Fun Weekend! 5K and Family

BEFORE

AFTER
(Notice we are still smiling!) Why am I wearing that huge necklace??!!

I ran a 5K on Saturday at 9am and my goal was 32 minutes since my sister-in-law was landing in the BWI airport at 9:32. Surprisingly enough, I ran it in 27 minutes, so that was very encouraging. Then something shocking happened. I left before the awards ceremony to pick up Ashley, but my friends stayed to check it out. Apparently, I got 2nd in my age division and got a trophy! I am almost embarrassed, but my ultimate goal was to force myself to go out and accomplish something I really want to do. I haven't been that consistent in working out, but I like to run. Crazy, huh? The best part of all was running with some good friends of mine and I loved the comradery and encouragement that I got from them. You girls are the best! Anyone want to join me? I am planning another one. . . :)

Easter Blessings

Chapman Family Easter Posers

We have found that Dylan is happiest when he gets kisses.

Surprisingly enough, Haley took this picture of all of the adults at our Easter Dinner. Good job honney! It's amazing that we can even fit this many people in our little home, but we made it work. Instead of having the traditional Ham, we decided to have Filet Minon due to a great deal that Brandon got on the meat. As always, there was a ton of food. Another Easter Blessing. Notice a few things: Nathan's pants have the evidence of Maleia's spill #3 (bottom left man.) It was a Berry Orange Julius and poor Maleia was just extra clumsy today. Notice: There is a man missing who is gone to Iraq. Our hearts go out to you. Notice: No kids in pic. It's pretty rare to catch a picture without them. We went around and told some of our memorable Easter stories, then we had an Easter lesson that told the true Easter story with plastic eggs filled with a scripture and an item that resembles that scripture. Then, of course, we played other games that were pretty funny.

THE HUNT

This is one of my favorite pics of the Saturday before Easter Sunday at the church Easter Brunch. We brought 12 filled plastic eggs for each child, then they got to run around the church trying to find 12 eggs each. It taught some self-control for most kids (and counting for others), but all in all it was a good time.

Dylan can thank me later for this embarrassing, but oh so cute, chick pic of him in a costume that we bought for $2, but ended up giving it to his girlfriend, Eliza Rasmussen, since it just barely fit him. Big lug. He kept looking up, trying to see and grab the duck bill, and falling backwards. Soooo funny!

Still at church trying to get a picture of all three kiddos together. They were on a huge sugar high. Maleia said that she had "Pink Polka-nots" on.

Half of the masses. (The half with my two kids in it.) Play: Where's Haley and Maleia? There were about 40 kids.

Kiss Me . . . I'm Irish!

Our whole family wore green! Aren't we such geeks? Happy St. Patrick's Day

Top o' the mornin' to ya! I am 1/16th (or so) Irish apparently! I wish I would have known this growing up or I might have worn one of those lame T-shirts or buttons that say "Kiss me I'm Irish." This is a new discovery thanks to genealogy. I think it will always be genealogy to me instead of family history. I think they changed that Primary song to Family History since no one can say or spell genealogy. --I even had to use spell check on it. hmmm. Anyone know? Anyway, we had a great day filled with GREEN STUFF to celebrate.

It was also my preschool party AND car day when everyone got to make and bring their own cars to school today. They were so adorable and kept me laughing all day long. Then we had our St. Patrick's Party where we ate everything green, played "Hide the Shamrock," read books, made a green shamrock with sequence, decorated shamrock cookies, etc. The kids were definitely worn out at the end. Not to mention I have a huge headache! But it was dang fun!

It was a 5 car pileup! Anyway. Happy Car Day & Happy St. Patrick's Day, too!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

No not Chrstmas . . . MARCH MADNESS!! :) jk


Duke. (sigh) I have been a life long fan of this basketball team. I really don't know how or when this started, but I think it had something to do with watching a game and having a crush on WoJo in 1997. Featured here: He then became Duke's Assistant coach.

And I was also a huge fan of Jayson Williams in 1998, who started as a freshman, graduated in 3 years from Duke, then played in the NBA for the Bulls. (He was the #2 Draft pick in the NBA in 2002 even. Just behind Yao Ming! The #3 pick was also a Duke player. Dunleavy? I think.) Anyway, the love affair with the team continued and now it is March Madness again (NCAA tourney) and they are a #2 seed and I will have them winning it all in my bracket, again. It was rather sad to see them loose their first game in the tourney last year to VCU, but it was a REALLY good game against an under ranked team. VCU ended up only loosing 4 games all season and Duke had a super young team. They still do. There are no seniors this year, so hopefully even if they don't win this year, they will pony up next year and get the job done. They have made the tournament every year since 1996, so they are a consistently good team and have always been in the top half in the country, but I know they can win it this year. Go Blue Devils!

"People want to be on a team. They want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They want to be in a situation where they feel that they are doing something for the greater good." Coach K (Duke's coach)

The BIG 2-0!

Look how looong this fella is! (Nice high waters, too. His mom should put him in 12 month clothes already instead of 9 month ones. geez.)

He is totally amused. Funny mom. Reeeal funny.

Theeeere's my sweet Dylan smile! :) Is that a little faux-hawk I see growing?

So no one is turning 20 years old, actually Dylan just turned 6 months old and is 20 lbs!!! TWENTY! I went in to see the doctor and Dylan is the size of a normal 1 year old already. He told me to check my car seat to make sure that it is built for his size. Come to find out the car seat is built for up to a 22 pounder. I only have 2 pounds left until he needs a bigger car seat. Holy Cow!

Another milestone is that Dylan now sleeps for 11 hours straight! (For the past three nights.) We put him to bed at 8pm-ish and he doesn't wake up to eat until 7am-ish. It has been an adjustment on breastfeeding because I wake up in a little bit of pain, but very rested, so I can't complain too much. He eats solids twice a day, so we think that has helped, but I read that he could be just going through a growth spurt... bigger?

He is still on a killer schedule. He naps two hours in the morning, right when I teach preschool and Haley is at Pre-K, then two hours in the afternoon, while Maleia is napping, too. Then he's up when Maleia gets up and goes to bed with the girls go to bed. Right on! What a champ. You would think I would get more done, but well, let's be honest, not so much. :)

Honoring Friends #1 - Erin Witters

There isn't a rhyme or reason to the number, just know that there will be more to come because all today I was thinking how blessed I am to have so many AMAZING friends. (Yes, you are all amazing.) And though I LOVE blogging about my family, this blog will someday become a book and I want all the people that inspire, love, help, and tolerate me to be apart of that history. And since today I went to a baby blessing and dear, sweet Erin got all sentimental on us about having stellar friends, I decided that I wanted to highlight those who have touched my life in big ways.

And since today my inspiration to do this came from that dear friend, Erin, that I gained when she married my friend from High School (Joe Witters), I decided that is where I am going to start.

Erin Witters - I really don't know the first time I met her, but I do remember one of the first conversations I had with her. I think it might have been at her wedding, but I'm not really sure. (What a good friend I am for remembering.) She was just happy to meet the people that made Joe who he is and thanked me (yes THANKED me) for being a good friend to Joe and was so excited to get to know me. Bam! Instant friends. By the end of the conversation we were already good friends and we even hugged goodbye. And then today as we celebrate the blessing of their little baby Joseph I am so grateful that they moved nearby and that we were able to become even better friends. Our talks on the phone are so involved and it seems I can talk with her forever. It just seems like we have to stop in the middle of a good conversation and then when we see each other again, we start where we left off. She is one that makes you feel all warm and cozy inside after talking to her. She is also one of those people that can't stop smiling and laughing. What a girl! Joey, you chose wisely!

Erin, P.S. =Thanks for letting my kids each "mark their territory" at your house today. :)

This picture was taken at Dylan's baby blessing and so she was pregnant with little Joseph in this picture. Doesn't she look radiant?


P.P.S -This is the first time I used my Adobe Photoshop starter's addition to crop and post a picture. Yee haw!