21.

The miles I ran. My marathon is 6 weeks from today! - said with excitement AND fear. I started running in March and 5 miles was the first run that I didn't know if I could even do. I remember that Nick went with me and I actually survived! Since then, I've been pretty confident that I might be able to do this thing. Until yesterday... I started having doubts. 21 miles seems like such a long way. I didn't know if I could do it. And I couldn't. I can't. But God can. Only by the grace of God am I able to run that far. Who does that? I don't know. Sometimes I think I am crazy but I love to go out on the long runs with my ipod. It's my time to ponder God for more than a few moments. I download the latest sermons from Francis Chan and just take off running. It's great. Thank you, Lord.

The pounds I've lost. I originally wanted to do the marathon so that I could have some motivation to get off the Sam baby weight. It didn't work so well. Contrary to what I had believed, running does not take off the weight. You have to actually eat well too. Imagine that- diet AND exercise! So, six weeks ago, I cut out all refined flour and sugar from my diet. It's been great and I don't feel deprived. To quote my skinny cousins: "A moment on your lips, forever on your hips" and "Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels." So there you have it. 21 is a great number for me this week.

SAM I AM IS A WHOLE YEAR OLD!

Happy, Happy Birthday, baby Sam! It's amazing to think back to a year ago when he just decided, all of a sudden to join our family. He was almost born in the car (seriously, we had a bowl in the back of the car for the placenta in case it did come down to that) and if you want to read Nick's rendition of that night, here it is.
What a blessing you have been to our family, Sam. We thank God for the gift of you every night and love that we get to share our lives with you. We love that you are so cheerful and that you get so excited to see us each morning as we come in to get you out of your crib. We love how you adore your brother and try to show him by cracking your skull against his. I love that you have a dimple like your daddy! I love that you are so easy to get to smile and will wave at anyone who looks your way. I love that you start dancing when you hear music. I love that you suck your thumb when you are sleepy. I love that you climb up in Adam's chair and rock yourself back and forth. I love that you are crazy and reckless in the bath. I love your smell. I love the way you touch my face when I feed you your bottle. I love to rock you and sing to you about our Lord. I love that you enjoy food and your thighs remind us of how "healthy" you are. I love your soft skin. I love to watch you play and squeal in delight. We love you, Sam! Happy first birthday ever!

My mom is really smart.

My mom had a four year old and two 22 month old twins when I was born, then had two more after a 15 year break, and lived to tell about it. So, I usually call her when my kids are sick before I call the doctor. Sam had a fever for three days and then it went away and was replaced by mysterious little red spots on his tummy. Called mom, she asked a few questions, said "Sounds like roseola virus. Look it up on the internet and see if it matches." Lo, and behold, my child had exactly every symptom that was described. I talked with my doctor because that's what What to Expect the First Year says to and we were good to go. Anyway, my mom is smart.

On the road again- oh, wait. It's a treadmill.

A little update on the running. While we were in Tahoe, I was scheduled to do my 15 miles and God was scheduled to send snow that day. So I spent the better part of the morning, over 3 1/2 hours, on the treadmill in the Marriott's gym. I staked out a pretty good one- overlooking the pool, watching the snow fall on the trees. I was afraid I was going to be bored because I detest running on treadmills so I put an audiobook on my ipod to keep me company. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is a novel based on the story of Hosea. Note to self: it's pretty difficult to cry while you are running. But I did it and I think it was the first time where I felt like I actually might be able to run a marathon in February. Through Christ who strengthens me...

Fast forward two weeks to this past Saturday. I ran through 3 cities! 18 miles. A little less than four hours. And a whole audiobook. I felt good when I was done but I need to find some long trails to run on. It's probably not safe to run over Kirker Pass but I want to run from Walnut Creek to my house. Only three more long runs before Huntington!

The First Snow

God is so nice to us! A family in our church gifted us with a week in Tahoe at their time share. What an unexpected blessing. Nick and I left the boys with my parents for a few days while we went by ourselves for a little R&R. We slept in, read by the fire, played wii golf, ate lots of food at non-kid-friendly restaurants, saw the movie Fireproof (so good, by the way), stayed out past the boys' bedtime, went on a run (which was a little hard to get used to in the over 6,000 foot elevation), and totally enjoyed God's creation up there. Then, Nick drove back to pick up the boys to join us while I went on a long run. Adam loved it. It was the first snow of the season when we were up there and he and Nick scraped up all the snow they could to make a little snowman. What a fun way to see snow for the first time.

Halloween

I'm a little behind on the blogging so here comes a bunch...
Adam bounced around like Tigger all day long and would not let go of his bucket because that was the key to getting the goods. Sam had no idea what was going on but looked so cute dressed up like Winnie the Pooh and his fat little belly.

My parents bought Adam and Sam each a pumpkin in October. Adam calls it his "pumpkin pie" and carries it around with him in the car, sits with it at meals, they watch movies together on the couch, and he practically sleeps with it.

The Cat in the Hat

I read this at least three times a day...I have the first 10 pages completely memorized...just wanted to let you know...

Rock n' Roll Half Marathon

On Sunday, October 5th, Missie and I participated in the Rock n' Roll half marathon in San Jose. Here is a minute by minute breakdown of our experience. Much of it may be made up. Or not. I can't really remember because I was pretty tired.
6:30am - I awaken to my lovely wife's happy face smiling way bigger than anyone should be smiling at 6:30am. She is obviously much more excited about this race than I am. Maybe that has something to do with the fact that I have run a total of 6 miles in the last, oh, 6 months and she's been training three days a week for ever. A half marathon is... let me check... 13.1 miles long. Red flag.
6:45am - Missie introduces me to a product called 'Glide' which looks like deodorant but is actually a lubricant that is designed to keep your rubbing places from chafing. I take the 'more is better approach' and apply it liberally to my whole body. You never know what's gonna chafe.
6:46am - I can't get out of the bathroom because my hand keeps slipping on the door knob. This glide stuff really works.
7:00am - Missie frees me from my bathroom prison. We ceremoniously eat a spoonful of peanut butter for breakfast. Missie swears that tons of runners eat this stuff as fuel before a race. I think it's just an excuse to eat peanut butter.
7:03am - Missie turns her back and I shovel a bunch more peanut butter in before she can catch me. I hope she doesn't read this blog.
8:00am - We're lining up for our race, and I find out that I'm not supposed to be in the same coral as Miss. Apparently they assumed that since I'm a boy, I'm probably faster than Missie. Sexist pigs.
8:01am - Ok, I am faster than Miss. but today I'm running at her pace so I bend the rules and start in her coral. A guy close to us is wearing a prison jumpsuit and a mullet wig. Apparently we picked the PARTY coral! I'm wishing I wore my 'Mr. Tumnus' costume.
8:05am - We start running.
8:35am - We're still running.
8:45am - The running continues.
9:00am - You're probably thankful at this point that I'm not doing a true 'minute by minute' rundown of our experience. Let's just stick to the highlights.
9:07am - We are thankful for roadside port-a-potties. I'll spare you the details.
9:15am - We pass a cover band playing 50's bee-bop rock. The Rock n' Roll half marathon is unique because several bands are placed throughout the race to encourage and inspire the runners. Many of the runners raise their hands up and cheer for the band. I hope we get some 'Eye of the Tiger' at some point.
9:25am - The sun is starting to come up and I am sweating gratuitously. My wife is glistening. Gratuitously. I'm pretty happy with my decision NOT to wear the Mr. Tumnus costume about now.
9:38am - Every couple of miles there are tables set up with water and Cytomax (Gatorade competitor). It's pretty fun drinking your fill and then just chucking the cup on the ground. I feel like a rebel. Missie is fighting the urge to pick up every cup and make sure it finds it's way into the trash.
9:51am - We've been running since 8:00am. That's almost two hours, or more than I have run in the last three months combined. What am I doing out here? I pass a guy who's wearing a t-shirt that just about sums up my experience: "Our sport is what your sport does for punishment". That's seems about right.
9:55am - We come up on another re-hydrating station. In addition to my free Cytomax, a volunteer hands me a protein gel packet. I tear it open and squeeze some into my mouth. Apparently I got the 'Bitter dirt' flavored protein gel. I litter the packet and then run back to the table for more Cytomax.
10:03am - We're getting tired, so we start to play a game were we pick out a person in front of us and try to catch up to them. It motivates us, and keeps our mind off the fact that we could be doing anything other than running on this beautiful Sunday morning.
10:15am - "Hey Miss, you see that tall guy in the red..." "THE GAME IS OVER. I DON'T WANT TO PLAY ANYMORE." Wow. I guess that's just Missie's 'competitive streak' coming out. Or maybe she didn't use enough Glide. That's some good stuff right there.
10:20am - We spot the donkey lady ahead of us. The donkey lady is a supremely pleasant gal in her mid fifties who is wearing a pair of stylish donkey ears that set her apart from the pack. Something else that sets her apart from the pack is the fact that she is speed walking, and faster than a bunch of us who are running. We are determined to finish ahead of her.
10:24am - Donkey lady is faster than we thought.
10:30am - We are officially not going to make it in our goal time of 2.5 hours. But by golly, we will not be beaten by a senior citizen wearing Donkey ears.
10:32am - As we climb a subtle grade, a young woman beside us is struggling. Her friends, who are obviously more athletic and better prepared than her, give some cheerful encouragement - "You can do it, pump your arms." "I'M PUMPING ALREADY!!!", she replies, obviously tired of hearing encouragements from people who do not feel her pain. 80 percent of the other runners around her immediately cheer her frustrated response, she has said what most of the people in our pace group want to say but don't have the energy to.
10:34am - Those donkey ears are taunting us, gently bobbing up and down at a brisk rate as we scrape together the last bit of energy we have. I bet you Missie is wishing she shoveled in a little more peanut butter this morning. She hits the 'power song' button on her i-pod and we make our final push.
10:38am - I give donkey lady props as we PASS her, just minutes before the finish line. Ok, so how lame am I that I'm proud I defeated a speed walking grandma in a half-marathon. Regardless, we're almost there. I think I hear 'We've Come So Far' from the Hairspray Soundtrack playing from Missie's earphones.
10:40am - IT'S OVER!!! We cross the line and are immediately greeted by volunteers holding cold wet towels, chilled water bottles and signs that encourage us for working so hard. That refreshing towel makes the whole thing worth it. Oh wait, no it doesn't. But seeing the joy in Missie's face that I was willing to share this experience with her DOES make it worth it. I'm really proud of her, and I'm grateful that I'll always be a big part of her memory of this day. Ok Miss, I ran a half marathon with you, now you get to enter a jiu-jitsu tournament with me, right?

Lions and tigers and bears...

...but no elephants or penguins. Sad.
Adam and Sam took their first trip to the zoo! We went with my mom, sisters, aunt Wendy, cousins, and my cousin Lauren and her kids.

We saw this scary monkey.

Adam and Cade were in heaven.

Adam's first push-pop. This was my favorite as a kid from the ice cream truck!

It was a long day...

6 years of wedded bliss!

Our anniversary started with Nick handing me a post-it note when we woke up. He had hidden 12 more around the house. It took me a week to find all those little love notes everywhere from the toilet paper roll to inside the microwave. If only every girl was as blessed as I am! Thank you, Lord, for choosing me to be Nick's wife. And thank you, Nick for 6 years!

The Circus! Featurning Adam's new obsession with Dumbo.

I ordered Dumbo on Netflix about a month ago, foolishly thinking we would keep it for a couple days then send it back for the next movie. But oh, no. I was wrong. Adam has watched Dumbo daily- at least once a day- for the past month. He quotes the lines, sings the songs, and jumps up and down with pure excitement every time that elephant starts to fly. That's why, when my friend Alisha sent out an email for free tickets to the circus, we couldn't resist.
We counted down the days and last night we got to see Dumbo! (Don't you dare tell him that it really wasn't a big Dumbo.) It was perfect. Not too big or overwhelming. We sat right in front of the center ring and this is pretty much what heaven must be like for two year olds. He rode a pony, rode an elephant (who we renamed Dumbo), fed llamas and he-haws (aka: donkeys), met clowns, ate popcorn that I responsibly brought from home, ate cotton candy that his dad bought for him there, saw motorcyles, hula hoops, and slid down a gigantic inflatable slide. It brought so much joy to Nick and I to be able to give this gift to our son. We had such a great time! "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:11)

The comb-over is over!

It's a little bit harder for me to do the "growing up" things with Sam. The boys are 19 months apart so I was pregnant when Adam was doing the "firsts". It was easier for me to let go of my baby when another was on the way. Well, not pregnant and not really planning on it for a couple years. Alas, my baby for now is growing up.

Sam did so good sitting there while Nick took the clippers to his baby fine locks. I saved up and just got my Nikon D40 camera last week and the pictures turn out so wonderful- especially of moments like this. It was a sad moment but I'm over it now and he looks great. He's turning into a little boy!

The Human Race

So I have about 5 and a half months until my marathon, but I need little milestones to hit along the way. I am running in the Rock 'n Roll half marathon (13 miles) on October 5 and I convinced Nick, who does not run regularly, to do it with me. I run 2 days during the week and do a long run on the weekends. I'm now up to 11 miles!

Nick bought me the Nike+ that plugs into my ipod and tracks my runs. It lets me know my pace, mileage, minutes, calories, and all sorts of fun stuff. My favorite part about it though, is when I do a longer run than I ever have before. A voice comes on at the end of every run to let me know my stats but when I do the longest, either Paula Radcliffe or Lance Armstrong comes on to say, "Wow! That was your farthest workout so far. Good job!" I will gladly run for 2 hours to get that reward. Isn't that weird? But I need motivation like that.

Anyway, Nike+ put on the first global 10k (6 miles) so you just run wherever you are and download your information to their website and they know who all ran. So Nick and I set out to run on a Sunday evening our 10k. Nick was pushing Adam and Sam in the double stroller when about 2 miles into the run, one of the tires went flat. He was such a trooper and continued the whole run pushing about 80 pounds on a blown out tire. I asked if he wanted me to take a turn pushing but his pride wouldn't let him be seen running next to a girl pushing a stroller.

Potty Training Part 1

There are some who may read this who do not have children so I will spare you the details. Let's just say Adam did great for a week and then he got sick. I reevaluated and decided we need another month before he totally grasps the concept. Strike one. We'll let you know when we have another go at it. I'll have to invest in some more jelly beans...

Nick's Tournament

Nick has been training in jiu-jitsu for about a year now. He decided to enter the Gracie Open tournament and Adam and I went out to support him in the 90 degree gym. Sorry if the video is a little wobbly- Adam kept pulling on me and saying, "Look, Mommy! Daddy tackle!!"

And then there were 15...

Reunion. That word conjures up some image of distant relatives who fly to some remote location to see people that they are apparently related to and only see once every five years. But that is what we called this long weekend at my parents' house. I am number four of six children. Six seems like such a huge number but then you have to account for the parents, spouses, and children and suddenly it becomes 15! How did that happen?! And that's only my immediate family and I love it.

So we retreated to Somerset, the closest recognizable city being Placerville, 40 miles away. We played in the pool, played games, watched movies, ate pizza, took pictures, laughed at the kids, celebrated birthdays, and just enjoyed each other. One day, my parents treated us all to a whitewater rafting trip on the middle fork of the American River. It was so great- and thank the Lord for my grandparents and aunt Wendy who took on our 4 extra kids under the age of 3. We all survived the trip and only managed to lose Trevor and his wife Amber into the freezing rapids for a minute or two. And yes, if you can see from the pictures, that is my leg up in the air as I prepared to be the 3rd casualty of the river. My dad pulled me back in but pretty much all the pictures are of me upside down.

"Jesus gives us the power to" survive VBS

After about six months of planning, hours of preparing, and even permanently inscribing a huge "Power Lab" logo on our dining room table (ouch!), we have survived Vacation Bible School! It was my first year as a director, and as it almost sucked the very life out of me, I loved almost every minute. I had great volunteers and such a supportive congregation. The Lord was so merciful to me: there were many areas that I dropped the ball on but He definitely pulled it off. What a blessing. I'm already thinking about next year.
And as a thank you for all my hard work, I was slimed from head to toe at the end of the last day. We had our annual VBS penny drive to raise money for missions- boys versus girls. Out of over 23,000 pennies raised, the boys won by less than $4, and I had green slime stuck in my hair for a week.

Swimming 101

Scoops and kicks - two essential movements that a two year old must master if he wants to learn how to swim. But while the other kids in Adam's intro to swimming class were wiggling their legs and perfecting their doggy paddles, all my boy wanted to do was yell "Gabio!" and jump off the side into my arms. He's a bit of a daredevil. I think he gets it from his mom. ; ) Adam spent a little time scooping but he really just wanted to jump off the side and push away on his own. Not the safest strategy, but I've got to say, the kid's courageous.

And a little note from mom in response: I'm pretty sure I'm not the one who goes cliff diving and jumps over rocks with reckless abandon! :) Adam did end up pretty well- he can swim to the wall if we push him towards it, and he can climb out all by himself!

Gabio!

Every warrior worth his salt needs a war cry. Geronimo! Banzai! Gabio? Yes, Gabio. (ga'-bee-oh)If you know what it means, please e-mail me. My fearless son Adam has been using this mysterious word for months and he hasn't bothered to explain where it came from or what it's supposed to communicate. We only know that when Adam's excited or has just accomplished a new feat of toddlerhood it's very likely that he's going to rear back and holler "Gabby... Gabio!!!" Makes me smile every time.

Gee-Gee

My Gee-Gee passed away this afternoon and it just got me thinking about all the things I loved about her. This post is for my benefit but you are free to catch a glimpse of this piece of my heart if you wish.
I remember...
...driving back to Santa Rosa to visit for a while and we'd stop at a place on the way where we'd ride a little train and go feed the animals.
...going for walks in the woods and being so quiet that we could see the deer up close.
...the little basket of Barbies that I'd play with in the guest room.
...sitting on the bed to listen to her recording her voice reading us stories.
...peanut time, about an hour before dinner when I could go down to the garage to get a short can of soda and eat peanuts in those little wooden bowls.
...Pops' incredible model train set up downstairs.
...swimming all the time and feeling the soft tan skin on her arms.
...playing "Go Fish" on the beach towel.
...seeing raccoons in the early morning out on the deck.
...eating my favorite meal that she made for me- hamburger stroganoff out on the deck.
...my friend across the street who was a granddaughter of Gee-Gee's friend. I was given two fudgesicles for her and I to share.
...playing Barbies with that same little girl while we were at a funeral reception for one of Gee-Gee's friends.
...spilling juice on the oriental rug and being scolded for it.
...playing "Memory". There was a card that had bugs on it and whenever she would turn it over, she'd scream in mock disgust. Later, when I was in high school, I went on a trip to Colorado and bought her a souvenir. It was a purple paperweight with a scorpion inside. She and I mailed it back and forth to each other several times. :) I have it now.
...coffee cake.
...goofy cake.
...snickerdoodles. We'd cook them together and she'd send them back with me for my dad- they were his favorite.
...my green Tinkerbell toothbrush.
...that big plastic pink fish in the bathtub.
...going to church and kneeling on that thing that you kneel on.
...going out to North's brunch for dinner.
...one time she took me to a miniature horse show and I got to ride in a little carriage pulled by the horses.
...creamed spinach.
...rolled up dollar bills tied with a red ribbon.
...sometimes, she'd send me money on my brothers' birthday so that I wouldn't feel left out.
...the smell from their house- I loved it and was so reluctant to have my mom wash my things when I came home.
...when they moved to Mission Viejo and she called the security guard to say that there was a rattlesnake in her back patio. They came out expecting to see a garden snake but sure enough, Gee-Gee knew what she saw!
...Gee-Gee teaching me to cross-stitch and to knit.
...the Suzy's Friends ornaments that she made for our Christmas tree.
...my pink baby blanket that she knit for me. I left it on the heater once and now it has two large holes in it.
...driving with Nick and our new baby to Palm Desert to introduce Adam to his great grandma and grandpa in the 117 degree weather.
...the one and only time that Sam and Gee-Gee were able to meet this past December.
...all of those Christmas and birthday cards that she always remembered to send and signed with xoxo.
...that she used to spell my name "Missie" when my name was "Missy". I liked it better her way and changed it in 6th grade.
...that I loved her.
...that I already miss her.

The world just got a little sweeter

Emma Grace Board was born this morning to my best friend April and her husband Darren. What a sweet precious little girl! Congratulations and we love you!

Adam's favorite spot

We have been blessed with a beautiful backyard. Adam loves climbing the hill, climbing the tree, swinging, playing baseball and soccer and basketball, roasting marshmallows, or just running around on the grass. And yet, his favorite spot to go is a lonely plot of dirt behind a bench to play in the dirt and pour it on his head. Go figure.

Did you know?

Did you know that when you go cherry picking, that it is all you can eat cherries while you pick? But more importantly, did you know that a toddler can ingest over 20 cherry PITS in one sitting with seemingly no harm to his digestive tracks?

The boys

What a joy to have these boys! We love to watch them grow and learn daily. Adam adores his daddy and puts Nick's hat on whenever he gets the chance. He loves anything to do with Nick. He doesn't call something red- he says "dada's car" because that's the color of Nick's car.
We always had to work to get a smile out of Adam when he was little but Sam just dishes them out to anyone who looks his way. He's our little social butterfly.
I love to watch them play together. Or, more accurately, I love to watch Sam smile and laugh at his big brother as Adam drives some vehicle over Sam's head or tries to tackle him.
So, as Sam is our social one, Adam has become quite the scientist- making experiments with every dinner meal. He usually combines all the contents of his plate into his cup of water and, much to our disgust moments later, he eats the food and then drinks the water. To each his own.

The 10k from down under

On May 10th, I succeeded in convincing some unsuspecting friends that they wanted to run the 1st annual Wildflower 10k at the Los Vaqueros Watershed. This was the farthest I had run to date and I probably couldn't have done it without Judy. She stayed with me the whole time up huge inclines in the middle of nowhere. An experienced runner, Judy said this was the most difficult 10k out of the dozens that she had run. But we finished! It only took me an hour and 28 minutes- I like to set the bar low so that I have room to improve. From left to right: Judy, me, Alaura, and Shannon

Happy Birthday, Adam!

Adam turned two on Wednesday and we celebrated today with a Curious George party. There was messy finger painting and chalk drawing galore and the tables were decorated with bananas, mini bananas, and monkey paraphernalia. Nick is the creative one so he used he sweet skills to craft a monkey cake for the birthday boy. I found an old coffee table in my parent's barn and we cleaned it up so Nick could turn it into a train table. Adam's face lit up when he saw it and he started squealing "choo-choo" in a high pitched voice because he was so excited. Everything ran smoothly (other than Adam burning his finger on the candle while he was trying to blow it out.) and we all had a great time. Now I've gotta go work off that cake with a five mile run...

My first 5k

On Saturday, the boys and I ran in the Spring to Life Fun Run in Brentwood. The top three stroller runners won a prize and I was holding 2nd for the first half of the race then people slowly started passing me. If you want to see the posted results, I'm at the very bottom of the page in the stroller division. I was the very first double stroller to cross the line but I guess they don't give prizes for that :( I have a 10k scheduled for May 10th and I won't have to push around an extra 80 pounds on that one so we'll see how we do...

The great thing about weeds:

One day, when they were playing in the backyard, Nick helped Adam pick a flower and told him to bring it in to mommy. Ever since then, every single time he goes outside, Adam picks a flower and brings it inside to me. It's one of the highlights of my day- I love knowing that he's thinking of me while searching for a flower and all the way back inside to find me. That's a lot of focus for such a little boy! He'll be two years old tomorrow and I can't believe how fast the time has gone. He's done such a good job at growing and we thank the Lord every night that He's blessed our family with Adam.