First day of school

Awww, aren't they cute? They are getting so big!

Megan just started 3rd grade this year. Megan has a male teacher now, and is really excited. He's a seasoned teacher, and he's really comfortable with his style and laid back. The kids really seem to like him so far. They are even asking him for more homework. He must be a superhero!

Alisha is in her final year of preschool and will be at Megan's school next year. She's really excited to be back at preschool with some friends from last year. It was really cute to see them yelling to each other and running towards each other. She's especially excited for their P.E. time and the teacher Mr. Dave. She actually cried (sobbed) at the end of the school year last year, because she was going to miss Mr. Dave so much. She didn't cry about any of her friends, just him. The kids all think he's hilarious and just love him.

They are so excited to be back in school, and I'm sure will do a great job this year!

Still playing around

I'm still figuring this site out, so bear with me. This summer has been so great so far. It's been incredibly lazy. We have been going to the park, the library, the pool, reading, playing XBox, and just doing what we feel like doing.

A couple of weeks ago, we went to San Diego on a much needed family vacation. Hopefully I can figure out how to upload some pictures here. We went to Sea World and loved it! The shows were just amazing with the dolphins, the sea lions, and of course, the killer whales with Shamu. The girls were just in awe and both want to be dolphin trainers when they grow up. Well, at least Megan does. Alisha just goes along with whatever Megan says. There was a new kid's area with Sesame Street characters, and even a few rides for the littler kids. We also spent some time at the beach and a children's discovery museum. We didn't have an itinerary, we just relaxed and had a good time together.

Are we there yet?

The marathon was a smashing success. We had a great time in Hawaii, and it was definitely needed in more ways than one.

My favorite part was crossing the finish line. I started to cry when I realized that I finally accomplished this goal that I've thought about and wanted to do for close to 20 years. It took a lot of dedication and hard work, and I did it. Running has never come too easily for me. Even now, it's not "natural" and I don't feel like I"have to" run. But I love love love the feeling when I am done. It's a great feeling of accomplishment and overcoming my weakness.

My 2nd favorite part was laying on Waikiki Beach 2 days after the marathon. The weather was perfect. I was laying there and thinking about getting our bags packed, getting to the airport, etc. And I realized how stupid I was. Here I am on one of the most gorgeous beaches in the world, and I'm still not HERE. I shut off my brain, and just enjoyed BEING THERE for the next hour. It was so serene, it was wonderful.

8 days and counting down

The Honolulu Marathon is in 8 days, and counting. I'm running with my friend, and we ran our final long run today. It was so weird to "only" run 8 miles today. We did a 20-miler a few weeks ago, so this was short by comparison. I feel a few panicky moments every now and then, the kind where you wonder what the heck was I thinking 4 months ago when I signed up for this. Yes, I volunteered for this. On purpose.

We are leaving next week for Hawaii, and we are so stoked! We'll be leaving our husbands and kids behind while we go for 6 days. It should be a lot of fun, minus the marathon, of course. But it will be so great when we finish! This is a long-time goal for both of us, and we're excited to get it done. I'm not excited to see the state of the house when we get back. It should be interesting to see how Chris fares with the girls while I'm gone. I'm sure he'll have a new found appreciation for me, at least I hope so.