Happy birthday Billy!

Today my brother turns 27! He is the oldest child in my family and the favorite child (according to my sister and I). Billy is a 4th grade teacher in North Liberty. He is getting married next month to Leah (girl in the picture). He has a 3 year old daughter named 'Ellie' (ok so she's a yellow lab but still). Billy is only 15 months older than my twin sister and me - so we've always been close. Billy is a great guy and I always have a blast when he's around. I can always count on Billy to be there when I need him. He's the best big brother!

Hy-Vee Triathlon

Last weekend was the second annual Hy-Vee Triathlon. Mike took 7 minutes of his time from last year! He is very dedicated to the sport. I didn't get any pictures of Mike during the swim or on his bike. Here is a picture of Mike during his run. I asked for a "peace sign" and got "surfs up" instead.

Mike during his race:

Crossing the finish line...

Darrell loves going with me to watch Mike. He always wants me to carry him. Twenty-two pounds gets a little heavy at times. Here he is... rolling in the grass while waiting for Mike:

Meltdown

My sister introduced my husband and me to the cotton candy blizzard from DQ. It is delicious! Since this blizzard is only available for a couple more weeks, Mike and I decided to get one yesterday. Once we got to DQ, it sounded like a really good idea to go ahead and get a cotton candy blizzard ice cream cake. We both had a piece when we got home and it was so yummy!

This morning I came downstairs to find Mike cleaning up a mess on the kitchen floor. I thought maybe my dog had an accident in the night. But no! The freezer door came open in the middle of the night and everything in our freezer was melted. NOOOOO! It was heart-breaking. That beautiful cake was now in a melted mess on the floor. I almost cried.

Happy birthday Norah!

Norah turned the big "4" yesterday. She is the daughter of my bff Mary. I have known Norah since the day she was born. I wanted her to be named after me but had to settle for "Norah Marie" instead. Norah and I became friends fast. She is always on the go and is so much fun to be around. I was babysitting her when she said her first sentence - "I toot." I used to live a few blocks from Norah and her family and we had the best time! Now that we are two hours apart, I don't get to see her as often as I like. :( Here is Norah at Carlos O'Kelly's when she was just a baby. I always tell Tom (Norah's Dad) that Norah had her first margarita that day. Tom isn't amused.


Mike entertaining Norah.... I'm sure they were watching sports of some kind.


Here is Norah and I playing in the balls at 'Play Station' in Cedar Rapids. I think I had a much fun as she did.

Sisters! Claire (Norah's sister), Brooke (my sister), myself and Norah last winter.

This last picture cracks me up. It was taken at Claire's first birthday party. Check out the candy cane.
I am going to Cedar Rapids to visit Norah and Claire in two weeks. I can't wait!

Dam To Dam

Here is Darrell and me running Dam To Dam. Ok, so we only did the 5K. I shaved five minutes off my time from last year. It was very hot outside that morning. This may be the only picture you ever see of me running. I'm more of a speed walker. I have been known to sign up for races just for the t-shirt and beer afterwards. Darrell looks like he's having the time of his life in this picture. He has ran 12 miles with Mike before. Super dog!

Things we do for love

I started my morning off at the dentist for a routine cleaning. I really dislike going to the dentist. I think it's because I've had about 50 cavities. I cannot stand the sound of someone cleaning my teeth. I have sensitive hearing (says my sister, the audiologist).

Mike begged me to take his bike to the shop today to get the tire fixed. He is doing a triathlon this weekend. So I haul his bike to the shop. They weren't sure what was wrong with it, or if anything was wrong with it. I was getting so pissed because I couldn't get the bike back into my car. I had to drive home with the trunk flapping in the wind. As I was swearing at the bike... I heard the song on the radio "The things we do for love." That made me feel a little better. Mike owes me big time. I did find a bike that I want at the bike shop:

Isn't it pretty? It costs $380. I'd better start saving my pennies.

Leah's on the Loose

This past weekend was Leah's bridal shower and bachelorette party. She is marrying my brother on July 18. Both parties were tons of fun! Here is Leah at her bachelorette party. I guess she liked the undies:


Leah was a bad girl. She is getting hand-cuffed by the wanna-be police officer:

Welcoming Leah to the family with a shot!I am so grateful to have such a fantastic girl marrying my brother. I look forward to many fun times with Leah as my sister-in-law. Love you Leah!