Treasure Island 5k

On Saturday morning (July 3rd), we packed the car and the kids and headed out to Treasure Island to spend the 4th of July weekend.  We needed to be there early as we were participating in the Treasure Island 5k ~ our first 5k in years and the kids first ever road race :)  As you can see, they were very excited!

They were bundled up because it was a little chilly and misty.

So deceiving since I didn't actually push the stroller ~ that was G's job ;-)

Here we are with our fancy and BRIGHT shirts and numbers.

Sadly, Eli didn't get a shirt because they didn't come that small but I don't think he was too upset about it :)

Alli was VERY excited!

Look at our little runner go . . .

She even pushed Eli for a little while!

Okay Daddy, your turn again!

She fell down and scraped her knees but only cried a bit :) 

Then decided it was more fun to be on Daddy's shoulders!

Okay, so I guess I did push the stroller for a bit while running with just Eli in it! :)

Here we are back at the beach after our fun "race" ~ I use that term very loosely!

All that running made for two very hungry munchkins!

Our first family race was a hit!

future marathon runner???

Alli having a blast running all around the yard before preschool this morning.

I think I may have found my long term running buddy ;-)

new toy for the family

Here's our new toy . . . BOB Revolution Duallie

We finally found a great deal on Craigslist ~ woo hoo!!!

The kids love it and we had our first family run this evening.

Fun times!

Another week down . . .

Well, we made it another week. Now we are finally in June and are looking forward to coming home to Washington at the end of the month for the 4th of July! Can't wait.


Nikki worked some haillacious hours this week. On Thursday she left work at about midnight which ended up being a lot earlier than she was thinking. She figured that the clients probably didn't want the kind of work she was coming up with at 4:00 in the morning so she punched out early. This lawyering stuff is definitely not turning out to be much of a 9-5 but she's enjoying it. The important news though, is that after all this time in physical therapy, she is back running and ran 2 miles around the park at Hanscom today without feeling even a touch of pain! We are both really excited that so much progress is starting to be made. Before long, she'll be back to running marathons!

Our last dance class was on Saturday and in the end, we feel like we came out of it with 3-4 dances that we could actually pull off if we ever get the opportunity some day. We definitely got the foxtrot and waltz down. We are also pretty comfortable with the hustle and the tango but there are a whole lot of moves that we haven't learned yet so don't start thinking "dancing with the stars" quite yet. Let's just say we can do the basics if a song came on. We'd probably know a lot more if some of the slugs in our class had any rhythm whatsoever though. We'd spend 75% of the time relearning all the moves that we had down months ago because of all the bumbling going on in the class. "I don't get it"......Agggggghhh!......we've only learned it ten times already!! Oh well. At least we learned some stuff.

It's looking like we both will be about as busy this coming week as last week and there is no telling when that routine is going to end while we are here. At least we have an end in sight as our stay here on the east coast will be expiring in just about a year. YEAH! Other than that, I am avidly looking forward to another episode of Lost this week so I can get caught up with the Z man and finally let him rap about all the craziness that went on this past season (he's wanted to for months). Hope everyone has a great week and we'll talk atcha soon.

Back to running!

Well it's official, I am running again!!! I had a followup appointment with my surgeon on Monday and he gave me the go ahead to try running again (with strict instructions to not go overboard). So on Tuesday, my physical therapist had me run on the treadmill and it was AWESOME!!! I'll admit, it felt a little weird at first and I had a slight twinge of pain for the first minute or so, but once I got going it felt great! He only let me run for 9 minutes (3 of which he made me jog slowly while holding on - that takes coordination!) but I loved every minute of it. He is going to let me run a full mile tomorrow - I cannot wait! We have to get me up to 3.5 miles by June 15th when I am taking part in the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge in Boston. It is such a great race, starting at the Boston Common, running down to Fenway Park and back. Last year there were 14,000+ participants! Then Garrett and I have our first 5K of the season two weeks later. I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

Garrett's first blog

Nikki is making some big time progress in therapy and will probably get to run again as early as next week! We are both really excited to get back to running 5Ks and the weather is finally starting to shape up so the timing is perfect.


Salem made a new friend today while we were tackling our post-flooding jungle of a lawn today. Our new neighbors have a baby rotwieler who had escaped from his captivity in their garage somehow and decided to come play at our house. The two of them were exactly the same size and one would think that they would make great friends but ole Salem got a little skittish around the pup and decided that the claws needed to come out. We ended up having to get him safe inside behind the screen door and go find our neighbors to make sure they knew where their pup was. Hopefully they do a better job of keeping him inside because the little guy is way too small to be out on his own roaming the neighborhood.

Nikki got to go to one of her frind and coworker Kate's bridal shower this afternoon in Wellsley. She had a great time and our gift was a huge hit. Can't go wrong with a martini shaker and all the fixins to make some cosmos. Have a good week!

Spring has arrived!

It's hard to believe we have only been home from vacation for a couple of weeks. I think we're both ready for another one! Work has been keeping us extremely busy (reason that we didn't add an entry last week). In some ways, it is nice to be busy because the time passes quickly, but when we don't see each other until 10 every night, it gets a little old! Fortunately, we are planning a mini-vacation to Nantucket over Memorial Weekend. Can you tell we are trying to see everything in New England before we move? Once we do that, the only thing left is NY City, hard to believe we haven't done that one yet! We met a great couple in St. Lucia who live in the City so we are hoping to visit them sometime in December.


On another front, we got our car back yesterday and she looks fabulous! She even has the new car smell still. I am so amused that is took nearly four weeks, cost thousands of dollars, and on the receipt, the body shop describes the work as "minor repairs." Go figure!

For those curious about the "knee saga," it looks like I may get to run as early as next Saturday. I am so ready! Now that the weather is getting nice, I want to get out there. Even Garrett has started going for runs outside. I told him he picked a fine time to start doing that. I think it is a bit insensitive, but he claims he is just making sure he will be able to run with me in the races, yeah right :) This week consisted of three brutal physical therapy sessions. I think Dutch takes pleasure in causing me pain. However, I can't be mad when I see how much progress I am making. When I started this whole ordeal six weeks ago, I could barely move my leg, now I can fully straighten it, and I'm bending to about 140 degrees. The bending is the hardest and most brutal part of therapy (I have no shame, I scream out loud for all to hear) but I'm getting so much better and I can attempt running when I can bend 145 degrees. Since I was only at 128 degrees on Tuesday, I think (and Dutch agrees) I am progressing very quickly and should be there by next Saturday. Of course,I think I could jog now but Dutch wants me to wait, and then when I do start, I have to do it on a treadmill in front of him. He is such a slave driver! Oh well, I'm done until Tuesday.

This weekend, assuming the rain stays away, we are planning to work in our garden. The strawberries and raspberries look great already. Now we are planting the veggies. We love having fresh fruit, vegetables, and herbs during the summer. Sometimes I think it would be nice to live in a climate where we could have our garden year round. Then again, I would probably miss the snow. Can't win :)

Hope everyone had a great Cinco de Mayo yesterday!

The Saga Continues . . .

What a week we have had. . . Anyone who knows me and my driving history, probably figured it was only a matter of time before I got into another accident (especially with the way people drive in MA). Well on Thursday it happened! I should begin by saying that I am completely fine, not so much as a bump or scratch. And, contrary to what you are all likely thinking, this was not even remotely my fault - there is a first for everything :) When I was driving to physical therapy at 5 AM, I noticed a semi wheel-well in the middle of my lane. I had three choices: swerve to the right and go down a minor cliff, swerve to the left and hit the car next to me, or hit the wheel-well. Fortunately, my driving has improved since I was as a teenager, and I opted for the responsible choice - I hit the wheel well. Originally, I thought it just took out my tire. I pulled over to the side of the highway (a very scary experience in itself!) and called Garrett, begging him to come rescue me (he did). I then called for roadside assistance. After what seemed like an eternity, Garrett arrived and assessed the damage. Not only was the tire blown, but the front bumper and front right side were damaged - USAA estimates the damages to be at least $4100 (thank goodness for insurance!!!). The car was towed to the body shop and is currently being repaired. Major bummer to happen to my new car but at least I am okay and didn't hurt anyone else. In a very strange way, I am a little happy to now say that I have been in an accident that I did not cause - trying to look on the bright side of things!


My other big news of the week is much better . . . I am starting to see my quad!!! After the car was towed, Garrett dropped me off at the subway and I went to PT (I refuse to miss a day for anything). On Thursday, my therapist "Dutch" told me he thought he saw the muscle flicker. I didn't see anything but I decided it was a positve thing that he thought the muscle was beginning to return. Well this morning at PT, I saw it! Usually when he tells me to tighten my muscle, I cannot see (or feel) a thing, but this morning I both felt it and saw it. Even better, my left leg bent (with a lot of PAINFUL help from Dutch) 95 degrees. This may not sound like much, but trust me, it is a HUGE improvement. I try very hard at PT to just grin and bear it but during this morning's bending, I was begging him to stop, of course he didn't and I survived. I am definitely making improvement and feel that I am getting stronger every day. I have no doubt that Dutch will have me running in time for my two June races. More importantly, he will have me ready for the half-marathon and full marathons that I am signed up for in October and January (Garrett thinks I am completely nuts!). Everyone needs a stress reliever, and running is mine. It is the one time that I get to be completely selfish and enjoy myself and my thoughts, so I refuse to give it up!

Aside from all of that excitement, we are really looking forward to leaving for vacation on Friday. We cannot wait to spend a week relaxing on the hot, sandy beach! We promise to post pictures of our "fun in the sun" when we return.

Spring Forward

Well here I go again . . . It is finally starting to feel like Spring here in Massachusetts. Last week we even had temperatures in the low 70's and it was AWESOME. Today it is sunny and clear, a little cooler than I would like but I refuse to complain. At least it isn't snowing anymore. Garrett is outside working on our yard right now. We are hoping to get a jump start on the lawn this year.


Well despite my best intentions, it looks as though I will not be running for some time. I had some minor complications with the knee surgery that caused most of the major muscles in my leg to shut down. It is frustrating because I spend so much time building up my muscles and they disappear practically overnight. At this point, I do not have enough muscle strength to even straighten my leg completely. Fortunately, I am now going to physical therapy a couple hours a day, three times a week. I have gone for three sessions and already I feel that there is improvement. I found a great place right near my work so it is very convenient. I also feel that I am in excellent hands with Kennedy Brothers. Not only does half of my law firm go there, but they also train athletes for the Boston Marathon and are the official therapists for the UAE soccer team. My therapist "Dutch" assures me that as long as I follow all of his instructions, I will be running again in 6 weeks and will be ready for another half marathon by the Fall. The therapy is brutal but I love it because I feel that I am recovering (albeit slowly . . .). I am signed up for two races in June so I am hoping to have no problems by then. Until then, I will work hard in therapy and try to walk without a limp - I think I look pretty silly right now, but I'm getting better :) I'll continue to keep you posted.

Not much other new stuff to report right now. We are just counting down the days until our vacation . . .

Hopefully, you too are enjoying Spring weather!

Happy Spring

Well here I go . . . this is my first posting on a blog. We decided it was time to create a new website where we could share our latest news and photos with friends and family.

Life has been very good to us lately. Since returning from Iraq in January, Garrett has been readjusting to life in Massachusetts. It is wonderful having him home and we truly appreciate everyone's support during the time he was deployed. We hope that you will continue to keep all of our military personnel in your thoughts and prayers.

Shortly after Garrett's return, his parents and brother came out to visit and celebrate Christmas with us. It was a great time and there is certainly something to be said for spreading Christmas celebrations over a three-month period - opening presents never seems to get old!

Over President's Weekend, we took a much needed romantic weekend getaway to Vermont. We stayed at the Thatcher Brook Inn, a very cozy and romantic bed and breakfast located between Stowe and Waterbury. It was so relaxing to sit by the fire and just enjoy being together.

Check out our one-horse open sleigh ride.

Our horse Jumpkin was very playful! We had a fabulous time and have decided we will definitely to go back before we leave the East Coast. From snow to sun . . . we leave for our sunny vacation to St. Lucia on April 14th and can hardly wait. Admittedly, we have had a relatively mild winter but we are still looking forward to escaping the cold and relaxing on a hot, sandy beach.

Other than spending time together, we are spending a lot of time working. Garrett is still working as the military liaison to Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, CT. It keeps him busy but he finds the work to be challenging and fulfilling. I am now an associate at Bingham McCutchen in Boston, MA. So far, my practice focuses mostly on securities defense. Although I never dreamed I would enjoy this, I didn't even know what securities were a couple of months ago, I find that I really like this type of law - who knew! I'm still not sure if this is something I want to do long term but for now, I am having fun and learning so much.

We are also gearing back up for racing season. I use the term "racing" very loosely since we do not run very fast but we always have a good time. We ran our first race of the season on March 12th, a five mile race through Boston. It was a very scenic route that took us through all of the major parts of the city. We had a lot of fun. Two days later, I had knee surgery to clean up some scar tissue from my last surgery in 1999. The recovery is slower than I would like but I am getting better each day and have every intention of being back on the racing scene by the end of April - I'll let you know how that goes . . .

Well this is all for now. Until next time . . .