YOSP and Random Updates

So, it's been awhile since I updated the YOSP - it's seemed to slow down in the last month or so but now we are hitting the house hard again.  Amanda is here and getting settled in, Justin is framing the basement, I still continue to go through clothes, boxes, etc for donations.  I'm feeling hard-pressed for time because I pretty much doubled my work hours (which started mid-March) but that has really helped with our 1st goal of the YOSP (making some headway financially!).

2. Get the house organized.
 - besides the basement, I've been trying to keep up with just the regular stuff like laundry!  And piles of stuff everywhere, and grocery shopping and, and, and...it never ends!!

this is the basement right before Justin started framing...

3. Health and fitness...get into better shape!

 - still making good progress here!  I've been continuing to run - doing two 5k's  (the Wilds run and today the Race for the Cure!).  I wish I could wake up every Saturday and have a run to go to.  Today the annual Race for the Cure was wonderful.  Sarah and I (and Donna and Lee) ran it, and Margie, Beth, Emma Lou and Sarah J walked it - and then we went out for a delicious breakfast at Easy Street Cafe afterwards. So much fun!

4. Do more family activities. 

Our family time has mostly been consumed by soccer games!  For Mother's Day though, Ella and I and the Masco gals went to see Mary Poppins and then an early bird dinner.  It was a great show!

5. Spent more time on our interests and hobbies. 

 - Still lagging in this area!  Getting a little time to take photos - but not much.  I guess working around the house is Justin's interest and hobby, so he's been getting to do a lot of that!

6. Decrease my anxiety about death, dying and cancer. 

 - better, much better...

7. Spend more time with my husband. 

 - yeah, not so much.

7b. No more kids, so I have to watch just how much time I'm spending with my husband. 

 - see above...

Other random stuff...

• we MUST go get Silas a new bike this weekend - his knees are literally scraped up because they hit the handlebars of his current bike.  not cool!
• Ella hit a new record on her pogo stick - 1,067 jumps!  
• Silas scored 2 goals in his soccer game today!
• At Ella's 8 yr check up, she was in the 20th percentile for both height and weight.  She was not happy when her doctor told her she'd probably be 5'1 or 5'2 (which I've been telling her...) 
• We had our annual Kentucky Derby party at the Mascos again - JP seems to have the Mint Julep down.  I asked him if he used a different recipe - he says he ditched the recipes and is just "winging it".  Sounds about right for him!
• Silas saw the squeeze butter on the table tonight for dinner and asked if it was sunscreen. Justin said, "sure, slather up next time you got outside to play!"
• Ella did something funny today but I can't remember what...if I remember, I'll come back and fill it in here :)  Oh, now I remember...we had the neighborhood garage sale this weekend - we don't participate but the kids like to go around and buy a few things.  Ella was leaving the house with her wallet and Justin stopped her to check her money situation. Good thing because she was about to go out with $68 in her wallet!  God only knows what she would have come home with!

Random update #129

So, it's finally been nice enough weather to get out and do some gardening, planting, hang out outside...it's a super busy time of year with the spring sports for the kids, finishing up school / end of year activities, outside yard work, busy times at work for both of us and sick kids...Si and Ella have both recently had a pookie bug.

Last weekend was my lovely book group and it was our first gathering of the season in the gardens at Susan's.  I could go over there weekly and never tire of taking pictures of her wonderful garden.

I'm finding that May is routinely becoming a very busy month.  This year I did the Race for the Cure again and it was an incredibly beautiful morning.  We had SO much fun. And we stopped afterward and had a yummy breakfast at great little cafe in the Arena district.

(Sarah's - I would never eat such an atrocity of calories! ;)

Emma Lou (Beth's mom) and Margie at the walk

Cool video clip of the race here

This week started some of the final count down stuff at schools.  Ella had crazy hat day on Monday.  She pulled out the perfect hat.  Tuesday was mismatch/backwards day and she wore striped pants and flowered shirt - both backwards. But i forgot to take a picture of that.

This week has also been "first corn on the cob eating" week.  Yay for Florida corn!  It was yummy and made Silas very happy (something that has been very hard to do these days...)!

And speaking of corn, we also planted our own this year.  When we first plant the garden it's so disappointing - how barren it looks. But I know within a month it will be absolutely bursting.  We planted some corn, 3 kinds of tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, carrots, beets, snap peas, lettuce, some herbs...and we have a rhubarb plant the size of Texas. Looks like a big weed!

I was able to sneak out last week and take a few pictures - lilies, a bull frog hiding in the grass at Tara's, 

we have a nest and eggs in our shrub, some gorgeous roses have been blooming and I finally planted some pots and hanging baskets.

I'm ready for summer - bring it on!!

Race for the Cure and Chicago

Saturday, May 16 was my very first Race for the Cure. What an amazing, inspiring event. I have never seen so many people at an event like this!
I was on the Heather Pick team (with about 6,000 others!) so I got to wear the pink wig.

Me and Margie

Donna and me

Margie and Sarah

Wonderful walk and I'm already looking forward to next year's!

Immediately after the walk, I ran home, threw my bags together for a 4 day trip with Beth to Chicago to help Andrea out with baby Lucy while Tom was out of town. And OH, she is gorgeous!!

(yes, my ovaries are sending me subliminal messages about needing another baby...)

While I was gone, Justin held down the fort, and did a great job as usual.
He even gave Si a haircut, which was desperately needed.

Doesn't he look like such a big boy??
He's also getting very tall. I think he's going through a growth spurt because he's been sleeping almost 12 hours at night. Which means all those shorts and t-shirts I just bought him won't fit much longer!!