That's Not Sweat...It's Liquid Awesome!

I promise (hopefully) this will be my last running-related post for AWHILE. There is a possibility that I will randomly decide that I have had feelings in my toes for too long, and sign up for another race, but so far, this was as much as I planned to do. 

On the 24th, I ran the Deseret News Marathon. It's been 3 years since I've run a full marathon, and the longest total miles I was able to run in training was 16ish. With that being said, I feel like I did as well as I could have. Of course, I didn't quite reach my goal-because that's the way I roll, but I cut 17 minutes off my fastest marathon time so far. So there you have it!

I actually really enjoyed this race. For the most part, it was downhill (besides about a mile & a half around mile 7), it was really beautiful, and there was a big downhill in just the right place: we ran past Rice-Eccles Stadium-which is a pretty steep downhill between mile 21 and 22. Also, around mile 25, the race joined the Days of 47 Parade route for a couple blocks, and you can't walk when that many people are watching, so that helped the motivation a little.

Some of the downsides were...

     -The race started at 5:30 in the morning which meant, yes, I had to be on a bus between 3:15 and 3:45, which meant, yes, I woke up at 2:30 in the morning, which meant, yes, I got about 3 hours of sleep. For me, it worked out fine, but people who need sleep before a race, may not want to sign up for this one.

     -There was ONE, count it, ONE, honey bucket (pardon my frankness) at each aid station. Anyone who has run a race, will you tell, this is not acceptable. So yes, my time could have been cut significantly had I not had to stand in line at mile 9.

     -The shirt I got is a men's size small, which means it's too big for me. I just think that they should have had women's options...that's all I'm saying 

This is around mile 25 1/2. Yep, I'm sick of running.

 Luckily, Josh brought Meili because that's the only way he would have gotten a smile out of me at that point.

 I turned the corner, saw the finish line, and, yes, started crying (tears of joy....and a little bit of pain). But I held it in enough to finish!

Lovely Kaleena (sarcasm). Yes, I look like death, but I finished, and that's what matters. My time was 4:28:29 which meant I had about a 10:15 minute pace. 

It took a few days for me to be able to walk up and down the stairs without cringing, and I'm not sure if my toe nails will ever be the same. Boy, I love running!


(P.S. The title is from a poster that I saw. FAVORITE POSTER EVER!)

Pioneer Day Celebration

The weekend before Pioneer Day, Josh had to work, so Meili and I headed to my parents' house, so we could enjoy the Bountiful City parade without Josh telling me over and over how much better the Honeyville parade is because it's only 10 minutes :) I'm kidding, but not really-we all know that's what would have happened if he had come.

The parade really was fun and it seemed shorter to me than it has in past years. Plus, they assembled over 2,000 young men from the area so they could recreate Helaman's Stripling Warriors. That was pretty cool!

One of the local formal dress stores passed out small plastic "glass" slippers, which Meili, of course, tried to put on her foot.

Meili and "Poppa" waiting for the parade.

I thought this picture was cute of my sister Emily and her youngest, Ruby.

My sister's in-laws came with us.

And here's the rest of the party: My dad, Chloe, Meili, Gigi, and my mom.

The next morning, the city also had a little carnival. One of the few rides that I thought Meili stood a chance on was a little train.

 I should have known from her face that this was only foreshadowing what was to come. They didn't make it 20 feet before the train had to stop because she was crying. At least we got the picture eh?

 My mom thought his picture was cute because Meili and Ruby looked like they were trying to talk.

 I thought this one was funny because as soon as Meili tried to join Ruby in the stroller, Ruby grabbed her face. That'll teach her!

 Oh, if only my child took cute pictures like Gigi!

 Instead, I get this :) Actually the saddest part about this picture is that Meili has started doing this when I am singing in the car!

 Since I did a little face painting in my former life :) I had to add this picture of Chloe's awesome face paint!

All around, we had lots of fun!

Star Valley

(I haven't posted for a little bit, so I did four today. The ones below have pictures of Meili, and she's always more fun to look at than me running. So be sure to scroll down!)


My college roommate, Hope, recently moved with her family to Star Valley Wyoming. She had a baby a couple weeks ago, so I told her that I wanted to come visit her for a couple days. My plan was to go up and make meals for her, watch her kids so she could take naps, and of course, see her cute family. But instead this was our text conversation:


Me: Let me know when I can come up, maybe when [her husband] goes back to work so I can help you with the kids.
Hope: No, you should come run the half marathon and we can party!


I can't even tell you how characteristic that is of Hope. 


I ended up getting a free entry to run the half marathon, and Josh had already taken the time off to go to Scout camp which he ended up not having to go to. So we got there Thursday night and came home Saturday. Hope, of course, would not let me help out at all, and she is such a trooper! She had her baby two weeks ago, and has two other kids, and she was the perfect host. We had so much fun just visiting for a couple days! (And I, of course, didn't take pictures. Because that is so characteristic of me.)

The half went well. K, are you ready for this? The thing I have said before every race this year? 
I was feeling sick the week before and hadn't trained very well. But for this one, I can honestly say, that I feel like I did about as well as I could have. So far, the races I've run have been downhill,  but this one, besides the first couple miles was pretty flat, and even had a few hills. So, around mile 6 and 7, I walked a little, and was getting down on myself, but somehow, pulled it back together, and ran the rest. I felt like I finished pretty strong. 


The course was really beautiful, and I couldn't have asked for better weather!

 Since it was so flat, I already knew that my time wasn't going to be great, so I decided to have my little running buddy finish the last 20 yards with me. 

(Maybe my time wasn't so bad after all. 0 seconds flat!)

I finished in 2 hours and 55 seconds. Maybe if I hadn't had an extra 20 pounds with me, I could've been  under 2 hours, but I think it was totally worth it!

Thanks for the great weekend Hansen family! We miss you!

Random fun

I didn't do a post about Meili's new tricks in June, so this will be a combination of June and July. 

Her obsession with Pooh continues and it's gotten even cuter. And because she has Josh wrapped around her finger, he keeps adding to it. So she now has about 6 or 7 movies and 10 books. This is my favorite new conversation that we have daily...

Every day when she wants to watch Pooh she comes to me with big, bright eyes and says, "Pooh?" I try to limit how much TV she watches so I say, "No Pooh." But she's a determined little girl so she will say, "Roo?" Then I say, "No Roo." And then we proceed to go through all the characters.

Meili: Rabby? (Rabbit)

Me: No Rabbit

Meili: Pigdone? (Which somehow translates to Piglet.)

Me: No Piglet

Meili: Or? (Eeyore)

Me: No Eeyore

Meili: Ti (Tigger)

Me: No Tigger

Meili: Owl?

Me: No Owl

She's relentless! Today, she actually had the entire conversation with herself in the mirror. She said, "Pooh? No Pooh. Rabby? No Rabby..." 

 I got her this little Aggie chair this month and she loved it. She also loves her little Tiger baby-well babies in general.

 Isn't that the cutest picture? (Notice that she has her baby in the camera case.)

 On this day, I let her pick out her own shoes.

Which, of course, are boots that Josh got her that are two sizes too big. She's so much like her daddy it's scary!

I know I say it every month, but the older she gets the more fun she is. We finally converted her to a forward facing carseat, and I think she's loving being a part of things. She's starting to put multiple words together, and I love that now we can have conversations and she seems like my little buddy!

Independence Day

For people that know me well, it's not news that I have mixed feelings about certain things about Honeyville, and small towns in general. But I have to say, that over the last few years, I've really grown to love their Independence day celebration. In the morning, several members of the Anderson family run the Honeyville 5K, then they have a breakfast, a 10 minute parade (which Josh would tell you he absolutely loves. I think it could stand to be a few minutes longer), and then they have festivities for the children in the park. This year it was especially fun with Meili.

(But before we get to all that,) on the 3rd, we watched the fireworks at Romney stadium from a church close by with Josh's brother, Jake, and his fiancee, Kami.

 Someday, I'll learn how to use my camera better because it has a "firework" setting, and the fireworks were SO cool that night because the moon came up right behind the fireworks. It was beautiful, but this was the best I got.

 The fireworks, like everything else, were so fun with Meili, because with each one, she would say, "Wow!"

 These pictures are from the festivities on the 4th in Honeyville. Our whole family (Josh, myself, and Meili) ran the 5K. Josh decided that morning that he was going to run and he pushed Meili in the stroller, (on gravel, dirt and fields, mind you.) He hasn't run anything over a mile and a half in 3 years, and he ran the entire thing, pushing a stroller! I was so proud!!! I, with the help of Josh's nephew Jensen, and his niece, Chalisse, finished in 25 minutes 50 seconds. Of course, it was not as good as I was hoping to do (the story of my life), but for me, for the Honeyville 5k (which is a cross country course) it was great!

At the park, (the picture above,) they had a fishing pond. Meili wasn't too stoked about that.

 There were also several bouncy houses. Meili couldn't get enough.

 Which lead to a lot of this-everytime we took her out of one of the bouncy houses.

 Too bad little girls need food and naps, or she could have stayed there all day.

 She didn't even need the slide, she just wanted to bounce all day.

 There was also a fishing pond with live fish. Ever since Memorial Day, when we went fishing, Meili loves fish and has no fear. Every time she sees water, she points and says, "Peesh." The kids are supposed to just catch the live fish with their bare hands.

 Too bad Josh sent me in with Meili, because that meant there was no way we were getting one. She may have no fear, but I have enough for both of us. (And she's still a little slow.)

 But in the end, she was perfectly content just playing in the water.

Here's Meili after her very long exciting day. (This is Josh's favorite picture because you can see that she takes after him.)

American Fork Half Marathon

On June 23rd, I ran the American Fork Half Marathon. Between the PCHM and the American Fork one, my training was sketchy at best. I told Josh that I feel like I've been sick since February and I'm not sure why. So between some issues with my knees, and a couple of sicknesses, I didn't train as well as I would have liked. But I still felt like I could cut my time from the PCHM with just a few small tweaks. The first six miles I killed it (for me, not for most people,) but after making a much needed stop at the "waste disposal unit"-if I'm being blunt, I lost my focus. So I ended up doing a combination of walking and running. At six miles, the 1:45 pacer was behind me. After six miles, the 1:50 pacer passed me, and then the 1:55. I promised myself that I wasn't going to let the 2:00 pacer pass me. The clock at the finish line said 1:58 and I was pretty disappointed, but that's what I get for not training, and I always have to tell myself that any day running is better than a day sitting on my couch watching TV. Plus, Meili was there to greet me at the finish line, and that's the first time that's ever happened.

And then, this story goes from bad to worse. (As if mention of the potty wasn't bad enough.) By the time we got to the car, I DID NOT FEEL GOOD. I barely made it to the IHOP to eat with my family, but before I even got to the door I was throwing up in the flower bushes. Well, I'll save you all the gorey details, but I'm pretty sure I was dehydrated, and spent the next hour throwing up in the parking lot. (Sorry to all who decided to eat at the IHOP in American Fork that day.) 


But I do have a funny story to share... I did actually try to do my business in the bathroom, but this is why I didn't get very far. I went in the stall and was feeling AWFUL when I heard a little girl come in. This was our conversation...
Little girl: Hello! Is anyone in here?
(I really wasn't feeling up to chatting.)
Little girl: Hello! Who's in here?
(I knew it was only a matter of time before she would notice my feet.)
Me: Hi. I'm Kaleena. (I was yelling through the stall)
Little girl: Are you part of that big run?
Me: Yep, I ran.
Little girl: Did you see the guy in the pink tutu?
Me: Yes I did.
Little girl: Is he your wife?
Me: No he's not my wife, I just ran by him for a little bit.
Little girl: Well I think my food's going to come out soon.


After that I couldn't quite focus on the task at hand.


Once I started drinking fluids, I was much better.


The other frustrating part of the story, and I know, most people would not even consider this a problem, and would just move on with their lives. But for me it was frustrating. The following week, I checked my time on the website, to see my official time, and the website said that my chip time was 1:51:40. In my head, I know that that is absolutely not possible, because I know how much I walked etc. etc. but I also don't understand why the chip time would be so far off. Josh said I should just go with it because that would be my best time so far, but I just can't accept that, so I'm pretty sure my time was somewhere between 1 hour 51 minutes, and 1 hour 58 minutes-give or take. 


Whatever, it's not the time that really matters right!

A Little Inspiration

This talk was mentioned in our stake conference a couple weeks ago, so I went back and reread this talk. It is amazing, and I think every single one of us needs to read it everyday. If you don't read the whole thing, at least scroll down and read in the last section that I highlighted. I promise, it's worth it.

Forget Me Not
DIETER F. UCHTDORF
It is my prayer and blessing that you will never forget that you are truly precious daughters in God’s kingdom.

My dear sisters, what a joy it is to be with you today. I always look forward to this annual general Relief Society meeting and the excellent messages given here. Thank you, sisters. It is a precious honor for me to be assigned by President Thomas S. Monson to speak today and to add a few thoughts addressing the sisters of the Church.

A while ago I was walking through a beautiful garden with my wife and daughter. I marveled at the glory and beauty of God’s creation. And then I noticed, among all the glorious blooms, the tiniest flower. I knew the name of this flower because since I was a child I have had a tender connection to it. The flower is called forget-me-not.

I’m not exactly sure why this tiny flower has meant so much to me over the years. It does not attract immediate attention; it is easy to overlook among larger and more vibrant flowers; yet it is just as beautiful, with its rich color that mirrors that of the bluest skies—perhaps this is one reason why I like it so much.

And there is the haunting plea of its name. There is a German legend that just as God had finished naming all the plants, one was left unnamed. A tiny voice spoke out, “Forget me not, O Lord!” And God replied that this would be its name.

Tonight I would like to use this little flower as a metaphor. The five petals of the little forget-me-not flower prompt me to consider five things we would be wise never to forget.

First, forget not to be patient with yourself.

I want to tell you something that I hope you will take in the right way: God is fully aware that you and I are not perfect.

Let me add: God is also fully aware that the people you think are perfect are not.

And yet we spend so much time and energy comparing ourselves to others—usually comparing our weaknesses to their strengths. This drives us to create expectations for ourselves that are impossible to meet. As a result, we never celebrate our good efforts because they seem to be less than what someone else does.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses.

It’s wonderful that you have strengths.

And it is part of your mortal experience that you do have weaknesses.

God wants to help us to eventually turn all of our weaknesses into strengths,1 but He knows that this is a long-term goal. He wants us to become perfect,2 and if we stay on the path of discipleship, one day we will. It’s OK that you’re not quite there yet. Keep working on it, but stop punishing yourself.

Dear sisters, many of you are endlessly compassionate and patient with the weaknesses of others. Please remember also to be compassionate and patient with yourself.

In the meantime, be thankful for all the small successes in your home, your family relationships, your education and livelihood, your Church participation and personal improvement. Like the forget-me-nots, these successes may seem tiny to you and they may go unnoticed by others, but God notices them and they are not small to Him. If you consider success to be only the most perfect rose or dazzling orchid, you may miss some of life’s sweetest experiences.

For example, insisting that you have a picture-perfect family home evening each week—even though doing so makes you and everyone around you miserable—may not be the best choice. Instead, ask yourself, “What could we do as a family that would be enjoyable and spiritual and bring us closer together?” That family home evening—though it may be modest in scope and execution—may have far more positive long-term results.

Our journey toward perfection is long, but we can find wonder and delight in even the tiniest steps in that journey.

Second, forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice.

An acceptable sacrifice is when we give up something good for something of far greater worth.

Giving up a little sleep to help a child who is having a nightmare is a good sacrifice. We all know this. Staying up all night, jeopardizing our own health, to make the perfect accessory for a daughter’s Sunday outfit may not be such a good sacrifice.

Dedicating some of our time to studying the scriptures or preparing to teach a lesson is a good sacrifice. Spending many hours stitching the title of the lesson into homemade pot holders for each member of your class perhaps may not be.

Every person and situation is different, and a good sacrifice in one instance might be a foolish sacrifice in another.

How can we tell the difference for our own situation? We can ask ourselves, “Am I committing my time and energies to the things that matter most?” There are so many good things to do, but we can’t do all of them. Our Heavenly Father is most pleased when we sacrifice something good for something far greater with an eternal perspective. Sometimes, that may even mean nurturing small but beautiful forget-me-not flowers instead of a large garden of exotic blooms.

Third, forget not to be happy now.

In the beloved children’s story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the mysterious candy maker Willy Wonka hides a golden ticket in five of his candy bars and announces that whoever finds one of the tickets wins a tour of his factory and a lifetime supply of chocolate.

Written on each golden ticket is this message: “Greetings to you, the lucky finder of this Golden Ticket … ! Tremendous things are in store for you! Many wonderful surprises await you! … Mystic and marvelous surprises … will … delight, … astonish, and perplex you.”3

In this classic children’s story, people all over the world desperately yearn to find a golden ticket. Some feel that their entire future happiness depends on whether or not a golden ticket falls into their hands. In their anxiousness, people begin to forget the simple joy they used to find in a candy bar. The candy bar itself becomes an utter disappointment if it does not contain a golden ticket.

So many people today are waiting for their own golden ticket—the ticket that they believe holds the key to the happiness they have always dreamed about. For some, the golden ticket may be a perfect marriage; for others, a magazine-cover home or perhaps freedom from stress or worry.

There is nothing wrong with righteous yearnings—we hope and seek after things that are “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.”4 The problem comes when we put our happiness on hold as we wait for some future event—our golden ticket—to appear.

One woman wanted more than anything else to marry a righteous priesthood holder in the temple and be a mother and a wife. She had dreamed about this all her life, and oh, what a wonderful mother and loving wife she would be. Her home would be filled with loving-kindness. Never a bitter word would be spoken. The food would never burn. And her children, instead of hanging out with their friends, would prefer to spend their evenings and weekends with Mom and Dad.

This was her golden ticket. It was the one thing upon which she felt her whole existence depended. It was the one thing in all the world for which she most desperately yearned.

But it never happened. And, as the years went on, she became more and more withdrawn, bitter, and even angry. She could not understand why God would not grant her this righteous desire.

She worked as an elementary school teacher, and being around children all day long simply reminded her that her golden ticket had never appeared. As the years passed she became more disappointed and withdrawn. People didn’t like being around her and avoided her whenever they could. She even took her frustration out on the children at school. She found herself losing her temper, and she swung between fits of anger and desperate loneliness.

The tragedy of this story is that this dear woman, in all her disappointment about her golden ticket, failed to notice the blessings she did have. She did not have children in her home, but she was surrounded by them in her classroom. She was not blessed with a family, but the Lord had given her an opportunity few people have—the chance to influence for good the lives of hundreds of children and families as a teacher.

The lesson here is that if we spend our days waiting for fabulous roses, we could miss the beauty and wonder of the tiny forget-me-nots that are all around us.

This is not to say that we should abandon hope or temper our goals. Never stop striving for the best that is within you. Never stop hoping for all of the righteous desires of your heart. But don’t close your eyes and hearts to the simple and elegant beauties of each day’s ordinary moments that make up a rich, well-lived life.

The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives. These are they who are truly happy.

Fourth, forget not the “why” of the gospel.

Sometimes, in the routine of our lives, we unintentionally overlook a vital aspect of the gospel of Jesus Christ, much as one might overlook a beautiful, delicate forget-me-not. In our diligent efforts to fulfill all of the duties and obligations we take on as members of the Church, we sometimes see the gospel as a long list of tasks that we must add to our already impossibly long to-do list, as a block of time that we must somehow fit into our busy schedules. We focus on what the Lord wants us to do and how we might do it, but we sometimes forget why.

My dear sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ is not an obligation; it is a pathway, marked by our loving Father in Heaven, leading to happiness and peace in this life and glory and inexpressible fulfillment in the life to come. The gospel is a light that penetrates mortality and illuminates the way before us.

While understanding the “what” and the “how” of the gospel is necessary, the eternal fire and majesty of the gospel springs from the “why.” When we understand why our Heavenly Father has given us this pattern for living, when we remember why we committed to making it a foundational part of our lives, the gospel ceases to become a burden and, instead, becomes a joy and a delight. It becomes precious and sweet.

Let us not walk the path of discipleship with our eyes on the ground, thinking only of the tasks and obligations before us. Let us not walk unaware of the beauty of the glorious earthly and spiritual landscapes that surround us.

My dear sisters, seek out the majesty, the beauty, and the exhilarating joy of the “why” of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The “what” and “how” of obedience mark the way and keep us on the right path. The “why” of obedience sanctifies our actions, transforming the mundane into the majestic. It magnifies our small acts of obedience into holy acts of consecration.

Fifth, forget not that the Lord loves you.

As a child, when I would look at the little forget-me-nots, I sometimes felt a little like that flower—small and insignificant. I wondered if I would be forgotten by my family or by my Heavenly Father.

Years later I can look back on that young boy with tenderness and compassion. And I do know now—I was never forgotten.

And I know something else: as an Apostle of our Master, Jesus Christ, I proclaim with all the certainty and conviction of my heart—neither are you!

You are not forgotten.

Sisters, wherever you are, whatever your circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you with an infinite love.

Just think of it: You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful, and glorious Being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time!

He who created and knows the stars knows you and your name—you are the daughters of His kingdom. The Psalmist wrote:

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? …

“For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.”5

God loves you because you are His child. He loves you even though at times you may feel lonely or make mistakes.

The love of God and the power of the restored gospel are redemptive and saving. If you will only allow His divine love into your life, it can dress any wound, heal any hurt, and soften any sorrow.

My dear Relief Society sisters, you are closer to heaven than you suppose. You are destined for more than you can possibly imagine. Continue to increase in faith and personal righteousness. Accept the restored gospel of Jesus Christ as your way of life. Cherish the gift of activity in this great and true Church. Treasure the gift of service in the blessed organization of Relief Society. Continue to strengthen homes and families. Continue to seek out and help others who need your and the Lord’s help.

Sisters, there is something inspiring and sublime about the little forget-me-not flower. I hope it will be a symbol of the little things that make your lives joyful and sweet. Please never forget that you must be patient and compassionate with yourselves, that some sacrifices are better than others, that you need not wait for a golden ticket to be happy. Please never forget that the “why” of the gospel of Jesus Christ will inspire and uplift you. And never forget that your Heavenly Father knows, loves, and cherishes you.

Thank you for who you are. Thank you for the countless acts of love and service you offer up to so many. Thank you for all that you will yet do to bring the joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ to families, to the Church, to your communities, and to the nations of the world.

Sisters, we love you. It is my prayer and blessing that you will never forget that you are truly precious daughters in God’s kingdom, in the sacred name of our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.