Race Day

Race day started at 5:00 am. Traffic was unbearable, as 25,000 people tried to get to Tukwila by 7:00 am. To avoid missing the race altogether, we opted to hop out of the car, scramble down a hill of blackberry bushes, and run two miles to the corrals. By the time we reached the starting line, the marathon was well underway. We were waved across the starting line at 7:50 and then we were off.

The race was fantastic. Excitement filled the air as we ran from Tukwila toward the beautiful neighborhood of Seward Park. Locals cheered us on as we ran down those tree lined streets. Soon we headed toward Lake Washington. Running along the grand lake was marvelous. Bands and cheerleaders were stationed every mile. We followed the lake until we reached I-90. Up we went into the express lane tunnel, which was a wild. The last leg of the race took us down through Pioneer Square and ending at Qwest Field.

Emotions were strong as I crossed the finish line. Spencer expressed having the same feelings. We had just completed our half marathon! There was something so spectacular about running with so many others, all with the same goal. Spencer came in at 2:36:44, and I followed at 2:41:43. Thanks to James, Sharon, Sydnee, and Leslie for running it with us. And to Ardie and Sarah for watching our little Van while we ran.

Likes, Dislikes

Likes: Cars

Likes: Hiding toys

Likes: The cameraDislikes: When I have the camera

Worst Idea Ever

Whoever thought it was a good idea to have the Health & Fitness Expo on the same day as a Mariners game was moronic. We were required to pick up our race packets at the expo, located at the Qwest Field Event Center. It took me two hours to get from A to B, which is a distance of one mile.

Date Night

On Saturday night Spencer and I went out on a date, something we hadn't done in a very long time. It felt wonderful to be out with Spencer; just the two of us walking around, holding hands. We saw Pixar's Up that evening, which was marvelous. There was a short film before hand, Partly Cloudy, that I absolutely loved. Take five minutes and watch it here.

Thanks Jake...

For enabling my addiction.

Happy Father's Day

Rain

It's raining and I want to do my run, but I hate running in the rain.

Zombie Walk

Where It's At

El RefrigeradorYogurtFist of Fury

Steps

11 Months

Little Van is just one month shy of his birthday. We've been having a lot of fun this past month and he's been learning lots of new things.

His communication skills are really coming along. He shakes his head, waves goodbye, signs "want", and presents us with his fist when he's frustrated. He has also started to say "uh-oh" and "uh-uh". He likes to play the sharing game, fetch, and peek-a-boo. He's also really into filling and dumping, filling and dumping.

As far as walking goes, he's almost there. We've noticed him doing it independently, without persuasion. He'll get going and then teeter between continuing to walk or dropping down to crawl.

Ciao

Have a nice weekend.

Trikester

This fabulous tricycle you see here is the Trikester, by Trek. My niece Sunny has one and cruises around the neighborhood as if it were a bicycle. It's a really amazing trike; sturdy, maneuverable, sleek. One day when Van is older I hope to get one for him, only his won't be pink like Sunny's.

A New Car

Over the weekend we said goodbye to our old Subaru and traded it in for a new Honda Civic. Crazy, probably. Happy, definitely.

Summertime

...and the livin' is easy.

Summer Movies

Summer. It's that time of year when great entertainment lights up on the big screen. Last year Spencer and I would catch a movie almost every weekend. After grabbing a bite to eat at an OpenTable restaurant, we'd snuggle up on those comfy theater seats and enjoy a couple hours of entertainment and air conditioning (I was eight months pregnant, mind you). This year, however, the only chance we'll have of watching these great summer movies is when they come out on Netflix.

Forest Park

The weather here has been wonderful. On Tuesday we met up with Tracy and the kids at Forest Park. We had a lovely time. I thought Van would love the water, but I was wrong. I let him loose right in the middle of it all and he just screamed; the water was freezing! Poor little guy. Thanks for the pictures Trace!

In and Out

Two new teeth and six poopy diapers.

Bing

Have you tried Bing yet? It's pretty fascinating. The video feature allows you to watch instantly. Simply move your mouse over the thumbnail and bing!

Four

Number of steps Van has taken to date.

...make that six.

Shreddies

For those of you who have never tried Shreddies, you should, it is by far the yummiest cereal I've ever had. Unfortunately, Shreddies is not sold in the United States and I'm going through withdrawals.

Mr. Raccoon

Look who came to visit us this weekend. He insisted on coming inside, but it was too lovely of a day for playing indoors.