Saddleback Half-Marathon

Sorry to drag out my victory, but this thing has been sitting in my blog drafts for some time...

Three months of faithful training finally paid off on Memorial Day when I crossed the finish line of my first half-marathon. It was such a great feeling to be a finisher. Honestly, I never thought I would see the end, but thanks to Amy and Kelly, they made sure I did not give up.

A week before the race, my hip was really hurting after each practice run. I was really concerned that I would have to run the 13 miles in pain. The morning of the race, I had Troy give me a blessing that my joints and muscles would work properly for the race. And whattaya know? 13 miles and not a trace of pain!

The whole race experience was exhilarating. Thought I was going to die in the last 2 miles, but when you cross the finish line it is all forgotten. Thanks to all who encouraged me, pushed me, and coerced me. it was all worth it in the end!

LOOK...

Apparently someone caught a glimpse of me in yesterday's half-marathon and decided to make a comic of it. The artist couldn't decide which stride of mine he liked the most, so he made three different characters that embodied them all!


Nevertheless, I FINISHED & I didn't walk! More details to come as soon as I build up the courage to post my hideous pictures. Let's just say the day old make-up, no shower, and bedhead look was a rash decision on my part!

Splash Park Success!

We went on an outing to the splash park today. The last time I took Jack to the splash park he was a big sissy. So, I immediately returned home and started him on a 'rough and tumble' conditioning program which included showering with him so he could feel the sensation of falling water on his head, giving him lots of splash time in the bath, and occasionally sprinkling him with the hose while I water the garden. I am proud to say that our intensive training has paid off. The proof is in the puddin'.

I take it back...

As I sit here watching the "After Bachelor" show, I am experiencing "blogger's remorse". In a previous post, I was pretty harsh on Andy. Well, I am not too proud to admit that I changed my mind. The guy really grew on me. In fact, now I think he is quite genuine, sincere, and charmingly child-like in his affections for Tessa. So there you have it. A girl has a right to be fickle.

on the move

9 months old and jack has finally decided to move from his comfortable sitting position into a spirited scoot. He is really drawn to the rug under our table, tiny pieces of lint, the door stoppers, and eating fallen scraps from under his highchair. The other day he found himself in a predicament under the table. Here is the documentation:

UH-OH...I'm stuck!


Blast! Aren't you going to help me outta here?


I think I can! I think I can!


Sweet, sweet victory!

boys, boys, boys...

when i had jack last year, i decided to quit teaching elementary school. I was a little bit sad to leave that behind, but I was also thrilled to be a mom! I decided that for a little extra money, I would start a preschool. I am so happy I did! I LOVE teaching preschool! it has been such a good experience, and what makes this year so fun is that I have ALL boys. Six 4 year-old boys who love doing all the boy things. I have chalk, big wheels, jumpropes, balls, and trucks, but what they love most is finding something mischievous to get into. They really keep me on my toes and make me excited for Jack to get a little bit older. I have always wanted a girl of my own, but hanging out with these boys really makes me think that I would be just as happy as a mom of all boys.



Jaydon, Isaac, Joel, Damon, Marshall, and Max enjoying some "dirt dessert" with worms.

my boyfriend

Am I the only one who still watches the Bachelor? I seriously love this show. The idea of 25 desperate women vying for one man's love and affection makes for some sweet entertainment. Every Monday night Troy and I drink a Red Bull (not really) just so we can stay up for the shows 11:00 ending. We are never disappointed.

This year is especially interesting because we have this incredibly hot man, who is a Naval doctor (not a belly button doc), and a three time Triathlete.... BUT has no real personality or charm to speak of, and is sort of dry. It really puts me in a hard position. On the one hand, I just want to stare at his hotness, but on the other, a man with no wit or personality really does nothing for me. Tough moral decisions. Glad I'm not the one saying, "Yes, Andy, I will accept this rose."



Now it is down to Bevin or Tessa. My vote is for Tessa even though I am doubting her intentions. Bevin is just too needy for Andy. Who are you pulling for?

P.S. Troy thinks this guy looks like my brother, Garrett. Garrett...you are pretty hot, but not that hot. :)

ATTENTION crafty friends...

My old roommate Mere, has a sister who is designing fabric for Moda. I really like her stuff and think you will too. Check it out! Her company is called plaids and prints.

get out the tissue, ladies!

If I was a really skilled blogger, I would probably be able to post this video clip directly onto my blog. But, I ain't got skills so you are going to have to go there yourself!

This video will make you bawl like a baby, but worth seeing. You will walk around the entire day hugging and kissing your children after you see this.

>http://www.ignitermedia.com/products/iv/singles/570/99-balloons

The Garden Master

For a long time Troy has been dreaming of a garden. He gets these "visions" in his head of exactly what he wants, and then does it. You see, I get visions too, but I don't follow through with them. Anyway, he built these gorgeous redwood planters for the side of our house, and now we have a garden. We had to cheat a bit and buy plants that were already started because we are getting a late start. This is a test run because we are not sure how the veggies will do on the side of our house seeing as how there are only about 5 hours of sunlight. You have got to make do with what you have. I am hoping that the plants will still produce, but maybe not in high quantities.

Here are some pics:


Jack and Troy working together on the planters.

The 3 Planters

Tomatoes (4 varieties) Plus squash, eggplant (I guess Troy likes it?), yellow and red peppers, and 7 different herbs.

Strawberries - Plus watermelon

Barnyard Treasure

My dear friend Jo, who I used to teach with in Orange County, sent Jack a package the other day. It was an early gift for his b-day in August. I think we were supposed to wait to open it until his 1st birthday, but I told Jo that waiting to open a gift is beyond my abilities! So we opened it early and this is what it was:



The picture cannot do it justice! It is a handmade bag in the shape of a barn with 10 hand sewn farm animals. Each detail was so carefully thought out. Jack already loves taking the animals out of the bag and chewing on their hair, or throwing them across the room and chasing after them. He loves when I make the animal sounds. (Except that I say "ribbit" for the bunny and that is a frog sound. Any ideas?) This will be a treasure for years to come. Thanks Jo! Happy B-day to Jack, but really...happy b-day to me!

Helmet Update

Oops, sorry for the sideways picture. I am not savvy enough on the computer to fix it.



We had Jack's first official helmet check-up last week. Troy and I were really skeptical about the helmet's effectiveness because we could not see any visual improvements. At his appointment, the doctor took the new measurements of his head and graphed them on a paper against the original measurements. I was shocked to see how much his head had grown and shifted. The helmet is fitted so that the areas that don't need to grow are snug against the helmet and the areas that need shaping are given room to grow. The part of his head that grew most was one of the snug areas, but that is okay because now that area has reached its growth capacity and the flat part of his head will now be "forced" to fill in. The most amazing improvement was the shifting of his ears. One ear moved almost a 1/2 inch making them more even! The danger in the ears being poorly aligned is that it can later cause ear infections. That's the latest!

ARG! That picture is really bugging me!

Double Whammy

Happy Birthday MOMS! Both my mom and Troy's mom have birthdays in May. We want them to know how much we love and appreciate all they do for us. You guys are the BEST!

Now that we are parents to Jack, we admire you for...

1. Being strong in the Gospel and raising us with testimonies of our Savior.
2. Practicing patience when we bugged the heck out of you!
3. Being supportive of the choices we make.
4. Helping us discover our talents and teaching us to set goals.
5. Making dinner every night, getting us off to school, and driving us around to our events.
6. Always putting your desires second to ours.

We sure love you and appreciate you in our lives! Love, your son and daughter

it's in the genes...

Given the choice between new boobs or vein removal, I would DEFINITELY go with the veins. And that is really saying something for those of you that have seen my chest! This picture (compliments of my brother) is a little "foretelling" of my future. I guess I have my dad and grandma to thank for these hideous things. But come summer, pregnancy, and quarter-inch stockings, and I will really be cursing their names! Sorry , pops.

(P.S. I think I need to change the name of this blog to Ali's blah, blah, blahg because Troy is not approving of our "family" entries. In that case, stay tuned for "Excerpts from my High School Journal".)

happy birthday, amy!

To my friend, Amy, in Portland...we wish you the happiest on your birthday! Make it a good one! XOXO

Flashback Friday

Troy at 3 months. What a handsome little gent. With that perfect hand placement under the chin, he later went on to model for Deb's glamor shots.

25 days and counting...

For those of you who do not know, I have been coerced into training for a 1/2 marathon by some overachieving church girls looking to lose the baby bulge. Trust me, this was really against my will AND better judgment. At any rate, we have been training for what seems like an eternity (even though I needed an eternity), and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Only 25 more days which really equates to 2 big Saturday runs (9 & 11 miles), and a few small ones in between (mind you, small now means 5-7 miles...OY). It is hard to believe that the day is fast-approaching. When I think that at the beginning we could only make it a few paces around our 1 mile lake loop, I really start to feel proud. Yes, i said it, proud. Thinking of crossing that finish line really brings a tear to my eye. Granted, i am no 3 time cancer survivor, or a war veteran racing with one leg, or even a single mother of 4 who had to train with a triple stroller, in the snow, after a 60 hour work week, but by golly...I am an inherently "take the easy way out" kind of unmotivated gal who has swapped bon bons and Opera for an invigorating morning run to reach my goal...AND I WILL FINISH! I just want to give a shout out to my ladies, Amy and Kelly, and to my supportive hubby who babysits two babies every Saturday morning and tells me I look skinny even though I have not lost a single solitary pound. Couldn't have done it without you guys! So I leave you with a few tidbits of wisdom I think you should know about running:

1. When your toenails turn black, you might as well kiss them goodbye.

2. Don't eat 7 chocolate chip cookies before a big run unless you want to experience the "runner's trots".

3. Pick a running partner who won't pass judgment when you have to pass gas (cause don't think it doesn't happen)!

4. Reconsider running if you have to take a baby stroller up hills.

5. Don't wear short shorts when your inner thigh looks like mine. one word - Chafing.

6. Make your friend Amy carry your water bottle.

7. Don't expect that running a million miles = losing a million pounds (or one for that matter)

8. And please, please, please, don't think that it ever gets EASY! Because that must be a bunch of malarky!