Woohoo! For real!

I did it!
I ran a marathon this morning!  It was a good experience... kind of in the same way that childbirth is a good experience.  I'm not in a hurry to run another marathon, but I'm glad I did it.  And yes, it hurt.  Still sore actually.
My goal was to finish in 4:30... and I finished in 4:27!  I trained with my sister Janis.  We ran together for about 24 miles.  She beat 4:30 too.  Our brother David ran too.  He finished 7th overall with a time of 2:29:58.  He was thrilled to be under 2:30.  Our brother Dan ran too.  He sort of skipped the training part.  Janis and I passed him around mile 19.  We were all glad that he finished.  My cousin Dawn ran the half marathon.  She finished under two hours. 
I am super-duper tired tonight, so that is all for now.  I'll post pictures later (but not tonight).

WOOHOO!  The marathon is over!

Chicago!

We hit the road this weekend... and we found ourselves back in Chicago!
We spent much of Friday visiting Andy's old work.  Yes, the WHOLE family!  The kids had so much fun!  There was a department lunch in a conference room...with Chicago-style pizza! 
Andy worked with a great group at Jenner.  Everyone welcomed us back.  There were lots of stories and laughter, good eats, some sleeping (June), races (you should see Melissa run in heels!), a little bit of fighting (Alli and Ruby)... but mostly just fun. 

The white board wall was a big hit!

And the typewriter was too much fun!

Of course, being chased was the best!



Check back for more on our Chicago weekend coming soon!

she has a thing for bugs

Ruby is our bug-finder.  She has a special talent for discovering interesting insects.  And she isn't afraid of them at all.  This giant, fuzzy moth was found in our backyard.  It had a damaged wing, so it couldn't get away from Ruby's love... and curiosity.  Ruby got to show this one off to the kids in the neighborhood.  What a treat!

June says...

"I need a tookie!" (and soon after, "More tookie... PEEEEEZ!")
"Call Pa-pa!"
"I want b'eakfast... right... NOW."
"I love you too."
June is using more and more words... everyday she has something new and wonderful to say. 

June pretends to be a monster.  She growls and roars. 

I don't know where that came from.

the lost tooth

Last week as Alli tried to pry open the straw on her water bottle, her tooth popped out!  The trouble was, she didn't know where it went.  We searched the floor and the area around her, but no tooth.  Then I checked inside the straw.  There it was!
Alli took her tooth upstairs to clean it up and get it ready for the tooth fairy. 
As she brushed it, the tooth slipped between her fingers and went down the drain.
Let's just say there was wailing at our house.
When Andy came home from work, Alli was still upset.  Her cheeks were tear-stained and her eyes were puffy.
Andy took the elbow joint off of the pipe under the sink, and there it was!  (Whew.)
Once again, the tooth was cleaned (and sanitized) very carefully.

Alli took her tooth to her cousin's house and to school, but she still hasn't cashed in on it yet... the tooth fairy is waiting.

Labor Day Weekend Recap

A three-day weekend is a lovely thing.  Alli and Ruby kicked off the long weekend with a sleepover at Emma and Eliza's house.  They set up a tent and camped in the backyard.  Andy and I went out on a date.
Saturday was relaxed (except for my long run with my sis).  It was a good family day.
Sunday after church we headed up to my brother's house in Rootstown where we camped out in Dan's yard.

Monday morning came early.  Dan has a rooster, and it crowed when the sun came up... and several other times.  June really liked the chickens, they were about her size.
The best part of camping is camp food!

Sizzlin'.

Frying.
Yes, our eggs were fried in bacon fat. 

The girls liked breakfast.  (Does June's hairstyle remind you of anyone?)  The smell attracted a few cousins too.

Sam and Kat like bacon.
Dan brought out the big toy... and he pulled out a big ol' bush from his yard.  The kids got to ride in the cab of the backhoe.

And in the bucket.

And they took turns driving it.

Ruby looks like a natural.
Andy got a ride too.

How could a day get any better than this?

Well, we went to Grandpa and Grandma's house...

Where the fun never ends...

And cookies are plentiful...

Labor Day is special at grandma and grandpa's house... it is fish fry day!  Uncle Mike and his fishing buddies share the bounty from their Alaskan fishing trip... beer-battered and deep-fried.

We got to see many friends and relatives.  We played and ate and played and ate all day.

And this is how Alli rode home.

For more pictures of the Labor Day party, click here.

another great use for a mustache