<--- 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.

A Mother's Words

A Mother's Words

a Belated Mother's Day Tribute By Samantha Karren

It's strange how we only begin to truly appreciate our mothers as we get older.  Small things that we took for granted or even detested are suddenly cherished life lessons. 

For instance, my mother signed me up for piano lessons when I was about five and dutifully drove me to them once a week.  She practically begged me to practice my music in between lessons, and frequently reminded me: "Practice makes perfect!"  My daily practice was sporadic, at best.  I eventually quit taking lessons, though I continue to have opportunities to sit at those black and white keys again, and try to make something musical with my fingers.  In the years since moving away from home, going to college, and getting married, I've realized how much I've missed having a piano in my house, to sit down and tinker at it whenever I wanted.  Now, whenever I get the chance to play the piano, I think of it as Me-time, therapy, and a chance to re-awaken my love of music.  And I have to admit with all my heart: my mother gave that to me.

My mother also liked to say to try to motivate her kids to help around the house, "Many hands make light work."  But that lesson is a work in progress!  

I especially like these words of inspiration from a frien'ds mother, who enforced the mantra: "Do more, worry less." 

Other motherly sayings that are known to have touched lives come from such people as Forrest Gump's mother, who said "Life is like a box of chocolates; you  never know what you're gonna get," or "Stupid is as stupid does."

It's true that mothers are blessed with an intuitive sense; they know just what to say to help their kids learn something. 

Or to warn us.

According to my mother, I am fated to have at least one daughter who: is overly sensitive, slams doors when mad, is a drama queen, won't eat vegetables, or E. all of the above.  Speaking of having a daughter, by the way, my mother has lately been known to ask me the following question in a variety of ways: Just when exactly am I planning on giving her some grandchildren?  (Let's not go there.) 

For this Mother's Day, I'd like to acknowledge how many positive examples of mothers are around me.  They set a high standard.

This post is belated but nonetheless, Happy Mother's Day Mom.  I love you.