New Years fun!

I realize that I haven't blogged about the holidays yet, but I need to gather those pictures together.  Its been busy around here!  We went to the American girl doll store with Maddie and Sabrina and got some new cute outfits and had their hair done.  This was a cute girls day out.  We also went to the Teodoro's for a fun family New Year's party.  We celebrated the new year with Japanese hot pot, noisemakers, and sparklers.  On New Year'd Day, we did the Resolution Run.  I did a 5k with Sabrina, and afterwards the girls did a kid's run, where Ramona had a blast (obviously!).  Hope your New Years was great! 

Ruby's 2nd birthday

Pumpkin patch

Our annual pumpkin patch trip.  Ruby wasn't so sure about walking around the pumpkin patch, she kept tripping on vines.  Ramona went on her first pony ride, she was SO brave.  This is the year of Ramona the Brave!

Chicago Marathon

View out of our condo

Sabrina at mile 3

Sabrina at mile 13.  That sign is rad!

Claire at mile 17

Sabrina at mile 17

Stretching after the race.  Ouch!

Architecture tour

Cute couple on the boat

Eric and Sabrina on the boat.

Walking around the city on hobbled legs.

We finally had our first vacation without the kids!  And I only had to run a marathon to deserve it!  Boy, someone should tell you that marathons are hard.........

The race was amazing though.  There were SO many people there.  Also, so many people were running for spectacular causes, with really inspiring things written on their shirts.  I saw a blind runner, a runner who had lost 150 pounds, runners with cancer, people running for people that they had lost, or who were very sick.  I even saw a group of spectators cheering on their friend who was running for Epilepsy.  I was excited to see them, so I looked at them and gave them a thumbs up and yelled "Epilepsy!".  They looked at me very strangely.

I felt strong until mile 19, when I pretty much started to fall apart.  My legs felt like they were filled with cement, and I felt like I couldn't go on.  But, I did.  Slowly.  I finished in a 4:54, which was almost a half hour slower than I was aiming for.  I'm pretty sure I don't want to run another marathon for a few years.  If ever.  I think the half marathon is the perfect length for me.  At least I got a wonderful vacation out of it!