Thursday, May 31, 2012

We are the Champions - my friends

So what did you do over Memorial Day weekend?

Relax? Watch NBA playoffs? Go out and grill? Enjoy time with loved ones?

Well, we did that too, but before we got to all that, we had a mission we needed to accomplish.

Behold our trek into Traverse City Central High School.


No, I'm not from Traverse City (although if you are going to live in Michigan, that's the place to do it at) so why were we there? Because that is where one goes the night before they run the Bayshore Half Marathon.


It goes a little something like this. You stand in the appropriate line, find your name on a list, and a cute little kid hands you your number and 4 safety pins and wishes you luck.


Then you walk to the other side of the gym and pickup your T-shirt.


Unfortunately, I ordered mine pre-pregnancy so it will probably take another half marathon before I fit it. ;)


It was crazy busy in there! There were 2,300 people registered just for the half marathon, not to mention all the runners for the marathon and 10K. Yup, it was one of those conventions that obsessive people go to so they can meet other people that share in that obsession.


And let me give a little shout out to my husband. This man had never owned a pair of running shoes before we met. He had never "gone for a run" until we started dating and had never ran a race in his life. So, I'm pretty darn impressed that he was willing to make his first race a half marathon with his in-laws. Kyle, you are simply amazing!!!


Alright, back to our story. We then had a dinner at Culvers (fish counts as carbo loading right?) and headed back to our condo to rest up before the big day.

4:45 AM rolled around and running clothes, shoes, bandaids, anti-chaff cream, and numbers were donned.


From left to right it goes my oldest sister Jesica, the twins Kelsey and Benjamin, Kyle, me, my Dad, and my Mom.


One of my mom's friends Melissa (with her brother) ran the half too and carpooled with us up to the buses. I think they look like Ken and Barbie.


Once we parked at the high school we waited in a line for a half hour to get to the buses that shuttled us up to the start. Once there we waited in another half hour line to use the porta pottys (wish I had a picture of all 50 of those johns side by side.) We passed our time by chatting, giggling, drinking water, and waiting for 7:30 to come. That's when we lined up behind different signs that said "5:30 minute pace" to "10 minute pace" to "walkers."

Kyle, Dad, Ben went one way,


my Mom and I went another,


and Jesica and Kelsey went another.


And then we began running! It was such a beautiful course! We ran along the shore of the peninsula and had a beautiful view of the water. The weather was absolutely perfect with tons of shade and temperatures in the 60's. We had lots of people cheering all along the way that would blow horns, blare music, clap, and basically make you feel like a complete beast! It was a blast and I had my mom by my side to chat with the whole way!

And before we knew it, it was time to kick it in for that last half mile and cross the finish line. It was incredible to reach this goal I had set back in November! And what made it even better is that all of us finished!




And not only did we all finish, but whatever goal each person had set for themselves individually, it was met!!!


And that is no easy feat! :)



(And apparently I made our random photographer uncomfortable, so she tried to edge me out. Fortunately, my belly still got me in the shot.)


This race went WAY better than my previous half. Maybe it's because I'm 23 weeks along instead of the 7 weeks I was last time (the last 5 miles of my first race were spent emptying my morning sick gut.) Maybe it's because I didn't do the training on my own and it was a family affair (Avery ran all but 3 of our training runs with us in her stroller.)


Or maybe it's because I wasn't running in Utah where the air is paper thin and you have to scale a mountain each mile you run. All I know is this race felt amazing and was faster than my last. And one day, ONE DAY, I will actually run the 13.1 miles without being pregnant.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Ladies


One of the many, many perks of being me is that I am surrounded by awesome women in my family!

Here is the incredible Kelsey.


I mean, what 15 year old would choose to spend her time with her pregnant sister and (nearly) one year old child? Oh, that's right, mine!


And what's more, she actually offers to care for my child so I could, y'know, go to the bathroom or shower or meet some other vital need.


And of course you can't forget the Mama!


She is a peek-a-boo champion and makes both Avery and I feel like a million bucks!


Plus she is one of the loveliest women I have ever met!


Yup, I am L-u-c-k-y!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Fridge

Anytime I open the refrigerator (a near hourly event nowadays), Avery races to get inside it before I shut the door.


Often she just pulls out fruits and vegetables from the drawers, but every once in awhile she snags some kind of treat.


Today, it was strawberries.


It blows my mind that this wee little thing has become less like a baby and more like a kid. Love it!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Updates

Look at that Dapper Dan! Kyle now owns more than just white shirts (there's pin stripes on this one, I promise.)


Remember the interview Kyle had the day we flew to Colorado (as in 4 hours before our plane took off?) 


Well, he got the internship and is now working at Public Safety Medical. He does something...something...benefit packages... something...something...human resources... something...something...


I promise, I've asked him what he does there! It just doesn't quite stick in my brain. Maybe he'll explain it on this blog one of these days.


Oh, and Avery does this new thing where she sticks her arm up in the air and just lets it hang there for a few minutes. I think she does it to see if Kyle will mimic her.


He does.

And this is me at 22 weeks.


Fine, here's a belly picture. I honestly don't know what happened. I went to Colorado looking pretty normal, but came back with this!


So yes, second time around, you do sport the bump sooner.


Eat your heart out all you women that keep asking for picture updates. Pretty sure it's just going to keep getting more bountiful!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Dog Park

You probably thought I was done with Colorado pictures after yesterday. Well, allow me one more day. We actually lost half our pictures when our memory card bit the dust while we were out there, so this is the last of them.

This is Rufus


and this is the girl who loves Rufus.

 

Kyle told me multiple times (a day) that Avery needs a dog. I told him we need a yard and to get out of grad school (debt) first. But it is true, Avery would chase and shout "Oh! Oh! Oh!" whenever Rufus was around. Fortunately, she also loves having flowers around so we will let the dandelions entertain her for now.



 

 Avery loved being with her Grandpa.





And this next picture blows my mind. Doesn't she look so big, standing there without anyone next to her?



And I know this picture is insanely bright, but I kind of like the effect of Avery and me melting into the sky and grass. 


And look at all that baby wispy hair!


Was a great day in the sun for the Bradleys!