Couch to 5K

So, back in June I started this running program called Couch to 5K.
Let me start by saying I have never been a runner and never had the desire to be one.
I thought people who ran were crazy.
Oh if my PE teachers could only see me now!

Today I ran a whopping 20 minutes without stopping.
I honestly was not sure, when I started out, if I was gonna make it.
After 10 minutes I thought, okay, I am halfway done and if I could do the first 10 minutes I can certainly finish the next 10 minutes.
At 3 minutes left I was screaming "Tawanda!!!!!" inside my head. That is my new word of encouragement from Fried Green Tomatoes.

I have never run 20 minutes and never thought in this life time I ever would.
I will say, while it felt good to do it, I'd take childbirth any day over running.
I still have 4 weeks left of the program.
Here's to four more weeks and longer runs!!!

TAWANDA!!!!!!

Here is my "I did it" pose.

Yipee!!

Trip Finale: Washington State Capital Building

Monday we left to come home and decided that, after passing the capitol building multiple times when we go visit Ben and Stacey, we'd actually stop and see it.

We spent about an hour there.
It was a simply magnificent, fascinating, and gorgeous building.

This is a monument dedicated to those
Washingtonians that served in WW I.

Lots of stairs.
When we left the building to go back to our car,
Myles fell down these steps.
Poor guy :(

Made it to the top.

Myles loved these light.
He kept saying "Mom, look at these huge lanterns!"

I love the detail on the doors.

Isn't that chandelier gorgeous?

The House and Senate rooms are pictured below.

We sat in the balcony, and I challenged the girls to find
the name of our county. All the counties are listed around the top of the ceiling.




State Seal.

Apparently George's nose is a different color
because everyone rubs it for good luck.

I thought this was kind of interesting.
How they got mail down from the top floors to the bottom I guess.

In the basement was the gift shop.
A must on the list for Aeva.
These pictures were pretty neat.

After picking out a few postcards, the kids got to pick out a Seattle Truffle.

I think the bright shiny colored foil they were wrapped in

was an eye catcher for them. They had some pretty interesting flavors. Mine was San Juan Sea Salt. Boy were they tasty.
We were so glad that we stopped to view the capitol. It was grand fun!

Part 7: Wii and Kinect

The kids love to play on the Wii when we visit Ben and Stacey.
It is such a treat for them.
I will admit, I have a lot of fun on it too.

This picture reminded me of the Monday morning we left to come home.

The kids were eating breakfast, and Ben was getting ready to leave for work.

Myles reminded him that they had not played their Mario Cart challenge.

Myles was so sad, and had a few tears running down his face.

Ben was so sweet. He asked Myles if he would like to play one game of the challenge before he had to leave for work.

That made Myles's day.

Friday night Ben and Stacey presented Chris with his birthday card and gift.
Dinner and watching the kids was on them.
What a treat that was!
The kids were pushing us out the door. What could be better than a couple of hours with Ben and Stacey without the parents?
They thoroughly enjoyed their evening, as did we.
They got to play with the Kinect while we were out.

Here are Stacey and Chris duking it out playing boxing on Kinect.

Rhaevyn and I played a kind of obstacle course game on it.
This is our victory pose.

The girls played track and field.
I think in these two pictures they were doing the long jump.

Here is Myles playing.
He did best with bowling on the kinect and Wii.
He even beat me.

Ben's victory dance.


Elsa getting in on the action.

Part 6: A Run Through the Sprinkler

The last day we were at Ben and Stacey's, Ben hooked up the Sprinkler for the kids to cool off in before we had hamburgers.
This was great fun for them, and wore them out.

Everyone gathering around Ben
as he tries to get the sprinkler to work.

While the sprinkler is getting fixed,
Rhaevyn volunteers to keep everyone cool.

And it's sprinkler time!!

Elsa decides it is time for the clothes to come off.

Ben picked up Myles and held him in the sprinkler.