USA track and field championships

So, we're in Eugene Oregon, Hub of distance running. We're anticipating the USA T & F championships, which will start tomorrow! Josh will be running the steeple chase and will have a prelim tomorrow (6/25) and a final on saturday. If you are interested in watching the prelim, you can go to http://www.flotrack.org/articles/view/1240-usatf-and-flotrack-partner-to-provide-live-webcasts-of-2009-usa-outdoors (if this link doesn't work for some reason you can go to flotrack.org and they should have something on their home page about the USA's coverage) The race time is 7:25 pm Pacific Time. There are 2 heats for the prelim, Josh will be in the 2nd heat. The final is at 5:40 pm Pacific Time. The final will most likely be on NBC- but if you can not find it there it will be streamed on flotrack.org.

Also pay attention to Rich Nelson of BYU, who will be next to Josh on the starting line, and Kyle Perry, just graduated from BYU and has rejoined josh as his teamate on team NB!

This year is a "world championship year" so the top 3 from each race will get to be on the USA track and field team and will compete in Berlin later on this summer! Good luck to Josh!

Tag- banannas

it's taken me a while to get around to doing this tag... but i think it's a fun one! you post the 6th photo from your 6th folder and tell about it. Then you tag 6 other people.

This is a Bananna tree in Brazil. (we went to brazil a couple years ago for josh to do a race.) I love the big red blossom at the bottom of the Bananas. The Bananas in Brazil were SOOOO good. They were very fresh, they don't have to use any hormones to ripen them because Bananas are actually grown locally. We tasted the best fruit on this trip including "juices" . You would choose a fruit or 2 that you wanted and then they would just take that fruit and put it through some kind of juicer, so you got the whole fruit in your drink and it was thick like a smoothie, ah, so good!

Pre. Results

Josh did well yesterday, no PR, but he was 3rd overall (beat by a Kenyan and an Ethiopian), and was the first American (all the good guys were there, by good, I mean all the guys with the olympic A standard, so that makes it especially good for him that he won!) Nice Job Josh! He ran a 8:26, which is his best time of the season. He's happy to have been the first american but also a little dissapointed because he felt so great and wished that he'd have run faster... well, he'll just have to channel that frustration for his next race. His next race is June 25 and 27- the U.S.A. championships in Eugene Oregon. At this race he will be competing for a spot on the World Track and Field team (which travels to Berlin in August to compete) I'll keep you updated on his commings and goings in the race world :)

Prefontaine classic on sunday

Josh will be racing at the Nike Prefontaine classic on Sunday. It will be broadcast on NBC at 11:18 PACIFIC TIME (12:18 Utah time) This is a Super competitive race. The 2 top ranked steeple guys in the world (kenyans of course) will also be competing at this race. There will also be other international guys as well as the best guys from U.S.A. Josh's PR is 8:21 so let's watch and see if he can break it! Good luck Josh!

what we did in may

To start out the month we saved this baby bird! it was in our driveway and couldn't fly. Josh put on a glove and climbed a tree one handed and put the baby back. It looked like the mom returned to it!


Millie met baby Rohat (Logan) who is 2 weeks younger than her. (Logan's dad Josh was teammate at BYU and then we found out we were both having babies and just days apart. Logan was due first, but he was late, and Mill was early) Millie LOVES, LOVES, LOVES babies and kids and gets sooo excited (squeels, kicks her legs and flails her arms) when she sees any!



We met our New Nieces/Nephiew/Cousins. Millie has 4 little cousins her age. so Including here there will be 4 girls and 1 boy. Those kids will LOVE family reunions. These are her little cousins Remmie and Avie (they'r triplets, their bro. Beck was being fed) They're so cute!


Millie was eaten by a dinasaur... here she is in it's stomach (these are real fossils put together by the guy josh use to work with at the dinasaur lab in provo.)

We got this little swimming pool and have spent some hot afternoons in it.

Memorial day races in Orem. Josh ran the 10k, and won. surprise. I ran the 5k- first one in 8 1/2 months! I was a little apprehensive about it because I hadn't done much consistent running till 3-4 weeks prior. BUT, my goal time was 22:00 and I ran 22:00.8! It was har to try and get back in the mind set of pushing yourself but It was alot of fun to be out "racing again" and I even was the 2nd female overall. I know that many of you probabally run that pace for a marathon, but I don't really care! ha ha. jk.

Millie's now 7 months!!! these taken on her 7 month birthday.

I heard this song on my friends blog and LOVED it! I HAD to find the sheet music for it. It took me a while to find b/c I was looking in the wrong places, but I found it for free online. When creating the movie Twilight, they asked 2 diff. guys to write Bella's Lullaby. They ended up using the other guys music, but I like this version much better. So, if you play piano, print it off, try it out and see what you think.

(Here's a link to listen to it if you'd like to do that first. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhN7SG-H-3k)

"train the trainer day"

Last week on our favorite show, Biggest Loser, it was Train the trainer day. The contestants made up workouts for Bob and Jillian and tried their hardest to run them into the ground. When it was announced that it was "train the trainer day" the responses given by both embodied why we love Bob so much, and don't love Jill so much. Jill was like "ugg, I hate train the trainer day", and Bob was stoked about it, and at one point during the workout said "I can take what ever they can dish out, so bring it on!" I thought about this yesterday as I went up to Timpview High School (the school where I used to coach) to run with the girls. Just my luck, they were doing a "speed workout" on the track. While I was coaching them I ran just about every run and workout with them, so I couldn't walk away from this workout of theirs with out shame. I geared up to do these 2 400's and 2 200's (an easy workout for them) and the tables were turned as I was the nervous one, standing towards the back of the group, hoping that I would be able to complete the workout without making a complete fool of myself! I got my butt kicked by these girls, but I finished it. My first track workout for a year! man, glad to get that out of the way, brake the ice in a way...you forget the kinds of feelings you feel while running a workout. Some good feelings, some very much the contrary, but you always feel amazing afterwards... you were able to put mind over matter and make your body do something that it really didn't want to do! This is much of why I love running so much! I reall haven't enjoyed running very much these past 5 months. It's just felt like a chore, but this last month I've been remembering why I love it. I love to get out in nature, have some relaxing time to yourself to think, try to push my body and mind to new limits, and progress towards measurable goals. I don't know that I'll get back to the same shape I was in pre-baby, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try. Some may say I'm just chasing a dream, I just need to give up, I'm never really going to be that good- but, ah, whatever, that's not why I run, I run b/c it's something that as jerry McGuire would say "completes me" ha ha. It's something that makes me feel like ME! hopefully everybody has something that makes them feel that way? if not, it's out there somewhere :) p.s. I also run b/c it's glamerous as demonstrated by my photo at top-- me right after the st. george marathon.

Family Update

photos by Kara Jo Photography

These are our new family pictures. One of my friends from the ward is a photographer and she took them for us. We LOVE them! we think they are totally fitting for our TN. family photos. A little update on our family... Josh just finished his 1st year of Optometry school! Yesss!!! 3 more to go. We really can NOT believe that it's been a whole year! He worked super hard and did great. It was kinda a hard transition for him b/c he'd been done with BYU for almost 2 years b/f starting optometry school.-- We're really starting to enjoy TN. and are enjoying our house more and more as we have been doing updates on it. It's been fun to learn how to do handy man stuff. --The "world games" are this summer in Berlin and Josh wants to make the track team. You make the team same as you do for the olympics, top 3 americans from the U.S. nationals go. His coach is in Utah, and there are some good BYU guys for him to train with as well. so, we're spending the summer in utah. He's only run one race this season (and did GREAT, won with a good time) and has his 2nd race tonight! It will be broadcast on http://www.flotrack.org/videos/coverage/view/234940-2009-payton-jordan-cardinal-invite. Good luck Josh!!! Millie's doing great, and is around the 90% for her age. We're working on getting her to sleep longer (usual is about 7 hrs.) the doc. says just ignor her and let her cry it out. That makes me feel sad so I haven't done that yet. Feel free to leave any suggestions you have for us. I'm staying busy doing a whole lot of nothing (ie. cleaning dog hair out of crevices in out house that was left behind by the previous owners, maybe taking a shower and getting dressed, and all sorts of other "important" things)... but I am looking forward to doing lots of running, cooking and projects over the summer while I have helpers to watch Millie!

Happy 1/2 Birthday to our little cutie!

Photos by Karajo photography

Today is Millie's 6 month birthday! Like every body says, we really can not believe she's 6 months already! She's such a Happy Friendly, Fun baby. Here's a little update on what she's up to these days

What she likes:

-smiling and "talking" to anybody and everybody

-rolling

-her hair brush (it's her fav. toy)
-squash and pears

-drinking water out of our cups

-bath's

-standing on the counter and looking at herself in the mirror

What she doesn't like

-Getting dressed

-Apple sauce

-Sitting in grass

New Skills

-rolling

-sitting up

-scooting backward

-getting up on all 4's (in crawling position- but hasn't managed to go forward yet)

-eating little baby cereal puffs

we love her lots and are so glad we have her!!!

Dress

here's a better picture of her dress for those of you who wanted the better picture :)

Happy Easter!

I made Millie's easter dress this year :)

The Easter Bunny came and delivered our basket of easter candy to us personally!

California Trip

Last weekend we all went out to California to watch Josh open his season with a race at Stanford. It was such a nice trip! georgous weather, good company, good entertainment, and time away from Memphis! Ahhh!

Despite the fact that Josh has been super busy going to school, he still finds time to do some good training. He won this race... and felt really good! He ran a 8:36 which is good for a first race of the season! Way to go Josh! There was some good competition including Mike Spence (#71 in the blue), one of our friends from Ogden, who has been 6th at U.S.A.'s for the past 2 years.

Mills and Josh after his race

Josh had his birthday the day we flew out so we went into San Fran the day after he raced to do some fun stuff to celebrate his Birthday. We went to the conservatory of flowers. It had lots of really cool and exotic plants.

We drove around Town and just looked. I love San Fran. This was the 4th time I've been and I understand why, who ever it was that wrote that song, says "I left my heart in San Fransisco" I love the row houses, the coast, the "salty sea air", the seals on pier 39, the street entertainers on fishermans warf, the sour dough bread and all the crab vendors. We got out and walked around and enjoied some mini doughnuts at Terries mini doughnuts at pier 39- Yum!

We also took a mini tour of Charles Chocolate factory. (just outside S.F.)
I love chocolate, but not as much as my sister Kelly.

There was a taste test after the tour. It's funny how if I would have just bought these chocolates somewhere and eaten them on my own I would just be like. Oh, these are good, and then not think much of it. But when you are in the chocolate factory and have just had the confection making process explained to you, and when each chocolate is being described with the process it is created by and the ingredients that are used to make it, it just makes the chocolate so much more delicious, magical, and enjoyable! you revel over every bite. (like the jade factory in china for those of you who were there with me)

They also gave us this little easter chocolatae and told us how they make the chocolates with these edible designs.

This is one of their boxes of chocolates. The entire box is made of chocolate. Even that cute spring flower decor is edible chocolate (made out of a transfer sheet of cocoa butter) cost $60.

Mill and I at the "chocolate bar" where you can go sit with your purchased chocolates and look through the windows into the kitchen where all the chocolates are being prepaired.

So, thanks Josh for an amazing weekend!

That is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO disgusting!

So we went out of town to CA. this weekend and had a great time (I'll post about that later). While we were there one of the things I enjoied was that I was not on edge about what disgusting bug might be lurking around the corner. As we came home one of the problems we faced: how many bugs will be in our house?... anyways, we went to bed last night and i usually put my cell phone under my pilllow so the alarm is quieter. I lifted up my pillow and wah-lah, there is a cockroach under it!!! I freaked out, of course and Josh had to come to my rescue: Although, I don't think this incident is anything that I can be truly rescued from. The image of that cockroach running around in my bed is something that will be forever burned in my mind. It took me 50 min. to fall asleep because I just couldn't stop thinking about it.

Bugs we've found in our house this week:

9 cockroaches
2 potatoe bugs
3 spiders
3 beedles
1 black and red hornet
1 worm
1 caterpiller
1 slug

so, sorry Lowe's but your do-it-yourself bug spray just isn't cutting it at our house. We need professional help. I will pay what ever is necessary to never find a cockroach in my bed (or anywhere else) again. If any memphis people happen accross this post let me know if you have any reccomendations.

Happy birthday to the guy who does it all!

Happy Birthday to Josh!!!

He is 29 tomorrow, March 26! Don't worry Josh, you won't officially be old until next year. Just wanted to say how amazing I think you are. It takes a "He-man" to do all that you do. Go to school (more than) full time, study, run 15 miles a day, are one of the best steeple chasers in the WORLD, fulfill church callings, and still have time to spend time with us, fix up our house, kill all the bugs that come inside, do "Fire-sides"& Assemblies, and help anyone who is in need of it! And you do it all with a smile on your face, well, 99.957 percent of the time! Love ya Lots! Good luck on your season opener race this weekend!

Disclaimer: Although he will probabally be embarassed that I put up these pictures I put them up anyway b/c I like them. He did not elect to have these pictures taken. A photographer for some magazine took them.

What Millie's Been Up To

Millie's been rolling like a pro for a couple weeks now, well, to the left that is... she just learned to roll to the right this weekend. It's just to funny!

What Millie's Been Up To

Millie is 5 months today! wow, seriously? Everyone says it goes by so quickly but I guess you just don't understand till you experience it! So, we've been having tonz of fun with Millie lately. We're going to California tomorrow for Josh to race- YES! (get me out of here!!!) and we have a 3 hour layover in SLC so we're meeting up with my family and are excited for them to see Mill. Here are a few things she's been keeping herself busy with lately...

SPITTING! she learned to spit and does it ALOT! it's is really just so funny. She'll stick her toung out like this and spit.

She totally loves Josh! if he is ever in the room she will stop what ever she's doing and just watch him. If she is eating and he comes in she will not eat until he leaves the room. (this is Millie and Josh is their St. Patricks get up's. What you can't see is Josh's knee length green clover socks.)

I've been taking Mill out in the baby Jogger each morning. It's been like 50 or 60 here in the mornings so it's so nice to get out and enjoy the nice mornings! I am so so glad we got the jogger, they're worth every penny. she likes it- good thing because if she didn't she'd be in for a long several years...

We went up to Josh's home in Cleveland for his spring break a couple weeks ago. Millie got to meet this celeb.- Mr. Clean!!! ha ha, this is one of Josh's best friends from H.S. but he teaches high school and his students call him Mr. Clean

She started eating cereal a couple weeks ago. sometimes it goes well, sometimes not but I'm just excited to get her eating more other stuff, lets get nursing over with!

So, for our family and anyone else who wants to be in the know, that's what millie's been up to these days!

Memphian bargans

This may sound a little o.c.d. but I've been trying to figure out: where is the best place to do my grocery shopping? Wal-mart usually is the cheapest, but often is super crowded, has wierd-o's, long lines and is often out of stock on items. Once i went and there was NO leutice! not even bagged stuff! Kroger is pretty nice, has good produce, but it usually seems like kroger doesn't have something I want that I end up having to go to Target to get (ie: 93/7 ground beef, rhodes rolls, sun-dried tomato salad dressing etc) I know is more expensive for some things but seems way less crowded and as mentioned has several items not found at other stores... plus I know of several things that are cheaper here than kroger... rice, cake mixes, all other "Baking needs" (we bought a special kind of sugar at kroger for $4.50, and it was like $3.50 at target) Shnuks seems a bit more expensive but seems to have some good sale items- I saw boxes of Mac & Cheese for like .49 cents! good for food storage? Anyways, here is my proposal, make a list of common grocery items and compare prices at all the stores and also compare time waiting in line etc. If they prices are lower for certain items perhaps it'd be worth going to 2 grocery stores. I was wondering if anyone would be interested in helping me out. I'd email you the list of items to price check. Thanks!

Quite the Chef

Josh really is quite the chef. We totally love cooking together and trying new things. (I love that about him.) This last week he went all out. One night he cooked us this totally delicious indian recipe! It was seriously almost as good as "Bombay House," and that's saying alot. He even made homeade Nan! What a guy! Then last night he invented his own cookie recipe and they were SOOO good! Have you ever had a cookie from "Ben's Cookies" at the Gateway in SLC? they are super delicious! We've been talking forever about discovering their recipe but haven't done it. Josh buckled down, and by george, I think he got it! I think that might be his secret recipe now but ask him to make you some :) but here is the indian recipe:

Chicken Tikka Masala

1 cup plain yoguret
1 T. lemon juice
2 t. cumin
1 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. pepper
1 T. minced fresh ginger
salt to taste
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces

1 T. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno
2 t. cumin
2 t. paprika
1/2 t. salt
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. chopped cilantro

1. In lg. bowl combine yogurt, lemon, 2 t. cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, pepper, ginger and salt (if desired) Stir in chicken, cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
2. preheat a grill for high heat
3. Lightly oil the grill grate, thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 min. each side (we just cooked it on a pan on the stove instead.)
4. Melt butter in large skillet over med. heat. saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 min. Season with 2 t. cumin, paprika and 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low until sauce thickens, about 20 min. Add chicken and simmer for 10 min. Garnish with cilantro.
Serve over rice (basmatti rice is the indian rice but we usuallly just use jasmine)

A funny thing I remembered while trying to fall asleep

While I was at BYU I lived in "The Blue House" which is a cute house located right next to brick oven on 800 N. While I lived there I was dating this boy named Brad. I liked him alot. One day he apparently decited he didn't like me and so he tried to pull the fade away... you know, where they just decide not to call, or return your calls etc. pretty much they just start to ignore you. Since we'd been dating for about 2 months I thought this was totally lame of him. We at the blue house decited, fine, he's lame, we'll do something lame. So- the other thing about the blue house was that it was not known for it's cleanliness. I had cleaned out the fridge and found a carton of whipping cream that was 2 months past the expiration date- it was about the sickest thing I've ever smelled. Me and 3 other roomates (2 of which Brad had never met) took the cream, put it inside a purse and headed over to Brad's house. The 2 roomates went up to his door and said "sorry, we're on a walk but I REALLY have to go to the bathroom, can I please borrow yours?" of course the boys were very excited to come to the rescue of these 2 beautiful ladies and they let them come inside. While in the bathroom the roomate opened up the carton of cream, and hid it! Man, that was so lame, but I still think it was so funny!

While I was thinking about that I pulled out an old notebook that has Blue house quotes and goals. One of our goals was: "Make out with someone while wearing a neck-brace."???

I just think so many funny things happened in college! What a great time of life eh? Even though life is great now, sometimes don't you just wish you could revisit that part of live?

Giggles

Tonight Millie was being a little fussy pants so we tried to get her to take a nap for a minute. That lasted about 60 seconds and then we realized that wasn't gonna happen. So Whit brought her out to eat dinner with us and she was in a fantastic mood. She was Miss Giggly tonight and we filmed a few of them. Here's one for y'all to enjoy...particularly for the grandparents.