let's get serious.

the necessary 5 months have passed since my last post so i suppose i should figure out something to blog about (to the 5 loyal friendlies who read this).  whenever i allow myself some quiet time to sit back and think i generally end up feeling grateful for a lot of things that i often overlook.

so in light of thanksgiving being this week, i think i'll take a moment and jump on the gratitude train.

1. i am grateful for security in my family - this may seem odd to start with, but i've had this on my mind this week.  i have never (no, not once) worried about my home being anything but a loving, safe, and peaceful place.  my family relationships are strong and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ.  i have never felt threatened.  sadly, i've realized that this security isn't always the norm for everyone, and that breaks my heart.

2. i am grateful for an eternal perspective - living in the national capital makes it easy to feel like the sky is falling when anything political happens.  while i understand that there are/can be major consequences for decisions made and legislation passed within the beltway, i am grateful to be capable of stepping back, taking a deep breath, and knowing that i am ultimately responsible for how i lead my life.  no one can dictate how i treat others.  if i speak kindly or unkindly, that is my choice.  if i spend my time cooped up thinking about my problems, then i know my problems will not be solved.  i choose to focus my time on others' needs.  this will broaden my perspective and help me realize that my problems are actually opportunities.  it's happened before.  how quickly i forget!

3. i am grateful for my mom - i can't think of a single character trait my mother has that i don't want to have.  she gives of her time, energy, means, and talents everyday.  do i do that?  no.  if i end up as patient, kind, selfless, funny, happy, and poised as my mom then i'll know i've done something good.

4. i am grateful for my dad - now that i have a career i'm beginning to understand that taking time away from work is not easy.  but growing up my dad made time with family his number one priority.  i don't think he ever missed a track meet.  he watched me cheer in junior high (that was a snooze fest, i'm sure!), came to all of my harp concerts, piano recitals, and dance programs, sat through looong, boring pageants, drove across this great big country with me, and so much more.  plus, he is really smart, athletic, and adventurous.  he knows basically everything about cars and construction and current events.  truly a renaissance man!

5. i am grateful for a healthy body - how did i get so lucky to have a body that can run and not be weary, walk and not faint?  i forget how blessed i am.  watching the marine corps marathoners run over the 14th street bridge a few weeks ago, i saw a man with prosthetic legs zoom by, way ahead of the pack.  i was reminded of the strength of the human spirit.  no hill for a stepper, as my dad would say.  this man had a lot of reasons not to run 26.2 miles, and i'm sure the history of losing his legs is smattered with war memories that i can't even begin to imagine.  so in short, i'm grateful to have legs.  i'm healthy.  that is no small thing.

these sundays get me thinking.  i should do that more often.  it's good to be grateful.  it's like seeing the world through rose colored glasses... everything is softer and kinder.  happy thanksgiving.

u.s.a.

i love america.  i cry during the national anthem (especially when we sing all the verses in church... this is good material, people!).  facing the reality that i wouldn't be in huntsville for the festivities was a challenge.  what else can you do on the 4th other than run a mini-marathon, watch a parade with not-so-subtle political jabs from the neighbors' float, attend a patriotic program, and enjoy the fireworks from your back lawn??  thousands of miles between yours truly and huntsville put a damper on that actually happening this year... so i did other things.  happy birthday, dear america.  i really do love you a lot.  it's been a good 236 years, hasn't it?

sometimes people make silly laws in the building, but you can't deny that the architect rocked.

love my telephoto lens.  thanks, dad!

tom bergeron: he hosts tv shows like dancing with the stars (maybe he knows donny??)

john williams: the big man, himself.  happy 80th birthday, john!  you're the reason i sweat on the capitol lawn in 95% humidity for this concert.

dress rehearsal on july 3rd.  15 minutes later we were evacuated for approaching severe weather.  dc doesn't mess around with liability.

apolo anton ohno: mr. speedskater and dancing with the stars champ.  let's go olympics! 

nice day for a rumpus.

i didn't think i would make it to the day after Rumpus in Bumpass, but i'm alive and kicking.  thanks to a great trainer, i learned how to swim an entire mile without getting winded (or drowning for that matter... best 45 farthings i've spent in a long time!).  that's no small miracle because i couldn't make it 50 yards on day one without swallowing gallons of brominated pool water.

Andrew: Generally excited.  Savanna: Slightly panicked.

Getting ready to take the plunge!

Thanks to a full-body wetsuit, no injuries were sustained in the thrashing swim start.

I guess muscles are helpful when peeling off a wet wetsuit.  That explains a lot about my struggle!

 Transition #1: The wetsuit put up a good fight.

All set for the 23 mile bike ride.

I realized that the entire price of my little bike equals the price of some people's helmets.

All alone in the world on lap 2.  Those speedsters zoomed past me on lap 1.

Willing my legs into running after an hour of pedaling wasn't pretty!

Triathletes come in any attire they wish.  Thankfully this guy did the relay because swimming in cut-offs screams chafing.

Excuse me while I sprint to the finish line after a brutal, dusty 10k run.

We finished!  Well, I finished, and Andrew set a PR. There was no competition. None.

maybe one day i'll be photogenic at an athletic event. until then you'll have to ignore the pained facial expressions.  (keep in mind that i was toeing the line of overexertion for 3 hours and 20 minutes... we can't all be beauty queens!)

pretending to be an athlete.

i haven't spent any time on "stuff white people like," but apparently we like running marathons and triathlons.  spot on, SWPL.  thankfully i've crossed the marathon off my list in a moment of sheer insanity (and like for a boy that talked me into signing up).  as if 26.2 miles of solid ground beneath my feet wasn't enough, i've swiped my credit card for a triathlon.  now i get to swim a mile before rolling 25 miles and running a 10k.  best news?  it's in 4 weeks.  i may backfloat the whole swim.  

enough?  nope.  now it's a double century relay ride in june.  and skydiving.

to calm my unraveled nerves from all these upcomings, i took a walk today.  beautiful day in the neighborhood!

i've got nothing creative to name this.

meanwhile, back at the ranch, 6 months flew by.  some people use blogs as journals-- i salute them.  not so over here.  i'm guilty of waiting until i have enough fun pictures to post... then i make it look like my life is glamorous from sun-up to sundown.  there.  no secrets.  thankfully, september to february has been a fruitful span for pictures and adventures on the east coast to break up the monotony of having a career.

Robin Hood Ride: Rumney, NH.  30 miles of bliss on a bikeseat was totally worth it to enjoy the White Mountains during October (75 degree weather didn't hurt either!).

Stinson Lake: At the top of what I thought was the biggest climb of the day.  Wishful thinking -- there were 10 more miles of hills!!

Love having relatives on the East Coast.  Now we're cousin-friends... what could be better?  Maybe a delicious Sunday meal to break up the 9 hour drive from Boston to DC (oh wait, the Whitings provided that, too.  Thank you, thank you!)

Happy Birthday, Berlin!  The girl loves apples.  How better to celebrate than with an Apple Crisp Party where the birthday girl gets to recite memorized verses??  Nothing.

First Bolt Bus ride to Port Authority was a success.  Kit, Lynne, Lacy and Jon make great co-tourists.

Hello, World Trade Center memorial.  Your buildings are very shiny!

Natives jumping on the Brooklyn Bridge... Captured, first try.  I don't like to boast too much, but this deserves a slap on the back. 

Family.  Welcome to NYC, Lacy and Jon.

I never knew Grimaldi's was "2-hour line wait" good.  We waited.  It was good.  And we got front-row sights of blushing brides at the waterfront.  Bon Appetit!

"An apple a day..."  I'd wager that the saying still stands even when said Apple is covered with sticky goodness.  Health food!

I made out like a bandit from the Gobblepalooza Turkey Trot.  The varsity cross-country team days may be over, but I can still finish first-place in my age group when my winnings will feed a family of 8.

Look at all those happy people waiting to dig into my prize bird.  It may or may not have been thawed in the bathtub-- there's no room for a fowl that size anywhere else!

November ride around the Monuments.  Did I mention that I love having family close by??

That carpet is Tiffany blue... because it's in Tiffany & Co.  Nothing more than a quick stop to warm up from a Central Park carriage ride (and possibly to see which ring sparkled the most).

St. Patrick's Cathedral... just a stone's throw away from the Rockefeller Christmas tree and skating rink.  Ah, Christmas in NYC... sigh.

Happy graduation, Julie!!  Scott Conant is proud of you. 

It can be argued that I have the best taste in picking Christmas pajamas... ever.  2011 just screamed Purple Poodles on footed jammies.

Roommate Christmas:  Berlin knows me so well.  The garlic-shaped kitchen timer and Ramen noodle bowl speak to me.

Love this... Uncle Kit is a hit with the ladies.

This girl could give Annie Oakley a run for her money -- Bulls-eye on the first shot with her pink Daisy air rifle.  Makes an aunt proud!

A visit to Princeton, NJ makes Hogwarts feel real.  This is just a common study hall.  No biggie.

Need I say that this is a large building?  A Beautiful Mind was filmed here, and John Nash still teaches at Princeton.

Church?  No, just the grad-student cafeteria.

E=mc2 could have been discovered in this house.  I mean, Albert E. lived here.

Matchy-matchy shirts for my birthday were a big hit.  So was the dance floor that doubles as my living room.

I'll have my cake and eat it too, thank you!  Especially if it tastes and looks this good.

All 24 candles didn't stand a chance against my superior lung capacity. 

A birthday wouldn't be complete without a special routine by the resident jr. high cheerleaders!  Go big Blue!

so between these pictures, picture thousands of teeth, hundreds of x-rays, and what feels like a million times hitting the snooze button every morning.  that's life.  it's great... and so daily.  here's to a rockin' 24!

there was a hurricane, so i bought a bike.

it's only natural.  i didn't want to be bothered with long lines at the grocery store when the entire dc metropolitan population decided that the ox was in the mire (time to buy water and batteries... NOW). instead of joining them, i waltzed into REI and left with this shiny friend.

not to worry! those skimpy running tights have now been replaced with gel shorts. even more attractive!

it took me 2 weeks of kissing the bicycle goodnight before i mustered up enough courage to actually ride her.  16 miles later, i can tell you that my ischial tuberosities (soon to be callosities?) have never been so angry. they don't know that they've got 60 miles to look forward to in just a few weeks. some things are better left unspoken, right?

summer is good...

... for helping me sweat like a horse from sunrise to sunset. i tell you these things because they are true. don't believe me? come here to dc and see for yourself; even better... duel me. i'll win, no sweat.

i'll be speaking in sacrament meeting on sunday, and you better believe that the only stipulation for my outfit is that the boys (er, men?) i'm trying to impress won't see me glistening from the pews.

and no, i do not have photo proof of said talent. i'm in denial. maybe it will get better with age just like my complexion is supposed to. but i've defied that dermatologic law... so i guess i'm doomed.

rehoboth, delaware

summer is also good for the boardwalks and the beaches and the ice cream sandwiches. i cannot complain.

faux pas.

please stop me from leaving home with the size sticker staring at the world from my chest.

- scene 1: "hi senator bennett. yes, i'd love a tour of the national capitol. oh and by the way this sweater is new; i leave the tags on purpose. thanks for asking."

- scene 2: fourth of july, fireworks, some pictures. real salt lake box seats, wining and dining (minus the wining) at half-field.  found the stowaway sticker 5 hours later whilst brushing my teeth.

strike 3 is looming. i can feel it. i'm going to start saying that the "s" is for savanna. roll with it, sav.

and then i stumbled upon this treasure from duck beach and tried to edit it. i left the original just in case i failed miserably.