Where I go...

Most of you know that I am working a few part time jobs here and there. I will be back at the march of dimes in January, and I also walk dogs occasionally and work part time at Metro Community College. At Metro, I work in the Events Services department, helping to plan and staff events on the Fort Omaha Campus (in north Omaha, the old Fort Omaha). There are many many wonderful, old, historic buildings. Last weekend, I was helping at a dinner for the Metro Board that was held in one of the old homes on campus. The college has moved into all the homes and either made offices, classrooms, or renovated them as guest houses. This is one of the larger homes that they use mainly for parties. Here's a little tour of the set-up last weekend. I had quite a few more photos taken, but then didn't upload for some reason. If I find them, I'll post them later. I just thought I'd share these because its so beautiful there!

The photo below is the set up for the bar - this is where I ended up working. I got to be a bartender for the night! No tips though, darn.

The entryway.

This is a little study off the main hallway.

This is the main living area where all the guests gathered. To the right is a large dining area.

Here is the outside of the house. Its the house that the President of Metro lived in at one time, and when it was an army fort, it was home to one of the officers.

Christmas Programs

Over the past two weeks, the kids both had Christmas programs. This year Adam's 1st grade class did THE Christmas program... just like a Charlie Brown special - complete with Mary, Joseph and our very own Star... Adam didnt feel like smiling for the camera. He took his part very seriously. He did such a nice job. He said: "I was a sign, in the sky, that something wonderful had happened. I guided the people to see the new king!".

And, believe it or not, Alex had a Christmas program at his daycare too! St. Bernard's childcare (Ages 1-5) put on a little show last Friday. They were up on stage in the school gym. I had to work that afternoon, and I wasn't really sure how Alex would do, so I decided that I'd just stick to my work schedule and rely on Tim's videotaping to watch the performance. It was very cute. The toddler room played the drums during a recording of the Little Drummer Boy. In the video, I noticed that most of the other kids are shy and timid and barely tapping their drums. Not Alex - he grabbed two sticks and pounded as hard as he could until the drum moved around too much to continue. I will see if we can post a video on here for you!

Lily and John W.

The photo below may not look very interesting at first glance, but in actuality, this was one of the most interesting moments I've ever experienced. Adam is listening to his Great Great Grandparents sing a duet. How cool is that?

Recently I decided to start going through piles of papers and boxes of keepsakes to try to get things a bit more organized around here. While doing this, I uncovered something that Mom gave me a few years ago that I had put away for safe keeping. In 1941, my Great Grandparents recorded themselves singing two duets, and a poetry reading by my Great Grandfather. Mom took care to get it made into a CD for the grandkids and we all have a copy.

As I listened to Lily and John singing "Lightly Row", my mind was racing. The idea that I can actually hear the voices of two people who lived three generations ago is unbelievable to me. As I listened, I imagined what their lives must have been like as they moved their family to the US from England in the early 1900's. Life was simpler then. They didnt check their emails on their iPhone or update their facebook status with their thoughts. They didnt have any reality TV shows, fast-food restaurants or 24 hour fitness centers. They didnt shop online or text their friends.

They sang duets. They harmonized. They smiled.

Somehow, they managed to record themselves singing - which, I can only imagine that in 1941 was no small task. This got me thinking again.... maybe Lily and John would have loved that iPhone - they probably would have videotaped themselves instead. (and posted it to facebook, of course!)

Lily and John W. Carter with their sons, David and Oliver. My best guess is that its taken in 1915 - give or take a year.

Getting ready for Christmas

Seems like just a few days ago we finished our Thanksgiving feast, and now Christmas is in full swing. I even went shopping at midnight on Thanksgiving day and got all the kids presents bought before the weekend was out. Feels so good to have that done!

We put the tree up Thursday night and were very selective about the decorations we took out this year... Last year we just had a small tree on a table (thanks to the self-control issues displayed by our 11 month old little Alex at the time!). This year I decided to try the big tree, but not the usual keepsake ornaments with breakable glass or homemade irreplaceable angels and santas... I went to Target and bought some cardboard snowflake ornaments that, when thrown across the room, will remain intact and indestructible. So far Alex has only thrown a couple of them and I think he's lost interest.

You will also notice that we have our Elf sitting in the tree. This Elf, which Adam has affectionately named Jerry, came the day after Thanksgiving and he reports back to Santa every night as to whether or not we've been naughty or nice. When he comes back the next day he's in a different spot in the house. So, you can imagine the excitement in our house at 6:30am when we all jump out of bed to find Jerry. Even Alex is in on the fun.

The beauty of the tree is somewhat diminished by the plastic on the windows.... just got that done the other day, too. I love my old house, I love my old house, I love my old house. The plastic sure helps keep the drafty north winds out though.

Couldn't help but throw this photo in here - Alex, Rachel and Adam (his buddies) messing around last week over some snacks. I love Rachel's smile. She came home from China only a few months ago and is fitting in just fine!

Santa came to the Holt potluck dinner last night. Alexander didn't cry this year! Funny, because he may have sensed something that made him feel more comfortable.... if you look carefully, you might recognize this guy in red and white. :o). Adam was excited, however, because it was the REAL Santa who came. He went to visit him but no photos of Adam ... sorry.

Finally, this afternoon we did what Adam will say is the most important Christmas task of all. The letter to Santa. Signed, sealed and about to be delivered. He only included three things this year - an aircraft carrier (hopefully not a life-size one), star wars toys, and a bionicle. I hope Santa gets the letter!

The Bird.

Thanksgiving Weekend

We had dinner, drank wine, blah blah blah... but let's get to the real Nebraska Thanksgiving tradition...

TOM OSBORNE

HERBIE HUSKER

NDAMUKONG SUH

Tim and Jerry went to the game and Tim took his camera. He got lots of great shots of the team and the stadium inside and out, but these were the classics! Yay for the Huskers.

Now, onto Turkey Day itself. We had a fun day! We tried something new and ate later in the day so we had all afternoon to cook, drink wine, eat munchies and watch football. Alex got to nap, too. This worked out very well. The Grandma's may not think so, however... they were challenged to an UNO game that no reasonable person could ever win. Adam was cheating (he would, of course, deny this) and Alex was pulling all the cards off the table as they were playing. All we could hear from the other room was lots of hooting and hollering and laughing. I thought maybe it was the wine, but no... it was just UNO.

Tim and I did most of the cooking but we relied on Grandmas to bring the best part of the meal - the pies. We had a yummy day and so much to be thankful for!

We got our leaves cleaned up just in the knick of time... The boys LOVED jumping in the giant pile and we had a nice day to do it. Just a few short days later we are faced with single digit windchills and snow flurries. Winter is here.

Birthday Boy.

Happy Birthday Alexander! Today we had a little party for the guy... he truly enjoyed it and seemed to understand that today was all about him. He blew out the candles before we were done singing, and he clapped and clapped. It looks like Christmas morning around here with all the gifts. We are very fortunate to have such wonderful friends and family to share these special moments with.

We have a 2 year old!

Halloween 2010

The month of October through the eyes of a 6 year old = PUMPKINS and CANDY.

The Browns did multiple pumpkin patch visits (although we opted for the small, cheaper version rather than the large, expensive, carnival version) and ended up with a multitude of pumpkins to display in green, orange, yellow and even white. All the big ones were carved and were quite scary.

Enter the candy... the giant bowl of "treats!" as Alex calls it. First thing in the morning the day after halloween Alex comes in the kitchen and says "treat!, treat!" while jumping around and clapping. oh my. Hopefully sometime soon the kids will forget where I hid the stuff and begin focusing on what comes next (Santa, of course).

All in all we had a great halloween and had a nice evening walking the neighborhood. We made it 3 blocks, which is farther than ever before and Alex was very involved this year. He said "trick or treat" and "thank you" for all the candy. Here's a family photo. I have no idea who the skeleton farmer guy is?!

My Kind of Town - Chicago...

Enough of this marathon nonsense, lets talk about the rest of our trip! Here are a few photos of some of the highights.

We took a "Sea Dog" boat tour of the river. It wasn't quite the sophisticated Architectural tour that we've taken in the past - this one was more for families and people who aren't that interested in anything that's remotely historically accurate. After the river tour, the boat went through the lock and out onto the lake for a speed boat ride. It was pretty fun. I think Adam enjoyed it.

On the speedboat:

Posing for a family photo after our boat ride on Navy Pier. The weather was gorgeous on this day (much cooler than the day before when I had to run.... )

We went on the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier - Adam always says he's afraid of heights, but the ride didnt seem to bother him. He was fascinated by the fact that they wheel never stops. In order to get off and on, you have to just jump in while its moving. Its moving pretty slow.

Here is Mr. Brown at the top of the John Hancock building. This was the first morning we were there. I was busy at the marathon Expo picking up my bib and packet while the boys went sightseeing.

On the last morning we were there, we met Cheryl and Alison for breakfast at a great little cafe called West Egg. Tim got this nice photo of me telling them goodbye after an eventful weekend. It was so nice to have them there.

Its not a trip to Chicago without some YUMMY Giordanos pizza. This stuff is crazy good....

GOOD BYE CHICAGO!

Reflections on a Marathon

Its been nearly 2 weeks since 10-10-10 and the big marathon weekend. I have to admit, the whole experience was much more emotional than I had thought it would be, and I have had lots of thoughts and feelings swirling around in my head since then. I am finding it difficult to sum it up in just a few words. It was exhilarating, exciting, daunting, hard, HOT, life-changing, painful, gratifying, disappointing and completely draining... all at the same time.

I will spare you too many details, but here's what happened in a nutshell. At 5:45 AM I walked to a neighboring hotel to meet Karol and Jenny who were running with me. I had a tank top on and was sweating on the way over.... this was NOT GOOD. Then, the hotel did not have breakfast out like they said they would, so I didn't eat as much as I normally would. NOT GOOD. I got to the start line and it was sooooo exciting. So many people. It took us almost 30 minutes to shuffle across the starting line after the gun went off.

The first few miles were great, but I noticed the heat as early as mile 8. At mile 13 I remember telling Cheryl (my sister) that I would love a cup of ice next time I see her. By mile 15, I began taking more walking breaks and the course all of the sudden became downright hot, with no shade. People were starting to get tired, lots of business owners had hoses on and would literally hose people off as they ran by. I stopped into a Subway on the route to fill my water bottle with ice! At mile 19, I picked up Ron, a friend of mine who was there to watch. I had decided by then that I needed to walk the rest. If I had kept running, I doubt I would have finished. The bank clock when I ran by read 86 degrees. No hope for those of us who are slower runners anyway..... I decided to chalk it up to a good experience, try to meet some new people and enjoy the finish, instead of pushing so hard that I would get sick or worse.... So, we walked. and we walked. and we walked. I really enjoyed it up until about mile 23 - then the blisters and the pain set in. I was tired and I wanted it to be over.

I ran the last .2 miles across the finish and it was very emotional. I am sad that the race didn't meet my expectations - all those hundreds of miles that I trained and not much of a result..... but so happy that I finished and I had so many wonderful people there to watch and greet me at the finish. I have no idea what my finishing time was, except that it was at least 1.5 hours slower than I thought I'd be (based on my 20-mile time).

I am sooooo glad its over, but am already planning my redemption. Apparently once you are bitten by the long-distance running bug, this tends to happen. What if I had fueled better that morning? What if it were cooler? What if I do two 20-mile training runs instead of one? ...... better give it another try so I can find out! I learned a lot this time and hopefully I can have the opportunity to do it again someday. Stay tuned to see where the next marathon will take me!

Team Holt

This morning 25+ runners and many more volunteers gathered at the Omaha Marathon. The runners ran for Team Holt and the others helped at the Holt Aid Station to give out water and gatorade to all the runners flying by. I ran the half marathon, and since I needed to do a 12 mile training run today anyway - it worked out great. The weather was gorgeous and the run went very well. I was able to shave 8 or 9 minutes off my best half marathon time (not sure of my official time yet). I am sooooo ready to take this thing on the road and get to Chicago!

Thanks to those of you who donated to support my run today - it was a fun day! Above is a photo of all the Holt runners. A lovely bunch, and the porta potties seem to add a little something, dont you think?

I did it!

Completed 20 miles on Sunday morning. I had to delay it a day due to rain, so that was sort of a bummer, but Sunday was 50 degrees with clouds and a light drizzle. Great weather for running. I went out with my neighbors (who are also training for Chicago) and we ran and ran and ran. I was surprised at how good I felt when it was done - it was easier for me than some of the shorter 13, 14, 15 mile runs I had been doing before. I hope that means my training is working and I will be ready! After Sunday's successful run, I am even more excited about the marathon!

I like to Run

Tomorrow I am going to run 20 miles.

I am training for the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 10th and its my last really long training run. So far during my training, I have run 358 miles. Left, right, left, right, left, right (thats what I say to myself when I am getting so tired and my legs dont want to move anymore... ).

Here's the kicker - I'm EXCITED about it! I can't wait to run 20 miles. This is the big run, the last hurdle before I start my 3-week rest before the race. Its the farthest I have ever run and when I finish it, I will know that 26.2 is within my reach.

You are probably thinking one of two things....

1) Good for you! Thats so exciting! or

2) You are insane, why would you do that to yourself. What about your knees?

I think there is a little truth in both of these thoughts. The idea of running 26.2 miles is exciting and challenging and something that I've wanted to do since I started running 3 years ago. My 40th birthday is looming (ok, ok, its 2 years away, but its still looming) and I wanted to do it before then. I love the idea of working hard on a goal and achieving it. And yes, it is a bit insane, but I find comfort in the fact that there are 40,000 other insane people running it with me. And my knees feel fine!

Ok, to be honest, I am tired and the time commitment has been huge. I am lucky to have such a great family to support me and Tim to take the kids away while I put my feet up. But, I wouldn't give up this experience for anything. I've learned about myself, my body, my mind, and pushed myself farther than ever. I feel strong and the long hours by myself while running has given me the time to think, chat with running partners, listen to music and sing (yes, I sing sometimes... hey - I have to pass the time somehow!) Did you know that during an average length long run, I can sometimes listen to 3 or more broadway musical soundtracks?! If you happened to run by me while I was singing and jamming out to Dancing Queen, I'm sorry!

The downside? I seem to want to EAT everything in sight! The one side effect I was hoping for was weight loss - oops... I think after the marathon, I will need to diet!

So tomorrow I will run 20 miles. It will take me 4 hours. Afterwards I will have a great sense of accomplishment and a giant burrito bowl from Chipotle! :o) (see previous paragraph on dieting).

Bring it on Chicago 10-10-10!

Adam "Speedy" Brown

Adam ran in a kids 1/2 mile race today. He has seen me run a few races and has asked me over and over if he can run one too. So, this was a good one for him to do (there was a 5K for me, but I decided to sit this one out!). I love that he's excited to run and to just be outdoors and active.

The run took place on a bike trail near our house and there were 20-25 other kids who ran. Adam started in the back of the pack and by the time they turned around for the finish, he was one of the top 10. He was very tired when he finished and excited to get a ribbon. After the race, we all had some pancakes!

Adam and his friends Samuel and Sophie who also ran the race.

The competition.... Adam is in back somewhere.

RUN adam RUN!

You can see the determination in Adam's face to try to pass this kid - he was not happy that the kid passed him near the finish!

Welcome Home Wachners!

Last week we had the pleasure of greeting our friends, Trent and Susan Wachner, who just arrived from China with their new little girl, Rachel. She's cute as a button. Oh how I love these airport arrivals - such a magical thing to see a family joined together for the first time.

Four Legged Friends

I have been working as a consultant for Woody's Pet Watch for quite some time (because having 3 dogs and a fish at home just isnt enough!) I am still enjoying it. Its very flexible and for the most part, the dogs are great. I have one doggie (Lily) that I walk every Tuesday/Thursday over the lunch hour - shes a real sweetie. I have others that I watch when their owners leave town. One of my favorite clients so far is Snickers - a German Shepard mix. He loves to chase tennis balls and cuddle up with me on the couch in the evenings (have I mentioned that I get paid for cuddling with dogs?!).

Here are some of my puppy clients:

Reina

Snickers

Remington

Beauregard

Lily

Anna

Koko

Duke