Way to go, Mark!

Congratulations to my FIL, Mark, for finishing the Chicago marathon with flying colors! In freezing weather, he toughed it out to impress and inspire us all. Here's the gang pre-race

He brought it home for Kansas...and the Greffet family!

We tried desperately to find him at 3 different check points during the race, but between 40,000 other runners and about 25% of them wearing a white shirt and blue hat, we had little luck...until the last mile! (Next year, we will use the GPS tracker, for sure...and we're getting Mark an outfit to help him stand out!)

So Jim "pirated" the race and hopped in to cheer his dad on! I think Jim's total miles ran for the day was roughly 0.05 (est.); Mark's total miles for the day: 26.2!

And here's the champ, post-race...

Can't wait for Chicago 2010!

As Joanie's poster read, "If it was easy, I would do it!"

I have much more to share, including plenty of random pictures (I think everyone finally understands why Jim gets so annoyed with my incessant picture-taking!) and some funny tandem-biking stories! :)

It Won't be Like This for Long

(Listen to: It Won't Be Like This for Long by Darius Rucker)

What happened to my baby? Seriously, have you seen him, because this is what I see:

And this is a little boy. A grown-up, little boy who knows what he wants and isn't afraid to let you know about it. Who repeats everything you say and loves to be funny and play hide-and-seek.

This little boy who makes bubble beards and then just has to put one on Mommy to match!

Who laughs so hard that nothing else in the whole world matters...nothing but that laugh...

Here is the report we got yesterday for Jack. He's taking care of the younger babies in his class...

I couldn't be prouder of my grown-up, little-big boy...

He's baaack...

...in the bathtub! ("I think he likes it!")

Doesn't he look happy?!?

Jack had always been a good bather...until recently. He had developed a strange phobia of the bathtub. He was so scared that for about a month, we either had to sponge bathe him, or endure screams and cries while giving him a "speed-bath".

But thankfully, Jack is not destined to be the "smelly kid in class" because he's back with splash...and loving the bathtub!

Unfortunately, I was unable to snap any pictures of Jack's newest trend, "the Bubble Goatee" but trust: it is adorable!