Haulin' Aspen Trail Marathon

Jo and I really enjoyed running the Haulin' Aspen last year. It is challenging because it has a good climb in the first 13 miles, but the view from the top and the single track on the way down make the climb worth it. Jo decided he wanted to run again this year and also decided that he wanted a group to run with him. After trying to convince many of his friends to train, only one man rose to the challenge....PETER FACKENTHALL. Until this year, Jo's brother Peter was convinced that he was not a runner, and he really had never run any long distances. He trained like crazy and was able to cross the finish line like a champ. Allison, Andrew and Nicole had fun on the 7 miler and Allison won first place in her age group. John and Pat ran the half marathon and were third and first in their age group. Heather, Ralph, Mom, Dad, Joy, Pepper, Isabella, Gabrielle, and I were the cheering section. They definitely could not have done it without us!

"Sharing"

The cheering section.

Waiting patiently for her dad.

The few and the proud.

Post race refueling

Bend Weekend

When Jo and Peter decided to run the Haulin' Aspen marathon this year, they probably did not suspect that such a group would gather for the event. Allison had been looking for an inexpensive run and then she convinced Andrew and Nicole join her. Ralph and Heather were going to run before the 7 miler filled up too fast. John and Pat did their usual fool-proof racing plan: sign up for a race 2 weeks before and then train like mad and....win. Mom and Dad came along to babysit Pepper because originally I was planning to run.
So there we all were, converging on Bend from all over, for an epic weekend. We had a bit of a surprise when we found a condo that was about half the size that was advertised, was lacking towels and had a motor home sized kitchen. Thankfully the pool, tennis courts, and walking trails far made up for the lack of space at the condo. Plus it was a good deal!
Thank you to all who joined us. I love our family!

12th Week

I've been told that when I was a little girl one of my favorite activities was to jump in my "Johnny Jump Up". Being of the high energy sort, jumping for hours on end kept me pretty happy. We were pretty excited when Travis and Rika gave us a gender correct "Jenny Jump Up" for Pepper. Yes, she is a little young for it, but all it took was a bit of blanket propping to get her somewhat upright. She seemed to like the fact that she was "standing" but has not attempted a jump yet. I guess she has to leave some developmental tasks for next week.

Next Week She'll Be Driving

Jo and I are continually amazed at the speed of development these first few months. Every day she seems to do something new. Sometimes I get the feeling that she is growing up too fast...but still not sleeping through the nights. Whats the deal with that?
She often places one hand on the bottle while she is eating and last week Jo somehow positioned her so that she was holding the bottle with both hands. When she was done she popped it out of her mouth on her own. That crazy kid is going to make Daddy's life a little too easy.

Outside

One thing is for sure, Pepper loves the outdoors. If she is out of sorts, hungry, and/or tired... she is transformed into a happy, calm girl once you step outside with her. We make it a point to go for walks in the evenings since that is the time she tends to get a little fussy and often she falls asleep at some point during the walk. We all enjoy basking in the Walla Walla sunsets and dreaming about the future from the front porch of our new house.

Meeting Emmarie

My good friend Sherisa, who lives in Spangle, had a beautiful little girl 6 weeks after Pepper was born. We had not met little Emmarie Gloe yet, so when Jo needed a ride to Coeur d'Alene to pick up his truck with a new transmission, we tagged along.
Emmarie is amazing! So little, cuddly, and quiet (Sherisa says she is not always so quiet, but I don't believe her). It was so nice to spend most of the day discussing our new-mom adventures. There is nothing like the support of a friend in a similar situation. We also had so much fun taking pictures of the two girls. We were reduced to fits of laughter as they sat next to each other leaning on one another (P tended to squish E) with seeming little knowledge of each other. Their arms and legs were continually flailing and their eyes never seemed to be where we needed them. I have a renewed respect for infant photographers.
My dad picked us up lunch at Olive Garden on his way back through Spokane so we ate a yummy lunch that we did not have to cook! All in all, it was a wonderful day. I am so blessed to have Sherisa as my friend and I can't wait for the fun times that Pepper and Emmarie will have in the future!

Holding hands!

Love E's pose.

Perfect of Emmarie, but Pepper was so busy adjusting her skirt.

P is finally looking at the camera but E is sleeping.

Love this one!

Where is Winter When You Need It?

Pepper has this really cute outfit that was passed down to her. What I love about it is that it is red and not pink. Don't get me wrong, I do like pink, but there are so many pink clothes for little girls that it is refreshing to have other colors. The other thing I love is that the jacket looks so soft and cozy. I was so excited when we had a "cold" morning last week so that she could wear this outfit. She was sufficiently cooperative, but I have learned again that P's patience for photo shoots has it's limits.

"This is so fun!"

"I think I am hungry."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"