Thanksgiving Weekend 2014, Everly's Dedication

Hmm, haven't posted on the blog for over 2 months... Why not throw one up today?

I don't like to post when I have nothing to talk about and obviously I need time to post. Today the stars have aligned. I have a topic and I have time (for the moment).

So, where to start? Everly's been sick all weekend. Her first little cold virus and it broke my heart. She was all stuffed up and so pitiful. Luckily my parents were here and they were a huge help as always. There were plenty of cuddles to go around.

Our friends from KY visited and mom and dad encouraged us to go hang out with them for awhile Saturday night. It was really great to see them and relax for a little bit.

We went to Nightbell, which is a newer speakeasy type restaurant/lounge. It's Katie Button's second place in Asheville (her first restaurant is Curate and if you're in Asheville you should make reservations and go because it's the best place in town in my opinion!). We really enjoyed the drinks and the small plates we tried. The margarita was delicious and the lobster roll was SO GOOD.

Sunday morning we got up for breakfast before church. Everly was being dedicated at church so I had bought her a beautiful cream colored dress for the event. I'm sure you can guess what happened. Holy poop storm. #firsttimemom

Should've took her to breakfast in her PJs and changed her at the church. Oh well. Luckily I had packed a second dress.

The dedication went great and she LOVED being up on stage. She's such a ham. I was just really grateful for the prayer from our church family.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Have you started decorating for Christmas yet?

Get any good deals on Black Friday?

Friday Fun

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Brad and I both worked the day before and the day after, so Christmas was a lazy day at home for us. Brad's parents came in a few weeks ago and mine are here this weekend so it's really been more like a Christmas couple of weeks!

Brad got me an awesome medal hanger (Allied Medals) and I'll be posting more about it later.

I was proud of myself because I actually surprised Brad this year. He is really good at shaking presents and figuring out EXACTLY what they are. So this year I brought a huge box home from work and wrapped it with a bunch of junk in it.

Along with all the junk, there was a picture of an exercise bike. I picked one out but he's so picky I figured I'd let him actually do research and choose before I went and got it. Sounds horrible, but trust me, it's really better this way. I actually went and picked up the bike that he chose today... now we just have to put it together!!

I'm thankful that we were off for Christmas and able to spend the day together, but sometimes it just doesn't feel like Christmas without being home. I'm excited to spend time with mom and dad this weekend!

At my work Christmas party a few weeks ago when Brad's parents were here to visit.

Week In Review

As I mentioned to y'all, the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge has officially begun and part of my participation involves sharing my workouts publicly and that means y'all get to read all the boring details [please feel free to skip right over it, i won't be mad atcha!].

but i will also smush in my marathon training weekly recaps to kill two proverbial birds...

monday::::  lifted shoulders and did a RUSH yoga class
tuesday::::  3 mile training run, 20 minutes stretch/yoga
wednesday::::  4 mile training run, lifted bis/tris/abs
thursday::::  5k turkey trot (with b-rad), yoga (plus cooking/cleaning points!)
friday::::  lifted shoulders/chest
saturday::::  9 mile training run, 20 minutes stretch/yoga
sunday::: 1 mile walk, yoga, WOW*

*the WOW stands for workout of the week that amanda posts to her YouTube channel. such a great way to learn new exercises to incorporate into your routine.

week 4 of marathon training::::  
i completed all my runs as planned. i was supposed to run 3 miles on thanksgiving and i ran raced a 5K. not the smartest (and keep in mind, me "racing" is still slow) but i selfishly wanted a new PR. i definitely paid for it and had to ice and foam roll like crazy.

i've been doing most of my training runs on the treadmill [with my eyes glued to gossip girl on the iPad] but i've kept the incline at 1. what do you all think about that?

here are some pics from the week (minus my turkey trot pics which i'll share in a separate post)::::

this was on the doorstep on monday, and i didn't order it. either i've gotten b-rad addicted to lulu  or he's been doing some Christmas shopping!

gossip girl on the treadmill, mismatched yurbuds, blox BCAAs, mizuno wave riders on the treadmill

after shoulder day

thanksgiving at our house!

me and my little brother

the fam at wild wing cafe on sunday after church

me and my beautiful momma

have you signed up for the Sock Swap??? 

rear view mirror:::: september 2012

running::::
after a slow two months, i picked it up [a little]. finished with 38 miles for the month, but more important than the numbers, i finished my first half since july. i was beyond worried that i would struggle [new meal plan, new workout plan, etc] but as Jill mentioned to me, apparently cross training suits me! 

i finished the cherokee harvest half marathon, which was number 7 of 12 in 2012. it really hit me this month (the one year anniversary of my first half marathon) how far i've come. this time last year i'd just finished my first half and who knew i'd have finished 8 total now! it really is proof that you can do what you want. i used to think running a half was crazy talk. now i've signed up for my first full [and that IS crazy talk! lol]

weight training::::
september wrapped up my 11th week of my new training plan. i am losing the weight slowly but surely. it's crazy how strong i feel though! i really wish i had one of those things to measure body fat percentage... I think it'd be very interesting to see how much that has changed. another interesting thing, i actually weighed what i do right now around april of this year [then managed to gain back the 18 pounds i'd lost plus some] but my clothes fit SO differently from how they did then. i put on a pair of capris yesterday and they literally almost fell off. it was awesome! so even though the scale might be moving a little slower than i'd like, i know i'm gaining lean muscle in the process and that's VERY important to me!

reading::::

crossed:  i am really enjoying this series but unfortunately the last book doesn't come out until november. it's a cross between the hunger games and the maze runner series. set in the future where the government has decided that we are overstimulated and it keeps us from reaching our full potential. so they get rid of so much  art, writings, etc and leave them with the 100 paintings, 100 songs, so on and so forth. they also match them with their mates and kill the citizens on their 70th birthdays. but there is an uprising and a love story involved. 

this is why you're fat: i downloaded this book while i was in tybee in june. i was out of books and i was also mad at myself for how i'd let all the weight i'd lost come right back. i quit reading it when i decided to try the fitness poynters plan. i went back and finished it when i realized that the third book in the crossed series wasn't out yet! it all made a lot of sense, but i didn't agree with everything in it. her meal plan is pretty good though. if you want it though, i'd recommend getting it in printed form vs. the digital copy. it's a book you'd need readily available and want to be able to flip through it. 

left behind & tribulation force: i am really enjoying this series. i'd started reading it a few years back [my mom had read them and recommended them] but honestly they scared me and i wasn't ready to read them. now i can't put them down but when i do it's mostly to spend more time reading the Bible. i know they're just one person's interpretation of the end of times, but i've really enjoyed them and they've helped me to become more focused on my walk with God. 

life::::

• my best friend got married last month! we traveled to ky for the beautiful ceremony which was in a vineyard. it was so wonderful to celebrate with friends that have become family over the years.
• we were able to drive up to cincinnati after the wedding and watch the reds play with brad's parents. they're in the playoffs so brad's pretty pumped. 
• i held a bridal shower at my house for another one of my friends that's getting married. it was the first thing like that i've ever hosted and i was pretty pleased with how it turned out. 
• i got to drive home and see my family and also my sweet aunt who is battling breast cancer. i always love time with the fam and it was especially great to see sherri. she's an amazing person who's fighting a battle right now. it would mean the world to me if you all would keep her in your prayers.
• brad took me to the pumpkin patch (my favorite fall activity)!

Weekend Adventures, Virginia Creeper Virgins

Today's workout:  20 minutes stair climber, 20 minutes Cybex, 15 minutes elliptical

Today was my first day back to work and I'm already ready for a day off! Not because I don't like work but because I feel like I have so much to do!!

On Saturday, Brad and I loaded up our bikes and drove over to Abingdon, Virgina to check out the Creeper Trail.

It was so beautiful!  If you're anywhere near it you should definitely check it out! We rode out 10 miles then turned around. Our butts were beyond sore. Gotta invest in either some better padded shorts or a new padded seat. Key word being PADDED. Ouch.

Sunday we got up early for church then went to Tupelo Honey for Easter brunch, YUM. After brunch we came home and napped for 2 glorious hours!!!! GREAT DAY.

Then mom and granny came to visit on Sunday and stayed til this morning. We had so much fun shopping, eating, and we may or may not have seen the Hunger Games. Yes that's three times for me if you're counting. Issues.

What A Pain In The.... Neck

Sorry to be a bitchy Betty but I am about SICK of my neck hurting.

Have you all ever used these things?

I tried them for the first time today and really liked them.

Note to self:  Putting stuff like this on you then getting all hot working out (or via heating pad) is probaly not the best idea. It increases absorption which could be bad. I removed them as soon as I got home (Brad LOVED ripping them off, probably the best part of his day!).

I got 4 miles of speedwork in on a hills program on the treadmill. I felt good while doing it but of course my neck is sore now. (PS my MD said it was fine to keep working out, just to avoid jerky movements) I tried to avoid the emergency stop but of course I managed to hit it twice.

Moving on, Donna nominated me for a bloggy award, THANKS DONNA!!! I really appreciate it!

Seven random things about myself? How about just 7 random things:

1.   Look what I found at Target yesterday:

Tell me that's not the greatest idea ever?! For hot chocolate or cereal or ice cream?!
2.  B-rad really needed to flatten out his license the other day (it got all wrinkly when he was taking it to his new job. How did we take care of it?

I swear we aren't alcoholics...

3.  My hair is kind of curly when I let it air dry (just curly enough to need to be straightened but not curly enough to be able to wear it that way!).

Hot, I know!

4.  I am addicted to this show now:

I watched all the episodes on the iPad over the long weekend and just my luck it starts back tonight!

5.  My mom loves all things Wicked (Wicked Witch and Glinda the Good Witch). I saw this and had to send it her way!

6.  Brad and I are really bad about changing the lyrics to songs to pertain to our lives. We're especially guilty of adding Rileybear however possible. Our newest hit? "Bear look at that doggie!" (Girl look at that body)... Yeah we're big time nerds, I know!!

7.  I can't think of anything right at this moment, but I did want to let you guys know that I've got a couple of great giveaways coming your way!!

On The Road Again!

Goodness gracious, I've missed you guys!! Sorry for the lapse in posting [although I have a few new followers... maybe less posting is better? WELCOME and THANK YOU!] just like all of y'all I've been crazy busy.

We just got back from Colorado where we spent some time with Brad's family. I have lots of fun stuff to share about that [I got to ride down the mountain on a snowmobile with ski patrol my first day if that gives you any indication of how things went]. But because I'm lazy and in a hurry I'm just going to share a few pics right now.

I'm working all day tomorrow and a half day on Saturday... then we get to go see my family for Christmas! I'm really excited because we haven't been home on Christmas in a few years. I'd like to say I'm all finished and ready to go but reality is I haven't even unpacked from Denver and I still have some shopping to do.

I just wanted to say MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all. I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your families. Safe travels and I can't wait to hear all about it!

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:1-14

Runway 5K at the Asheville Airport and a Great Weekend

Saturday I got up early and drove down to the WNC Ag Center to take a bus over to the AVL airport for the first annual Runway 5k. I went really early because we had to take the bus over, and you never know how that'll play out. The buses were super efficient (unlike the Run on the Wildside) so I had about and hour and a half to kill before the race. They had some planes out for us to look at:

It was FREEZING. This was my first run in the cold and it was challenging, especially with the crazy wind. It was pretty cool to run on the runway though. This was the first time for this race and I really hope they continue to have it. We even got technical shirts:

Unfortunately, I didn't finish under 30 minutes. My time was 32:47. But that's okay, just gives me something to work on. I was sooo on track to finish under 30 but I crapped out around 2.2 and had to walk for a minute.

I came home and made waffles for me and my little brother (my family came to visit!!!!). Then we got to work (Brad was at real work). Let me just tell you... My family is AWESOME. My mom pressure washed my front porch, dad and Matthew cleared off this forest in our backyard, and I mowed the yard. I wish I had a before picture, but here's the after:

This is a crap iPhone pic (what else would you expect from me?) but basically before they did this, the forest started right behind my garden. They chopped down trees and cleared all the brush. AMAZING.

Then we cleared the flower beds in front of the house. No, I don't require all my guests to do manual labor. I promise.


After we cleaned up and Brad got home, we went to Pack's Tavern in downtown Asheville.

It's a cool place with a lot of history (they made moonshine here during prohibition). We had some drinks and apps while waiting for a table. At some point during this, Brad tells me that mom and matthew had just taken a shot of everclear... WHAT?!? I misheard, they had actually had a sample of Pack's signature drink, the Orange Crush. Then all hell broke loose. I kid. But we all (minus dad who was our DD) ordered them. They were delicious! Tasted like an orange cream slushee. They were made with 10 cane rum, everclear, and Tang.

Here's my little brother (and his beard) and his drink. If you look past him you'll see mom's drink too and the magical slushee machine that spits these things out. Needless to say we all slept great last night.

Matthew is a powerlifter by the way. I don't have any weights but he used Riley to get some reps in:

They went home today and I'm sad :(