My brother, me, and my Aunt B before our run
Today I was blessed with a day that reminded me of how amazing each of my family members truly is. I drove to Joppatowne to run in Mariner Point Park (and it was an absolutely perfect day). My mom, brother, sister-in-law (soon to be), nephew, and aunt all joined me. It was wonderful. I thought I'd make notes on why I love them and am so thankful for them all.
1. My hubby: There are a lot of things I love about him, but without him taking care of Pickle for hours on end on long run days, I wouldn't ever be able to run. Today he took Pickle with him to the gym while Pickle was wearing a full fireman's costume--boots, hat, jacket and all. And even though my man was wiped from biking at the gym (he told me he was a little jealous at the amount of calories I burn on a long run and he felt he should
try to keep up. :)) he went with me to the art festival in Baltimore. And he stopped at the cupcake shop on the way home tonight because he knew I needed to get my Long Run Cupcake. I love that man.
2. Pickle: For being the cutest (and funniest) little guy ever. He
decided to show me a mouth full of chewed up Oreos at dinner tonight (as the picture shows. Don't worry; that's not rotted teeth). Apparently he's still working on table manners.
3. My bro, A: He ran 4 of my 6 miles with me today even though I know the shrapnel in his knee was killing him. He's one of my favorite people to run with, and I love him and his big heart. I kept thinking about what he was sacrificing to run with me (and all the sacrificing he's done in the past, especially as a soldier at war).
4. My Aunt B: First of all, she's a hottie. Second, besides my mother, she's been the most important female role model in my life. She taught me to love classic literature, what it meant to be a feminist, how to cook tofu, and apparently taught me to love running. She's been a runner my entire life and is still running in her 60's). She travels all over the world and her running shoes are the first thing she packs. Being able to run with her made today perfect.
5. My mom: She gave me life (and was a great mom to boot). Nothing more needs to be said, but she's always my #1 cheerleader. After we'd only gone 1/4 mile today, she cheered for while we ran the trail as if we were running a marathon. I wish I had her at every quarter mile for every race I ever run. I also really respect that she walked the 2 mile loop to get some exercise. She has MS and walking can be difficult for her at times, but she's been working toward losing some weight and is doing a great job.
6. Sis-in-Law M: I love my bro, but I know he is not easy to live with. I can safely say this because I lived with him for our entire childhood. (I can also safely say that neither am I, so add another reason to why my husband is awesome). Just for that she deserves an award, but she's also an great mom to my nephew. And she waited for us while we ran and kept my mom company.
7. My nephew, P: Seriously. Does anyone need to know why I love him? Look at how stinkin' cute he is... and he's ALWAYS smiling and laughing. He's just a reminder of why we all should be blissfully happy. :)
8. My dad (no picture...): Well, he wasn't there today. He's in NY fishing for salmon, and hopefully bringing home some delicious fresh caught salmon for us. (Hopefully my dad and I will go fishing soon. He made me a beautiful fly fishing rod and I can't wait to use it!)
Here's to always remembering the important people in our lives.
Hey Lizzie! I love keeping up with your running blog but this one especially touched me because of the connection to family. My Grandma Sweeney had a significant influence on me like Aunt Betty and your mom have for you. I remember when I was in sixth grade I told her I wanted to be a flight attendant and she said "why not a pilot?" Gotta love that from a woman born in 1908! She gave me the strength to become a Marine and the independent woman I am toady...obviously I love her dearly. Hope to see you sometime soon...we need a family reunion!
ReplyDeleteMickey
OMG...you're my English teacher cuz and I say "toady" instead of "today"...Really? :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great family! You must have an amazing support system!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful family. How great that you all got to get together and run!
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone.
ReplyDeleteAnd Mickey, you make me laugh! I know you are brilliant; we have the same genes, after all (haha!)! I totally didn't notice anyway; and as I tell my students, I teach literature, not spelling (they are constantly yelling out my mistakes). We do have some strong women in our family, don't we?
Nice family post:). Ps. Love the skirt!!!
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