a little ART CAN'T HURT

finish line

So many people have been contacting me wondering: HOW DID THE RACE GO?! 
I did it!

Finished in a better time than I expected and felt great during the race! The course was beautiful and the people I have met along this journey are remarkable. 

With your help I have raised $5,385 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! I accomplished the goal that I set out to do and it was AWESOME!

My hubby strategically planned where-he-was-going-to-be-when so he could document this experience with the camera. You can thank him for these pics:

(5 a.m. in the transition area near Washington Monument)

(chatting with a racer from NYC before our wave entered the water at 7:45 a.m. - note the H we drew on my swim cap so hubby could hopefully find me as he stood on Memorial Bridge under which we would swim)

(air horn goes off and the splashing begins! i'm in the center with the long black sleeves with orange logo on the right arm)

(the H worked and he spotted me in the water!)

(i'm the front cyclist in this pic - returning after biking the Clara Barton Pkwy. into Maryland. that's Memorial Bridge in the background)

(running out of the transition area and ready to finish the race with only 6.2 miles to go!)

For anyone curious I finished in 3:25:10.
My knees held up (barely) and the weather that day couldn't have been more ideal!
We called the kids and our parents right away to let them know I'd finished and was fine - it was an emotional day but it was all GOOD emotions!
I would not have signed up for this race had it not been for mom's diagnosis last year so I guess you could say that this is a way I've taken the lemons life has handed me and made lemonade.

This was truly something I could not have done alone. Thank you all so much for supporting me through your donations, your words, your notes (I kept them all - there's a mountain of cards and letters in my TNT notebook!) and your prayers! The words 'thank you' don't seem like enough. You really don't know how each one of you have impacted a cancer patient's life by supporting research and patient care!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

This journey has been a blessing to me in so many ways and I love how my family has been able to participate in it with me! My heart is full!

God is Good - All the Time!

more than just the race

Going into race weekend I told myself that this was something I wanted to really experience and not just push through and finish - I'm so glad I relaxed and was able to take it all in!
The entire weekend was amazing!

There was so much more to our weekend than just the swim, bike and run.
As a racer there was preparation and afterwards was recovery.

(wearing my participant shirt the day before the race to rack my bike & attend pre-race safety meetings)

(riding the shuttle to the race venue we passed the Washington Monument. it was September 11th and every flag was at half-staff. it was humbling)

(our bikes were shipped to D.C. without the pedals on so we had to make sure everything was secure and properly tightened before racking our bikes - Doug took care of checking my bike)

(getting 'marked' with my race number & age while taking my bike into the transition area)

(we were the first group in to rack our bikes - the transition area was 240,000 square feet! it was HUGE! a total of 4,700 racers eventually filled all of these racks with their bikes and gear!)

(we attended mandatory safety briefings regarding the swim portion and directions then there was a practice swim opportunity. that is Memorial Bridge in the background that we had to swim beneath and beyond - thankfully the current isn't very strong)

I've been training as a member of Team In Training: Indiana Chapter, but am not a part of a local team that includes other triathletes. The closest team member I have had to train with is Carl, who lives in LaPorte. We've gotten together a few times to swim the lake and bike but really have done our training on our own.
It's a completely different experience than training with a team day-in-and-day-out.
The Indianapolis team was so accepting of us and whole weekend, even though it was the first time we were meeting them.

(Carl did this race in memory of his son Carl Para III, who lost his battle to leukemia in May 2009. He was only 16 years old.)

(the night before the race the Indy tri coach presented every racer with an "award" and here are Carl & I accepting our Rockstar drinks for 'being such Rockstars for doing our training solo')

Each team has an Honored Hero that they race for in addition to someone they may already know personally who has had a blood-cancer. Meet Lauryn - she is the Honored Hero for the Indianapolis team. Her whole family came to D.C. and she had gotten to know all the other racers really well during the last four months of training. It was so sweet to see her smile and play with everyone!
I wanted my own mother there so badly to share this with me but finances just didn't allow it.
I knew she was with me in spirit and I kept reminding myself how blessed I was that she is still with us and continuing to fight the cancer. Moms hugs are the best no matter how old you are!

(here is Lauryn with her birthday cupcake as we sing Happy Birthday to her - she celebrated her sixth birthday a few days after our race. her dad completed the race carrying Lauryn across the finish line with her older sister running beside him! Lauryn is in chemo right now continuing to battle leukemia and just this past week is beginning to lose her hair again)

The night before the race The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society held a Team In Training pasta dinner that we all attended. There were inspirational speakers, fundraising totals & awards and great food!
All the coaches and trainers from across the country lined the stairs and hallway leading into the enormous banquet hall - they were cheering and shouting with cowbells, whistles and horns! It was the best pep-rally ever!

(the banquet hall with 585 Team In Training racers plus countless spouses, coaches, children and trainers! team Indiana raised over $85,000!)

(Team in Training: Indiana Chapter along with family & friends that came with them to D.C.)

The morning of the race had the most beautiful sunrise!

(the spectators view of the swimmers from on top of Memorial Bridge as we begin rounding the buoy and heading back beneath the bridge toward the exit to transition)

After the race it was crazy trying to find people. There were long lines to get gear out from the transition area but we were in no hurry to go anywhere. It was great to catch up with Carl and a few others from team Indiana before heading back to the hotel & heading out to see D.C. with my hubby.

it's race day

....it was the first day of vacation and all day we'd been busy visiting the aquarium and Market, then to the Space Needle. We'd walked and climbed stairs non-stop. 

As I tucked the kids into the hotel bed Heidi said "Can you believe all the stairs we climbed today?!" and Mamie chimed in "Yeah! And Nana climbed them all by herself!" 

Last year at this time Nana was in the middle of chemo and was so weak after each of her 5-day-long treatments that she couldn't make the one step from their garage to the house when she got home without help from Poppie. In her usual candid style she had dubbed this weakness "chemo legs".

I said to the girls "She sure did. You should tell her how proud you are of her". I felt a huge feeling of coming-full-circle in that moment. Almost indescribable. A year ago we didn't know how much time we had with Nana. We still don't. Taking this trip as an entire family almost didn't happen due to circumstances outside of our control and being there in that moment was such a blessing....

The money I have raised while preparing for this day is going to help others with cancer. The process has helped me come to some sort of terms with what cancer has done to my family. It doesn't make it right or ok but I feel as though I've been able to help tangibly in a way I wasn't doing before.

To everyone who has donated money or supported our family these past 16 months I say THANK YOU!

My wave goes in to the water at 7:45 a.m.

Today is for you Mom! I'm so proud of you! I love you! xoxoxo

100%

I reached 100% of my fundraising goal for my upcoming triathlon!

$5,100 dollars raised for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

My race is coming up September 13th and it seems I'm always doing one of three things:

swimming, biking or running

Thanks for being patient with me while I've been away from my blog - there is so much to share but right now my attention is on my family and my race.

I've posted the contents of my Team In Training website here just so I have it saved.

It's been a journey, that's for sure.

16 days to go......

countdown 27 August 2009

Yesterday was my brother's 26th birthday! Today is my dad's 63rd birthday! Next Monday, September 1st will be my parent's 41st wedding anniversary! So much living going on!

I feel ready.  My journey with TNT has been emotionally cathartic and physically challenging. I've pushed myself in ways I wouldn't have normally and I'm ready to tackle the final step - the race!

A few days ago my little purple fundraising bar on this website hit 100% and you can not believe how thrilled I was! There were days I didn't think I'd raise the money and I just didn't want to fail. Other days it was the physical training that had me doubting myself. What a relief to know I'm going into the final two weeks of this journey with every loose end tied up neatly in a bow!

I'm swimming no less than a mile every other day - biking on average 22 miles every other day - and running most days 3-5 miles with a few "fun runs" of 7 or 8 miles occassionally. I'm not fast, but I'm steady!

Thanks for following my training and fundraising here on this website! I've had to delete a few of the first posts on here in order to keep on typing new ones, but I've transferred them all over to my personal blog, along with the photos, so I can keep these memories long after I'm done with my race. You can find my blog at:  www.artcanthurt.typepad.com

I'll leave you today with a quote from one of my favorite comedians, who fought cancer bravely.

“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next.” - Gilda Radner

16 days until the triathlon

news 12 August 2009

There are dates and events that you look forward to in life expectantly. Today was one of those days. Mom's test results for her 6-month PET scan came in today. This is the only news that can be worse than the cancer diagnosis itself - we have all been waiting nervously but each in our own ways.

The test results came back GOOD! There is no new cancer growth or activity! Mom is not cancer-free but with prayers and on-going Retuxin treatments her cancer is locked down and dormant right now. News doesn't get better than this!!!!!!

TODAY is why I'm doing this triathlon. I want every family who is touched by cancer to feel the weight lifted and be able to breathe again! Whether it's through treatment or research or patient assistance I know that The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is doing their part to use the funds donated to help people reclaim their lives. This morning's 6:30am mile-long swim was worth it - and every dollar you have helped me raise is money well-spent.

Thank you for your support - as of tomorrow I have only a month until the race!

practice round 2 August 2009

Yesterday Doug & I did the LaPorte Triathlon as a team. It gave me the opportunity to practice my swim-to-bike transition in a race setting - which I needed before the BIG race in D.C.

The whole family was there to support us and Doug finished the last leg of the race with a great 3.4 mile run! I was so proud of him and the kids were cheering us along the whole way. My parents were there as well and said that everything makes much more sense now that they've seen the ins-and-outs of a tri firsthand. From the numbers written on our arms to the color-coded swim caps we had to wear which denotes our swim waves, to the ankle band that held the timing chip - it all came together for all of them.

After the race I found my TNT teammate, Carl, who had also done the tri that day. He also felt great about the race (we had incredible weather!) and we're kind of getting antsy about D.C. being so close!

The kids told me they thought I looked like a crazy person running out of the water and ripping off my wetsuit, but when I explained to them that I had to get the suit off by the time I was at my bike in the transition area they understood it completely. They also couldn't get enough of touching the wetsuit - it is so soft it feels like a baby seal pelt.

All in all it was a great experience. The nap afterwards was even sweeter! It all went to show me that I've got just over a month to really push myself that much harder in order to be ready for D.C.

I've got one more practice tri before the BIG one and yesterday was invaluable with all the experience it gave me. I feel really good about yesterday's race and it was extra special to have my handsome teammate there with me!

43 days until the triathlon!

soggy but worth it 30 July 2009

Lately it has been getting harder and harder to find the time to train. I have a regiment that I follow so I'll be ready for the tri in September, but that means that my distances have been increasing steadily. Just means I train longer - I need about 28 hours in my day to get everything done.

That being said I am enjoying how this training is pushing me. People stop me all the time to ask "how's training going?" and my Mom checks in almost daily to see how I'm doing. Your support keeps me going when I don't think I can do it on my own!

I continue to be amazed at how my swimming is coming along! A month and a half ago I was winded after a few hundred meters and now I spend roughly 1 1/2 hours every other day in the water. No amount of shampoo or bodywash can get the smell of chlorine completely off me at this point!

Today I went my farthest: 2300 meters (more if you want to count my warm-up an cool-down). To break it down into layman's terms that means I did over 92 laps in the pool. It's over a mile and 1/4! Much longer than I'll have to swim in my D.C. tri, but I want to build up my stamina since swimming in open water with other people is much harder than in a pool.I saw other lap swimmers come and go out of the water I was there so long. The lifeguards have got to think I'm crazy! If all goes well I'll swim in my wetsuit on Friday and be ready for the sprint tri this Saturday that Doug & I are doing as a team so I can get some experience in the transition stages. The kids are stoked to see us race!

Cycling is steady and running will be fine as long as my right knee holds up - it's been giving me some pain lately.

Just want to thank all of you supporting me in this race and for this cause! There is still time to make a donation if you haven't already - every penny counts! We'll make it!

45 days until the triathlon!

tick tock 20 July 2009

A few days ago Doug and I were up visiting with Mom and Dad at their camper. It was a gorgeous evening - the perfect temperature and nary a mosquito in sight! As Mom and I prepared dinner side by side I mentioned to her that I had come to a realization: this summer I am half the age she is which means I am the same age she was when she had me...many, many years ago. We kind of stopped what we were doing for a moment, looked at each other and said "WOW!"

I am right where my mother was 31 years ago.

It's like for a second some time-warp thing happened and in a single 'blip' of a moment I came into my own and was more in-the-present than I had been in a long time. It just makes you THINK.

How many blessings have been bestowed upon me in the past 31 years because of my parents and their love, their strong faith and belief that our God is good - all the time. No matter what.

Seriously...my cup runneth over.

The day we are born each of us is given a finite time on this earth. There is a number of days that exists with my name on it - and yours. What we do with this time together is what matters.

"There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."--Edith Wharton

**************************************************

Time is flying by. Summer is more than halfway over and I'm only 55 days away from competing in the triathlon! **big gulp**

Plane tickets have been purchased and my spot in Wash. DC is set.

I'm continuing to press onward with training: I'm in the pool at least three times a week and cycling much more easily thanks to my brother who loaned me his Trek roadbike! THANKS JONATHAN!!!

And my running...well...I am continuously being blown away by how much this cross-training is impacting my running. I feel stronger and healtheir while running - and my mile times keep getting better and better!

I'm going to be ready for this race. It's the beast I'm preparing to meet in battle. And with your help I'm going to beat it.

55 days until the triathlon!

good time 7 July 2009

Just thought I'd share that today I ran my personal best time for 3 miles ever! And it was AFTER I had just done my 500 meter swim for the day, so my muscles were a little tight. I ran 3 miles in 25:00 minutes! That might not seem fast to you but at the beginning of training just two months ago I was running 3 miles in 30:00 minutes. Big difference! Looks like the training is really paying off! Whoo hoo!

69 days until the triathlon!

Never forget your Little Girl dreams 6 July 2009

I have a beautiful sterling silver necklace that I wear. It was a gift from my husband a few years ago. Made by a local artist, each letter is stamped by hand into silver clay and then fired under intense heat. The clay burns away a reveals the sterling silver underneath. It reads 'Never forget your Little Girl dreams'.

As the mother of two little girls I wear this necklace often. Each time I put it on I think to myself 'what were my dreams? what ARE my dreams? what are my little girls dreaming of today?'. I know I used to dream of flying and of what it would be like to be a mermaid. I remember being ten years old and dreaming of having a shop where I could sell the art that I made. I remember dreams that were fantastical and those that were within my grasp. I never dreamed my mom would get cancer and that her time with us might be cut short and I would feel alone.

The reason I'm training for this triathlon is real for me every day. It's not just about fundraising to get the minimum amount needed. It's not all about wearing the right athletic shoes or eating the yummiest protein bars. Often when swimming and I've inhaled more than my share of water or I find myself running alone down a long road I think of what each person who has been diagnosed with cancer has had to face. It's intense, like the heat forced on the clay to reveal the silver of my necklace. Those with cancer have to face something they never dreamed of - and they don't have a choice about it. I think about the dreams my mom has and those I have for her and for us as a family. The other day I overheard my eight year old ask Nana if she would be there on her wedding day. My mom said that she would be no matter what. It took everything for me not to break in that moment.

I can't fix this 'cancer thing' but I'm doing what I can. Each step is one step closer. Each tight muscle and blister is worth it. Each dollar raised is that much more research there will be funds for and down the road I might not feel quite so helpless knowing I'm doing this not for myself but so others can have dreams too.

70 days until the triathlon!

Who is LAUREN (SMITH) HODGES? 8 June 2009

There seems to be some confusion as to WHO I AM as people receive my fundraising letters....apparently the names are the glitch.

I was born Lauren Smith to Larry & Susan Smith some 30-odd years ago. I married and took the name Hodges which is the last name of my two daughters, but then we divorced. When Doug Hertel and I married I opted not to take his name - I know...I know...it's confusing to you!

Basically I wanted my daughters to know that nothing about me changed when I remarried, so I kept my last name the same as theirs. We all have 'H' last names anyway so we're still The H Family!

Besides, I didn't need to have the name Hertel to be part of the family (Hi Hertels! Love you all!) and the idea of going about changing everything legally with my business was just plain daunting!

So HODGES I remain! Woohoo!

Sorry if this confused some of you (Hi Penny!) but I'm glad we got that cleared up.

97 days until the triathlon!

Daily Training 7 June 2009

So I'm already two weeks into training and I. AM. LOVING. IT!

It's pushing me to my limits and it feels great. I have really been able to evaluate what priorities are and my eating, sleeping and daily activities in general have changed.

No more soda. Very little bread. Lots of fish and chicken and the fresh veggies of the season are keeping me going: asparagus, tomatos, zucchini, etc.

I remember last summer, Mom was in the middle of her chemo and her counts were so low she was labeled "nutrapenic" (can't guarantee the spelling on that) and the worst thing about it for her was that she couldn't eat any fresh produce. No salads, no fresh cherry tomatos picked off the vine in the garden, not even blueberries or strawberries! It shocked me to learn those foods could be dangerous for her. I didn't know that even mild natural bacterias carried by produce could make her sick - it was a rough time for her. She also wasn't allowed to garden or do yard work - not that she had the energy to do that, but it still wasn't an option for the same reason: bacteria. Thankfully Mom can happily enjoy the fresh foods this year - she just reached six months in remission!

The kids have been getting into my training with me - it's been such a joy! Trev bikes with me on some of my runs and just the other day he and Mamie biked while Heidi ran with me all the way to Grandma & Grandpa's house. It's almost 3 miles! Such troupers and they're super exicited that what I'm doing is helping to raise money to make life better for Nana and others with blood-cancers!

I'll try and update this page frequently throughout my training to keep you up-to-date. If you want to see more photos of my progress check out my blog: Art Can't Hurt

Thanks for joining me in this journey - your donations make all the difference!

98 days until the triathlon!

Doing What I Can 24 May 2009

Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

This is all so new to me. I just signed up for this late last week but I'm ready to go and push myself for this cause!

On May 22, 2008 an event occured that changed my life. My mother, Susan Smith, was diagnosed with cancer. I remember the very place I was standing when I heard the news - I was holding the phone, shaking and couldn't breathe. I thought that this couldn't be happening. If this is what I experienced can you imagine what my mom was feeling? In truth, nearly every 4 minutes someone is diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease or myeloma; we have to fund the research needed to find a cure for these cancers.

Nearly a month after her initial diagnosis my mom was told she had Stage IV Mantel Cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It was everywhere. The words were not encouraging and the doctor's urgency was frightening. Within just a few days she was in for her first round of chemo. The next 8 months were a balancing act emotionally. Mom was so brave! Watching her go through her battle I knew there was something I wanted to do to help. Something tangible and physical. Yes, donating plasma and platelets is one way to help. Do it! And helping with chores around the house that she no longer had the energy for - but I though maybe I could do more.

So here I am. One year later.

I'm training to participate in an endurance event, the Nations Triathlon 2009, as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I am completing this event in honor my mother and all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

Any donation you can make to help me raise money is special. Instead of buying that new shirt you could donate $25, or put off getting a new golf club and donate $50. Even a $1 donation puts me closer to reaching my minimum goal. You and I together can know we are helping make our future cancer free.

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission. I give you my word that I will do my part on September 13, 2009 and swim .93 miles, bike 24.9 miles and run 6.2 miles.

Today my mom is not cancer free but is in remission. Each day is a blessing and she has been sharing her story on her blog: Journey With Sus

I hope you will visit my website often - bookmark it! I'll figure out how to post pictures of my training on here and keep you up to date with things. Thanks for your support!

112 days until the triathlon!

practice

My big race is just over a month away.

For practice I'm doing a couple of short races locally.

Doug & I did the LaPorte Triathlon as a team since they're one of the few races that allows teams. We thought it would be fun for the whole family and it was!

Our team number was 457...can you tell?

Showing the family our timing chip on my ankle strap.

The kids were so helpful and encouraging.

They had so many questions and Heidi couldn't stop touching my wetsuit. 

She kept saying "it's just so soft"

It was really special to hear my family cheering when I came out of the water!

I did the swim and bike then handed off my ankle timing chip to Doug in the team exchange area.

A quick kiss and he was off running!

Doug finished in a great time!

The weather was perfect for the race and the course was nice and organized.

Afterwards the kids were so careful with us for the rest of the day. They kept asking if we were alright or if we were tired and Mamie even gave us backrubs!

I'll be training at this lake some more and my next practice race is Sept. 5th - a week before the BIGGIE!

Thank you to all who have been supporting me in my training and through your donations!!!

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY TNT TRAINING WEBPAGE OR TO MAKE AN ONLINE DONATION.

today

maybe it's time to touch base with my blog.

been away for awhile. life has been busy.

-kids last days of school

-baseball tourneys

-birthday

-anniversary

-family vacation

-fourth of july

-first fridays at the shop

-doctor appointments

...and, oh yeah, training for a triathlon

i need more hours in my day. it takes a lot and posting on my blog has taken a back seat to it all.

i'll be back soon. 

so much to share. more pictures than you care to see i'm sure.

so today i'll leave you 'pictureless'.

for now.

68 days until my race - won't you help a girl out? still need donations and corporate sponsors.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY TRAINING PAGE.

98 days and counting

So I did it.

I signed up to do a triathlon.

I have 98 days to train for the Nations Triathlon in Washington D.C.

Here, I'll help you with a visual...

It involves a lot of sweating, running, sweating, swimming, sweating, biking and, oh yeah, SWEATING! I am loving it! 

I've signed up to race for TNT (Team In Training) which raises money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. You all know that my Mom is battling non-Hodgkins lymphoma - well she just marked six months in remission!!! I'm running in her honor and in the honor or a local woman, Stephanie Schrock and everyone who is out there battling blood-cancers. We WILL find a cure!

The triathlon is made up of three legs: I'll swim .93 miles (in the Potomac River), bike 24.9 miles and then run 6.2 miles. I'm doing pretty well in training so far - it's been two weeks and I already see a difference! My endurance is going up and my hips are shrinking. Cool!

Doug has been so supportive in all of this and the kids are really excited about the race too. They've been so understanding when I need to go to the gym, bike and swim. Not things that they can participate in but they are getting involved all on their own.

Trev started biking with me on my daily runs, which are 5 miles. That gets my first cardio for the day and is a nice way to gauge my running times. 

The girls joined us on a trip to Grandma & Grandpa's house the other day - almost 3 miles! Trev lead with Mamie riding her bike behind him and Heidi ran just behind them with me. 

Doug drove beside us and played papparazzi the whole time! 

I'm so proud of my three little ducklings!

I have quite a journey ahead of me - nothing like what Mom has gone through with her cancer in the past year - but it's something I can physically DO to help fight back against this horrible disease.

It's what I CAN do.

Won't you join me?

If you'd like to make a donation to cancer research and help me meet my fundraising goal click HERE.

3.1 miles

That's how long a 5K run is - 3.1 miles.

And that's what our entire family just did!

The day started out WINDY and OVERCAST and cold!

Trev wanted to run his first 5K on his birthday so we all did it to support him.

it. was. amazing!

Each of the kids was so attentive as we did stretches with all the other runners.

In all there were over 650 people in this race so we decided to stick together and not let them each run at their own pace.

Here's Mames running up to the 2 mile water station.

I told them all how to pinch the cups shut at the top and sip out the end of it so it doesn't splash all over their faces. They all did UNBELIEVEABLY WELL!

I wanted to be at the finish line to get photos of each of the H's crossing the line but Trev decided at the last second he wanted to race me....so here's his almost-finish as we sprint side by side.

So like an 11 year old - YES! YOU'RE ELEVEN TODAY! Happy Birthday!!!!!!

It's REALLY difficult to snap pics while you're running and to run up ahead of them to turn around to snap pics and then back behind them. I swear I must have run more like 4 miles just doing all the back-n-forths!  :)

Mames was really feeling the burn there at the end so Doug helped her through the last 1/2 mile. 

I got choked up a couple of times - again, not easy to run that way!

Watching each of the kids shout support to each other and stay positive and NOT GIVE UP...omigosh!

It put me over the edge as a mom! I was having PPM all over the place! (PPM = Proud Parent Moment)

Only three other 6 year old ran this race! Heidi was AWESOME!

Such a natural, such drive and focus - she could have run at her own pace and come in around 30 minutes! REALLY!! 

(see that overcast sky...it began to drizzle at the finish line)

They were so proud of themselves and deservingly so!

The yucky weather couldn't even dampen their spirits. 

I think they wore their medals for 24 hours straight!

MY KIDS ROCK!!!! *heart sigh* 

The kids couldn't believe all the goodies you get after a run.

Really the spread for this race was NICE with bagels & go-gurts, fruit and freebie waterbottles...I can't wait for us to run this one again next year!

Happy happy parents here! 

So proud of our kiddos!

**4 hours after this photo was taken 11 children under the age of 12 converged on our home for a birthday party/sleepover. seriously. but that's a different post.  :)

so proud

My man was feeling good about finishing his first "official" 5K race yesterday - time chips and all! He did so well (came in 13th in his age category) and the thing is, he's only run this distance ONE time before. He ran this race 'cold turkey' with no training! 

You better believe after THIS stunt there will be more!

Love you Moug!

mames

Tooth #6 is outta here!

My toothless wonder has become a pro at shedding her pearlies.

Oh, and she's become a pro at riding her bike.

She loves her bike. 

Even rides it around the yard. Seriously. 

I couldn't be happier, really. Watching her whiz around the driveway, yard or park just reminds me that it's important to take the time to stop-n-smell-the-roses in life.

Of course, right after I took this photo she apparently forgot how to use her brakes and veered right into the side of the elementary school's outdoor classroom. Oops!

Nobody was hurt (ok, so her pride was a little - she blamed it on me "distracting her" by taking her picture) but it turned out to be something we've had quite a few giggles over! It was kind of silly!

And as they always say, when you fall off your horse bike just get up and climb right back on.

And that's exactly what she did!