The Stores Family

First Santa of the Year!

2009-12-06T17:48:00.003-07:00

The kids saw their first Santa of the year at Pamida Thanksgiving weekend (and I say first because we know will see him few more times before Christmas!) Chloe said she wasn't going to be scared this year and tell him what she wanted for Christmas and she held true to her word! It was the first time she didn't reach out for us or cry! :) She was still a bit nervous, but she did really well. Caiden of course was fine!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-12-06T17:34:00.005-07:00

Our traditional Thanksgiving is a lot different than most people and some think we are crazy, but it has been our tradition since we moved to South Dakota and I don't see it changing anytime in the near future! We start off at the Turkey Trot 5K in Rapid City, which is a race put on by the Black Hills Running Club. This year, I ran the race as my November race and Chris decided he would push the kids in the stroller for fun. We all ran together for a few minutes and then we the people with strollers and dogs and the walkers went one way and we went another. The race started off well for me, but I had to many layers on this year (the temp reached to 60 degrees later in the day!) and I got pretty hot. The course seemed to be a little long too, and for every .1 of a mile that the course is long, it feels like you are running an extra mile! So, my time was pretty slow (32 something) but Chris ran a 24 something pushing 80 pounds! After the race, we all stood and listened as they called off the 350 names of the people who had won pies - we were not one of them. Which makes for 2 years in a row. The first 2 years, we did win one, therefore, we will win one next year for sure! It was a fun race and I got see some of my "running friends" - most of who I only see at the local races. After the race, we headed to The Golden Corral for our Thanksgiving dinner. I know, I know - a buffet at the Golden Corral for Thanksgiving?! But it's actually really good and the kids don't like turkey and mashed potatoes anyway so it works out for us because the kids can eat whatever they want :) And they have some really good desserts too! So, we were stuffed and headed home to watch some football and let our food digest. Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for all of you who read what is going on in our lives!

Halloween Through the Years

2009-11-02T13:29:00.008-07:00

I thought it would be fun to look at all of the pictures from Halloween past and post some pictures here! It's so fun to see how much the kids have grown! This starts with Chloe's first Halloween in 2005 as I have no idea where the 2004 pictures are! But Caiden was a lion and a really cute one! :)

2005 - A Tiger and a Duck

2006 - A Monkey and a Bunny

2007 - Mickey and Minnie Mouse

2008 - Sleeping Beauty and a Seahawks Football Player

2009 - Dorothy and Bumble Bee

I thought it would be fun to look at all of the pictures from Halloween past and post some pictures here! It's so fun to see how much the kids have grown! This starts with Chloe's first Halloween in 2005 as I have no idea where 2004 pictures are! But Caiden was a lion and a really cute one! :)

Sweet Tooth 5K

2009-11-02T11:30:00.007-07:00

Chris literally found this race on Friday afternoon on a flyer in a Starbucks in Rapid. I was all set to drive to Gillette, WY for another race, but opted to do the one in Rapid because it's a lot closer and I would be able to sleep 2 extra hours by going to the race in Rapid. The race was put on by the Dental Hygienists Association with the proceeds going to Breast Cancer so it was for a great cause too. Since it was on Halloween, there was a costume contest and I knew I needed to come up with something cool. I decided on a road with double "no passing" lines and cars pinned to me and 2 runners on my shoulder as we run on the shoulder of the road. I also had two signs on my back which you will see in the pictures. I have had a cold for a good week now so I wasn't feeling 100% going into the race, but I figured it was only 3 miles and I would just go slow if I needed to. The first mile was great - 9:42 - but that was the only great thing about this race. I started coughing soon after the first mile and had to stop and walk a lot to cough. At the turnaround, there was some water (thankfully!) and that helped a little, but I was still going really slow and my next 2 miles were in something like 11:21 and 10:45. So, it was a slow race with me finishing in 32:06. But I was happy with that after being sick and not being able to breathe for most of the race! I won 2nd place in the costume contest too and got a really cool medal so it was all worth it! There was Starbucks coffee and Halloween cookies afterwards too! It's definitely a race I hope they do again so we can continue to go!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T11:17:00.004-07:00

Halloween was SO much fun this year! Caiden wanted to be Bumble Bee from Transformers (mainly because he is yellow and yellow has been Caiden's favorite color his whole life!) Chloe was Dorothy and I have no idea why she picked this costume because she had never seen the movie. So after we got her costume, he watched "The Wizard of Oz" and loves Dorothy even more. :) Halloween started on Wednesday night with a Trunk or Treat at our friend's church and the kids had a blast playing games like pumpkin bowling, decorating cookies and bags and of course getting candy :) On Thursday, the kids both had parties at their schools with even more treats! On Friday, we had a Day Care party and did crafts all morning and then got into our costumes and had a costume party. Oh, and MORE treats! On Halloween, we went up to Rapid for the Sweet Tooth 5K(that will be a separate post) and then went to the parade in town and got to trick or treat at the downtown businesses. Then we headed up to the Rec Center for lots of games and more trick or treating. After a couple of hours of trick-or-treating in town, the kids ended up with 10 pounds of candy (yes, we weighed it!) and probably a couple of cavities! :) We picked our friend, Avryl, for a slumber party and came home to watch "Monsters vs. Aliens" and eat some of that candy (but not a whole bunch!) Click on the link below for pictures of all of the fun!

Bronc Football Fun

2009-11-02T10:58:00.008-07:00

The kids love going to the football games and we have been to all of the home games plus an away game in Deadwood. I think Chloe loves to go the most for the popcorn and the cheerleaders. We have a fun time cheering for our Broncs! Tonight, they play in their 2nd playoff game and have to beat St. Thomas More who already beat us in the regular season. But hopefully they can pull out the W and continue their journey this season. Here are some pictures from our fun at the games!

A Visit from Smokey the Bear

2009-11-02T10:16:00.003-07:00

For Fire Prevention Week, Smokey the Bear came to visit the Day Care and the kids loved it. Well, most of the kids loved it anyway! :) A few were afraid (Chloe!) but everyone had a great time giving him hugs and getting a whole bunch of goodies from him!

New Laptop!

2009-11-02T10:08:00.004-07:00

I got an early Christmas present and I couldn't be more excited! I love my new laptop and it's so nice having 2 computers in the house. I figure this will just be even more necessary as the kids get older and want to use the computer even more than they do now! Caiden already knows more than I do about computers and he's 5! :)

Kindergarten is Tiring!

2009-11-02T10:04:00.003-07:00

This is a picture of Caiden snoozin' on a Friday afternoon after 5 full days of Kindergarten. He usually only goes 4 days with Fridays off, but they have school on a few Fridays and this week just really wore him out! He did get a 2nd wind though as was able to cheer on the Broncs to victory in Deadwood that night! :)

10/10/10K at 10am

2009-11-02T09:50:00.003-07:00

On October 10th, Chris ran the 10/10/10K at 10am as part of the Black Hills Trail Series. He ran awesome of course and the kids and I got to go and watch him because their soccer game had been cancelled that morning. It was a VERY cold morning so we played in the car and watched a movie while we waited for Chris to get done. They had yummy soup at the end of the race and Chris won a $60 watch! He was 8th overall and 5th in his division, which keeps him in 1st place in the Trail Series. If you want to read more about the race, you can go to his blog here:

http://runaholic-chris.blogspot.com/

Caiden in the Paper!

2009-11-01T17:29:00.002-07:00

Because Caiden was the Student of the Month in the Kindergarten for September, he was in our local newspaper - he's the short one :)

Student of the Month!

2009-09-24T11:22:00.008-06:00

Caiden was named "Student of the Month" in the Kindergarten for the month of September! We are so excited and so proud of him. This morning, Chris and I were both able to attend the presentation where they surprise the kids with their achievement. He received a shirt that says "Student of the Month" on it and his last name on the back of it. His picture will even be in the local paper! :) I'm not really sure he understood it all, but he knew it was for being good in school. :) Hopefully it stays that way too! Yay Caiden!

Chloe just had to have a picture with me too! :)

YellowJacket 5K

2009-09-24T10:57:00.005-06:00

Sunday was the 2nd Annual YellowJacket 5K/10K. Last year I ran the 10K and ran my PR(59:59) at that race, but last month, I beat that PR(58:31) so I decided to run the 5K this year. That, and the fact that since my marathon, my training hasn't been the greatest. :) I could say that I wanted to beat my 5K PR, but I really knew that was not going to happen at this race. My New Years Resolution was to run a Race each month, but I never said I had to run the farthest distance each race offered! This was my 15th race of the year so I thought slacking off just a little was okay. My friend Amy also ran this race pushing her 2 year old daughter, Avryl so like my children, Avryl is another child that spends a lot of weekends at races. We started at the football field and then race on the bike path to the city park where we found the turnaround and headed back to the football field. The route was relatively flat with a few up and downs, but no real hills to speak of. My kind of race! I was hoping that I could run it in under 30 minutes as that my general goal for all 5Ks, but I really didn't know what was in store for this race. The Garmin wouldn't turn on right before the race so I had no idea how fast I was going at all. Amy runs 27-28 minute 5Ks so I just tried to keep her in my sights for as long as I could because then I knew I would be under 30. The whole thing went by really fast and before I knew it, I was back at the football field with the scoreboard reading 29 minutes something....I still had to go around part of the track so I wasn't done yet. I booked it at the end to make sure I ended up with the clock saying 29 something and not 30 something and I finished in 29:49 - an average mile pace of 9:36. Not too shabby for me at all. I was very happy with that. After the race, Caiden wanted to race me around the track and I must say after running 3 miles, I was a little tired and he was speeding around that thing. Chloe was right behind us though and never gave up. She is getting really fast too! I even won an Olive Garden gift card at the door prize giveaway! After the race, me and Amy headed to the Spearifsh Chophouse with the kids for their famous breakfast buffet. We hadn't been there since last year after the race, but it was just as good. Caiden said that pancake was the best pancake he had EVER had and Chloe ate her plate clean. It was a great way to relax after the race. I KNOW I ate way more calories than I burned in that 5K, but each calorie was well worth it! :)

Go Broncs!

2009-09-24T10:46:00.007-06:00

If you know us at all, you know that we love football - any football...from JV to NFL; we will watch it all. And we love our home team, the Belle Fourche Broncs! The Broncs had a great season last year and we are hoping this year is just as good or even better. The 2nd game of the year was against Hot Springs, which means it was our first conference game of the year. We took a very early lead, but then lost some of it, but it ended in a win for us, 31-28. It was a really fun game and the weather was semi nice, with a little drizzle, but the kids just loved that. My friend Desiree came to the game with us too as her girls got to dance at halftime with the Dance Team. That was really cute to watch. Here are some pictures of our fun night of football!

Time for Fall Soccer!

2009-09-24T10:38:00.006-06:00

Both Caiden and Chloe are playing soccer this year and they get to be on the same team, which was the only way Chloe agreed to play. :) Caiden started off where he left off last year and is having a great time. Chloe is enjoying it, but would prefer not to kick the ball if she doesn't have to. She does like to chase after the other kids though. Here are some pictures of their first game - it had rained all night so it was nice and slippery and very cold!

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-24T10:12:00.011-06:00

We had an awesome Labor Day weekend! Caiden had 4 days off of school and we took advantage of that and the beautiful weather we had the whole weekend. On Friday night, we headed to the first Belle Fourche Broncs home game of the season. They lost, but they played a good game against the defending Wyoming state champions. On Saturday, we practiced some soccer in the yard and watched the Montana Grizzlies win their first game (very thankful for the Internet so we can watch these games!). On Sunday, we headed to the Spearfish WaterPark for one last day of swimming for the summer and we brought along our friends Amy, Avryl, Jackie, and Semele to enjoy the day with us. It was 95 degrees so we picked the perfect day to go. On Monday, we went out to lunch at Pizza Hut and then headed out for a hike on the Iron Creek Trail. It was a great hike (except for Chloe tripping a few times!) and we had a lot of fun. Here are some pictures of our fun-filled weekend!

Chloe's First Day of Preschool

2009-09-24T10:02:00.006-06:00

Chloe started her 2nd year of Preschool on Sept. 1st and she goes 3 days a week now and she loves it. She is gone from 8am-11am and has 7 people in her class. Her teacher has said she has talked more in the first week than she talked all last year. So, she is really opening up this year and I am so excited about that. She loves doing show and tell now, which she wouldn't even attempt last year and she is making new friends too! She loves to go and doesn't understand why she can't go all of the days that Caiden goes to school! :) Here are a few pictures of her first day!

Such a big girl!

Chloe and her awesome teacher, Mrs. Rebecca

The kids waving good-bye!

Caiden's First Day of Kindergarten!

2009-09-24T09:53:00.006-06:00

Caiden started Kindergarten on August 24th and he LOVES it.He goes all day from 8:10-3:10, mostly 4 days a week with no school on most Fridays. He is excited to go everyday and when it's not a school day, he wants to know how many days there are until he gets to go back! The only thing he isn't too sure about is the school lunches and he prefers to bring his lunch on most days. :) Here are some pictures of his first day!

Caiden at his desk

Caiden and his awesome teacher, Mrs. O'dea

Getting ready to go!

Lean Horse 50 Miler

2009-09-20T19:27:00.002-06:00

Chris started and finished his first 50 mile race on August 22nd and it ONLY took him 9 hours and 30 minutes! Believe me, if I had gone 50 miles, I would still be on the course! He did a great job and we are very proud of him! And yes, now that he has done that, he is planning a 100 miler next summer! He's crazy! If you would like to read the gory details of his 50 miler, you can read all about it on his blog:
http://runaholic-chris.blogspot.com/

But here's the short version of it!

Final Time: 9:32:18 - Overall Place: 8th - AG Place: 2nd

Way to go Chris! We are so proud of you!

Leading Ladies FULL Marathon Race Report

2009-08-18T14:48:00.007-06:00

I can finally call myself a marathon finisher! On Sunday, August 16th, 2009 after 5 hours, 6 minutes, and 13 seconds of running, jogging, walking, and hopping (for real!), I crossed the Leading Ladies Marathon finish line and what an emotional feeling that was. I was elated and in pain all at the same time. Running a marathon is something I had wanted to do last year, and I even trained for the Leading Ladies Full last year, but chickened out and ran the half instead. I did get my Half Marathon PR there last year though so I was happy with my decision as I knew I had not trained properly to run the 26.2 miles. This year though, I was going to train and accomplish this goal of mine before I turned 30.
On Saturday afternoon, I received my race packet at the Expo and it all became real at that moment. The next day, I would be running my first full marathon. This was going to happen. My friend, Heather, who was also running her first full marathon at Leading Ladies came up from Custer on Saturday evening and we headed to the Holiday Inn to hear Ann Audian tell us her story. And let me tell you what a story it is! - Here is a description of her from her book, "An Uncommon Heart".

Born in New Zealand with badly deformed feet, Anne Audain was adopted as an infant by a kindly, hard-working couple-, who nurtured her and taught her that being adopted meant she was special because she had been selected over all the other available babies.
But she was a tiny child, shy and bookish, and with her awkward, stumbling gait, she became a special target for teasing by her classmates. Finally, when she was 13, the doctors felt her bones were strong enough to sustain an operation, and her condition was surgically corrected. Liberated from much of the pain and awkwardness for the first time, she discovered athletics at a local club and literally in a matter of months had become a nationally known runner in New Zealand.

She went on to run in the Olympics, win a Commonwealth Games gold medal, set a world track record, and to move to the United States where she became the first female professional runner, a Nike sponsored athlete, and the most successful woman road runner of all time, winning most of the major U.S. road races she entered from 1981 to 1991. Now a naturalized citizen, she is a successful motivational speaker and businesswoman, and is the founder of the Idaho Women's Fitness Celebration, one of the largest women's sporting events in the world.

To listen to this woman and everything she overcame in life was very inspirational and she made me believe in myself that I could run this race and finish 26.2 miles.

After the talk, we headed to the catered dinner which was delicious! We sat with my little 13 year old friend Maddy, who is only 13 and running half marathons! I know I have talked about her before, but she is just so awesome! She told me that she would be waiting for me at the finish line after her half the next day. What a sweat heart. So Heather and I head back to my house for a night of no sleep. I really don't think I fell asleep once. I was just a bundle of energy. Heather was having dreams that we missed the race entirely....not the best of nights before our first full marathons!

We were up at 3am and headed out the door at 345. We got to Spearfish at 4am and headed right to the bus. Looking back, we SHOULD have went to the bathroom before we got on the bus, because by the time we go to the Lead Country Club, we had to go BAD. The bus ride was COLD. I guess some people were getting motion sick and they had their windows down so it got pretty chilly. I chatted with Heather and with a few ladies sitting by us to keep my mind off of everything. I ate my banana and tried to eat my bagel, but I just couldn't. It was making me sick because I was so nervous. We got to the start line at the country club and everyone headed to the porta potties. As soon as I went, I just got in line to go again because I knew I would have to! It was a cool 39 degrees at the start line and I was just ready to get going so I could warm up! Right at 6am, we were OFF! I was beginning my first marathon!!!
We started off with a hill, but it wasn't a major one and it felt like a good warm-up for all of the downhill that I knew would be coming. I was just taking it all in the first few miles and they went by really fast! There were a few women around me and everyone was really supportive saying good luck to everyone around them. I love this race for being all women. It's empowering for sure. I was averaging 10 something minute miles and I was feeling good. At mile 5, my Ipod just DIED. My music was gone. If anyone knows me, you know that I DO NOT run without music...EVER...not even 5Ks! So to say the least, I freaked out. I still had 21 miles to go! So, I just decided that I would have to deal with it and keep running. The next 5 miles went by really fast too so I told myself that at this point, I had run 5 miles with music and 5 miles without and nothing really changed. I was still feeling good, I was keeping my pace, things were good. I didn't need my music. At mile 12, we started on the only real hill on the course. It's a tough little section, but the whole time I was going up, I knew that I would get to go back down on my way to mile 13 - the half way point! My pace went down quite a lot on mile 12, but I saw a lot of people slowing down so I felt okay about it. I crossed the half way point (13.1 miles) with a time of 2:23 which I was really happy about as I run most of my half marathons in the 2:20s so I was keeping what I thought was a good pace for me. I was halfway done with my marathon and I was still feeling really good! I alternated between water and powerade at the stations, I took my gels every 5miles; I was in a groove. At mile 16, I had just 10 miles to go - I had run plenty of 10 mile runs in my training; I could do this. I was under the 3 hour mark at that point so I knew if I could run the next 10 miles with an average of 12 minute miles, I could finish in under 5 hours. By mile 18, I was holding steady at an average of 11 minute miles, which I was so happy with! I just had 2 miles to go until mile 20, which is the longest I had ever run in one day. And then just a 10K (6.2 miles) left to go after that. And then I started to get tired. Mile 19 and 20 were pretty hard for me and my pace went down quickly. I was running all 12 and 13 minute miles until mile 23 when the WALL came slamming into me and I was DONE. I started swearing at myself and at the race and just wanted it to be done. But I only had 3 miles to go. That was nothing! But I had also never run 3 miles after already running 23 miles! I knew my family was at the finish line waiting for me so I just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Even if it was slower, I had to keep moving. But believe me; I was ready to fake an injury so I could be done! Those last 3 miles were brutal and slow, but I finished them and that is what matters. I got onto the bike path with .5 of a mile to go and knew I had this in the bag. I wasn't going to finish in under 5 hours, but it wasn't going to be much over 5 hours either, maybe 5:05. I would be happy with that. And then I got a cramp in my calf that hurt so bad that I stopped and tried to rub it out, but it was so bad that I had to start hopping on the other foot to keep going forward. I put my leg down to try to start running again (I only had .3 of a mile to go!!) but it just screamed back at me. I was SO mad at my darn calf that it would do this to me with such a little distance to go! How dare it! So, I stopped again and rubbed it and did my best to get it out; there was no way I was walking or hopping across that finish line! Finally it subsides enough for me to run, slowly at best, but still running. I see the finish line and I see my family and I hear my kids, yelling, "Go Mommy Go." and I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face knowing I had succeeded. No one could ever take this away from me. My time was 5:06:13 (11:40 minute miles) and I know I will be able to beat that time one day. My next goal will to be under the 5 hour mark. But for now, I am not thinking of when my next marathon will be. I am thinking of all of the support that my family and all of my friends gave me over the past 5 months of my training. I am thinking of Elaine Doll-Dunn, the race director of the Leading Ladies Marathon who has inspired me more than she will ever know. She was the first person who told me I would run a full marathon one day back in 2007 (after I had just finished my first half) and I looked at her like she was a crazy person. But of course, she was right and she saw more in me than I ever saw in myself. It seems like the only person whoever doubted me was myself.I am blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life. My sisters called me after the race, my mom called me (who still thinks I'm crazy for running at all!), and I received many messages and texts congratulating me on my accomplishment. They all knew how important this day was to me and wanted to share in my experience.
I am recovering nicely and will be going to my outdoor fitness class later this evening. The best way to recover is to keep moving - I will not be running, but I will be moving! Thanks again for anyone whoever told me that I COULD do it! Because now I believe you! I CAN DO IT!

Flintstones Park!

2009-08-18T14:25:00.012-06:00

After the 10K I ran in Custer, Chris decided he was going to go out for his long run since we were there so I took the kids to the Flintstones Theme Park while he ran. It's a great little park with statues of all of the Flintstones and Rubble Family, their houses, a music show, a train ride around the park, a short ride in a Flintstones car, a theater where you can watch the old Flintstones cartoons with free popcorn, a park to play at, and Fred and Barney even stopped by to say hi to the kids. We had a great time while we were there and it's a place we will go back to one day! Here are some pictures of our fun day!

Annalee's Memorial 10K Race Report

2009-08-18T14:18:00.004-06:00

On Saturday August 10th, I ran the Annalee's Memorial 10K Run and it was such a great race. The race remembers Annalee Ventling who was a runner who died from cancer in February 1997, at only age 27. The entry fee is donated to the Southern Hills Right To Life so it's also for a great cause. The race was ran in Custer, which is almost 2 hours away and we needed to sign up by 7am so Chris, the kids, and I were out the door by 5am. We threw the kids in the car in their jammies, popped a movie in for them and we were off in the pouring rain. And when I say pouring, I mean it. We could barely see in front of us and had to go extremely slow as it was still dark too. The rain let up the closer we got to Custer and it was actually a pretty cold morning for a summer day in August. But I knew as soon as we started running, we would warm up quickly. I saw my friend, Heather, who I met via sparkpeople.com, although we tell people we met on match.com :) and we chatted with some of the other runners as we got ready to get on the bus to take us to the starting line. We got onto the bus at 730 and it took us to Crazy Horse, which is always cool to see, but we were mostly trying to warm up and get ready to run. The whole race was run on the Mickelson Trail which is SO nice compared to running on the road. It's nice on your knees too! :) I really wanted to PR on this race because I knew it might be my only chance this year and I hadn't gotten a PR this year yet. My previous PR in the 10K was set last September with a time of 59:59. The course was on the trail AND downhill AND the weather was perfect, clear and cool, with some sun along the way, so everything pointed to a PR for me. At 8am, we were off and I started off running with a 13 year old runner, Maddy, who is at all of the races and I have known her for a couple of years now. She is awesome as she also runs half marathons at 13 years old! I was NOT running half marathons at that age; I was more interested in boys! :) Anyway, her and her dad are a great team and I love seeing them at the races because they are very inspirational. So, Maddy and I were running at a pretty good pace, I thought, but I didn't dare look down to see until I heard the Garmin beep that we were done with the first mile. I look down and we had run that mile in 9:08!!!! In order to beat my PR, I needed to average 9:40 miles so I was sittin' pretty at this point. But I had to remember that I had 5.2 miles to go! Maddy and I ran the next 2 miles together and chatted some but mostly just focused on running. Both of those miles were in the 9:20s, but I was just fine with that. At the halfway point, there was a water station so I grabbed a cup and kept on running. My average pace at this point was 9:16 so I was still good to go. Maddy stopped at the water station for a break so now I was on my own. There were only 50-60 runners so not very much company along the way. Heather was ahead of me so my goal now was to keep her in my sights for as long as I could. After the 4th mile, I could feel myself slowing down a bit, but I was still on track to get my PR so I kept going. My 4th mile was 9:35 so I was getting close to the slowest my miles could be, but I had run the other ones fast enough to make up for it. By mile 5, I was really tired, but I met up with Maddy's dad, Bob, and ran alongside him for a while and the time went by faster that way. The last half a mile were really tough for me and I had to slow down quite a bit, but then I saw the finish line and saw Chris and the kids, and they were both yelling "Go Mommy Go!" so I pushed down and finished strong with a time of 58:51!!! I had beat my previous PR by a whole minute and 8 seconds!!!! I would have been happy beating it by just 8 seconds! I was really happy and couldn't believe it as I had not gotten a PR in any race this whole year. Finally in August and in my 13th race of the year, I do it! Heather ran a great race and finished in 56:26 and my new friend, Brenna, (who I met on the bus on the way up to the CASA half marathon a couple of weeks ago) finished in 53 something! Bob finished just in front of me and his daughter, Maddy, finished in 1:05. So, a great race and great times all around. This will definitely be a race that I do in the future. Thanks to Heather for telling me about it!!! It was a such a fun morning!

July in Review and Goals for August

2009-08-02T15:19:00.001-06:00

Wow! I can't believe July is already over and school is about to start for my kids! They are of course excited; however, I am not! I want them home with me! :) July was a pretty good month. Still haven't lost the weight that I want to lose, but I will be focusing more on that after I run my marathon in 2 short weeks. July started with all of the fun that the 4th of July brings to Belle Fourche. The rodeo, the carnival, a 2 hour parade, fireworks, and the Roundup 10K that Chris ran in the same exact time that he ran it last year! I ran 110 miles in July including 2 half marathons. I ran the Missoula Half Marathon on July 12th with 2 of my sisters and ran it in 2:21:36. After the Missoula Half, I spent the next week on vacation in Hamilton, MT with my family and had a wonderful time being back home. 13 short days after the Missoula Half, I met up with a Spark friend and ran the CASA half marathon in Spearfish with a time of 2:19:06 (but I think the course was measured long!) :) After that half, I ran 7 more miles to get a 20 miler in before my full marathon. Now I am supposed to be in taper mode for my marathon, but I am still trying to get my miles in so I am ready to go in 2 weeks. Which brings me to August. August will be a big month for me and my family. First off, I will be running my first full marathon on August 16th - just two weeks away! That's 26.2 miles through Spearfish Canyon, starting at 6am. I will finish somewhere between 5 and 6 hours, hopefully as close to 5 as I can get, but with it being my first one, I really don't know what to expect or how tired I will get! No time goes this time around; I just want to FINISH! Another milestone this month for Chris will be the completion of his first 50 miler on August 22nd. I think this is just crazy, but yesterday, he ran 31 miles and today 25 something so it looks like he is ready. I think he hopes to finish around 8 hours something. Caiden will start Kindergarten on August 20th, which just doesn't seem real to me. He is so excited. Chloe will do another year of preschool and then be heading to Kindergarten this time next year. She found out that this year, there will be another Chloe in her class so she thinks that is pretty cool.

So, here are my 5 big goals for August:

1. FINISH my first full marathon

2. Run a 10K next Saturday in Custer - my current PR is 59:59 so I would love to set a new one since I haven't set any PR yet this year....even 59:58 would be awesome! :)

3. Get the focus back on eating less and eating the right things to get to my goal weight before I turn 30 in January.

4. Go to at least 2 fitness classes each week at my gym - get back to doing a variety of exercise, not JUST running. They are starting an outdoor fitness class each Tuesday of the month so I am really excited about that one!

5. Not bawl my eyes out on the first day of school!!! This may be a goal that just won't be accomplished!

Shinedown Concert!!!!!

2009-07-29T11:19:00.002-06:00

Last night Chris and I headed up to Rapid City for the Halestorm, Chevelle, SHINEDOWN, and Staind concert. The concert rocked, especially my favorite band, Shinedown! It was an all around awesome night. Halestorm puts on a great show with a lot of energy and their lead singer is a cool rocker chick so you can't go wrong! Check them out if you haven't heard them before! Chevelle and Staind also are great bands and are the definition of rockers. But of course, we all know the main reason I was there and that was for Shinedown. I have been a fan for years and I feel like their music is getting better and better. My favorite song is "The Sound of Madness" and you can see it here:

It is one of the coolest songs out there right now. I could listen to it over and over again and never get tired of it. They opened their set with this song and just kept getting better as the night went on. One of my other favorite parts of the concert was when the lead singer of Staind, Aaron Lewis, moved to the middle of floor and sang some of his song acoustic. You can see that here:

The concert was loud, my throat hurt from screaming so much, I couldn't hear anything afterwards, but it was all worth it!

Gamin' In Deadwood

2009-07-29T11:02:00.006-06:00

Back in July at the Black Hills Round Up Rodeo, my friend, Amy, and I had won some money to use at the Deadwood Gulch Gaming Resort. We had totally forgotten about that money until we were sitting at her house on Saturday night when we realized that the cards expired on Monday! So, we made plans to head up to Deadwood on Sunday afternoon. We got up there and headed to the casino and got our official players club gaming cards with our money loaded onto them and we were ready to go. They also put an extra $5 on our card just for signing up so I was armed with $35 of money that was not mine to probably give back to Deadwood! We decided we would play the machines and then whatever we won on them, we would use for the blackjack table. The machines were pretty fun (maybe because it wasn't our money!) and we both ended up with $20 bucks to use for blackjack. I have NEVER played at a live blackjack table so I had no idea what to expect. Well, let me tell you, it's quite intimidating because they go so fast and you have to make quick decisions. Luckily, the guy sitting next to me knew I was a rookie and was nice enough to help me out. And it didn't help that our black jack dealer was NOT a nice person! But maybe this was due to the fact that we really wanted to get a picture of our blackjack experience and apparently it's against the law, but we kept trying and she was not very happy about that. She ended up telling me that I could be thrown in jail for taking a picture at the table so then I stopped. :) Anyway, the house was winning big time and Amy left the table pretty quickly. I stayed a bit longer and ended up winning $16, but then I lost $1 of it trying to win $4 more on the machine so I could leave Deadwood with $20. All in all, I left with $15 and used it to buy dinner at one of the casino buffets. It was such a fun night (again, it helped that we didn't use any of our own money!) and I hope we can go again soon! Thanks for a really fun night Amy!

Water Park Fun!

2009-07-29T10:36:00.006-06:00

On Sunday afternoon, the temps got up to 90 degrees so we headed to Spearfish for some Water Park Fun! The kids had a great time swimming around, going down the slides and Caiden just loves jumping into the pool. We also brought their life jackets this time, so they were able to go in the big pool and swim around. They both loved that. Here are a few pictures from our fun-filled day.

CASA Half Marathon Race Report

2009-07-29T10:30:00.002-06:00

Last Saturday, I ran the CASA Half Marathon in Spearfish Canyon. The CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Program seeks to promote and protect the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in court proceedings through the advocacy efforts of trained volunteers, so it's for a really great cause. I have ran this course 2 other times and I love it because it's a gradual downhill all through Spearfish canyon. It's a very scenic course and I even saw people (probably people who don't live in the area) taking pictures along the race!

On Friday night, I had made plans with a new friend of mine who I met via Sparkpeople.com, Heather, to eat some carbs and stay the night at my house so she wasn't driving the 2 hours from her house to get to the race at 645am. We had a great time eating and chatting with each other and I know my Grandma is going to freak out when she finds out that I met someone online and then met them in real life. She thinks it's just crazy! :) But I will make sure to tell her that Heather was not some serial killer and that we had a great time! We were up bright and early at 530 as we had to get to Spearfish to get on the bus at 645am so they could take us up the canyon and then we got to run down. After getting our shirts (they look pretty much the same every year - grey and blue or white and blue - but it's for a good cause so I'm not complaining!) we were on the bus and headed up the canyon! We got there just 10 minutes before the race was going to start so we got in line for the porta-potty and before we knew it, they had yelled GO! Heather sped off in front of me as she wanted to try and run the race in under 2 hours and I pretty much knew my race would be around 2:20 because that seems to be my magic number lately! The first 8 miles were AWESOME! Not a mile was over 10 minutes. I felt like I was flying. But all that ended at mile 8 and my legs just didn't want to move fast anymore. So, I slowed it down and ran a mile just over 10 minutes. Still not too bad. But then things got really bad and all my legs wanted to do was walk. Well, I thought I would take a little walk break to give my legs a break and then just start running again but I walked for a little longer than I should have so I didn't allow myself to walk the next mile but then miles 11 and 12, I was spent and had to walk both of a lot of those miles. We made it to the bike path which is supposed to mean that we had half a mile left. But while I was on said bike path, my Garmin said that I had run 13.1 miles already and I still wasn't at the finish line! When it was all said and done, the Garmin read 13.3 miles so I think the course was a little long. Either way, my time was 2:19:06, which I predicted from the beginning that it would be around 2:20 so I was not surprised! Here is how my miles looked:

Mile 1 - 9:35 (I'll take it!)

Mile 2 - 9:26 (Oooo, even better!)

Mile 3 - 9:16 (that's what I'm talking about!)

Mile 4 - 9:37 (oops, I guess that last mile made me a little tired)

Mile 5 - 9:42 (still ok, under 10, I'm happy)

Mile 6 - 9:44 (if I could keep this up the whole race, I would be elated!)

Mile 7 - 9:47 - (thinking I could run a 2:10!)

Mile 8 - 9:58 (still under 10 - it's going well!)

Mile 9 - 10:08 (uh oh, getting tired and HOT)

Mile 10 - 12:25 (really hot now, had to start walking, not happy with myself)

Mile 11 - 11:20 (no walking, just ran a slower mile)

Mile 12 - 12:52 (I'm dead)

Mile 13 - 11:59 (yep, still dead)

.3 (not .1!) - 3:42 (where is that darn finish line?!)

So there you have it! It was a great race and saw lots of people that I know and that's always fun! The race had a great turnout this year with 250 half marathoners and 166 for the 5K. My friend Amy finished the 5K 3rd in her age group and my friend Rebecca walked the 5K with her kids while her hubby was up the canyon with me running the half. It's always so fun to see our friends at the local races.

Thanks to Heather for putting up with me and my family for the night and keeping me company while I was getting ready and on the bus so I didn't freak out too much! Let's do it again sometime! Oh, right we are on August 8th and then again on August 16th!! :)

After the race, Chris left really quickly as it was getting pretty hot and he had a 3 hour run to complete so I took the kids to Walmart and did the grocery shopping and then got some lunch and we took it to the park to wait for Chris to get done. We ate and then played and them came home only for me to leave again to go running! YES! RUNNING! Can you believe it?! :) I had 7 more miles to run as I needed to get 20 miles done today in preparation for my full marathon which is just 3 short weeks away! So, I headed to the gym because I wasn't running in 80+ temps after that race and I ran 7 more miles on the track, which took me 1:25:25. All in all, I ran 20 (.3!) miles today and it took me about 3:45, but the marathon is 6.2 miles more than that so we are looking at a potential 5 hour something marathon, but I am going out there with no time goal; I just want to finish it as it's my first one! Okay, I'm done now! Thanks for reading! :)

Happy Birthday Lauren!

2009-07-23T13:02:00.005-06:00

Today I am wishing my little sister, Lauren, a very happy 22nd birthday! We were talking last night about how she would love to stay 21 forever because now it seems like she has to grow up! :) Just wait until she is my age turning 30 in a few months! AHHH!!! I'm very lucky to have Lauren as my sister and she is one of the best aunts in the whole world to my kids. We have not only lived together growing up, but she also lived with us in Happy Camp for a while and then again in South Dakota. I wish she lived closer to us, but maybe one day! As soon as we win the lottery and open our gym, right Lor? :) Happy Birthday!!

The Rest of the Story

2009-07-23T12:49:00.002-06:00

The rest of our vacation consisted of stopping in Billings on the way to see our friends, Amber and Steve and their kiddos, LOTS of eating and drinking, visiting with old friends and their families, camping (in a tent!) at Painted Rocks Lake, playing with my baby niece, Megan, meeting 2 cousins we had never met before, BBQing, playing at the park, jumping and sleeping on the trampoline, running through the sprinklers, having foot races and playing "Wipeout" in the backyard, going to see Ice Age 3 in 3D, taking the kids on their bikes around town, spending the day at Lake Como (Kristin and I were stranded in the lake on a wave runner out of gas for an hour and a half!) and the vacation ended with my Grandparents (my dad's parents) 50th Anniversary party. It was so much fun to be with my family for an entire week! My sisters and I always have so much fun together and the kids LOVED being in Montana. I'm not sure when we will be back again, so I'm glad we have all of the memories from our very fun filled week!

If you want to see the pictures from our vacation, here are the links to the pictures that I have on facebook - you don't need to have an account to look at the pictures! Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=96130&id=504308423&l=c33fee3d70

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=96177&id=504308423&l=a8c463287e

Missoula Half Marathon Race Report

2009-07-23T12:39:00.003-06:00

The beginning of our Montana vacation started with the Missoula Half Marathon! For those of you who do not know, I grew up an hour south of Missoula, MT in Hamilton, MT and Missoula started their own marathon/half marathon 3 years ago. The first 2 years of the race, my husband, Chris ran the full and qualified for Boston there last year. This year, the whole family was able to travel to Missoula and then spend the rest of the week with my family in Hamilton. This was my 6th half marathon, but I had never ran one outside of SD, where I live now. It was exciting not knowing anything about the course. Two of my sisters, Lauren and Kelly, also ran the half and my husband ran the full again. My son, Caiden, did the kid's marathon where he had logged 25 miles the past few months and then did the last 1.2 miles with all of the other kids during the marathon. It was a really fun race and as it wasn't one of my fastest races, I really just enjoyed being in my home state and in the same town that I went to college. We started off along the river, with the sun coming up and it was really awesome. We then ran all over Missoula where there was so much more support along the course than there usually is when I run! People had written support messages on their sidewalks and in the street, they had made signs and even some of them has hoses and sprinklers on for us to run through along the course. The first year the race was run in 2007, there was record temperatures that day and people were not doing well. Because of that, there were A TON of water stations. Some were just a mile apart! It seemed like just as you were finishing your water, more was coming. This is great of course, but it also slowed me down. It's hard to drink out of a cup while running, so that is the only time I walk during a race, at a water station. As I was coming to the finish, I heard my kids, my parents, my other sister, Kristin and her husband cheering me on and I gave them a smile and finished in 2:21:38 - my next sister, Lauren, came in at 2:36 and then my sister Kelly finished her first ever half marathon in 2:49. My brother in law then took Caiden to the start of his race and they rocked it out running the 1.2 miles in about 10 minutes! Chris had a harder day than he wanted, but anyone who can run a full marathon in 3:19, is awesome in my eyes. After the race, we headed to the Iron Horse (an old college favorite) for some GOOD food and a very STRONG drink! :) I need to thank my Dad for paying for all of our race registrations to ease the financial burden of our trip too! It was a really great day and I hope I get to run this race again!

For the rest of the race pictures and pictures from that weekend, here is a link to go to and look at the rest of them!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=94976&id=504308423&l=e1d7a33ac1

4th of July Through the Years

2009-07-23T12:17:00.006-06:00

We have been in Belle Fourche for 4 years of Fourth of July's now and it's amazing at much the kids have grown since our first one! I found 4 pictures of us from each year so you could see the difference!

2006

2007

2008 (couldn't find a family pic!)

2009

The "meat" of the 4th of July - the Parade and the Carnival!

2009-07-23T11:05:00.004-06:00

Two of my favorite parts of of the 4th of July here in Belle Fourche is the 2 hour parade and the carnival! At the parade, we met up with our friends, Desiree and her kids, and Amy and Avryl and everyone had a great time! They all got A TON of candy that will be in our candy dish for months to come.

After the parade, we came home for lunch and then it was off to the carnival! It's really fun now that the kids are older because they will go on more rides and most importantly, we don't have to go on all of the rides with them! I do not do well with carnival rides, but I did go on the spinning bears and the ferris wheel, but that's about all I can handle now. After about 4 hours of riding rides, we walked home, took a much needed nap, ate dinner, and then went to DQ for some ice cream! By then, it had cooled off so we headed back to the carnival for a few more hours of riding rides!

The 4th of July Race - The Roundup 10K

2009-07-23T10:48:00.006-06:00

Every year that we have lived here, Chris has ran the annual 4th of July race, the Roundup 10K. The start line is just down the street from our house and then finishes right at the park across the street from our house so it's easy to get to! There are a couple of hills on the course, but since Chris runs them in his training runs anyway, they really aren't a big deal. He finished in 40:42, which was his EXACT time from last year!, 6th overall and 1st in his age group. The kids made a sign for him and held it up as he came across the bridge for the finish. They also made signs for our friends, Tim and Amy who also ran the race. It was a fun way to start off our 4th of July!

4th of July - The Rodeo and The Fireworks

2009-07-23T10:32:00.012-06:00

Every year, we take the kids to the rodeo at the Black Hills Roundup, which is held here during the 4th of July weekend. This year, we also went with our friends, the Haas family. Right before the rodeo was to start, there was a huge downpour that lasted quite a while. We had the BBQ in the rain, but then as soon as the rodeo started, the sun came out and it was a beautiful evening. The kids had a great time watching all of the cowboys do their thing and Caiden especially loved the Bull riding. Chloe LOVES horses so anytime there was a horse out there, she was watching. Caiden caught a Frisbee that was thrown into the audience and that really made his night!

The fireworks show in Belle for the 4th of July are actually always on the night of the 3rd of July and last year Chloe HATED them and Chris had to take her home. Not this year though! We went with our friend, Desiree, and her kids and all of the kids loved them this year! It was a great show as usual and we all had a great time!

Happy 20th Birthday Kelly!

2009-07-23T10:22:00.006-06:00

For Kelly's 20th birthday, we had a BBQ at our house with lots of friends and their families. It was so much fun to all get together and enjoy the day. That day, we had found out that she was moving back to MT, so it was a going away party of sorts too. We will miss her, but I know we will still see her lots and talk to her even more! Happy Birthday to Kelly! We hope you have a great 20th year!

Swimming Lessons 2009

2009-07-23T10:13:00.006-06:00

Swimming lessons went really well this year considering neither of the kids wanted anything to do with it last year. They love being in the water, but up until this year, they were still not very comfortable in the water. As the 2 weeks went on, I could see Chloe doing more in the water than she ever had before. Caiden loves to go under now and stay down there for a while! It makes me nervous as a mom, but I know he can do it! ;) On the last day of lessons, they put life jackets on the kids and they got to go down the big slide by themselves with someone catching them at the bottom. Caiden fell instantly in love with this activity and the whole hour was spent going down the slide. Chloe went down, but with her teacher, but now she will go down by herself as long as we are at the bottom to catch her. I love that they are getting more and more independent in the water and can't wait to see them really swimming soon!

T-ball 2009

2009-07-23T08:38:00.004-06:00

Caiden had a fun year in T-ball this summer and by the end of June, you could really see improvement in all of the kids on the team. Caiden bats and throws left handed and both his batting and his fielding got better throughout their season. It was a lot of fun to watch. One of the most memorable hits of Caiden's this season was a line drive right to his coach's head where the ball flipped the coach's hat off! :) They don't keep score at this age - everyone gets a turn to bat and they get 3 chances to hit it by the coach pitching and then it goes to the Tee after that. And then everyone gets to go out in the field. They taught the kids to throw the ball to 1st base so Caiden learned quickly that he liked playing 1st base! Chris and I both helped out with the team this year during some of the games (Chris pitching, me getting the kids lined up to bat and making sure they had their helmets on) and that was a lot of fun. Chloe liked going to the games as long as she got popcorn while we were there! :) Here are a couple of videos for you to enjoy!

Long Time, No Blog!

2009-07-23T08:36:00.004-06:00

I can't believe it's been a month since I have blogged about anything! Well, A LOT has been going on and I have a lot to talk about! I'm hoping to get everything on here in the next couple of days so be on the look out for it! Thanks for keeping up with us!

Father's Day Part 1

2009-06-22T12:52:00.015-06:00

Father's Day actually started on Saturday night when Chris got home from Sheridan and his 50K race. The kids had made a scavenger hunt for him and REALLY wanted to stay up and wait for him to come home so he could find his gift (a new tent) They came up with the clues and where to hide each of the clues for him. Caiden wanted to make it VERY hard! Chris didn't get home until 10:45pm but the kids stayed up and were so excited for Chris to his hunt. He was a little less excited as he had run 31 miles that morning and then drove 3 and a half hours home from WY. But he was a good sport and liked his new tent. Now, we need to go camping!

On Sunday morning, we all slept in as we had gone to bed very late the night before and then we hung out in the morning before going to the Chinese buffet (a big family favorite at our house!) for a Father's Day lunch.

After lunch, we headed over to the Fish Hatchery to feed the ducks and the fish, always a favorite activity for the kids.

And then the ice cream truck came by and we just HAD to have ice cream on Father's Day! :)

Our last stop was one of our favorite parks and the kids had a great time! For some reason, they were really into jumping off of things at the park, which leads us to Part 2 of Father's Day in the next post....
But here are some pictures of our fun time at the park!

Father's Day Part 2

2009-06-22T12:34:00.005-06:00

Part 2 of Father's Day was definitely not as fun as Part 1. Part 2 starts with the kids jumping off of everything at the park and having a great time! All of a sudden, Chloe jumps down and starts screaming. And then I see the blood. She had bitten down on her tongue as she came down. I got her out of the park as fast as I could and saw my friend, Wendy, who happened to have a few Kleenex on her and I quickly put them on Chloe's tongue to stop the bleeding. We went into the bathroom and got some wet paper towels for her to put in her mouth. The bleeding was a lot at first but then stopped pretty quickly and we thought things were going to be okay. I looked at the cut and it looked like any other mouth cut. Fast forward to a little while later when we are back at home hanging out and Chloe starts screaming that it hurts to swallow. We look at the cut again and now see how deep and big it actually is. I do a little research on WebMD and it says that MOST tongue cuts will heal on their own, but if it's really deep, it will need stitches. So, we decide that Chris will take her to the ER while I stay home with Caiden. I would have made things way worse at the hospital as I don't deal with that kind of thing very well. At first the Dr. debates about putting stitches on her tongue, but in the end decides that the cut is just too deep to let it heal on it's own. Without the stitches, it may heal, but there could be a lot of scar tissue and could affect her speech forever.I also read that the tongue doesn't get infected that often, but if it does, it's very serious. So, better safe than sorry. But in order to do the stitches, they have to sedate her which includes putting an IV in...YUCK. But they numbed her arm first so the poke didn't hurt all that much. She was such a big girl and handled everything very well with no crying! She got 2 stitches to sew the cut together and it looks SO much better than it did. This morning, it was really swollen and she was drooling everywhere and she was in some pain, but with some ibuprofen, she quickly felt better and even decided to go to swimming lessons and had a fun time! We are so thankful that a cut on the tongue is all that happened....it could have always been way worse! Thanks for all of the prayers and good thoughts that you all sent out way during the scary parts!

This is what caused the tongue mishap:

This is the tongue after the stitches....it looks SO much better than it did!

StoryBook Island

2009-06-22T12:04:00.009-06:00

On Saturday the kids and I and our friends, Desiree and her kids went to Rapid City to go Father's Day shopping and then to StoryBook Island. For those of you who do not know, StoryBook Island is a FREE children's theme park where kids can visit Snow White, The Cat in the Hat, The Three Little Pigs, go up into Pooh's Tree House, go onto Noah's Ark and those are just a few of the attractions! They also have a children's theater and show short plays there. We saw "The Paper Bag Princess" and it was really cute! The kids had a really fun time exploring and playing and boy they were tired afterwards! Thanks for coming with us Des, Lars, Storm and Sabastain! We had a blast and hope you guys did too! :)

Water Park Fun!

2009-06-22T11:49:00.006-06:00

On Friday, Chris took off for Sheridan, WY, where he ran a 50K (31 miles!) and I only worked a half day and then the kids and I headed to the Water Park with our friends Amy and her daughter Avryl for an afternoon of fun, sun and water. The kids had a great time and I could tell that swimming lessons are really helping the kids become more independent in the water. Caiden will jump in the pool, going under the water now and even do some "swimming" while he's under there and even Chloe will venture in a little deeper than she has before. She hasn't quite got enough courage to stick her head in the water, but I'm sure she will be doing that soon too! We spent all afternoon there before having to race home for a quick dinner and then Caiden's T-ball game and we were sure feeling being in the sun all day. Caiden fell asleep about 2 seconds after getting home from his game and Chloe wasn't far behind that! Thanks to Amy and Avryl for coming swimming with us and thanks to my little neighbor girl, Brittney for coming with us too and playing with the kiddos all day! Hope you all had fun too!

A Great Hit!

2009-06-22T11:20:00.003-06:00

In his T-ball game on Friday night, Caiden had a great hit and hit the ball right at the coach's hat, flipping it off of his head! Go Caid!

Three Years Ago....

2009-06-17T08:20:00.003-06:00

This week marks three whole years since we moved to Belle Fourche! Chris actually moved to South Dakota in March, but I had to finish out my school year as I was teaching 3rd grade in Happy Camp and the last day of school, the moving truck was there to take all of our stuff to South Dakota. The trip here went really smoothly (pretty good considering we had a dog, 2 cats, a 1 year old and a 2 year old!) and when we got here, we had to stay in the Howard Johnson motel for a week before our house closed. Our house closed on a Friday and the movers got there that same day to it worked out perfectly. Yes, our house is bright turquoise still, but it had the 4 bedrooms that we wanted and it's right across the street from a park so we looked past the color and one day, we will be able to paint it! :) I really like living here and we all have made some great friends along the way. Here's to more great years in Belle Fourche!

I made the local paper!

2009-06-17T08:10:00.003-06:00

In this morning's Butte County Post, you can see my smiling face along with Chloe (eating crackers) while we were participating in the Hayfever 4 mile Fun Run for the Belle Fourche Area Community Center. We ran it on Saturday and it was a tough race as it got hot pretty early and there were a few pretty tough hills! But it was a fun race and we saw lots of our friends. The caption under my pictures made me laugh and I hope it puts a smile on your face too! I definitely wasn't the fastest runner there and I never will be, so it's a good thing I don't run to win the races! ha! :)

Another (Unofficial) Half Marathon Today!

2009-06-14T09:30:00.006-06:00

Although it was slower than last week, I ran another 13.1 miles today in preparation for my full marathon which is just 9 short weeks away. That means 8 more long runs (12 miles or more) for the next two months until August 16th when I will run 26.2 miles. It's coming up fast and I feel more ready for it with each week that passes. I also have 2 more half marathons this summer, one on July 12th in Missoula, MT and one on July 25th in Spearfish, SD. I am going to try to run a 20 mile run on July 5th through Spearfish Canyon (which will be the the actual last 20 miles of my marathon) and then a 22 mile run on July 19th when we get back from Montana. Thanks for all of the support that you all have given me throughout all of my running endeavors. It makes it easier to get up at 5am on a Sunday morning for a 13 mile run! :)

Boys Day/Girls Day

2009-06-13T19:28:00.012-06:00

The kids have been talking about Boys Day/Girls Day for a couple of weeks now. Chris and Caiden went to a fishing derby at the McNenny State Fish Hatchery. They went to different booths and learned about fishing and got to touch animal hides (his favorite), they ate lunch, they saw Smokey the Bear, Caiden saw his friend, Semele, he won a new fishing pole, and caught 3 fish. He even brought one home to show me and Chloe! He had a lot of fun and then got to go to McDonalds for an ice cream.

Chloe and I started off our day at the Hayfever Race (which in is in a separate post!) and then made our way to Spearfish for some dress and swimsuit shopping. She found a dress that she loved right away at the Little Me Boutique and then we met Kelly for lunch (and dessert!) at Applebees followed by grocery shopping at Walmart, where she found a swimming suit that she just loves, because there is hardly any back on it! ;)

We all met back at home in the afternoon and attempted to go to the Belle Fourche Legion Baseball game, but the paper lied and there really wasn't a game. So we filled up the pool instead and they kids played in that for a while before BBQing some brats for dinner! A perfect summer day!

Hayfever 4 Mile Fun Run

2009-06-13T17:56:00.007-06:00

Today was the 8th annual Hayfever 4 mile Fun Run. It's at our local community center and either Chris or I or both of us have done it every year we have lived here. It's a fun race and it's really fun to see lots of the local runners and walkers that we know. This year, Chris and Caiden went to a fishing derby during the race which left me and Chloe to race! And let me tell you; pushing 35 pounds up some pretty steep hills is not much fun! But we had a good time and even though I had to walk some of the uphills and Chloe kept telling me to go faster, I finished it! My time was 43:53 so I averaged about 11:45 miles, which was just fine with me for today! I got to see lots of my friends, which is always fun too. There were 3 of us pushing our kids in the stroller division and I came in 3rd in that division! :) Here are some pictures from our race!

The Stroller Division

Scottie and Quinn, Amy and Avryl, Me and Chloe
Jan (and her medal!), Katie and Me

Me and Katie (My Spark Friend!)

Dino Park Trail Race

2009-06-13T17:33:00.009-06:00

On Thursday night, Chris ran the Dino Trail Race at the Dinosaur Park in Rapid City. The kids were SO excited to play on all of the dinosaurs and would have all night if they could have. Chris did really well in the race placing 5th overall and 2nd in his division. It was a tough race on the trail, lots of uphill! The kids didn't mind waiting for him this time around as there were lots of dinosaurs to play on!

Deadwood/Mickelson Half Marathon

2009-06-08T10:02:00.010-06:00

Chris and I both got to run the Deadwood Half Marathon yesterday, thanks to my sister Kelly who watched the kids for us. She also watched our friend's daughter, Avryl, so both Tim and Amy could run too. All in all, they had 1500 people signed up for the half and over 400 for the full. So, it was a big race. I had gotten sick on Friday night and was sick all day Saturday too so I wasn't sure how this race would end up. But I woke up Sunday feeling ok, so I decided to go and do it and see what happened!
We left the house at 530am in a downpour of rain and it was a madhouse when we got to Deadwood at 6:00. We finally got into the fairgrounds and onto a bus so make our way the start line, 13.1 miles away. I sat next to a girl, Audrey, who lives in Bozeman so it was fun to chat with her on the way. She ended up running a 1:49 marathon so she rocked it out! When we got to the start line, we met up with Tim and Amy and started seeing other friends who were also running. The hour went by fast and after stripping our sweatshirts and pants off, we were left in the 39 degree temps for a couple of minutes. It wasn't too bad though as it wasn't raining at all and as soon as I started running, I was at the perfect temperature. The first 5 miles went pretty well and I ran those in 10:37, 9:49, 9:47, 9:49, and 10:22. I took my first gel at the 5 mile mark in hopes that it would keep me doing at this pace. Unfortunately, after that, I started feeling the effects of being sick the past 2 days and the hill on the course that really isn't much of a hill at all that didn't affect me last year, took me down a notch this year. I had to walk a lot of the 6 mile and it ended up being a 13:00 minute mile. :( After I started running again after my walk break, I ran a few 11:00 minute miles for miles 7, 8, and 9, and got back to running a couple 10:45 minute miles realizing I only had 4 miles left. The last mile was pretty tough for me and I had already realized that I wasn't going to run a 2:16 like last year, but I was hoping I could still be under 2:20. Coming into the finish line, I heard and saw Chris and the kids cheering me on and then I saw and heard Kelly too and then I knew I was done. My official time was 2:19:47 so I'll take it! I asked Kelly how Chris did and she said, 1:28 something so I was really excited for him as he was going for a sub 1:30 for the first time in a half marathon. He had a great race. My friend Amy ran it in just under 2:00 and Tim kicked butt too running a 1:42. Another friend, Jackie, ran hers in 2:10 which is exactly the 10 minute miles she wanted to run! And then our friend, Brian, who was injured and thought he would have to walk a lot of it, cranked out a 1:34!!! Way to go everyone! We went to lunch with Kelly, Tim, and Amy afterwards in Spearfish Canyon at Cheyenne Crossing and I had the best Indian Taco EVER there... it was a great way to end the festivities. It was a great race and really fun weekend!

Deadwood/Mickelson 5K and Kid's Runs

2009-06-08T09:04:00.007-06:00

Most of our weekend was spent in Deadwood this weekend. It was the 8th annual Deadwood/Mickelson Trail Marathon which includes a Half Marathon, a Fast 5K, a kid's 1K and new this year, a Kid's Marathon. In the Kid's Marathon, you log miles for a couple of months a mile or so at a time and then run the last 2K (1.2 miles) at the actual race. Caiden did the Kid's Marathon this year logging his miles running, hiking, and playing soccer. He ran the last 2K in 13:00 minutes on Saturday. He got a shirt and a really cool medal for his efforts. Chloe decided the night before the race that she wanted to race too and so we signed her up for the 1K (a little over half a mile) at the race and she was really excited. Kelly ran with her as a warm-up to her own 5K a little later on and said Chloe did really well! Chloe was so proud of herself and told me that she didn't walk at all and ran the whole way! She had a lot of fun and I am thinking that she will be running the Kid's Marathon with Caiden next year! Chloe got a little medal, a shirt, and a Frisbee too. After the kid's races, Chris, the kids and I grabbed some lunch while Kelly and our friend, Robert were bussed 3.1 miles away up the hill so they could run down it in the Fast 5K. They both did really awesome, Robert coming in at 22:11 and Kelly at 29:47. Her goal was to be under 30 minutes so that was really exciting. She was 2nd in her age group too and got a really cool Railroad spike for her age group finish. Way to go Caiden, Chloe, Kelly, and Robert! :)

Preschool Graduation

2009-06-08T08:14:00.014-06:00

Caiden is a preschool graduate! He started going to the Barnyard Kid's Preschool when he was 3 and now he is 5 and ready to move onto Kindergarten. He is really excited about it, but his mom is a little sad! They have all day Kindergarten here so he will be gone from 8am-3pm everyday. I can't imagine him not being around! But I know he will do great! They had a really cute graduation ceremony complete with caps and gowns, purple of course for the Belle Fourche Broncs! Here are a few pictures from graduation.

Mom and her graduate

The graduating class of 2022!

The Graduate

Caiden and Chloe

Caiden and his BFF, Storm

Caiden and Chloe and their favorite teacher, Ms. Rebecca

Time for some T-ball!

2009-06-08T07:27:00.010-06:00

June is T-ball month around here and we started last week with 2 games. The first game was pretty interesting as they had just had one practice and no one really had anything idea what was going on. In the 2nd game on Friday night, Chris pitched to the kids and was really good at it so the kids got a lot of hits and were really excited. Unfortunately, the weather has not been nice for our games yet and this week doesn't look all that promising either! But hopefully we can get some nicer weather soon and play in the sunshine! Caiden likes T-ball, but has a hard time waiting for his turn at bat. He is used to soccer where he gets to run around all of the time. But hopefully he will get used to that and enjoy baseball too! Here are a couple of videos of Caiden's game on Friday night.

And a few pictures too -

Chloe Through the Years

2009-06-01T10:03:00.009-06:00

With Chloe's 4th Birthday tomorrow, I thought it would be fun to see how she has grown over the past 4 years. She has grown up so much, especially this year and has really started opening up. She now goes to preschool two days a week and loves it. She doesn't talk a lot while she is there, but she talks about school and all of her friends there. Chris and I have finally been able to leave her sometimes without the hysterics that used to come with us leaving. She was very attached to us, but that is getting less and less. She had a hair disorder called LAS, which caused her to lose a majority of her hair, but it has come back and is getting thicker and longer every day it seems. She has even got to get a couple of hair cuts this year, which was new as she didn't need them before. She is a VERY girly girl and loves dresses and skirts. There is rarely a day you will find her in shorts or pants. She loves horses and everything Barbie. She will play with her Barbies forever, especially now that she has her new Barbie house! She is our little princess and we love her so much! Happy Birthday Coco Bean! We Love You!

Welcome to the World Baby Girl!

Happy 1st Birthday!

Happy 2nd Birthday!

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Happy 4th Birthday!

Chloe's Birthday Party

2009-06-01T09:51:00.012-06:00

Saturday was the big birthday party and as soon as Chloe woke up, she knew it was the day! The first thing she said to me was, "Am I 4 now?" And even though her actual birthday isn't until June 2nd, we just told her that she was so there was no confusion! Because she really wanted to be 4! Between the horse cupcakes that Lauren made, her friends and family who were able to come, musical chairs (her favorite game), her new party dress, the horse pinata and her new barbie house, she had a wonderful time at the party. It's all she talked about the rest of the day. After the party, we went and saw the movie, "UP" which Caiden reviewed as being the funniest movie he has ever seen! :) We all really liked it! Happy 4th Birthday to Chloe! Thank you to everyone who helped make the party a fun time! Hope you all had fun too!

Chloe's Birthday Dinner

2009-06-01T09:42:00.010-06:00

Here are some pictures from Chloe's birthday dinner. She picked Applebees for her birthday dinner this year - I'm pretty sure it's because Lauren used to work there and Lauren was coming with us! :)

Caiden's last soccer game of the season

2009-06-01T09:02:00.004-06:00

Saturday was Caiden's last soccer game of the spring season and he went out in style scoring his most ever goals in a game, 6 of them! There were a lot of people to score goals for as my Mom and Lauren had come from MT and my friend, Desiree, also came to watch Caiden's last game. So, he said he was going to have each goal be for 2 people so he could cover everyone. :) It was a fun season and we can't wait for fall soccer! Here are a couple of videos showing what he does! Enjoy!

Spearfish's New Water Park

2009-06-01T08:49:00.008-06:00

The new Spearfish water park has finally opened and the kids couldn't be more excited. We can see it from the Interstate and every time we drove by, they asked if it was done yet. Finally it opened Memorial Day weekend, but of course it was cold and windy that weekend so we were excited to go this weekend. Kelly and my mom took the kids on Friday afternoon while Chris and I had to work, but Chris and I took the kids back there yesterday and we all had such a great time! It's really fun and will just get more fun as the kids get older. They can't go down the big slides until they are 48in tall so they have a little while before that happens. But they just enjoyed swimming and being in the water. Caiden's favorite is the 400 gallon bucket that dumps water on your head. Chloe likes to go in the "hot" pool and swim on our backs or push my head under the water. They can't wait to go back!

The Offspring!

2009-05-29T13:47:00.005-06:00

I loved The Offspring back in high school and remember buying my first Offspring CD when I was 14 or 15. I remember my dad singing, "Come Out and Play (Keep Em' Separated)" to my sister, Kristin and I as we were always fighting and my parents would have to separate us. :) They have been one of those bands that I have always listened to, even 15 years later. When we found out they were coming to Rapid City as part of their "S*%@ Is F*%@ed Up Tour, there was no question as to if we would be going or not. We did decide to sit in the balcony this time with the other old people after getting pushed around a lot at the Buckcherry concert. We just can't mosh like we used to!

The concert did not disappoint! These guys are in their 40s now still rocking it out. It was definitely the loudest concert I have ever been to and my ears were ringing for sure, but it was all worth it!

The Street Dogs from Boston, MA opened the show and they put on a really great performance and seemed like really cool guys. The lead singer even crowd surfed to the back after his set. Check them out if you get a chance. Alkaline Trio was also an opener and they were okay, but definitely did not bring the energy the other 2 bands brought. The Offspring played most of my favorite songs and Dexter Holland even got on the piano and did some acoustic stuff. That was pretty awesome. That guy is amazing. If you ever get a chance to see these guys live, I highly recommend it! Here is a video of my current favorite Offpsring song - it's a great one to run to!

More Soccer!

2009-05-21T14:17:00.009-06:00

Caiden had a game on Monday night and we got stomped on, something like 6-1 so Caiden was determined to score more goals in his game last night. You could see it in his face. He ended up scoring 3 goals in the game and here was the most funny one.

You see, that Orange kid was not in the game as he kicked it back in bounds to Caiden for the goal! But hey, they are only 5 so it counted! :) We still ended up losing the game 6-4, but Caiden was much happier that he was able to score some goals during this game. At the very end of the game, he got cleated in the knee and had to come out, but I think he will recover in time for his game this weekend. :)

An Hour of Fishing

2009-05-21T13:59:00.007-06:00

That's right. An hour. That's how long we were fishing before the kids wanted to go. You see, if they aren't catching any fish, then it's not fun. The kids were SO excited at the thought of fishing, they could barely contain themselves. But after not catching a fish after 5 minutes, they didn't see the point anymore. That morning we had packed up the cooler with a ton of food thinking we would be at the lake for hours fishing. Well, we came home, filled up our little wading pool, turned on the sprinkler and ate our cooler of food on our porch. :) The fishing hour ended with me dropping my camera into the lake. Luckily, I was able to save the memory card and didn't lose our pictures, but the camera is a goner. But Chris saved the day and bought me a new one yesterday. I get very grouchy if I don't have a camera on me at all times! :)

A Dissapointing Personal Race, but Overall a Fun Day!

2009-05-21T13:24:00.008-06:00

On Sunday, we headed up to Rapid City to run the Wellspring Stampede 10K, which was postponed from it's original April 26th date due to the snow we got on that day. Wellspring, Inc. is a non-profit corporation located in Rapid City, SD. Wellspring provides family focused therapeutic services for youth who cannot function within their family setting, the open community and the open school setting due to mental, emotional and/or chemical dependency problems.
So, the race is for a great cause and it's a really fun time. Kelly and I had planned on running the race together this year as Chris thought he would still be recovering from Boston, because the race was supposed to be a week afterwards. But, a couple of days before the race, Chris decided that he was going to push the kids and run the race. He had never pushed the kids in a 10k before so he figured it would be a good challenge. I felt good about the race going into it, but that would soon change! I ran the first mile (including a HUGE hill for most of the mile) in 9 minutes. You see, I cannot run 9 minute miles so how I did this, I still don't know. But I figured if I ran as fast as I could and get the hill out of the way, it would be smooth sailing the rest of the way. So, the next 2 miles, I also ran 9 minutes something for both miles. And then at mile 3, I crashed and burned....big time. My legs were just so tired after running that fast for 3 miles. I didn't know how I was even going to get through the next 3 miles, but somehow I managed to...very very slowly. When it was all said and done, I finished in 1:08:53, 7 minutes slower than I have ever run a 10K before! I ended up dead last in my age group (16/16) and was just really glad the race was over. Chris however had a great race and finished 4th in age group and ran it in 47:20, yes, pushing both of the kids. He also made a girl behind him puke because she was trying her darnest to beat him (she didn't). :) Kelly also ran a good race and has accomplished a lot in her running. Caiden ran in the Kid's 1 mile run after our race and ran it in 9:47 so he also did really well! Next year, I plan on coming back with a vengeance and running that race with a much different strategy than this time around!

3 Months from Today!!!

2009-05-16T14:22:00.004-06:00

In 3 months from today, I will be able to call myself a marathoner. I cannot wait for that moment. Just to say I ran for 26.2 miles will be something awesome. I trained for the full marathon last year, but chickened out and ran the half marathon again 3 weeks before the race. That will not happen this time around. I am committed to this race and my training is going well. I have a 10K tomorrow morning and that will be the last of my short races for a while. I have 3 half marathons before the full in August which calls for more longer runs and I prefer those so much more than short quick runs any day! The weather is finally nice enough to be running outside on a consistent basis which really helps things too! Leading Ladies here I come!!! The picture is of the medal that I will be getting as I cross the finish line - Everyone's a Star! :)

Soccer is in Full Kick!

2009-05-16T14:04:00.006-06:00

Caiden loves soccer. He asks everyday if he has practice or a game. He runs around the whole time and never wants to stop. After practice last night, he asked Chris if he would play soccer with him when they got home. He is also on the yellow team which is his favorite color so he was pretty excited about that. Due to some bad weather (I know, shocking for SD, right?!) some of his practices and games have been rescheduled, but next week we should be all caught up. We have a game on Monday night, Wednesday night, practice on Friday night and then our regular game on Saturday morning. So, it will be a busy week of soccer and Caiden couldn't be happier! :) Go Yellow!

Mother's Day Hike

2009-05-12T11:50:00.009-06:00

The afternoon of Mother's Day, we decided to go on a little hike up to Mt. Roosevelt. It was a nice, easy hike for the kids and they even got to make snowballs at the top as there is still snow up there! Chloe loved the "castle" at the top too! :) After the hike, we went into Deadwood and had some Chinese food and then after we got home and digested all of that food I ate, Chris went to Dairy Queen and got ice cream for everyone! It was a great way to spend my Mother's Day!

Mother's Day 5K for SIDS Awareness

2009-05-12T11:31:00.006-06:00

Sunday was the inaugural “Run for Their Lives” 5K for SIDS Awareness. Because it was for such a great cause and it was Mother’s Day we decided to make it a family affair and I would run it while Chris also ran it while pushing both kids in the stroller. There were also 7 or 8 people who ran it from the Forest Service so it was fun to see our friends too. And as an added bonus I got to meet my Spark friend, Katie (Pearljgurl), there!!! I also met her husband and mom who were also doing the race! We got there and got our shirts, got the stroller out and met Katie and our other friends and chatted while we waited for the race to start. It was a beautiful day and the perfect weather for a race. At 1030am, we were off! The first half was a gradual uphill (not a huge one, but I could feel it, especially after running my 5K on Friday night!) But that meant we got to go down too! A part of the course was also the last part of my marathon that I will be running in August so as I was running that part, I tried to envision myself coming across the bridge and finishing my marathon.  Towards the end, I passed a lady who I had been following the whole race so that felt good. I came into the finish and heard my kids yelling for me and finished in 30:05. Not my fastest time, but a really great race. When I got done I asked Chris how he did and he said that he was 9th overall and ran it in 22:10…yes, pushing both kids. I waited for Katie to finish and then we headed into the church for a pancake breakfast that was included in the race. It was a great way to end the race! The food was good and the company was even better! Throw in proceeds going to the Lach’s Legacy for SIDS Awareness and you have one awesome race!

WAVI 5K Race Report - A Very Eventful Night!

2009-05-12T11:29:00.001-06:00

On Friday night, my family, and my friend Amy and her daughter, Avryl, all headed up to Rapid City (about an hour from home) to run in the WAVI (Working Against Violence, Inc.) 5K. It was just a fun run with no prizes for places, but it was for a good cause, domestic violence, and there were shirts to be given out, free food after the race, and door prizes to be won. After getting our shirts and signing up for door prizes, we were off! The course was a really easy course that I have run before with no hills, but we ran the entire way on the sidewalk, which does a number on your knees. At the turn around, we were only at 1.46 miles so I knew it was going to be a short course, but that’s not a big deal in a fun run. After the half way point, it started spitting rain at us, but that felt good and then we saw a rainbow that we started running towards. I finished the race in 27:54, but it was a short course (2.93 miles) so not a 5K time. After getting some hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, and lots of water, they started the door prizes. Caiden and Chloe’s names were called right away and Chloe won a Jenga game and Caiden won a 20 Questions Sports game where you think of something and then it asks you questions and tries to guess what you are thinking. It’s right…sometimes.
After the race is when things got interesting. We go to leave, and the car doesn’t start. Chris tried to do some things, some people came over to try to help and we tried to jump it with Amy’s car, but nothing worked. So, it’s 8pm now and the kids just want to go home. So, the kids and I pile into Amy’s car and she drives us the hour home while Chris gets the car towed to the Dodge place. We get back home, I take the kids to my friend’s house so they can sleep while I go back up to Rapid to get Chris. Amy lets me borrow her car to go get Chris, which was really nice (because Chris’ truck is a stick and I can’t drive it very well!) and we finally get back home at midnight! Luckily, the Dodge place is open on Saturday and they called on Saturday morning to tell us that all we needed was a new battery, because there was something wrong with the battery internally and that was why we couldn't’t jump it. So, Saturday afternoon, we all pile into Chris’ truck, drive back up to Rapid for the 3rd time in less than 24 hours, but this time we come back with our fixed car! As annoying as it all was, it could have been so much worse so you won’t find me complaining too much!!!

9 Years Since our Engagement!

2009-05-12T11:27:00.001-06:00

On May 5th, 2000, Chris came into the Cascade Country Store at the University of Montana in Missoula, MT where we first met and were we both worked during college and asked me to marry him. I was on my break and he came in and pulled a rose out of his backpack (yes, a backpack...we were in college after all!) and inside the rose, was my ring! We met at the store (our first conversation was about football of course!), we worked together there, he asked me out on our first date there (I was making sandwiches), and he asked me to marry him there. He was graduating the next week and I just KNEW that he was going to ask me when his family came for his graduation. I think he knew that I knew that and so wasn't going to let that happen! :) I can't believe it's been 9 years! We had a long engagement (a year and half) so I could finish college and now here we are - 6 and a half years of marriage, 2 dogs, 3 cats, and 2 beautiful children later!

Let the Racing Begin - 16 weeks till my Full Marathon!

2009-04-27T08:40:00.004-06:00

I have 2 running goals for 2009. One goal is to run at least one race each month. So far, I am right on track with a race to spare as I ran 2 races in April!! My other goal is to run my first full marathon on August 16th. I have begun training for my full and am happy to report that things are going well. Here is a list of the races I have done so far this year:

Jan 1st - This is My Year 4 mile Run - 43:20

Feb. 8th - February Freeze 5K - 31:21

March 21st - Dublin Dash 5K - 32:27

April 5th - Run for the Rangers 3 mile Run - 29:15

April 18th - Kevin Whirlwind Horse 5K - 27:42

And here is a list of races that I plan on doing until August:

May 10th - Run for Their Lives (SIDS Awareness) 5K

May 17th - Wellspring Stampede 10K

June 7th - Deadwood/Mickelson Half Marathon

June 13th - Hayfever Fun Run 4 miler

July 12th - Missoula Half Marathon

July 25th - CASA Half Marathon

August 16th - Leading Ladies FULL Marathon

I can feel spring TRYING to come to South Dakota! And then the real racing can begin! Half Marathons are my favorite and I'm hoping I can do 4 this year, one more than last year!

A Postponed Race, but a Good Run Anyway

2009-04-27T08:34:00.004-06:00

On Sunday morning, we woke up to fresh snow and it was coming down good. Kelly and I were supposed to be running a 10K and Caiden a 1 mile race that morning, but thankfully about half an hour before we were planning on leaving, we found out that it had been postponed until May 17th. I am so glad we found out and didn't drive all the way to Rapid only to find out then! The fact that it was cancelled put me in a bad mood and I didn't want to go running at all. But around 3:30, I finally got my butt in gear and headed to the gym. I had decided that since my race was postponed, I was going to run 2 more miles than the race, so 8 miles. Well, after an hour and a half, I decided that I would just run for 2 hours and then I looked down at my counter after 2 hours and realized that I had just 6 more laps for 11 miles. So, after 2 hours and 6 minutes and 126.5 laps later, I had run 11 miles. And I felt great! I hadn't run more than 10 miles since last year so this was exciting. So, even though my race was postponed, I still ended up with a good run and more time to prepare for my race in a few weeks!

Swimming!

2009-04-27T08:26:00.008-06:00

We spent Saturday afternoon at the pool after going to the library - we had to find indoor activities as it was snowing at our house again! We ended up with 6 inches here in Belle Fourche. Will Spring ever come??? The kids had a blast at the pool though so I am thankful we have that option!

A Day at the Park

2009-04-27T08:18:00.013-06:00

The kids and I also went to one of our favorite parks on one of the few days that it was actually nice outside while Chris was in Boston. When the sun is out and it's 60 degrees outside, you better get outside, because you don't know when that will happen again! It was a little windy out, but no one seemed to mind as there were a ton of people with the same idea as ours! :)

Chuck E Cheese Fun!

2009-04-27T08:10:00.008-06:00

While Chris was in the Boston, I had promised the kids that we would go to Chuck E Cheese. You see, they LOVE this place, and Chris, not so much. So, Kelly and I took the kids for an afternoon of pizza, games, and prizes. And of course, Kelly being the cute girl she is, the guy doing the prizes at the table was pretty smitten with her and the kids were able to pretty much get whatever they wanted, no matter how many tickets they had! HA!

Boston Marathon Madness

2009-04-24T20:52:00.002-06:00

Most of you probably already know, but Chris did awesome in the Boston Marathon. He ran his 2nd fastest time (3:15:41), he was the fastest runner in the Black Hills and he had an awesome trip meeting lots of his online running friends. You can read all about it on his blog, but I just wanted to post a couple of articles and links to his pictures so you can check it all out! :) Enjoy!

Here is how you look at his pictures from the actual race:
1. go to www.baa.org
2. click on Boston Marathon
3. click on Shop
4. click on marathonfoto.com
5. Select race (Boston Marathon 2009) Last Name: Stores - Bib # 5189

Here are a few articles that our local paper ran before and after the Marathon:

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/04/23/sports/local/doc49effa1bf1417380780539.txt

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/04/20/sports/local/doc49ecd052ca22e078071115.txt

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/04/16/sports/local/doc49e779d996423193193271.txt

We are so proud of Chris for accomplishing a life goal of his - he is a true inspiration and motivator to all of his family and friends! We Love you Chris!!!!!!!!

Preschool Open House

2009-04-24T20:34:00.008-06:00

Thursday night was the kids' preschool open house where they were able to show us the things in their classroom, show us the work and projects they have been working on all year and singing us some of the songs that they have learned. Chloe was SO excited to sing for us, but wouldn't tell us what she was going to sing. Of course when she was up there with her class, she barely moved her lips, but her just getting up there is a triumph in itself. A year ago, she would barely talk to anyone except for us, but she has really started to open up, even at school. We are very excited for her. Caiden is SO good at school, but only wants to do math every minute of the day. He does not see the value in practicing his letters at all. He is really excited for Kindergarten to start in the fall. Chloe says she is going to stay in preschool forever with her favorite teacher, Ms. Rebecca.

Take Your Kids to Work Day

2009-04-24T20:26:00.008-06:00

On Thursday, the kids got to go to work with Chris and had a great time. Of course, they didn't have to sit in the office like he does all day, so I think he was just as excited as they were. They went to Pactola Lake for some hiking, bird watching, and a picnic lunch. They also received a bag of goodies from Daddy's co-worker, Smokey the Bear. :)

Kevin Whirlwind Horse 5K Race Report

2009-04-24T20:20:00.005-06:00

On Saturday, I ran in the Kevin Whirlwind-Horse 5K at Black Hills State University. All of the proceeds go towards a scholarship fund which is given to a Native American student at BHSU each year who displays leadership. Kevin Whirlwind Horse was a student at Black Hills in the early 1980's until he was tragically killed in a car accident in 1983. Now, his name lives on through this race.They started with the kid's races and Caiden is the youngest runner usually, he holds his own! He ran the 1/4 mile run and ended up 11th out of about 20 kids. :)I ran this race last year and ran my 5K PR time there so I was excited to see if I could beat that time. There was a light drizzle and temps in the 40s during the entire race so it was just about right for me! It's a really easy course ran through a park on a bike path, so it's pretty fast. I felt pretty good through the whole race and knew that I would be close to my PR time. I even passed a guy in the last half mile which I never am able to do! As I came into the last stretch, I saw my sister and my kids cheering me on and I sprinted it out at the end, and ended up with a time of 27:42 - 12 seconds SLOWER than my last years time....Ouch! But hey, what's 12 seconds, right? It was still a great race. I ended up 4th in my age group as a lot of college students run this race and I am still in my 20s. IF I was already 30, I would have been 2nd in my age group! ha! My friend Rebecca ran too and it was her first 5K so it was a great day overall. She did end up 2nd in the 30s age group and got a medal! :) And I have to give props to my friend Tim, who pushed his 2 year old daughter in the 10K and finished in 52 minutes! Pretty awesome!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-24T20:10:00.009-06:00

Our family had a wonderful Easter with lots of dying eggs, Caiden sitting on the Easter bunny's lap (Chloe wouldn't even get close!), finding eggs, opening fun Easter baskets, going to church and going to out to dinner (no leftovers and no mess to clean up afterwards!) Here are some pictures from our Easter weekend!

Run for the Rangers 3 Mile Race

2009-04-05T17:27:00.007-06:00

Today I ran in the inaugural "Run for the Rangers" 3 mile race in Hill City. It was a fundraiser for the Hill City track and cross country teams (Hill City is about an hour and half south of us). I wasn't sure if they would have this race or not as we have had 3 blizzards in the past 3 weeks with a foot or more of snow dropped on us each time. But a quick e-mail confirming that they would run the race no matter what and we decided to go for it. By we, I mean, my sister, Kelly, and my friends, Tim and Amy with their daughter, Avryl. It was a race that we had had our eye on for a while as they were promoting over $2000 worth of door prizes after the race and we definitely wanted to get in on that!

It was still snowing when we left this morning and it took a little while longer to get down to Hill City as the roads were not in the best conditions. But, thanks to Tim's good driving, we made it we did with time to spare. :) We signed up and got our T-shirt and hung out talking to some of the other runners. At noon, we were off -(not very fast for me however!) It was hard to run on snow packed roads and trails. After we got to some wet pavement, I felt much better. It was a combination of snow-packed, slushy, and wet roads, sidewalks, and the Mickelson trail for the 3 miles and running on snow made my calves burn pretty good. But after seeing the finish line after my last turn, it was smooth sailing and I finished with a time of 29:13:41. Not my fastest time, but anything under 30 minutes I was happy with with the conditions I was running in.

After the race, everyone got a free soda or a free beer at the Slate Creek Grille in Hill City and we had some lunch while they announced the age group awards and the door prizes. Everyone knew they were getting something as they had 3 tables full of stuff, way more stuff than runners! And this was awesome stuff - not your average run of the mill door prizes like Pizza Hut and Mr. Movies gift certificates. I'm talking stuff from Patagonia, Royal Robbins, Marmot, and HornyToad outdoor gear! Everyone was quite excited!

Tim was called first from our group and got a cool T-shirt and the Kelly was called next and spent about an hour up at the tables deciding what she was going to get (all the while really stressing Amy and I out because she was going to end up with something she didn't want or something we really did want!) but she finally decided on the same T-shirt Time got right after Amy was called and grabbed the gift certificate for rock climbing lessons that she had hid under a pile of clothes! ha! I ended up with a really cool HornyToad Long-sleeved shirt (for those of you not in the know, that shirt retails for over $50!) We couldn't believe the stuff that they were giving away. And the top guy and girl each got a new pair of running shoes! It was insane! We tried to get some more stuff since there was so much left over, but they said they were going to use it for next year! Hey, we tried....

After the door prizes, they did the age group awards and I ended up 3rd in my age group! I'm not sure how many 20-something females there were (probably 3!), but I was 24th overall out of the 62 runners. And Amy was 9th overall and 2nd in her age group! We each got a certificate for our efforts.

After some Easter gift shopping at Walmart, I got home to one child sleeping, one child watching a movie, and one husband folding laundry! So, it was a great day overall! Thanks to Tim and Amy driving me and Kelly to Hill City and for the fun company!

Happy 5th Birthday Caiden!

2009-04-01T08:55:00.004-06:00

Today is Caiden's 5th birthday! I can't believe he is so old. He's definitely not a baby anymore. I'm not sure where these 5 years went! He loves numbers and counting. He loves to count (by 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s) and tell time. Preschool is one of his favorite places to go as he loves to learn. He is excited for Kindergarten in the fall. He also loves loves loves sports. He can't wait for T-ball and soccer to start. All day long, he is either throwing his football around or shooting his basketball. He will watch any sporting event, even if it's on ESPN Classic from 30 years ago. He also takes after his dad in the running department. He is a pretty fast little guy. He has run in some 1K races and this summer, he is doing 2 kid's marathons where he runs 25 miles (a mile or so at a time) and then finishes the last 1.2 miles at the actual race.
Last night Kelly, Chris, and I were reminiscing about what we were doing 5 years ago as we were waiting for Caiden to come out - Kelly was only 14 then! I was drugged up pretty good and Caiden was not coming out! Finally, my 10 pound (ok, ok 9lb 13oz!) boy arrived shortly after 1am on April Fools Day morning. Everyone was excited - he was the first grandchild and nephew on both sides of the family so it was an exciting time.
Caiden has brought so much joy to our lives and I can't imagine life without him. Everyday he learns something new or figures something out on his own that just shocks us. He is growing up and I can't wait to see what the future holds for him!

Here is a slide show of his birthday party we had over the weekend. My dad and Lauren were both able to treck down to SD to celebrate with us so it was really fun. 20 of Caiden's friends came to his party to have some fun and eat some yummy cake and ice cream. Thanks everyone for making Caiden's birthday so much fun!

The Blizzard of March 09

2009-03-24T09:06:00.010-06:00

Our spring blizzard is upon us. We have one every spring and this better be the last of our snow! The snow started Monday morning and continued all day and all night finally stopping Tuesday morning. There were wind gusts up to 80 mph in Rapid so you can imagine all of the snow that was blowing everywhere. We have 3-4 foot drifts in our yard and the dogs had a great time playing in it this morning. It's not that cold out, but with the wind, it feels a lot colder than it is. Schools and a lot of work places were closed yesterday and today. Chris can't run today and this will break his 85 day in a row of running streak so he's not happy with Mother Nature. Lauren was supposed to come today for Caiden's birthday party this weekend, but she will be delayed until tomorrow as the roads are all closed. We all do need to remember that we do live in South Dakota so we should expect this and it could always be worse! Today will be spent snowed in hanging out in the house. I'm sure we will probably play some games and watch some movies and bake something at some point.

The Calm Before the Storm

2009-03-24T08:54:00.007-06:00

Here are some pictures of us enjoying our day at the park on Sunday afternoon. It was close to 80 degrees outside and we kept hearing about this blizzard that was coming. As we were laying on the grass under the sun, it was hard to imagine we would soon have snow...more on that later!

Dublin Dash Official Results

2009-03-24T08:46:00.003-06:00

Today the "official" results came out from the Dublin Dash that I ran on Saturday. I ended up 9th in my age group out of 53! There were 359 runners this year which is a big race for around here. Last year, there was only half that at this race. The weather was beautiful, which probably helped the attendance. Well, they have 28:34 as my official time (I know it wasn't that fast) but if that is what they have, who am I to argue with them? :)

The Last Rush Game of the Season

2009-03-21T16:51:00.010-06:00

This weekend marks the last 2 games of the Rapid City Rush's Inaugural season. We have been to a few games and always have a great time. Living here, we don't get to see many professional teams so it's pretty exciting for us! Caiden loves when they win and last night they did win, 6-4, to which Caiden told us we witnessed the best hockey game EVER. We will be counting down the days for next season to begin!

Dublin Dash 5K

2009-03-21T16:34:00.007-06:00

Today was the Dublin Dash 5K and my March race (I'm running at least 1 race every month this year). Before the race started, I began hearing about "the hill." Well, I heard about a similar hill at my first 10K last year and although it was tough, I got up it pretty quickly and it didn't take too much time off of my race. Not this time though. This thing was steep and it seemed to last forever. I started running up it....and then jogging...and then fast walking....and then just walking. On a positive note, I did notice that everyone around me was doing the same thing! So, after that, we did go down the hill and then up another pretty little hill and then cruised down to the finish. But "the hill" took a lot out of me and my legs were pretty tired afterwards. So, I had a MUCH slower time than normal - 32:42 (my PR is 27:31), but I imagine that every one's times were slower than they usually are too. And it was a really fun race. The School of Mines puts it on right after St. Patrick's Day so there are a lot of fun people, a costume contest, a cool T-shirt, a pub afterwards, and door prizes. I did not win anything (again!) so the streak of not winning continues. But this is a race that I will definitely do again!

Spring Is Here!

2009-03-21T16:22:00.006-06:00

Finally we have been getting some nice weather around here! Although, I do hear we have a blizzard watch for Monday and Tuesday....But! It's been in the 70's for a few days and we have been taking advantage of it! It's funny how after the winter in South Dakota, how HOT 75 degrees feels! Here are a few pictures of the kids riding their bikes at the park over the weekend. Only in a few places can it be 70 degrees but still have snow on the ground!

Caiden and Chloe's Show And Tell

2009-03-21T16:14:00.005-06:00

Last week, Caiden and Chloe brought their Pa (my dad) and his semi to their preschool for show and tell. All of the kids loved climbing inside and outside the truck, honking the horn, and pretending to drive it. They thought it was really cool that he had a TV, movies, 2 beds, and a refrigerator in the truck too. Not sure how we will top that for this week's show and tell.....

Another Rush Hockey Game!

2009-03-01T11:27:00.013-07:00

Chris, the kids, and I headed to Rapid City for another exciting night of Rapid City Rush Hockey. If you know our family at all, you know we love sports and one of our favorite family activities is going to any sports game we can. The Rush games are always exciting, win or lose. They have some very loyal fans as almost every single game is sold out. Last night was no exception. Another sold out game! And it was a great night to go as it was military appreciation night so it was very cool to see the special Jerseys they wore and all of the American flags waving in the stands. Chloe was excited as this time, we were sitting at one of the goals behind a net so there was no chance of her getting hit in the butt with a puck this time! Caiden loved every second of it, like he does at most any game.
Besides the game, we also went shopping for some of Caiden's birthday supplies at the party store and checked out the new HUGE Scheels store and the new Cabela's store. The kids loved all of the animals and the aquarium at Cabelas. They also have their own homemade fudge shop in there which we couldn't pass up! :) After some spilled chocolate milk at Ruby Tuesdays at dinner and a quick trip to Walmart for some new clothes, we made it to the game just in time! A bucket of popcorn and a funnel cake later, the Rush couldn't pull out the win and lost 2-3, but it was still a fun game and we hope to catch one more of the last home games in March. Here are some pictures from our fun night!

Rabbit Hole

2009-03-01T11:22:00.002-07:00

On Friday night, Lacey and I went to a play at BHSU called, "Rabbit Hole." Although it was very sad subject material, the play was amazing. You wouldn't have thought these were college students acting. All five of the student actors were incredible. Lacey and I go to a lot of the plays at the college and this one is definitely in my top 3. If a theater in your area does this play, I highly recommend it!

Here is the synopsis of the story from their website:

In David Lindsay-Abaire's Tony-nominated play, the heartbreaking story of a suburban couple facing tragedy mixes great humor with real emotions, and hopefulness that speaks to the resiliency of the human spirit. Eight months after the death of their four-year-old son, Becca and Howie's marriage has begun to unravel. She is struggling to forget the pain, he is desperately holding onto his fading memories. Other family members are complicating things, and a little-known astrophysical theory may be the key to putting life back on track.

A New Pig in Town

2009-03-01T10:57:00.006-07:00

My friend, Desiree, got a new pet - a pot bellied pig named Dracula! He is all black and all cute! The kids and I went and visited him and let me tell you, this pig loves to snuggle. If you are sitting down, he will be in your lap in a matter of seconds. It took Chloe a few minutes to hold him, but Caiden jumped right in and didn't want to let him go! He is litter box trained and he eats pig food and fruits and vegetables. They aren't really sure how big he is going to get, so it will be interesting to see how big he grows! The pictures aren't great because all I had was my phone, but I'm sure we will be visiting the pig again soon! :)

The Yellowjackets advance to the Championship Game!

2009-03-01T10:34:00.011-07:00

Last Sunday, we spent the afternoon at the Young Center at BHSU with Kelly and Lacey and her kids to watch the girls and guys play in their first Dakota Athletic Conference playoff game of the year - they were both ranked very high and were expected to do well. And they both did awesome! They were both playing Dakota State. The girls were up first and while the game was close the first half and they were tied up or within a few points of each other the whole half, the 2nd half belonged to BHSU and they won by a good 20 points. The guys game wasn't as close and they cruised to a victory of 100-83.

On Wednesday night, the guys played their rivals the Hardrockers from the School of Mines in Rapid City in the next round of the playoffs. The first half was tough for them and they were down by 2 going into the locker room at the half. But scoring 59 points in the 2nd half helped them win the game by 10. The girls also played on Wednesday against Jamestown College and also went into the locker room at the half down by 4. But after forcing 24 turnovers in the game, they cruised to a 55-48 victory also advancing to the Championship game today! Go Jackets!!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T19:55:00.010-07:00

Well, the concert was our Valentine's Day present to each other and after being away from the kids Thursday night for that and again on Friday night for Lacey's birthday, we decided to spend Valentine's Day as a family. I mean, it's all about love right?! :) We got the kids a preschool book (they love doing school work even when they are not in school!) some markers and some candy, Kelly got 6 or 7 Valentine's animals out of the claw machine for them in the past 2 weeks (she rocks!), Lauren sent them a package full of treats today, my mom sent them $5 each to buy something (they thought they had won the lottery!) and my dad also gave them a ton of candy and stickers and a stuffed animal. So, the kids were pretty spoiled on Valentine's Day! We had a great day together and we went out for dinner at the local Chinese restaurant for dinner. This morning, Chloe said she wanted to put on a pretty dress and take pictures so I thought I would put red on them and make them Valentine's pictures! Enjoy! And Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!!!!!!!!

Celebrating Lacey's 30th Birthday!

2009-02-14T17:04:00.007-07:00

Last night, Lacey and Desiree celebrated Lacey turning 30! We started at Applebees with a lot of good food and some yummy drinks (perfect margarita anyone?) We stopped by Walmart to get some Valentine's gifts for our families and then headed to Desiree's house where Kelly was watching all 9 of our kids (thanks Kel!). After the kids were sleeping, we had a few more drinks, some chocolate cake and some wine and listened to some 80s music and took some fun pictures. It was a fun night with great friends! Thanks for having a birthday Lacey! :)

Who's Ready to Rock?!

2009-02-14T16:43:00.012-07:00

Last Thursday, Saving Abel, Papa Roach, Avenged Sevenfold, and Buckcherry finally made their way to Rapid City. They were supposed to be here last November, but a blizzard stranded them in Moorecroft, WY and they never made it. Luckily, they were able to reschedule and come back with the exception of Shinedown not coming and Papa Roach coming instead. I REALLY wanted to see Shinedown, as they are my favorite band, but Papa Roach was a great alternative. They rocked! Avenged Sevenfold and Buckcherry also put on an awesome show. I didn't want it to end - I could have listened to them all night long. Overall, we had almost 5 hours of rock music to listen to, which was awesome. Living here, we don't get many good bands come, so we have to take advantage of when they do come. It was a great Valentine's Day date - a couple of days early! Me and Chris at the concert

Saving Abel

Jacoby Shaddix-Papa Roach

Papa Roach

M Shadows - Avenged Sevenfold

Avenged Sevenfold

Josh Todd - Buckcherry

Buckcherry

"Sorry" - Buckcherry

February Freeze 5K

2009-02-08T17:00:00.001-07:00

Today I ran the February Freeze 5K in Rapid City. The cardiac division at the hospital puts this race on to raise awareness for Heart Heath. I wasn't sure I was even going to run this race as I haven't been feeling very well the past week, but the Runner's Club had cancelled their Valentine's Day Race next weekend and I had made a goal to run a race a month so this was my only option. Chris drove to Rapid (about an hour from our house) and I tried to sleep off this nagging headache I have had for a while that never seems to quite go away completely. I felt okay when we got there so I put a smile on my face and figured I would try and make the best of it. Right before the race, the race director lady announced that they had 400 runners signed up for the race; way more than in the years' past races. We all go outside to start and right at noon, off we went. We started right away going up a hill and the up and down of the hills never stopped. And boy my legs were feeling it. Since I have been running on the indoor track most of the winter and haven't been doing much "real-life" running, the hills definitely got me. I of course started off way too fast like I usually do so by the 2nd mile, I was pretty spent. I had to walk up the last hill and I hated myself for doing it, but my legs were just burning. At the top of the last hill, I could see the hospital and all of the people so I knew it was almost over. In the last stretch, I could see Chris, Caiden, and Chloe and then I heard Caiden yelling for me to "GO!" so I sprinted it out at the end and passed the lady in front of me, which Caiden thought was just awesome. I finished in 31:21 which is slower than most of my other 5Ks, but with the hills was to be expected. I did learn from this race, that I really do need to try to get outside more to practice hill running....Chris thinks we should invent an indoor hill track. Maybe I'll get to work on that......

10 years ago today.....

2009-02-05T11:22:00.003-07:00

Chris and I went out on our very first date! We went and saw the movie, "At First Sight" Who would have known that 10 years later we would be married and have 2 kids. :) We met at the University of Montana at the Cascade Country Store. We worked together there, making sandwiches and tacos when one day we started talking about football; he told me about when he played in high school and I told him about my brother playing. I then told his ex-girlfriend that I thought he was really nice and she told him to ask me out. :) And he did - while I was being a sandwich artist. Fifteen months later to the day, he asked me to marry him in the exact same place that we met and that he asked me out the first time. And the rest is history. Happy Anniversary to us! :)

Finally Some Nice Weather!

2009-02-05T11:13:00.006-07:00

We are currently experiencing the 3rd day in a row of warmer temperatures and sunshine! I don't know about you, but for me, the sun seems to make everything better sometimes! We have been playing outside every chance we get and the kids had a blast at the park yesterday with Dad. I ran outside on Tuesday and Wednesday, which means it must be nice because I'm a wuss about running in the cold weather! I know all good things must come to an end; I mean we do live in South Dakota after all, but we are enjoying it while it's here! Here are some pictures of the kids playing outside yesterday. Chloe was busy planting her flower, who she has named Rosie, and Caiden was practicing for the upcoming T-ball season. We are SO ready for Spring!

Long Time, No Blog

2009-02-05T10:33:00.003-07:00

Wow! It's been so long since I have blogged about anything! And I really don't know why. But I am going to be better about updating! And if I start slacking, you let me know! :) So, in past month, this is what you have missed:

I turned 29! My friends and family spoiled me and I really didn't deserve it! You guys are the best! My dad bought me a Wii Fit for my birthday and I have become addicted. I love that thing. Caiden really loves it and has logged in more time than anyone else. He loves to run on it and will do the 30 minute run like it's nothing.

I am scared out of my mind to turn 30 next year. Just to say that I am in my 30s instead of in my 20s is very frightning to me. I am running my first full marathon in August while I am still in my 20s to prove I can to myself. Chris bought me new running shoes for my birthday and I love them - Brooks shoes are the best - I should get a sponser from them or something ;)

Chris and I decided that he will be going to Boston by himself in April. It was just too expensive for all of us to go and it was for such a short period of time and the kids are too young to remember the experience anyway, so he will just have to qualify again another year so we can all go one day!

My neice, Madison, turned 1 on January 27th and I have yet to send her her present. I always seem to buy presents and cards early, but always mail them late.....I will get it to her before she turns 2 though!

Chris ran a 4 mile race on February 1st and came in 2nd place! This same day, Chloe and I get the flu. This same day, the Superbowl is on and MY team is playing and I can't eat or drink anything without getting sick....a great game, but not a great day. Go Steelers!

Chloe and I recover from the flu and today Caiden wakes up with it. Hopefully this is where it stops and Chris doesn't get it too...maybe he should check into a motel now....

New Years Day 4 Mile Race

2009-01-01T16:01:00.002-07:00

This morning I ran in a small 4 mile race to start off 2009. The proceeds went to the track and country programs at Black Hills State so it was for a good cause too. My friend, Lacey, and I did this event last year, but we just walked inside on the track as we weren't quite running yet, but this year, I decided to do the outdoor race. My goal for this year is to run in at least one race each month. I got January's out of the way quickly! The weather turned out to be pretty nice and was in the 20's with a little wind. I actually got a little hot during the race. It was supposed to be a 5K race, but the creek overflowed onto the bike path were the race was going to be held and now has a few inches of ice on it so they changed the course. We had the choice to run 2 miles or 4 miles and since I was already planning on doing 3 miles, I did the 4 miles. It was a pretty slow race for me; my time was 43:20 and I think a lot of it had to do with the roads being snow covered. Oh, and maybe because the whole month of December I didn't run much! :) I don't run very much outside in the winter to begin with so to try and run fast in the snow, didn't work so great for me. I felt like I was in slow motion the whole time and I was just one step away from slipping on the snow and getting injured. And I certainly didn't want to get hurt on the first day of the year! So, I took it pretty easy this time around. It was a really fun race and the 15 people that were there, were really great. Hopefully, they keep this event up and it brings in more people, because it was a wonderful way to start off 2009! Happy New Year!

Rapid City Rush Hockey!

2009-01-01T15:38:00.010-07:00

For New Years Eve, Chris, the kids, and I all went to our first Rapid City Rush Hockey game. The game was a lot of fun and the Rush won 4-2 which Caiden was very happy about! He also liked the fighting that went on during the game. ;) There was a quite exciting moment when a puck was hit into the seats and after hitting the glass, it came down right onto Chloe's butt! She had been playing around in her seat and was facing the other way and she got nailed. But at least it was her butt and not her head or face! Hope you all had a very happy and safe New Years Eve! Happy 2009!