Slick

Sam had a worried little look on her face as Ryan said "Be careful!" when I headed out the door this morning for my run. So cute. It was 7:30, the thermometer was reading 28 degrees and things were looking pretty slick from our front window. All that melting snow and slush? Now solid ice. (Of course, as I write this post, it's over 40 degrees out and all that solid ice is now melting again. Guess it's that time of year!)

I hit the powerlines, and after only that short stretch, decided that it wasn't going to be the morning for a true trail run, as I didn't have my screw shoes on and I wasn't feeling confident about all the ice out there. So I turned onto Highland Green road to do the 5 mile road loop. A bit of black ice on the pavement, but otherwise not bad. And the part that Ryan had thought would be the worst of the loop - the back dirt road - was probably the best running. A few cars had driven that stretch of road right after the storm yesterday, and with the afternoon sun, the snow had melted, leaving a firm, packed dirt road. Perfect.

After my shower, Sam decided it was time for her workout, and so we ran laps through the house, with Sam giggling and laughing as I chased her between the stairs and the dishwasher. We stopped every once in a while, at her request, to sit and "rest" on the landing. But I guess Sam believes in very little time between intervals though, as none of those rest stops lasted for long :-)

Snow and Slush

After all the hype, we ended up with about 3" of wet snow here at our house. That being said, it did end up being a pretty messy storm, with some really heavy, wet snow and high winds, and we were lucky to not lose power. I had really been looking forward to meeting up with Mindy and Valerie this morning at Bradbury for a run, but it just didn't seem like a good idea, getting in the car and driving on slick roads this morning when it wasn't an absolute necessity to be out. Darn! Silly October storm!

Instead, Sam and I went out to walk around for a bit and play in the snow. It took us forever to get her all suited up! And do you think she's wearing enough pink? :-) Ha!

She thought it was hard work walking around through the wet, sloppy snow, and didn't last long before she wanted me to carry her around -"Uppy, uppy, mama!" But she did have fun knocking down the little snowman I made for her, and knocking the snow off the bushes though!

Once we had put her down for her nap, and I had eaten a big bowl of leftover veggie pot pie (yum!), I finally decided I should head out for my run. The snow had stopped and it was warming up, but it was really windy. I wasn't really feeling super enthused about my run, and certainly didn't have a lot of umph while I was out there. I guess I had had my heart set on a run with friends, and so a solo jaunt around the neighborhood through the cold slush with the wind swirling just wasn't the same. I ended up piecing together a 5 mile run that included a bit of powerlines, cart path, slush dirt road and pavement, and that was good enough. Hopefully I'll have a little more fire tomorrow!

One Before the Storm

I got out for a short and sweet 3 miles this morning. This brought my weekly mileage up to 29 miles. Should have gone for 4 instead! Darn :-)

We're supposed to get 8" to 12" of snow overnight and into tomorrow morning. Today is October 29th. Wow. That is really early for a snowstorm. Will we actually get that much snow? Or is it all hype? Guess we'll find out!

Ian very nicely dropped off my new road shoes for me at the gallery yesterday. How's that for good customer service?! Thanks Ian! I only tried them on briefly last night, and they did feel good. Very light. With a really funky sole and no "real" tread. Interesting. Of course, after being back ordered a few times, I got them just in time for the snow. Ha! :-) Somehow I think if I'm running tomorrow, I'll be running in screw shoes or with snowshoes!

Crisp

Despite the fact that parts of Maine had snow on the ground last night and this morning, we came away with just a thick frost and *almost* freezing temperatures throughout the night. That's OK with me. I know the snow will come soon enough, and honestly I don't need winter to arrive in October! As it was only 34 degrees when I left the house at 8:15, and no one in their right mind was going to be out playing golf in those temperatures, I decided I would run the golf cart paths over at Highland Green. It was a beautiful, crisp late fall morning. The sky was blue, the gold and brown leaves on the trees along the course shimmered in the sunlight, and there was a nice frost on the golf course greens. The small puddles along the cart paths had a light sheen of ice on them. I got in a nice 6 miles in 51 minutes, and even managed a very quick stop at the farmer's market on the Brunswick green to pick up some veggies and eggs before heading up to work. Perfect!

Late Fall

It sure looked like late October out there this morning. It was overcast, with a bank of heavy clouds hanging low in the sky. But out on the horizon, there was a thin band of golden light, almost as if it were sunrise, even though it was more like 8:30. I ran the extended Homeplace loop, getting in a nice 6-mile lollypop out on the powerline trails. The low light and grey skies made the subtle late fall colors pop. The small grove of birch trees, their white trunks and shimmering yellow leaves. The deep red blackberry brambles and blueberry leaves. The brilliant reds of the winterberries, peeking out through the powerlines brush. I run along these trails over and over and over, and yet I am still taken with the scenery, still find things to look at, still find that something new, whether in or out, to think about, to ponder. I guess that is why we keep running, right?

~

Last night when I said goodnight to Sam and told her I loved her, she gave me a hug said, " I love you too, Mama." If that is not adorable, I don't know what is.

Fun with Pumpkins

I decided that I should try to come up with some fun projects for Sam and I to do on the Mondays we are together. Today was pumpkin painting day! I used the washable finger paints that Meg had gotten for Sam this past winter, brought in the pumpkins Valerie had given us, spread a few big sheets of brown paper out on the floor, put Sam in old clothes and just let her have fun with it. It was the perfect, messy, fun afternoon activity!

Yeah for pumpkin painting!

The artist at work

The "scene"

The "masterpieces" :-)

Pumpkins are done... onto my hands... and feet :-)

Look Mama! Pretty!

Handprints!

Paint, paint everywhere :-)

YEAH!

{I got in a nice, mellow 5 miles on the Homeplace loop this morning before Ryan started working, but it wasn't half as exciting as pumpkin painting :-)}

A Great Outdoors Sunday

We spent a lot of time outside today, and had a great time!

After a yummy breakfast at Broadway Deli, we took a walk around town, and then hit the playground. Apparently, our neighborhood playground is now "my playground" in Sammy-speak, and the swings are hers as well :-) Guess we're not so into the sharing thing right now...

Dino ride

Mama and me see-saw

When we got home, I left Ryan in charge of lunch and the nap attempt (a fail), and went out for a run in the Cathance. I did the 9 mile loop that takes in the vast majority of the trail system and enjoyed the beautiful afternoon. The water was rushing through the rapids along the river, and the trails were leaf covered. It was a great hour and a half out in the woods. 

I had just enough time for a quick shower, change and a bite to eat, and we were off for our afternoon adventure: Finley's 4th birthday party at Rocky Ridge Orchard, just up the road. It was the perfect place to be on a cool but sunny late October afternoon. We ended up spending almost 3 hours there, enjoying cake with Finley and his family, having fun in the wagon with Charlotte, exploring the pumpkin patch, picking apples in the orchard, and sampling a few goodies from the bakery. Thanks for inviting us, Finley! It was lots of fun!!

Charlotte and Sam take a wagon ride through the pumpkin patch

Yeah! Sticks :-)

More pumpkins!

Sam meets the monsters

Picking apples with Daddo

Charlotte and Shannon

Orchard view

Into the bag

Yum!

Orchard family portrait

No and Go

After a nice morning of playtime, it was time for me to head out for my run so that I could get to work on time. Sam and I were sitting on the couch, and I told her it was time for me to go run. She looked at me with her big wide eyes, said "No running, Mama," and gave me a big hug. Luckily Ryan was there to tell her that I really did need to run, otherwise I might have given in and just stayed home instead. She then proceeded to scream, "Mama, Mama, Mama," as I walked upstairs to change. Thankfully, by the time I came back down, she was cheerily reading "Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You" with Ryan and was saying "Go Mama!" as I headed out the door. Whew. Talk about a 180 degree shift.

I ran down to the river for a nice 5.25 mile lollypop. The river is running high with all the rain we've had recently, and the trails are starting to be covered pretty thickly with downed leaves. Looking forward to a longer run tomorrow, and spending some time with Ryan and Sam. It is Finley's 4th birthday party tomorrow, and we're headed up the road to Rocky Ridge Orchard for cake, apple and pumpkin picking and a hayride. I know Sam will love it!

Overdressed

This morning, I felt chilled. It was damp and windy out. So despite the fact that the thermometer was reading 50 degrees, I chose to wear a light long-sleeve shirt and light tights for my run. Have I learned nothing in all my years of running?! I should always start out my run feeling a little cold. That way, after about a mile, I feel just right. Didn't quite get that today, but that's OK. I ran the 6 mile extended Homeplace loop. Somehow I seemed to be running into the wind on both the out and back portion of the run, but despite that, the sun was warm, the winterberries looked a brilliant red against the greens and browns of the brush along the powerlines, and it was a good run.

Five in the Mist

Got out this morning for a quick spin around the Highland Green loop. 5 miles in 41 minutes and change. If I'm short on time (when am I not?!), I find that this loop is the best one to do. I don't want to run on the roads for each and every run, but there's nothing like roads for allowing one (for me, at least) to run a decent clip and get in a bit more mileage within an alloted amount of time than I might if I were running on trails, especially twisty turny trails with wet bog bridges and roots. Hopefully I'll have a bit more time tomorrow morning so that I can get back out in the woods for a bit more leisurely run :-)

Not that I'm really running with anything in mind right now. With Pisgah done, I don't have any races on the immediate horizon. I've raced a lot this year (for me), and I'm happy for the break. I'm not like Ryan. I don't run to race. I run because I love running, to be outside, enjoying my time in the woods or on the roads. Without a race in front of me, I don't feel pressure to run a certain amount of miles. I can be content to get in 25 to 30 miles a week, to maintain my base. I don't have to run super long. We can have some quiet weekends at home together. And honestly, all of this is nice. But on the other hand, I am a planner. I like to have a goal to work towards. Which begs the question, "What's next?" Gotta start looking at race calendars, I guess :-)

Playing in the Leaves (And a Short Run)

We got home yesterday afternoon around 4pm, and Sam wanted to sweep the leaves off the patio outside. So she and I went out, me with a big broom and her with her little broom, to sweep. This resulted in me doing most of the sweeping, with her directing :-) It also resulted in a big pile of leaves right off the edge of our lawn. We were looking around at the pretty leaves - yellows and reds and oranges - and she went down to investigate the pile we had made. She took a small 'tumble' right into the pile, and thought it was fun so she did it again. And again. And again. Then I told her I could cover her up, which she thought was just great! Ryan got some great shots of her in the leaves :-) This is what fall is all about!

"Cover [me] up, Mama!"

Leaf pile fun

Pretty!

All covered up

Hi Mama! This is fun!

~

My run this morning was not quite as much fun as yesterday's leaf session, but I did manage to get out and run a quick three miles between grocery and farmer's market shopping and before heading off to work. While I have my moments when it comes to work, it is certainly a blessing to have a job that allows me some extra time in the mornings to run! 

The Rest of the Weekend

Sunday - MDI Marathon

Sunday was a busy day. We were all up early for race day. It was raining slightly just before the start, but Sam was in good spirits in the Ergo on my back as she, Irene, Dana and I walked to the starting line. The cannon sounded and the crowd surged forward. They were off! We quickly went back to the hotel to grab a bite to eat, and then off to our first meeting spot - mile 11.25ish. I was a bit nervous about the whole race viewing/crewing thing, but we managed to get everywhere we were supposed to go, and ended up having a great morning cheering on Ryan, Jamie and Blaine. It was also nice to have Kate and her parents at 11.25 and 17 miles too! I wish we had been able to see Jim and Shauna out on the course too, but my main goal for the day was to make sure I was where I needed to be for Ryan, so his schedule was dictating ours! Ryan's parents helped keep Sam amused during the journey, and we all had a great time watching the race.

Getting ready to cheer on the runners at the end of Sargent Drive

Happy Sam!

Ryan looking focused

Jamie, relaxed and looking strong

Ryan and Jamie started out together, but by mile 17 were a minute or so apart. Still, they both looked awesome. We also saw Blaine at each stop, as he was about 5 minutes ahead of Ryan and Jamie. I was impressed that he was smiling every time we saw him. We managed to see Blaine, Ryan and Jamie five times, as well as right at the finish line. It was a bit stressful to be support crew, and also have Sam with me, but Irene and Dana were a big help, and I hope our cheering helped the guys as they ran along! They all had great races. I am so proud of Ryan for finishing in 3:10:11 in 21st place. Amazing! What a PR, and what a race! 

Everyone was in good spirits, and looking good, at the finish. We sat and chatted for a while, going over the race and such, and Sam and I enjoyed Ryan's ice cream. I swear, she ate some too :-)

Yum! Ice cream :-)

The little runner-to-be

After Ryan got his beer, and the rest of us had lunch, - priorities! - we drove back to the hotel to get cleaned up. It was pretty late, and Sam ended up not napping, although she was clearly tired. It was such a beautiful afternoon, and we didn't want to be cooped up inside, so she and I took a walk along the Shore Path. She's in a bit of a mama phase right now, especially when tired, and I thought the walk would at least give her some down time, and give my arms a bit of a rest. :-) The path was fairly quiet, and we had a nice walk along the ocean, watching the waves and enjoying the late afternoon light hitting the islands. When we got to the end, I asked Sam if she wanted to go back along the water or go through town, and she chose town, so that is what we did. 

Late afternoon light on Balance Rock 

Tired girl

It was a nice end to a good day. We were all tired and in bed early for sure!

Monday - Acadia Exploration

I didn't want to leave the island without getting in another run, so I headed out around 7:30. I planned out a route that would allow me to run right from the hotel, get me on the carriage roads for a bit, and most importantly, land me back at Two Cats to meet up with everyone for breakfast :-) I ran up to Duck Brook Road, a winding quiet road just on the boundary of the park. The early morning light was shining through the trees, and the ground was littered with golden leaves. After a little more than two miles on the roads, I hopped onto the carriage roads at Witch Hole Pond and took them over to Rt. 233 at Eagle Lake.

I had the trails to myself. It was a gorgeous, sparkly morning, I had some great views, and really enjoyed this stretch. Even Rt. 233 back into town wasn't all that bad, and after some good, quick downhill running, I ended up at Two Cats just as Ryan, Sam, Irene and Dana were coming up the block. The loop ended up being 6.96, and I got it done in 58:37. If everyone hadn't been there, I would have gone a bit further to get 7.0 on the nose, but that's OK :-) It was a great run and a nice way to start off the day. After socializing with the kitties, we all thoroughly enjoyed our breakfast. Ummm, Two Cats biscuits. Yum!

Sam had been talking about the "blue water" all weekend, and I had promised her that we would go down to the ocean today. She was convinced she would be swimming in the blue water, but we figured we could get away with just sticking our toes in the ocean! It was October 17, after all. We headed to Sand Beach, the only true beach on the island, to check things out. Luckily for us, the sun was warm, the skies were blue, and the water lapping the shore didn't feel too bad. Unfortunately, after a short walk to the water's edge, Sam decided she didn't like the cold blue water after all, and ended up taking the rest of the walk as a passenger on my back. Ah well. At least we tried :-)

Walking barefoot on Sand Beach

Beautiful day at Sand Beach

Well, at least we look good :-) Too bad Sam isn't smiling.

Sand Beach and the Beehive 

Taking a short walk upstream at the end of the beach

All in all, it was an awesome weekend, and a lot of fun! Congrats again to Ryan, Jamie, Blaine, Shauna and Jim for great races on a really tough course, and thanks to Irene and Dana for joining us and helping with Sam! Acadia is such a special place, and it is always a treat to spend time up there.

Carriage Road Run

We headed up to Bar Harbor this morning, and managed to time it perfectly so that Sam took a good nap after we stopped for lunch. In fact, she slept right through Ryan dropping me off at the Eagle Lake parking lot and even after Ryan had stopped the car at the marathon expo. Tired girl, I guess! It was a beautiful afternoon, with temps hovering right around 60 with bright blue skies and a strong wind blowing. The plan was for me to get in a good run on the carriage roads this afternoon. After looking at the maps, I decided that I could run a nice route around Witch Hole Pond and Eagle Lake, and get in around 11 miles. So, after Ryan dropped me off, I donned my Nathan pack, quickly hit the bathrooms, and came out to find Jamie in the parking lot! He had just dropped off Kate for her long run. He told me she was going clock-wise around Eagle Lake, so I thought I'd run counter-clockwise so we could say hi out on the trails :-) But first, I decided to stick with my plan and run out to, and around, Witch Hole Pond.

The woods were beautiful, with some gorgeous color. I only stopped for one photo along the way, so you'll just have to trust me that I was getting some nice views the whole time I was out there!

Marsh view

The carriage roads are a joy to run on. It's basically like road running without the impact. I was feeling a bit out of sorts due to having just sat in the car for almost three hours, and I was definitely feeling the french fries from lunch sitting in my stomach! They were delicious, but not an ideal afternoon running food :-) However, I was still able to keep up a snappy pace. The grade of the roads is smooth and runnable, and the fine gravel makes for an ideal surface. Throw in some crisp, dry autumn air, and it doesn't get much better!

As I was rounding Witch Hole Pond, I saw two men with two little dogs, stopped along the path. One of them was holding a huge camera and had peering intently up into a pine tree along the water's edge. I asked them what they were looking at, and it turns out there was a Bald Eagle perched up on one of the branches above. I stopped to take a look, and sure enough, there was the eagle. Of course, all I could see was its white tail feathers and brown rump, but there was no mistaking it! Cool! I didn't stop for long, but was thrilled to have such a fun sighting! And right near Eagle Lake too. Go figure :-)

I came back through the parking area with my Garmin reading 5.5 miles and the time reading right around 45 minutes. Perfect. As I ran up the slight incline along the right side of the lake, who should I see ahead but Jamie and Kate?! Unfortunately, Kate was feeling her IT band, and cut her long run short. Bummer. But as always, she was in good spirits, and had at least gotten in one spin around the lake! Along this stretch, I ran into a lot of walkers and bikers. I even played leapfrog with an older couple on their bikes. I would overtake them on the hills; they would glide by on the downhills. I think I ended up getting back to the parking area first, though :-) Anyway, I really was enjoying my run. I didn't feel like I was working too hard, and it was just so nice out. And I was running along the trails in one of my favorite places in Maine. It was just plain nice.

I turned the final corner at the end of the lake to find Ryan, Sam, Kate and Jamie walking towards me. It was perfect timing, as I had said I thought I would be out there for 1:30, and the 11.4 miles ended up taking me 1:35. Sam was looking for ducks on the "blue water" but with all the wind, we could find none. Maybe tomorrow!

It was a Dark and Stormy Night

OK, so it wasn't that bad. But it was dark this morning when I headed out for my run. And misty. Sam had gotten up around 5:15, but I was able to put her back down to sleep, which is a good thing, because well, at 5:15, it is "really early outside," as Sam likes to say :-) I tried to go back to sleep myself, to no avail, so I got up, put on the coffee and got ready to run. I figured it was a gamble, as I didn't get out the door until about 5 after 6, but I hoped that Sam would sleep until I got back. It's not that I need to be there when she wakes up, but Ryan is not a morning person and I like to let him sleep until later in the morning if I can. Plus, I like my morning time with Sam. Apparently, the gamble didn't pay off this morning, as they were downstairs snacking and playing when I returned at 6:30, but luckily Sam was in a happy mood when she awoke, which was much better than yesterday!


For my run, I ran the short Highland Green loop. I didn't really need my headlamp, with the exception of the short stretch in the woods behind Highland Green, as the route is mostly roads with street lights. And once I got to the powerlines for the last stretch, even though it wasn't yet sunrise, there was enough light in the sky to see by. I was glad to not have to run by headlamp the whole time, as my eyes kept wanting to veer up to the highlighted mist and not down to the ground below :-) Gotta get one of those waist lights like Ian and Emma have!

Clingy and Rainy

Sam was in quite a mood this morning. I don't know if it was because she was up late last night, or if the flu shot was bothering her, or if it was simply because she is two, but man, it was something. After a bit of a rough wake-up, things turned around until I went upstairs to get dressed before taking her to daycare and it was as if all hell broke loose. There were tears and screams and even when I came back down to get her, the crying did not stop. And then heaven forbid I try to put her down to brush my teeth. Oh the agony! Or when I gave her to Ryan to put on her shoes so that I could gather up our stuff for the car. You would think it was torture. Oh my goodness. I was just recently reading a blog where the mother talked about "the Phase of Endless Frustrated Tantruming Over Seemingly Nothing," and um, yes, I'd have to say we were fitting right into that phase this morning. All because I dared to go upstairs to get dressed. Oh my!

Luckily, when we got to her classroom, her teacher's 6 month old was visiting, so Sam was happy to go say hi to the baby and I was able to leave without creating a scene. It was heavenly to step out the door into the rain for a run after such a dramatic and noisy morning. To hear nothing except the pitter patter of the rain falling around me and the crunch of the leaves underfoot. Nothing makes you appreciate quiet like a screaming child :-) I told Ryan I was going to run the Highland Green loop, but after running less than half a mile on the road over to the high school, I changed my mind and headed for the woods instead. It's always much nicer to run in the rain in the woods than on the roads. Under the flat, grey sky, the reds, golds and oranges of the finally-turning maples glowed. The bog bridges were littered with downed leaves, little pockets of color underfoot. The green moss took on a rather flourescent hue. Nothing heightens color, and makes you appreciate it, like an overcast day. I ran down to the river, and on the return trip, took the cart paths back, adding a bit of mileage in the process. I ended up with 5.67 miles, and was glad for a chance to have made the most of the morning. Of course, I'd rather some sunshine and a happy baby, but maybe I'll get that tomorrow!

Sam's Two Year Stats

We may have the smallest 2 year old on the planet :-)

We took Sam to the doctor this morning for her two year "well visit." Everything was fine and dandy, and Sam was a very good girl during the visit, holding very still for the hearing test and letting Dr. Emily hear a lot of her words, although she was quite upset by the flu shot at the end. Can't say that I blame her! I wouldn't want a big needle stuck into my thigh either.

Anyway, onto the numbers:

21 lbs. 1 oz.

31 3/4"

18" head circumference

Yup, she's tiny. Her height is putting her in the 10th percentile, but her weight, well, I don't even think she's on the charts. Ah well. The doctor isn't worried, and honestly, neither are we, by her size. That is just Sam. She is small. But what she lacks in size, she sure makes up for in attitude... and cuteness :-)

A Fun Weekend

Although it felt a bit more like August than Columbus Day weekend, it sure has been beautiful this weekend, and we made every effort to enjoy it, well, when we weren't birthday partying it anyway :-)

Sunday morning before the party, Ryan and I left Sam with the rest of the family (thanks guys!) and headed out for a nice hour-long run. Ryan had been doing a bit of Topsham trail exploration, and I have been looking forward to seeing some of the trails. There is access to them from the Ravine Loop in the Cathance Preserve, so we took the shortest route there, crossed the yet-to-be-bridged brook, and headed off onto some fun singletrack which wound through the woods and along the Cathance. Due to time constraints and the fact that Ryan is tapering for MDI, we didn't take the additional offshoot that goes to the Head of Tides, but I did see the turn-off so hopefully I can explore that on my own sometime soon! We came back on some of the Cathance trails and along the Heath, stopping to admire the cotton sedge in the marsh, the plant's white "flowers" set against the reds and oranges of the swamp maples along the heath's edges. Very pretty. We ended up with 7.25 miles, which was perfect for this warm October day.

This morning after Sam had fun with her legos...

Lego Zoo

{Really, she put most of this together herself. Yes, I helped assemble the window, made sure all the blocks were well placed on top of each other and that the towers were structurally sound, but the design was hers.}

...and entertained us with her counting skills...

Counting... Almost :-)

...she and I met up with Neenie, Pip Pop, Kristen and Morgan at Wolfe's Neck State Park. We got there a bit early, so I put Sam in the Ergo and we walked around for a while before they arrived. It was a gorgeous morning with bright blue skies, a bit of a breeze and some nice color in the trees. 

Enjoying a morning walk at Wolfe's Neck

After everyone arrived, we walked down to the water and along the rocks, dipping our toes in here and there (brrr!), and enjoying the sparkle of the sunshine on the ocean and its warmth on our faces.

Along the trail

Morgan looks for periwinkles along the water's edge

Sam and I explore the rocks

Attempting a nice family photo. Can't quite get both kids to look cheery at the same time ;-)

Yet another attempt at a grandparent's photo with the grandkids. Didn't quite work! 

Then we took a nice walk in the woods, picking up sticks and fallen leaves. Sam walked almost the whole way, marching along next to us. It was just so cute :-) 

Picking up sticks

Walking with Morgan

Once we were done with our walk, we headed to downtown Freeport and had a great lunch at The Fresh Batch, a new cafe in town with a lot of open space inside and even better, a play area for the kids!

 I'm climbing, Mama!

Ryan had a conference call, so I couldn't get out for a run during Sam's nap, but it's always nice to enjoy some quiet time while she is sleeping too, so I won't complain too much :-) But not to worry, I managed to squeeze in a nice 5 mile run on the Homeplace loop late in the day once my parents arrived. They had nicely agreed to put Sam to bed, so that Ryan and I could go out for dinner to celebrate our anniversary. Thanks guys! We chose sushi and gelato. A perfectly normal combination, right? :-) Well, we can't say we're perfectly normal, so I guess it fits. Happy 12th Anniversary, Ryan!!