I Am Warrior, Hear Me Roar!

My good friend Olivia asked me if I wanted to do the Warrior Dash and who would pass up the chance to hang with your friends, drink beer and get muddy? Not this girl.It seemed appropriate to run for CPT John Hallett for so many reasons. First of all, I've never been able to participate in Lisa's Run To Remember running group and this was my way to Run To Remember John. Also, the run was on September 11th and what a way to honor a soldier than to remember him on a day that forever changed the path of his life. And finally, I needed all the good Army Ranger vibes I could get! Thanks John, you didn't let me down! I felt strong, capable and I had a blast.
Clearly this is after the race! We were plastered in mud. I'm still working on getting some of the dirt out from under my nails. I know it sounds gross, but I've washed my hands, showered and soaked in a hot tub twice...and yet I can't get clean! So funny!

This was a GREAT GREAT day and I'd do it again in a second. As much fun as the run was, my favorite part of the day was when all my friends after the race were cleaning the mud and hay off John's picture so that people could see why I was there. There were a few people who said they liked my picture, but never really commented. However there was one guy, late in the day, who came up and said, "Excuse me, who is CPT Hallett? Can you tell me about him?" I wanted to cry, I wanted to jump up and down with excitement, I wanted to hug this guy! I think people were afraid to ask. But this guy, he made my day. I got to talk about John, Lisa, Jackson, Bryce and Heidi. I got to talk about the brotherhood that the Army is, both brothers in arms and us Army wives. I wish I knew his name, I wish he knew what that meant to me.

Warrior Dash was a blast! Thank you Olivia for convincing me that I wanted to do it and that it wouldn't be THAT bad!

Lake Shasta: Additional Photos

Addie had a long day on the boat and needed to wash it down with a Mike's Hard Lemonade in a Brew Thru cozy. Nice. This picture should have been first, but this was the incredible view of Mt. Shasta on the way to the lake.

In N Out--Retro Blog

In N Out: These are half of the burgers we ordered when we went into Redding from Lake Shasta.
In N Out: Double Double Animal Style With A Chocolate Shake. Nuf said.

The Vacation Crashers!

The Vacation Crashers strike again! First we crashed Lincoln City and now we conquer an out of state vacation at Shasta Lake, California!

Our family is lucky enough to know Gene, Patty, Stephanie and Emma. Anyone who knows them, loves them. They have the most fun, the best smiles, huge and genuine hearts and more love than most families I know. Tucker, Addie and I were lucky enough to spend 5 days, 4 nights with this exceptional family on a beautiful lake, with a fast boat and a cooler of beer. The only thing missing was Matt, but after I got home tonight I told him we need to start planning for next year so he doesn't miss it.

It was Tucker and Addie's first time in the state of California. Addie's first time on a boat. Tucker and Addie's first swim in a lake (sad but true). And my first time driving alone in the car with the kids for 8.5 hours! They did a great job riding that long! I'm sort of on a Mommy-high where I feel like I can do anything and take them anywhere. I love it.

I have way too many pictures to share and I only have the pictures that were taken with my camera! This might have to be a mini-series of blogs to get all the fun in.

Thank you Gene, Patty, Stephanie and Emma for making this one unforgettable vacation. You are very dear friends of ours and we appreciate your incredible hospitality. Your friendship is a blessing in all our lives and we love you all so much. We look forward to our picture sharing date! I'M ON A BOAT!!!! :)