Saturday, June 2, 2012

Christmas is a time for giving

This year I really wanted to get a message across to the kids. It is better to give than to receive. The true meaning of Christmas. A message about how fortunate we are to have all the little things we take for granted on a daily basis.
 
We decided to adopt a couple of needy families to provide Christmas gifts to. Two of these families had recently lost their home in a house fire. The gifts were delivered a couple of days before Christmas by some of our local firefighters who had responded to the call. Additionally, we attended a Toys for Tots party at a local farm and enjoyed a night of bon fires, food, and friends. Finally, we participated in a pot lunch lunch on Christmas Eve (also with the firefighters). We gathered together (with the help of some other families and some local restaurant businesses) and provided a hot lunch for the homeless who regularly gather at Lake Ella.










Friday, June 1, 2012

culinary artists at work








One-last-wild-hurrah





tall enough!






little friends
no fear
Mama's heart drops to the floor! My baby is on there!
Story time with Mrs. Claus.








He was the only one brave enough to ride with Mommy!


sometimes it's so hard to photograph 3 of them at the same time!

Nope
tears and injuries
I'll have to settle for just two.

Jacksonville Bank Half-Marathon

I can't think of a better way to kick of Christmas Vacation than a trip to Jacksonville to visit friends, visit family, and run a half-marathon!

The Jacksonville Bank Marathon is one of the oldest marathons in Florida. It's fast, flat, scenic, and not overly crowded. Just my type of race, and a perfect setting for Christi's first half-marathon. Speaking of Christi, she makes me sick! A star track runner a body builder in high school, she took quite a bit of time off before recently deciding to start running again. While I struggled to make a PR and finish in the top half of my age division (45th place in my division with a time of 2:06:07), she hardly trained and managed to easily place 5th in her division as one of the top female runners!!! So proud of my friend!

Off to a chilly start, but ready to kill this race!

We did it! Time for beer and carbs!
Back at the house, boys will be boys.