Thankful

Today is Thanksgiving and for some reason sleep alludes me.  I have been laying here thinking about the past year and all of the amazing things that I have accomplished as well as what those around me have done. I feel surrounded by love, thoughtfulness, generosity, and support. Without a number of people I don't think I would be where I am today; facing graduation, finding a job, a wedding and marriage or just becoming a grown up in general. 

I couldn't pick better family and friends to  have in my life. I am grateful every single day that they all still put up with me. As I move into the next year, I am making it a goal to show my thanks to those individuals. They do so much for me, I want to do the same for them. 

Besides family, there are friends who I love dearly as well. Even if I don't get to talk to or see them regularly, I know I always can. So friends, thank you. 

For the remainder of today, I hold everyone in my thoughts and send them best holiday wishes. 

Big News

I have news! Besides the fact that I'm horrible at blogging consistently, I AM ENGAGED! 

Alex proposed on Saturday. I couldn't believe it. It was all perfect. It was the coldest day of the fall of course. He proposed on a walk, at sunset in the middle of nowhere. He was shaking. I know why now! 

We spent the night calling family and telling those who we could in person. 

I can't wait to be a part of such a great family and for Alex to be a part of mine. 

Thanks

It's been four days since my half and over that time I've taken time to thank my body. All too often, I feel like I just keep going and take my mobility and ability for granted. 

It's easy to forget to take time just to be. I have no idea how to relax, but I forced myself to do so as much as possible on Saturday and Sunday. Even Monday, I tried to take it easy. 

It's a little dark, but on Monday I spent an hour there. Getting a massage and physically thanking my body. My massage therapist spent time on the parts that I felt worked extra hard and I just had an hour to meditate. It was perfect. She sent me on my way with some tea. I don't know what it is about yogi tea that always seems to know exactly what I need to hear. 

I feel like I do belong. I have family and friends that care, while at the same time I long for more achievements while running. We will see where the next couple weeks take me. All in all, I know I want to and need to take a minute to pause and thank my body for getting me where I go. 

Angelman Syndrome Conference

I wanted this post to publish over a month ago but for some reason it didn't. Anyway, here it is. 

Every two years, the Angelman Syndrome Foundation holds a conference for all the families who have angels in their lives. Since David's diagnosis, this conference has been a learning experience for our family. Out of the nine possible conferences I could have gone to, I've been to six. 

It's always fun to meet new families and talk about our experiences and just simply be around hundreds of other people who get what you're going through. The first day, I always go to a sibling session. As siblings of angels, we all have joys and frustrations. Being able to explain them really helps. Plus, connecting and forming new friendships is great as well. 

We drove this year, as we do most years. David rides really well and it is fun to explore the country as we go. We went through St Louis and Georgia. Peaches and Pecans were totally necessary in Georgia! 

Mom and Dad go to different workshops and David and I attend the children's activities. This year, we were in Orlando again. The first activity was Lego Land. 

The second activity was a Manatee encounter. Both were fun. I think David liked the bus rides the best! 

13.1!

Yesterday I ran my first half marathon. Holy Hannah I hurt. But! I did it! I finished! I didn't die, even though it was 88 degrees when I finished at 10 am. 

I set my alarm for 5:45 am, ate breakfast and Natalie and Alex brought me in to town. I got my race packet and anxiously waited around until it was time to line up. 

My plan was to follow the 2:10 pacer. I stayed with her for 5 miles and then had to slow down. 

I was pretty happy at the beginning! By the time the temperature started to increase and the gnats started biting me I was less happy. 

I only trained up to 10 miles. Right around mile 11 I thought I couldn't do it. Luckily at mile 12, there was another college student who seemed to be struggling as well. We started talking. She had been following the 2:00 pacer and came up from behind me. We decided to finish strong together. 

Running 13.1 miles was the hardest thing  I have ever done. I couldn't have done with without my cheering section and the random runners along the way who I chatted with. It's fun to run with other people! 

I was happy with my time, and happy to lay in my bed for most of the day yesterday with ice packs  of course that was after eating delicious waffles to recover! 

I've been away....

... On vacation with my family!! For the first time in ten years, we were all together, without any other events. We relaxed on the beach in Destin,  Florida for a week. It was great. We didn't worry about anything. We cooked, ate, played games, wandered around and got a little sunburned. I look forward to the next vacation we all get to take together!! 

Strawberry Fields Forever

Today we went strawberry picking. We left early and it was absolutely beautiful out! There were zero Mosquitos and we beat the heat. 

Every single strawberry that we picked was beautiful. They all had their own character and of course were delicious. 

Mom, Dad, and I were picking with David cheering us on. He totally loved sitting there and picking berries off and eating them. In half an hour, we had 8 5 quart buckets picked and juice running down our faces. Who can resist eating a few while they are picking?! 

I'm totally pumped to have berries in the freezer all winter long for shakes and more delicious things like pie! 

A lovely little getaway

A couple of weekends ago, A and I headed out on a mini road trip to see his sister in Madison. We went last year and had a blast.  The city is beautiful! So I was excited to go. 

We didn't do a whole ton. We went to the huge farmers market, at which I had my first whoopie pie and we bought the popular hot spicy cheese bread. 

We went mini golfing in the super light rain. And then after, the rain stopped so we headed to the botanical garden. Both outings were great. It's nice to go and not have a plan. Just do what feels right. It's in those moments that I know we are making memories that will last forever. For example: I use way too much strength while mini golfing, at least they could make fun of me, right? And that just strolling around can allow for great conversations to come about. 

I think that one of the most important things in any relationship, whether it be a friendship, a familial relationship or a romantic relationship is to just take time to let conversation happen and to make memories. Even though we didn't do a whole ton, it is one of my favorite weekends of the summer. 

My Butt Hurts

I've been AWOL for a while. I ran away to Europe in May! I was pretty proud of myself for still running a couple days a week while I was there and walking a ton! But let me tell you, it's way too easy to eat too much while on vacation. Pasties in the train station? Yes please! More beer?? Of course!!! Anyway. You can imagine. 

Grandma and I on the plane. 

Stonehenge on a gorgeous day! 

After I got back, I tried to get back into my routine. I've been cooking almost all the meals here for my family. I got a cookbook in England called 5 Ingredients 10 Minutes. It's great! It has all sorts of modifications you can do, it's quick, easy, and delicious! 

This is one of the recipes from the book. Cashew and Potato Curry! 

Part of my routine has been training for the GraniteMan Half. It's been hard. Summer heat is ridiculous! I did a run on the 4th and it was 92 degrees out. Kill me. But! I made it. And it made all the delicious food worth it. 

This weekend, A and I did the Tour of Saints! It's a 50 mile bike ride through Central MN. As a result, my butt hurts! I'm proud of both of us for surviving. 3 hours and 46 minutes of biking. It helps that there's pit stops along the way too. Anyway! Overall another great experience in our book. 

Plus, what's better than getting out and enjoying the day with your best friend?