1st day off track...need I say more?

So today was the kids first day off track.  Here's what we had going on.


1. Boston dug a hole under the fence to let the neighbors dog in our yard, then tried to tell me he had no idea how the dog got in our HOUSE.  Meanwhile I'm trying to chase a cocker spaniel out of my house while a client is waiting for me. (I didn't take a picture because I was too mad at the time.)

2. Brock decided to create a ramp to get on top of the playhouse and show off for the neighbor kid. They've been up on the roof all day.

Well, only 3 weeks left...but then again who's counting right?

Weekend Racing

 So I wasn't going to say much about the marathon I ran a couple weeks ago, I was disappointed with my time, I was doing pretty good until mile 19...let's just say I had to get over my aversions to porta-potties...every mile:)  I was feeling really sick and the last thing I wanted to do was finish the race. But I finished...it just took a little longer than planned.

My friends Angie and Brenda had trained with me all summer.  Adrienne came up to run it with me too.  (Adrienne is actually the one who talked me in to running another marathon...in fact I distinctly remember saying I would never run another marathon just weeks before she talked me into doing it.)

Well the next morning I signed Angie and I up for another marathon for the following Saturday.  I decided that on Wednesday when we were still sore that it would probably be a good idea to switch to the 1/2 marathon.  I'm glad I did, we were still a little sore from the marathon only a week before.

 

This is me and Angie after the Half.  We always plan our runs to end at Chick-fil-a for breakfast and funny enough Chick-fil-a was the sponsor of this race...so we still got our chicken mini's.

 

   These are my friends Kristin and Lindsey.  They came to cheer me on.  It was super fun to have them join me along the way.  Thanks guys!

 My kids wanted to run the kids 1/2 mile marathon, so I signed them up.  They thought it was pretty cool. 

 

Alyssa was in-charge of her own hair that morning:)

Boston started crying and didn't want to run so I had to run the kids race with him...as if running a half wasn't already enough.

Happy Birthday Gentry!

Gentry is a whopping 29 today...now if you do the math he was 30 last year, but that's beside the point:)

So for Gentry's birthday being the thoughtful wife that I am, I decided to run a marathon.  I wasn't going to do it, but then after talking to him a few months ago I decided to do it.  (Really, he is the nicest husband ever.)  But toward the end of the marathon I was wishing he would have insisted that I'd stayed home with him instead of doing something so painfully stupid.

So he got to go golfing this morning with friends, and then coach the boys soccer game.  (Which is just what he wanted to do for his birthday I'm sure.)

Gentry still continues to make me and the kids laugh.  A couple weeks ago we were at Nordstrom and the salesman helping us looked just like a neighbor.  We both love playing the "look-alike" game, so Gentry came up to me while I was talking to the salesman and says "So, is Jason teaching class on Sunday?"  I couldn't hold in my smile because that was his way of saying in front of the guy to me that he was Jason's "look-alike".

Yesterday I was on the phone with the Dish Network people and they wouldn't let me talk to them with out Gentry's consent, so I called him on 3-way.  The customer service rep asked how Gentry was, and he responded with "Great other than my lower back has been giving me troubles!"...and then the customer rep said "Oh, I understand"...Gentry sounded just like a senior citizen and the guy didn't get it.  Then he asked why we were canceling our plan and he replied with "It's called we're going back to the good ol' bunny ears."  I couldn't laugh but after I got off the phone I called Gentry and told him I was dying laughing on the other end of the phone.

Gentry is seriously the best husband and Dad.  WE LOVE YOU GENTRY!!

Palisades Lake

We decided it was time for us to take a mini camping trip so we loaded the kids up and went to Palisades Lake.  We were going to tent it, but two days before we left we decided 38 degrees at night was a little too chilly....needless to say we ended up renting a trailer for 2 days.  (Which was well worth every penny we paid.)  Don't let the swimsuits fool you it was still only about 60 degrees when they wanted to put them on.

The mornings started out chilly.  We wore our sweatshirts for quite a bit until it warmed up, but the kids insisted on wearing their swimsuits the second we mentioned going for a ride in the paddle boat.

The kids loved the paddle boat, but they weren't overly impressed with my paddling skills.  They tried to help out to speed us up.

We went with my brother Matt and his wife Michele and kids Porter, Max and Tate.

Alyssa and Tate.  He is such a cute little guy and was super happy the whole trip.

We took the kids fishing and Brock found a worm and put it on the hook all by himself.  This was the kids first time fishing and they loved it.

The first fish they caught...or should I say their pole caught and Gentry did all the work...including holding it for the picture of them.  They were all a little too scared to touch it.

But by the second day they thought they were pros.  Alyssa reeled it in and Brock caught it with the net  while Gentry and I watched as "proud parents:)"

Gentry had to take out the hook because the kids were still not THAT daring...touching with their bare hands was still a little too scary.

They caught a bunch of baby frogs, and even this little lizard...which I think was almost dead when they caught it.  I love Porter's proud face in this picture.  Priceless.

Gentry was really patient with the kids.  I tried to cast one time and I broke the dang bubble thing.  So I decided I was better at watching then actually trying to get involved.  Not to mention the fish bait weirded me out and I wasn't about to touch it.  Thank goodness for Gentry!  It was a fun weekend.  Maybe we'll have to try it again next year.

FAMILY PICTURES

Every year we do family pictures...here they are for this year.  Peter Loosli was the photographer.  I love the location he picked, and the way he shot the pictures.  I would highly recommend him to anyone! (I posted a ton of pictures, this is the way I scrapbook:)

I love this picture of Alyssa, Gentry was trying to get her to kiss him.  She's at the age where it's EMBARRASSING!

But she gave in and did it anyway...

Man I love these kids!

She is growing up way too fast.

BROCK

BOSTON

Peter asked how Boston lost his top two teeth and we told him it's from Brock punching him in the mouth...this is Boston's "re-enactment."

The picture above was Gentry's idea..his Dad works at Kennecott and Gentry thought his Dad would love to see the smelter (or whatever it's called) behind us.  When I look at this picture it makes me laugh..a little too much.

And we can't forget the family favorite...:)