KC Marathon and kids marathon

Yes, i am still in October with my blogs plugging along and trying to catch up!! The end of Oct was the last half marathon for 2012 and one of my favorites! Got down there plenty early this time but due to waiting in line for a must have restroom visit once again almost missed the start of the race. I ran to the start and jumped into line with the 2:10 pace group as opposed to the 1:50 as i had planned. This kinda messed with my head a bit but i got over it. John and the kids and my in laws were all there to cheer me in at the end. I knew i was cutting it very close to beating my previous half marathon pr...

My watch said i had it but i am never positive till i see my "official" time, since the finish clock time is always different.

and once i got my print out i was super happy to see that i had a new pr by 14 seconds...my new half pr being 1:48:27

  Julie and i after the race...

Rebekah and i after the race...

And then it was time for the kids to run! They run their first 25 miles before race day and then run the final mile and a little more on race day. Trey came flying in and took 3rd or 4th place i believe

Avery had a good run...

I just love this picture of Ethan! I am pretty darn sure he was giving his all!

I ran with Raegan and she did great. We didn't get a picture of us coming across but she was super happy to see the finish line!

So proud of my kids and they had a blast doing it!

It was an all around great day!

Fall pictures

There is a trail that i run often and every time i run it i have thought "i need to bring the kids here and get some fall pictures" So...ones of the days in October that the kids were out of school we took a little walk on the trail and got a bazillion pictures! Here are the ones that actually had (for the most part) all 4 smiling with their eyes open. This is just no easy task with a point and shoot camera resulting in me taking the bazillion pictures i take and hoping i get some that actually turn out!

Raegan...5years old and quite my little photogenic child. She is loving kindergarten and writes CONSTANTLY! I pretty much exist as a  mom who utters the spelling of words, many, many words!!

they are just plain crazy!

soon to be 14 year old and i am in a little bit of denial that i need to go to the dmv to pick up his book to study so that he can go get his DRIVING permit soon!!! Seriously, the thought of my child driving me around makes me extremely nervous! He still enjoys writing. I often find him in his room at night just sitting at his desk writing stories.

 Our 7 year old who starts basketball practice today and is super excited! I just love how he looks back and waves at me 3 or 4 times on his way into school! He breezes through his spelling tests and so far is not a big fan of math (welcome to the club!!) He thinks his mom is pretty cool when i help him with his challenge spelling words by giving him little ways to remember how to spell them. He was super proud to get the words celebration and decorations right this past week. It made his whole week!

 The start of this trail is less than a mile from my house and i never even knew about it until i started running with the local running club last January. It is now one of my favorite running routes that i frequent!

Our almost 12 year old! This first year of middle school has been her cup of tea. She is quite the social girl (takes after her dad in this area) and has made a lot of new friends this year. She loves changing classes and says it makes the day go so much faster! One of her teachers at conferences told me "does she always have a smile on her face, she is quite the social girl but does not let that get in the way of her studies" Hope that continues!

You know there are days when these four just drive me so crazy! They all tend to talk to me at the same time and i feel like a broken record sometimes saying..."i CANNOT listen to everyone at once!! This is especially bad when they all get in the car after school and then arguments break out over who is the longer winded talker....BUT...i am so extremely blessed!! These four healthy kids bring so much joy to our home!

I am seeing my oldest two get along so much better being in middle school together and having more to talk about...and be goofy together...the other day they were walking down the hill to the car (they walk  from the middle school to the elementary car line) all of a sudden Avery just collapsed and flew to the ground dropping everything but then they both busted up laughing...Trey had dared her to do it...all of those days of fighting like cats and dogs seem to be less and less!

I tell them that some day they will like having these pictures and they look at me like i am crazy, but deep down i think they know i am right because momma is always right! Right?!

Happy 7th birthday to our blondie

Ethan turned 7 on October 11th!

 He wanted to laser tag for his birthday so he and his good bud Mile and their siblings went at it for the Friday evening and then we ate some pizza.

You will always be our little blonde hair blue eyed miracle that God blessed us with Ethan! We love you and hope you had a special birthday!

7 years and a field trip

It happened that Ethan's 1st grade class field trip to the pumpkin patch and Louisburg Cider Mill was on his 7th birthday. For a 7 year old that is fantastic news! A friend and i tagged along behind the bus and spent the day with our first graders.

Ethan's class...

having lunch on the hay stack

and then doing what just comes naturally to every 7 year old...

They loaded up the bus again and headed to the cider mill. I have never been there so i enjoyed the little tour and then i indulged in not 1 but two cider slushies! Oh my word, if you have never had one you have got to try one....SO good!

Happy 7th birthday Ethan!!

Red Barn Farm

In October Raegan's kindergarten class visited the Red Barn Farm in Weston. I got to tag along with her class on the bus. It was a nice warmer day in Oct. Perfect weather for the pumpkin patch!

 Raegan picked a special little pumpkin and if you saw my facebook status was distraught when the pumpkin started rotting and finally was thrown away by Daddy! Because Mommy didn't have the heart. The tears and the watching her go out and write one more little heart on her pumpkin made me decide i would keep her pumpkin there till spring if that is what it took.

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Cross country 2012

Trey and Avery each participated in cross country this fall. Avery was very much opposed to doing cross country going into school but i convinced her to give it a try and she ended up loving it and can't wait till track season. My "i do not like to run" little girl has ended up actually enjoying running much to her momma's delight!

6th grade girls lined up to run...

 coming in to the finish line. Finished her mile in 7:26 impressing her Dad and Mom!

I just realized that these photos are all mixed up so this is her second meet ready to run below...

her first loop of the course...

after her second meet with her dad...

8th graders taking off in the second meet

Trey on his first loop of the course on his two mile run (2nd meet)

Coming in to the finish of his 2nd meet finishing in 11:52!! We were extremely proud of him!!

Avery and i after her first meet

8th grade lined up for their first meet

rounding loop 1 first meet

rounding the corner to the finish on his first meet

Very proud of both Trey and Avery and the hard work they put in. Running every day after school and running hard and doing their best on race days! Great job guys! You should be proud of yourselves!