Mark it on your calendars!

One of the things that I love about being in Utah is watching runners. No matter what time of day, I always see a runner. It's inspiring to see so many people dedicated to fitness and their mental and physical well-being. One of my inspirations is my mom. I don't think I would enjoy running if it wasn't for my mom. She is the one who has helped me to enjoy the personal challenge of running races. This past week we did two races together, that runners in Utah need to take advantage of!

Over the weekend I went with the parents to Bryce Canyon for the Bryce Canyon Half Marathon. The course was absolutely breath-taking. It was our first year running this race and I think we are committed to running it again and again. It was well organized, the weather was perfect, and the course was fantastic. Be sure to sign up for it next July. You won't regret it!

My mom is so awesome! Look at her go! I always get emotional watching my mom finish her races. I'm such a nerd.

I'm glad to be back in Utah where I can run with my mom again.

My mom and I have run the Deseret News 10k for years. I always look forward to this race. It's fun to run along the parade route and a great way to start off the holiday. This year was especially great because one of my greatest friends ran it with me. My friend Megan is a super star. She totally rocked the race without doing much training! She pushed me the entire time. Thanks Megan for running it with us!

Be sure to sign up early for next year's races!

PS** Slight rip off: I was looking at my time for the 10k and it only gives the clock time, not the chip time. Megan and I finished 3 minutes faster according to our watches and garmin than the clock time! We started so far back in the beginning it took us close to 3 minutes just to get to the starting line. What's the point of wearing a chip on your shoe, if it's not going to accurately give you your time? I know I'm being a little OCD. Sorry I just had to vent.

CONNECT-I-CUT

Last week I went to visit my sister Mandy who lives in Connecticut with her family. The other times I have gone to visit her the weather has been crappy and cold, so I was excited to see Connecticut in the summer. The weather, scenery and of course the company did not disappoint! Although I wished I could have stayed longer, we made the most out of our time and had a few jam packed days of sight seeing and East Coast activities.

My first day there we went and picked blueberries. Picking blueberries reminded me of this darling picture book, except bears and a lost child. The blueberries were delicious and we couldn't get enough of them!
Ian was so proud of all of the berries he picked. This container was claimed as his special blueberries for him and only him! I called him the King of Sillies while I was there. He is growing up so fast. He is silly, witty and the most compassionate sibling. He would do anything for his "Pose" and Everett.

One of the many things I admire about my sister Mandy is her desire to live like a pioneer. I can't tell you how many times I heard her say she wished she lived on a farm. Well she is on her way to becoming a pioneer because they have this lush garden, full of cucumbers, tomatoes, peas, carrots, all sorts of spices and beautiful hydrangea. One of the highlights of the trip was having Terry make homemade pesto sauce using basil from their very own garden.

We spent an entire day at the beach in Rhode Island. It was the perfect day. We played in the water, sat on the beach and enjoyed fresh fruit!

I loved spending time with Mandy. She is the greatest.

Everett especially enjoyed eating sand and cherries.

Post eating cherries.

Posey and Ian dug this huge hole. (With the help of Terry and me).

They were so proud of their big accomplishment.

We also went swimming in their pool at home. Posey had to wear goggles at all times.

Being in the pool was the only way to escape the suffocating heat/humidity.

The time went too quickly. I was back home before I knew it.

Next time I schedule my visit it will have to be at least a week long!

Uh where did June go? Part 3..It's a long one

So about 12 hours after finishing the Wasatch Back with my friends, I got on a plane to Buffalo, New York where I met up with 47 other members of my extended family. My Grandma and Grandpa Wynn have taken all of the extended family on vacations every summer, every summer, not kidding. This year's trip consisted mostly of LDS church history sites in the Eastern United States. They have been planning this trip for years and were so excited because 48 out of the 50 members of the family could be there. Unfortunately Mike was one of the 2 who couldn't go because of starting residency and my cousin Tommy couldn't go because of dental school.
Let me tell you this trip was quite the extravaganza.

These are a few highlights from the week long trip.
All of the family met in Buffalo, New York where we loaded:

a beautiful bus like this and made our way to Niagara Falls.

It was breath taking. All of the family went on a boat tour of the falls and we got to wear these:

Emily, Myself and our cute cousin Danielle looking great in our blue ponchos.

We visited the Sacred Grove. Serene, calm and beautiful.

Most of the adult family members went to the Palmyra temple together.

Went to the top of the Hill Cumorah.

Our bus got stuck on the side of the road while we were visiting a cemetery. You have no idea how far down into the ground the tire is. Truly it was a miracle our bus got out of the mud. (Thanks to Katherine for letting me use this amazing picture she took of the bus!)

Went to Kirtland and visited the N.K. Whitney store.

(FIND IT: My funny brother in law Lance in the background waving.)

We went to an Indians Baseball game in Cleveland.

There's nothing better than a hot dog at a baseball game.

Our trip was from Sunday to Sunday so by Friday we were going slightly crazy after being on the bus for so long.

When telling people about the kind of trip I was doing, people were shocked that a family would actually want to travel together for a week on a bus. But I have to tell you this was one of the most memorable trips I have ever been on.

I missed Mike greatly but I was so grateful to be able to see those sites and it was wonderful to spend time with all of my cousins, aunts, uncles, and Grandparents.

Most of the family waiting to take a family picture.

I feel fortunate to have such generous, thoughtful, patient, loving grandparents.

Thanks for a wonderful trip.

Uh Where Did June Go? PART 2

Once graduation was over for Mike, and I finished teaching school we left for Utah. (Seriously the last day of school for me, we started driving to Utah, let's just say it was one emotional car ride!) It was so sad to say goodbye to all of my school friends, but it was nice to know we were headed to a place where we had family and friends waiting our arrival!

Mike and I had been in Utah for less than a week when it came time to run:

180.5 miles from Logan to Park City! You run the distance with a team made up of 12 people. The race is split up into 36 different sections, so each runner on each team runs 3 different sections. Make sense? I ran it with 11 of my most favorite people! Although it was extremely difficult because of terrain and lack of sleep, I would do it again in a heart beat!

The scenery was absolutely amazing!


This was taken towards the end of the first day: (We are missing about half of our team)

Love these girls.

These are pictures of me running. I had so much fun with the people in my car, but unfortunately our car had some injured people. Poor Amanda, Lacey and Kate. You guys were troopers. I ended up running 18.5 miles of the distance. After running I was amazed at what a person's body can do.

Mikey came to watch our team finish together. He's the greatest.



My favorite part of the race was when we met up with the rest of the team to run in the last hundred yards together. This was most of the team. We missed the other girls who had to go home early!

Thanks girls for the adventurous 2 days! Let's do again next year!

Uh where did June go?

Isn't funny how you can feel bad for not blogging for awhile? Am I the only one that feels this way? I know there are not a lot of people who read my blog, but somehow I feel people just might be wondering where we have been for the month of June.

So here it goes....

Since about June 3rd, life has not stopped. I tend to be a busy person with a lot going on but this month was seriously crazy with how busy we have been. Mike graduated, we packed up our house in Chicago,I finished my job teaching, we left for Utah, unpacked our stuff and moved in(sort of, still not totally unpacked), I did the Wasatch Back Relay race with my friends from high school, was in Utah for a total of a week before I left for vacation with my family, and Mike started residency. Needless to say life has been good but hectic. So for the next fews days you will probably see some catch up posts. I apologize.

At the beginning of June we had both sets of parents come to Chicago for Mike's medical school graduation! Graduation was awesome. The speaker was amazing. One minute I was crying because I was laughing so hard and the next minute I was crying because he was so inspiring. I'm so proud of Mike and all he has accomplished. It was wonderful to see him walk across the stage and recieve his dipolma.Can you believe it? He's done!
Mike looked so handsome in his graduation get up!

I still sometimes can't believe he is done with medical school.

We both had major butterflies before graduation.

It was hard to believe this day had already arrived.

I'm so grateful both sets of parents came to support Mike. It meant so much to us to have them there. Such a proud, happy group. (I totally sounded like my mom right then, but it's true.)

Mike with his good friends from school. We are really going to miss hanging out with them.

After graduation, we celebrated by going out to dinner and eating dessert. I had this fancy cake made for the big day. I wish I was more of a homemaker and could have made a cake that looked this good, but that's not going to happen.

The cake turned out awesome. And it was tasted great.

Late that night we met up with our friends and went bowling downtown.

We had a great time. Everyone was in shock that medical school was officially over. It's been quite an adventure to watch these guys go through school together. They endured long hours, difficult patients, grueling tests, sleepless nights and onery nurses with perseverence and optimism. I'm looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Mike and each of his friends as they begin residency. I have no doubt that residency will be difficult, but I know each of them will be successful and great physicians.

WAY TO GO, MIKEY! I couldn't be happier for you!

3 years baby!

Thanks for the best three years of my life! Happy Anniversary!

Have and Have nots...

I copied this from my sister's blog. I think if you are reading my blog you should do it to. As I was reading Mandy's I learned some things about her I never knew. Enjoy!

All you have to do is copy the list and bold what you have done.

200 Have and Have nots!

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill....just two days ago thank you very much
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days...nope and I never want to!
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city
73. Walked the Golden Gate BridgeI did this with my friend Lizzy in high school and we decided that we hated the wind.
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107.Brought out the best in people
108.Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112.Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114.Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116.Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121.Tutored someone
122.Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125.Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant {camel?}
127. Published a book
128.Pieced a quilt
129.Lived in an historic place
130.Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131.Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134.Gone roller skating ...inside my elementary school...such a blast
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144.Learned how to take a compliment
145.Written a love-story....I don't need to write it, I live it. 
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148.Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane....no never want to
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155.Lied about your weight
156.Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158.Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163.Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165.Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics 
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173.Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177.Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178.Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184.Been a cashier
185. Seen geyser erupt
186. Joined a union..I actually haven't like being a part of a union.
187.Donated blood or plasma
188.Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR...I really need to learn how to do this one.
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198.Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Congratulations! You made it to the bottom of the list! Way to go, now go do this on your blog.