What a DAY!!!

Well, today has been a crazy day. After I get the girls off to school, Sadie and I are going to go run a few erands. I open my car door and what do I find? A CAT!!!! I immediately look to see if I left a car window open. I did not. How long had this STRAY cat been stuck inside my car. I think back. Well, I didn't drive anywhere yesterday, I was home with a sick kid. This cat had been stuck inside my car since Wed. Oh my gosh!!! It stunk!!! There was poop and cat pee all over my car!!! He tore my ceiling, chewed the back window wires, scratchd the doors! I'm sick to my stomach! So I clean the best I can. I need to get to the bank to do a wire transfer before noon. I get to the bank and I forget to put the car in park. I jump back in to stop the car. Then I get about 10 min. into the wire transfer process and realize I forgot my wallet!! Even though they know me they have to have it for the numbers on my License. What a waste of time. Well my mom is with me so she says she will pay for stuff on our erands and I can just pay her back. Next stop, I need gas so we pull into QT and I get a drink and drive away- forgetting the GAS!! So I pray we make it to Sams club to get the cookies for the cookie party in front of my house in 2 hours. As we leave, it is 11:30 I call my friend to let her know that I had 2 more people give me money for pizza at the party. She answers the phone and says "Don't worry I have Hailey!" Oh my gosh!! I had forgotten my kindergardener who had half day and had been out of school since 10:10. Was I losing my mind???? I feel like I normally have it together. What was going on. The one thing that was good was The cookie party! This was the second year we did it. Its just in front of my house for the kids when they get off the bus. We decorate cookies, eat pizza, do little crafts, drink hot chocolate, and have christmas music and decorations. My neighbors are great and I never want to leave. It seems this neighborhood is constantly doing fun things. I did drop off my car to get a detail (keep in mind I just detailed my car 3 weeks ago). Hopefully the smell will be gone, and tomorrow will be a better day and I will have my brain back!

My three new nieces!!!

My sisters twins are here!! They came on Nov. 30th. My girls were so excited when we found out that she was at the hospital that I took just Kylie down to visit. I figured it was probably going to be a long night so I would take each of my girls down individually to visit Holly. Well, they came FAST!! So fast that I actually got to be in the room. It was the first birth I've ever seen. It was so incredible!!! Thanks Holly for letting me stay in the room. Its something I will never forget!! So, here is a picture of London Lynn and Brooklyn Bell. They were 5lbs 4 oz. and 5lbs 1oz. I've never seen babies that small, in our family they seem to be closer to the 10lb mark. =) Aren't they adorable?!!!!!

Well, like I said I'm not used to such small babies. Then my brother and his wife had their baby 2 days later on Dec. 2nd. She was 7 weeks early!!! She was even smaller at 3lbs 14 oz. WOW!!! I thought Derek was joking with me when he said Kristen was in the hospital, but he was serious. Her water broke and Karis was coming!! She also came very fast!! She is also a beautiful little girl. All three girls are still in the hospital getting stronger to come home!! Can't wait until they do!!!

Are we surviving?

Well in the past week and a half we've suvived 1. The ironman (which is crazy busy and emotionally exhausting)three days 2. A trip to California 3. Thanksgiving 4. Black friday shopping day 5. A baby shower at my house 6. My sister had twins 7. My brother and his wife had a baby girl 8. My mother n laws birthday. All these major events on top of the every day activities like swim practice, piano, grocery shopping,music class, gymnastics etc. etc. etc. Life is soooooooooooo crazy busy. BUT, it couldnt get any better!! I'm so thankful to have such a great family!

A Unbelievable Week!

It all started the Thurs. before Thanksgiving with all of the Ironman festivities and banquets. We are down on Mill every day for something. The dinner is very interesting. They give all the stats. In this Ironman there were 2400 athletes and there were 34 countries represented and all 50 states. Crazy huh! We are just lucky there happens to be one of these races in our back yard. The most athletes are in the 40- 44 age division! WOW!! I really think this is the only sport where people are All ages and the crazy thing is the 40 year old are the fastest!!!!! There was even a 77 year old man doing this. For those of you that dont know my dad did this race. He watched my brother and Derek do this about 1 1/2 years ago and decided then and there that he was going to do it. He's been training hard. He would get up at 2:30 in the morning so that he would have enough time to get a long enough work out in before work. Now thats committment!
Here's one of the road closure signs.

Race morning starts by getting up at 4:00 am and leaving the house by 4:30am. Transition area opens at 5. Thats where you check your bike, get in your wet suit, get marked up with your race number etc. Here they are about to jump in the water . The race starts at 7:00. You can see its still dark and COLD!!! I bet they are all nervous here! I know I am!! You just never know what the day is going to bring. Its hard watching them. There are times when they are hurting and tired. Their body may be cramping up, they may feel sick. Its a long day!

This is us after the swim start waiting for them to come in. Its a 2.5 mile swim. Ironmans are mass starts. Its a unbelievable sight to see over 2000 people start swimming at the same time.

Derek and Scott did awesome. They came in together. What are the odds of that? They did it in 1 hour 2 min. Wow! Rick is just a crazy swimmer. He came in at 1:09 and he never even trains on his swimming. A natural fish! My dad came in at 1:20 WOW!! For those of you who dont swim often, 2.5 miles is like doing 160 laps in the pool!! CRAZY HARD!!

This is the bike transition area. Thats just 2400 bikes waiting to go.

This is my brother and his wife when he finished.

Heres Derek and I. He broke the 12 hour mark and finished in 11 hours and 49 min. WOW!!

Here they are!! Scott and Rick actually finished together at aroun the 12 1/2 hour mark.

This is right after my dad finished!

My moms proud of him as we all are!

Derek and I were lucky enought to fly out to California the next day! My mother n law came over and watched the kids for us. It was such a needed vacation.

We went to Sea World!

We had a blast!

We came back just in time for Thanksgiving. Can you believe this is the only picture I got all day. I think I was to concerned about eating =) We ate twice! My moms at noon and then Dereks brothers at 3:30. Great fun!!


Then today we had my sister n law Kristens baby shower at my house! Once again no pictures! How lame am I ? Its been one FULL and GREAT week!

Our Traditional Kids Tri!

Well its here again!!! The Ironman is this weekend!!! So we have started this tradition of always having a kids tri the weekend before to get them excited for their dads, uncles and grandpa doing the race. Can you believe my dad is doing it? He is 57 years old. We looked up the race participants and there is like 2700 people doing it. Only 114 of them are my dads age or older. Pretty dang good if I do say so myself. I will be happy when its all over. I am nervous for him. Its a long day. It starts at 7 am and we predict he will finish around 10 pm if all goes well. Go Everybody!!!

Like Mother Like Daughter!

Are you serious? Am I that bad of a example?! WOW!

I Love Edward Tees!!!

My two sister n laws decided to make the best I love Edward tees around! Check out their blog at Vampiretees.blogspot.com