Friday, December 4, 2009

The Verdict is in...

Trey is still obsessed with Santa and his sleigh. This is a picture of him when I was at his house this morning. Notice the wadded up blanket in Santa's sleigh. He's got all the details covered. The sleigh, Santa, the bag of toys, and himself as the reindeer. What a cutie!!!!

Friday, November 27, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's a video of a girl who REALLY REALLY loves some Thanksgiving pie!

My sweet baby Claire couldn't be any cuter.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Santa's Sleigh and a Little Boy's Obsession

Not only is this little boy one of the cutest ever, but he's got the greatest personality. I can honestly say he's one of my more favorite people in this world. In this picture he's clinging onto a sleigh (to hold Christmas cards) and a Santa hand puppet while looking into the sky to see if it's snowing. Have you ever seen anything more adorable?
You see, last Christmas he 150% embraced the holiday season. The main way he did this was through deciding that every single thing he encountered could be turned into Santa's sleigh. He was truly obsessed. For days he carried around this particular favorite sleigh attaching it to the dog so he could be Santa's reindeer. It was the most adorable thing ever. I share this story because the holidays are coming and I couldn't be any more excited. Right now it's just cold, rainy, and miserable, but add a little Thanksgiving and some Christmas to that and it's not so bad. Can't wait to see if my little man loves Santa equally as much this year...AND there are two new babies to enjoy the holidays with. I love it!

Monday, November 9, 2009

MIZZOU!

Amy decided a while ago that she wanted to surprise Darnel with tickets to the Mizzou game. I thought Tom would enjoy it too so we got the tickets... in the very last row of the stadium. Regardless we lucked out with an absolutely beautiful November day. We drove down Saturday morning and went to Shakespeare's Pizza before heading over. I wore a tank top and flip flops in November, which was the highlight to me. The game was fine for the first half, but the Tigers really went down hill second half, losing 32-40. Still a fun day though.

Tom and me at the game

Mom, me, and Amy
Mom, me, and Amy at Shakespeare's
Shakespeare's

Thursday, November 5, 2009

New York City Marathon!

I arrived in New York on Friday around noon. I spent Friday at the marathon expo and enjoyed a delicious pasta dinner on Friday night. Saturday I spent the day out on Long Island with the Diefendorf family (a family I've grown to love since I met them in Africa in 2007). We had a delicious pasta dish on Saturday night as well. Everyone had plans to watch the Yankee game so I went back to my cousin's apartment early so I could crash and get a good night's sleep. I was carb loaded and ready to go.
After tossing and turning all night I finally got out of bed at 5 am. I am pretty sure I only got three hours of sleep but with all the excitement that didn't seem to matter. I hailed a cab and headed to the bus meeting spot. It was rainy and still a bit chilly. At 6:30 sharp the buses were loaded and we were on our way to Staten Island where they would drop all the runners at the starting line. Below is the picture of the buses that were lining the street.
When we arrived on Staten Island it was cloudy and chilly. All the runners were wearing old sweats that they could throw at the start of the race. I threw a pair of old fleece pants and a sweatshirt from my first teaching observation school. An hour before each wave start items had to be dropped at the UPS trucks that would take them back to Central Park. (The mere organization aspect of the race was amazing to me) Below is a picture of the UPS trucks lined up!
The picture below isn't even the start of the race it's just the entrance to the starting area. Over 43,000 people waited in the starting area. It became almost a carnival for the morning. It was complete with who knows how many port a potties, food tents, VIP tents, the charity area, and sponsors. I can't even lie... I got lost more than once.
Below is the charity tent I sat in for an hour and a half before I raced. It was super crowded and muddy. We sat on trash bags (if you were smart enough to bring one) and were served bagels, water and coffee. I people watched as many runners did all kinds of weird things, including coating their feet and socks in vaseline.
After a great deal of waiting and many misguided directions the race started. It took me twenty minutes to finally get to the starting line. However, the wait went fast. First, the cannon ball sounded the start, then a ship in the water shot blue, red, and white streaks of water into the air while helicopters circled overhead and "New York, New York" played on the speakers. Everyone was cheering and clapping. The energy level was high, the temperature was perfect (mid fifties and overcast), and I knew I had done a great deal of training. I was eager to finally get going.
Running up the Verazanno Narrows bridge... this is in the first mile and one of the hillier parts of the course. The course has five bridges, each of which is an uphill climb. At this point it was still pretty cloudy.
More race shots. Notice the number of runners around never lessens. I was surrounded by runners (and fans) the whole time. Above is a shot of the final miles in Central Park.
Below is a picture of my running shoes and Team for Kids race singlet that I wore. I was so worried about what I was going to wear with this stupid tank top, but the weather ended up being perfect. I was glad I put my name on the singlet so people yelled it the whole time I ran. One of my favorite parts was listening to all the different accents yelling my name for 26.2 miles. I'm happy to retire these shoes now since I wore them for all of training!
The race wasn't completely easy, but it was an overall amazing experience. I finished way better than I expected and only suffered from a couple cramps during the run. It was amazing to run with my phone as I received texts from start to finish. I was used to running with it for music so it didn't bother me at all. I probably got the most encouragement of anyone just from all my friends and family texting me that morning. Below is the picture of me right after I crossed the finish line. It's not the best, but what do you expect :)
Below is me with my medal about ten minutes after finish. I'm still in Central Park and will walk another three miles after the race!!! I promise it helped to ease the tightness in my legs.
My finish time: (9:04 per mile)
There are banners around Central Park that list each of the five burroughs the race runs through.




Overall, this was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I couldn't have done it without my family and friends, but I also feel like it was a personally stretching experience. It's hard to believe I did all the training alone. It was a huge feat when I trained with my roommates in 2005, but a much, much bigger feat to do it by myself now. I don't regret a single step. I am not quite sure what is next. Some say I should try and qualify for Boston, but that would require me shaving off 17 minutes and committing SO much of my life to running and eating well. For now, I am going to look back on the run and the experience. There are too many stories to share on the blog, but I know it is an experience I won't soon forget.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

It's coming!

I really, really, really want to post about my marathon. It was amazing, exciting, challenging, emotional, and motivating. BUT my computer is not cooperating. The moment I finally get these pictures to upload I will put them on the blog.. I may be at the Apple Store buying the new macbook before you know it :)

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Running to run

I keep trying to remind myself that I am running the marathon simply for the experience. BUT when I get on my sister's blog and see this little guy I almost want to go and qualify for Boston or something. I mean, seriously. SOO stinkin cute.
So... I leave in two days. My legs hurt. I feel like there are blisters all over my feet. And I can't seem to cut the coffee even though it would be better for the whole hydration factor. Oh, and NYC weather changes by the day. Right now we are looking at 52 as the high for Sunday. Ready or not, NYC or bust.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

No frills, just the facts

I thought and rethought and rethought about posting today. In the past I've received some criticism for slacking on my blog. SO even though I don't have any pictures to post I will post a little update of sorts:

10 Current Rauish facts:

1. My team just finished fall ball. We lost to Wash U and beat Truman. They really did pretty well, but we still have some stuff to work on.
2. My marathon is Sunday. I go back and forth between wanting a good time and wanting to simply take in the experience. I guess I will see how I feel Sunday morning. The good news is that weather is supposed to be amazing in NYC that day.
3. I have had a 3 day head ache... I don't love that.
4. I am taking 9 grad school hours right now. It is a lot of work, but I luckily I can get work done during my office hours.
5. I may never run again... and I may run a marathon in January. The second option will probably win.
6. I miss my college roommates. It's a shame I am busy every weekend until November 21... guess it will be a while before I see them.
7. My gym just got a new spinning bike in the cardio room. I am wondering if I should dabble in spinning and swimming and perhaps try a triathlon in the fall.
8. I haven't read a book in a while and I am pretty sure I didn't take near enough advantage of not being a student for three years.
9. I still miss coaching high school lacrosse even though I know my job is a dream.
10. I need to travel more.

That's all I have for now. Hopefully, a positive marathon report will be posted Monday!!!

Sunday, October 18, 2009

All My Babies at the Pumpkin Patch

Steph, Amy, Kara, Mom, and I were all off work on Friday. A few weeks ago we decided this would be a great opportunity for all of us to take the kiddos to the pumpkin patch. We did not plan for it to be approximately 35 degrees and windy. SO we bundled up the babies and braved it for a few minutes before deciding to call it quits and head to Red Robin for lunch. Before we head out I met my sister, Stephanie, to take Baby Dane's three month pictures. He has gotten a bit of chunk to his cheeks and started to smile so they were a blast to take. Below is a sneak preview of a few pics.
Check out that smile :)

What a cute little man!
Baby Claire bundled in her pink snow suit. She had a darling orange and black outfit on but it was just too cold.. her little nose just kept getting more and more red.
All the kids at the pumpkin patch.
Amy's three (Trey, Delaney, and Taylor)
Steph's Baby Dane
Kara's Baby Claire
Dane and Claire with the world's biggest pumpkin
This poor baby is terrified of that giant orange thing... just trying to figure out what it is!
Baby Dane
Claire is always posing.

It was a fun day despite the terrible weather. Hopefully those cute kiddos get some better weather for Halloween!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Fun Fall Saturday

This past Saturday the weather was way more beautiful than we were expecting. My mom and two of my sisters headed to Ste. Genevieve to go to Crown Valley Winery. That 80's Band was performing so the usual peaceful, pretty winery was hopping with all kinds of crazy people. We mainly enjoyed people watching and eating while also consuming a bit of wine and throwing in some random conversation. It was a fun day... we now know to be prepared for a way crazier day if we go next year.
Me, Steph, and Amy
Me, Mom, Steph, and Amy

After the winery I got texts from Heather and Tom. Both of them were in the Soulard area. After much begging and pleading my mom dropped me off in Soulard. I found Heather at Oktoberfest. Tom later came to join. It was a fun experience, but not something I would do every year... it was absolutely packed. Those who enjoy booze and cold weather probably enjoyed it way more than this wineo who would prefer to be hot any day.
Me and Heather at Oktoberfest

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Team Service Project

Since it is my second season coaching at Missouri Baptist I have a few more things figured out. I didn't have to spend weeks trying to find a place for my team to do our service project. We returned to Special Need Soccer Association (SPENSA) and served as volunteer assistants to the youth soccer players. The girls had a blast despite the chilly weather. As a sidenote, I also have a really, really great team this year. With five new freshman and a new transfer we have a lot of newbies to work with. The team, however, is totally meshing and it is fun to go to practice and see what the season will look like. A few more players and we will have it made.
The team
A few freshman doing jumping jacks with their soccer friend
I think he's in love.
Kahlyn, Denise, and their kid
Some frosh and their friend

Looking forward to the fall :)

Monday, October 5, 2009

Apple Picking

About a week ago the whole crew got together and went apple picking. All 5, YES 5, of my favorite little people were present. We had a great time on the last truly warm day of 2009. I mourned the loss of summer, climbed some trees, and had another allergy attack. It was truly delightful. But seriously, I think the kids enjoyed it, and looked darn cute doing so.
Claire!
Dane!!
and the Frosties!!!
Trey, Delaney, and Taylor

My sisters all have absolutely beautiful kids- love them!

The Frost Family
No luck biting into it, huh kid?
Heading out with the loot
Just hanging out in the tree getting some allergies
the crew