Run the race before your stuff your face! Turkey Trot 2014

Thanksgiving Day 2014: Dana Point Turkey Trot. Run the race before you stuff your face! 
We woke up bright and early this morning to make it down to Dana Point for the 5K Turkey Trot. All the roads by the beach were shut down, so we took a shuttle from Dana Hills High School to the race. As per usual, Samantha and Amelia found plenty of things to do while we were waiting for the bus. 
Despite their love for the song, the “Wheels on the Bus” S and A had no love for the actual bus once we got on it. It was hot, the seats were narrow and Samantha had to poop. Sorry about that, everybody!
Strapped in and ready to roll. With the billions of people swarming around dressed in Pilgrim costumes and turkey hats, the girls were pretty confused.
Yes, we wore those headbands the entire time. 
Let the race begin!

Strollers had to be near the back of the pack, so we basically ran with all the other strollers/slow people/people walking. Double strollers unite! Jake and I kept trying to pass people who were moving at a slower pace, but it was pretty hard to navigate– there were over 10,000 people running the race today.

A much better view than my normal running course of pitch black and tail lights. 
Kudos to Jake for running almost the entire thing with the double stroller. I used to go running with the girls in the stroller before it got hot this summer, and I can attest that the extra 100 pounds really makes a difference.  

 Super glad we decided not to do the 10K with the double stroller. 

Right around mile 2.5, Amelia fell asleep and Samantha announced she was done with the whole thing.

Photo finish!
Yes, that is a stroller-turned-Viking ship behind me…so awesome. I definitely wasn’t envious of the mom and dad, who were both sporting Viking attire and wigs/beards. It was 80 degrees outside and HOT.  

So happy to be out of our stroller.

Note to self: if we do this again next year, we are staying at the Marriott so we don’t have to walk up the hill or take the shuttle to our car. We were feeling pretty lazy after the race.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Two little turkeys waiting for the shuttle. 

Samantha and Amelia really worked up quite the appetite with all that strolling.

Fastest twins in the 5K!

 Does this mean we can pig out on turkey now? 
Lots of love, 
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#Grateful

Grateful for art projects I don’t have to clean up.

Grateful for two little minds who find fun in the little things.

Grateful for a hard-working Daddy who works crazy hours just so he can spend a little time with his girls in the afternoons.

Grateful for new experiences.

Grateful for twenty tiny fingers and twenty tiny toes.

Grateful for toddler babble when they want to point out something.

Grateful for crazy Pippi Longstocking hair.

Grateful for five minutes (seconds) of peace.

Grateful for wonderful friends and neighbors who let us come and play.
Grateful for acting so grown-up.

Grateful for finger food.

Grateful for growing independence.

Grateful I get to be there for little moments in time.
Grateful for little smiles.

Grateful for wonderment.

Grateful for messes.

Grateful for impromptu dance parties.

Grateful to be a twin mom.

           

 

Grateful for family! Happy Thanksgiving!
Lots of love,
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Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s hard to believe that last time this year I was 5 months pregnant with these two little turkeys and was extremely immobile and uncomfortable…and HUGE! Oh, and did I say HUGE? Last year, I wasn’t able to really travel anywhere, but we did end up going to L.A. to have a nice Thanksgiving with Uncle Johnny, Annie, Aunt Linda and Uncle David. Even the hour drive up there was almost more than I could handle! SHUDDER. All those bumps on the freeway…
This year, we are grateful the twins are here, that everyone’s healthy and that we were able to travel to Utah to see our families. The girls have been extremely cranky this entire week (we are going to the doc tomorrow to rule out ear infection), but, luckily, they tolerated being dressed up for some photos for a few minutes!

Samantha always has to get her glamour pose in. 
Star of the show!

I don’t remember Amelia looking so frightened when Aunt Sarah was actually taking these pictures, but looking through them, she had this face in almost every one!

My family actually already had Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday since my sister and her boyfriend were going to be at his grandparents’ house on Thursday. It was a genius idea to do Thanksgiving early because then we had the rest of the week to eat leftovers and relax!

Finally smiling!

With Thanksgiving at our place already over with, we visited Jake’s sister, Valisa, up in Ogden today and Samantha and Amelia got to meet their cute 2nd(?) cousins, Lane and Jack. Both girls were excited to play with all the new toys and they absolutely loved watching Jack run and jump around. Samantha was crawling after him and giggling the entire time…well, at least until dinner when both girls melted down. We left early, and all I can say is driving for an hour and a half home with two babies screaming intermittently was not how I had envisioned my ideal Thanksgiving.  By the time we walked in the door, the girls were energetic and smiley again, all thanks to Tylenol. Tylenol, I am grateful for you!

Hmmm….what happens when I pull on this and then let go? (Before someone calls CPS on us, we grabbed the bow before Samantha could let go and snap it in Amelia’s face!)

Happy Thanksgiving!
Lots of love, 
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