St. Louis Extravaganza

The last weekend in May, we met up with friends in St. Louis! (Note, I recognize it is the end of June, meaning I'm a full month behind in blogging.  I promise I'll catch up soon!) We haven't seen our friends since we met them in Gatlinburg 2 years ago.  Only this time, their family has grown from 4 to 5! This vacation was a different pace - but we knew with 4 kids under the age of 3, it would have to be!

We left Friday afternoon after Steve got off of work.  We drove about 3 hours to Indy, where we stopped for dinner.  We ate at Jackomo, a pizza place.  Bean enjoyed getting out of the car and running all around the restaurant while we waited to be seated.  The pizza was good, but we just had to cram it down quickly to get back on the road.  We left the restaurant around 8:30 and we still had another hour until our scheduled overnight stay in Terre Haute.

We got up early the next morning and continued our adventure westward.  We met up with our friends at a McCallister's for lunch! Even though we hadn't seen them in 2 years, it felt like our friendship picked up right where it left off! (Actually, we saw Jen & her daughter a year ago when they came to visit!) After catching up over lunch, we caravanned over to the Missouri Civil War Museum.  It was tucked away in a park, but we finally found it.  After watching a brief video, we roamed around the rooms to learn about the Civil War from Missouri's experience.  I especially loved the collection of medical devices!  So crazy to think about how barbaric their solutions were - amputation, harsh chemicals, and enemas - sheesh!

(Inside one of the rooms at the Civil War museum.  They had about 4 rooms.  Some of the basement area was still a work in progress.  Bean and I were back in the corner checking out those medical devices!)

After the museum, we headed to find our home for the weekend.  We got an apartment on airbnb (is there any other way to travel?!). We had the top floor of a house which included 3 bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, and a living room. It worked perfectly! 2 of the bedrooms were joined together, so our friends took those two.  Our bedroom also doubled as the entrance (the stair to outside was accessed in our room).  We had to do a little child proofing  - like moving a glass coffee table, using a couch to block off a side room, etc - but other than that, the house was perfect.

(This was our bedroom. The stairway/entrance into the apartment was behind me.  The french doors on the right opened up into the living room.)

(View through the french doors from our room into the living room. Missing -- glass coffee table.  We moved it behind that dark couch into a nook and blocked it off.)

(Kitchen)

(Table & benches.  We especially loved the view of a squirrel hanging dead from the power line outside the window.)

(Jake/Jen's bedroom.  You could access it from the hall - which is where I am standing - and then it connected to the next room via a door on the right.)

(Kids bedroom. I'm standing in the hallway, and again there was a connecting door on the left to the other room.)

We had a low-key evening.  The guys watched the kids while Jennifer and I ran to Target to get a few things.  We needed some food to have at the house and they were in need of some kids clothes (a suitcase didn't make the trip, whoops!). After our shopping trip, the guys ordered dinner and headed out to pick it up.  We got gourmet hot dogs from Steve's Hot Dogs on the Hill.  They were delicious!

On Sunday, we woke up early and headed out to go visit the Gateway Arch! Our friends had been up the arch before separately, but it was a new experience for us.  We parked downtown, pick up our tickets, and then walked to the base.  We got a little confused on which side of the arch to enter (there was a lot of construction which didn't help), but we soon discovered the markings on the sidewalk pointing us to the correct side.  Our tickets were for a set time, so we went through security and waited for our time to be called.  All 8 of us were crammed into a tiny elevator pod.  I didn't really know what to expect, but I definitely didn't expect this tiny pod with little seats.  Bean must have inherited my fear of heights, because she wasn't keen on the arch experience. She definitely did not want to be near the windows.  I did my obligatory peek out, but just focused on keeping Bean happy.  We made our decent back down on the opposite side of the arch - so we can say we literally rode the whole Arch! (You could return back to the base on either side, just depended on timing.)

(All of us in the little pod minus Kate.  She was sitting next to Steve under the camera.  It was too hard to try to coordinate us all into the picture.)

(Looking out the window, just not looking too close. . . )

(Steve trying to convince her that the view was really cool - yeah, i'm sure it is. . . )

(Steve's artsy arch shot.  Can I just say how much I love travelling with my own photographer?!  He takes majority of our pictures and I love not having to think about it!)

After the arch, we walked back to our cars and headed to a pretzel place for lunch.  I thought we were getting gourmet deli sandwiches on pretzel buns, but it was literally deli meat and melted cheese on a pretzel cut in half. Haha.  It still ended up being really good, just not what I thought! There also wasn't tables to eat at the pretzel place, so we took it to go and ate back at the house.  Bean fell asleep on the way back to the house, and if I remember rightly, she transferred to the crib (or maybe she didn't. Honestly, her sleep was a blur.  This trip fell right int he middle of her sleep regression phase in which she hated sleep.) The rest of the kids went down for naps, too.  Once they were all up, we loaded the cars back up and headed to the Botanical Gardens.

When we got their, our friends had some technical difficulty with their kids, haha.  They decided it best to go take the kids elsewhere for the time being and meet back up with us later.  So Steve, Bean, and I headed on into the gardens.  Their was a kids playground area that was open for only an hour longer when we arrived, so we went straight there.  Since Bean is under 3, she got into the area free (and we of course got in free by association with her.  Kids ages 3 -12 had to buy an additional ticket to get in).  The area was nice, but I don't think we'd pay to take older kids.  They had some slides, and little obstacle areas.  Bean loved the slides and we alternated who took her down.  She also just loved being out of the stroller and running around.

(There was an area in the kids playground that had a ship named The Pearl.  You could pretend to steer it by turning the big wheel at the front. Bean was too busy just running around to care about the boat/house.)

(It's the Pearlster - as one of Steve's coworkers calls Bean - steering the Pearl!)

(Going down the slide with Daddy!)

(And then going down again with Momma!)

(Bean loved this tree curly slide.  I hate enclosed spaces - another shocker - and made Steve go with her the first few times.  She really wanted to go again and he said he didn't want to go again.  I sucked it up and took her - it really wasn't that bad.)

(Again Daddy!!)

(We survived the slide!)

After the kids playground, we meandered around the rest of the gardens.  We loved the Climatron (rain forest inside a domed building) and enjoyed walking through the hedge maze as well.  After we made our way through the gardens, we met up with our friends at a park nearby our house.  There was a big neighborhood party going on including local bands, food trucks, and a mini petting zoo!  It was a little cold, but that didn't stop us from going and having a good time.  We got tacos and gourmet popcorn from the trucks.  Bean especially loved the goats and pigs in the petting zoo.

(Inside the Climatron -- there were a lot of plaques calling out the different plants and how they survive in the rainforest.)

(Bean being Bean)

(Walking through the hedge maze - we are the blog in the left lower side.  We didn't do the whole thing.  I just took Bean through a section, then retraced my steps, haha.)

(Food Trucks!  It was no Off the Grid, but it was still yummy food and a fun experience!)

(This petting zoo was pretty awesome for being thrown together for a neighborhood party! The animals were just tethered to some posts and roaming around an open area.  There were a couple pins that were quickly constructed for smaller animals like baby pigs.)

(I think she was eating popcorn.  Or cheese.  That's all she ate, the cheese off our tacos and chocolate/caramel popcorn -- awesome parents right here!)

(Bean & Daddy walking through the park form the event to get back to our car.)

On Monday, we spent the whole day at the St. Louis Zoo.  I loved the historical and architectural elements of the zoo.  It's main feature - a bird exhibit that allowed you to experience birds flying around inside a caged building.  It was the first of its kind and was built for the worlds fair in St. Louis.  The exhibit was such a hit, that they kept the structure and created the zoo around it.  We loved all the different animal buildings.  The architecture of them were very ornate and highlighted the animals that were within the building (i.e. - tons of reptile mosaics and marble carving in the reptile building).  Bean fell asleep in her stroller, so we continued to take a leisurely pace around while she slept.  Our friends took their kids for a car ride to earn their quiet nap time!  After the zoo, we went for a drive around the central west end and see some of the architecture.  We ended up stumbling upon the Cathedral Basiclica St. Louis.  Steve originally wanted to go through it and had researched it prior to our trip.  I didn't think it doable with kids, but we decided to pop in quickly since we were right there.  Steve walked all the way around, but I kept Bean more toward the outskirts in case she got too excited.  After the church, we met back up with our friends at the house.  We went out to dinner at Anthonio's Tavern.  It was a restaurant known for its pizza in the Italian district.  The pizza was delicious and we felt like locals eating in the neighborhood.

(Inside the reptile building.  Notice the iguana statues on the ledge.  Each building would have an ornate plant centerpiece in the middle of the building.)

(There was a new penguin exhibit that we were all excited about going through.  However, once we walked in, I quickly realized it was the arctic penguins and I was freezing!  I decided I didn't care about seeing the penguins and wanted out of there! Bean didn't really care; however, there were a ton of people in there and she couldn't really see well anyway.)

(Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis)

(The inside of the church was super ornate.  It has 80,000 sq ft of mosaics! It is probably one of the most beautiful churches we've ever been in - and we've been in a ton throughout Europe!  It's so crazy to think of it being in the middle of St. Louis and to be relatively modern.)

(And we also stopped off for some Ted Drewes frozen custard before we headed back to the house.  It was delicious! Bean gobbled it down.)

(We took some selfies while everyone else napped!)

(Usual kid pile-up.  They played really well together! I brought a bag of toys that were a hit.)

On Tuesday, there was a change in plans due to some sick kids (our friends, Bean was just being troublesome with sleep, not health!).  So Steve, Me, Jen, Bean & Kate ended up heading out to go to the City Museum while Jake and the boys stayed home.  With the name "City Museum" I expected to go and walk through exhibits and learn stuff about St. Louis.  I had been warned that we would need good shoes and clothes because we would be climbing stuff; I just assumed it meant like interactive exhibits.  Boy was I wrong!  It had absolutely nothing to do with a museum, and was basically an adult playground made out of random objects and metal.  I could see the potential for it to be a ton of fun if you went with a group of friends in high school/college; but it definitely is a different experience when you are chasing a toddler around.

(Daddy & Bean going down the first slide inside the "museum")

(Jennifer & Kate!)

(Run Steve Run!)

(Lego Block pit in the toddler area)

(Of all the things to climb and play on, this was Bean's favorite toy in the toddler area.)

(Living life on the edge -- playing in the outdoor playground which starts on the 2nd story.)

(Steve going down what appeared to be a very steep slide.  After he did it, he said it wasn't that crazy.)

(Looking from one platform over at other areas you could climb to.  Yes, you could climb all the way up and into the airplane, no we did not do that!  We did let the kids walk on the walkways as far as they could, then we'd just turn around and go back to a section they could play around. You couldn't really fall off the structure, but there were some definite areas I wouldn't want little kids to wiggle their way into.)

(Ball pit outside! There was 2 separate pits - one for kids under the age of 3 & another for kids of all ages.  They were separated by fencing and the other side had balls constantly being thrown.)

I felt like I could lose Bean at any moment or personally contract tetanus. Haha.  Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad, but just wasn't up my ally.  Three was a nice toddler area, though.  The girls loved running up and down the ramps and slides in the kids area.  Steve went and did a 10 story curly slide on his own while we let the girls play around.  There was also a ball pit outside that they loved playing in (although, I was trying to not freak out over the bird poop on some of the balls. Yikes!).   When we felt like we'd seen all the "City Museum" had to offer, we walked a few blocks to Rooster Cafe.  This was my favorite restaurant from the trip! They were known for their crepes.  I'm not a crepe person (shocking, I know), so I got a BLAT (bacon/lettuce/avocado/tomato) sandwich and it was amazing. Fresh bread, fresh ingredients, homemade sauce.  Yum-o!

After lunch, we headed back to the City Museum and loaded up the car to return to the house.  Both of the girls fell asleep in the car, and I think we transferred them both to naps successfully (at least I'll tell myself that now).  Once all the kids were awake, we went out for ice cream! We hit up a Man v. Food stop -- Crown Candy Kitchen Factory.  They are known for their milkshakes/malts and especially know for their malt challenge.  None of us partook in the challenge, but we did enjoy the shakes! We went back to the house to start packing up and let the kids play around.  We got BBQ take-out for dinner (which was Steve's favorite food from the trip).

Wednesday was uneventful.  We got up, finished packing, cleaned up, loaded up, and said our goodbyes.  We enjoyed St. Louis, but boy was I ready to get back home! (If only we could cut out the 6 hour car ride!) Bean did great.  She took a little nap, and got to enjoy tons of Dora.  We were in survival mode with all her non-sleep.  We got back home just in time for me pull some dinner out of the freezer, eat, and head to church for praise team practice.  Steve and Bean just enjoyed being home!

("We're going home?!  Yay!!")

("I have to be in this car for 6 hours?!  NOOOOOooooooo!")

Daddy's in China!

When Steve told me a year ago that he'd be going to China for a couple weeks on business, I immediately began to dread the trip.  I was elated when it was canceled/delayed last year.  When he told me they'd be going in May, I didn't believe him.  He would tell me about China meetings to plan the trip, about buying tickets, and finalizing the trip.  I still didn't believe him. 

I delayed packing for him until the last possible minute - like the night before.  I still had hopes that it wasn't going to happen, but knew he'd put too much planning into it for it to get canceled.  He stayed home a little Monday morning, just so we could have a few extra hours of family time.  He left for work just before 11 and we said goodbye to Daddy for a few weeks.  (He left from work that evening to drive to Detroit.  He then flew out early Tuesday morning with a small layover in Seattle). 

With Bean and I on our own for the next couple weeks, I had several projects planned and quickly got to work.  I think subconsciously, I knew that if I overloaded our schedule, time would go by quickly and I'd be too tired to worry about Steve's absence.  

Steve was 12 hours ahead of us.  We got to Skype with him in the morning, before he went to bed.  He always looked tired and sounded discouraged.  He was sick of Asian food by day 2, and discoverd the language barrier to be way worse than expected.  I think he developed a case of homesickness and really missed "his girls" as he calls us.  I knew it would be hard for us, but guessed it would be harder for him.  After all, we had the comforts of home, friends, and family to help us pass the time.  He didn't. Since China is communist, he couldn't access even some basic internet favorites like google (gmail), Facebook, or even Youtube! 

I had originally planned on just packing up and having out at my parents' house in IN for the 2 weeks, but then realized I'm an adult with real responsibilities.  I had to be in Lima during the week so that I could babysit! So Monday - Friday of the first week I was local, but then packed Bean up and headed to IN, returning back to Lima on Wednesday.  On Thursday, Bean and I headed up to Detroit to pick Steve up at the airport! He rode up with a coworker, and had originally planned to ride back with him. However, I realized that by the time he got back, Bean would be in bed, so it made more sense to drive the 2 hours up to see him, so we had the time together in the car.  

Bean did really good not understanding what was going on.  She would ask about daddy, and I'd always remind her that "Daddy's in China!" She seemed okay with that answer.  When she asked about him a lot, I'd show her pictures on the phone, and of course, she got to Skype with him, too.  I think towards the end of the week, she thought Daddy lived in my phone.  She'd say "Daaaa-eee" and point to my phone.  She and I were with each other around the clock, and got pretty close.  I kind of feared us getting too close (I'll post more about that in the next couple posts, but my fear came true.  She got very dependent on just me.  She loved having Steve back home, but would get upset if I left her with him.).  

(Once Steve left, I set up "sewing land" in the living room.  I set up my sewing desk on the outside of the gate so that I could work on some projects while Bean played in the living room. This set up actually worked really great! Only issue was that I rarely had time to sew! We were busy with going places, playing outside, and watching James! I didn't want to sew during naptimes, in fear of waking kids up, so I only sewed for an hour each morning.  I only got 1 baby blanket mostly done, and another half done. I kept sewing land up after Steve returned and knocked out those baby blankets and a couple outfits for Bean! Now sewing land is in the sun room.  Bean is good about playing in the living room, or coming in and playing in the room around me while I sew.)

(Another project that took a few days was cleaning out the closet and switching out winter clothes for summer clothes.  Of course it was 80 degrees on the day I switched the clothes, and it dropped to the 60s the next day.  That always happens! I still have to do Bean's clothes.  I've been in a bad habit of throwing any clothes that don't fit her into a big box.  I need to sort through it all and properly put it away.  I also took Bean clothes shopping one day and got her a new summer wardrobe! We are officially out of hand me down clothes, so she was in some desperate need of her new size - 3T!). 

(I randomly decided to pull the trigger and do a small garden.  We went to Menards, I bought a couple plants -- 2 varieties of tomatoes and some sweet peppers.  I had to make up an area by weeding, edging, and planting my veggies.  I was able to do it all while Bean slept.)

(Finished garden! It is located on the West side of the garage.  This is about the best sun location without it being in our front yard.)

(This also happened -- all the helicopters fell! We did a lot of playing outside, so while bean played, I tried to sweep up some of the helicopters.  They just kept falling, so you couldn't really tell.  Oh well, I tried!)

(The day before we were to head to IN, my "low tire pressure" warning light came on!  I emailed Steve and he explained what I needed to do.  I did know how to test the pressure, just wasn't sure what I was aiming for.  I tried each tire and discovered that 3 were just about right, and 1 was 7 pounds too low! Eeeks.  His email explained how to use the compressor to fill the tire back up.  It took me a few minutes (and a non-helpful call to my sister) to figure out how to lock the compressor onto the tire.  But I figured it out, and we made it to/from IN and even to and from Detroit without any issue!)

(Of all weeks for Bean to figure out climbing. . . We had been lucky that it took her so long to realize she could climb up on the dark couch all by herself.  1 day into Steve's absence and she climbed up onto the couch, over the armrest, and got stuck in between the end table and the couch.  She freaked out over getting stuck and didn't do it again; however, there was lots of climbing on the couch in general.)

(My mom was gone while we were at her house.  So I was the lady of the house in her absence, haha.  While I was there, I cleaned and readied the house for Memorial weekend visitors.  Bean did a lot of playing on her own- and of course with Coco the dog!)

(My sister Amber got the idea that we should clean up the basement for my mom while she was gone.  My brother even worked his schedule so that he could come and help.  I'll spare you the before pictures, but let's just say, you couldn't see the floor or navigate at all.  2 truckloads of trash/recyclables left, along with an SUV full of my brother's stuff, and a van full of items donated to Goodwill! Mom didn't know that we had planned this clean-out; although, information was leaked and she had a slight concerning freak out over it.  We assured her we weren't just throwing her stuff away, and she was thankful for the clean basement when she returned! Dad was there the whole time, although he wasn't involved.  He was especially thankful, too! We got the "backroom" cleaned out too, so that he could actually access his workbench again!)

(Bean was a trooper for all the time she spent in the car.  3 hours on Wednesday, 4 on Thursday, and another 3 on Friday for our return to IN for Memorial weekend.  I had planned of just hanging out in the cell phone lot at Detroit, but who knew their cell lot was BEFORE you even got to the airport exit?!  I couldn't figure out how to turn around to get their, so in a last second decision, I parked in the parking garage.  It ended up working great, because I needed to potty and Bean was ready to run around! I let her run around as we waited for Daddy to show up to get his bags.  He knew we were coming, but didn't know that we were meeting him IN the airport.  His phone had died, so it worked perfectly!)

(Daddy's back!  She was excited to see him, but more excited to continue running around!)

All in all, we survived, but I'm very thankful for Steve being home.  Being a single parent is exhausting.  I don't know single parents function (and I only have 1 child!) other than by the grace of God, haha.

Mother's Day Weekend

Mother's Day Weekend in the past (as in the past 2 years I've been a mom), Steve set the bar pretty high.  He would take over all tasks (like cooking cleaning) and give me as close to a vacation as possible.  This year, MDW lined up with the weekend right before Steve's big China trip.  So what should have been my weekend off, was more like a normal weekend as a family (he did cook me a meal and did extra dishes than normal).  I had to do laundry and get him packed since he was leaving Monday morning.

To make the weekend special, Steve planned a little day trip to Dayton on Saturday.  We started the morning off with a stop at the Wright Brother's museum and their cycle shop.  Halfway to Dayton, we realized we had forgotten the stroller. Bean was a trooper at the museum.  She wanted to run around all over, but we did our best to reign her in.  She loved pushing the buttons on the exhibits.

We loaded back in the car and then drove to Young's Jersey Dairy farm.  We got their in time for lunch.  Steve got a turkey sandwich with a side of fried cheese curds; while I enjoyed a delicious cheeseburger & fries.  Yum!  Bean pilfered fries off of me.  I'm pretty sure this was the first time that she ate whole fries and dipped them in ketchup on her own.  She loved the dipping and ketchup part!

After we ate, we headed over to a little petting zoo.  There were quarter machines that you could buy food to feed the animals.  Bean loved the goats and proudly fed them from her hand! I thought she would freak out, but she enjoyed it. We also got to see some pigs and sheep inside the barn, and some cows in the field.  It was getting close to nap time (and boy was Bean tired! She nearly fell asleep on the way to the farm).  So we headed back inside and got some ice cream before we hit the road.

The rest of the weekend was low key.  We spent lots of time as a family as well as getting Steve all packed up.  I kept hoping that the trip would be canceled (like last year).  I knew it would be really hard to take care of Bean on my own without Steve's help! Mainly, I didn't want to be the sole disciplinarian or the one to have to make ALL the decisions like what should she eat, when should she go to bed, should she really be allowed to play on the bottom step?? (You get the point).

(Geared up and ready to go!  First time wearing pigtails, too!)

(I felt like Bean grew up all of a sudden on this little trip.  She was this big kid that was interacting with exhibits and the space around her.  Here she is sitting in an ejection seat -- there was an extra exhibit about paratroopers inside the Wright museum.)

(At the dairy farm playing in the rocks while we waited for daddy to get something from the car.)

(Petting the goats! Note the outfit change.  I was too concerned her white shirt would get dirty, so I changed her shirt because I am that crazy about stains.)

(Feeding the goat with daddy.  She loved it)

(Playing in the mulch and rocks while we ate ice cream.)

(This girl LOVES to find tiny objects and put them inside something.  She does it all the time inside the house - collects weird things like hair ties and qtips -- and outside with rocks, acorns, leaves, etc. She thoroughly enjoyed putting the rocks in her little water cup.) 

(Soaking up daddy time by putting a basket over his head while he tried to sleep.)

(This poor little girl had no idea what the next 2 weeks would hold for her.  She did extremely well (no major meltdowns) accepting that Steve wouldn't be around for awhile.  I also think that by the end of the week, she was convinced Steve lived inside my phone (I would show her photos and videos often; plus, we got to skype a few times).  

Ode to a Blog

Oh long lost blog, you are not forgotten, just merely tabled.
Life has become a little insane and I feel like I'm treading water in the middle of the ocean.
The past month has been topsy turvy with more days away from the house than present in it.
"I wish I had more time", something I constantly find myself saying.
I experienced life as a single mom, and hated it.
Bean has lost a lot of her baby and is rapidly becoming a little girl.  With that change has come a new phase, leaving us all very tired.
"Survive the day" = my current mantra.
We are in a season of frustration, learning, and challenges; yet very thankful for the growth the challenges are bringing.

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I'll try to catch up with posts on all that we've done in the past month.  Unfortunately, I have to prioritize things to get done each day, and the blog never makes the list.  I'll work on that.  But for now, if you need me, you'll find me sobbing in a corner or asleep (depends on if the child is awake or asleep).

Indy Mini -- Complete!

This past weekend, I got to cross off "Run a mini-marathon" off my bucket list! I DID it! I *ran* the Indy Mini Marathon in 2hr21min! I emphasized the RAN because I'm proud to say that I NEVER walked! Not even through the water sections.  Of course, I'd slow down, grab a water, and sloppily splash it as I jogged through the area; then I'd speed back up to pace.  But not once did I stop "running" (okay, towards the end, it may been more glorified jogging/walking than running, but I'll get to that. . .

We got into Indiana on Friday night around 8pm.  My mom took charge of putting Bean to bed while I carb loaded on some pizza and hung out.  After Bean went down, I said my goodbyes and headed over to my sister's house around 10.  I had the choice of sleeping at my parents and meeting her around 5am, or just head over the night before.  That sounded easier to me!  I didn't really sleep much that night.  I didn't get to bed til after 11:30. Around 2:30 a cat woke me up - ha; and then again I woke up with my alarm at 4:45! I woke up feeling pretty awake, so I guess that's a good thing.  I geared up in my running stuff, and off we went!

We picked up my sister's friend who lived nearby and made our way to Indy.  We excitedly discussed running strategies, about family and acquaintances (ended up that my sister's friend is close to my friend Julie's -- pictured later -- sister!).  We knew where we wanted to park, but weren't paying close attention to street names, so we ended up missing our turn.  We tried to back track, but some roads were closed due to the races.  So we went with plan B and parked in a parking garage that my friend Bree recommended! 

We put on our Bib numbers, got our running necessities, and lastly put on our trash bag attire.  The day was going to be warm, but it just wasn't warm yet.  So we put trash bags on over us to keep us warm.  People thought we were nuts and we even had some people take our picture, but right before we raced, we ditched the bags and were ready to go! (*Note* some runners will wear old layers and strip as they go.  They will either ditch or have people stationed at certain miles to hand their stuff over.) I run a faster mile than my sister and her friend, so I had plans of running with my friend Bree!  We met up in our correct corral (you are assigned certain starting times, and just so happened all my friends were in the same one!) and ran into other friends from college! We chit chatted a little as the race started and our corral slowly got up to the start line. But once our start time was getting closer, Bree and I broke off form the group and tried to get as far up as possible.  Then it was go time!

(Me, my sister Amber and her friend in our hang out spot -- in front of the port-o-pots for some great people watching!  And proof that we seriously walked the streets of Indy wearing trash bags over us!) 

(Friends from Purdue!  Julie, Bree, Alice & me! We just happened to all find each other in the same corral! We hung out and chit-chatted until the race started.  The first wave started at 7:48, and our wave started at 8:30.  You could hear on speakers as each wave started, and then people moved forward to anticipate the next start.)

(All packed in together waiting for the 8:30 start!  This picture was taken from my sister's view.  Bree and I had already snaked up as far as we could.)

Once our wave started, we were off! We had to do a lot of dodging and running faster than planned in the begging to get around all the "walkers".  After mile 2, we had a good groove going and found better space.  We'd still have to run around people every so often, but it wasn't like it was in the beginning! I felt tired from the get go, but tried to push through.  Bree can run faster than me (I knew that going in) so I tried to keep up with her pace as much as possible.  I'd fall a little behind, and then I'd push to get back up to her.  

I had energy gels to help me out, but didn't plan properly.  I had looked at the course map prior to the race to see how much water and energy supplements would be offered. I didn't realize that the Gatorade endurance spots were just concentrated Gatorade (I thought they'd be energy chews), so hindsight, I wish I had another one of my own gels.  Oh well!  I'd almost always grab water (they offered it at a ton of locations, so there were a couple I skipped).  I took the Gatorade the first couple times, but then realized it was doing me more harm than good.  I fought nausea a lot while running and the Gatorade made me burp and would trigger my gag reflex (tmi?!).  So I stuck to just water! I also had to figure out that after drinking the water, I had to run a little slower (due to tummy) and then could increase back up.  

I had been warned that the "hardest part" of the course would be running on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  We entered the speedway in between mile 5 & 6 and exited between 8 & 9.  Running on the track wasn't hard, it was the sun beaming down on you and no shade to break it up.  About 1/3 way onto the track, I knew I couldn't keep up with Bree.  I tried to stick with her through the motorway finish line (I think she may have lessened to stay with me).  She snapped a quick photo as we left that finish line, and then sped back up.  I knew I couldn't (when I start to sprint or increase speed, I immediately start feeling nauseous!) so I waved for her to keep going.  Through the rest of the speedway, and even exiting, I could see her up ahead.  But then the course started to wind (which was my favorite part because it was shaded with trees!) and I lost sight of her.

(One of my sister's photos.  I never pulled my phone out while running.  I had a strategy of "don't stop - keep going!" This was right before she crossed the motor speedway finish line.  There were a path of bricks that it is tradition to bend down and kiss.  My sister opted to do it, I however just kept going.  How on earth does one bend down and pop right back up and continue running?  Not me! See above strategy!)

(Bree pulled out her phone and snapped a photo of us in the speedway (you can see the finish line banner in between our heads) before we bid adieu.  I don't know why the angle is all weird, and why I look like my neck is freakishly long and attacking Bree.  Even at my complete "I HATE this moment", I still could muster up a smile.)

I thought running on my own would be awful, but really it wasn't too bad.  I kind of just got in a mental zone of focusing on what was ahead.  It was also nice to just set my own pace and not feel guilty over trying to keep up.  I was sad my pace had lessened (I was runinng closer to an 11min mile than my intended 10min). I kept telling myself that time didn't matter, just focus on running and try to enjoy.  There was some entertainment along the course like little bands, bagpipe player, belly dancers, cloggers, and a drumline (just to name a few, there were a ton others).  I didn't listen to any music of my own, just took in the crowd cheers and the music I'd run by.  Our names were on our bibs, so volunteers on the side would call out encouragement to runners by name - pretty cool!  One lady said, "Great job Lindsey, keep it up!" as she handed me water around mile 10, I immediately got tears to my eyes.  I don't know why that triggered my emotions, but it did.  I'm proud to say, those were the only tears I had while running!

I thought the last few miles would be the easiest because you are so close to being done, but for me, they were the hardest! I was just getting so hot and tired.  I started to notice my feet hurting and my legs just felt like lead.  There random spots with water you could run under, and those felt so good! There was also a guy in his yard spraying people with his hose.  I made sure to run nearby and thank him! At mile 12, I was really losing it.  My pace had lessened to being longer than a 12min mile.  I knew I was capable of a 10min mile, but knew I couldn't make it happen.  So I just focused on finishing without walking! (Although, I'll admit, I did give myself permission to just walk the end, but stuck to my guns of - NO! Finish strong!).  The last mile seemed to go on forever! You had to run over this bridge which was sort of inclined and completely open (no shade).  Then you ran down into the IUPUI campus and there were trees lining the streets! Whew! 

Everyone around me was either flat out walking or sprinting towards the end.  There was 1 guy for the last mile that I passed him like 3 times.  He'd sprint then walk, then sprint, then walk, etc.  I maintained my speed and we kept passing back and forth, ha.  I knew Bree had to have been done, so I was looking out to see if she was coming back to run back in with me.  I finally hit mile 13 and just pushed for the last 10th of a mile! I didn't focus on anyone except for crossing that line! I really wanted to finish in 2hr15 min.  Back at mile 12, I knew that wouldn't happen.  I reset my goal for 2hr20min, but as my wathced ticked down that last min, I knew I wasn't close enough to the finish line.  I stopped watching my clock and just honed in on that finish line.  I crossed at 2hr21min38sec.  I'll take it! 

As soon as I crossed, I slowed and starting walking, and boy did it feel weird! My legs felt like they weighed a ton and I knew if I stopped walking, I'd collapse. Hahaha.  So I mosied past all the different stations  -- water first, medal, bag, bananas, pretzels, cliff bar, cookies, fruit cups.  I collected all the items, but couldn't eat a single thing yet.  I bit into my cookie and immediately regretted that decision.  I stopped and called Bree to meet back up.  She was just a little ways ahead, so I found her.  We took our "We did it!" picture and then slowly meandered through the party area to get back up towards the finish area to cheer in our friends.  I had no clue how my sister was doing, or when to start looking out for her.  I thought she'd be about an hour behind me.  So after we found some cold choc milk (which was surprisingly delicious and fine on my tummy) I pulled out my phone and loaded up the mini marathon app. I was able to search my sister and see the last place she clocked in at and her expected finish time.  As I read her info, I realized she was less than 10 min from finishing!

(WOooooohoooooo! We DID it!  I'm seriously so proud of this accomplishment.  Had you told me I'd complete a mini (let alone RUN it and in less than 2.5 hours) I'd never believe you.  But I did it! And I'm proud :)!!)

We got to a stopping point to watch the runners and all of a sudden we saw our friend Alice! I looked up her time and she clocked in a min after my sister at the last check point.  I realized I missed my sister and got all bummed.  I said bye to Bree and walked back to the finishing area to find them.  And then I got notified my sister finished (2hr56min!).  Later, I realized as I was throwing my pity party about missing her, she probably ran by, because Alice's time was a minute faster in the end.  

I met up with my sister and her friend and we circled back for more chocolate milk (for them)! We sort of slowly made our way through the party area and then back to the car.  I had to meet back up with Bree to do a swapsies of items.  Since we parked in the same garage, we just met back up there.  My sister and her friend were gushing all about the mini and all the fun they had.  I felt like a downer because I didn't share in the "fun". There were moments I enjoyed, and running in the beginning was fun with Bree, but really I just hated the running part.  I think I pushed myself too hard.  Although, I've never fully enjoyed running, just more the accomplishment.  So I definitely don't regret the mini, but probably won't be signing up for any in the foreseeable future.

(Winner's Drink Milk! I think we were laughing because it masked the pain, haha! Actually, other than my hips being locked up at first, and my legs being tired, the pain hadn't set in yet.  Just a crazy old lady walk.)

(Post Race fun! I was on the phone with Bree arranging  our last meet up of the day, haha! So my sister's friend is hilarious and crazy all at the same time.  As Amber and I are gimping through the runner's party area, she's jumping around saying, "Let's go run some more!". Uhm, no crazy.)

Sitting in an air conditioned car was AMAZING after all that running. Haha.  We headed home, but had to make a lunch stop at Chik-fil-a. I really wasn't hungry, and my tummy still felt all weird, but that lunch tasted amazing! I just couldn't eat my normal amount.  We dropped my sister's friend off and headed back to her house.  There we changed, showered, and moaned - haha.  I quickly assessed my feet to discover they were full of blisters (I later counted 9).  My knees also were hurting really bad.  I wasn't prepared for how crummy I'd feel that evening.  I knew I'd be sore and had been warned Sunday would be awful.  But really, the worst part was Saturday night.  I had had zero issues with my knees in all my training, but that night, I could barely bend them.  I knew once I stopped for the evening I was a goner.

So I stayed up and walking as much as possible.  Amber and I took our girls to the playground for a little bit before dinner.  Steve had spent the whole day watching Bean with my brother-in-law Chris.  My mom was gone all morning for a dress rehearsal (she's in charge of the kids choir at church). She returned after Bean's nap and took over.  Chris and Steve then went to Chris's house to work on a project (I actually saw Steve there before I got my shower, haha).  The guys came back around dinner time.  That's when it really hit me how bad I was hurting.  I took some medicine and finally sat down with my legs propped up.  My nieces took over entertaining Bean (they even bathed her!) and then my mom put her to bed.  You would have thought that I'd want to sleep after having such a long hard day, but I didn't go to bed til after 10, and couldn't fall asleep until after 11! Too much excitement (or too much pain)?! 

(What a good aunt!  She's returning all those favors I've done for her girls through the years.  There's no way I was going to attempt to sit on a swing let alone pump my legs to make it move.)

(Look! I can run in mommy's shoes!)

On Sunday, I woke up to no pain -- just very sore muscles! Whew! I could walk (kind of like an old lady walk), but my knees would bend and they didn't hurt.  We packed up and headed out early so that we could go meet up with our college friends in Indy before heading back to Ohio.  We hung out at their house for awhile, went and got Kolache Factory for "lunch", went to a park and let the kids run around, and got ice cream at Broad Ripple Ice Cream Station just off the Monon (a neat bike/pedestrian path).  We made Bean stay awake longer than normal, so she crashed hard in the car on the way home.  Her head kept bopping around (you'd think there'd be some great car seat invention to help keep a sleeping toddler's head up!) so I'd try to push it back every once in awhile.  My pestering woke her up, otherwise she would've slept longer.  The rest of the car ride was annoying. Ha!  I was tired of being stuck sitting (my muscles ached and my head hurt) and Bean was also complaining a ton.  Steve did a great job getting us home and he even went out and got us Chipotle for dinner! Yum!

(The ONLY photo I took of our college friends -- just the kids! They had a ball playing together!)

Cincinnati Visit

Last weekend, we loaded up the car Saturday morning and headed south to visit with Steve's sister and brother-in-law.  Despite the rainy weather, we had a great visit and got to see (and help around) their new house!

Bean LOVED their new home (of course we did, too!). She especially loved running around like a crazy person in rooms.  It's not very often she is "cage-free"; but since they didn't have much in the house yet, she was able to roam as she pleased.

We got there in time to eat some lunch and catch up.  We then offered our services to be put to work to help accomplish some of their "new house" tasks.  Ashley headed out to pick up some paint and supplies, while the boys got to work on a leaky toilet project.  I set up the pack'n'play and put Bean down for a nap.  I'm not sure how much she actually slept, but she laid up there quietly, which was good enough for me! I prepped the dining room to be painted once Ashley returned!

(Steve working on getting the old toilet seal off in preparation for the new one.) 

We speedily taped up the trim and got straight to work.  Bean woke up, but played quietly in her crib for a little bit.  Once Steve finished up the toilet project, he got her up and watched her while I finished painting with Ashley.  I did the trim with a brush while she rolled.  I wasn't sure when we started if we would get the room done, but we did! It probably took us around 3-4 hours from start of saying, "let's paint!" to cleaning everything up!

(Ashley speedily painting.  I always get concerned about dark paint, but I loved it! Since the trim is all white, and there were lots of windows, it really emphasized the neat architecture of the ceiling!)

(Daddy watching Bean while we finished up painting.  She had her choice of Sesame Street on the laptop in here or Chuggington on the big screen - Uncle Scott set it up just for her - in the other room!)

We called it a day and headed to dinner at our favorite Dewey's Pizza! Oh that place is delicious! After dinner we headed to their old house for the evening.  We put Bean to bed there with the intention of helping to pack up some more of their stuff in boxes.  We had the boxes, but not the paper/bubble wrap/etc.  So instead, we just sort of chilled and talked - well, Ash & I talked while the guys were on devices.  Scott and Ashley then headed to their new house, leaving us to stay at the old house for the evening.

In the morning, we got up, got ready, loaded up the car, and met them at Sleepy Bee for a delicious breakfast.  I got this really good breakfast sandwich while Steve tried an array (3 different kinds!) of pancakes.  Everything was really good, and I still can't decide which was better - my sandwich or the apple pancakes.  mmmmmm

From the cafe, we headed to church! We signed Bean into the nursery and found our way to the sanctuary. Their church has recently renovated and moved into the building and it was gorgeous! It was a great blend of old and new!  Since Bean's nap rapidly approaches after church.  We decided it was best to go ahead and head north for some lunch and then head on home so she could sleep in the car.  We said goodbye to Scott & Ashley and headed on our way.  It just so happens that Ikea is conveniently located in Northern Cincinnati along the highway.

(We use a lot of gimmicks in the car to entertain Bean.  Here she's playing with a big map. It lasted like 10 minutes.  But it was a quiet 10 minutes.)

We made our stop (Bean stayed awake from church to Ikea, which is pretty exciting stuff in our world).  We quickly walked through Ikea on the hunt for new lamps.  We did our research and new our options. We found the lamps, made our picks and headed on our way (Bean also got a bonus Popsicle making set).  We of course feasted on a hot dog lunch (even Bean ate some!), loaded up the car, and headed home!

(New lights!  Before, I only had a little desk lamp on my side.)

(It gives off such a nice glow!)