Jody in Idaho

Unfortunately this time around the only weekend that worked for Jody to come to Boise was the same weekend I had call.  That meant Chris and Jody got in a mother-son camping trip while I was stuck at work!!!  It sounded like they had a good time camping and I still got to spend some time with her once they got back. 

Jody and Drake

My boys

Since I had just finished my classes for Weber State Jody took me for a pedicure as a graduation gift.  She also gave me money so I could buy the standing mirror I had been wanting.

MSTI

A lot has been happening over the last month and I am very behind on my posts.  I have completed clinicals, schoolwork, and my second marathon, all while continuing to work close to 40 hours a week.  I am hoping this weekend I will be able to add some new posts.

Until then I wanted to write about the fact that I have just been hired by St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute as a radiation therapist!!!  Eric (the manager) called me about a month ago asking for my resume and informing that a flex or possible part time position would be posted.  After an agonizing week and a half HR finally posted the position.  I of course filled out the application immediately and drove downtown to personally hand in a hard copy of my resume to Eric.  Eric told me how he would love to have me as part of the team and how he has only heard wonderful things about me from all the sites.  He then started talking about how I would have to fill out my time card once I started this second position and how he would have to contact my x-ray manager to get all the paper signed for a change of status.  At this point I was being to get a little confused and asked if there would be an interview.  Eric said he did not feel the need to have an interview or consider anyone else for the job!  I was ecstatic.  Once I left I called Chris immediately to tell him I got the job.  Since I had been filling out the application an hour earlier he could not believe it.  I still thought I had to wait for HR to call and officially offer me the job so I had been still trying to keep everything quite.  HR never did call, but last Friday (the 18th) Eric finally called to tell me HR had all the paperwork together, my start date would be June 20th and could I work on the 23rd.  I of course said yes.

The therapy position is a .3 and my x-ray was a .1 so they combined the two to get me at a part time level II position with benefits.  I feel truly blessed that everything has worked out so perfectly.  Now I just need to pass those boards!!!!

Mr. and Mrs. Michels

My friend Erin got married June 19th at Woodriver Cellars.  The ceremony and wedding were beautiful. This was the first wedding that Chris and I were able to sit together for the ceremony. 

The program was a fan.  I thought this was the best idea ever!

Erin and her dad

Erin and Travis

Garage Sale

After multiple moves over these last two years Chris and I decided to have a garage sale.  We also thought for some crazy reason this would be a good time to have a slumber party with the nieces.  I figured I would help make cookies with the girl's that they could sell the next morning while Chris finished setting up all our stuff in the garage.  The only problem was Chris and I did not expect it would take so long to set everything up.  My mom ended up making the cookies and Chris and I were up until midnight.  We made fairly good money, though neither one of us are sure if it was worth the trouble!

That night I slept upstairs with the girls.  Ashley ended up in the corner, Morgan with her feet on her pillow, and Ella under the bed.

Chris and I the morning of.

Morgan and Ella selling cookies (they made a killing)

Mushroom Hunting

This year I missed out on one of my most favorite things...morel mushroom hunting!  Instead; Chris, Andy, Megan, and Charity all headed out and hit the jackpot.



Don't they look so yummy

Charity and Megan



Andy and Chris



Newport Marathon

This is a LONG post, but running has always gotten me excited, so I apologize ahead of time.

June 5th was my second marathon.  Chris and I along with Amber, Zeb and two of Amber's co-workers from Woodriver headed to Newport for the marathon. Even since Ogden last year I have been wanting to run another marathon with healthy legs. Why I decided to start training while busy with school, I am not sure, but I survived with good legs. My main goal was to beat my last year's time (around 4 hours 53 minutes), my second goal was to come in under 4 hours 45 minutes. I also had a third goal that at some point in my marathon career to beat 4 hours 30 minutes. I thought the last goal was asking for too much this go around but wanted to wait and judge how I felt.

We rented a beach house in Newport. The house and ocean view were both incredible. We arrived Thursday around dinner time and stayed in. Friday we got up, took a walk on the beach, and then headed into town. Chris and I had never been to Newport before and loved it. For being marathon runners we got free passes to the Newport Aquarium. While I will say it was not the best I have seen (Baltimore wins) it was nice and I loved the jellyfish. We then called it an early night since we had a big morning. I prepared myself a little better this time around and brought some sleeping meds to make sure I got a good nights sleep. What a difference that made!

The view from our house

Our beach house from the beach

All the runners (Me, Suzanne, Joanna, Amber)

Chris and I

Sea lion downtown Newport

At packet pick-up.  Can  you tell most of us got our numbers at the same time?

I really liked the star fish and plants too at the aquarium, you could touch them!

Me, Suzanne, Amber

Zeb and Chris being Zeb and Chris

The morning of the race none of us could decide what to wear.  It was suppose to be in the lower 60s with a possibility of rain.  We knew we would see our support team within the first mile so Amber and I started with long sleeve tees (which were off within the first 5 miles!)

Before leaving the house for the race.  The boys wanted a picture of us in our race outfits so they would have a reference picture if they forgot.

Amber and I ready to throw the long sleeve's away

I had decided to keep a better eye on my pace this year.  I had decided I would not let myself go faster than a 10:40 minute mile for at least the first half and every mile I walked for one minute and one minute only.  (10:30 minute miles would give me close to a 4:30 marathon, which I knew would be too fast for me). Amber and I again started together, and I felt great.  We did have to stop at the side of the road for a potty break at one point, but that was the only delay.  When ran through Yaquina bay on the way out we had a good shade from trees and a nice breeze coming off the bay.  At the turn around point (14.5 miles) we had stayed on taget for the 10:40 minute/mile pace.  I was still feeling great and started to pick up the pace a little.  At mile 19 Amber and I started to drift apart.  I reached mile 20 at 3 hours 30 minutes.  I could not believe it.  If I could keep a 10 minute pace I would finish before 4:30.  I did that for the next 2 miles and then decided to let go of that goal.  While I still felt great, my body was starting to feel the distance and I did not want to burn out before I finished.  0.4 miles from the finish you start to climb this relatively descent hill before having a downhill slope to the finish for the last 0.2.  On my way up the hill all I could think was that I hope Chris is ready for me.  About halfway down the hill I see my husband come flying out of the crowd with the camera waving like crazy in his hands before he stopped on a dime to spin around and take a few pictures of me coming down the hill and across the finish line.  That above all is my favorite memory, that I did well enough to surprise Chris.  I crossed in 4 hours 34 minutes and 49 seconds, 19 minutes faster than Ogden.  Better yet, I was smiling all the way across the finish.

Amber and I

Joanna did awesome and came in at 3:53:36

Suzanne was second in our group at 4:06:19

Here I come

Amber with her famous kick at the end

Amber's time was 4:53:01

Amber, Me, Suzanne, Joanne with our blown glass finishers metals

My biggest supporter

The entire support team

Zeb, Chris, and Suzanne's parents who flew in from Minnesota

Chris went surfing once we got back to the house.  Surprisingly none of the runners wanted to attempt the stairs down to the beach

Me, Chris, Amber, Zeb the morning we left