Do you "Juana Run"?

Lili's beloved Teacher Lissa from Young Fives introduced us to this fun children's race and from the very first face we were hooked! Thank you so much for showing us the joy of running and reminding us of the importance of "picking ourselves right up" if we ever fall...

Here we are at the 2013 race with two of Lili's friends from Young Fives (Andrew and Ryan with Ryan's sister Julianna) and sweet Teacher Lissa. Teacher Lissa made our first year of public school truly magical - she single handedly reminded us that the public school system can work, if you have great teachers and lots of parent involvement!

 Just getting ready to run...you can tell by the half-smile that the nerves were probably starting to kick in right about now! So proud of her for going for it in spite of a nervous tummy.

I just love this sweet picture of Kylan cheering Lili on. These girls are so lucky to have a dad that encourages them to try new things. He truly believes they can do anything, and they continue to prove him right!

Serelle was especially excited for the Juana Run this year because she was old enough to participate! She was such a good sport to cheer Lili on last year, but the whole time she kept asking when it was her turn to run! I just love this look of satisfaction as she crosses the finish line.

The girls were so excited to share this fun event with cousins and friends. Here they are with their beloved "Satchel-Man". It has been such a treat to live close to this sweet boy.

And what would a race be without some post-run pancakes with friends? The girls sure love their friend Bailey and wish we could have had two years together at Stanford instead of just one!

Kylan and I just love this event because of the great sense of accomplishment it provides for the girls. They could tell they had done something special and they were so proud of themselves. We will be forever grateful to Teacher Lissa for many things, but the Juana Run is one of our favorites!

*A special thanks to Kylan for managing this whole day while Jen was in Las Vegas enjoying a weekend with some friends!