Saturday, May 30, 2009

God made dirt...it can't hurt

My son has discovered the wonders of playing in the dirt. Actually, he just loves to be outside and if it means getting dirty, so much the better. I have a feeling that he's going to be one of those kids you have to call in for dinner about five times before they actually "hear" you. LOL! Here's a quick clip from last weekend.

Playing with Daddy

Check out the look of sheer pleasure on his face! Chase me, chase me!!

Ooh, what's this?

Look how dirty his clothes are and how happy he is!

Memorial Day Weekend

I love long weekends, especially when the sun is shining and its warm outside. Memorial Day was exactly that, and having friends over for a BBQ and games made the day complete. Hamburgers, watermelon, corn on the cob and croquet. Yes, good times were had by all.

Jake and Amelia playing around.

Monkeying around on the lawn chair.

The gang playing croquet. Brian won, 2nd and 3rd place were claimed, and then it came down to who could kill the other person's ball more times
(thanks for the entertainment Branndon and Matt).


Amelia playing with the baseball gloves.

Natalie!!

Rebecca and Nidia


Daniel and Daddy teaching Jake the finer points of the game.

Trip to Denver

At the beginning of the month, the opportunity to travel to Denver, CO for a business conference fell into Brian's hands. Of course he said yes, and Jake and I tagged along for a week of fun in the Colorado sunshine. I have an Auntie and cousins there, so it was fun to spend lots of time with them. Here are some of the highlights of our trip in pictures.

I love the expression on Jake's face! I think he likes to hear himself laugh because he does this funny little forced laugh. Pretty cute!

Like the shirt? It says, "Chick Magnet" :P

The family at Red Rocks Ampitheater--an outdoor theater with some of the best acoustics. The list of music artists that have played there is amazing...from the Beatles to U2 to the Doobie Brothers to even MoTab. We didn't hear a concert, but it was a beautiful place.

At the Colorodo Rockies game--Jake's first baseball game. He lasted until about the 4th inning and then it was time to call it a night. The Rockies were getting slaughtered anyway...

The first taste of a lemon, and he liked it! Look at him sucking on the slice.


With Auntie Fra Fra at the Denver zoo. This was inside the monkey house, but the flash on my camera nixes any sight of a monkey...except for maybe the one in her arms.

The pink flamingos at the Zoo.

We had a blast in Denver and so appreciated all the love and attention from Aunt Francie and the boys. We miss you and can't wait for Irvington in July!!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Destructive Tornado

Jake has been crawling and pulling himself up to a stand for the last two weeks or so. Now that he's completely mobile he can and does get into anything and everything he wants to. His new favorite pasttimes involve anything that shouldn't be touched or played with, including pulling things out of the bathroom garbage can, opening and slamming shut the kitchen drawers, making calls to China on the telephone, pulling DVDs off the shelf, and pulling on any cord he can get his hands on. He is literally a tornado that leaves a path of destruction everywhere he goes. I've given up cleaning up after him. What's the point?

Sunday, May 3, 2009

On Being a Finisher

Right before the start of the race

With Rebecca & Carol after finishing the race

This last weekend was the 5K race that I signed up for back in January. My friends Carol and Rebecca joined me in the fun, and our families were there to cheer us on. When asked if I was ready for the race two days prior to the event, my response was, "At this point in time, it is what it is." I knew that I wouldn't be able to run the whole thing--in fact, I wondered just how much of it I could run. My physical capacity to do what was easy three years ago has been seriously compromised by pregnancy, a slow postpartum weight loss, and my own dumb choices. Did I run the whole thing? No. But I'm happy to report that I finished in a much faster time than I anticipated.
By the end of the race my energy was pretty much spent, the alternation between running and walking much more frequent. Although there were still plenty of people behind me, I knew that I was the last of my group to finish the race. I approached the stadium and willed myself to pick up speed for the final home stretch, the goal within sight. And there stood my husband and son, my friends, cheering me on. A little burst of adrenaline energy and I crossed the finish line. Time: 37 minutes and 26 seconds--just under a 12 minute mile.
All things considered, I have to give myself credit for the progress that I have made over the last 4 months. Back in January I couldn't pull myself up to a sitting position when laying down--I didn't have the stomach muscles. I can do sit ups now. I couldn't hoist myself up on the counter, my favorite spot for sitting in the kitchen. No longer a problem. Twenty minutes of walking at a moderate pace on the treadmill was more than enough, and my knees ached when I braved a minute or two of running. Shedding ten pounds has considerably lightened the load I'm carrying and I can run for longer (albeit still short) periods of time. I'm a work in progress.
Looking at it from a broader perspective, we're all running the race of life. And it's not about who crosses the finish line first, or who has the best time. It's about determination. It's about consistency. It's about having the courage to keep moving forward even when it's hard. It's about getting back on your feet when you falter. It's about finishing the race that you started and being able to say, as did Paul in the New Testament, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."