Joint Account?

As our wedding gets closer (73 days!), Rob and I decided to join all of our accounts together to alleviate some of the stress after we return from our honeymoon. We now have a joint American Express account, car insurance, renter's insurance, and most noteworthy, a joint checking and savings account. I was totally ecstatic in the beginning to merge our little nest eggs into one nice joint Regions account, but when it actually came down to following through, I admit I freaked out quite a bit. It's very unnerving to give someone complete access to ALL your money and have to share EVERYTHING. Especially since it took me so long to save up so much. But, Rob and I agreed early on that we would have a joint account, as well as a personal account for each of us. We've designated 90% of our take-home income to be direct deposited into our joint account, and 10% of each of our biweekly incomes to be allocated into our personal accounts. This way, all the bills (rent, gas, groceries, car insurance and payments, travel) are deducted from the main account, and when one of us wishes to purchase a CD or get a pedicure (I hope that applies to me, and not Rob) you use your own personal account. Gifts you purchase for one another around Christmas are also purchased with this personal account. We wanted to be able to say we bought each other items without the other person actually contributing to the payment of that gift. Or finding out a gift was even bought by looking at the monthly credit card statement. I don't know anyone else who uses this system after they are married, but I think this arrangement will work perfectly for Rob and me. To be completely honest, it's been very mind-blowing to put so much trust in someone not to take advantage of you. I know Rob and I will be married for life, but I guess now with all the combining of assets and debt (student loans) it's become real for me. He'll take care of me, and I'll take care of him from here to eternity :) 

While discussing which items constituted as a joint versus a personal expenditure, I kept thinking about how poor I was going to be from here on out. I get 10% of my income every two weeks?? It's gonna take me forever to save up for clothes or a hair appointment. I unleashed my frustrations onto Rob one night, to which he clarified that a hair appointment would be considered a joint expense. "I have to get my hair cut, so you can get your hair done too," he explains. REALLY?! It's joint?!? Why in the world would choosing to get my hair colored every couple of months constitute as joint? Plus, it's alot more expensive than a men's haircut. Well, apparently if its upkeep of health we're gonna declare it as joint. So, I've decided to twist and turn all my personal expenses into being considered "upkeep of health or lifestyle." HAHA! Pedicure? I have to get one, it's good for my feet! Clothes? Upkeep of my appearance so I can look beautiful for you! New books? I have to keep my mind alert and strong for you! HAHAHAHA! Maybe this joint account stuff isn't so bad....

Cuckoo for Corbie

It has occurred to me I should blog about my totally amazingly adorable nephew, Corbin. I have refrained from doing such not only to give my sister her privacy, but to also keep this cutie from making it viral :) So, I've decided Corbin is so beyond being the best looking baby on the planet that I must share his good looks to all who wish to see. First off, Corbin is now 5 months old. He can roll over...kinda...at random spouts by himself. Second, he apparently loves rice cereal over peaches. And you know why that is? Because Corbin is already too sweet, he doesn't need peaches (this is based on a true story btw). Second, he already has a slew of nicknames, including but not limited to: Corbie, the Corbmyster, and lastly and also my favorite, Megamind. As you will soon see, this kid has a giant head. He's already super smart and has good looks to top it off. He loves his elephant stuffed animal, and enjoys taking long walks on the beach (not a true story, cause he can't walk yet...DUH! But the elephant part is true). This kid will be the next president of the United States, so take notice now. So it's without further adieu I introduce to you...

Corbin Jay Clariday

Born February 16, 2012



Say it with me...AWWWW!



Sleeping Corbie is so cute!

Already into politics! So brilliant!



Bath time! Christine and I call this his "E.T." picture

Snow baby!

 

Going to work with daddy in his scrubs

Corbie and Grandpa Jay

Snuggle baby!



Mom and baby

Face of an angel. He's gonna be a heart breaker...



LOVE! He adores that stuffed elephant

As you can see, he's quite an adorable child and if you're anything like me you just can't get enough of these photos. Being an aunt has been so wonderful, and I only hope I can make more visits to Nashville in the coming future. Our next visit is in two weeks, and we'll be taking some professional photos of Corbie, so stayed tuned!



The Weekend Festivities & What's Next?

Well, I know this has been a long time coming, but I completed my first 5K race on July 3rd and ran the entire distance (YAY!). And for my first 5K, I'm very satisfied with my overall results (even better!). So, you might be wondering WHAT'S NEXT? 

Well, actually I hadn't given it much thought. I'm very proud of where I am:

- Academically (Bachelor's degree and continued education)

- Financially (paid off debt and saved a nest egg)

- Professionally (great job in a fascinating field)

- Personally (getting married to the perfect man for me)

- Mentally (well rounded reading material to continually challenge my brain. Btw, I'm currently reading The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. Read with me!)

- And finally Athletically (5K race DONE!)

I have debated about training for a 10K this fall when the weather is more cooperative (and not so freakin' hot!), but for now I'll be maintaining the distance with which I'm currently accustomed. Since my athletic goal has been met and it now has a huge RED check mark beside it, I find myself believing the sky is the limit. What can't I do when I put my mind to it? Absolutely anything and everything seems possible now. Reading back on my "New Rules for the New Year" list of resolutions (read here), I had vowed to "push myself to new heights". But, the problem is I don't know where I want to go from here. Stayed tuned to see what I come up with next :)

On a side note, I went to a wonderful bachelorette party in Nashville this past weekend, and boy did it crazy! With a capital C! I don't have any photos I can post for my PG-13 blog, so you'll just have to use your imagination. Bottom line, Vanessa (awesome girl!) is getting married in September, so we had to give her a night to remember...or forget...or I'm not sure which, but it had to be great. It was so wonderful catching up with friends I hadn't seen in awhile. Love those girls! It has me thinking about my own bachelorette party just around the corner....

Couch to 5K: FINALE

Well, I completed the Couch to 5K training program two weeks ago, and since then been trying to maintain my endurance and distance. On Tuesday, July 3rd at 9pm I will be participating in my first official 5K race (in it to win it, and run the entire distance) with Abbey and some other runners from my work. I'm super excited and nervous and so proud of myself with how far I've come. Just as a quick recap, when I first started in April I could barely run 0.3 miles without getting winded and tired. A third of a mile!! Click here to read all about it :) Now, I can run 3 miles. Three WHOLE miles. It's really been an insanely awesome journey to push myself to new limits and try completing a new type of goal. And, I lost 10lbs, gained my self confidence back, and actually really appreciate the more toned results of my body. I feel fabulous!! I wasn't smart to do before/after photos for your viewing pleasure, but the "after" me is much better. Trust me! The sky is the limit, and if I survive Tuesday's race I may go on for a 10K...maybe :) we will see...

"Get it girl, get it get it girl!" - Abbey

Couch to 5K: Week 8 and 9?

This is technically my eighth week doing the Couch to 5K program, and I say "technically" because I took a week off from running, er, hardcore that is because I have mono. Well, I'm back at it now trying to makeup the lost distance, and today Abbey and I ran 2 1/4 miles. AWESOME! I can't actually say it was easy because I got a horrible cramp on my right side, and it didn't give up. In the meantime, to make running as easy as I can I updated my running mix to include more dance music to keep my blood pumping, and I bought some new running shoes. Who would've guessed I needed some better shoes to keep up my pace and endurance?! I went by Runner's Market near Sequoia Hills, and after much deliberation bought a pair of Mizunos! As many of you runners might know, these shoes are not cheap, but it's because they're so freakin' awesome! Now, I'm getting the support I need in my arch, and I have to say it's much more comfortable running with these shoes.


On Saturday, some friends are joining Rob and me in Orlando, Florida for a week of fun in the sun. It's also supposed to be the ninth and final week of my Couch to 5K program, and I'm wondering if while I'm on vacay if I'm going to bother running at all. First off, Florida is humid as hell, even in the morning. Second, I'm on vacay...need I say more?! Third, I have a two week buffer zone between the end of my training and the actual 5K race that I will be running in, so do I really have to run next week? Feel free to join me and some coworkers at the Pilot Fireball Classic race on July 3rd at 9pm!! Click here for more info on this fun night race. Whether I run or not though, I'm determined to have a nice, relaxing week off laying poolside or at the beach, drink in hand, hitting up the piano bars (haha!), eating pounds of crab, and enjoying the company of Rob and two very wonderful friends, Lauren and TJ. Ah, life is pretty grand!!!

Our resort in Orlando

Howl at the Moon Dueling Piano bar in Orlando. YES!

Yum-O :-)

Ohhhh, yes....Must have!

Couch to 5K: "KISS OF DEATH"

So, I've been making alot of progress with the Couch to 5K program, except for the fact I'd been so tired since I began the program 5 weeks ago. I continued to feel so drained of energy that I decided on Tuesday to go the doctor to have some tests run. Low and behold, turns out I have MONONUCLEOUSIS. Yeah...like also known as the kissing disease, EBV, or mono for short that most people get in high school. EW! Well, that explains why I've never gotten the energy high from running and Zumba!! It also means the end of my running program, at least temporarily. You see, most people don't know when you have mono you aren't supposed to run because you can have an enlarged spleen (from the mono infection). If you have an enlarged spleen and you play contact sports or participate in strenuous activities (aka running) you can rupture your spleen!!! And bleed out and die!! How horrible! So, in the meantime, I dream of running and I'm stuck like a sitting duck. Of course this would only happen to me! I pick a 9 week running program for the first time in my life, and halfway through it, I get mono. This is a temporary blow to my athletic plans, but still a kiss of death in the running world. Oh well, guess I'll rest up...

Couch-to-5K: Week 4

I started my forth week of the Couch-to-5K program, and let me just be honest...yesterday I had my first session of the week and I nearly died. No exaggeration. I was red-faced, sweating profusely, falling on the ground hyperventilating, and people literally gave me a width berth in which to die a slow and painful death. No exaggeration. Today, I had my trusty and dependent jogging partner, Abbey, with whom I don't like to look weak, so surprisingly the session was MUCH easier today. LOL! No one wants to be the quitter, so you keep pushing on and on, and eventually you've completed the jog. Viola! I can't believe we're halfway through the 5K training program, and to be completely honest I know it's gonna be much harder in the weeks ahead...


Such a great accomplishment thus far though, I can run a 1/2 mile straight no problem (for several intervals too)!! Two months ago, I would get super winded after jogging just a 1/4 mile, so I'm definitely progressing!! I love how great I feel after each run too. I'll admit at the beginning of each week I actually get really nervous, my heart speeds up, and I get knots in my stomach just thinking about the next weeks session. I don't want to quit or fail, but I've never made an athletic goal before and sometimes I have doubts as to whether my body can push hard enough to finish. A very wise woman told me today, "I love running because the only thing that can hold you back is yourself." Well, she's so very right! I can do anything I put my mind to, and I decided long ago to do this 5K race. So, cheer me on as I leave my doubts in the dust!!! No pain, no gain!!!

When I run, my tongue hangs out of my mouth like this too ;)