:(

 i don't know what the HECK is wrong with me, but i can.not.stop.crying.today. and i am NOT NOT NOT a crier. when our dog died in january, hutton saw me crying and was in shock because "i've never seen you cry mommy...what is wrong?"  it was pitiful. so anyway, that is how little i cry. 
 actually i DO know what the heck is wrong. i'm about to lose my job. i job that i have had for almost 5 whole years...and it's about to be gone. and it's depressing. once kids get in school, they don't need you as much...or at least they THINK they don't! ha! ok. i really don't feel like saying "ha". it just came out. i keep getting all this info about end of the year and kindergarten registration and blah blah blah and i just want to push pause or cover my ears and pretend i don't hear. that's mature huh? 
 and i should probably turn off this sad music so i don't flood my computer or have to call brian to pick hutt up from school because i'm a basket case laying in the bed. anyway, i just needed to write it all down because i can't seem to make myself do anything else. i even tried to run but i got a mile from home, realized that i forgot to turn on my running app, said about 47 choice not so nice words, and turned around and walked home. is 12:10 too early to have a glass of wine? :)

spring break....

we headed off for a few days in the middle of the week up to young harris, ga. the weather was beautiful....perfect spring sun and a light breeze. here are a few highlights....

love

and THIS is where i realize that maybe a diet is in order....

brasstown bald

can you see our car????

before dinner

enrico's....the BEST italian ever!

wine spill.... :)

sunset over the golf course 

lainey's photography

hope this holds....

checkers in the lodge

trouble when mom and dad leave the room....

random updates

1. spring break came and went...and it was wonderful! we went up to the mountains for a few days(young harris, ga) and had a perfect time....eating, relaxing, swimming, hiking, horseback riding, and sunset watching...just to name a few


2. i did get some cute pictures of the kids on easter, but none of us all together :(


3. we had 2 wardrobe issues easter morning, but everything turned out fine. i realized at 12:35 am easter morning(when i could NOT fall asleep) that i had forgotten to get hutt some new "churchy" shoes to go with his outfit(he usually wears converse). oops!  then...lainey's dress didn't fit right...but thankfully we had a backup in the closet. the kids didn't "coordinate" but...really...lainey is almost 12. i need to get a life.


4. i love church on easter


5. april and may are SOOOOOOO busy for us...easter, two birthdays, mother's day...out of town, guests in town, end of year school activities...and this year...hutt's pre-school graduation! (waaaaaaaaa!)


6. i realized after having several pictures taken of myself recently that i need to lay off the food, bacon, and wine....


7. which means i have been on a diet for THREE days, and i am DYING! no, i'm not one of those crazies who starve themselves by not eating anything, but i'm trying to watch my portions and eat more salads...so i.am.HUNGRY!  i'm a paula deen/pioneer woman cook....which equals fat and LOTS of food...so this is hard. :0  i give myself two weeks....ha!


8. i also started exercising again...yes...again. i have run a total of TWO times since seaside. and one of those was today. what what? it's amazing how fast you loose your endurance!


9. brian and i struck a new deal. since i like to redecorate so much, if i can sell the old on craigslist for the same price or more as the new...I CAN CHANGE IT! woot! that is like saying i just won the lottery for me. so far i have swapped out end tables and hopefully a desk(tonight!)


10. i decided i wanted a huge vintage map behind our couch in the tv room and have been looking for about 3 weeks on ebay...and GUESS what was in my new country living yesterday? vintage map in the family room. yay that i have good taste...not yay that i'm pretty positive the price and demand for those things will go up! :(


11. when my parents were here a few weeks ago, my mom and hutton planted some basil, peppers, and parsley in pots on my deck...and people....THEY ARE STILL ALIVE! i almost can't believe it. i even brought them in last night when it got cold. 


12. if i actually learn to sew AND garden in the same year...that will be a gosh darn miracle. and i can officially get my homemakers card! ;)


i'll be back tomorrow with some pics of our getaway! :)
happy wednesday!


h

13.1

i did it!
i completed my first half marathon....and maybe not my last. the running itself...i wouldn't call my favorite...but the friendships with the fun ladies i was able to go with....ARE my favorite. talk about some amazing women..and their stories!!!!! it just makes me love them even  more.....


before i signed up my sweet friend kira convinced me to sign up, i was a fair weather runner...meaning....if it was too cold or too hot, i chickened out....and by too cold i mean under 65... and too hot meaning over 80! ha! which in turn means, i hardly ever ran. :) AND, between kids schedules and other things(like laziness!), i just wasn't dedicated. the most i had ever run before was about 5 1/2 miles...and i was so dang proud of that...i thought i would die. and that was during the spring about 2 yrs. ago! yikes!


soooo....i knew i would have my work cut out for me once i signed up. but you see, there is this problem i have called..."i am not good at trying/starting something new(or old) until i am forced", so even though for about 4 years,  i have been talking smack about running a half, i never actually DID anything about it and tried to reach my goal.


but...i'll do anything to get to the beach(seaside! woot!) and everything in my power not to waste money...so once i paid my registration...i was IN! :)


i wasn't as good as the rest of my friends about training...i only ran once sometimes twice a week, and then a long run on saturdays..but it did the job. my goal was NOT time, just to continue running the entire time. and THAT i did...(although i probably could have speed walked faster than i was running a few times! ha!)


but...i accomplished MY goal...and that is all that matters. plus i got a cute vera bradley bag for finishing...AND a vera bradley measuring tape. yes, you read that right...and since i'm a furniture hunter...and i already keep a measuring tape in my purse, i was more happy about that than the bag! ha! because who doesn't need a pretty measuring tape????? :)


anyway, i took my camera and got it out exactly one time. and took three terrible pictures. so my entire weekend was documented on various cell phones....which equals vampire eyes in many of them....or was it "too much wine eyes"? anyhoo.....


i'm so thankful to brian who took 2 days off of work and held down the fort while i was gone....and surprised me with a sparkling, shinning, clean as a whistle car....complete with a new sticker on the back that reads....
13.1
here are a few moments of our weekend! thanks girls!!

carolyn, kira, nardy
2 days before race

saturday it POURED all day! :(

before race

i did it!

yay!

kira, me, leigh
after race beer! :)

leigh, oval head..i mean me, maureen

maureen, kira, me, leigh

new bag

hair

i miss my blond hair.....just sayin'.
the end.

Brian

 i was thinking the other night about how i never really say anything on this blog about brian...except that he doesn't like me to paint and gives me funny looks with i drag home ugly furniture to transform! but...in all honesty, he's a GREAT guy and i'm so lucky to have him...so i'm going to brag for a minute. i sometimes get all caught up in the whole "romance" thing and i'm not going to lie...get a little envious when i hear about someone planning a surprise candlelight picnic for their wife...or writing them a special anniversary song...but then i realize that he shows me he loves me every.single.day. by doing things for me that make my life easier...like....

•  he has taken it upon himself to be the toilet paper/paper towel/toothpaste/medicine/vitamin guy. since we have been married, i have bought paper towels ONCE...and i was so overwhelmed with the choices that i stood in the paper towel aisle for 20 min. and left with just a 2 pack..so he could go buy more later
• after being gone from the house for 10-11 hours a day, he ALWAYS calls me and asks if i need anything from the grocery..which i usually do. and not ONE time has he ever complained about stopping
• he works so so so hard for us...so we can have wonderful things that we truly don't deserve
• i have never had to pay a bill. this is awful to admit, but i don't even know how much all of our bills amount to each month. he just quietly takes care of it...so i don't have to stress 
• he keeps my car clean and most of the time filled with gas. what a great surprise when you get in the car and the gas tank is FULL!
• he plans for our future and the kids' future...and has me taken care of if anything were to happen to him...which, as a stay at home mommy with NO job....is very comforting
• he helps me clean up the kitchen EVERY NIGHT! and when we have guests in town...he keeps that dishwasher going strong....
• he doesn't panic when i call him FREAKING out because i'm lost...even though i have a GPS...he just calmly gets me where i need to be :)
• he is quiet and i am loud...which used to bother me, but i think two loud people in one house would be overkill ;)
• he has been so supportive of me and this running thing...helping me out with shoes, running clothes, how to train, etc. and is proud of me for accomplishing my goal
• he plans all of our trips/vacations...while i'm just along for the ride
• he eats ANYTHING i cook..and loves all types of food, which makes is so easy on me! he will eat cereal or leftovers with a smile! ;)
• he NEVER complains about anything or talks bad about anyone...(which sometimes annoys me because if someone makes me mad, i want to vent and talk and he won't say a word...just sits and listens with a smile on his face!) 
• he is a fantastic daddy to lainey and hutton...coaching teams, taking them places alone, helping with school work, playing, etc. i couldn't ask for better
• he sets a great example of a godly man...attending church, volunteering in church, and tithing...something i always saw my daddy do and knew i wanted that in a husband someday
• he makes me laugh...especially when he is picking on me! ha!
• he is so smart! i can ask him a question about ANYTHING, and he knows the answer...which is mind boggling to me!
• he is always willing to take the kids to museums, concerts, etc. so they can experience new things...
• he knows how important date nights are to me...
• if he has gone to work before i get up...he leaves love notes by the coffee maker! (the first place i run to in the morning...)

there are many many more...but i just wanted to write a few down...so when i am having one of those "days" i can look back and realize that i am ONE LUCKY GIRL!  

i love you brian...

love, 

your favorite wifey

where does the time go?

i haven't written in over a month and i have all of these little things i could have turned into great posts...but when i sit down to write...nothing comes out! so....here are some bullet points because i'll want to remember all of this one day! :0

• brian went out of town and i painted our kitchen, eating area, and hallway...a really pretty pale pale blue. i love it..him...not so much
• i sewed my first envelope pillow and made a LONG table runner for my new farmhouse table...that i have yet to put a picture of on this blog! oops! ;)
• lainey was chosen as student of the month at her middle school...and we were given a bumper sticker for bragging rights....and hopefully she won't try and tear it off like i did to my mother in 9th grade...maybe since my car is cooler than a wood grain mini-van, she'll leave it alone!(sorry mom!)
• hutton has decided he is going to be a musical engineer when he grows up...and i absolutely 100% know that he will
• lainey wants to be a missionary when she grows up...and i absolutely 100% know that she will
• we have had the mildest winter, and while i love the snow, i am so thankful since i'm TRAINING FOR MY FIRST HALF-MARATHON!  yes, you read that right...but i'm not going to say anything else about it until i cross the finish line and can mark it off of my birthday list
• i haven't lost ONE pound while training. can you say D.E.P.R.E.S.S.I.N.G????
• lainey is in the beginning stages of braces and she has to wear head gear...bless her heart. but only at night. because i was ready to homeschool her if she had to wear that craziness at school.
• hutton and i started having fun friday's since he will be starting kindergarten soon. we HAVE to do something exciting and i'm not allowed to clean all day. i can't talk about it without getting a huge lump in my throat. moving on.....
• pinterest is addicting. the end.
• and on a sad note, our sweet boxer jessie died. she was only 5 1/2 so we weren't ready for it, but she was sick and it was pitiful. and as much as she was a pain in the butt sometimes, i still look for her to meet me at the gate when i come home or stick her nose all over the french door glass...watching everything i do....

once again, i'll try to do better with updating posts...but don't hold your breath...just in case.... ;)