Hooligans Still on the Run

For the second year, Mike and I participated in the Ragnar Relay or also known as the Wasatch Back. Last year our name was Hooligans on the Run. This year we were called Hooligans Still on the Run. I don't know why we said yes again. It is really fun to hang out with our friends, but I haven't really experienced the joy of running yet. I am waiting for it to get fun.

A few months ago, I felt like I was in pretty good shape for this relay. I picked the same easy leg 7 as last year because who am I kidding I wasn't in that great of running shape. I just can't do long distances. Anyway back in May Tanner and I were playing and he landed on my knee wrong. I played soccer on it and the swelling began. I went to physical therapy which helped get the swelling down, but I needed to rest it. Thus going into this relay, I hadn't been training at all recently.

Mike and I were in Van 2 again this year. Shad and Natalie were with us last year and Bryan and MaryAnne joined us. Amy was our van driver.

The first van headed to Logan on Friday and started at noon. We arrived in Eden around 4pm to complete some safety training and be ready for Van 1 to arrive.

Runner 6 from Van 1 is almost here so I am ready to go! Not sure why Mike has his shirt off, but it was really hot!

It's around 6pm and I am waiting in the runner's shoot for my team member to arrive.

My first leg was labeled 4 miles easy. I think I averaged around a 9:30 minute mile. My knee hurt a little, but I did a lot better than I thought I would. In this picture I am about to hand off to MaryAnne who is our runner 8.

Mike chose to be runner 11 this year. His first leg was a very hard 3.7 miles that took him up and then down the old Snowbasin Road. The sun was setting so everyone had to wear their night gear.

Mike is looking good.

The girl Mike is holding is a young thing in high school wearing a skirt. For the last mile or so she and Mike battled it out. They kept passing each other. Mike totally denies he was trying to beat her. The last half mile was a steep downhill and Mike eventually let her pass because they were both flying so fast he didn't want one of them to trip. At the end the girl just about did and this is a picture of Mike catching her.

Each team has to provide 3 volunteers for the race. Cami was nice enough to be one of ours. I picked when and where she would be and it worked out perfectly because she was able to see us as Mike came through her station.

There's me starting my 2nd run at 1 am. Oh, that's not me. That's Amy our van driver! I knew I wouldn't be able to complete all three of my legs. So, we recruited Amy to drive our van and run my 2nd leg. This leg was 3.8 miles and labeled moderate. I remembered it from last year with hill after hill and I had no problem giving this run to Amy.

This is the finish line and the volunteers did awesome. They had music playing and the shoot was lit up like a runway. Amy did great.

Honey Buckets were everywhere and I hated using them! Disgusting.

Mike is stretching for his 2nd leg which was a moderate 5.4 miles in the early morning.

Mike thought it would be cool to put my leg socks on his arms.

Shad was runner 10 and is just handing off to Mike.

Mike said this leg turned out to be pretty hard because it was really windy.

Being in Van 2 sucks because you run in the middle of the night and pretty much get no sleep. I am stretching and looking very tired for my last leg which is labeled a 4.2 mile easy.

Amy is dressed ready to go just in case I can't finish my leg.

Dana was runner 6 from Van 1 and just handed off to me. This route was a little different than last year. It started off by running through a lot of neighborhoods which was kinda boring and I kept thinking I was getting lost.

Shad and I were partners which meant during my legs he would provide me with water and anything I needed and vice versa. It was sooo hot!

I just passed off to MaryAnne. This leg was really hard for me. It was windy which made it difficult for me to get my breathing down. And who am I kidding, I was really out of shape and my knee really hurt. There were a lot of moments I thought I was going to have Amy finish it, but I hung in there.

Natalie ran the first part of the infamous Ragnar leg and Shad finished it. Mike is starting his leg labeled 5.4 Very Hard miles. It was hot!

This leg was so crowded. Mike was quite a bit a head of us before we were able to catch up to him.

Earlier something happened on the course that Mike was running and they had to add some distance and reroute it. We were following Mike on the road and then all of a sudden he was directed to go into the woods. His last half was a trail run which Mike absolutely loves.

Here's Mike's dad Greg. Mike's brother Matt was on another team and Greg volunteered for his team. He happened to be volunteering right as Mike finished his final leg.

Mike was on his own for half of his run. No water or other van support, but he did great. I know he loved being on the trails. He said he wish he would have known so he could have brought his trail shoes.

The finish line was at the Canyon's Resort this year. Here we are riding on the tram while our last team member Bryan finishes up his leg.

Best buddies. Cute huh?

Our Van 1 team members were waiting for us close to the finish and we all ran in together once we saw Bryan coming.

The Hooligan men.

The Hooligan women

Total time to finish the 2010 Ragnar Relay was 29:53:53. And we signed up to participate for a 3rd time which I am thinking will be our final Ragnar Relay.

Update: I was 7 weeks pregnant as I ran this which might also explain how exhausted I was.

Landen Is A Giant

This year was Landen's first season playing T-ball. He loved it. Landen played for the Giants. He had to have baseball pants where Gage could have cared less. Mike and I waited until the last minute and had the hardest time finding him a left handed mitt. It was kinda confusing for Landen because he would see everyone put their mitt on their left hand so he would try to put it on his left hand. We had to continually tell him to put it on his right hand so it would fit. Batting providing another challenge for Landen. It was hard for the coaches to help Landen bat left handed. And lets just say Landen doesn't have much arm strength. He had a hard time holding and swinging the bat.

Landen just loves sports and being around all of his friends. I am sure Landen will be playing again next year.

So cute in his baseball hat.

Landen ran after every ball when he was in the outfield. For some reason he had to slide on his knees to get the ball. I got tired of washing his pants after every game trying to get the grass stains out.

I don't know why, but I love this picture of him.

Tanner is teaching Grandma to "cut the pickle."

Gage Plays For The Cubs

Gage played for the Cubs this year in machine pitch baseball. Mike and I were so nervous about machine pitch. We thought how in the world is Gage going to hit the ball off the machine? Every time Gage went up to bat, it was so hard to watch because we didn't want him to strike out. Gage did great. I really think he only struck out once or twice the entire season. Outfield was a different story. For some reason, Gage did a lot of standing around in the outfield. Last year, he was all over the field. I am not sure what was going on this year. I think he had fun playing. We will have to see if he plays next season.

Not sure if he ended up catching this one.

Waiting to bat.

Gage kept playing with the gum in his mouth. It would drive me crazy!

I think Gage looks so cute in a baseball hat.

Tanner Takes A Trip To The ER

Tanner was playing on some bleachers at Gage's baseball game and fell. I wasn't watching him and the bleachers weren't right by the game. All of a sudden, Landen comes running over to tell me that Tanner fell and was bleeding. I of course thought the worst. I was thinking he could be knocked out, but I soon saw Tanner walking towards me crying. I picked him up and immediately noticed blood all over his head. I yelled at Mike telling him we needed to go to the doctor. Thankfully, Mike's parents were there and they took care of Gage and Landen.

We quickly stopped at our house and got Tanner's blanky. I figured we were going to need it. We headed to Davis Hospital's ER.

This was a picture on the way to the hospital. It seemed to have stopped bleeding, but I couldn't tell how deep the cut was. Tanner was doing great. He was kinda whimpering, but understood that the doctor was going to fix his owie.

Luckily, the ER wasn't crowded and we got right in.

This is a picture after the nurse washed the wound so we could tell how deep it was. This made it start bleeding again.

The nurse wrapped Tanner up tightly and it took me, Mike and the nurse to hold him down while the doctor gave him a shot to numb the area. After it was numb, the doctor put two big stitches in. Tanner did really well for this part.

I see some pretty awful stuff where I work from lawn mower accidents to motor vehicle accidents where kids are ejected from the vehicle. But when it comes to my own kids, I am such a baby! I hated holding Tanner down and watching him be in pain and this was nothing. Tanner was totally fine after when he got his sucker.

UPDATE: I ended up taking Tanner's stitches out a week later. Now it has been a few months and every time Tanner sees the scissors that removed his stitches he says, "You take my stitches out with these huh mom?" Also, whenever we pass Davis Hospital, Tanner says, "That's where I go to the doctor and get stitches." So cute how he remembers.

Landen Graduates From Preschool

Today Landen graduated from the Syracuse Montessori Preschool. He has gone there for the past two years and has learned so much. Landen has improved upon his writing skills and has amazingly learned to read. He loves to learn and begs to do homework. Hopefully those traits will continue. Landen has made many friends at his preschool and it has been a little difficult explaining to him that most of them will go to different kindergartens. I know he wont have any trouble making new friends because he is my social one.

Looking handsome as ever in his cowboy boots! I think they are getting too small, but Landen insists on shoving his feet into them.

Landen is proudly showing Gage his binder filled with work he has done throughout the year.

Tanner has already dived into the snacks I have brought. He made it slightly difficult to watch the program today. What can I expect from a 2 year old?

Landen is lining up for his program.

Here's Landen really getting into it!

In years past, the kids going into Kindergarten have a speaking part at the end of this program. I kept asking Landen if he had a speaking part that we needed to practice. He kept telling me no. Well here are the older kids lining up to do their parts and Landen had to be told what to say. Little stinker.

The entire class.

Mike and I are so proud of Landen and how hard he worked in preschool this year. We are so excited for him to start Kindergarten and know he will be great.