Couldn't be more proud!!

So, this past weekend, before leaving for the beach with some girlfriends of mine, I headed to my sister's in NJ. She had asked if Matt and I would be coming up to watch she and her husband compete in the Franklin Lakes mini-triathlon. I thought it would be awesome and volunteered to help with the kids since they had to get up so early to be at registration. Well, while Lydia eventually got bogged down with all three of the kids, as you can see, I had to write about what an awesome job my sister did!


Matt and I arrived Friday afternoon to hang out with my sister and her husband since I didn't know much time we'd have together on Saturday. Erin and I ended up taking her oldest, Zachary, to a birthday party then running out to Sports Authority to replace her bike helmet that she had cracked up in a bad spill a few weeks prior. We also picked out a nice running top, at which point it began to settle in with me just how serious this whole event would be.

After dinner, some serious starches to fuel them up for the big day, Jason began doing final checks on their bikes, in the living room. My dad and Lydia also arrived, just as Erin was putting the kids to bed and we all sat around talking and catching up on details of the event. Finally, we went to bed, not quite early enough for what they were going to have to do.
After they got up and left at 5:30am (!), her youngest, Paige, woke up crying so I stepped in as "mom" and brought her down to sleep on the couch with me. To my surprise, it worked and I settled her back to bed. Then we were all up, chasing kids, dressing kids, running in and out of Dunkin Donuts to provide breakfast!

Between the four of us, we got the three kids to the lake in time to see Erin finishing her swim as she ran to her bike in her fancy triathlon wetsuit! WOW! Then was the wait for part two - the return from the 17 mile bike ride. My cousin Kim came in first, followed by Jason and Erin. The turnover time was amazing as some men started coming in and were off running in seconds, literally. They pulled their bike shoes off while riding, ran to park their bike, threw on shoes and off they went!
Smiling proudly Erin got off her bike and got ready for phase three - a five mile run. She hydrated, changed, stretched, then off she went, too!


The kids waited patiently again for the end of phase three. We erroneously picked an open spot next to a overly enthusiastic lady who warned everyone else to make way for the runners, but stood in the middle of the path herself. Although I must applaud her unwaning cheering kept every else moving away from us, so I got some good pictures!
Two of my other cousins had created a relay team, so they did come in first. Then Kim, doing her first triathlon at forty, finished! She was followed by Jason and then Erin. Even down the home stretch Erin smiled proudly as we cheered her on.
Congratulations to everyone who participated, but Becky, I couldn't be prouder of you! You did a great job, and maybe at thirty-three, after a few years of swim lessons, I'll join you!