Marathon Week

I ADDED THE PICTURES! THERE ARE TONS MORE WHERE THEY CAME FROM, BUT I PICKED A FEW FAVORITES AND HIGHLIGHTS!
You know when your calendar has no more room to write ANYTHING on, and the town has an actual marathon planned and the half-way point is right in front of your house, that you have an official marathon week planned. Get Ready!! Here was ours last week.

Monday: I can't remember
what happened, but that is ok.
Tuesday: We went to Adoption Orientation at LDS Family Services (LDSFS)
Wednesday: Our lovely dog Blue Houdini Princess had her spay appointment. This went well. I made dinners for Freezer Frenzy and worked from home that day.
Thursday: I had my HSG (hysterosalpingogram) That is doctor language for cause pain while trying to see if fallopian tubes are blocked and pay to have this done. Mine showed up as clear. I told them and told them, but they just won't believe me! Some people don't understand that this is NOT good news to me. I've been TTC for 4.5 years and I ovulate every month, have no signs of endometriosis. This just means that we have to go even further into the inf world to figure out why we can't conceive and how we can conceive. Thus the adoption classes. Elise spent the day at her BFF's home and school and I met them all at the soccer game at 6. Still a little crampy and just a bit tired. I got pictures of this last game, but can't find my camera right now.... Will add the pics later!
Friday: Recovery day, and my brother's birthday party #1 at Kobe. Then to mom's for dessert and presents. Went to Dome Hepot to get some plywood so my SFGBox can have a bottom on it. And we washed Mike's 77 caddi so we could put For Sale signs in it!
Saturday: The Half-Marathon started in front of my home at the Eden Park. They began gathering around 5:30 am. Music started blaring, gratefully with speakers pointed away from our home, at 6 am. Poor Melba across the street though! The speakers blew loud and proud right in her bedroom window. For an old farm lady, she sure put up with a lot! They had fire pits that blew smoke in her home ALL DAY. It was really exciting for me though. I was up right at 6 am with the rest of them. I was taking pictures and enjoying the energy of the whole event. Here are just a few, I have about 50!

Above Right: Just an early AM pic, I have lots of these with cool movement and stills. The lighting was so cool. Center: The potties! Seemed like they went on for miles. In this shot, the people that are lined up are really LINED UP to use them! One would empty and someone would just step right on up to fill it! Left: The runners did a warm up aerobics style in front of my house. It was great to see their mass of bodies all doing the same thing. I was sitting on my roof with Elise. We enjoyed it to say the least.)

(Above: Left: The Walkers! Amazing that these individuals would even bother! Center: The first Full Marathon runner to pass my home. He finished the entire race in a little more than 2 and a half hours. Left: The second Full Marathoner to pass my home. He passed #1 when #1 stopped for a potty break. I don't know which one of them won, but they both were so super fast and didn't even look winded as the trotted on by!)
I will run the half next year!! My running pals all were running. Kelly "Sky"Walker, Jenny W., and Larissa H. ran the half-marathon.

Jamie F.Ran the Full, here she is at my house! Hero!

Karen F. jumped in at the half when her sisters ran by running the full. I ran/walked down the street with Jamie when she got here. It was so exciting!!! I wished so bad that I could have gone with them, but I had other plans and shin splints. I planted my SFG. This included mixing my Mel's Mix and dumping it mostly successfully into the 2x12 box that I put in the front yard. Then I had to watch for Jamie and others. Then I had to shower. I got in the shower at 9:45 and had to be at the church parking lot for Freezer Frenzy at 10 am. Needless to say, in my hurry I fell UP the tile stairs in the back and I have a lovely cut and bruise on my right leg to show off! I got to the Frenzy in a frenzy at about 10 after 10. Then pulled back in, told Mike to help Elise gather her stuff to go to my mother's while I get ready to go to The Dave Ramsey Live event in SLC. Whew, anyone else exhausted yet? I am just typing this all out and re-living it. I threw my makeup in a bag, got my nice shoes on, blew my hair dry straight, and brushed my teeth. Drank a full 20 oz of water and ran to the car. GO!! We were off. A little late, but we were in the car with all possessions necessary for the days activities. Elise spent the rest of the day with my mom. I think they gardened and went shopping. We had a blast at Dave Ramsey with Kaylene and Jim R. We don't get together with them often, but when we do, we really enjoy ourselves. We met for a fat packed lunch at Wendy's and then left for SLC from there. After the event we went to El Jabaneros. That was danged good. Then headed back home. All of us had kids to pick up. We got Elise and headed back home again.

Sunday: MORE DRIVING!! Can you say, gas is going up, stay at home?? We drove separate cars to church because I have choir at 8 am and no one wants to drive me there.... And I'm always late or I would carpool with someone from choir. Then we came home expecting a nice quiet break before heading back to Mom's for dinner. Nope. No go. The Home Teachers dropped in! We like them well enough. They don't ask any really caring questions and one of them is trying to sell his house to us. So we visited with them for a while, sent them on their way. I laid out in the front yard on a blanket with a good book, my rambunctious daughter and her dog. Mike took a nap inside. Then we rushed off to my grandpa's. Picked him up and then to my mother's for Wings. A family favorite. Then after dinner was cleaned up, we had cake and ice cream for my little brother, yup, party #2. (Can a 23 yo have this many parties??)

So needless to say, I'm exhausted still. Just typing this all out... whew. I got lots of good pictures from the Marathon. It was really inspiring to see the wheelchair racers as they came in front of my home. It was also inspiring to see the half-marathon walkers! Some of them were overweight. Some of them were using walking sticks. And here they were, walking a half-marathon! And they paid to do it! Amazing.

Thoughts on my HSG: I was told this procedure would be PAIN FULL. Ok, it wasn't that bad. I took half a ltab before and I was ok. I could still feel the pain of some of it. It felt a lot like menstrual cramps, and bloating, and bad gas. The kind of mens. day that you'd feel so much better to just sit on the potty, all bent over. Even knowing nothing will come out. Recovery was ok. I curled up on the couch with my dog who was in recovery as well. I put a thick sheet on the fouton, gave her her chew to pieces bone and laid down with a blankie. I watched Days and read a new book, Almost Sisters. I also worked too, from the couch! Not too bad.

Freezer Frenzy: A crazy way of getting your freezer full of heat and eat meals. I signed up to make one and eat 13 or more. You buy the ingredients for the one you make for you and whoever else signs up. You make the meal. Freeze the meal. Then go to the Frenzy and exchange those meals for the actual cost of making that meal. Not a bad deal! I have a full freezer and lots of good ideas for freezing my own!

Warning: Vicki is Frustrated

Ok, so I've vented to my new friends on 2ofus4now.org (the yahoo group) and I've decided it is time to really put it out there. My family may totally hate me for saying all of this but I am VERY frustrated about my "infertility" issues. There are some people that when I talk to them about trying to conceive they really lean hard on the fact that I haven't undergone ALL of the damned testing that would actually LABEL me INFERTILE. They are right. I haven't. I don't have the money or the emotional stamina to undergo such pain!! I get really frustrated when someone I love and is supposed to love me says to me that I won't ever understand what someone else in my family is feeling about her infertility, and never mentions at ALL about how I might POSSIBLY feel about my own. I am frustrated beyond belief that my family doesn't communicate well about our infertility. ALL three of us sisters have issues. I'm the ONLY one who hasn't been tortured by a doctor yet. I ovulate just fine as far as my current doc can tell. My husband checks out just fine (which was not a surprise to me or him in the slightest). And we have one beautiful little girl. We've thought for years that the Lord knows what He's doing and we are obviously meant to not have one more at this moment and for whatever good reason He has, we're sure it is good. We'll I'm sick of waiting I want to know why I'm being left out of the baby drop. Why I get this path to trod. Why??????!!!!! It seems like everyone around me has a great time at getting pregnant. If it isn't easy as pie, give her chlomid and BOOM there is twins. Well, that won't work for me. I don't know what will and I'm really tired of waiting. I should be grateful some will say when they read my rantings, but oh, I am grateful, for what I HAVE. I just want more!! I watch my friend Karen's children and for the first time in YEARS I'm happy about having other children around. Other people's kids used to bug me so bad!!! I didn't babysit much growing up because I really didn't like kids that much. It is so different now. I don't understand the change that has taken place in my heart, but I love them!! I love watching Amy's kids too!! And I hope the Lord forgives me for this but I'm just not ready to love someone else's children only when they are dropped off at my home. I want my own.
I have the best Visiting Teachers ever right now and they are fasting with me on Sunday this week for a huge list of things. Only a few of them have been breezed over here in this little rant. They are so awesome and I'm so grateful for them. One of the thing is definitely that my heart will be softened and that I'll have some measure of understanding and patience again. Which I dearly need!! And oh, there are just so many negative feelings I have that I want to throw up them all on paper and get them out. I'm quite angry. I'm going to get on my treadmill, it is a little late in my morning to do it, but I think i really need a good 5 miler right now. Wish I could go and run outside, but Elise is still sleeping, and that would be totally wrong of me to just leave her here unattended!
I hope I didn't offend anyone here either. Please keep in mind, I'm frustrated. Oh, and I'm scheduled to start my period on my 28th birthday next week. So if you call and I'm really super ornery. That is exactly why. I probably have cramps and I'm bloated and don't have enough chocolate in the house and I am extremely full of emotions, so maybe don't call. Call on Friday, I should be better by then. Oh, and Mike will be out of town all week starting Monday and we don't know when he'll be back.

What I THINK I Know About Running!

You know, I hear all the time that if you can talk while you exercise you are doing good. That if you sweat for 20 minutes in your workout that you've really "burned" calories. That you don't really lose any weight unless you do so many miles of exercise.

Here is what I think: If you can run and talk you are doing well, but if you are running so hard that you can't sing Sheryl Crow while you run, then you aren't having any fun. If you can run and carry on a normal conversation, I think you might just be not running fast enough. If you sweat so much you stink, you need to stop and shower, but should go back for more if your soul yearns for it. And as far as calories burned, don't count. Go home to the kitchen after your run, have two tall glasses of water, and eat a cookie. You'll be fine!!!

Run on my friends, run on!

wE gOt TaGgEd!!! wElL, eLiSe DiD! tHiS iS oUr FiRsT, sO hErE's HoPiN iT gOeS rIgHt.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 9 AM, with a stuffy nose and an attitude!!
2. Diamonds or Pearls? Diamonds
3. What two things do you always have with you? A Horse named Silver and an imaginary friend.
4. What is your favorite TV show? I like the movie Enchanted.
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Captain Crunch Berries Cereal!! I love cereal! Or an Herbalife Shake with Chocolate Soy Milk. Blended up with ice cubes, YUMMY!
6. What is your favorite book? The one about the horses!
7. What is your middle name? Antoinette
8. What food do you dislike? beef burritos.
9. What is your favorite CD? The Best of Barbara Mandrell (NO KIDDING!! She dances and sings ALL the words!)
10. What type of car do you drive? Barbie Motorcycle
11.Favorite sandwich? Peanut Butter and Jelly (has to be RED jelly)
12. What characteristic do you despise? I don't like people that kill animals.
13. Favorite item of clothing? My "faberge" dress. It is a blue plaid summer dress.
14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? The Galapagos Islands to watch the turtles hatch.
15. What color is your bathroom? I have a pink bathroom
16. Favorite brand of clothing? My Faberge dress.
17. Where would you retire to? I'll retire in the Arabian Desert.
18. What was your most recent memorable birthday? She says, "Halloween, 2 5."
19. Do you make friends easily? I say no. Mom says I do just fine.
20. Favorite saying? Sparkle. (She doesn't ever say that! But she says, "you're interrupting my story mom! ALL the time.)
21. Are you a morning person or a night person? Morning. But Mom says she is lying.
22. Pets? I have a bird dog. A Weimaraner named Blue.
23. What did you want to be when you were little? A polar bear.
24. How are you today? I'm 6 and I don't like my head. (She has a stuffy nose, thank you Uncle Spencer!!!)
25. What is your favorite candy? Tootsie Rolls (she is pulling these out of no where! She doesn't have a favorite, just CHOCOLATE and SUGAR!!)
26. What is your favorite flower? We have some Forget-Me-Not's
27. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? Charlie's birthday. (Her BFF, I don't know when her birthday is though)
28.What church do you attend? Our Church
29. What are you listening to right now? Nothing.
30. What was the last thing you ate? Cap'n Crunch Berries Cereal!!
31. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Bluish-Pinkish
32. How is the weather right now? Good, 40. (she just made a special trip to the thermometer in the window to check)
33. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Cousin Reagan
34. Favorite restaurant? Taco Maker!!!!
35. Hair color? Brown
36. Sibling(S)? No, but I do have a cozy momma and a cozy papa. I always pray for them though. Maybe we'll adopt some.
37. What was your favorite toy as a child? Bluish-Blackish the Pony.
38. Summer or winter? Summer
39. Hugs or kisses? Kisses
40. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
41. When was the last time you cried? Tuesday, no actually that was Saturday. (no ACTUALLY that was Friday, she threw a big fit about being left at Grandma's so Mom and Dad could go out.)
42. What is under your bed? A ladder
43. Favorite smell? cake, no COOKIES!!
44. What are you afraid of? The dark.
45. Plain, butter or salted popcorn? Sigh, Plain.
46. How many keys on your key ring? Four. One to the house, one to the car and one to the garage. (that is only three, and she doesn't have keys, silly girl!)
47. How many years at your current job? 3. Working at my Grandpa's one day in a year.
48. Favorite day of the week? Wednesday.
49. How many towns have you lived in? 2. Actually 3. (Ogden, South Ogden, North Ogden and Eden.)
50. Who do you tag... The CANTWELL CLAN!!!!! All of em! ha!

Running and Freezing

Oh, today has been a good day. I luckily got to get up and go running in the most beautiful place, with some beautiful friends!! (I should have taken my camera, but I think they would have killed me!) 7 am came mighty early and mighty cold for running. The sun was shining though. So that was good. I wore my inside running attire, with sweats on top, a hat and gloves!!! I had spent a late night up with my dear husband and the Froerer's at an incredible "jam session" with Tim Daniels, Danielle Vaughn, McCall Erickson, Dan, and Brett Turner. All of these singer/songwriters are GREAT!!! I couldn't find a link on Tim's page to Dan, though I thought I saw him there once..... Mike and I love to listen to them play and sing. It is so fun. Anyway, we ran on the roads this morning just east and south of the Chevron here. It was so pretty. A lot of it is undeveloped, and the houses are great. The land reminded me so much of the Milton Valley that my Grandpa's land is located by, only before the cattle ate all the trees. There is a bubbling little river, and the road winds back and forth across it. I ran a little slower than Karen and Jenny, but that was ok, I took Sheryl Crow with me and we had a great time. I got one blister, and it isn't all that bad. I didn't freeze that bad either. In fact, the only unpleasant thing was stopping when I noticed I had my blister! OUCH!!! I'm much colder now that I'm sitting in the shade at the Montessori School Fundraiser that SFG is sponsoring. Sales haven't been too bad. But my feet, bless them, in flip flops are FREEZING!!!! I will move into the sun in a minute. But sure as I do that, I'll be visited by someone that wants to buy or ask me a million questions that I DON'T have answers for.

Well, it is 4:45. Do I Stay or Do I Go??? dadada daaada dada da. You know that song, right?
Can I just mention, there are WAY lots of white cars around here. The other day, Elise and I counted 17 while we waited for her bus. In 10 minutes, we saw 17 white cars or trucks. Amazing.