have it your way

We got seriously crazy with lunch at our house this week. I told Josh that I wanted control over what he ate and that I'd cook all his meals (even breakfast!) for a week.

Step 1: throw out frozen pizza.

Step 2: organize menu.

Step 3: get creative!

Mahi Fish Taco.
Take that Totinos!!!!!!

I also made this burger for Josh. His response upon seeing it was "You should but that on your blog."

100% organic beef patty, monterry jack cheese, avocado and pico de gallo
now, even this vegan knows burger perfection when she sees it!

weekend warrior

Sorry for the hiatus. Its been so pretty outside that I haven't been slowing down long enough to blog.

excuse #1: tour de springs

this is me and lindsay before our 33 mile ride two weekends ago. (she rode her bike to the race, then home from the race, then felt fit enough to go for a run. i, on the other hand, laid by the pool.)

ps: there are blue dolphins painted on the side of that yellow car. more on that later.

excuse #2: turner wedding extravaganza

hef and ct got hitched last weekend. first there was the western bbq rehearsal dinner, then the stunning wedding at the episcopal church (many a tear shed on our row----how box between stew and josh) and then the reception/dance party that will be forever referenced as turner 2010. yes, i'm still recovering.

more to come.

promise.

half marathon 2.0 edition

I've been hunting down these pictures and just found them this morning....otherwise I would have posted them with the mega half-marathon post.

A few people have asked me what Josh did during the 2.5 hours that I was running on Saturday morning. After I kindly remind them that I was actually running for 2 hours and 24 minutes and not 2 hours and 30 minutes, I like to show them the following pictures.

After Josh and Jack passed me on mile 4 of the race they apparently got into a little traffic jam. They were stuck, but also didn't really know where they were in relation to the finish-line. So they did what any normal guy would do: ditched the car on the side of the road and followed their internal GPS to the finish line. Didn't matter than they didn't know where they were. Didn't matter that they parked in someone's yard. Didn't matter that they had no idea where the finish line was.

So what exactly did matter? Deciding who was the fastest power walker:

Josh has always considered himself an excellent power-walker. If the whole Young Life thing doesn't work out, I seriously think he might consider training for the Olympics.

After the power-walking race was over (the guys never revealed the winner) they were faced with a problem. An eight-foot-high-covered-in-ivy-this-is-what-happens-when-you-listen-to-your-internal-gps kind of problem. This, my friends, is what I like to call Exhibit A. Not only did these hooligans run though some of the prettiest backyards in the SouthPark area, but they also climbed a brick wall and photo-document it.

I don't ever want to hear Josh say that he's bored. Clearly he has no problem entertaining himself and creating enough fun for several people.

I do have to admit that these guys have an incredible sense of direction. And while it did involve loads of trespassing, they were able to make it to the finish line of the race. Did I mention that they were actually 1.4 miles from the finish line when they started? The mind boggles at these kinds of things.....my husband can never find the laundry basket to put away his dirty clothes, but put him in the middle of an urban jungle and he will be able to racewalk and brickwall-climb his way to the final destination.

what does love look like?

what does love look like?
i think it looks like this:

good coffee and the Magnolia Bakery cookbook

sounds like a good start to me!

i LOVE my young life girls and our bible study time on thursdays is so sweet

having dessert every week doesn't hurt either!

love you girls!!

the little jogger that could

"i think i can, i think i can, i think i can....." That was a mantra this past Saturday at the Charlotte Racefest Half Marathon. I'd put in the hours and miles over 12 weeks of training to prepare for my first half-marathon, but there was still this nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach....what was I doing? Why on earth did I think I'd be able to run 13.1 miles?!?!

I lined up with my pace group and tried to settle my nerves before the start. Then, before I knew it, the gun went off and everyone starting running and jockeying for position. I had my Ipod ready, but quickly realized that listening to Luda would end with me being trampled within 200 yards of the start line.

So I settled in for the run. I'm not sure if it was adrenaline, trying to not get tripped by other runners or dodging traffic, but the first 4 miles went by in a flash. Then I heard someone cheering for me and calling my name. Josh and Jack (my friend Julia's husband) were right beside me the Jack's car. It was so unexpected---I nearly tripped and cried. Josh hooted and hollared in classic Josh style and then left me to finish the race (much to the delight of the 2398742389 cars behind him!)

Then I hit mile 6 and the hills started. I reminded myself that this is what I trained for. Lindsay had scared me about the hilly terrain. I settled in the next few miles of steep and rolling roads. I got passed but also passed a few people myself. I was about to pat myself on the back, because I thought I was doing such a good job......then I remembered that while I was still at mile 9, tons of runners had already crossed the finish line. As I was about to start throwing a little pity-party for myself I saw a toy poodle. I laughed really hard (I think a little snot might have come out.) Toy poodles are the most ridiculous animal. Seriously. Name a more ridiculous animal.

I was rounding a corner in a beautiful SouthPark neighborhood. And then it hit me. What mile were we on? I'd been so busy laughing at the poodle that I couldn't remember if we were on mile 11 or 12! I must have look horrified, because a concerned runner looked at me and smiled, "hey, the finish is just around the corner--smile for the cameras!"

Seriously? It was over? Really? I wanted to jump up and down, sprint for the finish, cry, laugh, maybe even puke a little.

I decided to savor the moment. I thanked the Lord for his goodness to me; for keeping me safe and injury free, for carrying me to the finish, for giving me such a beautiful day, for giving me such good friends to train with....for so many things. And then I put on a little Shane and Shane and settled in the big finish:

When I think about the Lord

How He saved me, how He raised me

How He filled me up with the Holy Ghost

How He healed me to the uttermost

When I think about the Lord

How He picked me up and turned me around

And set my feet on solid ground

It makes me wanna shout hallelujah

Thank you Jesus

Lord You're worthy of all the glory

All the honor and

All the praise

You need good friends to train with. Its more important than shoes or playlists.
Lindsay is my hero!

Lindsay is training for a half-IronMan and her boyfriend Adam (on the right) is training for an IronMan. They are the most insanely active couple I know. After the half-marathon they went back home and went on a training bike ride!

sissy goes to nyc

a little rhyme for your thursday morning. be prepared to have your mind blown.

this little sissy

a poem by blair

this little sissy goes to nyc

this little sissy does not

this little sissy has fabulous time shopping

this little sissy does not

this little sissy buys freaking awesome gifts

this little sissy is in heaven!

thank you lauren for you fabulous gifts! you have suuuuuuch good taste. i want to wear both purses at the same time and the earrings are divine!