I Am Thankful

My kids and I read the book Selma together all the time. It is easily one of my favorites. The book is about a sheep named Selma who has the same routine every day. She wakes up, eats some grass, plays with her kids, chats with the neighbor, eats some more grass, and sleeps well at night.

When Selma is asked what she would do if she had a million dollars, she said she would wake up in the morning, eat some grass, play with her kids, chat with the neighbor, eat some more grass, and have a good night’s sleep.

When Selma is asked what she would do if she had more time, she said she would wake up in the morning, eat some grass, play with her kids, chat with the neighbor, eat some more grass, and have a good night’s sleep. Selma is just plain happy with her life.

I feel exactly like Selma. I wake up in the morning, sometimes go for a run, spend the day at work, come home and spend time with the family, get the kids tucked into bed, then go to sleep. I think I would choose to do the same exact thing if I had a million dollars or if I had more time. I feel so happy. I feel so thankful. I would not change a single thing in my life.

I have had such a great Thanksgiving week. Here are a few of the highlights:

On Wednesday I tried to go on a bike ride. With all the training for the ultra, my bike actually had dust on it. That is embarrassing. Unfortunately the ride didn’t go quite as planned. I only made it four sissy miles because my feet are still too tender to wear bike shoes. Even two weeks after the Javelina Jundred, shoes still are not my friend.


Mel worked the night before Thanksgiving. Since we didn’t have work or school the next day, the kids and I stayed up late hanging out on the bed watching a movie. Our movie put Ace right to sleep.


On Thanksgiving morning I took the offspring on a hike around my favorite part of the Jem trail. The weather was perfect. We also took Ace with us. He had horrific gas that day. We kept thinking that we smelled a combination of road kill and moldy burritos, but then remembered that it was just Ace.


It was an excellent way to start the day and get a little exercise before going into a turkey coma.


On Friday I hiked around the Jem trail for a few hours trying to scout out some trails for the Zion 100. I was hunting for a trail up to Gooseberry Mesa which apparently climbs more than 1,500 feet in less than one mile (!!!!!). Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t find it, eh? I saw this image in my dirty car mirror as I was leaving:


My knees still aren’t ready to run, but they’re getting closer. They are a tad tight and achy. But I’m not stressed about it at all. I’m going to give my body all the time it needs to recover from the 100 miler. And I'm thankful for the lesson I learned this week to hike in front of, not behind a dog that smells like those leftovers you found in the back of the fridge from three months ago.

What are your favorite childrens books?
Selma is high on the list. I also like Love You Forever, Milk and Cookies, Goodnight Horsey, Guess How Much I Love You, and Have You Filled A Bucket Today (this is a must-read for any age).

How was your Thanksgiving?
I always over-eat, but this was the closest I've ever come on Thanksgiving to throwing up. I just couldn't resist the different pies for dessert.