Home At Last

So, as many of you know this past weekend was my 39.3 mile, 2 day Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.  The last 7 months of fundraising and training all come to a peak in one weekend.  I just completed my 3rd year, and I tell you, it never gets old.  There's a new friend to walk with every step.  There's a new story to laugh at or cry at.  There's a moment of exhaustion and suddenly in the same breath a moment of inspiration.  I had many of those moments, and as I look at the photographs that I took, and that were taken of me and posted on Facebook, I can think back to exactly what mile it was.  I can think back to whom I was walking with.  I may not know my own name sometimes, but I love what these walks have done for me.  The exhaustion and the tired achy (and sometimes blistery) feet are completely and totally worth it.

Everything about the weekend was perfect.  The weather.  The crowds cheering us on.  The food and snacks.  Even the grape Gatorade.  The hot shower.  0 blisters.  The sunrise on Sunday morning.  But you know what my favorite part about the walk weekend was?

Walking from mile 38 to mile 39 and seeing Jeremy, my Mom and these little sweethearts at the very end.

(I will have more photos and more stories to post about soon!)

Picnics and Library

Yesterday, the weather was absolutely perfect for a trip to our local library...

Sarah Really Enjoys Playing With The Computers While I'm Choosing Books

Our Coin-Stars

The Madore-ables have found a new fascination:

Coins.

They get so excited about pennies. I tried to hand Sam a dime the other day, and she was not interested. She wanted the nickel instead. When I asked her why, she said, "Because the nickel is bigger than the dime".

Sarah just likes the sound of the "clink" as the coins are put in her piggy bank.

When we're out for walks, I have the girls look down at the ground for coins. Last week, we went for a walk, and every few steps we found a penny. Then a dime. Luckily, the girls each found 2 coins each.

Sarah was not concerned that she just found 2 pennies. She was perfectly content.

I suppose I should be grateful...soon enough, the Madore-ables are not going to be interested in coins anymore. They're going to be interested more in the green stuff.

Yikes.

Five Things Friday

Five Things That Made Me Smile This Week:

1. I had a great week for training. I woke up each morning this week nice and early to make sure I got my Wii jog in. I even got an extra 30 minutes on the treadmill at my Mom's house on Wednesday. Mother Nature is apparently in a good mood this weekend and next week because we're due to have a heat wave...a whopping 40 degrees! I'm dying to get out and do some pavement training.
2. I love listening to my Madore-ables counting in Spanish. The fact that BOTH the girls do it is amazing. Jeremy and I have 2 baby geniuses...and the fact that I am 50% responsible for that blows my mind. I have never been so proud of anything in my life.
3. My brother in law Isaac bought Sarah a gift card for clothing at Carter's for Sarah's birthday. I completely forgot about it. My Mom came across a 20% off coupon that she gave me. So I did some shopping for Miss Sarah for some Spring and Summer clothes. I bought $50.00 worth of clothing and only had to pay $10.00 for it. I LOVE GIFT CARDS!
4. My glasses are in! It's been quite awhile since I've had a new pair of glasses. I'm very excited to just put them on and not have to worry about them falling apart in my hands.
5. Since Sarah came home from the hospital after she had her surgery at 1 month old, she's been on a infant dose of Prevacid. In the past, we've tried one or two nights without any medicine and Sarah has woken up around 1 am. Well, I'm happy to announce that Jeremy and I haven't given Sarah her meds in the last 3 nights, and she's slept through the night. She hasn't woken up once!!!

Every Step Becomes Closer To A Cure

If you couldn't tell by now, I love walking. It's my new found way of decompressing, destressing and best of all, my new found way of thinking with a clear head. My best ideas pop into my head with each step I take and with each song that plays on my iPod. It's fantastic.

As some of you know, I discovered the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer this past February. It was an absolute amazing, uplifting experience and I can't wait for it to happen next May. My best friend Rachael also introduced me to another cause to walk for: The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Yesterday, my Mom and I headed up to Concord, New Hampshire at the New Hampshire Technical Institute to tackle a 5K (3 mile) walk. It was the most perfect day for it. It's amazing to see the swarms of people who come together to make something like this happen. There's the obvious participants and those who we are helping out. There are those who stand on the sidelines and don't get the recognition they deserve (such as the sponsors who donated lots of yummy breakfast goodies, or those who donated the juices for the kids and the beverages). It's just fantastic to see a group of people work together to make something happen.

It was a fun, fantastic day overall. Good company, good friends, good food, all for a good cause. Collectively, we raised over $23,000 so to be part of something like that is just awesome!

Here are some of my favorite photos from yesterday:

Molly & Mom

Rachael, Mom & Lindsey

Five Things Friday

5 Things That Have Made Me Smile In the Last Week

1. This past week I've made an effort to start my training a little early for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer (AWBC) next May 14th & 15th. I do this by waking up a few minutes before the sun rises, eating a banana and head out the door with my iPod. There's something about walking on the sidewalk before the world wakes up. Sure, I get a lot of strange looks from the high school kids while they're waiting for the school bus as if to say, "Why are you up so early?" I'm a woman on a mission people. I can't afford to donate money to causes, but I have 2 legs that can walk. And if I can walk, then I'm already part of the solution. I'm walking up to almost 5 miles now, which feels great! (To keep track of my AWBC training, FUNdraisers and other information, just click here).


2. I belong to FreeCycle which is the most amazing invention ever. For those of you who aren't aware or familiar of what FreeCycle is, it's a non-profit organization that promotes recycling and keeping reusable goods out of landfills. There's a saying: "One person's trash is another's treasure". Well, that certainly applies here. How does this work you ask? Well, you have to sign up via email at FreeCycle.org. You post items that you want to get rid of (baby clothing that your child has outgrown, broken laptops, coupons that you know you won't use, those few coffee cups that don't match anything that are in your cabinets, etc). Well, I responded to an email that a woman posted in the next town over from me. She said that she had "some clothing"that was in "good" condition that would be the perfect size for Sarah for this Winter, and next. So, I was the first to respond, so she gave me first dibs on the clothing. After she gave me the address for pickup, she then announced that she had some more items that I might be able to use: some toddler size shoes for boys (which would be perfect for my nephews in Maine) and some underpants for Samantha. So, I drive to the place of pickup and there sitting on the front porch of the house is a HUGE trash bag FULL of baby clothes all in AMAZING and next to excellent condition plus a HUGE plastic bag full of shoes. ALL FOR FREE! I love scoring good deals on FreeCycle.


3. Speaking of my nephews, my Madore-ables received some very cute cards in the mail this week from their cousins. Inside there were very cute messages and pictures, plus stickers. The Madore-ables like love stickers, so that just totally made their night. (And mine too). Thank you Damian & Malachi :)


4. Boston is experiencing an early Autumn these last few weeks. Temperatures have been in the 60's and 70's. Sun has been shining and the wind has been blowing. The leaves are starting to change, kids are back to school, new Fall t.v shows are about to start, and I've been tempted to put the heat on first thing in the morning. I love love love this time of year. I baked my first apple crisp earlier in the week. Just less than 1 week until the start of Autumn! YAY!


5. I just found out this morning that I have a job! Well, a part time job. More like 4 hours a week. Either way, it gets me out of the house, a few extra dollars in the savings account and some time with adults. I start next Thursday. Thank you to Alan. I'm excited about the new opportunity. A big thank you to my Mom too for watching the girls for a few hours while I'm working :)