Rock and Roll

Well, I know all of my posts involve the child but tonight this is a post about pain and agony. Yesterday I completed the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in San Antonio. Why, did I choose to do this - out of pure peer pressure and at mile 10 yesterday I was hating everyone who talked me into this and hating myself for choosing to put myself in this much pain. There was a large group of us that went (check out Life at the Bowden Household to see the whole group I somehow didn't end up with a group pic on my camera). We have all been training since August for this thing.

Most of you that know me, know I despise running. Honestly I don't really love running now but it keeps the clothes fitting a little better and it is always nice to have the "You have lost weight" comment.

We had a great trip and road with two couples down there. Here are the girls on the way down there don't we look happy and pain free.


Here are the guys at the Expo on Saturday after we checked in.


Here are the girls at 5:30 a.m. on race day and yes it was 35 degrees. Our toes were numb when we started this thing.


Here are the girls after the race, I honestly don't know how I am even standing. I seriously have never been in so much pain.


Here are the guys after the race. A little background Heath and KW (in the middle) did not do one bit of training for this thing, they just decided they would just walk it and if you know these two this is not shocking at all. They are absolutely hysterical together and we laughed so hard on the way there and back and in fact the guy in the middle bought a hat, that he wore in the race, that says "In my dreams, I am a Kenyon". He even wore the bright green shirt in case he passed out people would find him in the ditch! The guy on the right, JD, trained hard for this and ran a great race!


And this is what 13.1 miles will do to a person. I know she looks like she is talking but seriously she fell asleep on the way back to the hotel from dinner. I am not talking a light sleep, she was out!


The picture below is a special one of me and my running partner LD we have been friends since we moved here but there is just something about running for weeks on end that you just form a bond and one I wouldn't trade for the world. When we started training for this thing she could run 2 minutes before she was breathing hard - this picture was after we completed 13.1 miles. Each time we trained for this she was so bitter about getting up in the morning and if it was cold just forget it, she was mad at the world. However, come race day I didn't even know who this girl was. She was happy, ran the best she has ever ran, was Ms. Chatty to all the random people cheering us on. She looked at the 10K sign and was like "Oh, I can totally do a 10K no prob." We did a total role reversal I was the one at mile 10 when someone asked How are ya'll doing? My response was "I have no skin on the bottom of my feet, my knees and and hips ache with every step I take and at this point I just want to amputate the bottom half of my body but other than that I feel great." You go LD, I am so proud of you!!!!


All in all the trip was fun despite the aching body and all the times we were lost (which was just about everytime we got in the car). I seriously could barely walk last night and I am still hurting tonight but for all the laughs we had on the way there, while we were there and on the way back you just can't trade those great times with friends.

Accessories

Lately Ava has been obsessed with accessories. She used to just rip glasses, hats and jewelry off. However, now if I put something on her and say "Oh, pretty Ava" she just opens her mouth really big and you can tell she truly thinks she hung the moon and just walks around the house smiling at whatever it is. In the picture, she was playing in the doctor's kit and got these glasses out and brought them to me to put on her. I did and I of course went on and on at how pretty she looked and she left them on forever. They don't have lenses so she loved that she could touch her eyes through the glasses and here she is just chillin' in her glasses.

We have also received a huge bag of the biggest bows ever. It will be awhile before she has enough hair to hold the bows, but lately she has been getting these bows out for me to put in her hair. It is hilarious there are times where we have three or more bows in her hair and she thinks she looks great! I haven't had a chance to capture a picture but maybe by the time I do my next post I will have it.

Let's go to the hop

Isn't this trick-or-treator as scary as they get? Ava had a blast on Halloween and truly loved her costume. She clapped when she got to wear it and loved looking at herself in it. I don't know how some of you parents get these adorable pictures it is impossible to get one of Ava standing and smiling because if you are standing you should be moving, right?



Above, she is groovin' to a little Lights, Camera, Action before we head out for loads of fun. Below I was just trying to get a picture of her smiling at the camera and she just smiled at her Daddy instead, so precious.



It was actually kind of funny how much Ava loved Halloween. In our neighborhood they mark off some streets where trick-or-treating is only allowed at those homes and only golf carts are allowed as a means of transportation besides walking. So, some people really got into their decorations and the scarier it was the more Ava loved it. I am not kidding you she watched some thing take its head off five times. Then there was this guy dressed in a really scary costume that would just walk around his driveway while all other children screamed and ran for their mothers, mine ran for him waving hello with a big smile on her face. Then stood perfectly still for my sister to take a picture of him with Ava. Crazy and I haven't decided if I should be concerned about this or not. In fact, if the people didn't have a dog or some sort of decoration she would just sit in their driveway, like what fun is this? Below is the picture of how excited her Aunt Haley and Ava were to receive a couple of Dum Dum suckers!!! Fun times! (My sister has a lot more pictures of this night captured on her camera especially how excited a little girl gets at the first taste ever of a Dum Dum sucker.)

Ava's new hiding spot

So, I have been on a little dry spell from blogging. I don't know why, I guess time. I would like to say I have been cleaning my house but now that the tazmanian devil lives with us, my house never looks clean. I feel like all I do is pick up, pick up and I turn around and the taz hits another room. Awww the joys of motherhood and I know all you mothers out there are saying it won't get better or wait till you have more than one and I personally want to thank you for your encouraging words.

But really, Ava has been sick for a month I think and for two weeks now we are finally well and my child is back to her happy self. Along with the wellness, she has decided to catch up on a month of eating. She is slowing down a little but last week the girl could not get full anything you put in front of her she ate and ate and ate. One night last week Heath was not going to be home for dinner and my mom was like well good you don't have to cook and I was like oh we have forgotten about little Miss Piggy and I did have to fix a meal for her (a roasted chicken thigh, almost an entire can of green beans, two huge spoonfuls of mashed potatoes and rainbow sherbet for dessert).

Today she has started the funniest thing. She just left the playroom and walked into her bedroom and it was so quite in there. Well, she was hiding in between the wall and the crib. She was so perfectly quiet and just sitting there that when I found her she just smiled and waved. Tonight when we got home from church she went to her little spot and again just sat there and would just poke her head around and say Boo and smile, she thought she was hilarious and I finally had the opportunity to take some good smiling pics of the little one.

Peek-a-boo sweet girl!


Don't I look like I get into some major trouble!


Although some days I just want to think what else can you get into to, she is so much fun and has so much fun playing, dancing, saying new things, praising herself for anything, jumping on our bed and just all kinds of fun things - she definitely keeps us laughing.

West Texas again

This last weekend was Heath's 10 year college reunion at good ol' ACU. It was so fun and we got to see lots of people I haven't seen since I left. We had a great time hanging out with the Paty's all day. Friday night of course we went to see my parents and it was the big Snyder Tigers vs. Sweetwater Mustangs high school football game. Some good friends of ours had us over before the game for dinner. We had a great time visiting with our family friends and here is a picture of our little munchkins. My child of course decided she no longer likes grass so this is the only picture she is in and not crying and notice the Princess is standing while all the other children are sitting.



Here is my little Snyder Tiger before the game. Of course her Gree made sure she was going to sport her Tiger colors. No picture is complete without something in our mouth. I rarely get smiley pictures anymore because we have to know what everything tastes like and I do mean everything! Her auntie made her a matching bling, bling pacifier holder - it is super cute and she has started her own little side business so if you are interested let me know.



I don't have any pictures from homecoming seeing as how I left the child with her grandparents so I didn't feel as though there would be tons of picture opportunities since all of our pictures consist of the child. Someone asked if I missed having her there and I said do I miss pushing a stroller, hauling a diaper bag, dealing with her schedule or lack there of on that day - ummm, simple answer no!!!!! It was a fun day Patys' - loved catching up and due to Ginger's persuasion I may start looking at starting Face Book apparently all the cool kids do it and I sure don't want to be left out!