a big change

Last Thursday night, our bishop and one of his counselors stopped by our house.  I had just jumped in the shower after my workout and Clint answered the door and invited them in.  When Clint told them that I could not come out right away, they said that they needed to "speak with me" so they would make another house call and come back.  When I got out of the shower and heard this I hyperventilated. 

 

It's in my nature to worry.  Did I do something wrong?  Am I being released after so short a time being the Beehives I love?  Did someone complain about our Volunteer Babysitting night because they saw how incompetent I was at keeping the Beehive girls organized enough to watch several families's kids at once?  Am I getting a new calling?  What did I do wrong to deserve this?  I realize that this thought train is unreasonable, but like I said: I can't help it.

 

The Bishopric came back soon and sat down with us.  When the bishop told me, "we're releasing you from your current calling," my heart jumped and I had to swallow back tears.  But this sentence was immediately followed up with, "and we're calling you to be a couselor in the Young Women presidency, and you will be over the Beehive class."  Due to the progression of events so far, I did not react to this calling in the typical manner.  Actually, the first wave of emotion I felt was relief. Thank Heaven I get to stay with the Beehives.

 

The intimidation, anxiety, worry, feelings of inadequacy and overwhelming responsibility set in Sunday when everything was made official.  And I realized how much I'm going to miss the ladies from the last presidency who were released.  They did a GREAT job.  Some shoes to fill!

 

Several people, including the new Young Women president, have reassured me that I am the right person for this job.  I am trying to believe it.  I'm just so happy to be with the Beehives and all the Young Women.  I love those girls.  I guess that means I am the right person for the job... I just hope I can do it well.

 

Speaking of people doing a really good job with their callings... Clint had 20 kids in his Sunday school class last Sunday.  That's 20 rambunctious, chatty,  hormonal, self-absorbed teenagers anywhere in the 15-16 year-old range.  Personally , I think there was quite a bit of leakage from other age groups who decided to join the class.  The kids love Clint.  And I was totally in awe of him keeping nearly all the kids' attention for nearly the whole class.  I jest not!!!  A couple of video clips and a couple of pointed questions combined with the compelling story of Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and... voila!  Let it be known that Clint can hold the attention of 20 teenagers at once.  Pretty amazing, huh?

cheshire moon

I happened to look at the sky
(as I often do with an uneasy mind),

and saw you smiling

(as you always do regardless of mood),

in an all-black October sky

(as they always appear in the haunted hours)—

I heard you singing me into madness—

that happy delirium which bangs at the doors

(and which I usually ignore)—

for a time, smiler, I answered you

(as I often do when the moon glares brightly)—

I sang and even danced a bit

(as I usually do when madness grins)

and I embraced this game—

this madness I chase, this chase I laugh at—

since I must—

to be sane.

~by Samantha Karren

photo shoot with Emilie

My cousin Emilie and I are BFF.  We are similiar in so many ways it's crazy.  I totally believe we were pre-destined to be cousins on this earth.  One of the things we have in common is a complete inability to capture decent pictures of ourselves (in our opinion; our men disagree) to preserve in our memory archives.  Since life changes too fast for us to pass up on a magical Autumn opportunity to remedy this issue, we indulged in our very own photo shoot. Our photographer was great; I love Rebecca's style and it was very decently priced.  So so so worth it.  I can't wait for my CD!!!!

To see a sampling of mine and my cousin's BFF photo shoot, click Effervescent Media Works Blog.

My costume will hopefully look something like this...

Sorry the pictures didn't work before... I've been experimenting with some recently discovered google capabilities...  anyway, here's this year's costume -- I can't wait to wear it!

unexpected connection

"My dreams were my own; I accounted for them to nobody; they were my refuge when annoyed--my dearest pleasure when free."

-Mary Shelley, Author's Introduction, Frankenstein.

round, round, get around

Yes.  It is time.  Time... for an update.

This is the next round of Sam and Clint's Summer; part 2 if you will. I have prepared the 2nd round of our summer flash cards for you.  (The term "flash cards" being used here to illustrate my dilemma over selecting a few of the best pictures out of literally hundreds.)


Our first stop features a hike that Clint has been trying to orchestrate for a couple of years now.  Beginning at the Crystal Lake trailhead and ending at the Smith & Moorehouse trailhead, this hike was about 11 miles one way.  We got dropped off on one end and had a car waiting for us at the other end.  Beautiful scenery.  And conveniently, we did this hike the same weekend we were up at my family's cabin which is a mere 15-minute drive from Smith & Moorehouse, where we ended up.

There are many more pictures from the cabin.

But here is a personal favorite that demonstrates my hardcoreness: me and my mountain biking battle wound...

Sitting around the fire pit.

A back-packing trip to Duck Lake.

Lake Blanche hike

Hike up Mt. Raymond (a beast of a hike.  I am not posting pictures of me on this hike because I was cranky.  The last mile of this hike was bushwhacking up an incline of about a 40% grade.  I kid not.)

And here are the Karren outdoor enthusiasts triumphantly atop Mt. Timpanogos.  About 7 miles to the wind-swept summit and taking a little over 5 hours total.  My calves were very sore the day after.

And I should mention this honorary banquet hosted by my employer where I was honored as one of the Specialists of the Year in my department.  Pretty cool.  But the best part was a paid overnight stay at the Canyons resort which Clint joined me for.

Me and some co-workers.  Ya can't miss me.  Only of us is wearing a color other than black and white.

Part of my anniversary gift from Clint: 4 hours of shopping at the Outlets.  And he didn't even complain!  In fact, he bought me a new dress.  Awwww!

Part of Clint's gift: a new addition to the wardrobe.

A joint anniversary celebration:  Italian cuisine at Johnny Carrino's. Mmm.

Yep, that's 3 years for us!  And loving every second.

we get around

Wow!!! Summer flies.

Our time is filled with trips, barbecues, office parties, 4th of July parties, and visits from relatives who live out of town… and they are some of the best memories of our lives!

Sometimes I feel like summer -- and similarly, our lives -- whizzes by in a blur of activities and picture-taking. Every now and then, it’s good to set the camera down for a minute and bask in the party mood. I'm a basker. I love to bask. Instead of taking pictures like mad to remember the moment for later, I want to enjoy the moment now, while I'm in it. (Of course, this could also be viewed as my excuse for being a lackadaisical picture-taker and blogger.)

However, I do value my memories. I love having something to go back to, to look at and read and document. Plus, I also love getting comments and keeping tabs on who out there still reads about us!!! :)

Clint and I love to play. We've kept up with our summer goal of hiking once a week, we've played some tennis (though not nearly as much as we'd like), and we've had some awesome road trips. Here's our Part I of our summer...

Frary Peak on Memorial Day

Grandeur

 Peekaboo-Queens Garden Loop

(Bryce Canyon full trip here)

Grand Canyon Hikes

North Kaibab Trail...

Cape Final Trail...

...and Cliff Springs

Mt Olympus

Red Pine on July 5th

(pic MIA but here is a substitute)

Road Trip to Midway

...We Get Around Part 2

coming to Blogger Summer 2010...

Bryce Canyon Adventure

Enjoy.

Shout Out to Dad

Shout Out to Dad

By Samantha Karren

I've had a funny up-and-down relationship with my dad.  Perhaps you can relate.  Though-out my tomboy years, I always wanted to be like him.  As a teenager I realized how un-cool my dad was and tried my best not to be like him.  When I was in college, Dad tried his best from a distance to both support me and protect me from all the "evil" boys who wanted to date me.  I grew up (for the most part) and began noticing one by one all my dad's faults.  Somehow, though, I still think of him as my hero.

Faults and all, he somehow managed to give me the knowledge that I am his little girl and he always loves me for who I am.  One of the ways he did it…was with rock 'n roll.

Some of you may be aware of the rock band, U2, postponing their summer tour this year until next year.  I am one of the folk who will be deprived of seeing them in concert.  The last U2 concert I went to was with my Dad. 

Dad's been listening to U2 for as long as I can remember.  When I and my siblings were barely waist-high to my dad, he would crank up "Pride" and we'd dance circles around our living room couch.  Then as I got older, my dad taught me to play basketball and I joined my middle school and high school basketball teams.  My dad spent countless hours coaching my jump shot and rebounding for me in the gym.  He'd always bring a stereo and blast out music while we ran drills… you guessed it—the music was U2.

U2 songs ingrained themselves in me; they became a sort of soundtrack to my life.

They also remind me of my dad. 

We spent hours in the gym—just me and Dad and a couple of basketballs.  We didn't need to say much, we just dribbled to the rhythm of Edge's guitar, our sneakers squeaking on the wood floors, and the net swooshing as we shot ball after ball.  From tomboy to grown-up married daughter, I still remember that connection with my dad.  We had the simplicity of shooting balls side by side in an empty gym, and of letting the rock 'n roll do the talking.  

The basketball days are over, but every now and then a rock song comes on and I hear my dad say that the song reminds him of me. 

Dad, they remind me of you too. 

Happy Father's Day!

a Catastrophe that calls itself The Beehives

The Laurels and Miamaids went off to Youth Conference this week.  Whatever.  So the Beehives were on their own.

We thought about going to the park for some good old fashioned fun, but windy and stormy weather made us think twice.  Instead, we improvised a girls'/movie/nail night at my place.

...and I taught the girls how to play tummy-ha-ha.  A favorite of mine.

They are hilarious and I feel like I am one of them.  I think I'm still 12 in my heart.

My place was a noisy jumble of laughing, "Kung-Fu Panda," nail-color discussion, games, and goofing around for a good hour and a half.  I think some of the neighbors may have been frightened. 
At one point, some of the girls were spying out the back window at the neighbors's yard and screamed out "Oh my gosh that man just stuffed a leaf blower down his pants!!!"  Followed by screeching. 
And... the windows were open. 
And... I've met all my neighbors, even the ones who haven't moved in.  So whoever it was, he knows my name.

The YW leaders are going to think twice before ever putting me in charge of a Beehive activity again. And these pictures don't even include the water balloon disaster in my front driveway that included aiming for the Construction Workers' porta-potty...

Oh well.  I had a blast right along with them.

Linkin Love

Wow, it's worth it to visit my blog again just for the kickin tunes!!!  I do have some fabulous taste, now don't I?  Why has no one commented on my playlist yet??? :) Hmmm....

Selfish

I love summer activities.  I also love seeing Clint in action because I was unfortunately not allowed to be one of the chicks who oggled him in high school.  Clint has recently been enjoying a flag football league with some old high school buddies.  I go to every game that I can.  It's fun to sit on the grass & chat with the other wives.  We cheer on big plays and talk about how great Jane Austen books are, and which movie remakes are the best.  Oh yes, it's good times.

Anyway.  These pictures are purely for my own enjoyment.  Thank you very much.

Hi Clint!!! Smile...

I think I'll send this one to Sports Illustrated for a front cover story.

<--- BOO

I'm pretty distressed about the U2's 360 tour being postponed.

I think I will have my own U2 party that night.  Just because... I don't know if I can stand missing out on it all together.

I'm glad he had a birthday, so I could party too, hey

The big partay was May 14th  but I'm a blogger slacker so it's just now appearing here.

I made Clint a card at work -- it was the only way I could get 'er done without Clint watching the whole process!!! (I'm a home-made sort of girl.)  And yes, you best believe that I brought my crayons to work!!!!  Here was my card:

Inside the card I wrote one of our little inside "jokes"...

It’s an ongoing thing we have. I’ll text him and say, “I miss you like summer,” and he’ll text me and say, “I love you like pizza.” So I decided to capture our little love-text game in a card.   It's dear to me.  What can I say.

Clint also got a birthday card from his niece who loves to be his playmate.  It says, "To Clint: Happy Birthday.  I think you play with me funney and silly.  Love, Avie."  Completely precious.  Actually, I think it's still on our fridge! :)

I think he had a happy Big 2-7.  I hope he knows how much he is loved!

owie

Wanna see my battle scars from the half marathon?

Don't worry, I am MUCH too proud of them to not show them to the world.  I pretty much have been snatching my socks off at the slightest suggestion of interest.

BUT!  If you really REALLY want to see them, then you have to earn them.
Just like I did.

A little setting for the day of the race (which, by the way, was also Clint's birthday, but he will receive full recognition in a blog dedicated wholly to himself as I prefer not to share the glory of my battle scars in the same post as someone else's birthday):
-rise, 4 am
-catch the bus, 4:45 am
-reach start line, meet up with the team, and begin the shivering process, 5:05 am
-continue shivering, get as close to the fire as possible, 5:15 am
-drink some energy drinks, continue shivering, 5:50 am
-shivering some more, eat a power bar, 6:15 am
-take a trip to the outhouse, 6:30
-jog and stretch a little to warm up, 6:45 am
-shed outer clothes, 6:50 am
-line up at start line, 7:00
-cross the start line after waiting for everyone in front of me to cross, 7:02 am
-running along the canyon road on a slight downhill and feeling pretty good, 7:15-7:55
-begin noticing pains in my feet at about the 6 mile marker, 8:00
-still feeling good, but pains in feet persisting, 8:00-finish

So, as far as pictures go, here we are racing to the finish.  (No, I probably won't buy any of the pictures they snapped of me along the way.  They're not my most photogenic moments.)
Clint, triumphantly:


Me, a little less triumph in my stride perhaps but nonetheless in the act of passing another runner:


And after all was said and done, Team Karren (and the guy in jeans who didn't run but is nonetheless an important Team Karren supporter):

Clint socializing with his personal fan club.

Or--wait, is he actually trying to take candy from a baby?

Yes I look terrible and not at all happy about having my picture snapped.  But I had to put at least one realistic photo in the lineup:

Ahhhhh.  That's better:

And... drumroll please...

the Infamous Blisters Strike Back!!!

Yes, yes... there is one on each foot.

Each approximately the circumference of an oblong golf ball.

(I can't decide which snapshot I prefer.  They're both lovely.)

My poor, beloved feet.

Today, one week and a half later:

Happy as a walrus.

Not quite ready to run again, yet, but... happily cross-training, that is.

Peace.

it's what fun is

Okay, so... apparently there are 1 or 2 people out there who "always" check my blog.  Ha ha, whatever.  Alright, you "Sam & Clint" die-hards... this one's for you.

After a long week (or several) of stressful, awful, tedious work... what could be more refreshing than a summer-teaser day in none other than Utah's own... Lagoon!!!  Last Saturday was indeed quite the perfect day for it.  And I didn't even mind using the excuse that it wasn't quite warm enough to avoid riding the drencher, the "Cliffhanger."

The day was mostly in honor of one of my favorite person's birthdays... although I'm not going to lie - it was a treat for me and I would have taken any opportunity.  Happy birthday couzzy poo!!!

Me and the crazy beautiful chick who I'm pretty sure is really my twin (but not because I think I'm as pretty as she is):

Aforementioned birthday girl and her lucky son-of-a-gun boyfriend (I'm pretty sure he knows it; because otherwise you best believe that he would hear it from Yours Truly):

Kodak moment of me and my man (aww, perfect for framing):

And presenting: 

the Dominating Duo,

the Sisters of Sass,

the Odd Ducks,

the Legendary,

the Heartbreakers, 

the one-and-only...

Em & Sam Forevuh.

Where have we been?

We never left!!! We're right here!!! Alway been right here!!!

And we're not going ANYWHERE.

And... yes.  Yes, we occasionally still practice our Haunting skills.

We are creatures

of the Night, after all.

Yikes.

Clint got a kick out of some of the signs that Lagoon posted.  You know the ones - really dumb, obvious warnings that you know are only there because someone actually did something that stupid? 

Like the sign posted on the jerky Wild Mouse ride which reads "Please do not straddle the lap bar." Some actually tried that??? Really???? 

Or the spiky fence that practically screams

"Sit on me and you will never have posterity to speak of!" 

Well, of course there was an official sign posted to warn off anyone who wished to take a

creatively painful route to infertility.

Clint also found this serendipitous message in the men's restroom, which very appropriately notifies "All Cloggers" to please take their "business" somewhere else.  BAH HA HA HA!

I think Lagoon's motto "It's what fun is," may also refer to the

laughs you experience reading the warnings on rides

and also while engaged in people-watching.

Though whether they intended this meaning or not remains debateable.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure a few people-watchers at Lagoon got their laughs while watching us.  Ha ha.

Best wishes from your fellow Lagoon-goers -

May the force be with you.