MIA

Well, I sure feel like this whole summer has gotten away from me!  Training has been lacking and so I am here to say why...   So, let me back up a little...
July 4th weekend was great!  We spent part of the weekend at my mom and dad's place.  It was great weather and great company!

Amanda (my brother's fiance) and Madelynn

Jan and Donnie my aunt and uncle

My cousin Jake

My uncles Doug & Danny

My aunt Diane with Madelynn getting ready for fireworks!

Diane & Madelynn ready for the show!

Phil, my baby bro

Me and my Grandma-a TRUE Twins fan!

And the absolutely gorgeous sunset as always at the lake.

Madelynn with her sparklers

Parker with his sparklers

The next day out in the boat with Grandpa (my dad)

The cutest fish face I'll ever see! 

Not only catching fish.....

but kissing fish too!

Peach digging the boat ride and fishing trip as well.

Me trying to show Parker how it's done!  He was only catching weeds...poor little man!

Ready to get wet!

Monday, July 4th Jason, Parker and I ran the MSUM 4th of July 10K.  It was Parker's first 10K.  Although I can now think back and laugh about it, he was very crabby pretty much the entire race.  His headphones didn't work out for him and kept falling out of his ears.  The humidity was BRUTAL even at 7:30 AM!  I tried to sing to him at one point of the race and he flat out told me to shut up!  Then it was time for me to change his focus.  I told him there was NO WAY that the girl in the green shirt in front of us was going to beat us.  So we eventually passed her.  Then kept focusing on the next person.  It was home stretch and we were almost finished.  Jason met up with us on our last stretch to the finish line.  We were both glad to be done.  Parker turned out to be the youngest kid that ran the 10K, and he did a great job especially for not listening to me and actually training!  He took 3rd in his age group and received a $5 gift card to Bennigan's.

Of other big news our house is officially on the market to sell!  It is exciting and nerve racking all at the same time!  Kelli Dronen has been so wonderful to work with and has been helping us all along the way.  She has been great to work with and always answers my questions no matter how stupid.  She doesn't let me know they are stupid, but I sometimes feel like they are!  She is so patient and I appreciate it so much!  I had my ever so great friends, who I can't thank enough!!!, over Blaine and Becky, to help me finish up some major things I could not have done on my own, before it was listed.  I appreciate you guys so much!  I am so glad you took time out of your own busy schedule to help me out. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!

Coming up this next month, Parker and I are going to do an in-line half marathon.  We have been training hard, have done two trial sessions and made it up to a little over 10 miles . Again, not completely without any complaining, but nonetheless, we made it through.  I am hoping to talk him into one more before the big day!  We'll see....

Running has still been pretty slow for me.  I have not been getting the miles in that I would like, but with my back and hip still bothering me off and on, I am just kind of taking it easy.  I think I will start to ramp up here this next month and try to prepare (quickly) for the Dick Beardsley in September maybe and then possibly the Fargo Mini Marathon in October.  I'll have to see how I am feeling and how much training I can actually get in.

And a quote I'd like to leave with...

"I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be."
– Groucho Marx