moab half marathon

20 hours in moab, 8 hours in a subaru outback, 1 amazing friend, 13.1 miles of running, 1 big blister, and a whole lot of fun - that is what i call a weekend well spent.

"excuse me mam, this is the men's room"

headed back from austin, TX i had a layover in the denver airport. (which, by the way, is one of my favorite airports. there are two reasons for this: 1) clean environment and 2) friendly people.) it had been a long weekend. i was tired. finding a restroom was on the top of my priority list. wandering around aimlessly, i found what i thought was the little girl's room. as t limped in (my shoes were hurting my feet and my bag was getting heavier by the second), i notice a very masculine looking girl in her army fatigues walking out as i walked in. i quickly realized that "she" was a he. i thought to myself, "how embarrassing for him to be in the lady's room and have me catch him." he very respectfully and with a concerned look on his face said, "excuse me mam, this is the men's room." oopsy daisy. i was so tired, i wasn't even embarrassed. i smiled, thanked him, and walked across the way to the little girl's room to take care of some long overdue business. quite possibly the most important business of my whole trip.

getting stronger...

i rode my bike to church today and it made me soooo happy! biking season is just around the corner. the thought of breaking out my bikes and spandex brings me butterflies of joy. can you tell i'm excited?

as i enjoyed pedaling the cruiser on this crisp sunday morning, i would occasionally look down to make certain my skirt wasn't being blown up by the wind, giving a peep show to the people crusing by in their caddy's. i was reminded of a time a few years back when the air was humid and muggy, the streets were packed with people on motor scooters, and i navigated the roads of tawain on my bike in a skirt. in those blessed days, i had knee highs i could tuck the bottom of my skirt in as a preventative measure from creating any kind of spectacle. (as if a blonde foreigner riding her bike down the busy streets wasn't enough of a spectacle...) as my mind was carried back to many fantastic memories of traveling through the sea of people on my bike in tawian, i was reminded of a very special experience that took place one night. i was taken back to the close of a long, hot, sticky, exhausting day of missionary work. my companion and i were riding our bikes home to our apartment in beitou. we were on our familiar route, one we took home every night. the road we would ride on past a block of apartments with the big statue of some sort of chinese political leader outside one of the living quarters was clear. i recall the sharp corner we had to take down the alley way. the image is vivid in my mind, so vivid, it could have happened yesterday. on this particular night, we were running late. we has a fifteen minute ride ahead of us, and only ten minutes before we were supposed to be home. my companion and i fully recognized the blessings attached to being obedient to our mission rules. being out the door in the morning and inside at night on time were simple rules we knew we could and should be keeping. we were very aware of what we should be doing and strived to be obedient. as we raced home, gratefully hitting green lights, i was praying. i remember repeating a lot of the same things, letting Heavenly Father know that i wanted to make it in on time, i knew my companion did too, and that we were trying our hardest to do so. i asked Him for help and for strength. at that point i was physicall and mentally spent. i remember passing the statue and feeling complete exhaustion overwhelm the whole of me. i kept trying to pedal faster, but felt fatigue setting in. just when i thought i couldn't pedal anymore, it seemed that pedaling became significantly easier. i felt something push me along. i knew, at that moment, that there was a power beyond my own making the possiblity of getting home on time a reality. i had help. it was such a special, powerful, and real experience.

i was also reminded of a time when i participated in a critical mass bike ride last fall. a group of friends were riding together. there were all sorts of bikes - road bikes, bmx bikes, mountain bikes, tandems, and cruisers. my bike of choice for the ride was a cruiser. i looooove riding my cruiser. if i'd have known that part of our route would be to ride up the hill by the university, i would have opted for a different choice. as i tried to ride my cruiser up the hill, i noticed that it was really hard. people were passing me on both sides. because of the way the handle bars were positioned, it was next to impossible to stand up and gain the leverage i needed to help me move forward. i was clearly in a challenging position. just at the point when i didn't think i could ride any further, i felt the resistance on my pedals decrease. my little brother was on his track bike behind me. he saw me struggle. he took one of his hands off his handle bars, set it on my back and pushed me as we both pedaled. he was obviously carrying the heavier burden. once again, i felt a power beyond my own help me do something on my bike that i could not have done alone. we both made it up the hill.

i know i am being watched over. God is in the details of my life. whether it be on my bike or in other aspects of my existence, i know God gives me strength through unseen powers. the strength i feel helps me move forward in times i would otherwise be in a standstill.

elder jeffrey r. holland of the quorum of the twelve apostles recently said, "my beloved brothers and sisters, i testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. in doing so i am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. “[n]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved.” on occasions, global or personal, we may feel we are distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. often enough that distress can be of our own making, but even then the Father of us all is watching and assisting. and always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal."

while getting stronger on my bike is a main objective this year, increasing my strength in the Lord is a more important goal to me. i find joy in the fact that He helps me blunder along and try and figure out both.

i says, i love the d.i.

i recently decided to add two new things to my "things i love list":

1) the phrase i says, he says, or she says when used as a past tense verb. examples include, "we was talkin' and he says..." or "i says to her that i durn near better see her next time she comes to town" or "she says she ain't goin' to the store". i have found that some of my favorite kinds of people use this phrase and I LOVE IT.

AND

2) deseret industries, better known as the d.i. last weekend i happened to stroll into the d.i. and i came out with 9 pretty salad plates, 2 leather handbags, 1 authentic cowboy belt buckle (belt included), 1 not-so-authentic gold belt buckle (belt also included), 2 winter coats (one of which is probably the most fantastic vintage coat i have ever seen), 1 pair of patent leather shoes, 1 hideously cute shirt, 1 pleated retro skirt, and a partridge in a pear tree. okay, so the partridge wasn't included - but i don't doubt that it could have been if you'd given me 15 more minutes in he store. now the best part, all that loot for $48. can you believe it? I SAYS, can you believe it? i have decided that i don't love to shop, but i do love to shop at the d.i. (and other thrift stores). some of the reasons i love to shop at the d.i. include the fact that it is super inexpensive, i get to use my creativity in coming up with how i can use some of these items to enhance my wardrobe and or decor, and most importantly, the fact that the d.i. does amazing things to help train their employees to gain long term employment and effective life skills as well as contributes in amazing ways to help those less fortunate than us with humanitarian efforts. if you want to learn more, check out this link http://www.providentliving.org/channel/0,11677,2022-1,00.html.

if you want me to model the coat for you, just let me know. i'm sure we can work something out.

each day is a gift

as i drove out of logan canyon into cache valley on friday i was overcome with emotions of peace. i come from such a beautiful place. the snow covered mountains, the horses poised next to a windmill, the log fences, the flocked trees, the hazy fog that february always brings - it was breathtaking. i was reminded of so many of the good things of my life during that instant of peace. it was almost like i was breathing in comfort and breathing out the stress.

the past couple of days, in so many ways, i was reminded that each day is a gift. my reason in going to logan was to attend a funeral of a good family friend. troy nielsen, my dad's old high school crony, passed away this week. he was diagnosed about a year and half ago with skin cancer. the funeral was filled with good friends and family remembering who troy was and reminiscing about the laughter and goodness he brought to those around him each day. life is fragile. each day is a gift.

friday night i couldn't think of anything more enjoyable than spending time with my mom and dad. we went to dinner at cafe rio and ran into some people we knew. one of the guys i ran into was shane johnson. when we ran into him i was reminded of a time he helped me out of what could have been a frustating situation. about a year and a half ago, katie white and i were biking. i got a flat tire. we were near shane's house. i didn't know shane well, but katie did. we would have been stranded, but katie immediately thought of shane and his biking abilities and kind heart. we walked our bikes to his house, he changed the tire and sent us on our way. he was so kind and giving. it left an impression on me. asking for service and being willing to serve strengthens both parties. there is good to be done in the world. make each day a gift for yourself and those around you.


when katie and i were at shane's house getting our bikes fixed, we met a girl he had just started dating. they are now married. they were there at cafe rio with her two boys from a prior marriage and their brand new three month old baby. shane looked so content with that little guy. it took him awhile to find what he wanted, but the Lord guided him and he is living the dream. miracles happen each day. each day is a gift.

my dad, my mom, and i went home and just hung out after dinner on friday night. mom and i changed the sheets on my bed and talked about all the latest happenings of cache valley. dad turned on "rooster cogburn" and was watching it. mom and i joined dad and just enjoyed each other's company. spending time with my parents and sleeping in my bed at home felt like a dream. each day is a gift. allow for simplicity and relish in it.

on saturday morning, lisa lloyd and i went cross country skiing up green canyon. it was so wonderful. lisa had great stories to tell. the canyon was snow covered. we were both a lot better at skiing that we had been the year prior. it felt great to get our hearts pumping. a wonderful start to the gift of that day.

lisa and i rushed from skiing to the temple. we were meeting her friend there. as i rushed into the house of the Lord, i ran into steve miller and jill whittaker. i can go most anywhere in logan and run into people i know. i love that logan is filled with good people who bless my life. although lisa and i were still defrosting from our skiing adventure, it felt so good to be in the temple. the Lord has blessed my life with amazing people all around. i have also been blessed with the understanding that our relationships can go beyond death into eternity as i follow God's plan. relationships are crucial. developing them can bless my life. each day is a gift full of good people to learn from.

after the temple i decided to go for a little run. it was just too nice outside not to. i feel so blessed with the opportunity to be able to run and enjoy the way it makes my body feel and the time it allows me to work things out in my mind. i ended up stopping at lance's house and chatting with him for awhile. as i sat at his house, i was reminded of the car accident he was in while i was on my mission. he was watched over and protected and my family felt the hand of God in their lives through other people. God was and is in the details of our lives. my heart was grateful that lance is here to bless our family with his thoughfulness and with laughter. each day is a gift. be thankful for the time you have to share with the people you love.

before i headed back to salt lake i made a pit stop at the stowers' house. i was friend's with one of the stowers' boys in high school. i fell in love with their family. they are the kind of people that make everyone feel so important and loved. they radiate nothing but goodness. i just found out that steve stowers was in a horrible accident on new year's day. so many things could have gone wrong, but they didn't. steve had a lot of internal damage and numerous broken bones, along with head injuries. i got there, not knowing what to expect. steve, carol, and amy were all there. they were all in good spirits. steve shared with me countless miracles that have taken place in the last month and a half. it is amazing that he is doing so well. life is fragile. each day is a gift.

in the words of job, "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." i was reminded again and again this weekend, that things don't always go how we want or how we plan...and sometimes they do go how we want and how we plan. regardless of it all, the Lord has His hand in all things. if we open our hearts to learning and understanding in all these experiences and treat each day as a gift we will live lives full of joy.

spark plugs and spark wires

most girls like to spend their money on clothes and makeup. not me. spark plugs and spark wires are my most recent purchase. $219 dollars later and the subaru is running like a dream. the best part. i didn't even have to do any of the shopping and the plugs and wires were the right size AND color.

conspiracy theory

to prepare for my most recent business trip to dallas, TX i had to go to the store and purchase a mini tube of toothpaste. while driving to the store, i came to the conclusion that the airlines and the toothpaste companies have some sort of conspiracy going on. think about it - if you are going to carry a bag on when jumping on a plane to head out of town (which, might i add, is your best option, because it now costs $15 to check a bag - UNBELIEVABLE!). then, you NEED to purchase mini toothpaste. since liquids need to be in 3 oz. or smaller containers many of our personal favorite toiletry items can be transfered into your own special, smaller containers to take on the plane. however, toothpaste is not something that is easily transfered from a large to a small container. hence, the need to purchase mini tubes of toothpaste. the average cost of a normal size tube of paste costs anywhere from $3 - $5. the mini tubes, which are at least 1/8 the size of a normal tube cost about $.97. ounce for ounce, the mini toothpaste is kind of like gold. do you see where i am going with this? if you travel much, a lot of money is being spent on mini tubes of your favorite teeth cleaner. the thing is, toothpaste is something i refuse to go without on a trip. my parents spent a lot of money on braces for this killer smile of mine and i won't let this consipirarcy ruin that. the conspiracy of the toothpaste companies and the airlines will continue, and it seems, i will spend hundreds of thousands on mini tubes of paste.