St. Patty's Day

Apparently Blogger has updated and you can now upload pictures really quickly.  This is awesome for me.  Usually, I have to upload 4, wait for them to load and then add 4 more.  For big posts, this takes me hours.  I have to wait until all my church work is done as I can't get away from the link or my pictures don't load.  During nap, I will fold clothes, clip coupons, plan Sunday school lessons, etc, while I wait.  Otherwise, I have to do it at night.  Either way, it is time consuming.  I am very excited about this update!  However, I have loaded all my pictures incorrectly this time.  Usually I start with the final pictures of my post and go backwards.  This new way is reversed so my story will be in rewind today:)

I am more than a month late for this post, but it is better than nothing!

We love St. Patty's day around here!  We ran in the St. Leo's race this year.  Andy decided he was going to do his first 10K.  He was in a lot of pain from a soccer injury in the Fall, but he was doing well.  He says I was pushing him.  I say I was encouraging him.  Either way, he was hurting by the end.  He did great, but he was not feeling it! 
Here he is about to cross the finish line.

 Looking a little pained

Getting started (remember, we are in rewind)

The girls ran the fun run.  They both did great.  They are getting re hydrated here!  I was supposed to run the 10K as well, but Bennett had an ear infection.  Gigi was here to help us both run and hang out with the kids, but she stayed home to let him rest as he was sick.  So I took one for the team and stayed on the sidelines.  I felt like a louse just sitting there!  If I had known how much Andy would complain afterward, I would have made him sit and taken off:)

Carly, red-faced, but happy.  I ran with her as her personal running coach.  She didn't need as much encouragement as the last race.  We had a nice time.

Joiner at her finish!

Look behind the kid in the green hat and you will see Carly coming in next to the guy in green.

Joiner is a blur as she comes through!

Here is Joiner sprinting into the finish.  This kid is a machine!  She was one of the first finishers again.  She has so much internal motivation to be 6.  She was even encouraging her friends as she would pass them.  Before she was too far ahead of Carly and I, I saw her stop and get a basketball friend and hold her hand while running!  Now, I did pass this girl later, so I guess when she became dead weight, Joiner dropped her, but it was still a sweet gesture!

Carly before the race

Joiner at the start

Joiner waiting for the gun to go off.

For St. Patrick's Day at school, Joiner was assigned the task of making a Leprechaun trap.  We thought about what to do and she decided to spray paint a milk jug gold.  She originally wanted to label it Leprechaun trap, but we talked about what a trap meant.  So she came up with Leprechaun Dance Party to allure he/ she inside.  She even put a large jewel like a disco ball suspended at the top.  And it was completed with "gold"fish crackers to get the Leprechaun to stay!

For our St Patty's dinner we brined a brisket and made the most amazing corned beef I have ever had.  It was truly delicious.  Lissa, Tina, Gigi, and Grumpa joined us the for feast!