Road Race 2010

As promised, footage from the Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day.  This was my ninth consecutive (or otherwise) year participating.  Even since I've been a part it has grown into something huge.  This year registration closed Tuesday night when they reached 15,000!  The atmosphere is something I think everyone should get to experience.  As my FIL puts it, its a "slice of Americana" and indeed it is.  So festive and fun!

This year my SIL and I walked it together, which allowed me the opportunity to bring my camera with me for the 4.78 miles.  I didn't stop to snap any of the pictures so many are blurry, but you'll get the idea. And I'm not going to explain many of them because....well, there just IS no explanation.

The starting line.  From the moment the gun goes off til the time everyone crosses the starting line is approximately 10-15 minutes.

 Like I said...no explaining.

 Not exactly record time but we finished and had fun doing it.

project 365, Week 48

We had such a fun week!  It was all about the holidays...Thanksgiving, tree trimming, family.  We are incredibly blessed and completely humbled to think of how good God has been (and is).

November 21

Mr. Trot enjoying the sunshine.

 November 22
This is how I sent Aiden out to play....

....and this is how Amanda was dressed.  She feels no cold.

November 23

One of the (many) outtakes from Attempt #1 of family Christmas pictures.

 November 24
A happy day!  Nana and Grandpa John arrived from Florida.  They were immediately "on duty", playing games, reading books, and watching movies with the kids.

 November 25
Thanksgiving Day!  We ran in the Manchester Road Race before stuffing ourselves.

 Set and ready for a feast.

November 26
Day-after Thanksgiving tradition...tree trimming.  Avery and Amanda were intensely into the whole thing. :)

 November 27
Our sweet birthday girl.

Amanda's Birthday

Our little Manda Manda girl is four today.  Four years old.  She's been talking about this day ever since her big sister turned four 17 months ago, but just last night she told me that she liked being two and did not want to turn four. :)

I find it very difficult to put Amanda down on paper, she's just so special and dynamic.  I'll continue to work on a post for her, but I wanted to make sure her birthday events got documented.  Hey, in this family we watch out for the middle child. {wink}.

Her birthday week celebration began with my side of the family after our Thanksgiving celebration.  She celebrated with a Grammy, an Auntie, a Pop and a Cousin who have birthdays in October, November and December.

For Shaun's side of the family, we celebrated after our Thanksgiving celebration, on Thanksgiving.

I wanted her cake to be a surprise, but both she and Avery had input, which ended up being fun.

Today, her actual birthday, started with some hugs, snuggle time and...popcorn for breakfast.

By request we spent a good part of the day at CEC.  We went early enough that for most of the time the crowds were not bad.  She had an endless supply of tokens and spent a large portion of them riding this horse.

Auntie Sarah was a coin supplier and cheerleader.

Her brother did not quite share her excitement but tolerated it.

She also danced with Chuck E. himself.

Taking a virtual roller coaster ride.

With Jared's help we ended up with nearly 1500 tickets.  That buys a lot of CEC crap prizes.

The boys were racing cars.  Uncle Tony had never in his life been to CEC (I know!) and by the end Sarah had to drag him away from the "car".  He observed Amanda standing close to a boy who was playing, offering him advice as needed.  At one point he said I'm seven...I know what I'm doing!  How old are you??  Amanda proudly offered that she was four. :)

The birthday buddies, just 8 years and 2 days apart.

She's growing up so big, so fast, we desperately wish we could freeze time or at least slow it down.  We will savor this year of her being four as much as we can.  Amanda has been an amazing gift to our family, to this world.  We love you, Baby.

So Thankful

Ah...Thanksgiving.  Such a great holiday, isn't it?  There is no other purpose for it than being with those we love and remembering how very much we have to be thankful for.

We started the day with 20,000 or so other runners and walkers who were participating in the Road Race.  My SIL and I ended up walking more of it than running due to our various injuries and so I actually brought my camera with me.  I'll share some gems from that soon. ;)

SIL Sarah, Me, SIL Laryssa, BIL Nathan aka Superman

Shaun and I have a good system worked out for Thanksgiving morning.  I race so I don't have to cook, he cooks so he doesn't have to cheerlead in 40 degree weather.  It works well for us. :)

When I got home, the two turkeys were just about done and the house smelled amazing.  We had 13 adults, including 3 great-grandparents and 7 kids.  It was a lovely afternoon, filled with laughter and playing....just a good day.

 Thankfully we had the three one-year olds helping with clean-up duty.  SO helpful!

We ended the evening watching Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving, which the girls were not familiar with.  They are also not familiar with watching shows that have commercials.  At one point a T*ys R Us commercial came on.  Avery said, Wait...that store has no grown-up stuff in it??  We should go!  

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make 

a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

Psalm 95:2