Starting my Christmas with Mint Tea

Merry Christmas!  I wanted to write a quick post about the amazing Christmas gift I got from Chris's sister, Jessica.  My very own loose leaf tea maker.... with my favorite... mint tea!

I am going to get a thermometer and a tea pot.  For today, the microwave worked fine.

P.S.  That is too much!

Definitely too much tea, but it looks awesome!

Go Knights!  (and Tervis Tumbler!)

Definitely had to be diluted, since I made it too strong.

Because I live in Florida, and I love iced tea!  I personally prefer mint tea sweetened and iced.

I hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas.  I most certainly am!  I love my future-in-laws, and I cannot wait to see my family later in the week. (o: (o:

The last few days in photos

I did a 3 mile run today checking out Christmas lights (29:50).

Getting ready to go out for Diane's 30th Birthday.

At dinner

My green tea

Eel roll

Sweet potato roll.  Delicious!

Pedicure Thursday evening (Happy very belated birthday to me!)

Making our own alcohol that Chris's sister, Jessica, bought off ThinkGeek.com

Now we wait 48 hours...

I tried a sip, but I'm not a huge whiskey fan.

Isn't this adorable?

I just want to kiss his nose!

Chris and his sister Amy (found it on the fridge)

Hehe, he looks so serious!

Tervis Tumbler Tree!  I love that store!

Even Bella is festive!

Delicious sweet wine given to me by my co-worker

Dinner:  lasagna and the best garlic bread (actually sans garlic) ever!

Zack says Hi!

 Merry Christmas Eve to you all!  May your Christmas be blessed!

Merry Christmas!

18 Miles Done and Done!

On Tuesday, Cailtin and I ran our longest distance yet... 18 miles!  We ran it in 3:43 which averaged to a 12:23 pace.  I felt surprisingly great during the run, but the next day my knees and ankles were really sore.  They were fine by the end of the day though, which was a huge relief.

Along the way, Caitlin and I stopped to take some pictures of Christmas light (seeing as we had to run after work and it was dark).  We saw some pretty great lights.  The images aren't great, but it's because I took them with my cell phone.

View from bridge

Florida Christmas lights.  Santa under palm trees.

Two bicycles covered in Christmas lights as they road past us.

Lots of fun lights.

View from other side of the lake.  The moon looked huge.

We are now visiting family for Christmas.  I will be updating soon.  I just thought I'd share some pictures of my niece Joy, that my sister sent me on my phone.

Blogger award! W00t!

The very lovely and talented Katy at The Singing Runner has passed on "The Stylish Blogger" award to me.  When I read it on her blog it absolutely made my day!  I love her blog and look forward to reading it, so I definitely recommend that you check it out.

The Award’s Rules:

Thank the person who gave you the award.

Tell 7 facts about yourself.

Give the award to 7 bloggers you just love.

Leave the 7 bloggers a comment telling them they won.

As I did for a similar previous post, I am going to add pictures using Google search to put a different spin on things.  Here are links (1 and 2) to a few other random facts about myself.  I have to admit that I had a really hard time coming up with 7 facts that I have not already listed.  Now, here are 7 facts about myself:

My parents first child, Laura, was born 3 months premature and lived for only weeks (December 7-21, 1980).  Laura weighed only 2 lbs and 13 oz.  I was born two months premature weighing in at 3 lbs and 13 oz.  My younger sister was born on her due date and weighed 10 lbs 4oz.  Having been premature, I was always the smallest one in my family which annoyed me since I was the oldest who got the hand-me-down clothes.  My parents were told that I would most likely have a learning disability, yet I have always excelled at school.  I like to joke that I should have been born a genius.  I have donated and will continue to donate to March of Dimes to help their research to avoid premature births. [image source]

I studied Vietnamese martial arts (Vovinam) for two years.  I enjoyed it, but quit because I was too much of a wuss to do all those flips.  I hit my head once and had a mild concussion.  I am not in that picture.  [image source]

This is also not the actual picture of my car (all of those are saved somewhere), but it reminded me of it.  Luckily I only ended up with a dented trunk.  Stupid hurricane Charley.  But of the 29 years that I have lived in Florida, that was the first hurricane to really affect me.  [image source]

I am a firm believer that toilet paper should come from the top of the roll.  I am also convinced that Chris will intentionally put the toilet paper roll on upside down just to laugh when I "fix" it.  [image source]

I also believe with all my heart in pinky promises (aka pinky swears).  Poor Chris has already made countless pinky promises, which I do not remember most of them, but I would hold him to them if I did!  The only think more sacred is the newly named "ring finger promise" which I jokingly made-up when we got engaged.  [image source]

Belly buttons freak me out.  I cannot let anyone touch mine.  I do not even like to touch it.  It baffles me how I was able to get mine pierced years ago (and yes, it is still pierced).  Chris laughs at me over this.  The thought of my belly button popping out one day when I'm pregnant terrifies me!  I think this all started when I was little and my sister was born.  I distinctly remember the remnants of the umbilical cord turning black and falling off.  I am cringing as I type this. [image source]

When I was little and had the chicken pox, I had very few chicken pox.  One left a scar near my right eye.  My mom thought I would get them again, because I had so few.   I was around them plenty of times but never got them again.  [image source]

The 7 bloggers that I would like to pass the award on to are:


Kelsey at Snacking Squirrel
Tina at Faith, Fitness, Fun
Q at Q on the Move
Reta at Run, Reta, Run
Stephanie at It's All Happening
Toni at My Change Through Running
Christine at My First Marathon and Counting


I'd also like to pass it on to anyone else who would like to share 7 facts about themselves!  I love meeting new bloggers and learning more about other bloggers!

[image source]

I'm off to hang up the laundry I did not finish yesterday while watching Beauty and the Beast.  I cannot remember the last time I saw that movie, and I figured it might help put me in the Christmas spirit.

The ABC's of Me

I am borrowing this idea from the lovely Tina at Faith, Fitness, Fun.

A is for ambitious as is evident by my professional student status or analytical, which describes both my field of chemistry as well as how I think.

B is for blonde or blogger.

C is for card whore.  I absolutely LOVE cards.  This Christmas I have bought Chris two cards.  One is a sappy, cheesy card and the other a hilarious card.  But I could have also chosen curly for my hair, or chemistry for my major, for cat lady since we have three cats.

D is for dog-lover, because even though I love my cats, I will always want to also own a dog.  (We just have to wait until we have a yard before getting a dog, because I want another golden retriever.)

E is for embarrassed, because it does not take much to turn my face red.  Energetic also works.

F is for fiancée.  eeeek! or Forensic science which was my undergraduate and Master's major and my focus of my chemistry PhD studies.

G is for gabby, because I can easily talk your ear off.  And for gardenia, which is my favorite flower.

H is for honest and happy.

I is for imagination, since mine tends to run wild all the time!  One day I will utilize it to write and illustrate my own children's books (that's right, plural!  I'm thinking big!).

J is for my name, Jessica (a.k.a. Jes) and also for Jesus, who I believe in.

K is for kind, because I like to think I am kind to others.  And kid-at-heart, because I will always love playing with toys, reading children's books, watching cartoons, and going to Walt Disney World!

L is for loving or loyal.

M is for marathon runner, because I am training to complete my first on February 13, 2011.  It could also be for mom, as in a mom to the furry babies.

N is for natural, because I do not dye or curl my hair.  (I have used temporary dye in the past, and I'm not saying that I would never dye it... I just cannot afford the upkeep right now.  I'd love to dye it a nice dark brown!).  Also nerdy!

O is for open.  I am very open about my feelings.  I generally am and am trying to be more optimistic.

P is for purple, my favorite color.  One day, I want to take piano lessons and then I'll use pianist as well.

Q is for quirky, because I am just so strange about some things.  I cannot have my sheets tucked in, I hate cooking with wooden spoons and cannot lick Popsicle sticks, I refuse to dump out old milk and always make Chris do it.  It could also stand for questioning, because I always want to learn more!

R is for romantic, because I love romantic gestures.  Also responsible.

S is for scientific.  Not only is it what I do, but it is how I think.  And it may also be for sky diver, something I love to do!

T is for talented.  I have always been pretty good at art.  (Who do I feel the need to justify a complement? I am talented!)  It could also stand for tearful, because when I am sad/mad/frustrated/embarrassed/etc. I cry.  I am trying to overcome that as well.

U is for untidy.  I have a bad habit of not putting away my laundry and just leaving it in the basket.  And unique, because I have always felt different, in a good way.

V is for visual.  I am a visual learner.  And vivacious!

W is for worrier, because I worry far too much.  This is something I am trying to change about myself.  And one day it will stand for wife.

X is for Xenon, a noble gas that I am currently working with in the laboratory (yeah, I'm stretching it for the X).

Y is for youthful, because people tend not to believe me when I tell them my age.  I hope that keeps going for a long time!  And yummy, for the way I prefer my food to taste. LOL

Z is for zippy, because I am usually pretty lively (unless tired or hungry lol).

How would you describe yourself using the alphabet?