Lydia turns 6!

 After much debate (over many, many ideas), Lydia settled on SING for the theme of her party this year. We watched it a few weeks ago and she fell in love with the songs, and the cast (Mr. Moon, especially, despite our explaining to her that he is not the greatest role model) and knew that her birthday needed to be centered around this fabulous movie. So Jon came up with plans for her cake and we talked about gifts, who to invite (so hard! We live by about 100 sweet kids who are all her age and did our best to narrow down the number to a reasonable guest list), and what to do during the party. For those of you who didn't know, Jon planned parties professionally during high school when he worked at McDonald's. So he had some incredible ideas, and when all was said and done, it was a major success! On Sunday we were told that it was, "the party to end all parties."

14 of the 17 kids invited came. One little girl wasn't sure about the party at first and didn't want her mom to leave her so Lydia went over and said she'd stay with her as long as she needed to so that she felt comfortable at her party. Her mom was so impressed with how sweet and thoughtful Lydia was. Love that girl! Also, being Memorial Day weekend we figured more people would be out of town. Honestly, we didn't know how many kids to expect, but they were all really sweet and, as far as we could tell, had a really good time! For the most part. We did lunch, but it didn't go over super well. Most of the kids liked the lemonade, but the pizza was a bit of a let down. Good to know! The cake and ice cream went over a little bit better at the end, but not much. It was the face painting that was the real hit of the party. Jon's co-worker Leslie came and painted each child's face (if they wanted face paint) and didn't mess around. This was full on face paint! We had lots of kittens and tigers and puppies in various shades and colors. She did an amazing job! And Sophie kept the secret all week so that when we told Lydia there would be face paint at her party she actually gasped!

We borrowed Jon's parents parachute and it proved to be a lifesaver. We thought it might be a good backup if we had extra time after doing all the other games and activities, but we needed everything we had! Lydia said that playing sharks with the parachute was one of her favorites of the party.

 The piñata went over well too. For a minute we thought we might need a sturdier bat, but it didn't take long for these kids to whack that elephant to bits. It isn't really Meena, but it was the closest thing to a SING piñata we could find, and Lydia was happy with it, so that was what mattered.

Jon had to talk Lydia into doing a fishing pond. She was sure there needed to be water and if there was water, it sounded okay, but otherwise maybe not. Well, Jon took some extra materials he had lying around and put together this awesome pond (that Lydia approved of) and the kids loved it!

 We asked Uncle Tophe to come and help if he was able. Thankfully he said he could make it because even though I was hoping he could oversee a game Mia needed to be held the entire time. Until Tophe got there I was holding her and she wasn't about to let me set her down. She drank her body weight in lemonade and was pretty tired halfway through, but as long as Uncle Tophe was holding her she was happy.

 Musical chairs was a hit to begin with. We bought a few prizes for the winners, thinking that four rounds would be about right. Sophie was pretty sad when the mermaid Barbie she was hoping to win got chosen first, but she kept playing. Lydia purposely got out when it came down to either her or Sophie getting the last empty chair. She was doing whatever she could to keep people from getting upset. And some of the kids really liked playing until the end, though the last round only about five of them joined in. The music was fun and the kids could jump on the tramp, or play on the swingset or in the bouncehouse when they got out if they weren't in line for face paint.

These guests were so generous and thoughtful with their gifts! And Lydia was super appreciative of everything she was given. She's already written 5 or 6 thank you cards by herself and wants to draw a picture of an animal on each card. It might take her a few more days, but she'll get it done!

Such a cute group of friends! Lydia is so lucky that there are so many kids her age in our neighborhood. It seems like lots of families youngest are her age and there aren't nearly as many Sophie's age. Poor Mia is in nursery with only one other kid. Hopefully we get some more young families moving into our ward before too long.

Sunday the primary sang to Lydia at church and she finally got to choose her "Hi Chews" treat she'd been looking forward to since Sophie's birthday. Maybe all year. And after church we went to the Farmington Cemetery where we visited Jon's Grandpa Steed and Uncle Buff. Jon told us a little bit about them and we talked about WWII because Grandpa Steed lied about his age so he could join the navy when he was young. Other than that, there isn't much Jon's family knows about Grandpa Steed's experiences in the war. Sophie said, "Grandpa Andrus didn't fight in the war. He was hit by a car." I was a little confused by that, but I think she was thinking we were talking about dying and she knew that Grandpa Andrus didn't die in a war. It led to an interesting conversation and was just so nice to remember family who have passed on. We went to Salt Lake and visited Matthew. We talked about him at dinner with Mom and Dad, Isaac and Amber and Tophe. They pulled out the book of pictures and letters that were put together after he passed away. I was so happy to find that the picture of me holding Matthew had made its way back into the book after I was sure it had gone missing when I was in elementary school. I'd done a report and included that picture and thought that I'd lost it years ago. Jon said I looked just like Lydia looking adoringly at one of her younger siblings.

And then we celebrated Lydia some more! We sang to her and she opened sweet and thoughtful cards from Grandma and Grandpa and Isaac and Amber. Uncle Tophe knows our girls well, and when Lydia opened the karaoke microphone from him she was ecstatic! She couldn't wait to open it so she could get right to singing. She's going to be on the radio one day, in case you were wondering. Such a fun and peaceful day spent with family!

 And today we got to celebrate some more with Jon's family! Cupcakes this morning and more gifts.

Lydia was so excited when she opened Mr. Moon. She was hoping for him more than anything for her birthday. And the SING soundtrack will get lots of listening too. I'm excited for her and Sophie to use the Troll Walkie Talkies from the Pynes, and the Lite Brite from the Talbots will be so fun! That gift brings back so many memories! I had no idea those were still out there. Lyds kept her shopping trip with Grandma and Grandpa a secret so that the rest of us finally found out about her puppies today. Hours of fun with those! I think she'll look super cute in her new dresses, though they were for sure not exciting at all. And her bubble bath flamingo will be a lot of fun too. So many sweet and thoughtful gifts from everyone and then the fun really began!

 After the quick celebration we all headed to Lagoon for our first trip of the season. Lydia kept telling me that this was "the best birthday ever!!!" And the girls had a great time riding rides and running around. Mia seemed to like the rides much better once she was off of them, but if you asked her if she was having fun, the answer was always yes. I would have told you that she absolutely wasn't having fun by the look on her face. But what do I know?

 There'll be many more trips to Lagoon with these fun cousins. It was a great way to spend part of her birthday! And lunch at McDonald's afterward didn't upset anyone.

 Lydia, Jon and Sophie all tested out her new microphone. Such a great gift! Thanks again Uncle Tophe! We're looking forward to hours and hours of fun and entertainment with this in the weeks and months to come.

And in case anyone was wondering, she grew a little more than three inches over the last year! Which explains why she's looking so grown up! And of course we just love her! She is the sweetest and so much fun. Six looks good on you Lyds! Looking forward to this next year and all the adventures you're going to have!

Ogden Marathon (Running for Grandpa Andrus)

There are a few things that led me to sign up for this marathon yesterday. My pregnancy with Mia (including labor and delivery) played a roll. So did watching Lizzie and Abby cross the finish line in Azusa, CA last November. I was so emotional! Like ugly, ugly cry face for hours that day. And simply the fact that I have always wanted to run one was another reason. Thanks to Dad I decided now was the time. He encouraged me not to wait until retirement to run one if I could do it now. So, in December last year I talked to Jon about it and signed up for the Ogden Marathon. Lizzie had challenged us sisters to "streak" with her in December, meaning we exercised for 15 minutes each day for the entire month. So fun to check in and report back to each other! And the perfect way to start my training. And then when Grandpa passed away in January I suddenly had this incredible motivation to train hard. I wanted to run it for him. Grandpa, who walked three miles every day for as long as I can remember. Grandpa, who valued fitness so much that he was doing 35 push ups until his last day on earth. Grandpa, who was out walking his evening mile when he was hit by a car and taken back to heaven. Grandpa, who was so generous with his money to all of his descendants. Grandpa, what an incredible man. I miss him so much! So I decided to use some of the Christmas money he gave me and bought myself a new pair of running shoes. I really loved the idea that they were from him. He bought them for me. In the beginning on my runs I'd run and talk to him and sometimes double over sobbing because he left such an impact on my life. Knowing that I can't stop by and see him when we're in Spanish Fork makes my heart ache so much! But the fact that the race was on May 20th (two days after he would have turned 96) added to the sweetness of this tribute to him.

Training wasn't easy. When Lydia was in school it was easier during the week because I could push Sophie and Mia in the double BOB, but when she was off track it became more challenging. My friend and neighbor (Amy Green) offered to watch the girls so I could do longer week day runs. It was such a blessing to drop them off and know that they were in good hands while I ran as fast as I could. Not wanting to put her out too much and needing to carry on with our days (we typically did this on Wednesdays and would rush Lyds to ballet as soon as I was done) we tried to get it done early on. I had another neighbor, Heidi Smith, send her daughter over a few times when she was off track so that I could run while she watched our girls. We have the best neighbors!

 Jon made weekend runs possible. He'd either run errands, or plan something fun to pass the time. Errands included trips to Home Depot, grocery shopping, or J and J with the girls. For fun they went hiking to Ensign Peak one Saturday, and got to go to a Book Event at a Dealership another Saturday. Face painting made that one super memorable. Both Lydia and Sophie were invited to birthday parties on different Saturdays. Jon drove me to Main Street and Mountain Road in Kaysville (after dropping the girls off to their party) as suggested by Brian (Jon's boss) so that I could get as much downhill running in as possible before the race. Once I was at the top I'd run down from across Highway 89 along 200 North. This was in the hopes that my recovery wouldn't be so painful once I'd run my race. Brian has run something like 13 marathons and had some really good advice to pass along. Jon also got me this bath bomb and massage bar for my birthday to be saved for after my run. I've been smelling this incredible citrus scent and looking forward to using it for weeks. Especially after my 20 mile run when my knee started hurting horribly at mile 15 for the first time in years. I'd injured it before, but it hadn't bothered me in ages, and this was three weeks before go time. I tried to not worry about it too much, but each Saturday run I was reminded of the pain about 5 miles in and wondered how on earth I'd be able to do an additional 21.2 miles on a sore knee if this was what to expect. Ahhh!!!!! Such a mental thing! I didn't want to feed the pain, and make it worse than it actually was, but I couldn't pretend that it wasn't real because I knew that it was. Anyway, Jon has suffered from knee pain for years and advised me to take some ibuprofen a couple hours before the race, wear my knee brace and not let it get to me. So that was my plan.

The sisters were so awesome to ask me how training was going, how I was doing mentally and to encourage me when I was scared out of my mind right before the race. Sarah did a sugar fast with me the week leading up to it. She'd check in with me and we'd text about our experiences. Kids tempting us mostly. ;) ;) Jess and I talked weekly about my running and her pregnancy. She was always so optimistic about how I was going to do. When I was called to Primary she told me that extra blessings would be coming as I served and trained and ran. Lizzie texted a week before the race and the night before asking me how I was and telling me how excited she was for me. And Abby. Oh Abby! She and I talk often, but on Friday night she texted me asking when I planned to go to bed and what time I was going to wake up the next morning. She let me know that she was going to send an email and that I couldn't open it until right before I was leaving. I'm so glad she didn't give me a heads up any sooner than that! I was about to have an emotional breakdown and so to cope I was doing anything I could to distract myself from what was coming. Why should this run be any different than all my other long ones?? But it was and it had me in a panic.

Fortunately, the kindness of family continued and Amber came and picked up our girls for a sleep over at their house after her shift at the temple. The girls were so excited to spend the night with Isaac and Amber! They packed up Thursday and have talked nonstop about all the fun they had. The picnic dinner, seeing the Tabernacle, the Hunt they all went on (to find the bathroom, the laundry room, where they were sleeping, etc and who found all of these things), the chalk drawings and the yummy breakfast the girls had that the girls wanted me to recreate this morning. Such a fun time! And while they were enjoying themselves in Farmington, Jon and I went to Chili's for dinner (to carb load). Pasta. Chicken. Bread. When we got home I packed up and then we watched part of Pirates of the Caribbean and tried to sleep. Fat chance! Actually I think I slept better than Jon did (poor guy!), but when my alarm went off at 3:40 there wasn't any hope of getting a few more minutes sleep.  And that is when I got to read Abby's email:

Hey lady! It's your first marathon! It's finally here! And it will finally end! The long runs can stop and you can have your Saturday's back! Seriously the best part of a marathon is not having to train for a marathon.

I'm really sorry so many of us can't be there with you. Your first marathon is obviously a big deal, and I wish we could be there to cheer you on at different points of the race.

But just because we can't be there in person doesn't mean we can't support you on your run.

As you know Lizzie and Micah are each running a half tomorrow, so think of it as having one of them, a professional, with you through the whole race.  

The less professional among us will also be running tomorrow with you...

Will will be there for you for 3 miles

Summer will be there for you for 3 miles

Brother Jon will walk with you for 10 miles

I'll be there for you for 4 miles

Chris will be there for 6 miles

Sarah will be there for you for 3 miles

Jess will be there for you for 3.1 miles

Derek will be there for you for 3.1 miles

Nate will be there for you for 4.1 miles

All in all we will run two and a half marathons with you. Know that you are never alone, you will have a professional and one or two of your amateur siblings running alongside you. ;)

Love you! Here for you! You're going to kill it!

Also, have fun and make good choices! 

luv,

abs

PS The siblings/family not listed here probably don't even know I put this together. They're either going to be there for you at the end, or have their own (or your) family to take care of, so I didn't want to add more to their plates, but I'm sure had they known they would have jumped on it as well. 

And as soon as I finished reading it, !!

It was perfect! I felt so much love!! Running for Grandpa in addition to running with my whole family was so empowering! And with that thought, Jon and I hopped in the car and drove to Ogden where I caught my bus and anticipated what was coming. Everyone was so nice. Though the bus ride to the top felt like forever, I got to pass the time with a nice woman who was running the Ogden marathon again after the downpour she'd been caught in the previous year. I found a place to sit on the dirt after we unloaded the buses and this kind elderly man pulled a tarp out of his truck so that I could sit on that instead of the cold ground. I stood in porta potty lines three times hoping that I could clean myself out before starting. I'd eaten at 4:00 so I could take my medicine at 6:30 or so and was surprised that my body wasn't responding like I wanted it to, but one minute before the race I did what I came for and got in line to start running just in time. And we were off! There were so many of us crowded together at first and I felt kind of bad squeezing between people to pass them, but I wanted to run well and as fast as I could. I wasn't paying attention to how far I'd gotten until my watch beeped and surprised me with another mile done. It was awesome! I was handed a mocha goo at about mile 4 and gagged it down, hoping for another option further on. Around mile 9 Jon surprised me and cheered me on. It was so good to see him! I blew him a kiss and pushed a little harder. At the halfway point there was music and tons of people and I couldn't stop smiling! The lady on the megaphone took note and told me how cute I was. Not true! I was a sweat mess, but it was so nice of her! I gobbled down a banana (I'd passed on the good a few miles back when I should have taken one) and couldn't believe I was halfway done. All along the way I'd imagine my siblings walking or running with me, talking to them and to Grandpa. And then mile 14 hit and I was running up hill and smiling a little less. But I didn't stop running. That was one of my goals. Take a sip of water as often as possible, and run. At mile 16 I was handed a raspberry goo. More than made up for the mocha one! Around mile 17 Jon appeared again. This time with the camera. He and the group he was with were shouting and cheering and it was just what I needed to push myself a little harder down the canyon.

I could feel some serious discomfort on my left pinky toe, but knew there was nothing I could do about it. I'd already lost two toenails on my left foot and was pretty sure I was going to lose another on my right, but my knee was hanging in there! It hurt, but wasn't unbearable. Such a blessing! And then around mile 20 I needed a porta potty and I needed it stat. I stopped. Put my hands on my knees and wondered what on earth I was going to do. What if I didn't make it? Fortunately another runner pointed me up ahead and I found what I needed. I'm pretty sure the whole ordeal only set me back about 2 minutes, and I was on my way again feeling fantastic. Around mile 23 I exited the canyon and ran through the city. Mile 24 last forever, but I had less than a 5K and a 5K was nothing! I tried not to think about how long I'd been running. When I got onto Grant in Ogden I was only a few blocks from the finish line, but there wasn't much left in the tank. And then there was Jarom. Jarom running alongside me, wearing Miriam and cheering me on! Again, . He told me that everyone was on the right side up ahead. I was handed an American flag and ran with it a little farther when I saw Mom and Dad, Jarom, Brittany, Leila, Darius and Miriam, Isaac and Amber, Tophe and Jon and the girls. And I just ran and cried! I saw the time blinking. It wasn't quite 3:40, the cut off to qualify for Boston (if I was remembering right) and I pushed myself across the finish line. And then I walked over to family and basically collapsed. Abby called right then and we talked for a minute. Congratulation texts came in from Mom Frazier, Stacey, Summer, Lizzie, Sarah and Jess. I couldn't believe everyone was there!! Jarom and Britt drove all the way from Provo with their fam just to see my at the finish line. So far! And it meant so much to me!! Everyone took part in my day and I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am for my family! They are everything to me. Brittany made these awesome posters with Grandpa Andrus quotes, making me laugh and cry at the same time. We talked for awhile and took some pictures.

Tophe came with us to The Habit. We'd been wanting to try it and I was really in the mood for some sweet potato fries until I got there. And then I wasn't sure I could eat anything! But the company was awesome and achieving the goal to run a marathon was fantastic! My stats came in shortly after that, Division Place:13,
Overal Place:181
Net Time:3:37:33
Pace:8:18
Division Total:109
Gender Place:43
Gender Total:464
Overall Total:1069
So it looks like I qualify for Boston! I wanted to run it under four hours and couldn't be happier!

Jon was talking to the girls, telling them what an accomplishment running this marathon was for me and how well he thought I'd done. First off, I'd finished it. Secondly, I did it in less than 4 hours. He told them he hoped that maybe they'd run with us in the future. Sophie said she liked watching me run and Lydia mentioned my race in her prayer at dinner. She also wanted to know if I won. Haha!

Today I've been hobbling everywhere. I taught Sharing Time for the first time and was grateful that I was able to get up and down out of my chair as well as I did. My pinky toe does indeed have a blister on it. A huge blood blister, in fact. But thanks to Paul and Sarah I'm going to leave it be and see what happens. Awesome battle wounds! I'm definitely not done running, but I'm excited to take it easy for a bit. What an incredible experience!!

New Calling

Last September I was called to be the chorister in senior primary (a calling that the former Primary secretary is sure was prep for my new calling. A chance for me to get to know the kids). We were on vacation in Oregon and so Jon missed Bishopric meeting and any insights into the genesis of this call. Though the call itself was shocking, terrifying and exciting all at the same time, I got to know and love the kids in senior primary pretty well because of it and eventually learned to love it too. I was in for about seven months, finally feeling a little more comfortable and really enjoying it when Bishop McKenzie texted me asking if Jon and I could come in and meet with him the following day.  This was just before Easter (which happened to also be Stake Conference) and extended the call to serve as Primary President. Ahhh!!!!  I cannot even begin to tell you how overwhelming and terrifying the thought of serving as Primary President was. Initially. It still is, but much less so. I was told to let the shock wash over me, and then to take some time to think about who I'd like to call as my counselors. When I was called I couldn't have been more surprised. I definitely didn't see it coming, but Bishop's confidence that this was what needed to happen has been incredibly comforting since then.

On my runs I'd think about who I'd work well with and who felt like a good fit, and then I'd pray about it. I sent a list of those names to Bishop and got his thoughts. Then I submitted my request, and Bishop let me know that each of them accepted the call to serve.

After our first meeting as a presidency I felt very reassured that we'll work well together. Julie, Amy and Heidi are all amazing women and women I look up to because they're such wonderful moms. I think our Primary is so blessed to have them in there with them.

Our former Primary President (Holly) told us a story in her final testimony to the kids. She had been in the Primary presidency before she was called to serve as Primary President. When she was called she knew immediately who one of her counselors was supposed to be and told us about coming to know who else she was to serve with. A few weeks ago she knew that her time as President was coming to an end. Bishop called her in. They talked for a bit. He asked her how she was doing and they discovered that both of them felt like it was time for a change. When she walked in to Primary that day and saw me leading the music, she said that she knew it was me who would be called as the next Primary President. In fact, the whole presidency felt the same way. I didn't feel those impressions beforehand, but it was kind of nice to hear that from them. In fact, the first counselor (Dori) pulled Jon aside and told him that I was going to be the next Primary President. She told him not to tell me because it'd freak me out, but her vote of confidence that I'll serve well here has been comforting. Our ward is so nice! Lots of ward members have reached to tell me how excited they are for me.

May 7th we were sustained, set apart and experienced our first Sunday in Primary together. For the most part things went really well. There was no table when we walked in and despite our efforts to have music time covered (everyone was out of town) we still, thanks to Heidi, ended up pulling one of the Relief Society sisters out of RS to lead the music for the older kids. Julie's lesson was awesome. She did a great job! And Amy sat with one of the teachers who was on his own with a bunch of excited (and rather noisy) boys. These women are doers and I love that! There was also a convert baptism that night. Lorelai is amazing! She's 11 and it's been so fun to get to know her since I was called into Primary. Her parents and brother were all there today at church. Such a wonderful family.

When I was set apart I was reminded to trust in Heavenly Father. He knows me. I was told to love the kids. He is in charge of His church and mindful of His children. I was told to put my family first, and that as I did, and as I got on my knees each day and served my best in this calling, everything would work out. It was wonderful to be in there with these incredible ladies, and hear the blessings the Lord has for each of us.

We'll meet for the fourth time tomorrow and discuss callings, kids and our leaders. Some of them have been in for quite a long time. Our first baptism is coming up next month (he'll be the first this year) and so we'll figure out what needs to be done in preparation for that. We've been out on one visit and plan to go out again this week. Amy and I visited Jill on Monday. She's Sophie's teacher and has been through a lot. I felt very strongly that she needed to know of The Lord's love for her so we brought her a note, treat and a picture of the Savior (something Amy had been wanting to give her since just after Christmas but hadn't yet) and just checked in to see how she was doing. I just want to do what the Lord would have me do, and really am excited to be in Primary!!

New do!

 Ever since I chopped my hair off about a year ago, Lydia has been wanting to cut hers too. She's waffled on how much to cut off, but knew that she wanted a change.

Jon came home from work a few weeks ago and told her about a little girl in his boss's ward. She's only four years old and has a brain tumor. Her family has been told that she won't live for long, but they'll fight it as long as possible. This sweet little girl has become very weak recently and her dad has to carry her everywhere because her body is shutting down. So Jon told Lydia that this cute little girl will probably lose all her hair fighting to live. And now when Lydia donates her hair it can be used to make a wig for a little girl who's lost hers.

She was so excited to donate it! So on May 2nd she cut off ten inches (she could have easily done more) and we mailed it off to Wigs 4 Kids.  She plans to grow her hair out again so that she can donate it in the future. I love this sweet girl and her generous loving heart! Because of her example Sophie's talking about donating hers (it's well below her waist) when she isn't playing Rapunzel.

Loveland Aquarium with cousins!

For Christmas Jarom and Brittany and their cute kids gave us The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister with a note inside inviting us to go to the Aquarium with them this year. So on April 28th we drove to Draper to meet them at the Loveland Aquarium for some animal fun. Side note: the timing was perfect! Lydia was just going off track and her kindergarten class had hatched baby chicks (they were learning about life cycles and got to see them fertilized,watched them hatch and held them that Friday) but they wouldn't be there when Lyds went back on track. She was devastated. She cried all the way home, so going to the Aquarium was perfect (for her and her sisters) and just what the doctor ordered.

It was pretty cold and miserable outside, so enjoying the day with family and some amazing animals out of the elements really was perfect.

It was fun hearing about the fish tank Brittany had in her house growing up. So fun for her and her family! I think our girls would love something like that. And catching up with Jar on how school has been going was great too. I had to give him a hard time about beating me on steps despite the 40 miles (on my busiest week) I ran in prep for my race. Nate caught up with us after work. I'm so glad he did because he's ditching us again this summer to go to Texas so any time we can spend with him before he takes off is awesome!

I love that our girls have cousins close by and that they love them. Mia and Darius were so fun to watch at the Penguin exhibit. It was fun watching all the kids at the touch pools and watching them walk across the bridge in the South American section. Lydia was terrified of the sharks and sobbed quite a bit despite our reassuring her that she had nothing to be afraid of. We eventually got her through it and hopefully she won't suffer any permanent damage as a result of our parenting.

Sophie's favorite parts of the Aquarium included the rope bridge, the sting rays, the penguins, and the big shark mouth (just teasing. She HATED the big shark mouth) and especially the whales the kids could sit on. Lydia loved all of it! And Mia loved the penguins! Such a fun time!! Thanks Jarom and Brittany!!