Tunica, Mississippi

On Thursday afternoon, we headed South to Tunica, MS.  Tunica is a little town that is just about 15 miles south of Memphis.  We had never been before, so we were looking for a fun getaway!  Our birthdays are only 2 days apart, we always try to do a little something for our birthday since it is so close together.

We stayed at the GoldStrike.  It is an MGM resort and I highly recommend it!! The rooms were super nice, clean and the beds slept great!  While there I used the fitness center and it was top of the line with several different machines.  We ate at the Buffet and it was very good.  We had breakfast and brunch there and I cannot complain about anything!  My favorite on the buffet was the pizza.....OMG it was delish!!! And the ice cream!! I had a big strawberry sundae.  And I did a blogger fail...not one picture of any of that food!!!! I was too busy living in the moment!

The Resort we stayed in

Chris did really good on the tables! Normally your odds at winning aren't the best, but he came home with some "chips" in his pocket!!  He hit on 3 numbers on the roulette table and that was a pretty big win!  I pay the slots.  I played for about 9 hours on $20!! I am a VERY cheap gambler! I will not continue feeding the machines.  But I had fun and that is all that matters!!!

Some of his winnings!

Chris's chips at the roulette table!

On Friday night we drove back into Memphis to eat at Rendezvous!!! If you are ever in the area or reside close and haven't eaten there....you are missing out!!! This is my third time eating there and it was no disappointment! It was delish!!! I had the dry rub chicken and Chris had the BBQ ribs!!! Man I wish I could have some right now!!

Chicken at Rendezvous!

Chris's Ribs

On Saturday we checked out of the hotel and checked out a few others there in the area, and we drove into Memphis to stay Saturday night there.......until my next post, more on Memphis!!!  However I do want to share some pictures that I got as we were coming into Memphis of the mighty Mississippi River!!!! I could look at her all day!

On the bank of the Mississippi

Birthday Weekend

My birthday was January 11. I turned the big 3-5.  The only advantage to turning 35 is I am now out of Jessica's (bff) age group in running! I normally don't mind numbers but 35 is kind of different, it is really close to 40! And 40 will be here before I know it!

On Thursday, my Momma, Jessica, Katie, Teri, Erica, Ashlee, Summer all met at the Mexican Restaurant.  It was really good! I was treated with some really nice gifts! I received a Candleberry candle, some earrings, some running shorts and top and some awesome hot pink Swiftwicks socks.  I love those socks, best running socks ever!!!

And instead of cake Jessica brought me......DONUTS!!!! She knows the way to my heart...or belly!!!

I also share a birthday with my co-worker, Ashlee she is the best!! She said I was her right arm, so I guess she is my left!!! And yeah she is just a young punk...so young she was my student when I was teaching!!!


The Hubs, me and another couple headed South on Friday to Tunica, MS to try our luck at the slots and card tables....more on that later!!!

A Year to Remember

I hope you had a great Christmas and New Years! I know I sure did!  However, I am glad it is all over, not to sound to cliche!  I love Christmas decor, but I am always ready for it to all go back in the storage totes and be tucked away for another year! 

I was fortunate enough to take off work on Friday and Monday after Christmas, so I was off work for 6 days! Man it was nice too!! We didn't do much, I got the whole house cleaned, all of the kid's Christmas presents put away, all of our new clothes hung up, and cleaned out a few drawers that have been gathering some very precious junk, what you don't have one of those! 

Reflecting back on 2013, it has been a great year!  Some of our highlights:

Went to Las Vegas with Jessica and JT

Ran my second Half Marathon

Maddie learned to ride a bike
Carter killed his first deer
Bought a new RZR

Completed a Warrior Dash

Carter PR'ed his 5k by 5 minutes

Lots of Summer fun


Survived both of my kid's first slumber/sleep over parties

The sadness of death of a really good friend and explaining it to your kids

Photographing my first wedding

First time going back stage at a concert!

Seeing Disney on Ice

Running across the finishline with my BFF as she completes her first Full Marathon

Running 5ks with family and having family in attendance



I know there were more memorable moments of 2013, but these are just a few!!

Merry Christmas!

I had stressed and stressed about my Christmas card this year.  Normally I will use a picture that I made in the fall of the kids, but things got crazy busy and I never did get around to making any pictures of them in somewhat matching outfits.  I was ill, mad, disgusted, all of the above about my card.  One night a little dusting of snow fell and I got my camera. turned on the flood lights and snapped a couple of pictures to see how my lighting would be.  It was good!! The kids were in the basement playing, I yelled for them and said to put on  your muck boots, puffy coats and boggins!! They were thinking "Yep Momma has finally lost it!"  I told them come on we are going to play in the snow!!! What I like best about this card is this is THEM...this is US!!! Maddie showing her usual sass in her pink and Carter in his muck boots and camo coat! Our Australian Shepherd Trigger would not leave them alone and I said grab him up and hug him! Picture Perfect!!!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!!!!

The Bourbon Tour

About 2 months of ago, Chris, me and two other couples went on a Bourbon Distillery tour.  Ya see KY is where that bourbon you love so much is made from, at least the majority of it or the more popular ones anyway!! We toured Woodford Reserve, Four Roses, and Wild Turkey.  We aimed to also tour Makers Mark, but time got away from us.

 We all met in Louisville at our hotel, The Brown, which is located downtown.  A very swanky establishment if you will! And then we all piled in a stretch limo!!!! Yeah none of us wanted to drive since we get to taste test at each distillery after the tour.  It was a very fun and informative day!!! I highly recommend if you get the opportunity to tour any of these distilleries that you do so!! I learned that the WoodFord Reserve was the most toured attraction in KY in 2012!!! Just think all that bourbon that is sold all over the world is made right here in my little home state!!!

Outside of the Distillery where thousands of barrels of bourbon are aging.

 Barrels are stacked from the floor to the ceiling. The aging process.

 The Yeast stage......... this really stinks!!

These barrels are waiting to be filled.

This was inside of Four Roses Bourbon Distillery, located in Versailles, KY

Bet you can't guess where this was......Yep at Wild Turkey!!!

I LOVED these rocky turkeys!!! They were so much fun!!!

Chris jumped on behind me and and at one time we had it on its back rockers, standing straight up!!!

The Wild Turkey distillery was very modernized!  It was very neat as well.  But probably my favorite of the 3 that we were able to visit was Woodford Reserve.  I liked the history of it and seeing inside the distillery where all the barrels are housed for the aging process.

So if you are ever in the Bluegrass State be sure to check out the Bourbon Trail and if you are a runner there is a race that is called the Bourbon Trail.  It is kind of like a Ragnar, it consists of team of about 12 and you travel in a van. Not sure where the race begins, but I know it ends at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY.  The race runs by every distillery.  I think that would be really neat!!!

Happy Birthday!

Today is a special day...my baby girl is 6 years old!!! So hard to believe that she is 6 already!!! 
Here is a look through her 6 years at every one of her birthday parties!!!

On her birthday!!

On her Birthday!