Butterflies and Grandmas

My Grandma Stratford was able to come out for the graduation. We thought it would be a great opportunity to get a four generation picture to prove how deeply those Stratford genes run. 

Then while Cambrie took off for her final AP test, dressed in solidarity with her other physics peeps, the rest of us went to the butterfly pavilion. I've decided that going to the butterfly pavilion with a 90 year old woman is just as fun as going with a four year old toddler. Everyone is exciting by everything they see. It was a fabulous afternoon.

Class of 2025

This is it. It's graduation day. A day that you never really count on coming, then put out of your mind when you realize it's coming, then get excited about because it's here. Leesa brought some grad decorations that we used to decorate/bomb her room. Even though her last day of classes was last week, she still had four AP tests to take, including one the morning of graduation. It was the perfect opportunity to surprise her while she was gone. 

Doggo can't come to commencement.

We had a lot of grandparents in town and thought it would be fun to go out to lunch before the ceremony. Cambrie didn't want something overly fussy, but still wanted food, so she decided on a family run Ethiopian restaurant. Jeremy and I had been there before and knew what to expect. But I think we broke the grandparents a bit once they realized we were sitting on stools, were sharing giant platters, and eating with our hands. The food was super tasty and I was very impressed with the younger kids for eating it without question. Unfortunately we were running a little late and I had to leave early with Cambrie if we wanted to get any pictures before the ceremony. 

We dashed off to CU where she didn't relax until she found Jacob. We snapped a few pictures just as the grandparents rolled up, then snapped a few more. We found some friends, but not all of them. Maybe we should have spent more energy looking for them, but that's not really her style. Ultimately she had plenty of time to visit and relax before walking into the events center.

We found some great seats near where we expected her to sit, then settled in to wait. The events center was hot and I was afraid we'd all melt before we were done. The chocolate in her candy leis definitely melted. The ceremony opened with a piece by the orchestra. Guess who forgot to sit with the orchestra? Cambrie! She and one other student looked at each other in surprise, then hastily and abashedly, made their way to meet the rest of the students. They played beautifully, and I guess I was wrong, I did get to hear her play one more time.

The rest of the commencement ceremony went as you'd expect a ceremony to go, speeches, musical numbers, and official presentations. I was surprised that every time I saw Cambrie's face she was smiling. Despite our worries, I think she genuinely has great memories of attending Legacy. They did a few student recognition moments, asking the recipients to stand each time. Cambrie kept standing up, again and again. It got to the point where the kids she was sitting next to started laughing. I think she finally realized that she was more involved and more successful than she ever believed.

 

Finally it was time for the presentation of the diplomas. Every friend that walked by, walked by with a flash of memories for me. The number of times I'll see them again are dwindling and this season of her life is over. When she finally walked I thought I'd be crying. But it went so quickly I didn't have a chance. She had a smile plastered on her face. I didn't see the ending, I saw a girl ready for her future and that was simply exciting. She is going to have a great future. Love you sweetie and I am so proud of you!

Support crew selfie

Mother's Day

There was no way I was missing Mother's Day this year. I hopped on a 5:00am flight from St George so I could make it home in time for church and celebrations. In Relief Society they honored the graduating seniors. Each mom stood up with her daughter and had a few minutes to share funny stories, quirks that may have gone unnoticed, and basically say how amazing they are. Cambrie had no idea this was going on, and almost walked right out when she noticed. But she was a trooper and stayed up there as I bragged about how smart, how creative, how independent, and how incredible she is. I don't think she shows off for these women nearly often enough so they were very impressed to hear what an incredible young woman she is.

The rest of Mother's Day was nice and quiet. 

My rule is that I don't have to even think about the meals. So that morning puffy pancakes were waiting for me. That night I was spoiled with brisket and cake. Not just any cake, but a rubber ducky cake that McKenzie made. Look at it! 

Man I love these kiddos.

St. George Pro Series Style

Here we go, my second race as a pro.  The travel plans for this one changed drastically, but it meant that my mom and I were able to have a great weekend together. We crazily didn't take a single photo of the two of us down in St. George. This is our attempt to recreate the red rocks moment.  What do you think?

The nerves I had going into this race were drastically less extreme than the ones I had going into Oceanside.  I had an idea of what to expect.  I recognized some faces.  I knew that I could compete at this level.  I was full of confidence.

I'm still working on my social media presence, which means I need to be better at taking pictures.  Now that I have my official kit I definitely needed to get those pics posted.  My mom was amazing and we were able to get this KILLER shot.  I have to say it, man I look good.

All racked and ready up at the reservoir.

Chuck brought along another buddy who was doing his very first Ironman tri, so we spent a lot of time teaching him the ropes.  We had a few minutes to kill to swim at the reservoir.  I remember this water being a lot colder, but in the middle of a hot afternoone it felt absolutely perfect.

Race morning was really nice this year, because as a pro I had a parking pass up at the reservoir.  This meant that none of us had to take the shuttle and my mom had the flexiblity to cruise around course cheering me on.  As I was setting up I could hear my name being called but it took me a few moments to find her.  It's so much better than being alone!

Dan told me to try line up in front this time and see what happened.  Being in front is scary, but it also means that the Ironman photographers see me.  Bonus!  I ended up right in the middle of the chaos and I've learned I don't really like it there, I popped out to the side but it meant I lost some time and I still don't have a swim I'm happy with this season.

Here we go on the bike.  It was looking like it was going to be a great weather day and I wanted to see what kind of power I could push on the ride.  It was definitely my best power output ever for a 70.3.  I'm still not even close to being the fastest bike split out there, but I'm closing that gap which is great.

I had an amazing run at Oceanside, but I think a lot of it was the flat course and sealevel running.  I was a little more nervous for the hill here in St. George.  The hills definitely felt hilly.  I did all right the first lap, but that third 5k was rough and I was afraid I was going to be dropping more places than I really wanted to.  I managed to pull it back the final 5k and came across that finish line really happy with my time (a 5 min PR), and an amazing placement, 17th!

Swim 29:04, T1 2:36, Bike 2:41:39, T2 1:14, Run 1:35:28, Ovearll 4:50:01

I had A LOT of time to kill waiting for the rest of my racing buddies to come across the finish line.  I was able to cheer for Chuck, Mike, Anthony, Brooke, and the dozens of other friends I had outn there on course.  It's a good thing it's a great venue to hang out and wait at. 

There are five first-timers in this photo.  I love racing with first-timers because their excitment is addicting.  It's their first time experiencing the energy that it uniquely Ironman and it's a great reminder of the amazing community we are a part of.

Last day of senior year

Some wacko scheduling by the district meant that the seniors' last day of school was May 7, nearly three weeks before the rest of the kids in the district. Cambrie didn't complain about that at all. Here she is celebrating her competition. 

And here she is rubbing it in the face of McKenzie who still has to go to school 

Lion's Club Relays

The Lion's Club hosts a district-wide relay event each year. We've never participated in the past, but Daxton really wanted to run in it this year. He was able to participate in two relay races, one of which he was teamed up with fourth graders. Watching him run is impressive, he has the best running form of anyone in the family.

He managed to come home with a first and second place ribbon, and had a ton of fun. 

Just a little bit tired.