Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

The girls of the family go together this weekend to have a little getaway.

It was much needed for all of us.

Sarah invited us all up to her Dad's cabin in Bear Lake. It was beautiful and cozy and perfect. We even had the opportunity to see 3 moose outside the cabin.

There was more food there than we could ever haven eaten. 

We did a Favorite Things exchange. 

That will be a fun tradition. Heidi 

brought the best thing...a massage therapist!

She treated us all to a half hour massage.

It was divine! 

Grandma Hale brought everybody a pair of jammies. The little girls jammies

needed some alterations done so Grandma brought up her sewing machine.  

We watched movies, took naps, played games,

did crafts, made jewelry, 

you name it we did it.  

Speaking of games...we played an epic

game of Sardines. This is a photo 

of all of us hiding in the bathtub.

The girls loved it.

Sunday morning we held a devotional.

Julia and Evelyn led the music.

The older girls did the prayer, Young Women theme, a scripture and a thought. 

Then my Mom talked to us about the importance

of Motherhood and I read a talk by Sheri Dew.

Before we all started to leave we took a 

group photo together. We can't wait to go back. 

Jennifer, Ronda, Tana, Julia, Megan, Ally, Shaylen, 

Evelyn, Sarah, Sawyer, Heidi and Sydney

Lunch Date!

Today's lunch was awesome! Not so much because of the food but because of the awesome people I got to eat it with.

It was super fun to get together with my Mom, my Grandpa Sargent and my sister, Jen for a quick lunch during Jen's lunch break. 

Grandpa was super sweet and insisted on buying and he also gave us each a Valentine's box of chocolates. Best date ever! It has been so much fun getting to know him in a different way since my Grandma passed away. I know he misses her terribly but he seems so much more carefree since then. A lot of worry lifted off of his mind. 

It was a great day! 

Sure Hope It Isn't A Snake Hideout

I sure loving running trail. Especially with my sister Jen.

 Today was an especially great run. 

Beautiful day and beautiful trail. We love to run the stretch of Bonneville Shoreline Trail from 42nd st to

 Rainbow Gardens. 

We always run past this abandoned car. 

Today we finally decided to climb in the old thing and take a photo. I have to admit I was hoping it was too cold and there wouldn't be any snakes in there. 

Of course, that is why I sent Jen in there first. 

I am nice like that.  haha 

I couldn't stop thinking of the Indiana Jones movies.

 Obviously, we survived. Another great trail memory. 

Flashback Friday: Park City Girls Getaway 2010

Today's Flashback Friday is dedicated to our Girls Getaway in Park City, Utah back in August 2010. My sisters(in-law too) and I had such a great time taking our girls up to Park City together. Dining, Shopping, Dining, Swimming, Talking, Dining, Shopping. It was so much fun!

 Sawyer, Ally, Sydney, Shaylen, Julia

We were so glad that Sarah and Julia could come up Friday night atleast. So fun to have them.

 Junk food and talking EXTRAVAGANZA!!!

 Super nummy, super expensive breakfast

Ronda, Heidi, and Jen

18 Hours Of Ogden

I had such a great time with my running buddies running in the 2nd Annual 18 Hours of Ogden relay trail race. It started Friday at 6 pm and we ran until noon, technically 12:30 pm on Saturday. We had a team of six runners and one of us was supposed to always be running. Whichever team has the most number of laps is the winner. Well, we went through the first six runners and obviously by now it is after midnight and dark, we had been running with headlamps. We decided that it sounded funner to run the next leg, mine, as a group, then take the next few hours off to sleep, eat and hang out. BEST DECISION EVER!

Jessica Willis, Ronda and Christine Johnson

It was so much fun to run around 1:30 am, with headlamps, with my friends. The six mile trail loop was heinous! It was a tough loop but super fun. Jessica, Vanessa and I ran that second loop together. I have to admit that  was my favorite of the four legs that I ran. Still cannot believe I ran 24 miles in an 18 hour period on about 3 hours of sleep.

This was our awesome Homestead. Jessica's husband, Clint set it up for us. It was perfect! We had rain, and sunshine and it protected us from both. This was at Mount Ogden Park.

 Ryan and Jen ran Jen's first leg together right around midnight. He had just packed 20 pounds of ice on his back up to the Point at the very top of the Loop. All the runners really appreciated his efforts so we could get cold ice water up at the aid station.

Candice Monson and her friend Therese

Christine Johnson, Ronda and Jessica Willis

Part of the loop was on a portion of our beloved Bonneville Shoreline Trail that we run weekly. We were pleased to see that our "trail tree" that is decorated by someone every December was also decorated in Race tape. Super fun! It took us till the third loop to notice. Must have been going too fast.

Christine Johnson, Jessica Willis, Vanessa Nielsen, Ronda Mills, Jennifer Skidmore

team photo missing Candice Monson

Even though we didn't follow the "rules" of the relay race we had so much fun making it our own and running our loops together when we felt rested and fed. The five of us all got 18 to 24 miles in a piece. Candice wasn't feeling well after her first lap so unfortunately had to go home in the middle of the night. Super fun race and we can't wait to make it our own again next year!

Mantua Dam Race July 2012

We had a great time running the Mantua Dam Race together as a family.

It was a first time race for all of us. I have biked and ran around the Dam multiple times.

It was a fun, five mile course. Clear up until the morning of the race, starting line actually, I wasn't sure what I was going to do. Do my best or hang with the family and make it more a social run?

Not long after the gun went off I decided I should make a go of it. I decided to make my goal to come in under 45 minutes, under a 9 minute mile pace. Turns out it was more difficult mentally running it "by myself", without my usual running buddies and without my ipod to spur me on. It was a mental drag at times for sure. Ethan and Ally did it essentially with no training, hello youth!, by run/walking it with their cousins. 

All in all we had with us:

My Dad and Fran,

Sarah, Tyler and Austin,

Ryan, Jen, Shaylen, Sawyer, and Cole,

Me, Ethan and Ally

(not pictured) Kent, Lisa and Jace Skidmore

I was pleased to come in at 44:25 with an 8:53 average pace, sixth place for women 30-34 out of about 35 women. Not too shabby.

Ethan came in at 1:03

Ally came in at 1:12

It was a great morning followed up with a great day with family up at Bear Lake's beach.

Can't wait for next year.