We did it!

We finished our first 5K in 33 minutes and 33 seconds!!! (EDIT TO ADD: I just checked Fleet Feet's official time and we both finished together at 33:30. That is a 10:48 mile!!!! AHHHH!!) I can't believe that we beat our goal by 6 minutes and 30 seconds. YAYAYYYYY!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. We have a lot to be thankful for this year. Hope you have a great time with family and friends.

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Whatcha watchin?

Thanks to DVR, I am able to watch so many more shows. I usually am able to catch up on the entire week on the weekends. Here are my favorite shows that are currently set on my DVR (and I know...it's too much...)

So You Think You Can Dance- Love this show. Always have. I remember watching it in 2006, in my old apartment, on Bina's bed, screaming about how much we LOVED these dancers. This season, I think the best dancer is Jakob Karr. This kid is AMAZING! The judges keep saying that this is supposed to be the best season. I don't think so. Last season was SO much better. These kids have some work to do!

Modern Family- This show is pretty darn funny. My friends at work were talking about it so I set my DVR to record it. It is a fun show to watch as a couple because Mike doesn't like a lot of the shows that I watch.Biggest Loser- Honestly, I am not a big fan of any of the people left. BUT, I love this show!!! I wanted Abby or Rebecca to win. Hopefully they keep losing at home!Dancing With the Stars- I am probably the only person under 50 that is watching but I am. Loving Maya...she is great!Dexter- OH. MY. GOODNESS. I love this show. It is amazing. Can't say anymore.Brothers and Sisters- Does anyone else watch this show? First of all, so happy that Balthazar Getty is off the show. I had had enough of his womanizing ways in his real life and his character was just annoying. I am really loving this season. Can't wait to see what Justin and Rebecca decided to do with their little surprise brewing.Nip/Tuck- Can't believe I am still watching this. BUT...I'm not watching the trash that a lot of my friends are (Housewives of OC/Jersey/Atlanta/etc) so I allow this to be my trash.Glee- Makes me so so happy. As a self-proclaimed show choir dork, this is the best thing that has happened to me on TV.Ellen and Oprah- My DVR is set to record these ladies every day. Honestly, I don't watch every Ellen (it just depends on the guests of the day) but I watch every single Oprah. With only 1 year left of Ms. O, you better believe that I will enjoy ever last minute of Your Highness. I know, I know...that is a lot of TV. I am always shocked when I meet people that don't want ANY TV. Obviously, I love TV. Now that we have DVR, the amount of shows that I can watch has definitely increased.

What are you watching? Are there any other shows out there that I should record? Off to watch SYTYCD, Dancing with the Stars, and Biggest Loser (they are all recording right now!).

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Done and Done (Weeks 8 and 9)

I can't believe that we have completely finished 9 week of the Couch to 5K program! I am proud to say that we have successfully completed the program and we will run our first 5K on Thursday! We ran 27.5 minutes during Week 8 and 30 minutes during Week 9. Unfortunately, we still haven't run 3.1 miles. We have only gotten up to 2.7 miles in 30 minutes. My goal is to finish the race in 40 minutes so I hope we can do that! I am nervous because I hear most of the Turkey Trot is uphill and we have only trained on flat roads. I am hoping that the adrenaline rush from the actual race will make it easier. I am REALLY excited!I have said this many times but I am just amazing at how this program works. It seems like just yesterday that I was struggling with Week 1 and 2, almost unable to run 2 minutes at a time. I am so proud of how far I have come. We haven't even finished our first 5k but I am already thinking about what is next. We want to run the St. Patty's Day run and the Komen Race for the Cure. We might even start thinking about running a 10k in 2010! I guess I need to keep my eyes on the short term goal...FINISH THIS TURKEY TROT!!! Woo hoo!!!

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My Mia!

I haven't posted about my little baby lately. Miss Mia is just so cute...still loving this sweet girl. Mike posted some on his blog so I stole them for your viewing pleasure!I love her hair cowlic in the pictures above :) Such a beautiful, white necklace...
Look at those big, brown, puppy dog eyes...Isn't she just the cutest?!? She has an adorable personality to match, too!!! Maybe I am just a bit biased...

I am actually really glad that Mike posted these pictures because you can see a little something, something that has shown up on Mia's lip this week. Check it out...What is that red stuff? It is hard, feels like a scab, was black last week and is red this week. The other side is just normal. I thought maybe her "jowl skin" was growing or something. Mike looked it up and everything said that it is a dog's version of chapped lips? Do you pups have this?

***UPDATE*** As of 10 pm, we noticed that this red jowl is getting bigger. We also noticed blood on our comforter :( I guess we need to call the vet.

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Running Brag

Last week:
TIME: 25 minutes
DISTANCE: 2.1 miles
PACE: 11 min and 55 sec mile

This week:
TIME: 28 minutes and 22 seconds
DISTANCE: 2.5 miles
PACE: 11 min and 20 sec mile

That's an improvement, folks! We are going farther and getting faster!!! Only 2 weeks until the big Turkey Trot!!! (I used the Cool Running Pacing Calculator to help me figure this out!)

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Family Pictures!

Last Sunday, we met Lynsey at Lafayette Park for some family pictures. We were rained out the week before and we were so lucky that we were able to squeeze these pictures into our busy schedule. Lynsey is such a sweet person and she and Mike were able to talk photography together. I am sure we will hang out with Lynsey again in the future! Thanks Lynsey for spending time with us and our crazy puppy (she really was being CRAZY that day)! Here are some of my favorites...Hope everyone has a great day!

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San Francisco!

Stephanie and I cheered together in high school. She was a freshman on our JV squad and we cheered together again on Varsity. After graduation, I can honestly say that I haven't seen Stephanie again. Then one day, she commented on my blog.

Stephanie is living in San Francisco and is recently engaged to a super-handsome man named Scott. We have been reading each others' blogs and getting to know each other again. She even used an idea that I posted on our calligraphy blog for her bridesmaids.

Then, she started looking at Mike's photography blog. One thing led to another and now I can official say that we will be heading to San Fransisco to photograph her wedding next summer!!!!

To say that we are excited is extremely an understatement!!!

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Let's talk babies!

No. I'm not pregnant. I'm not trying to get pregnant or ready to get pregnant. BUT...I am starting to get a little bit of the baby fever! It came on suddenly, but it has definitely struck. (Maybe somewhere between my sore throat and dry cough!)I don't know why I feel the need to talk about this. Maybe because I am sick of writing about running, my dog, and my husband. Maybe because I just don't feel like grading and/or writing papers.

Since we have gotten married, naturally the next question starting coming. "When do you want to have kids." We knew that we definitely want to do the puppy thing first. Loving it.The next thing that was a must for me before kiddos was to finish my masters degree. Almost done! I will graduate in May! I also added to my "must have/do before having kids list" going to Italy with Mike. We haven't gone a vacation alone (other than our honeymoon) and it is something that we really want to do. We haven't booked our trip yet but we are planning to go this summer.Finally, and this might be vain or silly...but I want to lose 10 pounds. I really want to get in charge of my life by eating better and exercising on a regular basis. Running really has given me a reality check. No more fat, lazy, unhealthy Lauren.So, that is where I stand now. Who knows where this next year will take us but it looks like we have an exciting road ahead of us! 5K, graduation, Italy...oh my!

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Done with Week 6

I am starting to feel like running is like a pregnancy for my blog. A lot of girls post each week about the progress of their pregnancy. Nope, not me...I share my progress with running. I hope it isn't getting to0 boring. It really is all I blog about nowadays!

This week, I got the sweetest and most encouraging email from Teresa. As a fellow couch potato-turned-runner (is that fair to say, Teresa?), she understands exactly what I am feeling going through this journey. She started with the Couch to 5K programs and has already done a half marathon. I am sure a full will be somewhere in her future. (Who knows if I will ever get to that point?!) I know that it sounds cheesy but running is really starting to change my life. It sucks...but it is also so good. I crave it. I think about it constantly. And I hate it. But I LOVE finishing.

Today, we finished our longest run yet...25 minutes. Definitely over 2 miles! I have NEVER run for that length of time in my entire life. It made me feel good to know that Mike hadn't ever run that long either! I thought I was going to give up after 8 minutes, but Mike wouldn't let me. When I hit the halfway point, there was nothing stopping me. I NEEDED to finish. It was hard. Very hard. I am tired, and sore, and my throat hurts :( But I did it!

Week 7 consists of running 25 minutes, 3 times this week. I like the idea of feeling stronger and more comfortable with this length. I am going to get a Garmin from Karen tomorrow so hopefully I can figure out my pace and how far I am actually running.

As always, thanks for your continued support. It probably sounds dumb, but you all keep me going when I want to stop. I mean seriously, how could I blog and tell everyone that I quit in the middle of a run. That would be totally disappointing and embarrassing. Thanks for your encouragement!

Happy Halloween!

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Congrats Stevie and Matt!

Last weekend, we celebrated the marriage of Stevie and Matt! We had such a great time at their wedding. The best past was catching up with all of my high school friends. Here we are...the Parkway Central girls...Stevie was such a beautiful bride and they got so lucky with the amazing weather. Oh...and Jenn came over beforehand and did my makeup. She did a phenominal job! Check out her new website. Now on to some of Mike's pictures! See more here.Such a beautiful day for a beautiful couple! Congrats guys! Can't wait to see you and hear all about Mexico :)

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Questions and answers...

Will St. Anthony's take bridesmaids dresses?
YES! They will accept anything that has to do with weddings. Any dresses, decorations, veils, anything!

When and where do I go to donate?

2136 Woodson

Overland, MO 63114

Saturday Noon-5pm

Does Mike take photography clients?
YES! Contact him at mncphoto@yahoo.com

Is it Friday yet?

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Calling all former brides and trivia lovers!

A friend of ours started a non-profit organization in St. Louis that helps low or no-income brides. Please take a moment to read the information below. They need people to donate wedding dresses and participate in their upcoming trivia night!

"St. Anthony’s Bridal is a non-profit organization that serves brides on tight budgets, low or no income brides, student brides, and so on. It started in the Washington DC/MD area in 2004 and has since loaned out beautiful wedding gowns and reception decor. We help brides pull together the details and whatever it takes to make that special day perfect. Our location here in St. Louis will be opening on October 1^st. We are in need of a few things to get started and are throwing a trivia night to help pull it together. Please help us to ensure these brides in need get everything they dream of on their wedding day, and join us for Trivia:

Trivia Night benefiting St. Anthony’s Bridal – St. Louis

November 13^th, 2009

Doors open at 6:30, trivia begins at 7:30 sharp!

Immaculate Conception

294 Marshall Ave, Maplewood MO 63143

Tables of 8 to 10 - $250 per table if postmarked by November 1^st

Or pay at the door, $300 per table on November 13^th

Don’t have 8-10 people? Send in $25 and we will put a table together for you.

Beer and set-ups provided

Bring snacks for your table if you would like

Fun raffle prizes

Silent Auction

10 rounds of AWESOME trivia!!!

Please, please, please attend! And forward this to all of your friends & family!

If you are interested, please become a friend of St. Anthony's Bridal on Facebook for more information!

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Bye to Week 5...

...and hello to Week 6. Each week of this program, I am more and more shocked that I can do it. I love reading over my running posts to see how hard each week was at that time. I had been dreading that 20 minute run for weeks and last Friday morning, we did it! I'm not going to lie...it was hard. I was sore afterwards too :( BUT...I DID IT! I also realized something about running. I don't really like the running part but I LOVE the finishing part. The feeling of accomplishment is so great and it really keeps you looking forward to the next run so you can feel that "runners high" again. Now that the 20 minute run is behind us, I really feel (for the first time), that I am going to be able to do this!We will run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday again but the schedule above is totally do-able. Looking forward to another successful week of running!

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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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