Happy New Year!!!

As promised here are some pictures of our trip to Mississippi for Christmas. I am happy to say we are not doing anything tonight. We were invited to our neighbor's house (who live across the street), but we have declined the invite because I am not feeling particularly well. We must be the rudest neighbors ever... it doesn't take much to walk across the street and talk for a short while. I guess this means we won't get to check out their new Porche 911 tonight. Personal goals for 2009 include 1) give more to others; 2) compete with Bailey in the obedience ring; 3) get a new computer 4) finish wedding scrapbook; 5) improve overall physical strength

The photos from Mississippi include a picture of Kameron & Drew (Joseph's niece & nephew) and a picture of Ella taken at Bonita Lakes Park, in Meridian, MS.

Our Christmas & my 34th birthday

Joseph and I made it to and back home from Mississippi safely. We celebrated my birthday and Christmas with his family. We spent a lot of time with his nephew, Drew, niece, Kameron, and his mother. At my request we saw the movie, Marley and Me, on my birthday. Great movie and great message, but sad ending. Will post pictures soon.

Bonnaroo 2009

Phish is scheduled to headline Bonnaroo 2 nights this year. I am so excited. Bruce Springsteen is rumored to be playing the last night. What a lineup!!! My grandmother is a Bruce Springsteen fan...I wonder if we could get her to go to Bonnaroo with us!

Before and After

I previously mentioned I cut my hair 12 inches. Here is a before and after photo. the "after" photo was taken to exemplify my dad's ability to lend people mismatched socks 100% of the time. While in Florida I borrowed a pair of black socks from my dad....he gave me 2 mismatched socks. Joseph also borrowed socks from my dad, seven months ago, on our wedding day. He was also given mismatched black socks to wear. Go dad!

Kiawah Island Marathon Photo

Here is a picture of Joseph running the Kiawah Island Marathon. He is just about to cross the finish line. Thanks to Angela Locke for taking the picture. I would have been in deep "do do" had she not taken this shot.... I didn't get a single picture of Joseph running because I was his support person. To me, it was more important to be ready with water and fuel than be ready with my camera....and I couldn't possibly multi-task on this important day!

Riverside Middle School, Greenville, SC

Our neighbor, Jamie, plays basketball for Riverside Middle School, who is currently undefeated. She is an eighth grader on the team. I went to watch Jamie's game last night. I cannot imagine how my dad coached my brothers and I all those years. How could he contain himself when the ref made a bad call?... I would lose control, swear out loud, and just be a totally bad example for the kids. And how did he keep his cool when his player missed any easy basket/shot/play? I've decided that I can NEVER coach a sport. I'll yell at the kids and yell at myself for yelling at the kids. I'll stick to being a spectator. ... Anyhow, here is a video of Jamie throwing and making two free throws. Lucky for her she made the shots and I didn't have to yell at her!!!!..... I love you Jamie :)

Trip to Venice, Florida

Joseph and I headed down to Venice, Florida to visit my dad and his wife, Karen last week. Joseph beat my dad in golf and I got my hair cut. Karen cut my hair for "Locks of Love". I donated 10 inches of hair to help make wigs for children who lose their hair while undergoing chemotherapy. It's a great cause and I'm glad I could help out. My shorter hair feels great and is just long enough to pull back in a tiny ponytail. Joseph prefers the longer hair, but what guy doesn't prefer long hair on a woman? Even my dad didn't want me to cut my hair... the cause won!!! While in Florida we got to see my Aunt Lois and Uncle Will, who also retired in Venice. Joseph and I had soooooo much fun seeing them. It was great to hear about their trip to Portland, Oregon to cheer on my cousin's daughter, Mackenzie, in the Nike Cross County Championships. We really enjoyed our "dog" chatter and sharing our love for Ceasar Milan (The Dog Whisperer). You guys (and Charlie) are welcome at our dog palace anytime.


Joseph and I flew on a new airline down to Clearwater/St. Petersburg, FL airport. We flew Allegiant Air. The plane was clean and the seats were wide and offered lots of leg room. We flew round trip for $192 for the two of us, from Greenville, SC. If anyone is looking for a good deal on a flight that lands in smaller airports check out www.allegiantair.com. and if you need guidance on how to book your flight without adding extra fees feel free to call us.

My dad and Karen were great hosts. We enjoyed Venice and had a nice break from the responsibilities of caring for 4 dogs. It's amazing how much less dog hair one has on her clothes when she is in a house without pets!!!

John Legend Concert

Joseph and i went to the John Legend concert last night at the Peace Center, in Greenville. Thanks to Joseph we had VERY GOOD seats: 4th row behind the tiny orchestra section. Oh my gosh. What a great concert. "John" exceeded my expectations. He showed off his wide vocal range and his fabulous piano skills. One lucky lady got to "slow dance" with John. I was soooo jealous. I can't say enough positive things about John Legend...If you have the opportunity to see him in concert, do it. And, if you can splurge, buy tickets that get you as close to the stage as possible. It was awesome to see the sweat dripping from John's face and to be close enough to think he was singing directly to me (and not the fat a*s near me)... It was just GREAT!

Track Star- Mackenzie Carter

My cousin's daughter, Mackenzie Carter, was recently on the cover of Running Times Magazine as a member of the Manlius (NY) High School Cross Country team. She again appears on Running Times website and on various others. Her team just won the National Champaionships in Portland, Oregon. Go Manius!!

Weekend with Manlius : Finals : 2008 NXN : DyeStat US: News about High School Track, Field, and Cross Country | DyeStat.com

Boston Qualifier!!!

Joseph ran the Kiawah Marathon this weekend and qualified for the Boston Marathon. His time was 3 hours 14 minutes. Go Joseph!!! We spent the weekend in Kiawah with our friends, Angela and Ron Locke, along with their daughters, Kelsey and Rebecca. We saw the Telligman's (Jess, Avery, and their "son", Fletcher, and "daughter", Daisy, who stayed on Seabrook Island. We had a really good time seeing all of our friends and wish we could see them more often. Today was Ron and Angela's 12th year wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary R & A !!