Remembering

Two years ago today I was teaching preschool and could not get myself into gear. School was about to start and I still didn't have a lesson plan. I kept coming back to the idea of just baking cookies with my students but felt it would be a cop out. I couldn't pull myself together to put together a lesson plan so at the last minute I finally decided to just make the cookies. It was actually perfect, the kids loved it, we had a fun snack and I was able to present some good concepts and ideas. It was also fun to send the kids home with their own bag of cookies because I had to break the news to their parents that I had to end the school year early and it was my last day. The reason for the shortened school year was that Damon's brother, Geoff, was dying of cancer. At that point we were just waiting. I hated to end my school year early, I love teaching and I loved those kids. I knew that the next few weeks would be very emotional as well as busy and when things calmed down summer break would be here.
So I sent my preschoolers off on their last official day of school (I had a little party for them a few weeks later) full of sugar and with more cookies to take home. A couple hours later Damon called. He had been spending almost every minute at his mom's house to spend as much time with Geoff as he could. He told me I needed to come and to come now.
I had been praying for days, maybe weeks, to be able to show love and bring comfort to Damon and his family but I never seemed to get an answer. As I was making babysitting arrangements and loading up the kids I decided to bring the cookies I had made in preschool. I hesitated and almost left them at home because I thought it would be silly to show up to say good bye to my brother in law with a plate of cookies. For some reason I decided to bring them anyway.
Shortly after I arrived at my mother in laws house Geoff passed away. I was in the room with my family as we watched and waited for him to take his last breath. It was a sweet and tender moment that was also filled with heart ache. After everyone said their good byes and had their last minute with Geoff we all reconvened at the kitchen table. I don't know what it is about families getting together but no matter how comfortable the couches are we always seem to gather around the table. Sitting on the table were the cookies I made that day with my preschoolers. Soon everyone was eating a cookie with or without a glass of milk and we were sharing stories and remembering Geoff.
My prayer was answered...I was able to bring comfort and show my love to Damon's family.

I love and miss you Geoff. Thank you for all your kindness and laughter and thank you for letting me serve you.

Pat's Run

Here we are...We did it! Damon and I ran Pat's Run together. We ran 4.2 miles in 47 minutes and 15 seconds. (Well, Damon ran it in 14 seconds and I finished in 16 seconds but who's keeping track :)

This was a really fun race, especially because I haven't ran a race in two years when I was prego with Lucy and I pretty much walked it AND up until recently Damon said he would never run with me. I was so proud of him for running the entire race.

I finally feel like I am back on track. Four years ago in June I started running and ran my first half marathon in September. I have never been into sports or exercising, so to go from nothing to training for and running a half marathon in just two months was huge for me. I felt awesome about myself. After the half marathon in September I did a triathlon in November and then another half marathon in January. I planned a 10 mile for December but got pregnant in October and had to give up training, running just took everything out of me. Since then I have been struggling to get back into running.

The night before Pat's Run I took my kids to stay with my sister Rebecca and had a long drive home by myself. I started thinking about my "running career" and why I just couldn't get back into it. I had a break through and realized I had some major fears I had been suppressing. My first fear is that I will hurt my knees. I have always had knee problems. My knees were fine during my first half marathon but I was in major pain during my second. Every time I run since then my knees have hurt after only a few miles.

My second fear is more emotional. Only days before my second half marathon my brother passed away. I ran my second half marathon on the day of his viewing. That was horribly emotional. Shortly after Damon and I took a triathlon training class. We had also signed up for two triathlons. We were only weeks away from the first when we found out Damon's brother, Geoff, had cancer. We cancelled the triathlons and exercise kind of went out the window. Damon spent so much time with Geoff and worrying about him that exercise for him was impossible. I still tried to keep up running and then got pregnant and had to stop. So running for me has become a very emotional thing. I think about my brothers and I wonder what is going to happen next. Why should I really work hard when I'm just going to have to stop again? I finally feel like I have recognized my fears and can now work through them.

Having said that...

During Pat's Run we could hear sirens and wondered what was going on. Soon we passed a clump of people surrounding a man on the ground. He was being given CPR. Damon and I got separated in the chaos. I passed the man first and instantly broke into tears. I turned to find Damon, he saw my face and grabbed my hand and held me tight. What's going to happen next I always wonder. We later found out that man died.
Running. Exercise. Living. is hard. But what's worth doing that isn't hard?

Easter Time

Happy Easter kiddos!

The kids had so much fun searching the house for their baskets and treats that the Easter Bunny left for them.

Box Jellyfish

This is Harrison's first school project. He had to choose a fish and make a replica of it. He chose the box jellyfish. The box jellyfish is the only jellyfish that has a brain and that sleeps. He was so excited to display it at school for all the parents to see.

Happy. Birthday. Harrison.

My Harrison turned 6 on March 16th!

He had such a good birthday... or should I say birthweek?

It all started on March 15th when Damon took him for his birthday breakfast. The next day on his actual birthday he had a dentist appointment, which he loved because his dentist is amazing but also because he got to wear his birthday sticker and hat and got even more attention. In the afternoon we took Dylan and Victoria, who were visiting for spring break, home to Mesa. While there we surprised Aunt Becca at work by bringing her a birthday gift because her birthday is on March 18th. Back at home we had a birthday dinner with just our family. Jackson and Lucy had gifts for Harrison and we had cake pops for dessert. (cake pop= ball of cake on a stick dipped in chocolate)

Since Harrison's birthday was during spring break he got to celebrate in school on Monday March 21st (which happens to be my birthday).

Harrison had a robot birthday party on Friday March 25th.

Harrison had an R2D2 robot cake. Damon and I made it. I baked and stacked the cakes and Damon frosted and decorated it. It's not perfect but Harrison loved it.

What's a birthday party without a pinata?

Harrison and some of his friends eating pizza. Temiko, Hank, Jackson and Hannah.

Harrison had a great birthday party and birthweek!

I have fought a good fight

Happy Birthday Geoffrey Dean!

Today would have been Geoff's 26th birthday. Geoff was always a strong, tough guy. His cancer made his body very weak but he didn't lose. When Geoff died he was stronger than ever, he fought a good fight, and he won. I pray that I can teach my children to be strong like Geoff.

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.

2 Timothy 4:7

I love and miss you Geoff.

9 Years and Counting

March 1, 2002

Damon and I were married in the Mesa Arizona LDS Temple

We celebrated our 9 year anniversary by sending the kids to Nonna and Papa's house. Then we went shopping. Damon and I both bought new shoes. Then we hiked to the waterfall at the White Tank Mountains. It's only a two mile hike (one up and one down) so we ran it.

After going home and getting ready Damon took me to The Melting Pot. That was an amazing meal. Because the kids spent the night with Damon's parents we got to go to church by ourselves and actually listen to the talks. It was an awesome weekend.

Here are some pictures. You can see my awesome new shoes. Damon wasn't very willing to let me take pictures of him but I was able to snap a few.