Merry Christmas!

I have some catching up to do on here but wanted to get this post out on time...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone! We hope this letter finds you well and looking forward to another year. So much happened this year. There were a lot of “downs” to start the year but fairly smooth sailing from then on. I want to say too much for a letter this year (I tried!) so I'm going to try out bullet points instead. :-)

The downs:

• My cousin Tim Spindler passed away in January – We miss you, Timmer!
• My mom had a mitral valve repair on January 24^th. It was a scary few days but she made it through surgery with flying colors. The surgeon was pretty proud of himself! She has since completed the Challenge Walk MS (50 miles in 3 days) for the second year in a row and has begun running...watch out, world!

The ups:

• My best friend Jamine announced that she was pregnant! In March, she found out that she was having twin boys. Cade Jefferson and Blake Luther Kurth were born on June 19^th. These boys have officially stolen my heart!
• I became Blake's godmother on August 19^th!
• We helped Annie and Ben celebrate their wedding on October 20^th (and before with showers, bachelor/bachelorette parties, etc.). I'm glad to officially have another in-law in the Lenz family, Ben!
• John's job is going really well. He's finishing up his third semester at UIC and has published a few papers this year. Three more semesters and then we're off to the next job!
• I love my job! Working with nursing students is definitely challenging but also very rewarding. I work with an awesome team. I do miss practicing as a nurse practitioner though...

The changes:

• We sold our car! We've been living without a car since the end of May. We rent cars when we want to go out of town and take public transportation or walk to get anywhere in the city. It's been quite an adventure. I can honestly say there's only been one instance when I wished I had a car in the last 6+ months.

Our 2012 travels:

• Sun Valley and Boise ID in January – Skiing, family, the gun range, minor league hockey

• Siesta Key and Tampa FL in March – The beach, Busch Gardens, McAlister's Deli, John speaking at a conference, an afternoon with the Rothering's
• Jamaica in July with Mark and KJ – Dunn's River Falls, river tubing, the beach, the pool, lots of delicious food and drinks!
• Montana in August with John's parents – Lots of books for the drive, riding the combine with John, family, Yellowstone National Park, a harrowing drive through the Beartooth Scenic Byway, Mount Rushmore
• Madison for the Crazylegs Classic in April and for Homecoming in October – Friends, fun, football

Running events:

• Crazylegs Classic in April – PR in the 8K, John walked with friends
• Brewers Mini Marathon in September – PR of 2:02 with a bathroom break! I loved the course!
• Men's Health Urbanathlon Relay Leg #1 in October
• Hot Chocolate 15K in November
• Oshkosh Turkey Trot 5 mile run in November, John walked with family

Things we're looking forward to in 2013:

• The Badgers in the Rose Bowl for the third time in a row. Third time's the charm, right?!?
• Disney World Marathon Weekend in January – I'm running the Goofy Challenge (the half marathon on Saturday and full marathon on Sunday)
• Disney World with the Lenz Family in May – Ben's first trip with us!
• Weddings in Costa Rica and New York
• Hopefully adding a new member to our little family!!

Hot Chocolate 15K/5K

Last year my friend Angie came down to Chicago to run the Monster Dash Half Marathon with me.  This year, we decided to run the Hot Chocolate 15K.  Our moms decided they would like to come too, along with two of their friends and another one of Angie's friends.  We had a great weekend!

Saturday we walked down to the Soldier Field parking lot to pick up our packets.  It was quite a process and a little chilly but we had fun. 

Gwen, Carol, Mom, and Diane

The race was early Sunday morning...a 7:00 start time.  Angie hadn't been feeling well for the last month or so and hadn't run in almost four weeks...so she moved back from Corral A to Corral K with me.  The race started out really crowded as both the 15K and 5K runners started together.  It was really nice when the 5Kers split off!  We stayed together the whole race and did a pretty good job...especially Angie considering she wasn't feeling the greatest.

Em, Mom, Nicole, Diane, Carol, Gwen, and Angie

The chocolate at the end was well worth the run!  Very yummy!

Angie and Em

After the race on Sunday, we walked around Chicago, checked out the Macy's Christmas tree, ate an early dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, and saw the Broadway production of I Love Lucy.  Great day!

The Macy's Christmas tree

Hot Chocolate 15K

Time - 1:30:13

Pace - 9:31 

Overall place - 6509 of 16411

Age group - 961 of 2883

Sex - 3580 of 11329

UW Homecoming

October 26-28, John and I went back to Madison for Homecoming. I had hoped we'd make it back early enough on Friday night to go to the Homecoming parade and the volleyball game...but we didn't. Instead we ate at the Great Dane and turned in to our hotel on the west side.

Mmm...pumpkin ale

Saturday morning I went for a run. The area we stayed in had grown up a lot since I was last there. The residential area just west of our hotel was a great place to run. Then we headed to campus. We took the Lakeshore Path from Lot 60 to the Lakeshore dorms and then cut over to Union South. The new Dejope dorm is gorgeous! We had a great lunch at Union South, listened to the band outside for awhile, and then headed over to the game. The Badgers lost to Michigan State in overtime but we had a great time cheering them on. It was also Halloween weekend and Bucky put on quite a few different costumes.

John

John at Tripp Circle, his address for 3 years

Welcome Home Badger Alumni!

Camp Randall

The Badger Bash before the game

Bucky in a tutu!

After the game, we took Natalie and Race out to supper...and then Natalie treated us to some ice cream at the new Gordon Commons. Though Natalie insists the food isn't that much better, the building looks more like a restaurant than a cafeteria!

Sunday we were able to visit Jamine, Brandon, Cade, and Blake before driving back to Chicago. It was so good to see them again. The boys are getting so big!  Blake loved my Bucky t-shirt.

This picture was actually from the day before when the boys put on their costumes with their cousins...so cute!

Colors and Bottles

Some time ago I purchased a YouSwoop voucher for a Colors and Bottles event.  Jess and I scheduled it for the Monday after Annie and Ben's wedding.  While we were both exhausted, we had a great time! 

A bar hosted the event.  A real artist was the instructor.  He had a painting there for us to look at and then walked us through how to paint it.  Jess and I both followed the instructions as well as we could...but others in our class really made it their own.  It was so interesting to see how other people interpreted the instructions...and how some completely went their own way.  All painting materials were supplied.  It was such as fun night...and definitely worth $17/person.

The artist's painting

My painting, step by step

Jess and I with our finished paintings.

Annie and Ben's Wedding

The sibling picture: John, Em, Natalie, Annie, Ben, and Lisabeth

We had a great time at Annie and Ben's wedding.  They thought of so many little details...and everything went quite perfectly!

We drove up to Oshkosh on Thursday and met John's uncles, aunts, and cousins for dinner.  Everyone joked that they no longer mattered to 5-year-old Journey because I was there now...but I was soon replaced by 6-year-old Grace.  It was fun to be able to spend some time with them before the craziness of the wedding weekend began as they had traveled from Idaho and we don't see them too often.

Friday I helped Annie, Natalie, and Kathy with a bit of the decorating and then we girls went to get our nails done.  After that was the rehearsal at the church (where Annie had to do confession) and then dinner.  It was a fun night!

Personalized M&Ms for the rehearsal dinner

Sisters: Annie and Natalie

John, John, and Brigitte

Em and John

Ben and Annie

Saturday morning we were up bright and early to get our hair done.  Max, Annie and Ben's videographer, and Matt, the best man, brought Annie her gift from Ben (diamond earrings) and got footage of this part of the day.  Then we headed over to the church to get ready.  It was fun and so exciting to see Annie transform into the beautiful bride she was.

Annie with her hair stylist

Annie and Em

Natalie and Annie

Almost Mrs. Kotenberg!

After a fairly tear-free ceremony (Annie didn't bawl through her vows like I did!) and a few pictures at the church, the wedding party hopped into a trolley for drinks and more pictures around town before arriving at the reception hall.  We had a great time!

The beautiful bride!

Em, Annie, and Natalie

John

Race and Natalie

John and Em

Dinner was absolutely delicious!  I cleaned my plate...and was able to sample a few of the desserts too.  Annie and Ben's first dance was super cute.  I missed the Lenz men doing "the worm" though...so disappointing.  It was fun to chat with my parents and our friends too.  The only downer of the night was that John had a little too much to drink and fell asleep at a table...oops.  We took him home as soon as the last dance ended so I got out of cleanup duty.

John and Mark

Mark, KJ, Em, and John

The Lenz men doing "the worm"...yup, that's Grandpa John on the left!

Sunday, John and Kathy hosted brunch for the family.  I think everyone had a great time...maybe too great for some of them!

I took this when we went back to get our car on Sunday...beautiful day!

Just a sample of the details they thought of!

**Most of these pictures are mine, some are from other people via Wedding Snap and Facebook, and I believe the sibling picture is from Annie and Ben's photographer via Facebook.**

Upcoming: Annie and Ben's Wedding

This weekend John's sister Annie is getting married to her high school sweetheart, Ben.  These two have been together for longer than I've even known John...and they're finally tying the knot!  John and I are both in the wedding.  Annie (and Ben) have thought of so many little details that never would have crossed my mind!  I'm sure it's going to be beautiful!

We're driving up to Oshkosh tomorrow.  We girls are getting our nails done Friday afternoon.  Then the rehearsal and dinner are Friday evening.  Saturday is the big day starting with hair appointments at 8:30.  I'm so excited!  I just hope Annie doesn't get too wrapped up in the details and enjoys her (their!) special day!

I'm also really excited to see some family (including my parents) and friends we haven't seen for awhile.

More to come...

In times of change, learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.
~Eric Hoffer, American social writer

Lifelong learning is so important!

Urbanathlon

A few weeks ago, Beth, a friend from high school asked me to sub on an Urbanathlon relay team this weekend.  We were planning to be in town so I agreed.  I'm so glad I did!  Yesterday, I ran Leg #1 of the Urbanathlon with Beth.  It was so fun to be able to run with a friend. Our obstacles were: Plastic barricades and police barricade combo, cargo net and traffic cones with poles combo, and police barricades and tire stutter step combo.  They were mostly over and unders except for the tires...and pretty easy except for when we had to crawl through goose poop and mud...yuck!  Overall, it was a really great experience and I would definitely do it again!

Top: The last obstacle for Leg #3 and those running the whole thing, a wall to scale; Bottom left: The finish line; Bottom right: My loot

Our team stats

Fall #2 in Chicago

Just a few random photos from our second fall in Chicago:

I got free peanuts on Kiwanis Peanut Day!

Trying to capture the beautiful fall colors for Laura while on a run/walk.

Gorgeous fall sunrise...one of the perks of it getting light later.

Nearly empty train cars...ahh.

North Harbor Tower's fall decor...lovely!

North Harbor Tower's new library...almost makes me wish I was a student again so I could study here...great space!

Spirit of Chicago

On Friday, I had the privilege of going on the Spirit of Chicago lunch cruise with our upcoming graduates and the senior leadership team (my manager was out of the office so I got to go instead).  We had such a good time!  Plus, it made me feel good that some of the students wanted pictures with me and many of them thanked me...one even said "I don't think most of us would be here without Emily."  That really made me feel like I am where I'm supposed to be, doing what I'm supposed to do, and making a difference.

It turned out to be a gorgeous day!

The graduates

9 girls and a guy

Me and Maryam