April- I ran my first half marathon! It was such a blast to go down to St. Louis for a night and run with my sister and her sister-in-law. We got a whirlwind tour of St. Louis the night before the race as we drove the race course, and my brother-in-law explained some of the history of the town. I love city's and I love history, so this was such a great experience. The race itself was really tough. I ran as a part of a charity team which was cool because I had supporters all along the race, even though they didn't know me. Honestly, I think I would need to lose about 20 more pounds before running that type of distance wouldn't hurt my joints so bad. Towards the end of the race my hips were hurting, and my hips never hurt! The race was hilly and windy, but I was so proud of myself for doing it. And it was so great to have my parents and Brandon and Emma there cheering me on. One of my "bucket list" experiences in life was to have my daughter cheering me on as I ran a race. Even though she can't yet cheer, it was still so great to have her see me running even if she doesn't remember it. I want her to know that her mom is happy and healthy, and me role-modeling a healthy lifestyle is so important.
May- I had my first ever Mother's day! It was probably the best Mother's day I could have imagined. Emma and I took the train up to Michigan for my cousin Kurt's fin ace's bridal shower. It was so much fun to spend the day in Bethany Beach, a place that is so special to me. I introduced Emma to the beach and Lake Michigan. She had a great time with all my cousins and aunts and Grandma. She was the perfect baby, smiling and chatting with people. It was so much fun.
The month of May Brandon and I decided that we really needed to get serious about finding our own place. Nothing bad was happening at my in-laws, it was just getting to be that time where not being on our own was starting to become a point of discord in our marriage. It was just tough to be a family in someone else's home. So we casually started looking, and found an amazing place on craigslist. The landlord liked us, and picked us out of five other applicants. We just moved in last weekend and while we are still unpacking boxes, it already feels like home. The landlord painted Emma's room, I got to pick the color and it's a beautiful light purple. Her room is all set up, it's just perfect. The location of our place is amazing, 10 minutes from work, walking distance to the library and a handful of restaurants and Caribou! God is so good, and he provided beyond what I could have dreamed of. It is so hard to trust him sometimes, especially when you feel as though you are wondering for 40 years through the desert. It is good to know that he knows what is best for us, but it can be so hard to be patient!
Today- Today is Emma's 9 month birthday. I can't believe it has been 9 months already. My last post indicated that she has started crawling, well once she started that she has been a girl on the move! There is no stopping her. She is pulling herself up to standing and crawling like a maniac. She just doesn't stop. This weekend was the first time she went in the pool, and to my delight she loved it! It was so much fun to watch her splash and kick her little legs. I am looking forward to many more trips to the pool this summer. This is such a fun time in Emma's life. I look at her in the car in the little mirror we have hanging above her carseat and she smiles back at me. At Target and other grocery stores she smiles and "growls" at other people and lifts her arm up like she is waving. I hope she never loses this sense of wonder and excitement and friendliness. She is such a joy, and I love her so much.
