Boise Ironman 70.3

We headed on up to the Potato State last weekend for some taters and a little racing on the side. For those that need reminding, this race was a 1/2 Ironman: 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and a 13.1 mile run.... Yeah. This race was unreal. 1500 people!! The bikes alone took up a full city block. And all of them die hard racers. We've never been to a venue like this, where none of them are there just to have fun and no "do it just to say I did" types. Intimidating. As you all know, the weather has been a tad wet lately, so we all held our breath that morning until the starting gun shot. Yea! They didn't cancel it! That doesn't mean it didn't rain...hardly. More on that later. His swim was great. The waves were over a foot tall and person after person kept getting towed in on the jet skis, but not my man. He finished great and killed on the bike.(How does one get out of a wet suit and into bike gear in 2 minutes?) Did I mention it was raining? He said at one point it was so bad he couldn't see...of course that doesn't mean he slowed down. The kids were so great while we stood at different points along the course to cheer him on. This is a really long day for them, even without having to do it soaking wet. At one point a nasty lady says to me, "They really need to be under an umbrella." As she stood there with her over sized umbrella covering her pointed head. So I punched her in the face and stole hers and we were dry after that... But I hadn't thought about preparing us for rain, I had just worried about Andy in it. The race finished in downtown Boise, which was really different and fun and a great big party (for everyone but the one pushing a stroller and carrying a 3 year on her back and trying to get a 6 year to "hold it" so she wouldn't pee her pants....in the rain.) But I'm being sarcastic, not complaining (anymore) because it was worth it when he finished soooo well! 4 hours and 57 minutes, beating his last one by over half an hour!!!! (That's a big deal, if you didn't know.) 1500 racers, 100 of them professionals. Andy finished 18th in his division and I don't remember all the numbers, but I think it ended up being 99th overall. Out of 1400!! (Professionals don't count.) Way to go Andy! Kona here we come!

Coming out of the water! (Is that a GIRL behind you, Andy?) ;)

Copping a squat under a tree to eat a hotdog. The tree was the best umbrella I could find. They didn't care! What troopers.

Zoe spent a lot of time here singing in my ear for me. My glasses needed windshield wipers!

Not too wet yet. Poor Max didn't nap all day.

Okay, I know this is sideways, I don't know why, but you see that incredibly long, steep, gravely road? Try pushing a stroller up that! It was a mile long. This was how we got up to the lake. Good thing there were port-a-potties at the top!

A family who trains together

Hi, I'm Andy. Today I dragged my family over to Deer Creek to practice for race day. Sarah made the kids a little picnic and they ate while I swam around "the island."

Sarah started my watch for me (its water proof, but I don't want to find out if that's really true) and I got it when I was done. Thats the big plan for race day. Then I can use it on the bike and run. So today, when I was finished swimming and out of my wet suit, I ditched my wife and kids (yet again) and rode my bike the long way home. It was a good practice. I think I'll count it as a family home evening.

Plus just look at the visual blog fodder. What a great family I have. (apologies to the dog who was not invited)(and the cat - yes, we have a cat now. wanna see pictures? do ya?)

We're Not Dead Yet!

Our 8 year anniversary was May 11th and Andy completely surprised me with tickets to No Doubt. LOOOVE them!! Always have. I was so excited, plus we had floor seats which I had never had before. The show was fun, we hung out with some friends, got to spend time with my man without kids around, it was great. But everyone around us in the pit was so boring. I had been worried about being old farts in a group of young teenagers, but we showed them! Andy and I had a blast, he lifted me on his shoulders at parts and we were really close to the stage. Gwen Stefani is hot! She even got Andy to yell "I'm Just a Girl!" Well, during the encore they played my favorite song, "Sunday Morning" and it was great, and then Gwen started to crowd surf. The crowd together shoved to get to her, and there was no way we would reach. So my incredibly strong husband just threw me on top of the crowd with her! I was crowd surfing! At my age! With Gwen Stefani! I'm so embarrassed and proud at the same time. But that isn't the cool part. Gwen saw me and reached and I reached and finally we locked fingers tips for one second! How cool is that!!!! I know many may think I should act my age, but it was so much fun, and in my worry of growing old and boring at the ripe old age of 30, I realized....(enter English accent here)... "I'm not dead yet!"

Andy, you're the best! I love you so much! Thank you for being the best moshing partner ever!

We definitely weren't the oldest people there. This lady was 80 at least, and she could groove! She was only about 6 or 7 rows from the stage and holding her own! (Please look at her and not me, I look freaky.)

The Thrills Never Stop!

* Ella lost her first tooth! The excitement of the Tooth Fairy was more than she has for Santa.
* Max got his first tooth! It's like they traded.
* Zoe coined her new phrase, "For reals. I'm not kidding!" Which she uses for everything.
* Max is sitting up, rolling over, eating baby food and grabbing at EVERYTHING. I love it. His favorite thing to do is rummage through the desk drawer while I am blogging.
* Zoe is getting over her Max jealousy and started "going potty" on her own again. What a relief.
* Zoe started riding (kind of) her first "big girl" bike with training wheels.
* Ella went on her first field trip with a bus and everything. The most exciting part was getting to take a sack lunch!
* Ella is finishing kindergarten this week, I can't believe it.
* Andy is training like a dog. Two races down, many more to go. The next being the 1/2 Iron Man in June.
* I quit my job at Timp Reg. after 4+ years. Very bittersweet.
* I started a new job at the University of Utah floating in their ICUs. Andy played Mr. Mom while I had to orient ALL week long and I found out they really don't need me here;)
* Andy and I had our 8 year anniversary! (Love you, babe!!)

and, finally,

* The garden is still not done.....

El Jardin, Part II: The Destruction

Apparently it is a well known fact that railroad ties are covered in creosote. Okay, fine. So what? Apparently, again, this creosote causes cancer. Isn't it so fun that my beautiful garden, that Andy had spent endless hours of sweat and blood on, was lined with this stuff? We debated and debated, because EVERY garden has railroad ties, but when it comes to our kids, I just couldn't bring myself to feed them carincogenic carrots. As a result, the solidly rebarred ties were dug up and out. Andy took care to cause as little disturbance as possible to my precious seeds, bless him, but will this garden ever be done? He spent the entire day redoing the border with redwood, and, as you can see, it looks gorgeous. But now we have a foot of empty space all around the edges! The dirt just BARELY got off my driveway, after three weeks of moving it one wheelbarrow full at time, I'm not getting more! Plus, I think the dirt we bought is bad, it isn't FUN to work in. Se la...to be continued again...





The HOPEFULLY almost finished product

Attention: No pepper plants were harmed in the making of this garden.

I've Never Been This Tired

Authentic Princess Dress with Matching Tiara: $15

Royal Porcelain Toilet: $80

A New Venue For Sleeping Beauty: Priceless

Gimme That Duck!

You gotta love bathtub pictures, and this is, quite frankly, the cutest one ever. Plus, check out the rolls on this boy! Max has been sitting on his own for two days, so this is is first upright bath. It was a whole new ball game, and, as you can see, he loved it! If he could only keep a hold of that duck...