Denver Doings..

Beautiful Colorado skies!

I am going to miss the sunsets in Colorado. They get better and better every day!

I've been doing a ton of running lately, to prepare for the Top of Utah half marathon I'm participating in at the end of August. This is the trail by my house where I've been pounding out the miles. I love running outside, especially at sunset time. It's so beautiful!

This is part of the Denver Library, one section is the Children's area, I love it! They had a huge sale on books, man it was hard to choose through so many!! I love shopping for books, I could spend hours in the children's section.

My roommate Ellen and I going for a sunset stroll on the path by our house, after a Saturday nap.

I love P.F. Changs!!

One fun Saturday, we went for a drive through the Cherry Creek area of downtown Denver. Some of the biggest houses I have ever laid eyes on, including a castle. This is just a small part of it.

The castle had a secret garden door. Isn't it precious?! Great pic, Ellen!

Before looking at all the houses, we ate at a yummy place called The Cherry Cricket. The best hamburger I've ever had! Ellen, Hil, me and Jessica, the 4 roomies!!

I LOVE COLORADO!!!

My Build A Bear Dream

Once upon a time, there was a 27 year old girl, we'll just call her Tawna, who decided to make a list of 27 things she wanted to do before she turned 28. On that list, she put on item number 18, Build A Bear, because after all, Tawna was a child at heart! So she ventured to Littleton, Colorado, along with her friend Sara, to fulfill this wish. Picking the bear was easy, she really wanted one with soft fur to cuddle with. Next came the stuffing. Not too much, not too little, just right (just like in the book, Goldilocks and the Three Bears). She then was able to give the bear a bath. The hardest part came next, deciding if she wanted the bear to be a boy or a girl and what to clothe him/her in. They didn't have any Chicago Cubs baseball attire at this particular place (after all, Tawna is a huge Cubs fan), so she decided to go with making the bear a girl, and wanted to make her adorable with skinny jeans, a cute red top and the most adorable red shoes she had ever laid eyes on. Tawna is also a fan of hair accessories, particularly headbands, but the headband just didn't look right on her bear, so she went with hairbows instead. The last part, naming her bear, was also a particularly difficult task. Tawna recently had dinner at a friend's house, who had a dog by the name of Henley. Tawna LOVED that name the second she heard it, and decided to name her bear Henley. She came out of her venture with a lovely new bear, and a wish fulfilled! Here's to crossing off number 18 on the list!!

Henley and her new friend Bruce (all dressed in Batman!) Notice her precious shoes?! I wanted a pair in my size!

Sara with Bruce, me with Henley

Happy Dad's Day!

(I know I've shared this photo on my blog before, but it's one of my favorite ones of my Dad)

This is a day late, but I just wanted to wish my dad a Happy Father's Day! It's been so good for me to live away from my family this past year because it has really helped me to see the role they have played in my life, and the roles they continue to play. A few months ago, I was able to give a talk in sacrament meeting and I spoke on service. I focused a lot on my dad in my talk because he has led a life of service in giving to his country, his church, his students, and his family. I shared a war story about my dad that is actually published in a book that he and my Grandpa Perkins are in, about Fathers in WWII and sons in Vietnam. I cry every time I read the story. This is kind of a summary, but here it is:

A little background-the helicopters had taken off and one man had been left behind, so they went back for him.

"Not a round had been fired at the other helicopter, the one that had just taken off. But before we could land, they hit us. Man, they hit us with everything. And the whole front of the helicopter was on fire. So I jumped. It must have been thirty feet to the ground, but fortunately it was the wet season and the paddies were flooded, and I landed in that paddy. And I went looking over my left shoulder for that helicopter, because I didn't want to get hit with the helicopter blade, and boom! The helicopter came down on its side, directly on top of me.

So now I'm underneath the helicopter, facedown, and I'm moving my head side to side, trying to find a hole to breathe. And I hear all this screaming and yelling going on out there. Pretty soon they rocked the helicopter off me. They pulled me out, but I still have my left arm stuck into the helicopter.

Ed Eaton, who was my sniper-a really good kid, nineteen years old-he's up on top of the helicopter by this time. And he's blazing away at everybody with his sniper weapon, which has got the stock broken off. Just about all the machine guns and guns in the helicopter are all bent and the barrels are twisted, but he has that sniper weapon. Then somebody hands him up a working M-16.

Ed gets shrapnel in the jaw but keeps firing. They finally get me out of the helicopter. The reason I hadn't been able to get my land out was that I had it clasped tightly around my weapon. Finally I opened up my hand, and my arm slid right out. But I am going into shock, and I know I am.

I can't move because everything on my left side has been broken: pelvis, leg, arm, ribs. But it's interesting to lay here and watch all this. The gunships are expending everything they've got, Ed's firing away. The bullets are impacting in the water.

Finally the gunships land, they're maybe twenty, thirty feet out. The pilots raise their canopies: "Come on! Come on!" The Cobras have these little wing stubs-the rocket pods and guns are mounted underneath them. Guys are hobbling out to get on these stubs. The first bird, they get 3 or 4 guys sitting on the stubs. The gunner is holding on to them, and the bird takes off, it's gone. The second one, he comes in right behind. You can see the green tracers going by. "Come on! Come on!" Somebody picked me up; I'm not sure who it was. And he says, "Come on, we can get on there." He got me to my feet, and I was so weak, from loss of blood and everything else, I could not do anything. I said, "Just put me down. I'm not gonna make it."

If I remember right, he sat me down and gave me a grenade. I just laid there and looked, and they all got on that helicopter, and I said, "That's it."

Then the rest of the story-Ed Eaton jumps off the airplane, followed by Marty Green, who refuse to leave my dad's side. The most powerful line in the story is, "What Ed Eaton did is remarkable because he didn't come to save me. He came to die with me."

At the end of the story, my dad says, "There are wonderful people out there, ordinary people who do extraordinary things when called upon. That's almost everybody, and that's including you. One day you will may be called upon to do an extraordinary and remarkable thing, even though you're just an ordinary person."

I feel like my dad is my superhero, he always has been. Ever since I was a little girl, everything I've done, I've wanted my dad to be proud of me. He told me often how much he loved me. He always encouraged me to follow my goals, and he supported me 100 %, even when it was maybe something he didn't necessarily agree with. It always tugs at my heart strings a little bit when I hear students that have been in my dad's class say how much my dad influenced their life, that he was their favorite teacher. It makes me want to be a teacher like that. I know one of the main reasons I wanted to become a teacher was because my dad is one.

Another life lesson I learned from my dad came a few years ago. I was Relief Society President at the time, and I was going to be teaching a lesson about feeling Christ's love. I was having a hard time knowing what to say, so I went to my dad. He gave me a great analogy that I think of often when I'm having a hard time, and one that I like to share with others. He told me how in Vietnam it was always usually cloudy, overcast, depressing, and he said a lot of his days were like that there. But he knew that behind those dark clouds, the sun was always shining, he just had to hold on until the sun came out again. And he said that's how the Savior is. Sometimes we don't see Him, or feel of His light and Love, but He's always there, we just have to hold on until we can see Him and feel Him in our lives.

Dad, I love you and I'm so grateful for the life lessons you have taught me: to set goals and work hard to reach for them; to be selfless in service, continually seeking out opportunities to help those in need around me; to accept callings and fulfill them beyond the average expectations; to believe in myself and discover the gifts I have been blessed with and share them with others; and most importantly, for your testimony of the Savior and the Book of Mormon. I feel honored when people tell me they know I am my father's daughter. I couldn't have chosen a better one in my life.

Shay and Nik are married!

One of my best friends since high school, ShaLynn Andersen got married (FINALLY, one of us! Just kidding..) I was able to make a quick trip home to Utah for it. I absolutely love seeing temple sealings, I feel like there's no other place on Earth I would want to get married when I am able to witness it. It was a beautiful day, and I had a lot of fun catching up with Gail, Meggan and Laci. Congrats Shay and Nik, I love you guys!

Shay would probably kill us if she saw this picture but she had all the girls in the family wear pink sashes with black dresses. There was an extra sash so we went crazy with it on the Salt Lake temple grounds as we waited for her and Nik to come out.

Megg and I with an awesome pink sash. Sidenote: There were 4 girls dressed up like candycorn bridesmaids. They had on short bright yellow skirts, and bright orange tops. I wish I would have taken a picture of them!!

Meggan and I with the bride at the reception. Isn't she beautiful?!

Laci and I hanging out at the reception.

Me, Gail, Laci, Meggan waiting for Shay. I love my girls!

Mt. Rushie Part 2

Last weekend I went with a group of friends to see Mt. Rushmore. You don't have to ask me twice to see George Washington! Yes, I did just go a few months ago, but again, if you ask me to go, I go. The second time around I was able to do the audio tour (no one else wanted to do it so I enjoyed my time alone, walking along the path listening to different facts), and was also able to see it at night, both things I wanted to do last time but wasn't able to do. After spending some time at Mt. Rushmore, we went to our hotel, which was a suite with 3 queen beds, I must add! Our hotel was by a Golden Corral so someone came up with the "brilliant" idea to eat there. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of food, and I love their rolls. But if you really stop and think about it, buffets are a little gross. And this was no regular Golden Corral. I think the whole town of Rapid City decided to go to Golden Corral that night, I have never seen so many people in one restaurant. After eating, we went miniature golfing. It's been years since I have done this, and I remembered why. I suck at golfing, I have absolutely no patience for it, so I always end up just whacking the ball as hard as I can, hoping to not hit anybody. It was a bit windy when we finished, and our hotel just so happened to also be by a Wally World, so a big and little kite were purchased. I haven't flown a kite since I was little, I loved it! It's magical :) We flew it around the parking lot of our hotel and then decided to drive it around the parking lot. It was a fun quick roadie, I've definitely had my fill of Georgie!

Rick taking a swing..

This is cool..there's a little cave on the path and when you look up, there's George!

The girls: me, Sara, Becca, Jessica, Hilary

Isn't this an awesome photo?!

I had no idea Rick took this picture of me, I'm not sure what to think of it, me in
my mom sweater!

Looking at my historical crush, George. I would name my son after him, I love him that much. But George??

George, Thomas, Teddy, and Honest Abe looking out over the Black Hills.

Group photo of the roadies: Me, Brett, Sara, Becca, Rick, Jessica, and Hil

Do you notice something missing from this picture? Let's just say I wasn't happy with the lady who took our picture..

Bolder Boulder

As I stated in my previous post, I set a goal when I first moved here to run the Bolder Boulder 10K, which is equal to 6.2 miles. I've been training for the past 4 and 1/2 months for it. What a day it was! Boulder is beautiful. We actually drove up to Boulder the Saturday before the race to check out the course and to see more of the city since we hadn't been there before. We walked outside the Pearl Street Mall. It was full of vendors, gearing up for the big race which would take place the following Monday, Memorial Day. We noticed a big crowd of people so we went over to investigate. A man was asking people what their zip code was. He could tell them the city and state they were from and some things about the city. He then was using a chain to make the outline of the United States. He asked people for their zip codes again, told them where they were from and had them stand in the spot that their state was located. He called on me, I told him 84337 (my home town in Utah). He said Utah and had me stand where Utah is located. He called on about 12 other people and did the same thing. This is the cool part..he memorized all of our zip codes, we each had only told him once. He pronounced Tremonton as Trehmenton, but pretty close! He's the zip code man, I was definitely impressed! We also ate at Pasta Jay's. It was ok, but it was definitely no Olive Garden (my fave).

Standing in the chain US where Utah is..

I thought this picture of me was hilarious, I'm acting all shy or something. The zip code man has his back to you, in the khaki pants, and light green shirt.

I was feeling good the morning of the race, not nervous at all, really excited to do it actually. It was so crazy driving into Boulder, SOO many people. And there was a continuous flow of runners, it never stopped. I was in the MM wave. It was the best race I have felt physically. I was touched by quite a few things as I ran. I passed a lot of people. It was amazing all the different ages and abilities that came out to run. I liked the fact that it wasn't a competitive thing, it was something to accomplish. One man I passed made me teary eyed. He was probably in his late 80's, he could barely walk but he was hobbling along. On the back of his shirt he had a bib that listed men he had served in the military with. I passed by several children (and also several children ran by me, man some were soo fast!) There was quite a bit of entertainment along the way as well: bands, belly dancers, cheerleaders, lots of people cheering, or just sitting outside their homes watching. At the end, you run into Folsom Field (the University of Colorado football field). That was the best part, thousands upon thousands of people watching you come in. I did pretty well. My goal was to run it in 75 minutes. I did it in 78. There were 3 hills. The first one, the hardest one, I ran up, but the last 2 I had to walk. The last mile was probably the hardest for me, I was beginning to feel tired of running. But I did it, and I felt so good after. We were given lots of free samples. We stayed to see the professional athlete teams come in. It was amazing, they had a video as they ran, and then when they came into the stadium, I had goosebumps. They ran it so fast, like 5-6 minute miles! They also did a military tribute with parachuters, the 21 gun salute, and a flyover. It was an incredible experience and an incredible day for me. I plan on running the Bolder Boulder 10K every year for as long as I can!

Since this was my goal and the longest race I have done thus far, I dedicated a mile to different people in my life. Since it was only 6 miles, I clumped people together. When I run the half marathon in August, I will dedicate a mile to an individual. The first mile was dedicated to my nieces and nephews. The second mile was dedicated to my parents. The third mile was dedicated to my brothers and sisters. The fourth mile was dedicated to all of my friends. The fifth mile I did do an individual person. I dedicated it to Jenna because she has been my example and role model in running and being so supportive of me through this race. The last 1.2 miles was dedicated to my Savior. I knew it would be the hardest mile for me, and I thought and pondered a lot about Him during that time. What a mile (and .2) that was!

Hilary, me, Ashlee, and Josh posing before the race. We all rode together and ran! I loved that they all came down to my height, Josh's face in this is my favorite!

Me approaching the first mile. I'm not a fan of this picture because my jacket was pulled up high. BUT..check out my awesome purple starred headband! I totally look like Rex Kwan Do from Napolean Dynamite! My roommates made fun of it (secretly jealous of it!) But it kept the bangs out of my way, and hey, it's awesome right?!

The stadium where we ran into. Look at all those people!!

Boulder's a lot closer to the mountains than Denver. It reminded me a lot of Utah!

Hil and I after the race. You can definitely see my headband a lot better here. Totally Rex Kwan Do, huh?

The 4 of us, post race. I love all the friends I have made out here that will help me accomplish my goals with me!

I asked to have a bib to put on my back that was in honor of someone that has been in the military. Of course I put my dad. I love you, dad! Thanks for all that you did to sacrifice for my freedom!

Magnificent

When I first moved to Colorado, I was asking around for ideas of things I should put on my "Top Ten Things to Do in Colorado" list. I was told I definitely needed to take part in the Bolder Boulder 10K that is on Memorial Day every year. I had never heard of it, so I did some research. It is a HUGE race, about 50,000 people participate every year. Along the 6.2 mile course are 30 different entertainment groups, such as bands, belly dancers, etc. You get to run in Boulder and end in the University of Colorado Football stadium. How awesome is that?! So since January, I have been training to run this race. I found out about a 5K race that was taking place where I work, so I thought it would be a great thing to do with all my training! I recruited a few more people, and we were there! This took place on Saturday, May 16, so I've been training for over 4 months now. Well, the night before a bunch of us went to Maggiano's Little Italy (I'm a big fan of Italian food). If you haven't eaten there, they do this family deal where you can get all the food you want. So of course I gorged myself beyond what I should have the night before a run, and I woke up with unpleasant stomache consequences. I went to the port a potty at the race at least 4 times before the race even started. I was so mad at myself! Needless to say, it ended up being a really hard run for me when it should have been an easy one, it was pretty much flat the whole way, I knew the area really well since it's where I work, and there were over 800 other participants pushing me along. I made it through (barely), and learned a valuable lesson: It's good to eat carbs the night before a race, but don't go super crazy with the food or you'll regret it! I didn't make my goal time, but I'm glad I just was able to complete it with how torn up my stomache was. It was fun having friends run it with me. Thanks Becca, for running the whole way with me and putting up with my whininess and stomache issues! I definitely need to thank the band U2, they totally got me through the run with their song Magnificent. I had to keep hitting repeat on that song to keep me going!!

Group photo: Jason, Becca, Hil, Jessica and I. Man, sometimes I forget how short I really am until I see pictures of me. I have to run twice as much as the normal height human being :)

We are big fans of the Biggest Loser, and on this past season they ran a marathon, with their number being how many pounds they had lost. This is Hil, pointing out that she has lost 2, 331 pounds. Doesn't she look great? (And she was totally color coordinated, she is one stylish runner!)

My odd pose. The funny thing about this picture was that there was a random girl standing behind Hil as she took it, and she was totally laughing at me. Glad I can bring humor to someone else's life besides my own!

Jason is known to have a mean running face, I wouldn't want to get in his way as he's running!