WE DID IT!!

I'm going to warn you: some of these pictures are not for the faint of heart! I am not looking the prettiest so it is a good thing that it was a 5K and not a beauty pageant!!

6:38: The alarm goes off. Not really sure why I set it for 6:38 but it sounded good at the time. Get dressed. Notice I did NOT say "take a shower". Just another warning folks!

7:10: Gotta wake the girls up. Easy to do when it is something they are excited about.

7:25: Leave the house to head to the Buford Run The Rails 5K Race, the girls' first 5K race.

7:35: Get registered and get our numbers. See a bunch of people we know. They didn't get the warning of how I looked so I kinda felt sorry for them. Stretch and get ready to run/walk. Or if you're my kids pose for some pics.

8:00: At the starting line. Go Team Wiggs!Start running/walking. Wind our way through downtown Buford. Together....for about 2 minutes and then Andy and Hayden took off. Which was fine. Belle and I did it together. Holding hands most of the time.

With her having a steady stream of chatter the entire time.

We had goals of "we're going to run to that next stop sign and then walk". We greeted every mile marker with a cheer and shock that we were doing so good with our time.

We waved at people we knew who were cheering from the sidewalk and at people we knew who were leading the pack.

Like *Frantastic* Bagley, a teacher at Belle's school who came in 3rd in her age group.

And Catherine Camp, Belle's Kindergarten teacher.

We hooted and hollered at Andy and Hayden when we saw them through the trees at the 2nd mile marker.

We discussed whether doing this made her a tomboy instead of a girlie girl. We also discussed being who you are and not letting others tell you how you should be. Who knew a 5K would have so many life lessons?! We talked about school, family, the best way to run downhill, people we knew and what we were going to do next week.

Then we got near the end. We set the goal "at that green flag on the light post we are going to jog it in the rest of the way". We got to the light post and kicked it up a notch. As we got to where we could see the finish line I pointed it out to her and told her to "GO FOR IT!"

She kicked it in and went sprinting over the finish line with her Daddy and sister cheering her on and getting high fives from volunteers.

WE DID IT!! GO TEAM WIGGS!!!!

We didn't win any door prizes.

BUT, HAYDEN CAME IN THIRD IN THE 10 AND UNDER AGE GROUP FOR GIRLS!!!

Can I get a *woot woot*?!? She even got a medal.

Not bad for her first race.

Belle came in 4th and didn't get a medal but she is determined to get one next time.

Yes, I said we're going to do it again and why not? I got to spend some really special quality time with my little girl who is on the brink of being a big girl.

And Andy got to spend special quality time with our big girl who is on the brink of getting to the point where we are more of a *necessity* than people to spend time with.

There is no better way to spend a Saturday morning than that!

Of course, we're only doing it again with the understanding that the "shirts have to be cute". Belle does have her girlie girl standards after all!!