Ragnar Relay

This past weekend I had the awesome opportunity to fly back to Utah and run in the Wasatch Back with my sister in law and some friends from Orderville. let me just say that it was so dang awesome. I don't think that I could have had a more wonderful van and teammates in the world. I had the most fun with my sister in law. I just have to say how proud I am of her and how much she deserves to be recognized because she has done so many awesome things to be ready to run in this race. And let me tell you...she worked her butt off (literally:) and it showed. She did awesome! We are now getting geared up to run in the Top of Utah 1/2 marathon!! It was so fun to do this and work hard toward something and accomplish it! I haven't done that in a while and it just felt good. To top it all off, I was able to see one of my closest friends Veva. Thanks for taking the time to come and see me. And what's more awesome is that I ended up being on the same flight home with her and her cute family. I have never enjoyed a flight more and had one go by as quickly! I love ya VEVS!

This is a quick little post about the race, but I just wanted to mention how much fun I had over the weekend! It was awesome and I am looking forward to doing it next year and doing a harder leg!!

PRE-Ragnar! Getting ready at the starting line!

During my run. I had an awesome Team that gave me yummy water while I was running up my hill!

Getting a little rest at Exchange 12~ Shanna is enjoying her RagMag alot it looks like! Jeremy got a hold of my camera!

Two of my favorite people in the whole entire world! I am so lucky to have had these people in my life while I was in high school playing ball. Jeremy was my high school coach and now has become such a great friend! I just love them and thank them for letting me tag along with them during this whole thing:)

My sister in law, Shanna, AKA my newest favorite running partner! We had so much fun! I am still on this "runners high" from the race! ~Post-Ragnar~

A fun video that we took today of Kasen. We were coming home from church and he was starting to fall asleep so Tate was teasing him, and he started blinking his eyes. Tate then would say, Hey stop doing that with your eyes. and he would start blinking like crazy. IT was cute!

Who needs the Zoo

So we went to Cabela's yesterday after Tate and I got home from the Temple. WE were able to attend the San Antonio temple. IT was crazy because we didn't really know much about it, so we just figured that we could walk on in rent clothes and be good to go. Apparently it's a small temple who only does reservations and doesn't rent clothing. Humph! So we were on our way to do other things and this guy asked where we were from and such, we said we just graduated from SUU. His son is apparently going to play football there and actually the temple president son in law is the president of that college! Huh, that is funny. So we talked a bit to the Temple president and about his grandkids that we know and his daughter.....he was able to find us both some clothing and get us into the next session. It was such another witness to me of the Lords Tender Mercies! He really does love us and is watching out for us! Because he Knew we really needed to be there and attend the temple that day. IT was just really sweet and cool:)

When we got back to Jerry and Casey's (Thanks for watching Kasen by the way...you are aweseome) We went to Cabellas and looked at all the fishes and animals. It was so nice because they had an elephant, lions, zebras, and all sorts of different exotic animals. AFter a while of walking around I just sat on the bench and watched Kasen do laps around this circle thing and though to myself. This is way better than the zoo. The animals are just as exciting, and it's air conditioned! We got some fun pictures and had a good time. Later we had, YET ANOTHER, great bbq at Jerry and Casey's house and just had a blast with each other. We are having too much fun here!

Silly little Family! Mostly Jerry and Parker! Boy's!!!

My Little Family! Man I love these BOYS!!

This is funny because Chloe was not having it...me taking pictures of her that is...She was very bugged by it! Until.......

Jerry told her she couldn't feed the fish if she didn't smile:) Ha ha....gotta love it!

Me and my bro...cheesin' it:)

They have the cutest little chairs and couches for little kids there and Kasen was so cute just loungin' in his little lounger:)

IN front of the pretty elephant. On a pretty day. With blue skies! McKenna, Chloe Me and Casey!

The girls pretty warn out towards the end. The boys and Chloe were still going strong looking around and runnin' around! Whew!

Tornado...What?

Things have been busy for us here in Austin. Well, not necessarily busy, but we are just having lots of fun. Sunday we went and stayed with Jerry and Casey and had Sunday dinner. Watched the basketball game, played a little keep away outside in their back yard and got dessert afterward. It was a lot of fun. Their home is beautiful but too far away from us. Monday we hung out while Jerry and Tate went to work in Jer's "little green" car. They ended up breaking down on the freeway, having Andrew (my cousin) pick them up and bring them home from work. Jerry just decided that it wasn't worth the money that it would take to get the car even towed home, so he gave it to the tow guy:) Monday night we had a fun family home evening of swimming and bbq at the pool. It was alot of fun! That night we came back to our apartment for a little R & R. I stayed home and cleaned and played with Kasen. Wedensday night Tate had a softball game with his company. They ended up losing pretty bad to a few old men! Pretty sad;) WE took Chloe, Parker and McKenna home with us and had a sleep over. Thursday morning we had a big breakfast, played and went swimming...again:) Kasen is pretty much terrified of the water I think now. He has had 2 little times where he has gone under and we think that scared him quite a bit. He will get on the steps and splash and sit there, but not any farther than that usually! Anyway, so Thursday night rolls around and Casey and I are getting ready to go to Enrichment night at my ward:) I made her come with me! It was fun.....

The TORNADO:

We got to the church house....following that we went on the toll road, went through some thing we have no idea about....got our picture taken in the process...so I am awaiting a bill from the Toll Road people. Anyway, what do you expect from small town girls who really have never been on a toll road before and really didn't know where they were going? Okay, so during our last little "class" of the night, the lights started flickering on and off and then we kept hearing really loud Thunder. We look at each other, not a big deal, it jus must have gotten stormy. I am thinking, that was a fast storm to hit us so hard. A few seconds later a lady then tells us that we are on a Tornado warning for our area and need to stay put for the time being. Okay.....TORNAdO? So, we finish the lesson, go get some dessert and think that we need to go watch what is happening cause we have never seen one before. There is a guy sitting by the door way and says, "I really wouldn't go out there if I were you ladies." WE say we only want to watch it we have never seen one before we're from Utah:) So he actually kind of gets excited and then tells us all about it, what they sky looked like when it was beginning and then says that they are not UnCommon for this area! Oh that's really nice I think in my head:) Anyway, we wait it out for a little while and then run through the wind and the RAIN...it was raining pretty hard. Luckliy the inch sized hail balls had stopped:) WE get home and get inside our apartment. (Side note....it was still llike 75 degrees outside during this...that is the coldest I have been since I have been here and it was still warm...just funny:) Jerry and Casey get the kids ready and they leave. WE are getting Kasen ready for bed when Casey knocks on our door and tells us that her Window has been SHATTERED!!! The hail had shattered her back window. Seriously, there was not glass left in it. It was horrible. Luckily they are getting it fixed right now, but it was so so crazy. I don't have alot of pictures but it was so cool in a way, because the internet said that the tornado actaully touched down about 1 mile from where we were! CRAZY~ Just luckily we are all okay!

That has got to be my craziest expereince by far while in Texas...and I have only been here for 1 week:) Let the good times Roll!

The crew watching the Game after Sunday Dinner:) Gotta love the FAM!

Cute McKenna Getting a little sun during the swim yesterday!

Beautiful CASEY (My favorite Glova Girl)

Chloe and Kasen rinsing off after the swim! Kasen is a little naughty sometimes and likes to get out and make everywhere WET! He is really keeping me busy!

Last but not least, their car window! I couldn't believe it! I felt so dang bad. They sure are having bad luck with their vehicles lately! But luckily are still happy and in love and doing good:)

Austin

Well, I have finally made it to Austin to be with Tate. It took us two days to get here but it was well worth the drive. We made a convoy of the trip which included Casey (Jerry's new wife) McKenna, Parker, Chloe (the Kids) Roger and Chase Cutler, My dad, Uncle Dilworth, David, Me and Kasen. It was fun. This is sort of where Dave was on his mission so him and my dad left yesterday to kind of drive through all the towns that they could on their way back home. David drove with me the whole way and we took turns driving. It was so much fun to be able to spend that time with David. I sure do love that kid. Kasen I must add was AWESOME. I held up really really good until about 4 minutes from the house we were going to. I have to say that it pretty good for two days in the car.
It's pretty hot here and humid. We are able to have a little apartment that Tate's friends Darrin and his wife Emily live in, but they have left for the summer and have so graciously let us live here while they are gone. They are so nice and it has worked out so so GREAT and so Thanks you guys:) We live way too far away from Jerry and Casey though, about 40 minutes. That's how big this city is. I kept asking where the mountains are and apparently there aren't any, a few in East Texas....so we will be making our way there somtime soon I am sure:) Sorry this is boring, just wanted to update on what is going on right now! Write more later with fun pictures!

Bolder Boulder

Today for memorial day we (bev, scott, and I) ran in the the Bolder Boulder.  IT's the biggest 10K road race in the world.  This year there were 54,000 runners there!!  IT was so crazy to see all those people.  The only other race that I have done was last year in Price and it was MUCH MUCH smaller:)  This was so cool though because towards the end you ran into the Colorado Stadium and there were thousands of people in the stands cheering you on in the finish!  People were lined in the streets handing out beer, doritos, watermelon, cupcakes.  That's all I remember seeing, but people were also spraying you with hoses, running through sprinklers, slip and slide and live bands!  If I weren't so tired I would have loved to do all those things, except drink the beer of course!  Anyway, it was just so dang fun to be able to train with my sister and her friends:)  It's always so much fun to be able to do things like this with my sister and be able to bond with her.  Because I am not a runner at all and doing things like this help keep me motivated to accomplish goals and not be so lazy;)  It's actually becoming more fun....the more in shape I become;)  Anyway, it was just an awesome race and it makes me more excited for the Wasatch Back in 3 weeks;) Whew:)  Life is FUN...what's even more great about this day was that TATE was able to be there for it and watch me and support me!  It was PERFECT!!!  PERFECT!!!

High FIVE!  My brother in law Scott on the start of our race!  Wa HOO!!

Here we go!  Good luck!  So much fun!

Bev, Jess, and I with our Army shirts on in honor of Jessi's husband, Edgar who is serving in Irag for the 3rd time.  HOW AMAZING!  

Some of the clan!  Here we go!  Blue and Red ribbons in our hair;)  Support of our veterans!  

Surprise

Date night:)  It Rained and my hair totally frizzed out!  Of course!  So fun being together!  
At the zoo riding the Giraffe!   Man, it was so great being with him!
Kasen's "cheese"! 

Towards the beginning of  the Surprise, my eyes are quite as red from crying!  From Shock and happiness!!!!

So, I have been in Colorado visiting Bev and missing Tate really bad!!!  He has been doing really good in Texas getting trained for a job he is doing this summer and I am waiting for nothing really anymore, besides the fact that I am running in the Wasatch Back in June and want to do that so I am waiting to go down till then.  Anyway, so I was wanting really really bad to fly out to Austin and visit him and surprise him.  So I was thinking I was very sneaky and planning this whole thing out, while to my surprise Tate was doing the same exact thing, but just one step ahead of me.  So all the people that I was talking about it to, was convincing me to wait a little bit to get my ticket just to see and make sure.  So, that is what I did!  We have been planning this little adventure to the Zoo in Denver and went Saturday morning.  Right when we got there we went to the Lion area, well, because that was at the first of the zoo, and we were all just hanging out there for a while, which I wasn't sure why, but didn't really think much of it.  So while we were trying really hard to see the lions, this person tapped me on the shoulder and said, "excuse me, could you show me where the lions are?"  I turn around and BAM!  THERE HE IS!  I was so SHOCKED!  I honestly have never been so surprised in my life!  I had Kasen in my arms and when I turned around and saw Tate I put Kasen down, for what reason I don't know, and walked away, in complete surprise!  I come back to him and give him a big HUG!  Kasen was so sweet, he didn't really know what was going on but just sat in Tate's arms and snuggled with him!  So this past weekend was just So dang awesome.   I missed him so much and if you can believe it, he missed us even more I think!  So we have had so much fun this weekend being together and enjoying being a little family before he had to leave again!  It was the best surprise I have ever had!!!  I love him so dang much.  I am just honestly so grateful to have a husband who I miss and who misses me and our son.  That makes me love him so much more:)  He is so dang sweet with me and with Kasen and he is the BEST Dad in the whole world.  he is so patient with Kasen and loves teaching him new things. He is the best example of hard work and determination and doing things, anything, to support his family.  And He loves Me:)  What more could a girl ask for:)