Help! I've Fallen...

Off the face of the planet apparently. Sorry 'bout that! In answer to the the question "Where the heck are you?!" I can only say - here is where I've been:

When last we blogged, I think we had just celebrated our daughter's one year anniversary as a vegetarian by taking her to the AMAZING Indian restaurant Spice & Curry in Durham. Next up was a party we threw on the night everyone was supposed to turn their lights off for an hour.


Playing board games by candlelight is more fun than you might think. (Please excuse the blurriness of the above photo. You take what you can get when you give the middle schooler the camera to go crashing around in the almost dark taking photos without a flash.) Then came Easter.


The original peeps. (John makes these every year. He would probably like not to have to because they're quite labor intensive but we beg him. Aren't they darling?)


Doesn't everyone have an Easter Egg Hunt for their dogs?


Tallulah was wicked fast at finding the eggs with her hound dog sniffer. And then it took her a whole nanosecond to figure out how to crack them open in one swift chomp to get the pup-eroni or milkbone inside.

Wasabi? Not so swift. He needed some help at the egg hunt, but he sure is cute in those bunny ears, isn't he? After Easter, we discovered a new running store in our area - right next to one of the main access points of the Tobacco Trail.


Bull City ... Durham Bulls, get it?


Seriously - these guys are super. Friendly, informed, well-stocked, community minded - it doesn't get better. If you are in the area or passing through - stop and see them! What next?


Oh right! Travel to Nashville for the boys' first communion. Actually as they were raised in the Episcopal Church where communion starts as soon as they're old enough to hold their hands out at the altar, they've taken communion a bunch of times - but it was their first time taking communion in the Catholic Church. It was a lovely and powerful service. In the picture above are (starting on the L) Sheumais, Uncle Richard, Grandma Doris, Angus, and Iain. Next we celebrated more family milestones.


My father's birthday. That's his baby sister in pink. My dad is the oldest of six kids and she is the youngest - so she's actually much closer in age to me than to him. In fact, my parents had been dating for three years before she was born so she sometimes forgets that it's my dad she's related to by blood, not my mom. (Even though my parents have been divorced for twenty years now.) Ahhh, family. :D


These aren't necessarily a "milestone" of any sort, but Tennessee is busting out with irises and I just LOVE them! (This is a drive by photo. Wish I could have gotten closer.)

My mom (AKA Marmie - on the left with Sheumais) and her cousin Sharon (on the right) took us out to a great new hamburger joint. Hmmm - still trying to figure out how to eat vegan at a hamburger joint. (Black bean/corn salad nachos - no cheese, please. Delicious!) It was a gorgeous evening sitting out on the deck looking at the lake. LIFE IS SO FREAKING GOOD!! In case you were fooled by that smile I caught on Sheumais' face above, he took a "self-portrait" to prove he really is a scary dude.


OMG - I absolutely love this picture. I'm seriously considering getting an 8"x10" print made to put in the slot next to his previous years' school photos. It's like "Eighth grade, ninth grade, tenth grade, EGAD! What happened here?"


I've gotten to see my guys play sports. I have to work hard not to be that crazy, fan mom. Cheering for my kids is just so much fun! Iain is number 9 and made a huge save right before this picture. (I was too busy cheering to take a picture before he was headed off the field!) Lacrosse is a great sport for him.

He doesn't like helmet hair so he sports a bit of 80's style as soon as he walks off the field. Gotta love it! Angus started a football skills camp this week for the first time.

He'd probably sleep in his pads if he was allowed. He is so excited. Two hours every night for two weeks and then a scrimmage game. He told me that as much as he loves throwing the football, tackling people is even more fun.


My favorite football picture ever!!! He should become an NFL player just so this picture can get splashed on national television someday! (Of course - I'm pretty sure they do not send scouts to or have pro day where he wants to go to school so maybe I should go right ahead and give that idea up, eh?)

As for training? I took an unscheduled rest week somewhere in the middle of all that - but I'm almost back on schedule/the training plan. (Not sure how I'm going to do a 35 mi bike ride today as I'm still in Nashville without bike gear - but details, schmetails.) I've had some great swims, one great run and quite a few bad ones, and we've signed up for our first trail race! I get back on Friday (after one more event - Confirmation - here in Nashville.) Then we race on Saturday. Woo hoo! I probably won't ever catch up with my Google Reader as I'm still hundreds and hundreds of posts behind. I'm clearing that sucker out and starting fresh. Again. Thanks for being patient with me. Y'all are totally ace tri peeps!! Peace.

TODAY I LOVE: getting back in the groove!

**Edited to add: I TOTALLY left out that John and I celebrated our anniversary on Earth Day by going to see the movie Earth. I don't have any pictures because I forgot to have our waiter at supper snap one of us - but we looked fabulous and had a terrific time together. When I get home, I'll dig up a picture from when we first met.**