What a blast!!!

Who knew that running a 10 k with almost 60,000 people could be sooooo much fun! We should really get out more right?!


April 19th
When we got to the hotel, we were all a tiny bit apprehensive. It wasn't in the most amazing area, you understand...and outside stood a tall sketchy looking dude...but it was all good once we walked through the doors, clean, safe, warm, comfy. I know Ange wondered about the safety of her car in the parking garage that smelled of urine but we came back the next day to find it all still safe and sound so all was well on that front too.

Cue the fun self portraits that mostly say, "yay we have an evening alone! No kids, no responsibilities..."



We went for a huge dinner complete with wine. You should really ignore all the pre-running rules and apply almost all the girls weekend rules when you go for the sunrun.

Moranda walked us down memory lane after dinner as we re-lived her romantic proposal 10 years ago...

So romantic! Obviously she was deliriously excited...




And Ange braved a dangerous roped off area for us...




Yes, we are wild and crazy gals! (Why was that roped off? What was so dangerous?)

We headed back to the hotel and tried to get some sleep but I was so excited I hardly slept at all. I'm not sure why... (read comment above about needing to get out more!)

April 20th
Here we are! Out standing in the starting crowds, ready to run. It was freezing out and...


We're looking up in disbelief, Yes they really are going to ask us to do aerobics in the cold with thousands of other people first thing in the morning!

It was a great warm up but I did feel like it was 1991 again.

....after a rousing national anthem, we were off!

There are no photos of this part for obvious reasons. It's hard to run, breath and take photos. As it was Moranda and I couldn't keep up to Angela. Go, Ange, go!
We didn't see her again until BC Place. She beat us by almost 3 minutes too! GO ANGE!

Our times were:
Angela 50:07
Shalagh 52:56
Moranda 52:57

The course was not too hard and the weather was perfect. It was amazing to see all the people in front and behind us - wow! And there were so many standing on the street, braving the cold cheering us all on. It was an amazing experience and I can't wait until next year!

Here we are enjoying our post race goodies in BC Place...


And then? We went shopping of course, and for lunch!

quick update!!!

Whew! The weeks just seem to fly by.
I wanted to let you know (Hi mom and dad I know you read this now!) that the running gals are heading downtown in a few minutes to hit the Lulu store and get settled in for our race.

I'm pretty excited! If you click here you can check out the route and info on the Sunrun. They have more entrants than ever before (56,000 I believe. How insane is that?!)

I took a break from blogging last week (not sure if you noticed. I did.) to read a couple of classics I've wanted to read forever: Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park by Jane Austin. Oh, how thankful I am to be a woman today instead of back then. I was struck with how boring everyone's lives seemed. How did they fill their days? And yet they were not unhappy. Something to think about. All this busyness does not always add to our lives in a positive way.

Oh and Madeline is competing with her little jazz troupe again on Monday. She loves it and they are all so cute! I can't wait! I'm pretty proud of the progress they're making. She had an extra Ballet class today because they take their first (yikes) exams next month. She's getting so grown up. I can't believe that's my rough and tumble little girl all in pink, standing so prim and proper.

...So I'm off!
Wish us luck! And think of us panting away amongst the hoards.
Look for pics and info next week.....

Two days in a row??!!

I surprise even myself sometimes!

I'm on a Homeschooling Yahoo email list for our area and this video came through today:




Honestly, I don't usually take the time to watch videos that people send me. I know, but I'm just lazy that way!
This was was well worth it. Probably because it made me feel better. We always joke that we're the crazy house and people need to sign a waver in order to play here but now I don't feel so bad! It's amazing to me that my kids rarely get hurt other than the minor cuts and scrapes that you come to expect from childhood.
I'm a great believer in kids being able to try things for themselves, even slightly unsafe things. I haven't however, ever let them drive the car. Seriously, it's on the video!!

Oh and thank you all for your great words of encouragement to me! I'm being reminded that I need to step outside myself and reach out to others. I think when I'm lonely or sad or just having one of those days, taking my eyes off myself and putting them on someone else, although not my natural reaction is the best thing to do. See I'm growing up already!!
It's always a risk isn't it? to be vulnerable and to be "real". I believe God honors our attempts to peal off the masks we all wear. I like to be the strong one, the one giving the advice. It's hard for me to take encouragement and be vulnerable in this way.

...and in other news: For those of you who've been asking, my next run is April 20th. The Sunrun which is being touted as the second largest 10 km in North America. It should be fun! I'm a bit nervous because I haven't had the time to run the distances I should but I think the pace will be slow because of all the people so it should be fine. Wish us luck!!

Here we are...me and my running bff's...(my sil and her sil. You guys rock!)

Is it Monday again?

I'm not sure what happens to my weeks but they seem to fly by or slip through my fingers or race past like I'm viewing them from a speeding train....some weeks anyway, this was one of them. We've had soccer tryouts and dance competitions and birthdays and field trips and.... the list continues on and on. I'm desperately looking forward to my day at home today.

I was reminded Saturday (or Friday...the days they do run together) of the importance of friends, the way they call us up and out (sometimes) even when we aren't expecting it. I called my good friend Kristen and she shared with me some of the incredible and painful things God is doing in her family. She called me up and then she called me out...on my homeschooling. What a blessing good friends are!

"Thank you Kris for reminding me that I'm called to do this right now and I need to lean in. In all your pain and frustration that I phoned to help you with...I left with something for me. I'm blessed to call you friend!"

On the subject of friends and community, I've been seriously missing mine, my old friends, my safety net, my resources BUT I know we are in the place we should be. I've been sad and angry but mostly lonely. It's strange because to the outside observer I would seem to have lots of friends but inside my life, I'm a bit lonely. It's hard for me to admit that actually. It makes me feel needy, which I hate (I know pride again). In examining this feeling I realize that I am mostly hating being the "new person" to have to make all the connections again in a new place. It's hard work and a strange feeling to always be the outsider.

I do have some really amazing friends (and family). You know who you are and I thank God for you so please don't take this personally. I couldn't make it without you!

Although as a child I was painfully shy, I was still motivated to have a friend or 3 and to be with people 24/7. I was, I think, somewhat afraid to be alone. As I grew older and became a teen, then an adult I was not very comfortable in my own skin. Not really sure who I was. I knew I wasn't that bubbly always happy, alway "up" girl everyone thought I was. But who was I?

As I'm sure most women find, having children does not erase this question. It only distracts us from it and adds to it. Who am I? What has God created me to do? Where do I fit? I am surprised to find these questions still rattling around in my brain. Sometimes they make me crazy and sometimes they just remind me that as we get older we're designed to continue to change and grow. We can't be completely defined by our roles. I am a mother but that alone does not characterize me. This is true of all the labels I wear mother, wife, friend.... all describe me somewhat...I seem to be again in a season of change which always brings these questions up for me.

I realize this lonely, reflective place although not comfortable for me who likes everything to be fun and easy (I know I'm a flake, what can I say?!) is exactly where I'm supposed to be. It seems to be the season for me to look more closely at who God has created me to be. Perhaps I'll even grow up a bit. What?! Weirder things have happened!

I should have warned you before you started that this post is somewhat all over the place and a tiny bit whiny. Thanks to those of you who stuck with me this far. This blog world, those of you who comment and share your lives have also become part of my new community.