Your 2010 Leslie Beach Penguins... Jackson and Catie are on the far left...
We have been having some trouble with early evening thunderstorms ruining our swim meets. 2 out of 4 have been canceled due to thunder and rain... rats!
Catie was reunited with her old friend Samantha Feild at the last meet and had a ball waiting for the rain to stop.
We made our return to the annual Possum Trot this weekend. Jackson and Catie ran the 1 mile fun run while Ann pushed the Abster in the jogging stroller. While Jackson finished 3rd, Catie put in a good effort but only managed to bring up the end of the race. We have hired a private running coach to bring her up to speed! Just kidding...
We love Catie's never say die attitude and effort!
Catie and Dad held hands almost the whole run. They sure look happy to be finished. What's up with Stiv's hair? Looks like a major static electricity issue!!!
"Don't even think about trying a piece of my syrup soaked pancakes Dad!"
The local quack or chiropractor was offering free health screenings and a massage to the participants. After screening Jackson's neck with some kind of thermal imaging contraption, they decided that they could cure his migraines with adjustments and massage therapy...
Jackson was happy to receive his latest medal! Catie was real disappointed that she did not get one, but Jackson was very gracious by letting her wear it home.
Abster... maybe next year you will be old enough to run in the possum trot. She sure looks ready!
We have not had much opportunity to ride this year and decided to participate in a new Metric Century Ride southwest of Atlanta to lift our bike fitness... this was going to be a challenge. It was the inaugural event, which made us nervous because it is easy to get lost in these rides if the cue sheet or course markings are not clear. The ride went great for the first 45 miles, and then we started to fade a little. By mile 60, the never-ending long rolling hills were turning our legs to jello. No matter, we only had 4 miles to go. Oops, the course was not marked well, and we figured out that we were actually 25 miles out with little water left and the temp climbing above 90 degrees! Long story short, we were lucky enough to find a couple of local riders who could tell we were lost and had a pickup truck only 8 miles away. We jumped on the offer... or we still might be out riding somewhere. Talk about lucky!!!Abby loves riding her trike and asks us every night to ride. This is an old video form April that we have been meaning to post.
Memorial Day weekend was spent on our annual trip to visit the Somerset's in Tallahassee. The trip almost did not happen this year because they had relatives staying with them for the first part of the summer. Once we convinced them to give Josh's brother and sister the boot, our visit was back on!
Our kids love the Somerset kids and always look forward to the trip. Naomi described their friendship the best when trying to explain who we were to a friend. She said... "I think they are our cousins or something."
The kids loved the fact that they have a pool in their backyard. Here we caught Catie in the beginning stages of the belly flop.
Jackson enjoyed running on the treadmill in the workout room. I hope he is ready for the Possum Trot 1 mile fun run next week!
Usually Abster is not this cheerful in the morning. But, she is ready for a fun day at the park.
Jackson was engaged with the giant "Simon" light game. It looks easier than you think!
Naomi did a great job keeping the Schwartz kids balanced.
The week after Memorial Day was the annual Macon Rock and Roll triathlon. Stiv and Ann have not had much time to train, so decided on the sprint triathlon. John and Ann H. did the half-ironman race. As in previous years, it was about the hottest day of the summer so far... 96 degrees!!
Ann coming in on her sweet ride, looking excited to see the family cheering for her.
Stiv is looking strong heading out onto the run. Notice the high shoulders, a sure sign of someone about to struggle...
The two lion cubs waiting for John and Ann to finish the Half. The kids did fantastic waiting out in the sun for hours and hours.
We found a nice spot to watch the race in the shade. Once again, Grandma and Grandpa braved the heat and watched the kids during the race. Jackson took control of Stiv's new finisher's hat.
Here comes Uncle John ready to dismount his bike...
We are all patiently waiting for Ann H to come down the home stretch in the last leg of the race, a 13.1 mile run. Finishing was an accomplishment on a day like this one; the heat was stifling and most people ended up walking a portion of the run. Both John and Ann had great finishes.
And here she comes, looking strong with her signature wave. Only four more months to train before her first full Ironman!!!
Ann finished 2nd overall in the Master's Division and showing off her hardware.
After the race, we enjoyed a dip in the lake to cool off.
Sometimes miracles do happen!! Jackson has been hanging onto his training wheels like they were his last friend in the world. A new bike and some patience finally worked!
People always say not to put a pool in as you never get your money out of it when selling. But, we decided to go for it anyway... life is too short! And here it is... our new pool, $7.99 at Toys 'R Us. The kids loved hanging out in our new addition and the neighbors are very jealous! This is sure to improve our resale value.
No idea what this face is all about our or why it made its way onto the blog...
Swimming and silly karate could only happen at our house.
Abster and Jax have always had a special bond that is fun to watch.
The Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon was last weekend. It is a nice venue for families as there were several kid friendly activities within walking distance of the transition area. This is a regional qualifier for the age group national championships that take place in Tuscaloosa, AL this fall and was our "A" race for the year. Since Ann has already qualified, this was Stiv's opportunity to make the cut.
Stiv finished with a great swim and a solid bike and was right on qualifying pace as he started the run... this is where it all started to go terribly wrong. Unfortunately, he must have gone into the race dehydrated because after about a mile, his heart rate was through the roof and his body was overheating which lead to a huge bonk during the run, resulting in a whopping 1:02 10K (and a few minutes in the medical tent at the finish). BTW, Ann had another solid race and finished in 8th place... kick a man when he's down!!
The finish of the bike course has a nice picture of the giant hills that made up the bike course in the background. 
The girls were scouting the course the night before the big race. It looks nice out, but it was actually in the mid-90's and humid.
After the kids did a nice job walking a couple miles to dinner, we could not get into Tony's Trattoria so we had to eat at this fancy restaurant next door. Abby had her best manners on display. Nothing like gourmet macaroni and cheese!
Jackson gives the bike exit the A-ok.
Abby loves Jackson's friend Matthew! Maybe this will be a prom picture a decade from now!
Abby and the kids are big fans of cute baby Brennan... he is such a happy little guy.
This waterfall was part of the Tennessee Aquarium. The kids loved walking up and down the stairs and playing in the pool at the bottom. A great way to cool off after a long day at the race.
Catie has her shorts hiked up high trying not to get wet!
Even Abster got into the action...
We did not get any pictures after the race because Stiv was too busy in the Medical tent. So we had to pose for one later in the day.
Abby hoarded the cherry freezie to help cool herself off from the high temps. Below, the sisters hanging out in the fountain. Have you noticed that Catie has her goggles on in an awful lot of the pictures we post???
