Happy Anniversary!

Well I have let the blog fall by the wayside for a while. But I am getting back to it today with a terrific theme--Happy 15th Anniversary! It's been 15 years today since I began living the best years of my life with the love of my life. :)

And in honor of our special day, I've rounded up some favorite photos, including our engagement photo and wedding photo, set to "our song." I love you sweetie!

My First Manicure

For Trevian's birthday one thing she really wanted was to get a manicure. She's been asking for months for a manicure and we decided birthday month was the perfect time to do it. So off we went...two gals off to get their first manicures! Yes, you read that right. I also had NEVER had a manicure. Trevian was quite amused at the fact that her "old" mom had never had a manicure.

I'm pretty sure the woman doing my manicure thought I was a complete idiot--I certainly wasn't in the "know" of how things were done. But she tolerated me while everyone else gathered around the cutie next to me who was eating up all the attention and pampering. Of course, once she saw the pedicure chairs with foot bath and massage, she was pretty sure she needed an upgrade. Sorry sweetie...maybe next year!


The finished result! I'd picked out a nice "Wow!" color for myself, but my friend suggested trying a french manicure. Once I was done Trevian looked at me like "what a waste Mom!" Trev spent the rest of the day admiring her fingers, complete with flowers and sparkly gems on her thumbs. I'm certain she is a diva at heart and would be happy to go for weekly manicures. Me, on the other hand??? I'm thinking I was blessed with pretty great nails of my own--I'm sticking with what I've got. However, I'd probably be on board with the pedicure for next year's birthday month. :)

It's Birthday Month Time!

Well I have been a complete slacker on the blog lately. And I'm planning to turn over a new leaf--it is fall afterall! And the biggest birthday month of the year has arrived at the Leonard house! NOVEMBER!!!

Just a quick recap of birthday month (so you all can be jealous that you don't celebrate birthday month at your house)...birthday month was born when Doug and I first got married. When March 1st 1996 rolled around, I proudly announced to Doug "Today is the first day of my birthday month!" Being a smart husband, he looked at me and said "and what does that mean exactly?" I promptly replied "it means you should do something nice for me EVERY DAY this month until my birthday!" And HE DID! I promised to return the favor in November...and I DID! Thus, birthday month was born and it stuck. So, the month of your birthday, the rest of the family does something nice for you every day through your birthday (everyone in our family has birthdays in the last half of the month so it works out nicely).

Well, fast forward to today and 3 kids later and we now enjoy birthday month in March, July, December, and our double-dose month of November. Doug was lucky enough to get the best birthday present ever--a daughter! And we are off to a smashing beginning this November! Only some of the days are actual gifts, many days are nice gestures and kind words. Though yesterday Trevian did receive a small lip gloss from the dollar store for her birthday month. She told me "this is the BEST birthday month present ever!" It may be hard to top...but I did agree that sometime this month she and I would go for our first-ever mom/daughter manicures. That may be better than a lip gloss.

The Wildwood Trail Run

This year I spent my Labor Day morning at the Wildwood Trail Run 10K. I had not planned at all to run this race...at least not until Sunday evening when my running buddy Maria announced to me that she was going to run it. Now mind you...typically I just say "hey great--good luck to you!" when a friend tells me they are running a race the very next day. But this was Maria...

• Maria who got me back into running to begin with 3 years ago...
• Maria who convinced me to train for and run my first marathon last year...
• Maria who FRACTURED HER FEMUR while training for that marathon and thus left me running the marathon alone last fall...
• Maria who has had 2 surgeries and 3 giant screws put into her femur (the last surgery being a mere 12 weeks ago)...
• Maria who was going to go run her first run of any sort in the last 13 months...

And I was not about to go and let her do it WITHOUT me!

(Maria and I before starting the race...Maria on the left and I'm guessing if you are reading this blog you know which one I am)

So off we went to the Wildwood Trail Run, Labor Day 2009. Our first run together in 13 months and wouldn't you know it...that chick ran the WHOLE DOGGONE THING! In fact, had it not been a single-file wooded trail that kept her stuck behind me (I was playing the role of "pacer" to keep her from running too fast) she probably would have run it faster than she did!

So, hats off to Maria in her return to running! That darn girl has already got me signing up for my next marathon...June 2010!

Home Alone

My children's eyes rolled to the backs of their heads as I sang one of the little songs my mom taught me as a kid (with a few words edited to my benefit)...

Today is a wonderful day!
For you are going away!
Not to the circus, not to the pool...
Can't you guess you are going to school!

Okay, don't get me wrong...I love my kiddos! Very much so! And we've had a wonderful summer:

• Great vacations (Sunriver, trips to Idaho, out to the beach, Terry to Europe, etc)
• Zach's fantastic baseball season
  
• Swimming at some different pools
• Enjoying the new trampoline Doug the pediatrician convinced me to finally put up
  
• Playing in the neighborhood--my water bill has covered enough sprinkler parties to keep all neighborhood kids soaked for the past 2 months and my food bill has provided enough popsicles to keep the same set of kids wired for those same two months

(Trevian, Zach and Trevian posing for the traditional first day of school photo--each holding up the number of fingers for what grade they are in. Yes--Zach really is 3 grades ahead of Trevian!)

But alas, it is time for school to start again. My oldest started middle school today and my youngest started first grade. So today I am HOME ALONE! ALL DAY! Trevian told me last night she knows how sad I will be to eat lunch alone today and how lonely I will be without her home with me. She was so excited though to get to have lunch at school and have TWO recesses instead of just one (like in kindergarten).

Zach is now the "responsible" Leonard family member at Cooper Mountain Elementary. He's our 4th grader this year! It's his job to lead the way to and from school each day (we live next door to the school so walking takes about 90 seconds). But nonetheless, he is to look out for Trevian and get her safely there and back each day. But he's ready to rise to the challenge! :)

And Terry is thrilled to be in Red Hall at Highland Park...at least probably until after school today when he gets home and has homework to do. Oh, and the return of the school-year video game playing time rules will be a rude awakening for all of them.

So summer is officially over...there's actually that fall "nip" in the air on a beautiful day...the kids are all excited about their new experiences at school...and my house has stayed clean for more than 20 minutes...Today IS a wonderful day! :)