Lindeman Sibling Weekend: Houston '09

Craig and I usually load up the dogs and head south this time of year. Not just because it's warmer, but because Cheryl (my sister-in-law) and I accidentally started a Lindeman Sibling tradition four years ago that focused on running the Houston Half Marathon (or 5k, if you don't mind the ridicule) that occurs mid-January every year. So we went down to Houston last weekend under the guise of Craig joining his brother Curt for the Houston Half. Really, it was our excuse to hang out with our almost five-month-old niece, Hagen, and get one last crash course on what to do with a tiny human before our little one is expected to arrive in ... (breathe deep here) ... 13 weeks.

Part I: Bunking up La Quinta style
We like to break up the 9-hour drive at least one leg of the trip to make it a little less painful. So the adventure started in north Dallas, where we stayed on our way down last Thursday after driving as far as we could before we couldn't see straight. We usually look for the hotels with an outside entrance so it's easy to sneak the dogs in. While this part sounds like fun enough, the real fun is for Luka to drink out of the ice bucket (that'll make you think twice before you fill the bucket up next time, won't it?) and Zoe never complains when there's a big bed to stretch out on. If only we had stuck around long enough for the free breakfast.



Part II: A tiny little bundle of cuteness
Whether we're eating good food or indulging in a spa treatment, we always have a great time in Houston. But this smile was the highlight (after highlight) of the weekend.

Hagen at the park:


Hagen and Cheryl on a Skype call with family:


Hagen and Uncle Craig:


Part III: A Heroic Feet
Craig and Curt signed up for this half-marathon early last summer when it looked like registration was going to fill up early. While they both had good intentions of showing up at the start line in prime condition, it just didn't happen this year. Curt had a number of injuries that prevented him from running at all the last three weeks before the race. And the longest run Craig had done since the Wichita half marathon in the fall was seven miles. We didn't know what to expect this year. In fact, Craig went to Houston not sure he would run at all. He packed his oldest pair of running shorts and left the short-sleeve running shirts at home, thinking that the most he might run is the last couple of miles if his brother needed him. But the Lindeman boys didn't let a pulled calf or lack of training keep them from starting, and for that matter, finishing with respectable times.

Cheryl, Hagen and I cheered them on this year, fully expecting one (if not both) of them to pull out of the race when we saw them at mile 4, 8 or 10. To our surprise, both kept going with determination to save face -- and perhaps to teach a lesson to their young one cheering them on from the sidelines (either in the Baby Bjorn or in the womb).



Let the training begin for Houston Half 2010!

Carrie