That Was a Great Weekend

This is what a great weekend looks like in the Brown family.

Lisa signed me up for the inaugural Run The Quay "15k Challenge" which consisted of two races; a 10k through the Fuquay side of Fuquay Varina, NC and then a 5k over many of the same streets – on the same morning. The challenge was that runners had to wait between races. Since the first race started at 7:00am and the second started at 8:30am I had to wait about 40 minutes before the second start. That is a long time for muscles to be idle and build up lactic acid. Not to mention that the humidity was 100% and the temperatures steadily climbed all morning. Both races collectively kicked my butt even though in combined time I finished in 5th place overall and 3rd place for men.

Lisa signed up for the 5k, only, and despite a stumble that skinned her knee, she finished in little over 30 minutes. The boy also ran the Kids Run; a 100-yard dash and 1 mile run. TJ showed us that his true athletic ability is s-p-e-e-d. He started in the middle of the pack, won the 100-yard dash, and finished second in the mile race. That boy might be a track star if he wants to be.

We made it home and managed to go to the pool where Grant continues to make great strides in swimming. He now swims to the middle of the pool with one of us there to grab on to when he gets tired. He will be a fish by the end of the summer. Just a fish that doesn't like to get his face wet.

In the afternoon, we took TJ to Jump Street - a trampoline park in an old Harris Teeter grocery store. His friends, Evan, Nathan, Austin, Austin and Yalanie, plus Grant joined us. The big event there seemed to be trampoline dodge ball, although we did get a glimpse of Grant jumping off the tall ledge into the air cushion. Not once, but several times!

Still not done with our day, Lisa and I managed to get out to the Draftline for our last date night before I depart for Ft. Knox for a few weeks of work.

Sunday was Lisa's birthday. Yes, she knew her birthday present because she asked for a hammock from REI and was there when I got it. But she also hinted at breakfast in bed so I took the boys down stairs while she slept and I cooked bacon and eggs. The boys helped present it by waking her up to "Happy Birthday".

We went to the pool. 

We made some lunch.

We took a much-needed nap.

We headed up to the airport to pick up Samantha who is visiting for a week and then went to a Japanese hibachi steakhouse to celebrate Lisa's and TJ's birthday. I will mention here that none of the hibachi chefs were Japanese at all and were clearly from Central America. Domo arigato, Jose. Grant was front and center for the knife twirling and onion volcano and loved it and he ate mushrooms! 

Bellies full we returned home in the rain – Sunny Skies would have to take a rain check - in favor of Breyer’s Chocolate Ice Cream with Betty and Bobby, another round of “Happy Birthday”, 3 rounds of Uno Attack! and a group selfie on the couch.