May 7, 2012

Bloomsday 2012

Just think of doing a run/walk with 55,000+ of your closest friends
and that is what I did this last weekend. 
I'm really lucky because I went with my cousin Julie who is a blogger also so 
I'm going to copy her's and put my thoughts in BOLD letters.
Thanks Julie.

The girls do Bloomsday 2012

Annie had her first "Ladies weekend". Her and I left with my
cousin Teri on Friday morning for a weekend away in
 Eastern Washington with our Aunt Pam to do
 Bloomsday for the first time.
Teri and I drove over to Richland Friday night and we settled in quickly 
with Uncle Paul treating us to something fabulous from the wine cellar.
I quickly decided that Annie and I could get used to girls weekends away! 
We loved getting to spend some quiet time with Craig, Ryan, Emily and little Miss Paige.
Ryan and I on the swings, he said "try this" and he flips over backwards.


And he landed it. 

We continued on our full girls weekend and hit one of 
Pam's favorite sewing shops and wine tasting Saturday morning...
 I couldn't have thought of two things I wanted to do more.
 Annie loved her first wine tasting trip with the ladies, 
just hanging out in the sling and sweetly looking around taking in all the girl talk.
Julie and Annie saying "let me in"



Julie never gets to get away like this so I was
 the baby whisperer and DD. 
Those both should scare the crap out of you. LOL

Paige LOVED Annie and wanted her to sit next to her baby... 
Annie loved it too :)
We woke bright and early Sunday morning, (like 4 in the morning early) and
groggily drove to Spokane. When we got there I was a little unimpressed
with the outfits the ladies were trying to get me to wear. All we were
seeing we super fast looking runners and there was no way I was going
 to put on that silly hat.
Julie was really loving me at this point. 


But I finally decided, oh what the heck! But as we
neared the starting line and found our way to the very last section
(the only place strollers of any kind are allowed) there started to be more 
festive folks and the other tutus and silly costumes started to add up.
In the end the costumes we a crack up and Annie loved staring at
 Mommy in that crazy hair.
We had many people say stuff like "next year we are for sure doing that!"
We even got interviewed for some local TV channel, when
Teri chatted up the camera guy and I quickly hid and tended to baby :)
We waited in the start like and the first runners were off...
but as you can imagine there being about 50,000 people between us and the
start line it took a while. It was fun chatting it up and I must admit I was a
bit prideful when another mom called me a "hardcore mom" due to my
breastfeeding in the middle of the road sitting on the ground.
We neared the start line somewhere about 10:10


(let it be noted that my friend Shannon who was in the fast runners
 group had already started and finished the 
race before we crossed the starting line)
It was such a fun walk. Bands all over, people sitting in every
yard waving and cheering. The amount of people involved was staggering.
It was such a great atmosphere of hope and happiness.
Of the 56,000 participants, we saw walkers from little ladies Annie's age to a woman 90
and another man who was 95 making the 7.6 mile trek through the Spokane streets.

We spent most of it just walking
 (it was against the very strict rules for us to run with a stroller),
girl talking, and people watching. I can not wait to do it again next year!
We headed back to Richland after the race and had another relaxing
 family evening before heading home on Monday.
It was a great girls get away for me and my girl, I haven't felt this spoiled in ages,
 but I missed my two favorite guys!  


Our lil' athlete! Ready to Walk!



"Hardcore Mama"
Pam and I loved this picture, it looks like she lost her own baby.

 People throw their clothes in the trees when they get started after waiting
in the cold and the goodwill comes and pics them up...
the trees were full for the first mile.
It was this full for the entire length of the race and people were 
finishing before we started...
My god that is a lot of people.
There were people as far as the eye could see. 
Both in front and behind us.



Well done Annie! She was a little too good... just zonked in the stroller :)
 I cant wait to go on runs with her when she can actually run :)


I just want to say Thanks to Julie and Annie for going
 over the mountains with me, and Pam and Paul
for having all of us for the weekend. 
So glad Ryan, Emily, Paige and Craig came over for a fun visit. 
Love you all and can't wait for next year.