Thankful Thursday

It's been a while! Let's get after it...

1. I'm thankful for the awesome evening I had with my sister and dad last night! They came over and hung out for a while and we ate homemade spaghetti with meatballs and asparagus and popsicles. It was so fun to cook for someone else and even more fun to spend some time with two people I love so much!
2. Wine was on sale at the grocery store! Plus a few other things I haven't bought in quite some time. Yay, sales! Yay, having food in the house! Yay, stocked pantry!
3. My parents are being awesome and taking care of Bailey this weekend so I can volunteer at a friend's work event. I'm thankful for that two-fold: firstly because I have someone I can trust who is willing and happy to look after my fur baby and second because I get to volunteer and help a friend out and nothing feels better than doing something for someone else!
4. I'm thankful for running.
5. I'm thankful for my dad's carpentry skills.
6. I'm thankful for smoothies!
7. Warm weather and sunshine! It finally hit 90 degrees here yesterday and (as strange as it may sound to some of you) I was thrilled!
8. I'm thankful for my friends and group text messages, emails and facebook messages.
9. I'm thankful to have two weekends that I am spending in Atlanta. Lately, it feels like I've gone out of town nearly every weekend. I really need some time at home to work on things at my apartment, do laundry, get back on track with running and working out and see my friends and I finally have it! Thanks to my final thing...
10. Parties! I've got several engagement and bridal showers to attend over the next two weekends as well as the event I'm volunteering at. I love low-key evenings with my friends, but sometimes it is fun to have something a little more exciting to do! These parties are just the ticket and I can't wait! Plus, I'm going to get to see a lot of my friends that I haven't seen in quite some time, so I am definitely ready for that. Yay!

Before you go, tell me... What are you thankful for this Thursday?

Happenings

Somehow another week and a half has practically passed since I last blogged... Some days I don't blog because I feel like I have nothing to say; others it is because I am too busy at work. Despite not having class in the evenings right now, things have been a bit crazy.


This post is going to be littered with Bailey pictures because... well, just because

How have y'all been?? Please update me! I feel like I've lost touch a bit recently and I'm sorry for that!

The weather has finally become a bit more normal here in Atlanta and I am thrilled. Summer is by far my favorite season. (I know... technically it is still spring... but as soon as I have to start shaving my legs again we can wear shorts and dresses again, I consider it Summer). I love being outside, soaking up the sunshine, going to the lake, swimming, going to the beach, sweating (seriously), sundresses, patio dining, excuses to stalk my friends with backyards, festivals, all the birthdays, the food... everything about Summer is perfect. I don't even care that it gets to be nearly 100 degrees and is humid as all get out down here. To me, that's just more reason to drink cold beverages, goof off, get in the water and have fun.

Post-bath Bailey... She likes the water more than her face reveals

Bails finally turned 8 months old and we've started practicing running! She is slowly getting the hang of it and building up her endurance. And I'm building mine back up right along with her! So far, we've made it about 1.75 miles before she wears out. Hills aren't her favorite, but I feel certain she will get use to them soon. I'm proud of her progress! We've tried out a few different leashes and harnesses to see what would work best and I *think* we've found the winning combination.

Getting back to running a few times a week has made me feel like my "old" (pre-school) self again. The other night as I spoke with my new massage therapist, she reminded me that it is vitally important for us to make time for ourselves. Before I started school, the time I made for myself was the time I spent running. I used that time to think, clear my head, challenge myself and prove to myself that I was strong and able to do anything I set my mind to.

Since we last caught up, I've spent time with both of my grandmothers, time down at our lake house, celebrated Mother's Day with the most wonderful women, spent some quality time with my dad, had a massage, gone to the gym, worked on training with Bails, made the Pioneer Woman's Best Ever Chocolate Sheet Cake for my co-workers, read several books and concentrated on my job a lot. I'd say I checked most of the things off my "Week in Preview" list! I've still got to get my nails done, work on my sleep schedule and get back in the kitchen cooking healthy meals for myself. And lots of cleaning and organizing to do as well...

All in all, things are good!

Thanks to each of you for your patience... I hate that my blogging schedule has gotten totally off lately, but I will be back to the regular schedule soon I hope!

Til next time, tell me... what have you been up to lately?

Week in Pre-view

Isn't it funny how life seems to take care of you just when you really, truly need it the most?

By the time Friday rolled around last week, I was three shades of exhausted. The last little bit of energy I had was dedicated to finishing my final exams successfully and then finishing out the week strong at my job.

Normally May means flowers, bright sunshine and warm weather. However, this past weekend in Atlanta was cold, dreary and rainy. Very, very rainy. It was just what I needed to rejuvinate.

See, when it is warm and beautiful outside, I can't help but go out there and enjoy it. I feel guilty if I stay in when the weather is so inviting. God was looking after me and provided one of the rainest weekends we have probably ever had here in Atlanta just when I needed it. Because if it had been beautiful outside, I never would have gotten that rest.

I slept for 10.5 hours Friday night and then took a three hour nap on Saturday. Bails and I played inside and of course braved the rain several times for potty breaks, but we were mostly horizontal the entire day. And I didn't feel guilty about it one bit.

Sunday, my wonderful sister and I went down and visited with my beautiful Granny. Next weekend, I get to spend time with my parents and see my other grandmother.

Since y'all already know what happened for me last week, I thought my "Week in Review" could take a page out of Allie's book and become a "Week in Preview."

My plans for this week (really the next month) include:

- Spending quality time with friends and family
- Getting back in the gym
- Spending ample time on training with Bails
- Cooking
- Cleaning/organizing
- Catching up on sleep / getting my bedtime routine back on track
- Reading for fun
- Devoting extra attention to my job
- Getting my nails done
- Getting a massage

I'm tempted to spend all my free time preparing for when school starts up again and taking care of this and that (that got pushed back because I had to concentrate on school), but I know I've got to take some of this time and use it for me. I've got to let some of the responsibilities fall lower on my priority list. They'll be there waiting tomorrow. 

Before you go, tell me:
What do you do when you find you've got extra time on your hands? 

Big thanks to Meghan for hosting the Week in Review link up! Y'all head on over and see what everyone else has been up to!

Thankful Thursday

WHEW! Somehow my first semester of MBA school has passed and I survived. My grades aren't scheduled to be released until around May 10th, so I don't have any news on that front for y'all, but I survived. And now I have an entire month to enjoy school-free! I cannot even begin to express how thrilled I am that I opted out of a Maymester course. These next few weeks are going to be such a blessing!

I really missed reading all of your posts, blogging and communicating with y'all while I was away, but I am so thankful I took the time off and focused on my schoolwork and job. They absolutely needed my full attention, so I appreciate all the support you gave when I announced that I'd be away for a bit. Now, I'm back and not planning on going anywhere for a while!

There is no better way (in my eyes) to get back to blogging than with a Thankful Thursday post, so here we go!

1. I'm thankful for this break from school. My body, mind and life need it! 
2. I'm thankful I survived my first semester! If I can get through these core classes, I really believe I can get through the rest of the courses required to earn my degree. Just a few more core classes to go!
3. I'm beyond thankful for my family. We've gone through a lot together lately and have all remained strong thanks to one another. Each of them has my heart and love to the fullest and I could not be more thankful for them. 
4. Yesterday, I was talking to my sweet, wonderful Granny, and she mentioned how thankful she was that I have Bailey in my life. I couldn't have agreed with her more. That little ball of fluff is such a joy and I love her to the ends of the earth and back. She wakes me up with a smile each morning, keeps me company, entertains me, is constantly making me laugh and keeps me active. And she does so much more. So, as always, I am thankful for the crazy furball that is Bails.
   
   
    
   
   
   
    
   
   
   
    
5. I'm thankful for reading for leisure. I actually picked up a book last night that I've been wanting to read. There is such a huge difference in reading because you want to and reading because you have to. Don't get me wrong- I enjoy the case studies in my classes to a certain extent, but they don't compare to the escape a good novel provides. Who needs TV? Not I.
6. I'm thankful for running. And boy howdy do I need to get a move on because I just realized the Peachtree 10K is in nine weeks... leggo
   
   
7. I'm thankful for yummy veggies! Baby zucchini is so delicious! Grated into cheesy rice, sliced and grilled with oregano, nooch and black pepper... so, so tasty!
   
8. On the food note, I'm thankful that Trader Joes has tasty sushi...
   
9. And for bananas smothered in peanut butter
   
10. I'm thankful for dinner dates with my friends... and the chance to see old friends from out of town unexpectedly... and the fact that even though it's been a while, it feels as though no time has passed.
    
11. Last, but not least, thankful for this yoda dog I am. So cute, he is!

Happy Thursday everyone! I can't wait to catch up on all of your posts that I missed over the past week and also can't wait to hear what you're thankful for this Thursday. Tell me! 

Taking a Break

Hey guys...

It's crunch time for school, and as such, of course everything else in life has gotten hectic. As a result, I'll be taking a break from blogging and reading blogs at least until next Wednesday. I love each of you and will be back as soon as I possibly can, but something's got to give right now and unfortunately, blogging is it.

Ciao (for now)