Life on the Runn...

Capitalizing on a long weekend built into the school year (over the weekend that once was Teacher's Convention), I headed west to meet up with my favorite guy, check in on my cats and our western residence and finally check a visit to Utah off my to-do list. While I could have easily skipped the next two weeks of work to get in all that there is to do in Utah, Brian gave me a grand tour in the few short days we had. Thursday afternoon, after our five hour drive from Boulder, we hiked to Corona Arch.  While there, we basked in the sun and attempted to plan a winter trip.  As we were nearing the end of our stay at the arch, and shortly after having discussed a video we saw where peopled jumped off the arch, we had a brush with fame (of sorts).  You may recall a few years ago when Madonna was gyrating about during the Super Bowl Half Time Show, she was joined by a guy with wild hair doing slackline tricks (aka bouncing about on a rope).  Well, that guy is Sketc...

This past weekend marked my second race with my run-buddy and fabulous cousin, Jenna. About a month ago, at Al's Run, we decided to participate in the GLO Run 5K, and because we have a wonderfully fun family, my mom, my Auntie Lynn (Jenna's mom), our Auntie Bunna and our good family friend, Deb, joined in. We all met early Sunday afternoon, and somehow we managed to stuff all of our stuff into Jenna's van. From there, we were off to Madison. Deb's son, Nick, and future daughter-in-law, Katie, were generous enough to open their home up to us, so after a stop for lunch, we headed to their house to unpack our glow gear and our snacks, apply our highly anticipated glow-in-the-dark nail polish (which turned out to be a bit of a bust and not only because it didn't do much glowing -- we wore gloves or ticked our hands in our pockets...it was cold!) and get all dressed up in bright colors. About 90 minutes before race time, we again piled into the van and we're off ...

It is no secret that fall it my favorite time of year.  Cozy sweaters, Uggs, pumpkin spice lattes and the changing leaves all make me one happy girl.  This fall, I have long known, promised to be a great one (if I ignore the fact that BR is four states away).  You see, my best friend's wedding was planned for this fall, and over the weekend, the day the she had been meticulously planning for finally arrived. Before I can even begin discussing the wedding itself, I need to back up a bit.  When I first met Katie seven years ago, she was the teacher at Bradford I aspired to be like.  Her students' love and respect for her was no secret; she had high expectations and a vision for making her room a place where students wanted to be.  The first time a student said he thought Ms. Phillips and I were similar, I nearly cried.  I couldn't think of a greater professional honor.  When kids began to wonder if we were actually siblings, we ran with it...I o...

Today the Mukwonago Fire Department is celebrating its 100th year of service, and as a member of the department, my dad is taking part in the festivities.  In a few short weeks, my dad will celebrate his 21st year with the department, and while his commitment to serving his community has certainly kept him busy and has often meant rescheduling activities or planning them around being home from 6pm to 6am, my dad has never faltered in his devotion to doing his job and doing it well. His strong sense of selflessness and his work ethic are two trait that I greatly admire; Dad has surely given Brian and me a strong example after which to model our own lives. So, as the department celebrates its anniversary, it is with great pride that I get to celebrate the person who has made it his personal commitment to take care of both his family and the community. I am so, so proud of you, Dad! Captain David Brian Unti 

Along with my mom, Deb, Auntie Lynn, Auntie Bunna, Beth and Jenna, two of my fabulous cousins, I will be participating in the GLO Run/Walk in Madison in a few weeks.  When we decided to form a team, all of us ladies wanted to be sure that Team 'The Navarrete Ladies' was the team to be seen.  As such, after registering, we made plans to have a shopping date. Today was that day. The majority of the team, Mom, Auntie Lynn, Deb and I, met JL at her house, hopped into Deb's car and continued the process of stocking up on all things glow-in-the-dark, a process both Mom and Beth had already begun.  Our first stop was by far our most successful, and driest, as it turned out. We visited the Dollar Store and were happy to find bracelets, necklaces, lanyards, hair accessories and a lantern.  Despite having such a great collection of items already, we knew our work was not yet done, so we decided to head to Sports Authority next; we wanted to check out some socks and what kind...