Saturday, November 28, 2009

Snapshot Saturday

Happy Holidays, Bloggers! From Mr. & Mrs Preppy Hoosier... and our dog, Bailey too!


In lieu, of my Snapshot Saturday, I thought I'd share the pictures we took this weekend for our Christmas Cards. I already have them ordered and on the way. I feel on top of it! I am just excited to send out my first-ever Christmas Cards- the little things in life!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and our now into the Christmas spirit!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving

Well, it is that time of year again when we all get together and celebrate the gifts we have in our lives.  Mr. Hoosier and I are very excited to spend our first Thanksgiving together as husband and wife.  We have so much to be thankful for, and we will be busy celebrating those things all weekend.  

Our festivities will start early tomorrow morning with the Drumstick Dash.  Yes, yes, yes we will be doing a 4 1/2 mile run before indulging in delicious food.  We will then head to Bloomington to spend time with his Dad's side of the family.  We will return home in the evening and hopefully enjoy a trip to the theatre for a movie.  Friday morning we will wake up and head to New Haven for Thanksgiving with my family.  We have an afternoon filled of pictures for our Christmas cards and then are heading to dinner with my best friend and her family.  Saturday afternoon is my family Thanksgiving.  It is always so great to be home with the family and all of my cousins!  

In lieu of the holiday, I decided to do a list of things I am thankful for.  I am of course very thankful for my wonderful husband, our precious dog, my amazing family, and our friends, but what is it about those things that I am the most thankful for?  Here is my list; enjoy!

I am thankful for...
- my husband's loving heart, the way he takes care of our little family, and his patience with me
- my younger, beautiful sister and the way we have grown so close over the last couple years
- my brother- his calmness, his carefree spirit, and his love for his sisters
- my mother and everything she has given me throughout the 25 years of my life
- my dad adopting me when I was 4, the life he has given me, and the unconditional love he has shown
- finally, having my grandpa close to me and being able to see him more than once a year.  My gramps is truly one of life's greatest blessings. 
- the relationships I have with my cousins.  Some think it is weird that we are so close, but I think it is wonderful!
- always having my aunts and uncles in my life.
- the Pinkgirls.  Even though we are all at different points of our life, our friendship means the world to me, and I know I can always count on them!
- the life I have created away from home.  It has given me a true feeling of independence.
- my sweet dog and how she is always happy.
- not having to worry or stress over much in life.
- the relationships I have been able to create through Mr. Hoosier's friends
- a wonderful colleague who is always there for me.
- the opportunity to start up Girls on the Run
- the ability to run
- my intelligence, my passion, and the ability to love.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Snapshot... Wednesday

So, due to attending the Oaken Bucket game (IU vs. PU football) on Saturday, I was unable to do a "Snapshot Saturday.  So instead, here is Snapshot Wednesday.  Enjoy!!!

Bailey and me last New Year's Eve.  She is so little here!

Me & my wonderful husband (fiance at the time of the picture) celebrating my 25th birthday. 
 He had a surprise party for me.  He is so thoughtful!
This day is the second best day of my life.  This is the day Mr. Hoosier proposed.
We are at the Nickel Plate (also the location of our first date) with my siblings celebrating the wonderful news!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Inaugural Snapshot Saturday

I have been wanting to post pictures for awhile, but could never figure it out, or my computer is just ultra slow, and I don't have the patience.  Well, I figured out a quick way and here are some pictures.  I am not sure why some of them are small, but I will get better.  My goal is to share a few pictures with my readers every Saturday for "Snapshot Saturday".  So, here my friends, is my "Inaugural Snapshot Saturday".  Enjoy...

Mr. Hoosier and myself last fall in Nashville.  Oh how I love him!

My beautiful little sister and me cheering our our favorite #3, our brother, at his last baseball game!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

My Mother's Touch

In between application questions for Girls on the Run, I have been reading and catching up with the founder, Molly Barker's blog.  In September, she wrote about her mother's touch, and this inspired me to write about mine. 

My mom is the reason I am where I am today.  She has taught me to follow my dreams and to never give up; as cliche as it sounds, it is oh so true.  She is the reason I am so stubborn, the reason I always take control, and it is from her where I get my heart felt passion.  As my husband would say, "I am my mother's daughter."  

My mom overcame obstacles I can't even imagine.  A single mother at the age of 21, and losing her own mother at the age of 22.  It's no wonder she is as strong as she is.  I am not talking about the strength in her arms, as we all know she 
is physically strong, but the mental and emotional strength she possesses.  

I often times forget that my mom was only 22, and had a two year old daughter when she lost her own mother.  I am 25, I don't have any children and I couldn't even fathom what it would be like to lose my mom.  It has been 23 years since my mom has physically felt her mother's touch, however, I hope she often feels her presence.

Although my mom is 2 hours away there isn't a day that goes by that I don't feel her presence. As I am teaching in my classroom or coaching my girls after school I often times evaluate my actions and my personality and I feel my mom.  I turn more and more into my mom each and every day.  If you would have told me three years ago that I am just like my mother, I wouldn't have liked it, but now I am so proud to be like her. 

It's something about my mom's morning phone calls as I am driving into work that always seem to get my day off to the right start.  Or her emails during the day that often times just say "I love you" that makes me appreciate her unconditional love.  As I received an email from my mother last week that cheered me up, I thought to myself, "my mom hasn't heard those words from her mom in years."  I couldn't imagine...

My mom can take responsibility for many of my attributes and interests, but she really deserves all the credit for my love and passion for running and exercise.  Ever since I can remember we have exercised together.  I remember going to her aerobic classes with her when I was just four years old. They were in the basement of a church.  I always insisted to wear my bathing suit with leggings underneath to look like a true aerobics outfit.  I took a towel as my mat, and small shampoo bottles as my weight.  Even 20 years ago, exercising was our "mother-daughter" thing to do.  Some mom's enjoy taking their daughter's shopping, but mine would rather run or go to the gym.  

There was a point in my life where I would have rather gone shopping with my mom.  There was a point in my life where I hated going to the gym with her.  There is still some days that she drives me crazy as she pushes me to work harder on my runs.  However, as I read Molly's post, I began to realize that it is these times with my mother I feel her touch the most.  I am so blessed to have a mother that is healthy enough to go on a 5 mile run with me when she comes and visits.  I will surely appreciate it even more when she is able to go on runs with her grandchildren.  

I will always remember crossing the finish line of the 2009 Indy Mini holding your hand; it may have not been my fastest time, but it was surely the most heart felt race I have ever run!  As Molly said in her post, she misses her morning runs with her mom, I promise to you, Mom, that I will appreciate ours even more.  

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

New Adventures

Well, it has been forever since I have updated my blog.  However, I have tried to post wedding pictures, house pictures, etc., but my computer is horrible and it takes too long.  So, I give up and am not going to try anymore until I get a new computer.

So, this is my life...

I didn't get the job at the Healthplex that I was interviewing for.  They called me back to ask me what I needed as a salary and I am certain what I said was too much.  When I told the girl on the phone there was a long pause.  However, this is okay.  I am on to bigger and better things...

Which leads me to my NEW ADVENTURE.  I am starting an independent council of Girls on the Run in Hamilton County.  I am so excited!  This has been my dream for over a year and I cannot believe it is finally happening.  I am working on the final stages of the application and it is due on December 1st.  If we don't meet that deadline then the next one is February 2nd.  I am very confident about this endeavor.  I believe this program will take off in Hamilton County.  I know it will be a lot of work and consume most of my life for awhile, but that is okay.

If you have never heard or don't know much about Girls on the Run, check it out at www.girlsontherun.org

Other than that, Mr. and Mrs. Preppy Hoosier have been enjoying the joys of Fall in Indiana- rooting on our favorite football teams, enjoying nightly fires at our home, and thoroughly loving married life.  We recently had my mom and cousin down for the weekend and had a blast.  I love when my family comes to visit :)

Other than that,  we are looking forward to spending the holidays together as husband and wife.  We will be traveling to Bloomington on Thanksgiving Day and then to New Haven for the rest of the weekend.  It will be so great to enjoy some time with our family.

Teaching is going well , but I think it is because I can see an end.  I am enjoying my kiddos and coaching Girls on the Run at my school.  We are preparing for our 5k on December 12th; the girls are excited, and so am I.  

Hope you are all enjoying life and this beautiful fall weather.

Until next time...

H :)