Ragnar Relay Del Sol 2009

This was an amazing experience! We were the Skyline Hybrids, our team was great! We started training together in about September. We'd do long runs on the weekends. In a nut shell it is a 202.1 miles relay. We started Friday about 11 am with our van of 6 and each ran a leg, then passed the bracelet off to our other van of six. They would each do their leg and then pass it back to us. We all had three legs, and finished Saturday around 4pm ish. We were 78th out of I think 234 (I'll have to check that number). Pretty much you'd drink yucky powder jell, run, cheer on your team, eat, look at the map, cheer, eat, cheer and then repeat the cycle. I think our van got about 2 hours of very blotchy sleep in the van in a High School parking lot. Sounds crazy, and it was, but such crazy fun!

These are the 6 that were in our van. We all had a great time together. Those 2 poor guys with all of us for that long in a van, they were saints! Andrea is my wonderful friend that I've been running with for the last 3+ years. Many early mornings!

Doug & Lisa

Jason & Shelly

Our team after our first hand off to the other van. Nachoo is running, and we were heading to a designated parking lot for a brake while our 2nd van did their runs.

GO HYBRIDS!
Some in the other van reversed the order of how things are suppose to go. They chose to eat lots of yummy pasta and then run, then loose yummy pasta, then finish running. You can figure the ideal order!
I have never seen so many giant white vans! I was shocked at the order and politeness of everyone, there were hundreds of these vans!

Yes . . . we ran through the night. You had required gear to wear, it was a bit tricky, but when you are running on busy highways with giant semis speeding by you just hope they can see your little lights! I personally liked the night runs the best! This is our beloved NACHOOO! He was the first runner in our second van, so I passed off to him. The first hand off I didn't have a clue who to pass it to, I was quite surprised when they directed me to him!!! He ran his last leg in that entire get up, craziness! Yes, those are tight shorts and leggings!

Ragnar Team

Go Skyline Hybrids!

Sydney's Hospital

I have had a handful of requests from friends to start a blog so they can keep track of us, especilly with things going on with Sydney. So here is my attempt . . . While at Brock's homecoming Sydney seized (it had been a wonderful 8 months seizure free!!!) and it ended in the hospital. Happy Birthday Mom! During our stay there were lots of tests done, confused doctors, and questions raised. Sydney was doing just what she needed, she was showing the doctors random things that were going on to get their attention so they would be able to help her. She was a trooper, it was one of her harder stays, but she got the attention of some doctors! We are still trying to put puzzle pieces together, so when we get sure answers I will post, but for now she is doing good, and we have more tests to clarify exact possible diagnoses. Thank you for your prayers, calls, meals, treats, and those visits that kept me mentally stable!

I have never been happier to be thrown-up on than I was this night. I was in a huge black church skirt and very high heels and no plans for a change of clothes coming from home at this point, so when she lost it all over me I was thrilled to get the scrubs & socks to lounge around in for a couple days until new clothes were brought!

After a couple days Sydney perked up for a little while, but not on the day that Tigger & Goofy came to visit! It pained me knowing how jealous Carter would be.

Sydney was hooked up to an EEG for a couple days, we have done a long one before, but she was a couple weeks old. She is attached to the wall and on video so it was a tricky couple days. I learned to be very creative, and it was probably a plus that she still wasn't feeling 100% yet! Our heater broke. So we were thrilled for the sweater Mom had brought Sydney because by the time we realized it had broken the next morning it it was at 62 degrees in our room, and they didn't have the part to fix it. All was fine, we just bundled up.

After a couple very wake full nights of walking the halls to not wake our neighbor we discovered two wonderful things. . . the wagon & sleeping pills!!! We were both much happier! We had to stay longer due to a random fever that would spike up to 105 for a couple hours each day. Always a mystery with Sydney!The vain mother that I am had been very patient for over a week to not do her hair, but when grandma brought me the blow dryer, I jumped at the opportunity. It was done so fast before any nurses came it, it would have looked awful me blowing my sick little ones hair dry. One of us had to be sanitary & clean, and it wasn't me. But doesn't she look sweet. If you look at her eyes you can tell she feels better already!! When it was time to go, we were both ready!! I could tell she new something was different when she had her real clothes put on along with her shoes, she kept trying to leave! We survived another event full trip to the hospital! As always it was fun to see some familiar nurses and appreciated them & the doctors that helped us! She's my little trooper!

The doctors at the beginning had asked if we had a time limit, I told them I had a race in a little over two weeks that would be nice to make it to. They kept that in mind and sure enough had us home a couple days before. Sydney was so happy to go home!!

It started with a Vision!

The garden . . . we had a random corner in our yard that was pointless after a tree had died a couple years ago. So I recruited Carter and we decided we needed a garden. Neil was a little surprised to come home and hear all about our plan. We only had two weeks to make it happen before we had to have seeds planted. Neil was with me, still trying to catch the vision!Carter helped me clear the rocks, we were ready to start!

Some couples give each other chocolates or massages for Valentines Day, we got each other dirt this year. Isn't that romantic!!

Happy Valentines Day Dad, you're the greatest!Then plans changed . . . Sydney ended up in the hospital for a while so I wasn't there to keep the ball rolling. But Neil & Dad were so great and worked on it while I was gone so by the time I got home they had it done. They had spend many late nights after work, they are wonderful!

3 wonderful guys working hard!
When we got home all that was left was the drip, and to plant!