Boy it's been a long time since I've posted anything here. The girls are getting very big and we are enjoying the lazy days of summer. Keeping the girls just busy enough that they still have time to have lemonade stands and play in the water outside, etc.. Taylor has started doing volunteer work. She is working with the children with disabilities at middle school each day and will start volunteering at Ohio Wildlife that rehabilitates injured wild animals and releases them back into the wild. Her compassion and love for others seems to know no depths. She makes me so proud. All three girls are swimming on the swim team. Jo is taking a break from gymnastics and was itching to go back as soon as we made good on our promise to let her take a break or quit whenever she wanted. I want to let her go back but Jon always seems to be so much more level headed than I and thinks it's important she take the break for the entire time that she insisted on....:) Tahlia is taking care of the 7th grade bunny (Taylor's science class) for the entire summer. She has fallen in love and checks in with me daily to see how she is doing. She hopes to be able to own her own bunny at the end of the summer. There is bunny poop everywhere Tahlia has been and Tahlia is vacumming daily. YUCK!!! Anyway, all is well in Ohio and I am happy to enjoy these days with the girls when their lives are soooo carefree.

Jon's First 26.2 Miles!!!!

Jon has been training to run the Columbus Marathon for months! Today, the big day rolled around bright and early of course. We were all SOOO excited for him! The girls wrote on all the car windows, messages of encouragement when he went to bed so that he could drive the car to the big race in the morning. I put together a playlist for the race and had to throw on the Chariots of Fire theme song for good measure. He left early in the morning and the girls and I got ourselves together and headed downtown to cheer him on..... We caught him at mile 13, barely, hence the picture of the back of him. Taylor spotted him just after he ran by... We went to a coffee shop and then window shopped for a litte while. If anyone comes to visit, we have to take you to the "Short North" in downtown Columbus (really cool shops and restaurants). Anyway, then we walked about a mile away where the course double backs to catch Jon at mile 25. We waited for a little while. They had bands playing at each mile mark... so we waited and listened to music. As we knew Jon was getting closer, we hoped that he turned the corner as the band was playing "Johnny be Good", he didn't but the pace group he had been with passed by and we started getting concerned hoping he wasn't hurt and was doing OK. I explained to the girls how hard it must be by mile 25... Lo and behold we all spotted him and he looked good but definitely pained. Taylor was poised and ready and ran him in the last mile to the finish. We are SOOOOO proud! To add to the whole experience, I have to throw in the picture of the homeless man that insisted Jo take his picture. It's good to get out of suburbia every once in a while! :0)

The BAD haircut!

Ever since college, Jon has been having me cut his hair.  It takes me forever!, at least an hour to get it just right.  Well, lately he just wants it short.  This time I thought I would just buzz it all over maybe 1/4 on the bottom and 1/2 inch on the top and then I would go through the whole thing with the scissors and even it out.  Halfway up his head I realized that might have been a bad idea when I could see a patch of scalp.  I turned the clippers off and couldn't stop laughing. Jon was NOT laughing.  Taylor ran over to inspect and said "Dad, I can see your scalp!"  Well I switched it to a slightly longer attachment and did what I could to salvage it.  I have to say, it's not my best work, and if it was on my head, I would not be a happy camper.  Jon didn't say much but kissed me and said thank you.  Poor Jon!  He did tell me two days later that the guys at work were making comments about his short haircut.  When Jon asked one of them if he liked it, he said NO, I actually don't, I think you got a bad haircut.  It's shorter in some parts and some parts are sticking out.  This is the guy that Jon says reminds him of me with no filter. Thanks honey! :)  I would take a picture of him and post it, but I think he would be on to me and know that it could end up on the blog.

A NEW Cross Country Runner

This is at about the 1 mile mark, Jo was shocked to see that her sister was fast and was ahead of the pack!

Finishing up STRONG!

Taylor has recently started running cross country for her middle school.    Jon and I were ALL for her picking up running but wasn't sure she knew what she was getting herself into... Well...during meets she runs 2 miles for a time and during practice will run as much as 6 or so miles.  She is doing fantastic.  I've told her now she knows why God gave her those long legs. She was meant to run like her dad.  Her cross country girls team is broken into 2 groups for the big invitationals.  The top 7 runners from her team run against the fastest runners from every other school.  Taylor has a large team, so the rest of the girls run in the second race.  Well, Taylor's time puts her in the 8th spot so one of the fastest runners in the second group.  She has run in two invitationals and received two medals!  :)  In the first race she came in 18th, and the second 17th out of 130+runners.  She has definitely been bitten by the running bug and is SOOOO proud.  She runs about 8 minute miles which is too fast for me to comfortably keep up with...... Jon and I love going to her meets and running through the woods and fields to be able to yell encouragement to her as she runs by... It's my new favorite thing.  I hope she keeps it up through High School.

Before and After

Tahlia got her braces off yesterday!!!!!!!  Hoorah!  Her teeth look beautiful but they left the bands on in the back so she still has to wear her headgear but she is SOOOO stoked.  Her teeth look gorgeous.

First Day of School

Wow!!! It was a busy morning!  Taylor and Jordan are off to middle school together.  I talked to each of them separately about giving each other space and being supportive of one another.  They both seemed receptive.  We will see.  Taylor was extra confident and excited about going to school and has tons of friends.  She has definitely tapped into the social aspect of school.  Jo is joining Taylor at school.  For any of you who remember, we switched Taylor into another middle school in the district that was just a MUCH better fit.  We did this mid year for Taylor but was well worth it.  She's doing great and it's a great school.  Anyway, all of Jo's friends that she has made last year were going to the old middle school and so this middle school is like starting all over as far as being "the new girl".  She is willing to do it and is trusting our guidance.  I know she will do well, but will take some time acclimating.  My biggest worry is the lack of sleep she will have while doing gymnastics 5 days a week for 4 hours at a time.  Anyway, she wanted me to drive her to school and help her get situated at her locker.  I just sensed that she needed me and am so glad I went.  She was happy I was there but was OK that I was leaving her too! :)  Meanwhile Tahlia was at home getting ready with her dad who both blow dried AND flat ironed her hair for her.  Check out the pics!  He did a great job.  Tahlia is SOOOOO sad to be going back to her public school.  We were hoping that she would get into St. Brigid's Catholic School over the summer.  We are praying that she will get in mid year and she is hanging on to that hope and prayer.  She is number one on the waiting list so it will just be a matter of time.  She is telling her friends she is just temporarily attending Chapman.  Jon made sure to have a heart to heart with her that there is a possibility that she may not get into St. Brigid this year.  There were no tears from Tahlia for me this morning.  I guess Jon wiped away the tears earlier in the morning while I was gone with Jo.  I'll keep you all informed if she will be putting back on a uniform if and when that happens.  Well I'm off!  There are a million things I should be doing before the girls come home.

Guess who was our mystery guest on our Lakeside Vacation?

Read the next post to find out!