Feeling thankful

Sometimes....at totally random times...when the house is quiet and I am sitting here alone...I feel thankful. It is so easy to become wrapped up in the stress of the work week. But right now, I am staring at my sleeping puppy and feel totally thankful.

I am thankful for my family. My beautiful sister. My kind brother. My amazing parents. I feel so lucky to have the relationships that I do with each one of them. I always look forward to when we are all together and always enjoy our time shared.

My friends. I am grateful for my friends. At this time in my life, I can honestly say, I have the most friends than I have ever had before. High school friends, college friends, work friends, internet friends. Not everyone has wonderful people in their lives that they can count on. I have so much love and support and consider myself lucky.

And my little family. My wonderful husband and darling puppy. They make my world go round. I need them. It is so nice to know that you have someone on your side at all times to support you, cuddle with you, or give you a kiss (or lick). My heart feels so full right now.

I love quiet Sundays and moments like right now. Where I can sit and reflect, feel thankful for the life I live, and appreciate what is coming my way down the road.

I hope everyone had a great weekend :)

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Week 4.5

We decided that we want to stretch Week 5 out for another week. We actually had 11 weeks to do this 9 week program so we knew that we would be able to spend a little time toward the end. We had great runs on Tuesday and Thursday. Tuesday's run was a jog 5 minutes, then walk 3 minutes. We did that 3 times. Thursday's run was to jog 8 minutes and walk 5. We did the 8 minute walk twice. Talk about accomplishment! I never thought that I would be able to run for 8 minutes (and twice!) if you asked me 5 weeks ago. We were supposed to run 20 minutes sometime this weekend. BUT, we went out of town to visit my brother in Peoria and had a super busy day today. We are going to repeat the 8 minute runs this week and do the 20 minute run on Friday. I hope I can do it!!! Boring post, huh?!

But, we did have an awesome weekend! Wait till you see the pictures Mike took of our friends today. AMAZING!!!

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Week 4...Done!

Week 5, here we come! Tomorrow, we will start week 5 and I think this is going to be the week to get me. 20 minute run with no breaks this week. YIKES!

Week 4 went pretty well. After our 5 minute warm up walk, we ran for 3 minutes, walked for 90 seconds. Then ran for 5 minutes and walked for 2.5 minutes. THEN, we had to do it all again. Each day, I felt such a huge feeling of accomplishment. We jogged a total of 16 minutes!!! I feel like such a wimp when I read other people's blogs on running, but this was HUGE for me folks.

We bought new shoes last week from Fleet Feet! (By the way, I love that place!) I bought the Glycerin shoes from Brooks. They are so light and I feel like I am wearing slippers. I really love them. Mike got a pair of Asics and he also likes his pair (although he thinks they are ugly). Hey, looks don't matter if they are feeling good!I also bought a lot of running clothes for this cold/rainy weather. Kristal and Mary had some good advice for me---"Cotton is rotten". Thanks girls! I have to go to class so I will post more on my running purchases later!

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Tile in the Sunroom

I just realized that I never posted pictures of our finished sunroom. Not too long ago, our sunroom looked like this! Yuck! Yellow walls, cream berber (is that what it's called?!) carpet, and empty. The room came together piece by piece...first furniture, then paint, and finally tile! Here is our new and improved sunroom!!!FINALLY!!! (Oh...and I helped grout the floor. I was very proud of myself.) What's next? The basement. Here is a photoshopped picture of the goal. Tan and red!

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Go there. Now.

My husband's blog. Great pictures. Adorable kids. I mean, really...the pictures almost look professional, right?! I am so proud :)

Add him to your Google Reader. Comment if you want. Did I mention that I am so proud of him? I think this "hobby" is going to lead somewhere...http://mncphotography.blogspot.com/

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Sue's News

I have been excited for this post for a long time but was waiting until the right time. This is definitely the right time!

My girl, Kate, opened a book store in Kirkwood (literally around the corner from my house) last month. Her friend's father had a dream and needed someone to help make it a reality. If you knew Kate, you would know that she is perfect for that job. She is probably the most creative person I know. (She just helped plan, coordinate, and decorate this amazing wedding.)The book store is amazing (like I knew it would be) and I encourage you to check it out!
Here is the back story:
Susan Bannecker battled breast cancer for four years, and finally succumbed in July of 2008. Her husband opened Sue's News in 2009 in her honor. In addition to naming the store for her, they also carry a wide variety of Komen products, donating 100% of these sales to the organization.

Here is some exciting news:
In support of Pink October and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Sue's News will accepting used book donations for the month of October. 100% of the profits from the resale of these books will be donated to the St. Louis Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Check out Sue's News on their website and stop in! They are right across the street from Dewey's on Kirkwood (Lindbergh) Road. They were also featured on Channel 4 in a very touching peice that really shows Mr. Bannecker's passion for the store and a cure for breast cancer. Watch it here. They will also be featured on Show Me St. Louis this Wednesday at 3:00.

***I forgot to mention that Mike made the logo for Sue's News!***

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Love my babies...

Taking a nap. So cute!

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Week 3 and I'm alive!

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! Week 3 has been SO much easier than Week 2! Thanks to all of your comments, suggestions, and less of the jog then walk intervals, I have really enjoyed this week. Running for 3 minutes seemed impossible a couple of weeks ago and here I am! Of course, looking forward to the next week scares me but I don't need to think about that until next Tuesday. We have one more run on Sunday for Week 3 and then time to move on!On Saturday, Mike and I will be heading to Fleet Feet for some new shoes. I have no clue what we are looking for but I am sure that experts there can put us in some good shoes (although my legs have not hurt at all this week). After this weekend, we will be 1/3 done with this training! YAHOO!Oh...also, while we are on the subject of running, I have a couple more questions. It is starting to get colder in the mornings. This morning it was in the upper 40s/low 50s. Are there special gloves, hats, jackets, etc. to wear? I don't really want to drop too much money at the running store if I can just get the normal stuff at Target. Thanks!!!

I am looking forward to this weekend. I am dropping off calligraphy to a client, enjoying dinner with friends, going with Mike to photograph some adorable kiddos at Faust Park, getting running shoes, going to a housewarming party, and relaxing on Sunday by getting work done for my Masters classes. Can't wait!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

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What time do you go to bed?

Random question, I know. I get so tired, so early and wonder if other people around my age are the same way. I feel like I could go to sleep at any given time, any day. My bedtime used to be 10:30. Then it changed to 10:00. Over the past couple of weeks, I have started getting into bed at 9:30. Part of it has to do with the running and waking up at 5:15 every other day. (Speaking of running...thank you SO much for the encouragement and advice! Mike and I are going to Fleet Feet to get new shoes on Saturday.)

When I go to bed at 9:30 and get up at 6:00, I get 8 1/2 hours of sleep! Isn't that a little much???
How much sleep do you get?

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C25K...Week 2

Week 2 is completed. Unfortunately, not as easily as week 1. This week, we only had to do 6 intervals of jogging for 90 seconds and walking for 2 minutes. Easy Peasy on day 1. Day 2, I started getting pains in my legs. Today, the pain started the second I started jogging and continued the entire time.

I have figured out what is wrong. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO RUN. My "form" is terrible. I am not running heal to toe and instead, I am just clomping away. I am sure I sound like a herd of elephants. Because I am hitting the pavement so hard, it is causing pain in my lower calf down to my ankles. Shinsplints have also started to kick in. Oh, the joys of running.I don't know what to do. Quitting is not an option (although I know that weeks 3-9 are going to KILL me). I guess I am going to go to a running store and see if they have some advice for me. I probably need some better running shoes too. I hate being discouraged so early in the training but I am in pain and it is hard not to focus on it while I am running.

Week 3, Day 1 is on Tuesday. I am scared. Very scared.

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Balloon Glow and Hop in the City

Last weekend was jam packed with fun, family, and friends. On Friday night, we went to the Balloon Glow in Forest Park. I had never been before and it was a really cool experience. We arrived at about 7:15 and most of the balloon were up and glowing.There were so many people and beautiful balloons. We were joined by my parents and my sister and her boyfriend, Kyle.When the sun went down, the balloons really started to glow. Every few minutes, someone would blow a bullhorn and the all of the balloon would fire up and glow. The whole area would light up and you could feel the heat on your skin. It was an awesome sight!Mike loved taking pictures of the fire up close.(You can check out more pictures on Mike's blog.)
At about 8:30, we started the trek back to our car. Then, we sat. In traffic. Not even traffic. In a parking lot. For 1 hour and 30 minutes. I was NOT a fan. We did see the fireworks from the lot but we weren't too happy. Final verdict: Although I loved the balloon glow and thought it was a great experience. However, I won't be going back for a long time. It was one of those "see it once, and don't need to see it again" kind of things for me. I am sure I will bring my future kiddos there someday but obviously, that won't be anytime soon.

Saturday was the day of the Hop. We weren't able to go to this amazing event last year but we did attend in 2007 and 2006. There's not too much to say about the Hop. You get a little cup and are able to taste 40 different Schlafly beers. It all starts off just great and turns into a pretty hot mess quickly. We even ran into Jenn and Mary. Great seeing you girls! Ok...time for the pictures...Final Verdict: I will attend this event every year that I can. SO. MUCH. FUN.

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C25K...Week 1

Week 1 is completed and honestly, it wasn't that bad. We ran at 5:30 am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Because I kept moving all day, I never felt sore. I am not a runner, I don't like running, and I'm not very good at running. BUT...I am starting to think that this program might be successful for me. Running intervals at a slow pace is a great idea. I am trying not to think about the coming weeks. I am still freaking out about the fact that I might actually be able to run for over 30 minutes (without stopping)! Everyone says that it is all mental and that is what scares me. I am ridiculously insecure about this whole running thing and I really can't picture myself doing it. Hopefully, after a couple more weeks of this program, I will feel more confident in my running skills. Thanks for all of your kind words! This is going to be an interesting journey for me.

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Turkey Trot, here we come!

I can't believe it but I decided that I want to run a 5K. I am NOT a runner...not at all. My brother runs cross country in college and can easily do a "warm up" run that is 10 miles. Well, here I am starting the Couch to 5K program and I am terrified. I am already starting to doubt myself because I just can't imagine running for 30 minutes without stopping.

This morning, we got out of bed at 5:30 (Mia was so confused because for once, we were waking her up!) We did the first week workout which wasn't too hard. 5 minute warm up walk and then 8 intervals of 60 seconds jogging and 90 seconds walking. We will do this on Wednesday and Friday and start week 2 next week! I used Robert Ullrey's podcast today and it was great. You don't have to worry about using a stopwatch because he tells you when to walk and run. He has podcasts for all 9 weeks so I am planning on using those for a while. There are a lot of different podcasts out there so I might give some of those a try too.

If anyone else is interested in running the Turkey Trot in Chesterfield, here is the info!

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My husband...the blogger!!!

I never thought that those words would ever be in the same sentence. But, my friends, it is true. Mike has his own photography blog. I guess since he just spent another $300 on a flash (you can read about that on his blog), he should share his work with the world?!?

Here ya go: http://www.mncphotography.blogspot.com/

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I love St. Louis!

I really love this city. After high school, so many people wanted to get away and live in big cities like New York and Chicago. I have felt perfectly content in this city and I am now finally becoming a part of all of the wonderful events around town.

For the first time this year, we participated in the Downtown Restaurant Week. It was a great way to try different restaurants in St. Louis for a reasonable price. We went to Mike Shannons this year and I would like to try something different next year.

Today, we went down to Mike's church for the annual Greekfest. It was our 3rd time going to the Fest together (we had to skip last year's because it was the weekend of our wedding). I think this will become a tradition for years to come.

This month, I am looking forward to going to my first Balloon Glow. I found these pictures online and can't wait to take some of my own in a couple of weeks. It will be a busy weekend because the next day, we will be doing our best to try all of Schlafly's 40 beers at Hop in the City. This will be our 3rd time attending this event as well and let me tell you...this is a blast! I can't wait to drink the Hard Cider. My favorite!!!

I think next weekend, we will do the 10 mile bike ride for Kirkwood's Green Tree Festival. I haven't signed up...I need to do that now.

There are so many fun things that go on in this wonderful city and I want to participate in more of them. What are your "must do" St. Louis activities or events?

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Tess and Kevin get hitched!

Last weekend, I was lucky to be a part of one of the most beautiful and fun wedding ever. Remember when Tess and Kevin were engaged in October? Or Tess's fabulous bachelorette party in Destin in July? Mike also attended Kevin's bachelor party at the Lake of the Ozarks but there mysteriously aren't any pictures of that event (thank the lord).

All of the wedding celebrations came together for the mecca of weddings. We started the day getting ready in Belleville at Tess's parent's home. It was such a relaxing and laid back morning until suddenly, we had an hour till the wedding and no one was dressed! (Photos of the day used in this post are courtesy of the Browers and my hubby. The ones from the Browers have their name in the corner and Mike's are just plain.)It was finally time for Tess to get ready and she was stunning! The hair, the makeup, and wow...the dress! She was incredible!!! The ceremony was beautiful and Mike got some great pictures.Officially Mr. and Mrs.!!!After the ceremony, we hopped on the trolley to head for our reception destination, the Missouri Athletic Club on Washington Avenue. I can't believe we all fit in this picture! Where's Waldo? Can you find me?The trolley ride included t-ravs, cheese sticks and chicken fingers from their family owned bar, Big Daddy's. There may or may not have also been a chug-off of Boone's Farm wine, bubble gum flavored vodka, and a round of cherry bombs, as well.

Our first stop, The City Garden. I love this place! AND, I love this picture the Browers got of Tess and her sister, Lisa, running through the fountains.Then a stop to visit puppy, Truman, at Tess and Kevin's loft on Washington.We also stopped for a few at the Four Seasons but it wasn't the best experience so I am going to skip that part ;)

The reception at the MAC was amazing! Most of the guests at the wedding at Mizzou fans and Truman the Tiger was there to celebrate! (These pictures are Mike's!)The room was amazing and the tables were just beautiful!We danced the night away and just had so much fun!!!Congrats, Kev and Tess! We love you and can't wait for you to get back from Italy!(Check out more pictures of the wedding here and here.)

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Talkers vs. Walkers

I am a talker. There...I said it. I talk a big talk...but I don't walk the walk. I want things to magically happen or appear in my life. They don't.

I WANT to lose weight.
I WANT to learn more about photography.
I WANT to run a 5K.

Do I WANT to put work into any of these things? Nope. I would just like them to happen...sooner than later, please.

But Mike...he is a walker. A do-er if you will.

He WANTS shelves and a new work station in the garage. So...he makes them.
(before)(after)He WANTS to tile the sunroom. So...he wakes up early and does it.He even had a little admirer ;)He WANTS to be a good photographer. So...he goes to Borders and gets how-to books. He conducts photo shoots of the dogs at his work. (You need to click these pictures to experience the full cuteness of these pups!)(I am trying to talk him into making a photo blog. You should see the pictures he took of our friends wedding! Wait, you will see them...next post.)
I have decided that I need to be more of a walker and less of a talker. 5K...here I come (I hope!).

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