My Official Race Photo!!

(The official ones always make you look better than you actually do...)

25 pounds and a MARATHON

I, like most of you, made New Years resolutions at the beginning of the year. They were similar to past years resolutions, but I was determined to make this year different. I was determined to actually DO them! (what a concept- I know!) The thing that really got me going was a competition that Jason and I entered at our gym. It was a couples weight-loss competition and the winners got $2,000 gift certificate to a travel agency! Jason and I REALLY want to go on a cruise, so that was our motivation for the competition. I was so proud of how hard we worked! It was only a 4 week competition and I lost 14 pounds and Jason lost 10! Although we didn't win, I was motivated to keep going and actually get in shape. To give myself even more motivation, I decided to cross something off of my bucket list... and actually register for a full MARATHON!



Today, I completed the Famous Idaho Potato Marathon in Boise- and I have a metal, and a bright yellow shirt with a picture of a potato on it to prove it! My legs have NEVER felt so sore before, but my self esteem has never been so high before! Completed a Marathon? CHECK!! The training for a marathon is very time consuming and you have to be very dedicated, so I'm happy to have a small part of my life back!



Jason is my hero. He drove my friends and I up to the starting line at the crack of dawn and then he raced ahead and met me about every 4-5 miles along the course! When I got tired I would think to myself "Just make it to Jason!" and without fail, he would be there cheering me on and carrying my bag of goodies with him so I didn't have to take a pack on the course. He also made a fantastic photographer! So yes, Jason is my HERO!

Alanya Wyne, ME, and Erin Keller

A picture to prove that we started the course!

A picture to prove that we RAN the course.
(At mile 13- almost half way, and still smiling!) And a picture to prove we finished the course!

I only trained up to 16 miles for this race, so I had no idea how long it would take for me to run a marathon. I guessed about 5-5 1/2 hours. I was pleasantly surprised when I crossed the finish line just under 5 hours at 4:59.34!

I have lost 25 pounds since my new years resolution and I ran a MARATHON.

'NOUGH SAID.

Here's to wishing I lived in Belgium!!

FOUR YEARS AGO TODAY........

(I think he enjoyed that one a little too much...)

Strange Encounter

Yesterday I came back home from Utah, and when I pulled into the neighborhood- there was this 14-15 African-American boy walking into the neighborhood (this was around 7:30 at night and totally dark outside). I didn't think anything of it until I walked inside the house and the doorbell rang -- Jason answered it and this boy was at our door. He was just standing there and Jason asked him who he was, if he was hurt, if he needed help and all he did was stand there looking at the ground- not saying a word. Jason thought maybe he was a special needs kid and summoned me over to help. I introduced myself and tried to shake his hand, which was FREEZING cold. He didn't have a coat on, so I brought him into the house and told Jason to go call the police. At this point he has only said one word, which sounded like "mom", but for all I know it could have been something completely different. And as much as I tried- he would NOT make any kind of eye contact with us- just constantly looking at the ground. We brought him in, sat him on the couch, wrapped him in a blanket, and gave him some food and water.

I thought of our next door neighbors- they usually have teenage foster kids. So I called them, but they said he wasn't theirs. So finally the police arrived and said that someone else had called in that this kid had been on their door- but they closed the door and he left. Then the police found out that another police district was looking for the boy because his family had called in.

The police were told he only spoke only Arabic and his name was Eduardo. But they had an address for his family- which lived in our neighborhood only two streets down! So the police took him home, and hopefully having three cop cars in front of our house won't taint our reputation in the neighborhood!!

What would you have done if a boy like that would have knocked on your door? It's a good thing Jason was home... not sure how comfortable I would have been inviting him in if he wasn't....

Needless to say, it was a STRANGE ENCOUNTER!

Inspirational

Found this video through my sister... loved it! Thanks Teneill!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/AlphabetPhotography

ODE TO JASON: HUSBAND OF THE YEAR!!!

"An ode is typically a lyrical verse written in praise of, or dedicated to someone or something which captures the poet's interest or serves as an inspiration" -Wikipedia

I have always loved Jason. Well, maybe not when I first met him (if you know the story...) but you get the idea. :) I have never met someone who makes me so incredibly happy, and has the ability to make my life feel so fulfilled. Sure, our marriage is not by any means perfect- in fact I think this past year has been the most challenging one yet! But Jason knows the secret to my never ending happiness- A secret that not even I know. He seems to use this secret weapon when I least expect it- and then I have to be happy even if I don't want to!

The inspiration for this post came to me last week. Jason was going out of town on Thursday to his parents house in Blackfoot. We are going to be apart for a whole week, until I join him over there tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Before he left, I asked him to write me a little love note so I would have something to read when I came home to an empty house. No, we're not newly weds. And Yes, we've been apart for much longer than a week before. This was not my first time around the "lonely" block. Nevertheless, Jason agreed to my simple request and said he would do it. But when I came home, there was much much more than just a love note...

If you know Jason, he's not so much the mushy love letter type of guy- but rather he shows his love by his actions. When I walked in the house I was greeted by a love letter, as promised, but I was also greeted by countless actions of love from my husband. The first thing I noticed was a little post-it note on a magazine I was reading. Then I saw one on my computer. Another one in the bathroom, on my pillow, and in the fridge. They were all little love notes, reminding me of my incredible husband.

When I found the one in the fridge it said "I didn't want you to eat only cereal while I was gone. Love, Jason" It was sitting on top of a chicken & stuffing casserole he had made for me. Then on the next shelf down there were homemade chicken enchiladas. And on the last shelf was a homemade chicken pot pie. This food was going to last me the whole week, and then some! Jason used to work for a catering company- so he knows his foods and best of all, he knows how to cook them! I have been eating these delicious meals for dinner each night, and even taking them to work with me for lunch! I do love a good bowl of cereal, and probably would have eaten a fair share of it while he was gone- but I am happy to announce that I have only had two bowls, and they were actually for breakfast!!

Jason must have been incredibly busy before he left, because he also painted the bathroom ceiling!! Our walls and ceilings are all the same color. Tan. I've never had a problem with it because our ceilings are 10 feet high. But our guest bedroom and bathroom are the normal 7/8 feet, so the tan color makes them feel a little small. A couple of months ago we painted the ceiling in the bedroom and have taked about doing the bathroom but never got around to it! Well sneeky little Jason got around to it right before he left, and it looks AWESOME!

So ODE TO JASON: HUSBAND OF THE YEAR, for capturing my interest, and being my inspiration. I love you, appriciate you, and am so lucky to have you.

Here's to living happily-ever-after!!