RAGNAR, really?



So we did it. We survived- and like giving birth to a child...I wouldn't do it again...
 but time goes by -you forget the brutalities and think...yeah, I want to do that
 again-it wasn't too bad. Because even though you have nothing to show for
 it-like a child- you have the memories and feeling of accomplishment!  It
 really was a cool
experience.    This is our Van #2 team. (Marty, Jared (my bro.)Ingrid,
 his
 wife, Tiff (my sis) Jim, her husband and Me.)  This is BEFORE we felt like
 death.
 Our team name was the Running A'ss (a donkey was the mascot on our
shirts and decor)...(*disclaimer-I didn't come up with the name...)




Van #1 consisted of my brother Ryan, and his wife Jaimi, my
 cousin Katie, and her husband Kyle, my cousin Jenni and her
 daughter Jesse.  They started in Logan at 6:15 am running
 (each their own leg) to Liberty
 Park in Eden Valley where the first big exchange took place
 and Van
 #2 begins.  I was runner #11 and 4th from my van to run. The left
 pic shows
 my first leg-which was straight up Trappers Loop from Eden side toward
Mtn. Green.  I had a 3.2 mile vertical climb.  It took all of my will power to
 keep trekking up that mountain.  The back-up of cars getting up that mountain
 was pretty bad and I had to wait about 15 min. for my team to catch up so
Marty could take the 'baton'.  This is Tiff and Ingrids' exchange (pic on the
 right).  Their first leg of the race. 




Here he his, my man, running his first leg-continuation of mine up
 into Snow Basin, 4.7 miles.  He did awesome.  He was runner #12
 and final runner from our van.  The next major exchange took place
at Snow Basin where Van #1 took over.



This is after my first leg while Marty was finishing up.  See how happy we are...I could have been done then and called it good...



The bottom right pic is Marty and I and Katie and Kyle at Snow Basin,
 it was such beautiful scenery!  We had a couple hour break while
 Van #1
 did all their 2nd legs.  We decided to make the most of our kid free
time and eat at Taggarts~yum.  We gave Jim (my bro in law) a hard time
about his STEAK
 and FRIES and ROOT BEER (x3) dinner.  How in the H-E- double
 toothpicks
are you going to run 2 more legs...(one of those in the middle of the night) with
 THAT sitting in your belly!?  Sheesh.



This is our middle of the night run.  I started at 3:30 am and ran 5.5
 miles around a damn.  Marty took the 'baton' from me about 4:15 and
ran a 6.9 mile leg-he was amazing and ran it in less than 9 min. miles.  Here
 we are all geared up in the van ready to go.  There is a lot of waiting in
 this race, waiting for your vans turn, waiting for your individual
 turn...it's hard on
your physic.  We had to run with a headlight, butt light and
 reflective vest.
  Jared is trying to get some shut-eye in the drivers
 seat while we are
 parked waiting for Jim to finish.  We only were able to
get bits and pieces
 of sleep during this stretch of time.  After Marty's leg we drove to Park City
 to stay at a time share condo. We were all able to get about a
 good hour of sleep after showering and suffering in the
bathroom
 with runners diarrhea...we cleared a box of
 Imodium in minutes.

This is the following day on our last legs.  Jared doing the hand-off to
 Ingrid and strutting around afterwards because he had an amazing
 run.  7.2 min. miles!  Even after being SO exhausted! 

This was Tiff's last leg and I do not envy her at all.  She had one of the
 hardest runs.  It's wasn't very long...3.3, but it was ridiculous.  NO ONE
was able to run it.  Here Tiff is trying to run.  Look how bad her calves
were burning- and if the sign didn't say it all...! ROUGH STEEP and
 WINDING.  On top of that it was about 100 degrees out.  She was a
 go-getter and did not slow down.



The climate changed drastically as Jim took the 'baton' and ran the rest
 of the uphill trek to the top of Ragnar Run.  All of a sudden we were
surrounded by 4 ft. of snow.  I took my last haul after Jim- 7.3 miles
 and
 my course was the exact opposite of my first run (except even steeper)-
vertical downhill.  I thought it would actually be nice to have gravity on my
 side.
  Whoa was I wrong.  My quads were like steel blocks not wanting to bend or
 work or function.  And it being my 3rd leg without any sleep and wanting to cry,
 it took all I had left to finish the run.  I was able to keep it under a 9 min. mile
 thankfully and sprinted into the 'runway' where Marty was waiting...knowing
 I was completely done.  YEAH.



As Marty came into the last 100 yards of the race,(his last leg was 7.3 miles on an exotic course that went up and down, around and through-he said it was pretty crazy) we were able to join him - as all the teams do- and run the last stretch with him as an entire team of 12 to the finish line.  It was a happy ending to our long, dreary journey. 
We got back to my parents that afternoon.  My Mom and Dad had most the kids (they babysat overnight). My Mom had ordered loads of Papa Murphy's and we all pigged out.  She made up posters and bought balloons and  individual medals for all of us.  She and my Dad were our sponsors-they paid half of everyone's running fee's for the race.  They were so proud of everyone...my dad  actually got emotional about it.  It was a really great thing to be involved in and accomplish, even if it was just once...but I may, just may, do it again.

Some 1st's...

 

I know we will have many 'firsts' living in a new place.  But here are just a few we've experienced lately.  Our first sleep out on our trampoline.!  I was nice and stayed inside with Charlie for the night. ha!  But Marty was the kids' hero and braved the night under the stars.  They had SO much fun- they were bursting at the seams all day anticipating their camp out. Ruby painted big signs to put up in the house to remind us that it was 'sleep out night!'

Our first BBQ with friends at our new casa.  Tasha and Christopher came over with their beautiful boys and hung out for the night.  It was so wonderful to see a familiar face and enjoy their company! Thanks for coming you guys.  I am so happy you moved here too!  Yeah! (what are the odds and the timing-crazy)  (We need to go camping soon.)

The kids loved these $1 dollar pools we bought at a garage sell down the street.

 Our first overlook of St. George as a family! 
 Very windy and warm. 
 It is beautiful.

Our first time feeding baby calves!  These little guys belong to our bishop and we went over for family night to experience feeding them.  They eat out of over sized baby bottles with a nipple. And they can get sucking, they really get a grip on those things and don't let up until it's bone dry.  They are a bit feisty if your not stern with them. 





The bishop lives around the corner from us and after our trial run that night ...he asked us to do it 2x a day while he went out of town for 3 days.  So we got to do this morning and night for a time.  Lets just say,  the KIDS loved it...

And lastly and most sweetly...our first fruit produce from the yard.  Ruby could eat blackberries 24/7.  And never tire of them.  She worships berries of any sort.  So when we picked these from our yard you can imagine her excitement.  Yumm. 

Life in the desert...so far



Despite the craziness of the day,  Ruby went to her last day of school the very morning we moved down south.  Look how calm she looks...no idea of the whirlwind and chaos that lay ahead...



The babies hanging out...Jared and Jim (my brothers) and my parents came to help load up our truck from the storage shed.  Jim even had to bring his kids!  Talk about commitment.  We 'accidently' ended up with a 26 footer from UHAUL cuz our 16 footer wasn't returned back on time from Enterprise...so we last minute scrambled and found this truck for a better rate! Talk about a blessing.  With a truck 10 feet longer, we BARELY fit our crap (some of it isn't crap but most of it is) inside...thanks to men (Jared, Jim, Marty, Dad) that planned, shoved and organized the loading.  (We SO appreciate your help-even though you turned down our shake offer from Warrens!)

Our first night in the house...my parents drove the truck down for us...what would we do without Mommy and Daddy! ha.  My parents were oblivious then to the worst night of sleep EVER that they were going to experience in just 2 wee hours. (air mattress in the living room-says it all) They worked their TAILS off -the whole time helping us get settled.  They just jumped in and hit it.  We are so glad they came with us.  My dad worked exclusively the next morning on the trampoline (shown below). It is SO, SO wonderful to have.!  Thanks DAD.  Our dinner this night was pepperoni pizza, and deli specials: orange chicken and rotisserie chicken. oh yeah.



We were so busy I didn't get any pictures of anyone working.  We had 3 men from the Elders Quorum come help Marty...(perks of church-going) and my Mom helped me get some stuff on the walls, put beds together, write a list of things I needed to buy right away and unload my kitchen.  So nice to have her here. They were completely wiped out at the end of the day-and the previous day...I am surprised they could smile for this picture.!  btw...our house sits adjacent from a beautiful hay field!  Who knew...hay and fields in the desert?!  I sure didn't. And it is just itching for visitors.  We have an extra room for ya'all.

  

My parents taking off. (don't worry I cried like a baby) They couldn't take another night of no-sleep.  Don't blame them...plus they had to be home for their ward the next morning.  My mom trying to get 'up'  into the massive truck.  They hit major storms on the way home-snow and rain. What?  That is one thing that is serene right now-sunny, warm weather.

Our laundry 'hall' is bigger than our basement was.  That says alot about our old house and tiny basement! ha!

I still have drawers to fill in this 'well-built-for-storage' kitchen.  SO not used to that!

Not to make you squirm, but this is ONE thing I can not get used to yet.  Even after traps were set and the house was sprayed...we STILL find them!  Most the time like this-dying on their back side.  But I am NOT a fan of bugs at all. And this one sort of camouflaged with the wood floor-I nearly stepped on it- IN BARE FEET. 
Another factor that will take some getting used to is just the change in general.  You get real comfortable in your surroundings and even though a new place sounds fun and exciting (and it is) it's still hard too-esp. for me I guess.  And esp. in the the beginning.  I've had many crying sessions.  Poor Marty got a little worried I think.  It's different to live far away from family.  I miss my sisters and friends up north.

But the ward seems great, I've made some friends, it's popsicle weather here, the kids LOVE it.  St. George has definitely got it's own type of beauty.  I miss the Rockies but the red rock is something else, I've had some really picturesque runs.  Marty and I both favor spanish-style homes.  I love our water softner-thought we'd have reptile skin here-but that is saving us.  Having a garage is like a dream.  I THINK I can take the heat when it comes?  110-115 for the high-July and August are the worst.  We shall see how we all fair.

The live- in; 24/7 babysitter.!  Thanks Dad, again, for getting it set-up...who knows when we'd have gotten around to it!

All in all...we give St. George 2 thumbs up.