Thanksgiving 2012

While there were 13 people there, I don’t think a single picture was taken

I cooked dinner again this year. I really enjoyed it last year, and I was happy to do it again this year and give my grandparents a break from years of hosting. I love cooking and really enjoy planning the menu and logistics of the meal. It isn’t until it is all over that I realize how tired I am!

I started Wed, night with the making of some of the casseroles and desserts ( I didn’t make pies, I had my uncle bring those)

My sous chef and I caused a little drama when we clogged the garbage disposal, but with the help of google, a new plunger and a handy dad we fixed it.

Thursday I got up early and started prepping the bird. Then got to cooking everything else.

It amazes me how calm and collected I was, until the last hour, when everything starts getting ready, and people start getting hungry. I got a little frazzled then, but managed to hang in there!

Dinner was great, and then everyone went to watch the Redskins beat the Cowboys. Highlight of my night.

Eric came to our family’s thanksgiving dinner, so Friday we got up and drove to Bethany beach to see his family who spent their thanksgiving out there.

We got in friday and it was really nice out so I made him take me to see the beach I just wish I wasn’t wearing a jacket.

Saturday we went to Rehoboth and did a little shopping and then out to a nice dinner with his parent’s and their friends. Then we drove to Ocean City to see the Winterfest of Lights.

We bundled up ( I wish we would have brought a blanket) and boarded one of the OC boardwalk trams, and went on a ride around a park that was decorated. It was awesome!

Us with the tree – you can see my necklace kinda

Seriously, the man can almost always get these shots on the first try (like the jason aldean concert pic) I guess that’s why he is the pro and I am not I will keep him

These next few are some of the 12 days of Christmas

cinderella

A little something for Eric

On the tram, before we went out to see the lights

We got some hot chocolate and some blinged out souvenirs (I got a blinking frosty the snowman necklace and a ring – haha I am 5, and my boyfriend took my desire for them seriously) and headed home.

Spent Saturday night, reading, doing homework and playing iPad games.

It was nice and relaxing. Which was good because I was exhausted from the cooking!

p.s the hat I am wearing got a lot of responses on FB – I won the hat from a blog give away, it came with a rose the same color as the hat. I contacted her to get a black hat and 3 different color roses. Now I pick my flower to match my outfit

I got it from Captiv Crochet

My Birthday.

I love my birthday. I don’t usually make big plans for it, but I like the anticipation of it.
I count down from Oct 1. I declare daily to at least one person that it is almost my birthday! (typically only the bf or the parents get this torture)
My birthday is like new years for most people. A new chapter.
This year, I knew my birthday weekend would be LOW KEY. And by low key I mean running a marathon
My birthday week I had a special dinner with the Romleys on Wed. Thursday I went to the race expo with Lindsay then out for dinner. Friday I drove home, saw Eric for an hour before he had to go to work, and then got my nails done and met mom, dad and Austin at Uncle Julios for dinner.
I got some pretty amazing presents this year.
First, Eric impressed me by remembering me mentioning the first time he ever came to my house (in APRIL) that I wanted a place to hang my medals. I mentioned a runner girl holder. Somehow he remembered that (I don’t even remember telling him this) and got it for me. It was perfect! I can’t wait to hang it up and put all my medals on it!

Then mom surprised me with the biggest surprise yet.
I had saved most of my tee shirts from college. Free ones from basketball or football, ones from programs I participated it etc. I wanted a tee shirt quilt. But the only person I know who sews was just too busy to work on it. So they sat in the trash bag for years.
My mom had been secretly working with a sweet lady from church to make me my quilt.
She wrapped it up and gave it to me – it isn’t quite finished, but when it is I have big plans to curl up with it and a book. Such a special present!

Aubrey came to town on the 27th for the marathon. It was great to have her around on my birthday! First time in years that has happened too!
I had a great birthday! Spent it with the people I love most. Can’t beat that!
I am excited for 28. I have big plans. I ran a marathon. I will graduate with my first masters degree. Who knows what else.

26.2

I still can’t believe it happened.

Did it go as I thought, nope not at all. But it was the best, most challenging things I have ever done.

So lets recap. First, Aubrey and I needed throw away clothes since the start would be cold. So we went to good will. But all the sweats were going to cost us about $15 bucks. So we decided to try Wal-Mart.

There we found adult cow footie pjs. Since the marathon was 3 days before Halloween, and we are dorks, we decided they would be our outfits!

We had spaghetti and hit the hay early. We had a 4:15am wake up call!

Metro at 5am, and a creeper in the background

He made it!

He wasn’t exactly excited

There we go!!

Waiting nervously

startline

Walking to the start!

And we were off!

Aubrey and I ran together the first 3ish miles, until I lost her on a hill and I stopped to potty! She ended up having an amazing race and kicked that marathon’s butt!

I felt great for the first 10 miles! I saw a friend around mile 9 and he ran with me a little way. Then I saw my crew around mile 10.

Isn’t mom cute?!

Then the Sh** hit the fan. My legs started cramping up. Like I’d be cruising along, happy and then all of a sudden almost fall over with cramps. Like massive charlie horses in my calves. So painful. I would limp along and stretch it out and then run again. This started around mile 11, and never stopped. I honestly wasn't sure I would cross the finish line!

At the half

This was at about mile 16. This was at a part of the course that is a small out and back, on the out part, I had a bad charlie horse as soon as I saw them. Dad and Eric ran over, dad rubbed my legs and Eric listened to me cry that I wouldn’t finish! They kissed me and sent me on my way!

 

This is how they spent their time waiting til the next spot to see me. Seriously, they were bored and tired and their feet hurt, but the few times I saw them were what kept me going.

The course was nice, I really enjoyed running along the mall and seeing all the monuments and the capital.

 

I caught up to them at mile 21, they went over the wrong bridge, giving them about a 2 mile walk to the finish. (I still had farther to go )

I knew Lindsay and Ray were waiting in Crystal City, but I wasn’t sure if they would still be there since I was over an hour past my projected time I told them I would be there. But they were! Seeing them was the added fuel I needed to finish.

At mile 24.5 this guy came up and handed me his flag and told me to run it past the Marines standing there to get them fired up. So I did, it got me fired up too! Good thing because mile 25 was EMPTY. Everyone was at the finish. It was a hard mile!

Soon I saw 26, and started up that last hill. I was so relieved to cross that finish line.

( I probably should buy this pic)

As I hobbled my way down the finishers chute, I started tearing up. I couldn’t believe I had done it. When the Marine put that medal around my neck I just started sobbing! It was the best feeling ever. Every single time someone told me congratulations, I would start crying and say thank you. I DID IT!!

I finished, in 6 hours and 15 mins. about an hour and 15 mins longer than I expected. Bummed about that, but so glad I did it!

Bestest and I with our medals!

Signs on the door when we got home!

Just a few of the signs mom made! She was a rockstar!

Monday, Aubrey and I got massages, and then I headed back to VA to try and beat Hurricane Sandy. Poor Aubrey was stranded at my parents house for 2 days without me because of her!

I am not sure anyone knows just how much it meant to me that they got up at 4(or earlier), took the metro in to the city, stood around for hours, walked miles and miles, just to cheer me on. I have said thank you a hundred times, but it doesn’t feel like enough.