Our Black Friday ...

We do not take in the traditional post-Thanksgiving events of shopping. Instead of crowding into malls we find a local place where we can find the beauty of nature but also enjoy some culture. This year we toured Hillwood Estate and Gardens.

We started our afternoon with a picnic in Rock Creek Park on a beautiful Friday afternoon. I took advantage of the leftovers from the day before when we had enjoyed a nice duck with a bourbon-maple glaze, some brussel sprouts with bacon and wild rice. The left over duck leg covered in the glaze made a nice sandwich.

After our picnic we headed up to Hillwood where we were greeted by some of the friendliest people. We toured the mansion, greenhouse and the gardens. It was a wonderful afternoon and as you can see by the pictures also very beautiful.

Thanksgiving

Today is a day I sit and relax and think of how lucky I am. I truly have many things to be thankful for.

I am thankful for my beautiful and supportive wife. She inspires me to be a better person with her own actions.

I am thankful for my large and loving family. Our girls, the Moore and Bell families and all of the extensions of those (and there are LOTS).

I am thankful that the girls are finding their place in the world.

I am thankful for my community and all it allows me to have - a safe place to run, a great job and access to so many cultural avenues.

I am also thankful for my heritage and the strength that it has instilled in me.

I am thankful for my friends - new and old and all they have taught me.

I hope you all can look inward today and see how fortunate we all are and then over the holidays see if there is some small way you can make someone else smile.

Happy Thanksgiving

Fall Morning Runs

Tuesday I woke up and wanted to go for a nice run ... nothing ridiculous but maybe 4 or 5 miles. I checked the temperature and it was 32. Ok, maybe a bit cool and certainly my coolest morning yet so I decided I would slip on my Nike tights which are a bit thicker. They are actually ones that have almost a compression feel around the knees.

So off I go. A mile in my legs are just not feeling right, after 2 I decided I had to take a short cut back to the house and was done in just about 2.5. I was disappointed. But I learned some things.

- Compression clothing is good but you have to be used to it and wanting to run even a regular 5 miles the first tome out in something that you are not used to wearing is likely not a good idea.
- 32 is not that cold - so this morning when it was 35 I was back in shorts.

My run this morning was a nice 10k in 35 degree weather. It was easy and relaxing but invigorating at the same time. I loved it. Adding hills also helps and I am ever grateful that they opened that Croson-Belmont piece. I never would have thought it would have been so useful for exercise.

I am looking forward to more cool mornings and making sure I dress properly for them - not too much but not too little either.

Happy Running!

Remembering

Today seems like the day to look back and to be thankful for all we have - the freedoms, the choices, the successes and even the opportunity to make mistakes and to have someone help us.

Today we should, in looking back, remember all those that sacrificed so that we have. We should remember the war dead and injured but also their families and communities that gave so much to support their sons, daughters, mother and fathers.

Today we should also remember those that serve today and thank them in any way we can

I have been lucky enough to travel to many places and I have been able to see many memorials remembering those that gave so much. Below are pictures of some of them.

Some Pictures from Gatlinburg

We are having a great time in the Smoky Mountains but wanted to take a few minutes to share some pictures.

Keep checking the link as we will update with more

Gatlinburg 2012

Happy Halloween

Love lighting my indoor pumpkin as well - gives that spooky feeling inside the house while the little ones are outside.