Stop, Drop and Run

Over the weekend we watched in horror the destruction Hurricane Irma caused in its path across the Caribbean Islands, Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, and we are fortunate to only have incurred the last remnants of Irma here in Tennessee yesterday. This was one heck of a hurricane and so powerful, it is amazing that not more damage was caused or more lives lost, which can be attributed to all the evacuation efforts. The sheer size of Irma is only comprehensible when seen on a satellite image:   

While the weather was unfavorable down South, we actually had the perfect Fall weather here in Nashville over the weekend. It was perfect timing too as I had a  local 5K run (benefiting the underprivileged children in the community) on Saturday morning. My company was one of the sponsors and so some of my coworkers had also signed up. Group shot before the race started:

The run was organized by the local fire department and thus, Sparky, the fire dog was there too:

Ready, set, go:

During the run, my biggest fans cheered me on with posters and encouraged me to run faster:

Despite a big incline during the first mile, I completed the race in 23.38 minutes (a personal best) and even won 1st place overall for the female category (out of a 102 starters). This was total surprise and so was the $250 gift card attached to the 1st place win. 

Group photo after we finished the 5K:

Always smiling:

After the run was over, we visited the kids' zone for some bounce house fun, bubble catching and how to train like a firefighter. 

The fire department had set up a little parkour for the children to complete. It included crawling thru a smoking house, hitting a bolt, climbing up the ladder to crack open a "window" and rescue big Ted. 

But the best part of the parkour was using a real fire hose to extinguish the "flames":

All weekend long the weather was great, so we made sure to spent lots of time outside. Fall decorating is in full swing:

Based on the past two weeks, it looks like summer as we know is over for this year and we are more than ready to welcome Fall. This little cute pumpkin was grown in our backyard and is now part of our Fall decoration:

 

Labor Day Weekend 2017

While our Labor Day weekend got an early, albeit wet start because of Hurricane Harvey causing some flooding in the area, it was also a welcomed few days at home. We all needed some rest after a full summer and Elliot not feeling too well plus a very rainy Friday, gave us the chance to just hang out, play and reconnect. 

Lately, my little girl gives me a run for my money. Actually, the last few weeks it has been very exhausting and not much fun at all with her because we fight a lot. We are so alike, both strong willed, that we constantly argue, which often ends in screaming fits, door slamming, tears and lots of mommy guilt. Even though she is only 6 years old, she acts like a teenager and I'm already dreading the day she actually becomes one. And then there was Friday night, on a day where I felt especially down for no apparent reason, when Amelia started washing our dinner plates, stacking the dishwasher and cleaning up not only her room, but her brother's room and the playroom while I showered. I was so surprised and then she made me tear up because she apologized for "causing drama once in a while". I grabbed her right then and there and apologized too and we hugged and danced around. Life with this petite but strong willed child is not always easy but these moments are a great reminder that it is all worth it and that I'm not so bad at this parenting gig after all. 

On Saturday morning, all the rain was gone and we were able to go to the park for a run/ walk and then did some yard work.  We even harvested our first pumpkins:

Last week, a living piece of history arrived in our town and we all decided to take a look at it on Sunday. The LST 325, the largest Landing Ship Tank  ever designed/ built to place tanks, troops and cargo on to a hostile beach and the only one remaining of 1,051 is docked at the Riverfront in Nashville for the holiday weekend. The ship sails each summer with a crew of about 45 people who sleep and eat on board while it stops in different cities. 

A close up of the entire ship before we went on board:

The LST 325 landed troops at Normandy on D-day in June 6, 1944. It was used to transport soldiers to the battle ground as well as their vehicles and all kinds of artillery. It also served as a sickbay when needed. And later it was used by the Greek Navy until it was acquired by the USS LST Memorial, Inc in 2000 to bring the ship back to its homeland. Today, the ship serves as a museum and memorial. 

A Lego  replica of the LST 325:

Tight quarters on the second level:

On the upper deck:

The Captain's quarter:

Remants of a war ship:

After the tour we went back home as Elliot was exhausted from this outing and needed a nap. The rest of the afternoon we spent in the backyard enjoying this early fall-like weather. 

Derrick barbecued for us and then we had S'mores for dessert:

While the kids and Derrick stayed home on Monday, I went out running errands for a couple of hours. We enjoyed this "mini-vacation" and it was quite a strain to get up today at 5:30am. Luckily, it is a short work week and with fall-like temperatures forecasted for the entire week, we are looking forward to spending our afternoons in the park or in the backyard. The only thing planned for next weekend is my 5K race on Saturday morning. I got in a good running routine lately and I'm looking forward to race day. 

Rain and Shine

Last Saturday, Derrick left to visit his friends in California for a few days. My man works very hard every day and hasn't seen his friends since our wedding, so he was overdue for a few days of golfing, watching football and going to a bar. 

Vince and Derrick

While we missed Daddy, we also made sure to stay busy. So on Sunday, Amelia's classmate, his sister and mommy met us at the Nashville Zoo for a fun outing. Four little monkeys running wild:

 Amelia was all about the giraffes that day:

The highlight of the day was feeding the Lorikeets with nectar. 

We also visited my favorite - the kangaroos:

Snakes and frogs at Unseen World:

Elliot had his heart set on riding the choo choo train, so we did that before heading home:

The sun was shining brightly, the kids were happy and sweaty and the animals mostly sleepy the later it got in the day. But most of all, it was great spending a day with friends and my two favorite kids:

The majority of our week was uneventful, but we did get our new refrigerator delivered on Wednesday. Last Wednesday and without any warning, our old fridge stopped working and we learned that this is the one appliance you cannot live without - especially in the heat of the summer. Even though we did not budgeted for that big expense, we were happy once the new fridge arrived. Out with the old, in with the new: (we also now have a smaller, used fridge in the garage, which is awesome as these side-by-side refrigerators have limited storing capacity):

Wednesday night, Derrick came back home and now our world is back in order. Nothing is better than all of us (including the cat) relaxing on the couch before bed time.

A namesake beer to celebrate:

For the past week, Hurricane Harvey dumped devastating amounts of rain on Texas and Louisiana and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses.  

(Photo: Jeff Piotrowski- Rockport, TX)

(Photo: David J. Phillip - Rescue Boats in houston, TX)

To see these photos of the destruction is heart wrenching but this disaster also brings out the best in people. There are lines of people ready to volunteer, rescuing people with their own boats or sending in much needed supplies and money. I was delighted to hear today that my company is working with our distributors, some of which are in the oil and gas refinery segment, to help them get their machines back up and running and that we will collect supplies for the storm victims. For the last 24 hours, the outliers of Harvey have dumped a a significant amount of rain here in Tennessee and have caused severe flooding in certain areas. As a result, all schools were closed today and while it is fun for the kids to spend an extra day at home, it also means that we have to entertain them (I also worked from home today, which meant by lunch time I was exhausted). Amelia was playing in the rain this morning:

And after some homework, she enjoyed reading her book:

Unfortunately, Elliot is sick with a low grade fever and a bad cough, so he is recuperating on the couch. Luckily, we have a long weekend ahead of us as Monday is Labor Day.  Since it is forecasted to continue raining until tomorrow afternoon, we will stay inside, rest up and say our blessings to have a home that keeps us warm and dry.