The Crandell Family

Perspective

2011-07-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

Perspective is what you get when you've had time to be away from something for a while. To look back on it and ponder. I guess you could say that's what I've been doing for the last 2 months. Has it really been that long? *Sigh* Even with time passing, and perspective gained, there is still a sadness and a sort of depressing wishfulness attached to my memories of Ironman St. George. I know I did my best...yet I didn't get to finish. I had an amazing experience...but it was horrible at the same time. People tell me they're so proud of me and that I'm an ironman...but I can't fully let myself believe it or take any praise. I know the journey is the reward. I truly know that. And my journey was AMAZING! And yet...no "reward" to take home with me. No memories of crossing the finish line and crying while hugging my family and friends. No medal around my neck. No memory of the announcement: "Jenny Crandell, you ARE an Ironman!" Only wishful thinking that it could have been different. I don't mean for this to be a sad post, I just simply want you to know why it's taken me so long to get back to blogging, and to tell you my story. I was sad. I still am sad sometimes. But I'm OK. So...here's what happened, from start to finish. (Fair warning, it could be lengthy!)

Before I even left for Utah I was really emotional. I kept tearing up at every little thing. I was happy and grateful and appreciative and nervous all rolled into one, and that makes for an emotional roller coaster no one needs to be on! :) My students (did I ever mention that I had the BEST class in the whole world last year??) threw me a little surprise going away party with lots of cards, balloons, a basket full of great things, and a million hugs! I cried (see above re: emotional roller coaster), and they all promised to be praying for me and watching my progress online. Then that night my young women class from church brought me over a basket full of goodies and a big poster with notes all over it. Yep...cried again! I was just so overwhelmed with everyone's love and support for me. I knew that with all the prayers and well wishes and good thoughts coming my way, NOTHING could stop me from crossing that finish line. Not only did I not want to disappoint myself - I didn't want to disappoint anyone else!

My sweet class!

I got to St. George on Tuesday night. I was lucky enough to stay with Dan Vincent and his adorable family, along with Sarah Hankel (2 of the captains) in a really nice house he had rented. It was perfect! We checked in to the Ironman village on Wednesday morning, and I'm telling you - I sort of felt like a rock star. :) It was surreal in a way. A year before I had been there as a volunteer with the opportunity to sign up for a race that was a YEAR away...and now that whole entire year had passed! How had that happened?? It was definitely a different experience to be there as an athlete. You get a wrist band that must be kept on at all times as your ticket into everything, you get your number tattooed onto your body (which sort of makes you feel cool when you're going around town because everyone knows you're racing in the ironman...you're actually racing in that crazy thing! And you deserve to be there...that's how I felt). I walked around looking at everyone else and wondering if they felt as nervous as me, and as out of place. I wondered if they were looking at others and then second guessing themselves like I was. I had all those thoughts, and yet secretly in the back of my mind I really did think there was NO WAY I wouldn't finish this thing. I knew I had trained enough. And I knew I was ready. But it was still scary!

During those couple days leading up to the race we didn't do much working out. We did go to the Sand Hollow Reservoir to swim in the water Wednesday and Thursday morning. HOLY CRAP! 56 degrees is COLD! The first day it was really windy, so the water was cold and seriously choppy! Kind of freaked me out a little. But once we got swimming it was fine. My face and hands were certainly numb, though!

Dan, me, Vic, Tiffany, and Annie

We got our bags that we were supposed to fill up with whatever we would need for each transition and special needs area, and we did lots of talking and strategic planning as we filled those up. Thursday night was the athlete's dinner, and they had a program prepared for us. It was fun to see the videos and be part of this HUGE crowd of athletes all here to do the same thing. The athlete meeting after the dinner kind of freaked me out a little with all the talk of time cut offs and medical needs, and violations, etc. But it was still a good evening.

Friday came, and with it...SERIOUS freak out mode for me. Up until this point I had not really been that worried, and had just been more excited than anything to finally get to this race that I had been training for for so long. But Friday morning we had to have our bags completely packed and then turned in to the transition areas by 3:00. Here is where it gets bad...I had been using Carbo Pro as the fuel I put into my water to give me calories and carbs on my long rides. I had also been eating Clif bars and Shot Bloks as energy sources. They had started making me sick to my stomach, so I had been trying new things (which is a NO NO when you are doing a race of this size. You don't change ANYTHING, especially the day of the race). I had never used electrolyte tabs in my water. When I left to Utah I was flying, so I didn't bring the giant bottle of Carbo Pro with me because it didn't fit in my suitcase (well, it probably could have, but I didn't want to put it in there). I knew Troy was driving up with the kids on Friday, so I would just get it from him then. Unfortunately I didn't realize that I had to have everything already turned in to transition by Friday afternoon...and therefore, my Carbo Pro was NOT available when I needed it. I should've just bought a new thing, but it's $35.00 and I didn't want to spend the money. So when Friday morning came around and Sarah and Dan had their bags completely packed and ready to go, and I didn't, I just freaked out. I started sobbing uncontrollably and completely doubting my sanity in even signing up for this race. I could not stop. I was scared to death. And I was unprepared. What was I thinking???

After quite a while I sort of calmed down and Dan told me I should just mirror his nutrition and use his stuff. (BIG NO NO ON DAY OF RACE!!!) I had no other options at this point, so that's what I did. I got my bags ready and we were off to turn them in to transition. We BARELY made it before the 3:00 cut off.

After that he dropped me off at the hotel where I finally got to see my family. Insulindependence had planned a big dinner that night for all the athletes and their families, as well as our triabuddies and their families. It was great to see London (my buddy) and her family! They had awards for each of us, and it was really a nice evening. My sister Dana came up to cheer me on, and she and I sang the song "For Good" from the musical Wicked at the end of the evening. I made it through without crying, which I didn't think I could do!

London and me!

That night my dad gave me a blessing that all would go well with my ironman, and I said lots of prayers. I didn't sleep A BIT. Not one single tiny little bit. I even took 2 melatonins...but it didn't matter. I was wide awake. I had been receiving text messages and emails all day from friends and family, and I was feeling so loved and supported. It was great.

I "woke up" Saturday morning at 3:30 am, and I was surprisingly completely calm. All the fear from the day before was gone. I was excited, and I was ready. I knew all my hard work from the last year was about to pay off, and I could not wait! We ate breakfast at the hotel, my blood sugars were good, and we got on the bus to take us to the starting area. It was exciting to see everyone there getting their bikes ready, checking last minute things in their bags, and waiting in the LONG lines for the bathrooms! :) (I made it JUST IN TIME to get my wet suit on and get in line!)

This is what the bikes looked like at the transition area. This was when we dropped them off the day before.

Annie (who finished), Dan (who was sent to hospital with BS of 600 +), and me before starting race

Touching up my tattooed number 197

Walking down the chute to the water with Sarah, Andrea, and Dan was one of the greatest moments of the day. I was smiling and happy and excited. I felt great! (I was thirsty...really really thirsty...and that would play into the whole day going wrong, but I didn't know it at the time). I took some drinks from Sarah's water bottle, wishing I had more, and then we were in the water.

I'm the one in the pink cap looking up :)

Since I'm a strong swimmer I decided to make my way up to the front of the group. The water was freezing cold. Like 58 degrees. But I had on my wet suit, a neoprene cap as well as 2 regular caps, neoprene booties, and ear plugs. I was just fine! I'm telling you what, though...NO ONE prepared me for the craziness of an ironman start. HOLY SHNIKES! I'm a strong swimmer, remember? It didn't matter. It was CRAZY in there! I was scared and panicky because people were ruthless. They just swim right over you, grab your legs, kick, elbow, you name it! I knew this could happen, but I'd never felt that panic before. I decided I could let it get to me, or I could just keep swimming. And that's what I did. You literally couldn't stop because there was always someone there. So I just swam as hard as I could. When someone would grab my leg I would kick hard and keep going! Soon I had a rhythm going in my head. I had watched the video "You are a champion" on You Tube the night before, and every stroke I would say: "I am a champion!" It worked. It helped me! The only bad thing was that my legs started cramping up about halfway through the swim. Especially when I would have to kick hard at someone trying to grab my leg. It scared me because that had NEVER happened before! I was trying to keep kicking while flexing my leg to get rid of the cramp.

I made it to the end, and I was 13th in my age group! I got out of the 2.4 mile swim in 71 minutes, and I felt GREAT! Literally...I wasn't even tired. I wasn't cold. I was just ready for the next part! :) There were people there to rip my wet suit off for me (which was awesome), and then when I got into the changing tent there was someone there who literally did everything for me to get me ready. I ran out to get my bike, which they brought to me, and I was off and going and couldn't keep the smile off my face! It was so cool to see my family there cheering me on, and my friends from Insulindependence. I loved hearing all the cow bells, and I loved being in the race.

The bike is 112 miles. The first 28 miles take you from the swim to the bike loop, which is 42 miles, so you do the loop twice. The first 28 miles I knew I needed to eat and hydrate a lot. I had put electrolyte tablets in my water (which, remember, I'd never done before), and it tasted like grapefruit fizz. I have a really sensitive stomach. It doesn't like anything flavored. It gets sick easily (and yet never ever wants to throw it up). The grapefruit fizz was terrible! I was regretting that right from the start. Also, I was trying to drink the fuel Dan had given me. I made myself drink as much as I could...but I started to feel sick. I made it to the loop feeling great, and only slightly nauseous, and still really excited.

I knew there were a LOT of hills on this bike route. One in particular is called "The Wall" because it is so steep, but is less than a mile long. Just before the wall they have an aid station. I stopped there to check my blood sugar, and I was in the low 200s, which was just great! I had made it up a lot of tough hills, and I was ready for the wall. I got there and I made it to the top without having to stop and walk my bike! It was HARD! I almost felt like throwing up...but I didn't! All the hill training I had done here was worth it. I knew it was pretty much downhill after leaving Veyo, and then I would start the next loop and do those hills all over again. I checked my blood sugar at the top of the hill. 87. Woa! That hill took a lot out of me. I ate some fruit snacks, drank some more fuel, and took off. I was really starting to feel sick.

It was getting very hot, and my stomach was really starting to hate me. I finally decided to dump my water with the grapefruit fizz tabs and refill it with different water, but unfortunately that flavor stayed with me for quite a while. When I finally made it to the special needs station I stopped and got my bag, ate some of the orange slices I had in there, got some more water, threw out the water bottle with the fuel and just replaced it with plain water...I knew that was probably bad, yet I couldn't even think about swallowing any more of that stuff.

A little while later I made it to the end of the first loop. 70 miles down. I was REALLY sick. But just then I saw my whole family cheering for me and that gave me a serious boost! :) I knew there would be times during this race that I would want to quit. Everyone says that. There are "dark moments" where you're sure you want to die, and you could care less about finishing. But I also knew those would pass and I would have to fight through them. I kept thinking (for the last 42 miles) that that was all it was. I got excited after seeing my family and tried my hardest to just think about good things. I knew I only had 42 miles left to go, and I WAS going to finish! I also knew the crazy freaking hills I had ahead of me, and I was scared.

As I was riding away from them and into town it was slightly flat or downhill...and I was only going like 10 mph. I knew that was bad. My legs just didn't want to go any faster. They also started to cramp REALLY bad. Like, rippling legs, siezing up on me, really painful cramps. I was a little more scared. I knew I needed more water, and really more fuel. I decided to stop on the side of the road and try to eat one of my clif bars. I tried to throw up first, though. I just kept thinking that if only I could throw up I'd feel better (kinda like when I was pregnant and sick ALL DAY LONG, but never threw up!). Well, I was unsuccessful in throwing up, so I just tried to eat my bar. I took one bite and did my darndest to chew and swallow, but I literally could not. My mouth was so dry and this chunky peanut butter bar was just making it more dry, and my stomach was refusing to take it in. A policeman came running up to me asking if I was OK or if I needed medical attention. I told him I just felt sick, but was fine. I was NOT quitting. I just needed to take a little rest. My blood sugars were just fine at this point, too.

I finally got back on the bike, and literally just around the corner was an aid station! :) I should've just gone a little farther! But I stopped there, too. I tried to go to the bathroom...almost fell asleep just sitting in there! They were so great at all the aid stations. Someone would hold your bike, give you water, pour water on you, clean your glasses, get you food...whatever you needed! I kept wishing I could drink their Powerade or eat their Gu's, but I just couldn't! That stuff makes me want to throw up and I already felt like throwing up! As I left the aid station my aunt Lucy was there cheering me on. I told her I felt sick, but I just kept going.

Troy (and Cooper) cheering me on

The back roads on this loop are quite lonely. Oh...and it was 95 degrees by this time. The race started at 7 am, and it was probably 1:30 by this time. I had slowed down drastically, and I was just trying to make it to the end of the bike so that I could walk the marathon. And really, at this point I was afraid I wouldn't even be able to do that because of how sick I was feeling. It was agony. Literally. It seemed like an ETERNITY before getting to the next aid station (which is the one just before The Wall). I stopped one other time to force myself to eat some honey stingers. Then I just kept going until I made it to the aid station. I did walk my bike up one or two hills, but other than that I just plugged along.

This is a picture of The Wall

When the aid station FINALLY came into view I thought I would cry. I wasn't the only one. Athletes were just dropping off their bikes and laying down on the grass because there was a big tree which actually provided shade. I laid there for quite a while. I tried to throw up again. No luck. Finally I realized I'd better get going or I would miss the time cut off. I got up to leave and literally thought I would throw up right there. A lady brought me a chair and told me to put my head between my legs. She got me water and cleaned my glasses and asked if I wanted anything to eat. Nope. At this point I couldn't even keep water in. I would put it in my mouth to cool it off, then spit it out because my stomach didn't want it.

I finally got up. I started riding. I knew the wall was coming up soon. When I got there 2 guys were there cheering people on and helping them have motivation to go up the hill. I saw MANY people walking their bikes up at this point. They yelled to me to stand up and do it! So...I did. I stood up and started riding up the steep hill. They cheered like crazy for me! And it really helped. But it was short lived. My dehydrated and cramping muscles just couldn't take it. So I sat back in my seat, and then eventually I got off. I started walking my bike up the hill while trying not to throw up. It was SO HOT. I was SO SICK. I didn't know how I was going to finish this race, but I was going to finish it. Then I thought maybe I should just sit down for a minute, so I did. A guy came up and said: "Come on, get up! Just keep walking. You can do it!" And he waited for me to get up. So I kept walking. I got to the sign that said 90 miles, and I HAD to sit down again. I couldn't help it. I had been trying so hard for so long to get out of this "dark moment" and it just wasn't working.

I laid down. 2 motorcycle sag people came up to me asking if I needed a ride, and I told them both "No. I'm fine. I just need a break, and then I will be going." But, the next thing I know someone is sitting me up and pouring water on my head and putting ice on my neck. I guess I had passed out. They asked me if I needed help into the car, and I just cried and said: "No! I'm finishing this race. I only have 22 miles to go and then I'll walk the marathon!" They were very patient with me, and very understanding. They told me that I really needed to get into the car because my mouth was dry, I had goose bumps, I couldn't drink anything, I was nauseous, and if I didn't get in now I'd probably end up with heat stroke, which could be deadly. They said I needed to go to the medic tent because I had severe dehydration and heat exhaustion. I told them no. Lots of times. But finally, crying as I went, they helped pick me up and get me into the van.

I'm crying as I write this. Because it just sucks, you know?? All that training. All those prayers and well wishes. All that time...and I couldn't do it. And I had to call Troy and tell him they pulled me off the course. I didn't call for a while because I was just too sad. When I finally did I felt like a total failure. There were 5 other athletes in the car by the time we got to the medic tent. And 2 other vans were full of athletes who couldn't finish for one reason or another. All in all I think 600 athletes didn't finish this race (including the pro who won it last year. I saw him pull out of the race).

Of course everyone was supportive and loving, and no one said they were disappointed in me. I was just disappointed in myself. I raced for 8 1/2 hours, which is a great accomplishment...but not as great as completing a whole ironman. I realized that I was dehydrated going into this race. I should've been hydrating all week, and drinking lots of electrolytes - but I hadn't been. I also learned that I really need to figure out what nutrition will work for me because clearly using someone else's didn't work - and mine wasn't all that fine tuned either (since things were making me sick leading up to the race).

I went back to the hotel and cried. I didn't want to talk to anyone, and yet everyone was calling to find out what had happened. I got ready, and then went back out to the race to support my friends who were still racing. Sadly, out of 10 triabetes people that raced, only FOUR finished! It was a crazy day for everyone. Nothing went right. But the 4 that finished did awesome! We stayed til midnight watching the last one cross the finish line, and it was a very very bitter sweet time for me. I was so proud of them and so happy for them, and yet so sad that I didn't get to share in that victory.

So...that was my race. Not the race I had hoped for. Not the race I had dreamed of. And certainly not the race report I wanted to be writing. However, one thing I did realize was that I WAS ready for this race. I was able to do those crazy hard hills. I could have completed it. And strangely enough, after I DIDN'T finish, I felt more confident that I could have finished than I did before I started the race. I have to finish one of these things. So, I'm racing in the Rev 3 Irondistance race in Sandusky, Ohio on September 11. And I'm doing it with 6 other captains from triabetes! After I finish that race, I'm going to hang up my 140.6 ironman hat, and just compete in 70.3 ironmans. The half distance is awesome, and much more doable. This year was hard, and it took its toll. But it was great, too. I just want to thank everyone who helped in any way. Everyone who donated money. Everyone who sent me notes of encouragement and support. Everyone who helped take care of my kids. Everyone who understood why I couldn't be at some function or other. Everyone who worked out with me. And everyone who loved me and made me feel like I could do it. I appreciate you all more than you could ever know, and more than my meager words can convey. I have gained a lot of perspective throughout this whole thing, but more than anything I have realized the amazing capacity the human body has to endure hard things (whether physical, emotional, or spiritual), and the amazing goodness of people. So...to everyone: THANK YOU.

2 Weeks To Go

2011-04-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

A year ago I signed up to do the craziest thing I've ever even considered doing in my whole life. I signed up to do an Ironman. Me! An Ironman. The craziest thing about that is when I was younger I was always a sprinter, whether that was in swimming or running, I could only sprint for a short distance, and then I was done. I had no endurance in me. In fact, my senior year of high school I decided to do cross country at the same time as swimming because I wanted it to help me train for track. I was a joke as far as cross country went. I would always come in near the end of the pack. I think the longest training run I did was 5 miles, and I really thought I would die. (It did take 2 seconds off my 50 free time in swimming, though!) I was NOT a distance athlete. I had no endurance in me. I had no mental toughness to keep going when the going got tough.

Fast forward 20 years, 3 kids and LOTS of pounds later, I'm not in any shape (but round), and I'm even LESS of an endurance athlete than ever. After my 3rd baby I decide I'm sick of being fat and I start going to the gym. I work out (a lot) for a year, and I lose maybe 20 pounds. Then I am diagnosed with T1 Diabetes. Wha?? I put some weight back on when I start on insulin. :( Grrrr. My sister proposes a triathlon, and I am in. Training for that triathlon does something to me. I get hooked. I get completely crazy about training and racing and feeling good about myself and meeting new and amazing people and losing weight and being "an athlete." (I realize, I'm not really an athlete...I'm pretty much a wolf in sheep's clothing, but it feels exciting to be part of "that crowd").

One year after beginning real training I've lost about 40 pounds, and I've completed my first marathon. Oh yes I did! Still...I'm NOT an endurance athlete. I still don't really consider myself an athlete. But I'm continuing on this journey. I find this group of other diabetic athletes, and I feel like I'm really "one of them!" Except secretly in my head I still think I'm fooling everyone. They all sound like "real athletes" that know what they're doing and have done lots of racing. Me? Not so much. But I like talking with them about how to deal with the 'betes and training, and I continue to train. And craziest of all...Peter Nerothin (founder of Insulindependence) calls me up and asks me if I want to be a Triabetes team captain. Me. A team captain. As in, compete in a FULL IRONMAN in a year. WHA??? But I've only ever done a couple of sprint tris (and not that spectacularly either), and again...I'm NOT an endurance athlete. I'm not really an athlete, remember?

For whatever reason (insanity?) I said: "Yes." Holy shnikes, what a difference in my life that ONE word made. It changed everything. In one year I have:
1) Met 8 other inspirational diabetic team captains who are now friends for life
2) Met DOZENS of other diabetic athletes that have helped me and supported me along the way
3) Worked with diabetic kids who have taught me a lot about dealing with the 'betes
4) Worked my butt (quite literally) OFF
5) Gone from being able to ride 12 miles on my bike to 100
6) Gone from being able to run 10 - 11 minute miles to running 8 - 9 minute miles
7) Trained from 2 - 4 hours a day when all I wanted to do was stay at home
8) Conquered hills in both riding and running that I NEVER thought I would
9) Been contacted by random diabetics who have looked to me for help and guidance and have told me I inspired them. (Me? Wow).
10) Lost now a total of 52 pounds and (and have not much to wear because of it! :)
11) And I have realized that even though I will NEVER be a podium finisher, and I will NEVER be super fast...I am an athlete. I am an ENDURANCE athlete. And I WILL finish this Ironman in St. George in 2 weeks. Me. An Ironman finisher.

I completed a 96 mile ride that had 7000 feet of climbing. I rode 92 miles by myself. I ran 18 miles by myself. I spent hour after hour after hour (by myself) at the gym riding, running, and swimming. I have trained with an amazing friend (who is training for IMAZ), and been so grateful for her support (Hey Sharon!), I have met a great tri group in Mesa that has helped me immenselfy (Hey IronGear!), and I have fought my brain and WON on multiple occasions where it yelled at me to quit, to give up, to stop trying to do something I'm not capable of, and I yelled back to my brain NO! And I finished every single thing I set out to do.

Except one thing. My 20 mile run. I went to run and just couldn't do it. I was in so much pain. The same pain I felt in October when I DNFed the St. George marathon. It was freaking me out because it hurt so bad, and I thought for sure I would never be able to do the Ironman when I couldn't even run my training run. Then 2 weeks later I competed in the Marquee triathlon (which was turned into a duathlon), and my first 2 legs I did great (ran 3.1 miles in 25:19, rode 25 miles in 1:25 (about 17.6 mph), and then the third leg was a 6.2 mile run. I basically run/walked it because of that BLASTED pain! My time? 1:10, which was like an almost 12 min/mile pace.) I was DYING. I couldn't breathe. I felt all this pressure under my ribs, and it HURT. I was almost in tears the whole time, and it just got worse and worse the longer I ran. I finally went to the doctor and he diagnosed me with allergy induced asthma. ASTHMA!! Weird! But since being on Singulair and having a puff on an inhaler before each big workout, NO PROBLEMS! So....now I feel better about the run portion of the race, but it is still my biggest fear.

So...one year later I am ready for this race to be here. I am ready to face my demons and just do it. I'm ready to have my life back. And I'm ready to truly be able to say: Jenny Crandell...You ARE an Ironman! Which is the penultimate of endurance athletes. And then there's no way my brain can tell me I'm a faker. I will have earned the title...and it's one I will keep FOREVER.

2 weeks people. 2 weeks...

IronGirl Jenny's Fundraising Page

2011-04-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

IronGirl Jenny's Fundraising Page

My Video! (Again)

2011-04-09T11:05:00.001-07:00

VIDEO OF ME AS TRIABETES TEAM CAPTAIN!!

Hey everyone! Here is ME...on Insulindependence TV :) This is part of the documentary that Blair Ryan has been working on all summer. She has completed all the videos, so if you have time you can navigate through the site and watch the other 8 captains videos as well. What a great experience! :) Watch through the whole thing...my boys at the end are kind of funny. Hopefully this will help everyone to understand what exactly it is I'm doing...and why. What an amazing organization Insulindependence is. It has changed my life for the better. And I truly have been changed for good. :)

Enjoy!

B is for Brooklyn's Baking Birthday Bash!

2011-04-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

See this cute little girl? That's my Brooklyn. She turned 5 on March 12, and to celebrate we had a big birthday bash! (She got the new pink outfit, and I did her hair in a cool little updo, too!) We decided to have a baking party, so we called it: "Brooklyn's Baking Birthday Bash." My mom is wonder woman with a sewing machine, and since I have no spare time in my insane life (and I don't sew even if I DID have spare time), she just whipped up 13 super cute aprons for all the little chefs who came over.

Here's Brooklyn and Cousin Jayce modeling the boy/girl apron styles for us!

And here are the 5 cousins together: Dane, Morgan, Maggie, Brooklyn, and Jayce. Aren't they cute??

Brooklyn is modeling the chef hat along with the apron here.

When the kids arrived they each got to decorate their own chef hat and put on their apron. Our first major activity after that was to dip little Rhodes rolls in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, then place them in tiny little bread loaf pans. Each child got to take home a perfect little cinnamon bread when we were done. It made our house smell delicious! :)

While the bread was cooking we had a little dance party! Each child got a baby food jar filled with heavy whipping cream and we shook those babies to the sound of Justin Bieber and made BUTTER! This was so cute. The kids really got into it, and couldn't believe it when their milk turned into butter. They got to take that home to eat with their delicious cinnamon bread!

Next we went back to the table to make our lunch. We did "pigs in a blanket" by wrapping hot dogs with crescent rolls and putting them on little wooden skewers. We baked these in the oven and then enjoyed them with carrots/celery, chips, gogurts, and caprisuns. They were certainly not starving at this party!! (While those cooked we played a little game with utensils...but no pics).

We also played "Pin the Moustache on the Chef." I have a friend at work who is an artist, so she just whipped up a little chef guy for me and voila! Party game! This was cute because they each had a different colored moustache and I would call out a different color each time and they couldn't wait until their color was called. It was nice to be able to see whose moustache landed where also. :) My favorite was Morgan's...totally on the wall NEXT to the poster, not even near the face!

Here are the 5 cousins again...Maggie is 3, but the others were born March, June, July, and August of the same year. They have so much fun together!

Brooklyn

Dane

Liberty

Dylan

Jayce

Morgan (love the moustache on the wall!)

Cade

Brayden

Maggie

Isobelle (Brooklyn's bestie) :)

After the game they ate their lunch (and were stuffed!) and then they decorated "Cookie Monsters." There was just so much darn food at this chef party (which makes sense, right??) but they were so full from all of that, that NO ONE had room for cupcakes! I got Brooklyn this cute little "cupcake cake" and we sang and she blew out her candle...and then no one ate any! (My girls at church were happy the next day when they got to eat them instead!)

Santa brought Brooklyn the wrong pillow pet for Christmas (the lady bug) and she was a very good sport about it...but she REALLY wanted the unicorn. So, I helped her out for her birthday!

She also really wanted a DS. Seriously? You're 5. A DS? I think not. So instead, she got the age appropriate Leapster! Much more 5 year old friendly, and a heck of a lot cheaper to boot!

Overall I would call the day a smashing success, and I had a 5 year old little princess who was happy as could be. (I could have NEVER done this without my mom and my sisters, and my friend Julie, so a MILLION thank yous to them)!

When she woke up that morning she came in to me and said: "Mom! Look at how tall I grew! I am 5 and now I am so much taller!" (She's amazon height already, so she really is tall...but not any taller than when she went to sleep the night before). All day she would tell anyone who would listen that she was 5. "I don't have to sleep with the light on anymore because I am 5." "I LOVE being 5 it is the best!!!" She was adorable the whole day. She was happy, excited, and very much the most perfect little 5 year old I could've ever asked for.

This girl is infected with Bieber Fever for sure! She will tell anyone who will listen that she LOVES Justin Bieber! And she can sing all the words to his songs (on key and quite well, I might add), she sat through the movie just enthralled with every bit of it (and sang along in the theatre as well), and she will sing and dance to his music any chance she gets. She cannot wait to go to Zaharis and be in kindergarten next year, and is also quite thrilled to be starting piano and dance in the fall. She will also be starting swim team this year, and I have a feeling this is the one who will actually be a champion. (My boys just never really got into it like I had hoped...I make them swim on the city league every summer, but they're just not that fast, and they just don't seem to care. :( Boo). But this girl? She's got some very natural talents in all areas, and I can see the athleticism in her already. I sure love my Brookie Doodle! Happy Birthday babe!

Ragnar Relay 2011

2011-02-27T18:59:00.000-08:00

Here's my amazingly awesome Ragnar Relay Del Sol team for 2011! We were called the D.C.S. Trail Burners (DCS were the initials of Amy's dad who passed away last year), and we burned some serious trails!!!! Seriously. What a great race! In van 1 there were Troy, me, my sister Dixie, my sister-in-law Lana, my brother-in-law Colby, and my fellow Triabetes captain, Dan. In van 2 there were Leon, Amy, and Chester (bro- sis- and father-in-law), and 3 people I didn't know, Kris, Zane, and Jenny.

This is Sione from the Biggest Loser! He was the announcer at the beginning and end of the Ragnar. He is super cute in person! He was awesome and let us take a picture with him. :)

We started the race at 7:30 am. We probably should've started a little later because our pace times were faster than predicted, but that's OK. It made for a whole different experience, because we were in the 2nd or 3rd position through the whole race (after Troy picked off everyone in his first leg, and we all picked off more people after that - I think we had a total of like 68 road kills!), so we were basically by ourselves the whole time. It was weird to get to a major transition and see all the vans because it felt like there was no one in the race until we saw them all there! (A little scary running completely by yourself in the middle of the night, but cool to know you're totally in front!)

Here is Troy. He started us off on leg #1. He seriously kicked butt! He had an 8.8 mile HARD run, and he kept an average pace of 7:15. He passed every person in our starting group! This picture cracks me up because he wasn't really dying there, but it looks like it. :) (Troy kept a sub 7 pace on his next 2 runs...AMAZING!)

Troy passed the slappy bracelet on to Dixie. She didn't have a watch, so we're not really sure about her paces, but they were fast, and she did great! During the first leg everyone was happy and excited and felt great. Middle of the night legs were a little tougher. :)

Dixie passed the bracelet to me and I had one of my BEST RUNS EVER!!!! I am NOT a fast runner, but I was able to keep a 7:57 pace on this 7 miles! It was downhill, so that helped a ton! I loved it. :) I was feeling great, and realizing that all this Ironman training is REALLY working and paying off. Thank goodness...it gave me hope for May 7! (Although, let's face it...St. George is NOT all downhill. In fact it is relentlessly uphill much of the time. Boo on that).

Just a little proof for everyone! :)

I passed the bracelet on to my bro-in-law, Colby. We were so happy to have him in our van. He's a ton of fun! :) He is a self proclaimed athlete, but NOT a runner. He proved himself wrong, though, because he did AWESOME on all of his runs! Like me he did one Ragnar and was hooked. It is seriously crazy fun.

Colby passed the bracelet on to Dan. He's my fellow Triabetes captain from Washington. He was awesome enough to fly down just to run in the relay with us. And seriously, he was amazing! He had surgery on his toe a week and a half before, and it was still totally infected and very painful and he was able to run low 7 minute miles on all his legs...plus he ran an extra 4 miles with Lana at night so she wouldn't have to run alone. Hello! :) Thanks, Dan!

Dan (being from Washington) had never seen a cattle guard before. Funny, I think! Anyway, so Dixie and Troy made sure to use the orange flags to help warn him of the cattle guard coming up. He just leaped right over it! It was funny. (We had a lot of fun in our van).

Dan passed off to Lana. This was Lana's very first Ragnar, and she did awesome! Plus...she was so great to have in our van because she made homemade pitas and grilled chicken for one of our meals. (Dixie made spaghetti and brought a propane stove to heat up the sauce, too, so we had seriously good food on this little trip!)

And she's still smiling after leg number 1! After our first legs we had about 6 hours to eat and rest, so we went to some high school and had our delicious spaghetti lunch and then laid on the field and TRIED to rest. Seriously, people...there is no sleeping on these things. You can try, but it just doesn't really happen much. It was still fun, though.

We began our next legs at about 6 I think. This is where you have to wear your reflective vests, head lamps and flashing red "butt lights." This is usually one of my favorite runs of the weekend. I love running in the dark! This year I had a good run, but it was definitely my hardest leg. It was only 6.3 miles, but it was HARD because I was diverted from the road to a trail where I nearly sprained my ankle multiple times, had to pass down a seriously steep, rocky downhill section, and then finally made it back to the road section. This leg had hills on it, which I HATE! And...8 coyotes ran across the road in front of me and scared the crap out of me! I was so afraid they were going to turn and chase me, and NO ONE was around! I was by myself the entire time. My first leg I passed 4 people, and only one person passed me the entire time. No one passed me on any other leg, and I wasn't around anyone else ever to try and pass them. Crazy! But my night leg pace was 8:59. Much slower, but still under 9, so I was happy with it!!

When we finally finished our night legs it was about midnight. We were in Anthem at that point, and went to the major exchange...and WAITED and WAITED and WAITED for van 2. They were at the wrong exchange!!! Lame! They finally made it, and 20 minutes later were off and running. We were at a rec center where we ate our yummy pita sandwiches, and then tried our darndest to sleep. It was tough. Not much sleeping going on. And the dumbest part of this Ragnar was that the legs were SO unevenly split between van 1 and van 2. Van 1 ran a total of about 110 miles, and van 2 only about 85. So, we only got to rest for 3 hours before they were done and we had to run again! :( Boo!

Because of that, I ran in the dark TWICE! Weird...that's never happened before! But, my last run turned out awesome. I ran 7.88 miles in 1:03, which gave me an 8:01 pace. I actually thought I was going faster, and thought I was under 8, but that's OK! It was great. Again...all downhill! I LOVE ME SOME DOWNHILL!

We finished our legs at 8:30 and decided to go to my mom and dad's house to have REAL showers and some rest before meeting our teammates at the finish line. We were the 2nd or 3rd team at the exchanges the entire weekend, and it was awesome! But, by the time we finally finished some other teams had passed us. The thing with Ragnar is, they stagger the start times depending on how fast/slow you are. Since we started to early (and ran faster than we thought we would) we were out ahead for the most part. But...the faster groups that started later took LOTS less time! :) Overall we got 78th place - out of 306 teams! I felt pretty dang good with that. And we got 26th out of 129 in our division. Our total time for 197 miles was 28 hours, 45 minutes. Not bad!

This is all the Crandells that participated! Chester (Troy's dad), Leon (Troy's brother), Amy (Leon's wife), me, Troy, and Colby (Troy's sister's husband)

Here are Troy and I at the finish of Ragnar Del Sol 2011. This was Troy's first Ragnar ever, and our first together. We had a blast! We will DEFINITELY do this again!

Letter to the Crandells

2011-02-06T20:32:00.000-08:00

My Dear Crandell Family,

This is a letter from your mom. Oh what? You don't remember me? I'm the tall one with the dark hair. You know, the one who gave birth to you, took care of you when you were sick, read lots of great books to you, cheered you on at each and every game you've ever played in, made you practice the piano even when you screamed bloody murder, required you to do homework before playing video games or watching TV, and tried to teach you how to be good human beings. Remember me?

I can understand if you've forgotten me lately. I seem to be gone all the time. Oh I'm there in the morning when you wake up...just long enough to yell at you to brush your teeth and pick up your messes and be good at school. Then I'm off to work. I get to see my 30 students more than I get to see my own 3 children. They get to have me for 6 whole hours a day. But you? You pretty much get me for 20 minutes in the morning, and (if you're lucky) 20 minutes at night.

Usually, though, night time finds me at the gym while you are doing homework, eating dinner, taking showers, and saying your prayers. I'm running, or swimming, or riding a bike. I'm thinking of you LOTS and LOTS...but it's just that I'm not there to show you that I'm thinking of you. Spending 4 hours at the gym gives me LOTS of time to think. I think about you, Cooper, and I wonder how I can get you to understand that making good choices really will make you happier than making all those bad choices. I remember spending an entire year waking up early with you to read scriptures and talk about Heavenly Father and the good choices He wanted you to make...and how I would do anything to be sure you knew how much I loved you. I think about you, Carter, and wonder how it is that the boy who's supposed to only be in 5th grade (but is in 6th) can possibly be so tall and handsome. And how sad I am that next year you won't be at Zaharis with me. And I'm so impressed with how you can be friends with SO many different kids - and are so easy to get along with, that they all want to hang out with you. I get it. I want to hang out with you, too! I think of you, Brooklyn, and wish I had more time to listen to you sing in your karaoke machine at the top of your lungs, and read stories to you, and take you shopping and out for pedicures. Those are my favorite times with you!

I wonder if the obnoxious attitudes, and the sibling rivalries, and the tensions in the house are all my fault. They might be. An absentee mother is a hard thing for a child to deal with. I know I'm missing out on time I'll never get back again. But I also know it's temporary. This Ironman thing is a one time deal. Oh I may do another one someday...when you're grown up and I don't have to leave you alone. But for now? It's a one time deal. We have 3 more months...90 more days to put up with this. After that? I'm all yours! I'll still exercise. I'll still train for races, because I need goals to reach to keep me focused. But not during the precious hours of the day I get to spend with you. It's not worth it. You guys are only going to be young once...and I don't want to miss a thing!

And I hope that even while I'm not home, I'm teaching you lessons. These are the lessons I hope you're learning:

You can do ANYTHING you put your mind to
Diabetes doesn't have to stop you from living a full life
Hard things require determination, dedication, and commitment
Hard things require work, time, and effort
But it's the HARD that makes it GREAT
When you work your buns off to accomplish something you NEVER dreamed possible, or that someone told you you couldn't do, you will feel AMAZING. And you will have EARNED that feeling.
Never quit. Never give up. Work until you get what you want.
You can inspire others to greatness
And...your mom loves you more than anyone else in the world. She's doing this for you as well as for herself.
Oh...and you have an amazing dad that has stepped up and taken over things at home so that I could teach you these lessons and achieve my dream. You're lucky. Appreciate him. I do.

So Cooper, Carter, and Brooklyn...don't forget about me while I'm gone. Remember how much I love you. Remember how hard it is for me to leave when you're home. Think about the lessons I've taught you before now, and the lessons I'm teaching you still. Then when May 7 comes and I'm crossing that finish line in St. George, be the loudest ones there cheering me on. Be there first to hug and kiss me and tell me you love me. And I promise I'll do the same for you each and every time you accomplish one of your dreams. You have it in you to do great things. Thank you for helping me to accomplish something great, too. But you know what? Even when I cross that finish line and I am "an Ironman," it won't be better than when I got to hold each one of you in my arms after you were born. You ARE the greatest accomplishments of my life. And I love you more than you'll ever know.

Remember that. 90 more days, and Mom will be home to stay.

I love you,
Mom

Carlsbad!

2011-01-30T19:22:00.000-08:00

Oh how I heart Insulindependence and the people I have the privilege to associate with! Last weekend I was able to go to Carlsbad, CA to spend a few days with my favorite people in the world. 6 of the 9 Triabetes captains were there, but along with them were 83 diabetic runners that I got to talk to and hang out with. How cool is that??

I arrived Friday night at around 7 and was picked up from the airport by Dan Vincent and Sarah Hankel (2 of the captains). We went to the hotel to pick up Andrea Huston and then it was off to meet a bunch of people for dinner. We had such a great time just catching up with everyone. Brian Phelps (another captain) was at a different dinner with his triabuddy, Zyler, who was receiving a reward, but Christian Chiappe met us there. It was so great to see everyone!

Saturday was a FULL day. It started off in Legoland where they had the kids 1 mile fun run. Brian and his triabuddy Zyler were running in that, so we went to cheer them on. What a cool event! I wish my triabuddy would have been able to be there. I feel bad because she hasn't been able to be at any of the events we've had, so I feel like she's not really getting what this organization is about, and what it can do for her. I hope she can get to know the other triabuddies in St. George and that it will be a positive experience for her, because from what I have seen everyone who has had a chance to spend time with the other diabetics has had a life changing experience.

After the fun run we went to the beach where we met up with about 100 people for surfing, eating, and fun. I didn't surf (cause I've never surfed in my life before), but I had a great time meeting new people and talking to some I hadn't seen for a while. If it hadn't been cold (well, relatively speaking), and I didn't have a race the next day, I might have tried it...but no. :) Knowing me I probably would've broken something!

Here is Sarah, me, and Veronica Diaz (who is a diabetic nutrition expert. She worked with us in Florida).

Later we went to an endurance expo, then to the Carlsbad expo to pick up our race packets, and then on to the Insulindependence dinner. It was so much fun! Andrea bought these shirts for all the captains that were there (unfortunately Brian had already left when we finally got a picture), but this is one of my favorite pictures! We joked about being "relentlessly awesome" the rest of the time. (And I actually chanted that to myself as I was running the next day...) :)

Christian, Sarah, me, Andrea, Dan

Sunday morning was the actual half marathon. I was REALLY hoping to get a sub 2 hour half marathon. My first 1/2 I got 2:06, so I figured that a year later I better be a lot stronger and faster than that. Dan decided he'd be nice and pace me (he's like crazy fast, and would have just killed the half but he was so kind to run with a slow poke like me!) I had NO IDEA how freaking hilly Carlsbad was!! We started out strong. I was running some sub 8 minute miles at times. Mostly it ranged between 8 and 8:45 the first several miles. But man, as the hills just kept coming and coming and coming, I just couldn't keep that up. I was struggling, and I was frustrated with myself, but kept pushing through. I seriously wanted to quit and walk so much. I did walk a few times up some crazy hills and just through the aid stations to drink water. But mostly I ran. I ended up averaging about 9:03 through the whole thing, which made me finish in 2:02. :( Boo. 3 minutes slower than my goal. 3 minutes is quite a bit of time. If I could have stayed up with Dan I could have done it, but I just didn't have it in me that day. Oh well! Gives me something to work for next time! If I had done it on the same course in Arizona, I KNOW I would've gotten my goal. That race was flat. This was HILLY. Beautiful along the coast, but hilly. As we all know, hills are of the devil and I hate them. Oy. St. George is all hills.....

Here are some pics for you to enjoy:

Dan, Sarah, and I pre-race

Chris Jarvis (an Olympic rower!) and Andrea

Andrea and me. We finished only like 3 minutes apart!

Saci and Igor

Coach Andrew, and Kyle. Andrew won his age group...after ditching shoes he borrowed that were 1 size too small, getting shoes from a random stranger in the crowd, and carrying the shoe that had the timing chip on it! :) Kind of amazing!

Me with my awesome pacer and fellow triabetes captain, Dan

Ryan Maloney and his past triabuddy Steve. Ryan is amazing! He did the half marathon!! (He's 11 or 12. crazy, huh?)

Julie and Scott Sekella. I just watched her complete Ironman Arizona. She did amazing!!

Emily Ianello and Gary Schmidt

These are Andrew's toenails after running 18 miles in shoes a size too small. Ouch! He lost the toenail...

Jennifer Davino (from New York) and me

me, Dan, and Jen Davino

Sarah, Andrea, me, and Dan after the race! So glad it's over!!

Overall I had one of the very best weekends of my life! I don't race on Sunday. I don't ever do that. But from now on I will make Carlsbad a yearly event because I think supporting Insulindependence, and in return being supported by all these amazing people is a top priority for me. They've changed my life! I love them!

Doubt...the DEVIL Inside

2011-01-16T18:40:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make. I'm afraid of lots of things. I'm afraid of the dark. I'm afraid of something ever happening to one of my children. I'm afraid of never being good enough. I'm afraid of heights. I'm afraid of the ocean (even though I'm a good swimmer). I'm afraid of not finishing my Ironman. I'm afraid people will find out I'm not really an athlete at all. Sometimes when I teach I'm afraid people will realize I don't really know what I'm doing. Every single time I start working out, I'm afraid I won't be able to finish it. And I'm afraid that once this Ironman is over, I'll go right back to being lazy and fat.

It's this doubt that I HATE! I hate it, and yet I haven't been able to get rid of it. The thing is, I should be proud of myself for the things I've accomplished, but my brain always says: You can't really do that. You just got lucky. Other people are so much better than you. You can't really run a marathon. You can't really finish this workout. You should just quit now. You will NEVER be an Ironman.

AHHHHH! It makes me crazy! You know what, though? Every single time I start a workout, I want to quit. But I don't. I make myself finish it. My brain says: Just don't do the last 15 minutes. Just do most of the miles, but not the last one or two. Just forget the warm up or cool down of a swim. Just walk for a little bit. You know what I tell my brain? NO! NO! NO! I WILL finish this workout. I will do all the miles. I will bike the full 4 hours. I will do the warm up and cool down. I will run the full 10 miles. I WILL FINISH!

I'm always afraid at the beginning of a workout that I won't be able to finish. But I am always able to finish. So why am I still afraid? Why do I have to have that persistent doubt in myself? Last Thursday I had to do a 2:15 bike ride followed by an 8 mile run. The second I sat down on the bike I thought something was wrong with the seat. It felt like CEMENT! My butt hurt and I hadn't even begun! I literally got up to look at it to see if something had happened to the seat. Nope. Same seat. I set the level for 14, set the program to hills, and off I went. I watched about 50 people come and go while I continued to sit there biking my heart out. When I finished, I wanted nothing more than to just go home and go to bed. I didn't. I started the run. I wanted to quit and go home. I almost did. Instead I ramped up the speed and made myself go faster. Pretty soon I had finished 30 minutes and more than 3 miles, and I felt great! By my last 1.5 miles I was pretty exhausted. So I ramped up the speed again because I just wanted to be finished! I finished in 1:12. So I spent more than 3.5 hours at the gym...watched LOTS of people come and go. It was almost 11 pm. But I finished. TAKE THAT BRAIN!

I haven't been able to get a 100% training week yet. I keep trying, but it hasn't happened yet. But, I have ALWAYS given 100% in my training, and I have completed every workout I've set out to do. I'm at the gym or running/biking anywhere from 1 to 4 hours almost everyday. And yet...I'm still afraid. Is it enough? Will I be ready? Should I quit now because I just can't seem to get faster on the blasted hills?

I have improved my running time a lot. I used to run 10.30 - 11 minute miles. I'm down to 8 - 9 minute miles (with hills). My bike has definitely improved, but nowhere near where I need it to be. I have to try and get 1 - 2 miles per hour faster so that I won't have to be on the bike more than 7.5 hours. My swim is the only place I feel great. I have that in the bag! I swam 4000 m in 1:08, and that would be perfect for my Ironman. But the rest? I'm scared. I'm really really scared.

So this doubt that lives in my brain? I'm ready to be done with it! It sucks! I will keep pushing myself. I will keep trying. And I'm hoping that eventually I will believe I am capable of what others are believing in me. I believe in everyone else...why can't I believe in myself? Because doubt is the DEVIL within! :(

2010 - My Year in Review

2011-01-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

So...I have done so many amazing things this year. I've gone through some highs and some lows. I've taken pictures of just about everything, and yet I've blogged about basically nothing. Lame! I'm never going to be able to remember it all, and I wouldn't want to bore you with every little detail. However, as part of my new year's resolutions, I'm resolving to blog more often! And...it starts today. So, this is my review of 2010. (It might be sorta long, so I apologize!)

I should go to bed because school starts again tomorrow, and with it the BUSY-NESS of my life. But, if I don't do this now it may not happen for a long time, and I promised myself it would. 2010 was a year of firsts and a year of change for me. I started the year off right with my very first full marathon in January. I had worked long and hard for that day, and I was extremely proud of myself for finishing! I did want to finish with a better time (I finished in 4:45), but in the last 3 miles I had a low blood sugar, and luckily I ran into 2 other diabetics right then who were willing to share some sugar and some support with me! Jerry Nairn and Brian Foster changed my life forever with that meeting. They introduced me to Peter Nerothin who is in charge of Insulindependence, and I ended up becoming a Triabetes Team Captain for 2010. Crazy, and life changing. I went from never running in 2009, to running a full marathon in 2010, to training for a full Ironman, which I will complete in May of 2011. I've learned A LOT about training with diabetes this year, too. That first marathon I didn't take a BG monitor with me, I didn't have enough sugar, and had no insulin with me either. What a difference a year can make!

In February Troy and I celebrated our 15 year anniversary. That was a HUGE milestone for us! For many years we didn't think we were gonna make it, but we did. Brooklyn was the miracle we needed to get ourselves back on track and happy, and she truly made that happen. We decided to take a trip to Hawaii with my brother, Porter, and his wife Lana, who were celebrating their 10 year anniversary. (We went in June). It was SUCH an amazing trip! We swam in the ocean with giant sea turtles, snorkeled, kayaked, rode bikes, ran, visited Pearl Harbor, shopped at the Swap Meet (which was awesome!), hiked Diamond Head, ate delicious pineapple at the Dole Pineapple Plantation, spent an AMAZING day at the Polynesian Cultural Center, and just absolutely enjoyed every minute of the beautiful Hawaiian island. I would go back in a heart beat...and live there! I loved it!!

Also in February, I participated in my second Ragnar Relay. This one was done with family, and was a blast! Troy's brother Leon put together a team, and our van consisted of Leon and Amy (his wife), Troy's dad, Chester, my sister Dixie, my niece Breckyn, my bro-in-law, Colby, and myself. The year before when I did my first Ragnar (and really had my first experience with running), I had the EASIEST leg of the race. (Which did not in ANY WAY feel easy to me!) This year, I got one of the very hardest legs...and it was nice to know I could do it! Not gonna lie, though, that 3 mile STRAIGHT UP hill sucked! Coming down the other side of it was amazing, though!

In March our family decided to cash in on Disney's "Give a Day, Get a Day" program, so we volunteered to help set up for a soccer tournament at Dobson High School, and in return we got 4 free tickets to Disneyland! It was so worth it! We didn't even have to help more than 2 or 3 hours before they let us go, and we got tickets for all of us but Brooklyn. We decided to use them for Spring Break, and we had such a fabulous time. It was perfect weather, and a perfect little short family vacation.

In May I competed in the SheROX triathlon in Tempe again. That was the triathlon that started me racing 2 years ago. This year I did MUCH better than last year, but still not as fast as I had hoped to do. I think I took like 13 minutes off my time from the year before, but really it should've been more than that. This time my 3 sisters did it again, as well as my sis-in-law, Lana, and it was so much fun to experience that with them!

May was a CRAZY month for us because Carter decided to have appendicitis, and he thought it would be extra fun to let that appendix burst! :( This was like 2 weeks before school got out, and Carter had to be in the hospital for about 6 days, then he had to have a picc line inserted so we could continue to administer medicine to him for the next week after he was out of the hospital. Luckily he got to stay with Grandma and Grandpa Shumway during that week, because we were heading to Hawaii for our big vacation! It was pretty scary. They said he had one of the biggest appendices they'd ever seen...and it really did happen fast. But, he's healthy and happy and appendix free now!

Also in May I had the opportunity to travel to St. George where I met the other 8 Triabetes captains, and I began this journey of training for an Ironman and raising $5000 for this amazing organization, Insulindependence. These people have been so inspirational to me, and I have made friends with people from all over the country who are experiencing the same things as me. I feel so lucky! True...I had to get the 'betes to experience all this...but I wouldn't trade it for anything! :)

The summer is always my favorite time of year. I love swimming. I love swim team. I love GREER with my family! I love having a break and spending time with my kids. I love the 4th of July. Summer is just awesome!! We enjoyed it to the fullest, and were sad when it quickly came to a close.

This school year has been AMAZING so far! I truly have the very best class in the world (seriously...not one single behavior problem. In my 14 years of teaching, this is a first). The kids are just NICE, and hard working, and loving, and they make me happy! In a year where I have ZERO spare time, they have made it easy for me. Getting up at 4 am to train, then working all day, then coming home to family is challenging. Thank goodness they make it bearable!

One of the very best things to happen to me this year is that I finally got an insulin pump! I got the Animas Ping, (which is waterproof), and it has made all the difference in the world! No more roller coasters of high and low blood sugars. It has seriously helped to keep me stable. I still go high and low, but NOTHING like I did before. On top of that I got a DexCom Continuous Glucose Monitor, and it shows me what my blood sugars are constantly and shows me the trends of whether I'm rising or dropping or staying steady. Holy cow...technology is amazing, and it has really helped me manage my diabetes!

At the end of the summer I found out that my friend from my running club was able to finally get me a slot in the St. George marathon in October. Ummmm....I had NOT been training all summer for that, so I quickly started to do more running! I did a 20 mile run about 3 weeks before, and felt good...figured I'd be fine. Unfortunately, I was NOT fine. I started the race feeling great! I was trying to stay with the 4:15 pace group, and really was feeling amazing. So much so, that I decided to run faster than them so that I could utilize some of the downhill to make up for the time I was sure I'd lose on the uphill. I felt great for about 7 miles, and then something went terribly wrong. I don't even know how to explain it, or what it was...but I seriously thought I was gonna die. I started getting cramps, but high up in my chest. It hurt to breathe. I had to take off my heart rate monitor because it felt like it was squeezing me. I slowed down. I had to walk. I had to go off the road and squat down and try and catch my breath. I was in SO MUCH PAIN! I've never had this happen before, and didn't even know what was going on. It was making me nauseated and I thought I was gonna puke. I kept going, though. For 9 more miles I walked/stopped/ran/walked again/stopped...until at mile 13.75 I PUKED MY GUTS OUT!!! Literally. It was nasty. But then I felt better so started again. Made it another 2.5 miles before it hit again and I finally just turned in the towel. No way was I going to go through 10 more miles of that crap. It sucked. One of the lowest moments for me. I felt like a loser. I was depressed. I didn't feel worthy to be with the group of friends who were there running with me. I couldn't enjoy the celebration and festivities at the end of the race. AAHAHAHAHAH! It sucked. But...it's over, and I haven't let that stop me from believing that I can still do this, and I will. Know what sucked even worse? As we were about to leave for the 10 hour drive home, Troy called me from the hospital saying he was going in for emergency gall bladder surgery. Awesome! :( 2 emergency surgeries in one year...and I wasn't even there for him! It was a crappy ride home, let me tell ya!

(This was at the beginning...before I sucked it up!)

A couple weeks later I raced in my first Olympic distance triathlon in Lake Pleasant. Holy cow, it was HARD!! But...I did finish it! The swim was a piece of cake for me (even though the water was so dang choppy and the current kept pushing us off course). I finished with the fastest of swimmers. Swimming has always been easy for me. I fully expect to get out of the water in St. George in an hour and 5 minutes...unfortunately it's the SMALLEST PART OF THE RACE! :( Anyway, the 25 mile bike ride here was brutal! All hills, and very difficult. By the time I got to the run I was dead. 6.2 miles in BLAZING HELL HEAT was tough. It was straight downhill, then you turned around and had to come straight back uphill...brutal. And you had to do that twice. I was one of the last finishers. I don't care! I finished! But man, when they ran out of water, and the water they had before was totally hot...that was not cool.

One of the greatest experiences for me this year was getting to go to iD University in Florida. The first week of November was spent with my fellow Triabetes team captains in Panama City, Florida where we trained together and learned together for 6 days. Not only that, we were able to help our triabuddies prepare for and race in their first triathlon at the end of the week! (My triabuddy, London Lines, was not able to be there). It was SO AMAZING!!!! We ran, we rode our bikes (and I was able to go 56 miles - which was the farthest I've ever ridden before), we swam in the ocean, we had a really cool pool swim, and we learned from expert dieticians, nutritionists, and psychologists, and just spent time talking and getting to know each other better. What a phenomenal group of people I am privileged to be a part of. I will never forget that week.

On Thanksgiving this year I did another sprint triathlon. I had done this one last year, and it was a blast! It's a really mini one (2 mile run, 12 mile bike, 400 m swim. It's also a backward tri, so you run first and swim last). This year my triabuddy got to do it with me, and this was her first triathlon! I was so proud of her! For me it was an amazing improvement from the year before. I got 6th in my age group with a time of 1:08. I was very pleased with that! I've still gotta work on my bike time...I'm just not the fastest there. Oh well!

As soon as iD University was over our Ironman training began in earnest. I have been working out 6 days a week (for the most part...I do miss some days here and there), and now we've begun our 2 a days. This is especially hard for me with my busy schedule and lifestyle...but I'm trying my darndest to fit it all in and make it work. I would've never done this without this group of people supporting me and inspiring me. I am so grateful to them! :)

One of the COOLEST things I got to do this year was be in a commercial! That's right! I was in a commercial for scrapbook.com. (That, and I also got to be on a recording of a CD called "The Lamb of God" written by my brother's best friend, Rob Gardner. It is AMAZING, and you all need to get a copy of it if you haven't already. Go to spiremusic.org to get it!) You can see my commercial here. It was a BLAST to do, and one of the funnest experiences ever! (I know the coolest people!)
Here is a link to the video for you to check out. It is worth your time! :)

Click here to see Scrapbook Commercial

There have been so many things I've done with my kids, my family, my friends that I haven't blogged about, and I wish I would've...but the things I've written here have been some of the highlights! 2010 was great...but 2011 is going to be even better! Wanna know why? Because I will be an IRONMAN!!!!!!

Triabuddies Race In Kids Triathlon

2010-12-14T21:24:00.000-08:00

Here is one more video that I think is amazing. When we were in Florida at iD University, our triabuddies were able to join us and participate in their first triathlon. It was such an amazing experience! These kids are so unbelievable. Truly, they inspire me. Hope you enjoy this video. Also...watch mine! It's in my previous post. :)

Jenny Crandell - Triabetes Captain

2010-12-14T16:39:00.000-08:00

VIDEO OF ME AS TRIABETES TEAM CAPTAIN!!

Hey everyone! Here is ME...on Insulindependence TV :) This is part of the documentary that Blair Ryan has been working on all summer. She has made 2 videos out of the 9 she has to do. What a great experience! :) Watch through the whole thing...my boys at the end are kind of funny. Hopefully this will help everyone to understand what exactly it is I'm doing...and why. What an amazing organization Insulindependence is. It has changed my life for the better. And I truly have been changed for good. :)

Enjoy!

Cross Fit Forever Strong

2010-07-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

So, I don't really know WHY I don't blog more. I have LOTS to blog about. I have posts going on in my head. I take pictures at all events. And then I come to the computer and just feel...I don't know...like I don't have the desire to write a new post. I check email, facebook, and everyone else's blog. Then I've run out of time once more and log off for the night.

Tonight I decided to bite the bullet and JUST DO IT. (How very Nike of me, right?) I wanted to tell you about a really amazing person I know. His name is Jason. He is my trainer at this amazing little gym I go to called Cross Fit Forever Strong. I was introduced to this gym last year by my brother, Porter.This is Jason with his sweet little daughter Jordyn (who is his twin by the way!)

I had been training for my first ever triathlon, so had been working out quite a bit. It was spring break and my brother challenged me to come try out a really TOUGH really INTENSE workout. I thought I could handle it, so I told him I'd go with him to his gym all week. I had seen Porter's results, and had seen the passion he had about this place, and about this trainer - Jason.

Well...let me just say, that spring break was a turning point in my life. I walked into that gym and I literally never wanted to leave. That first workout was seriously one of the hardest things I'd ever done in my life. He calls it a baseline workout. Anyone who comes in new does this as their first workout. It's a 500 meter row, 40 squats, 30 sit ups, 20 push ups, and 10 jumping pullups all in a row, as quickly as you can. I think I did it in 8 minutes something. I almost threw up. (When Troy did his baseline, he DID throw up! :) Seriously? 8 minutes and I thought I would die. I was hooked.

The premise is that you do short, but very intense workouts that push you beyond your limits. You are timed so you are constantly pushing yourself to go as fast as you can. It uses all your different muscle groups. Some days there is a lot of cardio, most days there is a lot of strength training. Most common exercises are rowing, wall balls, burpees, pullups, pushups, situps, kettle bell swings, squats, lunges, and all kinds of lifting weights with bars.

What makes this gym different, you wonder? It's Jason. It's his heart. It's his passion. His love for what he does, and for who he does it for. It's the feeling of family you get when you walk in the doors. It's people cheering each other on to push harder, or to just finish. It's talking to other people AT THE GYM (who does that in a regular large gym? No one, unless you happen to go with a friend). It's staying after your workout is done just to see someone else finish theirs. It's calling your family members to compare their times with yours and to see who did the workout RX (without any modifications). It's all of these things and more. I don't know how to explain it, but it's a place that makes me WANT to workout. It motivates me. It scares me everyday. It pushes me beyond the limits I place on myself. It strengthens me. It makes me want to puke.

And want to know the best thing? Jason has agreed to train me for my Ironman in May. He is writing me a program that covers everyday of every week for almost a year. He's tailoring it to me, and to any other races I'm doing. He's training me on my running technique. He's helping me pick the right running shoes, and helping me understand better nutrition (which, I might add, I SUCK at completely). And he's doing this because he's passionate about what he does. And he believes in me. He's doing that for no additional charge. He's doing it because he's the kind of person who inspires, teaches, motivates, and does what he does out of a love for people and for their potential. He didn't have to do this, but he's doing it anyway. My training will be different than everyone else's. It's not the conventional, typical Ironman training that just gives you hours and hours and hours on the bike, the run, or the swim. He assures me that I will be just as strong (if not stronger) than the others by training this way, AND I'll have more time for my family, which is the most important thing to me. I don't have time to train like it's another part time job. I have to fit this in to my already busy schedule. He tells me I can, and I believe him.

This place is AMAZING. This guy is AMAZING. And this year is going to be AMAZING. Jason tells me that not only will I finish, but I'll finish strong. It's not about the miles and miles put in. It's about the strength (mental, physical, emotional) to endure and overcome your own obstacles and demons. And he's going to help me get there.

Thanks Jason.

(You can visit his website here: crossfitforeverstrong.com ) When you go there, you can check out the Workout of the Day (WOD) and see just how crazy these workouts are).

Experiential Diabetes Education

2010-06-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would share a video of one of the excursions Insulindependence has sponsored for kids with diabetes. What an amazing experience they were able to have! I know from my weekend in St. George with the other 10 Team Captains how life changing it can be to spend time with other diabetics who have the same goals in mind. It helps you to realize how important it is to take care of yourself, and helps you to feel like you really are not alone. (Of course we know that we aren't, and that there are others out there just like us, but it feels good to be surrounded by them and to hear their stories and to see how they take care of themselves. It inspires you to do a better job of taking care of yourself).

Insulindependence is the group I am raising money for. The idea behind this nonprofit organization is not the same as the ADA or the JDRF who are actively researching cures to diabetes. Their idea is to help diabetics to manage their disease through peer-supported fitness and adventure programs. They want to inspire people with diabetes to set personal fitness goals, to educate them on how to manage diabetes through hands-on experience. This is why it makes sense to me! I would love for them to find a cure...but in the meantime, what can I be doing to live a healthy and full life? By racing in an Ironman I am proving that there really are NO limits for ANYONE!

There are a couple other videos I'll share sometime, but I thought this one was pretty neat. Can you imagine getting to go to Machu Picchu as a teenager? I have found that sometimes having things like diabetes or cancer or other diseases tends to open up doors that otherwise would not have been yours to go through. Of course there's the whole trade off that you have a disease...but still! There are some positives in every situation if you choose to look for them.

I hope this helps people to understand exactly what it is I'm racing (and fundraising) for. If you haven't visited my fundraising page, go to HERE

Morning Ride!

2010-06-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

**Before you read: To help you understand some of my "jargon" just a little background on blood sugar (BS). It should be between 80-100, but if I'm close to 80 I'm usually going low. Higher than 150 is pretty high, and not good! Bolused is what you do when you give yourself insulin. When I give myself a shot I do it in "units." I usually have to take 1 unit for every 20 carbs I eat. Phrendos are people on the diabetic network that are also into training. If you have any other questions, please comment and I'll try to answer!**

Very early this am (5:00 to be exact) a couple new friends and I got together for a 41 mile ride to Usery Pass and back. My husband and sister (who are very fast) were doing this ride, so I invited some other AZ phrendos to join us, and Lynanne Chapman and Jerry Nairn did. It was nice to meet Lynanne, and great to see Jerry again! I was especially glad to have them around because I am really not fast at all, and knew I couldn't keep up with the others. Turns out Troy and Dixie (hubby and sister) finished 1 HOUR before us...but whatever.

To back up a little, I went to a Shakespeare show at the Biltmore that my bro-in-law was performing in last night (very good! I took Cooper with me and he pretty much thought he'd died and gone to heaven getting to hang out with all the big people!), and afterwards we went for some dessert at the Cheesecake Factory...basically it was 1 am before I went to bed. I checked my email before crashing and saw that Lynanne and Jerry were indeed coming, so I set my alarm for 4:30 and hoped for sleep to come fast! (I'm a total insomniac, so this is something I definitely struggle with). Luckily I got some sleep, woke up to a BEAUTIFUL morning, and was ready to go.

Checked my BS and was at 289...YIKES! I guess that strawberry shortcake wasn't bolused correctly... However, I always tend to go low when I exercise (especially on long runs or rides), so it's always hard for me to decide what to do. Should I give myself some units to correct? I ate half a bagel with peanut butter and decided to give myself 2 units. One hour into the ride I was already at 99. Took some shot blocks and continued on my way. Let me just say, this was NOT an easy ride! It was absolutely gorgeous out this morning. It wasn't hot at all (which is unusual in AZ), it was windy (which was nice for keeping us cool, but sucked the big one for riding into. Lots of strong headwinds the whole time, esp. up the hills), and there were LOTS of bikers out on the roads. (I saw several of my friends out there!)

This ride started at my house, headed up to a place called Usery Pass, and then looped us around for 17 miles before we headed back home. Usery Pass is FULL of hills. There is an especially steep downhill that I thought I would be very scared of, but it turned out I LOVED the feeling of flying! I really am scared of what can happen when you're going that fast, but I tried not to think about it and ended up really enjoying it. However, that was the one nice stretch of the ride before some pretty ugly hills reared their heads. I was slow. Very slow. Poor Lynanne and Jerry--they were great sports sticking with me! (This just shows me how dang far I have to go to be ready for St. George. In fact, I kept thinking "What the h*** was I thinking saying I could do IMSG?????") There was one hill that just kept going for literally 4 miles, and I was getting passed left and right. I finally figured out how to change into the very lowest gears, which helped, but the bike I've got is not great and was really making it hard. But--I made it! We topped that hill and then finished the loop and headed for home. We had to stop 2 other times because I felt low and needed some GU, but I thought it was a very fun and awesome morning! I especially liked getting to know Lynanne, and having time to chat with both her and Jerry. Great people! I hope that next time we can have more Arizonans out with us! I know everyone is at different paces, but I think that would still work because we had 2 groups this time--fast and mega slow. :) We finished the 41 miles in 3 hours 45 minutes. (I'm pretty sure I was going about 3-4 mph on those killer hills! Not so hot...but hey, next time will be much better! Plus, when I get a bike that's actually good it will help a ton!)

If those 2 hadn't come, I would've slept in...SO GLAD THEY CAME!! Anyone else out there wanting to join us for long rides or runs, please let me know! I think I'm going to alternate each Saturday with a long run, then the next week a long ride.

So...The Slacker's Back Part Deux?

2010-06-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if anyone will even read my blog anymore, since I'm so suck-tastic at it! However, I have made a commitment to be a bloggy queen this year as I chronicle my journey to the Ironman St. George. Oh don't worry, I won't only type about exercise and diabetes (what's wrong with that anyway??). I'll also blog about my cute family, my life happenings, etc. But, the main focus will be on my Ironman training.

So I'm just going to start back at the beginning of this journey. (Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a...oh nevermind. Just a little Gilligan's Island for you there). As you may (or may not) recall, last year I began a crazy journey involving running. Before Ragnar of '09 I was definitely NOT a runner, and a friend of mine convinced me to run this little race (204 miles little race), and I strangely enough said yes. Well, to make a very long story short, I got hooked. I went on to run a 5k, a 10k, 2 triathlons, a 1/2 marathon, and then yes...the mother of all races (well, not really there are some seriously insane races out there in the 100 mile range, but that's neither here nor there), the 26.2 mile marathon. I completed that in January of 2010. So exactly a year after I started to run at all (and could only run for 1 to 2 minutes at a stretch without thinking I was literally dying), I ran a full marathon.

During that marathon I happened to notice 2 guys wearing "Triabetes" t-shirts. They passed me and I thought: "Oh good, if something happens to me on this race they're around and will know what to do." I saw them at the 13 mile turnaround, and really it made me feel much better about things. Finally as I was coming into the last 3 miles of this race I caught up with them, and it was a good thing I did. See, as a type 1 diabetic I should have known better than to go out on a huge run like this and not take my glucose monitor with me. I had sugar (the Gu gel stuff that makes me want to throw up but works wonders when you need instant sugar), but had gone through most of it, and I was beginning to feel a bit low. Since I didn't have a checker with me I wasn't sure where I was at.

I caught up to these 2 guys and said: "Hi! I'm a diabetic, too!" And the rest, as they say, is history. They gave me sugar and we ended up walking about a mile and a half together before I started running for the end. We pretty much finished together, and it was such a great moment! Those 2 guys (Jerry Nairn and Brian Foster) ended up not only helping me through that race, but changing my life forever.

Turns out they both belonged to this group called Triabetes that is full of diabetics who want to live healthy and active lives, and they want to be supported by others who are in the same situation. It's actually a branch off from the group Insulindependence (which is a nonprofit group dedicated to just this thing). Jerry hooked me up with the group and I was able to join. They've got a network for diabetics called Phrendo (which is basically facebook for diabetics), and I joined that and began meeting so many amazing people who all had one thing in common--diabetics that wanted to be active and healthy. There is a group for those most interested in triathlons (triabetes), one for runners (glucomotive), one for adventurers (testing limits), and one for those who love the water (a1sea).

As I was searching the site I saw a link for anyone interested in becoming a Triabetes Team captain. I clicked on it, and thought "Woa! That would be amazing." Basically you become like an ambassador in your region of the US to help others with diabetes (kind of like Jerry and Brian did for me), you mentor a child with type 1 diabetes (totally cool!), you put on a regional event in your area (like a race of some sort, or else help at a race), you have monthly activities (for anyone to join, diabetic or not...like let's meet at Freestone and go for a run/walk and have bagels afterwards kind of thing), and you train for the Ironman St. George 2011. Oh yea, and you have to raise like $5000. They will give you coaches and support and give you a week of intensive training in Florida in November (and lots of other things), and then you will compete in this mother of all events...

I filled out the application, and then I threw it away. I don't have time for this. In case you've forgotten I work full time, I have 3 children, I'm in the scouting program for church...I'm BIZZ-AY! I put it out of my mind. Until I was just casually minding my own business (hanging out in Disneyland if you must know), and this guy named Peter Nerothin (founder of Insulindependence) calls me up out of the blue and asks if I want to be a Triabetes team captain. Uh..... what?? Remember the part where I threw that sucker away? The app was in the trash, and here he was calling me.

Basically, after long talks with him, with Troy, with my sister, with myself...I finally decided this was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I wanted to take advantage of. When else would I be able to work and train with other type 1 diabetics for an Ironman? When else would I get to be part of something so amazing and special that I could give back even a tiny bit of what others have given me? Never.

So I said yes. I went to St. George for a weekend to watch the SGIM 2010 and work an aid station. I met the other 9 team captains from across the country, as well as the 2 founders (Peter, and another guy named John Moore), and also JERRY NAIRN! The great guy who got me started in the first place! He's our honorary captain this year. I can tell you that weekend changed my life, and this year will be one I will never ever forget. My Ironman training has officially begun. If I was busy before, I'm even busier now!

So...if you ever want to go for a run, or a bike ride, or a swim, CALL ME! I want to go, too! If you know of any diabetics, please please please give them my email or phone number, or direct them to my blog. If you have some extra cash (HA!) PLEASE donate to my cause, because this is something that I believe VERY strongly in. (Visit insulindependence.org, or email me for my exact link. For some reason it's not letting me put it here in this blog post). And if you have any encouraging words of advice...I can always use them!

Here's to the journey!

The Slacker's Back!!

2009-05-11T23:06:00.001-07:00

Seriously, who's the worst blog slacker on the planet? I know you're thinking it...and it's true! ME! I suck at blogging. But that's OK. I have about 10 or 50 things to blog about, but I'm only gonna blog about one tonight. I bet you can guess what it is!

My TRIATHLON!!!

One of the greatest experiences of my life. Not only for the fact that I DID it. But because I got to do it with 4 of the most amazing women EVER!!

4 months ago, my sister Dixie sent a little question out to the blogging world about who would possibly be interested in joining a training group because she had the itch to train. We'd be training for a triathlon in May. I (being the blog slacker you know and love) am afraid to think of what would've happened if I hadn't checked blogs that week. I could've been left out of this group! I don't check blogs as often as I'd like, but I just happened to do so that week. I immediately commented that I would definitely need to be one of her "groupies." Luckily, the blog gods were with me, and I was included.

The group consisted of my 3 sisters (Dana, Allyson, Dixie), myself, and my cousin Wendy. (Actually, we had 5 people to start, but Amy Howe was oober busy and had to drop out). Dixie called a meeting, set us up on workout regimens, and gave us weekly challenges. We had several meetings throughout that helped to keep us motivated, and even had our own Biggest Loser challenge (that Dana kicked butt on and won hands down). My body hates me as you may or may not recall, and has continued to horde those extra pounds even as I have tried my darndest to wrench them free. Whatever.

When I started this journey I was completely NOT a runner. I remember my first 2 minutes of running...my butt and legs were like jello jigglers, and my lungs were on fire. I had to stop and walk after TWO MINUTES. A few months later I was able to complete the Ragnar Relay and ran 12.4 miles! I joined a running group, and even joined a gym called Competitive Fitness to help me on this journey of weight loss and overall better health. I started waking up at 4:30 am to get to the gym by 5. If I missed, I'd go after work. Dana and I would go to Lifetime Fitness together to swim and bike. Dixie started us on Saturday morning bike rides and runs. It was like this whole other world opened up for me, and suddenly I saw what I had been missing for so long. I had been letting life pass me by! I had been the one in bed on the weekends wondering why the heck anyone would be up before the sun. Now I was the crazy! Only, guess what?? I didn't feel crazy. I felt GOOD. I felt HAPPY. I felt HEALTHY. And I felt READY TO LIVE!!!

Wanna know the craziest part of this, though? (And really the best part). This overall amazing feeling began to spill over to the rest of my life. I suddenly didn't want to regret all that wasted time with my kids. I didn't want to look back and only remember sitting on the couch watching TV or going out to movies. I wanted to remember connecting with my kids and creating the kind of family I knew I was supposed to. So, Troy and I started talking. We set some goals. We came up with a family mission statement. We made a goal to TURN OFF THE TV and LEAVE IT OFF any time we were with our kids. When they're awake, we're "WITH" them. Not just in the same room, but actually connecting with them. Playing games. Playing catch. Going for walks or bike rides. Going on hikes. Talking. Laughing. Cooking. Doing projects. Whatever. The point is, if any of you know Troy at all, you'll know that this right here is MIRACLE #2 in our family. (#1 was that we had Brooklyn and she changed our lives forever and we actually liked each other again!!). Troy is addicted to TV. He never wants his comfort to be compromised, or his downtime to be bothered. He doesn't really care about much...food, TV, and sleep. He's changing, though. So it didn't just affect me, it affected him, and us.

Even better...we've almost read the entire Book of Mormon this year as a family--before school! We hardly ever missed all year. We started Family Home Evenings again. We've just been enjoying each other more, and it feels good. So this exercise thing? It's not just physical. It's spiritual as well. I never want to go back.

Anyway, I'm getting long winded. Sorry. (It's cuz I haven't posted in ages). So...Saturday, May 9 rolls around. I know I'm ready. 2 weeks before we actually went to Tempe Beach Park and rode the trail for the bike, and ran the trail for the run. I did it NO PROBLEM. I ran the entire time and could've kept going--I felt that good! Tuesday of this week I went running with my marathon friend and we ran 5 miles (in the heat) and I was fine!! Could've kept going. So I know I'm ready.

Here are a couple of things that could have foreshadowed some problems ahead...#1 I took my bike in on Friday for a tune up and to be sure it was "tri-ready". They took my water bottle off and didn't put it back on, but of course I didn't notice that until that night at 10. I had NO water bottle. Dixie assured me it was a short enough race that I'd be fine without it. #2 It was like the blazes of hell at 7 in the morning. Already. hmmmmmm....

8:15 BAM! My wave is off! I'm swimming in the nastiest lake water ever. It's totally green or yellow (whichever it was I just know I could see ZERO when my face was in the water). However, I didn't let that stop me. I kicked butt on the swim! I was one of the first to finish in my wave, and even passed up lots of orange caps (the wave before). I got out and found my legs a bit wobbly beneath me, but I was still ready to go! I was super thirsty already and thought it was not a good sign, but what could I do? No water bottle. I took a quick drink. 18 minutes after I started, I was off on the bike!

The bike was seriously a bit harder than I expected, and I'll tell you why. It was full of some serious hills...and I was PARCHED! Picture the driest your mouth has ever felt. Then picture watching other people with water bottles and camelbacks while you just try and swallow the dry straw in your own throat! It was agonizing! My bike helmet clip felt too tight because I couldn't swallow. It was not good. However, I persevered. I finished in 55 minutes (which really is about what I'd been doing in my practices...maybe a couple minutes slower).

As soon as I racked my bike I took my time in the transition because I HAD to get some fluids in me. It was 300 degrees and I needed water. I even drank some nasty Gatorade, which I HATE! I rinsed and spit and drank some good long drinks. Off I went to my run. As I exited the transition area my whole family (Mom, Dad, aunts, uncles, cousins, husband, children, bro-in-laws, nieces, nephews) were there cheering me on and I am serious - I ran past them bawling. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing. I was exhausted and overwhelmed and so completely elated by their support. It was AMAZING! Can't describe it.

As I start running I keep thinking: Your goal is to run without stopping. No matter what, don't stop. Keep going. Fight it. Fight it. Fight it. Crap...I'm gonna die. Gotta stop. NO! Don't stop. You are going to hate yourself if you stop. Fight it! You CAN DO THIS! You just ran 5 miles. Oh my gosh, I'm gonna die. Cramps. Breathing hard. Is it seriously 110 degrees? Just a little bit further....dang it. I stopped.

I'm still so disappointed in myself on the run. I stopped, and I had the hardest time starting again. I ran probably half a mile, then walked half a mile. Then ran half a mile, then walked half a mile. I ran the full final mile, but seriously I was dead. Dehydrated, SUNBURNT like you cannot believe, and just exhausted. However...

I got to the final stretch and my boys were waiting there with big grins (and I swear I am emotionally broken, because I keep crying over this whole event...even as I'm typing this), and they cheered me on and started running in with me. I could see them with water bottles for me and a bouquet of flowers, and proud smiles on their faces. I ran in. I crossed the finish line. I. Did. It.

It took me 1 hour and 55 minutes (10 minutes longer than my goal). But I did it. No one can take that away from me. And no one will ever be able to take away from me the feeling I had of seeing my whole amazing family there, braving the heat, cheering me on, and making me feel like a rock star. I didn't come in first. I think I was actually 252nd! But it didn't matter because I was a winner to them.

The worst part was for my sister Allyson. Her stupid tire blew on the first lap of her bike ride. I rode right past her and it was terrible. It took 40 minutes for someone to finally come and help her. She just stood there crying, waiting for help. She finally got done with the first lap when BOOM! The other tire blew. Two stupid flats! Luckily Dana finished her bike ride right then and switched out with her, so Allyson could finish. But when Allyson came through the transition from the bike to the run she was bawling and it just about killed me. So I went on the final 3.1 mile "run" with her (after I'd finished), and it was worth it. She's AMAZING! She finished even with 2 flat tires and a blister the size of Texas on her foot.

My sisters (and my cousin) are all amazing women. They all overcame so much to get where they were on Saturday. I'm actually kind of sad it's over, because this was such a bonding experience. All I can say is...it's only a beginning. I've started a journey that I don't see an end for. I've lost 15 pounds, gained lots of muscle and stamina, and gotten closer to some truly remarkable women. My next one? June 6. Wanna join me??

She swims. She bikes. She runs. SheROX!

The Ragnar Relay

2009-03-01T16:05:00.001-08:00

Well folks. I made it. I am still alive and moving (though slowly) and I feel AWESOME!! Here is a not-so-quick rundown of my amazing weekend. (You can see my photos with comments on my facebook page).

The Ragnar Relay is a 202.1 mile run from Prescott down to Mesa. There are 12 runners per team, and 6 runners in each van. Van 1 started (for us) at 8:00 am Friday morning. (There are different start times for different teams depending on speed. We were one of the slowest teams, so we got an earlier start.) :) The people in my van were: Amanda Mahowald (the 6th grade teacher that got me into this), Dan Bowser our 69 year old team captain, Sue Daul, Brenda Careaga, Steve Hosfield, and me. We were called HalFast (half assed) because we're "half the speed, twice the fun!" We had painted donkeys on our vans with our theme. Thank goodness I was on a team like that because otherwise I could've really let them down! I'm certainly not Speedy Gonzalez!

You can actually go to the Ragnar Relay website and see the legs I had to run http://www.ragnarrelay.com I was runner 2. The first leg you can see was 3.6 miles, but it was a lot of uphill work. It was rated HARD for a reason! I did fairly well on it because I was pumped up at the beginning of the race and still had some energy. I did walk for a little bit of the time, but I passed up 4 runners (we call that "roadkill." See how I talk like a runner now??). I finished really strong, and felt great afterwards. One leg down!

After the 6 of us finished our legs we handed off to Van #2. We now had about 6 hours to rest, so we drove to the next major exchange point and spread out our sleeping bags and blankets onto the hard ground and tried to rest. Didn't really get much rest, though. :) I finished reading "Hunger Games" and tried to sleep, but the hard packed dirt didn't really cushion my hips so well, and the blaring music and sun didn't help much either. It was still nice to be able to just relax and chat with each other for a while.

At about 8:00 or 8:30 (can't remember) Van 2 finished and handed off to us. (Oh, when I say handed off, what actually happened was we passed a slap bracelet to each other instead of a baton). It was totally dark by now, so everyone had to be wearing reflective vests, headlamps, and a flashing red reflector on our backs. This was actually cool, and my favorite part of the trip. I got to run in the pitch dark on Highway 93 for 4.6 miles! It was tough when cars were driving right at you with their headlights blaring, but I made it through. In fact, I'd say I did the best on this run because it was cool, my leg was nice and flat, and I was able to run almost the whole time without stopping. I finished in 51 minutes. But, when I finished that leg I actually felt sick to my stomach. I had to walk around quite a bit after that one and let it settle. It was not fun. I couldn't keep my eyes open in the van after that.

By about 1:30 we finished our 2nd legs and stopped at the next exchange point which was Middleton Elementary School (I think) where we got to crash on a classroom floor. I didn't get much sleep here either. The hard ground and warm room were not very helpful! I did get maybe an hour of sleep, though. At 5:00 they woke us up and shooed us out, so we headed to the next major exchange point, which was a high school (can't remember where), where we were able to kind of clean up and get ready for round #3!

The final leg of this race began at about 9:00 in the morning. I ran from 11 - 12. It was the HARDEST leg of the race for me. It was rated HARD because it was literally straight up hill the whole time until about the last mile. It was also extremely windy. I was already exhausted from lack of sleep, and I felt sick to my stomach before I started, so I think I sort of psyched myself out before I had even started, but I did start! I felt like I was standing still when I was running, and I was having a hard time...but I persevered! At about the last mile I ran great and was able to finish strong. It was 4.2 miles.

In all I ran a total of 12.4 miles (a half marathon! of course, not altogether, so doesn't really count the same...but still...). Before this I had never run more than 2 miles at a time, and I would have NEVER thought it was even possible. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life, though, and truly life changing. The atmosphere at an event like this is charged and electrified. Everyone is there for the same reason, everyone cheers you on as you go. It gives you the biggest boost of energy when your van (or someone else's) will stop and yell for you and give you that support. It was the coolest thing to be running on these roads where police would stop traffic for you, and to be seeing cars pass and think: "I used to be one of those people just driving by in the car wondering who would be crazy enough to be running! Now I'm one of those runners!" I never thought I'd BE one of those runners. But I was! And even if I wasn't the fastest, I discovered that I was faster than anyone who never even tried. Faster than anyone who stayed in bed. Faster than anyone who gave up or quit. I was faster than I had been last week. It was such a great discovery!

It was so cool to hear people talk to me like I was one of them. When they'd say "well, you're a runner, so you know..." and in my mind I'd be thinking "ha ha! fooled you, didn't I??" But by the end of the weekend, I truly felt like I could be included in that category of "runner" and I wanted to (for the first time since high school) BE a runner.

I am more excited for my triathalon than ever, and am joining the East Valley Runners club (which is the group I was with), and will continue my running journey. I know now that I LOVE being an actual participant in these events, and that I NEED something like this to motivate me to do more in my workouts...or to even make sure I DO my workouts! I'm now considering a 10K as my next goal. I've already conquered a 5k! :) I do SheROX in May, and then who knows what's next? I said I would NEVER EVER do a marathon...but now there's a crazy little notion in the back of my head that says: "Never? Really? That's an awfully long time...and you never thought you'd do a triathalon...and you never thought you could do this relay...maybe you shouldn't say never...maybe someday you WILL do a marathon..."

CRAZY, HUH??? Maybe. But here are some of the greatest things I got this weekend:

1) A new group of amazing friends.

2) A confidence in myself that I hadn't had before.

3) A renewed motivation to push myself and work hard.

4) A desire to continue competing in events.

5) A STRONG desire to never let life pass me by. I could sit and watch TV, eat, be lazy...and watch life go by. Or I could be out there EXPERIENCING life. Not just me, but my family. There are so many things going on each weekend that we could be experiencing, that we don't.

6) A personal confirmation that eating right and living a healthy life are NOT as hard as I thought, and that I actually want to do that even more now.

7) A husband who said he might even consider doing something like this....(SERIOUSLY...that right there is a bit of a miracle).

8) The knowledge that I can do anything I set my mind to.

9) Inspired by over 2000 people who chose to spend 2 days running.

10) 2 new quotes: "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.

—John "The Penguin" Bingham

Once we clear a hurdle, it doesn't seem so high.

Clear those hurdles in life, friends. You can do it! :) I did it, and my next one's in sight!

4 Miles Baby!!

2009-02-24T21:16:00.000-08:00

So yea. I'm innocently walking my class back from PE this morning when one of the 6th grade teachers comes walking down the hallway and asks me what I'm doing this weekend. Well. This isn't just any 6th grade teacher. This is the MARATHON RUNNING 6th grade teacher. Ya...she did the New York marathon this year, the PF Chang's, the Rock'n Roll, and just 2 weeks ago an ULTRA marathon, which is 31 stinking miles. She's pretty amazing.

So I was a little concerned about where this question was leading, but I told her I wasn't doing anything. So she asked........if I wanted to join her group for the Ragnar Relay. What the heck is the Ragnar Relay you ask? Well, it starts in Prescott. There are 12 people on a team (or 6 if you're super crazy and like torture), and you each take turns running different legs of the race. Not little legs mind you. Big fat legs. Until you make it back to Mesa about 36 hours later. Non stop.

She told me I would be doing the shortest leg. That would be 4 miles---3 different times! One of them even in the middle of the night. I told her that a runner, I am not. Yes, I've been training for a triathalon, but the running is seriously my weakest area. My downfall, if you will. But I told her I'd think about it.

Well, the thing is I couldn't stop thinking about it. CRAZY. WHY was I even thinking about it? The last time I ran 4 miles in a row was in high school! But, it kept poking its way back to the front of my brain. Plus, she's hilarious and I knew we'd have a blast. So I told her I would do it. WHAT??? Am I insane? Possibly.

We leave Friday morning at 4:20 am (yep), and we won't stop or get home until Saturday night. I will run 3 different times, the first 3.6 miles, the second 4.6 miles, and the last 4.2 (I think).

I decided that I better just try out a run at the gym tonight to see if I could seriously do this without completely dying. (I did assure her that I was a crappy runner and I'd probably have to walk, and she told me it was fine. Apparently our team is called the "Halfast" group...half the speed, twice the fun...which is great for me! But really they're all part of this running club, and I am definitely not).

I decide I'm going for 4 miles (are we remembering here that the last time that happened was almost 20 years ago???). I turned on my iPod, set the speed for 5.5, and off I went. I upped it to 6.0, then 6.5, and wouldn't you know it...I ran FOUR MILES! In a row. With only a SLIGHT stop for speed walking halfway through. And guess how long it took me? 45 minutes and 35 seconds. That's about an 11 minute mile in case you didn't want to figure out the math. Seriously? I have NOT been pushing myself hard enough apparently, because I did it! And I felt good! I was tired, yes. But I did it.

The funny thing is I've "hated" running for so long that I never gave it a chance. This made me think I might not actually hate it after all. I can't explain the euphoria felt after that accomplishment tonight. Am I still scared to death for this weekend? YES. But at least I know I can do it. It is possible. And I won't die.

Who knows? Maybe after this triathalon I'll join that running club. Nothing seems impossible anymore. I did it. I'm proud.

But let's hope I'm still alive on Sunday. :)

My Body Hates Me

2009-02-16T14:45:00.000-08:00

OK, so it's official. I've decided my body has it in for me. I know, I know. It's my own fault. I've abused it for too long by filling it up with junk food and garbage. But still! You'd think that it would thank me for trying to fix that, and for trying to make it more healthy with exercise all the time. Nope. It hates me.

I suppose it's just gotten used to all that extra fat, and it's become attached to it emotionally. I don't know. But I do know that it's TICKING me off!! I mean, come on. I have been diligently working out 5 days a week for 6 weeks whilst training for this triathalon. I have been a trooper on these fitness/food challenges that Dixie has been throwing at me (no soda, no eating after 7 pm, 5 a day fruits and veggies, no snacks except fruits and veggies, writing down my food/calories, and now no sweets). I haven't been perfect on the challenges. I've struggled with the fruits and veggies, and finding time to write things down has been tough. But I HAVE stopped the eating just because crap.

So I ask you...should NOT my body LOVE me for this and help me out by shedding a few of those unwanted, unnecessary, unseemly, UGLY fat pounds?? The answer, my friends, should be a resounding yes. But unfortunately for me, my body says NO! I LOVE the fat and want to keep it. Stupid body.

You know what it's done? It's shed a MEASLEY 2 pounds since beginning this training on Jan. 1st. Just 2 pounds! On Saturday it was 3 pounds, but today when I weighed, it was back to just 2. Two. T-W-O. Dos. A Couple. Twins. A pair.

Now, I'm not giving up, but I'm telling you my motivation and dedication are wavering in the face of this stubborn body of mine. I am biking, swimming, running, and weight training diligently and getting no results. For the love of all that's holy, people, what's wrong with me??

Never fear. I shall persevere, and eventually I will wear my body down so that I will be the champion. I WILL lose the weight, and I WILL look hot...eventually. Wish me luck, though, because right now my body is laughing at me and holding those two pounds in front of my face with a taunting jeer saying: "See these, sucker? I want them back, and I'm not giving up any more!" And I'm trying with all my might to look that body in the eye and stare it down with fierceness and shout back: "2 pounds is 2 pounds, jerk! Just watch out because IT. IS. ON!"

But I'm kinda struggling...

I need a boost. This will all work for me eventually, right?

Or should I just blame it all on that blasted diabetes?! Ya...that's the reason....

GRRRRR!

Facebook is Addicting!

2009-02-11T22:01:00.000-08:00

So, I realize I'm a total slacker when it comes to my blog, and I haven't posted for a while. I have to say that Facebook has officially sucked me in! It is addicting. Here is the weird thing, though. I had someone "friend" me and could NOT figure out where I knew her from, or if I actually knew her. I waited to confirm until BINGO! It hit me! It was a student of mine from when I first started teaching...12 years ago!!

She's all grown up and engaged to be married. Who feels OLD??? Yep, me. So then I visited her page and looked at all her friends (like 400 something), and I found LOTS of my old students. It was so weird to see them all grown up, kissing boys, dressing...not like 10 year olds, etc. I still picture them as 4th graders, ya know??

Anyway, they are doing great, and I'm seriously enjoying catching back up with them...because after all, I spent 180 days of their formative years with them, and I'm pretty sure I'm the reason they're doing so well....KIDDING! But honestly, where does the time go??

Shouldn't everyone stay their innocent little selves forever? Ah well...

Carpe Diem and all that.

Mrs. Crandell

As You Wish...The Results

2009-01-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

So, here you have it! The results of our hard working MLK day at As You Wish. I was actually quite pleased with mine. I'm going to take it to school to show it off properly. :) Troy loved his (notice the blood on the front of the shark's mouth? Nice touch, babe). Cooper wasn't totally pleased with his (not surprisingly), but didn't complain too much. Surprisingly it was Carter who was unhappy with his because he didn't feel like he painted it well enough. I think it looks great! He's currently keeping change in its mouth. Brooklyn was thrilled with her poo-green colored flower. Yep, when you mix all the colors, that's what you get! It's the most beautiful flower ever! She's taking a nap with it right now...

On a totally unrelated note, I took Brooklyn to run errands with me this afternoon, and can we just say TRAUMATIC?? Ya, first we went to Sport's Authority to buy compasses for science camp. After I paid and was ready to leave she was NOWHERE to be found. Nowhere. I searched that store up and down, yelling her name, had her paged a couple times, had a worker helping me look. I finally panicked so much I called Troy to tell him I'd lost our child and could he come help me look, and that's when I found her...in the weights section in the very farthest corner of the store. Hiding from me. With a big smile on her face. Thinking this was cute, and funny, and a really great game. AAAAAHHHHHHH!!! I was NOT happy. Got my adrenaline pumping for sure. I gave her a good talking to and hugged her tight and spanked her bum, and then we headed off to our next store.

"I stay right by you right Mommy?" she says. "Yes you do. RIGHT by me. Hold my hand." Second store, success! We picked up our As You Wish items, and as we were leaving I saw the 90% clearance sale at Bath and Body and remembered that I HAD to stop there. I stock up every year at this amazing event. So, we stop. As soon as we walk in, what does Brooklyn do? She picks up a large candle and drops it, shattering glass all over the floor! YEP...she did. I'm embarrassed and offer to pay for it, blah blah. They tell me not to worry about it. I keep a much closer eye on Brooklyn. But at this point she is 1) tired, and 2) in heaven because it's all this yummy smelling girl stuff that she HAS to touch and smell! I keep telling her no. I grab her hand. She starts throwing fits. Lots of them. I finally decide, "trip over, let's pay." But the line? LONG, of course. I have to end up holding her (building muscles the whole time because of serious fit throwing and body clenching she's doing) while in line, the whole time listening to her scream and watching people watch me.

We finally make it to the line and to try and get her to shut the H up at this point I ask her if she wants to help hand the lotions to the lady. She of course does. But she basically just throws every single one at her. Luckily, everyone was nice, but I was very happy to get her out of there and back home for her nap. So that picture you see of her holding the flower? She's still ticked about having to go to bed and was STILL throwing fits. Which tells me she definitely needed the nap.

Moral of the story? DON'T take Brooklyn to stores with me EVER AGAIN!!! Or at least not if she hasn't napped...

Thank You, MLK!

2009-01-22T14:51:00.000-08:00

So, I just want to publicly thank MLK for all he did for us. I realize he was a great man who helped bring about civil rights for all...but I really just want to thank him for giving us a holiday! :) Seriously, I so needed Monday off. I got through all my mail (piled to the ceiling) paid my bills, started laundry, straightened up the house, and got water and milk (which we were in desperate need of) all before 12:00.
After 12 we decided it was a family day, and doggone it, we wanted to spend it together doing something fun! We were going to try out the Wildlife World Zoo...but it's so far away and closes rather early, so by the time we were ready it was not an option. Then we thought we'd take the lightrail to Phoenix and check out the science museum. (They do have a Star Trek exhibit there right now. I mean, come on, how cool is that?? :) But, again, with the time--it wasn't going to be worth the money and effort. So...we searched through our coupon book and found: 50% off for up to 4 people at As You Wish!

We've been wanting to try this out for a while, because my brother Eric and his family swear by it. It's a bit pricey, so we thought it would be worth it since we had the coupon. Well, it turns out it was a BLAST! Everyone had a great time (including Troy, which is weird, cuz he usually only wants to go to dinner and a movie. Ever.) But, he really loved it.
Brooklyn painted a little flower. Well, she painted it all different colors and had a wonderful time. I'm not sure what it will look like when we get it back, but she was happy! Cooper and Carter both chose different fish, Troy chose a shark (which he embellished with "blood" all over the teeth. Nice.), and I chose a cup that I could use at school for pencils/scissors/etc.

The painting and being creative was really quite satisfying, I must say! I don't know that any of us will win awards for our artsy-ness, but who cares?? There was no fighting or arguing or complaining for a whole hour, and we left there feeling good about what we'd accomplished. We also left there a LOT lighter in the wallet, because that 50% off for up to 4 people? That's just on the time spent painting, not the pieces...so it still cost us $80! But it was worth it!
Just look at our faces: What fun! (Well, don't look too closely at mine. I look terrible and old, but whatever).

After our fun time at As You Wish, we went to the store to buy Cooper hiking boots for 5th grade science camp that's coming up in 2 weeks (Yep, I'm a teacher of 5th graders, and this year he gets to come with me!) We actually had to go to 3 different stores, and Troy was a great sport about it.

We then went to Mi Amigo's for dinner, which turned out to be delicious! I've never been there before, but I'm sure I will be going again. After dinner, though, was my very favorite part of the day. We went to the park by our house because Brooklyn had been begging all day. I thought we'd stop for a while and just push her on the swings and be done, but thankfully I was wrong.

First, TROY GOT ON THE SWINGS (yep, weird, huh??) and I pushed Brooklyn while the boys ran around. Then I got on the swings for a while. After that, somehow, we all started playing tag and it was SO MUCH FUN!! Troy was carrying Brooklyn around and we were all running around chasing each other, or running away from each other, having a blast! After a while, Brooklyn got down and was totally part of the action. I'd say we played tag for about 20 minutes or more. We laughed so hard, and really had the best time ever. I don't think we've ever done that before, but I can bet you we will be doing it again. (However, any of you who have had kids will know what I'm saying...be sure you go potty before running around and laughing with your kids...yep, motherhood has its sacrifices and it's blessings, for sure. The bladder issues? Not a blessing!) :)

The payoff? My boys were happy and helpful the rest of the night, and when my sister Allyson asked them about Monday Carter said: "Monday? That was probably the best day of my life!" And he meant it. Isn't it crazy? Just a little together time goes such a long way. I love my kids, and right now...I love Martin Luther King, Jr. for bringing us closer to each other. Thanks MLK!

Our Family Pictures

2009-01-16T20:46:00.000-08:00

Well, here is just a sampling of our recent family photo shoot. Click on it to see the pictures better. Can you help me decide which pictures are the best to have printed? I need to know which family picture to choose. (We have 134 pictures to choose from...I just posted a few of my favorites). I know some of you saw this in our "New Year's" card, but those were really small pictures. Hopefully you can see these better.

Family Fun Bowling Night

2009-01-16T20:10:00.000-08:00

So the other night I wanted to go out and do something fun because I had such a busy day ahead of me, and I needed something to look forward to. I asked Troy if he wanted to go out, and then I called my brother to see if they wanted to join us. He told me they were going bowling with Dixie and her family, so we decided we'd tag along with them. It was so much fun!

This was Brooklyn's first bowling experience, and they had a really cool thingy that the little kids could roll the ball down so that it would go straight down the lanes and hit the pins. They also had the bumpers up so there were no "gutter balls."

It turned out to be a very fun evening! Troy won and Brooklyn (due to that contraption...or pure beginner's luck) took second, I got 3rd, Cooper got 4th, and Carter came in last...but really, we all stunk it up! :) Troy did OK, but I didn't get even one strike, and only one spare...and usually I do much better than that!

All in all I think this was better than a movie, and it was fun to have the kids with us for an evening out.

(If you click on the collage you can see the pictures bigger-cuz I know you want to!) :)

HYSTERICAL!

2009-01-16T19:42:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine just emailed this to me, and I thought it was too funny not to share. Hope you get a good laugh! (Actually, I have another one that I'm going to borrow from another friends blog to share here, too. It's teacher humor, but I think it's funny for all. Am I wrong?)

(It says: When I grow up, I want to be like my Mommy!)

(Here's the reply the teacher received the following day)

Dear Mrs. Jones,
I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.
I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.
From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith

You gotta love kids and their amazing spelling!

I was tagged!

2009-01-16T17:12:00.000-08:00

I was awarder the "I love your blog" by my friend Kimberley Smith (who taught Carter 1st grade--one of the best ever!) But with the award goes a tag, so, here goes:

1. Where is your phone? next to me on the table

2. Where is your significant other? driving home from work

3 .Your hair color? auburn

4. Your Mother? amazing and BUSY

5. Your Father? faithful and WISE

6. Your favorite thing? Family

7. Your dream last night? Dream? That would mean I actually sleep...

8. Your goal? Stay-at-home-mom in a nicer/bigger house

9. The room you're in? Kitchen

10. Your hobby? Reading

11. Your fear? Something happening to my family

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? In Arizona in that nice/big house...

13. Where were you last night? The gym, swimming

14. What you're not? a good homemaker

15. One of your wish-list items? A house in an actual neighborhood

16. Where you grew up? Mesa, AZ

17. The last thing you ate? cookie dough....I know...but it was GOOD!

18. What are you wearing? jeans and a long sleeved shirt

19. Your TV? on while Brooklyn watched "Little Mermaid 2"

20. Your pet? 2 dogs (want them??)

21. Your computer? Toshiba laptop

22. Your mood? content

23. Missing someone? not really

24. Your car? Honda Odyssey

25. Something you're not wearing? jewelry (which is weird)

26. Favorite store? The Red Dot Boutique (Target)

27. Your Summer? GREER!!

28. Love someone? Family

29. Your favorite color? Green

30. When was the last time you laughed? Today

31. Last time you cried? Tuesday, while watching The Biggest Loser

32.Something you crave? Sweets (esp. cookies and brownies)

33. Why you blog? Memories

I now award the "I Love Your Blog" Award to:

Allyson Van Patten

Dixie Dixon

Lana Shumway

Tammy Adams

Wendy Daw

Julie Fischbeck

Happy New Year!

2009-01-09T20:37:00.000-08:00

So, I realize this is a little late, but HAPPY NEW YEAR! Troy and I took our kids as well as my brother Eric's kids over to Porter and Lana's house for a fun New Year's party, and we had a great time! Thanks Porter and Lana! There was lots of yummy food, fun games, great company, and it was a nice way to ring in the new year. Dixie and Shane, Porter and Lana, Troy and I, and Russell & Monica Kay were there. Porter had created a fun quiz for us to do when we got there, and had counted a candy jar for us to guess (which I WON!!), and there were movies for the kids to watch so that the adults could enjoy their time together. We played Buzz Word (fun game! the women totally rocked it), and the Newlywed Game.

Brooklyn was a trooper and totally stayed up til midnight. Cooper was zonked on the couch, but Carter and the other kids (minus the little ones) made it through and partied hard until the ball dropped. We had party hats, horns, poppers, and streamers to help us ring in the new year. Overall it was a great time!

I've already been doing great on my new year's resolution, which is to train 100% for the SheROX all women's triathalon on May 9, 2009 at the Tempe Town Lake. I've run, biked, and swam everyday (except Wed. and Sun.) and I feel great! I'm getting so excited for this event and know that in 4 1/2 months I will be in way better shape than I have been in a while, and I'll be able to finish this thing.

Hope you're all doing great! Make it a great 2009!

Day One of My New Life...

2009-01-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

OK, so it's official. My traithalon training has begun. I woke up bright and early at 9:30 :) and set off to do my 19 minute run. Dixie has created a schedule for me for every single day of training for the next 4 1/2 months until the May 9th triathalon. I get Wednesdays and Sundays off (for my Young Women calling, and for the Sabbath).

I thought 19 minutes would be fine. Just so you know, the run scares me the very most. I'm a pretty good swimmer, and I've been doing the biking classes at the gym for a while now, so those 2 don't scare me too much. (However, combining them all together is much different than just doing them by themselves...and it terrifies me a bit right now).

I started my ipod, stretched, and then left the comfort of my front room. All I could feel for the first few minutes was my butt (and every other place with fat on me) jiggling. Embarrassing. I was sure that everyone (all 2 cars that were out and about) could see my jiggliness, and I was mortified. I decided to just ignore it. After 2 minutes I was ready for my first "interval training" so I walked for 2 minutes. :) Yea, I have a ways to go!

This was how it went: Run for 2, walk for 2, run for 3, walk for 2, run for 4, walk for 3, run for 3, then I walked all the way home. So I actually did more than my 19 minutes... Seriously, though--it felt good! I know I will be so much better in 4 1/2 months, and I can't wait to see those results, but I was proud of myself for being on schedule and getting my new life started.

Tomorrow I swim for 24 minutes, and Saturday I bike for 48 minutes. I'll probably just do the bike class at the gym, which is actually 60! :) Starting Monday I will be doing both swimming and running in the same day...yikes!

Happy New Year to me!

Christmas Part Deux

2008-12-31T09:52:00.000-08:00

So the other great part about Christmas is spending the day with my family at my sister Dana's house. We get there about 10 am and hang out until evening. We play with new "toys", talk, EAT, and enjoy the day. It's really one of my very favorite days of the year. So, here are some pictures of that day. (I have more, but it takes forever to put each picture on and then position it, so I'll just put a few).

Here's Brooklyn with Livy, trying out Owen's scooter. She had a great time!

Here are the 3 sassy princesses on the tramp. Tatum, Olivia, and Maya. So cute! (Brooklyn's really trying to make it in their ranks. She got to spend the night with them on Monday and she thought she was in heaven).

Maggie and Troy are sharing a conversation on the phone. Allyson's blog has a cuter picture than this. But it was sweet. Mags loves her Uncle Troy lots!

Here's Coop with his new DS. They played with those lots that day.

And Carter playing with his DS!

Jere and Dixie (both obviously very sassy). Especially Jere. :)

Here's Allyson with her sweet baby Max. (I have a cuter picture of Max I'll show you. He's so dang sweet. Always happy and smiley, and very strong. He is so cute!)

See, there's the cutie patootie! Look at those big eyes and sweet cheeks. Allyson got herself two sweet little babes. (Lucky duck!)

Since I'm always the one taking the pictures I had to beg someone to take one of me. So, here we are...Troy and Jenny on this great day! I have other shots of family, but I think you get the idea. We've got puzzles going on (read Dixie's post on that...hilarious!), games being played, football games on TV (where you will ALWAYS find Troy), food glorious food on the table, bike riding, trampoline jumping, ping-pong playing, air hockey playing, and talking and mingling going on all day. It is truly the BEST. The end.

Project Saturday's continued...

2008-12-31T09:40:00.001-08:00

So remember those project Saturdays we started a while ago? Well, we've actually been keeping up on those, so I thought I'd give you a little update on our progress. Troy worked for 12 hours laying sod in our backyard (after SEVERAL Saturdays just cleaning up and preparing the yard). I am so sad that I don't have a total before picture. But picture weeds as tall as children that can suck you in and never let you go. It was literally a jungle out there. After cleaning that up, Troy tilled the ground, and then laid the sod. It's not totally finished yet (the sod part), but that will be finished this Saturday. After that we are going to put a brick border all around and then put rocks and possibly some trees along the back fence. We also left room for the garden we want to put in this spring. So far, so good!

Sibling Gifts

2008-12-31T09:32:00.000-08:00

Alright, so this isn't Christmas Part Deux yet...but I forgot about a gift I wanted to share. This year I decided that my kids needed to focus more on the giving, and that we needed to put more of our heart and soul into that and not just grab any old thing from the store. So, we decided to make gifts for each other. I helped them look online for ideas, and sort of "nudged" them in a particular direction. Needless to say they all ended up making the same gift for each other, but they were each unique. We made fleece blankets. I took each child separately to JoAnne's to get the fleece and they picked it out. Then they made them. Cooper had Carter, so he chose SpongeBob fleece (perfect), Carter had Brooklyn so he chose princess fleece (another perfect choice), and Brooklyn had Cooper, so we chose pirate/skull/treasure map type fleece. Again, perfect. (I knew that cuz when we were choosing for Carter, Cooper said how much he loved it). Before Christmas Cooper ruined it for everyone by showing the fabric to Carter and telling him. I was SO MAD!!! But, I got over it (sort of) and we went through with it anyway. Just so you know, they were truly awesome gifts that they had to put a lot of time and effort into, and that they use every single day! (Alright, so Cooper's turned out the best...what can I say? Brooklyn's a natural blanket maker! :) Here's a picture of the 3 in their warm and lovingly made fleece blankets:

Christmas at the Crandell's

2008-12-31T08:37:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Christmas. Have I ever mentioned that? For me it's ALL about the giving to my family. I go a little bit crazy every year, and I've vowed to stop that because my kids don't fully appreciate it and they don't take care of their things. They have too much stuff, and yet always seem to be "bored." So this year we borrowed an idea from a friend of my mom's. They got 3 presents, and they had to make their lists according to a "need" a "want" and a "wish". Now you may think a want and a wish are the same, but I differentiated that by telling them that a want was something they wanted that they could probably get (not too expensive). A wish was something only Santa Claus could bring (my boys found out this year the sad truth, but I still explained it that way). It would be "the big one." Now, before I go further, I must say that I mostly stuck to my plan. They did each get 3 gifts, but some gifts needed accessories, so they ended up opening about 5 gifts each. Also, I picked up tons of "family" gifts that they got to open because who can pass up the DVD deals for 3 and 5 dollars at Target?? So, on with the show!

Every Christmas Eve we spend in Heber with Troy's family, and Grandma Crandell gives all the grandkids pajamas. So here's a shot of that. Now we're ready for bed and for the arrival of Santa.

Brooklyn got her bran new kitchen this year from Santa! This was her big gift, and let me tell you...she LOVES it! It even makes "bubbling" noises on the stove, and has a little phone that makes noise, too. Santa found it at Wal-Mart for a smokin' deal the day after Thanksgiving. :

) (Nevermind her crazy hair in all these. What's Christmas morning without crazy hair?)

Carter got a portable DVD player, which I didn't realize would be such a hit, but he loved it! He spent the morning in his underwear. Did I mention they got pajamas? Ya... but Carter really loves sleeping in his skivvies, so there you have it. At least they're not whitey tighties, right?

Cooper's "want" was an electronic keyboard. When I first heard that I said no way. First of all, we have a piano that I can't get him to practice ever, so why would I get a keyboard? But then I found it for another serious deal on Black Friday, and I thought...why not? Maybe this will be more exciting than the piano and he'll practice? Let me just say...it was a hit! He has played it everyday since, and absolutely loves it! Yay, me! :)

Brooklyn's next gift was a fairy dress up box because she LOVES to dress up so much!

Alright, so this was the super duper wish for the boys this year. A Nintendo DS. I told them it wasn't gonna happen. These things are very expensive, and they hardly took care of the Game Boys they got 2 years ago. However, I found the BEST deal at Game Crazy the day after Thanksgiving, and so...they got lucky! However, these are the things that needed accessories, so that's why they got more to open (games, a carrying case, etc.) But needless to say, these were a very exciting gift from "Santa"!

OK, so it's not quite as fun to open your DS after you already know what it is, but it was still a fave! :) They were both quite happy.

Accessories for the kitchen. :)

The "need" for both boys was definitely shoes, and they both had their own choices there. Cooper has really wanted Converse type shoes. I found his at Old Navy for $8.95, so I totally scored because he LOVED them! Carter, unfortunately, wanted DC's, which cost considerably more. But I made a good choice and he thought they were perfect. So both boys were happy, which, I gotta tell you, is rare!

Brooklyn also got a little Cabbage Patch baby and a Princess hideaway tent. She loved both! :)

Troy got a 16 gb Sansa MP3 player, and I got a Wii Fit! We both loved them, and thankfully for you...no pictures of our glamour in the morning!

Stay tuned for Christmas part deux!

Christmas beauty

2008-12-29T16:21:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to show you how 'dorable my little Brookers was for Christmas. I feel bad cuz I don't have any pictures of my boys, but seriously...they aren't that excited about "dressing up" for any occasion, so they just looked normal. I have lots of catching up to do, but thought I'd give you a little glimpse of my beauty! :)

So Much STUFF

2008-11-23T12:05:00.000-08:00

K, so here's the deal-i-o. I have SO much to blog about, but I just can't get motivated to do it (or to upload the pictures), so I'm just gonna give you the quick low-down.

A) I DIDN'T (thankfully) break my toe. Turns out it was dislocated (though it hurt like a break). I found that out when I accidentally stretched my toes, felt the POP (and it HURT), and the next day I could move it. It was puprle for another week, but doing fine.

B) The Saturday projects continue. Again, I was LAME to not get a before picture of the yard, but we've already spent 2 Saturdays on it, and it's still not done (that should give you an idea of the enormity of this job). We cleaned up all the "crap" (literally), we raked up all the dead mile high weeds, (filling up about 8 GIANT black bags in the process), then Troy tilled the yard and spray painted where the border will go, and next week we put in the sod. Oh yea, he also fixed the sprinklers which was the real problem in the first place. We even sectioned off a part for a garden (next project = scared).

C) I pulled off the elementary school 4-6 grade choir concert. (I direct it with the music teacher at school). It was Tuesday, and let's just say I'm glad it's over! I learned a lot. :)

D) I just returned from 5 days in San Antonio, TX where I went to attend a teacher's convention with 10 other teachers and the principal from my school. I had a BLAST! But San Antonio? I don't recommend it to anyone. It was just plain ugly. Not much to do. The Riverwalk is cool, I guess, but if you want to experience something like it, just go to the Tempe Town Lake and walk around. Done. The Alamo was neat also, but nothing super awe-inspiring or anything. At least not for me. The fun was hanging out with the people there--that was GREAT! I also enjoyed going to the classes and getting LOTS of free books (cuz you can NEVER have too many books!)

E) Saw Twilight. I liked it...but then the more I thought about it, the more things I didn't like about it. I hated Edward. His make up looked like the joker (seriously, who was on hair and make up in this thing??) I liked Bella, and I LOVED the high school friends. They were perfect and hilarious. I just think Edward was too skinny and small, and he also was TOO tortured (even though I know he's tortured in the book). It was too much. Bad acting. There were parts and times where I thought he was sexy, but the black eyeliner and eyebrows and WHITE face and dark red lips were over the top. I thought Jacob looked weird. I think they did all the important scenes from the book, and I overall liked it...but there were a lot of little things that were just weird--like the scene in the woods. Just laying on the grass? Seriously, what was that all about? Also, the timeline didn't seem believable at all--she's already so in love with him right away, and if I hadn't read the books I wouldn't think that was believeable at all! I knew the story and had read the whole thing unfold, but in the movie it felt like it all happened in about a day, not a whole school year. Just not enough depth. What did anyone else think? So my initial feeling was thumbs up...my feeling now? Thumb in the middle. Not totally bad, definitely not totally great. I'm sure I'll still buy it though...

Brooklyn's spa day

2008-11-12T17:11:00.000-08:00

So yesterday on our Veteran's Day off from school, Brooklyn and I decided to get all dolled up and go for pedis! :) She loves to be totally girly and have her hair (and make up if at all possible) done, and she loves to have her nails painted. Since she's only 2 1/2, though, it's a bit hard for her to sit still for very long. However, she did great yesterday. This is a series of shots of her throughout the experience. It's really hard to get a 2 year old to not move and to not touch her nails on anything, but she was a champ! I don't know what the deal is with her mouth--she's doing this weird thing with it instead of smiling, and it's a bit annoying, but I still think she's cute! So enjoy Brooklyn's big day out. (She got flowers on her big toes AND on her thumbs! The lady didn't ask me if I wanted to pay for those, she just did them, and I had to pay for them anyway. :( Oh well. Brooklyn loved them).

What the???

2008-11-12T16:57:00.000-08:00

So, I BROKE my toe this morning just before leaving for school! Yea...seriously. I must have some of the most brittle bones ever because I have now officially broken two toes, my arm twice, and my ankle. What is up with that? I was simply turning around to walk out of Brooklyn's room to get my shoes on, and as I turned and stepped, I kicked her toy box right on the edge, and BROKE my dang toe! I thought I had actually broken two, but thankfully not. I hit my 2nd and 3rd toes on my left foot, screamed a little, then just kept going on as usual. But when the pain didn't recede, but got worse and worse I suspected this was more than just a "stub." The ride to school was pretty bad, and by the time I got to school my toe was a bit black and blue and I couldn't really walk. Luckily the secretary had a "boot" I could wear because that helped a lot, and I kept ice on it all day. Also luckily I have a student teacher so I could keep my foot up all day while she taught. :) BUMMER! But, thank goodness I got a pedi just yesterday, so at least I have pretty toes! You can't really see the black and blue in this picture, but I tried.

I'm an Esme!

2008-11-11T08:37:00.001-08:00

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Just because it's cute

2008-11-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

Remember how I was just strolling down memory lane? I saw this one and couldn't help myself. It's one of my ALL TIME favorite pictures with my boys! I love it!

TAG!

2008-11-09T19:04:00.000-08:00

So, I was "tagged" by Lana, and I'm finally doing my duty! I went to my third folder in my pictures and opened the third picture, and this is what I found. My CUTE little guys at Jonathan and Mandi's wedding in 2003. Seriously, could they be more adorable? Cooper was 4 and Carter was 2 1/2. This was at the Arizona temple. There are some other extremely cute pictures in this folder. It's kinda fun to stroll down memory lane with these! I tag Allyson, Emily, Kristi, and Mandi.

First Crandell Project

2008-11-09T18:40:00.001-08:00

Alright, so as you know we've been working on being a better family in all ways. First was finally getting a good routine of reading scriptures and praying as a family. Check. Next is trying to get our boys to be more responsible--having a chore chart and a way to earn "Crandell cash" which can convert into real dollars to be used as desired (after putting 10% into tithing and 10% into savings). Check. (Well, in theory it's happening, they're just still not great at it at all). Finally, we want our kids (and ourselves) to be more hardworking and full of service. However, before we should bust out the service for others, we figured we needed to first tackle some serious projects at our own house. We felt that working together as a family was what we were lacking and would help us be a better, stronger family. Trust me, we have a list of project ideas a mile long. We spent a whole FHE coming up with what projects we will start tackling on our "Project Saturdays." (That's right...no more sleeping in, reading/watching TV/playing video games on the weekends. It's work time!!) Here is our list:

1) Clean up the back yard and plant grass (if you've ever seen our yard, you'll understand that this in itself is probably the biggest project around. If you haven't seen it, count yourself blessed).

2) Clean out the garage (again...WOW. Need I say more?)

3) Pass off scout requirements

4) Do piano flashcards

5) Pick up trash

6) Organize things in the house, such as: bookshelves, clothing, toys, shelves, computer desks, videos/DVDs

7) Paint: family room/kitchen, curtain rods

8) Plant flowers in our front yard

9) Plant a garden

Now some of you may look at those as some extremely lofty goals. And you'd be right. But, since we are taking the prophet's counsel to heart, we are going for it. We started this Saturday. I'm so sad that I don't have a before picture--because we couldn't even WALK in our garage it was so full of crap. We were really trying to be able to park in the garage, but since we have a retardedly tiny garage, we still can't. BUT...it doesn't matter because we can WALK in there now!! I can get to my freezer with ease, I know where all of our camping supplies are. I've put all of Brooklyn's old clothes (6 TUBS FULL) into those space saver bags (which I don't think are that great, BTW), and I can get to our food storage. So...3 photos for your viewing pleasure. I realize the right side of the garage is still full of stuff, but at least it is organized. Enjoy!

In our cleaning frenzy I also organized all of our videos and DVDs and the bookshelf in the front room. I was on FIRE! Next Saturday? The backyard begins...

Happy LATE Halloween!!

2008-11-09T18:23:00.000-08:00

Yea, so in the spirit of "catching up" on my blogs, I'm going to post my oober late Halloween pics, because they are cute! For the first year ever I didn't get pictures of my boys carving their pumpkins and I'm a bit sad about that. However, I did get them all in their Halloween finery. Brooklyn was Princess Cinderella, of course (her new fave), and the boys, who used to be the cutest and most brave of super heroes refuse to be anything but scary disgusting monsterish things nowadays. I'm a mean mom, though, and don't let them be totally sick (which makes them mad, but hey...at least I'm letting them dress up sort of scary at all, right??) They were as "scary" as they could be. Cooper was some sort of vampire (with the yucky blood on his mouth), and Carter was "Death."

So Much to Post...Where do I Begin??

2008-11-09T17:47:00.000-08:00

OK, So I know I'm a lame post-er, but I can't help it. I am slightly busy. (Not that you amazing bloggers out there aren't). However, I have literally taken the last day or two to just "catch up" on all my blog reading, and now I have to try and find some energy to do some posting of my own. Hope you're in for a long haul...'cause I've got lots!

First: A cute pic from my school's Fall Carnival (held Oct. 3...that's how old these pics are). My sisters Allyson and Dixie came with their families, as well as my brother Porter and his family. The lines were a bit long and obnoxious, so it wasn't as fun as it could've been. On the upside, I won one of the raffles--3 months of free car washes! Cool, huh? My student teacher also won a raffle - a $150.00 karate birthday party for child and 20 friends - however, she has no kids, so we "won" that as well, and Carter gets his free party next Saturday! Woot! Woot! (We only do parties every 4 years, so he gets a lucky "bonus" party, because hey...free!

Second: My class had our annual "Fear Factor" Fall party, and here is one of my favorite stations: Bobbing for rats in a tub full of live goldfish!

Another favorite station is "Dirty Diapers" where they have to figure out what the "poo" in the diapers is.

They also found "worms" in whipped cream, and ate "pig brains". Overall it was a smash hit!

Third: My sweet nephew Max Van Patten was born. Allyson had him on October 21st (I think...uh oh, I hope I got the date right...) anyway, he is SO SWEET! And I am SO BABY HUNGRY! So I've enjoyed holding him lots lately. Here's a pic of Brooklyn enjoying her new "brother cousin."

Fourth: I turned 34 on Nov. 2nd, and my two sweet boys (mostly Cooper, but Carter threw in an egg I think) made me a cake FROM SCRATCH for my birthday! I was quite impressed. It was a cream cheese pound cake (Troy said it was more like a 10-pound cake, but it wasn't too bad for a first attempt...and done ALL BY THEMSELVES!) Troy and I went to dinner at Oregano's (Pizooki anyone??) and saw Eagle Eye, then Sunday I literally LAZED around all Sunday (after stake conference of course) and watched all the DVRed TV shows I never have time in real life to watch. It was AWESOME! Oh yea, and Troy got me a bracelet (you know, the medic alert ones since I'm broken and have Diabetes now), and a $20.00 gift card to Borders (BOOKS = MY FAVE!) I also got lots of phone calls from family and a nice lunch and gift card to Barnes and Noble from my team mates at school. All in all it was a lovely birthday, and even though I'm getting OLD, I had a good time. Here is a picture of the boys with the cake, and of me after blowing out the candles (please forgive the pj's and awful hair...remember I was lazing around all day!)

Fifth:My boys performed in a piano recital at the mall and did an EXCELLENT job! They hate practicing and it's like WWII every time I try and get them to do it, but they are truly talented and amazing, so I'm always happy when they do well and feel good about their hard work, and hope it will help the next time I'm nagging them to practice! They do love performing. (I DON'T know where they got that from...)

Can we say competitive??

2008-10-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

Alright...so Allyson beat my last typing by getting 110 wpm. Apparently Adam has beaten us all by getting 117, but-------------I just got my all time high!! ONE FOURTEEN EVERYBODY!! (I certainly don't have time for this, but it's addicting I tell ya. And seriously, the perfect thing to do 20 minutes before church starts, right??) Here it is:

114 words

Speedtest

I am the CHAMPION!!!

2008-10-07T18:33:00.001-07:00

OH yea...that's right! I told Allyson I'd beat her score, and by dang, I DID!!! Read 'em and weep sistuh! 1-0-5!!! (I guess I'm a rotten winner, aren't I? ) But I am quite pleased with this. :)

105 words

Typingtest

I'm almost totally unique!!

2008-10-07T18:14:00.000-07:00

So, apparently there are only 2 of me in the US...pretty cool! (Although there were more than 100,000 people named Jenny). I wonder who my twin is??

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
2
people with my name in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

On the Handbag Wagon!

2008-10-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

Alright, so I'm a sucker for cute bags, too! I get 25 entries to win a free bag for posting this, so here goes! Go to this site and sign up to win your own bag at: handbagplanet.com.

Demotion

2008-10-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

So...remember that post I just BARELY posted about my son winning the Vice-Presidency? Um...yea. Disregard that. He has officially been "removed" from the position for too many reasons to elaborate on here. Suffice it to say, the last major infraction was being dumb enough to take the knife he got from scouts to school, put it in his desk, and then show people. I'm rescinding any previously made comments on my son's brilliance, because apparently he's none too smart when it comes to the ol' common sense. He's just lucky he wasn't suspended (and so am I...cause then what do I do with him?) It's been a ROUGH year so far, and it seems that almost nothing we're doing is getting through yet. I've lost more sleep and cried more tears over this child than I should have in his short (10 year) life. And even more in the last few months than ever. We're doing all we can--medication, counseling, talking/teaching, we switched him to a different class, he's meeting regularly with the bishop (yep...he's only 10, but his offenses are serious enough to warrant some theological help), and he and I are getting up at 5:00 every morning to pray and read talks from lds.org with each other. (Please don't think I'm that great for getting up with him early...if we had been better at scripture and prayer as a family all along I think a lot of this would've been better than it is). The getting up at 5 is my favorite thing, though. Don't get me wrong...it's hard! But I have gotten so much out of it! I am LOVING reading from the modern day prophets and apostles, and the words we're reading have helped me so much. (We're on our 4th week of getting up every morning, and I'm quite excited to say that we haven't missed once!)

Unfortunately, I'm feeling like nothing is working with Cooper. The first week there was amazing "change" it looked like. But it has started to feel like still a lot of the same, and it is so frustrating! My principal (also in my bishopric) keeps telling me it's a marathon, not a sprint, and I get that. But it is so hard when you feel like you're doing all you can and nothing is working. And it's your child whose life is in question. It breaks my heart. But I guess I was sent this child to help me learn patience, LONG-SUFFERING, and love and acceptance for challenging children. I know that I'm learning a lot. But it is hard.

One of the hardest things is how people judge me as a parent (or how I think they're judging me) when he acts like such a jerk, or is dishonest or disobedient or mean or whatever he does. I have to believe that someday he'll get there, though, and that people who know us know what we're dealing with.

Anyway...didn't mean for this to be a "boo-hoo" post, but it kind of sounds like it is. Sorry! Any of you with ADHD/ODD/OCD kids out there---I feel your pain! But I do think someday they'll be the leaders they have the potential to be! (If we can keep them on the straight & narrow, that is.......)

Step Out for Diabetes

2008-09-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

So yesterday my family and I trekked our way out to Wild Horse Pass to do a 2 mile walk to fight diabetes. We actually joined the team of the 12 year old girl in my ward whose family has been so helpful to me since discovering I had diabetes. It was really easy, and we were home by 9:30 in the am, but it was pretty cool. I've decided next year that I'm going to actually create my own team and really try and hit all of you up for money to find a cure for this blasted disease! :) So, just be prepared. Start saving now so that next year you can give all your hard earned cash to this great cause! (just kidding) But seriously, next year...Team Crandell!!!!

Diabetes...It sucks

2008-09-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

Well, perhaps you've been waiting on pins and needles to find out about my diabetes diagnosis that I teasingly referred to in July. Or, maybe you haven't. (Probably you haven't...but I'm telling you about it anyway!) :) Here are the most commonly asked questions:

#1 What were your symptoms?

Well, first I was drinking water like it was going out of style. Literally. I was downing more than a gallon a day and peeing like crazy! I would get up 2 to 3 times a night to go to the bathroom, and I wasn't pregnant, so I knew that was weird. If I didn't have water with me I could almost not think of anything else because my mouth was so dry and I just could not get enough. Even if I was almost home from somewhere I would have to stop and buy a bottle of water and then drink most of it before I got home. Then I would get a LARGE glass of it as soon as I got home and drink it. Apparently that's a big sign of diabetes, but I didn't know it.

#2 I was also sick to my stomach. I really thought I was pregnant because I was peeing a lot (even at night) and I felt sick to my stomach. I even took a couple pregnancy tests, which obviously came back negative.

#3 I had talked to a lady whose daughter was diagnosed with Diabetes in December and she had mentioned similar symptoms, and I thought about it, but put it out of my mind. But when I was telling my mom and Allyson about it they told me that I needed to go to the doctor because it sounded like Diabetes to them.

#4 I was losing weight. I have worked hard this last year to lose weight--exercising 3 to 4 times a week and eating better. I had lost 30 pounds...but from about March to May I had stopped going to the gym and eaten out A LOT because of baseball season, and I STILL lost about 6 or 7 pounds.

At church the day after I talked to my family, I talked to that lady again and told her what was going on and she said she could check my blood sugar for me right then. When she did, my sugar was at 357 (I had eaten 3 hours earlier). Apparently that's VERY high, since normal blood sugar is from 60 to 100 before meals, and no higher than 120 after meals. HMMMM....so then we pulled an EMT out of class to talk to me, and then a dermatologist in my ward. They all convinced me that even thought I felt FINE that I needed to go to the emergency room because it was very serious.

I thought maybe I could just wait until Monday and go to the doctor, but they talked me into it because they really thought I should. (It turns out I could've waited, but no one knew that and it's OK because we did what was best at the time). When I was in the hospital my blood sugar was all the way up to 382. They gave me 2 liters of fluids to bring down my sugars and it only went down to 272 or so. They discharged me and I went to the doctor the next day.

I got my blood work done and they do a test called an A1C that checks where your blood sugars have been for the past 3 months. You want to be below a 6, and I was at 10.7. That means that over the past 3 months my blood sugars had averaged around 250 a day. They also tested my bloods for the past 3 weeks, called a Fructosamine test, and it should be between 190 and 270. Mine was 503. So, yea...high numbers. I was spilling a lot of glucose in my urine. Basically I was peeing out half of what I was eating (thus the weight loss). (Apparently it's a great diet for a while!! :) That Tuesday my blood sugar went up to 453, and the doctor told me to come right back in. He put me on a 24 hour insulin that I would take every night at the same time. (It's called Lantus). He still thought I had type 2 diabetes, even though I didn't totally fit the profile (Type 2 generally runs in families, happens when you are overweight or very unhealthy, and if you've had gestational diabetes--which I had--you are at a much higher risk for this. With Type 2 you can usually control it completely with diet, exercise, and sometimes a pill. If you're very severe you might also need to take insulin shots. But basically Type 2 is insulin resistant...their bodies just don't use the insulin they produce correctly. Type 1 is insulin sensitive--meaning your body uses it very well, but it is an autoimmune disease where your pancreas stops producing insulin because your body begins "attacking" itself. If you are type 1 there is absolutely nothing you can do to stop it or to prevent it from happening in the first place. You will be required to use insulin shots for the rest of your life because your body does not produce it anymore. Type 1 diabetics are the ones who wear the pumps, or have to give shots of insulin at each meal and check blood sugars 6 to 12 times a day). Well, it turns out I'm Type 1.

So...now I get to check my sugars when I wake up, every time I eat, 2 hours after I eat, and any time I might feel "low." Feeling low feels MUCH worse than having high sugars. It's where there's too much insulin (maybe you gave yourself a shot, but didn't finish the meal you were eating--and you decide how much to give yourself based on the carbs you're eating), so your sugars drop. You feel sick--sweaty, shaky, like you want to eat everything in sight, and like you're going to pass out. If this happens I have to eat straight sugar (glucose tablets, jolly ranchers, juice boxes, etc.) and then when my sugars rise a bit I eat something with more complex carbs. This can be dangerous, though, because if they fall too fast I could pass out and not be able to take anything, so people have to possibly give me a shot or rub cake gel into my gums, etc. I need to order an ID bracelet now because I'm diabetic. Basically, it's pretty much changed my life forever.

Can I have more kids?

Well, Troy and I were planning on getting pregnant at the end of the summer, but it turns out I really can't until my A1C scores are down in the 6 range (which takes a long time and a LOT of hard work). Right now it's iffy that we will have anymore kids, which makes me quite sad since I don't feel done. Also, Allyson's having one in October, and now Lana's pregnant and having one in May. I really wanted to add one of our own to that cousin mix, but alas...not to be. Type 1 Diabetics can have babies, but it's much harder and higher risk. Also, if you conceive during a time when your sugars are really high there is a much higher risk for congenital birth defects. We wouldn't want to risk that. So right now we don't know what will happen.

So, there you have it. Everything you wanted to know, and probably more, about Diabetes and me. It sucks! (I don't recommend it to anyone). :)

Cooper as the new VP

2008-09-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

So this year Cooper decided that he would run for Student Council Vice President. I was nervous for several reasons. #1 I don't want my child to be devastated if he doesn't make it ( but I also know that I can't stop him from trying, and that it's OK to try for something and fail...it just makes me sad to think of them being sad....anyway, you get the point). #2 He has some serious behavior issues and problems, and I was very worried that if he did make it, it wouldn't last long (turns out I had much more reason to be worried about this).

Regardless of this, I told him I would help. So we made him a poster, made him campaign stickers to pass out, and so it began. The problem for me was that I could NOT for the life of me come up with a speech for him. I knew it needed to be funny and not the totally lame: "I will be a good vice president because..." kind of thing. Finally, the night before the elections I was desperate. I called Lana because I figured she would probably have some great ideas. I told her what I was trying to do and that I had been thinking about it for a week and couldn't come up with anything. 5 minutes later (yes that's right...5 MINUTES LATER) she calls me back and says: "So, I typed up a speech, tell me what you think." Wow. Needless to say, it was brilliant, Cooper performed it brilliantly (with some BRILLIANT coaching from his mother), and he WON!!!! (He even got cut off before he could finish the speech because it was longer than 1 minute...and he still won!) So, here's the speech:

Cooper’s student council election speech:

This morning I was pretty nervous as I got up to face this day. I mean, it’s a HUGE day for me. I’m gearing up to be the next VICE-PRESIDENT of Student Council. Wow…think of the doors this could open for me. The next step is lobbying in Washington for rights for….um, for the power to…um, for political stuff. Next step, supreme Jourt Custice...I mean Court Justice. Anyway, you get the idea, I have big dreams, and this day is the start of something special.

So, I started out by doing some daily affirmations in the mirror after carefully flossing my teeth. (I’ll have to give you my speech on the importance of good dental hygiene some other day…) Anyway! Here’s what I told the Me in the mirror:

Cooper, you’re one handsome kid……(pause) What? I gotta give myself a little power boost to get going, don’t I?

2. You need to make some changes around here. You have some good ideas. (Like Quarter Sales...I want them back. And Agent WannaBe--I wanna see you more often!)

You’re good enough, smart enough, and dog gonnit, People LIKE YOU…oh my gosh, am I growing nose hair?!?!?! Um…moving on.

The point is, the 2008-2009 school year is starting off so well. We have the power to make it what we want. I want you to have great memories, I want you to have FUN, and I want you to vote for Cooper Crandell for Vice President…..and man, I want a snickers! Uh….. THANK YOU!!!!!!

Is it any wonder he won?? Thank you Lana! So any of you needing student council speeches for your kids, Lana is the one to call. She's booked through the Presidential Elections, but after that I'm sure she'll be free. :)

Potty Trained!!

2008-09-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

Yep, folks...it's official! Brooklyn is now and officially potty trained! This has been a very long and drawn out process. She basically started peeing on the potty when she was 18 months old, but it was just kind of here and there and very inconsistent. When she turned 2 we thought the time had truly arrived. Unfortunately, parents have to be consistent in the actual training, and sadly, we were not. She could go pee any time, but would choose not to quite often. However, she could NOT go poop. It was exactly the same with Cooper. Finally right at the end of the summer I decided I'd had it with pull ups and accidents, so I told her she would have to go poop and that was final. We ran out of diapers and pull ups and I told her I couldn't buy anymore, so she had to wear her panties. She had an accident, but did pretty well. When she had to poop she was freaking out because she absolutely could not or would not go on the potty. I finally just made her run around naked and she kept running back to the potty, but as soon as she got on she couldn't go. But...thank goodness poop has a way of making an appearance whether you like it or not---she FINALLY did it! It was an exciting night of dancing and reveling at the Crandell household, I will tell you! Since then she has had some accidents for sure, but mostly done pretty well. She now poops on the potty regularly, and even takes naps in her panties. We finally stopped putting a diaper on her at night, too, because she kept waking up dry. So--now that she's woken up dry for a week straight wearing panties, I can say she is NOW and OFFICIALLY FOREVER POTTY TRAINED!!!! YAY!!!

Beautiful GREER!!!!

2008-07-30T09:23:00.001-07:00

GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, that's how I feel about it. Each year for the past 4 years my family has spent one week in the beautiful mountains of Greer. We've tried different cabins almost each time, and I think we finally found the cabins that suit us best (except for some serious plumbing issues that we hope will be resolved for next year).

This year my sis-in-laws and I formed a "planning committee" to come up with activities for all the kids (and adults in some cases) so that our trip would be even that much more enjoyable, and I can honestly say that I think it was a success! Some of our activities were:

Track and Field Day

which included: sack races, 3 legged races, and a fun water balloon toss (and fight!)

Yes, that's my big butt jumping in one of the gunny sacks--Jody, Lana, and I even got in on the action! :)

We had this kids decorate bug jars (because there are a plethora of bugs up there for them to capture, collect, and torture)

We had them make fruit loop (or bead) necklackes, and played a game called "Hay is for Horses" where we got a bale of hay and hid hundreds of little prizes in it for them to search through and collect. That was fun!

We had a FABULOUS talent show (and when I can get the video uploaded I will show Brooklyn's ABC song -- it was adorable! She is only 2, but she was so enthralled with the performers, she sat on the front row totally quiet and still the whole time, and when it was her turn she got right up, turned around to us and sang the ABCs with NO help or prompting, and then sat back down! It was the cutest!) The Jones boys also sang a HILARIOUS song from some Mormon movie that was great, and my boys each did their own "thang". Cooper and Conner performed a Weird Al song (complete with backup dancers Tatum, Maya, and Livy), and Carter was a stand up comic! I was proud of them for each figuring out their talents and working on it on their own. They were a lot of fun to watch.

Some other hilights of the night were: Cooper, Carter, and Tatum playing piano solos (they're all taught by their Aunt Dana), Maya and Owen doing gymnastics "tricks", Maggie showing us how she can stand (that was the cutest!), Livy, Tatum, Maya, and Owen's song "Peanut Butter and Jelly" (SO CUTE), and Dixie and Shane's AMAZINGLY funny song!

Here's a shot of Mags showing us how great she is at standing:

Some of our other activities included a fantastic family kickball game (that unfortunately only lasted 20 minutes or so before Porter kicked it so hard it was impaled on a tree. Game over). This was great, though, because EVERYONE participated (down to some really little ones), and it was just fun. It wasn't the best place to play because it was very uneven ground and we were all afraid we'd twist an ankle, but it was still one of the highlights. Here's a shot of me looking oh-so-graceful kicking the ball :)

Finally, my very favorite activity (and the very most work of all) was "The Amazing Race" We created 4 teams. The first task was a nature scavenger hunt where they had to not only collect things in bug jars and bags, but take pictures of things they couldn't collect. They all got stumped on the dreaded squirrel/chipmunk. Believe me, they're everywhere--until you want to photograph them, then POOF! Gonzo! As soon as that was completed they had to make their way to the playground for an "obstacle course". It was a roadblock that only two on the team could complete. Then they had a Detour, where they chose to either do a crossword/word search, or learn a dance. When they completed that they had to put together a puzzle and solve the riddle on the puzzle to get to the end where Jere (otherwise known as the "host") greeted them and they got their prizes. Overall it was quite a success, and lots of fun! Even though the scavenger hunt was fairly hard, that was my favorite part.

And here are a couple shots of our family at our annual "family picture" at the end of Greer. Overall, probably the best year yet!

Long Time No Blog

2008-07-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

So....LOTS has been happening in my life, and I've been extra slacker-ish at posting it on the ol' blog. So, here goes! Actually, I may do a series of posts so it's not a huge overwhelming one (for all you readers out there who don't like novels for posts!) :)

In a nutshell, though, these are the things that have happened:

1) My family spent a BEAUTIFUL week in Greer (that will be a post in itself) with my Shumway family, and it was such a great time!

2) My Grandpa Gerald Shumway passed away on July 6, and we just had his funeral this week.

3) I was diagnosed with Diabetes

4) I've gone back to school to start getting ready for the new school year.

So...let me get busy with post-specific items that will include pictures and maybe even some video (if you're lucky!) :)

No More Binkies!!!!

2008-06-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

That's right, folks, we've finally taken the plunge. We have removed binkies from Brooklyn's life forever. This girl is seriously attached to her binkies, and it's been a long time coming, but we finally did it. A really good friend of mine (who teaches preschool and kindergarten and is in my opinion a master of early childhood teaching) told me that she read somewhere that if you take a binkie away from a child before or by 18 months, they don't really have as hard a time with it because their brains aren't developed enough to realize you're "taking something away" from them. However, if you wait longer than that they realize what you're doing and it can affect them negatively. So, she's always let her kids keep their binkies until they were 3 and could make the choice for themselves. Well, I was all for it! I decided if she did that it was a good enough reason for me to let Brooklyn keep her beloved binkie. Well, she is now 2 years 3 months old, and we've noticed that her already pronounced overbite (she has her dad's Simpson mouth for sure!) was becoming even more pronounced. This worried us a lot. We have been telling her everyday that big girs don't need binkies, and usually during the day she wouldn't need it (just for naps and night time) so she was getting prepared for making the choice to give it up. But because we decided her dental woes (which are already a sad state in this family--we all have bad genes when it comes to teeth) outweighed the need to keep her binkie fixation going, we finally just took it away. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! She has been taking her naps and sleeping at night without it. She doesn't sleep as soundly because she wakes up screaming (she did this at least 3 times last night). We used to just be able to pop the binkie back into her mouth and she'd fall deeply asleep...not anymore. So, as soon as we can get her over this high-pitched-middle-of-the-night screaming, we'll be totally free and clear of the binkie! (Lesson learned? Take it away before 18 months!)

Let Them Eat Cake

2008-06-30T09:55:00.001-07:00

Alright, so the other day I'm sitting at the table eating lunch, the boys have just returned from piano lessons and are puttering around in their room. They happened to have brought home a large piece of cake from Dana's house (from Jayce's birthday) and set it on the counter. I'm pretty sure that Brooklyn has the ultimate sweets radar in her nose because she immediately found it. (It was covered by another plate and sitting far back on the counter). She runs right up to the counter and grabs it before anyone knows what she's doing, and then bing bang boom! There is cake all over the floor and she is happily gobbling it up! Yikes. All I can say is, this blogging thing is helping me to remain calm in these situations because instead of yelling, I grabbed my camera and caught the mess on film for posterity. (The bad thing was, this was just after she had spilled an ENTIRE large bowl full of watermelon on the floor and I had swept and mopped. At least the floor was clean for her cake eating experience...)

Naughty Little Girls

2008-06-19T22:42:00.000-07:00

OK, so as I'm trying to put some videos on this here blog today I noticed that it was suspiciously quiet in the back of the house where Brooklyn and Maggie were playing. This cannot be good. Unfortunately my sweet little Brooklyn has become quite a sneaky, and seriously naughty thing as of late. She closes the door if she wants some "privacy" (and this is not just to poop, although she refuses to be anywhere but her own room, or some other private spot for that as well--I'm telling you, I'm never going to get this girl to poop on the potty. She just cannot relax enough! But seriously, I'm off on a tangent now). She will close the door to her room and pull out every single wet wipe from the package to wash her face, her body, her door, her books, her dolls...you name it - they're squeaky clean now! She will pull all the earrings off the card they're on (losing them frequently). She will go into the bathroom, shut the door and do who knows what with the water getting herself, the bathroom, the toilet paper, pretty much everything soaked. She's recently decided the toilet cleaning brush is quite interesting and is sure she cannot live until she's cleaned the toilet properly with it. So I have to keep taking it out of her hands and telling her how disgusting it is. Apparently she didn't believe me.

This brings us back to the suspicious quietness of my house. When there's quiet, there is sure to be mischief brewing. So, I quickly jumped up and ran to her room (which is where she and Maggie were last spotted, playing nicely with the toys and books). Obviously they were MIA. I checked the kid's bathroom. No luck. This made me quite nervous because if she goes into my room there are all kinds of things she's found lately to tamper with (my expensive makeup being her favorite...grrrr!) Alas, there they were. Two partners in crime. Not in my room. No no no, that would have been too easy. No, they were in the bathroom. Guess what Brooklyn was doing? She was cleaning the toilet with that disgusting toilet brush I had been warning her about for days. But not only was she cleaning the toilet...apparently she was giving Maggie and the floor a thorough cleaning, too, because there was toilet water EVERYWHERE, and Maggie was literally drenched from head to toe. Happy as a clam sitting next to the toilet watching her hero Brooklyn scour out all the little nasties that like to hide in the bowl.

Did your throw up in your mouth a little, too? Because I did. First I screamed (yes, literally--and I think it scared those cleaning ladies a tad), then I grabbed the brush, put it away and assessed the situation. My floor was drenched, and unfortunately both of their binkies were swimming in the pool of toity water on the floor. I promptly scooped up Maggie and the binkies and told Brooklyn to strip down while I ran a bath.

Unfortunately (due to the fact that I'm new to this blogging stuff, I'm sure) I forgot to capture the moment on camera. However, I did the next best thing. I caught the two little criminals on camera in the bath. (They really were cute and I couldn't resist). So here are some shots of the world's (now) cleanest bathroom ladies. Brooklyn and Maggie--partners in crime!

Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars!

2008-06-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd show you a few pictures of the boys after their workshop performances. (And some during the performance). It really was great!

The Magic of Musical Theatre

2008-06-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

So, the boys just got done with their very first year at MCC's Magic of Musical Theatre Workshop. You would have thought they had died and gone to heaven. Truly, I think I've finally found something they both love, they could probably be fairly good at, and that they will work at. It was so much fun to see them perform, and it also was weird--because I don't think they (or I) should be that old yet. I can't believe how big they're getting. Actually, let me rephrase that. I can't believe how old they're getting. They were actually the two tiniest kids up there and it made it that much cuter to watch them. They were a little bit young for the program, but they were allowed to be in it because I'm watching Maggie for Allyson (who is one of the teachers) in trade. It was a pretty awesome trade if you ask me. They spent from 1:30 to 5:30 Monday through Friday for two weeks at MCC learning songs and blocking them for the stage, then they had 3 performances with lights, costumes, props, music...the works. It's amazing to me what these teachers get from the kids in such a short amount of time (I mean, there are 87 kids in the show...and sometimes they're all on stage at the same time. YIKES!)

So, here are three of the songs that my boys performed in. The first one is both boys in a song called "What a Game" from Ragtime. Carter is the one that is being "taught" about baseball from his big brother, and he and Cooper have the "play fight" in the middle. They're both on the front row, and both short! The second is with Cooper in the song "When Somebody Loved Me" from Toy Story. Cute. The last one is Carter in "Newsboy" from Working. It's not the greatest vocally, but it's pretty darn funny, plus I think Carter's very cute. He's the shortest one in the middle. :) Enjoy!

(These are all much cuter in person, I promise.) :)

And last, but not least...Newsboy:

On Motherhood

2008-06-19T11:50:00.001-07:00

So last night at 2 in the morning when I finally tried to go to sleep (refer to insomnia post), I actually thought that maybe this blogging thing was detrimental to me. Here's why. Let's refer again to the OCDness of my insomnia. When I'm kept up late at night by thoughts that keep repeating themselves, there are these devilish ponderings about what makes a good mother that keep plaguing me. What makes a good mother? Probably not me...because I don't do this or that or whatever. I read these blogs of people who sound like such amazing mothers, and I think...who am I kidding? I hate cleaning my house. I hate cooking even more. And my kids do actually watch TV and play video games (at least now it's the Wii, so there's a bit more exercising action going on, but still), and I get upset and raise my voice. My boys are 10 and 8 and they still can't remember to flush a toilet. Their teeth are probably going to rot out of their heads because they won't brush no matter the amount of nagging I confront them with. My thoughts go on and on like this, with ever more self-deprecating remarks from the devil inside me, and then there's this little voice from the corner that says: But you read to them. And you take them to the library. You taught them how to make food (OK, so maybe it was for selfish reasons so that they could be self-sufficient and you'd get a good meal on Mother's Day, but that's entirely beside the point), you sign them up for piano, swim team, baseball, basketball, and singing groups. And you suffer through their complaints about it all. You actually make them practice (but not nearly often enough). You make them finish the season even if they hate it (because we're not quitters). You attend every single game, performance, or activity they participate in. You take pictures of said games, performances, and activities they participate in (so that at least it LOOKS like you're all having fun and enjoying this life you're living). You take them to church every Sunday (but you absolutely stink at scripture/prayer/FHE during the week). You answer any tricky questions about life/sex/birds and bees and other embarrassing subjects they might have (because if not me, then holy cow, who??) You are always there for them, and really you pick them up from most everything on time. You take them to the dentist and eye doctor regularly, and you give them medicine and love when they're sick. You limit their amount of TV and video intake (probably not nearly enough, but definitely more than the drug addicted mother down the street).

The argument goes on and on. The little voice in the corner trying to outdo the big devil who makes me feel defeated. It's usually a losing battle. I end up thinking I had better start trying new recipes (oh who am I kidding...any recipes at all would be great) to be a more domestic mom. I should be like the mom with 17 kids in Arkansas who has every minute of the day planned, and the sticky sweet disposition that most kids would love to be descended from. She can solve a crisis with a hug, a scripture, and a little tater tot casserole. I can't because my kids just yell back at me, and there's no food in the house to remedy it with because I've forgotten to go grocery shopping again. I realize there are all different types of moms, and I can't try to be every single one. I really should focus on being me and just buffing out the little imperfections, but when I read these blogs I feel like I need to become them. I need to love unconditionally and sacrifice all and bake 3 casseroles (to share with the less fortunate) and have a missionary experience (with my kids around to observe) and be the fun mom that all the neighborhood kids want to hang out with because we have the cool stuff at our ultra clean house. So maybe the solution is to find all those moms out there who neglect their kids because they're hooked to their computer, and read their blogs. It would probably make me feel better. But then again, maybe I'd start trying to be more like them???

What makes a good mom? Maybe it's just loving your kids no matter what. Maybe it's sacrificing your job (that you're really good at) to stay home with them and be there for each step of their amazing lives. Maybe it's not caring what anyone else is thinking or doing, and just following your own instincts. Maybe what really makes a good mom is someone who has found the perfect sleeping pill so that she can sleep at night and is therefore refreshed in the morning and ready to tackle the many challenges of a child-filled day without argument, complaint, or fatigue. Anyone know where I can find one??

Insomnia

2008-06-18T23:46:00.000-07:00

Sadly, I suffer from insomnia. This isn't a recent development. If you ask my family, I could always sleep like the dead...but unfortunately, that blessing left me when I went to college. Maybe it was the stress. Maybe it was the cold Utah air. Maybe it was just a latent post-pubescent trauma being stored up to haunt me the rest of my days. I don't know, but whatever the reason, I'm plagued. The sad thing is I will be bone-weary tired, sure that I can't go on a minute longer without my eyes just glueing themselves shut...but when my head hits the pillow it's literally like BOOM! My eyes open, my brain whizzes and whirs in a million different directions, and I feel adrenaline pumping into my stomach making me worry and wonder about stupid things that probably don't even matter in the scheme of things. The most annoying side-effect, though, is that certain songs or sayings or even just words will just keep repeating themselves over and over in the back of my head (even as the worries and wonders are going on in the front) like a sleep-depriving mantra "that's how you know...that's how you know...that's how you know...you're in love..." and I cannot, no matter how hard I try, get it to stop.

This is when I start thinking these random thoughts like: "I did lock the door, right?" "Remember when - 10 years ago - Troy spent that $200 on a stupid speaker system...I wish we still had that money" "When school starts I want to be sure I have red folders for the students' homework" "When I lose 50 pounds, I am totally going to get a lead in that show" and on and on and on.

Tonight I can't sleep because I'm allowing myself to be bothered by some stupid things. I'm sure I'm making a bigger deal out of them than I should, and yet I can't seem to be able to stop myself. I'm also annoyed real bad with a family member right now, so of course all those conversations you have in your head with that person (that are always so perfect and say so much) are playing out in differing versions constantly. (How come in real life those conversations never even happen?) Actually, I've found that usually if I just let things go and stop thinking about it it's usually better, and it will never really do any good to have these conversations with the person in real life anyway because they're not going to change just for you...so usually I do just let it go. I'm sure I will soon, but right now I'm just frustrated and venting. (I think I'm really liking this blog thing because it's giving me something to do at midnight instead of toss and turn in my bed!)

After re-reading what I've posted so far, I think I sound like I'm a bit crazy. I hope I'm not alone. Does anyone else out there suffer this trauma?? AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

The Life and Times of Brooklyn Dian Crandell

2008-06-18T18:48:00.001-07:00

Miss Independent (See slideshow)

2008-06-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn Dian Crandell...the lowdown

Born: March 12, 2006

Stats: 8 pounds 11 ounces 21 inches long

Info: This one came out STRONG and independent from day one. She was holding her head up and wanting to SEE the world and experience it right from the start She never wanted to be cuddled because that meant not seeing the action (much to my sadness). She wants to be right in the middle of things and is sure that whatever the rest of us big guys are doing, she should be able to do, too. She adores her brothers, but is tough and can fend for herself. She loves to read (never wanted anyone to read to her for so long--she would "read" to herself from the time she was a baby), loves to sing (and makes up songs and sings constantly throughout the house), absolutely loves Baby Signing Time, and can sing and sign most of the content on those DVDs, can count to 15 or 20 depending on her mood, sing the ABCs, and speaks in almost totally complete sentences (leaving out the non-important words like with or and or to..."I want sit there you" translation: "I want to sit up there with you"). She is all girl (much to my joy) and loves to get her hair done and look beautiful (and then loves to show everyone in the house just how beautiful she is, and expects a compliment from everyone), loves cute clothes and shoes, shopping, and jewelry--halleluia!! (I now have my shopping partner in crime!) She's 2 and tall as the day is long--wearing 3Ts and 7 1/2 size shoes. She's been literally off the charts since she was born, always in the 95 - 100th percentile. Luckily, she's also skinny and perfectly proportioned (lucky dog!) She's going to be our piano playing, swimming, volleyball slamming, reading, singing champ!! We love her so much, and can't believe we were lucky enough to have her in our lives.

Sad News

2008-06-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

So, I just found out last week that one of my former students died. I taught him 2 years ago at Zaharis, and he would have just been entering 7th grade this upcoming school year. He was such a character! Seriously, he was funny and goofy and full of life. What a sad loss. Apparently he somehow "hung" himself??? in a tree house or fort he had made. He wasn't even home--he was up in Flagstaff with his stepdad when it happened. In my 11 years of teaching, this is the first one of my students I know of that has died. I don't like it. Here'a a pic for you to see what he looked like. His name was Harold (I know) Thompson. It makes me want to hug my kids a little bit more, and a little bit longer.

My Very First Blog

2008-06-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

So, I guess I'm officially entering the world of bloggers. I'm actually excited, and a wee bit nervous. Will my blog be interesting enough to read? Will other bloggers be interested in my rantings? Will I have anything to say? Alas...with such trepidatious thoughts, I begin! I don't normlly have time to do this blogging stuff because my life is so hectic crazy with teaching full time and raising three VERY ACTIVE youngsters, but I thought summer would be the perfect time to begin. So, you may get a lot from me in June and July and then almost nothing during the rest of the year. But who knows? Maybe I'll be all blog-crazy and write every week. I'm loving reading other blogs these days and realizing that it is such a great "time capsule" of sorts. All those cute (or obnoxious) things our kids do that we wish we had written down we now have a place for! I wish I would've started this sooner because my kids have done some very journal-worthy stuff in the past, and I'm sure I've forgotten most of it. Oh well. No time like the present, right?

So I guess I'll just start by telling a little bit about the Crandell family. Troy and I have been married for 13 years (can you believe it??) and we have 3 very cute kids (if I do say so myself...I can't help it, we create well together)! Cooper Jay Crandell was born May 16, 1998 and is just about to enter 5th grade. He is extremely bright and talented, and extremely difficult to manage, but we've learned a lot about parenting through him. :) He is musically talented (singing and piano), and an amazing reader and writer. He has ADHD and ODD, and that makes life challenging (for him and for us), but we're learning to deal with it more and more each day. Carter Davis Crandell was born Nov. 20, 1999 and is just going into 4th grade. He is also very bright and talented and super cute to boot! He lives in his own world most of the time, but is hilarious and very loving. He has discovered a love for baseball and a talent there that makes him happy. He also has a beautiful voice and is doing well in piano. He thinks being the class clown is the best, and we're trying to teach him otherwise... Brooklyn Dian Crandell was born Mar. 12, 2006 and she is absolutely a joy to have! She came into this world strong and independent and already knowing what she wanted. She is also very very smart, and keeps us laughing all the time! She LOVES Baby Signing Time and will watch it many times a day. She also wants to be right in the middle of things and is sure that whatever the boys are doing, she should be able to do, too. Luckily for me, though, she is a total girl and she and I enjoy doing our hair and nails and shopping. She really loves to look "pretty" and can't stand getting her hands dirty. She loves helping and cleaning up and I hope that lasts!

Troy graduated from ASU in architecture in 2005 and is currently working for a firm called SmithGroup as their Revit master (basically). He teaches the other architects how to use the software and trains them. He helps them with their projects, and is basically their go-to guy for problem solving. Apparently he had many hidden talents that came out when he started working--computer guru, teacher extraordinaire, and all-around favorite person to work with. He has been quite sought after in his field, and it's been great to see him develop so much over the last 3 years. He's very happy, and obviously doing a great job!

I am still teaching--it will be 12 years this August. I am currently teaching 5th grade at Zaharis Elementary School, and I absoluely love it! It is seriously the greatest school ever. It is different from all other schools because we don't focus on test scores, memorization, worksheets, and basal readers. We focus on helping kids be LEARNERS (not test-takers), who have a lot to contribute to their classrooms and society. We have reader's and writer's workshop using real literature, and we publish their pieces regularly. We have so much fun with our social studies and science, and I have never enjoyed teaching (or worked harder and been more exhausted) in my whole career. I love it! However, I am hoping this will be my last year, because I really am ready to stay home and make being a mom my full-time career. We want more kids, and in order for it to happen, I have to be able to focus all my energies on that. (If the economy could help us out that would be awesome).

So there you have it! A little bit about the Crandell Fam...hopefully my blogs will be more entertaining from here on out! :)