Where is Old Man Winter???

So it is November and we are still having temps in the 50s!!!! Most people are loving this but our family is asking....Where is the snow????!!!! After the mild winter we had last year with VERY LOW snowfall.....we are more than ready for a winter full of the white stuff!!!



I'm really trying to update this blog more often........so hopefully I can stick to it!  The last post was from the middle of September.  Not a lot has happened since then.  We've  been staying somewhat busy with little things here and there.

In October we headed downstate for me to run in my very first half marathon race which is 13.1 miles.  I was very excited to be running in The Grand Rapids Metro Health Marathon as it was located downstate near my family.  It was a huge race with around 4,000 runners for both the full and half.  The morning was pretty chilly with a temp around 45 degrees.  Good thing our race shirt was a sweet long sleeved one!!!!  Having never done a race like this I wasn't sure how it all worked.  Like how did you start 4,000 runners all at once?? Well I quickly learned that there were pace teams spaced out behind the start line for how fast you thought you were going to finish.  I was hoping to run 10min miles so I put myself in line to finish around 2.5hours.  As we started I found it so hard to get going due to how many people were in the way......I guess I should have moved up a lil in the start line.  However I think it proved to be a good thing as I didn't exert all my energy at the start.  The race was amazing.  I was smiling and loving every single inch of the course.  The crowds of people cheering you on were so encouraging!!!  Up to the race I had never ran more than 9.5 miles at one time.  When I hit mile 10 I was shocked at how much I was enjoying the run and knew I could make it to the end!!! As I neared the finish line I got a huge boost seeing my family there cheering me on!!!! I sprinted (as I always do) to the finish line and got my well deserved MEDAL ;o)  In the end I finished UNDER 2 hours with a time of 1 hour 58 mins....that is a pace of 9mins 3 secs per mile!!!! 32 mins faster than I had planned.....I was happy :o) I deff look forward to running many many more...maybe...even......hmmm we'll see....I said I never would...hahaha

Just a few weeks later I ran my final race of there year back up here at home.  It was the Chase the Pumpkin Race to benefit pediatric diabetes! This was a 10k race (6.2 miles) and I went into it with the mindset I had to get my personal best.  After running 10 races for the year I wanted to end on a high note!  It was a VERY chilly morning...not sure on the temp but it was COLD!  I started out running with a friend who we run the same pace....after mile 2 I didn't feel I was giving it my all and pushed myself a little faster.  Just as I was finishing the last mile my friend and coach Michelle pushed me to the end!! I ended up finishing with a time of 50mins 54 secs with a pace of 8mins 15secs per mile........MY PERSONAL BEST!   I got a 2nd place medal and couldn't have been more pleased!  Uhhhhh I've been paying for it ever since with a sore left Achilles :o(

Halloween!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Madek was very excited this year to go trick or treating and to wear his GORILLA costume!!! My Dad & Monte were in town as well to head out to get some candy!!!!  Madek did very well saying trick or treat and saying thank you!!!  We carried him a lot as it was kind of cold.  Afterwards we headed over to his best friend Maggie's house to visit for a lil while.  The Gorilla was very happy to see his Tinker Bell ;o)

Deer hunting and snowmobiling are right around the corner so you can only guess what Mark is doing!!! Mark is also on call over Thanksgiving so we will be staying home and cooking a meal at our house.  We also have tickets to take Madek to see Sesame Street Live in Green Bay....I'm also hoping we can fit in his first trip to Chuckie Cheese!!!

Christmas is right around the corner and then after that Mark & I will be heading to The Dominican Republic for our friends Brittany & Reed's wedding!!!  We are very excited to be going on vacation and see our Iowa friends we do not get to see enough!! Take care everyone, have a great Thanksgiving & have fun Christmas shopping! We miss & love you all!!! (ok now I got this post typed...time to put in the pictures...;o)