nyc 2015

Our family had such a great time in New York City a few weeks ago. It was packed full - fun, exciting, and absolutely thrilling for Hannah and Joseph. In addition to the marathon, New York was also hosting the World Series. There was a lot going on!

The last time we were in NYC was for my 30th birthday, December five years ago. Joe wore Hannah in the Bjorn the whole time and I carried Joseph in my tummy. That was a great time, too. As we like to say in our family, New York is a trip, not a vacation. Both trips were exhausting. You go, go, go. There is so much to see and do and we manage to pack in as much as possible.

This time we were there for four nights. We flew in on Saturday early afternoon, checked into the hotel and went to the NYC marathon expo. While it wasn't their first, the plane ride was a highlight for sure. When we got to Laguardia, Hannah and Joseph changed into Pocahontas and Captain America. It was Halloween after all.

...Captain America was flat out exhausted and fell asleep at the expo. It was a long day, coming right after an emotional day with Chloe. Joe's mom and sister met up with us at the hotel, and we found a classic New York pizza place for dinner not far from our hotel, near Madison Square Garden, and then hit the sack.

Sunday was the marathon. Joe was up and out super early (5:30!), taking the Subway to the ferry to get to the start of the race. We had a much more leisurely morning, having breakfast and then taking the Subway and finding a spot along the race route. It was crazy crowded and I questioned our slower pace, but we ended up not only getting to see Joe as he ran down the Queensboro Bridge ramp, but he saw us!!

I loved having the race app on my phone; we knew exactly where Joe was along the route, his pace, projected finish, etc. Very convenient for a large city and a huge race. The NYC marathon is the largest in the world with about 60,000 runners. Imagine that plus all the spectators and police, and you've got quite a crowd to maneuver around.

As is the case with all of the big races, there is a lot of waiting. We wait and wait and then, if we're lucky, we get to see Daddy for a few seconds. It's still exciting and we make the best of the waiting part. Here we are in Central Park, with the Plaza Hotel in the background:

We made our way inside the park, found a great place around mile 25 to watch him pass. We then followed on the app as he crossed the finish line.

Then came the difficult (and frustrating!) part: finding him after the race. There is usually a family reunion spot which is great, but getting to this one was almost impossible. It took us an hour and a half to get to Joe after we saw him run by. There were so many people, barricades, and detours. But we made it and got our family pictures!

Joe finished the race with a time of 3:15:03. He would have liked to go a little faster, but still he did great. He said it was the hardest of all the races he's done. There are five bridges (they go into all five boroughs), numerous ups and downs, and the pavement is very uneven. There are potholes, repairs, and all the road issues you'd expect in a big, northern city. Runners like to settle into a rhythm and put their focus forward, but in this race you have to watch where you step most of the way. We were amazed at how many runners we saw stop with cramps. It's a tough one! We were proud of #5067 and now he has another major under his belt.

After a little relaxation (and a bloody mary) at the hotel, we dressed and headed to Little Italy, always one of our favorite stops in NYC. Again, the Subway and escalators were exciting enough on their own for these two littles:

After the yummiest dinner at Angelo's on Mulberry Street, we walked to Ferrara's for dessert!

Day two down. On Monday morning, we toured the September 11th memorial and museum. It was incredible and such an awesome experience, a must-do if you are planning a trip to New York.

We walked down to Battery Park and along the Harbor, catching views of the Statue of Liberty.

Hannah jumped along the rocks and Joseph tested out his new FDNY fire truck. It was quite a bit of walking, so we are glad (as we were several times on this trip) that we brought the convenience stroller. The kids took turns riding, I gave piggy-back rides, and we also made a pit stop at Starbucks.

As afternoon turned into evening, we walked/ran to the top of the Brooklyn Bridge. The skyline was beautiful as the sun set behind it. I didn't want to miss the view from the top of the bridge, so I ran while pushing Joseph in the stroller. When I got to the top, out of breath and sweating, I realized he fell asleep. Classic. The others hurried too, not far behind me. We stayed for a bit, and even got to witness some unplanned excitement. The President flew in on an Osprey, landing not too far from us, and traveled right underneath the bridge in his motorcade. Very cool.

The day ended with a visit to Grand Central Station, where we ate dinner in the dining concourse and Hannah twirled around the terminal.

Tuesday was another gorgeous day. Seriously, we had incredible weather the whole time. Only needed a jacket at times, and not a heavy one at that. It was perfect New York fall weather and playing around Central Park was the perfect start to the day.

We went to the Museum of Natural History right at opening and toured all four floors. That place is so neat, halls designated for mammals, ocean life, ancient peoples, and space science exhibits to name a few. The kids loved it (as did the grown-ups)!

Next up was The Empire State Building. Joseph was very impressed with all the buttons on the elevator. The adults were impressed at how short (non-existent) the line was to get to the top. We walked around the observation deck for a while and tried to locate things down below. {I even got a kiss from my little boy.}

Tuesday night we went to Times Square, had dinner at Hard Rock Cafe, and visited the Hershey store. Joe was in chocolate heaven.

The day ended with Aladdin. The Genie stole the show; he was hilarious. We all loved it!!

Wednesday was our last day. Before heading to the airport, we said hello to Patience and Fortitude, the stone lions outside the NY Public Library, stopped by Rockefeller Center (and gawked in the window of the Lego store - it wasn't open yet), and strolled down 5th Avenue, posing in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Oh yeah, we also had to stop and pick up a few things from the American Girl store. Joseph was thrilled to pick out something of his own: an AG Dalmatian puppy he named Chloe. Happy ending. :)

When the captain on the airplane let him check out the cockpit, Joseph was beside himself.

It was a really good trip, filled with memories we will not soon forget. So thankful for the opportunity to go, for Joe getting to race in the NYC Marathon, for the kids loving every minute, and for Meme and Gran Gran (and for a part, Aunt Sarah) being there with us.

ironman 70.3

Hello, it's me. Fall is here and I am dropping in for my bi-monthly post. No, I've got a few posts coming...  

It has been over a month since I wrote about Hannah's sixth birthday and we have just been trucking along, managing schedules, enjoying the change of seasons, and mostly having a whole lot of fun. There have been a few noteworthy events, too. One of which happened at the end of September. 

On the 27th, Joe completed a half-Ironman - or Ironman 70.3 as it is now called - in Augusta. This is his second triathlon of that distance. {It has been a long time since the first one, and much longer since he did the full Ironman.} That same weekend he also married a couple. Thankfully that was in Augusta as well, what with the rehearsal, dinner, wedding and reception to attend. We brought the kids and Meme and spent the weekend in a hotel. While Joe and I did wedding stuff, Meme and the kids had all sorts of hotel fun.

The race was Sunday. We were a little nervous about the weather. It was going to rain, then it wasn't, and back and forth until we got a favorable weather report the day of. And then it did end up raining some, though thankfully mostly just a mist.

Hannah and Joseph were excited to cheer on Daddy. At the race expo the day before, Meme bought them "Support Crew" sweatshirts. I loved the neon. Great visibility! Daddy spotted them every time he passed by.

Joe left the hotel early that morning with his friend, Mitch. Since there is such a time lag between the close of transition and the swim start, we came a little later, riding the hotel shuttle bus (which delighted Joseph).

The triathlon includes a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike, and a 13.1 mile run (half marathon). Joe had a really great swim, coming out of the water first in his age group, and ended up with the 13th fastest swim time (out of 2600 people).

He just told me today that he was really nervous about losing his wedding ring. He usually gives it to me before the start, but I wasn't there this time. But we saw him coming out of the water and cheered loud! These are the professional pictures below.

While he was on the bike, we went to a great little breakfast place and then found a good spot to watch the run. We only saw Joe on the bike at the very start, coming out of the transition area, which is normal for a race with such a long bike distance.

The bike leg was rough. Joe was in a lot of pain for most of the 56 miles. It was definitely due to the accident; his back just can't take that position.

He said he learned two things after the race: 1, he is not doing that race distance anytime soon (if ever again), and 2, we need a third opinion. It's not just the bike riding. It's a quality of life thing. People often ask us how he can manage to run so much with his back being so bad. Well, he can run with no pain, yet he can't sit (or ride a bike) for 20 minutes without pain. He would rather run for an hour than sit for an hour. Seriously.

Joseph wore his Boston Strong shirt and Hannah wore the one she got for running her first race. We do love bright colors! We brought our cowbells from the Savannah Rock-n-Roll marathon and used them with abandon.

Joe had a really good run. He would probably want me to clarify the above photo. He is not saying he's #1. He's pointing to the Big Man upstairs who got him through the race and has enabled him to be even able to race. Praise God, indeed!

His final time was 4:56:27, accomplishing his goal of sub-5 hours. Yay!! Go, Daddy, go!

It was a super fun day!

...And, thanks to Meme, a very helpful part of Joe's fan club.

at summer's end

Summer is just about over (say what?!) and I have, obviously, been taking a break from this blog! Sorry to all five of you who read this.

I have said it before, but it can be such a chore sometimes and not at the top of my to-do list. I've chosen the time I usually spend writing a blog post reading a book or flipping through a magazine instead. I've chosen to play in the yard and watch movies with my babies, cuddled up on the couch on rainy (or just too hot) afternoons. I've chosen little house projects instead…

And I told myself I would devote my computer time to working on my 2011 Volume II photo book instead. {Yes, 2011 and yes, volume two… I'm trying to catch up! I'm out of order, having done 2013, but never did '11 and '12. Not to mention 2014 needs to be done, too.} Being a perfectionist, I admit those books take me a lot of time to do, but I absolutely love the finished product.

Still, I do want to back up and post some of what we've been up to over the past month and a half… And in case you were itching to know what's been going on, I hope you were following me on Instagram! I do love the ease of that app and sharing pictures via that avenue.

It has been a great summer for the most part. We have played a lot, gone on a few fun trips, and been at times lazy, enjoying these long, hot days together. There has been extended cuddle time in the mornings and later bedtimes.

In random news, it has been a frustrating situation with deer this summer. They have jumped our fence and eaten pretty much everything we've tried to grow in the backyard: vegetables, flowers, plants… Thankful for sweet friends and in-laws, we have received fresh tomatoes, sweet corn and summer squash. We have enjoyed farm-fresh meals many nights.

The kids have built numerous forts with blankets and structures with Legos. We ate lunches at Dairy Lane and enjoyed our share of ice cream. We've played with friends and enjoyed a fun family supper club swim party. I've taken the kids for walks in the double stroller (those days are seriously numbered!) and around the corner to a kind neighbor's pool.

It's also been a memorable summer. I've cried with a friend at the unexpected end of her marriage and I've cried with my mom over the loss of a dear pet. Joe and I reflected over the second anniversary of the day of his accident and we've rejoiced over where we are now. The kids have grown, getting bigger and smarter seemingly by the day and I have absolutely loved being at home with them.

So, here it is: an end-of-summer re-cap…

JUNE

On Father's Day we celebrated the best daddy ever!

We spent a wonderful (and even relaxing!) week on Sea Island. We played for endless hours at the pool, built sand castles, jumped over the waves, walked on the beach, and read books…well, I did anyway. About an hour from home I realized I forgot my camera bag, so I relied on my phone to capture the memories. I was excited about unplugging for the week, and having my phone on me kinda stood in the way of that, but good thing for airplane mode!

Staying just a few blocks from the beach club, Joe and I walked while the kids rode bikes each day. They were always so excited to strap on their helmets, hop on their bikes and go. Joseph was usually way ahead of the rest of us.

This year could not have been more different for Joseph; he has conquered his fear of the water. Not ready to swim on his own, he stuck close to Momma and Daddy, but jumping in the pool was his thing. He would yell, "Cannonball!" or "Blueberry pizza!!!" and other odd things before hitting the water.

Meanwhile, Hannah is all about swimming. She was constantly in the water. Each day we spent 7 or so hours at the beach club and, unless she was called out to eat lunch or reapply sunscreen, she'd be in the pool the entire time. Her pink goggles pretty much stayed on her head the whole week.

It was a huge treat to get to see my friend, Julie, and her beautiful family. Her husband was there for a conference and she turned it into a family vacation. I loved catching up with her and seeing my godson (her youngest, Jake) and the kids loved playing with MJ, Ty and Catelin.

We ate really well, of course. There is no shortage of good places to go on St. Simons and we took advantage of that! Bubba Garcias, Barbara Jeans and Southern Soul…yum!

Some other friends (three pastors' families) were vacationing on nearby Jekyll Island. We went over there one day for some fun in the sun with them.

The weather was really nice most of the time, with only a shower here and there. No one got burnt and the kids got along. That's a recipe for a good summer vacation!

Our last full day…

I love that picture above. We took a long walk on the beach, Joe and I holding hands and the little ones ahead of us doing the same. So thankful for my family. I love them so much!

On our last night, we had dinner at Crabdaddy's. We bypassed naps and opted for extended swim time, so Joseph had difficulty staying up for food to be delivered on a couple of occasions. I'm not sure he ate more than two bites of his fish before curling up on his hard wooden chair and falling asleep. He didn't even wake when Joe picked him up and walked him to the car or even while we stopped for ice cream. He was out! Both kids slept really well for the most part.

We packed up the car on the last morning and spent half the day at the pool before saying goodbye. It was such a great trip in such a beautiful place. We are so thankful for a generous friend who let us stay in their condo.

We've had a lot of work done at our house and managed through a construction zone. The floor in our master bedroom was taken down to the dirt and rebuilt due to some structural issues. {The plywood subfloor had been incorrectly laid parallel to the joists causing a ripple effect over time and some serious shaking. No joke, I would have to stop writing in bed when Joe would walk across the room.} We had to move every single thing out, resulting in a great opportunity to go through clothes and stuff, and relocated to the guest bedroom for a couple of weeks.

While the workers were at the house, we took advantage of the chaos to go ahead and repaint the ceiling in the playroom (den) which had old stains due to leaking, paint our bathroom, and re-carpet Hannah's room which had been badly stained prior to us moving in and covered up by a large rug. There was a lot of dust and it took quite a while to get everything put back together, but we are good!

I've tackled some home projects and crossed some things off the to-do list…

I bought new dining chairs and finally painted over our old kitchen table I've had since college. You know the one, natural wood top/white painted legs. It has been through many moves and continues to be the setting for three meals a day for our family. I decided it needed an update and so I covered it with Annie Sloan chalk paint. The chairs were the result of a long quest to find something Joe could comfortably sit in, having trouble still with his back.

I put Hannah's pink fringe boots in a shadow box and did the same for all of Joe's ranks, insignia and awards from his military days.

The kids and I have taken several trips to Washington County Care and Share - a really great ministry in our community. Taking care of people less fortunate than us is an important thing in our family. I do my best to make sure Hannah and Joseph understand just how much they have and how much it helps others to share our things. They don't always comply when I want to get rid of a certain toy or article of clothing, but for the most part they like to participate. One day we stayed at the Care and Share and helped out for a little while. Hannah met a new friend:

JULY

We celebrated the Fourth at home. Meme came and Daddy put on a little backyard fireworks display.

The kids went to Camp Meme the next week. She had all kinds of things planned. They did arts and crafts, went to the park, played at the mall, explored downtown, got pedicures, and ate at fun places. You could say they had a packed schedule! Meme sent us pictures to fill us in.

That picture on the right above has special meaning to us. They are standing at the base of the Harbor Light on Bay Street in Savannah. That light was the icon on our wedding save-the-dates and our canvas welcome bags. It is a historic landmark in our hometown.

I drove to Savannah at the end of the week to pick the kids up. I also got to see my sweet little niece, Stella Mae. We had a picnic in the park.

That night my mom's 15-year-old Yorkie, Spenser, died. He had started losing control of his legs and would fall over when walking in the days prior. He would also get really stiff at times. We think he could have been having pin strokes, his body gradually getting weaker. Just after seven in the morning on Friday his heart stopped beating in our arms.

Spensey was a little fella and he was old, but he was dearly loved and we were all very sad (still are). He was America's Favorite Traveling Dog and did quite a lot in his almost-sixteen years of life. He traveled the country and promoted his books and lived through many family changes and events. He had lots of fans - those that actually knew him and those that felt like they did!

I love what my mom said on Facebook:

Good-bye to my little friend and faithful traveling partner. My empty-nest partner who saw me through five college graduations, three weddings, the birth of three grandbabies, and made visits with me to all the states, raised many dollars and collected much food for hungry little ones, and received love pats from hundreds of school children. You made a difference, Lord Spenser of Chipperhouse. RIP, my buddy. There is a hole in my heart today.

I am so thankful that I happened to be in Savannah. I am thankful that my mom was at home, and not on the road working. He was surrounded by love as he took the journey over the Rainbow Bridge. I'm also thankful that the kids were there. They were really sweet to Meme and provided some distraction, too.

We took the kids downtown to play. Joseph had been wanting to ride the city bus, so we hopped on the Dot express shuttle that circles around the historic district and went for a ride. It was exciting! After that we went down to River Street and ate fried shrimp at Tubby's.

The next week Gran Gran came to visit.

Hannah and Joseph love when Gran Gran comes to visit for a few days in the summertime. (Joe and I do, too!) She has a lot of energy and they love to be outside with her as she fusses around in our yard, cleaning, trimming and watering. They also pulled out the kiddie pool and slip-n-slide, as well as the sprinkler ring. They had so much fun, and when it got too hot to play in the backyard or go for a walk, they'd come inside and play games, dress up, and watch Scooby Doo together (a surprise she bought Hannah at Walmart). We went swimming one day and Gran Gran jumped off the diving board. I so wish I had a picture of that. The kids were thrilled! {She also brought food and cooked for us. What a treat!}

Later that week, we drove to Savannah and had a little family get together to remember Spenser and bury his ashes. We have a great family and they showed up big time to support my mom. {I took the picture and the quality is not good.}

Then, Joe and I got away for a night and went down to St. Simons for a dinner cruise with pastor friends. It was a beautiful evening to float around on the water and enjoy a delicious low country boil. The sunset was picturesque and dolphin were swimming all around us.

We traveled to Banner Elk, North Carolina for a family reunion in the mountains. Hannah and Joseph got a lot more time in the pool and I enjoyed catching up with cousins. 

Above: Hannah swam, as you would expect, nonstop and she loved when Aunt Katie joined her. She also liked making baby Stella laugh.

On Friday night the four of us and my mom drove to Boone for dinner. We all happened to be wearing shades of pink. {Only the kids were planned!}

They crashed at night!

Saturday morning Joe and I went for runs. It is just beautiful up there in the mountains, and I had to stop and snap a few pictures.

Joseph hit a milestone in the pool while there. Not only does he jump in to more than just Joe or me, he will now put his head underwater. Progress!!

That's everyone in attendance above. Believe it or not there is more! My mother's mother was one of eleven children. Below is our part, my grandmother's family (we are missing a few):

It was a nice time with family but a miserable ride home, pulling over often with Hannah getting sick. At first we thought it was car sickness but then it continued after arriving back home. A very nasty, but short-lasting tummy bug.

My Monkey started taking gymnastics and she is crazy excited about it. She is going to take ballet and tap again in September, but we've decided to do this too. Gymnastics is something that Joe and I did not totally agree on. He is afraid she is going to get hurt, but I want her to learn to do things the right away. She flips and rolls around her bedroom and is completely fearless about it… I figure if she's going to do all this, she might as well learn technique. I'm not signing her up for 10 years of practice at this point in the game, but she is super pumped about taking now.

This past weekend we were in Savannah for Joe's first triathlon since the accident. We stayed out on Moon River with his parents and the kids even got to fish for the first time (Joseph caught a very strong-willed crab!). The highlight for Joseph, however, was probably the boat lift.

Joe did awesome at the race, a sprint on Skidaway Island. He finished third overall on the swim and run. He was second place in his age group. More importantly, he felt good and had some terrific fans there.

Before leaving town, Hannah played dress up in Gran Gran's old dresses and Aunt Sarah's old dance costumes. I don't know who had more fun - Hannah or Gran Gran.

I have also pulled out some of my old costumes this summer and Hannah has provided us with great entertainment, dancing around the house. 

I can't believe it is now time for school to start (Friday!). Hannah will be in kindergarten and Joseph in pre-K. They will be at the same school and both going full day for the first time. What will I do?!? It's bittersweet but I am super excited, too. They are over the moon! 

Well, I can't believe I did it. It took quite a while but I am current. Yippee for me!