8 is GREAT!

Miss Olivia is 8 today, HiP hIP HoOrAY!

For her Birthday she asked for a

day at the spa

with her best friend in the whole, whole,

WORLD, Penina.

You should have seen those little sweeties lying with white-towell turbans on their heads while the aesthetician cleansed and massaged.  Then it was toes and fingernails across the board.  Complete with polka-dots.

She also asked for ice cream cake, which is yet to come with Daddy tomorrow.  He's a spoiler.

Today she also asked for hamburgers, bowling and a birthday photo shoot.  

I obliged. Even added some rootbeer floats.

She even lost her sparkly tooth at the alley.  Natural causes, not a wild throw by Georgia.

I love you, love you, love you my sweet Liv!!!

The other kids got in on some photo action too

On My First Tri

I'm typing this entry to avoid running right now.  Mentally I feel like I should have a vacation after my first race on Saturday even though I've run more that twice the distance of the race and have to run more than 4 times its distance in August.  So there.

I don't have any pictures of me or the other Speed Divas on our team from Saturday, but picture me only redder and breathing heavily with my farmer tanned arms bare to the world.  I felt so liberated.  Especially since Shakira was on my ipod keeping her hips honest, when I crossed the timing line to begin my race.

It was mostly uphill at 11:00 a.m. and I'm pretty sure it was 126 degrees.  Especially since I run at o'dark thirty.  Some blessed person on 2nd South and 2nd East put their sprinkler in the road around mile 3 for our relief.  They have probably been translated by now, but you can put flowers on their porch in Salem if you're ever around.  I got passed and then I passed some and when I was certain we were nearly done and pulled out my headphones so I could hear my kids cheer me across the finish line some jovial spectator cheered, "Nice job 10 (it was my number, he wasn't hitting on me), only 1/2 mile to go." 

The other ladies on my team, LuAnn (team captain), and Lori, were fantastic and so much fun.  Thank-you, thank-you for the opportunity!  Maybe next year we can each do it all!  And maybe Georgia will have better bladder control and the fam will be at the finish line.

It was a wonderful atmosphere at the race with a mixture of anticipation, competition, and support.  Potentially addicting.