Tuesday Night Scrapbooking...or Painting Pumpkins???

Typically...Tuesday evenings are for us moms (Jamie, Brandi, Abbie, and myself) to spend some time scrap booking. Not tonight! It was kids night! We had Greek's pizza and pumpkin painting! All of us were together and we had a crazy, fun time.

The kids (Kyle, Keelin, Bailey, and Hannah) enjoying their pizza and bread sticks!

Keelin painting her pumpkin.

All the kiddos focused on painting their pumpkins. What a fun mess!

Jamie baked Halloween cookies and this was our attempt to get them to sit together to eat their cookies and take a picture.

Reagan and Macie were laying so nicely together for a picture when the "other" 4 swooped in to check out the babies. A picture with all 6 of them together...How did that happen?

Bailey and Keelin tending to Macie! She was a trooper with all the kids giving her so much attention!

Hannah holding Macie. How sweet is this picture! Hannah just loves babies!

Keelin holding Macie. Keelin also loves babies.

Towards the end of the evening, Kyle was reading a book to Hannah and Keelin. How cute and self entertained they were all evening. A kodak moment!

Hannah showing Keelin how to spin on the Sit-n-Spin! Another priceless moment!

We had such a fun evening! We will have to this again soon!

Bailey's 3rd Birthday Party

My friend Brandi's son Bailey celebrated his third birthday at Newburgh Park on Sunday. It was a Thomas the Train themed birthday. The kids had a great time playing at the park.

Brandi cutting the cake

Bailey opening his present from Keelin

Hannah and Keelin stuffing cake into their mouths! Yummy strawberry cake!

Keelin opening her gift from Bailey...

A pumpkin and paint!

Keelin thinking about going down the wide slide.

Keelin on the swing

Keelin swinging with her daddy.

Keelin and mommy

Baby Macie Lu

My friend, Abbie, had her baby girl last Monday evening! She is adorable. I went to visit her twice in the hospital. I went by myself on Monday and then Drew and Keelin joined me on Tuesday.

More Marathon

Chicago Marathon Results
type "sills" in the last name box and both drew and I's results will come up. You can also click on our names to get more info.

Chicago Marathon Pics
type in sills and 5730 (Renee)
type in sills and 8752 (Drew)

Now for the drama...
okay...so after I finished the race, I slowly walked back to the Hilton to meet my husband and my parents. It took me awhile because I just wasn't feeling that great (hum...wonder why? ) I met my dad at the corner on Michigan Ave by the Hilton. He helped me walk in to find my mom and Drew. We sat in the hallway for awhile recouping. I went to the bathroom and when we thought it was time to leave to head back to the Marriott to get showers, I made a turn for the worse. I started to get very tingly. My hands locked up and I couldn't talk. I remember sitting down against a wall and then a volunteer ER nurse was over me. A few hotel workers were around me... and they were giving me water and orange juice. They called 911 and as the paramedics arrived I started throwing up all the liquid that they forced into me. WONDERFUL! My calves both cramped up as I tried to stand up, which made me collapse. (I am sure I was a sight to see in the hotel lobby!) I was wheeled to the ambulance on a stretcher (at least they left me sitting up). I could have killed the paramedics as they would not make a decision on where to take me... the conversation between the lady in back with me and the driver sounded like this, "You make the decision...No, you make the decision...I'm not making the call... You make the call... I'm not making the call..." You get picture! I wanted to take the oxygen tube out of my nose and beat them with it! Just make the damn call! anyway... they took me to the race med tent. The trip down Michigan Avenue was lights on, siren on...turn them both off...okay lights only...not moving...turn on siren...no turn it off. (SERIOUSLY...can you make up your damn mind!) I finally arrived in the med tent to find lines of cots full of runners! Okay so maybe I am not the only woosie runner who gets dehydrated after running 26 miles. Finally after an hour in the med tent, some Gatorade, water, and pretzels... I was released to leave. The MD, 2 medical students, and 3 massage therapists were wonderful!

Chicago Marathon

Drew and I flew into Chicago Friday morning to run the Chicago Marathon Sunday morning. We met my parents at the Marriott downtown in the afternoon and then headed to the expo to pick up our race packets. We spent a lot of time shopping Friday along the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Ave.) During my training this summer I paid myself 50 cents for each mile I ran to spend on a shopping spree in Chicago! All of my money was spent at GAP and The North Face. I also bought a Chicago marathon pink pullover at the expo.

Drew and I at the expo (3 pictures)

The view from our hotel room. We were on the 32nd floor.

Friday evening we walked down Ontario Ave. to Ed Debevic's to eat dinner. It was a 50's diner style restaurant. They were very sarcastic and a bit rude (this atmosphere is what they are know for!)

We went to the Hershey's chocolate store and one of the workers put Drew and I to work in the factory! We got a lot of free chocolate out of being humiliated in front of everyone in the store!

The Hershey kiss and I on the street corner.

The wrote on the wall in Niketown.

A big Chicago Marathon mural was outside Niketown. It had every one's name who was running the marathon on it! Drew and I could not find our names because they were listed according to our bib numbers (not alphabetical). I was not looking through 45,000 names! NO WAY!

Saturday morning we went down to Millennium Park. I am standing in front of the amphitheater.

Drew and I standing in front of a big, metallic bean looking thing called "Cloud Gate." It reflected the city when you looked in it and everything else!)

I took this picture of myself, Drew, and my parents in "Cloud Gate".

Drew and his reflection

My parents and Drew and I in the background.


This water fountain was also in Millennium Park.


My mom and her sisters, Mary and Linda
Saturday evening we ate at Giordanos. They are known for their Chicago style pizza.



Sunday Morning! RACE DAY!
This is the OPEN corral. (The holding area for all the runners to wait to start the race.)
I took my camera with me down to the starting corral. Drew and I walked down there together because it was early and about a mile hike. The race course went right by our hotel, which was the mile 1 marker. I ran with my camera the first mile and then handed it off to my mom under the bridge by the hotel.


For anyone who is a runner or knows anything about running races: the port-a-john line!!!! You gotta go before you run!

Drew stretching

Drew and I in the corral

Looking ahead at the starting gate. Yes...there were 45,000 runners!

Finally...approaching the start line!!! We had to walk awhile after the gun went off to get to the start line.

Drew running in front of me.

All the spectators! They were everywhere! They estimated 1.5 million spectators. They lined the entire 26 mile course!

All the runners ahead of me! They go forever!!!

More spectators! They filled every possible space along the course.

My split tattoo. My goal was to finish in 4 hours and 15 minutes. This tattoo helped me pace myself time wise. I was right on track to finish on time until about mile 21! I hit the wall! I ended up finishing in 4 hours and 31 minutes. It was very warm and the sun was beating down during the last hour of the race. I had to stop and stretch quite a few times. Drew was the same. His goal time was 3 hours and 50 minutes. He ended up finishing in 4 hours and 12 minutes. I will post more about our official finishing times, course pictures, and the drama that went down after the race later.