Another Daily Run Through

There once was a woman, a shopper like you,

Who went out to Target, yes daily, it's true!

She called up her mother,"Do you want to come too?

Surely everyone must need just one thing or two."

Just a typical Target run, you know, something to do

Haven't been there since yesterday, lets go see what's new!

They grabbed a red cart, and Diet Cokes too

And started the ritual, known to more than a few!

I've got to grab toothpaste, and laundry soap too

Did you say you need chapstick or was it shampoo?

Let's get what we have to and meet back in a few,

Then we can start what we REALLY came here to do.

That didn't take long, it was just 10:02

58 minutes til closing, love the new hours, don't you?

They made it through home goods, and the shoe section too,

Before they had to head back, for cart number two!

"Finish your story about you know who,

but first, grab those mint M&M's, and hand me a few!

Just don't rip the bar code, so they can still scan it through

They don't have samples like Costco, but hey this will do!"

They wandered through children's and checked out mens too

then rounded the corner, and oh what a view!

Cozy flannel pajamas in most every hue

red plaids, silver snowflakes, and polka dots in blue

I'll take this one and that one, and here's one for you

too many to choose from, oh what's a girl to do?

I'll just get them all, Hubby won't have a clue

Once I take all the tags off, he'll never know they're new!

Make your final selections, your shopping is through,

Said the girl with the red shirt, working isle number two.

Then to the cashier where payment was due,

She gave little thought to the money she blew!

That a quick trip for toothpaste could yield 12 bags, who knew!

But with retail therapy like this, a girl could never be blue!

And so marked the end of their Wednesday run through,

That makes 5 trips this week, but I'm not counting, are you?

My Marathon by Numbers

6 Girlfriends running in the race

SIX Hours I slept the night before the race

6 Shot blocks I ate during my time on the course

100 Port a Potties at the start of the race

88 Bon fires roaring in the morning before the race

92 Approximate age of the guy finishing next to me

4,652 Runners in line for the port a potties before the race

3,946 "pretty potties" in use during the race

2,754 Calories I probably ate after the race

17 Weeks of training

43 times I wondered if I was crazy for signing up for this

4 weeks I sat out prior to the race due to injury

4 times I stood in line to use the port a potties on race day

FOUR of Grandma and Grandpa Huntingtons grandkids finished the race

37 mph the wind was blowing in St George the day after the race

26 times I thought of how grateful I was that my sister decided to come with me

12 songs I wished I could sing out loud to on my ipod while running

NINE Miles I actually got to run in the marathon

9 hours it took to drive to St George

At least nine times I was in awe of my surroundings on the course

9 Signs we posted along the course to cheer on our friends

50 busses bringing runners to the start of the course

4:15 time we woke up in the morning Oct 3rd

0 People who knew Tara was running the whole course that day (including her!)

21 Miles Tara ran before she realized she was actually going to run the marathon

1 Cousin who didn't train, but still ran, and still beat all THREE of us

one brother who ran

1 Sister who ran

ONE Bride running the course...Whats that about?

1 Arm that Reed Van Wagenen couldn't lift after the race just because 1 person tripped him just 2 miles into the race

ONE Cartwheel carried me across the finish line

And 1 incredibly supportive mom who came and took TONS of pictures for me

2 thumbs up at the end of the race

TWO orange slices I ate while schlumping through the course

43 Degrees outside when we arrived at the starting line

5 Miles I ran before I could feel both of my feet again

SIX inches was all you could lift your leg without too much pain after the race

3 of us who were crazy enough to BRIBE our way into the race

ZERO seconds I would hesitate before doing it all over again!!

A Little Lesson

Okay so I'm speaking tonight to a bunch of youth on appropriate communication. It has had me thinking all week about the way that I communicate and what I've seen in others.

I know that some people have a hard time communicating exactly what they think or feel. Some people have a hard time understanding why their comments have offended others. I have no problem with either of these. Not to say that I don't offend, but I can usually tell you exactly why. And unless I think it's best that I not state exactly what I think or how I feel, you'll know.

There are times I just don't want someone or everyone else to know just how I feel. It's hard for me to keep it in so instead I have a tendency to avoid them until I think I can keep my head clear. But instead of saying or doing something I might regret later, I stick to the silence. I am especially good at doing this when I think someone is mad at me or doesn't like me. I know it can be misunderstood at times, but these are my coping mechanisms, flawed as they might be.

Sometimes the silence says more than the words. All you have to do to translate is replay the last conversation in your mind and watch the body language. Sometimes it translates to,"yep, I'm still ____" (mad, sad, hurt) Other times its just a big awkward "OOPS!" . The best kind of silence is one that says,"everything is perfect just how it is" and you can sit in it and enjoy.

But what I want to talk to the youth tonight about is something I just don't understand . Why do some people say the things they do. Regardless of who I am talking to I always take the stance that it is better to be effective than it is to be right. Who cares if I'm right and you're wrong if it doesn't get us anywhere? So instead I consider what am I trying to accomplish here?

Are you really going to be happy with me when you ask me to answer honestly if those jeans make you look fat? Not if I say "yep, gigantic!" Better to lie and say "no way you look fabulous?" But when I think about what I am trying to accomplish there are better ways to answer. I want my friend to look and feel great about herself . A better answer might be "that isn't my favorite cut, have you tried the ...." or "have you thought about trying a different color?" There is always a better answer.

I don't like the "just kidding" tagged onto the end of mean statements. I really don't like the the excuse," What? I was just being honest" . The one I think I hate the most though is ,"not to be rude but,..." followed by a rude statement, as though the precurser made it okay to say all of a sudden.

There is a way to be effective and right at the same time. Just swallow a little pride and be creative. C'mon just try it! I dare ya!

Don't Forget My Secret!

For as long as I can remember my Grandpa Huntington has had the world's best worst kept secret! I can guarantee that there isn't a single one of his grandkids or great grandkids that doesn't know what it is!

It starts like this," I have a secret do you know what it is?"

Pointing to his chest, "It's right under here, and it goes like this, I......"his finger starts to come off his chest and twirl towards you,"loooooooove......" more twirling at you as the anticipation builds and is sometimes accompanied by a little whistling, "you!" at which time there is usually at grand explosion of tickles somewhere under your chin and on your neck.

"How's my Jeni henny punkin pie, kissed the boys and made them sigh?" He says this to me still sometimes. He has always made me feel like I was the most important girl in the world. But I know he does the same for all of us.

Grandpa has always been all about his grandkids. When he first would see us he would run up like he was going to pick us up, only his hands would go up empty into the air without us! He would look into the sky for us and then would act so startled as he would find us still standing at his feet. "What are you doing down there?!"

Often he would ask if we would like to dance. He'd hold us in one arm and grasp our tiny hand with another. We'd swing back and forth and around and around. He crack up laughing if we were dizzy when he set us back down!

Grandpa always would sit in his recliner and tell us he needed help getting up. He'd hold out two fingers and just when we were about to give a pull with everything we had, he'd yank his fingers back and we'd tumble to the ground! If we ever got him up he'd spin us around while we clung to his fingers like in the picture below.

The favorite thing he does is the "doot de doo". This involves a little sing song and some poking on your back. Its just something you have to experience for yourself, because it can't be explained. However it is a prerequisite to joining the family. Just ask Billy's wife Jen!

Yesterday my grandpa came to my house to bring Drew home after their road trip to Utah. He scooped Brynne up into his arms and started into his usual routine. I smiled as Brynne finished his sentences and ate it all up. As he was leaving he looked me in the eye and said ,"Now Jeni, don't forget my secret!"

"I won't Grandpa. Promise!" I felt a little wave of emotion as I waved goodbye thinking of how lucky I am to have such love and support from my grandparents and that my kids are now enjoying those same relationships.

I don't think it matters how many years go by, I can't imagine that I will ever forget my grandpa's secret!

But Wait There's More!

I just realized I didn't share a few things from our trip! Like the whole Island of Roatan! It was the last port of call. The place we docked was beautiful! There were native dancers and drummers performing in costume as we got off the ship.

It was the most green and lush of all the places we visited. We had made arrangements to do our last two dives for our scuba certification here. We went to Tylls Dive shop on the West Bay.

Dorte an ex patriate of Denmark owns the shop. She was so friendly and incredibly helpful as we were short on time. She and a few friends sat around playing cards while our Dive Master Robert took us out on our two dives.

He was awesome and Jeff and I both learned so much from him. We loved the dive site here. We went down the reef wall. It was beautiful. We saw a large sea turtle about 60 feet down and a lobster. The visibility was fantastic, and the water was the perfect temperature. Our ship was only at port for a few hours here and I think it is the one I would have wanted to stay at the longest. I would love to go back and stay for a week. The whole atmosphere was so relaxed.

Guess we'll have to finish exploring next time!

There's No Place Like Home

Especially after a long night of trick or treating fun!

This was Brynnes third costume for the year.

She was a cute little bee for her school party,

last years Tinkerbell for our ward party that same night,

and then Princess Jasmine for Halloween night. She just kept pulling different things out of the dress up box! She was having a great time with all the opportunities she had permission to dress up and leave the house.

Garrett had a birthday party to go to, so he costumed up and went with the friends from the party. The most important thing for him this year was looking really scary. I think this worked just fine!

Even with Wes going off with his friends, Garrett at a party, and Drew in Utah visiting Tyler, there were some traditions not to be missed. Trick or Treating with the cousins was one of them.

When we were done going door to door we stuck to another Halloween tradition and went to our friends the McCauley's.

This is me, Talli (disgustingly wearing her JV high school cheer uniform) Haley, and Tara quite fittingly "The Queen"

Jason got to be a knight in shining armor, but without any horse. Jeff was the scarecrow in search of a brain. Thats what happens after a few years of being stuck with me I guess! And just like Dorothy, when the night was through I was clicking my heels thinking of home. More specifically, MY BED!

Hair Raising

Crazy hair day is the only time during red ribbon week that my boys will dress up. Garrett has stalled on his much needed hair cut just so he would have something to work with.

Both boys got up early for school so that we could work on their do's!

Not to be left out Brynne did what she could to go a little crazy. Unfortunately she chose my stash of necklaces that I had just untangled from the last time she had decided to get a little fancy!

Scary!