Punta Cana

Next up on operation blog catch up is our Honeymoon. Ryan and I actually went through costco travel to book our trip to Punta Cana. We stayed at Paradisus resort and were very impressed! My parents are cruise people growing up I probably have been on 5-6 cruises but have never done an all inclusive. Everyone at Paradisus were friendly and accessible. The food was amazing! I was worried that there would be minimal vegetarian options but there were very diverse options. We had our choice of 6 different restaurants each night. For breakfast and lunch we could choose from two different buffets. There was even a late night snack bar (we never stayed out late enough to enjoy this.)

 By the end of our trip we were going a little overboard at the buffets for lunch and breakfast. I have zero self control so it was a recipe for disaster. Ryan and I started ordering room service when we needed a break from the sun. This helped a little with the portion control and the food was still delicious. I especially loved the fresh pineapple.

Our favorite excursion was zip-lining. It was a great way to see the fantastic views and observe some wild life. It was a little scary at first but by the end we were pros :)

Wedding Day

Never mind the fact that this is just a touch over due, I wanted to share our special day! Our day started fairly early with hair appointments but I knew I wanted to get a quick run in before heading out. I ran a quick three miles into the fog on the back roads of my parents house. Thinking back it was definitely not safe to be running even with my florescent reflector vest.  The fog was just some foreshadowing for the severe thunderstorms that were to come. I knew having poor weather was the risk of having an outdoor wedding but even today I'm glad we had it outside. As the wedding party waited in the hotel with the forecast on our phones, my wedding coordinator told me to get ready as they saw a rain- free window of opportunity to walk down the aisle.

As I made my way down the aisle I was so thankful that we were able to have our outdoor wedding after all. It was perfect temperatures and the sun even made an appearance during the ceremony. I am so thankful for my bridal party and family for all of their hard work and making our day so special.

no rain drops!

Rehearsal Dinner

I am officially Mrs. Servais! All of the planning and crazy checklists are OVER!

I wanted to write a little something about the rehearsal night because it was such a blast to have everyone together. I suggested (ok forced) my bridesmaids to meet about 45 prior to the rehearsal to get some cute pictures just with my camera.

adorbs

chaty kathies

Ryan and I had six bridesmaids and six groomsmen in our wedding party and felt like it was a great number. We both feel so close to the members of our bridal party and had a blast spending the weekend with our closest friends. Our rehearsal was at Geneva Ridge resort and we were all excited to hit up the outside tiki bar.

Our rehearsal dinner took place about a mile away from our wedding rehearsal at the Hunt Club restaurant part of Geneva National Golf club where I used to work.. I had been there once before only because I received a discount! The food was amazing! Ryan and I already vowed that we are going here on our 1 year anniversary.

There is halibut under the asparagus. I promise.

Salted Caramel Cheesecake

After full bellies we had another drink and the girls decided to head home. We all knew we had to get up early for our hair appointments so it was a unanimous decision. My maid of honor suggested I get a "last single girl kiss" prior to departure.

That night I COULD NOT SLEEP! I wanted my sisters and I to all have a sleepover in my younger sister Sarah's bed. We went to bed around 10:00pm and I fell asleep right away. Around 12:30 I woke up as if my alarm had just gone off. I laid there a while and I finally decided to go into the living room to find my dad in there watching TV.  We watched House Hunters together and since it was dark my dad couldn't see me tearing up. It was so special to me to have those few minutes with him because I knew the next time I would see him we would be walking down the aisle to meet my groom! About an hour into House Hunters and countless sentences of conversation my dad turns to me and says "OH! Kristen its you!? I thought you were Tricia the whole time." Of course while I am having a sentimental moment my dad I just shooting the shit with whichever daughter pulls up a chair! I will not be letting him live this down.

2014 Weddings

This weekend consisted of everything weddings.  Ryan and I were going to obtain our Dane County marriage license but it turned out he doesn't have his birth certificate so he has to wait to get that from his parents. We did meet with our Pastor though. She is so great and I feel much more relaxed after meeting with her. We decided instead of doing the unity candle which some ceremonies have to do a unity tree.  We will have a small tree in a pot up front at our ceremony. Ryan’s mom and my mom will bring up a jar of dirt from each of their houses.  We are then supposed to plant the tree at our home. I really like the idea so I hope it goes smoothly.

on Woellert Farm

On Saturday my friend Lindsay’s bridesmaids were invited to a brunch at her future in laws house.  We were served the most delicious asparagus quiche, muffins, and fruit parfaits.  We even had one of Lindsay’s flower girls there to take our order! Next, we headed to Whitewater to Sisters Boutique to look at bridesmaid dresses! We were in and out within an hour and a half! I couldn't believe that it went so smoothly. Lindsay let us each pick our own style but we will all have the same color dress. 

Had to get a group shot before dress shopping

 In the evening we were all invited back to her in laws house for a bon fire. We grilled out and enjoyed a few drinks.  Her wedding party gets along great so we all shared plenty of laughs! I am so excited for her wedding next year! It is crazy to think that Ryan and I already have 5 weddings in the books for 2014.

Pintrest gone wrong

Thomas Rhett Concert

Making our way to the concert 

I have lived in the Madison area for almost two years now and have never been to Taste of Madison! When I found out that the country artist Thomas Rhett was performing I knew I had to be there. There was also multiple vendors with different kinds of food with prices ranging from $4-$6. Sign me up! My friends Taylor and Morgan joined Ryan and I for the concert and it was a blast! We first were standing by a stage that had almost no one in the crowd but we were still convinced that this was where he was going to play.  We looked around and finally realized this was where there would be a kids puppet show and we walked to the next block to find a much larger stage with a huge crowd. We felt really smart... I didn't know that Thomas Rhett wrote a few of Jason Aldean's songs like "1994" and Florida Georgia Line's song "Cruise." We knew almost every song that he played which it so much more fun. Thomas Rhett's dad Rhett Atkins came out and played a few songs as well! Did I mention the fact that it was free!? 

after finally finding the right stage

On Labor day we had our friends Nicole and Kyle over for some snacks on the deck. It was such a beautiful day. While Ryan and Kyle went golfing Nicole and I hit up the mall and did some shopping. I am happy to report I got a dress from Kohls for $4!  I also was gifted the shirt below from my good friend Katelynn. She is always giving away bags of clothes and I am usually first in line.

Madison Mini Marathon

Ryan and I signed up for the Madison mini last year. It was my 4th half marathon and would have been Ryan's first half. After a summer of wedding planning Ryan didn't get enough training in and decided to run the 5k instead. I probably wasn't fully trained for a half but moved forward with it anyway!

Madison Mini

It was great weather for a race! Ryan and I drove downtown and parked in a parking ramp. We thought we had plenty of time but as we got closer to the race start we were faced with a bit of an issue. The porta potty lines were outrageous. They were what seemed like a mile long and swerved all over the place. I had no idea where to stand in line. I had about 15 minutes to pee and line up at the start.  I found an end to one of the lines and just started the waiting game. I finally got my turn to pee and sprint to the start . I hadn't started my garmin to find satellites yet because I wanted to be able to see what time it was.  I was supposed to be lined up in coral G but ended up in coral J because I was so late.

From not starting my garmin early enough it never worked for the whole race. I have run races without a garmin before but I was really bummed it wasn't working.  It never located the satellites! Needless to say this race was not off to the best start.  I thought most of the race was pretty congested. There were times when I slowed to a walk.  Things looked up around mile 3 when I ran into (literally) two guys from my lunch break work running group! Ray and Ken had a great pace going and it was nice to have a little motivation from them. I will definitely miss these two when I start my new job.

My last half marathon I finished in 1:48:47. What was ironic is this race I finished in almost the exact same time. It was 1:48:49. I couldn't believe I pulled it off after all of the mishaps in the beginning. Ryan did great in his 5k too and never stopped for any walk breaks! We celebrated afterwards by playing some cards with friends and watching a pre season Packer game!

Me and fellow blogger dailycupofkate!

Howl at the Moon

So here is the bachelorette post.  It was thrown by my Maid of Honor Taylor and I wouldn't have changed a thing. I basically just showed up and was surrounded by my best friends. We started by catching the train to Chicago in Harvard, IL.  I had a pan of brownies in one hand and my bag in the other. When switching train cars a boy tried to hold the door open for me but he had no idea it would close automatically. This led to me falling backwards in order to save the brownies. Luckily I fell onto my friends suitcase so it was cause of a good laugh.  We enjoyed mimosas on the way down. Love this way to travel.

The group

Once we got settled in the hotel rooms we played games and enjoyed some appetizers including the brownies that made it through me falling, a train and cab ride.  I hadn't seen my friends Alisha and Kelsey in so long so we all had plenty to catch up on! We then ordered pizza and proceeded with some games. Overall it was a tasteful bachelorette party. I feel like some of these parties are a little too extreme with the penis shaped objects. Don't get me wrong there was the typical shot glass and straw (which was extremely hard to drink out of ... TWSS) but I thought it was a good balance. We then opened presents and I got many cute Victorias Secret inspired outfits and other amazing gifts.

This may have turned into a to-do list in our kitchen

 My party was a great way to kick off my upcoming wedding and I had the time of my life. We went to Howlin at the Moon piano bar downtown and it was perfect for our group. I don't think we ever stopped dancing on the stage. We visited a few other bars downtown and made it back to our hotel after searching for Qdoba for what seemed like 3 hours. We ended up settling for Subway where my friend Kate requested queso for her meatball sub. I love my friends.

Note the cheers bitches banner

Lately...

Yes, I am still alive. Let's start off with wedding planning. We are 4 weeks out and I feel like I should be frantically arranging things.  I have most of my bridal party and parents gifts picked up and wrapped.  Music is selected except for one song. We are ready to get this thing done! Yes, I will be a married lady in about a month! It is crazy to see that in writing ...wow.

Love this egg apron!

I have had three bridal showers and still have one in September!  Wow, I truly am one lucky bride. I also had a kick ass bachelorette party. Words cannot describe how much fun I had. It needs its own blog.

My MOH and I

In the mix of things I have decided to change jobs. I love my current job but was up for a new challenge. I will be starting at Esurance in 2 weeks! Yes, Esurance with John Krasinski's voice in the commercials. I feel as if I am one step closer to meeting him. I should have made sure that was written in my offer letter.  The only thing is Esurance requested I go to Dallas, TX for two weeks. I would be returning the day before my wedding. After they explained this offsite location to me I kindly explained that I am getting married.  They were very understanding and are getting back to me if I can either go for only one week or not at all. So thankful for that.

I Do's

Another wedding in the books!  It was now my friend Kate’s turn. Her and I have been friends since kindergarten and have tons of memories from Girl Scouts and Super Nintendo of course.  I actually stumbled across this photo of us from one of my birthday parties back in the day.  I thought it would be perfect to frame for Kate. In this picture we probably were secretly planning to get married in the same year ;)  I love Kate’s combed back hair.

Kate better have given me a malibu barbie

It was over Memorial Day so it turned into a celebration weekend for the bridal party. It was so nice to have our group of friends together three nights in a row.  Kate’s aunt Rita is actually a hair stylist so she and two of her assistants offered to do our hair.  Rita opened her home to us and it was so much more personable than going to a salon.  I also was persuaded to have my makeup done as well.  I was pretty apprehensive because I didn’t want to look like a freak but I loved the products she used.  I am considering doing it for my wedding now.



Me, my MOH, and KP all dolled up



The bride was stunning.  Isn’t her dress and hair perfect?  The venue was actually at Geneva National where dailycupofkate and I met and worked as servers for a few summers! It was nice to get waited on instead of having to serve rich golfers.  The reception was a blast.  A few guests were even reportedly kicked out for having a little too much fun! Open bar will do that to you.



Special request: bottle of ranch for the bride



This love will surely grow

My older sister Tricia got hitched this month. She was a flawless bride.  I still get goosebumps thinking about my sister walking down the aisle with my dad. The night was filled with laughs, dancing, and family!

 

 I will say I was a little apprehensive about them having a band perform at the event.  I have been to weddings in the past where the band hasn't been up to par.  Todd Hembrick and the Hemispheres out of Chicago were the exact opposite.  All of Tricia's guests were dancing and they are still commenting on how great they were!  I even sang "give me just a little more time" with them.  I had just learned the words five minutes prior but thought it was my duty as sister of the bride to make a fool of myself.  This may have been brought on a little bit by the open bar.  I couldn't be happier for the newlyweds. Tricia looked great in her couture gown due to crossfit.  She also loosely follows a paleo diet.  Her pumpkin paleo pancakes are the bomb.com. She just got back from their honeymoon in St. Lucia.  When describing her honeymoon Tricia told me to just picture Jurassic Park.

I warned everyone at the wedding to not expect anything this extravagant at my wedding. Which reminds me... I should probably start planning that sucker!  I am excited to have a few friends planning their weddings as well. My friend Katie lives in the same town and is getting married next year.  She blogs over here.  I had a wedding Memorial day weekend that I was featured in as well. Blog post to follow.

From Miss to Mrs

Bridesmaids minus one. Chicago shower penthouse.

I was proud to host a shower for the future Mrs. Higgins, my sister last weekend in Lake Geneva, WI. This was her second shower. The first was in a penthouse with an organized theme and chocolate fondue. I assured her to lower her expectations significantly for mine.

Entertainment attempt

There is something about Costco cake, bridal bingo, and pizza that was just our style. I hope to someday be half as motivation, successful, and fun loving as my sister Tricia. She has always pushed me towards my goals while making sure I take time for myself.  I couldn't ask for a better role model.  As for you future BIL, Sarah (our younger sister) and I have always wanted a brother so buckle up.

We're Engaged!

I said YES! Just 5 short months after my big sister gets hitched I will be doing the same. I am incredibly excited and terrified at the same time.  So much to do in so little time. Check out our website here for more pictures and the proposal story!

Haunted Hustle

In the week approaching my first marathon I refused to check the weather.  I overheard a few ramblings of a rainy weekend ahead but I didn't want to believe it.  I became worried that I would have another race cancelled due to thunderstorms when I finally did log on to weather.com.  I continued to be optimistic and began to plan for my friends and family coming into town for support.

After turning down invitations for dinner with friends on Friday night I stayed in with my younger sister Sarah and watched The Lucky One and What to Expect when You're Expecting.  I was nervous to eat out due because I didn't want to upset my stomach for the race the next day.  Sarah thought I was crazy to eat popcorn the night before the race but I assured her I always eat it before long runs.  I slept okay the night before the race waking up a few times due to the thunder and logging onto my laptop quick to make sure the race wasn't cancelled. At 5:30am I woke up to get some breakfast 2 hours before race time. Sarah and Ryan weren't too thrilled to be woken up and forced out the door by 6:30!  Due to the rain I left behind my ipod and garmin because I didn't want them to get soaked.   I knew I would really miss both of these but I wasn't about to purchase two new ones.  I was also nervous I would start out way too fast in the beginning without my watch.

As I lined up at the starting line I noticed a girl next to me wearing her garmin and asked her if she was worried it would get wet.  She said she was going to cover it with her sleeve and hope for the best. We introduced ourselves and Gina turned out to be really sweet.  I surprisingly stuck with her for the first 12 miles.  Once we started she admitted she had finished multiple marathons including a 50k!  She stated she wasn't going for a specific time in the Haunted Hustle.  After the first 12 miles I fell back due to the hills but then caught up to her again.  The hills in this race were overwhelming. I knew it would be a little hilly in the beginning but I noticed many runners walking up them.  After catching up with Gina again we ran through the trails and we both admitted we were nervous about slipping on the wooden bridges.  We chatted with a few other runners and it was really a great race despite the crummy weather.  I wore a baseball cap in hopes of keeping the rain from my face a little but I ended up throwing it away because it was getting too hot on my head. When I approached mile 20 Gina sped away but I was happy with my pace.

My family was amazing. I ended up seeing them 4 times though out the race. I was so happy to see them the first time and even teared up a little.  My mom made me a sign and everything. My dad decided to run a block with me which was hilarious!  Finally I made it to mile 23 and told myself I was going to start running faster and have a strong finish.  Well that was much easier said than done because I felt like I couldn't go any faster or lift my legs and higher.  I think I probably stayed about the same pace but was so happy to be almost done.

I saw the finish ahead and sped forward. I could see the finish clock at 3:58 and was ecstatic  I had no idea what my time would be. I knew I was in front of the 4:00 hour pacer but I figured they were right behind me.  I am hooked for life and can't wait to run my next marathon.

Place:
20th women
5th in my age group 20-24
116th overall

Chileda Classic

I do not recommend signing up for a race two days prior.  Last week that is exactly what I did.  I wanted to get a race in before my next marathon in October and I knew another one through Lacrosse, WI would be beautiful. I finally bit the bullet and paid to $40 for a 10k.  This was my first race where I went alone and knew no one else running! I realized when I was setting out my race outfit the night before that I completely forgot my garmin. I have never done a race without my watch. I was nervous that I would be lost without knowing my pace.  My watch didn't work during the last leg of my Ragnar Chicago race and I ended up running at a 7:45 pace!

I of course was way too early for the start of the 10k and walked around for a while.  I met a girl who was also running alone and we decided to run together.  I also noticed she had the new Garmin Forerunner 410 and I wanted to ask for a product review. Surprisingly we stuck together for most of the race.  After we saw our time after the first mile she exclaimed "that is the fastest mile I have ever run!" I had so much fun running with her.  I finished in 49 minutes and I was really happy with it. It was my first 10k and would definitely do it again.

1 week off

After my half marathon I decided to take a week off from running.  I had no idea it would be so hard to get back into it. My short three mile runs this week have been awful. I am nervous for my 10 miler on Saturday. In other news I AM ENGAGED! I will post photos soon. :)

Heat

While at work last week I stumbled into our campus's fitness center at 4:45am.  I then heard on the news that there is a significant chance that the Madison Marathon will be cancelled. I knew the forecast predicted temperatures to be over 95 degrees but I never thought it would actually be cancelled.  I was devastated because I knew that since the Green Bay marathon the week before was cancelled that mine would be too. Friday it was confirmed.  We were permitted to still run the half. I started scrambling to find other marathons that weren't full.  With the Ragnar Relay 2 weeks away I didn't want to risk it by running three races in a row.   So with that I signed up for a different marathon in October.  Yes, that means 18 more weeks of training!

As for the half it was so much fun. I thought I would be bitter the entire time but I loved every minute. I finished in 1:48 a huge PR for me by at least 5 minutes.  The heat really got to me in the end at 80-85 degrees. I held my small Gatorade bottle for the first 5 miles then pitched it.  I relied on the provider water and sports drink after that which was a mistake. I didn't think I needed my fuel belt for a half.  I learned my lesson!

I am excited for the next race and I even have two friends doing it with me!

Birthdays

Happy Friday!
I am off to Prarie Du Chien, WI this weekend. I have never been there but I am hoping it is a good time.

As far as running goes I did 4.25 miles outside last night and did the last 2 on the treadmill. I am following the training schedule for the Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN. It is going pretty well so far and I am getting used to morning workouts. Nothing like waking up at the crack of dawn and going to bed at 8:30am.  I love acting like I am 80 years old. I love clif energy bars but am sick of how expensive they are! I made this homemade version of them last night from peasandthankyou.com. They turned out pretty good! I like to wake up and eat one of these a few hours before a run to let it digest and then go back to sleep.

Home-made pretzels eaten by one

After eating the leftover pad thai and adding whole wheat linguini I was determined to copy Hungryrunnergirl's home-made pretzel idea.  I bought a huge jar of yeast at target and needed to break it out. The recipe can be found here and I couldn't believe how good they were.  Ryan said they were boring but he forgot to alternate dipping them in peanut butter, butter, and caramel.  Yes, that is a letter R and K..Aunt Annie's in the mall is now featuring them I heard.

Gone Wrong

@nikerun is asked followers to comment on their embarrassing running stories so I thought I would share mine on here. Running with your iPhone in hand may be the safe route but if you become fixated on a certain song or text message it can turn ugly.  I took off my gloves to change the song and next thing I know I am face down on the concrete.  I almost called 911 just for a ride home.  I am pretty sure multiple cars saw me and just kept on driving by. Worst part was I tore my brand new Nike running tights!  I have been known for roller-blading wipe outs but never just running on the road. 

Aruba

Despite the farmers tan I really like this photo. Aruba was so amazing and I hope to go back someday.  Snorkeling, great food, and family time!