Halloween Pictures

Now I rest for two weeks...

My legs feel like noodles... seriously. My friend Stephanie won second place in her age group! What a rockstar! I was just happy to run without any walk breaks. But now I'm icing my hip, and planning on a good long rest...

Me? A triathlete? No, really!

I finished my first triathlon today! I can hardly believe I've made it this far. From the beginning of the summer when I first got my bike, barely making it up the hills... and then to the first time swimming with my friends, not able to swim the crawl stroke the whole length of the pool... and only a few months ago starting to run, and only able to go a few minutes before having to take a walk break... And today I did great on the swim, a little slow on the hills for the bike, but no problem, and except for the monster hill (that I walked) I ran the whole way! Yay me! :) (sorry for this post, I don't really like to toot my own horn a lot, but I was so proud of myself today!) I'm actually doing another one next week too! It has an open water swim. Yikes! I'm a little nervous for that! Wish me luck!

Mentally exhausted

I am so totally an introvert. The kids school year will start next week (late, I know...) and this week they've had their class gatherings. I've got two volunteer jobs with the school, I'm the class rep coordinator for Kindergarten, and a class rep for Paige's class. So I've had to do a lot of talking to new people, and socializing and being in charge. It just totally wears me out. Plus with the training I'm doing for a triathlon (just a few more weeks! yay!) I'm all used up physically and mentally. I'd love to just stay in bed and read all day. But I've got another big day tomorrow! Yikes!

Pampered Weekend

This weekend Matt and I stayed at a cute resort in Midway. Matt rode in the 1000 Warriors bike race, starting in Park City, going around Jordanelle, down Provo canyon, up past Sundance, over the Alpine loop, down American Fork canyon, up over Suncrest, and ending at Snowbird. We stayed over Friday night all by ourselves, to be close to the early start in Park City. After it was over, we picked up the kids and went back up. There was so much for them to do. We went swimming, played giant chess and checkers, the kids watched movies, rode the carousel, saw the goats, and ordered room service. I had a massage and a facial, and it was lovely!

During the race on Saturday I drove one of the race doctors (Dr. Thueson). We were at the tail end of the race, after Matt's group of riders. Less than ten miles in, we stopped at one accident, and had to send him to the ER. He ended up with facial fractures, and a fractured pelvis. Later in the day we stopped at another accident where a car stopped suddenly in front of a biker. He landed well, and only had some pretty bad bruises and road rash. His accident was just like the one later in the day, where the guy was life flighted with a slashed jugular and multiple fractures, so he was very lucky. I think I heard later that he had to pay for the damage he did to the car!! So unfair! But I was really glad that we weren't there when that last guy had his accident. The blood from the first guy was bad enough.

The ULCER

Matt and I did the ULCER on Saturday. I signed up with my friends to do the 33 mile option, instead of the full 111 around Utah Lake. We were going so fast (much faster on the flat roads, than on the hills around here) that we went right by the turnaround, and only when we got close to the 66 mile turnaround did we think we'd gone too far! So we went for 66 miles! I never thought we could go so far! It's amazing what the body can accomplish. And even more amazing how much we limit ourselves by not believing we can do it.

Farewell feathered friend

This morning I came down and found one of our parakeets (Maxwell) tangled in the string for their hanging treat. It was wrapped around three or four times, and it looked like she had been hanging all night. I cut the string off her leg, and it was all bloody. I made an appointment for her at the vet, and all the kids came with me. It turned out that her leg was really damaged, and she only had a very slim chance that she would make it in the short term, and slimmer chances for the long term. Euthanasia was the most humane option. So we said our goodbyes, the kids just sobbing and sobbing to break your heart. The male receptionist was starting to get teary listening to them as they left and I paid.

We have one parakeet left. Fortunately its the friendlier one... The one that had to be put to sleep always bit. Maybe now Sapphira will get to like us.

Wake up call

My five year old, Thomas, has asthma. He was diagnosed just a few months ago because of chronic coughing. I've been thinking its no big deal, I hardly ever hear him coughing anymore and don't see any other symptoms. Well, our insurance put us on this program for asthmatic kids, and we have nurse support and additional info and stuff. Two days ago now, the nurse calls up and we are talking about his asthma and she starts in on a quality of life questionnaire. Does he ever complain of being tired? Does he have trouble running around, or keeping up with other children? And a few others I can't remember, but I got all choked up, because he has been complaining of being tired...all the time!! And he just plops down on the nearest chair. And I had no idea. And the nurse is saying how all boys just run around all day until you make them stop. And then she asks me if he's my first. Sheepishly, I reply, no he's my third... I just thought he was being whiny. Sorry little buddy!

Yesterday I had him use his inhaler twice... And he was so energetic all day long! It was really good to see. So I need to get some doohicky to monitor his breath output and monitor him more closely, and hopefully he'll be as energetic and non-whiny as possible!

Out of the blue...

Thomas: : "Its too bad we have to wear white in heaven."

I don't know the reasoning behind this, but probably because he'll get everything all dirty in two seconds...

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