Friday Photo Favorites...

...that I can't wait until Friday to post!

 

Brenna just loves being outside exploring.  Hope you're all enjoying the beautiful weather as much as we are! 

Beach!

We had our first outing to the beach a few weeks ago!  Two of our best friends are training for an Ironman Triathlon and wanted to get some experience swimming in the open water so Chris, Brenna, and I went with them to Grand Haven and had a nice walk down the pier while they swam.

Piggies Grilling Piggies

Brenna and I grilled some teriyaki pork chops last night.  Let the grilling montage begin!

  Proof that I wasn't just making an excuse to have a beer.

Proof that grilling is better with a beer and Pistons Coozy.

 The grillmasters!

Sampling my work :)

Here's to summer grilling!

5 Month Update

Today I'm writing an update on Brenna Bean because 1) I've done a terrible job blogging lately and 2) she's 5 months old today and changing so quickly that I need to tell someone!

Since we've switched to a formula-exclusive diet, Brenna has made a complete turn around in her demeanor - she is soooo much happier!  Literally, the day we switched her tummy and gas problems disappeared and she began sleeping better.  She is now such a content, happy baby.

The last few weeks she has made so many strides in her development.  She now rolls both ways, sits up with some support, smiles all the time, laughs, and sings and squeals constantly.  She's gotten so much better with her hands, grabbing her toys and turning them around, switching hands, and really exploring all the different parts.  And, she's found her feet!  We're convinced that she will be crawling very soon because she rolls to her tummy and gets her knees and feet up under her and pushes...she just needs to figure out the arms.  Also, I think she's started to teethe - still can't see or feel the teeth coming in but all signs point to teething.

Since it's been crazy warm in MI lately, we've been going on walks a lot and Brenna LOVES being outside.  If we try to give her something to play with in the stroller, she just looks at us like we're crazy and goes back to watching the trees and cars.

She's such a little joy and her smile lights up my day every singe time!

Yesterday we left her on her blanket and when we came back she was across the room!  I guess we're going to have to start baby-proofing our house now...

First Snow

Victory in the Fall

As a lot of you know, yesterday I ran the Grand Rapids Marathon for the second time. It turned out to be a really nice day after the forecast predicted rain and 20 mph winds. I had the best cheering section on the course: Ruth, Mom, Dad, Karlie, Mom Blaxton, and Dad Blaxton. Here is are some the highlights (and lowlights) of the race:

Miles 1-5 -- My friend Nate ran the first 5 miles with me on his way to doing the half marathon. It was great to have someone to talk to for at least a portion of the race.

Miles 10-12 -- This part of the race was in Millennium park, which is absolutely beautiful in the fall.

Mile 15 -- I panicked a little bit at this point in the race. I was starting to feel bad and compounded that with thinking "I still have 11 miles to go." After another 10 minutes, things got better and I found a good rhythm again.

Mile 17-18 -- I got to see my cheering section twice during this section of the race as it was an out and back portion. It was so nice having them out there to keep me going!

Mile 21 -- My feet started hurting terribly at this point, a problem that I ran into while doing long runs during my training. I tried to just gut it out and they actually started feel better by mile 23. It was also at this point that I got passed by a guy in basketball shorts, which Ruth keeps reminding me about.

Mile 25-Finish -- This was the best part of the race, I felt pretty good considering I had been running for over 2.5 hours. I got seventh place overall with a time of 2 hours, 44 minutes, 16 seconds. After the race, Karlie had to put my pants on for me which was quite amusing.

Overall, it was an awesome race. I was hoping to run a bit faster and maybe have a chance at winning but I just didn't have it. This is only my second marathon so I am not disappointed, I can only get better.

Finisher Medal


The man with his arms raised in the maple leaf is titled "Victory in the Fall"

It is the logo for the GR Marathon


Awesome shirt thanks to Mom & Dad Blaxton

Sorry, there are no action shots because no brought their camera as it was supposed to rain the whole time.

I am enjoying a day off from work today to recover. Ruth and I are quite the pair now that my legs basically don't work and she is 8 months pregnant. Let's just say we aren't quite as mobile as we used to be.

I am hoping to run the Chicago or Detroit marathon next fall, so I will be training again before you know it. Thanks again to all of my great cheerleaders and thanks to everyone else for your prayers!

Yay, Fall!!

Fall is seriously the best season, in my opinion.  The sports in the fall are fantastic, the weather is beautiful and refreshing, the food and drinks that are abundant during this time of year are delicious.  Plus, in Michigan (especially northern Michigan), we get to watch the trees transform into breathtaking colors before our eyes.

Emily and I went adventuring around Aquinas' campus the other day to take some pictures of these great fall colors.  Our timing wasn't the best and we'll probably have to schedule another outing in a week or so when more of the leaves have turned, but we did get a few good shots.

Combine romping around taking these pictures with my best friend, and Chris bringing home some pumpkin cinnamon/sugar doughnuts from the apple orchard, and that makes for a pretty dang good week :)  And to top it off, Chris is running the Grand Rapids Marathon on Sunday!  He's been training so well and he's in fantastic shape.  We're so excited to see how the race goes!  Say a prayer for him at about 8:00 on Sunday morning and maybe he can bring home a little hardware! 

Mackinac...or is it Mackinaw?

This past weekend Mom and Dad Blaxton, Tim, Jessica (Tim's wonderful girlfriend), and the two of us went to Mackinac Island for a day trip.  Chris and I were SO excited to go and it couldn't have been a better day!  The weather was perfect, 72 degrees and sunny, there were not too may tourists yet, and of course, great company!

We were a little worried when first pulled into the harbor to board the ferry...Mayflies were EVERYWHRE!  Every single car in the lot looked like this white one so we all made sure to breathe through our noses (at least most of us...Chris usually has some trouble with that).

After lunch on the island, we rented bikes - 4 singles and 1 tandem - and rotated throughout our ride.  Chris and I were the first on the tandem.  It's still up for debate as to the reason I didn't particularly enjoy riding on the back...either Chris really IS that bad a steering a bike, or I just couldn't handle not being in control :)  

We stopped and skipped some stones.  Who do you think has the best form?

Mackinac Island Public School Class of 2011 had six graduates.  Six.

Tim and Jessica were next on the tandem.  I have to say, as much as I didn't like Chris being in control of the steering, at least we didn't crash like Tim and Jessica!  I'm laughing right now just thinking about Tim on the back, "Whoa, whoa!  I'm not doing ANYTHING!"

Eventually they got the hang of it and smoked us all.

Mom and Dad were pros at the tandem.

I couldn't leave a post about Mackinac Island without some chocolate...

It was such a wonderful day!  We are so blessed to be able to spend time like this with our families.  Plus, it was a much more relaxed visit for Jessica compared to last summer during the wedding craziness!

Stay tuned for a baby update :)

My Hometown

In January, Newsweek magazine published an article listing the top ten dying cities of the United States. For some ridiculous reason, Grand Rapids was listed as number ten in this article. As a life-long Grand Rapidian that is very aware of the bountiful opportunity that the city provides, this was a shocking claim.

Anyone who hasn't been living under a rock knows that the recession was especially hard on Michigan, but of all the cities in Michigan, Grand Rapids weathered the storm the best. There are many reasons for this including the constantly expanding "medical mile" (which now includes a top children's hospital, cancer center, and MSU medical school), the city's commitment to sustainability with more LEED certified buildings per capita than any other city in the US, and the wealth (pun intended) of philanthropists and successful business leaders that have given so much of their money and time to make our city beautiful. The city and surrounding areas contain more than a handful of well-respected colleges and universities. There is a nationally recognized medical research institute (The Van Andel Institute) right downtown along with JW Mariott Hotel, one the most luxurious hotel chains in the world. There is a world class art competition each fall that attracted over 250,000 visitors in its second year of existence in 2010.

I could go on and on about what makes my hometown one the most unique and thriving communities anywhere, but this video proves my point better than words can. The video below was created in response to the Newsweek article and shows that Grand Rapids is far from dying. This is one continuous take. Let me say that again, this is one continuous take that set the world record for the world's largest and longest lip dub. The guy who created this video is amazing, his name is Rob Bliss and he has organized multiple events in Grand Rapids that have broken world records including the world's biggest pillow fight and world's biggest zombie walk. He is a story for another day though, so watch the video and tell me that a "dying" city would come together to make something like this. Hopefully you can get a taste of what makes Grand Rapids overflowing with life! I LOVE GR!!