Happy Birthday to YOU!!

Four years ago today I was holding this beautiful, baby girl in my arms thinking about all the fun I was going to have with her....

Now we have a 4year old on our hands and boy is she a HANDFUL!!!

Sassy-Ballerina-Girl

She loves to sing and dance in front of the stove (so she can see herself).

She might be little (weights around 27 lbs) but she is mighty!!


She loves her family (Nana, Papa, aunts, uncles, and cousins).

She is majorly a Mommas girl.

She loves to go to school and can not wait each week to go to the library and get a new book. She will go into her room and read (make-up words) to her babies.

She loves Target, clothes, shoes- she is truly a Shopper!!!

Happy Birthday Penny!!! Hope it is a wonderful day!

Steeple Chase 8K

One year ago this was my first race ever. I sure thought that a year later I would be a better runner-- NOT!!

Getting ready to run the race with Friends-


Bright and early Saturday morning around 180 runners took off running this 4.9 mile race- (I just kept telling myself start slow)



coming in at the finish is really exciting when you have so many people cheering you on- my time was not so bad (54:25) this was five minutes slower than last year- BUT so what I just ran 5 miles!!!




Sam, Patton, and Smith helping out

Spring Break

Our school system choose to have our Spring Break the 3rd week of April this year. When we finial reached this week the kids were sure ready for a much needed break!! We packed our bags and stuffed them into Nana's car and off we went to Seaside for a few days. We relaxed in a beautiful house.

The beach was not really that crowded during this time of year. The ocean was really COLD, but it did not stop Sam at all. Penny only wanted to tickle her toes with the water and hang out with Nana.

We got up one morning and went looking for seashells- this was fun just wished we could have found a few big ones.

We came home on Wednesday and Thursday we meet Jordan at her school for lunch then

worked on Sam's school project- can you guess what we made out of 16 cans,

brown spray paint,

and wire

It's a Boa Constrictor!! Thought Sam and I did a great job on this project!!

Friday I had every one's bags packed again (Sam and Penny were going to Nana and Papa's house)- and I was going to watch Shawn, Heather, and David run a marathon in Nashville on Saturday morning

and the rest of the Decatur runners.

Shawn at the start line giving me his last wave before running 26.2 miles.

At mile 3, 9, and 20 we (Wade and myself) caught up with each Decatur runner- Shawn told me the only thing he wanted me to have at mile 20 was a cold diet Mt. Dew and that is just what I had for him .

At this point you can not tell from the sky but the weather was changing very quickly. Right after Shawn took off at mile 20 the sky turned black and the wind picked up. The next thing I noticed was that the race staff was turning all the runners to the finish line. I hurried to find Shawn in the pouring down rain -he only got to mile 22 1/2 before he was detoured to the finish line. The rest of the day we relaxed, napped, ate at Hard Rock, and watched out our hotel window at all the bad weather.

Sunday we made our way back home to pick up the kids from Nana and Papa's house to get everything ready for school to start back . We only have 5 weeks till SUMMER!!!

Lots of Running going on....

Saturday morning was the River City Run (where last year daddy had a PR), but due to a huge Goldfish sell he was not able to run this year. The kids and I had promised Heather to help at the water station- then Sam and Penny wanted to do the fun run after the 10k was over.

Sam did really good this year (lots of improvement from last year). He came in 6th place at a time of 3:50!!!! Penny hopped in right at the end just to make her feel that she had run the race!!!

(Sam-6th, Reed-1st, Patton-5th; Good Job!!)

That afternoon Shawn, the kids, and myself headed to the next run for the weekend: Talladeage Speedway for Shawn's half-marathon and Sam's one mile run. Sunday morning we were all up and ready to go. They directed us into- the INFIELD to find a parking spot. I am not a big race car fan but this was truly cool!!! Sam and Daddy got there numbers and we quickly found a place to stay till the race began (it was really cold that morning).

Daddy's race began and we saw him pass on pit row. Then Sam's race was about to get underway - I think he was a little nervous. As soon as they started Penny and I ran to the finish line to watch him come in (this was on the real track). Once they turned the corner we spotted Sam's yellow Livestrong shirt. He was doing great. He finished in 9:28; in the top 20 runners!!!

(Daddy told Sam when he finished to hold up his hands- yes Sam does everything his Daddy tells him)

Now back to watch daddy- we found him at mile 7

The kids had time for fun during miles- Sam and Penny trying to be a race car at the start line- On your mark: Goooooo

What a photo finish!!!

back to the race-mile 11, (he last lap around the track)

and now to the finish line- 1hour and 45 (a new PR)!! My two favorite boys did a great job today!!!

(They wore Livestrong shirts in honor of Shawn's dad and Sam's papa- he has started another round of chemo and radiation- fight HARD Papa!!!)

On Thursday this week Sam had his mile run at school. They loaded up the buses first thing and went to Delano Park where it was set up just like real race- with bib numbers, start lines, and ribbons.

Sam did great -his time was 9:40 (although he was not happy with his time) but for someone that has run three races in one week and NEVER had done that before it was Good.

after the race he was hanging with his buddies