IRONMAN
I think the logical place to start is to tell everyone about my sister and Tom's INCREDIBLE Ironman finish. I'm not quite sure how either of them has done it, but they are incredible. They are determined, strong-willed, and quite frankly, amazing. The day, November 1, 2008, could not have been any more perfect. It was a chilly morning but by afternoon was sunny and warm (mid-70s). 
Colleen and Tom had a great swim. Tom came out of the swim at 1:12 and looked great.
Colleen came in at 1:26. Colleen came out of the water with the greatest smile. She had conquered what she thought was her weakest event...and yelled "I lived!"
Next came the bike part...all 112 miles of it. This is the time during the Ironman when we don't get to see the participants, as they go out 50+ miles from Panama City Beach. We did catch Colleen and Tom come in. Again, they did wonderful. Tom came in from the bike at 5:35. His leg was cramping but he was in good spirits.
Here is Colleen coming in at 6 hours, 35 minutes. She looked great and told us she was so excited to be getting off the bike.
After that came the 26.2 mile run. Both Tom and Colleen did exceptionally well. Both always had a smile on their face when they approached us...our condo is located on a curved street where they would pass us at approximately miles 4, 9, 14, and 22. 
Finally, after many hours of swimming, biking, and running, both Tom and Colleen crossed the finish line as Ironmen. Tom crossed with a time of 11 hours, 49 minutes, and 48 seconds.
Colleen crossed with a time of 13 hours, 22 minutes, and 6 seconds. 
Here are the proud parents with their Ironmen children: Jay (Tom's step-dad), Janet (Tom's mom), Tom, Colleen, Nancy (my mom) and Tom (my dad)
Me with my favorite Irondiva!
Here is the cheering team the next day at dinner, proudly standing behind the Ironman and Irondiva.
There are SO many more pictures. If you would like to see more of the family supporting our Ironmen, please let me know and I will send you a link for them!Weekend in Chicago
Last weekend I took a road trip with a friend from Columbus to Chicago. While there I got to do something I never thought would happen...I got to meet girls who have been a huge amount of support as John and I have struggled through infertility. To spend a weekend with these girls is something I cannot say enough wonderful things about. They were what I had hoped they would be, and so much more. I had a great time!
Seeking a Second Opinion (and a Third!)
After much thinking and debating, John and I have two appointments in December with two different RE's here in Ohio. While I LOVE Dr. S at ORM, we need to make sure that when we are ready to move forward with whatever step that might be (be it trying another IVF round, surrogacy, or even adoption) that we are armed with all the information we can have. So, on December 8 we have a meeting with a doctor whose clinic is in Akron, OH, yet they have a satellite office here in Westerville. Then on December 29 we head to Cleveland to meet with a doctor at the Cleveland Clinic to see what he has to say. We don't know what will happen next, but at least we will have some food for thought.
The House
Thank to you everyone who has inquired about the house. We have signed paperwork for the house, but the builder has decided they don't want our condo, so now we are waiting AGAIN for someone to buy our condo. We did have an open house last Sunday and not one solitary person came in to look...despite the fact that we have dropped our price $3,500. We have been told by the housing rep that maybe, just maybe, in the middle of December the builder will come to us and offer to buy our condo, they don't want the house sitting there empty anymore. I'm not 100% convinced, but John is holding onto hope for us.
If you have made it this far, THANK YOU FOR READING! I hope to have another entry here in the near future...and not keep you, my readers, waiting!
~Kristen
4 comments:
YAY! Thanks for including so many pictures and kind words from the Ironman. Tom and I were just so happy to have you there. And how do we do it? We're nuts. :)
Can't wait to hear about the second opinions, glad that you had the weekend with the girls, and we'll keep our fingers crossed as always for the house and condo!
Oh, I love the monthy recap. You still have a little bit of the month left, so you might have to redo :)
((HUGS))
Glad you had a great trip to Chicago--I'd love to hear a bit more about it!
So sad about the house...I'm holding out hope that the builder decides they *do* want to buy your house!
What a great support team you were to Tom and Colleen! I'm sure they were so glad to have you there.
I <3 Chicago!! Did you guys eat at Giordano's? That is my favorite pizza place there.
That's a great deal if the builder buys your condo! My girlfriend was able to buy her new house last year around this time for nearly $30,000 off the compared to what the others were selling for. She signed 12/31 as they didn't want a new house on their lot for tax purposes. Much luck!
Post a Comment