The Big Race

Well, I definitely fell off the blogging wagon and now I am trying to catch up with a LOT of stuff that has happened! But most importantly, the BIG race, as Matthew and I call it (as we also call EVERY race) must be mentioned. Matthew loves to talk about "the big race" before I'm going to run anything and how he will cheer for me at the end and say, "Go Mommy!" and that will give me that last ounce of strength I need to pass somebody at the very last second and win! (Is it possible we've had stories about this very thing?) He especially liked trash talking Uncle Mike before this last race and telling him how his mommy was going to beat him!
A big thanks to Mike and Brandi for letting us stay with them and for Mom and Dad for driving up to watch us all. Also to Woodson for taking off work to support me and not make me sleep somewhere strange with the kids all by myself! :) It was definitely lots of fun. . . and a little bit painful! But mostly fun even though I think we all decided we would NEVER do this race again! Good job to Mike for getting us all to do it! It would never have happened without the CHALLENGE! I won't even mention how you lost to a pregnant lady! While Matthew, of course, loved this whole thing, Nicole was less than enthusiastic about hanging out in the cold for however long they were there after the donut run with Grandma and Grandpa!

Julie, Aimee, me, and Mike: the fearless four! Next year, Joe and Paul, next year. . . the whole fam! That is, of course, unless you're afraid. . . !

Running poses before the race. . .Aimee's gonna take down the pack! We looked much different after the race but fortunately I have no pictures of that!

Here's us taking off . . .about 3 minutes after the starting gun! We all had to go to the bathroom so bad and the porta-potty lines were so long we couldn't make it in time for the gun! Plus we had to get a few pictures before we started. . . etc etc etc! Luckily the race was chip timed!

Here's me just about to the finish line. Way to get the action shot, babe! And, even though I couldn't hear Matthew say, "Go Mommy!" I must have known he would be saying it because I think I passed this guy! Although by that point I WAS almost delirious so I could have imagined that!