Tiny Miracles.

I don't know how many of you caught Oprah the other day, but if you missed it please take a minute to google each of these children and learn more about their stories. Lastnight, Jared and I both sat on the couch smiling from ear to ear with tears streaming down our cheeks. Tiny miracles.

Kendra And Maliyah Herrin

Lin Hao

Cody

Milagros

Eliot

Got Mudd??

Back in June, Jared and I signed up for Camp Pendelton's Semi Annual Mud Run. After reading the course description, we both decided this would be the most fun if not most challenging race we have even done and we were PUMPED! We decided on boys vs. girls teams, and we both set out to create our awesome team.

Jareds team consisted of himself, Jason Wright, Jesse Miles, Josh Miles, and Steve Luke. My team consisted of myself, Sharalyn Edmunds, Janelle Luke, Juli Hull, and Suzy Anderson. Months and months of training (for some) and we were only a few weeks away.

Then we get the phone calls. Juli will be out of town and Suzy's knee was injured. Sucks for the girls team. Jared then got a phone call from Jason. His back was out too. After a last minute scramble- the new teams were put together. Boys: Jared, Jesse, Jason, Steve and now Adam Zoller. Girls: Shannon, Sharalyn, Janelle, Casey Hambly and Kristen Marsilio. More training. More trash talk between both teams and we were ready to race.

Then on Friday (a week before the race) we get the phone call from Scott. We needed to start looking for a replacement runner because Kristen (who is Casey's co-worker) has been in a really bad car accident. She suffered a seizure behind the wheel, and her car went up over a fence, crossed 2 lanes of traffic, into a gas station, and into a gas PUMP and her car exploded on fire! WITH HER INSIDE! I kid you not, within 5 minutes of that phone call from Scott, I had called Sharalyn to tell her the news and Casey calls on my other phone. Apparently Kristen had made sure (from her hospital bed no less!) that Casey and the rest of the team were reassured that she WAS IN for the race! No replacement necessary. Talk about a tough chick! If you don't believe the story- click on the link below. There is actual video surveillance from the gas station and you can see the whole thing unfold. Amazing to say the least.

http://kdka.com/national/Gas.Pump.Fireball.2.838444.html

So now it's Saturday morning and each team piles into their respective cars for the 2 hour trip down there. I'm not too sure what was talked about in the boys car, but the girls trip was filled with lots of laughs, amazing survival stories (thanks to Kristen), trying to find the least "butch" way to wear a bandanna, and lots of talk about the upcoming race. So much fun!

We get to Camp Pendelton and start to get dressed by our car. Beaters: check. Bandannas: check. Bike shorts: check. Baseball Socks: check. Tutu's: Double check! That's right. The Dirty Housewives were going to wear tutu's the entire 6.25 miles. Fashion first- Winning Second. We got some strange looks from other teams, some "you go girls", and A LOT of "WE LOVE YOU'S!" Who knew people loved a tutu so much?


This is us at the start of the race. Could my team be any cuter?

Sharalyn and I showing some sisterly love. This is the first picture that Sharalyn and I have looked at and recognized what people have been saying for years. I guess we do kind of look a like. Sort of. Maybe a little.

We are off to battle. Despite EVERYONE wanting to take pictures with us, we made it to the Start line feeling excited and feeling really good. Everyone was just really anxious to get going and see what this Mud Run was all about.

Here's a picture of the boys team. Not as cute as our team, but pretty good looking in their own right. (Please excuse Jesse's pose/face in this picture. Apparently, he wanted to look really tough that day.)

And we're off! Arm in arm- we were determined to stay together and do this as A TEAM!

This is us going through the final mud pit. You had to crawl on your hands and knees under those flags and through mud that was about 2 feet deep. If you click in the picture, you can see Janelle and Casey standing in the middle- just about to get out and Sharalyn and I to the left, running down the hill on our way to the finish line.

All of us made it out of the final pit and we re-grouped as a team ready to cross the Finish line in style. Our arms are in the air because everyone was cheering for our team and cute outfits so loudly. I guess this is what it feels like to be famous right?

Once again, arm in arm as we headed towards the finish. If you look closely, you can see an all male team (not Jareds team) re-grouping to the left of us. There are 4 of them standing by the cones and they are waiting for the last member of their team. They had been near us the entire race and we kept hearing them say "Dont let the tutu's in front of us!" over and over. Sorry boys- our tutu's kicked your butt!

Just as we passed the male team, the captain yelled "Start Sprinting! Pass the Housewives!!" Like we were really going to let that happen. On cue, we all spread out with locked arms, creating a straight line that they couldn't get pass. Then it was a full on sprint to the finish, leaving them in our tutu's dust!

This is our team right after crossing the Finish line with a time of 1 hour 19 minutes. Not bad considering our goal was to get under 2 hours!

So where was Jared's team you might wonder?!? 14 minutes BEHIND us! We stood there waiting...and waiting...and waiting. Then it started turning into worry. But that was useless because they were just fine. Just a little slower than us.

This was them going through the final Mud pit.

And them re-grouping to cross the Finish Line

What do we do while we wait? We take cute "Girls Kick Butt" pictures!

They made it! Finished with a time of 1 hour 33 minutes. Now it's time to shower!

Group shot at the Finish. From left to right: Sharalyn, Shannon, Jared, Steve, Janelle, Jesse, and Adam. Bottom row: Casey, Kristen and Josh.

So there you have it. Our Saturday. This race was hands down my favorite so far. Something about not knowing what's ahead and getting dirty with the girls you love the most- made for a perfect day!

That night, the final results were posted and we were shocked to find The Dirty Housewives took 3rd place in the Women's division! We knew we did good, but not THAT good! Our medals are being mailed to us and you can bet we will be wearing them proudly for the next year! Go Housewives!

No cameras at Pinkberry Hull...

Sometimes I need a night out with the girls to get back in touch with my "real" self. The me who loves to people watch and asks for a mochi ball "just because." The girl who loves to laugh until she cries. Then cries some more because she is once again reminded of who is missing. The real self who loves her friends as much as she does her family. Scratch that- my friends are my family. I need a night out to remind myself that I am more than just a sandwich making, nose wiping, clothes folding, stay at home mother of two and wife to a man I never feel worthy of. I need a night out to realize that I have more in common with those I would least expect, and remember how much I love getting to know someone new. It's okay to make that phone call and see if they want to come even if they haven't ever been before. Maybe they'll say yes. And hopefully we'll pick her up before 9 and she has decided to go to bed! In the past few months, I have learned how to hold on to those I love a little tighter and let go of those I love a little less. It's okay for me to say I'm "just going to get ice cream" and be gone for 3 hours. Guilt free no less. Thank you girls for another one of those nights. I needed it.