Thanksgiving Part 2

We headed to Amarillo over the weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving with Meezy's side of the family.  The food was delicious, and the company was even better.  Getting there is never a great experience, since it means 5.5 hours in a car with a baby, but we're always glad to see family. 

PurpleStride DFW

I forgot to write about the 5K I completed with my sisters a couple of weeks ago.  We participated in the PurpleStride DFW race, which benefited the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.  My Opa died from pancreatic cancer about 11 years ago, so we figured this one would at least have some meaning for us.  I'm happy to report that I finished in my fastest time to date, at 30:15.  Hopefully by the next one I can break the 30 minute mark!  I'm typically not a great runner in the winter months because the cold air makes it harder on my breathing, but maybe I can still run at least one more in the next couple of months.

      

Nine Months Old

Life with a nine month old can be exhausting!  I've always got to be on my toes.  Dutch's crawling has gotten much faster, and he can stand up unassisted for quite a long time now.  He can turn and take a step from one thing to another if he holds on to something in-between, but no outright walking just yet!  He is so observant and loves focusing on people's movements.  He doesn't want to sit on the ground and play with toys anymore, he prefers to be standing up while doing EVERYTHING!  He can still be clingy with me at times, but he does just fine when being watched by other people.  While Meezy and I went to Vegas, my mom took care of him for 2 days, and my sister took care of him for 2 days.  He did perfectly fine with them and slept through the night every night.  I get so many comments when I take him out in public about his temperament and how well-behaved he is.  I'm not really sure how much credit we can take for that, because I think we might just be lucky, but it's refreshing to hear nonetheless.  He really is a joy.  Here's a few pics of my healthy, happy, handsome 9 month old.

On This Day

I'm thankful for the wonderful people in my life.

Champions Series Tennis Match

I've been a tennis fan for many, many years.  Going to Wimbledon and the US Open are two experiences I'll never forget, and this past weekend I got to add a couple other matches to my memory bank.  While they weren't quite as spectacular as seeing Grand Slam matches, they were fun because the players were legends who I grew up watching.  The main reason I bought the tickets, of course, was because Andre Agassi would be there!  I've idolized him since the first day I picked up a racket.  His return of serve is arguably the best the sport has ever seen, and I always strove to mimic his style when I played. 

The matches were competitive, but the players didn't pass up the opportunity to talk crap to each other or joke around with the fans and ball kids.  It was definitely a more relaxed atmosphere than a typical professional match, and that just enhanced the experience.  The first semifinal was between Jim Courier and Michael Chang.  The second semifinal was between Andre Agassi and John McEnroe.  The winner of each met in the finals, so it was Courier vs. Agassi.  That was definitely the best match-up of the night because the guys really got to pound the groundstrokes.  For a couple of 42 year olds, they sure still know how to put pace on the ball, not to mention they're still in amazing shape!  Agassi ended up victorious, so that was the icing on the cake for me.  I wish I had remembered to bring our fancy camera, because the pics from my Iphone are pretty crappy:

 Courier

 McEnroe (who actually mooned Agassi after one point)

 our vantage point for all the matches

 Chang

 

 Agassi

Interviewing the winner

We had a great time watching these legends play, but I think the best part of the night was the kick-ass tshirt we found at the merchandise booth.  There probably aren't a lot of people these days who will understand this shirt when I wear it, but if you do, you are awesome.

Cheering for the 3 Day

The 3-Day walkers passed by my sister's house again this year on the first day of their journey, so Dutch and I went out to cheer them on.  My sister and her neighbors set up tables in their yards with various goodies (kleenex, cookies, candy, bottled water, etc) and made lots of signs of support.  It's so rewarding to cheer the walkers on, and to think about the sacrifices they're making to try and find a cure.  It's a good reminder that we're all in this together. 

I dressed Dutch in his Komen onesie and draped a pink tie around him.  He loved seeing all the people and I get the feeling the walkers enjoyed seeing his smiling face as well.

By the time the last walker had passed, he was tuckered out!  Oma's lap was a good spot for a nap.

I've cheered and/or volunteered at the 3-Day for the past few years, and the best part has always been seeing and congratulating our friends Hank, Sarah, Rachel, and Becca.  They signed up for the first time the year their wife/mom was diagnosed (and she actually passed away two months before that walk), and have continued to walk each year since then.  It's an emotional experience for them, and I promise to support them every year they do it.

  

First Halloween

Dutch's first Halloween started off at Baby BOOt camp, where all the kiddos came dressed in their costumes.  After the moms worked out, the kids went from stroller to stroller, collecting goodies.  What's more fun than seeing little kids in adorable costumes? 

My sister also goes to this class, so Dutch got to see his cousins Lexie (fairy godmother) and Livy (rainbow princess) in their costumes as well.

I do declare that this is the cutest dragon I have ever seen!

Later that evening, we handed out candy and juice boxes to trick or treaters.  I think we had at least 70 kids stop by.  We were definitely popular since Meezy bought the full size candy bars to hand out!

Dutch did a great job welcoming the kids to our door. :)