WHAT A WEEKEND Part 1!

wow!  I'm not sure where to begin with all that went on this weekend.  It was a whirl wind weekend.  So, let's start with Friday....

This verse was our family verse heading into prep for the race!



Scott and I headed downtown early in the morning for a day together.  I was so looking forward to this "date" with Scott.  I love the city so much and was wound up pretty tight in anticipation for the 5K.  Scott is good for me that way. He kept reassuring me, instilling confidence in me and helping me refocus on how far I have come and celebrate that accomplishment. I felt like a teenager in love walking around with him all day!

The Pasta Dinner that night after the girls got in on the train was not only yummy, but a lot of fun!  We laughed all during dinner and so enjoyed the time together - several jokes still come to mind when I think of that night. 

The fun continued after we got to the hotel, organized our "stuff" planned out the morning and got to bed!  Since I am someone who pays a lot of attention to detail and someone who also worries too much about forgetting things I checked and rechecked to be sure I had every thing.  Then I checked the weather.... it was going to be COLD!  The forecast was for temps at about 24 degrees!  The wind was only going to be 5 - 10 mph so slight "wind chill".  I got a late text message from the organizers of the 5K.  It was a weather advisory for the cold! 

Just as fore casted it was COLD...VERY COLD!  We all bundled up as much as we could hoping that once the sun rose it would warm up.  But I have to say that the mile walk over from the hotel to Grant Park was so much fun.  Our excitement level was high and anticipation of doing the event very positive.  We just all missed having Kenzie there.                          

It took a bit to figure out our corrals and where to start, but we were sooo ready!  Dr. Oz gave some encouraging words to begin the race, the National Anthem was played and the gun fired!  We were off!  Bailey and Scott ran together.  Molly hung with me.  I kept telling her to run "her" race and not mine.  About a mile into it she did leave and go on ahead.  Later she would tell me that she WAS running her race.  She said she was having trouble keeping up with ME in the beginning!  WOW!

Scott always encouraged me and supported me - Thanks, Baby!  I do love you!

My family was there at the finish to congratulate me.  Yes, they all finished before I did.  But, I ran MY race.  I had a blast.  I was overcome with emotion and even wept.  Those of you who know me well, are NOT at all surprised by this.  I had tears of joy, I had tears of strength!  I was pretty certain that I ran a good race.  I KNEW I had met my goal and perhaps even surpassed it!  I felt good.  I had a BLAST!!! 

NOW FOR THE CHOCOLATE!

.

My girls, Bailey, Mackenzie and Molly are such a great encouragement to me.  They allow me the time to go run, they always have strong helpful comments when I come in from a run.  I am so excited that both Molly and Bailey have decided to run a 5K (or bigger) a month for a year with me - that is until Bailey leaves for college.  What fun times this will be for us all! 

So in the end I ran great, I had a blast and I WAS ready!  I was flying high all day and all the next day.  It was all I had hoped it would be.  Thank you to everyone who supported me and encouraged me and coached me.  I am the poster child for those who think they can't do this.  YOU CAN!  just try!

(more on the weekend to come)