Vacation, all I ever wanted!

Running makes you philosophical?

For those of you who smirk at sappiness, please skip this post! It's all about the sap today!

I realized as I was running at the track with my friends today, that training for this half marathon is an analogy for our friendship.

We have a wonderful group of 8 couples that are friends! All of us doing a million different things with our own lives, but we all are there for one another. And like in running, we may not always be right next to each other, but we're always on the same track. And we may not be moving at the same pace, but we always end at the same place. And knowing they are there is what gives me the strength to keep going when I feel like quitting. They push me to do my best and try harder.

What a blessing you all are!

Southside Muthafuckas! Salut!

Number 9. Number 9.

What's that you say? Where in the h-e-double hockey sticks have I been? Recovering from the half marathon, obviously! Has it really taken me 2 MONTHS to recover? Nah, but I've been busy doing other stuff. And what if it did take me 2 months to recover? 13.1 is a long, long way to run! It's fa!

And now that I have recovered, the Southsiders have decided to train for the Lewis and Clark half marathon in September. Only this time we are walk/running it. The plan (as far as I know the plan. I just kind of follow along.) is to walk a mile, run a mile repeatedly until we've gone 13.1 miles. And I have to say that there was absolutely no alcohol involved in the decision to do this. But I may have been high on endorphins at the time! Anyway, we've started the training. We're running 2 mornings (soon to be 3 mornings) a week and doing a long run/walk on the weekends. The cussing has already begun, and it wasn't by me. I don't start cussing until mile 11 or so, and then I cuss like a sailor! It's good times! Go Southsiders!

And now, let's get to the real reason for this post (which I tried to write last week, and blogger had apparently lost it's mind and wouldn't let me. But I digress...). My Ike is 9 years old! He turned nine last week, and I just don't know where the time has gone! My little man who made such a dramatic entrance into the world is now 9 years old!

He is such a great kid! He loves to make people laugh and tell a story. He talks too much at school, but the teacher can't discipline him because, "what he says is just so interesting or funny that I find myself listening to what he says instead of telling him to be quiet." Thanks, Mrs. B! Just a reminder to Ike, your fourth grade teacher may not be quite so lenient. Just sayin'. And he's kind and loving too. What a great combination! He's a boy to be proud of, and we are!

Here is a picture of Ike on his birthday. Yes, he is decorating his own cake, with help from his big brother. He also helped make it! He loves to cook!

Grandmas and Grandpa came and there was good food and cake and LEGOS! And more LEGOS! All dedicated to Indiana Jones. It was a great birthday all around!

Ahoy mateys, you must see some photos from Pirate camp. Shiver me timbers, they had a great time! Thanks Captain Tomato Patch for such a fun week! AARGH!

And with that, my friends, I am outta here!

Mmmmwah! (Yes, she IS unbelievably cute!)

Toenails are for Sissies, or 13.1 miles and I'm Still Smiling!

It's been two weeks since we walked the half marathon, and I'm still on an endorphin high!!!

You all will have to bear with me as I brag and reminisce and wax poetic about the whole experience...

What possessed us to walk 13.1 miles? Well truthfully, it was a wine induced bravado that made me tell my friend Trainja that I would LOVE to train to walk a half marathon with her. In January, we were enjoying our appetizers and drinks at a progressive dinner at her house (and her name is obviously not really Trainja!) when the suggestion was made. Before we had moved on to the next house and the main course, six people had said they would do it! (Note to self-do not drink when Trainja is in the room!)

That began a journey of 3 months and many, many miles of walking that ended at the finish line on April 6th, 2008!

The morning of the race was chilly but clear the day of the race. We all met at church at 5:45 am and headed downtown. Who are we, you ask? David (who ran the full marathon), Tanja, Jacquie, Jeff, Beth, Russ and myself were the participants in this crazy scheme!

The sun was rising in the east toward the Arch. There was a sea of people waiting for the start at 7 am when we arrived and took our place at the back of the line where the walkers were lining up for the race. We wished David well as he went up to take his spot in the 4 hour finish pace group.

Our fears of being the only group of walkers doing the half was put to rest as we looked around and saw many groups of walkers just like us. We all had our Southside shirts on and were ready for the start of the race.

It may sound silly, but the adrenaline was running high as we waited and there was a general buzz of excitement as everyone stood around or stretched or put on trash bags (yes, Hefty trashbags! Apparently they keep you warm.) before the start.

Finally, we heard the singing of the Star Spangled Banner and bang! the race started. We started out strong and soon we broke into two groups-Tanja, Jacquie and me, and Beth, Jeff and Russ.

We were averaging about a 14 minute mile in the beginning. After Jacquie, Tanja and I stopped at mile 4 or so for a bathroom stop, we decided that we should run the downhills and after bathroom stops to make up the time we wasted at the stops. So that became our strategy.

It is quite the rush to be surrounded by people like yourself who have trained for this day and who are just as excited as you are about the whole endeavor!

We cruised along quite steadily enjoying the day, enjoying throwing the cups on the ground at the water stops!, enjoying the challenge of trying to stay at 14 minute miles.

At about mile 12, I hit "the wall." It was totally a mental thing. I was physically tired, and I was letting it mess with my mind. We were trying so hard to make the finish in 3 hours, and we were really going to have to step it up if we were going to make it. This was not the time to have a freak out! I told my two strong companions that I needed a pep talk, and they came through like the great friends they are! We pressed on, and when it became evident that I was holding them back, I told them to go on without me and try to finish in the 3 hour time. They both adamantly refused and Jacquie said, "We are crossing that finish line together!"

And ladies and gentlemen, that's exactly what we did! We started running with two tenths of a mile left and crossed the finish line holding hands and smiling!! And we did it in 3 hours, 2 minutes and 22 seconds! Only two minutes off of our goal! I have to say, there is nothing like the feeling of running toward the finish line with a crowd of people cheering you on!

The B team (as Beth likes to call them) finished soon after us. They also ran across the finish line, and we were there to meet them!

We went to get our water, bagels, chips, granola bars, and beers wearing our medals and feeling like olympic champions! After eating and drinking and generally congratulating ourselves, we went to watch David finish the full marathon. He came speeding across the line and we cheered him on from the sidelines!

It was a spectacular day. We all are now hooked, as we have agreed to run/walk a half marathon in September. And this time we weren't drinking. But I believe I may have been under the influence of endorphin intoxication...


Go Team Southside!

Trainja made the most fantastic video scrapbook of the whole experience, and you (lucky you!) can see it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duOIdZKWyNM

The very best part of the whole experience was being able to spend time with such great friends! It's a day I will never forget!

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

Let's see,the holiest day of the year+ family+good friends+love+CANDY+good food+laughter+adorable children=one fantastic holiday!

Easter is my favorite church holiday. All the great music and pageantry, how can you not be moved by that? And all the beautiful little girls in their sherbet colored dresses and little boys dressed up in their ties and sport coats-how sweet!

And CANDY! Let's not forget the CANDY!

We enjoyed a great meal at my brother Steve's house. Where we had an outdoor Easter egg hunt in between snow squalls. Snow on Easter is just not right! Thank you, Global warming.

So, here are a few pictures from the day. Hope you enjoy them! Susan's braided bread. It was as delicious as it was beautiful! It looks like a playboy model just posin' there all seductive-like!

Here's a nice picture of my gang all dressed up for Easter. And we get the added bonus of having pretty little Ceecee in the picture with us. She took a shine to Russ after he taught her Sunday school class last week and wanted to be in the picture with us!

The following are Easter egg hunt pictures from Steve and Pattie's house. Look at that little girl on her first egg hunt!
And since we haven't been able to say this for the past 40 days,

Allelulia!!!!!

Warning! Parental bragging ahead!

It's been a fews day without a post about my wonderful children, and I know you are just biting your fingernails down to the nubs in anticipation of a new one!



It just so happens that a piece of Ike's artwork was entered by his art teacher into the Mastadon Art and Science fair. (Sam's science project was not picked to go, but he was ROBBED, I tell ya!)


Anyway, we went as a family to view his artwork at the fair last Saturday. Here is a lovely shot his 3D cookie watch picture:

I have to tell you that the idea of a cookie watch is just brilliant! It tells the time and functions as a snack all in one. I suppose it wouldn't be very practical as it would be a one use item, but still, it's brilliant! (Hey, it's my kid, I'm supposed to use brilliant 3 times in 4 sentences when I talk about him!)

When we visited the art fair, the exhibits had not been judged. But on Thursday, in the parking lot of Shop n Save, we found out from Ms. Falconnier (the world's coolest art teacher) that Ike had gotten first place!

I'm pretty sure that Shop n Save is not an official location for the award ceremony of the Mastadon art fair, but since we had parked right next to Ms. Falconnier, and she had the awards in her car, we had the medal bestowing right there next to the cart corral!

Unfortunately, I was unprepared for the impromptu award ceremony and did not have my camera. But here is a picture of the proud young man and his blue ribbon at home:

Congratulations, Ike!

Super Sunday!

No, this isn't another post about the Super Bowl. And I'm feeling chatty, so just settle in for a long post.

It's about the great day that was yesterday.

We celebrated Ike's first Holy Communion and finally had Sam's postponed birthday party.

It was one of those days that is stellar from beginning to end. Smiles all around and even a few tears of joy...

Here's a picture of the first Communicants:

I have to tell you that being able to celebrate this milestone with such a wonderful group of friends made the day even more special!

There was a cake at church after the service(were you able to get the cake Jacquie??):


And then we had a party for both boys at home.

This is a fantastic photo of Sam. He is getting ready to blow out his candles (really? That explains the cake with all the candles on it.), but under the table is a cell phone that he has used to dial our house phone which is why he is looking to his right, that is where the phone is.


I was rushing to the phone and he was getting a big kick out of tricking his mother. When you are 11, fooling your mother is just about the funniest thing ever! Anyway, I love the mischievious grin on his face that shows off his dimples.

Here's one more picture of Ike on his big day:

Isn't he the handsome young man? How can he be old enough for his first Communion?

It's a blessing that my boys are surrounded by family and friends that love and support them as they grow up!

In short (too late, Jane, too late), a good time was had by all.