A Fun Time with Family

Derek, Aynna, Jonah and Eleanor came out to visit and we had a great time.  We were having so much fun that I didn't even remember to get out my camera until we went to the coast.  It was a little bit overcast but still a beautiful day and the cousins had to get right into the water.

 Mostly everyone ended up either partially or completely soaked but it was worth it.  Rocky keeps talking about how she already misses Jonah and can't wait to see him again soon.

The only one out of like 10 pictures that Rocky showed her face, and it is grumpy.

 Two dead fish sleepers on the way home.

A Chair and Some Hamburger Cookies

 Rocky and Daisy found this chair at T.J. Maxx and Rocky insisted that I take a picture so that she could show her daddy.  I'm glad that I did because it makes me happy to see my girls sitting that close and both smiling.

Kathy sent the ingredients to make these hamburger cookies and we had a ton of fun putting them together. 

 Rocky was pretty diligent at getting right to work but Daisy was more interested in tasting the quality of each ingredient.

 Thanks Abia!

Hippie Chick Half

Lindsey, Marci, Randi, Audrey, Laurie, Janet, Michelle, and Heather

 On Saturday I had the awesome opportunity to run a half marathon with some of the greatest friends a girl could have.  I remember that way back in Young Womens they used to tell us to look for friends that encouraged us to be the best we could and I am happy to say that I've found a bunch of them here in Eugene.  I was completely inspired by the way everyone challenged themselves, whether it be through the length of the race, getting a P.R. or Laurie, running 13 miles at 8 1/2 months pregnant without even going into labor.  I was so proud of everyone and so excited to have such a beautiful day to enjoy.
I ran into Laurie and her camera at the turnaround and was cursing her out for taking a photo of me while I was walking through the water stop.  I had been trying to look cool the whole way back only to get caught slacking.   

 The course was beautiful and the atmosphere of the race was such a blast.  I hit it a little too hard the first 10 miles which made the last 3 pretty excruciating and really slow.  I swear that the mile between 12 and 13 was really 5 miles masquerading as one.  Whenever I started to think wimpy thoughts I had to remind myself of the little Hippie Chicklet that I was carrying with me and show her that her old mama can do hard things.  By the time I hit the finish my stride looked more like a stumble from the cramping in my calves but I felt great.  Officially I was at 2:19:58 and while it wasn't my fastest race ever, it was one of the best.

 

Happy Mother's Day

Another Mother's Day, another futile attempt to get all three of us smiling at once.  You can't see it but the new little sister is already rolling her eyes to get ready for next years photo, which will be even more of a challenge.

Sugar and Spice

We were excited to find out we are having a girl!  I'm not so sure that she is going to be 'everything nice' though because during the ultrasound the technician actually stopped recording and went back to prove that our half-baked baby had actually just flipped her off.  I know that these things aren't extremely detailed but, as far as any of us could tell, she had that middle finger suspiciously held in front of her face. 

I don't want everything to become a competition, but it seems that this little one is already challenging Daisy for early use of vulgarity.
Rocky is thrilled and says that we need to name her Daisy.  I told her that the name Daisy is already taken but she doesn't care.  When I asked her if she was sad that she wasn't going to have a brother she said, "Yeah, but just a little bit sad, not a big sad."
Daisy's response is that she has no idea what we are talking about.
I've started planning all the awesome girls only activities that we will be able to do together and Brandon is already looking to the peace and quiet that he will probably only have when the rest of us are out on those activities.

Cinco de Mayo

Delicioso

 Since we don't have any huge sombreros or fake mustaches to wear around town like the rest of the college students on Patterson we had no choice but to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant.
El Pato Verde is almost like a second home to our family and I have spent many a Tuesday and Saturday evening there wrapping burritos.  My little job working with Victor and Rosi has been more fun than work and we have appreciated how they have adopted us.

 If you haven't been there you are missing out on amazing food and the two nicest people you could ever meet.  Nestled next to campus on 13th between Patterson and Hilyard is the best place in town for delicious grilled burritos that will blow your mind. 

 I'm getting hungry just looking at the picture.

 We also hit up the music festival on campus.  Brandon did his part by cycling to power the instruments.  I didn't even take a picture of the band but they were great. 

 And Sunday night this week once again hit us hard.  It is 7:00 and both girls are completely out.  I think we are going to be in big trouble when they wake up and it is time for bed.  Right now it is a risk I am willing to take.

Where's Daisy?

Bonus pictures:

And just one more thing...Brandon and I actually went out and saw the Avengers.  Thanks to one incredibly awesome friend who watched the young'uns we were able to see it on opening day.  I'm going to admit that I got all misty-eyed several times and that I also laughed my guts out.  I find myself surprised at how delighted I am at all of these superhero movies but they are just so good.
I have been thinking a lot about it since we saw it and I really love that all the characters have different strengths.  As I go through life and meet cool people I start to think that there is a "right" way for a person to be.  For example, I think that it is right to have a perfectly clean house, or to run multiple marathons, or to make beautiful DIY crafts and that the rest of us that aren't really succeeding in those areas are just kind of failing.  As I watched the characters in the movie with their different skills it made me think that it is silly to assume that the right way to bring justice to humankind is by wielding an enchanted hammer, or that in order to correctly kick butt you would have to have an arc reactor imbedded in your chest and an iron suit to fly around in.  Sometimes what is needed is a big green monster with an incredibly explosive temper or a willowy gymnast/interrogator who does her own share of taking care of business.  There might even be a situation in which what is needed is a great leader who carries a bulletproof shield.  It is the differences in who they are that make the Avengers unstoppable. 
Okay, so I know this is a pretty big stretch, but I'm serious.  I needed comic book characters to show me that there isn't a perfect way, but a lot of great ways to be.  Not being good at everything doesn't mean failure, it just means that everybody has her own way of fighting alien armies that are trying to take over the world.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is, whatever they are, let your superpowers shine...and let go of the rest.

It's All Fun and Games Until...

 ...someone gets hurt.  Rocky and Daisy were being treated to a super fun ride in the bike trailer and they got dumped.  They earned matching road rash which was pretty traumatic at first, but grew into a great way for them to get attention for themselves.  After it stopped stinging they seemed proud of their war-wounds.

And now for something completely different.

Brandon made this Spanish meal for us on Friday and it looked as awesome as it tasted.  Moros y Cristianos is part of a traditional celebration that takes place around this time each year.  Technically the rice is supposed to be more white (i.e. the Christians) as it surrounds the Moors before kicking them out during the Inquisition.  Apparently being politically correct still isn't big on Spain's list of to-dos. 

 While the population of Eugene swings the completely opposite direction when it comes to cultural sensitivity, in the end the palette wins at the Rigby home and I hope that this form of beans and rice becomes a permanent staple.

And once again it was marathon time.  I love the Eugene marathon and the way this town feels all weekend.  I couldn't coax Rocky out of bed but Daisy braved the early morning in her footie p.j.s to cheer on the runners.  We were too late for the beginning but we caught them at around mile 9.  I, as always, had to get a blubbery and tear up.  I can't blame this on pregnancy this time because my eyes always get all watery when watching marathons.  This time the thing that really hit me was how excited the spectators get when the person they are cheering on passes.  There they are all standing along the road with looks of anticipation, scanning the faces of the thousands of runners, looking for someone that is special to them.  And when they finally see that one they jump and cheer and then you see the big smile of some poor exhausted person who has a new spring in his step.  It just made me think of the whole worth of souls idea, that each one of those runners is extremely valuable and inspiring to the people in his or her life.  

It also made me think about how nice it is to have the support of friends and family, especially when you are feeling worn out.
This is the kind of sentimentality that long races bring out in me.

By the way, the reason I have been able to write so much this morning is that Brandon got called in to perform his civic responsibility and serve jury duty.  It was a bummer for him, but he left the computer so his loss has turned out to be my gain.  But, alas, Sesame Street is over and I've got to get back to that whole parenting thing that I'm supposed to be doing.