Ah, Monday. Here again. I definitely prefer the weekends, but Monday isn’t all bad. For one thing, it means I get to catch up with you. Let’s do just that. I didn’t get the chance to fill you in on all of my weekend. You already know about:

• me running 13.1 miles
• my thoughts on a $65 cake, hanging out afraid in my car, and the beer craving
• the grocery store “workout” and FFF Features of the week
• Anna’s Self-Love Reflection on putting herself first

Now, I need to fill you in on the rest!

Part One: Meeting The Boyfriend & Laser Shows

Saturday night we scheduled a family outing to Stone Mountain Park.

Whew! It was a packed house!

Peter and I try to go every year with the kids for a picnic dinner and to watch the laser show that plays across the mountain’s side. We did just that this weekend, but invited along his sister and her new boyfriend.

Oh, the days of meeting the family! I met Peter’s family in an ambush when I thought I was meeting just his brother…but it turned into an entire family dinner. Talk about nerve-wracking just weeks after meeting him! Although not as bad as when Peter met my family. I wasn’t even there the first time because I was flying back from Europe. They all decided to go together to pick me up, though. Crazy.

Hopefully, our little outing made things a little more low key for John. We had a lot of fun and I hope he did too. He’s a great guy!

Back to the show…

We had the standard picnic dinner for us – Subway!

Although perhaps a bottle and spinach, collard greens, and kale puffs would have been a tastier option?

One would think with the way Braedon inhaled those suckers!

Finally, we enjoyed the laser show, which was revamped this year. Meh. The classic is a lot better. Although the fireworks sure were fun and the kids loved it.

Deer in headlights Makenzie…Drooly drooly drooly Braedon

A great night all around.

Part Two: I Got A Haircut.

I just had my regular cut cleaned up and added in a bit more of a layered look to the front. I was so tempted to go shorter again to have something different…but then I remembered how much I hated growing my hair out. And how much I love being able to pull it back into a ponytail.

Part Three: Pumpkin Pie In A Cup.

It’s back. I love them. I made sure to have one last night. I don’t think a weekend can end on a sweeter note. I will likely have another sometime over the course of the month. It truly is pumpkin pie in a cup.

• Do you like switching up your haircut or go with the same look?
• Any fun “meet the family” stories to share? I’m all ears!

I’ve been really loving blogging lately. I feel like I have finally hit my style – shorter, more specific posts that allow me to cover the many things I love to discuss. I can go from serious posts like my “Stuffed With Emptiness” series to workouts to stuff with the kids to laughing at myself.

Everyone may not love it all, but I hope sharing more of myself allows us each to connect in our own way. I literally always have something to say (and I like a variety), so I appreciate the chance to come here and do so. Yet sometimes, things get put aside and I don’t want them to miss out on the blogging fun. So here you have some random parts of the day that I don’t want to get lost in the vortex of my “to blog” list.

I sat in my car for 30 minutes before starting my run this morning.

The past few weeks it started getting light enough to run by 6:30. Not so this morning. I tried three times to go out, but then the heeby-jeebies of running in the dark got to me, so I turned around. I finally gave up and chilled in the car until shortly after 7.

I always hard core crave beer the day of my long runs.

I crave it so badly, in fact, that I went to the store specifically for beer this afternoon. It was the star of my afternoon snack.

An afternoon snack that featured a scrambled egg with pepperjack cheese sandwich, a bottle of Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale, and a Reese’s peanut butter cup. That may just be the most random combination I have ever had. I don’t care. I adored every bite/sip.

I hate that I look younger than I actually am.

I got carded at the store when buying the beer. That didn’t bother me. The fact that the cashier said he didn’t think I looked like my license picture and made me show him my credit card as another form of ID annoyed me. Apparently I still look like I’m in high school. I may appreciate it when I’m 50…but I don’t right now.

I’m contemplating spending $65 on a cake for Makenzie’s birthday party.

I fell in love with the cake at one of her friend’s parties. A fellow mom friend makes cakes on the side. I decided to reach out to her about making Makenzie’s cake because I could once again have the best cake ever and also support a friend. $65 is steep for something to eat. But I can’t get the dang cake out of my head. I’m waiting to make a decision when my food head is more clear – aka not the day of a long run.

We’re about to head out for a family night at a location about an hour away. I will likely fall asleep within 5 minutes of Peter driving. And I can’t wait.

Have a good night friends!

• What do you usually crave the day of a long run or tough workout?
• Do people tend to think you’re older/younger than you are?