August!

August. The end of "summer" is officially starting to feel close.

We started the first weekend of August at Mem's lake house, and kept ourselves busy almost every day since!

We had a family wedding (Ryan's cousin, Heather) one weekend. The little ladies had fun getting all dressed up.

Camryn watching, with much anticipation, for the girls in the pretty dresses to come down the aisle. She kept looking for Heather in the white dress. I kept telling myself that time needed to slow down as I started picturing her on her wedding day.

Reception

These girls love their little cousin, Annie :)

And the big hit was glow sticks!

There was a night where the girls went to spend the night at Mem's house and have a sleepover so I could get some work done while they played. Mem took them to the zoo, again, which they couldn't stop talking about. :)

Continuing with training in August - the GR Games are coming up in September!!
Matching morning with coach AJ

And hitting a fun new PR on my back squat at 220lbs.

Lots of dressing up has happened this month

 Twirling :)

Including for church one morning (big bow, two necklaces, sparkly shoes :))

Taylor loves making "maps"...captured a very colorful map she created during Cam's nap time one day.

Usually this one wakes up from her naps and needs a few minutes to snuggle and wake up. :)

We hit up downtown one Monday during the Zeeland Main Street fun night. The girls with the crowns they made. :)

Spent a lot of time at the campground one weekend with the Slagh family - and the girls spent most of their time in the pool

Lots of outside time

 (They saw a butterfly and had to stop and watch)

And sometimes a girl just wants to change from her swim suit, into a dress, and read a book in a chair. Her personality just keeps me smiling. :)

And....Back to School getting closer means...
lots of pencil sharpening,

lots of organizing,

new haircuts,

and new backpacks.

Shermanator Triathlon 2015

In the past two years, I have thought to myself that I should just sign up for one triathlon, just to get back in that racing scene a little and see how it would feel. I have been on my bike a handful of times this summer, and when at my mom's house or up north, I have taken advantage of doing a couple open water swims.

I knew that we would be having a long weekend in Battle Creek the first weekend of August, and knew there were two possible triathlons that were always around the beginning of August, and so four days before the race, I signed up for the "Shermanator" triathlon in Augusta. The race was only 20 minutes from my mom's house, and it didn't give me much time to have to mentally think about it either. ;)

Ryan went with me while the girls slept in at Mem's house. We left at 5:45am...I've always been picky about my spot in the transition area, so I like to get there early. :)

Getting set up

Before the swim

 Right before the swim start...I'm in the back there somewhere :)

Transition to the bike out of the water

Through the bike course, because it was an out and back, I had a sense that there weren't very many women in front of me, but it was hard to know for sure because there were so many athletes that were 'aquabike', 'relay', or duathletes. 

Transition to the run

On the run I just tried to tell myself that it was three one-mile runs.  The course was the shape of a "T", so there were two chances to see people in front and behind me, and after the first turn around I hadn't seen very many females go past, so I thought I was doing okay!

Coming back in to the finish line - so thankful the road back had a good chunk of downhill right at the end!

After I crossed, I saw Ryan and told him my first priority was going to the bathroom - trying to stay hydrated has its downfalls! ;) But two seconds later two guys came up to us from the Battle Creek Enquirer - the local newspaper, and they told me that they had confirmed with a couple of people that I had won and was the first female finisher overall.

Just slightly excited. And suprised!!

Here is a breakdown of how the race went.

The swim felt good and steady, I have been stronger on the bike, and it was just lack of training that kept me under a 20mph pace, and on the run I had no idea how fast I was going - only knew that I felt like I was being chased by these really super fit women behind me that seemed like they were getting closer - so I ran as fast as I could maintain!

Award time :)

And me and my big supporter for the morning! I was so glad he could be there with me! :)

 And the newspaper the next morning....the front of the sports section. :)