It's called "The Mother of ALL Relays"

At about 11:50 Friday morning I felt like a celebrity. I was running down a hill and ahead of me was a crowd of 100+ people all watching and cheering. For me! I scanned the faces for my teammates while quickly slipping off the slap bracelet from my wrist. Brent hopped out to the roped path and extended his arm for the hand-off. I was done with my first run! 7.42 miles in 65 minutes and 55 seconds. What a feeling!!

So many exhilarating moments I want to remember!

Like practically jumping out of my skin with excitement as my mom started us off in front of Timberline Lodge, with a BOOM! (She didn't 'boom'. It was the starting gun!)
(Mental note: Next year I want a bullhorn 'cause I just couldn't scream loud enough.)

And conquering my shortest, but scariest, run. It was 4.15 miles. Late at night. And ALL UP HILL. I almost cried as I saw the crowd, knowing I NEVER STOPPED RUNNING.

Or napping in the lawn of the closest church building and the missionaries showing up and unlocking the building. We 'pottied' in style.

Sweaty hugs from my dad and being goofy with my mom.

The moment that teammate, Amy, came over the final finish line, on Seaside's sandy beach was SWEET. We lined up and leaned over the mesh fencing, hands out, to get a moist high-5. Over the loud speakers we heard 'Team GoLDS!'. ('Go LDS' but everyone said Golds)

During my last run I felt defeated and done. But I knew I'd hate myself if I didn't give it my all. So through my aches I pushed. When I came into the finish I didn't want to hear my time for fear of leaving with disappointment. But when I heard that I had run the 5.35 miles at 8 min 55 sec per mile my aches seemed to disappear and I was ready to party!

It was like I was part of this very cool club and we all (roughly 16,000 people) were comrades on the same adventure. 197 miles total. (says the sticker tattoo that is already looking sadly faded on my left calf.)

Y'all know I'm talking about Portland's
Hood to Coast, right?

So THANK YOU to my team for being fun, fast, and FANTASTIC. And thanks to Mike for being such a good sport as I prance around the countryside. There's much more prancing to come!

Lookin' good on a Tuesday.

I know a gal who made little cards that say- My child has autism. Thank you for your patience. Here are some websites if you'd like to learn more... She hands them out whenever there is an incident or what-have-you in public. It's really cool and I'm just too lazy to do the same.

But anyway I thought of this as I sat in the waiting room at the 'toof' doctor's today with Garret and Brenda. How do my kids appear to others?

They were pretty calm and happy. It was probably me that looked, at all, strange. (Keeping kids rounded up, saving plants, rescuing magazines, etc...)

But I'm happy to talk to anyone who asks about my goofy kids.

One lady sat and watched Brenda with a smile on her face. I bet she thought Brenda was the cutest thing she's ever seen. (Or maybe she was wondering why Brenda kept saying, 'I'm a real girl!') (some cartoon, I guess...)

I noticed another gal observing Garret. I know, he's quite handsome, right? (She was probably wondering why he kept humming and slapping the floor.)

When people do ask me questions they seem very cautious. They're worried they'll offend me. I'm not one of those parents that will get defensive and exclaim, "My kids are PERFECT! Maybe it's YOU that has the problem!" (I've heard of this, seriously.)

So today we went to the dentist...

I was not prepared for the success of our outing today. I didn't mind the bill being twice the amount I imagined because it was the direct result of Brenda getting x-rays and both getting a full cleaning. WOW! Brenda thanked the 'toof' doctor, (it was his assistant, but she was wearing the garb so...) sang during the cleaning, and after the x-rays said, "MMMM, delicious!!" Garret waited patiently with smiles and giggles for his turn. He was a bit nervous during the cleaning but I held his hands and patted his arms... (I like being his mommy.)

So as we drove home Garret laid his head down with a smile. Brenda dug through her goody bag and just had to try out her new princess tooth brush. I asked her if she liked going to the dentist. After a few seconds she softly said 'yes'. Then, moments later, exclaimed- "My teef are CLEAN!!!"

When we got home Suzie and I played catch and she kept saying 'bow'. (ball)

And we had hawaiian hay stacks for dinner.

YAY for Tuesday!!

photoshop gets a shout-out

This is us about a year ago. We look perfect don't we? (Never mind that Suzie looks a little macho.)
We sat down. Counted down. Aaaaaand POOF!! A perfect picture.

Now if you believe that then you're a little silly.

Mike's buddy bounced around the camera while snapping the trigger over and over and over again. Then I spent too much time cutting and pasting and painting and warping to join together about 5 pictures. Aaaaaaand POOF!!! A pretty family.

So, it's wedding season and I've been immersed in photoshop so much that my right hand is starting to cramp around the mouse. (That sounds weird.) I am a proud 'fake-photographer'. As long as a photo has good 'bones', it's at the computer that I do what makes me salivate...

...make pretty pictures.

here's the 'raw'-

and after a little photoshopidazzling-mmmmm... And I don't feel guilty at all.

Now that my secret is out I need someone to buy me a new computer 'cause this one is starting to poop-out from doing all the work and getting no credit.

********************

P.S. Here's one of my favorite lines from one of my new favorite movies 'Run, Fat Boy, Run'

"Never pop another man's pustule."

P.P.S. The first time I ever heard the word 'pustule' was in college. I immediately walked up to our dry-erase board and made a note that that word was not allowed. gross.

If we had 35 candles this cobbler would be a-flamin'.

What the heck??
Is he really that old?
Yes folks, it's true. No worries, though. I'm still a vivaciously-delightful 31-yr-old. Mike is fording our path into old-age.
Funny thing is that the older we get the further away 'old-age' gets.

But anyway... HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE!!!!
Even though you're 35 you still...

1. have GAWGEOUS eyes.
2. dance like nobody's watching when everybody's watching.
3. whistle when I stoop.
4. get nervous over seafood.
5. strut after a hair-cut.
6. can't say 'signal'. (Come's out 'single'.)
7. flirt with me on the phone.
8. get excited about birthday parties.
9. like sword-fighting.
10. cuddle.
Good luck with year 36, darling husband. May the diapers be few, the cars run smooth, and your wife remain hot.

three bodacious kids and a tired-wired mommy

I went digging through my beloved photo archives and if there are any of you who still don't believe that I have the cutest kids then let us put that to rest now. Shall we?

Last Fall Brenda threw a surprise b-day party for me. She decorated, made a cake, and lovingly wrapped a present. The gift was Garret's teddy-bear (Jack) that I didn't get to keep. And I didn't have the heart to tell her that it was all three months early.

**************

This is possibly my favorite picture of Suzie.Never mind the laptop and rumpled couch behind her.

**************

Garret loves to swing. And while swaying back and forth has surprisingly great eye-contact.
The mud? Well, he's a boy!

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This afternoon my sis-in-law and I took the kids to Target for school supplies and deodorant. The deodorant is for me. The school supplies- for the kids. We sauntered through the automatic doors feeling relaxed and in control. Then, about, 47 hours later, ran for the van in a blur of plastic-bags and kids. The unexpected goodies that found their way into my cart consisted of clearanced shirts for Garret, fruit snacks for our tummies, chapstick for my luscious lips, baby-wipes for ...you know, a plastic cover for a certain boy's mattress, new bedding for Brenda, and band-aids for fun.

Why am I blogging this? Well, next time someone says, "Why should I blog? Who wants to read about my mundane life?", you can say, "I read Lindsay's and you don't get much more mundane than that." Then your co-conversationizer will say, "Dude, I'll blog 'cause Lindsay does." Then you say, "Word." 'cause you're cool.

Oh gosh. I need to get some sleep.

P.S. I saw 'Juno' last night. I wish I could get away with talking like that. But I'm just so darn sophisticated.

Where I became Layla Cancan

Got home late last night from Girls' Camp. OMG-oodness. I'm on a corny-cloud nine feeling like I love everybody, and everything, and my bubble is indestructible.
I love Girls' Camp! I may not be the best leader as, during the week, I have the maturity of a 13-yr-old. (It's the s'mores and torturous camp-songs, I think.) But gosh-darn it, we have a jolly time.

Some of my favorite moments:
-Putting our hair up in buns and crazy-braids 'cause when the rest of you is covered in bug-bites and dust you might as well look FABULOUS..
-Performing our skit with water guns, umbrellas, and Gene kelly's "Singing in the Rain".
-Watching my girls 'sizzle like bacon' to claim their 'lost-and-founds'.
-Fake-fighting (for yet another skit) with Fran Pettipacker and Marleen Fishpit.
-Re-naming (with sharpie-tattoos) my fellow-leaders: Fran Pettipacker, Marleen Fishpit, and Daphne Tattiloon. (This is how I became Layla Cancan.)
-Making flamboyantly-floral hair clips which we all promised to wear to church on Sunday. (I better not be the only one...)
-Hiking the mountains with Val. (Hi VAL!!)
-Experimenting around the campfire. (Oreos are pretty good roasted.)
-Cuddles and hugs from the girls. Layla Cancan is mushy...
-Laughing hysterically to every potty joke under the sun..
-Star gazing with Prissy Pringle and Natasha Stogerson. (Yes, the girls got new-name tattoos too!).
-Getting blasted with C & C Music Factory at 6:30 am.
-Sharing a tent with Marleen Fishpit who doesn't snore. (Hey Sheri, LOOK LOOK!! This cantaloupe is SCRUMPTIOUS!! MMMMM!)
-Feeding Bradley and Other-Bradley cheese-its and peanuts. (Even the chipmunks got names!!)
-Listening to the girls sing hymns.
-Watching the girls laugh, sing, work, and play together.
-Deciding 5 minutes ago to drive back tonight for the last night. (Layla's not done yet!)

Who wouldn't want a close-up...

...moments after a 10k run? My failed attempt at a cute pose ought to be excused considering my good time. 57 minutes! (and a few seconds...) Not as fast as a few years ago. But I am BY GOLLY getting there.
The first annual 'Run, Run Ye Saints' 5k/10k, run/walk put on by our church was a BIG success! Around 80 people showed for this glamorous event. There is something really exhilarating in all the high-5s and whooping-cheers. And even just having a number pinned to your shirt... Well, it's fun.
Next event? Just a few weeks until the Hood-to-Coast relay. Then a couple weeks for the local Harvest Festival 10k. Then I'll need to do a couple more half-marathons. Then, then, then....
So all my local buddies let me know of any other events I can invite myself to. In return you're all invited to a FANTASTIC 8-mile loop, country run out by my place. Anyone? Name the date! I'll provide the bathroom, water, and maybe something yummy.
With all this activity I have to say that it is quite unfair that there are still some jeans in my closet that take a little too much huffin' and puffin' to get into. Oh well, onward onward...

You say Disneyland, I say Walmart

How smart are we? Training our kids to think that a trip to Walmart and the park, is a BIG family outing? Add to that a package of cheap cookies and we've got ourselves a real vacation. We're home now. Y'all miss us?

If I ever did this again...

I mean, get married, I would ELOPE. (Not that I have plans...)
I shot a wedding a couple weeks ago. (Went awesomely well!) Got one this Saturday. Another the following Saturday. The last is my sis-in-law's and so I'm watching the 'behind-the-scenes' and UGH. It's fun but UGH. So much stress, money, time over little details and frills. I don't mean to knock the process, just wanna say that I've had my fill and, like I said, will elope ...if John Travolta is ever available. (He's my celebrity crush. Mike knows and has one himself.)

There is something thrilling, though, about watching a couple teeter their way through the biggest day of their lives. Typically the mothers are bustling, the fathers laying-low, the groom goofing off all macho-like with his posse, and the brides managing it all from the back-room while a friend fusses over her buttons. heehee And I get it all on camera. I LOVE my job!

So Lindsay, with your experience, what advise would you give spouses-to-be?

START on time.
FEED your guests well.
Get GOOD pictures. (hint, hint. wink, wink.)
KNOW that something WILL go wrong. It'll be small so let it go.
PRAISE all your helpers.
RELAX.

Thanks Lindsay. You know everything.

Well, this has been a nice break from photoshop but alas, I've work to do...

p.s. Anyone that is now worried about my marriage just know that the last I heard, John Travolta is in his 50's. Is happily married. And smokes. Three strikes. He's out. ...maybe

p.p.s. I think Mike's gal is Angelina Jolie. He once said I look like her. HAHA. Nice try hun-bun.

Anna KareNINA

Why does everyone call it 'Anna Karena'? I would mention to people that I'm reading 'Anna Karenina' and immediately get a funny glance. If anyone knows why this is then please, feel free to comment and tell me how pretty I am...

SO, wanna know what I thought of it? ('Cause I finished it, yes I did. Mike said I wouldn't but I did.)

Well I liked it!

OK, have a great day!


Oh, should I add how I loved the characters? Even the pathetic ones. It was a complicated-yet-not novel of different personalities and how their choices gave them grief or blessings. But what it really came down to was one, long, Sunday-school lesson. Tolstoy, I believe, was expressing what it means to be a true Christian. And how Christianity is about joy. But if you're thinking of reading it don't worry- it's not preachy. The fascination is how Tolstoy lets you into the characters' minds and you see what drives them to follow the paths wither they go... (Did I use 'wither' correctly? If yes, then how fancy am I?)

Well, I'll stop myself before I start giving away plot points. Thanks for lending it to me Sara! The book was well 'loved'. (And by that I mean abused.)

What will I read next? Hmmmm, I'm curious to read 'Coraline'. At least with the book I won't have to watch Miss Spink and Miss Forcible nearly bare all... (shudder)