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yep, 101*.  above zero.  right here in minnesota.  

must.have.water.

I usually don't let Carter run around in his underwear… but while I was walking Zach out to the bus this morning he escaped, and he looked so funny and cute and potty-trained I couldn't help but smile and take a picture.  

(If you haven't heard of captain underpants, wait till your son hits first grade… you will.)

11 weeks… Meg has discovered her feet.  She spent most of today staring at them and wiggling them around and lifting them up.  I spent most of today watching her watch her feet.  Perhaps tomorrow we'll get more done.   🙂

We were a little over-booked on this Saturday… so while Nate ran to a wedding for an old classmate from med school and I got the car packed for our next-day trip to Nauvoo before we ran to pick up the babysitter for his work dinner, I  let the kids play outside with the kind of supervision that cares only for safety – obviously not for order of any kind.  They had the most fun ever!  

This year the kids participated in rochester's kids marathon – where in the month leading up to the race they run 25 miles, and then run the last 1.2 miles in a race downtown.  The 25 miles is the hard part… it was a mile most days after school, and 1.5 some days… they ran in the heat, and the pouring rain… and when I couldn't take them on a long run they'd run 16 laps around our cul-de-sac [boring.]

The last 1.2 miles was the "reward" – and they were so excited for race day!

before (Nate ran with Emma, and Carter participated in the other 25 miles)

and after… 

hot, tired, and victorious.   It took a lot of work and dedication to get to this point!  They ended up in great shape, and both ran the whole 1.2 miles.  We are so proud of our runners! 

We are trying our hand at gardening this year… a real garden, thanks to the "community garden" in our neighborhood.    We planted for FHE and went out for ice cream tonight.  The kids have been pretty excited… maybe we made it sound TOO fun, because Emma said at bedtime, "The garden wasn't as fun as I thought it would be.  It was pretty fun… but not that fun."  Wish us luck.  

The "before" picture of the rainiest transportation fair ever.  It was manageable (and even enjoyable) with the umbrellas until we headed back for the car… and I can honestly say that I have never walked that far in rain that hard and gotten that wet EVER.  We were SOAKED.  And laughing like crazy.  I kept thinking to myself that the kids never would have remembered a Saturday morning playing inside while it rained… but they will certainly remember this.

Emma and Carter invited me to a "General Conference" in Carter's room this morning.  Carter (as Pres. Monson) spoke first about being kind and nice.  Emma (as Sis. Beck) followed with the talk she will be giving in primary this Sunday about the scriptures.  I had to leave for a moment, at which point I overheard Carter get up on the stand (the bathroom stool) and announce that his next talk would be about monsters.  And as I type this, the musical number being performed is "Take me out to the ball game!"   The one commonality is that after I spoke in sacrament meeting last week Nate asked Carter what mom's talk was about, and he replied, "Monsters!"   "General Conference" is more authentic when Zach is home… but this is definitely entertaining.

Can't  believe time is going by so fast with this sweet baby.  I tried to catch her sleeping with both arms up behind her head, but woke her up and she readjusted… maybe next time.   

Emma was so happy.  And it was actually warm enough that everyone joined in!  

Carrying the Olympic flag…

The event…

And the spectator… (when she gets bigger she'll realize it's exciting.)