Half Marathon

So... I'm thinking about doing it... training for a half marathon.  Am I CRAZY???  It's something I have wanted to do in my lifetime, so why not do it now, right?  I've done a few 5ks, but this is a whole new level.  I'm being coerced into doing the Disney Princess Half in February, but I think I would like to (either instead or in addition to) run the St. Jude Half Marathon in Memphis on December 4 -- one day before my birthday!  I know I have plenty of time to train.... thanks to Becca, I now have a schedule, which starts on Monday.

I'm not sure why I am blogging about this... maybe it's because if I throw this out here on the internet for the whole world my faithful readers to see, I will have some accountability.  Maybe it's because I'm thinking like a crazy person and I need someone to wake me up.  Anyways, we'll see what happens come Monday!

Photo Update

I do believe that I am WAY over due for a photo update!  After busy weekends, I can't wait to share fun photos on the blog, but then Monday rolls around and work gets busy, and then I'm out of town for work, and then before I know it, another week has passed and I'm on to another weekend. While I am happy that the days are so busy and are flying by, its time to catch you up on what I have been up to!

Chattannooga/Cleveland, TN

A few weekends ago, Jesse and I met up in Cleveland to visit my sister, brother-in-law and neice as well as to see each other! 

Hanging out in Chattanooga:

If you know the joke about us getting a great dane, then you'll know why it was funny that we ran into a statue of one that day!

Art Museum

Awesome wall of mirrors!  We played in front of this like little kids!

The next day we went to Fall Creek Falls, got some hiking in and saw some beautiful waterfalls!

Ashlyn looking at the waterfall

Madison, MS

Here are a few photos from Anna's bridal shower at my parent's house a few weekends ago:

Mary's presentation skills:

Some food favorites:

Fruit with dip (strawberry cream cheese, marshmellow cream and cool whip!)

Cheesecake bites (original, turtle, and raspberry swirl)

Mini BLT bites (cracker, mayo, bacon, green onions, parm, parsley, tomato, cracked pepper)

The girls!

Greenwood, MS

I only have one picture from this but last week I got to spend one day at the Viking Cooking School! We held a healthy cooking class called "The Other Side of Fried."  I honestly think my dream job would be to teach cooking classes here!  I have some amazing recipes that we taught at the class.  Maybe I'll put them on here some day!

Gulf Shores, AL

This past weekend, I visited Gulf Shores for the Moon Face Gang Reunion.  We had an amazing time visiting with family!  Here are pics of some of my favorite people in the world!

Meet Ashlyn-  She is a fun little girl that never stops! She loves her cousins and wanted to spend every moment of the weekend with them. She loves flowers and her Nana.  She is 3 and belongs to Kristian and George.

Meet Hamilton- Hamilton is the most responsible kid I know!  He is always concerned about what he is doing next, loves soccer, and played in the lagoon the entire weekend!  He is 8 (almost 9) and belongs to Jennifer and Travis.

Meet Price-  Price is a fun loving kid with the cutest smile in the world.  Price lost 2 teeth over the weekend!  One in the meat dept at Wal-Mart (eww) and one at Gran and Grandy's.  Price loves baseball and was content swimming the pool all weekend.  He is 7 and belongs to Jennifer and Travis.

Meet John Taylor-  JT has the most beautiful blonde curly hair in the world.  He has the cutest personality and also loves baseball.  He and Grandy invented their own little game of baseball in the pool  and played constantly.  John Taylor is 3 (almost 4) and belongs to Jennifer and Travis.

And finally here's one of the group with Nana/Gran and Grandy.  Mom is Nana to Ashlyn and Gran to the boys.  Grandy is Grandy to all!  They are the best grandparents!

If you are still hanging around, thanks!  I hope to do a better job of keeping things updated. :)

Check!

I feel like these days I am just checking things off my list... which means that summer is flying by!!!!

• Jesse move to N.C. - check! (not that this is a particularly happy thing...)
• Brian and Becca's wedding - check!
• Trip to Chattanooga- check!
• Anna's bachelorette party- check!
• Jesse coming home to visit- check!
• Anna's bridal shower- check!

The things that I felt would take forever to get here are here already!  This weekend is especially a busy weekend and I wish I could be in two places at one time... I'll be in Gulf Shores for our HUGE Price family reunion and I am so excited to see all of the family!  And when I say huge, I mean huge... my dad's side of the family is so big! To date our family is made up of 69, but by the end of the summer we will be up to 72... and it keeps growing...  And that's not even really even far off distant cousins or anything, just aunts, uncles, and cousins!  It's always a crazy fun time.  I'm sure we will try to crowd everyone around the pool, because its not looking like we will be able to make it to the beach... thanks, BP.

Also, going on this weekend (and why I wish I could be in 2 places at one time): Stacey and Zach's wedding and Kelley's grand arrival!  Starkville will be a busy place come this weekend full of friends and family.  If only I could teleport... that would help things.

I feel like June will be over before we all know it and then only one more month of Jesse being gone!  We will be moving into a house when he gets home and will hopefully be getting a puppy sometime this fall, so lots for the English Family to look forward to!

Happy Summer!

I love to cook because...

As many of you know, I LOVE to cook. I love to have people over and feed them. I love to try new recipes with Jesse. I love to get a new cookbook and work my way through it. Why then, have I not had the desire AT ALL to cook this past month?? Am I tired of it? Am I sick of my kitchen? What is going on?

I have been asking myself these questions recently... and tonight I discovered the answer. I was standing over the skillet cooking squash and zuchinni, with fish in the oven and it hit me:

I love cooking because I love Jesse.

I love cooking because I love my friends and family.

I love cooking because I love to share something that I have made with the people that I love. It is hard to motivate myself to want to cook when it is only for myself...

However, Jesse is coming to see me this weekend!!!!!!!! He will be here Thursday night-Sunday afternoon and I am so excited I can't stand it. Only 3 more days! I miss him so much and am so ready for him to be home for good. We've made it a month.... 2 more to go. Thanks for everyone who is praying for us and helping keep me busy while he is gone. It means so much to me. Love you all!

Mrs. Rebecca Page!

Brian and Rebecca got married this weekend!!! We have been awaiting this wedding for a LONG time and I can't believe it has come and gone. Now we are all jealous that they are laying on the beach in Mexico. ;)

The wedding was absolutely beautiful. Becca was stunning and glowing the entire day! Congratulations Brian and Becca! We love you!

Jai Ho! Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23AjQuc9beM

all things new

So, as many of you know, Jesse is in the area of Boone/Blowing Rock, North Carolina for the summer working for the National Park Service at the Moses Cone Memorial Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We went to move him in this weekend and get him all settled. The house felt like it had a layer of dust over everything, and dead bugs and cobwebs in every corner, so we immediately started cleaning! With a little Clorox and elbow grease, we got the place looking good.

The weekend was really good....went to the farmers market in Boone, took a long walk on the trails on the property, and just enjoyed having time to spend together... but Sunday came a little too soon and was harder than we thought it would be. I guess we never really truly realized how close we have gotten (through the everyday things) and how our love for each other has grown until the time came for us to be apart. I did NOT want to get on that plane. I'm so thankful for him and couldn't imagine my life without him. Thank you so much to everyone that has been and is praying for us through this time. I know it is going to be hard, but it is going to go by fast! Already counting the days til we get to see each other. (only 10!)

Make sure to follow his blog this summer http://jrenglish.tumblr.com/ as he updates about everything from his world! He just did a post about where he is living. Check it out!!!

Anyways, enough of all that mushy stuff, right? Time for some pictures.

About a week and a half before he left, I came home to a wonderful surprise. I had been in Jackson for work and came home a little earlier than I had told Jesse. When I got to our apartment, I couldn't find him anywhere inside (not that it is very big!) and was confused... I walked into the kitchen and noticed that something was going on outside on the patio. I opened the door to plants everywhere! He was in the middle of sawing and drilling and was covered in dirt and sweat. He was upset that I got home early, because he was planning to surprise me with a brand new patio garden! Oh well, the time issue didn't ruin ANYTHING! I immediately ran upstairs, called my mom to tell her, and changed clothes so I could help him finish. I was so excited!

We have wanted to do something out there for a while (if you've seen our patio, you know it isn't much) but Jesse never had the time... which is the exact reason he did it for me. He apologized for how busy this semseter has been, and how he wouldn't be around much this summer, so he wanted to do something special for me. So sweet!

Here are some pics:

Hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I enjoy the real thing!

This is a busy week, then I am SO looking foward to Rebecca Warden and Brian Page's wedding this weekend! I can't believe it is here. I love you two so much and am so excited to spend this happy day with you! Pictures from their big day soon to come.