100th Post

This is my 100th Post....why NOT celebrate with my latest accomplishment. I am now officially in the Half CLUB! What the HALF club you ask?

I ran my first Half Marathon this past weekend in Seeley Lake Montana. It is a race that is always ran on the last Saturday of February. If you are familiar with Montana at all, that could be very scary. BUT the weather was amazing, in fact it was unseasonably WARM! I ran in a running sweat shirt, under armour shirt and I was roasting. It was an amazing setting, the course is around Seeley Lake, it was beautiful. To summarize the day in one word...it was amazing!

I wanted to (one could say my goal) was to run the race in 2 hours....and I almost did it. I ran it in 2:09:07. I was so please with myself. I totally have the running bug and can't wait to run another one. If you ever have a desire to run one, I have the most amazing training schedule. I am not a runner and still don't consider myself a "runner". I'm just a 30-something mom, professional, wife and lady....that needs another hobby. :-) Once you have experienced the thrill of finishing a race whether it be 3k, 5k, 10k or Half------you just have the "bug".......it is some kind-a thrill. Maybe I'm an adrenaline junky that is just too chicken to jump out of planes or from high buildings. :-)

Can't think of anything better I would like to write about than becoming part of the Half club.......for the 100th post.
Enjoy and enjoy the pics.......remember I just 13.1 miles

Dave & Candice - post race

Brother & sister - Aerie & Stacey!

The Deer Lodge Crew (part of them, Teresa & Karen are missing)
Dave, Candice, Stacey and Aerie

Candice & Stacey (I love this lady)!

Another shot of us......superstar girls!

Karen & I = I am so proud of her!

Karen - just crossed the finish line!

Mrs. Miller

For the past 6 weeks (approximately), I have been student teaching in a kindergarten classroom here in the D.L. It is fantastic and has been a wonderful experience so far. The children are wild and are a lively bunch most days but here are a few reasons why I LOVE teaching in Kindergarten.

• They tell me on a regular basis how beautiful I am. I don't care if they are 5, or 6 or almost 7.....they think I am beautiful! :-)
• When I tell them how smart they are and how great they are going to do in 1st grade, they turn to their neighbor and say...."I'm going to miss Kindergarten". I LOVE it!
• I love being sneezed on, coughed on and bled on. I have seen more buggers, snot and blood than I have in a long time....and yes I DO have 2 children! That says alot!
• I love how they listen and watch in anticipation as I read a story.....even what sometimes seems like the dumbest story ever! :-)
• I sing all day long and they listen, maybe in wonder but I sing goofy songs all day long and they LISTEN! :-)
  
• I get hugs all day long, even if I've just scolded them! Children are so forgiving, which is the way it should be......
• But most of all I love seeing their faces as you compliment them on their work or as they work so hard on reading or writing.

Truly nothing beats teaching children, what a wonderful experience!

Updates

I can't believe it has been about 2 weeks since I blogged last.
Life has been very busy lately.
Let's see a quick update:
E ended up having a nice birthday....we celebrated for about 2 weeks. How can you complain about that?
I have been student teaching since the beginning of January, can't believe how fast the time is flying by! I love it and am going to be sad when it is over but all good things must come to an end right? I'll be glad to get back to work and get paid for working. :-)
I am still training for my half-marathon. It is coming up quickly, the race is the end of the month...can't believe it! I'm ready, I really think I am. I am getting very excited.

This past weekend, T played in a bball tourney in Butte. It was great fun watching the boys, they did great. They won 2 games and lost 2 games. I can't wait to keep watching them through the next few years. We celebrated V-day on Saturday because D flew out to the Twin Cities on sunday. We ate bacon wrapped shrimp, hot garlic bread, wild/brown rice and veggies. It was delicious!
E is also playing basketball, her season ends this week and then she starts dance.
Needless to say, the kids keep us very busy!
Most days I feel like the Candy-Cab!
We enjoyed a long weekend yesterday and have 3 days of school/work this week and then another long weekend. I am so glad, I'm ready for another break.
I have been glued to the TV all weekend (when we were home) watching the Olympics. I think I'm addicted! But I figure I'll watch it while it is on...all the other things that need to get done will get done eventually...the Olympics is only on every 4 years.
I absolutely love the Olympics, I love watching the Americans and Canadians compete but when a Canadian compete and win.....I get the most excited. It is hard to overcome....the feeling of cheering for "home"!
I'll try to get some pics on here soon! I'm just glad I actually blogged, it is about time!

9 years OLD!

E - summer 2009 going in a small jet plane!

Bakerella's got nothing on this girl!

E - Christmas Day, in all her NEW stuff. New coat, new snow pants, new chore boots, new gun from brother!

E - Christmas Eve jammies....and wet hair, must have just had a shower!

Me & E! Happy 9th Birthday "honey".

E turned 9 yesterday and to say the least it was a buzz-kill birthday. D got really sick with the flu on Friday night.....was up almost all night throwing up.....it was fun to listen to...NOT.
Saturday E was supposed to have a friend come over for the day and play. She got sick too. So NO friend, and Daddy was sick!

We started off the morning, with a nice breakfast, just the two of us. Waffles, it was her choice. then we went to my friends house. I ran with her and E hung out with her boys. It was a fun for her. Then Dave's dad and I went to help a friend move cows. D was going to go but since he was sick, I thought I better go help. E stayed home with Dave, D slept and I think E took a nap too! When I got home I quickly made her cake (an angel food cake), which we call sponge cake. Then we decided to run to Helena to watch a movie. We went to The Tooth Fair, it was great. I am very glad we did that. It helped her bummed out birthday NOT such a bummer. We went to the movie, went to Target, Walmart and for dinner too. I tried to make it as special as possible!

Well, E since this birthday was such a BUST, we'll just have to celebrate all week! We are planning to have a play-date with her friend, on ....Friday!
I have picks of her opening her gifts in the car on the way to Helena, I'll post them later in the week. I'm sure this is one birthday she will never forget.

Here are 9 things about you:
1. Your favorite colors are turquoise and brown
2. you love the make hats, so you got a hat loom for your birthday
3. you love volleyball and basketball
4. you are a math whiz and love school, mostly you love your teacher
5. when you grow up you want to be a teacher
6. you hate the dentist and have about four rotten teeth that need taken care of!
7. you love salmon and requested that for your birthday dinner
8. you love to dance
9. you do not like to read but I'm trying to help you see the goodness in it and all things.

Love you E! To the MOON, Stars and back again!

More pics pics pics

Picture overload. but LONG overdue.

T - just being T. He is a happy young man!

T & his best buddy E. They got 1st and 2nd place in the 4-H Livestock Judging at the Magie in G.Falls last weekend. E got first and t got second. Way to go boys!

The trees were covered with frost, it looked so pretty....hard to capture that in a picture but T took the pic and I thought it was pretty cool!

Pictures - only pictures

T on his 13th Birthday. New bridle and cash-o-la!

T's cake (Thanks Jami for the idea, oreo cake = Yum, YUM, YUMMY!)

T&E on his birthday!

Happy Birthday T! Wow, 13...already?

Wow, look at all that SMOKE! Call the fire department.

Birthdays, Student Teaching and Busy

Wow, it seems like forever since I've blogged. We had a great birthday party for T. He got new cowboy boots, the new stylish square toed ones. They are SWEET!
This past weekend we went to Great Falls for the Magie. D has a booth for work and so we go on the weekend and hang out with him. This year T & his friend judged in the 4-H Livestock Judging competition and they did so great. T's friend won 1st and T got 2nd place. They were surprised how well they did and so were we. :-) It was a their first one and they did great, they are motivated to keep going.
It was a fun weekend in G.Falls. Emmy and I did some shopping, toodled around the mall and Target. It was snowing so badly, I didn't dare go anywhere else, I was afraid I might get stuck!

I started student teaching this past week and it is going great. I love Kinders and my mentor teacher is GREAT. She is so full of energy, is a hoot and such a great teacher. This particular group of students is very difficult but she keeps them moving and always has plenty to keep them busy and out of trouble. Last week was observation week, this week I'm taking on one lesson, I'm going to teach Math this week. I taught my first lesson today, we counted dimes and practiced counting my 10's....did I mention I love KINDERS! :-)

WE have been busy and we have another busy week ahead but who isn't busy these days. E turns 9 this weekend on the 30th. And again, I ask myself....where do the years go? It seems just like yesterday that D left for N. Dakota and I wasn't due for another 3 weeks. Woke up that Tuesday morning and my water broke......boy was that an experience. I thought I was peeing my pants!!!

Stay tuned for birthday pics and prize winning pics for the boys and their trophies.

Have a GREAT week.
Make it the time of your life.