French Broad Cycling Classic

Hello, I am here again...  After two weeks away from blogging I have returned with some updates!  This past weekend we were in Asheville for the French Broad Cycling Classic, a three day bike race that Erik was competing in.  He did an amazing job, taking 8th place overall and placing higher than some of the pro's.  So proud of him!  Unfortunately on Sunday during the crit his teammate wound up getting in a pretty nasty crash pretty much right where I was standing photographing the race.  Realizing how much he was bleeding from his head was enough to put me (a nurse) in somewhat of an internal panic.  The EMT's showed up within minutes but it didn't take anyone very long to decide that he was going to need stitches.  Once they controlled the bleeding I ended up driving him to the hospital.  So I did miss the end of the race, but was happy to be there with his teammate who would have otherwise been alone and would have had to take an expensive ambulance ride the short distance to the nearby hospital.  All in all, it was a pretty good weekend (minus the obvious injury) and I took just a few good pictures... Here are my favorites:

Lucy, team mascot.  Couldn't leave her out as I was taking the team's head shots before Sunday's race  ;)

River Arts District is a neat old part of Asheville where the crit was held on Sunday

Erik and his teammate Chris

Erik during Sunday's crit

In other exciting news, last night we put in an offer on a new house!!  This comes to a surprise to even us, as we had not been planning on or even really talking about moving anytime soon.  We knew when we bought our current house and renovated it that it would not be a long term house and the plan was to rent it out when we found a bigger place.  Well, we didn't think we would find that place so soon but we think that we have!  The location can't be beat and it is just the right size.  It does need a bit of work, but that is nothing new to us and we would both welcome the opportunity to fix up another house and make it our own.  Fortunately this one does not need the major renovation that our current one did, because given its larger size I don't think we would have the time/energy/funds to take on a project that big.  Anyway, we haven't heard from the sellers yet so we have our fingers crossed we can come to an agreement with them.  The truth is, we don't need to move right now, we have a great little house to live in and are happy here, but if the price is right we want to make the leap.  Here's hoping we get that chance  :)

A new and improved Me

A few days ago I made the decision to become a more spontaneous version of myself.  I realized that it is already July, over half the year is gone, and life is speeding by at a crazy fast pace.  I tried to think of some fun and exciting things I have done so far this year, and sadly, there weren't very many.  I seem to focus all too much on work and responsibilities, and often make "fun" a low priority.  Time to change that.

Included in my new plan to be more fun and adventurous, I also want to take at least one trip each month for the rest of the year.  Not even a far trip, or for very long, but just enough to get out of town and see something new.  I figured this weekend was the perfect time to start with a spontaneous trip to the coast.

We hadn't been to the beach since our honeymoon last year, and that is unfortunate since we live so close.  The coast is just over two hour drive and well worth it even for a day trip.  An added bonus, one of my favorite people in the whole world happens to live near the beach, so we were able to spend the afternoon with her as well.

We only had Erik's iPhone for taking photos so please enjoy these few instagrams I snapped while we were there...

Yes, we really needed all that stuff..

 Next on the agenda, a mountain trip in two weeks.  Erik has a three-day bike race in Asheville, and how could I pass up the opportunity to visit my favorite city?  "Old me" would have probably not gone since I was scheduled to work and didn't want to have to find a pet sitter for Lucy...  "New me" asked my manager for the time off and had Erik book a pet-friendly cottage so we could bring the little lady with us.

I like this new me.  And I have so much more planned.  Hello world, here I come...

Thursdays

For the past three weeks, Thursdays have been bad days.  Even with several good days before it, Thursday would hit and I would feel in a funk.  I think I realized why.  Thursdays are the days of the week I always looked forward to, as it began a new week of pregnancy.

Today I would have been 14 weeks.

I am feeling better, really I am.  Most days I am tear free (yes, just like the shampoo.)  Crying has been replaced with several happy times, content moments, and even laughter.  I spend some time with a dear friend yesterday (for the first time in many weeks I realized) and it was lovely to feel human again.

But then I woke up and even without realizing it was Thursday felt somehow different.  Today on a walk with Lucy I saw a butterfly with a broken wing and it made me cry.  I guess hormones are still there...  

Thankfully, tomorrow is Friday...