Run, run, run!

Matt and I did our first half marathon in Estes Park this morning, the Estes Park Marathon!  I'd been wanting to do one for quite a while and finally just bit the bullet and signed up for one.  Matt was kind enough to join me and I am very grateful to him for that.  Estes Park is an absolutely gorgeous town so we couldn't have chosen a better race as far as scenery goes.  We were unfamiliar with the race route but had read that it wasn't too bad so we figured why not, and registered.  There were a few hills that were killer, specifically one about three and half miles in that lasted through mile six.  Oy!  That hill really drained my energy and my legs and put my time way off.  Overall, I felt pretty good, my knees are pretty painful right now but other than that not too much to complain about.  Poor Matt has blisters all over his feet--he wore his barefoot running shoes which were not the greatest for running 13.1 miles.  My goal was to finish in roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes, unfortunately my actual finish time was a bit longer than that.  It just means I've got a goal to work towards for the next one.

And yes, we've already signed up for the next one...we'll be running the Rock n' Roll half marathon in Denver on September 22.  I think I'll change up my training for that one and Matt will probably train more than he did for this one and wear different shoes.  The course for the next one runs through downtown Denver and has bands performing at each check point so it should be pretty fun!  I've heard good things about the Rock n' Roll marathon series (there's one in St. Louis this October for all you back home!) so I'm excited to see what it's all about.

Bright eyed and bushy tailed before the race!

I did it!!

Matt sad foot...heck of a blister!

We both were pretty exhausted.

So proud that we did it!

Hope all is well with everyone, can't wait to see some of you in roughly two weeks!!

Old Friends, Good Times

Last weekend we had some good friends from home, Tim and Megan, in town for a whirlwind weekend visit.  They landed on Thursday night and were off again Sunday morning so it was a quick trip but we managed to make the most of it.  We started the weekend off in Denver--it had been awhile since we've gone out in Denver--and then drove up to Ft. Collins Friday for an afternoon of beer tasting at the breweries. Matt has been to Ft. Collins before but this was my first time so I was pretty excited.  I'm not the most adventurous when it comes to beer, in fact I generally stick to Bud Light, but I've branched out some since moving out here and I'm willing to at least try all kinds.

Tasting at Odell Brewery, one of Matt's favorites.

Quite the spread at New Belgium Brewery.

We only visited three breweries and there were plenty more to try, but we had to cut the afternoon short in order to make it to Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison for the Michael Franti concert that night.  If you recall, Matt and I saw a concert there in May in less than desirable conditions.  This time thankfully the weather was much better and I was able to really enjoy the experience.

Even up at the top, it's still a great experience.

Took a few tries but we got a decent group picture.

Saturday we drove up Pikes Peak and spent some time at Garden of the Gods.  I can honestly say I don't think I will ever get sick of the mountains or the gorgeous views we have out here.  It's so nice to have visitors come out and be able to share all of it with them...I loved Megan's excitement about the mountains because it reminded me of my first couple trips out here. :)

My favorite spot on the way up Pikes Peak.

The sky is so blue!

Just climbing around on top of a mountain.

Garden of the Gods--one of my favorite places out here.

Joseph family photo!

Best dog ever. :)

It was a fast weekend, but a great one.  We loved getting to spend time out here with some good friends and showing them what Colorado is all about: gorgeous views, mountains, and good beer. :)  Can't wait to see you guys again in just a couple weeks!!

One Year.

Yesterday marked our one year anniversary, and what a year it has been!  It's hard to believe that our first year of marriage has come and gone as it seems like just yesterday we were celebrating with our family and friends at our reception.  And yet, here we are one year later getting ready to embark on the next chapter of our life together.  I know that this next year will be one full of adventure and growth with some challenges but we'll tackle it all together, and for that I am incredibly grateful to have such a wonderful partner by my side. :)

So, in honor of our first year of marriage, I've included some of our favorite pictures from our wedding day.  All photos are copyrighted by Jodi Schlosser, our amazing photographer.

An emotional moment while getting ready.

Matt waiting for his bride...and shedding a tear.

Mr. and Mrs. at last!

One of my favorites.

Our awesome wedding party, we love you all!!

Taking pictures is hard, the boys needed a break.

Sharing some laughs during the speeches.

We were given a large knife to cut the cake with.

First dance, so much love. :)

We truly enjoyed our wedding and had a blast celebrating!

Us in a nutshell.

Heading back to enjoy the party...what a wonderful, wonderful day!