Running out of room

Not just in my belly, but on my blog. :-) I tried to post Thanksgiving pics and it wouldn't let me. So, I need to figure this out and then I will be back. I might be private when I come back. I will let you know.

Stay tuned!

Day 8 and 9- So....

...I guess my baby will look more like this!

I was shocked to find out it was not a girl like I was guessing (hoping!). I will admit I was a little bummed. (Sorry little man.) I really wanted a sister for Emily. However, we are so thankful for a healthy baby. The ultrasound showed an active little baby who is just the right size. And I do love Marker boys. :-) So, I will be slowly finding new homes for our pinks and purples.

Day 7- Thankful for Running

Running is one of the things I am definitely missing right now. It has been such a big part of my life for the last 10 years. I have never run through pregnancy, but I forgot how much I crave it when I can't do it. :-) I know, I am weird. 

Running has taught me a lot about myself and has allowed me to make very good friends. I have also loved the opportunity I have had to run off and on with Jeff. In 2006, I convinced him to run a 5k with me so he could help me PR and run 8 minute miles. He did it! In 2008, we trained for a 10k together. In 2010, we trained for a half marathon together and crossing that finish line with him was one of my favorite memories. We had to pay for a babysitter any time we went for a run, until this year. Jeff surprised me and signed up for the St George Marathon. We were enjoying running together and then I got pregnant and it slowed me down just a little. :-) He continued to run with our running group and I was amazed at how fast he became. I was a proud coach/wife as he would relate to me all about his training. I was living vicariously through him and I was so happy (and a little jealous!) that it was going so well. After much debate, I decided to start the marathon so that I could be up at the top with him and our other friends. Sarah was kind enough to run/chat with me for 8 miles, and then I hopped in the injury van. I saw Jeff at Mile 20 and he looked so good I gave him a call. He told me that he wasn't doing so well- he had started cramping. It broke my heart. I knew how hard he had trained and 6 miles can still be a long time. I said a little prayer for him and then got to the bottom and cheered him on. He gave me the biggest hug. I hope we can train for another one together. I told him he still owes me one. :-) 

 You are awesome, Jeff!! First marathon- 4:15. Awesome job babe!

 Here is Annie, our Boston Qualifier! She is amazing!

 I am so glad I got to start the race with him...love that guy!

Sarah and I...can't wait to run our next one together. I miss her more than she can know.

Day 6- Thankful for the right to vote!

Sometimes I think we take our rights for granted. I am so grateful to live in the country that we do. I know this is the place for religious freedom so that the Gospel could be restored.

Good luck tonight!! I will be watching the TV all night! (while I am at work. :-)

Day 5- Thankful for Coach Jeff

If you haven't noticed, sports are a big part of the Marker household. I grew up with a dad who taught all 4 girls (and eventually my little brother) to enjoy sports. Softball was the main sport but we also tried soccer, basketball, cross country and track. He would watch sports on TV and taught us to love the Angels and hate the Dodgers. :-) I was not as athletically gifted as my sisters, but I sure loved the mechanics behind the sports. I enjoyed being a scorekeeper and my coach in high school let me coach the base runners, because I understood where the runners should be. I married a man who also loves sports. His first love is soccer and he has passed this on to his boys. His work schedule doesn't always allow him to be a soccer coach because the practices are usually earlier in the evening, but when Bryce's team needed a coach, he stepped in. I loved watching him with the 5-6 year old boys. He did a fantastic job, and his main goal was for every kid to score at least one goal during the season. You could tell how much he enjoyed coaching Bryce and being able to pass that passion onto him. I love watching the games!

Thankful for my Kids

My kids are at such fun stages! I love watching find things they love and participate in them.  I feel lucky to be able to be involved with them at school. 

 Emily just turned 8, so she is old enough for Activity Days. There was a Mummy and Me Halloween party. I loved seeing her shine!

 This year's Fun Run was in the rain and Bryce didn't seem to mind at all!

 Bryce with his buddies, Spencer and Meggan.

 Emily did great in the Fun Run also. She had to walk a little bit, but I enjoyed the chat time with her.

 Dallin really puts forth a strong effort and was able to tie with his classmate for the most laps. Wish I had his speed! :-)

 Dallin's class is great! 

 Bryce and his big buddy, Kyle! I enjoyed goign to his class party!

 The kids on Halloween!

 Dallin was the CEO of the Gas and Electric Co at Biztown. What a great experience!

 I was lucky enough to get to go on the field trip. I was impressed with Biztown. The kids learned a lot!

Emily and I went to see our local production of Little Mermaid last night. I enjoy these activities with Emily and I hope the tradition continues. She was bummed that you had to be in 4th grade for this one, and I will admit I was too. :-) I can't wait to see her in more plays!

Day 2 and 3- Thankful for Hawaii and Grandma Di

Since I technically missed yesterday, I thought I would do 2 for 1. Our trip to Hawaii would not have been possible without Grandma Di, so I thought I would list both. Here is the story (for those interested. If not, just scroll down through the pics!):

Back in March when I was going through a rough time after my miscarriage, my mom offered to watch the kids so Jeff and I could get away. Of course we couldn't turn that down and she said she would stay for a week after Emily's baptism. So, all we had to do was pick where to go! After figuring out that I could do it less expensive than I originally thought, we decided to check out Hawaii for the first time and started planning our trip. 

About 3 days before the baptism, Harold had to go in for what was supposed to be a pretty quick, routine surgery to return a small cancer mass from his nose. Well, unfortunately, the mass turned out to be much bigger than expected and it ended up being a very invasive long procedure that left Harold in a lot of pain. Needless to say, it was most important for my mom to be with Harold and help him recover. She felt really torn, but I knew she needed to be with him. Jeff called his mom to ask if she would be able to take over the watching of our children, and she dropped everything, moved around appointments and my sister in law watched my niece so that Grandma Di could be here for us. It was one of the most generous, selfless gifts I have ever been given. The kids had a blast with Grandma Di, and I could relax knowing they were in great hands. I am so grateful for her kindness. (Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures of her with the kids because our flight got delayed on the way home and I did not even get to say goodbye!)

So, now onto Hawaii. I will admit that I have always wondered if Hawaii was just overhyped. I am here to tell you that it is not. It was truly paradise for me. The weather was perfect, I could jump into water whenever I felt like it, and I loved sleeping with the windows open! I bought the book "The Big Island Revealed" and studied it for months, we rented a jeep and just explored wherever sounded interesting at the time. We weren't on any schedule and just had so much fun! It reminded me how much Jeff and I enjoy being together. Even being pregnant, we were still pretty active (I just avoided the camera a lot!). We saw a sunset almost every night and they were all from a different part of the island. The book was fantastic and led us on treasure hunts to find beautiful secluded places. We felt very relaxed and loved snorkeling at different beaches. I can't say enough wonderful things about our trip.

On our last day, we went to Oahu. I really enjoyed Pearl Harbor and the solemnity that you feel there. We decided to hike Diamondhead crater on a whim (thanks for the suggestion Amy!) and I am so glad we did. The Polynesian Cultural Center was incredible and I enjoyed my first real luau. Wow, so many memories. It is definitely a place I want to share with the kids. 

Wapio Valley. Very other worldly. Had to drive down a crazy 4wd road, but truly beautiful! Jeff loved the fine sand of the black sand beach. Wish we could have stayed here longer.

At the top of Mauna Kea. One of my favorite places. We watched a sunset into the clouds from one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Then stayed to watch the stars. Beautiful night.

Walking on the crater. What a crazy experience! 

This was one of my dream places. We drove pretty far out of the way to find this Champagne Pond. It is a volcanically heated crystal clear natural pool that is right next to the ocean. To hear the crashing waves while swimming in a warm pool was heavenly to me! The 4wd road to get there was crazy. Good thing we had our jeep!

We didn't get to actually see lava, but we went back at night to see this reflection in the crater that is currently active. Pretty amazing.

This was my favorite beach. Beautiful white sand and turquoise waters. We played here the last day on the big island, but the waves were pretty massive.

Pearl Harbor. We learned so much here about how to appreciate the sacrifices that have been made for all of us. Love the rainbow in this picture.

View from Diamondhead Crater. I almost let my wimpiness talk me out of this hike. I was dressed in a skirt and it was noon, so it was hot. I am so glad I did the hike, because the view was amazing!! Totally worth it!

Jeff got pulled on stage at the Polynesian Cultural Center. It was a lot of fun and he was a great sport!

At my first luau! I was a little disappointed all week because we never got officially "lei'd" in Hawaii. On our last day we received these leis on our way to the luau. The food was so yummy and this is where Jeff learned in Hawaii they don't eat until they are full, they eat until they are tired. :-)

We had read about a beautiful snorkeling place, but it is a little tough to get too. You can take a tour, or you can try to go on your own with a kayak. We decided to try it on our own. The only trick was, we couldn't actually tie up the kayak to land, so Jeff tied it to his foot and swam around with it while we snorkeled! He said it wasn't too bad.

Totally worth it! The snorkeling was incredible! You could see about 20 feet down crystal clear.

The lanai off our bedroom where we hung out at night and before we left. So relaxing.

Our last sunset. Goodbye Hawaii. You were so good to us. We hope to be back again soon! :-)