Random Facts

So, I had a creative idea tonight...I love to go back and read my Boston blog (allumlj.wordpress.com) and see how much I have changed in such a short time. One thing I put on that blog that was SO MUCH fun was a random facts post.  I'm going to try it again, and this time I am making Lance do one as well :)

Here we go :)
1.I am EXTREMELY geographically challenged... and it's bad.  Not too long ago, Lance had to take an evening and explain to me that Alaska and Hawaii are not beside each other....
2.  I have accepted the fact that I am no longer a marathon runner, and it's almost a relief. I feel like I can have a life again.
3.  I don't have a favorite color. My color preferences seem to change with the season
4. I am kind of crazy when it comes to holidays. I want to decorate and celebrate every holiday that appears on the calendar. I pray I never own a vest to match these holidays, though. Someone please stop me if I go that far.
5.  I really don't like the stories I hear of Lance's rock star days, but love to see the pictures of him playing.. such a stud!
6. I'm over school, 5 years in the same program with the same unorganized professors  is about all I can handle. I do love my major, though, and hope to really use it to make a difference one day.
7. When I came to Auburn, I told my mom I was going to sit outside of the engineering school everyday until I met a cute engineer :) Well, I guess it's a good thing I've been here so long. Lance is my sweet engineer, and he was well worth the wait. 
8.  I don't eat meat. I hope I never have to eat meat again. It makes me nauseous.  I discovered this while working in a school lunchroom for a class I have to take and I had to prepare A LOT of meat sauce for spaghetti.. it was so much I had to use a "paddle" to stir it. YUCK!
9.  My best friend, Linnzie, and I have been best friend for 21 years.  I don't think many people are nearly that lucky.
10.  I always swore when I got married that I would drop my middle name because I have never liked it.  However, as I matured, I realized the beautiful meaning behind that name. In 18 days, my name will be Lacey Jean Allums Haney... you got it, the middle name will stay forever.
11. In addition to #10, I have always thought it would be so cool to have 4 names. I am finally going to be that cool person :)
12. I don't mind washing clothes, but I HATE folding them and would rather visit the laundry basket everytime I need something than take the 5 minutes to fold them all. 
13. I LOVE to grocery shop. This does not mean I like Wal-Mart, I hate Wal-Mart.  I like to go to real grocery stores, especially whole foods. WF is up there with shoes stores on my list. I love to make my lists and clip coupons :)
14. The greeter at the Auburn Wal-Mart, who is there when I seem to visit, really makes me angry. He made me pull my receipt out for a WATERMELON that wasn't bagged once, while someone else walked out the door at the same time with a plasma TV!! UGH!
15. Yes, I have a couple related to #13. When I make grocery lists, I organize them to fit with the layout of the store. This causes many arguments when I am with my mama, because we ALWAYS forget something because it was out of order.
16.  My New Year's resolution this year was to quit neglecting myself of my morning coffee. Life around me has been much easier since.
17. I LOVE to cook, and I never use recipes. I make all of my recipes up in my head, sometimes they turn out, sometimes they are awful. It's a learning experience either way.
18.  My biggest fear is being in a plane crash while flying over the ocean and being eaten by a shark. Clearly, I wouldn't be conscious by the time of the shark attack, but I don't use a lot of reason.
19.  I can't remember names.  It's the worst trait I have.  I am very good at saying "Hey, girl!" just because I don't remember your name. It's nothing personal, I just stink at it.
20.  One of the sweetest days in my life was when I rescued sweet Maximus from the shelter.  He has made my life happier everyday since.
21.  My favorite tv show is Biggest Loser. Every season premier, I plot a lot of lifestyle changes that would allow me to gain 150 lbs so I could apply for the show. Like I said before, I lack reason often.
22.  I can never remember how old I am. I often pause when asked my age, because I honestly do not remember. Somehow I got stuck at 16.
23.  This is pathetic, but I have to watch E!News at least 2-3 times each week, even if I have to catch the reruns the next morning at the gym because Lance says it "Kills his brain cells" when he watches it.
24.  I love chocolate. I could eat chocolate on everything. I am not exaggerating. I would put it on tofu if I didn't think Lance would gag at me.
25.  Whenever I hear songs that used to be part of one of our old cheerleading routines, I will break out the dance, and if I can't remember the entire dance, I call Linnzie. 9 times out of 10, we can figure it out. Then, that will  probably lead to a round of cheers, dances, and old cheer memories.  Ah, when life was so simple :)


And, here are Lance's random facts :) Be prepared to laugh OUT LOUD, especially if you have only known Mr. Serious Lance for a couple of years.

1. had bright blonde hair in 8th grade
2. had really long hair, down to my shoulders for my high school senior picture
3. had 1 ear pierced in middle school... I was cool
4. got both ears pierced as a senior in high school
5. made a C in my first college math class
6. made a C in my first college physics class... glad I kept trying :)
7. love Penn State but hate PA winters
8. tried to be a rock star as a senior in high school... failed :)
9. tried to be a rock start after graduating from Penn State... came
really close!!!
10. played a gig on a Friday night in New York City at a club owned by
Slash and Scott Weiland
11. had a 6 figure income for 1 year of my life... paid A LOT of taxes that year
12. bought a house when I was 24 then sold it when I was 26
13. got kicked out of middle school... I was a real trouble maker as a kid :P
14. love basketball but stopped growing taller when I was in 8th grade :(
15. my first rock concert was seeing Green Day when I was in 8th grade
16. I get lost while driving very easily, especially in Atlanta
17. because of all the running I do, I currently only have 9 toe nails :)
18. I can not sleep if the bed sheets are tucked in, I have to pull them out
19. I almost never ate vegetables until I met Lacey, now I'm a vegetarian
20. when I move, I usually give away my furniture instead of moving it with me
21. the mascots of the three universities I have attended are Lions,
Tigers, & Bears (Penn State, Auburn, Mercer)
22. within the first year I really starting running, I ran 2 half
marathons, 2 full marathons, 1 trail marathon, 2 50k ultra-marathons
23. I am working on a PhD and can NOT spell very well
24. when I talk to my mom, my southern dialect becomes much more noticeable
25. my Mom said she thought I would end up finding me an Alabama
woman, just like her brother did... moms always know :)

That was challenging, but fun. Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!!! And, just in case you don't believe Lance was a rock star, here is a picture to prove it.  Like I said, such a stud!!

Marriage License

This past Wednesday, Lance and I went to get our marriage license! It was a very exciting day that we have been looking forward to for a long time now. I have had it in my planner since probably August, and it has seemed so far away for so long, then all of a sudden it was here. I don't have class on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday (pitiful, I know), so we just had to have a good day that was easy for Lance to get away from lab.  Initially, we had planned to go on Monday, but Monday was President's Day so we figured the courthouse would be closed.  Wednesday was a good day, Lance had lab meetings that morning, and it would be simple for him to get away from lab for the rest of the day once his meetings were over.  We had been so excited and looking forward to it all week. That morning, I went to the gym early, then came home and got ready for our big marriage license day.  I picked out a special outfit, had a full face of make up, fixed my hair perfectly, even wore uncomfortable shoes. When Lance got in from campus, we couldn't wait, so we hit the road to the Opelika courthouse.  I had a folder of all of our legal documents.  I must have forgotten we are getting married in Alabama where you can marry your brother if you want.... We got to the courthouse, aimed with camera and our important folder, I was expecting this to be a BIG DEAL.  We found where we were supposed to go, and walked in to the correct area. After aimlessly standing for a few minutes and waiting for one of the ladies at the computers to get the priviledge to give us our marriage license, a lady finally asked if she could help us...and she did not seem nearly excited enough to get to help us, but it didn't look like we would have another chance at help.  She asked for our drivers license, social security numbers, and parents' names.  She printed out a form and we signed to verify our information was correct. Then, she handed us an envelope with a document and said, "This is your marriage license, information is inside for your name change. Have a good day. Congratulations." (Notice I punctuate all of that with periods) THAT WAS IT?!?! We didn't need any of our important information in the folder that was so nicely organized? Nope. Apparently it's not as big of a deal to the Probate Judge's office as it is me.  However, we DO have our marriage license! I was going to upload a picture, but it does have our SS# printed boldly and I'm not taking that risk :) We are so excited, and thrilled that in LESS than 20 days we will be married!!! It seems unreal at how fast the past few months have flown by, but I am so thankful they have.
On another note...I have been thinking a lot lately about life and all the plans I had that didn't work out.  Of course, now I am so glad none of those plans worked out and I am so thankful I am not the one controlling my own destiny.   Lance and I talk a lot about life after Auburn, it excites me and scares me at the same time.  I am terrified of where we may end up living because I am not a fan of being out of my comfort zone, but that is what makes us stronger in the end.  I am excited, however, for all of the new experience we will have and the memories we will make together.  I have began to pray for God's will in this next phase in our lives. Yes, it may be a few years away, but I just want to know that our plan is God's plan in this situation.  I ask you do the same, also.  I won't worry, I won't spend time trying to figure out what WE want, instead I want to spend my time in prayer knowing that the best choice for us will easily be revealed. 

One more thing, today is a special birthday day in our lives. Happy Birthday to my almost mother in law, Mary. And our sweet little Maximus is 4 years old today! He has had a month long of celebrations. He got some of his favorite nylabones, and will probably get more. Today, he got a special "boys day" with his daddy and trip to the park and a treat when he got home. Now, he is curled up asleep under a warm blanket right beside me as I type this blog...what a hard life. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEET BABY MAXIMUS!!!! This is a picture of him in his birthday present from his Gran, a blue snuggie :)

Valentine's Weekend in Corner, AL

This past weekend, Lance and I hit the road again for our last trip to Corner before the wedding. We had a few things to complete and little things to get done, so we packed it all in Thursday-Sunday and headed north :) It was a great trip, we met with our travel agent who is putting our honeymoon together, and we are more excited than ever to be on the beaches of Jamaica! I think we are both thrilled we chose Jamaica over our first decision, which was a cruise.  We are going to need time to rest and relax after the whirlwind of our wedding is over.  Speaking of the WEDDING, only 24 more days to go!CRAZY!! It has snuck up so fast, it seems like yesterday we were 200 days away.  Lance and I were thinking about the upcoming weeks on our drive back from the country, and we have 2 weekends left in Auburn before I leave to go to Corner for the weekend before the wedding.  We have everything we need and in order, now we are just sitting back and waiting for March 12 to arrive :)

Lance surprised me with a sweet Valentine's gift Sunday morning. I forgot to take a picture, but he got me beautiful Auburn bride and groom champagne glasses to put on our Auburn table at the wedding, sweet ;)

Wednesday of this week, Lance and I are taking a trip to downtown Opelika, AL to get our marriage license! Can you believe that, MARRIAGE LICENSE?!?!?  We will definitely have a post with pictures following that day.  We have all our documents in order and ready to go. We wanted to do it today, but it is a holiday, so the court house offices were closed and tomorrow we are both stuck in class the majority of the day. So, we decided to make Wednesday the big day.

Now, we are sitting in Auburn waiting on snow, once again. We got to see a beautiful snow fall this past Friday in the country, it was so lovely. The prettiest snow I have seen in a long time. I must say all this snow makes me long for the beaches of Jamaica even more!!!!! 

Very Long Update

Yes, it has been a VERY long time since our last blog update. Why haven't we updated, you may wonder....well, we haven't had too much spare time to sit down and write an interesting blog. The wedding countdown is down to 32 days! We are so excited, and cannot wait for our BIG DAY! A lot has been going on since our last post. I'm very excited, and going to start incorporating pictures into our posts :)

I had my lingerie and bridal showers in Corner last weekend. I don't have the lingerie shower pictures yet, but will post some when I get a copy of the picture cd. They were both so lovely, and I realized how loved I am by my hometown :) Here are some pictures of the bridal tea at my church:

 This was the first time I have actually seen our colors together in a big setting. I thought it came out beautiful and am so excited to see how beautiful and perfect it all comes together in the wedding! 

 

We had 7 different cakes, each complete with a cinderella carriage name plate :) They were (L-> R) mandarin orange, coconut, chocolate, red velvet, peanut butter, cheesecake, and italian cream. All were amazing!

 My BEST friends since, at least, high school! Jenn, Heather, Me, Channing, Linnzie, and Erika. Jenn, Channing and Linnzie are 3 of the 4 bridesmaids and Heather and Erika are going to sit at the sign in book.  I love these girls to death!

I had a great time! Here is Linnzie and I trying to sort through all the gifts....it was a little overwhelming!

Everything was lovely, we had the greatest time.  The big stack on the right side is all of the Fiesta place settings I got, oh I was excited!   I couldn't ask for a better best friend to stay with me all weekend and help me with everything! And she got the cutest new dress for the shower :) If I haven't mentioned it already or if you haven't figured it out, Linnz is my maid of honor. We have been best friends since we were 2 years old and been inseperable since then.  We have planned our weddings together since we knew what a wedding was. We used to perform wedding ceremonies together in my parent's living room when we were little girls and make my brother, Luke, marry my size Barbie :) Neither of us can believe it's actually time for one us to have a REAL wedding! She's been the biggest help and greatest supporter.

I have also been busy with a new toy I LOVE!!! I wanted to get a hard floor cleaner with some of the money we recieved at the shower. I looked and fell in love with the Shark products! I didn't stop at just getting the floor mop, but I also purchased the hand help steamer. They are both amazing, and come highly recommended.  I have steamed everything in this house, excluding Lance and Maximus.  I have the best time with it, and the greatest thing is that is sanitizes also!! That was definitely my selling point.  If you're looking for a new past time, buy a Shark steamer, it will keep you busy :)

Lance has also been very busy!  He has set a date for his proposal, and had his plan of study approved by all the faculty on his committee! YAY!! If everything goes as planned, we will be departing from Auburn in May 2011.  It's been great here, but I think we are both ready for a change and to move our lives together.  He is working so hard and spending all day, everyday in the lab. I am not going to try and describe what he's doing because I am not anywhere near the intelligence level he is, and I am completely unfamiliar with materials engineering, therefore I would butcher his important research. The one thing I do understand is that he is getting readings now that he understands.... and that's really good! I am so proud of Lance and am so grateful he is such a dedicated and hard worker.

As for my education, I have decided to not get my Master's here at Auburn. There are not any assistantships available, so I would have to pay the full tuition price- which is A LOT! And, honestly, none of the nutrition department faculty seem to have any idea what is going on.  I have a feeling I would get stuck here another five years, and we definitely do NOT want that. After graduation, I am going to try to use my degree and get a job, I'm hoping maybe something like WIC, then when Lance starts applying for jobs,we are going to pick out places that also have close by internships so i can apply and hopefully complete my dietetic internship. Then, I will be eligible to take the RD exam and be a registered dietitian. A VERY lengthy process for a title that pretty much gets no respect and low paying jobs, but that just seems to be where my passion lies.  We're are just praying and knowing that the right opportunity will come along. 

We are both back to impact activities. Lance started running again a few days ago, and is slowly increasing his mileage. His feet seem to be holding up well. Today was my 6 week mark for my stress fracture to heal, so I tried a step/cardio class this morning and my stress fracture area felt fine.  I had a slight discomfort in my hip, but I am very excited that I can at least add a little bit of impact in my workouts.  I'm hoping a couple of times a week won't do any damage.  Good news!!!


So that's what our lives have been like. It's exciting knowing the wedding is so close. Our invitations were actually put in the mail today :)  In no time, we will be saying our "I dos".  HOORAY!!!! I promise I'll be better about updating... I've been slacking, this I know :)

My College Experience :)

So, I have been thinking. Here I am at the end (almost) of my undergrad days.  I never thought I would finally reach my last semester of college and be so close to graduation, but- THANK GOD- here I am.  Graduation is so close, I can smell it. I have been thinking, though, on all that I have learned in these last 4 1/2 years, and I would not trade this knowledge, not necessarily academic knowledge,  for anything. I have learned so many valuable lessons, lessons that encourage me to say these last 4 1/2 years are priceless. Yes, an education is ridiculously expensive, but every second has been worth it.  I think about my freshman year, in so many ways it seems like that was just yesterday, but also like it was 100 years ago.  I was just a baby, so young, scared, and naive. I had no idea what this new world of Auburn would have in store for me. I dreamed and imagined what it would be like, and I told my parents daily I couldn't wait to move out! About a week after living here all on my own, just me and my sweet roommate, I realized how well I had it made back in country Corner.  I was determined, however I would make it to the end and one day it would be worth it because I would be an Auburn graduate! I knew one day, that time would come, but it still seemed so abstract and distant.  Here I am, it has come and I am so thankful. Thankful for all the hard times and the easy, thankful for all the heart aches and the smiles, thankful for all the love and help, and thankful for all the discoveries I have made and conclusions I have come to. One thing is for sure, the same Lacey that first stepped foot on this campus 11 semesters ago, is nothing like the Lacey who will be holding her degree on this beautiful campus in a few, short months.
I can't hide all that I have learned, it has all helped make me the woman I am today.  I learned balance, in life, relationships, family, and leisure. I learned how to live and love without restraint. I learned that making a 'C' is alright, life goes on, and microbiology sucks! I learned true friends will always be there, no matter how many times you "think" you have let each other down. I learned to believe in fairytales and true love, my prince charming really did exist, and is more amazing than I had ever imagined. I learned that I could never be a nurse, and it's ok to change your plans, really our plans aren't that great anyway. I learned a faith that moves mountains and gives life to the dead. I learned how strong I am. I learned nothing is impossible. I  learned how amazing the miracles of an almighty God can be.  I found my passion. I had my passion taken away, and realized life still goes on.  I learned how much I am loved. I learned what an amazing family I have and how blessed I am to have them.  I learned who 'Lacey' really is. I learned how to change a flat tire. I learned how to deal with curves life throws you without my mommy or daddy here to hold me and tell me it's going to be ok. I learned I will never be too old to to sit in my mama's lap and cry.  I learned it's ok to cry. I learned how to clean, well I'm still working on that. I learned how to be selfless. I learned how to be dependable. I learned how to care for another, well sweet Maximus dog, and we're still alive and kicking. I learned how to come out of my shell. I learned how to meet new people. I learned how to accept diversity. I learned to accept and love people completely different from me. I learned that I am one lucky girl. And finally, I learned how much I love Auburn!
These past few years have been life changing and irreplaceable. It's been wonderful and life will go on afterwards, even better than it is now, with my soul mate by my side.  War Eagle!

Other Than Running...

So, what else in the world goes on with Lance and I besides Lance running a lot and me being mopey because I can't run a lot? Well, a lot, actually!
Classes start back today, and I have had a very bad attitude about it since the last final I took in December, but I have decided to change my cruminess towards school. With the start of each new semester, it just means Lance is closer to finishing and we can start a "real" life outside of the college student trailer park :) What will I be doing in this time? Who knows! I am starting my Master's degree with a Biochemistry class today, but I'm not sure where I'll go from there. Wherever Lance and I end up, the first thing on my agenda will be to complete my dietetic internship so I can become a Registered Dietitian.  A Master's degree would be great, but right now the department is being sketchy about assistantships and I am not paying anymore money to take stinkin' classes! :) I may just get a job after the wedding and keep it until we decide where the next chapter in our lives takes us.
Speaking of the wedding, it will be here 2 short months from tomorrow! I can't believe it is getting here so fast! This past weekend I finished addressing 300 invitations, and my sweet mother is in Corner putting together these invitations, they came with "some assembly required". There is 4 pieces, a big back piece, the center piece which is the actual invitation, and a transparent top layer which have to be in perfect alignment for the 4th piece, the ribbon, to be threaded through and tied.  Yes, she is an angel for helping out so much! Everything has been done, the cake, flowers, tuxes, etc. have all been ordered. My bridesmaids' dresses have come in.  All the extras for the reception decorations are piled up in my old bedroom in Corner, and we are just waiting for our big day to come!
The wedding stuff takes up most of the time, but it will all be worth it!
Well, off to class we go....now, if we could just get it to warm up a bit! Brrrrrr........

Lance Runs a Race

Lance and I finally made it back to Auburn this past Wednesday after being away with families for almost a month! It wasn't easy coming back to a house where running shoes, water bottles, Garmins, recovery socks, race numbers, and medals filled the house.  It gets easier everyday, I just have to keep reminding myself there is something else out there for me, that will be even greater than running.  One of the sweetest ladies I know, her name is Dawn, told me something that I had not thought of before.  She said that running "was" my life, but my calling was elsewhere.  It's words like these I treasure. It meant a lot to here that, because running was my life, and it has gotten me to where I am today. Now, it must be time to move on.  My dear running, I will miss you :)
So, I know you are wondering "What about Lance?" Does he just mope with me? Well, actually Lance was spontaneous this weekend and decided at the last moment to go run a marathon.  I was scheduled to teach at the gym that morning, so I didn't make the trip. I have warned him the first few races he runs and I have to be a "crowd member" may not be the happiest days, but I'll get used to it :)  His race report is below. Way to go, Lance!
Lance's Report:

After logging just 1 mile since shutting down the body down since December 22, 2009 with a bad case of plantar fasciitis, I decided to give it a go at a race.  It was the Red Nose half and full marathon races in Columbus GA.  Thursday before the race, I decided I would just go out and see how far I could run without any training.  The race was free so I had nothing to lose other than some useless pride about how long it might take to finish the race.  I had no expectations and was just happy to be out there capable of running, especially with Lacey’s recent bad news with the stress fracture and hip arthritis.  I figured I would start with the full marathon runners and just run until I felt like stopping. 

It was a brutally cold morning with temperatures in the teens and with a strong wind, that I am sure had the wind chill temperature in single digits!  I knew if I still had a nose after the race that it would surely be a red one just as the race name implies.  Just a few steps into the race, my feet felt like bricks of ice and tried to run in a pack of runners to help shield me from the cold wind.  The first few miles went by slowly and painfully but as the sun began to rise, I really started to enjoy the lovely surroundings the course offered.  It was a run that went along some river in Columbus GA and you even crossed over a bridge and ran part of the race in AL.  There were no spectators and very few other people out in this chilly weather but every 2.5 miles, there would be a small crew of people out with cups of water and Gatorade for the runners.  They were all very friendly and encouraging. 

So how far did I end up running you might ask… Well, I finished the half marathon race portion and felt like running more (crazy I know).  I had no idea and really did not think I would finish the entire 26.2 miles of the marathon course.  I knew there were numerous places along the route I could just stop and call it a day, so I just kept running until the tank was completely empty, fumes and all.  I ended up totaling 22.95 miles for the day.  A very nice training run done at a very slow pace but with all things considered, it was a very productive and rewarding day.  The next race on my calendar is the Auburn Classic Half Marathon this coming Saturday.  Again, another one with no expectations and I will be just going out having fun running and enjoying the fact that God has blessed me with the health to do something that is at times rather challenging. 

So this weekend helped kick start my 2010 running adventure, where my goals are to run a sub-18 minute 5k, a sub-40 minute 10k, qualify for Boston with a 3:10 marathon, and just finish my first 50 mile and 100 mile races.  All of this will pale in comparison though to March 12, 2010 when I finally get to call the amazing woman in my life, my wife (who by the way already ran the Boston Marathon and beat me in the only race we ever ran together)!