Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
My Beautiful Nieces
I can't believe how fast they grow! Monday, April 26, 2010
WE DID IT!
We quickly headed to dinner.....we wanted to get in somewhere early because there were 36,000 other people in Nashville wanting to eat, too! My mom had heard about Mafiaoza's in Southern Living and it was close. It was SO GOOD! And had a really fun atmosphere. Zach and I ordered The Soprano....It was an Italian restaurant....it was pretty much a meat lovers pizza....really good!
Poor Zoe Jane....she had had enough!
At mile 6, I heard someone say "Are you from the Biggest Loser" (note: I love the Biggest Loser...it is one of my favorite shows!) and Melissa and Lance, the Red Team from this season, were behind me! I so wished that Jillian would pop out of the woods and surprise them! Didn't happen.My Mom and Aunt were camped out in between the 11th and 12th mile. It was nice having them there to cheer on the home stretch.
First, arrived Zach....so proud of him and his first race....he did AMAZING! And was too fast for the cameras!
Then came Kaitlin....she did phenominal too! This was Kaitlin and Chrysti's first races, too! Then Chrysti, but somehow Mom and Chrysti didn't see each other so there were no pictures :(
And then me.....pulling up the rear! I don't know what it is about taking pictures during a race....you just have to throw those hands in the air and give out a big...WHooooAAA! 
And then some randoms.....Mom said that the Bunny guy was hopping....asking if anyone had seen his chocolate eggs! That cracks me up. And the women were hoola hooping the whole race for Breast Cancer.
And we Finished! I finished with a time of 2:40:49 and Zach with 2:04:05! I still can't believe how great he did!
We ended our trip at Noshville. It was a New York Style diner.....really cute! And very much like the real ones in NYC! 
I can't wait to visit Nashville again and run another race! Zach has already said he wants to run at least 3 per year! He loved every moment of it....and I am so glad because I did, too!Thursday, April 22, 2010
A Note to All Husbands
See if you can relate:
If I am crying and you ask me what is wrong and I explain to you the situation, please do not respond by saying...."I don't understand why you are crying. It doesn't seem like that big of a deal." One, what do you not understand....I just explained it to you. Two, I am already crying....do you really want to make me cry harder? Maybe a better response would be "Baby, I am so sorry that happened to you today. Don't worry...everything will be okay." Yes... that will work. And maybe at this time, it isn't exactly a good idea to let me know something I did that bothered you this week. There is a time and place for everything....Bad Timing!
Just because I am a woman, does not mean I was put on this Earth to constantly clean. Please put your dirty clothes in the hamper, your dirty dishes in the dishwasher, your dirty shoes in the closet or on the carport, your used tooth picks in the trash can and your broken peanut shells in the designated bowl. I am not your maid or your mother. And just because you are a man, doesn't mean you get full control over the remote....if I have to watch one more episode of NCIS or something about Biker Gangs....I don't know what I am going to do!
If I call you at work to ask you what time you will be home for lunch and this is the only time I call you all day...please do not respond to me by saying...."I would be home a lot sooner if I wasn't on the phone with you." These words will only lead to you making your own lunch. Your choice!
If a holiday designated specifically for me, hence my birthday or Mother's day, is coming up....please do not ask me...."Well, whatya wanna do?" Please do not ask me to plan these days......I plan the other 363 days of our lives. You can handle 2!
Just because I am your best friend, doesn't mean I need a play by play of your bowel movements....Thanks!
Welcome to my life!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Do you love me this much?
LOVE!
In the Gospel at Mass this morning, Jesus appeared to his disciples a 3rd time after His resurrection. And Jesus took Simon Peter aside and asked,
'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?' He answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my lambs.'
A second time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' He replied, 'Yes, Lord, you know I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Look after my sheep.'
Then he said to him a third time, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was hurt that he asked him a third time, 'Do you love me?' and said, 'Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep.
Saint Peter, the same Simon Peter here, was the first leader of the early Christian Church....the 1st Pope of the Catholic Church.....This is the same Peter who denied Jesus three times.....and Jesus forgave him and asked him to lead his people....his sheep! Jesus asked him 3 times on his 3rd visit (I love that everything having to do with Jesus has a number association...I do this all the time) if he loved Him....I think he really wanted to get His point across to Peter...to the point that it hurt Peter's feelings.
I love that my religion has such history.....history leading all the way back to being face to face with Jesus himself. The 1st Pope of my Church was Jesus' bud! I mean, how cool is that!
Anywho....it made me think....would Jesus ask me 3 times if I love him or would He have to ask more or less? Would Jesus ask....do you love me more than all others.....do you love me more than money, a job, a vacation, a new outfit....do you love me more than all earthly things? How much do you love me? How would I answer....how would you answer?
And then love came up again in song....of course...this song would be on my soundtrack! I love it!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Questions Answered!
Where do you see yourself and your family in 5 years?
I, of course, have hopes of where we will be or "plans" of where I would like us to be in 5 years.....but then I got to thinking about how much really can take place in 5 years. I mean....I am about to turn 25.....so where was I when I was 20 and how much has happened? WOW! I was in college, graduated at 21, moved back home to Atlanta, met Zach, engaged by 22, moved to Gulf Shores, married by 23, preggo and a Mommy by 24, moved into our first house! What more could happen! Hopefully the next 5 years are a little bit calmer.....but then again, I don't think so!
So where do I hope to be in 5 years:
- I hope to have at least 2 more children.
- I hope to still be in our house, but if we have to move, I hope we can rent it!
- I hope to still be living in GA but we will see with Zach's job.
- I hope Zach is a Superintendent at a super great course.
- I hope Zoe is attending a great Catholic school, starting her Kindergarten year.
- I hope to be a stay-at-home Mom.
- I hope my Mom is retired so she can be a full time Grammy and help me with my then 3 kids :)
- I hope to be still running and have run my 2nd marathon.
- I hope Zach and I are more in love then we had ever been!
Have you picked out your future kids names? And if so, what are they?
We have picked out our names for the next baby! Since we won't be finding out the gender for the next one either (I know Zach's family is groaning right now....haha), we chose two names now. If we have a girl, her name will be Ryan Mackenzie. And if we have a boy, his name will be Oliver James.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why? And what would you see there?
I really, really want to travel to Ireland because it is IRELAND! And really I would be happy seeing anything there....just being there would make me so happy. But I would love to see the coastlines, the sheep, the castles.....a true Irish pub!
I would also like to go to Italy and see Rome, The Vatican City because it is so rich in culture and religion....I feel as a Catholic....it is just necessary to visit there!
If you had 3 wishes to make what would you wish?
- I wish the toilet, and for that matter, the whole bathroom, would clean itself!
- I wish I didn't love chocolate so much, but I do!
- I wish I had a vineyard in my backyard. And someone to pick the grapes and make them into a wonderful Cab.
Is it Zoe like Joe or Zoe like Joey?
It is Zoe like Joey.....I know we should have put those symbols over her "e" to be grammatically correct....but we didn't like them.
What is your favorite thing to do in New York, besides a play?
O how I love NYC! I have been quite a few times since my family lives there and love it more and more every time. And yes, Broadway is probably one of my favorite things to experience while visiting, but there are so many things I love. My favorite thing to do there, right up there with plays, is EAT!!!!!!
I have a check list of things I have to eat before I leave the city.....they include Bagels, Pizza, A dessert of some kind (whether cannolis, cheesecake, or anything), Italian cuisine, and last but not least, A Dirty Water Dog! Yum!
I have a feeling though the next time we go, it will be quite a different experience with a child. I have a feeling I will love the Zoo in Central Park and I can't wait to go to FAO Schwarz!
How many kids are you planning on having and how close together do you want them?
Zach and I are truly open to whatever God has in store for us and our family! He already has it planned out :) But if we were to get to have some sort of say...ideally what we want is to have 4....the first 2 being close in age....then a gap of 3 or 4 years and 2 more. But we will see (I know I will probably look back at this and laugh!)
Why did you choose to go to school at UA?
The guy I dated in High School and his older brother attended UA. So, for 2 years before I attended college, I visited Tuscaloosa often. And I fell in love with it! No, I did not follow the boy down there....he transferred to UGA the same year I started and I knew this was happening ahead of time.
I loved the historic buildings and the air of the town. I loved that it was a BIG school. I love college football and wanted to be a part of an SEC school. I have forever loved design and I graduated with a BS in Interior Design. And the only other schools that had Interior Design were Auburn (would not attend there if my life depended on it ...haha...but seriously) and UGA....and to be honest, I wanted to get away from everyone and start new!
Everyone I knew from high school either went to UGA, a Georgia school, or Auburn. I was the only person from my graduating class to attend UA and I loved it for that!
And boy am I glad I did attend UA....I loved EVERY moment of college! I loved the people I met, the degree I received, and the experience I had! Loved it all!
How did your husband propose?
Zach and I had a very odd dating experience, if you want to call it that. We met casually in July and I was dating someone else at the time. We met again in September.... and fell madly in love. I booked the wedding reception before we were engaged (I wasn't a psyco or anything....we had seriously discussed it before hand) in December and he proposed in February, the 15th. I knew it was coming, I knew almost to the weekend because we were long distance. He did it on the beach in Gulf Shores. At times I wish it was a romantic, sappy proposal, where he told me how he couldn't live without me and he had dreamt of me his entire life.....but that is just not Zach....and not really me either.
What has been the hardest thing that you have experienced being a mother? Was this something that you had expected to be difficult or did it take you by surprise?I am not going to lie to you on this one because I feel soon to be moms or people thinking about wanting to start a family need to know this type of stuff. But, everything having to do with Zoe Jane has been a piece of cake....LOVED EVERY MOMENT OF IT! I read lots of books, had lots of experience with children and if you just stay positive and relaxed....things work great. Being stress free and having a good attitude really does affect your baby!
But lack of sleep is a tough one, but that is part of the territory and nothing I didn't expect.
The hardest thing I went through was trying to develop an effective way for Zach and I to communicate without wanting to kill each other....and believe me....there were many times I wanted to! I would also not support anyone wanting to move into a house the same month as having your first child....especially one that needs work, like ours did. Fighting so much because of all the hormones, lack of sleep, my motherly instincts, was just horrible. Zach and I had never fought like this before. We had never really seen this side of each and it was really hard to. But, we eventually found out how it would be best to talk to one another.....after I think about 2 months. And we have never been better now! What doesn't kill your marriage, will make it sooo much stronger!
What is the best thing you learned from your mother that you are learning in this stage of life?
Oh man....I have learned so much from my mom.....good and bad! If any of you have met my mom, we are exactly alike. Yes, I said it and I know it....I am not in denial! To make matters worse...we look alike, too! I love her so much! She was an amazing mom to me and instilled a lot of wonderful values in me that have really helped me now!
My mom stayed home with me for majority of my upbringing. In the very beginning she didn't, but quickly realized how important it was to her to be a stay at home mom and raise her children herself. This has definitely been instilled in me and she supports us and helps us whenever she can.
My parents made many sacrifices to raise my sisters and me the way they did. I have learned that these sacrifices are so worth it even though at the time they may have been really hard. I am willing to make the same sacrifices for my family. My mom taught me young that I had to save, earn things I wanted, that she wasn't going to just give me things. That has helped me a lot right now!
And it has really helped that my mom is CRAZY crafty! I love that I got these traits from her. I love making things for my home and for Zoe Jane!
What was a standout memory, heartwarming or hilarious, from delivery day of sweet Zoe?
This may be TMI....but I thought it was really funny. I had Zoe naturally. So....as I am sure you can imagine....I was in a little bit of pain...and I made sure everyone knew how I was feeling. After being in labor for almost 20 hours....I HAD TO PUSH! And I would scream at the nurse that I could not stop after she continually told me it was not time.....SERIOUSLY....get a new line. Well, I had a lot of fluids pumped into to me and I really had to push and we all know what happens to a woman's bladder due to pregnancy....so almost every time I pushed before I was supposed to.....I peed everywhere. Whooops....you may be so grossed out right now....but I think it is funny. That is what you get for telling a woman 40 weeks pregnant and 20 hours into labor not to push!
But I must say the most heartwarming moment was hearing Zach announce to me "It's Zoe Jane!" over and over....It is making me cry now. We both just held each other and her and cried. It was beautiful!
Favorite foods, may be different depending on where you are, at home, eating in the city, with your parents, or in greater, greater Berry at Zelda's! :)
Favorites foods definitely do depend on where you are....I love nothing I make because I don't like to cook. But, I love Zelda's biscuits in the morning....if she ever offers I quickly say YES! I love Japanese food and Italian food though.....and Ice cream and chocolate.....oh it could go on and on....
Biggest change from being single-to-married, from being a couple-to-a family. All of which are life altering moments, but to me they mesh in such a way, molding us to be what we really are....
I think the biggest change from being single to married was that I would always have this other person with me, not matter what......good and bad. Before married, I loved my alone time...and I still do. So having another person around ALL THE TIME...was a transition and having to ask for my alone time. But then on the flip side....It is so comforting to know that I have this man I can depend on and love and spend the rest of my life with....a best friend for ever. A truly beautiful thing! I love being married....would never trade it to be single again....EVER!
Going from Couple to Family has been great other than the fighting.....It is just supposed to be this way. Seeing Zach as a father makes me fall more and more in love with him! God giving us Zoe has made me and Zach better people....Family is the best!
How did you meet Zach?
Okay.....
- I went to UA where I met Crystal at work.
- Crystal is from the great town of Berry, AL, same as Zach.
- Crystal introduced me to Ashley...another Berrian (is that what you call yourselves?)
- Ashley lived in the same apartment complex as Zach's brother, Cory.
- Cory and I became friends my junior year of college.
- Cory met and fell in love with my friend Kimberly and they moved to Atlanta.
- I graduated and I moved back to Atlanta and lived 5 minutes from Cory and Kimberly.
- Crystal invited all of us down to Fairhope in July 2007 and we celebrated her engagement.
- Zach was living in Gulf Shores, 30 minutes from Fairhope, and played golf with Cory that weekend when we went down to celebrate.
- Cory invited Zach to dinner after golf and he CAME!
- Zach and I sat next to each other at dinner, but I didn't really pay attention because I was dating someone else....but I thought he was so cute!
- I broke it off with the guy I was dating and messaged Zach on myspace.
- Zach visited Atlanta (he said it was to see Cory but it was really to see me) in September.
- We fell madly in love that weekend!
- We said we loved each other that weekend!
- We talked about how we wanted a big family that weekend!
- We knew we didn't want to spend another day apart after that weekend!
Love is such a beautiful thing!
Thanks everyone for the questions! I hope you enjoyed the answers and getting to know me and my family a little bit better!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Updates on the 101 in 1001
#4 Take a Family Beach trip
With Summer quickly approaching, we have scheduled our first family beach trip......and 2nd! Mother's Day weekend we are venturing to Fairhope with The Hollyhand's for a long weekend. I can't wait! If you have never been to Fairhope....it is precious! And ever 1st Friday of the summer, the town has an event where the shops stay open later and everyone just walks around and enjoys themselves....right up my alley!
And our second trip (minus Daddy :( ) is to Destin in August!
#7 Run 3 Half Marathons
I am 2 weeks away from my 1st of 3 Half Marathons.....maybe my second can be with Michelle (what do you think?)!
#29 Lose 40 pounds after November 2009....and then 10 more.
I am at pre-pregnancy weight! Why don't I look the same as I did before I got preggo???....will by body ever come back! 10 more to go.......
#33 Let people know how much I appreciate them
I am going to put forth a REAL BIG effort with this one! I think it is really important to let people know they are loved, to tell them how much they mean to you, to remind them why they are your friend to begin with, to make someone's day better just with a simple hello. I think we all take for granted our relationships at times.....and I really want to appreciate them more!
#46 Watch all of the Masters
Totally Failed this year!
