To B or Not to B

He asked me.

i said yes.

The future Mr and Mrs B

Because i don't care for Valentine's Day either

Please, go read this.

PLEASE???

Then come back and tell me what you think.

It's everything that is in my soul that i would want to say, but do not have the eloquence to do it.


If my begging isn't enough to convince you, here are my favorite tid-bits:


'Don’t believe the lie that a person will complete you. A person can never complete you. They will add onto you. They will show you reality. They will push you out of your comfort zone but they will never complete you. If you are looking for completion in the form of two blue eyes, it isn’t waiting for you there. Go look elsewhere.'

'Before you can be sure of another person you must be sure of yourself. I cannot say this enough. You must be willing to bet on yourself. This does not mean you have to be perfect or anywhere near it. You can always be better, but are you enough? There’s a difference between being better and being enough.'


'The one is just a person, like you. They will be imperfect and salty. They will let you down and forget important dates. They will burn the toast and they will sing out of tune sometimes. The one is just a person in your life who gets your extra portions of grace. The one is just a person who gets the majority of your texts, tears, and prayers. They pick you. You pick them.'

And my favorite of all:

So if you want a damn adventure then you must pack the bag and go. Buy your own coffee. Make your own playlists. Plan your own road trips. See the things you want to see just for the simple fact that they matter enough to you. A match on Tinder will not live your dreams for you.
(Hannah Brencher)

i believe this with all of my heart. This was me a year ago, celebrating "Valentine's Day" on my own adventure:

Convinced yet? Go read it. The whole thing is amazing!

In spite of the groundhog

Winter persists.

i honestly do not mind the cold, the snow, the icicles. For the most part, the sun still shines in Rexburg (even when it is brutally cold) and that is the most important thing for me. i don't know how this winter compares with winters past as far as snowfall or record breaking cold days.

What i do know is that it takes 5.5 laps around the indoor track to complete only 1 mile. And i am running a lot of miles. And it is too cold and icy for me to run outside.

Which means that i am ready for spring.

Fortunately, business has taken me twice already this year to St. George for a number of days each time. Next week i am headed back again.

On my first trip there, i ran 30 miles. On my second (which was a couple days shorter) i ran 20 miles. Fifty AMAZING, outdoor, beautiful miles in January.

On one of my runs, i counted 6 cute little rabbits bouncing around. Luckily, i haven't run into any snakes, although i have returned with my shoes completely full of soft red sand.

 

i have found a mix of paved paths, gravel roads and trails...all with no vehicular traffic. 

My favorite runs have been through the lovely Snow Canyon. 

Only 66 more days until my first marathon of the year. Training is much easier with views like these.

i know that it gets ridiculously hot there in the summer, but for now, i will soak up all the rays, rocks and running weather that i can while i can. i will also continue to stop mid-run to take pictures because the beauty is breathtaking to me.

Cross Country Skiing

Mr B is an advanced cross country skier. Last winter, when we first started dating, we talked about going skiing together, but it never happened. We were determined not to go through another winter without me giving it a go.

And i am SO glad. Just like trail running, it perfectly combined my love of running with Mr B's love of the outdoors...and our joint love of enjoying the beauty of Idaho/Wyoming.

Over the Christmas break we took three ski trips to three different locations. My little brother joined us for the first two trips.

The first trip was up Teton Canyon. It was snowing like crazy. We bundled up and Mr B taught Ian and i the basics. It took us a bit to get the hang of it (especially in the snow that made the tracks fairly undefined) and we were tired at the end, but the view was lovely and we enjoyed it.

Me and Ian skiing through the snowstorm

Mr B, Me and Ian covered in snow

Me heading back down the canyon

Me and Ian getting the hang of things

Me "Am i doing this right?"

On our second outing, the weather was much more favorable. We went up around the Island Park Dam. It was overcast and lightly snowing, but warmer and we weren't getting wet at all. i especially enjoyed the scenery on our jaunt as we followed the river and saw large amounts of swans swimming away.

About to start our adventure

Mr B leads the way

Over the river and through the woods

i can't believe that was real

Having too much fun to want to go home

Winter wonderland

The Saturday after Christmas it was -14 degrees Fahrenheit and i woke up with horrible stomach cramps. So, i did the only sensible thing...went on an 8 mile cross country ski trip with Mr B around Harriman State Park. Ian opted to stay home in the warmth.

It was actually invigorating to be out and about it the cold cold clear day. i found i preferred it to the warmer weather with the snow. And i was honestly shocked that i could work up a sweat in weather that cold. Besides, the cold kept people away and we were lone skiers.

Trust me, it was colder than it looks

Stopped in warming hut: Icicles forming everywhere (even in the eyelashes)

Smiling...even if you can't tell

Hurrah for winter adventures! And long underwear. And hot chocolate, fuzzy blankets and snuggling afterwards :)