Annual Ogden Trip!!

The only way I can think to describe this weekend is to describe it like Christmas. You wait all year for it to come, you have all the build-up to it, and then it is over before you know it! This year was a little bit different for me though. I wanted to run the full marathon again and I had a few other friends on board that wanted to. We started our training months ago and were having the time of our lives...well if that is what your call it...and then I had a little episode where I passed out one morning running. I kinda had some other scary symptoms too so I decided I better head to the doctor to get it figured out. I had no idea that it would turn into such an emotional journey for me and still end up with no answers. My first doctor I went to said absolutely no more running and sent me for some tests. They all came back normal so he said ok go ahead and start running again. I still kept having the same symptoms so then I went to a cardiologist and he said no running and had lots more tests and they all came back normal. It has been an emotional roller coaster for me. To sum up all my tests, I have had lots of EKG's, wore a heart monitor, two MRI's, an echocardiogram, two ultrasounds, a stress test, and an angiogram. It is frustrating that everything comes back normal and I am still dizzy when I run. It is also frustrating that I trained so hard for the marathon and then ended up not being able to run it. But what is most important to me, and the very most frustrating, is that if something is really wrong with me I want them to be able to find it for by boys' sake. They are my world and I want to always be around to take care of them!!! It has been really hard for me hearing that something is really wrong with my heart, and then nothing is wrong, and then something is wrong, and then nothing is wrong. I am emotionally exhausted from all this and just want to have my normal, boring life back and feel normal!! So after my angiogram came back all clear, my cardiologist said to start back into normal things slowly and see what symptoms I still have...well ok then!!

So back to the annual Ogden trip...I still got to be apart of it and cheer on all my "running gals"!! Of course we stopped at the Cheesecake Factory for lunch on the way up...yummy!

Amber, Me, Tiff, Kim, Stacia, Darla, Marci, Dani, Dana

Awhile back while we were training, Tiff, Stacia, and me talked about running the marathon in honor of Stacia's mom Jill. She was just recently diagnosed with colon cancer. We had planned to write a message down the back of our legs for Jill. Even though I couldn't run the marathon, I still was running it in my heart. So the girls were still nice enough to let me be apart of things. This picture is right before we headed out the door to drop them off for the full marathon. I have to admit, it did feel nice to just be crawling out of bed to drive them to the shuttle and they had been up getting ready for their big race...ha ha!! I had been worried about how I would feel this morning because I was so sad I couldn't run. I was worried if I would be able to hold it together. I did, and I think it was because I was experiencing runner's gut and I wasn't even running. So, when I dropped them off, all I was worried about was getting back to the house...ha ha!! :)

Me, Tiff, Stacia, Dani, Darla

Ok, so I am not going to give much explanation about this sign, but that it came from a conversation the night before...ha ha!! I wanted to have a sign along the race route to cheer my "running gals" on and pump them up. I hope this did it! Oh, and I had a partner in crime...Kim...so I can't take all the credit for the encouraging message!!!

After everyone got to their race, I went to the bottom to wait for everyone. I was actually really excited to be on the other side of the race...to get to cheer everyone else on. But when I got down to the finish line and the big crowd was there cheering, and the sound of all the cow bells, and hearing the announcer, and the loud music, and watching all the runners finishing, my emotions got the best of me. Good thing I had my sunglasses on! I love the feeling of accomplishment from finishing a race...but I know there will always be another race to run! I loved watching all the runners and knowing that everyone has their own story. So many runners have disabilities or struggles in their lives that they had to over come to finish the race and it was super encouraging to watch them accomplish their goals!

All the delta girls finished their races and did awesome! I am super proud of all the girls that ran their first full marathon. It is a huge accomplishment...good job!

Lindsay (full), Dana (half), Darla (full), me, Tiff (full), Marci (full), Stacia (full), Dani (full), Amber (half)...great job everyone!!!

I am lucky to have such great friends! It is always fun to get away with the girls and to eat good food and have lots of laughs. And like Christmas, our trip was over just like that. I already can't wait for next year. I hope my running story hasn't ended and that I will be running next year!!!!

Jaygen's Kindergarten Graduation!

Oh my heck, I swear it was just yesterday that Jaygen was my super chubby baby. He was so chubby that we couldn't even get him to crawl or move around on the floor. He just wanted to sit still because it was too much work. Now today, that chubby little baby graduated from kindergarten! I am so proud of Jaygen. He is a great student and did very well this year. I can not believe that they learn to read in kindergarten now. I remember when I was in kindergarten we would have snack time and the "letter people" would come visit...wow times have changed! If you ever ask Jaygen what he likes best at school he always tells you recess. But he is a great reader and does really well at math. It was fun to watch all of Jaygen's progress this year!! Grandma Marshall was able to come to Jaygen's graduation and that made it even more of a special day for Jaygen! Jaygen's class
They sang some cute songs with fun actions. There were a couple songs that they were suppose to shake their hips but Jaygen was to shy to shake his booty. He would just stand there and smile...what a cute boy!


Jaygen got to have a little speaking part in the program. He did a great job!



Getting his diploma from his teacher

Jayen's teacher was Mrs. Willoughby. He got pretty attached to her and he told me today that he will miss her and doesn't want to be done with kindergarten. Oh, that makes me sad! :) I feel kinda the same way. I don't want my baby to grow up this fast!!

TuMbLiNg TiMe!!

Our little Pace has been in a tumbling class for awhile and they just had a little program to show the parents what they have been learning. Pace has totally loved it! I have had to do a lot of convincing to Todd that it is power tumbling and NOT gymnastics! :) I think the class has been good for Pace to learn coordination and just have fun, but he is done with it for now since T-ball is starting. Pace has let me know that he needs his time to practice hitting and catching...ok Pace!!! Pace's class was an all boy class...hats off to his teacher. She was great with them!


Pace getting ready to do his cartwheels...well kinda cartwheels :)

I missed the flip in the air, but here is Pace with his great landing...ha ha!!

Good job to Pace! He had a good time and it was fun to see what they had been learning.

Easter Fun!

Well, I guess I should get Easter 2011 posted before next Easter is here! I have been a slacker:) Easter for us seemed like one big egg hunt...probably because that is kinda what we did! Todd's parents were here for a couple of days before Easter so we started our weekend off by spending time with them. We had a really good time. The boys are always glad when grandma and grandpa come but especially when Sage (their dog) comes!
We got our eggs colored just in time for the Easter Bunny to hide them. I had bought some sports wraps for the eggs so the boys just colored their eggs and then put the wraps on...pretty easy this year!


Our Easter Bunny comes on Saturday...and when the boys woke up, the Easter Bunny had hid all their eggs and their baskets. So the big hunt began! It didn't last long because the boys took off in a dead sprint and it was all over before we knew it! :)

Briggs finding one of his eggs.

Pace with a couple of his eggs he found.

Jaygen pretty excited:)

My camera is so slow that I couldn't get pictures of most the action, but I did get this picture of Jaygen. Easter morning at our house is serious business!!

Jaygen and Pace came across Briggs' basket first but Briggs didn't care. Once it was found he just wanted to start digging through it. The Easter Bunny hid it behind an end table in the living room...he for sure needs to find a harder spot next year!

Pace...with the help of Jaygen...found his basket in mom and dad's shower.

After lots of clues, Jaygen found his basket in the oven...good spot Easter Bunny!

The boys had lots of fun stuff in their baskets...candy, sticker books, flashlights, golf gloves. Jaygen and Pace got skateboards with a skateboard shirt and poor little Briggs felt left out. The Easter Bunny didn't think he was ready for a skateboard so he got sunglasses and water gun instead. Good thing Jaygen and Pace are good older brothers and share. All the boys have had plenty of wipe outs on their boards!

Next up...the city egg hunt. You can not be late or you will miss this event all together. The boys made out with some pretty good candy and Jaygen got a golden egg that had a $2 bill in it. He was super excited!

Pace

Briggs

Jaygen...obvisously after the mad dash was over!

Ha ha...you can tell the boys did not want their picture taken but I insisted. Nice smiles guys!

Well Todd had to work later on Saturday and Josh had to work too, so I loaded up my boys and headed to Mel's house to have a picnic (in the rain) and another egg hunt with the kids.

This picture of Briggs is for Todd. :) Briggs is wearing his favorite outfit but you notice he had to ditch the shoes so he could be faster at finding the eggs.

Ty, Pace, Briggs, Braylee, Jaygen, Treyson

We had to do this hunt inside because it was raining. It was over in a hurry too, but the kids had fun while it lasted. We rounded them up for a picture afterwards and y0u notice in the back Ty isn't too happy about something.

We had a great Easter weekend. My favorite part was digging through my boys baskets to find the candy I wanted. There isn't much better than Easter candy...yum!!