Back to catch up blogging! :) Back in June, June 8th to be exact, my oldest niece Megan ran her first marathon! Since she was at school in Rexburg, attending BYU-I, we were only 3 1/2 short hours away. We knew we just HAD to be there when she crossed the finish line! Especially after her Mom called to tell me that no one in there family would be able to be there, and Grandma Candy was traveling. So we were the only family close enough to support Megan. That sealed the deal! Danny and I had a bit of trepidation about leaving Luke all day, but we thought it was worth it. We knew Grandma Call would keep Luke very happy while we went. We got up early, loaded the kids in the Camry, and set off on our first road trip in over a year. Turns out, the kids have gotten a bit out of practice during our travel-hiatus. The drive was a bit rough at times, but we made it to Rexburg in plenty of time to see Megan cross the finish line.
It was an absolutely beautiful day for a 26 mile run, if you're into that sort of thing. :) The weather was also perfect for a picnic, which is the kind of thing I am definitely into! The kids were happy to get out of the car, and we sent them running around the park to work out their wiggles.
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Jami and I decided it was best to keep Megan uninformed of our travel plans. She didn't want Megan to be disappointed if for some reason (Luke!) we wouldn't be able to make it. Plus, we thought the impact would be pretty cool if she wasn't expecting us. So Jami kept me apprised as to Megan's location, and how close she was to finishing. When we thought she was getting close, Claire and Sophie practiced holding out the banner that Jami and Jeff had made and sent for Megan to see as she finished the race.
But as it would turn out, Megan hit a serious wall around Mile 20. She was tired, but worse, she was all alone! There was no one running beside her, or in front of her, or in back of her! In her words, there wasn't a cow or bird to keep her company. Just field after field of potatoes. She was not prepared for how discouraging this would be for her, so she called her Mom for support. Jami, having run a marathon herself, was able to talk her through tough spot. She told her that there were some very special people waiting at the finish line for her, so she had to keep going. Megan asked hopefully if it was Danny and me. She was so happy to hear that we were there! It ruined the surprise, but it was what Megan needed to keep going. Jami kept informing me of where Megan was at, but at some point she gave me the wrong mile marker. We thought Megan still had a few miles to go, so we sent the kids to the playground to play and Danny and I sat at a picnic table and chatted. There were very few runners left to finish, so whenever one came into view we would check to see if it was our Megan. At one point, I checked an upcoming runner and was sure it wasn't Megan. But as she got closer, Danny said..."Wait! That's Megan!" There was no time to get the kids set up with the banner at the finish line, so Danny ran with the banner and I ran after him with the camera. I made it to Megan just as she came up to the finish line. Megan told us later that when she saw Danny and I, she almost started to cry. Which is a big deal, cause Megan isn't a crier!
What an incredible accomplishment! I can definitely say I have absolutely no desire to ever run a marathon...ever...but I have great respect for those that do! I can't fathom the physical preparation and the sheer will power it would take to complete a race of that length. And Megan prepared while being busy with classes and friends. I was so very proud to cheer for her as she completed this momentous goal!
After finishing the marathon, Megan was understandably exhausted. :) We told her we'd love to do dinner later that evening, and she thought that sounded fun. So we left her in the competent care of her wonderful roommates. Then we suddenly had the whole afternoon ahead of us. Whatever should we do? Go to the cabin in Island Park, of course! It is only a 45 minute drive, and it's a pretty drive. Plus, the kids were excited to see Great Grandma Lovell and play at the cabin. It's definitely one of our favorite places to be.
Once we got there, Danny went straight up to the loft for an afternoon nap...his favorite cabin activity. The kids pulled out the toys while I chatted with Great Grandma. We all enjoyed the chance to just hang out. Especially Johnny, who built his biggest, most elaborate block tower EVER!
All to soon, as is always the case, we had to leave the precious cabin and head back to civilization. It was at least as hard for us to leave Great Grandma as it was for her to watch us go! :)
We picked Megan up at her apartment, and helped her hobble to the car. :) We decided to grab some dinner at The Pizza Café, since Danny's little sister Katie had just been hired on back at home. We'd thought we'd get a little preview. :) The selection of pizza certainly didn't disappoint, and the salad bar was pretty good, too! After dinner, it was pretty much time for us to head back home...plus we were missing our Lukey-Son pretty bad! But we decided to leave Megan with one last treat before we left. Rexburg recently added a Nielsen's Frozen Custard to its repertoire of eateries, so we introduced Megan to the incomparable joy that is a raspberry concrete. She is still thanking us today. :)
Eventually, we just had to pull ourselves away and head home. It was so fun to see Megan in her college life, all grown up and running marathons! It reminded Danny and I of our college days...dare I say youth? :) Especially Danny, since he rocked BYU-I before heading to Provo. I'm so proud of Megan and how she is living her life. I'm impressed with the woman she has become. My goal is to raise my girls to be as prepared to lead their lives as Megan is to lead hers.
We love you, Megan! Way to go!
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