The Long Awaited Day... Jeremy's First Marathon!

Its been a while! I'll admit, sometimes I forget I have this blog! I know, I'm a terrible person! Moving on...

Jeremy participated in his FIRST EVER marathon on Saturday! It was on Grand Island (Munising area) and I have to say, that island is a lot bigger than it lets on! But it's beautiful and fairly undisturbed by people. There was a VERY strict no littering policy so that it would stay that way.

                                       
We got into town on Friday and got Jeremy all checked in for the run. You may not be able to read it, but at the bottom of that banner under "Welcome Runners" it says "and their cheerleaders!" Oh, you can't read it... neither could I, but I know it was there :-)

After that we checked into the campground we were going to stay at and then went to eat at the spaghetti dinner. Now don't get me wrong, I love my carbs, and the spaghetti was delicious... but the tossed salad that went with it was AMAZING! Lots of chopped veggies and crisp salad! So many levels of YUM!

Jeremy knew how to eat like a runner before the anticipated day of triumph! See, look at that salad! I forever get to drool over it (or at least until these hormones go away... that's right, blame the hormones)!

Saturday came very early (3:30am to be exact) because I had to go to the bathroom (seriously, that ruins everything!). So we got ready and excited that the day had finally come! We caught our bus, took our boat to the island, and then waited for the race to start! Jeremy was so ready to start! And as you can see, it was still pretty dark!

I got to ride a bus to certain checkpoints of the race, and I got to see Jeremy once! It was wonderful to see him in his element! I also had Sulley with me, and he was such a trooper! Everyone loved him and he was the perfect distraction for us as we waited for our runners :-)

I got a picture of Jeremy when he finished, but alas, it is on my phone and I can't find the cord I need to put it on my laptop... but I'll find it and post it... it was a great ending!

This is the souvenir that everyone got for participating:

And this is what Jeremy looked like when he was all done: a pillar of salt! Poor guy was so crusty from sweating so much! Oh, and sore does not even come close to describing what he felt, but he was so proud that you couldn't even tell :-)

As you can see, this is why my husband is my hero! He did a monumentally difficult thing! I can't imagine what it was like, though he did tell me it was so hard (and that coming from the guy who doesn't complain much)! I'm so glad that I was there and got to support him in his epic endeavor! Way to go Honey, you killed it!

All Sorts of Changes!

The past few weeks have been full of changes! We signed on the house we are moving to next month (huge sigh of relief), Jeremy is finishing his second semester of grad school, and the elementary school is always a busy place! Oh, and my belly has undergone some changes too... time for show and tell!

13 weeks was this...

Yeah, not much going on there... 

15 1/2 weeks was this...

                                               

And HELLO first sighting of the baby bump!

Last Tuesday I woke up to quite the surprise, but trying to not overreact, I blamed it on bloating (seriously, who hasn't had that problem in their life?!) and went throughout my day. Funny thing was, it didn't go away... so I went home and asked Jeremy to take a look (just to make sure I wasn't seeing things and being too hopeful). I showed him the changes to which he said "Whoa! Ummmm yeah that's new!" I love him :-) He has such a way with words!

Today I'm 2 days shy of 17 weeks. I can't believe how fast it is going! This has been such a fun time for us! I can't even think about what life would be like without this little one!

In other news, it FINALLY decided to warmed up for a few days over the past weekend!!! After a second blizzard two weeks ago and continual snow this week, 70 degrees seemed like a miracle! Current problem: flooding. As they say, beauty is pain in the drain! Today it's been snowing again with some ice and sleet on the side. At least now I know that spring is not a myth! I've seen it so now I believe (I know, my faith only goes so far on certain topics)! Wish me luck that it comes back!!!

What, Say What!

Normally I don't have a problem with words and coming up with something somewhat witty to say, but honestly, this has got me stumped so instead, I will let the picture do the talking:

      (It's a little hard to read but it says "I'm gonna be a Big Brother and I'm gonna be a Big Sister!")

If you're thinking puppies or kittens, you're not too far off, just think less hairy (well, hopefully!). If you thought of a human baby, you're pretty spot on! Jeremy and I are going to be venturing into the world of parenthood around October 8th (my first ultrasound next Friday will verify this date)!!! I still can't get over being able to tell myself I'M PREGNANT!!!!! Currently I'm 11 and 1/2 weeks which means I'm nearly done with the first trimester!!!! Thank goodness (I'm really hoping for my all-day sickness to go away)!!!!

We found out around the beginning of February, on a fine Sunday morning. I woke up and excitedly went to put the pregnancy test to work! Not a minute later my test came back saying I was pregnant (thank you Clear Blue)! I tried to compose myself (is that possible to do?!) and went into the bedroom where Jeremy was still sleeping. I said good morning, turned on the light and went to sit next to him and show him my hard work. Poor guy, I really should  have let him wake up a little bit! He stared at the test and said things like "What is that?" and "Where's the lines?" and "I don't understand it." I told him it was digital and it used words, not lines. He looked at it again and said "Oh! Yay, you're pregnant!" I find it a very cute story (hey, he was prepared for the hard 'line' test and not the easy one so I'm not complaining) :-) 

We have ended up doing this a lot lately in the evenings because of me not feeling good... I have some awesome cuddle buddies who are always willing to volunteer their services :-)

Not too many days later I developed some of my first signs of pregnancy, which definitely made it more real! I told the teachers that I worked with and my principal, but that was it. And let me say, it was SO hard to stop it with just those few people! But thank goodness I had them to talk to about it or I may have gone crazy!

Last week was Jeremy's spring break from Michigan Tech. I was trying to hold out for going down at Easter, but alas, it just wasn't in the cards. So with two days notice, we made the journey to down to see our families. I'll write about telling them the awesome news soon :-) It was awesome!

I still have moments where I think "Is this really happening?!" and am reminded it is with every bathroom run and every moment of nausea. Sometimes when I'm having a hard time falling back to sleep in the middle of the night, I think of what kind of mom I'll be and what an amazing dad Jeremy is going to be. Then I just cuddle up to my favorite person in the world and go back to sleep with a smile on my face. This is going to be an AWESOME adventure for us!!!!!

What's White and Smooth and Cold All Over?

... It's a Ski Hill! Or in this case, a very specific ski hill called Mount Ripley! Why do I start this off mentioning a ski hill you ask? Well, I happen to collide once again with this white beast of nature!

Two winters ago, Jeremy introduced me to skiing. I did it twice. Both were very fun times (as well as very brutal I might add), and I honestly wasn't too bad at it. It was a fun thing to do in the winter and something that I had always wanted to try.

Fast forward two years... I was a very lucky girl and got snowboarding gear for Christmas! I know, not skis but a SNOWBOARD! I have always wanted to learn how to snowboard so I was pleased as punch!

                                                      Right before my lesson... excited!

 I got signed up for classes and had my first one on Thursday and let me tell you what: it was a BLAST! I have two really great teachers and a nice sized class (about 12 to 15 people). I learned 'skating' and how to turn, but not how to ride the T bar so what that means is that in order to practice going down the hill I had to WALK up the hill! What a workout!

And let me tell you something else about that night: it was absolutely FREEZING! Like 3 degrees freezing with a windchill of  below zero! But thanks to Jeremy teaching me how to layer my clothing (I felt like a marshmallow) I stayed pretty warm!

                                   Super happy, but pretty sure my smile was frozen on at this point!

My partner in crime didn't get to do any snowboarding because he broke a binding on his board... but he sure looked good and ready to go!

                                                   He looks like such an expert doesn't he!

And for all those who are worried about me breaking something... don't worry, they taught me how to fall correctly so I don't hurt myself :-)

Cat vs Dog: The Inevitable Collide!

Close your eyes and picture this: an adorable white ball of fluff with a brownish pink nose bouncing around, saying hello and acting like you're its favorite person in the world and just wanting to love you. Meet Sulley, the adorable Pomeranian with loads of energy and spunk! He loves to give kisses (we are working on teaching him to ask first... who wants their kisses stolen! NOT I!), chew on his rawhide, and take long walks on the beach (he also likes to dig in the sand).

                                                      Sulley, Santa's little helper

Ok, close your eyes again and imagine this: a black ball of fluff and the only thing distinguishable are two very large yellow eyes that just stare at you and don't move. Say hello to Arya, more commonly called 'The Princess' (what can we say, she's a bit of a diva!). Good luck trying to catch her unless she's in the mood to cuddle and, if you do manage to catch her, she will be yelling at you until she either gets away, you let her go, or she consoles herself... the last one has yet to ever happen by the way!

                                       Arya with the deer-in-the-headlights-look (camera shy)

If you were to come and visit us, Sulley would be the greeting committee while Arya would be the supervisor (that is kindly saying she will not come near you but will observe your every move). That is just one of the many differences that make them each unique, but so funny to be around! They love to wrestle and play with each other, try and steal each others' food, and see who can annoy the other the most in order to get the whole couch.  

What can I say, they are peas in a pod!

I know it's dark, but they are too cute not to share! Then again, I'm incredibly biased! :-)

So It's New Years...

...and I think it's time I joined the blogging world! Now I will admit, I love the idea of blogging, but when I actually sat down to write my first post, I experienced something that I haven't felt in a long time: writer's block. I'll admit, it's been too long since I've written something with a purpose longer than a facebook status update (which I also rarely do). 

So here is what my first ever blog post is about: MARRIED LIFE! Yes I know, I'm original! I used to read what all my married friends would say about married life and just say "Blah, blah, blah" to myself (perhaps it was the bitter part of me that just wanted to go on a date!). Then I got married a few years later and discover that in all actuality, they were on to something! Shouldn't we all want to talk about our wonderful lives with our significant others?! They are the ones that we share our trials with, our accomplishments, our fears and our dreams! They are the person that, in the end, is with us every step of the way, in good times and the not-so-good times.

Looking back when I first got married, there were a few things that became my favorite things about marriage, and they continue to be to this day.

1. Going to bed and waking up with your favorite person in the world!
2. Always have a partner enlisted to help you (I did discover this does not always benefit you, but alas, it's a good bonding experience)
3. Like #2, you always have someone to do things with (which is also not always to your advantage but  hey, karma makes her way around!)
4. I no longer felt like a single mother to my DOG! Yes people, you heard me right. Sad, possibly. True, oh yes!
5. Lastly, there is ALWAYS a shoulder to cry on! We have been married for a year and a month. It has been a very eventful 13 months and I will be the first to say I have done more than my fair share of crying! 

I could go on and on, but I'll spare you the novel (oooo what an interesting idea!). So, in summary, I LOVE married life! I have learned so much, and learn more every day! I have a very patient husband (seriously ladies, I got lucky!) who takes me for who I am. What more could I ask for? NOTHING!

*If you are single and have made it through this post, I applaud you! Hopefully I didn't trigger your gag reflex... and if I did, I apologize profusely! You may want to sensor the rest of my blog posts!