Birthday Roll in the Mud

This past weekend was my birthday and what better way to usher in another year of life than to compete in a 5K.  Not just any 5K, but a girly, dirty, muddy 5K called The Dirty Girl Mud Run held in Welch MN at a ski resort this past Saturday August 4^th. 

The following pictures were taken by the ski resort employees who entered the race.  I, on the other hand, entered the race with a group of ladies from my church ready to get muddy.  I had been so busy days leading up to the race working but once we were there I thoroughly enjoyed myself catching up conversing with other women of faith.  My daughter ran by my side the entire time, urging me to get muddier at every turn, hill, and mud pile.  I obliged her of course and even slapped some mud on her back to show my enthusiastic side.  After the race the so-called showers were just a sprinkler system and hoses shooting out cold water that took my breath away as I tried to clean off.  Since we left right after the race to head home we didn't get completely clean until we got home.

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Look how muddy these ladies got

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This is one of four mud pits where you have to "army crawl" under the white ropes through the mud

This is a picture of my carload of ladies feet after the race not completely cleaned yet

I tried to soak our muddy clothes to loosen the dirt, but all I got was a tub full of mud 

Moving on, I’m thrilled to show you all a few gifts my hubby bought me for my birthday. 

From left to right my new insulated lunch box from the Rachael Ray series, a purple Nalgene water bottle (I just love the smaller spout so I don't spill all over my clothes), a fancy $25 backpack from Embark, and two necklace/earring sets that look so cute.  Besides clothes and supplies (notesbooks, pens, and pencils) I'm all ready for school to start.

After receiving all of these gifts it would be hard not to organize and ready up my bookcase and study zone for the looming school semester to start in 29 days.  Woohoo, second to my last semester of school is starting before I know it.  Lately I’ve been going over NCLEX questions and reviewing areas of my studies that are weaknesses for me.  I’m most super thrilled because my hubby has (once again) budgeted our family's finances successfully enough to allow me to work only 4-6 hours per week after school starts again in the fall.  He’s my hero, and this should allow for optimal studying and taking ownership of a great semester academically holistically!!!