LAS VEGAS RAGNAR

So last Sunday I got a call from my mom's friend Tara asking me if I wanted to... run 19 miles over 30 hours, be cold, hungry, get no sleep, live in a car, oh and your last 6 miles is straight up hill. What did I say? HELL YES! Pardon my French but I was super excited. I have heard about Ragnars for a while and really wanted to run one. A Ragnar is a 12 person running relay that goes for over 24 hours straight and around 200 miles. Each runner has 3 legs. It is an adult sleep over party! My first leg was 9 miles and went along Lake Mead ending at Calville Bay Marina. My second leg was 3.4 miles (at 1 am in the morning) and went along my parents house. I was so excited that my parents came to watch me finish this leg of the race. I really needed some support as I was super tired. I know my parents are amazing! My last leg was, well I don't know where, but it was over 6 miles and was all uphill. It was death and I loved it. I was pretty proud of my self for running my last leg around 8:50 min. miles. I even got 8 kills (passing people) including one super buff guy who failed to keep up :). I had an amazing time, even though I knew no one on my team. This is a race I will for sure do again.

The start. We started in Valley of Fire at 9:45 on Friday

1 am and freezing! We had to wear these reflective vest pretty much the whole time. Classy I know.

Before my last run and once again freezing

But then I got excited

Then I wanted to die

DONE!! I was so happy and drugged up with caffeine

Our team Ragnar Addicts finishing Saturday at 4pm at Red Rock Casino

Snazzy metal and shirt

I missed them. Thanks mom and Emily for watching Scarlett. Oh and Nick helped a little too:)

Scarlett 10 Months

So... 10 months is like 9 months but on super charge. She is seriously so, so busy. Everyday she is standing more on her own. I am counting down to when she walks because crawling makes her so dirty. I feel like I live with Pig Pen from Peanuts. She loves to shake her head "No" when she does not want something, like going to certain people. It is adorable. We spent an afternoon at my sister-in-laws house and the girls just loved playing. I am so glad she has cousins her age.

(halloween skeleton... it glows in the dark!)

When I say...

my dad is better than your dad I totally mean it. My dad, brother-in-law Abe, and their friend Patrick competed/completed a 115 mile bike ride on Saturday. It went all around vegas and they even got to ride over the new Hoover Dam overpass. I am super proud of them!

(Kim giving Charly an orange. It was HOT waiting for them to come in!)

Scarlett looking for grandpa.

Coming across the finish!

My sister Clarah and sister-in-law Chole went to homecoming this weekend. I know they are beautiful! Kind of makes me wish I was in high school. I never get all fancy like that now.

(clarah)

(chloe)

Lake Powell

So I realized I have 3 homes. 1. Las Vegas 2. Nauvoo 3. Lake Powell. I have missed Lake Powell these past 2 years. School and pregnancy took its tole. Kim and Abe made my dreams come true when they invited Nick and I to spent the week with them on their house boat. It was the best 4 days but sadly they got much more than they bargained for. I am weird and even weirder at Lake Powell and even though Scarlett was fantastic she was still present (holding/ hauling baby everywhere, eating everything off the floor). Nothing compares to a Lake Powell sunset, nothing. When I die please bury me a top some glorious mountain overlooking perfect glass water.

Abe/Nick made this awesome water slide. Trust me it was steeper than it looks and you got going fast! This is my mom and dad giving it a try.

Nick was so excited to take Scarlett on a ride. She loved it, well we think she did.

Kim mastering "jill's" ski. Yes, I am cool enough in my family to have a legendary ski.

My dad is a stud, really!

Best water of my life. You can see my reflection, it was heaven

I always wanted a puppy

It's true. Every year I asked for a beagle puppy for Christmas. Never got one and it made me pretty mad. But no one every told me I just needed to have kids. Scarlett is my little puppy these days. To get her to come to me I throw her food and she follows. She actually prefers to eat off the floor. Gross. She takes baths in my sink and whines to be held. Not to mention she crawls on all fours. I am trying to teach her to bark but it won't take. See Mom and Dad I would have taken care of a dog, I take care of Scarlett!

Scarlett 9 Months

She has become a person. Seriously! Right now she is crawling around my chair and pulling out the desk drawers while I type ( oh and she has a really stinky diaper... I should get on that). I want so bad to write everything down that she does because I love it all. This is by far my favorite month. I love this age so much I went to JCPenny to get some photos, you know the kinda cute ones that do a good job of capturing the age. She did great a the photo shoot. It took 2 minutes and she was all smiles (new developement, she is now head first in the trash can)

So I am just going to make a list of all achievements/ adorableness

1. She is super wiggly. You pick her up she wiggles, lay her down she wiggles, put her to sleep she wiggles

2. Sleeps from 7pm-7am

3. Is completely weaned and taking a bottle ( We both sing praises)

4. She loves her blankets and can not sleep without a fuzzy blanket by her face. You put it by her face, she rubs it in her hands and then sucks her fingers. It is adorable

5. She follows me around the house and pulls at my jeans like a puppy

6. She eats anything but is hating her high chair these days

7. When she is mad about her high chair she clenches her fists, holds her breath, and her face turns bright red. How do I parent that? Does she have anger management problems or what.

8. She loves to play with toys in her crib

9. She is perfect at saying "mama" and "dada" and lifts her hands when she is done with stuff.

10. She jabbers all the time, thinking we understand her

11. She is cruising around all our furniture

12. Loves to sit in the grocery cart and go shopping. She holds the bar real tight, I must be a crazy pusher

13. She just got her 7th tooth. She has been cranky these last few days

14. Fits into anything from 3-12 months

15. Likes to chase Dixie around the house

16. We fight sometimes and she cries "dadada". I am not her favorite

17. She snuggles with me every night when I give her a bottle before bed. She loves to put her fingers in my mouth and pull my hair. She must think it's soothing

18. My favorite thing ever... When she is mad I just " yaaaa" and clap my hands. She gets the biggest smile and claps too.

She is stubborn, bits me when she is mad, loves to be rough housed, and is stinking cute. We love you!

Nauvoo

(walking to Carthage Jail)

So I was going to post about Scarlett turning 9 months but I got distracted. That's saying something because it's usually Scarlett being the distraction. Today it was Nauvoo. In fall of 2005 I spent 4-5 months in the most beautiful place ever, Nauvoo. It was through BYU, so I took a ton of religious classes and a couple others (like english and art). I found all my old pictures tonight and looking through them I just started to bawl. I loved it. I loved it so much. I look at all the pictures and I miss my home, it feels like home. I would not be the person I am today without those 4 months. Nauvoo I miss you and I promise one day I will return!

The back of the JSA, only 120 steps from the Nauvoo temple

Walking down Parley street in November, freezing cold. It got so, so cold. I can not even describe (I am from Vegas so I am a baby)

I would run around the temple every night. It was gorgeous with every light on. Was I really there? Did I take this picture? I really stood right there? It feels like a dream. I knew one day it would.

The only art work by Jill Strobelt (Camp). It is in Emily's front room.

The people I met still inspire. It is hard to believe how much we have grown up. Wives, mothers, college graduates. In that picture all of that was just hopes and dreams. Ladies I love you!

Joseph and Hyrum statue

The view from my bedroom window. Mississippi river in the background. It was beyond beautiful!