Friday, December 26, 2014

Socks of the Season

 
If you have seen me at all around the holidays, I'm sure you've seen my festive socks.  Between my mom and me, we have one for almost every day of the month!  I love to show them off and try to find outfits to match them!  Just another thing I look forward to this time of the year.
 



These are just a few...there are more in the drawer.
When the cross country girls came over, almost every single gift for the exchange we did came with a pair of fuzzy socks.  That wasn't even planned!  We commemorated it by photographing a "circle of socks."
The next night when the Wolfenbargers came over, Abby and I happened to be wearing the exact same socks, just slightly different colors!

Tis the Season



Can you believe it?  It's almost Christmas!  I'm almost sad because the time is passing too fast!  Here's some things I did at the beginning of the month to get things started.  I didn't really have much time because of school, running, and the speed of life, but I forced myself to take time away and do some seasonal preparations!























One night I wrapped cut outs of an empty cereal box (because the cardboard is thin) in my two new Peanuts wrapping paper to make bookmarks.

I went to school all Peanut-ed out!  My shirt matched my Tervis, and I also wore a Christmas ribbon, Santa earrings, and Christmas socks.

The first time I tried eggnog, I thought it was nasty.  Way too thick.  However, last year I tried the kind from one of my favorite "fancy" brands, Bolthouse Farms, and it is lighter, healthier, and tastier!  Mixed with a couple extra things, it makes amazing milkshakes, too!


After I finally finished decorating my tree after several days of adding ornaments here and there, I sat down on my bed to just take in the view.

The seasonal scents and such that are available during the holidays excite me.
Here is all my pepperminty things with a couple of mom's ornaments from the kitchen.  The little raccoon on the lotion is a different addition.  I like it!

Yummy gingerbread!  I think this scent is my favorite.  I really think that they should come out with a gingerbread lotion!  I would for sure buy it over any of the others.

Snowmen and winter candy apples
Aren't those nail files cute?

This is one of the classic Christmas scents, but it has lasted a long time!  Very popular.  I like the designs with the skis.
MARSHMALLOWS!
Love them(:
The pictures are precious, too.  More that I will keep to add to my collage of course.

New month, new calendar page!
"Jesus said, 'I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.  Do you believe this?'"  John 11:25-26
BEST candle scent I've ever had!  Pumpkin Pecan Waffles.
Tree decorating really puts you in the spirit, but it can also be frustrating!  These hooks are so difficult to separate!

Yay for holiday Build-a-Bears!  (and a few other stuffed animals, too)

Christmas decorating is half the fun.  It really gets me going for the whole season!
December also means the time for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.  The youth group at church started a couple years ago selling mugs, coffee, hot chocolate, cappuccino, and apple cider on Sunday mornings in between services and Sunday Schools to raise money that 100% goes to the offering.  We get donations of the drinks and mixes and cups, which is so kind and helpful.  It's also fun and spirit-filling for us who get to give it out, too!

Yay for the JOY cups!  I had a free medium drink coupon for my birthday from Dunkin Donuts, and it expired on this day, November 30th, but I was not about to let it go to waste!  After church I drove into town and picked up my cup of cheer.


Here's some more things I love to see come out of the cabinet-holiday dishes!

These aren't really holiday I guess, but Target is very holiday, and that is where I got these new snacks!
 
What are some of your favorite things to get you into the Christmas spirit?

Friday, December 19, 2014

Thanksgiving

 
Around Thanksgiving, I remembered that I had written a open about the holiday back several years ago, so I headed to my room to dig around for it. This is what I wrote:

Thanksgiving Day is here, hip-hooray!
Before we feast, let us now our heads and pray
Appreciating every family member and friend. 
The blessings we count go on without end. 
Tables overflowing with food,
Smiles across faces, all are in a good mood. 
Tummies are full and ready to pop
But everyone knows the pie is the cream of the crop. 
Making room for a slice
One bite and you won't even think twice. 
Family from all over uniting,
It's all so exciting!
Remember how lucky you are
To be blessed with so much near and far. 
Take time to thank God with praise so devout. 
This is what Thanksgiving is all about. 
















Yay for pie!  Although this year was quite different from any other Thanksgiving, I still really enjoyed it. I threw together a hodgepodge of leftovers for a small dinner, then had lots of pie!  I also added milk, yogurt, cereal, and pumpkin seeds to give it some umph. 
There is a silly song I heard on the radio once, and I had to go find it online. It's not on iTunes, but the link below will take you to a YouTube version of it. Maybe it will inspire you to eat or make some!  "Sumpkin About Pumpkin Pie"
Thanksgiving is one of those times the comics are especially entertaining. This one relates to me quite well. Yes, I went for a run on Thanksgiving morning, as I have the past two years as well, but I don't need a big food excuse! (Although that is good motivation) I just love to run. So does Frazz. 
Thanksgiving lunch this year was not the norm. Most of my family is getting older and can't travel or open up their home to an entire family anymore, so we were all on our own. Mom woke up at 2:00 with the stomach virus, so she didn't get to celebrate. --Side note: Thanksgiving Break is not a good time for health in my family!  Two years ago, Dad woke up throwing up, last year, just after my race on Saturday I got terribly sick, and this year it's mom!  Looks like Dad will be up again next year. -- Dad signed us up for Thanksgiving lunch at Regency, the retirement village where his mom, my Granannie, lives. We met her there and are in the dining hall. Cafeteria food is a little better on holidays, but it is what it is. The turkey was fantastic, and I are the carrot spice soufflé like dessert!  I got seconds on the meat and thirds of the soufflé and ate half of Dad's too!
This has been a stressful year, but really looking on it, I can't express how blessed I am. I am so fortunate to have this life that I have with such a supportive family, always putting up with me and my crap. 
This is a project we did in my Spanish class last year. I am thankful for hope in Christ!

Dad's work have their entire two plants' workers a coupon for a free turkey at Food City!  I love me some turkey!  Buddy's BBQ will roast and cut up a whole frozen turkey you bring in!  (With a small price). That's what Dad did to get ours, and it was delish!
My seasonal water cup
Snoopy calendar!  It always gives me great pictures to share, send, and post. 
What is a major holiday without watching a Chalrlie Brown movie. 
This is a drawing I made in art class my freshman year that now hangs on my wal year-round. This seemed like a good time to share it. The filling of the letters contains a little bit of many things that are blessings in my life. 
This is a copy of the original picture that I gave to Granannie a couple years ago. 
This one is even from all the way back in middle school. 
I was so excited to have a Thanksgiving animal!  I don't have any socks, but this turkey is even better!  I named him Trot, like a Turkey Trot. I'm still running, so I thought it fit. Charlie and Snoopy are also decorating my cup for the big dinner. 
I gave my secret sister from cross country this decorated container filled with some of her favorite goodies: candy corn, nuts, suckers, and brown sugar!

Now let's do something Thanksgiving is meant for, recalling memories. 

I'll caption these clockwise. 
One if my favorite pictures of myself. That is my cousin Alex's hat. 
My 3 greatest cousins from South Carolina: Peyton, Justin, and Caleb
My turkey toes 
Reading to my young cousin
A day-before-Thanksgiving walk at the park with Frisco and Mom the last time we had good weather
Snapshots from around the farm

The most recent family photo we have
Dad being Dad. I love this one!
Posing by the fence with all the beautiful scenery

A candy turkey my friend's mom made all the way back in 7th grade
Cliche caption-a "poetic" picture of the walk up to my cousin's house
With the cousins at the river and the horses in the grass
Mom's wonderful deviled eggs, even though she doesn't even like them and hates to make them
Beautiful view of the sun starting to go down on the river (which also looks like the beach)


To tie things up for the Thanksgiving in review, you should read this blog post from Ryan & Sara Hall.
 
A key thing to remember to help us be content no matter what is going on in life:  God tells us to "give thanks in all circumstances." (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
This will bring us true joy.
 

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

This, That, and the Other

 
 
So I've had all these pictures saved that I wanted to share, but some of these never really fit a category.  I am really behind on sharing, too, so here is my hodgepodge!
I entered a hashtag contest for Sweet Frog and won!  It was a froyo selfie contest.  After a big win at a cross country race, Mom and Dad took me to get a treat, I sent in the picture, and won a shirt!
Coffee scented candle and pumpkin pecan pie flavored coffee!  The candle is at my house, but the coffee stayed at Cracker Barrell.  Awesome flavor, but too much $$ for the day!
This graham cracker marshmallow scent is fantastic!  It is just like a smore...only purple...and doesn't taste near as good as it smells...not that I ate any.

Look how cute Dad and I were at a race!  We had matching Asics shoes and socks, just in our own color!

There is something about my race day breakfasts that seemed especially appetizing.  I think it was just because it's race day.  The coffee cup added a nice touch.  
Yes, we must have coffee.

I LOVE TARGET!  Mom and I went one Sunday and I came home with all kinds of new goodies.
caramel macchiato yogurt, carrot cake cream cheese yogurt, my favorite Luna bars, new soups to try, fancy yummy popcorn, chocolate cereal and cookie-like things, chocolate coconut protein granola, a new pen, some dollar bin stickers, and two new flavors of candy corn!
This a little glimpse of how my kitchen rolls.

One race that we go to each year always gives free tattoos that our team always grabs a bunch of.
This stuff was SO ADDICTING! 

Gas station coffee getting fancy...

Goofy run the day before region!

Made my day to come upon a surprise picture of me on instagram after a race one Saturday!

I really like turkey sausage better than any sausage.  Coach Owens also introduced me to chicken sausage, and it is wonderful, too!  This brand is Applegate Naturals, who makes all kinds of healthy meats.

Happy Anniversary Peanuts!

Not only is this shirt colorful and reminds me of the beach and warm sunshine, it is a super-soft and comfy shirt!

Heading out for a drive-and-drop (a self-explanatory name, but I will clarify in case.  Farmer and sometimes other drivers load up all the team that is going on this run, drive us to the side of the road somewhere, then drop us off to run back to the park), all the girls crammed inside Farmer's truck and all the guys crammed in the back.  That's around 20 people or so in one truck.  We had a super fun ride this time!  Farmer loves to drive fast and crazy to throw all the guys around back there.  We could hear their hollering!  You can't see from here, but I had to sit in a booster seat! 
Group photo from Bible Study!

Buffets...my favorite

Do you like your coffee strong?

Graphing transformations is not fun, but adding some color helps.

Fleet Feet's Greenville, SC store took a video of me during the Spartanburg race and posted it on their page!  Another course record day!

Our practice attire made a nice little gradient.

Luna smores flavor is another one of my favorites!  Just can't get enough smores!  And look at those fluffy-topped graham crackers back there!  I'm not sure what Luna was doing with this event, but it made a good photo.

I like coordination:  carrot cake yogurt and bar, blueberry smart bar with blueberries, chocolate banana shake and bar

My friend Mattie posted this picture of a coffee cup that she made, and I so want one!  Simple, yet true.

I was nominated on MileSplit for the best performance for opening week big races, and I actually won!  I was so shocked and happy!  Now that she is so well known, I don't think I would outdo Allie Ostrander..

Our first big race of the season was like a reunion from Furman campLogan didn't go to the camp, but I love to see her when I can!

Another HUGE surprise to me!  I was chosen as Running Times's Runner of the Week once in September!  I did an interview over the phone, and they posted a whole article!  Read it if you like(:

Pumpkin pie almonds?  Why thank you secret sister.

Collage from the Spartanburg Eye Opener meet.  The top left was for a photo contest they held there.  Bottom left is an oldie, but for sure goldie, Bill Rogers.

Emily took this picture of us at Spartanburg while we were waiting on the start line.  Chantal and Cherie refused to cooperate, but I am all about being postive on the line!

I agree Garfield, this world is in trouble.

Farmer is notorious for his many uturns on every trip.

What a sweet surprise from my friends up over the hill!

OMG the scents of fall candles!  So many yummies...pumpkin galore, bananan nutmeg bread pudding, butterscotch, and maple popcorn!  Bath & Body Works just has too many scents to decide from!