*Monday Memos*

*MONDAY MEMOS*

   

 (If pictures are too small, just click to enlarge) 
Weekly recap of my rather crazy, insane, but fun and rewarding life!

dear harp lesson, my lesson went well this week.  I am still really LOVING the harp!  I practiced some of my older songs and realized that I have really come a long way in almost seven months.  Mary Had a Little Lamb nearly had me in tears when I was learning it and now I can play it like it was nothing.  That is a good feeling.  After my lesson, as I was driving away from my teacher's house, I saw two girls holding a sign that said, BAKE SALE!  I drove past and then I remembered my challenge to never drive past a lemonade stand and so I flipped a U turn and headed back (not to mention the fact that I was starving!).  I asked them their prices (they were high!) but I still bought a couple brownies (more like mini brownie bites about 1" square), a sliver of pumpkin bread (it was honestly a sliver about 1/2" thinnly sliced) and a cookie (size of a half dollar at best).  It came to $1.75 (for what you see in the photo) but I gave them $2.00 for good measure.  They told me they were leftovers from a family reunion. Hah  But I made their day because I heard them squeal as I pulled away.  It was highway robbery really for what I paid, but I was happy to help out the community and it's young citizens.  I wish I would have taken a photo of the stand.  These girls know how to make a profit.  First sell leftovers that you don't even have to make or spend a dime on and second sell them all at top dollar (or beyond).  Entrepreneurship at it's best.  My tummy was very happy too!

Objects in photo appear larger than they actually were

dear fhe, Dave and Sky made shishkabobs for dinner.  They were so yummy!  Most of the veggies were straight from the garden which made them even better.  Sky had just returned from the gym and as you can see it's paying off!  :)

 Then after dinner, we played a game.  We haven't done that in a long time.  It was so fun!  Sky passed but Bryce and Taylor joined in.  We played Farkle Party. I won!  Yippee!  I love Farkle.

dear tuesday, my run today felt really good. I felt like I was running without a lot of effort and that isn't a usual feeling and so I enjoyed it.  The horse in photo is always very friendly when I see him.  He looks blindfolded but he can see very well through the mask. I believe it's to keep flies off his face.  I could use one of those when I run around the dam.   I found a very camouflaged penny today.  I run past that spot so often but have never seen it and there it was. I am sure it's been there forever.  It amazes me how many coins must be out there and how many I miss!  The flower at the bottom was a gorgeous vine orchid.  I've never seen one like that before and I'd love to plant some but I have no idea what they are called. So gorgeous!

 I made stuffed green peppers with peppers from the garden for dinner and it turned out scrumptious!  I REALLY love stuffed peppers!  Mmm...........

 Lately I have been cutting the peppers in half lengthwise and stuffing them that way because they are easier to eat,  but today I decided to do it the normal way because I had so many and didn't want to use two pans.

I also made homemade rolls and did a batch of cinnamon rolls.  Those cinnamon rolls are seriously to die for!  The boys inhaled the rolls as well. I think Bryce ate seven!  

My roll recipe is here.

Here is the recipe for the stuffed peppers: 
STUFFED PEPPERS
8 green peppers
2 cups cooked rice
1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups grated cheese
1 can water chestnuts chopped
Sauce:
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp basil
2 tsp parsley

Cut off tops of peppers - remove seeds. Boil for 5 minutes.  Drain.  Brown ground beef, and onions. Drain.  Mix sauce and spices. Combine beef, onions, rice, cheese, and water chestnuts.  Gradually add sauce until moist but not soupy.  Place peppers upright (or slice in half).  Stuff with mixture. Top with more cheese.  Bake at 350 until hot about 30 minutes. 

dear speedwork!  After the last time I did speedwork I was pretty bummed because I was unable to get to my goal time of 3:44 which I consistently ran last year at this time.  But today, I redeemed myself and somehow set a new record (at least I think I did) and surpassed even that!  I got a 3:39 and I was ecstatic, but then the next loop I ran a 3:29!!!  I have to say I was stoked!  I was NOT expecting that!  It gave me the confidence boost I need going into St. George in a month and Boston this coming spring.  It makes me so happy especially since I am year older!   I only had time to do five Yassos but I felt the quality made up for the quantity.  I should have done seven or eight today but not enough time (or energy at that point!).  I was so happy the cheerleaders and football team wasn't there today. Just some other runners and walkers and a worker painting the field.

I think this is a new PR.

Some of my other times.

  

dear bear lake, the boys (all three of them) headed to Bear Lake to go spearfishing.  I was happy they all went together.  I love when they spend time together.  Apparently Sky's new wet-suit we gave him for Christmas was too small because he didn't try it on when he got it and he had to go in without it....brrr....now he is in a fix.  Bryce wore his other one and it ripped because it had been held together for so long with glue.  Taylor's did great and he even got a fish.  I thought I had a picture of it but I can't find it.  Look at that Caribbean blue water!!  Too bad it's not as warm as the tropical water.

 Found it!

dear ladies night out, my mom invited me to go to a play with her and Cathy because one of the regulars was unable to make it. I was excited because the play was Hello Dolly!  I love that movie and so I was looking forward to it.  We stopped and ate at the Mandarin in Bountiful! I LOVE that place!  Definitely one of my top five restaurants!   I got the Almond Chicken (I always do!) and we also got Beef and Green Beans and some kind of ribs.  Mmmm...........   I drove my mom's car and I was a wee bit nervous about that!  I think she was too.  Hah  

 The food is superb at this place!

We headed over to Centerville to the new Centerpoint Theater.  It was really nice.  The play was amazing as well.  It was a fun night!  

dear thursday, on my run today I found an extremely camouflaged penny.  I am not really sure how I saw it, but I am glad I did.  I am sure it had been there years and year and I just never saw it before. That's two this week.

I made some more zucchini bread, mainly for Skyler since he is here.

Dave had a meeting in Tremonton (a four hour one) and so I ended up going to a reception by myself. I couldn't talk any of my boys into joining me.  I loved this quote they had on display:

Sweet!

dear friday, I didn't run today, but ran errands instead!  I delivered some bread to my visiting teachers and then Dave and I went to Costa Vida so I could carb load for my race tomorrow.  It was so good!

 We also went to a wedding reception.  Glad I didn't have to go alone again!  I came home and went to bed around 10 because I had to be up at 4 a.m!  FUN FUN!

dear top of utah half marathon, this was my 7th time running this race. It would have been my 8th, but I got sick one year.  That was the year the shirts said, "I DID IT!".  I didn't but I still wore the shirt!  hah  Robin and Grant picked me up at 4:45 a.m. and we headed to Logan.  It was a little chilly but not bad.  There was significantly less runners this year.  There was not even a line at the porta potties and usually you end up standing in line for a long time!  Some years there have been almost 2500 runners but this year there was only 1100.  When we were standing around waiting for the buses, I heard my name and I turned and there was Jen.  I was very surprised to see her.  I didn't even call to see if she was running it because she hasn't been doing any races and not much road running at all.  Not sure why she didn't call me though because she could have rode up with us.  We got on the bus and I wasn't nervous but I was just not feeling it and really did not want to run it.  I have learned on the days that I am really dreading a race, those are the days I do my best for some reason.  Kinda strange, but true.  It proved to be the case today as well. 

Traditional porta potty photo before the race.  With Grant, Rob, Jen's new bus riding friend, Jen, Robin, and me.

About mile 4.

I started out with the 1:50 pacers.  About mile 3 they started to pull away and I decided to just pace myself.  I was feeling a bit bad because my goal was to get a 1:52 again.  About mile 6, I saw the 1:55 pacers behind me and I decided since I was almost halfway done to just put on the gas. So I did.  I ended up catching up to AND passing the 1:50 pacer and kept checking my back the entire rest of the course to see if he was catching me. He never did and I finished with a 1:48:57!  A new course PR!  I was pretty excited!  I did not expect that.  At. All.  I would have been thrilled with anything between a 1:50 and a 1:52 but a 1:48 was not even a thought! 

Coming into the finish line.......

I ended up taking 4th place in my age division! That really made me happy because that means another trophy!  The trophies at this race are quite coveted!

 My official time was 1:48:57. NEW PR!  I was 4th out of 33 women in my age division.  I was 206/1063 overall and 82/664 of the women!  That one made me the most excited!

YAY!  I got another trophy!  This time 4th place! 

Top five in my age division (not in order) 

At the award ceremony

 Woot!  Robin also got a trophy for 5th place in her age division for a 2:01 time.  I was so happy for her!  She did great!  We are now in different age categories because I went up one division.  When I was in that age division you had to get a sub 1:52 to place.  I tried for years to get one of those trophies and last year I finally did!  Two years in a row!  Yay!  I went back and checked and I would have won one all seven years if I had ran it this fast each time even with 2500 runners. I have to say I am so thrilled I am getting faster instead of slower as I get older!  I even ran a negative split this year.  I REALLY needed this to boost my confidence for St. George and Boston!

Our FUN buddy Adrian.  He is such a riot!  He was supposed to pace the 1:50 but ended up pacing the 2:00.  It would have been a blast if he had!  But not sure I would have pulled ahead if he had been. I would have probably stayed with him because he is so much fun and then I wouldn't have got a 1:48. 

I found Diane!  She runs this every year too.  She finished right behind Robin.  Last year was the first year I beat her in all the times I've ran this. I think she got a 2:01 this year. She was my inspiration to BQ because she ran Boston about 10 years ago.

At the start I saw Sasha and his son. "Mr. Russian Guy!". They are the Russian's that I met last year and he paced me in the last mile or so wen I got a 1:52.  I said, "Hi Sasha!" and he said, "Hi Jodi!'.  I was very surprised he remembered my name. I asked him how he did and he said he went back and read his blog that morning so he would in case he saw me.  So that means he wrote about me on his running blog. He has a very famous running blog.  In fact his shirt has the name of it on it to advertise it.   I went and checked it out and sure enough he has the story of how we met at the start of the race last year when he was speaking Russian and I told him I had a son serving there.  I should just go copy and paste it so I don't slaughter what he wrote.

Here it is from his blog:
"Warm-up with Benjamin and Albert - a little more alone.
A funny incident during warm-up. We were lined up near the secret bathroom in the park. There was a swing nearby. All of a sudden two ladies get it and start swinging. Benjamin and I were having a conversation in Russian in the meantime. Then one of them asks us to take a picture. We did not react immediately, so she asks us if we even speak English. That got my attention, and I took their picture. Then we start talking and she tells us her son is on a mission in Russia - in the Vladivostok Mission. Then after the race I was doing the cool-down going backwards and she recognized me as "the Russian guy". So I turned around and paced her for about the last 2 K. She ended up running a PR of 1:52:45 and finished 5th in the 50-54 age division. Then I gave her some ideas on what she can do to break 4:00 in St. George and get a Boston Qualifier. Cool-down. Part with Benjamin, part alone, part pacing Jodi the mother of the missionary in Vladivostok (and four more boys)."

My version is here. I didn't hear them speaking Russian. I thought he was from the states.  I asked if he spoke English to be sarcastic (okay and funny).  I had NO idea he was from Russia, let alone speaking it!  It was all meant to be!  GREAT STORY!

LOVE the shirts this year!  My fave ever!  And of course, I will treasure my cute adorable trophy!

dear rodeo! Yee haw!!!  We got our cowboy (and girl) on Saturday night and headed to the BE County Fair Ro Dee Oh!  I rode down with Sky so we could save seats.  Dave picked up his parents later and met us there.  Taylor was already there working (at a Solar booth) and Bryce was out of town. 

So happy to have this boy home for a bit!

 Sky and I had fun while we waited.

Taylor and Brad joined us when they were done working.  Love the hat!

Then Dave and his parents joined us.  Fun Fun!

 The rodeo was amazing.  I loved the stunt motorcycle riders and the bull riders the most. Well, okay the mutton busters are my all time favorites! Some guy did some rope twirling and it seemed so much like baton twirling to me.  He even did some fire ropes.  Dave said they should get me out there next year and show them how it's done.  I said yeah, if they want to burn down the stadium!

 It was a fun family time together.  I just wish they would start it a bit earlier so it didn't end after 11 pm!  Kind of late! I was dead tired!

Taylor did a little mechanical bull riding the night before

dear my favorite "volunteer", I got a great letter and photos from McKay's mission president and his wife.  They had a zone conference and of the Eastern Zone this last week.  Elder Martino of the 70 came and spoke.  McKay is looking good!  Miss that boy!  In his letter this week he wrote:

 
"When people ask about the church and we can't tell them, it's sad because we know this message can change their life.  Like for example the dude that took us to the back when we first got there (in a different church) asked us after learning that we were Mormons how we know that our church is true.  I wanted to testify that moment about the Book of Mormon.  So there are some challenges with the new law but we are actually making better friendships now and before the law there is no way we would have gone to those churches to look for service.  There's good and bad."

 It's got to be hard to not testify when you know something is true so strongly.  Especially when that is the reason you have been sent to that foreign land.  But his attitude will prevail and he will become stronger for it.  This week six "volunteers" in Samara were deported because their papers weren't in order.  The last I heard the church was going to appeal it. It is going to be interesting to watch and see how this all pans out.  All I know and firmly believe is that "no unhallowed hand can stop the work from going forward".

dear mr. cat, oh man, how I wish I could relax like you!  You make it look so easy. I guess if I were a cat, it would be!

dear random, as I was sitting in church on Sunday in RS, I see this HUGE spider crawling VERY fast right by my feet!  I panicked a bit and lifted my legs up and grabbed Heidi who was sitting next to me.  She told me to step on it.  I politely refused. I just can't step on them!  She maneuvered over and stepped on it for me!  Eeeeeeeek!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I hope I never see one when I am driving!  Not good!  So grateful for friends that have your back!

Bryce spent two days power washing the paint off the clinic fence and then painting it this week.  That kid is the hardest worker.  He worked about 12 hour days.

 Hard to see, but the turks are back!

This is my adorable Grandma Helen.  She is my Dad's mom.  She made all of those dolls she is holding.  Bet you can't guess which one is mine?!!!  :) 
She also made all of these Raggedy Ann's.  She was a very talented lady!  I miss her!

This is a major throwback my cousin Mike posted on Facebook.  My mom is on the far right, my cousin Shelley in the red (she passed from MS), my Aunt Dixie next to her, and Dale on the end.  My cousins Tiff and Candy are the objects of interest. I am the one with my back to the camera with the long hair.  I have no idea what I am doing! 

I want to make these this year!  HOW CUTE!

dear quotes,

I absolutely LOVE this thought!

Here are a couple more versions. 

 That Mark Twain had it figured out!  This is why I run in the morning!  Okay, not necessarily, but there are some days running is my biggest frog!  Especially on long runs!

Here is a quote I found and wanted to include it but couldn't find a cute meme of it and I didn't have time to make one.
“because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, ultimately, in the eternal scheme of things,...’[a]ll that is unfair about life can be made right.’...[T]hrough God’s compassion, kindness, and love, we will all receive more than we deserve, more than we can ever earn, and more than we can ever hope for.” (Elder Dale G. Renlund)

 Okay, after I typed that I didn't have time to make a meme, I decided I should make time because it is such a great quote.  So here is my meme:

 A couple more of his quotes.  I didn't make these memes. I wish I had though.