Ghetto Bootay Runners

This weekend I ran in the Wasatch Back Relay with 11 other girls. We each ran 3 times and ran a combined total of 177 miles. We started in Logan and ended in Park City, Utah. Our team was called the Ghetto Bootay Runners and as you can see from the picture we had a really cute costume to go with our name-it seemed to attract a lot of attention. It was one of the most difficult things I have ever done, but also one of the most fun. We were split up into 2 vans-each with six runners. I was in the first van and so we were the ones to start the race. My first run was 5 miles at 3:30 in the afternoon in one hundred degree weather. Two people had to be picked up by ambulance on my run because they passed out due to the terrible conditions. We started the race Friday afternoon and finished Saturday at 5pm. I was so exhausted when I got home I fell asleep at 8:30pm and didn't wake up till 7 the next morning. Even though it was one of the most terrible, awful, and miserable things I have done, it was also one of the most rewarding and I am definitely going to do it again next year. (Pete thinks I am crazy)

Van #1 Before the race began

Before my night (and 2nd) run-I got to wear such a pretty vest and headlamp

Just a couple of the many dirty old men who asked to take their picture with us. We had finished the race at this point

Philippines 2007 Pictures

Here are a few of the hundreds of pictures from our trip
At the beach

Preparing to paint the hospital walls

Dropping off supplies for the bathrooms

Mixing cement for the bathroom floor

Jumping off a bridge-it took me a little while to get the courage to jump

Philippines 2007

Pete started a non-profit organization, Vaccines for the Philipines, in 2004 and since then has gone back and done humanitarian work for the past three summers on the islands of Bohol and Cebu. Most of the work is done on the island of Bohol and he works with the govenor of the island the find out the specific needs of the different towns. This summer we helped build 30 restrooms, helped paint and remodel a hospital, and held five free medical clinics. Pete had almost 60 volunteers come over a three week period to help out. It was such a great experience and we managed to have a lot of fun alongside the really hard work. The philippines is a beautiful place and even though I missed my little boy, it was so wonderful to have the opportunity to serve such wonderful people.

A different little boy

Pete and I recently got back from a trip to the philippines and when we came back we, especially pete, felt like we came home to a totally different little boy than the one we left behind. Pete was gone for an entire month and two days after he left, ryan started crawling. I joined pete over there two weeks later and while we were both gone ryan got his first tooth. His vocabulary of sounds dramatically changed in that time and he managed to forget who his parents were. It was a little bit sad to see him cry when his dad picked him up. It constantly amazes me how fast these little kids seem to change.

Starting a Blog

To be honest, I have always thought blogs were a little strange, but after reading an email from my friend Meagan about the wonderful advantages of having a blog I decided to try one out. I have recently started looking at friends' blogs and realized that it is a great way to stay up-to-date in other people's lives. So I hope you enjoy reading about our adventures as much as I have enjoyed reading about other's adventures.