4 FUNNY BOYZ

Did NOT keep the rubber on the road this morning!

2011-11-15T09:39:00.001-08:00

Metal Grates of Bridges hurt when you land on them!

2011-11-15T09:37:00.000-08:00

This morning (like many mornings) I headed out for a ride along the beach. It was super early (5 sharp) and misty/damp out. I was working on some bike intervals for strength with a couple of guys and was overall pleased with my effort...20 miles of WORK...keeping up..hanging on...We had pretty much "called it a day...(at 6 am) and were heading back in. We were heading over the same bridge the ride originated from....just kind of chatting as we went...and then it was like instant chaos..carbon grinding against carbon and bodies on the ground. The tire of one rider caught the edge of the slick (from moisture in the air) metal grate and slid out from under him...in the process that bike tire caught my bike tire and my bike did the same sliding act. It was like a slow motion movie...my thought as I was going down..."this is going to feel great on that sharp metal" Needless to say...we survived...it was ugly...lots of road rash...cracked helmets....bruises...blood..YUCK! I am thinking tomorrow I may be a little sore. I am sure the left side of my body is going to be a rainbow for awhile! But thank goodness...I live to ride another day!! I guess if your going to go down lets pick one of the worst surfaces possible...I did manage to run three miles afterwards....three thoughts led to that decision 1) its on the schedule 2) what if this happened on race day...I would have a heck of alot more than 3 miles to hammer out 3) I may be too sore to run tomorrow! Until next time...

Soccer

2011-11-15T09:25:00.000-08:00

This year we allowed Mitchell to play on a competitive soccer team (photos still coming). What this meant to me was a lot of practice, games at a distance, money, and commitment....no more show up and play for an hour a week. Preston and Nicholas did the show up and play this season. Preston really enjoyed soccer and was a bit more aggressive and scored his first goal....which was soo exciting for him and me as I knew how much he wanted it. He has asked to play where Mitchell is playing next season...so onward and upward...we will ALL be moving over to Largo in the spring. It has been a good experience for Mitchell thus far so I am hoping for a positive experience for all three boys in the years to come...time will tell!

Nicholas is so stinkin Cute!!!! Couldn't miss his team in the florescent green!

2011-11-15T09:19:00.000-08:00

Preston loves soccer....movin up to the big league next season!

2011-11-15T09:15:00.001-08:00

Halloween 2011

2011-11-15T09:12:00.000-08:00

Well Halloween has come and gone...and in my mind that is the kick off to the holiday season. My kids enjoy Halloween immensely because of the candy fest. Being a pretty health conscious family sweets are not the norm over here....and if we do have them somebody in this house created them. So, needless to say, Halloween is a treat. Being the mother of boys I kind of roll my eyes, to myself, when Halloween is approaching because it is always a matter of "what super hero are we going to be this year" BORING....10 years later! I always suggest historical figures BUT noone loves that idea. Needless to say, when Pac man and the ghosts were on "the table" as a possibility...I was thrilled and it had my vote!

We enjoyed an evening with grandparents and dear neighborhood friends (who have 5 boys)which is kind of a little tradition that we have and love. As John was getting ready for the evening he hauled out our big double stroller (don't even know how he dug that thing out) (mental note to self...call a hauling company...that could go) and I said to him "honey, we don't have any babies anymore to push around" but he thought we should bring it for overflow of candy, beverages, and any tired children. Anyway...another year of family tradition come and gone...but these are the moments and events I cherish and treasure!

2011 Carving Creations!!

2011-11-15T09:02:00.001-08:00

Halloween Stash

2011-11-15T09:00:00.001-08:00

Devin did not dress up for Halloween but did escort his brothers to the door , which was of course worthy of candy...he was asked several times if he was a "Hollister" model

2011-11-15T08:58:00.001-08:00

Radford's going "retro" in 2011 with Pacman..Inky...and.. Blinky

2011-11-15T08:55:00.001-08:00

CHOICES......

2011-11-07T08:07:00.000-08:00

So this race season did not go as PLANNED...as if you can ever really plan life. I opened up with a decent to fair race in New Orleans and then trained pretty hard all summer for the upcoming fall races in Augusta and Miami. Somewhere about late July /Early August a seed was planted in my head out of nowhere that with school in session I could not be a racer and an effective homeschooler of FOUR.. both in the same body. Now many people juggle many things but what I could not seem to wrap my head around was doing both things WELL. I was not willing to school my children without giving them 100% of myself intellectually and creatively....yet on the other hand I have the inability to approach a 70.3 or most any race with the attitude of I just want to finish or I am just doing this for fun. So as I weighed all of this out in my mind ....I came to the conclusion that I must choose one or the other.....so of course I choose my children. There really was no choice to be made but it sure felt like choosing. I was very "down" for awhile as I really love racing and was so "race Ready" at the time of this decision but the races were still 6 to 12 weeks away and something had to give. The lesson learned is I need to set up my 2012 race season differently...I need to utilize ALOT of my summer...even if it means stacking races a little closer than normal....I need to relish in the time I allow my self to race because my race season is SHORT. Fortunately, I really enjoy the training aspect and can still indulge in that aspect every or most mornings between 5 and 8 AM.......So I am looking forward to 2012 from a racing perspective....but I cherish every day with my children as that season of my life will end all too quickly. At the end of the day the resounding thought in my mind was this...."It is their time" meaning that when I was a child my parents supported, nourished and participated in all my sports and activities as busy and time consuming as it was.....and as I look back that is a gift beyond words....so I want to give nothing less to the four children that I have so that when they look back one day they will feel as if they were given the same gift of limitless time, love and support in their childhoods. Choices.....

Happy Grandparents day .....the boys are so blessed to have such an amazing relationship with them

2011-11-03T20:11:00.001-07:00

Another Fun day on the beaches of Florida

2011-11-03T20:08:00.001-07:00

These are some of our treasures after a day of hunting with the Hackney family

2011-11-03T20:04:00.001-07:00

A Visit from our Favorite Aunt Joy!!

2011-11-03T20:02:00.001-07:00

Devin and Grandma.....August Birthday Buddies

2011-11-03T19:59:00.001-07:00

Birthday's are more Fun with Family

2011-11-03T19:57:00.001-07:00

This Cake looked delicious but was HORRIBLE!!!!!

2011-11-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

Devin turns 15!!!!!

2011-11-03T19:52:00.001-07:00

A New School Year is Underway

2011-11-03T19:49:00.000-07:00

The school year has begun and it is running smoothly overall. I will say it is one heck of a busy day. We have chosen to let Preston and Nicholas play Friday night soccer once again. Mitchell has made and moved up to a competitive traveling team (goodbye Saturdays) and Devin is about to begin monthly golf tournaments. The boys are still taking piano lessons and improving leaps and bounds while Devin continues to tackle playing the organ in church. Our biggest undertaking perhaps has been our involvement in Speech and Debate. Devin will be competing in debate this year as well as Apologetics and Interpretive Humorous Speech with his brother. Mitchell will compete in Speech only taking on a 10 minute persuasive speech as well as a duo with his brother. Oh...and I forgot boyscouts...Devin is hoping to make Eagle this school year. So this is what is taking our time on a day to day basis....more details to come on many of these things individually.

Faith Story

2011-07-28T12:36:00.001-07:00

Every year after completing two years of confirmation classes, the boys and girls stand up in front of church, answer questions, recite bible passages, and read their "faith story" to the congregation. Well, this was my first journey down this road as a mother. Every day in our home we are constantly working on choices, tone of voice, respect, "do as Jesus would do attitudes", living our lives as a Light for Christ. So one might say that this day is like standing on top of one of the smaller mountains of life....meaning that life is a road traveled and there are peaks and valleys. Although this is not the ultimate peak (that being heaven) this I would consider a precipice on which to rest for a moment and look back on the younger formative years and what has been learned and instilled on the road and journey thus far. That being said Devin has written his faith story which is a glimpse of his heart, an unfolding of character, and a look at where he hopes his road leads in his mind in the future. I hope you enjoy it as I did:

Devin's Faith Story

My name is Devin Radford. I was born on August 1st, the year 1996. 10 days following, I was baptized very near where I stand right now......that date has been and will be the most important in my life because that was the day that Jesus took me into his arms and welcomed me as a sanctified member of His family.
Ever since that day nearly 15 years ago, my faith has been allowed to grow through the efforts of my family. They've taken me to church almost every week, urged me to study and marvel at the works of the Bible, as well as to thank the Lord for both the roses AND the thorns of this life. I lean on them for support and encouragement when the world seems too much for me alone to handle. I'm truly blessed to have such amazing people around me.
Then came the day of my first confirmation class. I have to admit I was a little disconcerted about going to study under the big man that preached so strongly every week. As I came to know him better, Pastor ceased to be the big loud guy and became the caring man that we all know and trust. He's given me a much deeper insight about what it means to follow the Bible and to be a better Christian in this world. That's a gift without price since what I learned here will be a part of me forever.
Confirmation is special for me because it symbolizes my joining the congregation and becoming a true member of the church body. My confirmation verse is Proverbs 2:1,9. "My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, {...} then you will understand what is right and just and fair--every good path." I chose this verse because it has elements of both the Law and the Gospel. In short, it reminds me to focus on the Bible, while assuring me that of the many tempting paths life offers, it will lead me down the right one.
In the future, I plan to continue praising the Lord on the organ, to earn the Eagle scout rank, and to reach my earthly goal of becoming a doctor. But ultimately I'll strive to walk beside Jesus for the rest of my life.

Ironman 70.3 New Orleans

2011-07-28T08:18:00.001-07:00

This was my first race of this 2011 season. I have never been to New Orleans so the city was a new experience as well. The city was different. I loved the food, I loved the historical sections that I saw, and I was amazed at Bourbon Street and how it truly is a party way beyond when I would ever be still awake (like as I was driving to the race Sunday morning people were still stumbling through the streets).

The race was also an experience. The day before the race it was super windy...we did a practice ride to kind of feel the headwind as well as the tailwind in case conditions did not improve for race day. As we glanced at the swim venue in the morning it was crazy wavy...so we opted not to do a practice swim...however, as the day went on we decided we might as well get in and take on those 5 foot waves to prepare for the following morning. Luckily, we swim in the gulf which is wavy periodically so it was challenging but not totally foreign to us. On race morning the conditions had not improved, if anything the wind was worse. Race director announced that wind speeds were 25+ mph so the swim would be cancelled...a major disappointment I must say...but I understand safety first! So bike was a time trial start (never done that before)which means you are lined up by age group and started in pairs every 30 seconds...not bad but not my favorite! Bike was flat and windy....let me clarify...head windy!!! About 35 miles of it was 20+ mph headwinds...felt like two steps forward 3 steps back. I just kept telling myself everyone is enduring this just keep pedaling....keep your cadence at 90... I arrived at the half way point and was about 8 minutes behind my minimum goal so a negative split was in order. So I put my head down and finished it out with a negative split..not the time I was hoping for but I will take it with the conditions. I think my average speed was 19.6...thank you Mother Nature for the gusty winds..you taught me yet another lesson in mental toughness! Run was an improvement coming off of last years injury infested season....but still alot of work to do. Big take home from the run was "you do not need water at every water stop Tracy" Needless to say the crowd support at the finish was amazing...I was glad to see the finish and I wanted to not ride in any wind for at least a week! All in all good race, disappointed in no swim, keep working on run, and another race in the experience tank of 70.3 racing. Can't wait to take on Augusta and Miami in the fall. Until then I will train hard and enjoy the journey!

Happy 13th Birthday Mitchell

2011-07-28T07:55:00.000-07:00

Mitchell turned 13 this year and I can hardly believe it. Mitchell is characterized by his tender heart and his wonderful sense of humor. He nightly entertains at the dinner table with his humorous interpretations of his surroundings. Many evenings he has all of us laughing almost to the point of tears...it is truly a gift! Mitchell is taking on a few new challenges this year with competitive soccer and competing in speech competitions doing none other than humorous interpretations. He is a joy to be around and it is amazing to look back over the years and see how he has changed and yet remained the same. I feel so blessed to have had every day to be with him as he grows and continues to change right before my eyes. I would not give back one moment I have had on this journey with him and look forward to seeing how his road bends and curves every day in the future on his journey through the teen years. Happy Birthday my Sweet Mitchell!!

Faces of Mitchell

2011-07-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

Honoring those who have fought for our Freedom

2011-07-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

A Memorial Day tradition with scouts

2011-07-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

Murray is getting bigger!

2011-07-28T07:35:00.000-07:00

Pictures with Family on Devin's Confirmation

2011-07-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

Devin's Confirmation

2011-07-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

Celebrating Devin's Confirmation with Family at The Columbia Restaurant

2011-07-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

All happy with our treats at Yogurt Mountain

2011-07-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

Our First trip to Yogurt Mountain

2011-07-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

Happy 9th Birthday to Precious Preston

2011-05-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

Egg Dyeing ...always a favorite tradition

2011-05-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

Sharing a little love on Easter with our family

2011-05-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

Egg Hunting at Grandma and Grandpas house

2011-05-10T13:58:00.000-07:00

Easter Photos

2011-05-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

Our new puppy Murray!!

2011-05-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

Nicholas Turns 5!!!

2011-05-10T13:34:00.001-07:00

I can not believe that this day has come and gone. It wasavery tough day for me to officially exit the baby and toddler years. I would have kept one around forever if I could. I love babies but even more love toddlers. I am trying to treasure every moment I have with all of my "babies" because this birthday more than all of the rest showed me how fleeting time is and they will be "gone" from our little home in no time. Nicholas is my most artistic and creative child in the toddler and preschool years. He loves to do anything that involves a scissors, glue, crayons, markers....you get the point. No legos, cars, action figures for this kid. He walks around all day writing letters interviewing and taking notes on all of us. He also thinks he is formally enrolled in history, grammar...etc. I guess the perks of a homeschooled home! The cake was a cookie cake with a pig on it....as odd as it may seem, he seems to like them very much and imitates them often. Nicholas chose to have a picnic at the beach for his birthday. Not surprising as we visit the beach frequently especially during the spring. So as we head in to the elementary years with Nicholas I look forward to how much creativity and artistic flare he will add to our every day schooling activities. I never turn him down when he says "hold me mommy" because I know my days are numbered to hear those words and I cherish each time he asks me to for now while I can! Happy Birthday Baby Boy!!

Happy 5th Birthday to my Baby Boy

2011-05-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

Baking pumpkin muffins with Nicholas...don't worry they are vegan...no egg in the batter!

2011-01-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

Our annual ornament painting event...every year we have so much fun as we pull out the ornaments and look at what we have created in the past.

2011-01-09T15:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas Around the Country...We showcased the state of Maine by serving up some lobster macaroni and cheese, apple cobbler, and blueberry muffins.

2011-01-09T15:35:00.000-08:00

What a wild ride the Sit and Spin can be!

2011-01-09T15:31:00.000-08:00

Photos on Thanksgiving Day of my handsome babies!

2011-01-09T15:24:00.000-08:00

Making sweet treats with our sweet friends "the Palms"

2011-01-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

Devin trying his hand at a two layer cake from scratch

2011-01-09T14:29:00.000-08:00

Sarasota Festival with Friends

2011-01-09T14:20:00.000-08:00

2011-01-09T14:13:00.000-08:00

My two little guys crack me up with the dress-up concoctions they put together every day!

2011-01-09T14:03:00.000-08:00

Our Halloween

2010-11-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

Halloween has come and gone and the boys have already stated ideas on next years costumes. We had a wonderful visit with John's dad during the holiday. It is always such a rich experience for the boys to spend time with grandparents and great grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins... as it gives them a sense of belonging and family beyond our little home on Saint Andrews Dr. The boys have truly been blessed this year with the visit of Grandpa Radford, as well as spending time with Aunt Joy, Uncle Bill, Billy, Daniel, Allison and Carrie over the past few months. All relatives we are not fortunate enough to see on a regular basis. Back to Halloween...We enjoyed our evening,with family, over a chili supper, trick or treating with the cousins, and candy sorting and dividing. Candy sorting and dividing is hysterical and quite a ritual to say the least. I know my children love this holiday for the simplicity of it which can be summed up in two words...Costumes and CANDY.....My love of the holiday can be summed up in two words as well.. Family and Tradition. Someday I hope the boys will look back with not only fond memories of all of the costumes they've dressed up in but also look back and treasure all of the time we spent as a family, memories we made, and traditions we established special to our little family.

I have no words for this....it just makes me laugh!!

2010-11-04T08:38:00.001-07:00

I have no words for this....it just makes me laugh!!

2010-11-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

Halloween 2010

2010-11-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa participating in Halloween Fun

2010-11-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

My Handsome Gangster

2010-11-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

My Energizer Bunny

2010-11-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

My too cute Indian

2010-11-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Radford visits

2010-11-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

The Finished Design

2010-11-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

Very cool pumpkin we did NOT purchase

2010-11-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Picking

2010-11-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

Sharing my love of the track with the boys

2010-10-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

Today my plan was to do a track workout which included mile and quarter mile repeats. So instead of taking this on solo at some crazy early time in the morning..I decided to have my boys come along this evening and partake in the fun. In all honesty, three out of the four boys actually like doing track workouts. Devin has proclaimed himself a "cross country" runner so he "doesn't do" track. So he sits and watches us. My kids impress me every time we do the track. Mitchell did 4 miles and fast. Preston ran 3 miles with an amazingly positive attitude and you would have thought Nicholas was at a party. The kid kept running and talking, running and talking. He even brought a stuffed bear out to run with him. He completed 6 laps or a mile and a half. At one point he laid down on the track and I thought he was done...but no...just a little break and then back at it again. I love doing track with my kids..my son keeps me humble, I get a good workout, and I get to share one of my passions with them. I think we are heading out there again on Friday!!

Mile and 1/4 mile repeats at the track

2010-10-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say this fresh basket of organis produce we got today was our post workout snack BUT

2010-10-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

But what we really had post track workout was THIS!!

2010-10-27T18:10:00.000-07:00

Nana and Papa Celebrate 60 years of Marriage...What an example!!!

2010-10-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

Moods and faces of Nicholas

2010-10-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

Washington photos

2010-10-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

Portland Pictures

2010-10-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

Pics from Portland and Time with Aunt Joy and Uncle Bill

2010-10-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

Saying Goodbye for now...is so hard to do

2010-10-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

My Grandfather passed away a couple of weeks ago..in fact the day after we put our dog to sleep. Although my grandpa was to celebrate his 89th birthday in 4 days...his passing was unexpected and came as a surprise. I was planning on visiting him the day he passed away..so obviously I wished I had done it just a bit sooner. But the time we did spend with him when we visited him at his assisted living facility was sweet and a time I am now so thankful that I had with him. Many times we just did puzzles, or taught him a new game or chatted. In fact I think I made him a bit crazy at times in that I always asked him so many questions. But I guess as you get older you begin to realize time is fleeting and there may not be a tomorrow...so the passing of my grandfather is yet a gentle reminder to love the people in your life because they just may not be there tomorrow. I do believe the Lord was so gentle with my grandpa...he did not suffer and was taken so peacefully. He was blessed with a long life and was taken in the blink of an eye. I miss my grandfather...the chair where he sat for every holiday will be empty this year and from an earthly perspective will be sad. But he loved the Lord so we will meet again someday. Goodbye Grandpa...until then!

Goodbye Grandpa

2010-10-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

Caesar...a sad goodbye

2010-10-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately our family has gone through the pain of putting our dog to sleep in the past month. This was totally unexpected making it all the more painful for each and every one of us. Our dog just stopped eating one day. At first we thought he was being stubborn due to John letting him taste some meat juice..so we were not super concerned. However, as the days kept coming and the dog kept refusing food we knew something was wrong. The vet informed us that he had swollen lymph nodes indicating cancer but we treated as an infection as a hopeful attempt that things were not really that bad. However, the poor puppy wanted to eat but could not and he just kept dropping weight and losing energy. In the end we chose not to make him suffer any longer. The kids said their tearful goodbyes and John and I made the long trek to the animal clinic to say goodbye as well. I will say it was a super hard thing to do and tears stream down my face even writing this post. This dog was a crazy dog that did nothing in moderation. He ate his leash more than once, chased the kids with reckless abandon, and loved us with all of his heart. As sad as I am it is so worth it to have a pet you love and loves you unconditionally. I can not imagine my life without a dog. As Caesar took his last breath it was painful, it was painful seeing the pain in my children's faces and the tears in their eyes..but the love we gave and the love we received from that dog none of us will ever forget. We love you Caesar and will remember all of your craziness with a smile on our face.

Saying Goodbye to our puppy

2010-10-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

Not Florida Hills

2010-10-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

This race season I picked the Ironman 70.3 in Washington State as one of my races. I would not have traded this experience for the world. If there is one thing I love about triathlon is doing races in all different places and with different challenges to take on. This race offered up all of those things. The swim was about 68 degrees but they gave us a line as a guide which was a very cool perk. The bike was nothing shy of amazing. Hills, mountains, winding hills, heart pounding, quads moaning, but man did you know you were alive on that bike course. I loved it. As a Florida girl there is no way I could have trained those hills at home. But I trained hard and went out west to see what Washington would hand me. It did not disappoint. I felt a wee bit sick when we drove the course the day before as I knew these "hills" would be a whole new experience but I told myself "you love hills" and I just went with that. It was hard but amazing...I biked it in 3:17 which was two minutes shy of where I thought I would be. However, the run....not so amazing! I have been fighting an injury resulting from the bike all season and unfortunately that little pain decided to show up that day. On a positive note...I was able to enjoy the beauty of the run course...unfortunately at a way slower pace than I would have liked. But I knew this was a possibility so had kind of expected this outcome. Overall an amazing and beautiful venue but you had better love winding hills on the bike and lots of hills on the run to take on Lake Stevens. I was lucky also in that my husband and uncle escorted me to this race. It was fun to have family cheering you out of the swim and coming into the finishing chute. Another perk is that John took lots of photos...so this event is my first event that is documented. That is a race I will be able to see forever! Big thanks also go out to my cousin Daniel who reluctantly agreed to ride with me as a warm-up on Saturday. Goodness knows I would have never found my way back to the parking lot as I lack a sense of direction. It was also so great to share a common interest with him and to have him check out my bike one final time before race day! I can never thank my cousin, uncle and husband for their support that day. Let me not forget my aunt who took on my four boys in Portland for a few days so that I could race with an uncluttered mind! Thank you so much to a wonderful family!!

Ironman Lake Stevens...What an experience

2010-10-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

Trying out the trumpet

2010-10-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

Soccer

2010-10-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

Playing like the big boys

2010-10-25T17:41:00.001-07:00

Nicholas is playing his first season of soccer.He is so stinkin cute I can't stand it. The first game I thought it could possibly be a very long season. He is beginning to understand the concept a little and follows along with the 4 year old beehive perfectly. He had a "breakaway" last game but did not make it to the goal. At times it is nothing short of hysterical watching the 4 year olds play. Sometimes half of our players are off of the field of play looking at a dog across the way or perhaps chasing a soccer ball from a totally different field of play. It is like watching a comedy many times. He often needs to be reminded to watch the ball. This is one of those opportunities in life that no parent should miss. It drives me crazy when parents of the 4 year olds take the game too seriously and rob their little ones of the joy of the sport at this age. Trust me...I am all about competition...but this is a time to simply enjoy, laugh and love on those little ones as they struggle to remember why they are standing on that field at all half of the time. Three more games and loving every minute of it!

Nicholas's First season of soccer

2010-10-25T17:36:00.000-07:00

Is it almost October??

2010-09-16T20:23:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe another school year is here. Where has the time gone? I have to admit I have been a bit intimidated by my own blog. I needed to learn some new things with uploading pictures, working with a new template, and just getting caught up. Needless to say I have been frozen and nothing has happened. But as I love reading others blogs, I decided to dip my toe in and attack my own piece by piece and start to get it back to a status of current instead of so outdated.

A confession I must make is that I have traded my blogging time for reading (a passion of mine) and quite frankly sleep. I can not decide if it is my children that wear me out or my training or the combination. I literally go to bed around 11:00 every night..fall asleep within 30 seconds and do not move until my alarm goes off at around 4 AM the next morning. Usually I fall asleep icing some muscle of my body and will remove the ice pack sometime in the middle of the night. This I do not even remember!

So it is my goal to upload some pictures from our fabulous vacation to Oregon and Washington this summer, along with many other events by the end of the weekend and then to get this train back on the track and moving forward.

Until next time!

Scouts

2010-06-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

The boys went to scout camp in Georgia last week. New for this year is that Mitchell is now a scout so he was able to go. They had a fabulous time and of course are already looking forward to next year. They were able to take classes for archery, wilderness survival, badge specific and many others. The experiences they have are always exciting and many times new to them. The other great thing about scout camp is that it is time that John has to spend with the boys away from the craziness of our every day life. That is time I know the boys will look back on and treasure forever. As for me, I stayed home with the younger two for the week and learned how much the older boys really do help out around the house and with their younger brothers. It is definitely sweet time just having those little ones all to myself...however, it is also a lot of work. But I certainly treasured their innocence and affection they lavished on me that week. Scout camp week is special for everyone. Those that get to go experience so much...those of us that stay home cherish the time we have.

More photos from Scout Camp

2010-06-30T07:54:00.001-07:00

Boy Scout camp in Georgia

2010-06-30T07:49:00.000-07:00

Loving summer

2010-06-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

One of the things the kids and I have been exploring this summer is art. We are looking at the artists that everyone recognizes throughout history. I also wanted to look at some contemporary as well as local artists too. So, we have been reading different artist biographies, studying their work, doing a little compare and contrast through time and assessing. Usually I like to study topics in a very orderly and time oriented fashion; however, I will say it is fun looking at a variety of artists from different time periods, of different styles in no particular order. Finally, as we study each artist, the kids then try and paint or create in the style of the artist. This could be using color, contrast, symmetry etc. What a fun study so far.

Contemporary artist Fred Babb explored and re-created using our imaginations

2010-06-30T07:38:00.000-07:00

Imitating Van Gogh

2010-06-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

It is here and in full swing

2010-06-09T06:37:00.000-07:00

Well, triathlon season is here and probably mid way through. I am very excited about this as I love the hard training and long hours. I am thankful for the heat as the cold is not for me. I opened my season with a small Sprint an hour south of home. It was nice to dust off the cobwebs and race. I have not raced since last years big race other than two half marathons during the off season. I was anxious to put all of this training to work and see how I would do. Overall I was pleased with my race..received 4rth in my age group..6th overall the women...lost my age group by 40 seconds. In other words four of us came in within 40 seconds of each other three of us came in within one second of each other...second, third, and fourth came down to the hundredth of a second...so it was exciting...of course me being me wishes I had known..surely I could have made up that 40 seconds 10 times over in that race..well, hindsight is great!! My biggest accomplishment in that race though was my bike...I tied for first out of all the women competing in the sprint...it showed that alot of hard work always pays off..Moving forward..I am looking forward to two more sprints yet to come this season but the bigger goal and my eyes remain on the half ironman races to come later in the season. I am registered for three and have set some goals in my head for each one. I will visit the mountains of Washington State, the hills of Augusta Georgia, and the flats of Miami Florida. Each race is different but brings a seperate challenge. I am so excited and will be ready for whatever race day has to hand me. Until then I will train hard and love every minute of it!! The pics below are from Saint Anthony's this year...I did not do this race but it is on the agenda for next year!

Triathlon Views

2010-06-09T06:34:00.000-07:00

Homeschool Convention

2010-06-09T06:27:00.001-07:00

Well, May has come and gone...but one of my favorite weekends every year is the homeschool convention in Orlando. I have been to this convention the last 8 years. It is always refreshing from a schooling perspective, enlightning from a curriculum perpsective, and some of the speakers can only be described as inspirational. There are years when I really need my battery recharged and this weekend never fails to do just that. However, the time away and with good friends really is the highlight of the whole thing. After spending a couple of days looking through curriculum, listening to speakers, brainstorming about the plans for next year...my favorite part is sitting out by the pool, eating, drinking, talking and laughing with my girlfriends. We all have somewhere between two and four children and rarely can make time for uninterrupted conversation....needless to say..these couple of evenings are pricelss and I would not trade them for anything!

Fun with good friends at the Annual Homeschool convention

2010-06-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

Estellas on Cinco De Mayo with The Goods

2010-06-09T06:21:00.000-07:00

A fun Day at the Beach with the Jones Family

2010-06-09T06:18:00.000-07:00

I scream..You Scream..We all Scream for Ice Cream!

2010-06-09T06:15:00.000-07:00

Busch Gardens passes renewed!!!

2010-06-09T06:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, Busch Gardens and the beach...very common themes for me. We love both places and visit them frequently. We renewed our passes so this was one of our first visits for the year. On this visit the boys had a blast with their friends especially onthe coasters and water rides. I am always game for the coasters; however, water rides not so much..Something about walking around in soggy clothes is not appealing. Besides, I still have a 4 year old who can not ride most rides....so he needs me to stay with him! Well, that's my excuse for now and I am sticking with it!! Enjoy the photos.

Busch Gardens with friends

2010-06-09T06:08:00.000-07:00

Life's disappointments

2010-06-09T05:57:00.000-07:00

Well, a year ago the boys received the gift of a "clubhouse" from my parents for Christmas. It took awhile for this project to be completed but it was time well spent. My dad built the play fort with a tiny bit of help from the boys....much more moral support from the swingset was given than actual physical labor. After quite a financial outlay and time commitment.. we were informed by our association that this structure was not allowed according to the deeds. After reading over the restrictions yet again...the association seemed to be functioning under a very loose interpretation of definition of playset...meaning it was NOT defined but would be judged on a case by case basis....needless to say after trying to hold our ground and keep our beautiful playhouse for the boys to play in....we gave in and took it down. As you will see...the end result which is allowed according to the association is SOO much more appealing to the eye than the original playhouse...(much sarcasm) Lessons were learned in this process and the kids learned the lesson of acceptance. Well, they now enjoy shooting guns and bows off the top of the platform so it went from a playhouse and meeting place to a shooting platform...I don't know.. golfers were safer with the kids inside a structure than shooting from the top of their new area....actually find some humor in it after all is said and done!

Our Playhouse

2010-06-09T05:52:00.000-07:00

CRASH!

2010-03-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

Well this post is kind of from the past but if nothing else will jog my memory one day as I look back over my blog. Last weekend I had my first major bike wreck. Now I do have to take some responsibility for it in that I went down on my bike the weekend before in an attempt to climb a large hill at tri-camp in a bigger gear the second time up....and made a gear change at a bad time and dropped my chain....therefore landing myself on the pavement...but hey lesson learned. Well, not such an easy lesson. That lesson would cost me a much bigger challenge the following week. After tri-camp I hauled my bike into the shop complaining of derailler issues. The bike was adjusted and fixed. The following day I was riding my bike on the trainer and just felt the bike was still "off"....hauled it back into the shop and complained of it still not riding right. The bike techs kind of humored me checked it over gave it a little adjustment and sent me on my way. Well, Saturday I rode the hills of San Antonio. My bike was riding awkward at first and caused a minor fall. One of my riding buddies adjusted the derailler again...and we started off. Well, my bike was jumping and skipping gears all over the place...making me a little uneasy. My thought was, "well we are almost done so just gut it out" Forty six miles into a 60 mile ride my derailler snapped off and landed in my gears....placing me smack head down onto the pavement. It was ugly!! The good news is that other than being really banged up I had no major injuries...the bad news is my bike needed a new derailler, chain, hanger etc. Needless to say the ride was over. We caught a ride back into town and decided to go ahead and run 5 miles so that the day wasn't a total waste. Well, my bike is back and I am heading out for a 60 mile ride on the flats tomorrow...hopefully my bike and I can start fresh and have a more positive relationship tomorrow. The bike shop did admit that they missed the stress fracture in my derailler the first time. I think they may take me a bit more seriously now!! I may not always have the technical words for what is up but I do ride about 150 miles a week...I know when my bike is not right! I am certainly tired of eating the pavement so hopefully I am done with that. Well, until next time...