Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Closing out 2013, Bring on 2014

Christmas 2013
A new year is here, but as there is catching up from the end of 2013 to do, let's close out the last year first.
Christmas seemed less hectic this year. It was nice having Grandpa Dave, Grandma Laura & Auntie Haley stay with us for the days leading up to Christmas. It also helped that the kids were just a bit older and a bit more mature. Lincoln, especially, was really good with all of the coming and going, the presents here and the presents there.
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But perhaps his tonsillitis had something to do with it, as well. After being up and down with a fever and his activity level, he was really struggling by Mullen Christmas on Sunday. He even fell asleep in the loft (never had a Gates-kid ever done this) during some of the gift-giving time.
Christmas 2013
Christmas 2013
He bounced back on Monday, but I took him to the doctor on Tuesday. Even during sickness, he had a great attitude.
After a round on antibiotics, life is back to normal.
Christmas 2013Christmas 2013
Christmas 2013Christmas 2013
Christmas 2013
Christmas 2013Christmas 2013
The days following Christmas are always an adventure. Overstimulation, constant entertainment, lights and colors everywhere… and then everybody goes home and there are no more presents. How can kids not hit the wall?

But now it's New Year's Week and I've got a couple of days off. Jenn's been getting the house back in order and the kids have been bouncing back and forth from one of their gifts to another.

A while back at the Clinic, some of my staff were talking about running in the Great New Year's Eve Race. After some thought, Dad and I decided to get t-shirts for the team, expand the team a bit and pay for their registrations… make it a team-building event.
Great New Year's Eve Race 5k 2013Great New Year's Eve Race 5k 2013
It's a 5K, and while it didn't snow during the event, it was ~19 degrees with 20mph winds and not a lot of sun. It. Was. Cold.
Great New Year's Eve Race 5k 2013Great New Year's Eve Race 5k 2013
Great New Year's Eve Race 5k 2013Great New Year's Eve Race 5k 2013
Great New Year's Eve Race 5k 2013
Jenn, who trains for the longer runs (10K, Half-Marathons and one of these years a Marathon), ran her usual good pace and finished with an official 27:42 (a little less on her Garmin, 27:33) which I submit is more accurate given the clogged starting line). I, who began running with any degree of consistency just a few months ago and am without any real training strategy, finished with an official 27:27. We were both very pleased, especially given the conditions.

And this brings us to the end of 2013. Jenn and I turned in at 10:00. Such was 2013: lots of fun, lots of challenges, and taking advantage of opportunities to rest up for tomorrow's challenges we found to be very worthwhile.

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