Grossly overdue...

My sweet Valentine girls- my Mom made their Christmas/Valentine rompers! They are exquisite.

We have had a busy past couple of months! My camera went haywire and after arguing with Kodak about it for 1 month, they sent me a "refurbished" one, but it is incredible. No blurry pictures anymore, even with digital stabilization and brush-ups on camera classes... :)

So I'm so happy to have a camera again-

I'm signed up for the ING Half Marathon at the end of March. I love the long distances! But not a full marathon - 26 miles?! Good grief. I'll stick to my 13.

Work is great still - love how I can balance mommy and work and still have our sweet Yanina, who is here with the girls on my days off. Issa still loves school three days a week. Last weekend she had a Princess Birthday Party to attend, which was full-out amazing. She had a blast.

What a fun holiday!

We had an amazing Thanksgiving this year, as always! It's always wonderful to spend time with the family that you are so thankful for, and remember all the incredible blessings in your life. With two small children, I am always reminded of our blessings - a strong marriage that we put ahead of our children, two girls that keep us laughing, parents who are so helpful and a joy to help raise our children, siblings that we love dearly and who love us just as much - our blessings are abundant, and we remember it every single day.

On Wednesday (I only had to work Tuesday last week, Jacob a 1/2 day), I enjoyed lunch with my 4 friends from UGA, and all of our children (11 altogether!). We had a great time catching up. Wednesday afternoon my brother, sister in law, and neice Katelyn got to town. We had a huge pasta dinner here at our house for dinner that night.
Thursday morning I ran my first half-marathon. Stephanie, a friend from high school, and I ran together. It was an incredible experience of setting a goal and achieving it. We ran a consistent 10 minute mile the entire way through the race, and at the end were Jacob, Issa, Mae, my parents, my brother, Rachel and Katelyn. It was exhilerating.
Then we headed home - we had a later Thanksgiving dinner, around 5 PM, so the kids could get in a good nap. Mom cooked an incredible turkey, with fresh herbs (dill, rosemary). It was incredible. The spread of food was more than the table could hold!
We enjoyed visiting together as a family, and then went to Stone Mountain to see the Christmas lights, although the lights were a bit more sparse than in years past.
Friday morning, Rachel, Mom and I headed out at 4:45 AM to go shopping! We got lots of presents for Christmas, and enjoyed the time together.
When we returned, Jacob and the girls and I packed up and headed to Birmingham, to spend time with his family for the holidays. We enjoyed our time with Nanny, Aunt Suney, Uncle Barney, Juju and Kyle, nana and big, Becky, Skeet/Nancy, the list goes on! The girls had a blast playing. We enjoyed keeping Katelyn on Saturday while my brother and Rachel went to the AU/AL game.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving - giving lots of thanks for all of our blessings in life.

Halloween Princesses

The Atlanta Half!

Random Thoughts

1. So excited for some upcoming fun! This Saturday morning, Carly, Carina, and I are running in a Halloween 5K. It'll be fun to dress up. :) This Saturday NIGHT, Carly/Tom and Jacob/I are going to eat at a GREAT new restaurant near the Fox, Magnolia, and then going to see Wicked! I'm so psyched. I saw Wicked in Atlanta a couple of years back with my brother/sis-in-law, and can't wait to see it again! Sunday Issa's school class is singing at their church -we'll have fun taking her to the choir there on Sunday. Halloween is coming up! Our n'hood is having a parade, and both girls are going to be princesses.
2. Work is still great - I love working 3 days a week and spending 2 quality days with my girls. It allows me to balance home/work, which I am loving right now.
3. We'll get to go to the GA/AU game 11/15ish weekend - with Jacob's cousin/his wife, brent/rachel (sis-in-law/brother), and we'll leave thekiddos at thelakehouse - my parents are coming to stay there with the kiddies!
4. I'm about to go get my bread crumbs/parmesan breaded catfish off the grill - Mmmmmmm for fall roasted veggies too. I love grilling out in the fall!
Happy Fall Y'all!

The "Five" Tag

Courtesy of my cousin over at Speaking from the Heart:
Directions: name 5 in each category-
10 years ago-
1) I was in the first few months of my first job out of college, teaching at Henderson Mill Elementary.
2) I was living with dear friends Kathy and Kim over by Perimeter Mall in Atlanta.
3) I was only 23 years old!!!
4) I knew so much less than I know now, both about life and regarding education!
5) I was thinking about applying for my Master's Degree at Auburn.

5 Things on today's To-Do list
1) Stay away from Facebook.
2) Pack Jacob and I for a weekend away at the Auburn game.
3) Pack the cooler/food for the weekend
4) Finish laundry
5) Stay away from this computer! We're leaving at FOUR pm!

5 Snacks I love
1. Granny Smith apples
2. yogurt
3. Doritos
4. Mini rice cakes
5. Chocolate frozen yogurt

5 Things I'd do if I were a millionaire
1. Invest - for our kids' education and for our retirement
2. Get a new IPOD with tons more memory.
3. Buy a really really nice camera.
4. Landscape our backyard awesome.
5. Give lots to our families.

5 Places I've lived
1) Birmingham, AL
2) Athens, GA
3) Charlotte, NC
4) Tucker, GA
5) Auburn, AL

5 Jobs I've had
1) Lifeguard
2) SLP
3) Hostess @ Black Eyed Pea
4) Teacher
5) Graduate Research Assistant

5 people to tag
-if you're reading this, leave me a comment and I'll check you out!!!

sweet crybaby

Sweet girl - she was so tired and DONE with the camera. There's something so cute about that crying face though.

What a fun fall - I'm so thankful for the change of seasons. I love it! I've gotten into running lately again.

Jacob and I went to the AU/TN game last weekend with our friends Brandon and Carina. We had a blast - got tickets to the game, had fun tailgating, watched the game, and went to the lakehouse for a fun night afterwards.
We have a slow weekend this weekend - NICE. Issa has ballet on Saturday and we're hoping for more fall weather to work outside in the yard. Happy rest-o-the-week to you!