Atlanta Half Marathon

Finish Line

Well Deserved Hugs

I made a goal to run in the Atlanta Half Marathon on Thanksgiving morning and despite not being as prepared as I wanted to be, I ran it anyway. I had about a million excuses circling my brain but really felt like I needed to complete my goal. Gratefully, there was gorgeous weather and I finished the race just after 9am and in time to head up for the turkey shoot. Thinking about seeing my family waiting for me at the finish line kept me chugging along.
Jackson and Kate had even made me a big sign that said "GO MOM" and they were so excited for me to see it. When Jackson finally did see me he told his Dad, "I think Mom could have won the race". How cute is that? The faith that children have in their parents is powerful (misguided at times but powerful). :)
I am looking forward to the next race and am trying to convince Jason to run one with me. We'll see...These pictures were taken mintues after the race, hence the very rosy face.

Turkey Shoot

Turkey Dad

The Crew

On a mission

Left overs

For Thanksgiving we went up to the Puzey's home in Cumming, GA. with our good friends the Andersons. We always have fun when the mass of us get together and this was no exception. The Puzeys have this fun tradition of having the Dad's dress up like turkeys and the kids taking their turn at whacking them to bits with paintballs. It was such fun (for the kids that is)! After that excitement we had a wonderful meal and the kids enjoyed playing all afternoon.
Although the Dads are still nursing their welts and bruises I think that they too had a great time. Here are some pictures of the fun event. Can't wait until next year!

You've Got to be Kidding Me!!!

Buckle Fracture

Hugging the Wall

Jackson Skating

Jackson and his Buds

Well, Jackson's last day with a splint on was Thursday. Boy was he excited too. He even participated in PE on Friday and his coach said that it was so good to have him back.
So, on Saturday we went to an ice skating party for Jackson's friend Zoe. I was getting ready to post the cutest pictures of the kids from that day. It was the first time that Jackson and Kate had gone skating and they had a blast! Jackson fell a couple of times and cried that his wrist hurt but it wasn't very impressive and I thought he'd feel better with time. Well...last night he woke up crying telling me that his wrist hurt. Today I had to work in the ER so I had Jason bring him in for an x-ray and sure enough he broke his wrist! It is a buckle fracture (not nearly as big of a deal as the last break) but he will have to get another cast for 4 weeks. Poor guy!!!
I decided to post the cute pictures anyway and the new x-ray. Hopefully he'll be out of this cast by Christmas...

The Comeback Kid

After missing 7 weeks of the fall soccer season due to his broken arm Jackson made it back for the last 3 soccer games. The boys had learned a lot during his hiatus and Jackson had to work hard to try and catch up with his teammates. He ended up having a great final game though. As luck would have it, he will be able to play with the same crew in the spring. Here are a few shots of his last game.
When the coach gave Jackson his trophy he said that it was for "Jackson - The comeback kid".

Siding

Back of the house

Where the porch will go

Great room

They began putting the siding up last Thursday and now the back of the house and sides are nearly complete. I think the siding on front of the house will be completed tomorrow. I have chosen a color for the house and will test a small patch out next week. That task has been the most challenging of them all for me. It's a big commitment.
Not too many more decisions to make at this point. I have to choose the type of stone for the front porch, pillars and fireplaces. I also have to choose interior colors. I am having a friend with an interior design backround help with that though. I'll post some pictures of the front in the next few days.

Windows and More

We are very excited with the progress on our home. We have the plumbing, electricity, windows and staircases in. It is so much fun walking around and envisioning moving back in. The inspections have been happening this week and I think that next week they are going to start working on sheetrocking and putting up the exterior. Now I have to choose the tile and paint colors. Pretty fun!

Our Little Gobblins

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

We had such a good time last night with the kids! This year Jackson begged me to dress up so I finally caved. It usually isn't my thing but I tried to get into the spirit of it and ended up having a lot of fun. Jackson and Kate especially liked my black eye make-up. They said it made me look spooky. Next year Daddy has to step up too.
This was the first year that I didn't help to choose Jackson or Kate's costumes. Jackson really wanted to be Luke Skywalker but we couldn't find a costume in his size so he settled for Obi-Wan Kenobi. He especially liked wielding the lightsaber and torturing his sister with it. There was no question in Kate's mind that she would be the little mermaid. Her favorite part of the costume was her sparkly shoes, until they kept coming unlatched all evening. Ava's peacock costume was the cutest thing I'd ever seen and looked even cuter on her. Her little tail even bobbled up and down when she walked. I am quite sure that I took a hundred pictures of Ava last night. Too bad she'll be too big for it next year...

Pumpkin Carving Fun

Family Shot

Look at those pumpkins!

Too cute

This was the best shot of the crew

We had a fun family night on Monday with our good friends the Hatch Family. It was kind of late in the month but we had to get those pumpkins carved before Halloween. Jackson chose the bat and of course Kate wanted the "Kitty". She is all about Hello Kitty these days. Who knew a butternut squash could be carved? Troy is a man of many talents! A great time was had by all as usual.