Halloween Time

VIDA had our 3rd annual 5K in Provo, UT. For the past few years we have put on a 5K fun run to raise money for VIDA's Thanksgiving humanitarian project in Mexico.

In February 2002, VIDA teamed up for the first time with the international organization FAI (La Fundacion de Apoyo Infantil) in Cuidad de Obregon, Sonora, Mexico. The goal was to work together with the local community to provide housing to families in desperate need. Since that time our efforts have included building homes, teaching and learning from community members, and supplementing current efforts with the resources necessary to accomplish the objectives of FAI.

In November 2007, VIDA also began working with Manos Unidas. Casa Hogar Manos Unidas is an orphanage that was founded in the Spring of 2005. In 2004, Eric, a Civil Engineer from Cabo San Lucas, and his wife were inspired to change their lives, and subsequently, the lives of hundreds of others. They left Cabo for Sonora and haven’t turned back since. They currently provide food, shelter, education and family for dozens of children. VIDA is on hand to assist in any capacity they can.

In the past seven years VIDA has witnessed the preservation of a culture, the bonding of a community, the growth of family, and the hope that tomorrow can and will be better than today. We consider ourselves lucky to call the people of Cuidad de Obregon our family. They have taught, and continue to teach us, the difference that one person can make.



After the Warren Miller ski movie we went to Summer Degraaff's party. It was jammed packed and close to midnight the cops came and dismissed the party. The costumes were crazy - especially the "chicken wing".

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new tunig

Christina Perri "Jar of Hearts"

Tony Lucca "I Can't Make You Love Me (cover)"

Laura Izibor - Can't be love

Girl Named Toby "Holding A Heart"

JJ Heller "What Love Really Means"

The Open Sea "Keep Me Tonight"

Ryan Huston "Only Human"

Jarrod Gorbel "Take Me"

Sierra Noble "Possibility"

The Gaslight Anthem "The Diamond Church Street Choir"

JJ Heller "Hands"

Adele

I recently was introduced to Adele again. I say again because I remember a few years ago she won a Grammy for Best New Artist. I really didn't "get" her until recently. I love her voice, passion, and lyrics. I know this song was written by Bob Dylan but there's something about a girl singing to bring it home.

6K

 
 











On Friday night around 9pm my friend, Marni, texted me to see if I wanted to run the 6K the next morning because one of their friends couldn't run. I thought about it for a sec and did it. I hadn't been running this week but had recently trained for the 10K Dirty Dash so I knew 3.72 miles wouldn't kill me. The race was so much fun. It was a race of ladies through the Thanksgiving Point gardens, waterfall, and roads. It was perfect weather and good company. I ran mostly by myself (with every other lady beside me) and at the end I caught up with Marni and we ran in together. The end of the race was a festival for women: scentsy, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, Bundt Cakes, Paradise Bakery booths, etc. My name will not be on the results since I didn't register. The chip final time was a 42:41.3 min. That would be about a 11.3 minute mile. I need to get my speed on for Wasatch Back Ragnar next year. I've got time!

The Love Your Body race was created by Wasatch Woman magazine for women who care about their health, fitness, community, friends, and families. By treating yourself well, you're able to achieve your personal best and be an inspiration to others. Be part of the largest woman-only run in Utah.
*FYI: We wanted all the runners to enjoy the gardens at Thanksgiving Point, so we made the 6K a bit longer — 3.72 miles, making it a 6K.

On belay

We went rock climbing up in Draper Friday afternoon. The weather cleared up and we enjoyed perfect fall weather at Red Rocks. Marni and Jordan are now hooked. I am glad! I am always looking for friends to climb with. We just need to get Jordan a harness that fits. Mine could've wrapped around her three times.
 

What a rack

You will have to talk to my dad about this hunting story but I sure am proud of him! He even missed a trip to Lake Powell for this hunting trip. Sure paid off. Check out that rack!

Say Cheese

Gotta love being a teacher. What other professionals receive a yearly picture? Even though I do not put my 8x10 up in my condo I have collected all of my school pictures since 1982 in an album. It is a great source of laughs!

Lake Time

Lake Powell in October - Who would've thought it was going to be 90 degree hot and water temp 75-79 degrees...perfection!
 
 
I need to get my sister's pictures on the lake...more to come.

Dirty Dash 10K

 
 
 
Article by Amelia Nielson-Stowell sums up the Dirty Dash "Thirty seconds into the Dirty Dash and my shoe fell off, sucked into the mud on Big Pig Climb. Three miles later and I clumsily ate it after a jump off the obstacle course wall, getting an impromptu mud wrestle by the male members of my team. At mile four, we all pathetically tugged my brother's arms, weak from belly laughs, while we tried to pull him out of swamp mud on the banks of Deer Creek Reservoir. By mile six, I hurled my body down the massive Slop 'n Slide, complete with a crash landing at the bottom with my female teammates. And did I mention it was one of the most fun races I have run? Utah's inaugural mud run was a huge success. After selling out three times and adding an afternoon run, the Dirty Dash Saturday, Sept. 25 at Soldier Hollow totaled over 4,800 runners. The 10k course, up and down Soldier Hollow's cross-country ski hills, was a challenging run. And the obstacles were epic. After Big Pig Climb, the muddy hill at the starting gate being drenched with a sprinkler, there was a snow blower blasting runners, Hogbails hay to jump over, Razorback Alley tunnels, three sets of Pig Pen obstacle course walls, Hog Wallow tires to jump through, a Hog Wash where spectators pelted water balloons at runners, the Slop 'n Slide into the finish, and, of course, a massive Pig Sty mud pit. One of my favorite parts was the highly-anticipated "secret obstacle" – the Hog Bog. This was a run through various sections of the receding Deer Creek Reservoir. We had to wade through (or hurdle over) sections of it and dash (or slump) through a muddy field. It was natural, dark, stinky mud that reminded me of a trip to a swamp preserve in Georgia a few years ago. Race founder John Malfatto told me that he "was a little concerned people wouldn't enjoy the secret obstacle...but turns out that it was a favorite." Malfatto (who was sporting a bright yellow "Grunt" shirt all the volunteers wore on race day – also his birthday) gave me his overall summary of the event. "It was a great birthday present to see everything went off without a hitch," he said. "We have many things that we need to do to improve the race. But, all in all, for a first year race to have nearly 5,000 participants and for everyone to be so muddy, we couldn't be happier." Malfatto said Dirty Dash is looking into expanding into "one lucky market" next year. They already put on Idaho's first mud run in Boise earlier this month, and a 5k mud run is planned in Utah in May. He teases with: "We may add a few surprises next May and September..." In my opinion, Dirty Dash will go down as one of Utah's top races."