25 April 2016

26.2 X 4

I ran my fourth marathon last Saturday. Mr B ran the half. I was inspired by an internet meme to tell the story of running a marathon a little differently. So, here is my SLC marathon...emoji style.

The Week of the Marathon



The Night Before the Marathon


The Morning Of the Marathon

 

Getting to the Starting Line



Waiting in Line for a Port-a-Potty

Waiting in Line for a Port-a-Potty Again

Just to be Safe, Waiting in Line for a Port-a Potty a Third Time
Waiting for the Race to Start




Crossing the Starting Line





Mile 1


Mile 2

5K Down!




Mile 4



Mile 5

10K Down!





Mile 7





Mile 8


Reaction to the signs that say "You're Almost There!"


Mile 9




Mile 10


Mile 12



Realizing I'm only halfway there



Mile 14



Mile 15


Realizing I have 10 more miles



Mile 17



Mile 18


Mile 19


Realizing I still have a 10K to go





Mile 21




Mile 22


Realizing I still have a 5K to go






Mile 24








One Mile to Go!






Mile 26


Seeing the Finish Line





Crossing the Finish Line


Getting my Finisher Medal





In the Finisher's Corral






The rest of my day










15 April 2016

25 March 2016

2016 will be a love story with an excess of tacos

Now that we are engaged, i thought i would tell you a little more about Mr B. Of course, from my blog you already know that he is handsome, has outrageously curly hair, chases waterfalls, cross country skis and loves the outdoors--but that's about it. Without further ado: Meet Mr B


That handsome face was born right here in Sugar City, Idaho almost exactly 6 months before me. He lived in Idaho most of his life. Served a mission in Seattle. Graduated with his undergrad from BYU-Idaho in Mechanical Engineering the SAME DAY that i graduated with my BA. At BYU Provo he received his Masters in Mechanical Engineering, as well as his MBA. During his graduate work he traveled around Europe studying product development in various other countries. After finishing school he moved back to Rexburg, bought a town home, and began work as an Administrative Employee working in the Online Learning Program for BYU-Idaho where he does research and development (and occasionally picks up an engineering or business class to teach).

But those are just his credentials. And, although they are rather impressive, that's not who he is.

If i could use one word to describe Mr B, it would be meticulous. On our first date, we made sugar cookies at his beautiful (especially for a single guy's!) home. When we arrived, all of the ingredients were sitting on the counter, in a straight line, in the order that they needed to be added. The necessary measuring cups, measuring spoons, mixing bowls, pans, spatulas and even hot pads were out and ready. The mixer was sitting on the counter and plugged in (seriously?!). i asked him later if he was nervous or something. Nope. That's just the kind of guy that he is. The meticulousness filters through everything he does: each word is carefully thought out. The day and evenings are scheduled. He is thorough in his calling (EQ president). Trips, hikes, activities, meals, presents, running schedules and routes--everything is precise and calculated and researched. i love the organization. AND i love running in, throwing in a bit of spontaneity and seeing him get a silly grin on his face when he says "Ok...let's do it!"

Mr. B is the kind of guy that notices the clouds, the stars, the full moon, the colors in the sky, the snow sparkling, birds sitting on power lines, or flowers peeking through cracks in the sidewalk. Then he points it out to me, or tells me to look outside if we aren't together, or sends me a picture of whatever he has noticed because "I thought it would make you happy."  He savors every bite of dessert--i've never seen anyone appreciate good food so much. He does not like to spend money. There are more landscape pictures on his phone than of people and it doesn't occur to him very often to put us in the picture.

He has never seen "Napoleon Dynamite" (and claims he never will). He only chews his gum for about 2 minutes and then it "looses it's flavor."  He does not like beets, taking out the trash or wet willies.  He is an organized hoarder--keeping all of his school assignments and text books, but in neat, cataloged boxes. He gets upset when he doesn't win, but tries to pretend like he doesn't care.

He eats the same breakfast every weekday morning: shredded wheat with honey, a protein shake and half of a grapefruit. He dances with me. Sometimes with music. Sometimes with no music. Foxtrot, waltz, cha cha, two step or just holding me close and swaying. There are more Disney movies on his shelf than anything else. There is rarely music playing in his car. He is deliciously ticklish.

Mr B is not a reader (but he has at least read all the "Harry Potter" books). He runs because i run. And because he can eat more food. He makes his bed every morning. If i go out of town, he follows the weather in the city i'm visiting. (He also visits Belle and send me pictures to show me she is alive and happy).

Saturday morning snuggles
Often, when he knows that i have a long run, i receive a text with a specific route all lined out for me, complete with water stops, and sometimes even a weather report. Once, i was even out of town and the route came with an email describing the trail, how long it would take for me to drive from the house i was staying to the start of the trail, information on where to park (complete with maps) and a link to a webpage about the trail showing where there were bathrooms. He does all this without asking.

i have walked into his house to find him on his hands and knees scrubbing the bathroom floor (::swoon::). He sings every part in every hymn beautifully (but he doesn't know "Bohemian Rhapsody" at all). He is an abysmal texter. He only gets his haircut every 5-7 months. He is the best on the grill that i have met in a long time. When his nephews and niece come to visit, they get to have a sleepover at their Uncle's house--i think he enjoys it as much or more than they do.

When i have had a bad day he says "What can i do for you? Do you need something from me or do you need to be alone?" At the end of the day, he asks if i need him to pray for anything specific to help me. He agrees with me that tacos are delectable (although i'm not convinced that he appreciates them even half as much as i do...especially when he pokes fun at my Taco Bell addiction).

Mr B does not complete me. But he sure does compliment me; we compliment each other. i help him be silly; he scolds me if i swear. If i build a fort in the living room and he will crawl in after me. When he hikes up a mountain, i will be right behind him. i will want to go star gazing and he will fill the car with blankets and find the perfect location. If i run a marathon, he is at the finish line with chocolate milk. When i notice someone is struggling, he thinks of cookies and we bake them and deliver them together. At dinner time, when he suggests tacos, i say "You know what i like!"

When i'm scared, he holds me tight. When he is scared, i say, "We can do this!"

He truly is a healthy addition to my life. And that's my Mr B.

Hey you!
Title Credit: hb

13 March 2016

Faithfulness

On Saturday the 20th of February, Mr. B and i went on a winter adventure! In the summertime, we spent many days hiking and driving through Yellowstone National Park. Neither of us had ever been in the winter. To celebrate his birthday, we decided to take a snowmobiling tour from West Yellowstone up to Old Faithful and back.


One of the things i loved about being up in the park in the winter is that the roads are closed, which cuts down on the amount of people there. The only vehicle traffic is snow mobiles and snow coaches. Although we did have to share the road with some other traffic:

Baby bison! So cute!

i absolutely loved going through the park behind Mr B. i could enjoy the view. We saw an eagle, bison, elk, swans, and geese.


Along the road we stopped at Firehole Falls, an overlook or two and a couple of geyser basins. Everything was more dramatic all covered in snow and then still steaming. The sun was out and i was in awe at the beauty of it all. i especially enjoyed the mudpots and there was one geyser going off close to the walkway that (because of the cold) was letting off steam to the extent that we could barely see far enough ahead of us to walk.



When we got to the Old Faithful Inn, we had two hours to spend there. All of the other snow mobilers ran off to the lodge to eat at the cafe. It was cold and windy outside, so i understood them. But that's not OUR style. We went on a three mile hike up to see Morning Glory pool (quite a feat in snow boots!) Along the way, we were lucky enough to see a couple of other impressive geysers going off. 


But the best part? It happened at Old Faithful.

We found a spot back around the geyser where we could sit on the walkway and watch it erupt.We weren't as close, but there weren't a bunch of people either. Plus, it was a great spot for our little picnic.

We started talking about Old Faithful. Mr B pointed out how it wasn't the biggest geyser in the park, yet it was iconic of Yellowstone. This is because of how predictable it is. They can't nail it down to the minute, but it is consistently erupting within 20 mins of the predicted time. No matter what else happens in Yellowstone, you know that you will be able to see Old Faithful go off. What a fitting name for it.

Old Faithful
Then Mr B said, "That's what I want to be for you, Jennifer. I may not be the grandest or the showiest person. I may not be always right on point. But I will always be consistent. Something you can depend on and count on. Faithful. I want to always be there for you."

i thought it was the sweetest thing ever and got quite a bit choked up. But i was still clueless. So when he got down on one knee, it still took me a moment to register what was happening.

And then he asked me to marry him.

In front of Old Faithful
i honestly don't even remember if i ever even said 'yes.' i was so surprised and excited and overwhelmed and  happy. So so happy.

So here we are, planning a wedding and planning for our life together. And i love this man. i choose to love him everyday. And he chooses everyday to love me. 

23 February 2016

To B or Not to B


He asked me.

i said yes.
The future Mr and Mrs B

12 February 2016

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!

10 February 2016

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.