Jelly Bean 10k + Easter

Originally I signed up for the 5k, 10k, and 13.1 distance for the Jelly Bean Virtual Race, however, I forgot how hard it is to get in miles while at home, so I settled on just doing the 5k and 10k.

Due to my dad's work schedule, we were celebrating Easter on Saturday vs. actual Easter Sunday, so the plan was I had to get up and get my run in plus shower before noon when the rest of my siblings arrived.
After about 1 mile I got bored in my parents neighborhood, so I decided to run to a nearby community park where we held our home cross country race back in high school. Unfortunately I wasn't able to run the whole course due to soccer games going on and a free rather large easter egg hunt for the kiddos, but it was definitely a blast from the past.

I'm not sure if it was my body remembering the once so familiar course, or the fact that I was so wrapped up in memories while running, but my 2nd and 3rd mile were both below 7:30s!!! I forgot how much of a workout it was on your ankles to run in pure grass (how did I do this for 4 years in a row?!?!)

Unfortunately I wasn't even able to get in a full 3.1 in the park, so I headed home and just ran circles around the neighborhood to make an even 6.2.... B.O.R.I.N.G. (next time I go home I'll plan better to wake up early and drive to my old trails)

10k complete

Don't let the 7:14 fool you... that was just my pace for the .20. Actual overall pace was 7:52. 

Parents don't have color ink, so  my race bib is a little blah.

After my 10k, both brothers came over and we began the annual Jameson Easter Holiday tradition

First up was the nephews doing their first (of many to come)  Easter Egg hunt

Then it was time for the "big kids" Easter Egg Hunt ( for whatever reason... no photos from this year, so below is from previous 2)

Once we find all the hidden eggs, we get to open them to see what goodies are inside.... aka how many slips of paper did you get

If you get pink paper alongside your candy, that equates to a certain dollar amount

$49 for me- 2nd place. Eric beat me with $57. I forget how much Andy won. 

Our last "event" is putting all the easter eggs we just collected into a big bowl and then we get timed on how many we can put together... it gets pretty intense with 5 sets of hands moving everything around. 

I got 2nd again to Eric. Andy once again got 3rd. 2nd yielded me a $35 Kroger gift card, SCORE!

Hope everyone else had a great time with family for their Easter Holiday. Although it was short, I enjoyed my trip back to Ohio :) 

Easter Weekend- bullets and pics

After work on Thursday I ventured back home to Ohio for a long Easter Weekend with the family. Lot of fun festivities and catching up was had by all.

• Thursday night stayed with Jenna, an old friend / roommate from back in Louisville and pigged out ate Melting Pot- shes pregnant so she has an excuse- me, well I just like food. 

Jenna and I last time I visited- we both have an affinity for taking photos with random signs

• While at the Melting Pot, I had my first EVER stuffed mushroom cap (huge deal because I worked at the Louisville MP for 1.5 years and was too scared to try it) 

• Arrive in Dayton Friday morning, lounge around during day, and get to play with nephews when they come over!!!
• First up is Joseph- 8 months. Son to my oldest brother Eric:

• Then I got to feed Codyn, 6 months- son to my middle brother, Andy

Look at those big blue eyes!! 

• I finally got to give them their very first Mickey ears I bought them after Princess Half in Disney World

couldn't quite get them both to look at the camera

Codyn and his Mama 

Joseph and his daddy

• After dinner, one of my good friends Kory came over before he left for a year in Turkey - he left today :( - we all got a little silly telling stories, playing pool and darts, been awhile since I've had THAT much fun (although I only took 2 photos)

I was excited to drink my beer from this itty bitty authentic German stein 

Kory and I

• Actually got a run in the next morning (rare to run when I go home)
• Mom wanted to do our annual Easter Egg hunt on saturday since it was supposed to rain all day on Easter Sunday. 
• Yes I'm 26 and my brothers are 33 and 31- we still have an Easter Egg hunt amongst the 3 of us every year... and we're competitive. 

The ladies with their baskets

Courtney in action of grabbing an egg

Helping Codyn put his 1st easter egg into his basket

The kids and grandkids after the hunt (of course i'm looking at the wrong camera)

• After the Egg hunt, my mom dumps all the plastic eggs into a giant bowl, and we have 2 minutes to match up PROPERLY as many eggs as we can (color, size etc) and the winner of that gets an additional prize. 

in action putting eggs together- its much harder when there are 5 sets of hands reaching in

after the contest- i lost miserably (first year i've come in last) and loser gets BUBBLES!!

• Shortly afterward it poured, and poured, and poured some more. I lounged around (its been so long that I didn't have somewhere to be that I took full advantage of being lazy)
• We had our "easter dinner"- pasta, bbq chicken, garlic bread, and my absolute FAVORITE spinach salad- sorry no pics
• One of my bfs Jen came over with her fiance and we chatted until wee hours of the morning. 
• Had Easter breakfast, played with nephews, watched 'Mary Poppins' and 'The Joneses'
• Eventually everyone parted their ways, but I switched shifts at work for monday to close, so I had one extra night in Ohio before I would head back to work early Monday morning. We had dinner @ Applebees, followed by renting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1- amazing
• I have read all books, but for some reason just hadn't gotten around to seeing the last 2 movies. 
• I went to bed, woke up early in the morning, had a nice omlette from mi madre, then made the 5 hour trip to Nashville. 

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend, and for the lucky ones, spent with family

3 things Thursday

We'll start with the bad, and end on a good note.

1. So I finally moved all my stuff from one place to the other (which is a stress all in itself) earlier this week. I was super excited because the house is MUCH nicer, in a better location, and I won't have to freeze to death just by sitting in my own room. In comes Murphy's law- had a gas leak, turned gas off. Our heat is gas based, ie, NO WORKING HEAT for a few days. As luck would have it, absolutely NO hot water for a few days (finally went elsewhere to get a hot shower last night) Washer stopped "spinning" last night so now clothes are dripping wet and won't dry even after 3 cycles in the dryer. If I haven't complained enough, there are 2 of us on the main floor. The other girl owns some type of terrier (similar to 'Lady' from Lady and the tramp)- now although adorable, she apparently has anxiety, and the second my roommate leaves for work in the morning (a whole 2 hours before I do), the dog starts wining and barking non stop, thus waking me up and making impossible to go back to sleep- errrrrrrr.

whew that felt good to rant for a few- now on to more POSITIVE

2. Today is my 'friday' at work because I leave tomorrow for our Easter Bunny 1/2 in Clemson, SC on saturday. In the spirit of the race- I will most likely be decked out in pastels and I purchased bunny ears for B and I; already told myself if the ears are annoying I will hand them off to a kid spectator. I Haven't raced in 3 weeks, so it will be nice to finally get back into the swing of things. I calculated it out, and starting this weekend I will be gone every weekend till May 14 for races  + Easter weekend with the fam. Guess I like keeping busy.

3. Immediately after the race on Saturday, I'll be making the drive back to Nashville to meet my folks for the remaining of the weekend. They haven't been back to Nashville since the  Women's 1/2 back in September, and I haven't even seen anyone in my family since Christmas, so I'm pretty stoked to hang out.... guess I do get home sick every so often. As an added bonus, we're going BED SHOPPING and thrifting!!

Everyone enjoy your weekend and I'll leave you with pics from parents last trip to Nashvegas!

Mom and I outside of 'Boot Country Store' after leaving pre-race dinner

Dad and I after the race at a Wine Festival I treated them too

I now know that running + wine afterward is not the best combo

Parents and I at Gerst Haus- German Restaurant across from Titans Stadium