A little too much...

It is the last day of June. Already. And I was hoping to finish it off with a 5-miler with the rents. I just probably pushed myself a little too hard this week. Didn't quite get those 5 miles...but I did get some.

Time: 8:00am
Temp:67 degrees
Humidity: 67%
Wind: SSE at 19mph
Distance: 3.68 miles
Duration: 46:17
Avg Pace: 12:34
Avg HR: 161
Max HR: 177

Looking at my ticker, I didn't meet my goal of 45 miles this month, but I did pretty darn good with all that was going on! 37 miles and some change!

I hope July will be better!

Randy asked about the Nike+ marathon... It is October 21st, and I believe in order to do it outside of the actual marathon, you have to use one of those Nike+ pieces...and then upload the information from that onto the site.. Oh... and Randy was wondering where in ND I will be teaching. Let's just say it lies along the Red River...

Happy running, y'all!

Randomness... at it's best..

Where to start?

I went out for an easy/slow run this morning. Easy and slow because I didn't want to push it, and I knew that I would be switching my long run from sunday to tomorrow to run with the 'rents. I took a few walk breaks, due to feeling hot, thirsty, and a bit queezy in the last half mile or so. Here are the stats.

Time: 10:00am
Temp: 74 degrees
Humidity: 57%
Wind: SE at 17mph
Distance: 3.42 miles
Duration: 42:27
Avg Pace: 12:24
Avg HR: 162
Max HR: 178

Tomorrow, I think we plan to do at least 5 miles. Hopefully I can get the 'rents out of bed before it gets too warm..It will be in the 70's by 9am..

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Sports Commentary:
So there we were. Me. My Mom. My Dad. Sitting at Buffalo Wild Wings last night enjoying our wings and somewhat paying attention to the NBA Draft. It was pure craziness. I don't know how anyone can keep their head straight while watching that. I am not a bandwagon fan for the most part, I have a few of my favorite players and teams that I like to really watch.... KG & the Timberwolves, Steve Nash & the Suns, Kirk Hinrick & the Bulls, Shaq & the Heat, and I do like the Lakers but Kobe Bryant bugs me.

So anyway. There we were. Watching it. I was making a comment on how much I really enjoyed watching the Bulls last season and how far they have come. Then I made a comment on how that should be "MY" team... just like it was when I was 12, 13, 14 years old. When Michael Jordan and cry-baby Scottie Pippen played. Then, all of a sudden they were talking about Noah. You know, the guy who played for Florida?! The annoying one? The one who is good, but really annoying. You either love him ... or you hate him. I seriously dislike him. And... before I knew it, they drafted him. THEY picked NOAH! THEY as in THE BULLS picked NOAH! I hope the Bulls will teach him a few things... maybe Ben Wallace will walk all over him...and give him a few pointers in the process!!

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Time for a little reflecting:
I spent the last 8 years in a city that I didn't really care for from the beginning of my college career. It was wonderful for college and meeting new people. But, it was not somewhere that I wanted to start my career, and it was definitely not somewhere friendly for runners... bikers... or swimmers.

During this past school year, while I was completing my masters and my internship at school, I thought a lot about where I was going to apply for jobs. A LOT. Those of you who have been following my blog on a regular basis could agree. I was ready to get out of the state. Or so I thought. I knew I needed a fresh start, and I thought that leaving the state, even if it was for just one year, I would be pleased.

In the process of applying for jobs, mostly out of state, I learned a lot. Each state is so different. Different calendars, different ways of doing paperpwork, different terminology for the different positions. It's very hard to apply for jobs when you have little idea of what you are getting yourself into.

In april, I was offered a position in NC, my dream state. I don't know what it is about that state that draws me to it, but it was someplace that I had dreamed of moving to for a long time. As anxious and excited I was about the offer, I was scared at the same time. Not to move away, but the thought that I was offered a position without even having to interview. I know I would have been up for the challenge, but I was not ready to spend my first year as a teacher working in a school district that is low on qualified staff... 1500 miles away from home.

Then, once the school year was over, I had more time to apply for jobs. I started to apply for jobs left and right in CO. As well as in MN .... mostly in the area of the Twin Cities and Rochester. I had two interviews with CO, the same district. They were both phone interviews and both less than 10 minutes long. Not a great sign. Then I had an interview in Rochester, which required me to drive and put 1000 miles on my car within two days. I thought that interview went really well, but I was somewhat worried that if I was offered the position, I would not have the resources I would have liked. I would have been on my own with 15-20 students and no paraprofessional. If anyone has a background in special education, you know that this is near impossible.

I had also received a couple calls asking me to apply for a position within their school district. They had gotten my name from the education department on campus. I think I was the only RT left that hadn't gotten a job yet. I was flattered, but I was not ready to move back to GF. Like I said, GF is not a place for me!

Then I went a week and a half without hearing from any other schools, until I got a call this past sunday. I was invited for an interview right here in ND. So I drove to the location wednesday night and had my interview yesterday. It went really well, and I felt really comfortable with it. They told me they would notify me by monday or tuesday of next week. My phone rang at 9 this morning... and sure enough, it was the principal calling to offer me the job. I took it. This is one happy Teacherwoman.

So, as much as I was ready to leave the state, is seems as if this North Dakotan girl is staying put. And I am perfectly fine with that. I look forward to doing some traveling. I hope to use races as an excuse to get me out of state on a regular basis. I hope to get to England next spring/summer to visit my cousin and her boyfriend...

If you look over at my sidebar, I have made a couple changes. I have a countdown to when I start work...and a countdown to the Nike+ Women's Half Marathon. (Thanks Leana for letting me know about this!) I wanted to do that race so bad, in San Francisco, but new I wouldn't be able to travel that weekend. So, with my Nike+ that my sister bought me as a gift for participating in her wedding, I will be running the 13.1 miles her in ND and logging it online before midnight. I will then recieve my Tifanny's necklace and t-shirt in the mail. It won't be the same as being there...but I thought it would still be fun! Anyone else want to join?!?!

Thanks for all the best wishes on my interviews and job hunting process! Now it is time to decide what kind of place I want to look for!

Happy running, y'all!

4 miles....

First and foremost.... I posted the last of the pictures from my sisters wedding... check 'em out!

After sleeping in the morning...shocker, I know.... I finally rolled out of bed, checked a few blogs, and was out the door for my scheduled 4 mile run. And what a beautiful morning it was. Ahh... I think a few runs in the heat and humidity has done some help. This run was kind of a Fartlek run...

Time: 10:00am
Temp: 64 degrees & sunny
Humidity: 52%
Wind: NNW 8-17 mph gusts
Distance: 4 miles (Fartlek)
Duration:46:26
Avg Pace: 11:36
Avg HR: 171
Max HR: 181

Tomorrow is a scheduled rest day. And I will go with that. I will be spending the day, once again, traveling for an interview. Yeah!

I am going to enjoy my post-run treat!

Evening Run with Mom

Okay, according to my schedule, today is to be a rest/XT day. But, I just couldn't help myself. The weather was so much better today than it was yesterday and I couldn't let it go to waste. After Mom got home from work, we went out for a sweet, short run before dinner.

Time: 5:45pm
Temp: 79/feels like 79
Humidity: 27% (only!)
Wind: 20-25 mph gust from the W
Distance: 2.31 mile Run
Duration: 28:36
Avg Pace: 12:22
Avg HR: 159
Max HR: 176 (and we talked the whole time)


____________________________________________________

Time for Questions & Answers!
Allez had asked if I was training for something specific. And the answer is NO, not yet. I figured if I started training, then when I get settled in a new place for a new job, (where ever that may be) I could take part in a race coming up.... if that makes any sense. Probably just a 5K/10K in the near future, and then a half marathon this fall.

Randy was asking to see my training schedule... so I thought I would post it here. It looks something like this but I am pretty flexible with it.

Monday: 2-3 easy miles or Bike

Tuesday: Rest/Bike

Wednesday: 4-5 miles

Thursday: Rest/Bike

Friday: 3 miles or Intervals

Saturday: Rest/Bike

Sunday: Long Run


Some days may get switched around... we'll see how it goes!

Check out my earlier post... wedding picture galore!

THE WEDDING!

Before reading this post, check out these related posts first ... if you haven't already:

• Day Before the Wedding
• Wedding Day: Preparation

The Wedding was gorgeous! After returning back to the house from taking pictures, it wasn't long before the wedding was to start. The crowd was rolling in... and so were the clouds. We were worried about the possibility of rain, but the show was to go on!

....me, waiting patiently...

To continue with family tradition... a western-north-dakota-german-russian-wedding-tradition, my sister grabbed the bottle of red-eye and started pouring a shot for every one in the wedding party. Mmm...
Then, it was time for the ceremony to begin.

Dad, handing over his little girl to her fiance...

Not too far into the ceremony... the clouds were really rolling in.

Then, it began to sprinkle.

The thunder was loud and crazy. And then, the sprinkles turned to rain drops.

The Pastor asked Steph what she wanted to do... and she just took off running for the tent....the wedding party behind her...and the guests behind them.
The ceremony was finished under the tent.

Shortly after that, the rain stopped and the sun was shining. The guests gathered for beer and wine during the reception and we stole the wedding party to have a couple shots before dinner.

And we were back in time for the wonderful meal!
Shortly after dinner, it was time for me to do my speech. I was putting it off ... and one of the groomsman made me! If you know me... I am a sap. Big time. I am suprised I made it through the ceremonly without tears. But, I gave my speech, even cracked a few jokes and made some laugh, and ended it will a few small tears and hugs for my sister and new brother-in-law.

Then it was time to dance the night away! (in the dirt)

...the first dance...

Father-daughter dance

Mom and her three girls

The sun was shining the rest of the evening and the kids loved playing in the yard... with the rose petals from the ceremony.

And it was awesome to have two of my best girlfriends join us for this celebration...
....I love these girls!

Despite the short spout of rain during the ceremony, I think my sister had the time of her life and spent the entire evening dancing..with everyone. Including the studly ring bear who was showing off his break dancin' skills!

CONGRAT's Steph & Blaine! I hope you enjoyed your Honeymoon Cruise!

Kick Me

I keep kicking myself for not getting out of bed early enough. I was awake at 7am before my alarm went off, I should have gotten up then. But no. I lay in bed for a while, and then I was one the computer for a while. Before I knew it, it was after 9 and I knew it was already warm. I thought it would have been a whole lot cooler this morning, when in reality, it really didn't cool off that much last night. It's just that time of the year.

Time: 9:35am
Temp: 76 degrees/feels like 80
Humidity: 79%
Distance: 3 mile run
Duration: 36:33
Avg Pace: 12:11
Avg HR: 167
Max HR: 181

As much as I was dreading my run this morning (mostly due to the heat/humidity), I pushed myself through it. I kept it at a steady pace and took walk breaks when necessary. It was just so hot in the direct sun. Instead of doing the 3 mile loop around our neighborhood, I was thinking I should have done the out-and-back on the trail along the golf course. There would have been less sun, for sure.

I have created a "training schedule" to follow for the next couple months. We'll see how well I can follow it. Life sometimes gets in the way... so I must be somewhat flexible!

Happy running, y'all!

Tagged and such

I've been tagged by SkiRough.... so here goes!

1. Find the nearest book.
2. Name the book & the author.
3. Turn to page 123.
4. Go to the fifth sentence on the page. Copy out the next three sentences and post to your blog.
5. Tag 3 more people.

Book Title: TRIATHLON Training Basics
Author: Gale Bernhardt

On Thursday, you can run for 20 minutes continuously or run for most of the
20 minutes, including 30-second walking breaks at each 5-minute mark. On
Saturday you can run for 30 minutes or complete three repeats of running for
9 minutes and walking 1 minute.
Race week has finally arrived!


I haven't read this book yet. And the excerpt above is part of a week by week training instruction. Maybe I will start reading it... since I can't find my book that I was reading.

I will tag:
Marcy
Makita
Leana

___________________________________________

Today is going to be a rest day. My right calf is a little tight from my crazy attempt at a mini-duathlon yesterday. I probably didn't stretch as much as I should have yesterday afternoon.

Tomorrow: Bright and early for 3-4 miles.

Happy Running, y'all!

Mini-Duathlon

I went out for a 4 mile run this morning with the 'rents. It was a slow and easy 4 miles, for sure. A slight breeze on the run would have been greatly appreciated... Maybe next time.

I got home, fueled up a bit, stretched some, and then took off on the bike.

Run: 4 miles
Temp: 77 degrees
Humidity:56%
Duration: 55:10
Pace: 13:47 (I said it was slow)
Avg HR: 164
Max HR: 180

T1: 7:00

Bike: 8.05 miles
Temp: 82 degrees, feels like 84
Humidity: 59%
Duration: 36:23
Pace: 4.31/mi
Avg HR: 167
Max HR: 177

It's supposed to get into the mid- to upper- 90's today. I feel sorry for those 400+ softball teams in town for the annual McQuade Softball Tournament! I remember when Dad used to play in this tournment... it always seems soo hot and miserable to sit and watch! I couldn't imagine playing in this! Good luck teams!

Happy running, y'all!

Wedding Day: Preparation

Saturday Morning:

We woke up and there were a few clouds in the sky with the lingering of possible rain showers. We just went about our business, praying for good weather. It was predicted to be a day with a high of 79 degrees and 30% chance of showers. Thank God for such a wonderful family. Aunts, Uncles, and cousin's were working diligently to get chairs set up, decorations in place, extension cords to the appropriate trees with lights. Without them, it wouldn't have gone as well as it did.

In the meantime, the girls spent the morning getting hair and make-up done. The Bride was in a great mood with her normal attitude. Before we knew it, it was time for pictures.

Steph & Baby Sis-Susie
Me & Steph
Steph, "striking a pose"

The Bride getting dressed

The Groom, getting his flowers

The beautiful Flower Girls... all dolled-up.

The Bride's Boquet

Mother-of-the-Bride, with the Flower Girls

...more to come..

Par 4....Hole in 8?

Yesterday morning Dad and I went golfing. We headed to the location of the World's Largest Holstein Cow (Mom's hometown) and golfed 9 holes.

It was greener than usual. We were the only ones golfing, so it was mostly quiet, except for the guy who decided to trim the rough on holes 6 and 7 while we were on them. My drive was rediculous, but I had a couple nice puts to make up for it.

_________________________________________________

This morning I went out for what was to be an easy 3 miles. I decided to cut it short when the clouds disappeared and the sun was in full force. The humidity was just too much for me, although it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. It's just been too long, since my last run.

Time: 9:30am

Temp: 71 degrees, overcasting

Humidity: 78%

Distance: 2.55 miles

Duration: 28:13

Avg Pace: 11:03

Avg HR: 173

Max HR: 191

Looking at my Max HR and Duration, I guess I was bookin' it. For me that is.

________________________________________________

I will be posting more wedding pics... I am kind of waiting to get a disc from someone who has some great photos...but I might just post a few of what I have.

Happy Running, y'all!

Day Before the Wedding

The day before the wedding was spent doing some last minute errands and decorating the tent, watching the weather and praying for no rain on saturday. It rained most of this day ... on and off...

The Best Man, Groomsman, Groom, and Father-of-the-bride hangin'

.... waiting for something to do...

The Best Man.... going above and beyond the "call of duty".

The Bride...and a little cousin helping with decorations.

A few of the musicians....practicing before rehearsal.

The two beautiful flower girls... wearing their "flower girl" t-shirts.

The Groom's Dinner.... after rehearsal. (ribs, chicken, baked beans, corn muffins...mmm)

The ring bear (diving into his third helping!)

The call

So, I got a call today.

I have been offered a position. A position to a place I never applied to..

But...

....it would require me to move back to GF....

...and we know how much I wanted to get out of there...but why?

I told her I was partially interested but still waiting to hear back from a couple places I applied to.

I told her I would probably know by early July as to what I wanted to do....

What do I want to do?

Update

Update regarding past two interviews: One was in CO, one was in MN. No luck with either one.


The wedding was a success... I will post pictures and share stories as soon as I apply to a few more jobs....

.....until then, happy running.

Not telling...

First and foremost.... I am not telling which two states I had interviews in. I don't want anyone to influence my decision. There is one that I would rather work for, for 2 reasons: 1) it's a state I have never been to but is full of things that I would enjoy, and 2) the position there is exactly what I would like. The other school is a little bit closer to home and pays a little better. We'll see.

Okay, so I didn't get outside last night for a run, although it was a beautiful night. But, I did go out for what was planned to be a short easy run this morning. Well, I didn't have the desire to go slow and run through the whole duration of 2 miles, so I picked it up a notch, attempted to do a Fartlek-sort-of-run and added an extra loop onto my run. It went pretty well, but the air was heavy and full of cotton. I did a lot of walking between My breathing was off...so to speak.

Time: 9:10am

Temp: 65 degrees & sunny

Humidity: 88% (dead air)

Distance: 3.00 miles Fartlek

Duration: 34:17

Avg HR: 171

Max HR: 188

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Two days until the wedding. Yesterday us girls (mom, my sisters, and I) went to get our nails done. It was their first times and my baby sister offered to pay for us all... she is the only one working right now!

.....Mom

.....Steph... da bride..

....Susan....da baby sis.

....and Me.

Later on, we did some more outdoor work. Dad finished mowing the lawn, again, and then the boys packed up a lot of the stuff in our garage to take elsewhere for the weekend. We need the space.

We also set up the beautiful arbor....

...groom, bride....and father-of-the-bride.

Today, the rental place is currently setting up our huge tent, the one that will serve purpose for the dinner and dance to follow!

We hope to get the pontoon out on the river and the wedding party will relax a bit before the big day.


I will post more pictures later!

Road Trip...

Well, I got back from my quick road trip late last night. 2 days. straight through...with no traffic, it took about 8 hours to get there and 8 hours back. Only put on about 1000 miles on my car! But, the interview went well. I expect to hear from them...and the school I had a phone interview with by friday. Both positions are in different states, so I don't know exactly which school I would rather work for... both would be wonderful locations, we'll just have to see.

3 days until the big wedding... I hope to get out and go for a run later this evening when it cools off. I haven't ran since friday.

I don't have much to say, so I will leave it at that and spare you the rambling nonsense!

You call that weird?

I was tagged by Neese.....

My 6 Weird Things:

1. No matter how hot it is, I have to sleep with some sort of blanket covering my legs.
2. I talk to the TV way to much when watching basketball or baseball. But, I don't use that much profanity...
3. I have to blow my nose every morning when I wake up... and before I go to bed. Especially before I go to bed. I think I will sleep better!
4. My running clothes (tops & bottoms) have to match.
5. When I am deep in thought I rub my face with both hands and/or scratch my head... a trait I have gained from my mother... some may mistake these gestures with frustration, but actually it just similates my brain to think harder!
6. I am 26, currently living with my parents... and sleeping on the top bed of a bunk bed. Beat that!

Now I will tag the following: Miss Petite America, Lisa, Brooke, Deb, Akshaye, Irongambit, and anyone who else wants to join!

Down the beaten path

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today I ventured out on the bike. I knew I wanted to do the same loop my sister ran the other day; the one that runs by our elementary school. Mostly because I wanted to know the distance, but I always wanted to see some old territory. But, I knew 4 or 5 miles wasn't going to cut it on the bike. So instead, I took the bike path north of our house, along the river.It was somewhat cloudy with a cool breeze when I went out, but I felt it warm up a bit on the way back in. What a great morning for a ride. My legs were somewhat jello-y when I got back. A sure sign that it has been way to long since I have been on a bike.


This picture is part of the path that we take during the Annual Turkey Trot Race Thanksgiving morning. It's usually not this beautiful during that time of the year (or green), but it was nice last year. We have gotten so much rain in the month of May, and now June, that statistics show that we have gotten more moisture in the past 6 weeks then we do during the whole year. I can tell. Everything is sooo green, and the river is higher.
This is a picture of the Riverboat. I starts at Meriwethers and heads down the river to the area of Custer's House. There's a lot of history there.

This is the path that we (as elementary kids) would run for "the mile" in the spring every year. I hated that. But, there is a cool dip in the path that was really fun on rollerblades!

And, lastly... this is the elementary school I attended from 1st grade thru 6th grade. What a beautiful school! How I would love to teach there!

_______________________________________________

I have been thinking about biking lately .... And, when I get a job, I plan to trade in my Trek for a nicer bike, if you know what I mean.....



Temp: 67 degrees and partly cloudy
Distance: 12.05 miles on Bike
Duration: 55:29
Avg HR: 157
Max HR: 170

Friday Morning Run

I went out for a run at 930 this morning with Steph. We did the same loop... The weather was beautiful! We took a short walk break a little over halfway through as my breathing was off and my throat felt extremely dry. All and all it was a nice run. I hope to do a longer run sunday!

Temp: 61 degrees and sunny
Distance: 2.3 miles
Avg Pace: 11:06 mpm
Avg HR: 170 (a bit higher than usual for a short run)

__________________________________________

I got a phone call this morning in regards to an interview. So, it looks like I will be traveling next week... before the wedding. I don't like the idea of being gone. but, I plan on leaving monday afternoon and coming back late tuesday night. I hope it goes well. This was one of the schools I first applied to in March and recently received an email from a couple weeks ago stating that I was not selected for an interview but that they would keep my application on file for the next year. Interesting. We'll see how it goes!

I am off to get coffee and then start some painting. I think. Mom and Dad are both home from work until the wedding now. NO slacking from here on out!

Happy running, y'all!

Hump Day

After spending most of monday painting, I did no paiting yesterday. I couldn't. But, the arbor is finished... we're waiting out the weather before planting it in its location... we're supposed to get some nasty rainstorms this week!

Last friday night, I began working on the programs for the wedding. I spent the evening printing the outside cover, which included the front of the program, and then the "thank you" on the inside of the back cover. I almost had a nervous breakdown yesterday when the inside sheets weren't fitting quite right. I couldn't figure out what happened as we had done a trial one. With a few adjustments to the pages and a little extra snipping at the ends, they were perfect. I will not post a picture of the programs just yet... I don't want to spoil it before the wedding! But, here I am ... working diligently on cutting the inside pages!

Last night, after we celebrated Steph's 23rd birthday at Johnny Carino's, we spent some more time on the programs while Mom and Dad finished putting together the picnic table, and then doing some yard work....

________________________________________________

On monday, I had an interview... phone interview that lasted only 20 minutes. But it went well. Yesterday morning I got a call back saying that they gave the position to someone with more experience. I can totally understand. To be honest, I was kind of relieved. I wasn't exactly ready to spend my first year teaching middle school students with behavior issues. I was told not to do that right away... as it will totally burn a person out. Now, I just need to keep applying. This is a district I really want to work in, so I am hoping for another interview with another school and a different position.

________________________________________________

Today

I slept in this morning as I was totally exhausted. I then went out for a solo run. I added a an extra length onto the loop that runs around our "neighborhood" and totalled a distance of 3.16 miles. It felt good, but boy was that sun hot. I can't afford to get tan lines a week before the wedding!

For a bit of clarification... I think some may have thought I did an 8 mile run monday because I said I did 4 miles. Out and back. I meant it was four miles total...and the run was an "out and back" run. oops. Just a little clarification.

Happy Hump Day, y'all!! Keep on keeping on!

Monday, Monday...

Yesterday was quite busy...for a Sunday. My sister, Mom and I took a trip out of town to pick up some lattice for the wedding. After that, I was able to sneak a peak of the Twins game...and took a short nap. Once my sister and Mom came home from their trip to the local hardware store, my Dad and I started to put together part of the picnic table they bought.

Then, while Steph and I painted the parts of the picnic table,

Mom and Dad spent a while putting together the arbor...

Then, this morning, I went out for a nice 4 mile run. Out and back. It was great. I followed the path along the golf course just north of our house and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. Maybe a little less humidity, but other than that it was a cool 56 degrees.

Once I got back, I went back to the grind with painting. Steph had pretty much put a second coat on the picnic table, and I spent the rest of the afternoon painting the arbor. Not so much fun. That lattice is a bugger... it is now white!

Tomorrow's challenge?? Doing some touch up painting on the wishing well mom cleaned up last night... ....and possibly starting on doing some touch up on some other lattice boards... fun!

Happy running, y'all!

Solo Run

In the midst of wedding preparation all around, I went out for a short solo run. I did the same loop my sister and I did a couple days ago. 2.25 miles. This time the weather was nicer. It was warm, but the clouds were hiding the sun and there was a cool breeze. In addition, the cottonwood trees are in the process of shedding their cotton, and it is blowing every where. Nothing like coughing on cotton while running!

Since I have a little more time to post these days, I will be posting our adventures in this journey to help my sister have the most beautiful wedding. Plus, I plan to use a lot of these in the gift I will be making for her and her future husband! Scrapbook fun!

Mom wanted a pic of Steph and I running. So when I got back from my run, we had to pretend to run. This is us running down our road....

And then when we were done pretending, she wanted us to go to a specific location near our home. To pretend to run. Her thinking is that after the wedding, she won't have the "opportunity" to take pics of us running... okay mom! This location is near our home... a huge 100+ year old tree in the middle of the road. We always thought it was pretty cool that they built a road around a tree!

And then, I caught mom in the action... of pulling weeds. Her and Steph spent most of the afternoon pulling weeds. There were only two pairs of gloves...otherwise I would have helped...no doubt!

I snapped a beautiful photo of the bride-to-be .... happy to be finished with her duty of pulling weeds...

And then there was Dad. Mowing. For...ev....er!!! I think it took 2 plus hours! Atleast he had his handy dandy headphones that block out noise... and he must have been jamming to some good tunes... for sure! (He is my partner in crime when it comes to the Tar Heels...can you tell?)

Stay tuned for more photos.... if you're interested!