This has been a very interesting and event-filled summer for me, and the Mordue household in general. When we were in May and looking ahead at the next three months, there was a lot of uncertainty. As a planner, that is very hard for me to live with. However, life has forced me to truly live the mantra of "God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to Know the Difference." Here's what I can change: I can change my reaction to things that are hard, frightening, new, different. With that in mind, I jumped into training and participating in the Ragnar Wasatch Back, with a great group of people, including my very studly--yet quiet--brother Matt. He is a runner on a whole different level than I am. He runs 100 milers and thinks nothing of running from the trail head to the top of King's Peak and back down again for a training run. We had a great van of athletes and this was one of my favorite Ragnar races to date. Thank you, Alicia, for inviting me!
The hand off between me and Matt, 1st leg:
Our Studly Team right before our last leg:
The Glorious finish line:
The next adventure came in the first days of July, when I flew to New York to meet Kelsey (who had been living there for the summer) and to journey on with her to Ireland and England. This was a dream trip that we started planning in April, and as I have never travelled without a tour group before, I was very nervous about how things would turn out. Together, Kelsey and I studied travel books and talked with people who lived in the places we wanted to visit and then we put together an itinerary, booked rooms, rented a car, signed up for mini tours, booked our flights and away we went. The one thing I was the most scared and nervous about? Driving on the left hand side of the road. Seriously, I woke up in a panic a few times. But once we got into the car, turned on the navigation system and made a few practice passes around the parking lot, I was good to go and it turned out to be a piece of cake. Also, a great way to travel, since we were in control of where and when we travelled.
Our first morning in Dublin:
On the island of Inish Mor:
Overlooking the Cliffs of Moher:
The London Eye:
Stone Henge:
Kinsale, Ireland:
After 2 1/2 weeks of international travel, I came back home to reality of the fact that I had to finish planning and preparing for Markelle and Tahir's wedding. I had a week at home before we left for a family trip to Laguna Beach, Ca (where Markelle and Tahir were going to be married on the beach) and then we would have a week after we got home to put the finishing touches on the details for the reception. We went to Laguna with Steve's family to celebrate his parent's 50th anniversary, so we had the Whole Mordue Clan and we made some wonderful memories with all of them. The trip to California was bitter sweet for us because our sweet Ashley and studly Covey were not able to come with us. We missed having our whole family together, they are both such vital and important people in our family, but we absolutely loved have Adam with us. He is wonderful and fun and a great addition to the guys in our group! After a week of playing in the water and sand, the crowning event of our extended family vacation was the wedding.
Markelle and Tahir getting ready to say "I Do":
Our little group:
Our happy family, sans Ashley and Covey:
After getting home from Laguna, we celebrated this cute girls 16th birthday!~
Whew, now the kids are back in school, the feeling of fall is in the air, and Markelle is already planning and preparing for the annual Mordue Halloween Party. Good-bye Summer, you went by way too fast!
