The Grays

We celebrated both Lilly and Bill’s birthdays a bit early with Nana and Boppa before they head back to Michigan. It was a beautiful evening and they were both showered with gifts – including the beautiful dollhouse from MarySue that Nana painted. Special thanks to Nana and Boppa for a wonderful evening!

For the complete set of photos, click here.

I can hardly express how proud I am of Bill for for all the preparation he did for the Ironman Coeur d’Alene (first IM race), and for the way completed the race as well. Bill left on Thursday to make it in time for some preparations and my parent’s arrived that afternoon to watch over the girls. I joined him on Friday afternoon and we kicked off the weekend with the Ironman pasta party and banquet. We weren’t expecting all the inspiration that would come from that evening, full of incredible stories and videos of previous races.

On Saturday we ran around checking in Bill’s various gear for the race. I was amazed by how calm he was. We had a delicious, early dinner at Angelo’s Ristorante and got in bed fairly early due to the 3:30am alarm clock. In the morning Bill was in great spirits and was not noticeably nervous. I was there to cheer him along at each opportunity and met some friends along the way. I stayed at the finish line for 3 hours to get the best possible spot and watching him cross the finish line was an amazing thing. By the end of the day, after walking to our car, showering, returning to see the final racers finish, and heading back to the hotel, it almost seemed as though I was more exhausted than Bill, lol :).

This race was something Bill had thought about for several years and as always I am amazed by his precision in setting and achieving his goals, no matter how lofty they may be. Way to go, babe!

*A special thanks goes my parents who, in true Sessoms fashion, not only took excellent care of the girls but also managed to make multiple home improvements, clean out closets and drawers, buy new clothes for the girls, clean the windows, etc, etc, etc. We hope to return the favor one day!

For the complete set of photos, click here.

Happy Father’s Day to my wonderful husband! He started off the day with the Boulder Sprint Triathlon – the final practice before his Ironman next weekend. The rest of the day was spent with the girls complete with Boom Yogurt, splashing around in the backyard, and Indian carry out. We are so blessed to have him in our lives. XO!

It was so nice to be able to celebrate Judy’s birthday with her this year! She came over in the afternoon and we took a nature hike with her around the lake. We had a nice dinner and the girls spent the afternoon baking a decorating a cake for her. Happy Birthday, Nana!

For the complete set of photos, click here.