Celebrating the 4th with Baseball, Babies and Running!

Helloooooooooo!  What day is it??  I've been out of town for the past 3 1/2 days and feel all out of sorts.  What month are we in again?!

There was a lot going on this weekend back home so this post is going to be laden with plenty of pictures, particularly BABY pictures.  You're welcome!

Friday started out with a 4 mile run around my parent's neighborhood, followed by manual labor in my father's garden.  I pruned tomato plants for the first time ever.  I'm a farmer now.  Do these look pruned or what?!

 

Later that evening, my dad and I celebrated the 4th in possibly the most American way ever: with baseball!  The Phillies' AAA farm team plays in Allentown and my dad got seats in his company's box for us.  LIVING LARGE. 

Just a couple of ballers.

 

The game went into seven extra innings.  I repeat, SEVEN.  I watched 16 innings of baseball that night.  And after all that, they lost. 

 

And then we stayed for the midnight fireworks:

 



Saturday morning I met up with one of my very best friends so that we could run together.  We ran track together in high school, TWENTY years ago!  And she was amazing.  Definitely faster than me.  She was a middle distance runner (the 800m was her event) and made it to Districts freshman year.  Well, she has just started running again, and is training for her first half marathon in the Fall.  So I couldn't wait for us to take a trip down memory lane and go for our first run together in years.  I HAD SO MUCH FUN!  I hope she did too.  I can't wait to do it again.  In fact, I think I'm going to run the half marathon she has chosen in the Fall as well. (This one)

High school track teammates and BFF's - 20 years later.

 

 

Later that afternoon, I went over to my sister's house so I could hang out with my new nephew!  He is such a sweet baby. 

We had a nice chat.

 



I miss him already.  Every time one of my sisters has another kid, I think, "How can they possibly top any of my current nieces/nephews?".  And somehow, each one comes out just as cute.  I really hope there's no limit to these good looking genes because I'm counting on them coming through when I eventually reproduce.

On Sunday, I went on a long walk and then came home and stacked firewood outside for my dad.  WHO AM I!?!  Paul Bunyan apparently. I am paying for that manly display today. 

In the afternoon, we were invited to our grandparent's house for a 4th (5th?) of July cookout.  My grandfather is the one who has the grape arbor that came from Sicily almost 100 years ago with my great grandparents! The grapes are so plentiful now that they create a huge shaded awning over the back patio, and this is where we've had all our family cookouts since I was little!

It was great seeing my grandparents, cousins, aunts and of course THIS GUY again!

We had 4 generations of our family celebrating Independence Day yesterday! 

So much outdoor time, family time, and baby time this weekend.  It was perfect.  I hope yours was wonderful too.


What did you do for the 4th?

I Have a New Nephew!!!

Before I get into a weekend recap, first things first.  I HAVE A NEW NEPHEW!!!

I had mentioned in my last post that my sister was overdue, and I was hoping she would go into labor while I was home this weekend.  And she did!  My nephew must have sensed from the womb that his favorite aunt was in town!  The 'little' guy was born on Saturday, all 9lbs 14 oz of him!  (<----yes really!)  I can't wait to spend more time with him this summer.  I am now Aunt to FIVE nieces and nephews.  I hope my sisters never stop reproducing. 

It's hard to top a new addition to the family, but the rest of my weekend was not too shabby either.

I made it back to PA Friday evening just in time to head to a birthday party for a dear old friend:

We clearly love each other

 

Many moons ago, before I moved to Baltimore, I used to work with this crazy ginger!  She is one of the funniest, wildest, spunkiest, and also loveliest people I know. She was probably one of my favorite people ever to work with.  Every day at the office was a party with her.  She is the kind of person who makes friends everywhere she goes and I feel like she missed her calling as a comedic actress.  I hadn't seen her in probably 10 years?!?!  And we picked right back up where we left off!  I'm so glad I made it to this. 

 

I woke up the next morning to cooler temps and wanted to take advantage of the great running weather.  I wasn't sure how I'd feel after that night of debauchery, but I actually felt GREAT!  Fueling up with cocktails will be on my next training plan.  I got 6 miles in around my parents neighborhood, which is the longest I've run in weeks, since I've been focusing on more strength and cross training lately.

 



One thing that's always a certainty when I go home, is that there will be 10x more food there than at my place.  My dad's garden was in full bloom so I'm pretty sure I ate several pounds of these over the weekend:

My sugar snap pea picking strategy goes like this:  Pick one, eat one, pick one, eat one.  Like a 5 year old.

The reason for my trip (other than subconsciously willing my nephew to make his appearance) was to spend Father's Day with my daddio.  I spent some time in my parents' basement over the weekend going through old photos which was really a good time.  There is nothing better than reliving moments like this:

The 80's were a great decade.  Everything was bigger back then.  The cars, the hair, the glasses.  It's pretty clear to see where I got my striking good looks and sense of style.  My Keds and crop top are on point there.

I biked 13 miles Sunday morning and then we had dinner at my parents' house with my grandparents and Aunt before I headed back to Baltimore.  You think I'm kidding when I talk about the quantity of food my parents prepare, but I do no such thing. The list of items consumed include: salad, grilled veggie kabobs, asparagus, sweet potatoes, garlic bread, shrimp cocktail, bacon wrapped filets, and angel food berry shortcakes.  HELLOOOOOO.  Do any other families still do Sunday dinner?

I hope you all had great weekends celebrating your Dads and the longest day of the year yesterday.  YAY for Summer officially being here!


What were you up to this weekend?

Did you enjoy the 80's as much as I did?!

What's your favorite summer produce?

MDW in the ATL

I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!  I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday weekend.  I had a great time down in Atlanta, and I'm happy to report the integrity of the surprise was preserved!  My sister had no idea I was in town until she opened her garage door and there I stood :)

I usually make time to visit my sister and her family a few times a year, but somehow I had not been down there since her third child was born last September.  Needless to say, there was much catching up to be done.

I didn't take a ton of photos or spend much time on social media while I was down there and that suited me just fine.  I enjoy the chance to unplug a bit when I'm away and love being able to spend QT with my nieces, nephew, sister and brother-in-law whom I don't get to see nearly enough.

Here are a few highlights from the trip with a few pics I did manage to snap.  Enjoy!

Visited Zoo Atlanta:

 

 

Spent an evening out (sans kids) in Buckhead where we ate at Seasons 52 and listened to some live music at Park Bench:

 

Branzino (fish) flown in straight from Greece! 

 

Twinning!

 

 

Hung out with the cutest kids south of the Mason Dixon:

 

 

No bias.  They are just legitimately adorable :)

 

 

And spent some time at the pool:

 

 

 

In between hanging out with the kiddos, I did manage to fit in some workouts.  My sister (who looks INCREDIBLE btw!) is also very active so we spent a lot of time working out together.  She goes on long walks every evening (which I joined her on) and has started adding some running into the mix as well!  She also lives very close to the Silver Comet Trail so we went biking there twice while I was visiting.  The trail is a great free, well maintained paved path that's 60+ miles long in North Atlanta.  We were out amongst many other bikers, runners, walkers and families and it was great to catch up, chat and enjoy the scenery on our bikes.

 

And in a surprising turn of events, she invited me to participate in her Friday morning yoga class which I actually enjoyed?!  If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know I've tried yoga a handful of times and can just never get into it.  However, my sister takes a class which is taught by a mom privately in her home studio.  On Friday morning, the two of us were the only students in class so we got lots of personal attention.  The instructor told us she combines yoga/Pilates into her practice and I really enjoyed the flow of moves.  I'd love to find someone similar in Baltimore who offers small sessions like this because I feel like I'd learn much better than when I'm in large classes at the gym (and have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing).  It was also much more peaceful being the only ones in class. 

 

It is always wonderful to reconnect with my sister and her family.  I don't get to see them nearly as often as I'd like, so every trip becomes a treasured memory for me.

 

This was my first vacation all year and getting back to the real world Tuesday morning was rough!  Hope you all had a better time of it than I did.  And now it's nearly June?!  I dk what is even happening to 2015.

 

Have a great day!

 

 

How did you spend the holiday weekend?

 

Do you have family that lives far away?  How often do you get to visit?

 

On a scale of 1 to 10, how big does my hair look in that restaurant pic?!  Ha







Birthdays and Back to Life

Thank you all for your kind words and wishes of wellness on my last post.  They worked because I'm finally feeling like a human being again!  Man, last week was rough.  I still don't know what I had because I didn't have any traditional cold symptoms.  My best guess is that I had a mild case of bubonic plague.

Anywayyyyyyyyy, I'm feeling almost fully recovered now and have regained about 95% of my speaking voice.  Which is kind of shame because I just missed my one and only opportunity to be a 1-900 operator with that raspy, hoarse voice.  Oh well.  Moving on.........

This weekend I went back to PA because I had two very important birthday parties to attend. 

First, on Saturday, I attended the 12th birthday celebration of my best friend's step daughter.  I have known this sweet funny girl since she was about 2 I think?!  I can't believe she's a 'tween' already!  It's kind of a strange feeling to see kids grow up before your eyes.  I remember running around the house playing hide and seek with her when she was a toddler and now she is into make up, Snapchat and has a "boyfriend"?!  How did this happen?

 

 

 

In addition to that silly girl's birthday, my nephew had a celebration of his own on Sunday when he turned 4!  I'll tell you, it's not until you, or people you know, have kids that you realize how fast time goes.  I have no idea where the past 4 years went.

 

His party was at a ski resort back home and was pretty much beyond any 4 year old's wildest dreams. 

 

 

 



You see that there bounce house?  Well, you're looking at the ONLY adult in attendance who tried that puppy out! HAHAHA  I had not only one, but two, nephews who would not go in there without Aunt Jilly.  So in I went.  An Aunt's gotta do what an Aunt's gotta do.  Like a good nanny, I tried to maintain order inside that thing, but have you ever seen the inside of a bounce house filled with more than a dozen kids hopped up on sugar and on a birthday party high?! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

I also partook in the photo booth, again with children in tow:

 

 

 

I ended up having to drive down a mountain and back to Baltimore in the rain and dark late Sunday night but it was worth it to make this boy SMILE! 

 

 

 

My nieces and nephews are young and still idolize me a bit, but I know the day will come when they probably won't want to be seen with me, so I'm taking it all in while I can :)





In other news, after taking FIVE days off from working out/running last week while I was dying, I finally felt strong enough to head out for a run on Saturday.  It was my first really chilly outdoor run of the year so I layered up, but honestly I was so happy to be running after almost a week off I didn't even feel the 30 degree temps!  I ran a 5k in my Hokas and yes, I'm still loving them.  They honestly felt great right out of the box for me and there was no break-in period.  They're also the lightest shoes I've ever worn, which is a really nice, fast feeling.  I'll write up a formal review when I put more miles on them.

While I was home, I also got to witness the unveiling of my mom's always highly anticipated annual Christmas card!  My mom LOVES her family.  She just does.  Her children, and now grandchildren, are her life, and her pride and joy.  Because of this, the woman still designs and sends out photo Christmas cards every year.  Behold this year's winning compilation:

I can't tell you how great it feels to be back in the land of the living once more.  I've resumed planking and now have to make up about 4 or more minutes of missed planks?! Let's see if I can hold a plank that long.

Thanks again for your get well wishes :)


If have kids, or know kids, does it seem like they just grow up in the blink of an eye?!

How was your running weather this weekend?

Do you send out Christmas cards?

Parting Thoughts

Nope, not dying over here or shutting down the blog, butttttt I am going to be out of town for the next week meeting and greeting this little one for the first time:

 

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  That's right, I'm headed back to Atlanta!  Through the years, I've been fortunate enough to be able to be with my sister right after the birth of each of her children.  Being able to meet my new niece and nephew in those first few weeks of their life was indescribable and being there for my sister when she needed my help was the least I could do.  Soooooooo, this time around there are 2 toddlers in the mix which means non stop activity, of which I am already a huge fan.  The only thing that concerns me is that I'm going to have to feed a family of 4 (5?) each night and as we all know my culinary skills are abysmal.  In fact, today at work, I actually had to Google 'how to hard boil an egg' in order to prepare my NannyKid's lunch.  I'm outrageous.  So if you have any EASY to make dinner ideas for me (I mean, like they literally contain 5 ingredients or less and don't involve a recipe), please leave them below.

Ok, now for the random roundup of this week's happenings:

1.  I saw these in the lobby of my building this week - Didn't even know they still existed:

 

Does anyone use these anymore?!  And also, that's a lot of dead trees right there.

 

 

2.  I was mindlessly scrolling through my Facebook feed the other day, pondering taking the next BuzzFeed 'If you were a breakfast cereal, what would you be' Quiz, when this pops up and smacks me like a 2x4 to the head:

 

 

IT'S NOT EVEN FALL YET!  People need to calm the H down on the Christmas mania in September.  However, reading through some of the comments on this post was actually a highlight of my day.  They included such gems as "Do not get me started on the Christmas before Halloween stuff.  I will throw a pumpkin at the TV".  I am with you lady. 

 

 

3.  It's concord grape season!!

 

My grandparents have a grape arbor over their back patio that has it's origins in Sicily.  My great grandparents brought a sprig over from the old country and planted it in Brooklyn where they settled.  Then when my grandfather moved to Pennsylvania, he took some of the vine with him and started an arbor in his new home.  When I was a kid, the arbor was huge and concord grapes were everywhere.  These grapes are what (purple) grape juice and jelly are made from and they taste much different from normal red and green seedless grapes.  I think they are only in supermarkets in September?  Not sure, but it's a very limited window around here.  If you've never had them, I def suggest trying them!

 

4.  And finally, if I come back to Baltimore in a body cast, this is why:

 



 

My brother in law's suggestion for outdoing the popping-out-of-a-box entrance that occurred on my last visit.  COUNT ME IN

 

 

I obviously won't be blogging next week, but I will be reading!  I'm sure my IG feed will be full of baby/kid photos for the next 7 days as well if you're interested.  Chat with you all in a week :)

 

 

Have any go-to family friendly, EASY to make meals?!

 

Do you still use a phone book?

 

Ever had concord grapes?

 

 

 



The Big Surprise

Last Thursday morning, unbeknownst to my sister, I boarded a plane headed south to the Big Peach.  Later that day, I stuffed myself inside a box and waited outside her house until she came outside to find the surprise her husband had planned for her.  It was epic!  Even after I popped out of the box my sister was still so confused as to what I was doing in her front yard!  Hahaha  I blame it on the pregnancy brain.  (I have a video but unfortunately, when it was sent from my brother-in-law's phone to mine, it got all blurry and scrambled.  And it's also too long to email for some reason, so I apologize but I unfortunately won't be able to share this magical moment with you.)

A little background here:  My sister is currently 36 weeks pregnant, a mom to a 1 year old and 4 old and literally JUST moved into a new house (like a week ago).  To say she has a lot on her plate right now is an understatement.  My brother-in-law knew she was feeling super stressed lately and so a month or two ago he approached me about coming down to surprise her, help her and just generally lift her spirits as only a sister can do!  And dare I say it was a raging success!

I had a few goals for my 5 day visit, number one being to get the crib for the new baby assembled.  Mission accomplished!  I put this crib together with my own two hands.  Credit also goes to my 22 month-old nephew who assisted with his plastic hammer.  Definitely a key factor :)

I also helped her out by watching the kids while she ran around like a nut trying to get things done in the new house!  Hanging out with kids is just what I do, so no arm twisting required there.  Plus, I mean, how can you resist these faces?!?!

Jillyruns/IG

The answer to that question is that you can't. 

Bedtime selfie!

 

 

We ran a lot of errands while I was in town and it never ceases to amaze me, every time I'm in ATL and out with my sister, the number of 'twin' comments we get.  Literally every sales clerk at every store we were in asked us if we were twins.  A woman in Lowe's actually shouted across the aisle - 'Excuse me.  Excuse me!  Are y'all twins?!'  Hahaha I dk what the fascination is there.  Even more interesting is that SEVERAL of my sisters friends, who she sees on a very frequent basis in her neighborhood or at my niece's school, actually thought I was her, that I had delivered the baby, and returned to my pre-baby body all in the span of less than a week! HAHAHA  Someone actually called her to congratulate her on having the baby and she was like WHAT?!  

 

This pic is from a visit last year.  We didn't manage to get a pic together this time around.

 

 

My sister is a big smoothie fan and during our visit, she introduced me to my new favorite concoction.  It is delicious and super easy and once again, I forgot to take a pic :(  It contains only 3 ingredients:

 

Coconut/Almond milk blend

1 frozen banana

Generous scoop of Hershey's unsweetened cocoa

 

Try it! You won't be disappointed.

 

Oh I also found these cookies, in a gas station of all places down there.  I had heard about these for awhile but never came across them in Baltimore.  Vegan.  Protein.  Chocolate.  All wrapped up in a giant cookie.  SOLD!  Now I just need to find them up here.

 

 

 

While down in Atlanta, I also had to keep up with my half-marathon 'training' (I use that phrase loosely here since this has been the shortest training schedule ever).  With the heat and humidity down there, I honestly wasn't sure how I'd make my last long run happen.  I wanted to get in a double digit run since we are literally less than 2 weeks away from race day (let that sink in).  So far, I've squeezed in multiple long runs (a 10mi, 11mi, 11mi the last 3 weeks) so I've been feeling pretty good about the race, but I wanted one last long run 2 weeks out. 

 

I decided to run at night, after the sun went down since the daytime temps were about 97 degrees and 75% humidity!  I've visited my sister many many times over the years and knew her old neighborhood well, but I knew zippo about her new one.  In hindsight, setting out alone in the dark in a place where I had zero sense of direction may not have been the best decision but my lord it felt great!  That night I had one of the best double digit runs of this training cycle.  I absolutely loved running by the light of the moon.  I'm a night owl naturally (definitely not an early morning runner) and running in the dark was so peaceful.  I did 10 miles and my legs felt light the entire way.  I honestly felt like I could have run several more miles but it was already after 10pm so I decided to call it a night.  When I arrived back at the homestead I was completely drenched from head to toe.  I don't think I've ever run in humidity like that!

 

 

I always have a great time when I visit my sister.  It doesn't matter if the trip is more about business or pleasure, I'm just happy to see her and her fam.  I hope having me around for a few days gave her some sense of peace and lifted the stress she had been feeling lately.  In hindsight, scaring the crap out of a nearly full-term pregnant lady by popping out of a box on her front yard may not have been the smartest plan, but it sure was fun!

 

 

 



 

What have you been up to the last few days?

 

Ever surprise a family member in a big way?