Making Memories: American Idol Edition

My husband Taylor and I often talk about "making memories" with our children. Those moments that last a lifetime are so important. I know I certainly have childhood memories that still make me smile today. I decided a few days ago that this goal of making memories blends extremely well with American Idol.


Say what?


My daughter Kate has been following Idol this entire season and is a huge Scotty fan. She absolutely loves country music (spending a huge amount of time with her grandfather is the primary reason for that). The fact that he is from North Carolina just makes him even better in her eyes. So when he advanced to the finals last week and the plans for the huge finale party were announced, I decided to surprise her with a trip to the RBC Center in Raleigh.


Even though I haven't watched Idol in many years, I have to admit I had just as much fun as she did. It was very exciting being in a coliseum with 12,000 or so screaming fans. The RBC Center is also home to NC State University basketball and that made the night even more fun as Mr. and Mrs. Wuf entertained the crowd (I'm an NCSU grad).  It's hard not to smile and have fun when you're in an atmosphere like that, especially when your daughter has just declared that you're the best mom ever.


I'm posting a few pictures taken with my phone camera, so excuse the quality. We'll both have those memories forever, but it's nice to preserve them here, too.

Loving the poster of Scotty with Mr. Wuf

Approximately 1/4 of the crowd

Scotty won!

(don't forget about my Body by Vi giveaway - enter here)

3rd Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge: Dealing with Vacation

I'm 2 weeks into this 3rd Body by Vi Challenge and my weight has not changed. You might think that lack of progress is a downer, but no, it's actually the opposite.

We returned from a family vacation to that most magical destination: Walt Disney World. We absolutely love Disney and go every other Spring. Your first thoughts of Disney might include a certain mouse, castle and pirates hailing from the Caribbean, but also stuck in the middle of all of that is FOOD and lots of it. I made the decision going into this vacation that I would not stress about food choices, but instead would do what I wanted to do. Mission accomplished! I began each day with a BBV shake but then ate from whatever overpriced, calorie-filled menu that was in front of us each day in Mickey-land.

And, you know what? I enjoyed straying away from healthier choices and I'm not going to lie about it. But I also looked forward to returning to better nutrition once we returned home. I score that as a major WIN on lots of different levels!

Oh, and the vacation was the best one my family has had in many years as you should be able to tell from these pictures.

Three Things Thursday

The lunchtime quickie edition ...

Success last night! I did the 2 miles prescribed in my smartcoach training plan for October's trail 10-miler. It was still very hot and humid, but I had a great time for a couple of different reasons. First, I was running/walking again and it felt great! Second, Will (my 4-year-old) joined me on the adventure. He loves going with me to the cow pasture which is my standard 2-mile route. This picture isn't from last night but gives you a good idea of his goals anytime he goes for a walk: collect as many rocks and sticks as possible.

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I'm recovering from plantar fascitis and my heel did great last night. I feel it a little bit today, but not too bad. My podiatrist suggested I try inserts in my running shoes to offer a little more cushion for my heel. They are soft and feel great, but my foot feels kind of "tall" in my shoe. I've also got to play around with the lacing some so the back portion of the shoe will be a little tighter.

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Taylor and I directed VBS at our church last week. It was a great experience and I truly believe God was present and working each night! The kids had a great time and it was worth all of the preparation and late nights. The only thing is I still cannot get those songs out of my head ... who needs an iPod with that kind of internal soundtrack? And speaking of iPods (hello, segue), there's a great Yurbuds giveaway at Running Off at the Mouth. Be sure to click on over and check out the wonderful blog ... she's an inspiring running mom. I could definitely use these as my last pair of earbuds mysteriously disappeared ... that's what happens when Kate wants to borrow them all the time and they don't find their way back to me ...

Three Things Thursday

1. We bought a pair of running shoes for Taylor at lunch today. Let me tell you, this is a huge accomplishment. The man cares NOTHING about sneakers/tennis shoes/whatever you want to call them. He has worn the same pair of New Balance shoes for the past 5 or 6 years. I knew the chances of getting him to a running store (the closest is 90 miles away) are nil, so we met at the local Rack Room Shoes and bought some neutral Saucony shoes. Seriously, we giggled through the whole thing because he kept saying "whatever you think" to which I would reply "but they're your feet - I can't tell what feels best." Good times, good times ...

2. Have I mentioned that I registered him, Kate and myself for the Sweetheart 5k on February 13? I have the ticker on the left but I don't think I've blogged about the fact that he's agreed to try running! I do hope he enjoys it ... I love it so much and want to share that with him. It will also be great to share a hobby together. The 5k has a couples division but I doubt very seriously we'll have a shot at being anywhere near the fastest couples there. Our team name: My Wife Made Me Do It. Kate will be running the 1 mile fun run and is super excited!

3. We are now a Wii family. This is by far the most popular of the Santa gifts. We've all had a blast playing different games, including the games on the Wii Fit Plus with the balance board. You should see my Mii in that game ... it's overweight just like me!

So that's it for posting in 2009 ... Happy New Year to everybody! Here's to a great 2010!