Liberated!!!!

After some thought provoking discussions about blogs (i.e. saturation of blogs, what are blogs for) with an un-named Seattle friend and my dear husband (who, to his credit, acted like he cared), I turned off my comments option... and feel like a new women... no, seriously, i do. I debated just going back to journal-ing but think this is a good happy medium for me.

I love reading all of your blogs with the occasionally night of blog stalking.... but i hope this will promote some friendships to go to a higher level......

Blogging < Facebook < Texting < Email < Handwritten Note < Phone < Face to Face

So, keep in touch, keep reading my '365 day Holiday Card' if you want and imagine the "love the communication relation equation Nic" comment you would leave. :)

how to say sorry... nicole style

I heart long weekends

We had a great Independence Day weekend. Unfortunately Scott had to work Friday but we still made the most of it. (so much for cushy bank hours)...

Friday, I ran the Wilmette Firecracker 4 Miler with some girlfriends from work. To be honest, I am not a group runner.. i definitely prefer being a loner, listening to tunes and doing fractions in my head. However, last year i did a race with some girls from work so it was nice to continue the tradition. Post race, we hung out at Gillson Beach for a few hours. Truly, one of Chicago's best assets. Josh and I later hung out with the Hellers at a nearby park and let the boys run wild.

Saturday, i was determined to go canoeing with Josh even with the crappy weather forecast. I have been promising J for a while and he was getting frustrated by my "maybe next week" answers. We rented with Chicago Kayak and Canoe which was super cheap and had a launch in our hometown. Apparently it was fish mating season so they were jumping all over the place and there were dozens of pelicans on the banks. We had lots of fun paddling/exploring and naming them. Josh also had his binoculars which he loved to "scout" with.

The rest of the weekend was filled with house chores and projects. Specifically, i refinished our coffee and end table. We purchased them from Crate and Barrel a few years ago but totally beat them up so it was time to do some magic with them. I think they turned out well and am happy that all our wood finishes are now muted black!!

$2.48 or something

well spent.
We bought these up in Milwaukee last October at a Target (who knows why we had to stop at the Target while on vaca).. however, they definitely lasted longer than our $14.99 Gap Shoes.

"Let freedom never perish in your hands." ~Joseph Addison

Today, I had another medal drop for Medals4Mettle at the Chicago VA Hospital. It was an amazing experience as i was able to work with a wonderful family whose boys collected the medals for their Mitzvah Project. The VA identified four in-patients (all women) whom they wanted to receive a medal. It really was touching and the boys did great! I am so thankful for all the men and women who have served and are serving our country. Their sacrifice is greatly appreciated..... and it was nice to celebrate that today!

this week, summer finally decided to show up here in Chicago. we took advantage and enjoyed the father's day weekend. Saturday, the entire family participated in 5K Stroller for Strides-Make a Wish Run. I did it last year with josh and it is such a great event (albeit the running with the cheap stroller part) But with 100% of the proceeds going towards Make a Wish, it was hard to say no this year. The event was great and their was a family their that shared their Wish Experience. {Sidenote: I dont watch Jon & Kate plus 8 but the family that shared their wish should take their spot. They had 7 biological children and adopted 4 children from Africa that were HIV positive. Such an amazing family!}Anyways, Scott volunteered to run with me so it was a great family affair. Pushing the stroller was, again, not so much fun but was willing to do so with Scott being by my side. After the race, we checked out the zoo. Perfect summer day.That night, Josh hung out with a little friend while I took Scott out to Wildfire for a Filet to celebrate father's day. We watched the US Open, chatted away and talked about our upcoming vaca i have yet to book. We ended the night with Josh, ice cream and sprinkles.... perfection!

Completing Hilly Half Marathon... Check!

This weekend, I completed my first half marathon for the season. It was the North Shore Half Marathon which i signed up for 5 days ago. Not quite sure why so impulsive... maybe it was the amazing swag bag (flip flops, wicking shirt, wicking hat, aluminum water bottle :) After i signed up, i then looked at the course only to find that there were 5 miles of hills... YUCK! I was thinking more about all the John Hughes Movies shot there (Ferris Bueller, Home Alone, 16 Candles) than the thought of hills.

Well, it turned out to be great. I finished only 90 seconds slower than i did in last falls half. Considering the hills and me still being out of shape, i will take it. The hills were killer and i felt there was only a 2 mile stretch of flat land in the forest preserve. The "famous North Beach Hill," which i will rename Nic's Heartbreak hill was extremely steep but after i realize I could walk up at the speed i was trying to jog up, my spirits were lifted as i walked up the incline while re-applying some chapstick.

Scott and Josh were there to greet me at the finish line which is always the best part of the race.
Other events from this weekend included: seeing UP again, Scott playing two rounds of 18 and lunch with our favorite friends, The Johnsons. We walked to this cute pub in Lakeview called Wilde and had some amazing brunch. ....And we are ready for another week!!!

Grand Geneva = Grand Times

As i mentioned in my previous post, Scott and J took a long weekend to Lake Geneva with his parents and I joined them later for a 24 hiatus from the city. It was a great set up as his parents invited us to crash their time share which was on the Grand Geneva grounds.... complete with a ski hill, spa, water park and petting zoo. We went to the Grand Geneva two years ago and it is such a great complex away from the crappy touristy area and infinite antique shops.

Scott played two rounds of golf with his dad while Josh enjoyed the pool and trolley rides with grandma. All and all, a great weekend. Thanks to Greg and Leslie for letting us crash on the pull out sofa... it was perfect!

Summer in ChiTown

Josh and Scott went up to Lake Geneva a few days before me and i found myself a free bird. A weird feeling but i did find a few things of enjoyment: sleeping in the middle of our king bed with 6 pillows around me, eating mac and cheese out of a pot and watching as much crap tv as i wanted without sarcastic comments. I also loved talking to josh on the phone. One conversation included: "mommy, let's just talk when i see you.. i am bored" spoken like a true man.

One of my excursions included going to the Harry Potter Exhibit at the MSI. I went with two dear friends, Tiff and Steph. Fun to have friends from different eras of my life combine. Anyways, as the museum is on the S. Side, the entire excursion took a few hours and a trip to Subway was part of the trip.

The exhibit... it had a lot of props and it was fun to see all of them. Not sure if it was worth the money esp with not being able to take pictures... but still fun! Definitely gets you excited for the next Harry Potter coming out!
Earlier in the week, we also had a chance to visit with an old friend, Eve! Her and her husband were one of the first couples we met moving to Chicago six years ago. They now run a family furniture business in S. Provo (i.m.home, check it out provo locals!). Anyways, Josh and their little girl were born a week apart so we bonded very closely during our pregnancies. Good Times! It was great to catch up over some extremely garlic Italian at Dave's Kitchen.