absence makes the heart grow fonder

Aahhh.  I love the ocean. These past couple of weeks have been madness for me. I've been super busy and trying to juggle my schedule. Every weekend has been filled with events--birthdays, girl scouts, etc. During the week, I've been trying to fit in runs in between school, this cake decorating class (only 1 class left to attend), grocery shopping, making dinner, cleaning up, and raising a daughter. John has been out of town working so I have been handling everything. I'm fortunate and happy I have a husband who takes things off my plate so I don't feel so overwhelmed...so it goes without saying that his absence has really made an impact in my everyday life.  When I had a meltdown the other week, I knew I had to do something.  Taking a mental health day was not going to cure this.  I needed some R&R.  And I needed it to be quiet.

The timing couldn't have worked out better. Our anniversary was coming up so I decided to plan an impromptu trip to Mendocino, which happens to be our halfway point--the Black Eyed Peas song Meet me Halfway playing in my head now--haha. I booked a two night stay at Glendeven Inn. I left Tuesday afternoon hoping to be there before the sun went down. Getting there was no easy feat. It was a drive of a little over three hours. Lombard had nothing on these windy roads! The windy roads coupled with driving on the edges of cliffs, had me hyperventilating, going through hot flashes and my hands firmly gripped on 10 and 2 at every turn. The upside of it was driving through vineyards, a canopy of redwoods and seeing the ocean as I was nearing my destination. When I got to the inn, I was welcomed with a glass of wine and bruschetta...that alone was worth the tortuous drive.

Our room had a huge bay window with a view of the ocean, a fireplace and no TV-- but don't be alarmed, the inn had wi-fi which we totally took advantage of.  We didn't make much of a list of must do's in the area but since the forecast had called for rain, John and I weren't sure if we would be able to enjoy the beach but as luck would have it...it didn't rain the entire time! We got up the next morning and ran on a trail (which by the way, kicked my butt) along the coast.   And the sun was gracious enough to make its presence.


At the suggestion of our innkeeper, we went to Piaci Pub and Pizzeria in Ft. Bragg for lunch. For a pub...the pizza was actually pretty tasty and the locals at the pub were very friendly...this was the kind of place where everyone knows your name...and by the time we left...they did. We were given passes to the Botanical Gardens and it was nice to take a long walk among the blooms hand in hand.  The gardens happened to lead us to the beach...nice bonus! For dinner, we ate at a small restaurant that faced the ocean in Little River coincidently named La Petit Rive (The Little River in french) and stuffed ourselves into a food coma.

One of the best parts of our whirlwind trip and something we continue to rave about is the breakfast that was served to our room in a basket every morning. Check it out...isn't that too cute?

{If only we could eat breakfast like this everyday!}

{Glendeven Inn}

{Feeding the llamas on the grounds...that's Llama Mama}

{the fireplace that kept us nice and warm}

Mendocino fit the bill.  Quaint, romantic and quiet.  Like with all trips, I wish we had one more day.  One more day to just do nothing. nap. walk on the beach. sit by the fire. You get the idea.    We are going to try to make another trip out there so hopefully we'll get a day to do just that.  On our last day, we tried to stretch it out a little by having a long lunch and coffee afterwards but alas...we had to part ways.  On the long way home I got to thinking...maybe it wasn't just a dose of R&R that I needed...what I needed was my husband.

Rockin' the Davis Stampede

And that we did! I must be honest and say I was a little hesitant about signing up for this race...actually more indecisive about which distance to run. Since I had run a marathon December 6th and with this particular race being held on February 7th (Superbowl Sunday...go Saints!), I was concerned about putting too much physical stress on my body and worried that I wouldn't have enough time to recover and train well in time for the race. But with the help of our encouraging friends and well planned training runs (thanks Sara and Brian!), John and I signed up for the half and I'm so glad we did... especially with this race being John's first half marathon and being able to train together.  I was so proud of John...he faithfully stuck to his training schedule and out ran me on those hills.  Early in our training, we even managed a couples run with Sara & Brian and Jessica & Dave...and a trip to Starbucks...where talk of training for the 10k turned into training for a half (it was probably set up as an intervention...haha).

So back to the Davis Stampede.  Turned out a few more of my running friends signed up for the race and luckily we were all able to see each other before the start...in line waiting for the bathroom...no doubt--and where Sara and I spent a lot of time watching the "elites" warm up...now that is some funny entertainment! We weren't lined up when the gun went off but it didn't matter, that's what chips are for.  John, Brian and I started together and pretty much stayed together until we got to the latter miles where those two sped up.  The course wasn't really scenic, mostly residential and some industrial but the weather was absolutely perfect!  I did feel some tightness in my right calf...an issue I've been having for some time so I am going to try to make an effort to nurse it wth stretching and icing.  I somehow caught up to John and we ran the last half mile to the finish together.  That was a great run...and I beat my best half time by 9 minutes!

In other and more exciting news...Kaelani and Katie ran their first kids' run that morning..1 mile! It was so cute to watch them run and cross the finish line together. Here are some pictures.

{Pre-race photo at the Start Line}

{Studying the course map...notice how focused they look..haha..love it!}

{Here they come!}

{Aww...we are so proud!}

After the race, we headed to Habit Burger to reward ourselves and spent the rest of the day relaxing and resting our tired legs watching the game at Sara and Brian's.  I guess I can say we had a alot to celebrate that day...a first half for John, a kids' run for Kaelani and Katie, a PR for me and to top it off...a victory for the Saints! 

In the meantime, I've been running a few times a week...cutting down my weekly mileage to 12-15 miles...getting back to the gym for yoga and centergy (time permitting) and searching for the next race...so stay tuned.

4:40 AM...

That's what time my alarm clock went off this morning. Last night, I set my alarm to go off 10 minutes earlier than when I really needed to get up to allow myself one snooze--it usually takes about three to get me up (haha). So why I on earth did I get up this early? To run! I have been so busy lately that I've been having difficulty finding time to run. It had been 3 days since my last run and I was itching for it. There was no way I was going to get these miles in this week if I didn't schedule an early morning run. The thought of running that early...especially on a work day seemed impossible to me...an occurrence I could only dream of. I'm the kind of person that needs at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep and a cup of coffee to start my day right. For the past few nights, I had only been getting 6 hours and it was starting to show...so I wasn't really sure I could or...even should...do it.

The only thing that really got me out of bed was knowing that someone was counting on me to meet them out there. My friend Jessica, who I met through Team In Training (and who conveniently lives near my neighborhood) called me the other day. She gave me a rundown of the many many miles she was planning to run this week and mentioned she was planning on a 5 miler at 5 am for today. The 25 miles she was going to run this week compared to the zero miles I had logged thus far this week motivated me to entertain the thought of joining her. I struggled with the idea of getting up to run before dawn but called her last night and we made plans to meet just outside her neighborhood. So right at 4:50 am--I definitely used that snooze button--I rolled out of my warm cozy bed and put on the running gear I had so neatly laid out the night before. I headed out the door and it seemed weird at first...a little scary to be out there in the dark with just the street lamps on. Not a soul in sight, just dew on the grass and park benches and silence. I even thought to myself--geez, if something happened to me, I would have no help or witnesses! (Note to self--get some damn mace already!) I expected it to be a lot cooler than it was. The weather was pretty comfortable and I ended up taking my gloves off a mile later. It was about a 1.5 miles before I would see Jessica and as I started to approach our meeting spot, I kept looking into the distance for her...and then...just as we had planned, I saw it. I say "it" because I am referring to her stride. It's a funny thing runners can observe and learn to recognize with fellow runners. After all the miles we have run together, I knew Jessica's stride and could spot it a mile away...okay well maybe a quarter mile away. So we continued on together talking and running as if we owned the streets. Seriously, it was that dead. It seemed all of the people on our side of Suisun were still deep into their REM cycle. We separated when I had reached my neighborhood and my trusty Garmin read 5.25 miles when I got to my doorstep. I got ready for work and enjoyed my cup of coffee (first of all, I don't know how I managed a run without even having a cup first!) It was a great run and I felt really good knowing I got it done with and out of the way. Today was the first time I had ever run this early and it definitely won't be my last. A dream come true.

Togetherness

Happy Valentine's Day people.  John and I typically don't do anything elaborate for Valentine's Day..mainly because we have quite a few things to celebrate all inconveniently spread over a 4 week period and the other reason is...we're married!  In chatting with other married folks, I discovered that V-day isn't always marked with chocolate, long stemmed red roses, weekend getaways and cards from hallmark--whew--we aren't the only ones.  John and I usually stay home, make dinner and watch a movie.  So in honor of V-day, I thought it would be nice to celebrate it by just being together.

Our day of "togetherness" started with a 5 mile run. We weren't really feeling it considering we were out with our friends the night before and consumed a fair amount of alcohol plus a mere 6 hours of shut eye.  We had committed ourselves to a distance of 5 miles, so we dragged our butts out of bed and it was worth it... we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful morning.

After we successfully completed our run,we headed to our favorite breakfast spot, Sandy's, where we indulged guilt free--happy to be consuming calories we just burned. Then off to see the movie Valentine's Day...how appropriate right?

Sadly, our day of togetherness  was literally just that and had to come to an abrupt end.  My hubby drove 5 hours Saturday morning to see us and needed to head back to be at work on Monday.  He just called a little while ago and reported he was almost there.  So I guess what I'm trying to convey here is that I'm thankful my sweetie drove all this way because having some time of togetherness (best when kept simple)  is better than having none at all. Don't take these moments for granted. 

Birthday Fun!

How cute are those tea cups? We had Kaelani's 12th birthday party a few Saturdays ago.  Our theme was a mix of tea party and crafts.  My friend Sara is a Stampin' Up Demonstrator and we thought it would be fun for the girls to make some crafts with her products.  They turned out fantastic!

{Valentine's Day Lollipops}

{Scrapbook page}

Here are some pictures taken from the party...

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

{Teapot cake}

 

{Breakfast time}

The girls had a great time and were kept busy making crafts whilst listening to some of their favorite music. She had a few girls stay the night and of course, they stayed up pretty late giggling...while John and I were out cold.  These past 12 years have flown by us and our little girl is maturing into a young lady every day.  I hope the years ahead don't go as fast but in the meantime we will continue to enjoy all things Kaelani...even the tween tantrums...haha.  We love you Panda!

If you are interested in hosting a Stampin' Up party or would like assistance with Invitation and Event design, please visit Sara Holley's website.