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.

Willard Hike

It has been fun to be a Young Women's leader while Ethan is also in Young Men's. Tonight we as a combined YM/YW group went for a hike up above Willard. I run this stretch a couple of times a week so I see this view often. I always mean to snap a photo but never do. This was the perfect opportunity with my cute first born also in the shot. It was fun hiking with my boy.

Flashback Friday: Ragnar Wasatch Back 2011

For Flashback Friday I figured I better hurry and get my photos from Ragnar last year on the old Blog, mostly because Ragnar Wasatch Back 2012 starts TODAY! Don't ask me if I am ready.

We were in van 1, all of us were Ragnar newbies this year, except Matt, the guy second from the left.  My sister Jen, Matt, Jen's Brother-in-law Kent, we called him the Kentyan because he ran 7 minute miles on average, Me, and Kent's teenage son Jace. Kent's wife Lisa was the one taking the photo. She made amazing food for us to enjoy. We will miss her cooler full of yumminess this year as she and the Kentyan will be in Van 1 while Jen and I were bumped to Van 2.

I had to make the photos black and white to keep from blinding you with my farmers tan. It was intense!

I was runner 2 of 12, I ran three different legs of the race totaling in about 11.5 miles overall. My first run was around 1:30 PM, it was about 6.7 miles through Nibley and Hyrum, my second run was about 10:30 PM for 3 miles heading into Morgan, then my final leg was around 7:30 AM for just under 4 miles through Francis. It was so much fun, even though around 2:30 AM I seriously wondered what on earth I was doing. I obviously loved it enough that I signed up again this year, even though I was handed a SERIOUSLY harder leg. I know I am crazy.

This was about 3/4 of the way through my first leg, I was seriously tempted to walk up this long, terrible hill, until I saw Jen taking photos of me. Talk about putting on the pressure!

This was Jen during one of her runs, she was definititely not in the mood for any more "support" from the van.

After this there wasn't much photo taking. We were too busy running, eating, trying to sleep, running, waiting in honey bucket lines, laughing and commiserating with one another. And more running.
It was awesome!

 2011 Wasatch Back Ragnar Team
197.4 miles
29 hours 6 minutes and 02.4 seconds
#119 out of 823  overall Co-Ed teams
#93 out of 713 Co-Ed Open teams

Special Thanks goes to Nate and to Fran for being our team volunteers! We couldn't have done it without you!!

Wordless Wednesday: Corn on the Cob

I just love watching little kids eat corn on the cob. I came across a couple of Ethan and Ally from back in the day, (prior to 2006), they were too cute to not share.

Last Day of School 2012

The end of this last year marks some big changes for the kids. Instead of getting a new teacher every fall our kids actually keep the same teachers for First and Second grade, Third through Fifth grade, and Sixth through Eighth grade. So at the end of this year our kids were saying goodbye to the Teachers they have had for atleast two years and are moving up to the next pods. Growing up.

Ethan and Mrs. Auble (6th and 7th, she should have had her one more year but she switched schools during the summer.)

Ally and Ms. Heidi Dale Prior (4th and 5th, she would have had her during her 3rd grade but she was still at Three Mile Creek Elementary.)

Ryland and Ms. Wermager (2nd grade, his 1st grade teacher retired to be a Mommy)

They have all been excellent teachers and we are going to miss them.

Waterfall Canyon with Chub

I had so much fun going with Ryland and all the kids in his second grade on a hike up Waterfall Canyon. It was especially fun because I haven't hiked up there for nine years. The last time I did was while I was pregnant with Ryland actually, so I thought it was fitting that we hike it together. The weather was perfect and all the kids made it to the top.

Ally's Mountain Man Rendezvous

Ally's class studied Mountain Men, Indians and Pioneers most of the year. As their Celebration of Learning they put on a Mountain Man Rendezvous at Fort Bueneventura in Ogden. She had to wear a costume that they came up with. 

She had to hand make something to trade at the Fort. She had made a bag which she weaved the edges together for this Peacock feather.

Ally and her friends, Allison and Jessica

She had to write and memorize a story and tell it during storytelling time. She wrote a story about how the turtle got it's shell.

Ally and her good friend Brooke, she is sure gonna miss hanging out with her next year when she heads off to Jr. High.

She also taught Nate how to do a dance the Pioneers did. It was so much fun to watch.

Nate was being a little silly during the dance and by the end Ally was giggling pretty hard. It was a fun night.

Ally was excited to be able to sleep in a TeePee with the other 5th grade girls that night. What a fun night for her.