Rock n Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon

On Sunday I participated in the Rock n Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon. It was my first ever and I didn't necessarily love it while I was running it, but I'm ready to do another one! I struggled more than I thought I would and unfortunately just had a bad running day. I knew from the get go it was going to be a LONG 13.1 miles, but nevertheless I crossed the finish line.

Here are some of the photos from that day.

Center City shot - this was soon after the cross over the start line.

Don't mind all the faces I am making in the photos - this was at the end when they surprised us with a hill just before the finish line. I'm in the zone and just ready to be done in this photo.

Staring at the ground helps to keep me focused on the here and now rather than how far I have to go.

Don't know the guy next to me, in fact I don't even remember running past him.

A cell phone shot just before the race started....this is the friend that I trained with throughout the summer and ran the race with., Sandie.

AND....the FINISHLINE!!! I couldn't have been happier to see something come to an end! I am in the this photo - on the left behind the person with their hands on top of their head.

I was very excited to have the opportunity to do something like this. Running is my outlet and I have really come to enjoy it, so being able to accomplish running a half marthon was a great feeling! Thanks needs to go to Jeff and my parents for watching the kids so I could get my training runs in!!

Piper's 1st day

I may be biased, but I think she is just so adorable. I want to eat her up!!! She was so excited to go to her first day of school/playgroup and of course Mommy had her all decked out in a new outfit (right down to the shoes). She had a blast!!

1st days of school

No one wanted to smile for me for their first day of school photos. Peyton started 1st grade on Aug 31 and is loving it!

To his defense he was coming off of battling a stomach bug...

Parker started preschool today. He did ok. He cried when I first dropped him off. He is much different than Peyton so that was an adjustment for me. I struggled to hold it together seeing him cry because I was leaving him, but when I picked him up he was smiling.

Unfortunately on the way to pick up Parker, someone pulled out in front of me and I had to slam on my breaks, getting the back one stuck!! I was stranded in the parking lot with Jeff two hours away at the Hazleton plant for work! Fortunately my Sister in law saved me and picked us all up!!!! Thanks Em!

It felt like a "Not Me Monday!"....My flip flop broke while running errands with Piper and Paxton, I am 2 minutes late picking up Parker because of having to run home to get new shoes (it was either that or go in on his first day barefoot - great first impression that would have been), not to mention the whole car situation, then its 1:00 and the kids still haven't eaten lunch due to the car breaking down, we get home and I see that the chicken I was defrosting for dinner leaked raw meat juice all over the counter and floor (guessing there was a hole I didn't know about) and then I pick up both babies out of their seats from lunch and they are soaked (diapers were overloaded!!). I was so ready for naptime to just breathe...BUT that didn't happen!! Ugh! Can we just start over tomorrow??

He finally smiled, but of course was looking away! He told me he wasn't going to ride in my car, he was just going to wait for the bus to pick him up! :)

Piper needed to have her picture taken too with her backpack. :) She starts a preschool playgroup next week. She's very excited to be "going to school" just like the boys.



Birthdays

Peyton and Paxton had a birthday party together this year. Peyton turned 7 and Paxton turned 1! The kids enjoyed getting their faces painted by About Face II.

Argh!

ROOOAAARRR!!

Our sweet little princess with her butterfly and flower.

All of the kids with their painted faces.

It was so windy that I don't really have a shot of him blowing out candles, but he got the monkey cake he wanted.

Paxman loves his cake!

Can you tell?

The man!