Daddy's Lil' Girl

Today I was reading my awesome sister-in-law Jessica's blog, which it's a very funny blog to read, and I always look forward to her posts. The update for today was about her Turkey Day 5k, which her daughter Cindy also ran (one lap I believe). In her post she Thanked her dad for his support, and this got me thinking about my dad and all the support he has given me in all my races. 


This post is for him. 


This all started a long time ago with my dad's marathons and bike races and all of his events. I was the little tag along with my parents. Then eventually my dad started signing me up for the 5ks to run with him. Although I was not the greatest runner by any means, but he got me started young and that is what I attribute my success to. We ran a bunch of Holiday 5ks out in Holladay (where we used to live). He would run with me until close to the end then would tell me I need to beat 6 people (meaning pass 6 of the people currently ahead of me) and he will take me out to breakfast. Man, I had to do it, and every race I tried, one I even threw up at the end. But I think I only passed all the people once, so when we got home I would make him breakfast since I didn't make it.

To me I didn't fail. If anything I got stronger and had a better time with my dad because he would encourage me and give me all sorts of advice. Making breakfast for my dad made my morning. That was my favorite thing to make and it was always just fun being with my dad. 

Spudman 2009

I got thinking about my races that I did in high school (running, swimming and water polo) he came to all of the games that I asked him to come to. If I told him it was an important one he was there. Besides all of the high school sports, I also started triathlons when I was 15, my brother introduced me and got me hooked. Out of all of the triathlons and running races I've ever done, as far as my counting I can count 10 races that my dad wasn't there. Out of those 6 of those were this year and he now lives in a different state. The other 4 include my first Marathon (Ogden) but he was right there after the race to listen to me tell him every detail of the race, I even got the same time as his first marathon (cool huh?). My very first triathlon he was not there but he paid my way and my brother was there helping me even when I crashed. The second tri I missed my mom was there in Idaho with me and I competed along with my brother again, and the last one was in Ogden too he and my mom were in Europe riding bikes (pretty good excuse huh :). Even when I went to Texas he was there, cheering me on, even when I had a brain freeze and took 5 minutes to put on my gloves. My dad has always been a great support to me and my endeavors. 


My dad did his first Triathlon with me just days before I got married. I signed him up for the Spudman and he did it with me, it meant SO much to me to do such a great event with my dad, it was like a last ho-rah before getting married. 


I've always had such great support from my family when it comes to my athletics. All my siblings each got different talents they are amazing at, and I get to share a talent with my dad and brother in athletics. I have been taught so much from both. I always enjoyed the times I got to go shooting with the boys for Thanksgiving, or going on bike rides with my parents. Or even hiking up Mt. Olympus with my family when I was 7, which I promptly fell down and hurt my hand (ha ha still have the scar) but after the fall I got taken care of. I have so many memories of great adventures with my dad and brother. We liked to go hiking and camping together. 


I love my family. I miss them dearly. 


I want to thank my daddy for always being such a wonderful support to me, and always being at my races, whether physically or just in your support. I wish I was in NC with you and Jake this weekend to build a bike, and to go for bike rides in non freezing weather. Missing my family. I love you guys!!

Thanks Dad for your support and love. 


Love, 


Sweet Pea <3

Giving Thanks

This Thanksgiving is a rather odd year. Nathan, his brother Sean and I were planning on heading up to Seattle for Thanksgiving this year to be with Robert and Brooke along with their adorable daughters and KaRyn (Nathan's brother wife, and sister). I was SO SO exited I swear I told everyone our plans because I was just so excited. Also, this was going to be my first time going to Seattle. Low and behold the night of our departure was Utah's Epic Blizzard so we decided not to travel and see how things are today. Though this snow storm that was supposed to be so dangerous and life threatening (as the meteorologists said) turned out to be just another Utah snow storm, just sideways. Yes the temperature is frigid which makes for icy roads, we didn't get much snow which was disappointment today, but up in Northern Utah and Idaho it was a lot worse. 


We have decided to stay home and spend Thanksgiving together, as well as go to dinner at my Grandma Newtons. What makes this year odd is that again I am with out my Mom and Dad, as well as Nathan's parents. I miss them all dearly. Living so far away from parents is a hard adjustment. You would think that after a year and a few months I would be adjusted, but I am not. 


My brother and his wife are spending the holiday with my parents and I am very jealous of them. I miss my parents dearly. Though I am happy to be with Nathan and Sean. I do miss going shooting with my dad and making either a salad or rolls with my mom. We had a lot of fun, but now Nathan and I get to start our own traditions (though I have a feeling a lot of Xbox will be involved), I am excited and happy to be spending this time with him. <3


This year I am grateful for warm weather, a warm apartment, and my wonderful husband. There are so many things to be grateful for. Too many to list at that, but I am glad to be safe at home. I hope to visit Seattle soon! 


I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. Remember all that you are grateful for, and the many blessings you have. 

Ideas!

I need your help. 

I am not a very well rounded person when it comes to hobbies. 

I NEED to find something new to interest me and try. 

This is why you are so AWESOME, because you can HELP me. 

What are your hobbies? What new things could I try to be better well rounded?

Any Ideas? 

Here is a list of things I am thinking about giving a try:

Kick Boxing

Boxing

Palates (spelling?)

Belly Dancing

I'd like to possibly learn a new skill (craft) but also not sure what. 

Painting, cant do, my sister is a pro so no. 

Photography, I'd love to if I had a nice camera, so no. 

Cooking, uh. I burn things and I don't want to spend that much money. 

Sewing requires me to have a sewing machine, and space. 

Eh. I feel like I am at a loss. Well one day I will find something, maybe when I am not overwhelmed by school and work full time.

All you crafty people (especially those in my ward), you are amazing I don't know how you do it, but you are all so awesome. I wish I had a little bit of your skill. 

Love, 

Your Admirer :)

Weeks Left

Those of us in school have 3 weeks until finals, then it’s off to Christmas Break! Wahoo!!

I can not tell you how excited I am for finals to be over. I am getting burned out this semester, and I need some rejuvenation from Christmas Break so that I can attack next semester with all I’ve got.

Right now is an exciting time, I am finally deciding my path for school, and that not only would I like to get my Bachelors but I am thinking possibly along with a Masters, and PhD. I am excited for the long road a head, I know that it will pay off, and it’s in Exercise Science and Nutrition two of my passions.

Along with my decisions, Nathan is applying for grad school, he is getting all ready to submit all of his applications, to many schools. I am excited after this process of extra schooling, to be headed somewhere and settle where we can in a solid grad school.

Things are really exciting, and I am so excited for the adventures we have.

Good luck to everyone getting ready for all of your finals!! It will be nice to have the holiday’s here and no homework :)

Family

It's Thanksgiving time again, and I can not help but think about family. There are a lot of people talking about things they are grateful for, and I am sorry but there are so many things that I am grateful for that I don't think I could blog about them all. 


I will mention a few just before I get on with my initial thoughts: I am so thankful for my job, the ability I have to work, and provide for my family, as well as continue my education. I am thankful for my ward, though it was a hard and slow transition for me to feel like I was apart of the ward, and I am still working on that, but I am so thankful for the support everyone has for one another, and that we can all get together for Relief Society activities and despite the fire alarm going off, it still was a fun and wonderful activity. There is so much positive energy in our ward I love it. I am thankful for the tiny little cubical of an apartment we have, that it is a space that is ours and that I get to share it with Nathan. I am so thankful for all the little things that are furnishing our apartment and the feeling of warmth and comfort I do receive there. I am so thankful for my body and the amazing wonders it can do, that I am able to run and not be weary, and for the strength I do have, I am so lucky to be able to improve my fitness and to be able to enjoy the time I spend testing out the amazing strength and endurance my body has. I am so thankful for food, it tastes so yummy, and that I have accessibility to it when I am hungry and that I don't have to worry about where my food is going to come from. I am also thankful for water. Water is truly so cool. I can drink it, I can cook with it, I can wash myself as well as my clothes with it, I can wash our dished with it. Water has so many uses, it's so cool. 


Now, onto my original thoughts. So, as Nathan and I have talked about our future and things we want to do, we agreed that we both want to travel. To be honest I haven't been very many places, and where I have been it's all been within the U.S. I have been to Lubbock Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Utah (obviously), California, Spokane Washington, Las Vegas and Hawaii. Not very many places. And I have driven to a lot of those states. So obviously we have a lot of traveling to do to see the world a little more. Where as Nathan he has lived in I think 5 states (Texas, Maryland, Florida, Utah and Nevada). Yup, 5. I have only lived in 1. 


Well, this is where our family comes in. I am so thankful for our families. We have so many wonderful examples in our lives. Both our mom's are wonderful women and such great examples of service and compassion, and our dad's (both accountants, funny isn't it), have taught us both the value of hard work. We are both well rounded people, Nathan is more laid back than I am. I take after my dad, he takes after his mom. I am very uptight and scheduled. But I am working on that. 


We have siblings and our parents in some pretty cool places. I am so thankful for my family that has gone against the grain (my parents and brother), and moved out of Utah, so that I too can get out and come visit, and explore more areas of our Country. I marred someone from outside of Utah, and I am so happy that I did. It brings so many different aspects to marriage. I love it. His family lives in several fun places, including Florida, Seattle, and L.A. I have never been to Seattle and this next week I get to go for the first time and explore again something new. His extended family lives in Texas and Oklahoma other places that I want to visit and explore. 


Family is so wonderful, and though it's hard to have parents away all the time it makes the times that I am with them that much sweeter. I am so excited to hang out with more of Nathan's family next week in Seattle, and I am so excited for Christmas to experience my first Christmas in a warm state!! All these fun new things bring so much more adventure to live and I am so thankful that I can travel and have the ability to drive or fly to family. I look forward to the holiday season for that one reason. 


What is your favorite part of the Holidays?

New Apartment!!!

No, we have not moved into a new apartment BUT it feels like we have! 


Yesterday I got home from work to a disaster. Our apartment looked like a tornado had gone through. There were nasty dishes with food in them, cupboards were open, suitcases everywhere, I tripped over both a set of golf clubs and our bikes. Our bed was not made and clothes were everywhere. Are you kidding me? This was horrible. I had to study for my test (that I have tonight) and I was not going to be able to concentrate in this sort of place, and I can't put it off any longer something needed to be done. I was so close to calling my home teachers and enlisting them to help me, but I decided I am the only one that know's where this stuff should go, so I did it. 


With in one hour, the dish washer was running, dishes that didn't fit were drying, trash was out, fridge was cleaned out (it looks empty now), bikes are now locked up in the laundry room where all bike do belong, golf clubs in the car to take to Eric (Nathan's old roommate). I had made our bed, folded Nathan's clothes and put them away, put my clothes away, moved new suitcases out of living room into the bed room in a very convenient place, Sentsy was going and I could now dance in our apartment. 


I opened up so much room in our apartment by putting everything back where is belongs. It feels so so good to have a clean apartment. This morning when I got up to go to the gym, I realized maybe the suitcases are not in the best spot, right at the end of the bed where I get off so I had to roll over Nathan, but that was fun so they will stay in their new spot. Looking at our apartment this morning I was just so giddy when I saw how clean it is.

The new fresh clean feeling is so great. Now I just wish I could rearrange our apartment set up :) 


Have you ever been so bored with something that by just reorganizing it made it feel new again?

Bathroom Nonsense

It's been a weird week. I feel like I am just moving through each day like a numb thing. I haven't payed very close attention to things, and just let my life run as it does. Today while leaving the bathroom I realized I had gone pee three times with in that hour. 

Have you ever realized that you drink water like you breathe air? 

That's what I've been doing, I drink a gallon of water each day at work I fill up all the time and I am always reliving my over filled bladder. What an odd way to spend each day running in and out of the bathroom just because I am addicted to water (as I just took another sip of water). 

This obsession I have with water I sure hope it will drain this cold right out of me. Yes, as I posted before Nathan was getting sick, and well what do you know I am getting it right as he is starting to feel better. 

Oh well, I will be careful to not spread it, and to drink myself well again. 

Ha ha that last sentence sounds funny. 

Have a good day. 

I am having a better day. I ate frozen yogurt today :) 

Gym..

Dear Creeper at the Gym, 


     Though I may have on tighter pants, and a pretty purple top on, I have my ear phones in and I am studying flash cards as I do each push up or ball crunch does not mean I want to talk to you. A person wear head phones to concentrate and enjoy their work out, so do I. 


     When you see a girl working out, do not interrupt her if she is busily working out, especially if you keep looking at her left hand and there is a wedding ring on her finger. When there is a ring, and she does mention her husband that is a huge clue that she is married and for you to leave her alone. 


    Creeper, it is not attractive when you talk about drinking, especially when I tell you I am LDS. It is not attractive when you ask a girl what she likes to do, or what sports she likes to do and when my response is running don't bash it. It's not attractive when you have longer greasy hair and smell nasty from your work out. 


    In the end, do not hit on girls at the gym, especially when they are married. Also if they are married and don't drink don't ask them if they want to come drinking with you and your buddies this weekend.


             Thank you. 


     Sincerely,


       An annoyed and creeped out gym goer.  

Sick

Does this happen to you? 


When Nathan gets sick, or starts to get sick I have to take all the same medicine he does to prevent me from getting what he has. So for example, yesterday he said his throat and sinuses were bugging him he felt like he was starting to get sick so he drank and emergency-C, and since he was I am. Now I am drinking it to keep my throat irritation from getting worse.

Every time one of us gets sick the other gets it worse, or so it seems. I don't like winter for this reason too, we are so much more susceptible to getting sick. It's no fun! For now I am feeling fine. We will see about next week if it gets worse. Lets hope not! 

Yummy!!

Last week I had dinner with my Mom, who was in town from North Carolina, and my grandparents. After dinner my grandma told us we needed to try a new kind of candy she had just bought at Costco. After trying the yummy treat I had to take some home for Nathan... Ha ha ha. Or so they thought. 


When I got home (bringing some left overs for Nathan's dinner) he finished the food I brought him. Except the candy, which was hiding in my purse :).. A while later Nathan said "I am surprised your grandma didn't send you home with any chocolate for me." and then there was silence. I just sat there trying not to laugh, he ran to my purse and found the delicious treat. Luckily for me he only had a few and left the rest for me. 

Today at work two ladies were headed to Costco, so I asked them to look for this delicious treat of mine... A while later I got a call double checking what it was I wanted, and I was in luck!!! My new favorite as well as Nathan's favorite treat Dark Chocolate Acai blueberries. Sounds yummy right? Well they are! And they are good for you. Dark Chocolate, Acai and Blueberries perfect mix! 


Don't they just look delicious? They sure are. I almost hid them in my desk at work, but I decided I should probably share with Nathan, since he likes them too. :)

Unexpected Surprises

Have you ever had one of the weeks or several of those weeks where you feel just out of it, and nothing is going your way? Ugh. I have. The last couple of weeks I haven't felt 100% especially in the running department. I have been working so hard to get to a point just to loose it, and I have been loosing my newly married weight that I have gained and over the last two weeks I just have felt like I am stuck in a rut and for running my energy hasn't been so good, and my endurance has dropped. No Fun! 


Yesterday I had a very splendid surprise. I went to the gym bright and early and ran just over 2 miles on the treadmill got bored so I went up on the track upstairs and did another 2 and a half. I was feeling bummed cause I had no energy. Well later I weighed myself and that was such a great surprise. Over the last little bit I thought I had gained about 5 pounds, but I found that I haven't!!! Oh that just made me so excited and it's given me more energy. I feel like the work I am doing, what effort I have been putting in is paying off. It felt so good. I actually lost 1 pound, which just elated me. I love those happy and unexpected surprised.


 Also yesterday after work I was checking to see if Nathan need me to pick him up from school he said he didn't know, so I took my time getting home just in case he decided he was ready for me to come get him. Well... I got home and saw the lights were on, I was thinking did he come home early and do the dishes? No, either those were our neighbors lights I thought were on or he's just studying. Well when I walked in it was in fact our apartment lights that were on, and he HAD done the dishes because he knew I'd appreciate it! That made me one happy wife, and I gladly made dinner for him and let him play Xbox while I was preparing it.


Days like that where I get a little extra motivation and humph (spelling?) through out my day just makes things so enjoyable. I have such a cute hubby, that helps me when I have a lot going on! He even let me watch Biggest Loser last night with out switching the channels all the time! It was a great night, and today will be another great day. 


Have you had any fun surprises? Any that make you want to do more things for other people?   

Rainy Days

This morning we woke up to a lot of RAIN, it was great.

I love the smell of rain, and the sound of it hitting the leaves on the ground.

NOW it is SNOWING... 

And it's Monday. 

THE END.

Now this is what I am dreaming of today... Ah! Warm pleasant bliss :)

Long vs. Big

One year ago (about this time), I chopped my hair. I mean really chopped my hair! It was about an inch and a half long, if that. Today at work I was looking at my hair in the mirror and was just contemplating how hair grows. It's quite fascinating isn't it? One minute it could be buzzed off the next it can be down to your bum. Our bodies are so interesting, and amazing as you think about all that it does, with out you telling it to do it. Here I am typing on a computer thinking of that I am saying and some how, through my fingers the words are coming on the screen. Wow, rather interesting. 

This Summer

Last November

Today at work It's Alive!

Well, to the point. I am pretty sure anyone reading this blog is quite familiar with my hair (the curly mass of which you can call a hair style). Especially if you are in my ward you would know from a past Relief Society activity you would have learned that the one thing my husband admires about me is my hair. (sarcasm is what he is made of).. Anywho. I am in the process of 'growing' out my hair. Nathan keeps asking me if I am serectly cutting it because it just isn't getting                   any longer. It's been at the same length all summer it seems like.
I FIGURED IT OUT! While looking at my hair in the mirror I realized my hair is growing you can see by my darker hair vs the blonde at the roots, but it may not look like it's growing down, but it sure is growing out! Yes people that is right, my hair is growing out not down! What do I mean? Well it means that my white girl fro is getting bigger as my hair is getting longer. The longer my hair grows the bigger it grows outwards. I have decided to compare some photos, bare with me on these, the best I could find with my resources at work.  

Great

Today is Monday, the first day and the first Monday of the month of November, and I am so happy to say that it's actually a good day. Usually on Monday's I am super grumpy, and they are just the worst days of the week. Today is not that. Work is the usual, I hardly slept last night, it was cold this morning, it had the makings of a typical crappy Monday, but it is not. Today is another one of those simply happy days. Things are going well, I feel like they are actually working with my not against me. Despite my muscle soreness from my exciting weekend, and my lack of sleep I am just super content and happy.

I just want to post a little today and say how grateful I am to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I know I have a Heavenly Father that loves me, hears my prayers and he knows the desires of my heart. As long as I do my part, to work hard, be good, and to remember him and my Savior Jesus Christ, he blesses me ten times more. I have a wonderful husband and family. Last night I got to see my mom and give her a big hug, I just wanted to cry because I miss her so much, and having her in town is just another one of those tender mercies that I see in my life. I am continually being watched over, loved and given so much. I love my heavenly father, and I am so thankful for all of my blessings and the hard times that I have to go through to help me enjoy every moment. 


Today my heart is just over flowing. I am excited for life, I am happy and I look forward to each new day. I hope you all can feel loved, know that I love you, and you are an example to me. <3


Linn