Rockin' the Half

[post slightly edited...forgot that Renee also got her medal!]

So I haven't posted a blog in ages.  I have buckets full of excuses for why I haven't posted: I'm busy with family, I'm busy at work, I'm busy volunteering, I've been traveling, etc.  But my top excuse is this: I've been busy running.  And running some more.  And still running more...

You see, I signed up last summer to run a HALF MARATHON.  13.1 miles, that's an insanely long distance to run! Why did I sign up to do this?  Because I'm an idiot.  And the peer pressure got to me.  But really, it was because I needed to achieve an un-reachable goal.  Why set the bar where you can reach it, eh? 

After running my first race in March 2012 (a 10K or 6.22 miles) in Hawaii, I didn't really have anything to run for or to reach for.  My "official" running buddy, Jennifer, and I have been running 5K races (or 3.1 miles) each month since March 2012 for "fun" (note the quotes...this is our joke.  Running is "fun.").  So we  decided that together we would train and run our first half marathon.  Apparently we're BOTH idiots!

My other pal, Renee, does ridiculous amounts of running in half marathons, triathlons (run, bike, and swim events), Ironman competitions, and all sorts of 5 to 10K races.  She's a haus.  She's also like a super crazy inspiration for me to keep this running thing up.  I love that like me, she's not one of those uber-fit women that you see in the magazines.  She's a normal girl that works full time, volunteers, and has a busy life with her hubby.  Just like me.  If she can do all of that, why couldn't I?

Last summer Renee convinced me (and also Jennifer) to come over to Phoenix and run in the PF Chang's "Rock and Roll Half Marathon" in January.  Renee went on and on about how much "fun" it would be...she'd done it 5 times previously and well, I thought, she'd survived it, so we could too.  She told us there would be tons of people (of all fitness levels), bands along the race course, and most importantly, BEER at the finish line.

So I signed up. Jennifer did too.  Then my co-worker, Rochelle, signed up.  While it wouldn't be Rochelle's first (she's also a haus; she runs up 14'ers for "fun" and crazy stuff like that in between all of her half marathon runs), she would be there to inspire us to run, run, run.

I paid my fee.  I made my hotel reservations.  And I trained.  I had a 29-week training program that started with "Run 1 mile" all the way to "Run 13.1 miles." 

I ran.  I ran.  I ran some more.  By the time New Year's hit, I was running about 25+ miles a week and could comfortably run for 3 straight hours.  Add to it that I had snazzy new [yellow] shoes, fun neon gear to wear, a loaded iPod with a slew of techno music, I pretty much had the running thing down.  I thought, "Whoa, I think I can actually do this!"

Fast-forward to January 2013: I hauled the boys out to Phoenix to share in the glory with me.  All through my training, I knew that I wanted to see Matt and Carter at the finish line.  They say running is 90% mental and they're right.  While training, I continuously envisioned seeing them at the end and hearing them tell me how proud they were of me. And, frankly, I wanted to brag to someone, anyone, that I did it.  Who better than family?!

But first, I had to actually run it on race day.  13.1 miles to go until I could see my boys and get my "attagirls."

Renee, Jennifer, and Rochelle met me at my starting corral (yes, they put you in corrals...how else can you contain 20,000 runners?!).  Jennifer missed our quick photo (because she started in a "faster" corral than I did), but here we are shivering in the 45 degree Tempe weather at our corral (Renee in pink on left, Rochelle in middle, and that's me in green):

Then Rochelle moved up to her "faster" corral to get ready to run.  Renee continued to psyche me up for the race.  She reminded me that bragging about it on Facebook is something that MUST be done, so here we are again (that's me on the left):

Then the count down started and I started running.  And kept running.  I got in the groove and ran past the 5K sign.  I kept running and passed the 10K sign.  Holy moly, I thought, I'd never run further than that in a competitive setting.  Before long, I saw the 15K sign.  Then I started to freak out because I knew there was still a 20K sign up ahead and I was TIRED.

I drank my gatorade.  I ate my energy chews.  I listened to the bands and sang along with my tunes.  I chuckled at the cheerleaders holding the "Worst parade ever!" and "Chuck Norris never ran a half marathon" signs.  And I kept running.

Before long, I checked my GPS watch and I was at mile 12.  I knew I wanted to finish strong and I promised myself I would run the entire last mile.  I owed that to myself and I had to get over that mental thing.  I soon passed the 20K sign and kept on going.  Before I knew it, I was at the finish line.  I could finally STOP running.

I did it.  Officially, it took me 2 hours, 46 minutes, and 5 seconds.  Not worthy of any records, by any means, but I did it.  I walked about 3/4 of a mile through the whole course (there was a steep hill along the back...good time to rest my legs) and I ran the rest.  I set my "goal" time for under 3 hours and I did it.

I soon found my boys in the family meeting area, I got my kisses and pats on the back, and I got my MEDAL.  My first one ever.  And dangit, I earned it!

Here, let me show you just how awesome it was to be finished with a HALF MARATHON and check out that fine piece of metal (that's Jennifer in the middle):

That's right, Rochelle got a medal (2:17 was her time!!), Jennifer got her medal (2:35!!), and I got mine.  We did it.  [Renee ALSO got her medal, but she came in about 15 minutes after Carter went nuts, so we didn't get her in our photo.]

And holy moly am I proud of myself.  I've told everyone about my half marathon and now I've put it in black and white. Now I'm going to write up my bucket list just so I can go check this half marathon thing off!

A few days of sore legs and wobbly knees, but call me crazy, but I just might do this again.  Please, please, someone stop me before I really do sign up...
~kerrie

PS Before I sign off, I want to say another THANK YOU to my pals Renee, Rochelle, and especially Jennifer for inspiring me to do this.  I hate you.

PPS Biggest THANK YOU actually goes to Matt, my darling husband, for standing by my side and supporting me through this.  You are by far the most Super Husband and Father Extraordinaire in my book and I can't even express just how much I love you.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me do something this idiotic!

Congratulations to DOCTOR Kristin!

This post is a little over due...  But better late than never!  Oh wait, that's what we say about our pal (and neighbor), Kristin!  It's ABOUT TIME she finished college!! :)  Only kidding, Kristin!  It is with great honor that we were able to share in the celebration of your graduation (from her chemical engineering studies, I might add...) from graduate school at UNM! 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

For fun, I thought I'd post a few of my favorite shots of you from our 2008 trip to Ireland!  Here's the lovely DOCTOR Kristin taking in the sites (and even a pic with DOCTOR Justin snuggling on a bench) - and trust me when I say that her smile is even bigger now that she's got that diploma in hand!

We couldn't be happier for you and congrats on finally finishing the big one!

Your pals,
Kerrie (and Matt and Carter)

Congratulations to Jenn and George!

This is just a short little post to finally say a big CONGRATULATIONS to one of my most favoritest SWE members on the planet....Jenn!

Although we were unable to attend the wedding (long story short, Carter, who was slated to be the ring bearer while I stood up alongside Jenn...well, he got sick and we couldn't make the road trip - per Dr. R's instructions), anyway, point is, Jenn and George got hitched and we're over the moon that these two crazy kids tied the knot!  Here's a shot from a year ago in Palm Springs...aren't they simply adorable?!

Jenn, George, here's to a happy, long, and wonderful marriage!  Wish we could have been there to share in the fun, but really, the fun's just beginning!!

Your pal,
Kerrie (and Matt)

Congratulations to Stephanie and Donnie!

It's a GIRL!

Congratulations to my SWE pal Stephanie and her husband Donnie. "Baby Dos" (that's two, for the non-Spanish speakers) arrived yesterday! Eleanor Frances weighed in at a healthy 9 lb, 6 oz and is as adorable as can be (photo swiped from Stephanie's FaceBook page - thanks Steph!):

Here's to a few restful nights caring for Eleanor and also big brother Donnie! Congratulations!
~kerrie

Congratulations Aplenty!

In lieu of posting a half dozen "congratulations" posts, I thought I'd cram everything right here into one post! Also because, well, I'm lazy!!!

I want to first and foremost start with a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my favorite little boy - as you know from my previous post, as of March 2, Carter is now THREE!
The big CONGRATULATIONS goes to him for being such a big boy and seamlessly moving into the "three's class" at school! He comes home every day with a big smile on his face and he's learning more and more every day! We love you Carter!!

Next up - babies! Over the last month, our friends have welcomed home their babes with open arms!

First, CONGRATULATIONS to our Oklahoma friends, Kaleb and Murphy, on their new addition to the family! After being on the adoption wait list for nearly 2 years, they finally brought home their son, Martin, in March! We couldn't be happier for them and I simply can't wait to come squeeze his cute little cheeks! It was a private adoption, so sorry, no photos at this time.

Next up, CONGRATULATIONS to our Albuquerque friends, Dan and Mary Beth, on their new addition to the family! Last week, little Sophia was born! The photo (stolen from Dan's FaceBook page - thanks Dan!) shows her sleeping happily with her head of ample black hair! AWWWWW!
And my last congrats goes out to Matt's brother, John, and his new wife, Stephanie! They were married in a beautiful ceremony on Saturday! I'll actually have a separate post detailing Carter's first experience as a ring bearer. But here's to John and Stephanie!
Ok, as a teaser, here's a shot of my HANDSOME boys at the hotel before we left for the church (yes, Carter's playing with the thermostat - always into something!):
Congratulations all around! I'll have a second congrats post coming soon, since my SWE pal Stephanie is currently at the hospital delivering her boy/girl! And we have more weddings coming up to share with you!

~Kerrie

Like, Totally Radical Girls Night Out!

So, like, I haven't written a blog in about a decade or two, so I figured I'd just go right back to where I left off... THE EIGHTIES!!

That's right, the girls and I spent an evening at the roller rink in our finest 80's attire (and hair...and legwarmers...and braces!). Here's a nice photo taken with Jennifer's camera (thanks for sharing these pics Jennifer!):
L-R: That's Jennifer, Liz, Alicia, me, Myja, Holly, Burma, Amelia, and Sarah and Beth in the bottom row.

We're, like, totally hot, huh?!

We then took a second picture and ended up with three little kids in the shot:
You know, like, whatever works, huh?

Hoping to get caught up soon, because, OMG do I have a lot to share!
~kerrie

Congratulations to Mandy and Jamie

Just a quick little post for our good pals, Mandy and Jamie back in Kansas!

Starting with a big....
Their adoption of Leland Allen was finalized on December 30th! Can't wait to meet him and let Carter and Leland run wild (and no doubt talk, talk, talk about trucks and cars and things that go!)!

To send our warm welcome, Carter picked out a garbage truck (from Toy Story 3) and some other Toy Story toys for Leland and we shipped it off as soon as we got the news. Here's a shot of Leland playing with his new toys:
With that, a big, heartfelt congratulations from the Greenies to Mandy and Jamie! Here's to a new, fun life living with a little boy! Enjoy the ride, it's a wild one!
~kerrie (& matt & carter)

PS Thanks to Mandy for sending me the photo via text messaging!

Congratulations to Wes and Laurie!

Just a short little post to say CONGRATULATIONS to one of our most favorite Oklahoma pals, Wes, and his lass, Laurie!

Wes popped the question during the holiday season (what a GREAT Christmas gift, eh?)...

[and she said YES!]

Here's wishing them both the very, very best! And the Greenies are already counting the minutes until the wedding!
~kerrie

Decorating Sugar Skulls

[Before I forget, I can't take ANY credit for the photos in this post. All were taken by Sarah. So thanks, Sarah, for letting me swipe these!]

Just a few days before Halloween, Carter and I attended Sarah and Matthew's Sugar Skulls Decorating Party! Just WHAT is a sugar skull, you ask? Well, it's a little molded skull that's made out of sugar. Sarah makes them in honor of The Day of the Dead (which is actually tomorrow, November 2) and has a whole host of pals, co-workers, family, etc. over to paint them up! This is the third year she's invited me and I finally made it over (sans Matt; he had to work).

Prior to the party, Sarah asked for some marigolds (a traditional Day of the Dead flower) so Carter helped me cut these from our garden:
And here's a shot of the flowers all vase'd up and some "naked" sugar skulls just waiting for their artist:
Most people were using paint right out of the bottle and some beads, glue, and such. Carter didn't quite get it and kept asking Sarah for a paint brush (he was VERY insistent on needing a paint brush - thanks for obliging, Sarah!). Here we are decorating his skull (I applied the paint, he smeared it around):
And before I get too far, here's a shot of Sarah and her mommy (two of my favorite people):
I didn't get any photos of Carter's finished product, but you can see if off to the side in this next picture (still on the plate, awaiting the two tons of paint to dry):
And finally, a few shots of the finished skulls from Sarah's party (I'm guessing she took these toward the end of the night - and click to make them larger; you WILL be impressed!):
(And mine is the very bottom right one - the "double rainbow" - done one-handed while Carter was paint-brushing up a storm on his skull...) I suppose I will display them proudly on a shelf somewhere [in the closet...]!

Thanks for the fun Sarah (and Matthew!)! Next year, I hope to bring Matt and he can show me/us how it's done!
~kerrie

A Pumpkin Carving Party!

[Ah yes, over the next few weeks as I attempt to update the blog, it's going to be all sorts of out of chronological order... I suppose you should just enjoy the randomness, ok?]

Since the Greenies bumped the annual Halloween Party back a week (or is it up a week? Whatever, ours was on the 22nd; this one was on the 29th), we were actually able to get out and about to some other spooky festivities! We got in costume (Carter too!) for Lauren and Matt's Pumpkin Carving Party on the Saturday before Halloween. I must say that Lauren and Matt have a GORGEOUS (and huge!) home near the Sandia Mountains and I'm super jealous of all of their cool Halloween decor - they even had a life-sized dude that takes his own head off - wow! We should totally join forces for our Halloween parties (or they could just GIVE me their cool decor, eh?)!

Anywho, I'm not real big on carving pumpkins (WAY too much work), so Lauren had all the gear out for painting pumpkins (ain't she sweet!?). We happily obliged and went to town painting up our pumpkins. Here's Matt's:

And mine:
And then we tried for a few family shots as Popeye, Olive Oyl, and Swee' Pea - Take 1 (Carter won't wear the hat):
Take 2 (Carter's playing with a pumpkin gut scooper thingy):
Take 3 (Matt's closed his eyes):
Take 4 (I give up...):
[Yes, expect to see one of these, or part of one, as a Christmas card photo...]

Hope you had a great Halloween too! Thanks again to Lauren and Matt for the fun!
~kerrie

Greenfelder Halloween Christmas Party

[post edited, 10/26/11 - found a picture of Leesa on Matt's phone!]

Welcome folks to the "Greenfelder Halloween Christmas Party!"....uh what? That's right, as I stood up at 9PM to welcome our friends, co-workers, and neighbors, I actually said that :) I think I have my holidays confused! What I MEANT to say was "Welcome to the Greenfelder Halloween COSTUME Party!" (maybe next year I'll have one less pumpkin beer before the start of the costume contest at 9PM...)

Matt and I had a super fun time and I just know my fair readers will want to read all about it here in the Greenie Times! So let's get started with...

...some CAKE! Each year I make the infamous Kitty Litter Cake - and the secret is safe with me as to whether or not I use a clean litter pan each year :)
[and you can click on any photo here to make it bigger]

Besides all of the eating, drinking, and socializing, the really fun part of the party is checking out everyone's costumes! This year was no exception: THE COSTUMES WERE GREAT! Thanks to all that put so much hard work into their attire for everyone's enjoyment!

So let's move straight on to the fun! Our top-prize winner this year, Erik and Christi as Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head:
Complete with "kissy lips"...
I can only assume those were a tad warm to wear, so after the photos our fellow potatoes (minus their peoples) took a break in the living room:Our second-place prize goes to Gen and Phil, or Little Bo Peep and his, er, her sheep:
And this was Gen's first time in attendance and I can't believe she got her new husband to wear a dress and tights. Ha!

Our third-place prize goes to Brett (a repeat winner at our house!) for his Lego Man costume:
Congrats to all of our winners! You'll see it was a tough choice this year because ALL of the costumes were great - see for yourself below!

Up next is Matt and Lauren, our zombie and killer from Resident Evil (nice use of the butt of the gun, Lauren!):
Racquel and her tiny skeleton baby (it's a girl!):
Adam as the Grim Reaper:
Jennifer the Bat Girl:
Robin on her way to The Hop (awwww!):
Ben and Kat as the Ghost Buster and Fry (from Futurama - click the link; SO authentic! - Kat made The Brain Slug that sits atop his head - cool!):
Brian as the Wolf Man (with two takes on the costume!):
Fran as the Queen of Denial (no, not The Nile):
Tyson and Geetha - the THUNDERCATS!!! (they got my vote - WAY awesome costumes! Way to bring back the 80's!):
Heidi the Guitar Gal:
Dustin from A Clockwork Orange (again, so authentic!):
Liz and Jeremy - they got up early to "make the donuts":
Jeff and Katherine as The Little Bees (again, wow, so authentic! They even carried around a little photo album with the newest Bee, who's name I can't remember - but click the link to see for yourself!):
Chad and Burma as Jesus and his Angel:
Matthew and Sarah, the resident Hobbits (check out those curls on Sarah - and those feet! Gah!):
Kevin and Natalie, our Prom Guests (nice sleeves, Natalie!):
Nalin, the cutest Owl to ever attend the Greenfelder party!
Rochelle the Raccoon, she was digging in the trash all night...
Danita the Deviled Egg (punny!):
And a fun shot of Jesus and the Devil (how could we resist?!):
Leesa and Greg (the Hamburglar and Chicken Cordon Bleu):
Justin and Kristin, Westley and Princess Buttercup (from The Princess Bride - again, spot on with those costumes!):
Our only costumed group - the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (L-R: Amelia, Shawn, Eric, and Beth) - love it! Can you sing the theme song, too? Because I haven't stopped since Saturday night...
And finally, Matt and I as Popeye and Olive Oyl:
I'd say the party was a smashing success and I'm so glad that we have so many friends to share the Halloween fun with! I'll end with a few silly shots from around the party. Beth taking out Justin with her sword:
Shawn acting all goofy:
Jeremy, clearly he got up too early:
Greg having fun:
Fran, still in denial:
My SWE friends:
And a group shot of my co-workers (minus Robin, she left before I remembered to take this photo):
And finally, my favorite pic from the group - Jesus and all of his fine creatures: As Beth said, everyone remembers the Bible story of Jesus and his bees, fighting turtles, sheep, owl, and wolf, right? :)

I hope that you and yours have a very Happy Halloween! Thanks for sharing in the fun with the Greenies!
~kerrie