Country Music Half-marathon

This year a dear friend of ours ran the half-marathon. I was lucky enough to be able to get up and go cheer her on at the crack of dawn. We had such a fun adventure trying to get to see her at different points. Let me just say that it was not jean weather. I got so hot. :) But I had fun hanging with my little brother and my parents. (The other boys stayed safely at home in bed :)) 

At the start of the race! 

There was a TON of people there!

A video of the crowds

Me trying to be normal and Mark being crazy

Marmee and Popsicle 

There were these people and they handed out free frozen yogurt with fruit and granola! Yay for free breakfast!

About to start!

It has become the tradition every year while someone is running the marathon we get doughnuts. I felt so fat standing next to a bunch of hard-core runners eating a doughnut! :)

*inside joke* Hey Anna, I've got the glaze... now where is Groban?

*nom nom* oh these are so horribly delicious!

Feeling evil eating my doughnut for some reason.

Aren't all the doughnuts fat free and calorie free because it is their 75th year?... right?

Mark looking very stylish.

There was a juggler guy who juggled the whole way!

Posing during the race

We stopped at an interesting coffee joint to get mom some coffee and dad a sandwich. 

The people at the end of the race all had hula-hoops.

Mom's coffee.

Me in the car with the wind blowing like crazy.

Mark om the car with the wind blowing like crazy

FINISHIED! Woot woot!

We are so proud of you Mrs. Parker!

Posing with the Nashville skyline.

Mrs. Parker took Mark and I to get coffee in the afternoon. This coffee would go great with Peeta's iced cakes.

COFFEEEEEEE

Anyways, we had an awesome day full  of running around, sweating and horrible for you foods. BTW, the lady who ran is the mother of an awesome family we know... and there name also happens to be Parker. Confusing I know. :) And I have decided I am AWFUL at coming up with captions for my pictures. :)

Girls night out +Mark

Mom, Mark and I drove down to meet Leslie in Jackson TN last night. We had so much fun getting pedicures, shopping, and (my personal favorite thing) eating at Red Robin. We had so much fun with what may be Leslie's last girls night out without a child.... although I will be able to babysit Mia whenever... *hint hint* :)

Getting pedicures... I felt like falling asleep. :)

Leslie (and Mia).... is this babies first pedicure?

"Sisters, sisters. Never were there such precocious sisters."

It looks like I am forcing Mark to take this picture.

Uncle Mark and Mommy Leslie. 

The ladies of the Parker household. Though, since now Leslie is an Exley I don't know if she can be in this picture. :)

Three of the six Parker children. :)

Keep your friends close

As I sit here, staring at the computer screen, desperately trying to think of something blog-worthy, and snacking on some rocky road ice-cream (yes, I am an emotional eater sometimes... don't judge me), it suddenly hit me. What is more blog-worthy then friends?? Nothing... am a right? So I want to post my closest friends on here... the ones I know I can be myself and not feel judged... the people I can't get mad at because I have so many important things to tell them. 

This is Amanda. My best friend I have known my whole life. And when I say "whole life" I mean it. Our families were friends before either of us were born. She is the inspiration behind my cupcake passion. She is an extremely talented writer, painter, candlestick maker..... OK that last one was made up... but it rhymed. haha. But I think her most amazing talent is that she is able to speak fluent "Lulu." "Lulu" is my language. Whenever I get overwhelmed, goofy, tired or excited, I start spouting off random words that even my own family cannot decipher. But Amanda has always been able to understand what I am desperately (though pathetically) trying to convey. She is my calm side. Whenever I start freaking out over unimportant things, she is always there to let me know that I will indeed get through alive. She is thoroughly amazing.... *understatement of the year*

This is Anna. She is my cousin/sister. I don't think it is possible for cousins to be closer in our relationship. (And in this picture, proximity) Lemme just say two words about Anna.... Nutella and Josh Groban. She introduced me to Josh Groban one fateful night. Let me just say it was the best night of my life. :) When he first started singing I was like "He's not that grea..... Woah... I take that back." Anna has since moved on to different genre's of music. (Traitor) Yes, I think Josh Groban is in genre all his own. I call it genre EPIC. She also introduced me to one of the greatest substances on the planet earth. NU-freaking-TELLA! We have since introduced Nutella to my other favorite substance... bacon. Anyways... back to Anna. We have shared some rough times together and she has always gotten my through them. I love ya Anna!

And last but certainly not least.... this is Tori. I swear she is my twin sister. Except for the fact that we look nothing alike... and have different parents. We share a passion for legwarmers, neon colors, 80's music, and we both are not embarrassed to be who we are=crazy. :) just fyi... in this picture we are bathing in yogurt if you wanted to know... Tori made me moving to Nashville bearable. Actually, I met her about four years after I moved, but I still was not over moving. We both moved away from our home-towns at age 10. She loves country music... specifically Scotty McCreery. :) She is a total planner while I am extremely spontaneous. She is working on me however. I have started using my planner AND responding to emails. :) Tori is totally like awesome. TOTALLY RAD. haha 80's...