this can only mean one thing...

A trip to Fleet Feet to stock up on gu...

and making the best carbo filled baked ziti ever...

National Marathon Baked Ziti

16 oz. ziti pasta

1lb 10 oz. bottle spaghetti sauce (trader joe's has a great one)

6 oz. sliced provolone (or enough to cover 9x13)

6 oz. mozzarella cheese

1 ½ -2 cups sour cream

1 pd. Ground beef

1 onion, chopped

Grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Brown ground beef and onion. Add spaghetti sauce. Layer as follows in a greased 9x13 pan. Half of the ziti, provolone cheese, sour cream, half of the sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese, and remaining sauce mixture. Top with parmesan cheese and bake at 350 for 30 min. or until cheese is melted.

and a sign like this can only mean one thing, someone in our family ran a marathon this weekend and I wish it would have been me..... but it was Jeff!

love this photo taken by Anne with the blurry American Flag

I think I am now convinced that I am married to Superman!

great photo taken by Jeff's mom as he is getting ready to cross the finish line

Anyone who trains for a marathon in the freezing winter of the East should get an extra t-shirt! I was so proud of Jeff for finishing the race but also knocking minutes off his time from the other one he ran just 5 months ago! ( i would love to have run by my 6 hour marathon finish doesn't qualify me to run anything more than the path in my neighborhood)

Jeff's parents came across the country to see him finish.

I of course cried! And the two little girls said as they went to bed, "my daddy is fast!"

The mayor of D.C. also ran and finished just after Jeff. He is responsible for starting this new marathon just 5 years ago.
But the true hero of the day was Anne! A blogging friend and also a marathon runner who came to cheer Jeff on.
we didn't make it to mile 16 where we had planned to meet him but Anne did. She snapped this photo and gave him the boost he said he so desperately needed!
Backcountry.com gets honorable mention for their merino wool zip shirt - Jeff says it was a life saver! note the goat!

it was great having him run it just to get this leg collapsing hug after he finished.

Way to go Superman!

And the winner is!!!

from the Whateverz owner, Natalie...

................................

Wow, this is a lot harder than I thought! I can relate to so many of these wonderful ladies and how they cherish their girlfriends, sisters and Mothers! We can all learn a lot from the kindness these ladies all possess!
The comment I felt most inspired by was from Anita K. She wrote about her friend Alice that was there for her when her father passed away. My Dad was recently diagnosed with Leukemia and it's the kindness of true friends that has helped me and my family through this rough time. In tough situations like an illness or death, you find out who your real friends are! Taking the time to pick up the phone really means a lot to a hurting heart!

I love that Alice welcomed and made Anita's Mom feel at home in her house, so much that her Mom feel asleep on the couch- isn't that wonderful? Alice sounds like a true friend that we all need!

................................

I have to say that the comments from this contest were some of my favorite ever. I am so humbled and amazed by the incredible joy that can come in one's life from a woman's touch. If you have a peaceful moment take a minute to read them.

If you want to treat yourself or a dear friend to a personalized gift take a stroll into Natalie's store at Whateverz.com
congrats Anita. email Natalie to claim your prize for you and your friend at nfredericks@cox.net

Any guesses where I have been?

The first to guess where this (one of our spring break stops) wins 11.5 yards of luscious ribbon
sent to them first class in a food box!
hint: it is in the United States, part of a triangle and just celebrated it's 400th Birthday.

Caroline this morning hunting eggs

Easter

Our Easter week has been a long and wonderful week. As a family we started having A Christ Center Easter about 3 years ago. We do a various of things each night to follow the last week of Christ's life. I will try to recap the week after Spring Break. It has been a simple tradition with such wonderful meaning.
Last year I sent out Easter Cards to a few friends. I loved making the cards but after I put them in the mail I had already started to think of what I could send the next year to have the card be more focused on the true meaning of Easter.

So this year I decided to send an empty envelope. I know it sounds crazy. Inside the envelope near the top I put the scripture Mark 16:1-6 on a clear sticker. I hope those who receive the envelope will then be prompted to go to read the scripture which talks about when they looked for Christ but the tomb was empty. I think of how surprised they must have been, fully expecting there to be His body inside. Just like you would never think to open an envelope and have it be empty. I think of how fast the word must have spread after they found the empty tomb - "He Lives, He Lives"
It is a miracle that He lives. It is all apart of the wonderful plan for us all to live again.

Happy Easter

Another day in the city.

We pulled up the Smithsonian website today to see what places we have not yet seen. We are only missing a few museums in the city. The Hirshhorn Art Museum was one of them. Even though we have heard from everyone "don't waste your time" we still had to go see it for ourselves.
We started off with reservations at Old Ebbitt Grill for brunch. (if you go make reservations) It was founded in 1856 and has hosted the likes of President McKinley,Presidents Grant, Andrew Johnson, Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt and Harding.
We were lucky enough to get seating in the main area with the mahogany booths.
I had the Eggs Chesapeake, which had the most beautiful poached eggs on top of yummy crab cakes.
I was surprised the girls behaved themselves as well as they did. It was a little more upscale than where we usually eat out with them, but they still did have kid friendly cups and coloring pages. It had a picture of a donkey and a elephant in front of the capital.
You can tell they were a bit out of their element by Annie Kate's question of, "Where is a napkin so I can squirt ketchup on it to dip my fries into" I explained this is not the kind of place you eat ketchup off of a napkin. We then decided to walk to the Hirshhorn about a mile away. The girls found the warm air blowing on the grates on the street. They were laughing to hard as it was blowing up their dresses.

it was blowing so hard it even blew up Sally Jane's pony tails.

Caroline looks like a clothespin doll her dress got so big!

Then just when I think I have walked every street we found this old church with cool red doors

and beautiful fence.

Who knew i had walked past the Ronald Reagan Building and International trade center tons of times and never knew that is what is was called.
We have never gone to the gardens on the back side of the Smithsonian castle. The flowers in bloom but in two weeks this place will be even more amazing. I added a photo of me in front of the Environmental Protection Agency for my "me in D.C. " gallery. (big deal huh?)

This is me coming out of the Hirshhorn. I tried to smile I really did. This was the best I could do.This was Jeff in the Hirshhorn and this was the best he could do. Let's just say it was no our thing.
There was an exhibit: The Cinema Effect: Illusion, Reality, and the Moving Image
- it had a sign "not all images are suitable for children" and what do we do(parents of the year) - walk right in. half way through i am turning the stroller and fighting to get out with Sj and AK. it was pitch black and freaked me out. It was like a haunted house in the spring time.
Anyway, I don't put it high on my list of things to do in D.C. unless that is your thing and if it is , "i am fine with that" (i am sure i will get some email of someone I have offended because their grandpa created the museum)we sat on the mall(the strip of grass between the Washington Monument and the Capitol - I wonder if people think we go to the shopping mall every time I mention that) by the carousel and ate popcorn and watched the girls pick up rocks and all the fun and different people that walk by. Even the police woman got our attention on her awesome horse.

The walk back to the car seemed more than a mile, but we said how well the girls have been trained for sight seeing. They all slept the whole way home.

Have you been to the Hirshhorn?
Do you have a relative who has artwork there?
Do you like crab cakes as much as me?
Wouldn't you love to be a kid again and stand on the street and
let your dress blow up and think it was funny?

Good mail fast.

This post has been sitting in my draft box for so long and it has got to come out. So here it is fast!
eBay saved me by offering me super great deals on new Easter Dresses. can't wait for them to wear them tomorrow.

my nephew Jack was baptized today, here is his cute photo and announcement.
Annie Kate got her first set of stickers from some Oregon friends!
my mom sent me this darling fold out card! She could tell I was sick even though kept telling her i was fine.
Tasha, continues to entice me with the west. keep it coming - I need all the tempting i can get.
Amy M. continues to amaze me with her photography skills.
Becky, gave me way more for a thank you than I even gave her for her birthday!
so nice
here is my ever so awesome metal shamrock. It is so amazing, I love it and I could have sold 100 in my neighbor hood. Thank so much Debbie. seriously when you sell these let me shout all about it on my blog.

my mother in law could tell i was in the dumps the other day on the phone. So much for faking it!
Jill sent me this amazing thank you for a package I sent her. (book hand covered by Anne)
she sent me a photo of everything I sent her and even her smiling after she opened it. Jill is so amazing that she enjoys thanking people more than she enjoys receiving things!
Jeff's grandma sent me this card - it was so fun to get it in the mail. I had sent her some personalized stationery from Doodlebugs and it was fun to see her use it.

how cute is this birth announcement for new Lyla in our family!

Kramerdrive.com sent me some little note tags even though the misorder was my fault. So nice and they are awesome!
Barb, sent the funniest thing ever. you have to click on this to read it. I don't know how you do it girl, your creativity is amazing! Thanks
Elizabeth sent me this awesome quote with her word of the year. Her word is Love.
Jessica sent me this fun colored note and I love seeing Jill's good mail labels floating everywhere.

so i know this was so fast, and i didn't link anyone but I had to get this out of my drafts. So lucky for me that the good mail tree is sprouting this spring! and I still have more good mail to hang on my tree and take pictures of.