Photography Fun....

So I took a beginner photography class and have been having fun using my camera on manual! It is liberating I tell you! Who knew having so much control over taking a picture would be so fun! Just loving it! Now I need a new lens or two and I will be goooood to go! Here are some shots of DB and the girls today using my friends 35mm AF lens! These are completely unedited....Also on my list to buy some good photo editing software!

Been too long....does anyone still check in here....

So here I sit in front of my computer contemplating my next blog post, all the while realizing that it has almost been a year since my last post. The Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon is almost upon us again only 3 and 1/2 weeks away. And to answer the question you want to ask, yes I trained again for the race this year and will be running the 1/2. I am determined to be crush my time from last year.

Suppose we should play a little catch up....For the most part all is the same just a year later, girls are great and growing up too fast. The Twins are in first grade and Lila is finishing up her last year of preschool. DB still is still with us enjoying out her retirement. She still enjoys laying in the sun and sleeping. I am still working a for WSU and Agpro from home. I am still running and really enjoying the time I get to spend out on the trails and my long runs with my running group R+R Fitness, which also helped me FINALLY lose 30lbs over the last year.......Shawn is doing awesome he did have a job change in September. He is now working for Rackspace Hosting and loving it! The last year including a trip to New Mexico and Shawn and I got to enjoy a trip up to Seattle for a wedding.

I am thinking it will be tooooo crazy to try to go into detail all the happenings of the last year as it was pretty much a speedy blur!...So I guess I will do my part to just move forward with the happenings of this year.....So until some time in the near future.....and I do mean near! Time to get back at it I hope to post at the very least a word or picture or sentence a week....
Kaelee

1/2 Marathon Running Momma...

Well I did it! Yes, after 5 months of dedicated training with my good friend Ana, we finished the San Antonio Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon! Ana and I were so excited to start the race together and we are so proud of our accomplishment! Of course we were so excited that we forgot to take a pic of the two of us! Too funny! I am now going to try to increase my per mile time, hoping to get it to 10:30 or 11:00 per mile. I think some weight training may help! I finished the 13.1 miles in 2:36, just under a 12 min mile. I was shooting for 2:30 so not too bad for my first 1/2. I have until Dec 15th to decide if I want to Rock n Roll in Dallas at the end of March.... My girls and Shawn were at the finish line with about 30k of their friends....There were soooo many people there!! And in case you were wondering, nope I have no desire right now to ever run a full marathon! :)

Birthday and Halloween....Spoooooky!

So it seems I am always behind this year.....Oh well I suppose a short post is better then no post! Ha!

The girls celebrated their 6th birthday this October eating dinner at Grimaldi's Pizza, a great place to play with pizza dough before you eat, they love that! And us adults love eating there....So good! They were spoiled once again this year they had both Grandma and Nanna in town! So fun to have them both here!So Halloween was on a Sunday this year....made for some light fun! No adults partying and staying out until 3am like last year! The girls had fun trick or treating with me this year......it was good fun, just love our 'hood, it is the perfect size to get through in a night.....Fun times....Shawn did an awesome job at carving the pumpkins the way the kids drew them....Kiara wanted the WSU Logo, must say dad did and awesome job on that.....Love Mikiah's pumpkin with all fun teeth....Too Cute! Some pics below....MJ getting all fairy-ed up! Kiara was Harry Potter (her favorite movies)! Lila was the purple My Little Pony....that girl just LOVES PURPLE! Mikiah's is on the left, Lila's is in the middle, and Kiara's is the Coug one!

I have some girls on a big new adventure....

So Mikiah and Kiara are at their 1st day of Kindergarten! I could see the excited and nervousness written all over their faces as they loaded on the bus. They are ready and a little shy, which I think most kinders are....Nice part is a friend of mine called me after she dropped of her son and she said she saw my girls and seemed to be doing ok....I am sure this will be an exciting adjustment for them....by the end of the week they will have it all down....Here are a couple of pics...

Summer.....where did it go....

Wow....so it has been too long since my last post. I haven't posted anything in 2010...Seriously...talk about insane! I really have no one to blame for this but myself and my lack of words to share....So now that summer is almost over and school is about to start I am forcing myself to be a better blogger....This post will probably feel more Christmas card like then my usual bloggy self....but I think an update on all is in order before I am move on to my usual.....some of what is written may be totally random and out of order....yep I am pretty random sometimes....and you are stuck with me....

Since January we have had many guests visit us down here in Texas...Grandma's, Nanna's, Grandpa's, Aunts, Great Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and the girls sweet cousin Kieren!!....We LOVE having guests in town and the Harper Hotel is always open for business....just wanted to thank all of our visitors we loved having you here! Maybe when I have a bit more time I will upload a slide show with all our famous guests!

So lets see.....The Twins finished and graduated from Preschool in May....they are anxiously awaiting the start of Kindergarten in about a week....I have never seen them so excited! They are thrilled to ride the bus (the bus stop is right outside our house, how could this mother say no!).....Both have grown up so much the past 8 months.....Kiara is as head strong as ever, sometimes I feel like I am looking in a mirror, did I really treat my mom like that on occasion....WOW! (Mom, I am sorry) But most of the time she is a sweet heart. She loves to learn and is always working in her Kumon books, she is showing signs as leader but also does a great job of encouraging her sisters to lead too!.....Her new favorite movie is Harry Potter....Some may thing I am crazy for letting my girls watch it.....but all 3 really enjoy it....wizards and magic, oh my!.......Mikiah is as sweet as ever....that is until she has sugar (Nanna learned the hard way by sugaring Strawberries).....it seriously makes her crazy...so we limit it! :) She still loves to dance and art projects....she sure is creative and can sing just about anything.......We are still taking quarterly trips to Houston to see her Endocrinologist....She had an MRI in March and started growth hormone then too.....Her daily shots are going great and we are seeing great results with her growth.....She still loves a good princess movie...she is my true girly girl!......Still so hard to believe that Mikiah and Kiara will be 6 in October....really makes you take a step back....

Lila....(aka my little trouble maker)....nah, not really but she sure does know how to push the buttons of her older sisters! So crazy she is 3....considering she was 9 months when we moved down here.....She enjoyed her last year of freedom.....but is super excited to start preschool in the fall....not sure how she is going to feel being the only one home during the day with mom but I am guessing she will love it while missing her sisters at the same time.....She loves to sing and dance and has to be the center of attention! And boy is she a ham!! So funny! She does a good job of keeping us all laughing! As for her CP, she is doing great....running everywhere and barely showing any signs of limping....Still have occupation all therapy to do for some things and to strengthen muscles...but for the most part people will probably not notice anything.....

Shawn is still working at his same job and loving raising his 3 girls.....he is quite the BBQ master and makes a mean smoked brisket!! I am still working for WSU and have been training with a good friend to run a 1/2 marathon in November....I must say the training process has been fun, we have group runs on Saturdays and a workout schedule during the week to do....I think I am going to do the training program again next summer even if I decide not to run the 1/2 marathon again....who knew running could be fun! HA!

So that is all that has really been going on....a whole lotta nada! We have been enjoying our summer out back with the kidding pool and card games.....summer sure has gone by super fast! But are all excited for the adventures that lie ahead of the girls.....I promise to keep you all posted on our life in the land of Texas a bit more often.....