Running in the Delta

Hey Everyone!

Hope you had a great weekend. Ours was very relaxing and full of nothingness, with a little running thrown in for good measure. Just the way I like it!

I had to post tonight about my weekend LAST weekend when I went to Nashville to be a part of my good friend Lacey’s wedding weekend!

I left for Nashville on Thursday after work and spent the night with my good friends Erica and Brennan. I should probably mention that Tom was not with me this trip, because he had already planned a big camping weekend when Lacey and Jesse set their wedding date.

Anyway, Erica made a fabulous dinner and I got a good night’s sleep because I knew I had a busy weekend ahead of me! To offset the copious amount of wedding cupcakes and wine I knew I’d consume in the next two days, I went for a quick run on Friday morning before the Bridesmaid’s Luncheon. I went to nearby Edwin Warner Park for my run, and was so glad I went. For any Nashvillians, you’ve got to visit this park. It’s hilly (well, it’s hilly for me but that’s not saying much because everything’s hilly for me) and challenging but so worth it. Paved, well-marked paths in a beautiful setting…perfect! I just followed the paved trail and ran up around the mountain for two miles, and turned around and came back down for a total of 4 miles. It felt so slow and hard at first, but the downhill for the second half felt great, and I finished in just under 40 minutes, so I was happy with that.Then it was back to Erica’s for a quick shower and it was time to meet the other girls at the Bridesmaid’s Luncheon!

Lacey gave us all these really cute personalized bags from Thirty One.They are so cute! And were full of Estee Lauder goodies because Lacey’s mom works for them. Cutie Kathleenie with her bag: Pretty maids all in a row. :) I love this picture of Lacey with her mom and sisters. Kelly, on the far left is actually her sister-in-law but she looks like a Patterson for sure! Friday afternoon I stayed and helped with some bridesmaidly duties for a few hours before it was time to rehearse for the big day! My aisle partner was Jesse’s brother Zach. He was fun and funny and nice. Next it was time to chow down! Jesse’s parents hosted a really nice rehearsal dinner catered by Maggiano’s in Nashville.They even had the room decorated kind of like a little Italian Restaurant with roses, tealights, and butcher paper lining the tables. A cute touch was that they had crayons sprinkled about so we could write little love notes to the newlyweds-to-be! It was such a delicious dinner, and the company was even better! It was so nice to relax and chat with old friends. Kristin and her husband Matt: Margaret and her boyfriend Donnie came in all the way from Duluth, Minnesota! After dinner Jesse said a few words. I cried. And Jesse’s dad said a few words too. I cried some more. The waterworks really came when Lacey’s sweet daddy and baby sister said their toasts. What can I say, rehearsal dinner toasts always get me all sniffly!A family friend of the Blairs sent a pair of ball caps for the couple…Alabama and Central Michigan…their Alma Maters! There is some inside joke here but I can’t remember what it was. And this is a cute picture so I had to include it. We called it an early night because the next day was GO TIME! With wedding weekends you have to remember: this is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself. :)

We all met at Lacey’s house that morning to get ready together. One of the hairdressers had an injury and couldn’t come at the last minute. So I did Amy’s hair (the blonde), and Amy and I tag-teamed Kristin’s hair. We both sported elegant Sock Buns! They turned out cute, right? So versatile, that sock bun! After we were primped and ready, we kissed Lacey and Jesse’s sons Sanford and Cash good-bye, and headed to the church! Saturday afternoon was typical wedding-day stuff….lots of lip-gloss applying, hair-spraying, and TONS of pictures! I loved our dresses. So classy and cute. Here is a full shot of the bridesmaid dresses. You can’t really tell by looking at it, but my dress was SO TIGHT. Nothing a couple pairs of Spanx couldn’t fix! Finally about an hour before show time we forced Lacey to sit down, threw a shirt over her, and fed her pizza. Gotta be fortified for a big night ahead! I don’t have any pictures of the ceremony, obviously, but it was lovely and beautiful. Lacey’s uncle sang an a-capella version of The Lord’s Prayer and it was amazing. And…you guessed it….I cried.

After Lacey and Jesse officially became Mr. and Mrs., it was time to celebrate. They held a quick reception at the church (which again I do not have any pictures of because I was busy bridesmaidin’-it), before heading to the real par-tay.

Here they are….the happy couple! My old friend Sarah was there with her sweet baby Cannon! Cannon was so happy to see me. Susie, Chris, Amy, and Brian resting up before hittin’ the dance floor!

Me with Erica and Kathleen. Erica is about 26 weeks pregnant with a baby boy. I CANNOT wait to get my hands on that curly-headed baby when he is born in May! Pammy and Margaret…Pammy is getting married this June in Playa del Carmen, Mexico! Ryan is going to kill me for putting this picture on the internets where it will live forever, but I couldn’t help it. He was just so excited! And it needs to be noted that…sometimes…every now and then…Ryan reminds me just a smidge of Phil Dunphee from Modern Family. I can’t put my finger on it exactly, but he just does! He says he takes this as the highest of compliments.Laura, Erica, Christina, and Jessica!Me with the bride! Love her smiley little face!

Lacey’s little sis Katelyn with her bf Nathan. Cute little 19-year-olds. :) Lacey with her twin/mom. Mama Lindy held it together all night I was very proud of her! She was worried she’d be a crying mess the whole time. Sweet mama…. Pretty soon the entire Patterson clan (that’s Lacey’s brother and dad breakin’ it down in the pic below) hit the dance floor and it was ON! They were all so cute and fun and funny. They had just in stiches all night! Husbands Marcus, Ryan, and Chris partook in some dancing as well. If there is music and these three aren’t dancing, something is wrong. Ryan and Kathleen with Amy and Brian….Ryan again with the excited face…that guy must love Motown music and draft beer! Oh my word this is probably my favorite picture of the night. Christina and Marcus left Linnie Grace (their 11-month-old) at home with the grandparents and let me tell you they made the most of their night out!

Love. It. We danced for a solid three hours and were all a sweaty mess when all was said and done! Brother and Sister tearin’ up that dance floor! If this isn’t a happy bride, I don’t know what is! It needs to be said that Jesse is not much of a dancer, but did laugh at us all from the sidelines. :) The Partyin’ Pattersons! Love this crazy family… Whew! We finally called it a night around 1:00am and kissed and hugged everyone good-bye.

What an amazing weekend! I feel so lucky to have been a part of Lacey and Jesse’s day, and can’t wait to hear about their fabulous California honeymoon when they get back!

After taking all week to recover (literally, I didn’t feel like myself until about Thursday…five full days later), we had a great weekend.

I got up with the sun this morning for a long run of 10 miles. Despite the fact it was 23 degrees with a wind chill of 15 when we got started, Kristi, Bex, and I got ‘er done! (Please note my personal chef in the background of this picture making me breakfast!) Bex had been battling a knee injury, so she was only able to do 5. But 5 miles is better than no miles! And Kristi got in 12!! Kristi and I are excited about our half in two weeks.

I have felt like my training has severely slacked in the past few weeks, but I finished this 10 miler in 1:51 which is consistent with my previous 10-mile runs. So I am crossing my fingers I can hobble through the last 3.1 come February 25 in Oxford!

I ran 6.5 and stopped back by my house to pick up this goofer. She is so precious when we go for runs together. She always looks so proud and happy on her leash beside me like, “Here we are! Me and My Person ready to take on the world!” Love her.