Olivia's 5th Birthday Party

Olivia's 5th birthday party was held at And Bounce. Booking the party there was 100% Brian's doing. He came home one day and said that he had reserved a time at And Bounce, and I almost fell through the floor in shock. I was thrilled to have the party there because it is fun and easy for parents. The party theme was "Strawberry Shortcake". Olivia wore my old Strawberry Shortcake costume from when I was a kid. We also had a strawberry flavored cake in the shape of Strawberry Shortcake's head. The first 75 minutes of the party were dedicated to letting the kids play on the bouncy houses. Everyone had a great time and wore themselves out. After the bouncing, we all moved into the party room for cake, ice cream, and gifts. Olivia received all sorts of wonderful things like clothes, Barbie (and Ken) dolls, and dress-up stuff. Brian and I got her a new bike, which she needed badly. I think that I enjoyed not having to set up / clean up as much as Olivia liked having her party at And Bounce. I will officially say that Brian is a genius for booking the party here.

Jacksonville Marine Corps Half Marathon

I'm not sure if this is going to be awesome or if I've totally lost my mind, but I have decided to participate in the "Tri 2B Tuff" challenge this year. It sounds like a triathlon, but it's not (no swimming for this girl). The "challenge" is that participants complete three half marathons in three months. This morning I participated in the first race of the series- the Jacksonville Marine Corps Half Marathon. This race was great from start to finish. The race began at Jacksonville's Vetran's Memorial Wall and ended at Memorial Park. Before the race, there was an opening ceremony and then a cannon fired to start the runners. The course was beautiful and ran along the St. John's river for several of the miles. I could have done without the two bridges, though. Marines were stationed all along the course and they handed out water, gatorade, and GU to the runners. At the finish line there were tanks and other types of military vehicles. Once runners crossed the finish line, Marines (in dressy uniform) put the finisher medal around our necks. I really enjoyed the race a lot. It was a great course with lots of american spirit (flags everywhere) and military participation. The weather was also just perfect for running, and this may have had something to do with my time. I ran the course in 2:02:13. This time shaves eight minutes off of my previous half marathon time. I think that my decision to run through the summer had something to do with my improved time. I also noticed that I was not nearly as tired this time as I was at the Dover Half in June. My legs weren't even all that sore like they were last time.

The Cutest Beds in Town

This post serves as a big Thank You to my Aunt Connie who is the "craftiest" person that I know. From quilting to stamping to creating a cookbook- she can do it all. Over the last several years, she has so graciously made themed pillowcases for Owen's and Olivia's beds. The kids love these and the pillowcases make their beds look so cute. Aunt Connie has also made "I Spy" quilts for both kids and they LOVE these as well. Owen received his in the mail last month and you would have thought that he had just won the lottery. As we were reading our bedtime story tonight, I noticed that all of the pillows and quilts on the bed were those that Aunt Connie had made. I had to take a picture and share. Thank you, Aunt Connie!!!

Julianna Grace

Here are a few pictures of my new niece, Julianna Grace Murray. Julianna was born today at 12:25 p.m. She weighed 7lbs, 15oz and was 21.5 inches long. I am so blessed to have THREE awesome nieces!

Swim Lessons

Olivia began taking swim lessons last month at the YMCA. She loves going to swim practice. On the first day of the session, all of the kids were tested and put into levels. Every kid in her class was a "pike"- which is the absolute lowest level. Olivia worked hard throughout the month and mastered all of the pike-level skills. On the last day of the session, the kids were given medals and Olivia was promoted to "eel". Only two of the five kids were promoted, so Olivia was really excited. The next session of swimming lessons doesn't begin until October, but I'm pretty sure that we are going to continue. Olivia loves it and is making good progress. Here are some pictures of Olivia with her class and with her instructors Mrs. Krystial and Mrs. Rachel.

Owen's Favorite Song

Ladies and Gentlemen: For you entertainment, I present the "Winnie the Pooh" theme song. Performed by Owen Sanders.

Time to "Du" Something New

Last Saturday I participated in the Megan's House Heels and Wheels Duathlon. A duathlon is a run-bike-run event. This particular duathlon had me run 2 miles, bike 13, and then run 2 more miles. I've been thinking about branching out into cycling for awhile, and I'm glad that I finally made the leap. I'm not going to lie, I was more than a little nervous about the biking portion of the race. Thankfully, when I pulled up to the event Mat Boatright (my friend Carrie's husband) was there and he really helped me out a lot. He double checked the air in my tires, showed me how to set my bike up in the transition area, and explained to me everything that I needed to know. I felt so much better after talking to him. The race began, and I started off pretty good. I ran at my max pace for the first two miles, and I transitioned with no problem.... And then there was the bike ride (sigh). Let's just say that it was obviously my first biking event. I did make it through the ride though. The only thing left to do was run two more miles, which I did but with more difficulty than the first two. I finished with a time of 1:28:37, which isn't terrible for a first try. I really enjoyed this event. The biking was a nice complement to the running, and I am hoping to pursue more events that incorporate it.