Texas Andersons

I can’t remember the last time I had to fill up on gas this much or take this many photos!

We’ve been back and forth to the house quite a bit to check on progress and go over the details as lots more starts to happen.  Siding, painting, wiring, and roof!    And we drove into San Antonio to pick out our appliances.  It’s all really coming along.  It’s getting exciting, and I can’t wait to move!

Last Saturday, we checked out the Cibolo Nature Center’s new farmer’s market.  We parked at the fairgrounds and rode the shuttle bus over (the boys’ first bus ride)… and then enjoyed the morning flying kites, touring the farm, and shopping for veggies.

Then my sister Angie and I snuck over to the studio for a secret portrait session.  After the awkwardness of posing and photographing ourselves together, we found we actually got a few great images.  Choosing our favorite, I ordered a canvas for our mom for her Mother’s Day gift.  (figured it would be a great surprise since I can’t remember the last time Angie and I were in a portrait together, if ever!)

Then we made it to the volunteer fire department’s fish fry (Ben and Evan loved bouncing in the bounce house, seeing the fire trucks, and the yummy food).  I squeezed in a portrait session.  And then we attended the Best of BoerneFest.  The boys got to have fun with sidewalk chalk in the “chalk garden” and we enjoyed walking the new trail all evening.  After that exhausting day, I worked Sunday. 

They celebrated all the June and July birthdays at school.  Evan was so tickled that they sang to him in chapel.  And he couldn’t wait to show me his crown and certificate!  And Ben’s class celebrated finishing “Charlotte’s Web” with a parade and a movie-viewing party.  Ben’s parade float was a barn scene from the book, completely made of legos.  And for the party, I made strawberry muffins that we decorate to look like spiders on webs and pigs.  Very cute (and yummy). 

Emily, Lindsey, and I continued our weekly staff meeting on the hike and bike trail, complete with our silly socks. 

We started this Saturday with our 8th Race for the Cure.  And this year, the Shutter-Happy staff and families joined us, so we even designed our own team t-shirts.  Then I squeezed in a session.  And then we headed to our first Missions game.  The Missions won, the boys were very entertained by Ballapeno and Puffy Taco, we enjoyed the Kids Zone, and we loved the fireworks show!  So much fun!  (but we didn’t get home until almost midnight)

Although exhausted from the day before, we got up early yesterday to head to Scenic Loop Cafe for their big Mother’s Day brunch.  Amazing food and desserts!  Then, all dressed up and not wanting to get grungy, we rented and watched HOP, watched the boys ride bikes, and made a great dinner. 

My gifts for Mother’s Day?    A poster from Ben with words that describe me and a painted heart necklace from Evan.  And from all three- running shorts and cupcakes!  Go figure! 

Wow!  The foundation was poured during spring break (we got to see it on Easter Sunday).  And immediately, construction began.  Between meeting with one shop to pick out tubs, sinks, and faucets… and meeting with another store to choose our lighting… and running around with our normal day-to-day stuff, we watched our house form before our eyes.  One week we’d run out there and see most of the framing done.  Another week we’d find the exterior walls were finished and windows were in.  And this week, the roof was boarded up too.  Next is the siding, rock, and metal!

The boys stayed at my parents’ house the weekend of Nathan’s birthday, and we got to go out!  Even though the movie that we chose to see was awful, going out to dinner with his best friends Kevin and Daniella was awesome!  Great dinner at Dough; great company!

And the day of his birthday, I rocked in the kitchen!  Dinner was chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, corn, rolls, gravy, and shirley temples.  And I followed it up with the most delicious carrot cake I’ve ever eaten (first time I’ve ever baked one!).  YUM!!!

Next, Evan’s class had their field trip to The Farm.  With friend Hud in tow, we headed to a local property to visit the chickens, goats, pig, llamas, cows, and emu.  The kids even got to feed them corn and apples.  So much fun.

This past Friday, Nathan and Ben headed out to Thousand Trails to camp out with the scout pack.  And Evan and I had a date… dinner, snowcones, popcorn, and Movies in the Park.  Lots of fun, but he only made it through half of Dolphin Tale before he was tired and wanted to come home.

Saturday, the boys stayed at Granmom and Papa’s again while we headed to the Boerne Education Foundation’s gala.  The Shutter-Happy staff and our husbands were joined by Myk, Marli, Josh, and Melissa.  We spent some time bidding in the silent auction (Nathan and I even won a weekend in Fredericksburg package!).  We enjoyed dinner (and lots of drinks!).  And some of us kept our dancing shoes on until midnight.  Hadn’t had that much fun in a long time!

And today I joined Ben’s class for a field trip to the Cave Without a Name.  After a hike along a trail above ground, we got a guided tour below.  Very cool!

The four-day weekend started Friday morning and lasted through tonight.

On Friday, the boys set up and had a Monster Jam in our living room.  Then, after lunch, we headed to the studio for their spring/Easter portraits.  With and without the bunnies, I got lots of cute images of the boys.

Since they did so great at posing, changing clothes, and cooperating for me, I then treated them to a trip to Incredible Pizza.  With game cards in hand, tons of games to play and ride, and a huge buffet spread out before us, we all had a great time!  And thanks to earning tickets while playing the games, the boys came home with a few extra toys.

On Saturday, I took Ben to friend Logan’s birthday party.  The handful of boys that attended had a blast playing laser tag at the city park.  So much fun!

Then Evan and I headed into San Antonio to run a few errands.  One errand was Michael’s, to pick up fun baking stuff.  After dinner, I gave the boys the choice between making decorated sugar cookies or cake pops.  Then I got to work in the kitchen while they enjoyed popcorn and “The Muppets.”

I tried to make mexican fudge (the wonderful candy I remembered from my childhood).  But it was a flop.  Stood and stirred the ingredients on the stove top for about 45 minutes… and never got the consistency I needed.  But the cake pops turned out great (and were quickly put into the freezer overnight).

Yesterday morning, we made our usual bunny pancakes for the boys.  But this year, we also added little chicks made out of hardboiled eggs.  So cute!  And after breakfast, we all worked on decorating the cake pops, making bunny and egg tortilla chips, preparing the meat, cooking creamed corn, and baking homemade bread.

Then we headed out to the lot with Granmom, Papa, and Angie.  Had a great time seeing our house slab, jumping on the trampoline, driving the tractor, playing in the sandbox, having the Easter egg hunt, and playing with glow bracelets.  And dinner was delicious!  Such a wonderful Easter Sunday.

Today, we relaxed and played here at the apartment, and even jumped in the pool for the first time this year.  And Nathan and Ben drove back out to the lot to see the progress that was made today… they’re getting everything ready to frame the house this week!

Hello Spring, Daylight Savings Time, projects, and construction! 

After Ben’s birthday party, the boys packed up to head to the Davis Mountains for spring break… and I was left to work, spring clean, and workout.

Their trip included lots of time with Granmom Debbie, Papa Larry, and Aunt Jenny, good cooking, another birthday cake, some presents, lots of exploring and getting dirty, a trip to Fort Davis, and lots of hiking.  They came back to me smelly, tired, and happy!

Our house got underway.  Two weeks were spent getting the slab framing set up and ready.  And last Friday, we headed out there first thing in the morning to watch the slab being poured.  This past week, that framing was taken down and hauled off as the cement dried.  Next is the actual house framing!

Emily, Lindsey, and I represented Shutter-Happy at this year’s Outdoor Family Fair.  Perfect weather brought a big crowd.  And we provided all the kids with a bean bag toss and balloons.

We had a great lunch at the Dog and Pony Grill with cousins Patrick, Karen, Amy, and the kiddos after their cute Easter portrait session.  And we took Ben and Evan out to dinner at the Welfare Cafe the next weekend after their awesome bluebonnets session and Evan’s cute portraits with our frog for the Gone Fishin’ advertising pieces.

We hired a babysitter on Friday so Nathan and I could have some peace and quiet one night.    Tessa let the boys play outside and ride bikes.  And we heard that Ben even got her to play Just Dance with him on the wii.  While they were having fun, we had a nice dinner at the Limestone Grill.  Then we walked Main Street.  And then we brought home “Bridesmaids” for a good laugh.

Yesterday we took the boys to the lake for the city’s Easter egg hunt.  And then we let them enjoy an afternoon of bounce houses at the plaza, for the Jump In event.

And now the plan is to keep enjoying the daylight and playtime after dinner, watch our home’s progress, get ready for Easter, and take advantage of Ben having a couple of days off from school.  Can’t wait to get out to the lot on Sunday for dinner, to see how the house looks, and to do our Easter egg hunt.

Joy, laughter, grins, fun, play, giggles!!!  What a wonderful day!!!

Our original plan was to have a day of fishing at the Guadalupe River and then a campout at our lot.  We were going to have a nature treasure hunt and had planned a big campfire for hot dogs and s’mores.  We were encouraging everyone to bring their tents so they could spend the night.  And even just last week, the forecast said this was all still possible.

But the days leading up to the weekend, we saw the weather change.  And everyone was soon forecasting that the weekend was going to be miserably cold and wet.  So we scrambled for a Plan B!

First thing that came to my mind was Emerald Rainbow Play Center in Bulverde.  And thanks to some quick-thinking, their great staff, and our flexible guests, we were able to pull off what Ben said was his best party ever!

We started our day with a surprise visit from “Uncle” Myk.  Ben and Evan were so excited to see him, couldn’t wait to show him everything, and couldn’t wait to play.  The apartment got sooooo loud!  Then Granmom, Papa, and Aunt Angie showed up.  And then we headed out to the party site.

A couple of kids were unable to make it, but 20 of Ben’s favorite friends in the whole wide world slowly started to trickle in for the fun.  (And of course, along with them showed up some of mine and Nathan’s best friends) 

The kids got to spend three hours…. jumping in the bounce houses, sliding, bowling, climbing the rock wall, playing in the arcade, swinging in the batting cages, and battling in the ring.  They had a blast!!!

Then, we served up pizza and drinks.  We got to show off (and serve) yet another beautiful cake from Nadler’s.  And we sent all the friends home with their own s’mores kits- chocolate bars, marshmallows, graham crackers, and roasting sticks.

When we got home, Ben got to dive into his gifts.  After lots of yelling and “COOL!”s, he wanted to stay up all night putting the toys and legos together.

It really was an amazing day.  And all the friends and family that showed up made it all that much more special.  We are truly blessed.

Thank you to all that were able to make it… and thank you for the great presents!

Exciting things for Ben!

Last weekend he earned his Bear rank at our Scouts Blue and Gold banquet.  Such a big accomplishment!  We are so proud of all that he’s done and earned with his den.  And in addition, he and Nathan won the Fan Favorite award in the father/son dessert competition when they created two pizza cakes!

Friday night we drove down to the AT&T Center for Ben’s, Evan’s, and my first time to ever watch the Spurs!  Great “bakisball” game!  Plus, all the food, games for the crowd, and music were awesome.  The boys really enjoyed yelling along with the action and dancing to all the music (trying to get themselves on the big screen). 

Yesterday started with a trip to Snowflake Donuts (complete with a candle in Ben’s free chocolate donut).  Then we took the boys to Home Depot to make race cars at the kids workshop.  We went to Petland to play with the animals and buy bunnies for the studio.  We made a trip to Walmart for groceries and to let Ben spend his birthday money from Granmom and Papa Anderson (he bought a remote-control car).  We swung by Sonic for his free birthday kids meal.  And then we headed home for lunch, bike riding, and to race Ben’s new toy.  Our lasts stops were to the Berges Fest fundraiser and cook-off, where the boys got to spend the evening in the bounce house and playing washers and ladder golf.  And after eating dinner there, we headed home for homemade tres leches cupcakes (yum!).

Today, I worked.  The boys spent the day riding bikes and playing at the lot.  They even met up with our builder to mark where we want our driveway to be and start talking about the scheduling of ground-breaking and the first couple weeks of work.  Wow!  It’s happening!  And then we all headed to Red Robin for Ben’s birthday dinner (free, thanks to their birthday club).

What an awesome weekend!  What incredible ways to celebrate Ben. 

Spent the last few weeks busy with work and wrapping up all the house-construction details.

The highlight was this past weekend….

Ben had early-release on Friday.  After we picked him up, we headed out for a whole list of fun errands.  And they got to spend their money at Walmart.  New legos and nerf gun!

Saturday, I worked all day, so the boys stayed home with Nathan for an all-day lego-building marathon.

Sunday was our stockshow and rodeo day.  We strolled the exhibits, enjoyed great food (including a red velvet funnel cake), watched all the events at the rodeo, and loved on the animals at the petting zoo.  So much fun!

Monday was a day off for Ben, so I took them to Sea World (it was Evan’s first trip ever).  We watched the dolphin show and the Sesame Street show, rode a few rides, and then spent most of the day climbing through their huge playscape.  Had such a great time!  And while we were there, Nathan was hiking all around Lost Maples.  Then we all headed to the Dog & Pony Grill for a great dinner and lots of playtime on their playground. 

Very tired from all that activity.  Very behind on work since we were so busy.  But got lots of warm-fuzzies from spending time with my family. 

Next, we’re gearing up for the scout Blue & Gold banquet, Ben’s birthday, the boys’ spring break trip to the Davis Mountains, and our house ground-breaking!!!

After Christmas, the boys went back to Ft. Worth with Larry and Debbie… to spend a week!  While they were gone, Nathan spent time catching up on work.  I completely overhauled Shutter-Happy’s website and photographed three maternity sessions.  We also scouted out a new walking/running route that turns out to be 5.5 miles.  And we went out for the first New Year’s Eve in ten years (dinner at the Welfare Cafe).

After we got the boys back, they still had two more days off from school!  We spent one day at the apartment (in our pj’s) and one at the children’s museum.  The boys had a blast playing in all the exhibits.  And I really enjoyed that we were one of only a few families there.  It was great!!!

On Friday the 13th, Ben had the day off from school.  First, we let him tag along to Evan’s music class.  And then the three of us set out on a mission for guinea pigs!  The boys both adopted their own piggy.  Ben’s named his “Bevo” (after the Texas Longhorns).  Evan’s is “Ranger” (named after the Texas Rangers).    We have since built them an awesome cage out of wire cube shelving and enclosed our patio, so they have lots of room to roam when they’re not being held.

Last Sunday we headed down to Sunset Station for Amtrak’s 40th anniversary celebration.  They had a Chuggington play area for the kids to enjoy, a John Deere model train set up for everyone to watch, one antique train to view, one train set up like a museum that we could walk through and see memorabilia, and one passenger train that we got to tour.  The boys loved it!

This weekend was our scout pack’s Pinewood Derby!  Ben raced his green speedster against all the other Bears and came in 12th out of 14.  Evan raced his lego car against all the other siblings and parents, and came in 7th of 18!

And yesterday, Nathan drove the boys out to Lost Maples for a long hike and picnic lunch.

Something I’ve experienced or noticed these last few weeks….

I have been able to jog the 5.5 mile route three times each week!  It feels SO amazing to be able to do that… and my clothes are starting to fit better.  What a sense of accomplishment!

Ben is a great guinea pig “mommy.”  In the 2+ weeks we’ve had the piggies, Ben has cleaned their cage four times.  He is constantly checking and cleaning their water dish, giving them hay and pellets, and treating them to fresh veggies.  He and I are also giving them lots of love so that they really warm up to being a part of our family.  We are starting to see more of their personality as they’ve gotten more comfortable with us.  And Ben seems to be a little kinder and more affectionate thanks to them.  I’m very happy with our decision to get these pets for the boys (so far).  I even splurged a little bit today and bought the boys some really cute chapter books, all focused around main characters that are guinea pigs!  Can’t wait to read them!

PS- Our fortune cookies from the other day… Evan (Listen these next few days to your friends to get answers you seek).  Ben (Time heals all wounds.  Keep your chin up).  Me (You will soon be crossing desert sands for a fun vacation)!

What a great Christmas with Nathan’s family!

We spent Friday morning hanging out at the apartment.  And then we headed to downtown San Antonio for our riverwalk adventure.

Everyone got all dressed up for our dinner at the Tower of the Americas.  And it was spectacular!  Between the delicious dinner, wonderful service, the boys’ excellent behavior, and the beautiful view, it was a great experience.

Then we walked the river to view all the Christmas lights.  And then headed to the Hotel Valencia to open some presents and spend the night.  The boys got several great gifts from Jenny and the grandparents (lego sets, plus a radio for Ben and a Buzz Lightyear and stuffed dogs for Evan).

Yesterday, we spent the day visiting with more of Nathan’s family at Uncle Andy’s house and playing with all the new toys.  After dinner at El Chaparral, I gave the boys their gifts from me (kids’ baking kits and Christmas cookbooks).  And with aprons on, we spent the evening baking cookies for Santa and reading Christmas stories.

This morning the boys woke up to one HUGE stocking filled with eight lego kits, two kids’ cameras, a Woody doll for Evan, and a monogrammed pocket knife for Ben.  As we spent the morning putting together all the lego sets, I also made CUTE reindeer pancakes.  And then we packed the boys up to head home with Granmom and Papa for a week!

What a great holiday!  We hope you all had a joyous Christmas!!!

PS- Thank you, Larry, Debbie, and Jenny for all the great gifts for the boys.  And THANK YOU so much for the Sea World season passes.  Checked the schedule today… and can’t wait to take the boys when they re-open in February!

A couple of Saturdays ago was Rackpace’s Christmas party.  So we got the boys off to Granmom and Papa’s for the night and watched to see what the weather was going to do.  After seeing temps drop and the rain start, we still braved the outdoors and headed to Fiesta Texas.  After a couple of damp, cold hours, we came back to Boerne for dessert at the Cypress Grille and a movie on the couch (in our pj’s).

On Sunday was Mary’s 8th birthday party.  The boys attended, getting to go to Clay Casa to join in on the fun and paint a piece of pottery.

Ben, Evan, and I attended the scouts Christmas party.  With a huge buffet of food, five craft stations, a cake walk, and Santa to visit, the boys had a great time.

Evan’s school had their Christmas program on their last day of school before the break.  The 3-year-old classes sang “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” and “Do You Hear What I Hear.”  And during this program, he stood to do a little singing, a little dancing, and a little showing off.  And his gift from Ms. Kristyn was a hippo ornament.  So cute!

After Ben’s last day on Friday, we headed to Devine Acres Farm on Saturday.  Breakfast with Santa was pancakes, sausage, and hot chocolate.  Then the boys got to visit with Santa for a while (and ask for lots of Legos).  And then we raced ducks, ran through the hay maze, played on the playground, played washers, took a hay ride, and roasted marshmallows.  Love that place; love that Santa!

Then we finally got around to the boys’ Christmas pics.  Dressed in their new Christmas t’s and pj’s, we did portraits with Santa, in front of the fireplace, and in front of the studio’s new cypress tree.  So cute!

The boys’ first day off was our only day home.  And we spent most of the day in pajamas.

The second day, we picked up lunch from the Sandwich Garden and went to visit Nathan’s work (and slide down their new slide).  And then Ben spent the afternoon at Rackspace with Daddy.

Third day off, we went on our 4th annual trip downtown to watch The Polar Express at the Imax and to have lunch at the Rainforest Cafe.  Lots of fun to have Mandy and Mary join us for the lunch (and safari!).

Fourth day off, we had Marli, Robert, Lillian, and Joseph out for a playdate and to make gingerbread houses.  We had our hands full!  But the kids had a great time playing with each other… and sneaking candy.

My first car was a “boat.”  An old maroon Chevy Impala I bought off my aunt and uncle.  We called it the USS Bierstedt.    It ran; it had a/c and heat.  But thanks to only an am radio, I had to drive around with my boombox and d batteries.  (seriously!)

The high school/college friends that knew me back then would probably remember many trips to the beach or the Flagship in that car.  Memories…

My parents bought my second vehicle.  A cute, little, green Chevy Cavalier.  I was told it was very “me.”  Great used vehicle.  Bad safety ratings.  Started having some problems with it (including not being able to roll down my driver’s side window).  And I wanted something more.

In 2001, Nathan and I bought me a 2002 blue Chevy Silverado.  I was happy!  The perfect color, look, and features I wanted.  Incredibly reliable vehicle.  Hit 100,000 miles a couple of years ago.  Turned 10 years old this month.  And I traded her in yesterday.

What’s next for me? 

Here are pics of me almost exactly ten years ago.  Maybe I’ll post pics tomorrow of my new _____.

Sooooooo crazy busy!

Since the last blog…

We got our family Christmas portraits done!  It was a lot of work to tame my own kids!  But with my dad behind the camera and my mom working to distract the boys and make them smile, we got a handful of great images!  (I was so excited about them, I stayed up way too late that night proofing, editing, and designing our Christmas cards.) 

Next, the boys were out of school for the Thanksgiving break!  With 17 print orders waiting for me to edit, I decided to stay home and work.  But Nathan, Ben, and Evan packed up and headed to Ft. Worth for five days at Granmom Debbie and Papa Larry’s house.

The boys got to visit with family, take the usual wagon rides down the Anderson’s driveway and street, eat Debbie’s wonderful cooking, play in their yard, and take a hike at the nature center.

I spent those days at my computer editing and ordering (watching movies as I worked), running on the treadmill, or catching up on sleep.  It was fabulous!

We had our one tenant at Shutter-Happy move out.  So we decided to take the space.  We spent a few days moving in ”girly” furniture and decor.  It’s now a beautiful room for taking portraits and for clients to pick up their print orders.

I spent a morning with the architect, making all the last decisions and changes.  Seeing some final floorplans, drawings, and room views… I am so exciting to start in on this house.  It’s going to be beautiful.

Saturday was Boerne’s Bah Humbug 5k and Tiny Tim Fun Run.  Emily, Lindsey, and I woke up to drizzle and temps in the 60’s.  We all got dressed and all headed downtown.  When the starting gun sounded, Lindsey took off at full speed, I fumbled with my phone (trying to get my music started), and Emily ran right to her car to go home.  Ha!  Couldn’t help but laugh.  The first 10 minutes were miserable drizzle, but then the weather improved and I got my groove.  Lindsey got first place in our age group!  And they timed me at 34:46.  Not as great as the last one, but good despite my bad start.

And then Ben and Evan were lined up with the other kids for the fun run.  Excitement built as they all got to stand behind the starting line… and then they were off and running!  Ben did well, finishing in the middle of the pack.  And Evan rode in on Nathan’s shoulders after he walked/jogged most of it.

After that in the morning, we headed to Main Street in the evening for the annual Christmas parade.  Thanks to the better-than-usual weather conditions, it was packed.  But we still had fun.

This week’s highlight for Ben was scouts night.  The boys learned how to take care of and use a pocket knife.  They even got to practice whittling on bars of soap.  He thought that was pretty cool.

This week’s highlight for me was taking my employees out for some Christmas fun.  We started at Home Depot to do a little Christmas lights shopping for our new cypress tree we had planted at the studio.  Next, we headed for pedicures.  (I hadn’t had a pedicure in probably six years, so that was a treat!)  Then we had a delicious lunch at the Cypress Grille… and picked up goodies at Candy on Main.  Such a fun day!  Love my girls!

So many ups and downs!

Felt nauseous for a week.  Maybe the stress of moving?

Some fabulous portrait sessions!  Quite a high!

Emily went through the agony of interviewing a bunch of applicants for our marketing position.  Bleh.  And then we picked the perfect person for the job.  Yay!

I finally got the boys to the pumpkin patch.  We had a great time, picked out a few awesome pumpkins for the apartment and studio, and I got one of my favorite pics of them this year!  Isn’t ^that^ cute?!

Scouts had their Halloween event.  Games galore!  And lots of food.

We took the boys to Fiesta Texas for Halloween fun, trick-or-treating, and the rides.

We attended River Mountain Ranch’s trunk-or-treat event, complete with a hay ride, dinner, and lots of games for the kids to play.

And for Halloween, we took the boys to the church’s trunk-or-treat and then walked our old neighborhood to visit with the neighbors and fill up on candy.

We bought Evan his first bike.  Totally skipped the little 12″ wheels and went straight for 16″.  And it has a handle bar that revs.  Very cool!  He loves it.

I got the worst knot in my neck!  Woke up in incredible pain and crying one night.  Two weeks of hurting.  Stress of dozens of print orders waiting on me… and no free babysitting in sight?

Nathan FINALLY finished his classes in Austin and earned his General Management Certification.  Hooray!  Such a great accomplishment; such a relief.

Nathan took the boys for an outing on Saturday.  He treated them to lunch in Fredericksburg.  And then they went and hiked at Enchanted Rock.  I hear Evan did a great job keeping up…. heard they all had fun.

And Sunday, we took them to the South Texas Maize.  The boys shot corn into the field, jumped on the big popper, rode in the barrel train… and we all got lost in the corn field.  And then dinner at Fralo’s was delicious… and fun!  (did you know they’ll give kids pizza dough to play with while waiting for the meal?)

After three weeks off from running, I am back in the groove and feeling good.  (even my knees seem to be okay)  Gearing back up for the 5k in just a few weeks!

Whew!  Highs and lows; ups and downs.  Nothing to do but enjoy the ride.

Tuesday- I had a session, we met with our architect, and Ben had scouts.  In between, we were busy packing the house.

Wednesday- The movers showed up and got a ton of our stuff to the storage units and to the new apartment.  We packed and unpacked.  We cleaned.  We looked back… and the movers didn’t get nearly enough done.

Thursday- I had two more sessions.  Nathan moved a bunch of stuff all by himself.  Had a cleaning company come in to get the house ready for the new family to move in.

Friday- Had some things at the house fixed.  More packing and unpacking.  Highlight was all the facebook messages for my birthday!

Saturday- Nathan, Ben, and Evan walked/jogged Fabra’s 1-mile Fun Run.  Emily, Beth, and I ran the 5k.    Then it was back to errands and unpacking.  Highlight was getting to go out to dinner for my birthday with Marli… and having a margarita!

Sunday- More packing and unpacking.  Two sessions.  Thankfully, Myk came into town to help us get the last of our stuff off the property.

Monday- Signed all the paperwork.  Done!  So tired…. so, so tired.

Okay, so I didn’t have to wait until the 15th to officially run a 5k.  Mission accomplished on the 1st for St. Peter’s 5K and Fall Festival!  Only stopping to take a quick drink halfway through, I jogged the entire route.  Time was 38:09 (not bad for my first time).  Setting a goal to do better on the 15th.

Training until October 15th:

Day 55- October 1- Ran my first 5k in 38:09- 10,005 overall steps
Day 56- October 2- No excercise (in pain)- 3,557 overall steps
Day 57- October 3- 1 hour on treadmill at 3.0mph- 11,023 overall steps
Day 58- October 4- Walked the neighborhood with Evan- 11,654 overall steps 
Day 59- October 5- No excercise (still hurting, too busy)- ? overall steps (no pedometer)
Day 60- October 6- Week Seven, Day Two of C25K- ? overall steps
Day 61- October 7- Walked Curington’s track for Walk a Thon- ? overall steps
Day 62- October 8- No exercise (vacation)- ? overall steps
Day 63- October 9- No exercise (vacation)- ? overall steps
Day 64- October 10- Walked 10 minutes at 3.0mph and jogged 20 minutes at 4.5mph on the treadmill- ? overall steps
Day 65- October 11- Walked 10 minutes at 3.0mph and jogged 25 minutes at 4.5mph on the treadmill- ? overall steps
Day 66- October 12- No excercise (moving)- ? overall steps
Day 67- October 13- No excercise (moving, working)- ? overall steps
Day 68- October 14- No excercise (moving)- ? overall steps
Day 69- October 15- Didn’t feel ready, but ran the 5k in 33:56!!!!!  ? overall steps