Small Beginnings

Winter Days plus Macaroni and Cheese

2012-02-11T19:34:00.000-05:00

These winter days are starting to become better as it stays lighter a little bit longer. And Spring Break doesn't seem as far away as it did a couple weeks ago. Winter is almost over! I know we still have over a month left, but honestly I am ready for Spring!

I've been trying to enjoy the last of these Winter days though.

We got a sudden snow storm today, which was really fun. Although we were driving home from the mall, but once we got home I snapped these pictures.

I also made this homemade macaroni and cheese the other night. It was so good, and perfect for a cold winter night.

These are the little things that I am loving about wintertime.

Words for Wednesday

2012-02-08T07:09:00.000-05:00

My dad shared this quote at my grandmother's funeral, because it was so true about her attitude. Through her struggles with cancer she always had the best outlook, knowing there was only so much she could control.

www.busybeingfabulous.com via nancy on pinterest

February

2012-02-01T15:55:00.006-05:00

Welcome February! It's hard to believe you are already here!!

I'm excited about Valentine's Day. We don't make a huge deal about it or anything but it's a fun holiday. Especially working in an elementary school with all the fun decorations.

Oh yeah, and Valentine's Day candy!

I'm excited about going to see The Lion King on Broadway at The Landmark Theatre. This was our Chrstmas gift to our moms and we're really excited about taking them.

I can't believe it's the last full month of winter. Although, it hasn't felt like winter here lately. I am ready for spring to come!

I'm excited to get to know my new students better. While I already know most of them from being in and out of their classrooms throughout the year, I'm looking forward to spending more time with them.

I can't believe we are already a full month into 2012. Hoping this will be a great month!

Where I Need To Be

2012-01-29T23:29:00.002-05:00

I saw this on pinterest recently and repinned it. I thought "this is so true about my job."

api.ning.com via meredith on pinterest

Yeah, I'm right where God wants me.

This school year has been really different than last year, and it's going to continue to change. Starting this week I won't be working in the same classroom I've been in for the past year and a half. A student moved to another county and I had to say goodbye on Friday, so this classroom doesn't need me anymore. I'm glad I already know all the students I'll be working with and I can say I am already very fond of them. I've been in and out of their classrooms throughout this year and while I'll miss my current students I am excited to work with these new ones. Thursday was the perfect example. I was walking in the hall and I saw a student from one of the classes I've been helping. He gave me the biggest hug, which is funny cause I really haven't worked with him that much. I was on my way to the pre-K special ed class and when I walked in a little girl says "Hi Mrs. Jenny I've missed you!" Ahhh, it was great. I really was having a hard time with the transition of moving out of my current classroom. But like that quote says, I've ended up where I need to be. I know it's true of the children I'll be working with for the rest of this school year as well as why I'm in special ed and not art.

I wish I knew all the answers, but I see how God is guiding me and showing me piece by piece. In some sense I haven't gone where I intended to go (teaching art) but I have ended up where I needed to be (special ed).

Betty White and Betty White

2012-01-25T17:12:00.000-05:00

So a reader/friend of mine recently told me that I should write a post about why I love Betty White, the actress, as well as more about Betty White, my cat. (She also gave me some other ideas but these two were my faves.) So here I go...........

My love for Betty White began when I started to love The Golden Girls. I was in college (I know, I was so cool right?) But it was when I was really struggling with anxiety, and the humor of this show somehow helped me through that tough time.

I have always loved how much advocacy work Betty White does for animals. So when we got married and knew we wanted to get a kitten we were thinking of names. Clarke jokingly said "if we named her Betty she would be Betty White!" Although it was kinda silly I liked this idea because of all the volunteer work Betty White has done for animals, it seemed fit to name ours after her.

I love my Betty! Since it has gotten colder at nights she has been sleeping with us. Not at our feet, but right by my head. I don't know why she loves that spot, but she does.

I don't really have anything new to write about her. In March she will be three years old! I can't believe we have had her that long! (It will be 3 years in July.) She has defenitley become apart of our little family, and I can't imagine not having her!

ski weekend

2012-01-24T21:49:00.001-05:00

This past weekend we went to West Virginia for a ski retreat with the young adults ministry of our church. Overall we had a great time!

We went snow tubing Saturday morning, then skied the rest of the day. We got so lucky because it was suppose to rain all day Saturday, but it didn't. It was super foggy, which wasn't ideal but we were just so happy it didn't rain! I also think this is the first time I went skiing and didn't "wipe out". I was tempted to try a black diamond because a lot of the blues seemed easy, but I didn't.

Sunday morning we had worship together and continued the series we've been talking about at our weekly bible studies. It was really great, and really spoke to things that I've been experiencing lately. It was just one of those times when you really feel God speaking to you. I came back so refreshed spiritually.

I know I have said this before but I am so thankful for the friendships I've made through my church. Love my church family!

respect the distance

2012-01-16T19:21:00.000-05:00

When I started marathon training every new distance was a huge deal. Even just one more mile called for a celebration. Then somewhere along the way the shorter distances started to not be a big deal, especially if they were under 12 miles. Ya know, a little 8 mile run in the middle of the week, no big deal. I started to crave distance.

After the marathon I knew my body needed a break. I still ran, but def. not at the same distances I was before. But I still thought a 10k was no big deal, until the Turkey Trot. That's when I started to really understand what GBA means when she says "respect the distance". I ran way too much in the days before this race, didn't carb up, and it wasn't a good race for me.

The more I run the more I learn about respecting the distance. At the marathon expo I signed up for The Rock N' Roll Half Marathon in D.C. I thought the 13.1 distance race would be enough to keep me motivated to run but would be a nice break as well. I also thought I needed a time goal as well.

So as I train for this race and The Monument Avenue 10k with PRs in mind I understand even more about respecting the distance. For example I ran 3.1 miles in 29 minutes 17 seconds the other day, which is a great time for me. Honest confession: I was sore the next day! What? After only 3 miles? I ran fast for me, and even though it was only 3 miles my body still needed to ajust.

I am learning about respecting the distance. From a 5k to marathon, each distance has it's own challenges. The shorter the distance the faster I want to go. At a longer distance I can get into my grove of what's comfortable to me and just go. (I hope someday I can start to shave minutes off my marathon time, but for my first that is where I was.)

I am learning that a fast 3 miles can feel like a slow 10 afterwards. Who knew? Mostly I am happy that my training hasn't stopped post marathon. I'm so excited about this half in D.C. and the Monument Avenue 10k, both races where I will be respecting the distance from now on.

Holiday Outtakes

2012-01-13T17:40:00.000-05:00

Since I have nothing to blog about and my mother-in-law recently gave me some pictures from the holidays I thought I would post!

Me and mom on Thanksgiving.

Me and Clarke on Thanksgiving.

Last one of Thanksgiving. Me and Melanie!

Showing off the pumpkin pie I made on Christmas eve.

Girls on New Years! This one is from a friend, not my mother-in-law.

The holidays always go by so fast, thankful for good pictures to remember them by!

How Pinteresting

2012-01-11T17:52:00.002-05:00

Today I am linking up over at The Vintage Apple for Pinterest Wednesdays! Oh, how I love Pinterest...maybe too much? But I digress............

Right now I am loving these pins.............

Love this redo of the keep calm posters.

uploaded by user via katherine on pinterest

Always love a good cat picture!

we heart it via madline on pinterest

I know Easter is still far away, but isn't this a cute/cheap idea?

MixMingleGlow via Briana on pinterest

I have loved Tim Tebow since he played for Florida. Always will!!

gq via southernmommas on pinterest

This is sooooo true!

uploaded by user via megan on pinterest

What are you loving on Pinterest? Join The Vintage Apple!

Bathroom Redo: Part 3

2012-01-08T18:40:00.000-05:00

After we installed the vanity all we had left to do was put up our new shower curtain rod, hang up some stuff and put everything back in place. (We finished painting after we took out the old vanity.) Here's the after picture:

We got the picture of the Guggenheim Museum when we went to New York City back in 2007, and I never framed it. I finally did and I love the way it looks in this room. I also love our new faucet!

But my favorite part about this room is our new vanity.

I went to Anthropologie to get these fun knobs for the new cabinet. Love them as well.

I also love the paint color. It took me forever to decide on it. It's actually the same color as the tan stripes in our den. I decided it would flow with the rest of our house and it's a great neutral color for a smaller space.

Overall I love (as if you couldn't already tell from this post) our new master bath!

Bathroom Redo: Part 2

2012-01-07T10:12:00.000-05:00

The day after we took out the old vanity and painted the bathroom we were ready to install the new vanity. Of course one more trip to Lowe's was needed to get some other little things once we got it up into the space. Good thing there's one right by our house!

So thankful for my father-in-law for helping us out this day as well!

We were lucky that the plumbing fit with this new cabinet. If it was any more to the right it would have been in the way of the drawers and not worked.

Finally after the new cabinet was in Clarke took caulk and put it all around the edges of the cabinet.

And put the counter on top. TaDa!

I LOVE our new master bath! It was so worth those 2 vacation days and the money we put into it. This new vanity is so nice, clean and contemporary.

Up next: a look at the whole bathroom!

Bathroom Redo: Part 1

2012-01-03T14:54:00.001-05:00

So remember in this post I said we were so busy? Well, it's because we were redoing our master bathroom! Clarke had a couple vacation days left and I was on winter break so we decided to tackle this project. We have had plans to do this since we bought the house and I can say I am so happy it's finally done.

I'm going to break it up into several posts because I took so many pictures. So here goes!

This is it before. This picture doesn't do it justice to how bad it was. That vanity really needed to be replaced. It wasn't taken care of and was just in bad shape. Here's a close up of the nasty faucet!

No matter how hard I cleaned I couldn't get those stains out! I hated this faucet!

Our main thing we wanted to do was rip out this vanity and replace it with a new one. (Including new counter and faucet.) We also painted, this room desperately needed a new coat of fresh paint.

Of course Betty had to check it out as we were getting ready to start. This picture shows how bad it was inside. Yuck!

Our first step was to go to Lowe's to buy everything. We picked up this vanity, a new counter, faucet and some other things we needed. Here it is when we got it all home.

Starting to take it all apart!

We took a chisel and hammer and unattached the counter from the cabinet. It took awhile, and a lot of banging but we finally got it off. Clarke had to undo the plumbing, I don't really know anything about how he did it. I had started to prep for painting.

His dad came over to help at this point. When they were taking apart the cabinet something in the pipe broke, and it needed a new part. Water was gushing everywhere! Clarke had to go under the house and turn the water off to the entire house. (we had already turned it off to this pipe) Luckily it was just a part that broke and not the entire water supply, so we didn't have to call a plumber.

We knew we didn't want to save anything so we just tore into it.

This is what we found when we took the bottom off. I thought the old flooring would be there. I never really loved the laminate in this bathroom, but never disliked it. After seeing this I love our flooring, it's so much better!

We finally took a saw to get the last part off.

After a big cleaning demolition is complete! As you can also see we painted as well. I thought it would be easier to paint without the vanity there.

Up next: Putting in the new vanity.

Welcome 2012!

2012-01-01T14:45:00.001-05:00

Welcome 2012!! I just know your going to be a great year!

Looking forward to many great times with family and friends, a nice anniversary trip and hopefully some PRs!

We had a great time last night with 2 other couples. We went down to Carytown to watch the ball rise over the Byrd Theater, which was fun but it was really crowded. I'm glad I got to experience this because I feel like it's a big deal here in Richmond for New Year's. But honestly my favorite part of the night was just hanging out at a friend's house before, playing an intense game of Apples to Apples and eating yummy food. Although we did stop by Wawa on the way home and got a late night snack, I haven't done that in forever! My camera ran out of batteries, so I don't have any pictures of us.

Tomorrow I go back to school after a nice 2 week break. It always goes by so fast but honestly I'm ready to go back. I miss my kids and I need to get back on a routine.

Happy New Year!!
photo source

A Year in Pictures

2011-12-31T11:18:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year's Eve!! I can't believe 2011 is over, here are some of my favorite times this year!

New Year!! (January)

Our trip to Vail, Colorado. Simply beautiful out there. (March)

Anniversary Trip to the Homestead. (April)

Me and Emily at the Monument Avenue 10k. The race that started it all! (April)

Enjoying Easter with the family. (April)

Us at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. (May)

Camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains. (June)

Us in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. (June)

Rebecca gets married!! At her rehearsal dinner. (June)

Beach trip to OBX with the girls. (July)

Me at Falling Water in Pennsylvania. (August)

Me after my first half, ran during a hurricane! (August)

Camping with friends. (August)

Apple Picking in Charlottesville. (October)

Rachel gets married! (October)

Me and Clarke before the marathon. (November)

Me and mom on Thanksgiving. (November)

Christmas! (December)

Family at the VMFA for my birthday. (December)

It's blog posts like these that make me feel so blessed!! What a wonderful year!

28!!

2011-12-30T10:13:00.000-05:00

Monday was my 28th birthday. In some ways I feel 28 and in others I don't. But I honestly feel that I'm where I should be in life and I'm extremely blessed, so I guess that is what matters most.

I had such a great day. I did a bunch of things that I love to do with people I love. I started out the day with a run with close friends. Then I came home, got ready and opened up my gift from Clarke (a facial, I can't wait to go) and headed off to Station 2 for lunch with the family. This is one of my favorite restaurants in Richmond. Afterwards we went and saw the Mummy Exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The 3D movie was really neat and they even had a cat mummy!

That night I went out to another favorite restaurant, Kabuto, with friends.

Us with our chef. We seriously had the best chef ever, we had the best time with him.

Me and my balloons my friends gave me. They add up to 28!

Afterwards we all went back to our house and played this board game called Quelf. It's a super random board game but it's so much fun to play. And of course I ate more birthday cake!

Overall it was a busy but really fun day. So glad I got to celebrate with many wonderful people!

Christmas Catch Up

2011-12-29T19:13:00.002-05:00

I can't believe Christmas is over! We have been so busy this past week......I'm going to try and catch up on the ol' bloggy starting with celebrating Christmas.

We always celebrate Christmas eve with Clarke's family and Christmas day with mine. That's when each family does their big dinner and it works out well. So, here are some pics from Christmas eve............

Us after Christmas eve church service. I love our church's Christmas eve service, all the music and everything is such a sweet reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.

Christmas day we went over to my mom's house. I didn't get any pics that day but we had a great time there as well. Last night my dad came into town and we had everyone over at our house to celebrate.

Tuesday was our 7th annual girl's Christmas dinner, and once again I didn't get any pictures. All I can say is I love my girls and it's always a great time, mixed with some inappropriateness when we get together. Ha! We went to Azzurro's and the food was sooo good. This dinner is always one of my favorite parts of the holidays.

Lastly, a picture of our Christmas tree all lit up.

I never got a chance to post it on the blog, so there ya go!

Up tomorrow: my birthday recap!

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T10:53:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!

other house projects

2011-12-23T12:48:00.000-05:00

So besides redoing our door I have been busy doing some other fun things around the house!

1. When the contractor came to redo our door and molding he also replaced the molding around our little side window, because that was rotted out too. He also replaced the entire window because somehow the original one broke a couple months ago. (Not sure how it broke, very frustrating.) So here is the before:

And here is the after:

So much better!!!

2. Another thing on our to do list for the house was to change out the hardware in our downstairs vanity. I am pretty sure it was the original hardware from when the house was built 27 years ago. Here is the before:

I thought this was going to be an easy little project, but that wasn't the case. Apparently most don't make the same type of hinges that were on our cabinets, it took me 3 different tries before I finally got one that worked. The guy at Home Depot and Lowe's both told me 2 other types would work, but when I went to put them on, they didn't. I finally went down to Pleasant's Hardware and found the exact same one. I was so happy to finally find them!

I love how they are silver and match all the other silver finishes. Note to self: remember this for when we change out the hinges in the kitchen.

3. And yet another thing from our house to do list that I never got to. I really wanted to paint the railing by our stairs white, since everything else is white. I finally got around to painting this as well. Here is the before:

Here is the after:

So glad it finally matches!

I know I always say my favorite thing about homeownership is making it our own, but it really is!!

Christmas Crafts

2011-12-22T19:31:00.000-05:00

I knew there were a few things I wanted to make for Christmas this year. Mostly things I found from Pinterest, where else? Ha!

I made this wreath a couple weeks ago. I love how it looks on the yellow door.

I really love it up close..............

CLICK HERE

For directions on how to make this fluffy wreath. It was pretty easy, just took a long time. I had to do it in sessions. But I love how it turned out.

My mom was going to throw these reindeer away last year, so I took them. I thought they just needed some TLC so I decided to spray paint them a fun color. Here is the before:

And here they are after I sprayed painted them red:

I love how they turned out. This was my first real project with spray paint, and it was so easy. Makes me want to spray paint more things in the future.

The last thing I made was so cheap and easy. I found this idea here.

I basically just cut up our wedding invatation into strips and put it into a clear ornament I bought from Michael's. I love how it looks and you can see pieces of the design showing through.

Clarke always makes fun of me for my love of pinterest, but as you can see it pays off to "pin" all those great ideas!

God's Timing

2011-12-21T22:58:00.000-05:00

I know the holidays always make people think about their past year and the upcoming new year. I am the same way, especially since my birthday is at the end of the year as well. But this year seems a little different. I always would think about where I want to be at this time next year, but strangley I don't find myself doing that this year. I think it comes down to one thing I have really embraced this year: God's timing. It's something I have always believed in and trusted, but this is the year I have really started clinging to it.

This is the year I have decided to let go of this timeline I have in my head of when certain things need to happen. (ie: getting a teaching job) It's funny because this has been the year with so many interviews and all of them ending in a no. Yet, despite this I still believe God has called me to teach. And I really believe it more than ever now.

I can feel God working in my life because I have opened myself up to a different outcome than what I originally anticipated. When I started this journey towards becoming a teacher I wanted to teach art. Now, I really believe God has called me to teach special ed. It's crazy, and I really wouldn't have it any other way.

I recently went on an interview to teach special ed, and although I didn't get the position God really used this to show me something. I am passionate about teaching children with special needs. Whether that be children with multiple disabilities or children who are mainstreamed into a regular ed classroom. A couple weeks before I ever applied to that job I met with an old professor at Uof R to talk about their special ed program. She encouraged me to apply to teach special ed on a provisional license. Before I went into that meeting I prayed for God to show me what I should do. Lay it on my heart if this was His path for me. I left that meeting almost crying. It was just one of those times when I felt the Holy Spirit so strongly.

I don't know where that leaves me now. God has been laying other things on my heart besides teaching recently and I feel I need to persue it. But ultimately He is in control of that as well. I think it goes back to timing. I have such a peace about His timing. I don't need to plan where I want to be next year because as long as I persue His will for my life, I'll be exactly where I need to be.

The Door Dilema

2011-12-20T17:39:00.000-05:00

So when we bought this house almost 2 years ago (I can't believe it's been that long!) we knew we wanted to paint the door a fun color. It was either pink or yellow.

source: theproperstranger via bora on pinterest

source: pinkwallpaper via jenna on pinterest

Well after much thought I decided I wanted a yellow door. I thought yellow would flow with our other house colors better and then after seeing this I knew it had to be yellow.

Another thing on our never ending house to do list was fix this:

This picture doesn't do it justice, but it was the molding around our front door. (And the cords from our Christmas lights) All rotted out, very nice. We had been putting this off, because who really wants to spend money on new molding, but we eventually just hired a contractor to fix it.

Here's the after. Doesn't it look so nice?! Ha! You will also notice the door is white because we got a new door as well. The old one was original to the house and was all cracked and just needed to be replaced. So here is what our house looks like with the white door:

I think it looks weird. So that brings us to the point of this post, the new door color!

So via advice from younghouselove I put up a bunch of paint chip colors to see what they looked like at different times of the day. One by one I took them down and then I had two left. Clarke made the final choice between the last two (I just couldn't decide) and we were off to Lowe's to get our Gypsy Gold paint.

Ta Da! I love the way it turned out. So bright and cheery!!

Here is the whole house. I can't wait for the spring to see when our azaleas bloom bright pink how it looks with the yellow. And to think it only took me almost 2 years? Love it!!

winter break!

2011-12-17T00:03:00.001-05:00

Oh winter break I am soo happy to see you! I have been waiting for you patiently for awhile now. I can't wait for 2 whole weeks of sleeping in, celebrating Christmas, my birthday and new year's, seeing friends, hopefully lots of running, eating Christmas cookies, quality time with Clarke, going out to lunch and some home projects!

atlantahomesmag via courtney on pinterest

I've been really sick for the past couple days and I am finally feeling better, just in time for my break and I couldn't be happier. At least I got rid of this awful cold before the holidays. I love this time of year and it's definitely one of the perks of my job. So ready to enjoy my winter break!

Christmas Card 2011

2011-12-14T09:16:00.000-05:00

Today I'm linking up over at Walk by Faith to share our Christmas card!

This was our second year using Shutterfly and once again I love how they turned out.

Christmas cards are one of my favorite parts of the holidays. I was so happy to get those out in the mail, now if only I could finish all my shopping!

Go link up here, I can't wait to see yours!

Christmas Lights

2011-12-12T16:56:00.000-05:00

Saturday night we went to look at Christmas lights with another couple. This is def. one of my favorite Christmas activities to do.

We went to all of my favorites and some new ones as well.

I can't believe Christmas is less than 2 weeks away! We may need to go back again before.

pinterest christmas

2011-12-10T10:05:00.000-05:00

currently loving these images from pinterest....................

google via meredith on pinterest

jenfarmer.blogspot via meredith on pinterest

theglitterguide via ali on pinterest

clawsondesigns.com via meredith on pinterest

Betty and Christmas

2011-12-07T17:36:00.001-05:00

I can't believe it's already December! We have been getting ready for Christmas around our house and Betty always enjoys this time of year so much.

She loves checking out all the stuff when we bring it down from the attic.

We both love watching Christmas movies. (Don't u love this picture? ha! This was while we were watching Elf after a long day at the Bizzare Bazzar with my mom.)

And of course the Christmas tree. Her favorite part, and def. one of mine.

Hope you are enjoying the season as well!!

Baltimore Thanksgiving

2011-11-30T17:53:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning we headed up to Baltimore to celebrate Thanksgiving with my dad. Here's what we did:

Went to the new Four Seasons Hotel Lobby to check it out because it just opened. I found original artwork by Frank Stella!!! It was very exciting.

Enjoyed walking around the harbor and the beautiful sunset. We ate homemade raviolis then went to my favorite dessert place, Vaccaro's in Little Italy.

We went to a light show at the old Power Plant.

Sunday for lunch we went to Chaps. Clarke really wanted to go because he saw it on The Food Network's show Man vs. Food. It was really good!

On the way home we sat in traffic for what seemed like forever. It took us five hours to get home when it normally takes three! Not fun.

Besides the traffic we had a great time. So glad we got to enjoy the holiday with dad up in Baltimore.

21 Random Facts

2011-11-25T19:23:00.007-05:00

So I was tagged by GBA_gf over at Neurosis of the Stay at Home Marathoner of 3 to write 21 random facts about me. Here I go....

1. I was born in Florida, lived there until I was 8, but I hate seafood.

2. I am trying to convince myself that the marathon has in fact not made me slower. But since it feels like my body just hasn't recovered yet whenever I run. I ran the Turkey Trot yesterday and I know there were lots of hills, but I didn't feel strong. I don't know, I think I am also kinda suffering from post marathon blues.

3. I hate change, but love it when the seasons do. I'm always ready for the next season. I am totally ready for some snow.

4. When I first wanted to teach I was all about high schoolers. Now I am loving the little ones the most. It's funny how God changes your heart.

5. I lost a whole pant size from training for the marathon. I am determined to not gain it back. I lost about 10 pounds right before I got married, then gained it all back plus some. I don't want to do this again! ( I type this as I eat deviled eggs for breakfast.....opps.)

6. I am one of those people who thinks about their future. Probably too much. But right now I am loving the idea of being one of those stay at home moms who runs a lot. And of course I'll need all the cute running outfits to go along. Ha!

7. The Turkey Trot I ran yesterday was at University of Richmond, where I got my teaching license. Made me think a lot about going back to school there. I really think I will one day.

8. My husband and I were in the same second grade class together.

9. I treat my cat like my first born child. Anyone who knows me in real life knows about my love for cats. I know I'm a dork, but really they're just so cute. Can't help it.

10. I love to travel. Whether it's to the Outer Banks (a place I've been to thousands of times) or a place that takes a whole day to get to (like our honeymoon in Martinique) I enjoy it. Currently planning our spring break trip!

11. I am extremely lucky to have a close church family. I have been going to the same church for 12 years and still love it.

12. I am not really into watching a lot of TV. But, every Tuesday I have to watch Glee. It's def. my favorite show. It might also be my favorite running music as well.

13. I teach gymnastics after school and love it. Sometimes I see the older girls doing things I used to be able to do but no longer can. I think to myself "I can't believe I used to be able to do that!" But then I think about the things I can do now that I def. couldn't do back then, like run 26.2 miles. Yeah, that's pretty cool too.

14. I am still really close to the same friends I had in middle school. It's not normal, but it works for us and I'm so thankful for their friendships.

15. I love decorating our house. It's def. my favorite part of home ownership.

16. I love all things crafty, art museums and modern architecture. Whenever we go somewhere that has a cool art museum or a famous building I make whoever I'm with go. My husband has come to expect this on all our trips now.

17. I am currently obsessed with pink running clothes.

18. Will Ferrel is probably my favorite actor.

19. I was a blonde for a short time in high school. It's funny to look back at those pictures, because I really like my dark brown hair now.

20. I love Coca-Cola. Always have, always will.

21. Although Glee is my favorite show on TV now, The Golden Girls will always be my all time favorite one. I know I know, I'm a dork, but I already said that.

grandma's favorite holiday

2011-11-24T21:01:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I have so much to be thankful for this year. My faith, amazing family and friends, my job, my health, being able to run, my home, I could go on and on!

Thanksgiving was always my grandma's favorite holiday. She said it was less stressful than Christmas, without the presents but it was so nice to have all the family together for a nice meal. The older I get the more I understand this.

Every Thanksgiving since she has passed away (this is the 3rd one) we always talk about her and how we miss her. I thought about her as I drove home from The Turkey Trot I ran this morning. It def. wasn't my best race, and for some reason it made me think about how she never gave up on anything, and I can't either. Whether that's in running or anything else in life. Neways, it made me think about her and how I wish I could celebrate just one more Thanksgiving with her.

There was one Thanksgiving when I was in college, it must have been my freshmen or sophomore year because it was before my parents got divorced, but we stayed up late talking while my grandma made the cheesecake. So every Thanksgiving after that my grandma would bring up this story about how much fun she had that night. I always loved that because it was so simple, and my grandma had traveled all over the world, yet that night of just talking and baking was one of her favorite memories.

Grandma always taught me that family was so important. This holiday I am reminded of how lucky I am for the family in my life. Clarke's mom, dad and sister came over to my mom's to celebrate Thanksgiving and it was just nice to have them there too.

When my grandma passed away my mom took her cat, all the way from Florida. My sister in law loves to sit with her on Thanksgiving. :)

I am so grateful for her being in my life. I know God used her to shape me into who I am today. Although I miss her especially today I am happy to say she would have been proud to see us all enjoying her favorite holiday so much.

November Anniversaries

2011-11-19T09:42:00.000-05:00

So with preparing for the marathon, then recovering from the marathon I didn't have time to post about 2 fun anniversaries that happened in November.

The first one happened on November 6! This little old blog turned 2 years old. I started this blog just as a fun way to document my life, and all the little things that I know I will forget a couple years from now. And that is def. still the main point of my blogging (in fact I decided this has officially become my scrapbook because I just don't have time to scrapbook every week, and I want to publish it into a book.) But, this blog has also turned into a way to share my story. Whether it's my journey towards teaching full time, marathon training or just day to day life I love sharing what God is doing in my life.

Then on November 15 me and Clarke celebrated 10 years since our first date! Clarke had saved the ticket stubs from our first date, we saw Shallow Hal. Then as a wedding gift he framed them in a shadowbox along with some other things and it now hangs in our bedroom. So back in the summer I was looking at it and realized that this November it would be 10 years so we marked it on the calendar. We went out to dinner that night, and we couldn't believe how long it had been. Our relationship looks nothing like it did back then, it has gone through so many changes and different stages but I still love him the same.

Lovin This

2011-11-17T19:44:00.001-05:00

This might just be my new favorite mash up from Glee..................

Marathon Faves

2011-11-15T18:27:00.000-05:00

Some of my favorite pictures from the marathon!

Me and Rachel before. Love her!

Silver Bullets before. Love this team!

Me and Clarke at the start line.

Me at mile 5 turning onto Grove Avenue. Waving at all the awesome MTT coaches.

Me and Susan rockin it out at mile 17 on Main Street.

Glorious finish line!!

Me and Clarke afterwards.

Awesome medal.

my first marathon!!!!

2011-11-12T21:00:00.001-05:00

well, today i ran a marathon. it seemed surreal. amazing. hard. beautiful. painful. did i say amazing? yeah it was freakin awesome!

the day started off really good. clarke was so great to wake up with me at 4:30 and drive me down to his office downtown. i ate breakfast, got on facebook (of course) and waited till it was time to walk down to the suntrust building. then i met up with my team, took lots of pics and enjoyed the beautiful morning. we all walked down to the finish line, i kept saying "i can't believe it's here!"

when the race started i wanted to run 100 miles an hour, i felt awesome. coach mark took a video of us running the first couple miles (can't wait to see that!) it was awesome, the perfect start. coach elise paced me the first five to make sure i didn't start out too fast and before i knew it we were at mile 5 on grove avenue with all the mtt coaches cheering us on.

i remember hitting the first 10k and felt great. off to river road shopping center for party zone #1 and to see my mom and clarke cheering me on. then across the hugenot bridge to riverside drive. this was so beautiful! the james river was right there and it was just peaceful. i met up with garrett, a teammate, and we ran together. although looking back i probably ran too fast right here. down forest hill avenue and i was at the half way mark still feeling pretty good.

i finally made it to the lee bridge. about half way across i felt a tap on my shoulder, it was susan my good friend who i've run lots of training runs with. i was so happy to see her. and that junk food stop at mile 16 after the bridge. but i must say, the lee bridge wasn't that bad. neways, i stuffed my face with gummy bears and finally saw my mom, clarke and his whole family cheering me on. really needed that.

me and susan ran up main street and around mile 18 is where i remember it getting tough. we turned onto broad and my good friend emily cheered me on. at this point i really needed any kind of encouragement! i remember when i saw monuement avenue, for some reason this was the point i knew i would finish this marathon. i don't know why it was here. but i remember me and susan saw everyone from the half and 8k with their medals and we said "we want one, lets go get it!"

then there was the hill up the boulevard. that dreaded hill i've run up. every. single. saturday morning. once i got up it was through the pope arch and mile 20. miles 18-22 were hard. but the last 4 were tough. really tough. somewhere around 22 or 23 i met up with coach elise and she ran with us for a bit. somewhere around 23 or 24 i found coach mark. honestly i was so happy to see him because my legs were really hurting at this point and he is always so encouraging. i saw my friend emily who ran the half, she cheered for me and ran with me some. i remember asking her about her race because i didn't want to talk about the pain! ha!

somewhere along the way coach chelle started to run with me. she started counting the people i was passing as we hit mile 25. i ended up passing 13 people at the end. pretty awesome. well i really needed to blow my nose, so i asked coach chelle if she had a tissue, and she didn't. but being the amazing coach she is she let me blow my nose on her jacket! that's real love!

we finally turned off of grace and then finally cary. the finish line was in sight. i was heaving so hard, not because i was out of breath but because i was so emotional. 5.5 months of hard core training, so much dedication had gone into this moment, and it was finally here. right before the finish line i saw my dad. he surprised me and came from baltimore to see me finish. it was great.

when i crossed the finish line it was surreal. like nothing i have ever experienced in my life. it's hard to describe, but it's something beyond a runner's high. it's just simply amazing. they called out my name which was neat and when they put that huge medal around my neck i started to cry. i just couldn't help it.

my official time was 5:28:22, although i really didn't care. i achieved my goal. to finish. although my legs hurt, and they still do, i felt awesome. and i still do because this is something i will always remember. my first marathon. simply nothing else like it.

(check back soon for pics, i'm just too tired to post right now. and for capitalization!)

The Night Before

2011-11-11T19:06:00.000-05:00

So many times I have listened to the song defying gravity from the broadway musical Wicked. I just love the lyrics and they make me think about running this marathon.

something has changed within me

something is not the same

i'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game

too late for second guessing

too late to go back to sleep

it's time to trust my instincts

close my eyes and leap

it's time to try defying gravity

i think i'll try defying gravity

kiss me goodbye i'm defying gravity

and you can't pull me down

So ready to defy gravity tomorrow morning!

Pre Race Thoughts

2011-11-10T22:22:00.002-05:00

"As is true with life and in the run-if you are willing to pay the price that others will not-you will reap the benefits that others will not"

I have put in over 400 miles since I officially started training in June. I feel so ready for this marathon. I may have shared this quote before, but I really love it. I love how running echos real life in that way. What you put into it is what you get out of it. Early mornings, hard training runs, sacrifice, and hard work have gone into this marathon. And now it's time to celebrate. Time to enjoy the race and reap the benefits of my training. I am so ready for this.

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together."
-Vincent Van Gogh

I want to thank my husband Clarke. I couldn't have made it this far without his love and support. So many times I heard from teammates about spouses who didn't understand, didn't support and didn't care. I always knew he believed in me, was cheering for me and most importantly supported me in this crazy dream to run a marathon. So thank you Clarke, I love you.

"All your dreams can come true, if you have the courage to pursue them." -Walt Disney

On a lighter note I went to the expo on Thursday right when it opened. I couldn't wait to get my shirt, and I bought a bunch of stickers. Now I just have to decide where to put all of them! Oh, and I also registered for Rock N Roll Half Marathon in DC. I had been debating between this one and Shamrock. I decided on this one because I figure I can run Rock N Roll Va. Beach in the summer. I also got a discount for registering at the expo, so yay!

"The music of the marathon is a powerful strain, the most important tune is glory. It asks us to forsake pleasure, to discipline the body, to find courage, to renew faith, and to become one's own person utterly and completely" -George Sheehan

The Journey

2011-11-07T20:55:00.000-05:00

"The journey is the reward." Taoist Saying

They say the journey is the best part, and I couldn't agree more. I can honestly say the journey towards my first marathon has been something I will cherish forever.

July 16, 2011

I have pushed myself to do things I never thought possible.

I ran my first half marathon, during a hurricane.

I met some pretty amazing people.

September 17, 2011

I have learned to rely on God's strength in a whole new way. Philippians 4:13 is def. my running mantra. "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength."

I am sooo ready for Saturday!!!!:)

Sometimes.....

2011-11-05T22:12:00.001-04:00

Sometimes the perfect Saturday is..............

Enjoying one last training run with your team.

Dinner at home with hubby, thanks to pinterest.

A Redbox DVD.

Words for Wednesday, Marathon Style

2011-11-02T21:47:00.000-04:00

Taper Madness!

2011-10-31T18:53:00.000-04:00

I saw this on G's blog and thought all my friends, family, really anybody who comes in contact with me in the next few weeks needed to read this!

A letter to the support team

borrowed with permission from Q

As the support team for a Marathoner you are entering a very tricky period. Your Marathoner has been training hard through the summer and into the fall in preparation for the big day. The hard work is done and TAPER MADNESS is ahead.

Marathon training is a stair-step type process where muscles are broken down for several weeks and then an easier week is thrown in for recovery. Finally three weeks before the Marathon, one last long run is completed and it’s time for recovery. The last three weeks are a period of descending running mileage. This period allows the body to fully recover from the training and rest in preparation for the Big Day, this period is called the Taper.

This all sounds well and good, however, the Taper is a period of great anxiety for many Marathoners (first-timers and veterans alike). Over the course of training for a Marathon, an athlete becomes accustomed to running many miles each week and constantly feeling the rush of endorphin driven highs and the persistent fatigue and soreness of effort. The athlete becomes addicted to these emotions and craves both the highs and lows.

The Tapering Marathoner will be irritable, anxious, nervous, overly emotional, short-tempered, restless, tired, cranky, and depressed (even more than normal). Sounds like a great three weeks doesn’t it? It is not unlike the heroin addict going cold turkey. This is a span of time where most Marathoners go a bit crazy. For most it passes after Marathon day. Of course there are the post-marathon blues, but that’s the subject for another day.

The first week is not too bad. It’s really like most “easy weeks” following a twenty mile run. Recovery is critical and the mileage is not dropping by a large amount. They are so tired from the 50 mile week that the rest and recovery is welcomed. Do yourself a favor, block HYPERLINK "http://www.weather.com" www.weather.com and HYPERLINK "http://www.accuweather.com" www.accuweather.com from your internet service, unless you enjoy continuous updates of the weather forecast for 18 days in the future. Nerves may begin to fray but the best is yet to come – trust me!

During the first part of Taper Madness you will hear about every small ache and pain and how it may be a broken leg or torn ligament or some other traumatic injury. Every twinge becomes a reason to think about postponing the marathon effort. Every sneeze, sniffle, cough or pimple becomes a life-threatening virus or infection. Tight hammies, inflamed ITB, tweaked Achilles, plantar fascitis, black toenails, bloody nipples, chafing, and this is just during breakfast.

The second week starts the deep depression. The tapering Marathoner starts to really miss running. There are no more double-digit runs before the marathon. The longest run for the next two weeks will be 8 miles. Just 8 miles, how many used “just” and “8 miles” in the same sentence prior to training for the marathon. The body is really starting to recover and therefore has more energy than needed. Therefore, the Marathoner becomes restless. No “extra” running is allowed. The tapering Marathoner can feel the fitness draining out of their body. Ask them, they will tell you, they are getting slower every day! This is not happening but the feelings are real. Physiologically, there is nothing but positives from a 3 week taper prior to running a marathon, however, it feels quite the opposite. This restlessness often becomes frustration and a very short-tempered athlete. Understand that this frustration will be projected at anyone and everyone within reach. It’s nothing personal; it’s the lack of mileage talking.

So it’s now six or seven days before the Marathon. The last 8 mile run is done and all that’s left is 3 easy short runs and the BIG EVENT. For the first time Marathoner and some experienced folk, this week is nothing but self-doubt and worry. “I’ll never make it. My foot hurts. My nose is running. I’m not ready. My last 20 miler sucked, I’ll die out there. I’m getting fat and slow. My shoes are dead, my shoes are too small, my shoes are too big, My legs are different lengths, my head hurts, I have a splinter, I have a hang nail, I hate running.” These are some of the things going through the mind of a Marathoner in their last few days before the Marathon. Not to mention the nervous energy that is overflowing. Not to mention that there may be a couple of extra pounds after cutting back on the running for 3 weeks. Not to mention that the trips to the bathroom are increasing geometrically as the hydration dance starts in earnest. Many find concentrating on anything other than the upcoming race difficult. By the way, Marathoners in the final days before a race often make poor babysitters.

Two nights before the marathon are critical to the marathoner. This night is probably the last chance for a good nights sleep. The night before is typically restless and worrisome (what if the alarm doesn’t go off). A sleepless night preceding a marathon will not have a dramatic impact on chances for success. Adrenaline will offset missing that night’s sleep and get the Marathoner through the race. The morning of the marathon is all about getting some food, using the bathroom and getting to the race. My suggestion, don’t get in the way.

I am sure your marathoner appreciates all the support they have received during the training program. The last few weeks are critical to a successful marathon effort. Please understand that the emotional wreck will disappear after the marathon. The Taper can be especially difficult and frustrating for everyone. The good news, it ends with the race.

I hope this sheds some light on TAPER MADNESS. Sometimes insight makes things a bit easier to understand. Of course, your experience may differ greatly but I’ll bet it doesn’t.

Rocky Mount, Year 4

2011-10-30T21:08:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we headed up to the mountains for our fourth year of Ghosts and More. For the past several years we have seen this reenactment of ghost stories in the small town of Rocky Mount, Va.

I love this picture I took on the way up there. Although it doesn't do it justice to the pretty fall leaves, but it was so weird to see snow in October.

It was so cold, so we bundled up. I don't know if i'm ready for winter yet!

Melanie did a great job as always playing her great aunt, and we really enjoyed the tour. We got pumpkin pancakes the next morning for breakfast, they were soo good! Yes, I'm blogging about pumpkin pancakes, but you know how I just love pumpkin!

So glad I got to go again this year!

Words for Wednesday

2011-10-26T07:33:00.000-04:00

perfectlyimperfectblog via Claire on pinterest

20 miles

2011-10-22T18:39:00.001-04:00

I recently feel like this blog has become my online running journal. But I guess that is to be expected when you train for your first marathon. Neways, here's my recap on my first 20 miler!

The run started out great, had my wonderful teammates and it was a beautiful morning. Around mile 4.5 on Grove avenue I stepped weird on some uneven sidewalk kinda twisting my right foot. Ugh, this was already my bad foot, I don't know why but on the 16 mile run it was the foot that was killing me. It also made me have a small ache in my very lower back. I think this was from when I picked up a student on Thursday afternoon and it made my back hurt in the exact same spot. For some reason that weird twist made these 2 pains come back, and at mile 4.5ish. At first the pain wasn't too bad, and there was no way I was going to stop so I just kept running. I ran into my good friend and her 2 dogs which was fun. After this we headed to the nickel bridge. I just love this area of town, so beautiful even though the hills were tough. We ran around Forest Hills, and this is where the pain in my lower back and right foot were starting to really hurt. We were at mile 14ish and I knew the Lee bridge was coming. Now I've heard so many stories and basically nightmares about this bridge. It's long, extremely windy and well just tough. All I can say is I made it. The skyline of Richmond was breathtaking, the water below was lovely, but it was tough. It was so windy and I thought it would never end. We ran up Main street where we saw our coach. I told her I needed a pep talk, anything would do. My right foot and lower back were killing me, but I didn't say anything. I just kept going. I was craving pretzels, the last 3 or 4 sags had ran out and I really just needed some salt. We made it to the Boulevard and ran up that huge hill at mile 19. Running past the stadium was mentally hard, but this run was suppose to stimulate actual raceday, and on raceday I'll have to run past the stadium as well. Good to know I can do it. By this point I was in so much pain, really just my lower back and right foot. Somehow I made it through. I wish I could say it felt as good as my 18 miler, but I honestly felt stronger on that run. I ran into that stadium, and ahhh, it was amazing. My first 20 miler.

One reason why I just love the marathon training team is because of my silver team. We know how to have fun. We had a huge party afterwards with lots of food and drinks. They even had a trash can set up with cold water and lots of ice for those who wanted to do their ice bath there. I went in and couldn't help but think, why am I doing this? My coach is giving me advil and I'm drinking a mimosa, ha! But I felt soooo much better afterwards. It was great to celebrate with my teammates, for many of us it was our first 20 miler.

I still can't believe I ran for 4 hours without stopping. Really? Who would have thought this girl who has only been running for a year would be running a marathon in just 3 weeks. I honestly have loved my time training for the marathon. But now it's time to taper!!

Brain Dump

2011-10-17T21:03:00.000-04:00

I feel like I need to update this blog, I've been slacking on it! So much has been going on, I'm just going to dump it all out, so here goes....

~I spent last week making centerpieces and nametags for the annual women's retreat at my church. So mad I didn't get a chance to take pictures. The nametags turned out great, I thought the centerpieces weren't big enough for the tables, oh well. The retreat itself was wonderful. I stayed up till almost 2am chatting with a good friend who I roomed with. I haven't been up that late in a long time, I know I'm lame, haha. But it was a really nice time.

~I have loved coaching gymnastics at my new part time job. This afternoon I was showing them how to do something on the trampoline, and it's just so much fun. They have a really nice inground tramp at the gym, and it's so much fun to jump on, makes me feel like a kid again. But besides just getting to jump on the tramp I love seeing the children improve their skills, even better do something for the first time. Last week a girl got her backbend kickover for the first time and I loved seeing her face and sharing in that with her.

~I had such a bad cold last week, so my running had to take a break. I hated not being able to run. I also didn't run Saturday morning because I was at the retreat, it felt sooo weird. I did run on Sunday morning with the pink team, luckily I have friends on that team. Here's a pic:

I love how we have an official MTT photographer to take pics of us on our training runs!

~On that same page I can't believe the 20 miler is this weekend!! I remember going to the informational meeting about the training team back in April and them talking about this run. I wrote it on my calendar then, but it always seemed so far away. I feel ready though. It just feels surreal mostly because this is the last long run before the real thing. Wow.

~I've decided I'm going to run The Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. I've also decided I want to run the Shamrock Half Marathon in Virginia Beach in March. I just need a race to train for to keep running, so I'm hoping this half in March will keep me going! Some other team members and friends have said they want to run it too, so it should be fun.

~Okay, so half this post was about running! I guess it's just on the front of my mind with the marathon coming up so soon!! Goodnight ya'll!

Dear 18 Miles

2011-10-12T14:27:00.000-04:00

Dear 18 mile run,
    You were awesome. Really, I couldn't have asked for a better run or better weather. I absolutely loved running across that bridge to Belle Isle. And running along the James River was amazing. I thought once I reached 13 or 14 miles I would be so tired, and not enjoy you anymore, but that wasn't the case. I rocked it out. In fact I caught up to others in my group on Monument Avenue, my coach turned around and said "wow where did u come from?" It was great. I told him about how it was about a year ago that I started running. How I just loved it, got bitten by the bug and now I'm hooked. Others on my team told me how they thought I had improved so much, it was so encouraging. So 18 miles, thanks for making me feel like a rockstar. Really, I got such a high from you. As I ran into the stadium I thanked God for you. Thanked God that I was healthy, had legs that worked, and I was able to run. Thank you 18 mile run for being so great to me! I hope the marathon is just as good to me.
Sincerely,
     Jenny

Mr. and Mrs. Green!

2011-10-09T21:44:00.000-04:00

So yesterday one of my childhood/best friends got married! I've known this girl for what seems like forever, so it was great to watch her walk down the aisle.

They got married in the garden at the Poe Museum in downtown Richmond. The weather couldn't have been better, it was sunny and beautiful. Perfect for an outside ceremony. The reception was at Havana 59, a restaurant also in downtown Richmond. (I must say the food was really good!)

It was great to see out of town friends, enjoy great food and drinks, dance the night away and of course celebrate the new mr. and mrs!

Rachel was a beautiful bride! I especially loved her hair.

I just love weddings, especially when I'm such good friends with the bride and groom. I love watching how God brings people together. So happy for you Rachel!

dear training.......

2011-10-06T20:12:00.005-04:00

My head coach posted this quote onto our facebook group recently and I just loved it.

From Running to YOU:
You might hate me. You might think I'm totally unreasonable. You might even curse me under your breath, when you think I'm not listening (I'm listening). But what you need to hear is this - I BELIEVE IN YOU. I believe what is great is ahead of you. And even though you might not thank me, that's okay. I'm not it for the glory. I'm in it for you.
I AM TRAINING

Isn't it true? Sometimes I wonder what did I get myself into? But I always come back to being happy with my choice to train for a marathon. Why? Because it's been an amazing journey. The tough runs have made the good ones even better. The times when I push myself to keep going have made the finish even sweeter. Every time I look back and see how far I've come I am amazed. Every. Time.

I recently saw this quote in the gym where I teach gymnastics after school. "Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go." ~William Feather
I had to write it down because it reminded me so much of my training. My team started with 90 runners. Last week my coach announced that only 50 were left, and I think it's even less than that because some people we haven't seen in weeks. So that's at least half of my team is gone. That is why I love that quote, because I have hanged on after others have given up.

Training has taught me that I am capable. I am tough. It has taught me to stick with something, even when it's hard. It parallels real life as well. It has built character in me that transcends running alone. Training for a marathon is hard work. But it's SO worth it, at least in my opinion. And I haven't even run the marathon yet. So training, thank you for all you have already done for me.

Apple Picking 2011

2011-10-04T20:50:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday me and Clarke got the chance to go apple picking with the young adult group from our church. We had such a great time, although it was so cold!

We went to Carter Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville. The views were absolutely beautiful!

We picked lots of apples, drank hot apple cider and even got pumpkins for our front steps.

Overall it was a great day. One of those days where at the end you just feel so blessed for the people in your life.

October!!

2011-10-01T10:51:00.001-04:00

October, you are finally here! You are one of my favorite months, so happy to see you!!

image source: centsational girl via kate on pinterest

I am looking forward to autumn really arriving this month. I love the cooler crisp air and the beautiful leaves changing colors. Also pumpkins, yes I just love pumpkins!

image source: tiny white daisies via meredith on pinterest

I can't wait to go apple picking with some friends this weekend. I am also hoping to pick some pumpkins for our front steps.

image source: moonlightrainbow via meredith on pinterest

One of my really close friends is getting married this month. I can't wait to celebrate. Love u Rachel!!

image source: greenlitwins via jenni on pinterest

I'm also excited about the women's retreat for my church in Williamsburg later this month.

image source: google via jenni on pinterest

This is my last full month of training for the marathon. The 20 miler is coming, I can't believe it! I just want to enjoy running with the silver team, enjoying the friendships I've made through the marathon training team.

image source: bhg via meredith on pinterest

I also can't wait for Halloween! I just love how my neighborhood decorates and makes such a big deal about this holiday. I also love having trick-or-treaters.

So October, I am happy to welcome you!!

Runner's High

2011-09-26T20:53:00.000-04:00

I feel like for the past 2 months I've been on a runner's high. Tackling miles in hurricanes, heat and humidity. Even though I've had tough runs they have been great overall. I feel like the adrenaline from one run has made me so excited for the next, and I could never get enough.

Well that all ended Saturday morning with the 16 miler. To start it was 100% humidity and drizzling rain. I don't know why but this was the worse run ever. Of my entire life. Not that I've been running for that long (it'll be 1 year in about a month!) But this run was not only tough but hard, brutal actually.

I don't know how to explain it but I feel like other runners can relate. Sometimes it just doesn't feel good, I don't know why. We ran through University of Richmond after about 6 miles, the hills were intense (although the hills on Riverside Drive are intense too, but those didn't seem as bad.) I remember thinking I don't remember U of R having this many hills when I attended. Around mile 10 we passed the house where 3 of my very close friends live, I seriously thought about knocking on their door and asking for a ride home. Somehow we ended up in Carytown, I really couldn't tell ya how that happened. All I know is I looked up and said out loud "Oh we are in Carytown!" and my fellow teammates, including a coach all laughed, because I seemed so out of it. By this point my right foot was killing me. It had been for the last half of this run. Somehow we made it to Lombardy, then Monument and back to the stadium.

I have been icing my right foot, and pray that it's nothing serious, although it feels fine now. I think I am just paranoid. But to get back to the title of this post, runner's high. It feels great when you're on it, and when you're not you long for it. Although I know lots of people who have quit training for the marathon because they have lost it. So where does that leave me?

If I was a quitter I would have taken a ride back to the stadium, but I just couldn't. So I'm not going to let this bad run get me down. It's the same way in life, sometimes things don't work out or become harder than what you expected. If you really care about it then you can't quit. That's where I am now. I want to run this marathon. So part of that is going through the hard runs to get there. And honestly, this run will make the others that much sweeter. It'll make the marathon even better on November 12th. So here's to chasing the runner's high!

Weekend in Nova

2011-09-25T20:39:00.000-04:00

Saturday afternoon me and Clarke headed up to Northern Virginia for a weekend I had planned around things he wanted to do. This was his birthday gift from me. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera. I was still thinking about my run earlier that day when we left and I don't know how I didn't think to pack it!

After checking into our hotel we went to dinner in D.C. There was this Mexican restaurant that Clarke had heard about and wanted to try for some time now. Rosa Mexicano was sooooo good! If you are ever in D.C. you should go, although it was expensive, but really good. We got fresh tableside guacamole, which I have never liked before, but this was amazing.

photo credit: google images

After dinner we headed to Middleburg, Va. which is about 45 minutes west of D.C. It was really funny because it was straight up country after just being in the big city. But we saw Toby Mac in concert. He is an amazing christian singer, and Clarke has always wanted to see him in concert. We absolutely loved the show, even though since it was an outdoor concert and they had gotten all this rain it was sooo muddy. Luckily we brought shoes just for that reason. Overall it was a great night.

Sunday on the way home we stopped at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Whenever we passed this on 95 going to Baltimore Clarke always wanted to stop by, so this was the last thing I had planned for our little trip. The museum was really neat, and it was free, which is always nice.

photo credit: trip advisor

It was so nice to getaway, just the two of us. Well, I'm off to bed soon......still dreaming about that guacamole....uummmm.

Words for Wednesday

2011-09-21T06:58:00.000-04:00

Coach Jenny

2011-09-20T15:12:00.000-04:00

So yesterday after work I went to a working interview at River City Youth Fitness, a local gym that mainly teaches children gymnastics. It's really funny how it all happened...........

I filled out the application this past Wednesday, had Clarke fax it in on Thursday. When I got home from school on Thursday the owner had called me and left a voicemail. When I called him back he asked if I was free that day at 6:45 for an interview. So I went in, came back Monday and he offered me the job then! I guess I really shouldn't say it was funny, more easy. Which is very rare for me when it comes to job searching.

I'm really excited to have gymnastics be apart of my life again. When I walked into the gym there was something about the smell that reminded me of childhood (is that weird?) I love the age group I will be working with (the little ones) and I can't wait to start on Thursday!

Miscellany Monday

2011-09-19T20:41:00.000-04:00

I'm linking up over at lowercase letters for another Miscellany Monday post!

1. Clarke was at the beach with his family this past weekend, he comes back Tuesday night. I really miss him. I couldn't get off work (since school just started) so I spent the weekend here, it's been weird not having him here.

2. Marathon training team was really good on Saturday morning. Got a great picture:

Angela, Jody, Susan, Me, Patrick and Elise after 10 miles. :)

3. I made oatmeal pumpkin cookies on Saturday for a women's event at my church. One of my favorite fall desserts!

Click here for the recipe!!

I know this got up so late, I'll post about why tomorrow when I have more time!

Kitchen Lighting

2011-09-17T21:11:00.000-04:00

So about a month ago I purchased a new light for over the kitchen table. This has been on my never ending to do list for the house since we moved in. I was so excited when it came in the mail, so was Betty.

So here is the before. I actually remembered to take a picture this time. I hated how it wasn't centered over the table.

I had to figure out a way to "swag" the light to make it center over the kitchen table since the outlet wasn't. So after much brainstorming I went to Lowe's, bought some chain and strung it threw the cord. (The light didn't come with a chain, just a chord which wouldn't stay on the hook centered over the table.) I was so proud of myself for finding a way to make it work. So my mom came over and we took down the old light, screwed in the hook, and figured out how to install the new light. We finally got it up right, centered, etc. but no light, it wouldn't work. So I had to send it back in the mail and the new one finally came on Thursday. I am so happy to say it's up and I love it, oh yeah and it works!

Here is the new light. I didn't realize Betty was on the table when I snapped the photo.

I love how it looks at night, all lit up. And also up close.

I am so happy to get this light up, and finally just enjoy it!!

First Week of School and 15 Miles

2011-09-10T16:13:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I haven't posted about the first week of school yet! I've been busy getting back into the routine, going to bed early and running. 7 miles is now my medium run for the week, so it's def. takes up more time, and I digress. Neways, it's been really nice to be back at school. At the open house the week before school one of my students who I had last year came into the classroom, and he could walk! He could barely stand on his own at the end of the school year in June. Now he is walking, I've so enjoyed watching him this past week. I honestly have to say I do miss my students who have gone into other programs, but that's apart of teaching, students move on and it's for the best. On the other hand I'm working with the same people, same classroom, a lot of similar things from last year and it's been nice to come back and already know what to do and when.

On a totally different note this morning I ran 15 miles!! 15 with hills, and I mean big steep hills! It was such a lovely run with some beautiful views of the James River. I must say the first 10 were pretty easy. I can't believe I am saying this, but it's true. Miles 10-13 were hard, but not too bad. Miles 13-15 were brutal. I remember running with a teammate and we were saying we weren't sure if we would be able to walk afterwards. But I am shocked to say I feel fine now. I stretched a lot after, ate a good recovery meal and of course did an ice bath. Ah, I have a love hate relationship with the ice bath. They are def. not fun during, but afterwards it's amazing how great you feel. It's like night and day after an ice bath. I actually feel better now than I did after the half marathon. It's great to see that my training is really working. My head coach shared this quote in a team email recently and I loved it "As is true with life and in the run- if you are willing to pay the price that others will not you will reap the benefits that others will not" It just confirms that my training is paying off, and it feels so good. This morning a coach said "I know you think you have been running long distances, but you haven't until after this run. This morning starts the real distance running." So, I am officially apart of the elite group of distance runners now! Ah, I can't describe how great it feels. I was talking to a coach as we were running across the Nickel Bridge, I was telling him how training for this marathon has gotten me addicted to running. I am in, there's no turning back for me now. Some people run the marathon to cross it off their "bucket list", which is fine, but I'm hooked for life now. I just love it. :)

Words for Wednesday

2011-09-07T14:28:00.000-04:00

Labor Day Camping

2011-09-05T19:29:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend. We definitely did! Last night me and Clarke went camping with some friends at Pocahontas State Park. We got so lucky with the weather, and had such a great time.

We had the best dinner cooked on the campfire. Hobos made with ground beef, lots of cheese, potatoes, peppers, onions and seasoning. So good!

We also had smores made with Reese's Cups, instead of regular chocolate. It was really good, we definitely want to make smores with them again.

Camping is such a fun summertime thing to do, so glad we got to go one last time before it's officially over.

On a separate note I can't believe tomorrow is the first day of school. I am really ready to go back. Can't wait!!

Training Check In

2011-09-03T19:40:00.001-04:00

google images via monica on pinterest

I feel like I go through cycles when it comes to training for the marathon. There was that first week of training when everything was so new and exciting. There was that first hard month of training when I had to accept that a really good friend of mine who was suppose to be running this with me couldn't (she was injured) and I would be doing this without her. My body seemed sore all the time that first month. There was the high of reaching new distances, and then the really big high of the half marathon.

And now here we are, a little over 2 months before the big race day. And I don't know where I am in that cycle. There's the part of me that can't wait for November 12 to get here. I was in the Lululemon store with my sister-in-law and we were drooling over the things in this store. Oh my gosh, I wanted to buy everything. I decided I am going to treat myself to a new running skirt for the marathon. I can't wait to rock it out as I run my 26.2!

There is the part of me that has realized we only have 4 more big runs before November 12. Only 4. That freaks me out a bit, because the marathon was always something far away, something one day I would do, now with only 4 more big runs left it seems so near.

I can't believe how far I have come. I remember each time I ran a new distance. I couldn't believe I did it. I have absolutely loved the marathon training team. It has become apart of my life. I look for my emails each week, write in my log what I've done, and I never thought I would say this but I have kinds gotten used to waking up so early on Saturdays. What? Who I am? What will I do when it's all over?

So I guess I'm in the part of my training where I appreciate everything. I wanna enjoy the next few months of training, November 12 will be here before I know it!

Blog Love

2011-09-02T16:36:00.002-04:00

Today I am linking up with Kelly from Kelly's Korner to share my favorite blogs. I admit it was hard to pick just a few, but we would be here all day, so here are my top 5:

No Greater Joy Mom

I absolutely love this blog! This family has adopted four special needs children, and already had three of their own. Her heart for orphans, children with disabilities and the Lord is so incredible. Sometimes I cry when I read her posts, sometimes it brings me great joy, but I always can't wait to see what this family is up to.

Young House Love

A lot of inspiration for my home comes from this blog. A young couple from my hometown of Richmond, Va. share their experiences of renovating their old house. If you are into DIY then you will love this blog! They always have great ideas, lots of great pictures of everything they do and of course a cute baby!

Koolaid for 26.2

Lots of inspiration, advice and really anything running related. I have enjoyed connecting with other runners on the marathon training teams, and even got to write a guest post. Ah, this blog makes me so excited for the marathon on November 12!

Two Shades of Pink

Anything crafty with bits of her sweet girls. This blog makes me want to have kids just so I can make cute things for their teachers, or throw them a cute party with all the DIY stuff from this blog. Love it.

In No Simple Language
I went to college with the author of this blog, although I feel I know her better now! I love her Menu Monday posts because I always need ideas for what to make for dinner. I've tried a bunch of her recipes and they are always great. She is a teacher, so I can always relate to the ups and downs of the education field as well.

So there you have it. Hope you enjoy these blogs as much as I do!!

Irene Update

2011-08-30T10:10:00.000-04:00

Well we survived Hurricane Irene here in Richmond. We were lucky that it didn't destroy any of our house or property. The effects were a rainy half marathon, lots of rain and wind, and of course we lost power. Around 6pm on Saturday we lost it, and spent that night playing cards by lanterns and candlelight. Sunday morning we still didn't have it, but our church did so we still got to go. After lunch we came home to no power, so we took all our food over to the in-laws to keep. I had just gone to Costco and had all this food I really didn't want to go bad. We spent the day over there, then went to my mom's for dinner. We had planned on sleeping over there but then we found out an area near us had recently gotten power, so we drove by to check. Luckily we had power! We were so excited! I still need to pick up all the sticks and leaves in our yard....oops. But other than that I am happy to say life is back to normal here.

The Patrick Henry Hurricane Half 2011

2011-08-28T21:38:00.001-04:00

Yes, we coined that phrase "hurricane half". Ha!

So I knew it was going to rain the morning of the race. A lot. As long as they didn’t cancel the race I had planned on going. I’ve been looking forward to this race for some time now and I felt really prepared. I was so excited. Our weekly emails from the head assistant coach and my team’s head coach were both about the rain in the half. Both talked about not being able to control the weather, so accept it and don’t let it ruin your race. I decided that was exactly what I was going to do. There are just some things you can’t control, and you can choose whether they will keep you from enjoying something or not. I wasn’t going to let it affect me.

I woke up at 4am ready. I did my regular pre-run routine and I was out the door a little before 5. When I arrived up in Ashland it was so dark and they were still setting up. I was told to get there early, but I got there maybe too early. My stomach had butterflies in it, I was nervous but excited. I finally found some other Silver team members and we chatted some before the race started. Some of us joked about the white van. In this half you had to finish in less than 3 hours. If you didn’t reach the half way point and the 10 mile mark by certain times the white van would pick you up and bring you back to the start/finish area. How embarrassing, especially since I had people coming to see me finish. My only goal for this race was to finish. And not be picked up by that van.

About 5 minutes before the race began it started to drizzle. Okay, we knew it was going to rain so here it is. It’s okay. The race started and I tried not to go too fast. That was the one piece of advice that everyone had given me. Don’t start out too fast. I ran with my team for about one mile then some of them went ahead of me, but I still had my regular running buddies. At the 2 mile water station I met G. I was pretty sure it was her so I just decided to say hi. That was really fun since we’ve exchanged emails and have read each other’s blog for some time now. It was so nice to finally meet her!! Then I was off again.

I loved the part of the race where it loops around. People who are in front of you are in the left lane and we were in the right. We cheered for other team members and others we knew; it was cool running past them. Around mile 5 I realized I was soaking wet. Every part of me was wet, including the worse part, my shoes. Although at this point it really didn’t bother me. We were out in the country, in the middle of nowhere. We talked about how if it wasn’t raining we would be complaining about the heat. That is the one universal complaint I have heard about this race. It’s hot and there is no shade. I noticed the lack of shade part, but it didn’t matter. I wasn’t hot at all, temperature wise I was perfect. The cool rain felt great, and so refreshing. We finally hit the half way mark at 1:20. I remember thinking good we have 20 minutes to spare. I started eating my fruit chews for fuel which definitely helped.

It was around mile 8 I remember my shoes starting to bother me. The wetness part didn’t bother me, although I could hear them squishing every single step. It was the extra weight that the water added to each shoe including my socks. It felt like each shoe weighed 5 pounds. I just tried not to think about it. Before I knew it I was at mile 10, which was the last spot I had to arrive before a certain time for that van to not pick me up. That’s when I really knew I would make it. I always believed I would, but there was apart of me that kinda worried about not keeping pace and being picked up by that van. I remember thinking about my husband and family who had woken up early to come see me finish. I had to cross that finish line. I had to make it.

When I ran past the water station at mile 10 I knew I was golden, but I also knew that hill was coming. The one at mile 11 that everyone talked about. I remember a course marshal telling us it was coming up too. And as soon as I saw the sign for mile 11 I saw the hill. And it looked big. The first part of that hill was steep, then it was a more gradual incline. Although the gradual incline didn’t feel bad at all after going up the steep part of it. When I finally made it to the top of that hill I kinda got emotional. I knew I was so close and it felt so real. Everyone kept saying your almost there, your at the flat part, the easy part. I admit, part of me really wanted to cry, for good reasons, for being proud of myself. I remember around 12.5 I started picking up the pace and passing people. That adrenaline kicked in and I felt great. I could hear the band; I knew the finish line was near. I saw my head coach who was a course marshal and she cheered for me. Another coach was standing on the side lines and she cheered for me too. I turned the corner and saw the glorious finish line. I looked for my family on the side and they cheered for me. I ran so hard across that finish line and it felt sooo good.

I was completely soaked after the race; it rained the entire time except for maybe 20 minutes. It was as if I had just gotten out of the shower with all my clothes on. But I felt great. My time was 2:42 which meant I had a 12:25 average pace. That’s about what I had been running in my training runs so I felt good about it. But I really didn’t care about the time. My goal was to finish and I did. I was proud for not letting the rain stop me. Not letting something that I couldn’t control stop me from doing something I wanted to do, and enjoying it. I will always have such fond memories of this race. It was not only my first official half, but I did it during a hurricane, which is probably a once in a lifetime event.

I took an ice bath when I got home, my first one ever. I felt sooo much better after. And right now I feel great. Well my body is a little sore, but I feel like the high from the race makes it not matter. I love running in races, and this makes me soooo excited for the marathon in November. While it’s great to have a fun race to share and experience my ultimate goal is the marathon. But, I feel I am on track to where I need to be to reach that goal in the fall and that feels great too. J

more glee love

2011-08-24T19:47:00.000-04:00

I posted here about how Glee is my new favorite show. I finally downloaded some of their songs from itunes, and I can't take this play list off my ipod now.

Favorite Glee Songs:

1. Raise Your Glass originally sung by Pink

2. Teenage Dream originally sung by Katy Perry

3. Start Me Up/ Livin' On A Prayer originally sung by Rolling Stones and Bon Jovi

4. Loser Like Me originally sung by the cast of Glee

5. Defying Gravity originally from the broadway musical Wicked

6. Proud Mary originally sung by Tina Turner

7. Beautiful originally sung by Christina Aguilera

8. Forget You originally sung by Cee Lo Green

9. Don't Stop Believin' originally sung by Journey

10. Jump originally sung by Van Halen

11. I Feel Pretty/ Unpretty originally from the musical West Side Story and TLC

12. Somebody To Love originally sung by Queen

13. Sweet Caroline originally sung by Neil Diamond

14. Blackbird originally sung by The Beatles

15. Tik Tok originally sung by Kesha

16. Keep Holdin On originally sung by Avril Lavigne

17. Singing In The Rain/ Umbrella originally sung by Gene Kelly and Rihanna

Can I just say that I love these "mash ups" and the Glee version so much!

happy birthday!!

2011-08-23T15:35:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Clarke!!

I love you and couldn't have asked for a better husband. I am so blessed to have you in my life.

Thank you for all your support, for always believing in me and always being there for me.

I love you always!!

weekend wrap-up

2011-08-22T21:21:00.000-04:00

I posted on facebook I had an awesome weekend thanks to great friends and family, and I really did. It was so busy, but wonderful.

Saturday morning was a 10 mile recovery training run. It felt really good, at the end I ran up that huge hill to the stadium, and it seems to be getting a little bit easier. It's definitely not easy, but I just remember at the beginning of training loathing that hill. I still don't look forward to it, but now I'm really confident that I can make it and have a strong finish. I'm also really excited about my first half marathon this coming weekend!

Saturday my mom came over and helped me hang a new kitchen light over our table, which I am loving. More about that in another post.

Saturday night was my dear friend Rachel's bachelorette party. We went to a cooking class and then out for drinks, it was really fun.

Everything that we made was so good! These stuffed tomatoes were my favorite dish, I will definitely be making these again.

Sunday morning I taught the preschool class at my church. I was so tired I had to text my husband to bring me Starbucks when he came for church.

I spent that afternoon getting ready for hubby's birthday cookout. I was so busy I didn't snap even one picture at the cookout. Oh well, I did enjoy making all the food for the party. I was excited to try some things I had found on Pinterest. I made these cute fruit kebobs, I loved how they turned out.

source: quick dish via ayana on pinterest

I also made this feta cheese dip, which was a big hit and it was so easy. The recipe is here.

source: sweet paul via clare on pinterest

While I was making hubby's birthday cake I realized I accidently used all the eggs when I made the deviled eggs, and didn't have any left for the cake. Running up to the store put me behind in getting ready for the party, then my icing was way too runny. Luckily my good friend who is an excellent baker came to my rescue and saved it. Oh, and it was raining right before it started!

But, it turned out to be a really fun party, and most importantly Clarke had a great time. Although I still haven't cleaned the dishes, luckily my friends loaded the dish washer for me, thanks girls!

Whew, I am still recovering from all the fun! I think I am gonna go jump in the bed right now.

Words for Wednesday

2011-08-17T20:30:00.000-04:00

Source: myrevelment via Rachel on Pinterest

A Calling

2011-08-16T23:08:00.005-04:00

It's time for me to stop trying to figure everything out. Stop trying to figure out what's next. God will show me when it's time. All I know is right now I'm so ready to be back at Echo Lake. I can't wait to see my students, I want to catch up with co-workers. I've missed them so much. I am blessed to have a job that I enjoy. In honor of the new school year starting so soon I wanted to share something. Back in February I wrote a post about special ed. Honestly I've been too scared to actually post it, because it makes it seem so much more real. But, I feel the need to get it out, so here it is:

I know I have been called to the teaching profession. It's something I have been passionate about for a little over three years now. I can look back and see how God has woven pieces of my life together and led me where I currently am today.

And once again I feel God tugging at my heart, telling me that I am on the right path. But I also hear Him telling me to keep moving forward, don't become comfortable, complacent and don't stop. And honestly I think that is where I was. I love my job and I love my students. When my coaching job didn't work out it reminded me how much I wanted to be a teacher. I think it's good that I enjoy my job, but I also think I was starting to forget that this is not my forever job. (If that makes sense, I know right now I am suppose to be an aide, but I also desire more right now.)

And that brings me to the point of this post. I'm praying about becoming a special education teacher.

When I took my current job as an aide I had no idea how much I would love it. And God has opened my eyes to a whole new world I knew nothing about. I had no idea there were such sweet children out there with such severe disabilities. (If you want to call it a disability, I honestly believe God has created everyone perfectly, sometimes I hate that term, disability, but I digress.)

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act." -Proverbs 24:12. I love this scripture. And it's so true. Because "For those to whom much is given, much is required." -Luke 12:48. God has blessed me so much. He's given me so much more than what I need, so many resources, that I know He is calling me to use.

I also love this scripture. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." -Matthew 16:24. Because let's face it, being a teacher is hard. And I have seen how hard special ed teachers work. I know there are sacrifices I would have to make. Going back to school again. But even if I became one, it's a lot and I know there are a lot of easier careers I could choose.

I love this quote. "Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that really don't matter." -Tim Kizziar. Wow. It really makes me think, think about what is important. And how so many times the fear of failure keeps us from really going after our dreams. Because if I'm honest, I'm scared. Scared of failure. Scared of stepping out and trying something new.

God has been speaking to me, and I'm listening. Am I going to apply to art teaching positions this spring? (Where I am actually endorsed to teach.) Yes, I am. I'm going to apply to lots of things. And I'm praying God will open the doors that need to be opened, close the doors that need to be closed. I pray He leads me where He wants me.

Weekend Movie Review

2011-08-15T08:25:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I saw two really good movies, so I wanted to share.

Friday night me and hubby rented Soul Surfer from the redbox. I had been wanting to see it for some time now, I'm so glad I finally got to watch it. I saw on some of the reviews they said it was too cheesey, but I love that kinda stuff, and I really enjoyed this movie.

It was really inspiring, after the movie I googled about Bethany Hamilton (the girl who this movie is based on) and she was 13 when she was attacked by the shark. 13! I couldn't believe someone that young overcame such adversity. Loved it.

Saturday night after one of my best friend's bridal shower (where I unfortunately forgot my camera) a bunch of us went and saw The Help. I had read the book, and loved it, so I really wanted to see the movie.

I really liked this movie, although I do think the book was better. The movie didn't go into as much detail as the book did as far as character development and some other side stories, which I know most movies based on books can't. But overall it was a great movie, and I must say I loved Minnie's character the most.

Both of these movies make me so grateful. Seeing the hardships that these characters overcame reminds me of how incredibly blessed I am.

accidentally awesome

2011-08-13T22:39:00.000-04:00

Today's training run was awesome. It was tough, but overall it was great. The weather was cooler than it has been, and the route was great. I saw parts of the city I've never seen before.

We ran past the Children's Hospital on Brook Road, and it reminded me of my students. So many of them go there for therapies or even just to go to the dentist. I've always wondered where it was. It reminded me of them, and the fact that they can't run. It reminded me partly of why I run, for those who can't.

We ran past Kuba Kuba on Park Avenue, and it reminded me of where this whole marathon journey started. That's the restaurant we went to after the Monument Avenue 10k, where we sat, ate and got so excited from such a high on that race, talking about running the marathon.

We ran past The Cathedral, it was beautiful. We ran up Floyd, actually a little too far on Floyd. Somehow we missed our turn onto Sheppard, I don't know how this happened. By the time we realized we were off the route we knew we had added at least a mile onto the run, and since this was a 12 mile run, I figured that at the end I had run my first half marathon, accidentally.

I wanted to walk so bad at the end, but I had to run into the Sports Backers Stadium. Some of my coaches were there with the best watermelon I've ever had in my entire life, as well as cold wet towels that felt like heaven. And I felt awesome. My legs hurt and I was tired, but I felt so awesome.

When I got home I went to www.mapmyrun.com, and confirmed that I had in fact ran a half marathon. 13.43 miles to be exact. I am so ready for the Patrick Henry Half in 2 weeks!!!!

On a side note I also discovered that gu is not my friend. I had tried some gel on an earlier run and it was okay, so I decided to try some gu on this run. I gagged on it. Had to spit it out, yuck. Next week I will be trying a different fuel source.

Family Reunion

2011-08-12T16:47:00.000-04:00

So my mom told me about this family reunion a couple weeks before it actually happened. At first I wasn't going to go so last minute, but then I thought about it and decided I should go.

My grandpa (in the bright blue shirt) had 7 brothers and 1 sister growing up. Two have passed on, but here he is with all his siblings. They grew up on a farm, in a 3 bedroom house, can you imagine being the only girl with 8 brothers?!

I'm so glad I got to go and meet all my grandpa's siblings. They were some of the cutest old men I have ever met!

The Pennsylvania countryside was so beautiful, and the weather was great too. It was in the mid 70s, which felt so cool compared to these hot summer days we've been having here in Richmond. It was such a quick little trip, but overall a great one.

Simply Amazing

2011-08-10T20:08:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I was in Western Pennsylvania for a family reunion. I knew I had to stop at Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Falling Water.

It was amazing. Just amazing. It was full of little details like this......

and this........

And to think that he designed this 75 years ago in 1936! My pictures don't do it justice.

Ahhh.....I just loved it. If you are ever near Mill Run, PA you should go!

Guest Blogger

2011-08-09T08:11:00.000-04:00

So this past weekend I was out of town (more about that in a post soon). When I finally got around to checking my email I had received one from Ginny, a fellow Marathon Training Team runner who is on the yellow team, asking me to write a guest post on their team's blog. I was so excited! Especially since the girls who write on this blog are amazing runners. Ginny just ran 2 half-marathons, one in San Francisco and one in Providence, RI. She also writes for Richmond Road Runners Magazine.

So head on over to Koolaid for 26.2 to see my guest post about running and fear. Enjoy!

DIY Yarn Wreath and Felt Flowers

2011-08-04T16:40:00.000-04:00

I have recently found so many beautiful wreaths on pinterest. Well, I finally got the chance to make one. I'm so pleased with how it turned out and how cheap and easy it was to make.

I went to Hobby Lobby and got some yarn ($3), felt ($1) and a straw wreath ($3.50). So this project cost me $7.50 total! Can't beat that. (I had the white ribbon already, and used a hot glue gun which I already had as well.)

CLICK HERE!! For instructions on how to make your own. I promise, it was so easy!

I love how it looks on the front door! Just what it needed!

Words for Wednesday

2011-08-03T16:46:00.000-04:00

double digits, falling water and fall

2011-08-01T20:22:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I ran my first double digit distance! I'm not gonna lie, it was a tough run, but I made it. I am really close to the half marathon, which is such a huge milestone!! I know I will be ready for the Patrick Henry Half Marathon on August 27th!

So the other day my mom told me about a family reunion, on her dad's side. It's about 6 hrs away in Western Pennsylvania. I really don't want to miss it, especially since my grandpa is my last living grandparent. When I mapquested directions I realized that one of my favorite buildings is on the way, Falling Water.

Source: wright-house.com via helen on pinterest.

This is arguably Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous building. It's been on my list of must see buildings for some time now. I remember one semester in college we talked about this building in every single class I was in. It's simply amazing and I can't wait to see it!!

I am always ready for the next season before it comes. Well, I am really ready for fall. I am so over this heat, and ready to run in the cooler temperatures. I am ready for the pumpkins, the beautiful leaves changing colors, camping and hopefully a visit to the mountains. I am so ready to see my students again. I was looking through a photo album a co-worker had given me with pictures of me and my kids, and it just makes me miss them. Although I won't be teaching art in the fall I am still really excited to go back to school.

Pinnable Me: I've Been There

2011-07-29T18:27:00.002-04:00

This Friday I am linking up over at Paw Prints and Pastry Bags to share some of my favorite pictures on pinterest. This week I am loving places I've been.

Key West, Florida

Source: flickr via colour your life on pinterest

Vail, Colorado

Source: google images via heather on pinterest

Paris, France

Source: afn via april on pinterest

Martinique

Source: national geographic via sophia on pinterest

Baltimore, Maryland

Source: soul of america via sabine on pinterest

NYC

Source: fantasticfrank via muriel on pinterest

Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, California

Source: dezinerfolio via april on pinterest

Happy Pinning!!

My New Obsession

2011-07-27T21:37:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I just have to say that I am currently loving Glee! I had seen a few episodes before the beach with my friends, where I watched the whole first season, but now I am on a mission to finish season 2 by the time the 3rd season starts.

There is just something about all the singing and dancing, and the way the group sticks together no matter what, that makes me love this story.

Can't wait for the new season to start!!

Girl's Beach Trip 2011

2011-07-25T18:14:00.000-04:00

My absence in the blogsphere this past week was due to the fact that I was at the beach with some of my best friends.

We spent a lot of time at the beach, just relaxing. We also spent a lot of time eating. We went out for ice cream almost every night. My favorites were Booty Treats and Kill Devil Hill's Custard, so good!

We bought this huge thing of cheese balls, and it sort of became our mission to eat them all by the end of the week. (That and to finish season one of Glee, which I am happy to say we accomplished both!)

We grilled out, and enjoyed making dinner at the beach house together.

We ate dinner our last night at Sam and Omie's, one of my favorite restaurants in the Outer Banks. I was also lucky enough to get lunch one day at Captain Franks. Hey, I told you we ate a lot!

Besides just consuming lots of calories together, I was lucky to have my running buddies with me at the beach. One morning we ran 4 miles, and Saturday morning I did my long run and ran a little over 9 miles! A new record for myself! I was so proud for not only running a new distance, but also to sticking to my training during vacation.

I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends and I am so thankful for such a great time!

A Day At The Vineyard

2011-07-18T21:22:00.000-04:00

Since I'm leaving for the beach tomorrow I decided to take today off too. Clarke ended up taking today off as well, so we could spend some time together before I leave. We ended up going to a vineyard about an hour away from us.

We loved the Barboursville Vineyards. It was so beautiful and relaxing, just what we needed!

We walked around the property and it was just really nice. Since it was a Monday almost nobody was there.

We went to lunch at a really cute place called the Stonefire Kitchen. Coke in a real glass bottle, yes please!

We were both impressed with everything. A good friend of mine got engaged about a year ago out here, and we passed it when we were coming home from the mountains last fall, and ever since then I've wanted to go. So glad we took the day to go explore!

Sunday Night Recap

2011-07-17T19:42:00.000-04:00

This past weekend has been great. There was a date night with my hubby, a great training run, a "preppy" brunch and putt putt, dancing, pool time with friends and lunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant.

Friends out for our preppy brunch to celebrate Em's birthday.

I wanted to write some sort of update about my job search, but I'm at a lose for words. This past week has been a roller coaster of ups and downs, and despite my moods I am sure that God is at work in my life right now.

I had the best 5 mile run ever on Saturday morning. It was the easiest 5 miles I've ever ran, and it felt great. I am so happy to finally be seeing results from all my training. Maybe this job search is the same way? I am doing all this work now, and eventually will see the fruits from it all. I know I will.

Tuesday I am off to the beach with the girls!! I am so excited.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!! :)

New Design

2011-07-15T08:29:00.003-04:00

So my blog is finally fixed, thanks to the ladies over at Smitten Blog Designs!

I am loving the new look, hope you do too!!

Under Construction

2011-07-13T22:15:00.000-04:00

Please exuse the mess!!! I am currently redesigning my blog and have no more patience! Gotta get in the bed to get up early to run, so I'll be fixing this later! Come back soon to see the new design!!! Thanks!

Summer Lovin'

2011-07-11T16:45:00.002-04:00

I am loving summer. Here's why:

Good training runs with friends.

Playing golf with Clarke.

Grilling out.

Anticipating a beach trip with the girls.
The sun. The pool. Soaking it all up before school starts!

going too far

2011-07-09T19:39:00.000-04:00

I am loving this quote..........

http://amytangerine.blogspot.com via rachel on pinterest

A year ago if you had told me I would be training for a marathon I wouldn't have believed it. I can't believe how far I have come in less than a year. :)

Fourth of July Food

2011-07-06T17:09:00.000-04:00

So I mentioned in my last post that I attended a bunch of parties/cookouts this past holiday weekend. I made two different dishes to bring to two different cookouts. Thought I would share because both of them turned out great, and one is a favorite classic of mine!

Sunday I made deviled eggs for our neighborhood cookout. This is a recipe of my mom's that I have always loved. I've made it so many times that I don't even measure the ingredients anymore.

But here is the recipe:

6 hard boiled eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp pepper

3 tbs mayo (but sometimes I add more)

To boil the eggs place in cold water with 1 inch above, bring to boil, let sit 10 minutes covered on low, then place directly into cold water. They say the cold water helps them to peel easier. After cutting in half and adding ingredients to egg yolks, fill whites with mixture. I lastly sprinkle paprika on top, and they are so good!

Monday I made this really fun cake to bring to another cookout. It was suppose to be red, but I couldn't get the red food coloring to work, so it was pink. It still tasted good though.

Click here for the recipe, it was actually pretty easy to make.

Color Me Red, White and Blue!

2011-07-05T21:00:00.001-04:00

This long holiday weekend was filled with lots of food, fireworks, friends and family.

Saturday we spent the day at a family friend's house on the river. They had a big party with lots of great food.

Their house is out in the country and it's so peaceful. It was really nice.

Sunday we had a neighborhood cookout. Once again we ate a lot, and enjoyed friends. I was really impressed with the fireworks too.

Monday we went to a cookout at a friend's house, and then to the flying squirrel's game.

At the bottom of the secong inning it starting storming, so we went inside and waited.....

and waited........ But it didn't stop. They ended up canceling the game, but we still had a great time enjoying everyone's company and just hanging out.

As we were leaving the rain let up and they did the fireworks. I was so happy we got to see them!

Overall, it was such a great holiday weekend. I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family!!

why i run

2011-07-02T11:34:00.000-04:00

My marathon training team head coach sent us out an email this week, asking us to really think about why we run, and hold onto it, because that is what's going to get you to the marathon.

So why do I run? And why did I decide to run a marathon?

I started running about 8 months ago, as a way to stay healthy. I needed some way of staying active, and I had friends who ran, so I thought why not? Then it became a social thing, I knew every Monday I could hear about my friend's dating lives, we could catch up and just have fun together. Then my friend talked me into training for a 10k race, then a different friend talked me into the marathon.

But somewhere along the way I realized that running has given me back a part of my life that had been missing for some time. I loved doing sports in high school. Swim team, gymnastics, cheering and running. I ran cross country and track and field. In all of these sports, you are competing against yourself, and by doing this you improve yourself. If you fall off the beam or swim a little slower you have no one to blame but yourself. But if you nail your landing and perform your routine perfectly you know it was all the hard work you put in, not just an inferior opponent. Running is the same way. A coach said your biggest obstacle in getting to the marathon is yourself, and it's so true.

I also love setting goals for myself. When I started training for a 10k, I honestly doubted myself. I remember thinking, I'm not going to make it to 6 miles by April. Then in early February I ran my first 10k. I was so proud of myself, the feeling of accomplishment on that day made me realize that I could do this and I was hooked.

Running is not always fun, it's not always pleasurable. But the finish always is. Whether it's just after a training run on a hot day, or like today, when I reached a new distance, 7 miles, that feeling of getting closer to your goal, or having just reached your goal, words can't describe it.

So, I run for the challenge. I run to reach a new goal. I run because I want to do something extraordinary. I run because something inside me loves it.

July 4th Favorites

2011-07-01T08:13:00.001-04:00

I'm sure most of you have heard of Pinterest, I'm in love with this site! (Go check it out if you haven't yet.)
I was scrolling through some 4th of July pictures, and there are so many cute ones. Here are my favorites, to get you ready for this fun holiday weekend!

all photos from pinterest

Happy 4th of July!!!

Mr. and Mrs. Pflugradt

2011-06-27T17:27:00.001-04:00

This past Saturday one of my best friends got married! It was such a great weekend, celebrating with them and everyone else. I've been friends with this girl for forever, and it's so neat to see how God has worked in her life, and watch her marry the man God has created for her to spend her life with.

Here I am with the bride right before she walked down the aisle. I got to read scripture (1 John 4: 7-12, 19 and 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a) I was so honored, and nervous, but mostly honored to read scripture!

Here is the flower girl! She was mine as well, wearing the same dress, but she is a lot bigger now! It was so much fun watching her, especially at the reception! She was dancing nonstop, just having the best time and being so cute.

I love this picture! We sat by the food (on purpose!ha!) and when they came out with their dinner I was just going to snap one quick picture, but then everyone started taking pictures, and it turned into a little photo op, it was funny.

Me and Clarke were reminiscing about when we got married. I can't believe it was over 2 years ago. Time just flies by so fast.

We had so much fun decorating their car! At the bridal luncheon we made plans to do the car, then we forgot to bring the stuff, so another friend ran by the store on the way to the reception. So glad it worked out, and I think it looked awesome.

Here they are cutting the cake.........

and leaving the reception! Overall, it was such a great occasion. So happy for you Rebecca, I love you!!

Hello Goodbye

2011-06-25T10:03:00.000-04:00

Hello Asics!! So far running with you has been great, I'm hoping you'll get me ready for the marathon!

Goodbye Nikes. You've been so good to me, I'll always remember my first race with you!

waiting and praising you god

2011-06-23T10:44:00.000-04:00

So here I am sitting by my phone, like a little school girl after her first date, waiting for that guy to call her. I keep checking, making sure it's working right, it's fully charged and ready to go. I can't even go to the bathroom without taking it with me. I am just waiting, trying to distract myself in any way possible but nothing is working.....

Friday afternoon I got a call for an interview at a school I had applied to well over a month ago. I had written it off because it had been so long. Yesterday morning I interviewed and it actually went well. It's the first time after an interview for an art teaching position that I think I might actually have a shot.

I'm praising God for that. I'm happy that at least things are going in the right direction. At least I'm getting better at this skill. I'm proud of myself for overcoming my fears and deciding what needed to change when I go interview. (My last interview before this one was horrible, totally bombed it.)

I'm praising God that there were 49 applicants for this position. 49!! I looked at the visitors log when I signed in, about 4 or 5 other people interviewed, I was the last. So that puts me in the top 5 or 6 out of 49. That's pretty good.

When I applied if I had known how many other people applied there is no way I would have thought I would even get selected for an interview. God is good, and I know it's because of him I got this far. So it makes me know, if God could make my resume stand out, out of that many others, than God can make me find favor with the principal. God can.

I also know he has a plan for my life, and this job may or may not be part of it. But, I really feel a ease about it all. Of course I want that call from HR offering me this job today. But I also want God's plan. If that means accepting the disappointment of not getting this job I'm okay with that. I will praise you God whatever your plan is. Whatever the outcome may be I know you are in control and I thank you for that. I want to look at the big picture, not just the here and now. So come what may God, I will praise you no matter what.

"Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. "

~Proverbs 19:21

Starting Summer in the OBX

2011-06-22T16:40:00.000-04:00

Well summer is officially here. So this past Saturday we headed down to my favorite beach, The Outer Banks in North Carolina. It was the perfect way to start out the summer.

Here we are the first night before going out to dinner. One of Clarke's best friends invited us down, and there were two other couples there.

The first full day we packed up the car and went to one of the beaches that you can actually drive on. It was so much fun, I've never done this before. It was so nice to have everything you needed right there in the car too.

Me and Clarke took a walk down the beach and we found this pony! He was so cute, just standing there around all the people. He let us get pretty close too, it was really neat. The next day at the beach we saw dolphins, really close to the shore.

This is the cute beach house we stayed in. It was really nice and new. We spent most nights sitting out on that front porch.

Overall it was a great little 4 day trip. I can't wait to go back in a month with the girls!!

Job Search Updates and Thoughts

2011-06-17T22:21:00.000-04:00

Okay, I've been meaning to write a post about the never ending job search so here goes............bullet style:

~I have no clue what I'll be doing next fall. People always ask me and I really don't know. I hate this.

~I have applied to several art teaching positions, got one interview, and still no offers. At first I was upset about this, but I'm starting to be okay with it.

~God has told me that I'm going to be a teacher. No he didn't speak to me in a big loud voice from heaven, but over the past 3.5 years he has made it clear that teaching is one of my callings in life. Because of this I'm praising him for a job as a teacher already.

~I am clinging to this verse: "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

~I used to fear wasted time. I feared that every year I wasn't a teacher I was wasting time that I could have been using being an actual teacher. But, I believe God uses every experience to help us become who he wants us to be and this past year is a great example of that.

~I get frustrated sometimes when I think about all the hard work I've put in to get my teaching license in the first place. My first student teaching placement was awful, yet I persevered and finished the program and still I'm not officially using it.

~Sometimes I don't care that I'm not officially using my license. I enjoy being an aide and I love working with special needs children. I am learning so much, and if I'm an aide again next year I will enjoy learning even more.

~I know God has called me to teaching, but sometimes I wonder if it's teaching art? If I love special ed so much maybe God has a future for me as a special ed teacher? There have been several days when I feel he is calling me to this.

~I am reminded of my favorite quote from my pastor "God would rather hurt your feelings than hurt your future." Right now my feelings are kinda hurt from all the rejection that is apart of job searching. But I know God has a specific job out there for me, and if it takes a lot of rejection to get there then so be it. Echoing what I said earlier, if God has called me to teach special ed then I won't be getting an art teaching position this fall. I'm okay with that because I want God's will for my future.

~So although I don't have any concrete answers about where my job search is going I know God is guiding me. He will show me where I need to be. In the mean time I am trusting, well trying to trust, most of the time trusting him.

bittersweetness

2011-06-16T17:24:00.002-04:00

I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of school. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand I am so ready for a break. I've been counting down the days for awhile now and I've been looking forward to summer. But now that it's here, I can't help but feel a little sad.......

I can honestly say that I've truly enjoyed my job this past year. God knew exactly what he was doing when he put me here. I've grown so much as an educator. I've learned so much about special needs children. I didn't even realize how much I didn't know to begin with. I've learned about patience, compassion, and love. I've learned all the words to all the songs in High School Musical 2.....ha!

I've gained so much confidence in myself this year. (When it comes to teaching this was always something I struggled with.) I've learned that I'm good at working with children with disabilities, and I love it. Really, I love them.

Not knowing where I will be next year is hard because I don't know if this is goodbye to my students or see you later. I know for some it is goodbye, and that's hard. They say your not suppose to get too attached to your students, but I have. It's hard not to when your not just teaching them, but are also taking care of almost all their needs.

Oh, I love them so much. I've enjoyed helping them learn and grow. I've loved seeing them walk better and with more confidence, say new words, make choices, really do anything new. Words can't describe my experience this past school year.

Tomorrow is going to be bittersweet. We all must move on, move forward. I don't know what the future holds for me next year, but I'm so thankful for this past year.

Stronger

2011-06-15T18:00:00.003-04:00

I am loving this song right now.................

It speaks to my job search right now (more on that soon, I need to write a post about it.)

Until then enjoy...

the great outdoors

2011-06-12T20:07:00.002-04:00

This past weekend we went camping with some friends from our bible study group. We were in the Blue Ridge Mountains, about 15 minutes west of Charlottesville. It was beautiful out there, and luckily we had great weather. (It was really hot, but no rain which was in the forecast.)

We stayed up late hanging out around the campfire Friday and Saturday nights. We made great meals on the campfire too. I really think everything tastes better when made on a campfire.

On a side note I woke up really early Saturday morning and decided to do my run. I ran all through these little farms and saw some beautiful countryside, it reminded me why I love running. Although I got so into the views I got lost and had to call Clarke from a little gas station and have him come pick me up!

Saturday we went for a hike near Skyline Drive. We didn't realize what we were getting ourselves into, as it was over 30 minutes of going directly up this mountain. We were so happy when we got to the top. The view was worth it.

We had such a great time. We woke up early Sunday and made it back in time for church. Then I went home and crashed. So thankful for great friends and the great outdoors!

RCC Ladie's Tea

2011-06-08T17:36:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday the women's ministry at my church hosted it's annual tea. I absolutely love this event. I always volunteer to be a table hostess, which means I'm in charge of getting tea for my table and other things, but my favorite part is decorating the table.

Here is my table. I made those tissue paper flowers for my friend's birdal shower, the one I posted about here. So I just decided to add those two white vases, and the centerpiece was done, easiest table ever.

Close up of the centerpiece. I got lots of compliments on the purple, I love it too.

My table during the tea. My mom, mother-in-law and sister-in-law always come.

Cheers! This was Ellie's first tea. Adorable.

I think I spent the majority of my Saturday in the church that day, between setting up and cleaning up. But, it's such a nice event and I love being apart of it. :)

Sunday Funday

2011-06-06T17:07:00.000-04:00

I had a very busy, but fun day yesterday. I taught the preschool class at my church, then had lunch with the in-laws. After that I headed over to my favorite soon to be six year old's birthday party!

I just can't believe how big she's gotten. I have pictures of her from every birthday. Here we are at her first one:

This seems forever ago.

We had the hardest time getting this picture. And this still isn't the best, but it's all of us.

Here we are 2 years ago at her 4th birthday party.

I had a great time at her birthday party. Afterwards a bunch of us went to The Crazy Greek for dinner. (We had planned on going to the Greek festival, but by the time we got there they were sold out of everything!)

I went to bed early that night. Whew!

The Silver Bullets

2011-06-04T18:22:00.000-04:00

Today was my first day of marathon training! It was awesome!

As I posted earlier, I'm on the silver team, we're the silver bullets. My coaches are so nice, in fact everyone is really nice.

I had to post this picture, here I am finishing my first training run. I met these two girls today, and we ran together this morning. We decided to pose for our picture.

I am so pumped right now (so I decided to document, when I need a little pick me up later in the season!) It's so exciting, I'm loving this running community and the motivation and inspiration that comes from it.

June

2011-06-03T19:49:00.004-04:00

Hello June, I know I'm a few days late, but I'm really excited about this month, so here we go......

Marathon training starts! I found out today I'm on the silver team, I got my training schedule, and I'm ready! Although, I'm a little nervous, and still sometimes wonder what I got myself into, I'm mostly excited and ready.

I'm ready to live in my favorite flip-flops.

I can't wait for a camping trip and a beach trip! One weekend in the mountains, the next to my favorite beach, the outer banks.

School gets out this month, and I'll start teaching art camp at All Fired Up. Although the last day of school will be bittersweet, I'm looking forward to starting my work day a lot later.

There are lots of fun events going on this month, one of my closest friend's wedding, the women's tea at my church, the greek festival and a sweet little girl's 6th birthday party!

June is going to be a great month!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-30T19:06:00.001-04:00

I've had such a great holiday weekend! Here is what I did.....

(photo source)

-Slept in till 10:00! This is really late for me, and this past Saturday was my last one to sleep in until late November. (marathon training starts next week!!)

-Had a great girl's night. We ate dinner at Firebird's and saw Bridesmaids. The movie was really funny. If you haven't seen it yet, I would definitely recommend it.

-Spent the entire day at the pool with friends. I wanted to even out my tan (my arms were really tan from recess and running, but that's it.) Although I got a little too much color, I'm hoping it will even out before our beach trip in June.

-Played golf at The Dominion Club with Clarke and my in laws. We got to take golf carts, which is always really fun. It's such a pretty course, and they even took us out to dinner after.

-Went on a double date with some good friends. (Me and Clarke actually set them up!!) We had lunch at Xtra's in Carytown and ice cream at Sweet Frog.

-Enjoyed the fact that it finally feels like summer. It's been in the 90s and sunny, and right now I'm loving it.

Happy Memorial Day!!