Congrats!

A BIG to congrats to brother Dave on getting engaged to the beautiful Caitlin!!!  We are SO excited for both of them and their upcoming marriage!!!  Love you guys!

These days

Well not much to blog about.  We've been pretty boring these days.  I am all recovered from the race, and have started training for my next one, a 10k.  I'm excited to keep me going on this whole weight loss journey.  I have lost 27 pound so far and do still have a LONG way to go.  Its frustrating at times, but I know that I am doing as much as I can at this point!

Hubs is doing well, still waiting on word from the church on if this job will be permanent.  Which is a little frustrating.  We are STILL in the parents basement.  It has been such a blessing to be able to have this place, our own space here, but I'm ready to be out, back on our own.  I feel like a teenager most of the time just because I am living with my parents again.  It has really been an amazing experience with very few bumps in the road, we're just ready.  Its hard to be patient waiting on God during this time, we probably wont' know anything about the job until December, and at first I was VERY frustrated, but then I decided it was just God's way of slowing us down a little and allowing us to save more money for a down payment. His timing is perfect, and I want HIS best for us not just my best!  Thankful for a God who always takes care of us!

Wy-man is doing great!  Growing like a weed.  And growing up even faster!  I say to him practically every day "STOP growing!!" and he says to me "I can't mom, well, I'll stop when I'm like 9 no 10"  He's hilarious!! So much fun (most days) :)  We have been doing some "school" to get him a little focused on next year. I can't believe that is almost that time!  Crazy!  I love my little man!

Bean is as crazy as ever!  She is growing like crazy too.  Really this job goes way to fast for as slow as some days can seem!!  She is started to really really talk, some times we understand the words, sometimes not but she is trying to communicate.  More importantly she understands most everything!  I can give the child instructions and she will follow everything (her brother still doesn't do that)  We can also ask her questions about things and she'll nod her head or shake it.  Its awesome!  Very helpful to be able to communicate with her a little.  She is trying to run, which is adorable, and is getting faster every day.  She tucks her little arm up like a wing and off she goes.  She is a great eater and most days a great sleeper, she just wakes up at the crack of dawn! 

Well that's us. Not much to tell!!  Auntie Katie's gonna have her baby very soon and we are SOOO excited for that!!!

Family Pictures

So we decided to have another family photo shoot with the amazing Katie Hall, and well, she did not disappoint!!  I LOVE all the pictures, really, can't choose a few, I love them all!  If you live in the area and want a GREAT photographer, please give Katie Hall Creative a call!!  So, without further ado!

Handsome little man....when did he grow up!  I tell him to stop daily and he refuses!

Peek a boo with Sissy!

SOOO big!!

Sweet big brother!

Favorite favorite!!

Love this one, very stylish!

I LOVE the joy in this picture!

First pic of the shoot!!  Before she started hating the fields we were in!

2nd fav...just with Wy was looking!

This is how she looked most of the time, honestly don't know how Katie got ANY good after the start of the shoot!

LOVE THESE NEXT TWO FACES!!

Very proud of her rock!

Katie was sticking her tongue out so they did it back!

I DID it!!

Well, I can happily report that I survived my first Half Marathon!!!  The whole thing was so much fun, mostly because I did it with some great people!  One of which reminded me so much before the race to just soak it all in, the beautiful day, the beautiful city, the beautiful weather!  Really put my mind in the right place to start the race!  Thanks Jude!!! 

It took us at least 25 minutes to cross the start line...super annoying, maybe it was because of these 20,000 people running the race...

but we finally did and about 100 steps later I got my first glimpse of my cheering squad (these beautiful people +my dad)!
 

Here's their view of seeing me for the first time!

What a jolt to get the race started.  We did the first 5 miles through downtown Philly.  Beautiful and it went by fast because we kept turning and there was so much to look at. (I'm not in this picture, just people running back out of downtown)

 Me running past before the.....

longest 4 miles of my life.  I had to walk some here.  Mostly through water stations, but I was SO disappointed I was walking.  Seriously, I had been training for SO long and I was angry I was walking.  The next 4 miles were a little better, some down hill so that helped. I just kept willing myself to keep going and eventually I saw mile 13 and had to just concentrate on the finish line to keep from sobbing my eyes out!  What an emotional rush. All of those people cheering and hearing the announcer cheering specific people in that he picked out from the crowd.  SO much fun.  My mom kept saying afterward that she thought that the finish was what is was gonna be like in heaven!  The angels cheering us in while someone announces our names.  Some sprinting to the finish, some just powering through, some walking, some being carried through on stretchers and some not being called at all.  Deep mom, a cool parallel

Walked through the post race runners area.  Got my awesome finishers medal and some MUCH needed cold water, cytomax a banana and some fruit and then found my family.  I really wish I had a camera with me on the course to take pictures of what I saw.  maybe next time I will!

Cheesy picture of me with my medal

This is how I found my sweet sissy girl...sleeping through the loudest music on earth!!

Me and my sweet boy!  I loved seeing that face throughout the race!

So that's it, I'd do it again.  Maybe after the next baby.....maybe bofore. Already planning on an 8K in November.   I have a long way to go in my weight loss journey..before we have another baby :) but I'm getting there!!!  This was a great accomplishment along the way!

T-minus one day

So I leave in four hours for Philly to pick up my packet for the half marathon tomorrow.  If I sound obsessed, its because this training has been all consuming.  I have appreciated the incentive to get out and run everyday, but it has been overwhelming at times.  But it has also been amazing.  I have really regained a love for running.  To challenge yourself and put your mind in charge of your body is fun.  To tell yourself you CAN do this and continue on.  It makes the verse in the Bible "I beat my body and make it my slave" have new meaning.  And it also challenges me in my daily walk, to "beat my body " in other ways.  If I can force myself to run 12 miles, why can't I force myself to control my tongue, etc.  So, running has been a spiritual challenge as well as a physical challenge. 

I am looking forward to the race.  Hoping I sleep tonight and am not too nervous.  I am also nervous about leaving my kiddos.  This is the first time leaving Leah.  I'm not really worried, but this is the first time since I have had kids, I am leaving by myself.  Weird!  Pray they sleep tonight for their daddy since he's gotta go to church in the morning! 

Ok, I'll report how it goes to all you (haha ) faithful readers when I get back!!