Life on the Runn...

I'm really looking forward to this weekend and all the fun that is to come, but I wanted to take a moment to reflect.  My life has been filled with so many wonderful people and memories, and I cannot begin to quantify them; I am blessed.  With this great life and an amazing life partner, who wouldn't want to celebrate each new day (and year)?!    my adventure buddy and me in Kentucky last weekend This, everyone, is THE GOOD STUFF.  We are living our our dreams - one day at a time!! 

Over the weekend, it became very evident that the holiday season is upon us.  Check it out!  Amanda found some friends while we were out shopping  the neighbors' house - look closely and you can see that the pilgrims are keeping Santa and the snowmen company That's how the story of Thanksgiving goes, right?!  For Brian and me,  the approaching holiday means it's time to start packing because we will soon be Turkey-bound.  To you and yours, enjoy whatever the next few weeks hold!

So, it's November, and the weather in the southeast has been rather pleasant; that means I've lost BR to Kentucky.  By the time the month is over, he will have spent every November weekend in the Red River Gorge.  I've been able to tag along twice and will also be heading back for Thanksgiving to enjoy what will almost certainly be the last outdoor climbing weekend of the season. It is likely hard for others to understand how driving 500 miles (one way) just to climb is, in any way, a good idea, but the sport is absolutely intoxicating; just ask my husband :) Runnells don't mess around! 

Truly, one of the best gifts my parents ever gave me was a sibling.  Aside from the super cool things like the horseshoe stance in karate and how to drive stick, my brother taught me to share, he taught me to be part of a team, he taught me what it means to be a friend, he taught me what it feels like to know someone has your back.  Because of him, I know (and always have known) I'd never be alone - I've always got my little bro, and I hope you know, Bri, that I will do anything for you (well, other than letting Cash come live with me).   Like I said in your card, you're alright, kid! And truth be told, I've always been glad I had a partner in crime.  Happy Birthday.  I had a great time with you this weekend, even thought the trip was short.  the early days we make a good team - even if we're only making trouble :)  Circa 2004 - showing him the ropes at a Badger game  Fort Collins, CO - we've been to a lot...

This weekend I would like to wish a very HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY to Blake, my cousin Jenny's adorable little boy. Happy Birthday, Blake! (image stolen from my cousin's  blog ) Last weekend was Homecoming at one of my old schools, Bradford.  Coincidentally, they were playing my other former school, Indian Trail.  As such, I decided to venture to Kenosha to take in the parade, see some of my old kiddos and visit with my friends.  After the parade, Katie, and I went to dinner and then met Amanda to head to the game.  It was freezing and I believe I lost feeling in my face for about 10 hours, but I was glad to see some of my former coworkers and kiddos and always enjoy our after-game tradition of going to The Club House. Saturday was double-date day. Katie and Ryan met Brian and me and we all headed to Madison to watch the Badgers defeat Illinois.  Though it was very brief, we were also able to meet up with Star, Katie's cousin and my good friend. ...

Though we aren't exactly blessed with an abundance of climbing in our area, we've certainly come to appreciate having one really great place to head to that doesn't require an eight hour car ride, and that pace is Devil's Lake.  We've made a few treks up to the Lake, as we refer to it, this year, and we were able to get in a good amount of climbing both before Brian's ankle injury and after (good think summer climbing at the Lake isn't big on our to-do list).  Our usual DL buddies are Dawn and Chris and we certainly had a great time with them on a number of occasions; it was also nice to be joined by other friends from the gym.  Our most recent trip was a few weekends ago when we met Dawn and Chris for breakfast before heading out for a day of sunshine and rock climbing. We often hike the CCC Trail to get to the top of the bluffs and set up our climbs, and though neither Dawn nor I love that hike - the 400+ stone steps (yep, we counted them!) you must as...

Let's be real; my love for all things WISCONSIN (the university, that is) in no way is something I keep secret.  I love Bucky, I love my alma mater, and now that it's football season, that means you can find me in Madison most Saturday mornings. And though the games have often been something just short of awful and have likely taken days, no years, off my life, I will remain a Badger fan until the end, and I'm not quittin' on Bucky. We opened the season with a trip to Camp Randall that included my mom and her bestie, Elaine.  Brian played the role of driver and behavior monitor...sort of.  We had a great time and the game was the least stressful this season. THE University of Wisconsin <3 Brian and the ladies - wait, he was supposed to keep us on our best behavior  Mom + Elaine + me = lots of fun !!  For week two, an away game, Mike and Christina, UW alums themselves,  joined us at our place.  Christina an...