Happy Father's Day!

I've started this post several different times in several different ways. I mean, how can you really post everything about fathers in one lousy post? And how to make in meaningful without being cheesy? So, here's my best attempt.

I seriously have the best men in my family. Let's start at the top and work our way down. My Grandpa A is amazing. Among other things, he taught me at a young age that true love grows stronger with time, not weaker. As I've grown older, I've never seen anyone love their spouse the way my grandpa does. My grandma is currently suffering with dementia, and despite all the hardships this brings, I am touched at what it has done to what I always thought was the perfect marriage. My grandpa is so considerate of my grandma and her feelings and frustrations, and he is still so sweet with how he talks about her. I hope someday to have the marriage that my grandpa has modeled for me.

My Grandpa S was also an amazing man. As much as I used to joke about how I wished I was more from my mom's side than my dad's growing up, I proudly kept my maiden name for my middle name when I got married. My grandpa was a convert to the Church, and yet you'd never know it. He was so devoted to the gospel, even serving several missions with his wife in his later years (including to my beloved Nauvoo Temple). My grandpa taught me that life is not to be wasted, that money should be saved well and spent well, and that it's okay to love people but not like them sometimes. And, of course, Grandpa taught me that everyone can be the favorite (even though I'm sure that I'm REALLY the most favorite grandchild...).

Of course, awesome grandparents means awesome parents. Since this is a Father's Day post, I'm going to try to talk about my dad without getting too emotional. Or not. :) Let's start by not using my words:

"My daddy is my fav’rite pal,
And I help him ev’ry day.
It’s plain to see I want to be
Like him in ev’ry way.
He teaches me that honesty
Is best in all I do.
I’m very glad that he’s my dad,
And I know he loves me too."
(LDS Children's Songbook, "My Dad", song #211)

I wanted to be just like my daddy growing up, even though I was a girl. I wanted to go on scouting trips and mow the grass and clean the pool. I wanted to be able to wear swimsuits that were just shorts and have ratty tennis shoes for working in the yard and know how to fix everything from toilets to walls (with two older brothers, my dad patched a lot of walls...). I wanted to be magically good at painting walls and be able to sense when things where done properly. I wanted to know how to check my oil, change a flat tire, and when a mechanic was lying to me. I wanted to jump high on the trampoline, be over 6 feet tall so I could be good at basketball, and be the best softball player ever.

I may not have gotten everything I wanted (I'm sure my neighbors are thankful that I no longer want to wear swimsuits that are just shorts!), but my daddy was able to teach me many of the above. I know how to check my oil and change a flat tire, though I'm still relying on my mechanic to be honest. I know how to mow grass, unclog sink drains, build a fire, and set up a tent. I knew how to pick a good man to marry because I tried to find one that was like my dad. I've learned to have compassion based on watching my dad buy food for homeless people. I've learned that sometimes you have to watch your kids do dumb things because they're too stubborn to listen to their wiser parents, but that you love them all the same. My dad taught me that it's incredibly valuable to learn the scriptures on the deepest level you can, because there's so much more to every story than what's obvious in the first reading. I've learned that Seminary is the best part of high school, and it's well worth it to wake up super early in the morning to go. I've learned that some things are just common courtesy, like filling up the gas tank before you return a borrowed car. I've learned that husbands should love their wives, and children should obey, honor, and respect their mothers, because my daddy taught me this by his example and by busting my butt when I didn't treat my mom as well as I should have.

My daddy IS my favorite pal. I think he's the best dad a girl could ever have, and if you don't agree with me then we can just take this outside...

Finally, no post on Father's Day would be complete without paying homage to my wonderful hubby, the father of my children. I seriously lucked out on this one. Though I'm sure he'll modestly disagree, B1 is an awesome dad. He works so hard so I can be at home with our kids. He's B2's biggest fan at his t-ball games. He wrestles B2 and tickles him almost to the point where B2 can't handle it anymore. I absolutely love watching him play with the kids. B2 and D of course just adore their daddy. As a husband he is so supportive. He came and watch me run my half marathon (can you say BORING! I think the only sport less interesting to watch than running is probably rhythmic gymnastics). He went to all my work parties even through he didn't really know anyone there (except during the times my sister worked there), and never complained about being bored when we started talking shop. He doesn't complain (much) when I spend hours blogging or editing photos, and lets me spend lots of money on hobbies like cake decorating. He laughs, and only grimaces a little, when I told his coworker that the chocolate cake I brought for B1 was really feces, because I didn't want the coworker to sneak it (I'm such a lady, aren't I?). B1 is such a wonderful husband and father, and we are so blessed to have him.

I could continue on and talk about all the wonderful other fathers out there, like my brothers, brothers-in-law, father-in-law, grandparents-in-law, but emotionally I just don't have it in me. Sorry guys. But seriously, Happy Father's Day!!!!

Funny Things B2 Says

B2: "Mom, who's going to be my soccer coach?"
Me: "I don't know yet."
B2: "Is it going to be Coach Jeff?" (Coach Jeff is my assistant coach on B2's t-ball team)
Me: "No, I don't think so."
B2: "How about me?"
Me: "You? You don't know how to play soccer. How are going to teach other kids how to play soccer?"
B2: "Kick the ball to B, kick the ball to B, kick the ball to B, and I kick you in the face!"

No Doubt About It

Today I finished my 5th book of the year, and my 2nd nonfiction book--No Doubt About It by Sheri Dew. Wow! This was an amazing book. Over and over I kept thinking there was a reason this sat on my shelf for so long--I really needed to read it now. Over and over again, I kept thinking, "This is great! I really need to apply this." I wanted to blog quickly on some stuff she said in the last chapter:

"How often have all of us made judgments that are...unfair? Why can't we resist the urge to second-guess and evaluate each other? Why do we judge everything from the way we keep house to how many children we do or do not have? Sometimes I wonder if the final judgment will be a breeze compared with what we've put each other through here on earth!

"...When we fail to champion one another, we in essence betray each other.

"...What if we were to each decide that from this time forward we would make just one assumption about each other--that we are doing the best we can? And what if we were to try a little harder to help each other?" (pg 225-228, emphasis added)

This is a new challenge for me. I'm pretty good about not judging people in a lot of areas. If anything, I'm harsher on myself than I think I am on others, except when it comes to certain categories. I don't want to list them just because I don't want anyone to worry that I've been judging them. Clearly, it's my problem, not theirs. But, I'm posting about this because I want the help of my friends and family members. If you hear me saying things like, "Why is she doing...?" (in a judging way and not as a means of gathering more information) or "I can't believe someone in her shoes would actually..." then I want you to smack me. Meanwhile, I'll try to keep all negative thoughts out of my head, including all the ones that sound like, "I wish I had her hair" or "Why is her son better behaved than mine?" or "Why can't I make my house as cute as her house?" I'll also try to be a little nicer, a little more concerned about others, and a little less (rather, a lot less) envious of the wonderful people that surround me.

Funny Things B2 Says

Last night B2 was running a low-grade fever. B1 asked him how he was doing. B2's response?

"I hurt my swallower."

Half marathon--DONE!

Last Saturday I ran my half marathon! I was really nervous about it. A few months ago, I started a training program that I found on Hal Higdon's website. But, I wasn't great at keeping exactly to the schedule. I missed a lot of the runs, including the last two big runs of 9 and 10 miles each. As my runs got longer, my body would hurt more after each run. After my 8 mile run, I had pain not only in my knees but also in both of my feet in the arches. Then, last week, about 5 days before my race, I came down with a cold--sore throat, fatigue, runny nose, you name it. I was so worried that I wouldn't have the energy to finish or that I would injure myself. But, with a little help from the Lord, I was able to finish the race! I had three goals with this race (the first was a goal I wanted to hit, and the other two were more like "It would be nice if I..." rather than "I WILL..."):

1.) Finish - that's it! Just get through it without quitting.
2.) Don't walk at all.
3.) Run in 2:37 or less (an average of 12 minutes per mile)

So, I finished. I did end up walking, but only barely. I walked at the drink stations just long enough to drink my water. I stopped long enough to pee in a bush (they did have portable toilets, but the lines were so long and I didn't want to lose time waiting in a line), and I walked about 10 seconds at about 8.5 miles into the race. Not too bad for my first race! And, my race time wasn't 2:37 (see below).

The race started at 6:00 a.m., but we had to be at the local mall between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m. to meet the buses that would take us up the canyon. I spent the night at my sister's house because a.) it was closer, and b.) she's usually up early in the morning anyway to feed her baby. She dropped me off a little before 4:00, and my crazy morning began. At the start of the race, there were so many people! The website showed the final count of those running the half at 1,949. Plus, there were volunteers, pacers, and maybe some who were doing relay half marathons. We were all trying to stay warm, and I didn't know a single person there (I knew some who were running the race, but I didn't see them). As it got closer to 6:00 a.m., the sun started to rise, and we all made our way to the starting line. We didn't have a gun that went off or anything--I just noticed that people were starting. I hung toward the back because I didn't plan on running too fast, so I didn't want to get in the way of tons people who would be passing me. It took a few minutes to get my stride, and then I settled in. There were stations every two miles with drink, food (some stations had oranges and bananas, while others had GU gels), and bathrooms. It was awesome to hear people cheering each other on, whether they were going fast, walking, or in-between. I was most inspired by those who seemed like "underdogs" - those who didn't appear to be in the best of shape, or those who were getting senior citizen discounts at restaurants.

Once we got out of the canyon, the race became harder. It was all downhill at this point, but the beautiful scenery was gone and I realized we still had a long way to go. This was also at about the 8 mile point, which meant I was also running further than I had in my training. But, it also meant that family and friends of the runners could be standing by the course, and there were lots of people there cheering not only their friends and family but everyone! It was such a boost to hear those people cheering, even though they didn't know me. And then, I saw my family! B1, B2, D, and my mom had come to cheer me on. After I passed by, they all got in their car and drove a few blocks down and kept cheering! It was awesome that they did that, as it kept me going during the worst part of the race. Once I hit the 9 mile mark, it became a little easier to keep going. Then, I saw the Riv, where B1 and I met nearly 9 years ago, and I realized how close I was. I increased my pace just a little, and when I got to where Brian and I lived when we were first married, I could see the finish line 5 blocks ahead. When I was at 2 blocks away, I increased my speed again, and I sprinted the last 50-100 meters to the end. Then I thought I'd pass out. :) I could barely stay on my feet as I walked around trying to find something to drink, and then I went and found my family. Beez and HeyHey met up with us right after while I stretched and tried to get my strength back. My official chip time was 2:42:46. So, it was about 5 minutes slower than what "would have been nice" but I'm still happy with my time.

As I've talked with people about the race since then, I've found that the best comparison I can make is that running this race was like giving birth. At first, I thought it couldn't be that bad. After all, thousands of people run races like this, or even worse, so why shouldn't I be able to do it too? Once I started training (like once I got pregnant) I realized that this was more daunting than I had realized, but the training process helped me feel like it was still manageable. The night before and the morning of, I was nervous but excited. About halfway into my race (like labor), I thought that this was the dumbest decision I had ever made. What smart person really runs like this for fun??? And what type of masochist actually does it more than once? With the help of my family cheering me on, I saw the finish line and I was able to finish knowing that the end was in sight. Once done, it was a high--I had done it! I had done something that lots of people don't do, and I had survived! The biggest difference between the two scenarios is that immediately after B2 was born, I swore I would never have kids again, because there was no way I'd be that stupid as to put myself through that again. However, immediately after the race was done, I thought, "Yeah, I could totally do that again, and next time I'll do it faster!"

S's Inverse Law of Cleaning

After years of compiling data and running various regression analyses, ANOVAs, and probabilities, I have concluded that there exists a law (p<.05) of cleaning which I am naming the Inverse Law of Cleaning. This law states that the amount of time you spend cleaning a certain part of your home is inversely related to the amount of time that part stays clean.

The perfect example of this law is the following:

Yesterday afternoon I spent nearly 3 hours using a carpet cleaning to clean my front room and living room. That's it. Roughly 400 square feet...3 hours.

Not even 24 hours later, I get out of the shower this morning to discover this:

Yes, that's lotion...all over my newly cleaned carpet. Really? I mean, D couldn't have spread Goldfish or something I could vacuum up all over the carpet? No, it had to be an oily, liquid-y substance that will continue to collect dirt, thereby exponentially increasing the speed at which my carpet looks dirty again, until I clean it with the carpet cleaner. *Sigh*

Being a stay-at-home mom--living the dream!!! :)