Monthly Archives: April 2013

Toms half ironman

This will be a quick post so that I can try to get some sleep tonight. Although it is difficult due to the cold temperature in our cabin

Today we were up early and excited to watch Tom race. The lake temperature was a mere 54 degrees at race time. Some people decided not to swim but Tom had trained for so long that he had to do it. I am glad he did. He said it was very difficult due to the choppy water and the wind. Oddly enough, the water temp didn’t bother him.

We sent him into the water at 9:20 and he swam for 39 minutes or so. We were able to cheer him out of the water and into the bike portion. He biked for 2 hrs and 57 minutes. See saw him transition again and then he ran for 2:16. His total time was one minute shy of 6 hours. Impressive.

The physical ability of the athletes around us today was truly impressive. People were really racing and doing their best. I would have been happy just to finish, but I guess that is why I am only doing the sprint tomorrow.

Tom trained many hours each week to be able to do this. He would go on three hot bike rides on Saturdays and then run home from church each Sunday. He worked hard and I am very proud of him. He has changed his habits drastically over the past year and it shows. Today I made sure that the kids saw what he was doing and recognize him for it

I am exhausted. Chasing three kids around all day was not easy either. The cabin was very nice to have and I could let the kids run around with a whole lot of supervision, but I still had to watch three kids all day. Anyway!! I hope to get some sleep tonight and be ready for my race in the morning. The water will be a bit warmer but not much. Wish me luck!

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Trip to white lake

Today we headed to White Lake, NC for the weekend. Tom is doing the Half Ironman on Saturday and I am doing the sprint triathlon on Sunday. We finally left this afternoon packed to the hilt! We met my friend Michaleh there and brought her bike with us. In the car we had two adults, three kids, five bikes, sleeping bags, triathlon items, food and a pack n play. As you can

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We finally arrived, checked in to our open windowed, not at all private cabin at the lake. We literally have six bunk beds, screen windows, and ten feet to the next cabin. Not exactly my idea of comfort but this is what we are doing this weekend. It will be exciting none the less.

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Wilson’s Own Drum Beat

I have always known that Wilson dances to the beat of his own drum. He is truly an individual. From the outside, it may look as if he isn’t quite right (I say this with a grin). But he is. He is very smart and knows way more than I give him credit for. A few months ago I began trying to teach him his ABCs and 123s. He was doing a great job learning them. But then, as usual, I quit teaching him and just did other things during the day. I don’t know where, but in the last month he has completely learned all of his letters and most of his numbers. Did he learn it from TV? He certainly didn’t learn it from me.

I love his individuality. He will wear his pajamas and a scuba mask over to my parents’ house. He will jump off of a very high wall, but is afraid to ride a bike. He loves monsters and bad guys, but wants to sleep with his light on. He is an enigma.

The other day Tom was showing Wilson how to play a soccer game on the iphone. The object of the game was to kick the ball into the net. In typical Wilson fashion, Wilson wanted to kick the ball either around the net or over the net. Definitely not into the net! This is how he lives his life. Making up his own rules and doing something totally different than everyone else.

Today we were at Doug’s house playing with Gabriel and Shepherd. I had to laugh because Wilson used a golf club to hit a soccer ball for a while. Then he played basketball with a soccer ball and a frisbee golf goal. Finally, he took a shovel and chopped at a tree. He didn’t use any of the materials that he had in the way they were intended.

Here he is with the shovel (while still wearing his Buzz Lightyear pajamas that are too small)

 

 

Hit soccer ball with golf club

Shovel Into trees

Soccer ball into frisbee golf net.

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Egg Hunts

We had two different egg hunts yesterday. One at the church and the other for the neighborhood. The neighborhood one was supposed to be last weekend, but it was rained out. The kids had lots of fun!

I was in charge of the church’s egg hunt. I have handed over the Children’s Ministry job, but volunteered to organize the egg hunt. I really prayed before hand that many children would attend the egg hunt, even though it rained early that morning. God sent 24 kids to our egg hunt. They sang some songs, listened to an Easter story, and then decorated a crown just like the crown that Jesus wears in heaven.

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After that, it was time to hunt for the 300 eggs that littered the playground.

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Egg Hunt #2 –

Every year we have an Easter egg hunt at April Drobnick’s house down the street.  She has a great big yard that is perfect for hunting eggs.  By the time we got there, the kids were professional egg finders.  Our neighborhood has had a population explosion over the past four years.  Young couples like ourselves moved in and started having multiple children.  April and her family are some of my kids favorite playmates, and she is one of my great friends.

Here are all the kids that were there yesterday….

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Faith found the golden egg again this year.  She got a special gift basket and was very excited!  Two years in a row she was one of four kids that found the gold or silver eggs.

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Here are Miller, Faith and Wilson after the hunt (obviously!). I couldn’t get Wilson to stop chewing on candy long enough to take a decent picture!  This fits the scene….

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My philosophy on all the candy is this…”let them eat it all right away so that I don’t have to have them begging for it every day.”  Of course, after they go to bed I help myself.

We had such a great day!  Two egg hunts and an afternoon at Doug’s house in between.  I enjoyed spending all this quality time with the kids.  Memories….