Life is a tinsy winsy bit harder for everyone when an entire cycle of slumber has been disregarded.

What do we do for a little girl who threw up all night and her mom who stayed up with her?


Tehya treated her to a therapeutic spa treatment
(thanks Grandma Green for the nail kit!)

and the boys helped me make gluten free cookies to sweeten up the day.



And Vanna threw the cookies up.

A taste of Sardines

Jacob's been asking me to buy him sardines for a while now. I almost caved at Costco the last time he asked for them, and thank goodness I have such a level headed husband. He reminded me that it might be wiser to try a small can first. He's so smart! Today, during our monthly Trader Joe's trip, Jacob again reminded me that he wanted a can of sardines. The pink can never left his hands through the entire store. I really don't know where his desire for sardines came from.

Upon arriving home, he dug in before I could even get the groceries put away.

The VERDICT????



The boys loved them! Strange. Between the two of them, they ate the entire can. Tehya almost lost her stomach contents, and Savannah, I don't think she was even aware of what they were eating. They DO stink pretty horribly. I tried a small amount...not bad. Not great...but not too bad. I heard they were really good to eat before a long run. Maybe I'll be brave enough to let a few slide down my throat before the next 13 miler I do. (I did throw one more can into the cart before we left).





I saved the empty can to show Chad when he gets back from his travels...just in case there is any doubt lingering in his mind of the truth of this story.

Um, I've neglected this blog for quite a while now. There has been many times that I write a thought or post for the blog in my mind, but never see it materialized into real words. It seems I've gotten a bit lazy on this end, and I know there are grandparents out there who would love more consistent updates. Sorry. I'll be better. I promise.

Now for the condensed catch up...

April was a wonderful month. Although, I'm having a hard time remembering what wonderful things it brought for our family. Oh ya, I ran a race on the 30th. Three days after I turned 31. I was worried my age would play a part in my body falling apart, but it held together well during the 5k and I was able to place 5th overall, 2nd female to cross the finish, and 1st in my age division. It was a blast!!! You might not want to hear this part, but I did have to duck behind the police car parked at the finish line to throw up. Lucky me, my stomach was empty and calmed down just in time to cheer Chad across the finish line in his best 5k time yet!!!! He ran a wonderful race too.

May was fun, with a constant flow of guests from the beginning of the month straight through last week. Nothing makes me happier than to have company. We watched my nephew Truman for a little while, then his mom came and stayed with us for a bit, then Chad had a friend and his brother stop in, then my cute cousin Michelle came for a wonderful chunk of time, then a week after she left, my mom arrived for a week of fun and relaxation.

We have missed our guests since they have all left, and I'm sure the kids would love to return to those days when we were entertaining instead of cleaning. Last week we started our "Summer Schedule". After taking many "imputs and advices" from the kids we concocted a summer schedule that resides on a poster board on our wall. It's filled with all sorts of things.. from cleaning to crafts, and although they protested it's initial beginning, they are much happier children when we follow it. It's also been wonderful for me because did you know that if you have 4 kids cleaning the house for 30 minutes, that really equals 2 hours of cleaning? Why did it take me so long to figure this out? Why didn't I have 4 more kids? I'm getting so much done, well, I should say "we're" getting so much done with just 30 minutes of cleaning a day. It does a body and soul good to have a clean and orderly house, with just 30 minutes a day. Did I say it only takes 30 minutes a day?

That's pretty much it! Well, besides all wonderful strides Jacob has been making (that's a whole different post) and my never ending GI journey ( I just had a colonoscopy on Friday). And my Dad had a pretty bad heart attack 5 weeks ago, but he's doing so great now. He's lost a ton of weight since, and I can't wait to see him again and squeeze his shrinking stomach in the biggest hug! And...my mom, my cute mom is a runner now! She runs almost every day, does Zumba and has also lost a ton of weight and weighs less than I did in high school. We can share clothes now. So amazing. Oh, and the race I ran last month, was the worst race I've ever ran. For the first time in my life, I wanted to drop out and slip out of sight. It was only 4 miles and I just couldn't move. Hummm, I better close before I ramble any more. Now to keep my promise of more blogging...I'll be back soon! Love you all!

4 inches shorter!

Look who got a hair cut! It was getting so long, and she cried every time I brushed it out. She brought me the scissors and asked if I would cut it. Tehya wanted it long like hers, but I think it's still too baby fine to grow it that long. Maybe in a couple of years.

Race Day

The morning started earlier than most mornings for us. I woke up 2 minutes before my alarm went off...at 3:58 am. Race day jitters!!!

Marie (a cute girl I ran Ragnar with last year) picked me up at 5 and we started on our journey into DC for the Suntrust National Half Marathon. Thanks to another dear friend and 2 more teenage babysitters in the neighborhood, Chad was able to come and wait for me at the finish line.

It was a cold 30 degrees at the start line, but that's what we've all been running in all winter, so it wasn't a surprise. The sun was just coming up, the air was crisp, it was a perfect day for a race.

I absolutely love the energy that surrounds a race. It seems to add a little extra spring in your step. I crossed the finish line in 1:43:08, two minutes faster than my goal. As soon as I saw the finish line, I had to fight back the tears. I ran under the finish line arch, and let the tears escape. For some reason, I get so emotional every time I cross a finish line. Maybe because it reminds me so much of life here on this earth and what it will be like when we finally return home to Heaven. It reminds me of how we are all running a race. It's so hard some times, but we hope our work will be worth it. We spend so much time training, perfecting, practicing. I love the symbolism of our loved ones waiting on the other side of the finish line...cheering us on...waiting for us to cross into their wide open arms. I especially love it when we reach our goals and we can cross the finish line knowing we've done the best we can. I love racing. It reminds me of life. Every time.

we're still alive over here!

Well, it's been a long time. I've got a lot of catching up to do. Chad spent the past 3 months traveling, and we were able to join him for his last week out of town in Alabama. It was wonderful. I could really get used to living in a hotel. Someone to make your bed, clean your bathroom, and your own personal gym. Perfect! We're so glad to have him home now. I really don't know how all those single moms do it. It's tough running a household alone! I'm grateful for how hard he works for us.

I have to take a moment to talk about my mom. I'm so proud of her, I can barely contain it! She started running a little bit ago, and now she's up to 3 miles without stopping. Isn't that so cool!? It makes me smile every time I think about it. They are coming to see us soon, and we are planning a 5k just for her with all the bells and whistles... well, not really bells and whistles, but a finishers medal, t-shirt, and she will break the tape at the end! So fun!

Speaking of races, I have a half marathon this weekend. Wish me luck!

The Girls in their new Christmas dresses!

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Jones.

They looked so beautiful today.

And Jacob wanted his picture taken too.

He's such a good little man,

and a good looking little man also

Is there a better way to start the new year than with a RACE?

Vanna was up sick all night, so I left the house alone this morning.

No little cheerleaders to love me across the finish line.

No tiny runners to run with me for the last 30 feet.

No amazing running partner named Nat who's sick too.

Just me, myself and I.

There was one runner in front of me named Marcy, with a Y, and she had lots of cheerleaders.

I just pretended they were cheering for me.

That was fun, and helpful.

A nice lady also stuck with me to help me keep pace.

That was fun, and helpful too!

When I felt like slowing down, she reminded me pick up my legs, and my pace. When I came to a hill, she reminded me to let my legs lengthen and speed up. I wish I had someone like that every race.

My goal was 22 minutes.

I didn't reach my goal.

Next time.

I ran 23 minutes, which is the same time I got late in October. I am glad I am back where I was before my surgery.

Guess what else I'm glad about?

I won an award in my age division. A gift certificate to the running store!

When they called my name, I couldn't resist jumping up and down. Did I really hear my name?

I even let out a little scream.

I was so excited to tell Chad that I ran all the way back to my car to call him.

My first award!

I'm in shock!

I'm saving it for some new running shoes.

My sweet running team that I coached gave me a gift certificate to the same store after the last running season ended.

Isn't that so thoughtful?

It too is going toward my new running shoes.

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!