Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy 52nd Birthday, Daddy!
We Love You!

Emancipation

EMANCIPATION

Pronunciation:

\i-ˌman(t)-sə-ˈpā-shən\

Function:

noun

1: to free from restraint, control, or the power of another ; especially : to free from bondage
2: to release from paternal care and responsibility and make sui juris
3: to free from any controlling influence (as traditional mores or beliefs)

Today I've finally felt the good feeling of emancipation. I've been on my own for years and years now, but one tiny string still attached me to my mom and stepdad - my cell phone. When I was a freshmen in college they put me on their Family Share Plan. I was on their plan throughout my college years. It was a blessing in that for the majority of my undergraduate time I did not work. However, this has caused a bit of strain as of late and I finally decided to be done with it and cut ties. So, today I went and purchased my very first cell phone plan completely on my own. I have excellent credit, so I didn't have to pay any money down (which was something I was dreading). I picked the plan I wanted, then picked out my new phone. I'll admit that I'm not a technology girl- I don't care about the latest gadgets. In fact, the iPod I gave myself for my birthday made me feel soooo high tech ;). Having said that, none of my previous phones had cameras or bluetooth capabilities. Well, I decided that for my first totally independent phone I would get what I wanted. I ended up getting a Motorola Razr- complete with camera phone, video recording, MP3 player, and bluetooth capabilities. It didn't really hit me until the man wrote down my new number- at that moment I thought: I'm free! Armed with a new phone, new number, newly found freedom, and a boost of confidence in myself, I feel like an adult woman for the first time. Weird, huh? ;)



Now, coming from a married woman who has put herself through college, has her own place, moved out of my parents house when I was 3 months shy of 18 (I was still in high school), and despises depending on others, you wouldn't think this would be a big deal.

You have no idea what this means to me.

Ahhh...... the sweet taste of EMANCIPATION!

I only wish I'd done it sooner. Much sooner.

If the past has been an obstacle and a burden, knowledge of the past is the safest and the surest emancipation.
John Acton

Multiple Bles8ings

My good friend, Chickadee, as I call her, gave this to me for Christmas. I'm a huge fan of their show on TLC, Jon & Kate + 8, and have been watching them for years. So, I put sTORI TELLING aside to give this one a try. I couldn't put it down! It was quite interesting hearing details of her pregnancy, delivery, and all of the chaos that ensued. The only down part was that it was completely Kate's side of the story. I'm wondering if Jon even knows she wrote a book..... and Kate has a tendency to come across as snotty in the book. If you watch their show I would highly recommend reading this book. It's short and doesn't take long to read- but the content is great!

Thanks again Chickadee!

Bye-Bye Tator Logs

Yesterday I blogged about picking up a few items at Wal-Mart. Well, while there I decided to pick up some of their tator logs (those huge french fries) and 2 small chicken legs from the deli. I ate them on the way home feeling SOOOOO guilty. Thoughts like the following were racing through my head.....this is not healthy, it will probably slow your body down a bit with all that grease, calories-calories-calories, if I start splurging I won't be able to stop, wait till you get home and eat some turkey breast....etc..

I ate them and savored every last bite!

Get home. Fine.

Go to bed. A bit quesy.

Wake up at 12:30 a.m. About to die.

I'll spare you the peachy details and just say that I haven't been that sick....or had that much come back up in a long time.

Lesson learned - stay away from greasy food when my concious is telling me to run the other way!

Oh, and avoid the tator logs - which breaks my heart because I have a long and fabulous love affair with them. I always pick up a bag when I'm in Wal-Mart.

Guess I didn't have to worry about the calories after all. I lost my dinner plus a few pounds to go with it due to dehydration.

Then again, maybe it was the chicken legs and NOT the tator logs.... Well, I'm not brave enough to test that hypothesis.

On a side note- after that horrible experience last night, I fought the urge to call in, went to work on 4 hours of sleep, made loads of headway, finished report cards, had a GREAT day with my kiddos, ran 2 miles at the gym, and managed to make it home before 7 o'clock. I'm hungry but not for tator logs and chicken. Tonight, I'm having the turkey breast! ;)

Rock Yo' Body

After my run today ( 2.5 mi - 9'48" pace) I headed to Wolly World to pick up some fresh fruit and new sports bras. While there, I ended up getting a few new pairs of running pants.

Get home. Here's what I find....

I'm trying them on and am taken aback by the change in my body since I started training about 3 1/2 weeks ago (I'm training to run a marathon this year- see previous blog). I knew I had lost weight but hadn't really payed much attention to my body- I'm focused on distance/pace/endurance etc....


After I tried on a sports bra and pants I went to ask my hubby what he thought.

His reply: 'Your body's rockin'! =)

Ok....now I'm walking around the house in my new gym attire with my head in the clouds! I'm rockin'! haha

So, that's just given me even more excitement to go to the gym tomorrow, hit the 3 mile mark, get in the low 9 min. range for time, and.....

ROCK MY BODY!






I'll indulge you in a few hush-hush details....that's if you can actually read this fine print!! I'm hoping you can't!!! =) On Dec. 3 when I went for a checkup I weighed 147- the most I've EVER weighed in my life! Ugh....after running for months, I stopped and the weight RUSHED back x 2! I figure I gained at least 5 lbs. over the holidays because at New Years, the pants I wore to the Dr.'s office weeks earlier were noticeably tighter. I hadn't checked with a scale- but I figure I weighed 152-ish at the start of my training. I bought a scale last week- I now weigh 135! That's a loss of...hmm....let me do the math....about 17 lbs! I can see my weight going up a bit but that's due to muscle build ( I'm also lifting weights). Thanks to running my behind off (literally =) ) fresh fruits, lots of turkey meat, avacados, salads, green tea etc.. But I know that if I ever do slack up the weight will come back with a vengence! I'm giving myself one more week of training- then I'm posting a pic of me in my running gear so you can see how much I 'rock' these days! I'm also hoping that by Monday I'll be able to annoucne that I've hit the 3 mile marker- or that I've made 9'15 or lower. Cheer me on!

Bet ya didn't know I was going to let you get all up in my business!

Now, I've just got to decided which marathon I want to sign up for.....any suggestions?

My Special Day

Well, today I turned the big 23- gosh I'm getting old! It's weird to think that I'm now the age my husband was when we met...... I remember when we first met, I thought, 'Gosh he's OLD'!
And now here I am!
Perhaps in this life we're like fine wine- getting better as time goes by!
Hmm....maybe I am getting 'sweeter' with age! ;)

So, how did I spend my fabulous birthday weekend? Well, Friday after work my mom and I went out to eat at Outback. When she asked what I wanted I replied 'An electric blanket'! It's been FREEZING lately! Yeah, I know I'm getting old when I ask for things like that for my birthday! Saturday I went to Meridian and purchased my gift to myself (see previous blog) and then headed to the gym for a while. Sunday, Bobby and I went out to dinner for my birthday and then shopped around town. Today (my actual birthday) I lounged in the recliner with my electric blanket and watched the marathon run of 'Jon & Kate + 8' while I read their new book, Multiple Bles8ings. I stayed in my PJ's all day =) This evening I went to see my Daddy. He got me a new big wooden cutting board I had picked out at BedBathBeyond. Yes, I actually asked for a cutting board for my birthday- yet another example of just how old I'm getting ;)

Now, I'm off to take a quick shower and watch the new episode of Jon & Kate + 8. I'm addicted to them!

Overall I had a nice, quiet, relaxing three day birthday weekend! Tomorrow, it's back to school for me! Hey, at least it's only a four day work week =)

Happy Birthday To Me!

Happy Birthday To Me

Although my birthday is not until Monday, I decided to give myself an 'early' present. This afternoon I picked up this sweet Ipod Nano. I'm in love! I'm still trying to figure out how to download and all that jazz......but it will definitely be a plus to have with me on those long runs and evenings at the gym! I couldn't decide between the yellow, pink, purple, or lime green- I ended up getting the purple. I also picked up a few accessories to go with it....

Armband Carrier

Apple.com even has a Nike+Ipod program to help keep track of your running records. Hopefully I can download this and start posting my runs on here!

Work, Field Trip, Gym, Yoga, and Grad School

All of the above took place in 13 hours! I worked all day, survived a field trip, ran/worked out at the gym, took an hour long yoga class, then went to my night class for grad school from 6:45-8:30. (Oh, we got out EARLY for grad school- the class is supposed to last until 9:15! It was our first night and I think she felt sorry for us!). Keep in mind that after all of that, I still had to drive an hour to get home from Meridian. Someone pinch me because I'm numb and afraid that sometime during this day I croaked, kicked the bucket, bit the dust- you get the idea!

I'm clean, smelling of shampoo and soap, in a warm pair of PJ's straight out of the dryer (so they'd be warm when I put them on since it's FREEZING outside), and ready for bed. Ugh, I'm not sure I have the strength to walk down the hallway to get to our room. How many hours do I have until I have to wake up and go at it again.....hmm....less than 8! Oh, 5:00 am please, by all means, take your time getting here! I'm ready for my three-day-birthday-weekend! (One of the perks of being born at the time I was, during this freezing, not-good-birthday-party-weather which I HATED growing up, is that I always get a 3 day weekend either on, before, or after my special day. Thanks Martin Luther King! 'I have a dream that....... I'll survive until Friday afternoon'! ;)

Until next time....
Goodnight =)


(Oh, Gypsy Soul, I read your blog about 'Tagging Along'! haha I'll try not to slack -but I'm going to save that one for tomorrow! Tune in later! =)

Last Day

Well, it's official....my last day off for Christmas break is coming to an end. Sigh. I woke up this morning with a twinge of disappointment in my belly. I can't believe tomorrow it's back to normal. Then again, I'm a bit relieved. I've been so ready for January to get here! For some reason once I get into January the second semester flies by! I've got....hmmm.....about 4 months and 3 weeks left of work before Summer break! For now though, I'm counting down the days until Spring break! If I can just make it through January then time will fly by!

I spent today getting a few things ready for the real world. Cleaned out my car, washed my dress pants, labeled my notebooks etc.. ( Grad school starts back on Wednesday). I must say that I ended my Christmas break with a splat.....=) let me explain.....

I went to my dad's to hang out and get away from home (after sitting at home for two weeks I'm about to die of boredom!). My nephew, Jacob, shot fireworks- then he decided to break out the water balloons! He'll be four later this month- and he is full of spunk. It ended up being myself and Jacob against my Daddy. We had a blast! I got a few good shots in and Daddy was only able to get me once. By the time it was over we were out of breath and soaking wet! Too much fun! Needless to say, this put me in a better mood!

So, I'm ready for work tomorrow! I'm ready to dig my heels in and get my babies where they need to be for first grade in the Fall. I'm ready to get started on the semester. The quicker I get started, the quicker it will be over! =) I'm ready to hear all about what Santa brought my babies and what they did over their break! I really do miss their worry free worlds! In the meantime, I'll continue to count down this year in chapters as I always do- countdown to my birthday, the countdown to Spring break, then Bobby's birthday, then the last day of school, then finishing comps and my master's degree this summer, then our 4 year anniversary in July, then the beginning of next school year in August, then Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas, and then I'll be right back where I'm at now! =) One would think I'm wishing my life away! I'm not- I just like having something to look forward to! Before I know it, Christmas will be here again! For now though, I'm dreaming of those early Spring days filled with sunshine, warmth, and the happiness that it brings to my soul!

Okay, enough mindless blogging.......Goodnight!



Oh, I almost forgot. Tomorrow after I leave the gym, it's off to finding a new day planner. Dum, Dum, Dum........gasp! I know, this is always an ordeal. Wish me luck!

Top Ten Most Common New Year Resolutions

According to USA.gov, the most common New Year Resolutions are as follows......
(Pink items made my New Year's list last year for 2008).

1. Lose Weight.
2. Manage Debt
3. Save Money
4. Get a Better Job
5. Get Fit
6. Eat Right
7. Get a Better Education
8. Drink Less Alcohol
9. Quit Smoking Now
10. Reduce Stress Overall
11. Take a Trip
12. Volunteer to Help Others


Only one of my Top 5 made the most common list this year- #11 Take A Trip.
What about you? Did any of your goals/resolutions make USA.gov's most common list?

Top 5 Things To Do For Myself In 2009

I hate the term 'resolutions'. So, I'm calling this 'Top 5 Things To Do For Myself In 2009'. =) This year's list is much different than past lists. For instance, last year my list included things like save money for a house, finish my bachelor's, start on my master's, etc.. I'm proud to say that last year I kept 8 out of 10 of my goals. This year's goals are more hobbies, stress relievers, and just plain enjoying life more. For 2009 I hope to be more about play than work. While I'm still EXTREMELY focused on my education, career, etc..., I'm hoping to finally do some of the fun things I've been wanting to do for a while. This year's list contains things that are solely for MY enjoyment! So, after much thought, here are my Top 5.....ENJOY!

1. Travel. This year I'm definitely going to travel as much as I can. Hopefully, we can have at least one get-away-from-it-all weekend at least once a month. Places that have made my travel list are: the beach this Summer, the mountains in the Fall, and Vicksburg and their fabulous B&B's anytime in between. I would love to visit New York next December!


2. Learn to play the Cello. This has been on my 'Life Goals' list for about 3 years now. I'm finally at a point in my life where I can pursue it. I've played a couple of other musical instruments in the past but I've always been captivated by the Cello. I called around and found a lady who gives lessons in Meridian. I cannot wait to get started on this! It's what I'm calling 'my birthday gift to myself'!

3. Paint. I've been doing a lot more of this lately. When I was younger it was one of my favorite hobbies. I've drifted away from it over the past few years. I recently rediscovered my love for it. I've found it to be very calming and a great stress reliever (which I've been in dire need of lately). Plus, lately I've painted some fabulous pieces for my home!

T and I back in October- holding our masterpieces!

4. Run a marathon. 2008 was a great year for my running efforts. I had wanted to run a race but ended up not going due to business of work/school (this is my new excuse for everything these days!). I'm browsing around and looking for a great race sometime this summer (I'll be off work and not quite as busy). To go along with this, on Monday I'm going to join the JARMC gym. I've been a member before but dropped it. I prefer to run outside- I LOATHE treadmills. But, I figured I could use it when it's cold, raining, or hot outside ( times I'm most likely to bail out!). So, I'll have no excuse! Plus, I'll have a buddy to go with me to the gym!

5. Take a pottery class. I've been wanting to do this for quite a while. My great friend and kindred spirit, T, and I have talked about doing this together. MCC offers classes and I'm considering signing up for this Spring or Summer. I'm also interested in taking a Photography class. I planning to sign up for one offered at MCC this Summer.





When I asked my husband if he had 5 things he wanted to do this year, this is what he said......
1. Go to the Races
2. Got to the Races even more.....
3. Race some more....
4. Race some more again...
5. Race, Race, Race

haha Typical man! So, according to Bobby, what are we going to do in 2009? RACE!