Happy Happy Birthday

Look who is 3!


Weebok is a gentle spirit with big deep blue eyes and a dimple. She is full of laughter and expression. She dances and twirls any chance she gets. Her favorite thing to play is house with her baby dolls. You rarely find her without a doll in her hand.  Her favorite song to sing is Jesus Loves Me followed by Jingle Bells and Santa Claus is Coming to Town.


Let's Celebrate!
in Strawberry Shortcake Fashion of course.

Happy Happy Birthday!
May your year be full of smiles and joy.
We Love You!




Peace.
The New Balance Girl

50 Years

When I walked down the aisle  almost 19 years ago, I didn't realize what a ride it would be. I was clueless, I admit. I was out of college, in love, and ready to get on with my life next to Converse. Personally,  I just said the vows, scared that I would somehow forget to talk during the ceremony, and have to resort to writing them. The traditional vows we used seemed foreign, not applicable to our life then. I was living in the moment in a really big veil, wait I mean REALLY big veil, and flowing dress. I was as carefree as you can get.
Years passed and trials big and small developed, our marriage became and still is a work of patience, love, hope, and somedays just tolerance on both of our parts.
So when my parents made it to their 50th wedding anniversary this fall, I had a lightbulb moment! 50 YEARS! Amazing! What a gift to find that one person to stay with from this day forward, to love and to cherish. Through sickness and health, through good times and bad, til the cows come home. That means forever down on the farm.

What a great celebration! 50 pink roses and a day of laughing and remembering. We all heard stories we had not heard before of their dating years, and early years of marriage. My mom put together a DVD of their life. It made us laugh, then it made us cry, then we laughed some more because my family loves to laugh! Converse always says we are loud and out of control and mumble when we speak so no one else understands us. We do everything with passion in laughter or in anger. A good quality most of the time but not always I have learned.
They raised us on a farm teaching us about hard work, learning to get through what ever comes our way. What an amazing journey!
We ended the celebration with  going to a surprise concert with John Conley. I use to listen to his music growing up while waiting in the farm truck in the fields during harvest. The funny thing is Converse and I use to sing his "oldie but goodie" tunes in college while riding around in his truck. Match made in heaven. ha!

Here he is singing Rose Colored Glasses. His voice still sounded the same! It was impressive. We had a lot of laughs. Good times, forever memories. Happy 50th Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Peace,
The "New Balance" Girl

Live it Up Saturday

There is nothing better than starting a Saturday watching the sunrise while on a run. Then returning home and making pancakes with lots of syrup and butter and eating them outside on the deck. The leaves are changing colors and the geese are starting to fly overhead. We have had absolutely perfect weather the past few weeks. Sun, sun, and more sun. I just know winter is lurking. I sat on the deck this morning making our Thanksgiving grocery list and thought of how the snow was so high last year we couldn't see the very table I was sitting at for a month. I think tomorrow will be the first big change in the weather patterns this season. We are gearing up. So today we have declared as Live it Up Saturday. Converse already left to go fishing. Nike Girl, Weebok and I plan on playing, jumping, and biking. And of course.......

do a little yoga in the backyard. Too funny! Following this photo they started play kicking each other and laughing in true sibling fashion. Should be a very active day! Hope your Saturday is filled with fun and sun!

Peace,
The "New Balance" Girl

Running Report: Ok, I am putting this out in the Universe. I am determined to run a 4:00 marathon shaving some 45 minutes off my best time, ugh, at some point in my lifetime. I am not getting any younger. This is a sneak peek of my New Year's Resolutions. I bought a new book about speed training. Sounds easy in print. Not so much in real life. This should work right into my schedule after Girl Scout cookies are out of the house. I have a problem, I really do. Happy Saturday!

Watch out Squirrels

There is a new boy in town!

SAL

He now has gained weight and has a new red collar, a bath with Fancy Nancy bubble soap, he is garnished with pink and purple beads, and has his very own dinosaur chew toy.

He was found roaming the woods with this orange hunting collar, hungry and thirsty. He ended up in a shelter and the rest is history. 

He appears to be a 2 year old lab/golden retriever mix.

He is gentle and loves to chase squirrels and play ball.

I think he may be a running partner.

This little thing......

 SOPHIE

She has been our baby for 12 years. I wanted to name our second child Sophie but decided the family would think we were nuts. Ilove her name! She was named before children were even in the plan. She is still the princess and sits on the top of the couch and looks down at Sal as he tosses a ball or chew toy into the air as if what is his problem. She is more cat like than a dog.

That is our Fur Family.

Peace.

The "New Balance" Girl



Who Ate All the Candy?

Where are the mounds of candy bars, starbursts, tootsie rolls, laffy taffy, and hot tamales? We had two sacks worth of junk. I think one neighbor was "that house" and gave them bags of carrots. The topper was a house that gave out wedding mints left over from their daughters wedding. Reduce, reuse, recycle. So where did it all go?

      Is this what we are left with... Wax lips?

          They better hide those too I may eat them in a pinch.

Peace.
The "New Balance" Girl

Running Report: Still plugging away. This week I am running off the candy! More later. Have a great day.

Jack-o-Lantern Express

The festivities started over the weekend with a train ride on the jack-o-lantern express....

I wanted to do something special since Converse was out of town and would be for awhile. So I searched and found a little train with a high price tag that prormised as the ad stated "a ride through the woods complete with fall leaves falling and autumn in the air. The end of the journey awaited games and a festival for the kids ages 1-99." What fun! I am still belly laughing.
The adventure started sitting on an original passenger car decorated with plastic orange pumpkins hanging from the ceiling. The seats had springs poking through them that became quite the excitement as we blazed through the "woods" on the jack-o-lantern express. The woods consisted of homes on both sides of the track and an industrial park with tall smoke stacks. So much for fresh air but I did not say a word, At one point NikeGirl said," I don't want to be critical mommy but I think I could run faster than this." I simply said this is certainly the engine that could (or could not).
As we approached the festival excitement grew. The girls were peering out the window. Again, I said not a word as we pulled up and I peered over my shoulder. The express stopped sandwiched between a busy interstate and a major highway. We were in the triangle of noise and pollution. I could not even hear the girls talk. I was so gald Converse was out of town. I don't think he would of made it through this adventure.
The girls got off and waited in line to play ring toss with one ring, fished for magnetic fish in a rubbermaid container, and got a face tattoo. Before we reboarded we snapped a photo by the decorations.

Weebok's face was priceless. I felt the same way but did not say a word. They gave the girls a piece of gum when we reboarded and off we went back so very slowly back to the station. I furiously texted Converse and said, " I hope the jack-o-lantern express does not get on the wrong line with the Amtrack express. We will be toast."
As I sat peering out the window laughing inside and thinking how much we got for the money, I looked at the girls across from me. They were smiling and laughing. They had no idea how bad that sucked! I realized something on the jack-o-lantern express that day. The wonder in a child's eyes is only there for a short time. It is sad how that wonder gets lost as we get older. I am so glad I had self control and did not say too much and start complaining. I am glad I was able to belly laugh rather than be verbally critical, which I still need to work on. I am glad because when we got off the train and headed home, not one complaint was heard from the backseat. Either they were in shock as I or they had a good time. I think it was the latter.
It was a good day.

Peace.
The " New Balance" Girl

Mother Knows Best (or so they say)

You know how sometimes you mean to say one thing but it comes out so different you just stand there and think, "I hope no one heard me."  It is one thing if you do that to a spouse or close friend. They usually just look at me and laugh.
Being a mom, however, catches you off guard all the time. At any second in conversation you may be asked to solve any one of the world's most complexing questions. You have to know the answer that is supportive, loving yet truthful. Because mother knows best, right?

Here are some recent examples.

Example #1: Nike Girl walking out of the bathroom 30 seconds before we have to walk out the door to school. She had asked if she could wear some lip gloss. I said sure but please hurrry. She comes prancing down the stairs and says, I am ready mommy. How do I look? I turn and look at her with an affirming smile that stopped in mid track. I literally gasp! out loud with hand gesture over my mouth and all! Clear lip gloss was bright red gooey paraben infested lipstick from her toy princess bag used only as dress up. My gasp sent her to the bathroom in tears. I give her a 10 second lesson on blotting and how clear lip gloss is the way to go in the daytime hours. She makes it to school before the tardy bell with red smears but clear coated lips. I did not mention the smears on the side of her face. Parenting is so spontaneous.

Example #2: Nike Girl loves to act and sing. She attended a week long theatre camp toward the end of summer. They had try-outs the first day of the camp. She came home upset. She had been casted a Thug instead of a Princess. I sat her down and said that you can not get a lead part every time. You should concentrate on being the best Thug there is.....She told me who was cast as the princesses. One happened to be her dear friend with blonde locks like Cinderella. I said, Nike Girl, part of acting is looking the part. Your friend looks like she could play Cinderella with her golden hair so maybe....she stopped me and held back the tears as she asked with long dramatic pauses......"You mean to tell me Mommy....that...I.....look.....like....a....thug?" That is not what I meant at all but my words did seem to be leaning in that direction! I had to back peddle like no ones business to get out of that hornet's nest. She ended up in her mother's eyes of being the best thug ever!

I could go on and on with examples. Each day I wake up and pray that the words I say and my actions are encouraging and loving to those I encounter. I win some and obviously I lose some. I just didn't really give it much thought as to how important your words asa mother really become as your child grows and begins to question you, herself and the world. Mother knows best are big shoes to fill! It keeps life interesting! Besides,someday it will give them something to blog about.

Peace.
The "New Balance" Girl

Running Report: Start of school has been all about running.....running around to activities and events....and finding the time to train. I have a half coming up in another week. I am excited! I still go back and forth with a full this fall. Time as I mentioned is by far the biggest challenge. I can't seem to find it right now. I need a big planner to get organized. Autumn is coming and I love love love this time of year when it is cool in the mornings again. Peace.

Summer's End

By summer's end, the 100 degree temperatures began taking a toll on everything. The grass was turning pitiful brown, the flowers were drooping, and the swimming pool felt like bath water. During these dog days of summer we decided to head to the "hills" and get some relief.



Euro Jumping on a mountain makes it seem like you are flying.











Do you know how hard it was to keep track of the three little duckies the entire trip? At least it is better than the package of wipes she slept with for weeks.



 Hiking in the morning ROCKS! If everyone started their morning off with this I predict there would be no more road rage on the morning commute to work. 



Converse and Weebok enjoying the awesome trail system. But remember what goes down...has to go up. Oops! Forgot that little physics lesson.









Nike Girl and I hoping the bike we rented made it back to town. It was a little shaky to say the least. Makes me laugh!



A great view with some great smiles.





Good-bye Hills! Thanks for the memories!

Peace.
The "New Balance" Girl

Heatwave 2011

I am thankful for little backyard pools that allow me to work in the yard and garden on summer mornings. Hope you find some relief from the heat, too!

Peace.
The "New Balance" Girl

A Day on the Farm

Cowgirls

like to play

in Nana and Papa's garden

on a HOT 4th of July!

 

 

Peace.
The "New Balance" Girl

Running Report: HOT! Early am is the only time to run. Countdown to the fall race! Did I mention HOT?