Looking up

After a wonderful weekend of volunteering at the Twin Cities Marathon (and feeling wholeheartedly inspired and energized by the community of runners, spectators, volunteers and staff around me), I was back to work today. I went for a walk at lunch, and it was one of those strolls where I was looking up the whole time.

Miles and Laurel has been short on leaf pictures so far this season, but I'll make up lost ground in the days and weeks ahead. It's beautiful around here.

The finish line

Today started out brisk, cloudy, and windy for the day's races leading up to tomorrow's 10-mile and marathon. (My brother raced the 5K this morning wearing a winter hat!) Over the course of the morning, the sun started to peek out. I was ambling back to my car just before noon, and I turned around to look back at the finish line and saw the prettiest view.

The runners will like this sight tomorrow, too. I'm so proud of them already.

Pause

Tonight, after Josh and I unloaded a Craigslist purchase from our car, I looked at the pile of boxes lining our dining room wall and instead flopped onto the couch to watch playoff baseball. Josh wasn't home at that time - but I still had company.

But now said company has run off into the guest bedroom, one of his favorite places in our new house, and I'm about to browse some magazines that seem to be filled with fall-themed project ideas. Twin Cities Marathon weekend kicks off tomorrow afternoon (I'm volunteering, not running!) and I'll enjoy this evening at home before those wonderful festivities begin.

In a new place

We're here!!

The past five days have been a whirlwind of signing papers, getting keys, painting, carrying boxes, unpacking some of those boxes, and making trips to the hardware store. Of course, we haven't done that all on our own. We are very grateful for all of the people who helped us get here.

I handed over the keys to our apartment tonight and unpacked one more carload full of odds and ends. Now I'm sitting at the table in our dining room. Wish is curled up in a little ball next to me, tuckered out after these days full of new hallways and corners and smells. Josh is putting together a bookcase in the adjacent living room, and we've got playoff baseball on the TV. Two of our neighbors dropped by last night to say hello.

It's pretty wonderful how quickly this house structure can begin to feel like our home.

Moving along

This morning I went for what I expect to be my last run starting from this front door. Cardboard boxes are the sole decoration in our apartment right now. (Wish only likes them when he's leaping over them.) Over the last month, we've been looking back fondly over the last four years at this address (four years!) and making plans for the next one.

In the next few days, we'll be in our new home!