Joe's 26th Bday

Joe turned the BIG 2-6 last Saturday! For his birthday we decided to drive to the Charlotte area, spend some time with the Wheless', and go whitewater rafting! Joe and our raft guide, Crazy Jerry (need I say more), hit it off and Joe instantly became a whitewater rafting fan. After our adventures, Joe was ready to move to the western part of the state and become an official rafting guide.

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That night, Aunt Caroline put together a fabulous meal of stuffed shells. Helena & Dean Patrick sang the Happy Birthday song several times to Joe and I presented him with a Boston Creme Pie birthday cake.

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It was a great weekend and I'm so glad Joe had a blast. He deserves it! Sretan Rodendan Josip!

Nicole and Eliot Tie the Knot!

Joe's sister, Nicole, tied the knot with Eliot this past Friday in Meredith, NH. Joe and I flew up for the wedding and had the BEST time. Nicole and Eliot got married outside on a lawn that overlooked a lake. The day was perfect. The weather was perfect. And everything went off without a hitch. After a gorgeous ceremony, there followed a cocktail party and indoor reception where Joe and I had so much fun! The entire weeklong visit and especially wedding were so wonderful. We're so happy for Nicole and Eliot and wish them nothing but the best! Mi te volimo!

Duke Half Ironman

Joe's first-ever Half Ironman was this past Sunday at Jordan Lake in Duke. His buddy Josh ended up not participating because of a back injury, so it was ALL Joe on this one! He was pretty nervous but didn't let it show too much. The race consisted of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run. Joe completed the race in 5.5 hours and placed 81rst of about 500 people. He did so well and you could tell that he felt very accomplished with himself as he should be.

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So I know this blog is getting bogged down with 5K-this and triathlon-that, so I promise to add some more diverse subject matters in the future. Joe and I are about to head to New Hampshire for his sister's wedding so I'll be sure to post about that.

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Hope all is well with everyone!

Holla for your girl!

Cortney and I about to get the party started.

Crossing the Finish Line.
Joe and I after the race.
Cortney and I after the race.
Dana congratulating me!

Yes people. With some help from my good friend Cortney, Joe had officially talked me into doing my first competitive race. So last night I ran a 5K in downtown Wilmington that funded the preservation of our historic city. I started to get a little pumped before the race started as fellow runners started clapping and getting all kinds of crazy. My first mile was very decent and I probably clocked it at about 8 minutes. However after that, things started to slow down for me for the next 2 miles. I ended up finishing at 33:52 which I'm pretty pleased about.

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As I crossed the finish line and my friends and Joe were there, I immediately started crying. All this emotion just started pouring out. LOL. You would've thought I just finished the Boston Marathon or something. LOL. All in all, it was a good time and I hope I keep this running routine up.

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P.S. Please note the shirt I ran in. 'I LOVE MY BOYFRIEND' I thought it only appropriate to represent ol' Joe.

Labor Day '08

Oh, I love Labor Day Weekend! Food, friends, and in my family's case...birthdays! With the long 3-day weekend and two of my grandparents' birthdays falling close to the weekend, Joe and I journeyed to Pennsylvania to celebrate Pappy's (mom's dad) 65th birthday and Grammy's (dad's mom) 75th birthday. The Smartts' took Grammy out to a nice dinner at South Mountain Inn restaurant on Saturday evening. It was delicious! No one makes a crab cake like a Maryland restaurant. Then on Sunday, Joe and I celebrated with Pappy by going to a music festival at Cacapon State Park in West Virginia. Everything turned out super successful and we had a blast!

P.S. Amidst the birthday parties, Joe did find some time to get a four-wheeler ride in. How country does he look!

Me, Grammy, and Heather

Me & Joe at Grammy's Bday Dinner

Pappy & Nanny at Cacapon State Park

Country Boy.