Just some pictures of our fun day!

Oh my cuteness! I love, love my camera!
I just liked this one!

Oh yah...the firetruck. Cole loves his brother and also the rides on the fire truck!

Working on the fire engine!

I need a wrench!

Good...

Brothers enjoying the cool water on a hot day!

First time in the little pool!

We had a fun day out in the sun yesterday. We also had a wonderful memorial day weekend with friends! Oh how I love the sun and how it changes all of our activities! Bring it on!

I love Simple!

We had a wonderful, simple Mothers Day! The kind of day you wish you could do everyday. Loren is great about doing a lot of the daily stuff on mothers day and letting me just take it easy! We woke up early and got ready for church. Our church changed the service start time from 9am to 8:30am which makes it hard to get there on-time. We did get there and enjoyed a nice service and then headed over to Chambers Bay and had a picnic lunch. We bought a kite and tried to fly it but the wind wasn't strong enough. Chambers Bay is so beautiful and it was great that the weather was amazing outside too. We kicked the soccer ball, Max and I raced each other and Cole sat and enjoyed watching all of us. On our way home we stopped at my favorite bakery and bought some sweet treats. Then we got home and life was back to normal...I had to start cleaning the house before my departure this week for Gearhart. I was supposed to work on that this last week, but yeah...that didn't happen as much as I would have hoped. So on mothers day I cleaned the bathroom, did the laundry and cleaned up the boys room. Actually I liked it! I am kind of a procrastinator! Oh well, maybe not kind of...maybe I am! Anyway...the house is cleaner...not totally clean but a lot better then it was this morning. I am kind of bummed that Mothers Day is almost over...it's a great day to take advantage, everyone is a lot more into letting you relax and not expecting as much from you! Oh well...I can't complain in a few days I will be relaxing with no kids so I guess in a ways I have an extended Mothers Day!

Happy Mothers Day to all of you moms! Even those of you who aren't moms yet, but are expecting! Enjoy the day that is made for you!

Saturday AM Runs!

I love Saturday mornings! Especially when my run is behind me! Don't get me wrong I love running but sometimes during my run I hate it. Running like any form of exercise is such a love/hate relationship. I love running when I have done it! Sometimes I will be running up a huge hill and wonder "What the heck am I doing and how am I going to run 13.1 miles?" Though I have realized that in the midst of a difficult part of my run I know later in the day I will reflect back and wish I was running...I know it sounds weird that I think that, but often I will be driving and wish...wish I was running! Who knew? Running is such a release for me! I got to go running with a friend of mine this morning and it was so nice. I have a fear of running with people because I am not a fast running by any means, but I have accepted that. My fear of running with others is because I don't want someone to take the joy of running away from me and have them push me to an uncomfortable place and make me hate my run. I realize that the few people that I have run with are very encouraging and totally supportive! It's great that people will run and slow their pace down for me. I am overcoming my fear of running with my friends who are more experienced and faster then me. The hill that I struggled with last week...well I faced it this week with my friend Kate's encouragement and I made it up it...it was hard but so exciting to work on something that I struggled through last week. Running has been a great time to also listen to my worship music and pray...sounds kind of crazy but I try to use it as a time to talk to God and focus on things. I am often asking God for strength as I am running up a big hill! Believe it or not...it helps!

I am hoping to get some good runs in when I am down at the Oregon Coast this next week. It's flat there but hope to find some nice, relaxing, long runs! Do those three words sound like an oxymoron?!?!?

Life is Normal again!

I was thinking of what to post and tried to find some pictures but realized the only pictures that I have taken are of our rental house since our life has been consumed with that the last month. God is good and we have new renters that moved in this weekend and the house was clean and ready for them! Wow...I hope they are there for a while. Our own house has been neglected due to all the time that has gone into getting that house ready. The previous tenant was there for 6 years and the house was a DISASTER and DISGUSTINGLY DIRTY!!! I don't think the women cleaned in the 6 years she was there! We had about 48 hours to turn it around for the new tenants and we did but it was A LOT of work. Glad we are past that and can move on. I for sure learned a lot about what to do this next time! Now back to our house and the simple life that I usually lead. You sure don't appreciate the simplicity of your life until you are taken away for a time and brought back again. My runs have saved me along with my husband who has helped out a ton to balance things at our house. I have so many loads of clean laundry to fold! I love that this week is a simple one that will consist of Max going to school, gym, cleaning our house and not much else...except for more of the same.

The highlight...I leave next week for our annual bible study retreat down in Gearhart, OR. This year I am REALLY looking forward to it and can't wait to see the sea grass blowing in the wind and the open ocean and the sand at my feet...oh I love Gearhart! I am also excited to go on a few long runs, some tennis and eating at my all time favorite restaurant where everything you eat is amazing...The Pacific Way Cafe! YUMMY! I have about a week or so to get the house ready for my departure...so I guess it's not that easy of week.

The boys are doing well. Cole should be getting his top teeth any day now, but as anyone with kids...I have thought that for the last month so who knows when they will really appear. Max only has 3 weeks of school left. He had his first swimming lessons last month which he loved. I am loving the age that Max is at and hating it at the same time...if you have a 3 year old I know you know what I am talking about. All I can say is 2 is a breeze next to 3...I didn't believe but now I am a true believer...why...why is 3 so hard! The best and the worst! Max says the funniest things and is a huge helper to me, but also can be the most difficult person in my life! I cherish the good moments and laugh at the things he says and all the he grasps. Its fun to see him play with his friends and watch him learn new things. It's crazy to see your child grow up right in front of you...amazing really. Cole is at such a fun age and I love seeing him watch Max. He is a very good baby and I can't believe in less then 2 months he is going to be one! That was a fast year.

And the SUN...I am loving the SUN! Who knew how much weather could change things. I have loved running with no jacket or gloves. Running in the nice weather is amazing. I have so thankful that Loren has been so supportive of my running. I have been doing my long runs on Saturday morning and have so enjoyed it. I did the 5 mile drive at Pt. Defiance last week and then did my longest run yet of 10 miles this last Saturday. I had planned to do 8, but once I mapped it, it was a 9 miler and when I got close to home and was at 9.5 I ran up and down my street to get 10! I was exhausted and again thankful for 8 more weeks of training. I think running is such a humbling experience and the moment I think I have it down and can run forever...I go on a long run and it kills me and I am thankful for the time I have before the race in June. I am also excited to train and get better...it's fun to see improvement with every run. I am also so excited that I have a new running buddy....my Garmin Forerunner! AWESOME and has really helped me! Thank you Melanie for all my questions on my new running companion! My mom and I drove the course for the half marathon last week and I am so glad I did! The run is very doable and not many hills which will be very nice. My training ground is all hills so a long run with few hills will be PERFECT. Running 10 miles and driving the course so I can anticipate the half has made me feel so much more confident. I am really enjoying the training as it allows me some "ME" time and also has helped me shed all the the pregnancy weight!!! That is the best feeling ever!

It's sunny outside and I am loving it!