Lacy Jaye Hansen

Runner, writer, wife & mother

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July 30, 2012
by Lacy
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Number 1: “World’s Largest Ball of Twine”

Sound the trumpets to the tune of  ”ta-dah!” We did it! We completed all of the 11 items we said we would complete by August 1. Check it, #1-11 are complete!

Our final item was crossed off this weekend. Number 1: “World’s Largest Ball of Twine.”

Number 1: “Ball of Twine” – CHECK!

We also hit a few other Kansas roadside oddities along the way. This was probably my favorite road trip of all time. I’ve always wanted to have the time while traveling to stop and see the attractions along the way, but there’s never time because “we have to get there!” I loved that our destination was the trip itself. The only negative side to this trip was that we didn’t have enough time to see all the oddities on our route. There are more than you’d imagine in Kansas alone. I hope one day I can travel coast to coast with these two boys and see all of the best roadside attractions in the nation.


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July 27, 2012
by Lacy
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Number 8: “Cartwheel”

Upon attempting, I quickly realized I’d be adding an edit to number 8: “cartwheel.” After countless falls and an awkward fear of trying, number 8 quickly became, “Attempt a cartwheel.”

 

I’ve never been able to do one, but I thought I’d surely figure this out in a matter of minutes, I mean, I’m an athlete now, how hard could it be?

I secretly wanted to be a gymnast as a child. I would use the back of the couch as my beam and imagine all the beautiful flips and moves I’d be doing. Yeah, this dream might just have to remain in my head.

Lets just say, I had to start poppin’ ibuprofen at about midnight that night and my bum is still tender when I sit.

 

Sit back and enjoy nearly 45 minutes of “cartwheels” sped up into less than 5.

We’re not ready for the award podium just yet, but did you laugh that much on Tuesday night? I doubt it!

July 25, 2012
by Lacy
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Number 4: “Waterpark”

Number 4 on the list is “waterpark.”  This was one of the items that we didn’t fret about because we know there are several waterparks in the Wichita area. However, last week while Kenton and I were celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary we remembered how special Schlitterbahn was to us. We’d never been to a Schlitterbahn Waterpark before, that’s not why it was special. You see, while we were honeymooning in South Padre Island, Texas (the most exotic place two 20 year olds with a $500 credit limit could afford) we kept seeing signs for the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in the area. All the ads specifically said “Schlitterbahn!” From that, we cried out with exclamation, “Schlitterbahn!” every time we saw a sign. It was so silly to us that we even put a brochure from the park in our photo album from the trip. When Judah saw the brochure while we were reminiscing, he started asking about the park. And we instantly recalled why we had saved the pamphlet in the first place and proceeded to cry out, “Schlitterbahn!” all week long. Long story short, he was now in on the dorky joke and we all had Schlitterbahn! on the brain.

Knowing we’d be in KC for Worlds of Fun made it really easy to choose Schlitterbahn as our location for crossing off number 4. The location was fairly new, we’d never been, and we needed a better reason for screaming it’s name all the time.

I think he smiled for 48 hours straight

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July 24, 2012
by Lacy
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Number 2: “Roller Coaster with a Loop”

This was the dialog from the backseat of the car today:

“Mommy, want to know a goal I want to set for myself when I’m older?” said Judah. I replied, “Sure, what?” Judah continued, “I want to breed lizards and birds until I come up with the first real dragon. I’m not sure how I’ll get the fire part, but wouldn’t  a dragon be cool?”  Through tearful laughter, I said, “Yes, I suppose it would be.”

 

Apparently this list making business has gotten Judah thinking about the future and all his life long ambitions.

Since the first 11 items were given a time limit, we’ve had no time to dawdle. We’ve been able to get all our other items thus far completed within our own town, but there are no roller coasters with a loop in Wichita, so in order to cross off number 2, we had to hit the road.

We had to take our car in for hail dent repair the day before our trip and due to some poor customer service, the rental company wanted to make up for it by loaning us the best car on the lot. Our whirlwind weekend was classed up with a bright blue 2012 convertible Mustang. Kind of made the whole YLOO mission feel more legit, well Judah sure thought so.

Our Road Trip Ride

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July 16, 2012
by Lacy
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Number 10: “Buy Something Over and Over in a Disguise”

List item #10 says: “Buy something over and over in a disguise.” On Sunday, we crossed this item off. I could write all about it, but I think the video speaks for itself.


 

 

Our repeat purchases- Tattoos and expandable washrags.

This was the hardest list item for me, by far. I’d jump off a bridge before I’d do this again. However, I’m glad we did it. Surely this story will be retold for the rest of our lives.

Said Disguises

 

One unexpected consequence of our YLOO list is the stories. Not just the stories we create but the ones we learn from sharing our experiences. While Judah was explaining to his Great Aunt Nancy what he had done, she had to remind Kenton that he had done something similar once too. Granted, no costumes were involved but Kenton was reminded of the time he and his Aunt had gone into the grocery store to buy Little Debbie Cakes repeatedly. Since there was a coupon on the box, the two bought a box, went the the car, cut out the coupon, and then returned for another box. Nancy and Kenton laughed as they recalled how many boxes of snack cakes they ended up with before it was over. Without our list, Kenton may have never remembered that day with his Aunt and we may have missed out on another opportunity to share laughs with our family.

Mission Accomplished, whew!

 

We spent a total of $6.45 on this list item, money well spent, don’t you think?

July 11, 2012
by Lacy
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Some Items Take a Few More Chews and Tries

You’d think a list of 10 or so items wouldn’t be so difficult to accomplish in just one month’s time. However, it’s nearly mid-July and we’re only about halfway there. Additionally, we didn’t foresee any hurdles to our list items. We thought everything would take just one stop and then we could slash it off. Well, apparently we’re just too optimistic at times. The last two items gave us a few little speed-bumps.

Saturday we sought to cross off number 9, “Eat Octopus.” We headed to Hana Cafe in Old Town Square and ordered a plate of Tako Nigiri sushi, Raw octopus served over a bed of rice. Judah had attempted to eat octopus once before. A few years ago we were enjoying sushi while he and a friend went to look in the raw fish case and giggled at the octopus tentacle. The chef cut off a small sample for them to try. Judah popped the piece in his mouth and proceeded to chew, and chew, and chew, and seriously, chew some more. He actually kept chewing as we walked to the car and drove away. Finally the fishy smell filled the car and he said, “I can’t do this. Can I spit it out?!” He then opened the car door and spit out his octopus.

Judah’s First Attempt At Octopus (Nov. 2008)

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July 6, 2012
by Lacy
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#3 “High Dive”

Number 3 on the YLOO list was “High Dive.” This was a bit tricky to coordinate as there aren’t many pools with high dives left in the city. We attempted to go the the WSU campus and use the Heskett Center, but something about “needing to be staff or a student” stood in our way. Thankfully, Orchard Park Pool stays open until 6PM and they have a 3 meter high dive.

This pool is in my childhood neighborhood. I learned to swim in that pool during summer swimming lessons. I learned to dive along the wall in that deep end. My first high dive was in that pool. So, it seemed fitting once more to return to a site of my memories for Judah to make his first memory.

Pre-High Dive Family Pose

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July 3, 2012
by Lacy
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Pomegranates and Suicides -That’s an Awesome Band Name!

Despite the scratches and aches from #7 “Roll Down a Hill”, we weren’t deterred from continuing our list. Sunday allowed us to cross off #11 and #5.

 

#11 “Eat A Pomegranate”

Judah had tried pomegranates at school this year and Kenton had gotten one once in his Christmas stocking. I had never had one. They are messy but delicious. Our white kitchen table was splattered with deep red pomegranate juice after we were done. It look like a crime scene more than a snack.

#5 “Make A Suicide” 

We clarified that it was a sugar-free suicide as we figured the caffeine was bad enough, why add insult to injury.

Kenton recalled making these at his Dad’s restaurant, Gringo Charlie’s, back in the 80′s. I remembered making them at Godfather’s Pizza with my big sister. Not sure what the appeal was, but it sure was cool back then. Judah loved it, Kenton and I felt like we were drinking generic brand soda.

In both cases, we laughed and enjoyed the experiences. Whether they were first-times or old memories revisited, sharing them together as a family was unforgettable.

June 30, 2012
by Lacy
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#7 “Roll Down A Hill”

This is the first in a series of stories documenting our attempt to live every day. See them all here.

No time like the present to start marking items off our “YLOO List.”  This morning’s challenge was to knock out number 7, “Roll Down A Hill.” As you might have guessed this was one of Judah’s additions to the list. He’d never  done this and we felt it was high time he get that experience. I hadn’t rolled down a hill since I was a middle schooler. I remember doing so at the West Bank Stage during a RiverFest concert. I returned home itchy and covered in chigger bites, but with no regrets.

We decided there was no better place than to return to the site of my last hill roll. The West Bank Stage has seen better days and the hill has become a breeding ground for sticker patches. Never the less, we threw on long sleeve shirts (our protection) and let gravity take it’s course.

Summer 2012 YLOO List item #7 COMPLETE!

If you haven’t rolled down a hill in over 15 years, do it. I dare you to try and contain your laughter. Even if you’re rolling through painful stickers and rough, rocky dirt, pure joy will still beat out any discomfort. As you’ll see in the video raw emotions were captured. All frustations from the day disappeared as we acted like children and made sure our son got to accomplish one of his goals. I will remember this day, always.

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June 29, 2012
by Lacy
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You Live Only Once

As I was blowing purple snot out of my nose, I realized how unique my day had truly been.

I got to join the team from DietsinReview.com and participate in The Color Run last Saturday in Tulsa. Not knowing at all what to expect, I was so surprised. Thick-headed, prideful me, let go and enjoyed an un-timed 5K. I bonded with my workmates and best of all, got to have a blast with Judah. I’ve been working on letting go and enjoying the life that allows me to be active. Not every day is a competition.

My full recap: TULSA COLOR RUN

Entering the Orange Zone with Judah

Celebrating a colorful day with team Dietsinreview.com

Celebrating a colorful day with team Dietsinreview.com

 

Tulsa Color Run 2012

In the spirit of doing new things and learning to enjoy life more, our family got a great idea this week.

Kenton and I started watching The Buried Life to pass our summertime TV blahs. If you aren’t familiar, in a nutshell, the show follows four college boys who have set off to start marking off items from their “bucket list.” Along the way they continue to ask strangers, “What do you want to do before you die?” As these young crazy boys were being a little reckless and very entertaining during the first few episodes, I was inspired. Granted, I have no intention of making a toast at a stranger’s wedding (#41 on the boy’s list and a hilarious episode!), but I have so many things I do want to do before I’m toes up.

I want to learn to dance ballet

I want to run on the Great Wall of China

I want to learn to play the paino

I want to drive across North America

The list has always been in my head and some of the items get more embarrassing. I intend to start writing these things down and take time to reflect on how I can accomplish these things before I look up and it’s too late.

Because life is short, right. You Only Live Once, or YOLO, right? Well, actually, we attain to YLOO. We were inspired by Wellesley High School English teacher David McCullough, Jr.’s commencement speech earlier this month. The one where he told the kids they weren’t special. We loved it and we loved this line,

“Now, before you dash off and get your YOLO tattoo, let me point out the illogic of that trendy little expression–because you can and should live not merely once, but every day of your life.  Rather than You Only Live Once, it should be You Live Only Once… but because YLOO doesn’t have the same ring, we shrug and decide it doesn’t matter.”

Oh, it matters. You Live Only Once is our new motto.

Knowing that the Great Wall isn’t a reality this summer and doubtfully will I have time to join a ballet class, I was determined to start living more, even if it’s on a smaller scale. My family was right beside me on this plan. This resulted in our ever growing “Summer 2012 YLOO List.” We started scrawling items down at lunch yesterday and it keeps getting bigger. Bear in mind an 8 year-old is living out his dreams in this process too, so some items are straight from his brain. For now, we have 10 items we’ve declared we’re completing before August, 1 2012.

The Beginning of the Hansen's YLOO List

Be inspired or have fun watching us cross off our items. “Life is short” “You live only once” “Get busy living or get busy dying.” You’ve heard all the lines, but are you going to let their truths change you?