Mini of the Month: June

This month Baked by Melissa totally surprised me.  I am not a chocolate cake fan so naturally I expected I would not be a fan of the June Mini of the Month.  I could not have been more wrong!

Ingredients: Chocolate Cake, Graham Cracker Cream Stuffing, Caramel Icing, & Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Topping

The chocolate pretzel cupcake was delicious!  It had just the right amount of both sweet and salty.  So yummy!!  Chris and I were both pleasantly surprised by how much we liked this little treat.  I think the crunchiness of the pretzel really added something to the overall experience as well.  We liked this one so much we went back for a second one later in the month!
 

When it comes to cupcakes, do you prefer salty, sweet, or both?

Andrea :)

Runners Tell All: My Favorite Running Moment

Excited to be linking up with Amanda and Beka again this month for Runners Tell All. 

I've had many great running memories over the past few years.  I'm not sure anything I've done or accomplished so far can top running my first half marathon with my brothers.

At this point in life, we were all living in different cities, but it was fun to call one another and talk about training strategies.  We only had one opportunity to go on a training run together.  It proved to be a memorable one on the top deck of our Alaskan cruise ship.  It definitely prepared us for our big run in the Windy City about a month later.

Even though we didn't run the race together as I had imagined that we would, we all ended up at the same finish line.  And we were all equally exhausted and proud...of ourselves and of one another!

These two are not only my brothers, but also my best friends.  It meant the world to me that they branched out of their comfort zone to run this race with me!  I'll never forget this hot and sticky September day when the three best siblings that anyone could have conquered the Chicago Half!

What is your favorite running moment?

Andrea :)

USA! USA! USA!

 

It begins today!  Our US team won't be in action until Monday evening, but the 2014 World Cup begins now... 

 

Back on June 1, Chris and I were able to attend the US-Turkey send off series game at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.  It was a lot of fun to watch the US team in action with all the craziness and excitement of the crowd in full force!

 

 

I must admit I was a bit angry that Klinsmann pulled my absolute favorite US player from goal after the half.  Especially since the goal closest to our section was set to be the one the US defended in the second half, but I tried to move on and enjoy the friendly even though I was NOT happy with the decision.

Timmy Howard has been my favorite since Day One.  Well, since Day One of Chris getting me interested in soccer the last time this incredible World Cup event took over our lives in 2010.  I even selected Everton as my English Premier League team because of my preference for Mr. US Goalkeeper.

I have a couple of others I enjoy watching, but I will definitely shed a tear when Timmy is no longer in goal for the US.  My second fave on the US team is Michael Bradley.  He is a beast out there!  Hustles like none other.  I love watching him play!  I'm convinced he will have a great tournament this year.  I certainly have high hopes for him...and this team!

 

 

I know there has been a lot of negative talk surrounding the US team's chances given their group draw, but I am choosing to remain hopeful.  Chris and I have been watching the ESPN series "Inside: US Soccer's March to Brazil" the past few weeks.  It has painted an interesting picture of the team for me.  I have very much enjoyed watching and seeing this team behind the scenes.  I am looking forward to watching them play over the next few weeks.

And as the American Outlaws claim, "I believe that we will win!"  I hope that you do, too!!

USA!!!  USA!!! USA!!!

Andrea :)

Trusting on the Almighty!

I'm in Chicago on a weekend business trip when my mom calls to ask what I'm doing on Monday night.  That may not seem odd to most, but since my mom and I live almost a thousand miles apart, I was quite confused.  Was something wrong?  Was she planning to unexpectedly be in NYC on Monday?  Was it an important date that I was somehow forgetting?  Nope.  Not at all.  She had simply used the modern wonder of Facebook to land me tickets to a concert at Carnegie Hall.

The Florida Worship Choir and Orchestra was in town.  And three faces from home were a part of the choir.  One being fabulous soloist, Lindsey Graham!  Please check out more about her ministry here!

Chris and I weren't sure what to expect when we showed up at Carnagie Hall on that Monday night, but we were in for a real treat.  As it turns out, we were exactly where we were meant to be that night.  It had been a rough day for me, and this performance and message just seemed to put everything into perspective.  God truly is amazing...and he'll put you in the right place at the right time as long as you are willing to go.

One of the last songs of the evening really spoke to me.  It included the following chorus:

No matter the storms that come my way,

No matter the trials I may face,

You promise that you will see me through

So I will trust in you.

 



I am so thankful that Mom left that message on a photo the Grahams had posted to Facebook letting them know I lived nearby their photo spot.  The concert and message proved to be a huge blessing to me.  I am always amazed by the way that God finds a way to speak to His children...IF they will only listen.

Not only was the concert wonderful, but Chris and I also had a chance to visit with Lindsey, Pixie, and Greg for an hour or so after the show.  Great to catch up with some familiar faces from my youth in Kentucky.  And thank you to them for passing along the secret code for tickets :)  We very much enjoyed the experience!

Andrea :)

Race Recap: Healthy Kidney UAE 10k

The Healthy Kidney UAE 10k holds a special place in my heart!  I personally know a handful of individuals that have experienced major kidney issues so running this race is particularly meaningful to me.  This year, I decided to give one dollar to The National Kidney Foundation for every minute I was on the course!

Unfortunately, this race didn't start off too great for me.  I got to the start plenty early, but convinced myself there wasn't time for one last bathroom stop.  As you might guess, this proved to be a mistake.  That became certain at the end of mile one.  I suffered through another mile, but had to stop for roughly 5 minutes (yes, I timed it) to wait in line for the port-o-potties.  Not fun.  I never quite managed to get back into the run.  And it had suddenly become SO hot and humid.  Seriously, I was just one sticky mess by the time I saw Christopher around the mile five marker.  I wanted to quit, but I reminded myself of the reason for the run and pushed to the finish.

I thought I had the most terrible run of my life when I finally made it to the finish line.  You can imagine my surprise when I checked NYRR online results a couple hours later and discovered that I finished with a total time of 1:21:32 at 13:08 minute miles.  Not great for me, but I've definitely done worse!  Overall, I was pleased with the time given way I felt for all 6.2 miles of this one!

Andrea :)

A Somewhat Disappointing Belmont

We had high hopes we'd witness the first Triple Crown winner in our lifetime.  Those hopes were enough to keep us from being out of our mind insane on the beyond crowded LIRR train we took to the track.  We were annoyed by the immature college kids for sure, but we were on our way to watching history be made.

There were just over 102,000 in attendance.  And I think 100,000 of them came on the LIRR.  And perhaps 50,000 arrived on the same train as we did.  Seriously, it was THAT packed!! 

Fortunately, our second race of the day was a lucky one for both of us.  We didn't win much on it, but it is always fun to win regardless of the amount!

On the next race, Chris hit on the exacta!!  We were super excited!!  Especially when we found out it paid almost $100.  Jackpot :)

Just after Race 9, we had placed our bets for the next two races and then found a spot to settle into for a couple of hours while we waited for the Belmont Stakes. We found a relatively uncrowded area near a bench where two nice couples were sitting.  We waited...and waited...and waited!

California Chrome...the exciting Triple Crown hopeful just before the race!

I made friends with the group on the bench and was able to manage to share their coveted spot atop the bench for the BIG race!  The crowd had become unbearable at this point...and quite excitable!  LL Cool J even gave a brief performance before the race began.

The stakes were huge...and I really thought California Chrome was gonna win.  I really did.  The horses took their spots...and they were off!

Even thought I was head and shoulder above most of the crowd in the area where I was located, I couldn't really make out much of the race.  I did get a couple of photos when the horses were on the back stretch, but as they came around to the finish people were just going crazy and I couldn't see a single thing.  We didn't know for a few minutes after the finish which two horses were even at the lead as they crossed the finish line. 

Thankfully, we did not plan to take the LIRR back to the city after the race.  It was most certainly a disaster for anyone that did so.  We decided next year we just want to watch the Belmont Stakes at home.  Too many people with not enough space!  The only reason it wasn't a total disappointment is that Chris won a decent amount on his exacta.  Otherwise, we might have decided to steer clear of the Belmont forever! 

 

Andrea :)

All the Way

All the Way is all about Lyndon Baines Johnson.  Johnson is played by Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad fame.  The play begins with the news of John F. Kennedy's death.  LBJ is sworn into office and hits the ground running full speed ahead.  The focus is on two fronts - 1) passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 complete with much interaction with key political figures of the day, Martin Luther King, Jr. (Brandon J. Dirden) and J. Edgar Hoover (Michael McKean) and 2) being elected to serve a full term as President of the United States.

Bryan Cranston knocked it WAY out of the park with this performance.  He is simply phenomenal.  Chris and I absolutely loved his performance as Walt in Breaking Bad so we were not the least bit shocked that he was so amazing on stage.  Cranston pulls off a perfect southern twang and truly is LBJ for those 3 hours.  Chris loved the show so much that he intends to see it again.  If you have any interest at all in history or politics, this show is a MUST see.  A great behind the scenes look at the past.  We had a great conversation with Dirden (who plays MLK, Jr.) while we waited for Walt Bryan Cranston at the stage door.  Dirden explained the depths of his research for the role and the quite accurate account the show provides.  Super nice man that does a fabulous job on stage as well.

When Chris agreed to do the waiting at the stage door thing with me for this show, it was HUGE!  He isn't really into that scene.  I really enjoyed having that experience together for a change.  It also helped that Bryan Cranston is so accommodating.  He signs and takes photos with everyone who waits after the show.  This alleviates the insanity of the post-show crowd - so smart!  We both had a fun, but quick interaction with the man of the hour when he signed our playbills.  He is a very kind and funny man.  I'm glad we pushed our luck a little by asking for a photo with both of us because it is my favorite. 

 All the Way has two Tony nominations.

 

Best Play (Author - Robert Schenkkan)

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Bryan Cranston)

 

Andrea :)