RA Christmas RUN

When I started running 7 years ago I never dreamed of all the adventures and friendships this one little sport would bring me. Runners are just wonderful friendly people. I use to think it was a secret club one that I could never be in because I wasn't fast enough or didn't run far enough, often enough, I was mistaken. I have made life long friends and surpassed my goals each year with their encouragement and their examples to me.

So as I woke up to the alarm at 6 a.m the Saturday before Christmas in Provo to head out to a run with people I had NEVER met (other than Melanie who I talked into coming, in case they were scary people lol) I was not questioning my actions on bit!

Melanie and I had started to read blogs a few months back and stumbled on Susette's, I quickly called up Mel and said you have to read this! This women is amazing, the trials she has been through and the way in which she faces them is amazing and is she out running, ALOT. We knew we wanted to meet her, we saw that she would be running the TOU Half Marathon in August and we hoped to see her there. Through meeting her at TOU and becoming facebook friends she invited me to join a group called RA (Runners Anonymous.) They organize runs together in Utah and Oregon. This run was organized by Susette at Orem High Junior High, so when I asked if anything was going on the Saturday before Christmas knowing I would be in Provo, I was excited to learn about it. All I had to tell Melanie to get her to join me all the way from Layton was "There will be medals!"

 

                       It was Very cold!

 

 

 

We arrived to see them setting up a table with water, Gatorade, gu, muffins, the BEST caramels. The idea of the run was to just do whatever we wanted, we ran around the track and would stop each time someone else arrived and get introduced, take some pictures and then repeat. We would stop and walk if we wanted, run each lap with someone new getting to know them. It was perfect!

 

This awesome runner brought a camp stove and made us hot chocolate!

 

There was just not a better way to start off the day. I am sad I do not live closer to join in on more runs but will for sure follow them and if I am ever up North join in on the events.

 

 

 

Thank you RA :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Car Accidents and Life Decisions

Friday night I could not sleep, I have a hard time when the girls are out going to bed until they get home so I was on the couch watching TV about 10:30 Brad comes out of the room and says ...                       
                                   "Kyndall crashed"
                                
First your heart sinks.... and the slow motion starts, then questions start to fly "is she hurt?" "is anyone hurt?" "was there another car involved?"
We hurry and throw on some shoes and head out. Driving up to the scene is horrible, multiple cop cars and ambulance lights flashing and there she is sitting in the car terrified, and alone. She was leaving a friends house and lost control after swerving for a dog on a long dark gravel road, she tried to avoid a brick wall and instead went over a 3 foot berm which shot her into the air and about 50 feet into a field. Thankfully she was not hurt and besides the car nothing else was damaged.

This was the day she got her license only 5 months ago. PS they totalled the car :(


Torrie has wanted to move to Provo and live in the upstairs corner room at Grandma Shereen's since she was probably 8 years old. She would spend time there every summer and would cry when we came to take her home. The constant commotion and activity at the Gardner house was exciting and she loved being around Aunts, Uncles (some only a few years older than her) and cousins. As everyone grew up and things calmed down she didn't talk about it as much, until about a month ago.

She came to me and said "I have a feeling I need to go to Provo." Again my heart sinks.....
                         I know she needs to go.

 She has a great job here as a surgical assistant to an Oral Surgeon, she has put off the idea of leaving knowing she has an amazing job and needs the experience and longevity of it. But feeling like if she doesn't go now at 20 years old she might never get out and experience life, spread her wings and get out on her own, and someday will regret not following the promptings she is having.

It is so hard to watch her go through this time in her life, she says "What should I do?" my heart says "STAY HERE! don't ever leave, don't ever grow up" but my gut says "Its time"

My Sweet Tor Tor :)


Oh the joys of parenthood I am sure my heart will Sing and Sink for them many more times and I wouldn't change it for the world!