Let there be Peace on Earth, and Let it begin with Me

I think it no coincidence that this was the talk, "The Canker of Contention" when I sat down to read in the morning. God peaks to us and I have insight in moving forward.  

"Through love of God, the pain caused by the fiery canker

 of contention will be extinguished from the soul. 

This healing begins with a personal vow: 

“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” 

This commitment will then spread to family and friends and will bring peace to neighborhoods and nations."

"The Canker of Contention"

-President Nelson 1989

A Pilgrim in Pieces

I arrived a pilgrim in pieces

The desert greeted me with scented blooms; 

embraced me in warm red rock; 

and sand sweet bird songs in my ear.

Her hot breath became my hot breath.

Her fevered heat a healing balm 

mixed with pink sand poultice.

My caged heart slowed with space, 

set free by wildness. 

The Moab Half Marathon 2017

On March 18, 2017 I fulfilled a dream that has been brewing in me for almost 2+ years, 

I ran the Moab Malf Marathon. Yes, that's 13.1 miles.

I don't even really know where to begin to describe the experience, but sometimes the best way to find the words is to keep looking.

It was miraculous, transformative, healing, exhilarating, and difficult.

I let all the emotions and sensations of the moment wash over me as I ran beside the River of liquid Copper, and they ran the full spectrum. Cold to hot; joy to pain, camaraderie to solitude; weak to strong; excitement to exhaustion; disbelief to amazement. It was a race of Ying and Yang. I let it all wash over me, and run off behind me as I carried on to the rhythm of my own feet, my own breath, my own heart.
And all that was left was my salty sweat and overwhelming gratitude.

The one thing that never caught up to me was the doubt. The doubt that i wouldn't finish.
That sweep bus never had anything on me.

What a beautiful Course, a magical course! I made sure I ran with my head and eyes up. The Red Rock cliffs, the rolling Colorado River, and golden morning light were inspiring. I thought it was going to be all down hill, but it definitely wasn't. It had some long inclines and a killer hill from hell just after mile 9. But I faced that monster and others with a little from my girls SIA and Ke$ha.

By Mile 11, something changed and all I could think about was my cute family waiting for me at the finish. River was so excited to run the last bit of the race and cross the finish line together. He loved the idea of us running the race together and winning. I had left him the bag tag part of my bib so he could wear it. Knowing he was there carried me through that last and most difficult mile. I searched the sidelines for them as I came down the last stretch and my heart jumped as I saw him squeeze between the barriers and we ran and crossed the finish line together hand-in-hand. We both got metals and River that was really cool, so cool he took it with him to show and tell the next week.

I couldnt' have done any of this with out Skyler. He was so supportive and cleared any obstacles that stood in my way, giving up multiple saturdays so that I could spend hours running in the basement watching Project Runway. He's incredible and I am so grateful for him and to him!!

I can do great things. I can do hard things. I can be a wonderful and engaged mom and still follow dreams and have adventures that are not only mine, but mine to share with my little family.

Here are my stats:

Overall I was 1384th

Of all the women I was 775th

In my age division I was 110th

My offical clock time was 2h44m00s

My chip time wa 2h41m20s

my average mile time was 12m18s

I am female.

I am 33.

And I did it!

I am triumphant.

That night as I was laying in bed in our hotel room,

I began looking up options for a next race.

After 13.1 miles, I didn't feel quite done yet. 

Robin Hope : 8 months

8 months? How could it actually be 8 months 

and at the same time only be 8 months?

Our Sweet and Spicy Robin is really starting to come out of her shell and it is so fun.
She has more quiet but powerful personality. She's thoughtful and smart, with definite opinions and wants. She is so strong, I feel like I spend most of my time wrestling an alligator. She can sit up, roll like its no ones business, enjoys solid food, and is determined to get what she wants. 

She loves to empty bins filled with her toys and play with them one by one, and we do this all day long. I fill them up and she empties them all over the floor. She has the cutest way of moving her hands as she fingers and explores new objects. Everything she touches goes straight into her mouth. One of her favorite things to do, is to roll over to our large window and play with the hanging blinds.

  Robin is very social and is so content watching people and being part of the party. She takes very short naps, mostly because I think she's worried she's going to something. She excitedly watches River run around all day, and he is the only one that can make her belly laugh. I love watching these two together. It melts my heart. River ADORES his sister and it's the cutest thing. The world is right when they're together.

Robin loves her daddy. She watches him, waiting for him to look at her. When he does, she greets him with the most sweetest smile I have ever seen. She flirts with him too, bashfully looking away and then turning back to make sure he's still looking. She just lights up when she hears him and sees him. Skyler is a good daddy, and this little girl has stolen his heart.

I can't put into words what my little bitty is to me. She's a part of me I've known and waited for my whole life, and now she's here. We're together again. She's beautiful, absolutely beautiful. Her quiet thoughtful expressions cause me to catch my breath. Her blue eye, soft hair, and full cheeks endear her to me. The way she rests her hand on my arm while she takes a bottle, sleepily rubs her eyes and leans her head back on my shoulder when she's tired, how she's starting to giggle when I tickle her under her arms, her contentment whenever we're doing something together, her strong will and sweet, soft smiles -- She has run away with my whole world and I will do anything for her. 

She is my daughter. 

My little Robin Hope. My Itty Bitty.

My Vision. My Treasure.

~

And just because Robin's brother is so awesome too...

Pretty in Purple and Plaid

Honesty moment, being a mom is hard. 

Trying to find balance, manage needs, and just take a shower.

But these little faces ... make being stinky worth it.

Garden of the Gods

We started this year off right, with family pictures of our new family of 4,

 followed by a stop in the ever crowded Garden of the Gods Park on the way home.

River loved climbing around on the rocks and would have stayed all day if we would have let him. I am really impressed with his abilities and coordination. He's learned well from Skyler.

So welcome 2016. I don't really know what you hold for us, 

especially now that we have 2 kids. (Crazy!!) 

But what I do know is that this year I want to "Lean In". 

Skyler said this phrase in a conversation last year, and it has stuck with me.

When things are difficult, when we feel like a task is beyond our strength, 

it's time to lean in.

I am learning and now I am leaning in.  

32 weeks 2 days

thirty two weeks two days

32 weeks 2 days

32 & 2

These numbers have been

my hero and my haunting,

my hope and my worry, 

since i found out i was pregnant.

32 weeks and 2 days was the amount of time
I was pregnant with River
 when he was born. 

And although this pregnancy has been completely different from my first one,

those numbers have felt like a goal and a d-day. 

Both Skyler and I have talked about often how grateful we are for this baby girl, but also how scary it has been because of our last experience. We've kind of been on edge just waiting for something to go wrong, for HELLP to rear it's ugly head and be faced again with what was the most painful, scary, and difficult experience in my life. I feel Sky look at me with worry and concern, and about has a panic attack anytime I gasp at something (and poor guy I gasp a lot about almost everything). I hear the alarm in my mom's voice anytime I call her. I find myself thinking "I'm not broken, I am pregnant." 

This time around has been so different from the first. I feel so much healthier from the beginning and maybe my body learned a couple new tricks from the first time. I am so grateful for my wonderful doctors and the excellent care they have given me. Seriously I don't think i could do this without them, they have me on a pretty tight, but loving leash. I feel Heavenly Father's love and protection. I honestly don't know how this is going how it is,  but I know it is by and through the Grace of Jesus Christ. I feel empowered to do this thing that I could never do on my own.

And now that we've passed 32 &2, We find ourselves
Walking by Faith into uncharted territory,
with Hope as our anchor.

We are taking time to enjoy this pregnancy. I love to have Skyler feel the baby move, even though it freaks him out. I call him over whenever I feel her, and I love to see his eyes widen as she rolls and kicks his hand. I relish the moments I feel her moving, which is almost all the time, she's very active. River talks to her through my belly button and tries to tickle her. The funniest is when he lifts up his shirt, pats his tummy, and says in a strain grunt, "My Baby in here". One night as we were rocking before bedtime, River was laying on my belly and baby girl started to kick. He looked up at me and smiled when I asked him if he could feel Baby sister kicking him. It was a bonding moment. 

 You know, I might still get HELLP, but I also might not. But at this point, reaching our 32 weeks 2 days, I feel more confident that our baby will be ok because although River had a tough beginning, I see what a wonderfully active, smart, and healthy boy he is. It is all in God's hand, and i am trying to just trust in Him and avoid to many stretch marks ;).

So here's to moving forward in faith, and trying to pick a color for the baby's room.

CHEERS!

And also some extra photos because sometimes what's going on in the background is more fun, like River chasing Charlie off the bed with a Broom.

Ha Ha, Silly Goose, You always make me laugh!

Numbered

I feel them slipping away.

The days we have as just us, Mommy & River, 

are numbered and the number is getting smaller.

I treasure our cuddles together on the couch in the morning in our jammies. You cuddle around my growing belly and I smell your sweet little boy smell and stroke your strawberry blond hair. I love holding your hand, when you'll let me, and the way you call my name followed by "wooh-hoo" when you want me to come with you. I secretly love that every night is "mama's turn" to put you to bed and how you fall asleep on my shoulder while I sing to you and rock.

I love your giggle, your naughty laugh, how you torment Charlie because you just love him so much. I love how affectionate you are, giving kisses when you are about to overflow with being happy because we are doing something you love. You love people deeply and get so excited to see your friends and family. You are sweet, mischievous, naughty, adroable, kind, funny, emotional, wonderful and much much more. I love you so that my heart might burst. You'll always be my baby.

So my little goose, let's treasure the "you and me" days

and then welcome our new baby sister into the pack 

with open arms and loving hearts the day she arrives. 

But until then, it's time to play hard. 

Harry Bird

This boy graduated high school today.

This is "my" boy (I only use quotations because technically he's my nephew),
so it's strange and amazing to see him become his own man. 

This is one of my regrets of not living in utah near family. I missed seeing him change from a boy to a man. So when we go back to visit, I still see him as the little boy that called me Siddy, claimed me as his girlfriend, pushed his little push-mower all over the place, loved daniel boone (with matching raccoon hat), sang with the Wiggles at the top of his lungs, and generally stole my heart with every giggle, every hug, and basically with every little thing he did. He was the first boy to hold my heart in his little hands.
I was smitten and lived being his aunt.

It wasn't until I saw him through my camera lens that the years finally
caught up to me, the time freeze I held him in melted away,
 and I saw him for what he has become -

a wonderful, exciting, handsome, and accomplished young man, 

with the heart of a lion - fierce, protecting, royal.

What wonderful adventures await you my Harry Bird.

We are proud of you!

Geronimo!!!!

This is my favorite song right now. 

I LOVE IT!!

River loves it too, he sings and headbobs in the cutest fashion

 in the back of the car when it comes on the radio. 

Then he gets really mad when it's over and we cant play it again. 

Sometimes in Life we find ourselves standing at the curtain of the waterfall,

 and we just need to make that LEAP!

GERONIMO!!!!!!!!

*full disclosure, the video is a little goofy, but the monster is adorable. :)

Cousin Heaven

Heart Beats

From our beginning, I have always loved to lay my head on Skyler's chest and listen to his heart beat. That Steady Thump-thump has become the rhythm of my life. It gives me such strength and comfort, and it's as steady as he is. 

I remember the first time we heard River's heartbeat during the first ultrasound. My breath caught in laughter as tears of joy filled my eyes. Skyler and I just smiled at each other in excitement. River boy has had such a strong heart from the beginning and it was literally the most joyful music I had ever heard.

I remember the terrible panic and desperation I felt when they couldn't find baby girl's heart beat at an early appointment. My chest squeezed my beating heart tight and all I could do was hope and pray as I waited for an ultrasound. This time tears of wild relief streamed down my cheeks as i watched her little heart flutter wildly on the monitor.

When I was younger, I remember thinking a lot about my heart -- my thoughts, my feelings, my experiences, and the possibilities of who to give my heart to.

Although my heart is still mine, 

it doesn't beat for me anymore, 

It beats for them.

It's a ....

Say hi to Baby GIRL Briggs!!

Rolling on the Scene and rocking our worlds in September.

{Sky was right}

What's the Point?

So what's the point of having an Adventure blog if I don't blog our biggest adventures

until almost a year later?

I know, "Come on linz, get it together!"

You have to understand, we do 2 Big Adventures a Year (minimum) and not only are we doing our family pictures, but I also take time to photograph for myself, so there are hundreds of photographs to go through, edit, and love on (aka touch up). So the task can be a little intimidating and overwhelming. Plus I have an active 2 year old so it's not like I can spend hours in front of the computer. (Thank goodness for nap times!) 

BUT

This month I am working on the trip we took to Atlanta Georgia last May. 

Wish me luck and hold me accountable.

Above are my two cute boys from the Trip.

Just a few highlights from 2014

Ok there are more than a few, but what can I say we had a fun year!

January : St George & Race

February : River Walks & Polar Plunge

March : Family Hike & Meeting the Twins

April : Playing with Charlie & Animal Farm

May : Family Trip to Atlanta, GA!!

June : !!!!!!!!!! HAWAII !!!!!!!!!

July : Stevenson Family Reunion

August : Estes Park & Cabin w/the Mitchelles

September : Briggs Boys' Trip & Cars Obsession & Santa Barbara CA

October : Grand Lake CO & San Diego, CA 

& River turns 2!

November : Flat Irons @ Boulder

December : Christmas Market

Whew!