Something's wrong here

Living in a family with 10 kids 7 of whom are girls you get used to seeing lots of girls and ony a couple of boys sitting around the table. The other night at dinner I looked around and realized that Carinna & I were the only girls at the table with Joe, Brian, Tyler, Greg & Kevin. It felt really strange to be in the minority!

To walk or not to walk continued. . .

So I walked! Yes I actually made the entire 13.2 miles!!! It took me 3 hrs 46 min which is not too bad all things considered. Kevin & Riley ran it in 2.5 hrs, Kaitlin walked it in 3 hrs 30 min, Brian & Katie finished in 3 hrs 40 min, and Joe finished in 4 hrs 5 min. Somewhere between mile 5 & 6 Joe & I split up which left me on my own on the trail. It was a really beautiful area and I enjoyed the scenery but somewhere between mile 8 & 9 I had to start convincing myself I really could do it and if I just kept putting one foot in front of the other the finish line would eventually appear. By mile 10 I was making up silly rhymes to keep my mind off the pain in my hips and legs. By mile 11 I was starting to feel the joy of knowing I was going to make it and nothing was as sweet as seeing the finish line and knowing I could stop and rest! We were all sore Saturday night but we all survived. It is amazing what we can accomplish when we put our minds to it. We had a good time as a family and it was fun (yes I said fun) to do it together. Reflecting back on it and being asked why on earth I would do it I think I just needed something to push me forward right now. It's been a difficult year and I needed to find out if I really could do something hard. Did I still have the ability to get outside of my comfort zone and succeed. It is nice to know the answer is yes.

Life's Greatest Joy

This past weekend we had the opportunity to take Alex through the temple to receive her endowments and be sealed to Nick. Nothing in life can compare with being in the temple with your kids. Brian, Katie, Andrea, Todd, Greg & Carinna were all there with us. Amanda was there in spirit but was not able to come in from Alaska to be there in person and we missed her as well as aunts, uncles and grandparents who we love. The weather was absolutly beautiful which was nice as it had been bitter cold and raining earlier in the week. Heavenly Father truly blessed us with a wonderful day. Nicks family all came down from Idaho which was really nice. It was a fun experience to meet Alex's mother in law in the dressing room in the temple! We had lots of fun, lots of love and most of all lots of joy. Katie & Brian once again stepped up to bat and pulled off all the decorations, food, and photography. Everyone pitched in to help set up & clean up. It always amazes me as I watch the kids pull together to help each other out how much they have grown and the love they have for one another. Saturday as I reflected on the day I realized that exactly nine years ago on April 18th we were sitting in a court room signing the final adoption papers and Alex legally became our responsibility. How fitting that nine years later to the day, she legally became Nick's responsibility!

Entering the 21st Century

I have had the same glasses for the last 4 or 5 years and have noticed over the last few months that when I put them down on a counter, bookshelf, table, etc. I can't find them. They are frameless and blend right into whatever surface they are on. I find myself running my hands across the surfaces hoping to bump them so I can find them. I'm sure it is an amusing sight and makes it appear that my sight is worse than it really is. I should probably explain that I need them for distance and take them off in order to read which means they are off on a regular basis. Since I needed a new perscription I decided that it might be time for new frames that I won't lose when I put them down. Joe helped me pick the new ones and assured me they look great. When I came home with them Greg said "wow, welcome to the 21st century mom". They are so different that I do a double take every time I see them in a mirror. I end up laughing and wonder if they are really "me". Since my insurance only allows new frames every other year I have plenty of time to get used to them. Riley and I tried to get pictures of both sets but it didn't work too well so you'll just have to use your imagination! The new frames have wide black arms and have black along the top edge. They are not quite the shape of cat eye lenses but they're close.

So now that I posted four in one day can I be lazy for four months??

Conference

I loved conference. I am so grateful to be a member of the church and have the opportunity to hear from the Prophet and apostles on a regular basis. No matter what is going on in life there is something in the conference talks that brings comfort, peace & hope. My new quote comes from Elder Neil L Anderson's talk as he quoted President Monson. There seems to be a running theme in my quotes regarding challenges and having the strength to get through them. Our family seems to be going through a time of growth and learning which means challenge and struggle. It will be interesting to see what quotes I am drawn to as different challenges pass and new ones arrive.

To walk or not to walk

Katie found out about a half marathon in May which we are planning on doing together as a family. Some of us will run (obiviously not me) and some of us will walk. I am hoping to get clearance from the Dr this week to participate. Right now I have permission to do training walks but she won't clear me to enter until the lab tests come back. Last week I walked 2.8 miles on Monday and 2.25 on Tuesday then spent Wednesday and Thursday down and pretty much non functioning. By Friday I was regaining some strength & energy. This week I think I will try walking every other day and see if I can handle that better. Whether or not I get to participate I am excited for everyone else. I think it is going to be a great opportunity for Riley to see what she can accomplish before heading off to college the first week of June. I also think Kevin will excel and it will bring him a measure of self assurance. He continues to struggle in school and was recently "excused" from science and math. His caseload teacher is also his constitution & history teacher. She really likes him and loves his quirky personality. She is the only teacher who has not "excused" him from attending class on campus. When I was meeting with her to get the teachers editions for the math I will now be in charge of she asked about my health and I mentioned it may be chronic fatigue, she asked if I was sure is wasn't chronic Kevin!

My how time passes

As is blatantly obvious I am not getting better at this blog thing. It has been a tremendously busy and crazy time around here and I recognize that the more stressed I feel the more private I become. It is hard to write to an unknown audience and express daily ups and downs. I am still fighting almost constant fatigue. The Dr is now checking for vitamin deficiency which I am hoping for as the alternative at this point is chronic fatigue syndrome. I cannot imagine feeling like this everyday for the rest of my life.