4 Miler on the 4th of July & Other Festivities

Hello blog world! Long time no see! It's been insanely busy around here, but I realize that's not a good excuse because everyone is busy. It seems like every time I think I have a chance to sit down and put together a post, something else happens and it just doesn't come together. I am making an effort to be better, though! I love blogging and it seems to be a part of who I am...so even if the posts are random and scattered, they will still be there!

On to this past weekend's festivities - I RAN A RACE!! In person! 

Although the details and logistics of running said race didn't come together until the night before, the stars aligned and I was able to make it happen. I knew I couldn't miss out on our areas 4 miler on the 4th of July, so my dad agreed to stay with Brayden and off I went!

Had to pull out the traditional skirt! Love it!

It wasn't "hot" by any means (because we were graced with a cloud cover) - but it was humid...so so very humid!

The sight of a bib on my shirt and other runner's feet around me made me so very happy!

I also LOVED the addition of a "fireworks" start! This runDisney fan approves! :) 

Overall, this race was a really good one for me. Nothing hurt, nothing felt off, I didn't breathe funny and my heart didn't act crazy. I also knew ahead of time that I wouldn't PR this race and I was ok with that. I'm nowhere near the speed/pace I was a couple of years ago and that's ok. Hopefully once our Orangetheory opens back up, things will improve even more. (Not corona related but Hurricane related.)

I managed to keep pace during the race with a runner ahead of me and it was pretty smooth sailing to the end. I pushed myself to an extent I was happy with - without overdoing it - and was incredibly happy with the end result!

My official time was 35:14 was with a pace of 8:51/mi. I was 5th in my age group and 17th woman overall. 

It felt SO nice to be back, I just sat near the finish line and watched/cheered on runners and listened to the music while attempting to cool down.

After the race, I showered then met up with my parents and Brayden for breakfast at Waffle House. Seriously, their waffle with peanut butter chips is my all time favorite. So good!

Brayden is growing so big, so fast and will be starting kindergarten this fall. I made it my mission to make this summer the most magical one yet and I think we've done a pretty good job with that! (More to come later with our summer shindigs.)

That evening, Jason joined us after work for a 4th of July celebration at the park. I was sad it rained literally the entire time, but we still had fun!

The fireworks were great, too!

On Sunday, our church had a BBQ potluck dinner, complete with waterslides for the kids. 

It was fantastic and Brayden had a blast! I loved matching him for church that morning, too!

The weather on Sunday was 100% different from Saturday's which I was grateful for! It gave me a little time to sit outside on the patio and enjoy the gorgeous weather!

On Sunday evening, we drove downtown to the lake to watch the fireworks there.

They had food trucks set up as well as a commission of people handing out small American flags.

This time, we met up with some of our friends and we had a blast!

My friend Jane and I were pregnant at the same time, so these two are only 6 weeks apart. It's been so much fun to watch them play together over the years!

We stayed long after the fireworks were over, just talking and catching up. It really was great to see our friends!

As a last minute addition on Monday, we had my parents over for hamburgers! None of us were working, so it all came together perfectly!

It was yet another beautiful day, so enjoyed dinner outside on the patio. I just love days like this! 

This past weekend was a great one and definitely one I'll remember forever!

How did you celebrate the 4th? Run any races? Watch any fireworks? Spend time with friends/family?