Announcement: The Love Project

It's that time of year, friends, the dreaded Valentine's Day season.  Since it's almost February, I thought I would jump on the spirit bandwagon.

Mara from A Blog About Love {a fabulous blog, by the way, which you should check out!} posted this video collage aboout what love means to different people.  It is a beautiful video that got me thinking about how I can capture the spirit of love in this blog.

What I came up with is what I'm calling The Love Project.  Each time I post in February, I will share an article, picture, movie or song clip, or personal story that, in my opinion, conveys the powerful emotion of love.  I would love to hear about the types of things that do the same for all of you!  So, for the last few days of January, I will be brainstorming fun things to share!

Speaking of love, I hope you all watched The Bachelor last night :-)  I hate myself for watching it, but I can't turn away!

Andddd....cue collapse

This weekend was our first of two Admitted Student Welcome Weekends, which always turn out to be a bear for me.  Throw in another large project that already had me busy last week and you have a recipe for an UBER-stressful week.  I didn't know how late I would have to stay at work last week, so I didn't make any plans with friends, plus Dan was sick {he contracted that nasty little 36-hour stomach bug that is going around}, so my nights last week consisted of going home, eating dinner, and going to bed at 9ish.  Even with all of that rest, I pretty much collapsed once the event was over on Saturday night.  I apologized to poor Dan in advance for my extreme lameness, because I conked out and slept for about 11 hours on Saturday night.  Stressful weeks will do that for you, I guess!!

The best part about the weekend was going home to my guy.  Even though I was deliriously tired {seriously, I had spoken complete nonsense as I fell asleep on Friday night}, seeing him never ceases to bring a smile to my face, so I was glad to be able to spend some quality time with him after not having seen him all week.  Once I had had a few minutes to recover, we headed over to Thunderburger in Georgetown where, as luck would have it, we ran into my brother and his roommates.  We LOVE Thunderburger, because Dan can order a wide variety of burgers, and I can nosh on my beloved Rock the Casbah burger {a chickpea burger with yogurt sauce and tomatoes, with some sweet potato fries on the side...YUM}.  If you haven't been, you seriously need to go!  I started to nod off while we were watching Silver Linings Playbook, so we ended up finishing it the next day.  It was really quirky, but I actually loved it.  Seeing Bradley Cooper in a serious role was kind of surreal, but I still enjoyed it!

On Sunday, I hemmed and hawed from the time I woke up until the time I left for my run.  After the long weekend I had had, I was not in the mood for a 13-mile run.  But I told myself that there was not going to be an out on this one, so I sucked it up, hip pain and all.  It was by no means a fun run, and, once again, my stomach bothered me for much of the afternoon after I got back.  Boo :(  I hope I can get down to the bottom of what is ailing my stomach so that I can avoid that kind of pain after 26.2.  We had a truly lazy Sunday afternoon, watching the rest of Silver Linings, the latest episodes of Parks & Rec and Modern Family, and, finally, the Pens game, as I inhaled some pasta, the first thing I was really able to eat that day. 

I'm looking forward to what should hopefully be a much calmer week this week, which will include a Bachelor watch with two of my close girlfriends tonight!

Long Weekend Recap

I have an unexpectedly light day today {perhaps it's the calm before the storm that is my event on Friday and Saturday?}, so I thought I would update you all on my much-needed long weekend.

Last week was no fun, so I practically fell through the doorway of Dan's apartment when I got there on Friday after work.  We headed over to my parents' house for dinner to celebrate my mom's birthday {despite how tired I was, I can always be bribed with the promise of cake}, and then went to our friends' house for drinks and Catchphrase {which, conveniently, is now an iPhone app, and which I am obviously now buying}.  It was the low-key night that I needed, but still sufficiently social. 

On Saturday morning, after my run, we drove down to the Charlottesville area to partake in my Christmas present to Dan, which was an overnight in the Cville area and a trip to a few local breweries.  We ended up going to two, Starr Hill and Devil's Backbone.  Starr Hill is the more well-known of the two and I did enjoy the beer, but I think I was slightly cranky because it was right around lunch/snack time and they didn't have snacks to go with our beer.  Fail.  Devil's Backbone, a beautiful brewpub nestled in the foothills of, you guessed it, the Devil's Backbone Mountain, was much more my speed, because we were able to stuff our faces on a jumbo soft pretzel with spicy mustard while still enjoying our beer. I was no longer experiencing hungry crankiness.  We drove to our B&B, which, while charming, is, as it turns out, in the middle of nowhere.  We dropped our stuff and then drove 45 minutes to Charlottesville.  Being that Dan had finished much of the beer of Lil' Lightweight {yours truly}, I was the one tasked with driving, and I spent the entire time white-knuckled and afraid of hitting a deer.  Luckily, no Bambis were injured during this drive, and we made it to our predictable dinner choice of Mellow Mushroom in one piece.  Sure, we could have sampled some local Cville cuisine, but we were in a pizza mood and knew what we were getting ourselves into with MM, so we knew we would walk away happy {despite a Hoya loss that happened while we were eating and checking the score in vain}. 

I had brought my computer with me for the sole purpose of watching some Homeland...and I barely lasted a whole episode.  I blame the energy drain of driving in sheer terror for 45 minutes, plus the amount of alcohol ingested throughout the day {we also drank some of the Cab that Dan had gotten at his office holiday party} for my sleepiness.  I promise, I'm not 90!  In all seriousness, though, this was such a wonderful, not to mention much-needed, trip.  I always enjoy gifts that we can partake in together, and will take any opportunity I can get to have a change of pace, if only for 24 hours, focus on each other and reconnect.

We headed back reasonably early, after a homecooked breakfast courtesy of the B&B proprietors {okay, Grands rolls don't count, but the rest was homecooked, and Dan, who had somehow had a deprived childhood by never having tried them, had his world changed forever}, because I had to get my 18-miler in that afternoon.  I had a really great run; I ran from Rosslyn on the Mt. Vernon Trail to just about the Wilson Bridge in Alexandria.  I also happened to see my parents outside {the trail runs right by their house}, so that was a perfect opportunity to stop for a water/chatting break.  I felt so accomplished/exhausted when I got back, but, within an hour, I was doubled over in stomach pain.  Dan made the unwise decision {and yes, we both kicked ourselves afterward for failing to connect the dots and choose a different dinner option} to head into the city to get himself dinner to bring home, and the trip took him two hours due to the Inauguration crowds.  When he got back, I was curled up in the fetal position in bed, in complete agony.  Since it had worked for me before, I tried taking a nap to see if my stomach ailments would go away, instructing Dan to only let me sleep for 45 minutes.  Well, I was OUT, and he had to shake me pretty hard to get me back awake.  Finally, 5ish hours after I finished my run, I was able to eat something {just some pasta with olive oil and parmesan}, but I know that I have to keep talking to the doctor about this stomach situation to hopefully get it figured out before my race.  Dan took very good care of me, trying to make me feel better, waking me up from my nap and cooking me dinner, which I was very grateful for.

On Monday, we went to Metro 29 for breakfast, and then I basically lazed around for the rest of the day {okay, fine, I cooked and did work, so I was anything but lazy} and prepared myself for the firestorm of this week. Only a few more days...in the meantime, I promise I'll post pictures soon!

Marathon Training: Oh yeah, that's happening...

I feel like marathon training has become a part of my morning routine to the extent that I forget to talk about it on this blog.  But I am slightly over halfway through my training, so I thought I would give you all a quick update.

I was thinking today how strange it is that my "short runs" on the weekend are now 11-12 miles.  Prior to training for this race, the longest distance I had ever run was 13.1 miles {twice}.  It is astounding to me how far I've come in just two months of training. A few weeks ago, after a horrific 16-miler which ended with two miles of jogging/limping, I was feeling pretty down about my training.  I have been plagued by hip joint pain for the past month or so, which has reared its ugly head, in particular, during my longer runs.  I was frustrated by having to plan my entire weekend around when I was going to do my long run, and that bugged me.  That was why I was so apprehensive leading in to my 18-miler yesterday.  I had been hemming and hawing all weekend about when I was going to do my run, and was nervous about running later in the day, when I had already eaten.  I have found that I have stomach issues if I run with food in my stomach, which is one of the main reasons why I run early in the morning {in addition to the fact that I am a morning person}.  Dan was nothing but encouraging yesterday as I prepared to leave for my run.  He really has been my biggest cheerleader throughout this process, and has been quick to reassure me when I've had a tough run or am visibly in pain.

I had a really great run yesterday, so I came out of it feeling somewhat reassured that I can do this.  I felt really good for the first 12 miles or so, and didn't feel too terrible after that.  My hip did start bothering me, but I think the fact that I didn't run in the city, and, thus, didn't have all the stop-and-go action that aggravates my hip, made for an easier run.  I ran from Rosslyn on the Mt. Vernon trail and turned around by Wilson Bridge in Alexandria.  I even saw my parents outside, basking in the glorious day, in the park next to their house, so I stopped for a quick break to say hello and eat my Shot Bloks {if you're training, these are made by Clif Bar and are fantastic; not being a regular consumer of caffeine, I didn't want to risk using a training aid with caffeine in it and having it mess up my body}.  I was definitely ready for the run to be over at about mile 15 or 16, but I felt really good about myself when I finished.  I was even able to call upon a short, surprising burst of energy at the end of the run to pass a couple of people.  It was great to be able to go home to Dan and know that I had done it, and he was really happy for me.

Now, I haven't run my race yet {it's on March 16th, for those of you who are interested}, but I have a renewed sense that I CAN do this.  The fact that I have been able to overcome a lifelong hatred of running, in addition to exercise-induced asthma, is proof that you can do anything if you really put your mind to it.  I have an incredible support team led, first and foremost, by Dan, and they continue to encourage me, even in moments when I doubt myself.  For that, I am so grateful.  It has also helped to hear from friends who have trained for marathons, picking their brains for tips.  I'm excited to push myself more over these next few months and, hopefully, have a successful race!!!

I promise that I will try to update you all soon on our wonderful long weekend.  It is going to be a tough week at work, but hopefully I'll find some time to write!

In A New York State of Mind

Last week was a really hectic one, both in my personal and professional life, so sadly, I never posted about our New York trip.  But I didn't want to leave you all in suspense for too long {since this week is going to be another doozy}.

Dan and I had a really smooth trip on the bus, both ways.  Sure, we could have saved an hour each way and taken the train, but we both decided it was worth it to pay a fraction of the cost and slum it on the bus.  Once we got to New York, we met up with our friends James and Lindsay {the latter of whom had just arrived from DC on the train} and walked over to James's place.  We agreed to go to sleep on the early side, since James, Lindsay and I all had to do a 12-miler for marathon training and wanted to get it over with on Saturday morning.  We were up at the crack of dawn {7, to be exact, an ungodly hour for a Saturday} and, after Dan ran part of the way with us, the three of us ran around Central Park.  Boy, was that ever a great run!  I loved running around the park and, since James ran up ahead of us and Lindsay and I were running at a slightly slower pace, the run was so enjoyable.  We gabbed the entire way and cheered each other on when our joints started hurting.  There is definitely something to be said for having a training partner!!

After all of us showered and got ready in what has to be record-setting time, we scarfed down some bagels and power-walked to MSG for the Hoya game.  It was the first time that both Dan and I had been in the storied Garden, and luckily our Hoyas made the trip worth it, handily defeating St. John's.  After the game, we headed to a bar, where we ran into a whole smattering of friends, both my friends, and Dan, James and Lindsay's swimming friends.  It was a great time, especially since we don't usually partake in the post-game celebrations after home games.  Afterward, we walked over to the High Line and then grabbed some snacks before heading back home.  We went to 4 Napkins for a burger dinner and spent an hour or so at a low-key bar before calling it a night.

On Sunday morning, we met up with a few of my cousins and two of the kiddos {the same ones who had visited DC over Thanksgiving, plus a few more} for brunch, which was a lot of fun.  Dan had never met anyone from my dad's side of the family, so I had been really looking forward to introducing him to then.  We had a really nice time, and I enjoyed seeing my family in their natural Manhattan habitat.  From there, we headed home, and our wonderful New York weekend was over.  Sure, I may still maintain that the Big Apple is too big a city for me to ever consider moving to, but I really enjoyed our time there.  Spending time with friends, family, and, of course, my amazing travel buddy, really made the weekend perfect.  I look forward to hopefully going back soon {which will definitely happen if baby bro moves there after graduation!}!!

Brunch at Veselka with the cousins

Scenes from the High Line

I think the fact that each of us wore a different WAG shirt contributed to the win :)

As Promised, Some Christmas Break Photos

These pictures have been sitting on my desktop and are annoying me {those of you who know me can attest to how much I hate clutter}, so I am finally posting them.  I am far too busy right now to write about our New York weekend, but I promise I will post about that soon!

Beautiful light-lined streets of Old Town!

 Pucker up!! The Christmas camel, Aladdin, at Mount Vernon

Replica of the Capitol made entirely out of plants, Botanical Gardens

Beautiful lights, Georgetown Waterfront

Ice skating at the Georgetown Waterfront {highly recommended, and I would actually recommend combining it with dinner at Farmers, Fishers & Bakers}

Spending New Year's Eve at O'Connell's in Old Town with my love :)

We're going to...

via I Lost My Heart in New York

via Fairytale Wishes and Dreams

via Subway

via Pinterest

In case you hadn't guessed, Dan and I are going to New York this weekend!  I'm so excited to spend the weekend with our friends James and Lindsay, and can't wait to sneak in a quick brunch with my cousins as well!

And SNAP, the weekend's over...

I seriously have no idea where this weekend went, so I guess that's a sign that it was a good one!

On Friday night, Dan and I went to one of our favorite pizza places, District of Pi, for dinner.  As usual, it was insanely delicious.  Then we picked up some beer {for him} and cider {obviously for me} and hunkered down to watch the Season 1 finale of Homeland.  Call us old folks for staying in on a Friday night and watching TV, but the truth was, we were exhausted after a mere three days back in the office.  Fridays tend to be nights where we want to come home and not do anything strenuous.  As expected, the finale was incredible, so it left us itching to start the next season {which we did yesterday...not even embarrassed}.

On Saturday morning, I had to do a 16-miler for marathon training, and I was really dreading it.  It has gotten to the point in my training where it is becoming a hassle to plan my weekends around my long runs, mostly because I tend to be somewhat incapacitated by the pain afterward.  I was feeling pretty good up until I stopped briefly at Mile 6 to eat some of my Clif Bar Shot Bloks {I am still not confident enough in my ability to ingest these without choking to attempt to eat them while still running; however, I am a WHIZ at getting my water bottles out of my belt without stopping.  Baby steps}.  When I started back up again, my hip, which has been bugging me for the past month or so, was in some pretty serious pain.  I pushed through it, but it was definitely not a great run.  I would characterize the last two miles of the run as a jog/limp hybrid, with an emphasis on a limp, but more worrisome was the fact that my hip was in so much pain that I was nearly in tears.  Of course, when I told Dan that, he asked me the totally legitimate question of why I continued running.  Being stubborn himself when it comes to workouts, he could obviously relate to why I wanted to finish, but he is just concerned that I'm in so much pain. 

Anyway, after I had wolfed down some food {I was so hungry when I got back that I almost passed out} and taken some Advil, I went over to my parents' house, where we were preparing for a SLEEPOVER with a few of my friends.  That's right, you read that correctly, a sleepover!  Jamie, Molly, Lauren and I had been talking about getting together this weekend, and I suggested the idea of an Old Town sleepover, and luckily, the girls were very excited about that!  We went to Fontaine's {that fabulous crepe place that I had gone to previously with my parents} with my parents and then cozied up in front of the TV to watch Bridesmaids.  We ended up staying up until about 2 a.m. chatting, which made it feel like a true slumber party.  In the morning, my mom made us Christmas rolls {WIN!} and, by the time the girls left, we had decided that this had been what all of us needed!

Yesterday, Dan and I were couch potatoes and watched some Homeland, followed by the 'Skins game.  While I am not a football fan, I like to see DC teams {other than the Caps...side note, HOCKEY IS BACK! GO PENS!} do well, and I think that RGIII seems like a stand-up guy.  It was tough to see him struggle with his injury. 

This week, I have some exciting things coming up!  Tonight, I'm planning on cooking myself something hearty and healthy and then chilling on my couch to watch the much-anticipated {haha} premiere of The Bachelor.  Tomorrow, Dan and I are going to the Pitt game, which his brother so kindly bought us tickets for!  On Thursday, we are going to Rasika; after talking about going for months, I finally looked on OpenTable and picked a date.  I am bouncing-off-the-walls excited! And THEN, this weekend, we're going to New York!  The impetus behind the trip was wanting to go to the St. John's game at MSG, but we're also going to hang out with James and Lindsay, as well as hopefully see some of my cousins who live in the city. I'm really looking forward to it!  Even with as close as I grew up to the city, I haven't really been there too many times, so it should be fun! 

I hope you all had a lovely weekend! Here's hoping the next one gets here quickly :)

Relaxation Time: How I Spent My Christmas Break

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I certainly was not lacking in relaxation time over break, which, after a stressful few months at work, was certainly in order.

After getting caught in a terrible snowstorm that turned what normally is a 4-hour drive into a harrowing 9-hour drive, Dan got back to DC.  Knowing that he would be grumpy and starving {he only ended up being the latter}, I had some homemade mac & cheese casserole {one of his favorite dishes that I make} and Oreo cupcakes {which he claims is his favorite dessert EVER- patting myself on the back haha} waiting for him when he got to my apartment.  He worked from home on Thursday and Friday, so we just hung out in my living room during the day and got to hang out at night.  SLASH we MAY have also gotten addicted to Homeland during parts of the work day :) The only thing on my agenda was going for a run- I had a 14-miler on Friday- so the rest of the time, I just sat pretty.  I also made crepes on Thursday morning, so that took up a little bit of time as well!

On Friday night, we saw Les Mis {the movie}. SO. FREAKING.GOOD.  Tears were rolling down my face for a sizeable chunk of the movie, which Dan made sure to give me grief about haha.  In all seriousness, I was amazed by the singing performances {other than Russell Crowe's}; even Anne Hathaway, for whom Dan tells me that I have an irrational hatred, did a great job on "I Dreamed a Dream." They were all incredible, and it is such a moving story that they captured so beautifully.  As we left the theater, a tissue-less me still sniffling, Dan remarked that he had forgotten that the story was so sad.  Yeah........

On Saturday, I took my "day off" from exercise, which actually ended up being a very busy, not to mention active, day.  Dan wanted to go shop for some golf supplies, which I didn't really want a part of, so I met up with my mom to see the Christmas displays at the Botanical Garden, which I would highly recommend, by the way.  From there, we went to the Museum of the American Indian for a bit.  It was nice to have some mommy-daughter time! When I got back, Dan and I headed over to the Thomas Jefferson Community Center in Arlington to play some basketball.  We had been threatening to play for, oh, about a year, but we finally did it.  We didn't play 1-on-1, but we did play two games of horse and one of Around the World, all of which I won, thank you very much.  Too bad I didn't have the good sense to put a home-cooked meal on it beforehand! 

After we showered and changed, we headed over to Georgetown to check out their ice skating rink. FAB.U.LOUS.  It was significantly less crowded/hectic than the Sculpture Garden rink, not to mention more picturesque at the time of day that we went {7 p.m., so all the lights were sparkling!}.  After skating for about an hour- and avoiding falls! Woohoo!- we hopped over to the newly reopened Farmers, Fishers & Bakers for an 8:00 reservation...only to wait until 8:45 to get seated. WOMPPPPPP.  We were so hungry after our active day that we got pretty grumpy, but quickly cheered up when we learned that they were comping us a round of drinks and an app.  Now THAT'S how you placate angry diners, people!  Let's also talk about the fact that the food was OUT OF THIS WORLD, and also reasonably-priced!  We got an appetizer of soft pretzels and three mouthwatering dipping sauces, and, for our entrées, Dan ordered jambalaya and I ordered a gardener's pie {essentially shepherd's pie but with veggies instead of meat}.  Our tummies were sure happy when we left, and we vowed to go back very soon.

On Sunday, we went to our beloved Metro 29 for brunch after our runs, where who should we see but Eric Cantor.  I was so tempted to bitch him out, because, at that point, Congress had not reached a deal to avoid falling off the fiscal cliff.  However, I kept my cool and stuffed my face with French toast like a good little girl.  For the remainder of the day, we watched football.  Now, I hate football, but watching it meant that I got to spend time with Dan, and it also required no effort, which pleased my exhausted body.  In return, he told me that, since I had been so good to watch 9ish hours of football, I could choose Monday's activity.  I chose Mt. Vernon, which ended up being a slightly poor choice because of the cold weather and the fact that the place pales in comparison to Monticello.  Who knew?  However, while there, we saw Michele Bachmann.  I kind of creeped myself out by recognizing two politicians in 18 hours, but I know that I was right.  Again, in a perfect world, I might have bitched Michele out for her politics, but I refrained.

And then came New Year's Eve.  Last NYE was definitely a depressing one for me, because, as we walked around Dublin on that day last year, it seemed as though there was a happy couple everywhere we turned, which only made me miss my guy more.  That's why I was thrilled to not only spend so much time with Dan this break, but also spend New Year's Eve with him.  We had decided that we wanted to do something low-key {but still actually go out}, so we threw on our party clothes and headed to Old Town.  All of the Christmas lights lining King Street twinkled away, and I briefly forgot that I was not walking down the Champs-Elysées.  Dinner was yummy, and we decided to head to O'Connell's, a charming old pub, afterward.  We were SO fortunate, because, just as we got there at around 10, a group of women was leaving, so we snagged their seats at the bar.  We didn't have to fight for drinks all night, AND we got seats.  Seriously perfect.  We made friends with some pretty interesting characters {one, a guy named James with long, red hair and a pink sparkly cape, was particularly entertaining} and just enjoyed each other's company.  It was perfect.  Seriously, I was in my happy place, getting to spend the holiday with my love.

So that's all she wrote, folks!  That was my UBER-relaxing vacation, and I enjoyed every second of it, whether spent with my family or with Dan.  It was definitely tough to get out of bed on Wednesday morning to come back to work, but, surprise! Today is Friday!

For whatever reason, my photo uploader isn't working, which is kind of annoying, so I'll try again later to post pics of the rest of break!  Happy (almost) weekend!

New Year's Resolutions

via French By Design

I really hate the start of a new year, partly because my once-crowdless gym suddenly becomes crowded, and partly because it's the season to make resolutions that you don't end up keeping.  Because I'm one for actually achieving goals that I set for myself, I prefer to have tangible, reasonably attainable goals for myself, rather than making sweeping declarations.  So here, my dear readers, are my Tangible, Attainable Goals for 2013:

• Assert myself more, whether in my personal or professional life {for those of you who know me, you know that assertion and conflict are not exactly two of my strong suits}
• Run a marathon {I'm already signed up, and am in the midst of the hardest part, all of the training}
• Eat enough, and well enough, to bribe my body to run 26.2 miles. HA!
• Put some of my Pinterest home decor ideas to use {more on this soon!!!!!}
• Always take the time to help or listen to a family member or friend in need, and never hesitate to let those people know how important they are to me, both through my actions and my words
• Enjoy the little moments.  I am so goal- and milestone-oriented that I often struggle to stop and smell the roses.  I have so many wonderful things to look forward to this year that I want to enjoy everything in the moment, rather than constantly looking forward to the next thing.
• Do things and spend time with people who bring me joy
• Do not fear change
• Do not forget to laugh, especially at myself!

I would love to hear some of your New Year's resolutions or goals.  How do you hold yourself accountable {or don't you?} in your quest to achieve these goals?

A Very Merry Christmas Indeed

If you read my blog posts at this time last year, you will remember that, what with our whirlwind Christmas vacation, my family had a very, very busy break.  I look back on that trip so fondly, and I know that my family does as well, but dam, did we keep busy that break!  This Christmas break was a total 180 from the frenetic pace of Christmas 2011.

I'm going to have to separate the break into a couple of posts, because I think that this one will be a little bit lengthy otherwise, but I'll start with "fake Christmas," my Christmas celebration with Dan the Friday before Christmas, before he headed home.  I  had gotten off of work really early, which ended up being nice, because I had time to pack and clean my apartment.  Once he got to my place, we headed downtown and stopped by the Capitol Christmas tree, which I always love {it looks so much more natural than the caged-in White House Christmas tree}.  From there we walked to dinner at Poste in Chinatown, which, although exorbinantly priced, was delicious.  Plus, what better time to go out for a pricey dinner than a holiday, right?  Then, we went home and opened presents, and, once again, Dan did a great job. He got me a beautiful, logo-free Coach wallet {he knows how much I hate logos, and he also has had to watch me fish through my coin purse for credit cards and IDs enough to know that I needed an upgrade}, as well as a running headband {purple, my favorite color, to match the running jacket he got me last year} and smart phone-friendly running gloves. I had gotten him a dress shirt to replace some of the ones that are now out of commission {he tends to get holes in the elbows of his work shirts, so he must sit in a strange position when he's at his desk!}, as well as an overnight in the Charlottesville area and a trip to a few breweries on the Nelson County Microbrewery Trail later this month, which we are both really looking forward to.  I was sad to see him off bright and early on Saturday morning, but it helped to know that I would see him again in just a few days.  The two-week separation over Christmas last year was really difficult, so it brought me so much happiness to get to spend so much time with him this break.

After a long run, I met up with my friend Jamie to go to the Georgetown basketball game.  From there, we perused the Chinatown Christmas market and then saw Anna Karenina.  I had been really excited to see it {I almost always love Keira Knightley period pieces}, but we both walked away very disappointed.  I should have known it would be a letdown, particularly since I disliked the book so much {I actually ended up giving up and didn't finish it}.  It is always lovely to spend time with her, though, so I was happy, despite the $9 wasted on the movie haha.

From Saturday night to Wednesday I stayed at my parents' house, which was exactly the getaway I needed. There was lots of going to bed early, early-morning runs with my dad, eating yummy baked goods that my dad picked up at the Old Town Farmers Market, and generally spending quality time with my family.  On Monday, my mom decided that Tim needed to get out of the house, so we went to the Spy Museum, specifically because there was a special James Bond exhibit that she thought he would enjoy.  Even though I had been to the museum once before, I thoroughly enjoyed going again, and I think my dad and Tim had a nice bonding experience over the Bond villain exhibit.

 

We spent Christmas morning at my parents' house, opening presents and eating our customary Christmas rolls {if the picture below doesn't make your mouth water, there may just be something wrong with you}.  Santa was very good to me this year; in addition to the running gear that Dan had gotten me, I got some more great stuff, including a dri-fit shirt, a roller {to help with my tight muscles, which I am SO excited for!}, a belt that holds some small water bottles, and some gummies, which are so delicious I plan to use for my training and then during the race.  They are so yummy that I had to promise Dan that I wouldn't just sit at my desk popping them throughout the day...Not to pat myself on the back, but I really loved the gifts that I gave my parents and Tim, Snapfish photo books of our Europe trip last year.  I wanted to find a creative way to memorialize the trip, and I was so pleased with how they turned out!

Seriously...

 

After we finished opening presents, we drove to my aunt and uncle's house in southern Virginia, where my mom's entire family gathered for Christmas dinner.  It was the first time in probably about ten years that we had all been together, so it was nice to have the entire family there.  Everyone especially enjoyed the Christmas poppers that we brought, something that we always do for Christmas on my dad's side of the family. Each popper contains a paper crown, a small toy and a little joke, and everyone was a good sport and wore their crown.  After an overnight stay and some more time with the family in the morning, we headed home.

Merry Christmas, from my family to yours!!!