Seattle to Portland - 204 Miles in 2 Days!

Last Saturday, Joel and I rode our bikes for 204 miles in two days. I still can't believe we paid for this thrill, but we did. We participated in our first Seattle to Portland ride, which is when over 10,000 biking fans get up really early in the morning and ride their bikes from the city of Seattle in Washington to the city of Portland in Oregon.

At the Starting line, ready to get going!

Some people are crazy enough to do the whole ride in one day, but Joel and I know better than that. We decided to ride 150 miles the first day and 54 miles the second day. With so many miles to go, we started at 5:15am.

We pretty much rode all day, stopping now and then at the various sponsored pit stops, which were just crawling with people in spandex and funny little velcro shoes. It was interesting to see what kind of equipment and clothing people decided to bring with them for the big ride. I mostly just stuffed my face and used the restrooms as these stops.

Jackie and Chris came along as our pit crew and they really helped us out! They got food for us, cheered us on, filled up our water bottles and kept us going strong. As the morning turned into the afternoon, the temperature grew. We spent most of the day riding through temperatures in the mid 90's, which is pretty darn hot when you have no shade to hide out in! We just kept peddling and counting down the miles.

How Joel managed to take a selfie while climbing the hill all the riders call "the hill from hell", I just don't know.
What a stud.

Honestly, I thought I would take more pictures along the ride, but it rarely crossed my mind. I was thinking more about shifting gears, drinking water, eating more food or energy blocks, and keeping my pace. By the late afternoon, Joel and I had slowed way down. I think the heat and the long day just got to us. We were tired and worn out, but still had another 50 miles to go before the end of the day. We could have just called it and had our pit crew drive us to our hotel. But we didn't. Because Jackie saved the day. She jumped on a third bike we had brought along and rode the last 50 miles with us. I don't know what it was about having her along, but we perked right up and clocked in speeds up to 25 miles an hour - which is pretty darn good for us. Chris drove the car and meet us every five miles to allow for water bottle refiles and quick bites to eat, keeping our energy and spirits high. With such amazing support, we rode the rest of our 150 mile goal and made it to our hotel in Longview. 16 hours after leaving the starting line, we called it a day.

We were back on the route the next morning by 9:00am and were really excited to finish this thing! We crossed into Oregon on the Lewis and Clark Bridge and started the last leg of the trip. I am not sure what was tougher, sitting on my bike seat with my sore buns or feeling that first drop of rain. That's right, day one was spent in hot, hot heat and day two was spent in rain. We took it five miles at a time and rested when we needed to. Before we knew it, we were just outside of Portland, about to cross the St. Johns Bridge.
 

Once we crossed over the bridge, we had just ten miles go to the finish line. I started to let myself feel the excitement of finishing. I was going to make it! I was going to finish! Riding through the middle of downtown Portland and watching for cars, traffic lights, turns and other bikers kept me distracted from all the pain my body was feeling. Before I knew it, there it was. The finish line!

We did it! It was over! I am a bit embarrassed to say it, but I just cried. I was proud of myself and my husband for accomplishing such a big goal. I was thrilled it was over. I was so happy to get off my bike. The emotions just kind of hit me and I cried. We were Finishers of the 35th Annual Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic.  

I know that I said it over and over on Facebook and Instagram, but seriously - THANK YOU to everyone who sent kind words of encouragement and support. A giant THANK YOU to Chris and Jackie for your unconditional and tireless support. Joel and I would have never finished without you!!

STP Conquered.

XOJO

What a Wonderful Weekend

I had a very wonderful weekend. It started with a gathering at Mark and Andi's house to celebrate the start of their wedding weekend. Justin was in town and the party was started.

Saturday was busy with putting the finishing touches on the ceremony script, picking up the cupcakes from Anna, and getting a pedicure and manicure with the bridal party. Amy stayed the night with me, since Joel was off celebrating Austin's birthday that night. We stayed up way too late watching movies and drinking wine.

Finally, it was Sunday. The day of the wedding. I was so excited that I quickly forgot I had only gotten four or five hours of sleep. It was truly an honor to officiate the wedding of two good friends, two people who found their happily ever after.

The officiant, the best man, the groom, the bride and the maid of honor.
It's official!

First Dance

Joel knew which flavor he wanted, and so did Chris!

Even though this is a terrible photo of me and is clearly evidence of why I have several chins - those cupcakes were worth every single bite! My bestie Anna makes the best cupcakes ever. I had one of each flavor!



 

 

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Bailey!

 

Joel and I are so happy for you both!

 

XOJO

 

P.S. Can you believe that Joel and I didn't get a single photo of the two of us. I couldn't believe it. I officiated the wedding and he was a groomsmen. And we didn't get a single picture of us all dolled up. Epic Fail. 

Live & Learn Thursday :: How To Ski with Your Plus One

You all know what time it is! Time for another Live & Learn Thursday link up! This week I will be breaking down my rules for skiing with my plus one.

 

So you probably remember my post where I shared with you how I was learning to ski and not only have I been improving my skills on the slopes since then, but I have been learning what it really takes to ski with your significant other.

 

Don't get me wrong. I love my husband. More than ever. He is reason why I even started to ski. He is so wonderful about doing things with me that are fun/important to me (like going to plays with me, and to the ballet...) so I decided to try something that is fun/important to him. Skiing. I think I got the better bargain...

 

Joel and I have been able to hit the slopes several times now and each time we have gone up, I have learned a new lesson about skiing with your hubby. Let me break it down for you.

 

 

 

When skiing with your plus one, 

you SHOULD NOT...

 

...count on them to teach you everything you need to know. Joel was great at teaching me the basic stuff, but we both knew if I was going to make it off the bunny hill and stay married, I was going to need lessons. Made a big difference!

 

...trust the maps provided by the ski resort. Those things are ridiculously simple and are not all that clear. Make you sure you take the time to read the signs and ask for directions if you need it. This way you don't end up on a run that is beyond your skill set.

 

...take out your fears, frustrations, exhaustion, and disappointments on him. It isn't his fault that you expect to be amazing at everything the first time you try it. Even though it is kind of his fault you are stuck on a run that is beyond your skill set, you should be turning to him for help, encouragement and direction.

 

...yell really mean things at him, non-stop while you try to make your way down a run that is beyond your current skill set. It won't make you feel better and it will make him feel even worse.

 

...poke at him with your ski poles while telling him "don't you dare touch me". There are better ways of communicating that you don't need help up after falling down.

 

...cry. It will only fog up your goggles and make him feel even worse about leading you down a run that is beyond your current skill set.

 

...storm off to the ski lodge, yelling over your shoulder, "Don't you dare follow me, just go disappear for while" after finally getting down a run that is beyond your skill set. Yes, taking a break, or in my case drinking a beer by myself in the lodge bar, was needed, there are nicer ways of communicating this information.

 

 

When skiing with your plus one,

you SHOULD...

 

...ski straight toward him at breakneck speeds. He is the one who has been skiing since before you were born, so he should be the one to worry about getting out of the way.

 

...lean on him and push off of him while learning how to get off the lift. He may or may not have fallen a few times because I was using him as a brace.

 

...communicate with him about what you need to have a good time. If you need to go down the easy run one more time, if you need to take another lesson, or if you need help mastering a ski stop, you need to tell him. He just wants you to have a good time.

 

...leave your skis on the slope and storm off walk down a very difficult section of the run you are stuck on that is beyond your skill set. He is the one who got you stuck up here, he is the one who can carry your skis down.

 

...make him go down each run first, to make sure it is a run that you can do. This way you don't get stuck on a run that is beyond your current skill set.

 

...be sure to capture that Kodak moment at the start of the day, when your enthusiasm and spirits are high. If you end up going down a run that is beyond your skill set, you won't feel like taking that skiing selfie.

 

...learn from your mistakes. While I was sitting in the bar by myself drinking away my frustrations I used my phone to write down what went wrong and my ideas of how to avoid this from happening again.

 

When Joel came to find me in the bar lodge, I showed him my list.
It meant a lot to him. See communication is key.

 

As you may or may not have gathered, last weekend Joel and I found ourselves stuck on a particularly difficult ski run. We thought we were headed down an easy run, but instead we ended up on a triple black diamond or whatever the hardest run ever is called. So I acted like a child and nearly ruined a wonderful day on the mountain. Take my advice and learn from my mistakes by following my rules for skiing with your plus one.

 

 

It is hard to see the whole thing, but this is me in front of the mountain that together we conquered.
Take that Snoqualmie Summit East - I did it!

 

Be sure to stop by the link up and see what other lessons are being shared today!

XOJO



Weekend Up Wrap Up :: Thanksgiving

I know, I know - a weekend wrap up on Wednesday? But it was Thanksgiving weekend and my weekend was jam packed with stuff and it took me several days of work to unwind from the weekend. Yep, it was that great!

For the second year, Joel and I hosted Thanksgiving at our house. All but one sibling and my parents came over early in the day on Thursday to help whip up a delicious Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings. We had a great time hanging out together, eating way too much food, watching game after game of football and feasting on a meal to end all meals.

Here's the table, set and ready for the food!

This is only half the food we had!
Good thing Joel and I put the extra leaf the in the table, we needed the space for the food!

My sister Jaisha celebrated Thanksgiving with her in-laws this year,
so before we started eating, we took this picture to text to her!



After taking the picture for Jaisha, they couldn't wait to dig in!

So Good!



The Baltimore Ravens were playing during dinner, so we kept an eye on the game using the Surface.
Dinner and Football - What could be better??

Joel and I were up early on Friday, not for black Friday shopping, but for the Apple Cup. We had tickets to watch the UW Husky's take on the WSU Cougars and we were excited to watch the game. We made sure to get there in time for all tailgating fun. Our tailgating group was cooking up not one, but two deep fried turkeys! But the best part was the fact that Anna was coming to the game! I was really excited to hang out with my bestie and get caught up on all things baby Ellie!



The Dawgs are in the house! I love cheering on the team as they arrive.
Might be best part of tailgating in the tyee club area!



We may or may not have had a bit of fun with the confetti tube we found.



It's game time baby!



Kick off!



A Washington First Down!
Check out my free paws that I got - so fun to cheer with these!



Touchdown Washington!



Go home Cougar - you're loosing.



It's hard to see, but this is the team accepting the Apple Cup trophy.

After the great game, we ran a few errands before heading home to my waiting family. Yep, they were still there! They went to the Museum of History and Industry while Joel and I were at the game. They said it was great and had all kinds of interesting facts to share with us. I think Joel and I might have to go check it out soon. We spent the rest of the night hanging out and playing games together. It was wonderful!

You would think after two busy days, we would lay low and just relax. Nope. We decided to surprise Jackie with tickets to see the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker! Chris, Joel and I have been planning this for months now and let me tell you - it was tricky keeping this under wraps. She is very intuitive. She even tried to talk me into buying tickets to the show the night before! She said later that I did a great job of being interested while preventing her from buying. That's right, mad skills. Even though she figured out what we were doing when arrived at McCaw Hall, she had no idea how close we were sitting. We sat dead center, in the second row from the stage! As always, the dancers did an amazing job and I loved every minute!



Photo Via



The dance of the snowflakes is usually every one's favorite dance, but it is my second favorite.
Photo Via

The peacock is my hands-down favorite dance. I love, love, love this part!
Photo Via



Via

We headed home to another night of hanging out at my house with my family, yep - everyone was still there. We drank way too much and played a great game of Things. Seriously, if you don't already own this game, order it now! It would be a great Christmas gift.

On Sunday afternoon we headed over Joel's sister's house to hang out with his family for bit. I guess we had spent enough time with my family, I could pull myself away for an hour or two. Kendall made us all a delicious turkey noddle soup with his leftover smoked turkey and homemade noodles. It was delicious. Poor Connor was sick with pneumonia, so he was a mellowed version of his normal self. We watched more football together and made plans for Christmas. Can you believe it - it will be 2014 in no time!!

Well there you have it. That was my Thanksgiving weekend. I have so many things to be thankful for this year; two great families, wonderful friends, UW has the Apple Cup, and most of all, my wonderful hubby. Life is so good.