A month's worth of updates...

Wow...it's been a while since I have blogged. Things have been busy. The house is pretty much back together, minus the few boxes and mess that is in the garage. We know we will get rid of some of the stuff, but we just haven't had a free weekend to go through it all. Maybe I'll tackle some of it this weekend. I also have some decorating to do...but that will come a little at a time. Here's a quick picture of our living room from my phone (you can't really see the hardwood floors in this picture because of the rug we put in the room). We were in San Luis Obispo at the beginning of March for Jenny's baby shower. I had so much fun planning this event. I'll have to find a picture of the invitations I made...I was so proud of them! I'm going to try to make it a habit to make my own cards/invitations from now on. It's a lot of work, but I really enjoyed it! And I received so many compliments!

While in San Luis Obispo, I needed to run 10 miles. I was able to meet up with some running buddies that I used to run with when I lived there. It was so great to see them and catch up. And it made running 10 miles much more enjoyable doing it in a group. But who can complain when you're running by the beach the entire time. After the run, Ryan and I met Stephanie for breakfast at The Custom House in Avila. It was such beautiful weather, so we sat outside on the patio. It was amazing...mimosas (after plenty of water to rehydrate of course!), breakfast, and a view of this:

To jump to the next weekend...The Shamrock'n Half Marathon went great! The course took us from Raley Field (Sacramento's minor league baseball stadium), through downtown Sac, past the capitol, over the river and through Discovery Park, into Old Sac, and back to Raley Field. There were a few bands along the way keeping us entertained. It was a fun time. Ryan's knee started bothering him towards the end...and then my knee started bothering me, but we didn't let that stop us! We kept going and finished in 2:11. I'm so happy that Ryan ran it with me. He said that was his last half marathon (because of his knee), but that he would run with me on weekends. Either way, I'm glad we did it together!

2 weekends ago we were in Las Vegas for the annual Ergish family reunion. I always love these reunions! They are always filled with tons of laughs and my dad & uncles telling stories about when they were young...And those 7 guys always have some wild stories to tell! I wasn't really in the gambling mood that trip, but Ryan ended up winning big on the blackjack table! I played a little blackjack and pai gow poker, but stayed pretty much even the whole trip. On Saturday morning, a few of us went to Red Rock Canyon. While most of the group hiked, I needed to get a 12 mile run in (I know, who goes to Vegas and runs?). The scenic route of Red Rock Canyon is a one-way road and about 15 miles round trip. So I decided to run that and my brother rode his bike next to me to keep me company. We drove the route first and I almost convinced myself that I couldn't do it. The 1st 6.5 miles were all UPHILL. And it was freezing outside! The wind was blowing and rain was supposed to start later that day. But, we did it anyways. And it wasn't too bad. We did have to stop for a little while because the wind was so bad, but the scenery was beautiful. My brother and I both had a fun time!

This weekend, Ryan is in Reno for the opening weekend of baseball with some friends. So I have the house to myself. I've been crazy busy at work, so I plan to take some time to relax this weekend (after working a few hours on Saturday to finish up some projects). I plan to open a bottle of wine, watch a movie (or catch up on recorded shows), clean the house, and enjoy the beautiful weather. On Sunday, Shannon (my running buddy) and I are running 14 miles. We are going to start on the American River bike trail at Sunrise Blvd in Rancho Cordova and run down to J Street in Sacramento. It's crazy to think that we are running from one city into another! Go us! After the run, Sunday will probably consist of resting and finishing up house cleaning/laundry to get ready for the week to start again.

The Big Sur 21-mile run is 1 month away and I cannot believe it! I feel ready, but always get a little nervous. They sent out an email yesterday about the new course route. The run used to start in Big Sur and finish in Carmel (running along Highway 1 the entire way), but they have had to change the course this year due to weather. A few weeks ago there was a road collapse on Highway 1 just south of Rocky Creek Bridge that precipitated the road closure.

Although safety always comes first, I really hope the new course still lets us run across this bridge. How awesome would it feel to run across the bridge with Big Sur rolling hills on one side and the ocean on the other...

Oh well...maybe another year. Now the course is an out-and-back, starting and ending in Carmel. It will still be beautiful, and we will still have fun. If any good came of this road closure...I think we now avoid running the big hill on the course (2 mile uphill!). I'm excited for the run...and once I complete that one, the San Diego Rock n Roll marathon will be a month away!

Have a great weekend! Enjoy the beautiful weather!