I posted a longer album on FB, but for those of you who do not follow me there, enjoy the year in review in pictures!
xo – J
2012: I confess, you are the best thing in my life.
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Category Archives: family
A Thanksgiving 5K + My Siblings
Heading home for Thanksgiving this year, I forgot about the inevitable cold weather that’d greet me in Chicago. Luckily, on Thanksgiving Day it was 55 degrees, and we were enjoying the sunshine as we ran the Turkey Trot pre-meal.
Here is my family at the race – Dad, Jeff, Nikki and I ran, and Mom, Jon, and Kylah all walked. I ran the race in 37:12, my new personal best.
We came home to prepare for the feast, and while waiting for the turkey to be done, I snapped these shots of my siblings being ridiculous, aka themselves.
Nothing like being home to keep your spirit silly and your laugh fresh, chicks.
Today is our last day in Chicago, and I’m going to drink some coffee, hopefully participate in Local Saturday shopping, and enjoy these two and the rest of the family until I head back with Jeffrey to LaLa land.
When two people meet, each one is changed by the other so you’ve got two new people.
The title of this post is a quote from John Steinbeck, an author my dad and sister and I have been slowly reading through for the past nine years, ever since we headed to San Francisco on a family vacation.
I think it’s fitting for my dad, who turns 50 today. He’s the type of person that learns from everyone he meets, who is constantly looking for knowledge from people, places, classes, the Internet, and beyond.
I wrote about my dad recently when I was helping him raise money for his Heart Walk, so hopefully you already know all about him. He’s a delight to have as a father, a medical professional, and a friend who you can always call for a laugh, or advice, or just to talk. I am so lucky to have him around!
This is a picture of my dad and me, circa 2008, when he was in town for my college graduation.
dad with the big heart
So many of you know my dad. He’s loud, funny, loving, loud, makes a delicious pizza, and is pretty much the best dad ever. He’s walking the Heart Walk in Chicago, and he needs help raising his fundraising goal.
Many of you know my dad because you ask me to call him up for medical advice (he’s a nurse by trade) – a weird pain here, a cut that won’t heal, questions about whether or not walking pneumonia is contagious.
Some of you know my dad for our family’s pizza nights. Our favorites include bacon and onion, mushroom, and clam.
Others just know my dad through me, and you know that while intimidating sometimes, (“Girls, stop laughing and go to bed, it’s 1 am), he’s really just a guy with a big heart who loves his family, his work, and his country fiercely.
Did you know that heart disease claims the lives of more people than the next 3 leading causes of death combined? I am sure you probably know someone who has had heart disease, and it’s a scary thing to see someone go through. Research, education, and access to care can make a difference, and these walks help us to reduce the number of people lost to heart disease.
Do it for me. Do it for my dad. Do it in memory of my Uncle Tom, or your uncle or mother or grandfather or your neighbor or your husband or your wife. Do it for you!
Let’s help my dad reach his goal and maybe even double it — who knows, with a little help from us, we just might make the world go round.
Thanks, friends.
closer i am to fine
Last night, I saw my sorelle for a few hours since she’s down in Anaheim for work. I helped her and her coworkers finish some last minute conference tasks, then had dinner with some of them in the hotel. It was nice to see a little of what my sister spends all her time doing, and nice to put faces to names.
Because she’s traveling, I guest blogged over at Tales from my Second City for her today.
I hope you enjoy it!