Jog Blog

So here I am again, after a 2 month blogging hiatus, attempting to play catch up. Only I just realized I never added pics to my last post.

I can't believe how fast the hours and days go by. I make my list every night, thinking I can get it all, or at least most of it, done. But in reality, I am lucky to check off one or two things on the list. Between driving carpools, daily chores (which never seem to be completed), temper tantrums and driving to practices, I am barely keeping my nose above water. How do all those moms with clean houses do it? That is definitely the area that suffers in our household. I guess something's gotta give - right?

Well, if you didn't already know (or see me bragging on FaceBook), I ran my first marathon (26.2 miles) on October 3. My cousin Michelle called me, back in April, and talked me into registering. I decided to do it but wasn't even sure I would make it to the race. Then sometime in September, I was finally convinced that I could do it. I had been training FOREVER! I started in May, I had to start training for my training. I literally went from couch to marathon. I started out running (and walking) 2-3 miles. I hated it at first. I can't believe I didn't blog about this because it dominated my life for 5 months. 4-5 days a week, I was getting up early to run. I started running with my friend, Kellie, and that made all the difference. I followed a Rookie Marathon Training Plan that I got off of the internet. We ran a half marathon, then I lost my running partner. I was lucky enough to get my cousin Kristine to run with me on some long runs (12-16 milers). She was a trooper, not even training for a marathon, just running for fun - and I figured she must really enjoy getting up at 4 am and running in the dark. But it really helped me out A TON, so thanks Kristine!

Kellie and me after the Hobblecreek Half Marathon (13.1 miles)
Krisitine also ran it, but wasn't with us by the time we remembered we had better take some pictures.

So after a fairly successful training- no injuries (thank goodness) - and a couple of pairs of new running shoes ($$$), I was ready to get the marathon over with. Saturdays were becoming very difficult getting London to football games, Bode to soccer games and me squeezing in 14-20 miles before 8 am. Also the mornings were getting darker and colder too. I started running with a light and my dog was nice to have along, but it was getting more difficult to get out of bed so early. Now that my kids are in school, I have to be home around 7 am. So getting in 8 miles made for an early morning. Not to mention it was still hard to see where I was going. I knew there was a lot of road kill in Draper, where I generally run, so I was always skeptical of anything on the side of the road. However, the dark was nice when I needed a potty break and could just find a bush on the side of the road. ;)Here is a dorky picture of me running at about mile 7ish.
I am in the light blue top and black hat.

Anyway, I showed up in St. George for the marathon expecting to run 4:30, maybe 4:15 if I was lucky. Carter said if I didn't run it in 4 hours, I needed to find another ride home. ;) I think that is his way of motivating me.
My friend Misty ran from mile 23 til about 26 with me and that was awesome! My spirits were high and I felt great. People were hobbling and crying all around me, I was giving high 5's to the crowd and had the biggest grin on my face. I was just so happy that I actually made it - and I wasn't miserable. As I approached the finish line, Carter put Bode over the fence and he held my hand as I ran the last 100 yards or so.

Here's me about 100 yards before the finish line! Wahooo!

You can imagine, I was thrilled when I crossed the finish line at 4:05. I had a crowd of fans to cheer me on, it was awesome! Carter (who also logged some miles running to see me along the route), 3 of my kids (London was playing in a football game at home), My Grandma & Grandpa Gunn, Misty, My in-laws (Edie & Grant) and My Mom and Ed. I also had Matt & Michelle who graciously took me under their wing as the rookie marathoner. We started the race together and met up again at the end.

Matt, Michelle & Me. (We look like a Cingular commercial. Tallest to shortest.)
You guys are the greatest, thanks for getting me into this mess! ;)

So overall, (if you want to skip all the previous mumbo-jumbo and just get the summary...) it was an awesome experience. I would LOVE to run another marathon - and fully plan on it. Especially, the St. George Marathon.


This blog would not be complete if I didn't tell you that this all started because of an article I read (back in February) which was in the Ensign. This was life changing for me!

Achieving Your Full Potential

(Feb. 2009) - Click HERE to read it

My favorite quote from this article:

“The Lord loves each of us too much to merely let us go on being what we now are, for he knows what we have the possibility to become!”
Elder Neal A. Maxwell

It was truly through the journey, not just the destination, that I:

• Gained more confidence in myself as a person, wife and mother,

• Strengthened by body physically and improved my overall health,

• Showed my children that their mom CAN do something other than cook meals and change diapers,

• Enjoyed the quiet, alone time I had away from the usual daily grind,

• Made new friends and strengthened old relationships,

• Recharged my batteries and prepared myself to to deal with the daily stresses that lie ahead,

• Surprised and impressed my husband (that is always nice to hear),

• and felt a new sense of purpose and potential for my life.

Running marathons will not change the world. But what I learned is that the little goals we achieve each day can help us toward a huge goal in the end. It's the little goals that make the big goals possible. And above all: “The Lord loves each of us too much to merely let us go on being what we now are, for he knows what we have the possibility to become!” (Elder Neal A. Maxwell). "Is the road you are now traveling and the present conduct of your life leading you to achieve your full God-given potential? If you were to make no changes in the present course of your life, would you be happy with who you are and what you have become five years from now?" I truly believe the Lord has big plans for each of us.
For example, my mother-in-law had some tremendous trials in her life (the death of her husband, critical injuries in a car accident, raising 6 kids on her own, etc., etc.) that threw her into the "refiners fire". I believe she would not be the incredible, faithful, solid, amazing woman she is today without these trials and the way she endured them.
Really, I am just trying to learn as much as I can, on my own, without the Lord having to give me some great trials to teach me. I am sure I am not fooling Him, but I will go on trying.

Why isn't there more time to BLOG?

Whew!
I can't believe it is August already. Where has the summer gone?
We are already into football practice 5 nights a week (London), Chinese Day Camp for the past 2 weeks (Bode), Art Classes (London) and waiting for soccer season to start (Bode). Also, I am running a half marathon in a couple of weeks. My training runs have hit 12 miles and I will be running 13-14 this Saturday.

This is what we have been up to this summer, thus not much time for blogging.

JUNE~
Our summer didn't technically start until July 2, my kids last day of school.
But, other than homework and the usual end of school year festivities, the month of June for us consisted of:

• Baseball games for London and Bode

• Carter had Youth Conference, and a birthday... 39!!!
  

• Stella completed her 2nd round of puppy classes - of which Carter thinks was a total waste of time and money.

• Carter and I snuck away on a couples only trip to Lake Powell with some good friends. It was heavenly! (Thanks mom for watching the kids.)

• I ran 3+ days a week and hit the gym 2-3 x per week.

• My friend Kellie & I threw a going away party for Jeff Colemere who was deployed to Iraq for 1 year. It was great to see so much support for him & his family (Amanda & their 6 kids). Thank you for your service Captain Colemere.

• 3rd Grade Talent Show: London performed a sweet dance with his friend Danni to Michael Jackson's Black or White. Michael passed away that very day. Weird! London is a HUGE fan of his and listens to his music daily. Click the link below to see it.
  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC_3LtKE7Oo

JULY~
Tony & Monique arrived for their annual summer vacation. Tony was only here for a few days but Monique & the kids stayed the entire month. We were busy having a lot of fun and the kids loved catching up and hanging out together. It was a constant party! We LOVED it! I didn't clean the house or do laundry much, so I am paying the price now, but it was all worth it. Tony & Monique - we are SO glad you all came. We miss you already!

Here is what we were up to:
Bees Game & Fireworks, Swimming, Temple Open House, Movies, Making t-shirts, More Swimming, Making Taffy, Bowling, Slip & Slide, Rollerskating, Making Jalepeno Jelly, Mimi's house, More Fireworks, Listening to Music, Midway, BBQs, and LOTS of Sleepovers with not so much "sleep".


Here is what I discovered:
Running at 6 am on 3 hrs of sleep doesn't work, Feeding 8 kids is a full time job - they sure do eat a lot!, Brinlee is an awesome babysitter!, Ryder is Gavin's nemisis, 8 (unattended) kids can easily destroy a basement in under 10 minutes, Excel spreadsheets can make life easier, it is nearly impossible to get 8 kids to agree on a movie, Ryder will use cans from my food storage for ammunition if necesary - watch out!, Gracen loves her mommy, Braxton loves his dog - and so does his mom (this was a surprise to us all), Potty Training still bites - pull ups are so worth it!, 3 adults and 8 kids REQUIRE the entire row at church, penny + wii = broken wii, kids like blueberry pancakes better than chocolate chip - but whipped cream on either is a must, Macey & Ryder loved swimming in the lake, Flip flops cannot be left unattended with Stella around, Beyond Glazed Donuts (thanks a lot Julie!), FRESH Dunford Chocolate Chocolate Donuts are still the ultimate treat (thanks a lot mom!), Utah corn on the cob is still one of the best things about summer.

I will post some pics when I have more time, hopefully it will still be August by then.

Need a Gift???

Mother's Day was a hit when we purchased a "Katch Key" for my mom.
Along with a cute new purse. (She is ALWAYS looking for her keys!)
She loved her Katch Key so much, she told all of her friends about it. Well, of course, they all wanted one too. I just ordered some for end of the year teacher gifts and am still deciding which one I want for myself. Any suggestions? I am thinking the Fleur De lis or maybe the Rhinestone Palm Tree.

Actually, I think I need both. One for my purse and one for my pool bag!
Long story short... My mom decided to become a distributor.
She now has a cute-as-can-be-website (Designed by Michelle @ Shabby Creations)


where you can check them out. (Click on the link below)

www.katchkey.blogspot.com

• A Katch Key is functional Bling for your Bag.
• A Katch Key is a super strong magnet that you attach to your purse.
• The the outside magnet is BLING & the magnet inside your purse holds your keys so you are never digging through your purse looking for your keys again.
• The magnet will not harm your credit cards (if kept in a wallet) or keyless entry remotes.
  
• A Katch Key would also work great on a pool, beach or travel bag, jacket or scarf.
• There are lots of great designs to choose from.

Let me know what you think. I love this idea for Teacher's gifts.
I ordered a Silver Heart & a Fleur De Lis for the teachers.

Walk the Dog!

I have become a die hard fan of the t.v. show "The Dog Whisperer". It is on the National Geographic Channel. Look it up if you are at all a dog person. Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer, is amazing and I hope I can somehow pick up a little bit of info and talent from him to train my dog. My ultimate dog goal is to have Stella trained as a therapy dog in the next 2-3 years. I really want to spend some time visiting hospitals and nursing homes with her to uplift some spirits.

Step 1 - Potty Train the Puppy.
"Check" Mostly.

Step 2 - Teach this dog to sit, stay and basic manners.
"Che..." Still working on it.

Step 3 - Wear her out so she is not so WiLd!!!
"CHECK!!!"

I spent a good half hour teaching her, more like convincing her, to walk on the treadmill. And she did it! Yay! Mission accomplished. She has walked on it 3 times so far and it has gotten easier each time. I am hoping this will supplement her daily walks and spend enough energy to wear her out a little bit.

"Good Girl!"

Make no mistake, we still have a long way to go with this dog!

Stella's To Do List:
STOP getting into the garbage
STOP eating (and pooping) socks
STOP getting up to the counter looking for food or anything else that might be fun.
STOP eating food off of Macey's high chair tray
STOP pooping in the yard's no pooping areas

Overall, we think she is a pretty good puppy. Ultra friendly and darn cute too!

Scrumptious Red Velvet Bon Bons

I forgot to post this in February - I made these for a Valentine's Treat.
If you are looking for a decadent treat that has good presentation but isn't difficult to make, here's your treat.

They would be really cute rolled into oval or Egg shapes for Easter. You could do colored chocolate and drizzle stripes across the eggs to decorate them. They would also be fun with strawberry cake mix so the middle was pink. Mmmm. I might have to make those. They would be so cute! My kids had a lot of fun helping, & sounds more fun than coloring eggs.

These worked great for me because I used small segments of time to do each step rather than needing a whole afternoon dedicated to treat making. I took 2 days to complete the Bon Bons. You could also use other flavors of cake mix & frosting if you choose.

I gave these for visiting teaching treats and also froze several to keep for a party we attended about a week later. They were a hit!

Red Velvet Bon Bons
(Warning: If serving these to or around men, Do Not call them Balls, Stick with "Bon Bons"!)

• 1 Red Velvet Cake (Prepared from a Mix or from Scratch) Baked in 9x13" pan.
• 1 can cream cheese frosting
• Melting chocolate of your choice
  

I used this:

• Wax Paper
• Large Cookie Sheets
• Space in Fridge or Freezer

Prepare Cake as directed in 9x13" pan. Cool completely.
Crumble Cake into a large mixing bowl. (Kids love to help with this part!) You want a bowl of cake crumbs.
Stir in 3/4 to 1 can of frosting. Stir until the cake is moist throughout.
Line Cookie Sheets with wax paper.
Use a small scoop or Tablespoon to scoop out portions.
Roll each Bon Bon (not "Ball") in your hand until round. (Kids also love to help with this part - and they were good at making the egg shapes.) Set on wax paper and chill a few hours or overnight.

Melt chocolate, take care NOT to get ANY water into the chocolate - even drop will ruin your chocolate!
Dip Bon Bons and set on wax paper. Chill.

I loved these and so did most of the people who tried them. Carter wasn't sure about them.
He didn't love or hate them. They were pretty and fun for a change.
So go have a Ball and make some! (You knew that was coming right?)

Weird Eats!

She Lika Da Spice!
Macey loves Vlassic Zesty Bread & Butter Pickles! My new addiction, they are crunchy and spicy. I have been known to eat a whole jar over a few (ok, 2) days time. I got Carter hooked on them and now Macey is following suit. She kept asking for more and ended up eating 4-5 the other day. She loved them. She is a good eater, she always wants whatever we are eating. Good girl, maybe I finally got one of those kids who eats anything.


St. Patty's Day Dinner
Well, I should have taken a picture, this post would be much more interesting But needless to say our meal was GREEN! It was good though, not too weird or too gross green.

This was the menu:
Green and White Tortellini with homemade Alfredo Sauce, which was left white but had lots of green specs of seasonings in it.
Green Peas - safe choice. Everyone here eats them.
Green Lime Jello fluff salad - which was gross, I will stick to the red and orange flavors.
Green homemade breadsticks - were yummy but still looked weird green.
Green frosted sugar cookies (store bought) and mint Oreos for dessert!

My Birthday/Sunday Dinner:
I made one of my favorite meals, French Dip Sandwiches, Mash Potatoes & my favorite green salad and some sort of vegetable - can't remember what.
This is so easy, made in the crock pot, and delicious too. Here's the recipe:

• Roast (Costco has the best)
• 1 can Golden Mushroom Soup
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 can Beef Broth
• 2 Tbsp dried onion
• 2-3 Tbsp Beef Gravy Mix
• Serve on Toasted Rolls with PepperJack or Swiss Cheese, Melted and a side of dipping sauce. Dipping sauce doubles as gravy for potatoes.
  

Anyway... we were eating dinner and Bode - who is my picky eater - yells out...
"This Gravy is Damn Good!" I thought to myself - "he didn't just say that", then I said "What did you say?" After he repeated himself I could hardly keep from laughing long enough to explain that damn was a 'bad word'. I don't think he even knew that it was. That means 1 of 2 things - either he doesn't hear that word enough to know what it means or he hears it so often he thinks nothing of it. Yikes! I still don't know the answer to that one. I hope it is #1. Bode is so picky & consequently, skinny. I am just happy when he likes any food that is remotely healthy or even fattening. We had a good laugh but I do highly recommend the gravy!

Bode

London's Birthday Cake
London had a birthday in February and being sensitive to his friend's food allergies, he requested glazed donuts instead of a birthday cake. That was fine with me - EASY! But of course I had to drive to 2 stores to find the best Krispy Kreme Donuts. This was his "cake".

So we sing Happy Birthday and suddenly all the boys start calling dibbs on the ONE pink sprinkled donut. I say "No, that one is for London" and before we know it - well, see for yourself... (Hit pause on the music list to the right first so you can hear the audio in the video.)



Little Ryder (3) didn't let those 9 yr. olds intimidate him one bit. That boy knows what he wants and he goes for it. He has a future I tell ya! (As long as he doesn't end up in jail for beating someone up to get his way. We will work on that.) Life lesson - If you want it, Go get it! Way to go Ryder!

Macey's new treat!
Macey is a bottomless pit when it comes to snacking. She loves to walk around with a snack. Usually crackers or toast works best but only when the dog is not around to steal it from her. She was wandering the other day and I watched her... bend down and dip her cracker into the dog's water dish and ummmmm... take a Big Bite! Ooohhh, disgusting, I know! Apparently, this girl will eat just about anything. Be careful what you wish for mom.

I Just Don't Think It's Funny!

I just don't think it's funny that...

• My kids need to take a sick day their 2nd day back on track. (Don't they know mom needs a break?)
• Macey's cute multi-colored Gymboree sock, I have been looking for, appeared in the dogs poop.
• I guess we will be purchasing that rented DVD since I can't find the case - anywhere!
• The phrase "Get Your Hand Out of Your Pants" is heard on a regular basis in our home.
  
• Ryder laughed so hard in the tub & swallowed so much water that he threw up his dinner - in the tub. (Although clean-up was a breeze!)
• I stepped in poop today... in my house... and it wasn't the dogs.
• My kids ignore me (at least) the first 12 times I tell them to do something. Is this normal??
  
• A small Wendy's Frosty has 320 calories. (And the Strawberry and Vanilla have even more!)
• Ryder begs me to stop and tell a police officer that he has unbuckled his seat belt - again - so I will get "in trouble".
• My kids now have to raise their hand before they speak to me at mealtime. Oh and they are not allowed to speak to each other, only me.
  
• Punishment by grounding is only punishment for the parent.
  
• You can always tell what Bode ate for lunch by looking at his shirt.
  
• Ryder tried to gel his hair, and the counter, and the floor - with half of the bottle.
• Another pair of London's pants have ripped a big hole while playing with the dog.
  
• This white flour all over the kitchen (and Ryder) smells just like... baby powder!
• Kids just cannot resist a neatly stacked pile of clean folded clothes. Ever!
  
• Learning to master bread making means baking and eating A LOT of bread, rolls, breadsticks, cinnamon bread, etc. Too bad they aren't always good enough to give to the neighbors.
  
• Macey hides whatever choking hazard you try to take from her, small toys, legos, caps to chapstick, etc. in her mouth.
• My unsupervised, wandering 3 yr. old is the first one to meet our new neighbors.
  
• You can lock them in their room but you can't keep them from destroying it.
• And... I just don't think it's funny that this was just an average day around here. Yes, this all happened today.
  

I wonder what tomorrow will bring. Hopefully a laugh at yesterday.