Thanksgiving Festivities:)

We had a really great Thanksgiving week.  It was just enough to recharge the batteries for my next couple of weeks.  My mom and dad are always so great helping us out whether it is just playing with the kids while I sit and read a magazine or doing all of our laundry.  Yes, seriously she does our laundry and it is glorious!  It is so nice to come home and have minimal laundry to do after a long weekend!  We spent the actual day of Thanksgiving at my sister's house and it was full of amazing food!

Then on "black Friday" Chris took me shooting for the first time.  It was actually totally awesome and now I want to go again.  It was the first time I have shot my .22 and it is pretty cool:)

On Saturday night, Terese and Adam had a mustasche party.  Everyone, male or female, had to rock a mustasche and it was so much fun.  I was the DD because of my race the next day but I had a blast.  Chris was the designated mustasche drawer and he was very creative.  He shaved his beard into a pretty interesting design.  Thank god he has since shaved it and will be growing his beard back!!

He actually convinced someone to let him draw his 'stasch on her!

 Last but certainly not least...the weekend culminated with my mother and I running the Seattle 1/2 marathon.  I had a bit of a vendetta with this race.  About 6 years ago I ran it and I had it in my head that I would get 2:30 on the race time.  Well I was very naive about running and didn't train very hard.  I ended up getting 2:44 (which is great) but ever since then I have always wanted to crack 2:30 on a race.  I ran Windermere in May and got 2:35 and ever since my goal has been just to improve my time.  Well I am so proud to report that I ran my personal best and got 2:33!!!!!  I know it is still not 2:30 but that course, although beautiful, is extremely hilly.  We pushed it and I ran the best run of my life.  Everything was perfect and I couldn't have asked for a better run.  My mom and I finished together with Chris, my dad, and the kids cheering us on.  I almost had a panic attack at the end because I was so happy and emotional but my mom calmed me down.  It was so awesome and I look forward to running the Windermere again and maybe, just maybe cracking 2:30! 

Before the big race!

Just crossing the finish line



These other women are part of my mom's running group





So proud of us!



I am tired...

I know it has been FOREVER since I have posted some pictures and updates.  I find myself exhausted and just so busy.  I know what some are thinking and the answer is NO I am not pregnant.  I am just bad at saying no and good at saying yes:)  Also, Maggie's birthday being in December (obviously through no fault of her own) has made my Thanksgiving to Christmas month shorter than ever!!  I want to crawl in a hole and come out about December 18th just in time for her birthday but alas...that is not the Herzog way.  We will have a couple of trips coming up and lot's of cakes (which I love to do!)  Anyway, here is the update:  first, we are leaving out of town for Thanksgiving.  Since my in-laws don't really travel (or travel at all) I decided to cook them Thanksgiving dinner last Thursday so at least they would have some leftovers on the actual day.  It was yummy and fun considering Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.



It's from Costco with an addition of whip cream from me:)

 

I realize now it looks kind of nasty in the picture, but it is GOOD stuffing!



My China that has been passed down from my Grandma and Mom!

 



That was just for me;)

 Next, the very sweet family who bought my cake at the Thomas More auction last year called and I did a soccer birthday cake.  I realized that my soccer ball could have been better but oh well:)

And last but certainly not least, my parents came over last weekend for the candy making extravaganza!!!!  It is work, but my mom and I had a blast making all the candy.  I realized the hardest one to make is the egg nog truffles but they are soooo good:)  Thanks mom and dad for coming to help!

 



The mess is never pretty but we get through it!

One more tiny little bragging right...I made a cake for my friend, Larisa's, school auction.  I forgot to take a picture of the cake (booo) but it was a simple 8in round to be auctioned off for the dessert portion of the evening.  Larisa reported that the cake went for $175 and it was the third highest dessert sold!  I was very happy about that:)  

It's getting closer to 2 years...

I am getting ready to send out some invites for Maggie's 2nd birthday.  My friend, Kelli, offered to come over and take some pictures for her invitation.  They turned out so cute that I HAD to post them!  I can't believe that she is almost 2!!!!  Where does the time go?  Thanks Kelli for taking these adorable pictures:) xo

I *heart* bradiek

A few weekends ago, Chris' friend from dental school, Eric and his family came over for a short but very sweet visit.  They live on the "west side" so we don't get to see them often.  We talked them into going to Greenbluff (trust me it wasn't a hard sell!) and it was awesome.  It just so happens that Eric's wife, Bradie, is a photographer and she took some family pictures for us!  They were totally off the cuff and I was so happy with them.  She is AMAZING and I am so thankful that she took them.  Check her out http://www.bradiekphotography.com/

Halloween

Halloween was great again this year.  Thank god my kids are happy going to about 6 houses in our neighborhood:)  Trust me, I am cherishing this.  They were more excited about opening the door for all of the other trick-or-treaters we had!  Matthew wanted to be Thomas again and although I was a tiny sad that he didn't want to mix it up (no, not Matthew!) I was relieved that I didn't have to spend more $$ for a costume that he literally wore for 2 hours.  Maggie was a monkey and that was also on loan from a dear friend!  YES I made it without having to buy one costume!!!!  We let them have a free for all on the candy when they got home and I know it sounds crazy, but they actually self regulate pretty well and then there is no fights.  Maggie was in a serious sugar coma but they both slept well.  Hope everyone's Halloween was good!

Random Pictures...

These are just some pictures that I have taken in the last couple of days.  The top one is from the other day when Matthew and Maggie "snuggled" on the couch.  Then the rest are from the puppy party that we went to (see below post about pupcakes).  The host had face crayons so we could actually become puppies.  Nolan and Olivia look so cute!  Then I love the picture with all the kiddos looking at Rocky blowing out his candles.  They are rivited!  The last one is just Maggie being Maggie.  What a crazy kid she is!  Love her though!