Overdue Past Weekend Recap

Friday night: did nothing b/c I had a race in the morning, so I ate my pasta and went to bed. Sounds like fun, right?!

Saturday morning: ran in the Triumph Over Pain 10k race at Cooper Fitness Center in McKinney. Liz ran too, but wasn't feeling well, so she completed the 5k. It was great weather, except it was really windy. So at about mile 3.5, I started running up a steady incline into the wind for about a half mile. That was the hardest part. Other than that, I really enjoyed the course (was new to me) and beat my time from the last 10k. A highlight for me was seeing Tracey Yukich, a contestant from Season 8 of The Biggest Loser.

Saturday night: Amanda Aulds's wedding. It was such a beautiful day at the Arboretum and she looked amazing. It was so good to catch up with friends from not only high school but also college (shout out to Stacey and Jenni who will read this!). We really had a great time and will always remember it. It was also very surreal that there were 2 past presidents there and their wives. What an experience that was! After the wedding, Josh and I really wanted to shake W's hand, so as he and Laura were making their rounds, we just stuck out our hand and met him. We both haven't washed our hand since then. Here are some pictures - we didn't take enough.

CHS Class of 2000 Officers.















Hi Chi O table and beautiful lake.















Oh Amanda, not looking at the camera, but glowing!















My Leah!















My Joshy!















This group makes me giggle.















Sunday: we went to church with my mom, had brunch at my parent's house with my extended family, and met Case and Noah at PF Chang's in Allen for an early dinner. This is not a very good pic, but I just love that little stinker bean, Noah! Can't wait for her to pop out another one just like him...unless it's a girl of course.

Two Kids Home Alone

Dixie and me, just chillin', eating, hanging out...but we are both kind of bummed. The most important piece of our little family is not here to direct the show. Jamie is on a late night photo shoot for one of Infinitude's larger clients. The shoot takes place in a grocery store, so it has to be done at night, from roughly 10pm - 2am, when there are no customers roaming around.

I am so proud of her and wanted to take a few minutes to tell her that. She really does keep this little house operating as well as it can. The inside is kept spotless, things are organized, clutter and 'stuff' is minimized (very liberating, you should try it), food is stocked, food is prepared, laundry is washed...and the list goes on and on and on. On top off all that, she busts her tail at work and is amazing at what she does. I am so proud of her I could bust!!

Thank you for being the most awesome, amazing, and giving wife in the whole wide world. I love you babe!!

Rain or Shine

Tomorrow, come rain or shine, Liz and I are running in a race called Run for Cover. It's a 10K (6.2 mile) race put on by McKinney Fellowship Bible Church that benefits The Samaritan Inn. After I realized that this race benefitted The Samaritan Inn, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.

For my company's 2009 Christmas gift to our clients and partners, we gave them tins of cookies that The Samaritan Inn made and packaged. I was able to go to the Inn in McKinney to pick up the tins - it is Collin County's only homeless shelter. They are completely funded by donations made by churches, service organizations, corporations and individuals. Last year, they had 660 residents and out of those people, 30% were children and over 72% graduated from their program - which means they had an income and housing when they left The Samaritan Inn.

Currently, there are 107 people living at The Inn and 35 are children. I've been getting reminder emails about the race that includes a story about current residents. I wanted to share this one with you:

This week we would like to tell you about 20 year old Samantha. Samantha, like many of our residents, did not have any specific education or training that would enable her to make more than minimum wage, and minimum wage is not a living wage.

At about the same time Samantha came to the Inn, we received information that Richland College had created a unique Machine Operator Training Program. Workforce of Dallas funded the cost of the training for qualified participants between the ages of 18 and 21 and John Trick, our Vocational Coordinator, thought Samantha would be a good candidate. Samantha attended the 12 week program (The Samaritan Inn paid for her transportation and materials), and she graduated at the top of her class.

She was hired almost immediately by the company where she did her on-site work during the program, and the president of the company wrote us the following note:
"Samantha is doing great! She is here on time, stays with her assignments until completed and does whatever we ask with the same level of enthusiasm. Don't know where she got her work ethic, but she certainly has one. Thanks for sending her our way!"

We are very proud of Samantha, and as John Trick wrote in his update, "This young lady now has the means for a self-sufficient life that will never include a homeless shelter again."

Playlist Needs Help

I need to update my running playlist for the race Liz and I are doing this Saturday. Please leave a comment with your favorite song or songs that you like to run or workout to. I like to run to all types of music: techno, rap, alternative, Christian, rock, etc. as long as it has a good beat and is pretty fast.

Katie Lemmon Norwood: if you're reading this, you can save yourself some time by NOT sending me your playlist from your blog back in September. I giggled when I read some of your highly suggested songs. But, I think I did download Toxic because of you.

Dixie Turns 11

Our sweet baby turned 11 this past Sunday, which means it was burger day! We love her so much and hope we have more great years with her.

Here she is with her McD's bag before she devoured her present.













And here's the video of her eating it in 10 seconds. I love how she licks her chops and obeys her daddy! Apologies from Josh for the rotating of the camera.

My friend, Liz

I feel pressure to write a blog about my dear friend, Liz. Liz wrote about me this week and so I owe her one.

Liz has been a buddy of mine since 4th grade. I'll never forget her "look" when she strolled in as a new student at Pinkerton Elementary: short permed blonde hair and a jump suit. But she's blossomed into a beautiful young lady! Here's what I love about her (no, Liz, this is not everything):

-I love her short responses to questions, i.e., Me: "Liz, how was your trip to Santa Fe?" Liz: "Fine." Me: "Did you do anything fun?" Liz: "Yes."
-I love the memories I have of Liz: blaring her music in her Ford Explorer, her "black" days, taking pictures in her front yard before going to George Strait concert, showing me her [horrible] cheer jumps in her uniform in her front yard, her muffins, Bosco, The Animal Club.
-She is always one to call and check in.
-She runs races with me even if she is completely not ready for it.
-She WOULD be the one that would send me a text to tell me she got engaged. That I was NOT happy about.
-She is so kind to help us (the class officers) plan our 10-year high school reunion (and Mindy, too!).
-I love that she lives 8 blocks north of me.
-I love that we go to the same church and can enjoy breakfast afterward every once in a while.

But what I love most is the fact that we've been friends for 19 years and counting! I love you Lizzy Poo Poo!

I Just 'Tuded

As I said in my last post, the company I work for, Infinitude Creative Group, launched a blog. We also just launched our website and I was able to work directly with my past employer, AvreaFoster, to complete that project...that was a lot of fun for me to work with the AF team (who are some of my good friends).

As I sat in our conference room with the Jeffs, the owners, and another fellow, we were brainstorming ideas on what to call our blog. We bounced some silly and serious names around until Jeff M. shouted out "How about 'I Just 'Tuded'?" And that was the winner. Yes we are a training and media production company, yes we have corporate clients that will read this blog, yes we know it might not make you laugh as much as we do, but we're proud. We're proud of our blog description: "Something's in the air at Infinitude Creative Group." We're proud of our sign-off after we write a blog, e.g., I'm Jamie Womack and I just 'tuded!

So check it out...we have some talented writers and we'll be doing a video blog here and there.

-I'm Jamie Womack and I just 'tuded on In the Loop