Halloween and Soaring Wings

This year I had a hard time coming up with a good Halloween costume.  I loved my costume last year (Honey Boo Boo) so much that I was having trouble thinking of something to top it. Considering my love of reality tv, one of my coworkers suggested that I dress up as Michelle Duggar. 

It was fun, but still some people didn't know who I was. Also, I have never worn a baby carrier before, and I didn't expect how hard it was to eat, etc. I am glad that my office allows us to dress up. Here is a picture of some of my coworkers. 

Also in October, my friend Elizabeth and I ran our first half marathon- the Soaring Wings Half Marathon in Conway. We trained a very hilly course, and we were well prepared. The thing we didn't prepare for was the cold. All of our training was so hot, and this race was freezing cold! We were having minor aches and pains, until about halfway when Elizabeth really got hurt.  We were able to finish, but much slower than we could have done, and we did not meet our goal.   Here we are before and after:

Since we didn't meet our goal, we decided that we needed a do-over. We are training right now for the Little Rock Half Marathon in March. Hopefully we will improve our time a little. I don't really care that much, as long as we are not last. :)

Now I am only 2 months behind! Ha. 

October 2013

October was a strange month. I am a state employee, but apparently in a federally funded position. Therefore, I was furloughed for the first part of October due to the government shutdown. I was on vacation with my family when I was notified via email that I couldn't come to work until further notice. That really put a damper on my vacation. Not knowing when you will get a paycheck again is very stressful!

We stayed in a house in Navarre, FL.  We had a good time and made lots of treats! This is a s'mores pie. Yum. 

There was a sand sculpting festival in town while we were there. I had no idea about sand sculpting, but these people had some serious skills!

We went to the Track to ride go karts and also to the Navarre Beach pier. 

My sister made me jelly fish toast. I did not eat that. :)

We set at Fudpuckers and the table we set at had this written on the wall!  So I suppose one of my ADPi sisters from my Arkansas chapter has eaten at this same table. Ha!

We got our picture taken holding an alligator, and also fed the alligators. 

We went to the Gulfarium and saw lots of animal shows. 

I had a birthday and turned 28!  Some of my friends organized a painting party for me!

My friend Ashley's daughter picked me out a birthday card! Ha. Who doesn't love pink glittery my little ponies?

My stepmom ordered me a cake from Baskin-Robbins. I feel like this one should be on cake wrecks. I always thought I had a pretty common name. I guess not. Ha. This was their second attempt too. 

I broke my new lawn mower. Luckily a $25 part and my dad was able to fix it. 

I hosted a baby shower for my friend Liza and her baby Asher! At least I was able to clean my house during the furlough. Ha. 

This cake was a total mess. I had a totally different plan in mind, and it did not work out at all. So I had to make an emergency trip to the store to buy some fondant to salvage the cake.  I think it turned out cute for a disaster. :)

My friend Ashley made this diaper castle and it was so cute!

My church had a pumpkin patch as a fundraiser for the youth group. I worked one day during the furlough. 

I finally got to go back to work, and my coworkers had decorated my office since my birthday was while I was out. I also went to the state fair. Who doesn't like apple pie funnel cake and pig races?

My mom and I did race for the cure. I am aware that I look a hot mess. It was cold and I didn't care. 

Technically, Halloween and my first half marathon happened in October as well, but those will have to wait for the next post. 

August 2013

So we have made it to August. 

I was in a flash mob at Dickey Stephens park (where the Arkansas Travelers play) with a group of Komen volunteers. 

My friend Karen and I did the flash mob together. We may not be the best dancers, but we had a good time. 

My church gives a loaf of homemade (church made??) bread to all first time visitors. Most people probably think it is a group of little old ladies slaving away over the bread- but really it is me and my friends! One of the girls bought us these aprons so we had to take a picture to send to her of the first time we used them. 

I had my 10 year high school reunion. I had a hard time finding something to wear, but I finally found this dress that I loved at E.Leigh's!

Friday night of the reunion, we went to the Flying Saucer for a low key meet and greet. My friend Louisa and I went together and I am glad we got to see each other. Even though we live in the same city, it is hard to coordinate our schedules so we don't get to hang out as often. 

Saturday morning, we went to our school for a tour and group picture. 

Apparently my class had this tiger statue restored as our class gift? I had no idea, but I took a picture with it..

Obligatory picture in front of the school. (Taking this picture made me think of all the tourists we used to see when I was in school!)

Group picture (although obviously missing a whole bunch of people):

Saturday night, we had a dinner at the Statehouse Convention Center. It was good to see everyone! 

I went to Fayetteville for bid day.  I saw my dog nephew. 

Taking a picture in front of my beautiful sorority house!

And with the letters! I don't remember having such elaborate letters when I was in school. Maybe we did, but I just don't remember it. 

Um. Woah. Pledge classes are giant now. 

Some of my favorite people were there too!

Supporting the hogs at my running group on the first day of football season!

My sister and I went to a free Christian music festival in Benton. It was a fun and free, which is always good. They had fireworks and a bunch of well known contemporary Christian artists there. 

My favorite Oreos of all came out!  Y'all. You should try these if you haven't already. And if you don't like them give them to me. :)

One of my coworkers and I went on a site visit (which we never did find). This was the road. I was not really excited about getting axe murdered. 

I bought Ruger a woo pig sooie cookie from a local dog bakery to celebrate football season. 

We had such high hopes for this year's football season. Oh well, maybe next year. We went to both Little Rock games this year at War Memorial Stadium. Here's the big A! One of my favorite parts!

We watched one of the football games where the cable was having issues and it looked like the smurfs were playing. That was a fun day on Facebook. :)

Well I think that captures most of August and even September. Next up, Florida and furlough...

Another attempt to catch up...

I am still iced in my house... 66 hours and counting of being cooped up in this house by myself. I am so over it. 

My friend Lyndsey and I ran the Cancer Challenge 10k in Bentonville in June. It was hot. And I ran slow- but I was not last and that is all that matters to me. :)

I left from NWA, and went straight to meet my family at the lake in Missouri. I had a terribly stressful drive. The tire light came on in my car and I freaked out. I stopped to check the tire pressure and my tire gauge blew apart and I couldn't find all the pieces.  So, I had to go buy a new one, and the pressure was fine, but I was still worked up. Luckily I made it to the lake with no problems. The light that came on was just for maintenance because the car dealer forgot to change the indicator when I got my tires rotated. This was my stress-eating on the drive:

We carved a shark out of our watermelon. 

I went shopping at the outlet mall, and my snow cone came in a Chinese take out box? That is a first. :)

I made this cake for my family. I don't really like it, but it is their favorite. I don't get in the lake, or really like fishing. So, I spent most of my time cooking. 

This was my favorite thing I made! Watermelon cookies for the 4th of July. I especially like the one that looks like it has a bite out of it. Ha!

We had a cactus dog competition. You are looking at the two time champion. Ha. A cactus dog is where you take a hot dog and cut it with a knife and then boil it. The idea is for it to look like a cactus when it is done. 

I volunteered at Vacation Bible School and got to wear this awesome outfit. 

Remember when I won that competition at the Museum of Discovery? My sister and I made this lemon clock (my prize). 

We have almost made it through the summer. Next up- my class reunion.