Fueled by champagne and Sex and the City...

Tonight was ladies night (the boys are golfing) so it was an evening to re-watch "Sex and the City" movie and drink champagne and gossip (really, aren't all girl nights this? even our "book club"?). Anyways, I've been thinking a lot lately about the amazing women I know and with Mother's Day coming up, this entry is for all the incredible women I've had the opportunity to meet. If you had asked me a couple years ago if I was a "girls girl" or a "guys girl"- I most definitely would've said guys' girl. Don't get me wrong- the picture/caption above was MADE for me (I am SO girly!) but I was always the girl that got along better with boys- girls are far more cunning and smart- also the object of competion (clothes, hair, weight,etc...this list could go on forever) but then things began to change.

My mom has always been an inspiration to me- she was a great mother and has always been there for me- through tears (and tears and tears- there was the Shane era after all!) and laughter and has now become one of my best friends. I'm sure Gary has a count of how many times we talk a day but it has to be at least 2-3....or more:) My sister is also one of my best friends- she has seen me at my worst (and I at hers:)) and we have the best time whenever we hang out. My family, especially the females, are especially close. Want to see the 8th wonder of the world? Spend time in an enclosed environment (car, restaurant, your choice) and watch how we interact- it drives everyone CRAZY but us! We all talk at the exact same time but yet we all hear each other...I think we should be in a record book or something somewhere:) My aunt Lezlie and cousin Jill are two of the greatest ladies I know and any outing with them is guaranteed to be the best. My grandma is a very special person to me. She doesn't know this (she will now- it's on a blog!) but anytime I have trouble sleeping I think about all her visits when I was little and how we colored together- if I concentrate hard enough I can still smell the crayons in the coffee jar that we would color with. Some of my fondest memories that make my heart just ache to be little again (because sometimes, wouldn't that be nice?) are visiting here in Colorado- walking into her cozy condo late at night, sitting down for toasted tortillas and cheese and then I was the lucky grandchild that got to share her waterbed and listen to the june bugs as we fell asleep.

The list of women extends to my best friends- Jen (20+ years!), Hayley and Krystal- each time I spend time with anyone of these people there is bound to be a good time. The biggest change that was made for me being a "girls girl" was me becoming a mammographer. I was a little worried about working with all women, having all female patients- that's a recipe for drama if I ever heard one. But it has changed my life. I have met some of the strongest women I think I will ever know. I see women look cancer in the face everyday- women who have husbands, jobs, young children and responsibility galore- and tackle it head on. I see everyday the strength that God has given us as women. Men are physically stronger but we have the ability to deal with life and death with a grace and strength that always amazes me. I see women take cancer in the same stride that they would take a cold- you deal with it, do what you have to do and move on. why? Because you are strong and people depend on you- we, as women, are the rocks in peoples lives.

We did it!

Okay, not the hottest picture of the 3 of us but how great can we look after running 26.2 miles?! It was quite an experience, let me tell you! We drove down Saturday morning in our car decked out with "Run like a girl- Eugene 2010" on the back. We arrived in Eugene to collect our packets, numbers and shoe chips...along with 8,000 (seriously!) other people- it was crazy! Then off to the store..if you haven't been to Eugene, you should- just to people watch. We saw a man with a cat riding piggyback (no joke- everyone whipped out their phone and took a picture) and a man in a dress in the span of about 2 minutes...it's an odd place. We entertained ourselves on the ride down with Mad Libs~ if you haven't done them since you were little, do them again but they are WAY more fun if you make them kind of dirty:) Holly also read to us from Cosmo and we learned some VERY interesting things that I can't post here but email me if you want details:) We had dinner, watched a movie and then off to bed...and set the alarm for 5 am:(

Woke up, got ready and drove in...Hayley dropped us off and we got in the incredibly long lines for the Honeybuckets (why do they call them that? Nothing that goes on in there is sweet....). We patiently waited our turn and without going in to too much detail, let's just say everyone was nervous and just breathe through your mouth in line. We got our places, said a prayer...and we're off! I'm feeling good, my leg doesn't hurt, I'm hydrated, people are cheering...and that's mile 1. Mile 2 my pulled muscle starts to hurt but is quickly overrun by the pain everywhere else in my body. Miles 2-12 were fine- people cheering along the way- Hayley taking pics, my dad and Lorri around every bend....about mile 18 it started to hurt pretty bad in my feet and hips but we pressed on. Then we hit the dreaded mile 20 that everyone tells you about- at this point, this is the farthest I have ever run but I just kept telling myself- 6 more miles- that's nothing. Then mile 21 hit and until mile 25 that was the longest running I have ever done. It's hot at this point- you don't want to stop for any more gatorade b/c it means walking/slowing down and it feels almost physically impossible to start again. People who were running strong around you start walking and the temptation to stop, just for a minute, is so great- but we resisted! Then we saw 26....and then the tunnel of people and ran in- while they are announcing your name across the loudspeaker. It was a very surreal experience- by that point your brain is so fuzzy and I kept looking down at my legs amazed that they were still moving.

And then I got up today and realized that somewhere along the trail- not sure when- a truck must have hit me. I think I now know what it feels like to be 80 and I don't like it one bit! Alright...back to my couch...if I get up now I'll be there in about 20 minutes!!