Still here

I haven't forgotten about you all. I'm just busy, which is nothing new. But I've been cracking down on my leisurely computer time. Really cracking the whip and getting some stuff done. Which feels great! I really do have A LOT to blog about and will get to it soon. So don't worry, I'm still here (sipping my peppermint mocha coffee too!).

Break a Board for D.A.R.E.

John, Brianna & Jim participated in the Break a Board for D.A.R.E. I'd like to thank those that sponsored them in this event. (Amy, Aunt Elaine, Justin & Angela) Below you will find the video of each of them as they broke their board.

John

Brianna

Jim

Hip Hip Horray!

My Peppermint Mocha coffee creamer made it's yearly debut at the grocery store this week. (yes I am jumping up & down with excitement). I had a little heads up on the situation, thanks to my friend, Kathy. Just the day before she told me she saw the creamer, but that it was not in the regular creamer section and that there was not very many bottles available. So I had my watchful eye out when I went to the store. I was so giddy that I took first picture right there in the store. Then I had to have some fun and line up all the bottles and take a picture. There were only 10 bottles available. What are they thinking?!?!?! Well....you guessed it....all 10 bottles went into my shopping cart. I almost have enough for one bottle a month. Sorry to any Galesburg people if you can't find any bottles to rush out & buy, I have them all!!!!
So once we have them home I have some more fun with my pictures. All, of course, with my blog in mind. I must tell you though that just a few weeks ago I finished off the last of my peppermint mocha from LAST YEAR! Yep, you read that right. Now I didn't have it year around. First off I didn't have nearly as many bottles. I think I had 5, but they were the big bottles. So once there was no supply in the stores I'd use up a bottle and then wait a few months and then crack open another one. They really do freeze well. Every cup tasted just as good as if I had just bought it fresh.
I really think Coffemate should be paying me to be drinking this stuff as much as I love it. But not only do I love it, but I so advertise for them. They might see a huge spike in demand for peppermint mocha and it's only October which will them lead them to make even more! Yeah, they can thank me!!!!
Here is my freezer door full of my bottles. I also have a deep freezer so there is no shortage of storage space. I want to stock up so that I have 12 bottles, one for every month. Then I'll have to have some extra for my friends & family so I can be generous.....I mean those 12 bottles will be just MY supply.
I still have some other favorites. My second favorite it Vanilla Chai....yum, yum! I also picked up Carmel Apple at the store today. I think that is completely new this season and probably seasonal as well. I will have to fix an extra pot of coffee tomorrow morning. We have a very small pot so normally I only have 1 cup each morning and Jim has the other. First I need to try the carmel apple, then I'll have to indulge in my peppermint mocha. So there will be a two cup minimum in the morning. I was tempted to come home tonight and try it out....but I didn't want to go overboard or anything. *giggle*

Welcome October!

Yikes! It's time for another month to start. October is my second favorite month. Mostly for it's cool jeans & sweatshirt tempatures. It also means homecoming & trips to the pumpkin patch. I love watching the trees change colors. So I welcome October with wide open arms.

I haven't posted as much lately. Life is just trucking along. October is full of events though. You can trust that I will be there with camera in hand to find any good blog moments. We'll keep you posted. : )

Did you know?

John (while looking at the calander): HEY MOM! Did you know that Christmas falls on December 25th this year?

Mom: Ummmm, yeah....it's always on December 25th.

John: Oh, I always thought it was on the 23rd.


Mark your calanders ladies & gentlemen....we don't want you to miss Christmas in a few months.

9 months

Carmen is 9 months old today. She weighs a whoppin 15 lbs. 14 oz. and is 26 1/2 inches long. Yep, she's a little peanut. The dr. says she's proportionate so there is no worries. Here is a picture of her. She gets around amazing well. We think she'll be our earliest walker.

She got her first tooth in last week. She's managed to eat just fine without it. Despite her size she really does eat a lot. I'm still nursing her, as well, but not nearly as often. I'm ready to be done, but she's hanging on. Either way, she's still an enjoyable baby.

Red Ribbon Classic

Jim & I ran a race last saturday. The Red Ribbon Classic is a small local race that raises money for HIV/AIDS awareness. This is the 7th year for the race. I have run 5 of those years & sat out the other 2 when I was pregnant. I have won it every year (that I ran). But you never know who is gonna show up. I always say it just takes one young *kid* to knock my out of my spot.

This is Jim & I before the race. Look at how dry we are. I knew it wouldn't last long, it was pouring outside. Pouring when we left the house, pouring the whole way there. When we lined up for the race it was just sprinkling, but it grew to a complete downpour (again) before they even clicked the gun. That didn't deter us. We couldn't help but laugh about the whole situation.
This is us after the race. It's me & a group of people from the Y. Mostly co-workers. We were being goofy & showing off our dreched running bodies. Again, we just tried to laugh & have fun with the circumstances.
Here we are with our rewards. I was the only one who thought to bring dry clothes to change into. I did uphold my winning streak & was the first female finisher. My time isn't too much to boast about, although is some respects that is not what matters. But a combination of my lack of training over recent months and the race conditions didn't help at all. I just take my running for what I can now. No one is expecting me to put out Olympic efforts or results. I just enjoy doing it. Jim also won first in his age group, but I didn't get a picture of him. In fact, that is his award that I am holding. There was a problem with the overall winner's awards so they didn't have mine there to give me at the moment. For the sake of the picture though I used Jim's as a stand in. I don't think he was happy about his "performance" either or it could be the fact that his wife has beat him AGAIN! (love you honey). Either way, I will say I love the fact that he goes out racing with me. Racing is really a passion of my & in years past I always did it alone. Now Jim goes along with me and joins the fun.