Happy Birthday to Margie!

So yesterday it was my good friend Margie's birthday. And of course we could not just have any type of birthday party for her. It needed to be extra special. So we decided to throw her a surprise 80's themed birthday party. This was her first birthday since her husband passed away and we wanted to make sure she had a GREAT day. And it was! It was sooooo fun dressing up and just hanging out. I am so glad the 80's are making a comeback (to an extent) because we all looked TOTALLY AWESOME! My hair has never seen so much hairspray and in fact when I woke up this morning my hair looked just they way it did last night. Here is some pictures of us in all of our AWESOMENESS!

These two girls are the best!!

Margie's parents even made a surprise trip from Cali so they could be there.

And look at this totally awesome Rubik's cube cake

Happy Birthday Margie!!

A Little Bit of Info

Since moving to Arizona I have taken up running. It's been a little bit of a love hate relationship though. It took me a while before I began to experience what is known as the runners high but I finally did. I love the way it makes me feel and I am happy to know that I can still get in good shape at 30:). Now for the hate part......Shin splints! Shin splints have become my worst enemy. A really good friend and I have decided to do the Scottsdale Half Marathon in November. Training for this is no picnic to begin with so having this condition on top of it has been a huge challenge. Not to mention running outside during an Arizona summer is a huge joy in itself let me tell ya :)

Now why I am writing this post is because through this I have learned quite a bit about how to treat them and make it a little easier to deal with and I figured it would be good to share this info in case it could help anyone else. First off, if you are a runner and you develop a shin splint the only way to get rid of it completely is to NOT run on it. Unfortunately at this point that is not an option for me. So how to deal with it you ask? I have asked anybody I can think of whether it be friends in the medical field or trainers at the gym or just anyone that I know that may have a good suggestion for me and this is what I have learned so far.

First off, what causes Shin splints. There are several causes but the ones that I think may have caused mine are: starting too much too fast ( oops! ), improper shoes (make sure you have a good shoe specifically for running), and stride. I have short legs therefore naturally a shorter stride and again this is just something someone told me is that is best to take bigger strides.

1. Heat and ice- what I do is heat it before I run for 20 min and ice it after 3 times a day for 20 min each. Then I alternate heat and ice even on the days I don't run. Wal-mart has a heat/cold pack for $1.97 that has been perfect for this. I have one I keep in the freezer and another I use for heat.

2. Ibuprofen- take this at least 1 hour before your run.

3. Stretch- make sure you stretch your calves and shins really good even on days you don't run. A couple of good ways I have learned to do this is lay on your back with your leg in the air and do the alphabet with your toes. Also alternate walking on your heals and your toes until your shins burn. (That last suggestion came from a podiatrist )

4. Tape your legs- I have not done this yet but this was suggested to me by a couple people. The reason I have not used tape is because I found this baby and and I want to try it first. I haven't had it for a long time but so far I Love It. It's a shin/calf support by McDavid that I found at sports authority for about $12.
And just one last thing, nothing to do with shin splints but just a little tidbit I learned as far as whether or not to eat before runs. I used to not eat anything but then was told to try eating a 1/2 a banana and as much water as I can before I start and I have to tell you it does make a big difference in how I feel and how much energy I have while running. I hope this has been helpful and I will add more things as I learn them. Happy jogging!

A few things...

Here are just some fun pictures that show funny things the kids have done lately...One day I noticed Brinley being a little too quiet and walked in my room to find this. As soon as she saw me she looked at me with a big smile and said "I Daddy". She makes a very cute Jared.

Daddy and his little princess.

Then daddy with the whole crew. Jared has such a sweet closeness to all of the kids and I love that. They all adore him.

One day Brody was laying in our bed doing his reading homework and I walk in to find this........Corbin really likes to have Brody read to him.

And then Brinley joined in.........so cute

If you know Corbin you probably know of his obsession for 'Squishies'. He LOVES them. Now his new favorite thing to so is put them in a cup with water and turn them into a squishy popsicle. I don't know where he comes up with this stuff.

When Brody started school he quickly found out that 2nd grade is serious stuff. He has quite a bit of homework that he has to do every night and it was becoming a struggle for him to do it at the kitchen table with all the noise and the other kids playing. So one night we took a little trip to Wal-mart to remedy the problem. We found a little foldable table and chair, desk lamp and vwaalahh. He loves it and it really helps to have his own somewhat quieter space for homework.

Here Brinley is trying to give Elmo a diaper change. No explanation needed:)

First Day of School

Man how time flies! Summer is over and school is back in session. I have to say I was a little anxious for it to start because the boys were having a little problem called "we are bored so lets fight all day syndrome". As I am sure you all know what I am talking about:) It was a little bittersweet because I was looking forward to having some peace and quiet but on the other hand Corbin started Kindergarten and it is always difficult sending another child off to school. But he handled it like a charm and we knew he would. The boys are loving school and I know it is mostly because they love their teachers. We really lucked out because they both ended up with our top choice of teachers this year. Its going to be a great year!

Walking to the bus stop. Brody was in a big hurry I guess.

Corbin's first time on a bus. He was sooo excited.

Corbin checking out his classroom the day before school. I know I have more pics of Corbin but its because starting Kinder is such a big deal. Sorry Brody.

Corbin with his teacher. He was a little nervous and didn't want to get too close.

Brody with his teacher. His teacher is Awesome. We were so happy to get him. He has such a fun personality with his students and I know Brody is going to have an awesome year because of him.