I'm back! We've had two super busy weekends but I wanted to get you all caught up. Be prepared. I'm about to bombard you with photos - both via my iPhone and my big camera. Are you ready? Here we go...
1. A week and a half ago the hubby and I celebrated 15 years of marriage. 15 years! We felt like a decade and a half deserved a super special celebration so we headed to Starbucks for coffee. Yep. Coffee. That's how we roll. But honestly, it was awesome. The grandparents were in town so we headed out sans kids and felt like we were skipping school (it was a Wednesday) and it was awesome.
You know, some days I want to throttle him but most days I look around and feel like I won the lottery. I think I'm very lucky to be married to such an all-around great guy and fantastic, fun dad. (And I'm not just saying that because he'll read this. Because he doesn't read my blog!)
2. Here are the girls playing in our pool with the hubby's parents. Like I posted on facebook, my girls totally think their grandparents are the equivalent of rock stars. They get SO EXCITED when they get to see them.
And we were so lucky to have the grandparents watch the girls while we escaped to the lake (and Starbucks!).
3. #4 made it to the All City swim meet again this year. She qualified for Freestyle, Breaststroke, and Butterfly but only swam in the free and fly. She was very disappointed because Breast is her favorite stroke, but her coaches didn't know that and they try to get as many kids to All City as possible which meant they let someone else swim breaststroke. So she missed swimming her favorite stroke. Luckily, she perserved and did her best. She didn't place because she had slow starts and actually swam slower than earlier meets, but we're still so proud of her for making it! She was also able to swim in the relay and her team won - by about a fingernail! It was seriously a nail splitting event to watch but she led off and started her team out in the lead so she felt like she sort-of made up for her previous slow starts. I just LOVE watching her swim. It's so fun.
Here she is doing the fly. Look how far out of the water she gets her whole body. Man, is she strong or what?!
And here is her start. Her dive is beautiful and graceful. I mean, check out that form!
4. After watching her swim, the hubby and I headed to Omaha for a pit stop before driving the rest of the way to OKOBOJI! That's right, our annual trip. It was just as much fun this year as past years. Here's a smattering of shots from our trip...
If you're friends with me on facebook you've already seen some of these. Please forgive the repetition.
These next three were shots I took on my run the first day we were there. I could seriously get used to these views every time I ran!
(Man, I love Instagram!)
This is a path down by the dock. Simple and lovely.
Bracco on the lake. Great view and great food.
We girls were enjoying a cold beverage while just hanging out in the water. It was a tough day:)
We decided we needed to spice up our second day on the lake with a little spectator sporting. Hence, we broke out the tube and acted like our kids.
Yes, that is me. Do you see the sheer terror on my face? The next photo is the reason.
It may be blurry but do you see the air under the tube? Yes, that is spectator sporting. And yes, I felt my brain touch my skull. And yes, I lost about a million brain cells and then we quit.
Hot-dogging.
This one just makes me laugh.
I'm proud to say this year we came home with money. We've been wiped out the past three years. I am finally starting to get the hang of Texas Hold 'Em. It only took three years. Not bad.
After a strenuous evening of dart-playing at the bar, we decided we needed to make friends and get a ride home. Enter Mike and Christine. (Christine was taking picture. Who knows where the hubby was?)
This is a must any time I visit Okoboji. Cheese Balls. 'Nuff said.
Sangria. Refreshing. Delightful.
Sunset from the Dry Dock.
5. We turned around and left this past weekend and headed down to Bella Vista again. The kids could hardly wait to go boating and tubing again! You are now stuck looking at a bunch of BV photos. You have been warned.
Here is Papa helping #4 turn on her camera.
I have officially started my marathon training. Yesterday the scheduled called for 16 miles. I was determined to get it in. I found a set of trails in Bentonville (just down the road from Bella Vista) that are sort-of connected to each other. The plan was for me to run 8 and have the hubby join me for my last 8.
If you know me well, you know I have NO sense of direction. None. Zero. Zip. I have been known to get lost in Kansas City. True stories. Anyway, I started out and everything was going great until I popped out of the trails and realized I had done a complete 6 mile loop. I had NO IDEA how I did it. Well, I called the hubby and he met me while I did another half mile. That meant he had to do 9.5 with me rather than just 8 but he was a trooper and did it! See, aren't I lucky?!
These next three are shots I took on my 16 miles.
Downtown Bentonville.
Crystal Bridges. Phenomenal.
Here are a bunch of lake shots:
The hubby fancies himself a wakeboarder. He likes to "shred" it. Nevermind he's using a borrowed girl board! He cracks me up.
#1 and #2 LOVE the tube. I think they could do it all day if we let them.
Here are my folks with the girls.
Isn't my mom cool? Check out her Hurley shirt and I love her shorts!
Nevermind the tube is made for four people. Who says you can't fit FIVE? Including a grandma?!
And there you have it. Our weekends recapped in pictures.
6. We left the two little girls down in Bella Vista with my parents. They were so excited to get to spend time down their by themselves but then got a little sad when we left. I know they will have a blast, though!
And I have to say, after the four of us got home and were eating a late dinner tonight, we realized how quiet it was at the table. #3 and #4 are TALKERS, man. It will be strange around here with two less kids. Not that I'm complaining:)
Have a great week!
