Monday, December 5, 2011

A Cool Start

Winter weather has definitely arrived and so for me, the long winter months have officially started. And while I'm not too hip on the start of December, we have a newly turned 7 year old who looks forward to the month and counts down the days until the 3rd arrives. We had quite a busy weekend as a family and I'm thinking Jaidyn squeezed out every ounce of Wes and I's energy as last night we both found ourselves nodding off on the couch around 6:30. Wes got about half way through reading one of the girls school books and had to quit and just hearing his sleepy voice had me dozing off as well.

Happy 7th Birthday Jaidyn!

The night before her birthday decked out in antlers she ran her 3rd 5K (33:40 Time), The Reindeer Run. Her last run as a 6 year old.
Photobucket

And Addy decided to take part in our craziness and she ran her very first 5K and chose a night race to do so. As the youngest runner in the race at 5, she ran a 44:05. Super job Addy! Wes so graciously ran with her and endured the constant, "let's run!" and "let's walk!" change of pace about every thirty seconds.
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket
A sprint to the finish!

Addy had her Gingerbread House making day at school. Papa and Nana came to watch the boys so that I was able to enjoy the afternoon with her at school. Photobucket
Let the messy fun begin!

Photobucket
Addy had plenty of her own ideas on how to decorate her house and really didn't care to know my opinion. Ha!
Photobucket

Photobucket
Jaidyn had a delivery of balloons and a stuffed bear waiting for her when she got home from school from Grandma Penny. Reid was more in to the bouquet of balloons than me desperately trying to get his attention for the camera.

Photobucket

Saturday morning Wes and I were able to get away for a couple of hours and ran the Jack Frost 5K supporting the Catholic Campus Ministry.
Photobucket

Photobucket
It was a breezy 2 loop run through the streets around the university campus and even though by the end my legs felt like they were holding the weight of an elephant and I honestly thought my lungs were going to explode, I ran a personal best of 21:51 and won my age group. I can't recall a single second of that run that I felt to be enjoyable. Wes also had a PR and ran a 24:28. He too felt the pain of a sprint 5K race as he was doing everything to keep from losing his coffee all over the street down the straight way to the finish line.

Papa J.R. watched the kids for us during the race and then treated us all to Mexican food for Jaidyn's birthday.
Photobucket

Jaidyn had her BFF (as she would say) over to play and they stayed busy making bead necklaces and dancing in the kitchen to "Funk Soul Brother" and "The Cupid Shuffle". They do a dance to "Funk Soul Brother" at school so it was cute to see them perform it together. We also went and watched The Muppets and ate out at Red Robin. MMMmmm! I wouldn't tell Jaidyn but Wes and I agreed that The Muppets might quite possibly be one of the worst movies that we have ever had to sit through. However, the kids seemed to really like it, so that is all that mattered.
Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket

As the reigning Tiny Miss Sucker Days (Fried Sucker Fish Festival), Jaidyn was in the local Christmas parade. She really made me laugh when she asked me so seriously on the way to the parade, "What should I do if someone asks me for my autograph?"
Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket

Photobucket
Photobucket
Before he fell asleep and
After...
Photobucket
Even the loud blaring firetruck didn't wake him up!!

Yea! Jaidyn made the local paper (and better yet, a color page)
Photobucket

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Thanksgiving

Has it really been over a week since Thanksgiving? Geesh, the days just seem to fly by and I can't believe we are already in to the month of December. Thanksgiving was spent with family at Papa JR's and LaLa's house. Always a nice time with the cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents!! Jaidyn, Addy and Levi each had a special day at school celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday with costuming, a short play or a feast. I was lucky enough to be able to make both of the girls Thanksgiving activities as the events were low key and I was able to take the boys with me. And on Thanksgiving morning, Wes and Jaidyn participated in the local Turkey Trot which had over 8000 runners. It was quite a sight to see the hundreds of runners pass by as the kids and I made it to several points on the route to cheer them on. Lucky for them, they were able to eat that piece of Pecan Pie without guilt.

Addy's Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket
Addy made the "Art Display Wall" at school showing off her clay made medallion that she wore on her Thanksgiving Feast day.

Jaidyn's Thanksgiving Play
She (the Native Americans) had the teeny tiny line of "SSHHhhhh!"
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Levi and his Pilgrim Hat & Turkey Craft
Photobucket

Turkey Trot 2011
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Thankgiving at Papa and Lala's House
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket