The perimeter run

Guam looks like a small island on the map.

And, in reality, it is a small island.

But when you run around it,

it 


seems


a 


lot


BIGGER


I have only been running for about six weeks, 
so the perimeter run was my first official race.


Five of our team consisted of NavFac / CEC ladies.
(*Naval Facilities, and Civil Engineer Corp)


With a team of nine women, we ran 48.6 miles around the south side of the island.
The race was divided into 20 legs.  
Here is the map. 



What the map doesn't show you, HILLS!
The south side of the island was created by volcanoes.  
LOTS of hills, some of them steep.
Only about four of the 20 legs were completely flat runs.


The run started at 4am.
It sounds crazy, but it gets so hot here, 
that running in the dark at 4am sounds good after running in the noon day heat.
In fact, at one point, I was yelling at people on the sidelines to pray for rain.


I didn't get photos of every exchange, but here are a few of the day.

This is Laurie and Anita Scott
Great friends and crazy runners
Laurie had already run
And Anita was getting ready
Yes, she is 32 weeks pregnant
and SUPER chipper at 4:30am

Melda, Anita, Ally (Anita's daughter) and Noui

Kristen (active duty CEC machine with the nickname KRUSH)
passes off to Anita

Anita finishing up her two legs of the race

Anita passing it off to Jean who broke in the dawn

Jean coming in the home stretch

Passing the baton to our fearless team Captain, Christine

NavFac chics (*minus Anita)  Christine, Melanie, Melda, Kristen

Sue passing off to me on my first leg
I had a great time the first mile,
the second mile was a killer hill

Coming in and passing it off to Noui
This is about 9am I think
It was already killer hot

It is beautiful on the run

Christine's second leg

passing off to Krush

This is Noui's third leg
I think she logged the most miles,
 always kicking it
and with a great attitude
(*hand-off to Melanie for her second leg)

Melanie coming up a KILLER hill
She did great
I was hurting for her!
She's our QUEEN BEE,
(the CO's wife)

Sue's second leg

She kept a great pace

Sue passing off to Amber

She was WAY more excited about running at noon than I would have been!
GO GIRL!

I never got a photo of the whole team - so I hope to get some from others.  But I think I got all nine of us at different points along the race.  We finished at 8 hours 22 minutes
(not official time, just what I heard)   

Also heard, we came in 3rd out of 6 in the women's division.

There were not many ALL WOMEN teams,  

you could be considered a "women's team" with seven ladies and three men.

We think that's cheating.  (*I mean, you are a woman or your not, right??)

So I'm not sure how many of the "womens" teams had men on it.  

We finished with COMPLETE girl power!

Way to go ladies!
We did it!

a blog of blogs.......

The boys have their own blog for things that are specific to them.

Here are a few links to catch you up with their recent activities.

Michael makes the honor roll!
Photo here

And so did Isaac!
(*no photos-cause I was in a little fender bender when the assembly took place)

(**in Zion's defense, third grade doesn't get grades here,
but he is doing well in school too!)

Zion participates in the Academic Fair
click here for more info

Zion participates in the AWANA talent show
videos here

oh yeah, Easter..........

Easter weekend was AWESOME!
Hiking Mt. LamLam
Photos here

Coloring Easter Eggs
and
Good Friday service
Photos here

And then Easter Day
Sunrise Service

I'm not a morning person, but with Mike's help,
we managed to get the four boys up and ready
and to church at 5:57 with 3 minutes to spare. 

The day was beautiful,
which is a blessing,
 because you never know when it will rain here. 
















We had breakfast at church after the service, YUM!
The islanders DO NOT mess around when it comes to food.
SERIOUSLY!

Home after church to pack up for a day at the beach with the Gilliams

So relaxing and beautiful that I didn't take a single picture.
Just angled my chair toward the water where the kids were,
and sat there, enjoying their laughter and playing in the background
as we ate and talked. 

Really,
A perfect day.
















Thank you Lord for my friend Sam.........who did take pictures!

(*photo credit:  Samantha Gillam)

Easter weekend

Friday when the boys got off the bus, Jonah
was so SICK AND TIRED of being with me all day  week,
that he ran out in the yard and hugged all the boys.

Michael!
Isaac!
Zion!

I missed you!

and the Easter fun began.

Jonah has had never dyed Easter eggs.

He loved it!

(*the sports theme makes it still cool)

2 dozen eggs!

Michael watched

Green and blue are obviously the favorite colors

After the eggs were done, we got ready and went to church for the Good Friday Sunset Service

We were a little early, so the boys tossed around the frisbee in the grass.  One of the things I love about our church, and Guam in general is big open spaces to run, play, or chill.   I grew up with big church picnics and wide, open spaces to be a kid.  San Diego was lacking in that area for sure.

No matter how many times I see a sunset, or sunrise,
I am still......
amazed
awed
speechless
Beautiful doesn't seem like a big enough word
and sunset on Good Friday was even more than the words I can't find.

seriously, prime real estate

the praise team was a blessing 

Pastor Greg gave everyone a chance to nail our name (sin) to the cross
to signify that Jesus paid the price for us.
I don't really have the words for this either.
emotional
convicting
hard
moving
touching
overwhelming
thankful


A great service. 
I am ready for sunrise Sunday

Mt. LamLam, Guam - Good Friday 2011

Today, a few ladies from the neighborhood,
Jonah, Sam and I,
hiked a mile up Mt. LamLam for the annual Good Friday stations of the cross service.

The Stations of the Cross is part of the Catholic Easter Lent Season,
but I wanted to hike on this special day and rallied a few to go along.
(even though I'm not Catholic)

So very happy that Sam and I could do this together.
Our history as friends started as neighbors,
then scrapbookers,
and now includes my sister in Christ.
SPECIAL DAY!

Jonah is also on spring break, so he went too.
He is doing great and the least grumpy of the four boys about going to do stuff.
He just gets ready and goes!

I don't think I have been in a more beautiful place to reflect on Good Friday.

Here are a few photos.

(*you can see the crosses WAY up at the top if you look really hard)

Sam getting started up, leading the way!

Stations of the Cross

One of the readings at the stations

Amazing view from the top

Sam and I
One of the many crosses at the top