Baby, Look at Us!!!

The 8th Annual Marathon/ Half Marathon was on Saturday and James had decided that since running a marathon was on his bucket list he would run this one.  I do not have running a marathon on my bucket list but thought it would be fun to run the half... just to see what it was like.  Plus, my sister Christina (who is marathon running expert) and Bree were running it too so why not??!!!  

I am so proud of James for finishing the grueling 

26.2 miles and so grateful to Lizzy Davis, Jake & Casey and the Wellings for supporting him along the way!!! 

He wanted to finish in under 4 hours but ended up just over at 4 hours, 12 minutes and 22 seconds.  He did it!!  He never wants to do it again, but at least he can cross it off his list!!

 I didn't have a time that I wanted to finish in but ended up coming in at 2 hours, 58 minutes and 29 seconds.  It was a great experience but I wish I would have been more diligent on my training!!  

 Running 7 miles at the most and not running for 8 weeks before the race (except for a 5 mile run 4 weeks before!!!) and then trying to run 13.1 miles is definitely not the smartest thing I have ever done!!! 

Christina and Bree blew doors on me, Bree finished in just under 2 hours and Christina finished in just over 2 hours.  I am so proud of both of them!  Here are some pics of Christina (who came all the way from Bozeman, Montana to run with me) 

She is so sweet and I appreciate her support of me when I didn't want to run anymore!!!

  I am so grateful to my Becky and Melissa for letting Deacon have his very first sleep over and then waking up with him at 7:30 and coming to Gateway to cheer us on!  I am also so grateful to my wonderful parents who supported us along the course at Foothill Village, Sugarhouse Park, Liberty Park and then at the finish line!!  James and I are also grateful for ice and ibuprofen and although James is going to probably lose 2 toe nails, we are feeling pretty good! 

We know that Stevie was with us along the course and could feel him supporting us when we started to get weary.  We know that he was with us as we finished the race and know that he is so proud of us!  

We did it!!! ....Baby, look at us!!!

March 2011

I am just going to start naming my posts by the month since that is how it seems to be going these days. 

March 2011 at the McDermott's looked a little something like this:

Wild Life and Times at the Zoo!

Deacon went to the Zoo three times in March.  Once with his buddies (Mikey, Jackson and Maddie), once with his Uncle Dylan and his girlfriend Hannah, and once with his Grandma, Aunt Kara and his cousins Anna and James.  He loves to point at the animals and have interesting conversations with them, even if they are only one-sided with Deacon doing all the chatting!!

I am now officially a card carrying member of the Zoo, which means there will be MANY more trips to see the Elephants, Monkeys, Rhinos, Camels, Giraffes and Tigers!!!  Visit to the Zoo anyone??

I'm Lookin' at the Man in the Mirror!!!

Deacon likes to look in the mirror at the little boy on the other side....   I was laughing so hard watching him discover that the other little boy went up and down, up and down like Deacon was...

and that he could hold his fingers out the same way Deacon did...

... and that he could give kisses to him too!!!

Hehe!!!

Carl Bloch Exhibit and J-Dawgs!

I don't venture to Utah County very often and when I do it has to be for some compelling reason... this time it was for the Carl Bloch exhibit.  

This altarpiece is actually owned by BYU now.

 Deacon with his favorite friend, Holly Storheim.

 The Altarpieces are all incredibly beautiful and so lifelike!  It was amazing!

These pictures hardly do them justice and the exhibit only goes for another few weeks (until the first part of May, I think) So if you haven't been down to BYU to see them I would highly recommend it!!  There are a few more altarpieces that I didn't get pictures of that are incredible as well!! 

If these beautiful works of art aren't enough to get you to venture to Cougar territory then J-Dawgs should give you a good reason!!  These are the BEST hot dogs I have ever had!! (Superior only to the delish hot dogs from the vendors in Central Park!!)

 They have a "Special Sauce" that they drizzle over top of gloriously large hot dogs and serve with a pickle inside a large and toasty bun.... mmmmmm... J-Dawgs!!!  I have heard that the owner has been looking at putting in a J-dawgs by President's Circle up at the University of Utah (which is 10 minutes from my house instead of 45 and therefore would be the PERFECT location in my opinion!!!)
Yum Yum!!!

Utah vs BYU Rugby game at Rio Tinto

We had a fun time eating nachos and fruit in the warmth of Dan Lofgren's suite while the Utes were out in the freezing cold losing in a serious way to the Cougars.  Deacon would occasionally look out at the field from inside to see what was happening on the field 

 but mostly he wanted to hang out inside with the ladies....

 Here he is with Maddie Kiser, Chloe Cederholm and his cousin Londyn!! 

 Doesn't Chloe look SO darling dressed up in her Utah gear??!!!

 Here she is with her fabulous parents, Wayne and Katie!!

Scottsdale!!!! 

Bree's mom had a conference in Scottsdale at the Keirland Westin Resort and invited us to come along!!  So Deacon came on another girls trip with us.... (poor guy, I hope he doesn't get a complex always being the only one without ovaries on all our trips!!!)  Hehe!!!

Deacon had so much fun playing in the water while we were there... whether the water was in the Lobby and was falling down a wall of glass....

or swimming swimming swimming in the pool.... 

(for an hour straight... then a short break... then another hour - that is probably the most time I have spent actually IN the water in YEARS!!!!) but he was loving every moment of it!!  He also liked to point at the birds and airplanes he saw flying overhead!!!)

or playing in the fountains with his Aunt Melissa, Nana and Londyn Jane!!

Cupboards!!! FINALLY!!!

I have been wanting cupboards or some kind of shelves in my laundry room(/laundry closet!!)  since we moved in a year and a half ago and I finally do!!!  James put these shelves together and then hung them up for me!! I am so thrilled!! 

 (it is kind of sad that I would get so excited over something like this but... look how beautiful they are!!!)

 Deacon had fun helping his Dad find the right tool to use for the job!!!  

We will have to get him his own little tool belt and safety glasses so that he can help Dad with all his projects!!!

Hmmm... well, until the next post.....