angel in the sky

The Childrens Museum Of The Lowcountry

2008-11-25T16:15:00.008-05:00

PB230937
Originally uploaded by xosunnydaysxo.

So, quickly approaching is Gabriel's 3rd birthday. I've sort of made up my mind that this year I would not be hosting his birthday at home. With work and school and life's everyday whatevers, it gets tiring for me to clean before AND after the party, plus entertain and get everything ready. So, I started to look into other options for this year.

After some searching around online, I remembered that my godsister Jen had mentioned something about a Children's Museum downtown. And before long me, Jen, and the birthday boy to be were on our way to check things out.

On our way to pick Jen up, Gabriel was way past his naptime, and promptly fell asleep in the car. But once we got downtown and into the museum, he was wide-eyed and ready to explore!

So, each room in the museum is a different theme of an exhibit, and the idea is for the children to be able to learn about things hands-on. For example, one room taught them about the weather. The kids can actually make the cloud on top of the room rain, and the water falls into a river. They can also make the sun shine, which demonstrates how evaporation occurs, and even open the dams to release water into the river and watch the city of Charleston light up from hydropower. Gabriel loved playing with the boats along the river, and watching them go along the waterway. They even have little smocks to prevent them from getting their clothes wet.

Perhaps my favorite exhibit was the one with a shrimp boat. The room was designed to look like a dock with a large shrimp boat the kids can actually get on. On board, they can cast nets "overboard" and hopefully get a big catch. Of course their big catch is other kids standing in the water (blue carpet), and placing crabs, fish, shrimp, etc. into the net. Once you pull your net back onto the boat, you can then walk onto the dock and place your catch onto a conveyer belt. Gabriel really thought this was cool, cause he was able to crank his catch along the belt, and then place them onto a scale to see how well he did for the day. Also on the boat, you can even go inside of the cabin where there are sleeping quarters complete with a little bathroom and a cooking area. Wanna be a captain? You can sit up front and "control" the ship too and even push buttons to make thunder sound. Rain jackets and rain boots are provided for extra effects too. Super cute.

There are actually other exhibits, and I think that it is safe to say that Gabriel enjoyed them all. I take that back. He didn't seem much interested in the arts and crafts area. Once I saw how much he enjoyed our visit, I knew that this was the place to hold his birthday party. I'm very much looking forward to it, and hope that you all can make it too!!

Trippy Christmas Music Rocks!

2008-11-20T13:45:00.003-05:00

Went out with the girls last night to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I've heard some good things about the show, so decided to give it a shot. The first half of it was...eh...the second half was good. Their most popular song is probably "Wizards In Winter," which I personally thought was the best song and light show of the whole concert. But if you have epilepsy, I wouldn't go. Heavy strobes and lasers. Check out the little clip. I swiped it from Youtube, but you get the point...

Needful Things

2008-11-20T13:00:00.002-05:00

bob
Originally uploaded by xosunnydaysxo.

Oh...I'm getting that fever. I've taken a very long break since my race last September. As my clothes are getting tighter, and I'm eating whatever my heart desires, I'm becoming increasingly disgusted with myself...once again.

I think I'm going to run the Turkey Run next week for Thanksgiving. That will be motivation for me to get off my ass and start training again. It's just a short 5k, but hey, something is better than nothing. And then in December is the Reindeer Run. I don't know why, but I need to stay in races to keep me training. And coincidentally, I haven't been in any races since September. That must be why I took such a long break. And then, there is the annual Cooper River Bridge Run in April.

So, the year that Gabriel was born, I went to Once Upon A Child and bought a jogging stroller. I don't know what brand it was, but hell...whatever. It was $40. I was all excited about trying it out, and I excitedly cleaned it up, got Gabriel ready and took off for my first baby run. What a piece of shit. It's heavy as shit, hard to control, and I was more tired from fighting with the damned thing than I was from my run. Needless to say, that run quickly turned to a brisk walk. And that was the end of my jogging stroller.

Every time I run there's always the hassle of who will watch the baby. Kevin? My parents? Kevin's parents? Oh, nobody can do it? Well, no run for me today. Damn...So with the weather cooled, which will allow me for later runs in the day, I decided to do some investigating on which jogging strollers really had good reviews.

There was one stroller that runners absolutely raved about. The Bob Ironman jogging stroller! Ta-Da!! Lightweight, foldable (you can keep it in your SUV and use it as a regular stroller too), easy to control...awww, yeah...that's what I need right there.

Excitedly, I started shopping online, and the pricetag on this thing is $350! Ouch...hmmmm, with tuition and books and Christmas coming, maybe not int he budget right now. But you know how you get the bug and you want something, you obsess and you GOTTA have it-right now? Sorry, but tuition is on the top of my priority list right now. Instead, I called up Kevin and asked if I could have just ONE present for Christmas this year.....

Anyone else wanna beat him to the punch? I don't wanna wait that long! Waaahh!

Mickey and Minnie's Magical Journey

2008-11-18T11:54:00.003-05:00

Disney on Ice came the collesium and I decided to give it a try and see if Gabriel would enjoy it. Every year, they do an iceskating production with different Walt Disney movies. I wasn't sure if Gabriel would be willing to sit throughout the entire show, but I figured what the hell....for the sake of a continuation of our Walt Disney theme...

Kevin and I loaded up and headed towards the collesium. Surprisingly, it was not as packed as I had anticipated it to be. I don't know if it was because they would be showing twice a day for 4 days, or if it was a result of our economy, but I was pleasantly surprised we wouldn't be slam packed. Better yet, I had purchased some pretty good seats that were fairly close to the stage.

PB150927
Originally uploaded by xosunnydaysxo.

This year, they did a production of The Little Mermaid, Lilo and Stitch, Peter Pan, Lion King, and Mary Poppins. For the most part, Gabriel recognized a majority of the characters. He excitedly waved at them, and bopped along in his seat to the music. By intermission, he badly had to go the potty and by the time we got back to our seat, was becoming a little antsy. Thankfully, the show resumed and he was once again enthralled. In an adult's point of view (and I use the term "adult" loosely), I thought it was very cute and found myself singing along to the songs. Oh, and the guy who played the dude in Lilo and Stitch was totally HOT.

I'm actually thinking that we will do this again next year...I wonder which characters they will use...

Here's just a little clip of the grand finale...

Halloween 2008

2008-11-15T21:45:00.011-05:00

054_54
Originally uploaded by xosunnydaysxo.

Typically Halloween is my favorite holiday. It's really been a very long time since I've enjoyed Halloween and gotten into it. To be quite honest, I don't even remember the last time I really have (was it in 1999 with you, Anna?). Sure I've thrown together some quick lame costumes, but I really haven't enjoyed it in awhile.

Now that Gabriel is a little older and can understand things a little bit better, I was excited to get him into the tradition of costumes and telling him stories of trick-or-treating. He even got to help make his first jack-o-lantern with his mommy and daddy!

He was quite excited with the results, and would say goodbye to his pumpkin every morning, and greet him with a kiss upon returning at night. Sure, he thought this was fun, but he had no idea what would be in store for him when the real celebrating started...

As you probably know, Erick and El had their second baby just a couple of months ago. Erick and I talked back and forth for awhile and finally decided that it would be best for me to come during Halloween. With this visit, we could actually accomplish three things: visit Nicholas, take the kids trick-or-treating together, and finally have an early celebration for Isa's 2nd birthday. With Erick being so far away from home, and travelling with Nicholas perhaps a little difficult for them, this was the perfect opportunity for Isa to have family to celebrate her birthday. Before you knew it, Disney tickets were purchased, and we were on!

The road trip with Gabriel was surprisingly not as bad as I thought it would be. I was a little worried about how he would take sitting in his car seat that long, but after a quick bout of complaining during his cranky nap time, he was fine. We mostly spent the time singing along with kids songs, and when he got tired of that(and the kids songs got annoying for me), I put some movies on to occupy him. Thank goodness for dvd players. It really makes me wonder how our parents survived 4 children on long car rides. The trip took a bit longer with the constant potty breaks and some play time during a stop for lunch, but we made it in decent time.

Nicholas is adorable! I was pretty surprised to see how big he was already. I know he's only 2 months old, but I could tell he had already filled out and was smiling. After relaxing for a bit and chatting with the family, it was time to get ready and get our Halloween weekend started!

To kick it off, Erick had the idea of dressing up as the Addams family. El stayed home with Nicholas and my dad, and I was able to borrow her old Morticia costume. Erick dressed as Gomez, Gabriel as Pugsley (complete with dynamite), and Isa as an adorable little axe bearing Wednesday. Of course, our little clan couldn't leave with Thing, who decided to tag along on Gomez's shoulder. A few pictures were snapped and we were off to Disney's Not So Scary Halloween.

The kids had a great time trick-or-treating and getting on some of the rides. It was really neat to just walk around and see how Disneyworld decorated their event. We had a lot of compliments on our costumes, and perhaps even some confused looks as to how our children were so close in age (he's my BROTHER and they're COUSINS!). The children definitely had fun playing and running around with each other. It was entertaining to see them doing what kids do. Before you knew it, the park was closing and we were all pooped. It was time to head home and power up for another busy day.

The next day, the house was busy once again with children running and playing and everyone scrambling to get ready. Lunch at Cracker Barrel took a bit longer than expected, and we were going home to change clothes and head to Downtown Disney.

Gabriel is in a dinosaur phase right now, and asked if he could be one for Halloween. Since we were the Addams Family the day before, I decided to let him be whatever he wanted for our second day of trick-or-treating. Apparently, Downtown Disney just opened up a new place called T-Rex Grille. It's pretty cool; there are large moving dinosaurs and different areas of the restaurant demonstrated different themes. There was an underwater theme, and ice age, and even one that looked like a volcano. Of course each habitat had different types of dinosaurs. Gabriel's favorite dinosaur is the coincidentally the t-rex, and I thought he would be excited to see one in real life. Unfortunately, he was a bit intimidated by the loud roars, and it was a little difficult to even take pictures near it. Either way, it was super cool to see, and I would definitely go back to let him give it another try.

Downtown Disney was also having trick-or-treating stops in each of their stores, so once again the kids were sugaring it up. I love this picture of Gabriel and Isa! She is really starting to look like her mommy...
Here are the three knuckleheads all dressed up in their Halloween's best, with Lolo and Auntie Ellen.
Our last stop was the carousel, and once again we were all pooped and ready to go home. This was the last night of our Halloween celebration, but not the end of our family fun! But wait...there's more!!

The kids were busy occupying themselves with "whatever" and little did Isa know what was in store for her this day. As I was saying before, with our families so far apart, and travelling difficult for Erick and El, this was the perfect opportunity to celebrate little girl's birthday together. During her nap, Erick and El cooked and prepared and decorated. And when she finally woke...she was definitely surprised! After the blowing out of candles and opening of gifts, the children were left to play while the adults quickly got their eat on.

By the way, you're welcome Erick and El for the messy gift that will keep on giving! Ha ha!!

And of course, once we were all finished eating, it was time for the kids to eat their lunch...which mostly consisted of candy and cupcakes. Healthy!

After some cleaning up and resting, we spent the rest of our evening "low-key" by shopping at the outlet mall. Because you know, shopping with 3 kids is always really relaxing and low-key! Ha! But I was able to pick up some really kick ass Vans for Gabriel...

And then, just as quickly as that, the next day came and it was time to go home again.

Although I always enjoy my trips to visit my brother, I would have to say that this was probably my favorite. I suppose that as we get older, and have kids, we begin to find joy in different types of things-such as watching our children find excitement and wonder in the things we'd forgotten about. Gabriel was so excited to see "Cousin Isa" and "His Baby Nico." I was curious to know if he would be jealous of the attention I would be giving to his cousins, but he wasn't at all. In fact, while I was laying on the couch with Nicholas on my chest, Gabriel even crawled up next to him, kissed him, and laid with us both with his around his back. It makes me happy that it seems he understands what family is. And as we bid our good-byes, I couldn't help but to feel a little sad. Moments like these are the ones that we should remember as every day events; not only for special occassions. I know that Erick and El are planning for a move (I don't know where), but I hope it will be close enough to be able to spend more time together.

Thank you Erick and El for always making our trips so very special! As always, looking forward to seeing you all--Gabriel's birthday party?

Kids Love Animals

2008-11-06T09:43:00.002-05:00

046_46
Originally uploaded by xosunnydaysxo.

Kids really love animals. Check out Gabriel feeding some goats at Greg's house....

...and he also has a boxer named Kiana. Gabriel just loves these furry creatures!

You Know The Old Saying

2008-10-10T09:51:00.002-04:00

...what is it? When it rains, it pours....

So much shit going on, and so many things I am worried about right now. I don't typically get over-stressed, but I keep taking blow after blow. Tuesday, I will know more info, and perhaps after then I will expand on this...

We'll see...but in the meantime, keep us in your prayers.

Old Picture

2008-10-03T16:16:00.001-04:00

me2
Originally uploaded by xosunnydaysxo.

...oh look, I found a picture of myself from 1976. yeah, those were the good 'ol days.

Picture Perfect

2008-09-14T11:50:00.001-04:00

Cat Nap
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

I know it doesn't really look like this all the time, but these are the kind of pictures that make people want to become parents. Aren't my niece and nephew gorgeous?

I totally wanna bite them in the ass right now....

Hot Off The Press!

2008-09-10T00:14:00.003-04:00

Video of Tracie and I finishing up our race at the Virginia Beach Rock and Roll Half Marathon! Did you catch us? I'm wearing the yellow tank top in the far right side of the screen...

Happy Birthday To Me

2008-09-09T15:14:00.004-04:00

mary_cherilyn
Originally uploaded by xosunnydaysxo.

I would say that this was another woeful birthday, but you know, I actually didn't care about being another year older. I gotta admit, on my 29th birthday, I was depressed. It was my last year in my 20's. For my 30th birthday, it was like whoopty-doo. Here I am. And then finally this year, it didn't dawn on me until I was at my race last week-I've got a lot of cool things to expect in my 30's! This is a whole new decade of new experiences and another decade of personal growth. I'm kind of excited!

I came into my office Monday morning, and the girls had decorated it with balloons and a big, pretty flowery gift bag. They even went to Cupcakes and picked us up some yummy dessert.

So, here it is...another year. Okay, it took a year to two to get over the initial shock, but now--No big deal...I'm looking quite forward to learning about my life in the 30's. Good-bye 20's, it was fun! But I have a feeling my 30's are going to be even better...

...and here I am with my impersonation of Mickey Mouse...

2:57:38

2008-08-31T13:46:00.003-04:00

Tracie and I have been training for months now, all for today. We're in Virginia Beach, and running The Rock and Roll Half Marathon. I have always enjoyed running, but I am really not a strong runner. The last few years, I started getting into the Cooper River Bridge Runs, which are only 6 miles, but a half marathon is something I certainly never considered.

Tracie brought up the idea of it after we finished last year's bridge run, but it was something I quickly dismissed. Somehow, I started to go back and forth with the idea, and began to read up on it. This race was to help raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and I had recently lost a brother in law who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2000, and eventually lost his battle to pancreatic cancer in 2006. Suddenly, this race had a whole new meaning to it, and so the training began.

Tracie and I have trained consistently and faithfully for months now. I don't know if a non-runner can truly understand the time and discipline that goes into training for a marathon. I get up at 4:30 on Saturday mornings to beat the heat during our long runs--mind you, that Saturdays are the days I should be sleeping in and relaxing on my day off. And then, there are the week days when you are tired from a long day at work, and make the effort to get some mileage in. Long story short, you really gotta want to do this.

Anyway, I was really pleased with our run today. It was definitely hot and muggy, but we started the first 8 miles strong. By mile 10, I was crashing and felt like I wanted to give up. At one point, I was literally almost in tears....but we had gone too far and worked too hard to give up. By mile 12 it was all mental. My body was already exhausted, and all I could do was keep my mind strong to finish out my last mile. The crowds cheering helped pushed me through, and Tracie and I crossed the finish line hand-in-hand exhausted, relieved, and proud...I couldn't help but to cry as we finished!

Definitely no easy task, but certainly worth attaining something you never thought you would do...oh, and also we beat our best time!

Ken, this was for you...we love and miss you so much...

**update**
I forgot to mention that during our half-marathon today, I saw the Hoyt Team going past us on their home stretch. You have no idea how excited I was to see them! If you don't know who they are already, do yourself a favor and look them up. Dick Hoyt's love and dedication is amazing, and I can't help but feel inspired and in complete awe by him. I got so choked up seeing him and his son in real life today!! Just another little push of encouragement for me today....

I Love North Charleston Because...

2008-08-28T13:24:00.002-04:00

crazy bitch
Originally uploaded by xosunnydaysxo.

...when I pump gas on Ashley Phosphate, a big fat crazy bitch comes out of the gas station arguing with some invisible person. Then I get pointed at and she starts walking towards me while cussing and swearing, and pulls her clothes off (see her working on her pants?). Then as she is cussing and still coming towards me I call my co-werks, laughing, while snapping pictures....

by this time, a small crowd has gathered, and some are even afraid to leave the gas station store. i drive off, entertained, and begin to hear the police sirens. as i circle back around, they are arresting her and i am so thankful for the pick-me-up to my boring day.

man, i love north charleston.

Expensive Weekend

2008-07-21T10:18:00.002-04:00

Kevin decided to go out of town with Kai this past weekend. I really wasn't in the mood to be alone all weekend, so Gabriel and I decided it would be fun to stay at his grandparents' house.

The weekend was good; mostly just hanging around, shopping, and Chuck E Cheese's. By Sunday we were ready to go to church, and then wait for his daddy to get home. I was in good spirits until I saw my car in their driveway. Some idiot had smashed in the rear driver window, and stole my gps, ipod, and Gabriel's dvd player. Fuckers.

So, our light weekend ended in a bit of a sour note, unfortunately. I know it's just stuff, but shit...they seriously need to move out of that neighborhood. It's gone to shit!

Sex And The City Is The Diggity Bomb

2008-06-02T16:52:00.003-04:00

I just saw Sex and the City yesterday with my girlfriend. Man, I was heartbroken when the series ended, and overjoyed to learn there would be a movie. Some say the movie wasn't that good, but I don't care. I loved it. It's just my little escape into my fantasy world of being single and fabulous. Oh, if only...*sigh*

That's The Luck I Have!

2008-05-31T09:31:00.002-04:00

Don't you love it when you never really buy anything for yourself and then decide that you deserve a good splurge? That's how I felt about my Coach purse. I use it every day, and I love it!

And then, don't you really like it when you're not paying attention, and shut your purse in your trunk, not realizing that the handle is sticking out? Yeah, it's great because it's positioned just perfectly so to where I can't get my trunk open because something is catching on the latch. No phone, no wallet, no pretty purse that I splurged on.

And then Kevin tries to get it out and finally says that the only way to get it out is to cut your handles off. Yeah, I love that...Just go ahead and cut the handles off my pretty $500 Coach purse. Fuck...Because you know, I'm just made of money and I can go ahead and buy another. Hell, why not two?

I Think My Alarm Clock Is Posessed

2008-05-20T23:43:00.002-04:00

So, here I am in Houston. I'm working here this week, and I am all anxious about getting to work on time. The driver is picking me up at 7:30, so I set my alarm to get up at 6:15. At 6:25, I finally get up and shower.

I get out of the shower and am drying my hair, glance at the clock, and it says 7:45! My hair is dripping wet, and I haven't even put on my makeup yet, and my mind is racing. Oh, shit...how am I going to race downstairs and make it to work on time? I quickly dial the front desk and ask them if my driver is waiting. Did I misread my clock? Did I snooze longer than 10 minutes? How could this happen?

She informs me he is not there yet, but I am still confused. "What time is it?" I ask. She replies, "I think 6:45." I snap back, "You think? Is it 6:45 or not? Because if it's not, I'm late for work.." She informs me that she is right, it is 6:45. I sit down and take a deep breath, and look perplexed at my clock. How the fuck did that happen?!

This shit is too stressful.

Paul Potts From UK

2008-05-18T19:57:00.001-04:00

Talk about hidden talent! I heard this guy's voice, and I think my reaction was like everyone else's. My jaw just dropped! I purchased his cd around Christmastime last year, and I thought you might want to hear him too, if you haven't already. Wow...

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T23:30:00.001-04:00

2008
Originally uploaded by xosunnydaysxo.

My big bro, Ricky, was able to make it to celebrate Mother's Day with our parents this year! We originally had plans to eat downtown at Poogan's Porch, but it poured all night through and we didn't think it would be a good idea to go because of flooding downtown. Instead, I picked up some Carraba's curbside and we enjoyed lunch together at home.

Kevin had plans to do something with our little family this year, but something came up, and he ended up having to clean the dojo from a group who rented it and left it completely trashed. Oh well, maybe next year. I did, however, get a pretty bouquet of flowers and a card from Gabriel. To be honest, I wasn't really disappointed; I was completely happy to stay home, since I hardly ever get to see my brother. It gave us a chance to just hang around and let Gabriel spend some quality time with his Uncle Ricky (whom I happen to think he resembles).

Overall, a good weekend. Yeah, it's good to be a mommy....

Yes, They Work!! :D

2008-05-06T12:29:00.002-04:00

It's been confirmed; the Sennheiser MX75's work like a charm! I managed to work up a heavy sweat on the treadmills yesterday, and not a problem! Not once did I have my earbud fall out, nor did I have to readjust. The trick is, there is actually an extra little rubber piece on top of the actual bud that goes in your ear. This extra piece wedges into that little groove above your ear canal, and voila! No more slips!

On top of that, it's official--I registered for the Rock and Roll Half Marathon yesterday. Race day will be in Virginia Beach, on August 31st. Proceeds will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and I will be running in honor of my late brother-in-law, Ken Willard. As you might remember, he was diagnosed with leukemia around 2003, and eventually lost his battle in 2006 to pancreatic cancer. Who can't be inspired to challenge your body to something you've not done before, plus raise money for a worthy cause?

I've still quite a bit more work ahead of me, but luckily, I still have time.

Finally!

2008-05-03T18:36:00.001-04:00

mx75
Originally uploaded by xosunnydaysxo.

Since it's started warming up, I've been aggrivated with trying ot find some earbuds that will stay in my ears when I sweat. So far, I've been through 3 pairs already, with no luck. I can be completely focused on my run and feeling good with my tunes keeping me motivated, and then my earbuds will start falling out. Every couple of minutes, I will have to catch them and then readjust. It gets pretty distracting, and I've gotten to the point where I absolutely cannot run without my music.

After much research, I 've found that this is a common runner's problem. It seems there are a few suggestions to fix this problem, but the Sennheiser MX75's seem to have popped up a few times. So, of course I decided to buy them and give it a try. For $50, I was a little hesitant, as my last pair of Sony's were another $50. But, what the hell, I needed them.

I ran 6 1/2 miles today in the heat and sweated like a pig. Surprisingly, the earbuds never budged! I am stoked!! Just to be sure, I will try them again when I run the treadmills on Monday. Hopefully, they were perform the same-but I am impressed so far!

I've Been A Bit MIA

2008-04-29T20:37:00.002-04:00

Yeah, I know...I've been a bit MIA. I don't know what I've been doing to keep me so busy. I guess between work and the baby, and training for this half marathon, I've been a little distracted.

Anna, Chris, and Ava came up last week through the weekend. It was kind of nice. Mostly we just hung around and had a couple of birthday parties to attend to on Saturday. That, alone, is enough to wear anyone out.

I don't often get to see them, and Gabriel and Ava play so well. I'm trying to convince them to move back; I even tried to sell them my neighbor's house next door....LOL

No go. (Damn)

Off To Mexico!

2008-04-17T22:39:00.004-04:00

2008 255
Originally uploaded by xosunnydaysxo.

Finally, I didn't think this week would ever end! After a long and stressful few months, we were off to vacation to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. Tracie and Roddy decided to tag along too...It kind of works out, as Kevin and Roddy have been best friends for years, and Tracie and I have also gotten to be really great friends.

I have really been anticipating this trip, and to be honest, I was quite pleased. Cancun is really pretty, and the people are all very friendly and accomodating. Our first night, we were in search for some authentic mexican food. We ended up at the Paloma Bonita, with a live mariachi band. Food was great, and the band was a nice touch. They even came to our table to sing to us!

We really didn't want to pack our schedule tight with excursions, so the next day was spent lounging around the pool and drinking. Ahhhhh...life is so hard....

Even Tracie and Roddy got a bit of a romantic getaway...

I'm really not much of a water person, but I try to snorkel every time I go on vacation. It always take me awhile to get over the anxiety, but once I do, I'm glad. We visited the ecological park, Xel-Ha, which was pretty cool to do our snorkeling. The water was fresh and saltwater mixed, so the fish weren't quite as pretty as the ones I've seen in Hawaii. But, it was cool anyhow, and I was excited to test out my "new" camera underwater.

Another cool place we visited was Tulum, which is an old ancient Mayan ruin. I'm no history buff by no means, but it was amazing to be able to venture the ruins, and visualize a civilization completely different than we know today.
There were paintings still intact in some of the stone, and even a sacrifical area. The coolest thing is that nobody knows where the Mayans even went? (enter Twilight Zone music here)

Aside from our anniversary, it was also Kevin's birthday this past Tuesday. So, Tracie and Roddy treated us all out to a great Asian bistro, called Silk. He even got a yummy birthday cheesecake that we all shared. Yum!!

Well, it's back to the real world now. I was a little sad to leave Mexico; I really enjoyed it and the people! We will definitely be going back.

2008 Bridge Run

2008-04-07T12:28:00.002-04:00

2008 bridge run
Originally uploaded by xosunnydaysxo.

I ran the annual Cooper River Bridge Run Saturday morning, with Tracie. We were expecting thunderstorms, and I was prepared with ponchos and my ipod in a ziplock bag, but we were lucky and never got rained on.

My goal was to run the entire bridge with no walk breaks, and it was accomplished at 1:17. With that goal being attained, I expected our time to have improved since last year, but strangely enough, I ran 4 minutes slower?! No big deal, but I am sort of at a loss. Anyway, I am still proud to have finished attaining my goal. Besides, I just love being a part of this event.

Saturday was also my 5th wedding anniversary, and we played it very low key. We'll be leaving early next Saturday morning to do our real anniversary celebration in Mexico. I can't wait!!

Are You In?

2008-03-17T15:12:00.001-04:00

run
Originally uploaded by xosunnydaysxo.

Tracie and I ran the annual Flowertown Festival Run this past Saturday. I really haven't trained much, since Gabriel and I have both been sick so much the past couple of weeks. To make things better, I inadvertantly signed up for the 10k, instead of the 5k.

At first, I figured I'd just suck it up and run the 10k, but at the last minute, decided to switch bib numbers and do half the race. Good thing, because I am definitely out of shape! I did run the entire race. No stellar time, but it was done in one piece. Only 3 more weeks go til Cooper River Bridge Run. Better get on it!