Merry Christmas!

I know, I know, I said I would be better about blogging once this crazy semester is over but the truth is that even though my classes are over, nothing has slowed down! We had our christmas party the day after I finished finals and then I worked and ran around getting last minute gifts before our christmas festivities began!

Z & I have come to have several christmas traditions over the past couple years that I love so much. Christmas Eve morning we do our christmas together at home. This is the second year that Corinne has been involved and I love having her there with us that day! Christmas eve we go to Zak's parents for dinner and some fun family hang out time, then we spend the night there in the new pj's his parents get us every year! Christmas morning we open presents with them and then christmas night we head to my moms for dinner!

It's pretty crazy, especially this year since tomorrow (well, today actually) we are going to my grandma's in brea and then we are off for the night to SD to have dinner with my grandpa and then stay in a hotel on the beach and head to his uncle's house in SD for sunday christmas fun. McIntyre Style! haha And then monday morning it's back to work for me!

As you can see, things have been crazy busy and I hope to blog and post more pictures from all of our adventures once we are back to our normal daily schedules! For now I leave you with this picture of us today just leaving Z's parents on the way to my moms.



I can't believe this is our 5th Christmas together! Time seriously flies! I swear, they just keep getting better and better. I am a very lucky and blessed girl, if I do say so myself. <3

Happy Holidays Everyone!
Enjoy your families!

xo- K

FOR ERIN:

At the request of my lovely friend Erin, I will update my blog. First let me apologize to the few of you who read this regularly (is there a few?!) I have been busier than a bee collecting honey lately because finals have been in full swing for like two weeks now. As I type this I am thinking in my head also about the research proposal I am almost done with that is due tomorrow that I should be working on but how I also wanted my dear friend to have something new and exciting to read at work tomorrow. (See how much I love you E?) Also at her request, this blog will be about the following one of three things: rings, weddings & cats. I was going to make it about all three but it is just too late and I have to be up too early. The next one will be better, don't you worry.


I cant remember where I got this picture from, so I hope no one tries to sue me for using it, but I love love love this bouquet! So simple and gorgeous. It feels rustic, yet sophisticated at the same time.


This dress is by Nicole Miller and it is my newest obsession. I would also like her body to go along with it, thank you.


I found this somewhere (wow, I really am bad at documentation) and obviously I had to steal it due to its complete appropriateness.

Wow, this post really isn't long, but made me feel so tired after!
I am off to bed now to finish up my work
and finally call it quits on this long ass semester tomorrow!!
Then I will be quickly getting ready for our Christmas party on friday night.
More posts & pictures to follow shortly!

xo- k

parenting tip # 1

i know they say you should never let your children sleep in the bed with you. and now i am a firm believer in this for the following reasons.

1. they will learn that there are no boundries and will invade your space whenever they feel like it.

2. they we become jealous of who you sleep next to and will try to take over space on the bed.

3. they will become clingy and neurotic and follow you around whenever you go.


4. their innapropriate behavior will stem out into other facets of life, such as the bathroom.

i hope you all learn from our mistakes. it's too late now for us, but maybe you will catch it in time to save yourself from all the hardships we have endured because of our bad parenting.

xo -k

no words.

This. is. evil.

of course it is also the best thing in the world.

i am an addict.

yesterday i said adios.

i have been drinking tea to try and help
curb my cravings & caffeine withdrawl
but it's just not the same.

today a few words come to mind
to describe my mind set/ attitude:

grouchy
irritated
pissed off
angry
shakey
aggitated
cloudy headed
hungry
tired

ok, you get the idea.
i just keep reminding myself
that this is for my health and
soon I will be healthier & happier.

but today i am just pissed
and REALLY want a soda.

ugh!

he owes me.

i think this is an appropriate gift. dont you?


or there is always this.


all of the above are perfectly acceptable for pay back
of what i am about to endure these next couple weeks.



hahahahah.
im delirious.
need sleep.
<3 k

Incase you were wondering,

why I will be sleeping alone for the next month or so. This is the reason...


If this goes anything like Call of Duty - Modern warfare 1- then the following will happen:

1. every chance he gets this game will be on
2. when i say, "ok im going to bed now" the response will be "ill be in in a minute"
3. 2-3 hours later (around 2:30ish) I will wake up and notice that the bed is still empty next to me
4. Clumsily I will walk out into the living room to see him sitting about two feet from the tv with food/drinks/blanket
5. (last year, I would come out to see my brother also sitting cross legged on the floor, those days are gone now)
6. I will say, "hey its really late, you coming soon?"
7. he will say, "ya, im just gonna finish this game"
8. i will wake up in the morning to the bed still empty
9. upon walking into the living room I see him curled up on the couch with the tv still on.
10. new day, repeat.


as I type this, the cycle has already begun.
sweet jesus. help me.

It's been a while.

I just realized my blogging has been slacking recently. Part of this is due to the fact that I have been BUSY with life, work & school and part of it is because I guess I just haven't felt like anything was going on that was worth blogging about! Then I remembered that I never blogged about halloween! Every year Corinne and I go together to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins! This year we went to the one near Main Place Mall since it was the closest one to our house. I ended up getting a bunch of small ones and a cool green gord/squash type thing!




Then Zak decided that we needed to get a big one to carve and put out on the porch so kids would know to come to our house to trick or treat, so I carved this...


I know, i'm a dork. ok - i feel like eating dessert which means I need to stop blogging now. I am getting so excited for the holidays so hopefully I will have more to blog about in the coming weeks.
Sorry for the lame-ness.
<3 - K

found this.

sometimes i forget how far i have come because it took me so long to get here.
i found this today.
this was halloween '07. 25ish pounds heavier.

this was a couple weeks ago.



its weird to see old pictures.
those sneaky lbs - just crept up when i wasnt looking!
never again! :)


xo - K

To nook, or not to nook.

I must first say that this post is for my mother. My whole childhood I grew up with my mom constantly having a book in her hand at all times. I am the nerdy reader I am now because of her. That being said, recent technology has cause an internal battle in my heart that is making some life decisions harder for me. This is the nook - it's supposed to be 100 times better than the kindle and can hold up to almost 18,000 e-books. A READERS DREAM! I already have two bookcases packed full of books and am quite scared to imagine what they will look like a few years down the road. At first glance the nook is the perfect solution. A small, cute, useful reading device that would solve all of my space saving problems. The problem- is my gigantic love of books. I love the smell, the texture, the way they look after you have been holding them and folding their pages during bed time reading sessions. I LOVE going to barnes and noble to look for new books and cool new covers. Will I regret my decision if I turn my back on that smell, and those dog eared pages? Will I be a traitor to a way of life that will probably eventually fade out into oblivion just like record stores and juke boxes? Or will I be happy to carry thousands of my favorite books in the palm of my hand which I can pull out and read at a moments notice? These might seem like silly questions to some people, but I really have been thinking a lot about this recently and I still haven't figured out quite how I feel. That being said, my mom needs to put this on her christmas list - stat. She, of all people, would love this. And so would her wall to wall bookcase that is exploding with paperbacks. What to do you guys think? Should I Nook, or stick to good old fashion books?

Need is a very strong word...

but I NEED this. seriously.
no wedding necessary,
i'll just wear this baby around
every day of my life.

RACE DAY!

So the day finally came! Here I am waiting for my group number to be called! I was so nervous and felt like I had to pee but the bathrooms were backed up for a mile and I didnt really have time so I just went over and got in my group.


They were asking who of us were first time racers. Look how many there were! What was awesome is that I started in the 2:30-2:50 group and I ended up finishing my race at 2:27 so I could have gone up a group but was too scared to! It was a little hard in the beginning because you haven't quite spread out yet so there are tons of people ahead of you who are walking right in your way and you have to kind of go in and out of them to get around them! But it was so much fun!


Zak found me at mile 13 (I thought it was 12 but he told me otherwise!) When I finally saw that finish line I just took off sprinting - I was so excited to be done!!


Afterwards Z found me as I was passing the food tables and eating everything I could get my hands on! I am still in shock that I finished and that I am a runner now! As much as my knees hurt and my legs hurt and my poor stomach hurt, I would do it again in a heart beat! It feels like such a big accomplishment in my life that I never really thought I would be able to achieve! But I did it!!!



So my next plan is to start training for the Austin, TX half-marathon in Feb and I am hoping to improve my time considerably by then! This time Jimmy is going to be running it with me so that will be fun too! What a great three months training, and a great, great race day! All the hard work was totally worth it!

love, K

I swear, never a dull moment...

Since I started training for this half marathon it has been a roller-coaster of sweating, and aching, and trying to figure out how far I can push my body before it gets really pissed off! Since my long runs have always been on sundays, the last month or so has been one crazy sunday after another!

Two weeks ago I ran and then Zak and I went to cheesecake factory for date night, only to have it ruined by me barfing in their bathroom and needing to go home asap. Diagnosis: dehydration. Then last weekend I could barely finish my run because my stomach was hurting so bad and after I got home I was in the bathroom pretty much all night!

Poor Zak, our date night just keeps getting cancelled due to my body's lack of acceptance that I am now a runner and this is the new norm! So then comes today, I was prepared before my run, had been drinking plenty of water, had my little running gummies with me to keep up my calories, took am immodium before to make sure my stomach didnt bother me, had my protein shake when I got home..... long story short, the run went great!

I came home jumping and dancing around at how awesome it had gone and how finally my body accepted its new, healthier, fate! Fast forward two hours... Zak and I head off to costco to grab a few things and then were going to eat lunch right after. Well, we didn't quite make it that far..

If any of you have been to costco on a sunday you know how it is very reminiscent of a zoo. People push you out of the way for a cart, and give dirty looks if you take the food sample they are reaching for - and the worst part, the check out lines!!

As we are standing in the checkout line with about ten people ahead of us, I start to feel hot and dizzy. This is the following conversation Zak and I have -

Me: I'm going to pass out
Z: No babe, its just the lights in here
Me: No, seriously...
Z: calm down, you'll be ok..

Bam- out.

To Zak's credit, I always feel kind of dizzy and apparently tell him I'm going to pass out all the time, so to him this is nothing new, but the poor guy didn't know that he should actually probably brace himself to catch me and before he knew it, down I went!

When I came-to all the women in line were buzzing around and one of the managers had gone to get me something to sit down on. Everyone was really sweet and let us get a fast-pass to the front of the line so we could check out.

Moral of the story: Pass out in Costco if you really need to get to the front of the line quick! haha
But seriously, I have learned my lesson that you can't burn 1,200 calories in one sitting and think that a scoop of protein powder will tide you over. This whole training experience has been an eye opening time for me, and I feel like I just keep learning the hard way how not to do things! I am hoping this is the last of these experiences for me to deal with, but I guess you never know!

Now I am off to eat a big, delicious dinner. Just what the doctor ordered.

xo, K

I Finally won something! I never win anything!!

I can't believe I forgot to post this before! I won this...



ooooh lala right!? I'm so excited, especially because I have been thinking about doing these as a gift for my honey buns for a long time!
And what better time than when I am in the best shape of my life!
Melissa Vossler is amazing and I am so excited to meet her and have her take my pictures!
Check her out! --> www.melissavossler.com



Have a happy first weekend of October everyone!


xo, K

Yesterday,

I wore a shirt to work that I bought right after high school. This is the first time it has fit me in almost 5 years. YESSSS!!! ok, the end.

I ALMOST FORGOT!

So, I took these pictures a couple weeks ago and forgot to post them on here! Sweet little Zak helped me start this garden in our backyard at the very beginning of summer and I have spent all summer trying to save it from this crazy heat! Some of my little babies have been eatin by bugs (they loved the basil, bastards!) but for the most part all the plants are doing really well! Zak's tomato plant has just started making little baby tomatoes and they are so cute! Here are a few pictures!

Monday Afternoon Update: my life as of recently

running.about.com has come to my aid once again. if you are not a close friend/family member of mine the following info may be too disgusting and revealing for you. if you are a close friend/family member then you already know this is happening to me and will probably laugh your ass off while reading this. enjoy.


Embarrassing Running Problem #3: Runner's Trots (Diarrhea)
Running is good for maintaining regular bowel movements but, of course, sometimes it happens at inopportune moments. Many runners experience bouts of diarrhea and GI distress during and after running, so if you've ever dealt with it, you're definitely not alone.
Symptoms: You may experience cramping, flatulence, diarrhea during or after running.

Causes: The cause may be dietary in nature or due to lack of blood flow during digestion (since the blood is being pulled to your muscles). You may also have irritable bowel syndrome or lactose intolerance, the effects of which are enhanced by exercise. Dehydration and low electrolyte levels may also lead to diarrhea.

Prevention: This issue is more common in novice runners, so it may disappear as you become more fit. The following strategies may also help:

Avoid high-fiber foods (fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains) and coffee/tea before working out, stay hydrated.
Consume a sports drink (like Gatorade) during long runs to maintain electrolyte levels.
Choose foods that are naturally constipating, such as bananas, plain bagels, rice, oatmeal and pasta.
Make sure you don't eat at least two hours before running, so you have time to digest.
Try to keep track of what you eat before your runs, so you can figure out possible triggers. For example, some people find that dairy products cause diarrhea.
Plan your long runs along routes where you know bathrooms are accessible. If you face this problem on race day, don't worry. Most races, especially longer ones such as marathons, offer plenty of port-a-johns at the start and along the race course. In most cases, you can find them near the water stops.
If you try different tactics and nothing seems to work, you may want to consider a medical check-up for irritable bowel syndrome.

BOOKMARK

Who's luckier - me, or the book that gets
to cuddle with this little treasure?
love. love. love

It's that time again...

Of course, my favorite show in the world is back! Which, funny enough, is Zak's least favorite show, (but this is MY blog so his vote doesnt count!) I get so much joy watching people turn their lives around and win back a part of themselves that they thought they would never get back. As pretty much everyone knows, I have struggled with my weight since I can remember. In highschool I was up and down and after Zak and I started dating it was all down hill! We ate out all the time, which usually ended up being at like nine when I would get off work, and would always want to just hang out and cuddle and watch tv. Well, this is a horrible recipe for getting a case of the chubs and before I knew it, I was there. I guess you could say it kind of snuck up on me, I knew I was gaining weight but i didnt pay too much attention to it because I was happy and in love! But when I saw this picture- wow- I was in shock..


After we got home I decided I was going to make a change and take responsibility for my health and for my body.The last three years have been hard!! And slow! I have had a few set backs, mainly my two herniated discs last summer which really put a damper on working out and losing weight! But slowly and surely the weight has been coming off..

This is me in 2006

This is me now. Please excuse my lack of makeup! I was trying to find the most recent pictures of me but my camera has been broken so this will have to do for now! I am now less than a month away from my half-marathon and I am getting so excited!! I have lost over 35 lbs in the last three years and have about 10 more until I hit my ultimate goal!!! This is the last leg of this part of my journey, and after that I will move into the maintanance phase, which is an exciting and scary transition. I have learned so much over the last couple of years about how to eat healthier and I actually love working out now because I feel so great when I do!

I have to give a million thanks to Zak for always being so sweet and uplifting and swearing that he never even noticed when I gained the weight (this is why I love him so much!)
Corinne for being my gym buddy this last year since we have been living together and waking my ass up to go, even when I was pissed and didnt want to get out of bed!
My mom for helping me get the ball rolling, and walking with me all the time when I first started!
And everyone of my friends and family who have been so supportive of my journey and who are so sweet to tell me how great I look when they see me! Also to my friends who have run/walked/danced and sweat beside me, THANK YOU!!!!
I dont know how I would have done it without all the encouragment and love and support!

My little munchkin, well.. sort of...

This is Ella - my precious little fantasy daughter. I bet you are wondering why on earth I would call her that, but the truth is that she is not mine. (Insert sad face) Her mom Kristen, who is the sweetest, (incase you were wondering) hired me almost a year and a half ago to watch Ella while she and her son went to Mommy & Me classes. After that I have continued to watch them on an almost weekly basis..

Since I started watching her when she was about three months old, you can imagine how attached I have grown to both her and her big brother, but more than that it has been amazing to watch her in her first year of life!



I felt like a little mommy changing her diapers, helping her to eat solids, and holding onto her little hands as she learned to sit up, crawl, and even walk! I have always wanted to have a baby so it has been such good training and also such a good learning experience. I definitely know now how much work it is and I have so much admiration for moms!!


It's mind blowing how many changes babies go through in the first year and until now I had only seen them from a distance with my friend's and family's kids. When she was little she would sleep on me all the time and I loved have a little body to cuddle up with on the couch!


Then as she started to grow I realized how much fun it was that I got to be part of such a special time in her life. Literally, in a matter of months she changed so much! Another funny thing that happened was that her hair changed from brown to blonde! Total southern california girl! It's so much fun now watching her interact with her brother and start to talk and mimic everything I say!


I guess I am just having a sentimental day but I can't believe how big she is already and how fast the time has gone by! I am always telling Kristen how I still see her as the little baby I would rock to sleep and how I wish she would stay small forever! But the older she gets, the more funny and crazy she gets so I think its only going to keep getting better!

<3 k

hmm

(this is jack's pondering face)

why must everything in life be so damn complicated?
why does it feel like some grown-ups are less grown up than me?
why do i always want to eat del taco tacos when i am stressed?
it's all too perplexing for me to think about.
i need a diet coke.
and a taco.

Bucket List, per say.

So a few months ago a friend of mine wrote a blog entry
about her bucket list and what she might put on it.
I have been thinking about mine alot and I have to
say, its pretty short and sweet. I am lucky also because
much of what I want to accomplish I have already done.
I'm sure this will change and grow but for now I will leave it as-is.
The ones with stars are things I have already done, or started to do.

1. fall in love*
2. say up all night and watch the sun rise*
3. be published*
4. work for a magazine/publishing company
5. get married
6. have babies (one would be nice, two would be sweet!)
7. travel around America*
8. read as many books as possible*
9. have an amazing library in my house (this has begun and will only get better!)*
9. own a house
10. get a tattoo*
11. own my own pet*
12. have a 50th wedding anniversary party
13. go to Africa*
14. Obtain a college degree*
15. move out of orange county*
16. start a blog*
17. set a crazy fitness goal for myself that I normally would think I could never do (My half marathon is in a month!*

thats all I can think of for now <3

Target Love

Case and point why I love target so much.
Who wouldn't love these presh heels?
Especially when they are only $29.99?
Speaking of Target, Meg and I went there
tonight only to find out that they will soon
be expanding to have a full on produce and
frozen food section! My dream of being able
to live in target is finally coming true!

Crackberry

It's true what they say.
I am obsessed already.
Thank you verizon <3

I left my heart in Austin, Texas..

but seriously, i miss it.
i check craigslist all the time
for my future residence.
i need to go back, soon...