fonder

they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. and although I have seen your smiling face each day this week, heard your voice, and snuggled up to you at night; I am missing your presence in our daily routine. the distraction from chaos when you walk in the door and sit with us at dinner. I am especially longing for my team mate in the bedtime ritual to return. only two more days to go and life can go on as usual. until then, I will just have to let my fondness fester.

always first in my book

this post begins three weeks ago. right after John placed 2nd in the 1000 warrior bike race, a 96 mile race that started in Park City, winds through Summit County, through American Fork Canyon, skims Alpine and Highland, heads straight up and over Suncrest, skirts Draper and Sandy to end up top of Little Cottonwood Canyon at Snowbird. a long way to ride a bike, but a great ride to train for a longer distance. the ultimate goal for this season. 206 miles, Logan to Jackson most commonly known as LotoJa. John's training was at it's peak and he was in great form, things were looking good for him to make all his goals. then oops! everything was suddenly up in the air - a driver pulled out in front of him and bang. the results were not pretty.

luckily John took the brunt of it with his head. and if you know John, you know he is hard headed.

but as I mentioned before, all is well that ends well. a now cracked helmet saved his head, and he was able to even out his shoulders without surgery this time. lots of bruising and soreness, but nothing more was broken. except maybe his bike. even that was ride able. the worst part for John was taking time off his bike to heal. but nothing would detour him from riding LotoJa.
and his goals were still intact. so with a well planned out itinerary for me and a schedule to keep, John busted up the road to Jackson Hole.


and even injured I had a hard time catching him in pictures* - barely got him here.
John had only one other team mate to ride with in his group. as things began it seemed no one was eager to get to Jackson, and being as they had the latest start time the chances they would find more eager riders was pretty slim. he and Ryan road very powerfully, but all that mileage with only two riders is not ideal, and very tiring. at one point they were 30minutes behind their scheduled times.

John was always focused and I had a hard time reading him at the rest stops.

my job was to keep him fueled and moving. and move they did - although you could tell they were exhausted they gave it everything and rode hard.

by the finish they had made up most of their lost time, which amazed me. John sprinted into the finish and found that he and Ryan had placed 1st and 2nd in their category!

way to go boys! our neighbor, Mike, even made it onto the podium with them, which was another bonus. John is now guaranteed entry to next years race, to defend his title. all this has lead him to think he wants to do a little more racing. hopefully near by so our girls and I can practicing our cheer leading together. it was a lonely trip for me this year. and since I am committing to relay this distance next year, there may need to be some friendly competition - I mean he better make it before our relay team or he just may be treating us to dinner.

well done babe - always a pleasure to ride by myself in a car for 10 hours with no music or company to prove my love is yours forever!

LotoJa or BUST.

much better podium pictures here!

*maybe my picutres would improve with the help of a new fancy camera. just a hint for the coming birthday/Christmas season!

hitting the road again.

what do biking, water, Snowbird, picnics, and pros have in common? our little family.
it's been three weeks now, but praises must be sung! here is my bike loving man after completing 96 miles of hot bike racing during the Tour of Utah 1000 warriors race. and race he did, taking second in his division! we met up with John for the last 20 miles of riding, showering him with intermittent waterfalls and providing support to the finish line. the girls loved screaming "Go Skull Candy!" at any racer we passed, and certainly got their fill as we waited on the pros to grace the finish before we coasted back down little cottonwood canyon. and as if placing in this race wasn't the icing on the cake, he is planning to complete another 206 miles this coming Saturday. all after being tagged by an SUV and having a whirlwind trip to the ER! oh the stories I should tell, but unfortunately I need to gloss over it so I don't burst into tears with nerves. now a week later, all is mostly well. John's shoulder is not 100% but it's manageable and healing, and not keeping him from accomplishing his summer long goal. and now all his spare time is spent shopping for a new bike thanks to an unfortunate driver. all's well that ends well, right? go LO to JA! see you all in Jackson.

first, the reason, then the escape.

because my blogging is so hit and miss, you may have missed the event that recently sent me into a tailspin. I totalled our very functional paid off car. and the best part is that I was actually paying attention to my driving, just not close enough. a light changed to yellow while I was making multiple lane changes. long story short, not a bad accident - only injured cars, just hairy enough to total my car.

the insurance co. (who was really good to work with) took two weeks to decide that it was a total loss. so at that point we were in a mad dash to decide what direction to go in - do we buy new to help infuse the economy? do we buy used but new to us and have a car payment but different car? or do we go with what we had and no car payment?

we had a lot of fun trying out new cars and dreaming of some days and maybes and different possibilities. when it came down to it, we had to go with an exact replacement. it has been a great car for our family. and it happened that the exact replacement happened to be in Chicago. that means the car came with a fabulous road trip to boot. what better excuse for a weekend "getaway" I ask? (ok, yeah, I can think of a few others too.)

but I will take any opportunity to have my husbands undivided attention. I mean he is really amazing, and totally cute. I only had to share him with the many architectural masterpieces Chicago has to offer. notice, one of the many obligatory "get pictures of me so John won't hear about how the only pictures he took were of the architecturally interesting points around the city" shots. can you see the eyes roll....

Honestly, though. Chicago is a beautiful and amazing city. history and progress. love those amazing high rises next to gargoyles and steeples.

we only saw a few sights - there is so much and we had to hit the road. but we did enjoy what we saw - this was taken minutes before John and I slide down the side of this bridge. and then got scolded by security. whoops. but it was fun to pretend we were still young and fun. well he is, but I have to work up to it, hence security had time to find us!
and I have video to prove it - but no knowledge of how to post it.
where do I sign up for that workshop, people?



we walked so much of this city and didn't even scrape the surface. had our obligatory deep dish pizza. which was good, but was still just pizza. saw the Art Institute, gardens, walked the river say the magnificent mile, tried to shop H&M, and had an amazing and refreshing time.

enjoyed the many art installations around the city. I love creativity. I envy it. so grateful when people share it and support it.

one of the few pictures of us together. we had fun playing in the rain together. holding hands up and down the many avenues. talking over lunch. perusing shops and museums. so nice to remember why you enjoy each other.

leave it to John to find the coolest functional works. I love how he has opened my eyes to architecture. I asked him if he thought I would enjoy this stuff if it hadn't been for our marriage - he complimented me by saying yes. and I might, but I find it so much more interesting because I understand buildings because of him.

thanks babe. you are my knight in shining armor.

oh, and did I mention he flew us FIRST CLASS?

yeah, he is pretty princely.

love notes

birthday celebrations June 2008

I love that you are so young at heart.

I love how my heart melts when you smile at me with those deep "smiley" eyes.

I love how giddy you get over snowfall, even though it means you will be with me less.

I love the conviction of your testimony. though I have rarely heard it in words; I see it in action.

I love that I still get butterflies when you gently take my hand, or guide me by holding the small of my back.

I love the way our daughters light up when you FINALLY get home from work.

I love that you call me to shoot the breeze when you're driving to meetings, or on your way home. I love how you stay on the phone until you've walked in the door.

I love the details about your day and the way you wrap me up as you say hello.

I love that you enjoy your profession, and that you are so talented at what you do.

I love that after 12 years of marriage, I still can't fall asleep without you holding me close until I have slipped into dream land.

I love that you are mine, for all time and eternity. along with the beautiful three we have brought into this world together.

I love to be close to you, even after a long day, when nothing is said between us.

I love that you are the person I most want to share things with. my closest friend and confidant.

I love to see you smile and interact with our girls. I love to see how in love with you they have become.

I love that although life is rarely perfect around here, you are happy. and that makes me happy, too.

LOTOJA2008

we did it! we made it! we survived and then some!

what an amazing and near perfect weekend away.

"near perfect?" you ask. well, we did have a few mechanical hiccups causing us to just make our goal, rather than blowing said goal by hours rather than minutes. those are the breaks. and since it was mechanical and not physical we will take it with no complaint.

but the rest of the weekend more than made up for any disappointment en route. to be more than 200 miles from the stress of our reality for two days. truly worth the means of transportation. I am already looking forward to next year's relay. anybody with me?

Sarah and Todd were our chaperone's for the week end. more like our long weekend "play date". we had a blast riding across the finish line and hanging out with these two. it was great to watch them ease right into the racing circuit and really show off their metal. tough competitors those two. and Todd educated us about the places to be in Jackson, WY. we even learned a little about bovines and their mating rituals. but that is another post all together. or not.

this was the perfect precursor to the madhouse that is our life right now.

the relay was the perfect balance to supporting riders and having fun. we all enjoyed watching for and cheering on John Sr. and Amber during their 206 miles of fun. both of them finished in great time and with energy to spare. John Sr. didn't even get off his bike for the duration of the race. talk about hard core. and Amber killed it like we knew she would. if you haven't heard all about it yet Patrick breaks it down very nicely right here. great commentary.

many thanks to my mom and especially my sister and to Mat; who weathered the troops here at home so we could get saddle soar. the adventures with Aunt Jessa are a favorite topic this week. and she survived the week end in our dungeon bedroom while girls fell from their bunks in the middle of the night. (I swear that's never happened before!)

looking forward to LOTOJA'09! it just sounds so relaxing right now.

a husband, a bike, and a weekend get away

wish us luck.

I get a whole weekend to myself with this guy. and another very cool couple.

the only catch is we all get to spend the majority of our Saturday on our bikes.

at different times.

riding a very very long ways.

after last years experience, John was determined to participate.

but he lovingly sacrificed for my goals, and so a relay was the best option.

and then several road blocks popped up.

team members backed out, shoulder surgery, time constraints.

his determination didn't falter.

so after a little convincing, suddenly I was on his team; along with a friends wife.

here is to last minute preparations so I can get his undivided attention.

Jackson, WY here we come!

warning graffic content!

a little more than a week before Graces Baptism, John went to play a little Elders Quorum softball. he had a blast hitting, running and throwing the ball. it was reminiscent of his glory days from little league and he really got into it. so far in that when a ball came flying his way and was just out of reach he went diving after it. he caught the ball and then realized for some reason his arm no longer followed his command. he had blown out his shoulder. what a pain. literally and figuratively.

by the time we made it home the pain was overwhelming so we headed out to the ER to get some pain killers and get a diagnosis going. it was fun to have the doctor come in and let us know he had a grade three injury, "doesn't sound bad" we thought. oh, that's three on a scale of three. ouch. so surgery was the only option. luckily we know a pretty good orthopedic surgeon and the following Monday doled out more meds, a large incision and a couple screws to boot. unfortunately I managed to forget to take pictures of his Doe eyed looks as we waited for the anesthesia to ware off. it would have been such a great payback for some of those after giving birth photos that pop up way too often on our screen saver. bummer.

the injury was pretty wearing on me, not to mention how annoying it was for Johnny. avoiding hs right shoulder could sometimes prove to be an interesting process for all of us in the tiny space we are occupying these days. it was amusing to watch him try to raise his right arm as he baptized Grace the following Saturday. and the giant sling he wore was a hoot too.

Now several weeks later all is "healed" and the screws removed. for two weeks now John has tried to get me to post the video of the removing his "hardware". to get him off my case here is the evidence. it isn't really gross but it is pretty crazy! be warned.

The Barrows Green House

This is the House that John designed for our good friends Anne and Shane Barrow.

after living in Sacramento and then a stint in Bakersfield they decided to move out of the haze and settle in Coarsegold, CA. They live a whopping 40 minutes south of Yosemite National Park, one of the big reasons they chose to move here. They love being outdoors.

John was so thrilled to see this house come to fruition. not only does the design fit into his favorite category, but it is also a green home, at the insistence/persistence of Shane and Anne. John and Shane researched a variety of building materials, Shane wanted to try hay bales originally, but they finally settled on these foam filled "blocks" and wall sections (you can ask them for the actual terminology, I still think of it all in terms of Lincoln logs and Lego's). You would never know that this house was built differently, but the insulation factors are amazing.

The other really amazing factor is Shane built it himself - no contractor, not even an architect near enough to stop by occasionally and check it out. He did a fabulous job, and is still doing a fabulous job as John and he are still coming up with details to add and he is still doing the finish work. the opportunity to get the stucco painted has not presented itself, but I think you can see how well this home will blend into its surrounding once they get to that. I am filled with wonder as I look at how hard it must have been, so much braver than I would be

this is the view from the master bedroom - I envy their balcony. they have often slept "out" since they moved into the house! most morning their yard is dotted with deer, and I heard more than one coyote howling at the night sky while we were visiting.

these shots are of the great room/common area of the house. Anne stained their concrete flooring all by herself. I love the light in these rooms - I love that they can live without window coverings, for lack of immediate neighbors.

Anne and Shane both have invested so much of themselves in their home, and it shows. they live "off the grid" providing their own solar power. I am so excited and happy for them, living in a way that supports their convictions, true green living at its best! they must have had a fabulous architect. (I am a little biased, but only slightly)

He ROCKED the Race!

I am finally posting an update on the big RACE! Many of you have inquired so here are the details. TEAM JSA made a great showing:

Johnny Rocked his Race finishing in 10 hours 56 minutes - and took a bonus: King of the MOUNTAIN for his starting group! He was thrilled to be finished and to have rode a great race! He has said he isn't interested in riding the entire race again, but would love to share the joy and get a group to relay with him. I am skeptical that he will stick by that so I have to write it down some where so I can hold him to it!

John SR. Also rode a fabulous race, with a finish time of 12 hours 11 minutes - he rode that thing solo and rode it strong! He came in 19 out of 55 on the King of the Mountain - STRONG I tell you!

Patrick completed his 206 miles - He wouldn't cave and that shows his tenacity! Good job Alabama boy!

Amber had to stop at mile 125, but I hear she is already talking about a rematch.

WAY TO GO TEAM!

This race was amazing - the racers, the supporters, the whole event was incredible! As a first time supporter it was overwhelming to see how many participants there were all around. Very inspiring - maybe I'll be posting for us both in 2008. It was a bit much for our girls to apprieciate, but they loved cheering for their daddy and Grandpa and couldn't wait to see Amber and Patrick at the finish line! I know we'll be doing this again at some point so I'm glad to have had this chance to figure things out for next time! See you in o8 people!

206 Miles to GO!

This summer has been spent in much anticipation for John and I. Starting Early last spring John began training for a 200+ mile bike ride at the end of the summer. The ride is Called the LOtoJA (the LO to JA, or Latoja if you like it to roll off the tongue). The race starts in Logan Utah and crosses threes state lines to end in Jackson Wyoming. Long way to go on a bike.

John has spent time every morning riding his bike, and most of the day each Saturday. He has also completely changed his physique to enable him to ride farther with less effort; losing 30 pounds since last March. All summer long I have tried hard to be supportive of John's training. Giving up any chance of my own to be in good physical shape, allowing him to spend big bucks on the right bike shorts, and creams, and computers. And just holding my tongue when I would rather scream than ask, "how was your ride?" I never thought we would finally get here, and we could move on from training for the big one, but it is finally here! I really am so proud of him and his amazing biking body! He's always been really cute, but now ooh la la! That, so far has been the greatest benefit. My now ultra fit hubby!

Well, the count down ends Saturday Morning! We have been plotting and planning all week long, figuring out drive times for me and the girls so we can meet him at rest stops. Calculating calorie intake and output so he will be properly fueled. Estimating how fast he needs to ride to make his time goal (he has to ride close to 20 miles per hour!) And I am trying to keep my mind here in the present. So easily I could begin to panic over how, now that we can share the morning shift, am I gonna get fit again? Or how is this going to affect him as he tries to shift gears and then we hit his next big thing, skiing. Oh, the butterflies I feel as I am writing this down! I know he can do this - one reason I fell in love with him is because he just gets things done. And he is ready to do this thing!

Please remember Johnny and his JSA Team (Amber, Patrick, and John Sr. too) in your prayers this weekend! And pray for me, and our girls and April, too - a day alone in the car with kids racing between rest stops! Wish us all a quick and safe arrival! I'll keep you posted!

GO JOHNNY! You CAN Do It! We Believe in YOU! TAKE LUCK!

Johnny's been Tagged

Jobs held
1. Plumber's Assistant

2. Greenhouse

3. Mexican food delivery

4. Bar tender (know idea if i was any good)

Movies I can watch over and over
1. Falling Down

2. Office Space

3. Hero

4.

Guilty Pleasures

1. Powder during work

2. M+M's

3. Powder during family time

4. naps

Places I've Lived

1. Sugarhouse

2. San Diego

3. Holladay

4. Sugarhouse

Television Shows I watch

1. The Black Donnelly's

2. Studio 60

Things I most likely thought when I first saw/met my significant other

1. She... is the one?

2. Stop dating my friend's

3. Look at me..... Look at me

4.

Place's I've been on Vacation

1. Kuaii

2. Playa Del Carmen

3. Barbareta, Honduras

4. Moab

My Favorite Foods

1. California Burrito (Molca Salsa)

2. Red Iguana - can you pick one item?

3. Tomato Soup at the Soup Kitchen

4. Power Gels

Websites I visit Daily

1. SteepandCheap.com

2.

3.

4.

Body Parts I've Injured

1. Sprained Ankle

2. Brooken Foot

3. Apendicidus

4. Hernia

Awards I've Won

1. Amanda

2. Master Project Factulty Choice Award

3.

4.

Nicknames I have had

1. Johnny

2.

3.

4.

ELEVEN!

Today marks the eleventh year of our marriage! So much has happened in these last years since we were joined forever. Three daughters, two degrees, Two remodels and a dog later, we are still together and still HAPPY. Recently I read an article on MSN.COM about the secrets to a good marriage. As I looked over the list; many of the items, I was surprised, were not big secrets. I don't think I have figured this marriage thing out completely, but it is reassuring to know that what some of those older couples shared, we already knew - even if if we haven't perfected it yet. What a great gift, to know we are getting some of it right.

Today we have big plans - so big our 4 yr old, Ella said she dreamt all night about our anniversary. John and I are riding roller coasters today! One of my favorite things to do. as I thought about it - marriage is one big roller coaster, there are good days and bad, loop-di-loops, and lurches and lots of fantastic butterflies and thrills. Is there a better way to learn to enjoy all these ups and downs in life? I love that John and I have so much fun together, such a great reminder of why I fell for him - thrills and adventure. I also love all the reasons I am still in love with him. I know I am so lucky to have a husband who keeps his covenants and strives to be a great father as well as a sexy husband to boot! So grateful for a supportive and loving partner in this life, and the promise that we can keep it going forever sure sounds like fun to me!

Happy Aniversary to US!

I Believe in Fairytales

Yes, it is true. I believe in fairy tales. And not just because I got to marry my very own prince. You see, when I very first laid eyes on him it was literally love at first sight. (Well at least 15 year old love.) And over the last 18 years of my life I have had the privilege of falling in love with the same guy over and over again.

John has a very intense nature. He takes his passions very seriously - he works hard and plays harder. I have always admired his eagerness to excel at everything he does. He is resolute in his testimony and his dedication to the gospel. He adores his daughters. He is tireless and unstoppable when he sets a goal. He is a person I can admire and look up to, but still feel equal to at the end of the day. He loves to laugh and have fun. He takes time each day to be a dad and a husband. And he is patient with me when I fall short. He is, to me, everything a real prince should be.

Today is that guys birthday, and I just gotta say I am one lucky little damsel.

Happy Birthday, Prince Charming - many more great years are still to come.

The Man behind the Girls

When I first met Johnny, the only thought I had was that he was the cutest boy I had EVER seen! The thought never crossed my teenage mind that this would be my furture husband and the father of my children. Lucky he was so cute.

Years later - after lots and lots of history that same boy took me skiing. Unknowingly I was auditioning for my furture. You see in his mind it was required that his wife and family know how to ski. And know ten plus years later I like to think there are two places he is the happiest. On some mountain top surrounded by lots of cold ski powder and surrounded by his little ladies. He is an amazing man and add to that a great Father who adores his girls. Lucky me that he is mine!