Jan + Feb

January was an awful month.  I think it's not usually a favorite for anyone, but this year the awfulness was multiplied by the fact that Josh was working in the hospital.  We're clinic people.  We've got to find a way to become friends with the hospital because 6 months of every year of residency are spent there.

One exciting thing did happen in January: 

Jonah lost his first tooth!!

February has been much nicer.  Too bad it's almost over.  Josh is on an allergy and immunology rotation, and he even took a week vacation.  We visited St. Louis, and ate at all the restaurants that have been piling up on our to-eat at list.  Food is good. 

marathon 3

I never wrote about my 3rd marathon.  Which was last April.  Every once in awhile I get the feeling I should. So today's the day.

The Good
I wanted to do this race because it would be the last time to run with my friends in Kirksville.
Look at all of us!
21 girls ran either the half or full marathon. 
For many it was a first attempt at running that distance.
It was so much fun to cross paths on Saturday morning runs.
It was amazing to celebrate every single success. Week after week. Mile after mile.
I'm getting teary eyed thinking about it.
I got to run with Aimee. She changed my life.  She's inspiring.  I can't wait to run with her again.
Just to brag for a minute: it felt good to be somewhat of an expert and to give advice.
 I finished 2 minutes faster than my previous marathons.  Not a huge success, but better than nothing.

The Bad
This was my least favorite marathon.
From the start my legs were heavy. I think I was just worn out from running like a wild horse for an entire year.  Unless I get in better shape 3 marathons in one year's time is just too much.
The girls I trained with intimidated me.  I don't know why I let that bother me for 20 weeks! They were so athletic, so smart, and just all around awesome. BUT I shouldn't have compared myself to them. I'm cool, too:)
The weather during training was awful. It snowed, sleeted or temperatures in the teens most Saturday mornings.  The rest of the week was usually beautiful, but not Saturday morning.
I guess this part is also good.  I learned what I was really made of.  Way back when I lived in American Fork, and I thought running 1 mile without stopping was reason to celebrate, I told my neighbor that I couldn't run in hot or cold weather.
I was so weak and limited back then.
During training I ran a half marathon in St. Louis on a solid sheet of ice. Slamming my frozen feet on ice over and over was painful. People dropped out of the race. I really wanted to finish in under 2 hours.  I crossed at 2:26. Those 2 hours were rotten.  But I could do it.
Whenever people give me their excuses for why they can't run I know they are wrong.


Something Funny
A few miles into the race we saw the most hilarious thing happen.
A girl running a little ways ahead of us got the surprise of her life.
A deer jumped out less than 10 feet ahead of her and crossed the road.
Oh man, I'm glad that wasn't me.  I would have had to change my shorts for sure.

a bit of Christmas

We spent Christmas in Kansas City this year.
Josh has a very nice sister who let us take over her house.
Josh has another very nice sister who let us sleep on her memory foam bed.
Life changing.

So here we go.
Christmas 2012:

 Our kiddies actually slept until 7:30!
That's a record for any day of the week.

 Jonah and his soda.
He actually told my dad that's what he wanted for Christmas.

Tucker LOVES beyblades.
You can see from his face he was psyched to get some of his very own.

Jonah gave Venna a t-shirt with a panda on it, because you can never have too many of those.

I always get mad at myself for not taking more pictures.
No exception today. We had a day full of parties with family
and not very many pictures to show for it.
Josh's family has a tradition of eating breakfast with his mom's side of the family
and dinner with his dad's side on Christmas day.
We did that.
And in between we had a party with presents, crackers (where the fancy crowns came from),
and presents.

Tucker loves himself a grandpa.
He calls all oldish looking men he meets grandpa.
He jumped all over Great-Grandpa David.

My kids look so old in all of these pictures!
What is happening to them?!

snowy snowy snowy

I exceeded my limit of free pictorial space for this blog. I must now pay for it.  I better use it. This situation is good for me and my mom.  I'll be more motivated to post, and my mom will get more pictures.  Sorry if it's not good for you.  But you probably stopped reading my blog a long time ago if you don't like pictures of my kids. 

We woke up to the glorious news that school had been cancelled! 
Thank goodness because I didn't have one present for any of the teachers.  Close one.  
Now I have 3 weeks to get on top of that situation. 
My kids have been looking forward to playing in the snow forever.  
Venna even asked me a few weeks ago if it snowed in Illinois.  
Bright and early we were out playing. 
It didn't snow very much, but the whole place is frozen solid.
Uncle Benji and snow.  Win win.    

 Classic Williamson squint. (I think.)

 Eating snow was the first order of business for everyone.

 

I was the wimp that wanted to go inside.  My feet were cold.
I'm not super into snow.  Wish I was.

Sadly life didn't stop for Dr. Josh. He had grand rounds this morning.
Doesn't that sound official and scary?
In case you were wondering He gets the week of Christmas off!
Pretty lucky.

Happy Snow Day!

sitting on a throne of lies

 It seems that Jonah still believes with his entire heart that Santa is the real deal.

My parents sent Jonah a postcard signed by Santa, 

and he's a little creeped out that Santa knows his name.

He asked for a remote controlled car.

 Venna is the best secret keeper I have ever met.

She has asked for Harry Potter books.

After Tuck observed his older siblings sit on the old man's lap he begrudgingly took his turn.

He needed no encouragement, but I could tell he thought the entire situation was bizarre.

Jonah helped Tucker ask for an Elmo.  

There will be no Elmo under the tree this year.

Santa ran out.

turning 8: the baptism

 Isn't she the absolute cutest?!

We have been looking forward to and preparing for this day for so long.

It finally came, and she was ready.

 Jonah sang a primary song during the meeting.  

He did a beautiful, sweet job.

I love to hear him sing.

 Venna has a fantastic primary teacher, Sister Elliot.

They make and bake cookies during class sometimes.

She has to think outside the box because her class is full of spirited boys and Venna.

 Here we all are looking at all different cameras.

Venna is lucky to have so many people love her.

She chose to have grandmas give talks.

Grandma Beth did a beautiful job explaining baptism.

And Grandpa Kenneth bore a strong Testimony.

 And Benji read a talk that Grandma Karla wrote on the Holy Ghost.

Benji came for thanksgiving and entertained the kids in his usual

super uncle fashion.

When my parents said they were going on a mission I was sad because

 I knew they were going to miss Venna's baptism.

Technology is probably my hero.

They got to watch the entire thing using Benji's awesome iPhone, their iPad, and church wi-fi.

 No celebration would be complete without our best friends the Brownings.

We should probably just get it over with and adopt each other as family.

Venna was baptized the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

This awesome planning strategy meant that we got to celebrate the holiday with the Burkhardts!

From Thursday afternoon to late Saturday night we 

ate

 shopped (Julianne's first black Friday experience!)

celebrated 4 birthdays 

Happy Birthday Jacob, Julianne, Benji, and Josslyn

saw Breaking Dawn (girls)

watched the Missouri state high school football championship game (boys)

played games

let the record show that I won that game of Contract

and mostly had a marvelous time.

Most importantly Venna made a covenant with Heavenly Father,

 received the Gift of the Holy Ghost,

 and became an official member of

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

the halloween post

 Jonah begged to be iron man.

After I bought the costume for him he said just kidding. 

He wanted to be the cheapest and oldest costume he owns: Red Power Ranger.

He asked me not to come to his classroom's FALL (not to be confused with Halloween) celebration.

  Tucker had to be the frog.

He had no say in the matter.

He hopped around all night being extra cute.

 

And Venna was a witch.

Every time a camera comes near her she pulls out the bunny ears.

She did want me to come to her Halloween party.

It was fun to meet her friends and play games with her.

Our coolest neighborhood ever had a party.

We met at the park and paraded down the street.

There were hot dogs and chips in someone's garage.

Then everyone got down to business and trick or treated.