Rodeo Run 10K

Most of you who read this blog are on facebook, so you already know that yesterday Nick & I ran in our first 10K. It was the 25th annual Rodeo Run & included both a competitive 10K & a 5K fun run/walk. There were 15,000 people signed up with 6385 of them running the 10K. So it was our biggest run to date!

before

Keith went with us, but he ran in the 5K

after

I wasn't nervous beforehand because I wasn't expecting to do very well for 2 reasons:

1. because it was my first 10K &

2. because there were so many people participating.

But I was pleasantly surprised when the results were posted online.

I finished in 48 minutes & 23 seconds with a pace of 7.47.

And Nick finished in 51 minutes & 55 seconds with a pace of 8.21.

Nick & I both did AWESOME! I am very proud of us.

It's funny, because I hate to run on a everyday basis, but when I'm running competitively, it's a whole different situation. I just find my groove & go!

So what's next our next goal, maybe a half marathon???

MAYBE.

(I'm not committing to that just yet, lol!)

Playgroup at the Park

Today I took Alex to the park for our playgroup.

Here are a few pictures...

(He has his "baba & juice" in just about every picture. He would not put them down today!)

Alex was pretending that the airplane springy toy (you can see part of it in the background of this picture) was broken & that he needed to fix it. So he found some sticks & pretended that they were tools. This stick is his hammer. He also found a stick screwdriver & saw. Then he told me to come help him fix the airplane. Once we fixed the airplane, he told me to ride in the back & be the passenger & he rode in the front & was the pilot. And he said "Are you ready for take off Passenger Mommy?" Lol, he has such an imagination!

Fixing the tunnel with his stick hammer

Love this picture!!!

Painted Hearts

After making the painted Santas at Christmas time, I still had a lot of rolled canvas left over. So I decided to make a heart for my front door for Valentine's Day. Here's how I made it...

Supplies:

rolled canvas

red paint

black paint pen

1 piece of posterboard

letter stencil

hot glue gun & glue

ribbon

1. I drew a heart on a piece of posterboard. Then I cut it out & used it as a template. I then traced the template onto the canvas 2 times, one for the front & one for the back. Then I painted the hearts red.

2. After the red paint was dry, I stenciled The Stricklands on one of the hearts with a black paint pen.

3. When the black paint was dry, I cut both the hearts out. I put them together with the unpainted sides touching. I hotglued around the edges, stuffing with polyfil while gluing.

4. Once the heart was completely stuffed & glued together, I used a hole punch & cut a hole in the top of the heart.

5. Then I cut a piece of Valentine's ribbon & strung it through the hole. I tied a bow in the top & used that to hang the heart.

I thought it turned out really cute, so I made one for my mom & for my sisters and one for each of Addy's teachers for Valentine's Day.

Happy Heart Day!

This post is a obviously a few days late since Valentine's Day was on Tuesday. But oh well, better late than never, right!

Valentine's is not a BIG day at our house, but we do still celebrate. I like to put a few decorations out & of course I get a little something for the kids & for Nick. 

Alex LOVES cammy (as he calls it) so he got lots of candy for Valentine's Day.

I got Addy a stuffed pink unicorn.

And Maryse some pink furry boots.

I got Nick a big bag of candy & he brought me to get a manicure & pedicure. Don't my toes look pretty!

Addy had her school Valentine's party that afternoon. The kids made ice cream sundaes & played Valentine's bingo. Addy didn't want to play, but she did sit by me while I led the bingo game. She looked so cute in her new Valentine's dress, but refused to look at me for a picture.

And for dinner, Nick & I went to Churrascos. It was the first time for us to eat there & it was yummy!

On Wednesday, I hosted our play group Valentine's party.  The kids decorated bags to put their Valentine's cards in & then decorated & ate cookies.

Alex decorating his bag

Carson & his mommy Celeste decorating his bag

Clay painting

Alex apparently felt the need to paint his hand!

Liam

Cookie decorating time...

Maddi

That's a lot of sprinkels, son!

Cheese!

The kiddos exchanging Valentines.

So all in all, Valentine's was a good day for us. But now we are overflowing with candy, which is not great for my diet! (Because I LOVE cammy, just like Alex does!) And as soon as all this candy is gone (which means we've eaten it, definitely not throw it away) Easter will be here & that means lots more candy!!!

Valentine's Day Crafts (Pinterest Style)

Butterfly Valentine's Cards

Addy needed to bring cards to school for her Valentine's Day party. I found several cute ideas on Pinterest and these are the ones that Addy liked the best. The link has a downloadable template, but I decided not to use it. This picture was my inspiration, but I changed the butterfly up a bit.

So here's how I made them...

I started by making a heart shaped butterfly template. I traced it onto 20 pieces of cardstock & then cut them out. Then Addy & I took heart shaped stickers & decorated the butterfly wings.

Next I printed "Happy Valentine's Day!" & "from Addy S." onto copy paper. I cut them out to look like hearts & glued them to the bottom of the butterfly wings.

I hotglued googly eyes to the lollipop like the Pinterest one suggested, but I also made antennae out of white pipecleaners.

And here they are! I think they turned out really cute!

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Valentine's Day Bag

 

Addy's teacher had sent a note home that she wanted the students' Valentine's bags made out of gift bags. So when I saw this owl bag on Pinterest, I just had to make it for her. It's a kit that you can order from Oriental Trading, so there weren't directions on how to make it. Not a big deal though, it was really easy to make.

Here's how I made it...

I had bought white gift bags before I found this picture. So I painted the bag with brown watercolor paint. I used my cricut to cut the circles for the eyes, the triangles for the ears, & the hearts for the nose & the feet. Then I drew the wings & the ruffles & cut them out. And then I just hotglued it all together. I think it turned out so cute! 

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Chocolate Candy Pop Top Cans

Yes, that's right, another Pinterest find! These were one of the very first things that I pinned on Pinterest. I think they are so cute & a really clever idea. I've been wanting to make them & so I finally did for Addy's teachers for Valentine's Day.

Here's how I made them...

I basically followed the directions off another blog. Click here  to see them. The link has downloadable labels but I made my own because I wanted Addy's teachers to know what kind of candy was in each can. Each of her teachers got 4 cans: one filled with Reese's cups, one with Hershey Kisses, one with Hershey Miniatures, & one with Hershey Nuggets. I think they turned out really cute & her teachers absolutley loved them!

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As you can see, I love Pinterest! I get so many great ideas off of it. If you're not already on Pinterst, you really should join. Come on over & follow me!

Addy's School Pictures

Here are Addy's Spring 2012 school pictures.

Let's be honest... they're not great. They're not bad, but they're also not great. (I can say this because 1. I am her mom & 2. because I am the most unphotogenic person in the world so I know about not taking a great picture & 3. because she's taken some really great pictures before) (The first one is pretty cute though!) But that's ok! I'm so happy with the fact that they were actually able to get Addy to sit down, pose, look at the camera & say cheese. That's a BIG BIG BIG improvement & I am SO SO SO proud of her!

P.S. If you want a copy of one of them, let me know which one & what size & I'll get it for you.

Happy Birthday Nick

Happy Birthday Nick!

Nick, you are such an amazing man. You work so hard to take care of our family & I hope you know how much I appreciate it. You are a great husband & a great father. You are the kindest person I know & I just love you so much!

Nick went to get a birthday massage & while he was gone Addy & Maryse helped me make him a cake.

I stashed the cake away until after dinner when we had a little family birthday party.

Nick's birthday cake

Singing Happy Birthday to Daddy

blowing out the candles

Nick opening his present

Alex had been waiting for hours to eat some birthday cake. When I asked him what he wanted for dinner, he said "birthday cake!" So when he finally got to eat it, he was SO happy! He loved it! Cake with candy all over it, what could be better?  

It was so yummy that even Addy ate 2 pieces.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICK!

I HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT DAY!