The Running Family

Runners have a community, and I am thankful to be included in this exclusive club. Upon the start of the race, I found two other former high school cross country runners from my hometown in line. I even ran with one of the girls for a few miles, and we laughed about how we used to run together during track and cross country practice every day. I was really happy to see her and know that she still runs.

In addition, one of my sophomore students registered and completed her first half this morning. We ran the first 6-7 miles together until I begged her to leave me behind and set a PR for herself. It was a blessing to experience this hobby with someone I get to spend a lot of time with in the classroom each day. Thankfully I saw her cross the finish a few hundred meters in front of me, and we were able to celebrate our accomplishment together.

And…talk about running family…Well, not only did my brother run the race, his wife, Ashley, completed the half and so did John’s sister! It was pretty awesome to have someone to share the nerves with ahead of time as well as share the appreciation for the recorded 13.1 miles.

It was my third and definitely slowest half marathon, but I’m content with under two hours at this point in my life. It’s a pretty big accomplishment from where I was ten months ago, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to run and share it with those I love. If you’re looking for a healthy way to meet people, I suggest you sign up for some road races!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

No big surprise for my dad this year, but his heart is probably still racing from last year’s big surprise party. I’m so thankful we were able to organize such a gathering to honor the best man I know. The man who lives his life with a glass half full mentality and inspires others to be better each day.

Happy anniversary of your 60th birthday, Dad!

We love you!

Guttenberg

Saturday afternoon included celebrating Mother’s Day with John’s mom. Saturday evening included celebrating my mom! John and I were able to get away to double date with my parents for dinner over the river in Guttenberg.

The air was crisp but the view was peaceful, and it made me anxious for hot temperatures and time outside. I’d love to go back to this restaurant in the summer when seating out on the deck would be comfortable and boats would entertain us.

No trip with my dad is complete without ice cream, and luckily Guttenberg’s ice cream shop had plenty of flavors to help us get the taste of summer while still wrapped in winter layers. We’re ready for spring, mother nature.

 

Teacher Appreciation Week!

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I’ve had a great school year! As cliche as it is, I am not counting down the days but rather making the days count. Although there are times I’d rather sleep in or read a book rather than poorly formatted papers, I honestly love my job.

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week, and I definitely felt the love yesterday with a sugar overload. One students even left an entire box of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies on my desk! Tweets and cards of thanks made my day, and it was fun to toast with my coworkers after work to our awesome profession. I’m thankful to be a teacher!

Oh Snap! The 1/2 priced Frap is Back!

Starbucks is reminding us that summer is just around the corner. They are offering half off any blended frappaccino from the hours of 3-5 p.m. all week through Sunday.

I tried a chia cream yesterday, and it hit the spot. Next flavor on my list: Chocolate Cookie Crumble! Is your mouth watering yet? My tried and true favorite from last year was the Caramel Light. If you’re looking for all of the flavor options, click here!

Maybe your mom would like a frappaccino for Mother’s Day!?! Cheers!

“With a little help from my friends!”

Parts of me were dreading this weekend because there were so many events jammed into two short days. Thankfully, I made it “with a little help from my friends”. Chaperoning for prom was fun because I love who I work with every day! We really made the most of the night by going out for dinner and drinks beforehand and having a blast taking photos with our students at the dance. The dresses were gorgeous and a few formalwear tears and snags were the most of the drama for the evening. That’s one successful prom compared to the first one I chaperoned when there were three sprained ankles and a breakup. Ugh!

My dad had John and I laughing as we received this flashback photo via text before the dance. John’s first question in all seriousness, “Do we really look ten years older?” You can decide for yourself.

Today we finished up the ten-week spring program of Girls on the Run with a 5k race. Proceeds went to the Ronald McDonald houses in Iowa City. Hundreds of GOTR flooded the course with pink shirts and enthusiasm. The sun even made an appearance for our last run together, which we’ve definitely earned after a rough spring training in snow and rain. The girls ran way better than any of us anticipated, and it was fun to see them cross a physical and mental finish line. As happy as I am to have my Tuesdays and Thursdays back, I’m sad the season is ending right when it gets nice outside. Again, this group was fun thankful to a “little help from my friends”!

“The Dinner”

I was eager to get my hands on The Dinner by Herman Koch. I almost purchased it because it was recommend for Gillian Flynn fans. I held off and added myself to the reserve list at the library sometime around Christmas. Finally, it was my turn. This post is not to tell you about the book because frankly, I don’t recommend it.

My purpose is to ask if there needs to be something, anything at all, relatable or likable within a book for you to enjoy it? Even the most twisted stories have relatable situations: a fight with a friend/sibling, a struggle with jealousy, the need for something more in life…etc. This book was filled with decisions and situations I could not relate with and utterly disagreed with all the way through. Mind you…this is coming from a person who even found herself rooting for meth dealers in the TV series Breaking Bad because I started to like the characters.

If you disagree with me, please read The Dinner, and then we’ll talk…over dinner at a place we won’t name or describe…just like the Koch.