Scrapping and Scarlet the Beloved

My term is up over at GoDigitalScrapbooking.com. I am a little sad to walk away from all the fun creating with a new kit every other day, but I am also glad not to have the pressure to produce so much right now. It really was a fun thing to do, and after a few months of a break I think I will try to get on some individual designer's teams. We will see.
So here are a few layouts that I have been waiting to do until my time as a Supreme was over, because I had such great things to use that didn't come from the site! I hope you enjoy the pink overload that is going to now grace your screens- but that is just what Easter is at our house!!
I have been having a fun time this past couple of weeks training for ANOTHER Triathlon! I just still so much wanted to compete in the SalemTri that I was unable to do before with my family. I don't know if it is just wanting to prove to myself that I can do the same thing they did, or if it just cements into my mind that I have FINALLY gotten back to my pre-baby self (well I am still 3 lbs. shy of that, but all in good time!). Needless to say my sister-in-law Kelly was already signed up without someone to do it with, and I didn't need much more prodding than that! The race is on next Saturday the 7th of June and this one is a lake(I use that term very loosely here) swim, so it will be very different but fun!
Last but not least meet my new best friend Scarlet- I LOVE her:
Paul surprised me with her last week and I feel now that we are teamed up I have nothing to fear!!
Love to all!!!

Time marches on...

I have these moments. You know, moments when all of a sudden I realize that I am 30, married for 7 years and have three children! I get all shocked and have to take a look at myself in the mirror to remind me that yes, in fact I am NOT 16 anymore, but the mother of a 5 year old that just graduated from preschool this morning and will be starting Kindergarten in THREE short months!
I am so proud of Abby and all that she has accomplished this year. She has really grown, not only in height (Can you see that she is by far the tallest in her class!)
but also in her social and academic skills. I was looking over the assessment taken of her at the beginning of the year and she didn't even know her full name or birthday let alone know how to write the full alphabet and count to 100. Growth, it is a good thing and I love to watch her succeed in everything she does.

This is a picture of her dearest friend in school, Craig. Very often she can be heard saying "Craig did ..." or "Craig says...." I would be lying if I didn't also LOVE the fact that he is my good friend from high schools little boy!!!Way to go Abby, love ya girl!!!

Because she would be distraught if I didn't include her, Liv got a hair cut this week. A cute little bob for the summer and she loves it. (Never mind the tutu she has been wearing all day!)
Oh and here is my baby, turned 18 months on Wednesday

Time marches on....

Completion!

It is now official, I have completed my first triathlon!!! You have no idea how happy this makes me and the sense of accomplishment that is flowing through my body!!! Mostly because A)I did not throw up at the finish line (although Paul saw two ladies do it while waiting for me to cross!) and B)I finished and did pretty well for my first time I think, with a final time of 1 hour 25 min. This placed me 61 out of 123 in my division and 212 out of 473 total. So pretty much right in the middle and as I analyze my times more I can definitely see areas that could be improved.
Things I have learned today:
-I CAN do it!
-My sister Shamae is Awesome, she beat me by 2 minutes and placed 36 in her age group!
-Kelly is my newest hero! She beat me by 5 minutes and placed 30th in our age group and 95th over all- AWESOME!!!
-yes, a 60 year old woman can pass me on the run!
-I can borrow my brother's bike from 1980 and it will perform beautifully, no falling off chains and no flat tire!
-next time don't take the water that is offered at the booths because it is nearly impossible to drink it while running and you end up wearing it all instead.
-Always have your dad at the top of the HUGE hill to motivate you to keep running because there is NO WAY I was going to let him see me walking it!!!
-Paul is an amazing support and I love that he was there to cheer me on the entire way and document it all on film.
-always do these events with family and friends because it makes it so much more exciting and fun (Thanks girls!!)
-kids definitely have more fun having a sleepover with Grandma Davis then sitting around in the sun bored for hours (thanks you guys it helped me out more than you know!)

And now (drum roll please)
THE WOMEN OF STEEL TRIATHLON
The crowdGetting ready!This one is mostly because Shamae and Kelly begged me not to post it, but it is the only picture I have of all three of us! (Plus it is just really funny)Here I amBiking it old school!Shamae coming up the hill Rounding into the home stretchFinished!!This really was so much fun and one of the greatest accomplishments!! I think I will need to do this again!

Let the RACE begin!

Well I must admit that I am just a little bit freaking out right now! My big debut as a triathlete is tomorrow morning at 8:00am sharp!! Don't get me wrong, I feel very prepared. In fact Shamae and I did a dry run last week and I did well and it put my fear of throwing up at the finish line at ease! But it is just the nerves of the unknown, do you know what I mean? I haven't ever done a race before of any kind. I don't know how stressful it will be with 500 other participants scrambling around. But alas I am very excited and can hardly wait to put on my swim cap and goggles and dive into the water at the start of the race! Wish me luck everyone, I just might need it. Oh and good luck to my fellow family members in crime Shamae and Kelly (Will's wife, I know WAY too many Kelly's!) You guys are going to ROCK!!! Check back this weekend because I will be posting up pictures!!

Motherhood

Happy mother's day to all you wonderful women in my life!! I love today because Abby keeps coming up to me randomly and giving me hugs and telling me that she loves me. Liv keeps smiling and saying "it's happy mother's day mom". Here is my yearly layout in honor of this wonderful day (I must confess that I did this layout last month for a challenge at GDS and used the picture from last year, so I just popped in the new one and viola!)

To my wonderful mom who can quite often be heard saying "If the grandkids want ice cream for breakfast, they shall have ice cream for breakfast!"- you are the greatest! You give me so much love and support. Right down to last week when I was home alone with three sick kids and no milk or bread, I knew that if I called you it would be remedied, and quickly!! Thank you for being such a wonderful resource when it comes to raising my children. You always have the right answer to all of my questions. Love you.

To my most wonderful Mother-in-law Paulene- What more could I ask for!! We are two of a kind and I love that we share so many interest and hobbies and that we really understand each other and share the same high level of love for Paul and my children. My greatest memory of you (well there are a million but...) was right after giving birth to my first child Abby and my mother saying she was beautiful but different then her own, you walked into the room pulled her tenderly into your arms and said "Oh, it is one of mine!" I LOVED that, and the two of you have shared a special bond from that point on.

We love you moms, and I truly do love my opportunity to join in that wonderful calling in life. Hopefully I do my darling girls justice in raising them just as well as I and my husband have been.
Cheers!

Reason #583 that Dad's are the best

Hot Dog caterpillars for lunch while mom is out.

Really, does the life of a kid get any better than this? Apparently not because my girls were beside themselves with joy!

and the Slacking continues...

So, things have been a little crazy around here. Paul left town on a business trip and all three girls decided to come down with SEVERE head colds! This of course has thrown off the exercises schedule for this week at only two weeks from my race, so I am not the happiest. However, we are picking Paul up tonight (after a drive thru run- who wants to cook for three sick girls anyway) and then tomorrow I will get in my missed swim and Shamae and I will do the bike/run combo of our race on Saturday between Abby's kindergarten assessment (my mom's private school does that one on one with her, I can't be in the room. I hope she doesn't get too shy and can show then how supremely smart she is!!) and her kids soccer games in the afternoon. Boy, us mom's sure do get busy when we have things we would like to accomplish!! Oh and just to crap it out a little more, the Rec center is closing down the week before the race-to take the bubble off the pool- It will be great and all to have it off for the race but don't they know that some of us are nervous and NEED them to be open so we can keep practicing!!

On a more positive note (sorry people, sometimes I just need to vent) I have just been scrapping away my afternoons over the past two weeks, working on my dad's book and I have to say it is coming along fabulously!! I think it is going to be pretty great if I do say so myself (and this is MY blog so I can!). I was able to pick up two really great kits that I think have added that Island vibe they were needing. So here is another sneak peak because many of my family read this and I want them all to be surprised with my dad.Oh, and Shamae had a great idea, if any of my family members are interested. She thinks she is going to order herself a copy of the book at the same time that I put in the order for my dad to save herself the shipping. If anyone else wants to do that just let me know. I have tried to put the voice of this book from him to the reader. So the stories and narratives are all from his perspective and it really is going to be a great heirloom.
Until next time...