{bReAthe}

Sometimes I think I just move along on auto-pilot and that seems to be ok. I'm busy with the normal glorified chauffeur duties and such, but all of a sudden I feel like I've been thrust into outer space at warp speed!

I don't feel overwhelmed ... just really busy. There is so much to think about and do.

I'm still training for a marathon. 2 weekends ago I thought I was going to have to find a different marathon to do. I am running the Nike Womens Marathon in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The concept goes ... I raise money for LLS and that gets me entry into this race. I had a deadline to raise a certain amount of money by Friday, 2 weekends ago, and I had come up short. I cried all weekend, because I really wanted to run this particular marathon. I don't plan on running another marathon and if I am only going to do one, this is the one I want to do. Sometime after Friday, but before Monday, my father-in-law donated the amount of money I needed to hit my minimum. At this point I had thought I was already out of the race and then had mixed feelings about whether I wanted to try and continue. The hardest part of all of this is raising the money and I'm only a quarter of the way there. I talked with the Team in Training staff on Monday and they were more than happy to keep me in! Of course, this is what I wanted so I'm sticking with it. We had a yard sale to raise money this past Saturday.
School started ... hooray for me!!! I can have my computer back and maybe a little peace and quiet! So far everyone seems happy about school. Keyan is in a class that mixes 4 classes into an all day adventure. They go out in nature and do activities, have class, etc. Today they are going to the ropes course. To me it just sounds like a lot of fun. Sammy is loving not being in Elementary school ... so many new friends (cute boys!) ... and enough different classes to keep her from being bored. Landon and Ally are so happy to just hop the fence and be at school. Ally was a little worried when we first went to the school to see what class she was in because she saw that her teacher was a MR. She didn't want a boy teacher. However, we met him on back to school night and she found out that he loves Hawaii and has a son going to the Philippines on a mission so now she thinks he's ok! This new school voted to have a PTA instead of a PTO, so now I'm also on the PTA board. That could be interesting. (pic: Ally & Landon 1st day of school)

Young Women's has been quite the adjustment. There are so many meetings and things to do. Hopefully I'll get to know the girls quickly. I think that will make the transition a whole lot easier! Eventually Sam might even like that I'm in there!!! (pic: my 1st activity, the Sunday after I was sustained was a trip to Temple Square)

Politics - this is going to be an exciting election! It's funny to think that no matter what the outcome nearly half of the U.S. voting population will be upset over it. I'm the precinct chair for my neighborhood and I'm starting to get a ton of email from the candidates. I'm guessing that after the party conventions that campaigning will become a big priority.

{buLLseYe}

OK. So I can't shoot that well. Besides shooting a BB gun at Cub Scout Day camp, I don't think I've ever shot a gun. For a Stake Laurel's activity they took the young women to the Orem Police Shooting Range. Out of all the girls I believe only 1, maybe 2 of them had ever shot a gun before. You would not believe how much they loved this activity. I think it empowered them in a way that they weren't expecting. It was funny to listen to them giggle after they would shoot. I'm not a gun fan, but I think it was a good opportunity for the girls to understand how to use them, how to handle them, etc. It was interesting to know that many of the girl's boyfriends owned guns and this gave them a better understanding of them. They got to shoot a .22 rifle and pistol, a .40 magnum revolver, and a .44 pistol. What a great activity!!!

{GaMe On}

[I love the buildings in that picture - the aquatic center and the Bird's Nest stadium]

I've waited all summer for the Olympics (bee-limb-pics as one of my kids use to say it) to start. I missed a lot of the opening ceremonies, but from what I saw China did an amazing job! I'm so excited. It looks like the USA already has several medals and Michael Phelps beat his own Olympic record in the 400 m - too bad that wasn't the finals! There is so much going on (too much to type). I'm sure I'll be glued to my TV for the next few weeks.


On a sad note, a relative of the U.S. Men's volleyball coach was killed. Some 47 year old Chinese man attacked the tour guide and 2 Americans while touring the Drum Tower. He stabbed to death one and injured the other two. Now they are deciding if the US team will need more security.

{tOpSy-tUrVy}

Today my world was turned upside down! I was sustained and set apart to be our ward's Young Women's President! I'm so excited ... Wish me Luck!!!

{fAmiLy niGhT}

On Monday, we went to Salt Lake City. We decided to take the kids to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to watch the movie there. Afterwards we took them to the observation deck to look out on to temple square. We then went and walked around the temple.

I forgot how much I liked this movie. It is quite moving. Ally bawled all through it. I'd tell her that there is no need to cry, it's a happy part and her response was, "I don't know why with this movie I cry at all the happy parts." We also had a discussion about Satan being on earth. There is a part where before the first vision Joseph is overcome by Satan. Ally panicked and wanted to know what that was. I told her it was Satan and she argued with me saying that everyone told her that Satan was not on this earth. I finally had to say we will discuss it after the movie. It turns out that her understanding of the war in heaven is that only the people who followed Jesus came to earth and the people that followed Satan stayed where they were. She didn't understand that the spirits that followed Satan still came to earth, they just weren't blessed to have a body. Wow! Imagine how confusing this life on earth would be if you didn't believe that Satan was here tempting us and reeking havoc. If you didn't believe that there was a loving God and life after this one. So then she was getting more confused..."so people made a right choice (choosing to follow Heavenly Father and Jesus in the spirit world), and then they make a wrong one (choosing to follow Satan on earth)?" How nice though that she can comprehend it and try to figure it out!

If it's been awhile since you've gone up there I would highly suggest doing it sometime soon.

{rAciNg to sAvE livEs}

As most of you know I am running the Nike's Womens Marathon this October in San Francisco. I am running as part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. I have committed to raise $4000 to the research and patient services of those with blood cancer. I knew that raising the money would be hard, but not impossible. Although I have to admit it is harder than I had thought it would be. I'm not even a quarter of the way there. Yikes! Last weekend 2 of my teammates and I had a fundraiser outside the American Fork Walmart. I walked so many miles in 2 days that on Sunday I hurt so bad! We raised over $1000 which was great!

If you would like to make a donation ... big or small ... please do so online at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ut/nikesf08/cgomm

{JuLy 24th}

Happy Pioneer Day aka Cooper's Birthday!

Here in Utah we celebrate Pioneer Day... parades, fireworks and all. My nephew turned 4 years old today! How fun to think that fireworks are just for your birthday.