Looking Good, Girl!

What an amazing week! The weather here is absolutely beautiful… it is the kind of weather that makes it criminal to be cooped up inside, and it’s only going to get better before it begins the inevitable decline back to worse about the middle of next week –that is according to the weather experts, anyway.
We had a great time at Granddad’s birthday party. It always amazes me how many friends my grandparents have. It’s such a testament to the type of people that they are. So many people felt compelled to send cards, call or stop by the Open House. Grandma and her sister Barbara had a huge spread of fabulous food and drinks. Barbara’s daughter Julie and her husband Bob surprised everyone and drove up all the way from Reno. Michael and I both had a great time visiting with everyone.
Last night I ran a six mile loop in Lower Hulls Gulch. I had planned a run up a dirt road, but the weather was so nice and the trails so dry that I decided to try a new route. Michael looked up the mileage for me in a mountain bike book. The first part of the run was pretty much all up hill on a rocky single track, but it followed a creek and with the sun glinting off of the water as I ran by I couldn’t help but have a fantastic time… huffing and puffing and all. There weren’t many people back there. After a couple of miles I came upon the main trail and started to see more people. There were a lot of pale faces behind the sunglasses, probably getting out for the first time all year. Everyone was grinning from ear to ear, the beautiful weather and scenery causing a contagious euphoria. I love this city. I can’t imagine living somewhere that didn’t have hills to play on after work. As I started coming down a hill towards the end of my run I saw a slightly overweight middle aged man struggling to ride up what I was bounding down. He looked at me and smiled, “Looking good, Girl. Keep on running.” That made the evening perfect.

I hope that everyone has beautiful early spring weather where they are. Lot of love to you all.

Happy 90th Birthday, Granddad!

Today is my grandfather's birthday and we are going to celebrate with an Open House at Grandma's house. Happy Birthday, Granddad! We love you!

I finished!

I did the Les Bois 10k this weekend. So far, my longest race. I finished in 1 hour and 10 minutes which is way faster than I thought I could do it in. Woohooo! Now we just need to get through Robie Creek! Thanks to everyone that called and emailed your support... I really appreciate you all.

Sometimes it takes a friend to pull you up the hill

MJ, Alisha and I this summer

Susan, Me, Wendy (doing her best impersonation of a couture model), Cori, and Dawn

This weekend Alisha and I are running the Les Bois 10K to see how we stack up for Robie Creek. I am pretty nervous. I ran the race course (alone) last weekend and it was brutal. It's on dirt which is good because running on streets isn't my favorite thing to do. But it is up 8th Street which is steeper than Rock Canyon Road. I was so humbled - I had to walk most of the way up, and running down hill was painful everywhere... quads, calves, knees, hips. Since I decided to sign up in the first place I am determined to do it, and thankfully Alisha decided to do it with me last minute. I think that she will be a good motivator for me to keep going. Truth be told I was not in the best of shape last weekend, anyway. I was dehydrated and tired. I am trying to keep in mind, as a good friend told me the other night, even if I come in dead last I am still doing more than the people that are able-bodied and sleeping in that morning.

Lists & Goals

Last year before I turned thirty I came up with a list of thirty things I wanted to accomplish before the big day. Some really tough things were on that list. I quit smoking, learned to surf and white water kayak, got a tattoo, went on vacation by myself. Some things were a little easier – I posted things I had written on a blog for a year (not this one), I planted a tree, rode a mechanical bull, I asked a boy out on a date (yes, it was Michael). Some things that were on the list haven’t been crossed off yet. I spent a bit of time beating myself up for not finishing by August, but then someone told me that the fact that I had made the list at all was what was important. So… I decided to keep on trucking. Maybe add a few things… maybe take a few off that are no longer important to me (get a pedicure, waste and entire day watching movies). I am determined that one thing stay on the list until I can finally cross it off…
The Race to Robie Creek, for those of you not living in Boise, is legendary. I can remember thinking when I was younger, “why would anyone ever want to do that?” As a native of this city I have begun to feel like I have to finish it at some point – like it is a rite of passage that I need go through. Monday I spent 14 hours trying to get in thanks to a computer glitch. At 12:06 am with MJ’s help I, Michelle Headrick, officially signed up for the hardest half marathon in the Northwest. Straight up, and straight down. Torture on the quads for longer than I have ever run. I can’t wait. My goal time? To finish before the race organizers start packing up for the night.
Peggy is in town this week. Her brother Mike turned 60 this a week and we celebrated at his house. All the kids from Christmas were there, and total chaos abounded. It was a great time, and we look forward to being able to spend time with Peggy for the rest of the week.
I hope that everyone out there in cyber land is doing well and reaching for their goals… love to you all… -M

Where did I put that old Colts T-shirt?

I can't seem to find my one lone, poor, beat up old Colts T-shirt... but rest assured (this post is mostly for you, Kat) I will be cheering for 'em come Sunday...
GO INDIANAPOLIS!

Not. Fair.

My mom used to hear that a lot when we were little... raising three kids that are all more or less a year apart you have to expect that they are going to be constantly hunting for ways in which one child is being favored over the other. In today's case, however, I am referring to the fact that I am not only sick again (so sick I actually missed work - AGAIN) for what feels like the one millionth time this year... but the last Harry Potter is coming out on the DAY of our wedding reception. I'm going to have to do some scheming to figure out how to get that book up to Garden Valley the day it is released and get it read before people start asking me questions like "where should we put the flower arrangements?" and "do you really think we need two full kegs of beer?" I was afraid this was going to happen. If mom hadn't already put money down at Terrace I might be tempted to change our dates around. As it is, it looks like I'm going to be doing a lot of reading on our honeymoon. Not. Fair.

Rabbit Food

Lately I have been having so much fun learning what I can about cooking. Maybe once people get to the point where they are amenable to marriage some sort of nesting instinct kicks in. Or maybe I'm just competitive and fully realize that it's going to take a lot of practice time for me to get to the epicurean level that MJ is at. Anyway, I am pretty much starting out with zero previous experience. It was in no way my mom's fault that I never learned - I was just never interested before now. At the rate I'm going I will probably end up (dare I say it?) begging her to teach me to sew next year.
If anyone has some recipes they would like to share I would be very interested in trying them. I just found one on-line for turnips. I’ve never even considered cooking them before, I've always thought of them as a vegetable that showed up in Beatrix Potters’ books – sought after by wayward rabbits looking for a free meal.

This weekend:

yurt -
noun

a circular domed dwelling that is portable and self-supporting; originally used by nomadic Mongol and Turkic people of central Asia but now used as inexpensive alternative or temporary housing .

Also - a great place to ski to with friends in Idaho for those that are in need of a sunny break from cold, grey, wet, polluted Boise.

Yurt Fever...

From left to right the clearly delirious "yurters" - Josh, Cori, Robyn, Jason, MJ, and me

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."
-Albert Camus

Loving Life, Family, Friends & the New Year

I keep promising pictures and not delivering. My apologizes… I have now come to realize that I don’t have any pictures from Christmas. I wasn’t thinking about capturing the moments, I was too busy reveling in them. I have only my words to describe the events.

A few days before Christmas I was able to meet a few more members of MJ’s family at an early Christmas party with his aunt, uncle and cousins on his mom’s side. It was interesting to meet them all after hearing so much about them from MJ’s uncle Mike and Peggy. Watching their excitement at being together and planning another reunion in the mountains at the wedding this summer was a highlight of the season. There were so many kids running around that I lost count and track of which child belonged to whom. They were all so high on the excitement of Christmas and having so many playmates to share the excitement with – they whipped themselves into a frenzy running back and forth between new toys and their parents and aunts and uncles. I was honored that evening to receive my “something old” from my future mother-in-law – a vintage heart shaped locket that she had gotten from her mother. Tears ensued as always when she and I spend any amount of time together talking about anything not completely devoid of emotion. I definitely inherited this perplexing ability to tear up on cue from my own mother. Peggy was able to be in Boise for over a week. We spent as much time as we could with her and Jennifer and “Uncle” as they call Peggy’s brother Mike.

Scott & Angie and Kathy & Joe got in Christmas Eve week from Eugene and Indianapolis respectively and were here until New Years Eve. After spending a really cozy Christmas in town with Grandma and Granddad we headed for the Headrick Cabin in Garden Valley. We skied a couple times, but had to concede that the snow was melting faster than it was falling. There were a few midnight sledding sessions after partaking in a few too many glasses of wine, there was the annual Headrick Family Men vs. Women Shuffleboard Tournament, there was a family band night jam session (shorter this year than in years past), there was a lot of “really good Pinnacle” played, and there was some fabulous food as a new tradition took root. Mom decided since we have all taken an interest in cooking that this year each couple should have a night to cook. It turned out to be the highlight of the week. I think I gained about 5 pounds, but can truly say that it was worth all the extra running I am going to have to do this month to burn it off.

After everyone left we went to the MPC Computer’s Bowl to watch Miami scrape one by Nevada. It was a close game, but it was so cold that we spent most of in my company’s tent in the end zone. They had food and drinks along with the essential heater and television. We then went on a journey of downtown with our good friends Celinda and Isaac celebrating the New Year as we made our way back home. The next day we experienced the greatest college football bowl game ever played as we watched completely stunned as our beloved Broncos beat my Grandma’s home state Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl. It was the perfect bookend to an amazing couple of weeks.

Tomorrow morning we will embark on another adventure. We are skiing into a back country yurt around Banner Ridge. I won’t promise that I will post pictures… but I’ll promise to revel in the experience and share it here in words if not in pictures.

I hope you are living life to its fullest and enjoying every drop.

Wedding Plans

Hello Friends and Family,

We hope that everyone had a peaceful, healthy and happy holiday season. It was fabulous to get to spend time with everyone that came to Boise and Garden Valley to visit. We even got a bit of skiing in between rain showers. It was also pretty great to watch the boys from Boise State introduce Cinderella to Lady Liberty in Arizona on Monday (sorry for those of you in Norway, Australia and India - I'll explain later).

There has been a lot of confusion as to our wedding plans, so we thought we should clarify for you all exactly what will be taking place. Our ceremony will be near Stanley at Petit Lake on Wednesday, July 18 at 4pm. It is not our intention to exclude anyone from attending. If you would like to be there please join us. We do, however, want to make sure that everyone understands that this will be a very short informal event at a mountain lake with little to no amenities. In other words, there will be no formal “after party." The bride and groom may just decide to disappear into the Sawtooths for a quick hike into solitude after the ceremony. When the invitations go out in the spring they will be for the reception and not for the wedding. We will try to have someone record the event for posterity and those of you that would like to be there but are unable to attend.

Our reception will be at Terrace Lakes on Saturday, July 21 at 6pm. Terrace Lakes is in Garden Valley just outside of Crouch, Idaho and is roughly 1 hour north of Boise and 2 hours west of Stanley. Terrace Lakes has an RV Park, a few small cabins and motel rooms for rent – www.terracelakes.com (208)463-3250. There is a motel in Garden Valley which is about 15 minutes from Terrace Lakes– www.gardenvalleymotel.com. There is plenty of camping available in the surrounding Boise National Forest - www.fs.fed.us/r4/boise/. There are also a lot of cabins available for rent – www.idahovacationcabins.com. Links to other lodging options and more information about the Crouch/Garden Valley area at the website www.gardenvalleyidaho.net.

All of this information is available on our wedding website – www.headrickandjohnston.weddings.com. We hope that this will put an end to all of the confusion and that we see you all this summer (hopefully sooner).

Take care, Michael & Michelle

In Ian We Trust...

I promise to write about the holidays and post pictures soon, But first things, first. I just became a huge Florida fan for the next week. Because I am still hoarse from last night’s game, and have no words left of my own... I'll borrow from Pat Forde, the only sports writer that has written a novel I actually own.

"GLENDALE, Ariz. -- At the end of a game unlike any college football has ever witnessed, two of the great female icons in American culture staged a harmonic, hypnotic, borderline hallucinogenic convergence.

Boise State introduced Cinderella to Lady Liberty.

A head-to-toe, shining-beacon-to-glass-slipper miracle ensued."

Enough said.

Cosmic Birthday Bash!

MJ had a birthday on Saturday. We went bowling and a great time was had by all. Jennyfer is going to send me some pictures and I will post them soon. Happy 28th Michael!

Fiesta, baby!

Can you say BCS for BSU? OK, logistically there is a pretty good chance that we will get trounced, but I believe. I believe that Zabranski has worked out all of his "issues" after our disasterous game at Georgia last year. I believe that this is a much better team than the one that just barely lost to Louisville in the Liberty Bowl two years ago. I believe the Ian Johnson is the best running back in the nation. I believe we beat Oregon State (actually, truth be told we trounced 'em) and they in turn beat USC (ranked second in the nation). I believe we deserve the Fiesta Bowl, regardless of all the nay sayers out there that make fun of our Smurf turf and "soft" schedule. I believe in the Broncos, and at 12-0 I think they've already proven me right.

Thanksgiving Puppy...

I cooked the turkey for the first time this year and although I over-cooked it, I think it turned out OK. I may even do it again. MJ helped me brine it the night before and I think that saved it from getting too dried out. It was a learning experience, anyway. We had dinner at Grandma and Granddad's. Jennifer, Dorothy, Pablo, Mom and Dad were all there and we had phone calls from Indianapolis, Eugene & Stavanger, Norway. Here are some pics from the weekend... my turkey, MJ & I's self portrait, and the newest addition to the family... Ono. Ono is Jennifer's new puppy... the cutest little guy... it will be fun to see how Ripley, Riggs and B.B. react to their new "cousin."
The rest of the weekend I painted out spare room in an attempt to turn it into MJ's den. If I ever get done with that project I will post some pictures. At this point I have my doubts.

wedding website version 1.0

Our wedding website is officially up and running for the curious. Please excuse any gramatical errors and lack of information. Love and Happy Thanksgiving to all, -M

http://headrickandjohnston.weddings.com

Gobble Gobble!

A few of the things I am thankful for:

My family- old and new… how cool is it that when you decide to get married your family doubles instantaneously? And you actually love your future mother-in-law? And how cool is it when your sister and brother become your closest friends? I still get to see my grandparents on a regular basis, and they are the most fabulous people I know. My mom is incredibly loving and creative and talented - hard at work on my wedding dress. My dad has made sure our reception is set to go at Terrace Lakes. My family is coming here from half way across the world (Norway and hopefully India) to see me get married. I could go on and on…

My friends- amazing, amazing people that light up my life in so many ways. Things change so quickly in your thirties. Parents die, people get married, have children, get divorced, grow apart, people move away. It is so good to know that there are so many people on my side if I need them. The Bunco girls, the Girl’s Night ladies, friends from college, friends from elementary school. Luck doesn’t begin to describe it.

My dogs- old and new… as much as I joke about getting rid of one of them, I have to say that having three dogs has its advantages… and having three adorable creatures wag their tails ecstatically when I walk in the door is defiantly high on that list, even if they do occasionally get into the garbage. And dig holes in the back yard. And knock stuff over. And get mud all over the floors. And jump up on our guests when they clearly know better. And chase the cat. The tail wagging is good though… really it is…

My kitty cat Cairo Gyro a.k.a. Shaq- People say that cats are not loyal like dogs are, but I disagree. Cairo had to have been pretty far away for him to finally venture home after a year and a half. Now that is devotion! I’m so glad he came home. It wouldn’t be fall unless I had that cat curled up on my lap purring the night away. Even if he does hate dogs now!

My co-workers – Somehow all of the men I work with here in computer geek lumber land turned out to be like brothers, and my boss is like a second dad. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to work with.

My health- Something that I will never take for granted again. For so many reasons.

Michael – For being on a constant hunt for music that he thinks I might like, for always believing in me in a way that no one ever has, for being my sounding board, for never going more than a few weeks without bringing me flowers, for putting up with my mood swings, for learning all the BCS standing stats so we can talk football, for his amazing culinary skills, for wagging his tail when I walk through the door, for everything. I’m so thankful that he had no idea what he got himself into when he asked me to marry him.

Red Fish Lake

P.P.S.
For those of you coming to the wedding start thinking about sleeping arrangements for Stanley. We will need to make our reservations on January 2. I am hoping to get the Save the Date cards out this month. Here is the website... www.redfishlake.com
Can't wait to see you all next summer! It looks like we may have people there from four different continents!!!

Sweet Novemeber

Sorry that I haven’t been writing much. My race went as well as can be expected for the amount of training I did, which was just about none. I did beat my old time, and am looking forward to the YMCA Christmas Run in December. I’m back in the gym most of the week except Saturdays now that the trails are staying soggy with the typical Boise November weather.

School is going well. I am trying to decide how many classes to take next semester. I don’t want to over do it, but I feel like I am not making very much progress right now taking one class a semester.

Tonight after spinning (side note: uggh… spinning is a lot tougher than I remember it being) my grandma, mom, and friend Celinda and I are going to look at wedding dress patterns. I think I have a basic idea of what I want, but it will be fun to be with women that are so important to me when I make the final decision.

I think we found a photographer and I am so excited. He is a friend of MJ’s that he rock climbs with and his photos have been in Ski and Outside magazine. I think his work is incredible and really hope that it works out. We wanted something out of the ordinary and Todd will definitely fit that bill.

The dogs are getting a bit stir crazy with all of the rain we have been getting this month. I won’t let them into any rooms in the house except the dinning room and it drives them crazy. A couple of times they actually knocked down the baby gates we set up to keep them corralled. When all three of them get going there isn’t much we can do to stop them. Yesterday I was painting the hallway and I could hear them whining most of the afternoon. I felt bad, but not bad enough to let them in with their muddy paws. Hopefully we’ll get some snow for them to play in soon. I can’t wait to start skiing. Although, we have had such a warm month so far that I have my doubts that will happen anytime soon.

MJ is plugging away with school and work as well. We are hopeful that the new funding that Idaho is putting into the nursing programs will help him get in soon.

I hope that all is well with everyone. Lots and lots of love to you all, and don’t forget to VOTE! –M

P.S. The Broncos are 8-0!