Half marathon.

10 weeks of training
a 5:30 am wake-up call
3+ hours on the subway (round trip)
one wicked blister
3 cups of Gatorade
13.1 miles
one tired girl

This is what victory looks like.

Dave.

I remember having a conversation with Allison once where she joked that the reason she and Dave got married was because no one else would "get" either of them. While that may be true, it's great to be around them and see how much fun they have together. Dave shares Allison's mellowness (it's a word) and love of being silly. He can seem quiet and reserved but also has a weird sense of humor that presents itself at opportune (and inopportune) moments, with hilarious results. Dave made me grits the first time I met him, and though I may have never eaten them again since that time, I've always found him to be an excellent addition to our family. Happy Birthday, Southern Dave!

Memorial Day weekend.

"So I just landed, and now I'm like... trafficking? Is that drugs or is that planes?"

The girl in the seat behind me drawling into her phone was the perfect start to my stay in Charlotte. The night only got better as Allison picked me up and we headed straight to Bojangles to get some fried chicken and biscuits. And of course, the rest of the weekend was equally fabulous. We relaxed, we played, we laughed, and we ate until I began to wonder if I'd ever feel hungry again. It was nice getting out of the city and enjoying country roads, huge grocery store aisles, and greenery everywhere. Emaline was in top form, finding ample opportunities to butter me up for future birthdays and Christmases ("Aunt Laura, I'm so glad you came to visit me!" "I'm going to be so sad when you go back to the York, Aunt Laura!"). We had a great time reading books and drawing and running around, and I was sad to leave. But we consoled ourselves with the knowledge that we'll be seeing each other again in August when the whole fam goes to Disneyworld. And while Emaline might not actually understand what that is, she definitely knows it's something to get excited about.



More pictures can be found here.

Holiday weekend.

I'm off to North Carolina for a weekend of sunshine, fried food, strawberry-picking, hugging, and lots of silliness. I hope you all will be spending your holiday weekend in a similarly delightful fashion.


I am coming to get you, little girl!

Krissy.

Most people don't know that I actually have four sisters. Okay, so one of them isn't actually my "biological" sister, if you want to bother with technicalities like that, but she has been my best friend for 20 years. So I think the honorary title is deserved.


Krissy's family moved in next door when I was five years old, and most of my favorite memories involve her and Becca and our ridiculous shenanigans. The bedroom I shared with Becca faced Krissy's across our respective side yards, and we spent countless nights shouting to each other through our windows, discussing plans and sharing secrets that surely the rest of the neighborhood found fascinating.


The three of us spent summers playing kick the can with our siblings and neighbor kids in the street. We dedicated sleepover time to developing stories about the ghost that haunted Krissy's house (trust me). We choreographed dance routines and made embarassing home videos that will come back to haunt us when we're famous. We went to midnight releases of Harry Potter books and movies. We talked endlessly about how weird it would be when we were grownups, and the trio of connected houses we would (WILL) live in someday.


Today she turns 23. And while I'm not sure our younger selves could ever have fathomed being even this old, I'm looking forward to 50 more years of shenanigans to come. Happy Birthday, Keesy!

Gemma.

I can't let the day go by completely without acknowledging the birthday of the littlest lady in the fam. Today marks one year that she's been giggling, squawking, and slobber-kissing her way into our hearts. Here's to many more years of having us wrapped around your tiny finger, Gemma.

Glee.

Is it weird that I'm really excited for this show?



A shorter promo can be found here.

A comedy about a high school glee club featuring lots of Broadway stars? Yes, I will watch it. The only bad part is that they're airing the pilot next week as a preview, and the actual season doesn't start until the Fall.

Luckily, I've got something to hold me over in the meantime.

D-listed.

As I pay for my Starbucks chocolate creme frappuccino, I notice the young male cashier looking at me intently.

"I'm gonna say something to you," he says, smiling.

"Okay....?"

"You know who you look like, right?"

"No, who?" I reply, racking my brain for redheaded celebrities. Does he think I look like Amy Adams? Julianne Moore would be awesome. The only comparison I've ever gotten is "that girl from Orange County." This is so exciting!

"Kathy Griffin," he says triumphantly.

I stare at him. Probably sensing my lack of enthusiasm, he quickly adds, "That's a compliment! She's... really funny!"

Sigh.

My favorite mom.

This weekend I took a quick trip down to Washington, D.C. to visit my friend Tim. He and his roommates were relating a story about a recent attempt at baking cookies, and how even though they followed the recipe exactly, the end result was subpar. Tim asked me how girls do it. "How do you just know how to make cookies and have them turn out perfectly?" Without even thinking, I replied, "Because we learn from our moms."

Thanks, mom, for instilling in me a love of cooking and the skills to do it well. Thank you for inspiring me with your constant efforts to learn and try new things. Thank you for being a total badass on a bike. Thank you for encouraging my talents and my education. Thank you for being an example of a strong woman and a wonderful mother. And above all, thank you for being super hot(t), which gives me hope for my future.

Happy Mother's Day.

Sarah.

Whenever I try to explain the hair color composition of my family to people, I have to emphasize that my oldest sister is a REDhead. "But you're a redhead, too," people say. I know, but her hair is RED red. Which pretty much encompasses everything that Sarah's about. She doesn't really do things halfway. She's loud and outgoing and has an opinion about everything. She shows great enthusiasm for what's going on in your life, whether it's getting excited about your upcoming study abroad or coming up with colorful verbal abuse for a boy who's just dumped you. Sarah's the kind of person you want in your corner, because she'll always be there cheering you on (and maybe throwing some of the punches when you're not up for it). I often find myself missing the three months I spent living with her and her family--we had a grand time going to the gym together, watching trashy television, discussing boys (that was mostly me), and of course eating delicious food. I wish I could be there today to celebrate her birthday, but I hope her day is fabulous. Knowing Sarah, it really couldn't be otherwise. Happy Birthday!