Putting some SPRING in my step

Spring in DC is beautiful! Cherry Blossoms, the monuments, historical sites, races---can I say more? Here I am celebrating the beauty of spring (and life) in several different settings:

The beautiful Cherry Blossoms!

A pretty site from the Potomac River

Have to add a jumping picture in there!

Mount Vernon with Kath and Caroline. What a great weekend!

Some more Tidal Basin

Tulips at the LDS temple.

Before the St. Johns and Navy croquet game--31st Annual Tournament in Annapolis

The beauty of the Annapolis, State Capitol Building

The group of us that attended the games---there were men too, note the fun hats and dress. I felt momentarily transported back to the Great Gatsby era.

A mean croquet competition

Running in the "Glo Run" with Kathryn

We are all ready to go!

Dancing the night away after the 5k

The good ole' PHS days...

It's hard to believe that 10 years has flown by since I played some b-ball with these ladies (see below).  It's hard to believe I even played basketball--but I did! (my skills are not up to par these days).

We reminisced about those "good ole'days" of PHS basketball and we laughed at certain memories with the coaches and the players. What's ironic is that at the time, playing basketball was a bit of a trial for me. I didn't get a lot of playing time. I wasn't the star of the team. I often felt feelings of inadequacy.  But senior year at PHS my attitude changed; though my circumstances did not. I focused on my relationships with my teammates. I became their advocate on the bench. I gave them pep talks at halftime. I drove them around in "the boat" aka our station wagon to get some food. Those teammates became some of my dearest friends, like the 2 pictured below. And it was all a result of a difficult experience.

And now those 'difficult times' are now some sweet memories. It made me realize how important it is to just embrace the present for what it is. Ten years from now, my current life may also be considered the "good ole'days." So what is the application? Enjoy the present, live in the moment, smell the roses cause the moment will be gone and only a distant memory soon. So why not love life now?

A good thing to remember over Thai food in NYC! Thanks Jen and Jenny!

Nicole got married. That's cray-cray.

My cute niece is married. I got to go back for the celebration a couple weeks ago to offer my support, congratulations, and cheesy sense of humor.

It's hard to believe! It was like yesterday I was jumping up and down on my mom and dad's bed shouting "I'm going to be an aunt!!" after finding out Julie was pregnant.

It's like yesterday Nicole and I played "sleeping beauty" on the top bunk of her bed in Delta, UT.

It's like yesterday that she came out to visit mom and I in California and I got mad at her for distracting me from my AP US history reading.

It's like yesterday that she became a teenager and I helped her analyze Pride and Prejudice for her English paper.

It was last summer when we chatted at Zupas about her future and all the unknowns in her life and I gave her a pep talk that it would all work out.

It was last fall that she fell in love and got engaged.

And it was 2 weeks ago that she tied the knot.

Congrats to Coley! I look forward to continuing to ride this journey with you!

Embracing it.

People,

I'm embracing it. All of it. I'm hugging it. And I'm content with it.

it=life.

It's such a good feeling to be at peace and to have renewed faith and optimism.

I know it will happen. I know it will come to pass at the right time. I know it will be incredible. I know that it will be worth the wait.

it=marriage

So in the meantime, I'm embracing it.

it=life

Because it will just happen.

it=marriage.

So, in the meantime, I don't have to worry about it.

it=marriage.

That's what's so great about it.

it=life

God is in charge. And I can choose happiness. So I'm embracing it.

#it #life #marriage.

The end.

Nashville jest fer kicks and giggles

I've been meaning to post this for a long time, but time got away with me...So here I am. Maybe at some point in the near future I will also include captions for each picture, but this will do for now.

So yes, I went to Nashville! "Why did you go to Nashville, Susie?" Well, honestly just 'cause. My friend, Lindsay and I have had a huge urge to go for at least a year and we finally just buckled down and made it happen. It fits well with my theme of this year: Take the bull by the horns. (ok, I have a lot of mantras and that's one of them).

Highlights of the trip? Waiting 2.5 hours to eat at the Loveless Cafe. Flirting with Parker, our cute southern waiter. 25 hours in the car (no joke). Goofing off and making videos by the Parthenon. Falling asleep at the Honkeytonk. Feeling out of place at the Honkeytonk (No alcohol makes you all too aware of how awkward you feel). Wishing a cowboy would sweep me off my feet at the Honkeytonk (and for all ya'll that have no idea what I'm talking about, a Honkeytonk is like a bar with live music and dancing). Eating loads of biscuits and jam. Playing MASH--Ok, Lindsay played, I watched. Visiting the Andrew Jackson home. Watching the horses warm up at a horse stadium in KY. Sharing a double bed with Michele. Going to El Templo. Taking jumping pictures at the Parthenon. Eating fried chicken. Car dying in boondocks, West Virginia. Wishing a cowboy would sweep me off my feet at the Honkeytonk (wait, already said that.)

See below for some pics, but you get the idea. Nashville was awesome. The memories priceless! 

Life is grand!

You made it to the end, congrats!

I did it!--Again!

Saturday I finished my 3rd half marathon! It was a great experience and it felt good to prove that I could once again run 13 miles straight. Even better, I got to run in my home town with sites that are near and dear to me. So what's in store? Who knows! I will probably run another in the near future but I'm not in any rush either.

For now I'm just proud that I can do hard things. And know that when I'm determined enough, I can accomplish almost anything. Go me!

And while it was "snowing"...

This trip is officially happening...A dream come true! Coming soon June 2013. Can't wait!