Throwback Thursday...On Friday

I forgot to do a Throwback Thursday post yesterday, so I'll do one today. I like the idea of having a themed blog post for certain days of the week. I think it will keep me accountable, and help me be a better writer!

Today's Throwback Thursday (On Friday) is about our trip to Disney World back in the middle of October.  We actually decided to go on a whim, about a week before.  My parents were going anyways, (to see my sister who was working there), and had already decided on a condo.  The week they were going happened to be the week that Ben was off after the last race of the season, and it happened to be the week after my last day of work.  The timing was right, and I was ready to see my sissy, so we decided to go.

Day 1: Mom, Dad & I drove down early Sunday.  The night before we went to bed around...1 am, and ended up getting up at 4 to hit the road.  It was a long, long drive but totally worth it! Ben would be flying to meet us there on Tuesday.














We saw this super awesome trailer on the way down...I love Yuengling!


We got to our condo Sunday evening, after a rather uneventful trip.  Our condo backed right up to Morgan's apartment, which was neat.  We were able to walk down the sidewalk to meet her, and THAT was super exciting! We went up to see her place and chat a little bit.  To welcome us, Morgan gave us adorable baskets filled with Disney things....shirts, scarves, candy, a Mickey Mouse flipper, of course guide maps to all the parks, etc. It was all super cute, and we really appreciated it! Then she showed us our itinerary for the next day.  She wrote down everything we needed to see while Ben wasn't with us...mostly because he doesn't do roller coasters, so we needed to get those done. We went to dinner at a restaurant at the hotel that night, and went swimming in the awesome pool.  Then we headed for bed, we had a big day planned for Monday!

Day 2: We woke up bright and early to hit the parks! We went to Hollywood Studios first.  It was fantastic because not only did Morgan have the day off, (so she could be our tour guide!) we also had guest passes that we all got, for FREE.  They were park hopper too, so that was awesome.  The first thing we did in Hollywood Studios was get fast passes for Tower of Terror.  Then we rode Rockin Roller Coaster, something I've wanted to ride since I was in Hollywood Studios last, in 1999! It was AH-mazing.  I loved it.  

Ready to hit the parks!

My cute family 

Rockin Rollercoaster...it was definitely rockin!

After hitting a few more rides at Hollywood Studios, (including Tower of Terror....just as fantastic as last time I rode it!) we headed to Animal Kingdom.  We saw the Lion King, which was one of the greatest shows I've ever seen....we went on a safari, which blew my mind.  We were so CLOSE to the animals, and it was just so cool.  We went on Everest, watched monkeys play, and saw Finding Nemo: The Musical.  I had never been to Animal Kingdom, but I really liked it, and would definitely like to go back some day!  

The day still wasn't over after Animal Kingdom, we ended the day at Magic Kingdom, watching fireworks.  That was neat, but the crowds were pretty awful there. You couldn't really walk down Main Street. I think we just timed it wrong, because we got there right as the fireworks were starting. After fireworks, we headed back to the condo, and to bed!

Day 3: Dad & I started the day by picking up Ben at the airport! That was exciting.  After we picked up Ben, we grabbed everyone else and headed for Clearwater Beach.  My parents will be retiring in less than 10 years, so whenever they are in Florida they like to look at potential retirement places! We had a beautiful day in Clearwater, the weather was perfect, and it was nice to just relax and enjoy each other's company!

Day 4: On Wednesday, Morgan had to work.  This was okay because we wanted to see her in action! We started the day at Hollywood Studios.  We went on Star Tours, and the Great Movie Ride before it was time to go see her! She worked at the Backlot Tour, and it was SO cool to watch her do her thing.  She was definitely in her element! Plus, we got to sit VIP, which is always fun!

There she is! She was awesome at her job!

After we watched Morgan we got to sit VIP for the Lights, Motor, Action! Stunt Show and that was really really cool. I think Ben liked that best. =)

The set for the stunt show

After that, we headed to Epcot.  I LOVED Epcot. It was so much better than when I was a kid.  We went on a few things, (Mom & I thought we were gonna die on Mission to Mars!). I liked going in the ball again. That is one of the things that sticks out in my mind from when we went in 99, and it was just like I remembered it!  We went to the world showcase, which was absolutely awesome.  We happened to be there during the food & wine festival. This meant there were tons of little stands from every country you can imagine, selling their country's food and beverages.  Ben & I had ravioli from Italy (of course), and it was SO GOOD.  Real Italian food is just as great as I hoped it would be.  We split up from Mom & Dad after that, and made our way around to the different countries.  I had a little wine in Italy. Ben's favorite was Germany (which I thought was neat too), and of course my favorite was France.  It helped that Belle was there! 

I really really liked Epcot, if I haven't mentioned that yet.  I had Mexican for dinner, (shocker), and then we met up with Morgan, who was off work! We walked around with her some, and went on Test Track, (another one I remembered from childhood, but it was way different this time) and then watched fireworks.  After that it was off to Magic Kingdom again! We went on Space Mountain and a few other things. We shut Magic Kingdom down that night.  Another exhausting day, but it was a fun one!

Day 5: Morgan was off work, but we were a guest pass short.  (The day before Mom just bought a park hopper ticket so we could be together).  Mom decided to spend the day shopping, (the outlet malls are fantastic), and Dad, Morgan, Ben & I headed off to Magic Kingdom.  We did all the things we hadn't done, but you gotta do while you're there. We did the TomorrowLand Speedway and the Teacups, and ate some yummy sundaes.  The only downside to this day was the weather. It was overcast and just a little bit cold. Otherwise, it was a fun day!

That night we made dinner in the condo, and it was a hilarious dinner. I don't remember exactly why, but we were all just silly.  It was fun family memories for sure. :)

Day 6: The last day =( Morgan was working, so Ben & I shopped at the outlets.  We got a couple things, but I am still thinking about things I wish I would have bought while I was there. Oh well, not meant to be.  I did get my first big girl purse from Coach, which I love. Mom & I also went to Downtown Disney to shop.  My legs were aching by the time we got home! That night we had a lovely family dinner at Bahama Breeze.  It was a great way to cap off a wonderful trip!

Sister and I before the last supper.

That night we said goodbye to Morgan, which was really sad. We really had a great time in Disney World though, and those are amazing memories with each other that we will never forget! 

This trip just reminded me that time with family is so very important, and my family means more to me than anything else.  I love to travel with them and be with them.  I feel blessed that we all get along so well, and can stand to be around each other for a week, when there are so many families that can't.  Every night before bed I thank God for my family, my friends and Ben. You know that quote, "What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?"  I always remember that. If I woke up tomorrow with only my family, my friends, and Ben, I would be perfectly happy.  Really, what else do I need?  

Okay enough sappiness.  Disney World rocked my socks. My family always rocks my socks.  That is all. =)

A Year in Review: 2013

Today is the last day of the year, so what better day than today to reflect on the past year? I will break down my reflections by month. Ready, go.

January: Not much of significance, except that I remember the first day of 2013...we went to see how the house was coming along.  It was a holiday, it was snowing and temperatures were in the single digits, so we thought for sure no one would be working. Wrong.  There they were, working away. That was neat.

February: We closed on our new house! I finally felt like an adult, and have felt even more so since then. We are just at a different place in our life now, simply because we have the responsibility of owning a home.

March: We moved in to our new home, and I turned 25.  25! The age my mom was when she had me.  Scary. For my birthday Ben & I had dinner, and the next weekend I went out with girls from work because Ben was traveling. (Shocker).  That was one of the best birthdays, we had SO much fun. Paid dearly the next day. =P  The end of March was also our first large family gathering. We had 12 people over for Easter weekend.  It was an absolute blast, I'll never forget how we drank margaritas BEFORE dinner and then forgot half the food. Ahh good times good times.  =)

April: Mom, Dad & I traveled to Alabama (a state I had never been to) to watch the IndyCar race.  Much fun was had, even if Mom took a snooze. During the race.  Haha.  We really did make a bunch of great memories.

May: May was a BIG month, as usual.  Dad & I started off the month by running a half marathon. It was absolutely the hardest thing I have ever done, but definitely something I can be proud of forever. I traveled with my parents some in May, going to Ohio and West Virginia to see family, which is always fun.  The biggest part of May was when Ben's driver got the pole for the Indy 500.  Major life accomplishment, and something Ben can always be proud of! Of course, the end of the month was the actual Indy 500. I went with my Mom, Dad & sister, and we had a great time, despite the fact that it was actually chilly and a little rainy.

June: The highlight of June had to be traveling with Dad to Texas for the IndyCar race there.  We flew out on a Saturday morning, meeting up at the Dallas airport. We went to the racetrack right away and spent the day there, which ended in a 4th place finish for ECR at the race.  It was a really fun day, one that I will remember forever. Of course it was awesome to spend time with Dad, and we've decided to make it a yearly tradition.  We flew home Sunday morning. It was a quick but awesome trip!

July: I threw a bridal shower for my dear friend Amanda. It was such a challenge because the shower itself was in Louisville but I did all the food and planning in Indy, but I loved every minute of it.  I've thrown a ton of showers in my life, and sometimes I wish I could make a business out of throwing showers and wedding planning (maybe I should just be a wedding planner?) because I love it and I've done it so much. Amanda's shower was a smashing success.

August: I decided to go part-time at work, for a couple different reasons.  It was definitely the right thing to do.  I also traveled to Columbus, Oh to see some newly-engaged friends and watch yet another IndyCar race.  Again, great memories. :)

September: I spent most of September enjoying my extra 20 hours/week that I wasn't working.  Did a lot of crafting and cooking!

October: I quit my job completely.  We traveled to Disney World with my parents to see my sister for a week.  What an AWESOME trip that was.  I'll have to chronicle it on a Throwback Thursday.  We had a blast, and it was fantastic to see my sissy! We also got to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters for the first time.  That was fun!

November: We traveled to the Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten on the Freedom of the Seas.  Again, an amazing and memory-filled trip that I will have to blog about soon! November was also Thanksgiving. We traveled to Cincinnati to be with Ben's family.  It was a fun time, but I was a bit sad to not be with my parents at all during the weekend. They were up in Cleveland with my Grandma though, so it was good for all.

December: We got a puppy! (Blog coming soon!) We also celebrated our first Christmas in our new house.  We had a fantastic time.  My parents and in-laws came for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Then, last weekend, we had 23 people over! Our largest gathering yet, and it was a smashing success!


Overall, I have to say that 2013 was a really good year.  It amazes me how many firsts we had, even though we are headed into our 3rd year of marriage. We traveled so much and got to see so many things.  We got to experience the joys of entertaining in our new house, and and we were blessed to spend time with the people that mean the most to us.  2014 has a lot to live up to, but I can't wait to see what comes our way! Peace out 2013!

Updating the Dining Table

Almost 7 weeks ago, I quit my job and it was SO liberating. That's not what this post is about though, I'll save that for another time.  This post is about the first thing I decided to do with my newly acquired free time!

Our dining room table was a wonderful hand-me-down from a dear family friend.  I was so grateful for this thing, and I still am.  It went with me into my first apartment in college, my 2 off campus houses, and my first post-college apartment.  Then it went with me into our first apartment as married people, then our second, and then into our brand new home, where it remains today.  

Needless to say, this table has some memories!  

Some of the memories/highlights that stick out in my mind about this table are:

~Eating "family dinners" around it with my amazing roommates on Deer Park.  We would invite all the S.O.'s over, cook something easy-like tacos or spaghetti-and sit around it while we ate, talked, and mostly laughed. Those were some fun times. 

~Again on Deer Park-we used this table for various drinking games on our Thursday Theme Nights..those were AMAZING nights, and some of my favorite memories of college.

~When I lived at River Oak after college with one of my best buddies and her then-toddler, we had some more "family dinners" and I remember that AB had her own little table in the corner, because she was just a little too short to sit at the table.  While I was sanding, I found some stamps, (in various animal/princess shapes), on the base. I think I can guess where those came from. :)

~After we were married, the table became the one place (in our apartments) where almost everyone could sit for a meal.  (Unless of course there were more than 4 people).  I remember having our parents and various friends over for dinner, and we always ate at the table.  These were the days when I learned to love cooking and entertaining.  

~Since moving into our house, we have had the table in 2 spots. Sometimes with all the leaves, sometimes without, but it's awesome to have options!  Either way, I am still enjoying putting a meal on it. In the last 10 months, we have had lots of people over for dinner, lots of breakfasts with our families, and Mom & I carved pumpkins here this year.

While all those memories were being made, the table took some abuse.  Plus, it no longer matched the decor.  We looked at other tables at Ikea, and almost bought one, but alas, it didn't fit in the car. Nor did it quite fit our particular budget that day.  It doesn't matter though, the point is we didn't buy it, and now I know why!

I'm not sure where the idea to update it came from.  Probably Pinterest.  I'd been talking about updating a lot of the pieces in our house, because hardly any of them match each other, much less the walls and decor.  The table seemed like a good place to start. There really wasn't much to lose. (Plus it's one of the few things in our house made of real wood that would sand down the right way.) I looked up some tutorials, bought a hand sander and some stain, and got to work!

My first step was sanding down the entire thing, all the way down to the grain. I didn't want any stain or lacquer left, because I needed the new stain to take and stick.  I started on a sunny Sunday, and by the end of the day, this is what I had: 

I sanded one leaf, and left the other for the next day.

I spent the next 3 (maybe 4) days sanding the other leaf, the rest of the top, the base, and the legs.  The best thing for this was the discovery that the entire thing comes apart..the legs & top come off the base, and the top can be pulled apart.  It would have sucked way more if they didn't.  All in all, the sanding wasn't bad.  There was a small issue with the fact that the base is wavy/curvy...but I managed, and only got super frustrated once, right at the end.  I'd been working for several hours, and the sander was driving me nuts.  I couldn't look at it anymore, so I made Ben finish the last little bit. :)

Here are all the pieces sanded down. (See those rings in the base? Those were a pain!)

After sanding, it was time for the fun part! I put on 2 coats of stain-which took roughly 2 days, (I used Rustoleum in Ebony), and 3 coats of polyurethane on top of that. (Which took another day). All I did was follow the directions on the cans as far as time between coats, painting with the grain, etc. I used a rag with the stain, to wipe of excess and even it out a little bit.  The picture below is after 2 coats of stain, before the polyurethane. Also, let me just say I froze during this process. It was in the 20's outside, which means the garage was in the 40s.  I wore 2 shirts, 2 pairs of pants, gloves and a hat.  It worked though, I just turned on some Christmas music and went to town! =D

You can kind of tell in the picture, but I am one MESSY painter. (Mom-I know you are shocked).  Luckily I knew this already, so I had a drop cloth that took up the entire area I was working in.  

The can said to let it cure for 7 days.  I finished up on Thursday before we left for vacation on Saturday, so I left everything where it was while we were gone.  We did put the top back on the base, and the leaves on some boxes so the bottom of all the pieces would dry.  When we returned from our vacation, we moved the table back into the house! This had to be done slowly, but we did it, and this is the final product!

I am really happy with the way it turned out.  I still don't know what to do about the chairs (I have no desire to try to sand them, way too intricate), but I'll figure it out soon. I wasn't sure if I could handle something so crafty, but I think it went great! Even Ben said he thought it was out of my reach, but he likes it too!  

I am super inspired to try some other pieces now, but I think I'll wait until spring. :)

Throwback Thursday: Building our first home

I've decided to make Throwback Thursdays a regular thing on my blog.  I think it will keep me writing, and I can blog about things that have been going on the last 2 years.

Today's Throwback Thursday is about building our new house! We have lived here for 9 months now and absolutely love it.  But let's start at the beginning.

Around September of last year we started thinking about our next move.  We were living in an apartment, which was nice enough, but we knew it wasn't a permanent thing, and we knew that at some point we would live in a house.  We started looking around on Zillow, and did a few driving trips through the areas we were interested in, but nothing seriously caught our interest.  We didn't even really know what our budget was, we just had rough estimates based on what our chief financial advisor Dave Ramsey said we could afford. (We love Dave Ramsey and use his methods for all of our financials.  I'll blog about it one of these days). We really wanted to live in Zionsville, where I worked, and while the existing homes were beautiful, they were way out of our potential price range. One Sunday we did a "tour of homes".  I put that in quotes because I would not have called it that, basically it was a map of all the area model homes and builders.  We drove around to each one though, and I think that is when we started thinking about building a home.  Many of the builders we looked at seemed great, but we could tell quality wasn't there with all of them. (If you jump on the floor upstairs and the whole house moves--scratch that builder off the list).  We also noticed that most of the builders in neighborhoods had the same styles/floorplans. We went to a lot of places, and by the end they all ran together and I think we left feeling a little deflated about the choices, but liking the idea that there were choices.

We kept thinking about building for a few weeks, discussing it, pros and cons, etc., and then Ben remembered a builder that we had seen but not looked at.  I didn't even really remember this place, but I drove over on my lunch break one day, (it was 6 minutes from my job...huge plus!), and liked what I saw.  Later that week we went there, saw the model, saw the options, saw the land, and really really liked what we saw.  Then, Ben lost his job.  His race team cut most of their people, (I guess they couldn't afford the off season).  I thought all hope was lost on building a house, but we continued to stay in touch with the sales person, (who was awesome and I want to be her...), and when Ben got hired onto a new race team about 3 weeks later, for significantly more money than he was making before, we decided to go for it.

There were 2 floor plans that we really really liked, and we had kind of a hard time choosing. We definitely liked 1 more than the other though.  In the end, the deciding factor was the lot that we wanted.  According to the developer, there was only one floor plan that would fit on the lot,  and it was our second choice.  We knew this lot would be worth it though, so in early November last year we put down earnest money and signed a purchase agreement! That was a scary/really exciting day!

 This is one of my favorite pictures ever.

Our lot! 

It's so funny to look back on these pictures now, there are way more houses around these days!

On November 30, 2012, they broke ground on our new home.  I drove to the house on my lunch break nearly every day of the build, and I'm really glad I did that.  Sometimes things wouldn't happen for a few days or a week, and that got stressful, but when things did happen, it was super exciting!

 We had a bit of a pond for a while.

Then the basement walls went up!

I was standing at the end of the "driveway" when I took this picture.

We went to Florida for Christmas and while we were gone, they started putting up walls! This was amazing because there was a huge snowstorm, but those guys, they did not care!

Walls!

We went to the house on New Year's Day, assuming it was a holiday, it was snowing and about 20 degrees, surely there wouldn't be anyone working. We were wrong.

We watched them put up our bedroom walls in about 15 minutes. That was cool!

The day they put the roof on was a great day, it started looking like a house!

I have to say, I have a ton of respect for the men who worked on our house.  It didn't matter that there was a foot of snow on the ground, single digit wind chills, they were there and working all the time.  We were concerned about building in the winter, but our fears were unfounded, they finished right on time.  On February 28, 2013, we closed on our brand new home! (If you are keeping track that's less than 3 months. Amazing.)  We didn't have a yard when we closed, which was frustrating, but..it was still winter after all, and we lived.  Here's a few more pictures from the process.  

Windows and garage doors!

Then the siding went on!

This was a day or 2 before closed..

Ahh, the keys! What a great feeling!

Moving day was March 2nd, 2013. (2 days before my birthday!) My parents and sister, and Ben's parents all came to help out.  It was a great day other than the fact that it was FREEZING! (Are you seeing a trend here?) Morgan and I went to supervise the delivery of the refrigerator and the painters while everyone else loaded the truck.  Oh...and after the truck was completely loaded it wouldn't start..that was awesome..

Here's my dear sister, waiting for the refrigerator to be delivered.

Trying to figure out why the truck won't start...

We ended up calling a truck maintenance/towing company, and waited around for them for about an hour, praying we wouldn't have to unload it again..

About the time the tow truck was pulling up, my mother-in-law went to try the truck 1 more time, and surprise! It fired right up.  The rest of the move went off without a hitch. :)

We got a yard eventually, bad news is they just tore it up again! More on that later.  I'll end it with this picture of our finished house!

Ben's Birthday

Tuesday was Ben's birthday. We had a very quiet day, and while he was at work I cleaned the house and baked some yummies.  When he got home, this is what I had.

How's that for a birthday spread?

I made pumpkin spice cookies, (from a pre-made mix, for some reason I really struggle with from-scratch cookies), and a no-bake cheesecake, which he requested. (Again from a mix...I have never had success with cheesecake either....those are my 2 baking weaknesses...cookies and cheesecake. Sad. Maybe I just need more practice).  We went to Roselli's Pizza for dinner, which is a place we've been with friends one other time. It was yummy and we had lots of leftovers to take home.  That was pretty much it for the actual day.

This past weekend we had a cookout with his parents and a few friends.  It was a nice evening, Ben grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, and better cheddars (my new favorite grill item). If you don't know what they are, basically it's a sausage with cheese in it.  Extremely tasty, but not a very healthy choice, so we don't eat them very often. SO much sodium. Yikes.  Anyways, we had ice cream cake at the birthday boy's request, and the ladies who came over helped me make cheesy bacon potato bites (from this blog), mini carmel apples, (based on this recipe), and chips and salsa.  It was a very successful evening, and I think we all had fun.  Ben's parents spent the night with us, and the next morning I tried a quiche for the very first time. It was surprisingly successful.  I used this recipe from Savory Sweet Eats and it was awesome, although time consuming.  The night before I shredded the cheese, which took the longest, because I only have a small hand grater, not a box grater (I should put that on my Christmas list!). I had a block of cheddar and a block of swiss.  It took forever.  Luckily I didn't use all the already-cooked bacon from the potato bites the night before, so I was able to throw that in the morning of.  I also bought pre-cooked diced ham, and pre-cooked sausage crumbles from Jimmy Dean. (I was nervous about it, but the sausage was really good).  Thank goodness I had the pre-cooked meat, because in addition to mixing up the egg mixture, I had to brown my crust before putting in the filling.  I had never used a pre-made pie crust, but I think pre-made is a misnomer.  It's pre-mixed and ready for the oven. Not pre-made.  Anyways, I struggled to get the egg mixture in on top of the cheese and meat, it kept spilling out the sides.  However, when it was finally done cooking and ready to eat, it looked beautiful and tasted awesome too!

All in all I would say that Ben's birthday was a success!

The past...2 years?

It has been a LONG time since I have logged onto blogger and wrote something.  My life is a bit different than it was the last time I posted, which was in October of 2011/January 2012. I just read over what I wrote back then, and I can't believe those posts were nearly 2 years ago. As much as I want to think things are WAY different now, they really aren't that different. Is that sad? Or is that good? I'm not sure..
Things that are different in November 2013 than they were in October 2011:

December 2011: We had been married 2 months, and lived in a little apartment in Louisville. Our lives were getting ready to change big time.
VS:
November 2013: We have been married for 2 years and 3 months. But who's counting? =P We live in a suburb north of Indianapolis, in a house that we built. (!) We adore our house. Soon I will do an entire post about that. =) Our life is fairly consistent, no huge changes on the horizon. We'll see how long that lasts.

December 2011: I had an awesome job with Stretch n Grow of Kentucky.
VS:
November 2013: I have no job. Essentially by choice. It's a long and complicated situation. (Again, another post for another day). I am currently a full-time wife, and I actually really love it. I have to say it is a million and a half times better than what I was doing...

December 2011: I was running some. A few races here and there.
VS:
November 2013: I am still running some, and in May of this year I ran a half marathon. Absolutely my biggest personal accomplishment since graduating from college.  You guessed it, another post for another day.

There are a lot of things that are still the same as they were back then.  For example, I am still madly in love with my husband.  He makes me laugh every day, even if I don't want to laugh. He is there for me in my times of crisis, holding my hand and walking me through whatever my issue of the day is.  He is so smart, and keeps our life organized and flowing, especially financially.  Not just because he is the only money-maker currently, but because he is in charge of the budget, and he does a great job. Sometimes I don't like what he has to say, but he absolutely understands what is going on with every penny we have, and I appreciate that.  Oh, and today is his 26th birthday. 26! Who woulda thought we would be here, married, in Indy, at 26. Wow.

Okay world, hear me now. I WILL blog. I WANT to blog. My goal is to blog 1-3 times per week. There. A realistic, specific goal to reach for.  Ready, go!

Listening to: Defying Gravity, Glee Cast Version

The past 2.5 months

After my first post it occurred to me that I really don't have much to say on a blog for others to read.  I mean honestly, our life is not exciting.  Or so I thought.  It's taken me this long to come up with things to say. Of course in our daily life my sweet sweet husband often replies to my various witty comments with "you should blog about that".  So here we are.  Today's thoughts: Running.  Moving.  Christmas/New Years.   Using this blog as more of a journal and less of trying to entertain the world.  My prayers/thoughts from today.

Running: I have been running pretty consistently for the past couple of months.  I took a short break back in October because I had a nagging pain in the side of my foot that just wouldn't go away.  After doing some internet diagnosing (the best thing to do right?), I decided that I needed to quit running on it for a bit, since jumping, sliding, hopping and skipping are part of my everyday life.  (I have an awesome job!)  After a solid 2 week break I started again, and of course basically had to start from the beginning in terms of endurance.  Luckily since that break I haven't had much pain in my foot, only the occasional ache in the morning.  In mid-November, Dad and I ran 2 5k's in 36 hours, and it was awesome.  The first one was at The Kentucky Horse Park (The Southern Lights Stroll).  It was awesome running at night through the Christmas lights, and Dad and I had a good time running together, since we haven't done that in about 6 years.

This is Dad and I before the race...photo credit to my mother-in-law! (I don't know why my face looks so chunk)

It was a pretty cold November night! 

The other race we ran was on a Saturday morning at Middletown United Methodist Church and it was not as awesome.  The whole thing, (and I mean the entire thing), was uphill.  Both ways.  Ick! I had terrible calf cramps when it was over, and I honestly can't say I enjoyed that one!  In December I ran a 4K by myself in Cherokee Park.  It wasn't too bad but it was COLD.  Definitely the chilliest temperature I had ran in at that point.  My face was numb most of the way, but luckily I layered and had on warm gloves.  The run itself was tough.  Lots of long, slow uphills.  Good times.  Next on the radar is the Frostbite 5k (once again at Cherokee Park) this Saturday.  I've been busy training for it, and I even have a Nike chip in my shoe now...it's a sweet device that connects to an app on my phone and tracks my workout.  Very cool.

Moving: Well the word is out.  We are moving.  All the way to Indianapolis.  Ben got his dream job with an IndyCar race team, and he couldn't be more excited. I'm excited for him, and I'm excited to move, but the whole thing has been incredibly complicated.  The turnover was very fast, like he interviewed on Tuesday and was given an offer on Thursday before Christmas.  Obviously he accepted.  So now, we have to a)find a way out of our apartment lease b) find a place to live and c)move. We talked to our people at our current apartment and they aren't being too helpful.  We have to give 60 days notice and pay a termination fee and blah blah blah.  So the bottom line is that I am stuck here in Louisville until the end of February.  Ben gets to work at his new job and live in our new apartment, which we luckily found after two separate trips to Indy during the week between Christmas and New Year's.  Thank goodness we didn't have to work!

Christmas and New Year's: Christmas was odd, but good.  We had our families and family friends here for Christmas Eve, which was lovely.  I made a peppermint cheesecake (which wasn't cheesecake at ALL), mint chocolate chip cookies (which were delish), and peanut butter fudge (which started as Buckeyes but failed miserably.)  We played some games and drank and ate.  It was good fun.  Christmas Day Ben and I had our first Christmas morning together at our apartment.  We sat in front of the tree and opened our presents, starting our own little tradition! After presents and a yummy breakfast of eggs, bacon and hash browns (Ben's request), we went to my mom and dad's.  There were tons of presents and lots of yummy food, and we really enjoyed our time there.  After that, we spent the afternoon with the in-laws and ate some Christmas dinner.  All in all it was a really nice Christmas, although different from any Christmas I've ever experienced!

Our Christmas Tree (picture taken with my new camera!)

Mom and Dad's tree.  SO many presents!

For New Year's, my dad's family came to town and we all had a lovely time.  Friday night we hung out at mom and dad's after a yummy dinner at Mi Casita.  I got to see some high school buds too, which is always a plus.  On actual New Year's eve, we went to my aunt and uncle's, and it was a really great time.  We played games, looked at old photos, and of course rang in 2012!

We are so excited for what 2012 will bring us!

I know this is a long post, but there is one more thing I must say.  

My prayer today, (and often), is that my children will be born with some sort of athletic ability.  I know it seems like a silly thing to say, but honestly.  I work with so many children, and there are many who are incredibly gifted in sports.  However, there is a large, scary number of them who just have no clue.  I have always been involved in athletics and sports, really for as long as I can remember, so it is very hard for me to fathom a 3rd grader who doesn't have any clue how to play kickball.  The conversation is this: Me-It's the same rules as tee ball or baseball.  3rd grader-I've never played.  This BLOWS MY MIND.  I thought it was a right of passage for 4 year olds to play tee ball.  Really.  I have a hard time grasping a 4th grader who doesn't know how to put on a baseball glove.  The really sad part of it to me is that the majority of the clueless are girls.  The gap between the boys and girls that I teach is incredible.  The boys know how to play every sport, and generally have significant ability in almost all of them.  The only thing the girls that I teach know is volleyball, (if they know anything at all about sports, which many of them don't).  I've never seen anything like it.  Maybe it has to do with the demographic I am teaching, and the type of school I am in.  I don't know, but it concerns me greatly, and I am doing everything I can to educate!  Parents of the world, please put your children (especially your daughters), in sports.  Please play catch with them in the back yard.  Please send them outside to play.  We have the power to enable our children to be athletically gifted, or at least physically fit and we can give them the knowledge to lead a healthy lifestyle!  

That is all. :)