Forrest Spence 5K

The Forrest Spence Fund (one of our favorite charities!) had its annual 5K this past weekend.  We love this race for so many reasons.  One is because it is organized by some of our good friends, Brittany and David Spence.  This sweet family lost their newborn baby boy to complications from Strep B after 55 days at Le Bonheur.  Their sweet boy, Forrest, was born just a month before Eli.  So, this is the fifth year for the race, and we love to support this wonderful cause.  Another reason we love this race is because the Fund it supports provides for the non-medical needs (counseling services, meal vouchers, gas cards, car seats, funeral costs, etc.) for families with critically or chronically ill children.  The Spences are amazing people who have really turned such a tragedy into such a light for so many families struggling during one of life's most difficult trials. The third reason we love it is because it is all about kids!!!!  There are bounce houses, Gibson's Donuts, a 100 yard dash and a one mile fun run!  It is a super family friendly race, and like I said - it's all about the kids!!!!

The Mangusos ran with us this year!  This was so fun!

Look at these cuties!

This is the first year our kids have been serious about the running.  Eli has really gotten into racing!  He even wanted the barefoot running shoes for his tennis shoes this fall!  

100 yard dash!

Even Susanna ran the 100 yard dash!!!!!

Eli decided at the last minute he didn't want to do the one mile fun run.  He's definitely a sprinter! 

We may have to "train" a little more for this! Walk a minute, run a minute for a mile in the park across the street would help.  Don't think Madeline realized how long a mile is!

Here are the Mangusos finishing!

Here comes Madeline!

So fun for such a great cause!

The rain kept some people away the day of, but the race still had 

955 participants and raised just under $37,000!! Woo Hoo!!!!

Eli's Preschool

I cannot believe Eli will be 5 in just under 2 months.  This is his last year before kindergarten, and I am trying to appreciate all of it.  It seems like he was just a baby, and now all of a sudden, he is a big kid.  Today, he started Downtown Elementary's pre-K program.  

He has Mrs. Merritt (who Madeline had also!), and she is wonderful!  

We are so excited that Eli will be able to have this experience.

Since the school is about 3 blocks from Tim's work, Eli will get to ride the bus and the bike with Daddy every Tuesday and Thursday!  They didn't do that today because I wanted to be there on his first day!!! We will have bus/bike riding pictures soon! This is probably the part both Tim and Eli are looking forward to the most!

This is such a beautiful school!

This great mosaic on the floor of the "rotunda!" It depicts all kinds of careers; we love looking at all of them and naming all the different jobs people have.

Two weeks ago, Eli started going one day a week at Miss Alyson's preschool.  So, he will be going to Downtown Tues/Thurs mornings and Miss Alyson's on Fridays.  

Kindergarten will come way too soon and he will be gone 5 days - I just can't think about that yet!

Big day for our Eli!

Week Two of SECOND Grade!

Last Monday, Madeline started second grade.  Campus School has an alternative schedule:  they start earlier and get out later in the summer, but they have 2 full weeks of fall break and 2 full weeks of spring break. So, while I was not quite ready for her to start back so soon, I know we will be so happy to have a really nice break in the fall!

Madeline was super excited to get back to see her friends, but most of all, Mrs. Puckett!  Her school does "looping" which is where the class stays together for 2 years.  Since she will be at Campus School for 5 years, she will get to loop twice! She will have a different teacher in 3rd grade, but we have a whole year to prepare for that!

So far, getting into the swing has been much easier than last year!  It was just so hard last year to have her gone all day every day - that was a transition for all of us.  So, with that under our belts, it has been a good start to the year  - aside from being tired and wanting to stay up late to watch the Olympics  - we are HOOKED!!

Here's to a great year in second grade!!!

Lake of the Ozarks

Wow, crazy how a few weeks can go by so fast!  We were out of town for about 11 days and then came back to painting and changing kids' rooms, Madeline starting school - let the rat race begin!!!!

Summer has been really great!  We did get a few big projects accomplished like cleaning out our garage that we couldn't walk through and painting the kids' rooms... ok, those are for another post!

We left for the Lake of the Ozarks July 13.  I had totally messed up the dates!  Brad and Tiff couldn't come until the following weekend, but for some reason, I had it in my mind the 13th.  We figured it out 2 days before we left.  Tim couldn't get a different day off from work, so we went as planned!  The kids and I got to stay through the next week and visit with Brad and Sabrina then Tiff came down the next weekend.  We had really wonderful time, but definitely missed Tim when he had to go back to work after taking a long weekend.

Tim and Sus relaxing!

Eli could ride the sea doo all day every day!!!!  Loved riding with Pop!

Madeline enjoyed it, too!

Tim and the girls!

Mom had a fun party on the dock to celebrate Susanna's birthday!  

Aunt Stephie and Uncle Chris came to the party on their boat!  They have a lake place not far from Mimi and Pop's!

Mimi and Sus.... 

Snowcones were a HUGE hit the entire week with every kid who swam by!!!

Fishing off the dock with Pop.  Eli wanted to do this whenever he wasn't on the sea doo!

Ice Cream!!!!!

Mom gave us a salt demonstration and taste test!  She and dad went to a meeting in May at the Ritz Carlton in Jacksonville, FL.  There is a restaurant there called "Salt" and a store all about salt.  

These were salts from all over the world with different flavors to be used with different foods - even desserts and fruits!!! They were really good!  We loved the taste test especially!!

Mimi and Pop got training skis for the kids!  They loved getting pulled on the dock to practice!

Sabrina and Brad came through the week!

Time for a boat ride!

This was Susanna's first boat ride!  Last year we came but didn't go on a boat ride because I had just had an appendectomy about 10 days before.  Yes, we are crazy!

Eli loved driving the boat!

Fun boat ride!

Mom and Dad driving....

My three kiddos!!!

Ahh, just love this pic! He really does take such good care of his little sister!

I LOVE this picture of Sabrina!!!!  Isn't she adorable!!??

Brad and Sabrina having fun swimming!

Mom took Eli, Sus and Sabrina on a paddleboat ride while....

Madeline learned to ski!!!!!  She got up right here with Edison coaching and Don, Mo or Bryan pulling the rope while running on the dock.  She got the feel of how to stand up.  Then she did it behind the sea do!  Super fun! 

The second weekend we were there, Edison and Judy's grandsons came!  Rhonda and Bryan's boys are Landon (5) and Logan (3).  Eli was in hog heaven with those boys!!

Tiff taking Sabrina for a ride!

The 3 girls with flower glasses!

Silly Brad, Sabrina and Tiff!

What a fun trip!  We got back with only one week before Madeline returned to school.  The week of relaxing was wonderful!  It was so nice not to have to cram all the lake fun into one weekend. We had so much fun hanging out with everyone!  Hopefully next year Tim will be able to take a few more days off! We definitely missed him!