35 years old today...

30 didn't bother me at all...I'm not saying that 35 is bothering me...but I will admit it hurts a little more than last year.  I guess I can't keep telling myself I'm in my early thirties, although my Mom informed me that 33 was mid-thirties I was content to think that you weren't mid-thirties until 35.  Whatever.  Rick is 9 months older than me and always lumps me in with his age so to him I've been 35 all year...thanks hon.  Time seems to be going by faster these days (a sure sign that you are getting older). 

I hear that in your thirties you start caring less and less what other people think of you...I can say that that statement is true for me.  In my twenties that dominated my life!  But now, not so much.  I do things more for me and don't worry as much what others say or think...I said 'as much'...I still care more than I'd like to...maybe by 40.

My BFF took me to breakfast this morning.  What a good friend.  We had a good time.  I see how having several good girlfriends makes your life more fun and less stressful...thanks girls. 

I'm going to do a little shopping, for myself, and enjoy the day.

My First 5K

Rick was all about getting me to start doing races.  So, he found a 5K here in town on Labor Day morning that we decided to run together.  I had already run 3 miles a couple of times so I knew that I could at least make it through without dying.  I was going to shoot for a 9 minute/mile pace...that didn't happen, but I was close.  We did make it under 30 minutes...I ran so slow the first half worried that I would burn out half way through...then I realized how slow I was going so I sped up the second half of the race and had to sprint the last stretch to make it under 30 minutes.  Rick ran with me, what a nice guy.  Everytime I looked over at him he looked like he was barely running.  I kept wondering if it was more torturous for him to go slow than at his normal speed.  He didn't complain and was very supportive.  I actually enjoyed the race.  I was fine afterwards which only let me know I could have gone faster.  My kids were there with my mother-in-law, cheering me on.  I had my own cheering section at the finish line.  I can say now that I see why people get into running.  I'm not saying I want to do any long distances like Rick does, but maybe a 10K down the road. 

Way to watch her Daddy....

Neil was wanting to watch TV with Rick so I put a towel and his bowl of spaghetti on the chair in the living room so he could eat and watch TV with his Dad...no big deal.  I asked Rick to watch the baby so I could take a quick shower.  He agreed, while watching ESPN (big mistake).  So, I get out of the shower and hear Rick saying, "Oh no!"  so I go into the living room to find what you see above.  Savannah was so proud of herself.  I took her away...expecting Rick to start cleaning it up.  Instead he kept watching ESPN.  I nicely ask if he is going to clean it up and he replies that he feels it was really my fault for giving Neil spaghetti in the first place.  Nice.  After explaining to him that part of 'watching the baby' was keeping her from doing something like that, he cleaned it up for me...but not before I took a picture. 

Nina's "Spa" Birthday Party

Coming up with good birthday party ideas for my kids is really quite painful for me.  I really just want a simple party with a few friends...is that asking too much??  My husband thinks I should go all out for the kids every year...of course he does!  I'm the one who does all the work!

Well, this year Nina's party was pretty simple and she loved it.  I picked her up at school along with 5 of her friends and we went out to my mother-in-law's house.  The ride out (about 20 minutes) and back was probably one of the favorite times of the party.  The girls were all singing along to the Taylor Swift CD...at the top of their cute little lungs I might add.  It was hillarious.

So, we did a "spa party" theme.  Not a bad idea.  They wore their PJ's and we soaked their feet, massaged their feet with lotion, painted their toe nails and fingernails and even added little stickers on top.  I even clipped a lot of their crazy looking toe nails.  They loved it and felt very pampered.  I had two helpers, my mother-in-law Lynda and my daughter Auburn. 

Cute huh?  This doesn't even show all the fingernails!  We were doing all this in my mother-in-law's large master bathroom...as to avoid any spills on her nice floors.

Here's the whole crew...boy are these girls little drama queens!  You should hear the earful I get everyday after school about the drama on the playground...can't wait till the teen years!

She loves her Papa...

Savannah Lee...we gave her the same middle name as her Papa and boy did we do the right thing there.  He loves that little girl so much.  Whenever we go to their house he takes Savannah on a walk around their property and down to the lake, carrying her on his shoulders like this.  She loves it!  And, he always takes her during the hour at church when I teach a class and she just smiles so big whenever he comes to get her.  I love the pride on his face when he walks back into the meeting with her asleep in his arms...not an easy task to do because she is one of those babies who only likes to fall asleep in her own bed.  So, Ken gets major props for being such a great Papa!