Before Thanksgiving rolls around, I better post our adventures in Halloweening and all of the hard work Mark put in to Hunter's costume because it WAS a beautiful job.

Mark spent a good 6 to 8 hours on it because he is so maticulous and precise. Maybe he should have been an architect or something. However, he did a phenominal job on Hunter's costume.

Hunter wore his costume to his preschool's costume parade. He and a fire engine costume were the only two whose were home-made. I definitely didn't think I would be a home-made costume gal.

Mark used tape to paint the stripes on the wings, coat hangers to keep the wings out at exactly 90 degrees. He perfectly measured and cut the propellers out and covered them in tin foil and attached them to the front. The holes were practically custom fit, even though Hunter was asleep when he cut them. I did have a small hand in the creation: Hunter and I spray painted it!

(Hunter with one of his Minnie Mouse buddies.)

I can't tell you all the ooohs and aahhhs Hunter received on Halloween night. It was such a hit! A couple people even asked to take his picture. Interestingly, everyone assumed I made the costume but I quickly corrected them. Tons of people told him he had the cutest costume all night. So, I say with a thankful heart, thank you, Mark!

Now what to do with that BIG costume. I think Mark will kick me out of the house if I throw it out. I mentioned doing that to a couple of friends and they were practically offended. But it's HUGE! Hmmm...

Oh, and I can't forget our other flying angel on Halloween. He was miserable for most of the trick-or-treating because I think he was hungry. He is usually such a good baby.

No, this isn't a post-election blog about 'bama or 'cain but a request for H.E.L.P. in picking me a new car! When we shopped for my current car, it was the first one at which I looked. I knew what I wanted.

We have outgrown my car, which I love, but it can hardly hold us for shopping jaunts across town, much less taking us anywhere worth packing it up. It's a lease, so I am finally able to upgrade to a much bigger car. Plus, I did just have a baby this year, which made it extremely clear that we no longer fit in it! (Besides, Hunter's knees practically touch the seat in front of him and Colten's carseat presses up to the seat so that the passenger's knees are in the dashboard. But I digress....)

I am more hard-headed than most of my friends who have slowly made the conversion to the "Odd Sea" (the Honda mini-van). Even though I know their daily lives in and out of cars will be much easier than mine, I am getting an SUV.

This is where you come in. I am really at a loss as to which behemoth I will have to squeeze into parking spaces. None are really appealing to me (though I am actually not complaining), but I have come up with some options:
Toyota Sequoia
Infiniti QX or the Nissan Armada
Buick Enclave or the Saturn Outlook

Please VOTE! You can even vote purely on looks and not feel bad. If you have experience with the one you choose, tell me. Am I missing your favorite? Let me know. I just really don't care for the Fords or the GMCs.

One more thing, my lease is over 12/1, so I have to make a decision QUICKLY! Thank you in advance for your help.

With a nasty chest cold, severe shin splints and not having run for 2 weeks prior due to tendinitis, Mark FINISHED his second Marine Corps Marathon! Thank you for your prayers. Mark was a little down about his performance and and was in a lot of pain. His goal was to beat his time last year. He hung with his 3:40 pace group (that's 3 hours and 40 minutes finish time) for the first 10 miles.

When the cell phone updates I was receiving every 5k started showing him slow down, I started to panic. Later, I discovered he had to stop every mile after mile 16 to stretch his legs. They were cramping up from not being able to run for the past 2 weeks (while letting his leg heal). He wore a leg brace which helped with the shin pain. Then his ankle started hurting. Poor guy.

I had 2 angels helping me Sunday. Renee kept Colten for me for over 9 hours! and my friend, Kathryne, went with me and helped me with Hunter while her husband stayed home with their 2 under-the-weather kiddos. I could not have done it without them, so I'm throwing a shout out to my girls!

I was thankful that Hunter didn't decide to run into the midst of the runners and get trampled as if he were running with the bulls in Spain. I made him a sign for him to hold for his Daddy but he lost interest after holding it for, oh, about 2 minutes! Mark said he only saw him once.

We saw Mark three times: by the Tidal Basin, the National Monument and finish area in Rosslyn. The finish line is fenced off, so virtually no one can see their loved ones cross. However, when we arrived in Rosslyn, I had a crazy idea- to run the last part with Mark. K told me to go for it and she would hang out with Hunter, so off I went!

While I have no pictures to show you, let me help you envision what it looked like when I caught up to Mark at mile 25. He was shocked to see me, much less that I started running with him... in my jeans, hair done, dangle earrings in and make-up done. Boy was I a sight to see. I got so many looks as we approached the finish. Even another racer was joking with me that he was going to wear the same shirt that day and how do I keep my hair looking so good while I run. Very funny!

As Mark and I took the left turn to head to the finish line, a lady Marine jumped out, "Ma'am! You can't come through here!" I readily obliged her and exited the race, no longer able to see my groom. We were to meet by the W's in the Family Link Up area which was quite a distance away.

The three of us waited (me, K and H)... and waited... and waited. Finally! I got a call from Mark who was at the free Verizon call center for the runners to call their loved ones to link up. He couldn't make it to the Link Up where we were because he was in too much pain.

When we finally found each other, there was sweet relief from an very exciting, yet draining day.

Mark, I couldn't be more proud of you, honey.

PS: So, what does a marathoner eat after his race? Make your guess in the Comment section.

I have good news and bad news. Good news is... Mark has been training for his second marathon for about four months now and it is finally is HERE! He runs this Sunday and I am just so excited for him. I've been telling Hunter about it for a while now, too, what the day will be like to see Daddy running with lots of other people and the crowd around will be yelling the runners on. I am pretty sure he doesn't recall going last year. Just to think that Colten was still in my tummy last year.

The bad news? After practically forcing him, Mark made a doctor's appointment for this morning because he has had tremendous pain in his ankle/calf and hasn't been able to run since last Monday. Fortunately it is tendonitis and not a stress fracture, but it is very painful. He and I are both very disappointed about this but we trust that God has a reason... even if to teach Mark that he's not invinceable. ;)

So... I am asking you, friends, to please be in prayer for Mark's ankle this week and, especially, on race day. I am nauseous to think something could happen to him and for me not to be there with him. Plus, he really wants to not just finish but BEAT his time from last year! Go, baby, go!

My hunka man was such a stud this week.

With Halloween around the corner, Hunter told me he would like to be an airplane. I researched this on the internet to see where we could buy one of those things. That's when I realized we can't! I continued to ask him several more times what he wanted to be... and everytime he said airplane.

Back to the computer I went to find out how we would go about making one. My friends know that I am not a crafty one, so I needed to enlist MARK. He's not so artistic but very handy and innovative.

He labored for about 6 hours over two nights. Here he is working on the wings.

I will hold out on you for the final outcome (although some of you saw it today at the MOPS Harvest Festival).

One of the fabulous moms in my 'hood organized a play group co-op, so each mom is assigned a week to organize something low-key and fun. I chose for us to go to The National Harbor in Maryland to play in the sand, have a quick lunch and, most importantly, eat cupcakes!

One of the moms was late, so it was just BOYS! They are the only boys in our whole workout moms group because everyone else has girls. Most of my friends have girls, so Hunter should make a nice gentleman since that is with whom he is used to playing and interacting... I hope and pray. I digress...

When we arrived, the boys immediately took the trucks that were brought and began to drive them through the sand. There is a sculpture there in the sand that looks like the hands of God, in my opinion. It makes for fun pictures!

We ate lunch and immediately headed over to the newest trendy dessert chain. I was not impressed; however, my three friends loved their cupcakes! Hunter wasn't impressed, either. As a matter of fact, he handed me his after 2 bites. I gave Mark the rest of mine. Their cupcakes are $3.50 each! $1.50 for a mini-cupcake. We didn't dare throw any away. ;)

Mom P and Mom C enjoying their little bites of chocolate.

Mom C snagging a bite from J. Okay, she was pretending.

To top it off, I was enjoying the experience so much that I lost my brain and fed Colten, my 7 month old, a bite of cupcake, too! He really loved it.