oh yeah.

i forgot to add below that today i kicked my lazy booty in gear and finally made it over my hump of 6.5 miles. now, my official longest run i've ever done is 7 miles. i'm thankful i can run inside when it's so dang hot out here.

lately.

* i catered a wedding reception of 200 guests out of my home kitchen. it was slightly hellish. hence, i am now working out of the commerical kitchen and paying rent. the owner and i are good friends and he's allowing me to rent as needed instead of monthly.

* vera "swam" for the first time and we dunked her 3 times. no tears. a nervous laugh. kinda cute.

* i saw "wicked" for the first time and it was a-mazing. it really is as good as everyone claims.

perfect.

this was one of my favorite presents i got for my birthday. how cute is this? i wear it all the time. thanks, siblings!

vera's little friend.

my friend's baby, addison is just 2 months older than vera and she came to visit this afternoon. it was fun to see the little girls interact.

5 years ago i married my best friend.

here's some pictures to show our little time line of marriage thus far.

our wedding day
1st anniversary

2nd anniversary3rd anniversary4th anniversary
5th anniversary
we went out for sushi tonight and enjoyed a few hours alone.

a love letter.

dear vera,
you are 7 months old now and i can confidently say that no one else has ever stole my heart the way you have. i wasn't so sure the first couple of months of your life, but we got through it, you and me, and by month four we were inseparable. i can hardly believe how fast you are growing and changing. you are doing something new everyday, it seems. last week you went from bouncing on your hands and knees to crawling with no problem within a couple of days. today i spotted two little teeth poking through on your bottom gums. i have to say, i've always loved your gummy smile and i will miss it when the pearly whites come in, but at the same time, i'm so thankful you are developing the way you should be. i am so very grateful that you are a healthy girl and i haven't messed you up too much yet. thanks for sticking with me while i figure out this whole motherhood thing. i sometimes think i haven't been the mom you deserve, but luckily you haven't held it over my head yet. i promise to always love you, no matter what. and i give you my word that i will take care of you and be there for you whenever you need me. sometimes you won't want me around and that's okay, but know that i will always make myself available to you. i love you so much and you have changed my life for the better. i can't imagine my life without you and i hope we get to experience so much together. i just wanted to share these thoughts with you because the days are a blur sometimes and it's when you're asleep in your bed that i want to hold you and kiss you and whisper my love to you.

love, momma

2 years ago today...

we found our little marlow after he was lost for a week. not a day goes by that i don't think about that still and thank God that we found him. i love my dog so much. this is a picture taken a couple of days ago when he caught yet another bird. by natural instinct he mouths it in those big ol jowls he's got and shakes it (poor bird) to death. or breaks it's neck. either way, poor bird but proud marlow. he wouldn't leave it's side until i went up to him and praised him for it. then we threw it away. he was in a very good mood the rest of the day.

some things i do.

* i keep a package of floss picks in my car and use one everyday while driving.
* i microwave dish sponges for 1 min. to kill bacteria and prolong their life.
* i freeze leftover egg whites in ice cube trays, then bag them up and freeze.
* i use an old toothbrush to help separate my eyelashes after applying mascara.
* i wash plastic ziploc bags and dry them to use again.

call me an artist.

when i set out to create chest hair, i realize now that i went a little overboard. a few strands would have gotten the point across. but the chest hair that lives in my house is more than a few strands, so that's what i'm used to seeing. just sayin.

quick update.

i have been so encouraged these last few weeks in events taste and see has booked for the summer. it still surprises me when strangers call to inquire or book something. word of mouth really markets best, as i am finding out. i love to learn what the connection is between the new client and how they heard about the company. i feel very fortunate that business has been so good. through august, i've got something on the calendar almost every weekend and a few things spread out on weeknights. i really enjoy my work and love the feeling of satisfaction afterward--not to mention the paycheck!

4 generations.

Grammy, me, Vera, GG (Great-Grandma)

now i've got a burnt orange shirt.

ran another 10k last saturday and i'm still loving it! when going downhill or when i felt energized, i'd try to pick up my pace or lengthen my stride, resulting in finishing 3 minutes faster than last time (1:07). i ran with a friend of mine who most definitely smoked me.

good morning, mom!

this is what i see when i go to get her up from naps and in the morning now. sitting up, ready to start the day. needless to say, the crib has been lowered.

i love these ladies.

these are vera's daycare workers that she hangs out with when i'm working out at the gym. they absolutely love her and for that, i love them! i really trust them and love talking and getting to know them. leti (top left) has named herself "grammie leti" to vera because she has no grandchildren of her own. daisy (top right) bought vera a pair of skinny jeans from gap because she said she "just felt like she needed some skinny jeans." elsa (bottom) has trained vera to fall asleep in my arms again, which i am grateful for. she prefers to go to sleep alone in her crib, but occasionally, she'll let me hold her til she falls asleep. i just love that these ladies enjoy my sweet daughter so much. i feel like nothing is more valuable than trusted child care providers. i try to make them know they are appreciated in various ways.

none of your beeswax.

i thought i'd share about the things i don't share.

when it comes to blogging, i recognize that there needs to be a separation for reality's sake and for safety. for my own reasons, these are some categories which i don't write much about. occasionally i touch on the subjects, but i don't delve too much into them. i'd much rather sit down face-to-face over a cup of joe and discuss the following.

- marriage
- my faith
- my political views
- complaints
- personal struggles
- work
- my cat, yarsey

p.s. remember that song "none of your business" by salt-n-pepa? title got me thinkin about it.

p.p.s. the coffee reference above made me think of this funny joke. i'm sure you've heard others that are similar: i like my men like i like my coffee: ground up and in the freezer.

p.p.p.s. coffee is best stored in an air-tight sealed container kept at room temperature, not in the freezer.

what's the perfect ratio?

how do you like your chocolate chip cookies? more dough than chocolate? more chocolate than dough? half and half? what about cookie texture? do you prefer crispy or chewy? what kind of chocolate? semi-sweet, dark, milk, combination?

i'm heading to the fridge for a glass of milk.

doing another 10k.

this running thing is addicting. and expensive.

p.s. i've never owned or worn a burnt orange shirt since living in austin. i guess my time has come.

i especially love these.

got lost tonight on my run.

but i found my way back.

will pay with food.

on a good day, i can do two errands max. with a baby, my life revolves around nap times. i never wanted to be a mom where i had to be home for those, but it definitely makes for a happier baby which makes my life happier, too. i have what seems like a never-ending to-do list that would be perfect for a personal assistant! a few items include:

- take bag of books to half price books and (hopefully) return with cash
- take pictures and list several items on craig's list
- find a new vet
- organize clothing exchange
- buy gifts, wrap, send
- return unneeded items to restaurant supply store
- paint back door
- deposit checks at bank
- purchase annuals to plant in various pots around exterior of house