Is This A Nightmare?

So I had this dream the other night that my alarm woke me up very early in the morning.  I got up, looked out the window, and noticed there was frost on the ground and the wind was blowing swiftly.  I proceded to get dressed, not really knowing how cold it was outside, I put on several layers of clothing.  The next thing I knew I was on an old school bus heading up the canyon, the road seemed to go on and on for miles. I realized that the further we drove the more snow there seemed to be on the ground.  I was getting very nervous.  I kept wondering, "where in the world was this bus driver taking us?" And then suddenly he stopped, somewhere in the middle of Snow Canyon St. George, he turned the bus around as if he were going to drive back down the canyon. Much to my dismay he didn't drive down the canyon, instead he opened the door and told everyone it was time to get off the bus.  The minute that door opened I could feel the rush of the cold wind on my face and I thought, "this guy is crazy, no way am I getting off this bus and going out into the dark, cold, windy, outdoors!!  I sat and waited until every single person got off the bus and then I realized I had no choice, I had to get off the bus.

Once I was off the bus I ran to the restroom.  (Cold air seems to make me have to do that.)  As soon as I walked out of the restroom I heard a gun go off and someone yelled on a loud speaker that it was now time to run 13 miles back down the canyon to where we started!!!  What?  Was I in some kind of nightmare??  Yep, turns out I was!  Although I wished I was asleep, I wasn't, actually I was very much awake.  Do you know what the worst part of this nightmare was?  I actually paid THEM for this experience!

Joe and I ran the Snow Canyon Half Marathon this past weekend, since we had ran the Halloween Half just the week before I was not really feeling like running that far that soon. My body quickly told me that it was tired, my quads and calves were feeling very fatigued from the week before.  Another difficulty was as I mentioned, it was cold and windy.  It is very unpleasant to run with cold wind blowing in your face for two hours.  On the bright side, this half marathon is officially our last race of this year!  Thank heaven I have my Saturdays back until January! 

AND WE'RE OFF TO THE RACES!

Well it has taken two weeks to get around to this but I supposed I should right a bit about Joe and my big accomplishment a couple of weeks ago. We ran and finished the St. George Marathon! Yep all 26.2 grueling miles. This was Joe's 9th full marathon and his 4th St. George Marathon. Considering I started out this year undergoing surgery on my left knee, and I really didn't get to start training until the end of March, I feel pretty good about it.

After the race!

Now I have to say, I didn't finish in the time that I wished I had, I was really hoping for a 4:30 finish. Unfortunately, I didn't finish until 5 hours! Yikes! Joe was nice enough to run the first 10 miles with me and then he got too impatient with my slow running, so he took off on his own. He finished just after 4 hours. I feel bad because he most likely would have finished 20 minutes earlier if he hadn't ran with me for so long. He did run back a mile and a half and then ran the last mile and a half with me. (It was good because I was starting to feel the onset of heat exaustion.) He was sure to let me know that his marathon was actually 29 miles!

Before the race...it was cold!

I have been running half marathons in less than two hours lately, however I quickly learned that the second half of the marathon is MUCH different that the first! I really started feeling some intense pain in my hips at about mile 16 and that is when I decided I didn't care about my time anymore, I just wanted to finish. So I stopped every couple of miles and stretched out my hip muscles for a few minutes, it helped me keep going. I am hoping that in my training this next year I will do what I need to in order to strengthen those muscles so I won't have that problem again. . . Did I just say next year? Yes, I have signed up for it again. The trap that novice runners like me fall into is that you run one race, and then you want to see how you much you can improve in the next race. At least now I know what to prepare for, I was kind of running blind. Even though Joe and I have been training a lot and running up to 20 miles, I have never run that far before and I wasn't sure how my body would handle it. Now I know, PAIN!

We went to St. George on the Wednesday before the race and rented a big house with all of the Ballstaedts, it was quite a bit of fun and I really enjoyed spending time chatting with my nieces and nephews and their families. Kamryn was especially delighted to have so many little girls to play with all day. It also didn't hurt that she got to swim pretty much all day, every day. The only down side was the stomach flu spread through the house like wild fire! I was hoping that I had escaped it but low and behold yesterday morning I woke up with it! I am just grateful I didn't get it the day of the race, that would have been horrible!

Anyway, I am very grateful for the marathon experience. People always ask me, "why would you EVER want to run a marathon?" My answer, "because I like to to prove to myself that I can do hard things." There is something very satisfying in knowing that you have disciplined yourself enough to do something that only 2% of the population has done. I know that if I can run a marathon, I can do pretty much anything I set my mind to.

This is Kamryn's "starfish" impression.

This is almost everyone who stayed at the house together.

ALOHA!

Our family recently returned from the Big Island of Hawaii.  We had an opportunity a couple of years ago to visit the island of Oahu and our kids had so much fun that they have talked about it non-stop since then.  Therefore, Joe and I decided that we would surprise them this past Christmas with another trip that would hopefully be just a memorable. 

It was memorable indeed!  Since we feel like our children are growing up so fast, (Kaylee is almost a senior in high school) we feel like we need to take advantage of as many opportunities to spend time with them all together as possible. 

We had an absolute blast in Hawaii.  We rented a condo in the Waikoloa Village about 20 minutes outside of Kona.  This is the dryer side of the Big Island.  It was an amazing resort village that had several miles of walking trails, golf course, pools, and of course...the beach!

Thanks to some good advice from my sister Lori, and some good friends of ours the Kurihara's who are from Hawaii, we had a lot of inside information that helped make our trip as enjoyable as it could possibly be. 

One of our favorite activities when we go to Hawaii is boogie bording. Our favorite beach was Hapuna Beach just about 5 minutes from where we were staying. Tanner was a little disappointed the waves were not as big as the ones on the North Shore of Oahu but nevertheless, we had great time playing in the ocean.

Of course a trip to the Big Island isn't complete without visiting the Volcano!  As you can see...it was very rainy and cold that day, still pretty neat though.
 

Another amazing thing we saw was this water fall. (Akaka Falls)  This picture doesn't quite capture how amazing a beautiful it was!

No trip to Hawaii is complete without enjoying some authentic Hawaiian shave ice.  Mmmmmmm.

Can you believe this guy is going to stick that in his mouth?  For some reason I am afraid that Tanner may try this at home.  (Hide the matches!)

Kamryn trying on her hula wear.

Just hanging out with some turtles on the black sand beach!

Is This Life After Death?

I had to laugh the other day when Kamryn and I were driving down the street and we passed by a cemetary.  She suddenly got so excited and yelled, "mommy look!"  A bit startled I turned expecting to see something extremely exciting as she continued, "I found heaven, there it is!"

I told her that the cemetary is just where our bodies go when we die. Heaven is where our spirits go and it is a much better and prettier place where we can live with our families and friends.  She sat quiet for a minute and then she said, "I wouldn't want to go to heaven if I couldn't be with my family." 

It is amazing to me that a four-year-old thinks so deeply about things.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It's already that time of year when we try to sum up the past 12 months in a succinct note. First, we will start off by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy, prosperous, and safe New Year!

Tanner, Kamryn, Kaylee, Brady, and McKenzie (left to right) at Temple Square.

Kamryn turned 4 years old last August. She loves to play with her older brothers (Brady, in particular). She has been busy with dance and swimming lessons and really enjoys her preschool class.

Kamryn holding a chicken.

Brady turns 10 years old just a few days before Christmas. He has been busy learning the piano and is very dedicated to practice. He had his sights on the football season starting, but a broken arm changed his plans (ironically, he was playing football with some friends when he broke his arm). He is doing really well in school.

Brady and Tanner.

Tanner turned 12 years old last April and was given the priesthood and ordained a Deacon! He played his second season of tackle football for the American Fork Cavemen. This year he made the "A" team where he played mostly defense and was responsible for several quarterback sacks, tackles and fumble recoveries (he forced some of the fumbles!). Tanner is also taking piano lessons.

McKenzie turned 14 years old in May. She enjoys sports and was planning on another year on the track team, when she was sidelined after breaking her leg playing soccer in PE. So, she spent her time focusing on piano practice and has worked hard on developing her piano skills. She tried out for and made the Concert Singers, an advanced choir in school, and really enjoys singing with them.

McKenzie

Kaylee turned 16 years old ---ugh--- and is driving and dating now. Despite the regular teasing she has to endure, she is actually a pretty good driver. It has been nice to have her run various errands for us as well as chauffeuring her siblings around to their various activities. Once again, she played Tennis for the America Fork High School Varsity team in first position. She met some tough competition, but that only made her more determined to practice. Kaylee also loves to sing and enjoyed going on tour this year to San Francisco with the American Fork High School Choirs. This year they took 1st place in the state competition.

Kaylee

Melissa had an extremely busy year. She picked up running and participated in the Salt Lake 5K, Freedom Festival Fun Run, and the Snow Canyon 5K! She has set a large goal next year to run in the St. George Marathon in October! After 3 years she was released from the Primary Presidency and now enjoys having a church calling that is not as demanding on her time. We had a bumper crop of peaches of which she cleaned, peeled and bottled them up for storage. On top of it all, she endured surgery on her sinuses.

Melissa and Kamryn.

 



 Joe turned the big 4-0 this year and can't believe where the years have gone! He completed 4 marathons and various half marathons during 2010, reaching a goal he set in 2009. Just before Thanksgiving, he had surgery to remove his gallbladder, which had been giving him fits for quite a while. You could say that we are done with hospitals this year! Joe keeps busy with work and church responsibilities and enjoys his family and friends.

Joe after finishing the St. George Marathon.

We should mention something about the new addition to our family, rather 15 new additions! Reports differ on how and when the decision was made, but somehow we ended up with 15 baby chicks, nine of which are now mature and are producing very fresh, delicious eggs. The other 6 are still growing (three of them are called "silkies" and are the weirdest looking critters imaginable).

Baby chicks.

We are very grateful for family and the many friends who bless and enrich our lives. This Christmas, as with all other Christmases, we hope that the spirit of this great holiday will permeate our homes and our thoughts and that the true meaning will shine through us all by our words and deeds.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you warm greetings, 
The Shimanek Family

And It's A Grand Slam!

After finishing the St. George Marathon this past Saturday Joe completed what seemed to me like an impossible goal, he completed the Utah Grand Slam. This is when you run 4 out of 5 Utah marathons in one year.  The marathons that he chose to run were the Ogden Marathon in May, Utah Valley Marathon in June, Park City Marathon in August, and of coarse, the St. George Marathon in October. It was a proud moment when he was finally awarded his Grand Slam medal.

The St. George Marathon has been a tradition in my sister Terri Ballstaedt's family for the past 32 years.  We have joined them for the past 3 years and have enjoyed spending time with their family.  It is quite an event!  Every member of their family comes to support each other.  It is fun each year to see who in their family is going to participate in the marathon.  It can range anywhere from those who have been training die hard all year to those who decide to run or even walk it a couple of weeks before the marathon.  We were very impressed with Terri's son Smith who decided to do the marathon a few weeks ago.  Just a couple of years ago he was in a very bad motorcycle accident and nearly lost his leg.  He was a little sore after the run however, he seemed to be doing quite well.  Rock, my brother-in-law turned 61 this year and this was his 32nd St. George Marathon.  Amazing!

Because I have been so inspired by Joe and the Ballstaedts I signed up for the Runner's Series this morning.  That means that if I run two St. George sponsored races in the next few months, I am guaranteed entrance into the St. George Marathon next October.  I have to admit, I am terrified right now but determined nonetheless. 

It has been a while.

So I start a blog and then I never contribute to it!  Don't you hate people that do that?

We have been doing a remodel at our house that I had hoped would be over with by the end of June. 
Ha Ha, that didn't happen.  Here it is the end of August and I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  One more room to go and we are done . . . for now.  I have a few more things I want to do, however, I need a break for a couple of months.  I will post pictures of what we have re-done when I get everything all cleaned up.  I am kicking myself that I didn't take any "before" pictures.  I think it would be much more impressive that way.  Oh well, I am new at this blogging thing.

Just to catch up, Kaylee had her first date.  It was with a boy in our ward who moved here a little over a year ago from Colorado.  He turned 16 several months ago and he has been waiting patiently for Kaylee to turn 16 as well so he could ask her out.  He wanted to take her out on her actual birthday but I said NO.  She has to spend her sweet sixteen with her mom and dad!  We took her up to the Park City Mountain Resort and had a great time riding the zip line, alpine slide, and the alpine coaster. 

Perhaps the most excitng part of Kaylee's birthday was getting her drivers license.  (For her anyway.)  I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't listen.  She was determined that she was going to get it.  Part of the reason that I wasn't excited for her to get it was that it means she is growing up...something I don't like.  But the other reason I didn't want her to get it is well, I am a Smith.  That means that everytime she drives away I worry like crazy until she comes home safely.  Every time I hear a siren my ears perk up and my heart beats a little bit faster.  Thanks Dad.

I do have to admit, there certainly are things that I am getting used to.  Having another driver around that can run kids to football practice, piano lessons, and dance lessons is certaily something that I am enjoying.  I even handed her my credit card the other day and sent her to WalMart (thankfully it is very close by).  I was absolutely giddy that I didn't have to go.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

This a very exciting week at our house!  We are celebrating the 16th birthday of our oldest child Kaylee and the 4th birthday of our youngest child Kamryn.

I just can't believe I am old enough to have a 16 year old.  It seems like just yesterday I was the one turning 16.   Where does the time go? 

I told Kaylee that I was not going to allow her to get any older but she said that I couldn't stop her.  That is not fair.

Instead of cake, this year Kaylee asked for 16 cookies from Smart Cookie. What a great idea! That was a lot easier to put together. Plus, the frosting is thick enough that we could put one candle in each cookie. Something that yummy can't be bad for you, right?

Speaking of getting older, Kamryn who is turning four years old thinks she is turning 16. When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday this is what she said: "a pink cell phone, my own bathroom with a sink and a toilet, make-up, and a purple bike." Wow. What happened to barbie dolls and stuffed animals? She has obviously been influenced by her teenage sisters.

Normally, I would think she wouldn't have a clue what to do with a cell phone, but she seems to have figured out iPods and other gadgets just fine. She'll just have to wait several more years before she'll *need* a cell phone.