Pink Pedal Car

How cute is this car? I've entered for a chance to win this little beauty. Abby has seen these before and said, "Mommy, can I have a car like that?" Well, if we win, then, "Yes!"

Here's how to enter for your chance to win. Go to 5 Minutes For Mom, and learn about the company Pedal Cars and Retro Collectibles. This company has cool stuff, not just the Pedal Cars. Go check them out! They even have big wheels!

Wordless Wednesday

For more WW go to 5 minutes for Mom.

I Did It!

Get ready for lots of pictures!

Arriving at the event site. I look like I'm not quite awake yet. Or maybe the thought is, "Am I sure I want to do this?"

Here we are lining up at the start: my daddy, my personal trainer, and me. Yes, Belle didn't sign up to actually run the race, but she ran with me encouraging me the whole way. It was a little chilly and windy this morning.

Here's the whole bunch taking off. Notice I started in the back (yellow arrow). That way I'd have lots of people to pass up. Actually, it was so that no one would knock me over as they ran past.

Into the first half mile. Notice I'm still smiling.

Here's Daddy running strong after the first mile.

They had a water/gatorade table set up along the course. My first thought was, "Is this a marathon?" I didn't take the water, but Belle did and made a little show of stopping to drink it, then ran to catch back up to me. She said, "This is cool. I've never had water at a race before!"

After the water station, we ran through the woods and completed two miles and into the third. I was starting to get hot, so somewhere in the woods, I took off my sweatshirt and tied it around my waist. All that deep breathing and heart pumping really tend to heat things up.

Right here I'm thinking, "Man! This is HARD!" You can tell by how far hunched over I am.

Here is Daddy finishing the race. He did so good!

Here I am "sprinting" to the finish. I heard someone call out to me, "There's another girl behind you," so I ran a little faster. I had passed some people up by this point and I didn't want them to get in front of me again.

Yeah!!! Crossing the finish line. Boy, did that feel GOOD! And my time was pretty good. Especially for someone who only recently starting running.

After the race! Whew! We made it!

Then we waited around for everyone to finish and they tallied all the times. Then they gave away medals to the winners of each age group.

Here's Daddy getting his medal for first in his age group!

And I got second in my age group, 35-39. There were four female runners in my age group.

Posing for the Press. :)

Well, I couldn't have done it without my family and friends cheering me on. They were really an inpiriation -- and not just today, but the whole time I've been training. You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for your support! I love you!

Here's the cutest cheerleader I had today!

Non-Wordless Wednesday

Oooo, Look! Green Beans with Ranch! My favorite!

Four More Days

I can't believe the race is this Saturday. It seems like it's always been way off in the distance and now it's here!

I've stayed on target with the running schedule. I'm pretty good when things are planned out. So far, I haven't had to run in the rain. The wind was pretty fierce last Friday, but other than that, it's been pleasant. There is rain in the forecast for this week, including Saturday. I hope and pray it doesn't! Dad said when he ran last year, it was freezing and raining. Yuck!

My dad and my niece are both going to run as well. I wonder who will win... hmmmm. We'll see. One of my nephews is going to do the one-mile "fun run." Looks like it will be a family event. I'll make sure someone will take pictures -- it won't be me!

So Cute!

5 Minutes for Mom is giving away a bedding set from Kukunest. They have some adorable patterns, but this is the one I love. Anyone care to guess why?

Go on over there and enter for your chance to win.

Wordless Wednesday

First-Ever School Picture

One Year Ago Today

It has been twelve months exactly since we have been logged in to CCAA. One whole year.

I guess the good thing is that it has gone by pretty quickly. There have been times of high emotion and the questions of "why isn't this going any faster?" Or, "what can we do in the mean time?" I get crazy fleeting thoughts of more fertility treatments (I really do NOT want to go there), and praying that I'll get pregnant (wouldn't that be so much easier, God?), or should we do another adoption while we wait?

And then I settle down again and just trust in God's goodness and His perfect timing. He knows exactly what we need and He will provide!

We are learning more and more about trust in God and the obedience that it requires. Such as getting out of debt and actually having the cash to pay for the rest of the adoption when the time does come.

So, it is a good thing, for us, that it looks like it will probably be a couple more years before we get our referral for Abby's Mei Mei (Little Sister). We're just waiting for our perfect match - like the one we got three years ago in little Abby.

God does ALL things well!

Happiness Is...

...a sparkling new pair of shoes!

Abby Swinging With Granny And Nana

For more Wordless Wednesday, go to 5 minutes for Mom.