Life and Times of the Sharp Family

After the triathlon, we decided to use a bike transport company to get my Quicksilver back to Michigan.  It was easier and cheaper, so what wasn't to love?  The only drawback to the whole deal was that the nearest bike shop to ship to was in Fraser, Michigan -- a good two hour drive from Albion.  What would have been sort of a drag turned into a great day when my good friend J agreed to meet me at the Panera Bread in Canton.  Since she lives over that way, she was willing to drive a ways to have coffee with me.  Colby dropped me off in Canton, drove the remaining distance to Fraser and picked up the bike.  By the time he got back with Quicksilver, I had the opportunity sit and talk with my friend for over two and a half hours.  It went by so quickly, and I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to relax and catch up.  Instead of sitting in a car for that time, I got to have a great morning with my friend over coffee. Thank God for ...

To my dear, sweet, Dharia Lou, You are four today.  And even though that seems pretty little, you are very wise.  You have taught me many things and there are many things about you that I hope never, ever change about you: I hope you are always the first person to start dancing when music comes on. I hope you are always the first person to ask someone "What's wrong?" when you see that they are sad. I hope you are always up for and enthusiastic about any adventure, no matter how mundane.  You even make going to the grocery store fun. I hope you are always as comfortable in your own skin as you are now.  I hope you hug hello and goodbye with the same reckless abandon. I hope your hair is never quite perfect. I hope that you always wear dresses when shorts would be just fine. I hope you know when it's okay to boss people around. I hope you always love a good party. I hope you always sleep like a rock. I hope that I will always be your best friend (even th...

I have been sick today, so I spent the better part of five hours in the heart of the day sleeping.  When I stumbled out of my room, this picture shows what was directly in my line of sight as I opened the door.  I did a cartoon-style double take, shaking the sleep from my head to verify that I was really seeing what I thought I was seeing. This is Dharia passed out cold in her toy box.  I'm not sure whether she opened the lid and thought it might be a good place to sleep, or if she was was playing and just dropped.  Either way, it's pretty funny. Dharia has always been my funny girl, the one who just does strange things that make me laugh.  I am so grateful for her and for this facet of her personality.  I am thankful that she was able to get some rest today, albeit somewhat unconventionally. Thank God for a double take! Lord, thank you for the funny things that my kids say and do that make life interesting.  Thank you for my Dharia and he...

I am so incredibly thankful that today I got to see some very special people in my life -- both sets of my grandparents.  This hasn't happened very often in my adult life.  Sure, when I was a kid, I would see my grandparents together at birthday parties and the like, but at 30, not so much. My Grandpa Stuart celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday, so we went out to their log cabin in Leonidas, Michigan this afternoon to have cake and ice cream.  We spent time together watching Breslin, Dharia, and AJ swim in the river I spent many days of my own childhood immersed within.  My Grandma Stuart makes a mean punch and always seems to know just when I need some coffee.  It was a wonderful and relaxing time spent together celebrating my grandpa, who is one of my favorite people in the whole wide world.  I love listening to and laughing at his stories. Straight from the cabin, we headed up to Hawk Island County Park in Lansing to meet my mom, Evan a...

At the library this week, we checked out the feature-length movie, The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.  As a kid, I absolutely loved this movie, and today, I'm happy to report that my kids do too. My sweet sensitive boy Breslin, cried when Rabbit told Tigger he couldn't bounce anymore, then wept with joy when he was allowed to once again.  A similar thing happened when Piglet gave his house to Owl and went to live with Pooh Bear. It melted my hear to see my kids singing along with "Heffalumps and Woozles" and, my favorite: "I'm a Little Black Rain Cloud". I am thankful that my kids got a chance to watch such a sentimental, quality movie and pleased that they obviously have good taste. ;) But more than anything, I was grateful for the opportunity to snuggle with them, sing along with them, and spend time sharing something with them that I love. Thank God for Winnie the Pooh! Lord, thank you for the quality time I got to spend with my kids to...

Once on Main Street, I messed with my Garmin a bit to get it going.  I was wearing it for no other reason than to not be stupid; that is, I wanted to keep a careful eye on my pace for the first few miles, as I have a tendency to let my adrenaline get the best of me and go out way too fast.  I looked down and saw that I was right on track at about 9 minute miles.  At this pace, my legs felt surprisingly fresh.  The crowd support on Main Street was phenomenal -- blasting music and cheering like crazy for all of us who had just started our long journey towards completing the marathon. Not too long after exiting transition, I saw my dad and Colby waving wildly.  I blew them a kiss and tried to take everything in -- the roar of the fans, the history of the Olympic Center (where The Miracle happened in 1980), and the feel of running the marathon leg of an actual Ironman, which I had been dreaming about for so long. Not quite a mile out of town, the crow...

My kids love to dance.  Even so, it's rare that all three will dance, on camera, for any solid length of time. Tonight, they danced their little hearts out and we managed to catch the whole thing on video.  Sure, a small fight breaks out between Dharia and AJ, and I believe a Care Bear makes a short cameo appearance, but other than that you have three minutes and 38 seconds of Sharp Kid Dancing.  Their joy and silliness makes me grin my face off, and for that I'm grateful. Thank God for my dancing kids! Lord, thank you for the joy my kids have and for the joy they bring to our lives too.  Thank you for the time we were able to spend with them today and for opportunities to let loose and have fun together.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Dislaimer: It is very late.  I make no promises as to the quality of this review.  I can promise that it will be riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. Bike and T2 (continued from yesterday) ...repeated to myself the motto of the day: DON'T. BE. STUPID. Okay, so maybe that wasn't the motto of the day, but I sure felt like I said it to myself a lot. Don't be stupid, as in, don't be stupid and go out hard on the bike! Don't be stupid, as in, don't be stupid and not drink enough water! Don't be stupid, as in, don't be stupid and not eat enough calories! I am including a map of the bike course, for reference.  The course was 2 loops going counter-clockwise from Lake Placid: I flew down the hill from the transition area and through town.  I tried to settle down and focus on what was sure to be a very long bike ride.  I told myself that I wanted to keep my legs fresh for finishing the marathon, which meant riding extremel...

I think I am finally in a place where I can start to recap the race.  I really want to do it for me -- to get it off my chest and share my story, but I know there are at least a couple of people out there who have asked for more details about the race.  I'm sure this will be more than anybody really wants to hear, but hey, you have my permission to skim, skip sections that aren't interesting, or drop out halfway through.  I think to do it all at once would be a little much -- not only for you to read, but for me to write, so I'm breaking the race up over three days.  I'll do the start of the race to T1 today, the bike through T2 tomorrow, and the run and finish the next day.  This will give me a chance to really include everything and do a good job. So, here we go! Start to Transition 1 Lake Placid is a beautiful town.  When the Ironman is here (the only time I know), there are triathletes and their families everywhere you look.  Col...

It's never fun to come home from vacation.  Immediately you are surrounded with the tasks of every day life, like making meals, doing laundry, and washing dishes. Today I'm thankful that, for Colby and I, coming home from vacation is easier for us than most. The first reason coming home is easier for us is our jobs.  As teachers, we don't come home from vacation and then face a work week.  We come home and face more summer.  It's pretty freakin' cool.  The second reason coming home is easier for us is that we get to see our kids.  We don't take kids on vacation, because with kids, it's not a vacation.  So, if you can't have kids on vacation, that means that they're always there when you get home.  After a week away (our longest stretch ever), we really missed those boogers.  There are other reasons that coming home is great too, but none of them really compare to these two.  Today, we basically stayed at home, enjoying each other...

I honestly never thought we would make it home tonight. Every flight we experienced as a part of this trip was delayed significantly. That's 0 for 4 people. And just so we are clear, I really hate airports. There are too many people for my taste, it smells weird, and the beer costs too much, among other things. We sat in the Newark airport, serious contender for cesspool of the universe, and listened to our son cry for us to come home over the phone while watching our departure time slip later and later on the boards. When we finally did board our final flight, we sat back only to remain grounded on the runway for over an hour. My incredible friend J had previously agreed to pick us up at in Detroit, but I was concerned because we had originally been scheduled to land at 10:30 - late enough for my friend and mother of two small children. Now our arrival time was more like 2 am. I shouldn't have worried. Every time I texted J to update her, she responded with encouragem...

I'm thankful that today when we traveled back to Burlington I got to meet Colby's author friend, Kate Messner and her family, for ice cream. We met at Ben and Jerry's and had a great time discussing books, the Ironman, and the weather (Kate's husband is a meteorologist). Kate is an amazing author (according to Colby, the one of the premier authors of middle grade books) and has published books for itty-bitties through eigth graders.  It was pretty awe-inspiring to be sitting across from someone whose book I literally just saw in a book store.  But, at the same time she was handing us an autographed copy of her latest book,  Capture the Flag , she wanted to know all about the triathlon and was grateful to my husband for inspiring/promoting her work on the 3rd book in the Marty McGuire series.  It was very cool to hear an author thank my husband.  It was wonderful to meet someone that he loves so much and is so inspired by.  He talks about her...

I have so much to say, but I am so tired and overwhelmed by the blessings in my life. Thank you to everyone that sent your good thoughts and prayers. Lord, thank you so much for allowing me to become an Ironman. Thank you for putting so many people in my life that helped make this possible. In your name I pray, Amen. 

Remember this?  I do. Holy. Cow. Tonight I am thankful to all of you out there who have loved and supported me through this entire journey.  I have been overwhelmed by all of the comments posted, texts sent, and phone calls I have received today and throughout the week wishing me luck, sending me love, and promising me prayers during the race tomorrow. It means more that I can say that you believe in me.  It fills my heart up to bursting to know that you are willing to take time out of your day to pray, to hope, to wish with me as I chase a dream.  And I am thankful to know that no matter what happens, you will love me. Among my biggest supporters have been my husband and my kids.  They have cheered me on through countless training rides, runs, and swims.  And despite being away from me, they have managed to show me their love and support.  Take for example, this chalk drawing Breslin drew at Nana's house for me tonight: This is a picture my m...

Colby and I took a ferry across Lake Champlain this morning and ended up in Lake Placid.  I got myself checked-in for the race and then we got the heck out of there because the town of Lake Placid was crazy with triathletes.  It made me anxious, so we decided to see if we could check into our hotel early.  Driving just a few miles out of Lake Placid, we found that Saranac Lake was a pleasant haven away from the insanity.  The view from the balcony of our room. We were more than pleasantly surprised to find that Gauthier's Saranac Inn, which we booked more than a year ago, is a great little hotel.  The innkeeper was more than happy to let us check in early.  When we walked in to our room, we both let out a little gasp of surprise.  It has big windows that look over Sarnac Lake and a little balcony where we can sit.  I was also thrilled to find that the Saranac Lake Inn has been awarded for it's efforts to be environmentally frien...

Burlington, Vermont, Day 1: 10:30 am (hey, give us a break, we got in a 2:30 am!): Breakfast at the Penny Cluse Cafe, downtown Burlington.  I had Huevos Verdes.  Oh man, it was good. How cute is this menu? My huevos verdes...ooh baby. 11:30 am - 1 pm: Shopping/Sightseeing in the Church Street Market Place in downtown Burlington.  There were tons of cute little boutiques that Colby just loved.  Okay, that's not true.  It was me.   1:30 pm: Got this awesome video from my dad of him and the kids: 2 pm: Nap at the hotel while Colby drove to pick up my bike.  YES. 3:30 pm: Re-united with Quicksilver.  Took an hour tour through the backroads of Burlington and was stupefied by the number of hills I had to climb.  But, the good new was, I didn't get hit by a car.  Because, I was pretty sure I was going to.  It's nerve-wracking to bike when it's so hilly. 5:30 pm: Dinner on Church Street.  Colby and I ordered a ch...

Well, it's TWO FREAKING THIRTY-FOUR in the morning, but we are finally in our hotel room in Burlington, Vermont. Well, let's see. First, we managed to lock ourselves out of our running car 20 minutes after leaving home for the airport. Then, when we got to the airport, our flight to DC was put on delay for an hour. And then another hour. And then another hour. And then we went to go get a $9.00 beer at the airport TGI Friday's.  But guess what?  They were out of beer. So, we went back and our flight was boarding!  Good thing we couldn't have a beer! :) We got to Washington, DC and found out that our flight to Burlington was delayed 2 hours. And then we went to get a $9.00 beer at the airport.  And they weren't out of beer. I ate a giant pickle.  It was delicious. We boarded our flight to Burlington after midnight, only to be told that the rental car counters closed at 2 am.  FLY, PLANE, FLY! Colby bulldozed about a dozen ...

Cole Brady and Cal Riley are Colby's youngest brothers.  Cole was born during my sophomore year of college and Cal was just a tiny baby at my wedding, so I have literally watched them grow up.  They are now entering their fourth grade year at Warner Elementary. These boys are the most amazing uncles to our kids, and let me tell you; Breslin, Dharia, and AJ adore them.  They are always excited to see my kids, and my kids are equally excited to see them.  What I have been most suprised to see, however, is how much Cole and Cal are willing to help and watch over their neices and nephews.  It's like even at this early age, they boys have developed an uncle-like protectiveness.  I have watched them gently push AJ in the swing, play a relaxed, easy game of catch with Breslin, and stand behind Dharia as she climbed up the steep stairs to a big slide. Since I had made such excellent progress on my packing this morning (and our house was unbearably hot), we ...

I got AJ to wear a headband today for three reasons: 1) I found one. 2) It fit her head. 3) I imagined that it would help keep her unruly hair a bit more tidy. I did not imagine that she would walk around the rest of the day calling it her "head band-aid". "Momma, look at mah headband-aid, aren't I so bootiful?" "Ooops!  Where my headband-aid go?" "Momma, where your headband-aid?" It made me laugh. Thank God for AJ's head Band-aid! Lord, thank you for my beautiful, daughter who is full of joy and who says things that make me laugh.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I am determined to have a better post today.  I think that it helps that I'm writing it before 11 pm.  The past week has been exceptionally difficult, mostly, I think due to the fact that I am constantly preoccupied with the looming race on the horizon.  Every day brings me one step closer to facing this dream and I won't lie: I'm scared.  I'm trying to embrace the fear and let it motivate me, let it make me feel like I'm really alive -- but mostly it's making me feel like I'm walking around in sort of a daze, not fully paying attention to anything else.  It's exhausting, and I find myself tired beyond comprehension despite a much-reduced training load. So, I am thankful that today the 2011 Ironman National Championship was making an encore appearance on NBC.  I think it was totally God's way of showing me why I decided to take this on in the first place.  I just happened to see that it was playing this afternoon as I was on the Ironman websit...

Today we Colby and I played in a softball tournament together. At the tournament they had an inflatable water slide set up for kids to play on (almost exactly like the one in the picture. Breslin, Dharia, and AJ had a great time acting like maniacs on the slide. Watching them was a joy. Lord, thank you so much for allowing our kids to have such a great time at a softball tournament that we dragged them to. In your name I pray, Amen.

Colby and I just got back from a night out at Monaco Bay in Kalamazoo.  It's a dueling piano par and restaurant.  I wish I could tell you more, but frankly, I'm exhausted. We had a great time watching the pianists and singing along to tunes.  It was nice to get out of the house and be together.  I think the entertainment was way beyond anything that we expected.  We had so much fun!  Thank God for Monaco Bay! Lord, thank you for the chance for Colby and I to go out tonight.  Thank you for the fun we had at a new place that exceeded our expectations.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I had coffee with a friend this morning.  It was long overdue.  She didn't catch me on my best day unfortunately.  But, fortunately, that didn't seem to matter to her.  Even with a sick kid and a gazillion other things to do, she asked questions, made time for me, and made me feel as though what I had to say was important. It was so nice to talk, to catch up, but mostly, it was nice to be to be heard .  I am so grateful to know her and blessed to have her as a friend.  Thank God for coffee with a friend! Lord, thank you for my friend and for the chance for us to get together today.  Please give us more opportunities to do that in the near future.  Thank you for the blessing of her friendship and for the way she helped me today.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Over the past year or so, my track record with phones has been not so stellar. The first was fried by my own sweat on a bike ride. Gross, I know.  The second, literally split in half the other day when I snapped it open to send a text. With money being considerably tight right now, I was pretty confident that I would be sending smoke signals to my family and friends for the next few months.  Not exactly efficient -- nor safe with the dry weather we've been having.  I could burn down all of Albion! Colby miraculously produced some funds, worked some magic on eBay, and I have a new (used) phone -- one that is not split in two pieces and that will send and receive calls! So, call me maybe?  No seriously, call me or text -- all my contacts are gone. :) Thank God for a new phone! Dear Lord, thank you for the means to get a new phone.  Thank you for a way to connect with family and friends.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Every night around 10 pm, my husband makes a valiant effort to stay awake.  Usually I'm watching The Biggest Loser at this time with my feet up on his lap on the couch.  I know when he's fallen asleep, because his head starts to droop down to one side and then he yanks it up with a little snort.  It's hilarious.  It always makes me laugh and I think it's so cute that he makes the effort to be with me even though he's so obviously exhausted.  I'm thankful for a husband who loves me so much he's willing to risk neck injury to be with me at night.  Thank God for watching Colby fall asleep on the couch! Lord, thank you for my husband.  I am grateful for the funny and endearing things that he does that make me laugh and fall in love with him more and more.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Colby taught the kids a new joke today at the park.  So, all day, the two older kids have been doing variations of this: What I love the most about it, though, is that for the two of them, it never gets old.  I mean, every single time it's the same thing, but they both laugh as though they've never heard anything funnier (which is entirely possible).  In fact, sometimes, Breslin dissolves in giggles well before "eight" and Dharia is so excited to get there that she skips numbers just so that she can say the punchline.  It's pure, simple joy and it can't help but be rubbed off on you a little bit. So, today I'm thankful for a dumb joke that gave my kids so much happiness, and for the joy I felt hearing them laugh. Thank God for the joke! Dear Lord, thank you for simple joys and for the chance to laugh.  Thank you for my kids, who bring joy to my life daily.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Today's post will horrify some of you.  It will make some of you envious. If you know me at all, it definitely shouldn't surprise you, at any rate. ... I never changed out of my pajamas today. If that's not something to be thankful for, I don't know what is!  I just showered (it's 11 pm) and changed right back into (clean) pajamas. Thank God for pajamas all day! Lord, thank you for a relaxing, lazy day to get caught up with my family and to stay in the house.  Thank you for rest.  In your name I pray, Amen.