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Here are a few little highlights--
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Hailey "ran" in her first organized race via her jogging stroller. This was the Intermountain Donor Services 5K. It was such a fun experience. Poppa got to mingle with other transplant recipients and their families.
P.S. Please, please be an organ donor & let your family know about it!
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Another race. My first post-baby 10K with my little munchkin cheering from the sidelines. Aaron took this "lovely" pic immediately post-run. So you'll have to excuse the forced red-faced, exhausted grin and truly unattractive hair! Man, this felt great though! The course was pretty hill-y and I honestly did not believe I could do this without walking a single step. I used to look at my runner friends and think they were both crazy and amazing. I vividly remember my dear friend Rachel talking about running 6 miles on a Saturday and being completely in awe of her. I thought I could never do anything like that. (My squatty little frame is not built for speed and I considered myself a little wimpy.) I never believed that I would later be running farther than that and actually enjoying it. The entire Brighton cheer squad showed up to run this race, complete in uniforms. Most of these darling little muffins were ahead of me and it was downright depressing for me. It was like figuratively AND literally trying to keep up with my former self. All this while trying to recover mentally, emotionally and physically from the whole new mom thing which had been so trying for me. Well in grand Amy tradition, I just kept at it -- slow and steady -- and by the 3rd mile they had all dropped out. I finished this small race happily awhile later feeling I'd overcome so much of what I'd been struggling with. I look back now and a simple 10K was such a small victory. But so much has changed in my life over the last several years that this was significant for me ... as a new runner ... a new mom ... a new person.
I am STILL in awe of my incredible runner friend! I just understand it now and I'm willing to try to keep up with her.
Here's Hailey with Aaron at a family party nearly winning a limbo contest. In case you can't tell, he is Aladdin and she is Abu. I was Princess Jasmine, but I'll spare you the pictures of that disgrace! Aaron picked the costumes this year. I guess next year is my turn. I'd better start entertaining some ideas to out-do him.
Round 2 of costumes for Hailey. This is the one she wore to her Kindermusik class on Halloween. Of course she also wanted to keep the hat on throughout the grocery store & other errands which made for some comments.
First trip to the zoo for the munchkin on her birthday. Aunt Holly also came with cousins Elizabeth and Anna. Hailey was in HEAVEN. She just loves animals so it was a pretty perfect birthday for her. Warm, sunny, just all around pleasant.
Maybe you're wondering what the heck Aaron is doing. Well, he has just been working quite a bit as usual. But things are starting to slow for the holidays, which he loves! I suppose we'll be using the slow time to acquire some more properties for ourselves as usual. So I guess there isn't really a "slow" time for him. He was able to take a couple of really fun "MAN-cations" this fall though. He went for a summer's last hurah to Lake Powell with his good friend Brandon and some other guys I don't know. He also went for a jam-packed golf weekend in St. George with the Fransons + like 20 more guys I don't know. I'd love to tell you more about these trips. But when Aaron talks about 63 holes of premium golf in barely 2 days, my eyes just glaze over. I like golf ... but not THAT much! I'm more of Fore Lakes kinda' girl.
