I AM BACK

Wow I can't believe it has been six months since I last blogged! In fact, it has been so long since I have been on this site that I had to reset my password b/c after trying at least 10 times it was clear to me that I was not going to be able to remember. I promise I did not stop blogging for any specific reason. You certainly did not miss any drama. I think I just got so busy with life that I got behind on the blogging and just sort of gave it up. I would think about it every once in awhile but getting back into it is always so much harder b/c I never know where to start. It is not like I can go back and recount the last 6 months of my life. How boring would that be. I am sort of sad that there are stories and race reports that never got documented in print. I may have to do a little back tracking over the next several weeks b/c in the end these are my memories for me to look back on someday when I am old! I would not say life is any less busy right now, but maybe if I give up my unnecessary TV time I can keep up on here.

So this post is just going to be a bit all over the place in my attempt to briefly recap the last 6 months of our lives. Here goes: we still live in the same house, have the same jobs, I still love to run, kids each passed their grade level and are now are home for the summer. How's that? Good enough for day one of being back........just kidding!!

Seriously, for Clark and I life is same old same old. This past winter was SUPER busy with work and kids sports. All 5 had sports so we basically did a lot of divide and conquer. I think I was still blogging some when all that started so I complained enough about that. We got thru it and are still happily married at the end. I have continued to run and knock on wood have not had to stop for any injuries. My running is different...much slower (for fear of injuries) and does not happen as often as I would like. Since my last post, I have run three half marathons, one full marathon and a 45 mile relay. I will try to make one post where I do a brief race recap of all of those just to get caught up. I need to order some pictures before I do that. I will also have a running goal update post soon with my latest life running goals. Work is work. I survived my partner being off on maternity leave and loved my time in her cave. Now I am back to my side of the office and all I can say about that is "let the chaos begin." So much harder to focus!!! Now counting down until summer teenage physicals are over. Probably should not get started on how much I dislike those. Don't think I am saying I hate the teens (although they come with a billion issues) but more the rules on when the physicals have to be done by. Makes for a scheduling nightmare for doctors when really summer should be a more relaxed time with fewer sick sicks. Finally I am on a new diet and that alone needs it own post.

Clark is great. We recently celebrated 12 years of marriage. I honestly feel like I love him more and more each year we are together. We had a nice dinner out at The Capital Grille. I think what we will remember from this meal was that we got lots of free things b/c the waiter kept dropping and spilling everything at the table across from us. Not sure why we got free things except that the waiter was so flustered and things took longer, etc. I felt so bad for this guy who just kept making mistake after mistake.
Here is a picture Nick took of us before we went out for dinner. Can you tell I am frantically searching my phone looking for random pictures to add to this blog?!?

 

I guess you can also see from the above picture that I got a new van! I got rid of my black Honda after 12 years. I gave it to someone who was going thru a tough time and needed a car. I pray nightly that it holds up as long as it is needed. My new van is fancy and somewhat complicated, but I love it. I have managed to keep it clean for going on 2 weeks. Kids still aren't allowed to eat in it but since it has a DVD player they don't mind. 

Okay I got a little side tracked there. Back to Clark. He is busy with his home projects. His latest, which seems to be taking forever, is his wood wall project. He wanted a nicer/fancy office since it is the first room you see in our house. He had this idea that he wanted wood walls so he is making his vision a reality.
Here is the same picture I posted on facebook. Will blog with pictures along the way.

 

 

Nick is great. I can't believe he is done with elementary school and moving on to middle school. Never again will I have all my kids at the same school. He did great in 5th grade. I think all A's for all of elementary. He is done playing hockey with the Junior Ice team. We had a horrible year with this team, and I would be happy to forget it ever happened. We all just had trouble fitting in with this team. He hopes to try out for All Stars again. If it happens great. If not, well then he will just do house league at Carmel. He is thinking about doing cross country this year. Of course I love that idea!! He is also in the process of writing a chapter book. He still says he wants to be an author and while he starts many books, he has trouble finishing them. I am holding out hope for this one! Still to come this summer for him is church camp, Canada trip and goalie camp!

 

 

Alexis is awesome. Still a great kid! She is very busy with gymnastics. Practices have increased to 17 hours per week, so she basically lives at the InterActive Academy 5 days per week. So far she still loves it. We are not sure what level she is going to be in as this year all the levels with gymnastics changed. She is basically practicing a lot with the hopes that they can do one last minute meet this summer to get some of the girls to skip a level and move to optionals. If she makes it fine. If not, fine b/c all the routines are new no matter what happens. She is did great in the 3rd grade. All A's. She still has a gymnastics camp, church camp and Canada trip left this summer. 

 

Couldn't find a quick picture of Alexis alone on Nick's computer (which I am using right now despite his best attempts to get me off...I must hurry). Alexis (on right) is with her friend Caroline at the Carmel water park.



 

 

The triplets. Sorry boys but once again you are going to be lumped together for sake of time. I knew this first post back would take too long (I have laundry waiting...)! They turned 6 in May. They all had great KG years. Everyone did great and really liked school the entire time. I think separate classes was really good for them as they each got to move along at their own pace with no comparisons to each other. It did make for some frustrating homework nights when they did not coordinate but whatever. Hockey season came and went for them. Ryan and Landon loved it. Adam not as much, but I am making him try at least one more year. Now we are into baseball at least for another week (last game next weekend). Landon loves it. Ryan and Adam not as much. I find it hilarious to see how clueless the kids are at this age. Really it is just about teaching them to hit off T and reminding them to put the bat down and run to first. When in outfield, it is all just about teaching them to go after the ball and throw to first. Anything beyond that would just be too much for these little tikes. Next up will try fall soccer. That was Adam's pick, but I just have a hard time picturing him liking any sports really. Boys are about to go to Holiday World soon with my parents and then Canada with the family. No camps this year (too expensive to send all 5) but hopefully they can do one next year. Finally without really getting into it at all on this blog post, I am trying something new with Ryan. I will be the first to admit defeat with this child of mine. I have seriously been struggling with his behavior issues. We are trying a new diet for him, and I will be blogging all about it as we go.

 

Here they are: Ryan, Landon, Adam

 

 

Okay I feel like I have not really said much and yet this has taken forever. Let me just stop here and try and do more focused posts throughout the week.