"You can kid the world, but not your sister."

25th Birthday! -Amy

2012-01-28T17:35:00.003-06:00

Hello blogworld!

My 25th birthday was on January 22, and the entire weekend was an absolute blast. I was reminded of how many amazing people I have accumulated in my life over the years. Here is how I spent the weekend:

Friday, January 20

I spent the work day getting endless birthday wishes from 22 of the coolest 4th graders I will ever know. I also shamelessly guilted them into following every one of my directions by starting each sentence with, "Do you know what I really want for my birthday..." Classic. Also, we got TONS of snow in Chicago that day (wouldn't be my birthday without a snowstorm) so I trekked it home to a dinner out at El Mariachi with my main man. Then, we headed over to his brother, Ryan's, apartment to hang out with him and his girlfriend, Niki.

Saturday, January 21
I slept in and then headed to the southside for a professional development session that I was leading for Teach for America. I got my best reviews thus far from the people in my session, so I would say it was a success! My BFF from college, Meredith, drove into town from Indy for my birthday. She is SUCH a good friend. That night, Roger and I put together a package at one of our favorite bars, Duffy's, where 25-30 of my best friends came out to celebrate. It was really awesome because I had friends from all phases of life- elementary school, high school, college, work friends, amazing. It was truly one of my favorite nights ever.

Sunday, January 22
The official big birthday! After all the celebrating we already did over the weekend it's amazing to say that I had even MORE fun on my actual birthday. Due to rising temperatures the snow from the storm melted just in time for my parents and grandparents to drive up from La Porte for brunch. My lovely sisters, bros-in-law (Kevin and Ryan), and Niki met us there too. All in all we had 13 people at Hearty Boys, which has very quickly become my favorite restaurant in the city. Their food is AMAZING (they call it, "comfort revisted"), the atmosphere is cozy and energetic, and their food is amazing. Wait, did I already say that? I don't care because it is AMAZING. After the deliciousness that was brunch, my family hung out for awhile at the apartment then headed home, but not before I opened adorable earrings, delicious chocolate, and the coziest Siesta Key sweatshirt EVER from all of them. Also, I got a gift card from Brady and Kevin to use at Siesta Key Oyster Bar when I head down to FL in the spring!
That night, Roger and I went out for a FANTASTIC dinner at Angelina Ristorante. Also some of the best pasta I've ever eaten! Needless to say I ate VERY well during the weekend of my birthday. We came home and watched Mr. Popper's Penguins with Jim Carrey for some cheap laughs- a definite success.

All in all, it was one of the best birthdays I've ever had. I was constantly surrounded by my most favorite people in the world, and that's all I could ever ask for. Thank you SO much to everyone who celebrated with me, sent me birthday wishes, or was thinking of me. I am one VERY lucky girl! Can't wait to have a fantastic 25th year!

P.S. I LOVE Brady's post below. So nice! Thanks, Brady!

Eight Things We Like About Amy! - Brady

2012-01-26T08:12:00.011-06:00

I was feeling some big sister guilt after the last post. I suddenly remembered that I wrote a long post about all of my favorite memories of Kelly from her 26th year. Can't be treating one sister differently from the other, can I?

So here, in pictures, are eight of my favorite things about the now 25-year-old Amy.

1) She loves tropical places as much as I do.

2) She found me a cute brother in law who, I've recently noticed, is an exceptionally good hugger.

3) She's an excellent friend. We once decided that if she were in a house at Hogwarts it might be Hufflepuff because she's so loyal. (Seriously, you don't want to mess with any of Amy's "people.")

4) She was a weird baby/little kid. I have a lifetime of good stories saved up.

5) She's going to run the Chicago Marathon this year. What??? Yes!!!

6) She's a pretty okay cousin, granddaughter, aunt, daughter, baby sitter, sister, whatever. She's usually kind of nice to people.

7) She can bust a move.

8) She's one of the best teachers I've ever seen in action. (I chose this picture because I couldn't find any of Amy's kids or classroom. And, really, doesn't this photo accurately represent what a teacher's day feels like? Feet up, total relaxation, not a care in the world?)

I could go on and on, writing and stealing Facebook photos from Ms. Amy all day. But I'll end here and say one last happy, happy birthday to my favorite 25-year-old.

Amy's 25th - Brady

2012-01-26T08:00:00.005-06:00

A big old group of family and friends gathered for brunch at The Hearty Boys in our neighborhood to celebrate Amy's 25th birthday! I managed to grab a couple of pictures from the celebration...

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The birthday girl herself, looking cute.

A little something special for Amy, which she generously shared with the rest of us. I think it was like cheesy, sweet French Toast with a chocolate covered banana on top. I'm not doing it justice - it was delicious.

My "Tang Cube Mimosa" - champagne that I dropped Tang cubes (like sugar cubes but made of, yes, Tang) into. So fun.

Just a cute picture I took of Kevin.

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The Hearty Boys is a pretty amazing brunch places, and I think the Amester had a great time on her birthday. As far as I could tell, she got a bunch of stuff to prep her for her upcoming Florida trip.

Happy birthday, birthday girl! I'm sure your 25th year will be stellar.

Snow Storm - Brady

2012-01-21T12:10:00.007-06:00

Hey - remember last year when all of this happened?

A CTA bus stranded on Lake Shore Drive.

(Click here for the Chicago Tribune slideshow that includes this photo.)

Abandoned vehicles on Lake Shore Drive.

(Click here for the Chicago Tribune slideshow that includes this photo.)

A woman skis down Michigan Avenue.

(Click here for photo.)

It wasn't nearly as bad, but we had quite the little snowstorm here last night! I got home around 2:15 p.m. after a commute that took me twice as long as it normally would. I finally heard Kevin's keys in the door around 6:30 or 7, and then we settled in for dinner and a movie. This morning when I woke up it was still snowing, although it's stopped now. Judging by my view of our porch, I bet we got about 7 or 8 inches.

Snow storms are pretty fun when you're safe and your power stays on.

I'm here! -Amy

2012-01-17T21:36:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to let my sisters and the blog world know that I haven't forgotten about you! I will be back soon with a longer post updating everyone on what I've been up to.

P.S. The only think I am up to right now is missing Siesta Key like mad. My favorite place in the world!

Siesta Key - Brady

2012-01-16T13:35:00.006-06:00

My sisters and I, with a lot of help from my dad, took my mom to Siesta Key as a birthday gift. This little island is one of my favorite places in the world. Here are some of my favorite photos from the trip.

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First afternoon by the pool...naptime.

So happy to be in Florida.

Getting a little work done.

Sunset and snacks!

Fun at the Old Salty Dog.

Second morning. Got this text from Northwestern. Suckers.

Best bed ever.

Sunrise from the Murphy bed.

Wine on the beach.

Yours truly.

Sisters.

Sunshine.

More pretty sunsets.

And our last night - at SKOB with a sassy waitress.

Holiday Wrap-Up - Brady

2012-01-04T18:41:00.007-06:00

I had one of the best, maybe the best, holiday seasons I can remember.

Christmas was spent in Indiana with my lovely family who waited on me hand and foot while I nursed my broken ankle. And we celebrated New Year's in New Orleans - a city I'm just a little obsessed with.

Here are my top 5 favorite Christmas pictures and top 5 favorite New Year's pictures.

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Christmas:

I know this photo isn't great, but I like how it captures the mood and activity at my grandparents' house on Christmas Eve - all the lights, the fire, the people clustered around the coffee table.

Kelly, me, and Lucinda Bassett. Lucy and I are kind of making the same face in this photo.

My grandparents' house from the outside. Don't you just want to be in there?

My grandparents' tree.

Christmas night in Fort Wayne - Kevin's parents' dog Sadie fast asleep in front of the fire.

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New Year's:

Breakfast on the balcony our first morning. (Our first night was spent drinking Abita on the balcony. It may have become something of a theme.)

The window that opened from the floor out to our favorite spot. The weather was nice enough that we left this up whenever we were home. This Midwesterner loves her some open air.

Gorgeous weather, gorgeous city.

My New Year's Eve. Best of my life. We ate dinner at Cafe Amelie - delicious and so pretty with all the doors wide open and Christmas lights all over the patio. Then we stopped for a drink on Bourbon Street and chatted with all the crazies (plus a very sweet drunk nurse in a sparkly pink dress who told me she was around if I needed anything). Then the four of us headed home to watch fireworks from the balcony, drink some champagne, and listen to the best version of Auld Lang Syne I've ever heard - courtesy of NOLA public radio.

Lesley and I fell asleep on the balcony and the boys headed back to the French Quarter. They didn't make it home until 4 a.m., and I'm pretty sure we didn't get them out of the house until 4 p.m. I love this last picture because it was such a happy moment for me. I'd had a great night. New Year's Day is one of my favorite holidays. We were out and about, despite my ankle. I had a lovely iced coffee with cream. And we got to people watch in yet another weirdo New Orleans neighborhood.

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I just want to say publicly how grateful I am to Kevin, Lesley, and Paul for helping me get around the city and encouraging me to get out and about despite the difficulty. They were superstars, and the trip would have been a total drag (or impossible, really) without them.

2011 in a Four Words - Kelly

2011-12-29T21:27:00.005-06:00

Friends

Family

Training

Travel

It's been a good year. Here's to an even better one in 2012!!

Broken Ankle - Brady

2011-12-18T09:33:00.006-06:00

Well, I broke my ankle. I've been meaning to update this blog but I was too bummed to write about it. The short version of the story is that last weekend Kevin and I went up to this little town in Wisconsin - New Glarus - because they have a cool brewery and a downtown decorated like Switzerland. At the end of the day we were walking home from getting ice cream, and I did that thing where you kick your foot up to the hit the person next to you in the rear end...know what I mean? I think I may have used the wrong leg. Or I was just clumsy. And I fell and twisted and broke it.

I've basically been moping around for a week. It hurts. I can't walk. I've had to finish all my Christmas shopping online. I'm not sure how I'm going to go New Orleans for New Year's Eve like we planned. I won't be able to run until late winter. I might have to do physical therapy.

But, the bright side is that (1) It could be way worse. I could've needed surgery or hurt the ligaments or joints around the break. The emergency room doctor said that he doesn't expect I'll have any long-term problems because of this. In the grand scheme of illnesses and injuries, this one is pretty small potatoes. And (2), more importantly, you're never more aware of how wonderful your family and friends as when something like this happens. Kevin has been phenomenal. He thinks of every single little thing I could possibly need and makes sure it's laid out for me before he goes to work every morning. He's been running all my errands, listens to me whine about pain and how stupid this whole thing is. He literally wakes up with me every single time I move my leg around at night. He's dealt with the logistics of taking me out to dinner and to a movie, just to get me out of the house. And my sisters have been fantastic. Amy brought me a Starbucks peppermint mocha, made me smoked gouda mac & cheese, and watched a movie with me the other night. Kelly's coming over to bake cookies and keep me company today. My dad has offered to swoop in and bring me to La Porte for a day or two if I get too bored in Chicago. My mom and grandparents and friends have all called to check up on me. My in-laws brought me the most beautiful care package with my favorite chocolates from Fort Wayne, a comfy sweatsuit to hang around in, reading material, and all kinds of other goodies.

So that's what I've been up to. And will be up to for the next five weeks. I know most of the people who read this are friends and family - so thanks so much to all of you for your thoughtfulness. :)

Birthday Fun - Kelly

2011-12-11T20:11:00.003-06:00

Last Thursday I turned 27 and have to say- it was quite the birthday! It was a pretty regular work day for me but ended up being filled with some fun surprises (like a bright purple cake from my coworkers, multiple voice messages with people- including Amy's 4th graders- singing me happy birthday). I made it to a yoga class with one of my favorite instructors then met the fam out for dinner at Chilam Balam, a pretty amazing little Mexican small plates restaurant in our neighborhood.

with my sisters :)

the gentlemen

it's not a birthday without a little tequila!!

partying down

Friday night I met friends at a neighborhood bar, Sheffield's, for drinks then spent last night a club for people WAY cooler than me celebrating a joint birthday with another friend. It was honestly a fantastic few days- thanks to everyone who made it so fabulous!

Happy Birthday to Kelly! - Brady

2011-12-08T09:23:00.009-06:00

The three of us say all the time how lucky we are that we live not only in the same city, but in the same neighborhood. We don't forget it or take it for granted.

I have had the best year with Kelly.

From visiting her cozy little coachhouse...

to being tackled by her monster dog...

to attending the adorable parties she hosts...

to meeting her at the corner of Belmont & Broadway for 5 a.m. marathon training sessions...

to driving eight hours up to Duluth to run the race (and driving what felt like a longer eight hours back with sore, sore legs)...

to planning other, less running-oriented trips together...

to laying out on the Siesta Key beach and walking to the Village...

to organizing our parents' anniversary trip to Michigan...

to calling her to ask if I could spend the night at her place when I was upset over a stolen wallet (and knowing she'd say yes)...

to debating education policy over red wine...

to always going to her for hair and clothes and home decor advice...

to meeting for beers at neighborhood bars...

to looking forward to her ridiculous stories the next morning when, once in a blue moon, she has one of her epic nights out...

to letting her introduce me to hot yoga...

to accompanying her on impromptu Target trips...

to hosting an educator party/networking event together...

to counting on her to help us with Veggie Thanksgiving leftovers, especially the dessert...

to being blog buddies...

to, now, celebrating her 27th year! (Whoa!)

Happy birthday Kelly Jones! You are a fabulous human being.

Christmas at the Jones-Rasps' - Brady

2011-12-02T10:08:00.002-06:00

It's officially Christmastime at our apartment!

Merry Christmas to Me!

2011-12-01T08:16:00.005-06:00

Guess what I found waiting in our apartment when Kevin and I returned from our Thanksgiving trip to Indiana?

This beauty!

He bought me a keyboard! He says it's an early Christmas present to both of us, but then he also told me this morning that we should still buy each other "something small" for the holidays. So I think maybe he was just being sweet.

I'm really excited - almost giddy. I took piano lessons for 10 years as a kid, but since I started college haven't played more than sporadically. Kevin has been saying for awhile now that he wanted to get a piano for our apartment, but I was worried about dragging one up the stairs and in our door, maintaining it, and bothering our neighbor downstairs. This is a perfect compromise. It's light and obviously doesn't need tuning. And, although it sounds a lot like a real piano, it won't resonate through the floor, and we can turn the volume way down or even plug in headphones.

Last night he brought me home a book of sheet music, and I immediately turned off the album I was listening to (A Very She & Him Christmas, which I'm really enjoying!) and sat down to play. It actually came back quickly, although I don't think the songs in the book are particularly hard. Kevin said he was impressed with how well I could sight-read, to which I reply, in a whisper...that's because I had to learn how to sight-read really well as I never practiced as much as I should've before my weekly piano lesson! I hated disappointing Mrs. DeMarco.

And there's one last thing that I really loved. We were heading out the door last night to pick out a Christmas tree (photos to come!), and Kevin was still fiddling around getting ready. I automatically gravitated toward the keyboard to play a song. That's exactly what I used to do as a kid - when I was waiting for my sisters to be ready or my friends (or boyfriends) to come and pick me up, I'd just sit and play until it was time to go. I slipped right back into the habit.

Marathon Round 2 - Kelly

2011-11-27T22:19:00.000-06:00

So this post might be a bit premature, but Amy and I have decided to run the Chicago Marathon next fall. We won't really need to start training until the late spring but both of us are going to spend the winter getting ourselves into gear so the start of training is fairly easy.

How lucky am I to have sisters crazy enough to train for races with me right in Chicago??

Things I've Loved This (Long) Weekend

2011-11-25T17:33:00.006-06:00

(And it's only Friday!)

- Stopping by a new chocolate shop in La Porte, where my grandpa is apparently a regular, and picking out some sweets

- Finding 4 belts for me plus a Christmas gift (for certain readers of this blog) at a thrift store

- A gray, chilly run with Kevin through the trails around Stone Lake

- Thanksgiving dinners 1 (at my grandparents') and 2 (at my in-laws'), of course

- A glass of my father-in-law's fancy Scotch

- Watching a movie (Crazy, Stupid Love) with Kevin, Lesley, and Paul until late last night

- Sleeping in until 10 a.m. this morning

- Sitting around in my pajamas and then taking as long as I wanted to shower and get ready today

- A dark, dark purple pedicure, courtesy of my mother-in-law

- An afternoon of work and blog reading, blog reading and work

New Blog Layout - Brady

2011-11-23T18:17:00.001-06:00

I was just messing around tonight and decided to try a new blog layout. I didn't ask my sisters, so hopefully they like it.

If you have any trouble with it, let me know!

Adventures with Friends -Kelly

2011-11-23T17:05:00.003-06:00

One of the many (although still lame!) reasons I haven't been posting is because I have been traveling as often as I have been home the past two months. Here is just a sampling of where I've been:

- NYC with some of my favorite cousins

- New Jersey for a work conference

- Mexico, Texas, and New Mexico visiting a friend

- San Francisco visiting friends

- Indianapolis shopping with family

Needless to say, it's been busy! I wanted to share a bit of the amazing time I had visiting Rachel and Jasmine, two of my best friends from college, in California.

Here the three of us right after we met in college:

(Who are those little girls?? And can you tell it was a theme party??)We all joined DG at the same time (and actually lived together our first semester in the house) so at this point we've known each other for quite a few years!

We had a wonderful time bopping around the city, eating great food, drinking amazing cocktails, and most importantly catching up with each other.

Here Jaz and I are making funny faces:

Here Rachel and I are listening to records at a sound system store where Jaz likes to hang out (how cool is that??):

And here the three of us are before a performance of 'Beach Blanket Babylon'- if you're in SF you HAVE to check it out:

I miss these ladies like crazy but am always happy for a reason to jet off to San Francisco for the weekend. :)

'Tis The Season... - Brady

2011-11-17T08:11:00.006-06:00

...to bug my sisters about posting on this blog every once in awhile. Don't you think?

Just kidding. Kind of.

What I really wanted to write about is FAMILY. 'Tis the season to spend lots and lots of time with them. This past weekend, Kevin and I hosted our annual Vegetarian Thanksgiving. My parents, grandparents, in-laws, siblings (minus Kelly who was in fabulous San Francisco but who came over Tuesday night to help us with the leftovers), and siblings-in-law all squeezed themselves into our apartment. I'm so grateful that everyone made the trip. Veggie Thanksgiving is one of my happiest days of the year. Kevin made/organized an amazing meal, as usual. I could write a whole post about THAT, but I'll just say that my favorite dishes were his roasted brussel sprouts with chile and lemon, my grandma's "party potatoes," my mother-in-law's pumpkin bars, the cheese my father-in-law and I picked out at a gourmet food shop in our neighborhood, and the LaPorte-made chocolates my mom and dad contributed.

Below are a few little photo highlights.

Here's a shot right in the middle of the celebration - between the meal and dessert, I think. The beautiful flowers were courtesy of Lesley and Paul, my sister- and brother-in-law.

Lesley and Paul's little dog fast asleep.

The dessert table. Someone please come over and help me with these leftovers.

I know it sounds weird, but one of my favorite parts of hosting people at our home is cleaning up afterward. I like putting on music, having maybe one more glass of wine, reminiscing with Kevin about the day, and just putting everything back in order. Here's our "dining room table" late that night after everyone went home.

So, Veggie Thanksgiving was wonderful, as always. And the best part about the holidays is that wonderfulness just keeps on coming! I'm driving down to Indianapolis on Saturday morning with my sisters for an overnight Christmas shopping trip with my mom, grandma, aunts, and cousins. And then, of course, just a few days later there's REAL Thanksgiving, which means a much needed break from work, tons of great food, and lots and lots of family.

I hope the start of your holiday season has been as nice as mine.

Happy Halloween! - Brady

2011-11-01T08:10:00.006-05:00

It was a great Saturday.

Kelly and I got up bright and early to run the "Carrera de los Muertos" 5K in Pilsen. (And Kevin got up bright and early to cheer us on.) Pilsen is a predominantly Mexican-American neighborhood in Chicago, and the race coincided with their Day of the Dead celebration. It also benefited UNO - a charter school network - so what's not to like?

It was a really great race. The weather was sunny and cool, there was plenty of entertainment, and they served us free churros at the end. (Of course, two tiny churros weren't enough to satisfy us, so we had to stop and buy some Mexican pastries to share after the race. Five for the three of us. You know.)

Then Saturday night we headed to a couple of Halloween parties - one at our neighbor's place and one at Kelly's. Kevin and I hemmed and hawed about what our costumes should be and finally settled on...

A raccoon (me) and a shiny object (him). That was our brilliant idea. (Kelly's, actually.) I don't know if people got it. (Kevin was called a Christmas Tree two or three times.)

Here we are, doing a photo shoot to our camera's timer.

We had no trick-or-treaters, sadly. Somehow they couldn't make it through the two locked gates to get to our condo. Next year...

Welcome, welcome! - Brady

2011-10-27T08:42:00.005-05:00

A big welcome to the Northwest Indiana/Chicagoloand area to my grandpa. He moved in with my parents last weekend, and I'm beyond excited to have him close by. I love this photo of him with my mom, even though it's a bit blurry - because (a) it's at Redamak's, one of my favorite places to eat and (b) it shows how much they look alike. (Kevin calls them "the twins.")

My parents have been champs: getting him moved out of the home in central Indiana where he'd lived for years and years, rearranging their own house, showing him all of our favorite places around town...It sounds like my other grandparents and cousins and aunts and uncles have chipped in as well - moving his furniture, showing him the best place to get his hair cut, stopping by to chat. And my dad's dog, Buckner, makes sure that Papa is warm and loved by plopping onto his lap every time he sits down on the couch.

It's so weird but so great to know he's living with my mom and dad. I can't wait to visit again.

Welcome, Papa. We're so glad to have you here!

San Francisco - Brady

2011-10-11T15:36:00.004-05:00

We went to San Francisco for a week to celebrate Kevin's 30th birthday, and it was wonderful! My cousin's wife lived there for several years, so I emailed the two of them what we did each day. I'm copy/pasting it below. I think you'll be impressed...by how much we ate if nothing else.

Day 1 - We went to the Ferry Building, tried Blue Bottle coffee, and ate at the farmers market there. Some of Kevin's good friends from high school met us out west for that first weekend. We took an "eco cruise" through the bay and under the Golden Gate Bridge. Then we checked into the apartment we had rented for the week. (A pretty Victorian place near Japantown.) We had dinner at a place called ThaiHouse Express, drinks at Toronado, and a tamale from the Tamale Lady (just what she sounds like - a roaming lady who sells tamales at bars).

Day 2 - We went to Sonoma and Healdsburg for wine tasting. That took basically all day and was so much fun. We had burritos for dinner at a place called Papalote. I think this was the night I first tried Bi-rite ice cream, too. (Best ice cream I've ever had.)

Day 3 - We kind of wandered around the city. We went for a run through Crissy Field to the Golden Gate Bridge and back. Checked out Ghirardelli Square, walked around Chinatown and North Beach. Went to City Lights Bookstore and the bar Vesuvio. Ate dinner at a fancy Mexican placed called El Nopalito.

Day 4 - Kevin and I were by ourselves - his friends had all gone home - and we went hiking in Muir Woods. There was a cute tavern out there called The Pelican Inn where we had lunch. In the afternoon I had some work to do, but then we gave ourselves like 3 hours to wander to dinner up through the fancy stores on Fillmore Street. We shopped a little and actually stopped for pre-dinner dessert at Citizen Cake. We ate at Greens - a really great vegetarian restaurant. After that we went to Buena Vista for Irish coffees and took a very wet cable car ride home. (It rained the first 4-5 days we were there.)

Day 5 - Kev and I took a loooooong run through Golden Gate Park, went home and cleaned up, and then wandered around the city again. We spent most of our time in The Haight (the old hippie neighborhood). We saw the Full House homes that day...walked through Buena Vista Park...That night some friends of ours who live out there took us to The Cheeseboard in Berkeley - a really good pizza place - and gave us a short campus tour.

Day 6 - Kevin's birthday! We jogged the Land's End Trail and saw the Sutro Baths. Went home, picked up Kevin's friend Kristin who came to visit for the second half of the trip, and went to Brenda's for brunch - great Southern-style food. Spent the afternoon checking out two other neighborhoods - The Castro and The Mission, and had a fancy prix fixe vegetarian meal at Millennium. Kevin's parents joined us for that dinner and the rest of the weekend.

Day 7 - Biked the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, hung out there and had lunch, took the ferry back to San Fran. Ate at ANOTHER amazing restaurant - Blue Plate - and at Bi-rite again.

Day 8 - Golden Gate Park with Kristin and Kevin's parents. We did the Japanese Tea Garden and AIDS Memorial Grove. And then back to the Ferry Building for some Mexican food before we caught a 5:30 flight.

So it was pretty packed! And pretty awesome! I'll definitely be heading back to that beautiful city.

If you want to see some of our pictures, you can click here.

Catching Up - Kelly

2011-09-25T23:05:00.005-05:00

I feel like I need to introduce myself because it's been so long since I've posted here! I was going to do a whole life update but to be totally honest there isn't really anything new going in my life- just a lot of the same old things keeping my busy. :) The quick run down is work is going well (I'm really loving my job this year), life is great in Chicago, Lucy is cute as ever, and I'm really happy!

I really just wanted to take a minute and write a post tonight about how much I really love living to close to where I grew up. I think a lot about how lucky I am to get to spend so much time with my sisters and parents but another added benefit of being in Chicago is staying connected with so many of the people I grew up with that live close by. I mean how ridiculous is at that I go to yoga three mornings a week with the girl who was one of my best friends in 7th grade? And how crazy is it that I can meet up on a Sunday afternoon to watch a Bears game with two of my best guy friends from high school? I seriously don't think it gets any better than living in a huge city that has every opportunity in the world while still getting the perks of having people who have known you your whole life constantly around you.

Here I am with aforementioned 7th grade friend, Kirby, at her bachelorette party a few weeks back. I wish I had a 7th grade picture of us to post... actually scratch that. If I remember correctly that was a pretty rough period for both of us looks wise. :)

On a completely different note I have a bunch of traveling coming up (which makes me really happy). New York (where I get to see some of my favorite cousins- Sammi and Matt & Jordan) and New Jersey for work then Juarez/El Paso to visit a good friend. As expressed above (and in about every post I write) I love Chicago but always get a little antsy when it's been too long since I've been on a plane so this is very good for me.

As my grandpa always says, it doesn't get any better than this. :)

Work That's Actually Work - Brady

2011-09-22T10:38:00.003-05:00

So, normally the work I do every day doesn't feel that much like work. I like to read, I like to write, I like to think about education policy and teacher labor markets. There are times, of course, when I get bored or tired of a task or stressed out about a paper I have to write or a bad meeting with my advisor or something. But these days (my first year of grad school was a different story), I rarely dread going into my office.

HOWEVER, this week and next I have to do something that actually feels like work. It has me staring at the clock willing the minutes to go by because it's so awful.

The task is...calling people and asking them to complete a survey.

I. hate. this. I get a little nervous to talk to strangers on the phone anyway. That tendency, combined with the fact that I'm calling these people to ask them to do something is a recipe for an unhappy me. I have lots and lots of other work to get done these days, so I've been telling myself that I only need to make the calls for 30 minutes a day. I spend all morning dreading 10 a.m. - when I usually try to make the calls. Right before, I get so nervous that my heart beats faster, and my hands get shaky. As the phone begins to ring, I just keep my fingers crossed that no one will answer and that I can just leave a message. I watch the minutes tick by, and half an hour seems to take FOREVER.

So far, no one's yelled at me. And I only have to do this for 6 more days. But I hate every single second of it.

Here's What I Did This Weekend - Brady

2011-09-18T19:43:00.003-05:00

This is the first weekend in a long time that Kevin and I have been in town. As much as I love traveling and all of the time we spend at Lake Wawasee during the summer, it was so nice and so relaxing to be in Chicago for a change. Here's what I did:

Friday Night:

- Drinks at a champagne bar (doesn't that sound fancy?) to celebrate our friend Kristin's new job

- Pizza at a neighborhood place

- Pumpkin ice cream at Bobtail with whipped cream on top

Saturday:

- Yoga in the butterfly haven at the nature museum in Lincoln Park. Such a cool experience, and a surprisingly hard class. We wandered through the museum after and were really impressed. The grounds are beautiful, too.

- Apple cider donuts, cheese curds, and apples at the Green City Farmers Market

- Lots of walking - to and from yoga/the farmers market

- Brunch at Bleeding Heart Bakery (Yum! This place is incredible, and the baked goods selection is overwhelming in the best possible way.)

- Shopping for mums for our balcony and a plant for my office

- Computer shopping with Kelly

- Burritos, followed by red wine with Kelly and Kevin

Sunday:

- This is the best part of the weekend. Kevin and I woke up at 7:30 to run, saw that it was raining, couldn't fall back asleep, so I made coffee and we just stayed in bed and read for over an hour. I haven't had a morning like that in ages. It was fantastic.

- While Kevin went to church, I worked around the condo.

- Lunch and shopping with my sisters

- Work around the condo and dinner

And that's that! It was just about perfect - a great balance of activity and rest and work. This coming week I start to TA classes, and the semester gets back into full swing. It was really nice to chill out a bit before all of the action begins again.

Door County, Wisconsin - Brady

2011-09-02T08:37:00.007-05:00

Okay, okay. I suppose it's time that I update those of you who are breathlessly waiting to hear where Kevin took me on my mystery trip last weekend. Of course, 99% of the people who read this blog are my Facebook friends, so you probably already know. The rest of you also likely figured it out, as I put the answer as the title of this post.

Door County, Wisconsin!!!!

It's really beautiful up there. I think I wrote this a few posts back, but I have just been so into the Midwest recently. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the trip.

**********

This is where we stopped for dinner on the way up on Friday. Hinterland Brewery in Green Bay. No one was at the restaurant. There was apparently a football game of some kind going on. Did you all know that Green Bay has a team?

This is the absolutely delicious beer flight I ordered - all from Hinterland. I also think the rocks left on your table on the outdoor patio to hold down menus were pretty brilliant.

Coffee in the morning at our B & B - Reynolds' House in Sturgeon Bay.

My favorite place at the B & B - the swing on the big front porch.

This is from our hike Saturday morning. Can you see a trace of fall way up there?

Kevin and me at this tower you could climb and look out over Green Bay. Gorgeous.

Sunset Saturday night.

Sunday we drove around the country a bit and ended up at this gallery in an old barn.

We stopped at Cavepoint Park on our way home, and it was the best decision we made all weekend.

And then we extended our weekend just a bit by stopping in Milwaukee for dinner on the way home. I had no idea that city was so cool! Check out the pictures.

**********

And that was the weekend! Thanks, Kevin. You plan a mean mystery trip.

Rahmbo - Brady

2011-08-31T19:38:00.003-05:00

Hey everybody! Check out our mayor!

At the Chicago Triathlon on Saturday. He placed 9th in his age group, by the way.

I challenge any other city's mayor to try and out-awesome ours.

Photo and article here.

Tour De La Porte - Kelly

2011-08-28T23:02:00.003-05:00

This weekend I made a quick trip home to run a 10K (which was a part of this year's Tour de LaPorte) and I am SO glad I decided to do it. I'm not going to lie- I've been running so little I was a little nervous about actually getting out and running a race but it went well. My official time was 1.04 (a 10.24 pace) which is pretty good for me- it was actually probably quite a bit faster than that because during mile 6 I stopped to talk to my parents for a minute and ended up overshooting the last turn and running an extra .2 miles or so.

The rest of the trip home was pretty rocking, too. My mom and I went to Redamak's for veggie burgers and cheese fries followed by ice cream at Oink's on Friday night. After the race I got to eat some delicious shrimp tacos at Mucho Mas (I seriously love that place).

I know I say it all the time but I absolutely love living so close to my parents. Getting to leave the city for quick trips like this weekend make my life SO much better. And I have to just say again how amazing and fun and supportive my parents are- whether it's cheering me on during a race, talking about future job opportunities or making my mom laugh with my dating antics.. they're the absolute best. :)

My Own Mystery Trip - Brady

2011-08-26T12:27:00.003-05:00

This afternoon I'm getting whisked away on my OWN mystery trip! I'm sure it's obvious by now that I love them - planning them and have them planned for me. Either way. For my birthday last year I asked Kevin to take me somewhere interesting, and he came up with Madison, Wisconsin. We had such a great time that I asked him to plan another mystery trip this year.

Because I'm a knucklehead and accidentally looked at our credit card bill a couple of weeks ago, I do know that we're headed up somewhere in Wisconsin again. Kevin also told me to prep for a 4-5 hour drive and to pack two pairs of running/hiking clothes and a nice outfit for dinner Saturday night. But that's it!

I'll let you know where we go! Until then, here are some pictures from our fabulous trip last year:

Car packed!

Pretty city on the lakes.

Beer and cheese curds at The Old Fashioned - my favorite Madison restaurant.

Sunset during our picnic in Spring Green.

The outdoor play Kevin took me to see.

I have really been loving the midwest recently. You all know how I feel about Chicago, but I've also been into the more rural parts of this area. I've been to Michigan a bunch this summer, and Kevin and I have been way better about exploring Wisconsin and Minnesota the last couple of years. I think a lot of people from around here take the Great Lakes for granted. We live in a pretty sweet area of the country, if you ask me.

Loving my life - Kelly

2011-08-18T08:11:00.002-05:00

Hey blog world! Sorry it's been awhile. :) Brady and Amy have done a great job updating what's been going on in our world but I thought I would just take a minute to write about how much I'm enjoying my life these days.

I wrapped institute up a few weeks ago and am smack dab in the middle of starting the school year with my teachers. This is year three for me in this job but there are a few differences this year. First of all, I have about half the amount of teachers I've had in the past and will actually be two of my colleagues manager this year. This is an exciting change for a few reasons- it's more money and responsibility (which is always great!) and it just means I get to push myself a little harder at work. Also different about this year is I've left the world of elementary and I'm supporting high school and middle school social studies.... which ROCKS. Seriously- I was at a coffee shop for three hours with two of my teachers last night and you had to pull me away. I love this content, my teachers love this content, and that makes all of us really really happy.

Another reason my life is so awesome these days is the fun stuff I've been doing with my family. Our Michigan trip was AWESOME (see Brady's post for all the details!) and Tuesday night the Jones/Rasp/Jackson clan headed to a Sox game together. The siblings all have an anniversary adventure for Amy and Roger coming up soon, too. I know I've said this before but it's pretty darn amazing living in the same neighborhood as your sisters and a short train ride away from your parents (and grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, etc).

I could go on and on and on... I've found a yoga studio I love, I had a great weekend with a good friend who was here visiting last weekend, I love my friends that live in the city, I love my neighborhood and my little house, Lucy has been behaving herself recently... everything is just really, really good and I thought that was worth updating here. :)

Michigan! - All of us

2011-08-11T07:26:00.015-05:00

Long story short, last year was Mom and Dad's 30th wedding anniversary. They'd been planning a trip to celebrate it, but it never worked out. Plus, my sisters and I kind of dropped the ball and didn't do anything really special.

So this year, for #31, we told them to name a weekend when they were free and we would plan a mystery trip. We successfully kept the secret from their anniversary (May 3) to the dates we chose (August 6-7).

The morning of the 6th, we gave Dad and Mom "puzzles" to put together that would reveal the location:

When they finished they saw a map of the west coast of Michigan with circles around Saugatuck (for exploring on Saturday), Holland (for dinner Saturday night), and South Haven (for Sunday brunch).

We packed everything up into two cars and made our way north. Once we arrived in Saugatuck, several of us need a bathroom break and, more importantly, a caffeine fix. We found a little coffee shop - Uncommon Grounds - that was totally cute but also totally packed. Once I tried a drink there (the "Café Miel" - a latte with cinnamon and honey), I understood why it was so popular. If I lived in Saugatuck, I'd be a regular for sure. We hung out in the courtyard for a bit despite some light rain.

We spent the day wandering around the streets and shops. I don't think anybody bought much of anything, but that town is so cute that it was still a really entertaining day. It rained on and off, so naturally we had to go drink beer at a (mostly) covered bar. The second photo here is of the bar from a distance. I'm posting it so you can see how misty it was that day.

After a great lunch at Butler's and some more Michigan beer, we wandered a bit more and then headed to our hotel.

Oh my goodness, people. This place was kid heaven. It looked like a castle. There was an awesome game room. A pool shaped like the state of Michigan. And, to take the cake, an indoor/outdoor hot tub. It was overrun with families, and I can completely understand why. BUT, those thoughtful, thoughtful individuals at the front desk didn't forget about those of us without kids. There was a strictly enforced "adults only" swim time from 10:30 - midnight every night. And we took full advantage.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. For dinner on Saturday we drove to Holland and hopped aboard a dinner cruise. This was the absolute best way to spend an evening in Michigan. It was so relaxed and friendly. The food and cocktails tasted great. There was a shockingly good blues band aboard. And the scenery was gorgeous. We took a series of family photos since we were all gussied up. Here's one of all of us, taken using the camera timer.

And here are some shots, courtesy of my favorite photographer - Kevin Rasp - from the boat.

Saturday night after dinner was awesome. Amy put together a "Name That Kid" game for my parents that was a big hit. And then...a little bit of hot tub, a little bit of swimming, partner stunts, cannonball competitions, more beer, fudge and cupcakes from Saugatuck...basically a perfect Saturday night. We didn't get moving until about 11 a.m. the next morning - that's how good of a time we had.

Sunday brought brunch at Clementine's, more wandering and shopping, and for some of us, Kilwin's ice cream and a walk down to the water in South Haven.

Awesome, awesome weekend. Can't wait to do it again.

Things I love about Roger -Amy

2011-08-10T23:17:00.003-05:00

Ok. So I am probably the least sentimental/mushy person on the face of this planet. So this post is completely out of character, but I feel the need to give credit where credit is due. So, here goes.

Roger (my husband) has tons of great qualities that I love. However, (and not surprisingly) I can be a little hard on him sometimes about certain things. On nights like tonight, though, I am reminded of exactly what it is that I like the most about him.
Luckily, our everyday interests match up. I love that the two of us can sit and watch T.V. after work and make jokes about whatever is happening. We like the same types of food, we both enjoy a glass of wine or a beer, we have the same sense of humor, and we like to go out and have a good time. This is not what I love the most, though.

Tonight, we had a friend over and she brought her adorable little puppy. I was reminded of how sweet Roger was all night. Here are some examples:
-He moved a chair in our living room so it would be positioned at the precise angle it needed to be to allow for maximum window viewing for the puppy (without saying a word or even knowing that anyone noticed that he did this).
-He plays with puppies (and children, when they're around) for as long as they want (seriously, the commitment to the playing is insane).
-Whenever there is a child around, he is always 100% concerned with what they are doing and where they are. He will frequently stop what he is doing to ask where the kid is, what they are doing, and if they are safe.
-He does the same thing (that was written above) for animals.
-He is concerned for everyone. My friend was walking home from our place tonight around 11 pm and he insisted on walking with her for a little while to make sure everything was ok. There have been tons of news stories about things happening in her neighborhood, and even though he was probably ready for bed he wanted to make sure she got home. When Roger does something like this, it's because it's warranted, and because he's legitimately concerned for someone's safety.

All in all, Roger is a great guy. He makes sure everyone is taken care of, everyone has fun, and everything that we do is fun. I am a lucky lady, and I just thought I should give credit where it's due. Thanks, Rog!

Florida! -Amy

2011-08-08T19:05:00.005-05:00

As promised, here is a post showcasing my fabulous trip to Florida earlier this summer.

Roger's family has a condo in Orlando that they go to every other year. Luckily, 2011 was an "on" year, so we got to spend a week sunning ourselves and swimming in the pool, thrill-seeking at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, and stuffing our faces with yummy food and delicious drinks.

The condo was amazing, and we had to much fun with family. We had a TON of people there! The list included Roger and I, Roger's brother Ryan and his girlfriend Nikki, Roger's Mom, Mom's boyfriend, sister Kayte, Aunt Kay, Uncle Joe and Aunt Lyn, cousins Mikie, Lucas, and Kaylee, Grandma Kay, and the star of the show, our nephew Kayleb. It was a full house and a great time. We got tons of relaxing time in by the pool, and accomplished lots of overdue catching up.

We LOVED going to Universal and Islands of adventure. Roger has been a couple of times before, but this was my first time there. The rides were awesome and like nothing I had ever experienced before. We loved the twisty-turny roller coasters like the "Rip, Ride, Rockit" where we got to pick our own song to listen to while we looped-the-loop and "The Hulk" which is self explanatory. Most of all, we loved the movie themed rides that were less twisty-turny and more graphics and effects.

The highlight of my amusement park experience was Harry Potter World! We got to go on the "Hogworts: Forbidden Journey" (which was UNREAL... seriously no words...), "The Flight of the Hippogriff," and "The Harry Potter Dragon Challenge." All amazing. We also had lunch at "The Three Broomsticks" where we tried butterbeer, and browsed at "Honeydukes", the candy shop. Awesomeness.

Enjoy some pictures of our adventure and relaxation filled vacation. It was great!

Hello! -Amy

2011-07-28T13:25:00.000-05:00

I have been quite the neglectful blogger over the last month because my life has been very busy. I've been between Chicago and La Porte a ton, and Roger and I took a trip with his family to Orlando, FL. It was a blast, and I will have post on that with pictures to come soon.

It's wedding season, and Roger and I seem to be at the age where all of our friends are getting engaged or married. So, as a result of that I have had a TON of celebrations to attend. Two of my very best friends are engaged, so we have planned engagement extravaganzas for them. Also, Roger and I have 2 weddings to attend on our Anniversary weekend (which is this coming weekend). I can't believe we've already been married for a year.

In other blog news, I have decided that it is too hard and time consuming to try to keep up with two blogs. I have this one, and then one that I started with Roger when we were engaged. As a result, I often decide not to write anything at all on either because when I think of something I can't decide which blog to put it on. So, I've decided to discontinue the blog that I started with Roger, and to devote all of my time and news (which is always so exciting, I'm sure) to the sisters blog.

I start professional development for the month of August at school on Monday. I am excited to get back (sort of) but I'm glad that I get to ease into it with a month of work before the kids show up again. I love them, but they are definitely exhausting!

I think that's most of the update I have for now. Florida vacation post and anniversary celebration post to come soon.

Adios!

Life update! - Kelly

2011-07-08T07:25:00.002-05:00

So, it's been awhile. :) Things have been pretty busy in my life recently! Here's a quick recap:

- Ran the marathon in Duluth. Full recap here!

- Started institute (I'm currently wrapping up Week 3 of 5). Here's the sweet rental car I get to drive around all week:

- Celebrated the 4th of July in LP with family, good food, a little parade action, and lots of time outside.

- Slowly started running again (Amy and I are planning on doing the LP 1/2 marathon with the Tour de LaPorte at the end of August) and started doing hot yoga (best thing ever... seriously!).

Feel free to keep tabs on me for the next few weeks on my tumblr account- I'm not posting there a ton but am doing a little better than keeping up here!

Last Marathon Post - Brady

2011-07-05T09:30:00.005-05:00

I know I've been talking an awful lot about the marathon, so I promise this is the last post about it. I just wanted to put up two links that will give anyone interested a better idea of what the day was like. (And that I can go back and check out when I want to remember all the details.)

If you click here, you'll watch a short video about the race. You'll get some idea of what the course looked like and hear other runners talk about what fast times they had because of the ideal weather that day.

And if you click here, you'll see tons of information about my run - my pace each mile, a map of the race, the elevation changes, etc. If you like running or walking or biking, I'd highly recommend getting a Garmin watch. Wearing it on training runs and races is a lot of fun.

One interesting note is that, according to my watch, I ran 26.2 miles in 4:28:48 - almost two full minutes faster than my official race time. I think that's because you pick up some mileage as you run the course...weaving back and forth to get water, taking turns wide, etc.

Okay, that's it! Time to move on with my life. :)

The Best Grad School Perk - Brady

2011-07-01T16:04:00.017-05:00

Maybe my favorite thing about being a graduate student is being able to work wherever and whenever I want. That's really not much of an exaggeration. Now that classes are over I have to be on campus for meetings occasionally, but I could probably move to Australia and do just fine. It's a very sweet deal.

I took full advantage this past Monday and Tuesday. Kevin did some depositions in Minneapolis, and his firm pays for his transportation, hotel room, and meals. It's really a bargain for me to come, so since we're the most opportunistic travelers I know, we went for it.

We arrived Sunday night and had a really memorable meal at a restaurant called W.A. Frost. It had one of the most beautiful outdoor patios I've ever seen. The food is also mostly locally grown/raised, and it's vegetarian friendly. Our dinner there was one of my favorites, ever, anywhere we've been.

Monday morning we went for a run on the "greenway" located conveniently behind our hotel. Apparently, they call this bike trail the "hipster highway." Young, bike-riding Minneapolans use it to commute to work. Kevin and I ran about 2.5 miles (down for a quick view of the Mississippi) and back. Then he headed off to his meetings while I worked away in the hotel room.

After a few hours I took the hotel shuttle downtown and met Kev for a quick Potbelly sandwich for lunch. Then I headed to the Minneapolis Public Library to work for the afternoon. The building is absolutely gorgeous.

But finding a workspace with an outlet (my ancient computer has no battery power of its own anymore) and reliable internet connection was almost impossible. I think I tried 5 different work stations in the library. No luck. All of the outlets were broken. So I headed to the coffee shop downstairs. Again, I had lots of trouble finding outlets. Once I did, I bought a coffee and settled in...only to be told by the guy behind the counter that getting online was almost impossible in the store. Frustration overdrive.

BUT...we have to look on the bright side when we're lucky enough to be in a fun new city, don't we? When Kevin was done for the day, we headed to Uptown Cafeteria and Support Group (that's really its name) for happy hour and sat on their sunny roofdeck. This was our view.

Then we headed out to another fantastic dinner at Red Stag Supper Club. More good, local veggies. More good, local beer.

And we followed THAT up with some lounge singing (we actually did some of the singing...) at a nearly empty bar that we LOVE called Nye's Polonaise Room. When you walk into this place you feel like you've gone back in time fifty years.

Tuesday brought another run, this time the other direction on the greenway, to Lake Calhoun. We saw some skinny-dippers...that was exciting...and then got cleaned up for the day. I rode downtown with Kevin and hopped from coffee shop to coffee shop in search of the elusive outlet + dependable internet connection combo. I finally gave up on finding a cute local place and just went to Starbucks. I have never been so grateful for a chain. Good, fast service. Good coffee. Plenty of seating. Plenty of plug-ins. A connection that didn't start and stop on me. I got more work done during those four hours than I did all of the other hours we were in town.

We fit in a walk over the Mississippi and one last dinner - at another great place called Spoon River - before our 8 p.m. flight.

I can't believe this is my work life.

Hello, hello! -Amy

2011-06-27T16:37:00.002-05:00

Wow! Welcome back to the planet, Amy!

First of all, I am insanely proud of my crazy sisters and brother in law for running a marathon. Are you kidding? Insane.

So I have been missing from the blog for the last few weeks because it has been absolutely INSANE trying to get things closed up for the end of the year at school. We have an extended school year, so needless to day, the kids were ready, I was ready, everyone was ready. Not to mention we had a teacher or two leave early so yours truly was in charge of packing up pretty much the entire hallway.

Anyways, enough complaining. I AM ON SUMMER VACATION. Do you have any idea how good it feels to say that? I got the official "See ya lata" from my director today at 11:26 (yes, I looked at the clock) and now I have the entire month of July to relax and enjoy the summer sun and fun (we've been going light on the sun in Chicago today, however).

On the agenda:

1) Move June 30th
2) Frantically pack from June 27th (today) until June 30th
3) Belated Father's Day trip to LP to see the Chipster (our dad) with Brady on Wednesday
4) Condo Warming Party on July 2nd (yes, that's 3 days after we move and yes, we're insane).
5) Dinner with friends next week (DG one night, Handley another night)
6) FLORIDA with Roger's amazing family (and Harry Potter World, I might add... and no, I'm not kidding)
7) Engagement Dinner Party for one of my best friends, Jenna.
8) 2 Weddings on July 30th
9) Celebrating Roger and I's 1st Anniversary on July 31st =)
10) Secret Trip with the whole family for my parent's anniversary during the first weekend in August
11) Undisclosed Father's Day Surprise plans with my father sometime soon...
12) DG Reunion weekend at the end of August
13) Another potential half marathon in August.

WOW. That's a lot on the summer agenda, but how fun does all of that sound? I am SO happy to have a little break from school. Woo hoo!

Peace!

We ran a marathon! - Brady

2011-06-22T09:45:00.002-05:00

We did, we did! It was an amazing experience that was also amazingly difficult. Here's my very long, very detailed description of the day:

I was keyed up for this marathon. Obviously. I was like a kid before Christmas morning - except that kid would have to live in a world where children earn their presents by physically suffering for a couple of hours before they open them. The mix of excitement and dread was a brand new experience.

Arriving in Duluth and going to the Expo was awesome. Our hotel room was sweet. Our pasta dinner on Friday night tasted great, and we got to sit at a table overlooking Lake Superior. As fun as all that was, though, I was scared. In particular I kept obsessing about the weather. They were predicting lots of rain and maybe some thunderstorms. I was convinced the race would be cancelled. Or that we would run totally drenched. I can see now that it was just something to fixate on - a place to channel my nervous energy.

So anyway, we prepared as well as we could. We laid out all of our gear. I had grabbed two pace bracelets at the expo. One for my goal time of 5 hours, and one for a time I NEVER thought I’d hit - 4:30. I also decided later in the evening to put my name on my bib. We were completely ready to go and in bed around 9. I actually, surprisingly, slept really well.

When the alarm rang at 4 a.m., I got right out of bed, flipped on the coffeemaker I had stocked the night before, got dressed, and made myself my typical pre-long run breakfast of peanut butter toast with craisins. It was raining, and at this point I was beyond anxious about the day.

When Kelly and Kevin were ready we hopped on the shuttle and were driven to the town of Two Harbors. I actually felt better once we got there. I got kind of excited, even giddy. The race was well organized, so the starting line was pretty stress free. We lined up in the 4:30 group and crossed the starting line at about 7:35 a.m. We were able to run our pace right away - no shimmying around walkers. I was thinking at the time that I couldn’t believe we were actually doing it.

The first 10 or so miles felt easy (thank you, weeks of tapering and healthy eating) and were uneventful. Kelly broke off at mile 4 because she wanted to make sure she was at a speed where she felt comfortable. Kevin and I chugged along, admiring the views of the lake, not talking much at all. I kept an eye on our pace and knew we were doing really, really well, but I didn’t mention it to Kevin because I didn’t want to overthink it. (We are master overthinkers.)

I ate a “block” (kind of like a big fruit snack) half a mile before every water stop (which they placed about every 2 miles), and when I got to the stop I always had as much water as I felt like drinking as well as half a cup of Powerade. I was extremely focused for the entire race and stayed on a strict eating/drinking schedule. It was pretty amazing to feel the effect calories had on my body. After about 14 miles I started to get fatigued as I’d approach a water stop. I’d take a block, drink my fluids, and within 5 minutes, I’d feel good again. That’s one thing that’s really worthwhile about training for a marathon. You become very in tune with your energy levels, and you understand a lot more clearly how the food you eat affects you.

And we kept moving. At some point the details of the race become fuzzy. To give you an idea of how far gone I was - I remember being confused at mile 17. I thought I had 17, not 9, miles to go. And - here’s the kicker - I was okay with that. It was like I had accepted I’d be running for a really, really long time, so 9 miles, 17 miles, whatever. It was all the same to me. I also remember moments where I’d take a drink of water, and it’d just dribble out of my mouth because I couldn’t summon the energy to swallow. (Running a marathon is super dignified, huh?)

Around mile 18 or so time start moving really slowly. And at Mile 20 running became very difficult, and I couldn’t believe I still had another hour ahead of me. People talk about hitting “the wall” somewhere between miles 16 and 22. I guess I always assumed you hit it, had a rough patch, and then bounced back again. Not so for the yours truly. For me, “the wall” went on until the end of the race. I felt like I was in a dream world. I couldn’t pay attention to the cheering or acknowledge the crowd. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t talk. I barely knew who I was. It was a surreal experience. When I think back on that part of the race, I can’t remember what the pain actually felt like. I know it was hard, but it’s all kind of a haze in my head.

I do remember at one point getting high fives from some drunk college kids - I’m a sucker for high fives during long races. I also remember how the dreaded “Lemon Drop Hill” at mile 22 actually felt kind of good because my muscles got to work in a different way. The rolling hills on the course were, in general, kind of nice. I did a really good job of staying in the moment, as far as I can recall, and I think that’s what got me through it. I kept telling myself, “I just need to run right now. Don’t worry about what’s down the road.”

Toward the very end, I felt a couple of times like my legs were just going to give out and that I’d collapse right there on the street. I could bring myself back a little by tossing water on my head…it would snap me out of my spacey-ness for a few minutes. But that was always pretty short-lived. I wasn’t even sure I’d finish until about halfway through mile 25. At that point, I saw that we might be able to get a 4:30, so I picked up some speed. The last mile was absolutely brutal. First of all, that extra .2 makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE! Also, the route was winding, and you couldn’t see the finish line until you were right up on it. To give you an idea of how tired I was, I saw one mat (you have to run over them to get your official time) like maybe 20 feet in front of the finish line (no idea why it was there). When I realized I had to go just a few yards farther to the actual end, I nearly had a breakdown.

But we made it! Kevin and I crossed together and we hugged, hard. Someone put a medal around my neck and handed me a red carnation and asked what t-shirt size I wanted. I actually wasn’t that happy in the finishing chute. Instead, I just felt kind of desperate to take care of my physical needs. I wanted to sit - I actually felt like I needed to sit. I wanted water. Then, pretty quickly, I wanted to get warm. The weather was perfect for running - 50 degrees and overcast, no real rain. But I started shivering after we stopped moving and felt almost like I was at risk for hypothermia if I didn’t get dry. Kevin got me one of those metallic blankets, and we tried to eat, but that didn’t go well. A bit later I hobbled over to the women’s tent with my sweat bag. Changing hurt a lot. I kept almost tipping over. I had sores under my arms and on my chest from chafing, so taking off wet clothes was pretty painful. I also got this epic foot cramp - my toes involuntarily crunched up into a little ball, and I had to unwrap them with my fingers. Craziness. When I was finally changed and could walk and had my cell phone, I called my mom.

And THAT, my friends, was when I got happy. I kept my emotions in check for the entire race - I was like a machine. But when she picked up the phone cheering, it all hit me. It’s hard to describe the moment. I was just so, so proud. So relieved. So happy to be done. It was incredible, and I’ll always remember it.

In the the space of a few minutes, I talked to my mom and dad and found Kelly (who finished about 15 or 20 minutes behind us, also meeting her time goal). And it was funny - for the rest of the weekend, really, the enormity of what we’d done grew and grew for me. I just kept getting happier - the high kept getting better. In the late stages of the race, I thought, “There is no way in hell I’m ever doing this again.” Right after we finished, I thought the same thing. “I did it once. I did it well. Never again.” But now I’m pretty convinced I WILL run another marathon. And I want to do even better next time.

So that’s my story. Let me just say…running a marathon is a little bit insane. Nothing that happened Saturday convinced me otherwise. It was without question the most demanding physical challenge I have ever faced. But it was worth every second of it. I feel like a different, stronger person now, and I’m 100% confident I can call myself a runner.

Final time: 4 hours, 30 minutes, 42 seconds. Half an hour faster than our goal time.
Final pace: 10 minutes, 20 seconds per mile.

If you want to see pictures, you can click here.

Done with classes! - Brady

2011-06-11T15:32:00.000-05:00

I turned in my last final for the spring quarter on Thursday afternoon. That means...

I'm done with classes! Forever!

I spend the next 2-3 years doing research projects and writing my dissertation. Isn't that weird? I still have trouble wrapping my head around it.

But, the point is, grad school classes were HARD. Make-me-doubt-I'm-smart-enough-for-this hard. I'm so relieved they're over. And it's a pretty sweet deal to be able to work on projects of my choice, on my own timetable, wherever I want to work, from now until 2014.

We ran 20 miles. - Brady

2011-06-03T08:05:00.003-05:00

A week ago today, exactly. In fact, at this time last week, I was hitting the lowest of my 20 mile low points. When I got home, I wrote about it. I'm pretty...uh...honest here. Don't think I'm a wimp, okay?

What It Feels Like to Run 20 Miles:

My day started at 3:45 a.m. I hopped right out of bed, made coffee and peanut butter toast, and checked my blogs. Kevin got up at 4:10. We changed and met Kelly at 5.

We started running right at sunrise. It was, for the most part, a gorgeous morning. Chicago was looking fabulous.

We started out north on the Lakeshore Trail, ran from Belmont to Hollywood, turned around, and headed south, still on the trail. (We saw a COYOTE just south of Belmont Harbor!) The first 2 miles were good. 3-8 were my sweet spot, as usual. 9 and 10 were solid. Kelly and I commented on how easy it felt and how it was building our confidence for the REAL DEAL. Miles 11 and 12 were fine. We made it just beyond Adler Planetarium, turning around at exactly 13.6 miles. I was okay up to this point, although I felt a lot of pain coming from the general direction of my left foot every time we’d start up again after stopping for a quick stretch, drink, or bathroom break. I’ve found it’s better to lull my limbs into numbness. Stopping and starting just reminds them they don’t want to be running, I think.

I began the 6.4 miles back optimistically. “Just run home!” I told Kelly and Kevin. Seemed simple enough. One foot in front of the other. Keep moving - that’s all you have to do.

By the way, our pace was really solid through all of this - like a 10:40 or 10:50/mile pace which is right where we want to be. And Kelly, Kevin, and I had no problems sticking together until the very end when Kelly broke off to stretch her hips and finish up on her own. No worries there.

So anyway, we headed home. And this is when it got rough. I had three “low points,” which I will shamelessly share with you.

Low point #1 was around mile 16 when we had to stop for traffic at Navy Pier. I doubled over and half started crying. It just hurt. And I was so, so tired. I wanted to curl up in a ball right there on the sidewalk.

Low point #2 came about a mile later. Again, pain. A lot of it. I was handling it until I realized we were at mile 17 and while that meant only 3 more miles today, if it were the actual marathon I would still have 9 MORE MILES TO GO. That kind of thinking always gets me - stressing about what I have to do another day. Ignoring Kelly’s advice to “do today’s run” and don’t worry about the future. So again, I started to cry, but I quickly stopped because I realized a few weeks ago that the gasping that tends to accompany my marathon training tears does not make running easier. Not even a little - can you imagine?

Low point #3 came about 18 miles in, 2 from the end. You’d think I’d have seen the light at the end of the tunnel at this point, but no. My legs hurt. My stomach felt queasy. A strong wind was in my face. I just got to a point where I felt kind of desperate - that’s the best way to describe it. I told Kevin I had to slow down but then I didn’t. I half cried a little. Again. (This is all super cool when you’re on the busy Lakeshore Trail at 8 a.m., by the way.) I yelled “I can’t do this!” at one point. I remember trying to cope by singing the refrain of Katy Perry’s “Firework” to myself. (Soooo dorky. And to make it worse, I planned that ahead of time.) I also remember thinking, “Can’t, Can’t, Can’t,” with each stride and making myself switch to “Can. Can. Can.” instead.

Anyway.

I pulled myself together each time. Or at least kept going, as undignified as I may have looked. I’d say I’m embarrassed, but I’m just going to let that go. Running is hard, and I don’t want to apologize for pushing myself to the brink of my physical limitations.

When we hit mile 19, I started counting my strides. If I get to 100, I know from past experience that roughly a tenth of a mile will have passed when I look back at my watch. So I counted to 100. Then 200. Then 200 again. Then I just started obsessively checking my Garmin every few seconds. At 19.98 miles, I held my wrist in the air so Kevin could hear the final beep. When it sounded, I collapsed onto the grass, legs and arms stretched out - so unbelievably tired and so unbelievably happy. I laid there in the sunshine for a long time, then stretched a little, and before too long Kelly (smiling!) came around the bend. We cheered her toward the finish line, she gave me a high five, and we all walked home. (Which was a painful ordeal in and of itself.)

And then…

An ice bath. A hot shower. The special after-running lotion I bought myself as a treat. EATING WHATEVER I WANTED FOR THE REST OF THE DAY (potato pancakes eggs benedict was my brunch choice). Lots of water. A nap. A celebratory dinner and drinks at a place called Big Jones (love it).

And now it's done. The hardest run in our training program. We're down to 12 miles this Saturday, 8 after that. And then the marathon. Heaven help me.

Eeek! - Kelly

2011-06-01T23:52:00.002-05:00

Sorry I've been such a delinquent blogger! Life has been B-U-S-Y!!! The marathon is 16 days away, I move into institute in 10 days, work is in full swing for the end of the year, and I've been trying to maintain some kind of social life between all the madness.

I promise a full marathon recap and pictures of my sweet dorm room at IIT once I get moved in. :)

Undisciplined. -Amy

2011-05-25T10:01:00.002-05:00

So to follow up Brady's blogpost, I have to say that I have been completely opposite recently. Because I am NOT running Grandma's Marathon in Duluth in June, the Mini Marathon was my Everest. I have completed my running goal (as of now) and have no desire to feel the extra pain of doubling that distance like my crazy (and completely admirable) sisters and bro-in-law.

So, after the Mini I decided to take a little breather from long runs. I took a week off from running all together and opted for Turbo Jam (a cardio kickboxing workout) that I loved while I was in college. This week, I picked up running again, but only short distances. My longest run since the Mini has been 4 miles.

I am eager to sign up for another race because I like the structure of having a schedule that I need to stick to. However, I also think it's important to give myself a little reward when I do meet goals. So, my reward is to do whatever workout I want to do. No structure. No discipline. Just listening to my brain and my body and letting those things decide what exercise I'm going to do that day. My options are running, strength training, Turbo Jam, and Zumba. I've only done Yoga once, but who knows? Maybe now is the time to try it! As long as I do something active everyday, I'm ok with it for now.

So until I sign up for my next race (which will actually probably be a shorter race so I can work on improving my time)... I will continue to work out spontaneously!

And Brady, it IS fantastic. You will love it once you are done with the Marathon!

Discipline - Brady

2011-05-21T12:07:00.008-05:00

Kevin and I just got back from a 14 mile training run. We (and Kelly) are prepping for Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota on June 18. We ran 18 miles last weekend and will run 20 this coming weekend. After 20 we taper our mileage down to get rested and ready for the big day.

Since these last few weeks have required a lot of running, we've had to stick to a pretty strict schedule in order to fit workouts in. It's been a really unique experience for me to be so disciplined - to have such a set routine every day of the week. Here's how we do it:

- Mondays I usually wake up early and lift weights or do yoga. Off to work (or working from home) from 8:30 or 9 - 5 or 6. I usually have a cocktail when I get home, Kevin makes dinner around 7:30, we eat, I clean up, and then we either watch TV or read in bed. I'm generally under the covers by 9:30.

- Tuesdays I set my alarm for about 4:15 a.m. We (Kevin and me and sometimes Kelly when her busy schedule allows it) have to run early to get it in before work, and I need at least 45 minutes to eat something and wake my body up before we head out. I make green tea and peanut butter toast before we go. Tuesdays are usually 5 mile runs. We're done, home, and out the door by 7:45. Class/Work - 6 or so. Cocktail. Dinner. Clean up. Read in bed. Asleep by 9:30ish.

- Wednesday is a repeat of Tuesday except we run 9 or 10 miles in the morning, so we wake up even earlier.

- Thursday is an exact repeat of Tuesday except sometimes we do something fun on Thursday nights because we have a "rest day" on Friday. This past week we went to a really good and new (to us) restaurant in our neighborhood called Erwin. We had Manhattans, split an onion and blue cheese tart, chatted with the bartender, and listened to some jazz. Funny how much I appreciate a little outing like this during such a structured week.

- Friday means no working out! HOWEVER, our long runs are on Saturday, so we stick to lots of water and healthy food all day long. We usually have some sort of carb-heavy dinner and then go to bed early. Last night we were asleep by 10:15.

- Saturday mornings we get up around 6 and do our long run on the Lakeshore Trail. (Ha. I say that like it's no big deal.) We come home, stretch, take ice baths, shower, hobble around, and then do something fun in the afternoon. I look forward to Saturday nights all week - even more than I did before training for this race. I'm more lenient with myself about food on Saturdays, too, so it's all around pretty awesome.

- Sundays are usually rest days. Or we sometimes do yoga. If we're in Chicago, we usually spend the day catching up on chores around the condo or work that we didn't get done during the week.

I've really loved this process. It's cool how calm I feel all the time, what with the constant running and never having to make any decisions because I know EXACTLY what I should be doing at any given moment, EXACTLY what I should be eating at each meal, EXACTLY how many hours of sleep I'll need to feel good on my run the next day.

But I will not lie to you. Come June 19 when this thing is over, I'll be ready for some spontaneity.

Rule for My Life - Brady

2011-05-16T18:23:00.007-05:00

When something really historic is happening, even if it throws off your schedule (which it will), GO ANYWAY. You'll always remember being at Rahm Emanuel's inauguration. You won't remember the routine stuff you would have done instead. You'll get your grad school reading done somehow, sometime. But Chicago only gets a new mayor about once a generation.

(Picture via)

My Mini Marathon Account -Amy

2011-05-10T09:46:00.004-05:00

As Brady stated in the last post, we all finished the Indy Mini Marathon. We all survived. We all ran the whole time. Considering those were ALL of my goals, I would have to say it was a success. Not only did I reach those goals, but my time per mile was 1 min and 20 sec faster than my time per mile at the 15k that we ran in November. That must mean I'm improving somewhat! I am definitely planning to do this race again next year, and I might even do a few other races in the meantime!

Like Brady said, it was a fun but difficult race. I was fine (and by fine I mean sore and tired, but still in good spirits) until about mile 10 or 11. After that, complaining and maybe even some light swearing started to occur. My favorite quote of my own happened as I was crossing the 11 mile marker. The only words I could manage to get out were, "I don't wanna!" Very mature, I know.

The lunch afterwards was delicious and amazing! I love the feeling of knowing that you can eat whatever you want because you earned it. And boy, did I take that feeling to heart! Here's a picture of my ridiculous lunch:

In case you are wondering, that's a burger with cheese, bacon, a fried egg, and a hashbrown patty.

Any meal that involves both hashbrowns and french fries was made for me.

It was a great day, and I'm feeling beyond accomplished!

Now... what's next for me?

Indianapolis Mini Marathon - Brady

2011-05-09T18:30:00.005-05:00

We all survived and all finished it running the whole way.

I'm especially grateful to our relatives Reed and Holly for hosting us. They took us out to a fantastic Italian dinner the night before, got us into comfy beds early (enough), and sent us on our way with detailed directions in the morning. They were so thoughtful. To give you my favorite example - Reed asked me what I usually eat in the morning before a run. I told him coffee and toast with peanut butter. Guess what two items were waiting for me, already prepared, when I woke up at 5:15?

I'm hoping my sisters will add their accounts of the day, but for me it was a nice but difficult (of course!) run. My legs were hurting for the last five miles or so, but crossing the finish line and celebrating with a beer and (veggie) burger afterward (while wearing my medal, clearly!) made it all worth it.

Happy 31st Anniversary! -Amy

2011-05-03T10:42:00.004-05:00

Today is our amazing parents' 31st Wedding Anniversary! In honor of this special occasion, here is a run down of some things that Mom and Dad have managed to squeeze into the last 31 years:

3 kids:
Brady, born in 1982
Kelly, born in 1984
Amy, born in 1987

2 son-in-laws:
Kevin, established 2005 via Brady
Roger, established 2010 via Amy

2 dogs:
Spanny, (official name Jack Spaniels... can you tell my parents got him in their 20's?) who was the awesome childhood pet of the the 3 above mentioned daughters. Buckner, the newest, chubbiest, and most likely to lick you addition to the family.

2 cats (I think only 2):
Dodge, given to Brady circa 1997... just passed away this winter.
Harold, given to the family circa 2000 who is still going strong at home.

1 Granddog
Lucy, established 2009 via Kelly

Countless Family Vacations:
Siesta Key
Disney World
Lake Wawasee
A famous "Wander Indiana" trip which was an excuse to visit all of their old college friends (an idea that I plan to copy someday).
Weekends in New Castle

Various work places:
L.S Ayres
Town Crier
Laporte Community Schools
Laporte County Realty
MTM Realty

Countless friends and family who love them so much!

We are so lucky to have such great parents who are always willing to give advice when asked, but are never overbearing. They are an example to all three of us of what life should be like! Happy Anniversary!

Shameless Plug... -Amy

2011-04-26T11:08:00.003-05:00

Hello Blog world!

I am been MIA because I was recooperating from getting my lovely wisdom teeth out last week. I am happy to say it is over and I'm feeling good! But more on that later.

The real reason for my post today is a shameless plug for a cause near and dear to my heart! 20 scholars from my Charter School in Chicago have been accepted AND have won scholarships to attend an enrichment program at Northwestern University this summer! This is an opportunity that has endless benefits. They will grow academically, be exposed to college life, and learn to make life changing goals for the future. However, these scholars live VERY far away from the Evanston campus, and most of their families cannot provide transportation to the program.

So, we are attempting to raise $6000 for busing to and from Evanston every day for these scholars. We really want them to be able to make the most of the opportunity they have worked so hard for. I can guarentee that any and all donations are directly benefiting the scholars I see every day.

If there is any way you can help, or if you just want some more information, please click the following link!

Thanks so much for your time!
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/stephanie-bartell/galapagos2011

Done! - Brady

2011-04-23T10:41:00.004-05:00

Sweaty, exhausted, sore, starving. In desperate need of a hot shower and coffee. Headed to Ann Sather with Kevin and Kelly to celebrate.

15 miles - Brady

2011-04-22T18:39:00.003-05:00

Kelly, Kevin and I are running 15 miles together tomorrow morning. Eeeeeeeeee. We're heading out for a healthy dinner and lots of water tonight. Send us happy thoughts for strong legs and lungs.

Traveling - Brady

2011-04-16T19:02:00.005-05:00

I just love it. I JUST LOVE IT. Almost nothing makes me happier. In the past 2 months, I've been to Siesta Key, Florida. Then to Seattle. Then, last weekend, to New Orleans. Two of those trips have been for conferences, but that doesn't bother me because I'm a major nerd.

New Orleans is amazing! I loved it so much. It's gorgeous. It's got tons of history. The food is incredible. The music is out of this world - I never liked jazz until I went there. The city's a little bit weird or eerie or haunting or something...not sure how to say it, but it's a good thing. Mysterious might be the best word, I guess. I just liked every single thing about the place. I was actually sick with a pretty brutal cold when I was there, but it was enough fun that every night I still stayed out late listening to music, eating good food, and watching all the crazies in the streets.

Traveling enriches my life in ways that I can't quite put into words. The only downside is that I find myself missing 100 places at once. I just want to be able to beam myself to my favorite coffee shop in Florida, The French Quarter, a rocky beach in Washington State, whenever I want.

If you want to see my pictures from the Big Easy, click here.

Salvaging the Week -Amy

2011-04-12T15:05:00.003-05:00

This is the last week at my school before spring break. I remember this feeling from last year, but I forgot how exausting it is. I feel like I am running a marathon trying to keep the kids engaged in lessons and working towards behavior goals. As the week goes, I have to work harder and harder as they slip more and more away. I love my little kiddos at school. They are a great group. But keep me in your thoughts to make it through this week. We all might make it out alive, and we may even learn something in the process... Then... on to one glorious week off! (Wish I was headed to Florida instead of getting wisdom teeth pulled... but you take what you can get I guess...)

Billable Hours - Brady

2011-04-06T08:40:00.005-05:00

I've been struggling for awhile with how to manage my time in graduate school. As nice as the flexibility of a student's schedule is, it can be hard to make yourself sit down and work on something that won't be due for months. And I think that time management is a big reason some people stay in PhD programs forever. (Which I do not want to do.)

Last quarter I started experimenting, trying out ways of organizing my time. I first tried working 9-5 every weekday. That was okay, except I ended up doing what a LOT of 9-5 workers do - which is procrastinating (making a snack, surfing the internet, etc.) instead of completing actual important projects. Plus, I was missing out on one of the cool benefits of being a grad student - freedom to decide where and when I want to work.

After that I tried setting goals for each week. I had to work until I met them. That meant that if I dilly-dallied I'd end up putting in hours over the weekend, but if I was super productive and finished all my goals by Thursday, Friday was all mine! No school! The problem with that strategy was that I'm not a good judge yet of how long research or writing an academic paper is going to take. And many of my goals are really long-term, so in order to make this system work I would have had to spend a bunch of time breaking down big goals into little ones. And I just didn't want to.

But now I've got it. I borrowed the idea of "billable hours" from lawyers. In the legal world, a billable hour is an hour in which an attorney is working on something for a client - something they can charge for. Many law firms have billable hour requirements for their staff. I appropriated this model and made myself my own boss. Every month, I have to "bill" 160 hours (40 hours a week for 4 weeks). "Billing" an hour means actually working on something - being in class, reading for school, running statistics for a project, etc. If I take a break to check my email or read a blog or make a snack, I have to stop counting time. This forces me to be productive but allows me the grad student flexibility I really enjoy. If one day I have to do a long run, for example, and don't want to get started with work until 10 a.m., I can just bill that 9-10 hour another time.

(Oh, and I have a detailed spreadsheet where I keep track of this. Nerd alert.)

This also gives me a chance to read interesting books or articles in my field that I'm not formally assigned for a class. For example, two weeks ago I had a light school week (called Spring Break) and didn't have 40 hours of "billable" work to do. So I made some - I read a book by the founder of Teach for America. I think exposing yourself to lots of different intellectual ideas, even if they're not part of the official curriculum of your program, is important in grad school.

So that's my brilliant solution. I'm loving it so far, and I think it will serve me well when I'm completely done with classes and have to depend on self-motivation to complete a dissertation.

Another post about my busy schedule - Kelly

2011-04-04T22:26:00.003-05:00

Ay yi yi... here are my next few months:

April 15- 17: I have a conference in Chicago

April 18- 22: friend Jasmine is coming to visit

April 29- May 5: Tucson (for fun) and Phoenix (for work)

May 6- May 8: Indy for mini-marathon

May 13-15: another conference in Chicago

May 20-22: headed to Texas/Mexico to see a good friend

May 27-30: another conference in Chicago

June 12: move in to institute

June 17-19: Minnesota for the marathon

June 20: Institute starts

In other news, I got a small promotion at work for next year, marathon training is going well, and pretty much all I do these days is go to work and go running!

No complaints- it's still a pretty sweet life. :)

Happy Birthday, Dad! -Amy

2011-04-04T10:26:00.004-05:00

Yesterday (April 3rd) was our fabulous father's birthday! He loves his birthday more than any adult that I know so he definitely deserves a little blog shout-out. We frequently get updates throughout the year about how many shopping days are left until his birthday and he's never shy about making plans or offering suggestions of what he might like. I LOVE this about my dad. He really takes the guess work out of birthday shopping and I love anyone that loves a good reason to celebrate!

He hung out at home with our Mom and his best canine pal, Buckner, for most of the day. Then he and my mom headed out to dinner at Brewster's in New Buffalo with Brady and Kevin. I made a surprise trip up from Chicago to join in the birthday dinner fun. After good wine, good italian food, and two great desserts, everyone was feeling the birthday love!

Happy Birthday, Dad! We love you!

Seattle! - Brady

2011-03-29T18:52:00.004-05:00

You've probably guessed this, but I love traveling. I'll scrap together a way to go just about anywhere. And I was lucky enough last year to be awarded a fellowship that pays a travel stipend so I can attend conferences. This past weekend I went to Seattle for the American Education Finance and Policy annual meeting. Lucky for you, I have no pictures of the actual conference sessions I attended, but I DO have a bunch from the rest of the weekend.

Click here if you'd like to see them!

It was a pretty fantastic trip. The flight is long, but I really love getting out to the Pacific Northwest.

Awesome Brunch -Amy

2011-03-28T10:11:00.006-05:00

Kelly hosted an amazing Brunch/Clothes Swap at her house on Sunday afternoon. It was great to meet the girls that are in her book club. It definitely made me want to become a member after hearing all of the funny stories that they told. I thought the idea of having a clothes swap along with a brunch was a great idea on Kelly's part, and she is definitely the hostess with the mostess!

Here are some pictures of the excellent Sunday afternoon activity. Brady, we wish you were there... but I'm sure you had a blast in Seattle!

Some of the clothes from the Swap:

The delicious oatmeal bar:

Some of the food:

My BeautiControl Station

It was an excellent end to the weekend, although I always hate to see it go!

Nashville - Amy

2011-03-21T22:04:00.002-05:00

I had an awesome weekend in Nashville, TN with my best friends. We definitely had a rootin' tootin' good time! The weekend was filled with a lot of country music, food, and fun!
Here are some of the highlights of my trip:

- Karaoke with friends (4 times!)
- Lunch at a fantastic Mexican restaurant
- Cooking dinner each night in the condo
- The fact that we rented a CONDO instead of a hotel room (I highly suggest www.homeaway.com)
- Walking around and checking out the shops
- Running along the riverfront
- Staying in historic "Printer's Alley"
- Dancing the night away with friends!

I have amazing friends and we had a great time. Can't wait to go back sometime soon!

Sunny Saturday, Rainy Sunday - Brady

2011-03-20T13:40:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I:

- Went on a 10 mile run down to the end of Navy Pier and back (and kicked butt at it, I might add)
- Had brunch #1 with Kevin's parents at Stella's - a diner down the street
- Shopped in my cute little neighborhood
- Shopped on Michigan Avenue, bought a Frank Lloyd Wright mousepad for my office at the Chicago Architecture Foundation store (GREAT store, by the way)
- Had brunch #2 with Kevin's parents, Lesley, and Paul at The Gage (so so good!)
- Took a nap to shake off some of my post long-run fatigue
- Did some work
- Had wine and fancy blue cheese with Kelly and Kevin
- Ate absolutely delicious vegetarian food at The Chicago Diner (yes, I ate all 3 meals out yesterday. Ay ay ay.)

Today I:

- Attended a loooooong yoga class with Kevin
- Tried out the Saugatuck Coffee Company on Halsted
- Drank my "tricked out" coffee (lots of half and half with cinnamon sprinkled on top) while reading the Chicago Tribune and watching the rain through the coffee shop window
- Speed-walked home in the drizzle
- Looked at pictures of all of the trips Kevin and I took this year

Still to come:

- More work
- Dinner and Jane Eyre with Kelly and a new Chicago friend

Life is good in Chicago this weekend - rain or shine.

Truffle Mac and Cheese! -Amy

2011-03-17T11:14:00.003-05:00

Wanted to share this recipe. Just let me say... DELICIOUS! I feel like anything with tons of cheese and truffle oil is bound to be delicious, though. Enjoy!

Truffled Mac and Cheese

Serves: 4

Ingredients
3 tablespoons white truffle oil
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half
1/4 pound Swiss cheese, grated
1/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 pound Fontina cheese, grated
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces elbow macaroni

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of the truffle oil, the breadcrumbs, and the Parmesan and set aside.
In a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for about 3 minutes, or until the flour blends with the butter.
Whisk in the half-and-half, bring to a simmer, and cook for 3 minutes.
Stir in the Swiss, cheddar, Fontina, and mustard. Remove the sauce from the heat once the cheeses have melted. Stir in the remaining truffle oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over medium heat and cook the macaroni for about 7 minutes, until al dente. Drain the pasta and add to the saucepan with the cheese sauce. Stir well.
Pour the macaroni and cheese sauce into a 1-quart buttered baking dish. (At this point you could refrigerate the casserole dish for up to 24 hours.) Top the casserole with the breadcrumb mixture and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the casserole is bubbling.

Weekend Highs and Lows - Brady

2011-03-13T20:09:00.003-05:00

Highs:

- Spending time in La Porte with my parents, Amy, Buckner, and Lucy
- Crashing the engagement party of two good friends (lots of other good friends in attendance)
- New veggie burger at Redamak's (!!! Do you know how long I've been waiting for this?)
- Baby shower
- Actual baby at said baby shower (adoption is awesome)
- WINE at baby shower (having a drink with the new mom is also awesome)
- Morning Glory with my dad (cute movie)
- Nice easy run around Stone Lake this morning
- Hearing about my parents' Siesta plans (they haven't been in 3 years!)
- Sunday morning brunch in New Buffalo

Lows:

- Kevin's sick
- Tax night tonight

Random Sunday Night Thoughts - Kelly

2011-03-06T21:34:00.003-06:00

Hey blog world! Sorry I've been so M.I.A.! As a mentioned in my last post, life has been kind of busy!

As Brady wrote about in her post, our trip to Florida was AWESOME. I wasn't nearly as active as she was- mostly because I had just finished a bout with the flu then was hit with allergies once I got to Siesta Key. I spent most of my time sleeping and laying on the beach.

Let me just reiterate that my grandparents are the best hosts EVER. Seriously- I love spending time with they anywhere, but they know how to live the good life in Florida. We never went without great snacks, glasses of wine, or awesome conversation. Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa for an AWESOME trip- I wish I was still there with you!

I had a pretty nutty few days getting back in the groove here but got to escape it all with a trip to LaPorte to see my parents (and my dog who they are graciously watching for another week as I head out on another work trip to Houston). My parents also know how to have a good time- my mom and I got take out from Mucho Mas (a great little Mexican place in LaPorte) and watched 'The Hangover', my dad and I stayed up until 2 am talking and drinking wine, and on Saturday my mom made us some amazing garlic (fake) cheeseburgers before I had to head back to the city.

I rounded out my weekend with coffee with a coworker at my favorite Chicago coffee shop, an easy 6 miles at the gym, and a fun date with a new guy I've gone out with a few times.

After a quick trip in to the office this morning I was driving home via Wacker and Lake Shore drive and realized how much I love my life. Moving to Chicago was one of the best decisions I've ever made- I absolutely love this city but I love living so close to the people I care about even more. I have amazing friends here, I love my job, I get to see my family all the time... I just don't think it gets any better than this!

Have a great week, everyone. :)

Florida, Florida - Brady

2011-03-06T19:33:00.010-06:00

In Siesta Key, I:

- Got up early every morning and ran or walked on the beach as the sun came up.

- Dranks lots of coffee. (This cup was on the porch of a local coffee shop AFTER my sunrise run. One of the best mornings I've ever had.)

- Spent lots of time with my grandparents. They know how to live.

- Wandered around by myself and ate and drank delicious things.

- Watched three sunsets, always while drinking white wine. (Okay, there may have been a Miller Lite in there at some point, too.)

- And the highlight, for sure....visited my good friends and their new baby girl.

I love love love vacation. Even though the last day was really sad, as it always is, I came back to Chicago so rested and ready to tackle these last few weeks of winter.

I haven't told you about Florida yet, have I? - Brady

2011-03-06T13:51:00.004-06:00

It was, in a word, fabulous. I'll post more details later. Sorry 'bout the delay. Here's one gorgeous picture for now.

Indianapolis Mini Marathon

2011-03-03T12:05:00.001-06:00

The three sisters are tackling the Indianapolis Mini Marathon together in May, and Brady and Kelly are heading to Minnesota for a Marathon in June. Check out our Sister Mini Marathon Countdown at the bottom of the blog!!

Homesickness -Amy

2011-03-02T10:28:00.003-06:00

Homesickness is a feeling that 2 out of the 3 Jones girls are very accustomed too. Kelly, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think somehow you lucked out and did not receive the homesickness gene. Anyways, I have been homesick many times in my life, starting when I was little all the way up to the present when I have to be away for a long amount of time. For anyone who also has suffered from homesickness, you know it can be the absolute worst feeling in the entire world. I associate terrible things with being homesick, and I never thought I would say what I am about to say.

I think homesickness call actually be an awesome thing.

After being incredibly jealous of my sisters who just returned from my favorite place in the world (Siesta Key) to visit two of my favorite people in the world (Grandma and Grandpa) I got to thinking. I couldn't really pinpoint the feeling that I was having when they were leaving, when I was getting text and facebook updates on their trip, and when I looked through the photo album of pictures that they took on their vacation (which I'm sure you will get an update on soon). It wasn't really jealousy. It wasn't really sadness. It wasn't that I was mad I couldn't go. It was homesickness.

I am homesick for Florida and my Grandma and Grandpa. No, this isn't the worst case of homesickness I've ever experienced, but that's definitely what it is. I miss everything about Siesta Key. The restauraunts, Grandma's snacks for the condo and beach, the feeling of being in the sun all day, having cocktails and conversation with my grandparents at sunset, sleeping with the windows open and listening to the birds, the sounds of the fountains in their condo area, staying up late to talk to family, The Village (where we shop and eat), the coziness of the condo, having nothing to do all day but read hand-me-down books from Grandma... all of it.

Now, I said that this homesickness was a good thing. I'm sure it doesn't seem like missing all of these things is a fun feeling.

But how lucky am I that I have such an amazing family that gives me this amazing place to miss?

I'm feeling pretty lucky to be feeling homesick.

Miss you Grandma and Grandpa! Have a cocktail for me at sunset tonight!

The Great Charter School Debate -Amy

2011-02-25T15:41:00.002-06:00

As some of you may know, I am currently a 3rd grade teacher at a Charter School on the West Side of Chicago and I have loved it. I've been pro-charter school ever since I started and was more than willing to sing praises for charter schools to anyone I met. However, I've recently been reading up on the different chartering processes for charter schools in Indiana and Illinois because Indiana is starting to push for more charters, and I know a lot of really smart, educated, and hard working teachers in Indiana who are opposing the charter school proposal. I wanted to look more into it, because I truly respect the opinions of these teachers, some who have MANY years of experience on me, and I decided it was time to make sure I was getting my facts straight. So, for anyone interested, or currently affected by a charter school proposal, here is what I've put together.

I think it is really important to realize that the chartering process for charter schools can differ from state to state. What I have noticed, is that the MAJOR difference between the charter schools in Chicago and the charter school proposal happening in Indiana is all about who can sponsor (or approve and designate public funds for) a charter school. Every charter school, in every state, needs a sponsor to approve their charter. However, in Chicago (and in the school where I teach) the sponsor is required to be Chicago Public Schools. Therefore, we do not have to adhere to all of the same guidelines as public schools, but we DO have meet the same high expectations for acheivement that are set for tradionally public schools, AND we have to get a proposal approved by the public school corporation that we will be apart of that says how we are going to reach those standards. We are then monitored and have to apply for a new charter every 5 years. CPS does not have to recharter us if we haven't met those goals.

What I'm seeing in the proposal in Indiana is that a school corporation CAN be the one to sponsor a charter school, but Universities and Mayoral offices can also sponsor a charter. Therefore, the school corporation is not always the one who gets to decide whether the proposals are adequate. I can DEFINITELY see how it would be frustrating and confusing for a government office (other than a school board) or a University to be able to approve a charter school and then the school corporation (who may or may not agree with that approval) is forced to share funds with that school.

I guess I just wanted to write this for all of my teacher friends in Indiana who may be getting a bad taste in their mouth for charter schools. I sort of felt the need to defend myself and my position as pro-charter after being referred to as "one of those charter school teachers" by a friend in education in Indiana. I just wanted to shed light that the problem may not be charter schools themselves, but more about how they are to be run, managaged, and approved.

Thanks for reading... feel free to let me know if something I've said is not accurate or if I've misunderstood something. I'm all about being informed!

Spring Fever....-Amy

2011-02-17T10:24:00.003-06:00

Ok, so I seriously believe in seasonal depression. Was I depressed this winter? No. But, I have noticed a HUGE change in my mood since the days have been getting warmer. You know the part in Elf when Will Farrell is singing, "I'm in a store! And I'm singing!" Well, this morning I actually caught myself singing that tune in my head but with these words, "I'm in the car! With my window down!" No joke.

I didn't think winter really bothered me, and I actually have thought to myself that I was handling my first chilly Chicago winter very well. And I still think I did. BUT, I never wanted to leave the apartment after I was in, I had to brace myself to go outside, and I only went places that I could get to with a minimal walk.

Now, I want to be outside ALL DAY LONG. I actually look forward to my morning duties at school that involve me standing outside. I voluntarily take the long way outside just to feel the fresh air. I am meeting up with people more often. Errands aren't as annoying. The drive home is excellent with the window cracked.

And... I catch myself singing in my head.

I'm afraid that this is just a cruel, cruel hoax and that the dreaded sub zero temperatures will come back. But for now... I've definitely got Spring Fever!

P.S. I would be happily singing in my head even more if I was headed to Siesta Key with my sisters... I'm so jealous. Miss you Grandma and Grandpa!

2011-02-15T16:54:00.003-06:00

In one week and two days I will be here. Siesta Key, Florida to visit my grandparents.

My family has gone to this beach once a year for as long as I can remember. It's one of my favorite places in the world. Chicago has warmed up considerably recently, but I can't stop thinking about my trip.

Some plans I have:

- Lots of beach running. Kelly (who's coming with me) and I are officially training for a marathon, and jogging by the ocean is the best.

- Beverages: Coffee. Green Tea. Banana steamers. Beer. Everything tastes better in the sunshine.

- Sunrises. I really love to get up early on vacation, even though it can be tough. I plan on spending a couple of mornings down by the water.

- Village exploring. We tend to go back to the same places every year, so this vacation I want to take an afternoon and only go to shops and restaurants I've never tried before.

- Cocktail hours. No one does them like my grandpa and grandma, especially when they're in Florida.

- Point of Rocks. On Crescent Beach there's a long stretch of rocks where you can seashell hunt, explore tide pools, and watch the waves come in. I want to make it all the way around it this year.

- Grilling out. I just want to do it. Winter has been looooong and throwing some (veggie) burgers on the grill seems so summertime.

- Yoga on the beach. Yes.

- In general, I just want to forget about work, forget about schedules, and relax.

Exciting! -Amy

2011-02-13T16:26:00.003-06:00

I am super excited because my very best friend, Ashlie, got engaged! Ashlie and I go way back and have countless ridiculous memories together. I could not be more excited for her and her fiance, Nick. It's extra fun, because Nick has been a friend of our family's forever, so it's double good news for the Jones family! I couldn't be more excited to get to take part in wedding plans and preparations... and of course to dance the night away on their big day!

Congratulations Ash! I couldn't be more excited for you!

It's the time of year... - Kelly

2011-02-07T22:31:00.001-06:00

... when it's impossible to keep track of where I'm headed and when I'm in Chicago.

In the next few weeks I'm headed to DC, St. Louis, Florida, Houston, and somewhere random for a selection tour for work.

If I'm a little M.I.A that is why... for some reason February- April is ridiculous in my world!

It was everything I hoped it would be. - Brady

2011-02-02T12:28:00.003-06:00

The snowpocalypse was awesome. Our power and heat stayed on, everybody I know in Chicago was safe, and Kevin and I spent the entire afternoon and evening in front of the fire.

This morning we ventured out to one of the few open restaurants for breakfast. We're supposed to get more precipitation today, but the worst seems to be over.

Click here to see photos Kevin took this morning.

Let the Snowpocalypse Begin! - Brady

2011-02-01T15:40:00.003-06:00

This is what it looks like outside my window right now. Although I don't think the photo really captures the drama.

It's the snowpocalypse everybody! I've been looking forward to this for two days. 20 inches of snow. 25 foot waves on Lake Michigan. Northwestern classes cancelled. Yes.

I have big, big plans. I can't decide what to do. Kelly and Amy were planning on coming over tonight, so if they can still make it (remember we live within walking distance of each other - hey-yo!), that will be fab. A trip to Arkansas for Kevin got postponed, so he'll be here too to watch movies and do face masks with us. If it doesn't turn out to be a sister snowzapalooza and it doesn't seem TOO dangerous out there, I might see if Kev wants to get a beer at a bar about a block away. If not, we have firewood and good food here. And tomorrow, again if it's not overly scary, I might make Kevin get up and go out to breakfast with me so we can fully participate in this historic snowbilation.

I think this will all go well. At least until our power goes out. Then I'll be super whiny.

Settling in... -Amy

2011-01-30T12:16:00.002-06:00

On Friday of this week, I was in a meeting at school where we were informed that 2 people had decided to leave our school midyear because they either weren't in agreement with the school's philosophy or because they were too exausted from the huge workload. This prompted our CEO to talk with all of us about our own personal goals and expectations for our work and personal lives. While my school is going through a bit of a reorganization, I was forced to look at my own commitment to the organization, and what my steps after this year might be.

I'm not going to lie. When I got this job, I was really excited mostly because I had a job in Chicago and was not going to have to commute. Since then, I've gone through a rollercoaster of emotions as I learned a ton, grew as a professional, and learned to somehow manage a workload that seems unmanageable. I was busy as a teacher last year, but nothing could have prepared me for this. We write our own curriculum, which adds atleast 10 extra hours of work for me each week. My kids all get an individualized prescription for what they need to learn in every subject, which adds a varying amount of work for me each week. Bottom line, teachers are busy... every teacher, everywhere, if they are doing their job the right way. When I started this job, I thought, "This will be great for a few years, but my ultimate goal is to get back to somewhere like I was teaching for my first year." Somewhere suburban, somewhere like I went to school.

Now, after this meeting I'm not so sure. I feel like I am busy, but that I'm really settling in. I have gotten really attached to my kids, and I can't imagine leaving their school. I enjoy this job, I'm growing as a professional and learning more than I thought I would. There might even be a chance to move into an administrative role in a few years. I like the freedom that a charter school allows for. I like working with people who are all dedicated to growing themselves to make their students' lives better. I think my thoughts on this job have gone from "This will be great for awhile..." to "This seems to be where I fit."

Obviously, my life will take turns that I'm not expecting, which ironically this job was. I truly enjoyed my life last year, and I truly am enjoying my life this year, so I am excited to see what happens.

But let's just say, I am MUCH more settled into this job than I ever planned on being.

Epic Weekends - Kelly

2011-01-23T21:48:00.002-06:00

Every once in awhile a weekend will come along that somehow, out of nowhere, turns itself into an Epic Weekend. That's right- Epic Weekends are so epic they're proper nouns. This weekend happened to be one of those.

While not every story is quite blog appropriate (don't worry, Mom and Dad- I'll feel you in on all the chaos later!) let me give you the run down...

Friday night- Adam and I got home from work, were both exhausted from the week and decided to throw being healthy out the window. We ate frozen pizza, nachos, some awesome little chocolate straws... then proceeded to pass out in food comas on our couches at about 7 PM. Luckily I had set an alarm to go off at 8:30 when I was supposed to head to Amy's for Round One of Amy's 24th Birthday Celebration. Drinks were drunk, fun was had, and I toddled home in the cold at a halfway reasonable hour.

Saturday morning- My parents came to town for brunch! You know it's going to be a good weekend when you're consuming gin and whiskey at noon and the brunch involves multiple desserts. :) My parents hung out for most of the afternoon before heading home to take care of good old Buckner.

Saturday afternoon- Feverishly transitioned from my brunch look (glasses, sweather, messy hair) to my going out look in about 15 minutes.

Saturday evening- Brady, Kevin and I met up with our cousin Reed and his wife Holly at an awesome little Italian restaurant for amazing food and some great wine.

Then the chaos started- after dinner we headed to Duffy's (our go to party bar) for Amy's real birthday celebration. Let's just say I fully maximized the vodka tonics my wristband got me until 10 pm when I switched to fully enjoying the wide variety of shots Duffy's offers. Lots of dancing happened, I got an admirer (who funny enough is heading to jail this week for three years... long story), and ended up having one of the most bizarre nights/mornings of my life...

Sunday morning- Scraped myself off the ground and headed to a wine bar (where I consumed NO wine!) for brunch with Amy, Brady, Kevin, and another cousin, Matt, who was in town from New York for the Bears game.

Sunday afternoon- Came home, passed out, listened to the Bears lose on the radio, swore off drinking for the next year of my life.

No more Epic Weekends for me for quite awhile, please!

Amy 2004 vs. Amy 2011 - Amy

2011-01-18T21:26:00.002-06:00

Roger and I have really been trying to make an effort to be healthier and get in shape. This new lifestyle brought about sort of a funny conversation about how different our bodies react to things now then they did when we were 17. Here is a little run down of Amy in 2004 and Amy in 2011, and what lifestyle changes have had to happen to accomodate a 23 (almost 24) year old body as opposed to a 17 year old one.

Amy in 2004:
Ate fast food on a regular basis, probably 3 times a week. Frequently, this involved a bacon cheeseburger from Wendy's and large fries as I ran from practice to practice. I'm not proud to say (ok, maybe I'm a little proud to say it) that I have consumed an entire "Big New Yorker" pizza from Pizza Hut all by myself. Lunches usually consisted of whatever high calorie meal was being served in the lunch line at school, and on occasion, a frozen Snickers bar for dessert. The real kicker is... I DIDN'T GAIN A POUND. EVER.

Went to the YMCA in town to hang out with her friends and pretend to use a treadmill for 12 minutes.

Somehow got enough exercise from after school activities (cheerleading, tennis, show choir) to stay the same size from age 15-18.

Could eat whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, never make time for exercise, and not be affected in any way, shape or form.

Amy in 2011:

Eats one french fry from McDonald's and feels jiggly for a week.

Instead of hanging out with friends near the treadmills, spends all sorts of time on a treadmill to keep her stomach from hanging out...

HAS to make time for exercise atleast 4 times a week, or else.

Pretends she can eat whatever she wants, whenever she wants, on occasion, then pays for it for atleast a week (depending on how bad I decided to be...).

While this thought it somewhat depressing, I it's actually a really GOOD thing. This is clearly my body's way of telling me that all of that junk is bad for me, exercise is good for me, and even if I wasn't gaining a pound at 17 from all of that I was probably clogging ever artery in my body.

So, thank you 24 year old body for keeping me on my toes (and on the treadmill) and making me feel unhealthy when I'm being unhealthy. It is GREATLY helping me stay on track with this new healthy lifestyle. =)

Snow and Sun - Brady

2011-01-13T09:13:00.007-06:00

Some pictures from an exceptionally fun past two weeks.

First, the snow.

Zoo Lights at Lincoln Park Zoo.

The view from our window at the house we rented with friends in Lake Geneva over New Year's.

Still in Lake Geneva. A cold walk led us here and to a great martini.

And now the sun.

The Hollywood sign! We were out in L.A. for Kevin's job, and had the best weekend. I forgot how easy life feels when the weather is good. I didn't like L.A. the first time we went back a few years ago, but just embraced the whole quirky, over-the-top atmosphere this time and kinda loved it.

Beautiful views. You can see the L.A. skyline waaaaaaaay down there.

An afternoon at the old Mexican market. I love this kind of stuff. I even gathered my courage and practiced my Spanish.

The gorgeous mountains of Palm Springs.

I couldn't stop gaping at the fruit trees out there. In the backyard of our B&B there was both a grapefruit and an avocado tree.

Where we had an amazing outdoor meal. (Do you remember what it's like to eat outdoors? Sigh. Winter is long.)

Palm trees. My favorites. Whenever I go on someplace warm, I make a note of when I see my very first palm of the trip.

And finally, the mountains at sunrise from the porch of our hotel room. Can you see the windmills at the base? (Maybe not - these pictures are awfully small. But they're there and really pretty!)

Happy Wife, Happy Life... -Amy

2011-01-12T11:53:00.009-06:00

While I think this title is clever and a funny saying, it only partially describes what this post about. I am, indeed, a happy wife with a happy life, but there are many other reasons besides the recent marriage that I am happy.

I was driving to work this morning, and I was thinking about how much I had been complaining recently. I am always talking to Roger about how tired I am after school, all the crazy stuff the kids are doing, how much there is to clean up the apartment, how I want to get organized in all aspects of my life, how I need to save money and I'm terrible at it... it goes on and on. But as I was driving to my job (that I am lucky to have and that am totally fulfilled by), in a city that I have learned to love very quickly, with sisters only blocks away, parents only an hour away, a wonderful husband headed to his job (that he sort of likes, but GREATLY helps with bill paying...), a full to-go mug of coffee, and delicious macaroni and cheese cooking in the crock pot for dinner, I couldn't help but think: what in the world do I have to complain about?

Yes, my job keeps me very busy (and tired). But I am lucky to have it, and I get to do something that I totally love and find very important.
Yes, the apartment is never quite as clean as I think it should be. But it will get there and it's fine.
Yes, I should probably work on saving more money. But luckily, it's just Rog and I so we aren't in a huge time crunch to pay for things we can't afford (ehem... children...)
Yes, I should probably eat healthier and work out more. We'll just leave that one alone.

But seriously...
My life rocks. I love it in Chicago. I love that Roger and I just get to hang out and have fun and do whatever we want. I love that my parents and best friends are a short drive away. I love that I have great friends and awesome sisters in the city. I love that I am learning more in this job then I feel like I did in my entire 4 years of undergrad.

I'm just happy...

Happy wife, happy life!

Here are some pictures of things that make my life happy:

Also, a little something fun... -Amy

2011-01-06T12:29:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to let you know that I finally got on the ball and posted our wedding annonuncement on an online news website for our town. Click on the words below to check it out! =)

Wedding Announcement

What's cookin good lookin? -Amy

2011-01-05T19:29:00.002-06:00

Why hello there blog world! I have thought frequently about stopping by our little corner of the internet to update this blog, but never felt like I had anything super blog worthy. I decided as the new year begins, I am going to make it part of my resolution to blog once a week. While I sometimes may feel like I don't have much to say, I HAVE been trying out my hand at cooking over the last few months and think that this experience may actually be blog-worthy! So, I may throw a few updates or funny things that happened in here every so often... but I am also going to be sharing at least one recipe a week.

Now, I realize this may go against my sister's principles, because they are vegetarian and I am a carnivore. So, while a lot of the recipes will include meat, most the of the time it is optional!

Here is what I made tonight, and it turned out delicious!

Broccoli Chicken Divan (chicken optional, could add tofu or more veggies... potatoes would be a good, hearty subsitution)

1 pound chopped fresh broccoli
1 1/2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of broccoli soup
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Place the broccoli in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
Place the cooked broccoli in a 9 inch pie plate. Top with the chicken. In a bowl, mix the soup and milk, and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs, and sprinkle over the cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly brown.

Family - Kelly

2010-12-30T22:56:00.005-06:00

One of my new favorite TV shows is 'Parenthood'. It actually reminds me a lot of 'Brothers and Sisters'- another show that's been a favorite over the past few years. Both shows are about a set of siblings all living in the same area they grew up in dealing wiht life. Each sibling has their own life, situation, kids, etc and the dynamic between each of the siblings and their parents is unique and interesting.

What I've realized is that I have my own little real-life version of these TV shows going on. I love living so close to my sisters and parents- and I love that we're all involved in each other's lives. We don't have the drama you see in these TV shows (in fact we might be the least dramatic family ever) but the relationships are the same.

Anyway, I won't get all sappy about it - but if you don't live near your siblings you should consider moving closer. And- watch these TV shows. :)

Finding a work schedule - Brady

2010-12-30T14:04:00.004-06:00

I'm very quickly moving into the part of graduate school where I basically set my own schedule all day, every day. I have two more quarters of classes, but the workload isn't as intense, and by the end of June I won't have to be on campus at all unless I have a meeting or something. (Or just want to remind my advisor I exist.)

I get a taste of what that life will be like during my current vacations. I always have projects to work on but nowhere to be. And it's really hard to get motivated! It's scarily easy to just let the day get away from you.

One of my New Year's resolutions is to find a schedule that works for me. I know a couple of important things about myself already. For example, I do better when I get up early. Also, it helps if do something productive right away. It can be exercising or doing some reading or getting through my email. But as nice as sitting around in my pjs checking blogs for an hour can be, I've learned it's not a good way to start a busy day. I work better OUT of the condo - even if I just go to a coffee shop or over to my friend Kristin's to watch her dog. Somehow that sends my brain a message that it's work time.

But I still have some thinking to do. I do not want to (WILL NOT) be one of those grad students who takes years and years to finish up.

I'm thinking about doing a couple of different things. First of all - I think I should commit to going up to campus 3 days a week, even if I don't have something specific to do up there. It'll make me more productive, it's a good thing for professors to see me occasionally, and it's important to talk to other grad students about new ideas or projects to collaborate on. I'm also thinking about sitting down for 15 minutes every Sunday night and planning out what I want to get accomplished that week. It seems silly to make myself work 9-5 or something (because I can dawdle or procrastinate if I just base my work day on time), but if I have defined tasks, it'll keep me on track.

I know you're all out there feeling really bad for me, what with my sad life where I have to manage a flexible schedule and figure out where in the world I want to work each day and when I should get dressed every morning. Try not to cry too hard on my behalf. I'll survive.

Nervous Little Dogs - Brady

2010-12-20T11:15:00.004-06:00

When I saw this on another blog I read, I thought immediately of Lucy in Kelly's coach house.

Cartoon found here.

St. Lucia's Day in Chicago - Brady

2010-12-17T07:33:00.008-06:00

December 13 was St. Lucia's Day, so Kevin and I decided to head to Ebenezer Lutheran Church up in Andersonville to see a real-live celebration.

It’s really a beautiful story and tradition. Legend has it that St. Lucia (martyred because she wanted to devote her life to God and the poor instead of marrying some dude) was seen crossing a lake in a white gown wearing a wreath of lights on the darkest day of the year (according to the old-timey calendar they used) up in Scandanavia. She saved the people from famine and brought hope that winter would end and the light would come back. So today the oldest girl in every family gets up early on December 13th, puts on her special St. Lucia outfit, and serves coffee and buns to her family.

None of our pictures turned out great, but below is Chicago’s very own 2010 St. Lucia (oh yes, we have an official St. Lucia here) and then my sisters and me all dressed up as kids.

Just some baby Lucy to brighten your day. - Kelly

2010-12-09T22:42:00.000-06:00

I have a haiku, too. - Kelly

2010-12-09T22:39:00.001-06:00

My older sister
Dorky? Yes. But that's okay.
Will try to blog more.

:)

Here's Another One - Brady

2010-12-06T15:01:00.001-06:00

Hey, here's another Haiku for you.

I have two sisters.

So busy. They never blog.

Jones Cubed or just Jones?

A Finals Haiku - Brady

2010-12-06T14:58:00.002-06:00

I wrote this for you today. You're welcome.

Finished hard exam.

I will be wearing sweatpants

The rest of the day.

Feels Like Winter - Brady

2010-12-05T18:00:00.008-06:00

Snow in Chicago?

Check. (Look out the window.)

Candles?

Check.

Bulldog Santa hat pj pants?

Check.

Tree bought and decorated?

Check.

And check.

A bad cold that gives me an excuse to lay around all weekend?

Check.

(I'll spare you a picture of my dirty Kleenex.)

It's Vegetarian Thanksgiving Day! - Brady

2010-11-20T07:48:00.004-06:00

This is, no joke, one of my top 5 favorite days of the year. When Kevin and I got married, we decided to do Thanksgiving up right, vegetarian style. That year, and maybe the next, was just the two of us. But once we moved to Fort Wayne, we started inviting family. It's usually just the Saturday before or the Saturday after regular Thanksgiving. This year, it feels like the official start to the holidays for me.

Here are pictures from Veggie Thanksgivings past!

Changes... -Amy

2010-11-19T18:02:00.003-06:00

So, I was feeling the need to do something fun and to make a change. Nothing big, just something to shake things up a bit. I decided my hair was ready for a change! So, instead of impulsively cutting it as I usually do, I decided to change the color this time! Let me know what you think!

I will always be a blonde at heart, and I imagine this color change will be brief. But it's a fun change for now!

Peace out!

Fire! - Brady

2010-11-18T20:41:00.004-06:00

Left to my own devices due to Kevin's all-day depositions in southern Illinois, I impulsively decided to buy a fire grate and make, all by my lonesome, our first wood fire in our wood-burning fireplace.

(This sounds like something The Hare would do, actually...)

It was a smashing success.

Our place is really starting to feel like home. And I can't put into words how much better my life is now that Kevin's in Chicago full-time and I have a year of (difficult, difficult, difficult) graduate school under my belt. (Which makes me a smidgen more confident that I'm not (a) making a gigantic mistake or (b) on the path to miserable failure because I'm so much stupider than everyone else.)

And one more thing - Kelly

2010-11-16T22:32:00.004-06:00

I'm seriously debating chopping off my hair...

Right now it looks like this:

But I want it like this:

Thoughts and opinions are welcome!!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Kelly

2010-11-16T22:28:00.002-06:00

Hello, blog world! I'm not quite sure how many people still read this little corner of the internet, but I'm going to try to update a little more regularly.

There is A LOT going on in my world! I love this time of year- it's seriously the best. Here is a little sampling of what's been taking up all of my time:

11/6- Hot Chocolate 15K (and my parents will be here!)- DONE!
11/11- Work Thanksgiving- DONE (Delicious!)
11/14- The Secret Garden (Northwestern Theatre Department w/ Brady)- DONE (was awesome)
11/20- Brady and Kev’s Vegetarian Thanksgiving
11/25- Thanksgiving! (and 10K Turkey Trot with Amy and Jenna)
12/4- Work Holiday Party
12/7- Holiday Party @ my apartment
12/8- My 26th birthday and WICKED with my sisters!
12/9- LPHS Choir Christmas Concert and Bday Dinner w/ my Fam
12/11- Out and about for my birthday
12/22- My fabulous mom’s birthday (and home for the holidays)
12/25- Christmas!!

November and December are the best months. :)

15K - Brady

2010-11-07T17:17:00.004-06:00

I don't know if you realize this - but you are currently reading the blog of three seriously good runners. I mean, we're practically Olympic-bound.

For real, though, we're pretty much awesome. All three of us (plus Kevin, plus Roger) not only finished but decimated Chicago's Hot Chocolate 15K. Some specific accomplishments of note:

- We survived the near freezing starting line temperatures without too much complaining.

- We all ran the entire race. This was Amy and Roger's first official race of any kind - 9.3 miles. Not too shabby, people! Not too shabby at all.

- Kevin and I met our time goal of averaging 11 minute miles or faster (our actual average pace was 10:13, which I thought was beyond the realm of possibility for me).

- Most importantly, we all felt good enough afterward to enjoy chocolate fondue, hot chocolate, and Ghirardelli chocolate squares.

It wasn't easy, and it wasn't always pretty. But it ended up being a fabulous weekend with fabulous people. Thanks to Mom and Dad for coming up to support us. :)

Life Update - Kelly

2010-11-02T19:32:00.002-05:00

Why hello blog world! It's been awhile but I'm still alive and kicking and enjoying life in Chicago. Turns out October was a BUSY month... here's a quick recap:

I traveled a bunch for work (conferences, selection tour) and am getting ready to head out again right after Thanksgiving. I can't honestly say that I'm loving my job right now (I have a challenging group this year) but I do appreciate the amount of responsibility I've been given. Right now I'm debating whether or not I want to work at institute again next summer in addition to figuring out how they heck I'm going to earn a living next year!

I am still loving the coach house. My only complaint is Adam never seems to remember to clean and his dog tends to get a little smelly, but that's what Lucy and I get for living with boys! My neighborhood is so cute now that all the leaves have changed colors, and I can only imagine how cute our little house will be once its decorated for Christmas and there is some snow on the ground. If you haven't come to visit you need to!

Brady, Kevin, Roger, Amy and I are all running the Hot Chocolate 15K on Saturday. My mom and dad are coming up (yay!!!) so it should be a fun weekend. The only problem? I'm battling a cold and have not trained AT ALL for this race. In fact, I've worked out much less than I do regularly, let alone when I'm training for a long distance race... oh well, somehow I'll make it through!

Speaking of races.... Brady, Kevin and I all signed up to run a marathon (that's right... a FULL marathon!) in June. It's a ways away but I'm pretty pumped to start training after the holidays.

I just bought a record player (a steal on Craigslist!) so a new hobby is going to be scoring cheap (and awesome) used records in my neighborhood. I'm also thinking about signing up for guitar classes in December. I've been missing music in my life so these should be good additions!

Totally unimportant but I just baked some cookies for the book club I'm hosting tomorrow night. Once box of spice cake mix, one can of pumpkin, semi sweet chocolate chips (and butterscotch chips if you're feeling crazy!) and you're done. 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes and mmm... warm, pumpkin-y goodness. I have the stuff to make another batch so depending on how many Adam and I put away tonight I might do Round 2!

That's about it... life is busy, though not entirely eventful. I'm getting really excited for the holidays and think I'm going to put up some decorations in a few weeks (yes, early I know but I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!). I'm also working on some birthday plans- if any one has any brilliant ideas let me know!

We did close...-Brady

2010-10-27T10:20:00.004-05:00

And move. And I took my midterms. And I am still completely overwhelmed with all the stuff I have to do.

Moving is hard because everything just takes longer. You have to work through a bunch of inconveniences. For example, we don't have internet access yet, which I need about a billion times a day to get work done. And since stuff isn't put away yet, we spend our mornings stepping over boxes and opening every cabinet door to try and remember where the frying pan is.

I may be quiet on this blog for a week or so. Hopefully my sisters will keep you entertained for a bit.

We closed! - Brady

2010-10-21T22:01:00.001-05:00

We closed on our new condo in Chicago today and are so, so excited. It's going to be a crazy moving process, but we are really thrilled. If you need my new address, let me know!

And please come visit us in our new East Lakeview home!

Welllll...-Brady

2010-10-18T20:06:00.003-05:00

I think I'm going to train for another marathon. I've been reading all these blogs posts written by people who ran the Chicago one this year, and I've gotten the itch. I've chosen Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota - June 18, 2011.

Rumor has it Kevin and Kelly may join me...

I'm thinking I want to try and finish in 5 hours or less. That's going to be tough - my fastest half marathon time is 2:40, so I've got to improve quite a bit. I'm pretty psyched, though. As much of a pain as training can be, I liked having an athletic goal like that to work toward. Made me feel kinda awesome.

Fun Week! -Amy

2010-10-10T09:32:00.007-05:00

I had a fun week this week! First, I went with Brady and Kevin to see "La Porte, Indiana" the documentary at the Gene Siskal theater in Chicago. It was so cool! I think these people did a great job of depicting La Porte, and it was fun to watch. I would recommend it to anyone, but especially to La Porte people! Go Slicers!

Check out the trailer by clicking the picture below:

Then, this weekend has been an awesome one! I left the husband at home and headed back to good old LaPorte, IN for a girls weekend! We went to Tabor Hill Winery for some wine tasting, ate at the Red Arrow Roadhouse, and stayed at my friend Ashlie's parents' hotel, Serenity Springs, were we got wonderful massages! It was a GREAT girls weekend.

I even bought some yummy wine from Tabor Hill after the tasting!