First Halfie

Finishing the Oklahoma City Memorial Half was quite an experience. I trained for it last year and didn't get to run because of my knee. I was so intimidated by running 13 miles that I totally freaked out and over trained, so this year I took a new approach.....not training much at all. I did it, but it wasn't pretty. I ran it in 2 hours 20 minutes and my goal was under 2 and a half hours. So, now that it's over....I am missing two toenails, I will have more free time, I can't eat cake after every meal of the day, and I'm already planning the next!!

Looking so lovely at 5:00 am. Very nervous and sooooo ignorant to what I was about to go through.

This pic below was taken somewhere in between mile 8 and 10. Right after this pic, I think I hit my "wall" and seriously thought about jumping in front of oncoming traffic.

Done. Finally. Thank you God for giving me the strength to lift my legs during those last few miles.

My incredible, fun and patient cheerleader! Thank you Josh for the many ice packs for my knee and those encouraging talks on the days when running another mile felt impossible.

Waiting for Julie to cross the finish line. She ran the full 26 miles. She is CRAZY!!!

This here is one kick ass attorney people. If you need someone to file your bankruptcy or represent you in any other legal matter, I highly recommend her. She is a fireball in the courtroom and on the pavement. (corny)

Favorite signs of the day: "Run this bitch!" and "Toenails are for pansies." Favorite water stop: I have no freaking clue, I wasn't paying attention to any of that stuff. All I could think about was finishing. Favorite moment: The 168 seconds of silence for all the victims of the bombing. Pretty moving when there are 34,000 participants. And of course, crossing the finish line. What will I do differently next year? Wear a darker shirt, so you can't see all the sweat seeping all over my body.

Very Big News!!!

These two folks (my sister in law Jaymie, and her husband, Jason) are going to have a baby!!! The baby will be joining us for camping, boating, and fun with the Rasp family on November 8, 2010. We are all very excited!!!

Ski Trip

I am so far behind. I haven't had internet at home for about a month since we've been remodeling and getting a new roof. Here are some pics from our ski trip with the Biggsies. I'll post more of us actually skiing later. Enjoy these cute people!!!

Our chef with his beautiful wife.

Cash is always entertainment for the kids

Amy - Trying to look all southwestern

Colonel is baaaack! (kind of)

Colonel is making some serious progress!!! Josh took him to go check on the cattle with Buttermilk the other night. HUGE for a horse that has survived what he has. Our vet calls him the miracle horse. With lots of care and another small miracle he may be rideable by the end of the summer. It's my birthday wish, that I can ride him for my birthday (August 15th). We'll see. Honestly, I'm just glad that he is still alive and walking. I have grown very attached to this horse. I hate being so close to so many animals. It's hard for a lot of reasons.

Sammy Sammy girl girl. My ten year old.

I'm simply making the announcement that my precious sweet labby that we've had since she was 7 weeks old, turned 10 on March 13th. I'm not making a big deal about this for obvious reasons (other dogs owners, I know you get it). Anyways.....we shared a glass of wine together and later she got a big bowl of frosted mini wheats.

She is the coolest dog ever!!! Love you so much Sammy!!! You have been there through thick and thin. Road trips, moves, dating, marriage, remodels, etc. She is such a trooper and just rolls with us through everything. She has crazy endurance, is a Daddy's girl, loves to swim, can fetch for hours, can tolerate super cold and super hot weather, is kind of bitchy about meeting other girl dogs, can sleep through a tornado, loves her Grandad's, is very demanding about getting breakfast and dinner on time everyday, can sneeze on command (I'm serious and have proof on video), knows all the typical dog commands (sit, roll over, turn around, stay, fetch, lay), she typically does these on her own time though, she has waaay too cool to do them no that she has gotten older. I can't even go into a serious posting about this dog or I will literally be a ball bag for days. She is my best friend. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAM!!!! Thanks for making life so fun for us for the past 10 years. Wow!!!

The Typical Pre-Ski Trip Activity

I grew up on a ranch, so I should be used to all this calfing action and not get too excited about it. Not the case!! Since we have our own little operation, I have taken a new interest. Before we took our niece and nephew skiing in Taos we stopped in Panhandle, Texas to stay with my Dad and Patty. We loaded up and took an ag tour of all the new baby calves. Nothing is cuter than a registered Hereford calf. Just look how precious they are!!!

Of course it's much more exciting to check on the cattle with an elementary student driving the vehicle.

All the calves hang out together just like little kids. They run and play, and chase each other around. The Mom's all gather for coffee and chit chat while they let the kids play. I think here all the new Mom's are planning what they'll be serving for snacks at the next baby shower. Okay, that was dumb.




This calf was JUST born. They can stand up within an hour of being born. This Momma was not happy about us driving up on her new baby!!


So, after welcoming some new calves into the world and surviving Tristan almost flipping the Tahoe while driving....we head west for our skip trip. Pics to come soon!!