The UN-Fun Run

I MADE IT! My friend and I did a 13.1 mile (half marathon) and I reached me goal of actually finishing. The pictures are out of order but here they are.


I just finished, and am not sure if I should title this blog post MY FIRST HALF MARATHON or just call it MY LAST HALF MARATHON! I am glad they handed out medals. I had something to take home and my kids think I am the greatest runner ever.

Kelly my awesome friend that got me motivated to train with her and made me curious to know if I could actually do it. She helped me out the whole way!

This isn't how I run but someone said smile so I did.

Off to the races

Yes there was a whole lot of walking done by me.

My favorite part! Down hill.

Meredith College. Ha

We were freezing and I was still not sure I was ready for this.

Down Town Raleigh

Part 2

My Silly PJ (thing 2?)

So to finish the 2nd half of the St. Patty's day food blog started a while back.

Mar 17th

In the morning I was babysitting and then had a visit from my visiting teachers. The kids got home and we started our cooking show. Payton came home grumpy from school and went to a friends house but soon came home and laid on the couch. After we finished making the food and sent the first plate out to friends and neighbors I went over to check Payton and see if he was sick. He was hot and Paige woke up from her late nap and was warm and crying. So I grabbed the Motrin and gave some to Payton. He seemed groggy but hopped off the couch like he was suddenly better. Two seconds later he ended up on the floor having a seizure. What a scary thing. As soon as it stopped I called a friend to take my kids while I went to the doctor. Payton had two seizures 3 years ago and the doctors were calm and said it wasn't a big deal they were from fevers and had nothing to do with epilepsy. Well this one last longer then before and certainly nerve racking. Karen came over helped me keep my head on straight. She had me call 911. The firetruck came so quickly and were very calm and the ambulance wasn't far behind him. I was glad to have their help. Payton and I got an ambulance ride (but please don't ask him about it he doesn't remember much).

My friend took my other kids and put all my food in the fridge, turned off the stove and kept my other kids home with her and let them spend the night.

Payton and I spent the almost 7 hours in the ER waiting for test and watching him. (One of the bizzare things was I saw a friend from church and her 2 year old was in the ER with the exact problem as Payton and they happened at the same time! What are the odds?) The doctors say the seizure was just from the fast fever and sent us home. It was a long night and we didn't get home until almost 2 am. Luckily my other friend, Sheryl offered to pick up some dinner for me and Payton as we were starving and she ended up picking us up in the middle of the night and taking us to McDonald's. When we got home I had to put Ben to bed and came back into the kitchen where I left Payton to eat some food. The boy had spent all his time trying to put the stickers from his happy meal toy on to the toy car he got. Yep he is back to himself.

How blessed and how grateful I am for Payton that he is back to normal and for the blessing of caring and wise friends who helped out that scary night. I have some amazing friends and thank God everyday for their friendship, help, and support they have given me and especailly these last weeks when things seem to just be out of my hands. Thank You!

March 17th in front of the hospital. Yep he is feeling better.

Payton and Avery missed school the next day as we ran around to doctor appointments and pharmacies. It ended up to be a really fun experience as we went out to lunch together and just had a fun and non-pressured day together. Again, another friend babysat the other two so this time could be a special and relaxing day for us.

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Did you know that if you run at the front of the treadmill it gives the illusion that you are racing (and winning) all the other runners on their treadmills? Not that I do this I hear it is dangerous but that was my deep thought for the day.

Capturing Spring

Today on the way to Church I noticed the trees at the hospital were just starting to bloom. These pink flowered trees are my favorite spring tree so if anyone wants to tell me what they are I would be very pleased. I have an idea but don't know for sure. (OK this is what they are called: Saucer Magnolia, Japanese Magnolias or sometimes are called Tulip Trees but not to be confused with the Poplar variety called a tulip tree. That was my confusion. They have the same name and are completely different trees but now I know apparently they are the same family, who knew? Thanks Walt! )
Well on the way home from church I thought I would take a quick picture at least so I could ask someone what they were. The kids after sitting in church so well and so long asked if they could step out for a minute too. So it turned into a lot of pictures and a lot of running around. Ben usually isn't a runner but boy was he hard to keep track of today.

This is how it always seems to go when I try and do a group pictures. They all go in different directions. Then I say hold hands and then half of them end up on the ground and start crying.

That is my Avery. :)

Boy do I wish this one was in focus!

I guess these pictures don't work so well then it is bright outside. They couldn't even open their eyes. But they thought it was funny.

I liked this one because you can see Payton just as he is about to catch the falling petal. Avery is trying to blow more out of the tree.

Payton's party was postponed for the weekend and I was tempted to push it back another week. In the end, even though he is still fighting fevers we went ahead and had a party for him this weekend. Who knows maybe it will lift his spirits. We had a very simple party and yet it was very nice and very fun and relaxing. I seriously feel so blessed to know some of the best people who help me so much and made it possible to pull it off as I wasn't really in the mood for a party.

The weather was perfect!

Ben may have gotten a hold of this cake.

This was DELICIOUS cake. I am not a cake person but this was different. I could eat the whole thing in one setting. Whipped frosting YUM. My Visiting Teacher brought this over Thursday as she knew it was PJ's birthday and figured I hadn't gotten around to a cake yet. She was right.

Our gang

The life of the party, ha ha. Ben missed the whole party but he never lost his balloon.

I couldn't get a decent picture with all the heads in the way. Oh well.

Studying hard the Lego directions.

Payton got cool dress ups as he is always complaining about how unfair it is for the girls to have so many. So my mom in Feb. Spent the day sewing some. She got carried away and made some for Ben too so Avery and Paige wanted to try it on.

Payton checking out his new costume.

Yahoo. It was nice to finally see that smile this evening after seeing so many sad faces. I hope that means he is feeling better already. I am happy Payton is a part of our family. Happy Birthday big guy!

A food blog

LUNCH LADIES

As we were cooking Avery ran and got these hats so we could be like the ladies at the cafeteria.



another eating picture?

Add a dash of luck and it might just turn out.


My Lovely Assistant

Testing it

Time to serve. PEA SOUP coming right up.

green snicker doodles
Yummy Rolls

(Notice the one in the back didn't even make it to the table. Ben loves these too.)

Jeanette's rolls-
2 cups warmed milk
2 TBSP dry yeast
1/2 cup shortening or butter
2 tea salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
5 1/2- 6 cups flour
Dissolve yeast in milk.
Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Should be a soft dough.
Sit and let Double.
Roll half dough on sprayed (pam) counter into 16 inch. circle.
With pizza cutter cut 12 triangles.
Placed on greased cookie sheet
3 rows of 8. Let rise.
Bake 350 for 12-15 minutes

This is half of my St. Patty's day blog. I am still deciding what to post for the other half.