USMC Mud Run 2009

Oh yes we did!!! I set a goal last year, 5 months pregnant with Oliver, while cheering on some friends, to run in the 2009 USMC Mud Run. The challenge is a 4.2 mile course made up of wooded and muddy terrain and includes 30 obstacles. I hate to say it but I was doubted by a couple of folks. They should know better right?
Any who, I conned 3 other fantastic women into doing it with me. Only to have one of them get sick the morning of. Fortunately, our good friend from church, Beth stepped up and save the day, as you have to run in a team of 4.
So when Oliver was 3 months old I set out on my quest to train as hard as I could to get ready for this event. I had heard it was tough but I was determined! We all had a common goal. We were not going to compete...we simply wanted to finish! And that we did!
With a great cheering section of good friends on hand and lots of faith in God we pulled through and lived to tell. Now we're even more fired up about doing it next year and even shaving some time off our record!
I am so grateful for such a wonderful team who helped me realize one of my goals! MUAH to The Dirty Joke...we did it Girls!

Before

Team: The Dirty Joke

Sarah Meacham, Anne Stuart McMillan, Me, and Beth Fisher

After

Some other muddy friends

An appropriate place for me...on a stretcher!!!!

100yds to the finish line...last obstacle of the race

Go Sarah!!!

Over ---- Under

Wade in the water children!!!! Me in the Z trench

I really didn't feel like smiling!

Go Anne Stuart...leading The Dirty Joke to the finish

Fu and Mase got muddy at the Pollywog Mud Run while they waited.

Sam said...aww I did that last year. So he and Robert just chilled...nice and clean.

Waiting

And we're off!

September 2009

Well, we celebrated Fulton's birthday September 9th!! We had our usual 3 parties ;-)!

This year Fu requested a Biker party...and his wish was my command! We invited his class and cousins to our Biker Birthday Rally!

My handsome 4 year old Biker Dude! (His face isn't dirty...it's just a boo-boo from face planting in the road while playing soccer with Sam.)

Soooo, I whipped up an invite and a we had our Ultimate Biker Bash. Are they not the cutest Biker kids you've ever seen!!!!

The Biker Bakers

Please look at Ollie's little hand. I could eat him!

Now that's every birthday boy's dream

Ollie, Kirstin, and Madeline

Clayton with all his girls...April, Emma, and Madison

Happy Birthday to Fu!!!

Sides, Thompson and Fulton

The girls chillin with a root beer float

Faith-Claire, Wright, and Sides

Doublemint twin...Margaret and Arden (Sorry Allison, I still can't tell them apart!)

Uncle Nic did a fine job manning the root beer bar

Sweet po-ta-tuh!!!

Caroline cruisin' the obstacle course

Go Fu Go!!!

Wright showing off Fulton's Back Tatt

My bud Katie assisting customers at the Tatt~N~Go

Wright's back tatt

The Tattoo parlor is hoppin!

Jameson!! He's such a big boy now. It's hard to believe he and Sam will be 7 in October.

My Sambo

The Tatt~N~Go

The Biker Root Beer Bar

Favors for the Biker Chics

Favors for the Biker Dudes

The cupcakes with a bike tire

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On Fu's actual birthday we celebrated with Muzzy and Boppa and the Gibson boys. He requested a hot dog dinner and his best bud, Wright.

Present time

Happy Birthday to my sweet boy

Crazy!!!!!

Muzzy provided lots of fun with the silly string

Silly string war in the front yard
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Fu's party at school...he requested Scooby Doo

Wright and Fu

Oliver: Fulton's show and tell

Yum!!! Now that's my kinda Scooby snack

August 2009

Our dear friend, Summer was passing through Columbia. And you know what that calls for...A Girls Night Out!!! We met at Dianne's for dinner and then we were out on the town. It ended up being a record late night in the past 10 years. SO much fun!!!! Looking forward to the next one!

Ansley and Summer

Me and Jen

Heather Me and Summer

The Adams Family--- Jen, Lucas, and John

Brooks and Me

Rockers- Summer and Jackie
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We got a call two weeks before school started. It was a phone call we'd been waiting for for 3 years. Sam got into Brockman, our district Montessori school. We have been applying for their lottery for 3 years and a spot finally came open for 1st grade!!! We loved Satchelford and had just gotten adjusted but are truly welcoming the change for which we have prayed.

We feel very blessed. Brockman is very small and not many people have the opportunity to be accepted! We are looking forward to a great year.

Sam's school supplies for the first day of 1st GRADE

Proud boy! He found a grasshopper the day before school started and wanted to take it with him. Soooooo SWEET!

Finding his hook

Meeting a new friend at the board. Brockman is Montessori so they have blended ages in their classes. Sam is in Lower Elementary which is made up of 1st-3rd graders.
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Happy Birthday to Shannon's brother, Randy! The Big 4-0!!!!

On August 24th Shannon's brother turned 40. His sweet wife, Talitha (a.k.a. "T") threw him a great surprise party. It was a graveyard golfer theme. Sooooo cute.

Hilarious story: A very "private" must readShannon and I had to leave his brother's surprise party much earlier than expected. We got a very rare phone call from our veteran sitter, Mary Ann in need of help.

I'll set the stage---On that Saturday morning, Shannon had just had a private part chat with Sam...you know the one (Those are your parts ONLY. They are not for anyone else...yada, yada yada).

Welllllllllll, Mary Ann calls us in a panic because Sam had her cornered in the bathroom adamantly opposing her wiping Fulton's hiney saying "that's his private part and you are NOT allowed to touch it". Poor Fu just off the potty is in "the pose" to be wiped, patiently awaiting some assistance. Sam is lecturing Mary Ann, getting frustrated and beginning to cry, so Fulton begins to cry because he too is frustrated just wants someone to wipe him. Oliver, asleep down the hall, hears all the comotion and begins to cry too. MASS CHAOS, I'm telling you!

So poor Mary Ann, who can handle most anything, makes the call. Shannon and I had to come home to smooth things over because everyone was falling apart! We cracked up the whole way home!!!! I so wish we could have been flies on the wall.

Bless Sam's heart! He was doing what he thought was right. And in today's world...I am thankful he has a little more of me in him and won't go down with out a fight! Shannon and I praised him for doing the right thing . But I know Mary Ann was probably happy to be leaving for college the next weekend!

We love you Mary Ann!!!!!!

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So with the drama behind us and Shannon's brother's party over, we headed back out for an annual band party...ST6. As usual, there were a ton of blasts from the past who we bumped into, great music, and draft beer! Two out of three ain't so bad!

Brooks and Me

John, Matt, and Shan

John, Shan, Me, & Jen
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Shannon and I feel so blessed to have been asked by our good friends, Heather and Fenton Overdyke to be Caroline's God0parents. We participated in the beautiful ceremony and enjoyed a wonderful reception at their home. They are such good friends and we truly LOOOOOVE sweet Caroline. She'll make a great little buddy to hang with when I need a break from my boys.