Friends, A Sweet Little Rose, and Rugged Maniac

I don't even want to blog this, cause it reminds me that there are not going to be anymore Zoo trips, park rendezvous and San Lagos Swim days- but hey, we sure know how to have fun when we're together, right ladies?  March was the finale of living in AZ while the Esplin's and Nuckles and Weatherspoons would all be there together before graduation...

Rocky and his Mama Andy- and those Zebras...

 I love this picture of Rocky's chubby little hand, "No fear Mr. Giraffe! I've got some nummies for you!"

 I totally wimped out feeding the sting rays- I dropped my shrimp in the water as soon as they got close.  Andy did the same thing, so the brave Kaylee, who didn't drop her shrimp bought us more so we weren't so lame! Thanks Kaylee.  Not pictured, though I wish it was, Kaylee and I took Cameron and Rocky on their first roller coaster ride... Ok so don't picture anything very extreme, it was a log ride that had a huge drop and a big splash!  Thankfully Rocky was in front and took the brunt of the water... poor kid.  lots of tears from both Cam and Rocky, maybe we should have waited to take them on the log ride.

 That night we went out without kids!! Such a big deal! We paid babysitters and everything. We didn't want that night to end.  The next day Joe and I were strapping the kids to their carseats and driving from AZ to North Carolina for his 2nd to last rotation before graduation.  The drive in a nutshell went better than I expected, but you can't make a 36 hour car ride go very fast when you have a 3 month old who gets hungry every 1.5 hours on the dot.  It was a slow 3 days, but we made it here, and have had a total blast!  I haven't even taken any pictures, which is a good sign, having too much fun to stop for pictures...It's helped me missing my girls back in AZ.

 I put this picture in because you guys, Rosy is growing up! Right before my eyes.  She's so cute.  This girl is one mellow baby.  This picture cracks me up cause she never has a stone face like this, it's bubbles, giggles, laughs, she's a total thumb/fist sucker, she east baby cereal... anyway it's not a first prize picture of her but I needed to blog about my little Rosalie.

 On to the most exciting, wildest, funnest, craziest event in a very long time... RUGGED MANIAC 5K!
Leah (Joe's sister) calls me before we drive out to NC and tells me to check out this website, which I do, and think it's insane, and then she tells me, great! I signed us up!  I told her, It looks like something we would only find in our dreams...

 Leah's friends were all excited about running it too.  3 miles of mud, obstacles, barbed wire, cargo nets, mud, fire, who could ask for anything more?

 The conditions were truly rugged- 48 degrees, raining, slippery mud... Funny how it was 80 and sunny they day before and the day after...

 So it was a lot of fun, but it was still 3 miles in the cold and rain, and I've been working out but my baby is still not quite 4 months old...so I can also say it was HARD.

 Oh yeah...

 Best picture EVER. Leah was probably most excited about the fire.  Doesn't look like much, probably cause of all the rain, but when you have to jump over it, it is pretty exciting.  The day we signed up Leah said, "There's fire! I don't know what you're supposed to do with it, but there's fire!"

 Deceivingly clean, we're actually completely soaked.  The last obstacle was a 20 ft slide into muddy yucky water.  Joe asked me to dive head first if I truly loved him. Which I did.

This guy was impressed with our group (he was part of the rugged maniac crew at the top of the slide)- and for the ladies that went down head first... He asked for a picture, and I was feeling pretty rugged so Joe took the picture :)  Joe- wouldn't have been able to do it if you didn't watch the babies... next time it's your turn!