sorry, I know I write a lot about things I think about when I'm running, but it's because I actually have some time by myself to think about all the things that my crazy random mind thinks about instead of a diaper rash that won't go away or field trip money that I forgot to turn in)...anyways, back to running this morning, I kept passing home after home that had American flags flying in their yard. I love that on days like this we seem to come together as a nation. Not just in our festivities and celebrating, but in our hearts as we remember that freedom is not something we should ever take for granted. Memorial day isn't just a day to remember those who wear the uniform of a soldier (although we definitely should) it is also a day to remember who we are as a nation, where we have been, and where we are headed. A day for us to feel united in remembering. Last night, I went to a pretty amazing fireside. The author of the book series Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites was a speaker as well as two song writers/singers (one of them was in my ward growing up). Every song that was sung and word that was spoken was beautiful and wonderful but that wasn't even my favorite part. My favorite part came at the very end. Part of the reason I attended this fireside was because I wanted to be supportive of a young women in my Sunday School class who was singing the closing song. She was singing I Know that My Redeemer Lives. The moment she opened her mouth she had my full attention. Her voice was beautiful and angelic. Around the 2nd or 3rd verse, she messed up a little bit on the lyrics. She stopped singing for a second and then picked right back up on the next phrase. Although I know she was a little embarrassed, I loved that part. I don't really know how to explain why, but I just thought it went so perfectly with what she was singing about...about her..and our... need for the Savior and the Atonement. After she messed up, you could tell that she lost a little bit of her confidence. But then, on the last verse (my favorite verse) she had everyone in the congregation join in. Going from one voice to a whole room full of voices was incredible...like goose bumps all over incredible. Together we sang. We sang with intensity, feeling, and conviction. Together we sang united as one. And as I sang, my thoughts turned to the Savior and my need and love for him, which is where I'm sure everyone else's thoughts were as well. In that moment, we became one....united in remembering. Whether is is remembering the sacrifices of soldiers or the ultimate sacrifice of our Savior, when we "sing" in unison together we can become a nation and a people who not only feel greater gratitude, but also feel a greater love for our neighbors, a love which ultimately can overcome anything.

A Teaching Mom vs a Non-teaching Mom

I have this book in my bookshelf that is all about raising independent children. It is a great book and it gives great ideas on different responsibilities that you could give your children at certain ages. When I first got this book, I only had two children, and they were very young. I had all of these great intentions on raising these amazing independent girls that could balance the budget by the age of 8 (just kidding, but you get the idea). The older my girls have gotten, the more my expectations seem to dwindle. Instead, I think I'll be happy with them being able to manage the small amounts of money they earn, pay tithing on it, and save or spend the rest. When it comes to teaching children how to cook, clean, manage money, sew, do laundry, babysit, etc... it is A LOT OF WORK, TIME, AND ENERGY!!!! For example, I have really been trying to teach Katelund how to cook and prepare food. She is now able to independently make macaroni and cheese, pudding, scrambled eggs, jello, warm things up on the stove and mircrowave, make sandwiches, boil eggs, etc. Yes, it is wonderful that she can do these things but let me tell you....it takes A LOT of patience on my part because I CAN'T stand how messy she is when she cooks. I try to be very positive with her so that she has a good experience but it would just be SO MUCH EASIER and SO MUCH FASTER to just do it on my own. Also, the laundry. OH.MY.GOODNESS!!! It seriously takes Cloey about an hour to fold a laundry basket full of towels. I'm glad she is so particular, but holy cow does it take forever. Then when it comes to putting the clothes away that they fold....well, I'll just put it this way...I might as well have them just throw everything into their drawers without even folding it in the first place. Then there's the bathroom chores. I think that the last time Katelund scrubbed her bathtub, she used about half a bottle of soft scrub because she said that "she liked the smell". Yep, it would all just be so much easier if I'd do it myself. The other day I was fed up with the way that Katelund was loading the dishwasher. She wasn't rinsing the dishes off well enough and then there was the absolute lack of organization to the dishes that she put in there. So, I had her take it all out and start over again. After redoing it, I came back to check, and yep...I totally made her do it all over AGAIN. She was not happy with me, to say the least. She took one of the glass cups and shoved it down into the rack and it completely shattered. So I spent the rest of the evening lecturing her about controlling her anger and doing her very best at whatever job or tasks she is given and then, together, we thoroughly vaccummed the floor TWICE. As I was walking through the kitchen to put Makayla to bed, I stepped on a little piece of glass. The pain shot up my foot and blood was starting to squeeze through. This SAME thing happened to me about a week before my marathon, but I couldn't find it so I just left it alone hoping it would come out on its own. Nope. The night before I flew out to Nashville, Cory was digging through the bottom of my foot with a sterilized needle trying to find the glass sliver. Luckily, he found it without too much carnage. Anyways, I learned my lesson, so this time I immediately got the tweezers and had Cory play surgeon again. So the moral of my dramatic story? Sometimes I would SO MUCH RATHER be a non-teaching mom. Life would be so much easier. But then, it wouldn't because my children would never grow up and then they would be like a couple of my college roommates who had NO idea how to scrub a bathroom because they were NEVER taught how to by their mother. Yep, that would be way worse.

cows and running

Okay so I had this really cool thought this morning as I was running past these cows. In fact, I had to stop running for a second to take a picture. So I'm going to try and put it into words but it may not come out the way that I'm hoping. I'll give it a try. So you know how in the scriptures we are taught that all things testify of Christ? Also, remember how Sister Beck said awhile back that anything that is anti-family is also anti-Christ? Well then the opposite would be true as well. If it testifies of family then it testifies of Christ. Which is why I had a spiritual moment this morning as I looked at these cows. That sounds so weird, right?! There was a little family right there in the grass. Even in their positioning you see roles of the family being portrayed. The mother nurturing the baby and the father standing by as the protector. Okay, maybe I'm stretching it here, but that is what I saw. Here in this little pasture I saw yet another testimony and witness that the family is by divine design. That our Creator has not only created all the cows, birds, people, etc, He has also organized us into families where our roles can be performed, our potentials realized, and where we can learn to love and serve in a way that we could no where else. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Okay, one more thing before I get back to my Saturday chores. This morning I totally crushed my PR for a 5k. I ran it in 26 minutes!!! I'm so excited about that. I was also on pace to break my PR for a 10k but I had to stop a mile short because I....well, let's just say after having 5 children I can't hold my bladder very well. I'll leave it at that. :)

New Haircut

Yesterday I had about 4-5 inches chopped off. It feels SO GOOD!!!! In this Texas heat and with four girls (5 including me) to get ready each day, it was a MUST!!! I'm loving it so much. It feels so liberating. About 3 weeks ago, I decided to chop off my girls' hair as well. I was so nervous about doing it but the long stragely look was driving me absolutely crazy. So one day I took them individually into the bathroom with a pair of haircutting scissors, said a prayer, and went at it. I cut all of their hair, even Makayla's crazy random long pieces. Cory was so sweet afterwards. He was shocked that I'd done it myself and he said that I must have missed my calling in life because he thought I did a pretty darn good job. I was so happy with how they each turned out but I'm not sure if I'd do it again. It was a pretty desperate moment. Then again, maybe I'll watch some u tube videos and become a hairdresser on the side. It would actually be a pretty smart thing to do with so many girls around. I'll just add it to my list of things I'm dreaming of doing someday. One of these days, I'll have to blog about that list. You might find it as humorous as Cory does.

Pics of me and my girls on Mother's Day

New Favorite Recipe

So I have this really sweet friend in Chattanooga who is an amazing cook (her and her sister's have a fantastic cooking blog called Sister's Cafe). One day while we were talking I was telling her how I had just had bruschetta for the very first time and how much I loved it. Then, somehow we ended our conversation with a fantastic idea. She was going to bring me over some of her homemade bruschetta and I was going to make her a fruit pizza to take home. Her brushetta was AMAZING and ever since then I have fantasized about it. A couple of weeks ago, as I was once again fantasizing, I decided to go digging for a recipe...after all, how hard could it be? I googled it, found the recipe that had all the ingredients I already had, and made it with dinner to go over toasted french bread. Holy cow. It was SO delicious and such a HUGE hit with my family, even Hailey loved it. So, I have basically had it about 20 times since then. I've served it on all types of bread and I've also kindof changed the recipe up a bit because at our house we LOVE vinegar. Anyways, here is the basic recipe I started with... 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped. Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread 1/4 cup olive oil

My Job Title

First of all, I have to say how sorry I am. For some strange reason, blogger is not letting me use paragraphs or spaced lines in my posts. It is driving me crazy and I know that it is so annoying to read like this. Anyone know how to fix this? Anyways, since I can't space I guess I'll just use dashes. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whenever I am filling out a form and am asked my occupation I always hesitate. Yes, I have my degree and training as a teacher, but that's where it ends. I definitely would not consider that my career since I never even had my very own classroom. But, I have spent the last 8 (almost 9) years as a Mother. So then that leaves me with the question of which phrase to use...."Stay at Home Mom", "Housewife", or "Homemaker". I used to write the first phrase but the other week when I was writing my "profession" on a questionaire, instead I chose to write Homemaker. I have really been thinking a lot about this. Yes, I am a Stay at Home Mom but, I believe that my role as a mother and wife goes far beyond that of a woman that stays home all day to tend babies, do laundry, and make dinner. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Over the last week as I have unpacked box after box and arranged things the way that I want them to be, it has really made me consider and ponder on my role as a homemaker because that is exactly what I am doing....I am turning an empty house into a home....into OUR home. Into a place where my children and husband will come and feel loved and happy. I want our home to feel like the sanctuary it should be. A sacred place filled with kind words, laughter, lots of love, faith, prayer, and learning. As a woman, I feel certain that one of my greatest responsibilites, besides nurturing my children, is to create this type of home for my family. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I know for certain that it is within the walls of a home, that faith is born, character is molded, and potential is realized. I know this because I was raised in such a home. I don't remember exactly how my mom organized the medicine cabinet (although everything had an order and place). I don't remember my mom's cleaning schedule (although it was always clean), nor do I know how she managed to keep everything always running so smoothly and effortlessly (although she always did). But, I do remember kneeling together as a family in our living room. I remember my Dad leading our family in scripture study at our kitchen table. I remember walking in on my mother as she privately knelt by her bed in prayer. I remember coming home at the end of a long day of school and feeling the comfort, peace, and security that rushed into my heart as I walked through the front door of our home. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the process of unpacking and finding a "home" for all of our stuff, I am also trying to get myself better organized and create better systems. Meanwhile, I'm also trying to remember that finding the perfect space and look for closets and drawers is not nearly as important as the quiet moments of conversation with my 8 year old, the perfect opportunity to share a scripture story with my six year old, the horseback ride given to my two year old, or the sweet priceless moments of laughter with my 10 month old. Life is too short and precious to waste a second of time. Afterall, I'm not just in the business of making a home. I'm in the business of creating an eternity with the most important people in my life. So yes, I am a Homemaker, Housewife, and a Stay at Home Mom, but I'm not sure that any of those titles adequately fit the true description of a Mother...not just of a mother, of a woman. But recently, I came across the following quote and in it I found the perfect job title... "The hearth, and the fire within, was once the center of domestic and social life because it provided warmth, illuminated homes, and cooked food. Placement in the center of the house maximized the number of people able to get around the warmth of the fire. If Jesus Christ is the center of our homes - the light that illuminates, warms and nurtures - women are the guardians and caretakers of that light." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ So I guess next time I am asked what my occupation is I will say, "A Guardian of the Hearth". :) I love it.

First comes love, then comes...

...marriage, right? Well not according to the commercial Cory and I heard last night. They said, "First comes love, then comes family." Really? How sad is that? Even in some silly little saying, they have to change it to be politically correct. It just makes me so sad. This morning as I was running, I noticed the front page headline of the newspaper that had been thrown into someone's yard. It read, "Obama makes history as he endorses gay marriage." I was shocked as I read it, but then again, not really. It's just the world we live in, the world that is increasingly becoming more and more contrary to not only God's law, but also to the very core and foundation upon which this nation was built. A people that sacrificed everything in order to have religious freedom, in order to build a nation under God and one that was indivisible. Those founding fathers who had such faith and hope in this nation, in us, and also all the dispensations throughout the history of this world, have all looked forward to our day. A day in which we stand divided. Divided in our faith, our vision, our beliefs, our morals, and our character. I pray that as the chasm begins to grow even greater and the division more drastic, that I will remain true to the faith that our parents have cherished. True to the truth for which nations have perished. That me and my family will firmly stand planted on the Lord's side of the line as we boldly and proudly support, reverence, and honor the sanctity of marriage and family. Yes, I am just one voice and my circles of influence are very small and may be insignificant. BUT...what if somehow one person comes across this post on my tiny little blog. I want them to know what I stand for, what I live for, and what I will defend until my dying day.

Gratitude

Yesterday morning as I was running, I decided that it was time to change my attitude. It was time to start focusing on all the many reasons that I have to be grateful. Honestly, I think I just needed to start running again. I took all of last week off to let my body recover after the marathon...and because I was totally consumed with the whole moving thing. So now, with the help of extra endorphins and the amazing psychological change that happens when you start focusing on gratitude, I'm feeling great. Sure, my house is totally crazy and I'm not really sure where I'm going to fit everything, but at least I have all my girls' rooms unpacked, organized and looking good. I may not totally love my ward yet, but at least I have been asked to serve in one of my favorite callings ever...teaching Sunday School to the youth (16 and 17 yr old class). I may not be used to this CRAZY hot weather, but at least today feels AMAZING because of the storm that rolled through last night. AND...who wouldn't totally LOVE running around our neighborhood?? I took these pictures on my run yesterday morning. I love running along the side of fields, cows, barns, and horses. The smell used to bug me, but not so much anymore. I just love living in a place that is just on the edge of the country. I think that maybe someday I would actually like to have a barn. Hmmm...I wonder if Cory would give up malls for a farm? Oh wait, back to being grateful. :) I'm so grateful for Cory's new job. He is so very busy but loving every minute of it. He loves the company he's working for and he loves the challenge that comes with his position. I'm also SO grateful that I recently bought President Monson's biography. It is AMAZING...of course it is, because HE is AMAZING!!! Okay one more thing to be grateful for and then I need to go do some more unpacking. I'm SO grateful for my huge gigantic closet that is bigger than our master bathroom in Chattanooga. Yep, it's amazing. It even has a big window in it. Oh wait, that reminds me of one more thing (last thing, I promise), in this house I have converted our dinning room into another library and I'm so excited about it! I don't know why that is such a big deal to me, but it is. On that note, I think I'll go unpack some books.

Impatiently Waiting

It usually takes me at least 6 months living somewhere before it actually feels like home to me. But, I just wish this process would speed up a bit. I have loved moving around so much in the 11 years that Cory and I have been married. The experiences we've had, the people we've met...I wouldn't change a thing. I have loved living in so many places. So many people, places, and experiences that have broadened my perspective and made me into the person I am today. But, I'm just really dragging my feet this time around. I'm not sure why. Maybe it is because I'm getting older and don't want to feel like I'm starting over once again or maybe I'm just needing to have a better attitude. Whatever the reason, I need to get over it. I love our house, I love that I'm finally sleeping in my own bed again, I love that I'm with my family, I love that Cory loves his new job, and I love that I'm actually living close to family now....but, everything else....not loving so much. What's my deal?!?! I know what you are thinking....it just takes time. I know it does. But...I'm just feeling so impatient.

Marathon in Pictures

Here we are before the race...Jenae, me, and Stephanie. We were SO excited, anxious, nervous, and giddy. We arrived at the starting area at about 5:30 am (the race started at 7). So for an hour and a half we spent our time walking around a little, forcing down some carbs and water, going to the bathroom, and mentally preparing ourselves for the hours to follow.

There were 40,000 people participating in the race (that total includes half marathoners as well...in fact there were WAY more who were participating in the half than the full). As we stood in our corrals waiting for our turn to start, I took a picture of the view in front and behind. The following pictures gives you somewhat of an idea of the sea of people that were all around us. There was SO much excitement in the air. There's just NOTHING like it!

The race was on Saturday but we actually drove down Friday afternoon because we had to pick up our bibs, swag bags, t shirt, etc at the Expo. I loved going to the Expo. There are runners and running gear everywhere!

This picture show the line to the bathroom right before the race. They actually have porta potties everywhere, even all through the course. But, beforehand, there is a mad rush to try and get everything out before the race begins. I did have to end up going about half way through the race, but luckily I didn't have to wait in a line. THANKULLY, our friend Whitney (who ran this race last year) had sent us with cute little good luck baggies that had a little pack of toilet paper. I was so glad I had it because with so many people going to the bathroom, they ran out of tp.

Marathon in Pictures Part II

The day before I flew out to Chattanooga, I was having a really bad day. I was SO nervous about the race and so I was just an emotional mess. One of the things that I was struggling with the most was knowing that I wouldn't have anyone there to cheer me on. Yes, I would have my girlfriends, but they would have their husbands and children and I remember how hard it was for me not to have anyone at my half marathon either (it was scheduled to rain all day and it was a couple hours away so I told Cory not to come..which I really regretted, especially because it didn't rain). My mom had told me how much she'd wished she could be there and so had my mother-in-law, sister, Grandma, etc.. But still, nobody was going to be there. I called Cory as I stood at the starting line and he gave me this beautiful pep talk and told me how proud he was of me. So, I decided to just make him feel part of the race by texting him the miles as I went along (I'd even considered doing Face time with him, but since there was no wifi I couldn't). It started off great. We were running through downtown Nashville so there was a lot to see and there were live bands every mile or so. I knew that there would be quite a few hills from mile 2-5 but then I thought it would flatten out. But, the hills never ended. After we split off from the half-marathoners, around mile 12, I started struggling. I knew that I still had at least two more hours to run and the sun was getting hotter, shade was non-existant, and the hills just kept on coming and coming. I was feeling frustrated with myself and I so I decided to walk up a hill. Well, if you've ever ran long distance before, you probably know how bad of an idea this was. Once you mentally allow yourself to walk, it is SO hard to get back in the running groove. I was so mad at myself for walking and I was SO thirsty, the fuel stations were just not coming quick enough, AND I had to go to the bathroom SO BAD!! I finally stopped to go to the bathroom and told my friends to just go ahead. Then over the next couple miles that followed I mentally had to fight my way back into my groove. At about mile 16, I was feeling great again. I had always been really nervous for miles 20-26 because 20 is the farthest you go in training, and I also knew that those last six miles was the real test of mental toughness. Once I hit mile 20, I texted Cory "20!!!" as I ran up YET ANOTHER hill. As I came over the crest of the hill, I heard screaming and cheering. I looked up and saw Cory, Katelund, and Cloey. I seriously thought I was hallucinating. I couldn't believe what my eyes were telling me and I was so confused as to why they were standing in front of me. After my brain finally processed the fact that they truly were there, I started sobbing. I ran into Cory's arms crying "You came, I can't believe you came!!!" It was not only the best surprise of my life, it was also one of the greatest moments in my life. I will NEVER ever forget that moment. I can't even talk or write about it without the tears swelling up in my eyes. They gave me so words of encouragement and then told me that they would meet me at the finish line. As I ran off, I just continued crying and crying for the next mile. Yes, I was in complete and utter pain, but the tears were tears of joy. Although the next six miles were definitely the hardest physically, they were actually the easiest for me mentally because I knew that the people that I loved more than anything in the world were waiting for me at the finish line (except Makayala and Hailey of course, but they were being loved and cared for by my sweet sister Andrea who had been in on the surprise). At mile 24, I had a huge blister pop up on my toe. The pain was excruciating but I knew I just had to focus on putting one foot in front of the other and think about crossing that finish line. My legs were burning, my muscles were cramping, and every part of my body told me to just stop right there. But every part of my heart told me to keep going. I'm pretty sure that my prayers were answered at this point, because I'm pretty sure that my Grandpa was running beside me pushing me onward. I felt so good as I realized that in the next mile I would accomplish one of the biggest goals of my life. As I ran past the sign for mile 26, I saw Cory and the girls, they ran out to me and for the next .1 1/2 miles they ran with me. Katelund was holding my hand on one side, Cloey on the other, and then Cory was holding Katelund's hand. It was an incredible moment, and just what I needed to push myself up YET ANOTHER hill to get to the finish line. Once I came up to the last little .5 stretch to the finish line, they made Cory and the girls stay to the side as I crossed the finish line....the moment of my dreams. As I walked through to get my medal and they wrapped cold icy towels around my neck, I felt as if I was in a dream. I couldn't believe it was finally over. I finished in 4 hours and 45 minutes (15 minutes longer than I wanted, but I guess it just leaves me with room to improve for my next one, right?) It was an amazing moment, one I'll NEVER forget!!!

One of things that happens to marathon runners is black toes, that will eventually fall off. Pretty gross, right? Oh no!!! I just noticed that I have hair on my big toe in this picture. That may be even grosser. :)

Cory decided to surprise me on Thursday, which didn't leave him very much time to get the plans in motion. He was originally going to come alone and bring his bike to ride next to me the last six miles (something that a friend had done for my brother-in-law Vaughn). But, once he told the girls his plans, they told him that they really wanted to go as well, even though they would be driving 20 hours in a 36 hour period. Cory said they were like angels the whole way. They even stayed up with Cory at 3 am when they got to the hotel to make tshirts and a poster. Then they didn't even complain for a second when he woke them up 3 hours later to go downtown and find parking, and then when they sat for at least 3 hours in black shirts in the hot sun waiting for me to pass mile 20. Cory said that they were SO EXCITED to surprise me and they were so cute about cheering for everyone that passed by. He said the girls would say, "I don't think you can do it, I know you can."

My sweet girls passed out on the long ride home. I was originally planning on driving back to Chattanooga, going to church in our ward there, staying with Jenae, and then flying out Sunday. But, there was just NO WAY I was going to let Cory turn around (after having slept only 3 hours the night before and sitting out in the hot sun all day) and drive another 10 hours home. So I decided to just go home with them so that I could help drive and let Cory sleep. I am SO GLAD that I decided to go with him, but I was really sad that I didn't get to see some of my dear friends in Chattanooga. I guess I'll just have to go visit another time.

This is the blood blister that I got on my toe at mile 24. This picture was actually taken two days after, so it is not nearly as swollen as it was on Saturday. It is still SO painful, even to the touch. But, totally worth it!! :)

Marathon in Pictures Part III

Last night for FHE, I was teaching the girls about tender mercies. I consider this shirt on the Lord's tender mercies for me doing the last couple of miles. I ran up behind this guy and as I read his shirt, I felt a rush of strength beyond my own. I was reminded of what Katelund had told me a couple of months ago. We were in the van driving to school and then I was going to drop the babies off at a friend's house while I went and ran 18 miles, the farthest I'd ever ran at that point. I was expressing to Katelund how nervous I was about this run and she then said so calmly and confidently, "Mommy remember, you can do hard things, and with Christ you can do all things." As I read this man's shirt, I remembered her saying that and then I remembered that I had in deed prayed the night before for strength beyond my own. Definitely, a tender mercy that got me through to the end.

I took this picture as I began the race. Notice the awesome hot pink shoelaces? Thanks, Jenae. :)

It was around 86 degrees and humid, which is really hot weather to run in. Thankfully, they were spraying people down with hoses at the fuel stations. Plus, I dumped a cup of cold water on my head everytime as well. I am now suffering from one of the worst sunburns I have ever had. I can't even put a purse on my shoulders. But again, totally worth all the pain. :)

This is a picture of the starting line. Somewhere in this crowd is Cheryl Crow. She ran the half marathon. In fact, her time was exactly the same time as my half-marathon last February....1 hour 59 minutes. I'm running my third half-marathon at the end of October and I'm totally planning on crushing my PR. Anyone want to join me for a half marathon in Ft. Worth ?