August 2012: Week Three





Although this week didn't start with our family portrait session, I had to include them.  These photos were taken at the end of May by a friend, Katie I had met through BSF (Bible Study Fellowship).  She was moving with her family to Moscow, Idaho & I knew she took family photos & we hadn't had any taken in a few years, so I asked her to take them before she left.

Since Katie was moving, it took her a little longer than usual to get me the proofs back, but it was well worth the wait.  The photos turned out super cute.





How do you go to a park for family photos & NOT take advantage of the slide?!

In order to keep Cashe from jumping in the water,
we were handing him rocks to throw into the water. 
He had a ball.

I call this, "The Story of Our Lives". 
I don't know where this child found so much energy,
but he never stops moving & if he's not moving on his own,
we must move him (via swinging).

And if we're not sliding or running or moving, we're discovering new 'toys'.

I don't know how we managed to capture this without losing Cashe-man to the river. 

More movement.

My fave.

The sweet boys.

LOVE this with the Perrine Bridge in the background.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

As per usual, the week started off somewhat mellow.  I was recovering from my girls' weekend ALL day on Monday.  I napped when Cashe napped & I ruined my liver with ibuprofen due to sore muscles from running, hiking, boating & dancing.

Cashe helped me with a little light cleaning.

I asked him to get his shoes on to go to Bass Lake & this is what he chose.  Fab.

Tuesday's play group was at Bass Lake at the Country Club. 
They have a private lake down there & it was beautiful. 
Cashe had SO much fun in the water & pulled all the moss off the bottom of the dock (seriously!?)

He also shared his goldfish crackers with Miss Caroline.

We have moved up in the world now by sitting at the big table for meals now.

Another killer swimming outfit Cashe chose for swimming lessons: 
Lightning McQueen swim trunks & Lightning McQueen moon boots.
At least he matches.

 Thursday afternoon, Kelly headed over from Boise so we could meet up with the rest of our Grand Teton Relay Team & head to Driggs, Idaho for our race.

Here we are arriving to our hotel room at 1:00 a.m. 
BRILLIANT since we had to check in for the race at 7:15 a.m.
This was just part of our team (our little hotel family) - Glo, me, Kelly & Bekah.

And we all know you can't run for 24+ hours without looking good.

I look so good without make-up (truth is, I forgot mine), so I decorated our van.
We were sponsored by a teammate's company, so we were the Acco Alphas, the Leaders of the Pack.

Sarah (our Team Captain) decorating the car while Bekah helped.

Tami was our first runner.
Here she is at the Start Line.

Kelly was Runner #2. 
Here she is coming through the wheat fields.

Kelly somehow managed to pull some energy outta somewhere
& made running several miles look so easy. 
Then, she cheered like no other for all of us. 
We all wanted whatever she was smokin'.

I am fuh-REAKED out to start my first leg as Runner #3. 
It was 7.4 miles & I had no idea it was as uphill halfway.

I finally got up & over the hill & I'm happily on my way down. 
PRAISE GOD.

Our cheerleader, Kelly joined me at the end & ran me into the next transition station.

I snapped that bracelet onto Bekah & I was outta there! 
Get me some water!

Waiting for Bekah at the end of her leg with some water.
By this time of the day, it was in the 80's & we were ROASTING.

Here she comes!  Look at that long stride.  (So not fair.)

My least favorite part of the journey --
a nervous stomach & port-a-potties for bathrooms.  YUCK.

Glo's ready to go!

Here comes Sarah on Leg 5! 
She had shin-splints & totally rocked it.
Her hubby, Brett is behind her helping her along the way.

Kelly's keeping track of the "kills" (passing another runner on the course).

After the first van (us) finishes their 6 legs, Van 2 heads out & starts the next 6 legs while we all rest.  We headed to town for lunch & a nap in the park before our next run in the dark.

Kelly's gearin' up for run 2 with some instant coffee mixed with luke warm water.
When you're desperate for caffeine, you're desperate.



We're all ready to go with our glowsticks!
(Glo said we looked like a bunch of pre-releasers with our vests on.)

Here goes Sarah!
She's getting the hand-off from Chelsea in Van 2.

We built a tunnel for Chelsea to run through.

My night run (which was not captured on camera), was my favorite; HOWEVER, it sucked.  It was the perfect temp & it wasn't as steep as my first run, but I was SOOOOOOOOO stinkin' scared for my life.  I could see absolutely NOTHING (makes sense since it was dark). 

We had headlamps & bear spray, but I was freaked out, smelling roadkill (or dead bodies that had been dumped in the Grand Tetons & hadn't been found yet).  I called the van after my first half mile & told them to HURRY UP & follow me the entire way.  And sure enough, my super cool team did!  They were so supportive.

After we all finished our night runs, we went to the Teton High School & slept.  All of the girls slept in the van except Sarah & I.  I needed to stretch out, so we put a tarp down & slept in the yard of the high school.  I woke up all alone though because Sarah got cold. 

Thankfully, they didn't leave me, but I was kinda hopin' they had so I could've slept a little longer before my next leg.

Good morning, Grand Tetons!

I was trying to get a photo with the mountains in the background & Kelly decided to join me.

We did it!  Van 1 finished. 

My last run was a tough one mostly because of the sleep-deprovation, but also because my digestive system was way outta whack.  Praise the Lord for allowing me to run through a town, because I ran myself right into a pharmacy to use their restroom. 

My team couldn't figure out where I had gone (& of course, I added a few extra minutes to my mileage), but I was a happy runner after that.  Phew! 

This is at the top of the Teton Pass.
Brett (in Van 2) was running the grade in the sun & we were waiting for him at the top.
(SOOOO glad I was in Van 1 & not running that pass!)

Me & Bekah

Here comes Brett!

Some of our team at the top of the pass:
Tami, me, Bekah, Wayne, Glo, Melissa, Bryan, Chelsea & Kelly.

And, we made it! 
Jackson Hole, Wyoming was our final destination & it was
GORGEOUS!

Yahoo!  Here we all are at the finish line!
We ran a total of 180 miles between all of us.
My total mileage was 13.8 miles.

What a cool experience & such a great team we had, BUT I can confidently say I won't do it again.  We talked about doing Sawtooth next year (which is NOT a 24+ hour run), but I can happily cross the GT Relay off my bucket list & be okay with not running it again.

I did decide (on my steep first leg) that I am probably no longer interested in the Robie Creek Half (uphill 8 miles, down 5) next year either.  I may still do a full, but it'll have to be 26 miles downhill. 

As for now, I'm mostly interested in lovin' on my boys.