Downton Obsession

Image Link

It's Friday, and I'm pumped for the weekend for a few reasons.

1. We got the keys to our new place today! We'll be taking E to visit the inside for the first time later today. He's seen the outside but has yet to lay eyes on his room. I am so ready for his excitement.

2. We're attending a gender reveal party for some friends on Saturday. I'll admit, I've been skeptical about the whole idea of gender reveal, but I am super-excited to see them find out if they're having a boy or girl.

3. I have a girl's night dinner with my friends, Anna and Melody, at Deejai! I love their Thai food. I am waiting patiently and skipping any kind of afternoon snack so I'll be fully hungry later.

4. Last, but certainly not least, I cannot wait for another chapter to unfold in Downton Abbey. My dad told us about the show after the first episode. As always, he was right, and we were immediately hooked. Many of our male friends picked on Tyler for his choice in TV shows saying he wasn't manly enough, but surprise, surprise, lately they are more obsessed with it than Tyler. Tyler does have impeccable taste.

Love this blazer and denim look

If I'm ever in Miami and have loads of money to spend, I may stay in this hotel for it's eccentric and chic decor.

Once we get moved in to the new place, I may make these scones as our Saturday morning treat.

I hope your weekend has rest and relaxation in-store.

It's Official...

We're moving!

Our New Place

After almost two years on Willoughby St., we are saying goodbye to our current home, our kitchen, our neighborhood, and moving across Uptown to Biddleville!

10 Perks of Our New Place:
1. Star mounted on the front porch
2. Fenced in Yard with a deck
3. 3-bedrooms
4. Alarm System
5. Larger Kitchen with full-sized appliances
6. Larger Bathroom
7. Flat Screen TV Mount for our grande Christmas Present (we've just got to get Netflix hooked up!)
8. Driveway to park cars (No more street parking!)
9. E's bedroom is a refinished attic - he's got the lofted big-boy room. Tyler and I are both a little jealous
10. We've got friends next door, across the street, down the street, and down the street and around the corner - Insta-Community!

10 Things We'll Miss:
1. Our first home together as a married couple
2. Walking to Starbucks
3. The huge attic door in my closet
4. Our neighbor Ken, our neighbor Anna
5. Davidson, Mowbry, and Fisher - E's friends
6. TV Shows and movies on the iMac
7. Our mail slot
8. Tyler and E walking to work/school
9. Late night Laurel Market trips and their amazing breakfast/lunch deli
10. Linen Closet Space

Needless to say, we'll spend the next few weeks packing, taking pictures of Willoughby St, and enjoying final memories in one house while preparing for the next era of life.

Let's Look Each Other in the Face

1st Anniversary - June 11, 2012

Many days can go by without me looking Tyler in the face. Oh sure, I glance at him. I watch him talk and interact with other people. I see his smiles, furrowed brows, puzzling tilt of the head, chuckles, and fear.

But sometimes this isn't enough. I have to stop Tyler while he's washing dishes or editing photos. I must pause Netflix and just look him in the eye. I need to put my face close enough to see the flecks of color, the true state of the soul. It's so easy to merely coexist and kind of be excited for someone's joy, but I need to feel the same emotions, the same moments, the same elements of life my husband experiences.

We do this not only with the people we love, but with everyone else we encounter. So rarely do we take the step to look at someone's heart, to look in their eyes, probably because it scares us that we will open up our hearts to pain and rejection if we chance to care. It's just easy to keep going.

Recently, I had a conversation with a great friend. I said, "Hey. How are you?"

She said, "I'm really kind of tired and frustrated."

I said, "Good."

She did a double-take, and I realized I wasn't even listening to what she said. And I really count her as one of my true friends. Of course, there were 15 other people in the house creating quite a ruckus, but I still didn't look her in the face, listen, discern, understand what and how she was experiencing life. I'm so thankful she is understanding of my short-comings.

Let's look each other in the face. Let's care about how another's soul feels, the state it's in, the pains, and murmurings of the heart. We may have to risk being hurt, but we experience so much more joy together even amidst any pain. Like the Jack Johnson (am I really quoting him?) lyrics say, "it's always better when we're together." Togetherness makes for more joy in life.

Obsessed with this song.

Some Jingle Bells for everyone's holiday season.

A Pumpkin Carver is Born

This post is a bit late, but I thought it was notable enough to have a belated appearance.

Last week, Tyler carved his first pumpkin ever. And in typical Tyler-style, he went all out.

The design? R2-D2. It was perfect. Tyler and Ethan decided to carve inside because it was rainy and cold, not to mention dark, when they finally got around to carving.

"The first cut is the deepest..." - Cat Stevens

Gooey Hands

Using a spoon to get the guts out.

A new adventure

While the boys worked on the pumpkin, I made German Hot Chocolate with almond milk (for Ethan's sake). It was delicious.

Trinkschokolade

Our friend, Joseph, came over to help. His artistic expertise was greatly valued. When Tyler realized he bit off more than he could chew, Joseph was there to help. It was a really difficult pattern and Ethan couldn't do too much.

Many minds necessary for pumpkin perfection

The finished product. Amazed.

I also scooped out the pumpkin seeds and followed this recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Seeds. Tyler's response: "I should have carved the second pumpkin so you could make more."

Oven-Roasted Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

The Red Ninja Halloween

A few months ago, E came downstairs with his LEGO red ninja and said, "This is what I want to be for Halloween."

My response? "Ok. We will figure out how to make this happen."

So, as I posted before, I decided to buy a pajama pattern. However, I ended up not having time to make the costume because the day I had free for it was dedicated to making this Owl cake for a friend's baby shower. So Tyler and my mom took over. The results were some great pants made by Tyler and the rest of the outfit created by my mom. Thanks Nana. We could not have made it without you. E was definitely an amazing, stealthy ninja.

I've included some images below of our Halloween extravaganza. We went over to our neighbor's house and then to the neighborhood park for a dinner and parade. I also threw a picture of Tyler in for good measure. I caught the image after he posed with E. They are both such handsome fellows.

I Ran a Half-Marathon!!

The wait is over.

I was supposed to smile. I forgot.

I ran a half-marathon with a time of 2:15:45. As it was my first half, I was ok with just finishing.

The morning was perfect for running. I couldn't have asked for better weather. It was overcast and in the low to mid-sixties while we were running. As glorious as sunshine is on a regular day, it would have been much more difficult if the temperature had been up several degrees.

Tyler and West didn't run, but met Faith, Anna Gail, and myself at the 4 mile mark, the 9ish mile mark, and the finish line in Fluor Field. They flashed their cameras and took quite a few pictures.

Anna Jamming to Her Tunes

Faith - More than Halfway

I loved the adrenaline at the starting line and the sheer number of people ready to run. I even saw my sister's college roommate in the line up. I know several people who were there but never saw because that stadium was packed out.

The best part of the race was the last mile or so. As we came back into the city, there were more and more people watching and cheering. I felt so encouraged by people who I did not know. They kept yelling for all of the runners. I even had one man tell me I looked great and to keep going. I'm sure I looked as though I was about to die, and he felt obligated to keep me alive at least long enough for me to make it around the next turn. But, it was still encouraging to hear.

Last Moments of the Race

After we circled around the stadium at the end, the runners ran onto Flour Field, around the edge and across the finish line near home base. As we ran into the stadium, a man called our names over the loud speaker. It was as if I was in the Olympics or something (this is definitely the closest feeling I will ever have to being in the Olympics). I could hear the crowd, my name over the speaker, and I was instantly covered in goosebumps, sprinting with renewed energy towards the finish line. Any pain I felt was suddenly gone from my body. It was a great moment in life and really truly reminded me of Hebrews 12:1-2, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who fo rhte joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." I felt as though I was completing that race, not that I was going to die, but that I was finishing something so hard and anticipated. I cannot imagine the immense joy I will feel on that final day.

Tyler captured some great images of people running and even the marathon winner crossing the finish line, acting like it was nobody's business. We saw him afterwards while he was loading up on fruits and carbs. I can't comprehend the energy he burned.

Michael Dwomoh - 2012 Spinx Marathon Winner

Runners

On the walk back to Faith and West's (they live so close to town we could just hop on the Swamp-Rabbit Trail and walk to their house in a jiffy), we found a perfect fall tree and celebrated our victory with a leaf dance and photo session.

Love These Girls 

Tyler and West Do a Leaf Dance

While it ultimately may be too ambitious, I'd like to make the half-marathon a yearly goal.

We did it.

Weekend Wonders - Faith, West, and Anna

Oh the joy of true friends.

This past weekend, Tyler and I traveled to Greenville, SC to visit the lovely Jones family and Miss Anna Gail Hastings. We also went for me to run this half-marathon, but that was a minor detail.

Such a lovely, serious couple (Don't you love their green walls?).

Friday night's feast before the run consisted of delicious foods Faith and I made while the boys played music and talked. Those guys. It had been over an hour of solid cooking when we finally sat down, but Tyler asked when we had possibly found time to make all of the food from scratch. 

For dinner, Faith and I made this cauliflower soup. It really was pretty easy. One Tip: We used an immersion blender instead of emptying the soup out and blending it. It was much easier this way because we didn't have to deal with piping hot cauliflower.

Roasted Cauliflower for Garnish

Soup is Served!

My favorite thing about this recipe was using the chive oil Faith made, which was really fun to drizzle on top. It was definitely hard to make a straight line, and most of our bowls ended up with polka dots of chive oil. Yes, I know. She made chive oil. Faith goes all out for visitors.

To accompany our soup, we also made these Cheddar-Chive Scones. They were amazing. I do believe I ate more of my scone than anyone else. But it's ok, because I ran a half-marathon the next day. That's what I kept telling myself.

Kneading the Dough with Bad Posture.

Finished Product

For dessert, Faith whipped up some crock-pot apples. She cored the apples and filled them with brown sugar, cinnamon, and some butter. Then she cooked them in the crock pot for a few hours. They were amazing, especially topped with Frozen Vanilla Greek Yogurt.

Anna came by after celebrating some friends at their rehearsal dinner. She had a packed weekend with little sleep: Wedding Festivities, A.M. work at Starbucks, and a half-marathon. I envy her ability to keep the momentum going.

Faith and Anna Gail

Tyler: When did you make all of this from scratch?

After dinner, the boys were amazing and washed dishes for us. I may or may not have guilt tripped Tyler into joining West. However, the ever-helpful Tyler did it with a great attitude. West is a professional dishwasher these days, and they knocked it out in just a few minutes, even though the counters and table were covered with dishes. Thanks boys.

Hard at Work

It was a great night before the marathon. Good food and real friends. Already looking forward to visiting again.

Let's Be Honest - Wise Friends and Fake Friends

Most people believe they are wise. They trust their hearts will tell them the right answer and keep friends around who will confirm everything they say.

But wisdom is not listening to the heart or the soothing words of friends telling you exactly what you want to hear. And truly, most people are not wise.

As well as contemplating wisdom, I've also been thinking through the true meaning of friendship. Think about it. How often do our friends challenge something we're going to do? How often do they tell us it's unreasonable, unwise, or immature? For the most part, people won't say when they disagree, and we don't question why our friends never tell us we are wrong.

It's easy to say people who are like-minded are friends, so of course they agree. It's an easy out for a real problem. How often do you not completely agree with everything your friend says? No one is exactly the same. We are all unique. Which means, we have our own unique thoughts and make decisions in a unique way.

I've found myself being a bad friend. I've been unwise in how I've responded to friends who are making mistakes, and I usually do it because I'm afraid. It might be something small, like should I buy this extra pair of earrings?

Not a big deal. Right? They're just earrings.

But that same friend may have mentioned that she was trying to cut back on her budget for the next month. And obviously, a pair of earrings isn't much, but could be one of the things she didn't really "need" and could be sacrificed for the sake of a peaceful bank account.

Of course, my initial response is to forget all of that. To forget it all and say, "Sure. Those would look nice with your blue sweater."

But isn't practicing good friendship policies in small situations like this what really make a person a wise friend? I don't challenge my friends because I don't want the backlash of negative response, though who is to say she wouldn't tell me I'm right. But I never know if fear controls my response.

Our lives are really lived in the mundane. Very rarely do we have epic moments that define who we are, and very few of us will be remembered forever. So it's really in the moment-by-moment that our decisions matter.

Yes, this may sound depressing, but it's real life. And being a good friend, being an honest friend, in the mundane gives us the practice to, when faced with an epic moment, point out major life flaws. For instance, what should be done when a friend decides to up and marry someone she has only known for a month, someone who drinks like a fish and has no control over his words? When it's obviously a recipe for disaster and major life issues, it's absolutely essential to say something to this friend.

But if it's not practiced in the mundane, will it happen when it's a life changing event? Not for the fake friend, the friend who just wants to make everyone happy.

But for the wise friend, being honest, having a differing opinion is part of the every day. I have a few friends like this. I often hope to be as wise as them one day. Of course, my motivation for being wise is probably selfish (so other people will think of me as wise), but that is a discussion for another day.

Thank you wise friends for existing and loving the people around you well.

Preparing for the Half

This weekend marks my first half-marathon, and I'm more than excited.

First of all, I'm so happy to finally see and catch up with this girl.

And this girl.

Such beauties with even more beautiful hearts (Oh, I'm also thankful to see West, but he's not running with us, so I'm not counting him. Sorry, West.).

But in preparation for the 13.1 mile showdown, I'm taking it easy this week. Because it's been absolutely b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l outside, I've been taking walks every single day.

Walk Photo

I also busted out my old Power Yoga video with Denise Austin. Denise definitely keeps it real. While part of me can't stay focused on the yoga because of the music in the background and Denise's thorough directions to feel the power of yoga, it's been helpful to get my IT bands all stretched out. They've been kind of tight after my crazy trail run this past weekend. 

I ended up running 11 miles on the trails at the National Whitewater Center this past Saturday. It wasn't 13 miles, but I bet it was more difficult than what I'll be running this coming weekend. The roots were definitely a force to be reckoned with, and I spent most of my time thinking about where I was going to put my next foot or how I was going to run over a bike jump hill rather than my usual meditation on the life and times of the LaCross family. 13.1 miles will be hard, but at least I won't have to worry about roots and gravel.

But, back to this week. I'm going to try and run once tomorrow, a short 2-3 miler, and then I have a walking date Thursday. 

I've also been trying to eat pretty healthy this week. A friend asked me this past weekend what I've done differently in my diet since I've been training. The truth is, I haven't done too much.

I've cut out most everything I drink except water. That may seem like a feat in and of itself, but I had a stomach virus that made me get over my caffeine addiction, so it wasn't too hard to stop. I just didn't start drinking coffee again after I felt better. I guess there was some good to come from that stomach virus.

I also haven't been drinking alcohol. I don't drink much, but I find I feel much better and less full of carbs/beer in the morning if I don't drink a beer the night before. My one exception is that Tyler thought I deserved a nice night of a glass of wine, dark chocolate, and a good conversation. How can I turn that down? So I did let him treat me to some wine that night. I've consumed some hot teas when I'm really chilly, but usually I pick one without caffeine in it and rarely add anything to it.

As far as food goes, we eat pretty healthy around here. I didn't have to cut out fast food, because we don't eat it unless we're traveling and desperate. So I didn't have to wean myself from fried foods and jump to eating tons of fruits, veggies, and proteins. I am eating more food and making sure I eat carbs the night before a long run. 

But being a typical vegetarian, I did struggle to add protein to my diet. I've been eating many more seeds and nuts. I've also added a bit of fish into my diet to make sure my body has enough protein to recuperate from the runs. A personal favorite is a fruit smoothie with some soy protein powder added. Smoothies are liquid heaven.

But it hasn't been all that easy. My sweet tooth, or every tooth in my mouth for that matter, has been so desiring to just eat whatever sweets I want because, "Hey, I'm burning tons of calories a day! I can do what I want." But, I've found I don't feel as well after I eat sweets, and they definitely don't help me run faster. So, it's been a struggle in the sweet department.

I haven't decided exactly which clothes I'll be running in Saturday, but I'm bringing a few options and a sweatshirt to wear before we start running. Faith is planning to cook a scrumptious meal on Friday night and have bagels, peanut butter, and apples for breakfast Saturday.

Spinx Run Fest, here I come!

Best Friends Re-Unite

Seven Months. It's been seven months since E has seen one of his best friends, Greyson, and since I've seen one of my best friends, Linda. And it's always a good idea to get Dee and Tyler to hang out since they never got much of a chance to spend time together while I lived in Clemson. And Molly, well she is a benefit for anyone who meets her with her red hair and sassy attitude.

I lived across the street from the Tindals my second year in Clemson. It was pretty much a God-send that year for both families, I really believe, and I wouldn't have made it through that year without them. Tyler and Dee never really got to know each other though, because Tyler was in school the first semester and really busy all of the time. He did not come over and visit very much. And the second semester, Tyler was in Charlotte, and Dee was suffering from a few life-threatening situations, preventing him for being up for "hang out" time when Tyler visited. Though there was this one week when Tyler watched Ethan during a snow storm. It involved a snow fort and lots of thermal underwear for the boys. I'm sure that was a bonding moment for everyone involved. I was incapacitated because of some minor surgery and recovery time.

This past weekend was the designated time to remedy the problem that these boys hadn't been together in entirely too long. And being the over-achiever parents we sometimes all tend to be, the four adults decided to meet at Carowinds for a crazy afternoon of Halloween theme park rides and roller coasters.

Carowinds was everything the boys had hoped it would be, and Linda and I got plenty of time to catch up. We've decided the next get together needs to be more low-key, but the kids loved it and had fun. Needless to say, everyone was exhausted afterwards. Molly even fell asleep on Dee's shoulders on the way back out to the car.

G and E: BFFs

Miss Molly

She is so grown up these days.

Cheese.

Molly and Dee - High Five!

Instagram Pic - Linda, Molly, and Me

Baby Sh-owl-er for Katey and James - Owl Cake

Two weeks ago, some Florence people convened at The Meade House for a night to celebrate Katey and James McCoy and their baby Liam, due to join us all here on earth in just a few weeks. I was honored to be helping these lovely ladies give the shower. We're all long-time friends from a seemingly different era of Florence history, and it was great to get back and visit with everyone.

Hostesses(L to R): Taiter, Sage, Whitney, Me

We went with an owl theme for the shower, because Katey and James are decorating the nursery in earthy tones and owls. Whitney did a great job prepping her home. Instead of a traditional baby shower sans men, we decided to do a grill out and invite the guys. They definitely get shafted in the wedding and baby shower scene. Granted, I know most men don't want to sit and open presents, but they definitely miss out on some great food. So we did burgers and dogs, chips and potato salad, fruit, and lots of desserts.

Some of the gals (L to R): Me, Sage, KateyandLiam, Whitney, Taiter, and Kali/Jones

Really it was a great night. I even got to meet little Jones Dabney. I'll be honest. It was great to hold a 6-week-old again. I had forgotten how tiny they are and how much attention they need. Jones is definitely a cutie.

Tyler and my part of the preparation for the shower was 1. Tyler buys beer and 2. Melissa makes owl cake. Buying beer was easy enough, but I had to do a little research in order to decide which owl cake to mimic. Google searching owl cake and looking at the images is a little daunting. But I found a super cute plan for an owl cake at My Inner Need to Create. 

I decided we didn't need as big of a cake as she made, so instead of using 9" and 13" circles, I used 8" and 10" circles. It turned out just as well. I made strawberry marble and chocolate marble cakes. They were pretty and yummy at the same time. 

Marble Cakes

After baking the cakes, I trimmed them up and put them together to make the owl shape.

 Then I made icing and colored them: Tan/Copper, Brown(cocoa and coloring), Yellow, Black, and I saved a little White for the eyes.

E even helped me make the icing. He definitely enjoyed licking a spoon and eating lots of left over cake.

The finished product? A cutie owl cake, but not too girly for Liam. I was pretty excited about the way it turned out. I definitely had my doubts about my capabilities.

Meanwhile, Tyler was doing great things as well. He volunteered to help make E's Halloween costume. E chose to be a red ninja this year, so Tyler made it. He is such a Renaissance man. I think he even enjoys sewing more than I do, because he loves precision and putting things together. I do not. I like icing because you can cover up mistakes easily, and I can literally ice over something done sloppily. 

My Man Love - Focusing

All in all, it was a great night. It was great to see Katey with a baby bump, James, and crew. I am so excited about baby Liam and the future McCoy family. Tyler and I definitely had a "we miss Florence" moment. It really only lasted a few minutes until we had to drive through Sams Club and Wal*Mart traffic. Then we were over it, but we definitely loved the community time. Thanks Katey and James for the excuse to get together.

Mr. LaCross and Myself