What a run!

This is one I should have posted last night, but I still have to report how happy/proud I am that I ran almost 2 miles on the treadmill last night and it felt great!  It’s funny too because I started out just walking to get warmed up and then I had settled on my speed of 4mph (though I don’t think our machine is truly calibrated correctly).  After a while, I felt like I had to keep my muscles tighter to run at that pace because I wasn’t getting a very long stride.  So I bumped it to 4.5, then to 5 and that was a much better pace.  I kept it there for most of the time and then took it to 6 for the last minute or so.

I ended up taking today off, but I’m actually looking forward to getting up, feeding C-man then hitting the treadmill to start off the day.  Unfortunately, that schedule will only happen for a few more days this week, then we’re back to work and there’s NO WAY I’m getting up any earlier than absolutely necessary when it comes to getting to work on time!  I’m already fretting about how I’m going to get up and around before Calder wakes around 6ish!  Ick!

I also thought it was cool that even though I’m sure I exceeded even my 35 weekly points allowance at our family reunion on Saturday, I weighed in at my folks’ house and I was down about 4lbs!  Hopefully that’s true on Tuesday too!

Five months today!

Crazy crooked view

I can’t believe he’s already five months old!  I don’t think I added it to my milestones post yet, but a week ago today, Calder started rolling over with greater enthusiasm.  We spent this afternoon with our friends Kyle, Jenny and Bryant and then headed home, where Calder promptly fell asleep – about a mile from the driveway!  After one last meal and a little snuggle time, he was zonked for the night. 

Now I need to be turning in too, so I can get up super early to get a little work done before Jenny and I head to Piece of Mine to do some photo mosaics!

A “Moving” Experience


Julie doing a rubbing on the wall

Originally uploaded by cornwellamandal

On Saturday, we visited the Vietnam Memorial Moving Wall at the VFW National Home for Children. Having never traveled to Washington D.C. I appreciated the opportunity to experience it in this capacity at the very least. My aunt Julie works at the home and has kept us informed about the schedule of events surrounding the wall’s visit.

In fact, I got chills when I realized that the loud fighter jets I heard from my friend Emily’s house on Thursday afternoon, were the very same jets that tipped their wings in salute to those fallen soldiers at the opening ceremony that same afternoon.

It was so very powerful watching friends, families and veterans pay their respects. The flowers, angel pins and other momentos that lined the wall were smalls signs of remembrance for these men and women. With a brother in the military, this really made me think about the sacrifice these thousands of families made.

Reflective