First timer at Sams!

Holy Cow! I didn't know where to start! Now I have a headache from trying to look at prices and figuring out if it was a good deal or not...
Boys are going to love me when they get home. Stocked up on snacks in bulk...wonder how long they will last!

Forgiveness

I am always in awe and wonder what God puts in front of me! I am much more aware of that now then ever. I am growing in my faith as I get older and I see this happening. I also have learned to take the time to recognize it and the humbleness to know it's not because of me things happen good or bad.
A couple of times now the written word has come up at just the perfect time. You hear of these stories and you think, yeah right, until it happens to you. It is just a small nudge but you get it.
It happened in my women's bible study when I either open up to something that reflects what we are studying or open up my journal for the day to write which has verses printed on the bottom of the pages...and there it is....
I just thought the other night before I would go to bed I would read my daily devotional which has a bible verse and a story to go along with it.
It was the same night Cooper had broken the railing...It is a dated book and for that day it said,
"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you." Matthew 6:14.
Whoa, I needed that. It had struck me because of what went on earlier in the day.
Here, I had just blasted Cooper for breaking that and being so careless and I wasn't very nice in my choice of words. I had felt bad for losing my temper and he felt bad for not listening to his mommy and daddy. So I needed to ask for forgiveness that night as I went to bed and also tell Cooper I forgive him and I know he didn't mean to do it. It was an accident and those things happen but we need to be more careful. It also reminded me in the big scheme of things it isn't that big of a deal. When I take the time to recenter myself I can find the piece of mind to deal with things that come up around here with three active, competitive, and sometimes rowdy boys. Sometimes I wonder if I still have a calm and gentle voice or did I ever.
 At bedtime, I reflect on my day and sometimes carry that mom guilt around, as do a lot of moms, and I have to just let it go and give it to him and know I am trying my best at this job he has given me. I feel some days of course are harder than others and not only am I asking for forgiveness from my children but also God.
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32

Field Day at HES

It is the last week of school! Jordan and I went to help out with field day at school this morning. It was a fun but very hot morning and after an hour Jordan wanted to go home! I don't blame him it was very hot but he did great. He just decided he would join in and play. A lot of the kids know him from his older brothers. We were in charge of 1 of 16 stations set up outside. It was combined with three grades, K thru 2. So I got to help with Braedyn's and Cooper's day. The first thing Coach (they call their PE teacher) had them do was run a lap around the track...first the k girls thru 2 and then K boys went first and then so on. So when the K boys lined up to go Cooper was at the front of the pack and he was so excited when he saw me, as he went by, he then hit the cone and slipped on the wet grass. He got up and cried and didn't want to keep going so Jordan and I ran the rest of the way with him. He was so disappointed he said "I screwed up and came in last and I don't like being last". I told him it was more important that he finished, he gave me a hug and went back to the group. Braedyn's group came through my station and I loved the surprise I got at the end! Braedyn came up and gave me a big hug and said "bye mom", it was so sweet. Especially at 8 in front of all his friends. I'll take that since it won't be much longer and that is just not cool. :) Afterwards, we went to lunch with some friends and came home. We both were exhausted. I fell asleep with Jordan at nap time. It felt like a workout and my throat hurt from talking so much as I had to explain and give directions to each different group that came through. I don't know how teachers do it. I do have to say PE teachers have the best job! How fun, to play at work with kids! Their PE teacher is great too and of course is one of their favorite things at school.
Whatever happened to track and field day?  Now it's just field day with no competition. I guess these days education has changed so much they have taken out the competitiveness as I was told by a retired teacher and I quickly learned as I said "when the ball gets to the end of your line, take a seat so we know your done"...well I had to rethink that instruction after the first group who finished first said, "we won" and another little girl whose group finished last said, "It doesn't matter, it's not about who wins". So we just never had it end and they just kept repeating the drill from front to back until the whistle blew and it was time to switch to the next station!
I remember we had a few of these stations like the three-legged race and the gunny sack race but then we did actual track events like 50, 100, 200, and 400 yard dashes. Then we also did high jump and long jump. I always remembered tug of war.  We even got ribbons for the events. I still have all mine in my keepsake box from my scrapbook I made in junior high. That was one of my favorite things about the end of the year in elementary school. I thought I was so cool running on the High School track! Guess my love of running started early!
They were doing some type of relays in the afternoon after lunch but we had to get home for a nap. So I am wondering what they did this afternoon and will find out soon when they get home. They will be exhausted too! Then Braedyn has a baseball game tonight at 6! They will be tired for bed tonight!
3 more sleeps until the last day of school! It will be here quick!

Great Day for a Race in Downtown Durham!

Bright and early June 2 morning at 7:15, Amy and I ran The Running of the Bulls 8K in downtown Durham. It started in the old Durham Bulls ballpark and also ended with a lap around the warning track then finishing at home plate! That was pretty cool and reminded me of running on a dirt track in Blooming Prairie, MN. I had never seen that stadium before so it was neat to see as it was where the movie Durham Bulls was made. I can't believe how small the stadium is considering where they play currently  I will have to watch that again sometime. They also have a nice farmers market in downtown Durham! We would have liked to stay and wandered around the farmers market but of course Saturdays are usually busy for both of us. Braedyn had a baseball game at noon.

It was a perfect day around 60 degrees and overcast for most of the morning. There were just almost 1000 runners.  I was hoping to run it in 8:00 min mile and was surprised when I hit the first mile at 7:14. I don't think I ran that fast in High School! It was a neat course running through downtown Durham and it wasn't too hilly. I am used of running in Chapel Hill and realized that's a good thing because what people were calling hills I thought were mole hills! I finished with a time of 36:43, which was 5th place for my age group and overall 139th out of 936 runners. So I achieved my running about 7:23 min miles. Amy also achieved her goal and did great! I think that Starbucks pit stop on the way helped both of us! My skinny latte gave me a boost plus a packet of GU gel and quench gum. I had so much caffeine in me, my hands were shaking getting my ipod ready to roll! I told Charlie next time they all will have to come. He always is asking, jokingly, if they have beer and this one did! I thought that wouldn't be good after running but it actually was refreshing. At the post race tables they had the normal fruit, granola, water, poweraide then I noticed someone was drinking a beer. Fullsteam brewery was one of the sponsors so they were handing out beer! They were also handing out freeze pops. The kids and Charlie both would have been happy! Then he wondered, could I just wait for you by the lady serving the beer while you run....the race registration fee wasn't bad either, like 35$, and the Tee was worth it. It was a really nice Nike Tech Tee, dry fit, bright pink with the logo on it pictured above.
If anyones looking for a great headband to keep your hair out of your face for exercising, I got a new one at Fleet Feet in Carborro and it worked awesome! It has been the only I have that stayed in place the whole race!  It has a velour backing which makes it stay put. They are called sweatybands. They are also just pretty to wear for everyday. They have smaller ones and thicker ones. I would like to get a couple more. Great for girls if they have longer hair! They had some pretty designs.

Always the hard lesson learned!

I don't know how many times a day I say "do not hang on those"! I am talking about the spindles on the catwalk over the great room. The boys hang on the railing and also try to put their feet thru the holes. It must be so tempting to try to do that!Why do little boys try to put their appendages into things just to see if they can! Well, they learned a hard lesson today. I am in the kitchen washing dishes and Cooper is telling me something (of which had something to do with Braedyn sitting on him and not letting him up which caused him to pee his pants) and all of a sudden a white spindle flies in front of me! Oh, I was not happy. He and Braedyn both knew mom was about to unleash they ran for their rooms and shut the door.
I now have one half a spindle hanging from the railing and the hole is big enough for Jordan to fall thru so that's going to have to be fixed soon!
Oh, Charlie is not going to be happy when he gets home....At least no one got hurt and also fell from the catwalk with the spindle! I am not quite sure how that is going to be fixed! Any ideas or suggestions would be great!
And I was just thinking to myself the other day, why didn't I ask the builder to replace those with the black iron spindles before we bought the house....I wish now I would have done that. This exact thought crossed my mind even though they know they aren't supposed to do it but I can guarantee that it probably won't happen again....
The funny part was when I was all done shouting and talking with them ~the calm after the storm...Jordan said "I am the only one that listens in this house right mom~"

Parent Breakfast!

Cooper woke up bright and early at 6 am and said "Lets go"!  He was excited for pajama day and to show us some work he has done throughout the year and they had decorated the classroom this week. The teachers cooked up breakfast for the parents and we were welcome to come and see their work and it was their way of saying thanks to the parents for all we have done thru the year. I had to hold back a few tears! I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. They had a picture from June of last year at Meet the Teacher and a recent picture posted together on a placemat. I couldn't believe how much he had changed.  I see him everyday so it was neat to see this picture of a "baby" to a grown up little boy. He has learned so much this year. He couldn't read when he started kindergarten and now is reading Curious George books to Jordan at bedtime. 
He had made a couple things...here are a few! My favorite is the bookmark and that is the one that made me get teary eyed! I love you Coop!


My favorite bookmark!!! Just love this idea! I also didn't know he could hoola hoop!

Cute top and day of rest before 8K

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RufflesWithLove
These are the cutest workout tanks and affordable! I will be getting one!!!
Have a race tomorrow!
Gun goes off at 7:15 and Amy and I will be there bright and early!
It is the Running of the Bulls 8K in Durham.
http://www.bullcityrunning.com/events/running-of-the-bulls-8k/
Rest and Stretching day. Missing my yogalates class. I used to think that class wasn't for me, but now that I had been doing it I can see the benefits. My body doesn't hurt like it used to and be so stiff. It does work! Now it has ended for the summer, I will have to try and remember what we did.
Should I put my goal on here...hmmm 8K is 5 miles.
I hope to do it 8 min mile or less. Let's see if that can be achieved!
I did 10 in 8:30, so that's is my reasoning for the goal...