tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25870387629416350252024-03-05T17:36:16.677-08:00Chalk It Up To Another Adventure...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11415813989900385394noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587038762941635025.post-77739982220431965332019-01-12T19:23:00.001-08:002019-01-12T19:23:11.286-08:002018 RewindHow about a little trip down memory lane?<br />
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2018 started with confirmation that another little Pettigrew was on the way. Of course we had Brecken make the announcement.<br />
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On March 2nd we found out that #2 would be a boy! We let Brecken make that announcement as well.<br />
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We decided that it had been awhile since Joe and I had visited his family in New Mexico, so in April we loaded up the truck and began our journey. Embarking on an 1,100+ mile trip 6 months pregnant with a toddler is gusty...or crazy. I'll let you decide which. We knew that it would be a slow trudge, so we decided to make the most of our travels and sight see along the way. There are some neat places in SD that we wanted to visit, and we figured now was the time. We intend to put the Dakota's in our rear view mirror when we leave here.<br />
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Our first stop was Deadwood, SD. It reminded me a lot of Park City. It had that old time feel with shops, restaurants and bars lining both sides of main street. It was snowing and cold, so we did not spend a lot of time walking around. We found a place to eat and hurried as quickly as possible to get inside. Based on recommendations from the hotel we decided to eat at Saloon No. 10. It was made famous when American Old West legend Wild Bill Hickok (who I myself am not familiar with) was assassinated while playing a game of poker. Exciting huh? The restaurant above the bar was delicious, and we had a good time wandering around looking at all of the memorabilia.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was taped to the elevator going up to the restaurant. They are not messing around.</td></tr>
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Once we arrived in Clovis, we spent the first few days with Joe's mom Sherry (aka Honey Gram). She had her spare room all set up for Brecken with a cute tent and TONS of Joe's old toys. Needless to say; Brecken was in heaven.</div>
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We visited the Clovis zoo and as usual, Brecken was more interested in the lawnmowers and construction equipment than the actual zoo animals.<br />
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There was a tractor show at the fairgrounds while we were there, so OF COURSE we had to visit that. I have learned so much about trucks, tractors and construction vehicles over the past year.<br />
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The last few days of our trip we spent with Joe's dad and step-mom. Brecken had a blast running around the backyard with Papa and drawing all over their driveway. He also got to sit in his Uncle Mike's police car. </div>
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Overall we had a great visit with family and got to eat some amazing food (because we all know that's my main priority). Brecken had fun and got to spend time with his grandparents, which made the 3 days of driving totally worth while.</div>
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On our way home we decided to spend our first night in Longmont, Colorado. Due to a severe snow storm (that's right, a severe snow storm in almost mid-April) hitting the Dakota's and parts of Wyoming we decided to extend our stay in Longmont an additional day. We took advantage of the proximity to Denver and visited the aquarium. It was just us and about 20 school buses full of children. It was crowded! We barreled our way through the masses to take in all of the aquatic life.</div>
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We ended the day at the best ice cream store. It was some of the best ice cream I've ever had. See...it's all about the food for me.<br />
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The final stop on our return home was Mt. Rushmore. Neither of us had ever been, so we needed to check that off the old bucket list. It was really cold, but that meant the crowds were small. We came, we took some pictures, and visited the gift shop. All in all, I think we were there for about 30 minutes. It was sufficient. </div>
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When we got back to our warm hotel room we told Brecken we could visit the pool. He loves swimming, so that was the perfect end to his vacation. Joe and I were happy to survive the 3 day drive home and promised ourselves we wouldn't be doing that again any time soon.</div>
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Shortly after returning home we decided it was time to move Breck to a big boy bed. We wanted to give him ample time before the baby came to adjust. I had found directions online for an adorable house bed frame and Joe agreed to build it. I have to give him major props for seeing it through! The directions were not very well written, and not 100% correct. He made adjustments as necessary and it turned out SO CUTE! My contribution was to paint it. We got him car sheets, a wee little pillow, and topped it off with a truck quilt my grandma made for him. He slept in it maybe twice, then spent the next several months sleeping on the floor by his door. He just started sleeping in it regularly a couple of months ago.</div>
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We celebrated our 3rd Anniversary. When I think about all of the life changes we've had since saying <i>"I do", </i>I'm a little surprised that it's only been 3 years. We've had 2 kids, moved out of state and had dramatic career changes. </div>
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Brecken turned 2! His obsession with construction vehicles was already well established, so we decided to use that as the theme. I made his cake and luckily it was supposed to look like a big dirt pile because it was certainly not the prettiest thing I've ever made. He loved it! Well, he loved the construction vehicles on it. He of course got totally spoiled (mostly by grandparents) and loved every minute of it!<br />
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My parents arrived in early July to hang out and wait for baby #2 to make his appearance. They were beginning their big retirement tour of the country and arrived with their palace on wheels. We used the time before Sawyer came to eat out (Joe & I actually got to go on a couple of dates) and enjoy Minot in the summer. We went to the zoo where Breck fed the giraffes! I was a little concerned they would terrify him (sometimes the goats freak him out), but he was a champ! </div>
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Our best, most dramatic event of 2018 occurred on July 16th when Sawyer Kai was born. I'll do a detailed post on this at a later date.<br />
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At one week old Sawyer enjoyed his first Minot adventure visiting the Scandinavian Heritage Park.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He slept peacefully through the entire experience.</td></tr>
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<br />Joe's mom and Dennis arrived at the end of July to visit and meet Sawyer. Brecken had a great time playing with Honey Gram and reading farming magazines with Dennis. We even made it to the splash pad one day.</div>
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We said goodbye to Jack & Rose. It's still a bit raw at this point so I'll leave it at this; we said goodbye to Jack in August and Rosie in October. Sometimes I still expect to be greeted by them when we come home.</div>
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For Halloween I took Brecken to Target and let him pick out his costume. We wandered up and down a couple of aisles when we arrived at the perfect costume for him. As soon as he saw it, I knew he had found "the one". He made the cutest little tractor, and our little scarecrow fit the farm theme. Trick or treating started off slow, but as soon as Breck realized they were giving away candy, he was all over it!</div>
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That brings us to Christmas, my favorite day of the year! I have always love Christmas. My family has always made it such a special day, and now I get to celebrate with my littles. </div>
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Brecken is finally at an age where he understands and gets excited. He patiently waited weeks before we could "o-eents" the gifts. Almost daily I would explain our stocking calendar and we would count how many days were left. He was prepared to ask Santa for cars and "bo-bows" (bulldozers). That is until he got up to Santa and decided he was not to be trusted.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlV_zpGa2MDm8hZCa05v4qFVcA67JsRBCL3H_8Bs_nmOi8TmyF026QUwqShxldOTcfGwLAE8OVb75OMwpOfj4lq4k4i44mvmydbUETaCnGXFXW9X860tPKiSsORI39DI9zomrScl4ljOk/s1600/32565636408_e9fb869238_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlV_zpGa2MDm8hZCa05v4qFVcA67JsRBCL3H_8Bs_nmOi8TmyF026QUwqShxldOTcfGwLAE8OVb75OMwpOfj4lq4k4i44mvmydbUETaCnGXFXW9X860tPKiSsORI39DI9zomrScl4ljOk/s320/32565636408_e9fb869238_o.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breck was very concerned that we had left Sawyer with Mrs. Claus</td></tr>
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<br />When Brecken came along we decided that one of our traditions would be to give pajamas and a book or movie on Christmas Eve. He was a little disappointed that he only got to open the one gift that afternoon, but he was SO excited about the book he got. Not so much about the pajamas that were unceremoniously flung to the floor. I love that we get to share our traditions with the boys, while making new ones along the way.<br />
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Brecken's face on Christmas morning when he came down the stairs and saw what Santa had brought him (cars of course!) was absolutely magical! His joy and excitement made my heart so happy. Sawyer was happy to have new things to chew on. It was an incredibly fun, exciting, long and exhausting day for all of us.<br />
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Whew! What a whirlwind 2018 was! I'm looking forward to all of the adventures awaiting us in 2019. For now, I will spend the next 3 months turning my 8 into a 9.</div>
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I will leave you with this final thought. If you sporadically shoot off fireworks until 1:00 AM; you are not ringing in the New Year. You are simply an asshole.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11415813989900385394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587038762941635025.post-17511090496783206872018-12-29T18:54:00.000-08:002018-12-29T18:54:21.727-08:00Should we give it another go?<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm currently reading <i>Bloom</i> by Kelle Hampton and I have to say that she has been the inspiration behind starting this back up. I take pictures almost daily in order to remember these days with my boys, but photos can't provide the details hidden within the still images. Brecken is only 2 and I feel like there are so many things I've already forgotten! I need to create a space for not only photos, but a detailed account of their childhood. I want to be able to look back and remember why I felt it was necessary to take a picture of Brecken smiling at his tablet, or Sawyer clawing at a gift wrapped package under the Christmas tree. I hope to make this that space. A place to document their little quirks; like Brecken saying "you, you" while pointing at himself because he hasn't quite grasped the concept of "me" and "you". Or how Sawyer gets seriously offended if he rolls over ANYTHING on the floor. These are the details I want to remember forever, but have a tendency to fade over time. So, lets see how this goes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For a quick recap of my life since October 2013, please enjoy the previous post.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11415813989900385394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587038762941635025.post-1017661929087684852018-12-29T18:46:00.002-08:002018-12-29T18:46:31.020-08:00Bridging the gap<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I decided to re-visit the world of blogging, I debated on whether I wanted to work from my previous creation, or start from scratch. I decided to begin where I left off (no, there weren't many previous posts), but they were the beginning of this new life of mine. In an effort to bridge the gap from 2013 to now, I decided to do a (somewhat) quick recap post half marathon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After training and killing myself for months, I finished the Halloween Half and was incredibly proud of myself. I finished the race at 2 hours and 8 minutes, which turned out to be my personal best. Due to knee issues, running more than 3 miles is no longer possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The night of the half I took my battered body out for a wild night on the town with my amazing friend Derrek. We laughed, talked, and I probably monopolized the majority of the conversation. Overall we had a great time and I ended that weekend feeling happy, confident and ready to put myself out there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd like to preface this next part with the fact that I was looking to meet new people and enjoy being single. I was in no way looking for a relationship. In fact, I was pretty sure that I would never get married again. I thought marriage was a trap and anyone who said they were happy was probably lying...I may be been slightly bitter. Anyhoo, I digress...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In looking to "put myself out there", I was brought to the scary realm of online dating (insert ominous music). I decided to start with Zoosk via Facebook simply because it had been all over my feed after changing my relationship status to 'single'. It was "free to join", and I'd learn pretty quickly that it meant just that; free to join. I created my profile and realized that if I actually wanted to see any of the messages sent to me, I'd have to pay for it. Being in a financially precarious situation at that time, I was not in a position to pay for such services. To Google I went.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found a 100% free dating site; datehookup.com. Classy right? Amid the hundreds of ads and click bait I created my profile. Within about 30 minutes I was ready to close said account. There are a lot of freaks out there. A lot. As my mouse was searching for the "delete account" option, I calmed myself down and decided to give it a couple of days. What I needed was a filter system in order to weed out the the losers and/or freaks. This probably sounds like i was being a bit harsh, but if you haven't tried online dating; you can't judge me. In case you're interested, my parameters are listed below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Must have legitimate and reliable job</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Must not smoke</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Must live within a 15-20 mile radius</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Must have some common interests</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. No strong religious affiliation</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. And my personal favorite (this usually discarded them immediately); absolutely no cheesy and/or creepy pick up lines.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enter Joe. He messaged me the next day and asked if I was into photography. This being a valid question (my profile pic was a selfie with a camera strap around my neck) I responded to him. Of course I did take a few minutes to check his profile before sending a response. It didn't take long before my "nothing serious" rule was out the window. Every day I am so grateful that I didn't close my account that first night. It was by far the greatest reward I have ever received from taking a risk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In June 2014 I FINALLY sold my house in Farmington! After years of trying and failing to sell it, it actually happened! It took a lot of work and I got a TON of help, but it happened. It was like this enormous weight that I had been carrying on my shoulders for years was removed. There was a lot I loved about that house, but the feeling of moving on was indescribable. I moved into Joe's apartment in Layton and after a few months we relocated to a townhouse in Farmington. I loved that townhouse and miss it dearly. I mean, it had a tank less water heater. Nothing can compete with that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We got engaged in March of 2015 and decided to get married during our vacation to Hawaii that had already been scheduled. On May 12, 2015 I was lucky enough to marry my best friend in the most beautiful setting I could have imagined. It. Was. Incredible! It was just the two of us for the ceremony in Maui, so we decided to have a reception a few months later for our friends and family. We gathered in Park City, UT on July 11th. Friends and family traveled from near and far to celebrate with us, and it was amazing to feel so much love from them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Within 5 months of getting married, we found out we were expecting! When you're in your mid-thirties and have serious concerns regarding your fertility, you do not waste time. Here we are more than 3 years later and I'm still a little shocked that it didn't require serious intervention to make our dream a reality.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brecken Knox Pettigrew joined our family on June 17, 2016, and I think I speak for both of us when I say that being parents in the greatest, most frustrating, incredible experience ever!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">August 29, 2016 (4 days before I returned to work after maternity leave) Joe came home with the news that we were moving to Minot, North Dakota. Not exactly our dream location. I cried. A lot. It was always in the back of my mind that we would eventually be moved, but there is a huge difference between a thought and reality. Sometimes reality can knock you on your ass. On December 5th we started our journey towards the frozen tundra. We arrived after their first big storm of the season, and would get over 6 feet of snow that winter. Welcome to North Dakota! If the over abundance of snow doesn't kill you, the subzero temperatures will.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Brecken turned one we decided that if we were going to grow our little family, there was no time like the present. The morning of November 20, 2017 I took a pregnancy test and was shocked/elated to see two pink lines. We were ecstatic to learn we'd be giving Brecken a baby brother! Sawyer Kai Pettigrew was born the morning of July 16, 2018.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here we are now. This is our 3rd winter in the ever-charming North Dakota tundra. Christmas was 4 days ago. The new year is looming and here I am feeling hopeful I can keep this thing up. For clarification, this is NOT a New Year's resolution (I'd like to think my dedication to this will last longer than a resolution would). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11415813989900385394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587038762941635025.post-86948123364609441362013-10-21T11:26:00.001-07:002013-10-21T11:26:21.656-07:00Crafting<div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Since I’m running in the Halloween Half, I needed a costume. I have had one lined up since I registered; a super old Alice in Wonderland ensemble. However, after completing my 10 mile training run last week I decided that when it comes to running; less is more and Alice wasn’t going to cut it. It’s not a heavy or involved costume (just a simple dress), but I would have to wear it over my running clothes and the thought alone makes me feel claustrophobic. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">My friend Ele had told me about a witch costume she had seen, and I decided that would be a great alternative. I went on the hunt for striped running tights thinking I could pull that off with my black skirt, and a black running shirt. Simple. It was a great idea, but this world is seriously lacking anything beyond black running tights. I went to at least 7 stores and all I found was black, black and some more black. A couple of places online had striped/fancy pants, but they were upwards of $80 and I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I gave up on the idea and pulled Alice out of the closet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Well, this past Saturday I was flipping through the Macy’s catalog and stumbled upon a pair of adorable black running tights with lime green polka dots. I immediately decided they would work perfectly and that I had to have them. I checked online to see if I could find them in a store close by, but they were nowhere to be found. I tried calling the store only to learn that there is not a Macy’s in the entire state of Utah that actually sells Nike athletic wear. What? The ad was sent out last week…and the front page item doesn’t exist? I. Was. Pissed. I tried a couple more stores and gave up once again. I went home thinking; “Alice, I guess we’re in this together.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Later that night I received a text from my mom saying that the tights had been ordered through Nike, and would be here by Wednesday! My parents are amazing! I didn’t want to order them because I didn’t want to pay full price (I had an amazing Macy’s coupon), but they said they’d split them with me. Yahoo! Alice immediately went back into the closet. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Now that the pants were taken care of, I needed to figure out the rest of my costume. This brings us to yesterday…craft day. I had looked online Friday night (Google is my hero!) and found an adorable hat (with instructions) that was perfect! Yes, I stole it from a toddler, but again…when it comes to running; less is more. I recruited my mom and we (meaning mostly her) set to work.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHH7CnidEpLZd8jtbS1W2oa6w2enNpwUy8JjyDXOqB9uEEFDXs8TdGoFnxwuLjFPuLq28pMZtOzOgPeb3GVyw627yi3tLENNrymREBRvHcB0xN88BojP7d8hsApxTdoEYyP-867jwi50/s640/blogger-image-1164504903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHH7CnidEpLZd8jtbS1W2oa6w2enNpwUy8JjyDXOqB9uEEFDXs8TdGoFnxwuLjFPuLq28pMZtOzOgPeb3GVyw627yi3tLENNrymREBRvHcB0xN88BojP7d8hsApxTdoEYyP-867jwi50/s640/blogger-image-1164504903.jpg"></a></div><br><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip94qHWfvabiNE2qEHNgn6BIlH3Q97y8rQrRm3x_-NBXG1Si5bFUR-8istPRxEZBGxfw7Btcp_EkjL67GQDtiq7VTFxXehrZBsrCXkfr9V3g7ml6GIAOamzCEvEgwSMGuHZDcho0hMIg0/s640/blogger-image--1225970589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip94qHWfvabiNE2qEHNgn6BIlH3Q97y8rQrRm3x_-NBXG1Si5bFUR-8istPRxEZBGxfw7Btcp_EkjL67GQDtiq7VTFxXehrZBsrCXkfr9V3g7ml6GIAOamzCEvEgwSMGuHZDcho0hMIg0/s640/blogger-image--1225970589.jpg"></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpmN_BnXdhfnuKvxWsDKnYMFWkgNBbEDd2SNdibmtNE6PlXnmqvRGjw9yUqc9Z4vSyWyyw-rgYqmeinc-jvz_nyjqON5SL0F-o3gADzHvs7LSmCHYQa8TOxFIkgRwoGui6IIMuLEKY3Y/s640/blogger-image-482390426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpmN_BnXdhfnuKvxWsDKnYMFWkgNBbEDd2SNdibmtNE6PlXnmqvRGjw9yUqc9Z4vSyWyyw-rgYqmeinc-jvz_nyjqON5SL0F-o3gADzHvs7LSmCHYQa8TOxFIkgRwoGui6IIMuLEKY3Y/s640/blogger-image-482390426.jpg"></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Once the hat was complete we tackled the skirt. I had decided that since the pants had lime green, it’d be adorable to add the same color and purple to the skirt (which is all black). This was a team effort. My dad cut the fabric into strips, I tied and cut the pieces to the right size, and my mom sewed them to the skirt. It was a lot of work, but the finished product is ADORABLE! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFI_A4fHMyOXqBIflZ63qsH6PsyahNYl5CFt7xQun2G12Vw4LGi2fN9QHq76vApB2QTrVuKtzPuj-6bKLFbxB6qApSOHJ04vSgeiLZ7YXPjDcQFeOnEWEe2G_eB00-H49PwUgyVxbQZ1k/s640/blogger-image--635009614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFI_A4fHMyOXqBIflZ63qsH6PsyahNYl5CFt7xQun2G12Vw4LGi2fN9QHq76vApB2QTrVuKtzPuj-6bKLFbxB6qApSOHJ04vSgeiLZ7YXPjDcQFeOnEWEe2G_eB00-H49PwUgyVxbQZ1k/s640/blogger-image--635009614.jpg"></a></div><br><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I feel ready now. My costume is simple, yet adorable, and I’m not panicked about surviving the 13.1 miles….at least not as far as my costume is concerned.</span></p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11415813989900385394noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587038762941635025.post-49631000475626653532013-09-14T21:37:00.003-07:002013-09-14T22:01:01.647-07:00Vacation 2013<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a grueling drive yesterday, we finally made it home from our
week in Palm Springs! I've spent most of today sitting on my butt trying
to recover...you know, from sitting on my butt all day yesterday. Anyway,
while I'm just sitting here I thought I'd post about our vacation...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If I were to sum up the extent of our trip
in one word it would be "HOT". It was bloody hot in Palm
Springs, but we made the best of it! The trick was to stay in the room
during the heat of the day (we watched a lot of House Hunters) and only went
out in the evening. The trip to Disneyland and Newport Beach was a
welcome respite from the heat, and got us through the last couple days of
triple digit temperatures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will do my best to hit the high points, but it’s late and I’m
tired so I make no guarantees. I have
also tried to use some of the photos not placed on FB, but there will defiantly
be repeats. Enjoy them!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We began our trek early, 5:30AM early, and were super happy to be
on our way! As you can see from the
photos below, some of that enthusiasm dissipated as the hours and desert
stretched before us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again, it was hot in Palm Springs…which we knew going into
it. We still managed to venture out and
enjoy some of the attractions in the city. We visited the lovely Marilyn Monroe statue (yes, she's wearing underwear), and went to a mall. There is one thing I do not understand; why would you build an outdoor
mall in the middle of the freaking desert!?! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Nailed It"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-align: start;">It was difficult to find places that were inside.</span><span style="text-align: start;"> </span><span style="text-align: start;">We ended up seeing Despicable Me 2 to escape some of the heat. I'm still not sure if it was worth it...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It wouldn't be a vacation without a little frozen yogurt</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My grandpa and great aunt live in Palm Springs, so I went down
with a plan to spend some time with them.
My grandpa took me to dinner one night, and I met up with my great aunt Patti
and her husband, Bob for breakfast another day.
It was great seeing them and catching up! Unfortunately, there aren't any pictures to
share. I forgot my camera when I went with
my grandpa, and Patti was the one with the camera at breakfast. Should I ever see those photos again…I will
post them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Tuesday morning we began our adventure to Anaheim. We had a good time in Disneyland (minus the
closure of several awesome rides), grabbed a quick dinner, and checked into our
hotel. Let’s just say that our hotel
that night made us oh so grateful for our hotel in Palm Springs. It. Was. Nasty. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wednesday morning we woke up and headed to the beach. I would have to say that the trip to the
beach was the highlight of the trip for me.
I LOVE the ocean, and the weather was perfect! We played around for a bit and bailed as soon
as the sun came out of hiding.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every Thursday, Palm Springs shuts down the road running
through their “downtown” district and hosts a street fair. There were tons of booths selling food, art,
jewelry, etc. It was really nice walking
around without the sun beating down on us.
It was still 96 degrees, but 96 in the dark is much more bearable than
96 in the sun. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall, it was a good trip.
I feel that we lived it up as best we could. We took advantage of the pool and exercise
room (I managed to fit in all of my training runs), and spent enough time in
the town to become familiar with the area.
I’m really grateful that I was able to visit with family, but should I
return in the future, it will be in December.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will leave you with this piece of wisdom that was laid on
us as we were departing the fine state of California; “Get outta that like
elbows and assholes!"</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11415813989900385394noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587038762941635025.post-80977055421199073222013-09-04T21:39:00.000-07:002013-09-04T21:39:15.780-07:00SO Excited!<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 days! 2 more working days and me and Linds will be on our way to sunny (albeit hot) Palm Springs! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was during the dark and dismal months of winter that we decided we desperately needed something to look forward to. What is better to look forward to than a vacation? Once again, Lindsey's folks came to the rescue with the use of their timeshare. We spent a couple of weeks considering a location and finally landed on Palm Springs (right price, and close enough to drive) SOLD! That was back in February. February! We have been waiting for this trip for far too long, and it is FINALLY here!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One positive aspect of planning this far in advance is that I had plenty of time to research our destination and nearby attractions. Disneyland is only about 1 1/2 hours away, and Newport Beach is only 15-20 minutes from there! We have added an evening in Anaheim so we could thoroughly enjoy Disneyland (you need a full day) AND we'll get to spend a day at the beach. I cannot wait! This may very well be our best trip yet...here's to hoping anyway:) Cheers for vacations!!!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11415813989900385394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587038762941635025.post-8804570822491018722013-09-01T18:33:00.001-07:002013-09-01T18:33:12.295-07:00Training<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About
a month ago, I got a wild hair to sign up for a half marathon. I had been
visiting the gym regularly, and felt that my physical aptitude was greatly
improving; therefore I needed a challenge. I also may have been
influenced by a book I had recently read titled; <u><a href="http://www.cherylstrayed.com/wild_108676.htm" target="_blank">Wild</a></u> by Cheryl
Strayed. It’s an excellent read, and it
motivated me to try something that I found wildly intimidating. I ran a 5K a couple of years ago, and was so
impressed that I ran the entire 3.2 miles (without any training), but in all
honesty I couldn’t wrap my head around a marathon, or even a half
marathon. 13.1 miles of straight running…that’s
hours! I could barely make it on the
treadmill for 30 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Picture
it; I’m sitting in bed wasting time online.
I find a <a href="http://thehauntedhalf.com/" target="_blank">Halloween Half Marathon</a> in Salt Lake City, almost 12 weeks away
(the length of most training schedules), and mainly a downhill course; a moment
of spontaneity later and I was registered.
Uh oh! Better start
training. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I
found a <a href="http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51131/Half-Marathon-Novice-1-Training-Program" target="_blank">training program</a> I liked, and have been keeping to it ever since. Running is not easy for me, and up until
fairly recently not something I particularly enjoyed. However, I think those who run are amazing,
and have always wanted to join this elite group. I bought my first pair of “proper” running
shoes, inserts, and special socks.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> I’m basically a professional now…ha ha
ha. It is getting easier, but it is
amazing the amount of time it’s eating up, and I’ve had several rough running sessions
(“if it was easy, everyone would do it”).
But, and this is a very big BUT, I am enjoying it. I have never sweated so much in my life, and
there are times when I want nothing more than to sit on my butt and watch TV, but
I actually miss going when I’m on my rest days.
That’s a good sign…right?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m
learning so much; running is not just about building up endurance. There is a multitude of information about
diet, training methods, and the do’s and don’ts on race day. I can’t believe how much goes into it! And I will tell you this; I can definitely
tell when I’ve made poor food choices, because I can barely make it through my
miles. Yeah…birthday week was really
tough.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway,
I’m really looking forward to it and hope that I can survive the training. Summer registered as well, and it will be so
nice once she’s living here and we can motivate each other (I fear it’s going
to be difficult when it gets cold…assuming that happens). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m sure I’ll have some horrific stories to
share as I continue on this journey...</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11415813989900385394noreply@blogger.com3