Not Quite as Planned

Well, we took part in our Duathlon and Triathlon...sort of.

The day started right on time....4:30am we awoke, loaded bikes, and arrived at the race center promptly at 6am.

It was cold, rainy, windy, and very gray....but we courageously unloaded bikes, set them up in the transition area...and waited.

And waited some more. And as we waited snow began. And eventually we were told no volunteers were showing up.

I don't blame them. If I hadn't paid an entrance fee, I don't know if I would have shown either!

By 7am we could hardly see a block down the road because of the snow.

We stood in the sleet/snow/slush for almost an hour...and finally were ushered into the aquatic center.

After another 45minute wait, we were told that the officials had driven the course and found the roads to be too unsafe visibility-wise and too slippery to do the bike part of the race.

Our Duathlon we had trained for was shrunk down to a 5km run.

A part of me was a wee bit relieved. The other 90% was extremely disappointed.

And those doing the triathlon were now to do an "aquathon"....a swim and run only.

Flashes of my training popped up in my head. All the early mornings.

All the Saturday morning bike rides when I could have slept in.

But run we did.

And the younger 2 boys did their Aqua-thon:

Our Medals:

My First Medals ever:

It didn't go quite as planned...but our motto for the day was "It's all about the experience"....whatever that may end up being.

And of course...it's about the faces....er...memories,

like these:

We have one month to go now until the "real huge" Triathlon.
And I am pretty sure(?) we won't have snow the end of June.

Although, it seems things never go quite as planned....

Rainy Day...again

Finding myself wanting to do this, on yet another rainy day....

sit by the fire

lay out and relax

have some sugar and spice

curl up into a ball

cuddle

sit by the fire some more

hang out with people i love

eat

Another rainy day.

With this constant gray weather,

I may just gain a few extra pounds.

(Does it count for as many "bad calories" if they're whole

wheat Sin-ammon Buns....?)

Have a Happy Weekend everyone!

~contentedness~

Contentedness will not come from being more organized, sleeping longer, being a better wife or friend or mother, having a better home, having more time to yourself, or whatever it is you think might help.

(Although I was pretty content here:)

Contentedness is learned in the process of daily accepting life as God gives it to you, and adjusting your expectations to life's limitations.

~Seasons of a Mothers Heart, Sally Clarkson

Tri -Update #3

Our Team

(Do I need to point out who the "class clown" might be...?)

Well...it's almost here.

Back HERE (TRY-athlon) was the start of our training.

And now this weekend, 2 of them will be in their first ever triathlon.

(The "BIG" one is end of June, but this weekend still holds pretty huge for me.)

I will get to cheer my team on, and see if their "training plan" was sufficient to keep them moving and actually finishing this event.

Our totals of training thus far are as follows:

116 miles of running

67 miles of biking

48 km swimming

(warm up before swim training)

For me, this weekend is already causing butterflies. And not the good kind.

I will be in my first ever Duathlon.

It's a 3km run followed by a 26.7km bike ride, ending with another 3km run.

I thought it sounded a bit easier than a full triathlon as there is no swimming involved. (And honestly, I've never liked running around in public with wet hair:))

My only consolation is that my 15 year old son agreed to the race along with me. I like the idea I won't be "alone" out there.

I don't care so much as to where I place.

 My goal: I would only like to finish intact and still being able to move.

Throughout high school I wasn't what you would call "athletic". Sure I tried out for volleyball, the cross-country running team, and even badminton.

But the "B" Team in Volleyball was the closest I could ever get to the "A" Team.

During the 2 entire cross-country runs I managed to complete, one ended in hyper-ventilating and a brown paper bag stuck on my face, and the other I came in 2nd last of about 87 kids.

Badminton...Well...let's just say I am know as the "partner to never partner up with" during a badminton tournament.

My specialty was the Javelin Throw....2nd in the entire county during Track and Field Day.

That sport has not taken me all that far in life:)

I guess as I got older I decided I need to find "my sport"...or something I LOVED to do and didn't feel I had to do it. As with anything in high school or those years of "growing up".....I think I felt I needed to prove what I could do. To others.

Now...I just want to prove I can do it for myself.

And to be an example of "not quitting" to my kids...even if I do come in 2nd last during a run:)

A huge inspiration to me has been a friend out there who took up running, and encouraged me to try 5 and 10km races. HER next run is a full marathon....ah, maybe her inspiration will stop here:)

(Good luck N on your upcoming marathon by the way:)

I think I had better get out there and run a bit.

I am making myself a bit more nervous and I only have 3 days left.

Happy day to you all, and may you finish whatever you have started!

Even if you finish holding a paper bag on your face!

:)

Bad Hair Day

This is how i felt waking up at 4:15 this am.....

You know the kind of day where you- or something- just doesn't seem right?

Nothing  goes quite according to schedule...a little off?

Including the hair.

(Hair model found by Corben at a greenhouse we shopped at today:))

Work took a little longer.

The kids seemed a little slow with things.

The weather seemed like it should be warm but the wind knocked everything over and picked empty bags of potting soil and used them as kites.

Vehicles were mixed up. (long story)

Rowing schedules changed. Then changed again.

It wasn't a bad day...just off.

I did manage to get a LOT of my newly purchased perennials and other flowers and vines planted throughout all the chaos......

CANDY CORN VINE

(have you ever seen this before? I LOVE candy corn...and couldn't pass this one up!)

Annual flower pots...

boots worn by my firstborn when he just learned to walk.

Lots of new things in flower beds.

My favorite.

And just as soon as I had the last one planted in the ground...and the second last one in it's pot....I was informed by 2 different people that there is a frost warning tonight.

As I look out my window and see an almost full moon, a very clear sky, and the cold air comes in my slightly open window...I sigh.

4:15 am was a very long time ago.

And now...if I want to be sure of the safety of my (slightly overpriced) investment of blooms, I feel I must go out into the dark armed with old sheets and pails to cover them all for the night.

It was a good day.

I just can't wait until it's over:)

Books+Rain+Me

There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away,

Nor any coursers like a page of prancing poetry.

This traverse may the poorest take

Without oppress of toll;

How frugal is the chariot

That bares a human soul.

~ Emily Dickinson

When I was little and in elementary school, we had IRT, or: Independent Reading Time.

THAT was my favorite "subject"...and even when it was Math, or Spelling, or Science Time...I always seemed to have a book hidden somewhere on my lap hiding under my desk to steal a few lines here and there when the teacher wasn't looking.

I remember reading so much when I got home from school my mom had to ban me from reading- at least until I actually did my chores. I used to used to visit the library more than the playground at recess time. And of course there were the times of hiding under covers with the flashlight and my new book, or even sitting in the closet til all hours of the night, having dragged my lamp into the cramped space with me.

As time carried on, marriage happened, kids came, along with every day routine, and I find my reading time has diminshed somewhat.

But today! Today it is raining and windy and gray. And I have a couple of books waiting here on the coffee table begging to be picked up and devoured. Today would be a good day to read....my chores may have to wait for a bit:)

I have been told that what you do in moderation- your kids will do in extreme. These are actual pictures of my kids as I have found them throughout the past few months. They have a reading bug that I find a BIT annoying at times- especially when there are chores to do! But I can say I understand.....:)

Here we are walking to our vehicle through  the parking lot after a swim one day....I turned to find Ben like this:

Corben....who could not stand to read just a few months ago:

Trying to get them to come in and eat:

Happy Day to you, friends!

(and maybe some happy reading in there too)

If tomorrow was Guaranteed...

If tomorrow was guaranteed,
it wouldn't matter if I called my friend today to see if she was doing ok.
If tomorrow was guaranteed,
it wouldn't matter so much if my spouse and I left for work with unkind words spoken and hanging in the air between us.
If tomorrow was guaranteed,
it wouldn't matter if I did the laundry instead of catching butterflies with my son.
If tomorrow was guaranteed,
it wouldn't matter if I turned down the offer of a walk or lunch with a loved one, in order to wash the floors.
If tomorrow was guaranteed,
it wouldn't matter if I stopped in to hold my new baby nephew for a few hours.
If tomorrow was guaranteed,
it wouldn't matter if I upheld a positive attitude or good example in carrying out the duties of my day.
If tomorrow was guaranteed,
it wouldn't matter so much if I went to bed with a bit of frustration in my heart towards a dear friend....
Because I would always have tomorrow to make it all right.

But I don't.
We don't.
None of us have a guarantee of tomorrow.

Do what you can today, with the hope of tomorrow in your heart.
But act in every situation like today may be the last day you have with a friend or loved one.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

unless....

Unless you try to do something beyond what you have mastered,

you will not grow.

~C.R.Lawson

Strawberry Patch-Work

Saturday we all (6 of us) spent doing yard work. That has NEVER happened before....usually it's me with a few of the kiddos. But it seemed to be a LOT more fun with all of us there this year...and we got a whole LOT more done than usual too:)

The guys cleaned out the disastorous shed......and killed too many mice for my liking. I am now scared to enter the shed for fear of a mouse retaliation.

Our Garden Planting:

And all 6 of us worked together in cleaning up my Strawberry Patch which has/had been overtaken by grass....Which makes me wonder? WHY does grass only grow well in the places you don't want it to?

Whenever there was a complaint I just had to remind them of strawberry jam, strawberry pie, strawberry shortcake, strawberries and ice cream......

ahhh...I love the summer, even with all the jobs it brings with it:)

I'm off to finish weeding...

Sunday Afternoon

I love Sunday afternoons....the one day out of the entire

week I don't feel guilty for not working.

So today, Corben and I did this:

And then I walked through my yard and found these:

And these...

And now it's back to work on Monday.

It's nice to have Sunday afternoons in my head throughout the week.

And only one more week until the next one:)