Family, Friends, & Fun

Time For a Post? :)

2010-11-28T16:48:00.004-06:00

I suppose it's about time for a post, perhaps? Lol. Wow, the xc season I mentioned in the last post has already gone. It was a FANTASTIC season. Personally, I didn't run as I'd like, but our girl's team was GOOD!! Let me mention the top five AMAZING girls who won so many meet for us- Julie, Danielle, Catherine, Martha, Kendra. They were all super fast to begin with, and they improved dramatically. Girls, ya'll are amazing. Another thing, Leslie? Shanda? WAY TO GO, beginners at the head of the pack! I'm so proud of ya'll.
So what's happening now? I am about to run the St. Jude. I am very excited that Mrs. Heather is coming. Oh, after the race I will end my carbonated fast. I have not had one drink of carbonation since around the beginning of the season. I plan to drink a big coke after I run. :)
I am still crocheting, knitting a bit, sewing, trying to finish Christmas presents!! My closet is full of presents. My room overfloweth with yarn. Yarn in rolls, yarn in a sack, yarn crocheted into animals, yarn scraps, ect. Guess what is on my Christmas list? Yarn, actually. lol. I do use it up quickly.
So Tiny, here is a post for you. All you people who check my blog and are always watching for a post, this is for you. lol. I'll try and start blogging a little more.

Finally Posting...

2010-05-29T09:13:00.002-05:00

Yes, I am finally posting, and I'm warning you that this is going to be a random post! Mac and Me-C, I am sorry for not helping you with the award on your blog. Cassia, I'm sorry for not mailing you any patterns! I just read ya'll's comments.

As most of you know, xc is over for the summer. Very sad. But it is also a good thing, because we are going to be very busy! I'm still crocheting/knitting a LOT. Right now I am working on Rhino the hamster from the movie Bolt. I love that movie. Does anyone need a pattern for anything? Go to lionbrand.com. It has tons of patterns for EVERYTHING. Toys, hats, jackets, blankets, dog clothes, scarfs, flowers, dishrags, ect. Oh, and it's all free. It can teach you any new stitch-even how to knit or crochet!

Yesterday Julie and I babysat for the first time. I mean, we babysat someone who was not our brother or sister. We babysat a six month old baby named Sarah. She was a BUTTERBALL, and the best baby you could ever ask to babysit. We took care of her for three hours and she did not cry once. Julie and I have had a lot of experience with babies (Leah and Sam) but the last baby was four years ago! When we first got Sarah we weren't sure what to do...I mean, what do you do with a happy baby who simply sucks on a pacifier and stares around? Lol. We read her books, changed her diaper three times-and checked it twice (Mama found this very funny), we rocked her while she took a nap, and bounced her. This is what we did to "bounce" her. One of us would hold her on our laps and bounce her while she jumped on her chubby little legs. The other would sit on the floor and bounce themselves to make Sarah laugh. All while singing, "Bouncy Bouncy Bouncy!" to a catchy little tune. Sarah loved it, and our arms got a workout! Babysitting job number one went well.

Alright, now I need to go help Mac and Me-C, and send Cassia some patterns. Good-bye till next time..would could be a while...:)

Award

2010-03-07T14:46:00.005-06:00

Thank you for the award, Myriam! Here it is.

The rules for accepting this award are:
1. Post the award.
2. Thank and mention the person who gave you the award. Thank you again, Myriam. You are very creative. And I heard that you are doing the xc team? Hurray!
3. Pass the award on to seven bloggers whom you think embody the spirit of the Kreativ Blogger Award. Well, I think this award has circulated to just about everyone. Let's see, I'm going to award Courtney, Anna Beth, Mrs. Heather (if she cares to do this, lol), Margaret, Martha, Hannah D. and Sarah D. All of these people are very creative.
4. Name seven things about yourself that others don’t know. Scroll down for that.
5. Don’t forget to notify the seven Kreativ Bloggers about their award and post a link to their blog. I don't do links, but I will leave comments.

Okay, seven things about me that you didn't know. (most people who read my blog know a LOT about me, so I may have to come up with some strange things. lol)

1. I do not really like to play games. I rather be crocheting. As Clay says, "She's too old for
games" (this is not true, it's a joke. lol)
2. I do not like math
3. When I was little (4 or 5) I wanted long hair. I had short hair and bangs. I have not gotten a major haircut since, just trims.
4. I was (and still am) a TERRIBLE medicine taker. I am so happy pills were invented, although at first I was terrified to take one.
5. I once knitted dog hair. It didn't work very well.
6. I cannot sleep if there is any noise. I don't sleep with my fan, even in the summer, because it makes a very faint clicking noise.
7. I USED to like cheddar cheese. Now I cannot stand it.

Yay, I thought up seven things! That took a while. I have one more thing to say,
HURRAY HURRAY HURRAY XC IS ALMOST HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tag and Tiny's House

2010-02-21T12:19:00.006-06:00

That's kind of a bad title. Oh well. I can never think of good titles. I'll post the tag first;

1. What time is your bedtime on a school night? 9:30 to 10:00
2. What time is your bedtime on the weekends? About the same, except I can stay up later on Saturday
3. What is your least favorite school subject(s)? Algebra!
4. What is the song stuck in your head? No song
5. What the last movie watched? Hmmm, probably The Little Bear Movie in the car. It is a very good movie (for the intended age level)
6. What is your favorite movie right now? Oh I don't know...
7. What do you think will be the next movie you watch that you haven't before? Probably The Voyage of the Dawn Treader-yeah, I know it isn't coming out for a really long time, but we rarely go to a movie. Or I may see an old movie on TV...but I doubt that.
8. Do you like action or romance movies? Ummm, not specifically either one. I like movies like Monsters Inc. and Ratatouille, but I also like movies like National Treasure.
9. Do you like tagging and being tagged? Yes
10. What are you doing right now besides doing this tag? Chewing Gum
11. What has been your favorite question so far? I don't know
12. Do you make templates? No
13. Where do you get your from templates from most of the time? Well, I've only had one and I think it is from Lee Lou
14. Which original HSB template is your favorite? What's HSB?
15. Do you draw? Sometimes
16. If so, what is your specialty in drawing? Animals
17. Are you a professional artist? No
18. Do you sing? In church, around the house.
19. What is your favorite channel to watch on TV? ?
20. What is your favorite show on that channel? ?
21. Do you type fast? Kind of fast
22. Are you an author? No
23. Do you write stories? Um, I've tried. But no, not really
24. What is your favorite blog with a bunch of pictures on it? What?
25. Ever dove in 10 feet of goop? NO!! (these are strange questions! lol)
26. Do you know how to swim? Yes, but I don't know any strokes. I mostly dog paddle and swim on the bottom of the pool. I can stand up the whole way in our pool, so I don't have to swim furiously or anything. I just put my feet down!
27. Do you play video games? No
28. Do you LIKE playing video games? No
29. What is your favorite video game? None
30. Who was the last friend on HSB that you talked to? What is HSB?
31. What did you eat for breakfast? cereal
32. What is your favorite drink? I like a lot
33. Do you dance? No
34. What text talk do you use the most? I don't text
35. What was the last thing a friend told you? I can't remember
36. Who was the first friend you made on HSB?
37. Who was the most recent friend you made on HSB?
38. What was the last profile you looked at? Hannah Baggets
39. Do you know anything in Spanish? A little
40. What is a foreign language that you use frequently? None
42. Do you like LONG movies or SHORT movies? What is a short movie? lol
43. Do you make a lot of mistakes while typing? not too many
44. Any siblings? Yes, four
45. Ever fallen off a cliff? No
46. Ever punched a pillow? Probably...?
48. What time is it? 12:39 a.m.
49. Got your own room? yes
50. Favorite color? all colors
51. Pet peeve? Something that makes me so mad is when people get in other peoples way when they are killing themselves trying to run a race. I know sometimes it's an accident, but for some reason it makes me really...mad. You should have seen me when some boys linked together to block people in a race...and no, I did not even see them in the race so they did not block me...but they blocked some other people and I was QUITE mad. But they soon stopped there little plan when they saw that it wasn't really working. Good thing, lol!
52. When was the last time you cried? Last night I got tears in my eyes from reading a book about 9-11, and how the terrorist thought they were doing right! In the terrorist letter (of their instructions) the writer said to pray for God to help you,...you are going to the happiest, eternal life...clean yourselves of all worldly things, you about to be judged...in these last few hours pray for forgiveness...shout "God is great!" when the time comes...it ends something like, I put my trust in you, God. What if they could have been so zealous for the right cause? What if they could have known God's real will? It's so sad.
53. What was the weirdest name you'd ever heard in your life? In a baby name book there was the name Dweezil. That is one of the strangest.
54. Which parent of yours cooks dinner most of the time? Mama
55. Name 5 things that pop into your head when I say, "The pig blew down the house with his big, fat hoof." WHO MADE UP THESE QUESTIONS? There, five words. lol
56. How do you make your eggs, sausage etc.? I have never made sausage. I scramble eggs
57. Who was the last person you text? I do not text
58. Who is the last person you hugged? Catherine
59. Last thing you ate? Cereal
60.(Last question) Who ya gonna tag?
Cassia
Ashley
Julie

Now about Tiny (Catherine)
We got to spend the night with her Friday night!!! It was a lot of fun. She showed us her room, her bow and her shoe polishing set. We went outside and climbed on her wonderful climbing tree, then played on hay bales. She also showed us her dog Tip, her running trail, and some albums of her when she was little!! We LOVED looking at them.
We got in bed pretty early and talked and giggled until about 11:00. (John David, whose room is right next to Catherine's, was not too happy about this) The next morning (we got up at around 7:00) we climbed the tree and hay bales again, then played card games. It wasn't really lunch time, but we packed up a picnic and ate on the hay bales. It was a BEAUTIFUL day. Thank you so much, Tiny.
Oh, and I must post something about Andrew! I gave him a crocheted monkey who he named Cookie. Cookie went everywhere Andrew went. Andrew got a Valentine's card with ten dollars with it. What did he do? He bought us all a cookie with the works at Vanese's! Thank you Mrs. Misty, for taking us there. They have some of the BEST pizza in the world.
We had a GREAT time. Thanks Catherine, this rare post is for you (lol), who faithfully checks my not-very-updated-blog. ♥ (by the way, press alt and three on the numbers only keyboard and you get a heart!) ♥

Long Run

2010-02-02T17:03:00.004-06:00

Today I did my weekly long run for my half training. This week was twelve. I got through about ten minutes ago! Running on the treadmill for a long run is not too bad, since we have a TV and fan blowing on you. But at the end the bottom of my feet were burning and I was ready to be through! It took a one hour Duggar show and two and a half Full Houses. I finished at one hour and fifty-five minutes. Now I'm through with my long run for this week!! Next week is thirteen miles, then eight (to take a break before the race) then the RACE!
The race plan has slightly changed. We were not sure how big this race was going to be, or how well blocked off, so Julie and I were going to run with Daddy. I was not so sure about this. I wasn't so sure I could keep up with Daddy and Julie (not that we were going to run terribly fast). I knew Daddy would never leave me, but still...so Daddy asked if I wanted to run with Mama, which meant running right under two hours (which I have done twice). It was finally decided that I get to run by myself, which is what I prefer. Not that I don't like running with Mama or Daddy, I just don't like having to "keep up" with anyone. In a race, that is. I love running with a group in cross-country practice! So there's my running plan, I hope that was not too boring. What time I am going for? Other than under two hours, I have no clue. I forgot to say that Daddy and Julie drove the course. Daddy said it was really hilly. He described them as San Fransisco hills!! Wow!!! So we'll see. Happy long running!

Tag

2009-12-28T22:17:00.002-06:00

Before I get to the tag, I better say something about Christmas. We had a GREAT Christmas. I'm want to name a few neat things I got. One was a necklace that has a diamond charm, a charm that says, "courage" and a charm that says "13.1", which is the half-marathon distance. Speaking of half-marathon, I am training for my third! Back to Christmas. I got lots of yarn, which I LOVE. And a very VERY real looking stuffed raccoon who needs a name. Any ideas??? The last thing I want to name was a BIG SURPRISE. I had kind of asked for a CD player because mine broke. I only listened to a CD about once a month, but it was still nice. I didn't really expect to get one...to me a CD player isn't really, well, exciting. Daddy got me something he thought would be more useful that a CD player. A NANO IPOD AND SPEAKER TO PUT IT IN!!!! I WAS SHOCKED!!!!!! And I can use it!!!! I've figured it out!!! Haha. Thank you so much Mama and Daddy.
Now about the tag;

1 who are you talking to? No one
2.what are you listening to right now? Julie turning pages in a book
3.what should you be doing? well, probably getting in bed since it is ten-thirty
4.I love... MY AWESOME FRIENDS
5.what are you doing? typing
6.what do you not understand? How Clay can push all those buttons on his gameboy and win so easily. I die in about five seconds. lol
7.what/who have you lost respect for? ummm
8.what was the last thing you ate? a sugar cookie. Yum.
9.what is the meaning of your display name? what does that mean?
10.you will always be... a runner. I plan to, anyway.
11.love seems... How do I answer this?
12.what do you never want to lose? My family, friends. Most importantly, God
13.myspace is? I do NOT hacve myspace
14.you get annoyed when... Leah and Sam fight
15.parties? LOVE BIRTHDAY PARTIES WITH PEOPLE I KNOW!!!
16.yesterday I was... Sunday
17.today I am... (I was) crocheting, eating, running
18.I wish... that it wasn't so late!
19.something I never want to happen.... to go to public school is one of the things. (sorry all public schoolers! That would just...terrify me)
HAVE YOU
1.ever gotten your phone taken away? no. I have no phone to be taken away from me, ha!
2.ever kick someone? yes.... I'm sure I've kicked one of my siblings before. NOT recently.
3.ever tripped on your own feet? probably
TODAY HAVE YOU
1.have you cursed? NO!!!!
2.have you gotten mad at someone? Hmmm...
RANDOM
1. is there a person on your mind right now? not really
2.do you want children? absolutely
3.do you smile often? yes
4.do you untie your shoes before you take them off? all except for one pair
5.are you a friendly person? I try to be
6.who's bed other than yours do you sleep in? my sister's
7.what color shirt are you wearing? red
8.what were you doing at 9pm yesterday? sitting in church
9.what can't you wait till? to see my friend that I miss very much
ABC'S
1.A-AVAILABLE- yes, I am avalible to be your friend
2.B-BIRTHDAY-April 19
3.C-CRUSHING- I do not crush stuff.
4.D-DRINK YOU LAST HAD- water or tea
5.E-EASIEST PERSON TO TALK TO- Julie
6.F-FAVORITE COLOR- all
7.G-GUMMY BEARS OR WORMS- sour worms
8.H-hometown-Jackson MS
9.I-ill-no
10.K-killed someone- NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11.L-longest car ride- Disney World
12 M-milkshake flavor- cookies and cream
13.N- favorite number- how can you have a favorite number?
14.O-one wish- that is too hard to answer
15.P-person you called last- Catherine Snyder
16.Q-
17.R-reason to smile- Jesus! Friends! Yarn!
18.S-song you last heard- I don't know the name
19.T-time you woke up this morning-9:00
20.U-umbrella- Uh, yeah! Umbrellas are great. lol
21.V-vegetables- I should eat more...
22.Worst habbit- hmmmm
23.x-x-rays you've had- mouth, and I recall getting some other x-ray, but I don't remember what it was for
24.y-your number of friends on facebook-don't have a facebook
25.z-zodack sign- Is that the Chinese thing? I don't know what animal I am, although it seems like I am a hog or pig or boar.

I am sorry, but I am omitting the last part of this tag because it is five minutes from eleven. I am tagging EVERYONE! Please go to Kara Beth's blog to get the full tag. Thanks, KB.

Sewing With Leah

2009-12-12T13:53:00.002-06:00

Today Julie and I babysitted Leah and Sam. After painting "porky balls" (those little spiky things you find on the ground) and making very cute ornaments with them, I asked Leah if she wanted to sew something. Asking a five year old to sew with you is...brave. But she did very good. We sewed snakes. Very, very cute snakes. Leah sewed a realistic one, and I sewed one with flowers. They had button eyes. Leah is AMAZING. I found out that she can sew on the machine BY HERSELF!! I had to sew around the head, but she did sewed the straight seams all by herself. After ironing them and stuffing them, (Leah needed some help stuffing the tail) I gave Leah a threaded needle. I sewed half of the hole up, and she sewed the other half, all by herself. She did amazing, using very small, close-together stitches. I would post pictures but...I really don't like posting pictures. It takes too long. As I'm sure I've said before, I rather be crocheting! Lol! Maybe Mama or Julie will post some pictures...

2009-11-26T12:52:00.002-06:00

First a tag from Anna Beth

1- Have you been asked if your married? No...lol
2 - Have ever had your picture taken with a famous person? no
3 - What's your middle name? Olivia. My first name is Mary
4 - Your current favorite book (besides the BIBLE)? I don't know...
5 - What's the first thing you do when you wake up from a nap? Lol, well, I never take naps-unless I ran a race really early in the morning
6 - What is your current mood? happy.
7 - What color shirt are you wearing? white
8 - Missing something? Yes, my xc friends.
9 - Current Favorite Quote? Oh, I don't know.
10- If you could go back in time and change something what would be? These are hard questions. I don't know...
11 - If you must be an animal for one day, what would you be? defiantly a dog or cat
12 - Ever had a near death experience? no
13 - Something you do a lot? CROCHET!!
14 - The song stuck in your head? No song right now
15 - Least favorite household chore? I don't really like to vacum
16 - Name someone with the same birthday as you. One of my distant cousins. Her sister has my NAME!
17 - When was the last time you cried? must I answer?
18. What are you most scared of? running out of yarn...JK!
19 - If you could have one super power what would it be? That I could FLY!!
20 - What's the first thing you notice about the opposite gender? umm, umm, I don't KNOW!
21 - What do you usually order from Starbucks? Apple cider
22 - What's your biggest secret? WHY would I post my biggest secret on my BLOG?? lol
23- What's your favorite color? all colors
24 - Do you still watch kiddie shows or tv shows? no.
25 - What's on your walls? Lime green paint, LOL
26 - What are you? a lot of stuff. I'm a Christian, a runner, a crocheter, a sister...
27 - Do you speak any other language? Well, I know a small amount of Spanish, however I do NOT think I could converse with a Spanish-speaking person!
28 - What's your favorite smell? Well... that's hard. I have a Jolly Rancher candle that I really like.
29 - Describe your life in one word! Now how am I supposed to do that?
30 - Have you ever smiled when your best friend was crying? no
31 - What are you thinking about right now? What to say to these interesting questions
32 - What should you be doing? It doesn't really matter right now. I'm at my grandparent's house!
33 - Who was the last person that made you upset/angry? Probably a sibling
34 - How often do you talk to God? A lot
36 - If you could have any last name in the world, what would you want? I would NEVER want to change my last name.
37 - What is your natural hair color? dark brown
38 - Do you have many friends? Yes
39 - Who is your role-model? ummm...
40 - Do you like your life? Yes.
40. I am going to tag...
MARGARET, HANNAH D, CASSIA

Here is a tag from Kirsten

1. Do you know Catherine Snyder? YES!
2. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? chocolate. I LOVE LOVE LOVE fudge sauce on vanilla ice cream, too.
3. What is your fave color? all colors
4. Do you run? YES!
5. Do you like tomatoes? NO. I do like tomato sauce, though.
6. Do you have relatives out of the country? no
7. Do you have allergies? no
8. Do you have at least 10 friends? YES!!! Iove my friends
9. Are you a Christian? YES!
10. Is this a CRAZY post??? Not too crazy...lol. crazy is good!

Finally, a tag from Martha

1.Do you like coffee? Yes I do
2.do you have a favorite color? This is a popular question! All colors
3.what is your favorite flavor of ice cream? This is also popular-look at the previous tag
4.how many people are in your family? Seven. Counting pets, fourteen
5.what is your favorite subject? I don't like any school, lol
6.do you wear glasses? No
7.do you have an up staires? Yes
8.do you have a dog? Four dogs
9.what is your favorite book? I don't KNOW!
10.is this a bad post? Of course not

Now I am going to make up one!!

Say which one you prefer:
1. Candy or Chocolate?
2. long and slow run, or short and fast?
3. pet bird or pet fish?
4. hot weather or freezing weather?
5. crispy or soft cookies?
6. colored pencils or crayons?
7. knitting or crocheting?
8. taking a picture of someone, or getting your picture taken?
9. necklace or bracelet?
10. country or city?

I am tagging: Martha, Sarah D. and Kirsten

Anyone else who wants to do these taggs, please go ahead!!!

My Poor Blog...

2009-11-06T14:20:00.002-06:00

Yes, my poor little blog, which has not been updated in two months. Well, we have been busy. We have been going to cross-country practice, of course, and running a race nearly every Saturday. Such fun. Tragically, xc season is almost over. One more week. NOOOOOOOO! Very sad, but I'm sure our wonderful coach needs a break. So do all the parents.
I have also been very busy crocheting. Remember that little mouse and that bunny I made? I posted pictures. Anyway, my crocheting skills have come a LOOONG way from those. I have made at least fifty little animals called "amigurumis". It's a Japanese word. I really want to post pictures, but I really don't want to go through all the trouble of taking them, finding them on the computer and then loading them five at a time. I'd rather be crocheting!! lol.
The girls (Mama, Leah, Julie and I) are going to HOBBY LOBBY today!!! Love that yarn place!!!! Tomorrow we are running a 5k. Daddy is going to pace me, so I'm hoping for a good time!!! Daddy runs FAST, hopefully I won't die. Lol! I will post how I did. Okay, I've got to go clean the bathroom, bring down some laundry and change clothes... I'll try and post my time tomorrow!

Cross-Country Timed Run

2009-08-06T18:17:00.002-05:00

Before I say anything about the run, let me say sorry about the pictures! Which I never posted... maybe one day.
Anyway, XC practice has started, hurrah! I LOVE cross-country... except when it's really painful, which it usually is... I love it anyway!
BUT, today we ran a time trial. I thought we were just running one as hard as we can mile around a track. I was wrong. When we got there, Mrs. Heather told us we were running a timed as fast as you can THREE miles!!! I thought, WHAT!?!?!? (by the way, it was 4:00 in the afternoon and it was HOT) Then she told us we would run on the cross-country course, not a track. I felt a little better, but still, three miles hard? We are going to DIE!! Mrs. Heather told us that she wanted us to pretend like it was a race and give it our best effort. She also said no, you didn't have to throw up at the end, just feel like it. We were very calmed by all this. (NOT! Lol) So we got started. It was very hot, and we ran very nearly all of the race in grass. (you go much faster on hard pavement, grass is harder to run in but better for your legs) When I got through, (YES!) I was about to die! I am VERY happy with my time!! The course we ran was about 0.15 short, not actually a 5k, just to let you know. My time was 21:58. Now my calves are a little sore and I have a very sore muscle on my side, but I'm okay! Our team is doing really good.
THE SPARTANS ARE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crochet Crazy

2009-07-17T15:43:00.004-05:00

Hello! I have been really enjoying summer. No school, of course, and plenty of time to CROCHET!! I have been going CRAZY crocheting!! I learned how to make little animals and things by crocheting in rounds. They are SO CUTE!!!! Almost every spare minute of my time I have been crocheting. Eventually I will post pictures... may take me a while! : )
Until then, let me tell you what I have made.
1. a fuzzy chick
2. a orange, red and yellow bear (sadly I have no pic., I gave it away)
3. a silly red alien
4. a unicorn
5. a tall bear in a dress with sunglasses
6. a little turtle
7. a big blue owl
8. a black rabbit in a pink dress
9. a purple rabbit with a green skirt
10. a pink rabbit with very long ears
11. a birthday cake box
12. a mulicolored bear with a huge head
13. a blue bear with a huge head
14. a fuzzy pink kitten
15. another little turtle

( I used a pattern on everything except the alien, the chick, the cake, and the tall bear)

Right now I am crocheting a certain food. A HAMBUGER!!!!!

Bunny Pictures!!

2009-06-25T22:52:00.004-05:00

Here are all the rabbits I made!! They all have names.Maggie Benny

Mary Jade (jade is a green rock)

Candy

Sarah

All the little bunnies
Razzle Dazzle, a bigger bunnyCheckers

Sunny, an even bigger bunny

And a rainbow dot rabbit that needs a name.

Any ideas??

Please tell me which one is your favorite!!!

Hop, Hop

2009-06-24T18:08:00.004-05:00

Wow!! I have not updated in such a long time!!!
First of all, I need to say something about the wonderful and painful running camp!!!! I had SO MUCH FUN!! Our fabulous bow-up coach held a running camp, three days for boys, three days for girls. We ran killer hills, did a strength workout and a lot of life jacket lake swimming every day. We got very sore!! We also had a who-can-gather-the-most-scratchy-seaweed contest, boys verses girls. Girls won!! We did have a slight advantage over the boys by using both the raft and the canoe to haul in the seaweed... Oh well. We all really had a great time, and the camp motivated us to run better as a team. THANK YOU MRS. HEATHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now about the "Hop, Hop". Julie, Clay and I are staying a few days at our grandparent's house. Our grandmother, Mims, has tons of fabric, buttons, ribbons, and three sewing machines!! (Plus she can sew ANYTHING) So what have we been doing? Sewing, of course!! Julie and I have been sewing rabbits. So far I have sewed seven!! They are so cute!! Three little ones, two medium, and two big. They are not realistic looking rabbits-they are all colors, some with checks and dots. Pictures to come!! Hop, Hop!

HALF-MARATHON 2!!!!

2009-04-26T21:36:00.003-05:00

I survived the Nashville half! It was HOT and HILLY. We drove to Nashville on Friday, and spent the night. The last time I ran a half, I was wearing layers and layers. Complete opposite this time!! I wore some shorts and a sleevless top. I also had a "running pouch" to hold my GU.

Daddy was running the full, but we started out in the same wave. He was with me for about thirty seconds and then he left me! But that was fine. Mile one to three were okay, but it was getting HOT. Around mile six, I was thinking, "I am not going to finish in under two hours!! Can keep running the rest? Am I going to be walking a mile or two? (By the way, I had been walking about every mile and a half or so, when there was a water stop.) Anyway, I guess the GU started to kick in a little or something, because I kept on. Still, after a water stop I'd run about a fourth of a mile, and then I wanted to walk again!!

Somehow I got to mile twelve. One mile left!! Then I dropped my sunglasses (which I wasn't wearing). I was NOT about to stop and pick them up. A minute later, a man gave them back to me!! He had stopped and picked them up!

Finally, finally, I was almost at the finish line. I was SO hot. When I crossed the finish line just seven seconds under two hours!! HURRAY! I was happy with that! Yet right after I finished I wasn't really thinking about my time too much. I could not keep my eyes straight, let alone walk straight!! And I couldn't stop bumping in to people! I wobbled over and got a water bottle. I did NOT want any race food. I remember I was soooo hot.... so I wobbled over to some grass and layed down on my race "blanket". I was trying to catch my breath and not throw up!

About fifteen minutes later, I found Mama and everyone else. (Except Daddy, of course.) As I was talking to her, I would get so out of breath!! I layed down again, though feeling much better. After a looooong long while, with some playing in the grass, taking Leah to the nasty portajohn, and a lot of cheering in the hot sun, we watched Daddy finish!! After we all got together, and Daddy felt like he could walk to the car, we left.

That race was SO HOT, VERY HILLY and VERY HARD, but I'm glad I did it! I may even do it again!
Today, though I am SO SORE!! I have been hobbling around... I can hardly remember the last time I was sore! Oh well...

We all had a great time in Nashville!! I may post some pictures, we'll see. GO RUNNERS!!!!!!!!!!

Update

2009-04-07T19:45:00.005-05:00

There is much to update about!! First of all, I made a hat out of Wal Mart sacks.

Here I am wearing the hat. Very stylish, I know.

Second, I ran the farthest I ever have!! FIFTEEN AND A HALF MILES!! It was great. I am SO glad that I had GU, which is energy gel. It tastes very good, actually. I may run fifteen miles again this Saturday.... or thirteen. Oh, and I had to get up at five thirty in the morning!!! (daddy and I were running with a group in Corinth) I usually get up at least two hours later!! But I was okay.

Third, we just got back from our grandparents' house. Mims has TONS of fabric, and she suggested that we crochet with it. Here's what I made...

A blue purse... with ribbon...

and buttons. A smaller pink and green purse...

and an even smaller pouch.With stars on the back.

Aren't they pretty?

My fingers got VERY sore from ripping and crocheting fabric. But it was worth it!! We had a lot of fun at our granparents' house.

That's all for now!!

Crafts

2009-03-07T20:22:00.007-06:00

I have not updated in a long time!!!

A few weeks ago I sewed this mouse out of felt. The arms and legs are attached with buttons. The tail has a pipe cleaner inside. Here is one picture...And another. Sorry it's sidewaysHere's a picture of Leah's hair that I have ponytailedIsn't she cute? Yesterday I crochet this snake. I decided to crochet a snake because the body shape is easy. Lol!

Complete with bead eyes and a tongue!

Smile for the camera!!

Any name suggestions for the snake and mouse?

Disney Pictures and a Valentine

2009-02-13T22:09:00.006-06:00

Mrs. Leisa George gave me a blog valentine!! Thank you so much!! I'm going to send it to all my blog friends.

Here are some Disney Picures!! They are random pictures, not all from the same day.

It's Buzz!!

On the bus

Don't fall!!

We're safe from the rain

Two little princesses

Sam sniffing Mama's hair

Yum Yum!!

Me holding a sharks hand

Disney World!

2009-02-03T17:58:00.005-06:00

I'm a little late in posting this, but we got back from Disney World on Friday 30th. We had a lot of fun!! We went to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios. This time I rode all the big rides, finally. And... SO DID LEAH!!!! She rode every roller coaster more than once, and didn't cry or scream on any of them! The only roller coaster she didn't ride was Rock'n Roller Coaster, because she wasn't tall enough. She was very brave. I however, did scream on a lot of rides!! Especially Tower Of Terror! And yes, Leah rode that too. We went to Disney World with the Mims family and Rebekah Childers, they all go to church with us. Sam loved seeing Buzz Lightyear!! Mama is blogging a much more detailed account of our trip, you can go to her blog by clicking Joyful Always on my blog list. I have millions of pictures so I will try and post some later. Anyway, that's all for now!

Beauty Advice From Leah

2009-01-13T18:12:00.002-06:00

The other day, I was baby-sitting everyone while Mama and Daddy went out to eat. I let Leah brush and play with my hair. My hair was pretty tangly, and after a few yanks Leah told me, "You know, sometimes beauty hurts." Where did she hear that? I wondered. Then she said, "Mama told me that one time." She kept on brushing my hair, and trying to put a ponytail holder in it. She had more advice to tell. Very seriously, she said, "One hair can make a difference (pause) But I don't know what that means." She was SO funny!! Mama laughed so hard when I told her what Leah said. She said I needed to post it so we wouldn't forget. Leah is just too funny.

Good Enough to Eat?

2009-01-07T21:43:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I made some salt dough, which is made from flour, water and salt. You make something with it, then bake it until it is hard. You can't sculpt a masterpiece with this salt dough, but if you make something kind of flat it turns out okay. Here's what I made with the dough today. Does it look good enough to eat?
Of course you can't actually eat it, although I sprinkled real cinnamon on the cinnamon rolls before they went into the oven. The icing is real too... ha,ha, it's glue. It's all for play. I will post the recipe for it later.

Also yesterday, I started croching a shawl for this bear. I think it turned out really well, although a little big. What do you think?

Tagged By Recee!

2009-01-05T21:03:00.004-06:00

Recee tagged me! Thanks! I am supposed to type 15 facts about myself.

1. I like to cook

2. I am the oldest

3. My birthday is on April, 19

4. I love animals

5. I live in the country

6. My favorite candies are Milky Ways and Jolly Ranchers

7. I love to read

8. I love to crochet

9. I don't know how to knit (wish I did!)

10. I can't stand chedder cheese

11. I love pasta

12. I love to color in coloring books

13. I can play the piano

14. I cannot do a cartwheel

15. I am a night owl, not an early bird.

I am going to tag; Anna Beth (Asland's daughter), Kate (Kate's Life), Nathan (Nathan's life on Paper), Cassia (Cassia's Chronicles) and Levi (Levi's Life)

Another Update

2009-01-04T14:13:00.004-06:00

Well, the title of this post was going to be PICTURES!!, but I can't find my pictures!! I'll have to get Mama to help me some other time. Tomorrow we are starting school again. I hope I can remember how to do my math problems!! We are also starting back running from our two week running break. Two days ago we drove down to Jackson to my Aunt Megan and Uncle Russ's house. We spent the night with them because Daddy ran a half-marathon the next day. He did great!!!!! He was sixth in his age divison!! The race course was extremely hilly, he said. There were almost no flat places! Aunt Megan, Uncle Russ, Mama, Julie, Clay, Leah, Sam and I all got to watch the race. We got to see all the first place runners cross the finish line. They were amazing!!! Some people ran the full marathon at a pace I can't even keep up for one mile!! Anyway we are back home, looking forward to and dreading school tomorrow. Good luck to all who start back school Monday!!

Just Sort Of An Update...

2008-12-30T16:59:00.004-06:00

Well it's a little late, but we had a GREAT Christmas!!! One of the things I got was a camera, so hopefully my post will have more pictures! Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. Already! On January 5th we are starting back school, which I am not really looking forward to... oh well. But I am looking forward to doing co-op again!! We have not been in a co-op group for a long time. Yesterday, we had some friends over and we did a play. Paige, who is Julie's age had a camcorder, so we "made a movie"! It was really funny. Leah had a part too. I will try and post a picture of her soon. ( I can't now, this computer doesn't download pictures). Julie, Clay and I are taking a 2 week break from running, and we're starting back with school. Daddy is running a half-marathon this Saturday!! (only him, this time) I am going to do another one in April. Sadly Julie cannot run it because she is one year too young, but she is still going to train with me. She is going to try and do a fast 10k (6.1 miles) one week after the half-marathon. I will NOT be keeping up! I'm not going to try to run my fastest time in a 10k one week after a half-marathon!! Anyway, Late Merry Christmas, and Happy Early New Year!

Christmas Presents and Christmas Snow!!

2008-12-11T16:41:00.002-06:00

I have been wrapping a lot of presents!! I LOVE doing it. It is something I really look forward to every year. I have probably wrapped the most today! Leah likes to pick out the "name sticker" to put on all the presents I wrap. While I was wrapping in the basement today, Clay suddenly yells, "It's snowing!!" If there is snow outside Clay will be in it, no matter how early. After a while I went outside with Clay who had no coat on, only a towel over his head. I had grabbed Mama's old heavy coat. It was really snowing! Sadly, the snow wasn't sticking but it was fun trying to catch it in our mouths. I don't think it is snowing any more. I will try and post a picture soon.

HALF-MARATHON!!

2008-12-06T16:26:00.007-06:00

Today we ran the half-marathon. HURRAH!!! I almost can't believe that we have already run it. We had so much fun. Yesterday, at about one 1:00 Daddy, Mama, Julie and I left the house. We picked up Forrest Tate, who was going to run the race too. When we got to Memphis, we went into the Expo to get our race numbers, shirts, and bags. Their were a lot of booths selling running clothes and things. I got a shirt that says, "I know I run like a girl. Try to keep up" Julie's shirt says, "13.1 miles. Been there, run that" After that, we went to the Spaghetti Warehouse restaurant to eat some pasta as our pre-race meal. The spaghetti was great!! We went to a Starbucks, got some coffee/hot chocolate/cider/strawberry something, and then went to a professional basket ball game. While we were going from place to place it was FREEZING outside. We thought we were going to absolutely freeze in the morning. At the hotel, Julie and I slept on a blowup bed. I wasn't really sure how fast I was going to run in the morning because I had trained pretty slow with Mama, about a 2:15 or slower, but Julie wanted to break two hours. Daddy thought we could. I didn't really have a goal. Anyway, I slept well. I woke up at about 4:30 in the morning. I knew that we would have to get up at 5:45, and I hoped I wouldn't feel so tired! However, when we did get up I soon was wide awake. I pulled out my huge stack of clothes I had brought to wear in the freezing weather. I wore: running tights, running pants, a tight undershirt, a looser running shirt, a short sleeved running shirt, and a pink fleece coat. Oh yeah, and gloves and a head/ear band. Daddy got some cath gowns from the hospital for us to wear before the race, so we wouldn't be too cold. Mama was the only one who ended up putting on the long, blue gown. At the starting line, Forrest was in wave 2, Daddy was in wave 4, Julie and I were in wave 6, and I think Mama was in wave 9. When our wave finally started, it was so different from our usual race start. Usually, I start pretty fast, but this time I had to start slow and hold back. The beginning of the race was wonderful. I wasn't too cold at all, and eventually I really felt warm. It was a great temperature after all! Julie and I ran together for the first three miles although we didn't plan to necessarily stay together. I knew Julie was probably going to be ahead of me since she was determined to break two hours. Originally, I planned to walk at mile 3, 5, 7, and 11. When we got to mile 3, I really didn't want to walk, because no one else was!! But I did for a little bit, knowing that I didn't want to be too tired at the end of the race. Julie went on, and I lost her. Surprisingly, I caught up with her. I started thinking, maybe I can break two hours! I decided to try and walk at just mile 3, 6, and 9. So at mile 6 I walked again, losing Julie. I didn't catch up this time. At around mile 7 and a half and 8 I started to get tired. I was running a lot faster than I had trained, and I was walking less. At mile 9 there was gu, which is energy gel in a little packet. I had never eaten it before, but I ate it then! I walked the longest while eating the gu and drinking some water. I got water at several stops. The gu helped. I didn't feel so tired! At mile 11 I wanted to walk, but I think I decided not to. Nearing the end I was so tired!!! I didn't really think I was going to break two hours, but with less that a half mile to go, I looked at my watch and thought, hey, maybe I can! I really sped up, and finished in 1:58!!!!! I was so happy to be through!! Daddy ( who finished in 1:45, five minutes under his goal), Julie (who finished in 1:57) and I waited for Mama to finish and froze. When Mama finished we didn't see her for a while, but we ate some soup and pizza, and found Forrest (who finished in 1:33, he was very pleased). We found Mama, and went to the car!! What a race!!!! Forrest said it was the most painful and most fun race he had ever run. I'm not too surprised that it was his most painful, since he was running around my 5k pace!! After eating at Huey's we came home. Now I am very tired. Now we can all say that we have run a half-marathon!!!!!! Hurrah!

CHRISTMAS AGAIN!!!

2008-12-02T13:20:00.005-06:00

It's Christmas again!!!!! It's December!! The twenty-five days of Christmas countdown has begun!!! All our Christmas decorations are up... our Christmas tree is up... we listen to Christmas music every time we are in the car!! When we put up our Christmas tree last Friday, Sam helped too. He would choose an ornament and hang it on the very edge of the branch. Of course, he couldn't reach very high, so all his edge-of-the-branch ornaments were only around one part of the tree. He had fun, though. After the tree was finished, Sam asked where the "cracker nut" was. Cracker nut, Checker nut, nut cracker, all the same. Oh, and something else is coming up that is not Christmas. THE HALF-MARATHON!!!!! It is this Saturday!!! I can't wait to post about it after we have done it! It is going to be cooold, but I rather it be cold than hot. Anyway, have a MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!!!

Thanksgiving Cooking And A Stilt Story

2008-11-26T13:36:00.003-06:00

We are all at my grandparents house right now!! I have been cooking away for Thanksgiving today! Tomorrow, I don't think we will have to cook at all. I can't wait to eat some of the turtle pumpkin pie that I made. When we were driving to Forest, which is where my grandparents live, we watched Black Beauty. There is one part when it shows someone on stilts with long pants, like a clown or something. Leah asked me, " How do they have long legs? Do they balance on long things attached to their shoes?" I thought she meant the horses!! I said, " They just have long legs. That's how they are." Leah, who didn't quite believe me said, "But don't they balance on long sticks?" I couldn't stop laughing because I didn't know she meant the person, not the horses!!! Finally I understood and told Leah what I thought she meant. She laughed and laughed. It was very funny. Everyone have a happy Thanksgiving tomorrow!!!

Twelve Miles, And Christmas Decorations!

2008-11-21T19:35:00.003-06:00

Well, today Mama, Julie and I ran twelve miles in this freezing cold weather!!! Next week we will run eight miles, and the next week is the race!!!(thirteen point one miles) In the race it will VERY COLD. Right now, our Christmas decorations are being put up!! We are going to get our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. I can't wait to get our Christmas tree and decorate it!!!!!!!!! And I can't wait to get our Christmas books out!! And, of course, I can't wait for Thanksgiving! Happy Holidays!

Cooking With Leah And Sam

2008-11-18T20:37:00.002-06:00

This afternoon after I had run on the treadmill, it was my turn to watch Leah and Sam while Mama ran. I wondered if Mama would mind if I made some home made chocolate chip cookies. Hopefully I would have them in the oven before she was through running! I decided to make them. I called Leah and Sam, who were very happy about helping, and pulled them up some
chairs to stand in. Then I washed their hands, and went into the pantry to find some chocolate chips. Amazingly, we did not have any! But we did have about three bags of butterscotch chips. I saw that we had all the ingredients for the recipe on the back, so now we were making butterscotch "cookies". Well, more like butterscotch brownies, because it said to spread the mix out in a pan. I measured the ingredients and let Leah and Sam pour it in. Sam started looking in the bowl, his head halfway in. "Don't do that Sam!" I said. "Can I look at it?" he asked. I told him he could, but he couldn't stick his face in. He smiled and put his face over bowl. I moved the bowl away. When it was time to blend in the butterscotch chips, I let Leah and Sam pour the chips in. Leah spilled some, so I told her to pick them up and put them in the bowl. Sam grabbed a handful and said, "I just put them in my mouth." Finally, the cookies were in the oven. They turned out great! Everyone liked them except for Leah, who only tried the dough, but not the cooked cookie. If you want to make them, look on the back of the butterscotch chips bag!!

A Tag, And A Dog Story

2008-11-15T14:03:00.003-06:00

First, here is a tag from Hannah.

1. look right, what do you see? A curtain
2. look left, what do you see? A chair, the table, the kitchen
3. look behind you, what do you see? A rocking chair, Leah's beloved pink pig and bear
I am going to tag Anna Beth, Ashley, and Katlen

And about the dog... Well, yesterday Julie, Mama and I ran eleven miles!!!! That is the farthest we have ever gone!! Before we started (we were in a neighborhood) we saw a friendly dog. So we petted him, and started off. That dog followed us! And he kept on following! Of course, he would stop and sniff here and there, but he would always catch up with us. Before we had gone really far, someone drove up and asked us if the dog was ours. We said he wasn't, he was just following us! The lady who stopped us said that her grandson, who was in the car and looked about five, thought that we were taking the dog away. He had been feeding it and playing with it for a few days. We told him that when we left, the dog would probably go back to his house. Anyway, we planned to run in a few different neighborhoods, and we didn't want the dog to follow because he may get lost, and because of cars. We thought that he would eventually get tired and go away. He didn't stop!! We decided that the dog would follow us out of the neighborhood and back again. We could call him away from cars. That is just what happened!! THAT DOG FOLLOWED US THE WHOLE ELEVEN MILES!!!! Well, almost. When we passed some children, the dog went to them. We soon noticed that he wasn't following us any more, and we had to get him back to his neighborhood! Thankfully, we didn't have to go far to find the dog. We called him away, and he followed us all the way back!! Good job, doggy!

A Fun Tag From Cassia

2008-11-11T21:14:00.003-06:00

I was tagged by Cassia! This is a really fun tag.
Here are the rules: Grab the nearest book. Open the book to page 56. Find the fith sentence. Post the next two to five sentences on your blog along with these instructions. Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book or the intectual one; pick the closest!! Tag a few other people to do the same.
Okay.... these aren't really sentences, but...

Solution To Exercises
1. Think!

Grains are fruits or seeds of various grasses.
Which of the foods comes from grass? Rice.
Food A (rice) is a grain.

Well! I have never read that before!!
Here is who I am going to tag:

Cut n' Paste-Hannah

Glitter n' Glue-Sarah

About Ashley-Ashley

A Tag, and Instructions

2008-11-06T13:41:00.003-06:00

Okay, I finally got the award on my blog. For anyone who doesn't know how to get the award on their blog, here's how. First type six things about yourself, and then award six other blogs. To get the award on your blog, right click it on my blog and save it as a picture. Then download it on your blog like a regular picture.

Levi and Cassia tagged me!

What was the first thing you saw when you woke up? Julie

What do you do when you get bored? Lots of things! Crochet, read, sew, blog...

How old are you? thirteen

Name at least three of your friends Well! I have a lot of friends, so I will name some friends with blogs. Anna Beth, Ashley, Kara Beth, Katlyn

What is your middle name? Olivia. My first name is Mary

Write your whole name backwards nosnhoj aivilo yram

Who will you tag? Kara Beth!

Another Tag

2008-11-05T13:00:00.008-06:00

My Aunt Megan tagged me and gave me a blog award, which I do not know how to get on my blog. I am supposed to type six random things about myself. Let me think...

1. I just got braces a week ago, and I am finally getting used to them!

2. The farthest I have ever been from home is San Fransisco

3. I have a LOT of stuffed animals. Most of them are on a tall shelf in my room.

4. When I was three, I had a fish named Cinderella. When that one died, I had another one named Rainbow.

5. I just learned how to e-mail about a month ago.

6. When I was about three, I was afraid of mannequins.

Now I am supposed to tag/award six blogs. Hopefully the award will be up soon!

1. Katelyn
2. Ashley
3. Anna Beth
4. Mrs. Lynn
5. Mrs. Liesa
6. Aunt Jenny

Kate's Tag

2008-10-22T21:11:00.002-05:00

Katelyn tagged me a while ago, but I am just now doing it. Sorry Katelyn!

What was the last animal you saw? probably my dog Lilly

What was the last sentence you saw? the sentence above this one

What is your hair style? Right now? A pony tail

Have you ever gone surfing? (ocean, not web) No

Are you scared of spiders? If it's in my room, yes. If it is outside, no.

What color is your favorite pair of shoes? Hmmm, what are my favorite pair?

Do you wish you could have seen a dinosaur before they were extinct? Not really

What is your middle name spelled backwards? aivilo (Olivia is my middle name. My first name is Mary. yarm!)

What is the first thing you think of when you hear fireworks? Fourth of July

What question R U on? The tenth one

What is the last time you laughed? I can't remember.

What did you eat on your last birthday? Pizza

Are you wearing make-up? No

Have you answered “don’t know” to any of these questions? No

Have you ever dreamed you were a character in a movie? No, but that would be funny

Did you answer that question? Yes!

What is right in front of you? The computer, some running watches, a lamp

Is this tag weird? No

Who will you tag? Anna Beth, and my Aunt Megan!!

SHAVING CREAM FIGHT!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-22T13:21:00.002-05:00

Yesterday at cross-country practice we had a SHAVING CREAM FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!! IT WAS CRAZY!!!!!!!!!! It started off as tag. The five older boys were it. To tag us, they would swat us with a handful of shaving cream. To get unfrozen, someone who wasn't it had to tag us again with shaving cream. At first all the girls were saying, don't get it in my hair! I have to go somewhere tonight, don't get it in my hair! Of course, EVERY SINGLE PERSON had a head full of shaving cream by the time we were through!! Mrs. Heather told us when the boys ran out of shaving cream, she would yell, CREAM THE BOYS!!! and we would go attack them with shaving cream. Oh, it was so much fun!! Then, we all started creaming everyone!! Even Mrs. Heather!! After a while, everyone's shirt, arms, hair and face was SOAKED IN SHAVING CREAM!!!!! When it was time to clean up, Mrs. Heather sprayed us with a freezing cold water hose. So we were all dripping wet. Some people had brought a full change of clothes, and I had brought a shirt and a towel. Some people took pictures, but we didn't get any. I hope I can get some pictures somehow... Anyway WE HAD A TERRIFIC TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Day In Corinth

2008-10-19T14:07:00.007-05:00

Yesterday the Spartan team ran a 5k in Corinth!! It was called the Diabetes Dash. It was cold!!!We got there an hour early, because we didn't know if the race started at 8:00 or 8:30. It started at 8:30. We were very cold!! Mrs. Heather drove some of us around the course, and we saw that it had a LOT of curves, which can slow you down. But, there wasn't really any hills, just what we called some "slight inclines". My time was 22:05, which is close to my fastest time! The whole team did GREAT!!! The coldness helped. I like to run in cold races. My whole family did wonderful, too. Mama did her fastest time ever!!! She ran with Mrs. Heather, who was pushing her to run faster. Then Mrs. Heather slowed down with Sarah, her daughter who she was running with, and Mama passed them! After the race we ate doughnuts, some drank coffee, and took pictures. We had a LOT OF FUN!!!!! After the race, we went to our grandparents' house and played with our cousins Will, Seth, and Grace. Gracie, who is five, cooked "petunia soup" or something like that, with Leah and I. We "cooked" it out of acorns, sticks, leaves, and whatever else we could find. ( There ware actually no petunias in it) Gracie named it. She and Leah had a lot of fun. Julie, Daddy, and I went to a cross-country meet after that, but not to run!! Daddy helped with keeping people in line to get their numbers after they crossed the finish line. Julie and I cheered for people we knew. We all had a great day!!!!!!!!!!Friends!The top three female finishers!Julie, Clay and I with our trohpiesEveryone won a trophy!!Will

Seth

Lots Of Pictures!

2008-10-15T11:07:00.012-05:00

Here are the pictures from the Tippa cross-country meet. There are thirty-one pictures!!! My daddy got some really good pictures of people jumping in the lake.Spartan girls stretching before the raceMe before the raceMe about to cross the finish line!! (see the white line?)Julie about to cross the finish line as first place!!!Catherine about to finish Courtney about to finish

The jv team with our coach!!
Nathan about to cross the finish lineRichard almost finishedThe varsity boy teamMalachi almost throughCale about to finishJamie runningZach about to finish Forest running

Some girl Spartans and Richard
Me and Julie with our awards!!!

MRS. HEATHER IN THE LAKE !!!!!!

Julie jumping in!!
Me VERY BRAVELY jumping in!!!! (unfortunately, you can only see my splash!)

Me after jumping in the lake!"This is so much FUN!!!!" Cale about to make a SPLASH synchronized jumpers!!
"Wheee!"
"Here I come!"

"Watch out!" Courtney jumping
Forest doing a cannonball!

We all had SUCH A GREAT TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hibachi with the Family

2008-10-13T23:27:00.006-05:00

Two days ago we drove to Jackson to visit Uncle Russ and Aunt Megan. We spend the night with them one night. We went to a resturant called Kyoto. We watched the food being made. It was great!!! At first I was a little scared that the man who was cooking was going to burn himself as he flipped the tools around! But it was fine, and the food was so good. We got some really funny pictures of Clay!! After that we went to Bops, an ice cream place.

Here is the chef cooking our food

Here is Clay, who was trying to see how much rice he could hold with his chopsticks. Then he got an idea of how to hold a lot. He put his vegetable across his chopsticks then piled rice on top. He is so silly.

Clay was begging me to take a picture of this. He did the same thing with his chopsticks, but this time, the chopsticks are in his mouth. What a trick.

Me, Aunt Megan, and Julie at Aunt Megan's house with our pajamas on, about to leave. We got home late!

Cross-Country Meet #3

2008-10-12T22:16:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was the Tippa Lake XC. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!! But the race was really hard. It was a hard course... not my favorite race. We ran junior varsity, and Julie was first, I was second!!! My time (it was a two mile race) was 14:00!!!!! I am really happy with it. All the girls did so well!!!!!! I am SO happy that our race was first. It usually is, unless we run varsity, which we only ran once. I was really nervous before the race. When I finished, I was SO happy. Like I said, the course was hard. Anyway, after that all the girls ran around cheering for the other Spartan runners. I t was SO much fun!! Our coach said that if one of our team placed, she would JUMP IN THE LAKE!!!!! We were all screaming when Mrs. Heather said she had to jump in the lake, because the our junior varsity tied with Saltillo!!! SO SHE JUMPED IN THE LAKE!!! Some people decided to jump in the lake with Mrs. Heather, but after she jumped in almost everyone followed. But I WAS NOT GOING TO JUMP IN THE LAKE!!!! Then... Mrs. Heather slung Julie over her shoulder, and waded in with her, and dunked her in!!! Julie got wet (of course) so Daddy let her jump in. Then I VERY BRAVELY JUMPED IN THE LAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was SO much fun!!!!!! I can't wait to post some great pictures of us jumping in!!! After that we played tag, ate our food, (we all brought a picnic) and then played ultimate frisbee. After the race, and sprinting around cheering for our team, and sprinting around playing tag and frisbee, today I am very sore!! IT WAS INCREDIBLY FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and I will post pictures as soon as I can. I will probably post about a hundred!!!!

"Healthy Ice Cream"

2008-10-10T12:09:00.007-05:00

This is a recipe that I got from a runner's magazine. Julie has made it before, and it was gone the day she made it!! Everyone in my family loves this "healthy ice cream". It is so good!

Mango-Banana Frozen Yogurt

1 cup sliced ripe banana

3/4 cup chopped peeled mango (frozen or canned)

1/3 cup orange juice

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 & 1/2 cups 2% low-fat milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 (16-ounce) carton vanilla low-fat yogurt

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Blend the first four ingredients in a blender. Mix the rest of the ingredients with the blended mixture in a bowl with a whisk. Pour this mixture into a container, and freeze. I hope you try it!!!

Cross-Country Meet #2

2008-10-04T16:04:00.005-05:00

This morning was the New Albany meet! I was really nervous when I woke up and when I was in the car. I was okay after we got there and I began talking to my friends. I probably would have been a lot more nervous if I wasn't running with the team. It was perfect weather for a race, nice and cool! Julie and I were running the junior varsity race, instead of varsity, which I ran in the last cross-country meet. Our race was first!! Julie and I were very happy. The course was great, very flat. We had run the course a few days before, which was really nice. We practice on and around the course in cross-country every Tuesday, but it was helpful to know the exact course for the race. I did my fastest time for two point five miles! 17;12!!!!! I am very happy with it!! Julie was first, I was second, and Catherine (a Spartan) was third!!! Julie almost broke the record for that race! (only the course was a little different) After that was the girls varsity, which none of our team ran, then the boy's junior varsity (Clay, Logan, Josh, Nathan, Marshall), and the boy's varsity (Forrest, Zach, Cale, Malalchi). Julie, Sarah, Hannah, Katherine and I were running around screaming for the team with Mrs. Heather close by, yelling to the Spartans. Everone did GREAT!!!!! Everyone is improving so much!! Thanks to hard training, and Mrs. Heather!!!

This is Hannah, Catherine, Sarah, Julie, and Me warming up

GREAT JOB SPARTANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-29T21:34:00.002-05:00

The Spartan team ran the Tallahatchie River run while we ran the Wing Dang Dash in Forest. We looked at the race results. THE TEAM DID GREAT!!!!!! The times were AMAZING, and the course was not easy. It had some big hills. I'm sad that I wasn't there to cheer and scream when they got their awards! I can't wait to tell them how GREAT they did tomorrow!!!! GO SPARTANS!!!!!!!!!!!

The Wing Dang Dash, and Some Things I Made

2008-09-27T16:51:00.010-05:00

We have had a busy Friday and Saturday!! Mama left to go to a Christan Ladies' Retreat on Friday, and came back Saturday, just a few minutes ago. Me, Julie, Clay, Leah, Daddy and Sam went to our grandparents house. Mims and Pops live three hours away. We were going to stay home and run a race with the Spartan team Saturday morning. But Friday, we decided to run the Wing Dang Dash, in Forest where our grandparents live. Sam did very well sleeping his first night away from Mama! He slept with Daddy. After about one hundred, "I want Mama" 's he went to sleep. The Wind Dang Dash course was wonderfull!!! The weather was pretty chilly when we got there, but it was great to run in. The course was flat or downhill almost the whole way! At the end there was a hill, but it wasn't bad at all. My time was 21:50!!!!!! I was SO happy!!

all of us at the race

Aren't I cute?

Me, Julie and Clay

Here are some things that I crocheted or knitted on a knitting loom. Guess what they are made of?

My First Cross-Country Meet!!

2008-09-20T18:51:00.004-05:00

Today was my first cross-country meet!!! Almost all the Spartans ran! The course was kind of hard...it was muddy and there was a VERY steep hill! After the girls' race, we cheered for the boys on our team. It was so much fun cheering and screaming for the rest of the Spartans!! Everyone did so well! After all the races, we went to hear the awards. I was tenth!!!! I got a t-shirt!! It has been a great day!!! I'm almost at the finish line!!our WONDERFUL coach, Mrs. Heather, talking to us right before the racethe girl Spartans lined upthe junior varsity Spartan boys lined upthe varsity Spartan boys lined upLogan almost at the finished line!!A few Spartan boys, Josh...

Marshall...Forrest...Nathan sprinting to the finish line!!

Hannah, Kathrine, Julie, Sarah and Me!!

Crafts

2008-09-16T11:21:00.003-05:00

Here are two purses that I crocheted. The blue one is really lumpy. I didn't really like that blue yarn!
Here is another purse. I like the handle on this one.
I crocheted these too. One is a bunny, and one is a mouse. The mouse has a tail, but you can't see it.
I sewed this scarcrow mostly by hand. I can't remember if I used the sewing machine or not. And yes, that is real hay, which the cat loves to chew.
I sewed this at my grandparent's house. It was SO hard to turn the body inside out and stuff it!! I sewed this most recently, just last week. This mermaid's tail was much easier than legs!
Which is your favorite?

The RACE!!!!

2008-09-13T12:45:00.003-05:00

Today we ran the Sherman day 5k! It was a really small race, because this is the first year. Almost all the Spartans(the homeschool cross-country team) ran the race too! Two Saturdays ago, we ran the Chick-fil-a race in Memphis. It was pretty hot. I enjoyed this race much more. And it was fun because the Spartan team was there. Before we warmed up, we were telling funny stories, and laughing our heads off! The race couse was hilly, but that was okay. I think that I like courses with a few hills better than flat courses. Because of downhills! My time was 22:24!!! I am very happy!! I was second female over all!! Julie was first female, Clay was first in his age divison, and other Spartans won many awards. It was a great race!!!!!!

the Spartans before the race

Spartan girls

Julie, Katherine and me

Go Spartans!

Cross-Country Practice

2008-09-09T18:07:00.003-05:00

We just got back from cross-country practice. We ran 400's. It was a good workout. While we were running, Mama made our wonderful coach, Mrs. Heather, a blog!! We are running a 5k this Saturday. I hope it's not hot and humid!! I will post about the race later.

Busy Day,and Cat Trouble

2008-09-08T21:38:00.004-05:00

This morning I got up, and we went running. I ran five miles. Then we went home, and worked on our school. When I was through, I had some of free time, and then I had to get ready for piano. We then went to piano, which was fun. When Mama picked Clay, Julie and I up, (she was late) she said that there had been some "cat trauma". Our cat, Marmalade had gotten into trouble. We have a little attic room, which leads to the real attic. Well, we think that Sam opened the door to the little attic room. The cat wandered inside. Someone closed the door. Marmalade was stuck inside! He was stuck inside that room from sometime in the morning to late in the afternoon. While he was in there, he pulled down some insulation from the walls, and somehow managed to crawl behind an air filter/vent!!! Mama heard Marmalade meowing, so she tried to find him. She finally did! She said that his paws were sticking out of the vent. Poor kitty!! We don't know how he got in there. Mama said that he must have found some little hole, which will have to be fixed. Anyway, that is why she was late!! We ate supper, and then went to our Keepers at Home meeting. It was SO MUCH FUN!!!!! We learned about herbs, and we got to try a lot of foods with herbs in them. I ate lemon ice cream with green herbs in it!! It was SO GOOD! Now I am very tired. It has been a fun day!!

Friends, Shopping,and Running

2008-09-06T21:01:00.002-05:00

This morning my friends Ashley and Kara Beth came over. We had fun playing and watching a Monk episode. We then went to the mall to shop for jeans and fall clothes, because every Saturday (except this one) until sometime in October, we have a race or cross-country meet! Anyway, we found some jeans for me that I really like, finally! We were there for a long time. Only Mama, Julie and I went. We kept on saying that if Clay, Leah and Sam came we would not have made it!! After that we went by Hobby Lobby. I bought some knitting needles, a knitting book, and two skeins of yarn. Knitting is hard! Maybe I am doing something wrong. I haven't even figured out how to knit a row yet!! Oh well, I did just start today. Then we went to a neighborhood to do a long run. Me and Julie ran nine miles!! That is the farthest I have ever run! We are training for a half marathon in December. It has been a great day!!!

My Hair!!

2008-09-05T13:27:00.003-05:00

Last night I twisted my wet hair into corkscrew braids, and slept in them. When I unrolled my hair, this is what it looks like!! I will not be doing this hairstyle again.

Gracie's Tricks

2008-08-22T15:08:00.002-05:00

Today we went to our grandparents house, and I saw my cousin Gracie. She was doing tricks for us, and showing us how limber she is. She also showed me some cheerleader moves. Julie got some really good pictures of her.

I'm a Blogger!

2008-08-21T22:53:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my blog!