Gum Tree 10k!

I completed my first 10K and Emma completed her first 2K at the Gum Tree this year!!  Emma has been asking to do a Fun Run at one of the races that LoLo and I have been doing.  LoLo had already decided that she wasn't going to tackle the 10K (and I had just about decided not to try it either, but Miranda said she wanted to do it, so we gave it a shot!), so she volunteered to do the 1 mile run with Emma and Thomas!  They took the stroller, but ended up not needing it, because the kiddos ran almost the whole time!

Sarah Grace and all the Jacksons did the Gum Tree too!

LoLo and Emma aka "racing buddies"!

Me and Emma before the race!

Emma and Thomas in the double jogging stroller.

We're ready to run!!

Madi is cheering for the race team! (She doesn't see what the big deal is about these races...they are a stroll in the park for her!)

Anna Claire (at like 6 months preggo!) and Thomas before the race!

This is a picture of the 10K participants right before the gun shot blast off!  There were over 1000 runners that participated in the Gum Tree!

There I come!  I ran all 6.2 miles except for about 0.5 mile!  Miranda and I had set a goal to finish in 1 hr and 15 minutes, and I did it in 1 hr and 2 or 4 minutes! (My endomundo app on my phone said 1 hr 4 min, the race sheet at the end of the race said 1 hr 2 min, and the paper that Sunday said 1 hr. 4 min, so who knows??!)  Either way, I was pretty excited about my first 10K time!

Not a very pretty finish, but a finish all the same!!

Madi congratulating me after a great finish!

(She was really licking me beacuse I was pretty salty! ;)

Miranda finished less than our goal of 1hr 15 minutes too!!!  And this was her very first race to do...if you're gonna go...go all out!!

Mary-Evelyn and Emma enjoying our snacks and Gatorade after the race!

Me and Miranda with our medals!!!  We were very proud of ourselves for doing such a great job...and not having to be ccarried over the finish line in an ambulance! 

Next year's goal:  LESS THAN 1 HOUR!!!  Bring it!!

Emma's Gymnastics Recital!

Emma has completed her 2nd year of gymnastics at Flip Flops!  She has had a GREAT time learning how to do flips, cartwheels, walk on the balance beams, and hand stands!  Thanks Misty for another great year!!

Jumping on the beam!

 Emma doing a cartwheel/ handstand!

Walking on the beam!

(Which I think is by far her BEST event!)

Cartwheel on the beam!!  Go Emma!

Flips on the bar! (Probably her favorite!)

Emma receiving her medal and ribbon!

Future gold medalist in the making!! 

We are very proud of you Emma!!

Emma's End of Year School Party!

Emma's preschool class had an end of year party complete with bouncies, water games, pizza, and cupcakes!

Emma has had a GREAT year with such a sweet group of kids!

Sammy, Mary-Evelyn, Hannah, Ridge, Hayden, Chi-Ho, Raegan, Deuce, Emma, Adalei, Addie Moss, and John Paul

Emmsa and Mary-Evelyn ready to play in the water outside!

They were practicing their verses for their program next Tuesday!

Emma's group says "God loved us and sent His Son" 1 John 4:10.

Mrs. Kim and Emma!

My Sweet Girl!

Deuce (whom I think Emma has a little crush on, but won't admit it ;) and Emma playing in the baby pools!

Mary-Evelyn, Emma, and Raegan

Addie Moss and Emma

Deuce, John Paul, Georgia-Kate, Emma, and Addie Moss

Uh oh!  Hayden has that look in his eyes!...

HaHa!  He got them!

Chi Ho and Emma

5 Little, 4 Little, 3 Little Fishies...

So our fish saga continues!!  After the 2 glow fish didn't make it but 6 hours, I promised Emma we would return to PetSmart as soon as I got back from my work trip to Nashville.  She actually took "her" money and we purchased 5 little goldfish for $0.70!!  I figured these cheap little fishies would live forever since the $8 fish didn't last too long...well...not so much!

Friday, May 4:

Emma buying her new fishies at PetSmart!

We got 1 big white one (that never got a name), 1 black one (that Emma named "PaPa Fish" because she said it had a beard like PaPa), 1 little white fish (that Emma named "Nick Fish"), and 2 little orange fish (that Emma named "Chloe" and "Sally" which collectively are known as "the Twins")

All 5 fish swimming happily in their new home!

Emma posing with her new pets!

Saturday, May 5:

We had a proper burial for "the big White One" that never got a name on Saturday morning.

...but the other 4 fish seemed to be doing Great!

Sunday, May 6:

Unfortunately, "Nick Fish" had passed away to the Big Bowl in the Sky when we woke up Sunday morning.  We removed him from the tank and flushed him...

Monday, May 7:

Monday was a very sad day..."PaPa Fish" was swimming upside down when we were getting ready to leave for work/school, and sure enough...had passed away by the time we got home that night.  Oddly enough, Emma actually kind of LIKED flushing them down the toilet!  (I don't know if I should be worried or be glad that she's not distraught that the fish are dropping like flies...) 

Tuesday, May 8:

We were down to "The Twins."  We noticed Monday night that one of the twins was missing her fin on her back???  It's like it got ripped off or something?  Any hoo...

Tuesday morning she too was upside down sucked into the filter thing.

I just checked on the last fishie (it's Tuesday night) and I guess the other twin didn't want to live without the other one...And then there were NONE!

Emma's response?  "Can I get a dog instead of a fish next time??  I think they don't die like fish!"

RIP Fishies

Emma has been BEGGING for a pet!  She really "wants" a puppy (and I say "wants" because she's just like me...likes the IDEA of dogs, but really doesn't like to be up around them or to touch them), but since I can not fathom the idea of having a dog in the house right now and I feel like one in the yard would just get run over at our house, I have resisted her requests.  So I suggested maybe we should get a fish!  Emma was thrilled!  We went to PetSmart last Saturday and got the works...a really cute pink (of course) small aquarium (complete with backdrop, filter, and plant) and 2 glow fish ($7.99 each).  $45 later, we were on our way!  It's been a while since I had fish, so I totally forgot about having to de-chlorinate the tap water for 3-4 days!  We decided that maybe 3 days was extreme, but we would at least let it run over night.  Emma pitched a fit to go ahead and take the fish out of the bag...so she could teach them some tricks! ;)  We were at LoLo's when we set all this up, and since I was going to be out of town this week and Emma was going to stay there, we set up the aquarium there, and TRIED to take the fish home in a bowl...I drove REALLY slow and tried not to take any turns very sharp, but 1 of the fish leaped out (or got thrown out) of the bowl by the time we made it home!  I quickly returned it to its water and it seemed to be doing ok...besides the tendancy to "swim" on its side...  Emma had decided she wanted to put the fish in her room on a small table at the end of her bed.  Well, needless to say, she accidentally kicked the bowl off of the table and both fish went flying in the air and all of their "good" water onto the carpet!!  So the fish ended up going straight into non-de-chlorinated water afterall...and it did not end well!  Nick even set up a big pot in the shop with his areator (or whatever that thing is called) that he uses in his boat live-well to try to revive the fish.  Unfortunately we had to have a proper burial service (aka flush them down the toilet) on Sunday for sweet "Addie" and "Ella" fishies...and I guess we'll be making another trip to PetSmart, since I still have an empty aquarium...but maybe this time we'll go for the 27 cent fishies!!!

Emma with her fishies that lasted a whole 6 hours with the Carroll Crew!!

RIP "Addie" and "Ella"