Hangin' with the Hakes

My boys

2011-09-21T09:31:00.000-05:00

My boys napping Sunday afternoon.

Summer in Pictures

2011-08-27T08:57:00.007-05:00

Here's a brief re-cap of our summer in pictures {may be out of order, thanks Blogger}:

Finally taking our long-awaited trip to Italy {aka our 5th anniversary present to each other}. Signed up for the Rome Marathon in March 2012!!

June- Went to the Dominican Republic with our besties, Tony & Britney

Me, Tony & Philip celebrating our 30th's.

The boys having fun in the ocean. Gorgeous!!

Me and Philip waiting on the lunch I ate for 5 days- pizza!

This is what we did for 5 days. It was glorious!

My new obsession. This is the best.cookbook.ever.

Got my training schedule ready.

July- Celebrated 5 years a week early! {so for the lame picture, only one we took}

June- Attended the first Open Container Open at Kinsey's. Jamie & Joe were the champions!

June 15- Philip turned 30!!! He was super pumped!

Another awesome 4th of July bash at Mary's. This years theme was "country club".

Rob Roberts IV and Anna Lawrence Hollinghead

Celebrated our anniversary weekend {Aug 5th} in Atlanta with our friends. But without Philip. He was on call :( Went to see Nic Cowan. Philip came up Sunday and we had brunch with our nephew Carter. Who is adorbs!

July 23- My cousin Kati's wedding! Philip missed out on this fun too. On call all weekend. BOOO!

Me and Sarah after the wedding:)

Kati & Mike's first dance.

Philip got his Ironman ink! He said this one hurt a lot more than his other one.

Thanks Conan!!

August- Went to the beach with our families:)

Me, Jenn, Stephen {cousin} and Philip

Philip and Dylan {Stephen & Jenn's cutie} playing in the sand.

We're here, but we're not here

2011-07-20T09:14:00.004-05:00

Well, so much for a slow summer. I haven't had much time to post because even during the week, it seems like I'm never home. Here's a quick re-cap of what we've been up to (sorry, no pictures in this post):

- Carmel/San Francisco the first weekend in May for my first marathon. It was amaze-balls. It really should get it's own post. We'll see.
- Two weeks after that, Philip headed out on Wednesday to Houston with his mom for his Ironman. Bob and I flew out on Friday to meet them. He had an amazing race and I was so proud of him. He says he's "one and done" but I don't believe him.
- Memorial Day weekend we actually stayed in town. Philip was "on call but not really on call". Which is more annoying that him being ligitimately "on call". I can't even remember what we did. I think we tried getting our life back in order after 6 months of training consuming every weekend. I do know that we saw The Hangover II.
- The next weekend we headed down to the Dominican Republic for 5 days for our "Marathon/Ironman Celebration/Dirty 30" trip with Tony & Britney. To say it was amazing would be an enormous understatement. Phil's mom had a hard time understanding when we told her we did "nothing." No excursions, no nothing. Reading, drinking, eating. That's it.
- The very next weekend we headed to Atlanta to attend the innaugural Open Container Open at Kinsey's house. Food, beer, games, costumes. Hilar. That's all I have to say. Before we headed some Sunday we stopped by to see our nephew, Carter. He's adorbs and I'm itching to see him again.
- June 15 Philip turned 30. No celebration. Still detoxing from The DR and OCO.
- I think the next weekends were uneventful because Philip was on call 10 days straight. Which was probably a good thing that something kept our butts at home.
- 4th of July weekend we headed up to Hunstville for a family reunion. It was a good time and a lot of Philip's family came. It made his sweet grandmother so happy.
- We drove back Sunday to attend our annual 4th of July party at Mary's. This year we let go of the redneck theme and went country club. It was hilar as well.
- Since then I have been in wedding mode. My cousing is getting married this weekend and I have had a shower for her the past two Saturdays. This past Saturday we headed to Birmingham after her lingerie shower and took her to dinner for a little "bachelorette" celebration. She had fun and we all tried on her lingerie. Pretty hysterical.
- I leave tomorrow after work to head to Birmingham for her wedding weekend. I'm really excited about it! I'm weird and have a HUGE family and I'm pretty tight with most of my cousins so I'm looking forward to hanging out with them for a few days. Philip, however, is missing out on all the fun. He got a fun suprise just last week when he found out they are on call for 10 days straight starting Friday. I think he's actually a little bummed because he really gets along with my cousins and we all have a great time when we are together.

So that's it. The Hake summer re-cap thus far. Hopefully I will have time to post some pics of our adventures soon. Maybe... Up next we have our 5 year anniversary, an adventure race for Philip and a weekend beach trip.

Ironman

2011-05-23T10:46:00.004-05:00

"Philip Hake. You ARE an Ironman."

That's what they say as you come through the chute and cross the finish line.

It still gives me chills just thinking about it.

I couldn't be more proud of my little Phillie:)

I think he looks pretty good for someone who just finished an 11 hour 54 minute race. More pics to come...

26.2

2011-05-05T16:06:00.004-05:00

The view at mile 11. Hard not to be inspired when this is your view for 26 miles.

Time: 4:18

Avg Page: 9:53

496 out of 1553 Women

I did it! 26.2 on the record books! I will post more detail about my running experience and the trip as a whole later but for now, a few pics and data for my records. I'm already wanting to sign up for another one. Rome 2012????

And yes, that is my own personal paparazzi behind me:)

5 Days and Counting...

2011-04-26T15:58:00.004-05:00

Until I attempt to run my first marathon here.

Well, actually not here and I'm a little miffed about it! Unfortunately, there was a mud slide in Big Sur resulting in a road closure on Highway 1 so the course had to be changed. Instead of a 26.1 mile, one-way route from Big Sur to Carmel, the race is now an out-and-back from Carmel. Meaning we no longer get to run over the Bixby Canyon Bridge {insert Death Cab song in your head} which I was really looking forward too :( I mean, look at this pic, how cool!!

Oh well, I'm still pretty excited {and nervous!} about our trip and I hope to report good news on Sunday!

Carter

2011-04-20T19:03:00.004-05:00

Our nephew, Carter Matthew Hake, was born on April 7, 2011 at 5:09 pm (eastern). He was 8 lbs, 4 oz and 21 inches long. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. As you can see, he's adorable and we are in love!

Ain't he adorable!!!

Uncle Phillie is smitten!

Aunt Mer & Uncle Phil

I love this pic!

Pops & JoJo

Cheaha Challenge

2011-04-20T18:47:00.004-05:00

Philip did the Cheaha Challenge on April 17. He did it a few years back but wasn't in very good "bike" shape and only did about 60 miles. This year, as part of his Ironman training, he did the full 100 miles. Part of which includes going up Cheaha, down the back side, and back up again! I don't know how he does it! His parents were there and his Dad did part of the race as well.

A little tired...

Happy after riding 100 miles.

Philip finishing up

Bob after his ride.

3/4 Life Crisis

2011-04-20T17:38:00.003-05:00

Apparently my dad is going through a 3/4 life crisis. They went to Birmingham a few weeks ago to visit family and came back with this...

Doesn't every 64 year old man that drives 7 blocks to work need a Mustang GT convertible??

Mud Run 2011

2011-04-06T09:08:00.007-05:00

Saturday was the ROTC Mud Run. Tim {in the yellow} is in the Navy {obviously} and a professor in the ROTC department at AU. He recruited Philip, Hiro and Mary for this race last year and had no trouble getting them to do it again this year. The course changed a little this year, had more obstacles and walls to climb over, but they all had a blast and we think got second place in the co-ed division!

Philip, Hiro, Mary, Tim- before the race

Hiro was having a good time, apparently.

Sheer determination.

{and a pretty good idea of why I do not participate in this event. mud...eeeew!}

I love this picture. Tim looks like he has spotted some unusual creature or something.

Very Bear Grylls.

**Photos courtesy of John Wild {my old boss at the Tourism Bureau}. All race photos can be found at http://www.wildtimesphoto.com/.

Yowzer!

2011-04-05T13:44:00.002-05:00

This is what is left of the cover on our porch. It really didn't seem that windy last night but I guess the wind hit it just right and off it came!!

This is over our neighbors side. The supports and everything ripped off in one piece. Thank goodness it didn't land on any cars parked below it!!

This is our side. Pieces of the metal support had fallen all over the porch and what was left was all bent up like a paper clip. Pretty crazy!

Seaside

2011-03-30T17:22:00.004-05:00

Heading down, truck is loaded down with all our stuff in waterproof bags.

{One thing I have learned from this pic- that purple shirt looks awful with leggings.}

Pre-race

Post race. Freezing our booties off!

We walked back to our cottage to put warmer clothes on and get our post-race beverages.

We didn't bring warm enough clothes. There was a 20% off coupon for the Seaside store. Resulting in cheesy, matching sweatshirts.

We shopped. The boys "tailgated"

Monday, heading to Rosemary Beach before we leave

Mary, Me, Lyndsay

Being silly. Trying to re-create a picture from last year. Didn't work.

Lake Weekend

2011-03-29T09:03:00.004-05:00

Me, Hiro, Pam, Mary, Robert, Lyndsay, Philip {& Victor}

Lyndsay, Pam, Me & Mary

Back in the fall, we bid {with some friends} on a weekend at the lake at the Opelika Main Street Auction and won it! Since fall is crazy and spring isn't any better {Robert & Pam own Flip Flop Foto, so his weekends are occupied from now until September}, we figured February {I'm a little behind} was a perfect time! We didn't do anything and it was FABULOUS!

20

2011-03-28T13:53:00.004-05:00

This is us after our 20 mile run this Saturday. A little out of it {hence the goofy-a$$ look on my face}, but our legs were moving and our hearts were still beating. Success.

18

2011-03-14T16:53:00.002-05:00

Saturday marked another milestone for my running career {ha! is that what you would call it? i can't think of another word but that is not the word i am looking for. whatev...}.

I ran 18 miles. I thought I was prepared for the distance after my 16 miler a few weeks ago but 18 proved to be more of a mental challenge than I thought. My legs felt ok. They were tired when we finished but not completely dead. It definitely helped that we ran it in Huntsville, where it is pretty flat {key}.

I realized around mile 11 that my shoes were shot. Fabulous. We finished the run at the Fleet Feet in Hunstville and promptly bought me a new pair of shoes:)

#8

2011-03-14T16:42:00.004-05:00

Right now, this is my only pic from our weekend in Seaside. Hopefully I'll have more soon.

Half marathon #8 was another good one for me. I got another PR: 1:47:29. I'm not sure how I did it. Probably because I had Philip running with me again. Or maybe it was all the wine I drank on Saturday:)

Latest Obsession

2011-03-03T13:26:00.005-06:00

This is my latest obsession. I'm like really, really obsessed with it. Philip loves it too. I let him taste some the other day and I got that "Damn, you're good!" look ;) I have never been a fan of the pre-flavored yogurts, especially the ones with "fruit" in them. Something about the "fruit" just grosses me out {like frozen dinners with "chicken" in them. Ewww}. So I started making my own. I've done it here and there for the past few years, but lately I can't get enough.

On the "healthy" front, it's by far a better option. You can control how much and what goes in it. Fresh blueberries, real honey and non-fat Greek yogurt= less fat, more protien and less sugar {depending on how much honey you add, but honey isn't that bad for you so go for it!}. Glorious. As you may know, Greek yogurt by itself tastes a little bit like sour cream. Not very appetizing. But add a little honey and POOF! It's delish!

On a side note- we substitute Greek yogurt in a lot of recipes that call for mayo. I have a love/hate relationship with mayo. If I want it, all I want is a dusting on a sandwhich. Bust most delicious dips/appetizers call for it. And it definitely makes them super yummy! Something about it just grosses me out! The easiest to do this is in chicken salad. You need a few more spices, but it's definitely much better for you:)

16

2011-02-28T10:51:00.005-06:00

That's how many miles I had to run on Saturday. That's the farthest I have ever run in my life. I haven't been that nervous about a run in a long time. I had no idea what to expect. Add to that having to do it {most of it} by myself, in a city that I am not familiar with, Fellini's pizza and beer Friday night {but not too many} and going to bed too late. *You see, we went to Atlanta to go see Old 97's with Philip's brother, Brian. It was a great show, a million times better than the last time we saw Old 97's.*

I was looking to do an out & back, or something easy where I wouldn't get lost. Thankfully, Brian lives close to the Big Creek Greenway {like Lakeshore Trail}. Not very scenic or distracting, but at least I wouldn't get lost:) It ended up being perfect! I was able to run 5 miles out & back, then meet up with Brian where he dropped me off and he ran the last 6.6 with me.

It ended up being a great run! Beautiful day and I felt great *pizza and beer the night before a long run, I may be on to something* I was able to run at a pretty good clip {for me} and not take any walk breaks {except for getting out my Chomps and taking a potty break}.

All this to say I was pretty damn proud of myself and have a little bit more confidence that I might actually be able to run 26.2 on May 1!

Note: I have to run 18 miles in two weeks. We will be out of town again. Should be interesting.

This and That

2011-02-21T09:31:00.004-06:00

First, let me start by saying "Happy Monday" to you all!

As you can see, Charlie has a little hangover today. Too much fun with Victor last night.

Yesterday was so beautiful and I really had nothing on my "to do" list besides the grocery store. Philip was out on his road bike for 4 hours so it gave me lots of time to enjoy a day to myself.

My plan was G.G.P. That's Groceries.Gym.Pedi. I was more excited about the pedi than the other two tasks, for obvious reasons. I got the first two tasks checked off with no problems. Yay for me. The pedi, however, never happened. Apparently every lady in Lee County wanted a pedi yesterday but the nail salons gave their staff the day off. In a nut shell, two nail salons and a 30 minute wait and no pedi. Boo hoo!

Instead I got myself a bottle of wine (white, since it was daylight), opened the windows and porch door, and got to cookin'.

First, I made the blueberry muffins I posted about a few weeks ago.

Ta-daaaa!!!! I think they are better the second time around ;)

Then I moved on to homemade spaghetti sauce. Let me just tell you that I could drink this sauce! One of our good friends gave us an immersion blender as a wedding present (sounds like a strange gift but I have used it so much it's already had to be replaced) and put this recipe in with it. So clever, a gift and a recipe that requires the use of said gift. Anywho, I love this sauce and it makes a TON! Enough to freeze several containers for quick, weeknight meals. I don't have the recipe with me to post, but will try to remember to soon.

On the training front, this weekend was a short (ha!) 10 mile run. Saturday was beautiful so I didn't mind the distance at all. Until two hours after when I was in the dressing room at the Gap and realized I was fried! Like, burnt to a crisp. With a line from my armband and sports bra. Good luck getting that to go away the rest of the summer!

As for the Hubbie and his Ironman training, he had a great week. Didn't miss a single workout (which is fabulous considering his work schedule!). I think he totaled something like 13 or 14 hours worth of workouts this week. Sheesh!!! He got home from his bike yesterday and laid in the kitchen floor while I was cooking. It cracked me up! But no rest for the weary, he was up bright and early at 4:45am today. Not sure exactly what his workout was, seeing that me and Charlie were still nestled in the bed:)

#7

2011-02-14T09:10:00.005-06:00

Our race group: Phil, Me, Tony, Britney, Halley (T's sister), Brannon (B's brother)

My wonderful Hubbie. He had done a long 3.5 hour bike ride on Saturday so he decided to run with me. We both had long runs this weekend for our respective training plans so we thought it would be fun to run a race together. He definitely pushed me and maybe I pushed him a little since he was running on worn out legs from his bike the day before.

We did the Mercedes Half Marathon yesterday. It was #7 for me, probaby closer to #10 for Philip. It was a fun race, as usual. And we got to see a ton of our Birmingham friends!

This was one was even better than usual because I somehow managed a PR :0)

1:49:45!!!

My best time by 10 minutes. To some, this doesn't mean anything. But to a runner, shaving 10 mintues off your race time is HUGE! So, I'll continue to pat myself on the back for a few more days ;)

Changes

2011-02-10T16:18:00.001-06:00

As you can see, I changed the background. I'm sure it has either a) given you a headache or b) you've had a seizure.

Grrr!

2011-02-08T10:52:00.003-06:00

I'm sure this whole blogging thing isn't that hard but why can't I ever get it to do what I want!!!! It really annoys me that the picture at the top isn't centered.

On a brighter note, I made these muffins this morning (from scratch, before 7am!) and they are good:) I halved the recipe because I have no use for 16 gigantor muffins.

Christmas Eve & Christmas Morning 2010

2010-12-28T14:29:00.005-06:00

I guess I'll just skip Thanksgiving and all our parties and go straight to Christmas Eve:) I'll back track later.

Tubbs Family Christmas Extravaganza in Birmingham. Missing Bob & JoAnne this year:( They had to go see Philip's grandmother in Ohio at the last minute.

Quick stop in Opelika to get Charlie & Presents

Charlie on Christmas morning with his one present

Outdoor speakers!! Wahoo!!!

We hooked mom up with some important entertaining items (like a cheese board & knives) for all the parties they have in Eufaula.

Whatch out! New sweater!

Auburn v. Georgia 2010

2010-11-17T11:05:00.007-06:00

Amidst much controversy, Auburn and Georgia managed to play a really great game! (Sans the fight at the end!) And we had a great day!!! I can't believe we didn't take a pic with our weekend warriors, Andrea & Cayce. We've had such a blast with them this year!

Don't ask what's on dad's head. He was so proud of it...

Me and Phil with the Turners

Cousins, and two dates

The Naperville Posse

One of our last weekends of freedom before marathon training begins.

Waaaar Eagle! Hey!

Bo knows Auburn football! And how to sport orange cowboy boots!

Go Dawgs!!! War Eagle!!!

Strikin' up the band!!!

No one wanted to leave after the game!! :)

Mr. Hake Goes to Athens

2010-11-17T10:46:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago we went to Athens for the weekend. Here's a recap in pictures!

What I was told is "good beer"

Where "good beer" is made

Manhattan Cafe. Where Philip met Wilco one night after a show.

After dinner at Depalma's Friday night. It was so good I needed a toothpick!

Saturday morning run through campus.

Fun times.

125 Brittain Ave. Oh the memories!!

Ready for some Georgia football!!

The Hake Boys

Me and my Hubbie

Ladies and Gentlemen, theeeee Redcoats are coming!!!

Go Dawgs!!!

Philip walking under the Arch. Only UGA grad allowed!

What every man needs while his wife shops, a cigar and "coffee"

Ramblings- Deee Lite

2010-10-14T09:39:00.003-05:00

Oh my gosh. Are these the shoes that Deee Lite wore in the "Groove is in the Heart" video back in 1990???? I think I am having a flashback. Dare I ask why I found these today on Lulus???? Has someone bought these????

Ramblings- Food

2010-10-11T14:31:00.007-05:00

Me and Lyndsay- Said Vegetarian- cooking soup mentioned below in Halloween aprons.

So I think I am going to change the blog up a bit. Not so much a journal of everything going on, but just ramblings about whatever is in my head at the moment. I'm going to try to get Philip do do some posts too. We will see how well that works out:)

I think a lot of my ramblings might revolve around food. For a number of reasons, but mainly because 1) I LOVE food and 2) Because I love to cook and 3) I have a husband that also loves to cook and 4) We cook with our neighbors 2-3 times a week and most of them are foodies like us!

Here's a little bit about me and my love of food. I love it! Like really, really love it! I don't necessarily love all foods (mushrooms- yuk! grapefruit- hell no!) but don't consider myself to be a picky eater. Philip, being male, will pretty much eat anything you put in front of him. Except Brussels sprouts. He hates those. What a weirdo.

We consider ourselves to be Flexitarians. It's legitimate, I swear. Basically, we eat meat. Just not a lot of it. I would say 75% of our meals have no meat in them. I'm not willing to go full blown veggie. Way too much trouble for me. However, when I am cooking at home and can control the ingredients, I will probably leave out the meat products. One of our best friends, and someone we cook with a lot, is a vegetarian. Sometimes a pain in the arse. Most of the time, better for my waist line (I'm not always the best with portion control). You'd be surprised how easy it is to make a "meat" meal into a vegetarian meal. For example, I saw this soup recipe on tv last week that I was dying to make it. Sunday nights we usually cook with Said Vegetarian, therefore this recipe needed some changing up. So easy!!! I'll let this be a little test. I'm sure you can figure out the changes that had to be made. Sometimes I think it's fun to try to take a recipe and make it healthier- i.e., vegetarian, less sugar, gluten free.

Sweet n "Saur" Cabbage Soup

Ingredients
•2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•1/2 pound ham steak, chopped
•1 savoy cabbage, quartered, cored and shredded
•1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced
•1 cup shredded carrots
•2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
•Salt and pepper
•1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
•2 cups cider
•1/4 cup honey
•1 (14 ounce) can white beans, drained
•1 pound sack sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
•1 quart chicken stock
•1/4 cup chopped dill
•1 cup sour cream, to pass at table
Directions
Heat a soup pot over medium high heat with extra-virgin olive oil. Add ham and lightly brown 2 to 3 minutes. Add shredded cabbage and stir in the onions and carrots as you finish chopping and grating them. Stir in the frozen hash browns and season the vegetables liberally with salt and pepper. Add in a bay leaf, cider, honey, beans, sauerkraut and chicken stock. Place a lid on the pot and bring soup to a boil. Uncover and simmer 10 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir in dill and adjust seasoning of soup. Serve the soup in shallow bowls and top with sour cream.

We had these sandwiches with it. Holy cow, good!!!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/grilled-cheese-on-pump-recipe/index.html

We are also "those people". I never thought it would happen but then Earth Fare opened and we became "those people" and I am forever changed. When we lived in Birmingham, we couldn't take full advantage of a store like Whole Foods due to the whole one-income-while-the-hubs-is-in-grad-school issue. I also don't think I completely understood the advantages to the products stores like Earth Fare sells. No products with artificial colorings, flavorings, sweeteners or preservatives, no trans-fat, no bleached flour, no animal by-products, etc, etc. Since Earth Fare opened in June, I have only been back to Kroger twice! Nothing against Kroger, but Earth Fare is so clean and pretty. All the hype may be hog-wash but I certainly feel better about myself and what I feed my body. As runners and fairly active peeps, we can both tell a difference in how we feel on runs, bikes, and so on. And I don't feel so bad on those nights we go to Mellow Mushroom or Durangos:) Now one disadvantage I suppose is the price tag. Shopping at these stores is definitely more expensive than your Kroger or Publix. But at this point in my life (only 2.5 mouths to feed), I'm willing to take the hit.

So that's my rambling on food. I have a lot more to say, but this is starting to get long and I feel like I'm loosing all three people that might be reading this.

**** The statements reflected above are strictly my opinion or legitimately random thoughts that pop into my head. I absolutely do not claim to be any sort of expert on food or nutrition.

Bad Girl

2010-09-22T16:53:00.003-05:00

I am not very good with the blogging lately:( I looked at my archives and in 2008 and 2009 I had about 75 total posts for each year. This year I'm at about 20 so far. OOOPS! I have been thinking about ways I can change my blog. Different topics to cover, etc. Since I don't got no kiddos, I feel like the Adventures of Mer & Phil are not terribly exciting all the time.

I do need to post about my trip to NYC and Phil's fishing adventures! Stay tuned...

2010-09-01T16:19:00.002-05:00

Ohhh snap! Tomorrow I will be in New York City! Living it up with my counsin, Sarah, in Midtown.

I CAN'T WAIT!!!

PS- I have asked for 6 years when we can go to NYC and Philip never wants to. So I bought myself a little ticket and I'm going without him! But don't worry about him, he's fishing with his buddies in Jackson Hole, WY this weekend.

Lake Guntersville

2010-08-26T14:40:00.006-05:00

Two weekends ago, Philip participated in a TRI up on Lake Guntersville. Since lodging is limited in Guntersville, we decided to borrow friend Jerry's camper and stay at the state park. We had a blast!!! Trying to set everything up Friday night in the dark was pretty comical! But we eventually figured it all out and it ended up being perfect! To make things better, Philip had a great race Saturday morning!!! Here's a few pics of our adventures. Did I mention we were also dog sitting as well...

Leaving Opelika

Heading back to the campsite after the race. I had three tired pups on my hands!!!
At the campsite after with Bob & JoAnne. Bob did the race too so they came back to the campsite to relax with us for the afternoon.
Charlie and Victor played and played and played all day long!!!
We grilled some burgers for a late lunch!

Saturday evening, Philip and I took some chairs and a beverage down to the edge of the lake. It was beautiful!!!

Then I tought Philip how to play Rummy and totally kicked his fanny! Grandma Tubbs would have been sooooooo proud of me :)

Where has the time gone...

2010-08-12T09:34:00.006-05:00

I always feel like I just updated, then I look and see it's been a while. A LOT has gone on since my last post. I'll try to recap in pictures.

June- Cabo San Lucas! Our first experience at an all-inclusive and I'm officially hooked!

Spent 5 days at Dreams Los Cabos

For Susan's wedding!- Nicole, Jamie, Susan, Me & Kinsey

July- Spent 4th of July in Eufuala with the Fukai's. Dad rented a boat and we spent a day on Lake Eufaula. Sunday we had the 2nd Annual Redneck 4th of July Party. Complete with a wedding this year!

Got to meet my cousins little girl Dylan!!! Possibly one of the sweetest babies ever!

Signed up for the Big Sur Marathon on May 1, 2011!!!

Said goodbye to some great friends that moved to Lubbock:( Tubbie stole him from us! They are in this pic somewhere. We miss you tons Brett & Audra!!! None of us can figure out why we are all laughing. We thing James (picture taker) said something along the lines of "Everyone say bleep Texas Tech!!"

August- Celebrated our 4th anniversary on August 5! Our anniversary cocktails!

Then went to Atlanta for the weekend. Stayed at the W in Midtown and it was fabulous!!!! I highly recommend it! We ran in Piedmont Park, went to the Bodies Exhibit, Sweetwater Brewery (see Happy Hubbie above), dinner at Floataway Cafe, brunch at Craft. We had a blast!!!
This weekend we are borrowing a friends camper and heading up to Lake Guntersville. Philip is doing a Tri on Saturday so we figured we'd just stay all weekend. We went last night to stock up on groceries. It should be interesting:)

Decisions Decisions...

2010-07-15T10:48:00.002-05:00

I have been wanting to run a full marathon for a while now. But I am having a hard time pulling the trigger and signing up for one. I am very intimidated by the whole thing. A half is one thing. 13.1 miles I can wrap my head around. No big. Done 6 (wow, didn't realize it had been that many). But the thought of DOUBLING that...EEEEKKKK!!!!! My two running buddies, Lyndsay and Mary, are on board and we've decided next spring is the right time. Mainly so we don't have to train in the Alabama summer heat!!! I think last night we almost decided on the Big Sur Marathon in California. Registration opens today. Now lets see if I actually sign up!!!

Lately & a New Addition! Plus Lots of New Posts:)

2010-06-01T10:51:00.007-05:00

So after Mary & James got married, we actually had 3 whole weekends at home! I barely knew what to do with myself! No pics to post because we literally haven't done anything and it has been glorious!!!!!

This past weekend was fun and busy! Friday night we went to Birmingham to celebrate Tony's birthday. We had a little cookout and Britney cut the crap out of her finger and had to go to the ER to get some stitches. EEEK! She apparently asked the doctor if he could hurry up because she had a house full of people. Ha ha! But we had a great time with them just getting to hang out and visit.

Sunday night we had a little going away party for Dennis & Lisa. They are moving to Ft. Collins, CO so Lisa can do her internship for her Ph.D. It was a blast but I'm really sad they're leaving:(

Yesterday we picked up the house, went to the store. Oh, and bought me a new car. Totally spur of the moment but we're both really excited about it. We've been talking about it forever and I've spent about 10 hours on Edmunds.com the past two weeks researching this car and that car, SUV, crossover, sedan, but not being able to totally make up my mind. Today I'm kind of in that "holy crap, what did we just do" phase:)

Yay for me!

PS- Excuse my appearance in these pics. I look a little scared/nervous or something I was in shock that I actually bought a car!

Also, 3:30pm on the last day of the month and a holiday weekend is a pretty good time to contact a dealership:)

Introducing the Fukai's- Mary & James

2010-06-01T10:40:00.006-05:00

Me and Lyndsay at the rehearsal dinner

Me and little Philly!

Hiro & Lyndsay

Lyndsay and Isis (Hiro's daughter)

Hair fixin' time!!

At the reception

Me and Mary P!

The happy couple, James and Mary, leaving to go....

....to Eighth & Rail!!

Mary and James' wedding weekend (the first of May) was a lot of fun! I have no pics from the bridesmaids luncheon for some reason and none yet of the entire wedding party. But we had a great time and are so happy for them!!!

Celebrity Sighting #2

2010-06-01T10:36:00.002-05:00

Ran into this guy at the Blue Grass Inn in Nashville after the half marathon. If you watch HGTV, then you probably know who he is. Shane Tallant, one of the hosts of Designed to Sell. Some might not consider that celebrity status, but I do! :) I chatted with him for about 5 minutes and he is so nice!

Finished!

2010-06-01T10:18:00.004-05:00

At the super crowded expo. We were a little overwhelmed by how many people were there! Oh, and they started turning the lights of on us because it was 10 minutes til the expo closed. Rude.

Nervous about possibly running 13.1 miles in the rain!!!

Relief I can't even explain! None of us had very good races so we were all just glad to be DONE!

The first time we have actually made it "out" after a race. At Robert's Western World in downtown.

At the Blue Grass Inn:) Isis (Hiro's daughter), me, Mary & Lyndsay

The last weekend in April we headed up to Nashville for the final of our Half Marathon Trifecta! It had been quite a while since the Seaside Half and a lot of wedding activities for me and Philip so we were not feeling our best. Plus, they were prediciting TERRIBLE weather the morning of the race. That is never good for your pre-race psyche. Somehow we managed to get through the half marathon without any rain (full marathon runners were not so lucky)! And we are so glad for a little break!

I'll spare the details but we had a great time in Nashville and are so thankful for friends that opened their house to us even though they weren't in town:)

Introducing the S'mervilles

2010-04-19T19:39:00.005-05:00

The Bridesmaids and The Bride

Me and Philly at the wedding Me and B! I heart her!

Me and B at the rehearsal dinner

Mothers and daughters

The Summerville Girls and their matching bracelets

Tony and Britney's wedding was amazing. I won't go into great detail. Friday was the bridesmaids luncheon, Rojo and golf for the boys, rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.

Saturday were the typical wedding festivities and they were amazing!!!!

By Sunday we were pooped!!!

Day 4

2010-04-13T09:18:00.002-05:00

Phew! So Sunday was another crazy day!!! Philip had left from Birmingham and gone to Atlanta to spend the night with Brian. They woke up about 5am (ATL time) and headed to Augusta to the final round of the Masters! Unfortunately, no cell phones or cameras allowed this year so he's got no pictures:(

While he was there, me and Lyndsay headed down to Eufuala for the Pilgrimage. I think this was something like the 55th year. I love looking at houses in general, so when they happen to be 100+ years old, I am even more interested! We had a great time with my parents and saw about 6 of the houses on the tour. Sunday evening, we headed over to the Kellogg's house (they own Superior Pecan Comapny). They have the most amazing house in Eufuala. It wasn't on the tour this year because the renovations are not completely finished but hopefully it will be next year. Mom had told them how much I wanted to see the house so they invited us over for a tour and some wine on their porch. I won't go into detail because it would take me forever to tell you how awesome this house is but just know that I was in awe!!!!

I made it home about 9:30 and Philip rolled in about 11. To say that we both were/are exhausted is an understatement! But it was such a fun weekend that it was worth it:)

Day 3

2010-04-13T08:58:00.004-05:00

http://dempseyracingfans.com/

Me and Patrick:)

I touched him!!!! I touched him!!!!

H.O.T.!!!!

Some of our gang at near the Pit area!

Sooooo, after we left Dallas with his pops, we drove to Birmigham to shower and then headed over to Barber Motor Speedway for the Grand Am races. A friend of ours is the race director for APR headquatered here in Opelika and he got us some passes for he race on Saturday. APR had a few cars in the race so a few of us decided to head to the race to support Jeff and the APR team.

I had never been to Barber before and it is such a nice facility. I hate that we didn't have time to go to the museum while we were there because I hear it is amazing! Anywho, the passes that Jeff gave us got us into the paddock area where all the teams park their trailers so it was neat to walk around see all the cars being worked on before their races and stuff!

ALSO, there is this guy that races cars in the same series, you may have heard of him before. His name is PATRICK DEMPSEY! Well I was determined to get a look at this fella! So we cased out the paddock area, found his trailer and the stalking began:) Eventually my psycho behavior paid off and I got the pics you see AND his autograph! I was so amused with myself. After all that excitement we found a good spot in the grass at turn 3 and watched a little bit of the race.

After watching the race for a little while, I hitched a ride back to Opelika and Philip headed to Atlanta to spend the night with Brian. When I finally made it home about 7, I met some friends for dinner, went to the bar for a little bit to see a band that Richard was really excited about and FINALLY made it to bed about 11pm!!! I was DONE-ZO!

Day 2

2010-04-13T08:33:00.003-05:00

You can kind of see the little reflector, but that's Dallas riding in our headlighs probably around 3am!

Saturday morning! Dallas' dad met up with us and brought him an egg biscuit. He was VERY happy:)

Friday was interesting to say the least. We left Opelika about 4:30 and headed up to meet Dallas in Birmingham. Dallas (a friend of mine for about a 100 years now!) was participating in the Heart of the South 500. It started in Birmingham, went up through north Alabama, into North Georgia and back to Birmingham by way of Fort Mountain and Cheaha.

Our job was to be his "Crew" during the night shift, 8pm to 8am. This meant giving him food, drinks, Tums, keeping track of his caloric intake, helping him with any problems on his bike and the hardest thing, keeping him in our headlights the entire time! When we first volunteered, I thought it was going to be so easy, piece of cake, except for the staying awake all night part. However, after missing the first turn a mile into the race, I was beginning to think we were in over our heads a little bit!!

But we did it! Philip ended up driving the whole time (thanks to a 5 Hour Energy) and let me get a few cat naps here and there. We met up with Dallas' dad and another volunteer around 7:30 am close to Resaca, GA and handed him over to them. Honestly though, by that time we were already 200 miles in and I really wanted to help him finish! But I knew my body couldn't handle another 30 hrs so we graciously let his dad take over:)

He finally finished the race around 11am on Sunday, coming in 2nd place!!! We were so proud of him!!!!! He is in a very small club, so to speak, of people that can say they rode 500 conescutive miles without any real breaks (he did stop for a few 30 min power naps, but that was it)!!!!

Day 1

2010-04-09T15:40:00.003-05:00

Last night we headed over to Atlanta to see Vampire Weekend at the Tabernacle. It was such a fun & energetic show!!! We had a great time and were back home and in bed by 11:30! Most people that know us are not surprised by our mid-week travels just to see a band. We have been doing it ever since we met and I love it!!!!

One Day Without Shoes!

2010-04-08T09:07:00.003-05:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/36259451#36259451

I try not to get all wrapped up in what the kids are wearing these days but I have fallen in love with my Toms. I know I probably look silly at almost 30 sporting these trendy kicks but they really are quite comfortable! Plus, they are a great company with an inspiring mission! Today is their annual One Day Without Shoes. While I can't walk around barefoot all day, I will wear my Toms in support!!!

PS- Not to mention that the guy that started to company is totally H.O.T.!!! :)

Easter

2010-04-07T16:10:00.003-05:00

Philip, Mary, Hiro and Tim after the Mud Run.

Me with mom and daddy-o!

We had a wonderful Easter weekend! I honestly can't remember the last time the weather was so nice as well:) Saturday morning, me and Lyndsay did 5 miles, then a 5k while Philip ran the Mud Run that the ROTC department put on. He loved it! They were apparently so muddy that a firetruck hosed them off after the race.

One he came home, we headed down to Eufaula to spend the night with my parents. They showed us the new house they will be renting and the new Super Wal-Mart (big news in little 'ol Eufaula!). After all that fun, we came back to their house to relax with a cocktail and cook some dinner.

Sunday morning, we went to church then came home and had a GREAT meal! We are still eating the leftovers since mom only knows how to cook for 30, not 4:) After a walk and a nap, we went to some of their friends house for an adult Easter egg hunt. It was actually pretty fun! Some of the eggs had little mini's hidden with them and there was also a "golden" egg that had some money in it! After about an hour of fun with mom and dad's crazy friends, we headed home, exhausted!

This weekend is going to be CRAZY BUSY!! I have decided not to talk about it until it's over because it's stressing me out!!!! But it's going to be fun so I won't complain:)

Where to begin...

2010-03-29T08:52:00.003-05:00

Philip poolside in Vegas w/my white sunglasses on. Cool!

All the guys at the 80's party. Note- Philip did not have to borrow that jean jacket!

All the ladies rockin' it 80's style...

Britney, Stacey and me at Baytowne!

Since I last posted, I don't feel like I have slowed down one bit! We got back from Seaside on Monday and Philip left on Thursday to go to Vegas for Tony's bachelor party. From what I could tell, they had a good time. Everyone came home with all their teeth and no one ended up on the roof. Philip walked in the door that Sunday, dropped his bags in the kitchen, sat on the sofa and was dead asleep within about 2 minutes. A sign of a good trip, I suppose.

That Thursday, I left for Sandestin for Britney's bachelorette party (same wedding as Vegas trip). It was so much fun. We had great weather and got in some beach/pool time that all of us needed! I don't know all the bridesmaids as well as Philip knows the groomsmen so it was nice getting to know Britney's friends from Montgomery. It was a little slower pace than Philip's trip but I had a blast and I think Britney did too:) While I was gone to the beach, O-town had another theme party. This one was "Party like it's 1985"

Philip has had a nice break at work. They didn't do any surgery last week and don't have any this week nor have they had clinic so he is kind of "off" but still going into the office. It's a nice break for him from his usual 12 hour days.

This past weekend was so fun! Friday afternoon I left work a little bit early and we headed to Atlanta to see Wilco at the Fox. We met one of Philip's college roomies and his wife and had the best time. We ate dinner about a block down from the Fox then headed to the show. There was no opening band so they started right at 8 and played for almost 3 hours!! We stayed right across the street at the Georgian Terrace so not having to drive anywhere was great. Saturday morning we got up and ran around Midtown and down to Piedmont Park, then met up with Justin & Rebecca for breakfast/lunch at the Flying Buscuit. It turned into a beautiful day so we just piddled around Atlanta. Drove over to Decaturn, walked around Virginia Highlands, went to Ikea and Trader Joe's. We had a wedding party to be at Saturday night at 6 and didn't leave Atlanta until almost 4:30 our time. Oops! We were only about 45 minutes late the party:)

Last night we went to see Hot Tub Time Machine. I'll have to admit it was a lot funnier than I expected!

Well, now that I look back this is a long post about nothing really. Oh well! Happy Monday everyone!

Seaside Pics

2010-03-15T18:45:00.003-05:00

The truck is ready to go!

Doing what we do best. Being silly!

Picking up our packets on Satruday. We had the best weather!!

Getting ready for our pre-race dinner at Red Bar. YUMMY!!!!!

Our personal race photographer:)

What better place for a post race picture???

After hanging out in Seaside after the race, we took our celebration to the beach! Cheers!!!

The boys relaxing

Heading to dinner Sunday night in Rosemary Beach!

Race #2- In the bag!

2010-03-11T14:14:00.002-06:00

We had a GREAT time this weekend in Seaside/Seagrove!!!! The weather was amazing and that made it even better! This race was more about having fun a the beach than the run. We didn't really focus on our diet or how much wine we were drinking and it was a nice break:) It makes me feel kinda good about my running when I can do that (eat crappy & drink wine) and still run 13 miles. INSERT: pat on the back.

We got there right after lunch on Friday and immediately hopped on our bikes and rode down to Seaside (we were staying about 1/4 mile away at the Seagrove Villas). We ate lunch and the girls shopped around Seaside while the boys drove to Destin to get some "good" beers from Wine World. Friday night we ate dinner at Great Southern and went to bed early.

Saturday was GORGEOUS!!! We got up early and rode our bikes literally all day! From Water Color down to Rosemary Beach. That night we ate dinner at Red Bar. It was yummy!

Sunday was race day. The weather was perfect and we were excited about running in warmer temps:) Turns out riding my bike almost 15 miles on Saturday might not have been the best idea. My knee was killing me the entire 13.1 miles:( But I made it. I didn't do as well as I had in Birmingham (2 minutes slower to be exact) but Mary and Lyndsay ran 11 minutes faster than they did in Birmingham! I was so excited for them!

After the race, we laid around in the ampatheater and ate the free BBQ and had some adult beverages. We all ended up getting a little burnt but we didn't care. It was so nice just being in the sun! That afternoon we spent some time on the beach then ate dinner at a tapas place in Rosemary Beach.

Monday was another great day! None of us were ready to go home so we just rode around and did a little shopping in Seaside then headed over to the outlet mall in San Destin. We finally made it home about 8:30 Monday night.

It was a great trip and I was really a little depressed about being home:( Philip worked 2 days this week then headed to Vegas this morning (boo hoo for him!). I've got a baby shower Friday night and am having a little spa day with Lynday and Mary on Saturday and cannot wait! Honestly, I'm secretly excited about having a few days to myself ;)

Pictures coming soon!

Toodles!

Race #1 Complete!

2010-02-22T12:11:00.004-06:00

Warming up in Boutwell after the race.

Cheers!!!

Thanks to the power of Rocky and some awesome headbands, we all had a great race!

We like to wear matching outfits. It's like being in the 2nd grade all over again.

All of us at the finish line. Philip had a great run too!

Keeping ourselves warm before the race started. It was a balmy 30 degrees.

At the race Expo on Saturday. Sporting our new headbands that say "I love running. I hate running" over and over.

Mercedes Half was AWESOME! All of us beat our times from the Asheville Half we ran in September. I even got a PR at 1:59:48!!! I was so pumped! The weather was perfect. Cold but sunny and no wind, which is key!! I actually got hot around mile 5 and had to shed my long sleeves.

We got up to Birmingham around lunch on Saturday, made some pit stops at the Summit, ate lunch at Newk's, went to the Expo to get our race packets, strolled around downtown Homewood then at dinner at Jacksons.

Sunday morning we got up bright and early, headed to the race, ran, enjoyed the post-race festivities (complete with free beer and BBQ sandwhiches), ate lunch at Jacksons, headed home, took showers, went to eat sushi for dinner then made our way to Eighth and Rail for their Valentine's Day celebration. By 9pm, I was pooped!! I told Philip before we left for dinner, "Man we sure do know how to cram a lot of crap into one weekend!!" But we had a blast and by Tuesday I had recovered:)

This past weekend we went back to Birmingham for a wedding shower for Tony & Britney. Philip got to ride out at Oak Mountain and I got to do some shopping and get a mani/pedi. The wedding shower was a blast and we had a great time with T & B. Sunday morning we got up and took Charlie for a little run around Edgewood and stopped at O'Henry's for some coffee. Britney cooked an amazing brunch and then we headed home. Phew! It was another busy but fun weekend!!! No pictures though:(

It begins...

2010-02-08T09:44:00.002-06:00

3 Half Marathons in 3 months!! The first one is Mercedes Half this Sunday in Birmingham. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for good (decent) weather. Some days I feel ready and others I wonder what the hell I'm thinking. My last half marathon was a long time ago, September. We have kept up our mileage since, even through the holidays, and ran about 12.5 miles three Saturdays ago but I am still starting to feel nervous. I think this happens every time. Maybe what scares me the most is that I've got to turn around and do another one in 3 weeks (March 7th)!! Or that we (me, Lyndsay and Mary) said that after the last race in April, we will decide whether or not to go for a full marathon by the end of 2010. I can honestly say I am no where near ready to make that committment! Or that this time last year, I could barely even run one mile after months of physical therapy after my ACL repair. So far, the knee has held up pretty well. But every now and then it lets me know its not 100%, will this be the race where it gives me fits???

For this week, I'm going to try to keep my focus on Sunday. And try not to get too caught up in running a certain time (although I do have a goal in mind). I'll keep my focus on the thrill of the race. Lining up at the start line with 5,000 other people who all share the same goal as you, running 13.1 miles. I'll focus on the fact that I have two amazing friends that keep me accountable and make me get my butt out of bed on a cold, drizzly Saturday morning when all I want to do is stay snuggled up under the covers. A husband that is also a runner, and my running coach- of sorts. The feeling that you get when you cross that finish line. It's undescribable. No matter how many times you've done it. And the beer that will be waiting for me at the finish line:)

January-smanuary!

2010-01-12T10:29:00.005-06:00

My birthday ice cream from Mandarin. It was green tea flavor. YUK! (Not sure why Hiro is handing me soy sauce...)

Isn't it the most amazing thing you've ever seen!!! For the record I didn't eat all of it!

DONE!

What is it about January that just stinks?? I think for me it's the fact that I have to wait a whole YEAR for Christmas:( I know I'm weird but I absolutely love everything about Christmas (and not because it's my birthday)! I start celebrating in November. This year I had my tree up the week of the Auburn/Georgia game! 2 months of holiday fun, and then BAM! its over. It makes me sad:( And I guess if I'm being brutally honest, since we don't observe Valentines Day or give anniversary gifts, its a whole year before I get to open presents again! Call me selfish, but everyone loves to open presents! Poor, pitiful me...

Anywho- The week of New Years was just as crazy as the week of Christmas for us!

Tuesday we had my birthday dinner with all our friends at Mandarin House. I ate the biggest plate of sushi ever and it was amazing!!!!

Wednesday I took the day off to get our house back in order and take down the Christmas decorations. Then we headed to Atlanta to see Band of Horses at the Tabernacle with Brian. It was so much fun and a great show!!!

Thursday we got up and headed to Nashville to meet up with Hiro, Lyndsay, Mary and James to stay with Hiro's friends, Tom & Missy, for New Years. We had a blast! This is about the 4th or 5th year that H & L have gone up to Nashville for NYE so we decided to tag along this year. It was a very relaxing few days as we didn't really leave their house except for a trip to the grocery store. We finally made it home Saturday night, after a pit stop at Rojo in Birmingham:) I didn't take a single pic in Nashville. Maybe I can get some off of Hiro's camera, he was much more on top of it that I was!

Sunday we both just rested and tried to get ready for a 5 day work week, what a bummer!!

This past weekend was our first weekend at home in what seemed like a month! Friday night was Mary P's birthday so we ate dinner at Amsterdam and then went bowling!! I hadn't been bowling in forever and it was so much fun! Something about bowling just makes you act like a kid again! The rest of the weekend was pretty relaxing, which was exactly what I was hoping for!

Toodles!

Christmas Craziness!!!

2009-12-29T16:24:00.005-06:00

The chaos of all the kids opening presents!!!

The Rileys and the Hakes

My new cowboy boots Philip gave me! I love them!!

Doesn't look like there was much of a recession at my parents house:)

Kevin, me, Stephen and Kati- Cousins at Jacksons!!!

Philip and I had a WONDERFUL Christmas this year! It was a whirlwind weekend but so much fun!!!

Wednesday- Headed to mom and dad's house in Eufuala.

Thursday- Loaded up and headed to Birmingham where we met Bob & JoAnne at my cousin's house for the annual Tubbs Family Christmas. Words cannot even describe the chaos that surrounds this event but that is what makes it so fun!!

Friday (AKA MY BIRTHDAY!!!)- Opened up presents (it took us almost 3 hours!) and relaxed all day. Christmas night dad cooked us steaks and we celebrated my birthday:)

Saturday- We packed up and headed back to Birmingham to spend the night and see some friends. Philip got us a great rate at the aLoft in Homewood so we left little Charlie in Eufaula and away we went! Saturday night we ate at Jackson's for my Cousin Birthday Celebration. This is about the 6th year I have done this with some of my cousins and I love it!!!

Sunday- Went for a run through Homewood and it made us sad:( Met sweet little Ava! Ate lunch at Rojo. Went back to Tony & Britney's to chill for a minute. Ate dinner at Flip Burger for our friend Nick's birthday. Finally made it back to Opelika around 11pm!!! PHEW!

It was a blast and I'm bummed that it's over!!! I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!! Hope everyone has a wonderful New Year!

Toodles!

Babies! Babies!

2009-12-22T08:24:00.002-06:00

We had two friends have babies yesterday and another that will be coming any day!! Congratulations to Lauren & Allen on baby Ava Elaine!!! So far there's only one pic on Facebook but I'm hoping they'll post some more soon!

Congrats to Paige & Paul!! Their little Porter was also born yesterday!!

And little prayers going out to the Meyers this week! Baby Meyers #2 is due any day!!! My vote is for Christmas Day of course!!! :)

He did it!

2009-12-15T09:36:00.003-06:00

I am so proud of this little fella!!! Saturday he ran (and finished!!) the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville. HOORAY!!! It was really cold and windy and his little legs were so red! He said it was the most challenging thing he's ever done but he's ready to train for another one!!! I think we (Me, Lyndsay, Mary & Philip) are going to think about running Chicago Marathon in October. Maybe...

'Twas Twenty Nights Before Christmas...

2009-12-15T09:16:00.006-06:00

The girls in their pj's!

Lyndsay & me in our onesies :)

The Snuggie Squad. Brett & Audra were so excited about their blue & pink snuggies!!

"Dirty Santa"- an Iain Stewart original. This was one of the most popular gifts!!

All the boys. It was impossible to get them all looking at the camera at once!

The "Ralphies"- Philip wouldn't wear the bunny suit so I said I would. I think it would have been funnier if he had done it. Instead he opted for some "You'll shoot your eye out!" pj's:)

We had a 'Twas the Night Before Christmas party at our house on the 5th. Everyone had to wear pj's and we played Dirty Santa. Each couple brought a good gift and a "re-gift" and it turned out to be the best game of Dirty Santa I've played!!! The two biggest hits were a two-pack of Snuggies and an original "Dirty Santa" print from our friend Iain. Some of the not-so-popular gifts were a vegan cookbook and a can of Spotted Dick :o) Everyone had a great time and said getting to wear pj's to a party was awesome! Dad wrote a cute poem that I put on the invitation.

‘Twas twenty nights before Christmas
and down at the tracks,
Mer & Phil’s is the place
for holiday snacks

Everyone in their Jammies
is set for the night,
and the exchanging of gifts
makes everything right

Listed below
is all the specifics,
come ready for fun
it will be terrific

Gobble Gobble!!!

2009-12-02T11:26:00.006-06:00

Even Charlie had a great time. He looooves running (& digging) in the sand!

A better place than this to spend Thanksgiving...I don't think so!

Impressing Philip with my mad golf skills

Ellen and I at La Cocina

Me, Charlie and Philip enjoying the beautiful sunset

Our whole group at the Red Bar:)

Brian, Philip and me taking a pre-Thanksgiving dinner walk on the beach

Round 2 of the Riley/Hake Thanksgiving at the beach was a hit!!! This year we stayed the entire week- Sunday to Sunday- and had a blast!!! The weather was great and we just relaxed the whole week. I thought we would get a little bored being there for a week when it's not warm enough to lie out but I was WRONG!!! Here's what all we did:

1) Played golf with mom and dad

2) Took some spin classes at Balance Health Studio

3) Read The Help and Bitter is the New Black. They were both great books. If you haven't read The Help, you need to!!! Philip read The Road and said it was awesome.

4) Shopped! (but not on Friday)

5) Watched the Iron Bowl

6) Ate at RED BAR!!!!!

7) Rode our bikes a lot :)

8) Spent some time on the beach

9) Polished up on my Wii skills

It was glorious and we can't wait to do it again next year!!! Thanks moms and dads for taking us!!!!

Toodles!

"Art"

2009-11-14T12:46:00.002-06:00

The new piece of "art" in the study...

Rivalry Weekend!

2009-11-12T08:36:00.003-06:00

It's rivalry weekend at the Hakes!!! This year should (hopefully) make for an interesting Auburn/Georgia game since both teams seem to be hit or miss from week to week. Philip's got his red pants ready! He's been itching to pull them out of the back of the closet for a year now!

To get ready for the upcoming game, I think I'll decorate my Christmas tree tonight!! :) Everything else is already up so I might as well go ahead and decorate the tree!

Toodles!

and War Damn Eagle!!!

Hiatus...

2009-10-23T08:32:00.003-05:00

I guess I took a little blogging hiatius. We've been pretty busy since our weekend at the beach with the UGA boys. I won't go it to detail because most of it is not that interesting...
- On the Tracks 2 Fridays ago. So much fun, as usual!!!
- Watched Auburn lose twice:( At least this past weekend we got to see it from the scholarship seats!
- Celebrated some birthdays
- Helped mom decorate 2 Christmas trees!
- Philip has been running his little heart out! He's training for the Huntsville Marathon in December and doing great so far. Tomorrow he's got to run 18 miles, yikes!!
- Signed up for the Seaside Half Marathon in March. Going to run 3 half marathons in 3 months. Mercedes in Feburary, Seaside in March and Country Music in April!
So that pretty much catches you up on what we've been doing!

Tonight I'm off to Birmingham with Merry-D and Lyndsay to see Tim Brantley at Workplay. I can hardly wait!!! We're staying at the new aLoft hotel in downtown Homewood and eating at, you guessed it, ROJO!!!!!!!!! Tomorrow we're going to shop around Bham before we come back. Then Philip leaves Sunday morning for a conference in New Orleans. I think he's excited but a little bummed b/c he's going by himself. He's definitely glad he doesn't have to do a presentation this time!! :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!!

Toodles!!

The Boyz Get Together

2009-10-07T18:03:00.004-05:00

Scott & Marianne at the Old Florida Fish House. Baby Boy Pfitzer will be here in December!!!
Carson, Davis (19 mos), Justin, Caroline (4 mos), Philip & Scott
Pretty much sums up what we did all weekend:)
Philip and Davis in their twinkie shirts!
Sweet baby Caroline
Davis looking cool in Uncle Philip's shades

We had a WONDERFUL weekend on 30-A with the Georgia Boyz!! This trip was a little different than our last reunion as we've added 2 and another one will be here in December! We didn't really do too much, which is probably what made it such a great trip! Philip and I rode our bikes down to Seaside Saturday morning and we all spent a lot of time on the beach.

As for the new job, it's going great! So far I am loving it, especially the whole walking to work bit:)

Toodles!

This Week: New Job and a Beach Reunion!

2009-09-27T17:37:00.004-05:00

I start a new job tomorrow! It's very strange to me that I won't be driving to Auburn and working with all my ladies at the Chamber/Tourism Bureau!!! Now, my commute will be about 4 minutes on foot, 2 minutes if I ride my bicycle:) That part I am really excited about!!

I'll be working for a law firm, Samford & Denson. They have been in Opelika for close to 100 years! The lawyer I will mainly be working for is on the Board at the Chamber so I have known him for a while now. He's a super nice guy, born & raised in Auburn.

I honestly can't say exaclty what it is I'll be doing b/c I honestly don't really know:) Lawyer stuff, I guess:) But I'm excited about a new challenge and learning about something that is really foreign to me.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Philip's parents came down with Grandpa Texas and we tailgated and went to the game yesterday. Crazy weather again this weekend and we had to hunker down in the minivan for about 30 min. But the rain came a lot earlier in the day so by game time, it was just drizzling a bit.

We stayed until almost half time then headed home to check on Grandpa Texas and get in some dry clothes!

Today has been nice and relaxing! A pedi and sushi!!

I'm looking forward to the new job and our Britton Ave beach weekend!!! Thursday right after work we're heading down to Water Sound with Philip's roomies from UGA. Should be a great weekend!

Toodles!!

More Asheville Pics

2009-09-24T08:50:00.003-05:00

Yay!!! We're finished!!!
Group pic at our cottage.
Dinner at Zambra. It was sooo good:)
The Runners. We are wondering where the beer is???
This was after we had driven the course on Friday. These faces are for real, we were freaked out!!!

While I was dodging rain....

2009-09-22T12:49:00.004-05:00

The hubs was here!
Doing a lot of this!!!
With these 2 fellas!

Hopefully he'll have the energy tonight to do a little post about his trip!!

War Eagle!!

2009-09-21T08:21:00.003-05:00

Jenn's first visit to The Plains in a long, long time!!!
Hiro & Lyndsay stopped by for a bit!
Britney, Tony & me

Well it was quite an eventful weekend!!! Here's what happened:
1) Wingate came to visit!!!! We had so much fun! Dinner at Cafe 123 Friday night, tailgating Saturday, wimped out on the game, watched it at my cousins apartment and at Hiro & Lyndsays, coffee shop
2) Tony & Britney came to visit!!!! They came down Saturday for the game and spent the night. They were not wimps like me and Jenn and actually stuck it out for the whole game. True fans:)
3) Volree and Nick became parents!!!! Baby Cooper was born on Saturday afternoon right before the Auburn game started. I'm so excited for them and hope to meet him soon!
4) Philip went to Colorado with Scott and Matt for a fishing/camping expedition. I still haven't laid eyes on the boy but from our limited phone conversations it sounds like he had a great time!!! He slept for a few (like 2) hours in Birmingham then got up at 4:30am this morning and headed straight to the hospital:( He says he has great pics so maybe once he's caught up on his sleep I can talk him in to posting about it.
5) Yesterday I did nothing and it was glorious!!!! I watched the entire first season of Sex & the City. A fun lazy Sunday:) Lynz and Hiro came over with some leftovers and watched some SATC with me. Hiro was thrilled!

I'm hoping to have an uneventful week this week since last week ended up being super busy!!

Happy Monday everyone!!!

Toodles!

Asheville

2009-09-15T17:58:00.003-05:00

Sunday Mountain Bike
At the start, ready to go!!!
Being silly in our race t's the night before.
Victor getting comfy in the mini van!
Heading to Asheville in the mini van! Hooray!!

Asheville was great! We had so much fun! The house we rented was about 5 minutes away from downtown and so cute! We had a hot tub and fireplace that we used all weekend! The best thing was being able to keep the windows open the whole time we were there. That just isn't possible in Alabama in September!

We headed up Thursday afternoon and were so excited when we finally got there about 10pm.

Friday, the boys went mountain biking and the girls shopped downtown all day. We also drove the race course so we'd know what was in store. Let's just say we were all questioning our decision to run this race. The hills looked awful!! That night, we cooked a good meal at our house and relaxed before our big race!

Saturday morning we got up early and headed downtown to the race. The weather was perfect! In the 60's and cloudy, just the way I like it:) The race was the hardest I've ever done but it wasn't as bad as we thought after driving it the day before. Lyndsay and Mary had a great first half marathon!!! They both crossed the finish line with a smile on their face:)

After the race, we hung around downtown and chilled at the Beir Garden for some post race libations. Then we headed back to the house to relax our legs in the hot tub and take naps!

Saturday night we went to a tappas restaurant called Zambra. It was so good!!! We had big aspirations of painting the town but dinner pretty much did us in and we headed home and hit the sack!

Sunday us girls did a little more shopping in Biltmore Village and the boys did one last mountain bike ride. I think they were both worn out because when we got back to pick them up, they were both exhausted and beaten up!

We finally made it home about 8pm Sunday night. It really was a great weekend with great friends!

Toodles!

The Time Has Arrived!

2009-09-10T09:56:00.002-05:00

Well, the time has arrived! We leave today for Asheville!!! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!!! I'm really nervous about the race but am looking forward to a lovely weekend and some cooler temperatures!

Hopefully I'll have some fun pics to post when we get back!

Lots of my peeps are coming down this weekend for the game and I'm sad we won't get to see each other. I think we'll have about 6 people at our house fighting for a bed on Saturday night:)

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Toodles!

I'm Trying...

2009-09-04T13:05:00.003-05:00

To get in the football spirit. Even got a "Join the Chizik Republik" t-shirt. Went downtown again today for lunch. But it's still not working...

PS- Still missing Tubs:( Wonder if he'll come to any of the football games? Maybe he's been invited to sit in Lowder's box....HA! HA!

Football...already??

2009-09-03T08:25:00.000-05:00

College Football starts this weekend. I really can't believe it! How did it get here so fast??? I'm having a hard time getting excited this year. I think I still miss Tubbie:(

WDE!!

Another relaxing weekend coming up!

2009-08-28T12:59:00.002-05:00

I'm hoping to have another relaxing weekend like we did last weekend! It will be the last one for a while between football, half marathons, beach trips, weddings, etc. Tonight we're going to try out Piccolo, the new tappas lounge at the Hotel, then get some dinner. Tomorrow morning I've got to run 9 miles then I have NOTHING to do the rest of the day. Should be glorious:)

Tomorrow night I'm looking forward to seeing Tim Brantley at The Bar! Mary P and Lyndsay have a little crush on this guy so I'm excited to see him play! I think we're going to do a little girls dinner first:)

I'm kinda hoping it will rain on Sunday. Not for any other reason than it might force me to hang around the house and rest!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Toodles!

Happy to Report...

2009-08-24T13:52:00.002-05:00

That we had a relaxing weekend at home!! Not really much to blog about b/c we didn't really do much, and it was fabulous! Dinner and a drink at the bar Friday night, asleep by 10. Saturday morning 12 mile run, haircut, lunch at Amsterdam, nap, dinner at Fukai Manor, asleep by 11. Sunday morning house cleaning bonanza, coffee shop, Target, laundry, nap, dinner at Durango, True Blood. Throw in some biking for Philip and there you have it! A lovely weekend in Opelika. Add in the amazing weather we had yesterday and it was close to perfect. As soon as we woke up yesterday morning, Philip had the AC turned off and all our windows open. I loved it!!

Toodles!

Shoot the Hooch!

2009-08-18T12:09:00.003-05:00

We had a great time in Atlanta visiting the Bradford's this weekend! Philip and I got up early Friday morning and did our long run (11 miles!) so we wouldn't have to do it over the weekend. After work, we hit the road to the ATL!

Friday night we ate at JCT Kitchen. It was sooo good!!! After dinner, we went to the bar upstairs and had a drink and listened to the live music. The restaurant is in a neat, warehouse district where a lot of old factories & buildings are being renovated as stores, restaurants, lofts, etc.

Saturday morning, we got up and ran around getting supplies for our Shoot the Hooch adventure! I had never been tubing before and it was a blast! We tried to buy our own floats to use but everywhere was sold out so we had to rent some:( But Beth used her mad negotiating skillz and got us a free tube for our cooler:) It took about 3 hours from start to finish. We stopped at one point and "beached" our tubes to eat our lunch. It was quite a scene. After our river adventure, we were all pretty wiped so we just went back to their house and lounged around for the rest of the evening. Tyler used his grill skillz and cooked us some amazing sausage and a pork tenderloin. It was so yummy!!

Sunday morning we ate a late breakfast at West Egg, ran to Lenox then headed down to Eufaula to pick up Charlie and have dinner with my parents.

We always have such a great time with Beth & Tyler and this weekend was no different!!! Hopefully we'll get to see them soon at the first Auburn game!

Toodles!

My Lame Attempt to Party Like It's 1999:)

2009-08-11T08:58:00.006-05:00

The Boyzz Spouses- Leah, Katie and Forrest
Me and Kristin- her class reunion was Saturday night too!
My most favorite boy ever!! Me & David
At our pre-reunion gathering at Dram
Our pre-pre reunion drink at Ross Bridge

What a crazy weekend!!! Friday night, we went to Panera for dinner and to see Funny People with Lynz, Hiro and Mary. It was a pretty good movie. Not what I expected and really long! But good, none the less.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early for another 10 mile run. Damn, I'm starting to get tired of those! Then we hopped in the car and headed to Birmingham.

First stop in Birmingham was, drum roll please, Rojo! We met up with Elmer, Tony, Britney, Scott & Marianne(who just found out they're having a boy!!) for lunch and had a blast. Then I went with Britney to check out our bridesmaid's dresses for the wedding. They are so cute!!! And chocolate brown, my fav!!

Then we headed over to Ross Bridge to check in. We tried to lie by the pool but it started raining so we opted for a daquiri on our balcony followed by a nap!

Saturday night was my 10 year reunion! We met the girls & hubbies at Dram for a pre-reunion drink then we headed over to Workplay for the reunion. It was a blast! There was a good number of people there so it was a little hard to speak to everyone! I'm so glad we went!

Sunday morning treated ourselves to a massage then lounged by the pool! It was a little anniversary present to each other and it was great!!!

We went up to the Fukai's for dinner and True Blood but I didn't make it to TB. I was so tired that we left before the show and I was alseep by 8:30! It was great:)

Hope everyone has a great week!

Toodles!

#2

2009-08-07T10:02:00.002-05:00

I've gotta run 10 miles again tomorrow:( But the bright side is that once it's over, I get to go to Birmingham and eat lunch at Rojo!!!! Hooray!!! Then, tomorrow night is my 10 year reunion at Workplay. I guess I am a nerd b/c I'm actually excited about it!

Or maybe I'm excited about spending the night at Ross Bridge and getting a massage on Sunday! Hmmm....could be that too....

Have a great weekend everyone!

Toodles!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2009-08-05T10:59:00.002-05:00

Today is our 3rd anniversary! I can't believe it! It's gone by soooo fast! It's been a great 3 years with lots of change but it's also been so much fun! I love you very much hubbie!!!

Success!

2009-08-03T12:00:00.001-05:00

10 mile run on Saturday was a success!! I was mostly worried about my knee but it felt good the whole time, so I was relieved! It's felt pretty good throughout this whole training schedule so far which worries me a little. I feel like it's gonna give me fits at some point. Probably the morning I'm supposed to run 12 or the day of the race! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that doesn't happen!!!

Yow-za!

2009-07-31T15:42:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow morning I have to run 10 miles. 10. Miles. I haven't done this in quite some time, maybe when I was training for the Nashville Half in 2007!?!? I'm a little nervous, to say the least!

We have had a very nice week this week. Philip has been off work all week so I think that is what has made it so relaxing! We've been able to run together in the mornings, he's been home when I get home at 5, he even read 2 books! That's pretty good for him, he takes forever to read a book!

Last Friday we went to Birmingham for Tony & Britney's engagement party. It was a blast!!! I think sometimes I forgot about how much fun I have with those guys!! I took my camera, but didn't snap one single picture! So I stole some from Stacey's facebook:) Saturday morning I helped host a baby shower for Volree. Thank goodness she designated someone to take pics because I, of course, took none!

We came back Saturday afternoon after a trip to Rojo (of course!) and went to dinner at the new German restaurant down the street from our house. I must admit I am not a huge fan of German food but I was pleasantly surprised!

This weekend, the in-laws are coming down for a visit. They haven't been to Opelika in quite a while so Philip and I are both excited they're coming!

While we wait for the Hakes to get here, we're heading down to Cafe 123 to have a birthday cocktail with 2 of our favorite Opelika teachers, Kate & Revel.

Tony & Britney- practicing for the reception...or just being silly!
Brannon (B's brother), Halley (T's sister), Britney, Stacey (T's sister), Tony and Julie (Brannon's wifey)
Me and B at J. Clyde after the par-tay!

One for the books!

2009-07-23T08:32:00.003-05:00

As we speak, Philip is operating on a Liger. Yes, you heard me- a liger! Apparently they are not some made up animal from Napoleon Dynamite.

One of the doctors over at the vet school called Dr. Warren the other day and asked him for some help operating on a 17 week old liger. Dr. W thought it was a joke! Apparently the little cub might have a tumor and the vet wanted Dr. W and Philip to come assist with the surgery.

Philip took the camera with him so hopefully he'll have some pics to share!

We have our life back!

2009-07-21T10:37:00.003-05:00

It was a cold, winter day in December when Dr. Warren (Phil's boss) said "Hey, did y'all ever watch Alias??? What a great show. We have the whole series, here take it!" And that's when our life officially ended...

But now, we are back and I am so thrilled to say that after 7 long months we have finally finished the series!! I know this sounds pretty stupid but y'all just don't understand! It's not that it was this amazlingly awesome show, but every episode ended with some ridiculous cliffhanger. Making it impossible to say "nah, i don't think I really want to watch it anymore" Impossible I tell ya! We would actually not do things or rush home from whatever we were doing because we wanted to see the next episodes. Pathetic, I know. But no more! We are free!!

Up next: Enterouge- Season 5 A definite fav! We are a season behind b/c have to wait for it to come out on dvd since we don't have HBO anymore.

Need a House???

2009-07-20T10:30:00.003-05:00

http://www.realtysouth.com/Listing/ListingDetail.aspx?Search=34c95796-970d-40dd-9057-4fb71d30fee2&Listing=42506163&IRPAgentID=&Image=1&First=1&Last=10&pagesize=10&SearchType=geographic&ListingDistrictTypeID=&FirstLetter=&Sort=6&Cookies=&UseColorBar=false

A friend of mine just put her house on the market. If anyone knows someone looking for a great house in the heart of Homewood (behind Trinity UMC), send them here!!! Great layout, lots of updates and a big backyard!!

Relaxing, just the way I like it!

2009-07-20T09:18:00.004-05:00

It was quite a lovely weekend!! And we loved it! Friday night was dinner at Mandarin then chillin' on the porch with some friends.

Saturday morning we got up early to run 6 miles (per my training schedule) then I headed to the lake to hang out with Jamie, Kinsey, Lauren & Lindsey for the day. It was a blast!! I loved getting to see them and the kids! The only downside was having to drive all the way back to Opelika to let Philip in the house. I left him at the coffee shop with no keys! Ooops! I made the trip there and back to the lake with plenty of time to visit. Saturday night we ate dinner on our porch (it felt so good outside!!!) and went down to the bar for a minute to visit with Richard.

Yesterday morning we got up and headed down to Eufaula to visit with my parents. My dad's birthday was Saturday so we went down there to spend some time with them, watch the British Open and cook some delicious steaks!!!

Pretty much a perfect weekend! Except for the lovely letter we received from the Arizona Department of Transporation informing us that my lovely hubbie had received a speeding ticket when we were driving back to Pheonix Memorial Day and we owed them $180!!! Guess when we saw the sign that said "Traffic cameras in use" we should have paid attention:)

Toodles!

They made it!

2009-07-16T13:10:00.004-05:00

The group right before they left on Thursday.

The Student Union at Univeristy of Wisconsin where you can get Brats & Beer.

State Capital in Madison, WI

Park of the bike trails at Trek. I think they rode down this about 5 billion times on Sunday.

The boys made it safely back from Winsconsin on Tuesday afternoon, aside from the bruises and a rather large skinned knee. All 3 took long naps then everyone came to our house for a good meal. The boys ate their food in about 4 seconds. I would like to think it's b/c me, Lyndsay and Kat are such amazing cooks but I think it has more to do with the fact they had been eating junk for 5 days:) I asked Philip if he wanted me to buy him any chips for his lunches this week and he enthusiasticlly replied "NO!!" Guess he's had his fill of that!

Y'all, I almost busted out laughing when I walked in the door on Tuesday! Philip's forehead is covered, and I mean COVERED, in mosquito bites!!! It looks so hilarious and a little bit like zits! Apparently there are monster mosquitos in Wisconsin that would cover you in no time if you stood still. They even bit through clothes! Yikes!

Almost Home!

2009-07-14T08:22:00.002-05:00

Well, I just talked to Philip and they are approaching the Alabama state line. He was driving while Hiro & Conan slept. I didn't talk to him too much while he was gone but I get the idea that they had the time of their lives! Maybe I can get Philip to post something about their adventures!

I managed to have a little fun while he was away:) Friday night about 8 of us girls gathered at Lyndsay's house for a slumber party. While we didn't actually spend the night, we did wear pj's, watch cheesy 80's movies, play games and eat a TON of sweets and pizza!!! It was a blast.

Saturday, me and Lyndsay went to Eufaula and spent the night with my parents. Dad got a Wii for his birthday so that kept us occupied most of the visit:) Sunday morning mom's 3 sisters and Aunt Karen came down to see their house and eat lunch. Then they followed me to Opelika and check out Lyndsay's house then mine.

Last night I watched Marley and Me with Lyndsay and we cried our eyes out! It was such a good movie! Almost right along with the book, I thought.

Tonight I have a feeling I'll be cooking something yummy for Philip since he's been living off Waffle House and burgers for the past 4 days:)

Hope everyone has a great week!

Toodles!

And they're off!!

2009-07-10T08:59:00.002-05:00

Philip left last night with 7 other fellas heading up to Waterloo, WI to the Trek headquaters. They were invited by their friends at our local bike shop, Golden Cycles, to go up there and test out some new prototypes and ride on the bike trails that Trek has on their property. Philip, Hiro and Conan have been talking about this trip for weeks and were so excited last night when they left. Above is Conan's car, complete with a customized bike rack that they made themselves! I just talked to Philip and they are about 4 hours away from Madison, WI and just had breakfast at the Hen House in some small town in Illinois. They'll be back some time on Tuesday with tons of stories to tell, I'm sure!

A fun 4th!

2009-07-07T17:51:00.004-05:00

The "cooler"
All the girls on the hog!
Chas'titty, Mary Dee and Sukie
Skeeter and Chas'titty- a very classy couple!
Luke and Uncle Philip watching Wimbledon
I love mommy's homemade Oreo ice cream!!!
Charlie chillin' with me in the lake. He actually swam out to my float and hopped on!

We had a very nice 4th of July! The pictures pretty much say it all.

Friday night was our White Trash 4th Party at Mary P's and Saturday we went to the lake with the Donaldson's. When we got back from the lake on Sunday we spent the afternoon on the couch watching the last season of Alias on dvd.

Feliz Cumpleanos!

2009-07-07T15:32:00.006-05:00

Philip drinking his birthday present from Durangos!

He was not real excited when the dude lit it on fire:)

I found these pics from Philip's birthday extravaganza on my phone today. I took him to a high class dinner at our beloved Durango's (awesome Mexican in a Super 8!!) and I, of course, told them it was his birthday. I figured they would bring him some sort of mexican desert like a flan or something but alas....he got a Mexican flag.

It Begins

2009-06-29T09:33:00.003-05:00

Training for the Asheville Half Marathon begins today!!! MP found us a schedule that has 4 days of running per week, with the long run on Saturday. I think I'm going to like this plan better than ones I have done in the past b/c it will allow for other forms of exercise during the week like weights or spinning.

Above is a picture of my training posse. MP, Lyndsay and myself. Philip is running too but he's not included in our posse since he could probably run 13 miles today if he had too...damn him... :)

Hot, Hot, Hot

2009-06-25T08:06:00.004-05:00

Heading over to Baytown on Friday night.

We took a cab to Pompano Joe's (b/c we are responsible) only to learn that the kitchen was backed up and there was a 2 hour wait! Oh well, at least the bar wasn't shut down!!

Fun times with our BFFs!!!

We had a great time this past weekend in San Destin with Tony & Britney!!! There was not a cloud in the sky and the beach was packed!!! Friday night we took the bus over to Baytown and ate at Hammerheads then went to Rum Runners to watch the dueling piano peeps.

Saturday was a full, but HOT, day on the beach. You literally could last about 10 minutes out of the water before you were dying! Saturday night we ate at Pompano Joe's. It was delish! When we got there the kitchen was backed up due to computer issues and there was a 2 hour wait. When they finally started seating people again, Tony worked his magic and we only waited about 45 min:)

Sunday we got up early again and headed down to the beach for a few hours of sun. Then we headed to Eufaula to pick up Charlie and check on the progress mom & dad had made on the house. They moved in last week and it already looks great! Typical Marilyn:)

This weekend I think we'll probably stay close to home and enjoy a little down time!

Toodles!

Oh crap....

2009-06-15T16:33:00.002-05:00

It's my birthday!

Happy birthday hubbie! 143!!!!!!!!!!

ps- Julie-- that code is a tribute to you:)

One wedding & a reunion

2009-06-15T16:17:00.004-05:00

Awww, how sweet...BFF's!!!

That's Philip in the blue shirt!

Me with my Rho Chi buddie Katie!!! Love her!

Elm, Philip & Tony- the reception was outside so it was a little toasty!

Mr & Mrs Brandon Boyd!!!!!!!

Dang I'm tired!!! We had a great weekend up in Huntsville for Brandon's wedding and Philip's 10 year reunion. We left Friday afternoon after work and headed up to meet everyone out after Brandon's rehearsal dinner. It was great getting to see everyone again! It had been a while since we were all together. Plus I got to see the future Mr & Mrs Summerville. I practically form-tackled Britney on the patio of Humphrey's:)

Saturday, me and JoAnne went to get pedicures and shop while Philip and Bob went for a 60 mile bike ride. Then it was off for a long, long night! First stop was Brandon's wedding, then over to Old Towne Brewery for the reunion. Both were a blast! Philip was pleased to see a good turnout at the reunion and got to see some people that he hasn't seen since graduation. After a much needed stop at Waffle House, we made it home- at an hour I'm embarassed to mention here:)

Sunday we went to church then had Philip's birthday lunch with his parents. The food was so good but we were both so tired! We had to take a nap before we could drive home!

Last night we picked up chinese on our way in to town and went to Fukai Manor for the season premier of True Blood. It did not disappoint- terrible acting and a strange story line but alas, we will still tune in every week!

Bling Bling!

2009-06-15T15:51:00.004-05:00

Tony & Britney- I think she's excited:)

The newly engaged couple. Check out her bling!!!!!!!!!!! We love them very much and are so excited!

Catching Up!

2009-06-09T08:28:00.004-05:00

Bell Rock

The family before a hike

I have totally been a blog slacker lately so I've got a bit of catching up to do!

Let me start with our trip to Sedona, AZ Memorial Day weekend. We had a great time with JoAnne's family! They are such a hoot!!! Most of the time out there was spent by the pool or hiking. We had some great dinners with the whole group and Philip was really glad to see some family that he doesn't see very often!!

The past 2 weekends we have been trying to soak up being home with nothing to do!! It has been so fun doing whatever we want! We have spent time by the pool, riding bikes, a trip to Serenbe, hanging at the coffee shop, went to see The Hangover (OMG...hilarious!!!!) and really just enjoyed being home!

This weekend we're heading to Huntsville for Philip's 10 year reunion and a wedding. It should be a pretty fun time. Philip's class is really small and most of them have kept in touch so he's excited to see everyone!

Mom and dad are plugging along in their relocation adventure! Dad started working a few weeks ago and has been living at the Jameson Inn during the week. I think they are scheduled to move in to the house they are renting some time next week. Philip and I went down to Eufaula last week and had dinner with them and got to see their house. It's old and a little out-dated but it's really big and down the street from the country club, so dad is happy!

And a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Tony & Britney! Tony popped the question Friday night while they were out on the boat at the lake. So sweet:) We are sooooooooo excited!!!!!

A Little Bite of Heaven

2009-05-24T16:37:00.003-05:00

Classy pic:)

That's right baby....after waiting a long, 5 years I finally made it to an In & Out Burger again!!! My virgin experience was on a visit to LA & Santa Barbara in the spring of '04. My dearest Susan took me the night before I flew home about 10pm. She said I couldn't leave the west coast without tasting this magnificent burger. And boy was she right!!!! It was amazing!!! A few years ago, we came to Sedona for Thanksgiving. I was so excited about the thought of another In & Out. Sadly, I was veto'd by my BIL, Brian, for Whataburger. So sad and dissapointing!

This time, I wasn't going to let that happen. Philip and I hadn't been in Pheonix 15 min on Friday before I was asking the shuttle driver where the closest In & Out was. A $30 cab ride later and I was a happy as a clam, see above. We plan on stopping in again before we fly out tomorrow:)

Toodles!

Charlie at the Chamber

2009-05-19T14:43:00.004-05:00

Charlie got to come to work with me this morning for a few minutes before he had to go to the vet for his yearly check up. He was a big help- answered the phone, returned a few emails.
He'll be back for a bit this afternoon too. Can't you tell he was having so much fun!!

Watercolor

2009-05-18T15:43:00.002-05:00

We had a great weekend at the beach!! Philip had a neurosurgery conference at Watercolor. He was presenting a paper he wrote on Chiari Malformation (probably totally misspelled that!). It was a great weekend and we had wonderful weather the whole time. I left early (like 7:45am!!) Friday morning and met my cousins- Debra, Kati & Sara (the Macs)- who were also at Watercolor having a girls weekend. I got there about 11:30am so I had all day to hang out with them on the beach while I waited for Philip, Dr. Warren and his wife, Lisa. They finally made it down about 4 and we had to go to a cocktail reception. Then the 4 of us broke away from the rest of the conference peeps and had a very nice dinner at Fish Out of Water. So amazing!!

Saturday morning I got up early to run before it got hot. HA! Apparently even at 7:30 in May it's already blazing hot! I about died!!! Philip had class all morning so I headed out to the beach early to meet the Macs again for another day on the beach. We didn't do much Saturday night. Just ate some apps at our house then went to Seaside for dinner.

Sunday morning I rode my complimentary bike around 30-A and got a mocha at the coffee shop in Watercolor. Then I met the Mac's at the pool and waited for Philip to get finished with his class. He was the very last person to present on Sunday. He was pretty nervous about getting up in front of a bunch of doctors but they were nice to him and didn't ask too many questions:) He came out to the pool with us for a little while before we headed to Seaside for a late lunch.

We made it home about 8pm last night. Phew! It was a great weekend. I was pretty sad to leave since we had such great weather the whole weekend!

I don't even think I'll put our suitcases away since we're leaving again on Friday for Sedona, AZ. Boy, I'm ready for a weekend at home:)

Toodles!

You're Parents Are Moving Where??? Part 3

2009-05-14T09:17:00.002-05:00

Part 1- I think it was my sophomore year of high school. Dad quits his job with nothing lined up. Mom things he has lost his mind. Eventually hired by a bank in Sylacauga, AL. I only knew about this town b/c we had family living there and you drive through it on the way to Auburn. They didn't end up actually moving there until March of my senior year so I didn't spend too much time there before going off to college. To a "big city" girl from Birmingham, this was a really small town. (I am speaking of myself and my mother!) But they ended up LOVING it!! Mom still goes up there at least once a week to play golf with her girlfriends.

Part 2- Spring of my junior year of college. I get a call from Daddy that went something like this: Dad: "Scooter (me), I quit the bank in Sylacauga and we're moving to Greenville."
Me: "South Carolina???? Cool!"
Dad: "No, Alabama"
Me: "Where in the hell is that????" :) "And does mom know about this???"
Again, to a "big city" girl, this was a REALLY small town!!! As most of you know, Dad's position at the bank in Greenville was eliminated in January. While it was a total shock, I think it was good for him! He has lowered his handicap and realized that he is 100% NOT ready to retire:)

Part 3- May 2009- Mom and dad are continuing their tour of Small Town Alabama!! Dad has accepted a job with MidSouth Bank in Eufaula!! A town that my dad, in all his 63.5 years had never stepped foot in until Tuesday. Where is that, you ask???? It's down Hwy 431 about an hour south of Opelika. I'm very excited for them!!! Eufaula is about the same size as Sylacauga so I think they will enjoy it much more than Greenville (which has a population of about 7,000!). Plus most of the town is on a huge lake!!!! I think he starts May 26th so they've got a lot to do before then. Like find a place to live, move all their crap, etc. They are going back today so he can meet the staff at the bank and the board members. Tomorrow, they are looking at some houses and will explore the town some more.

So here we go again....

Mother's Day Fun

2009-05-12T09:25:00.003-05:00

Philip and his mommy:)

Me and the hubs!

Birthday dinner at Morgan's

We headed up to Huntsville this weekend to see Philip's parents. Friday was JoAnne's birthday and Sunday was Mother's Day so she got double dose cards/presents! We didn't get up there until about 9pm on Friday so we visited with them and hit the sack pretty early. Saturday morning, me and Philip went for a run and got soaked!! We looked like drowned rats by the time we got back to the house! After a delicious breakfast, we did a little shopping and headed to Brew Fest. This year was the first time Huntsville has had a Brew Fest and it appeared to be a hit!! We went to dinner for JoAnne's birthday and watched Get Smart. Sunday was church and lunch then back to Opelika.

It was a great weekend and we were both glad to get up to see them. It had been a while since we'd been!!!

Last night my parents spent the night on their way back from Fripp Island. We cooked some steaks and had a nice visit with them. They're tending to some top secret business today. Hopefully more on that in the days to come!!!

Toodles!

Happy Birthday Jo-Jo!!

2009-05-08T16:17:00.002-05:00

A birthday shout-out to my MIL!! Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy Birthday, JoAnne! Happy birthday to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice to meet you!

2009-05-06T08:38:00.002-05:00

I got to meet Gov. Bob Riley on Monday! He was in Auburn making some appearances at the Chamber so, of course, we had to get a staff picture with him. I felt pretty special:)

Busy Weekend #2

2009-05-05T10:58:00.006-05:00

Lyndsay & her mom, Pinky

The Ripster (Lyndsay's daddy) & Pinky breaking it down

Mary P, Lyndsay & Me at the bar after On the Tracks

Mary H, Me & Lyndsay at one of the wine stops

We had another crazy busy weekend! Friday night was On the Tracks. There was a great turnout and it didn't rain!! It is such a fun event and I'm already looking forward to the one in October! Saturday morning we headed up to Birmingham for a wedding shower for Brandon & Danae. We headed to Rojo first thing, of course! We had a great time with Tony & Britney and can't wait to go to the beach with them in June!!

Sunday we headed over to meet the O-town peeps at Serenbe. They had their May Day celebration Sunday afternoon and it was a lot of fun! We ate some great food and walked around their downtown area. We finally made it home around 9pm!

This week we are trying to take it easy since we're out of town again this weekend. We're heading up to Huntsville for JoAnne's birthday:) We haven't been up there in quite a while so we're both excited!

Asheville here we come!

2009-05-05T10:45:00.002-05:00

Mary P, Pam, Lyndsay & myself showing off our medals from the Trinity 10k:)

I'm doing a half marathon. In September. I must be crazy! Mary P, Lyndsay and I are going to do the Asheville Half Marathon in September. I'm really excited about it but a little nervous!! Hopefully getting ready for the 10k I just did has given me enough of a base that I'm not getting in over my head! I think we'll "officially" start training in early July. Yowza!

Georgia Mountains

2009-04-28T12:47:00.004-05:00

Cocktail Time!

Saturday night dinner

The Boyz

View from our deck!

We spent this past weekend in the North Georgia Mountians. It was so amazing! The same group that went to the beach in March (minus James, he's on tour!) made the trip. We had such a good time, as always. Even Charlie & Victor (the doggies) wore themselves out! Friday night we relaxed on our awesome deck and Kat cooked us a great dinner! Satuday went went in to Blue Ridge, GA and rode our bikes around their downtown area. After that, the girls did a little bit of hiking and the boys spent the rest of the day mountain biking. Saturday night was another great dinner and more time relaxing on our deck. We were in no hurry to get home on Sunday so the boys went out for another good mountain bike ride and us girls took a walk in the neighborhood our house was in. It was perfect weather and a great walk until me & Lyndsay decided to go a little further down the hill to the main gate. Only to then realize we had about a 1.5 mile walk totally up hill back to the house...yikes! Boy was my booty sore! Kat cooked a great brunch when the boys got back and we packed up and headed home.

On our way back home, we stopped in this community near Newnan, GA called Serenbe. It is quite possibly one of the coolest little places ever! Check out the link for details. We are going back on Sunday for their May Day celebration:)

We've got another busy weekend coming up. On the Tracks Friday night and a wedding shower in Birmingham Saturday night!

Toodles!

Pour Some Tweedy on Me...

2009-04-23T08:46:00.004-05:00

Wilco was amazing!!! They played for a solid 2 hours and did some songs that they haven't played the last few times we've seen them. Sloss Furnace is such a cool venue to see a great band. We managed to get some sleep at Tony's and made it back this morning.

Now just got to make it through the day and pack tonight for the mountians!!