One Step at a Time

The National Half-Marathon was last Saturday in Washington DC. After a meager 9 weeks of training I had low expectations and no idea what it was going to be like. Last month I didn't even know if I'd be able to run in the race due to a knee injury that kept me from running for two weeks. But I trained as well as I could and was excited to see what I could do.

It was a cold morning, and we were all bundled up and shivering until we started to warm up a few miles into the race. Running down the streets of Washington DC with thousands of other people was so exciting, and the spectators on the sidelines made the race so much fun! I had a huge smile on my face and I loved every minute of it. I was pleasantly surprised that it was easier than I expected. I was not panting too hard at the top of the large hill at mile 6, and I had plenty of energy to laugh and talk during mile 9. But I hit a wall at 11.5 miles and felt like I couldn't go another step. Katie stayed by my side and pushed me through it and we just kept running and running and running. The last half mile to the finish line seemed longer than the whole race, and I was giving it my all to keep a good pace and finish strong.

When I crossed the finish line at 2:19:54 I was shocked! I couldn't believe I had run the whole 13.1 miles, and run it that fast! (fast is a relative term - fast for me is very, very slow for other people:) My goal finish time was somewhere between 2:30 and 2:45, so I was amazed to see that I had beat it by so much. It felt great to know that I gave it everything I had and I had no regrets.

I could not have done this race without my friends. Katie was our leader and my trainer, and she stayed with me every step of the way, urging me on and helping me keep moving and do my best. She is the reason I had such a great experience. Christy was a beginning runner like me, but she shocked us all with her endurance and speed. Natalie inspired me with her intense training and ability to push herself. Oh, and Katie had a baby three months ago. Amazing.

It was an incredible experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Maybe I will do it again sometime. I definitely learned that we are capable of a lot more than we think we are, and sometimes it is fun to do something you didn't think you would ever do!

Break for Spring

One good thing about still being in school is getting a spring break! Joseph had last week off, and we decided to stay close to home and enjoy some things in the city.

We loved the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn, and had a great time walking around the South Street Seaport in Manhattan. Joseph and Matthew went to a movie, and I ran 10 miles and stopped in for jury duty.

Joseph is back at school today, and it is raining like crazy outside. I've got final preparations to make for the big race this weekend (yikes!) and lots of housework to catch up on. But the kids slept in this morning, so that is a good sign that we used our spring break to the fullest!

Best of Friends

Little Anna puts up with quite a bit of roughhousing from her brother. But much of the time, they are the best of friends.

Race Me

I ran my first race this weekend! Some friends and I ran the Cupid's Chase 5K in Manhattan on Saturday morning. It was a brisk 30 degrees, there was ice on the course, and I was super nervous. But I survived, and although I didn't quite reach my ultimate goal, I set a personal record and had a really great time!

Now that my first race is out of the way, I can focus on the bigger running events in my near future. Such as running the half-marathon in Washington D.C. at the end of March!!! I've been training for a few weeks now, and although at times it still seems very daunting, I'm feeling good about it and I'm really excited! I've got some great friends to run with, some fabulous new running shoes, and the incredible race course to keep me motivated. It is going to be awesome, if I don't die first.... :)

Hello February, Hello Running Shoes

• We put up some heart decorations (idea from here) to celebrate the new month. We have had a crazy winter so far, with multiple storms leaving more than 15 inches of snow each time. Today we got freezing rain that left a coat of ice over everything. I don't think the 6-foot pile of snow in our front yard is ever going to melt.
• Thanks to my awesome friend upstairs, I started running. I'm not a "runner" yet, but I have been going running quite a bit and I really like it. I've set some crazy lofty goals for myself in the next two months, so I'll keep you updated...
• Anna is 18 months old now! She doesn't talk much, she doesn't love nursery much, and she is still pretty small. But she is funny and opinionated and loves to be cuddled and copies everything that Matthew does, down to the way he holds his markers when they are coloring.

Christmas Trip

On Christmas Eve, we packed up our presents and food and headed to Pennsylvania with some friends, where we stayed for a week (and thankfully missed the blizzard in NYC that left Staten Island with 18 inches)! It was a super fun little Christmas trip!

fun things: skiing on Christmas day • eating so much food we could burst • matching pajama pants for each family • the guys making Christmas breakfast • swimming in the huge jacuzzi bathtub • watching the kids play and play with each other and their new toys • spontaneous ear piercing on a trip to the outlet mall (I felt like a nervous 12 year old girl, but I love them!) • bowling - and not doing very well • wearing matching yellow sweaters • hilarious "just dance 2" on the wii at night • swimming and sliding at the resort water park • playing card games and board games • laughing all the time •

I'll keep saying this again and again, but having good friends makes being so far away from family so much easier.

Gifts

We had a wonderful Christmas! We spent a week with friends at a resort in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. We ate way too much food and had a lot of fun. I'll post pictures soon.

But first, I thought I'd share some of my favorite things I made for friends and family this Christmas. I had so much fun making all of these things, and in some cases I made a second to keep for myself because I loved them so much!

Top to bottom: felt bird ornaments, rose barrettes, skirt for sister, a tie for my dad, Christmas tree garland, bean bag animals, nyc felt ornaments, shirt for sister

It got just a little bit crazy at times, so I think I'll have to start sewing earlier next year if I plan to make this many gifts again! :)

This Christmas

This will be our third Christmas we've spent far, far away from our families in Utah. But we are slowly creating our own traditions and we really enjoy the relaxing time together. We'll get to spend Christmas nearby with good friends this year, and we are looking forward to a fun little trip of skiing and swimming and playing.

The tree is decorated and redecorated daily. I love our Christmas tree this year, and I love that Matthew helped me decorate it. I have to smile when I look at it and see two or three ornaments on the same branch.

Packages and presents are in the mail on their way to family. And one good thing about being far away from family is that we get a lot of mail and Christmas packages! The kids get so excited every time they see a big box at our door!

Christmas shopping is not done, but almost. The sewing machine is probably going to need a loooong break after Christmas because I have been sewing day and night. I've had so much fun sewing tons of presents. And, of course, lots of oranges and Christmas goodies are being eaten.

Christmas cards are sent out. This year went by so quickly when I look at it this way:

Matthew is finally starting to figure out Christmas and he absolutely loves anything to do with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. We've had fun counting down the days with our advent calendar, and reading tons of Christmas books from the library. There has been no real snow for us yet, but I'm sure it is on it's way. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to everyone!

Letter Wall

We have a wall of letters at our house. Each week we choose a new letter to learn about, and it directs our crafts, activities, FHE lessons, and discussions for the week. Matthew has really enjoyed it, and he can probably list off at least five animals for each letter! We are almost halfway through the alphabet, and some weeks we stick to it better than others, but I think it is doing some good!

S is for snowflake, P is for pig, B is for balloon ... etc.