#2 Run Ragnar 2012

As most of you know, I am not a runner.  I run occasionally to stay in shape, but that doesn't make me a runner.  But for some reason I make myself believe that I am a runner and I continue to sign up for races.  Last year I was convinced to run Ragnar 2011 after I got done with it I thought "never again!".  But some how I was convinced to sign up and run in Ragnar 2012.  While I was training for it this time around, I told myself that this would be the last year.  I'm just not cut out for all this running business.  However, Ragnar 2012 was so much fun!  Here are some pictures to prove my point.

This is a picture of my van.  If you don't know what Ragnar is go here to learn more.  The six of us got really close over the next 24 hours as we jammed to music, cheered each other one and slept as little as possible. 

Here is Thomas showing off his Ragnar tat.  His wife better keep an eye on him because he loved it...he might come home with a permanent one. 

Every team has to provide 3 volunteers to help out during the race.  My dad offered to be one of our team volunteers and loved every moment of it.  He was luck to choose his location and happened to pick the spot where Thomas would be running by.  So we were able to chat with my dad while we waited for our runner to come.  As you know my dad is a people person so doing crowd control was right up his alley.

Here is a closing picture of our team.  So picture this...12 runners, 2 vans, 36 legs, 2 days, 197 miles...no wonder we all look fabulous :).

So the real question is why I am crazy enough to do this next year...I am not sure.  I guess the thing to ask is...who wants to join the craziness for Ragnar Wasatchback 2013?

Top Half

Here is an update on my cross stitch.  I went through a time where I spent a lot of time on it. However, I hit a point where I just didn't want to touch it...for about three weeks that is.  Then a few weeks back Charity reminded me that I hadn't touched it for a while and needed to get my act together.  So for the past two weeks I have spent a few minutes here and there working on it.  And finally, I finished the top half...well not really finished, I still have all of the detail work to do on it. But I love the fact that I have done the top and can now move on to working on the bottom half.  What do you all think?

#15

#15 on my 30 by 30 list was to learn how to make one of my grandmother's blankets. These blankets are known through out our family and everyone loves their blanket. When my grandma started getting older and her hands didn't work as well, she didn't make them as often. Katie and Thomas got blankets when they were younger, but then she stopped making them. I remember when Forrest was old enough to comprehend that he didn't get one, my grandma felt bad and bought him a blanket...but it wasn't one of Grandma's blankets. So being the kind big sister that I am, I traded him. I gave him my blanket and took the one grandma had bought for him. After I went to college and Forrest got old, I was sure that my blanket had been thrown away. It was ragged when I gave it to Forrest and I was sure that he finished it off. Imagine my surprise when last year Faith brought my blanket down to my room. After Forrest had out grown it, she put it in a box and kept it for me. Here is a picture of what it looks like.I know this isn't the best picture of it, but you can see where the blanket is completely worn through in some areas. Now what is so special about these blankets? Well they are super soft and everything is hand stitched. Every time I see one of these blankets I can't help but think about all the hours she put into making them. I decided that I wanted to learn how to make them, so that I could start making them for my nieces and nephews, because everyone deserves to have one of Grandma's blankets.

So to start off you go and buy the material. You start off with it blank and then you draw the design you want, right on the fabric. You use removable markers that you can find at any fabric store to trace on your outline. My grandma and her twin sister, have four or five patterns that they have used through the year. One night I went with my grandma over to her sisters house to trace on the design.I know this isn't the best picture, and if you can't tell it is a cat. At first I was going to make this blanket for my niece Kayley. Then I decided that I wanted to keep this one for my first child, since my grandma and I spent so many hours making it. I promise I will go back and make one for Kayley. Then it was fitting that I keep it, since it was a cat and my blanket had a cat on it.

Once the design is drawn on to the blanket, the rest is easy :). Where ever there is marker on the blanket, you hand stitch. Ok, so maybe that isn't the easy part. But it was the funnest. Every Monday night, my grandma and I would go into her basement and quilt. We would talk and laugh, have dinner and quilt. These past few months with my grandma have been very special to me. We have spent some wonderful quality time together and I wouldn't trade that for the world. Well we finally got the blanket complete and I am so happy with how it turned out. In fact, we have already started working on blankets for Katie's baby and Tammy's baby (both due in June). We have changed our quilting nights from Monday night to Sunday afternoon and have even dragged my mom into it. The three of us get together and chat and quilt and spend some wonderful time together. I am so glad that I learned how to make these blankets, but I am even more grateful for the excuse I had to get together with my grandma. I sure love her!

#26

Well number 26 on my 30 x 30 list was to do a cross stitch. Before I went on my mission, I did a few cross stitches. Nothing to big and fancy but just little ones. I really enjoyed them, but really haven't had the time to do them since coming home from the mission. I was excited to add this to my 30 x 30 list, but really didn't know how to get started. My little sister encouraged me to find one online that I liked and to purchase it that way. I found this really cute one online and bought it right away.It was only after Katie looked at it, that I realized how hard it was going to be. I figured it wouldn't be too bad, after all most of the characters are one color. But then Katie started to explain how much detail work would be involved in a cross stitch like this. Now I am a little nervous about doing it.

I've had the cross stitch for a while now, but I just didn't know where to begin. This past weekend I went up to Rexburg to visit Katie and she helped me get started. I am proud with how far I have come in a week, but I know that I still have a long way to go before I finish.Yes, so far all I have done is part of Tigger and some of the fence, but I like seeing my progress. I can't wait to work on it some more and get further along. I will continue to post pictures of my progress...just bare with the quality of pictures, most of them come from my phone.

Quick Update

Well things will finally start to calm down around here. I finished clinicals the week before Christmas and I have been lazy every since. I sleep in (all the way to 6:30) and have time in the morning to workout and study before heading off to work. I am still at Jenco for the holidays. Speaking of holidays...they were wonderful. I spent most of it with family and friends, and is there a better way to spend the holidays??

On a different note, now that I am done with school I should probably find a job. Well good thing I did! I start at Ogden Regional the middle of January. I am excited to get going. I was a little hesitant to work at a hospital and be on call and what not, but I think it was just too good of an opportunity to miss. Even though I will be on call at nights and weekends, I think that I will really enjoy the work. I guess more on that to come :)

Now that I am done with school I will have more time to post updates on here. Also, I now have the 9:00 am church, so there will be plenty of time on Sundays to update. So don't give up on this gal...I will be better and more posts will come.