Hotter'n Blazes

It was 102 degrees today as we left Camden's friend Antonio's birthday party. Yes, I said 102. Luckily, we are in the desert, so we don't have the humidity to contend with, like everyone does back east. That being said, it is still sticky, sweltering, and uncomfortable. The only thing I am really missing about our old house is the fact that it had central air. This house has just one window air conditioning unit, circa 1970-ish, so it is a wee bit toasty inside. Luckily, the forecast for the week is showing the temperatures dropping into the low 70's, which is just about where I like it.

The weekend was busy, starting yesterday with Terri and I letting ourselves into the library to prepare our "room" for story time, which begins on Tuesday. We cranked the local "80's Rock" station (yes, plenty of Ozzy, Skid Row, Poison, etc.) and raided the supply closet, finding all kinds of decorations and props that should make for a successful story time. Today, the boys and I headed out to Caldwell for my girlfriend Joy's son Antonio's 3rd birthday party. We had a really nice time, and it was wonderful to finally meet Joy and Roy's newest addition, Javier. When we returned home, we had time enough for a diaper change and a little rest, before heading over to Kasey's for some fabulous hamburgers. All in all, a wonderful weekend!

The boys had breakfast in their skivvies this morning - - too hot for clothes!

Antonio and Camden, waiting for Roy to hang the pinata in the tree

Banzer, Camden, and Griffin

My little "Story Time" corner at the library. I've just noticed that one of the posters came off the wall and is sitting on top of the fake plant!

Poor Griffin. I caught him sleeping in this position again last night. I have no clue how he does that. It doesn't look comfortable to me!

No Such Luck...

The original title to this post was, "Silence", because I thought that was how my evening was going to be. Alas, I was wrong. We dropped Steve off at the armory this afternoon for the beginning of Annual Training, and won't see him for approximately 16 days. When we got home, Camden announced that he wanted to spend the night with his grandparents, so off he went. About ten minutes later, I hopped on the treadmill, thinking I'd better exercise while I had the chance. Griffin was happy to watch, and promptly fell asleep doing so. Not long after, I put him to bed for the night, but since then, he's been up twice, crying hysterically. Not sure what's eating at him, but he did the same thing last night. I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that he'll sleep through the night, but we shall see. Poor little guy. Just when I think I have him figured out, he goes and enters another new phase!

So have you tried the new Orange Mocha at Starbucks? WHAT?!?? You HAVEN'T? You must try it. It is soooooo good. I love orange and chocolate together, and you know much I love Starbucks, so really, there is nothing better than the Orange Mocha.

Must wrap this up and finish watering the yard. It is supposed to reach 100 degrees on Sunday. Yikes!

(p.s. - you'll notice Griffin's two favorite "toys" in his lap - - the remote control, and my blue and white spatula. I swear, either of those items keep the boy entertained and happy, when nothing else will).

Finally...

...I am getting a chance to post! Things have been pretty busy around here lately. I don't know how many times I've tried to sit down to compose a post but just haven't been able to for a variety of reasons, none of which were a lack of something to write about. Mostly I feel like I've been running around like a crazy woman lately. I have heard people say it many times, but I definitely know it is true now - - being a stay-at-home mom is ALOT of work! Phew!

So, we've been busy. At the moment we are gearing up for Army Annual Training - - Steve leaves in a couple of days and will be gone for a little over 2 weeks. I tend to run a pretty tight ship when I am on my own with the boys, so we will do just fine. We will miss Steve though - - especially Camden. I'm hoping to keep him pretty busy so the time will go by quickly for him. Speaking of Camden, I cannot get over what a big boy he is becoming. Over the past few days I've really been noticing that his mannerisms and comments are those of a big boy. It is so hard for me to see him growing up so quickly, but at the same time I am excited to see him growing and changing. I'm just so proud of what a sweet, caring, and smart boy he is. Camden's big news at the moment is that he is becoming quite a skilled fisherman. The boy is a natural! He makes it quite clear that he does not want or need any help - - he prefers to do it all himself! Steve is so patient with him. Quite a change from years ago, when Steve took me fishing for the first time. Remember that, Steve? :)

Steve has been crazy-busy at work, as well as getting ready for AT. I really do not know how he gets it all done, and on top of that, manages to pay such great attention to his boys.

As for me, I am still acting like a lunatic, trying out cherry recipes. I think I have it narrowed down to three entries. I'll reveal what they are when the Cherry Festival roles around. I know you are all waiting on pins and needles.

I was recently hired by my local library to be the Children's Program Coordinator, which is a fancy way of saying that I am going to be running a "story time" for preschoolers. I am a little nervous about it, but at the same time I am excited, too. It will give me a chance to be creative, do something a little different, and maybe even liven up the library a little bit. They gave me a key to the library today and pretty much told me I can go in whenever I want, and help myself to whatever, so I think I'll go down for a couple of hours this weekend and decorate my area, pull some books, and get ready for my big debut next Tuesday morning. It should be fun.

Griffin has been busy cutting his two bottom teeth, blowing raspberries, and perfecting the art of Sleeping in Weird Positions: This is how I found him just a little while ago, when I went in to check on him. I have no idea how he managed to fall asleep like that. Needless to say, I moved him, for fear he'd suffer a teeny-tiny neck cramp.

Last but not least, here are some assorted pictures from the last week or so. The boys on Memorial Day, showing their Army pride

Cows in the road, on a recent scenic drive

The boys, reading their evening stories (Griffin got "asked to leave" right after this picture...too squirmy, it seems)

Camden and one of the fish he caught

Finally, I love these last two photos of the boys. Griffin likes to stick his head under the bed skirt on our bed, and Camden joined him the other morning. They had fun giggling their little heads off.

Little Stinker

Can someone please tell me how this sweet, sweet little boy can turn into such a stinker at night? I mean, I'm at a loss here. I think his angle is to be all-out crazy at night, but then super cute all day long, in an attempt to erase my memory of what he put me through the night before - - yes, I think that must be it. Granted, the boy has been teething, and that's got to hurt. I'll give him that. What I am having trouble making excuses for is the 3 a.m. wakings, followed by the babbling, giggling, hair-pulling, and countless other activities that leave yours truly with an average of approximately 3 hours of restful sleep per night. Although Griffin slept with us for about 6 months, he's been in his room, in his crib for the past 3 months. However, after getting up for about the 5th time on any given night, he inevitably ends up in bed with me around 3 a.m., which of course gives him free reign to pull my hair, kick his crazy feet, and anything else he can think of, to make sure I don't sleep. Yes, I'm part of the problem, I know - - you'd think I'd have figured it out by now. I fear my brain is so fried from lack of sleep, that I can no longer be held responsible for my lapses in judgement. Last night, for example, Griffin tossed and turned in his crib across the hall, and I got up repeatedly, for fear that he'd wake Camden up. I finally gave up and put him in bed with me around 2 a.m., thinking he'd go right to sleep. He did, for a bit, but then I woke up to Griffin trying out his new-found talent: Yelling. It goes something like this. "Ya? Ya-ya. Ya. YA-YA-YA-YA-YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA", quickly followed by teeny-tiny fits of giggles. This went on for about 45 minutes, at which point I finally gave in, and the two of us got up at 5:30 a.m. I hesitate to get too wound up about it, because one day, he'll be a surly teenager, telling me to "mind my own business" or something similar, and I'll be longing for the nights when we smiled at each other in the dark, sleep deprived, but madly in love just the same.

Happy First Birthday, Banzer!

I can't believe you are one year old today - - this past year flew by, it seems. You are a smart, sweet, beautiful boy, and we love you very much.

Quick Summer Salad

Here's an easy idea for a summer (or anytime) dinner salad. I got the recipe out of an issue of Everyday Food, sometime last year.
All you do is take a large platter, and spread a bag of chopped lettuce over it. Next, make one row of each: chopped tomato, crumbled bacon (I use turkey bacon - - much lower in fat and tastes great), blue cheese (you can use feta, if you prefer), grilled chicken, and avocado. It looks so pretty on the platter, and makes a nice, satisfying meal when you don't feel like heating up the oven on a hot day.

Odds & Ends...

Mother's Day was wonderful...it started out when Griffin woke us up around 4 a.m. He's cutting his first tooth, and has been sleeping (if you can call it that) rather fitfully over the past week. For some reason, after Griffin went back to sleep, somewhere between 4 and 5, Steve and I started chit-chatting, and had such a nice talk about our kids, our family, and life in general. It is not often that he and I get to talk with each other, without interruption, and although it was Gawd-Awful O'clock, it was the perfect way to start the day. Steve got up to make coffee, and soon reappeared with a breakfast tray, coffee, and Crunchy Coconut French Toast from this cookbook. If you have never heard of Bob and Melinda Blanchard, I suggest Googling them when you have a moment. They have another fabulous cookbook, entitled At Blanchard's Table, as well as a book about how they picked up from Vermont and moved to Anguilla and opened a restaurant, called, A Trip to the Beach. It is one of my secret fantasies in life to one day eat at their restaurant.

Later in the day, we headed to the Winery at Eagle Knoll to enjoy their Mother's Day celebration, and it was so much fun! The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, and it was so relaxing. As you can see, I was enjoying my son, and my mimosa! You can barely see Camden, in the upper right-hand corner of the picture, playing in the little stream. The winery is really beautiful, and a great way to spend the day. They have all kinds of events year-round, and it is just a short drive from our house. There are so many great wineries (and wine) in the state of Idaho - - Steve and I were recently saying that we need to get out there and visit more of them. This week is another busy week, filled with swimming lessons, yard work, and the usual business. Camden will be going to his first "real" birthday party on Saturday, which should be fun to see.

Confession

My in-laws arrived in Idaho over the weekend. Before their trip out here, my mother asked if there was anything I wanted from Maine, to which I replied, "A can of Bakewell Cream, and a box of Funny Bones" (neither are available in Idaho). The last time I had Funny Bones was over two years ago, which was also the last time I was in Maine. Since my box came into my possession this past Friday, they have been seriously eyeballed by both my brother-in-law, and my husband, but I made it perfectly clear they were to keep their hands off. Now, for my confession: this afternoon, I found myself down in my pantry, in the dark, eating a little package of Funny Bones (no, not the whole box), so that I wouldn't have to share with my nearly four-year-old son. Selfish? Yes, probably. However, I dare you to try one (if you've never had the pleasure of eating one) and then tell me that you wouldn't have done the same thing. I dare you.

Mission Accomplished!

I'm happy to say that I ran the entire thing, and I didn't keel over at the end! It actually went very well, and I'm pretty sure I am going to keep on running. Hard to tell in this picture, but that is me, about in the middle of the photo, in the reddish-orange sleeveless shirt (and pasty-white legs), right before crossing the finish line. The crowd was HUGE, and at times it was tough not to trip over people. Thank you so very much to all of the family and friends who pledged their support to me for the race - - it means so much to me! I have to admit, near the end, I had to resort to reciting the 50 states in alphabetical order, because I was starting to get really hot and tired. I'll also tell you that I used the same trick while in labor for 31 hours with Camden. You'd be amazed how well it works at keeping the mind off bodily woes, and focused on the task at hand. Mind you, there is no comparison between labor and running a 5K (yes, labor is much more difficult)!

So, I'm happy that I was able to set a goal for myself, and actually stick to it. I didn't get to train quite as hard as I would have liked, but now I know that I can do it, so that's all that matters. I'm also thrilled that I got to run this race for my mother. Anytime I found myself thinking that I was too out of shape to do this, or that it was hard, or anything like that, I reminded myself how stoic my mom was when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and how she didn't even miss any work while she was being treated. Now that is amazing. Love you, Mum!

Baking up a storm, and other random thoughts...

So, my friend Terri and I will be entering the Cherry Bake-Off during our town's Cherry Festival, which is coming up in June. We both love to bake and so we've been pouring over cookbooks, looking for anything cherry. We talked with some ladies at the Chamber of Commerce the other day, and the rules are that you can use any kind of cherries (candied, fresh, canned, frozen, dried) so long as the recipe contains cherries. I pretty much knew what I wanted to submit as soon as I found out I could use maraschino cherries...my mom's cherry nut bread. It is a yeast bread but is actually more like a coffee cake, filled with cherries and walnuts, with a confectioner's sugar glaze. Growing up, she use to make it whenever she made baked beans in the crock pot. I baked a loaf of it this morning. Yesterday afternoon, I made a batch of Cherry Coconut Squares, which I found in my Marjorie Standish cookbook. They turned out really well, so I might have to enter those, too. Anyway, Terri and I have agreed to be each other's taste-testers over the next month, so by the time the bake-off rolls around, we'll probably be about 10 pounds heavier, and sick of cherries.

Yesterday, I took Camden to his first antique tractor and car show. It took place at a local winery, not too far from our house. Let me tell you, it was quite a thrill for the boy. I think he may take after his Great Uncle Ken, who has a great love for antique autos, tractors, wrenches, and such. Camden wanted his picture taken with just about every vehicle there. We promptly sent some of our photos to Uncle Ken, and Camden was thrilled to find this morning that Uncle Ken had emailed a bunch of his tractor pictures to him.

Steve was home briefly on Friday, but left on Friday afternoon for drill. It seems like he's been gone forever! His trip to South Carolina went well. We'll pick him up this afternoon, and luckily he has tomorrow off, so we'll all get to spend some time with him then.

Only six days left until the race! I'm getting a little nervous but I'm sure I'll be fine. I had a good run this past Friday which boosted my confidence - - I think I was feeling a little bad that I had to miss my last two training sessions with Steve out of town. I've stuck closely to my training schedule, and I'm really feeling like I can run the whole thing. If you'd like to visit my race website, you can do that here.

Griffin is down for a nap, so that means this is my chance to shower. Yippee!

Just Pictures

Swimming

Today was a big day for Camden - - his first swimming lesson at the YMCA. This was also the first time he'd ever been in a swimming pool, as evident in this photo! He was pretty timid at first, but he had a wonderful teacher (in the flowered swim cap) and before long, she had coaxed him into the water. He's been chattering about swimming ever since, so I think he'll be just fine. I was so proud of him. After class was over with, we headed to Target so that he could pick out a special beach towel (he picked Spider man, of course) to have especially for swimming lessons. I'm feeling thankful, yet again, that I get to be a stay-at-home mom - - I'd always meant to sign Camden up for swimming but didn't, because I was working, and since we live so far from Boise (and only have one car), I could never muster up the ambition to stay late in Boise two nights per week to do it. At the end of this swim session, I will sign Camden up for the next one, and Griffin and I will sign up for the "Mommy and Me" swim class, which is held at the same time and in the same pool as Camden's lessons. I want to get Griffin right in the water so that he won't have to feel fearful of it, like Camden has.

Inmates at the Zoo

Steve worked a half-day today, so the boys and I picked him up at work and headed over to Zoo Boise. It just so happened that every elementary school in the Treasure Valley went to the zoo today, too. More interesting to note, however, was that there was a sizable work detail from the Ada County Jail present as well. Seriously. Call me crazy, but I found it a bit odd that the zoo would have a bunch of inmates in blaze orange vests, working at the zoo. Odd.

I spent the day agonizing over the fact that I was probably going to miss my running club this weekend. Steve is leaving at the crack of dawn for a business trip, so I would need to take the boys with me. I just couldn't justify getting the boys up early, and then finding a smooth way to feed, dress, load them in the car, then drive for an hour, then have to reassemble my double-jogger, so that I could run for 30 minutes - - all by 7 a.m.. Luckily, my wise husband talked some sense into me and reminded me that as long as I ran, it didn't matter where I did it. So, I'll either be hitting the treadmill, or pushing the Jogger somewhere around town.

I recently realized that I haven't bought any new running shorts in over 7 years, so I think it is high time I treat myself to some new gear. After poking around on the internet, and visiting a local running store, I noticed there is a new item called the "running skirt". Have you seen this? It is basically a short skirt over a pair of compression shorts. Sounds a little strange to me, but I have to admit, it sounds comfortable. I may have to try one out: http://www.newbalance.com/running/apparel/WRSK7001/

I cannot for the life of me figure out how to include links in my post in a neat and orderly fashion (such as, just being able to type "running skirt" and be able to click on that to go to the link, rather than the mess I have above. So, if anyone out there (ahem...Kirsten...Lisa?) can tell me how to do that, I'd be eternally grateful.

Last but not least, here is Camden on his new bike, per my mother's request.

7 Months Old

I can't believe my little Griffin Peter will be 7 months old tomorrow. Time is flying by much too quickly, it seems. I find myself feeling slightly guilty that my heart aches constantly that Griffin is growing so fast, and I am home with him every day, where as I worked full-time when Camden was this age, and I don't remember feeling that way at all. I think it mostly has to do with the fact that Griffin is most likely my last baby, and I am struggling to accept that fact right now. For some reason I always thought I would have three children, but the other half of the baby-making equation tells me that we are done, so I am trying to come to grips with that.

If you are wondering what Griffin is wearing, it is called a "wool soaker". This particular wool soaker was made with love by Griffin's Great Aunt Jean. Believe it or not, when lanolized, wool is waterproof, and it does not absorb odor. I really found that hard to believe, but I can tell you that it is true. This is why wool makes a great cloth diaper cover. It is also very breathable, and stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. As you can probably deduce, I am still using cloth - - no, I did not give up after a week. I cannot believe how much I like it, and how easy it is. I'm so glad I decided to give it a try.

Last weekend, our local fire department had an open house, so we took the boys down to check out the fire engines. I think Camden was pretty excited to see all of the fire engines up close. Griffin slept through it all, for the most part. Other excitement over the weekend was that Camden got his first "big boy" bicycle. I'll have to get some pictures of him riding it. Steve and I get a good chuckle out of him because he'll put on his bike helmet so he can ride his bike, but then will continue to play out in the yard and keep his helmet on the whole time. We've wondered if the neighbors are wondering why our son wears a crash helmet all the time.

Running is going really well, I'm happy to report. The race is in 17 days, and I'm actually starting to think I'll be able to run the whole thing. I've been enjoying my Saturday morning runs in Boise, and have already learned a lot from the two trainers for my running group. It feels so good to be exercising again!

I just found out that Martina McBride is coming to Boise in August. That is one concert I have always wanted to see. I think I'll try to get tickets on Friday.

Happy Birthday, Mum!

Today is my mother's birthday, and we wish we could be with her! Camden called his Nana when we woke up today, so that we could sing to her. I'm afraid I hijacked this photo from an email that my mom sent to me today, and I think my Aunt Jean took the picture - - that's Mum with my niece, Violet (Kevin & Rachel's daughter). I love this picture!

I can't believe it is Friday again, already. I feel like a bad blogger lately. It seems the days keep escaping me, and I rarely get time to really sit down at the computer. I'll work on that.

To recap the week, Camden and I had a great time on our date this past Sunday. I'm pretty sure that Sonic met all of Camden's expectations, and the performance of The Velveteen Rabbit was really great. When we arrived at the Fulton Street Theater, Camden was handed a big glass of milk and a giant bunny cookie, which of course, he thought was great. The performance was an hour and a half long, which is pretty long for a little guy. I gave him the option of leaving during intermission, but he wanted to stay, and was engrossed the entire time. It was nice to have some quality time with him, and I'm already looking forward to our next date.

Cloth diapering is going great! I'm starting to think something is wrong with me, because I find it rather fun. I'm glad I ordered a sampling of different types of diapers because it really helped me decide what I wanted to stock up on. Here's a cute diaper that we tried out yesterday - - no leaks, so it's a keeper. Hopefully before long, I'll have enough diapers to get through the whole day.

The boys and I have some odds and ends to do today. I probably ought to get myself pulled together and head out for some errands before too long. The weather is perking up again, after a week or so of rain. Yesterday, Camden and I spend quite a bit of time outside, while Griffin was napping. We played quite a bit, but also got some yard work done. Hoping to head to the nursery soon for some plants and flowers.

Easy Tag Blanket

Griffin's a rather tactile young lad - - if you give him a stuffed animal, he immediately finds the tag and proceeds to finger it. He loves tags. So, like I do whenever I want to know something, I Googled "tag blanket" and found some simple instructions so that I could make him one. I dusted off my sewing machine and about 30 minutes later, Griffin had more tags to finger than his little hands could keep up with.

First, cut two 12" squares of fleece. Then, cut approximately 12 pieces of ribbon, 6" in length each. Use different colors and textures of ribbon, too. Then, fold each piece of ribbon in half, and pin to the right side of one of the pieces of fleece, so that the looped end of each ribbon piece are facing into the center of the blanket. Then, pin the other piece of fabric, right side facing in, to the piece with the ribbons, sew up all the sides, leaving a 3" space on the last side, so that you can turn the blanket right side out. Remove all of the pins, and then whip-stitch the opening. Voila!

Here's Griffin, testing out his new blanket. So far, so good - - he seems to love it.

In other news, I'm in the process of transitioning to cloth diapers and I'm so excited! I had thought about it quite a bit when I was pregnant with Griffin, but am just now feeling like the time is right. I should be getting a package in the mail within the next couple of days, with a bunch of samples of different types of diapers. In the meantime, we've been "test driving" a diaper made by a woman in Boise, and I love it! Maybe it will turn out that I'll just order all of my diapers from her.

I'm pretty sure Steve is sick of hearing me yammer on about cloth diapers, and probably you will be, too, by the time this week is out. I'm just very excited about it though, mostly because of the money it will save, along with the fact that I won't be contributing to the hundreds and hundreds of disposable diapers in the landfills anymore. Besides that, cloth diapers are just darn cute.

Camden and I have a "date" this afternoon - - I am taking him to Boise to see the actors from the Idaho Shakespeare Festival perform a reading of The Velveteen Rabbit. I asked him to choose a place for us to have lunch, and he chose Sonic, so we'll go there first. I haven't spent any "alone" time with Camden since before Griffin was born, so I think this will be great for the two of us, and I plan to make it a monthly occurrence. We're hoping to go and see "Shrek the Third" for our next date.

Mumma's a Mama

This morning, my friend Terri called to let me know that she thought her goat, Susie (more affectionately known as "Mumma") was in labor. We've been on "baby watch" for about three weeks now - - the poor goat has looked like she was about to explode for that long. So, she told me to stand by, and she'd call later in the day to let me know how Mumma was progressing. Well, about five minutes later she called again and said we'd better hurry up and get to her house. I'm happy to say that Camden and I were lucky enough to witness Mumma give birth to two beautiful babies, one boy and one girl. Camden promptly told Terri that he thought they should name the boy goat Camden. I love this picture of the kids watching Mumma labor. That's Terri's son Brenden, Camden, Terri's other son Hayden, and her neighbor's niece, Sydney: I had never seen any animal give birth before, so it was a new experience for both Camden and I. Right before the first baby was born, Mumma did some pretty loud screaming, which kind of freaked Camden out, but all in all he thought it was pretty neat. Griffin was there, too, but he didn't have much to say about the morning's events. Camden spent so much time worrying about Mumma this afternoon, that I had to take him back to Terri's so he could check on her! He was full of questions, as I am sure he will be for days to come.

Mumma, not looking too comfortable

With her first baby, a girl

And her second baby, a boy

Easter Photos

We spent Easter Sunday at my sister-in-law Kasey's mother's and stepfather's house in Weiser, and we had such a nice time. That's Kasey and Banzer, with me and Griffin, on the porch swing. Candy (Kasey's mom) hid a ton of eggs in her back yard for Camden, and he had so much fun. Dinner was delicious, and it was nice to be able to spend time with all of them. I was so happy that Camden recovered from a quick bout with the stomach flu in time to enjoy the Easter Bunny. This week we are staying pretty close to home, and starting on a bit of spring cleaning. The weather has suddenly gotten cold again, but hopefully we'll be seeing 70 degrees again before long.

No Guts, No Glory

I told my good friend Lisa last week that I had a secret. A secret that I wasn't going to tell anyone else, until the event involved had passed. My reasoning was that I couldn't handle the pressure of having other people know about it. However, over the weekend, I changed my mind. You may recall a few months back, I wrote a post about running, and for some reason I felt compelled to make a comment about possibly entering a road race in March. Well, as you can gather, since I never mentioned it again, I didn't enter a race, nor did I start running. I barely exercised, for that matter. I don't know what happened exactly - - I guess I just wasn't ready to make the commitment that I needed to make, for it to happen. Well, I recently entered the Boise Komen Race for the Cure. As a runner. I took it a little further than that, and joined a women's running club in Boise. We met for the first time this past Saturday. It was absolutely wonderful. As I was driving to Boise on Saturday, I suddenly started to feel really intimidated, wondering what made me think that I was going to get my flabby, out-of-shape, post-partum body moving, much less, running. When I arrived at the designated meeting place, I felt even worse. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to run- -that I would pant, gasp, and make a fool of myself. When everyone arrived, I was thrilled to see a great group of women, in a variety of ages, shapes, sizes, and fitness levels. We found out that we all had the same goal, which was to simply be able to run the entire race (3.1 miles). Our trainer told us that it was completely achievable, but that we had some work to do over the next six weeks. I'm happy to report that the first training session was wonderful. I didn't pass out, throw up, trip and fall, or otherwise embarrass myself. I could actually run, and it felt good. I already can't wait for this coming Saturday. Steve has a dentist appointment in town this morning, so I was able to go running when I got up today. I'm even starting to believe that I'll be able to run 3.1 miles on May 12th, without keeling over.