Looked Fun...Read at your own boredom :)

What to do: Copy this list on your Blog, and bold the things you've done.

1. Touched an iceberg

2. Slept under the stars

3. Been a part of a hockey fight

4. Changed a baby’s diaper

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Swam with wild dolphins

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a tarantula (I have pictures)

10. Said “I love you” and meant it

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise

15. Seen the Northern Lights

16. Gone to a huge sports game(07 NCAA Volleyball Championships!)

17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables

19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (Always in Seminary when I was suppose to read a scripture...always)

21. Had a pillow fight (Oh man...Snow College-Soccer Field-Boys vs. Girls-Lots of Pain...Now that was a pillow WAR)

22. Bet on a winning horse

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (I call them mental health days...ie EXAUSTED)

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping (ha ha...remember that girls? You know who you are ;), don't worry, no boys around.)

27. Taken an ice cold bath (If two trays of ice count)

28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Ridden a roller coaster

31. Hit a home run (In the park of course)

32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking

33. Adopted an accent for fun

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment

36. Loved your job 90% of the time (Volleyball Coaching)

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (As a poor college student yes)

38. Watched wild whales

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach

41. Gone sky diving

42. Visited Ireland

43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Russia

45. Bench-pressed your own weight

46. Milked a cow

47. Alphabetized your personal files

48. Ever worn a superhero costume

49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day (Just on Monday actually)

51. Gone scuba diving

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Done something you should regret, but don’t

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business (Selling candy for a loss to my neighbors)

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Been in a movie

60. Gone without food for 3 days

61. Made cookies from scratch

62. Won first prize in a costume contest (Last Halloween at Work...Princess)

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Been in a combat zone

65. Spoken more than one language fluently

66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone

67. Bounced a check

68. Read - and understood - your credit report

69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy (Those water tubes that slide through your hands)

70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did

71. Called or written your Congress person

72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over (More like to move on..)

73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

74. Helped an animal give birth

75. Been fired or laid off from a job

76. Won money

77. Broken a bone

78. Ridden a motorcycle (never!)

79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph

80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing

82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

83. Eaten sushi

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read The Bible cover to cover

86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about

87. Gotten someone fired for their actions

88. Gone back to school

89. Changed your name (Does getting married count?)

90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands

91. Eaten fried green tomatoes

92. Read The Iliad ( I think I was suppose to in High School...)

93. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

94. Taught yourself an art from scratch (French & Fish Braiding)

95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt

96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

97. Been elected to public office

98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream

99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care

100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you

101. Had a booth at a street fair

102. Dyed your hair

103. Been a DJ

104. Rocked a baby to sleep

105. Dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours

106. Raked your carpet

107. Brought out the best in people (I’ve tried)

108. Brought out the worst in people (Basketball)

109. Worn a mood ring

110. Ridden a horse

111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap

112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe

113. Buried a child

114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play

115. Been inside the pyramids

116. Shot a basketball into a basket

117. Danced at a disco

118. Played in a band

119. Shot a bird (I would if I had a gun...I loath birds)

120. Gone to an arboretum

121. Tutored someone

122. Ridden a train

123. Brought an old fad back into style

124. Eaten caviar

125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need ($40 house cleaner...NEVER AGAIN!)

126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant

127. Published a book

128. Pieced a quilt

129. Lived in a historic place (SL....pioneers)

130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage (ballet)

132. Made a hole-in-one

133. Gone deep sea fishing

134. Gone roller skating

135. Run a marathon (wha hoo)

136. Learned to surf

137. Invented something

138. Flown first class

139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite (Someday)

140. Flown in a helicopter

141. Visited Africa

142. Sang a solo

143. Gone spelunking

144. Learned how to take a compliment (still working on it)

145. Written a love-story

146. Seen Michelangelo’s David

147. Had your portrait painted

148. Written a fan letter

149. Spent the night in something haunted- not quite the night, but a significant amount of time

150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane

151. Ran away (to the pump house hill in my back yard...at least once a month as a kid)

152. Learned to juggle (In a college class...how cool)

153. Been a boss (I would say a coach is a boss)

154. Sat on a jury

155. Lied about your weight

156. Gone on a diet

157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget

158. Written a poem

159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox

160. Gotten food poisoning

161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission

162. Hiked the Grand Canyon (see #80)

163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks

164. Gone to the opera

165. Gotten a letter from someone famous (my aunt Joyce is quite famous)

166. Worn knickers

167. Ridden in a limousine

168. Attended the Olympics

169. Can hula or waltz

170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books

171. Been stuck in an elevator ( I was jumping as we went down and it got stuck in between levels...Almost missed my flight)

172. Had a revelatory dream

173. Thought you might crash in an airplane

174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert

175. Saved someone’s life

176. Eaten raw whale

177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint

178. Laughed till your side hurt

179. Straddled the equator

180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing

181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival

182. Sent a message in a bottle

183. Spent the night in a hostel

184. Been a cashier (Big 5 whoot whoot)

185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

186. Joined a union

187. Donated blood or plasma

188. Built a campfire (Kind of...it only smoked, never burned)

189. Kept a blog

190. Had hives

191. Worn custom made shoes or boots

192. Made a PowerPoint presentation

193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course

194. Served at a soup kitchen

195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube

196. Know CPR

197. Ridden in or owned a convertible

198. Found a long lost friend

199. Helped solve a crime

200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

I Finished!

BEFORE:

So I can't believe it's all over, but it is, and I finished the TOP OF UTAH MARATHON. That is what I set out to do 18 weeks ago, and it feels so good to realize that I've reached my goal. So first I want to thank those very special people in my life that helped me to reach this goal....

1. WAYNE- Thanks for letting me wake you up way too early on the mornings I ran, sorry it took me so long to figure out how to do it quietly. Thanks for doing what ever it took to let me run, especially on the long runs, I know you sacrificed a lot and I really appreciate it. Thanks for driving me 40 miles so I could do my 20 miler, and thanks for being there to support me yesterday! Not only do you let me fly, but you help me to believe that I actually have wings!

2. Jamie & Nate- Thanks for agreeing to do this with me in the first place, I really needed that boost to get me going! I'm excited to do it again with you...but even more excited that the reason you couldn't do it was because you're having a baby! I'm so excited for you. Thanks for letting us come to Logan like 5 times in the last 4 months! I've loved the time we've got to spend with you guys! Its been sooo fun. Jamie thanks for being the best friend anyone could ever ask for, really I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have a friend like you, you are definitely one of a kind.

3. Chelsea - Thanks for doing this with me. It was so nice to know that someone was going through this with me! I loved the conversations we shared on our 16 miler, I will treasure them forever! Thanks for being there with me at the Starting line! Can you believe we did it????

AFTER:

4. All the rest of you who were encouraging and supportive, you are awesome! Family, friends, co-workers, volleyball team!

So just a few thoughts on MY MARATHON...

As I was running the first mile, amongst the other 2100 + runners that surrounded me, I was amazed at how we were all running, "MY MARATHON". Whether it was our first marathon, or our 21st marathon, it was "MY MARATHON", for each of us. That is one thing I've really loved about running. It is a very personal experience, the countless hours I spent running alone, I was able to better understand myself and what is important in my life. I was able to gain a more positive attitude, to help get me through the hard runs, and to realize my potential.

The second thing was how knowing that my family and friends were waiting for me at different spots along the course helped me to make it that much further. Knowing that I had to report to so many people about whether I finished or not, that kept me going. Strangers along the course were cheering me on, Young kids giving me five and telling me I could do it. Just like in life, we have people in our lives that keep us going, even when we're tired and we feel like we can't go on anymore, knowing they are there to support us helps us do just a little bit more. We are so blessed to know what awaits us after this life, that Heavenly Father will be there waiting for us, to give us all that he has if we follow His plan and do what he has asked and endure to the end.

Last was the finish line, as soon as I hit mile 25 I knew it was the next marker I would come to so I picked up my pace. When I came to the end of a block and turned left, a man told me to look ahead to see the blue marker and that was the end, I just started sprinting. I ran faster than I've ever ran before because I knew what was waiting for me. My husband, my best friend, water and I could stop running. As I crossed the finish line, I held back the tears until I hugged Wayne, I couldn't hold them back anymore. I did it, I really did it. As I look back now I can't help but think about returning to my Heavenly Father some day, and having those same feelings, but even more intensified. What an amazing day that will be, to have run the race of life, and fought the good fight, and have Him say, "Well done though good and faithful servant". That is my ultimate goal, and just like I knew running this marathon was possible, so do I know that I can make it back to Heavenly Father by doing all that he has asked me to.

It wasn't easy, but it was worth it and yep, I'll do it again! I truly believe that anyone can do this, if it is something they really want to do, and they are willing to put in the time! I would say its even more of a mental challenge that a physical challenge.

My Finish:

Chelsea's Finish:

Ready or not, here I come!

So I finally decided to bite the bullet and get my own blog...happy? ( You know who you are :) I enjoy checking out everyone else's blog so much, I thought maybe I can bring that same joy into someone else's life...riiight.

So the picture at the top of my blog pretty much sums up the story of my life this summer. That's my shadow running at Lake Powell last month, I thought it was quite artistic. So yea, 436 miles down (~73 hours) and 28 miles to go, until I run my very first marathon! (If I don't die, I'm planning on doing this again) Really its been a great experience and I would say to anyone who may have this on their list of things to do in life, do it...now, you're not getting any younger. I can hook you up with a great training regimen that guarantees you'll finish if you follow it. I guess I shouldn't throw out guarantees until I actually complete it myself, but what the heck. And to those who think anyone who would willingly put themselves through this is crazy, you're probably right....Crazy or not though, I've loved every minute of it...well mostly the minutes after the first mile any way.

So its been brought to my attention that there are two types of bloggers..."True Bloggers" - Those who write random posts on random subjects (I really quite enjoy these), or "Scrapbook Bloggers" - Those who post lots of pictures that keep us updated on their exciting lives (I really enjoy those too), so I'm going to try and make this a combination of the two. A little of this and a little of that. Now lets hope at least two people read this puppy, and then my life's mission will be fulfilled.