Happy Anniversary Mother's Day

What a gorgeous weekend! And busy!

Friday night Julie and I met up with Misty and did some swimming at Life Time. Overall the night went pretty well, doing 1600 yards total. I still need to work on my breathing and rolling completely to each side, stretching out and all that jazz. It was a great workout, everyone worked hard, and we headed over to Champp's for some sustenance. Got to share some good conversation while also watching the Tigers beat up on the Twins and the Red Wings take game one of their series. If only the Red Wings would have won today...

Saturday Julie and I headed over to Afton where the cycle team started a 90 mile ride - a ride that featured many demanding hills, a little wind, and a PB&J lunch in Maiden Rock, WI. The team did a FANTASTIC job and is definitely ready for Tahoe! It was great being out there to support them on this tough ride and they all came through like champs! After the 9+ hour ride we enjoyed some ice cream before everyone went home to rest their tired rumps. Way to go TEAM!!!

Today Julie and I took advantage of our first opportunity to sleep in in over 2 months. It was wonderful! We purchased some tri shorts and top plus picked up some stuff for the bikes at REI. The place was packed! I had no idea REI was the place to be on Mother's Day.

Today is also our 12th wedding anniversary! I have NO idea how I've managed to hang on to Julie as long as I have. She is an amazing woman and couldn't do half the things I do without her. She's the best thing that ever happened to me. How did I get so lucky?! I love you, Julie!

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Here is an informative and well-written column that you might find interesting.

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In honor of Mother's Day (happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers out there!) here is some interesting information on this day and how it all came about:

Mothers' Day was held in Boston in 1872 at the suggestion of Julia Ward Howe, writer of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."

But it was Anna Jarvis, daughter of a Methodist minister in Grafton, West Virginia, who made it a national event.

During the Civil War, Anna's mother organized Mothers' Day Work Clubs to care for wounded soldiers, both Union and Confederate, raised money for medicine, inspected bottled milk, improved sanitation and hired women to care for families where mothers suffered from tuberculosis.

In her honor, Anna Jarvis persuaded her church to set aside the 2nd Sunday in May, the anniversary of her mother's death, as a day to appreciate all mothers.

Encouraged by the reception, Anna organized it in Philadelphia, then began a letter-writing campaign to ministers, businessmen and politicians to establish a national Mothers' Day.

In response, on MAY 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first National Mothers' Day as a "public expression of...love and reverence for the mothers of our country."

In his Mother's Day Proclamation, 1986, President Ronald Reagan said:

"A Jewish saying sums it up: 'God could not be everywhere-so He created mothers.'"