They warned us about the crowds...

...so we took up our positions in the air conditioned comfort of Eric's office. It was a pretty good place from which to watch the fastest member of our family participate in one of Atlanta's most celebrated traditions: the Peachtree road race. It's the largest 10K in the world!


Here's the star of the day- posing for a pre-race picture in front of a bunch of his maniacal scribblings on the whiteboard....

He preferred to hang out with the faster runners and avoid the beer-guzzling, cartwheel-turning, body-paint sporting back of the pack, which meant got up reaaaaaally early. Look at those puffy eyes....


Brigham and Marley stayed home with a good friend (good enough to come over at 5:45 A.M.- that's good!). Eric Jr. and I passed the time taking pictures and going from window to window, trying to spot Ryan Hall and the other super-stars runners leading the pack. Oh, and Eric, of course! Sadly, we were too high up to be able to pick him out of the sea of bodies....I suggested that next year he do something conspicuous, like paint himself gold.

Here they are approaching the turn to the finish line....


Good race, good fun!

Numbering the days

I was racing against the mercury this morning, rushing through my routine in an attempt to squeeze in a run before it got too hot for the girls to be outside. I paused to send a quick email to my mom about our plans to visit next week. When I looked up, Marley was buckling her baby doll into the swing-o-matic.

What is it about a newborn that makes you want to stop time? As Eric blessed Ellie on Sunday, I opened my eyes in surprise at the word woman. It was a reminder that my days of holding her limp, sleeping body against my chest are numbered.

But Marley, her baby doll, and my email reminded me of something: that when all of this is over- when I've read No, David for the last time, and had the last underwater tea party, and pushed my heavy-laden jogging stroller up the last hill....when the last lego has been stepped on, the last scout badge earned, and the last Halloween costume made...when the last prom dress has been altered, and the last college essay proofread....when all of that is behind me....


There will be grandchildren.

Scenes from the Northwest