Tuesday was Hunter's (& his buddy Wesley's) last gymnastics class for a while. They both took 2 sessions this year and truly loved it. I, on the other hand, am elated that the class is over. It did become stressful at times- me chasing after him and him still struggling with accomplishing some of the things I thought he should have learned.

I know what you're thinking- lighten up. I wasn't uptight at every session, just some of them but look forward to signing him up again when he can go by himself and I can just watch from a short distance away.

I had such a special pre-birthday lunch with not just one girlfriend but 5 of them! and all their little blessings, too (except Celia's little one). We met at Uno's for some pizza and hoping for conversation. With toddlers present, this can be quite a challenge.

These ladies are such a blessing to me and I am so thankful for their friendship. I also love knowing their precious children. I also missed my friends who weren't there, as well. You know who you are!

What a happy birthday, indeed! Oh, and the angry girl is me- I didn't do a good job of hiding my angst of having to share my birthday cookie and ice creams very well; did I? ;) Only kidding.

Last night, I put myself to work in the kitchen! I tried to recruit a big, strong helper ;) but he had his own work to do last night. Bad timing! My consolation was that he kept me company by doing his work in the kitchen where I was working. Thanks, honey!


Off to work I went to make some gifts from scratch! Now, for those of you who know me (and whom else is reading my blog?), I am not a crafty girl. So, to take on a project of this intensity is kind of a big undertaking for me. I have been to the craft store 2 or 3 times, the grocery store 2 times and in my storage getting supplies. I was ready to embark.


Please view the chaos that ensued:











Okay, there was no chaos (just a little messy) and I'm even smiling in the pictures, but I wanted to blog about my crafting experience and have the photos in my scrapbook (when I get to them in 2009!). I wanted to remember what they looked like. The final product!

I forgot to blog back in November that it was Sattchi's (pronounced like Versace) 6th birthday. I don't know what got into me (guilt?!) but this year, I baked the dog a cake! Go ahead and laugh. I would. However, that was one excited dog- Mark handing him a cake to eat and not being told to "Leave it!" It had cottage cheese "icing" made with whole wheat flour, carrots and eggs, I think. The recipe said people could eat it, too. Um, no thanks.

I know what you're thinking: the cake weighs as much as Sattchi (9 pounds). We didn't give it to him all at once. We would have been cleaning up after that dog for days (coming out both ends)!

Happy Birthday, Sattchi!

We did it! Hunter said good-bye to his crib. My 37" child is now sleeping in a twin bed! I guess you could say that Hunter did it, but it really feels like it was more work for us than for him. For those of you with toddlers, you already know this story but for those of you without, let me explain.

It starts by picking the bedding and the bed. Fortunately for me, we already have a bedroom suit handed down from Stephanie that includes a twin bed. Yeah! So, I didn't have to do any shopping here. I purchased a bed rail off of Craigslist a few months ago, as well. The bedding was my most important task. It had to be asthetically appealing and Hunter's too young to pick it out by himself, right? (Besides, he probably would have picked out Thomas the Tank Engine or Lightning McQueen from Cars and neither of these would work for my motif. Hey, I'm just being honest here, people.) Anywhoo... I picked out an adorable and affordable set from Target. I, personally, like it more than Pottery Barn Kids, which is much more expensive. The neg- there are no matching sheets.

The next step- picking out a mattress. One friend is buying her son's at BJ's, another purchased her daughter's at a furniture store. We tried a mattress store and found an amazing steel for a spring-less mattress (mattresses of the future we're told). I want to sleep on it! I purchased sheets with a nice thread count (suggestion from a friend), got him a yummy pillow (forms to his head), mattress protector (for the potty training still to come) and Sunday, we put it all together (although we missed church doing it).

Sunday night, Hunter was delighted to sleep in his new bed. He got on it and squeeled with delight. After several months of talking about it, you can understand the anticipation. The funny catch? He will NOT sleep under the covers! Totally weird. Toddlers.








Hunter apparently likes to sleep with his face buried.








Next on the agenda? Decorating his walls.

It finally occurred. Hunter finally "fell" out of his crib. Last night, Mark and I were cleaning up the kitchen after having put Hunter to bed. Suddenly, we heard a loud THUD! come from Hunter's room. We dropped what we were doing and went sprinting upstairs to see what happened.

Now, we have a very cautious child- maybe we could say a methodical thinker. He rarely has had a bruise or a scrape and needs to be persuaded to try new things, so you can understand when I say that Mark & I never thought he would get out of his crib.

We're ready to put him in a twin bed. We have 2 quotes for a mattress/box spring, and even stopped yesterday afternoon for the second quote. So, how odd is it that he decided yesterday was the day to get out of his crib?

Back to the horrific, death-defying story. ;) On the way upstairs, all I could think of was what Hunter broke- his arm? his neck? his nose? That's when I think I may have had a heart attack. Upon opening his door, I bumped him with the door and started weeping. Mark hugged him and started the inquisition into how he got out and if he was hurt, while I sat and wept. It's amazing how upset I got at the thought of injury or maming of my little one. There really is something in that parental bond.

Oh, and we never did get it out of him "how he did it" and he was not hurt. However, he was very upset at watching his mommy crying her head off. I hope he scared himself out of doing it again.... at least until his new bed gets here!

Yesterday, I was reading Hunter a Dr. Suess book about the shapes of things. As we were discussing the shapes of random things, I asked him what the old-timey telephone was: "a cellphone," he said. Of course it was! I asked him what the broom was: "a Swiffer!" he replied. Of course- he is a prime example of a 21st century child- never having seen a corded phone. He calls our cordless phones at home cellphones, as well. We own a broom; however, I have always had a deep-seated dispassion for them, so I choose to use a Swiffer. Hunter loves to run around with it, too. It's so cute!

Tonight, I watched a friend's little munchkin for her to go exercise. Hunter went up to her and said: "I wike your shirt, Kiewra. It is pwettttty." I got a face cramp from laughing and grinning so hard! Who do you think teaches him the finer things of life? ;)

Here he is in all his glory- my barefoot Cookie Monster, trying on his new duds for his production director (me!), to make sure he could wear it. A dear friend gave us this costume and I just barely squeezed Hunter into it. Phew!



Doesn't he look just good enough to eat?! Sattchi thinks so. I apparently cut off the eyes, but you get the picture.





We were on holiday (as my South African friend calls is) in Florida for Halloween. We took Hunter trick-or-treating at our resort's store and restaurant area which was around a super nice pool. Once our Cookie Monster saw the pool, he wanted nothing to do with trick-or-treating. Poor guy- he was, after all, walking around a pool on a warm, sunny afternoon in a fuzzy suit!



He managed to provide candy for me and Mark for days! ;) Plus, he ate his first M&M candies! Boy did he have his eyes open to a whole new world of teeth-rotting, appetite-ruining delicacies. I guess he is 2-1/2 years old.







He's flaunting his emtpy wrapper here in his diaper in our suite. How sweet!

So many of you have been wondering how Mark did in his marathon. I'm happy to report that he finished! Not only did he finish, but he finished in the top 14% of 20,000+ runners! He came in at 3 hours and 47 minutes. Way to go, babe!



I couldn't be more proud of him. Seeing him run by during the marathon brought me to tears and I wanted to just kiss him! Not seeing him at my first stop also brought me to tears. It was stressful, okay?



At Crystal City (mile 22), I got a great picture of my handsome runner. Sorry, ladies. He's all mine ;).





Now that he was so successful and he actually enjoys running 20 miles at a stretch, he's ready to sign up for another marathon. What have I done?!

We've been BUSY!!! Sinusitis, 24-hour stomach bug, 2 MOPS events, OB visits, a marathon and a week of vacation- that was just the past 2 weeks. Thank you, God, for vacations!


After addressing 100+ emails, unpacking and dealing with a cranky toddler, I'm ready to share.


Our little family has had a very fun, active fall season already. This is new for us, as it is our first year not heading into Blacksburg for all the home football games. It was crazy, especially with a toddler! Though I really miss the excitement of watching the VT games live, spending time together as a family without the stress of traveling is just wonderful.


We went apple picking in Maryland which was a precious time together. It also affirmed to me I am married to a perfectionist. Our apples were perfect, as was our pumpkin.
























Hunter and I met some buddies out at a fabulous local farm, Cox Farms, for some fun in the hay. This place is great- lots of kid-friendly activities, like slides, an amazing hayride, toddler-sized play equipment. Can I just say TRAIN?! We had a blast!
















Yes, Hunter looks a little worried, but he said he liked it. I was so proud of him! Renee was at the top with him. She asked who wants to go first and Hunter said, "Hunter." Down went my cautious child. Way to go, sweetie!

I couldn't be happier about our new found family time. We're still spending 3 hours on the weekend watching the games- but we love to watch them! Go Hokies!

Okay, this wasn't the first time but maybe the second. Hunter was eating breakfast this morning and munching on one of his "blueberry man" waffles with whom he said would he share his toy motorcycle. He looks over at me and says "I love you, Mommy." Does he understand the serious, focused look I gave him when he said that to me? It's like I wanted him to know how much it meant to me. I wanted to capture his voice in time and frame it for the future to pull out when he's older and not so in love with me.

I know you can't be good at all things but do think a video camera could work for this moment? Um, yeah. Let's go pull it out. It was meant for such a time as this. (Thanks, Esther.)

I made my second annual trip to Old Mine Ranch in Dumfries with my MOPS group. It's a large petting "zoo" with ranch animals. Hunter, however, bypassed the animals and went for the dirt area where all the toy trucks were. He proceeded to camp out there until I drug him over to feed some goats. He seemed to care less about the animals.

The next activity was lunch- which he didn't eat because he was too busy crying. I think he must have gotten over-heated and didn't feel well. He was soon all-better after setting his sights on the tractor and hayride. He loved it! Check out last year's pic compared to this year's.

I have to say it. They grow up so fast; don't they? What a sweetie pie!

Our last adventure? Horseback riding. See for yourself.

I know- I haven't blogged in almost a month. I have been busy maternity clothes shopping and looking for "big boy" bedding online. I am happy to say I have been successful in one category- I found Hunter an adorable bedding set and can't WAIT to put it on the mattress and box spring I still have to buy. So much shopping, so little time.

When the bedspread came in the mail, I opened it to see what it looked like in person and Hunter LOVED it! He's still talking about his "new bedding" even though I have put it away. He talks about it covering him up and laying on it. It's so sweet! Hopefully, teh transition to a big bed will be so easy.

Oh, last weekend, I went to a consignment sale with a friend and, though I didn't come out with much, I did buy Hunter a potty. Yeah- it's used but so are the ones in the mall or in a hotel room, right? Today, Hunter asked to go "poo poo on my potty." Now, don't get too excited. He's asked several times to do this- go pee pee or poo poo and nothing has happened so far. Well, today was no different. He sat a while, I read him a book and he kept getting up and down. No success yet. At least he's not afraid of the potty. :) Soon enough, right? Soon enough.

So, what's been keeping me busy lately? Besides cleaning my house (not a favorite thing) and hanging out with friends (one of my favorite things!), I had a sick husband last week. We came off a romantic, fantastic weekend getaway celebrating our anniversary (#7; thank you!) and Mark came down with what we believe was E. coli poisoning. Lovely, huh?

Much to Mark's dismay, his marathon training came to less than a job- sick in bed for 2-1/2 days. I must say I am so proud of his dedication to running but the man was suffering some serious ill effects. I even had to take him to the doctor. Hunter was semi-patient waiting for his daddy to be seen. Mommy lost her patience "babysitting" another woman's children in the waiting room but Mark was given an Rx for an antibiotic and he was better in a couple of days.

While Mark was in bed and I was entertaining Hunter, I would tell Hunter to go tell his Daddy, "you love him." Sure enough, Hunter walks over to Mark in bed and says, "I love him." We had a good laugh over that one.

Mark actually had ran 22 miles Friday morning on the BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY, a very hilly, scenic route. He did fabulous! This weekend was his first time back pounding the pavement and ran 16 miles between Saturday and Sunday. Way to go, Honey! We're so glad you're better.

We went to a water park with a friend yesterday, called a sprayground. It was a fabulous place to take kids- the watering area, a sandbox, playground equipment, swings and I brought sidewalk chalk. The kids had a great time but neither had any interest in getting wet. It was still quite a fun morning.

So, today I had lunch with my friend, Jen and her daughter. Hunter vehemently agreed he wanted a turkey sandwich. Upon sitting down with our sandwiches, he seemed to have forgotten his culinary choice. Instead, he wanted nothing to do with it. In fact, after being punished for throwing the first half of his sandwich in the floor, he threw the second half at me. It must be hysterical to be a bystander of toddlers. What's a mom to do? Sorry, no pictures of that one. What? Did you want to see me gritting my teeth, snarling?

I went to Chuck E. Cheese with some friends on this yucky, rainy day here in Virginia. Oh, and I took Hunter, by the way. First of all, Hunter was enamored with all of the flashing lights and shiny games. If I never offered to put tokens in the slots, he probably would have been almost as happy as when I did put tokens in. Of course, being competitive, I had to "help" him play some of the games so we could win some tickets. (I always did love the arcade.)

His favorite thing to do was sit in a car/truck for a ride and played with things that had steering wheels. He knocked over a few ducks for tickets- I helped, of course. We ate pizza, played more games and redeemed our tickets for a prize- a small, plastic lizard for Hunter.

Once outside in the rainy yuck, my friend, Janet, overheard me tell Hunter: "If you don't stay close to me, I will take away your lizard." Janet noticed how funny it is what we say to our children. She said I should put things like that in his scrapbook. Hunter would probably get a kick out of reading that some day. (Is that why the people at Fuddruckers looked at me funny yesterday when I told Hunter to come back or I would take away his space shuttle?)

The cute part is that I did have to take the lizard away and it's still in my pocket. If only they would obey. ;)

We were fortunate enough to go away for the weekend to a lovely place called Block Island off of Rhode Island for a wonderful wedding. It's much like Martha's Vineyard, I suppose- quaint, small(er), lots of boats & bikes and very romantic. However, they're not big on AC over there- something about the cost to generate it. Oh well, we survived.


We stayed at The National Hotel (pictured below with Mark in the foreground), an historic landmark and decent (at $300 a night, it should have been amazing- oh well). You have to ferry over to the island which makes it all the more secluded, if you will, or alluring or a pain- depends on your perspective; right? Getting off the ferry, our hotel looked packed but we found out it has a nice restaurant on the (very large) front porch. It was extremely convenient for dinner that night.

We attended our friend, Teal's, wedding. It was wonderful and we had an amazing time- seeing some people we had not seen in years and meeting lots of new, very interesting people. Almost everyone we know has children and the moms stay home, so this was quite a bit different and fun to hear about people's adventures.

The wedding was in an adorable church and, with no AC, quite warm for the gents. The poor guys were, literally, melting. Teal looked like a bride out of a magazine. The reception was located on a hilltop overlooking a gorgeous, boat-packed marina with a fabulous breeze to keep us cool. Supposedly, this place is used by famous people, with helicopters landing there for weekend events.

I was asked to say the blessing. It was an honor and a little nerve-wracking but I am thankful it went well. Thank you, Lord. Then the dancing and chatting went on for hours! Did I say we had a blast?! Well done, Teal!


By the way, I didn't mention our dear friends who kept Hunter for us to attend this wonderful paradise island wedding child-less. What a great trip! Thank you, C & R!!!


On Sunday, we chartered a sail boat- a little too lazy for our taste but a fun, relaxing experience, nonetheless. Next time, it's a motor boat and swimming for us! I can't wait until Hunter can join us on these adventures and it's not stressful. Soon enough, then we'll have two of them!

One more picture of me and the bride.

Okay, I am trying to figure out why I haven't been posting lately and I've realized... I've been busy! Doing what you ask? Doing nothing! I haven't had anything to post about recently. Seriously, I go to the gym, hang out with Hunter, maybe see a friend or two and clean. What do you blog about? I guess I have been having some awesome success in the marital department, so let me start there. No, wait! I'm expecting!

I must share that, officially, we are expecting number two! I know most of you know anyway, but now it's public! Well, LL may not know since I haven't seen her in ages. ;) We are due March 8th and I am doing great! Minimal nausea, some headaches and NO tiredness! Weird.

So, back to the marital thing. Since Mark rarely reads this, I think I'm safe to share that I embarked on a 30-day Marriage Challenge, along with two other gals, of NO complaining or being negative to your husband, everyday for 30 days! Plus, everyday, you have to make an effort to do something positive toward him- it's given to you everyday (thank him for being a hard worker, being a great dad, etc.). We pray about it everyday and ask God for help. It's been great! I haven't been perfect. Traveling is the worst for us, so I had a hard time being uber-pleasant with him on Friday as we were flying out of town. We quickly made up, though. More on this after Day 30 (later this month). Please feel free to be praying for me, though. I didn't think I could do it but it's actually been enjoyable!

Now, let me post more about our weekend, hopefully, tomorrow.

Did I mention I'm taking ballet? I don't think I have and I am taking it so regularly, I guess I should mention it. As a girl, I most wanted to dance and take gymnastics but it wasn't made possible during my childhood. Now that I am an adult, I thought: why not? I'm not getting any younger.

I got a "bug" one day last summer and decided to look up local ballet classes and signed up for Ballet I for Adults, which only lasted 4 weeks. I didn't take during the fall because it didn't work with our VT football schedule. When the new year came around, I gave my teacher a call and back at it I went.

I have moved from Ballet I to Ballet III in 6 months! I must give my instructor the credit, though, to help me progress that quickly. I love it! I have learned so much and my form and technique have improved tremendously!

I really don't have anything super funny or interesting to share, just that I am taking. Well, I can share a picture from my Ballet Recital, more like a class demonstration. It was June 2nd and I had moved from Ballet Ib (adult beginner) to Ballet I (not just adults), so enjoy the picture of me and my classmates. :)

PS: Now I am in class with other adults although I miss my little buds.

In our Small Group last night, somehow kissing our kids came up. I volunteered that I love giving Hunter mouth kisses and how Mark doesn't... or, at least, he prefers to give him kisses on the forehead, head or cheek. I appreciate from where Mark is coming- he's a germ-a-phobe and rightly so. Poor guy- everytime Hunter gets a cold, Mark seems to get it 5 times worse. Again, I can appreciate the lack of desire to give Hunter kisses on the lips.

Myself, on the other hand, find the gamble of giving mouth kisses completely worth the sacrifice of catching a death-tempting toddler cold. I caught myself tearing up at that idea. Silly; aren't I? I just can't help myself and I know these kisses won't last forever. Or at least, there will be a large break in them during his teenage years.

My biggest challenge giving Hunter kisses? Making sure he keeps his mouth closed! ;) I told him to save the open-mouth kisses for his wife.

Have you kissed someone today?

I couldn't leave out my Dad's visit in early June. Hunter's proud Papa scheduled vacation time for Hunter's birthday last year and this year, several months in advance, so that he could celebrate with Hunter. It's a wonderful feeling to see your parent loving their grandchild and even more awesome to see memories being made.

My dad adores his time with Hunter, playing with cars/boats/puzzles/balls and reading to him. He enjoys getting him in and out of the car, washing his hands and pushing him in the stroller- all of those mundane tasks we parents are so over. My dad is still quite young, so he's always willing to try something athletic and he can hang pretty well. Most impressive, pops.

We took a bike ride with Hunter and a friend with her daughter into Old Town Alexandria and made a pit stop at a playground to let the kids play. My dad is working on Hunter's upper body strength, apparently... and his own. Hunter weighs about 32 pounds! Anyway, back on the trail we went to have a nice lunch at the church in Old Town where George Washington attended. The kids had a blast and, appropriately, passed out on the ride home.

The sad part is my dad having to say good-bye to his grandson. See you soon, Dad! We can't wait. Where should we go this time? ;)

Okay, it was actually June 4th. I am late posting but better late than never. The weird thing is- I dreamt a few nights ago that I had this party for Hunter and no one showed up. I have proof, though, that a good time was had!

This, of course, was probably the apex of the party for Hunter!

Hunter's FAVorite gift was, of course, the train table we bought him. He hasn't stopped playing with it since he got it!

Okay, was it clever or was it lazy? I'll opt for clever! I didn't feel well Sunday morning while SG was still with us, so I asked Mark to make maybe a first-time run to Dunkin Donuts and this is what culminated. The kids had their first donuts (while watching Barney) and we were able to relax and EAT IN BED! Hunter double-fisted the donut while SG picked up every last sprinkle that fell off her donut and Hunter's. It was a great morning.



Here's the other kid eating his donut:

I never did post our trip to the Reston Zoo with our friend Jen and her daughter, Chloe. There isn't a lot to share, unless you want me to go into all the animals we saw. The problem was- the temperature must have dropped like 10 degrees from earlier in the day, so we were freezing! Let's just look at the pictures and call it good enough?!


The kids were warm with their jackets and blankets, by the way. The adults were freezing!


























Inside the goat and sheep stall or barn thingy. I loved petting the babies, SO cute!!!
















You've got it- a Spider Monkey. Although a pricey, small zoo, it has some pretty unique animals. You should have seen the tarantula!

No, they're not. I just went through a case of writer's block or lack of inspiration or lack of time (Am I making excuses yet?). So, since we've been traveling, I must catch up. Plus, I'm sure I can pull out a funny story from somewhere in our recent events.

So, I realized how far behind I am in updating my blog when I have several events for which I haven't posted pictures. Let's start with Big Truck Days May 4th: a friend of mine told me about in the nick of time for us to catch it (Thanks, Jess). I even had a couple of friends brave enough to join me, Hunter and SG. SG was the only girl in our group of BOYS. She handled herself just fine, though.

It was a beautiful day in Herndon. The kids (and their moms) waited in line, lots of lines just for the kiddos to take a 60-second (or so) seat in a big truck. (I think) there was a tractor, Bobcat and bulldozer- to name a few. Either way, the kids loved climbing on and playing with all the buttons and levers. Not one kid was hurt- praise the Lord! After sitting pretty for a few photo ops and tiring of the large automobiles, we were off to McD's for the customary Happy Meals. It was a happy toddler day.

Did I mention they look like a married couple? She's already letting him take the wheel. ;)

Aren't these little troopers cute in their matching shirts?!

What is it with toddlers? They have these annoying habits that, at times, outweigh their sweetness. Hunter's annoying habit is screaming- it's not a scream like he is frightened but more of a squeal, very high-pitched and quite loud. I encourage him to "use your words;" but he refuses. He wants something but instead of communicating like any normal person, he communicates, well, like a toddler!

Mark & I were discussing this tonight- he reminds me: "It's the Terrible Twos." Yeah, yeah, I know but I didn't think my son would succumb to such a stereotype, such a demeaning label. Man am I sorely disappointed.

Let me counterbalance my child's annoying habit with something that makes me want more of these little monsters. Almost anytime I ask for kisses, he puckers right up and walks over. I don't even get that response from my husband! He also asks for hugs in the middle of lunch or grabs for my hand to put it on his head. (Maybe I have stumbled across his love language: Physical Touch???) When he wants me to read a book, he climbs in my lap: butt-first, nonetheless, and I melt around him. He squeals when I leave. He says "Mommy" like an angel would sound calling your name from Heaven.

That's how they "getcha." They're so cute- it must be God's way of populating the Earth. At that moment, you want more; and then... he starts screaming.

Well, we did it! Mark & I ran our first race, well, at least together. Sunday, Mark & I ran the GW Parkway Classic 10-mile run. It was a gorgeous day, the parkway is always lovely and there were thousands of people there, including a couple of our friends- the formula for a wonderful time.

We have no pics to share because we couldn't take a picture of ourselves while running and the professional didn't get a picture of us. You apparently need to tip the guy. ;) We are so disappointed! However, we can share with you how fun, hard and exciting it was to run.

We were up at 6:00AM to get ready, left at 6:30 to drive into Old Town Alexandria, made a CVS pit stop because I forgot to bring my Ibuprofen along and were parked at 6:45. We waited in line to board a bus for 20 minutes in 50-ish degree weather in our shorts! We were in lots of good company, though. After a 10-minute ride to Mount Vernon, we were off to get our timing chips, bagging our extra clothes and going to the port-a-potty. Along the way, we saw men peeing in the woods, which I couldn't believe because there were tons of port-a-potties. However, after waiting in line about 10 minutes to pee, I completely understood why they went in the woods.

We were able to catch up with our 2 friends and off we went. I was amazed to see how running races is a lot like car races: lots of pit stops in both. However, there was no oil/tire changing going on here, though, just peeing and pooping.

Mark runs quite a bit faster than me, but chose to run slower for the race so he could run with me. With adrenaline coursing through me and a competitive spirit, I managed to run under 9 minute miles, a bit closer to Mark's training pace. At the 8-mile mark, I started praying: "God, get me through this. I can't do it. It's up to you." Somehow, we finished under an hour and a half! Thank you, Lord! Mark, on the other hand, felt like he took a 10-mile jog. Stinker!

At the end, we had even more excitement because I started gasping for air and asking for an ambulance. As soon as I thought I couldn't breathe anymore and would surely pass out, I started getting some air in and within a few more breaths, I was fine. Crazy! Poor Mark said it's at least the third time since being married to me that he thought he should be a trained paramedic. I've gotta keep the man on his toes; right?!

After this race, Mark is finally ready to do IT- the BIG ONE! He wants to run the Marine Corps Marathon! (Mom & Dad Wright, you're going to have to come up for this one!) For now, we are considering running a 10k in May. We're hooked.

I feel like I am going to a priest for confession when I say: Please forgive me. It's been 2 weeks since my last blog (or so). Having Mark home for almost 2 weeks was wondeful! We were able to have almost every meal together, do some work around the house, go see a move and go out on a couple adventures. I had even planned on taking several bike rides together as a family. However, while Mark was off, the high for the 2 week period was probably upper 50s. There was no biking to be had. Oh well.

As I promised, here are some pics of Hunter the weekend he stayed with Kamber, Jonathan and Sara Grace (We joke that she's the one we would love to pre-arrange a marriage with for Hunter. We can dream; right?). :)

The kids must have been cooking up something smelly in the kitchen.

How cute! Remember- they're still babies.

See- they look like a married couple already!