Laguna Seca

In October, I, along with my mother-in-law and father-in-law, flew to Monterey, California for one of Sam's last races. It was really a nice trip because:

1. I didn't have my children (love them dearly, my sweet ones, but I don't think I'd been away from them overnight since...well, ever maybe?)

2. We weren't stressed to get here or there.

3. Ate out the whole time...yes! Finally got to eat at "Bubba Gump Shrimp." Sam has at least three t-shirts from there so it was nice to finally see where he was spending money. I'm not much into seafood, except for popcorn shrimp. The only popcorn shrimp was in a kid's meal. And yes, I did slurp down the blue Jell-O that came with it.

4. Walked John Steinbeck's famous Cannery Row - thank goodness it no longer smells of sardines.

5. Took a tour around 17-Mile Drive and Pebble Beach.

6. Cruised down Highway 1 to Big Sur and through Carmel-by-the-Sea...was looking for Mayor Clint Eastwood but didn't see him.

7. Took a stroll around paddock area before the race and saw a lot of the drivers and cars I've seen on TV. And there was a rumor that Frankie Munoz was there...ah, who cares? I'd much rather have seen Patrick Dempsey or Matthew Fox, both of whom have raced in the American Le Mans Series and both of whom Sam has met, along with Ashley Judd.

8. Enjoyed the race - all seven minutes of it until Drayson was pushed off the road. No big deal, just a $250,000 repair is all.

9. Enjoyed staying in a hotel.

10. Was ready to be Mom again after four days away from the boys. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Sidenote: The racetrack is Laguna-Seca. We were watching "Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo" the other day (yes, still love Herbie and my kids do now, too) and Sam recognized the track at the beginning as Laguna Seca's. Man, my husband is so smart!

Crockpot Lovin'

I love crockpots. Yes, I said crockpotS...I have two. And I use them both regularly. Crockpots are the smart way to cook a meal. So, it really bothered me the other day when, at 8 am on a Sunday morning, the man peered over my shoulder in the kitchen and said, "Wow, crockpot again."

How dare he. He knows my love of crockpotting runs deep. You see, I have a fear of meat cooking. After some pink chicken incidents early in my marriage, I've gone overboard and tend to blacken and burn meat for added protection. If I can't boil or crockpot it, you probably ain't gonna be eatin' it at my house. Boiling meat is only so good. But crockpotting, ah...the flavors blend, simmer, fill my house with warm aromas and remind me, in a whiff, that yes, I, too, can be a homemaking guru.

So, I defend my crockpots. Whatever...I don't need a Bosch or Williams-Sonoma cookware. In fact, the only cookbooks that catch my eye are one with titles like "365 Days of Crock Pots" or "Crock Pot Cooking Made Simple." Really, come on.

You can't mess crockpotting up! It's impossible. So, I'm deeply disturbed when Sam rolls his eyes at my cooking. He's lucky I'm even trying. In fact, I'm renaming it. Perhaps it'll rev his engine up if I refer to it as cooking in my "Crotch Pot."

Caramel Apples

St. George Marathon

I somehow got talked into doing the St. George Marathon again. That's 26.2 miles. Crazy idea. Even though I totally trained right on schedule the past four months, I was still near tears about mile 20 and from there on it was all I could do focus all my inner gumption, for lack of a better word, to put one foot in front of the other.

I finished. In fact, I set a new PR by four minutes. It still took me over five hours, but I'll cut myself some slack since I've had two more kids, and a little more added weight, since I did it in 2005.

And some advice: Nearly anyone can do a marathon. I discovered that back in 2001 when I was working for the City of SG cutting up fruit at the finish line. I saw some pretty big girls come through the finish line and thought, "Heck, if they can do it...." I was passed by people who were bigger and older than me, and I passed younger and thinner girls than me. Not sure what the secret is.

However, do not use a marathon as a weight losing strategy. Your body requires a lot of calories to be able to run long distances. But then again my idea of carbo-loading is chocolate cake (probably not such a swell plan).

Running/training for a marathon really is an emotional rollercoaster. I've enjoyed getting up early on Saturdays to train with a group of women from my ward who've become great friends. I've loved being out in the morning before the sun comes up. I've needed goals since I've become "just a mom." I've loved sore muscles. I had to dig deep during the marathon to keep going and keep the tears from coming. My friend, Katie, was a strength by my side while enduring physical and emotional injuries. And I looked forward the entire race to seeing my family at the end pushing me on.

Katie and me near Winchester Hills, about mile 16
Don't you love action shots? I look like I'm about to fall over. Nice.

Pushing through - I couldn't even move my head to look from one side to the other. All my energy was in my legs.

Finally finishing!

Family Pic

Matt drew this picture of our family. I'm the one in the middle with the tail. What does that mean?

25 Things About Me

So, I'm putting off preparing for Cub Scout Pack Meeting tonight by blogging. Alors, here is 25 Things About Me:

1. I love garlic stuffed green olives. I stand in front of the open fridge and eat them straight out of the bottle (with or without a fork).
2. The best summer of my life was the Summer of 2000. I lived in Kanab, worked at Houston's, and lived it up with my cousin/friend KariAnn and Chris and Andy.
3. I refer to Kari as my friend, even though she always has been, because when we were young I introduced her as "my cousin, not my friend" on my swing set in West Jordan. She got mad.
4. I really enjoy my morning runs. My favorite time is the half hour before the sun comes up.
5. I bite my finger nails. Toe nails, too, sometimes.
6. I want to shake people who think the only form of punctuation is a "!"
7. I have low tolerance for bad spellers who continue to offend.
8. I'll still watch any of the "Anne of Green Gables" movies when they're on PBS even though I haven't read the books since I was 10.
9. In elementary school I got myself up early to watch "Little House on the Prairie." I'd pour myself a bowl of cereal and sit on the heater vent.
10. Sippy cups. I am tired of sippy cups.
11. I don't like fish...not even tuna fish.
12. Love Aquafina water. Hate Arrowhead water.
13. When I was younger I wanted to be run a cash register at a grocery store and/or become a nuclear physicist. Neither has come to fruition.
14. I don't brush my teeth at night.
15. I still sleep with the hall light on.
16. I have to have the TV in my room on all night when Sam is gone.
17. Accutane is THE miracle drug. I'd only wished I'd discovered it before high school.
18. I don't want to be a Visiting Teacher anymore. I'd never tell the RS President that though because of guilt.
19. I do a lot of things out of not wanting to feel guilty, not because I look forward to reaping any blessings.
20. I've started Weight Watchers four times. The first time I lost 23 lbs. The next three times I tried to cheat the system. It didn't work.
21. I don't gush over other people's babies.
22. I enjoy mowing the lawn and pulling weeds (in moderation).
23. My kids are wearing me down...just look at my family room carpet.
24. I graduated summa cum laude from SUU with a degree in English/Journalism/Secondary Ed. I cannot tell you anything about William Shakespeare, though.
25. I love taking naps in a warm car with the windows slightly down.

Mom's 50th Birthday

Last month, in August, we celebrated my mom's 50th birthday. We had a "surprise" Hawaiian-themed party, complete with our own roasted pig. We could have been able to keep it a secret right up until the party, but on the way to lunch, my parents were rear-ended in their pick-up at a stop light by a lady going about 30 mph. She claimed she was looking down at a cereal cup (whatever, she was probably texting...one of the biggest wastes of time ever, not to mention dangerous). The accident did a number on my mom's back...so suffice it to say she had a little bit of a Rocky Mountain high during the party.

So, we had some good food: a roasted pig my dad and brother cooked in a pit in the backyard for 24 hours, rice, cinnamon-n-sugar bananas, fruit, vegetables, cake, pina-colada homemade ice cream, slushy punch, etc. OK, it was way better than authentic Hawaiian food, which I think is horrible.

About the pig: It was wrapped in tin foil and burlap sacks and brought out of the pit in a steel cage. I think it weighed about 150 lbs. It was set on a table and then covered with a towel to keep the flys. We decorated with tiki torches and by night the scene looked like we'd made some human sacrifice...if only, I could definitely think of some candidates....

It took my brother, dad, and uncle to carry the pig, the night before, from the kitchen to the backyard. I guess it was so greasy it slipped right out of their arms and onto my mom's carpet. My mom was shampooing the carpet as my mom got home from work...you know, nothing out the ordinary.

We had a good turnout with family and friends from church and my mom's work. And my dad gave me explicit instructions we're not to throw any more surprise birthday parties. Yea, my parents will have to wait until their 75 for another one.