Summer!!!!!!!

I guess I haven't posted in a while, and I'm realizing I"m not taking enough pictures this summer! Most of the ones I do have are of Avery in our little swimming pool, which is where she spends a ton of her time, and you can see all the different friends she's had over to swim.

Avery and her friend Ava

Avery and her friends Khaki & Kodi

Avery and her friend Jett

At the American Girl Bistro in Dallas a few weeks ago.

At Mimi's School

Please let me brag on my little brother...

I have always loved my "little brother", Michael, now known as 'Mike', and even though he is 7 years younger than me, we have always been good friends.

This past week while we were visiting him and the rest of my family in the Metroplex, I came to respect my little brother in a new way. Mike has always been very smart, and graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Chemical Engineering about 5 years ago. He went to work for Valspar, a name you may recognize if you buy any of your paint, varnishes or other chemicals sold in a can at Lowe's. The plant where he works in Garland makes incredibly huge vats of paint, and the clear "coatings" that go on the inside of all soft drink cans and other tin cans. They also make solvents, resins, and a bunch of other things I can't pronounce, even with a degree in Science!

I knew Mike had an important job, but I wasn't prepared to see the complexity of what he actually does. Mike is largely responsible for this enormous plant, and the operations of making these products in a very dangerous and complex industry. When we went into his office, this is what was on the dry-erase board. To me, it looked like the stuff the guy wrote on the walls in the movie "A Beautiful Mind"! I had no idea what any of it meant, but it looked crazy!!!

Then he took us out to the plant and here are some pictures: (I did not take these photos, as you are not allowed to use a camera in the plant unless it has been okayed, since it could make a spark or something and blow the place up!)

This is one of the "control rooms" where Mike uses computers to modify huge batches of industrial "coating" to make it just right. This room is on like the 3rd floor and you look out the windows to the top of the tanks where stuff is added to the mixture, etc. ( I have no idea what I'm talking about!)

Last week Mike was busy managing the project of replacing one of these large tanks which was rusted. Here is an in-progres photo with the old tank.

And here is the new tank

I was afraid to stand by this thing since it said "Reactor". I was afraid it would blow up!

Anyway, all this to say that I am amazed at my little brother! Most importantly, he is a humble, fun guy who everyone loves to be around. He loves to golf, go to professional sporting events, and hang out with the family. Recently he got this award from Valspar for his excellence on the job. I'm proud of you Mike!!

Gabe's Adventures

Gabe is headed to Kenya on Wednesday. check out his latest post about the trip at http://www.gmoudy.blogspot.com. He is hoping he might possibly be able to blog if he gets computer access while there, so you can check his site if you are interested, and I'll probably be updating my blog as well as I hear from him.

A Great Day

Today was a great Mother's Day! We got up and Gabe & Avery had gotten me a new jogging outfit and some fancy headphones for my mp3 player, so now I will be motivated to run! I love the outfit - it's a running skirt - kind of like a tennis skirt - I had mentioned that I wanted one, and Gabe was listening! Thanks Honey, I love it! Avery can write my name now, and wrote "I love you" on the card in mostly backwards letters. It's adorable.

We had a great morning at church and then came home and Gabe and Avery fixed lunch, while not letting me help at all! I plugged in the crock pot full of queso, and got in trouble for it, so I figured I'd better stay out of the kitchen. Gabe's parents came over and it was great to be with Jill on Mother's Day too. We had a great fajita lunch and then just relaxed out under the warm sun in the back yard and visited and watched Avery play - it was a wonderful day! I love being Avery's mom, it is the best job on earth! Thank you, Gabe and Avery for making my Mother's Day very special.

Gabe & Avery fixing lunch

The Rowdy Moudys

We had a great weekend together recently with all of Gabe's family. His parents, siblings, and all their families met in Azle to suprise his sister Lynsey and her husband Robby who were in the Metroplex for a wedding. It was the first time we've all been together in about 2 years, so it was great to have everyone there and laugh and visit and have fun. (photos courtesy of Robyn!)

The whole Moudy Fam

Crazy Cousins

Blurb

My sister-in-law Robyn recently blogged about Blurb. It's a website with free software that will upload your blog into a book. First, she tried a small soft cover book and was really impressed with the results, so for her 2007 blog entries she decided that she would make a bigger hard cover book. WOW! It is TOTALLY impressive!!! It's more than just a nice way to print your blog as a scrapbook of memories . . . it's a beautiful coffee table book. She said she would highly recommend everyone giving it a try. She took pictures of the book so that you get an idea of the final product. She's also a professional photographer, so her book is really awesome, but I'm excited about printing my book out just to have as a scrapbook since I never seem to get that done. Here's how hers turned out.

Are YOU up for a Half Marathon????

Ever since running the 1/2 marathon in February, it's amazing how many people have told me they are interested in learning more about running one.

"What does it take?"

"How do you train??

Maybe they are just "interested", yet have no intention of actually running a race of this distance, but I'm hoping that once they get a personal invitation, and have a date race set in the future - they will honestly consider it! I believe that ANYONE who truly wants to accomplish running a 1/2 marathon can do it - it is a very attainable goal. And, it will be one of your life's most special accomplishments. I was recently involved in a class where I had to look back over my life and write down 7 of the most meaningful experiences of my life. One of the top 7 memories I have is running my first 1/2 marathon along the Nile River in Jinja Uganda in 2002.

Now I'm talking to YOU. Maybe you think you are not cut out for running long distances. While running in the race in February, I was amazed at all the variety of ages, body types, and even the physique of the competitors. There were many people running that I would not have expected to be in that kind of shape. There was one lady in front of me the entire race - she looked to be in her late 40s and she was quite overweight. However, I could NOT CATCH THIS LADY. She beat me by about a minute. All this to encourage you - if you are interested in running a 1/2 marathon, now is your chance. I won't guarantee that you'll enjoy the process, but I will guarantee that you''ll feel an incredible sense of accomplishment at what you've done. And, your level of fitness will make your body feel great!

If you are a woman reading this, this is your personal invitation to train for, travel to, and compete in the Inaugural Rock 'N' Roll 1/2 Marathon in San Antonion on November 16, 2008. At least 3 of us have already committed, and there are about between 5-10 others who are considering it. This is going to be a FUN event. Check out the website - there will be over 70 bands playing along the course and then a huge concert that night at the Alamodome which you get into free with your race bib. The bands at this even have not yet been announced, but some in the past have been Journey and INXS. You run past the Alamo, the arts district, and the Tower of the Americas.

So, now that you want to run this race, how do you start??

Well, glad you asked.

There are many training plans out there, but I've always used Hal Higdon's Plan. It's for novice runners, and only requires running 4 days a week. Take a look at it! Notice that this 12-week training schedule assumes you have the ability to run 3 miles, three to four times a week. If that seems difficult, consider a shorter distance for your first race, like perhaps a local 5 or 10K race. And, just start where you are. Run a lap, walk a lap, run a lap, walk a lap. Work up slowly. You have 4 full months to get to a point where you can run 3 miles several days a week. Runners World online has lots of great tips and advice.

Training officially starts on September 1st. If you are interested, please let me know!

I'm looking forward to training with some of you, and can't wait to find out who all is on board!

YOU CAN DO IT!