My Calves!

Well I just went for another run, outside, today. I love being able to run outside. I am so ADD when I run, to be able to go wherever is very helpful to keep me stimulated. It was a nice night, sadly I saw some mosquitoes already!! That's the bad thing about a warm winter I guess. I ran half a mile straight, twice! That's pretty good for me, but in the end my time was pretty much the same. Which is ok, it's only been a week of running everyday. I really want to see more results though, but I know patience is key to this. It's interesting to have such a fitness knowledge, and to be able to tell people things is one thing, but to tell myself, is a completely different battle. And oh my goodness when I stop running my calves hurt something fierce!!! I would rather have the calf pain than the arch pain, but neither would be nice too! Time to do some research on that.

I have been reading articles for research all day today, let me tell you my knowledge of couples therapy right now, is pretty much 300% more than is was 12 hours ago. But I really need to start writing. I am so not into this paper though. But frankly I'm gonna have to get over it, and just get it done.

The next 4 weeks will be crazy with school. I have 2 research papers, and a bunch of smaller assignments to get done. I can do it, but it's going to take a lot of dedication. I am really excited that my mom is coming in 2 weeks, it will be so helpful to have her her for the couple of weeks leading up to finals. Being a single mom in school, is the hardest thing I have ever done. I'm not saying that lightly either.

I have to do some job shadowing for a class and some service. I am going to try and volunteer for the relay for life. I am really excited for that! Tomorrow I am going to get that all lined up. I have to figure out who I want to shadow though, more importantly what career. I actually met with a career counselor yesterday. She was kinda hell bent on getting me to shadow a Physical Therapist, I don't think that is the ally I really want to go up though. But she did make me realize that I need to find out what I love and pursue that, regardless of how long school will take me. It will be scary yes, but I can't let myself settle on something I really don't want, based on fear. I need a job that I will love to go to everyday, the hard part is figuring out what that is. My dream is to work with a sports team, so I am going to look down that avenue and see what kinds of jobs I can find that are available.

My final note of the evening: I have decided to run the dirty dash! I am SO excited!!! I love to get down and dirty, and what better way that to add a little competition into it! I want to find a team, and we need to come up with a name, so the next few days I will be figuring that out as well. I'm also gonna let my boys run the piglet plunge. Not sure it will be Aidan's idea of a good time, but I have a feeling they will love it. It is a mile run in crazy muddy dirty conditions! Should be amazing!!!

Life is definitely good right now, and it keeps getting better. Can't wait to see what comes next, but for right now I am enjoying today, right now!

Sunday's

So Sunday's are by far the hardest day of the week for me. It is the one day that I stop and sit and enjoy my life, then I realize, far to often, how much I am missing in my life. It's challenging, to say the least. Church has good days and bad ones with Avery. Last Sunday was spent mostly in the foyer, while this Sunday we made it all the way through sacrament without leaving! We even got there five minutes early. I love watching all the families in church. The man that stares at his wife in complete respect and awe, the mom who gets all 6 of her kids to church, matching and looking in order, the dad that lets his wife enjoy sacrament while he takes out the screaming baby. I appreciate those moments a lot more now that I don't have someone to share them with.

My pew is a little different, today was actually kinda fun. Usually it's Ethan being the dad of the group, trying to keep Aidan in line and asking if he can take Avery out into the hall. I give dirty looks at the first sign of an argument or talking, and do my best to juggle Avery, giving her whatever her heart desires so she will be content to stay in our row. Today there was someone sitting behind us that was entertaining Avery, which was extremely helpful. Then there was the moment that the boys just started giggling, over who knows what, but while watching them and trying to get them to be quiet, I bust into laughter as well, there are 3 of us sitting there trying not to laugh, which is making us laugh even more! It was a really fun, funny moment. But we made it through, and mostly unscathed!

I long for someone to share these precious moments with again, for now it is my blog, and a few friends. I have met quite a few new people in the past few weeks, I am learning to put myself out of my comfort zone, but I need to push a little more. It's been fun to meet new people and get out there, but I have to admit, it's slow going, and hard.

This week is spring break for me, and I am really looking forward to it. Sad news is I have to get my research paper written! I have put that sucker off for way to long, now I must pay the price. Hopefully it will be fast going, and I will be able to get it done! Then comes my trip to Idaho Falls, to go to Time Out For Women. I am so excited for that, time to recharge my battery, just what I need, I hope at least. I'll keep you updated!

10 miles

I'm still building endurance, and desire to run. But I did another 2.1 miles today. That makes a little over 10 miles logged this week! That is amazing for me! I need to sign up for some races this summer, starting with the dirty dash!!! That is my heaven.

Spent hours outside with the kids, even got a sunburn...can't say I've ever experienced that in March, but hey, if it means the sun is out, I am totally ok with that.

I went to an institute activity last night, met some new people, and had some fun. I even met someone that served their mission in Alaska, and was in Fairbanks the same time I was. Small world! Most importantly I went by myself, so I would meet some new people, and I did. It was great!

Tonight I'm gonna paint the town in Provo with a friend or two! Fun times to be had for sure. Watch out Provo, you won't be the same after tonight! Other than that life is pretty mundane, looking forward to my trip north next weekend!

Brooks!

So you know how I had those shin splints? Well they are still there, but I got some new shoes, brooks, and they are amazing!! I ran for 2 miles today with no arch pain, and my shins are not bothering me any more than yesterday. Today was day 4 of 2 miles every day (except for Monday which was 1.83...should have kicked in the last little bit, but I was running outside and that's just where I ended). I am determined to get my 1.5 mile run to 15 minutes!!! I really hate running, I am a lazy person, lets be honest. I love to sprint, and lift weights, play sports, you name it, but make me do something for longer than 10 minutes...I get SOOOOOO bored! I have really great endurance, I just am lazy. I don't know how to get over that, if you have ideas, please let me know!

I learned a little about some internships today. I am realizing more and more each day that I go to school, that exercise science is going to have so many different opportunities for me, I'm really excited about that. We learned about this opportunity to work with high school athletes, training them, and really pushing them to see how far they can stretch. This place has treadmills that are $40 grand!!! They go up to 20 MPH and have an amazing incline. To be able to work in an environment with such amazing equipment would be really cool. Another opportunity would be to work with training patients that are recuperating from cardiac problems. Oh the places I could go! I'm really stoked.

Tomorrow is my first day of spring break! So excited to work on a research paper for a whole week!!! My goal is to get it mostly done by Wednesday night. Then Thursday I head to Logan to visit the Bawden's and then up to Rexburg to visit my 'ol stompin' grounds, then to Idaho Falls for Time Out For Women!! I can't tell you how much I need this spiritual recharge. Hopefully it will be just what I need. 

Shin Splints!

Well I've been playing basketball at least twice a week for the past 2 months and I have managed to avoid them, using compression socks, but they have finally caught up to me...SHIN SPLINTS!!! Oh how I loathe them! Playing basketball in high school, I was taped up for every practice and game, but now, being almost 30, they really get me good! Did you know that we start to lose muscle mass when we hit 30? Crazy fact! (I love the things I am learning in school). Hopefully they won't get as bad, but I will have to try and go a little easier on myself, I can't afford a stress fracture, since I have no health insurance. Gonna have to RICE it! Hopefully that helps!

I ran 2 miles today, very excited and proud of myself. I really wanted to run outside but we have had crazy fast winds today. Gusts in excess of 45 miles per hour! Bringing snow along with it, which I won't lie about, I love snow!!! But I'm ready for spring!

Tuesday nights are fabulous for me, they are my date nights with Jess! Tonight we ran to Murray to pick out some new glasses for me, and then headed to Five Guys for some amazing burgers! A burger or a steak will hit the spot for me every time! Then we headed home and watched some TV. Good times! I love my Jess time! I really miss having someone to spend my evenings with, that was one, of many, of the things that I loved about marriage, always having that person to share the day with. So it's nice when I can spend my evenings with friends.

My institute class today was amazing, as it always is. I am so glad I signed up for this class a few weeks ago. I love learning about the women in the scriptures. There are amazing women in the scriptures. Women that I can only hope to be a fraction of what they were someday. Today we studied Esther 1. Learned about Vashti, who was the queen. One night her husband got drunk with a bunch of his friends and called on her, she knew they were drunk and refused to go to him. Because of that decision he divorced her, he couldn't allow a woman to disrespect him like that. But the courage that Vashti showed, by refusing to go into a situation that was less than ideal, especially in that day in age, was monumentous! Women, never let a man take advantage of you, or even put yourself in that position in the first place. (Men the same goes for you!)

Stepping off my soapbox for the night!

What?!? 2 posts in 2 days!!

Like I said yesterday, can't promise this will be consistent, but here I am again, for the second day in a row...if only this counted towards my research paper...

Monday...I usually get a bad case of the Mondays, today was no different, but then I stepped outside to BEAUTIFUL 42 degrees!!! Heaven! I know to you people from the Lower 48 don't think this is very warm, proven by the coats I saw everyone wearing on campus today, but if you are from Alaska, and your friends are posting -28 on their facebook pages, 42 is, like I said, heaven!

Today was great, I love my Monday/Wednesday classes! They consist of Basketball, Powertone, and Fitness for Life(which basically teaches you how to make a good fitness routine). I also did a 1.83 mile jog outside in the beautiful evening air! Tuesday/Thursday starts off great with Foundations of Exercise Science, but ends on a positively awful note with English! Don't get me wrong, I love to write, but not research! Creatively is more my forte'.

So in a few months I will be turning 30! Woot Woot!! I am really excited, it will be a way better decade than the last one, I'm sure of it! Although my 20's were incredible, just overshadowed by some not so great stuff towards the end...Anyway, my best friend Heather and I are both turning 30 within 9 days of each other, and we have decided to take an amazing trip to Vegas in celebration! Wait for it we are totally getting to the good part...while in Vegas we are going...SKYDIVING!!!! I am so excited, it is something I have always wanted to do, and it is finally going to happen.

Although the future is uncertain, and a lot of the times scary to think about, I know that good things are in store and that I will get through this, and come out of it a better person! 

It's been a while...

I know it's been a while since I have updated this. Life is hectic, and I can make no promises that I will update on any sort of regular basis. I have had a crazy couple of months, to say the least, but I am finally getting my life back on track and in the groove.

First of all I have changed my major at UVU. I am now studying Exercise and Sport Science. Best decision ever! I am so happy in this major, I can't even explain it. I love athletics, they are the heart of me, and the opportunities that I could have with this are endless.

I have also been in a Basketball class at UVU, and let me tell you, it is amazing!!! It's me another girl, Taylor, and the rest are men! They don't go easy on me, I have to work at it, and work hard, but it is so rewarding when you get a shot and you know no one went easy on you. It's been so rewarding, and totally taking me back to my high school basketball days! I have even considered looking into coaching at the high school level someday. I would love that. Nothing better than being a part of a team.

Along with Basketball I am also enrolled in a Powertone class that is lifting weights in a cardio type setting. I love that too. Feeling strong is something I get an intense high off of. I have lost 4% body fat in the past 7 weeks, and more to come. I am on my way back to being healthy again, and I love the way that feels!

I am still single, and trying to date. It is so hard to make that a normal thing, after being married for 10 years, it's still super awkward, not to mention I am shy to begin with. But I am trying to put myself out there. I did date someone quite seriously for a few months. The timing wasn't right for that, but I did learn a lot about myself, and that I could love and be loved again, and I walked away from it with an amazing friend!

My kids are doing fabulously! Avery is growing like a weed, and talking so well. She is a smart one, and completely rules my house. Aidan, is same 'ol silly dancing Aidan! He always makes me laugh, even when I am having a horrible day. Ethan is still the mature, father figure in this house. He is so conscientious of everyone, and so loving. It is amazing to watch the care he gives to all of us. I also enrolled the boys in soccer, so that will start in April, and they are really excited about that.

Well I think that about takes you up to speed, more to come, hopefully sooner than later!