Weekend - That's A Wrap!

Hey there friends! Hope this April Wednesday is treating you mighty fine! We are in the midst of April showers bring May flowers this week and dreaming of a very bright and colorful spring to come!

So what have the Bessettes been up to? Starting on Wednesday of last week Danny stayed down at his parents for a variety of sports events- hockey game, baseball game- and a few doc appointments, taking my pup with him. So I was footloose and fancy free which translates to pretty much working and catching up on girly shows while treating myself to some goodies...

By Friday though I was so pumped up to see my boys!! Getting home, sun shining, pretty spring weekend on the horizon- I was a happy girl! Plus this little face greeted me like we had been separated for years….love you to buddy.

Dinner that night was brought to us by Blue Apron <<LINK>>. My mother in law got us an order for Christmas and my personal chef waited for his own kitchen to cash it in. The food was good- different recipes and Dan got to try his hand at different cooking techniques.

If your new to HALF - let me get you up to speed, this gal does not cook. I try every once in a while, but not my thing at all.....so this one was left to Danny. He liked the variety of foods....but felt like the cooking was not for the faint of heart and really required precision and focus...Danny is more of a get creative and guesstimate type. Not sure we would do it again but we ate well for this weekend. Thank you Pat and Blue Apron!

Friday was as low key as it sounds and that was good…..because Saturday we were up and at em with the sun! On Sunday I had plans to run the 5K Cherry Blossom Race in DC and we had to use Saturday to get my race packet. So Saturday after a few things going on around the house - we set off to DC. It was an incredibly gorgeous day….which distracted us some from the massive amounts of traffic and activity making our travel to the city pretty challenging.

In DC they had the Cherry Blossom Festival in full swing, a midday Capitals Game, protestor shenanigans, road closures - just a regular ole busy day in the district!! But what should have only taken us a little bit of time ended up being close to 5 hours!! Danny was frustrated but a trooper -and I was a feeling a mix of guilt and anger that this race thing was taking over our whole weekend!! We both agreed it better be my best race yet where I soak up EVERY SINGLE CHERRY BLOSSOM. Really - this translated into distracting me and my nerves…..

After we successfully navigated our way to the Building Museum for packet pick-up - where I literally ran in, snapped a few pictures, grabbed my goodies and jetted back out while Dan circled the building, the fastest part of our day - we hit the grocery store and a few other errands.The day was gone pretty quick - but we both relaxed and enjoyed that evening and prepared ourselves for the race! I was getting pretty nervous and really hoping it was going to be OK….. I had been running but not quite as much as I had hoped. So just a 5K to some, but I was nervous…..it is my first race since really trying to bring running back and I was afraid the experience might be my last run. Negative much? Yup! But I managed to be sleepy enough to catch my Zzzzzs pretty easily and hit the hay in time to get some good hours before my Sunday 6AM wake up call.

Mornings are not Danny’s thing - period. His body often aches, lungs heavy from laying flat all night and gathering fluid. Usually he needs to ease himself out of bed and then migrate to the basement couch for an hour or so of treatment and waking up. Well with a 6:30AM departure - that was not really an option and I had no idea how this morning would go. But Danny and I were up and ready with enough time to swing by Dunken Donuts! As we headed out the door Danny noted cones though our neighborhood - as if maybe there was as race going on in Ashburn….. well low and behold a race in our neighborhood - literally steps outside our front door. Well this broke the ice… I was worried about my race, worried about what I was doing to Dan with such an early wake up call, worried what the day would hold ……and in that instant we both burst out laughing. Dan teased me that a real runner needed to be in DC anyway….. ***sigh*** and our early morning day had started.

Well we made it downtown MUCH easier at that hour of the day and Danny dropped me off…..I was not only on time but early. That played with my nervous a little too as he had to just drop me and go on to his own journey to find parking. I stretched a bit, swore off ANY need for a port potty and said a little prayer….I did not need to do amazing, I did not even have to run the whole time - God just please let this race be a good experience. Let it be the true restart to my love affair with the running journey. Well the race started off and as I felt my way through the crowd, found a pace, determined a solid volume for my tunes……. I fell into my stride.

It was an unbelievably perfect day and the scene was breathtaking….unfortunately I had to focus a little more on getting it done to stop and really enjoy….but I am happy to report that with only a break of about 6 steps - to breath for a few moments and at one water break - I ran THE WHOLE RACE. I know, you true runners are laughing at my 3+ mile journey…..but for me, for today it was a challenge and I beat it….I finished and I ran 99.9% of the full course. AMEN.

As I crossed the finish line Danny snapped some photos and noted my time……9 mile minute average. Ya’ll for this 10+ minute mile gal, that was a true accomplishment. Danny said I did not even appear to be in pain or tired (#fakeituntilyoumakeit), and finished in the first wave of folks. He was impressed. Suddenly his morning wake up call, our 5 hour packet pick up adventure, and my participation - meant more than we both would have guessed and we were both happy for the experience.

We hung around for a bit watching the 10 milers and enjoying he city…….but by 10AM I was beat and Danny needed to get to his treatments. So done we were and homebound before 11AM. Besides a quick stop at the store for a few more ingredients for a night of dinner on the deck with the grill, we were home relaxing, soaking up the sun and an truly enjoying a good excuse to be lazy. After my incredible shower, I wrapped myself in my luxurious white robe and lounged the day away. Ending the night with evening mass and enjoying the gorgeous setting our new backyard provides - we both were feeling blessed.

This weekend Danny and I experienced some new things, continued to enjoy our new home, and dreamt of what the spring and summer that is just starting to break will hold…..laughing the whole way along. It was just wonderful. We have really been relishing this current time - but it has been the laughing and time of just together that means the most. I hope this weekend and this week has brought you and yours a gorgeous spring season to dive into with many laughs - even at yourself- to help with the busy days.