Nic Bertrand’s Neighborhood

Trying to play catch up here:-)

At the end of July, my family (minus Ben) and my brother's family (minus Lauren) went to the Smoky Mountains for a much needed vacation.  The highlight of the trip was the addition to our family.  My brother and Amy decided to get married in a small chapel nestled in the mountains.  The sucky thing about it was the fact that I forgot they were an hour ahead of us in the mountains.  We're on central time and they're on eastern time.  I was late to Keith's wedding and I missed the whole thing (except for pictures)!  It was funny because I kept wondering when they were going to start the wedding (once I got there) and it had already happened.

The good news is that I COULD NOT be happier to have Amy for a sister!  She's totally nonpsychotic!  lol  I went to school with her actually.  So not only do I have a new sister-in-law, she's also a psychologist and I think that's just what our family needs!  lol  Poor Amy!  hehe

 

 

 

Another VERY cool thing is that I also have a new niece!!!!  She's 8 years old and fits into the family beautifully.  She and Julia are very close, which is good because Julia's never had anyone related to us that she was close to.  Danielle and Lauren are only a few months apart and have always been more like sisters than cousins.  Now Julia has Aubrie.

We're expecting a new baby too!  Keith and Amy are due in the beginning of March, right around Danielle's birthday!  I thought we were all done having babies so this is especially exciting.  Keith is hoping for a boy because none of us have a boy.  I don't think it matters much to Amy though, as long as it's healthy.  Aubrie wants a girl so she can play dress up with it.  lol

So that's the scoop about my new family:-)

clipped from www.belgiumkneewarmers.com But addicted? It’s not like any of us would ever say, “I can stop this any time.” We don’t pretend our lives could go on without cycling and remain fulfilled, enjoyable. And shouldn’t that be the definition of addicted? Shouldn’t a true addiction be something we are honest about, the thing without which our lives would lose some luster? We, ourselves, can joke about being addicted to cycling. But here is where I find the difference remarkable. True addictions narrow one’s world. What cycling has done for my life is anything but. The epiphany I came to in defending my love of and devotion to cycling is that the sport has made my world bigger. What it has done for me is nothing short of miraculous. It has exposed my weaknesses and foibles like no shrink could. I give nearly everything in my life greater effort thanks to cycling and there’s a chance that I’m a more tolerable person to friends and family. I doubt very much the definition of addiction includes feeling better about yourself.

It was another whirlwind weekend of social events. You are probably as sick of it as I am. ;) I purposely declined any invites for Sunday outings just so I could stay home and do laundry.  I had four loads to do and my room looked like a tornado had blown through it.  Everything is in order now but I'm kind of dreading September as all of my weekends have just filled up. Woo. On Friday, I had dinner with Tyee, who I haven't seen in months despite the fact that we work not too far from each other.  She recently got engaged and I've added her wedding to my list of two for next year. Yes, just two so far. I'm thrilled for her but quite honestly I want to rip apart any new invitations that arrive in the mail. :) Love, it's a wonderful thing. 

On Saturday, Betty and Evan were married at a private estate in Palo Alto.  It was one of the prettiest and shortest ceremonies of the summer.  They tied the knot in a record time of just ten minutes!  She looked absolutely amazing and I even started crying when I saw her walk down the aisle.  Their Chinese banquet was back up in the city however so I got ready at Ada's place to save on gas and time.  After a long dinner with three hundred of their close friends and family, I left as the dancing got started to attend Annie's birthday party at 111 Minna.  No, it never really does end for me. It was an 80s themed party with lots of crazy outfits, awesome music and many polaroid photos. Happy birthday Annie darling!

Somewhere between the car and the lounge, I stumbled over uneven pavement and my right foot twisted a little. I didn't fall and my ankle felt okay at the time.  But today my body is still aching.  My back hurts, the balls of my feet are sore, my ankle feels stiff when I turn my foot in certain directions.  I'm probably spending too much time in platform heels every weekend and my body is finally unable to cope.  All I can say is that I've never been happier to be wearing my flats again. And I like not having anything to do, even if it's just for two days.