Our Shamrock'n Weekend

This past weekend we headed down to Virginia Beach for the Shamrock Marathon and a little fun too!  And, boy did we have lots of fun while we were there!

We headed down Friday afternoon.  It ended up taking us about an hour and a half longer due to traffic.  Gotta love the metro DC area!  We went straight to the Shamrock Marathon Packet Pick up and expo and then went to our hotel.  The boys were so excited about the weekend.

The sunrise view from our room

Saturday, my hubby and J were running in the 8K and A and K were running in the "Children's Marathon".  J and my husband were up early and off to the start.  The great thing about the 8K is that it ran down Atlantic Ave, which is the main street in Virginia Beach (they call it Beach Street USA), and then it runs on the boardwalk.  So, it passed the front of our hotel and the back of the hotel.  A, K and I headed out to watch the race pass our hotel.  It was really fun because I have never seen the start of a race before.  The hand cyclists passed first, followed by people who are a part of Team Hoyt.  So inspirational!  Then came the police cars and the Leprechaun on a bike (it was St Patrick's Day after all) followed by about 10,000 runners.  I loved seeing the elite runners pass by.  They make running fast look so effortless and so graceful.

Cheering on J and my husband on the boardwalk.

After a while, we could finally see my hubby and J coming.  My husband was wearing a Leprechaun like hat which made him easy to spot since he is already 6'3" without a 1 foot tall hat!  We gave hi-fives and then headed to breakfast, then caught them again on the boardwalk a little while later.  I am so proud of J!  He ran so well considering he barely got to train for this race!

The view of the 8K from our hotel room

Next up, was A and K for the Children's Marathon!  My hubby ran with A and I followed K.  K is so fun to watch run.  He just beams with excitement!

Focused determination before his race!

A view of the finish line

The rest of the day was spent on the beach and at the indoor pool at the hotel.  K and J loved playing in the waves.  They are brave kids.  The water was so cold!!  Later that day we went to mass and then to dinner and headed back to the hotel for the night.

As close as A would get to the ocean . . . smart boy!

Sunday, I took a little 26.2 mile run around Virginia Beach. (A separate post on that is coming soon).

Monday morning, the weather was PERFECT.  We were drawn to the beach by a passing aircraft carrier and then got to see a pod of dolphins!!  J proclaimed that it was the best moment of his life!  The boys played in the waves some more, and then, of course, we had to use the indoor pool one more time before we checked out of the hotel.  After check out, we took one more walk along the beach to see the statue of Neptune and the sand sculptor from the race before we got in our van to come home.

aircraft carrier

Not the best picture of the dolphins. But you can see them.  I took this one after running down the beach to try to get a shot after they swam away from where we were.

The medals from all our races!

We had a great weekend!  And we loved every minute of it!

You know you have boys when . . .

Does it seem that you mysteriously have less knives in your silverware drawer?

Are some of your large spoons and kitchen utensils missing?

Check your boys' favorite dirt hole in your backyard.  You will find them there.

Wordless Wednesday - Running with my posse

You know you have boys when . . .

Chicken wings are named after weapons.

(overheard at out dinner table tonight)

"Mom, can I trade in my club for a pistol?, " asks my 5 year old.

K with his two "pistols"

Top 10 signs that you are experiencing taper madness and it is race week

So, it is race week.  Taper madness is in full swing and I am stressed, nervous and anxious.  Yes, it is race week and I am exhibiting all of the signs below!

1.  Your runs have become so short and you are running so little that you seriously doubt your ability to run anything more than a 10K.

2. You visit weather.com more than any other website.  You know the race city's 10-day forecast by heart and you notice when it changes, hourly.


3. You are obsessing giving a lot of thought to race day fuelling. You have tried the SPI belt, a handheld water bottle, gels, chews, and regular food and although you have a plan of what to use, you spend hours deliberating what is best.

4. You have visited the Runner's World "What to Wear" planner as much as you have visited weather.com.

5. You are convinced that the muscle twitch, soreness, or twinge in the knee is something major and you will be limping across the finish line (that's if you finish).

6.  You dream about the race, nightly.

7. You tend to bring up running or marathon training in most conversations you have.

8. You feel like a slacker when you see the dailymile leader board and you are not even on it anymore.

9.  You stay away from anyone (even your own child ;-)) who is ill or has been in contact with anyone who has been ill.  (No sickness will take you out so close to race day).

10. You have 3 different race day outfits planned. You know, just in case weather.com is wrong!

St. Joseph Novena

The St. Joseph Novena starts today and goes until St Joseph's Feast Day, March 19th.  Check out the Novena prayer here and pray it with me.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

Great Running Shirt Giveaway

Slow is the New Fast and Cute Running Shirts are teaming up and giving away this Run Luck running tee . .

Perfect for anyone running a Shamrock run for St. Patrick's Day!  Hurry on over to Slow is the New Fast because the giveaway ends Monday (so you can have it by St. Patrick's Day!)

Regret

Just had to share.

Kony 2012 and helping the children

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.


This video has been showing up all over the Internet the last few days.  It comes from Invisible Children. Please take the time to watch it.  It is truly sad what is happening in Central Africa.  The more I read about the plight of children all around the world, the more my heart aches for children like these.  My husband asked me recently why I have such a heart for orphans.  I had to think about it.  Yes, it is scriptural and as a Catholic, the daily mass readings have reminded me over the recent weeks that we are to answer the orphan's plea. But it is more than that.  I think it is because I am a mom.  And, as a mom, I know my heart would break if my children were in same situation as the children in the above video.  And as in the 147 million orphans around the world.

And, naturally, I think, what can I do?  These children are half a world away.  I am a busy mom to 3 boys whom I homeschool.  What can I do?  There are many moms that have answered that call already.  And I am amazed at all that women just like me who have heard the cry of the orphans and have responded. Some have adopted.  Some have gone on mission trips.  Others run for the cause.  And many start organizations to help the orphans. To feed the orphans.  To visit the orphans.

I know I have mentioned one of these before, but I just have to share again the organizations that have my heart right now:

1. 147 Million Oprhans.  They raise money for adoptive families.  They organize mission trips to feed orphans.  And, it was all started by two busy moms.

2. Team Orphans. This is charity running.  Running and racing to raise money for orphans or families that are adopting.

2. Visiting Orphans.  I heard about this group through one of the adoption agencies we were looking at.  They organize mission trips to touch the lives of the orphans in 11 different countries.  They are an AMAZING group trying to do their part to answer the call to take care of the orphans.  If you do not feel called to a mission trip, you can donate or buy a cute t-shirt to support the cause!

 Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!

Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow.

                               Isaiah 1:10, 16

  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

                                                                                                             James 1:27

One Thousand Gifts

 


a daffodil blooming in February!?!
Mardi Gras with friends
king cake
a compliment
Bingo
the fun the boys have with Hungry Hungry Hippo
St Pius sodality for making Bingo special for the kids
another compliment
roses that still linger
a glass of wine
boy laughter
Trader Joe's
 a bouquet of sunshine in my home, from my flower beds and it is still February!
the smell of daffodils int he home
warmed up by boys crowding me while reading
texts from hubby
sunshine
stations in the AM with my boys
a quiet morning
boys who sleep in
meringue
perfecting my "home school blinders"
a long, but productive day
Patrick Henry's speech and my 8 yr old working so hard to memorize it
getting all items up for sale
warm weather
playing outside
the newness of old toys
1st Friday mass
Trader Joe's
a full day
my hubby watching the boys and strolling around Lowe's for 2 hours!
a yummy breakfast
seeing friends at mass
getting the counter top ordered
dinner with family
chocolate cakes
a good workout
Dixie cup icers
resting my legs
the boys helping each other do school
getting the sink and faucet ordered
(gifts 621-663)