So Glad I did it, So glad it's over!

Day 7: I am totally and utterlly exausted! Those are the closing remarks at the end of this crazy and wild week around the East Coast.
Days 1-3: It all started at 6pm last Sunday night when 3 girl friends and I decided to pack up our 7 kids and drive 8 hours to the beach through the middle of the night. As crazy as that sounds, we had a blast. Thanks to Talai's neighbors we enjoyed yet another fabulous few days at Emerald Isle NC. Part of it felt like college, living with 4 girls, staying up late to tell stories, there was only one big difference. We all had kiddos running around. Overall the kids did really well, for the most part they got along and played well. They enjoyed jumping in the water and playing in the sand, and we enjoyed that as well. Only bad part, my kids didn't sleep well. I think party due to new location, partly due to noise and the fact that we shared the same room. By day 2 I was feeling pretty drained. On day three at the beach, the kids started to lose it a little bit, and due to wind and clouds we decided it would be a good time to head out. So we packed up and said goodbye to the beach.

(turns out I can't flip a picture, or maybe I'm just too lazy to figure out how)


We had a pretty good 4 hour drive to Richmond where I stayed with the fam so that I could sing in an interfaith meeting on Thursday night. I sang "You Raise me up" and the only time I had to practice the song was about an hour before the program. I wasn't singing with piano I sang with a string quartet which I have never done before, also the reason I wasn't able to practice. As much as I wish I had a string quartet at my disposal I don't. Singing with a string quartet was like singing on a cloud. It was so beautiful, and it is a great arrangement. Overall I think it went pretty well.
Friday I spent the day getting ready for the half marathon. I left that afternoon to travel to Charlottesville (all by myself). It was great. I even hit traffic and enjoyed every minute of it alone with no screaming kids in the car. It was great to have entire evening feeling like a free spirit. I met up with Janine and her family for dinner and then met up with Cherie at the hotel where we talked the night away until we fell asleep. I had a really good time. Then bright and early we arose to run our half marathon.

The day was beautiful, when we left the hotel at 6am the weather was perfect, even warm. It was great. The Half Marathon itself went pretty well. The course was really beautiful and quite hilly. I finished in 2 hours and 30 minutes. I know, I am not the fastest but I did it and I live today to tell the tale. I would do it again, maybe a different course this time, it was a fun challenge and something to work toward. Janine, Kimmy, and Cherie all ran the race and did a fabulous job (they were all there to cheer me in at the end, the perks of being last). Now we have the Ragnar to look forward to in September.