I'm a runner...now

So some friends of mine, 17 to be exact, talked me into running the 500festival half marathon in Indianapolis on May 8th. So I have started an ease into running program. After my first few runs I came to the conclusion that I needed new running shoes so I went and bought these Nike AirMax Motos.


Well right next to my shoes, was the Nike+. I decided to buy it after hearing alot about it. I figured it was a good idea because after winter when I start running outside, I am going to need something to help monitor my progress as well as pace, miles ran, etc. It is actually a really cool device. Since I had bought the Nike shoes that go with it, I'm able to just stick the sensor down in pocket in the sole of the show and it pings to my ipod where I can see my progress. It is a cool invention. So far I am up to running 2 miles when I go, not bad for just starting out. I am hoping that I keep going with this and make the 1/2 marathon in May a huge accomplishment for myself!

Cancun Mexico 11/27-11/30

Chocolate souffle, grilled chicken, getting hit by a wave & smooches on the beach

View from our room! Dennis taking in the breeze, The Giacominos & Larsons




The Carribean Sea @ it's finest!

Apparently, our blog is long over due for an update. So what better place to start than our venture out of the country to paradise. On Friday November 27th, we flew down to Mexico for our friends Mike & Megan Giacamino's wedding. This is the first vacation we have taken together where we have gone by ourselves, not with family. As you can see from the above pictures, the water was gorgeous! I have never seen the Carribean Sea before. The water was atleast 3 different colors of blue. When arrived in Cancun in the evening. We had a shuttle take us to our hotel, The Grande Oasis Cancun. We checked in, did some star gazing over the ocean (breath-taking) and called it a night. Dennis decided to get sick at the start of our vacation. He went to bed that night with a runny nose & cough, H1N1 in Mexico?

We woke up the next morning to find blue skys and sunshine. We met everyone for breakfast and then headed to the pool for the day. Dennis continued to have his fever and semi runny nose but he didn't let that get him down. After hours at the pool, we decided to go down to the beach and get some good pics by the waves. There were vendors that came walking by and Den bought me a gorgeous silver bracelet. We attempted to get a cool picture out on the rocks with the waves coming close, thinking it would be a great xmas card pic. Right as Dominic went to take the picture, the waves came up higher than they were and got us! It didn't make for a good picture but it didn't make it on this years card. After our beach adventures, we got all fancied up and went to a nice resturant on the resort for dinner. I had this yummy grilled chicken with real sweet potatoes and to die for chocolate souffle for dessert. Dennis had seafood festival and white chocolate soup & coconut ice cream. We slept with our patio door open that night. It was peaceful sleeping to the sound of waves and feeling that warm ocean breeze.

Sunday-Wedding day!! We went to Dos Lunas for breakfast. It was fun watching the birds dive down to the tables when people were done trying to get food. They would dive down and take a ton of sugar packets and then drop them as they were flying away. Dennis and I decided to head downtown and do some shopping after breakfast. I got to use my spanish and ask a lady Tienes un bano? (Do you have a bathroom?) Man, her eyes lit up when I asked her that, I guess she was surprised this white girl spoke spanish. I made Dennis go in the bathroom with me because I didn't know what to expect. There were no toilet seat on the round toilet. Ever tried to hoover over a very round seat? We stopped by a Farmacia to get Den some meds to kick his cold. We got him penicilin, they sell it over the counter there. We then headed back to the resort to soak up some rays. This was the best day, as the sun was out the entire time, no clouds. Then it was time to get ready for the wedding!! We took some pics by the beach and then headed up for the ceremony. It was gorgeous, a little windy but it was a beautiful day. We then went to the reception at a restaurant and had some interesting food.

Monday- I happened to wake up at 5am to go to the bathroom and caught the sunrise, it was breath taking. By the time we got up for breakfast, a storm was rolling in. We walked in the rain to breakfast. I was happy that it stopped raining by the time we were done and we able to get some rays before we had to pack up and catch out flight home. We got some lunch @Dos Lunas before checking out. The garlic bread didn't agree with Dennis, as he lost it in the plants in the middle of the restaurant! We got to the airport to check in and got upgraded to a direct flight that was leaving 2 hours earlier, at no charge! We got our seats, bored the plane and found out we had first class seats in the flight attendants cabin. Our seat laid back all the way and we got pillows and blankets! Guess you can guess what we did for th 3 hours flight home,...yep we slept the whole flight. It was a great vacation and we will definately go back. It was sad to get off the plane and see the temp was only 28 degrees, yikes! Needless to say, I was the next one to get sick the following week we returned from our trip, and I had Dennis to blame!

I'm Thankful for.....

my husband, my friends, my family, good health, being able to own my own home, my loveable dog, my faith in Jesus Christ and my ability to turn anything into something to laugh about, even when it's bad. Oh yea, I am also thankful that Dennis and I are finally taking our honeymoon and that we leave in less than 10 hours for Mexico!!!! Happy Thanksgiving.

Words of Wisdom

Taken from a friends blog....some very true points so I had to share


1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree..
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it..
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful ..
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger...
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now.. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words. 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere..
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

5 días más

Estaremos en Cancun , esta vez la proxima semana. VIVA CANCUN MEXICO
Casi no puedo esperar a que las playas de arena de Pentecostes y 85 grados de tiempo

....until white sandy beaches and 85 degree weather!!!

Friends

These 4 girls are the reason I love my job!!

Turning 25

Tomorrow marks my 1/4 century old birthday. In honor of these glorious 25 years I thought I would make a list of 25 goals for the next 25 year.

1. Go to Europe
2. Start getting together our retirement fund, been slackin!
3. Start a family
4. Learn how to play the piano
5. Join the choir @ church
6. Get into the scriptures more
7. Read more books
8. Laugh more
9. Take time to enjoy the simple things of life
10. Reconnect with my sisters
11. Stop complaining so much
12. Finish my quilt I started almost 2 years ago! (it's almost done, I swear!)
13. Write a book
14. Take dancing lessons
15. Learn Martial Arts
16. Change someones life
17. Smile more
18. Forgive my parents
19. write in my journal more
20. get my Ph.D
21. Start my own business
22. spend more time with friends
23.See the Pacific Ocean
24. Go to Greece & Ireland
25. Be more Christ like.

Happy Halloween...peanut butter jelly style!

Group Pyramid ----->

Costume Winners

That's right! We attended our first ever Halloween Party this year at the Neals. There were 52 couple there, it was a theme party, things that go together and yes we went as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We won third place for best costume. We were beat out by a fly and fly swater and a princess and her frog. We went on a scavanger hunt around Oswego and had an absolute blast! Here is a preview of some of the pictures from the night, still waiting on some more froma friends camera.

Mother Nature...I have a complaint!!

I didn't jump up and down and scream when we didn't get spring.....I might have made a few remarks about the summer we never had but gosh darn it, I am yelling from the roof tops this autumn because we aren't getting a fall!!!!!!! This is my favorite time of year and I have been jipped....I haven't gotten to go to the pumpkin patch, pick apples, play in the leaves or enjoy being outside in jeans and a sweatshirt because the last few weeks have been rainy with a high of 35......What's up with the 'ole Mother Nature dear? How can we go from 80 to 40 overnight? I want my 70's & 60's with the blue skys back.....it's just not fair!!!!!

I am now an ONU Tiger

Today was my first day of Grad School @ Olivet Nazarene University. It will take me 42 weeks to complete the program, I go once a week for 4 hours. I am really hoping this will help me get a reading teacher job next year! I am excited yet nervous to get back in the swing of going to class and doing homework!

Pumpkin Cheesecake and Girlfriends

Last night I had a girls night with Alyse, Lyndsey & Lisa. We went to the Olive Garden for dinner. We pigged out on lasagna frittas, pasta, salad and split pumpkin cheesecake & zippolis for dessert. After dinner, we rolled ourselves out and over to the theater to see Love Happens. Very cute movie, however, a little drug out at some points. It was a great night of lots of laughs, especially when Lisa danced out of the theater and all of our inside jokes. I am blessed with such humorous and loving friends!

Time for a Change

BEFORE

AFTER

4 Years

Today we celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary! I can't believe it's been that long but it's been GREAT! I came home to 2 dozen roses and a BIG HUG!! We celebrated by going to Domo 77 for dinner and then relaxed at home. Now that the first 4 years of eternity are behind us, here's to eternity more!!

I finished it!

It only took me 9 hours but I made my very first bag! I LOVE the pattern and it was so fun to make! Can't wait to make the next one, but I need to finish my quilt first!

What does one do with 15 pounds of free peaches?

CAN THEM OF COURSE!!!

I had my first canning lesson today. My good friend from church, Sylvia came over and helped me whip these beauties up! I can't wait to pop them open and eat them

Oh could it really be?

After 4 years, Dennis and I are finally taking our honeymoon! A friend is getting married in Cancun over Thanksgiving so we decided to go and make it our honeymoon! I am way excited!

A surprise that made my week!!!!

My sister brought Joey up to see us the day I got back from girls camp. They were only here for a short 24 hours but I really enjoyed getting to see him! He has grown so much. He doesn't even look like the same baby I saw last time we were down there. We took him to church with us and he slept almost the entire time. He turns 1 at the end of September and I was curious to see what he weighed so I put him on our scale. That little chunker is 20 pounds already!!

Metcalf 4th of July

Girls Camp 2009

JULY 7-11

Our Stake tried a new camp this year for Girl's Camp. Of course, I was the camp director for our ward again. We went to Camp Shaw-waw-nas-see in Manteno. It was nice because it was only an hour and 15 minute drive from home but it was smaller than Soni Springs in Michigan and it was infeste with scary looking spiders!! Not to mention it rained most of the time we were there or was cloudy. I think we had a day and a half of sunshine. This years theme was Scatter Sunshine (how appropriate for the lack of sunny weather!). During free time on Wednesday, we went to the pool, yea they had a pool, not to mention almost everyone there (minus me) was n a cabin. Jenny and I decided to bring out the 'ole tent and make it a true camping experience. So back to the pool, the water was FREEZING!!! Everyone was trying to puch everyone in. Kim pushed me in and then when Colleen and I tried to get her, she decided to just throw herself in! I pushed Amy in (fully clothed!)Their was a stake kitchen staff that cooked all of our food and it was delicious!
Friday was a littl scary. We got word that there were some pretty strong storms coming in. 70mph winds, quarter size hail and potential tornadoes. Those people who staid in tents decided to either move them under the big pavilion or take them down and move into cabins. Well, Jenny had her certification to do, leaving me to take our tent down, pack and move our stuff up camp to the stake cabin all by myself. After a few pulled shoulder muscles and a dozen bruises, I was up camp just in time to see the sky turn green before the heavens opened and downpoured for an hour. After the storm was over, we heard there was another one coming that would be twice as bad. The leaders all met and figured out if they could get their rides to camp in time to get the girls packed and home safely before the storm hit. It was decided that we were going home. The leaders had a prayer and right as they said amen, President Clark called to say that the storm disappeared. I was glad because Bishops night/Ward testimony night is the best part of camp.
This is what I took home out of camp. No matter how dark and gloomy the world is, it is up to us to scatter sunshine and uplift the world around us.

**Pictures to follow***

Florida Vacation Day 4- Everglades Tour

We took a tour of Everglades Holiday Park before we embarked on our long flight home. We already miss Florida. It's no surprise we want to move there. Dennis asked me while we were there...why do we live in Illions? That's a good question.