Little here and there...

Since Spring Break... I have felt like the days and weeks just go right on by. We have had lots of fun, school has been great, just fabulous. It was almost like one of those days you head out to run and you feel like you could run for days. It just comes easy. However, this week, I feel like I am "running with 50 pound weights on each leg and arm" and the week is going in reverse. Now.... for those teachers reading this, you get it because something about the last 10-15 days of school, everyone immediately goes into vacation mode. INCLUDING ME!!! But... I realize we have to finish the year out so we can't do it yet. The kids on the other hand just keeping getting worse. Oh boy... just trying to make it, but I am ready to go back to the "easy running days when I could go forever". When I post on May 24th... I will be in cruise control as Matt and I like to call it. 

So anyways, the exciting thing is I love the cool weather... 70's, 50's, awwww... a little taste of heaven before 95 hits. We are in for a treat for this fabulous cool weather streak that is here. Looking forward to the upcoming weekends, weeks, and months. So many fun things planned and I can't wait to enjoy the days. 

I probably should not even put this picture on here, but it was the start to our day Tuesday. 9 times out of 10... she is good to go in the mornings, especially when Jeremy can take her late, but he was out of town on Tuesday so I had to take her. She really wanted to play the "mommy guilt" card on me. It worked too, but luckily she found Sofia as soon as we got there and everything was okay!

Now... it is Thursday night, tomorrow is Friday, and the week got a little better (if I use the words "much better" I would be lying, LOL)! However, I am still on the countdown, 10 days to go!!!!!

All of these are camera phone pics, UGH! The big dog camera is coming back out. Jeremy and Charlee Kate before heading to church last Sunday.

Charlee Kate cooking after church. She had it all out!

Same "mommy guilt bad morning" picture, but the clothes are brighter in this one.

HEre was the start to the rest of the week. Charlee Kate had a great rest of the week, loving school, can't wait to go, we went to get yogurt, another MJ Trunk show, and lots of walks. The actual me going to school is the part that was just "so so". 

I put this last picture on here because Jeremy put this on my phone the other day for my screen saver. I like to say I am super mom and really do try, but it doesn't always happen. Muffins for Moms at CK's school tomorrow morning. I can't wait! Then a Mommy's Day Weekend!!!!! Happy Mother's Day to everyone that is reading this and is a mommy!!!

We Love Homewood Day!

It really does exist and that is what it is called! Saturday was We Love Homewood Day. There was a HUGE celebration at the park all day today. Charlee Kate had the best time! At night they had a parade and a block party. We took Charlee Kate up to the parade, met some friends (saw TONS of people), then went to the block party at all the restaurants, with the band, and jumpies. It was so much fun! We will NOT miss that each year. Charlee Kate thought grabbing candy at the parade was so cool! I just loved hanging out, listening to the band, watching the kids play, talking to everyone... we didn't get home until after 9:30, which is late when you walked up and have a 2 year old. However, we crashed as soon as she did. The heat from running 9 miles, playing at the park for an hour, and washing my car, just about "did me in".

We truly do love this place!!! I can't imagine being anywhere else. Friday night some of our Florida friends came to stay with us. Jeremy had to take my dad to the airport that afternoon so I sat with our friends until he got back. I showed them around the neighborhood, my school, CK's school, all the restaurants and stores, mountains, etc... Stephen (our friend from FL) finally said "You absolutely love it, don't you? You are in your element!!!". He is right. I love this quaint place. It's my "HYDE PARK of TAMPA". I do love it and it just goes along with the weekend slogan of We Love Homewood. Friday night we all went out to Gian Marcos... of course... a "We love Homewood" favorite and our favorite for sure. This is the best place and it goes to show because even on a Monday night, you need reservations. It is nestled right in the middle of the neighborhood. After a nice 2 hour dinner, we all came back and sat out in the front yard with our IPOD playing on the speaker and sat forever. It was so nice. 

Saturday morning, I ran in a race for Homewood City Schools. Awesome race, super hot, but it was fun. Jeremy went to pick up Charlee Kate after being with my mom for a week, and then the festivities began. It was a nice race! (Even though I could do without 90 degree temps). haha! I am soooo glad to be a part of a school system that supports fitness so strongly! 

So now for a Sunday... church, maybe yogurt, and staying home. Still recovering from the heat. I am so not ready for this kind of heat yet, but its here to stay for awhile. Only 14 more days and 2 more Sundays before the big break. Boy am I excited!!!

This is what I have for pictures... just a little here and there, but all with my phone! Mom took this picture of the girls when she had them. So cute! Such sweet cousins. I think they truly had a wonderful week together.

 I took this picture for my friend Ashley. She wanted to see something in it. It was time to head out to our favorite dinner place.

We did not plan to both wear blue. It just happened and it is also my favorite favorite! I bought this dress about 2 1/2 years ago and wore it for the first time last year, but I do love it! I just don't have places to wear it very often.

The minute I walked in the door and saw CK, she wanted her nails painted, toenails painted, and she had her lipgloss on. She is my girl!

It was super hot at the park, but it did not stop Charlee Kate from having a blast and playing and running. She was so sweaty, but she loved it. 

Charlee Kate woke up from her nap and we were headed to the parade!

 We are waiting on the parade to start so we can start running after candy. She thought this was just so neat!!!

Here is Charlee Kate sitting with Nicholas. 

 All the kiddos waiting for the fun to begin~ Mary Ryan, Amelia, Nicholas, and Charlee Kate

BLOCK PARTY!!!

GRAND FINALE.... The dancing queen!!!

I tried to upload her dancing video. It was hilarious! She was showing off for everyone and didn't care who was watching! It was soooooo cute! It is on FB but I will try to get it back on here.

Where does time go?

I am not sure where time has gone, but as I was looking through pictures for something, I came across this picture of Charlee Kate at 3 weeks old in her stroller. Same stroller, same seat.... the bottom picture is of her at 2 1/2 years old. I love all stages, but where does time go?? My sweet baby girl is getting so big! I have missed her lots this week, but she is having way too much with Ella and my mom in Jacksonville. I have been able to have a girls night at Cheesecake Factory, go to dinner with Jeremy, and I have some cleaning days ahead of me, so even though I miss her, I have been able to get lots done that needs to be done. I will post more after she comes back to me : )



Not much matters right now but....

ELLA! Yes my mom has Ella and so of course we want CK to be with her and the girls to get time together! However, we didn't think that time was going to happen until Tuesday. Last minute, Jeremy and I took a trip to the lake yesterday and decided to stay ALLL day today. Well... my parents got Ella and came back to the river, so we decided last minute to go ahead and send CK (with me getting stuff to her in a few days). OH my, CK was so excited and the more time passed, the more excited she got. It was so cute! I mean nothing matters right now, but ELLA. She said "bye" to Jeremy and I with no hesitation at all!!! I will miss her for several several days, but she hasn't seen Ella since January, so it is by far due time. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Is it not summer already because we were enjoying our weekend WAY too much for it to end!!!!

We went to Yogurt Lab one afternoon for a play date. CK loves her some yogurt or "ice cream" as she calls it.

These girls are soooo cute together. They screamed non-stop they were so excited. They are together everyday too which is why it was so funny. This is Charlee Kate's friend Sophia, but CK calls her "SoPia". I love it!!!

Ahhh.... she looks so grown up with a pony tail. We were at the river and she is waiting on Gammy and Pop here.

Swim time after her nap. no need for a bow. It was a weekend of relaxing and not getting ready

I loved having my coffee on the porch. Everyone was still sleeping but I had my coffee and enjoyed time doing nothing.

Charlee Kate eating breakfast on the porch

Kabota riding!!! I was running and this is what was riding along beside me. 

Charlee Kate had no idea she would see Ella today until she woke up. They played in the pool and had watermelon before they left with Gammy and Pop to go eat. Ella was so sweet... I missed that sweet girl. Charlee Kate had no problems telling mommy and daddy bye. I will miss her this week, but she will be having more fun and that is what matters.

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to us... 11 years and counting. WOW, how in the world is that possible? How amazing it is and I am by far the luckiest girl in the world. To be married to such a selfless, amazing man, who is the best daddy to Charlee Kate and husband to me. He always finds the good in everyone, every situation, and never boasts about anything. Sometimes if something makes me mad, I just want him to agree, but he tries to make sense of why someone does what they do. After I go on and on, I stop and think because he is pushing to find the best in everyone no matter what the situation. I hope Charlee Kate takes after him for sure, in more ways than one. I prayed for her to have his facial features and I pray for her to be patient and selfless just like he is. She is with her "high strung mommy" a lot though, so not sure if he can be the dominant one and rub off on her, LOL.

All the little things he does are what I love...

*he opens the windows at night when it is freezing because I love the fresh air,

* lets me put my cold feet under him even though that is brutal sometimes

* works out the knots in my legs when I want to scream, but yet I need those knots out from running

* Pops my toes... funny but I love it, then one of them became swollen so we stopped that

* shops with me (that is a true man and NEVER EVER says "lets go")

* LISTENS to me (most of the time) when I think he isn't and remembers little things that I think he has NO IDEA about

* Runs with me, when he really wants to stop, but I beg him to finish it off with me

* Never complains about all my meals or my 1,000 desserts I make. And I KNOW for a fact that they are not always good!!!

* accepts that DD, Panera, and my local coffee shop make better coffee than me and will go get it

* Brings me lunch at school or a DP and then stays to eat with me!

* takes my toenail polish off b/c my nails are "newly painted" and I didn't take the toe polish off beforehand

* fixes CK's hair to the best of my instructions and puts her in exactly what I lay out... yet if I had NONE of it out or ready, he could pick out something just as adorable and handle it all just like I would!

The list goes on and on, but those are just a few of the things. Thank you GOD for blessing me with the most amazing husband! I would have put a picture on here but we decided to take a weekend to the lake, last minute, so no time for that. Pics to come soon : )

I am truly lucky to have been married to him for 11 years and hope we see many many more years together.

Little Miss Priss and our week

 Its been a good week, flying by as we keep ourselves super busy with finishing up a school year, Jeremy working and traveling, and then the afternoons include LOTS of playing and going on walks. Especially with this gorgeous weather we had in the 60's adn 70's. We all go on a walk for 45 minutes or so every night. That is our time to just walk, talk, listen to Charlee Kate sing or talk or tell stories. I love it!!! I am totally looking forward to a weekend of just that! Relaxing. So here are some pictures of Miss Priss. That she TOTALLY is! I am not sure who is brain washing her to loving dresses, wanting lip gloss all the time, and loving fancy shoes. LOL... not ME at all. THe funny thing is, she is just like me in the way that we love our t-shirts too as soon as we get home from school. She is my mini me!

 I loved this outfit and these pictures!

 I may have figured out how to sort of make her smile. This isn't a great one yet, but better than the "scrunching up the nose" smile. That wasn't even a smile.

 Kevin was in town this week working with Jeremy. Last night we went to eat and had a sitter come. Charlee Kate LOVES her sitter, but she loved having the attention of Uncle Kevin too. When they picked her up from school he brought her three cookies from her FAVORITE Homewood Cookie place. Oh boy, she was loving him! Then... he colored with sidewalk chalk with her for awhile. She was in heaven.

 Coloring on the sidewalk

 Going for our walks

Charlee Kate eating dinner, while the guys talk.... check out the beautiful sidewalk art work!

Weekend in pictures

An "off day" and a well deserved one! A good run, errands to my favorite stores, lunch with my husband, then off to the shooting range we went. Little hesitant. After I was all ready, it took a little coaching from Jeremy to get me to actually SHOOT it, but I did. I would definitely say I need more practice, but the initial fear is gone. Having to shoot several times in a row was a little nerve racking, but I stopped "closing my eyes" while I was shooting, LOL.

Now it would only be appropriate that I wear a cute blinged out black gun shirt for my first shooting range experience, right? Can't go in and not look cute!!!

My target. I was off on some, but not so bad on some, LOL.  

Saturday morning I did the Statue to Statue 15k. It is technically the most challenging one in the south. It involves a lot of hills, but wasn't too bad. We ran the whole thing, which i was excited about because there is one hill that most start walking on, but it was fun and it didn't rain. Charlee kate and Jeremy were at the finish line and she loves to watch me finish a race. Soooo sweet!

 The "after race meal" was hotdogs. UGH!!! Not at 9:30 in the morning for me! Charlee Kate and I went to Panera for breakfast. She was showing off.

 After the race, we came home, played, Jeremy worked outside for at least 5-6 hours, and I cleaned for that long too. It felt so good to do that even though that is TOTALLY against my "rule" of no cleaning on the weekends. We just needed it and I am so glad it is all done. Jeremy took a break to eat lunch out in the garage b/c he was still kind of nasty and Charlee Kate wanted to eat with him.

Saturday night, after a clean yard and house, and very cool weather.... we went to a nice restaurant to eat and took Charlee Kate.It was so yummy and I didn't have to mess up my clean kitchen.

 Heading out to eat!

 Sunday we ran to Super Target and Walmart that morning. It was SUPER COOL outside. I felt like I should be going to a football game and it was fall. I just love that kind of weather. I better enjoy every minute before the super hot weather gets here.

 This nice weather means lots of walks for us.... Charlee Kate has her snack before we head out on a walk. Notice the flip flops on the wrong feet.

 Friday morning before she headed off to school and I headed off to run