2013 - The Color Run

On July 13th of last year, I completed my first ever 5k!  Fortunately, I did it with some amazing people... May I introduce The Brightest Crayons in the Box:

This was the first 5K for all of our team members so it was very special.  Dad came up the night before and stayed with me and Jay so that we could get up early the next morning.  I don't remember the exact times, but I think we had to be there to start the race at 7AM and we wanted to go with the first wave.  This is us getting pumped up that morning before the race...

I think that we were all a little less than prepared.  When we got there, the Color Run coordinators had a huge stage with people doing a zumba workout prior to the race!  We joined in somewhat...mostly we just laughed and had a great time getting ready.  When the race finally started, we got a little separated.  Jay actually ran/walked the race back and forth between Tracy and Mrs. Margaret and me and Dad.  It was so cool, for me, to get to walk in downtown Jackson with Dad where he grew up and where Papa worked.  Dad talked the whole time--except for when we had to go through a "color station"!  That was the cool part where they threw colored corn starch at you.  Here are some of those pictures:

By the end of the race, you are covered in color!  And they have a "color throw" celebration every thirty minutes at the finish line which was REALLY amazing.  Everyone has packs of color that they throw in the air so that it covers you!

 

We had some very special folks waiting for us at the finish line that wanted to join in on the color fun...

 

 

A great time was had by all.







2013 - Amy & Amanda in Meadvegas

As I was going through my pictures today, my mind wandered to this wonderful blog that I have neglected for over a year.  So here is a little catch-up from this time last year! 

My best friend Amanda and I agreed to take a day off work and do something fun with our dogs...so on a Friday morning last June, Lilly and I picked up Amanda and Tucker in Jay's truck and we headed for the Homochitto River.  We packed snacks and cooler and when we got to my parent's house we got in the buggy and had a blast.  Here are some pics from one of the best Fridays I had last summer!

What a mess!!

Posing for the camera!

Mid-shake.

Belly up!

Resting after a long day in the sun...

We followed up the river fun with a dinner at Thibedeux's with Winnie and a ride through town showing Amanda all the sights!  The next morning, we left early to head back to Jackson so that Tucker could get his first real haircut...it was a disaster--but thankfully it all grew back!  Anyway, love this girl...love these pups...and can't wait to do it again. :)

Sante South 2013

Sante South is a food and wine festival put on as a fundraiser for the MS Alzheimer's Association every year in Jackson. Last year Tracy and I went. It was awesome. The actual owners and vintners from the vineyards come and talk to you about their product as well as let you sample! Equally as exciting, several local restaurants provide excellent samples of some favorite dishes to accompany your wine.

I provably would purchase tickets to this event no matter who sponsors it...but the Alzheimer's Association has a special place in my heart. So I will go every year in order to support this charity. And I support it in honor of Thelma Ross, my grandmother. A strong woman whose last days were tainted by Alzheimer's. 

Also this year, my best friend Amanda went with me and my in-laws. Amanda's life has also been touched by loved ones suffering with this disease. I pray that one day, no one will have to watch their family members endure it.

I also got to run in to one of my new co workers, Jennifer and her husband Dale! Precious people. <3 em already.

Painting my way to the next adventure!

February 12, 2013 started as a normal day.  I went to work and everything was just plain and the same as it is everyday.  That afternoon though, my sister asked me if I wanted to go to an Easely Amused painting night with her and her friend Melanie.  Anyone that knows me knows that I love to paint and go and do things, but that day I was definitely not feeling it.  Jay had just left for a hitch.  My birthday had just happened. I just wanted to go home and hide in my bed.  But I decided that being anti-social would be the opposite of what I needed, so I accepted my sister's invitation and went with her and Melanie and had a blast! 

Melanie and Sissy

Me, Melanie and Winn

The process...

The finished products!  "Swirly bird"

I really was not prepared for the way that this night would change my life.  I can only explain it as an answered prayer.  The story is that I was speaking to a marketing major/teacher stranger across the table from me when the stranger to the right of me overheard me talking and said that her company just had a position in marketing open and that she thought that I would be perfect.  Her name is Cindy and after talking to her a little bit, she gave me her email address to send my resume to.  The next day I was contacted by Human Resources who wanted to set up an interview.  Two interviews, one online personality assessment and a timed test later, I got the job of my dreams--or so it appears.  I won't know for sure until I start work this Wednesday.  But I can definitely say that I have loved speaking with everyone that I have met so far and the company seems to really respect their employees and treat them well.  So TODAY, was my very last day with the employer that I have worked for for the past FIVE YEARS.  It was my first job that I had out of college and I must say that I have well outgrown it.  Adios, farewell, adieu....

Peace out! Headed to my exit interview.

My last swipe before they took my badge!

Badge I've had for five years...it still has my maiden name.

Driving through the gates to freedom!

New Year's 2013

I have finally caught up the 2013 in the blogging department! Yahoo!  (I only have one 2012 one left to do--Jay's deer)  We spent New Year's Eve this year at Maggie and Kris's house.  We try to swap families with New Year's each year, and this year was the first year in three years that all of the "boys" have been home (Kris, Jay and Stuart).  We enjoyed it, but I definitely started feeling old this year!  We counted down to midnight with New York's ball dropping and then we were home in time for our time zone's midnight. 

Driving to the Hynums'

The girls and Uncle Earl making s'mores

Great pic of the offshore workin men!

Funny pic--Kris, Jay and Stuart

Tracy and me



Me and Mrs. Margaret

Maggie and Kris

Jay and me and my giant puffer jacket...it wasn't even that cold.

Happy New Year!  (Love that jacket even if it adds 75 pounds to my pictures.)

Bye bye Harley... (December 29, 2012)

On our very first date, Jay took me on his motorcycle to the movies.  I had never been on a motorcycle for longer than a few minutes, and certainly not with an almost complete stranger.  I was nervous to say the least!  Anyway, Jay tells the story alot better than I do, but I was completely terrified.  My terror was doubled when during the movie I realized that when we left to go home it would be dark outside!!  AHHH!  But he made it so easy. 

We also took some of our engagement photos on the bike!  We had a few good times with the 2009 fat bob...but it was time to say goodbye.  And in order to say goodbye, we had to take it on a drive across the reservoir and to Got Gear Sports in Ridgeland...Jay had to stop and warm up in the truck... it was FREEZING.

Bye bye Harley!

We had tried to sell the motorcycle online for about a year, and we never got any serious bites.  The only logical thing that we could think of was to trade in the bike for a BUGGY.

So excited!

Here we are the next day in our Got Gear hats taking the Ranger for a ride around the block!

One cool thing to mention that happened on the day that we got the Polaris is that we recieved a call from Jay's biological father Gerald who lives in South Dakota.  Jay and I have been married for over two years and this is the first time I have heard his voice.  It was awesome.  And we even got to go visit with him and Jay's Aunt Dot (whom I had also never met) that night!  Here are some cool pics from the event.  I will never forget it, and I know that Jay won't either.

Jay, Aunt Dot (Dorothy) and Gerald

Gerald's lovely wife, Brenda!

Jay, me and Gerald

I look forward to getting to know this side of Jay's family...it was crazy to see the mannerisms and different things about Jay and Gerald that were so alike.  A great time was had by all that night!! Until about two in the morning!