Saturday, November 20, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
remembering
My Grandpa Fisher passed away this morning in his home. Grandpa hasn’t been “grandpa” for quite some time now. He has mourned the loss of his dear wife for 15 long years, gone down hill since 2002, and has been bed-ridden for the past year, barely able to sit up. He has waited for this day to be with the love of his life and all of us are happy for him. Finally with grandma, with Uncle Rob, Uncle Mike. His mother, his father, lost grandchildren and more. Grandpa has finally made it home safely. After 94 years of life on earth, he has finished what our Father in Heaven had in store for him. Now, he can accomplish what is needed with those he has missed for so long.
*-*-*
Dear Grandpa,
I will miss you. I will always remember you, and your love for me. I can close my eyes and picture you in your awesome house, sitting in your soft chair, looking out the window or having a conversation with me. Do you remember when you tried to tell me about your dinosaur egg? How you called me the “unbeliever?” Well... I believe you grandpa, I do.
I love you and am so grateful for the memories made, the memories you have shared. I am saddened to have you leave, but am happy for the peace you must be filling. You have touched many lives, and influenced us all.
I hope one day, to be more like you.
I love ya grandpa, and will miss you.
Love,
your 40th grandchild, Melanie
Sunday, July 4, 2010
RAGNARLY



- "That's all i'm going to say"---then comes Dena still sharing more...
- traumatic shower experience (back to middle school nightmares)
- wendy becomes the $2 shower whore (don't ask)
- trying to sleep on high school front grass
- Jaime and I got our engagement photos taken in a field while Tif was on her first run. You're ALL invited! ;)
- Mistaking Tifany for old bald man (sorry Tif!)
- Team throws me a gatorade bottle with gum taped to it across the highway..clever teammates! I get to search off road for it for a bit...
- Wendy crosses the busy street to help dena's chaffing, almost earn STRIKE ONE!
- Van 1 (us) lost some luggage...kind strangers return it.
- Wendy completes her insane run! Is rewarded with serious mud on her teeth.
- Getting roadkills (total of 13)
- Being roadkills (refuse to count)
- flashing wendy/ mooning jaime on their last runs! --That's how tired we were
- SPEEDO team (to each his own...)
- other team names crack me up! One of my favorites was,
- Tifany- "people get me"-- gotta love her!
- ruth-helen-nora. All one person. (I loved Nora--she was ornery)
- Being at the wrong exchange with very little time to get to the next...
- porta potties (splash backs are NASTY!)
- looking like RAGNAR (not posting scary photo here...have some feet!)
- jaime's hurt leg--first aid can't help--Tifany's real "nice" about it ;)
- jaime running in with her family
- getting to see the other van and cheer them on (love Libby!)
- what kind of drunk would you be? (me-emotional drunk, nora-angry drunk)
- beautiful scenery
- last run downhill then surprise...UPHILL end! (=emotional me when handing off to wendy the last time)
- spelling HELEN's name and doing the can-can
- hardly any sleep (will do this to ya!)
- hardly anything to eat (Twizzlers and Gatorade don't count!)
- free smoothies at finish line
- getting a massage while waiting for VAN 2 at the finish line (worth the wait!)
- Wendy's masseuse not so worth the wait (quite large and extremely sweaty man)
- Chieko sprinting to the finish line--no one can keep up with her.
- Finishing 180 miles together!
- losing jaime's wallet= extremely stressful night
- finding jaime's wallet the next day on top of the van that drove through provo canyon and back to pleasant grove= relieving celebration in the middle of the street
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Success
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Nervous
nerv·ous
[nur-vuh

- I'll try to think about the positive
- I'll try to anticipate the great tunes
- I WILL think about the inspiration I feel
- I'll have some "NERVE"
nerve
[nur-v]
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Surprise!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
A letter
Dear Fellow Runner,
As my feet hit the pavement and my breathing becomes deeper I turn up the music to drown out the sound. I listen to songs that have a good beat—including Coldplay, Rihanna, and yes….Miley Cyrus. A lot of newer songs, a lot of older songs. Sometimes I hear music that reminds me of the past—and I remember instances, places, conversations.
When the music gets old (because after 6 + miles, it does) I rely on my thoughts to carry me through. What do I think about? Anything. Everything. Sometimes the thoughts are focused and planned. At other times they’re sporadic and jumbled. But I think. Some days I think about how lucky I am to be running, to have time set-aside for myself. Most times, I think about how lucky I am to be running with someone. Someone who pushes just as hard. Someone who gets me going. Someone who has confidence and determination. And I forget. I forget that I am not the only runner. I am not the only one who needs the support. My forgetfulness is careless. I overlook what I should not.
Running is hard. In fact, I think running sucks. But the happiness I feel from accomplishing something hard, and accomplishing that something with someone I appreciate and love is the greatest success.
Thank you for the insight. For the distance, the over-come hurdles, the success. Here’s to the many miles and distance ahead!
P.S. I found this quote…
“Success isn't how far you got,
but the distance you traveled from where you started.”
I think we’ve traveled pretty far.