Going Home

My first week of work and classes went super well!  I liked all of my teachers, I met some nice people at Lin's, I met all my roommates, etc.  The weird thing about all of this, though, is that it never actually felt weird.  I didn't feel like I was beginning a totally new life, it just felt normal.  I guess that's a good thing, though!
That Friday, my Dad was passing through Cedar City and the whole family would be coming back up Saturday night for Keoni's baptism, so I figured I'd hitch a ride with them and come down for a night.  I saw Jandee at work, surprised Courtney at Dixie State, went to Yogurtland with my family, took Rockee for a walk, babysat Tanner, went to the Sheeran's for a few minutes, ran with Courtney, hung out with Nefi, and visited Kyle. 
It was a great weekend!  But, it made it really hard to go back to Cedar.  In St. George, there are so many people who love me and are there for me.  There's people that have known me my whole life, that have a history with me.  In Cedar, I'm just another college student.  I love it at SUU and am having so much fun, but it's hard not to miss feeling at home. 

Flight School Weekend

Opening Assembly: SUU is so cool that we have fireworks INSIDE.

Bell Tower Tradition: First and Last time walking under the bell tower until graduation



Mud Volleyball with friends. SO fun! My sick dive.



Uh...no blood, no foul?

When life brings us a storm, we play mud volleyball...and dance(?) in it.

 

Jake and Me. And my awesome "I'm Married" shirt that I bought on our DI trip that day.

Jake's roommate, Chris, and my roommate, Sarah.

When I was driving Jake and Chris back after our game, my rear view mirror decided to fall off. I screwed it back in, but we reinforced it with Chris's green duct tape, just to be sure! :)

Today...I'm Taking my Life Back!



Picture of me from The Spectrum
Snow Canyon XC Invite 2011



On my run today, I jogged over to Cedar High School and ran a little part of the Cross Country course I used to race on there.  I tried doing a littlte kick on the last 300, just like in the race, and it just about killed me.  I knew that I wasn't even going that fast, but I got so tired and dizzy that I had to lay down on the grass for a few minutes.  My back was killing me so I popped it and then walked around for a minute trying to gather my energy.  I slowly ran back to my apartment, but every step was filled with pure anger.
How did this happen?? Yes, I haven't been running as much as I probably could have, but I still shouldn't be getting dizzy running such a short distance at a much-slower-than-what-was-once-my-race-pace pace.  I am so incredibly tired of always feeling sick, dizzy, and tired!  I feel like I've gone soft in all the wrong ways--like I've lost my fire and determination.  I have felt like I should already be racing in the "Master's" bracket, like all my glory days are over and that it's time to just slow down and take it easy.  But, today made me realize that I don't want that.  I want running back in my life as more than just a way to stay in shape.  I want to love it again.  I want to push myself again.  I want to race again.  I want to feel strong again.
I decided that it is time to set some new goals, start a training plan, and get my running life back.  It's time to stop ignoring these health problems, and start facing them head on.  I decided to arrange a meeting with a dietician to figure out what more I can do to keep my blood sugar in check, begin doing the core work that will help my back, and to create a training plan that I will stick to at all costs.  I picked a race that takes place in February and signed up for it.  Until then, I am laying low, avoiding racing, and taking a few months to gain my strength back.  I know that I have to be patient, that I will have to start over from square one and slowly build myself back into shape.  I know that I will have to invest a little extra time and money into my diet to keep myself from getting dizzy or passing out.  I know that the problems I'm having are real and that I need to stop treating my health like a game.

The bottom line is, I love running way to much to let this sickness keep me from continuing to work and improve.  I can't just tell myself that I have health issues, so it's time to put my PR's behind me and just accept the success that I have had.  I am just about to reach my physical prime, and am way too young to let myself decline.  I can't get rid of any of these problems, but I can take care of myself and make the most of what I have. 
I have not seen my last PR. Here's to several more years of improving, and an entire lifetime of running!!!

We'll Bring The World His Truth

My goal is to write this post without crying, but I honestly don't think that will be possible!
I'm sure that there were many times throughout my childhood that I felt the Spirit.  However, I can very clearly remember the first time that I actually felt it pierce my soul.  I was ten years old, sitting in Primary in the Bloomington Hills Third Ward.  During singing time, Sister Killian told us about the MTC and talked about how they brought everyone in, had them remove their coats so they were all in white, and they sang "We'll Bring the World His Truth."  Then, she asked us to stand like Future Missionaries and sing the song.  I remember the Spirit felt so strong.  That day, I decided to start being a better example.  I can't even describe the feeling I had as I looked around the room at my classmates that would be serving missionaries in the very distant future.



This is us three years after that experience!
Jandee Madsen, Vince Garcia,
Me, Darian Nielson, Russ Jones
(Not Pictured--Parker Sheeran)
 

Well, it turned out that future wasn't quite so distant after all.  Our little Sunday School class eventually all turned twelve and entered Young Men's and Young Women's.  I remember watching as each of the boys passed the Sacrament for the first time and I could not believe how quickly we were growing up!  One blink of an eye later, and those boys were graduating high school.



The Boys' Graduation 2011
Vince Garcia, Me, Parker Sheeran, Russ Jones, Jandee Madsen
(Not Pictured--Darian Nielson)

 

 

Growing up with these guys was so great!  I love them all so much.  Now, whenever I hear the song "We'll Bring The World His Truth" I think of that experience and am brought to tears because I think about....







Elder Darian Nielson
Ukraine, Kiev Mission
Ukrainian Speaking
 

 

Elder Vincent Garcia
Fiji, Suva Mission
French Speaking

 

Elder Parker Sheeran
Texas Fort Worth Mission

 

Elder Russ Jones
Pennsylvania Pittsburg Misison

 



I am SO incredibly proud of these young men who are all out serving the Lord!  The fact that all of these boys decided to serve a mission definitely says something about the amazing leaders and teachers (we still talk about how much we love the McEwens, who taught us for 3 or 4 years!) that we had in those earlier years where seeds were planted in our hearts.  I know that the road to this point was not easy for these guys, I watched each of them endure hard trials in their lives, some of them right before they decided to go.  I know that they are all where they are supposed to be and that they are preaching a message that is true and will change lives. 

 I'll never forget the feeling I had in Primary that day and I will always be thankful for the decision these young men, and thousands of other like them, made to serve a mission.