More pictures..and some words

Hey all,
This is Becky. Isn't my husband so sweet! I have talked so much about the marathon since it ended, that I decided to let Ben post about it. Thanks Ben, you're hired. To sum it up from my point of view...it was awesome....difficult...amazing....a BEAST....fun...and the HARDEST marathon in the world! (and I can quote dozens people who said that it was the hardest one they have ever run, all of whom have run at LEAST 100 marathons, some even more than 200) Now that is saying something.
I had no idea, along with every single runner there, how incredibly hard the course was going to be. Words will never describe the amount of steep hills there were. Truly amazing. I stopped counting at steep hill #11.(and that was pretty early on in the race)
I found a running buddy early on (Phil), and we truly kept each other going. I was dang proud of myself. In any normal marathon, keeping up with him meant that I may have qualified for Boston or at least run a dang fast marathon...for me. Rock on!
I am soooooooo happy that I did the marathon, and in this case....I am so proud that I finished it.
Ben and the kids were so supportive and the thought of seeing them at the finish line helped keep me going. They were there waiting with balloons, roses and open arms. It was so sweet. Ben has really been a huge support and a trooper through all of this. He is great!
So basically...I went...I did...I conquered....we all truly had a great time and a really good trip (the kids were awesome in the car)....I can't wipe the smile and the relief off my face.....and yes, there are plans for marathon #4 in the future, St. George sound good to anyone????? ;)



RUNNING THROUGH THE FINISH LINE


PAIN....LOTS AND LOTS OF PAIN


MY BUDDY PHIL


GOTTA LOVE THE TAN LINES..but I did get my shoulders burned during the run, so it will all even out.


MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

More Than You Know

This REALLY touched me today. I needed it more than you know. Thanks gals.

The Calming

O.K.
I am now in control of myself. Few! I did my last three runs,nice and easy and so relaxing. I just let my mind go. It felt so good and the calming effect they had did wonders for me.
I am going into the marathon now with solid confidence, a great background of very good training, a HUGE support group, a way cute new running top, and I am sooooooo excited!!! I truly can't wait to get out there, meet people, travel (I love to travel...even with kids!), celebrate all of the hard work, get a cool shirt and all sorts of free stuff, run a GORGEOUS course, be surrounded by people that have the same passion for running that I do, and just have a blast!!! It will be so much fun!!!
I do have a goal set for a time that I want to finish in, but I am not setting myself up for disappointment either. I know full well that anything can happen and my time could be ruined from something as simple as a stomach ache or a blister. I know what time I am capable of, and I have already proven to myself that I can do that through my long runs. So I guess deep down, I have already jumped that hurdle and I have nothing to prove. I just want to finish and have a blast doing it!
As far as there only being 127 people in the race....I am just fine with that now. It freaked me out at first, but now that I have had time to think about it, it makes me more excited. It will actually be fun to do something different, and I think it will feel a lot more personal. Kind of like a big family out there. I am hoping to make some good buddies during the race. I am anxious to meet my fellow runners and support group. People can get pretty close when doing something like this together. It is really neat.
Thanks to all of you who posted comments and who have helped me work through the gitters. And thanks to all of you for putting up with my endless talk about running, but that's what I do, so thats what I talk about. Makes sense to me! I have great friends and family!
So here it goes. I MADE IT!!!! Oh man, I can't wait. Valley of Fire....here I come! WAHOO!

First Official Freak Out!!!!!

O.K., I know you all are so sick of hearing about running and the marathon, but it is a HUGE goal I have been working on forever, and something I have been working my tale end off for, so I guess I deserve to talk about it a little. I apologize. You can just skip this if you want to.
According to the timer on the right of the blog, there are four more days until "the day." We are leaving Thursday, so really, only 2 1/2 more days until we are on the road. Wow, it is finally here!
So far, I have been doing pretty well with all of the mental games and the nerves. The long runs are done, the training is basically done, and I am supposed to be resting up and carb. loading. Sounds easy..but resting before a marathon can do wonders on my mind. I freak out after one day of not running, not to mention several days of not running or just doing very short runs.
So, I got an email from the marathon committee on Saturday and there are only 127 people running the marathon!!!!!!! I literally got so incredibly nervous, I freaked out and had to run to the bathroom. My stomach went psycho for a while after that. 127 people, are they nuts! Who runs a marathon with only 127 people. I figured there would at least be 2000, if the marathon was small! There are people coming from 4 countries and 31 states. That is not comforting at all. They are probably all pro marathon runners coming from all over to leave me in their dust.
The St. George marathon had 6000 runners in it. The Top of Utah marathon had about 4000 runners in it. That is good....the odds of coming in last were much more slim. And I did fine, I came in somewhere in the front of the middle of those two. Much less scary. I wasn't freaked out by those numbers at all....I even made some friends during those races.
127 people in the Vegas Marathon!!!!! Holy Buckets!!!! (as my friend Jen would say) Words cannot describe how incredibly nerve wracking that is. Oh man, there goes my stomach again. I have been walking around all sorts of freaked out for a few days now. My mind has been going nuts and I am becoming some kind of crazy person.
I am going to go do an easy run today and try to calm down and get excited again. Oh man!!!!! Maybe I can find my lucky pants...yes, I am still searching and hoping.
Thank heavens for a husband who patiently listens to my freak out sessions and is CONSTANTLY reminding me of how hard I have trained, how prepared I truly am, how great he thinks I will do, how I haven't gained 10 pounds and lost all of my endurance and muscle build after not running for one day, and how everything will be great and fun, how they are not all pro runners coming to wipe me out, how my time will be just fine,yadda yadda yadda. Thank you so much Ben.
So the goal for now.....back to being excited and confident. When it really comes down to it, I really am excited, I am more than prepared, and I can't wait. After all...If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear, right?
Breathe in, Breathe out, Breathe in......

Shoes..or should I say...shoe

This is Sam
This is Sam wearing one shoe.
This is how Sam has been for a month or so now.
Sam kicks his shoe off at the store (about 50 times)
Sam kicks his shoe off in the car
Sam kicks his shoe off when being held
Sam kicks his shoe off at church
Mom puts Sam's shoe back on
Dad puts Sam's shoe back on
Mary puts Sam's shoe back on
Sam kicks shoe right back off
Sam only likes his left shoe
Silly Sammy

The Accident

I dropped Mary off at preschool at 11:45, just like any other preschool day. Around 1:00, I was home, getting Sam down for a nap when my phone rang. It was Mary's teacher. I immediately thought..."oh no, Mary fell of the monkey bars and broke her arm." All sorts of things ran though my mind when I answered. Her teacher told me that Mary had had an accident. Again, in my mind, I was thinking of all sorts of blood and broken bones.
Her teacher proceeded to tell me that Mary had wet her pants so badly that her shoes were even soaked!!!! I was so excited that Mary wasn't hurt, that I was almost glad to hear that she had only peed her pants...until the teacher further explained.
Mary always carries a change of clothes in her backpack (teachers orders to all the kids), but this day her show and tell was so big, she had to take the clothes out to fit her show and tell in. I figured it wasn't a big deal, because Mary hasn't had an "accident" in months! oops
The teacher told me that she gave Mary a change of clothes, but that Mary was in the bathroom crying and wouldn't come out. All of my relief that she wasn't hurt vanished, and I immediately wanted to get to my little sad girl. I felt so bad for her.
I grabbed some clothes and shoes for her and raced out the door. When I got to the preschool, I could hear Mary sniffling in the bathroom and my heart broke. I walked in there and there was Mary dressed in these HUGE poofy army pants, crazy yellow pannies and these clunker pink clogs that were three sizes too big for her feet. Her little eyes were all red and swollen and she looked at me and said. "My pants are way to poofy, and I don't match." I about bit my tongue off trying not to laugh.
She wasn't embarrassed that she had wet her pants....she was humiliated that she didn't match! HAHAHAHA Oh man, she is so dang cute.
I got her own clothes and shoes on her, and her kind teacher told the kids that Mary had just sat in water...and it ended well. We discovered that Mary wanted so desperately to finish her art project that she figured going to the bathroom could wait. Apparently, the bathroom couldn't wait. ;)
Mary went running back out to join the kids and all was forgotten.
Moments like these remind me how much my kids really do depend on me for support and emotional peace sometimes. It was a good reminder to me to make sure my kids can feel my love for them and to make sure I am the kind of mother that they can turn to for comfort and help. The relief in her eyes when she saw that I was there was priceless. I could tell that she knew everything would be o.k. I hope I can always be there for my kids and provide them the comfort they need when they are struggling, even if it is because they just don't match.

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!!!

We are FINALLY having a decent snow storm!! I woke up this morning and I could smell it in the air before I even looked out the window. I am from Idaho, and I have learned to know if it is going to snow from the smell in the air. Yeah yeah, kinda nuts, but I have been right on for 6 years in a row. (The pictures don't really show it, but there is actually snow falling and blowing around in the air.)
One look out the window and I was all sorts of excited. Hooray!!! I grabbed the dog and my old running shoes (can't ruin the good ones) and took off into the white abyss. I was excited to introduce Chamonix, who is 1/2 husky, to the snow his ancestors grew up in. hahaha Kind of funny to think of a dog having ancestors. He sure loved it!! I let him pull me up the hills today( I rationalized by letting him know that he was born to pull in the snow, but really, it was a nice break for me) We had a lot of fun.
There is something about a run in the snow that is so amazing to me. I love it!!!!! Of course, my face was frozen, my feet were sliding all over the place on the hills, and I had snot shooting out everywhere...but it was soooo worth it. It is so refreshing to look out over everything covered with fresh snow and to have the silent snow falling all around me. AAAAGGGGHHHH Are you feeling it?????
The kids weren't old enough to remember the snow in Idaho, so they have had their little noses pressed against the window all morning. They think it is pretty cool.
We are off to the store in a few minutes to buy all sorts of snow clothes for the kids. I am sure it will all melt and it will be 60 degrees tomorrow,gggrrrrr, but we can always wish right. For now...we are absolutely loving it and soaking it all in. (no pun intended)
This snow storm is worthy of our cinnamon rolls we have every first snow fall. So, sounds like cinnamon rolls, hot chocolate, a movie and a fire tonight. (anyone is welcome to join us) Wish it was closer to Christmas and we would have the Christmas music blasting away!! Oh man, do we love this time of year. WAHOO!!!!!





p.s. Check out some of the recent quotes from our kids, on the right side of the blog. We had some good ones this past week.

THANK YOU!!!

Just wanted to say thanks to all of you who helped me out with some advise on what to do with the kids. I am excited to try them all out. We should be having some fun around here for a while. I knew I could count on you!!!
If any more of you out there have more ideas to add (including you ghost bloggers who don't comment, but check up on us) ...I am still open to more ideas. Your ideas benefit all of us who are reading your comments.
Thanks again all of you! You all rock!

I Could Use Some Help...from you.

So...the days are getting colder and the nights are getting dark fast. I LOVE winter time, but I am running into a big problem. How do I entertain the kids!!!! A little snow would help, but I can't really control that. We are such an outside family, and now that we can't do a whole lot out there, I don't really know what to do. I could use some help/advise for sure!
I guess I am just not a creative mom, but I can't seem to find enough things to keep the kiddos busy. Mary has preschool 3 times a week and gymnastics two times a week. We go to the library, shopping, etc.
It just seems like there is SO much down time at our house and we are all walking around bored. Boredom leads to loneliness which leads to homesickness which leads to frustration which leads to all of us getting grumpy which leads to the whole house feeling down in the dumps. Not fun!
Mary has started watching WAY too many shows, but when I limit her, we have nothing to do. She is such an active girl...I hate to see her waisting her brain cells in front of the T.V. We read books a lot, but after about 10 books, I need a break. If any of you that live here ever want to let your kid come over....Mary would LOVE that!!!
What do all of you do? How do you entertain the kids that are home all day???? Any ideas of things that kids can do on their own so mom can have a break? I really really need some advise here. Help me out!

The light at the end of the tunnel

This week was the final week of my marathon training!!!! Words cannot describe how relieved I am, and how happy I am that I did it!!!! I did my last long run yesterday. (18 miles)
In a way, even though the marathon is yet to come, I feel like I have already conquered what I set out to do. I have trained to the point that I can run a marathon. My body is as ready as it possibly can be. The hardest part is over.
I survived the 10 week training program!!!! The program is 10 weeks long ,but before you start it, you have to be able to run at least 30 miles a week "comfortably." So in reality, it takes months and months. (for me anyway)

You may think that 10 weeks isn't very long..so did I. This training program will make 10 weeks feel like 10 years. Let me explain....

MY PAST TEN WEEKS
Long runs...every single weekend. A long run is a run of 10 miles or longer...a lot longer.

Cold runs...running when it is literally FREEZING outside. Yes folks, I am talking ice here.

Early morning runs..... sometimes getting up as early as 5:15am.

Painful runs....I have run through sore muscles, horrible stomach aches, never ending steep hills, blazing heat and freezing cold, possible stress fracture, sore tendons, sore bones, etc.

Sad runs....I lost my favorite lucky pants, I have had to pee in a bush, I've been yanked all over by the dog (he actually sprained my fingers so badly that I couldn't straighten them for over a week), I have been peed on by the dog, almost hit by a car (twice), yelled at by a cross walk lady, and so much more.

Interesting runs....I have run next to a group of deer, I have watched a hot air balloon lift off, I have seen so many gorgeous sunrises, I have had a stranger race me, I have run in all kinds of weather, ect.

Tired runs....some mornings, I literally am not awake for the first few miles. I have had to drag myself out of bed and force myself to get my shoes on and go.

Exhaustion...Building miles for 10 solid weeks causes some serious exhaustion.

Mental weirdness....After every long run, I have so many brain farts it isn't even funny. I truly can't think straight.
One day I went to the bank after a long run, and I told the teller that Ben makes $600,000 a year, the guy behind me laughed pretty hard.
Another time I drove the wrong way on a one way road thingy and didn't know until I was staring into the face of the person in the car in front of me. I tried to back out and hit a sign. I had to do a 15 point turn to get out.
Another time I forgot about the clothes I had shed on the run for almost a week. When I remembered, I freaked out and then forgot again.
Another time I completely forgot my V.T.ing interview that was written on my hand and my calendar so I wouldn't forget. The stories go on forever.

Endless hunger....Never in my life have I had such a hard time getting full. I eat and eat and eat, and only feel full for about an hour. I have been hungry for almost 2 months now!!!!!!


So, needless to say, doing my final long run this weekend and completing the training was and is a HUGE deal to me. It is so mentally and physically challenging to keep going day after day with something like this. It is so amazing to know I did it! I feel such a weight lifted and I feel very ready to get out there out crank out the marathon. I truly have done my absolute best. Which brings me to a quote I love and have kept in mind when thinking of the marathon and the training.

"You know you have done your absolute best, when there is nothing left to fear."

The marathon is in less than two weeks...Nov. 22nd. The next two weeks are full of easy runs (nothing longer than 8 miles) and making sure my body and mind are ready to go. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!!

A Visit From JoJo

Early this past week, we got a call from Ben's mom....Grandma JoJo. She was coming to visit!!! Our little family has been sooooooo starved for family lately, so this came as a wonderful and very welcome surprise.
We had such an awesome week with JoJo and it went by too fast. We crammed everything in that we could.

Sam just stared at her and fell in love. He warmed up so fast! Mary grinned all week long and didn't leave grandma's side. Mary had so much fun with her, and for the first time ever, Mary cried when we had to say goodbye. She cried the whole way home. It about did us all in.
We had a lot of fun showing JoJo around. We drove up into the mountains, toured Manitou Springs (spelling?), went to the Veteran's Day Parade (so inspirational and amazing), checked out Black Forest and Monument, showed her Mary's preschool and gymnastics, watched a movie, went out to eat, and just had so much fun talking and hanging out.
Grandma JoJo left us with full hearts and uplifted spirits. She has a way of always making us feel so good and worth so much. It is so uplifting and refreshing to have her around. We love her! Come back soon JoJo!
We are soooo looking forward to the holidays and being able to have more family here and going to Idaho to see family as well. We truly can't wait!!!!!


Grandma JoJo and Mary playing "pirates"



Kids getting to ride on the Quarter machines in Manitou Springs...thanks to JoJo


JoJo is the hullahoop QUEEN!!!!


Veteran's Day Parade...so amazing...really made us appreciate the sacrifices made for our freedom

I've been tagged...but this one is fun

Seven interesting things about me....I will try to get Ben to do this one as well. I don't like things that are all about me. Which brings me to the list.

In no particular order

#1. I am not shy, but I HATE HATE HATE being the center of attention! I do love to observe and be part of the group though. I am a people watcher. I would rather just not be there than be the center of attention. Birthday's were pretty rough for me as a kid. I have been dubbed as being shy because of this, but believe me, I'm not.

#2. It is sooooo hard for me to use something new. I have a fear, I guess, of stuff getting ruined. Or I just wait for the "right time." I have shirts in my closet that still have the tags. I think they are adorable, but I am too scared to wear them because I don't want to ruin them. I do the same thing with the kids new clothes. When I was young, I wouldn't take my toys out of the box after Christmas because I was afraid of breaking them or getting them dirty. Or I would set them all up and not touch them again, because I didn't want them to get messed up.
My sister who is 10 yrs younger than me had to actually play with some of my toys years later, because they were still so new. I do this with all sorts of stuff...running shoes, make-up, jewelry, home decor, the kids new toys, candles (very hard for me to burn them, because then they melt), etc.
Ben gave me a candy apple early last week, and I saved it until Sunday. I just didn't want to ruin it.

#3 I have a true blue though and through phobia of snakes. It is very real. I literally throw up and completely loose it when I see them. Yes, this has happened, and yes, I really do throw up. I have to pray every night not to have nightmares about them. I know, pretty silly. I have hopped out of my bed screaming several times in the past. I can hardly say the word without feeling really sick. There is a reason Satan is referred to as a snake. They should all just be banished.

#4 A lot of my friends here don't know this one. I don't tell people this at first because I automatically get judged. They know me well enough now though, so....
I was a cheerleader for 5 years. Disclaimer: I was not a cheerleader that just hopped around in a fancy skirt and acted like a dork. We worked our buns off and practiced twice or more a day. Even on game day. Sometimes we even practiced during lunch. We lifted weights, worked out and had gymnastics classes. We were even on ESPN for a National Competition in Disney World!!! We took second at Nationals in Disney Land my senior year. It rocked!!!! This one is pretty funny after reading #1, but #1 is still VERY true.

#5 The days I run, I am WAY more picky about what I eat. The days I don't run, I don't think twice about what I eat. Kind of reversed don't you think. Shouldn't you feel better eating on the days you burn the calories? Oh yeah, something else interesting that has to do with running. I ran the Top of Utah marathon with a piece of a guys knee bone in my pocket. I watched his surgery as part of a nursing class, (thats where I got the bone particle) and I felt bad for him because he would never run again. So, he let me run for him, as long as I took his knee along for the ride.

#6 I LOVE murder mystery books. Something about them is just so entertaining to me. I also love shows with a similar plot. 24 is by far my most favorite show ever!

#7 One of my favorite snacks is Reduced Fat Wheat Thins with Marshmallows. You have to make it like a mini sandwich with the mallow in the middle. I got all of my roommates hooked on this at BYU-I. Try it.

So there you go. I don't like to tag people, but if you want to do this one, it is fun for others to read. Good way to get to know people. So Tag...you're it.

Through The Grace of God

Our family had quite the scare today to say the least. It is only through the hand of God that we are all safe and sound tonight.
It is Nov. 1 and in the 70's so we decided to go on a hike. Gorgeous day!!! It started out great. We went with some fun friends and had a good time. They had to turn around at a point in order to get back for something, and we continued on.
It was approx. an 8 mile hike. We were about 3 miles into it when we got to the top of a ridge out in a clearing. The path forked so we were stopped trying to figure out which way to go.
There is a shooting range less than a mile from the hike, and we could hear the guns the whole time. No big deal, they shoot in the other direction and there were a lot of people on the trail. Nothing new.
As Ben was checking out one trail, I was looking at the other. Sam was on my back in the pack and I was holding Mary's hand. I had the feeling to move in closer to Ben. I didn't really listen. Then the feeling came again. I figured it was because I was in the sun and Ben was in the shade. Maybe I just needed some shade.
I took a few steps closer to Ben just as a bullet shot right past our heads, coming from the direction I had been standing only seconds earlier. It was so close to our heads that we could hear the bullet whistle as it went past our ears. Not kidding.
Had the bullet hit any of us in the head, it would have killed us instantly. Not a chance of survival. And we had been standing right there out in the open...easy targets.
We hit the ground and crept out to where we knew we were safe. It REALLY shook us up. Our lives could have been taken at that very moment, when we were least expecting it. As soon as we knew we were safe, and a little more calm, we immediately prayed. We thanked the Lord for literally guiding us out of harms way and for protecting and preserving our little family. We also thanked Him that our friends had turned back and were not present at that time. With more people there, it would have been an even bigger chance that someone could have been hit. We know that it was only through the grace of God that one of us wasn't killed in that spot today.
Needless to say, we hiked right back to the car and came home. Our hiking excitement was gone. We were totally shocked and so grateful that we were taken care of today.

Halloween night...go time!

We had originally planned on staying home halloween night and sticking to some of our fun little halloween traditions we do every year, but the beck and call of a night full of friends and fun took over. So, I put the candy bucket on the porch and hoped it would be there when we returned, (something I swore I would never do) and we headed out the door to a great halloween party.
We had a yummy dinner with great friends, some costume prep and then out the door went the kids and the dads.....hooray, time to chill with the ladies for some girl time (so rare, and so needed)!
NOT....five minutes into the girl time, just as the hidden cheesecake was pulled out of the fridge, in walks Ben with a teary eyed Mary.
Mary would not trick or treat without me. So, I bid my friends a farewell and headed out into the night with Mary. (I admit, I was quite miffed)
After a few houses of trick or treating, and finding her friend Kate to be with, she was totally fine. She and Kate raced from house to house, it was really cute. I just walked behind them, getting over the rage of not having any time to just hang out with the girls. I did get over it after seeing Mary's happy little face and full candy bucket. Precious.
We all ended the trick or treating experience with smiles on our faces. I am sure I will soon long for the moments when Mary just wants her mommy. Next time, I will not be so quick to anger.
My kind friends saved some cheesecake for me, and it was soooo good, so I guess all was not lost. ;) We continued to talk and hang out with everyone while the kids watched a show and played with toys. The night ended great, and it was a successful Halloween. We went home happy and again realizing how blessed we are to be surrounded by so many wonderful people. So fun!!!!


The "gang" all ready to go fill their buckets to the top!

Pumpkin Bread/muffin recipe

I have debated weather or not to post this, because it almost feels like I am robbing my family of the best recipe in the world. This is sooooo incredibly good it is crazy!

One warning....it truly is almost impossible not to eat this non-stop, and this recipe makes about 3 loaves, maybe more,.....so maybe cut it in half so you don't gain 30 lbs and come running after me with a butcher knife.

(I posted a picture of the cupcakes I made out of this recipe, not too pretty,but we ate them all in... actually I won't say... lets just say it was fast and I almost died running that week)


PUMPKIN BREAD/MUFFIN RECIPE

1 lg can of pumpkin
2c. veg. oil
4 1/2c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp cloves
4 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 1/2 c. sugar
5 eggs...yup, thats right FIVE
mix ingred well
350 for 1 hour (bread) 25-30 min for muffins

Thats it, pretty basic and simple.

If you top the muffins with cream cheese frosting and choc chips, you can basically call it cupcakes. Words can't describe how good that is.

Trick or Treat

(You might want to turn up the volume...)
As I mentioned in a previous post...I am a holiday fanatic. I LOVE THEM!!! I just get so excited and all sorts of giddy over each one. Halloween is one of the favorites because of all the cute costumes, fun carnivals, pumpkin patches, school parties, candy, etc.. It also marks the beginning of the big holiday season ahead. Wahoo!
Aside from it being one of the most busy weeks I have had in a while, we are having a great Halloween week!!!! It is fun to be busy, when it is fun stuff. It started with Ben's rockin' awesome birthday party, then moved on to the ward Halloween carnival, next up.... the preschool Halloween party, and then the big sha-bang....Halloween night, the traditional orange dinner, some serious prep with costumes, and out the door for some intense trick or treating. Yippee! Hooray for Halloween!
These are probably the best pictures we will get...the kids get so excited in their costumes they just can't seem to sit still. Of course, we will try to get more tomorrow night. The fam. picture was taken at the ward carnival. Mary actually had a blast, but in the picture she is being shy.

Ben's Birthday Bash!

Ben's Birthday is on Monday (tomorrow), but because it will be his first day of school, we decided to celebrate it this weekend. We had a Birthday party open house for him Saturday night. It was soooooooooo much fun!!!

Here is the day in a nutshell...


(night before we eat at Olive Garden to carb. load for the upcoming run, celebrate Ben's Birthday, and to eat GREAT food. Yummy! Thanks Ryan for treating all of us to Ben's birthday dinner).

(ok back to party day)

Everyone slept in..we stayed up past midnight...again. Fun times, fun people.

10:00am
I take off for yet another long run, 18 miles this time. I feel great! Olive Garden worked and the carbs are working full speed ahead.

12:45pm
I am sooooo excited, because at mile 16, I am still doing great mentally, my breathing is fine, I am still happy, my brain is working as far as I can tell, and I didn't have to take any bathroom stops....miracle I tell ya, miracle!!!! I love you Olive Garden.

1/2 mile later I hit the wall and want to die.

1:00pm
Ben, Ryan and the kids find me with about 2 miles left to give me propel and a banana. So sweet. Drink the propel, can't stomach the banana.


1:20ish pm
I arrive home to a cheering and clapping crowd standing on the sidewalk. (my fam and Ryan). I crawl around in the grass for a while moaning and trying anything to get my legs to stop screaming. Feel like an idiot, but sooooooo glad it is over...wahoo!

1:40pm
I get a calf massage from Ben, ice the legs, take drugs (the good kind) and we take off for Garden of the Gods.

2:00pm
Get to Garden of the Gods....check out all the big red rocks and stuff. We show Ryan the sites, let our dog drag us everywhere, ect. We walk around the paths and soak it all in. What a cool place to see.

3:45pm
Last minute Sam's club stop to get stuff for the party.

4:30pm
Get home. Need to clean a very dirty house, decorate, bake three cakes, shower, clean up the kids, dinner, etc., all in 1 1/2 hours aaaggghhh!!!!!

4:30-6:00pm
Somehow accomplish all of the above. Ryan...you are seriously a saint!! He helped scrub our house, vacuumed, helped feed the kids, decorated, and pretty much saved us! Ben was also a very good sport to help clean for his own party. Good guy!

6:00pm
THE PARTY BEGINS!!!! We had a total of 21 adults and 22 children in our home all at one time. Total: 42 people.
It was what I like to call "sweet chaos." It is absolutely crazy, but so much fun. What can be better than having your home bursting at the seams with people you love and want to be with. It was awesome!

6:30pm
Ben blows out candles and we dig in to cake and ice cream. Becky begins to feel the effects of the long run (basically my brain shuts off). Because of this....no pictures!!!! Not kidding, I did not remember to take a single picture. If I could turn back time folks, this would be the time. We had so many friends here, and so much fun, and no pictures to document the event. AAARRRGGGG!!!! I completely spaced it, among many other things. I think I will start calling this a disease. Seriously, I can't remember things on the days I do long runs. Weird! We did however get some video footage, so that counts for something. Maybe I will play the video, push pause, and take pictures of the T.V.

6:30-11:00pm
People laughing, cake being eaten, toys flying (literally), balloons popping, lots of noise, kids yelling, lots of friends, lots of party. We love you Ben! Happy Birthday!

11:00pm
The last guest goes home. We all collapse on the couch and don't want to move an inch. We all feel warm and fuzzy from such a great night. We feel sooooooo blessed to have so many wonderful friends here. And to have some family close by as well. What a wonderful gift. Thanks everyone for helping to make such a great Birthday for Ben. Ben...again, you are so loved, Happy Happy Birthday Benny dear.

11:15pm
Ryan is the first to go upstairs and check out the damage.

11:16pm
We hear a very loud "HOLY COW....OH MY....IS THIS REALLY POSSIBLE, ECT.!" I just cringe and try not to think about it.

11:20pm-can't remember...but it was late.
Clean up a HUGE mess. Looked like a tornado hit the house...not kidding. I had NO idea we have that many toys. We are STILL finding toys all over the place.

Sometime after 1:00am.
Go to bed finally! Wahoo! Sooooo exhausted. Bed is so warm and comfortable.

1:30am
Sam wakes up crying....I remember someone telling me he ate three cookies (big cookies) at the party....you know how it goes from here.

The End

Here are some before and after pictures...it's all I have...pathetic, I know.

Some of the pictures are dark, I have no idea why. The house was so amazingly clean! I was so proud, so I did what all dorks do, and I took pictures. At least I remembered to take pictures at that point in the day.


BEFORE


Family room...check, all clean. Wait...what on earth is the dog doing in the house!


Living room...spotless


Clean toy room....very rare



Sam's room...you can't see it, but it is so clean, I love it!


Mary's room. Again you can't see it, but oh, so clean.

The Aftermath

AFTER:

These pictures don't even come close to the real thing (the chocolate in the carpet, the stuffed animals hanging by their heads off door handles, popped balloon pieces EVERYWHERE, crayons, sparkles, nail polish on walls and in carpet, balls, blocks, puzzles, dollhouse pieces scattered in every room, etc.) The size of the disaster was truly amazing. We didn't get pictures downstairs or the hallways before we cleaned them, but that was pretty bad too. So, you only get to see about 1/10th of the true disaster.

However messy it was though, we are so glad we had the party, and we will do it again for sure. Besides.. a messy house full of love and friendship is way better than a clean house that is untouched and unlived. It was sooooo worth it!

Again, sorry for the dark pictures.