​This year was a very German Halloween. We borrowed dirndls from a friend so that Madeline and I could dress up as German girls and we put something together for Mike to coordinate with us. Madeline looked like the cutest little German girl ever. I had to really suck it in to fit into my dirndl but once it was on it all came together. Abby was Max from Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas movie. Emma wasn't able to join us this year as she was out on a date. Such is life when you are 17 years old. We took our photos at our traditional section behind our house. Then we came home and grabbed a quick dinner before heading out to go trick or treating with Easton and his family. Madeline and Easton loved being together and we made it to most of the houses in our neighborhood. It was cold like every year, but we managed to stay warm. The kids wanted to go to the house down the street to do the haunted house but once we got there Madeline got really scared and started to cry. That was our cue to head home and call it a night. After Easton finished with the haunted house he came out and gave Madeline the biggest hug. It was so sweet. 

​Madeline was so excited for her school Halloween party. I dropped in for a little bit to watch them play games and do fun activities. The class moms for her class are amazing and always put on great holiday parties. Madeline looked so cute in her little German dirndl. I was able to snap a quick photo with her teacher and also a group photo of the entire class with their costumes on. 

We had the craziest hail storm today and it left a bunch of hail pieces on the top of Emma's car. | Mike and I enjoyed an afternoon together at the Denver LDS temple. | After 7 years of using the Fenix 5S watch for all of my running and getting frustrated that it didn't hold a charge longer than 6 hours, I I finally splurged and got myself the upgraded Fenix 7S. This watch has been such a dream. | We were all saddened to see a war break out in Israel. | Abby played the guitar and sang at the Acoustic Cafe at the high school again this year. As always, she amazed us with her incredible talent. | I loved being able to take photos of Andrew and Alex while he proposed to her. | There was so much that went into packing for our Grand Canyon adventure. After laying everything out I wondered how I would fit it all in my little pack. | We love watching Emma play in the Advanced Orchestra at school. She is so talented. | After going out to dinner to celebrate our success in completing our Grand Canyon R2R2R adventure, Mike surprised me with a customized medal. | Madeline loves art projects but lately she has loved painting. | Mike has mastered how to make a good Ratatouille. It look so pretty in our new Le Creuset dishes. | I love a good fall sunset. We have the best view from the back of our house. | I went out to lunch with Dionne and Caryn to celebrate Caryn's birthday. I just love these friends of mine so much. | Madeline tried on the dirndl that we borrowed for Halloween and was so excited by it. | Mike raked up all the leaves in the backyard and let the girls jump and play in it. They had such a great time! | In preparation for Madeline's big girl bed I rearranged and organized Madeline's bedroom. It's amazing how moving things around and reorganizing can make the room look completely different. | Two days after a beautiful fall day of jumping in the leaves found us in the first snow storm of the season. For some reason we were actually excited by the snow and even played Christmas music to celebrate. | I finally discovered that by making my cookies into a mini version they were not only more delicious but there was more to share with everyone. This has become a hit in our house and I am requested to only make mini cookies from now on!

This was by far Emma's best cross-country season yet. She came off a strong track season and pushed to get back into shape after being in Jerusalem for 3 weeks and a car accident that followed. If there is one word I would use to describe Emma's passion for running it is DETERMINATION. When something unexpected falls in her path, she simply finds a way around it. This season she ran smart, and it paid off. Of the 6 meets she participated in, two of them she came away with a championship win. She ran at elevation for all 6 meets and yet, one of her best meets, was actually at 9,000ft in Crested Butte. 

Emma's season started out with one of those unexpected situations. The day before the first meet her shin started bothering her. She showed up to the meet and was contemplating whether to race or not. She made the decision to start the race and listen to her body. By mile 2 she knew that she needed to stop, so she did. Even though it wasn't in her nature to stop, her ability to listen to her body so she could be healthy for the entire season showed her growth and maturity. ​

This race is the most popular race every season since it is at lower elevation and a fast, flat course in Denver. Emma was the only one from her team fast enough to enter the Sweepstakes Division. So, all by herself, she warmed up and did her drills. It's not always easy to feel all alone when you are racing but Emma never wavers in her determination even though she walks to that starting line without any teammates. She ran this race smart and was able to pull a 6 second PR from last years' time on a relatively warm day. 

Emma was ready to crush this race and was all pumped up before she ran. From the start to the very end, I could see the fire in her eyes, and it was marvelous to watch. For most of the race she was right behind the lead girl but during the last 800m of the race she started to pull away and kept running faster and faster so that she would have a big enough lead to the finish. Sure enough, she held that lead and came in 1st to win her very first HS 5K. It was such an amazing finish that a spokesman for the Gazette came over and interviewed Emma. As cool as that was, it was even more impressive when we saw the paper the next morning and found she and the lead boy were all over the sports section of the Gazette. 

Usually, the team heads to sea level for a mid-season race but this year the coach decided to go in the opposite direction and head to higher elevation for a different kind of challenge. It would have been nice for Emma to have raced at sea level, but this race ended up being a fun one for the team to participate in. At 9000ft, the team set off on a half paved, half trail 5K run through the town of Crested Butte. I loved how they had all the teams lined up 100ft before the starting line and then one by one the announcer called each team to the starting line. It was fun to see the Pine Creek girls run together as they prepared for their elevation 5K. The organizer at the start line got a little mixed up and didn't order the girls on the front line correctly and since Emma's team was one of the last couple of teams called to the starting line she didn't get pulled like she should and was a few rows back when the race started. That didn't stop her from jetting out and making her way to the front of the pack. She and another girl from Heritage HS led the race from start to finish. Emma pulled away the last 1/2 mile and finished with a 1st place finish in a time of 18:44.70. She had a 12 sec. lead over the second-place finisher. This race marked the second 1st place finish that Emma has had this season. She was thrilled to be able to perform so well and to be able to meet Emma Coburn who is a World Champion and Olympic medalist in the steeplechase. Even Emma's club coach, Lisa Rainsberger, was there to cheer her on. It was a great race and one in which she will always remember. 

This is always the most important and most nerve-racking race of the season. Only the top 15 and the top 3 schools qualify for the State Championship. We were not worried that Emma had the ability to make it into the top 10 but wanted to make sure she felt good and didn't have anything unexpected happen during the race. With a lot on the line, she approached this race like a fierce competitor. She held her own against the Air Academy girls who remained the #2 girls' team in the nation at the time. Not only did she place 4th against a really competitive field of runners, but she broke an almost perfect score by the Air Academy girls' team, and she got a PR for the course. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect race for Emma to close out the main part of her season.

The State Championship course in Colorado is one of the hardest high school state courses in the nation not only for the elevation that these kids are running at but also the hilly nature of the course. This year we were blessed with cooler weather than previous years. Emma was the only girl from her team to qualify to run in the state meet, however, many of her teammates came to support her and cheer her on. They even made the sweetest sign for her. As she made her way to the starting line for the last time during a state XC race, she was focused and probably a little nervous. Her head was in the game, but she had been struggling emotionally that morning. She went out and ran a good race, getting a 15 sec PR for this course, but missed being in the top 10 by 2 seconds. She was crushed that she missed being in the top 10 for the second year in a row but thrilled that she was able to snag such an amazing PR. In the end, Emma should be so proud of all that she accomplished this season. It really was her best season ever!

This month started out with some last preparatory runs before R2R2R followed by a taper week, our big adventure in the Grand Canyon (see post HERE), and finally some recovery time. One of our last big runs was running some downhill trail miles on Rampart Range Road. Dionne and I had her brother drive us 6 miles up so we could run down to simulate the first part of R2R2R. I was also able to do some hill repeats with the Striders at Red Rocks. By the time I hit my taper week I was so relieved! After we got back from the Grand Canyon we took some time off and then got back out there slowly by riding bikes with Madeline. We took her to ride both on the Santa Fe gravel trail and the paved section up by Costco. She had more fun on the paved section and enjoyed playing at the park at MVP. After 10 days of resting and riding bikes or the peloton, I decided to jump back into the Striders run. I did some intervals at the CC track and felt surprisingly good. 

​Running Rim to Rim to Rim at the Grand Canyon was so incredible. It was my first ultra, and Mike's first time running anything over a half marathon. This was one of the most exciting adventures ever! There were so many good moments. The atmosphere, views, and people were awesome. Dionne, who is our good friend, was our ultimate guide as this was her 7th time running this. She knew the tricks to ultra-running, and she gladly shared them with us. Those things were truly lifesaving. Here is a breakdown of our adventure:

Total Distance: 43.68 miles
Total Running Time: 6:14:52
Total Hiking Time: 7:23:07 
Total Ascent: 11,405
Total Descent: 11,429
 
South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch:
This 7-mile section was done mostly in the dark as we started at 4:20am. We ran the entire downhill section, and it was way more technical than even Barr trail that I trained on for the Ascent. I was so happy to follow Dionne on this section.
Phantom Ranch to Manzanita:
This 9-mile section was amazing. We ran 90% of the canyon floor as it was a flowy trail with a gradual ascent of almost 2000ft. We stopped plenty of times for photos and once to apply moleskin to my toe.
Manzanita to North Rim:
Manzanita was a zoo. There were so many people who were coming from the North Rim and South Rim since this was the last weekend before they turn off the water at the North Rim. This 5-mile ascent was relatively easy, and we hiked the entire thing except for a few flatter sections that we ran. We even got to see the solar eclipse. The only tough part was the last 2 miles. When we got to the top we were floored to see Mike wander up there only 15 min after us. We thought he was going to turn around at Manzanita! He’s a beast and even did a few pushups at the top to prove it!
North Rim to Cottonwood:
We thoroughly enjoyed running down this section and spent some time admiring the amazing rock formations and cliff views. We blew past Manzanita and filled our water at Cottonwood. Then it was time for the hot box.
Cottonwood to Phantom Ranch:
I had been warned about the hot box (Canyon floor in the afternoon) on the way back. Most people do not realize but the canyon floor is 15-20 degrees hotter than it is at the rim. We were extremely blessed with magical wind and shadier sections when we got to the canyon walls. After a few miles I knew we weren’t going to make it in time for the lemonade before it closed at 4pm. Dionne encouraged me to keep going and since I had legs left I booked it for 5 miles down the canyon floor. I flew and it was fun. I got to the lemonade stand at 3:58pm and then saw it was open until 8pm. They had changed the time. Oof. Either way, we got our lemonade. We waited around for an hour but didn’t see Mike, so we made our way out of the canyon.
Phantom Ranch to South Kaibab:
First 2.5 miles were spectacular with great views. We even saw Mike making his way up and he was fast. He is such a good hiker. As the sun was setting we put our headlamps back on. We eventually waited for Mike at Ooh Ahh point and made the most horrible 4 miles out of the canyon in the dark together. Those were truly grueling miles that tested everything I had. I didn’t think I was going to make it. It truly was one of the hardest things I’ve done in terms of endurance. I’m so glad we all finished this amazing adventure together!

I knew that sometime this year Andrew was going to propose to Alex. The week before they came out to visit us in Colorado, Andrew told me that he had the ring and was going to bring it with him. We both went to work planning a surprise proposal for Alex. He told her that I was going to do a photo shoot of the two of them and I secretly hid the ring in my camera bag. When we got to the perfect spot, I slipped the ring into Andrew's bag pocket, and I stood a ways off and told them I was just trying to do some tester shots. While I stood watching but could hear nothing, Andrew told Alex of his love for her and when he bent on one knee I was there to capture it all. I feel nothing but blessed to have been able to witness this amazing moment in their lives. Thank you Andrew for letting your mama be part of your special day!!!

I made sure to volunteer for Madeline's field trip to the pumpkin patch because it is such a fun place to play. This was the third time both Madeline and I have been to this particular pumpkin patch. I was in a group with 4 little girls plus another mom. We basically had free play for a few hours and jumped from one activity to the next. We let each of the girls get to choose which activity they wanted to do next. The favorite of the group was definitely the roller slides. Madeline would have stayed there all day if it had been up to her. Madeline also loved feeding the animals, jumping on the big bounce pillows, riding the cow train, and running through the hay maze. At the end of the field trip each of the kids got to pick out a pumpkin to take home. Madeline choose a tiny white pumpkin that fit in the palm of her hand. It was the cutest thing ever!

Hello Everyone!
 
It’s been a fun week in the Philippines. As the months turn towards Christmas, the rain is getting stronger. Some of the locals speculate that a large storm will hit in December. I'm not too keen on getting flooded out and having that affect our work, but it is certainly a possibility.
 
This week we were able to extend baptism to one of our investigators and they accepted! Since we have taught them, they have come to church every single week. They have truly been prepared by the Lord for us. She has told us many times that she had prayed someone from our church would come and tell her more about it. It is amazing to be a part of an answered prayer. 
 
Last week I also had the opportunity to go on exchanges in San Isidro. This area is in the middle of nowhere which means a lot of biking through the mountains. This area also speaks Bisaya, so I had the opportunity to switch languages for a day. They speak slightly differently than in my previous areas, but I was thankfully to still be able to understand. The views are stunning there and we hiked to houses where there was almost no trail. It was truly an adventure.
 
In my mission we do a lot of hiking. Sometimes many miles accumulate before we reach our destination. We hike through mountains, across rivers, into valleys, along the beach, wherever is needed. There used to be timed when my mental state would deteriorate by the end of the day. I would begin to think about my feet, my legs, or I would question my ability to do it again tomorrow. I discovered, however, a simple solution to correct my worrisome thoughts. That is, to remember the purpose of my actions.
 
In the most recent general conference, the prophet, Russel M. Nelson, told us to "Think Celestial". Think with the highest point of heaven in mind and don't let your actions or thoughts waver from that goal. Keeping your eye on the goal is important, but it is also important to remember why it is your goal in the first place. When we keep our eyes on coming closer to the Savior, remember that it is through Him that we receive eternal happiness. That by His grace, we receive a forgiveness for our sins. That His love is promised to accompany us for eternity. 
 
Growing your testimony is seeing the progress you attain by following Him. It is seeing His help in attaining the goal of eternal exaltation. When we see His hand and recognize his power, all fear washes away. We understand that it is only through His grace that our nature truly changes. My feet don't bother me when I walk anymore. I know my purpose in being here and my eyes are on the goal. I encourage all of you to "Think Celestial" and remember your purposes for having that as your goal. 
 
I know Russel M. Nelson is a prophet of a God, and I know that if we follow his council, we will draw closer to the Savior. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
 
Elder Wilhelm 
 
Also, if you have not watched President Nelsons talk, I would highly recommend it.

With Madeline showing a lot of promise as a runner last cross-country season, we contemplated about whether we wanted to start running with the Kokopelli kids. After some serious thought we decided to wait one more year and do Landsharks again. Although I appreciated the simplicity of her season, I didn't love how disorganized Landsharks was this year. Since Madeline is now in second grade she has the opportunity to move up to the one-mile race. She was nervous but excited to try out a new distance. At the very first meet, her coaches didn't communicate well with some of the kids, and she mistakenly entered the 1/2-mile race with the younger kids. She ran slower for that one lap thinking that she had to save energy for 2 laps. Poor thing. For the second and third meet she entered the one-mile race (2 laps) and did a great job running against 2nd-5th graders. During the second meet I noticed halfway through the first lap that she was chilling with friends and having fun talking until I told her to stop socializing and start running! She made a great improvement on the second lap. For the final meet she finally understood how to run the one-mile race and finished faster than the previous week. I think she enjoyed the season running with her friends from her school, but one thing is for sure, she is ready for a better organized and tiny bit more serious run club. Way to go on another great season little one! 

Even though I do have skills with the camera, I wanted to do something special for Emma by giving her a senior photo shoot with someone other than me. Turns out my good intensions didn't quite work out the way I had hoped. We had to reschedule three different times due to horrible thunder storms and intense rain on each evening we had planned on doing photos. Finally, we had to suck it up and try and make it work on the last possible date before cross-country season started. The first photos did turn out well but due to the lack of enough light, the photos are not that crisp when zooming in. I would know because I am super picky about that stuff. So, Emma and I decided to let me have a turn at taking some better photos for the yearbook. We had loads of fun doing this together and I regret not having done this in the first place. One thing is for sure, my girls know how to pose which made my job so much easier and more enjoyable! 

While Andrew was visiting during his fall break we decided to take some family photos. It was a little weird taking photos without Peter, but we were happy to have Alex join us since I knew that Andrew would be proposing to her sometime during the week. I went to the spot where Emma had her senior photos taken and it was the perfect location. The weather was great and for the first part of our photo shoot there really wasn't anyone else on the trail. I have learned from past family photo sessions that usually the best photos are the ones taken at the beginning. Sure enough, the best ones were the first ones we took. Bam. Done. It felt so good to check this one off my list for the year.

Every year a bunch of girls in my ward get together to hike the Crags while the fall leaves are still beautiful. I wasn't able to join last year and was in a different ward the year before that. I have hiked this trail a couple of times, and it is always so much fun. Between the crazy windy weekend and a small dusting of snow the morning of the hike, we knew this would be an adventure. The hike was a little chilly, the conversation was amazing, and even though there weren't as many yellow leaves as we were hoping for, we all still had so much fun. I am excited to do this every year with so many wonderful friends!

​Hello Everyone!
 
This week has been fairly uneventful, but a few things worth mentioning occurred.
 
I recently have been having some tooth pain and so last Wednesday me and my companion were able to go to Tacloban (the main city in our mission). I went to the dentist and was fairly nervous because... health care is not always the best where I live. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how amazing the dentist was. He did a filling on one cavity, and I didn't even feel it. The pain is gone, and I really hope that the cavity is too. On top of all that it was only 25 dollars so that was a major bonus. 
 
Earlier this week we also found a family that has started to progress. At first we weren't entirely sure if we should teach them but felt that we should try. They started becoming more engaged with the lesson and we returned one more time to meet with them and gave them a Book of Mormon. They said they would read the Book of Mormon and had many questions but told them to save them for next time so we could explain more in depth. All of their children listen very well, which is quite unusual for children as many parents know, and so we are so happy to truly teach the whole family and watch all of them grow. 
 
There are some days in missionary work where you feel like you on fire, and there are some when you don't. This last week was mostly latter, but on the mission I have learned an important principle in personal growth. When one grows, it is often assumed that it will happen in leaps and bounds, and that one must always have the perfect study, workout, or exercise in order to improve. Sometimes I would procrastinate my improvement because I don't have enough time, or it won't be the best practice. On the mission, however, I have learned that it is the small daily things that can add up to great skills or feats. In the Book of Mormon Alma Counsels that:
 
6. Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. 
 
7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls. (Alma 37:6-7)
 
When memorizing languages, you can't memorize all the words in one day, and memorizing a lot in one day won't help you retain them very well. It is much better to memorize a few at a time and continue to use them as you build your vocabulary. Careful consistency in small means and efforts is the key to long term and permanent growth. 
 
Likewise, is our spiritual growth. The soul and testimony is often compared to the seed of a tree. One cannot expect the tree to grow in a rushed manner, and one cannot force the growth. Slowly but surely, our tree will continue to grow as we consistently feed and nurture it. Daily scripture study, prayer, weekly church attendance, while small, will add great things to our testimonial trees.
 
Having faith in Christ isn't one decision, it a series of small decisions that make up a lifetime. I know He will help us with the big things in our lives as we continue in the small things. I know God loves us and that he sent us His Son to help us grow, slowly but surely. In the name of Jesus Christ amen. 

Today we decided to head to the Beaver Creek Trail and hike the little loop. Since Emma was still a little tired from her race the day before the little hike was just the perfect distance. On the way to the trail, we stopped at Ohio pass and enjoyed the landscape of orange, yellow and green trees in the distance. It was truly stunning. Once on the trail, Madeline was excited to get going. She had a little more pep in her step from the day before and she led most of the hike. Anytime Emma got closer to passing her she just started hiking faster. She loved using my hiking poles. There is something so magical about the aspen forest on the Beaver Pond trail. This section of forest is probably one of my favorites in Crested Butte. I could spend hours just sitting in the middle of this forest meditating. But alas, I have movers so we made our way through the forest quicker than I wanted but slow enough that we could still take in the beauty of the yellow leaves and the quite reverence that was present while we hiked. We did not spot any beavers when we got to the pond, but we did make the little loop around the pond and then headed back into the forest. I love hiking with my kids but hiking during the fall is definitely a highlight for me. 

The BEST ice-cream stop in Buena Vista...Louie's ice-cream is delicious!