Impossible!

Pay is leaving tomorrow to go camping with Grandma and Grandpa and the fabulous McBride clan. She's been packed for over a week, and it is all she can think and talk about. All I can think about is how sad I am she is leaving me for three days and wondering how in the WORLD I am going to survive without her?! I mean, who is going to lead the kids in fun games like "Let's make a rock band?"

or house......their all-time favorite!
Or help with the babies at Roaring Springs...

Or chase the kids around the house, making sure they brush their teeth and get dressed for the day.

Or hold, swim with, and take care of the kids at the water park.

Or keep the kids busy with adventures like, lemonade stands.

or simple, fun, made-up games like this?Oh, and I really need to know, who are they going to crawl into bed and snuggle and sleep with?

Boy will I be missing my biggest girl. Who I rely on probably way more than I should. The one I thank the good Lord for sending me....every, single day.

I love ya, Pay.

I hope you know that YOU'RE the glue holding this mama together. I promise to try hard not to miss you too much and somehow get along without you, but I'm quite sure.....

It's going to be impossible!

On the Boat Again...

We just can't wait to get on the boat again.....

And so Bob was up at the crack of dawn mowing the lawn and getting things done so we could spend the entire day at the lake with the kids. He would have been finishing the Spudman tri. in Burley right about now, but he's been gone so much for work that he passed it up. I know that wasn't an easy decision for him, but I am grateful he's here because we missed him last week while he was in Nashville hanging at the Grand Ole' Opry!

So we're off to the lake enjoying our new boat. Our summer....pretty much booked. If you need us, you can find us at the lake. Come on up. We'de LOVE for you to join us!

Hands Down

The best money we ever spent was buying this Wal-Mart special pool. It occupies our days. Literally......

We've had one every summer since Payton was tall enough to touch the bottom, and every summer my kids swim, swim, and swim some more all day long in the pool. Their skin is tan, scaly and dry, but hey, I think they're happy. The proofs in the pics.

I'm telling ya, the best money we ever spent!

Hands Down!

Swim Team

Swim team has been a new adventure for us this summer. Our good friends, the Seversons, did it last summer and talked us into doing it with them. I didn't quite know if I wanted to drag my little one's rears out of bed every day for practice, but amazingly enough, they have been the ones dragging my rear out of bed. I have never once heard a complaint, whine, or a beg and plead to stay in bed and skip practice. That's a small miracle in this household of "love to sleepers!"

So, the first meet was crazy. There were soooo many people. It seemed like complete and utter chaos, and not to mention it lasted almost 5 hours! Avery swam her first race, won, had to swim it again due to a false start, got out of the pool, puked and cried herself to sleep. Hmmm.....I wondered what in the world I had gotten this 5 year old into.

Pay, she swam like a champ. Her form might have been ugly, but she pounded herself quickly through the water and took first in her heat. She was pretty excited,to say the least.

And just like that....week after week, swim team became a new part of our summer. The girls have loved it. They have made new friends, learned new strokes, and even won a few ribbons. It amazes me to see them grow, work so hard, and accomplish big things. I mean, I can't even swim. Sure I could get myself to the other side of the pool, but it would be a lot of dog paddling and swimming on my back. Bob can swim, but it wasn't until 6 months ago when he took lessons for his triathlon, that he knew himself.

So, already at 8 and 5 Pay and Avery are accomplishing much more than their folks, and we are enjoying cheering them to the finish of each and every race. It is good, and I hope they'll stick with swimming. The older I get the more I realize, "Life long sports are the ones to play!"

P.S. Thanks Nate and Emily, Karrie Jo, Beckham, Kalli, Grandpa and Grandma McBride and Jared for coming to their meets. We love you and appreciate your support!

P.S.S A funny sidenote.....just last week Pay's coaches realized that she and Avery were sisters. All this time....they had no idea. They look and act nothing alike! I thought that was pretty funny!

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Red Fish Lake 2009

We had such a fun weekend in Redfish Lake over the fourth. We enjoyed camping with friends, boating, biking and eating lots and lots of delicous food. Our site was right on the lake and the views were spectacular. Avery learned how to ride her bike, so that was quite the accomplishment. All was well, minus a little too much rain for my liking. Thank goodness for the camp trailer. Bob and I might have had one of our biggest arguments ever over purchasing that trailer, but like all his big purchases I drag my feet on making, I end up loving them in the end!

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Rockin' Good Times

Tickets to get into the concert: $45

Drinks and snacks inside: $10
The look on my girl's faces when the Jonas Brother's came out: PRICELESS!

Two things are for sure...

1. The Jonas Brothers Rock!

2. And so does being Payton and Avery's mom!


Love you girls!

Thanks for all the ROCKIN' good times!

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Best Buddies

Cousin Krue came into town sporting a Mohawk.

Every where that Krue went, Owen was sure to go. "Please can I have a Mohawk, just like True?!" (Owen calls him True, since he can't pronounce his k sounds.)
I guess so. Your dad seemed to think it was a splendid idea. Yup, he grabbed the clippers and shaved ya a Mohawk....just like that!
Ya, buddy, I feel the same way. But, I kept me lips a quiet. Because when I asked you why you wanted a Mohawk and tried to con you into shaving that Mohawk good bye, bye, see ya later, adios,
YOU sweetly said.....
"So, me and True can be best buddies, mama."
Now who can say no to that?!

He Inspires Us

The finish is important, but not nearly as the courage to start!

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Get your own

I remember back in October of last year Bob and his friends were toying with the idea of doing the half Ironman here in Boise in June. I didn't think he really would. We had run a few half marathons together at that point, and they were tough enough. He had done a few Olympic triathlons, but nothing of this magnitude.

To my surprise he really signed up, joined a tri-group, took swim lessons, and biked and ran his tail off, for 6, long months. His training was grueling, but along side his buddies, Brent and Sam, he did it. We often talked about the race in June. I was nervous for him. Thinking of the race made my stomach turn. I didn't know how he would do it. After his workouts he still doubted and wondered how he could really finish it too.

Two weekends ago he and his good buddies swam, biked, and ran hard. They accomplished their goals of finishing around 6 hours. Robert and his friend Sam who started in the same heat, even crossed the finish line together. It was remarkable. I can't tell ya how proud I was of Bob at that moment. As he and Sam approached us at the finish, they were smiling and looking spry. Later Bob said they felt like dying, but that didn't matter. They looked great. They did it! They set big goals and worked hard to achieve something they didn't think they could do. That takes courage. I hope his example rubs off on our kids. I know they had so much fun making posters, wearing their shirts, and cheering for their dad, but I also hope his goal setting and desire to achieve big things will be something they will feel they can do someday too, whatever those dreams are.

I wish I had more pics. of Bob on the course. We couldn't get up to the swim due to road closures. I never get a snapshot of him racing on his bike. He blows by so quickly, and when I finally pick him out of the crowd, I am not taking a picture. I am screaming loud, hoot hollering and making a fool of myself. I don't care, as long as he hears me and feels the love! We barely missed him on the run. I was sad about that. I wanted him to see the kids, in their shirts, cheering loud for their dad on his last leg of his big race. But, we did see him at the end, and that's all that matters. We were excited. The kids ran towards him hugging and embracing their Ironman dad and letting him know.........

HE INSPIRES US!

Comin' to getcha!

Kim and I ran 19 miles yesterday.

It might have been slow.

It was definitely painful.

A snake slithered past our feet on the green belt.

And I am not kidding when I say .....a crazy squirrel chased us down.

But, we did it!

So, watch out MARATHON........

We're comin' to getcha!

Already...

Thanks for visiting...

and playing with us all weekend.

We love you guys...

and we're missing you

ALREADY!