the ode to running.

happy national running day! i got my miles in this morning and it was one of the best runs i have had in quite awhile. my legs just kept going and going, you have to love those mornings. it made me, like many others think about my running and what it has done for me in the last 3 years. now i know you have all read the runniversary stories (year 2 and 3) but this is a little different...

i run to...

*have days that start out like today

amazing run!

*enjoy a cupcake from time to time

its all about balance my friends :)

*share the joy of running

ive been lucky enough to be there for some new runners and their 1st steps all the way to their 1st race! if that doesnt renew your faith in running i dont know what will :)

*stay healthy

i know it sounds silly and like a no-brainer. but it has really kept me on track.

*get some bling

i mean really, the clothes and the bling is half the reason i run!

seriously, you thought i was joking ;)

*reconnect with old friends via social media

sometimes you lose touch you went to college or high school with. for some reason no matter how long its been since you last talked, running can be the best ice breaker!

*go from this...

summer 2006.

to this...

today.

*meet new people that push me to the next level

if i hadnt joined my runner group i would have never done a triathlon or gotten dangerously close to my new sub-2 hour goal!

*find myself

before this i dont think i realized how lost i really was. running has helped me figure out who i really am!

so heres to a great new year of running! may you all find the motivation you need to keep placing one foot in front of the other to reach that next mile :)

the weekday wedding.

before i met richard i had never been to a wedding during the week. i had been to saturdays and sundays, but not a weekday. we have now been together for 2 years and have now attended 4 weddings, 3 of which were during the week!

thursday 06.24.10 tony and tinas wedding.
tina was a family friend of richards and got remarried to her high school sweetheart:)

monday 08.09.10 mike and loras wedding.
all 3 of them are best friends and we got to travel to santa barbara for this one:)

saturday 06.11.11 chris and ingrids wedding.
i work with ingrid and chris is a former marine:)

monday 10.10.11 nick and jesis wedding.
nick is a friend of richards and jesi and i have started getting closer, jesi also took our pictures:)

nick and jesi began dating in june and engaged in march. it was a whirlwind, but when you know, you know. they were then getting married in october. talk about a whirlwind! there was quite a bit of drama leading up to the wedding with other friends in the group. but really, when is there not wedding drama. and at the end of the day as long the bride and groom are happy, thats all that matters. most of the wedding was done by jesi, the ultimate do-it-yourself bride. she did all the decorations, made the flower girl dress, she probably would have made the cake if she could. check out her blog for ideas and to follow her process, seriously its awesome!

we traveled back from long beach early to make it in plenty of time for the wedding. it was being held at springs preserve and i had never been. i had seen pictures and heard from others it was going to be beautiful. i wasnt sure how my body was going to feel going to a wedding the day after a 1/2 marathon and was a little nervous how i would dance all night. but i sure as hell was not going to miss this event for anything:) we made it back in time for a quick nap and then i went into girly prep time to get ready. even still, we actually left on time!

turns out the bride was running a bit late so we had plenty of time to check out the venue and meet up with our friends to catch up. we scored great seats for my picture craziness and the sun had dipped behind the perfect tree to keep things light, but not glaring in our eyes. finally we started to see groomsmen and heard the bride had arrived, it was time to get married!

the ceremony was beautiful, and i bawled like a girl as soon as the first groomsmen and bridesmaid came out. from there it was all down hill on the crying front and then i went totally over the edge when they read their incredibly sweet vows to each other. then it was time to party!

 we made our way upstairs to a ballroom type area that had a dining area and patio with a dance floor. the first stop was of course the bar, it was soda and teas all around! this was actually was a dry wedding, a new experience for most of our group haha. we passed the time with the amazing hors d'ouevres and a popcorn bar! the whole room had a rustic feel, it had the bride and groom written all over it. jesi had done an amazing job with the decorations!

it was finally time to see the newlyweds as they were ready to enter and we were ready to eat some dinner! smiles and cameras were all around as they bounded in the room together. they had a super cute table in the front with a sample of each of the hors d'ouevres. around the room they came and the cameras continued to snap as the prime rib came dangerously close to the boys at the table on its way to the carving table. being so close we did have the honor being 1st in line for the carving station and the mash potato bar! seriously popcorn and mash potato bars in the same place?! heck yeah:)

after dinner it was time to dance, had to work off all that food we had dove into! the bride and groom had their first dance, it was of course beautiful. the bride then danced with her dad and the groom with his mom. it was all so romantic. then it was time to boogie! we all danced together and had a really really good time. it was so great to have this small group all together, without the drama, without mean girls, without the outside world judging. then there was of course the throwing of the bouquet. all the single ladies lined up at the opposite end of the dance floor, i tried to stay in the back. jesi kept turning around to look at me, i think she was trying to figure out where i was. all of a sudden the bouquet came flying at me! it was an excellent not catch because she had literally hurled it too far, but i quickly grabbed it off the floor and claimed my prize. everyone immediately went to richard with googly eyes and elbows saying, "look who caught the bouquet!" soon after it was time to head home and let the newlyweds be married.

 it was such a great wedding and i was so glad we got to share in their joy! i cant believe another couple got married. are we really all to that age now?? wow. kind of make me think im a grown up:) well either way one thing is for sure, i love love and weddings.

the start of something new.

new years is time where we throw out the old and ring in the new.  where party poppers, champagne, and funny hats run wild.  we look at the last year and think about all the great things we did and what we want to change in the upcoming year.  and of course resolutions.

this new years was a bit of a different concept for me.  it was the first year i would be able to kiss the same person as the year before as previous relationships had never lasted through 2 new years eves.  i also had a bit of a desire for something new to do for the evening.  being young and not having a ton of money we are all limited to the things we can do.  i have always wanted though, to get all gussied up and go out to a high end place, drink martinis out of real glasses and countdown with a drop ball of our own.  ::sigh:: maybe one day. 

we decided to keep it simple, and a little inexpensive, by going to matts house for the new years eve party/rave.  we arrived about 9pm and were immediately immersed in the activities!  eating, of course, and making vanessas famous jungle juice in the same container we would be storing our ornaments in a few days later.  the inside of the house was the party scene and the garage had been turned into a glow-in-the-dark world.  the cups for beer pong had been highlighted so they would glow.  there was a projector on the wall with the weird graphic that plays on windows media player, it was very cool though.  there were enough glow-sticks to dress an army that of course we all donned proudly. 

the night seemed to fly!  i didnt see much of richard in the beginning of the night, as soon as the drinks started pouring we both seemed to go different ways.  and for the first time, i felt comfortable enough to be ok with that.  i felt like the group had really accepted me and i could have my own conversations with them.  there was also more girls being added to the group, which usually doesnt make things easier, but for some reason in this group it does.  i guess being around for a year and a half really makes me one of the group now. 

as midnight approached we all started piling into the living room/kitchen where the tv was getting ready to countdown to the magical time.  richard and i found each other in the kitchen and were instantly wrapped up together.  when the final countdown was complete there was celebration all over the house.  happy new years wishes spread everywhere, hugs abound, and kisses all over.  our new years kiss though, was a different kind of magic.  it was like the rest of the room stopped and i was only in there with him.  it was the kind of kiss you hear about in books and movies, but not in real life.  maybe it was a little bit of the jungle juice we both had, or maybe it was the aura of the 2nd year kiss.  either way it was the best new years kiss i have ever had. 

the party raged on for the next few hours and before any of us knew it was 2am.  we were all starving by this point and not suited to go anywhere.  thank goodness lora and mike had brought frozen pizza.  lora and i of course had a system going and were doling out pizza only to the people we knew/liked.  soon after that the party started to die down and we all were making our way home.  richard and i left soon later, so exhausted im surprised we made it home. 

we woke the next day with a bright start to the new year.  nothing had been bad, nothing had been good, i hadnt overreacted to anything, and no bad news had been given.  it was the epitome of a clean slate, a fresh start for everyone.  we had decided to start the new year focused on our apartment...shopping for a new couch.  later in the day my family was hosting a new years dinner, so we had a few hours to do our shopping.  jennifer had told me about the rc wiley clearance center in north las vegas that would give us a smokin deal, and i finally convinced richard it was time to look.  i had been looking for a few weeks and knew basically what i wanted.  we had decided we wanted a sectional with the long end on the left hand side to go underneath the window.  we ventured up north and instantly found the perfect couch, dark brown, suede, and huge.  i was positive and ready to purchase.  richard however was not so sure.  we ended up sitting on that couch for about a half hour talking about things, it was actually really helpful. 

not quite ready to purchase we headed back down the freeway to check out ashley furniture and walker furniture.  ashley had a great couch that would have been perfect if the back cushions hadnt been pillows.  and walker, well this was the best we found...

it was kind of cool, just not our style.  after this we decided it was time to head back to our beautiful brown couch at rc wiley.  we were definitely running out of time, but were afraid that if we didnt buy it today it might not be there.  when we got back it was pretty quick and easy process, and i recruited my brother to help me pick up the couch monday after work. 

after the purchase we headed out to my parents house and were greeted by big congratulations from my family.  it was our first big purchase together.  it made me realize, i was really in this, full force. 

i decided this year i am not going to make the typical lose weight, quit drinking, get organzied resolutions.  i want this year to be about making myself happy.  continuing my running and actually enjoying it.  learn to take a step back sometimes before reacting.  and try not to be so hard on myself.  surround myself with people i love and enjoy.  it is the turn of a new decade, time for a whole new way to grow.