I’ve been doing a kid swap with a friend and today she watched our kids while Aaron and I went running together in Eldorado Canyon.  I am SO glad Aaron has been able to build up his mileage and can join me on beautiful runs like this one.  Despite how nice the weather has been lately, we did have a cold front come in last night and we awoke to 15 degrees and 6 inches of snow.  We ran anyway and I’m so glad we did.  The snow covered trail was very peaceful.  We didn’t see anyone out on the trail until we were almost back to where it meets up with the road again and then we saw one hiker.  I was toasty warm the whole run (after my feet got the blood flow to them about 15 minutes in).  I was glad I wore three layers on top and two layers on my legs though, as well as two layers of gloves.  What amazed me was that Aaron wore his new Vibram Five Finger shoes, as part of his barefoot running regime, and his feet didn’t get cold either!  I guess feet work pretty hard and get a lot of blood flow while running 13+ miles.  Even if it is through 6 inches of snow.

A couple of weeks ago we decided to be spontaneous and take our kids to the They Might Be Giants family concert in SLC.  The kids are huge fans of TMBGs kids albums, so the kids concert was a HUGE HIT!    I think Aaron and I had just as much, if not more fun than our kids too.

We stayed with Aaron’s parent’s while we were in town and Suzanne got some great shots of the kids!

And the snow keeps piling up!  Here’s an updated pic of our hammock this morning.  Abe’s school is cancelled again and it looks like and indoor treadmill running day for me.  That is, if I can get my car to the gym.

Crazy storm here in Denver today!  I got two emails and two phone calls this morning around 5:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. notifying me that all Jefferson County Schools are cancelled.  When I told Abe the news he threw his fist up in the air and said “YESSSSSS!”  My sentiments exactly.

Here are some pics of the snow.

Don’t you just want to go lay down in that hammock and take a nap?

Abe was hiding.  Can you even find him?  I think he’s in this picture somewhere.

For those of you who are not on Facebook, here are a bunch of pictures from our trip to Utah last weekend where I ran the Top of Utah Marathon.  Aaron bought a Canon Rebel two days before we left so he could take good pics of the race.  The kids were SO excited to go to Utah to visit Grandparents and cousins.  Mom and Owen took them to their house from the airport so Aaron and I could go straight to Logan to stay with my friend Holly Haguewood along with Aaron’s sister, Ashley, who also ran the race.  Then they met us at the finish line as I came in with a huge personal best and set a course record of 2:44:10!  That time is fast enough to qualify me to run in the Olympic Trials in 2012, but the qualifying window does not open until 1/1/10, so I just need to stay healthy, keep training, and go do it again sometime next year.  This past weekend was an awesome confidence builder and very fun race and I am SO grateful for the faith and support of family and friends throughout the race and training process.  Mostly, I am SO grateful for Aaron’s encouragement, support, and faith in me.  I could not do the weekly mileage and all the other lifestyle commitments that it requires (proper rest, healthy eating, strength training, positive mental imagery and belief) AND take care of the kids and meet all their needs without his 100% support and assistance.  He is my rock and my best friend.   Thanks, hun!

Breanne Excited to go to Utah earlier in the day.

Riding in the train in the Denver Airport. The kids LOVE flying.

Abe and Breanne greeting Grandma Aly at the airport.

Modeling the race tees. Orange. Nice. Maybe I should take up hunting.

Ashley was SO gitty at the race packet pickup the night before. She wanted to keep telling everyone that I was going to win. I had to keep reminding her that its not very polite to shout that from the rooftops, and also its not over until the fat lady sings, so to speak.

Long porta-pot lines at the start.

Waiting in line in the porta-pots with Holly and Ashley.

Around mile 7. Still felt very fresh. Loving the beautiful, downhill canyon.

Around mile 15 somewhere. Feeling pretty good still, but knowing the final 11 miles are going to be a lot of work.

Finishing stretch. Pretty much MAXED OUT at this point.

2:44:10 and I’m SO GLAD to be finished. I was about to fall over from delirium at that point.

Post-race massage. Ahhhhhhhhhh.

Dedicated fan club.

Nephew, Scott, Neice, Lexi, and Sister, Emily running with Ash in the final mile.

Ashley getting a lift from Dawn after the race.

I think I must have been in mild shock after the race because my body wouldn’t stop shaking. So I was glad Mom had that huge blanket to warm me up.

Gotta love post-race food. My kids sure do.

Dave, Christina, Lily, and us after the race.

Mom, Owen, and us after the race.

Top 3 women finishers. Allie Scott, 3rd place, Me, and Julie Esplin, 2nd place.

Here’s a conversation I had with my kids tonight:

Abe: Dad, look in the fridge, I bought this bottle of Sprite for 80 cents! (2 litres) That’s a good deal huh??

Me: Yes it is, good job

(later)

Me: Abe, did you know I bought 3 houses for less than half price today, that’s a good deal huh?

Breanne: Whoa! How did you fit 3 houses in your car??!

Me: (laugh) I didn’t put them in my car silly!

Breanne: Oh…did you drive a truck??

I realize I have been a huge slacker in posting this summer so I do at least want to give you all (or at least Suzanne since I think you may be the only one who actually follows our blog…thanks Mom) a few pics and an update of what we have been up to since the last time I wrote.  I have been busy training for a fall marathon and remodeling our kitchen amid all my other mothering and household duties.  Aaron has been busy with business and has taken a couple of guys trips.  He went mountain biking in Fruita with friends in June and fishing in Yellowstone with his Dad and a few brothers in July.  We also went to Breckenridge for the July 4th weekend with a few other family friends and I did a 10K race while Aaron did a 50 mile mountain bike race.  We’ve had Ali (1) and Abe’s (5)  birthdays as well as a few much welcomed visitors (Grandma Aly and Grandpa Owen as well as Aaron’s sister’s Ashley and Elisse and their families).  And our friend Eric has been in and out (currently in) so we’ve kept that basement guest room quite occupied!  I have a TON of pics and will post a whole album on facebook since its faster and easier to do albums there…but here are a few to wet your whistle….

New Kitchen
Sweet Breanne
Birthday Boys Abe and Shad; both July 15th, but 2 years apart.

Denver Children’s Museum with cousins.

More cousin fun at the children’s museum.

Tinfoil dinners, smores, and playing by the river in Eldorado Canyon with cousins.
Eden and Ali (1 day apart) cleaning up after eating birthday cake.

Aaron, Garry, and Dad in Yellowstone.

Grandma Aly and Grandpa Owen visit (walk to Standley Lake).

Since Aaron works from home now its easier for him to take the kids out with him on occassion to look at houses.  He invited Abe and Breanne to go with him this time, but Abe said he’d rather stay home with me and take a walk to the Lake with Ali.  He is such a cool little guy.  I love spending time with him and seeing him be such a sweet brother to Ali.  Abe and Breanne are close in age, so they tend to fight almost as much as they play happily together, but Abe and Ali, being 4 years apart, are much more peaceful together.  Abe totally babies her and it is SO sweet!

Aaron went mountain biking in Fruita with a bunch of friends this weekend, so I was on my own.  Friday afternoon I met some friends at the Lakeside Amusement Park in Denver.  It was a pretty low-budget place, but fun for the kids!

Breanne riding the Frog Hopper with Kaylee Stout.

Abe waiting in line with his buddy Ethan.

Our friend Eric was in town again with his sweet camera.   He was kind enough to shoot some pics of us.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Standley Lake behind us; just around the corner from our new house.

Woa, moving is busy.  Here are a few pics of what we’ve been up to lately.  We’ve mostly been busy moving out of our old house or into our new house, or fixing things in our new house, but we have been making time to have some fun with the kids too. 

Our friends Jamie and Layne Caldwell came to visit and we took all 6 of our kids (all under age 5) bowling at the CU student center.  It was a riot!  The Caldwell twins kept running down the lane every time we turned our heads.  Here is Aaron rescuing them one of the times.  The kids LOVED bowling.

Breanne swinging at the park on a random day when I was trying to finish packing up odds and ends from our old house and the kids started to get really bored, so we ventured out.  It was a bit chilly and the only coat I could find to put on her was this baby one piece.  She didn’t mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ali, you could at least tell me if your tired…I’d be happy to put you in your crib.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Owen Stout’s birthday party. Fun times with friends!

 

 

 

Abe: “Here Owen, let me help you open that!”  

Abe decided to give Owen an Optimus Prime Transformer, and then decided he REALLY wanted one for himself and proceeded to ask me for ways to earn money.  It took him about a week, but he earned his $10 and got his new toy yesterday.

 

 

 

 

Last, but not least, Breanne got another haircut since her bald spot filled in enough to cut the surrounding hair shorter.  She LOVES it!  And so do I.  :)