Best Job Ever

Somehow I landed the best job ever. In the whole world. Ever.

I got to work as an assistant cross country coach.

It. Was. Awesome.

I mean, where do you get to do exactly what you want to do/what you would be doing anyway AND get paid for it???

Those kids are hilarious. And so so sweet. Plus, I look just like I'm on the team. So if there is ever an angry motorist wanting to chew out the coach, they never come to me. They assume me to be another high schooler. See how sweet this deal is?

They kids even stole the clipboard during one of our meets to draw this really lovely picture.

Isn't it beautiful (in its own sort of way)? We're standing by the bus we take for all of our practices. Coach Grindstaff is the main guy (he's the head coach). The caption they have for me is "I'm the cool coach." Eh? Eh? Yeah...it's pretty much the best.

Anyhow. The season is over now. We had our XC Banquet tonight to end the season. And gosh, I'm going to miss those kids. I am excited to not work until 6 every night (think of all the time I'll have getting off by 3:30!). But I'm definitely going to miss these guys.

..................
Go Bruins!

My Big Fat Wedding Planning Advice

I think it's fair to say that almost every girl likes wedding planning chats. I just think that whether you are at that stage of life, not quite there yet, or completely passed it, you still don't mind kicking around ideas for you or friends. I mean, I remember planning hypothetical weddings with Petey clear back in our high school days.

I've been wanting to write about the specifics of my planning for a while now, so that I can reference it later. But writing in a journal is so tedious. So I figure this is my blog, I write what I want. Readers, feel free to give additional advice or anecdotes. If you aren't in the market for wedding advice, feel free to gander at your leisure.

My first post on wedding planning advice is specifically about that:

Advice.

When you announce that you are engaged, a million people are excited for you. And half of that million already got married, which means that they have been there, done that. They had crazy experiences while wedding planning, and they want to share their wisdom with you!

Really. Here's the warning: You will get SOOOOO much advice the whole time you are planning.

You'll get advice on what your wedding should be,

What your wedding shouldn't be,

What you should do when you go to the temple (if you go that route),

What you should do to make your marriage work,

etc. etc. etc.

And here's my advice on advice:

Listen to it all. Take what you need. Leave the rest.

I loved hearing all the advice I got. Every piece came with a story. You really get the feeling that this person is so excited for you when they are offering their story. Not only that, but you feel so much more excited for your own wedding. If this person is so eager to talk about it, it must be awesome, right?

Some advice really was absolutely awesome. Like Bridgett who told us to make it our wedding and do what we wanted (honestly wish I would've listened to this a little better). Or the half a dozen people on facebook who let me know whether or not they regretted buying their wedding dress. Or Petey who let her marketing experience speak wonders on color ideas and themes. Or Whitney who, honestly, gave me so many good tips that she should just write a book.

Then there was the advice that reaffirmed my own opinions. Like Bridgett who told me to stay away from the super trendy mustache-bearing photos. She explained that, sure, they're cute now, but what about it 10 years? I never was a fan of those anyway.

There was also advice that was just straight up opinion. Like hearing that I should absolutley not serve fruit at my reception. I honestly don't even know if they served it or not. But if they did, I'm fine with that.

Some advice comes with a good story but that's all you can use it for. My hilarious boss told me about how right before she walked down the aisle, her maid of honor told her she has lipstick on her teeth, which, let's be real, was a good thing. But through the whole ceremony (which they got on video) is filled with her running her tongue up and down and over her teeth to make sure there wasn't lipstick. Her advice to me was to wear a non-smear, waterproof lipstick. Fact: I don't wear lipstick period. Verdict: Good story. Don't need the advice.

And then there are the tips that are just straight up wisdom. My wonderful Aunt Merry Lynn took Ben and I aside and told us that Satan would try to work his way into our marriage. He would make little things seem so big to plant resentment. She told us to not let Satan in. Ever. My Grandpa told us that more than 50 years ago he married my Grandma and it was the best decision he's ever made. He said that it wasn't always easy. But it has always been worth it.

No matter who's telling you what, it is worth listening to. You never know when you're going to pick up a piece of info you wouldn't want to go without.

Cruising to Paradise...and Ensenada

Oh my gosh, you guys. I feel like I have a bazillion things to write about and not enough time to actually sit down and write. Let's be real: I barely have enough time to clean my house (yep, it's looking pretty rough). And right now I could be cleaning. My out is that it's Sunday. And, as we taught our CTR 5 Primary class today--cleaning the house on Sunday is not resting. So blogging, here I come.

Today's lovely topic is the cruise that Ben and I went on for a honeymoon. Yes, we did our honeymoon four months later than regular honeymoon standard time (you know, the week after wedding festivities). And we loved it. While we were wedding planning we really had a hard time deciding on a honeymoon. We wanted to do something awesome while keeping it affordable. And frankly, summer time is not necessarily the cheapest time to travel.

We kicked around so many ideas. We loved the idea of a cruise (neither of us had been on one) but we had such a hard time figuring out the details and keeping that idea within budget. Long story short: we finally realized that booking a cruise in off season is waaaaay cheaper. Plus it would give us time to plan details and save a little bit more money. Couldn't ask for a better deal. So we went ahead and booked it.

Was I sad that we didn't go on our official honeymoon until 4 months after we got hitched?

Absolutely not.

It was the best decision ever. I don't regret it all. And I would highly recommend it.

Only problem with waiting was that honeymoon phase has long passed.
As you can see by the fact that Ben was not at all discreet about his nose picking.

Cruising was definitely a different brand of vacationing. Anyone who knows my family knows that we are NOT the sort to be waited on or even to just sit an relax. Our "vacations" usually consist of backpacking. And Ben's family is pretty similar. So taking it easy on a ship was a bit of a difficulty for us. Here are the things we liked and didn't like about cruising:


We loved hanging out in the middle of the ocean. The sunsets were extra awesome.

 We, however, weren't the biggest fans of the sea sickness. It didn't hit us bad, thankfully, but that first night we felt pretty dizzy and a little disoriented.

We loved Catalina. The town is super cute, very well kept,
and just all sorts of fun.

Ensenada was another story. Don't get us wrong-
we still enjoyed it. But the city was kinda trashy
and it wasn't really authentic Mexico.
I guess that's what you get when you only
go 70 miles south of the border

We loved the towel animals!!!!!
And, not to brag, I'm pretty sure they loved us too.

But we weren't the biggest fans of the fact that our room was right above the anchor. Hello shaking and crashing at 6:30 in the morning. I will admit that the porthole windows almost made up for this.


We loved snorkeling in Catalina. Pure awesomeness.
We didn't love how dehydrated we got while wandering the streets of Mexico.

We loved elegant night. It was so much fun to dress up for
dinner,a show, and some dancing
(interestingly enough, our dancing attracted some older Asian women to party with us.
They were completely infatuated with Ben. Kinda hilarious).
Anyhow, pretty classy, right...?

Unless you were these skanky chicks.
Yep, look closer. That old man is capturing wind swept photos
of these obviously teenage slu...I mean... girls.
Ew.



Loved the food.
Breakfast and lunch were all you can eat deliciousness.
And dinner was three courses of elegant dining.
Best part: you're never the only one eating more than you probably should.



Won't beat around the bush on this one:
LOATHED the "churro" in Mexico.
I've been to Mexico once before and that time I got churros from a street vendor.
They were to die for. A million times better than any churros you'll find in the states.
This time I saw a vendor that advertised churros. Couldn't let yummy authentic churros pass me by.
 So I let my fluent husband order me some.
I received a cup filled with candied peanuts, crouton things, pig fat and tomato juice.
What the hell, Mexico? Yep, it's worth cursing for so I'll say it again:
What. The. Hell?

Luckily, that night the ship had a Mexican food night where they served real churros. Helped relieve some of the trauma.

There were lots of other things we loved and a handful of things we didn't care for as much (trust me, I'd keep going but I feel like I'm competing with one of Whitney's uber-posts...and I really think she's the only one who can pull those off so I'll stop). But overall it was a rockin' awesome time.

Eees a Race!

Start Line: I'm nervous. But it's not the usual pre-race nerves. Most races are quick. This race is long. 26.2 miles between me and the finish line.

The start line is organized by projected finish times. Fastest in front. Heather and I take a safe spot next to a pacer. He's an older guy, probably in his forties. He's carrying red balloons with 3:50 written boldly on them. It seems safer back here. There's more people. I vaguely think about how I have to pee but the gun sounds and I, along with the giant mass of people, trot towards the chip scanner that means my race has begun.

Mile 1: Someone had posted a sign that says "Good job Aaron!! You're almost there!" I read it and say, "Now that's the biggest lie I've ever heard." Marthoners are friendly and surprisingly talkative. Because of the slower pace, its easier to talk. And, let's be real, it makes the miles go by faster.

Mile 3: I overhear a man say, "Yeah I just qualified for Boston on Thursday. This is just my fun run." Who does that???

Mile 4: I decide the most annoying racers are the guys wearing knee shorts with their swishing pockets stuffed with gu and power bars. Aaaaand the Asian man whose strides are outrageously short and he stomps every time his foot meets the pavement.

Mile 5: I settle in behind Chick in Pink. I feel out of place. Everyone around me looks like they are crazy serious about running. I'm serious...but I still like my ice cream.

Mile 7: Still have to pee. Luckily, I see a free Honey Bucket. I'm in and out in less than 30 seconds. I don't bother with hand sanitizer. So judge me.

Mile 10: Holy hell...I still have so far...

Mile 13: Whoa! We're half way there! WHO---OOAA LIVING ON A PRAYER!!! That song has never been more appropriate. My half time is 1:40. I think I'm doing pretty good.

Mile 13 1/2: What if I qualify for Boston?.....?......?......

Mile 14: Family! Friends! Husband! I looked forward to seeing them for exactly 13 miles. And I pass by them in a matter of seconds. Still worth every single familiar face and every single word of encouragement.

Mile 17: Runner's high. Second wind. Whatever you want to call it, I am feeling good. A man sitting to the side tells me that I'm number 177, 24th female. Sweet. I'll take that.

Mile 20: I joke with the aid station guys, "From far back, that sign looks like it says 'Mile 10!'" They laugh. My 20 mile time is 2:34. Still doing pretty good.

Mile 21: This is when I die. Not entirely...but I'm hurting. More gatorade! That's the answer, right?

Mile 22: Nope. Still hurting.

Mile 23: The 3:25 pacer passes me. Still dying. I drink at the aid station and walk a little extra until I can will myself to get going again.

Mile 25 1/2: The last few miles have been hell. I don't care about my time. I just want to finish. I hurt. The guys in front of me walk. Does that mean I can walk too? No, Kim. Keep going. You're almost there. Less than a mile and that still seems like a big fat lie.

Mile 26: I still can't see the end. Walking still looks like a very tempting possibility. But then I turn the corner and all I can see is the finish line. It's only a football field away. I have absolutely no energy to sprint or even run any faster at all. I see Matt to the side. He screams that I'm going to get sub 3:30. I glare at him. Who cares what my time is? I just want to cross that line and be done.

Mile 26.2: 3 hours 29 minutes and 28 seconds. And it's over.

Results: 184th over-all finisher (out of about 1,600 runners). 30th woman. 2nd in my age group (20-24). Averaged a 7:59 minute pace.

And I qualified for Boston.

But really, honestly, I'm just glad I finished. That marathon was the hardest things I've ever done physically in my whole life. But I finished.

Kyle did awesome. He's my hero. So crazy speedy. And Heather did so good too. I thought I would get emotional when I finished. I didn't, though. But I did when Heather finished. I was so outrageously proud of her. Gosh, my siblings are amazing. And Heather still looked super hot after running 26.2 miles.  Wish I could've pulled that off.

I know I Just Posted...

Turns out when you're living with someone, you learn some things about them you didn't know before. So here are my favorite things I've learned about Ben:

• He can do the front-wards worm
• He hates the most delicious part of a bag of Gardetto's: the yummy dark rye chips (more for me)

And

• He can play The Chariot of Fire's theme song on the piano

I love bargains.

Seems as though I've married one.

Joey and Janice's Day of Fun

Surprise! I'm not posting about the marathon! At least not yet...

This event happened first so it has priority (the marathon story is forthcoming). And this story is called:

Joey and Janice's

DAY. OF. FUN!

Except that it is really Kim and Ben's and really we don't hate each other. Okay deal.

For Labor Day Ben and I decided to go on a hike.

Box Canyon

 The first part of the hike was way ugly. But then it turned into this:



The picture doesn't give it justice but the water was an awesome crystal blue.

 

Descent into the canyon.

 

The trail was mostly bush-whacking (hence the poison oak of the previous post)
but there were some really cool bridges built to get over the watery parts. Way pretty.

Jaeger got super hot and he took every chance he could to cool off.
Ben and I swam in the lake behind...after we scared off some skinny dippers.
It was very. very. very cold.

Our next adventure included taking a stop at the Perrine Bridge.
It's a tourist attraction in Twin Falls I have never taken the time to look at.
It was pretty cool.

After dinner we hit up the old Best Buy and purchased us a Garmin GPS.
It's pretty sweet.
And then we ended the day by taking the car through The Rocket.
It's a pretty fancy car wash.

The end!

Ahhhhh!!!

I'm running my first ever MARATHON (that's 26.2 miles, people) on Saturday. According to the Top of Utah webpage that is exactly 1 DAY 9 HOURS and 39 MINUTES away.

Am I freaking out?

Yes. Yes I am.

 

Especially because my legs currently look like this:

Yep. Ran into some poison oak almost two entire weeks ago and NOW is when it decided to flare up.

Cue blistering rash, tight muscles and impossibly itchy legs.

What a blessing.

Pray for me, people. Cause heaven knows I'm going to need it.