Bucket List

I am NOT a runner! Never have been. I'm convinced my body was not meant to be hurled through space at any sort of speed for any given amount of time. God gave me legs to get me from point A to point B...that's it! But after my mom was diagnosed with Lymphoma last December, I wanted to do something for a disease I can't do anything about.

After a couple days of researching, I found out that the American Cancer Society has marathons spread throughout the country...one of which conveniently was held in Seattle (where my sister, Michelle, lives). I called my mom & sister, proposed we train and do a 1/2 marathon together, and before we knew it, we were registered.

This past Wednesday, my mom & I flew out for a long weekend in Seattle...with the culmination being on Saturday morning as we started our first 1/2 marathon together. 13.1 miles...doesn't sound like a lot, but track it in your car...it's a lot longer than you would think. And even though it was long, we got some great sights along the way...from Lake Washington to Puget Sound to Downtown Seattle and into Qwest Field. Local bands played great tunes along the way to keep us motivated. And despite being a little sore and the inability to walk right for the rest of the day, we FINISHED!

So, not only did I get to experience an amazing accomplishment with my mom & sister, I can now check a 1/2 marathon off my bucket list.

Gone Fishin'

We spent this weekend up at the cabin in Grand Rapids. Jacob received a REAL fishing pole for his birthday (thank you, Uncle Chad & Aunt Jess). He has been so anxious to try it out and this weekend was the christening! Much to Jacob's sheer delight...he caught his very first fish! A small rock bass. And then he caught another...and then a perch! Within 10 minutes, he had 3 fish in his live well. Then he spent the next hour talking to them about how they felt about being in a live well. He's a talker...what can we say!?!

Buttons

It was a long morning! Jacob seemed to wake up on the wrong side of the bed and no matter what we did, he couldn't get over it. By lunch, I was at the end of my rope.

"Jacob, you're really pushing my buttons!"
"Yeah, well, you're pushing my buttons too", he replied.
"Well, I guess we are just pushing each other's buttons today."
"Yep...I guess we're just a couple of button-pushers!"

Mini Weekend Project

Originally, this weekend was supposed to be a quiet weekend. Craig was going to take the kids to the cabin so I could spend uninterrupted time at home painting all the woodwork & walls in Jacob's room. Unfortunately, the weather didn't exactly cooperate, so Craig decided to leave Saturday morning for the cabin instead of Friday afternoon.

Friday afternoon - 1st coat of primer on woodwork...check

Unfortunately, Sophia woke up in the middle of the night with a very high fever & a terrible cough...keeping Craig & I awake most of the night. With a fun case of croupe, the whole family got to stay home. So much for a quiet weekend!

Saturday - coats 1 & 2 of the paint on the woodwork...check

I woke up Sunday morning with a resolution to finish painting the walls in one coat. I bought high quality stuff...there's no reason I shouldn't be able to do that!?! Boy was I wrong! What I foolishly thought would take 1 1/2 hours, ended up taking me 3!

But, it's done! Jacob's room is now donned with a fresh coat of paint (butter yellow, not khaki), white woodwork (FINALLY!), and his newest pride & joy...his bunk bed!

Now, if we can just get him to go to bed and actually sleep, we'll be well on our way!

The Mini Rascal

While in the other room, Sophia managed to move a kitchen chair to the counter, find the new baby shampoo, open it, and dump over half the contents over her head! All in less than 3 minutes! When I asked Jacob why he didn't stop her, his response: "You always tell me I'm not the boss of her!" Ugh...NOW he decides to listen to me!

SAFARI!!

Tonight we celebrated Jacob's 4th birthday! 30 friends and family came to our house for a safari-themed party. There was a safari animal hunt, safari-jeep pinata, lots of food & one big safari cake! Jacob had a blast and it was so great to celebrate our little man with our closest family & friends by our side.

All the kids with their safari animals
Sophia & Mommy keeping track of Jacob's gifts
Cousin Ellie, Jacob & Cousin Brenna snacking on the palm trees
(that sneaky guy in the back is Jacob's good friend, Mason)

Happy Birthday, Roobs.

We Love You!!

4 Years in Stillwater

4 years! It's hard to believe our little boy is already 4!! Since his big party isn't until Sunday, we spent an evening together (just the 4 of us) celebrating Jacob. One of his favorite spots is Stillwater, so we headed out there for a fun dinner at the Freight House, where Jacob got a GIANT piece of chocolate cake and ice cream... ...then we went down to the river and let the kids run inbetween the moments when the big boats passed by...
...in true girly fashion, Sophia stopped to smell the roses and reflect on what a great big brother she has...
HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY, JACOB!!
You make us so proud.
You have a contagious laugh.
You could make friends with ANYONE (and often do!).
You are filled with a passion for life.
You give the BEST hugs and kisses!
You love Jesus.
You are gentle and kind to your little sister (most of the time).
You can already negotiate your way out of just about anything.
We love you, Roo Bear!