Something To Blog About.....

Finally, and probably from now on, I have something to blog about. Chan and I are expecting a little boy in August and I plan on keeping my family and friends up to date by posting on here. Hopefully more often than I have in the past. There's definitely a baby boom going on right now. I'm one of six women on my street who are having or just had a baby. If no one moves this could be a really fun neighborhood for all the kids.

Chan has been involved in everything from dr's appointments to nursery decor from day one. He's going to be a great dad and I can't wait to see him in action. Now if we could only agree on a name. We need major help in this area and are taking suggestions from anyone that has them. Below are some ultrasound pics of Baby Taylor so far. I can't wait to find out more!

Derby Fun

I absolutley love the Derby... It brings tears to my eyes for some reason, I don't know why. I have been wanting to host a Derby party the past couple years and thankfully I didn't choose this year (just b/c the weather was so bad). I'm vowing to host next year. I start getting excited about a week or two away and I study all the horses. I really like to choose my horse by the way they act when they're trotting to post but that's a little late in the game for placing bets. I did really well throughout the day of picking the winner based on their demeanor when heading in. I want to say Congrats to my nephew, Cale, who picked Mine That Bird to win the race. Wow, now between me and my 2 sisters we have to compensate him for his win since his bet wasn't actually placed like we told him it would be. This becomes a greater topic of conversation when the odds were 50-1 and he's really good at math..... Who new??? We just meant to add some excitement to the race and my sister had already left the drive through betting windows when he picked his choice. I've really enjoyed everyone's Facebook posts throughout the day about the Derby. I've picked up some new recipes for my "party" next year and tons of ideas on fun games to play during the day. My passion for horses began when I was very young and only shines more during Oaks/Derby time. Well, this post will be very short b/c I've been so bad about keeping this up to date but want to end with promoting the Madison Co. Quarter Horse Association that my dear friend Lori's daughter, Hayley, is a member of and will be competing in the Madison Co. fairgrounds next weekend. http://www.mcqha.com/

Walk for Diabetes

I posted earlier about the upcoming Walk for Diabetes that my family was participating in with my nephew who has Type 1 but I hadn't posted pictures from the actual walk. It was really fun and I want to thank all my friends who donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. It was a beautiful day for walking in Jacobson Park. A lot of people brought their dogs and I always think it's interesting to see how Deuce interacts with them. Since my entire family was there I was more into walking and talking at the same time. Chan, however, was on a mission. As soon as the walk began he was in high gear and stayed there for the entire walk. He was way out ahead of our group. I walked with him for a while but finally gave up and dropped back with my sisters. He did finish at the front of the pack. Only Carson finished ahead of him and that's because Carson ran the 5k, crossed the finish line, and then came back to walk it with those of us who hadn't finished yet. Here are some pics from the day.

Running for Beginners

So, I've decided to make another attempt to get in shape. Everyone has inspired me with their 5k's, 10k's, and marathons so I've decided to try running. I'm not saying I'm going to be great at it or if it's something I'll even enjoy at all but I'll give it a try. I've printed off a training course that will help me build up my stamina to run a 5k in 8 weeks. It goes pretty slow which is what I need. My father-in-law said that I should make a bet with him for $500 that I will meet my goal that way I will stay motivated. Seriously, this is how bad I am at staying in a fitness routine. I've joined my local gym, had a Curves membership, bought an exercise bike, numerous workout videos, kickboxing, another gym membership. All this stretched out over time but still, how ridiculous is it that I always find a reason not to keep pushing on.

My friend, Lyndsey, even told me that when people run on a schedule for a long time their body begins to crave running. Will I ever get to this point? Probably not. I think this feeling is reserved for the cross country athletes I see running around EKU's campus.

My motivation so far is the new pair of tennis shoes I just ordered because of course you have to have brand new shoes to run in, right? That's what I think anyway. Not to say I didn't need them. The rubber sole has become detached from my current tennis shoes. The last time I was at the gym I could feel it flapping on the bottom of my shoe (definitely annoying). We'll see how it goes. Chan has already determined that I will decide the weather has gotten too cold when my shoes come in. I may just have to prove him wrong.... Wish me luck!

Walk for Diabetes - September 20th

Saturday, September 20th my family is participating in the Walk for Diabetes at Jacobson Park in Lexington. This will be our 2nd year and it's a great event. My nephew, Carson was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the spring of '07. I didn't know much about diabetes before then. If your not familiar with type 1, it's also known as juvenile diabetes and occurs suddenly in children. Carson was 10 yrs old when he was diagnosed. It's been really hard for all of us to learn how to care for him. He can pretty much do everything on his own. He's checks his blood sugar and gives his own insulin injections througout the day. It's heartbreaking to watch him manage this day in and day out. His childhood is no longer carefree and everything has to be carefully considered (how much exercise he has in a day, food that must be weighed and measured, insulin units calculated, correction factors determined, etc.) My sister could probably tell you the carb count for any food you might ever eat.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is making tremendous progress in developing better solutions for managing this disease. If you would like to make a donation to support our team "Carson's Crew" please click on the link to the right. We really appreciate your support!!!

The ABCs Meme:
A- Attached or Single? Attached
B- Best Friend: my hubby, my sisters, and a few old friends that have been around for a long, long time
C- Cake or Pie: Pie
D- Drink of Choice: anything not diet
E- Essential Items: good book, phone, and chapstick
F- Favorite Color: I've really branched out lately and I'm starting to add a little more color here and there. I've always liked blue and green though.
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: Gummi bears if I have to choose but I really like Sour Patch Kids
H- Hometown: Irvine
I- Indulgence: ice cream (my all time favorite) and my daily recording of the young and the restless. I never thought I would watch a soap but it's really good and now I watch my daily episode in the evening after work..... so relaxing...
J- January or February: February, definitely. It has Valentine's Day and Groundhog's Day. The only thing January has is a lot of Christmas clean up.
K- Kids: Love them! Huge imaginations and limitless energy. Very entertaining.
L- Life, for me, is better now than ever. Chan and I have been very blessed and am at a point in my life where I really feel content.
M- Marriage Date: 4:30:05
N- Number of Siblings: 2 sisters that I love more than anything. I have a connection with them like no one else. We can say one word and all bust out laughing. Sometimes I feel like we can read each other's minds.
O- Oranges or Apples? Both. Oranges are really good but apples are less work and they don't sting if you have a cut on your finger. So, I guess I'll choose apples.
P- Phobia/Fears: HEIGHTS! Terrified of heights to the point that I freeze and can't move.
Q- Favorite Quote: "Judge not lest ye be judged."-Matthew 7:1
R- Reasons to smile: Chan, friends, my sisters, my parents, nephews, my dog, my job....It probably would have been easier to anwer the question reasons not to smile. I'm feeling pretty good these days.
S- Season: Summer - besides my birthday in June, everyone comes out of their houses in summer and hangs out together for bbq's, lake trips, and outdoor fun.
T- Tag Ten: Tisha, Christy, Julie (if she had a blog page). Angie's already done this and I don't think anyone else reads my blog so that's it.
U- Unknown fact about me: I try to avoid stepping on cracks in sidewalks when I walk and if I'm really bored I count things that are around me. Really weird so I usually don't tell anyone.
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? I'm a meat-eater. Oppressor of animals???? Who made this questionnaire???
W- Worst Habit: not sticking to my chore list. I'm not the best house keeper.
X- X-rays or Ultrasounds? No opinion
Y- Your Favorite Foods: pasta, salad, seafood, salmon patties, corn on the cob, lemons, tomatoes, and cucumbers
Z- Zodiac: Cancer

Hiking is actually fun.....

Don't get me wrong I love being outdoors and love to explore and take in the scenery but I'm not one of the hard core "hikers" that live in Berea, Ky (and there are a lot of them). This week my co worker Sarah from our New Orleans office has been staying in Berea for training. She lives in downtown New Orleans and was excited to be in a small town but also a little bored. I found out that she's interested in hiking, kayaking, etc. So, I was talked into joining her and another guy from work for a hike up on the Pinacles. It turned out to be pretty fun and we just took our time and had an enjoyable walk. The view was nice and the weather was perfect. I think I'll probably go back again. Although I hadn't packed my granola and trail mix like the others I still managed to get by in our short 2 hour walk. Here are some pics on the East Pinacle.