Life on the Runn...

With the extended break from work and amazing friends who opened their home up to us, we were finally able to get back to Kentucky over the Thanksgiving holiday. I hadn’t been back in four years - that’s a lot of missed fall climbing - and our tiny human had yet to be introduced to the RRG or Miguel’s pizza...it was time! Exactly six years ago - in the Red, where else?!  ​You can cut a lot of time off a drive if you never stop...ever...as I learned the first time Brian and I traveled to the Red one Memorial Day weekend a million years ago.  He factored one stop for gas and a bathroom break - provided you were in and out before the tank was full - and that how we made all our trips, (our record may be a trip to Kentucky every weekend in October one year). So while Brian wasn't about to break any travel records for this 500ish mile journey, we were rather successful in keeping our stops to a minimum, even with a tiny human on board.  One long lunch break, one stop f

Family has always been especially important to me, and when Brian and I decided to grow our own, I was reminded of how very strong the blessing of unconditional love is.  I have been oh-so lucky to be surrounded by that all my life, from not two families, but three (and then I became a Runnells and it was five). Thanks to a lovely friendship and a bond that grew just as strong as any family bond can, I grew up with a 'third side' to my family, the Jarvis side.  Some of my most precious memories include singing along to Stevie Wonder with Maureen and my brother, babysitting my cousins, celebrating (Let's parttty, Rachael!) and traveling with them (anyone want another table cloth to cover up with at a Disney dinner?!), and now raising tiny humans along side them. Last Saturday, the Unti (Runnells) girls spent the afternoon with much of the Jarvis crew, and it was such a joy, as always!  HQ and Winston entertained us and each other; we reminisced; and I soaked in the swee

Late nights are a rarity in the Runnells household.  It would be easy to blame that on HQ, but it has much more to do with the hours teachers keep.  News that Tedeschi Trucks Band would be playing in Madison was enough to make me more than happy to delay bedtime.   This past Monday, Brian and I made the trek west on I-94 to our old stomping grounds, the place where we babies became near-adults and, you know, got engaged... The poor weather (at least it wasn't snowing?!) meant that we weren't about to venture all over campus and the surrounding area - those days are long gone - so we kept near to the venue, the Overture Center, when we arrived.  We enjoyed wine and great dinner at Cento, and then made our way across the street - literally - to enjoy another evening with Tedeschi Trucks Band.   The thing about being Brian's partner is that you're surely in for something new - and usually exhausting - with each "So...I was thinking." The first

They come in many shapes and forms, and as children, especially, we lean on them to inspire us, to shake the dust off.  Many of them wear costumes or capes; some are part of an athletic acronym, the NFL, NBA, the MLB.  You catch my drift - we all need our heroes.  I wasn't much for TV, and I like sports as much as the next person, but I wasn't emulating any WWE (I think it was the WWF back in my day?!) personality in my youth. Of the many people who have helped me become the person I am today, the person who tops my heroes list is most certainly my dad.  And just this week, my dad exemplified why he's my hero once more; he was named Deputy Chief of the Mukwonago Fire Department after nearly 27 years of service.  My dad's passion for helping others, his drive to do his best and be his best,  is what I channel as I walk into my classroom each day.  When I enrolled in graduate school and had to balanced that work with my professional responsibilities, I developed a