5 stories for Friday

These are questions that are actually stories so here goes:

1. Have you ever peeked in the boys locker room?

When I was in grade 12 I took a Sports Med Class so I was a Sports trainer (basically I just wrapped the players' ankles...it was more first aid stuff than "training" stuff) and one day after a football practice, this friend of mine picked me up over his shoulder and said "we're taking into the boys locker room" and I was screaming and screaming "no, NO...put me down". So he took me in and I of course closed my eyes and then the coach came into the locker room and gave crap to my friend for taking me in there. So that's my story about that.

2. Ever rode in an ambulance?

In grade 10, I donated blood and I fainted. Well, when I was riding the bus home that night, I knew I was going to faint again and so I told the bus driver and he called an ambulance and I went. I also rode in an ambulance when I had to call one when Tanner got RSV and I thought he was going to stop breathing.

3. Ever been on a snipe hunt?

When I was in Y.W and on this girls camp in 95 or 96, the leader that was taking us snipe hunting and a snipe bit her so bad that she was bleeding all over. It was terrible. Yes, I've been snipe hunting and even led one.

4. Do you know how to drive a stick?

We learned on a stick shift and that's all I've ever driven for the last 15 years. My Mom wasn't a good teacher so my cousin taught me. My Mom was a bit of a nervous passenger when we were teenagers...I guess that's to expect when you have 3 teenage drivers all at one time.

5. Ever met anyone famous?

When I worked at the Stampede I got de...I mean promoted to be in the elevator and take the executive people to the floors they needed to go to (like they couldn't push the button themselves...lol) and I met a few famous people while in the elevator. Theron Flury was among them. I also got stuck in the elevator for an hour with some media people and a few hockey players. That was NOT fun. I was a little panicked.

Here it is!

Here are the details of my very first timed race. On Friday I went to pick up the package and found that we got a chip to put on the bottom tie of our shoe. For those of you who don't know, the chip is an electronic timing device that catches your time as you go across the finish mat/line. So this was explained to me not even more than a month ago so I was happy that I knew what it was. They did have a little explination of it in the race package but I already knew what it was.
So on Saturday, we had a pretty relaxing day. Nothing to exciting happened. Then my wonderful, great, amazing friend, Sharon, came and got me for the race. Sharon is and has been training for a 10k and suggested that I work toward this 6k run and run with her in it. I was all over that. It's nicer to be able to work towards something and not just run to run...if you know what I mean. Plus, it so nice to run with someone else. Anyways, so we get there and I joked earlier about being like a heard of cattle and she told me it was just like that. I didn't believe her at the time, but...that will come later.
So we get there and we're kind of wandering around, waiting for the race to start, looking around, seeing if we know anyone. Sharon ran into about 4 people she knew but I only saw one other person I knew. So we're outside waiting for 8:15 to come around. So the 10k runners start gathering and they sing O Canada and the American national athem...which can I just say, I highly doubt that races in America give us Canadians the courtesy of singing our country's national anthem but we give that courtesy to them. So the gun goes off and the 10k runners are off. We're just waiting around, waiting for our turn. It's getting closer and I actually start to feel excited/nervous. And let me tell you, it is just like being herded like cattle into a gate. You all have to squish together and get real close and personal. So we sing the national anthems again and the gun goes off. And we're off. We were a bit slow to start. Well, you can imagine with 1700 people running the 6k, it's a little crowded. We get to the top of the hill to go down into the coulee and I just want to go. Like fast. But I restrain myself becuase I don't want to use all my energy at the beginning of the race. I thought I'd try to pace myself at about 15 minute intervals when I first started, but then I was running and didn't want to stop. We had been running for about 5 minutes and I was boiling hot. I had on my workout shirt, my running jacket (it's a lightweight one) and my sweatshirt. So I slow down to take off my sweatshirt and I drop my glove!!!! I actually stopped to turn around and get it but then everyone told me to keep running. Man, I was not happy about that. So we're running and my shins are killing me, but I don't stop. I keep going. Finally, I think my legs aren't going to be able to carry me any further and I have to slow down. So I walk for maybe 5 minutes. Maybe less. Then Sharon tells me we're going to start running again when we get to a certain tree. So I gear myself up and we go again. We run for about 5 or more minutes and I begin to think I'm not going to make it. I didn't realize how unforgiving the pavement is. I knew it was unforgiving but I didn't realize just how much. My shins are killing me. So I slow down a bit, I keep running but really slow. Then we get to the water station and I'm NOT stopping. I am not even slowing down. I have my water bottle in my hand and I don't need water. So I'm running super super slow. I could probably walk faster than I'm running but I don't want to loose the momentum. I don't know where my friend Sharon is...I assume behind me, not to far, but then I have to take a 30 second walking break. That's when Sharon catches up because she didn't know I hadn't slowed down for water and she actually slowed down thinking that I was behind her. Then we see the bottom of the hill to go up and we run to that and ran a litte ways up the hill. The rest of the way we walk. Sharon has told me that I am going across the finish line first and she'll come behind me as we were running and so I knew once we got to the top of the hill, I'd have to start running my butt of. We got to the top of the hill and there was a traffic light and Sharon tells me we're going to start running when we get to the light (Sharon's great at motivation). I say that I'm ready now so we start running. We go around this corner and the finish line is there. My shuffle FINALLY has a really great running song on it and I'm pumped so I start to just go. I mean, I ran and pushed myself as hard as possible. I even thought that I was going to throw up because I had been running longer than I thought I could. So Sharon gives me a little nudge and I ran across the finish line and I'm done. I can't believe I'm done! I did it! Wow! My time was 47:52. I hoped that I would come in at around the same or a little better than the jingle bell ran, which we walked and came in at, I think it was 48 minutes. So this was great. I thought "I'll be happy just to be done in any time under an hour" and I was. Man, what a great experience. I have to say a big thanks to Sharon though. I feel bad because I feel like we should have hugged but there was just so much going on. But I have to say thank you for motivating me and pushing me and encouraging me and for running with me...the slow poke. It really meant such a great deal to do the race with someone I value very much, so thank you. I know I'll be on my own for the 5k on Canada day but I am going to work towards a 10k for next year. And next year, we are totally running the hill.
I feel great. My legs were complete jell-0 when I got home last night and I honestly didn't think I'd be able to walk today, but I did some really good, long stretches and my legs didn't hurt at all. I can feel the effects of the run, but I'm not in any discomfort or pain. I'm totally and throughly exhausted, but I just ran my first race and I don't even care. You know at grade 12 grad, when you're out with all your friends and it's 5am and you haven't slept since the night before and you know you should go to sleep or go to bed or lay down or rest, but you can't because you're having so much fun and you feel so great and you're so happy??? That's how I feel. Except it's just me and Sharon at that party. But it feels great. I am so glad that I was able to do this with someone else and that I wasn't alone.
You could just feel and sense the energy of everyone there and it really helped to maintain energy levels. Even today, I can't believe that I did it. I am so excited for the 5k one for Canada day. I think I need to take a step back in terms of distance. I need to run a whole 5k before I attempt a 10k. So I'll keep going and work up towards that.
Anyways, that's it for now. Thank you for everyone's well wishes and good lucks. I hope I made someone proud...other than myself...lol.

5 more today!!

Today my 5's are thank you's I owe BIG TIME! They are past due and so I just wanted to write them here.

1. Thank you to Matt (who I know actually doesn't even know I have a blog of my own, he just thinks I read other people's blogs) for doing the dishes and looking after Tanner and for loving me and making me laugh when I needed it the most this week.

2. Thank you to Sharon who lets me come over to her house 4 days a week to run on her treadmill. You have NO IDEA how much that means to me to be able to have someone be so generous. It's probably not a big deal to you, but it is a huge deal to me to be able to get exercise. So, thank you so much

3. Thank you to Suzanne for letting me hang out with her all the time and for all the chats we have.

4. Thank you to the people who post comments on my blog. It makes me feel and know that I'm not doing it in vain. A special thanks to those of you who posted comments on my last post and all your well wishes and amazing compliments. I never think that anyone ever looks up to me as a mother because I always look up to other mothers and never think anyone looks up to me, so thank you for the beautiful compliment. I was just having a "bad mother" day and today has been much better.

5. Last but not least, Thank you to Tanner's Primary teacher for being such a great teacher and loving Tanner and blessing his life by what you do. He really loves you and talks about you a lot. Thank you.

Anyways, I'm off to bed. I acutally feel like a human today and not a nose blowing, peeing machine. I did a 6 maybe 7 minute run outside to get my mind and body united with each other to prepare for the race on Saturday. That sounds really lame...but I'm pretty sure you know what I mean. I just wanted to feel the rough ground terrain under my feet and feel the fresh air on my face and try and imagine what it is going to feel like on Saturday. Okay, so that's it for now. Maybe more later, we'll see.

Indulge me not

Today, I have been the worst mother because I am feeling terrible with this cold and I'm trying to nurse myself to some sort of reasonable health before my big race this Saturday. If I have to walk all the way, I will, but I wil not miss this race. This is what I've been training for for 3 months!!!!! Anyways, Tanner and I had a movie day today. And when I say a movie day, I mean we have watched about 5 movies today with of course breakfast, lunch, snacks and bathroom breaks inbetween. But for the most part, I've been on the couch, blowing my nose, drinking 18oz of water every hour and peeing. I haven't eaten much. I don't feel very hungry but that's what I have done all day. I'm such a horrible person : (
And to top it off, I have indulged in about 10 cookies today. I should NOT be eating them but they are a huge weakness for me and they are soft and chewy and only 24 hours old and oh so yummy....
Tanner is happy and is fine with me lounging around. He's so wonderful about that. I am so grateful that he is so good at just doing his thing. Of course I can't sleep because every time I try to, I cough or my nose gets drippy or I have to pee from drinking so much water. And to top that off, I didn't sleep hardly at all last night. I finally fell asleep at about 3:30 this morning and then Tanner was awake at 8pm. But at 6am, Matt came in to have prayers (as I've mentioned before, when one of us is sick, we sleep in seperate rooms so we don't get the other one sick) and I woke up for that but then it took me a while to fall back asleep. I am hoping to get a much better nights rest tonight. I am also praying for a miracle to help me get better by Saturday. Or at least to a functionable level so I can actually run in the race. So, that's my day today.
I did check out my friends blogs and am very happy that most of my blogger friends had posted something in the last 24 hours to read. Horray!!!! So that was nice to be able to sit up and actually not be laying down.
I also talked to most of my favorite people today. NOT ALL....but most, so that was nice. It was mostly my family and a couple of friends but they are my favorite people to talk to. Well, that's it for today...so far.

A possible new job

Matt has been looking endlessly for a new job and giving out resumes and spreading the word that he's looking desperatley for a new job. His friends plumbing business just isn't cutting it for Matt. Once Matt get's a new job, I'll post more on that later. Anyways, one of the places he dropped his resume off was Greyhound. So yesterday the called here and asked if he was home and I told them he wasn't. Then they asked if Matt was still looking for work and I said deifnitely. So I gave them Matt's cell phone number. About 5 minutes later, Matt called and said that he was on his way to an interview for the job!!!!! I couldn't have been happier than if I had a bowl full of chocolate in front of me. They said that he's at the top of the list for getting the job, but they had a few more interviews in the next day or two. So we are praying very hard that he gets this job. It's garenteed 10 hours a day (7-5) and holidays off and unless they have a high volume of deliveries on the weekend, then he get's weekends off too. The pay isn't as great as plumbing, but it's not a huge decrease. It's a $3 decrease but it would be worth it, and we would make it work. Plus with me working, it wouldn't be that bad. But it would be work that he would always have the hours for. None of this sitting around all day not getting paid waiting for phone calls. So please pray that he get's this job if it is the Lord's will.
A couple of Tanner stories. On Saturday, we went into Lethbridge to go to Superstore for a few veggies and fruit (the local merc does NOT have good produce. It lasts about 2 days before it goes totally and completly bad). So I had to get some pictures developed of my Primary kids for the lesson the next day. I didn't know that I accidently chose the 1 hour service so instead of staying and browsing around Superstore, we headed over to Toys R Us just to look. We were almost there and this is the conversation:

Tanner:I'm really thirsty Mommy.

Me: I'm sorry, we don't have any water in the car. Maybe we can find some somewhere

Tanner: but I'm REALLY REALLY thirsty.

Me: Oh, I know...Toys R Us has a water fountain and you can get a drink there.

T: Like our Church?

Me: Yep

T: Like our Raymond church

Me: Yeah

T: Oh!

Me: Well, it's not OUR church, it's Heavenly Father's Church. We just go there.

T: In the Raymond Church where there's a water fountain?

Me: Yeah, but it's not our chuch. It's Heavenly Father's Church

T: Right, right, right, it's Heavenly Father's church in Raymond.

Me: Yes honey

Then about 20 seconds later we are sitting at a stop light and he sees the train that's close to where the Toys R Us is and this is how this one goes:

T: LOOK DADDY!!! It's the Polar express

Matt: Yeah, you're right, it does look like the Polar Express doesn't it

Me: Is it the Polar express?

T: NO Daddy, it doesn't look like the Polar Express, IT IS the Polar Express!

He hasn't even watched that movie since Christmas, but it's a favorite. It was so cute how determined he was to let his father know that it didn't look like the Polar Express but that it was in fact the Polar Express.

Here's a question: when you're 4 year old tells you he doesn't want to go to church, what do you say?

Tanner told us on Sunday that he didn't want to go to church. I think it was because he went to bed late and wanted to stay in bed, but I could be wrong. Matt and I both told him that he didn't really get a choice in the matter because he wasn't old enough to make that choice. We told him that Church is where Heavenly Father and Jesus want us to be and that going to church makes them happy and when we're happy, they're happy. We told him that we always go to church every Sunday and that we were all going to go.

What would your suggestions/ideas be? These are such crucial teaching moments and I would never tell Tanner "because I said so" because I really didn't like it when my Mom told me that. I always try to give a reason to things. I want to be able to give a reason so that he doesn't feel like...Okay, here's my reason for giving reasons. I think in most, NOT ALL, circumstances that there should be a reason. For example, if I asked my Mom (when I was a teenager/young adult) if I could go out and she just said "no" and I asked why and her reply was "because I said so", it made me feel like she was trying to control my life and choices. I need a reason, no matter how dumb it may be, just tell me why. Is it because you don't trust me? Is it because you just don't want me to go out? Is it because I've gone out too much? Is it because you don't trust my friends? Just tell me why.
So I have made it a point to try and do that for Tanner. Even when I want to say "because I said so", I stop myself and think of the reason why. For example, he asked for peanut butter and honey today at 3pm. It's not that he can't have that, but I wanted him to have something a little healthier and get him to eat some more veggies/fruits so I said "no, but you can have an apple, grapes, cucumber, yougurt or cheese". He picked the yogurt, but that's just an example of what I do. I always make sure that I can live and am willing to accept the choice that I give him. I wouldn't say "not, but you can have a cookie". I hope that makes sense.

I just want to be able to teach him the right things and help encourage him to do what's right. Maybe a different approach would be better in the situation like him not wanting to go to church. So I'm putting it out there to ask and get feedback.

Well, I think that's it for now. Until next time...

Five more for Friday

1. Have you ever licked the back of a CD to get it to work?
I don't recall licking the back of a CD, but I do lick the back of Tanner's DVD's ALL the time. They can get seriously gross and sticky.

2. What song would you sing to a newborn (or do you sing to your newborn)?

I sang if you chance to me when Tanner was a baby and I'd make faces...it always made him laugh. Or I am a Child of God is another one

3. Were you popular in high school? Absolutley NOT!

4. Have you ever been on a blind date? Yes, a couple of times

5. Are looks important? I don't really judge people on looks. It's more about character and how they carry themselves. I think if I looked at the outside and judged right away, I wouldn't know a lot of people I know right now. I can just tell by watching someone if I'll like them right away. Sometimes it takes a while for other's but generally, I can tell who I'll click with right away.

On a side note...

On a side note, if any of you have any information about a job for Matt, please let us know as he is desperately looking for something else. Thanks.

A final desicion

I have come to the realization that we 99% are likely NOT to be having any more kids and the truth is, I'm not really sure that I even want more. I know this is a big shock, but I just enjoy other people's children in addition to my only one. Like pets...I like other people's pets, but I don't really want one of our own. NO, I'm not saying children are like pets, but I'm just relating the feelings I have on the subject. I actually feel totally calm and happy about not having more kids. I haven't even thought about it in a really long time. You know every month if I was a day or two late, I'd secretly hope and wish that this was the month that I'd finally be pregnant, but of course we all know how that turned out. I am happy to have just one and not have more. When people talk about having babies or being pregnant I'm actually glad it's not me and I don't feel like I want that. So anyways, that's the decision that I've made on that. I know my Aunt will blow a gasket when she finds out that I don't want any more but it's mine and Matt's choice. Matt says he could go for one more, but he doesn't seem too heart set on actually doing it. So, if we do have another one, which is super unlikely, then great, but if not...I'm pretty sure it's a no go for us. Which is fine. But I think that's it. I just wanted to share that personal, intimate thing with all my blogger friends.

Just some thoughts

Last night when I was at my Mom's she told me something that kind of bothered me and I prayed about it on the way home...not with my eyes closed, but in my heart. Then today I got Tanner home from school and low and behold, there was the answer to my prayers in his back pack in the school calendar.

His speech went really well but his Doctor's appointment did not. He would not sit/lay still so he was kind of a moving taget for the Doctor to check his testicle. Then after we were leaving to go to the car, he said to me "I had so much fun at the Doctors." WHAT!!!!! Are you kidding me??? I said to him " you have a really funny way of showing that you have fun at the doctors".

Matt said to me the other day that being born is an oxymoron because it's one day closer to dying. I have been saying that for a few years now and everyone thinks I'm crazy. Of course we don't focus on the dying part. We live each day to the fullest, but being born really is like an oxymoron.

So those are just some thoughts for the day.

Five for Monday???

I know I was a bit of a slacker and forgot to do five for Friday last week. It's been a bit crazy around here. My five for Friday are my 5 favorite childhood memories

1. Watching cartoons on Saturday's. We watched everything from saved by the bell to smurfs, to the jetsons. It was a tradition every Saturday.

2. Riding our bikes in the alcove of the alley. We were there almost every afternoon after lunch, riding our bikes and playing games.

3. Family trips. Even though at the time we all were grumpy about them because we would have to leave so early, we all loved them and the ride was good too. We played games and read and listened to our walkman...I know, I think that actually makes me old.

4. Supper time. We always ate together as a family and I always looked forward to that part of the day.

5. Barbies. What girl didn't love barbies?? We played with them for hours on end. And dressing them up and the things we did with them...like weddings. It would take us about 1 hour to set up for a wedding and the barbie would inevitably get divorced and re-married within the time we were playing barbies. And we would fill up the sud saver and make them go swimming. And we would set up a class room for school. Always good memories.

Of course there are others but those are my most favorite. So I think that's it for now.