The Misltoe Half Marathon

On December 6th I ran my first half marathon (13.1 miles) and truthfully I really enjoyed it. The training was really hard for me, mostly because we were so busy with craft shows, so most of my long runs were done after I had been at a craft show all day. It was hard to get home after leaving the kids all day and say oh sorry guys I have to go run for two hours, but I had a goal and I stuck with it. Race day was pretty exciting. I was nervous. I knew I could do it, but I was worried that I would get an adrenaline rush and start off to fast and run our of steam before the end, but luckily I got my adrenaline rush and it stayed with me until the end. I was hoping to finish in 2 hours and 30 minutes and I ended up finishing is 2 hours and 17 minutes. That gave me about a 10:38 mile average which was pretty good for me. We were running 11 minute miles on most of our long training runs, so I was able to shave off some time for the race. I started at my regular pace, but around mile 6 I was feeling so good I decided to pick it up a little and once I got to mile 10 I was able to book it to the end. I am pretty proud of myself and I even said to Whit that I think I will try and do a Marathon in the not so distant future. I wish I could do one soon so I could just continue training, but I don't think I can do the cold early mornings anymore. I think I will wait until the spring and start training again.

I am so grateful to Whit and the girls for their patience and support through this whole thing. Whit is so great. He is truly my biggest fan. He even picked a spot along the race that I would pass by twice so that he could see me twice during the race and then still make it back to the finish line-all with four girls in tow. I wish I had a picture of the sign that he made for me and my running partners it said, "Ridgecrest Moms Rock" It was so cute. Ridgecrest is the name of our neighborhood. Besides me and my two friends that I trained with another woman in our neighborhood ran it and two other mom's ran the 5k part of the race, so Ridgecrest Mom's really do rock!!

I also have to say thanks to my partners in crime, Marcia (our team captain) and Kim, if it weren't for these two I would never have even attempted something like this. Thanks ladies for a great run!!

Oh a Christmas Tree hunting we go

Our all time favorite North Carolina tradition is our Christmas Tree tradition. We have been able to share this fun tradition with several family members in past years and for that we are grateful, but this year we shared it with our local family and we had a great time. The tradition goes like this: On the day after Thanksgiving we head up to the mountains to a Christmas Tree farm where we hunt down the perfect tree.

Once we pick the tree a man with a chainsaw comes and cuts it down for us. I have often wished they would let Whit have the chainsaw and let him cut it down, but when I really think of Whit with a chainsaw I realize we are better off letting these guys do it :)

Then we let the girls haul the tree back to the car.

O.k. not really. We wait for the tractor pulling a trailer to come pick up our tree and give us a ride back to our cars.

While Dad loads the tree onto the top of the van the girls and I enjoy a nice cup of hot cider to warm ourselves back up.

You can't get much better than that!!

Last but not least, we go home and we decorate. We got a much bigger tree than normal this year so our lights and ornaments were a little sparse, but it still looked really pretty.

Yes that is Whitney making Addie sit for the picture. After this shot the camera died so we gave up on a good picture.

Thanksgiving

I am sad that I haven't taken the time to sit down and reflect on how Thankful I am before now. Thanksgiving came and went in a whirlwind of craziness, but this year as a family we tried really hard to express how thankful we are for all of the wonderful things in our lives. We put a paper on the fridge and everyday we were supposed to write something that we were thankful for. We missed lots of days, but the girls really enjoyed the days that we did do. I still have it up and I have added a few things here and there since Thanksgiving and I hope to keep it up for a while as a reminder during these scary economic times of just how much I am blessed with.



Jaynie's Class at school sang some cute Thanksgiving songs and I thought it would be a great way to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all of our loved ones. I know it is way past Thanksgiving, but truthfully shouldn't every day be a day of Thanks. Enjoy!!

Sickness in the Air

I know I still need to post Thanksgiving and our Christmas tree and I will eventually, but today I just needed to post about Eliza. Addie has been sick with a double ear infection so her and I haven't slept really well the last couple of nights. Then last night Eliza decided to get sick in the night so Whit didn't sleep very well either. Eliza is throwing up so I am glad Whit got to take care of that one. The funny thing about Eliza is that she is so stinking cute even when she doesn't feel good. It was 5:00 am this morning when she threw up all over Whitney in our bed so Whit got up and took her to the bathroom to put her in the shower and as he was undressing her she said, "Dad I want breakfast." Which I guess after you empty your stomach of all it's contents the natural response is to fill it again. Right?

Wake Forest Football

Last week we were able to go to the Wake Forest football game. It was so cold. The high was 40 and I am pretty sure it wasn't that high when we were at the game. I did a twelve mile run that afternoon and was sore and tired and really dreading coming home and having to go out in the cold again to go to the game. I was also dreading bundling the girls up and making them sit through it. But in support of my husband I agreed to go, but I did not have a good attitude about it. Then when we were ready to leave Whit couldn't find his new, expensive snowboarding coat so he was mad and I wasn't very compassionate or helpful. Whit finally came out to the car and said, "let's just not go" My response was, "we have already done the hard part. We are going!!" So we went and got there just after half time. People were already leaving, but we didn't care. Once we finally got seated we had a great time and all the trouble we went through to get there was worth it. We had hot chocolate and cheered for the Deacons up until the very end of the game. It was really fun. I was really glad we decided to go. Sorry about the pictures. We forgot the camera so we took pictures with Whit's phone.

By the way I found Whit's coat this week in the coat closet where it belongs and where Whit looked several different times :)

Tragedy at the Gifford House

We have some sad news at our house. Our beta fish Nemo has been flushed down the toilet to join his family in fish heaven. We had this fish for over two years and I really thought that it couldn't die, because believe me I have tried, but we think he had a tumor on his eye that finally got the best of him. The girls took it much better than I thought. Eliza's response was the best. She said, "now we can get a cat." My poor deprived children. They always complain that they don't have a pet and when I remind them that we have a fish they usually say something to the effect of "no a real pet." Unfortunately mom's allergies don't allow for "real pets" and we will have to settle for a fish for now. We will let you know when a new fish joins our family.

No more training wheels

Jaynie and Lillie both learned to ride their bikes without training wheels this month. We are very excited. I was not a very patient mom with them and their bikes. I would get very frustrated when they would cry that they were scared, so of course it took Whit with his unending patience to work with them. Lillie figured it out first. We went to the church parking lot for a playgroup one day and she rode all over the place because it was flat and flat doesn't scare her. I think Lillie learning before Jaynie motivated Jaynie to try harder and when she cried that she was scared her Dad reminded her that Barbie in the new Diamond Castle movie (yes Whit watched this with the girls) says to Believe in all that can Be!! Crazy enough that seemed to work and she tried and of course she did it. We have known for a long time that fear was the only thing holding her back. So we went on our first family bike ride around the block singing "Believe in all that can Be" It is so much fun to be able to ride around the neighborhood-before we were pretty limited, but now the girls can go everywhere. Yeah!! Good Job Jaynie and Lillie Mom and Dad are so proud of you!

Christmas is tight this year!

I just got this email and I cannot stop laughing. I wanted to forward it to my whole email list, but I thought this would reach all of those whose emails I don't have. Whitney will probably die when he sees that I actually posted this on our blog, but this is something I want to remember so here you go:


My dear friends,

Somewhat embarrassing to admit, I'm not getting an annual bonus and Christmas is tight this year. I will be making bedroom slippers for you all as gifts. Please let me know your sizes. You'll most likely agree that it's a splendid idea, and should you wish to do the same, I've included the instructions below. How to make bedroom slippers out of maxi pads: You need four maxi pads to make a pair. Two of them get laid out flat, for the foot part. The other two wrap around the toe area to form the top. Tape or glue each side of the top pieces to the bottom of the foot part. Decorate the tops with whatever you desire, silk flowers (this is most aesthetically appealing), etc.

These slippers are:
* Soft and Hygienic
* Non-slip grip strips on the soles
* Built in deodorant feature keeps feet smelling fresh
* No more bending over to mop up spills
* Disposable and biodegradable
* Environmentally safe
* Three convenient sizes: (1.) Regular, (2.) Light and (3.) Get out the Sand Bags.

I've attached a photo of the first pair I made so that you can see the nifty slippers for yourself.... Awaiting your response. It's crucial that I get the right size for each one of you.

I hope you can't stop laughing. Have a great day!

Happy Halloween

I love Halloween. Next to Christmas it is by far my favorite holiday, but this year it was so busy I didn't get to enjoy it the way I wanted to. We didn't even carve pumpkins. What kind of a mom am I? But what I did enjoy about this Halloween was my sewing machine. I was able to make the girls cute Halloween skirts and I made Jaynie's witch costume. I barely pulled that one off. I think I finished it about one hour before the trunk or treat, but it got finished and in the end it turned out really cute. I was pretty proud of myself too, because I followed a fairly complicated pattern without my mom standing over my shoulder. I didn't even have to call her and ask her questions. It made me excited to attempt the girls Christmas dresses and PJ's. As usual we stretched Halloween out as long as we could. It started with a Halloween playgroup the Friday before Halloween at our house-which was crazy I had almost 20 kids in my tiny house-but it was super fun for the kids. Then the following week Jaynie had her class party that I was in charge of and it turned out pretty good. We had a mini class carnival with different stations for the kids to rotate through. They got to catch a pumpkin, do a cup cake walk, and make a lollipop spider craft. I love being able to go into Jaynie's class and to be totally in charge of the activity made me feel like a teacher again. Then that same night we had our Church Trunk or Treat. The girls got loaded up and we dumped it all in the pot to hand out on Halloween. Then we had Halloween. We got together with some friends to decorate cookies and then had soup as a neighborhood that night before trick or treating around the neighborhood. We have such a great neighborhood. It was a lot of fun. Now it's over and I have to get rid of this candy. I heard a really cute idea. The kids put out their candy on Halloween night for the Halloween Fairy to come and take and she leaves a toy for them to enjoy. I think I will have to remember that one for next year. Well here are my cute kiddies all dressed up. Jaynie was a mean old witch, Lillie was a scary ghost, Eliza was Cinderella (who else could she be really-she is obsessed with Cinderella right now) and Adeline was an Elephant. Pretty cute kids if you ask me.

Here is Lillie decorating a pumpkin at our Halloween Playgroup

Eliza eating her "dirt" at playgroup. This was a great Trick and Treat :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Trick or Treating the Lazy Way!!

Most of the kids in the neighborhood went trick or treating together so those families just put their candy out on the step. Here they are really thinking hard about which candy to take. I thought it was a great picture moment.

Stacie the Runner

O.K. so I shouldn't say runner, because that would indicate that I move fast and I don't, so really I am a jogger, but runner sounds so much cooler. Anyway I forgot to mention what has been occupying all of my free time lately. In September two of my friends asked me if I wanted to run a 10K(6.2 miles) with them and since I was running about 4 to 5 miles on Saturday's anyway I thought that wouldn't be too tough so I said yes. We ran it and it was so much fun. I ran it in about an hour and six minutes which for me was pretty good. My last mile was under 10 minutes and if I could run 10 minute miles consistently I would be happy. One of the reasons I love to run is because of the solitude it gives me, but I quickly discovered that if I was going to run any more than an hour I needed more than just my I pod. It is amazing how conversation diverts the time and pain of running. I have really enjoyed running with friends. Well after we ran the 10K my friends ( I want it noted that this was not my idea) thought it would be fun to run a half marathon called the mistletoe on December 6th. I reluctantly agreed. Six miles was hard for me, but I figured if I could get up to 6 miles than I could do 13. Right? Well this last weekend I ran 10 miles. I can't believe it. Me, Stacie Gifford ran 10 miles. I never in a million years would have imagined that at this point in my life I would be running 10 miles and in just a few weeks I will run 13. Crazy!! It feels pretty good to accomplish something like this, but I am pretty sure that I won't try and do a marathon anytime soon. I was hurting at 10 miles. I will never forget the look Whitney had on his face when he finished his marathon. Whitney is the strongest man I know in so many ways- physically, mentally, emotionally, and to see him like that scared me to death. I don't think I am quite ready to put myself through that. Maybe someday when I have more time for myself, but right now I can't leave my kids to go on four hour Saturday runs just to kill myself in the end. There is a time and a season for everything and right now my season is a half marathon. Wish me Luck!!

What we've been up to...

I hate that I keep getting so far behind on our blog. This is why I was never very good at keeping a journal. I just get so overwhelmed with everything. But luckily I do take pictures so I can remember the things that I wanted to blog.

A lot has happened in our lives since Eliza's birthday. The most exciting news is that Addie started walking. She took her first steps on September 21st. Here is some video of her about a week later cruising around.


We bought a play set from some friends that were moving and we finally got it up in late September (We got it from our friends in August). It is so fun to have and I think it looks great in our backyard. We had to clear some of the trees and then we bought some mulch and covered the whole first part of our woods so it looks really great. The girls of course love it and I love that I can send them out back to play and they stay entertained for hours.

For playgroup one day Lillie and Eliza got to go ride horses at a nearby park. They both loved it and really had a hard time getting off the horse.

Whit participated in his first bike race on September 9th. This was the last one of the season and Duane convinced him to try it out. Whit really enjoyed it and I am sure next season we will be busy watching bike races. Luckily this one was a small one so it wasn't as dangerous as they can be.

In September we were supposed to have our ward camp out, but it got rained out so Dad being the great Dad he is put the tent up on the girls bed for them to sleep in. I think they slept in there for over a week.

The weather stayed nice for so long. On October 6th the girls came home from school and it was so hot that we decided to get out the sprinkler. They had a great time. I really love North Carolina.


On October 15th Adeline turned 1. I can't believe a whole year has gone by since she was born. I don't know where the time goes. I just absolutely love this stage with my kids and Addie is no exception, except that she is the best baby I have had so I am enjoying this time even more. She is discovering so much including her voice. She loves to "talk" and growl at me and she loves playing with her sisters. Lillie is the best at playing with her. Lillie can get her laughing so hard-it is the cutest thing. I am so grateful for her sweet and calming spirit in our home. We celebrated Adeline's birthday a few days late, because I am such a great mother and I couldn't get my act together and get a cake made and when I finally did it wasn't much to look at, but she devoured it so I guess it really didn't matter what it looked like. Happy Birthday Adeline!! We all love you so much!

Jaynie got involved in Brownie Girls Scouts this year and is loving it. She goes every Tuesday for two hours and I only had to pay $20 for the entire year. That is my kind of extra curricular activity. I also am one of three assistant leaders, so I get to go and help every third week. I am really impressed with the program and can't wait until February when we get cookies:). She had a pinning ceremony on October 21st that welcomed her into Brownies. She has also earned two try it's, which are the badges they earn. At the ceremony they also put on a little play about how Browines came to be. It was really cute. Here she is getting her pins and playing her part in the play.

Jaynie also had another big change in October. She started riding the bus home from school. I am still a little nervous about it, but she rides with our neighbor and we have told them to sit together up front so hopefully the big kids won't have too much of an influence on them. I tried to get a picture of them with the bus, but I think you can only see our neighbor and not Jaynie, but here it is anyway.

Whit and I have been crazy busy making signs. We had craft shows every Saturday in October. We are glad to have a little break before our two shows in November. We still have some custom stuff to do, but at least the pressure is off for a while. We got pretty sick of going to bed at midnight.

Another project Whit and I have been working on is the girls room. We have been in desperate need of bunk beds for a while, but haven't had the funds. But in October Whit got a side job we called the bunk bed job. So since we had the money we had to get the beds. I always thought that I wanted a twin over full with a trundle so that all four girls could sleep in the same room, but as I thought more about it I decided that someday they may each need their own bed so we started looking at getting two sets of twin bunk beds. This of course was going to be way too expensive, but we did some research and found a place in a nearby town that sells damaged and new furniture and is dirt cheap. I called them and they had a set of white bunk beds for $300 so we packed up the kids one day after work and went to check them out. I had gotten a brand name from them and looked at them on line so we were excited to get them so cheap, but when we got there they weren't the brand or bed that we expected (you had to order the other brand), but we made a really quick decision and bought the ones they had in stock. After we got home we found the same bed on line and found that we still got a killer deal. Anyway long story short we now have two sets of bunk beds and a crib in the girls room. It is a little crowded, but I think it looks cute and we are very happy with the beds. Whit also repainted the floor and I painted their dresser so now everything looks nice and new. I still have some decorating to do, but at least my girls have a place to sleep. The saddest part is that now I don't have the wall space for their blessing dresses, so I guess I will hang them in my room:(

Obviously our busy life has taken it's toll on my babies. Here is Eliza when she fell asleep while watching her sisters play Nick Jr.

Lillie fell asleep on the bathroom counter. We aren't quite sure how that one happened. She got up around 9:00 p.m. and went to the bathroom and then she came out to see us and we told her to go wash her hands and we thought she had gone back to bed, but when Whit went to turn out the lights this is what he found.

Happy Birthday Eliza

My sweet Eliza is now three. I can't believe it. Eliza at three is already so much more grown up than Lillie and Jaynie were at three. I guess it is because she has grown up sisters to follow, but it is just so cute to watch her do things they are doing. I am so blessed to have Eliza. I can not imagine life without her. She is truly my sunshine on cloudy days. Don't get me wrong she is a ball of fire and can throw a tantrum far worse than my other girls ever could, but she always turns sweet on me just when I need her to. I love her and am so proud to call her my daughter.

I had a hard time getting her party together after being in D.C. and I was feeling so bad, but better late than never right. So a week and a half late, Eliza finally got her princess party. We just invited a few of the neighbor girls, which it turns out there are quite a few little girls in our neighborhood. I attempted to make a castle cake. I let Eliza pick out the colors and since right now her favorite color is blue she wanted the castle to be blue. So I know it looks pretty scary, but the idea was cute anyway. Also look at the close up of the cake, Eliza thought the castle needed a prince and princess (not a queen and king) so she put two Mike and Ikes on the "inside". I thought that was pretty cute.













So Eliza I hope all your dreams come true this year. Mom and Dad Love you very much and we can't wait to see what cute thing you do next.