7 Quick Takes

--- 1 ---

Last weekend, we drove to SC for my friend's bridal shower. She is the last one of our high school group getting married (we had 3 just this year! Mine in April, our friend Brittany in June, and Jennifer in October), so it was bittersweet for me, and I'm sure the wedding will be! Weddings and showers have provided us a way to get together many times since we graduated. Although babies are a good excuse too, so I guess as more baby showers roll around (two in the picture are expecting!), we will continue having opportunities to get together. I love that we see each other only once a year on average and pick right back up where we left off. Next year will be 10 years that we have kept the friendships going after all going our separate ways! On a side note, I learned just how much of an introvert I have become after I needed many hours of solitude on Sunday to recover!

Pictured are: Alice (housing baby Atticus), Cortney (housing baby Maggie), Elizabeth (she went to HS with us, but isn't technically in our group), Jennifer the bride!, Lacy, me, and Jennifer... missing are Brittany (newlywed who lives in Oregon) and Amie (who has a little baby and couldn't make it)

--- 2 ---

On Tuesday, we went to my in law's house for dinner. Now that we have moved, we added about 30 minutes onto our trip. An hour and 30 minutes feels SO much longer than an hour! We had a good time and his mom always makes a delicious, bajillion course meal, complete with packed up leftovers for us. She also gave us tons of bell peppers, tomatos, and apples from their back yard. They grow okra, too, but we don't eat it. She also gave me a sewing machine (I need lessons!) and hand held vacuum, plus an entire box full of glassware and a crystal serving plate that belonged to Steven's grandma, who passed away about two months before our wedding. I've got it all up in our glass front cabinet and now I'm looking for an excuse to use it! We aren't fancy people at all, but I might just have to make a fancy dinner for two one of these nights!

Oh if you could smell those peppers! The grocery store ones almost have no scent; these smell SO peppery and fresh!

--- 3 ---

Yard work is very satisfying when it's your own home. I hated. hated. hated. yard work growing up. Especially weeding! But, though I'd rather be eating bon bons, it's not so bad when it's your own yard that you take pride in. Yes, I'm proud of our lawn of weeds! I weeded the front tree bed while Steven mowed on Monday night. Then I sprinkled more ant killer on the fire ant piles. They are wrecking our yard! The "killer" doesn't kill them... it just makes them pack up and move a few feet away, leaving a giant mound of red dirt/mud in their wake. We have spent the last month playing chase with the fire ants all around the yard. Me thinks we are going to have to buy something stronger.

--- 4 ---

I think I've figured out my blogging groove. I tend to do one post plus the quick takes each week. I used to post more, but I also used to have more time and more to say. I also used to keep a running list of topics that I can't find. Maybe I'll post a bit more once I locate that or create a new one. What's your blogging groove? I want to stay relevant but also not just ramble. This week I posted about tidbits from our wedding that got left out of other posts. You can check it out here. Erica corrected my stance on a fashion faux pas that is actually correct! Here's to hoping my husband doesn't read it so I don't have to say those three dreaded words. You know.... "I was w#*@&" with my tail between my legs.

--- 5 ---

Just because.

--- 6 ---

We are technically on our 3rd week of Couch 2 5k, but we decided to repeat week 2. So far week 2 of week 2 (did I blow your mind yet?) has been wayyyy harder than week 1 of week 2. Part of the problem is that we ran two days in a row, which the program recommends against. But we needed to switch from our Tues/Thurs/Sun running we've been doing, to Mon/Wed/Sat due to our schedule this week. Lesson learned.

--- 7 ---

The good news about this weekend? One of my dearest friends from grad school, Jean Marie, is coming for a visit with her boyfriend. I haven't seen her in probably two years! She has been in Mexico studying since January, got swept off her feet by a fellow, and now he has a temporary visa so they are in the states. I met her the first day of orientation and we haven't looked back! 

The bad news? I'm on call. Yuck!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!