Finally Running Again!

... not that I ever stopped, but Team chances training is back in full swing! I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT. This is my 3rd year running with Team Chances and my 3rd marathon as well. I love my team. This is why I am punch drunk giddy:

1-Team Chances supports an AWESOME local charity (Chances for Children). I actually get to 'work' directly with valley kids, so cool.

2-Inspiring coaches that push us to be better runners and better people, it's better than therapy!

3-Great people to train with, which by the way is a necessity for 15+ mile workouts.

I find it really hard to condense each of those points into 3 brief statements when really I could blabber on and on and on, though if you know me you have already heard me blabber on and on about how much I love this group and charity so I will spare you dear reader.

This picture is from Team Chances 1st year (2007-2008) at an elementary school we were able to become involved with. A bunch of us had just spent the afternoon running with the entire 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades as well as fitting the kids with NEW Nike sneakers. A seriously great day for everyone. We continue to work with this school putting on family fitness nights and other events.
We have come a long way, this is just one of the elementary schools we were able to initiate a Fit-Kids program at. Last year through fund-raising and volunteers Team Chances was able to provide some seriously awesome resources for kids. Check out the impact that we made last year:

• 3983 race entries for kids
  
• 1810 kids running
  
• 1400 pairs of shoes purchased for kids
  
• More than 40,000 miles run
• 200 pedometers purchased for kids
  
• 200 fitness journals used by kids
  
• 313 Summer swim passes purchased for kids
  
• 911 two-week sessions of swimming lessons purchased for kids

This is me and my niece at a Fit-Kids one mile race put on by Chances for Children last yearThe full story of how great this day was is on my sisters blog here.

Sooooooo, fundraising is a huge part of helping Chances for Children provide fitness training, nutrition programs, and educational services for underprivileged kids. Just in case you didn't get my e-mail, I have a donation page set up at www.teamchances.org/Magi/donate
I am so proud to be part of this charity. Because it is a grassroots type charity, every penny you donate goes to helping kids. I know money is tight everywhere but seriously, if you can spare $10, it can help! (if you want to help but would rather send a check, make it out to Chances for Children and e-mail me for my mailing address) --If you are able to donate $100+ I will make you an original madebymagi plush monster creature!
I have been a runner my entire life, and I have trained for many races on my own. Personally I have never gotten as much satisfaction and enjoyment from running as I have with Team Chances. This program gives running a greater purpose.

The Awesome, Perfect, Wonderful, and Slightly Ouchy Vacation

Wow did we have a great time and do we ever have the photo's to prove it! You may say I need to get my act together and slideshow the numerous photographs I post. Well, I'd like you to know that I have narrowed this selection from 480+ pictures, consider yourself lucky.
We set out two Sunday's ago to Laguna Beach to join my fabulous parent's in-law and Uncle Adam with girlfriend Melissa at a beach condo. On the way we met up with the dino's that live alongside the I-10.
Hello dino
Much to my dismay I get more of a kick out of this crazy place than the rest of the family, so thanks for humoring me kids, Mom appreciates it!
We made it to our Laguna abode with a WHOLE WEEK ahead of us to fill with nothing but sand and surf. Max covered the sand part.

He was unstoppable, and he was wearing swim trunks before, this was after I changed him in to dry clothes in the hopes he would take a nap on the beach. He hung out in the stroller for maybe 10 minutes, I was a fool to think a nap on the beach would happen, perhaps I was projecting my personal wishes on to him.
Uncle Adam made Madeline's dream come true by dunking her in chocolate ice-cream.
This pic is just the beginning of the mess, she is still talking about that 'ice-ceem cone'.
Next we have our picturesque visit to Mission San Juan Capistrano, gorgeous place.

This pic (and about 40 others) were taken in the hour leading up to Mads tragic fall. Poor bunny face-face-planted her face on a rock. Her lip split in a very super bleedy way. At least we were in the OC, probably the only county in the world that has a pediatric plastic surgeon on rotation at the hospital. She was a superbrave kid, and watching her get stitches was nothing compared to seeing her sedated with ketamine. Heart breaking, I don't even want to get into it. Though Madeline (who has a natural knack of adding levity to any situation) told Mark as she was coming to "Daaaddy, you have...fourr eyes..and twooo noses". Bear in mind the red in the picture below is 90% popsicle, look at my poor sweet dopey girl, and my poor sweet and dopey at this point husband.
Don't worry, here she is 3 days later, kids have un-paralleled healing powers.
As parents who wanted nothing more than to spoil our bunny we continued our vacation as planned, next stop, Disneyland! Max hung back to chill with Nana and Papa so it was just the three of us, it took us about an hour to get to Aneheim and then another hour to park the car and enter the magical kingdom.
1st stop, carousel--and it's still her favorite ride from the whole park, this is not what I expected, or paid for.
There were a bunch of little girls running around in dress-up, Madeline asked for dress-up and as guilty feeling parents looking into her stitched up face we could not say no. HOLEY BALONEY do you know how much dress-up at Disney costs!!?? Crapola we had one expensive Tinkerbell emerge from the Bipitty Bopitty Boo Boutique. We looked at it this way, she doesn't have any dress-up at home as she has never seemed into it before, princesses are just not her bag. She doesn't even know who Tinkerbell is, she just loves sparkly green. We indulged.
And stinkin cute was she!
And though she may not give a dang about princesses, she does feel a deep connection with Minnie.
It was really hard to pry her away from Minnie's house. Behind us was a group of Harijuku styled girls, Mads fit right in.
We met Mickey,
Look at the anticipation as we began Pirates of the Caribbean
We rode a total of 18 rides and had a perfect 1st Disney vacation, she fell asleep on the tram back to the car.
But oh-no the fun kept on coming. The next day was a visit to Newport beach, the Ferris wheel was great! That's us pointing in the green cart.

We attempted to take nice pictures on the pier,

Holy cow I've got a lot of pictures here, phew.
We fancied up for a b-day dinner celebrating Nana,
More beach via wagon


Fun playground at beach

Pizza lunch

Cute pic with daddy
Home from a gorgeous long run on the PCH
Our view,
Our BBQ,
Adorable and quite rare dual kid play on the deck,

As I finally wrap this post up I would like to say thank you to California for your skilled plastic surgeons, beautiful beach cities, Disney fun, perfect weather, and great places to run. Thank you family for, well, being a great family, and thank you Kitty -Kat, for helping us get home safely.