Turkey Day Family Triathalon - FEASTING - & My Birthday :)

Our family signed up to participate in Tri-Family Racing's Thanksgiving Sprint TRI~ Kaitlyn & I did this event 2 years ago and now Carly is old enough for the fun and Leonard was excited to race too. I really had high hopes of KILLING my time from the 2 years ago. The pressure is on :) We were up at 4:30am Turkey Day and drove 1 hr to Goodyear. It was DARK and COLD!!!

Carly forgot her pants so she was a bit chilly! I learned to dress warm from my last experience. Once we got all checked in the nerves and butterflies were floating big time...at least for me. :) They start the kid's race at about 7:20 am and we get to watch them til they are all done and then it is time for the adults to race. They start the men first and 10 minutes later the ladies finish her off :) My girls are getting ready for the run...oh it is a Reverse Tri so you RUN, BIKE & then SWIM!!! I really like it that way. So the girls are ready for the run and they are trying to look warm even though it is FREEZING!!!

There are 600 participants racing this race...130 kids

On your mark, get set, GO! in the last pic on the bottom you can kinda see a blurry K & C...right in the middle of the pic. look close! :)

We are PROUD PARENTS! :) We love that our girls want to race too! It is soooo healthy and if they start out training and racing this young, they will have some pretty good experience under their belt~ pretty sweet if you ask us :)

They ran 1 mile & here they coming sprinting toward the finish! Go girls go! :) it is so nice K stuck by C's side for the run! AWWWW Sisterly Love :)

In the transition area getting their helmets and bikes! and off they go! Turns out, Carly came in 1st in her age division in the bike course. Yee haw! oh they had to bike 4 miles!

Kaitlyn swimming her 100 meters to finish it off! She did great!

Kaitlyn made it across the finish line~ WE ARE SO PROUD of our Kaitlyn!

Kaitlyn placed 8th in her division

Carly is like a little fish in the water! Go Carly Go... You are Almost done! :)

Hooray!!! Carly did it! She is a TRI-ATHLETE!!! how awesome is that?!

Carly placed 5th in her division :)

Thumbs up from the Zito Girls :) They are 2 tough cookies and they can't wait for our next Triathlon :)

Now it is time for us to Race! Bring it Baby!!! :) K & C snuggled here in the bleachers as we headed out for our race. Thank Heavens for Nintendo DS...they have come in very handy! :) This is Leonard's & my 2nd Triathlon. WE ARE READY :)

Leonard beat his normal run time for the 2 mile run and did awesome on the bike passing riders right and left :) it is only a 12 mile course. Flat and Easy :) and Kaitlyn was ready with the camera when he hit the pool to swim his 400 meters! Go Leonard GO! Wish I could have watched him but I was happy to be racing too! Way more fun to compete than watch, I THINK :)

My Sprint Tri Experience was good! I beat my run time by 2 minutes... and I am a slow runner! I found a nice gal with a good pace and we stuck together. I was so excited about the bike course since I knew biking is my strong point. Off I went easily speeding along at 20+ mph and I am at 8 miles into the course and I hit a pot hole in the road and i hear my back tire flatten~ OH NOOOOO!!!!! crap! this STINKS! I have NEVER got a flat tire before. 1000's of miles of riding and I have been lucky and now my number is up! It stinks to happen NOW!!! I start to panic for a minute and say a little prayer! I need to stay calm. I can do this, I have seen it done tons of times just not done it personally. Well 12 SUPER DUPER LONG minutes later and tons of people passing me, i am up and on the road again! THANK YOU HEAVENLY FATHER!!! I am proud I DID IT! But dang, I don't want to be last. As I finish my last 4 miles, I pass everyone I could! Yea, I won't be last after all :) Leonard and the girls were getting worried as I should have been there a WHILE AGO. Leonard knew something must have happened. I had so much adrenaline and I killed it in the pool. I swam as hard and fast as I could. determined to move up in the placing :) Leonard thought I might burn out...No Way JOSE! It was a good finish! at least I finished, but not the way I wanted. It took me a bit to be happy about my finish! Truthfully I was BUMMED! You win some & you lose some! Can't wait to redeem my self for next year! :) My goal for next year...learn to change a tire in 2 minutes flat and avoid pot holes. This dang one snuck up on me. Once we were home, I plugged in my GPS watch from my ride and saw the graph of my flat...well going from 20 mph to zero for 12 min. If I subtracted that stinking glitch from my ride time I would have been my ride time from the last time and I shaved 3 minutes off my swim! If I didn't get a flat tire I would have place 2nd in my division and 5 overall the women! That is cool but painful too... I was just 12 minutes from a medal around my neck! GRRRRRRR ;(

We did it! Yea for US! We are TRI-ATHLETES!!!!

We are so thankful for Health and strength! I hope we will never take it for granted :) The Zito's are excited for the next race! Now, we are HUNGRY! let get cleaned up and get STUFFED at our Family Thanksgiving Feast!

Wow, that was fast :) Me and my sisters! I am so thankful for them! I wouldn't look THIS GOOD with out their awesome Hair Styling Skillz ;)

~Celste, Ann, Loree~

I am so Thankful for 2 Amazing Parents! I love them like crazy! Thanks for watching Blakey Boy so we could participate in the Tri! love u mom & dad!

I am thankful for my Blakey Boy and his Blanket and for his BIG Imagination! He found this balloon carpet my granny laughlin made years ago and he played with it all day. Since his new favorite movie of all time is UP...he pretended this balloon was flying him up!

I am thankful for my MAN Leonard! You bring such joy to my life! I can't imagine life without you! I love you babe!

The time has FINALLY come! Let's eat some Delicious Turkey Dinner :) Yum Yum! I was sooo starving and the Turkey was taking forever to reach 165 degrees...I had to have a piece of my pecan pie first and let me say, This is a NEW FAVORITE tradition I have started for myself. Dessert First...then you can enjoy our pie with out gorging yourself to death :) Oh and Michael made his Homemade Root beer again this year! LOVED IT!!! We will miss it next year and the year after too because Mike will be on his mission to Dominican Republic in a couple weeks!

Looks mighty tasty!

And the PIES!!! I made the pecan pie! I think I have finally mastered it! :) Now i need to learn to make my own pie crust and I should open up my own bakery ;)

Pie Time makes me HAPPY! and so is everyone else too :) Yum Yum! We had a FABULOUS Thanksgiving. Thanks for my great family! I sure love you all. My bro Jacob and his family were in Utah this year. We missed you! I love this time of year where we are reminded of all our many blessings! I have been richly blessed!

On November 29th, I had a birthday and my sweet, wonderful, thoughtful kiddos; decorated the house as we celebrated another year of my life :) I am getting older that is for sure but I love that primary song about being wiser too....that is TOTALLY happening to me ;)

I feel so loved! I have the 3 greatest kids and I love them so much. I got to enjoy a fun weekend shopping, movies, pizza, treats, and being pampered on my Birthday on Sunday. I was ordered NOT TO CLEAN anything or lift a fork in the kitchen! Let me tell you LIFE IS GOOD on your birthday! I loved getting spoiled! Who doesn't? Well, for gifts...I kinda have been birthday shopping for myself all month ;) shhhhhhh don't tell anyone :) I got some new clothes, new earrings, and new cricut cartridges! Thanks Black Friday Sales :) And while Leonard & I were shopping I spotted this dress....

I tried it on with 5 minutes to spare before JcPenny's closed and I LOVED IT! Happy Birthday To ME!!!! I got to wear my new dress to church on my birthday! I felt very special! The primary kids even sang to me and I got to wear a very pretty Birthday Crown! Wow! I know pretty cool! Well anyway, Kaitlyn was my photographer today and she got some good pictures I think :) Then....

I get a birthday phone call from a friend...thanks friend :) Kaitlyn is let loose and WILD with the camera and this is what I found as I was downloading the pics on my PC...

The many Silly, Freaky, Funny, Goofy, Scary, Cute faces of my Kaitlyn! Well I HAVE TO BLOG THESE :) Hee HEee...pay back :)

So there you have it folks! A Weekend filled with Celebrations, Thankfulness, Victories and new goals to be made in the following year! 32 years of life lived well and look forward to my next 32 years! :)