Marathon

For the past few months I have been training for a marathon. My sister Beth and my brother Drew are coming up to do the Seattle Rock and Roll marathon with me in June. I have been running my whole life, and I love running. I have been struggling the past few weeks. I just am so sick of running I have to talk myself into it every day. I think it feels like a chore now because I have set distances that I have to do every day. I feel like any free time I have I have to go running. I really only have one more really long run, and I just need to push through this. I have a 20 miler in a week. I have improved a lot and I am amazed at the fact that I have been able to do this. My goal when I started was just to finish, I don't care how much I have to walk, I just need to finish. Every time a run now I am always watching my time and trying to go faster. I ran my 15 miler in 2 1/2 hours and my 16 miler in 2 hours and 40 minutes. Also this is not flat nice weather running. This hills are killer around here and a lot of my running has been in continuous cold downpours. I ran 9 miles this week in 1 hour and 17 minutes. I know for some people this isn't fast but for me it is. Than there are my bad days. On my first 16 miler I had to call Chase and have him come pick me up at mile 12 I could not take another step. Last week I was supposed to do 18. I decided to take Emma along in the jogging stroller. HORRIBLE IDEA! It was windy and the course was hilly and it was far. I felt like I was pushing a parachute. An extra 30 lbs. on a long run is a killer. I only made 16 miles and at 13 I was walking and had to talk myself through every step I was in so much pain. I said a prayer that I could just get home, or that someone would drive by and give me a ride. At about mile 14 my brother Drew called and talked to me until I got home. It was an answer to my prayer. I just wanted to sit down and not move. It took me 3 1/2 hours (slow) I learned I can't go that far with a stroller. Through all of this I have learned I can do more than I think. At the beginning of each run I think there is no way I can do this. At the end of each run I am so proud of myself that I could and did. I have lost 2 toe nails and a third is starting to hurt.I have blisters and calluses all over my feet. My hips and tail bone ache and at the end of my long runs hurt so bad that I can hardly move. I don't know how people do these all of the time. I can't wait until I am done and right now I am saying I will never do this again. I want to go back to my leisurely running. Wish me luck, my race is June 28th. I am so excited to have Beth and Drew here. They are really fast runners so I will probably just see them at the starting line.

Mothers Day and our 14th Anniversary

This year Mothers Day fell on our Anniversary. When this happens I always feel jipped. I feel like instead of having to special days I just get it rolled into one. I had a great mothers day, I just feel like our anniversary was over shadowed.

The kids brought me breakfast in bed, powdered donuts and sugar free hot chocolate. I think it is a funny combination, seeing that the donuts are covered in sugar and the fact that they are donuts. The kids made me a bunch of cards and coupons. on Saturday we all went to the nursery and I picked out a bunch of flowers to plant on the front porch. They also got me a chair to sit in, so I can watch them play outside. They where so excited to get me a topsy turvey tomatoe and strawberry planter.

I am so thankful for all that my family did for me, and how they made my day special. I really would be nothing without them. I love being a mom. It is my purpose in this life. In this day and age when woman have so many roles and responsibilities, and when the label of "housewife" "mother" is looked down upon. I find joy, contentment, satisfaction in my role as a mom. It is the greatest calling on earth. There is nothing more important than to raise children. They are a great blessing to me. I really don't know what I would do if I wasn't a mother.

I am so thankful also for my husband. Without him and his support I couldn't do it. He is a great man. Not many men would want or help with such a big family. Whenever people ask me how I do it. I always say "Chase helps a lot and without him I couldn't do it." Chase being the oldest of seven, has always been a big help. He always helped his mom and from a tiny age was helping and learning how to take care of a family. i am so grateful he, has his parents who are such great examples. I can't believe we have been married for 14 years! It does not seem possible that we are this old! It seems like yesterday that we met and where married. I am so lucky that I have Chase. He is my best friend, or in his words "I am his girlfriend." He loves to tell the boys that because it gets them all embarrassed, especially Sol.

Hawkins Demolition and Moving

This phrase was made by Chases dad Lonnie Hawkins. Whenever any one in the family moves or needs something moved we all get together and get it done. The key phrase is get it done. It might not be the right way or the easiest. Usually something gets broken, but also fixed. So we had the opportunity of getting a free play set for the yard. There is a business one street over from us that is kinda the middle man for companies like Costco etc. He sets stuff up and than the buyers come over and say how many they want for there store. Well he had three play sets set up for demo. and was done with them and needed to clear them out of the yard for the next demo. We where asked if we wanted one, we just needed to get it out of the yard as soon as possible. AT dinner Chase said, We need to take it apart into three sections and then bring it over that way. He didn't think it would fit in the car. His suggestions were. #1 put it on the top of the car, he will hold it on and I will drive it home. #2 Him and the boys would put it on there scooters and skateboards and push it down the street. I did not like either options, but the boys liked #2. So off they went. I wanted to watch but also was a little embarrassed that it is the main highway here and everyone in the world was going to see this endeavor. To my surprise in about 5 min. they where already back with the first section. It wouldn't fit in the gate so they tore down a section of the fence to put it into the yard. So for round two I went out and got some pictures. It was so funny! This is the kind of stuff that they will always remember when they get older. It would not have been so much fun if we had borrowed or rented a trailer. I am so glad I got the pictures! They got it all in and even put the fence back together. We now have a Choo Choo Train Play Set in the yard and the boys love it, Even if it has only been in the 40's this week. It is still so cold! Glad to keep the tradition alive.

Hair Flowers

I learned how to make a new kind of hair flower out of fabric and I love them! It is so much easier to find fabric to match clothes then it is to find a fake flower. They are also softer. I also think they are easier to make. I am posting this for my niece Chelsea she wants to so them and try to make them. You just need a synthetic fabric like acetate or polyester. You can get the kinds that look like silk or satin, If it is not synthetic it does not work. Cut out about 5-7 circles in varying sizes. Hold over a candle to melt edges. The fabric will start to melt and fold up like a petal. Than put it together like the fake flowers. I like to use netting in between the petals. Add a cute center and a clip and your done. I would also say to be careful with the fire.

Emma

I forgot to add that last week was Emma's last week nursing. She made it to Eight months, she did better than the last four boys. I also took a bunch of new pictures of her today and wanted to post them for her Grandma's back in AZ. She also has enough hair now to put little clips into it.

Etiquette Dinner

We had the youth from the ward over for the etiquette dinner. It was a lot of work but was worth it for the kids. This is our second year hosting it at our house. Chase is the Young Men's President so we get the opportunity to have the kids in our home. Even though Hannah is not 12 yet she got to participate. The kids had a lot of fun. My little boys like to help set up and decorate and come up and have desert and play with there big "friends" All of my dish collecting comes in handy when you are serving a crowd like this. It even comes in handy when I find more dishes that I want, that I have an excuse to get them.