Running

In the past 6 months, I have become a runner. I never thought I would be one. Even in HS when I played soccer and our coach would make us run laps, I hated it. But, for some reason I decided to give it another chance. I have been a avid walker for many years, so I started with just a walk/jog combo, then gradually was able to run! I am not fast at all, but I love it! I love the feeling of challenging myself and setting goals! I love the way running clears my head after a stressful day. I love the way I feel mentally and physically after a run. I think I have become at running addict! LOL! I am running my first official race on May 23rd, a 5K. I am hoping to pick up as many 5K's and 10k's as I can this Summer and do a Half Marathon in September. My goal is to do a Full Marathon (26 miles) in April of 2011!

Questions for 3/26

I steal these questions from my friend Ann!

1. Did you pass your driver's test on the first try?
Nope!


2. What is your most embarrassing moment?
do I have to pick one???

3. What TV show would you like to be on- Oprah, Biggest Loser, or What Not to Wear?
What Not to Wear, Stacy and Clinton are my true fashion guides!

4. Would you ever get plastic surgery and what kind?
Absolutely! I wanna get tummy tuck and breast lift, just everything put back in place from the babies.

5. What are your favorite jeans to wear?
My True Religion ones I got at Women's Closest Exchange (local consignment shop) for super cheap! They are like $200. new, but I got them for $50.

Dreaming of Summer

I am very happy it is warm now! Spring officially here in The Lou! This weather makes me more excited because it means Summer is just around the corner. We have a fun Summer planned! We are gonna take the kiddos back to the Great Wolf Lodge in KC. We went last Summer and it was great! It is only a 4 hour drive so its a perfect mini-vaca for us. Also, I am going to NC for a week in July! I can't wait. I am gonna fly into Raleigh were my friend Abby lives and then we are headed down to the beach to meet some other high school friends for a little girl time! I can't wait! It will be 14 years this June since I graduated from high school and I am still friends with these girls! Even living half way across the country from them! Pretty cool! Jake and I are also planning on making a Vegas trip sometime this Summer. He is gonna pick a CPE conference for work so we can go on the company dime! That's always fun! Also on June 30th Eclipse comes out, the 3rd movie of the Twilight Saga, which I am obsessed with! LOL! Wesley will be 6 on June 7th, I can't believe that! And of course, the MOST IMPORTANT day of the Summer is August 10th, my birthday! I still love birthdays, even if I am gonna be 33 on this one! Bring on the Summer!

St Patricks Day

St. Patricks Day is tomorrow and I am so excited. My mom, my aunt, and myself are going to lunch at our favorite little pub, Growlers for our Corn beef and Cabbage and Guinness! Then later that evening, I am gonna be back at Growlers with some girlfriends. The kiddos are out at the Grandparents doing St. Paddy's day celebrations with them! St. Patricks Day is my favorite holiday because it celebrates my Irish heritage. Everyone wants to be Irish on St. Patricks Day! LOL! March is also Irish/American History month! I named my son Patrick because he was born in March (not on March 17th, but the 21st). I am actually about 50/50 Irish and German, but I take more claim to the Irish side cause well, the Irish are more fun! LOL!

St. Patrick was a English born man when England was ruled by the Roman Empire. He was taken as a slave by the Romans, which is when he first went to Ireland. Years later, he was a priest and in a vision from God was told that he was to return to Ireland and preach the gospel of Jesus to the pagans! He obeyed and pretty much converted the entire island to Christianity. The Irish honor St. Patrick as their patron saint. The reason we celebrate St. Patricks Day in America is because of all the millions of Irish immigrants that came here during the "Great Potato Famine" of Ireland the late 1800's. I read that 70% of Americans claim some Irish ancestry in their lineage! So, it doesn't surprise us that St. Patricks Day is so popular here! Green is worn on St. Patricks Day and most people don't realize that Green actually represent the Catholic faith, whereas Orange is the color for the Protestants. In America though, the green is really a symbol of all things Irish, no matter what your faith is. She shamrock (3 leaf clover) was first used by St. Patrick to describe the Holy Trinity. The 4 leaf clover, which is exclusive to Ireland is for good luck!

Ok, done with the history lesson! Happy St. Patricks Day!

3 Things

3 Things

3 Places I have lived
1. Tulsa, OK
2. Greensboro, NC
3. St. Louis, MO


3 Best Friends
1. Abby
2. Becca
3. Allison


3 Favorite foods
1. Seafood
2. Italian
3. Irish

3 Best places I have visited
1. Italy
2. Las Vegas
3. Washington DC


3 Favorite bands
1. Flogging Molly
2. Dropkick Murphy
3. Aeromsith


3 places I would rather be right now
1. Ireland
2. Myrtle Beach
3. NYC


3 places my ancestors are from
1. Ireland
2. Germany
3. Scotland


3 Most important people in my life
1. Jesus
2. Jake
3. Tie between Wesley and Patrick

3 Favorite hobbies
1. Traveling
2. Reading
3. Facebook


3 Favorite books
1. The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom
2. Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt
3. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo


3 Favorite movies
1. Avatar
2. Angela's Ashes
3. The Princess Bride


3 Things I am looking forward to this Summer
1. Beach with the ladies!
2. Great Wolf Lodge with the family
3. My birthday


3 Favorite stores
1. Amazon.com
2. Women's Closet Exchange
3. Target


3 Things about me that may surprise people
1. I can sew!
2. I am a huge bookworm (most people know that though)
3. I graduated college on the Deans List (for those people who think I am a dumb blonde).


3 Favorite TV shows
1. Vampire Diaries
2. Desperate Housewives
3. The Tudors


3 Things I have planned for today
1. Laundry
2. Walmart
3. Playing with the kids

Walking on Sunshine!

The past 3 days have been awesome and tomorrow is gonna be another awesome, sunny day! It was 60 degrees today and we were outside all of it! I can't tell you how this weather has changed my mood and spirits! I feel uplifted and joyful! Even my kids feel it. They have loved playing outside! We are buying the swing set from our neighbors who are moving and I can't wait to get it so the kiddos can play on it! The only downer is Jake has been working so much, he has hardly been able to enjoy it. At least he was home most of today and grilled some chicken! I am praying that Winter is over, for good. I have seen it get cold in March and April, but I hope not this year!

5 question Friday

1. What's your guilty pleasure?
handbags, vampire books/movies, and Real Houswives!

2. What is your favorite TV series?
Vampire Diaries and Real Housewives of NYC

3. Can you speak any foreign languages?
A tiny bit of Italian and a few words of Irish Gaelic

4. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
over 50

5. What's your favorite kind of M&M's?
regular

45 Random things

45 of the Most Random Things You Never Need To Know About Someone

Begging your forgiveness ahead of time. Because I have bloggy-block, so you get this. You're...uh...welcome.


1. What is your name spelled backwards? E-I-L-U-J


2. What did you do last night? took care of my kids

3. What was the last thing you downloaded onto your computer? ITunes

4. Have you ever licked a 9 volt battery? No!

5. When was the last time you swam in a pool? Last summer.

6. What are you wearing? t-shirt and Jake's boxers

7. How many cars have you owned? about 10

8. What is the type of music you dislike most? Childrens Music!

9. Are you registered to vote? Yes! Of course!

10. Do you have cable? Yep

11. What kind of computer do you use? HP laptop

12. Have you ever made a prank phone call? Of course! I grew up before caller ID!

13. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? Sure!

14. What is the furthest place you ever traveled? Italy

15. What's your favorite comic strip? Family Circle

16. Do you know all of the words to the national anthem? Sure do

17. Do you shower in the morning or at night? Bath in my jacuzzi tub at night!

18. What is your favorite pizza topping? Black Olives


19. Chips or popcorn? popcorn


20. What cell phone provider do you use? Verizon


21. Have you ever smoked peanut shells? No


22. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? No,I have issues with beauty paganets


23. Orange juice or apple juice? Orange

24. Who were the last people you sat at lunch with? My kids

25. Favorite chocolate bar? 3 Muskateers

26. Who is your oldest friend and how long have you known eachother? Sarah, we have been friends since we were born!

27. When was the last time you ate a homegrown tomato? over the summer.

28. Have you ever won a trophy? as a teenager, for dance

29. Favorite arcade game? Miss Pacman

30. Ever ordered from an infomercial? Yes, one time I ordered a bunch of 80's music cds!

31. Sprite or 7-UP? Sprite

32. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school/work? Yes

33. Last thing you bought at Walgreens? medicine

34. Ever thrown up in public? yes

35. Would you prefer being a millionaire or finding true love? Already found true love, so I'll take the cash, please.

36. Do you believe in love at first sight? Yeah, I feel in love with Edward Cullen at first sight!

37. Spongebob or Jimmy Neutron? niether


38. Did you have long hair as a young kid? In high school

39. What message is on your voicemail machine? The is Julie Potter, leave a message

40. Where would you like to go right now? a beach

41. What's the name of your pet? Zoe and Benson, dogs

42. What kind of back pack do you have, and what's in it? My purse has, wallet, lipstick, cell phone, and some other odds and ends.

43. What kind of tennis shoes do you have? Nike

44. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? My aunt

45. Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny? Bugs!


And now you can close this screen and regret not being able to get those 3 minutes of your life back.

Teenager?

Is Wes 5 or 15? I sometimes wonder! He can go from the sweetest little boy to a monster in about 5 seconds! Yesterday, he threw a huge fit cause I woulndn't let him eat mac n cheese for a snack after school, then today, because I asked him to let the dogs in! He has worse tantrums than Patrick!! I think I might go crazy!

Tired Mommy

Ok, so I am trying not to complain about tax season this year. Not when millions of people are out of work. Thank God Jake has a job and tax time is what keeps his firm running the rest of year! And really, up until this week, it hasn't been too bad. But, I am now starting to get tired of it. He has worked 12 hour days for the past week and this will continue non-stop until April 15th. The kids are driving me nuts! Wesley is like a teenager with his attitude problem and Patrick wines all day! My mom calls me every 5 minutes and the dogs are fighting (play fighting, but still). My house is a wreck all the time! I am about to pull my hair out! I am glad to hear the temps will be warmer later this week, then maybe I can get everyone outside!

Yay March!

I am so excited that March is here. January and February are the worst months of the entire year, in my opinion. I am looking forward to the temps warming up and the days getting longer. Here are some of the other reasons that makes me happy it's March.

March 10th, Flogging Molly concert! My favorite band!
March 17th, St Patricks Day!
March 20th, Time changes, which means longer days!
March 21st, My little Patricks 2nd birthday!
And of course MARCH MADNESS!!! Lets see if UNC can keep their title of National Champions!

Yay for March!