Sunday, October 31, 2010

The Happy Pumpkin...

We have been busy this morning in the Hoppe household! Norah is super excited about Halloween this morning. So we headed to eat breakfast at Park 51 Cafe and then went to get a pumpkin to carve...yes we are last minute on this! So here is some pics of this morning...



So when it came time to carve the pumpkin I used an idea that I got from this blog. I traced Norah's hands on paper, cut them out, and then traced the hands on the pumpkin for eyes...






The HAPPY PUMPKIN!!!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Halloween Eve...

Well yesterday I recorded my first Podcast for a class but it is so large that it won't upload or let me e-mail it to my teacher...not good.

Today I ran for the first time since the half on last Sunday and my legs felt super weird and not in a good way! It took the first mile to even feel like they were attached to me. I actually have some strange pain in my left leg that has been there for a little while but I like to ignore it so I can still run!

Well today I was thinking how this coming week Finn will be 8 months old and Darcy will be 7 months old! It is so hard to believe. Here are some recent pics where they were tired and would stay still!!

Darcy...aka "Big D"
Finn...aka "Finney"

Darcy has gotten too big for his kennel...it is long enough but he is too tall for it! So every time he moves...he hits his head...poor thing!

Finn loves to lay with Daddy Jeff! They are so cute...I love them!!
Well off to watch some football and try to motivate to work on some school work. I take Norah to a birthday party this afternoon and then Jeff's parents are coming to dinner over at our house. I tried a new recipe, Chicken Spaghetti by Pioneer Woman, of course I didn't make it exactly like the recipe...I always like to change it some! I hope it is good!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Halloweens of Past....

Norah's hayride and pumpkin patch got rescheduled for today at school. Since she is getting super excited about being Princess Belle on Sunday (she wanted to wear it today to school!)...I thought I would put pics of her from the past Halloweens. She is so cute!!! Also I got Halloween candy last night...it is so tempting to eat it!!

This is Halloween 2007: Norah was 4 months old!
Halloween 2008: Norah was 1 yr, 4 months old!

Halloween 2009: Norah was 2 yrs, 4 months old!
Stay tuned for Halloween 2010 and Princess Belle!!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Tuesday Thoughts and Race Recap...

Tonight no Puck on Glee again! Very disappointed but I thought the episode was better than last week. And in the preview for the upcoming episodes it looks like Puck is back but I did a google search and Puck might then be gone for good due to his commitment to his band! WHAT!? We'll see...

It has been raining in Charlotte so Norah's Fall festival party, hayride and pumpkin patch visit she was supposed to do on Monday at school got postponed and they hope to do it Thursday or Friday. She is getting excited about Halloween and dressing up as Belle! She will be so cute!

Well race recap info (beware this is long and no pics!)...little bit of change of plans for the weekend so I headed to the beach on Saturday. Went to the expo first, which was easy to get in and out of and I didn't buy anything!! They did give out tiaras (free) for the Disney Princess Half Marathon which I got one and brought back to Norah...she loves it! Met with Denny, Frankie (mom) and Rick's folks (they were super great as I knew they would be since Rick rocks!) for lunch. Tried to chill the rest of the day, got a yummy spaghetti dinner from Pasteria 811 in Pawleys Island, SC for Saturday night, set up all my stuff for Sunday and headed to bed early.

Got up 4:45 am on Sunday...got ready and headed out to Myrtle Beach at 5:30ish am. TMI...was having belly issues so stopped at Dunkin' Donuts on the way there and then made it to the parking near the start. Got out of the car and realized my beloved Garmin was frozen!!! I so messed with it with no luck! So I found this group of runners that all had one on and asked if they knew how to fix it...with a lot more pushing of buttons...they got it working! Yeah! Disaster averted! I wanted to hit the porta potties but the lines were super long so I went to the start.

Once it started it was pretty crowded at the beginning and took a little time for everyone to spread out. The course is super flat and only had a small incline at the beginning going over the overpass. I was feeling great but so needed a porta potty break...took one around mile 4 and it ate up over 3 minutes of time but I felt so much better after! I felt great the first 8 or so miles and only took a couple walk breaks basically not because I felt I really needed them but whenever I was taking a GU chomp or some gatorade I figured I should. At mile 9.5ish they had some music and it was playing "Eye of the Tiger"...seriously I was so pumped...if they could have played that for the remainder of the course...I could have rocked it! ;)

After about mile 10 the sun was out in full effect...I wasn't feeling as good and took more walk breaks. The finish was on the beach and it was beautiful! I finished in 2 hr and 56 minutes. I do think if I didn't have the potty break and would have not missed those 3 weeks of running...I could have definitely done it in at least 2 hrs 50 mins if not a little under. Either way...I love doing the half-marathon...something about it is addicting!

Comparing it to my first half...my first half I took no walk breaks and did it in 2 hrs and 54 minutes, there were only about 600 people (I think?) who did it, and it was literally minutes from where we stayed. This one was about 4000 people, lots of walk breaks and potty break, 2 hrs 56 mins, and a 35 minute drive to the start.

My mom was such a trooper and surprised me by being at the 2 mile mark, @6 mile mark, @10 mile mark, and at the finish. It is such a lift to have someone there cheering you on! Thanks mom...it meant a lot that you were there!!

So I hope to get ready for my next one and to do really well! Sorry no pics on this post...I didn't get any pics the day of and I don't have any fun ones of Norah lately. Once I got home on Sunday...I was pretty tired and Monday was school work day and class. Today was work and "no school work" night which has been a nice break. I hope to be back on track running this week...to be honest I am not really sore at all...a little in my lower back but that is it...I was more just tired from traveling and everything. Also I so want to do a half marathon with people...I'm trying to convince Krishna, Meredyth or Jeff to do one with me! If anyone is up for it...let me know! I also was thinking that the next one I do I might take my ipod? Well I'm off to clean the kitchen and hit the sack!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Half Marathon #2 is in the books...

Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon-October 24, 2010
2 hrs 56 min (with one porta potty break, walk breaks, those three weeks of no running and a Garmin says 13.24 miles!!!)
I am already getting excited about my next one! I'll get a race report up later! A big shout out to Meredyth and Tony for completing their first half-marathon in Athens, GA on Sunday too!! And thanks to Frankie (my mom) for coming out to cheer me on!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Mission: Hydration...

So today starts a week of Mission: Hydration...I will try to consume obscene amounts of water till race day. I am getting excited about the half marathon! Even though I missed 3 weeks of running due to sickness...I have felt pretty good in my last few runs. Last week...I ran on Tuesday and Wednesday. Walked on Thursday. Friday got 6 miles in with walk breaks and still did it in 1 hr 20 minutes then today got 10 miles in with some walk breaks in 2 hrs 17 minutes. I feel really good about those times going into it. Of course it would have been nice to gotten in more runs in those 3 weeks but oh well! I have decided to take walk breaks next Sunday whenever I eat some GU/chomps...so maybe every 3 or so miles?? I'm just going to feel it out as how I feel. I must admit that I am not remotely sore or anything today and could have kept going. It is amazing how your body after taking time off...can get back into the swing of things.

So school work has kept me busy and I am going to try super hard to have everything done before we leave for the beach this weekend so I can enjoy the weekend. My friend Meredyth and her boyfriend Tony will be doing their first half marathon this coming weekend too...I am so excited for them! They are going to do awesome!

Well I took some random pics of Norah...thought I would share.





Well tomorrow I observe at a middle school all day and then have class at UNCC. Then Tuesday I hope to walk with neighbor and work all day. Wednesday should be a run day, school work day, clean up day, and pack! Thursday is walk and full day at work. Friday is run and head to the beach! I also am super excited about taking the doggies to the actual beach and let them run around...certain times of the year you can let your dog run on the beach without a leash...they will love that! Well I'm off to finish some laundry and get everything ready for tomorrow!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

About last night....

Where were my people on Glee last night! Puck and Sue....HELLO I love them and they were missing last night! This better not be a normal thing!


Jeff had his birthday yesterday and since he had his fishing trip earlier in the year that was his birthday present so it was pretty low key. We went to Harper's restaurant (just me, Norah and birthday boy) and then Jeff met some friends for a beer. But he did get an extra surprise from my mom and Denny...an Edible Arrangement....yum!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF!!!

Today is Jeff's birthday! Happy Birthday to the greatest hubby/daddy ever! We love ya!

Here a a pic of Jeff and Norah Saturday on the train as we headed to Toy Story 3 on Ice...

We took out neighbor, William, with us to see TS3 and met up with some other friends too! It was packed on the train and was crowded when we got to the arena for the show so we didn't get to catch up with our friends as we had hoped. We did all sit together and it was great to see how the kids were memorized by the show. The show was really good and the music was geared to the adults in some sense. I have never seen the movie TS3 so was not familiar with that...but my favorite things in the Ice show was the Green Army Men and the Ken and Barbie stuff! I tried to take pics of the actual show but they didn't turn out well at all!
Norah and William on the train! Norah is getting to where she likes to make faces. And check out her jewels! My mom got her some play jewelry and she loves to wear it..she wore it to bed the other night!

Norah and William after the show waiting on the train headed back...we got them these suckers...they were huge...needless to say, Norah's "accidentally" landed in the garbage can once we got home...:)
After nap time onSaturday...we just chilled...watched football, Jeff watered the grass...just took it easy.
Sunday...Jeff went to the Panthers game and I took Norah to Bo's 2nd birthday party at My Gym! Norah was reserved at first but then found the balls! She loved it!
She would just jump in and then get out and jump in again! It was so cute!



Norah is sitting beside the birthday boy, Bo! Bo and Jeff have the same birthday!

And of course Norah's favorite part to all birthday parties...the cupcake time! And cute Miss Harper is right beside her!
Sunday was football and school work for me. Monday was Columbus day and Norah's school was closed and so was mine! So we hung out together. I finished some school work up too!
So today I went running....only 2 miles but it was great! I did still have the coughing at the end but it wasn't bad. I am definitely still planning on the half marathon in just 12 days but have come to the terms that I will probably have to run/walk it. Taking basically 3 weeks off of running is not the best plan but when sickness happens...what ya gonna do?! Recently two blogs that I read..Brie and Danielle both just finished races, Brie ran the Chicago marathon and Danielle did the Wine & Dine half marathon...both ended up walking/running it so that is always a good boost to see! No matter what...I want to have fun doing it! So I hope to have a plan for these next 12 days so I can be semi-ready for it. I'll keep ya posted!
Well I'm off to get ready to go to work and take Norah to school..if you see or talk to Jeff today...tell him Happy Birthday!!!!

Friday, October 8, 2010

Medicine...

Took Norah to the doctor today as she has been a little "off" and she has complained of not feeling fell some...she also has had the cough and congestion...sinus infection. Here is the medicine Norah and I are on...see that BIG white bottle...that is Norah's....it is huge! :)

I actually went to Panera this morning and stayed for 3 hours!! I got all my reading done for my classes...it was actually great and I didn't get distracted as I do at home sometimes. Now I am writing a paper that is due tonight!

I can't believe it is October...

Time is flying by! I haven't taken many pics lately...but hopefully I'll get some good ones this weekend. We are taking Norah (via "Train") to Toy Story 3 on ice with some friends and then Sunday we head to a birthday party!

Here is a random pic of Norah I took before school one day

Finn got "fixed" last week and he had to stay in his kennel for a few days...so we brought it in the den and Norah and Darcy always kept him company...it was cute. Darcy would take a nap beside the kennel.
Well I have been sick for almost 3 weeks now and I'm so over it! I went to the doctor this week and he said he wouldn't do the half-marathon...but I think I might still be fine before then and could walk/run it. My last longer run was Sept. 18 at 7 miles. Then I ran like 3.5 miles a couple days after and that is when I started not feeling well so couldn't do anymore. I took a week off running and tried to run last week and threw up (in someone's bushes...sorry!) after only a mile. So I haven't run since. I told Jeff that I was going to try to run some today and then go from there. If I could get a few more runs in the next two weeks...then I would walk/run the half as I really want to do it and it is paid for...I guess we'll see.
School and work still super busy. I actually went to my assigned middle school this past Monday to observe all day. It was very interesting and SO different then when I was in middle school. Well today I am going to take Norah to school and then I have a lot of school work to do.
Oh yeah...I did finish watching the first season of Glee via ipod and loved it!