The List...#13

#13.  Run a Half Marathon

(FYI...this is a little long!)

Running the Half has been a personal quest this year.  I don't pretend to be a runner, because I'm not one.  I don't pretend to enjoy it, because I don't.  So, why run the Chicago Half Marathon?  I guess it's one of those challenges that I gave to myself.  Something that would require me to step out of my comfort zone.  Something that would require me to harness all my inner strength and discipline (especially having to get out of bed early!).  Something that is bigger than me, and would throw me into a state of total trust and reliance on God for His strength.

Growing up, I was on the track team and ran sprints, typically the 100m, 200m, the 4x100 relay.  As I got older, I started running 5Ks.  Initially, I ran 5Ks because it was for a worthy cause (I only participate in ones that are fundraisers for a non-profit).  I told myself that 5Ks would be the longest race I'd ever run.  I don't have the endurance nor the stamina to run anything longer (or rather, I don't have the endurance or patience to want to train for anything longer!).  I also thought the long runs would be boring.

Anyway, I challenged myself this year to doing something significant, to check something off my bucket-list, and to make my 40th year stand out a little bit more in my story.  And if that something significant could somehow benefit others, then I should do it.  Last year, I had the honor and privilege to travel to Bolivia with 5 other members of my church (one of them being Jared!).  We spent time at a local church in El Alto called Bethesda, and participated in the children's program.  And, oh the children!  They captured my heart!  You can read all about my experience in Bolivia here.

We found out earlier this year that the children's program is in jeopardy because of lack of funding.  Their previous sponsors had decided to pull out.  So our church is stepping in, and has committed to help them by raising funds to keep the children's program going.  We committed to raising $5000 by November 1st.  Without the children's program at Bethesda, I can't even begin to articulate the dire consequences.  These children will be back on the streets, roaming around the most dangerous city in South America, and who will fight for them and their future? 

It's because of the gravity and sense of urgency of this situation that I decided not only to run the half marathon, but to also use my run to raise money to help keep the children's program going.  I don't know how much I will raise, or even come close to putting a dent in their financial needs.  But I know that I can't sit on the sidelines and not do anything about it!  So, I made a decision to sign up for the Half and began my training in June.  (I would be honored if you'd like to partner with me, and if you are considering a financial gift, please go here to donate.)

It hasn't been an easy few months of training.  There were many days that I wanted to quit.  But as I saw the financial support of people coming in, I knew that there was no turning back.  Darn it, I had accountability now!  I remember mornings when I would lay in bed and try to come up with excuses as to why I can't train.  Then the faces of the children of Bethesda would come to mind.  I just had to get my butt out of bed and do this for them.

At every run, I always start off by praying for these kids.  It helps me to keep focused on why I'm doing this.  I know most people run with music on.  But this is something that hadn't worked for me.  Maybe on the short runs, I can handle listening to music.  But those long runs...the ones that I thought were going to be so boring...I had to figure out how to get through them without going crazy.  So lately, I've been listening to messages online pretty much every day while my girls have nap time and down time in the afternoons.  I decided to download some messages on iTunes and listen to it while I ran.  And holy iTunes Batman, I loved it!  It made me feel like the run was shorter, and I was able to listen to messages that filled me, encouraged me, grew me.  Not to sound weird, but I didn't feel like I was running alone.  It was almost as if God was running right alongside with me, encouraging me, teaching me truths, and giving me the strength to keep going on.  Granted, it's really hard to run when you're all choked up by the message and trying not to cry.  It messes with your breathing!  But honestly, I wasn't really paying attention to where I was running because I was so focused on listening to the message (I would drive by my running route and would notice things that I didn't notice when I was running!). 

All this said, I am glad that I chose to run the Half.  Again, God in His infinite wisdom knew that while I chose to run to raise funds for the children's program in Bolivia, God chose to bless me at the same time during my training as I listened to His word being preached.   I know that I've grown closer to Him, and have a hunger for His word in a way that I haven't had in a very long time.  And all this is because of running.

Running has become Jared's passion, and I can see why.  His desire is to be able to grow spiritually through his running, and to run for God's glory.  While I may not run another half marathon (and I'm not intending to run the Full!), I can attribute running to helping me grow closer to God.  I won't admit to this when I'm up at 5:30am, but when I'm out there in the crisp cool morning, and it's just me and God, and I'm listening to His truths, something holy takes place.  It's as if I'm in a shroud of holiness and every stride I take is just a humming of my heart enjoying the presence of my Jesus.  And at the end of my training run, I feel full, alive, and anticipate my next run when I can listen to Him again.  I don't think it's the runner's high that people talk about, because I still dread the long runs.  But it is a spiritual high that is driving me.

I didn't intend for this to be so long, but I hope you can celebrate along with me because I completed the Half Marathon today! 

Here's my account of the day:
The atmosphere was amazing.  The energy was palpitating.  I couldn't believe how many people were there!  Even though I didn't get to see my family or friends before the race, I knew that they would be cheering me on at Mile 2, 5, 12, and 13.  So, I had those mile markers to look forward to.  The beginning of the race was a little chaotic.  I felt like we were a pack of sardines being squished and had to move together like lemmings.  It was difficult to find any personal space...as you can tell, I'm a novice runner.  However, it was so fun to see Jared and the kids and my in laws at Mile 2, with their big signs!

Once I hit Lake Shore Drive and was running north, my wonderful friends, Amy and Ruth, were there to cheer me on too!  Soon after that, I was really having a hard time maintaining my pace.  The winds were pretty strong, and was going against us.  And I wasn't used to the madness at every water station (no wonder people carry their own water).  When I hit Mile 10, my knees and ankles started to hurt.  I thought, oh no, how am I going to run 3 more miles with this pain?  Being the strong-willed person that I am, I did NOT want to start walking.  If anything, a medic would have to lay me on a stretcher to get me to stop running.  It was the last 3 miles that really challenged me and tested me.  My feet and legs were screaming in pain, and every part of my body wanted to stop running.  But then, I kept thinking about all the words of encouragement that people had given to me or wrote on my Facebook wall.  I had commented on Facebook that "(their) words will fuel me".  And indeed they did.  And when I saw Amy and Ruth again at Mile 12, Ruth held a sign she had made for me.  It said "When your feet hurt, run with your heart."  It was exactly what I needed to hear!  So, I picked up my pace during Mile 13 and literally sprinted the last 0.1 mile to the finishing line.  I wanted to finish under 2 hours and 30 minutes.  I did 2:20.  Praise God!

My beautiful friends, Ruth and Amy!

I learned so many lessons about perseverance today.  But the big take-aways are the importance of encouragement, of finding people who believe in you, who will stand by you, and will cheer you on even when you want to give up.  Even though I may never do another half marathon again, I've experienced tangible analogies of the importance of community, of being a cheerleader, of the power of belief...even if just one person believed in you, and the power of words.

I'm so thankful for my wonderful husband who never stopped believing in me, and "trained" me these past few months.  I'm so blessed with awesome friends who took time out of their day to cheer me on even if it meant only seeing me for a few seconds.  And I'm eternally grateful to the many friends and family who have blessed me with their words of encouragement.  Thank you all for helping me get through this and for helping me fulfill a crazy whim to complete a half marathon!

The List...#10, #11, #12

#10. Get a new bike

The last time I owned a bike was when I was at ISU.  I lived off-campus and thought it would be a great way to get around if I had a bike.  I had a small car too, but it just seemed silly to drive 2 minutes to campus and take 10 minutes to find a parking spot.

Anyway, I've always loved biking.  Joshua loves the story of how I learned to ride a bike.  I remember my dad taking me to the top of a small hill, and he, literally, pushed me down it.  Yep!  That's how I learned to ride.  I fell a lot, got lots of cuts and bruises, but hey, I learned how to ride my big girl bike!

Growing up, one of my favorite places to ride my bike was along the beach.   There was a bike path that hugged the coast, and it would go on for miles and miles.  I loved going fast...I loved feeling the wind on my face...I think I just loved the freedom and the escape from the mundaneness of life (I was pretty philosophical back when I was 7...haha!).  As an adult, it would be a dream come true to ride a bike through the English or Italian country sides.  The rolling hills and endless beauty are so appealing.  Biking, like running, can be very therapeutic.  As least for me, anyway.

So, having been bike-less for almost 14 years (I was in a hit-and-run accident at ISU which totally crumpled up my bike!  That's another story for another day...), I really wanted to get one this year.  I mean, the kids have their own bikes, a friend gave Jared a bike.  I was the only one without one.  So, I went to my favorite outdoor store, REI, and did some research and tested out some bikes (with short stubby legs, I was resigned to the kiddie bikes.  But there are custom bikes out there for women with shorter legs).  So, this Spring, I was beside myself to bring home a brand new Navaro Fiona!  We've just had a ton of fun biking together as a family this summer!  I'd love to take my family on the Prairie Path this Fall for more biking fun!

My new bike!

 

We typically ride our bikes after dinner time

 

#11. Do something I've never done before...go on a cruise!

Jared and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary this year.  We wanted to go somewhere memorable, do something that we've never done before.  We both have never been on a cruise.  So, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to do just that.  It seemed a romantic way to celebrate our anniversary!  So, we decided to go on a 6-day cruise to the Bahamas!

At Jacksonville airport, waiting for the bus to take us to the pier.

 

Our Carnival cruise-liner.  Holy cow, it's huge!

 

Walking around and checking out the ship.  I believe this is on the upper deck.

The inside of the ship...it's like a mini city!

Looking down from the upper deck into the "main" lobby area.

 

I was a little nervous at first, because I'm very prone to motion sickness.  The first day was rough.  I thought sitting outside on the balcony with some fresh air would make my stomach stop doing flip-flops.  But it was worse.  I just needed to go inside and lie down.  Day 2 and beyond, things got a lot better.  At times, I could feel the rocking of the ship, but it wasn't bad.  It was actually quite soothing as we took naps or went to bed. 

I was pleasantly surprised by our room.  I think it helps being small, because to everyone else, it may seem a little cramped.  But the fact that we had a king-sized bed in there, it was roomy enough for me!  We were able to order room service 24/7, and really, the food was great!  I think the sushi bar and the round-the-clock availability of ice-cream made the trip worth while! 

Our room with a king-sized bed!  And our window with a view!

 

Apart from the food, we loved the on-board entertainment.  The nightly staged shows were of professional quality, and we enjoyed the comedians (when their jokes were clean) and particularly enjoyed the trivia quizzes (we're such competitive people!). 

Me and my handsome husband during formal night before dinner.

The downside of the cruise was that there were a lot of teenagers.  The drinking age in the Bahamas is 18.  Need I say more?  Fortunately, Jared and I were able to find a pleasant spot on the upper decks to sit out in the sun, read, tan, sip cocktails, and enjoy some peace and tranquility!

My view on most days as I laid out in the sun!

 

Our first stop was to the private island of Half Moon Cay.  We had to take a ferry from the ship to the island (you can see the ferry on the right).  I love the crystal blue waters!

We really enjoyed our first cruise.  However, I think we'd take the all-inclusive resorts over the cruise any day!  It was a good experience though!

Having some cocktails at the Piano Bar on the last night of our cruise.

#12. Do something exotic...swim with the dolphins!

Again, on our cruise, I was able to check this next thing on my list off!  Everyone has a different definition of the word "exotic".  I guess I equate it to something that is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, or something that I wouldn't get to do very often.  Living in Australia, I did get to swim with the dolphins, but I never got close enough to touching them, let alone hugging one or dancing with one!  So, it was a no-brainer when an excursion on the cruise presented itself to us.  We signed up for our "Dolphin Encounter" in Nassau!  And by far, it was both Jared and my favorite thing about our cruise.  (and just an fyi...dolphins are my favorite animal/mammal!)

 

So happy!!

The List...#7, #8, #9

I know it's been a while since I last blogged about my 40 things to do list.  Just having too much fun this summer!  Well, now that summer is officially over since Joshua is back at school, I figured I need to pick up where I left off.  I've been checking off a few things on my "40 List".  Here are just a few...

#7.  Take a Zumba Class

And I did!  And I loved it!

I utilized a Groupon gift card which I got for my birthday to purchase a 10-visit pass.  Today was my first class, and I was greeted by the warmest people at the Health First Wellness Center in Schaumburg.  My Zumba instructor, Terri, was ah-mazing!  She's probably my mother's age, but she had the energy of my four-year-old!  And she rocked it!  The class was so much fun, and I can't wait for my next one!

#8. Own a pair of Tom's shoes

I feel like I'm the last person around who owns a pair of Tom's shoes.  But a cute red wedge caught my eye in Nordstrom on my way to work on a winter's day.  I'm not a shoe person by any means, but for some reason, I fell in love with this pair of wedges.  So, in January, I started saving for these shoes.  In May, I became the proud owner of a pair of Tom's shoes! 

(My Tom's!  Do you like how the Ninjago guys in the background are adoring it too?
 

 

#9.  Find the best recipe for ribs

 

I know it's only June, and the year is only half-way through.  But I've tried 4 ribs recipes so far, and I've narrowed it down to my favorite.  But before I reveal the recipe, I wanted to address my insatiable appetite for ribs.  I've always been a "give me meat or steak" kind of girl.  I attribute that to my dad's influence!  He used to work in the shipping business, where he would deal with the import/export of food to big shipping companies, like ocean-liners, fleets, etc.  So, my dad knows food!  Hence, his food snobbery rubbed off on me!  He knew what and where to get the choicest steaks, the best wine, the sort-after seafood.  

 

I don't remember when it was when I tried ribs for the first time.  I've had home-made Chinese pork ribs, but maybe it wasn't till I moved to the States that I tried ribs bathed in BBQ sauce.  And I was in heaven!  I think the best ribs I had was when I was in Louisiana.  It was a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant.  I remember we had to climb up a narrow set of staircase and were ushered to a rickety table and chairs.  But the ribs made up for it all!  I haven't been the same since!  I love the South!  And I have yet to find ribs of the same caliber in the Chicagoland area.  Hence, my quest this year...to find the best recipe (or something close enough!) so that I make it myself!

 

I know I don't like the dry rub ones, nor the ones that have hardly any meat on it.  I've had decent ribs at Wildfire Restaurant, but roll my eyes at other franchises that say they have the best ribs in town (I don't think so Chili's, Applebee's, and even Portillo's!).   My criteria for good-eatin' ribs are that they have to be fall-off-the-bone, juicy, sweet & spicy, and just finger-lickin' good!  The ones that require a bib and a boxful of napkins.  Tie-your-hair-back, take-jewelry-off-your fingers, roll-up-your-sleeves, and be-ready-to-get-messy kind of ribs!

 

After scouring websites, cookbooks, and some recipes from friends, I think I found one that's pretty close to what I tasted in Louisiana.  Thanks to my friend, Sam, here's the recipe.  It's simple, but so delicious!

 

 

BBQ Ribs (oven or grill)

Boil (90 mins)

Bake @ 425 (20 mins each side) or

Grill each side with BBQ sauce

- baby back ribs, quartered slabs

- boil, then simmer in stock pot w/onions, minced garlic, generous amounts of salt & pepper, or Lawry's seasoning. Any savory or mesquite spices will do.

- after boiling until meat is fork tender or easily pulled away from bone, transfer to baking pan or large dish

- generously slather on BBQ sauce of choice, bake curl side up first (20 mins), then flip,

  slather more BBQ sauce, finish baking other side (20 mins) or browned & glazed to liking

 

I made the ribs accompanied with an Asian Ramen Salad.  This picture doesn't do it justice!

The List...#5 & #6

#5.  Pride & Prejudice

I love Jane Austen.  I love Pride & Prejudice.  I love everything about the 19th century, particularly in England.  I love historical fiction. 

I majored in English in college (or as we say it, at the University!) back in Australia, with a concentration on early and late 19th Century literature.  From an early age, I had a love for reading.  I remember crawling into bed with a torch (or flashlight), and had to go under the covers to continue reading after it was past my bedtime.  It was without surprise that I had to wear glasses at the young age of 7, because of my constant escapades with reading in very poorly lit environments!  But reading was my form of escapism.  I dived right into the world of fiction and adventure.  My first favorite author was Enid Blyton who was an English children's writer, and she wrote the 22-book series called "The Famous Five".  It is similar to the American version of the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew.  I also read her entire collection of "The Secret Seven", and all the books of the "St. Claire's" series, which is about twin girls going off to boarding school in England.  As my love for reading grew, so did my love for writing.  I wanted to grow up to be a freelance journalist, possibly traveling the world and writing...my 2 great passions at that time.

When I was in secondary school (which is equivalent to junior high/high school), I was introduced to Jane Austen, and the wonderful world of Pride and Prejudice.  And there was no turning back after that!  I fell in love with everything Jane Austen!  I read and reread all her books.  While I enjoyed Sense and Sensibility, Emma, and Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice captured my heart, and it became my favorite book of all times. 

I loved the spunkiness of Elizabeth, and secretly wished that I could be more like her - smart, witty, confident, self-assured, not really caring what other people thought of her, stayed true to herself and her convictions, fought for what is right and stood up for herself (loved it when she stood up to Lady Catherine de Burgh!  or Catherine de bleh!...as I used to call her!).

I'm such an Austen nerd that I made it a point to visit Chawton in Hampshire when I was in England.  In 2005, I was visiting my sister who lived in London at that time, and made a day trip out to the English countryside!  I was giddy with excitement on the bus to Chawton, and Jared was a good sport to accompany me on my crazy quest to find the birthplace of my favorite author.  The bus took us to the small town of Chawton, and we literally had to walk across the grassy knolls to get to Jane Austen's house.  Of course I had to pretend that I was an Austen character and was living out the day-to-day routine of having to walk from place-to-place if a carriage was not available.  It took everything in me to not steal anything from the Austen household!  I was mesmerized and in awe of being there (I think Jared was probably wondering if there was a nearby pub that had ESPN).  After spending some time there, we took another bus which took us to Winchester Cathedral where she was buried.  I had to pay my respects to her.

It was an amazing day for this Jane Austen fan!

     

Jane Austen's house

Jane's writing desk!

Anyway, this year, as a tribute to the 200th Anniversary of Pride & Prejudice (as well as it being on my 40 List!), I wanted to reread the book and re-watch all the movies that have been made about the book.  Needless to say, it was an enjoyable feat!  So, if I haven't already bored you, here's my account of the movies that I own and have seen umpteenth times:

My Pride & Prejudice movie collection!

Pride & Prejudice - BBC version with Colin Firth:

By far my favorite!  This version stays truest to the story of P&P.  The fact that it's a 6-hour mini series gives it liberty to work the details of the story into the movie, unlike the Hollywood versions who try to cram everything into 90 minutes or so, which doesn't give the book justice at all!

Pride & Prejudice - Hollywood version with Keira Knightley:

It was okay, though I really like Matthew McFadyen as Mr. Darcy.  While the movie stayed true to the story, the writers/producers took a lot of liberty with the script.  They added their own interpretation of what Austen wrote.  I've never been a big fan of Keira Knightley, so I thought they could have cast someone better.  But casting Tom Hollander as Mr. Collins was brilliant.  He was awkward, funny, and highly entertaining!

Lost in Austen:

This is fun modern-day-meets-19th-century-world-of-Elizabeth-and-Darcy movie.  It's about a woman who loves Pride and Prejudice and everything about it, and she somehow finds a portal that transports her to the Bennett household.  She and Elizabeth Bennett actually trade places (yes, Lizzy comes to live in modern day England, while Amanda becomes a guest in the Bennett household).  But the story is more about Amanda meeting all the characters of Pride and Prejudice, and how she tries to prevent certain plots from occurring because that would just ruin the whole story, like forcing Mr. Bingley to NOT fall in love with her because he needs to fall in love with Jane to remain true to the story.  For Downton Abbey fans, Hugh Bonneville (Sir Grantham) is Mr. Bingley.  And by far, this version has the creepiest Mr. Collins EVER!  Eek...he literally makes my skin crawl!  Overall, this movie is different, but entertaining!

Bride & Prejudice:

Okay, true confession...watching this movie is one of my guilty pleasures!  It is the Bollywood version of Pride and Prejudice, and it is soooo fun to watch!  There's dancing and singing, and it is so colorful!  You have to overlook some of the cheesiness, but you'll definitely find this fun and entertaining!  The story is based in India, so just imagine the Bennett family as Indians, and the story does stay true to the plot.  I guarantee that you'll be smiling and singing along!  And Aishwarya Rai (who plays the Elizabeth character) is truly gorgeous!  Mr. Darcy (Martin Henderson) isn't too bad himself!

As I was looking on Amazon.com, I noticed that there is an older version of Pride and Prejudice starring Laurence Olivier and Ann Rutherford.  I will have to watch that soon!

If I haven't bored you yet, here's my fantasy cast of Pride and Prejudice:

Elizabeth Bennett - I'm still not sure...it's a huge role!  If Jennifer Gardner can pull off a British accent, maybe it could work.  But she's so sweet, unless she unleashes her Alias character!
Mr. Darcy - toss up between Matthew McFadyen (in the Hollywood version) or Hugh Jackman
Mr. Bingley - Eddie Redmayne (he played Marius from Les Mis)
Jane Bennett - Nicole Kidman or a blonde Jennifer Gardner
Mr. Bennett - Hugh Bonneville (from Downton Abbey)
Mrs. Bennett - Emma Thompson
Mr. Wickham - not sure...who's someone you'd love to hate?  Maybe Ryan Gosling?
Caroline Bingley - Mary from Downton Abbey (I forgot what her real name is)
Lady Catherine de Burgh - Maggie Smith (from Downton Abbey)

Mr. Collins - anyone weird and creepy, though I do like Tom Hollander from the Hollywood version, he's also in the Pirates of the Carribean), or Russell Crowe...haha!

 

And to show you what a freak I am, here are some of my Jane Austen/Pride & Prejudice collectables:

 

I bought this coffee mug and kitchen towel with the inscription of Mr. Darcy's profession of love to Elizabeth.

 

English Tea is my absolute favorite!

 

Books I bought when I was in Chawton.

Yes!  They even have a board book of P&P!  This is a counting book.  I believe the baby board book for Sense & Sensibility covers numbers and Emma covers shapes (or something like that!)

 

#6. Go to the movies by myself

I thought it would be weird, but it wasn't.  It was actually quite nice!  I mean, you don't talk to people during the movie anyway.  I actually walked out of there with a huge smile on my face...maybe because I finally did it, and the movie had a happy ending. 

I was on my personal retreat, and I thought it would be neat to go catch a movie by myself, just to break up the day.  I watched "Safe Haven", another movie based on a Nicholas Sparks book.  I didn't have any expectations, but it turned out to be pretty good.  I loved "The Notebook", and Jared liked "The Lucky One" (oops, I hope he doesn't kill me for disclosing this!).  I think "Safe Haven" is in between, but with a thriller twist. 

'Nuff said.  I did it!  And I'm proud of myself for doing it.  I may have to make this a regular thing!

The List...#4

#4.  Take a ballroom dance lesson

Yes, I am a closet dancer wannabe.  I confess...I love watching So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars.  Even my children know this about me.  When Joshua catches me watching something on t.v., he always asks, "Mom, are you watching your dancing show again?". 

So, I thought it appropriate that learning how to dance would be on my 40 List!  I believe that God thought so too!  Because interestingly enough, I met a new couple that started attending our church a few months ago.  As I was talking to the wife, she shared with me that she's a dance instructor.  My ears perked up and she had my full attention!  I immediately bombarded her with questions, until she gave me her card (either to shut me up or to entice me to lessons...I'm thinking both!).  But I believe this was a divine appointment!

Bringing this subject matter of dance lessons to Jared was no easy feat.  While I pride myself with having somewhat decent rhythm, my husband does not.  He enjoys grooving to his own beat and style, which never fails to provide me with amusement and entertainment.  But the thought of actually learning ballroom dancing, he felt fear and trepidation.  But I had to remind him that "it takes two to tango" (like my dancing analogy?!), and I wasn't prepared to dance with anyone else.  I'm not proud of this, but I did stoop pretty low and...um...begged...and pleaded.  It's on my list!  He can't refuse me, right?

And being the good sport that he is, he didn't.

So last Monday night, we went to the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in South Barrington for our first (and probably only) lesson.  We met our friend and dance instructor, Amy, and she spent the next hour showing us the basics of the rumba, foxtrot, waltz, and (I can't remember the exact name...it reminded me of swing).  Undoubtedly, I had a blast!  You'll have to ask Jared yourself what he really thought.  (Here's a quick shout out to Fred Astaire Dance Studio.  Ask for Amy Ross.  She's awesome!)

I don't think I'll ever be a professional dancer.  But I love to dance.  I don't pretend to dance well, but I do love to move to music.  I love the emotions that music evokes.  I love reminiscing of my younger days when I used to see my mother and uncle dance (they won a few dance competitions back in the day).  And today, I love seeing my girls dance and twirl to music, enjoying the moment of pure abandon as they move and sway.  In those moments, I move and sway along with them as I worship and praise my God for the gift of my girls, and for the gift of dance!

Jared and me before we left for our dance lesson.

 

Shall we dance?

 

Becca loves to dance!

Below is a short video of her and Jared dancing. 

She loves to grab his hand, and wants him to dance with her all the time! 

I think this is going to be "wedding day worthy" material!

 

(oops...there were issues with uploading)

 

 

 

The List...#3

#3.  Celebrate my birthday with a girls' weekend!

Okay, I know these first 3 things on my list are about my birthday.  But I really wanted to ring in my new decade with the people I love the most.  And every girl needs her posse of girlfriends.  I don't know where I'd be without mine!

So a year ago, I had a conversation with my good friend, Jolinda, about going to Cabo for my 40th birthday.  She was all on-board!  And I even have a friend who has a condo in Cabo, and she was willing to let me use it.  Unfortunately, as the time got closer, it didn't work out that we could go.  Boo!  Maybe another year...

Since I couldn't go to Mexico and enjoy the warm weather there, God blessed me with a gorgeous weekend in Chicago!  On Friday, January 11th, we checked into the Palmer House in downtown Chicago.  But first, we visited my friend, Amy, who just recently moved to the city.  Her apartment was AH-MAZING!  She was so kind to let us park our car in her parking garage, and this saved us a lot of money! 

After our tour of her beautiful apartment and apartment building, she graciously drove us to the Palmer House.  We were able to get an early check-in - another praise!  Our bedroom was divine, and definitely girly - yay!  We had our spa appointments later that afternoon, so we had time to go get some lunch.  Thanks to Amy's suggestion, we walked to Pizano's, which is a pizza place owned by the Malnati Family (as in Lou Malnati...yum!).  Can I just say that it was so nice to be able to order my own favorite kind of pizza!?  Rather than the usual just cheese, or wanting to order something different only to be met with whining and pouting!

The Palmer House

 

Our room!
 

My bed 

 

The elevator waiting area on our floor

 

Pizano's Pizza

 

After lunch, we walked back to the hotel and got ready for our afternoon of pampering at the spa!  If you read my previous blog post, you know that I already had an amazing spa day the Friday before in Lake Geneva.  So, I'm feeling extra special and super excited that I get to do it again!  I had a 50-minute massage, which almost put me to sleep, followed by a spa pedicure.  I know, who gets a pedicure in the winter time, right?  But I love it!  The last time I had a pedicure was when Becca was born, and it was at the hospital (here's my shout out to Good Shepherd...the most awesome place to have a baby...and yes, they give you a mani/pedi after you deliver, AND a prime rib dinner!).  After the pedicure, we were ushered in to the "relaxation room".  It was a room with comfy couches, tea/coffee station, magazines to read, a place to just hang out until your nails are done or when you're done relaxing...whichever comes first!

Jolinda and I getting our pedicures!

 

View from where I was sitting

 

My cute, painted toes!

 

We had a couple of hours after our spa before we had dinner.  We made reservations at Flat Top Grill.  I've never been there before, and it's kind of like Stir Crazy.  Again, we walked there (yeah, we're cheap...we didn't want to have to drive anywhere and have to pay for parking!).  We had a great time eating and talking.  Remember how I mentioned that God's gift to me was a great weekend in Chicago?  Keep in mind we're talking January.  It's usually bitterly cold or snowing.  After dinner that night, we were able to go for a walk!  It was a ridiculously gorgeous night out!  We walked to Macy's to look at the windows, we walked along State Street and looked at the lights.  And what do girls love to do the most?  (well, at least my girls do)  We love to get coffee and sit and chat for hours.  You'd think we'd be able to find a Starbucks in downtown Chicago, cos there's literally one at every corner.  But they weird thing is, all the Starbucks' were closed! 

Me and my BFFs, Jen & Jolinda, walking around State Street

 

Coffee in the lobby

(I have another picture that I wanted to post.  Both Jen and Jolinda were my bridesmaids, and I wanted to include a picture of the 3 of us 10 years ago at my wedding.  But, I can't find my wedding pictures!!)

So we headed back to the hotel and had our $6 coffee in the lobby.  I think we paid for the ambiance, which was great!  We ended our day in typical girl fashion - we watched a chick flick in bed...uh, just to clarify, we were in separate beds!

We slept in Saturday morning - hooray!  That's 2 Saturdays in a row!  We took a leisurely walk along Michigan Avenue, and were trying to find Hannah Bretzel's, a place that we'd been to when we went on the Chicago Chocolate Tour a couple of years ago.  But we couldn't find it, and ended up at The Water Tower Place.  We had our brunch there, and walked around for a little bit.

I love Chicago!

Near the Tribune Building

I wanted to go to the Disney Store, just for fun.  So, on our way back, that's what we did.  Didn't buy anything - I just like to pretend that I'm back at Disney!  Then, we walked back to the hotel and got ready for the next exciting event of the weekend - Afternoon Tea!!

My good friends, Ruth and Amy, joined us for tea (I was so bummed that my friend, Leslie, couldn't join us!).  Our server took us to the second floor and our table was right by the balcony, and we could look down into the lobby area.  It was pretty neat!  Again, the ambiance was great, and the food was delectable!  We were also able to witness two separate weddings that were taking place.  It was beautiful - one of the weddings was like out of the movies.  Gorgeous outfits, amazing traditions with lots of fanfare.

Amy, Jolinda, Ruth, and me

Our yummy Afternoon treats



The lobby of the Palmer House

The entrance to the ballroom

 

This was one of the weddings we saw...it was a Jewish man marrying an Indian woman.  Lovely procession and traditions!

We spent 2 hours talking and having "tea".  I have to say that this whole weekend, I just felt so blessed to be surrounded by women who know me, have been with me through the different stages of my life, and have been my constant encouragement and support through the years.  These women have known me even before I was married, before kids, and before the unfolding of God's plan in my life over the last 10 years or so.  Good and bad, they've stuck by me, prayed with me, cried with me, and lifted me with words of love, affirmation, and prayer.  They see me - the me without the façade; the me without any labels.  And as true friends always do...they love me, warts and all.

MY GIRLS!

To these amazing women, I'm eternally grateful for the role you've played in my life.  You are blessings from God, and you're my sisters, both this side of heaven and the next.  I love you all!

"A friend loves at all times." (Proverbs 17:17)