The wounds of White Sands

So, we went to White Sands last weekend. It was very wet in our tent, but the days were lovely. Sledding on White Sands was excellent! You don't even get cold - and we didn't get hot because it was overcast. Which actually was quite a bummer because we heard that the full moon is amazing how it lights up the sand - which is why we went last weekend. Anyway, while sledding, the back of my knees were hurting because I had to hold my legs straight out to keep myself from turning all around on my disc. The next day, this is what I saw. (Please try to ignore the nasty legs and the fact that I took the pics myself...)



OUCH!!! Note to self, it's probably worth going backwards or sideways to avoid this unsightly discoloration.

For some great pics of us on White Sands, check out Katie's blog. There is a super fun slide show.

Stay there a while and you will also see a beautiful pic of Eva and a nasty pic of me in my camping jammies. (Not to mention you'll get a more comprehensive story of our trip - thanks, Katie for doing all the work for me;)

I'm totally buggin'

The other night I came home from Karen's house really late - like midnight or so. It had been raining for several hours. I went into my bathroom to do my "bedtime business" so I could go to bed. I heard this noise kind of above me and I thought it was rain on the roof. But then it wasn't consistent. I looked up at the shelf above me and didn't see anything. Then I heard the noise again. I peeked around the shelf and - mind you, I'm on the toilet - I see THIS on my shower curtain above my head! (The noise was it's many legs clicking around on my shower curtain! Eww!)



It was 5 inches long - like this one in the picture - and I finished what I was doing and washed my hands. Then I went out to the living room to tell Bryce there was a HUGE centipede on our shower curtain above the toilet and would he please get it out of the house. I was very calm about it. He walked back into the living room a few seconds later - "That is HUGE!" It was kinda funny because he kept going in and out of the bathroom trying to figure out how to get the thing and work up the courage to try. One time he came out and commended me on my composure - he was shuddering. Finally, I decided to help. We got a jar and I tried to get it to go in and it would move away - causing Bryce and I to shudder and squirm. Finally I got it directed down and scooped it into the jar and Bryce took it outside. We didn't have the presence of mind to take a picture of it. So when I looked them up online the next day I found out that it is a giant redheaded centipede. They grow to 7 or 8 inches and generally have a black body - I think ours was a teenager. They are poisonous but it's more like a bee sting.

Another fun discovery about New Mexico. Did I mention you are all more than welcome to come visit? :D

She and Him

I'm really digging this band - She and Him. I'm sure you will recognize the singer from Elf. I heard this song on the radio a few weeks ago and I called Bryce and told him to look it up so I could buy the album. I haven't yet, but my birthday is coming up ;)

Be warned, this video is a bit like the scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail where the arms are chopped off. If you don't want to watch the video, just listen to the song - it's wonderful!

'Why Do You Let Me Stay Here' Video

Memories

Here are the directions: 1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! 2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty cool (and funny) to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. :) If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments... Please Play! :)

Some things just come naturally for girls...

Eva just emerged from her bathroom with a bungee chord and said,

"Dad, since everytime you use my bathroom you leave the toilet seat up, will you help me lock it?"

Bryce laughed and helped her lock him out. Then she said,

"If you decide to never leave the toilet seat up, then you can come back in."



So, several months ago, Eva was heard hollering from her bathroom, "DAD, DID YOU USE MY TOILET? YOU LEFT THE SEAT UP!" Then she SLAMMED the seat down.
(I would like to add that I have NEVER mentioned Bryce leaving the seat up. I don't like it, but I've never mentioned it.)

I think that being a girl, you automatically KNOW that the seat should not be left up and that if it is, the ONE boy in the house is the culprit.

13.1

I DID IT!

Share took the video - so she is the loudest cheerer, but you can see Bryce's arm and hear Isobel saying she loves me :) Wow, I don't look as dead as I felt!

That's right, I, Bettie Petersen, RAN 13.1 miles. If you know me at all...you will know that this was the farthest thing from my mind - 4 months ago. Then, here I was running 5 days a week for 3 months just so I could run a half marathon. Crazy.

The course was pretty nice. The first 8 or 9 miles were downhill - which was great for my time! It was a beautiful route. Running down Highway 12 near Bryce Canyon and into Canonville. I must say, after all that downhill, my legs were pretty tired for the rest of the race. I ended up finishing in just over 2 hours and 20 minutes (that's 10:54 minutes per mile)! I finished 303rd out of 1000ish and 77th in my age/gender group!

Here are those who brought my girls back to me and came to cheer me on - thanks guys! Did I mention that I was SO sweaty and STINKY!

My goal was to finish close to my 12 mile time which was 2 hours and 28 minutes (not counting bathroom breaks) - and I beat that time so I am thrilled!

I have been asked several times (already) if I'm ever going to run a half marathon again. Well, we will see. I don't love running - but it's not so bad. I feel great having accomplished this huge feat! Share is trying to convince me to do it once a year. I think I would need at least that much time to decide to do this again. I definately needed more time to "cool down" after the race.

When it was over, we went to shower and eat breakfast and then went into Bryce Canyon to go for a hike. Well, it was a beautiful hike and I'm glad I went, but my legs were really tired. Here are some pics of our hike.

So, we hiked down into the beautiful canyon among the hoodoos - and then we had to hike out. It was pretty steep and very beautiful. Here Eva and I are at the bottom taking a break.

Share and I got a kick out of this sign - as you can see, it fits me :)

I would say that currently, my legs are unstable. After all the running and hiking, I spend the next whole day in the car driving home. If that doesn't make the legs cramp up anyway...

I'm happy to be home and learn to walk again :)

"what added more to [her] joy..."

I've been meaning to do this post for a while but I've been thinking of the right way to do it. I'm not sure I've found the right way, but I'm going to try to do this anyway.

The end of June, I went to Idaho and Utah for family reunions of sorts. It was nice to spend time with my family and to reminisce in the halls of my high school. Here are the five of us kids who went to Sugar being the "Student's of the Month."

It was also great to spend time with Bryce's family and see his sweet sister get married in the Logan Temple - my personal favorite :)

The time I spent away from my home in Santa Fe was filled with loved ones. I met up with old friends and was able to do a lot of catching up. Many had good news to share or trials to explain - but either way, there is something special about being with people you love and who love you - regardless of your current situation.

On Sunday, I went to my former ward. Since I had lived in the same ward in Logan for like 7 years, it truly felt like coming home. Many people embraced me as we came into the building. It was so great to see them in one place and get to visit. At the end of sacrament meeting, I saw my next door neighbor sitting in the chapel. We went over to visit with her. (She lived right next to us for the last 5+ years. She is a very sweet and fun woman. She was close to my parents ages and loved to give us good advise about our kids. She seemed like a woman who was very confident and comfortable with her life. She was a member of another faith and was sad that she was out of town for our girls' blessings. I admired her in many ways.) When we started talking to her and asked what brought her to church today, she exclaimed, "I got baptised! I'm a member now." We were thrilled! She explained that she got baptised in November and was loving being in the church - she really was so happy. (She said when Bryce went to Utah to fix our roof so we could sell it, she "wanted to shout it out to him on the rooftop" - but it didn't seem the right time:)

In Sunday School our lesson was on Alma and the sons of Mosiah. The part that has stuck with me for weeks since is this scripture - Alma 17:2
"...Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord"

(That is just a part of verse 2 - also verse 3 is really beautiful)

I know that, for me, there can be no greater happiness than I find in serving others and following the commandments of God. There is no greater comfort than that which is found through the atonement of Jesus Christ. There is no greater peace than knowing that someone who knows all (including my heart) is watching out for my best interest - even if I don't know what that is sometimes.

I felt that this scripture explained exactly how I was feeling. There is nothing so sweet as seeing loved ones. Knowing that they have the peace and happiness I have found in the gospel, just makes it that much sweeter.