Here are some tough ladies!

Tapering? Is it a good thing? No.......

See what happens when I am not running a ridiculous amount of miles??

New fun way to make a checkered cake

Josie made the funfetti section

John made the chocolate

Detrix iced the cake

Everyone sprinkled

We all enjoyed it!

Great looking "checkered" cake... it tasted great too.

See what happens when I am not running?

Actually I did run 12 miles this weekend! It doesn't really knock your socks off like 21 miles though does it? All part of the training.

It is amazing to me that the images of 9/11/01 are still so vivid in my head. I remember turning on the tv and watching in horror as the second plane hit. The chaos that began was unheard of... I can't imagine what the people of New York felt as it happened in their city. My prayers go out to all those effected by the terrorist attacks that day.

I was down in California on a business trip, I was stuck in California for days as we couldn't fly anywhere. All flights were shutdown for 5 days.


I hope that I have lived each day since 9/11 with a new sense of urgency:
~ to tell those around me that I love them.
~ to not only tell them, but to show them I love them
~ to live each day as it truly may be my last.
~ to live with no regrets
~ to say my peace if I have a beef with someone and then let it go
~ to go after my dreams
~ to live the best life possible
~ to love others as I would like to be loved
~ to embrace people from all walks of life
~ to look past sins and look at the person on the inside
~ to walk in faith every day; no worrying about tomorrow

May we all love a little more.

It's that time of year again.. you can do it at a trot, you can do it at a gallup

you can do it real slow so your heart won't palpitate~~~ just don't be late....

Do the Puyallup!

For those not from the area... it is a local fair... the above words should be sang.

Petting zoo
milking cows

The cows look pretty real don't they?

Have to meet Spongebob!!

Giant pumpkins

The famous "foot massage chairs" - John loved these!

Bunnies....

After 6 hours of walking around the fair...... Josie fell asleep in the car with our friend Foster.

It has been a tradition of ours to go to the fair on opening day since I was pregnant with John, so even though he was suppose to be in school - we went to the fair! No worries it was very educational, he learned how to milk a cow!

On the running front:

5 miles today... legs a bit tired after Sat long run but I felt good!

First day of school!

John's big day finally came - First day of Kindergarten!
John and sister waiting for the bus, Josie did a great job of wishing John a happy first day!

Dad came home during his lunch to see John off on his bus.

John loves his sleep, so I was happy he was in afternoon kindergarten this year. Plus it works out with my work schedule, so it is perfect. John was up early and all ready for school 3 hours before the bus came. I had to talk him into eating something, he was so excited he didn't want to eat anything. After looking out the window waiting for the bus to come, (although we have to walk a block to his bus stop, but hey he was more than hapy to look for the bus anyway!) I finally convinced him he had plenty of time and needed to eat breakfast, then lunch, then the bus would come.

He had on all is new favorite school clothes.

The bus finally came, John was so excited. He was the only child on the bus!


I had the big debate on if I should drive him or let him ride the bus the first day - I figured because it was only kindergartners on the bus, that it was ok if he rode to school. He was a little nervous about the bus ride, but really wanted to do it "all by himself". So he got on the bus and then we walked back to the house, and Josie and I took off to meet John at his school when he got off the bus. I did very well, I didn't cry as I drove to the school. I was close to tears, but I didn't cry! (yeah me!)

All the parents were waiting in the hallway - John's bus pulled up and the doors opened, but no one was getting off the bus. The teacher walked out and still no kids gettting off. I had checked out the busdriver so remembered what he had on (nice Freddy Krueger shirt he had on) so I knew it was John's bus. I moved up so I could see the entire bus and not just the door. I see only two kids on the entire big bus, and they are both sitting on the bus together in the same seat! The teacher and bus driver were trying to get them off the bus but they were both nervous! It was really cute to see. John couldn't see me in the hall, so I waited for him to get off the bus and come and get in line with his classmates before he saw me. When he saw me he came running up and gave me a big hug and said the cutest thing, " mom, I missed you so much!" Ahhhhh melt my heart! He had been on the buss a total of 12 minutes I think - but I had missed him too.

sitting down at class.

I had to laugh because we got to his school and you could totally tell which mom's had their first kid going to school, we all looked on the verge of tears. Turns out a gal on my triathlon team has a son in John's class, so I was distracted talking to her so I didn't think about missing John while he was at school.

This is John in his classroom. He was a little nervous at first, but then we found out a friend from church is in his classroom! So John was very happy to know one of the kids in his class.

Love the cheese grin John has. His friend is in the blue.

There you have it, all the ins and outs of the first day of Kindergarten!

If you are following my running:

21 miles this weekend! (I did 21 miles! holey moley 21 miles!)

Over 5 hours - not my best run! legs felt like lead.

average hr: 140

highest hr: 170

calories burned: 3,097

Russia

Grandma Mary got back from a few weeks in Russia this past month. She brought back John and Josie the cutest outfits. John is all dressed up in Russian army outfit and Josie has on a traditional head set worn by the Russian girls during traditional dances and festivals. Josie got a very cute outfit, but it is not on in the picture. Aren't they just the cutest?

August running total: 151 miles - holey moley! Wow. I am shocked by that number! I did that? Why yes I did.....

I have never tracked my, well never tracked anything before, so I don't have anything to compare this too ~ but I think it is a pretty good number. Can I get a woot, woot?

First day of school coming Wed. I am sure you all can't wait for the pics!