Meet My Apprentice

This is Jenna.

15 years old.

Horseback rider.

Asian eyes.

Smartie pants.

My sister.

Jen likes to bake and make creative little dittys too. Must run in the family. Yesterday at Thanksgiving she took the reins on dessert since I was working during the prime cooking time. Her creation was a homemade style reese's peanut butter cup. Ohh yaaa.

Now, did I mention that peanut butter cups are my absolute favorite candy ever made?? Well it is. Second place goes to York Peppermint Patties - I love the sound they make when you break them :)

Jen's peanut butter cups are just scrumptious! Thanks for sharing!

What does your family do for Thanksgiving? What are your traditions??

Oh, and what is your favorite dish on our oh so American holiday?

Mine? 1. Stuffing 2. Sweet Potato Casserole 3. Turkey

We had a great holiday with loads of yummy food, dessert and my favorite bottle of wine. Finishing it off with a competitive game of Taboo - my brother and I won of course. Would you expect anything less?

I hope your Thanksgiving was warm and fuzzy! 

Now get excited for Christmas music all the time!! YES!

gobble gobble day!!

As you can imagine I am a complete and utter sucker for the holidays. Not only does it give me the warm and fuzzies but it brings people together, makes them feel okay about relaxing and just enjoying each other's company and not running at 100 miles a minute. I love anything that has that affect on people. Another reason the holidays are super awesome is that it provides an excuse to bake up a storm!

Last night (after a nice dinner date with Mike) I created my annual "christmas time!" playlist on iTunes...

 ...and pulled out some of my favorite recipes - blueberry oat bars and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Busted them out to bring to work this morning to try and bring some festive energy. I am sad to be in my cube while my family cooks all day and my brother is home from college, but they were a nice pick me up for my coworkers today.

Anyway, I'm trying to leave my own pity party but each time I think about working through the weekend instead of being with my family I stay longer. Wah wah.

So let's go around the table and say what we are thankful for..

Oh wait.. It's just me.

As sad as I am about working today and through the weekend I really do have SO much to be thankful for..

First and foremost I am healthy and have some outstanding people in my life.

Thank you to...

My parents for always supporting me and putting up with me at my worst. For giving me a life with opportunities some other people dream of. You both mean the world to me! But I still won't forgive you for the almost bowl cut you gave me as a child. nooo way

My siblings for providing entertainment and being nice to be on a somewhat regular basis. I am pretty sure you guys have my back :)

My boyfriend, Mike, for loving me even when I am a crazy person and accepting me for me. Thank you for sticking around with me last night and making me laugh (I am still the funnier one) so I wouldn't fall into depression. You are great. Love you! And thank you to your family for being my second family too.

My dog BOOMER! Also known as the world's greatest dog, Boomer Loomer, Boomie, Boom Boom, Stinky Butt if you're Brandon and Bloomer if you are my grandma. You may have destroyed many things in your life and eaten 643,235,764 you should never have eaten - including but not limited to: rocks, beer bottles, trays of brownies, cakes, my lunch, my dinner, flour, dry pasta, my breakfast, my friend's lunch, and more, and also you have run away about a million times. But despite all that, you are awesome and I am so glad you are now cancer free! Much love Boomdog.

My friends for being there when I need you and for all the fun and outrageous memories we have made. To Brito and Mandypants thank you for being a constant in my life through many years and everything that has come with it.

Chocolate for being so delicious and being such a supportive comrade.

The sun for rising everyday and keeping my days bright and shiney.

Running shoes for providing free therapy.

Country music for being awesome and providing the soundtrack to my life.

There is so much more but I am just glad to be alive, healthy, happenin', and blessed.

About to get off work let's please pray there is no traffic!!!!

Fight Like a Girl!

Prepare yourself - I have a lot to talk about! (but it is good!)

I told you a little bit ago that I would be participating in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure Walk this year. Well, I did it! I walked 60 miles over 3 days throughout San Diego with three amazing women-my mom, Megan and Rachel. We have been preparing (not as well as we should have) for months training to walk and raising money. I raised $2,300 and as a team we have raised $8,600 and we will continue collecting donations through January!

Thousands of men and women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year and there are over 2.5 million people alive right now that are fighting the good fight and doing their best to beat their breast cancer. Those are the people that we walk for. To help create a world without breast cancer and with more birthdays and milestones.

So we walk.
60 miles.
damn.

Day One: Bring it ooon pavement! 20.5 miles

After putting 20.5 plus miles on our feet we lugged our bags and grabbed a tent. Thank the world for these two girl scouts and their dad who volunteered to help put up our tents. Otherwise I am pretty positive we would have just laid on the ground and pulled tarps over ourselves with our best efforts to build shelter. But with the help of these girls competitive drive to put up their tent faster than their father, we had a flimsy roof over our heads.

Day Two: "Sunny San Diego"...bitches lie! 19.5 miles

IT. POURED.RAIN.ALL.DAY.LONG

I never want to see a poncho or a puddle again.

As you might have guessed...we got a hotel room after this day of down pour. Thanks to my great dad we got massages too. Pretty painful considering how insanely sore the bottom half of my body was feeling at this point. You think walking is easy? Try putting 40 miles behind you in two days and then come talk to me. It freaking HURTS!

Day Three: Holy Blister! 16.7 miles

My feet have never hurt so bad probably ever but then I saw my poor friend's feet and decided my 4 or 5 blisters were not much to complain about. An even better point that we would get reminded about is that "blisters don't need chemo!". How is that for a reality check?

My Dad, Megan's husband, Rachel's Mom and Mike all walked up to meet us at the final Pit Stop and walked the final (about 2 miles) with us! Aren't they great?? But imagine the look I gave then when they said they were tired of walking...death stare.

60 miles. 

3 days. 

5 blisters. 

2 limp legs. 

4,000 walkers. 

10.6 million dollars raised.

BOO YA!!!

There is NO way in HECK we would have been able to do this without the super fun and entertaining cheerleaders we had all along the way. Thank you SO much to all the people who supported us every day handing out stickers, candy, shots, beers, water and screaming and holding up signs. You guys are AWESOME!!

Here is a look at some of the crazy ass and wonderful people and things who stuck it out with us this weekend...

that.just.happened.

All in all this weekend was a one of a kind experience. 4,000 walkers, 450 crew members and hundreds of survivors and friends and family coming together for one amazing cause. San Diego ALONE raised over $10.6 million...yes..MILLION for breast cancer research and treatment! Get chills? It is incredible.

I will definitely be doing this again (even with my body aching two days later) and I encourage anyone thinking about it to do it!! Let me know and we can get a team going! Seriously, one of the most amazing and entertaining experiences of my life! Thank you to all my supporters and donators and my amazing team and friends!

Want to get involved? Check out www.the3day.org or ww5.komen.org