St. George Marathon

This is the beautiful St. George temple. 

It's nestled right in the heart of town.  Coming into the city from the South, like we did, the white temple against the red rock backdrop is quite striking.

We prepared to support our runners by driving the course a few times on Friday, familiarizing ourselves with the roads.  This is Snow Canyon State Park, a back road to the course.

We sure enjoyed the sunshine and warmth of the area.

This is where it all begins!

Workers were busily prepping for the next day.

Each state's flag was flying.

Our runner's both hail from the great state of Washington.

Fires are built in the cool morning darkness on race day.  Participants are bussed up the hill starting at 4:00 am, so it's important to keep warm.

Port a potties galore.  Even with this many, the lines for each one went clear across the road.  It's a big deal for 7,500 people to all get their chance in the bathroom!

Keith and I noticed some signs on the way up and decided to put our own up.  This is what we came up with to cheer on Diane and Dennis.

And they're off!  6:45 am sharp, the marathon begins.

Our first chance to see them is at mile 7.  Diane is looking good!

Dennis came by so quick I almost missed getting a picture!

Here is Diane at mile 16.  She still looks great.  Shortly after this she hurt her achilles and hurt all the rest of the way.

At mile 21 we see Dennis, and he tells us Diane is injured and struggling.  She's back a ways  on the course.  Dennis continues his run, Keith starts walking back to find Diane, and I take the car to offer her a ride.  She decides to walk and jog to the finish with her Dad by her side.  He stays with her 'til they get to the finish and Diane reminds him he's not allowed to go through it!

Here she comes!

Unfortunately I wasn't able to be at the finish when Dennis crossed it.  Here they are gathering with McKenzie and her family who also ran.

Awesome job guys!  An amazing feat accomplished.

McKenzie's family has a house in St. George and let us all stay there with them before the race.  They made us feel so welcome.  What a great family, we really enjoyed getting to know them.

Chillaxing after the race.  Great job, we're proud of you both, and loved being there for the big event!

Check Out This Sign!

That's right!  Number 11!  The car on the right just underneath the sign is holding Eric's spot.  Second best spot in the parking lot!  That's the car Andre drives.  They've got a good deal going there.

My Visit to Utah

When we found out that Katie and Eleanor would be in Provo for Katie's KLAS conference in September, I thought it would be to fun to head south.  Katie would need a babysitter while at her conference.  Also, Diane and Dennis moved into a new place this Summer and I haven't had a chance to see where they live, so this would be the perfect time.  Keith surprised me with a plane ticket to see the girls that week!  I arrived on Tuesday in time to visit Diane in her classroom.  She does a great job with her classes, keeping those kids busy and learning with hands on activities.  I could tell that they liked being in Mrs. Struck's class.  Her room has a bright, fresh feel, with green on the walls and interesting posters around. 

This picture was drawn by one of Diane's TA's for teacher appreciation.  It's a pretty good resemblance, I think!

That evening we headed north to shop and pick up Katie and Eleanor at the airport.  Eleanor was a good traveler, and when we first saw her she gave us such big smiles!

 We shopped a little more on the way home, grabbed dinner at my new favorite restarant, Cafe Rio, and then Eleanor got to meet her Uncle Dennis.  They hit it off pretty well, I'd say.

Wednesday and Thursday, while Katie was at her conference, Eleanor and I hung out together at the hotel.  It was a nice big room so she had plenty of space to move around. 

We spent the eveing at Diane and Dennis's new place, which is very cute and well decorated.

 It was fun to just spend time together and let Eleanor entertain us.  She is crawling so well, and loves standing up and hanging on to furniture. 

I enjoyed working out at the gym with Diane and Brittney one evening and Diane and Katie one evening.  We did some shopping and played a few games.

 Saturday, Katie, Brittney and I went to the Provo Farmers market and strolled around a bit.  A nice variety of crafts and food, and a fun way to spend the morning. I especially liked the way Eleanor looked in this cute hat. 

 Katie and Eleanor flew back to Wisconsin Saturday afternoon.  That evening Diane and Dennis made chipatis for dinner.  They are a unique and delicious African food Dennis learned to make on his mission.

Sunday I got to go to their Primary Class.  Diane and Dennis co-teach the same age group I teach in Primary, Valiant 8.  It was fun comparing the difference in our classes. My group is much noisier!
I flew home Sunday evening, which happened to be the 10th anniversary of 9-11.  It was all without incident, so I was grateful for that.  And for each opportunity to spend time with my family!

The Summit Pictures from Mount Adams

Eleanor Goes Camping

And just as expected, she loves it!  Check out her new jean overalls for the occasion.