Tuesdays at Thanksgiving Point

We used to get an annual membership to Thanksgiving Point. It was a lot of fun when we had free time to go to the different venues. Life has gotten busy though and we stopped getting a pass.

 I love $3 Tuesdays in August because we got to go to the Dinosaur Museum, as we like to call it, Museum of Natural Curiosity, and Farm Country. It made for a busy afternoon but we had some fun outings.

We took some friends with us to the Dinosaur Museum

Backyard Neighbors

Fact: I have never had a backyard neighbor that I can remember. I was born in Heber but from the time I was 5 years old to 18 years old we lived in Daniel. We were surrounded by fields on every side. 

Since being married we’ve lived in Logan, Bountiful, American Fork and now Lehi. In each place we had side neighbors but no backyard neighbors.

I love the farm fields behind my house. When we moved in the word on the street was that the farmer who owned the fields had it in his will and trust to keep the fields farmed forever. We hoped that would be what would happen. He passed away two years ago and his daughter sold everything.

Arive Homes is going to build 70 homes! Lots of backyard neighbors 😁

New Job

The best part about being a nurse is the flexibility and variety of work. I have been working from home the last five years for Cotiviti and it has been perfect for me.  I really enjoy the work. The only problem is that it is seasonal work from February through May. I have been wanting something to keep me busy in the fall. I tried being a school nurse for three of the years in those 5 years and it wasn’t for me. The schedule is pretty great but the work wasn’t my favorite. 

My parents were sick a few months ago and I helped my dad with his patients. I gave shots and realized how much I miss the clinical side of nursing. Also I realized how shy and reserved I’ve become from working from home. I need something to get me out of my comfort zone. 

So I put my resume out on Indeed and was contacted about a contract position with Quest Diagnostics. It’s a seasonal job which will allow me to keep working for Cotiviti and have the summers off. My official title is Immunization Nurse. Basically I go to different companies and give flu vaccines. My schedule is completely flexible because I get to choose which events I want to work. So I can catch kids games or go on field trips. 

I completed my training and have my first event this week. 

Chapter Out of My Life’s Book

This blog started when James was born and I think it would be really fun to go back and blog events from before it was started. So here I go at an attempt to blog about my years playing soccer. I haven’t played soccer since an intramural team at Utah State so my kids forget that I played soccer and think I’m the odd one out without a soccer game each week. So here is a chapter out of the book of my life:

My parents signed me up for rec soccer starting around age 5 following the path of the rest of my siblings. I was a stubborn kid and uncoachable at times. My coach would ask me to do things and I would just say no! I was really competitive though and did like playing. It was just on my own terms. 

I continued playing rec soccer until I was in 6th grade. I kind of got bored so I took a break for a season or two.

I made some friends in middle school who liked soccer and I started playing again. We were on a competitive team coached by my friend’s dad. 

I tried out for the high school soccer team my freshman year and made the team with my friends. It was a lot of fun! We went to soccer camp at CEU (College of Eastern Utah). I loved playing from dawn until dark for a whole week.

#35 (crazy hair didn't care.....apparently)

I started playing goalie because my sister Ali and brother Kasey were goalies and I wanted to be like them. I thought it was in my blood to be a fierce goalie like they each were. 

This was not to be though. I wasn’t brave or fierce enough to jump on the ball next to the opposing team’s cleat. I didn’t like how it felt to dive on the ground. So I moved to midfield and another teammate took over as goalie. She was much better suited for that position.

Midfield was my position after that. I tried out for the team my sophomore and Junior year and made it. I had a lot of lower back problems so it made it really hard to be a great player. Isn’t that just Murphy’s Law….the daughter of a Chiropractor has back problems.

#15

I loved soccer though so I played through the back pain. My bag always smelled like Icy Hot because I would lather it on before practices and games.

I went to SUU (Southern Utah University) for soccer camps during the summer after my sophomore and Junior year. It was the best! 

We thought we were hardcore 😂

When it came to my senior year, my coach announced at soccer camp that if you wanted a chance at making the team it was required to run a 6:30 minute mile. I took that seriously. I started going to a personal trainer at the Fit Stop and told her I needed to get fit enough to run a 6:30 mile. I also went to the track every Saturday morning and practiced a timed mile. So between working out with the trainer and running on my own I had my mile time down to 6:30 by the time tryouts came around.

I wasn’t even worried about tryouts because I could run the 6:30 mile and I had made the team every year. I thought I had it in the bag. 

The first day of tryouts went well. The second day didn’t go so well. My coach pulled me aside and told me I was going to be cut from the team. He noticed how busy I was with school. 

Side note: I was taking college classes so I could graduate from high school with my assoicate’s defree from UVU and high school diploma at the same time. 

He said he thought it would be better if I just dropped out of soccer and focused on my studies and other extracurricular activities. I was also really involved in FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America). 

I went home from tryouts in tears. I knew I wanted to play soccer and I knew I would make time for it despite all my classes and other activities. 

Ali and I went for a run later that day and it was like therapy to talk to her all about it. I decided I was going to keep going to tryouts and play my best so coach would see I was serious about soccer. I also decided I was going to be positive, to everyone on my team, cheer them on, and even if I never got playing time I would help the team out in any way possible.

The rest of tryouts went really well and I felt like I played well. I ended up making the team! I even started about half of the games that year. It taught me a lot about attitude and determination.

#15 (I had a white jersey but they wanted me to wear yellow...??)

This player card was from an anti drug campaign. I always wanted black hair but my mom wouldn't let me dye it. Our compromise was black tips.

I played intramural soccer on a coed team at Utah State University my freshman year and we won 1st place and got t-shirts! 

I haven’t played much since then so I can see why my kids don’t know I play soccer. I coached Kade’s team for a few seasons but I just don’t have the coaching skills. My voice is too quiet and I’m to shy and passive. 

James’s coach talked about having a players vs. parents game. I hope there really is one because I think it sounds super fun!

Where the Sidewalk Ends

There is a book by Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends. Now I know where it ends. 😁 It’s on 1200 E and 1100 N in Lehi 😆

I ran the hills of Lehi today and chuckled at this sign. 

Bridal Veil

I wanted to take a ride up Provo Canyon to see if the leaves were changing. My new job has started but isn’t as busy as I thought it would be. (Post to come on this next week)

So I left my house around 9:45 and rode north to the Murdock Trail. I rode it south to 800 N in Provo. Then rode the Provo River trail to Bridal Veil and then back home the same way. It was a 3 hour ride, 50 miles round trip. The leaves haven’t changed yet but it was still a beautiful ride. The cool fall weather was the perfect temperature.

Work

James wants to earn money. So he tried the babysitting route over a year ago but Covid pretty much ruined that. Then he wanted to mow lawns. He didn’t make a great effort at getting customers and we have such a crazy schedule that I couldn’t really support him in getting him to the customer’s houses. He ended up with two lawn jobs but they were just one time gigs. A couple of his friends mowed lawns through the summer but their dads helped them out and worked along side of them. Marshall’s schedule doesn’t work to do that so mowing lawns just wasn’t going to work.

James turned thirteen this summer which opened up becoming a referee. He certified and had his first game. He is an assistant ref or sideline ref which is what he will do until he gets plenty of experience under his belt. 

I know there will be ups and downs reffing but hopefully it can be a good job for him long term. I reffed one game as a teenager and didn’t like it so I didn’t ref again. Babysitting was more my thing though.

Books and Buddies

Books and Buddies was cancelled last year due to Covid. This year it’s back with some social distancing added. We met outside on a beautiful sunny morning. Lynnlee invited me to be her buddy. We read some picture books and then finished off with Calvin and Hobbs. So crazy that this is her last year in elementary school!

Also that day, Hannah, Lynnlee and Bailey wore their Clear Creek shirts. I had to get a picture of them.

Light On Top of the Hill

Mount Timpanogos Temple is so beautiful in the dark. I miss being able to get up and go with James on Tuesday mornings without an appointment. Just another thing on the list that Covid has complicated.

I was lucky to find an opening and schedule an early morning appointment for James to go with Marshall.

Ball Box

We might be a little partial to soccer at our house 😆

While I was mowing the lawn, I put a frisbee in the ball box. I can’t believe how many balls we’ve accumulated in the last 10 years.

Chapter 27

If I wrote a book about training and doing a half Ironman, Chapter 27 would be the victory chapter. It would be the last or second to last chapter in the book. It would go something like this:

There were two miles left to go in the run when I passed a tall red headed woman. She had been run/walking. She was walking when I passed her. She didn’t have her age written on her calf so I wasn’t sure how old she was. (Every participant had their race number on their left arm, age on left calf, and event on their right calf: S for sprint, O for Olympic, L for long course) I had paid attention to everyone’s age throughout the race and I couldn’t tell how old she was by looking at her. After I passed her she saw my age on my calf and said, “We are the same age! I can’t let you pass me!” Then she started running and passed me. I was tired and didn’t have energy to pass her again. I just kept running at my steady pace trying to go as fast as I could without burning out before the finish line. This red headed runner kept run walking. It was frustrating because she would run and get ahead and then walk until I was almost caught up. So annoying that I couldn’t pass her but I just had enough energy to keep running my pace and that was it. 

I finished the race about 15 seconds behind her. I congratulated her when I got through the finish line. She told me I motivated her to keep running in her over confident voice. 

I really wasn’t sure if I had placed in my age group. I kind of figured I was lucky to have gotten third place but I thought I probably got fourth place or something out of podium. 

I decided to go get my bike and other gear out of transition and take it to the truck. Then I would go see what the results were. While I was at transition I passed the red headed runner getting her stuff. She told me she checked the results and she took second place. So she told me I must have taken third place since I finished right behind her. Then she said, “I had to go to the bathroom at the end of the race but I would rather poop my pants then let you beat me!” She  definitely came across as very conceited.

We both headed over to the podium for the awards ceremony. 

They announced the third place finisher and it was a name of a different woman, not me! Then they announced second place and the red headed woman went to the podium. Then they announced my name for first place!!! I was ecstatic! I stood on that podium beaming and feeling all the good feels. The red headed woman wouldn’t look at me or talk to me. 

I realized that based off the chip times I was faster even though she crossed the finish line before me!

Brineman Half

In the past I have trained for marathons and not had the outcome I wanted. This time I trained hard for the Brineman Half and had a great outcome!!!

Ali and I stayed in Layton the night before. It helped ease the race nerves knowing we were close to the start line.

My race started at 7:30. Ali’s started an hour later.

We’ve practiced open swim a few times but I didn’t realize how much slower I would be in a wetsuit, in choppy water and with a hundred people surrounding me. Normally I can swim 1.2 miles in 38 minutes. The swim took me 43 minutes. I was happy I didn’t have any feet or leg cramps. 

The bike course was out to Antelope Island and all over the island. I had a very fast pace for 3/4 of the course. The wind was at my back across the causeway to the island and I was riding 22-24 mph when I normally average 18-20 mph. It was fun and crazy. It rained throughout the ride on the island. By the time I finished I had soaking wet socks and shoes. The ride back on the causeway and streets of Syracuse was straight into the wind. It was so hard and tiring. My speed dropped significantly. 

This bison was right next to the causeway so I had to ride past him. I was a little nervous but thankfully he didn’t look like he was ready to charge.

I had jello legs starting the run, my toes were numb and my shins were burning. Thankfully after mile 2 I could feel my toes, by mile 4 my shins felt better, and my legs felt strong. 

Marshall rode his bike along side of me. It was nice having his support! The sun came out by the second half of the run and it was hot. I will take rain over running in the heat. By mile 8 my quads hated me but I just kept putting one foot in front of the other until I crossed the finish line.

I didn’t think I placed because there were, I thought, 8 women ahead of me. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out I placed 1st in my age division, 6th overall women! 

Fitbit at the end of the day…!

Thanks to all the support and love from family and friends! My friend Chelsea brought me a gift basket the day before. My in laws gave me flowers and my kids made cards for me. Plus all of the texts from friends and family. I felt very loved!

Labor Day

Ali and I started off Labor Day with an open water swim, quick bike ride and mini run. I had new tri shirts I was testing out and she wanted to practice open water swimming.

It was a beautiful morning. It was so fun doing it with her!

Marshall was our support crew on a kayak. Then he joined us for the bike ride.

Later that morning we drove to Syracuse and Antelope Island to check out my race course. It was fun and exciting to see where Ali and I will swim, ride and run!

The swim is at Stillwater, a private reservoir. 

We leave from there on the bike. Ali will bike around Syracuse and I will bike out to Antelope Island, around and back.

We saw a couple of herds of Bison out in the distance while driving around. 

The bike ends and the run starts at Jensen Nature Park. It is a really pretty nature preserve with a pond, walking path and lots of grassy areas. 

My kids had fun climbing this tree.

We had to stop at Zeppe’s before heading home. It was the reward for everyone going with me to check out my race course.

They are 19 months apart and and she’s gaining on him. I have a feeling she will pass him up before he hits his growth spurt.

That night we had dinner at Ali’s. It was fun hanging out with their family!