Twenty six point two

Johnny went to a conference in California. He stayed with Bennetts in Livermore and while he was there, he decided to run a marathon. I was in Montana, waiting for him to fly into West to be with us. He told me he had something exciting to share with me. When he described the marathon, I couldn't have asked for a better surprise. Johnny likes to be comfortable. I like to suffer. It makes me feel good to do hard things and I'm trying to get over that personality flaw, especially when it comes to creating my own suffering. Yikes. Life lessons are good to learn. Physical comfort is a big deal to Johnny. The temperature needs to be just right. I'm trying to think of other examples, but that is the main one. I make fun of him because he hates to be too hot or too cold and I am not as sensitive that way. I'm even pretty impatient with him sometimes, expecting him to just deal with it. Also, Johnny was born without an arch on his feet, so anytime we are doing something foot intensive, we do it quickly. When he's wakeboarding, you pull the boat around to him fast while he's in the water waiting because the boot starts to hurt his foot. When his mom asked him to run a 5K with her in highschool, he said he would rather chew glass, but he would do it. So when Johnny was willing to do something that was both hot and cold and painful and uncomfortable, I was ecstatic. Not for his suffering, but for his willingness to do the hard things regardless of the pain. So. Totally. Awesome.
He clocked a route around a park. He started running towards the end of the afternoon. He pushed so hard in the first loop that he had to walk the remaining 8 loops. It got dark. They locked the park so he had to run around it. It took 10 hours. He wore holes in his Walmart shoes that he purchased that day because he hadn't packed any other shoes. I truly couldn't be more pleased. I love this man so much. We are choosing the difficult path right now in our profession. Yet we are able to do hard things. We feel inspired to be doing what we are doing. We love being with each other and with our children. We have so much JOY in our lives. We see God's hand guiding and supporting and reproving and improving us. 26.2 represents so much to me and I'm so proud of Johnny for thinking to do it and doing it.

To Dream the Impossible Dream

Stephen R. Covey was buried today. His body lying in the casket was a shock because he was such an energetic man. And he was not there in the casket. His spirit had left him. I remember him coming over to our work party at ZAMM and he was so cheerful and funny. He hosted us for football games at Legacy. Sandra brought out a million pies for everyone to eat. They are generous and kind. I loved attending parties they hosted where they greeted every single person individually. I loved attending his funeral and hearing the stories from his children. What a great man. What a great dad.

Colleen was one of the youngest that was going to be left with a babysitter while the rest of the family took off in a rented motorhome. She was devastated and hid up to the moment of departure until she heard her dad calling for her. She promised to follow directions and not be a bother if she could just come on the trip. Stephen looked her in the eye and said, "I believe you. You can come." She lived up to her promise despite glares from other siblings when she stepped into the motorhome.

David was traveling with his dad on the way to the airport and the crawling pace of the traffic had him convinced they would miss their flight. Stephen instructed the cab driver to pick him up further down the freeway and stepped out of the car to direct traffic so they could make it to the airport on time. The driver protested, "You can't do that!" And Stephen walked away, "Watch me!"

Josh was on the ski lift with his dad at Sundance. He felt somewhat trapped and very embarrassed as his dad belted at the top of his lungs for all to hear his made up and dilapidated song, "I love my family! I love my family!"

Josh feared for his life when his dad took his goofy nonchalant attitude a little too far. Full conversations with strangers while wearing fake teeth were enough, but Stephen crossed the line when greeting the biker gang on the sidewalk, "How's it going, girls?"

Stephen demonstrated what really matters when Maria called him in frustration as a young mom with young children without lots of productivity. "Throw out your planner, Maria!"

Colleen had had a rough day at school and was sick and tired of a teacher that didn't understand her. She vented her frustrations to her dad only to get gentle reminders of her potential as a human being. "You are not an animal. You can choose your response." Colleen ran away in frustration, "I'm going to mom! She lets me be a victim!"

Someone had asked Sandra if she were nervous as Stephen enjoyed all the success that came with his work. She said that every morning she would see him on his knees, talking to his Father in Heaven so she wasn't worried one bit.

Jenny remembers being on a train with her dad on their way to a conference. There wasn't room to lay down on the benches, so Stephen simply found a spot and laid down in the middle of the aisle. She overheard some passengers, headed exactly towards the conference her dad was speaking at. But they had no idea their idol was already in such close proximity. One of them said, "I've heard he has such an air of intelligence around him."

Stephen would take the kids out for adventures on Saturdays. The kids only realized later that it was significant down time he was providing for their mother as much as together time with the children.

The stories went on and on. It was delightful to get to hear everyone talk about their father.

Merci

Grazie. Merci. Gracias. Hvala. Dekuji. Vinaka. Danke. Arigato. Mahalo.

We have felt so loved with Scott's birth. Meals and presents and treats. It is a blessing to receive the Love of God through His children. Heavenly Father wants to bless us, even in simple ways. I wanted to do chicken and waffles for Johnny before he left on a big trip. Someone brought KFC by for one of the delivered meals from my visiting teacher! It was awesome to not have to fry my own chicken but still have chicken and waffles and bacon and syrup. Delicious. Miraculous. Thanks to God for the birth of this boy. And thanks to everyone who loves us so much. All. we. need. is. LOVE.

Sleep whenever you can

I remember pregnancy with Davis, although we didn't know it was Davis, we just had 2 names picked out - Davis or Lucy, depending on which baby made their arrival. We were traveling in the carhouse in California and we would use this awesome schedule of waking up, having breakfast, going to a new park, coming in for lunch and then having quiet time all together. I would lay down and read books with Johnny and Evelyn and we would all fall asleep. It was heavenly. I was so tired from...well, I'm not sure what from? From (that's a weird word to use three times in so short a space. It looks like a made-up word) my body working to give Davis nutrients, from running around after the two children that were not inside my womb, from supporting the extra weight my body was beginning to gain. I'm not sure, but those naps rocked.

And this pregnancy, I don't remember sleeping so much pregnant, but definitely after Scott was born. People told me when Johnny boy was born that whenever he napped, I must lay down and nap so I could keep my strength up. But with Johnny, he slept practically the first 2 months of life and I would just sit and rock in the Love Lane family room and hold him and look at him and put my ear next to his mouth to make sure he was still breathing. I never slept. But definitely after Scott was born. When he sleeps, I sleep. Usually it is around 2 pm every day after we've done an outing to the park, had lunch and Davis winds down for a nap with me while the big kids watch a show. Heaven.

Evelyn is a pro at using the camera on my phone. She takes shots all the time. I'm grateful to know what I look like when I sleep from this shot. I kind of already had an idea because every day in Senior year English class with Mr. Robinson, I would take a nap on my desk after I had eaten the pack of Reese's Pieces by arranging corresponding triangles of orange, brown and yellow candies and eating the corners respectively from each group until I had eaten them all. Freaky symptoms of OCD, people. I'm totally in remission now and trying to relinquish the facade of control that I used to maintain at all costs. Baby steps. In English class, I would wake up with a pool of drool where the candy used to be. Wish I was OCD about germs, but I'm not. So I can totally imagine sleeping with my mouth open like so. The other pictures are just about Scott because he's so adorable.

No hay carpetas

We were super pumped to go meet Leo, the Lion, the Salt Lake Real soccer team mascot. He was going to be at El Rancho Market #7. I assumed because I received the ad that my local El Rancho Market was #7. Not the case. So we showed up, walked around, and chose a Mexican treat. Marshmallow cookies and Neopolitan wafers. Yum. Evelyn was scared to meet the lion, anyway. So she was happy to get a treat.