Happy Boo Day!

Ohhhh Halloween...how I love you! This girl LOVES any excuse to dress up, and since this is the first year that I can remember that I didn't get to, I decided to a lil' costumes recap from the past few years! Now, if you know anything about Carolina, you know that Halloween there is a PBFD...pretty big flippin' deal. Franklin Street (before they started to crack down like I hear they're doing this year) was NUTS every year, and everyone spent their Halloween evenings freezing their tushies off waltzing (or stumbling) around in their skimpy costumes!  Now, I didn't quite know the "rules" of Franklin Street Halloween until after my Freshman year. And by rules, I mean the fact that Halloween is basically the one night where it's acceptable (more like required) to dress scandalously.  Beebs and I showed up to Franklin St. our freshman year dressed as angels...in jeans, long-sleeve white shirts, angel wings, and halos...and we were totally out of place! In our defense, Beebs was SUPER sick and really probably shouldn't have been out there in the first place...so we'll just blame our "too-covered" costumes on that fact! I know there's a picture somewhere...I just can't seem to find it!

Our Sophomore Year was no joke. We knew the ropes, and we showed up prepared...as Santa's Helpers!

Junior Year, we decided to be Lobsters, which I totally stole from Kyle's cousin...so I cannot claim credit for this creative idea!

Kyle was my "McDreamy" this year!

And, Senior Year, we had promised ourselves as Freshman that as Seniors we'd go as Vickie's Angels...but let's just say we weren't quite feeling that brave...so we re-used our red dresses from the Lobster costumes and went as Lady Bugs...with our other-insect counter-parts! 

Lady Bug Kisses from My Mexican Killer Bee

Those were the good ole' days! 

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Weekend Getaway

Kyle and I snuck off to Wilmington this weekend for a little family bonding time with our rents. Can I just say that having both sets of parents in the same town is nice for times like this, when there's really only one weekend this fall that we could really travel!?  Talk to me at the holidays and I might say otherwise! Anywho, we got into town Friday night just in time for a lovely dinner at the Oceanic with Kyle's family. I loved getting to be by the beach, even if it was nighttime and a little chilly.

Saturday morning was a GREAT morning for me because Kyle and I ran 2 straight loops at the park with no stopping to walk...which means that I officially ran the distance of a 5K! Now, my foot was still totally numb by the end (calling doctor tomorrow), but I was so proud of myself! Now I just have to try it again...just to make sure it wasn't a fluke! Bring on that Turkey Trot!

Gotta Celebrate the Small Victories!

Props to my running coach!

We also got to pay a little visit to the good ole' county fair! My dad has always been on the Fair Board for our county, which was especially great when I was younger because I could always take my friends for free and get special perks, like getting to take the baby chicks to school (very exciting times for a 3rd grader!).  So, the fair pretty much feels like home to me! Now Kyle had totally different feelings about the fair...until he realized 2 things-- 1. You can win money at the fair by entering things like photographs for judging and 2. They have fried Oreos.  I was super excited that Kyle has officially changed his mind!

Baby Chickies!

I Sooo Wanted to do This!

The Daddio & Me! 

Kyle's First Fried Oreo...Yum!

 And, we got to have a really snazzy dinner at my Grandparent's retirement home dining hall to celebrate an early birthday for my Grandmother...she's a witch baby...born on Halloween! I'll have to admit that I was a little surprised that my granny would choose this fine in-house dining over going out to a nice restaurant...but we survived!  And, it's always good to get a visit in with them...they are so presh!

3 Generations!

Heart Them <3

It's always good to be home...happy sigh!

The One with the 3rd Grade Engagement

I can't believe that I forgot to mention this sooner! It totally slipped my mind until I saw a friend's facebook status today about a "wedding" happening on the playground. Wellllll, it seems that two of my fave students from last year, who happened to be boyfriend and girlfriend for all of 3rd grade, have taken things to the next level. They've decided to make their commitment to each other even more official. You guessed it... Lil' J dropped down on one knee and asked Lil' S to be his life-long honey...complete with a plastic ring and everything! They dropped by my room the next morning to share the good news! They are so stinkin' cute that I can't help but play along! So, I, of course, asked to be the flower girl! Hey you can't blame a girl for trying to fulfill a life-long dream, can ya!? The best part about this is that they really act like a 9 year-old  couple! He even walks her to class! I would be all for a Lil' J/Lil' S wedding...in about 12 years!

Happy Tuesday!

Running Hi-Lo

Welp, I have officially been a runner for 3 weeks (probably not even long enough to make it official, but oh well!), and I have to say it has been a roller coaster with many highs and a few lows. Let's just start off by saying that I never, ever thought that I could run. I've was an athlete through my high school years and was active daily, but softball never required too much long distance running. My mom and I have power-walked together for as long as I can remember. But every time I tried to run, I felt like I was having a heart attack after half a mile! I chalked it up to just not being a "runner." But, Kyle and I put running a 5K together on our 30 before 30 list, and he got really into running this past year, so I decided to give it a try. And, it turns out, I actually REALLY enjoyed it. And not only did I enjoy it, but I actually was doing pretty well for being a rookie. Kyle was super proud of me, and it was contagious. I was super proud of myself. You feel so good after doing it, and it's such a great stress reliever! School has been super stressful these past few weeks, and I've been walking around with a big stress-ball in my chest, but every time I would run, everything seemed better and my body would relax. That's the good news about running.  But, the bad news is that for some reason, every time I run after about 2.5 miles, my right foot goes numb. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. And obviously you can't keep going with a dead foot, which is super frustrating because my body felt like it could keep going. I had hit my groove but my stinkin' foot was dragging me down. I did some research online and tried a few tips, like changing shoes, loosening my shoe-laces, etc but it hasn't helped. I mentioned it to my doctor this week while I was getting my poison ivy checked out (another fun side-effect of running...whoops!) and he definitely seemed to think that this didn't sound right and that if it didn't stop soon I'd need to get it checked out. So that's where I am today. Loving running but scared of what's going on with my body and worried that it might cause me to have to quit before I even really got started. At least I know I can do it...now if that right foot of mine would just get on board!

A-Z Me!

I  saw this idea  on a new blog that I've been reading, Everyday Ash, and thought it was adorable! And since it's Thursday, aka almost Friday, my brain is just a tad fried! So we'll just make this easy, and I'll talk about something super familiar that I LOVE to talk about...me, myself, and I! So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce the ABC's of me!

A. AREA CODE: 919...but my celly still begins w/ a 910...I'd like to think that I'll always be a 910 girl!

B. BED SIZE: Queen

C. CHORE YOU HATE: cleaning showers, sinks, and toilets..so I don't do it! Thanks, boo!

D. DOG'S NAME: No pups yet...but I already know what I'm going to name my first one...Enzo, after the doggie in The Art of Racing in the Rain. If my dog is half as smart and caring as that one, I'll be thrilled!

E. ESSENTIAL "START THE DAY!" ITEM: my contacts...blind as a bat without them!

F. FAVORITE COLOR: I heart hot pink and apple green...love, love love!

G. GOLD OR SILVER: This is tough one, but I'm going to have to say gold in the summer and silver in the winter! Love them both!

H. HEIGHT: 5'2"...and I haven't grown since 5th grade!

I: INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY: none :(  I still feel bad for breaking my grandma's heart by quitting the piano. 

J. JOB: 3rd grade teacher :) :) :)

K. KIDS: Ask me in a few years!

L. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: The hubby and I live in cute little starter home that we bought after we got married!

M. MOM'S NAME: Ann, Mom, Momma, Marmie, Ma, whatever crazy name I feel like calling her!

N. NICKNAME:  Sooo manyyyy...obvs Lu is my most popular nickname, but my Dad calls me "Ra", my brother and mom call me "La" or "Lala," Kyle calls me "Schnooks" and I was "Bark" or "LB" for all of high school! 

O. OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: I stayed with Kyle once when he was really sick & dehydrated...I'd be 100% happy never going back!

P. PET PEEVE: people who are inconsistent with how they treat others...be friendly or be a brat but please pick one! 

Q. QUOTE FROM A MOVIE: from the movie Love Actually, my all-time fav movie! 

"It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually is all around. "  --Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister

R. RIGHTY OR LEFTY?: Rightay

S. SIBLINGS: Just one brother, Bryan, who's older. I have to emphasize the "Just One" because when I was a kid, I used to lie and say I had 2 because I really wanted to be in a 3-child family!

T. TIME YOU WAKE UP:  So random but my phone alarms are set for either 5:34 or 5:47 for weekdays, and I wish I could sleep in on the weekends, but I'm usually up between 7:30 and 8. 

U. UNDERWEAR:  thongs...preferably ones from Gap!

V. VEGGIE YOU DISLIKE: oh gosh, where to even begin...I'll make this easy...all of them but peppers, onions and green beans!

W. WAYS/REASONS YOU ARE LATE: Well, this kinda runs in my family. My Dad suffers from what the fam calls "Barkley time," which basically means 15-30 minutes late for any function! But, I'm not that bad. My biggest prob is that sometimes I'm running so ahead of the game that I think I have time to watch a few minutes of TV or play on the computer, and then I'm of course rushing out the door, five minutes behind! 

X. XRAYS YOU'VE HAD: can't think of any

Y. YUMMY FOOD YOU MAKE: I'm a pretty decent baker, but I don't think I have anything that I'm especially proud of or known for...maybe I'll work on finding that special dish!

Z. ZOO ANIMALS YOU LIKE: elephants...duh! How presh are they with their wrinkly skin and big ears! 

Ok, now it's your turn!!!

There's No "I" in Team

Teamwork at it's finest!

Kyle and I have been married for about a year and a half, and we've definitely learned our fair share of lessons. About a month ago, we had a conversation that I had dreaded for a while, but in all honestly, I knew it was bound to happen. Teaching is SUCH a stressful job. It is emotionally and physically exhausting. It's also one of those jobs where you never, ever feel like you're "on top" of things, even if you've given up your whole Sunday to get ready for the week. Luckily, Kyle's job is one that he can leave at the door when he walks out the door. And he has been so incredibly supportive of me. He does the majority of the cooking. He's been my shoulder to cry on. He's been my everything. I would sometimes mention to him that I felt like our relationship had become very "me" centered and that I worried that one day he would come to resent me. But he always brushed it off, saying that he didn't feel that way at all and that he wanted to be there for me in all these ways. Well, it didn't get to the point where he resented me (thank goodness we had that convo when we did!), but over the last 2 years of me teaching, he did start to feel like he was starting to lose himself in the process of putting me first.  Like, he would stop doing some of the things that he enjoyed, like writing or listening to music, when I was at grad school because he'd want to make sure the house was clean when I got home so I wouldn't be stressed. He's just that kind and caring of a person. And, it broke my heart to hear that. Because we are a partnership...a team. And our team had become very one-sided and selfish. One can only give so much of themselves. But, It was both of our faults-- mine for not being more self-reliant and for not making more of an effort to focus on Kyle,  and Kyle's for brushing it off when I tried to bring it up and not being more vocal about his needs. 


But, that conversation was the best thing that's happened because since then, we've been an even stronger, more united team than ever. We've started running together, and it's been so awesome to have Kyle coach me through this! We started this past Monday and ran 3 times together this week...which is pretty great considering I have grad school at night and we totally skipped exercise altogether on Friday and Saturday! I love our "stolen" moments during that run with no cell phone, computer, or t.v. to distract us! And, I think Kyle likes it because I'm too out of breath to talk...and let's face it, he loves to talk! 

First Day of Running...Trying to Look Confident...Freaking out inside!

And, y'all don't make fun, but we've also started couponing and grocery shopping together. It's really fun to share in those small successes together...even if it is something silly, like finding out the shave gel you wanted is on sale, and you have a coupon for it! He bought me this cute little coupon organizing binder a month ago when I was starting to try it, and he's actually gotten pretty into it. The only problem is that he says he wished he'd got a more neutral color binder! I'm not thinking Kyle will be taking any "solo" trips to the grocery store with that hot pink binder!

I've also been trying to get involved more in the kitchen so that Kyle doesn't feel like the cooking burden isn't all on him. In my defense, Kyle enjoys cooking, and I'm a lousy cook. But, even still, that doesn't mean that Kyle likes to cook all.the.time. So, we've cooked together more, and it's been another way that we've really built up our partnership. Sometimes, if he's lucky, I'll even bake for him! Welll...I guess you could say it's more for both of us!

Kyle on Chili Patrol

Me on Cupcake Patrol!

In the grand scheme of things, I feel like having "that" conversation, as hard as it was to hear,  has really been a game changer for us! And, since we're in this for the long haul, it's nice to know that we can always continue to grow together...even after 8 years of being together!

Octoberfest-ivities!

Kyle and I had such a fun weekend with Friday-night Octoberfestivities and a Saturday-night wedding, and it was just what I needed because I've been feeling so bogged down with teaching and grad school, wondering if I was ever going to have a life again! I'm feeling the need for a weekend recap because I'm sure I'm going to need to look back on this weekend to remember that it is possible to still have fun AND get my work done. 

So, Friday Octoberfest. Kyle wanted a BIG beer and some traditional German food to pay homage to this awesome tradition, so we went out to a German restaurant called Bravarian Brathaus with some friends and friends of friends. Weinerschitzel, anyone?  The restaurant was all decked out for the celebration, complete with a super annoying adorable old man playing the accordion in his presh German outfit...that didn't quite zip up all the way in the back! He def hadn't perfected the gift of timing and showed up at our table right in the middle of stories, forcing us to yell across the table. They were super crowded and running around like chickens with their heads cut off and never quite managed to get Alex her LIT. The menu was hilarious to read, and we totally butchered the pronounciations. And, the food was kind of nasty, as in I will NEVER eat there again. Butttt none of that seemed to matter when you're with good company! And, we were there for the experience...and it sure was one!  Luckily, we followed up dinner with drinks at City Beverage, which was the perfect way to end a LONG week!

Kyle is in his element!

Bratwurst & Pommes Frites...let's leave this to the Germans!

Still trying to acquire my taste for beer...getting the "Mixed Beer" w/ lemonade helped a little!

Alex's pitiful plate...and someone get this girl her LIT!

German is a funny, funny language! 

Saturday night we celebrated the marriage of a teacher friend, Samantha, and her lawyer boy, Shawn at the Angus Barn Pavilion. It was the PERFECT weather for a wedding, and the venue could not have been better! The ceremony was short and sweet, and Samantha looked beautiful! The food was amazing, and they had my all time faves--the Angus Barn's famous cheese and crackers, and S'mores that you could make at the fire pit. I think that I could go another week without eating after that meal!  And, can we say "yes, please" to the full, open bar! Needless to say, there was lots of dancing, drinking, and hilarious conversations! 

K & me...lookin' all fancy!

Yummy S'mores!

Bride & Groom...so presh!

Love my MG girls!

If only every weekend could be like this! But, if that were the case...I'd probably be a broke and my clothes wouldn't fit! 

Happy Weekends, Friends!