Some Exciting News!

Workout - Ran outside 4 miles, 45:09, 388 cal.

Now that it's out, I can finally express my overwhelming excitement for Josh and Bonnie who are expecting their first BABY this February!!! 

I also just realized that I never expressed my excitement on here for Ben and Laura who are expecting their second BABY, a little BOY, at the end of September!!!  

I am beyond excited for these two little additions to join the fold!  And may I say how fortunate they both are to have such amazing parents.  I am so excited for all of the wonderful times ahead and so happy to get to be a part of it. 

On another note, the week is upon us . . .

SEASIDE!

One would think that by now with all the traveling I've been doing, I would be a pro at this.  The common phrase "pack light" has always been a foreign concept to me, and I fear that some things may never change. 

Sunday Funday

Workout - Ran outside 5 miles, 55:59, 500 cal.

I got up and ran before church this morning.  I know - I can't believe it either.  It was a much more pleasant experience today than it was yesterday.  Today, I didn't feel like I was going to pass out until around mile 4, and yesterday it was around mile 1.  And I didn't stop this time!  I think I started out at a slower pace today, which helped A LOT.

I stopped by Target and Wal-Mart after church today only to realize that we are quickly approaching one of my most favorite times of the year . . .

BACK TO SCHOOL!

I kept having to say over and over to myself:

"You don't need new pens."

"You don't need a new binder."

"You don't need an accordion file folder.  What would you use that for anyway?"

These are the things that went through my mind.  But it didn't stop me from looking!

I used to love getting the supply list for the new school year and going shopping with my mom.  If only I could justify buying a new backpack, lunchbox, and pencil pouch for work :)

      

We All Have to Start Somewhere

I am hoping this will stick, but I guess we'll see. 

I have been inspired by one of my new favorite blogs, SkinnyRunner, to keep a log of my workouts.  If you have any interest in running and have trouble getting and staying motivated, this is the blog for you - hers, not mine.  I'm obsessed with it!   

I hope that by doing this, I will increase my accountability and also my ability as a runner.  I'm not sure I'll ever be able to run twenty miles all at once like she does, but we all have to start somewhere!  So here goes...

Workout:  Ran outside 3.39 miles, 35:57, 325 cal.

Today's run was really hard!  Not only did it feel like it was about 1,000 degrees outside, but it also felt like there was not a breath of air to be found.  It would probably be a good idea from now on to run either early in the morning or later in the evening.  I think I'll get more miles that way and maybe also avoid a really embarrassing collapse onto the pavement.  One o'clock in the afternoon in mid July is a little more than I can handle at this point.  I have to admit - I stopped to walk three times.  My only pick-me-up was when  I heard Rihanna and T.I.'s "Live Your Life" over the earbuds, and I was able to pick up the pace a bit.

Also, for the first time today, I uploaded my workout to Garmin Connect.  With this program you are able to see a map of your route, your timing, and your elevation for each workout.  It keeps track of your distance, pace, time, and calories burned. 

  

It also has a calender feature, which allows you to keep track of your miles run per day, per week, and per month!

On another note, I thought a few of you would think this was funny.  This hand soap and lotion set has been sitting here next to our kitchen sink for over a month now.  It's my "fancy" Caldrea soap from Target, and I have yet to use it.  It was definitely an impulse buy.  I remember being so excited just to be in a Target that I felt I had to buy something fun and unnecessary, and this was it.  In my mind, I am saving it for a special occasion, I guess. Which is funny, because if that's the case,  it won't get used until graduation next May!

Instead of running today . . .

. . . I got an icing-covered oatmeal raisin cookie.

And no, I couldn't do both. I had to choose.

It was a tough decision

but worth every colorie.



Fourth of July Weekend

This past Thursday after work, I set out ONCE AGAIN for the Lynchburg airport.

Seriously, United Airways needs to give me a job. I practically have the flight attendant's safety shpeel memorized, and I'm sure flying the plane would be no big deal. Oh, what would Enterprise do without me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .eww, that's dangerous.

I knew that I would have more than one full day in between my travel days this weekend, so that made it a little more tolerable.

Thursday night, You, Me, and Dupree picked me up from the airport, and we made our usual Mcflurry run on the way home (with a side of fries for me, of course).

Friday morning J and I went on a rather slow, painful, and HOT run around Homewood. I'm sure the fact that I felt like I weighed 100 pounds more than I actually do had absolutely nothing to do with my dinner selection the night before. Not only did this run serve to remind me that healthy eating habits = easier run, but it also reaffirmed my feelings of hopefully one day living right down the street from Josh and Bon :) I love Homewood!

Then it was off to Trussville and Moody to see the fam, and then back into town for a visit with the Rowes and their new addition, Veda Jane! I wish I wasn't so forgetful, and I would have a picture of this long-awaited visit. She is perfect, and its probably better this way, because my poor photography skills would scarcely do her justice.

We continued our tour de Alabama northward to Florence, where we basically spent the rest of the weekend on the lake. I got some pretty good shots of folks wake surfing. And for the FIRST time I was able to throw the rope in the boat! I was pretty excited as you can see by the fist pump.

The Red Hen

Jonathan was kind enough to spare me an airport-filled weekend last weekend by driving up to Virginia for a visit! Ahhhh, so nice :)

I had made reservations earlier in the week for a restaurant we have been wanting to try since we moved here. I'm not sure why it's taken us almost a year to try this place, because it is incredibly charming from the outside and right down the street from our house. The website says it better than I could, so here you go...

"The Red Hen is Lexington's first farm-to-table restaurant, featuring the bounty of the Shenandoah region's most talented farmers."

"Each day we create a new menu based on the freshest and tastiest produce and meat, whether it is a ribeye steak from cattle raised by the Potter family, who have been farming in nearby Collierstown for seven generations, or a beet risotto using vegetables handpicked by Brendan Perry of Stonehouse Farm. This dedication to local food means each dish preserves the intricate flavors of the land. (It's also good for the environment and our local economy.)"

All I can say is - What a delightful dining experience! The food and the ambiance exceded my expectations in every way! It has officially joined Bistro on Main at the top of my list of best places to eat in Lexington! I'm only sorry it took us a year to eat there :)

Sweet Summertime

What a whirlwind of a summer so far! I have started a countdown of the weeks until Jonathan moves back to Virginia, and we are ending week nine! However, we have had some very fun weekends, mostly spent in Birmingham and Florence, this past month.

I have seen more than I ever wanted to of the Birmingham and Charlotte airports! I flew down for Memorial Day weekend and had a great couple of days visiting with everyone.

Oh, I love this group :)

Sarabeth and Brett got a new little friend to take to Omaha with them.

Meet Triskit!

Girls dinner at Jackson's in Homewood!

Mr. and Mrs. Goodsell!

ATO brothers reunited

The beautiful, soon-to-be Mrs. Payne!