My 5K Day

So, my two daughters, son-in-law and I were on the road with the sunrise. Once we got to Plymouth, we found our team.

After getting our race bags, we made our way to the starting line.

We passed some pretty scenery.

We passed my daughter who was running the 10k. She's my marathon runner.

I ran as much as I could, but I walked more than I ran. Damn injuries!

At one point, we passed this liquor store and I was thinking a cocktail wasn't such a bad idea. You know, maybe a Bacardi and diet!

We finished our race and the kids ran the Fun Run.

We got to eat some awesome chili. That's why I do this race. Excellent food!

Just kidding!!

It was time for the awards ceremony. Believe it or not, I came in first place for my age division. This is a low budget race. It's a fundraiser for the NICU at the hospital where ny niece works. My prize was a plastic pacifier.

This was a first for me. One race, three shirts. I got the first shirt from EA Active. I filled in my blank with "me". I am active for me! The second shirt is the one that came in my race pack. The third is my team shirt. Team Anna and Kamryn. They are my great nieces who both spent some time in the NICU where their mommy (my niece) works. They are happy and healthy six and three years old now. I'm always more than happy to do this race and help raise funds for the hospital. They do amazing work. We were told on Saturday that over the last six years of this race, they have raised $25,000.00 for the NICU. So awesome!

Now, to recap. I started this 5k process with the help of the Sisterhood. They keep pushing me and making me believe that I can do these great things. I wanted so much to run this whole race. Unfortunately, I already had a longstanding ankle/foot injury and then I twisted my knee on a pile of wet leaves. I kept training as best I could and hoped for the best. Now, I have a new goal. I had said I would run the Flurry Scurry next month if things didn't go well here, but I found out Saturday that they no longer do that race. I did find out that there is a Sleigh Bell race, so I'll be training for that. That is my new goal!

Thank you to all the wonderful people at the Sisterhood, especially Christy, Melissa, April and Lisa. You four mean so much to me. You inspire me daily and make me believe in myself. I have lost 13 pounds since I joined you and I plan to keep going. You make me feel like the energizer bunny sometimes.

So, today, I'm clipping on my pedometer for the new challenge and envisioning myself running the entire 5k next month. Wish me good luck and fast healing.

Sandhill Cranes Part 2

We went to see the sandhill cranes fly in yesterday. It was pretty neat, but not as neat as I was expecting. According to a man who was standing next to us, how close the cranes are, how many there are is different each day. As luck would have it, we picked a lighter day. It was still kind of cool.

Here's my husband, daughter and granddaughter making their way down the path to the viewing stands.

Here are some of the first cranes coming in.

The sky was beautiful. There are quite a few cranes on the ground.

The sunset was breathtaking with the cranes against it.
You can see more of the cranes on the ground in this one.

Another one of the beautiful sunset.

We'll go back again. My husband was reading a sign that said there are more cranes in the spring. I think we'll try again then. My granddaughter made a few friends and seemed to have a good time. I think she would have liked it better if the cranes were closer. We kept telling her on the way there that the cranes were as big as her. It was hard for her to see that when they were so far away. Oh well, we tried.

Sandhill Cranes

We are going to see the sandhill cranes come in today at Jasper Pulaski State Park. Everyone says that it is absolutely awesome. There are thousands of them that come in together. I'm really excited. My husband, daughter and granddaughter are going with me. I'll take lots of pictures to share later. This is a video I found on YouTube of it. Hope it doesn't turn out be scary like a Hitchcock movie for my granddaughter. I'll be back tonight with all the info. Did I mention that I was excited?

You Capture/Our Choice

You capture, I capture, we all capture!

This weeks assignment was our choice. I couldn't even think where to start. I take so many pictures in a week, it was really hard to pick. I've become obsessed with the moon, so with the full moon this week, I had a million shots of that. But, when these two little sweeties came to grandma's house on Saturday, I knew what I was going to do.

Snow White stopped by for a visit.

She brought Dopey with her. Check out the ears. She had to be Dopey.

While Snow White was still the perfect princess, Dopey turned into Grumpy.

I'm anxious to see what everyone else did this week.

If you are too, stop by Beth's and check it out.

Happy Capturing!

Shrink-A-Versary Weigh In/Week 1

It's the first weigh in for the new challenge over at the Sisterhood. I'm very happy to say that I lost one pound this week. I'm excited. It's the first time in awhile that I have lost a full pound. I kept hanging in the almost a pound in the last challenge.

I'm really excited for Monday to come. We are starting the new exercise challenge. We are logging our steps. I had started wearing my pedometer again a few weeks ago. Smart move on my part. According to my pedometer instructions, when I put my stride in, it says that 2000 steps equals a mile for me. I've been trying to get at least 10,000 steps a day in. Usually, I get more than that especially with the 5k training. I've been trying to hit the treadmill every night and walk (or run) during a tv show. Last night, I did it during the Biggest Loser.

My 5k is Saturday. If you read my last post, my training has been far from perfect. I have been injury plagued. I was already having trouble with my ankle/foot injury from before and then I twisted my knee on the wet leaves at school. The general concensus of my comments on that post say I should take care of the injuries and walk the 5k and heal to run another day. I can't make myself not run at all if I feel pretty good that day. I'd like to at least walk/run. If that doesn't happen, I'll do the Flurry Scurry 5k in December.

So, that's what is going on here. One pound down, 14 more to go for this challenge. That's my goal anyway. I think if they can lose double digits in a week on the Biggest Loser, I should be able to do it in seven weeks. One more thing, if you haven't joined the Hood yet, you are really missing out on something wonderful. I had so much fun last night chatting with some of my fellow sisters. I think you would love it. Give it a try!

Check back Saturday. I'll have the scoop on my 5k and some pictures to go along with it.

I Never Should Have Said It Outloud!

Ever since I said I was going to run a 5k, the running Gods have been against me. What have I ever done to them? Really, somebody tell me what I have done to offend them.

I have a long standing ankle injury that I doctored myself. I know, dumb move but I did it anyway. I twisted my ankle badly walking one day. Once again, it's that exercise thing. Walking Gods hate me too. Most of the time it is fine, but if I overdo (like trying to run) it swells and hurts. I rest it and it's fine again. I've been dealing okay with it. One of these days I have to go and have it checked out, I guess. I actually tried to call and make an appointment several weeks ago, but the doctors office recording kept saying leave a voicemail and they would call me back. I'm at work guys, you can't call me back.

So.....Friday we got torrential rains here. Inches of rain. What I found out in that rain was that wet leaves are just about as slippery as ice. You guessed it...injury. I was walking a group of kids at school out to their bus and slipped and twisted my knee on a pile of wet leaves on the sidewalk. I didn't fall, thank goodness but twisted my knee. Today is the first day that it feels better. I've walked on the treadmill, but haven't had the nerve to try and run yet. I'm thinking that if it feels like this tomorrow, I'm going to try.

My race is Saturday. I really want to run the whole thing, but I'm afraid that might not be in the cards. I'm 54 years old and these limbs have to last for hopefully many more years. I make myself feel better when I read my friend Mary's blog and see that she has the same affliction as me. Some of us are just fallers and injurers (are those real words?).

So, I'll keep you posted. Hopefully, this will be a week of healing and I'll be running the entire race on Saturday. If not, I can live with walking some or all of the race. My goal is to finish anyway I can, but running is my real goal. We'll see! A few prayers probably wouldn't hurt about now, if you feel so inclined.

You Capture/Autumn

I have had one of the busiest weeks ever. The only time I had to take outside pictures was to take my camera to work yesterday and shoot there. Lucky for me, there was still a little fall color left. It makes me sad that the colors go away so quickly. As beautiful as fall is, I think it should stay around longer than it does. My captures are nothing spectacular, but they are pretty. I'm sure everyone elses are too. Go check them out at Beth's.

Shrink-A-Versary

It's the one year anniversary of the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans!

In true sister fashion, there is a fantastic new challenge to go with it.

Starting today, we are going to begin the shrinking part. This is where I am supposed to tell you my starting weight. I'm just not comfortable throwing that number out there. Maybe one day when I get down to where I want to be, I'll tell you all where I started.

November 9th starts the fitness challenge. I swear that this challenge was made for me. We are lacing up our walking/running shoes and hitting the pavement. I think a lot of my miles will be logged on the treadmill. It's getting to be the time of year here when I leave for work just after it gets light and I get home shortly before it gets dark. I don't like walking by myself in the dark. I'm a big baby. Any outside walking will have to be done on the weekend. Whatever. It doesn't matter where you log the miles, just as long as you do them. I will be logging lots of miles. I really love to walk. It's my thing!

November 1st starts the really fun part of the Shrink-A-Versary. Every day in November is giveaway day at the Sisterhood. Thirty days of prizes! Who could ask for more?

My goal is to lose 15 pounds during this challenge. Lofty goal, but I think I'm ready.

I am ready. Let's get this party started!!

One Year Ago

One year ago on October 28, 2008 our beautiful second little granddaughter was born. I was so taken with our number one granddaughter, I couldn't imagine what it would be like to have two. My imagination never could have conceived the wonderfulness of it all. This little angel was just as perfect as her big sister in every way. One year later, she is the sweetest little thing you'd ever want to meet. She is Miss Personality. She is getting the funniest little sense of humor. She is this close to walking. She'll take up to maybe seven steps and sit down. If you sit her down in the middle of the room, she'll stand up without holding on to anything. I find that amazing. I have four daughters and none of them ever did that. Her big sister did the same thing. What can I say, I have amazing grandkids.

This angel melts her gramma's heart on a daily basis and I couldn't imagine my life without her. She was the perfect addition to our family. I can't wait to go give her presents and hug and kiss on her.

Happy 1st Birthday Sweetie! Gramma loves you more than you will ever know.

Parade of Cans

This is just over 40 pounds of food that I will be donating to the Westchester Food Pantry this morning. I feel really good about this. I like the idea of giving back. I was thinking that this is something I could do all the time. Why not buy an extra something every time I go to the store and at the end of the month, take a box full of food up to the food pantry? I think that sounds like a great idea. Thank you to my girls at the Sisterhood for another great challenge.

As far as this being a weigh in day, I've stayed the same since Saturday. I can live with that.