Today marks 3 weeks until my favorite holiday of the year!! I can't believe Thanksgiving in so close!! I love the holiday and the family time that we get. I really think it's important to give thanks for the blessings we have and remember our loved ones at this time of year. I can't wait to celebrate with our families and eat lots of yummy food! Tuesday was date night for the bestie and me. For some reason, Salice and I always seem to have dinner dates on Tuesday so I guess that makes it our official date night. This is a good thing because Tuesday is probably my least favorite day of the week (unless it's Fat Tuesday but that's because I love food haha). On the Tuesdays that I have a girly date to look forward to, I feel much more appreciative of the day and it's a little easier to make it through. It was great to catch up with Salice and enjoy yummy steak and wine! I'm thankful for all of the absolutely adorable kiddos in their costumes yesterday. It's great to see kids totally get into the holiday and see what they come up with when it comes to costumes. My sister Cate made the costumes for her family this year - how cute are they?!?! Ellie is Goldilocks and Mom, Dad, and Baby Claire are the 3 bears. I don't think it could be any cuter!! Wish I could have been there to see it in person! Gingerbread lattes are back!! I always get so anxious for this time of year because it means the return of the seasonal red cup at Starbucks as well as my favorite latte flavor. I started out my morning with one and I'm hoping that will set a positive tone for the rest of the day. Basically, I feel like the Starbucks gingerbread latte means the beginning of the holidays (so I'm actually not judged for walking around with that holiday spirit high that I get this time of year :) )
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As Hurricane Sandy made landfall yesterday, I began to really pray that my friends and family in the East were prepared and safe. I have always been extremely interested in weather. I know it's silly, and my friends make fun of me, but I'm constantly checking forecasts and weather updates. I think it is because I used to watch the weather channel while I got ready for school when I was little. ANYWAY (I digress), I continued to watch updates yesterday as Sandy made her way into the NY Harbor and continued to thrash through NJ and other areas. Since I've lived up there and I have family from there (Dad was born in The Bronx), it hit kind of close to home. I also lived and worked through Hurricane Ike four years ago. I worked for the power company and was on duty while the Ike came through. Because of this, I have some experience with how devastating a hurricane can be. As I watched updates through the day and night, I saw how much the storm affecting our population. Fortunately, the death toll has been minimal so far but the storm isn't finished. Millions of people are without power and some without homes. Not only have people been flooded and caught in the wind but now, the snow storms are hitting and that becomes a beast in itself. I'm praying that those caught in the midst of it head warnings and don't put themselves in further danger. I also hope that recovery comes quickly to those who have lost something (be it power, homes, cars, jobs, or loved ones). My friends in Syracuse were updating me last night and I was so relieved to hear that the storm missed them for the most part but I know that means that other areas got the wrath of it instead. As it continues across the country, please keep everyone in your thoughts and hope that people, as well as the country as we will suffer economically and physically from this storm. This week, many of my friends will receive their Bar results from the New York Bar Exam they took in July. Since I went to law school in New York State, the majority of my friends stayed there and decided to take that Bar Exam. After 4 long months, they will finally learn whether they passed! Since the NY Bar is the hardest in the country, I know each and every one is anxious to see how they did (I'm sure they did fine!). Many of my friends will have to wait until Friday to see but I'm keeping my fingers crossed all week that they did well!! Here is a shout out to SMK and JCJ and everyone else who has a place in my heart after suffering through long nights and stressful days together! I wish all of you tons of luck this week and I can't wait to share in your excitement come Friday!! I was having a bum day on Monday and I was really down. My ridiculously supportive husband sent me a text with a bunch of pictures and told me to see all of the things I had to be lucky for. Instead of the usual Thankful Thursday post, I thought I'd share those pics with you! I am so thankful for the support I have from my husband who would send me texts like this!
This weekend, I ran the Run10Feed10 Austin 10K with my sister Cate. I spent the weekend with her and her beautiful family in Austin and it was so wonderful to see them! On Saturday morning, we got up early to run our 10K and then went over to one of her favorite Mexican restaurants for a post-race brunch. My friend Ama met us there and it was great to see her, too! (Re: pics, Cate and I forgot to take pics at the actual race so here are our beautiful post-run faces, and Ama and I did take a pic, but because I'm a good friend, I'm going to keep that one under wraps because she was exhausted from attending ACL (Austin City Limits) and I don't know if she wants me to share the pic or not!). Anyway, after the race and brunch, we went back to Cate's house and spent the rest of the afternoon napping, playing with her gorgeous baby girl Claire, and catching up. Later, her oldest, Ellie, joined us and I read her a bedtime story (and she corrected me every time I missed a word.. haha. She's sooo smart!) Oh, I forgot to mention the amazing dinner that Cate's hubby Eric made us! DELISH. I think I'll head out there more often just so he can cook for me ;) After we got the kiddos to bed, Eric talked Cate and me into doing the P90X stretching video with him. Supposedly Cate got some pretty classic pics of Eric and me stretching but I have yet to see those ;) Sunday morning, Ellie woke me up with a book in hand and climbed into bed with me so I could read to her. It was so sweet and a great way to wake up! I was sad to head home yesterday because it was really a perfect weekend! I'm already looking forward to going back for another visit!! To top off the weekend, when I got home, I had received my new scarves that my friend Gretchen made me (now I need cold weather so I can wear them!!). When I opened my letter from her, I found a present. Gretchen sent me fall from NY!! Since we don't really get fall down here, I have really been bummed that this year is so beautiful in the Northeast. Since she didn't want me to feel left out, she sent me a little so I didn't miss it! How sweet is she?? This weekend, I'll run my Women's Run10Feed10 10k that I've been raising money for during the last couple months (it's still not too late to donate!!). I'm staying with my sole sister Cate and cannot wait to see her and her lovely family!! When I asked what I should pack for the weekend festivities, she said not to pack anything other than comfy clothes since we will mainly relax. Well, she didn't have to tell me twice! As I threw 3 sets of leggings and some comfy shirts into my bag, I realized that everything is comfy and casual and I can't wait to change into my lounging clothes! Even my running clothes (similar to those in the pic) are ridiculously comfy. Sooooo after running my 6.2 miles, I'll spend the rest of the weekend in clothes inspired by those gorgeous VS models (yeah, they make it look better than me but you get the point) and feeling as comfy as ever!! I seldom get to just relax on the weekends but this time, I'm taking full advantage of it... I'm even dressing the part ;) I'm sooo glad I found these little trouble-makers when they got out yesterday. I got home to find that Mr. Max had learned how to open the gate in our backyard. Maggie, who will never turn down an opportunity to go exploring, had followed Max out and they were nowhere to be found! I had no idea how long they were out and began driving around neighborhoods looking like a crazy woman as I screamed their names. After 40 minutes of driving around, I came home and started screaming to them from our deck. I look down the golf course to see Max's head pop up from the pond and Maggie just staring at me. Apparently, they had found a swimming hole and decided to cool off. I was so mad and happy at the same time that I sprinted through the golf course to them. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found our babies! Thank goodness they stayed together!! After the dog drama, I was exhausted and hot from frantically running around trying to find them. The last thing I wanted to do was work out even though I had planned all day to pop in my Yoga for Runners video. Husband convinced me not to let the dogs dictate my workout schedule and I decided to listen. Today, I'm so sore from the video and so glad that I listened to Husband. I know my sore back and shoulders (yes, these are the areas I seldom work out and need the most), are proof that I did something worthwhile yesterday. Hopefully, I'll soon be able to do the video with ease and not feel so sore the next day, but until then, I'll be grateful for the soreness and thankful that I pushed myself to devote an hour to my body. This past weekend was tough. We weren't sure we would still have the beautiful Carrie after her battle last week. When we packed for the weekend, I made sure to bring a few extra outfits in case we were forced to stay longer when visiting my in-laws. Husband and I were so relieved to hear that Carrie was released from the hospital and back under Hospice care at her house and, Saturday, we made a trip out to see her. When we got there she was sleeping and looked to be in a lot of pain but when she woke up and realized Husband and I were there, she was overjoyed. Somehow, we managed to perk up and even came into the living room to joke with us and eat for the first time in over a week! She was awake for a few hours and it was amazing to see her true personality making an appearance. We don't know how much longer she will be with us but I cherish every moment I shared with her over the weekend and I'm so thankful for the little miracles I see in Carrie. I'm so glad that my Why Run? post from Monday encouraged my friend Jennifer to run 4 miles! It's great to know that people are reading my blog and that I'm even encouraging some with it!! I'm so proud of Jennifer and her pup Grover! We are both encouraging to each other when it comes to running and this is one more opportunity to see that I'm helping her out. It's also great to know that others may find my blog encouraging. I'm grateful to have an impact, no matter how small it may be :) I'm so thankful that my family was able to come down for my mom's birthday this past weekend. I love seeing them and seldom get the chance to spend time with them because we live so far away. My cousin Heather and I have always been extremely close and I cherish the time we spend together (even when she has taken Benadryl and looks like a goober (see picture!). It was great to see her and have her stay with us. And, I really appreciated that Husband got to know her a little better. I was also so happy that Caitlin (my sort-of sister) came down and we could spend some quality time together! I think it was really good for us to have that experience together! I'm grateful for the cold front that came through Sunday night and allowed me to wear my new scarf that I got last weekend! It's the one on the left (from Urban Outfitters) and it's so cute!! I looove scarf season and it's teetering on that time of year! This weekend, there is going to be a low of 48 where I'll be and I can't wait to pull out a different scarf to sport over the weekend! I get to go to the farmer's market after work today and I'm pumped! It has been a while since I've had the opportunity to make it to the Thursday market and I always feel like fresh produce can turn my week around. I'm glad I get to go and see what they have in season right now! Next week, our meals will be full of colorful goodies! So it sounds totally cheesy but I'm thankful that I got some great blog shout-outs by one of my new favorite authors, her musician hubby, and her publisher! It's exciting to know that my blog is read and appreciated by others whose work I appreciate! I'm glad I can help spread the work about writers/artists that I enjoy because I know how much it means when others enjoy my own work! Thanks for the shoutouts, Shelle and Lee! Hope it gets you some good publicity ;) This weekend was my mom's 60th birthday and we threw her a 1920's themed birthday party. It was so much fun seeing everyone dressed up in their 20's gear and listening to music from the era! We had excellent food and the house was decorated amazingly. The best part about the weekend was the fact that we had family come in town to celebrate. 3 of my mom's 5 siblings made it down from Kansas along with 4 of my cousins! We also had a special visit from Caitlin (who is basically my sister). The friends that came for the party were so special to my mom and I know she truly appreciated everyone who made it!
I'm thankful that I got to learn the Charleston this week. My mom's bday is next week and she's having a 20's themed party to bring in her 60th. One of our friends taught dance lessons when she was younger and is very versed in the Charleston. We got together on Tuesday night to learn and it was so much fun! I'm really looking forward to the party next weekend so I can show it off! I went on a run last night to prepare for the 5k I'm doing this weekend and even though I haven't run much lately, I wanted to make sure I could run the full 3.1 miles. Max and I ran a new route and I made the 3.1 with little trouble. (It was an easy run, though, so don't get too excited! haha). I'm so grateful that I have legs that will take me the distance no matter what. I've been trying to go easy on them this time around because of former injuries and they seem to appreciate it. I've been working hard to balance them out and not over-do it and I'm just thankful that they have responded! I'm getting my hair cut this afternoon!! I haven't had it cut since early June so I'm really looking forward to it. I've had this appointment scheduled all week and I'm so thankful that my stylist could fit me in! Husband's reunion is Saturday and I want to make sure I look sharp for him ;) The pic of Carrie Underwood is one of my ideas for my cut. Thoughts? This weekend my friend Rachel was in town and she got to go shopping in my closet. That gave me an excuse to organize and get rid of a lot of stuff while helping out a friend who can't really afford to buy tons of new clothes since she's raising two little boys. I'm grateful that she came and that I could give her a whole new wardrobe and I'm also thankful that I am reaping some benefits of it every time I go into my closet and can actually see what I have! |
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