Sliding and sliding and sliding

Ah, the Lepper family is too good to us. We joke around about all the crap they drop off for our kids, but deep down we love it. The toys we get are things that we would never buy our children but are so glad we have them. Best of all-they are FREE!

Recently we were delivered the Banzai Water slide. This huge slide that blows itself up (I love that part) stays upright, you attach a hose to it and watch your kids and their friends have hours of endless fun on it!

Emmitt won't even go near the thing for the simple fact that it shoots water in his direction. Come to think of it, he is scared of the other "Lepper toy" which is the four-wheeler, but we all know that is because his brother randomly runs him over with it.

Parker absolutely loves both of these gifts. He goes down the slide over and over and over. He'll change it up a bit and go head first or feet first or a bounce and jump. Any way he does it, he is smiling when he goes down.Friday before the Fourth Parker's buddies, Bradyn, Max, Nate and Morgan came over to slide. One after the other...sliding down the same slide like it was something new each turn they took.
I love how Max got air on this one. I believe this is his first actual time down the slide and he bounced off the top and landed (thankfully) on his butt on the slide. His eyes were just huge when he got off.

Bradyn being brave and going head first. Randomly the bigger kids would shoot right off the bottom of the slide and land in the muddy grass at the end. They really didn't seem to mind.

I love how excited these kids get when they have something fun like this to play on. It makes the day fly by and you really don't have much "watching" of them to do other than to just sit back and watch them have fun....ahhh

The Kids Race

Well I had my fun running the race, but I think Parker and Jillian had more fun in the kids race. Jillian wasn't sure she was going to run and then decided to at the end (hence the crocs she is wearing). And Parker just wanted to eat my banana and then thought about running for a second. Last year he stood there holding his crotch before the race, this year...just a banana.

And they were off...it may look like Jillian is way ahead (she is) and not just an illusion of her being on the inside track. But half way around the track she stopped, turned around, and waited for Parker! It was so cute. They were just off on the other side of the track visiting.

The last stretch is always so exciting. We (meaning Bear) always has to encourage him to finish. Reg ran up to cheer Jillian on to the finish line. Huge smile on her face.

Daddy got smart and wore his runners this year. I think he knew in the back of his mind that he would have to chase after Parker.If she isn't the cutest thing ever! She is doing this thing lately, when there is a big crowd or gets excited and nervous, where she drops to her knees. Well this experience did it...she was running full blast and dropped right on the track before the finish line. I thought she fell, but she just knelt there for a second, got up and kept on truckin'.

My Big Race

These are the pics I pulled off of the Daily Journal website. The article is there too at the bottom.

For the last 3 years, this is how I choose to spend my 4th of July morning. It has only been in existence for 3 years. I sponsor it with my business and the money raised goes to Bronco Track Booster club. Parker has ran the kids race all 3 years also and next year, I hope to get Emmitt out there. I have always done this with my mom and kids. The last 2 years I have walked the race, this year I thought I would push myself to run it.

My goal was to run the 5k under 30 minutes.

This is just after starting the race. We took one lap around the track, which felt like running on air and then down the bike path, Keenan, Stenberg and back to the school and a finish lap around the track to get the last .1 on there. The Journal Sports Editor snapped the pics for me and I am not sure why I am being a smart ass during a race, but it is a Fun Run after all.

The finish line is in my site and I had checked my watch and knew that I had beat my goal time by a bit...not so smiley now am I? And it was so hot by the time the race ended, the heat was coming and I was sweating! Not having so much fun now.

Bib 55 Becky 92 12 F 29 19-29 28 27

Translated into I finished 92 out of 193 participants. 12th in my category. I am 29 years old. My category was 19-29 Year Olds. My time was 28:27.

Superwoman Regan ran pushing all that extra weight in kids and stroller and was just behind me!

Bib 237 Regan 99 12 F 32 30-39 29:21

Bib 218 Deb 159 26 F 35 30-39 45:11

Bib 18 Audrey 158 1 F 61 60+ 45:10

AMEN WE DID IT!So cute how Parker is waving away at me as they come in on the finish line. I cannot believe I am going to say there is a down side to this awesome stroller, but Emmitt is underneath Parker in the bottom seat and you cannot see him from this angle.

From the Journal:

A combination of perfect weather and a weekend holiday made for a record-breaking Bronco 5K on Saturday morning at the Falls High School track.
After 72 participants took to the track in the inaugural year in 2007, 109 participants followed up last year. Saturday, 193 finished.
“This year is perfect for a run,” said Robert Youso, a 2005 FHS graduate who finished second overall. “Don’t know what the temp is, but it’s perfect.”
The temperature at the end of the race, which concluded around 11 a.m., was 70 degrees. There were little or no complaints, and the only hiccup was the finish. Youso actually crossed the finish line first, but Jason Russy was awarded the win. Russy had a large lead entering the final 400 meters — once around the track — but he stopped at the starting line, which was roughly 200 meters short of the finish. Youso tried to flag him down to continue to the finish, but it was the third-place finisher, Frank Frederickson, who finally got Russy’s attention.
“We are giving him the win. He deserves it,” said race coordinator Jen Erickson.
Russy, who was participating for the first time, left soon after the race and was unavailable for comment.
The focus of the morning race was having fun, however, and the overall perception was positive, especially from the out-of-towners.
“It was a great little route,” said Kim Lewis, who hails from Fairbanks, Alaska. Lewis was visiting with her boyfriend, ’95 FHS graduate Marc Dugas. The two finished together ... sort of.
“I passed her, actually,” Dugas was quick to point out.
Jay Alliff, a high school teacher and track coach from Placerville, Calif., was especially impressed by the support for the 5K.
“It was good,” Alliff said about the race. “Nice and fast and flat. Looks like they have a nice track program here. Nice facility and a lot of community support.”
Locally, the option to run or walk brought out a lot of families.
Regan Bilben, fresh off participating June 20 in the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in Duluth, ran with “70 pounds of children” in a big stroller. Jillian, 3, and Brooks, 1, “wanted to come today,” Bilben said.

Ralph Hall, a ’69 FHS graduate, had eight family members in the race.
“To finish is to win,” Hall said.
Even the paper mill was mentioned by Jim Palm, an Indus graduate visiting from Atlanta.
“The fumes from the mill made me feel right at home,” he said.
The morning ended with three fun runs for children. Seven-year-old Caden Hofstad won the first race and was excited “that I started out and I ended and I won.” Hofstad, originally from International Falls, is the son of Grand Rapids boys track and field coach Darrin Hofstad.
“The more we do this, the more people will show up,” Erickson said.
All the proceeds from the race are handled by the Broncos track booster club with the money raised going to the track teams to help purchase equipment.
“It’s nice to see both the runners and the walkers. It’s a good balance,” Erickson said. “It’s more of a fun run, so you get a lot of families. And that’s perfect for the Fourth.”