Running a 5K: Check! plus a couple other Firsts for me

St. George 5k, fun girls weekend, what's not to love?

So I did it! yay! There maybe some people out there thinking "so you ran a 3 mile race whoo hoo big deal". Ya it was only 3 miles but as I trained for it, it was a first for me to push myself beyond just being tired and stopping whenever I feel like it. And I learned that I can do it and it wasn't quite as hard as I thought. In training I only time I ever timed myself running it was about 34 min. and I really didn't have a lot of expectations for time I just wanted to do it for the fun sake of doing it. But as I was running I kind of got into pushing myself a little harder. I ended up running it in 28:30 cutting 6 mins of my time! I was pretty surprised. I allow, however, that I was pretty excited and nervous when the race started and adreneline might have something to do with it combined with the lower elevation and fresher air. ;) There were 4 great girls who ran the 5k with me, they did awesome as well! 2 awesome chicks who didn't run but hung out and made it a great time. And 5 amazing ladies who ran the 1/2 Marathon! Being at the race was awesome. I had a great time cheering other runners on too! As those of us who'd finished the 5k waited to cheer for our girls running the 1/2 I was inspired by all the different people at different physical levels running in the 1/2. From very young kids to adults in their 70's. They all seemed to love the encouragement they got from the side lines. You could tell they were proud of their accomplishment and they should be! So I've heard racing can be addicting and I believe it. I have been continuing my training for the Riverton 1/2 marathon in March. I look forward to running with some of the same great friends, though I admit I am a bit nervous! I just keep thinking that 13 miles is a lot! But too late to back out now! I also am planning on two other races 5k in April and 10k in Aug.

As for my other "firsts". . . I left my baby girl for the first time over night 2 nights. I was a little nervous because she can be a mama's girl. But she did just fine! I missed both of my kids, but it was a needed break I think. Also the girls got me to try sushi for the first time. Not the raw kind (it would take a lot more convincing for that, probably money and a lot of it!) The first bite was alright, the second bite was ok and after that it just got worse. I guess I can say that I don't like sushi, for one thing the bites are too big and for another it just doesn't taste good. I'm not usually a very picky eater and it is unfortunate, my only consolation for paying for the food I didn't like was that it is healthy. Plus I tried something new.

These are my running buddies, some of whom I got to know for the first time over this weekend. I have to say I love them all!

Emily(5k), Angie(5k), Angela(1/2), Amy(5k), Jena(1/2), me, Jeanette(1/2), Susie(5k), Laurie(1/2)
awesome friend Nickie (1/2) was unfortunately not here for this picture.


Jaime (in blue) was the friend with the awesome connections for the condo we stayed in. It was a great place and she had us all cracking up with her super mad-gab and scrabble skills! Ya we live on the wild side! *hehe

Sheena(in red) supported us all on through the races we are working on convincing her and Jaime to run with us next time!

What is a weekend out with the girls with a lot of exercise if you don't then spend the rest of the time surrounding yourself with food?

(angela, jena, nickie, me, amy, sheena, jeanette, jaime, emily, laurie, angie, susie)

(plus a couple of cute babies!)

We stayed up too late and spent a good time not acting our age. And of course, it was PERFECT!

Grandma Kemp

My wonderful, sweet Grandma, Barbara Kemp passed away 2 weeks ago. It wouldn't be right to go on without saying how much she will be missed. As my step-grandma, from the begginning of our relationship she welcomed my brothers and I as if we'd always been part of the family. She was truly a great woman to follow as an example. She was a loving and giving person. I am so grateful that I've been able to have her in my life and hope that I can live my life the way that I should to be able to meet with her again someday. As the best kind of person there is out there, there is not doubt in my mind that she is with our Heavenly Father again.

Time is my weakness!

Well it seems that making some goals are in order . . . I don't usually make new year's resolutions. I'm not sure why I don't. I guess you could say that I try making new goals for myself throughout the year as I deem it necessary, but that is not quite the same thing so I am going to try to make a list this time and really stick with it from Jan.-Dec.

* Well first on the list has to be running my first 5k, which I have signed up for and it takes place in 3 weeks.

Going hand in hand with that and definitely more challenging is the 1/2 marathon I plan to run in March. If that goes well I plan also to run one in May.

This is something I have wanted to do for years (since I got married probably), but I let the excuse of not having time to train get in my way. I like running for exercise, but I think as far as training and running the 1/2 I want to accomplish it to prove to myself that I can do it. I am nervous but Be tough!

* I am going to be better at attending the Temple. This is something that I also use time as an excuse for, but really what better thing can I do with my time? Most likely this means that Brad and I won't be going together very often but we'd better both get there regardless! The goal for now is to go every other month for sure. If I do this then I'll probably move it up to every month. How can I not take advantage of the Temple that is now 5 minutes from my house!?

* Spend more one on one time with my kids. Having 2 kids has made me feel guilty about not having that special one on one time with each of them. But I am going to be better at it this year. We need individual bonding time.

* Strengthen my marriage. (Not that it isn't strong, but there is always something more we can do right?) This means DATES. No more of this one or two dates a year! We must make time to go out or even stay in for a date once a month!

Wow as I write these things down I realize one thing they all have in common. TIME. Well all that tells me is that my main goal should be to Prioritise my time better! Who knows what I could get done if I did that!

So you think you can dance?

The new move called the "bum bounce" has been invented.

Who needs toys? Santa should have brought more socks!

The true meaning of Christmas

Well we had a lot of fun with family and we opened a lot of presents and were way too spoiled for our own good, those things are for sure.

I just want to say that I really am so grateful for the real reason that we celebrate Christmas. That our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born into this world to live his life as a perfect example, serving and loving all mankind, to suffer for our sins, be betrayed and crucified and then to rise again all to save our souls! I know that He has done this for me. I pray that this coming year I can be a better mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend and neighbor. For all that the Lord has done for me at the very least I owe him that much.

I am so grateful to you all my family and friends for your great examples to me through out this last year. I've come away a better person because of all of you and I still have a long way to catch up to you all!

Merry Christmas everyone! Happy New Year!

Christmas

I know this is a lot of pictures for Christmas but oh well . . .

We celebrate Christmas with the Callahan side of the family this year. We hauled our cookies to Price for fun with the family. On Christmas Eve the festivities began. Brad's mom is a great cook and has a traditional diner of prime rib, yummy!As we were all together as a family (missing Brad's oldest brother), we decided to open all of the gifts for each other on that night. This consists mostly of the gifts for the kids from grandpa and grandma.

Here is our crazy crew of kids getting ready to open gifts, its a lot of kids and a lot of gifts! (for those of you wondering why there is a bow hunting magazine in the picture that is my brother-in-law giving me grief. couldn't get a picture without it. gotta love em!)

Embrie's first present opening experience ever!


Later that night Grandma Callahan got out a Christmas tree craft for the big kids.

Garrett & Cooper

Riley & Ansley

Sydnie & Alex

Afterward they decorated cookies to leave out for Santa Claus.

Some of the kids got their jammies on and Grandma read the story 'Twas the Night Before Christmas!'

Then she read the story of the Christ child from the scriptures.

Now ready for bed! Garrett and Embrie get to open and put on new Christmas Jammies from mom and dad.

In the morning Garrett was so excited that Santa had eaten the cookies he left and that he must have taken the carrots out to the reindeer. He knew which gifts Santa had left under the tree! He picked up on the different wrapping paper immediately!

Garrett got a lot of fun things, but he really carries this umbrella everywhere!

This book was Embrie's favortie gift of the morning!


Hungry? Embrie began knawing on the orange from her stocking, biting right through the peel!

We moved the orange . . . she found it!

The only thing Garrett asked Santa for was a drum and now our family has its own band!

We got home in the evening on Christmas day where there were a few more gifts from family.

Embrie had a meltdown as we set another gift in front of her. She decided she'd had enough present opening she wasn't going to do anymore!

Party Time!

Time once again for the Nielsen family Christmas party (which is one big reunion every year)! This year instead of going to the church which is our norm they rented out a lodge up in the mountains for some outdoor winter fun!

Here is Kalvin with Embrie
Kalvin teaches the kids how to draw on the steamy windows.


After eating a yummy meal of hot soup, bread etc. we all bundled up to go sledding. Even Embrie got to join the fun (had to borrow a snow suit from a neighbor plus not boots so you'll notice later that we ended up with bags on her feet). She makes a cute little snow bunny!

Garrett and Jaxon are soooo ready to hit the hills!

The little fam.

Towing Jaxon up the hill!

I think she likes it!

We know he likes it!

When the snow got too cold and wet we headed back inside where Grandma Sheri had a Christmas tree craft for all the kids!

And of course, it isn't a Christmas party unless Uncle Von brings his guitar and we sing Christmas carols! *tradition*

The kids each get a sign to hold up while we sing the 12 Days of Christmas.

Garrett got to be the 2 Turtle Doves.

Another tradition, though this may seem out of place, all the men in the family get up and sing "Ghost Riders in the Sky". Now we know that this is not a Christmas song, but it was

Great Grandma Nielsen's favorite thing to listen to her boys sing this song. So every year they all get up and go for it. Most of them "hum daadaa hum" through all of it until the chorus which is the only thing they all really know (this is really funny), but the last couple of years they've handed out the words which helps! A few of them really get animated so it makes it extra fun to watch!

It was so pretty up there with all the snow! And the weather wasn't too cold either! It was a fun Party this year!