Capital 10K

Sunday Morning I ran my first 10K at the Statesman Capital 10K. I finished at 54 minutes and 14 seconds...my goal was 55 minutes, so I was rather pleased! That is 8.44 minute miles! I was especially impressed since I worked 11hr days all last week including Saturday for EOQ. Not to mention margaritas to celebrate the EOQ Saturday night! So I can't wait to do another one in ALL seriousness! Funny Stats: 109th Place for my Age Group out of 568 AND 2124th Place out of 6,644 PEOPLE! Afterwards we went to Brunch and then later went to the Zilker Botanical Garden Festival with Caitlin & Melissa. So yes, I am exhausted!

What a week?!?

This week was rather unusual.....

1. It was my 2nd EOQ at Apple, which means LONG hours and very busy. However, it ALSO means....Chuy's. Macaroni Grill, PF Changs, Potbelly's, Rudy's, and unlimited cookies/candy. I think I gained 5 pounds. And thank goodness for a WONDERFUL husband, who keeps the household running smoothly!

2. Random Hail Storm Attacks Austin! You probably heard about it in the news, but we got some insane hail on Wednesday. It broke Lindsey's Camry's back window shield and damaged everyone's cars at work. LUCKILY, I literally left 3 minutes before it hit and I was headed the opposite direction. However, I did crack my iphone screen when trying to run to my car....absolutely shattered but it still works! I stole some pics from my friends....






3. Kaylee face-plants into the playground cement. It looks bad, but it looks MUCH better. She has picking up so much speed that I feel like we are going to have a LOT more incidents! Brace yourself....

Life with Kaylee

At Old Navy, Eric & I turned our heads and.....this is what we got! Hilarious!



Such a good traveler! SHE insisted on the bow....she always does!



Karate Kaylee! Probably the funniest thing you will EVER see!



Seriosuly, if you are in town....we will show you this routine!



Kaylee prefers sleeping on the floor. She brings all of her blankets & bunnies and makes her bed by the door. In the morning, she returns everything back to the bed promptly. Glad we have a bed to store her blankets!



She brought her drinks WITH coasters to her favorite spot on the fireplace! Hilarious!



Never knew shopping for rugs could be SO fun!



If you want to see a happy Kaylee one word....SHOES!



Checking off the Grocery List, Seriously.



We don't watch much TV, but she gets a kick out of Dora. Look at that cute green dress!

Uncle Eric & Aunt Kristen

Yes, Kaylee is going to have her first cousin! Eric's brother Brian and his wife Dana are expecting a baby boy this August. They've decided on an adorable name.....Noah Christopher. Seriously, how cute? Cousins Kaylee & Noah...has a very nice ring to it! Eric & I are very excited for Brian & Dana and on becoming Uncle/Aunt for the first time! Them being pregnant constantly reminds me of being pregnant with K, which was a beautiful calmness where we dreamt of what our child would be like. Now we have a vibrant little helper running around....I don't think we will have another calm period of time again! Maybe, when she is 30? My advice to first-time parents is to enjoy the "Nesting" time....read, dream, and enjoy your time with your spouse. It is such a wonderful time.

81st Zilker Park Kite Festival

The Kite Festival was on the top of my list of events in Austin I wanted to take K too. We got there right at 10am and boy, was it chilly. A little too cold for K. Let me stress to you how excited I was to see K's face when she saw all the kites, and well, she gave me nothing. She totally wasn't interested...at all. She immediately started dancing to the music and pointing/saying "dog, dog" over and over again. The dogs & music were her excitement. Until......she spotted the Sweet Leaf Tea booth. For those who don't know what Sweet Leaf Tea is, it is a bottled Sweet Tea Company out of Austin that sponsors lots of Austin events and races. We always get free Sweet Leaf Tea for races, so K is familiar. Anyhow, she spotted the sign and darted to it. It was so funny, but then she noticed the booth and oh my goodness was she excited. The staff working the booth were laughing and thought she was adorable....their youngest fan. So, they gave her a sticker. Kaylee was proud to wear it, but more wondering what it was. So K's highlights were music, dogs, and Sweet Leaf Tea and Eric & I's were the kites, hands down. Hopefully next year, she will enjoy it more.

Enjoying the Beautiful Weather in February?

This picture is so a girl-version of Eric! Lil Miss Eric.


You say Tongue....this is what you get.


You say Teeth....this is what you get.


Kaylee wouldn't stop dancing to my music on my iphone. She wouldn't give it up. It scares me to see the kids this generation... if she already knows to type on the computer and change songs on the iphone/ipod.


My good friend, Julia, had her a beautiful Bridal Shower this weekend in San Antonio. Congrats! In the pic, Me, Lindsey, Bethany, and Julia.

Semi-Finalist x2

Yesterday I found 2 boxes at the door. I thought they were probably a birthday gift for Eric, but found my name on it. I thought this was weird and had no idea why I would be getting something from Grand Rapids. I opened the boxes and it was 2 big Martha Stewart Cookbooks. I proceeded to open the box and found a letter that I was a Hunt's Tomato Recipe Semi-Finalist for 2 of my recipes. I had entered 3. Although I didn't win, I was totally ecstatic to get 2 cookbooks! The recipes that won was my Baked Ziti and Tomato Cups. Yesterday was a lucky day, because I also found the baby in the King's Cake. I did buy a lottery ticket after hearing the Lottery Jingle on the radio three times in my very short drive , but didn't win. But I will take what I can get! :)

Birthday Daddy

Yesterday was Eric's 36th Birthday! I kept singing "Happy Birthday" while pointing to him....Kaylee kept smiling, knowing something was special. Such a cutie! As usual, I made Eric's favorite Gravy Meat with Mashed Potatoes and Peas. For dessert, a two-layer chocolate cake with chocolate icing and we can't forget the Triple Chocolate Ice Cream to top it off! He had a good birthday and we will continue to celebrate through the week!

Upside Down Race

This past weekend Eric & I had our Upside Down Dualthalon in Comfort, Texas. Eric did the 16 mile Mountain Bike leg and I did the 2.5 Mile Run. And drumroll please....Team Rum Runners got 2nd Place!! Well, I should mention there were only 4 teams competing in the relay. But hey, we got to stand on the podium and we got a gift bag with fleece blankets. We will take it! We had a great time after we warmed up from the 26 degree weather! Eric had a rough first leg after having a nasty fall. He hit a rock with his knee, but we believe is doing well. He got X-Rays yesterday and no broken bones. It still maybe be a torn meniscus, but hope that it is just a bad bruise. My run went well and might I add that I beat the first place team. ha! Eric killed the 2nd leg with a great time. Did I mention there was free Fireman's 4 Beer afterwards? Good Times. After the race, we met my parents, who had Kaylee, in the small town of Comfort for lunch. It turned out to be a gorgeous day, but were totally beat! We made it home and all took naps as we recovered from the race!

Valentine's Weekend

First off, the Ernst household is finally healthy and doing well. I had a pathetic small cough from cedar that I finally got knocked out with a Z-Pack. Kaylee had a small fever from teething, but finally cut 2 more teeth! She still has a runny nose, but we all are on the right track! To celebrate Valentine's Day, I went to a Fondue Party for Fun Mamas on Friday Night. How cute, right? It was good to have a girls night and eat some good food. Not to mention, I'm obsessed with the Cheese Fondue! It was just Gruyere & Swiss with some White Wine...yum! Saturday Morning, I made migas and mimosas....some of my favorite things. Then, I tried to teach Kaylee had to make Eric's favorite cheesecake. She was very interested, but then discovered how to lick the bowl. She mastered that. For dinner, we ordered a heart shaped Mangia pizza. Guess it is kind of tradition now to order one, since 2 V-Days ago was so special! LOL. Sunday was absolutely gorgeous, which in Austin it means to go to Hula Hut. So we did....along with the rest of Austin. We met Lucy there and spent pretty much the day there. Kaylee had fun looking at all the ducks on the lake and running around fearless. Rather exhausting for Mama! It was a fun Valentine's Weekend. We got a big training week, since our big race is next Sunday. I was out of pocket last week with a cough and Eric's bike chain broke, so we need to step it up this week!

Table vs. Kaylee

The table won. While visiting in San Antonio at my folks house, Kaylee literally head-butted a granite table corner. She is fine....I think I freaked out more than she did since I watch the whole thing go down. At first, I didn't see any marks and then....a nice blue/black goose egg started coming out of her forehead. I freaked out some more. Then seconds later, Kaylee was eating grapes on Daddy's lap. It took longer for me to catch my breath. The same damn table was the one that left many bruises on my boney hips growing up. This was Kaylee's first accident which was quite impressive considering she is 15 months old! However, tonight she busted her lip on the side of our coffee table! Think she is making up for lost time or something?! Once again, she is fine. This accident caused blood, but it was just the inside of her mouth. Oh, my Kaylee. We are past the walking stage....and are in the adventurous running, climbing, and maneuvering herself in awkward places.

Birthdays Galore!

We had a Birthday Packed Weekend. Friday was Aunt Dana's Birthday, Saturday we celebrated Finis's 80th Birthday, and Sunday was Tudie's Birthday (aka My Mom)! Hope everyone had a wonderful birthday and ate plenty of cake! We headed to San Antonio on Saturday to for Finis's Party, it was great to see the May Clan and all of Mimi & Finis's friends. Then, Kaylee & I spent the afternoon with my friend Lindsey and went to the neighborhood park that I grew up at. Eric & I had a good night out in "Suburbs"...I put in quotes because it used to be the hill country and now totally development. So weird to go back. Then, Sunday we had brunch for my mom's birthday. Although Kaylee wanted to run around outside the whole time. Overall it was a fun weekend with one minor accident....see next post.

Rum Runners

Yes, Team Rum Runners will be back in action. Eric and I will be doing the Upside Down Race in Comfort, TX on Febuary 22nd. Eric will be do the Mountain Bike part and I will run Cross Country. Then, we signed up for the Muddy Buddy Race in May in Johnson City. We had such a good time last year, so we definitely are looking forward to our races this year!

First UT Basketball Game

Kaylee went to her first UT Basketball Game last Saturday and got to see the Longhorns beat the Aggies! In true UT fashion, Kaylee went to Pre-Game at Scholtz's. It was the whole May Clan, classic Texas vs. Aggie rivalry. Kaylee thoroughly enjoyed herself at the game. She was clapping, pointing to the court, and kept putting her hands up for "Touchdown"....she will learn! She lasted to the 2nd Half with 8 minutes to go, which was awesome for a 7pm game including pre-party. (Much improvement compared to the Cubs Game over the summer!) She passed out in the car in record time, before we had her buckled up in the carseat. What a trooper!

My Husband, The Hombrewer

Yesterday was Eric's first day at Austin's Hombrew Store. And has everyone could imagine he loved it! Who wouldn't like talking about beer all day? Before everyone starts wondering about his part-time job, he took it with all of AMAT's forced shutdowns, not to mention to perfect his craft. Shutdown Recap: Was off for 4 Wks for Christmas, Worked 3 Wks, Off 2 Wks, Work 4 Wks, and Off 1 Wk....also some unannounced shutdowns over the summer. So, needless to say that is alot of time off and almost no more vacation days left. He is very excited about and even got a free beer at a local Pub since he now works there. He is a part of the inner circle. He will only work on the weekends and I believe you will hear us talking about starting a Microbrewery in the near future. Until then....

Our Little Helper

Little Miss Kaylee has become quite the little helper, such a Montessori Kiddo. She is definitely is the first born and has that natural born leader written all over her.

Here are a couple of examples of our little helper:

1. She sorts and puts the silverware (minus the knives) in the dishwasher. One by one.
2. She helps sweeps and uses her dust pan. She even takes dirt out of the flower pots, puts it on the floor, and then sweeps.
3. She throws all the trash and things that aren't trash in the trashcan.
4. She puts her dirty clothes in the hamper.
5. She helps fold laundry by putting all the socks on Mommy's foot.
6. She gets her shoes before going outside and boy does she try hard to get them on. Almost there!
7. She took Daddy's Debit Card and walked all the way to the front of the house to try to put it back his wallet. (We didn't even ask her! It was funny!)
8. For any spills (intentional or non-intentional), she will get the towel in the kitchen, wipe the spill, and put the towel back.
9. She will bring you your cell phone when it rings without asking. But then will continue to push random buttons.
10. Puts the Muffin Cups in the Muffin Pan. Over and Over again. You might have 3 on your Muffin.

Ba Ba Ba Dance

The short window between Kaylee feeling better and before the parents got sick, we went outside for Kaylee to show off her Ba Ba Ba Dance. We think it is her version of singing, because she does while dancing and she changes octaves while saying it. She also loves to go in circles, but then falls down because she gets too dizzy. It is funny. Kaylee isn't as energetic as usual since she was sick, but you can tell she wanted to play.

All My Single Ladies

This one is for Becky....

Kaylee loves to dance and what not to dance to but Beyonce's smash hit "All My Single Ladies"! Just kidding....this happen to be on TV one morning and we decided to tape Kaylee somewhat dancing.

PS. I just showed Kaylee the video and she died laughing. I've never seen her respond like that before to anything!

Christmas Pictures

Pictures from Christmas Morning in San Antonio, Trail of Lights in Austin, Christmas in El Paso/New Mexico....

One of the Perks of having Kids

You get sick when they do! Yes, Kaylee came home Thursday thorwing up. She never ran a fever, but we checked in with Dr. G. He said she had a virus, but no need for antibotics just lots and lots of fluids. By the end of the day, she was feeling much better. Friday night we hung out as a family in the backyard playing....celebrating Kaylee feeling better. (I have some cute videos and will hope to post later.) All of the sudden I wasn't feeling to good, so I as off to bed early. At 2am, I found myself running to the bathroom to throw up. And again at 3 and 5. Eric was being super supportive until 6am when it hit him! We spent all day Saturday alternating throwing up, sleeping, and entertaining Kaylee. It was not fun. We both hadn't been that sick since we were kids. Thank goodness Kaylee was content playing by herself and we let her watch Seasme Street, Dora, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse over and over. What a treat since she really doesn't watch much TV. We debated about getting a babysitter, but were too scared that she would pass the bug. Especially since we got word my dad got hit by the bug, after stopping by on Thrusday night. Sorry Papa! Luckily, Lindsey stopped by with so much needed fluids to get us through the day. Anyhow, we survived. It must have been a 24 hour bug, becuase we all feel much better now. Just one of the many perks of having kiddos! :)

Why Kaylee is cute....

1. While being tickled she pushes you away, but once you stop she pulls your hand back to tickle her some more.
2. She attempts to tickle your feet, which entails her touching your feet while she laughs.
3. She now dances with her hands in the air while swaying back and forth.
4. She like to put her forehead next to yours and laugh. However, she just head-butts you.
5. She loves to dip food into anything Mommy & Daddy does. ie. Chips & Salsa, Jalapeno Ranch, Goat Cheese with Jalapeno & Artichokes. Lets just say Kaylee will like spicy foods after 3 years old.
6. She is at the age of hiding and running while screaming and laughing. It is so funny. We can play run around the couch for a long time. She loves to sneak up on people. She is absolutely adorable.
7. Mwah! Kaylee loves to gives hugs, but hasn't quite figured out how to give kisses. BUT, she does know how to make the sound Mmmmwahhh! Melts my heart.....

Till next time....

2008 to 2009

I got to pat myself on the back for 2008. Inspired by Oprah's phenomenon "The Secret", Eric and I made a list of goals/resolutions last year. We checked all of them off, but 1 and half. Amongst the very long list.....drink more water (a soda is a treat now), new car, sell truck/boat, read more (now in book club), take vitamins (needs some work), new jobs, and Kaylee's Baptism (work in progress). I think, emphasis think, our main goal for 2009 is to prepare to move. Whether within Austin or else where, we are wanting to move out of the house. With the economy this bad, we have to play our cards right, hence why I think that is our goal. We've been to doing so major research and will hope for the best.

December Recap

Things have been rather busy in December, it was a quite a roller-coaster with ups and downs. I'm going to ramble now. I survive my first Christmas and End of the Quarter at work....lets just say it was busy to say the least. Eric survived another lay-off at work, which was a relieve. However, it was hard to keep spirits up with so many people that we knew that did get affected. (Not to mention the timing.) I spent a great 26th Birthday week with a Spa Day and Shopping with Lucy and then Becky flew in from Florida for the weekend. However, the my actual birthday was pretty rough.....I guess Birthday aren't what they used to be! In the middle of everything, I got news that a very dear friend of mine's mother passed away. It has been rather hard, since her mother was so wonderful and a great lady. And now that I am a mother, the mother and daughter relationship hits me a little hard. Being super busy, a Christmas Tree didn't make it up this year, which was probably best with K. However, we did make it to Trail of Lights (K has been every year! jk!) and I did get a Christmas Card, which made me happy. On the other hand....my co-worker welcomed a new baby girl, I got spend some time with some old SA friends, and Kaylee was cuter than ever on Christmas morning. We spent Christmas Eve as usual at Mimi's house and then at my folks house on Christmas Day. The May Kids' Santa Gift was Rock Band for the Wii and well, that is what we did ALL Christmas Day. Kaylee played her Tambourine. It was awesome. My Grandma & Reuben stopped by and my Grandma is a ultimate Rockstar after a Hip & Knee Replacement. She looked great! Then, we were off to El Paso for the Ernst Family Christmas. Kaylee did great on the plane and she enjoyed looking at the people at the airport. Boy to you make lots of friends when you have kids! Kaylee enjoyed her time with Ernst Clan and Hercules during her visit. We went wine tasting in New Mexico.....I got to revisit Exit 89 where Becky & I got stranded years ago from our trip from CA to TX. Eric and I came across a random Nambe Outlet store, which is the sliver platters we collect....and we got one 60% off! (Raise the roof). We ate lots and lots of good food, thanks to Glen and Julia. And now we are back to Austin! That pretty much sums December up...in a nutshell! (Note: I guess I say that alot, people make fun). Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays! :)

Happy Anniversary Folks!

Oh, my parents! They are celebrating their 33rd Wedding Anniversary today! (Note: 33 years...3+3=6 and 2009-the 3rd=6) My parents has been an inspiration to me.....they still can stand each other after so long! Just kidding, they have acted the same way since I could remember. I would catch them hugging or kissing in the hallway (gross) or their bickering will instantly turn in to laughter. As my father would say, they are ying and yang. I find my parents entertaining and funny and I don't see them getting boring anytime soon. Happy 33rd Anniversary!