Family Fun Fitness 5K

That's a mouthful, isn't it?!  : )

We competed in another 5k this weekend.  It was my second.  This is the same race that Wesley and Eli ran last year!

My mom and I before the race.

On our last 5k I did a lot of walking and completed it in 42 minutes.  My goal this time was to finish in under 40 minutes.  I did it in 40:09 (don't hate on my slow time...I was faster than everyone at home in the bed this cold morning!).  I had a hard time.  I think it was a combination of not "training" well (or at all if I'm being honest) this time and not much sleep this week.

My mom rocked this 5k!  She stayed with me and kept me motivated.  I kept telling her to go on, but she didn't leave me behind.  Thanks Mom!

Usually this race is a pretty big turn out.  It's one that our school system sponsors, and then they have a free fall festival on the track afterwards.  This year it was a terrible turn out.  21 runners - I finished 20/21 and barely at that!  I definitely cut the lady behind me off coming around the last corner just so I wouldn't finish dead last, terrible, I know.

The funny thing is - I placed!  I laughed when I found out.  I was the only female in the 20-29 age division.  Wesley, Mom, and Dad all placed first in their age divisions too!  Wesley finished 4th overall.

Wesley and I with several of our friends/coworkers!  Everyone placed!

The Pettys and Taffs!  Little man was so ready to get down and play!

Last year Wesley wanted to take my sweet baby down the blow ups and I told him no, maybe next year.  So this year he did!  Eli LOVED it!  He laughed the whole way down!

About the third time he got brave and went down on his own.  Don't worry, I caught him at the bottom!  : )  He definitely caught some air!  He looks terrified in this picture, but was squealed the whole way.

Eli then talked Mommy into going down too!

Ok, Dad, let's go again!

Nana and Eli

Puddin' and Eli on the swings.

We had a great morning!  Next 5k I'm definitely getting under 40 minutes.  We're hoping to do one more race before the end of the year, probably the Reindeer Run or Jingle All the Way.

The Pumpkin Patch

The day after the Auburn game, Eli and little cuz went to the pumpkin patch in Fortson, Georgia!

You would have expected this to be a very autumnal event, but it was 89 that day-no lie.  We were SWEATING and glad the babies were too young to want to do anything other than pose for a few photo ops (in fact, we went for yogurt after leaving the pumpkin patch).

Little cuz and her parents

(In hindsight, I see my little man's ears were bothering him, but I didn't even let that cross my mind because we had tubes!)

My date for the day (his Daddy had to take some kiddos to Dothan for the day on a Punt, Pass, Kick field trip...yep, on a Sunday).

Puddin' helped Eli and Maddie pick out the perfect pumpkins!

It's Great to be an Auburn Tiger!

Even if we get creamed by LSU, it's still great to be an Auburn Tiger!

I've got so much to catch up on.  Last weekend we had a great time tailgating and watching our Tigers beat the Florida Gators.

Puddin', Aunt Caitlin, Uncle Clark, and little cuz (we sure missed you Uncle Z and Nana!), were in town for the week.  We kicked off our week together by tailgating all day on Samford Lawn!

It was Maddie's first trip to Auburn.  Big Cuz had to show her how we tailgate.

We tailgated with Uncle Doug, Aunt Shannon, Blake, Brandon, and Julia too.

Eli and I with Julia-my cousin!

Eli showed Puddin' how he blows Daddy's coaching whistle!

Eli played HARD all day, and only napped about 30 minutes.  He slept TWELVE HOURS STRAIGHT that night!  He must have walked this sidewalk and climbed the steps of Samford Hall 15 or 20 times that day!

(Eli isn't always barefoot, but he likes to pull his shoes and socks off.  That's not a battle I'm always willing to fight if there's no harm in being barefoot!)

What's a tailgate without good food?!

Puddin and Little Cuz!

Probably one of my favorite pictures of us.  I think I will have to get this framed for the Auburn Room!

My sis and I and our kids!  : )

The Burgins

What a good game!  War Eagle!

When we got back to the tailgate Eli was curled up asleep with Julia!  We stuck around for awhile.  You can't be in a hurry to pack up and leave when you're parked at Toomer's Corner after a win!  : )

Can't Catch a Break...

That's what I've felt like lately!  (And, yes, I do realize that these things are nothing compared to what some go through.  If diarrhea and ear infections is as bad as it ever gets, we are more than blessed...well, we are more than blessed anyway, but I digress....)  Anyway, here's a run down of the past few weeks:

*Wesley gets stomach virus, Eli gets stomach virus.

*Eli falls at daycare and gets bad cut on his lip.

*Eli is cutting about six teeth at once, including his top molars, and has BADDDD diarrhea (sorry, I feel like I've used that word an awful lot lately) ... as in 12-15 times a day ... and develops BADDDD diaper rash ... as in bleeding and blistered.  NOT fun!

*My brother ends up spending 3 or 4 days in the hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina, and finally got to go home after 2 surgeries.

*And most recently, Eli gets another ear infection. (Was a naive to think this wouldn't be an issue since we have tubes now?)

I added up what we've spent on copays at the dr, extra diapers, medicines, etc., and WOW!  Probably one of our most expensive Eli months ever.  He's worth all the pennies in the world though!  : )  Needless to say, there hasn't been time to blog, or talk on the phone (sorry friends) lately.  It's been a lot of diaper changing, scrubbing, and rocking a fussy baby (Although my little man is a tough guy.  I'd probably whine more than him if I were in his shoes...or diaper I guess one could say!).

Hopefully I can get caught up this weekend.  We do have a few things to share.  The weekend is almost here, woohoo!!!!

Bumps, Bruises, Boxes, & Uncle Z

Well, last week was a tough week for little man at daycare.  First, he got bit....by a GIRL!  I don't have a picture of it, but it was on his left cheek and BIG.  It nearly broke the skin.  Little man doesn't like to share his time in the tunnel.  He held his arm out and wouldn't let the little girl in, and when she tried to push by him he shook his head "no" at her...which is hilarious to Wesley and I; I can totally see him doing this.

Then, the next day I got called out of my classroom just before 8am.  Eli was walking and fell down onto the leg/rocker part of the rocking chair.  He was bleeding and they couldn't get him to calm down. Of course, by the time I got there he was playing again.

His lip was bruised and already swollen, and there was a cut about an inch long on the inside of his mouth.  I ended up taking him and letting our school nurse look at it, she said she would go ahead and take him to the doctor.  Dr. Y's nurse said that there was nothing they could do for it; it would just have to heal on its own.

The joke has been that little man has a "dirty lip" or is trying to go a 'stache.

These were pictures taken after the swelling went down (you can tell in the second picture there's still some swelling).

This month we're doing a month of cooking at home...that's right, no eating out for the Taffs.  We're a third of the way through the month and are pretty proud of ourselves.

We have recently acquired a membership to Sam's Club.  We stock up on things like meat and toilet paper there.  And salad.  You get nearly three times as much salad there as you do at Wal-Mart, and for the same price too.  This weekend we went to Sam's and bought salad and broccoli.  We're wild, we know.  They sent us out with our produce in this box, and Eli has had the best time playing with this box!  He sits in it, puts his toys in it, pushes it around, etc.  Good times!

Wesley has also uploaded several videos to Youtube.  I know no one cares about this except for family.

Eli has learned to blow his Daddy's coaching whistle.  It's hilarious!

And, finally, my brother, who now lives in Wake Forest, NC, ended up having to be transported to the hospital in Raleigh and had surgery tonight.  He had a serious infection that had to be drained, and the doctors aren't real sure what kind it is.  Lab results will be back on Wednesday and he will also have to have another surgery that day.  It's tough being so far away.  My mom is on her way there now, but her flight won't arrive until nearly midnight.  Please pray for Zach-that the antibiotics work, his body begins to heal, that he gets some much needed rest, and that he is not in too much pain.

All Aboard! Party Express!

Last weekend was party time for Eli!

It started with our friend Bence's train birthday party in Opelika.  Bence was turning three.

Eli thought a party in the park was perfect.  He and Brentley had fun bouncing away.

After Bence's birthday ended, we came back home to eat lunch and take naps.

Then we headed to Kherington's birthday.  Kherington is another good friend of Eli; she was turning two.  Last year we went to Kherington's first birthday.  Eli was just a few weeks old, and it was his first social event....

....and now he was running around and playing!  My how time flies.

These two played in the house outside and went down the slide over and over again!

Kherington became a big sister just two weeks ago.  Her Mommy did such a great job throwing a party with a newborn too!

It was a pumpkin party, and despite the look on his face right here, Eli loved painting a pumpkin.  It is currently sitting on his dresser, but I think I may have to move it downstairs so we can all enjoy his handiwork!  : )