1648th Place and so so SORE

I got home today from my weekend trip to Las Vegas where I ran my first half marathon with my sister Shawna. I may not have won (sorry to disappoint Sarah), but I survived and crossed the finish line, and suppose that is all that truly matters!! The overall experience was really good and am glad to have it crossed off my list . . . next up . . . the FULL marathon. Yikes!! After Sunday and crossing that finish line, I couldn’t imagine having to turn around and do the course all over again, but maybe with some hardcore training, I would live through it too?? I sure hope so.

I am new to this Marathon thing but I imagine the participants in Vegas are a little more costumed-up, than participants in any other city. The "entertainment" and people watching along our run was quite enjoyable and really helped pass the time. . . Elvises (and Elvas??woman), Fat Santas and skinny Santas, sleezy dresses, feather boas, green tutus, corners filled with peeing men?? . . . . There are definitely some crazy people in this world and I think 99% of them venture in Las Vegas. Our course even featured a run-through wedding chapel . . . Only in Vegas right??

My goal was to finish in under 2 hours (1 hour, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds would have been acceptable) . . .sadly, I missed it by just a hair . . . my final time was 2 hours, 1 minute, and 44 seconds (and my sister Shawna, who supposedly wasn’t as trained as I, finished 11 seconds before me! BLAH). I would like to believe that changing a few factors that morning would have eliminated that extra 104 seconds (waking up at 4:50AM after a sleepless night on a deflated air mattress, weaving in and out of walking participants and slow runners (20,000 people on one road makes for a crowded mess) those first couple miles, stopping to pose with my kiddos along the course, a couple too many crowded water stops, and not knowing the course - I swear the last .2 miles had 12 corners to turn- where the heck was that finish line!!) but overall, I am very happy (especially to be DONE)!!

Mom and the kids drove out with me to Shawna's house in Vegas on Saturday (we wanted some sideline cheerers) and Molly flew in to Vegas on Sunday morning after our race. The weekend was fun and fairly relaxing (with exception of the Sunday morning run)!! We bowled, ate, went to the movies, played games, hobbled in pain, and napped a lot!! It was fun to see Shawn's new house and town and spend time together.

Finding Jesus . . .

Happy December. . . I have been promising this post and hope it helps remind everyone what's important during this magical time of year . . . . The true meaning of Christmas finally clicked for my Cayden this year and he is constantly reminding me that his favorite part of Christmas isnt the presents but spending time with our family and celebrating Jesus!! He so gets it, and I couldnt be prouder!! This last weekend we started decorating the house and made a trip to Lowes to add something to our outdoor lighting collection. The isles were filled with singing reindeers, dancing santas, flashing trees, and giant inflatable Christmas this and Christmas that! Not interested in any of it, Cayden pulled my arm and insisted we find something with Jesus . . . We have to find Jesus mommy!! He looked and looked and came to this "lovely" 3 foot carving of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus . . . he was in awe . . . Mom, we have to get it!! This woman had been watching me and my little regilious boy and gave a little chuckle and smile as she waited to hear how I was going to get out of buying this decorative "tree trunk" (she too saw how beautiful it was).
Luckily my quick thinking was with me, and I explained that we were looking for outside decorations today, and this was clearly an inside piece (hideous I might add) that we may come back later (actually NEVER) to buy. Phew . . . the excuse worked and we left with some cute little glittery snowmen, and I didnt really give the outting a second thought.



So a few days pass and I find myself in the Christmas section of Kohls with the kids, and again, Cayden begins his quest to find Jesus! Within minutes he runs up to me and is SUPER excited with his find and pulls it from behind his back . . . can I get it mommy, pleeeease?? . . . I'll think about it honey, maybe if youre good (thats usually my answer to everything and definitely bought me some much needed time with this one). From behind his back he pulled this shiney, tacky, cheap, large . . . the right words to explain are not coming to me. . . ornament of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus! My tree is far from beautiful but I kind of have a color scheme and theme going on, and this ornament was just not going to fly. We wandered the section for a while longer, and it finally hit me. . . here my 6 year-old (wild and crazy boy) is begging for an ornament of Jesus, how can I possible deny him this (and I admit a bit fearful that we may come across a giant inflatable nativity scene, that I am unable to get out of, at the next store)?? so I give him the good news and of course he is so excited. . . SO excited that. . . . the beautiful ornament goes crashing to the ground (I was being rewarded for my clarity on the subject)!! He gives me that puppy dog face and I assure him we will find another (totally stoked knowing that there is no way we are going to find another one in this horrible mess of ornaments) Aubrey and I offer him "classier" manger scenes, but he searches and searches and finally finds his ornaments "home," and lucky for me, there are 2 left :) YEAH!! His face is cheerful again, and late for a party, we rush to the front of the store to make our final purchase. But the story doesnt end there . . . the lines are super long and as soon as I get to the front. . . . CRASH!! Ornament #2 becomes pieces on the ground. . . . sad faced, but late for the party we purchase the other items and go on our way.

So in an attempt to make a long story short . . . .yesterday we return to Kohls (knowing for sure that last ornament would still be there - who else would possible want it). . .I detoured Cayden to the bathroom and Aubrey found ornament #3, hid it in our cart . . . Cayden was sad when he saw the last one is gone. . . . I paid and we were on our way (yes, without the ornament crashing to the ground)! We got home and I really, really, really wanted to give it to him but this year I began doing the 24 days of Christmas for my kids and knew this would make an excellent present (especially following a morning of decorative tissues that were definitley not a hit on day #3) so had to wait til this morning to see his face (needless to say he LOVED it and was so surprised)!! Thanks Cayden for helping me remember what Christmas is all about :)