Midnight 5K

This past Friday I had the chance to do my most favorite race of the year, the Midnight 5K. It starts at 11pm and everyone has until midnight to finish it. Everyone has a lot of fun, wearing glow-in-the-dark necklaces, paint, and all sorts of crazy stuff. There are people of all ages and different physical conditions. It takes place on top of "Airport Hill", up and down the runway of the old airport. It is just a race for fun and I love it!

I was able to go with a bunch of ladies from my ward. I wasn't sure if I would be able to run the whole thing since I haven't made it up to 3 miles in my training. But I was determined to have fun and not hurt my knee. Well, I did run the full race and was only 4 minutes slower than last year. Not bad for only having been running once a week in the past month. (This whole recovering from injury is taking way too long than I ever thought it would. But I am glad I am not wearing a boot!) My sweet friend Jackie, who has a few marathons under her belt, ran with me the whole way. It was great! I am so happy to be able to run again!



Happy 10th Anna!

Somehow I have ended up with a ten year-old daughter. This is really odd to me since Anna isn't THAT old. I am not sure how it has happened and where time has gone. Have I really been a mother that long and do I really have a child in the double digits? That's only two years away from Young Women?! That's nuts!

But I am very glad that, despite time escaping me and somehow making Anna ten, she is growing into an incredible young lady. She is very caring and always looking out for the underdog in the class or on the playground. Anna also is very spiritual, being the first to suggest prayer when something bad happens or trying to recognize and follow the Holy Ghost. She's also a very talented girl, playing piano, reading, doing art, swimming, and biking. I am very proud to be her mom and feel blessed.

This past weekend we had a pajama party with her girl friends. We had pizza, painted and decorated our nails, had cake, and watched a movie with lots of candy involved. It was a lot of fun. Happy 10th Birthday Anna!

(Just for fun. Cute Marshall and Jacob)

This past week . . .

Somehow time has gotten away from me and it has been a week since Rachel's baptism. With school wrapping up, life has been busy! Field trips and class programs along with the usual craziness of life. But we have been enjoying ourselves and having Marshall's parents back from their mission. This past Sunday they gave their fabulous "homecoming" talks and we partied with the family who could come down for the weekend. School gets out in a week and then it is time for the real chaos to begin! Here are some fun pictures from this past week . . .

Jacob came into our room this morning and fell back asleep in our bed. When we checked on him an hour later, he was completely out, but in this uncomfortable position.

Grandma and Granddad McConkie with Jimmy at his Kindergarten Program

Cute Jimmy as the "zookeeper" in his end of year program. He said his part perfectly and sang all the songs. Go Jimmy!

Rachel at Cotton Days, learning how to weave like the pioneers

And I don't have a picture of her, but Miss Anna has been riding her bike to school every day. She loves to ride instead of taking the bus and I am proud of her. It's a two mile ride there. Go Anna!

Rachel's Baptism

I vividly remember over 8 years ago when I went into labor. It was my first and only labor that happened naturally. I seriously thought I was constipated until I realized I was having contractions. It was a stormy night when a tornado passed through neighboring Illinois. And Rachel was born. We often joke that Rachel brought the whirlwind with her arrival because she is such a strong spirited girl who has no problem letting her will be known. And yet she has a big heart and a very tender, loving nature. She is Rachel.

Somehow here it is 8 years later and my sweet girl has entered into the water of baptism to become the newest member of our ward. I am so proud of her choice to and excitement about being baptized. Yesterday was a wonderful day that we had the chance to share with friends and family, including Marshall's parents who just got home from their mission to Portugal. And when I say "just", I do mean just that. They were supposed to arrive home Friday night, but got stuck in Salt Lake due to a delayed flight. They arrived in St. George Saturday morning, all the while with us anxiously awaiting at the church all ready to go forward as soon as they flew into town. They headed right over from the airport and the baptism went under way.

Again, today, we all joined together in church as Rachel received the wonderful gift of the Holy Ghost. I am so excited for her. I know she is on the path that WILL lead her back to our Father in Heaven. I know that with the precious gift of the Holy Ghost, as her constant companion, she will never be led astray. Her life will be greatly blessed because of the choice she made this weekend. She will be able to have joy and peace throughout her entire life as she strives to honor the covenants she has made and continues on this path. Congrats Rachel!

 My cute kids all ready for the big event!

 Marshall and Rachel

 Rachel and I

Granda and Granddad with a newly baptized Rachel

Why I should be a marriage counselor . . .

In Sunday's "Parade" magazine, there was a feature article on seven tips that help marriages stay successful. I, of course, had to read them. I found most of them good, while a few were a little more worldly than my viewpoint, but one really set me off because it was very much the opposite of what I believe.

Tip #5 stated that having and hanging out with friends of the opposite gender was a good thing because it also helps to keep a little sizzle in your life (or some simliar wording to that.) Can anyone tell me what is wrong with this advice? Anyone? Anyone?

Well, if you're not as smart as my six year old, let me tell you why. Having friends of the opposite gender is not a bad thing. I have lots of friends that are guys, most of them I know because they are family or married to my girl friends. Nothing wrong with being nice to a guy. But here's the deal. Most people who have friends of the opposite gender and spend time hanging out alone with said friends, tend to have affairs. And most people who allow that friendship to have some sizzle to it, have affairs. Call me crazy, I know, but it's true.

The world doesn't think it is a big deal to look at pornography or fanatasize about some Hollywood stud to get one in the mood for bedroom activities with their spouse, but the world is also destroying itself at a rapid rate and more concerned with obesity than teenage pregnancies. So I am not really putting a lot of stock into what the world has to say. It's like the one friend everyone has that always gives really bad advice that people ignore.

It kind of goes along the same common sense of not touching a hot stove. You WILL get hurt. Hang out alone and fantasize about your guy friend and you will have an affair with him. Maybe not physically, but surely emotionally. Stick to the with the stove. It'll give your life a sizzle and actually hurt less in the end. Or be even crazier and try to get that spark back in the relationship with your actual husband. Novel idea!