Christmas Mice

Before we moved into this house, almost exactly one year ago, we lived in a tiny little apartment for 3 long months. Not only was it small, but it was also home to a very large family of mice. I was mortified.

Now, a year later, I have discovered just what to do when you run upon a family of mice. Unleash your toddler boy on them.









Don't worry - they are edible:)

For the recipe, go here.



Only 20 days left until Christmas!

One FULL Weekend

This past weekend, Jimmy and I traveled to San Antonio with his cousins (whom I also claim). It. was. a. blast. :)

We ate great, did a little shopping, and even threw in running a half marathon. That's 13.1 miles. I always feel like I need to make sure and add the point one at the end. It's not just thirteen miles, it's thirteen point one. So there.

I picked out my race outfit a few weeks ago - I know, sounds silly. But I figure if I'm all sweaty and my hair looks like something out of an M. Night Shamalan movie, I should at least try to look cute. Sort of. I found a running skirt with capris attached and knew it was love at first sight. And they looked great:)

Anyway, back to the race. There were 32,000 runners signed up to run, of which around 26,000 actually ran. I have never see so many crazy people all in one place - except at Thanksgiving, but that's it!

They set us up in corrals (which I felt was a totally appropriate word considering I felt hearded like cattle) from number 1 - 33. I was in corral 13. That meant that they started the race, and 20 minutes later, I actually crossed the starting line. That's ok though - it gave me time to think and stretch. And use the bathroom one. last. time.

The first nine miles were great - I kept my pace almost perfectly and the scenery was great. My only complaint was having to run around all of the walkers. Don't get me wrong, walking is fantastic, but I almost ran a girl over after she stopped dead in her tracks right in front of me. Use running etiquette people. If you are going to walk, move over to the side and let us slightly faster than walking people through the middle to give the super fast runners someone to dodge:)

Mile 10 was a little harder. My stomach started growling making me wish I had eaten a bigger breakfast. And I passed 2 stations that were handing out beer, which made me feel a little nauseous. Really? Beer? I can't think of a thing that I would want less. Gross...

Mile 11 was when my calves started cramping up. I kept hoping the mile 12 marker was around the corner, only to find that it was still a ways away. Ugh.

At mile 12 my body was tired and my calves and arches were really sore. So much so that I started counting steps to try to distract my mind from thinking about them. It didn't work - my mind was too smart to outsmart myself:)

When I finally saw mile 13, I knew I was almost done and wouldn't you know it, the race people were kind enough to make it uphill so we could really see what we were made of. How thoughtful:)

Finally - finish line. The life parallel to every goal I have ever had and then that final crossing the finish line and finding some much needed rest. Grab the finisher medal, a water, fruit, wet towel, and then stretch. Ahhhhh. It was a good rest.

My favorite parts of the race were the absolutely beautiful scenery (historic downtown, the Alamo, King William District, Alamo Dome), the many encouraging pep groups, and receiving texts from my hubby the whole way. He would text me and tell me what mile marker he was at so I would be sure and wave when I saw him. It was nice to see a familiar face. So nice.

Here are the stats from the race for me:

Bib number: 13735
Overall (all runners) - 5590 of 20067 half marathon finishers (top 28%)
For females - 2368 of 12609 female half marathon finishers (top 19%)
For my age group (25 - 29 years) 479 of 2150 (top 22%)

If you are really bored, you can catch a glimpse of me actually crossing the finish line ======> here

Or see the actual course ======> here

Or type in my bib number and see pictures ======> here

But only if you are really bored. :)

I posted a few pics from the race below. See if you can spot me at the starting line... I dare ya:)







PS While we were away gallivanting around San Antonio, we were blessed to have Jimmy's mom enjoying a weekend with Kinsey and Cade. Kimmie had a cheer competition in Dallas, so she was blessed to spend the weekend with her Uncle Brad and Aunt Charity. She must have had fun, because she asked if they could take her to all of her out of town competitions:) Oh, and they placed 1st out of 5 teams!! Go Cheer Texas!!!

Cade's Third Birthday

From the first picture, you would not be able to tell that Cade had actually been asking for that cupcake all morning. Since his birthday and his party were on different days, we had cupcakes on his birthday, and cake for his party. I love that he is at an age where he gets just a little embarassed when people stare at him. It's cute:)









Here are a few from the party tonight. There was a hay ride, a wienie roast, and yummy cake - made by Aunt Charity. It ROCKED!





















Here's hoping that all your birthdays are full of fun, food... and lots of little monkeys:)

Another First :)

Kinsey's first motorcycle ride. She did great - with training wheels of course. She is somewhat of a speed demon. We have to constantly keep telling her to slow down and pay attention!











Oh, and just 'cause I took them, here are some pictures of our Christmas tree. Don't judge:) We didn't get to put up any Christmas decorations last year since we were moving, so we are celebrating twice as long this year. Merry Christmas! (47 days early:) )



And a night shot - it always looks more "Christmas-y" at night:)

A Lesson in Patience... and Forgiveness

It's Friday morning.

The phone rings. The caller ID says "Olsen Park Elementary."

'Uh oh' I think. 'Someone must be sick.' (I wish)

'May I speak to Mr. or Mrs. Newman, please?'

'Speaking.'

'We were just calling to let you know that while in class today, another student cut Kinsey's hair.'

'How bad is it?'

Long pause. 'Weeeeeeeeeelllllll... it's not that bad. We already took care of the little boy.'

'Really? You cut his hair, too? You spanked him? You may him dig a pit and then jump in for punishment? You made him write a thousand times 'Scissors are for cutting paper - not hair!' PLEASE tell me it was something along those lines!' Ok, I was kidding about that part. Sort of.

Back to the story.

3:00 that afternoon. I see Kinsey standing by her classroom door. I remember now that I had put her hair in a ponytail that day. Eek. Please let it not be that bad.

I actually get a good look at it - it's not too terrible. Her hair will have to be cut, though. It was a sad day at the Newman Casa. Kinsey LOVES (loved) her long hair. It will grow back. I will keep telling myself that. It will grow back.


Now, before you say 'It's not that bad' please understand that the picture does not do it justice. It really was that bad...

Before


After


Well, there IS a smile...

Pumpkin Patch Pictures

Maxwell's Pumpkin Farm











































These were taken yesterday at a pumpkin patch with Aunt Leeann and cousins Maveric and Fox.

Fall

Why I Love Fall

* Pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks, or any pumpkin flavored foods for that matter!

* Purple, orange, and green clothes and accessories. Mostly shoes. I kind of have a thing for shoes:) And purses. But mostly shoes.





* Football.
Let me explain. I'm not a big fan myself, but Jimmy's best days are spent sitting in the easy chair, when it's cloudy outside, eating a burrito from The Plaza, with a fire going, with a football game on. It's very Zen. For Jimmy anyway. And when my man is happy, I am happy!

* Cooler days. Oh yes - there is nothing I love more than a good run on a cool day. Fall is my favorite season to run.

* Holidays.
Fall is the beginning of pumpkin patches, wienie roasts, s'mores, and hay rides. It also includes Thanksgiving and Christmas - and I LOVE Christmas!

* Hot baths.
There is nothing better that warming up in a hot bath after being out in the cool of the day. It makes you feel all warm and toasty and comfy. Sometimes I will fill up the tub jsut to roll up my pant legs and put my feet in the water. I know it's wasteful, but it feels so good!

* The leaves.
Watching the leaves fall and change color can be absolutely breathtaking.

* The fireplace.
There is simply a feeling of comfort and warmth that comes from lighting a fire in the fireplace. It's very "homey."

*Sweaters, jeans, and boots.
I know I already mentioned shoes, but boots fall under a different category. They are more like accessories:) I am more comfortable in my jeans than anything else. I love them.

Here's hoping you find things you love about Fall!