December is NUTS!!

As you can tell by my lack of posts, December has been NUTS and I've found no time to blog.  The month flew by - I can't believe we're staring 2012 in the eyeballs!

Ella and I started the first weekend in December with the Jingle Bell run downtown.  Her gym teacher got over 120 people signed up from the school. It was a ton of fun and Ella ran the whole way with me!  (It was a 5k, or 3.2 miles).  She did great and wants to start running with me more often.

We put our Christmas tree and decorations up earlier than usual this year because we hosted the Santa party, and it would have looked pretty bad to have Santa but no tree or decorations!

Both Ella and Silas wanted to put the angel on the tree this year - so they both did.  Both are getting pretty heavy for Justin to lift up that high!

We had another great visit with Santa this year - our 10th year I believe.  Such a fun tradition.
And Ella had quite the outfit picked out - she looks like one of Santa's Elves!

Ella's class also put on a stellar performance with their play called Snow Way Out.  It was very good and some of those kids that sang solos were very brave!

I tried to upload the video of one of the songs but no go...

Silas had  a fun party in class.  All the kids got a gingerbread boy. Si was so excited to get him.  His teacher had been reading The Gingebread Boy to them in class.

Margie got a cardboard gingerbread house for Ella and Silas to paint.  They did very well for the first couple days...then I had to twist arms to get them to paint!

Guess who ended up finishing the painting on it!? It turned out cute and Cleo likes it :)

Much more to post about Christmas and Si's birthday...but that will have to come later!

Flash Backs!

I've been feeling like everything is a deja vu lately.  Especially with these two boys.  Sometimes I see and watch them side by side and think I'm hallucinating. 

Mason - 2002 - at Kuhlwein's pumpkin patch (above)

Silas - 2011 - at the same place

I remember when we were there and seeing Silas in the blue with the orange pumpkin, reminded me so much of the picture of Mason.  Tonight when I was looking for some other pictures, I found it.  Mason is about a year older or so older (hence many more missing teeth!).
Often, when it's just me, Justin and Silas (when Ella and Mason are out with doing who knows what), Justin and I will feel like it's the pre-Ella and Silas days.  It's a funny feeling!!

Fall Into Winter...Already!

With Christmas quickly approaching, the kids have had some festive school projects to create.  In kindergarten, they make wreaths that they can decorate however they want. We made Si's this week.  I thought I'd have to come up with ideas for him, like things to glue on or family pictures but Silas knew exactly what he wanted to do.  He wanted snow on the ground, snowflakes falling and Santa and a snowman.  With the exception of gluing down some of the cotton balls (it was messy) he did everything else himself.
I thought he did a beautiful job!
I love that Silas is taking more interest in art and painting but in pure Silas style though,  he likes to drink the paint water. He really is a nutty child!!

Justin has gotten to go on two fun outings over the last few weeks.  The first was to see a Notre Dame vs. Boston College football game with Kevin.  It was a good game and ND won.  It was pretty cold, just like a November football game is supposed to be!

This week Justin got to go on a 5 day golf trip with Tim and a bunch of other guys.  They went down to Santee in South Carolina and golfed 3 days of 36 holes per day.  I can just imagine the Icy Hot and tired-men-drinking-booze smell filling the air in the condos! He had a BLAST and I was very happy to see him go have some fun after all the long days he's been putting in.

I have been happy to have some good live music to listen to.  I listen to CD101 (now 102.5) and the CD101 Holiday concert was this past week.  I won tickets to see one of the bands playing in the Big Room on Tuesday, so Justin and I went to see them.  There were probably less than 30 poeple in this (very not big) room and the band.  It was very cool. Sleeper Agent was the band.  A very young looking band.  It was a lot of fun.

I'm pretty sure we are old enough to be the parents of most of these guys!

That night I went to the concert by myself. Everyone else was either busy or had never heard of the bands I was seeing. It's the first time I've gone to a concert alone and it really wasn't that bad.  They biggest problem was I wanted to keep the spot that I had claimed (open venue, no seats) so I didn't leave to go to the bathroom or anything once there.  I stood up on the 2nd lever so that I had a better view of the stage and it was crazy watching all the young "kids" slam dancing and crowd surfing.  All I could think is how sore they would be the next day.  Guess that shows my age! (though I was never one to get into that anyway).

After a very busy week and weekend, we've got some sleepy people in the house (it's 9:30pm and I'm the only one still awake!).  But I think I'm ready for bed now too.  When did life get so exhausting!?! (I think my answer is when I hit my 40s!)

{PS} - sorry to be such a blog slacker lately - it's so hard to find time!  I promise to try to do better with updates!

Gratitude and Humor

Many of my friends on Facebook and blogs are posting their 30 days of Thanks. I love reading what everyone is thankful for.

When I saw this picture, it was like my 30 days of Thankfulness all rolled into one.
It's so so rare to get my kids into a picture together. And to get them in a photo for ME is almost impossible.  We had Melissa work her magic recently and I just love this picture. Little Miss Silly Boo, Smiley Siley and this (edging towards maturity) teenage (Ma)son that I barely recognize sometimes - I haven't yet become accustomed to looking UP at him.

I admit, I am very biased, but when I see this picture, I see not only their handsomeness but also each unique personality.  We have some very smart kids. Very quirky kids. Very funny kids.  If there is one thing that I want my kids to have in life (besides happiness of course...) it's a great sense of humor, which I think breeds happiness.  The ability to laugh at yourself, connect with others through humor and to find some way to laugh in just about any situation life brings on. 

I'm thankful everyday for many things in my life.  Laughter is at the top of the list.  The ability to laugh in good times and bad, to hear the kids laugh and know they are happy, when you know someone hurts but still can experience even a moment of peace with a laugh.  I really am very thankful for humor and the ability to laugh.

I think we've created some pretty amazing little people...and we're so blessed.

2011 Pumpkin Show

It's almost mid-November and I'm still reliving October and trying to catch up blogging about it.
One of the highlighs of October is when we get to go to the Circleville Pumpkin Show.  Honestly, it's like the Frankin County Fair with 1000 pumpkins, fair food, freaky people and scary carnies but we still had fun. 

We went on Friday afternoon - the kids didn't have school (Oct. 21) and got off to a later start than we had planned...as usual.  We hit a huge traffic jam on the way there on 23 because a big truck carry corn or grain of some sort overturned on the highway so they were sweeping it up on the side of the road.  That put a damper on the beginning of the day.

It's nearly impossible these days to get all 3 kids in the same general vicinity, let alone to look at the camera and SMILE.

We spent a lot of time looking at all the HUGE prize winning pumpkins and eating everything in sight.  We had pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cheese cake, french fries and my favorite...homemade pumpkin ice cream that was being churned right on the spot.  I craved it for weeks!!

During the long wait while stuck in traffic on the way there I had the chance (since we were
 at a dead stop) to snap a few pictures of a farm and barn.  Some of my favorite pictures of the day so I guess it was worth the wait!

Running Running Running

September and October were full of running - training, 5k's and finally, my HALF MARATHON!! Autumn weather is so fantastic for runs - cool and crisp and sunny.  It's intoxicating.

In September I ran the Ovarian Cancer 5k run with my neighbor Heather and her team of Carla's Rum Runners. This was in memory and honor of her mom, Carla, who passed away last year from ovarian cancer.  It was a beautiful morning, had a great run and celebrated afterwards with a rum and coke with lime (at 11am!) in honor of her mom. What a privilege to help a friend celebrate the memory of her precious mother.

 

In October, I ran the Get Your Rear in Gear for colon cancer.  What an emotional event.  Besides being there with Margie, which in itself is emotional, we met up with several friends that have recently lost siblings to colon cancer. Two high school friends (Stacey and Jenny), one was one year older than me and the other 2 years older - both lost their battles with colon cancer.  Stacey's brother, Tony, was there and I ran with him, and Jenny's 2 sisters, husband and 7 kids were there as well.  Incredibly emotional and wonderful to walk in their memory and for all the survivors.Tony made it a goal to beat his own personal 5k time, which he did in honor of his sister!

(Missy and I look like we "gotta go, gotta go, gotta go..." Really, we are just trying to not block the faces behind us :)

AND!  On October 16th was the Columbus Marathon!!  I really started to get nervous a couple days before.  I had been having trouble with my hamstring and my right hip/knee.  I only ran a few miles the week before the run and I used lots of heat and got a massage, which helped.
That Sunday morning I was up at 4:30am, ate a small breakfast, had my coffee and time to let it all settle.  We got down to the race around 7am and at 7:30 - away we went!!

 (L) Becky, Tracy, me, (R) Debbie and Anndrea

It was a chilly, overcast morning, the streets were completely lined with cheering crowds - many with funny signs like "this is the worst parade I've ever seen" and they really helped keep the motivation up.  I knew once I started that it was going to be just fine.  I felt great and I was so pumped to be there!!  I got teary a few times along the way too.  Just the fact that I was there, actually accomplishing this (especially given the fact that I was not a runner prior to January 2011!) and to run 13.1 miles...for me, wow.  And to also see so many people accomplishing their goals as well...it was a bit overwhelming but very inspirational.

 

I ended up finishing the race in 2 hours 12 minutes (click to see official race results).  I was very pleased with my time because 1. it was my first 1/2 marathon and 2. I wasn't sure how my hamstring, hip and knee would hold out.  I  managed to run the entire race with no pain! I learned some new things about how to prepare (or not to do!).  I plan to sign up for the Cap City 1/2 in May and hope to be able to get my time below 2 hours.

I'm also going to do the Flying Feather 4 mile race on Thanksgiving morning. When you cross the finish line, you get a bottle of wine!  Definitely my kind of run!

I bought this magnet when I went to pick up my race packet. 

Honestly, it says it all about most of the things I do in life. 

Once I start something, I'm pretty driven to finish. 

Getting me to take the plunge...not as easy!

 

I love, love, love running and am very excited to have started it.  I can't wait to get more involved in the races and hopefully a training group too to help me prepare for the May Half!

Happy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

This time of year is so much fun!  Last week we went to the pumpkin patch and got our pumpkin (which I'll blog about when I catch up).  I was gone this past weekend in Hocking Hills with my book group (which I'll blog about when I catch up) so we had to wait to carve pumpkins until yesterday - just in time for Trick or Treat tonight!

They all took great care in planning and digging out their pumpkins.  We saved the pumpkins seeds (of course) and made a few batches of baked seeds.  Yum!

Their hard work on the pumpkins paid off - they looked great and spooky out on the front porch!

Tonight was Trick or Treat.  Mason went to a friend's and hung out and passed out candy, Ella (and Ashlee) were grannies and Silas was Darth Vader.

We put Ella's hair up in curlers and then a granny rain cap on it.  She looked pretty legit!  She even had the slow, creaky granny walk down but we had to tell her to hurry it up so we could get around the 'hood!

Si has some pretty spooky Darth Vader eyes!

I love the pictures of the pumpkins - the street light across the street his the tree branches and the shadows land on the house - perfect for the spooky picture effects!

Ugh, and now it's hard to believe, but it's time to start planning Thanksgiving and get Christmas shopping underway!! Where does the time go!?!

The Biggest News

I have a ton to update from the last few weeks but the biggest news of most recent is that we have a new baby in the family!
Barrett Timothy was born on Friday October 14th to Sarah and Brian (proud grandparents - Margie and Tim :)

he is a doll...8 lbs 15 oz, 20 inches long. 

Yeah - he's got "spoiled" written all over him!! :)