will run for chocolate

i’m notorious for signing my husband up for runs without telling him.  often when the confirmations land in his inbox he considers them junk mail until i inform him later that i’ve actually registered us for yet another long run.  i joke that it’s good for his heart.  kind of like vegetables, quinoa, and water.  he usually goes along with it without giving me too much grief. not usually the case with the food so i figure he considers running the lesser of two 'evils.'  this past weekend our run was in minneapolis.  it was the hot chocolate 15k.  only a few hours from home, we turned it into a long weekend getaway and left on friday morning; naturally a stop at the mall of america was in order.   

after learning about the hot chocolate run from a girlfriend i knew it was something i wanted to do; i mean the reason i run  is to eat what i want….which is typically anything chocolate.  throughout the run and after your showered with chocolate treats including a few ton vat of chocolate fondue.  seriously, yum!  i considered it a win-win.  cody, not so much. 

at the start

we trained like we do for other runs with the intent of enjoying this one and soaking in the experience.  maybe even walking a little.  much to my surprise that didn't happen.  we ran the whole thing in did it in 1 hour and 23 minutes.  honestly i was impressed. 

finisher's mug with the goods 

downtown minneapolis 

aside from the chocolate after party the best part of the morning was running through downtown minneapolis.  running nine miles anywhere you cover a lot of ground on foot.  in minneapolis most of the run was along, and over the river.  this meant we ran through several riverfront neighborhoods with the cutest homes and charming little breakfast cafes.  the entire area was full of character and i'd love to go back for another visit.

despite leaving the mall of america empty handed, i really enjoyed the whole weekend with my husband.  neither of us have taken a vacation day since Christmas and with all that we've had going on in our work lives it was overdue.  weekend getaways can easily become a thing of the past for most married couples but their great for creating memories.  i'm reminded every time we travel somewhere new just how much i enjoy cody's company.  

spring uniform

who says wearing a uniform has to be boring?  if by uniform you mean a loose interpretation, which for me is black bottoms and white tops – accessories optional.  these days my tastes have evolved to the simpler and easier-to-dress the better.  since cleaning out my closet i’ve discovered that i own primarily white, black, navy and gray.  confession: i intentionally purged most colored pieces since i don’t wear them unless we’re on vacation or their intentionally paired for visual appeal, again on special occasions.  here’s a sampling of this year’s spring uniform.

puppy marvels

our puppy turns two in less than two weeks!  personally it’s hard for me to believe that we’ve actually had her that long and even more unbelievable that we’ve made it this long without any serious incidents (albeit the clay pigeon episode).  this calls for celebration!  (cody and i really are capable of keeping something alive!)  

although i wouldn't trade her for the world she is a tremendous amount of work.  in the short time we’ve had her i’ve learned these few things to be certain.

an allie selfie :) 

no noise is bad news 90% of the time.  allie has a bad habit of digging holes and de-stuffing pillows.  when it’s quiet we often find ourselves concerned that one of the former is taking place because, as we’ve found, it often is.  the other 10% of the time she is sleeping.  we wrongly think she’s sleeping 90% of the time.   therein lies the problem.  we have no more suitable pillows and our yard is full of mini craters.

the house will never be spotless again.  as a super a-type personality getting used to the fact that i couldn't  reasonably stay on top of all the little white floating hairs and paw prints without quitting my day job was hard.  we vacuum constantly though i’m not sure you’d know it. :(

once she discovered her voice that will was the end of all peaceful nights, conversations, and meals.  allie now yawns loudly, grumbles when she doesn't get a table scrap, whimpers when she wants something, and barks uncontrollably at anything that moves.  maybe here’s where i should mention i think she thinks she’s a human for more reasons than just this one. 

she's changed our life forever.  allie is just as much as part of our family as cody and i; that includes our extended families.  she makes us laugh every day and keeps us on our toes.  she finds joy in the simplest of things and is our little buddy.  she cries when we leave and wiggles uncontrollably when we return.  there’s seriously no love like a dog’s love! 

the day we took her home - she stole my heart! 

happy birthday allie!

the perfect easter dress

i've always been a girly girl, even during that awkward time between 10 and 12 when i experienced a very regrettable 'tomboy' phase.  i've always enjoyed dressing up and acting feminine.  it's probably one of the many reasons i have such fond memories of the easter holiday.

as a little girl i always had an 'easter dress', in fact it was the dress that excited me more than the basket of goodies the bunny left behind or the thrill of going to grandma's to see my cousins.  the simplicity of showing it off at sunday school on that special day made me grin from ear to ear.  maybe it's because i didn't get an abundance of dresses or maybe it was because it was an entire outfit but, it made me so happy.  from my frilly socks to the gloves on my arms i wore each perfectly coordinated ensemble with pride. 

at some point, probably between 10 and 12, i quit getting excited about dresses.  period.  not until recently have i really embraced their liberating allure. when i saw this slouchy dress on Forever21’s website, for only $22.80,  i knew i had to have it for the upcoming weekend.  with it’s floral print and long flowy sleeves it seemed the perfect 'easter dress'.

xoxo

what it's like to be married to a rational man

so here’s a post about what it's like to live with my spouse: an engineer by trade, a conservative, uber calm man by nature, and one of the most organized and collected people i’ve ever met.  previously i’ve mentioned that i adore my husband’s logical and realistic ways but, i should have also noted that these qualities they can drive me completely mad at times.  especially since i’m more the completely open and impulsive type.

 

-days later we finish conversations.  that’s because he usually needs time to process his thoughts.  really?! i just asked if you wanted to go to jimmy johns. :( 

-cody goes with the flow.  this works well since I’m generally more high-strung. in truth this makes my life more pleasant….as well as the lives of those around us. 

-he is not a gossiper so we don’t gossip. i like gossiping. i think it’s entertaining, if it’s not hurtful or unkind. it’s good bonding if you ask me. of course, i still share my opinions and ask for his but it’s generally a one-sided conversation. boring! 

-when we plan trips, or anything really, he makes sure all of the logistical bases are covered and leaves the fun stuff to me. major perk! 

-getting him to open up is like breaking into fort knox. the man is locked up tight….unless he’s in an uncharacteristically chatty mood.  chatty moods are rare but when they occur they can be hours long conversations. i generally grab a snack. 

-everything goes in a spreadsheet.  EVERYTHING! 

-ironically enough the only time my husband isn’t – all qualities listed above - is when it comes to the dog.  this is how i know he’ll make a good dad someday.

even if he pushes my buttons at times, i do love him. the end. xoxo