a mormon story...

i hesitatingly post this video from a recent mormon stories conference. my posting of the video is not an endorsement of all it contains, however, it contains many ideas about mormonism that i love.

joanna brooks is a phenomenal speaker and an intelligent, thoughtful mormon. joanna's thoughts on a wide variety of topics can be found here. her mormon story in her own words can be found here. i stumbled across the talk at mormon stories--a podcast whose crowning achievement (in my mind) is the interview with richard bushman...

the talk below begins in the 10th minute of the video. she expresses eloquently ideas about mormonism that have always been my favorite regarding intellectual freedom and seeking truth. from joseph, "Seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.' she also speaks about what it means to be a mormon. you may not agree, but her definition is compelling.

so anyway. it's a 30 minute talk (be forewarned) but it is compelling.

i think i could've...

on saturday, part of our 'saints to sinners' relay team entered the 'i think i canyons' charity event. the event benefits the 4th street clinic for the homeless in downtown SLC. the event was to climb 4 of the canyons along the wasatch front. with the idea being that you think of the suffering of the homeless as you suffer up the canyons yourself.

the profile we rode yesterday:


as you'll notice, there are 3 climbs shown. this comes from my garmin, and sometimes life gets in the way. we all talked our wives and families into letting us go for part of the day and when as the day stretched on and the time of promised arrival home approached we decided we'd hit the biggest canyons and could feel good about a hard day in the saddle...

the 'saints to sinners' relay begins just under two weeks from now and we have been anticipating and preparing for this event since we rode it last year. the first order of business was to get ourselves looking like a team.

joseph and brent are modeling a perfect team pose just before the event began...


they are sporting the jerseys i designed with the team's help. we are pretty excited about them even though our wives aren't sure what to think of the skulls..:)

joseph and i have been time-trialing up AF canyon this month (over email we've compared times) and we've broken below 53 minutes. unfortunately, this led us both to think that we should ride little cottonwood with the same zeal. not so bad if you aren't following the effort with 2 other massive canyon climbs. the first climb felt good for all 4 of us (my colleague brian oliver also met up with us for the ride.) the poor quality of the photo with alta in the background here doesn't correlate with how good the first climb felt...


all the canyons were gorgeous on saturday with perfect riding weather in the early morning. here are the four of us smiling at brighton to cover the burn lingering in our legs from the big effort coming up big cottownwood...


the last canyon we rode was millcreek. i'd only been all the way up millcreek 7 years ago during medical school. it was every bit as hard as i remembered it since my first experience came as a newbie roadie with jonathan guenter as my guide...the experience on saturday came after climbing 8,000 vertical feet at hard tempo. i was standing up in my lowest gear at times wondering how much further i was willing to go...

i thought at the start of the day i could ride in honor of the tour de france riders going up five mountain passes including the plateau de beille. instead, i suffered for several hours on the bike, but i'm not sure i honored anyone..:)


it was a great event and will hopefully grow every year (it's in its 5th year--started by a current 4th year medical student.) we have these amazing canyons closer than most urban centers in the world. very cool and should be ridden :)

for us, it served the purpose of continuing to prepare our legs and bodies for the 'saints to sinners' relay the end of this month. we are each projecting between 120-170 miles over 28 hours as we ride and pace each other from SLC to Vegas. it's hard to describe how unique and enjoyable this race is.

we'll let you know how it goes!

all of the day's data here:

some more random stats on the day...

5-Year-Old Sisters...

Yes... this was from back in February. Don't judge, people. I've got to get caught up somehow... and these pictures were already uploaded and ready to post... so I'll just to a little journaling along with it...

Abby and Bekah. I cannot imagine my life without the two of you in it.


Nothing will ever compare to those first years. I felt like I was always feeding. You both nursed like champions, and I was amazed with how my body kept up with you through the first full year. I was blessed that you both ate and slept well, and I was able to keep you on similar schedules as babies... but it was still exhausting and overwhelming at times. Well... most of the time. Especially when you started walking and split in two different directions whenever I dared to let you out of your double stroller in public. Not. Fun. Especially in California. That's why you went from house to car seats to stroller and back again for the first 3 years of your lives. That's why we didn't quite explore all the fun places we lived close to during those 3 years in California... we stuck to Disneyland and did it a. lot.

Then we found that gated park just months before we moved. Where had that been the other 2 1/2 years we lived there??

But I felt from the beginning... and still feel it quite strongly... that in challenges where you are giving of yourself for a great purpose--especially motherhood--you are given the divine help that you need to measure up to the task. I learned to sink to my knees when I needed more than I had, and my prayers were always answered.

And they still are...

And bless those kind people who lent extra hands. Especially your Grandpatty (who deserves an elevator ride to heaven)... but also the ladies in church who scooted over to help when Paul was working Sunday mornings, the visiting teacher who insisted on taking on the challenge of babysitting so we could go to the temple, and the best friend/neighbor who spent hours upstairs with you so that I could take my turn teaching the preschool group we created. I learned to appreciate little acts of service that meant so very much. I hope that throughout my life I will be able to "pay it forward" and remember to give as I received.


A mother with a toddler and twins stood out in California. WAY out, and they could see me a mile away and usually graciously opened the door for me. But when they didn't, I'm afraid I banged up a few doorways with that double stroller of ours. The comment "Boy, do you have your hands full!" was expressed with fascination, encouragement, or bewilderment wherever we went. Then when I had Ella, boy were we a sideshow! I would strap Ella in the Baby Bjorn carrier on my chest, push you girls in the double stroller, and Michael would stand on a metal bar between the handle bars. Shopping for anything was an adventure!


But enough from memory lane.

From morning until bedtime, my thoughts, energies, and emotions are usually dominated by the two of you... in so many ways...


People often ask what it is like to have twins. My answer? Special. And it is. There is a bond that you share with each other and with me that comes from all this together-ness and shared experiences.

People also ask if you are similar. My answer? Nope. You are different in so many fun and fascinating ways. Ways that make you truly individual and unique... and ways that add so much to our family and the experiences you are giving me as a mother.


I used to think that the behaviors/attitudes/philosophies of a person had everything to do with how that person was parented as a child. The two of you have proven otherwise. From the womb you were each so different... Bekah would hold her own little place on the right side and would keep fairly still, until a sudden THUD would come from your heels or elbows. With Abby it seemed there was always fluttering and movement.

So it is now exhibited in your personalities... Bekah--mostly calm until you are NOT, and Abby--hard to get a picture of because you are always MOVING. I am convinced that I am seeing an outline for your interactions, personalities, and character now... and I need to remember and take notes on what works/doesn't work for the teenage years and beyond. Don't teenage troubles mirror toddler tantrums??


Aside from any troubles or tantrums, the sweet nature of your relationship with each other is something I envy. You are so lucky to have each other as sisters. You look out for one another, and know each other so very well. Your differences compliment each other, and I have not seen competition between you (aside from racing to pick car seats or spots next to me when we read).

My heart expanded when I had the two of you. You complicate my life in good ways that stretch me and strengthen me. I only hope I am giving you what you both need... together and individually. I love you, I love you. More than you'll ever know.

These pictures show their different personalities so well.

Abby

Affectionate, expressive, and so girly.


You love all things princess, kitty, and beautiful.




You bring spunk into our lives and are so fun to have as a companion during the day.


I love holding you, shopping with you, and listening to your explanations and special word combinations that help us know exactly what you mean.



Bekah


Always planning, creating, and scheming something new and great and wonderful.

You love doing things yourself, trying new things, and don't mind getting dirty in the process.


You are the first one to say hello and the one who says goodbye the longest, and we love that you yell goodbye to us until you can't see us anymore.


Your sense of humor and jokes keep us laughing, and we are always trying to keep up with the plans you make.

I have learned so many lessons from my 5-year-old sisters, and look forward to what learning and growth is in store.

Love you, girleenies!!!

Love,
Mom