He Ran next to Me

So I have never been one to say that I LOVE running. In fact most of the girls/boys in my P.E. class in high school can confirm that RUNNING and I  did not get along. It was always so "awesome" when one of the girls would run with me in PE and say "I am going to take it easy today and run with you" meanwhile I was DYING just to keep my body from collapsing. Again, we did not get along. 

But as I got older I found a respect for running. I found that running kept my crazy stress brain in check, it showed me that my legs don't have to look like huge tree trunk lumps but they could actually have...get this...muscle tone! And then after I had my darling child I found that running was the best way to get my body back (that and Jillian Michaels, ugh that lady I love/hate). Then last year running introduced me to my husband. Okay I had the husband first, but he started running with me again after taking a 10 yr break due to a high school church basketball injury that required 3 knee surgeries. This boy was a cross country junky before his accident so as we started running he began to get back into his old habit of "lets chat it up while running 'cause it makes the time go by faster" and so our runs sounded a lot like this.

Brenton: "So babe what are the things that you want to do in your life?"

Jazz: "uh...(huff)....(gasp)...um..it...could....be...fun...to....(gasp)....travel"

Brenton: "Oh yeah? Where would you like to go?" 

Jazz: "(gasp)...um....I dunno....(huff)....lets...talk....later"

He later learned to just ask yes no questions.

So here we were, Memorial Day 8am starting our first 10K race together. I told him we should run the whole time holding hands because we loved each other so much. Soon after the race began I realized that my legs did not want to be running a 6.2 mile race. There was much complaining from them "why are you doing this to us?....you didn't ask us if we wanted to run today....you haven't run in a week so why would you think we could do this today?" Such complainers those legs of mine. Well against their will, I ran them 6.2 miles. It was hard, I had to do a lot of internal digging to keep myself from stopping. It didn't help that it was the hottest morning EVER and they ran out of water to hand out around mile 4. But I did it. It also helped that I had some nice eye candy running next to me the whole time.

He ran next to me....and no we didn't hold hands. Next time though!

We've made it

In exactly 4 days and 22 hrs and 38 min, my Brenton will be receiving his diploma from the Univ. of Maryland. When we moved here 3 yrs ago, I thought this day was forever away, and now that it's this week I realize how fast that time really went.

He's a hard worker you know...The Brenton deserves 2 bachelors, one for his degree and one for getting a degree while being a dad...oh and being HAPPY to do it all! Being a husband/father/student is not easy but there are some benefits:

• You aren't worried about having to make friends at school, because guess what you got a friend waiting at home for you...oh and this friend usually has dinner waiting for you (usually is the key word) does your laundry, AND packs your lunch.
• You don't dare fail a class because that means you just wasted $500+ of YOUR money and then you are going to have to spend that dough all over again because of course you can't graduate without those credits. 
• Your spouse, who is a wee bit better at writing essays than you, is always there to look over your papers and "help"
• Using the phrase "sorry I couldn't come to class yesterday my daughter was sick" is something the teachers are easy to forgive and work around instead of the usual "I was hung over/stayed up too late playing video games" 

Okay sadly those are the only benefits to being a husband/father/student...the rest is all just really really...really really...really hard.

What's next?? Oh well more schooling of course. Off to the Masters program so that we can get that big paycheck...someday..hopefully..if what they said is true...fingers crossed.

Here we are Fall of 2009

This is what 3 years of absolute crazy does to a family...makes them love each other just that much more! 

Congratulations to The Brenton! I can't wait for my next post because it will have pictures with him in a cap and gown! I just gotta go searching for that cowbell so I can ring it so proudly when they call his name!!! 

I'm ALIVE

Testing...testing...can anyone hear me?? Does anyone care anymore? ehh I will try this anyway. Blogging just hasn't been what I could find time/mental capability to do...BUT now things are a-changin' and it's something worth trying to do!

So apparently last post was in November...wow I would like to say that LOTS has changed since then, but really not all that much has changed.

Life has been full of managing schedules. Brenton has been finishing up his last year of his bachelor's degree and when he wasn't working the 2 jobs or going to school he found time to squeeze in an internship. I worked nights and have a church calling (relief society secretary). So we were literally two ships passing in the night...but we made the short time together (literally 10 min on some days) really count.

(translation: I would quickly get out all the honey-do chores I could before he would run to his car and drive off!)

Lena has been such a trooper through our crazy schedules. She has been tortured with lots of cartoons in the morning...or maybe most of the day because mom was too tired, macaroni & cheese or cereal for all meals cause mom was too tired and...wait this sounds pretty good for a 2 yr old. But she did end up going to bed in the same clothes she wore all day (Dad!!) Apparently her clothes looked like they were pajama clothes too, even covered in dinner (DAD!!) But I am sure she didn't even care, we are blessed with such an easy going, moody, I want it my way, yelling at me with hands on the hips, that says things like "Don't hug daddy 'cause it makes me sad" daughter.

We are down to 1 month until graduation!!! I can't describe my happiness. What a great day it's going to be, I just need to find a cowbell to cheer when they call his name! Then Lena turns 3 later that week, there is going to be so much cake..I am stoked!

Ok there you have it we are alive and well..oh and potty trained! 2012 is starting to get really good!

sorry no pics..I'll get some up soon