Sunday, November 28, 2010

Thanksgiving

As you know, I signed up for the Centreville 5K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning with my co-workers, Sandra & Lisa. Unfortunately, Lisa hurt her back a month or so before race day so she wasn't able to run with us. :o( S & I had a hurt knee & a hurt ankle but we decided to run anyway & just do the best we could; our main goal was to just finish, we weren't really worried about the time. I arrived a few minutes before S & S did so I decided to pick up all of our stuff so they wouldn't have to wait in line, it was totally packed & freezing. It had rained the night before so everything was still wet. After we got our gear on, we walked over to the runners section & waited for the race to start. When we crossed the start line, we were packed in like sardines. From past experience, I figured people would spread out eventually as the race proceeded but we were all pretty close together most of the time; you definitely had to watch out for people cutting in front of you, people stopping to walk that were running in front of you & little kids that were running with their parents; you were basically dodging people the entire time. Thankfully, my ankle did not start to hurt until just before the 3 mile marker; I then started to get that toothache feeling, throbbing, but towards the end of the race, the sharp pains kicked in. It didn't help that I didn't really eat anything before the race so by the 2 mile marker I was hungry. Somewhere in the first mile we lost Santiago so it was just S & I running together. As we approached the finish line, we did pick up our pace a little but with my hunger & ankle pain, it definitely wasn't a sprint. As we crossed, I told S that I felt like I was going to throw up & she said, "I don't know if I'm going to throw up or cry." I started laughing. As we waited for Santiago, we waited by their car & drank some Gatorade & my nausea went away. Once Santiago met up with us, we had tried to go back to the Community Center to get a snack & listen to the awards but it was just a sea of people & we decided to just go home. Here is a photo I took of the two love birds walking back to their car: They were holding hands. :o)

Once the race results were posted online I was able to look up our times. I had worn my watch during the race & tried to keep track of our pace & our time once we crossed the finish line & my watch said: 31:26. I did have some problems starting it once we crossed the start line & I completely forgot to stop it once we crossed the finish line. But here are our times which were tracked by the device that we put on our shoes:

1730 625 Danielle C., F Sterling VA (time) 30:29.72 (pace) 9:49

1724 2099 Sandra L., F Manassas VA (time) 30:28.40 (pace) 9:49

1787 2975 Santiago S., M Manassas VA (time) 30:45.68 (pace) 9:55


After I got home, I packed Lexi & I for our short trip to WV. We left the house at Noon & arrived at my in-laws at 1:45 p.m. Our Thanksgiving dinner consisted of: Dan, Me, Lexi, Tom, Kristen, Jackson, Rylee, Kelly, Aurie, Glenn, Arden, Skylar, Vicki & Don. We usually have more family members with us but since Dan's Mom has been under the weather for several weeks, we tried to keep it small. In order to keep Vicki out of the kitchen & in rest mode, Don made the decision to have our Thanksgiving dinner catered. While we were hanging out & waiting for dinner to be ready, I gave my camera to Arden & Skylar so they could take pictures. Here is what I ended up with: Dan & Don (he looked very spiffy with his leather vest & matching cowboy boots)
Arden
Me (I have no idea)
Dan playing with JT...
Skylar
Lexi watching JT play
Arden, Lexi & I
Tom & Rylee - caught by surprise
Kelly
JT cheesin' Rylee sporting my bracelet - she loved the sparkles & even tried to eat it Skylar & Kelly Lexi - she was such a good girl during our visit Rylee & I Skylar - LOL Skylar & I
We had a great time seeing the family & getting to spend the holiday together. We hope all of you were surrounded by friends & family & had a Happy Thanksgiving. :o)

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Lexi's Birthday Post

Our pretty girl turned 4 years old on November 17th. Yes, in my last Updates post I said her birthday was on the 8th & I was wrong. I don't know where I got the 8th from but I'm glad I was wrong because I was feeling terrible the last several days for not celebrating by baking her birthday cake. We were able to celebrate today though! On Saturday afternoon Dan & I went to Wegman's & picked up the ingredients for her cake. This morning we took her to Petco so we could get her a toy & they ended up having a deal, 2 for $5, so we got her a red crab (Dan picked that one out) & a monkey that is wearing pj's (my pick). We also looked at some of their coats because she is in need of one this year; I found a cute pink one that has ruffles & zips up the back, no velcro - thank the Lord, but we decided to wait until the weather gets a little colder before we buy one. Here is a photo I took after we cut all the tags off of her toys: She was very excited & even started shaking the crap out of the crab after I took this picture. To our sweet Lexi (aka, Winker, Stink, Frenchie, Lexers): You have the cutest personality & we love you very much. You make us laugh constantly & even though your barking is like a piercing scream, we wouldn't trade you for anything. Your begging, at times, can be very frustrating but the way you pull the tablecloth with your teeth to get our attention is hysterical. You mostly like to beg from Grammie because she loves giving you treats: You usually don't like to get your picture taken but you humor me when I'm in one of my camera happy moods: You love to run around in the snow - but after several minutes your little paws get cold & I have to stuff you in my jacket to keep you warm. One of your favorite things to do is snuggle, you are the epitome of a lap dog & we love that about you. You bring so much joy into our lives that we just wouldn't be the same without you.
Love, Mommy & Daddy

Now that it is dark by the time I get home, Lexi & I have been going down in the basement to have play time. Here is a video I took of us having fun:


Happy Birthday to our Lexipoo!

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Staff Appreciation Week

Yes, I said Staff Appreciation WEEK. I found out about a month after I started working at DLF that they do this every year & it was last week. So here's what we got...

During our Monday morning meeting Nancy passed out flyers that showed the schedule:

Monday was our staff luncheon which was at Ozzie's in Fairfax Corner. We closed the office from Noon to 2:00 p.m. & carpooled over. Since they didn't have enough space to accommodate us all at one table, the assistants/secretaries sat together - Leesie, Cami, Sandra Lue, Katie & myself. At a large booth across from us sat the attorneys & office administrators - David, Adam, Peter, Alanna, Nancy & Anne. We all ordered salads to start off, I opted for the caeser salad & got their cheese burger for my entree (yes, I ordered a cheese burger at an Italian restaurant; believe me I got crap for it, but nothing else sounded good at the time). We, of course, ordered dessert. We got 2 & shared: the pecan cheesecake & chocolate waffle. They were both so yummy. I had promised myself before leaving for the luncheon that I was not going to stuff my face until I was so full that I couldn't move, unfortunately, that did not happen & I felt sick the rest of the afternoon. :o(

Tuesday we received a gift card to Wegman's for $25.00. For those of you that do not live in the Northern Virginia area, it is the best grocery store I have ever been to.

Wednesday we received another gift card but this one was to the Fair Oaks Mall for $30.00. The mall is just down the street from our office building. The chance to shop is always a great gift. :o)

Thursday was chair massages from Melissa Brooks of SpartaWorks in Gainesville, MD. She came to our office & set up in one of our conference rooms & we each got a 15 minute chair massage. She does more of the Thai style which incorporates a lot of stretching. I have never had a chair massage but I really liked it & I was so sore from taking a BodyCombat class that Monday so she really worked out a lot of my soreness. She gave me her business card afterwards & I found out that she was booked 2 months out so she is extremely busy. The Thai massage is something I know Dan would love because he would never go to get an aromatherapy or hot stone massage - this is more for athletes.

Friday we were given gifts from David & Nancy who got back from Italy a few weeks before our Staff Appreciation Week. They brought all the girls back leather purses & here is a photo of the one that I got: That was so sweet of them & the smell of the leather is wonderful. :o)
After work last Friday, Sandra Lue & I decided to spend our Fair Oaks Mall gift card & meet the guys (Santiago & Dan) for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory which was inside the mall. I got some cute lip glosses & eye shadow at Victoria's Secret & also bought a set of makeup brushes at Sephora. Dinner was great & here's a photo that I asked our server to take: I love them.

So last week was great & we felt very appreciated. I even told Nancy that I was feeling very spoiled & she replied with, "well good, that's the whole point." During our week of pampering, I also had my 6 month review on the 10th. First I would like to say that it is so nice to have a review that is automatically scheduled. At my last office I would have to schedule it myself & then it would be pushed back because my old boss would tell me that something came up & I would need to reschedule; he would schedule a meeting during that time & it would be pushed back again; he was too busy to have my review that day & it would be rescheduled again. Needless to say, I wouldn't get my review until several months after the actual due date. So my review went very well & I got some great feedback from the group that I met with. I even got a little extra something a year if you know what I mean. :o) Have I mentioned recently that I love my job?

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

A Night At Eden

On Saturday, November 6th, Dan & I went to Ashley's 29th birthday party in Arlington/D.C. This was the party that Dan & I weren't sure we were going to go to earlier that week because the party started so late & we were feeling old. But we decided that day that we were going to go & that it would be a lot of fun. We were right, it was fun. The pregame party at Ashley's friend Katie's house started at 8:30 p.m. so we arrived around that time & as we were trying to find Katie's apartment, we ran into a guy that had just bought a Bernese Mountain puppy that morning; he had just taken him outside to go potty & we got to pet him & say hi. The puppy's name was Thatcher (adorable) & he was so cute with that puppy breath; he even chewed on my hair for a little bit. :o) If you don't know what a Bernese Mountain dog is, here's a photo I found online: Apparently this new owner was having problems with Thatcher listening to him & every time he would say, "come on buddy, let's go home," Thatcher would sit down in the hallway & refuse to move. LOL. Every time someone new entered the building, he would walk over to them & get petted. He was so sweet, I didn't want to leave him.

We finally made it up to Katie's apartment & started the pregaming. I had brought a bottle of Pinot Grigio with me so I opened that & everyone decided to play King's which is a drinking card game. I had never played it or even heard of it so I was trying to learn as we went & I was completely terrible. Each time it was my turn I would have to ask what was going on or what question I was suppose to answer, etc. Here is a blurry photo that Dan took of us playing: We stayed at Katie's until about 10:30 p.m. & then headed to D.C. by cab. By the time we left for Eden, I was completely tipsy. Right before we left Dan took this photo of us: Once we got to Eden, I continued with the white wine & Dan & I decided to hit the dance floor. Now I have always loved to be dipped while we're dancing, don't ask me why, I just love it. So a couple times Dan humored me & dipped me while I was holding my glass of wine & as you can guess, most of it ended up in my hair. Thankfully, it was white & not red wine. Dan & I left the club around 12:30 a.m. & the only part of our trip home that I remember is peeing in a bathroom at a gas station & running, drunkily, to Phoebe with Dan laughing behind me. When I woke up the next morning, I still had all of my makeup on & my wine scented hair was all over my face & it smelled awful. Dan wasn't able to drink because he was the DD but he said he had fun just watching me & lord knows I had a great time.

Ashley - thanks for inviting us to celebrate your birthday with you! We hope you had as much fun as we did. Love ya! :o)

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Updates: School, Phoebe, Shoes!, Etc.

I haven't posted in a while & that's because things have been so busy lately & I just haven't had the time. Here are some updates...

School - Dan decided several months ago that he was going to go back to school & get his master's degree. He enrolled in an online 18 month program & passed his first class (with an A) & he is now taking his second class. I am extremely proud of him & even though he says he's "doing it for us," I know this degree will open doors for him in the future. I love you babe.

Phoebe - I have had my car for 5 months now & I have noticed a few things that I didn't mention in my last VW Love post. (1) I am in love with my heated seats. Now that the Fall weather is here, I love leaving for work in the morning & driving with them on. I rarely turn the heater on anymore; I just sit there & enjoy my commute with my back, butt & thighs all nice & toasty. (2) Fellow Beetle drivers wave at other Beetle drivers. Each time I have encountered another Beetle while driving they have waved or said hi to me & I have actually kept this going now that I have Phoebe. (3) Beetles flock together. The last couple times that I have gone to Wegman's, Target, etc. I have walked out of the store & found another Beetle parked by me. This was taken one night outside of Target. Can you tell which one is Phoebe? :o)

Shoes! - Earlier this week Dan & I went to Dick's & bought me some new running shoes. Since my previous running shoes were falling apart & at least 2 years old, I was in dire need. While we were there, Dan had me try on a similar pair that he purchased a few weeks earlier but I wasn't too thrilled about because they only came in blues & greens (so not girlie). While we were looking around, I spotted a pink pair of Asics; as I was reaching for them Dan commented, "of course you would pick the most expensive shoes here." What can I say, I have expensive taste. I fell in love with them as soon as I tried them on & even did a little running action around the store. As we were approaching the cashier, Dan said, "you know I was in here a few weeks ago & tried on the most expensive shoes but decided against it because I felt bad spending that much money on myself, but you are showing no remorse whatsoever." LOL. :o) Here is a photo of my new shoes: Super cute, right? And they are sooo comfy.

Herndon Homecoming - I had planned on writing a separate post for the Homecoming game but since the coaches are going to erase this year's season from the record books, I decided to just share the pics I took from that day. Herndon's new turf field.
Arden & Skylar playing their own game of football.
Dan doing his thing.
JT with Aunt Kelly.

Sprained Ankle - Unfortunately, I am still having problems with my ankle. I definitely started running too soon after my injury. I decided to take last week off but still do cardio to keep my endurance up, i.e. biking, ellyptical, walking, etc. I tried a 20 minute run last week & did pretty well. I had no ankle pain, just some stiffness. When I got home & took my shoe off it was like I had a golf ball on the side of my ankle. Dan yelled at me & I soaked it in an Epsom salt bath before going to bed & keeping it elevated. It was still sore the next day so I have decided to do mostly cross training & then do a 30 minute run once a week until the Turkey Trot 5K Race is over. I then plan to go to the doctor & get it checked out.

GEICO Commercial - If you have not seen this you are really missing out. I saw it last week for the first time & I was laughing so hard I was crying. I think it is hysterical:

LOL! Those windmills are just too funny. I love it!

Lexi - Our little stink turned 4 on November 8th. Since Dan & I went & partied our butts off in D.C. that weekend, I was still recovering & wasn't able to make her a birthday cake. :o( I plan on baking it this weekend so her birthday post will follow.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Birthdays!

October was a crazy month of birthdays for Dan & I but we were excited that we got to celebrate with everyone.

On September 27th, my co-worker/friend, Leesie, celebrated her birthday. I had made her a birthday sign over the weekend & hung it up in her office before she got to work that day. Here is a photo I took of her standing next to her sign: She kept it up all week. :o) I also got her the lilies that are in the background.

Our neighbors, The Brownstein’s, celebrated their son, Finley’s, 1st birthday on October 2, 2010, & they were kind enough to invite us over to celebrate with them. He had a Cat In The Hat themed party & it was extremely cute. Here is a photo of him after he (with a little help from his sister, Audrey) opened the present that we got him: So sweet.

My other co-worker/friend, Cami, celebrated her birthday on October 10th. Since that was a Sunday, I bought her some yellow lilies but wasn’t able to take a picture with her before they wilted. :o( I’ll remember next year.

October 29th was Sandra Lue's birthday & we were able to celebrate after work with another happy hour. I let our server know that it was her birthday so they brought us a yummy dessert & she blew out her candle: We were also able to get a group shot: Left to Right: Me, Cami, Sandra Lue, Leesie & Kiley

Dan & I's friend Ashley celebrated her birthday with a small get together on Halloween; her birthday was October 30th. Her actual party is this Saturday at Eden in D.C. Dan & I are planning on going to the pregame party but we'll wait & see if we actually make it to Eden. Here are the few pictures that I took: Ash & Lindsay
Singing Happy Birthday

We hope everyone enjoyed their birthdays & to end this post, I'll leave you with a quote from Jessica Simpson, “I love birthdays!...Especially mine.” :o)
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