Muddy Buddy 2009

Last Sunday, Team Rum Runners were back in action! Eric & I participated in our 2nd Muddy Buddy Race in Johnson City. Of course we had a blast! The course was a 100 times harder than the Dallas Course. Just think Texas Hill Country with Rocks, Muds, Hill versus Dallas Plains! I felt I could never get any speed though, because I was trying not to eat dirt. But overall we kicked butt and had fun doing it! These races have been such a great experience for us, of course we have our "date nights" , but it is rare to be in a team competitive situation. It nice to have the positive support to complete the race and then finishing together! I couldn't have chose a better Muddy Buddy! Go Team Rum Runners!

Check out more pictures at: http://www.brightroom.com/view_user_event.asp?S=20&EVENTID=49873&PWD=&BIB=245&DIVISION=&TEAM=

Before the Race...Clean

Our Cute Lil' Frog

After the Race...Dirty!

Get Me Away From the My Dirty Parents!

The Only Way We Could Get a Pic w/Kaylee

iWalk

Last Wednesday, we had a iWalk Race during lunch. One of the the many reasons I enjoy Apple so much is their amazing Wellness center. There is a state of the art Gym with every class imaginable (Spin, Yoga, Pilates) and the locker room has a nice spa like feel. Not to mention, the offices are right by a .5 mile Trail Loop, which is nice to go to when the weather isn't TOO hot! They also offer Massages, Physical Therapy, Nutrition help, and lots of Educational Services. It shows that they care of the quality of life for employees. It is so nice and convenient for a working mom that tries to maximize the day! Anyhow, I was very proud of myself for coming in 3rd Overall and 2nd Girl in the 5k Race out of 280 people! Woohoo! I maintained a great steady pace and I am starting to get a good feel for running. I just need to get over the "I hate this, why I am doing this?" mental battle during the run! But it is always worth it after the fact!

Kaylee Starts down the Path of Being Diaper Free

Today was a major milestone for Kaylee. She used the potty for the first time this morning. She sat on the toilet, made a little grunt, and next thing you know we hear a plop (and the plop was not Kaylee falling in).

Iowa Roots

You know your kiddo has Iowa Roots when..... your 17 month old grabs an ear of corn out of your hand and devours it. She acted like she was eating off the cob for years.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful women out there! Saturday night, we celebrated with a big feast for my mom! Eric grilled an enormous amount of meat and his Spicy Jammy Ribs were amazing as usual. It was great dinner, but I was tired after all that cookin'. All I wanted for Sunday Breakfast was an Italian Sausage & Red Pepper Strata that I spotted in the Bon Appetit magazine last month. Boy, was it good. Then, Eric, Kaylee, & I headed to Flat Creek Winery outside of Marble Falls. It was very pretty winery, it had the Texas Tuscan look and feel. The vines were big and established more than other Texas Wineries. The wine was surprisingly good as well. Most Texas Wines are very sweet like our Tea, but these weren't too sweet. We spent some good time tasting and walking around the wildflower garden. I definitely would like to go back, especially because it is only 45 minutes away. Afterwards, we went into Marble Falls to Sweet Berry Farms to go pick Strawberries. Kaylee is hands down at the perfect age for this! She love it, although she managed to pick every "bad" strawberry there was. The "good" strawberries were sooo juicy, Kaylee was a complete mess. We attempted to go pet the goats, but she climbed up me as fast as she could. I don't blame her, since they were taller than her. She did enjoy watching them, just from above. The best part was the homemade strawberry ice cream and well that was the perfect day for me. Hope all the mothers and moms-to-be had a great day as well. Did I mention Eric did ALL the dishes & laundry?!? :)

Yummy Strata

My 2 Favorite People, Eric & Kaylee

There was no one to take our picture, so this is us trying.

Pretty Winery

You tell Kaylee to collect something and she will be your BFF.

Picking out the "Bad" Strawberries

Scary Goat

Hope you can see Kaylee's Smiling Face!

Hog Shank Redemption

Last Thursday, Apple had their annual BBQ Cook-Off. My team's name was Hog Shank Redemption and I acted as the "Cheerleader" or "Cruise Controller", meaning I talked smack to the competition and provide the entertainment. I had a blast. We were outside all day with 24 other teams. There was 4 categories: Chicken, Ribs, Pork, and Brisket. In the afternoon, we had a Beer Bash and the winners were announced. Drumroll please.....we got 2nd place in Ribs! It was a lot of fun and I can't wait for next year! I should also mention the "Peep" is our mascot. Similar to the gnome for Travelocity, we take "Peep" pictures at various events. It is hilarious.

Amazing Brisket

2nd Place Ribs!

Hog Shank Redemption

Senor Peeps with the Trophy

Wedding Bells

We had a jam-packed weekend and needed a couple of days to recover! Saturday, we went to my very dear friend's wedding in Seguin, Texas. I have known Miss Julia since 1st Grade, oh how I love Hidden Forest! She had a Polish Catholic Ceremony, which was very interesting to have some of the ceremony in Polish! How cool? Then, the reception was at the gorgeous Nolte Farms, which is on the Guadalupe River. It was so so so pretty! Probably one of the best weddings I ever been too! Eric and I had a blast, not only because we having so much fun with old friends, but my folks took care of Kaylee for the night. Getaway to Seguin, never thought I would say that! I danced the night away and there is video to prove it! Sunday, I headed back with the girls to San Antonio for Brackin's Wedding Shower. I spent several hot summers with her as lifeguards and now she lives in cold Minnesota? So, it was nice to see her and take part in her wedding festivities. Although my team loss in the Wedding Family Feud game, we were robbed! Then, we rushed back to Austin to go to Kaylee's teacher's Going Away Party. It is always fun to watch all the kiddos play with their BFFs. Kaylee sure does love the slide and the height of the slide does not to seem to phase her anymore. We love Miss Jordan and we are going to miss her, but I know we will keep in touch. Phew...see why we needed to recover?

Eric & Kristen on the Guadalupe

Cocktail Hour

With Beautiful Bride

Too Much Fun! :)