Socks Make The Woman

I bought some new socks to wear while I run. They are heavenly. I just love them. They are Champion brand and have an extra moisture wicking property that keeps my feet from getting too hot. They also have this awesome support portion that wraps around my arches. They are so comfy. I'm now in the market for some new running shoes. Do you have a favorite brand/style?

Training update: Last week I ran six miles and cross trained on Tuesday and Thursday.

Yesterday the weather was almost 50 degrees and I got to run outside. I ran just over three miles. It is amazing how much faster I ran when I was just running sans treadmill. I had the thought when I was just finishing up that I had just run a 5K! Tomorrow I cross train and on Saturday I'll run 4 miles (on my treadmill, sigh... it will be too cold to run outside again).

My theme song for this half-marathon is the Kung Fu Panda version of Everybody is Kung Fu Fighting. Check out the lyrics below. They give you a real shot of adreniline!

Chorus:
Everybody is Kung Fu Fighting
Your mind becomes fast as lightning
Although the future is a little bit fright'ning
It's the book of your life that you're writing

You're a diamond in the rough
A brilliant ball of clay
You could be a work of art
If you just go all the way
Now what would it take to break
I believe that you can bend
Not only do you have to fight
But you have got to win

(Chorus)
Everybody is Kung Fu Fighting
Your mind becomes fast as lightning
Although the future is a little bit fright'ning
It's the book of your life that you're writing

Oooooouuhhh

You are a natural
Why is it so hard to see
Maybe it's just because
You keep on looking at me
The journey's a lonely one
So much more than we know
But sometimes you've got to go
Go on and be your own hero

(Chorus)
Everybody is Kung Fu Fighting
Your mind becomes fast as lightning
Although the future is a little bit fright'ning
It's the book of your life that you're writing

A Birthday Present for President Lincoln

Today is the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln and A thinks that is fantastic. We've been reading a beautifully illustrated children's chapter book about Abe's childhood. When I told A that it was good ol' Abe's b-day, I asked him what we should do to celebrate.

A: I don't know. Maybe we could get him a present.
Me: Oh, really. Like what?
A: Maybe a bulldozer and a crane and a book about trucks.
Me: Hum, interesting idea. And anything else?
A: And a train.

Always thinking of others. I was thinking he'd say something like make a birthday cake or something like that. We built many Lincoln log buildings in Abe's honor today. Here is a cute pictures of the boys and the Lincoln log towers.

Making Progress..mostly

I ran six miles this week. Next week I will run seven miles to be on track in my training for the half marathon.

If only the other goals in my life where this easy to measure and have definite starting and ending points. (and to be honest, my goals are things like get up, change diapers, feed everyone--but not too much, and don't watch too much tv. I guess it's time to re-evaluate my long term goals)

If anyone has tips on how to get your three-year-old to sleep past 4:30 am, we're all ears. Baby is sleeping great, but I'm exhausted thanks to my early riser.

Also, I'm taking tips on how to get motivated to get my house clean and organized. I'm sure part of it is just this frustration with our leaky roof. The drips have definitely slowed down or stopped for the most part. However, Friday a new spot started leaking. Sigh. All in due time I guess. The insurance agent sounded hopeful.

On a bright note, we went to the temple this week and (thanks to Stella) actually got to do some sealings together. Additionally we feel like we got some much needed peace of mind with regards to some thing things that have been leaving us a bit unsettled. Remarkable how personal revelation works. How blessed we are to have that wisdom and knowledge. Anyone want to foot the bill for $20,000 a semester for J to go back to grad school to study, of all things, nuclear engineering?

The Testimony of A Three-year-old

Our son has been asking to bear his testimony in church for the last couple of fast Sundays. We ascribe to the counsel that little children should be given a chance to share their testimonies at home until they are older. So, we've been having a little testimony meeting during family home evening the last few weeks. Tonight's testimony was classic: I know this Church is true. I know the temple has lots of doors. I'm thankful we get to have banana splits. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Salt Lake City Half Marathon Here I Come!

I'm putting together a team (a/k/a running buddies) to run the Salt Lake City Half Marathon on April 18. If you'd like to join us, we'd love to have you. Two of my sisters are already on board and I've got another couple of people thinking about it. Here's the link to the website. They have a fantastic expert training program (for all levels from beginner to advanced) that helps you plan, track, and monitor your progress. It cost $60 for the half marathon. There is a 5k if you're looking for something more low key and a full marathon for those looking for a challenge.

Ask yourself: "Can I give more?". The answer is usually: "Yes".
Paul Tergat

Hope to see you in the top of the mountains come April!

Water Dripping from Everywhere

So, we have a leaky ceiling...in four different places! We have had so much snow and ice build up that that the bottom layer of ice closest to the roof started melting and getting under the shingles and running into the house and pooling up on the ceiling and finally came through. These are officially called ice dams. We've never had them before, so this is a new and crazy experience. Water dripping through one of the lights in the kitchen, water dripping in a spot in our office, water dripping between the walls of the laundry room, water dripping over A's bed. J accidentally put a hole through A's ceiling where the drywall was soaked and the insulation was also sopping wet.

We're doing everything we can to prevent heat from our house from escaping through the roof and cause more melting. Unfortunately there is not a whole lot we can do until the ice is completely gone (a/k/a when spring comes), even though I've been up there carefully chipping away what ice I can. Yesterday when we were saying family prayers, J asked Heavenly Father to heal our house.

We've spent everyday many hours a day for the last several days trying to deal with this. The insurance claims person will come this week and tell us what it will cost to clean, replace, and repair everything. For as overwhelming as it has been at times, I am not loosing sleep over it and know it will work out. We just keep working and trying to prevent more damage, clean up the exisiting mess and moving on. I'll post the great pictures when I have a few more minutes to catch my breath and upload them!

Our Best Life -- 2008 Year in Review