"If I'm honest I have to tell you I still read fairy-tales and I like them best of all"~Audrey Hepburn

Monday, January 31, 2011

I'll admit it....I'd Never Been on a "HIKE".....

.....until yesterday! :)
So Lake & I were wanting to take advantage of the beautiful weather this weekend & take our run outside, preferably somewhere that wasn't around our neighborhood. We will normally do longer weekend runs at the Salado Creek Greenway that's located in between Hueber & Blanco, just south of Bitters. It's right by the new Hardberger Park. I love going there & the path is pretty wide, so you don't have to worry about getting trampled by folks riding their bikes or unsupervised children riding their scooters. The only problem with that trail is that it's a bit of a drive for us, so I wanted to find somewhere that would be slightly closer & more convenient.

Here's where Eisenhower Park came to play. It's located off of 1604 outside the loop on NW Military about 3 miles north of the loop. We'd never been before, so we thought we'd give it a whirl. Grabbing the trail map we discovered the only paved path was a .9 mile uphill path, so if we wanted to run 4 miles, we'd need to run it twice & then some. Not an ideal run. PLUS the paved path was pretty narrow, so another bummer.

A decision needed to be made, so we opted to instead just walk the trail. As we were going along there were side un-paved trails & we decided to take one, that would lead to 2 others. I'm not much of an "outdoorsy" type girl, the interest has never been there for me. I've always figured, why walk through the woods, sticks, rocks, trees, when a mall is such a nicer option! :) (i'm obviously sorta kidding here). But it was a really pretty day & I knew I had to get some sort of exercise in, so I had fun with it. We ended up "hiking" on 3 un-paved paths for about an hour & a half when it was all said & done. I had a really good time & boy was some of it tough! We would have taken the nature trail down the hill, but I had to be at dinner with one of my JL girls at 6:30, so we ran out of time. We're actually thinking of going back next Sunday in the morning & completing the entire Hillview Trail which is the "nature" trail that surrounds the entire perimeter of the park.

This next time I'll be more prepared & not wear running shorts, my good running shoes, & take water. :) Live & Learn! ;)

UPDATE on my health: I'm feeling much better, still a bit congested but I think that has to do more with allergies than with anything else. I completed 11 miles for last week & I'm planning on running 4 miles today, so that'll give my 7 miles of "exercise" for this week & it's only Monday, so that's a vast improvement!

Red Oak Trail

Shady Creek Trail

Hillview Trail

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Why 2011, WHY?!?!?

Not to be a pessmist, and I'm honestly trying my hardest this year to be more OPTIMISTIC (I figure if I write something in all caps, I'll remember it) but boy 2011, you're kicking me in the booty! Well, let's just hope it's only January.
With the new year upon us, I was hoping for my running to get under way. Especially since I have a 5K next Saturday (Feb. 5th) in New Braunfels AND a 1/2 Marathon at the end of March to prepare for. So far, this month, I'd say running has been one of the last things I can concentrate on because
1. I'm just so darn busy. Between trying to be the best wife ever :), friend time, work, lesson plans, trying to keep the house in order, Junior League, & just life in general, fitting in time to run has been really difficult! I need to muster up my "summer" spirit & get running. I think the weather being cold & dreary a lot of this month hasn't helped much. I hate running at the gym, it's just not something that I enjoy or look forward to, so when that's the only option I usually come up with any excuse to NOT do it! That's so bad. I'm hoping that as the days get longer & hopefully warmer, running outside becomes my #1 option again.
2. I'm SICK! Full on, congestion & cough SICK! I'm sure staying up late at casinos in Vegas did not help my immune system. The day I left Vegas, I left with a sore throat & it's only gotten much worse. I'd have to say the worst day was last Thursday, definitely feeling flu-ish. Over the weekend we were in Dallas & that's when my lovely cough started & hasn't stopped yet. I've woken up the last 2 nights with an awful cough & what makes it worse is that it wakes up Lake, so I feel doubly bad. :( On a good note, I'm not really feeling as run down now, so that's good, hopefully I'll get rid of all the coughing in the next few days & finally feel back to normal & get back to running!
Well, I'm definitely looking forward to what 2011 has to offer, but I'm pretty sure I'm ready for at least January 2011 to be over.
And on a MUCH MUCH better note: tomorrow is my HALF BIRTHDAY! :) Not that I commerate half birthdays in anyway, it just reminds me of Alice in Wonderland & that makes me smile :)




oh yes, and in reference to my previous post (LBD), here was our "LBD Night" in Las Vegas! :)

Monday, January 10, 2011

LBD :)

For those of you who don't know what an "LBD" is, that would be a, Little Black Dress. I bring this up in my blog because I'm headed to fabulous Las Vegas on Friday night for one of my best friend's bachelorette parties. The said "best friend" is Miss Cristina G, whom I have been lucky enough to know since I was 5 years old, I can hardly believe it! She'll be tying to the knot on March 5th, so we're headed to "Sin City" to help her bid farewell to her single life, in style! :) We're still trying to construct our agenda for the weekend, but we do know that Saturday night will be our LBD night in Vegas! My LBD is a dress that I've worn before, in Vegas, as a matter of fact. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this dress. It's very figure forgiving & lots of fun! In my opinion, it's the perfect Vegas/Holiday dress! One of them main reasons I love it is because you don't have to really worry about jewelry since the dress has sequins, it does a very good job of dressing itself up! I'm so excited to go, I already want to start the packing, even though I don't leave until Friday night & it is only Monday. :o/ Oh well, mentally, I'm packed! It should be a great weekend, not too cold & I'll be with my very very very best friends! I've known all the girls that are going since either high school or elementary school, we all go way back, I'm looking forward to just spending time with them since they all live in the Valley & I don't get to see them as much as I would like to see them, it's going to be a fun treat!!! :) These are the girls who can make my abs sore because we laugh together so much!

ViVa LaS VeGaS! ;)

there's my LBD Christmas 2009

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Buc-ee's Comes in Handy!

So I've created 2 New Appetizers that I'm excited to share, they're both quite easy to make & not all that figure friendly, but super yummy!!

Candied Jalapenos in Cream Cheese (Courtesy of Buc-ee's Convenience Store)

3/4 of a jar of Candied Jalapenos (from Buc-ee's)
8 oz. Light Cream Cheese

Combine the cream cheese & candied jalapenos, including the juice until creamy. The farther in advance you make it, the spicier it gets!


I'm not really sure about the whole "look" of the final product, but it sure does taste good! With some chips or water crackers, it's a perfect companion! :)

For something that's much prettier to look at I also found this great tasting & looking recipe last week that I've made.

Goat Cheese Coated in Chopped Pistachios & Craisins

2 tblsp. of pistachios (chopped)
2 tblsp. of craisins (chopped)
8 oz. of Plain Goat Cheese Log

Chop the Pistachios & Craisins. On a large plate combine the pistachios & craisins. Take the Goat Cheese Log & roll & coat the cheese with the pistachio/craisin mixture.
You can make this ahead of time, just wrap the log in saran wrap & place in the fridge till you are ready to devour! :)


Hope you find a time & place to enjoy these recipes. The Goat Cheese Log was especially fun to make!! ;) I'll be enjoying these tomorrow while watching the season premiere of the new season of The Bachelor!

I don't feel as guilty about consuming these since I've finally gotten back to running (a bit), yay 2011!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

2010: A Pictorial Look Back

Well, it's the 1st day of a new year, Hello 2011! It's nice to meet you, I look forward to getting to know you over the next 365 days! :) As 2011 kicks off, I thought I'd take the time today to recap 2010 in pictures, by each month of course. So here goes:

January

me & Lake at the 2010 Alamo Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Michigan State


me, Catalina, Dawn, Wendy, Lauren & Bethany enjoying a Girls' Sushi Night Out....hope there are more of these in 2011!!!


my totally AWESOME Walt Disneyworld Half Marathon Bib Number!! One of the *best* & most accomplished weekends I've ever had. Not only did I complete my 2nd half marathon in a time 15 minutes faster than my first, I did it in ridiculously cold, rainy, sleety, icy weather. It was a fabulous experience & magical! ;)


Lake & I at Disney's Animal Kingdom our 1st day of the 1/2 Marathon Trip


Camp, Shaunda, Janine & I at Janine's Twilight Themed Birthday Party to celebrate her 24th birthday. In character: Camp=Victoria; Shaunda=Jane; Janine=Bella; me=Jessica Stanley


Rachel, Shaunda, Camp, me, Misty, Dawn, & Catalina enjoying dinner at Stonewerks after seeing 'When in Rome'.....this was also my first Sunday with Lake away for work in India

February

me, Rachel & Janine at our Sushi Making Class at Central Market


my little Valentine, Mare-Bear! Valentine's Day Weekend I went to Little Rock to visit my brother, sis-in-law & our god daughter. I babysat Maryn so that her parents could have a nice Valentine's Dinner out, it was fun evening with her! :)


me, Shaunda, Rachel, Camp, Janine & Michelle at Brasserie Pavil enjoying our Girls' Night Out Valentine's Dinner. With Lake out of the country for Valentine's Day, my friends & I got together for our own Valentine's Dinner. We had a great time & Michelle was introduced to the little circle of friends I have in SA.


me, Amy, Rachel & Cristina at the SA Rodeo for Jake Owen

me & Baby Lily hanging out at BellyView


Amy, me & Cristina at the Willie Nelson concert in the Valley


Mon, me & Cristina trying to stay warm downtown McAllen

March

Amy, me & Kelli at the Lady Antebellum/Tim McGraw Concert in Hidalgo. I attended lots of concerts during the Winter of 2010 as you can tell :)


Shaunda, Rachel, Michelle, me, Camp & Laura at our Oscar Night Party at The Bradley's. Our Night was complete with themed food for each of the Best Picture nominees, our own awards & a red carpet!


Laura, Rachel, Shaunda & I at Wildfish. My last dinner in the US before my trip around the world during Spring Break!


me & Lake at the Chennai Super Kings Cricket Match in Chennai, India. The game was so confusing & even included a dog running through the middle of the game, HILARIOUS!


me in my gorgeous authentic India Saree ready for Lake & I's dinner out at Fisherman's Wharf on The Bay of Bengal


me & Lake at The Traders Hotel Sky Bar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Amazing night, amazing city, great 2nd year anniversary


The Petronas Towers in KL at sunset. Our view from Sky Bar


Lake & I exploring Singapore our 1st day in the city. We are on the Boat Quay, which reminded me a little of the Riverwalk in SA. We found Mexican Food & MaRgArItAs!!! ;)


Lake & I on The Singapore Eye (world's largest ferris wheel)


Merlion Park at Night (Singapore). Our hotel, The Fullerton, is right behind the merlion


Rachel, Shaunda, Michelle, Janine, me, Laura & Dawn at Sol Luna celebrating Rachel's 29th birthday! We all went to see 'Remember Me' right after dinner......and then got depressed!


me, Laura, Rachel, Shaunda, Camp, Janine, Michelle & Whitney at The Gristmill in Gruene, TX celebrating Camp's 25th Birthday with shopping & lots of yummy food.

April

me, my dad & my mom on Easter Sunday in Mission. This was my first Easter in the Valley since 2005


me, Shaunda & Dawn at Alamo Heights Night on the campus of Incarnate Word. It was a fun night & kick off to Fiesta 2010!!


me, Malarie, Michelle, Janine & Erica at Oyster Bake


Rachel, Camp, Janine, me & Michelle at NIOSA (Night In Old San Antonio)


me, Camp, & Kristen at Beethoven's for Fiesta Gartenfest


Maryn & I in Houston downtown at Discovery Green


me & Lake at Biga on the Banks, the day after Lake arrived safely home from India :)

May

my 2010-2011 JLSA New Member Group (minus Kathryn)


Lake with his sign for his Welcome Home Party at Mark & Kathleen's


me & Maryn wandering around downtown San Antonio during the Texas Dental Convention


Marshall, Laura, Joe, Pete, Vanessa, Janine, Michelle, Erica, me, Lake, Camp & Shaunda at Rosario's for Janine's Graduation Dinner Celebration


Janine, Rachel & I at the movies for Sex And The City 2


Lake, me, Kelly, Jessica, Dru, Lindy & Jason in Luckenbach, TX for some Texas Country Memorial Day Weekend

June


Leah, Demitri, Dad, Maryn, Mom & me right before my brother's 30th birthday Fiesta! Lake couldn't make it due to work


Girls Dinner at Tiago's


Laura & her hostesses for her baby shower :)


"Sister" Dinner: Audra, Amy, me, Leah, Nikki, & Olaya at dinner & then headed to see 'The Killers' (yay for sisters & cousins!)


Michelle, Janine, Shamu, me & Tanya at Seaworld after Michelle & Tanya finished their very first 1/2 Marathon


Michelle, Janine, me & Rachel at the movies for the midnight showing of Eclipse!!! :)

July


Anne, me, Misty, Mrs. Lewis, Jenn, & Cassie at Auden's Kitchen for Misty's Going Away Dinner


me, Bethany & Wendy at Coco for Wendy's 30th Birthday Party!!!


Michelle, Janine, Erica, me & Malarie celebrating Michelle's 26th Birthday


me, Maryn & Lake celebrating my 28th birthday :)


me, Laura, Shaunda, Janine, Michelle & Camp all "90's" out for my 28th Birthday Party


Lake & I at my 90's birthday party


me & Micah at Tao at The Venetian in Las Vegas


Kelley & I at our pool at Mandalay Bay


Kelley, Lake & I at the Bellagio Gardens


Mary, me, David, Kelley, Micah, Kris & Lake at Nine Fine Irishmen at New York New York in Vegas our last night out

August


Catalina, Dawn, Bethany, Erica, Janine, Kristen, me & Lauren at La Fonda on Main for our August Girls Dinner


me, Janine, Camp, Shaunda, Avery Grace, & Laura; Avery joined us on August 14th :)


Davy Crockett fans unite for his 224th Birthday! Remember the Alamo!!!


Jessica, me, Bethany, Dawn & Catalina all together to celebrate Jessica & Dru's impending nuptials. We celebrated with pedis, cupcakes, & martinis!!


little Maryn splish splashing during her 1st birthday party!!

September


Lake & I at The Marquardt Ranch in Boerne for Dru & Jessica's Wedding Labor Day Weekend


Shaunda with her baby shower hostesses. FIESTA themed!!!


Catalina, Dawn, me, Stephanie, Wendy, Marcy, Bethany, & Heather enjoying another fun Girls Sushi Night. This was also the night that Wendy let us know she was expecting her first child in April. We now know it'll be a BOY!!!


Camp, Janine, Rachel, me, Michelle & Shaunda at Janine & Michelle's Housewarming Party


at Paesano's celebrating Laura's 30th birthday

October


me, Dawn & Misty on Kilamanjaro's Safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom


Leah, Dad, Demitri, Lake & I after Mickey's Halloween 5K at The Magic Kingdom


Christy, Misty, Dawn & I before the Disney Wine & Dine 1/2 Marathon Relay that we ran through Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, & finished at Epcot


me & Lake at Epcot enjoying the International Food & Wine Festival


Tanya, Michelle, Janine, Rachel, me & Malarie at Carrie Underwood Concert


Michelle, Camp, Laura, Avery, Janine & I celebrating Avery's Baptism


Lake, me & Baby Sophia; Sophia joined us on October 11th


Deanna, me, Stormie, Catalina, Dawn & Marcy trying out Kumori for our Sushi Night :)


Michelle, Janine & I at the JLSA 2010 Holiday Ole Marketplace


Jennifer, Cameron, Staci, Keith, Mary, Bo, Lake & I at The Wilson's Halloween Party

November


Michelle, Miguel, Tanya, Erica, me & Lake with our San Antonio 1/2 Marathon Numbers


Maryn walking, talking & drinking her sippy cup


Laura, Janine, me Shaunda & Michelle celebrating Shaunda's 30th Birthday


Janine, Michelle, me, Laura, Rachel & Shaunda together hosting our 2nd Annual Thanksgiving With Friends Dinner


me & Lake at Seaworld for the Holidays

December


Friends before The Nutcracker


Nancy, me, Cassie, Courtney, & Anne celebrating Anne's 30th Birthday downtown at VBar. Courtney was visiting from Italy, it was so great to see her!!


Janine, me, Shaunda, & Sophie at Seaworld


Lake & I ready for the Nau's Christmas Swap Christmas Party


Rachel, Dawn, Laura, Janine, Amy, Shaunda, Sophie & me at The Nau's Party


SCHOOL FRIENDS after our amazing glee performance at Faculty Follies. I'm so glad I have a group of work friends again! :)


Family on Christmas Eve at my parents house

PHEW & I'm done! What a year!! There were some memorable occasions, some full of joy & laughter, other filled with sadness & tears, but such is life! I'm blessed to have my wonderful loving husband with me through it all. God has truly blessed me.

Here's to 2011!! God Bless!