bad blogger.

Sorry I am such a bad blogger - I promise I am trying to do better. I just find so many other things to do that I sort of forget.

Our 24 hours in Blue Ridge, GA with Chad's family was nice. I love that their family get togethers always include a few friends that have become family. It is a sweet reminder that we are all family really when it comes down to it...

Went to the townhouse and got our Christmas decorations yesterday, minus the tree. I think we might go fake-o this year and get the one out of storage. I already vacuum too much and adding a live/slowly dying tree to my living room will only increase that....oh, but they are so lovely and smell so festive! Hard choice.

Finishing the decorating today hopefully. Front porch is looking good. Chad is going to insulate under our house - I kindly explained that I will NOT be crawling under the house for a multitude of reasons - tight spaces only being one of them.

We are keeping the nursery at church tomorrow morning for the early service - they asked what age group we wanted and I put in a request for "at least potty trained?". :)

thanksgiving #1.

The deal, when we got married, was that we would try to split holidays as evenly and fairly as possible. Until we have kids. And that's a game changer.
Since we still (thank you Jesus) don't have children...we have been switching holidays...sorta. We spent the last two Christmases with my family and last 2 Thanksgivings with Chad's family. And I think he was a little sad to miss an actual Christmas with his...
so this year, we're switching for real. Except not really. We are going to do Thanksgiving with my family (which fell the weekend before, meaning today and tomorrow, for a number of reasons) so we are going to end up being with Chad's family on Thanksgiving anyway. Both families have relocated festivities - mine is meeting up at Red Top Mtn. State Park - and Chad's is meeting up at a cabin in Blue Ridge, GA. (a la Emily style - don't rob us. We have a great alarm system and fabulous neighbors - who I am pretty sure would shoot you, giving a good opportunity.) I took off work tomorrow (hopefully - never really got true approval. Sorry J!) so I am only working Tuesday and Wednesday of this week before we go out of town another couple of days. His family is staying for around 4 days but we have a lot of stuff planned to try and get done around the house over next weekend .
In other words, we are headed to Thanksgiving #1.

And we're giving thanks.
For great families that want to see us and being able to spend some time with all of them.

For jobs that allow us to take the time off to do that (and also pay our bills!)

For each other, especially this year, 2 years into our marriage and always learning and growing.

Solider's Marathon

While it is highly tempting to bore you with pictures of every time we saw Chad during his race, I will just spare you a bit and show you the finish line.

Way to go dude...

4 hours and 18 minutes

+

26.2 miles

=

one amazing fella!

Check this one out...mom is there on the left hand side of the screen...cheering her heart out. Oh how I love her!

This was the neat finish line...they ran through all the flags of the countries where American soliders have served overseas at the Infantry Museum.

We arrived home Sunday night and as we drove past our house I was like....
ack! What is that on our windows?!?
Well, our amazingly awesome neighbors had done a little research about Chad's race, what place he finished in, what his time was, etc. and made a huge banner and hung it on the front of our house.
I am sure Chad was horribly embarrassed but I think it was wonderful...


That banner is just an odd - yet sweet - reminder that we made the right decision when we bought this house and moved down here. God has provided us with such a cool support system, fabulous neighbors, and begun to create some really wonderful relationships through our small life community. From a couple hours of beer brewing in the back yard last weekend (hi S and B!) to a just-finished 2 hours of laughing and chatting at the local pizza pit (Hi P family!) - we have been blessed with some great folks on our street!
ps. We had a long discusion about how that is not how you spell Congratulations but hey, it is the thought that counts!

26.2 x 2

Today was Chad's second marathon (thus 26.2 miles, time #2) and he did fabulously well! Finished in around 4 hours and 15 minutes (give or take a minute or two - we aren't sure about official time). He did a great job, found a pace partner, and they ran it together so they kept each other going strong.
I will post pictures when we get back to Chattanooga and I get to my computer.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers...it was a successful morning.

Now dinner at Ok Sun's and it will be perfect!

can't help it.

I'm sorry - I can't help myself.

I'm in love with this dude.

Just thought you should know.

pictures, finally!

Oooo...there is a special place in my heart for pretty nail polish. I ::ahem:: splurged - and bought three fall colors. Haven't used the far left one but I used the middle grey a few weeks ago and just painted fingers and toes the brgreige (you know, like grey + brown + beige) one on the right.

All Essie colors...sorry, not paid or perked (I wish!). Just like pretty fingers and toes.

Sneak peak of color on fingers in the last picuture...Made these little danglies for a sweet friend/neighbor. Figure it is safe to share since I am about 1000% sure that she doesn't even know I have a blog.

Also made a little baggie to put them in...didn't have a box to wrap - thought this would be just as cute.

Tied with a little hemp.

Hey, a girl has gotta work with what she has laying around!^Check out the fall fingers! :)

unplanned.

ooo...how I love unplanned weekends. Ok, so I volunteered Chad to teach CPR/First aid but I wound up having nothing planned for today. Never sure how that happens...
So far, since last night, I have:
- made the Pioneer Woman's chocolate sheet cake, in cupcake form (delicious!) - will give some/most away so I don't eat them all!
- done 3 loads of laundry (one is already folded and put away!)
- changed sheets on the bed
- washed dog's bed/blanket and hung out to dry (a.k.a. freeze)
- made a sweet little birthday present for friend/neighbor (I will show you after I give them to her!)
- put away clean dishes/re-filled dishwasher
- painted fingernails and toenails (more on that to come)

Today just might be a post-a-rama!

yep, it's that cold.

Well folks, it looks like we might have skipped over fall around here. Went straight from balmy, warm, and flip-flops to oh-my-gosh-cold rather quickly. And because of lack of rain around here, we didn't get much of a fall color show either (maybe it's not too late - some of the trees still have leaves!!). Want proof of the chilly? I volunteered Chad to teach a CPR/First Aid class at my office today. He asked me to come out and move my car so he could drive his this morning - his car that usually sits in the driveway with a billowy car cover on it because he drives a state-owned truck to and from work every day. Except - low and behold - his billowy car cover was FROZEN to his car this morning. Not so billowy today. Yep - yesterday's brief rain + last nights frozen-er-ish temperatures = frozen car cover. So, he has my car this morning - with her frozen water droplets all over and I am at home doing dishes and laundry (it's about time!).

silence.

Sorry, it has been a while. I am still not sure I really have anything interesting to say but I will talk anyway (oh come on, what did you think?!?).
Having Jess here over the weekend was awesome. I had to do a few little work errands so we didn't really get to spend as much time hanging out and doing our own thing as I would have liked but it was soooo nice to have her here. She hadn't seen our new house yet and it was fun to just hang out, sleep in, and do girl stuff for the weekend. I wish she could stay for days but I know she has tons of school stuff to keep her busy.
We did have a few little trick-or-treat kiddos...I gave large, generous handfuls of candy so we wouldn't have much left over (which is good because no matter where I put the basket, Wooby finds it and gets candy out piece by piece and feeds it to her sister, Gwendolen. Homicide possibility with all the chocolate in there...).
Should be a quiet week the rest of the week. All day meeting in Knoxville then my mom is coming up Thursday evening for a Vince Gill concert that benefits the Children's Advocacy Center here in Chatt. Good concert for a good cause and I get to see my sweet mom. Rocks my world! (Hi mom...I miss you and dad! I am glad the holidays are coming and I get multiple excuses to come see you!!)