Braver than I!

We had a ward talent show on Friday night. I signed Maya up to play the piano for a talent. She was very excited about it. The activity was well attended and many people showed us their talents. I was afraid she might back out when we got there, but she went right up there to play. She started playing the wrong song at first so she got a little flustered, but then just took a breath and played the right one. She was one of the only kids that played her song memorized. I know for a fact that I would have been super nervous. I never played that well at recitals and things because I worried so much. I don't think she was even nervous at all! She plays really well. The only thing that bothered her was that some of the older kids played harder songs so she thought they were better than her. I was really impressed with Maya. She has no fear about these kind of things. I hope she will stay that way throughout her life because it will help her a lot.

A Little Disappointed!

I guess it is pretty obvious since I haven't posted that things didn't go well on Saturday. Actually they went really wrong! I had been having some hip trouble at the beginning of the week. The pain was pretty bad so I was running that week favoring my left leg. I went to see a physical therapist about my hip and found out that it was indeed out. He fixed it up a few times for me so I figured I would be in pain on Saturday, but that I could still run. Because of the compensation, my right foot had been bothering me a little, but felt like normal pain. About nine miles into the marathon, I felt a seering pain go across my right foot. I stopped running and tried to walk on it. It was still really painful. I thought maybe it was just cramping so I continued to run, just limping a little. Well, I continued to run 10 more miles like that. I wanted to try and at least finish. I knew I couldn't qualify with that much pain going on, but I thought I could at least make it to the finish line. By mile 19, the EMT's were following me on their bikes. They were trying to get me to quit. I normally wouldn't have, but I literally could not go any further. I was able to make it back to my family, but that was it. Since that moment I have not been able to even touch my foot. It is in extreme pain. We got an X-ray done, nothing major appeared to be broken. The Dr. thinks it could still be a hairline fracture, but he won't be able to see that for another week or so.
So here I am about to be 30 and I am completely bed ridden! Life is kind of the suck right now. Although, having Brian do everything is a little bit of a nice break! He is getting a taste of what it is like to be me for a few days! Let's just say that he needed some "Brian Time" last night! Now he knows what it's like to have everyone need something from you that by night time, you want to be left alone! He has been so good.
I feel really bad that my family was all there and ready to help on Saturday. They did so awesome! I only wish I had performed better! I guess it just wasn't meant to be this time. Hopefully I get better soon and can enjoy my summer!

The Calm Before the Storm

I am on my last few runs before the big one. I have pretty much done all I can do to prepare for this race. The other day I was telling Brian that I have trained harder and done more things this time around than for any other race that I am surprised I even finished my first marathon! I didn't know then any of the things I know now, and there is still plenty to learn I am sure. I have incorporated at least 4 different training programs together to get where I am.
When I first looked into the Boston Marathon, I couldn't believe the qualifying time. I never thought in a million years that I would ever be able to even run at that pace period. Now, here I am able to run much faster than that and may have a really good chance of running that pace for 26.2 miles.
I am definitely physically able to, but it's the mental part that I am not sure on. If you have run a marathon, or any type of long race, you know it takes a great deal of mental strength to continue when you are tired and sore. My plan this time around is to recruit people to stand along those last six miles yelling, "DON'T QUIT!!" I know on my own I am not mentally strong enough. I have been there enough times to know how hard it will be. Of course if I don't qualify, plan B is always to do better than last time! (Which is still an accomplishment in my book!)

A Fun Easter

I didn't plan a whole lot for this Easter weekend, but it seemed to turn out ok anyway. The kids got a package from Grandma Hughes that had some candy in it and a Barbie movie. The girls screamed hysterically for several minutes when they saw that they got Barbie in a Mermaid Tale. Easily pleased I guess! They have watched that movie non-stop for days now. I pretty much have it memorized, along with all the songs!
On Sunday we went to Grandma Bullock's house and had an egg hunt. Gavin loved his new train Easter basket. He had it on his head whenever he didn't have candy in it! It had snowed a lot the night before, so we just found eggs in the kitchen and living room.
The littler kids went first. Gavin was much more interested in finding the eggs than eating them. He was screaming and running around wildly to get all the eggs. He didn't want his cousins to pick up any of the eggs!
He was very unhappy when I told him he had found his alloted 15.
Here they are in their cute Easter clothes.
They wore them to church last week since there was no church on Easter. The girls love getting dresses on, especially Kaitlyn.
She insists on wearing a dress to school as often as she can get away with it. She tells me that when she wears a dress "everyone just stares at her because she is so beautiful!" Clearly she does not lack any confidence in herself! Even Gavin likes to get dressed up. He is always wanting me to do his hair too and dress him up all Dapper Dan!
Between conference sessions the boys were playing XBOX. Maya was on the couch watching her Uncle Bradley play. He died and Maya said, "Oh, Uncle Bradley you just got owned!!!" It was pretty funny. I know I was laughing pretty hard! Apparently she picked that up from her lovely new Barbie movie, and clearly understood exactly how to use it in context.
They all had way too much candy, especially Gavin. They gave up eating their candy from guessing the apostles and listening for certain words during conference. They just started saving it. I was happy they would still watch conference even though they weren't eating anymore treats. It was a fun and crazy weekend!