Summer Has Started

It is official, it is summer at our house.  Payton had her last day of her first year in preschool yesterday.  It is bitter sweet.  I am excited for summer.  Can't believe my baby has finished her first year in preschool.  It is crazy how much has changed since her first day.  Next year she will be in 3 days of preschool instead of only 2.  Then off to Kindergarten.... I can't even think about that because that just sounds crazy.  I can't possibly almost have a child in Kindergarten. Right?

Well for now we just get to enjoy the summer because I know it is going to fly by. 

Payton's first day of preschool

 Payton's last day of preschool

Mother's Day weekend

I started Mother's Day weekend with a bang.  Friday Mitch took off work to surprise me for my birthday.  He was home so we got an extra family day together, which is rare for us.  It was so nice just to hang out.  He had arranged for our families to come over that night for dinner to celebrate my birthday.  An added surprise was my Aunt and Uncle happened to be in town from Indiana. It was a great dinner, my husband is a great cook.  If he only got home from work earlier he would make all our meals.  Hey it doesn't hurt to dream, right?

We enjoyed a wonderful grilled pork, grilled vegetables and a couple of different salads.  To top it off ice cream cake of course! My favorite!  We ate after the boys were in bed so we all got to sit together with no interruptions.  That in it self is a treat.  I usually eat dinner standing at the counter as I serve the my 3 little garbage disposals. 

Saturday enjoyed my running with the cows race.  That afternoon we went to Carrie's open house.  She is graduating high school which is so hard to believe.  Now keep in mind this is my little Carey the little Carey that I have watched since she was born just about.  I have been on nearly 8 family vacations and still picture her as this sweet, little curly haired 5 year old. I am so proud of her and can't wait to hear all about the next adventure she is entering, college. OK, that is all I can say or I will get all sentimental.

 Saturday evening we got together with some of our friends and enjoyed some wine and great company. The gusy played ladder gulf and the girls got to visit. Which is what I do best.  It was the perfect way to celebrate my day and enter into Mother's Day.  One of my gifts was getting to go to sleep that night and wake up in my own bed.  It was great not coming home from work and getting ready for church.  Mitch made pancakes for us all, another favorite.  We went to church and wanted to have a picnic after.  The boys were tired and not in the mode so we came home and had lunch instead. We all rested while they napped and then we went to play at the park for a bit.  The weather was beautiful and we had a blast.  The kids gave me their card so beautfuly constructed by Payton, which I love.  The boys added a touch of color.

I love being a mom and there was no better way to spend the day then just being with my family.  It was nice not to run around crazy, which is our usual schedule.  Looking at my 3 beautiful children makes me smile each and every day. 

My mom with her 30 year old daughter

the fam 

 my ice cream cake!!! YUM

 the grandma gifts for Mother's day

 charm braclets with the kids birth stones and initials

 the wonderul Murguia girls, my second family

my wonderful blessings

 my babies

my Cooper

 my Cohen

 my girl

 I love it when we catch a good smile

 My mom

Running With The Cows

Sounds like fun, doesn't it?  Well it is not what it sounds like.  On Saturday, my birthday, my friends Erin, Hil, and I ran a half marathon.  It was titled Running with the Cows.  We didn't actually even see any cows, but there were a lot of beautiful horses.  The scenery was breath taking and the weather was perfect.

It has been years since I trained for  my last race, the Chicago marathon, and it was the pre-baby period.  It was time to do something for myself.  After talking with my girlfriends we decided that we would be able to train and complete a half marathon.  We looked into races around our area and it just so happened this race was on my birthday.  It was perfect timing really, it was just enough time for us to train.  We didn't actually train all that efficiently but with 3 kids can't expect much more.  I was lucky to get one run in during the week and then we would all do our long runs on Saturday morning. 

We were off to a great start for the first 9.5 miles. I learned something new during this race.  You can get motion sickness while running.  I know sounds crazy right? The race was down and back so once the runners started passing us going the opposite direction it hit me. I felt a wave rush over me and I knew it wasn't going to be good. It felt like I was riding a bus, and for those of you who know me I don't ride buses unless medicated.  So I got extremely light headed and dizzy.  Not much fun while running let me tell you. I had to lay down for a minute because I thought I was going to pass out. At that time I told Erin to leave so I didn't slow her down.  Thank goodness she listened or I would have felt awful.  Hilary pulled a head of the two of us from the beginning.  I got it together after a couple of minutes and then continued.  I will know to take Dramamine if I do another down and back race. 

I also learned what the term rolling hills means.  Originally the race was a stated it was a flat race.  Then it changed to rolling hills.  Well I usually run on FLAT pavement.  Rolling hills hurts.  My legs could still feel it 3 days later.  All in all it was great fun and so much fun to do with my friends.  Even turning 30 can't slow me down.  My time ended up 2:15. 

I had a great start to my birthday and learned a few things along the way.  It just shows you are never to old to learn!!

almost to the finish line, Payton came out to join me across the finish line.

 My running girls!

 Payton's playing with noodles

 My family out to support momma

 All of our families!! What great Dad's to bring the kids to see mom

 Gotta have a pic with the cow

Entering the Next Decade

I got to spend 5 days with 3 of my best friends.  We have been through a lot of years together and mid April we took a trip to celebrate turning 30 together.  This year we all turn 30, yes I know it is so hard to believe because we all look so young.  It is true we are actually 30, well almost.  I just turned 30 a couple of days ago, and Stephanie and Kristin have another month or so.

The four of us went on our senior spring break together in Mexico.  While we were there we joked saying it would be fun to go on a trip again when we turned 30 or something.  Thinking how far away that actually seemed.  Well here we are folks turning 30.  So we went on a girls only weekend.  No husbands, no children, no responsibility.  We decided to go to Cabo. We wanted to catch up with each other, catch up on sleep, and catch some rays.  We did accomplish everything on our list.

We had so much fun together, Laura had suggested we all get a day to celebrate "your birthday." That person decided where we were eating that night and got to make a birthday wish for the day.  It was a nice way to celebrate each of us individually, on top of getting free dessert every night.  That was just an added bonus!  Except for one night when Kristin's dessert they brought out was flan.  Have you ever had flan?  OMG that was nasty.  Stephanie didn't seem to mind she ate it but the rest of us, NO way.

We went to bed around 9-9:30, slept like babies in our 2 full sizes beds. I think I woke up a little bit close to Laura a couple of times.  I am used to a king size bed and like my space while I sleep.  We ran or did yoga in the morning.  Yoga was great considering Laura and Steph are yoga instructors.  We did some spectators along the beach while our class was going on.  Then it was pool time.  We read our books, or talked and got plenty of sun.  Enjoyed happy hour and chips and salsa each day by the pool. We even enjoyed 2 massages on the beach.  Having baby oil rubbed all over you and listening to the waves crashing around you under a tent. AWESOME.

We had a great time! I am extremely lucky to have such a great husband that too off work and stayed home with the kiddos.  I was able to relax and feel good knowing Mitch was at home with our babies.  I was able to face time with them so I could say good morning and good night.  The boys would fight over who actually had the phone in front of them because they both wanted to see me.  I came home feeling rested and a new woman.  I know he had a great time seeing them and getting to go to swim lessons and participate in the events that usually happen while he is working. 

It was a great trip and hopefully we will be able to do it again, maybe 40?

view from our room

 Steph and I our first night out

 Kristin and me heading out for dinner

 our first dinner, it was great

 night 2 at the pinata store!

 with the fire dog at the fire station

 3rd night, drinks before dinner

 Steph's bday night

 cute sleeping seal

 karaoke bar, our last night

 Laura's bday dinner

 Steph doing yoga pose

 our body guards

 yes we all can fit, poor driver

 yes Laura and her el burro!

 on our way to marriage and divorce beach

 our yoga teachers, can't everyone do that?