President's Day Part #3 ICE SKATING!

The Glacier!!!

 This time we brought the Wells' with us.  The more the merrier!  I think we should do this every weekend.

Last time some of my kids didn't prepare good enough with their socks and ended up with blisters.  So this time they over prepared.

This was the first time in at least 5 years that Joel had put on skates.  I own my own.  I remember it was the winter that Brad and Ashley were engaged and we were up for New Years.  I am still at this very moment so in awe of his selflessness to do this for me.  He is an incredibly giving person and last time we went up to The Glacier he was happy taking pictures from the sidelines.  This time I got a real treat.  We held hands and skated around about 4 times together.  It was awesome!

Maybe Kyle will don a pair next time.  He did have fun helping Matty out.

 

And Matty had fun helping Uncle Joel out.

 

Evan

 I wish these were clearer.  Man the look on Evans face just about made me pee.  He must have fallen about 100 times.  But he was bound and determined not to have help...unless it was to stand up.

 David fell down even with the stupid walker that he thought would help him.  It didn't.

It did help Matty a little.  But then again, so did JoEllen.

George and Josh practiced going backwards 90% of the time.  The other 10% was playing tag.

 JoEllen started us all off being fancy.  Some of our kids just didn't get it.  Just look at Ben.  Although I must say that that was pretty good for him.  One foot is hard to do.

 There was a lot of spinning going on too.  George caught on quick.  Emily not so much.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

It was a great day.  Memories made with cousins always are.

President's Day Part #2 Mr PVHS 5K

This was by far the best race any of my 3 boys had ran.  It was a fundraiser for Mr. PVHS that helped raise money for a little boy named Carter who has Cerebral Palsy.  The course was twice around the high School, basically.  Here's the map.  They started on the backside of the football field in the dirt and went around the back of the school and up to the round about and down an alley way and then back up in front of the school to the Seminary Building.  Then you go around it, through the parking lot and all the way down to the track and half way around you start it again.

 Here they are waiting to start.  George slept over the night before so he could come run with us.  He was David's inspiration to not stop the entire race.  Up until then he'd tuckered out at least once and had to walk a little bit. 

The shirts were really cool and Ray and Pete (Mrs. Peterson) were the ones helping out.

 And they're off.  You can see all of the Cross Country boys up front.

 I went straight over the the back side of the school which ended up being a perfect place to stand because they had to pass by me 4 times!  Here is Joel leading our pack.  He was about 10th at this point because of all of the cross country kids from the High School.  

Next came Heidi Gilmore with Miles and our gang.

  

Then came Josh.  He runs to his own beat.

 Then I turned around just in time to take a picture of Joel coming up the sidewalk to the Seminary Building.

 Then George and the gang...then Josh.
 

I love this picture.  This is the only one I took at the very top of the parking lot because I was afraid I'd miss Joel coming around the other way.  But look how gorgeous the colors are.  I don't really know what that little red house thingy is but it sure is cute.  Look at David leading the way!

 2nd lap!  Joel first, then the kids.  If you look way back behind the 3 boys you can see a blue shirt just going behind a sign.  That's Josh.  He was quite a ways behind them.

         



                   Here he is!

Here is Joel's last time around the Seminary Building.

 

 With the kids not to far behind him.
 

Wait...What's this?  Josh has caught up?  He got all the way up between David and Heidi.

 

 And he's gaining ground steadily. 

By the time they out from around the Seminary building and through the parking lot Josh not only caught them but PASSED them!

 This got really exciting really fast.  They still had a good half a mile to go and I had to run over to the finish line to see the outcome.  JOSH WON!  He beat George by 4 seconds!!!  WOO HOO!   It took him 27 minutes.  His fastest time ever.  Not George's fastest but thanks to him David ran the entire way without stopping and my 3 sons all got new personal records!  Thanks George.  You're awesome and such a good cousin.

David BEAT Ben!  Oh sweet satisfaction to beat your big brother who tries to beat up on you all the time.  It was the greatest moment of his short, little life.   They all were under 28 minutes.  I think Ben was 27.56.   Up until then the best they had done was 30.30.  When we were all done we stopped by Wendy's for a Frosty.  I was pooped from all the excitement and from everyone doing so well.  It was a fun morning.