Classic 10k

   I ran my first race today after having Graceyn.  Like I have mentioned, it is a lot of work to build speed back up.  I often get frustrated that I am no where near as fast as I was a little over a year ago.  I just keeping training and working as hard as I can and know that I will get there again.  I did after having Dawson.  This morning, was the Classic 10k race.  I wasn't originally planning on running it.  Then I realized, I had ran it the last 3 years. My sister and brother were running it.  It is a really pretty and neat course.  I decided to just bite the bullet and run it.  I wanted to get 6 miles in today anyways.  I set out with absolutely no time goals whatsoever.  In fact I didn't even wear my Garmin to track my pace.  I tend to get very competitive, and didn't want to get caught up in that.  I just wanted to go by what felt good.  I ran a solid race and it felt great to be running in a race again.  I did miss it.  My time was a lot better than I thought it would be, but I still have a long way to go  The most important thing is that I had fun today.  The bright side is that my time will be even more awesome next year!

Katy coming in

Coming down the chute

Here I come

My cheering squad

First time watching mommy at a race.  I am sure she will have many more!

After the race

Rolling Over

  Graceyn turns 4 months old on Monday, and I will write a big blog post then to cover everything she is up to these days.  I had to write a quick post though, to update that she is now rolling over!!!! I can't believe she is already old enough to roll over.  Like I mentioned a few weeks ago, she had gotten really good at rolling onto her side.  I knew it was just a matter of time before she could roll all the way.  Yesterday, I laid her on her back on her play mat.  I walked out of the room to get something upstairs.  When I came back in, she was on her stomach just smiling away.  I asked Ashlyn if she moved her, and she said she hadn't.  She then rolled over several more times for me.  She is really enjoying her new found skill and loves to show off.  Any time I put her on her back now, even if for a second, she rolls right over.  Most kids actually roll from their tummies to backs first.  I looked it up on the internet and it said that most babies don't master back to tummy rolling until 5 or 6 months.  She is already advanced! Lol.  Ashlyn also rolled from her back first, so I guess she is already following in her sister's footsteps. 

This is how I found my sweet girl

Moving on her side

Getting closer

On her tummy

The next skill we are working on, sitting up. 

This Week

  We've had another busy summer week.  Ella spent the night on Tuesday night.  The kids have been dying to have her spend the night, so it was a real treat for them.  They ran around and played all night together.  They even got to make ice cream sundaes.  They definitely liked those!  Ashlyn also got to go to a play date on Friday with her best friend Sofie.  They went swimming and Ashlyn had a great time.  Next week looks to be even busier, we are trying to enjoy every second of this summer!

Gracie fell alseep playing the other day.  She even fell asleep with her hand holding her toy. 

Too cute!  All that playing really wears a little girl out!

Sundae time!

Ella enjoying her ice cream

Dawson

The girls slept together. They played so much, they were both out in record time. 

Ella and Ashlyn are quite into playing with baby dolls.  It's their favorite thing to play together.  Their babies even had a slumber party too. 

Tasting her butterfly

Sisters

Loving those hands!

Gracie's First Cabin Trip

   After the pancake breakfast, we headed home to get packed up to head up to the cabin.  Gracie did so good at the tree house, that I thought it was time we tried her at the cabin.  I spoke to her pediatrician about it and she said she could go up there once she was 3 months.  I felt like it was time to give it a shot.  My brother also came up with us that weekend.  He usually only goes up once a summer, so it was a special weekend.
      We had a great time as usual up there.  Gracie did better than I go have imagined.  She seemed to have a great time.  She loved sitting on the porch with me and taking everything in.  It was too precious.  She hardly even made a peep all weekend.  She slept well at night and did not seem the least bit bothered by the elevation.  She is already loving the cabin as much as her sister and brother.
    Ashlyn got to go fishing with her dad and uncles.  She had a great time.  Joey said she is becoming quite the little fisher.  I think they even caught a fish or two.
    My brother, sister, and I squeezed in a run while we were up there.   I am still working on becoming a strong runner again. I ran while pregnant, but no where near where I was running a year ago.  I've been working like crazy to get back there again.  Running at the cabin is definitely a great way to build up fitness.  Running up hill at 11,000 feet is no joke.  My brother used his Garmin to see elevation climb, and it was about a 2,000 foot elevation gain in 5 miles.  But, the good news is that you get to run down 2,000 feet which is the best part.  It's a brutal run, but I always tell myself if I can run that, I can run anything.  It's also hands down the most breathtaking run ever.  I actually love it despite how hard it is.
    On Sunday morning, just as we had finished with breakfast, Joey spotted a moose in the clearing in front of the cabin.  I have been dying to see a moose up there.  I always just miss it.  It meandered over to the river in front of the cabin.   It was pretty funny because it was like we are the paparazzi trying to get a good shot of the moose.  We were all climbing through the bushes and trying to lay low so it wouldn't see us.  We went over the other side and got some great shots.  It was so neat to see a moose in the wild like that.  They are very dangerous creatures, but beautiful at the same time.  We were all so excited to see it and the kids said it was the best part of the whole weekend. 

Cuddle time

Alli loves her uncle

Katy and I on our run

The moose in the river.  The picture does not do justice of how big it was.  They are very large animals. 

The moose in front of the cabin

Gracie soaking up the wilderness

Katy and Jameson

Gracie and I by the chipmunks

Ashlyn feeding the chipmunks

Hanging out with mom

My baby and I

Ella having a great time

We had to have smores

Yum!!!

Cuddle time with Daddy

4th of July

   We started our 4th of July celebrations a day early this year.  Since we no longer live near the baseball stadium, we now go to my parent's house to watch the fireworks.  Last year traffic was so bad after the fireworks, we decided that this year we would just stay the night.  The Sky Sox had their fireworks on the 3rd.  We all headed over to my parent's house early for a day full of fun. The kids had a great time running around their grandparent's house and playing with one another. My mom bought them a bunch of new games to try and they had a great time,  We made a flag cake and red, white, and blue rice krispy treats. 
    That evening, we had a cookout with burgers, potato salad, and all the usual bbq offerings.  The weather started to get kind of bad and it rained.  Rain is great normally, but not when you want to sit outside and watch the fireworks.  Since the fireworks are after the game, there is never any telling what time they will go off.  The kids were getting pretty tired at this point, but they really wanted to see the fireworks.  Ashlyn and Ella were the only troopers left.  The fireworks usually go off immediately after the game.  The game ended and we waited, and waited, and then finally decided it was getting to be too late.  The kids were just beat.  So, we all headed inside.  Right after we went inside, they started to go off.  I ran back outside to watch with Joey.  We later found out that the rain delayed everything.
   Despite staying up very late, we were up bright and early the next morning for another 4th of July adventure.  We headed down to Security for their annual pancake breakfast to benefit the fire department.  This year Katy and the kids came too.  The kids always have a good time.  It's kind of neat because Security has such a small town feel which is great for the 4th of July.  There was actually quite a bit to keep the kids occupied.  We stayed for a few hours, but needed to get going to our next adventure which I will post next. 

Checking out the new games

Frosting the flag cake

Such good little helpers

The finished product

Silly girls

My mom got them neat popsicles to try. 

Graceyn had too much fun!

Eating together

Miss Gracie's patriotic outfit

All ready to go

Enjoying some pancakes

The helicopter coming in

He was really having fun

They had a giant snake that Dawson actually did touch, but he touched it so quickly I didn't get a picture.

Ella got her face painted

Dawson got a firework too

Bunny face Ashlyn

Ashlyn trying the dunk tank

Here are the kids in the Flight for Life helicopter. It's neat to see one and see how small they are. 

How patriotic is this shot???

Touring a real firetruck