Life on the Runn...

I am so blessed to have cousins with whom I have always been close. Our parents’ bond spilled over into our lives, and we spent much of our childhood together. Sleepovers and vacations together were regular occurrences - and have produced many classic stories (forgotten luggage, Munchkins, family toasts, and an over-served crew on the Vegas strip just to name a few).  And we continue to find ways to share our lives and time with one another, now often thanks to the many adventures of our children. An especially significant relationship I have is with my cousin Jenna, my run buddy. From sleepovers and borrowing all the best books to training runs and hours-long conversations, our time together is always special. This weekend, after far too much time apart, we enjoyed one of our amazing coffee dates. We grabbed a table in the shade and our beverages of choice, and filled each other in on all the comings and goings in our lives: We talked parenthood, home building, health, and so ...

The last several days have been jam-packed. Between final packing preparations, moving out, and settling into our new temporary digs, we also had an Unti family wedding to enjoy. My cousin Josh and his lovely wife, Nicole, threw an amazing party; it was certainly a tough day, as it was the fourth anniversary of my grandma Unti’s passing, but being with nearly all of the Unti crew (and a few of my Jarvis family members, too) made it easier. It was especially fun to see my Uncle Tom act as the officiant of the ceremony. I have to admit, too, that watching my dad and uncles joke and laugh with (and at) their brother brought a smile to my face. I could just imagine what my grandma would say, and I could so vividly imagine the sound of her laughter (which I know she would have tried her best to stifle...like the rest of us attempted to - we failed). I love watching my parents with their siblings - there are so many glimpses at both untold and often-shared memories; and with my Uncle Pau...

June 23 will always be a difficult day. It wasn't supposed to have any great significance for the Unti family, but now it does. They say it’s a day that should get easier, but, even with all this time, it doesn’t. In fact, as a parent now, the pain runs deeper. I mourn for the ‘what could have - what should have - been’ moments, the memories, the chance to do my job - big sister - a little more; but now I also mourn for my parents in a way I only came to truly understand September 7, 2017. June 23 will always be a powerful day. It is a reminder of what the Unti family does have, of the bond we grew through all our shared experiences, even our most difficult goodbyes. My parents always reminded Brian and me to value each other, and I know that Matthew, though not physically with us, cultivated that relationship, one of the most valued ones I have. I know that Brian and I would have fought relentlessly over who was Matthew’s favorite, and I know the boys would have fought abo...

Like last year, part of our Father’s Day weekend festivities included some cheering time for our favorite bikers! Brian and our friend Scott again took on the Horribly Hilly ride but decided to up the ante just a bit and tackle the 200k route (a full 120 miles of biking in one day, oh my). Running support was a little easier and a lot more fun this year. First, it was not nearly as hot as last year.  Additionally, our tiny human is now a toddler (tending to an infant and a very warm biker last year was nerve wracking). And finally, HQ could participate in all the fun - she grabbed snacks, mixed water bottles,  and cheered for all the riders - number 407 in particular. I am immensely proud of Brian for setting a goal and working toward it with such dedication. I have always been encouraged and inspired by his ‘go for it’ attitude. It is the reason we’ve seen so many places, have hiked and climbed in some of the coolest destinations, and have taken our tiny person along f...

Most days I love my job.  Some days, like each day this past week, I cannot imagine my life without it!  Often times, when I find myself upping the frequency of my weekly runs, it's because I am running from something.  It's my way of coping.  Today, after a six (or sevenths...or eighth...) day of pre-5am running, I realized I was running from the end.  The end of this *school year. Now, don't get me wrong.  This work is raw, exhausting, and often very thankless, but it is relevant and so very inherent to who I am.  And I have found myself truly mourning the loss of this group of students. This year has been a rough one personally, but I have found myself  happily walking into West each day.  I feel better, brighter, and more purposeful in my students' presence. Sure, I love books, and I do enjoy writing (case in point being this blog), but what I really, really love about being an English teacher is watching my students find their voic...

 There are many service people in my family, all of whom I love dearly and I am grateful for. These individuals sacrificed their time, safety, and, sometimes, other ambitions in order to serve our country. I know the purpose of this weekend is to honor those service members who never were able to return to their lives and families, who made the ultimate sacrifice. I, however, found myself thinking of one particular serviceman as I was out for a run this holiday weekend, my uncle Paul, and I wanted to take some time to share just how much he means to me. Just the other day, I was asked why I teach, and I said that I love stories. Literature is perhaps the most readily accessible way to learn about ourselves and to explore the world.  As I thought more about it, I realized that my uncle, a true storyteller, likely had a hand in creating that spark in me. When my brother and I were very young, my uncle lived with us. Stories from him and about our time together (an unconventio...

Yesterday was the second installment of 'Reading Between the Wines,' the fantastically awesome West Book Club I am a part of. We read the second (but maybe not last?!) book in the Beartown series, Us Against You . As I mentioned in my previous Book Club post, I am hooked on Fredrik Backman; I am only a book or two short of being able to declare that I have read - and enjoyed - all of his published work. Much of our conversation centered on the various dichotomies that exist in Beartown and neighboring Hed: innocence and maturity beyond one's age, hope and despair, femininity and masculinity, truth and lies, plausibility and implausibility.  In short, Backman did it again - he gave us a true-to-life account.  We are all multifaceted.  We all have made choices we regret and have faced challenges we hope do not limit or fully define us.  Life can be messy and hard, but we keep going; we find our community, our team; we work for and because of them. Our time in Be...