Saturday, yesterday, was a busy day for us. Mark and I woke up around 5:30 to get ready to go to the race. We woke the kids up around 6am and helped them change their clothes then we all got in the car with some granola bars for breakfast. You see, back in January for a family night we had all come up with goals. Now, it's November and everyone else had long-since accomplished theirs.
Adam--button his own pants
Dallin--read a book all by himself
Mark--100% home teaching (many of the men in our church are assigned to visit families once a month to share a spiritual message and check and see how they are doing)
Marily--Run a 5k.
Spring went by and I didn't sign up for a race. Of course there are no races going on in the valley in the summer and so when fall rolled around it was on my mind to accomplish what I said I would do. I pulled down our goals list from time to time and Dallin noticed that I was the only one who hadn't accomplished my goal. When my good friend Kathryn decided to do a 5k I knew this was my chance so I signed up and trained. My friend Becca trained diligently with me for over a month. She was patient with me and nice enough to go at my speed and endurance. The last couple of weeks I did some running with a few other neighbors too. I've never been a runner or done much running (or exercise sadly) so this was a big deal for me.
As I was running the race Saturday morning and was feeling tired and wondering why I was doing this I remembered my kids and I knew that I had to run the whole thing because that is what I intended to do and I wanted them to see that Mom accomplished her goal. I ended up even getting 3rd in my age division, with a time of 28:28. Not stellar, but still pretty good for my first race. Mark stood by the finish line with the boys and they got to cheer me on as I ran in.
After the race we stayed at the event for a while and the boys got a chance to play and enjoy some free food. I am definitely wanting to do Shun the Sun again next year. My neighbor Monica is trying to get me to do a 10k with her in January. We'll see. I'm still trying to decide if I'm a runner.
We let the time get away from us a bit and we had to rush home and change for a baptism for a sweet girl named Eryn in our ward. Mark played the piano for the service so he ran off while I got myself and the boys ready to go. Eryn and her sister had taken some photos of our boys a couple of months ago and so the boys knew her too. Baptisms are some of the best meetings in the church. By the way, you might want to click on that link above because the photos are worth seeing. Also, here's their photography website and blog if you are looking for someone who is fabulous with kids. Both sisters had their cameras and were shooting from different angles. At another time they each took one of the boys and got individual shots done in double time. Plus, they were so complimentary to Dallin and Adam that they behaved extra well to please the pretty girls behind the camera. Anyway, we love Eryn and her sister Rosemary is our neighbor and is also fabulous.
So, after the baptism we came home, changed our clothes, then went to the Fall Festival at Dallin's school. They had a bunch of fun stuff to do--lots of bouncy things, carnival games, and some really loud techno pop. Justin Bieber, anyone?
The boys stood in line at jousting like this. This is why you don't need to stand right next to your kids. Because I am sure if we were standing right next to them they wouldn't have been doing this.
Fall photo op gone "decent enough"
Daddy and Owen
I don't normally take pictures of strangers (or post pictures of strangers for that matter), but the highlight of the Fall Festival for Mark and I was seeing the Weasley twins. These kids looked and acted so much like them (in the early movies) it was awesome. I don't even think they were actually twins, but they dressed like the Weasleys, had the same hairdo and goofed off like the Weasleys too.
Not great shots, but here's twin #1
And twin #2
So, after the Fall Festival we went home. I made Mark a list for the grocery store and sent him off so I could get a little nap in before our next activity. Remember I ran a 5k that morning? Plus, I hadn't gotten so much sleep the night before and I was feeling quite useless. When Mark got home we whipped up a fruit platter and rushed over to my sister's for our little niece Heidi's 2nd birthday party. Heidi is the cutest little thing and talks and talks. It is hilarious to hear someone so tiny saying stuff like "could I get some ketchup?"
Then, we went home and got everyone to bed. I fell asleep on the couch and stayed there all night. Other than sleeping on the couch it was a good day.
