Quick update on some highlights from the last
EIGHT months:
Just a couple weeks after our trip to Hawaii in September, I was off with my business partner Julie and all of our kids to the little Bavarian community of Leavenworth, WA to do a "staycation" story for the magazine. Destination Leavenworth put us up in one of the most incredible houses I've ever seen. 5,000 square feet, 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, game room, theater room, hot tub, on a river. Just spectacular. None of the pictures do it justice, but here are a couple:
For more professional pix, click
here. Julie and I had a blast chilling with the kids, seeing the sights in this little town that has built a whole tourism economy around being an authentic Bavarian town--the buildings and houses along the main road are all old fashioned German and servers in restaurants wear lederhosen and stuff. Very unique and fun.
In January my sister Heidi was wonderful enough to come up from Utah to watch the girls while we took a trip to San Diego for JR's annual Carmedic convention. We hadn't been to San Diego since our honeymoon, so it was fun to revisit the temple and see the other sites we hadn't had time to see last time we were there, particularly the Mormon Battalion Historic Site, which is absolutely amazing, very entertaining and informative. HIGHLY recommended for members and non-members alike! In fact, I went twice while were there: once with a non-member friend (another Carmedic wife) and a second time with JR. I wish the kids would have been with us! In fact, the last few trips we've been on without the kids I've really wished they were with us. Not now and then), but they are so fun to travel with now that they're older and they can really get something out of seeing the world and other cultures and new sights. I would love to do more traveling with them in the future, as funds permit!
A couple weeks after the trip to San Diego, I headed over the bridge to Portland for a 2 1/2-day class/seminar called
Empower U. Carmedic requires each partner to participate in this class before training for Carmedic, so JR had gone through it a year before and had highly recommended that I go through it. Seeing the HUGE impact it had on him (let's just say that the conversation we had on the phone after he took this class in Texas was nothing short of sacred--he was a changed man), of course I was eager to experience it. So I found myself in a hotel for 2 nights with a group of complete strangers and instructors that led us through a process that is very difficult to describe. Through exercises and admittedly extreme measures (nothing inappropriate), those strangers became like family to me and I came to understand my personal mission more clearly. After I returned home, JR and I were able to bond over the shared experiences we had, both having survived and learned a great deal from the class. Sounds mysterious and weird, I know. Call me if you want to learn more, or better yet, just visit the website (link above)!
This year, I've become involved with the PTA at Madison's school, and I'm loving it! It's really rewarding to see how many of our kids' learning opportunities are made available and I've enjoyed the friendships I've made. And it helps me get out of my "Mormon" bubble. All of my best friends are LDS, which I love, but it's fun to "get out there" and learn from many different kinds of people. This year I'm in charge, along with another PTA member, of the school carnival, the biggest event of the year. A tall order, but Sufia and I make a great team, and things are coming along really well, thanks to a great PTA board and incredibly generous community donors and vendors. Next year I'll take on the role of Volunteer Coordinator, rather than serving on the board. I want to make sure I remain available for more service in the church if and when needed (right now I teach Sunday School).
This last Saturday (April 23), I ran my first half marathon. The 7-9 weeks of training paid off--I ran the whole way, finished strong, and was very proud of my time (2:09:45 - avg 10 min miles). My sister Rachel and three of my good friends from my ward ran it too. One of them, Melissa, ran with me the entire time--we were exactly on pace for each other and kept each other going the whole time! The weather was spectacular, and all of our husbands and kids and even my parents were right there at the finish line. I'm stoked that I did it, and even more stoked that it's over. As much as I love running, I'm looking forward to getting back into a full body 6-day-a-week fitness routine, and I
never plan on doing a marathon! One half per year with regular fitness in between would suit me just fine! And, no, I will not post "after" pictures from the race--they would horrify even the strongest of viewers!
My next challenge: going 100 days without eating chocolate or eating after dinner, starting Tuesday. Deep breaths in and out . . .
After the service we went back to our house for a luncheon. Aubrey and her 2 kids, and Brooke and her fiance Daron got to come to the luncheon, as they had just arrived in town that morning for Brooke's wedding later this week. It was great meeting Daron and just visiting, while eating some yummy food. I LOVE filling up our home with people, laughter and love!
