Not Too Shabby Of A Training Spot

My training has gotten off to a very good start. I guess I still have some muscle memory (and cardio memory) from my mountain bike racing days.
I have the most beautiful and peaceful place to run too. I'm so excited that I can just walk out my door and run down to the park, run at the park, and run home. I'm a pretty lucky girl to have such great amenities so close by.
Thought I'd share a few pictures so that all of y'all could see the other part of my training.

The pond is a refreshing backdrop

And the bridge is a comfortable respite
I love running by this little waterfall.



The flowers are so pretty

I especially love the magnolias.... it doesn't get much more "southern" than that.

The trails are great! They are really a great place to "recharge" yourself.  This one gets a little "rutty" after a good rain like we've had these past couple of weeks
Drew and Colin are scoping this one out.

Some Of The Friends We Met At The Park

While we were at the park last weekend, we met a few friends along the way.

Drew really enjoyed talking to the ducks (I'll have to remember to bring them bread next time we're out there so he can feed them.... and probably get mauled by them.... hmm... on second though, maybe not).


He also enjoyed pointing out all of the turtles. I would say they were quite successful mating this year. There were TONS of them.

Playing In Puddles And Other Rainy Day Fun

I love to laugh, and it's a good thing I do because the amount of laughter in my life is amazing. Between Colin and Drew, I seem to be laughing all of time, and when they are together, it's double the fun (and funniness)
Our rainy-day-fun was no exception. As you can see, the boys had me cracking up at their antics in the rain.
(Note to Mary.... to add to my laughter, we had to put him in this shirt.... remember this one.... he finally fits into it. Isn't it too funny!)

Talk about singin' in the rain..... Drew is singing at the top of his lungs.
Looks like they are doing a hoe-down
Silly boys acting crazy in the rain.

But of course he was on the hunt for the biggest puddles he could find to splash in.

What boy doesn't love to get absolutely drenched in rainy-day puddles? The mark of having fun in puddles

A Make-Do Jungle Gym

Drew had to make his own fun at the park. It was raining, so the regular park activities were out of the question. The equipment was way too slippery for an already wobbly boy. But for our fun-loving little boy, the picnic tables in the pavilion would do just fine. Drew had a great time playing and I got some great pictures of his precious playful expressions.


Drew gets his ability to make anything fun from his daddy obviously. Here they are playing the drums on this table. Again, there's that precious look that Drew gives his daddy.

This picture cracks me up.

Cheers!

Drew is such a social little thing.  He is up for anything that means he gets to interact with people.  So Colin taught him how to "cheers."  I'm not sure that this is categorized as a social grace, but it is at least social and that's all that Drew cares about.

Drew loves it and plays the role so well.

Cheers,  gulp gulp gulp, ahhhhhhh, done!

The Perfect Day For "Pizzie" In The Park

Rainy days get the raw end of the deal all of the time. You always hear, "What a beautiful sunny day, it would be the perfect day for the park." Well, we put our own little twist on that.
Sunday, Colin decided that he really wanted to get out of the house on this rainy day. He gathered everybody up and took us to the park after picking up a pizza. I know, I know, not much of a picnic, pizza, but it was perfect for the spontaneous decision that got us outside on such a "lovely day."
We unloaded all of our gear (you know how that can get with two little ones), covered Emma up and walked out to the covered pavilion. It was such a wonderful time. I could have just kissed Colin for having such a great idea.... and I'm sure I did.
Drew had a great time playing just under the pavilion area where all of the tables were. It was his own little jungle gym. When it really rained, we all sat and watched, impressed by the downpour. When it wasn't raining, we walked around and enjoyed the wildlife.
There was an older couple out there as well and I smiled as I looked over at them when the rain began and saw the umbrella pop open. They had the same idea we did. They sat on that bench and enjoyed the peaceful rain too. I thought to myself, "that'll be Colin and me one day." I wish I had a picture of them to share with you, it would have made a good one, but there are some things that are best left to memory.... and respectfully, that is one of them.

Drew and Daddy enjoying their "pizzie" together. I love the way that Drew looks up to his daddy. This picture really captures that.

Emma enjoyed herself too even though she didn't get any "pizzie"

Drew's First 4 Syllable Word

Of course..... it's motorcycle..... he says it clear as a bell.

It finally came home.  Colin recruited our friend Daniel to ride up to Yancyville with him to go pick up his new bike.  They drove up, took care of all of the necessary paperwork, and Colin drove it home while Daniel drove the Cherokee home.  Daniel will now always be such a big part of that bike since it is his signature on the "witness" line.... haha

Since it's homecoming, it has been thoroughly cleaned with McGuires (thanks to our neighbor/McGuires rep., Dwayne), and stared at a lot.  Poor Colin, this whole weekend has been so rainy that he has not had a chance to even ride it yet.  It went straight into the garage and that's where it's been ever since.Soon he'll be able to take advantage of some beautiful Carolina weather and enjoy the heck out of that bike.
Drew wants to be just like Daddy.... riding his motorcycle

Daniel and Colin take a quick moment to pose for me to commemorate this special moment with a cheesy photo.

Drew celebrates the special night with a wheelie.  Woohoo!

Going Greek With Good Friends

I mentioned earlier that we had picked up Greek food at our favorite restaurant, Gateway To Athens the other night and took it over to our friend's David and Lauren's house. Their little boy Ryan has grown so much since we last saw him (which was the day he came home). It's so amazing how quickly they grow!
We had a great time sitting and talking. Drew was very well behaved... I was proud to be his mama. He was only fussed at once. He wanted to keep opening the front closet over and over again.
As usual, the girls went one way and the boys went the other (with the exception of Baby Ryan who stayed with his mama). Drew ended up outside with no shoes.... a good ol' southern boy, and played with Gibee (their boxer) a bit while Colin and Dave talked over beers I believe.
Lauren and I opted to stay in to have some girl talk over homemade cookies.... yummy!
We had a great time and I look forward to our next visit.

Baby swap.... I enjoyed holding Ryan and Emma got pretty squirmy for Lauren...haha. So much for that pretty little dress. Emma didn't feel like being very lady like I suppose.

What Is He Doing Up There?

Some crazy antics go on at my house, but this one takes the cake (so far anyways). I walk into the kitchen and this is the sight that I see......

My poor child. He laughed nervously at first, but then he looked around with very nervous eyes.... I had to laugh (of course after I grabbed the camera).
Now before you all get straight on the phone with DSS, let me tell you that the pictures are a bit deceiving, Colin was right there under him.

No children were harmed during this photo shoot.

It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

Last week we spent a lot of time outside after school.  It was such a pretty week.  The weather was cool but sunny and the skies were blue (for most of the week).  Drew really took advantage by riding around on his "cycle."  It was a bit funny when I stopped and looked around though.  I tell you, I was living in a satire about suburban living.   There were a few people mowing the lawn that would cross each other from my view, the UPS man went down the street to the delight of someone, and cars drove down the street waving as they passed (we live on a cul de sac so we know everyone that passes our house), and all of the flowers were in full bloom.  It made me chuckle a bit.  I felt a little like a desperate housewife.... is this Wisteria Lane or what?


Emma enjoyed the fresh air too.

It really does look like Wisteria Lane sometimes.

Drews "cycle" doesn't work quite as well in the grass.

Gateway To Athens

We have this favorite restaurant that I love to go to. It's called Gateway To Athens. You know those places that you could eat at once a week for the rest of your life and still never get sick of it. Well, that's the way this place is for me. I LOVE Greek food, but this place is beyond love, it's wonderful.
Anyways, we were bringing Greek over to Lauren and Dave's the other night (more on that later), and when I went to pick it up there were all of these flowers and sympathy letters everywhere. Well, of course my heart broke immediately. I didn't mention it, but this is a real Mom-and-Pop type of place and the family that owns it is wonderful. It's the kind of restaurant you can really rally behind because you know they deserve to be successful. So my heart broke and I heard the granddaughter telling one of the other patrons that her grandfather over in Greece passed away of Leukemia. This by the way was the same day that I faxed my paperwork over to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society's Team In Training, ironically enough. It was one of those moments when I knew that God works out little plans for us too. There was a reason that this all happened on the same day. When it was my turn to pick up my food, I told her about my joining and asked if I could make him an honoree too. I know how hard it is to loose a family member to this disease, and I want to help as many people as I can through it.  She said she would like that and so I want to share his name with you all.

Epamindondas Kastanis was 91 and very well loved.  His granddaughter was very close to him but she is here looking after her younger brother and running the restaurant.  Her mother is in Greece now taking care of arrangements.  Please think of them and put them in your prayers.

And let me know any time you want to go eat at Gateway To Athens, because I would love to join you!!!!!

Blessings In My Life

I know some of the most amazing people. I have been so blessed to have some incredible people in my life.... throughout all stages. I am in tears thinking about the amount of support I have received in just the short period of time that I have gone public with my decision to run a marathon for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I mean it has literally only been hours and so many people have stepped forward with their encouragement and some have already donated money!
Thank you to you all! You are incredible people and I will be praying for you all and thanking God that I have you in my life.

Team In Training!!!!

I haven't posted in a few days because I've been busy with some very important and very exciting work. My sister and I have joined up with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training and we are raising money to run the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco in October! Please visit my webpage at http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/nikesf09/mwestgarth to make donations.
I will be keeping frequent updates here, on my Leukemia and Lymphoma Society webpage, and on Facebook. I would love for you to join me on my journey by reading my updates, donating on my webpage, and/or commenting or sending a note with your encouragement.
Thanks in advance to you all for your support!
I am looking forward to my new journey toward a cure!!!!

Daddy's New Ride

Well, here are some pictures of Colin's first ride on his new bike.  He'll actually be getting it some time next week.  This was just a test drive (he was driving through the grass to get to the road). I can't believe he has been without a bike for as long as he has (it's probably been the longest stint without one in his life). I have to admit, I missed riding with him.  I don't think he'll be able to put a car seat on the back, so I guess Drew will just have to wait a few years to get a ride..... sorry buddy.























I guess Drew will just have to keep driving my car

All Bundled Up

There is nothing like our baby girl all wrapped up after her bath. She smells so sweet and looks so cute to boot.

Being Tagged On Facebook

If you would have told me that I was tagged in a photo a year ago, I would have no idea what you are talking about. Now, if you tell me that I've been tagged in a photo, I jump on Facebook to see what it is. Facebook has truly changed our vocabulary. You can be tagged, you can unfriend someone, you have a status, you can write on someone's wall, and you can give someone flair, and there are so many other things.
It is so neat how Facebook has changed us. It used to be that if someone that you didn't see very often, or in some cases, even if you do see them often, had a picture of you, you may never know it. If you did know it, you would see it and that would be it. Now, if someone has a picture of you, they tag you in it and you get a copy. I think that's so awesome. Here are some pictures that I would have no idea even existed if it weren't for Facebook.


This is a picture that one of our friends got. Colin obviously had a cold drink ready for me.... how sweet. I have no idea if this was a race or just a ride.


What a cutie patutie

Mother's Day

"All I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." Abe Lincoln

Mother's Day is bittersweet for me. Of course I think about my own mother so much. I thought this quote was so appropriate because it is exactly how I feel.