Did I Mention...

I got a new car??? I didn't think so. Bye bye lovely Scion tC. I will miss you and remember the wonderful (& usually overly cramped) times we shared.

Welcome to the family, Nissan Rogue!

Our First Iowa Christmas

This past Sunday, Graham and I ventured into the Iowa wilderness to cut down a tree. Yes, we actually cut down our own tree this year! That's apparently "how we do it in Iowa". The pre-cut trees we are accustomed to were all MUCH more expensive so we were pretty much forced to freeze and walk around until we found the most perfect fir tree on the lot. Of course, we were successful! Complete with hot cider, and s'mores, Kris Kringle's Christmas tree farm was an overall great experience--next time Iowa, let's keep the temps above 20 degrees puh-lease! Note: we got in our tree getting before the snow! Great success.

Us at the farm with our sweet saw. After my finger incident at work (another story completely) I'm not allowed to touch sharp objects anymore, so Graham did all the sawing!

Our tree before we cut it down. Sorry environment.

With a perfect s'more!

It was a bit chilly...I definitely was NOT dressed for the occasion.

Just another beautiful Iowa sunset.

The finished product. Happiness.

As You Can See...

I have once again reinstated the original blog title in honor of the beautiful white flakes which have fallen almost continuously the past couple of days. No accumulation yet, but supposedly we are supposed to have 4-6 inches on Saturday! Considering the fact that this week has been a high in the 20's kind of week, I am ready for some of that white stuff. I mean, if it's gonna be this freakin' cold...at least let it be snowy!

It's Been a Whole Year, Folks!

We have had an amazing couple weeks of celebrating!! What a fun excuse to whip out year old wedding cake, drink champagne and eat great food!

Number 1, our wedding cake was perfectly amazing. To all the unbelievers out there who say it can't be done--believe it. We each ate 2 pieces and were sad to throw the rest away.


Note: The icing fell off the sides in transportation from NC to Cedar Falls! Definitely wasn't pretty, but was pretty delicious. I'm so punny.

Last Sunday on our actual anniversary I was so exhausted from working almost 2 weeks straight that we just took a day to rest, lay around and just enjoy each other and a dinner out to Texas Roadhouse, a family favorite! This was all in preparation for the true festivities:

Yesterday afternoon after I got off work we headed to Des Moines for a fun filled couple of days! We headed to our hotel to get dressed (complete with jacuzzi tub, thank you very much) and went out to downtown to a seafood restaurant named Splash. What an amazing experience. If you live in Iowa and haven't been to Splash, you are missing out!!

Excuse my awkward hand.

From the moment we got there we were just so spoiled. They checked our coats, my wonderful Dad had preordered a WONDEFUL bottle of red wine for us and our menus were even personalized for the occasion and were sprinkled with Happy Anniversary confetti! I know in my last blog post that I said the Emeril's restaurant in Florida was my favorite, well I just found my new one!! Check out these pictures of our fabulous dinner:

Our menus :)

Best bottle of wine we've ever had! Thanks Daddy!

Now that's a crab leg. One pound per leg. I've seen Graham get into some crab legs before, but NOTHING like this. I would love to see that whole crab!

Sake grilled shrimp over mashed sweet potatoes and black bean/mango salsa. This dish was created just for me and should be called the Joanna because I literally couldn't think of anything better to sum up all of my favorite foods! Yep, crab leg creeping in the background.

Our dessert. Key Lime Cheesecake...yum. The manager even gave us complimentary dessert wine to go along with it! Seriously the craziest tasting dessert wine of all time from Bordeaux, France.

At our table. Note the aquarium in the background complete with lion fish.

Taken at the front of the restaurant on self timer on the host stand. Yep. No employee was in sight :)

I've Got the Magic, Magic, Magic

A little over 3 weeks ago (my, how time flies!!) I headed down with Grahambo to the land of magic itself (no not Never Never Land--although we did stop in briefly while we were there), Orlando, Florida! We met my mom and dad as well as my sister Keri, her husband Joel and two kids Rami and Ada. First of all I would just like to say: I LOVE DISNEYWORLD. It makes me giddy now even thinking about it. Talking the monorail into Magic Kingdom just brings back so many fun memories as a kid that I can't even explain. Getting to see my nieces experience the magic for the first time was even more amazing. There really isn't anything better than seeing a little girl light up at the sight of a disney princess, folks. I get it, I get it, we are just promoting a society where little girls expect to grow up and be swept off of their feet by prince charming and live happily ever after in their ginormous castle, but you know what? Why not! Enough talk about the girls, when I got to hug Mickey Mouse I somehow forgot about the crazy person inside the costume and just enjoyed a big kiss on the cheek from the starter of it all. Who am I kidding? I am the one who drove to Atlanta from Chapel Hill in a day and a half so that I could try to be the crazy person in the mouse costume!! Yes, I auditioned to be a disney character. Preferably a pricess, but with my height restriction, more likely a mouse. Or Stitch.

I only have one little bone to pick with Disney. Why you gotta make every "children's" ride absolutely TERRIFYING at some point or another. For example, we are at Animal Kingdom, right? Perfectly harmless. We had just enjoyed a visit with the vine lady, who was absolutely amazing and we were headed to our first "ride" of the trip: A 3D adventure with Flik from A Bug's Life. It starts out nice with a butterfly right within "arms length" when all of a sudden the evil grasshopper guy pops out of nowhere, the fog machines and strobe lights cut on and it goes pitch black in there. I mean seriously??? My poor 5 year-old niece is now scarred for life and we cannot go on another ride for the rest of the week without her asking, "It's not going to be like that bug ride, right??" Thanks, Walt.

On another note, the first night in Florida we visited my favorite restaurant in the whole world (this says a lot considering how much I love food and how many restaurants I've been to) by Emeril Lagasse called "Tchoup Choup". Pronounced Chop Chop. With an asian flare the restaurant is decorated with brilliant blues, oranges and purples with hints of bamboo , an ethereal lily pad pool in the center and waterfall down the back wall. Needless to say, the meal was amazing. And as if we weren't all stuffed to the brim, in perfect Dad-like fashion we hop a boat to Universal's City Walk straight from the restaurant and make a b-line for cinnibon and split 2 caramel pecan rolls between the fam. I'm talkin' about somethin' down right good.

I have not done this trip any bit of justice by this blog post, so I will leave you a few pictures to express my excitement!

LOVE M-I-C...K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!

Mickey and Minnie!

At Mickey's Halloween Spooktacular! Love me some crazy family time.

New Years Resolution: Complete

Yes, I realize that I am WAY late on this blog post, but hey! It's not because I'm not excited!! So listen. I have made some ridiculous new years resolutions in the past such as:

1. No fried food for 1 year. For anyone who knows anything about me this might as well be a death sentence and I think I made it a whopping 15 or so days until I realized this meant I couldn't eat FRIED FOOD.

2. No Facebook for 1 year. Although I did go without it for a while, I think you all know how much of an epic fail that one was.

3. Audition for American Idol. This was back in high school and NO I didn't do it (although I did at Hollywood Studios a couple weeks ago but that is a totally different story altogether.)

Basically, don't talk to me on New Years Eve because I'm usually on some kind of kick that I can't stick with for more than 2 weeks. HOWEVER. After 23 years of trying, I finally kept my resolution. I did it. I ran a half and a full marathon in 2010. WOO HOO!!!!!

Hokay, so. I never, ever. EVER thought that I would be a marathon runner. I wanted someday to try and run a half marathon, but something strange happened on December 31, 2009 and my mind was made up. Well, I planned on running a half marathon this past April in Charlotte, NC with a friend. OBVIOUSLY that didn't happen. Why, you ask? Oh. We just moved to Iowa--no big deal.

At this point I'm thinking my hopes for completion to be over and done with, but then a close friend here in little ol' Cedar Falls, Iowa puts me back up to the challenge and away we went! Running up to 30-40 miles per week, we did it. We made it through training and we made it across the finish line. Did I mention I'm probably crazy enough to do it again?? When the time is right, I will, and I mean it, run the Disney World Marathon in Orlando, FL. Why not run it this year, you ask? The problem is that I live in Iowa and the race is in January. I promise you I will not be doing any 20 mile training runs when it is negative 20 degrees outside. In fact, I promise you I will not be doing much of anything outside when it is negative 20 degrees. Netflix, here I come!

Here are a few pics to prove that I actually did this thing:

I always imagine myself looking cool when I run.

Although a neat thought, I definitely look ridiculous.

Making it down the home stretch!!


Official photo time!!

Updates

1. So when I went down to my car this morning to make the trek to work at approximately 7:50am, my windshield was frosted over. FROSTED over. Thank you Iowa for becomming chilly all of a sudden. If you could hold off winter through this weekend I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

2. I'm a blonde. I mean, dirty blonde. In the sense of the color not that I or my hair are dirty in any way. For those of you who have known me through my middle/high school years, this doesn't come as a shock to you because you know that my hair has been pretty much every color possible. Fo' real. Well, I went back to the lighter side and I'm lovin' it. I'm feeling more fun already!

3. I have my first painting client! A friend of a friend at work found my blog earlier in the year and loved my artwork!! I am so excited to break out a little creativity soon--it is a much needed breath of fresh air! (I really almost typed fresh of breath air there...these 8am mornings are killer.)

4. I am going to my first wedding as a spectator at Park Place tomorrow night! I cannot wait to be on the other side of things and actually be able to enjoy a wedding for once!! Congratulations Tony and Rachel in advance--so happy for you!!

5. I'm running a marathon on Sunday. And when I say marathon I mean the whole shabang...all 26.2 miles of it. And I WILL be running the whole thing if it's the last thing I do. Did I mention I'm going to a wedding Friday night, working a wedding Saturday and then driving down to Des Moines (about 2 hours) that night to stay in a hotel with Grahambo just to get up and run a marathon??? I've lost it this time. I really have, folks. Wish me luck!!

6. A week from Sunday Graham and I are headed down to Orlando, FL to meet my mom and dad and my sister's fam to go to Disney! I seriously coudn't be more excited. My two nieces are literally the cutest things ever and they just glow at the thought of meeting Cinderella. I told Graham already that I had to get my picture with Aladdin and I don't think he was too amused. But hey, who wasn't in love with Aladdin??

Even the Firetrucks are Carolina Blue!!

I still remember the joy of my first few days on campus as a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill freshman. So clueless. So little. But taking up courage in the fact that any place where the sky smiles down at you in that same beautiful light blue couldn't be all that scary. Now, 6 years later, my heart smiles at the thought of going back to that little piece of Heaven on Earth. I am so thankful that this past weekend, I got to pack my bags and head back to good ol' N-C-U for a whirlwind visit. I apologize to Laura, who almost wrecked her car several times as I let out random screeches of delight as I passed through campus, remembering the sweet smells and sights that warm my heart so dearly. Growing up, I never thought I would be able to call another place "home" but Hendersonville, NC. I never moved houses during my childhood, much less towns or states. When I moved to college, this whole "moving" thing was very foreign to me. Who would have known that a few short (too short!) years later I would be moving halfway across the country to call Iowa my new "home". Although I realize that this is my home now, in the sense that this is where I live and work and have my husband and new, very dear friends, in my heart, when I go back and see all that Carolina blue, I know my heart remains in NC.

As I walked through campus, through the quad, by the bell tower and into Kenan Stadium to watch my Heels play, I was able to remember a big piece of who I am. It is so easy to get distracted by all the craziness that life throws you, but when, for a short weekend you are allowed to just slow down and enjoy the goodness of life, that's when you realize how great we have it here. I have been blessed with AMAZING friends, an AMAZING husband and an AMAZING family. What more could I ever ask for??

After a couple of crazy days/nights with the girl loves of my life, a win for Tar Heel football and a quick lunch with my favorite sister and brother-in-law, I boarded the plane back to Iowa. And, as silly as it sounds, the beauty of Chapel Hill has carried back into my life here as I see things through a different lens. Everything has beauty and value, it is only what we make out of our time that counts. I don't know how much longer Graham and I will be in Iowa, but whether it is months or even years down the road, we will enjoy every second of our time here. And then, one day when it is the right time, we will make it back to where the sky, street signs and even the firetrucks are all Carolina Blue.

Pictures to come...

I Saved a Bunny Stuck in a Chain Link Fence on My Run Today!

That's all. I am feeling really warm and fuzzy inside right now because of this experience.

Can't Time Just Slow Down For Once?

Wow. So, I totally apologize for the lack-of-blogging this season of my life is bringing. Between running, working, volleyball, maybe coaching volleyball, working some more, pop-up weddings, etc. my life has been a hot mess! Did I mention I am practically working two jobs right now? Oh yeah. While I am transitioning to my other position at the new event centre, I will be working at BOTH through October. Pray for me and for patience. I do not want to compromise the quality of my work and do not want to over-commit myself as my track record so proudly boasts.

A couple quick updates before I must jump in the shower to begin another fast-paced day!

Graham and I had a WONDERFUL time with my mom and dad in Iowa/Minneapolis a couple of weeks ago. What a blast! I LOVE Minneapolis and I think it would be an amazing place to live...minus the fact that it is more north and even colder than our current abode. Pictures are coming I promise!!

I ran in my first half marathon and finished in under 2 hours!! Woo hoo!! All this training I guess is actually paying off!

I attended my first Egyptian wedding and UNI football game all in one weekend! (Did I mention I planned the Egyptian one? HA--this is where the hot mess part of life comes into play...)

Believe me, I have more stories and pictures going with them to come! I'm sorry to all my dear friends who I haven't spoken to in SO LONG it feels. I love you dearly and I promise when I get one second to breathe we will catch up on the craziness of life!

A Fair-Filled Weekend!

To keep with the tradition of using all of our down time doing as much as possible instead of actually taking a second to just take a deep breath...Graham and I went back down to Des Moines to enjoy the Iowa State Fair in all it's glory! Back in our famous Des Moines Register article days, the marketing director of the Iowa State Fair mailed us two free admission tickets. At least they recognize WHO we are up here. We drive down following some friends to park and take the $2 bus over to the fair (we are WAY too cheap to park close) and immediately head for the food station. I was of course quickly distracted by the margarita tent and after convincing the lady that I was 21 (I had left my ID back in Cedar Falls...of course.) we enjoyed our margaritas in the summer sun only to realize all too late that we had actually not paid for them. I honestly still feel a little guilty, but you know...they forgot to ask right??

20 Fun Happenings post-Margaritas:

1. Footlong Corndog. Enough said.
2. Bloomin' Onion.
3. About 15 bottles of water.
4. Sweet Potato Fries.
5. 2 Iowa Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches with Baked Beans and Cole Slaw.
6. High-Diving Show
7. Awesome live music
8. Most awesome live music including: Tone Loc and Vanilla Ice FREE live concert. I know, you're jealous. Top 10 most hilarious experiences of my life.
9. Chair lift across fair when we were too fat to walk.
10. Double Ferris Wheel (My fave!)
11. Disappointment in the mullet turnout.
12. Saw a cow made out of butter.
13. Walked 10 miles. (Or maybe like 4 but it felt like we walked for 6 hours straight)
14. Free try to throw a baseball in a bucket = success. Too bad they won't give you a prize on the free try.
15. World's smallest cow.
16. More baby pygmy goats (I'm seriously going to take one home with me one day)
17. World's largets Boar
18. More types of corn than I knew existed on display.
19. Missed NC State Ice Cream Stand
20. Took bus back to our car way later than expected because we were having too much fun.

My camera was dying so I didn't get to document as much as I wanted to, but here are a few highlights!

Getting ready to devour some delicious and non-nutritious food

You know...just so I'll know.On the chairlift. Surprisingly romantic.

Whirlwind.

You always hear that summer comes and goes like a whirlwind. What does that even mean anyway? A whirlwind? I guess I just have no appreciation for sayings. I also guess I don't find this saying as cute anymore because of my actual new fear of being sucked up into a whirlwind. Well, as you might have guessed, the past 20 days of blog-slacking really have been filled up to the proverbial brim! First of all, I am a whole 'nother year older since I last blogged. That's right! Baby Joanna is 23 and loving every minute of it. This also means that a new season of Project Runway started on none other than the big day itself. Who could ask for a better present from the Lifetime Network?? Okay, okay...well my wonderful Hubby Graham bought me a new, tiny Sony Cybershot camera!! I love it and I'm sure you're going to love it because it frees me up to leave my big momma camera at home and have a new baby pocket-size version to take more pictures! We also went out to a WONDERFUL birthday dinner here in Cedar Falls at one of our favorite restaurants called Bourbon Street and just got to relax and enjoy each other during a very VERY busy time in our lives.

Enjoying my "fun" drink!

Graham enjoying the "fun" rolls! Seriously, these are the best dern corn muffins you'll ever try. And believe me, I've had my fair share of corn muffins.

In the restaurant, which is made to look like the streets of New Orleans. Maybe we like it so much because it wants to be Southern as much as we do!

In continuing the celebration festivities of the week/2 weeks/however long I want to claim as my birthday, we got to go out with some new friends here in the area! We had a lot of fun...probably too much fun for me having to get up at 5:00am to run 16.0 miles the next morning, but hey. You do what you gotta do, ya know? (That's right I said 16.0 miles. I've done this with my ballin' running partner twice now. Kill self.)

The girls directly to my left in the picture (in the pink and black) and two to the right of me (in the grey cardigan) are the two other event coordinators I work with! (Well...not for too much longer (insert sad face) which I will explain later)

Again...continuing the festivities, Graham took little ol' me to spend a day in the big city we know as Des Moines! The capital of Iowa, it boasts so many things I love like zoos, malls and P.F. Changs. We just happened to hit up all three of these beloved places in one day! Here are some highlights:

Graham petting the Galapagos turtle at the Des Moines zoo.

This is an awesome moment for me since I have had a tradition of sitting on a statue of a Galapagos turtle since I was little every time we went to Busch gardens in Tampa, FL! Look Mom, I found a real one! Too bad I was too scared to hop on...

Baby pygmy goats = cutest.things.ever.

Operation life goal pet a giraffe...complete.

Silly Llama.

The first weekend in August Graham and I got to spend some much needed time back in the homeland of the North Carolinian mountains. The more we go back there the more I am able to love it. I love the mountains. I love the cool air and dew in the grass in the mornings. I love going for a run from my parent's house and knowing that there will be 2 fiberglass bulls awaiting me .7 miles later. But most of all I love seeing my big, crowded, crazy, dramatic and particularly amazing family. I really never thought I would be living this far away from what I call "home", but it really makes me miss and love each and every one of them even more.

Although quite complicated at times, I am also very thankful that Graham and I are from the same small town and are able to see both of our entire families in one visit! Here are some highlights of the trip through pictures:

In baby voice, "I miss my little Maggie girl!!"

Enjoying the sun at Fontana Lake. Please take a look at that beautiful scenery. (The mountains are nice too.)

Graham's always impressive hair.

Momma Ashe and I refreshing :)

The original Ashe Fam!

Oh brother Adam...what's wrong with this picture??

My beautimous Mommy and I poolside

Sisters!

Brothers!

Now that's a plate of food if I do say so myself!

Mom with her incredible spread. "Get away from the booty!!"

Fave.