Owned the Streets of Provo!

Another half marathon is in the books!  Olivia and I decided in March-ish to run the same race in Provo that we did last year.  We trained for weeks and weeks.  Training includes 2-3 small or medium runs (3-5 miles each run) midweek and then a long run (started with 6 miles and added a mile every Saturday until we were at 12 miles the Saturday before the race) on Saturday.  It is quite time consuming, but we made it happen.  It was so fun to get to see O several times a week and to just gab away the whole time we ran.  We were both hoping to shed a few pounds training for this thing, but it sure didn't happen. :(  Oh well!  It was fun anyway!
The morning of the race, Jake drove us up to the race start and we were able to sleep in the car for an hour or so.  They wanted us to take buses up to the start and then wait in the cold for a couple of hours.  That's what we did last year, and it wasn't very pleasant.  Our plan this year was awesome!  Thanks to Jake for getting up in the wee hours of the morning to drive us! 

Waiting in line for the pre-race porta-potty visit.

The race went far better than I could have ever hoped for.  This race last year was my personal record for a half marathon (1hr 56min), and I ran it in 2 hours flat this year.  I was very very happy with that!  I'm not in nearly as good of shape right now as I was last year so I'll take it!

Jake got us chocolate milk and donuts for after the race.  Breakfast of champions, and champions we were!

A Night at the Symphony!

 James has been sort of appalled that I had never been to the symphony. He surprised me with tickets to the Utah Symphony.  They performed the best of John Williams.  It was extra awesome!  Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Schindler's List...just to name a few.  Did you know John Williams composed the Olympics Fanfare theme?  I sure didn't!  I don't get how people can be so brilliant and compose such beautiful music.  It really blows my mind!

Me and C3PO and some sort of Queen Amidala wannabe.

 

Thanks, babe, for such a fun date!  The first of many symphonies hopefully!

BYU Women's Conference

A few months ago, Aunt Staci message Amy and I on Facebook asking if we would be interested in going to Women's Conference.  I had never been, so it sounded fun to me!  I'll take any good excuse to take a couple days off work!
My aunts, Karen, Claire, and Staci all flew in for the conference and Amy and I joined them.  It was so wonderful!  The conference was great, the Spirit was strong, the speakers were great, but I think the best part was spending time with all of these women who I love.  It has been years since Amy and I have hung out just the two of us.  I love her!  And my aunts are all beautiful, strong, inspiring women who I love!  I was really overwhelmed with how blessed I'm to be surrounded and supported by so many people.

James's mom was in charge of the hat looming humanitarian service project, so Amy and I stopped by and loomed for a bit.

I believe it is safe to say this is the best eats you can get at the Marriott Center.  It was a favorite of James and I during bball season.  I had to teach Amy about it!

No visit to BYU is complete without some creamery ice cream!

I love this place!

Amy totally posed this singing shot.  We were all ready to hear Pres. Eyring speak!

 

 

James came down on the last day so he could meet the aunts.  I think he passed!

 Count me in for women's conference next year!  And hopefully my mom and Kara can come too!