RRR Zion 2013

The Red Rock Relay:

• 12 runners + 1 driver
• 187 miles (Brian Head Ski Resort - Cedar City - Veyo - St. George - Zion National Park)
• 30 continuous hours of team running
• 75 minutes of sleep
• 6 bagels, 2 Ibuprofen, water, fruit, peanut butter, and chocolate milk 
• 3 legs per runner
• Way too many port-o-potties
• Thousands of visible stars in the sky
• Rain, hail, mud, traffic, etc.
• 2 "vans"
• 3 showers 
• 90 degree weather, and 50 degree weather (depending on the run)
• Ranked one of the Most Beautiful Relays in the United States
• Countless laughs, a few tears, lots of memories, incredible views, and 
• One awesome team that FINISHED the race! 

GO TEAM RENRAG!  

Here are some pictures and lessons I learned:  

1. Sometimes you sign up for something in life thinking you know what that entails only to find out, you had NO idea what you got yourself into!  Of the three runs I was expected to do, I thought my middle run was going to be the hardest.  Ha!  It ended up being the easiest!  You never know exactly how life will turn out... Just like the picture below that was to be a "jumping picture."  Haha!

2. There is only so much a picture can do to convey how beautiful God's creations are!  This race course was AH-MAZING!  Every single corner had a new terrain and more incredible views!

3.  In the world of Relays, if you pass someone while running, it's called a "kill."  But because everyone out there on the course knows how hard it is, your hat goes off to those who pass you and those runners ahead of you sure do motivate you to run faster!  Yes folks, below is proof that I got at least one "kill."

4. Running at night is incredible!!  I was super nervous to be out there running on my own in the middle of nowhere!  As I took off to run, I turned my headlamp on and could ONLY see the small circle of ground it illuminated.  I depended very heavily on my headlamp!  At times, I tried to shine my light to the sides to see what I was running through.  Then, every large shadow started to scare me so I decided to not think about what could be around me and I just ran.  Although it was  bit freaky, it was also so peaceful!  When I turned my headlamp off and walked for a bit, I was AMAZED at the stars!  It was beyond beautiful!  It was comforting to know that the van was always nearby with teammates looking out for me!  I found a lot of parallel in the gospel in that 40 minute run.  I could not see the MASSIVE hill I was climbing (750 ft elevation climb) due to the darkness, and honestly, it made running up it easier!  It reminded me of the hymn, Lead Kindly Light.  I always feel that if I could only see what life had in store, how it would work out, etc., it would make things so much easier!   But from this run, I realized, sometimes it better to only see "one step enough for me" as the hymn says.  It makes it easier to conquer the mountains and we are able to focus on the challenge present and not all the other mountains we will face in this mortal life.  Heavenly Father really does know exactly how much we need to know in order to succeed.  So neat!  

5. It is really nice to have someone to cheer you on an motivate you in the hard times!   See the picture below?  This is my third run, it was my longest run, it was SO stinkin' hot!  I had only slept for 75 minutes in the past day and I was DONE!  I was walking down the last bit of my stretch of the course, when my dad came up to me and said, "kick it in and finish strong."  I won't lie, I responded with, "I can't", but then I felt guilty and I did it.  I finished strong with my dad by my side.  Once I passed the transition point and was finished, I realized once again, that I can do HARD things.  This relay was NOT easy!  But, it is in those moments when we have to reach beyond our comfort zone and extend ourselves beyond what we think is possible, that we find how strong we are.  Thankfully, I have been blessed with wonderful family and friends who have stood by me during my hard times.

6. Once you finish a race like this, you are best friends with all those who ran with you and around you!  During the race, you cheer for every runner, not just your own; you offer water to everyone, not just your teammates, you remind each other how crazy you are for signing up for such an adventure and then laugh together as someone says, "see you next year" because you all know how true that statement is!  The running world is a fun, addictive one!  Just look at that team below and imagine how many laughs and jokes and good times were had!  It was a party!  So glad I was able to go!  Great job team!  

  Red Rock Renrags Team, Red Rock Relay, September 13-14, 2013

Summer of a Lifetime

Boy, we were busy!  I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am to ALL those who made our summer wonderful!  Jared's parents for their generosity and willingness to take us along, my family for letting us crash for an extended visit, and all our friends and family who made time to see us!  It was wonderful!  It was the summer of a lifetime!  We know that a summer like this probably won't happen again until we are retired and grandparents, but I am so glad we were able to take advantage of such a summer and enjoy each other so much!  Going back to work was not easy but I couldn't help but think of the quote, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."  I sure do have a lot to smile about as I think back on this summer!

Viva Las Vegas

On our way home from California, we stopped for a night in Las Vegas.  Our friends, the Nimer's, were wonderful hosts!  We loved seeing them again.  The next morning, we went downtown to sightsee.  Monday mornings are the most family-friendly time to be in Vegas. 

We went through Ceasar's palace.

 Jared found the Eiffel Tower... in Vegas. 

 We found lots of pretty fountains. 

 I was SO excited to show Jared the water show at the Bellagio.  Unfortunately, the shows don't start until 3pm and we had to leave around noon.  BUT, we got a little tender mercy: right as we walked by, they ran a test-run show to make sure all the fountains were working.  We actually ended up seeing TWO songs in a row!   It was even better than a normal day!  We really lucked out!

 Of course we had to stop by the Venetian since my brother has spent nearly the last year living near Venice.  It was fun to see the Gondolas go by.  

It was just a quick stop, but it ended up being a great morning before jumping back in the car to drive the rest of the way home. 

California

For all of those out there reading this who are NOT married yet, plan and pay for your honeymoon BEFORE your wedding day.  If you don't it won't happen.  The day after you get married, you realize how poor you are and a honeymoon doesn't seem to happen quite like you dreamed.

BUT we did go on a "honeymoon" eventually.  The last week of summer vacation, we drove out to California.  The first day there, we spent with my Great Great Uncle (his mother is my Great Great Grandmother - how cool is that?!).  He and his wife and their daughter, who lives with them to help care for them as they age, are some of the most incredible people I know!  We ate dinner with them, played Dominos, and talked about his parents and his childhood.  I could have sat and listened for days!  I love them and their example of love and service!  We spent the night at their home and I wished I had a few more days with them!

But we were off to our "honeymoon." (I didn't count staying with family as a honeymoon!)  Jared and I drove to Knotts Berry Farm.  I had never been before and Jared loves his memories there so I was excited!  We walked in and our first ride was this one...

The park was a bit busier than we had hoped.  California kids were still on Summer break, but we still made it on nearly every ride.  Unfortunately, Jared's favorite ride was closed for the day.  We really enjoyed the cool water on the log ride though!

We also went to all the shows.  Jared had never been to them so we both were seeing them for the first time.

  I loved being there with just him!  We talked all day as we waited in lines.  Being at a theme park, we kept with my family tradition and got a churro - the most overpaid splurge of our trip. Once the sun began to set, the park really cleared out and we went on tons of the rides with much shorter lines.

That night, we walked back to our hotel that was right near the park.  It was a nice room but nothing fancy (because we realize how poor we are! haha!).  It did have blackout blinds though so when I woke up at nearly 10am (thinking it was 5am), Jared and I had to scramble to pack up and be out before checkout time.  I now know how amazing blackout blinds are!  Wow!

Once we packed up, we headed for Laguna beach.  We knew it was a busy beach, but we had heard that all the shopping and restaurants around there are amazing so we had to check it out.  We had a blast at the beach just soaking in the ocean breeze and people-watching.  Isn't that a classy picture of us?!

Thanks to my aunt, we found the CUTEST and most DELICIOUS Italian Gelato Shop in all the world!  You could get THREE flavors in one scoop.  We spent over 20 minutes just testing flavors and deciding what we wanted!  It was amazing!!  You could smell the waffle cones from blocks away!  And... that concludes our honeymoon! :)  It was short and sweet but actually just perfect for us - any time I have with Jared is amazing! 

That evening, we met up with my aunt Kathy.  She lives nearby so we had dinner with her and her roommates and stayed at her place that night!  (Thanks Kath!)  She took us on a night-walk around the beach that night that I loved!  The following day, she had planned out a full-day of fun.  We started off by driving to a beautiful beach with this view seen below.  How amazing!!

 We had planned to learn how to paddle board there, but it ended up being a "no stand-up board" time so we headed off to lunch at Banzai Bowl. Oh. My. Goodness!  If I could blink a Banzai bowl here right now, I would!  It was heavenly!

Next, we were off to another beach.  Kathy had only been there once and hadn't been able to explore it much so not even she was aware of how awesome this place was!  Below is the view from a little hike we did.  Do you see the cove in the background?   In order to get to it, you either have to own a home on the other side of it OR you have to swim around that major rock formation.  Seen as we were on "this" side of the rock formation, the only way over was to swim there.  So... despite some crazy undertow and waves that literally crashed on the sand, we swam out and around.  It was not an easy swim and your timing had to be just right in order to not be thrown into the sand (like we saw many people do).

Once we got there, I could not get over how pretty the view was!  It was INCREDIBLE!  I wanted a picture so badly but my camera was on the other side of the rock so it seemed as though it was impossible!  But, there happened to be a couple there who had come from the "private beach" side and had their phones.  I went up to them and kindly asked if they could take a picture for us and then email it to us.  They were SO nice!  So the picture you see below?  Yeah, I worked so hard for that picture!  That cove had crabs and clams and starfish and all sorts of neat things in it!  It was so neat!  

This beach might be one of my very favorites ever!  

We watched the sun set here and then headed off for Kathy's hot tubs and a good nights sleep after all that swimming!

Thanks Kathy for one of the most fun days of the summer!  We really loved spending time with you!  Love ya!

Arizona Summer

After all of our travels out East, we were able to spend a couple weeks in Arizona with our families.  It was so nice to sleep in every morning, watch a commercial-free tv show (DVR or Netflix), hang out in the pool and then do something fun in the evening. Yeah, it was one magical schedule! 

Some activities included: 

--Bowling and ice cream with these two (we have awesome family!)

--Texas Roadhouse for dinner with my family

--Mesa Temple with my man

--Corn hole - pool style!  We found this at the store and HAD to get it!  It entertained us for HOURS!  

--My first real pedicure with my mom and my sister.  This seriously was SO fun!  Thanks Mom! 

--Despicable Me 2 with Cami (in celebration of her graduation/birthday! 

- Go Dr. Cami - Bee-doo, Bee-doo)

--Hairspray, the Musical at Hale Theater with my family

--Other activities that we failed to get pictures of included 

--Dinner with the girls!  It was so fun to see Kayla's and Paige's little baby girls too! 

--Picking my brother J up from the airport and hearing all about his 17 day trip to Bolivia where he attended Humanitarian EFY and built a school for the kids down there! 

--Dinner at SmashBurger with Kaitlin and Austin (good eats, even better company!)

-Having a sleepover with Jared's youngest siblings - they are so hilarious!  While we were watching them, his littlest sister prayed, "Thanks for letting Kourtney and Jared be our pretend mom and dad while our real mom and dad are gone!" - HAHA!  Too fun! 

I could've spent another two weeks down there!  We didn't fit everything in that we wanted to (we never do) but the time we did have there was so enjoyable!  

Until next time, Arizona... 

Flagstaff

My mom and I were itching for a weekend in Flagstaff.  No where in the WORLD smells better than Flagstaff does!  After a good couple of months of 100+ degree temperatures, it's also nice to get out of the heat and enjoy a healthy dose of cool weather!  So while J was in Bolivia, my mom, Jared, A, and I drove up to Flagstaff. (Dad met us up there later that weekend).

First, we stopped at the outlets in Anthem.  You have to stop.  They have the Nike Outlet, Rue 21 Outlet, and The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.  The caramel apple we got from the Chocolate Factory was DELISH! 

We go out to a local park in Flagstaff every time we go up there as a family.  The weather was perfect! It was in the high 60's until the thunderstorm hit and it dropped into the high 50's.  

We went to eat at Beaver Street Brewery - one of my favorites, if not my favorite of all.

The next day, we went and hiked the Weatherford Trail that leads up the highest peak in Arizona.  We didn't make it to the top (it was 12 miles to the top and then 12 back).  We just did 6 miles up and 6 back.  It was a beautiful hike with so many neat things to see.  I loved it!

This was us at the beginning of the trail! Our entire crew included A, my dad, and my aunt and uncle, their daughter, and some friends.

The view from the top was a bit blocked by the clouds, but it was super neat!  Someday, I'll make it to the top!

Thanks Flag for another great weekend!

Ohio

When I was a little girl, I remember my aunt coming home from her mission.  She brought us shirts that said OHIO on it and I wore mine all the time... until it had holes and my mom required that it be thrown in the rags pile!  That is really all I knew about Ohio then - that my aunt served her mission there.  I obviously learned more about Ohio in regards to church history as I grew up so it was really neat to go back there!

The Morley Farm: First stop in Ohio was the Morley Farm and Schoolhouse.  It was a pretty place where we heard of many neat things that took place here.  The Morley's sacrificed their farm and land to help the coming saints and build up the new temple.  The early saints were miraculous examples of dedication and sacrifice!  

The Kirtland Temple:  This was something I was really looking forward to!  This was the first temple our church built in this dispensation.  It was used differently than we use temples today because at this time, the temple ordinances had not yet been fully revealed.  Today, this temple is no longer owned by our church.  As the saints were driven from Kirtland, they had to leave the temple behind.  Today, the temple is owned by the Community of Christ Church.  However, they still have tours and I am grateful for the experience as we still got to see the craftsmanship put into the temple by the saints.  We also got to be in the room where the Savior appeared.  

Newel K. Whitney Store: We walked through the store and were able to see many of the items that were sold there at that time.  We also saw where Joseph and Emma and their family lived in the store.  The Whitney's were so good to Joseph and Emma.  We saw the room where the school of the prophets was held and where Emma, having to clean up Tobacco, asked Joseph about the purpose of that nasty habit.  Because of that, the Prophet inquired and the Word of Wisdom was revealed.  I'm very grateful for the Word of Wisdom in my life!

(Oh yeah, have I mentioned that my husband has a black belt in Advanced American Kempo?  Hence the headlock in this picture!)

The John Johnson Home:  We drove about 45 minutes outside of Kirtland to the John Johnson Home. At the time, it took the saints 2 days to get from here to Kirtland.  I am glad it only took us 45 minutes, but it really made me think about how much I take for granted!  Here is where the Prophet was living when the mobs stole him from his room and tarred and feathered him in the street.  Our prophet went through SO much for our church as did his wife and the saints who helped his family!  It was in this home where the revelation of the degrees of glory was revealed.

Amish Country: A lot of the areas surrounding Kirtland are Amish communities.  On our way out, we drove by some Amish land.  We saw boys driving wagons, young men farming with horse-drawn machinery, and clothes out on the line.  They have an interesting way of life.  I envy the simplicity of their life in regards to distractions - they don't have media and electronics to fill their time; however, I know that they have a difficult life in the work they must do to just live day to day.  I respect their determination to stand for what they believe despite the pressures of the world!

Kirtland, Ohio was a beautiful area.  Humid, yes.  But oh so green and the air was so fresh.  We had a wonderful time!  The saints of Kirtland were incredible people!