Color Me Rad - Megan's First 5K

I signed up to do the Color Me Rad 5K earlier in the year.  As it came closer to race day, and I felt less and less motivated to take the race seriously, I kept thinking how this might be a fun one to try with Megan (and kids run for free).  The allure of turning into a human rainbow convinced her to join me.

Race day - headed to the start.

She rapidly embraced the face tattoo

And we're off!  (Check out the snazzy rainbow running shoes)

Our first color station!  She was very excited to be sprayed green.  

All this run/walking is tiring!  Time for a water break.

She spent a little extra time in the purple color station...as shown below.

Her favorite part of the whole race was definitely the purple hair.

Human rainbow transformation is nearly complete!

With Mom at the finish line

Feeling Rad after a great race

Team Rainbow

The before and after shots

 In the end, she ran about half the race - including almost the entire first mile.  She was great!  She didn't complain about anything, and had a great time doing it.  And Mom definitely had way more fun, too, though her abrupt sprinting/unannounced walking routine wreaked havoc on my hamstrings...

Puerto Rico (Alternate Title: Not a Bad Way to Spend Mother's Day) - Part II

On Wednesday, we took a daylong tour of the island that included a trip to the rainforest, a stop at one of the famous beaches in Puerto Rico, and an evening kayak over Luminescent Bay.

Hola from the rainforest!

View of the rainforest

Note the clouds - they don't call it the rainforest for nothin'

Scenic outlook

Starting our hike to the waterfall

And it's raining - they weren't kidding about that part

We made it to the waterfall!

Johnny Tourist by the waterfall

We were there during the rainy season, which made for a much stronger current and conditions that weren't safe for swimming.  Our guide felt the need to tell us this several times, which seemed excessive based on the speed of the water...

I stuck my foot in just to say I did it, but if you think I was about to jump in that water and be swept to my death, you are sorely mistaken.

Photo opp at another waterfall in the rainforest - please ignore my crazy eyes

We took a break for a light lunch after the hike.  Note:  There is no such thing as a light meal in Puerto Rico

We hit a famous beach after lunch.  Unfortunately it was a cloudy day, and not the best beach weather.  We went for a walk and found a local bar (and I do mean local - I'm certain we were the only white folks they'd seen in the better part of a year), where the bartender was gracious enough to respond to my request for a drink in a coconut by whipping out a machete and sticking a straw in this one pictured below.  I had been hoping for some form of tropical mixed drink, but my request was taken literally, and as she was the one with the machete, I thanked her and simply walked away with my giant beverage.

Then it was on to Luminescent Bay...

Getting ready for our first kayaking adventure

Neither of us have every kayaked before, so why not make our first trip in the dark ocean waters?  Sounds like a solid plan to me! 

Entering the mangrove channel - those crazy branches formed a cave-like structure and made it very dark and creepy all the way to the bay.

Smiling because we're still alive.

The Bay was very cool.  Algae in the water (or some other type of weird science thing that I will never quite understand) creates a glow-in-the-dark effect of the water in the bay at sunset.  We would stick our oars in the water and the ripples would appear to glow.  At times we could see the little glow-in-the-dark life forms swimming under the water, but the most dramatic was watching the waves that the kayak or oars created.  On the way back through the mangrove channel, when the only light we had to guide our way was from a glowstick attached to the kayak ahead of us (not kidding), we kept hearing loud splashes in the water.  I kept trying to convince Kyle that it was some kind of vicious cat species (think puma) out to attack us, but then I remembered that I was also rather defenseless in the dark, unfamiliar body of water and it quickly became not funny.  When we hit the shore, our guide told us that the noises we were hearing were iguanas jumping from the trees into the water (they apparently do this when they are scared - as we were the ones paddling blindly in the dark creepy mangrove forest, I am not quite so sure what THEY were so frightened about).  GROSS!  My career as a kayaker began and ended on the same trip after hearing this news.


Thursday was beach day.  Due to proximity to the equator, it was very important to stay hydrated.

My three amigos

Ummm, Kyle??

Friday was pool day - I mean really, we couldn't spend ALL out time at the beach now, could we?

We started seeing these guys EVERYWHERE around the resort.  At first we thought he was a statue, but then he moved just enough to freak us out.

He had a friend with him too!  This one actually crawled into the swim-up bar.  The bartender kicked him out like he was a stray cat instead of a disgusting reptile.

I got brave enough to swim for a close-up.  Yuck!

We found this one on the path to the beach.  That tail looked disturbingly like a stick and made us question how many times we were fooled by what we thought were harmless sticks earlier in the week.  That place is overrun with these guys!

Enjoying one last Puerto Rican sunset before it was time to head back to our babies.

Puerto Rico (Alternate Title: Not a Bad Way to Spend Mother's Day) - Part I

51 weeks a year, we spend every waking moment trying to give our girls the perfect childhood.  1 out of every 52, we take one back (and refuel for the next 51).  This year we chose Puerto Rico for our destination.  Though I swear it is not a goal of mine to leave the country on Mother's Day, it just so happens that it worked out that way again for the second year in a row (last year we were in the Dominican Republic over the same time frame).  

We flew in to San Juan on Sunday - to this view.  Happy Mother's Day to ME!

Rest assured, it was still there on Monday morning.

Monday was declared "beach day" in accordance with our whatever-it-takes-to-make-Mommy-happy vacation-planning agenda.

Even in Puerto Rico I am a 100% dedicated employee (of course that is the real story and it has nothing to do with the convenience of the container for holding what is obviously water)

After an exhausting morning of lounging at the beach, we required a change of scenery

And finally, some time to relax in the hammock.

We may look happy and relaxed here, but trust me, this full day of lounging around stuff is hard work.

Tuesday was dedicated to exploration of Old San Juan in the morning, followed by the afternoon at the beach.  In the evening, we went to dinner at Texas de Brazil (a Brazilian steakhouse) to celebrate Kyle's great new job with Choice One Bank.  (Nothing makes Kyle feel appreciated quite like half a cow on a skewer).

"Lost" is such a harsh word.  Let's just say we went a little more in-depth with our exploration of the Old City than we meant to.

I have no immediate plans for death, but if I were to be stuck in a cemetery with a view like this, I would be okay with that.

One of two forts in San Juan.  I forget the name in Spanish, but in English I am sure it translates to "The Hottest Place on Earth"

Exploring the stone oven that was this fort

So THIS is what being baked alive feels like...

The fort had its own cemetery, certainly for tourists who succumbed to heat exhaustion while on the premises

Walking down to sea level

Any cooler on the inside?  No.  No, it wasn't.

Heading back to fresh air

No cannons were fired in the taking of this picture

Half dead at this point of our tour, but the view was still pretty spectacular

"No seriously, can we be done now?"

Literally jumped into the fountain after exploring the fort - it was a matter or survival

We found Pigeon Park, which does not appear to be a misnomer - whatsoever

What's left of a gorgeous old church in Old San Juan

Finally, let there be dinner! - and by dinner I mean dozens of different kinds of meat

Megan & Hannah Pics - April/May 2013 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANNAH!

While we were in Florida, the Wolverines happened to progress in the NCAA tournament to the Final Four, meaning we returned home to a very happy Daddy...and also that we didn't stay home for long.  We got home from that trip on Wednesday afternoon, and by Friday afternoon Mom & Dad were headed to Atlanta, while the girls were headed for a weekend with Grandma & Grandpa.  Ugh, just reflecting on this turnaround makes me tired, but we did have an awesome time.  Kyle and I had actually been to the Final Four once before in Atlanta, but that time we didn't have any major interest in the teams who made it there, and I was seven months pregnant with Megan - so yes, you could say that this time was a heck of a lot more fun.

And once we got past all the vacationing, we had a lot of "work" to do.  April was a pretty busy month for celebrations around here.  Our pet goldfish (who we acquired as a "gift" from the photographer who did Hannah's two-year photos) turned one...as in one YEAR old.  Had I known that was going to happen, I may have not agreed to the theme of her photos last year, but I digress...  Anywho, it's not everyday a goldfish has a birthday, so we of course used it as an excuse to make him treats and celebrate.  And I won't lie, there are many days where Mr. Rick (totally respectable goldfish name) is my favorite pet in the house, so I didn't mind spoiling him a bit on his big day.  The girls also picked out new pink rocks for his bowl, and a Nemo statue to be his friend (I see no evidence that they have bonded, but I admittedly don't know much about the social behaviors of goldfish).

We also had Teacher Appreciation Week at Megan's school, and since I'm sort of overflowing with thankfulness for her wonderful kindergarten teacher and the kindergarten experience as a whole, we took this event rather seriously.

And last, but certainly not least, a certain little girl turned THREE.  (Note:  how in the world did that happen so fast?!?)  She had a great birthday!  We celebrated as a family on her actual birthday.  She started her day with her present from Megan - a Lalaloopsy doll to call her own.  We then made a trip to Meijer in our pajamas to pick out birthday donuts, and she opened her presents from Mom & Dad with a face covered in sprinkles and frosting.  She also happened to start her first big kid swim lessons on the morning of her birthday - after months of being dragged to big sister's lessons, she was very excited to have her turn in the pool!  After her nap (which her mean old Mom still insisted she take), us girls went to a local salon for manicures and pedicures - Hannah's first spa experience, but you would have never guessed by the way she settled right in and soaked it up.  Shockingly, she actually sat still long enough for her nails to dry - I never would have guessed she had that in her.  After the spa, we went out to dinner at her favorite restaurant - Licari's (this is the fabulous Sicilian restaurant that our neighbors opened a year ago - also one of my favorites).  Her day concluded with her first trip to the movie theater with Daddy and Megan, to see The Croods - she also did great there (no big surprise as girlfriend is a total couch potato).  All in all I'd say it was a pretty fabulous birthday.

The following day, we continued the celebrations by taking the girls to an indoor waterpark that's not too far from here.  They had an awesome time there as well.  We returned home, and Mom got serious about the prepwork for her Bubble Guppies themed birthday party the following weekend.  For those of you without preschoolers, Bubble Guppies is a new-ish show on Nick Jr with these strange mermaid type kids that are taught by a goldfish looking type professor - it's pretty cute and very educational, just a bit strange to get your arms around.  Anywho, it's Hannah's fave...  We had an awesome time with family and friends at the party, and rang in her third year in style.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HANNAH MARIE!!

Enjoy the pictures...

http://purdyfamilyest2005.shutterfly.com/pictures/538

Florida Trip - 2013

Please see the link below for pictures from our annual trip to Florida.  The girls and I had a great time visiting Grandma Dee and Grandpa Don on Anna Maria Island.  We realized this trip that this was Megan's SIXTH time to the island (or seventh if you count the time she traveled with me in my belly) - the gal is pretty worldly for a kindergartner!  On that note, this was the first time that we had to worry about traveling around her school schedule (well, as "worried" as you can be about falling behind academically in kindergarten), but we chose to more or less contain the trip to her Spring Break, and thus found ourselves in Florida for Easter this year!

http://purdyfamilyest2005.shutterfly.com/pictures/632

Our first couple of days there were pretty chilly (well, by Florida standards.  It was still snowing in Michigan at the time so we were fairly comfortable in our new surroundings).  The cooler temps did not, however, stop my children from enjoying the beach...in their swimsuits...which were damp from swimming in the 66 degree water.  (Has anybody reported me to Child Protective Services yet?)  We did enjoy the beach on Day 1, but took a break on Day 2 and used the cooler temps as an excuse to do some non-beach activities - we played mini golf at this cute place on the island (we went for the first time last year and it really stuck with Megan - she asked us probably 100 times from the point of our arrival when we could go back), and then went to the local aquarium, where we enjoyed seeing the manatees, dolphins, sea turtles and a super adorable sea lion show.

By the weekend, however, we were enjoying PERFECT beach weather (this actually didn't happen too often in Florida this year, so we got pretty lucky).  We spent Good Friday on the beach with our Florida cousins, Lauren and Logan, and had a wonderful visit.  On Saturday the girls had not one, but two, Easter egg hunts.  The first one was on the beach (do you know how awesome that is for Michigan kids?!?), and was followed by a great Easter party in Anna Maria, complete with parade, Easter egg roll and face-painting.  The second one was in Grandma and Grandpa's neighborhood, and featured an Easter hat contest for both kids and adults.  Megan won the kid's contest, but she sort of swung the votes, because her face was already painted like a rabbit from our festivities earlier in the morning, making her virtually unbeatable.

Going into the trip, I was somewhat concerned (read: vaguely thought about for two seconds) about the kids having a non-traditional Easter, but around the time they had collected their third basket of Easter goodies from random strangers, I realized they were going to be just fine.  We even found time to color Easter eggs while we were there!  And not only was the Easter bunny able to locate them at Grandma's house and fill baskets for them on Easter morning with all kinds of treats, but we also got to have an amazing Easter dinner at Lauren & Logan's house - and go swimming...OUTSIDE!  (I repeat:  do you know how awesome that is for Michigan kids?!?)  It was a great holiday all-around!

We returned to beach life, and perfect weather, on Monday, as well as preparations for a SURPRISE first birthday party for Oliver.  A special bonus of this trip was that we got to visit (albeit briefly) with Aunt Kimmy, Uncle Ryan and baby Oliver, who arrived the next day.  Oliver turned 1 on April 18th, and since Grandma Dee and I were unable to make it to his completely, ridiculously adorable mustache-themed party in Virginia, we decided to throw him a surprise beach-themed party in Florida while we were all together.  It was a ton of fun, and a big surprise for Mom & Dad.  The girls had a great time helping me prepare, as well as playing with their tiny cousin.  He is quite possibly the most adorable little dude on the face of the planet.

We returned to Daddy on Wednesday after 8 days in the sunshine state.  It was an awesome time, and both kids are already asking about next year's trip.  Of course, we owe a HUGE thank you to Grandma Dee and Grandpa Don for spoiling us with awesome beach accommodations and airport transportation - this trip means the world to us Purdy ladies and is one of the biggest highlights of our year.  One day, we vow to drag Daddy along with us, too!

Megan & Hannah Pics - February/March 2013

Please see the link below for *recent* pictures (stick with me here, people, and go back in time a couple of months).

http://purdyfamilyest2005.shutterfly.com/pictures/470

The theme of this time period was snow, snow, snow, more snow...and snow days.  Winter came late to Michigan, but when it started snowing, it never really stopped.  Between January 28th and February 28th, Megan had FOUR snow days!  (For you non-math folks, that's an average of about one per week)  Throw in mid-winter break in mid-February, and there wasn't a whole lot of kindergarten happening during this timeframe.  And though it threw a major wrench in Mom's work schedule week after week (after week), I'd be lying if I said I didn't get as excited as she did when we heard school was cancelled for the day.  We had a lot of fun, and made some new traditions, such as going out for a late breakfast.  Ironically Megan's favorite thing was the time she ended up in my office for three hours when we got caught off guard by a snow day, but I'm sure as time goes on she will become less enamored with office life.

As we were knee-deep (literally) in the stuff, it is fortunate that the kids love the snow as much as they do.  Even Mom begrudgingly embraced its existence eventually, and we enjoyed a few fun nights outside, making forts and sledding down the cliff that is our driveway (this is a very convenient sledding hill for lazy folks who hate cold weather, as it turns out).

Hannah made some great strides in the potty training movement, and Megan took her reading expertise up a notch - independently reading to Hannah, Mom, Dad, our pets, etc.  It snowed.  We continued to count down the days until our annual girl's trip to Florida to escape the never-ending winter, and cursed the Groundhog and his blatant lies and broken promises for an early spring.  It continued to snow just to spite us.

And there you have eight weeks of our life, in a nutshell.