Good 'Ole West Texas Wind!

Holy Moly it's super duper windy today!!  It's a good thing us girls decided to go running this morning in 15 MPH wind instead of this 30-40 MPH!  I guess you can say lucky me... I live in Good 'Ole West Texas!  Today was our hour long run so we ran 6 miles in about 55 minutes!  Not too shabby!  It was at an average of 9:06 pace with wind and hills!  I'm ok with that for now!  

What has your weather been like lately??

Today, I went to do wedding stuff!  YEAH!  I am getting married in 6 six months to the hottest and greatest guy ever!  I am super excited to be marrying him!!

  So today I went and picked out all their tux's which are going to be brown with tangerine vest and ties; my bridesmaids are wearing halter top tangerine dresses with chocolate wedges... way cute!  Then I went and rented our rod iron arch and all the things that go along with that business!  Then I decided to go ahead and get napkins and all that jazz!  Ok, I didn't think napkins were that expensive, but I was wrong!  I spent over $100 on JUST napkins!  I thought that was pricey, but I don't know wedding stuff that well so I just go with it!  I think I am ahead of the game on my wedding stuff, but I know school is going to start getting busy so I have pretty much everything BIG all set up!  ThAnK gOoDnEsS!  :o) 

Were getting outside so I pray that we do NOT have wind like we do today! 

Tomorrow's Friday and New Years Eve! YEA!

Do you have plans for the New Year??

MIA??

 

I feel like I have been MIA for a while, but nope, just super duper busy!

I left Saturday afternoon to go to John's family up in the Pan Handle!  We had a blast, but glad to be home!  We were in such a rush to leave my family to get to John's that I left my camera at my parent's house... I hate when i leave things that I NEED!  So, sorry no pictures that I know you are dying to look at!  

Hope you all had a great Christmas and got lots of good things!  Some of my items:

*Brighton pearl necklace and bracelet (way cute)

*Silver Glittery Toms

*Running Clothes ... which I love!

*Cute silver and white jacket to go with some way cute gray boots!

***Those were some of the cute things I received***

What did you get?

Did you run in the cold, snow, hot, warm weather?

Not much to say without my camera with all my cute pictures, but I promise I will when I get my camera returned to me... (when I drive to L-Town to get it)!

Have a great Wednesday!

Tis the Season!

I love the smell of cinnamon.  So yesterday, I went to Hobby Lobby and bought a package of cinnamon sticks.  I came home and put some water in a pan and then put the cinnamon sticks in the water turned the burner on low heat for hours... my house smells WONDERFUL!  I have this thing with cinnamon, I love it!  I love the way it smells and the way it taste!  Weird I know!  

This is my cinnamon... looks gross but smells really GOOD! 

I was in the baking mood today and since we leave tomorrow afternoon to go see John's family I made some things to take with us!

Fire-Crackers!

*One box of Original Saltine Crackers

*1 Cup of Canola Oil

*1/3 cup Olive Oil

*1 PKG of Ranch Dip

*2 tablespoons crushed red pepper

In a bowl mix all the ingredients except crackers.  Put all four sleeves of crackers in a gallon size zip-loc bag and then add all of your other ingredients that you mixed together.  Let the crackers soak up... ENJOY!

Very Simple and REALLY DELISH!  

Pineapple Cheese Ball... (Thanks Crystal)

*2 cream cheese blocks

*1 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple

*1 bell pepper

*1 green onion

*1 cup of pecans

*1 1/2 teaspoons season salt

In a food chopper add your bell pepper, onion, pecans.  Finely chopped.  Then add altogether in a medium size bowl mix together, refrigerate!

SIMPLE... (I like to cook, but I want things to be simple and not too messy :o)

Its a good thing I pealed my head away from my pillow this morning and went to the gym... that stair master is going to be the death of me and loved every minute of it!!

Christmas Eve has always been our big Christmas night!  We started this about 7 years ago, but we go to the movies together as a family and then we all go eat somewhere, drive to our parents house which is 30 miles away and open gifts!  So tonight we are going to see Little Falkers!  I can't wait!  We haven't decided where we are going to go eat, but I know I will be waiting for it! 

Hope everyone has a great Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

 

FREEEEZING!

Me and the girls went and ran this morning!  It might not be as cold to some of you but when Monday was 80 degrees and then Thursday is 35 degrees... it was a HUGE difference!  I am ready for winter to settle in or get out!  We are all on the Runners World Marathon pacing calendar so today was our hour long run!  YEA... so far so good!  We rocked it this morning even running up our huge small hill!!  (I will take pictures next time - Promise)!  Tomorrow is an off day, but I am going to go to the gym and do the Stair Master again... THAT THING IS HARD!  I feel like I have never ever worked out a day in my life when I do that thing... and this is what I feel like when I get off of the Stair Master

Is the Stair Master hard for you?

Well, today after we got done running we all went to Einstein Bagel... umm DELISH!

If you have one around you and you haven't already tried it; because where I live we are the last to get anything good; go check it out! well, I can't say its my favorite because I don't branch out but both times I have been their I have gotten the Powerful bagel with fruit and nuts in it with honey almond cream cheese spread! YUMMY!  The coffee was so so!

Well, I am off to take care of this reindeer butt! He is very spoilt, I mean a great dog!

And make a cream cheese ball for tomorrow!

Hope you all are having a great Christmas week!

The Funky Door!

Tonight it was girls night out!  All the boys went to a basketball game so the girls decided to do a wine night!  YEA!... I am all for the wine!  We went to this newer place called The Funky Door!  It was really neat, but costly!  Oh Well, it was great while it lasted!  You had to register a card to put money on and then you got to do a wine tasting... you put your card into the machine and you got to choose any wine that you wanted to taste!  It was great but the cheapest wine tasting was $2.50, and I mean it was a tad bit! After you taste a few... it starts adding up!  If you like the wine then you chose half glass or full!  It was really NEAT!  I would go back, but with John on a date... HAHAH, I wonder if we even know what a DATE is!

What are some of your girls night outs?

Here was us girls at The Funky Door!

Yesterday, I went to a new grocery store here in town and they make fresh bread!  I LOVE ME SOME BREAD!  Well, I got this kind called Vegetable Chop Bread... YUM-O!!! I dipped it in olive oil with herb seasoning and ate it with a grilled chicken salad last night for dinner!  

I have stuck to my plan so far for the MaRaThOn!  Tomorrow BHC girls and I are going to do an hour long run in freezing weather... Wish us luck!

I'm Running a WHAT????

This is what I am running...

www.texasmarathon.com

You can just call me crazy, but I am doing it!  I am running a MaRaThOn!  Can you believe it, because I CAN'T!  I have been sitting around all day trying to get motivated to go running in this crazy 70 degree and 30 mph wind!  BLAH!  Well, I got myself motivated by signing up for another half marathon.  I am running the Austin Live Strong Marathon in February!  YEA!  Then I decided to start following a marathon plan to run the Big D Marathon April 10!  I ran the Big D 1/2 last year for my first half marathon ever and I had a blast!  The race went by so fast and it was perfect running weather and the course was awesome, spectators were amazing and I just loved it!

My first 1/2 marathon!

Right before I had to leave him!

VERY NERVOUS

I need some advice... 

1.  I chose the RunnersWorld training plan www.runnersworld.com... any other suggestions?

2.  What do I expect running a marathon?

3.  How do I keep motivated?

4.  Why am I so nervous?

I am so excited, I just can't hide it!

Well, I'm off to go see my sister, she finally got here!

Hideous Christmas Sweater Party!

Yes!  John and I hosted our 2nd annual Hideous Christmas Sweater Party and it was a BLAST!  I went to my parents house to dig around in my moms closet to look for my sweater... and her response was "I still wear those."  Sorry, mom... sweaters are going out!  My dad had a great one for John!  It was a great night spent with some great friends!  I had everyone vote to see who won the most Hideous and then everyone brought a white elephant gift... that was very funny! 

Our most Hideous dressed goes to...

Don won a gift card to Starbucks! He went all out!

 

Bryan and Andrea!  Cute Couple!

 

Erin and Dustin!  

 Ely... his sweater had lights that would flash! Very Clever!

 Danielle and I!  We look HoT!

Cute picture girlies! 

<--- Mandi and Moi...I think this is when we were opening our white elephant gifts because we were laughing hysterically

Us Fabulous Ladies!

 Very Cute girls... Love every single bit of it!

The Hostesses!

We had a great time and had lots of laughs!  But now I have to go run 6897454 miles just to burn off what I ate last night!  Ugh, the price you pay to have fun! 

Christmas Time!!

Love, Love, Love this time of year... except all the crazies out there!  I have been super duper busy all week!  Tuesday we had our teacher Christmas Party, Wednesday we had our Biggest Loser Party, and Thursday we had John's Christmas Party.  So last night we decided to do our annual Christmas light looking!  YEA! Get excited because I love looking at lights!

First off, this is a picture of John and I at his Christmas Party, please excuse my pasty legs and face... I need a tanning bed!!

John Boy and Moi!

Now the good stuff... Christmas Light Looking!  

Boss and I before we left... and yes, we get new P.J's before we go because that is just how we roll! So look at my P.J. pants they are WAY cute!

My picture didn't turn out very good, but this is a picture of a lot of houses down in a canyon!  Very Pretty!

This is at a vintage place... it reminds me of Desperate Housewives on Wysteria Lane

 

 

 

And Boss.... waiting to go home and get in bed!

We had lots of fun... I know, not a whole lot of an exciting Friday night but it is a yearly ritual that John and I have done for the past three year!  

Well, I gots to go get busy... We are having a Hideous Christmas Sweater Party at our house tonight! WOO HOO! I will be posting pictures soon... (probably tonight) :o)

Christmas Parties Begin!... Wooo Wooo!

Well, first off I typed in "wannabe" in the address bar and I accidently pushed enter and this is what I get.

A "wannabe" (slang for "want to be") is a person with an ambition to be someone or something that he is not. The term is mildly pejorative, intended to convey the foolish nature of the desire due to the incompetence of the "wannabe" to accomplish the goal.

It's OK, just rub it in... I want to be SKINNY RUNNER!

Anyways, tonight was our school Christmas Party and can you say F-U-N!  I loved it!  Well, of course 

everybody cool was there so how could I not!

It was a very relaxing and much needed RnR!  If you are a teacher or if ever were you know what I am talking about!!!

Love these ladies!

BHC Girlies!

So much Fun!

Smile!  Love these girls, also!

I think this is when I started getting snappin' happy!

and of course the menu... can't forget the food!

Only 1 full day and 2 half days and I am finished!! I know the count down... but I am totally ready!!

Hope you have a great Wednesday!!

Manic Monday!

Well, well, well! My morning started off great.  I woke up at 5:00 hit the gym for about 45 minutes and came home to get ready.  Nice and Pleasant!  Then I went to school and it wasn't even 8:30 yet, I was calling parents!  AHHHHH!  It is party week and I am ready for it to be OvEr!  Anywho, my day went on and Danielle and I went running our hills after school.  WOW! My legs have never felt more dead.  I got a side-stitch at about mile 1.5 and she told that she read in an article that if you lay down it goes away.  Well, I DID and it went AWAY! AMAZING!  Now, I am pondering on how to do this during a race if this happens... hmmmm?  After we ran we had to go back to school and watch a PTA Program!  Our kiddos rocked it... and that is why I am teacher!! 

 

This is probably what I looked like laying on the ground... pathetic!

I am trying to start running a lot again (like I used to back in April) because my goal for 2011 is to complete a MARATHON!  What is a good marathon to start off at?  I don't want a race that is overbearing, but I want a race that is comfortable and just the right size of people... does that make sense??

Burrrrrrrr!!!

My BHC girls and I went running this morning and OMGoodness! It was freezing (literally)!  I left the house at 7:40 this morning to meet them at Mae Simmons (which is the only hills around!)  When I left I didn't think it was that cold, but then again I got into a warm car that was in the garage... so yea!  Well, I drove by the bank and their sign said 25 DEGREES!  AHHHHH, and YES it was undoubtedly 25 DEGREES!  We stuck through it and made 5 miles!  Woo Woo!  These girls are amazing, they are so encouraging and just all around great girls to hang with!  Nevermind the fact that when we are together we are T-R-O-U-B-L-E with a capital T!  

 First try with the self timer... sorry Danielle for us other two being so short!

Second try... much better! :o)

If it weren't for them getting me so motivated to run I probably would have not done the San Antonio half!  Go check out their blogs!

www.missredrunner.blogspot.com

www.blingontherun.blogspot.com 

What has been the coldest weather you have ran it???

Pump, Pump, Pump it UP!

WOW!  I have totally missed Body Pump!  That class just gives an awesome feeling!  Since, I have been sooo focused on running I decided this morning that I would do something different, and because I am running with my BHC girl(s) in the morning at da' perk!  I haven't been to Body Pump in like 3 months and this morning I just totally missed it!  I think I might have to make that my new Saturday ritual for a while!  Although, this morning I got too involved in pumping and singing, that I sung OUT LOUD and this lady next to me said "Sing it Girl!" HAHAH I was embarrassed, but oh well!  It's hard NOT to sing to Pink... and what I would give to have her body!

Well, I didn't have much! Hope you are all having a good Saturday... and SING OUT LOUD! :o)

DeSsErT... Yes, Please!

Skip dinner, I wanted DESSERT from the moment I got in my car from work!  Not that I had a bad day, well this morning started off rough, but got better at 8:15! I just craved dessert.  I wanted ice cream, chocolate, cookies, brownies, or even cake!  I just wanted to stuff my face with something so delish, that my mouth was watering from just thinking about it ALL DAY LONG!  So yes, on my Friday night I decided to be lazy, I mean productive! John and I went to Walley World (ugh, I am sorry, but I CAN. NOT. STAND. THAT. PLACE.), then off to Pets Mart (Boss's favorite), then to A Cup of Yo!  Ahhhh, it is sooo irresistible!  BUT, It's not all that bad for you!  It's a non-fat yogurt place that has about 10 different flavors to choose and then all the toppings you can imagine.  

This one was mine, I tried to be healthy, I put walnuts in it! (Just don't pay attention to the Oreo bits, Heath bar bits, and sprinkle covered Hershey candies - WOOPS!!)

 This one was John Boy's! We walked in and where the cups are a sign was hanging that said "Fill your cup to exactly 12 ounces and you will receive it FREE." John tried 'Oh Sooo Hard... He reached it at 11.2 ounces!

After enjoying my Friday outing I walked into this.  Boss trying to pull his blanket through his crate!  It is like having a baby!  He has been a terror tonight, first thing he did was pulled down the stockings, then broke another ornament! Oh Well!

Well since I have taken the last 2 days off of doing anything remotely energetic or even close to exercise!  I am going to do a long run tomorrow morning in this wonderful West Texas Wind! Yea! I am NOT too thrilled, but I need a good run! I just do not like the wind!

I need opinions!  

If where you live is windy do you just grit your teeth and run or do you go to the gym and run on the treadmill, if so, do you get bored and what do you do to fix boredom? I need solutions, please...

Wine and Dine! :o)

"Ms. Huckaby, are your pants too tight today?" - 2nd grade student

Yes, it's that time of year when I am more than ready for a break!!  I have 4 more days and 2 half days!  YEAH!! Soooo, tonight me and some of my girlie girls got together for a wine and dine!  I found some cheap and I mean CHEAP wine at Sam's Club but it is REALLY good for the cost.  I paid $4.88 a bottle and bought 6 bottles (hey, you can't pass up a good deal :o).  The girls came over to my house and it gave us time to laugh, vent and just have some cheap wine time!  I can't complain, it was what I needed and wanted!  

 

This is how our night started off!

We requested John to being our butler, but that did not happen.  He pampered himself and cooked steak and had his own glass of wine!  

Well, I know its not late and your probably thinking you had wine and dine and you are about to go to bed, but it started at 4:30 this afternoon right after school... so yes, I am going to bed!

Hope you have a great Friday!  I hope you enjoy wine and dine times just as much as I do!

SPORTS. BRA.

Ok, I just don't understand!! I am not a big person (up top) and I still wear a good fitted SPORTS BRA!  I went to the gym tonight and I was doing my business when I look up and this girl or shall I say "girls" were right there in front of me with literally nothing supporting them... I know, I know, its my own personal opinion, but for goodness gracious wear one for you! 

I love nearly every single sports bra from Nike!

Ok, enough about Sports Bra's!  

I did the elliptical again tonight.  But, I get really embarrassed of how MUCH I sweat, I really think it is disgusting!  I sweat more than John! YIKES

Well, I'm out!  Hope you all have a *great* Wednesday! Only 5 whole days and 2 half days left until Christmas Break! :o)

I RAN... YEAH!!!

I finally went running today.  I was NOT dressed properly at all, but I did it and that is all that matters!  I walked out of the house in a t-shirt and shorts thinking it was pretty nice outside... obviously I did not look at the weather.  So, I ran back in and grabbed a light cotton pull over (that didn't do much)!  I hardly stretched, and then took off!  I told myself that I would only have to do to 4 miles if I never ran slower than a 8:50 pace.  I DID IT!  My average of 8:45!  YEA!  After I got back, I changed into warmer clothes and John and I took Boss for a walk!  This is why I love Sundays! 

John and me!  I just threw on some warmer clothes, so don't laugh!

John and Boss Man!

The Ducklings at the small lake by the house... How are they are freezing?

Boss is NOT a fan of the ducks...

Boss's scarf!  How cute? :o)

Ok, so this was my Sunday!  Tell me about yours!