The Happiness Initiative

Back in late April I saw this article and took the Gross National Happiness survey the article discusses. Here are my scores:

I wasn't really surprised that I scored pretty high on everything...I'm generally a happy person. Interestingly to me, my lowest scores were work and time balance, probably because there are about a million things I'd rather be doing than working even though I like my job. I also found it interesting that my raw score for environment was a 70 but my normalized score was a 50. The other raw and normalized numbers were much closer.

Grist readers scored below the national average on everything except material well-being.

The biggest gap, not surprisingly, was on satisfaction with the state of the environment. We can only assume that you’re better informed about environmental problems than most people, thanks to Grist, which is a good thing! But all that knowledge is bringing you down, man, which is a bad thing. Sorry.

At the end of the survey, the authors gave a few suggestions for increasing happiness.

I love that people are doing research on this!

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.

~Joseph Addison, British essayist, poet, playwright and politician

Cade and Blake's first birthday

Cade and Blake are one year old! They turned one on June 19th and we went to their party yesterday. They're such good boys and they've grown so much. They're really starting to move now. Blake does an army crawl and Cade kind of scoots on his butt. It's pretty funny. Cade did get in a few hands-and-knees crawls while we were there. I really need to figure out how to see them more often!

In their new Badger beanbags from Mom and Dad.

New cars!

Why are all these people singing? Cade devoured his cake. Blake smashed his a little and then started crying. Poor guy. I think he wanted chocolate!

Cade getting every last bit of his cake.

Me and my godson, Blake.

Scariest moment of my life

I'm going to skip ahead in time here now because this is so fresh in my mind. In fact, I'm not sure I've actually processed it completely yet. Last night, on our way home from Cade and Blake's first birthday party, we got in a car accident. It was the first accident for both of us (minus spinning out into the ditch and a minor incident with a deer), and, while we escaped with only minor bruises and scratches, it was terrifying.

I was driving. I keep replaying it in my mind. What could I have done differently? We exited the highway in search of Noodles & Co. for dinner. Our GPS lost it's signal so we missed a turn and got rerouted. If we hadn't missed that turn, we wouldn't have been on the road we had the accident on.

We were on Illinois Route 72, a four lane road with a speed limit of 55 mph, in South Barrington, IL. A car pulled out in front of us to turn onto a cross street. We didn't have a stop sign or stop light or anything. I remember thinking something along the lines of "What is this idiot doing? Oh sh**!!" I'm not sure if I said it out loud or not. I'm not sure how long I kept my eyes open. I heard the crash of metal as the two cars collided. The airbags deployed. The car stopped. I think I said out loud, "I better put it in park." I did not turn the car off. All I could think or say was "We gotta get out of this car." There was smoke, from the airbags, I think. John asked me a couple times "Are you OK?" "Yes. Are you? Let's get out of here."

Luckily, there was a car of three people who sort of saw what happened. At first they thought we had barely missed each other. They got out of their car and helped us and the elderly woman from the other car. They called the police for us. One of them even gave the police officer her name and number to give to me in case we needed a ride.

The South Barrington police were so nice. They took our statements, helped us get our things out of our car (we had gone shopping since we were out of the city with a car), and called paramedics to make sure we were OK. The accident was completely the fault of the other driver. Once the investigation was complete and the cars had been towed away, they took us and all of our stuff to the South Barrington Police Station so we would have a safe place to wait for a ride home. That was my first ride in the back of a police car.

John got on the phone with the rental car company almost immediately. They were not too efficient or helpful. John was on the phone for a long time trying to figure out if they were going to bring us another car so we could get home. Instead we called Keith and he came and got us "on his way home" from St. Louis. We're pretty lucky to have such an awesome friend.

I made it until we got home and I got in the shower before I completely broke down. I couldn't help but think that it could have been much worse. What would I have done if it had been worse? Thankfully, it wasn't. Thankfully, we just have bruises and scratches. Thankfully, my husband is still right beside me and me beside him.

RIP Grandpa John

I woke up and got ready as usual on Thursday, April 25th. But, when I checked my phone and saw that I had two missed calls from my father-in-law, I knew something was wrong. When I talked to him, he told me that Grandpa John had passed away that morning, as he and Grandma were getting ready for John and Kathy to pick them up to go to the airport for John's cousin Samia's wedding. In John's speech at the funeral, he thanked Samia and her husband for having their wedding, for giving Grandpa something to be so happy and excited about in what would be his last days.

Of course, the funeral was sad. But, the speeches made at the lunch afterwards were very reflective of this wonderful man. I only knew him for a short time, not quite 8 years, but he always made me feel like I was part of the family. My Grandpa John had passed away not long before I met John's Grandpa John and he was just the kind of grandpa I needed in my life.

Grandma Jo, Kathy, me, John III, John II, Grandpa John

 

Crazylegs Classic 2013

We met Mark, KJ, and Marissa in Madison the last weekend in April for our second annual Crazylegs Classic. This year, we had beautiful weather! It was a great weekend with great friends!

I thought I might be able to set a new 8K PR but it was a little too warm and the course was a little more hilly than I remembered. I did set a new Crazylegs PR though!

 

Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

~George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright

My bad!

I had a nasty cold last week and then we went up to Oshkosh for the weekend so I didn't exercise at all after the Shamrock Shuffle last Sunday. I had a bit of a scolding email from dailymile today. Here's to waking up early enough to work out tomorrow before work!

Shamrock Shuffle

I ran the Shamrock Shuffle this morning and now have a new 8K PR! It was a beautiful day for a run, the race was very well-managed, and I made a new friend! Now I'm even more excited for the Crazylegs Classic 8K in Madison later this month!

In the start corral

My official race time and stats

Stepping up the TTC notch

I bought this Friday night, after finding out I wasn't pregnant this month. Boo! But, the reviews on this stuff are great! I'm really excited to try it out in the coming weeks. I found out about it from Baby Making Machine's blog post back in June when she was TTC baby #2. She had a beautiful little boy on Friday...so maybe this worked for her too!

Marriage equality

Last week, the Supreme Court of the United States heard arguments for and against California's Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act. Human Rights Campaign urged supporters of marriage equality to change their Facebook profile pictures to red equal signs. I did so, in support of many of my friends and family. I've wanted to blog about my feelings on marriage equality for awhile. And now, while the subject is in the news again, seems like the time to do it.

I can sort of understand the traditional religious views of marriage being between a man and a woman. I'm not saying it's right, but I can understand the argument. However, there is a separation of church and state in this country, and same-sex marriage laws do not require all churches and clergy to open up their doors and perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples. The laws legalize same-sex marriage and give same-sex couples the rights afforded to opposite-sex couples. Rights like receiving social security survivor benefits, employment benefits like health insurance, and hospital visitation rights. I remember an episode of Grey's Anatomy involving a gay couple who had been together for years. The patient had been disowned by his family years before he had fallen ill. He and his partner had discussed his last wishes. But legally, his father, not his partner, was his power of attorney. Of course, this being a TV show, it turned out OK in the end, but it made me think of the rights same-sex couples are really fighting for that others may take for granted.

I remember using the word gay with a negative connotation when I was in high school. I hope I didn't make anyone feel that being gay was a bad thing. I've grown a lot since then. And, while changing my Facebook picture may not be a huge thing, at least it helped to spread the word, to make my Facebook friends aware of what was going on. I know so many people who are affected by these laws and I will do what I can to help them, by doing my own research, by supporting leaders who support LGBT rights, but most importantly, by treating every single person with kindness. We're all people and we should all be equal, no matter who we love.

*Check out Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's song "Same Love" which I originally saw after John's cousin Michele posted it on Facebook.

runDisney's new race

Just over a week ago, runDisney announced that they were adding a 10K to Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and, with that, the Dopey Challenge. At first glance, I was hoping the Dopey Challenge would be like the Double Dumbo Dare at Disneyland, the 10K plus the half marathon. But, no, the Dopey Challenge is the 5K, 10K, half marathon, and full marathon! 48.6 miles in 4 days! SIX medals! I think it's crazy, but someday, I might just be crazy enough to try it...after all, I've already completed the Goofy Challenge.

TTC Update

Some of you may be thinking I'm pregnant since I didn't mention not being pregnant this month...but I'm not (or, at least, I wasn't in early March).  However, this time, not being pregnant was actually kind of OK. I mean, I would have preferred that I was pregnant, but not being pregnant meant I got to enjoy a couple of beers with former colleagues in celebration of graduation. And, the very next day, I drove up to Madison to spend the weekend with Jamine and her boys. I don't think there is any kind of bad mood that two adorable almost-8-month-old boys can't cure! The heart-to-hearts with my BFF helped quite a bit too!

Cade - So big!

Cade: Ugh, brother, I really want that toy!

Blake, my godson

The last couple of months, I've been using an ovulation kit thanks to my friend Jackie (she passed it to me a few months into her pregnancy). Last month, I got the smiley face on Day 9 of my cycle which seemed a little early and was not in sync with what the WebMD Ovulation Calculator had predicted.

This month, the smiley face came on Day 13 which was exactly what the WebMD Ovulation Calculator predicted. Very interesting, huh? (And nerve-wracking!) In a week or so I'll have my answer...but you, readers, may not have your answer for a few months if all goes well! ;-)

My husband

One of the things I love about my husband is that when he's interested in something, he researches it until he knows all about it. Lately, he has begun working out. He used to occasionally go down to the gym and use the elliptical but recently he's been lifting weights as well. Before he started, he found an app on his tablet. He researched a bunch of the different exercises/weight machines. He found out about supersets, intervals, and the best post-workout nutrition.

He works out 3 days a week most weeks. I work out with him on the weekend. This 1.5 hour block of time with him has become one of my favorites of the week. A couple weekends ago a couple of friends visited us. John talked Mark into working out with him. While they were gone, KJ expressed her surprise that John was working out and so into it. Proud moment for me!

He's been pretty awesome in other ways lately too...doing chores and stopping for groceries without being asked (or without being nagged, at least). I feel pretty lucky lately!

Badgers

We went to two Wisconsin Badgers sporting events last week. On Sunday, we went to the Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field where Wisconsin played Minnesota and won! It was a fun game...but cold! Our friends Mark and KJ came to visit for the weekend to go to the game. I think KJ and I had three large hot chocolates each. We got pretty awesome souvenir mugs though!

Me, KJ, Mark, and John

We had pretty good seats!

Oh, and John, Mark, and I skated on the rink for an alumni skate event on Friday night. It was so fun!

Me and John

John and Mark

On Wednesday, John, Keith, and I went to see the basketball team at Northwestern's Welsh Ryan Arena in Evanston. We couldn't believe how small the arena was...but it made for a great setting to really see what was happening on the court. Our seats were in the second level but we could see almost everything. Sitting in the first level there would be so awesome...you're so close to the court! I was a little disappointed in the student section though. They were pretty quiet and it wasn't anywhere near full. The game wasn't very close either so I guess they didn't have that much to cheer about...but still! Also surprising was that the National Anthem was essentially a sing-a-long with a couple of Northwestern students leading with the first line...the band didn't even play!

Pretty good seats for $20!

It was certainly a different experience than games at the Kohl Center or Assembly Hall at UIUC...but it was a great experience. I would definitely go back for another Badger game!

Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.

~Maria Montessori, Italian physician and educator

I saw this quote on my AANP SmartBrief feed today and it struck me particularly because of a blog post a friend shared yesterday titled Three Huge Mistakes We Make Leading Kids...and How to Correct Them. The three mistakes the author discusses are risking too little, rescuing too quickly, and raving too easily. As I was reading it, I was reminded of an exam question in an early nursing course. Essentially, the students were expected to understand that as kids grow, they should be expected to put forth their best effort and complete tasks that are age-appropriate. The wrong answer that many students chose fit along with the raving too easily mistake. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Where there is love there is life.

~Mahatma Gandhi

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

~Maya Angelou, American author and poet

Period.

Well, I'm not pregnant this month. Nope. Aunt Flow came to visit on Friday. I was pretty disappointed. In fact, I was almost in tears on my way home from work. I really have no reason to be. I mean, I've only been off the pill for about 5 months. I've only been somewhat paying attention to when I should be ovulating (at least according to What to Expect's Ovulation Calculator) for the last 2 months. Plus, my husband was at a conference in LA when I was supposed to be ovulating this month. So, really, I shouldn't be disappointed...but I was.

I'm not disappointed anymore. It didn't happen for a reason. (Probably because my husband was out of town, right?) As my mom says:

Saturday was a nice sunny day. The Badgers won a big game over #3 Michigan. I went for a 5 mile run. It was a great day!

I can't wait to become pregnant. But, then again, I can. I can because I know it will happen at the right time. I just don't know when that time is yet. All I can do is enjoy this next stage of life and be patient. Here's to next month!

Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge

It's been nearly three weeks since I completed the Walt Disney World Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge and I still can't believe I did it!  The whole weekend was so fun...both races, the time in the parks with my husband...all of it!

Saturday morning I got up bright and early at 2:52 AM EST for the half marathon.  I popped right up out of bed and actually felt rested.  The buses ran from the resorts to the start area from 3-4 AM and I wanted to make sure I was there in plenty of time.

Once I got to the start area, I stood around for quite awhile, stretching, drinking water, taking advantage of the port-a-potties, and waiting for my friend Shannon to arrive.  Once she got there we were able to make our way to the start line.  We were Corral G (of Corrals A-H) so were the second to last group to start.  There were fireworks with the start of each corral and lots of entertainment along the way.

Shannon and I in the start area

The start line!

It was so exciting to finally start, after all that time waiting!  Every few miles there were characters out so you could take pictures with them.  We stretched and chatted as we waited in line and then got back to running.  When we listed our predicted finish time at registration, we had accounted for time spent taking pictures with characters.  I think that was a mistake because then we were running with people who were going much slower than we were...but it was OK since I knew we had the full marathon to run the next day.

Pirates of the Caribbean!**

At the entrance to Magic Kingdom

Main Street USA

Almost halfway!

Unfortunately, John didn't quite know where the finish line was so he just met me at the very end.  Then, we walked back through Epcot, cheering on those runners that were still running, to our hotel where I took a quick shower and then we spent the rest of the day at Magic Kingdom!  That night we had signed up for the Pasta in the Park Party at Epcot.  It was a fun experience but we both decided we wouldn't have to do that again.  Actually, John said afterwards, "Well, next time we can skip that."  I hadn't even thought of there being a next time yet...but now I definitely want to do it again!

We found Chip 'n' Dale after the race!

I was so tired that night that we didn't stay for Illuminations but watched the fireworks from our hotel instead.  The next morning, I again woke up at 2:52 AM.  I was a little more tired but had still slept well.  I was also pretty nervous.  I made it to the bus on time once again.  I chatted with some older women who were running too.  They were pretty impressed that I was running my first full marathon as part of the Goofy Challenge.

Walking through the Mickey ears before the start of the full marathon

Shannon and I before the start

Pretty awesome fireworks display for each wave.*

Around 6:15 we were off and running.  We skipped the characters that we had taken pictures with the first day but took the time to take a few more pictures with characters at the beginning of the race.  We also took advantage of as many "real" bathrooms as we could find!

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Ariel

Belle

Lilo (Stitch went on break right before we got to the front of the line.)

A little owl at Animal Kingdom

A gator at Animal Kingdom

26.1 miles down, 13.1 to go for us Goofy runners!

The Mile 20 Surprise!

I still can't believe how fun the full marathon was.  I never got bored.  There was a pretty long stretch through the Wide World of Sports which other runners were complaining about a little bit but I thought it was OK.  There were TONS of spectators cheering us on all along the course, especially toward the end of the race.  Unfortunately, Shannon's foot was giving her problems throughout the whole day.  She also sprained her ankle at one point and finally had to walk more around Mile 21.  By that point, it hurt me more to walk than to run so we separated.  Once I was on my own, I appreciated the spectators even more!

There were lots of signs like these.*

These W.I.S.H. spectators were awesome. I thoroughly appreciated the Twizzlers they handed out!*

And, of course, characters like these!*

The course went right by our resort and I was super disappointed that I didn't see John there since that's where he initially had said he would be.  But, as I neared Epcot, I saw him along the route.  He found me two other times as the course made it's way through Epcot to the finish line.  I was so emotional I actually had tears in my eyes!  There was also a gospel choir at the last turn before the finish line which was very inspiring both days...the second day I almost burst into tears though!

I spotted him!

 

Overall, it was a great experience.  There were tons of volunteers throughout the entire race, from the pre-race area to the post-race area and everywhere in between.  I felt myself smiling almost the entire way.  There were characters and spectators with funny signs.  There was always something to see!  My name was printed on my race bib and near the end, strangers, both spectators and cast members, were cheering me on by name.  It was so motivating!

The one rookie mistake I made was putting BioFreeze all over myself!  I had never used it before and saw others putting it on their knees which seemed like a good idea because my knees were sore and I was hot.  It felt great!  The mistake I made was also rubbing it on my arms instead of wiping off my hands on the towels provided...oops!  I was all tingly!

I highly recommend runDisney, especially for beginning half or full marathon runners.  I'm not sure how the experience would be for serious runners, as so much of the fun is stopping to take pictures with the characters (which obviously isn't good for your time).  I can't wait to do another runDisney race.  I added the Coast to Coast Challenge, where you run a race at Disney World and Disneyland in one calendar year, to my bucket list.  I won't be able to complete it this year as the Disneyland races have already passed or sold out...but I will do it someday!

I did it!**

Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge complete!

All my loot...the medals and shirts are awesome!

One of my favorite Photopass photos from our trip...with Chip!

Final race stats for the half marathon
Time: 2:49:06
Overall place: 13,352/23,126
Gender place: 6490/13,128
Division (F25-29) place: 962/1781

Final race stats for the full marathon
Time: 6:10:38
Overall place: 14,107/20,679
Gender place: 6481/10,618
Division (F25-29) place: 1068/1693 

*Photos downloaded from runDisney Facebook album.
**Photo proof from MarathonFoto.com.