February Fun in Oxford

A few weeks ago, we took a little girls trip over to MS for the weekend to visit the triplets.  It was a fun weekend, and the girls played and played nonstop.  On Saturday, I ran the Run For Hope half-marathon while Jack ran the 5k, and Sage and Meme rallied through the 5k pushing all the babies in the strollers.  Here are a few pictures from our fun visit:

After the race!

4 munchkins cheering on the runners: Fran, Irene, Brooks, Anna

Rub-a-dub-dub, 4 crazy babies in the tub

Naked play time after a bath is always fun

Frances getting some good snuggle time with Aunt Sage

Enjoying the sunshine!

2 Years Old!

I really wish I could just freeze time and make these days last a little longer.....I can't believe 2 years has gone by since the most wonderful gift came into this world!  Frances is no doubt a 2 year old these days- I hear A LOT of "no" and she thinks she can do everything by herself....although she often hugs and clings to me so tight, which I don't mind at all:)

We had the 2 year check-up today, and Frances has made it onto the weight chart for the first time ever.   She weighed in at 22.5 lbs, and was even called "beefy" lately which cracked me up.

Frances talks constantly and mommy and daddy are struggling to keep up with all the signs she knows!  She repeats just about every word she hears (including some she shouldn't say, oops), and is starting to point out things she sees and recognizes.  She even told me it was cold yesterday when we walked outside!  I'm just a little bit proud of her, if you can't tell.  Walking is coming along really well now that she has decided it's actually pretty fun.  She going farther and faster in her walker and will pull up and push anything that moves.

Mercedes Marathon weekend kicks off tomorrow, and we are so excited to run and honor our girl.  On Saturday, Will is running the Superhero 5K and Frances runs her Bell Center kids run.  Then on Sunday, I will run the half-marathon and Will runs the full 26.2 miles.  Our fundraising has been amazing this year- we have far exceeded our goal thanks to so many of you!  The link is posted below, if you would like to donate- there's still time! Frances has become quite the little star for the Superhero 5K and has kept me busy this week with her publicity appearances:)  You might see her face if you're driving down I-65, and if you tune into NBC13 Friday night at 6:30, you can catch a glimpse of her doing some walking at The Bell Center.

http://www.imathlete.com/donate/AnnaRuthMcCalley

Enjoy some birthday pictures below- it was quite a fun celebration.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this gal to pieces!!!

Waking up with balloons and donuts!

Fun party at Children's Dance Foundation

Possibly my favorite picture

Dancing with Daddy

The girl LOVES herself

Dancing!

Mmmmmm more cake!

Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

BellRunners 2013

We are on the 2 week countdown for the 2013 Mercedes Marathon!  This has always been one of my favorite times of the year, and even more so since Frances was born because it marks her birthday.  Will is going to be running the full 26.2 miles, while I'm sticking to the half marathon this year. Meme and Grump will have Frances out there waiting for us at the finish line!  Frances will also be racing that weekend in The Bell Center kid's race on Saturday.  If you live in Birmingham, this really is an awesome event to see.

Will and I are running the race in honor of Frances, and are still working towards our fundraising goal.  Please visit the link below and consider support us as we run for Frances and all the children at The Bell Center!

http://www.imathlete.com/donate/AnnaRuthMcCalley

Here is a little video of Frances' training:

A day in the life....

Frances is doing great!  She is talking non-stop, moving around, taking a few steps with her walker, and starting to show a little bit of toddler attitude.  She is keeping us busy and it's hard to even keep track of all she is up to, so here is a little peak into what she's been doing lately.

After watching you may wonder if we ever actually get dressed and wear anything other than pjs...the answer....only if we have to!

You'll see this link on the blog for the next month or so, and it will take you to our fundraising page for Mercedes Marathon, which benefits Frances and all the children at The Bell Center.  So much of what Frances is doing is because of her awesome therapists at The Bell Center!  Please take a moment to visit our page and consider making a donation this this place that is so special to us!
http://www.imathlete.com/donate/Fundraiser.aspx?fFID=3806

While it was cold and rainy in Birmingham.....

.....Will and I were on a surprise Christmas trip to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.  It was the best vacation ever, and thankfully made possible by the troops back home taking care of Frances (and Bella too). Thank you Meme, Grump, Amy, & Carolyn! It was the perfect trip for rest and relaxation after a wonderful Christmas with the family.

Fun new trampoline from Santa!

Christmas with the cousins!

I'm quite the organizer/planner (some people might call it anal and controlling, call it what you will), and I had so much fun planning this trip as a surprise for Will over the last 4 months.  Lots of people knew, but he had no idea anything was up (even when I told him to get a passport back in September) until 6:30am Christmas morning when I took him on a little scavenger hunt.

At this point he asked if we were going to Cuba

We stayed at an awesome resort called The Excellence and I very highly recommend it.  We did lots of lounging, eating, reading, and took an all day boating excursion, which was quite a fun adventure too! A few things I learned on this trip:

• The islanders do not care that I like to plan things out very precisely...and I learned that I can be ok with that!
• Riding in any kind of motorized vehicle in Punta Cana = slightly terrifying.  No regard for road rules, and the excursion guide just kept saying "Do no worry about the driving, we drive happy."  In their defense I must say they were all very polite crazy drivers.
• If you nod and act like you understand your excursion guide's directions which he has given in Spanish, he can tell you don't and will promptly ask "You from US?" Apparently we just look like tourists.  
• A popular rum served in the DR is called "Mamajuana".....it wasn't actually marijuana, that they kept trying to give us on the boat.
• Apparently I really do have 5 year old kid humor in me- I just couldn't stop laughing every time our guide referred to the bathroom as the "pee pee room" to make sure us Americans knew what he was talking about.
• Smart move on my part staying away from the local lunch fare on the excursion, isn't that right, Will?!
• If you go to the "farmacia" in Punta Cana, you might find anything from Amoxicillan to Viagra to "No Pain" on the shelf, no prescription required.
• The tropical sun is no joke!
• Not once in 5 days did I see a resort employee with a cell phone in hand- possibly why their customer service is outstanding!
• I really like mango, especially frozen with alcohol.

OK, enough talk, here are some pics....

View from our balcony

Checking out the beach for the first time.

Not a bad place to eat lunch 

All good!

One of our trusty excursion guides, who assured me of the safety features on the boat.

Will was absolutely thrilled about this

My favorite spot!

Isla Saona, where a piece of Blue Lagoon and Pirates of Caribbean were filmed- beautiful!

Coconuts everywhere!

Perhaps Will's favorite aspect- slippers, bathrobes, and incense!

Setting out for some riding!

Lots of fun but my butt still hurts!

Goodbye Punta Cana- we will be back!

She's Got The Moves

Frances came home from The Bell Center with a new accessory this week:

She has been pulling up into standing for a while now, and will cruise to the left and right (when she wants to!), but it looks like this girl may be on her way to walking soon.  We are working on a few steps at a time with the walker right now....and as you'll see in the video, she likes to stop and clap for herself.

We are so excited about Christmas...can't wait to spend time with our family and celebrate the birth of our Savior!

"And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth."  Luke 1:14

Giddy Up

Frances got to ride a horse over the weekend at a birthday party!  She wasn't quite sure about it at first, but soon was having a lot of fun.  It was a perfect Frances-size little pony..... 

What the heck is this, mom?

Hmmmm I think I might like it?

That was fun!

Hooray!

Checking out another one.

Oh wow, a leaf!

Refueling on cheerios

Hanging with Daddy

Mommy took a turn too!