Wow and wow

Decided to make our Christmas gingerbread house today.  11yod not 100% and 7yos was busy writing his Christmas cards for his friends at Tuesday club this evening so they didn't get involved very much so the task was left mainly to 13yos to do it.  He hasn't quite finished it but I really do think it has the wow factor - not least because it is bigger than any gingerbread house I have ever seen.  Hope we manage to hold off until Christmas before eating it.  He just has some more colourful sweets to put on and it will be completely finished.  He did a great job.

 Not a brilliant photo above but gives you an idea of what the house looks like.  Well done you!!
The second wow in the title is to describe how I feel having ran 11 miles this afternoon!  Not sure how it happened but we were going to run 10 and when we got to 9.5 decided to add on another bit and it came to 11.  It is getting easier to add on more miles now and the half marathon feels more and more achievable. My running friend also feels really good about running this far.  The run took us past my parents' house where we stopped for a toilet break and then the elevation started.  I was determined to run more of the first hill than usual and managed to push quite a bit further before moving into a brisk walk for the second part of the hill.  Hills are becoming more manageable and that is so good for the leg muscles.  As usual the run from the farm down was wonderful - refreshing and the frosty fields and hedges looked stunning.  The photo below doesn't give much of an idea.  Ran the whole 2 mile down hill at a good pace.

 Once we did the 9 and decided to add on a stretch by the river we were slowing down a bit but it was great to have the energy to push on.  The photo below is of where the floods the other week pushed the path to the side as though it were a carpet.  It is really interesting.  Of course, health and safety bods have put up a "road closed" sign which can be safely ignored as long as you use common sense and take care!