Frandtastic!

Today was a great day in the Frandsen family, where we got to celebrate Paul's big award. He was named the 2013 recipient of the C.C. Compton & G.M. Markle Entomological Award as an Outstanding Graduate Student for Teaching, Research, and Extension in Entomology.

He was presented the award as part of the 50 year celebration of the IR-4 project, which funds the award. We were able to meet with a lot of neat people and I loved seeing so many people congratulate Paul on his accomplishment and encourage his career path.

I'm grateful that both lacrosse and Talksoft were so accommodating in letting me be there for both the presentation and the reception afterward. I am so proud of Paul and the good work he is doing in his Ph.D. program. This guy is going places and I'm glad I get to with him.

Paul had his best result ever in a road race this past weekend. It was really fun and exciting to watch and I just feel like everyone needs to hear about it.

The race was a crit, around a park in Rahway. Just over a mile loop, with two real turns.

I decided to watch the race by walking around the walking path next to the road, walking the opposite way that the race was going so I could see the riders more often.

On lap three, I was at the corner at the top of the map above when the group came through - Paul had been hanging out in the middle of the pack, but on this corner I saw that he had ridden up to the front of the group and was going through the corner first - he later told me this was because it had been sketchy the first two times through and he didn't want to get caught up in any crashes.

His move was a smart one, he went through, and a few elbows were thrown when the group went through knocking some people off balance - no one crashed but it slowed them up a bit - perfect timing for Paul to attack, which he did. Another guy rode off the front with him and then they were joined by two more - a break away of four.

With each lap I timed on my phone to give them idea of how far ahead of the group they were and I'd yell out their spit as they passed. It was amazing - they were gaining more 10-20 seconds each lap. When they were over a minute ahead of the group I knew that the break was going to stick.

On the second to last lap I noticed that they were actually right behind the rest of the field, they'd almost lapped them on a mile long course. When the group came over the finish line, Paul's breakaway was right behind them - unfortunately a slower cyclist was right ahead of Paul when he was sprinting for the finish (after leading the full last lap, meaning he was putting in all the work leading up to the sprint). He still had a great sprint and it was neck and neck on the line where he got third.

10 mile marathon training run on Boston's Charles River this past July

I am feeling the weight of the Boston Marathon bombings.

I keep picturing the end of my own marathon a few months ago. How I felt - exhausted yet determined. I keep thinking about what marathon's symbolize: triumph over the body, the spirit of a community, a sporting event where everyone has victories - there are no "sides" or "teams", each runner is celebrated, and the poignant emotions that occur after putting your body through hours of pain.

I keep picturing the marathon training runs I had in Boston this summer, one in June and one in July. Running next to the Charles River so close to where yesterdays tragedy unfolded.

I keep picturing riding a bike along Back Bay in June and again in early November with Megan (who, luckily, stayed home sick instead of going to the marathon like she'd taken the day off of work to do). I keep picturing that street and passing the marathon finish line, remembering how I thought about all the runners who work so hard to even qualify for that race, and then train again to compete in it. I am so sad for them and how a great event was tainted by evil.

The victims, of course, whose lives are changed forever are in my thoughts and prayers.

I am full of emotion - anger, sadness, shock, fear. I guess that is what "they" wanted from us - to make us feel unsafe in situations where our safety is not on our minds.

I'm proud of the people who helped others. Physicians who had just run 26.2 miles but ran over to the medical tent to help others.

I'm thinking of Boston today and paying closer attention to the people and things I love and focusing on giving good to the world. I can't control what other people do, but I can control what I do.

At church on Sunday a friend shared a favorite piece from last weekend's General Conference - some thoughts from Elder Cook's talk, which I looked up again today. Some things that stood out:

"Events often occur that rob us of peace and heighten our sense of vulnerability."

"In contemplating these events, I have been impressed with the doctrinal difference between universal or world peace and personal peace."

"We earnestly hope and pray for universal peace, but it is as individuals and families that we achieve the kind of peace that is the promised reward of righteousness. This peace is a promised gift of the Savior’s mission and atoning sacrifice."

1. You know you are at a New Jersey lacrosse team pasta dinner when there is a pile of tennis shoes at the door and plenty of Penne Vodka on the table. (My team makes fun of me for saying tennis shoes - they are sneakers here).

2. You know you don't clean out your couch often enough when you find your dad's reading glasses from his October visit. You also know that reading glasses aren't your best look but you text your dad this picture anyways.


2. You know Donna is in town when you get to go to your favorite Greek restaurant and when Paul is being goofy and happier than ever with that mom of his.


4. You know it's conference weekend when you go on a tow path bike ride with friends during half time. And you know the church is getting hip when it is encouraging hashtags.
#LDSconf all the way!

5. You know you are the fifth wheel on this outing because your husband goes to Pennsylvania and you can't because of lacrosse but you don't care because you really enjoy the company of these friends, plus baby Kate was my 6th wheel friend.
6. You know you can't wait for your June trip to Utah when you facetime with this week old little beauty of a boy and the rest of your family.
6. You know Spring is late this year when the pretty Magnolia trees that were in full bloom on March 20th last year are just barely starting to pretend that they might bloom soon, but since today is a high of 70 (SEVENTY!) you hold onto the hope that today is the day that Spring will finally be here.

Paul headed down to Florida at the end of March for some training at Florida State for an anchored phylogenmics workship. Poor dude didn't even get to enjoy the warmer temps and new views because the workshop he attended required really long days and no time for leisure.

The best news is that on the drive back, they got to swing a few hours to the east and visit his sister Camie in Jacksonville on the day they were blessing baby Mason. I stole some of these from Camie's blog (more here!), but a few of my favorites:




These two seemed to really enjoy each other. Paul texted me as they were leaving, "Mykita kissed my hand and wanted me to stay". I miss that sweet little thing (we hung out a lot together in Provo) and can't wait until I have a chance to see that Martin family again.

I was also glad that Camie and Paul were together to celebrate their dad's birthday - and even have the traditional root beer floats to celebrate, even if the picture came out a little fuzzy.