We woke up to our first snow of the year on Thanksgiving day here in Ann Arbor. It was just a dusting, but it did stick, and on Sunday evening, a few days later, it came down harder still. I guess winter is here, and in this part of the country it's here to stay for a good five months. It was fun to see the snow, but a little daunting because earlier in the week a friend had told me about the Ann Arbor turkey trot and I had signed up to run it. The course was cold, but it wasn't snowing at the time, and the ground was wet but not icy. (I was going to post pictures of the snow, and of the finish line, but I'm having trouble uploading files right now.)
I felt pretty good about the race. I knew I was running it faster than other 5Ks I've run, partly because the cold weather here in Michigan has got me running on the treadmill a good portion of the year, and it's easier to go fast on the treadmill. Still, I was surprised when they announced the winners for my age bracket (women 25-29) and I came in second. Instead of a medal, I got a bottle of sparkling cider with a "2nd Place" sticker. The next day my friend checked the stats online and announced that I had not only gotten 2nd in my age bracket, but I was fourth overall for the women. I certainly wasn't competing against a lot of elite runners, but I was still pretty pleased with those results, since I never expect to be competitive when I run.
I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving weekends, wherever you ended up. I missed being with my family, but had a nice Thanksgiving with friends in the ward. I'm grateful for my family away from home out here, but I'm even more grateful for all of you and for all the good memories we share. The more I talk to people, the more I realize how lucky we all are to have been blessed with each other, and with the good times we've been able to enjoy even as we all grow up and go our own ways. Happy Thanskgiving, everyone!
It is so exciting to get on the family blog and read about everyone's fun lives! I just thought I would share a couple of pictures of the kids to show those of you who haven't seen them in a while how much they have grown! I can't believe Cooper will be one year old in just a few short days, time sure does go by fast!!! It sounds like everyone had a wonderful holiday and hopefully this new year will bring everyone happiness! The picture on the left is of the kids and our dog Miko. The picture in the middle is Brighton working on his "I can make a difference by...." poster, he chose to make a difference by recycling and he drew a world with a cycle of recycling around it and he painted it on the back of a pizza box to show he recycles. Of course, the picture on the right is our "Mini Coop" who is not quite so mini anymore! I love all of you and hope you have a great new year!!! 
