Christmas!

This year our family Christmas celebrations seemed a little "scaled down", which was fine by me...maybe even a little more enjoyable :-). This time of year I'm usually cooking and baking non-stop, but I didn't do as much of that this year. However, I sure did EAT a lot despite not doing much cooking (my pants are still tight)!

Our family "celebrations" start on Christmas Eve with Jonathan's family. We gather together in the evening and share appetizers, read the Christmas story from the Bible, and open gifts. It's always a little more "low-key" as far as family gatherings go, but that's part of what I like about it. This year we were missing a family member (Brandi) due to sickness & it just didn't seem quite the same without my favorite sister-in-law :-(. However, despite Brandi's absence we all enjoyed our time together & the kids had a great time opening their gifts.

McKenna with her new jewelry box.

Chandler loves his "Pop-Pop"

Mckenna showing Maya how her jewelry box works.

Christmas morning was so much fun this year. Oh, and can you believe MY KIDS SLEPT IN ON CHRISTMAS MORNING!! I'm not sure what we did to make that happen, but chances are it will never happen again! We all rolled out of bed around 9:00 a.m and enjoyed a breakfast of homemade waffles before we opened our gifts. The "star" of our morning was the "Fur-Real" kitty that Maya got (or as Jonathan likes to call it...the "Pet Cemetery" kitty). This thing was wildly popular at our house, and all the kids took turns making it meow, purr, and hiss! It was hilarious!




(You may notice in this picture that little miss Maya is only wearing a onsie. This is not because we are careless parents who clothe our children in scant clothing during the winter months. You see, we had a tad bit of a "situation" on Christmas morning involving ....well, puke! Prior to all the Christmas morning fun and frivolity Miss Maya puked all over her "Frosty The Snowman" jammies, & we had to bathe and re-dress her quickly before the gift opening (she only wanted to wear the onsie??). We still don't know what caused the sudden GI upset because she acted fine the rest of the day. We just called her quick recovery a true "Christmas miracle".)

After all the fun at home on Christmas morning we headed over to my parents house in the afternoon for MORE presents, MORE food, and MORE fun with the fam. The kids got great new toys and gadgets this year which has made for a very peaceful and fun-filled week at our home. I've played countless rounds of "War" (the card game), and "Connect 4" with McKenna, and I think I've even figured out a thing our two on Chandler's new Leapster. In fact, it's been such a great week that I think I'm going to be a little sad when the kids have to go back to school. This week has reminded me of how much I enjoying spending quality time with my kids, and that sometimes the best gifts are the ones that don't cost a thing!

Maya in her new Cinderella dress up clothes from "Me-Maw"

You're getting sleepy...


very sleepy.....

Thank goodness I'm going to FLORIDA for this marathon!

I'm only three weeks away from my marathon now...YAY! Training has been really tough with the bad weather this season...but I've managed to survive despite the freezing rain, sleet, snow and ice! Although to be completely honest the horrid weather has brought out the worst in me. I've been one grumpy lady out on the trails & even been forced to curse a time or two at the crappy conditions I've had to run in (oh, please....you would cuss too if you busted your butt on the icy pavement!). However, I'm happy to announce that the hardest part of my training is winding up now. For the next few weeks we will begin to taper (ahhhhh...). Of course, I still have the marathon to run now, but at least I get to go to Florida for that :-).

I leave you with this lovely picture of me taken right after last weeks 20 miler in the freezing temps and snow. What fun!


Yes...that's ICE frozen to the front of my jacket (smile).

Notice how many cars are left in the parking lot (um....mine...and MINE)....it was quite a popular day to hit the trails.

My fearless running partner! Without Jodi I would have gone home after the first 10 miles (but she forced me to continue on-ha!).

The Nutcracker Ballet

Last week my mom took us to the Nutcracker ballet & it was beautiful! We took the girls two years ago (too pricey to do every year!) & it was so much fun that we decided to make it a tradition. This year was just as magical...if not more so! This is the sort of thing I always said I wanted to do if I ever had girls & it was just like a dream come true that day. We had so much fun that I can't wait until Maya is old enough to go too.

Here are a few pictures from our day.


In front of the Music hall.

Getting ready for the ballet to start!

Cute little hands.

After the show we found a kind stranger who took our picture :-).

My little ballerina.


After the ballet we took the girls out to their first fancy restaurant. It was so cute seeing them enjoy such a "grown-up" experience.

The gingerbread houses at Crown Center.

One last picture by the pretty Christmas trees.

"Holiday Happening."

*OK...in a way I hate that my kids school had to call the CHRISTMAS program a "Holiday Happening" but....whatever. God forbid we offend anyone. Moving on...

This was Chandler's first Christmas program & he did really well. He was super cute too! I didn't think he would actually stay up on the stage, but he DID! And, yes...I was the super annoying parent sitting in the middle aisle blocking people's way so that I could get a better shot of my kid (and I don't regret it-ha)!

Trying to find his place on stage.

Singing! I got the cutest video clips of him singing. If I can get them posted on youtube I'll share them with you on here :-).

After the program the school had activities for the kids. They had so much fun. Chandler NEVER plays with play-dough at home, but I guess it's more exciting at school ;-).

The girls really got into the action. Looks like I've got myself some good Christmas cookie helpers this year.

Santa! This would have been a super cute Christmas card...but Maya WOULD NOT have anything to do with Santa-ha!

The tree is up!

We tried our very best to get in the Christmas mood this weekend by breaking out the Christmas decorations! I always love getting to do this with the kids. Each year gets more and more fun :-). We had a bit of a crazy weekend, so I didn't get to bake Christmas cookies and make hot cocoa for the big event, but we will do that another night while we enjoy the warm glow of our festive tree. Now...I guess I better get to shopping!


Helping set up the tree (Gotta love what the kids are wearing...)


Chandler was just a little excited!

Chandler like this ornament.



Maya just like to take them off the tree!


McKenna is getting to be a "pro" at this ornament placement thing.


And the star goes on top :-)

Girls Night Out!

Last Thursday was "Girls Night Out" with my new little group of running friends. It was so refreshing to have a nice relaxing dinner with friends. I really missed being a part of a "girls" group & this group of women is so much fun! You forget how much you miss being with women when you don't have a group of friends to get together with on a regular basis.

I hope this group stays together for years to come :-).

Squeeze....

Theresa and Susan

Jodi and Julia

The Disney gang...with the "bucket-o-perpetuem".

My big girl turned 6!

Last week McKenna turned 6 years old! It's hard to believe that the little baby I was holding just yesterday is now a big 6 year old. She has grown up so fast....too fast if you ask me. Every time my kids have a birthday I ask myself "how did another year just go by?". If you ask me that's one of the hardest things about being a mommy. They grow up too fast.



Anyway....McKenna had a great birthday & we had a fun time celebrating as a family. On the morning of her birthday I let her pick out what she wanted me to fix her for breakfast. She picked my famous "Blueberry Crumble" muffins (I had to wake up an hour early to get those made...that's usually a weekend treat). We even put a candle in her "birthday muffin" and sang "happy birthday" to her.






After breakfast McKenna got dressed in her new cute outfit from auntie Tricia :-).



...then it was off to school where she got to be "queen of the classroom" for the day-hehe!










-That evening McKenna picked "Build-A-Bear" as her birthday present from Jonathan and I. So, we went out to the mall to create a fuzzy new addition to McKenna's growing stuffed animal family. She was SO excited when we got there!

The bear...

the stuffing....

the fluffing...

Even Chandler got in on the action!

















The last stop for the evening was a birthday dinner at "On The Border" (...off the map). McKenna was so cute at dinner. She was just so excited because she knew people were going to come out of the kitchen and sing to her! She even got to try a new taste sensation...sopapillas!















***************************************
*This year, McKenna wanted to help make her own birthday cake, so we took our cake supplies over to some friends house this weekend and let McKenna and her friends go crazy. They did a really good job & I think this was one of McKenna's favorite birthday cakes!





God had something to say
So He sent an Angel my way.
A baby girl to love
Directly from Heaven above.
McKenna; So happy and carefree
No greater love could there be.
As I watch you grow each day
I know God sent an Angel my way

But I don't feel smarter...

ACK! Oh....yes I did :-)

My Weekend

• Woke up at 4:30 am on Saturday and ran 18 miles (and actually enjoyed most of it!) -No...I'm not sore today :-)
• Went out on a date with Jonathan Saturday night for the first time in 5 months.
• "Slept in" till' 8:30 on Sunday and then did major autumn clean-up in our yard (we have a lot of leaves!)-Pictures will follow...
• Watched a movie Sunday night for the first time in oh....months!

*It was no weekend shopping trip, or Vegas vacation (Jodi-I'm just teasing ya!), but I had a pretty good weekend :-). No laundry or cleaning got done this weekend, but I think I prefer it that way ;-).

5 Things I'm Looking Forward To.

1. Cooking for Thanksgiving!
2. Getting my hair cut and colored (it been a good 5-6 months!).
3. Seeing my sister again (she has been gone for 2 weeks).
4. Finishing up my fundraising.
5. "Girls Night" with good friends on the Plaza!

*What are you looking forward to?

Why I Run.

**********WARNING...THIS IS A LONG POST**********
This has been the topic of conversation among a runners group that I chat on-line with & I thought it might be appropriate to post my feelings over here on my personal blog.

Let me start off by saying that my reasons and feelings towards running have changed dramatically since I started running last year. Initially I started running because I needed an escape from my hectic life at home with three little kids clinging to me day and night. I was inspired by a story I saw about a father who did triathlons with his disabled son in tow & I thought..."I want to do that". I guess you could say I'm more than a little impressionable if I decided to go run a marathon after watching a news story. LOL! However, that story changed my thinking in a huge way.

Once I decided to actually sign up and start training for the marathon, things were not as "glamorous" as I had pictured & I had to keep finding new reasons to keep going. That's about the time I finished my first half-marathon & I knew I loved this sport! It was one of the hardest things I had ever done & I began to believe I really was capable of more than I thought. Then my kids started to notice what I was doing & they started to emulate me (running around the park saying "look mommy...I'm a runner!") & I thought "hey, maybe I really am making a difference with this whole crazy marathon thing".

I was also running for a "cause" & that kept me focused on something outside of myself. I wasn't just training and running to achieve something for myself (although there was a tremendous amount of satisfaction from my achievement), I was part of a bigger picture. I began to see that as my purpose and ultimate goal for doing what I was doing. I liked that I was able to inspire other people to see themselves differently...as capable of doing MORE! People saw me as an average person doing something "not-so-average", and I think they began to think twice about their own abilities. I can't tell you how many times my friends have said "I could NEVER do what you are doing"...and to that I always say "Oh, YES you could!". I really believe that!

Throughout my very short running career, I've been asked many times "why do you do this?", "how do you do what you do?", and "don't you ever get sick of running?". To answer those questions I just simply say "You always find time to do the things you love". I guess that's what's at the heart of what I'm feeling now. I didn't start off "loving" the sport of running...it was a slow (and very painful) transformation. I started off trying to challenge myself to do something I thought was impossible for me to do. Once I saw that I could do it, I found a new respect for myself and my body that began to change my thinking for good. I can say for certain that I'll never think of myself the same way again.

Some things have not changed about "why" I run. I still love to run because it gets me out of the house & away from my "mommy" world for a few hours each week. I also still love the challenge of it! While running may be getting more "comfortable", it's still not "easy" for me & I sorta like that. I like that I have to work for it! Where would the fun be if there was no challenge? I think we all tend to gravitate toward something that challenges us, we need that...we crave that. It's also one of those things that I can always work on. I'll probably never be a Boston qualifier, but I can always work on a new PR. Plus, the longer I run, the better I feel about this "mommy body" of mine-LOL!

The biggest surprise I've encountered in my running career has been the fact that I never thought I would have such a great time doing this! I've met so many awesome friends as a result of my involvement in the running world. These days, my running friends are what keep me going. They call me, e-mail me, laugh with me, cry with me & keep me focused on my goals. When I entered this community of people I entered a whole new family..so to speak. THEY are what I love the most about running. You really can beat running on picturesque autumn morning with a group of great friends! We keep each others minds off of the pain of running by talking, sharing our stories, laughing, and making future plans together. It's a unique camaraderie you won't find anywhere else...and I'm so lucky to be a part of it :-).

Of course, I also love that my children want to grow up to be "runners" too! I sincerely hope I live to see the day that I can run a marathon with my kids :-). I'm positive that as time passes, I'll find more reasons, different reasons, to continue running, but I'll always love the reasons why I started. It's sort of like remembering where you came from...you will always feel a special connection to your "roots". No matter what happens with my running career in the future, I'll always have my past memories close to my heart.

My first marathon finish!

Halloween!

I accidentally left my camera at my parents house on Halloween, so I wasn't able to do my Halloween post as soon as I had hoped. But....the wait is over :-)
We had a great evening, and the weather even cooperated this year (no bitter cold, high winds or rain -woohoo!) No one was crying or too tired to walk, and Maya even surprised us by being the most eager of all the kids! It was so much fun to watch all the kids having such a great time this year! :-) I still couldn't manage to get all three kids to stand together in the same spot to get a "family" photo, so I had to settle for getting individual pictures of each kid (baby steps, Amber...baby steps...).


McKenna as: "Princess Jasmine/purple genie"
and
Avery as: "Sleeping Beauty".

"Watch out.....here comes the Spidey-Babe" (aka "baby Zion")


Maya the happy "Butterfly/Fairy/Princess"....or something cute like that :-)


Owen as: "Under the weather" James.



Mighty Chan as: "RED Power Ranger"

Just another reason why I like fall...can't beat kids in cute costumes :-)



This one is for Karen. Here are the pumpkins that I carved....with "help" from the kids (next year they are doing it alone-LOL!)-HA!




Apparently the sheetrock knife isn't such a bad pumpkin carving tool :-)