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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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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