*2010*

Devin rang in the New Year with mono.

I broke my tailbone in Aspen.  Wow this list is not started out so well.

Starting over.

2010!

We rang in the New Year with some new friends

Then we went to Aspen/Snowmass with them where I snowboarded for the first time!

I mean, that's pretty much the epitome of hard core.

Devin ran his first race ever and was hooked

We planted our first little garden

and I got my first road bike!

Trek steel frame awesomeness

 Something I wrote was published

We camped over Easter to celebrate our first anniversary

and Rhonda and I dominated the Warrior Dash

ruthless. also...flattering.

Devin killed it in track racing

I ran my first marathon relay

 I started writing letters to my husband

and we had a big fat fish fry at the lake house to celebrate our Independence

Then we signed up for the Houston Marathon

And blast.  We got in.

We kayaked the bayou

and hosted our first lake house party

Devin placed in, like, every event at the Track State Championship thing

We cooked and baked lots of delicious things we've never tried before

in fact, I fell in love with cooking.  It's my therapist.

and we hit up Greek Fest, the Jellie wedding, and I went to my first Cowboys game ever

We organized a huge camping trip with tons of friends

ran our first half marathon (ugh)

and I went to my first cookie exchange.

We found a million ways to give to the needy this Christmas

volunteered at Lifehouse Houston

and are thankful for an awesome year.

Cheers to 2011.  

May it bring many changes, 

growth, 

new places,

new people, 

new loves,

and many many memories.

Ok.  So.  Anything you're shootin' to do/change in 2011?  Let's hear em.

You Are What You Eat...In Which Case, I am Mostly a Box of Hot Tamales.

As stated in my 2010 goals, DC and I are attempting to clean out our fridge/pantry and start eating food that has less ingredients (the semi-flexible rule is 5 ingredients or less), and we are trying to buy more local and more organic. I have to tell you, it has been amazing cleaning out the pantry. Seriously, if we're going to clear it out and not be wasteful, it is completely necessary for me to eat the entire box of Hot Tamales. and the bag of Light Lays Ruffles. and everything else. You could say I am making great sacrifice to get us started on the right foot.

Saturday morning we made our way to 2 farmers markets. Bliss for this one right here. Bliss. I love them. I love the people, I love the farmers, I love the coffee...

But I mean he had to be the weirdest barista I'd ever seen. No matter, Katz coffee is superb. I look frumptastic. Wait, I remember why. DC and I woke up and I'm like "Let's get it over with and go to the store (before we thought to check out the FMs)" and he's all "LET'S GO IN OUR PAJAMAS!!!" like a 6 year old who ate his whole Halloween candy bowl in one sitting. Oh wait, that's DC every day. Lord help me when we have children. But anyway, I thought it would be fun, but mostly funny, and then I walk in the bedroom to get shoes and he's all "I think maybe I'll put on jeans". Anyway, pointless story short, I threw this on and that's why I look like a bag lady.

We found some really delish stuff that you can't find in the grocery store. I mean you can find lettuce and stuff in the grocery store, but it's not this fresh or big or fun.

One of these things is not like the other. These tomatoes are to die for. DC and I could each eat a tomato for dessert.

We're working on figuring out what to do with everything we bought. We have some research to do, some books to read (like Mark Bittman's Food Matters), and some trial and error to get through.

Eat your heart out.

I Tend to Dive Right In

Apparently, I don't waste any time leaping right into my 2010 goals. Saturday, I went and cut 153 inches off of my hair. It seems like it, okay? So, I'm all, "Dev, I need you to take a picture of me for the blog to show my new haircut to prove to all of my readers that I'm all about the follow through", and he's all "mmmk". I sort of procrastinated about it on Saturday, naturally. Procrastination was not something I wanted to change in 2010. I have fully embraced my procrastination and do not intend to let go of it. So, Sunday afternoon, just as I was thinking, "Let's get that picture here pretty soon", DC sat next to me on the bed holding a bowl full of baked kale (at my request I should say) and the next thing I know there are fumbling hands...and this sound: ooooooo-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH! and then I realized that gleaming white light coming toward me was actually not the rapture occurring, but a bowl headed straight for my face. Then there was a loud THUD.

And, so, behold. My "New Haircut of 2010" picture.

Complete with a Lightning McQueen boo-boo fixer ice pack. And don't even say you love my hair (I guess I shouldn't jump to conclusions; you may hate it) because 1. I edited it funny so you can't really see it very well (I didn't change the color. I love my natural color. It cannot be bottled) and 2. It's a terrible picture.

But DC felt so so so bad. So bad that he serenaded me on the guitar while I iced my goose egg. Swoon.

The moral? Marriage is rough; wear a helmet.

After reading this, DC requested I put another picture up

He picked out my hat. And shirt. I love him.

Dang you were fine, 2009, Part Deux

July

We celebrated our independence at the lake house in Livingston. Amy and Ricky came down from Rhode Island for the weekend. It was nice to have someone to play with on the water toys.

Do my arms look disgustingly ripped in that picture? Don’t let this mislead you. I have no muscle.

I also creamed everyone in the non-existent fishing contest

I think that was my 2nd of 5 fish.

My sweet friend, Lisa, got married in July in Marble Falls!

SUCH a pretty wedding, so fun, so Texas. We love Klay. We are happy she found him.

August

I don’t remember a whole lot going on in August except that work was insane for whatever reason.

We went to a beautiful potluck dinner out at some friends’ lake house. Every couple got their own table and were served by whoever brought each course. Such a great idea.

September

In September we went camping at Camp Eagle for a mountain bike race. DC did great in the downhill danger race (that’s not really the name, but it made me so friggin nervous), but got a stupid flat tire on the other one. We had a good time sleeping in a tent, being gross, hanging our clothes in the trees only for it to pour during the night. Why can’t I find any pictures of this??

We also started a Bible study with some couples in our Sunday School class and made some really, really awesome friends out of it.

Jesus loves Beatles Rock Band, too.

October

I feel like October was yesterday. DC went on his annual? semi-annual? Whenever they feel like it Old Man Mountain Bike Weekend at Flatrock Ranch.

I’ll spare you more [stolen] (thanks Mike Roberson!) pictures because from the looks of things, it was a gross boy weekend. I understand there was streaking.

Also in October! Tacie and her then not boyfriend, now boyfriend came down and we went to Ziegfest! Short story- Tacie, her 3 college friends, and I met on a cruise ship in 2006 and have stayed friends ever since.

I won’t say what DC says he looks like in this picture, but I look like a sheepdog.

Naturally, Zach was there, too. Where there is Texas country music, there will be Zach.

November

In November, Kstan (another cruise ship friend) ran the NYC marathon and creamed everyone. I still tell people about it.

I think the best thing about November was our trip to Dripping Springs where DC beat Lance Armstrong in a mountain bike race, and we stayed in the most in the middle of nowhere bed and breakfast.

A perfect weekend for both of us.

December

This month, I ran my first race ever. I really surprised myself when I finished and realized how easy that run was. I was even more surprised that I got first in my age group. Don’t ask me how many were in my age group.

Did I ever mention that it was 22 degrees out? Yes? Well, I’ll say it again. It was 22 degrees. In Texas…Houston, Texas. Ok, enough. I haven’t run much since, and I really enjoy it, so I need to get back on that.

Zach graduated from college. I do not believe this and refuse to ever accept that he is a grown up.

DC has been sick all month. Seriously, as I write this, it has been 27 days. It has been a building of tensile strength. It was our first Christmas together, and he slept through a lot of it. Poor guy. It was still perfect, but DC might say otherwise.

Lots of firsts this year. We’re ready for more.

Cheers to 2010!