october so far

I can't believe it is October 21st - this month is flying. It has been a busy month - especially on the weekends. I try to plan my weekend with at least one fun thing to do. 

So going back to the beginning of the month. One of the boy's friends was having a big pig roast at his family's farm. It was a gorgeous day - maybe a little too hot for October - it was 95! But it was a fun day including a little time shooting too!

Gorgeous farm out in Facquier County

A little fun skeet shooting!

So then because it was 95 one week - the next it rained for 6 days straight. It was gross. And of course I went camping during that! I went with the boy and his coworkers for their bi-annual trip. It was a lot of fun, despite raining. YAY for great waterproof clothes. I also hammock camped for the first time, and I love it. SO much nicer than a tent. I felt like I was in a cocoon and it was so cozy!

hammock camping

work fun with co-workers - it was bring your child to work day. so we acted like children and went on an ice cream break. 

So last week was Founders' Day for ZTA and we celebrated our 115th birthday. We had a great alumnae event and I made pumpkin spice cookies - which were delish! Yay for adding another new dessert to my list!

So I've been running a lot more this month too. I leave on Thursday for Tennessee! I'm running a Ragnar relay with 11 of my college friends! We've been planning this since November 2012! I am so excited to be a part of this team as we run 200 miles from Chattanooga to Nashville in about 30 hours.  Each person runs 3 legs of the race - so my total mileage is about 14 miles broken into 3 parts. 5.5 miles and then 4.3 and 4.2 miles. I'll be running my parts around 5pm on Friday, 3am on Saturday and 4pm on Saturday! Woooo! 

running along the WO&D trail in northern VA

And this Sunday was the Crucial Catch with the Washington Redskins football game. I was there with ZTA handing out pink ribbons! Also on Saturday, I got to see my parents and brother - they came to visit him and came down to DC where we did Arlington National Cemetery and they also got to see the boy again. 

with some ZTA sisters

Redskins game

But even better was my JETS beating the Pats in overtime! I wish I could have watched the game! So tonight I started to pack for my Ragnar adventure. So many things to pack for a running trip - since I'll be running 3 times in about 24 hours! Any recs for things to do in Nashville? I'm staying a few extra days to explore - since I've never been and am SO excited to visit!

How has your October been?

weekend fun

So I've had a busy few weeks! I went to my parents two weeks ago and this weekend my friend Suz was in town. So I ended up taking lots of pictures - which always makes me think of a better blog post when there are pictures! And I feel I am on a National Park kick again this fall! Last fall I went 12 weeks in a row with visiting a different National Park! So some pictures from my adventures!

I love Sandy Hook! Been here a few times as a child, but needed to make an official park visit with stamps, sign picture and the brochure!

Momma and I at the lighthouse - oldest continually operated lighthouse in the US - 1764

The lighthouse

I love the beach in sweatshirt weather!!  Enjoyed sitting at the beach reading with momma!

Sandy Hook is also home to Fort Hancock - a former Army base. 

So had a great time in Jersey seeing my parents and so on the way home I decided to stop at Eisenhower National Historic Site outside of Gettysburg! And of course I had to drive through Gettysburg!

I am in LOVE with this photo from Gettysburg! 

More from Gettysburg

Eisenhower National Historic Site - National Park # 76

President Eisenhower's house - his farm was pretty awesome

And then last week I was busy in the evening babysitting and it was also my roomie's birthday! So 4 nights in a row out and then Friday I met Patricia for dinner and then picked up Suz from Union Station and went on a night tour of the monuments! I've known Suz since second grade and she is my oldest friend! So much fun to have her visit me in DC! 

If you come to visit me - chances are we'll do a night walk around monuments! It is my favorite time to see them! WWII at night with the Washington Monument in the background

                                          

Abe says heeeeey! 

Saturday we went to Capitol Hill - we did a tour and even went into the House gallery since they've been debating over healthcare & funding of the government, but they were on recess. 

Stopped by the White House

And said hi to TJ

Was excited for the MLK sign and got to jump with a National Park sign!

And after some fun on Sunday of brunch with the boy and National History Museum I dropped Suz off. It was fun to have a visitor and play tourist in DC since I rarely head into the district! So since I was there I decided to go to Constitution Gardens - its on the side of the Mall and I've always skipped by that side allllllll of the times I've been on the Mall. And since there aren't signs for the different places on the Mall this sign is going to have to count!

Constitution Gardens - National Park Site #77 with the 56 Signers of the DOI as well. Super cute!

So that's been my fun recently. And apparently the government just shut down. Pretty crazy after all the times the last few years it coming close and after 17 years it did for the first time. 

heeeeey there

So I apparently have a blog. This has been the longest time I've gone without writing in it. And it makes me sad. I miss writing about my thoughts and what's going on in my life. After the summer I just didn't do much in August and well wasn't in the mood to be on my computer. So here is some fun from the last few weeks in September! 

Ran the Navy 5 miler at the Navy Air Force half marathon September 14th! And ran into my friend Katherine after! 

Chance and I went camping for a few days at Assateague National Seashore! National Park #75

I stopped and saw my little brother at college. Yeaaaa - he is kinda tall. 

With my amazing crew ladies at Meg's wedding!

More wedding fun

National Park #74! Had a fun afternoon hiking and exploring!




So I'm trying to get back into blogging. It is SO hard when most of my favorite bloggers have all kinda slowed down too.

xoxo

28!

What a difference a year makes. 

Today I turned 28 and had a pretty awesome birthday. I'm in session 4 of my conferences, have 186 elementary school students on site and am working 16 hour days but managed to have fun and celebrate! My staff made me a fort! and surprised me with a balloon card and a lanyard - it was a joke about all the key issues this summer! plus when the chef found out that it was my birthday at lunch he made me a special dinner, which was delish! Plus it was great to hear from so many friends & family today!

But while I was excited to turn 28, 27 was really a great year for me. SO many amazing things happened. I got a full time job and moved to Virginia, I ran a half marathon a year after tearing my ACL, I kicked butt at the inauguration conference in January with 2000 high school students, I went on a great first date that has turned into an amazing relationship and found someone I who I love so much, had a fun spring traveling around the US with conferences, got to see friends all up and down the East coast, went to a lot of National Parks, went to Cali for one of my close friends wedding, said goodbye to the house I grew up in, saw my little brother graduate high school and ended the year challenging myself professionally with the conference I am currently working. But I think the biggest thing for me this year was stability. Having a job I love and a place to call home. Not worrying about what I'll be doing at the end of the summer and just having no idea where I was going next. I have been so lucky this year after 25 & 26 were so jumbled. I learned a lot and I wouldn't have it any other way, but I just feel better after 27. 

So looking at my 2013 goals now that we are  a little more than halfway through 2013. 

  2013 goals...
-go to 2 new states - no new ones so far. I've been to 15 this year so far but no new ones.
-use my passport in 2013 - nope. need to figure this one out.
-read 100 books - somewhere in the upper 40s - need to update the read list
-lower my credit card debt & save $1000 - been putting any extra money towards the cc debt
-run 2 half marathons -  ran the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in April, signed up for one in Sept & the Ragnar in October
-finish first 3 years of college scrapbook - need to pull this out once I'm home
-send more cards & letters to friends - I've been good about birthday cards, need to write more random notes
-go to 20 national park sites - 10 new ones plus a few that I needed stamps for
-go to a winery -  went to one with the boy in June
-read 10 presidential bios - read 1 so far, need to get back into reading now that I'll be home more
-bake 5 new desserts  - made 1 new dessert
-100 blog posts - hahahahahahahahaha
-enjoy life & have fun!- yesss! I am just loving life and taking advantage of everything.
So the goals are coming along - some better than others, but I've been super busy with work. Since January I've been at conferences or traveling for a conference for 15 weeks. So looking forward to the second half of the year being a bit quieter in that sense!

I can't wait to see what 28 has in store for me!

the crazy

So somehow it has been almost a month since I last blogged. Oops! Life just got in the way. It has been a stressful and pretty crazy month between work and everything else going on. So here is the last month in pictures! Oh, and I've been in Denver since June 26th. 

William Peace University campus

Fun day trip to Raleigh for work for a site visit. I'll be in Raleigh from July 18-August 3rd.

Range

shooting a 308 rifle 

The boy took me to the range and I got to shoot some of the big guns! Had a fun afternoon at the range with him & his friends. And I shot pretty well too! This one in the picture I was aiming at a target 200m away. And I hit it! Woo!

Sister and I at Toby Keith & Kip Moore - 

Toby Keith - Red Solo Cup

getting to meet Kip again!

Kip Moore signed ticket! I got to meet him in October when I saw
 him with  Eric Church

The little brother graduated from high school so I went home for that and the Toby Keith/Kip Moore concert with my momma & sister. It has also been 10 years since I graduated high school! Crazy!

the family... noone looking at the same camera

i am SO short!

Congrats little bro!

So my sister created this and took all the pictures from the house where we grew up. My parents officially moved June 25th. I will miss the gorgeous sunsets

home

So after my long weekend home for the concert & graduation - I was drove back home to Virginia, got in super late, went to work on Tuesday, had a date night with Chance and then I was up at 3:30 on Wednesday morning to catch my flight to Denver. And I'll be here in Denver until July 13th! We had a few days of prep before staff training started on Tuesday and the students arrive on Sunday! Crazy! 

University of Denver's campus

But I did manage to have some fun and go frolic in the mountains! I went to Boulder and played around in the Flat Irons again - last year I went there with Annie when I visited her. 

I love the Flat Irons! 

So I wanted to go to Mt. Evans - it is the highest paved road in North America. I wanted to go last year but I went to Wyoming instead. So I had the brilliant idea to go around sunset, because that is one of my favorite times of the day. So I drove there, enjoying the drive and the mountains. I was super excited when I got to the bottom all ready to go up. Buuuut - the sunglare was SO bad and the tiny tiny mountain road with no guardrail and me realizing I would be driving down in the dark... Around 4 miles up I had to turn around. I was so mad at myself, but I knew I made the right choice for me at the time. I'll need to go back not at sunset. But I went back down and played along the edge of this lake. 

the spot where I turned around - up Mt. Evans

And despite having to work on the 4th of July - one of my favorite holidays. America. I did go to see some fireworks! And I found a great show right outside of Denver. I was pretty impressed! 

So hopefully the next time I write isn't August 3rd when I'm back home from my 6 weeks of being away for work. I love what I do, but 6 weeks is a LONG time to be away.