"It's kinda fun to do the impossible"

Changing blogs.

2011-01-27T17:47:00.003-05:00

We have moved to a new blog, not that we've written anything yet! :)

marathontoeternity.blogspot.com

Journal Entry- you have been warned.

2011-01-07T18:34:00.004-05:00

I would like to start off by saying my family has done 90% of the wedding preparations. Because of them I am able to sit back some nights and just relax... not thinking of the long list of things I need to do. They are wonderful and if it wasn't for them and all their help, I would have opted for a Vegas wedding (temple of course!) a month ago.

I have always heard that the closer you get to the wedding, the more temptation you have. I always assumed (and still believe they meant) other temptations...if you get my drift. My greatest temptation the past couple weeks doesn't fall in that category (Though Travis is as handsome and attractive as all get out!), rather it comes in a box labeled "self-doubt". Not in my decision to get married to Travis, he is my wonderful blessing. It comes tempting me to believe I am less than what he should be getting, wishing I could give him more than the weak person I am. Adding fuel to the embers is the fact his beautiful, former love interest is coming into town for a few days and he's going to be hanging out with her by himself because I have to work. Ugh.

I know where these feelings are coming from and I'm trying hard to rise above them. The natural man is a beast and Satan knows just where he can bruise me.

“The second key to an adequate self-esteem is humility. I do not mean the breast-beating, sackcloth-and-ashes kind of humility. I mean the humility that comes with inner strength and peace. It is the humility that allows us to accept and live with our own warts, without cosmetics to hide them.”

James E. Faust, “The Value of Self-Esteem,” CES fireside for young adults, May 6, 2007

Life is good and I can't express how excited I am for the wedding without using at least 15 O's behind an S.

Date day

2011-01-06T22:25:00.002-05:00

Travis and I had some alone time today and enjoyed it at the temple. We were the ONLY people in the whole temple. No one else was in our session, or the session after us. Pretty sad for Orlando, right? While it was depressing to only have 2 people in a session in an urban area, it was special for us to have the whole temple seemingly to ourselves. I love the Celestial room in the Orlando temple, and of course, we had it to ourselves as well. It was a great afternoon and I couldn't think of a better way to spend an afternoon off than at the temple with my sweetheart :).
Only 9 days until the big day!

Time with Mom

2010-12-23T22:03:00.003-05:00

My mom is awesome!!! (Exclamation points courtesy of Travis). She took 4 days out of her Christmas break to visit me in Florida and help with wedding preparations. I loved it and always hate to see her go. We made some fun memories. I'll share a couple:

We went to the night church I go to since I work during the day. After convincing her that she could go in the Chapel even though she forgot her dress, (most people just get off work and are in their Disney costumes) we got to sing Mom's favorite Christmas song, Away in a Manger. We both were holding the hymnal and I noticed Mom stopped singing. I looked at her and found she was crying. Apparently feeling the need to explain it to me, she swung the hymnal up to cover our faces and knocked me hard on the forehead.... not very subtle! :) That just made me laugh harder, so we were crying and laughing in the back row. Not much singing went on the rest of the song.

Mom also got to see me try on my wedding dress during the alteration process. It was a part of the experience that I was missing and it made it seem more complete having her there.

Our main Christmas present from Mom and Dad was a new bed. I get to sleep on a real bed for the first time in over a year!!!! My parents are are definitely the best! I love that I don't ever need to worry about my parents supporting me. Between a wonderful family and handsome, sweet man (Trav wants me to clarify the handsome, sweet man is him), I am a very blessed woman.

Engagement Pictures

2010-12-09T00:58:00.003-05:00

Today we woke up early (well, one of us did) and we drove down to Miami to get engagement pictures taken. Travis' sister Sarah has a wonderful friend named Dario (darioendara.com) who is a professional photographer and he took our pictures for free. Originally he was going to be in town this weekend and was going to take them for us here, but those plans changed and so yesterday we scheduled today instead. Talk about last minute running around to get the "perfect outfit"! We shouldn't have worried about any wardrobe changes because we were late and didn't have time for any :) Surprised? I wasn't....
He took us to South Beach and we took pictures on the streets. Exactly, we drove all the way to Miami to get pictures and didn't even get one on the beach ha ha. But I am very excited to see the pictures in a couple days! He is obviously an extremely talented photographer and knew exactly what he wanted from the quick photo shoot, which made it so much easier on us.
Only a week and a half until my mom gets into town.
Only 2 weeks until Christmas.
Only 5 weeks and 2 days until our wedding.
So many exciting things in the next 2 months!!

You've all been waiting...

2010-12-06T19:09:00.004-05:00

Travis proposed to me using a game we like to play after we (His mom, sister and cousin were there too) ate Thanksgiving dinner. It is called Munchkin. Basically, it is played like this:
You draw a card on your turn, if it is a Monster and you defeat it you get to draw a Treasure card. Whoever gets to 10 first wins.
When it was my turn I drew a Monster card. I could tell it was homemade only because it smeared a little when I touched it :). It was "Bridezilla." Alone I could not defeat Bridezilla and had to have Travis help me. Upon defeating it I got to draw a Treasure card. The Treasure card ended up being a picture of us at the Salt Lake Temple printed on the card with "Happily Ever After" written on the top. He then got down on his knee and gave me his cute and slightly awkward proposal. It was very sweet! I think Sarah might have some more pictures/video of it somewhere. Oh, and I can't forget to mention that with beating Bridezilla, I won the game... Thanks Travis!!! :)

Side note:

Thanksgiving morning did not bring the snow and Turkey bowl that I am accostomed to, and since Travis was still at his house asleep, I was productive and made an apron from some fabric I had. I think it turned out really cute. I especially like the drawstring neckline and frills on the bottom...

A day for giving thanks.

2010-11-26T00:00:00.003-05:00

The closer picture of the ring everyone is requesting.....

Travis did a good job of being creative with the proposal. I'll tell the story when I don't have to wake up early the next morning. Yay!

I have a lot to be thankful for today :)

Change

2010-11-19T18:02:00.002-05:00

Change makes me emotional.
I hear songs on the radio and I cry.
I blame my mom.

Perspective

2010-11-13T22:34:00.003-05:00

Today I'm feeling a little frustrated, ungrateful and sick. I was inspired by my mom's blog to counteract that......

I'm grateful for.....

Smells of fall. Even though it doesn't look or feel like fall here in Florida, I enjoy the apple cider spice air freshener from Bath and Body Works every time I walk in my room. It makes me happy.

Work that at least pays the bills (well, some of them). I don't love it and it's not where I want to be for much longer, but it's teaching me humility. Even if I am an awful learner. And it offers insurance, which will come in handy when I get married to a man that doesn't have any insurance and has some obsession with needing surgeries. No, that's not an announcement :)

Eternal Families. One of my favorite Hermanas (wasn't my companion, but lived with me for several months) from my mission had the funeral for her 3 week old baby boy today. If that isn't something to put your own problems and issues into perspective, nothing can. I'm grateful for the family I have now, the sacrifices they make to help me, and for any future additions I'm hoping to have in the coming years.

The Three Important Envelopes

2010-11-07T00:12:00.003-04:00

Today Travis spent my lunch hour with me and at the end of it pulled out 3 yellow envelopes. One labeled 1, another 2, and the last 3. He told me that each envelope had a date in the very near future and that the envelope I chose would have a very important date I would want to remember. Each envelope had a different date, so talk about PRESSURE! I chose #3. Now I know he is going to propose soon, but I don't know exactly when.... I'm glad he put thought and planning into it. Travis compared it to a game show... Let the game begin! :D

Me? Sensitive?

2010-10-27T14:04:00.002-04:00

While finishing up my root canal today:

Lindsea: (raises left hand to indicate a lot of pain)

Dentist: You are quite sensitive.

Lindsea: You aren't the first one to tell me that.

Thanks to my sensitivity he had to change the game plan and I have to wait another week for my crown. Oh well. At least it gets done right and he listens so I don't have to beat him over the head with his drill.

Another Year

2010-10-21T00:14:00.003-04:00

As I was out running today I felt impressed to take a picture of a fountain by my house. I realized that I had taken a picture of it before, but it has been over a year now. Crazy how time flies! I have been living in Florida for 13 months now. On top of that, I got moved into Lost and Found/Dispatch full time! Yay! That means no more housekeeping for me!!!! Maybe now I'll get around to cleaning my own room..... yeah. It was a nice thought.

Travis has had an eventful year moving from Housekeeping Manager at the Boardwalk to Front Desk Manager at the All Stars and now Front Desk Manager and Fort Wilderness. I'm proud of him and all his hard work to achieve his goals. We are praying that these opportunities will turn into a permanent gig so we don't have the stress ever 3-6 months of where he will go next.

He also took me on a romantic date a couple weeks ago. He took me to lunch around the world at EPCOT. They are having their Food and Wine Festival so have food from dozens of countries in kiosks. We had German pretzel sausages and apple cobbler, Mexican tamales and tacos, Chinese pot stickers, Belgium waffles with berry topping... I know I'm forgetting something... It was all delicious though! Then we stopped by Japan where he let me pick out an oyster, and have it opened to find my pearl. We picked out a necklace setting for it and now I have my first piece of jewelry from my sweet man. We took a quick but fun boat ride past Morocco, Japan and Germany. That night we went out to dinner and then walked around Downtown Disney. Travis thought it would be fun to try to sneak into La Nouba (Cirque d'Soleil, or however you spell it lol) so walked us right up to the door. I was starting to get embarrassed because there were people behind us and the ticket person was definitely not going to let us in without tickets. They are about 45 bucks each with our cast discount! Then at the last second Travis pulls out the tickets and we enjoyed the show from the 3rd row :) It was a very fun and sweet surprise. I LOVE that show! He was the leader of Concierge so got the free tickets that day. Gotta love connections. Thank you Trav!

Finish Line Pictures!!!

2010-10-05T16:30:00.003-04:00

Yes, I know these are small. I am supposed to buy the pictures, but they are too expensive for me. Put on your glasses and enjoy! This was in Hollywood Studios. No, this is not a flattering outfit on me, but it made me happy, thus, I wore it.
And here is the finish line! As you can see, Trav pulled out in front of me and went down. I'm laughing in this picture if you can't tell by my triple chin....

Yeah, that's me. Running PAST my downed boyfriend at the finish line... laughing! Such an awful girlfriend I am!
Once again laughing while Trav is on the ground... Seriously... tell me the truth.... am I going to burn in fire and brimstone??

We Finished!

2010-10-03T11:28:00.004-04:00

We finished the 1/2 Marathon through Disney World very early this morning. 1:25 to be exact. I think I enjoyed this run more than any other race we've had. Might be because we took it a little easier and stopped to take pictures. We took pictures with the characters from UP, the Osborn festival of lights (I can't think of the right name...), Timon and some dancers, every mile sign and some at Animal Kingdom. We also saw Darth Vader! We couldn't take a picture with him because he had to use the evil little boys room. I kept telling Travis that I wanted to stay within a certain range of happiness and enjoy the run, and that he could run ahead if he wanted to do it for time. He was sweet and stayed with me, but every one should know he could have beat me by 15-20 minutes. As it turns out, we were 400 yards from the finish line (did I mention I was dressed as Tink?) when there was another Fairy costume! I heard a yell from behind me say, "Don't let that other fairy beat you Tinkerbell!!" I looked at Travis and told him, "I think I was just challenged. I have to beat that other fairy." So we took off and ran hard the last little bit. Travis was running so hard at the finish line (Did I mention there were A LOT of people there? And professional photographers too?) He pulled out in front of me right at the finish line sprint and then, the man was at my feet! I don't know if it was the costume, or the wake from my running, but he went down hard. Poor guy. We tied, even down to the second. I can't wait for those pictures to become available! ... I love you Travis! And yes, of course I beat that other fairy :).

Then it was the long trek to picking up our bag, getting out of EPCOT, skipping the after the run drinking party and getting to the car. Travis throwing up goes in there somewhere. A few times. He drove back to his house until he couldn't drive anymore, puked, and I drove the rest of the way. Talking with my mom and Aaron on the phone gave me a little lift so I didn't feel quite so bad. Then I came home and crashed. And today I'm sore. Ice will be my friend :) But it was my favorite one by far and recommend running a Disney World 1/2 Marathon for fun instead of time. There are so many fun things to do along the course that we usually just run past, but not this time. Lots of memories were made :)

1/2 Marathon!

2010-10-01T13:58:00.001-04:00

This morning we picked up the packets for the 1/2 Marathon we have tomorrow. It is the inaugural race and seeing everything got me excited to race... in my fairy costume! :) I hope you are all jealous you will not be there!

Oh, Show Me The Way To Go Home

2010-09-30T01:48:00.003-04:00

I know it sounds very negative, but it is hard for me to feel at home in Florida, even after a year and a month. Between issues with the landlords, work and roommates, I feel like an inconvenience rather than someone people want around. It does not make me feel welcome and comfortable and more today than any other time in the last 13 months I have been here, I really, really wanted to be home. I am hoping that this is just a temporary test and soon I'll be able to live somewhere that I feel at wanted. I told you it was going to sound negative, but it has been my underlying feeling for awhile and circumstances today brought it to the boiling point. Thank goodness Travis was there to give me hugs and talk things through with. He even dressed up in my 1/2 Marathon costume to try to cheer me up.... Yes, I have a picture, but to save his dignity, I'm banned from ever showing anyone. He's a good boyfriend.

Deja Vu

2010-09-27T18:40:00.004-04:00

I think I have said this recently, but we have a 1/2 marathon this Saturday....

Sad that I haven't updated my blog since the last one! Obviously we survived it (barely) with only a few harsh words (I think you can guess who said them... NO! Not me! Ok... maybe) spoken out of pain and agony. I think I'm glutton for punishment. But I'm so glad we got to run it and most of all, spend time with the family. I miss them. My nephews are adorable! Easily the cutest kids ever (until I have my own, but that will probably be awhile, so don't worry Rock and Ryker, you get the title for a long time!). Other than losing my iPod touch, it was a very happy and needed trip.
This half marathon is here at Disney and is called the Wine and Dine. We run through the theme parks and end up at EPCOT for the festival they are having, and the best part is, it is at night. Thanks to the lessons learned from the SLC 1/2 marathon, I trained more for this one. So I'm hoping the hard work pays off. I'm not expecting a great time, just to be able to beat my SLC time. That's all I ask. Too much? Ok, I just want to be able to finish without wanting to beat someone up.
I'll keep you posted!

Uh- Oh!

2010-08-30T23:59:00.002-04:00

We have a 1/2 marathon in SLC this Saturday. Not only do we have altitude and elevation working against us, but the 15 pounds I've put on since the last marathon won't help me at all! It will be interesting to say the least ha ha ha. Oh well. It's a kick in the pants to get my butt in gear again. And I'll be Mormon cursing my sweet tooth and inability to stay strong against it the whole 13.1 miles.
Oh fun times. :)

One of My Favorite Things

2010-08-21T21:52:00.002-04:00

Travis and I have opposite shifts pretty much, but thankfully we have the same days off most weeks. We push back against this inconvenience by seeing each other during our lunch breaks. No matter how awful or stressful my morning, I feel better knowing I will see him for an hour in the middle of my day. One thing we have recently started doing is reading the scriptures together every day. Since we don't have much time together during the week, I keep a set of scriptures in my car so we can read those 6 pages together during lunch break. It has become a highlight of my day.

Ketchup. Catsup. Catch up.

2010-08-19T19:57:00.000-04:00

I have a lot to catch up on! Almost a month ago now my mom and sisters came for a visit and we stayed at a condo together. Thankfully I was able to get the time off and Trav had 2 of the days off so was able to play as well. Sarah got us on the Segway tour in EPCOT (thank you!) and it was fun to see mom go from very unsure to saying, "I want one of these!"at the end. We also got to ride the big rides and spend a day at Harry Potter World at Universal. I loved it and the butter beer was amazing! We also went to Cocoa Beach and chilled at the condo watching Castle and My Boys. Spending time with the girls and my mom was exactly what I needed. They are so much fun :) After church and lunch with Trav's family, I had to take them back to the airport. Seeing people leave is always the hardest part of having people visit. Thankfully my friend Chrystelle and her husband flew in a few days later and stayed for 10 days. We partied it up after work and they took us out to eat a couple times. It was awesome to have people here almost every day for 2 weeks.

Now the big thing to look forward to is seeing the family in Salt Lake City the first weekend of September. Trav and I are flying out to see every one and run the 1/2 Marathon. No, we have not been training. It is too hot. Yes, we are going to die. But we will finish!

Work is moving forward. I work in an office more often than not, doing dispatch and I will be training for Lost and Found soon. I like the variety.

There is a quick update on what's been going on here. Pictures will be coming soon! :)

Hug

2010-07-15T23:27:00.000-04:00

My mom sent me flowers yesterday. She is wonderful and it was the next best thing to a real hug :)

Elephant Poop

2010-07-11T13:00:00.000-04:00

My parents gave my sisters and me journals made of elephant poop for Easter a couple of years ago. Not being able to bring myself to use it, not because it was "disgusting" but because it was a beautiful journal that I didn't want to ruin and regret later, it sat with my books for me to admire. Today it was grabbed on the way to church since my other journal was lost in action. Telling Travis, as we were sitting in the pew, what it was made of he said, "And you brought it to church?!" Laughing, I told him it was clean and he didn't have to worry about the germs.

Listening to the talks about pioneers enduring their trials well, I thought of my elephant poop journal. The pages evidence of the elephant's travels, unique. I thought of the creator of the book that took some discarded waste and had a vision of turning it into something beautifully useful. It had to be strained, washed, boiled, pressed, formed and dried. A long and difficult process with several steps. Each part vital to the completed product, creating something that I cherish out of something most would have avoided.

Now, it is providing me with a wonderful function, which is reminding me of the cleansing power of the Atonement, every time I use it. He has the power and vision to press, wash and form us. Our experiences, where we have been in life and lessons adding to that unique result. If we let our Creator into our lives, he can turn those parts of us we would like to avoid, into something beautiful, with purpose.

And yes, I did get all that from elephant poop. :)

Such a great weekend!

2010-07-06T22:14:00.000-04:00

It started at 12 am on Trav's birthday... The midnight showing of Eclipse! Believe it or not, it was his idea. We went to the midnight showing of New Moon as well, so I'm hoping we are starting a tradition :) One of our favorite things to do is to people watch. As you can see, there are a lot more men than you would expect.

The lines for the women's bathroom were ridiculous. But hearing the girls going crazy made me laugh enough, that it was ok.

One thing I don't have a picture of is Captain EO. Travis and I got to go to the Cast showing of Captain EO (Michael Jackson) with the media at 8 in the morning. Yes, we stayed up for the midnight showing of Eclipse and then woke up 4 hours later to go to the show. Happy Birthday Travis! You get only 4 hours of sleep! ha ha We were interviewed and even got to hold the big microphone :) Captain EO is one of the only rides I remember from the first time we went to Disneyland. I remember KC trying to grab the flying bat thing and how enthralled I was by the dancing... yeah.

After trying to nap a little, we rode Trav's bike over to Daytona Beach. It was a beautiful ride and I enjoyed it. Being in the sun for 2 hours wore Travis out, but he was a good sport. We had his birthday dinner (his second one, since we went to Ragland Road with Sarah on Monday to celebrate) at the Outback. we had some good bread and food.

This bridge had an incline so made it fun to ride on. Florida is very flat so I'm not used to hills on the bike. Also, it was very pretty to see ocean in both directions.

Ahh... I love it. We stayed 4 miles to the left. Also on the beautiful beach. One of my favorite parts of the trip was sitting out on the beach that night. It was a clear sky, lots of stars but no moon. Talking with Travis, the ferris wheel lit up down the beach, the whitecaps and the roar of the ocean, it was perfect. I wish a picture would have done that justice. A lot of my time was spent watching the ocean, which is one great thing about living in Florida.

One thing we didn't know (yeah, there is more than one thing we don't know...) was that the Daytona 400 was the same week we were there. We saw the trailers and semis all set up for it. Quite the experience! Maybe next year we will be able to go ;)

Since Destination Daytona (the Bruce Rossmeyer Harley Davidson complex) was close by we rode over there and spent time looking at bikes and accessories.

Posing with the bike on our way home. You will notice that I am wearing my swimsuit. It was my beach weekend attire. Traveling on a motorcycle means you have to pack LIGHT.

And here is Travis holding his new helmet. It matches mine, except for where mine has scratches all over it. I guess Travis couldn't tell them apart and felt the need to make them more easily distinguishable...

It was a great weekend. Even with Trav's phone mix up which led to him having no service. I can't wait to do more bike trips, but maybe next time we will have some cool seat cushions :)

My Travis, the Marine, Return Missionary, Disney Cast Member

2010-07-02T20:11:00.000-04:00

I love Travis. He has accomplished a lot in the past 3 decades. I'm blessed by those experiences because they have shaped the type of man he is now. It was his birthday on Wednesday and we had a lot of fun celebrating his 32 years. Yeah, he is that old!! :) Happy Birthday!

Christian Romance Novels Have Messed Me Up

2010-06-26T12:50:00.001-04:00

Christian romance novels have messed me up.

Guy meets girl. Guy likes girl. Guy wooes girl. Guy and girl are an official couple. Guy and girl have some fight or peril. Guy and girl overcome said obstacle. Guy and girl get married. Guy and girl live happily ever after.

And this all happens within a short period of time and all faults and weaknesses are seen as adorable or endearing. Why does reading books mess me up? Because it makes me come to think of relationships as formulaic. I know generally what will happen next in the book and still thouroughly enjoy reading it because I like that make believe place. The break from reality. Unfortunately, reality and make believe collide and tend to clash in parts.

Sometimes guy meets girl. Girl likes guy but guy isn't interested in girl. Months later... Guy likes girl. Guy woes girl. Guy meets girl in person. Months later.... Guy and girl are an official couple. Guy and girl have some fight or peril. Guy and girl overcome said obstacle. Year later.... Guy and girl still an official couple.

This is in direct contrast to the pattern that the Christial romance novels I have read and enjoyed my whole life have shown me. It creates the need to readjust my expectations and realize that my life would be boring if it followed such a formula. It keeps me on my toes when it strays from the expected and I need to learn to appreciate and love that. One day I will have my happily everafter. In the mean time... I'm going to go read :)

Running with Travis

2010-06-24T22:51:00.001-04:00

Running in Trav's subdivision, watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks started out fun, even in the 10 pm 86 degree weather. After I thought we had run 2 miles:

Lindsea: Travis, how far are we planning on going?
Travis: At least 2 miles.
Lindsea: What?! Haven't we run 2 already?
Travis: Nope. We have only run 1.14 miles.
Lindsea: UGH. I'm out of shape!

We ended up going 2 miles total (Trav would have gone farther but I ignored him and refused to add in the extra turns) There is a long road ahead of me but I'm determined to get back into shape and lose 12 pounds before the Salt Lake 1/2 marathon in September. I'll keep you posted.

My Pa

2010-06-20T17:01:00.000-04:00

My dad is pretty awesome.

Who else could handle being the father of us six kids??

Flying has been a passion of his and it has blessed us with fun opportunities like the yearly fly in.

He encourages and helps us reach our goals.

He was a smart man and picked a beautiful, wonderful bride (mom for us!).

He is always willing to have fun and joke around with us.

And then takes care of us when we are hurting.

He is as good of a grandpa as he is a dad.

He teaches us compassion and charity by example.

And will go through hours of work so we can all enjoy the end result!

I don't remember more than a couple games my whole time growing up where I didn't have a parent at a game. Dad would always work things out to be there for us. Something that I took for granted at the time, but with 6 kids in various activities, I realize it required much sacrifice.

My dad is pretty awesome. I think it helps that he had a great example to follow.

Happy Father's Day!

I let the sun beat me.

2010-06-18T17:37:00.000-04:00

I was armed with my new iPod and 78 degree weather when I started my run, only to have it heat up 14 degrees while I ran... thank you sun. Not. I let the sun beat me at mile 2. I'll try not to be made of sissy stuff tomorrow :)

Accountability

2010-06-17T23:05:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I am going to run 4 miles. Anyone wanna join me?

The end.

Honesty

2010-06-14T23:21:00.000-04:00

I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of this Florida heat and humidity. It gives me a headache working in it every day (yes Mom, I'm making sure I stay hydrated :) ) and makes me feel sorry for the people having to be around me. I smile and put on a happy face, but inside I'm frustrated and tired. And on top of that, it's coming into hurricane season....
Ok. I think I'm done venting. For the most part anyway.
Now I need to think about the things I do like about Florida.... Travis is here. That is the main one. The beach is another reason I like it. The short, young palm trees always make me laugh. And it's nice to go to Disney World whenever I feel like it.
There. That should make up for my bad attitude about the heat.

Trav's surgery

2010-06-09T09:59:00.000-04:00

This is a long journal entry... you are warned...As most know by now, Travis had his surgery a week ago to have 1/2 of his thyroid removed. I sent him off to the operating room (after being able to write on his neck, nurse approved!) at about 12. The Dr. told me it would take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half and that he would come let me know how it was going when Trav's thyroid was removed and sent to the pathologist. Going off of that information I took the hospital pager and ran next door to Walgreens for some grub and hurried back. Books were supposed to keep my occupied and I had my amazing and wonderful new Kindle that my parents gave me for my birthday, but I kept getting distracted, hoping the Dr. would come through the door. at about 3:00 pm, still no word. Yes, 3 hours later! And the cute little old lady that had been manning the desk had to go home, so we had to answer the phone ourselves. Working on my day off! Eventually, at about 4 I was able to find someone to inquire about my seemingly lost in the shuffle boyfriend. It was starting to worry me but I was told he was still in the O.R. and that the Dr. would be out in 15 to talk to me .... no, that did nothing to ease the worry. Finally, around 5:00 pm the Dr. came out and took me to a back room, something none of the other Dr's in the last 5 hours had done with the other family members, so my concern took a steep hike. Turns out once they got into Trav's neck they saw how one side was growing up and curving around the cartilage by his voicebox and the other side was also a lot larger than what they expected. Continuing on the unexpected train, his whole thyroid was covered with a "massive" blood vessel community. Thus, the whole thyroid needed to be taken out. That's my man, taking something the Dr. said should be a chip shot and turning it into a 5 hour difficult surgery, making the Dr. really work for his money! The big thing in all of this was that Travis had said numerous times he didn't want the whole thing taken out because then he'd have to take a pill every day for the rest of his life, in the morning, an hour before eating. I knew he would be very disappointed and frustrated by the news and did not relish being the one to tell him. Thankfully I didn't have to do it right away since Travis decided on taking 4 more hours to sleep ha ha. When I finally was able to tell him, he took it like a champ, though he was very out of it and groggy, to say the least. I explained everything the Dr. told me and just sat with him for a couple hours. It was not fun to see him so un-Travis-like and in pain.
Throughout all of this a big storm hit the area and trees were falling, power going out (thankfully not in the hospital!) and I wasn't looking forward to the hour long, in good weather, drive back home, especially since I was exhausted and didn't want to be so far away from the hospital. My mom, the amazing and intuitive woman that she is decided that a hotel room was a good way for me to feel her hug me from across the country. I spent the night only 4 minutes away from the hospital. It felt great to relax while watching TLC and eating pizza and breadsticks, trying to distract myself from the fact that Trav was in pain and there wasn't anything I could do about it. Did I say yet that my mom is AMAZING? I was able to take Travis home the next day and had fun driving in the weather. While we were stopped at one light, lightning and wind hit a box half a block down that knocked out power to the stoplight I was at. Crazy!! It was wonderful to make it back in one piece. I'm happy that Travis is feeling better now after a week of recovery, and feel that having slept 11 hours two nights in a row, I am mostly recovered as well :)
It was a good learning experience and I'm blessed I was able to be there for him. Now if I can only get a Dr. to look at his head.... no, really, he has a bump he needs to get removed... ha ha

Road Trip

2010-05-28T21:55:00.000-04:00

Wednesday was practically perfect in every way. In the morning Travis decided we needed to drive to Jacksonville so he could show me his old haunts there. I saw his old house and the place he used to work at, which had go-carts and games. I dominated at Dance Dance Revolution, kinda ironic since I inherited Grandma Helen's two left feet. And after I convinced Travis that the photo booths don't cost $10, we took some classic photos. Oh, and I beat him around the track a few times :)

We drove home via St. Augustine + Travis pulled out the 'Amazing Boyfriend' trick = we climbed to the top of the lighthouse there! That means we have 2 lighthouses crossed off our list, though I would love to go back to it. Being on top of the lighthouse was as close as I can get to being on a mountain in Florida. I loved being able to see so much of the ocean, city and beaches. We both decided we would have to spend more time in St. Augustine.

Then we went to Daytona. I didn't know they had such a cool motorcycle shopping area, but DUH! It's Daytona. It shouldn't have surprised me. We will go back there again (preferably when the shops are open this time).

Overall, it was a relaxing, spontaneous and enjoyable day. Random road trips are something I always love doing so it is exciting that Travis is up for them too :) We had some good talks and just enjoyed each other's company. A good day!

Contemplating the First Year

2010-05-24T23:58:00.000-04:00

May 21st is a significant day for a couple reasons. The first is my big brother Aaron's birthday. Happy birthday Aaron!

The second reason is the anniversary of me being a semi grown-up in a semi mature relationship for a whole year! A lot has happened in that year.
Timeline:
May 21, 2009: Travis asks me to officially be his girlfriend while we had a non DTR at Squaw Peak. Yeah, we broke with tradition and actually talked up there, unlike most other couples...

Editor's addition: We met up with Beckie, Doug, Aden and Grandma and Grandpa Christensen so that my mom and dad would be able to feel better about this "mystery man" their daughter was going all over the country to see :) We went out for ice cream and had fun. I love my family, even the one's Travis was scared to meet at that time ha ha ha

June 30, 2009: Trav's birthday and I graduated from college :)

September 2009: Dad and I drive across the country, hit 2 skunks (dad hit them both) and I moved to Florida!! Talk about outside of my comfort zone. Mom said later that she was expecting me to call back wanting to go home for the first couple months. Can't say that I blame her. Change isn't my forte :)

October 2009: I got hired by Disney World to work in housekeeping. Mickey gave me my nametag... I bet your job isn't that cool!

November 2009: I called Travis and my dad crying because I didn't think I could do housekeeping. I hated it and it made my body ache all over. I dreaded work and hated going.

December 2009: I realized I can make work fun (thanks to my Dad for pulling out the old pioneers guilt trip, it worked) and start earning some good money as a housekeeper.

January 2010: Travis and I ran the Disney World Marathon together. It was one of the most intimidating things I have ever done, but I knew there was no other option but to finish. I'm not so sure Travis believed I was going to finish ha ha.

May 3, 2010: Travis meets the family and they like each other thankfully! (not that I had any doubts.)

May 21, 2010: Yes, Trav forgot it had been a year... I even made him dinner, but the poor guy still didn't get it. I made a point of putting all important dates (birthdays) in his iPhone to save him from future mishaps :) But we are still going strong and working towards our goal of eternal marriage. We have learned a lot about each other and how to communicate effectively. We have come a long way together and as individuals. He makes me smile, laugh and feel loved.
I also wouldn't have been able to make the changes and leaps of faith in my life this past year if it wasn't for my family supporting me. I am blessed with amazing parents who sacrifice to help me grow. This work in progress is keenly aware of the joint efforts of loved ones. Thank you!

Budget Bath Makeover

2010-05-12T08:07:00.000-04:00

The pictures uploaded in the opposite order as usual, but hopefully you can tell which ones are the redo ha ha. I needed color and style. Sorry the pictures don't do it justice!

Ever since I moved in I've been wanting to decorate and make my apartment feel more like home. The college/mission life decor was outdated in my own life a couple years ago! Thanks to some birthday/pity money from my Dad and Mom I was able to create a budget and a bathroom makeover (because the bathroom is the cheapest part I could completely re-decorate). If this was my bathroom and not one I rented, there would be more changes happening. My landlords bought this house after the upstairs (where I live) was burned and they remodeled it. The bathroom is the only existing part after the fire, and it has burn damage on the sink, tub and tile. They aren't dirty spots this housekeeper missed!

Cracker Barrel and DisneyQuest

2010-05-02T11:42:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure whether I have blogged about either of these, and am too lazy to scroll back now that I am on this page... ha ha so here it is.

Travis had tickets to go to DisneyQuest. It is "4 (or 5, I can't remember!) stories of Disney interactive fun." My first time there I was so excited about the cupcakes that we bought one to share. Travis didn't hold up his end of the bargain and ate WAY too little! I was too sick to ride anymore, so we made a quick exit. We tried it again and both had fun. Thankfully we made it through Travis cheating at air hockey and stealing my targets at the shooting games. It's still a sore subject. We played an adventure game that after 20 minutes of fighting off predators together, the game says if your love is going to last or not. The first time we played it we broke up (on the game! no worries in real life!) so Trav insisted we play again... and Ta da! We made it and our love did not fail. It was fun.

Travis' mom Susan came down to visit during her spring break and we had a blast. She is a fun lady to be around and I'm blessed to have her as my boyfriend's mom. She sure did raise him right! We went to Cracker Barrel while she was here and she bought us all little gifts. I got the little chick you see in the picture because she is glad I'm the "chick" in Trav's life.... get it? :) Some may call it a duck, and those people may be correct, but for our purposes, it's a chick.

Almost vacation time

2010-05-01T21:38:00.000-04:00

Not that it is very exciting for ya'll to read about, but Monday we will be flying across the country. Trav's flight leaves at 7:55 am (he got a free ticket from his friend so had to fly according to availability) and the flight that I booked 2 months ago assuming he was going to be able to fly with me leaves at 12:15pm..... Yeah. I'll be waiting at the airport for awhile. The sad part for him is that he arrives in Seattle 5 minutes after me at 7:05 pm. I was looking forward to having him with me for the flight I've already made 4 times by myself, but you can't argue with free! :) He will be flying back on Friday morning to get back for work Friday night and I get to stay until Monday. I haven't been able to go home since I moved here in September so this trip is very overdue.
I'm looking forward to meeting Ryker and hearing Rock gab.

Pig Jig or no Pig Jig?

2010-04-28T16:01:00.001-04:00

I haven't been able to run for a couple months thanks to feet problems and allergies. I HATE not being able to run. It is my stress reliever and on top of that I have been doing very little housekeeping and a whole lot more time as a "runner" at work, which doesn't help keep me in shape too much. We will see how my lungs/feet treat me when I am home before I make my decision. I went to the doctor today and he is sending me to a podiatrist to check out my feet. Hopefully something can be done to help because 5 months of this means it is getting pretty old and painful.

5 more days until we go home! :)

What we learn from Disney

2010-04-15T11:12:00.000-04:00

Here at Disney I've learned a few things. One of them being how to make cool towel animals. Seeing a kid that is having a hard day and making a duck, dog, elephant, bird etc out of towels for them, is my favorite part of the job. It makes them happy and that is what you are supposed to be while you are at Disney World!
I found out a new talent that Travis has... He can make things out of balloons! It's a talent that I don't have, which is why I think it is pretty awesome. He made swords for his mom and Sarah (supposing they wouldn't use their fists while duking it out? ha ha ha) while we were visiting him at work one day and he made me this bracelet. It reminds me of a cute Dr. Seuss character. Quite the talented man! I wish I would have taken a picture of the swords... next time :)

Better Late Than Never

2010-04-04T11:57:00.000-04:00

The Motorcycle, Mt. Dora, Sugarloaf Mountain and the Lighthouse

2010-03-25T23:05:00.000-04:00

Travis took me on a day date yesterday. We rode his motorcycle over to Mount Dora and sat on a bench by the lake in that touristy town. It reminded me of Chelan, but with water you don't want to get into because all the signs said "Don't entice the alligators." We walked along a "nature path" in which I was sure we were going to lose a couple limbs by the time we were done. It was a wood plank walkway over swamp land... Mount Dora's version of Riverwalk Park. We didn't see the alligators (they were hiding, ready to eat us) but we did see huge snakes wrapped up in the weeds. Travis had to drag me along several times because I was sure we were going to die. The little old folks walking the same path didn't have that same fear though. I guess when it's your time, it's your time.
A little while ago I mentioned to Travis that I wanted to see all the lighthouses in Florida. I don't know if it was just a lucky destination on his part, but I like to think that he planned our date so I could see the lighthouse in Mount Dora. Very sweet of him :)
After our life threatening jaunt through the swamps, I was happy to get back to the safety of the bike. We rode around town and looked at the old houses then headed up to Sugarloaf Mountain. I love the mountains, and while this one was more of a big hill, it felt good to be on top of it. I miss my Cascade Mountains.
We finished the night off with a movie and me realizing, yet again, that I am one blessed woman.
Pictures to come.

Daytona Beach

2010-03-18T18:28:00.000-04:00

I'm in love. The man. The beach. The rainy weather. Life is good. I can fall into the "It WOULD be better if... " trap and list off a couple of things (like family being closer, more money, master's degree, etc) but I won't say any of that :)

Yesterday we drove the hour over to Daytona beach to see Trav's cousin Dave and his family. They were staying in a condo right on the beach and I was excited to put my swimsuit on after 2 months of not using it at all. That is a crime in Florida! Swimming should be part of my bi- weekly schedule. Walking on the beach with Travis, especially when he writes TV + LE in the sand and even when he picks me up and threatens to throw me into the ocean, is one of my favorite things. I have a keeper.

We went to Sam's club and bought Travis a pair of swim shorts (next time he should be more inclined to listen to my opinion) and dinner which Dave made. It's hard to top steak, baked potatoes, salad with full-fat ranch, garlic toast and wedding reception punch aka sherbet and sprite. We all ate way too much but it was worth it.

On the drive home we spent the whole hour continuing the conversation we started with his cousins about Preach My Gospel, missionary struggles, the discussions, etc. Travis was a discussion Elder and I was a Preach My Gospel Hermana, so we had a lot of stories to compare and in the end decided that there wasn't such an extreme difference between the two. It obviously wasn't a argument over which one is better, just a discussion on how they each work and push the missionaries to develop greater teaching abilities. We came to the conclusion that we are going to study Preach My Gospel more and together. Travis is a fun one to study with since he insists on deeper understanding while knowing that you can't skip over the simple things. We had a really interesting talk about the 2 fascimilies in Abraham and I suggest a study of those much overlooked pages. It was enlightening :)

Rain, rain...

2010-03-12T21:24:00.000-05:00

I stole this picture :)

The past couple days have been ridiculously rainy. I come home from work drenched and have to put the blow dryer on my shoes for an hour to dry them out. I walk with my feet completely submerged in water just to get to my car in a flat parking lot. Florida is a moody woman with her crazy weather. Travis and I have been sharing my car since it isn't very safe (at least in my opinion!) for him to ride his motorcycle with several inches of water on the road.

I love the rain.

Lindsea vs. The Button-up Shirt

2010-03-12T21:00:00.000-05:00

(Yes, my photography skills leave a lot to be desired, but you get the idea... )

About 8 years ago I bought a black button up shirt with cute embroidery on the cuffs and white pin stripes. BUT... it was too small. I can't even remember why I bought it, though I'm sure it was somewhere along the lines of, "I'll lose a few pounds and it will be perfect!" 8 years later, I have never worn it, yet it continues to make the college back and forths, Boise, Utah and Florida treks. In the back of my mind was the thought that it WOULD fit me soon. It has been tried on about 4 times a year and it was always too small. It isn't so much that I love the shirt as it has become a competition and challenge to wear it.

Well the other day I decided to try it on and.... it fit!! I was in shock when I was able to button up every single button. Awesome. I kicked some button-up shirt booty and wore it out today.

New Goals

2010-03-11T22:18:00.000-05:00

In an effort to better prepare for the upcoming half and full marathons, I have decided to start now. My schedule keeps changing along with the weather and I'm hoping a weekly mileage goal will prove more doable. Right now that goal is 15 miles a week. 5 times of 3 miles is a good base to work from and then I can add a mile or two every week.... hope Travis can keep up!

May 8th: Pig Jig 5K
September 5th: Disneyland 1/2 Marathon
October 31: Marine Corps Marathon
January 8th: Disney World 1/2 Marathon
January 9th: Disney World Marathon

We are hoping that running the 1/2 marathon in September will help us train better for the Marine Corps one so we don't embarrass ourselves too much. The Disneyland 1/2 Marathon goal I set for myself is 2 hours 30 minutes which would put me on pace for my Marine Corps Marathon goal which is 5 hours. That is 1 hour and 39 minutes less than my last marathon, and a pretty decent time.

Disneyland 1/2 Marathon

2010-03-06T22:59:00.000-05:00

Ok, so it has been almost 2 months since we ran the FULL marathon here at Disney World and I'm getting excited to run another race. Travis keeps coming up with all of these marathons we need to do, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't extremely tempted to run them. The next race I will run will be the Pig Jig 5K while we are home for Apple Blossom. It will be followed (hopefully!) by the Marine Corps Marathon (full 26.2 miles), Disneyland 1/2 Marathon, EPCOT 1/2 (can't remember the name), then the Disney World 1/2 Marathon followed by the Disney World Marathon the very next day. It's called the GOOFY for a reason!

The Marine Corps Marathon has me very excited since the route includes various monuments in Washington D.C. It's a way to see the sights that you don't always get to enjoy. I am also looking forward to the Disneyland 1/2 marathon. Trying to get family to go for the weekend and run with us has proven a little challenging, but I'm still hoping! Janae, Rissa and Whit have all expressed their interest in going. It will be a lot of fun.... promise! If I am able to run a full marathon, anyone in my family is capable of finishing the 1/2. Most of them could kick my trash too. It will be fun! :)

The feeling of accomplishment after finishing a race like this is enough to make me want to do it again. And it's a wonderful family bonding time! Nothing says I Love You like running, sweating and going through a *little* pain... TOGETHER.

Illinois

2010-02-24T22:05:00.000-05:00

We made it back and had a blast on vacation. I enjoyed getting to know the rest of Travis' family and the dry cold in Illinois. Curling my hair in the morning didn't seem futile when it was still curly late that night! Oh how I miss that.
The trip was relaxing. It was nice not to have the few days we were there jam packed with activities so we could just enjoy it. The first full day we were there we went to Carbondale (sp), where his little sister goes to college and went out to lunch at a fun lodge. We ate family style with fried chicken, potatoes, chicken and dumplings, gravy, corn, beans, biscuits, coleslaw and my new favorite... apple butter. It was all delicious and of course I ate way too much. Thankfully we walked to the top of, well, to be honest, I don't know what it was. Something with a lot of stairs, where we took pictures.
It was fun to go to a family ward again on Sunday. Singles wards just aren't the same or as homey. Sunday night Travis took me for a drive around his old college stomping grounds. Putting the pieces together never gets old. I like putting a mental picture to the stories I hear.
Monday morning was spent shopping with the parents and the afternoon was passed playing card games. There is a place called Fitz's that we went to in St. Louis that is a pop bottling company that has a restaurant in it. You can see the bottling equipment and when they are actually using it, watch the process while you eat. It was scrumptious and I introduced a few of Travis and Sarah's friends to fried pickles.
I didn't want to come back to work on Tuesday, but after a trip to White Castle, we got on the plane anyway. The country scenery is missed though. I am definitely a country girl at heart.
One of the highlights of the trip happened on Monday and didn't even happen in Illinois. My new nephew was born! Poor Travis that had to put up with me using his iPhone to check my brother's blog every 20 minutes to see pictures. He is an adorable baby!

Novel Idea... a MENU!

2010-02-18T00:49:00.000-05:00

Thinking of ways to save money, I decided to make a menu and then go shopping once for all the meals during the week. I know, it is not a very original idea and people have been doing this for ages, but it is new for me! Before I would go to the store and decide there what I wanted to make. Inevitably this would lead to more trips to the store later on because I forgot something... and who goes to the store and doesn't see something else that looks good too? So this last week I spent 25 dollars on lunch/dinner food and I have plenty of stuff left over! I love that feeling. The only thing is coming up with meals that sound good before I go shopping. Any ideas?

Miami

2010-02-09T09:22:00.000-05:00

Sarah had a mission companion flying from Cali to Chile with a layover in Miami a couple weeks ago. Travis and I had the day off, so we all made the 4 hour drive (stupid tolls) to Miami. We made it there a little early so parked the car in a residential area and walked along a sidewalk that doubles as an ocean barricade. It was fun to see the skyline of Miami and try to figure out which building glows gold on the CSI:Miami opening credits. By the way, I have no doubt in my mind why they picked Miami for a CSI.... more later.

Sarah's friend left her cell phone at home, so her son called from California saying she landed and was downstairs waiting. This is the Miami airport, we need a little more than just "downstairs" to find a person. But we headed over to the airport and when we didn't find her on the first drive by, had an interesting time trying to get back. No, Travis was not driving (neither was I), but he wishes he was when we finally found her after a couple more drive bys the airport and just as many large loops through Miami to get back to the airport. I enjoyed the scenic route, but by the time we found the friend, we only had 2 hours with her.

We headed to South Beach to get dinner. We drove by Miami Ink, I didn't see the sign. But we drove by it! After walking down the streets finding a cheap place we found the food factory. We only had 1 hour before her flight at this point. Did I say it was international? She was not in any hurry though so Travis insisted and put our orders to go. We were able to eat the mediocre food and fight traffic back to the airport. I think she had 20 minutes by the time we got there to make her flight. Since she didn't have a cell phone we don't know how that went. Travis took us to a gas station to fill up for the ride home. It was one of those places where you don't feel comfortable going inside the convenient store. On our way out from the station we realized we must have stepped in gasoline because it smelled in the car. Travis stopped the car in a back alley and we scraped our shoes on the grass. An oversized van started heading towards us as I scrambled to get back in the car. I didn't want to make CSI.

The ride home was uneventful (other than the tolls charging us an arm and leg!), and I can now say that I will never (in this case I can say NEVER) want to live in Miami. No thank you. I'll stay where I am at for the time being.

A couple overdue marathon pictures.

2010-01-30T00:51:00.001-05:00

These are a couple of the pictures that Travis managed to get from the professional photographers, but you can't click to enlarge them. Don't we just look so stylish in our cold weather running clothes? The funny thing is that I really did run the whole thing with my pants on inside out, and didn't realize it until about mile 10. I also bought a cute running shirt to go with my pants... too bad the shirt was covered up by my old baggy sweatshirt. It's a good thing you don't get judged on looks while running! :) Travis looked handsome as ever. Not fair.

26.2 miles with my pants on inside out

2010-01-11T20:18:00.000-05:00

This whole blog started out as my running log. I would hold myself accountable for how I trained that way and that is why it is called, "It's kinda fun to do the impossible." It is a quote from Walt Disney himself, supposedly. And I like it! A year ago running a marathon seemed laughable, but I signed up for it anyway. I had a year to train.... So I started running while I lived with Sara in Boise and it was hard for me to run 1/2 a mile without gasping for air and hurting all over. I stuck with it and by May was able to run 7 miles without completely dying. Summer started and I slacked off with the training. Fall came, I moved to Florida and it was so hot I avoided running outside. Neither of us had enough motivation to run in the heat and running at night wasn't any better with the humidity. We both knew we were setting ourselves up for failure. And then I got a job in housekeeping, where I am moving quickly all day and building up my endurance and muscles. It really has been a blessing. I have lost 20 pounds since I started working and being in better shape helped immensely when Travis and I finally started training for the marathon again.

Friday before the marathon we picked up our race packets and tried on our really cool marathon shirts. Saturday night Sarah made us chicken fettuccine alfredo to help us stock up on our carbohydrates and it was delicious! I could go for some more of that now actually. Then we went home and got our stuff ready for the morning. 4:15 rolled around way too quickly and we were on our way to the starting line. Sarah was awesome and dropped us off so we wouldn't have to worry about finding a place to park. I don't remember how cold it was, but it was freezing! I had two shirts, two sweatshirts, shorts, pants, gloves and a beanie on and was still shivering. Maybe as much from nerves as from the cold. Then at 6 am our wave was finally able to go... here is a mile by mile account, well as much as I can remember anyway.

Mile 1: I was cold and we had to weave through walkers.
2: still cold, but started to warm up a little. Dozens of guys were going to the bathroom on the side of the route, and I was wishing I could do the same.
3: Got to EPCOT and I waited 10 minutes to go to the bathroom. I sent Travis on ahead of me since he didn't have to wait in line.
4: Feeling great and not tired at all.
5: Out on the road again and headed to the Magic Kingdom. I was two minutes behind Travis at this point.
6: Still cold. Water from the water stop was freezing on the road and I almost slipped. My feet started going numb and I had pins and needles every time my feet hit the pavement. Not fun.
7: On the road to the Magic Kingdom ... still.
8: Passed through the Magic Kingdom toll booths and the sun started coming up. Still cold.
9: Where is the freaking Magic Kingdom?!?!?!
10: Finally on the sidewalk that leads to the Magic Kingdom. Still cold. Caught up to Travis right before Cinderella's Castle.
11: Splash Mountain. cold.
12: Left the Magic Kingdom and passed the Grand Floridian. The water was still frozen during the water stops. PowerAde is a little too thick for me. I started to appreciate Biofreeze and the little gel packs they hand out.
13: Half Marathon baby! Wahoo! Wait, we have to run that far again? We are only half way done? Still cold.
14: Passing a sewer plant. I don't know who planned a marathon route right next to one of those, because it sure didn't help with breathing. Feet still killing me and still cold. "If you're going through hell" came on my iPod. So true.
15: I was working my way around the plant. It was big.
16: Getting into Animal Kingdom. The bananas were even frozen.
17: Mount Everest in the Animal Kingdom.
18: Sarah caught up with us and took a picture of us with the sign.
19: I felt good during this mile. I was high on Tylenol and gel packs.
20: On the road to Hollywood Studios. Pretty boring and cold.
21: Someone thought it would be funny to run 1/2 a mile down the road to just double back and run that same 1/2 mile again for this mile. Not funny!
22: Still on the road to Hollywood Studios. I was really feeling it at this point and wanted to chop my feet off. Everything else was great, except it was cold.
23: Entrance of the Backstage Tour in Hollywood Studios. People kept yelling that we were almost finished. They didn't understand that the prospect of running 3.2 miles after you have run 23 is not pleasant. You are not almost done. It seemed to last forever. I enjoyed seeing Studios during the day though.
24: We made it to the Boardwalk tennis courts!
25: France. I hate France. Why do they have hills? I was still cold.
26: Leaving EPCOT and started making the final push towards the finish.
26.2: Travis said, "Lets hold hands as we cross the finish line." So we did. It kinda messed up my rhythm, but we looked cool crossing the finish line :) It was cold.

I'm glad we were able to run the marathon and even more happy that we finished it. Now I'm sore and already looking forward to training for next year.

My thoughts on my first marathon

2010-01-09T22:49:00.000-05:00

The time has come at last. In about 7 hours I will be running the Disney World Marathon. 26.2 miles of interactive fun and excitement :) I'm looking forward to challenging myself, and thinking of all of the ways I could have prepared myself better, but really, at this point there is no deathbed repentance. I could go into a big analogy on it but have to go to bed soon, so you are saved from listening to that. All that aside, I'm pretty ready mentally. I know I have it in me to finish the race. The fact that I get to run it with Travis is pretty special to me as well. It is an experience that forces us to see how strong we are and grow as a couple. He just texted me to remind me to drink water. What a good man :) So that's it in a nutshell. I'm excited. I'm nervous. I'm scared. But I'm mostly curious as to how it is going to be. My first marathon :)

2009

2009-12-31T20:24:00.000-05:00

This year was not all peaks and no valleys. It was mixed with new adventures and trying challenges. I spent the first month of 2009 in Mexico with my friend Megan visiting my friend Daniel Alcala. I loved it. The end of January I found myself buying a 2008 Chevy Impala (Thanks to HUGE help from my mom and dad) and then moving down to Boise, Idaho to live with my cousin Sara. It was a fun experience and I'm glad I was able to be there, though I won't lie. It was hard and I found myself fighting depression. It's not easy getting turned down for jobs everyday and there comes a point where you don't want to tell anyone that you applied for more, since that only admits failure when you don't get it. At least that's what I felt like. One bright point in those two months was that I was able to fly out to Disney World and spend time with Travis at the end of February/beginning of March. He has been a support and main source of encouragement for me since I have known him. General Conference weekend found me packed up and driving back home since I was given my old summer job back again. It was a blessing to be able to save money and be with family. Travis flew out to visit me in May and we did our road trip that I already blogged about. When Travis' birthday came around in June, it was also a meaningful day for me because I officially graduated college with a BS in Psychology :) Then I was blessed with the opportunity to go to Florida again in July for a week to visit him. Things have really come together for us and I see the hand of the Lord in our lives. Being able to move to Florida (Thank you Dad) and find great housing just a few minutes away from Travis, then find a full time position that while it isn't my favorite job ever, teaches me patience as well as pays the bills. Getting me in better shape and losing weight doesn't hurt either :) All in all it has been a great year. I've grown and felt the love of my family and friends. This past week my parents were here and it made me wish they were closer, along with the rest of them, but that time might come. Right now is my time of stretching, growth and finding out what the Lord has in store for me here. I've been blessed to nurture a strong relationship with Travis and enjoy my family's support and presence.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T20:18:00.000-05:00

I was a little curious as to how I would enjoy Christmas away from my family, but I survived. Thanks to my parents sending Christmas to me and Travis being so sweet and taking me to Georgia. You wouldn't think there were many families like mine out there, but I now know otherwise. People who can enjoy an island covered with main dishes, then surrounding counters holding dozens of dessert dishes are people I can feel at home with. Travis calls his family loud. I like it. If someone isn't teasing someone else, a kid isn't pinching, biting or crying (guess that goes for the adults too...) then it isn't a family get together. We spent Tuesday night, Wednesday and then Thursday in Tifton, GA. It's fun to see and spend time where Trav spent the majority of his growing up years and get to know his extended family. Before we left we were able to have family dinner with them and hear his Granddad read out of Luke 2. That was the big thing I was going to miss other than just being with my family. I love to hear my dad read the story of Christ's birth. It's what makes it Christmas for me. We left Georgia and after the 4 hour ride back home to Florida I opened the presents my parents sent out. I really am spoiled with a wonderful family and am excited to see my parents on Sunday :)

Princess Tiana and due out dirties.

2009-11-29T18:33:00.000-05:00

I met princess Tiana! It's been awhile, but I feel it noteworthy. Travis, Sarah and I went to the Magic Kingdom to see the new boat parade and ended up waiting in line to get out picture taken with the newest Disney Princess and her Prince. The show was impressive and it was adorable to see the few random people (old couples mostly) they let on the boat to wave hankies.

I'm starting to get the hang of things at work. In the morning I meet with my manager and she gives me my board- the paper that tells me what I need to do in each of the 16 rooms in my section. It was learned quickly that I do not want to see many blue "due out dirty," otherwise known as a checkout :), columns on my board. The other thing I don't like to see is pink "linen change" columns. I would take 16 white "occupied dirty" columns though! :) All I have to do is clean the bathroom, vanity area, make the beds, replace the towels, take out the trash, clean out the coffee maker and give more coffee, cups and glasses, dust, and vacuum. I have all the radios in my rooms set to my station and all so I can clean to music :) It is hard work, but I'm learning how to do it more efficiently, which is always a plus. Another plus is the tips I get. I made 48 dollars in tips the other day. That is almost as much as I made on my paycheck for the day. I have a greater appreciation for people who leave a dollar or two on their pillows. Or people that don't scatter their trash all over the room. I don't need a tip. It's not a tip position, but if you are going to trash the room everyday and leave poop in the shower, that's going to make your housekeeper fall behind in her schedule and she isn't going to have time to make you a towel animal. They are pretty cool.

New Friends

2009-11-19T18:15:00.000-05:00

I love it here in Florida. There are many fun things to do and see. The problem is that I need to find new friends to do things with and that is difficult when I can't go to church on Sunday because I have to work. I don't speak creole, so I can't communicate with over half of the people I work with, and most of them are older with families to keep them busy. I'm thinking of taking some kind of class or volunteering somewhere to help me with a social life. I don't know. I've started volunteering with the name indexing, but since that is on my own computer at home, it doesn't get me new friends, though it helps a lot with feeling productive. While Travis is wonderful and spends a lot of time with me, I can't expect him to spend every minute he has off work entertaining me. It's healthy to have a balanced life.... any ideas?

My Marine

2009-11-12T17:11:00.000-05:00

The classic pose :)

Travis invited me to a ball in Georgia, but I had to work the day of it. It was quite sad, but being the great man he is, he let us still get all dressed up last night. We went for a walk around the Boardwalk and found a classy joint to eat at (Taco Bell). I felt beautiful and special being able to be with my Marine dressed up in his dress blues. There were many things that really impressed me last night, but one was the strangers thanking him and shaking his hand. Another was the fact that Travis felt uncomfortable with the recognition. It made me adore him all the more for his humility, because in my opinion, he deserves it.
It was really late when we went out last night, so this morning we got dressed up again, and went to Sarah's house. She was great and took pictures of us, so this girl could FINALLY have a picture with her boyfriend in his uniform. It was a great 24 hours :)

Work is work

2009-11-11T07:48:00.000-05:00

One thing I've learned the last seven days as a mousekeeper at Disney World: It is some freaking hard work! It is doable though..... as long as my managers only give me the amount of rooms they are supposed to and not a bunch more like they tried to. Around 2 in the afternoon my feet start throbbing and I start moving slower than in the morning. One sad fact is that the first day my feet hurt the whole time, even after I went home. I woke up in the middle of the night and my first thought was that my feet didn't hurt anymore. It was exciting :) I'm gradually catching on to it and everything will work out.

In happier news I went to Mickey's Christmas party last night. I was exhausted, but couldn't help getting excited for the fun. We went on rides, our picture from Splash Mountain was awesome, and we watched a show and a parade. Not to forget some delicious food! It was a great night and I completely crashed. Now why am I up at 7:10 in the morning on my day off???

Hmm... I've seen better.

2009-11-02T11:22:00.000-05:00

The colors don't show up too well in these pictures. The skirt is blue and the top is green checkered. Not the most flattering costume, but when I'm gross and sweaty from work, who will care?? :)

Thank you Grandma Helen!

2009-10-28T19:40:00.000-04:00

Today was the housekeeping core class. Meaning that I sat through eLearning and classes all day and then got to make beds and clean bathrooms for the last two hours... yeah. I made ONE bed and cleaned ONE bathroom all in an hour. It was pathetic, but the other newbies were right there with me. Who knew there was more to making a bed than throwing a fitted sheet on a mattress, followed by the flat sheet and a comforter?? Making beds is a science, especially when you don't use a fitted sheet! Talk about some mad hospital corners. I was thanking Grandma the whole time I was doing the bed. I remember being in the front room of their house and she showed me how to fold one side in and then lift up and tuck, fold, etc. I may have been slow at a lot of things today, but I sure have those corners down! Thank you Grandma Helen.

It's Official!!

2009-10-27T20:37:00.001-04:00

Yep. I know you all have been wondering when it would finally happen, and today was the day.....

I got my ID card for Disney! Wahoo!

Mickey himself came and gave us our name tags, part of the class was spent in the Magic Kingdom, and Cinderella's Prince Charming was in my class (I say Cinderella's Prince Charming because my Prince Charming was working hard over at the Boardwalk).

I have a few days of more classes and then start housekeeping at the resort on Wednesday. I'm excited for the first two weeks to be over with. I'm not a fan of new jobs, but this one sure has its perks!! :)

Killing Time

2009-10-22T14:06:00.000-04:00

I have found the hiring process to take a while. That is fine, but I need cheap things to occupy my time until I start working. So I have taken to scrapbooking with the pictures, paper and materials I have accumulated. It helps me feel productive while not spending money.

Another thing I have done is hang out at Disney World thanks to my boyfriend getting me in free (I will be able to get in free on my own in a few days!!). Here are some pictures of our fun at the Magic Kingdom :)

I GOT A JOB!!

2009-10-09T11:32:00.000-04:00

I finally found a full time job with benefits. It isn't what I want to do the rest of my life, but it is a start with Disney, in housekeeping at Port Orleans. The resort has two sections: Riverside (as shown above) and French Quarter (below).
I'm just hoping the bright pink outfit with the scrunchy is more like my costume than the drab looking dress to the right ;) I miss the 80's sometimes...

This is the entrance to the French Quarter Lobby. It looks pretty fun! I'm excited to start working and get past the first two weeks of a new job where I don't have a clue what's going on.

Travis and I walked around the Riverside general store and lobby last night and it was NICE. I'm impressed. I just hope I'm not the one to keep the ceilings clean....

Hancocks, Georgia and Disney

2009-10-02T16:32:00.000-04:00

It has been a busy week! Sherry, Larry, Ash and TJ got here last Saturday and they invited us over to dinner on Sunday night. They made yummy barbecued chicken with cheesy potatoes and strawberry shortcake. It was delicious! Travis and I enjoyed the food and the company.

Monday morning Travis' coworker got me into Disney World for free and I met up with the Hancocks at the Animal Kingdom. We went on rides and fought the crowds in the heat. The Lion King show is amazing! It was awesome. Maybe one of my favorite things at Disney...

That night I left to Georgia with Travis after he got off of work. We were able to spend some time with his Mom and family, and I got some girl bonding time with his mom in too :) Nothing quite like bra shopping and manicures with your boyfriend's mom and grandma to liven things up!!

It was a fun, relaxing and productive trip. Travis' uncle Jim gave me a mini fridge that I convinced my landlords to let me use up in my room. It has helped out a lot already.

We got back Wednesday night and I went shopping with Sherry and Ash at the outlet mall yesterday afternoon until we went to eat at Planet Hollywood in Downtown Disney. It was a fun night and interesting to see all of the memorabilia they had displayed.

The Hancocks are flying out tomorrow, so I spent the morning with them playing cards and watching tv. It has been so nice to have family here. I love my family. And not just because they give me all of their left over food when they leave to go back home :)

I'm happy.

2009-09-23T23:41:00.000-04:00

My mom texted me this morning and asked me if I am happy. I realized I didn't have to think about it and the answer came immediately. YES! I am happy. Occasionally I will think about how it is harvest time at home and how the leaves will be changing soon. The four seasons are wonderful and fall might be my favorite. I spent some time smelling candles today to catch the scent of apples and cinnamon. I think of what my family members are doing and how much fun it would be to spend time with them. And I miss it. But it is okay to miss home. It would be a sad thing if I didn't.

The fact that I am where I know I should be makes everything ok. The realization of how happy I am here stuck with me throughout the day. I have been very blessed with an amazing boyfriend, an interview with Disney (it's something!!) and housing that I am more grateful for everyday.

Today my landmother (as Travis refers to her, don't worry Mom, she is not going to replace you) asked me to watch Twilight with her. I can tell that she needs a friend and is lonely a lot. She spends a lot of time in bed because of fibromyalsia, but she can tell stories and talk. It was nice for me too.

Tonight Travis and I went to dinner and had a laid back evening. I like those. When we would be able to see each other before we would always try to pack in as much as we could to our week and not have much down time. Those weeks were really fun and I wouldn't have changed them, but the day to day stuff is more real. I enjoy his sweet strength, how he can talk about anything for hours but also let there be moments of silence and reflection. He makes me laugh.

I'm not sure how things are going to pan out financially still, but I'm working on figuring that part out.

I've made a good choice to come down here to Florida. I'm very happy Mom :)

Lizards

2009-09-17T14:01:00.000-04:00

Since I arrived here, lizards have been my constant companion outside. They are every where!! I walk into the house and I have to watch to make sure I don't step on three or four that cross in front of me. I really don't mind the little critters though. I'm very glad they aren't spiders...

The house I live in is very secure. The doors and windows are always locked, and there is an alarm system. I should know because I set it off the first night...

Side note: every night when I get home I have a routine to avoid setting off the alarm. Before I unlock the door, I take my shoes off and put them in my purse, put my phone in my pocket and after unlocking the door I run to the kitchen where the alarm pad is to enter the code. Lady like? Definitely not. Does it work? No alarms have been going off since Saturday :)

So in all of that security, I realized it would be a little difficult for a burgler to make his way inside. What I didn't think about was how it would be for a lizard to make its way in. Getting home from running errands today and walking through the kitchen I saw him. And I came to a realization that it wouldn't be the last time there was a lizard in the house.

Florida Life

2009-09-16T14:20:00.000-04:00

I've had many questions about how I am doing now and what I am up to here in Florida. I'll start with when my dad and I got here. It was Saturday at 8 am that we pulled up to the house. It is a nice house in a very nice neighborhood where the streets are TINY!! I look out my window and I see trees and a lot more trees. If I can't have mountains, these trees are my perfect view :) Five minutes away from Disney World and I have trees outside of my window. Amazing.

My dad and I took a few minutes to look around at my room and then took naps until early afternoon. I am renting part of an upstairs from a married LDS couple whose kids are grown up and moved out of the house. My part is separated by a temporary wall, which turned out to be one of those orange dividers from church kinda things, and a door. And my part contains a bathroom and closet. I was hoping to put a mini fridge in to store some beverages or something, but that idea got shot down by the landlords, so I have a drawer in their fridge to keep things cool. Yes, I'm still a little bitter about that, but oh well. It isn't the best place I've ever lived, but it sure isn't the worst either. It has a lot of perks to it. Like a community pool :)

Dad, Travis and I went to dinner Saturday night at the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney. We got a table right on the water and I'm afraid Dad wanted to sleep instead ha ha. I really enjoyed it and I was glad Travis was able to meet Dad and vice versa. After that Trav took us to the Boardwalk where he works and let us see the Presidential Suite. It was awesome and very expensive to stay there.... so I never will.

Taking Dad to the airport was not so much fun. One, because it was at 430 in the morning, and two because my comfort zone was leaving me. Thanks to the long drive and an extreme lack of sleep, I slept through all three of my alarms for church so spent the day unpacking. I met up with Travis later and he showed me around some other areas and how to get to the temple. The Orlando Temple is gorgeous! It is a smaller temple, but looks like one of the bigger ones.

I decided I needed a couple "adjusting" days so I wouldn't get home sick and spent them with Travis, since they also turned out to be his days off :) We went to a beach on the East coast with his sister Sarah and a couple of their friends from out of town and then ate at a place called Breakers where you are still on the beach. I love that I am close enough to both coasts to enjoy them :)

Now that I know I love Florida and spending time with Travis on a day to day basis, I am searching more to find a job. I went to the Casting building for Disney today to check on my application. It is an Argyle building. Yes. Argyle. I should have taken a picture!

Life is good. I am happy and having faith that I will find a job if I work hard at applying myself to doing that. Time to go hem my interview pants...

Iowa

2009-09-11T12:08:00.000-04:00

I'm waiting for my dad to bring my car back from the shop. The brakes were making grinding sounds when we went down steep hills, so we wanted to get it looked at. They were supposed to be finished by eight this morning, it is now past eleven. Go figure.
The trip is going well. I've had fun with Rock, DeAndra and Aaron although it would have been nicer to have more sleep and energy so I could have played more. My batteries died too early in Rock's opinion :) Driving through the night will do that to you.
Tonight we were planning on going through Georgia and hopefully push past Atlanta. I'm not sure how or if we will actually do that now that our travel time has been delayed, but I do know this: I NEED SLEEP!! ha ha ha I am exhausted and can't sleep in the car. Which means I have to try a lot harder to be cheerful and happy... My poor dad.
Rock has been quite the entertainment. He knows he is cute and funny and loves to turn the tv off so he can once again become the center of attention. He loves giving kisses and for a second he even brushed my hair this morning :) I'll miss him and his parents.
When we were driving through the longest state ever, yes that would be Montana, we saw a plethora of deer. It was crazy how many were eating on the side of the road and didn't care that we were driving past. There were some bucks with HUGE racks right outside my door. I learned I never wanted my car to break down in Eastern Montana. I think those things would eat me!
Another thing I learned was that you shouldn't hit a skunk "dead center" as my dad would say, with the driver side wheels. You also should not hit another skunk fifteen minutes later with the passenger side wheels. Every time you slow down, you will smell skunk and the guys that work on your car the next morning won't be very happy with you :) Maybe that's what is taking so long. They had to wash it first.

Packing

2009-09-03T02:38:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting here at almost midnight, six days to go before take off, and there are clothes, boxes and giant plastic tubs, all creating a waist high maze in my room. My goal is to whittle it all down to six (or seven) apple boxes, one plastic tub, sewing machine, blanket and pillow, and my purse. I think I'm being overly optimistic. I've sorted through all of my clothes once to take out the ones to give away, but that leaves me with roughly 14 boxes worth of clothes.... Way too many for a cross country trek! So I get to sort and prioritize my clothes once again and say goodbye to some. That's always the hardest part, because invariably a time will come when I will NEED an article of clothing that I am giving away now. So I need them all right??? :) I am sure that I will be all packed in a few days, or at least five minutes after we are planning on leaving :)

Thanks to the constantly cutting hours where I work, I haven't been able to save money like I was wanting. Fearing a rerun of "The Boise Experience," it has me more than a little worried. Then I remind myself that I'm not spending money unwisely...yes, my not stopping at a stop sign and getting a 124 dollar ticket was very unwise, but other than that, I'm doing well budgeting my money. As I pay my tithing and make smart decisions, I'm sure my needs will be taken care of somehow. I need to relax and exercise my faith in that promise.

Despite the getting rid of clothes (I needed to do it anyway) and extra stress of finding a job, I'm excited for this next step. It has tested my patience, trust and courage, but I think that is good for me. It has made me grow and step outside of my comfort zone (by 3,004 miles to be exact) which is precisely what I need to challenge me. I'm excited to get going and test out my wings! (Jonathan Livingston Seagull.... I'll have to blog about him next)

2009-08-29T21:20:00.000-04:00

The power of chocolate...

2009-08-25T20:38:00.000-04:00

Some have underestimated the power of chocolate and its ability to improve a person's mood. I am a firm believer in the benefits of this delicious food. I trust my mom, therefore I trust this website:

http://www.momscape.com/articles/chocolate.htm

Sure I could have found a more reliable source....but why doubt the mama's of the world?? They know their stuff when it comes to chocolate :)

Lazy days

2009-08-24T20:29:00.001-04:00

Today has been a lazy yet productive day. I spent time talking with Whit and Nick, just lounging around the living room. It is always fun to talk about random things with them. I forget about how insightful my family can be sometimes. We joke around and laugh, but there is more to us thankfully. I trust their opinions and always miss them when we aren't together. Even though we can have some interesting disagreements when we are :) We watched Harry Potter: The Chamber of Secrets together, well, we all started watching it and Nick left to Seattle and Whit fell asleep. So I finished watching it by myself. You miss so much when you watch the movies without reading the books, it all makes a lot more sense now! The nice thing about laundry is that I can do something else while cleaning :) I would occasionally pause the movie to change the clothes, and have half of my room clean already lol. Then I ran some errands and went to Willow Point to enjoy the sunshine for an hour. Driving this time unfortunately, not running like Saturday. I want to make it a habit to come home from work and jog to Willow, jump in the lake and them walk home. I think it would be good for me and get me jogging more than I am. I only have 2 1/2 weeks left of enjoying the lake everyday, pues lo voy a aprovechar! :)

My 25 Things

2009-08-22T23:52:00.000-04:00

A friend recently had her 40th birthday and celebrated by making a list of 40 things that make her happy. It's always nice to think about those things, so I am doing a list of 25 things. It will not include everything, but just a handful that are on my mind now :)

1) Long car rides with great company
2) Watching a show with my sisters and mom
3) The first hugs from Travis after I haven't seen him for months
4) Painting my toenails and fingernails
5) The smell of pot roast, carrots and potatoes in the crock pot
6) Driving down Totem Pole at night with the windows down to smell the sweet apple blossoms with Aaron, coming back from Idaho after being away for a long time.
7) Laughing until I cry with my family in the kitchen
8) Late night swims in the Lake
9) Being close to Rock and having him reach for me.
10) Rock's laugh
11) Seeing my parents hold hands
12) Me holding hands with my sweetheart
13) Hymns in Spanish
14) Fresh apple cider
15) Sleeping in a cool room with heavy blankets on me and a cool pillow
16) Texts and phone calls
17) New adventures and Florida
18) Orange Chicken and Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes
19) Going to the beach and swimming with Travis
20) Second chances
21) Grandpas and Grandmas, and Grandpa's milkshakes
22) Taking new pictures
23) Temples and forever families
24) The taco wagon quesadillas
25) Traditions

Here's my first Happy List. I know I cheated, but I had to have it all on there :)

Top Five

2009-08-19T22:55:00.001-04:00

I'm excited to move to Florida...Here are my top 5 reasons why :)

#1 Being with Travis and riding on his motorcycle. Yes I'm very excited to ride his motorcycle with him :) I still have my reservations about it, but am trusting that he won't be like the last guy I rode with that decided to flip us over by driving into a ravine. Not to mention the fact that I ended up with the four wheeler on top of me. But yes, I am looking forward to going cruising down the road with Travis. Hopefully I can sweet talk him into taking us to the ocean on it :)

#2 Panda Express. Orange Chicken. Enough said.

#3 No snow this winter!!!!

#4 Disney will be super close. I'll need to buy a pass if I can't find a job there.

#5 Challenge, travel and adventure :) I can't just drive home, so it will force me to step out on my own. I'm glad I will have Travis there with me!

2009-08-18T05:09:00.000-04:00

Won-Won

2009-08-12T01:11:00.001-04:00

There aren't many times that I laugh out loud while reading a book, but today was one of those rare events. Sitting in my guard shack, reading Harry Potter all by myself, I started laughing hysterically. Thankfully no one was walking or driving by, because they would have believed me to be crazy. It was just one of those moments when the humor hit me right. As it is, I have read the first 6 Harry Potter books in the last 2 weeks. It makes me wonder why I have put them off for so long. Actually, I know why, but it seems like a stupid reason now. I've started the 7th and last book tonight and have a feeling that I'll be a little sad when I finish it. But then I can start another series. I'm trying to convince Travis to read a biography with me, and he said he would, but we will see. He was going to read this series over again with me, but I think he has only made it through 1 1/2 books so far lol. In his defense he has a lot of things going on with his new job and motorcycle, not to mention spending time talking to me every night :) And really, if I had to choose, I would pick talking together over reading together right now :)

Benedryl.... oh sweet benedryl

2009-08-06T14:05:00.000-04:00

I'm trying to decide if I like benedryl. I don't like the doped up feeling, but being able to sleep through the itchiness of the rash I have is wonderful. The other night as I laid down my throat started hurting. And not the burning or itchy feeling that comes with a cold. It was like my throat was being torn out of my body. The next morning I went to work, but the feeling still lingered, though not as strong. That night after work I noticed huge red welts all over my chest, arms and feet and my throat was starting to close up. Trying not to panic, I went to Walmart to buy some benedryl praying that it would work so I wouldn't have to go to the hospital. It kept the swelling and rash from continuing but I was still covered in it. I had to call in sick yesterday at work, and I have never done that before. Not even when I got surgery the day before. I still have no clue what caused the reaction, and even started breaking out again last night. I asked my brother Nick for a blessing and he came right over. I know I will get better, but it is not fun dealing with it now, especially since I don't have the luxury of sleeping tonight because I work the night shift. Oh well :) Life goes on. Enough of my complaining. So that is where I'm at. I think I like benedryl.

Housing

2009-08-03T01:22:00.001-04:00

Honestly, I didn't expect my housing in Florida to fall into my lap quite like it did. I'm grateful for answered prayers and that this family is willing to work with me and not charge me a fortune for being able to be so close to Disney and Travis :)

It is a nice house in Windermere and I will be renting out part of the upstairs and a bathroom and kitchen when it is completed.

It is hard for me to fathom how things will be changing this fall, but I know that changes need to happen in order for me to grow and be challenged. Moving to Florida is exciting on many levels, personal being high up there. It is also not something that I am doing on impulse. I have thought about the choices I have, as well as prayed after I made my decision. I feel good about it, so I know as I do my part in finding a job and housing, that things will work out the way they should. The morning after I poured out my concerns in prayer, I was told of this family in Windermere, and by the next day, had this agreement lined up. Now I'm having the same faith that I will be able to find a job that will provide for my needs. This blessing probably won't be as immediate, but I trust that it will happen as it should. My perspective is not as broad and clear as the Lord's and I will just trust Him and do my best.

It sure is an exciting adventure :)

Part 3

2009-07-30T17:07:00.000-04:00

A couple hours really meant a couple days :) Once Travis and I got to the beach, we scoped out a good place to leave our stuff and after taking a few pictures, went out into the water. Anyone who knows me, is aware that I am not fond of swimming in deep ocean water. I leave that area to the sharks. They need their space to be happy. But Travis decided that he could play the macho man role, and carried me out (in the very buoyant salt water) to the buoys that you weren't supposed to swim past. Quite the man I'm dating. We enjoyed the waves out there for about 40 minutes and it was nice not having to do any work besides hug Travis. Did I mention that we were on a sand bar so he wasn't doing TOO much work either? ;) We watched the sunset in the water and after trying to get dry went to Panda on the way home. See a pattern here? I enjoyed our talk on the way back to the hotel as well as the yummy orange chicken. The next morning Sarah got me in on a tour that she was doing on the Segways. Super fun! After some training we went around Epcot and toured the different countries while learning about them. I recommend it to anyone who has the money to do it :) Then came the moment I was waiting for.... Seeing the room at the Boardwalk. Travis wanted to take me, so on his lunch break we met, went to the concierge area for some food, then went to the Garden Suite. Or something like that lol. It was gorgeous! It had a little garden and a white picket fence and a main room with couches, kitchenette, bathroom and tv, with a big loft with a bed and huge bathroom. The bathroom had one of the biggest bathtubs I have ever seen and a shower. It was by far the nicest room I have ever stayed in! After Travis got off work on Wednesday we got ready to go out to dinner at the Artist's Point in the Wilderness Lodge. It was fantastic! I loved the food and being able to look at my sweetheart all dressed up with the beautiful scenery behind him was pretty amazing too :) I had the buffalo with goat cheese polenta and Trav had the cedar plank king salmon. My dinner was delicious, but I wasn't so fond of his. He seemed to enjoy it though ;) Dessert was double chocolate cheesecake (divine!) and berry cobbler. I ate way too much of both of these desserts. Travis would agree with me, since I ate his dessert as well lol. Not very ladylike, but definitely a feminine thing to do since it was chocolate :) After dinner we walked and took a boat ride to the Contemporary. It was at sunset again and was a time I really enjoyed even though the boat was filled with many people. We walked to the Polynesian and sat on the boat dock to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks. It was sweet and romantic and I completely enjoyed it. Back at the hotel we went swimming again, with Travis pulling me around. I sure like swimming with him too! It was an amazing evening and I'm glad I was able to spend it with him. He spoils me, and yes it is ok to spoil me :) I needed that time with him and am thankful for it. The next morning we went to.... yep, Panda. And then headed over to Characters in Flight at Downtown Disney. It is a big balloon that you go up in and look over Disney. It was another fun time with Travis. Afterwards we walked around and checked out the Harley Davidson store, found us some nice things we didn't buy, and the Ghiradelli's Chocolate store. Love that store. I got some hot chocolate that I have already enjoyed back at home. Going to the airport wasn't very much fun for me. It never is fun to leave or let him leave me. I get so used to being around him and having him there, that it feels like there is something missing when he isn't. It was the trip I needed to have, changes in plans included. I know I am blessed to have him and am grateful for the way he treats me. I am even more grateful for the fact that this next time I go out to Florida, it will be in my own car, to stay. None of this saying goodbye for months at a time stuff. Finally :)

Part 2

2009-07-27T19:07:00.000-04:00

After arriving in one piece at Sarah's house Sunday night, we found out that her landlords were still there in the room I had been signed up for since the beginning of June. It was frustrating and I needed to find another place to stay late at night. The next morning Travis had to work and so I went out to lunch (Panda Express) with Sarah and then took her to work after a little lecture from the landlady. I had a couple hours to kill before Trav got off of work, so I went to UP. Such a sweet movie! I won't pretend to be tough. I cried.

I then went to check in at the All-Stars Resort to check in and met Travis there in Sports. It must have been my movie day because we then went to watch the new Harry Potter movie. Watching movies with Travis is always fun and enjoyable :) I have a feeling that I will be able to catch up on a lot of movies living closer to him...

After the movie we went to dinner, yes, Panda again. lol. That orange chicken is so addictive and delicious!

My sweetheart had to work again the next day, so I hung out with Sarah again and we went shopping at Target. Bless her heart she was a trooper. I know she had other things she needed and wanted to do. After dropping her off at work, I went to Casting. Being told I need to apply online, I headed back to the hotel to wait for Travis so we could go to the beach :) I was so excited to go with him to the Gulf!

I'm going jet skiing. This will be finished in a couple hours :)

Part 1

2009-07-26T16:49:00.000-04:00

I have a lot to catch up on...

First of all, Rock is back in Iowa and his little brother/sister will be here in the beginning of March. Another niece or nephew to love!

The other news is that I got back from Florida this last Friday morning at 3 something from seeing Travis. It is bittersweet. Still being on my high from being able to be with him for a whole week, I was very happy, but the thought of not being able to see him for another month left me aching. I'm not a fan of this long distance stuff, but all things happen for a reason, and I feel like I am learning and growing from it. But back to the trip!

I worked a ten hour shift Thursday night until 2 a.m. and then went home, showered and finished packing. My dad took me to the airport in Wenatchee at 4 a.m. What a sweet dad :)

I then went from Seattle to New Orleans with a stop in Denver. That was where Travis called and told me that he had to work our last full day together. That was not what I wanted to hear at all, since that was the day we were going to spend at the beach, but it makes no sense complaining of something you have no control over. I spent the trip to Florida convincing myself that it was all going to work out well, and I need not have worried.

Seeing Travis finally had more of an effect than I was expecting. He makes me nervous- the good kind- and comfortable at the same time, and a net full of butterflies were flying around. I missed that man.

We left straight to Georgia from the airport and got to his mom's house around 2 in the morning. The next day was spent meeting Travis' cousins, grandparents, and an aunt and uncle or two. I am happy to report only a couple awkward moments when his grandma asked me if Travis had popped the question yet and then proceeded to tell him he should get on a knee right there. It was entertaining at least lol. Trav also got his motorcycle. Yes, that makes me nervous, but I know he can take care of himself and be smart. I'm excited for when I get to ride around on it with him...in the parking lot :)

After making it to the last few minutes of church the next day, we spent more time with his grandparents and then headed out of town. His grandpa reminded me so much of my own grandpa Leo and when he gave me a hug, it was just what I needed. I didn't realize how much I miss my grandpa. I'm very glad we were able to make that trip and that I was able to meet his mom that I have heard so much about.

Travis rode his motorcycle all the way back to Orlando while I was in the car with Sarah. It was stressful for me to see him in the mirror and then see all of the other big cars around him, but we all made it!!

I love this boy.

2009-07-11T01:13:00.000-04:00

I love this boy! He is sweet, fun, and has quite the entertaining personality. I wish I could see him more, but I will enjoy him while I have him :)

2009-07-09T00:32:00.000-04:00

Running once a week is not going to help me much in finishing the marathon I have coming up in January lol. I'm hoping that my walking at work will help, but I need to be better.

Today I was thinking a lot about my health. I don't like the fact that I have 30 extra pounds sitting around my midsection. It isn't pretty lol. It is math and science right? a+b=c? eat healthy + exercise = be healthier?? I sure hope so because now that I am working during the day again, which means I am walking an average of about 8-9 miles, it should be easier to achieve that combination.

I ran 4 miles today. I jogged the first three on the treadmill at 6, then ran the last at 7. Things are progressing since I am thankfully back at my pre-road trip with Travis weight lol. That trip wreaked havoc with my exercise routine, but it was well worth it!

As a side note, I lost 25 pounds this last year so decided to go shopping today to celebrate. I found way too many things that I absolutely had to have, and unfortunately only had money for 1/4 of those things. I came out with 4 shirts, 2 shorts, 1 skirt, 1 pair of earrings, and a purse. A good haul I think :)

6 miles

2009-06-30T23:46:00.000-04:00

Having mentioned that I wanted to run 6 miles today, I didn't want to go back on that, even after having a long day at work. I came home, changed and went out the door before I had a chance to change my mind. It felt great to run and let all of the stress go that I have been feeling this past week. I'm always reminded of how running is one of my favorite stress relievers. Now that my bachelor's is behind me and I am full time at work, I shouldn't be getting as stressed. It feels amazing to be done! I have been blessed with 40 hours at work and day jobs keep coming up. Like today one of the owners called me up and wants me to wash two of her cars (she pays me 30 for each) and then I am going to help her clean out her storage unit on Thursday. I love it! I will make about 200 dollars on Thursday, since I work a 10 hour shift at work right after helping Bonnie.... Life is good!

Ether 12:27 One of my favorite scriptures

2009-06-27T03:45:00.001-04:00

This is more of a diary kind of post than anything else. Consider yourself forewarned.

I hate not being able to convey what I am really feeling. I lack the words to express my thoughts and in so doing, annoy or frustrate those people close to me. Which frustrates me because they aren't understanding my feelings and I hate, hate, hate when people are mad or annoyed with me. Shouldn't people just GET what I am saying and why I feel that way? I feel like I'm failing when they don't, which only fuels my frustration. It turns normal conversations into arguments.

My feelings are honest. I am not making them up. So why is it so hard to communicate that without having the other people lose their patience with me? I am trying very hard to share my feelings and communicate with my family and close friends. That isn't something that I am great at. I can listen well and can give some great advice to others, but putting that into practice in my own life has proved difficult.

I get hurt easily. I wish I had a thick skin, but I don't. Especially when it comes to those I really care about. Pretending I am not hurt comes more easily than not being hurt, so the majority of the time I pretend to shrug it off while inside I am wanting to hide myself in a bathroom to cry. Reminds me of Elder Bednar's talk about taking offense. We have that choice, and we shouldn't take offense (this is where Chrys says, "because it isn't your fence to take.") But how do we change the feelings that naturally come to us?

Ether 12:27
And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

I'm not perfect and my emotions are not either. I have a long way to go on them. I need people to have patience with me. But as I am constantly reminded, how far am I going to test that patience? Everyone has a limit. I know that Heavenly Father places certain people in our lives and that we are blessed with our family for a reason. We can help each other grow. I need to have patience with myself and not expect a change overnight. I need to be more humble. I need to have more faith.

You can't say I didn't warn you.

2009-06-25T01:41:00.001-04:00

I got gorgeous flowers from Travis the other day :) They were unexpected and a very welcome addition to my day. It made me wonder during the day why he would ask me questions about when I went on rounds, how far my work was from town, etc, but I sure wasn't thinking that he was going to send flowers. And when the delivery lady showed up and gave them to me half hour before clocking out, I first thought they were for someone staying at the Shores and that I had to deliver them. Thankfully, I was the one receiving this beautiful bouquet! The lady asked me if it was my birthday or some other special day, and after I told her no, she said, well it is a special day now! She was very right :) Thank you!

Saul Memorial Run

2009-06-22T19:17:00.000-04:00

The first pictures are of planting a tree at Saul's Memorial with Chayo and the boys. It was fun to see Poli willing to get dirty and work for once.

The last picture is of Bailey. It lookes like it has been photo shopped, but it was because I turned around really quick to take it and moved the camera while taking it. Surprise lol.

I was planning on running the 10K during for the run, but since I had to work and have only gone running a few times all month, decided the 5K was smarter for me. Talking with Chayo, Saul's wife, I found out that she wanted to run it, but was scared to participate by herself. She asked if I would run the 5K with her and I agreed. Funny how she didn't mention that she runs 6 miles everyday until 10 minutes before the race!!! I had already promised to run with her, but knew I was going to get my butt kicked. After a mile of sprinting, I told her she could keep going and that I had to slow down. Seriously, that lady can run. It was right after I told Chayo to keep going, that I saw my cousin Bailey with his hand on his chest and breathing really hard. His mom was taking pictures for the run, so he was by himself. I was fully aware that my time was not going to break any world records, so stopped and walked with him. I had him set goals for us. Jog to the third power pole, jog to the stop sign, etc. But jog to this kid meant sprint as fast as you can until you are gasping for air. By the end of the race I had him convinced that if you pace yourself, you will be able to run for longer distances. We finished in 37 minutes. He was fun and yes, crossed the finish line before me ;)

Housesitting...

2009-06-15T02:01:00.000-04:00

I have found out that I don't like to housesit all by myself, up in the mountains. It has become my excuse not to go running, because who wants to go running in the mountains all alone?? Really, it is only 50% being up here, and 50% being stressed out with statistics. Thankfully, I will be done with all of my midterms tomorrow at 4:30!!

I have the 5K Saul Memorial Run on Saturday morning and I really need to get back in shape for it. I don't have high hopes for myself, but it would be great to beat my last 5K time. Saul's sister Teresa told me she would only run it if I ran it with her, so my time might not be completely depending on me. I want her to be able to participate in the run that is in her brother's honor, and I'm really excited for getting to help with registration, starting at 6:30 in the morning... Not.

Back into shape

2009-06-06T01:53:00.001-04:00

Today I set up some goals for getting me back into shape in time to run the 10K. Now to just follow through with that plan! I ran a little over 3 miles today and it was ok. Definitely not my best time ever though. But ok.

I feel productive

2009-06-04T00:50:00.000-04:00

These are some pictures of my lonely but interesting drive. The first one was with the bugs on the windshield so you could get a feeling for how I actually saw the scenery, and another out the window to enjoy that beauty of the dirt roads and red rock :)

I took two tests today in my stats class and it felt wonderful to finally have them out of the way. I feel like I am actually progressing now. What is even better is that I feel like I did well on them. Then when I got home I went running. It is a lot more enjoyable when there is someone on the phone with me :) Thankfully Travis was cool enough to go running "with" me and kept me company. It sure made the 4 miles of running and 1 mile of walking go by a lot faster. Next time we will have to test ourselves and start at the same time to see who finishes first ;)

A day for messed up plans and miscommunications

2009-06-03T01:43:00.001-04:00

The title says it all. Anyone close to me knows that I am not the best communicator. That in itself can be a reason for messed up plans, but today, I am pretty sure I can claim innocence!

My plans today:

1000 study statistics
1200 run
1400 study statistics
1800 dinner
2000 study statistics
2100 relax :)

This is how my day actually went....

1000 start studying statistics
1100 get a text message asking me to go babysitting in an hour
1200 get another text message saying they didn't need me until 1315
1315 take the kids to the lake
1430 the little girl gets attacked by a duck. Yes. Attacked.
1700 go home and think about going for a run
1730 be Whit's pick-up truck driver for a half hour
1800 go to a banquet for Whit that is only supposed to last an hour
1900 I'm still at the banquet
2000 bored out of my mind at the banquet
2045 FINALLY leave the banquet!
2100 eat dinner
2200 relax, but that even got interrupted because of a surprise. That one I will take some blame for though.

I almost miss the days of not working where I could completely schedule out my whole day and know exactly what I was going to do. Almost.

The day of dead frogs

2009-06-02T00:47:00.000-04:00

I went running this morning! It was kind of depressing because I realized how out of shape I got in 2 weeks of not running. During 3 miles of running I had to stop a couple times to walk because my lungs were closing up on me. Damn asthma. It sure felt good to run though. I found a few dead and bloated frogs on the route, and ended up finding another one in the lake when I went swimming. I'm glad Lake Chelan is so pure and clean that I could see it before I stepped on it. Gross.

Tomorrow :)

2009-06-01T01:20:00.000-04:00

Many people tell me that I shouldn't say, "tomorrow I will ....." And I can see where to a point that is excellent advice. It isn't healthy to procrastinate. Yet today I am excited to say that tomorrow I start up my running again!!

We had a talk on dreams and goals in church today. He emphasized the need to align our will to God's and follow those worthy desires and plan for tomorrow. Of course, my favorite quote of his today was when he was talking about a new gene therapy (it tied into his talk...kind of) and then he said, "Now I don't know nothing about genes, except for the fact that they look good on a lot of women." Totally something I didn't expect this old man to say over the pulpit! It was awesome.

Now back to my thought...

I have a lot of dreams. I have also been blessed with the opportunity to follow many of them. There are still some that are unfulfilled, but I feel like I am doing what I need to be doing to achieve those goals as well. Only Heavenly Father knows the end result, and in the meantime that might scare me a little, but I am excited for the future. I know I have a great one, full of adventures, trials, accomplishments, learning periods, progress, love, waiting for me. Tomorrow.

I have the overwhelming urge to go watch Annie now.

Eh. Running.

2009-05-30T23:41:00.000-04:00

The past week I have really not been in the mood to run. Or I have been craving a good run, but at an inconvenient time and it is driving me crazy! Usually I just put on my shoes and go, knowing that I will be grateful in 3 minutes. That isn't happening this week. I started work. That is my lame excuse. Running around at work in the 90 degree weather all day sucks the energy right out of me. I am trying to think of a plan or schedule that will work for me this summer so that I can meet my goals and feel better about myself. Right now I think the one plan that will work is running on my days off, which are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Hopefully I will be back in the swing of things enough to be able to fit in another short run during the end of the week. Some days I wish I was a morning person and could consistently wake up at 7 am to go running, but no matter what time I go to bed, that is NEVER going to happen. Oh well. I will be happy with my 3 days a week running schedule for now. I knew lulls in my running were going to happen, so this isn't much of a surprise. I just have to get back up to speed this week.

My road trip week with Travis

2009-05-25T23:07:00.001-04:00

I am hoping that blogging about my trip last week will be a way that I can live it again. Ha ha pretty sad, I know. It started out with me picking up Travis at the Spokane airport Monday night around 5:30 and then we drove to Pullman. Not even 20 minutes into the drive Travis got pulled over... in his defense, neither of us knew what the speed limit was and we were keeping pace with the old pick up in front of us. But either way, I thought it was hilarious :)

We visited with his friend Yelonda for a while and ended up leaving around 1 am to make the drive to Missoula. At about 6 or 7 am we pulled into the Motel 6 that I made our reservations at. They let us know that they canceled our reservations and sent us back up the road to another hotel. Thankfully we were able to get a few hours of sleep and rest before we headed back on the road for Yellowstone. Travis was awesome and drove all day. We stopped to take pictures at several signs, a patch of snow, and of some "moose" on the side of the road. Sadly, we got to Yellowstone right before dark and wouldn't have made it to Old Faithful by nightfall, so decided to continue on to Rexburg instead.

Travis had a few places he wanted to see in Rexburg, starting with the Wal-Mart, Taco Bell, and the BYU-Idaho campus. We took our pictures with the BYU-I sign and then swung by my old apartment to show off "Tuskanky."

This was the long road trip day, because we drove on down to Logan to visit his friend Kim. We stayed there for a couple days while Travis was sweet and patient and set up her computer. The second night there we all went out mini golfing and that was an adventure with spilling milkshakes and slow walkers. It was fun though :)

The next stop was to see Harmony in Lehi, Ut. She had to go to work so Travis and I had a few hours of time to enjoy together not traveling. It was spent at the MTC, Provo Temple and Provo Canyon. It was quite possibly, my favorite part of the trip.

We played some Mariokart and I was entertained with them playing Guitar Hero later that night.

Friday morning we went down to see Travis' cousin Cory and his son. It was nice and relaxing and I got to play with 15 month old Derek. He is Rock's age, so it was extra fun for me. Not to mention the fact that he preferred me over Travis ;)

We left Salem and headed to Maggie Moo's for ice cream with some of my family. It is my new favorite ice cream place. Grandpa, Grandma, Beckie, Doug and Kelse showed up and we had a good time. Everyone was very impressed with Travis, which didn't surprise me at all.

After ice cream we met up with Rachel and went to Temple Square. I enjoyed walking around the grounds and taking pictures. Then we went to Star Trek and I managed not to cry during the first 5 minutes. A HUGE accomplishment!!

Saturday morning came way too soon and I was not full of sunshine and rainbows as I sat in the passenger's seat to drop him off at the airport. I am very grateful for this past week and the time I had to spend with Travis and get to know him better, but I will be even more thankful when we don't have the airport goodbyes.

Now I'm looking forward to the next trip!! :)

That Yo Dog???

2009-05-16T23:34:00.000-04:00

Kellie and I went walking tonight to Banjo Creek Farms and back, which is 3 miles round trip. To preface this, I will say that my community is about 50 latin/50 white, so we don't get a fun variety of accents or languages. As we were walking by the lake we saw an SUV off the road with some kids hanging on it. One of the kids started getting worried as we got closer and was eying Sabri. He yelled out, "That yo dog?!" I told him it was and that she was very sweet. He looked very relieved. On our way back we noticed that they had their canoe, lawn chairs and cooler out in the middle of the road. This might be the country, but they sure aren't the only people trying to use this road! A car came and they refused to move. It was hilarious because they were all yelling at each other and since they were neither white nor latin, we know they do not live within 2 hours of here. We got home and my dad asked us who was outside. The funny part of that question is that the family was about a mile away, but my dad could hear them clearly, and could tell that they weren't from around here. The joys of a small town that gets invaded by tourists that leave their brain at home during the summer.

Most painful day yet

2009-05-16T21:51:00.001-04:00

I did not run yesterday. I didn't do any strength training either. Instead, I woke up with intense pain and spent 30 minutes trying to drag myself upstairs to get help. As soon as I made it to the top of the stairs crawling, I was thankful to see Marissa in the kitchen. I had been screaming her name for the past half hour, trying to get her attention. But I was sure what felt like yelling for help, was only a groan barely making it past my lips. After attempting another to get Marissa to see me, she came running over. I think she was afraid to touch me because she ran outside to get my dad. My dad came in, and rolled me on my back so he could make sure it wasn't appendicitis. He called the doctor's office to see who was on call and then asked me if I wanted to change before going in. As if I cared what I looked like! I would have been fine going in naked if that meant I was relieved of the pain. But I did come up with two things I needed; a bra and deodorant. I guess those two things are important to me, even when I am not coherent enough to care about anything else. Rissa went to my room to get them and then my dad asked if I wanted a blessing. I am grateful that he was thinking about that and was able to help me out in that way. It was a great comfort to me. It was about then that I remembered that I didn't have insurance and that the pain I was feeling was probably due to a cyst rupturing. I have had one do that before and there isn't anything that the doctors could do for me besides drugging me up, so I opted to stay home and see what happened after taking some "Tylenol." Thankfully, the pill my dad gave me was a whole lot stronger than Tylenol and also knocked me out for a few hours. The soreness is still there, but it is mostly just an achey feeling now. Two days of pure laziness is what has happened. I guess that is what I needed. I will have to go running 5 miles before I leave to pick up Travis from the airport just so I don't feel so fat and lazy :)

Treadmill Day

2009-05-14T23:46:00.000-04:00

Today I was wanting to watch a tv show and since it was windy, I decided to go on the treadmill with weights. It felt incredibly cleansing to sweat that much. Yeah, I know that is disgusting, but it's true :)

I'm learning

2009-05-13T21:12:00.000-04:00

My day was kind of shot, so I didn't get my running in today. But one thing I learned from my last jog, was that I can't eat before i run. It makes me nauseous. Is that how you spell it? It looks funny...oh well. I tried eating a small breakfast of yogurt a couple hours before I ran, but it still made my stomach ache to run after eating. I'm still trying to find something that doesn't effect me like that. And I have been remembering to take Jocie's advice and drinking my whey protein shake after I run. I add fresh fruit and a splash of orange juice, and it isn't too bad :P

Working in the Shoes

2009-05-13T00:14:00.000-04:00

I am still trying to work in my shoes. It has been a year since I have had to do this, so I forgot how much I hate this process. My feet burn and ache, no matter what shoe I get. I remembered today why I used to go to a podiatrist :) Today I ran and walked around Dry Lake again but it burned! I'm hoping it doesn't take much longer to work them in.

My First Official 5K

2009-05-09T18:49:00.000-04:00

After falling asleep around 2 this morning, and then waking up every 30 minutes afraid that I slept in, I woke up for the last time at 7. Got dressed and was leaving when I realized I couldn't find my iPod. Still can't actually. Kellie and I went down to register and I was starting to wonder about what I have signed up for. I was the only person there that had an ounce of extra fat and didn't have those cute running shorts. I missed the message about how any overweight people had to work the water station or route lol. Kellie and I kept joking around about coming in last, but at least we would finish, when a group of about 40 girls came. They had to have been around 8-12 years old. My prayers were answered! I eyed up my competition and realized these girls would probably kick my trash too ha ha. They were part of a group called, "Girls on the Run." I had a couple cousins in the mix, so we joked and talked with them until we started the Jig.

I was planning on running with Kellie, until she wanted to walk after going .2 miles. I asked her if it was okay if I kept going and she agreed. So I kept pace with a few of the little girls until they stopped. Then I was on my own for about a mile until a few ladies caught up to me. That only lasted until I sped up to another couple of little girls. We ran together until the end. I thought the end 1/2 mile would have been the most exhausting part, but with the sides of the road lined with people cheering you on, it was so easy to keep going and even push harder. It felt wonderful to run through the gates and know that I successfully finished my first official race :)

Three lessons learned from this race:

1) Don't wait until the morning of the race to find your iPod and get your playlist on there early!
2) FIND OUT YOUR OFFICIAL TIME!!
3) Take pictures during the race, so you have a better way to document the experience.

Hopefully I can fix my wrongs for the 10K next month :)