Heigh-Ho.

Back in 2010, I took an epic journey. And it was pure magic - all 13.1 miles of it. I'd never before experienced anything quite like it, nor can I say I've done anything like it since. After all, how often does it actually snow in Orlando, Florida, on the day of your first half-marathon?! And ever since I crossed the Finish Line at Epcot on that freezing cold January morning, I've been longing to do another Disney race.

So a couple of 10Ks, a few 5Ks, a half-marathon (for two!), and one sweet baby boy later, I'm going back. As of today, I'm signed up for the 2013 Disney World Half-Marathon...and listen up, Orlando - it's not just one but two Payne sisters toeing the line!

So bring on the miles and the magic, Mickey Mouse...we're coming back for MORE.

Spr-ing.

Winter was mild. Not only in temperature, but also in the pace of life! And spring, by comparison, promises to be very full and warm. In fact, spring has indeed sprung.

Sprung what, you may ask? Adventures galore! And a bunch of gerunds, apparently.

We've been play-ing: Leap Frog and Little Tykes know how to entertain 8 month-old boys. 35 year-old boys, too.

And travel-ing: Lots of trips to see Meme and Granddaddy in Virginia. And Erich took a whirlwind tour of Washington, DC, a few weeks ago. Our journey to Toronto and back, by way of Cleveland and Pittsburgh, is next on the agenda. Not to mention the beach later this summer and race madness later in the year.

And cook-ing: Enchiladas and Southwest turkey burgers - we lived to tell of both dinners! Working at getting a few new recipes under my belt.

And work-ing: Teaching and clinic - most balanced I've felt professionally in a long time. (Read: ever).

And read-ing: The Hunger Games with the rest of the free world (so, SO good). The Kitchen House and Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, both entertaining reads. Next, a long-overdue date with Henrietta Lacks.

And (trying to get motivated to do more) runn-ing: I really think I must sign up for a fun race. Maybe two! It's no fun to get back in shape without a dangled carrot. Might need a little magic...

And imagin-ing: (See below.)

And plott-ing: (See above.)

And schem-ing: (You get the idea.)

And buy-ing: I was surprised to discover the timing was right for a beautiful (nearly) new Honda Pilot to join our family! Her name is Chuck Yeager, Charley for short. This particular Pilot hasn't broken the sound barrier. Yet.

And try-ing: Refer to 'cooking' and 'running,' in particular...

And (finally!) blogg-ing: What a busy spring so far!

And lov-ing: These guys. How can you not?

To Do.

So I'm spending this late-morning/early-afternoon gift of 'me time' doing things I love:

Drinking coffee and organizing and plotting & scheming.

It's not as lame as it sounds. (Ok, maybe it is. Wait - that's why they call it 'me time,' right? Right?!)

Anyway, it will come as a surprise to no one that I love to keep a 'To Do' list. And these lists are great reminders of just that - things I need to do. The problem is, there are certain things I put on my 'To Do' list that always get shuffled to the bottom. Other things take priority (and rightly so, most of the time). In other words, these things I need 'To Do' take (necessary) precedence over the things I want 'To Do.' And all too often, the things I want 'To Do' never get 'To Done.' Still with me?

But every once in a while (if we're lucky), we get a day to catch our breath and take a break from checking all the items off the top of the 'To Do' list and revisit the long-lost items closer to the bottom. Thankfully, in addition to revolutionizing humanity with his dreams of peaceful equality, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has afforded me just such an opportunity today.

So after our morning routine of oatmeal and playtime and Sesame Street, I sent the boys off on their adventure in the mountains and poured myself another cup of coffee. (What joy and leisure in a second cup of coffee!) And as I took a closer look at my 'To Do' list, organizing my music collection surfaced at the top. For some time now, I've been wanting to shift older CDs over to my iTunes library, creating a central place for all of my music, both new and old. But that sort of thing takes time, you know. And in the world of professional moms, time is a hot commodity! So I decided this late-morning/early-afternoon was the perfect time for just such a task.

And what a fun task it's been! My collection of music is sort of eclectic, to say the least. It's where Coldplay meets Mindy Smith. Where Josh Groban meets Brandon Heath. Where the Avett Brothers meet Julie Andrews. Where Bon Iver meets Reba McEntire. And where Weezer meets the Muppets. (No, seriously).

So now that my tunes are all together in one (shining happy) place, I can enjoy my music in the car, in the house, or on the run. It's the little things, really.

And speaking of being on the run, that's where the plotting & scheming comes in. There are a few winter and spring races tempting me...like this one...and this one...or maybe this one. Or we could even do this one again...so many options! The trick (for me, at least) is that I need some sort of motivation, usually in the form of a race I've registered for, to get me out the door for a run...especially when it's cold outside. So we'll see. The promise of future adventures is thrilling! Now I just need to figure out which one(s)...

I know, I know.

Add it to my 'To Do' list.

Cutting.

What a time we've had over the late fall and early winter. It seems there's been quite a bit of working, traveling, jogging, juggling, balancing, grieving, rejoicing...and an awful lot of cutting going on lately.

Making the Cut

Thanks to the generosity of my parents, who agreed to occupy (read: snuggle and spoil!) our son, the Grants and the Bus Crew were able to run one of our favorite winter races a few weekends back. I really do love the Mistletoe 5K! The route winds its way through our own neighborhood, plus it's hard to beat the sights of people running in reindeer antlers and jingle bells. And it was such a clear, cold morning, which makes for great running weather. I'm certainly not all the way back into running shape, but I did manage to beat my own self-imposed time cut, and that felt invigorating as we move toward 2012...

Cutting Down the Christmas Tree

As Fischer grows older, I hope to renew our tradition of heading west and cutting down our Christmas tree at a tree farm along some snowy ridge in the North Carolina mountains. But for the past two seasons (early pregnancy haze in 2010 and infant son logistics in 2011), the very nice guys at Rash's Tree Patch have cut our Christmas tree for us. And this year we bought our first tree as a family of three, you know! The addition of the ornaments and lights has Fischer completely mesmerized...

Cutting for Stone

One of the (many) cool aspects of having a book club is creating new traditions together. Last year, we celebrated the holiday season with a cookie swap (my first!), and it took no time at all to decide we'd love for that delicious tradition to continue. Although this year's cookie swap was put on hold until the New Year, we've already chosen our first new book for 2012, Cutting for Stone. I can hardly wait to start reading...so few things I love more than a good book!

Cutting a Tooth

Two nights ago, Erich and I had the pleasure of hosting Argus (his band) & Co. for a practice in our own living room! Prior to their wonderful show last night with Small Town Gossip at the Community Arts Cafe' in Downtown Winston, the guys and their families got together to reminisce with a side of jam. Noisy fun with guitars, singing, laughter, and even babies cooing makes for wonderful memories, especially here at Christmastime. Arabelle was so inspired that she rolled over for the first (and second and third and fourth!) time. Not to be outdone, Fischer cut his first tooth! So surreal to feel that tiny razor-sharp edge along his soft little gumline. Sweet boy...

The Deepest Cut

It's been well over a year since I wrote of my friendship with Starnes and our multi-faceted adventures Shaking & Baking together. I quoted Kahlil Gibran back then, and it (of course) remains true: "The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain." And so it was with the deepest of sorrow that we sent the beloved Mayor, her father, to his final resting place just over two weeks ago. If you know us at all, you might have guessed that we somehow found each other just before his funeral service to share a wordless fist bump. Which was my way of sending her on to deliver his eulogy, now maybe my favorite oration of all time. I mean, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Winston Churchill were pretty good...but they didn't know Charlie Fish. The sorrow, it's really very deep. And so I look forward to all the joy we'll be able to contain in time.

Cut (& Paste)

Lastly, I'm always so inspired by Kristin Armstrong's writing. I've often said that while Lance is kinda fast on a bike (legitimacy to be determined), she is by far my favorite Armstrong. Her words are simple, profound, and (for me) so often right on target. Her Christmas entry this past week was, as usual, a delight for me to read, and so I've decided to share it here, too:

Some holiday hints from Kristin Claus...
Do not count calories. Do not wear a watch. Try doing what other people feel like doing rather than being compelled to always make the plan. Stay in pj's as long as possible each day. Getting coffee, bagels, donuts or tacos in pajamas is not only socially acceptable, it's encouraged. Get down and look at your children when they talk to you. Or if they are getting taller than you these days, look up. Make eye contact. Cook someone's favorite meal. Or cook your favorite and invite people over. Sit by the fire and leave your cell phone in another room. Watch Christmas Vacation. Make pancakes with holiday M&M's in them. Go for a walk if you have a houseful of different ages. Turn all the lights out but the tree and sit there, at least once, late at night and recall what you are grateful for. Try to make peace with (instead of sense of) the things you don't feel as grateful for. It's not a hassle to make a fire in the fireplace, it's an invitation. Pet your dog, especially right behind the ears the way they like it. When you grab your last minute stocking stuffers from the drugstore (admit it, I'll see you there), pick up a couple scarves, socks, or fleece blankets to hand out to homeless people when you drive by – let your kids do the honors and feel warm inside. Think of someone you know (maybe not even very well) who has had a tough year this year and pick up the phone or put pen to paper and wish them a happier new year. Let the kids frost the cookies, trash the kitchen and get high on icing. The people who bug you are in your life for a reason, you may as well love them because they have something to teach you. Don't assume people know you love them, be clear. Make love to your love, you are not allowed to be too tired, busy or grinchy. You are not too old or jaded to believe in magic.

Everything you need is right here – want what you have.
~ Kristin Armstrong

Fall Start!

Sipping coffee this morning, which is both a pleasure and a maternal necessity...it's almost impossible to believe that September is here!

I love all things autumnal. The hint of a chill in the air, the beautiful colors of the changing leaves, the whistles of football practice, the addition of pumpkin flavoring to my caffeinated indulgences...all of it.

It's also my favorite time of year to run. I've learned that I don't relish the heat when it comes to running...the colder, the better. And so it is that last night I found myself going for my first post-pregnancy run, Starnes by my side (as it should be). It hurt a little less than I thought it would...and it might have only been two miles...(two miles that conveniently ended up at Bob's Big Gas Subs and Pub where they just happened to need two willing girls to partake of the season's first Dogfish Head Punkin Ales). But hey, it's a start! And I suppose that's how I suddenly find myself signed up for the inexplicably longer (?!) Salem Lake Trail Run at the end of this month...

It's different this year, in all the right ways. Here I sit, coffee still at the ready, but now with my baby boy sleeping soundly in his sling while I blog about running and friends and coffee and living. Definitely an improvement on an already sweet life.

So this fall brings with it the usual pleasures - college football (starts tonight, holycowyay!) and Pumpkin Spice Lattes (coming Tuesday, holycowyay!) - but new and improved versions of fun, too. The Autodrop Invitational launches one month from today...autumnal goodness on a bike. That crazy endeavor comes just one week after the 3rd Non-Annual City Loop Mafia 100K...always an adventure, firmly anchored by friends and chili and beer and football. And my 10-year college reunion at William & Mary is right around the corner (Confusion Corner, that is)...I can hardly wait for that special weekend in October with all my friends (and all of our husbands and babies!) in Colonial Williamsburg. And to be sure, we'll end up hiking in the mountains with a baby (and his Bjorn) in tow. Good times!

And who knows? Maybe another half marathon looms somewhere in the distance...flanked as usual by all kinds of other crazy adventures with all kinds of crazy family and friends...mmm, lovely lovely fall...

Beautiful Boy.

July 24, 2011. 10:33pm. Fischer Keaton Grant enters the world - all 7 pounds, 3 ounces and 21 inches of him!

Instant love.

Beautiful boy.

Nesting and Resting.

It's really hard to believe that we're only 32 days away from Baby Boy Grant's due date!

In the past few months, we've been so generously showered with love and gifts, set up a fun nursery, and even found time for a little traveling, lots of long walks, and some adventurous bike races. What a crazy fun life!

Time is really flying, too. And while these last few weeks may creep past slowly, the first 36 weeks of this adventure have been a whirlwind. I think the overwhelming fatigue of the first trimester plus the energy boost of the second trimester (which has thankfully carried over into the third trimester!) has resulted in a whole lotta necessary restin' and livin' - but not a lotta bloggin'. Life with our family and friends has happened, too...celebrations for some, heartache for others. And those things are reserved for real life, not the virtual world.

BUT. As we transition into this next phase of having a sweet little boy around to make our happy life that much more beautiful, I'm in hopes that we'll continue to share our adventures as we go...

For now, we have only one week until the Tour de France makes its Grand Depart from Vendee. Erich and I love this time of year! It's nearly time to hedge our bets on who will take the maillot jaune...the polka dots...the sprint on the Champs...and most importantly, Grant Family bragging rights for another year! And who knows? Maybe we'll be pulling all-nighters with bottles and diapers as Phil and Paul call the action from the Alps or the Pyrenees.

Until then, on with the nesting and the resting...