Lela Lou

My beautiful little Lela Lou. Although my weekend trip to the big O was motivated my the birth of my nephew, seeing my little niece was definitely a high-light of my time there. She is absolutely adorable and so totally her mother...needless to say, a little scary!! :D

Brothers

Awesome visit with my family!! Here is my favorite picture from the weekend...my two favorite Huskers fans!! 11 months apart...momma and daddy are going to have their hands full. Glad I get to visit and spoil and then go home.

Jameson Reese

What a doll face...need I say more? Oh, but there is more...he has the sweetest personality to go with his darling little face. Man, I love this kid!!

On The Road Again

I decided to hit the road and make a quick trip to see my new nephew. I am so sick of the car but so excited about seeing my family!! 6 hours on the road for about that much visit time and then sleep, all to turn around and drive the 6 hours back home. Love, it makes us do crazy things.

My Little Dragon

Eva at dragon practice. She is 7 stripes away from testing for her dragon belt!! I am so proud of her. A dragon belt is the equivalent of a black belt in the older groups! She has worked really hard for this!!

What A Great Message

I was walking my daughter to her classroom at school the other day and this poster caught my eye. What a great message to learn not only for our children but for ourselves. Makes me feel warm every time I read it.

Baby Preston

Awww!! My little sister had her second baby boy the other day...born on February 13th. Isn't he beautiful?!? Well, I may be a little biased but still, he is a doll!!

Hardware

A picture is worth a thousand words...

We Rock!!

It was no small task...it was super challenging but we totally did it! Finished 26.2 miles. WOW! I can't wait to do it again! What an incredible experience! Of course, I can't walk right now, but let's keep that our little secret. ;)

The Big Easy

So, we made it to the "Big Easy", I am ashamed to admit, no thanks to me. We traveled through the night and I was too chicken to drive. In my defense, I did stay awake the entire time...no small feat for me; I am a big time car sleeper! I am even more excited now that I am here, but, with that excitement came a lot of anxiety. Boy, I am so nervous. Surely we can find some easy distractions around this city...

It's Time....

I have only been angsting for a week but I have been preparing for months!! Today I leave for New Orleans to run the "Rock 'n Roll Mardi Gras Marathon" w/my fantastic running partner (who has been training by my side all these cold months). I am so excited. Bring it!

Catholic Schools Week

The girls are celebrating their Catholic Schools Week a week late because of the blizzard, however, that hasn't stopped the fun!! This is Miss Clara Rose, all dressed up for "Crazy Day". This is her version of wacky and mismatched. She really should have enlisted Eva's help...after all, everyday is funky day for Eva (think "Punky Brewster").

Sparkle Shoes

I LOVE shoes. They are the single most important accessory to any outfit. We had dinner with friends last night and I took the opportunity to wear one of my favorite shoes...my sparkle shoes. Although these shoes have only made an appearance twice in their lifetime, I am confident they have countless outings in their future!! I love them, they have the best heels!!!

Love Bug

In preparing for Valentine's Day for my girls, I found candy hearts that read "Love Bug" and they reminded me of my favorite book..."Your My Little Love Bug". Of course, I went on a hunt for the book today and let's just say, I found it, however, it has seen better days.

"You're my Lovey Dovey, My Stinker Winker Bear, My Silly Willy Piccadilly Alligator Stare. You're my Pumkin Wunkin, My Peaches and my Pie, My Bread-and-Butter, Peanut Butter, Apple of my Eye. You're my Wiggly Worm, My Busy Little Bee, My Silly Goose, My Moosey-Moose, My Monkey up a tree..."

It goes on and on but I absolutely LOVE it. All time favorite before-bed book!

Super Bowl Sunday

This is how we roll on Super Bowl Sunday. Grandma and Grandpa's house is the best. Totally spoiled and vegged out in front of the TV. Rotten. :D

Recovery

And this is what the day after looks like. I actually had a meeting at 9AM that I couldn't miss. I made it. Things weren't too bad once I was up and moving around (and medicated).

Dancing w/the Stars...A Night Out!

We had a ggreeeaaaatttt night! So much fun!! An evening with great friends and new friends for a fantastic cause!!

Day Three...

The snow has stopped falling and the playing has begun. Snow fall totaled somewhere around 24 inches.

And It Continues!

Wow! The snow just keeps falling. It's beautiful now but oh my when will it stop and what a mess it will be!!!

Blizzard....Oh My!

Oh wow! I had crossed my fingers and hoped to die that the forcast would be dreadfully wrong, thank goodness I didn't hold my breath. I took this picture while standing on my back deck. Visability is less than a 1/4 mile the snow is falling so thick and fast. Guess it is time to do all the things I never have time to do. Damn.

Abstract Life...

This picture is a photograph of part of a painting that was created for me by a very talented artist. It is abstract. One of my favorite parts of this painting is the "runner" that has revealed herself to me. Love it, it is so inspiring!

Silly Girls

My girls are always playing with the camera...I think they may grow up to be little photographers like their Aunt Erica. We will see; they are both definitely creative!! Here is a picture of their feet, they had themselves all twisted around each other to capture this "art".

A Book of Verse

A book of verse, underneath the bough,

A jug of wine, a loaf of bread - and thou

Beside me singing in the wilderness -

Ah, wilderness were paradise enow!

--Omar Khayyam

Smile A While For Me...

My girls love, love, love! taking pictures. Eva captured this one right before we were heading out the door for school. With as hectic as our days can be, I am glad we still have time to be goofy girls together!

Hey Frenchie

Amadeus is such a great sport; the girls had him in their room playing and he came out sporting a "scarf tie". I think he looks adorable...not so sure he wanted me to capture that look with my camera. This picture will most likely be used "against" him at some point in his teenage years.

Marilyn's Cake

Every year for my birthday, my boss' wife makes me a birthday cake. Not only are her cakes the very best cake and icing I have ever tasted, the most amazing thing about them are their designs. She always pin points a very personal and important thing in my life and decorates the cake around it. This year, I have been training for my first full marathon; it is in New Orleans, February 13th!

Blessings

W-O-W! Today is turning out to be quite incredible! I am surrounded by amazing, loving and caring people in my life. Today is my birthday!!! I have been overwhelmed with the amount of love and wishes expressed for me today. It has been truly a blessing, all of these shared thoughts. My heart is overjoyed. This picture is of the flowers delivered to my office today. They are so colorful and fragrant, just like the many friends in my life.

Laziness or Convenience?

I am not sure what to call this; my running attire has become a permanent decoration on my dining room chair. If it isn't being laundered or worn, this is its home. Maybe it is a testament to my unyielding commitment to this lifestyle. Running has become an intricate part of who I am. The fun, freedom and clarity I can experience in 5 miles is unmatched.

Chaise is the Place

So, we are totally stuck inside today...the snow outside just won't quit! The light dusting that was forcasted has turned into upwards of 6 inches. We decided that today was made for being lazy and hibernating in the house where it is warm, cozy and comfortable.

Me

Later today I will be going out with the ladies to kick off the beginning of my birthday week! I am so excited. Of course, before that happens, I have to run 20 miles...my last big run before my full marathon in three weeks! I can hardly wait. Today is going to be a challenge, but I have a fantastic running partner so I know I can make it through AND what a better way to celebrate than a night out w/some besties! :D

Silly hound!

Meet my greyhound "Boot Scootin'". For real, that was his racing name. We lovingly refer to him as "Boots". He is quite the character. We love his snuggles and silly personality. Not a fan of his shedding and slobbery tongue that lolls out of his mouth when he is sleeping, but he does bring lots of smiles to my face. I heart him.

"The Little Engine That Could"

Out visiting the parents today and low and behold decided to help shovel the driveway. Whew! This picture doesn't do it justice. This only shows about a 1/4 of the driveway. It is quite an amazing feat to undertake. Thank God most of it was done when I got there and put my boots on. All in all, it was a refreshing workout while the sun sparkled and the air smelled so clean!! It inspired me to trade my boots in for my running shoes and get in an early afternoon run. Ahhhhh. :D

Grrrrr!!!

What a day. Eva was playing monster in the morning and wanted her picture taken. So adorable! The growl even reaches her eyes. Funny she picked today to play monster when all in all it turned out to be quite a monstrous day!

Clairvoyant, little gal.

Baby Momma

My little Eva Mathe is a mother hen!! It is so wonderful to see her loving spirit directed towards her baby cousin Jameson. She is such a baby momma and he eats her up!! What amazing blessings!!!

Signs, Signs, Everywhere There Are Signs!

All the signs in my life are saying S.T.O.P. Damn.

Leaving On A "Jet" Plane

Matt left today...on his way to Vegas; casting his net for big fish! All our love flies with him. We miss him like crazy already!!

*SIGH*

Today has been pretty amazing really. Big deep breathe on many things some pleasant and some not so much but all and all I think my day has ended solid.

Dog Days

Eva's new favorite thing on a cold afternoon? Blanket+heater vent+pillow=perfect snuggle spot! Today she decided to share her new found favorite way to pass the afternoon with Kahula. She has her all snuggled in. So cute!

The Joys of 5!

A long day at the office leads to Eva chillin' on the chaise while I run around the house cleaning top to bottom. I think I'm gonna put her to work. *So Jealous* I want to snuggle in footie pj's and veg out for the remainder of the day!! The joys of 5!

A Successful Day Shopping

I had some time today between appointments and the office so I stole away to the store and did some power shopping. Matt leaves on business to Vegas next week and I decided he needed a few wardrobe updates. Oh what fun...I love to shop!!

Snow, Snow, Snow

Everywhere I look, I am surrounded by this white powdery substance. It is brilliant in its consistency, radiant and delicate as it dresses every surface, but I hate it! Well, not entirely...I love the way it looks, fresh and unbroken; it is a wonder to behold but give it another hour or two and this beautiful wonderland will turn into a wet and dirty, messy grey blanket that suffocates the sun.

Put Down The Cookies!!

If only I could stop eating these yummy cookies, I wouldn't feel so icky!! But I CAN'T stop. I love them!!

Fruit for Breakfast

Apples and bananas - oh my!

17 Miles

Today I ran further than I have ever run in my life. I braved the wind, the frigid temperature, the traffic and the daunting realization that I would have to place one foot in front of the other for nearly 2 1/2 hours to accomplish my goal. A special shout-out to my terrific running partner; without his company and encouragement it would have been a long and lonely road.

Smile A While For Me

Smile for me Rose..."No Mom, I have food in my teeth; now if I can go clean them first...". She is so my daughter. LOL

At the sink

Too bad she is just playing around...if only I could get her to do dishes. Hmmmm. There has to be a way. ;)

Sunshine does a body good...pass it on.

It must be a sunny day, because I am full of smiles. :D

My hound and my practice.

So, my greyhound decided to demand my attention today during my morning Yoga practice and in doing so gave me a nice little shiner when his head collided with mine during a mutual downward dog.

Disturbing...

The antique pig sitting on my girls' dresser, that doubles as a gigantic piggy bank, gives the room some character...or so I thought, until this morning, when I realized it looks kind of like a scary clown.

It all ends here, where clothes belong; on the floor.