Still a slacker

We have done a few fun things these last several weeks but between Andy & kids , the puppy, and my running schedule, blogging has been the last thing on my mind. I am running my 1/2 marathon in 2 1/2 weeks and then 5 weeks later doing a 20k, and then school will be out and things will possibly slow down...maybe! I'm going to try to post some pictures from our trip to Denver, and whatever other cute pictures that are stuck in my camera.

My new obsession, ever since last night when I got my new runners world, is to run a marathon or 10 and see if I can ever qualify for the Boston Marathon. Who knows. Des Moines has a marathon in October which is 20 weeks after my 20k maybe I'll take a few weeks off and then start the training process all over again.

Hopefully by tomorrow I will get new pictures up. Since hardly any of the kids look like the current picture. Let alone Allie.

Moving...

Well not quite yet but Andy has been wanting to buy land out in the country. Just to be able to go hunting with Caleb and just be boys. I wasn't very hip on the idea. Who wants to live in the middle of nowhere? Well he mentioned an acreage he had seen on Craig's list, and it was only about 25 mins away. So one morning I loaded up Jocee and Jake and put a movie in the fabulous DVD player in the car and we headed off. I was completely convinced that I would hate it but once I got there and drove around the property and peeked in all the windows of the house (which was vacant) I decided that it wasn't all bad. Well since then everyday for some reason it has seemed more and more appealing. I'm starting to think that living out in the middle of nowhere and having a bunch of land for my kids and Andy and me and the dog to run around on isn't a bad idea. I know it would be way more maintenance then living in the city but I think it is just a different, simpler life and I think that could be very good for our family. I have been watching little people, big world on TLC and they live on a 36 acre farm which is absolutely incredible. I know I don't have the kind of money they have but the mom on that show really sticks out to me. She is such a....mom. She loves her kids and they have good times and bad but she loves her kids and wants to be active with them and very involved in their lives. Which is something that I strive for and fail at a lot but I'm going to continue to reach for it. I know I have been failing a lot, but I know God is working in my life and showing me how I can better impact the lives of my family. In our Wednesday night bible study last week we talked about prayer and how we are God's children and how he wants us to talk to him and he will answer our every prayer. It might not be the answer that we want but at least we will know. We also talked about how if we ask he will give us our desires that are in his will. I don't know if moving to an acreage is in his will for us or not but I am going to continue to pray for his leading in our lives, and who knows maybe in a couple years we will be out in the country.

Slacker

I have really been slacking as far as blogging goes but I do have good reason! And it isn't just that I've lost my mind after getting a puppy:) That is probably a good part of it but I can't put all the blame on the pup. I hurt my back about 10 days ago and then Jocee and Jake got bronchitis and Ashleigh had strep. Good times! The Dr. gave me muscle relaxants and pain medicine and told me to stop running for a couple weeks and just rest a lot. Yeah, well I'm thinking of getting a new Dr.....Do you realize that I have four kids and a puppy, not to mention a husband, house, etc.!?! Well I took one day "off", Jonny saved my life and came over for a few hours in the morning so I could sleep and then mom watched the kids that afternoon/evening. Then the kids started getting sick. Jocee wasn't feeling good on Wed. Ashleigh came home Thursday, the third child from her class, with a fever of over 102.5. Then Jake started coughing. So I decided that me sleeping every day until my back was better probably wasn't very feasible:) So I took a little of the Dr's advice and cut back on my running, I haven't run approx. 40 miles over the last 10 days, and now I won't make my goal to run 100 miles in February:( But it was a short month anyway so I shouldn't have pick it anyway! I'm on track to get about 72 miles so that isn't all bad and I still have 8 full weeks of training before my 1/2 marathon. The kids are however all doing much better, the antibiotics are all taken and for the most part they are back to there normal energetic selves:) And we at least got to get out and enjoy the couple very nice days that we have had. So now no more complaining and next time I will be posting more pictures of the cutest kids and puppy!

Some more pics of our new puppy

Allie in her new dress
Jake giving kisses

Jake fake sleeping and the pup sleeping for real

Jake taking over the puppy bed

Jake with his new love

Jake is the only one who consistently will not leave the dog alone all day that's why there are sooo many pictures of him:)

Jocee's new do

with her 10+ inch ponytail for locks of love

after...somehow I always get these backwards

Before


After Jake's haircut Jocee decided that she wanted her haircut like Ashleigh's and wanted to give hers to locks of love. I tried really hard to talk her out of it because I figured I would make the first cut and she would instantly start bawling and want to go back and have long hair. She didn't though she sat there really well and let me cut away.

Jake's first haircut

this is the after, Jake doesn't believe in posing for pictures anymore unless he is with the dog:)
Jake before

Yesterday we ran a few errands and every older woman that we saw said how cute "she" was. Great except that "she" is Jake my BOY! Can no one see that the child was wearing all blue and had a giant basketball on his shirt...come on people. So when we got home Jake took a nap and then I decided Jake was getting a haircut. I just set him on the counter in the bathroom and chopped away. He just sat there not even caring.

Allie

I of course couldn't just put pictures of the puppy I have to put the cute kids in too!

Jake and Ashleigh are in LOVE.
Jocee isn't quite sure she likes her from a distance right now but hopefully she will warm up to her in the next couple weeks.

Caleb likes her...I think, he isn't head over heals like Ashleigh, but has been saying how he is going to train her so he can take her hunting with him:)

The first night wasn't as bad as I thought it would be so hopefully she will adjust quickly and she seems to be doing a decent job going potty outside. We will keep you updated.

I'm going out on a limb but I'm going to try to update weekly, Since I have been such a deadbeat lately:)