So Much To Be Thankful For

Sitting here on my couch with a stomach full of Thanksgiving leftovers, I’m thinking of all of the people & things that I am thankful for. I love holiday weekends because of all of the family time. This was my first Thanksgiving with the Boy and we had a blast combining traditions and kicking off the holiday season together.

As is our Thanksgiving tradition, my dad & I were up bright and early to run in Fast Freddies Five Mile Foot Feast. This is our 10^th year participating. I always do the 5 mile run and my dad normally does the 2 1/2 mile walk. This year, he ran the 5 mile race…and rocked it! I’m so proud of him…pictures are coming soon!

After the race, I went to Huber Thanksgiving at my grandma’s while Justin went to his family Thanksgiving in Bardstown. There is always something exciting at Huber family functions. This year, we played on the monkey bars and took turns riding Kevin’s motorcycle (don’t worry Kevin, it is still in one piece!).

Even Katherine took the bike for a spin!

Justin came up and we had dinner with the Knox side on Thanksgiving night. We played board games until it was time to head out for Black Friday shopping. We must be getting old…or maybe just getting smarter…when we saw the lines to check out, we totally bailed! We did go to Kohls once we had some coffee in our system and snagged some great deals.

Friday night, Justin & I went to Light Up Bardstown with his family. I really can’t think of a word more fitting than “quaint.” There were carolers in front of the courthouse, we had hot cocoa, and Santa was there!

 Saturday night, we went to My Old Kentucky Home (who knew there were so many things to do in Bardstown haha). My Old Kentucky Home is where Stephen Foster wrote the Kentucky state song. We took a candle light tour and then had bourbon cake & hot apple cider while we walked through the old gardens.

To wrap up the holiday weekend, we went to Horseshoe Casino and crashed Justin’s parent’s 30^th Anniversary date. Between the two of us, we only lost $18 on the penny slots. Not bad for 3 hours of gambling :)  I can’t believe the weekend is already over. Once again, Sunday has come around too quickly! Good news is – the Christmas tree is up, Christmas music is playing, and I have Christmas cookies in the oven. 

The holiday season is here!

Tailgating - Power T Style

When The Boy invited me to the UT/Missouri game earlier this year, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. My thought process went as follows: football = tailgate = spinach dip…mmmm I love spinach dip…SURE! The day of the big event finally arrived and to my disdain, there was no spinach dip. There was however, breakfast casserole, chips & salsa, cornhole boards, and beer…lots of beer!

I've been to a few tailgates, but none as awesome as this one. We had a prime spot on top of the parking garage right across from the stadium. It was a little chilly when we got there at 5am (yea…you read that right…CRAZY BOYS!), but it turned out to be a perfect day for football.

We had great seats for the game. This is when it pays to date a Grad Student who gets tickets in the student section…no nosebleeds for us!

Even though UT lost in the 4^th overtime (yes…I actually sat through 4 overtimes), we had a blast.  

  

Fun fact about Neyland Stadium: When full, Neyland Stadium holds enough people to be the third largest city in the state of Tennessee. Also, Peyton Manning played there (SA-WOON!).

Did I mention that we tailgated with the best dressed fan at the game?

Or that I now know all of the words to this song after listening to it on repeat for 12 hours:

On a scale of 1-10, the day was a 16 (which was Peyton's number at UT by the way).

GO VOLS

Fallin' for Fall

I'm currently sitting at the airport, curled up in a seat by the window, drinking a pumpkin spice latte, watching the rain come down. If I were at home, this wold be the perfect day. I'm going to choose to ignore the fact that my flight is delayed and focus instead on the many reasons I love this season.

1. Carving Pumpkins
The weekend before Halloween (another reason to love this season!), The Boy and I went on a hayride to pick pumpkins with friends. We had a blast coming up with ideas, carving our designs, and roasting pumpkin seeds.

2. Crunchy Leaves
Going for a walk in the early morning when the leaves are changing, there's nothing better. All of the colors are beautiful and chances are you'll find a crunchy leaf to step on!

3. Pumpkin
I just recently decided that I love pumpkin - pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin bagels with pumpkin cream cheese, pumpkin rolls and pie! YUM!

4. Hoodies & Boots
Currently the two most valued articles in my closet (suitcase). There is nothing more cozy than an oversized hoodie. I can't help but smirk at the lady sitting across from me in a dress and heels. I bet she's wishing she had remembered to pack a hoodie And boots in her carry on :)

I Am A MARATHONER!

Why yes, that is a finisher’s medal from the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon :) I did it! When I woke up on the morning of the big race, I was a bundle of nerves. I’m so thankful for all of my family members and friends who sent encouraging text messages and Facebook posts last weekend. My favorite was from my brother, reminding me of all of the training that led up to the big day and reminding me that I was ready to run!

“The miracle isn't if you finish, the miracle is that you have the courage to start.” – John Bingham

I’m also glad that my parents and the boy were there to put up with my race day nerves and to meet me along the the course (while it was sleeting) with signs and encouraging words. It really helped, especially during those last few miles!

 

Although I was a little slower than I wanted to be, it is still a PR and I am so glad I did it. Crossing the finish line was the best feeling ever. As for running another marathon? I’m undecided. There are a few destination marathons on my list, that if the timing was right, I wouldn't say no to.

I also wouldn't say no to the lazy Sunday that comes after marathon day! Justin and I barely moved off the couch and it was fabulous. I don’t get many of those days. Apparently, it takes running a marathon to get me to sit down and relax :) I did stand up long enough to make the best pot of Cheesy Potato Soup of all time. It’s the perfect soup to enjoy while watching hours and hours of football (Justin had control of the remote…my choice would have been Grey’s Anatomy reruns!).

Here’s what you need:

6 Potatoes, peeled & Cubed

1 onion, chopped

1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup

12 oz of Velveeta cheese, cubed

2 tbsp of butter

1/2 tsp of garlic salt

1/8 tsp of pepper

5 cups of water

2 cups of milk

Here’s what you do:

In a large pot, saute the onion in butter

Add potatoes & water

Bring to a boil

Reduce heat, cover & simmer until potatoes are tender

Stir in the milk, soup, garlic salt, and pepper

Add cheese & stir until melted

ENJOY!

This is Justin's bowl...he likes a little soup with his pepper :)