Tobacco Road Rivalry - Its not just for ballers anymore

Everyone has heard all the ESPN analysts go on and on regarding the "Tobacco Road Rivalry" between all the triangle area colleges during basketball season. Well, this past weekend gave a whole new meaning to that rivalry...

A few months ago, Michael and I decided we would train for a half marathon together. We've each run one before, we had just never trained or run one together.

I ran one a couple years ago after training with my good friends, Heather and Ashely, and finished with a pretty respectable 2:35 - not bad for my first big distance run, and not bad considering it was the City of Oaks course from hell. After that race, I decided I was done. Done with the training runs EARLY on Saturday mornings, done with the crappy runs when it was either freezing cold or hotter than 40 hells outside, and done with the shin splints and sore feet. DONE I tell you! FINISHED! Checked that goal off the list!

Then along comes Mr. Martin. Who without really even training, ran the OBX half this fall and beat my time by about 5 minutes.

Oh hell to the no! I'm super competitive when it comes to exercising with Michael. I want to run farther than him, run faster than him, and overall just beat the snot out of him. (I think it's the whole girls vs. guys thing)

So we decided to train and run the Tobacco Road Half Marathon. Together. As a couple. And see who would win bragging rights this go round.

DAMMIT - He beat me. By 2 minutes and 58 seconds. So he's all, "Yeah, I beat you by 3 minutes" Oh no, mister, you beat me by 2 minutes and 58 seconds.

So, we'll let him have the win this time, but just know that I'm training harder, running faster, and next time, I've totally got the "W".

And I look way cuter in a foil pashmina (thanks Lis, for styling this shoot)...

Heres the speed racers drinking a well deserved beer after the run. That's Bentley on the right. He beat both the Martins by about 30 minutes - YOU GO BOY!!!

It's Cookie Time!

Does anyone remember that movie from the late 80's, early 90's "Troop Beverly Hills" where Shelly Long is the girl scout leader to a group of spoiled little Tori Spellings and they are competing to be the best troop there is and they are in the middle of Rodeo Drive pimping girl scout cookies like it's their J-O-B??!! No?? Well, I swear, I think of that movie and the song they were singing everytime I hear that it's girl scout cookie time!!

ANYWAY - It's cookie time, and the girl scout cookie ordering process sure has changed since I was a girl scout. Did anyone else get a hangtag on their door over the weekend to place an order? WHAT? A freaking hangtag? With a contact number to call and place your order? What happened to wearing that sweet little girl scout outfit and walking door to door with that big order form and guilting your neighbors into buying boxes of cookies? DANG, I love me some gs cookies, but I refuse to call a random phone number for some random girl and give her the sale. I'll wait until I'm accosted by the little boogers out in the Harris Teeter parking lot!

This is what Christmas Looks Like!

Christmas this year was a big flurry of activity!

My 'lil bro married an awesome girl the Tuesday before Christmas in a gorgeous ceremony all befitting of Holiday Wonder. Unfortunately, I didn't take a camera, and I was also on Grandparent patrol making sure that my Grandparents were seated in the right place and not talking at their normal level of sound to disrupt the ceremony, so I have no pics to post as of yet.

Here's one of the happy couple that was taken earlier this year. I'm soooooo excited to have a sister in law!!

We were in Hickory from Monday - Saturday, so we had some time to spend with good friends, some time to spend hanging with Nana and Papaw, and then Mr. Santa Claus paid a visit to Finley and Maggie on Christmas morning!

Even though Baby Fin is not quite 4 months old, I used that whole "First Christmas" motto to death! Big personalized stocking with tons of crap in there that she'll never use.... Loads of toys that she can't play with until she's walking or at a minimum balancing on 2 feet. I even baked Cookies for Santa and penned a note for the guy on behalf of Mags and Fin. (That will be something for the baby keepsake book) Michael thought I was half-cocked when I made him help me drag out all the toys and goodies late Christmas Eve night and set them up for a photo op so Fin can remember what she saw when she woke up her "First Christmas Morning"! Um, yeah, not even 4 months old.

So, without further delay - this is what Christmas looks like!

I think Doodlebug was pleased by the look on her face!
Wow- I can't wait for next year when she really knows whats up and can tear into those presents like theres no tomorrow!