Marathon Weekend!!!

Me with my Medal!!! I did it!!!

Me, Christina and Chesare...Half Marathon Finishers!!!

Me and Chesare!!!

A group shot at the Aquarium!

Christina, Bobby, and me partying it up in the Highlands!

Chris, Chesare, and Ben...you work it Chesare!

Girly shot!!!

Wow!!! What a weekend!!!!

It definitely was one I will remember forever!!!

Friday night my great friends Chesare, Christina and Bobby came to Atlanta for the ING Half Marathon!!!

Christina flew down from DC and Chesare and Bobby drove in from Raleigh!

They both arrived right at the same time (around 7pm) and met us at the hotel I had booked Downtown for our "Big Night Out in ATL"!

We headed to the Steamhouse Lounge to meet a bunch of our friends for happy hour! We had a great time! Chesare, Bobby and Christina got to meet Pat, Steph, Melissa, Chris and Aaron!

From there, we headed to Taco Mac in the Highlands to watch UNC crush Gonzaga!

After the game we bar hopped all over the Highlands until the wee hours of the morning!

It was a great night!

Saturday we got up and dressed and headed to Murphy's in the Highlands for Brunch with my friend Anastasia! It was great catching up with her.

After brunch we headed to the Georgia Dome to pick up our race packets! This is when I really started getting excited about the race! You could feel the excitement in the air...it was contagious!

From the Georgia Dome we ventured to the Georgia Aquarium for some "tourist time". Neither Christina, Chesare or Bobby had been to the Aquarium before and they loved it!

By the time we got back to our house in Roswell it was already 7pm and we were exhausted.

So, we ordered in and watched some TV! I even introduced Bobby to the Snuggie!

We hit the sack early Saturday night and were up at 5am on Sunday for the race.

It was VERY cold that morning so we tried to bundle up as much as possible.

By 6:30am we were downtown, warmed up, and headed for the START line.

We began the race a little after 7am! I felt great the whole time! The only time I hit a wall was around mile 10. Definitely Miles 10-12 were tough! But by the time you got to mile marker 12 and you realized you only had 1 mile left...you got a huge rush of adrenaline! There were tons of people cheering you on the finish line! And it was good to see Ben and Bobby waving at us and cheering us on to the end!

Chesare and I finished the race in 2 hours and 38 minutes. Christina finished in 2 hours and 9 minutes! And we ran the whole way!! No stopping for us!

I was so proud of myself!!! It was definitely a feeling of accomplishment that washes over you!

Would I do another half marathon???...absolutely!

After the race, we came home and crashed!!!

Chesare and Bobby hit the road back to Raleigh a little after noon and we dropped Christina off at the airport at 3:30pm.

Last night Ben and I ordered Chinese and were asleep by 10:30...it was an exhausting but exhilarating weekend!!!

Thanks to Christina, Chesare and Bobby for paying me a visit!

You guys are the best and such wonderful friends!!!

A BIG thanks to Chesare and Christina for running the race with me!

I knew we could do it!!!

A HUGE thanks to my wonderful husband for helping me play hostess for the weekend and for supporting me during my training!

You are the best Ben and I love you!!!

And another thanks to Melissa, Amanda and Chris for coming out to cheer for me on Sunday!

I really needed you guys!

Thanks for being such great friends!!!

A Taste of Atlanta!!!

Last week I tried two restaurants in Atlanta! They were both SUPER YUMMY and I highly recommend them!!!

Wednesday night I went with Steph M and Amanda to Urban Flats.

They have an event called "Wine Down Wednesdays" where you pay $20 for all you can drink wine! It was a great deal and we definitely took advantage of it! We shared their spicy rolls, tomato and goat cheese dip, and a sausage flat bread!

As the evening wore on, they even played live music! I can't wait to take Ben!

Thursday, I went with my friend Steph S. to Red Salt in Downtown Roswell. The place was packed so we knew were in for a treat!

I absolutely loved the atmosphere, and the Chilean Sea Bass with Mashed Potatoes was out of this world!!!

Since Red Salt is only a couple of miles from my house, I have a feeling I will be going there ALOT!!!

Good times were had all around!!!

Ready to Run!!!

After traveling for work so much over the past few weeks, it was really nice to be able to stay at home for the week/weekend!

On top of being busy with work, I started working on my "spring cleaning" by getting estimates from painters. Ben and I are planning on getting our deck repainted and doing a little touch up to the exterior. We are also working on doing some more landscaping... so I'll be meeting with Cliff the landscaper today to figure out what we want done to the yard.
I love home improvement projects and will happily show off pictures as soon as our "yard makeover" is complete!
We spent much of this week recovering from our crazy Savannah weekend and filling out our brackets, but Thursday night we went out with Steph and Pat for some delicious Pho!

Friday I had Steph and Amanda over for wine and cookies after work! It was such a beautiful day that I definitely wanted to spend as much of it outside as possible!
Ben came home and after everyone left, we decided to stay in and order Chinese!

Saturday morning I was up bright and early! I hit Riverside Park around lunch time and ran 10.5 miles!!! I was so proud of myself!!! I don't know how I will do in the half marathon next weekend but at least I feel prepared! 13.1 miles, here I come!!!!!
After the run, I came home and got the house ready for our first bbq of the year.
The Tarheels were playing LSU so we had about 10 of our friends over to watch the game and grill out hamburgers. It was a beautiful day, and everyone had a great time!
The shenanigans continued until the wee hours of the morning!!!

Sunday, Ben and I spent a lot of time vegging in front of the TV and cleaning up from the previous night's gathering. But I picked up Steph at 3pm and we headed over to Melissa's for a Jewelry party! Melissa and Amanda had been planning this jewelry making party for quite some time and it was a huge hit. I made a pair of earrings and a necklace and they turned out great! After the party Steph showed me the "Secret Whole Foods" near our house in Roswell that I didn't even know existed!!! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was. I missed having a Whole Foods near me like I did back in DC! I dove head first into the salad bar!! Oh how I missed it!!!!! I had a $17 salad, and it was worth every bite!!!

Hope everyone else had a great weekend!!!

Welcome to the World Carson and Henry!!!

A Big Big Congratulations to our great friends Matt and Suzie.

Suzie gave birth to twin boys yesterday!!!

Henry Marshall Rheault
Carson Edward Rheault
Born at 4:23 PM and 4:27 PM on March 16, 2009

Henry is 5 pounds, 5 ounces and 17 inches long
Carson is 4 pounds, 17 ounces and 17 inches long
Suzie and the boys are doing well.

Congratulations Matt and Suzie!!!

Can't wait to meet the little guys!!!!

Happy St Patricks Day!!!

Top 10 reasons that I love Savannah for St Patrick's Day!

1. Two Words...SHIP SHOTS!!!

2. The bigger and uglier your hat...the cooler you are!

3. You can pretty much do anything you want to in Savannah as long as "You know Fred"

4. Although good breakfast food is EXTREMELY hard to come by, Bloody Mary's are not!!!

5. It is possible to stay at the same bar for 6 hours but still have absolutely no idea where you are...don't believe me? Just ask Ben!

6. They have bouncers outside the Port o Potties

7. The first text message you get on Sunday morning starts out saying "Sorry I lost your shoes...I will buy you a new pair"

8. "To-go" cups...otherwise known as No Open Container Law!

9. The Cops love hanging at the bar as much as the patrons!

10. Rather than tossing beads out of windows, some people prefer to toss pants! Thank god for Hyatt Security Guards who are willing to take bribes!

We had an absolute BLAST this weekend!!! So many funny stories and adventures!!!

Cheers to Chris, Melissa, Steph, Pat and Aaron...and Happy St. Patty's day to EVERYONE!

Now & Then....Chapel Hill!

Then: Memories with our Chapel Hill friends!

Now: Me and My old boss Suzanne at Top of the Hill!

This past week I was in Chapel Hill Mon - Thurs for a meeting for work.

It ended up being such a great time. I always love hanging with all my coworkers!!!

The conference was at the Carolina Inn which was gorgeous...and in close proximity to Franklin St!!! HOLLA!

Monday night was a reception and then a trip to Spanky's, Tuesday was an awards banquet and dance, and Wednesday we went to Top of the Hill for dinner and drinks.

Thursday I flew home and got ready for our St Pats trip to Savannah.

I loved being back in Tarheel Country and being there for a week brought back great memories of the year that I lived in Chapel Hill with Ben.

UNC and Chapel Hill will always hold a place in my heart. During Ben's time in grad school we got engaged, met some of the greatest people on earth, became Die HARD Carolina Basketball fans, and I got the opportunity to hang with my BFF Johanna a lot more than normal since she lived in Raleigh! It really was a wonderful time in my life that I wouldn't change for the world!

GO HEELS!!!

Adventure Catch Up!!!

Ben and I serving as hosts!!!

Girly shot from the Party!

The Happy Couple gets ready to cut the cake!

Mmmmmm...delicious cake!!!

Ben, Tom and Pat

Wow!!! Just when I gave myself a pat on the back for keeping my blog updated regularly...I fall behind!

Last week was quite busy and this week was even busier so I guess I have to cut myself some slack!!!

Last week I flew to Indianapolis and Raleigh for HR Training. It was good to have a PHR refresher course and I learned a lot!

Indianapolis was pretty uneventful but I did get to hang out with my BFF Johanna when I was in Raleigh. I introduced her to Pho and she loved it!!! Score One for Me!!!

I got home Thursday night just in time to meet Ben at Seasons 52 for dinner and attend a VA Tech Alumni Happy Hour. It was a lot of fun!!!

Friday, I dog sat for Toula again and met Steph M. for lunch in Roswell. She brought her sweet baby dog Bella so it was fun to eat outside with both of the dogs. After lunch we took a quick walk in Roswell Park! Amanda came over after work to pick up Toula and help me make favors for Steph and Pat's engagement party!

Saturday was a very busy morning. I was up early running errands for the party. Ben and I were serving as hosts of the party with 3 other people and there was a lot to be done.

After I made some food for the party and finished up the favors, I went running in the park. I made it 6.2 miles and then headed over to Amanda's where I met up with Ben who was already there, helping Amanda move. I managed to get a double work out!!! Running 6 miles and lifting couches sure burned a lot of calories!!!

As soon as the move was over we came home and got ready for the party. Ben and I arrived at 5pm to help set up.

The party turned out to be a huge hit! We had a blast and I know Steph and Pat did too!!!

They especially loved the Newlywed game that we made them do, and the smore favors were a big hit as well!!!

Sunday I went to lunch with Amanda and Melissa. After lunch we got manicures and pedicures, and then Melissa and I did a bit of shopping for our upcoming Savannah and Vegas trips!!!

After shopping I came home and hung out with Ben and caught up on some DVR!

It was a very fun and busy week/weekend!!!!

Fat Tuesday, Freezing Fargo, and Ice Hockey!!!

Hockey time!!!

Yes, Fargo really does look like this!

Me and my Pops!

Parish...New Orleans Cuisine!

A lot has been going on in the Sullivan house over the last week!

Last Tuesday night my dad came into town for a work conference and spent the night with us.

To celebrate Fat Tuesday we went to Parish in Midtown Atlanta.

Apparently their gumbo is fantastic! Both Ben and my dad gave it two thumbs up.

The rest of the food I gave an okay rating and the atmosphere was a bit odd. I don't think I'll be visiting that restaurant again unless it's to pick up a "gumbo to go!"

On the plus side?? We got lots of Mardi Gras beads! And keep your dirty thoughts to yourselves people...the beads were "given away" NOT "earned."

Wednesday I was on a flight to Fargo, ND for work and was there until Friday. What normally would have been a boring work trip ended up being a lot of fun because I got to spend some time with Ben's family.

Ben's Uncle David picked me up from the airport and we went to visit Ben's Grandma before meeting the rest of the family at Texas Roadhouse for dinner. After dinner, we headed to the local bar Chumley's for some drinks.

The next evening after work, I met up with the family at Ben's Aunt Sonya's house for a good old fashioned Fish Fry. I ate fried Walleye (a fresh water fish) and it was DELICIOUS!!!

Good times were had all around.

Friday my flight was delayed due to weather and I didn't make it home until midnight. I passed out as soon as I walked in the house! I was literally exhausted!

Saturday morning Ben and I were supposed to wake up bright and early to help Amanda move to her new apartment, but I accidentally slept through my alarm clock and we didn't arrive until 11:30am. Just in time to miss the heavy lifting...ha ha!

The gang all decided to go to Taco Mac for lunch and then we headed back to Amanda's to assemble some furniture and sip Mimosas!

Ben and I caught the Marta around 5pm and headed downtown to meet up with Yosh and Silvia for the Thrashers Hockey game. Although I'm not a hockey fan, I had a great time! It was awesome catching up with Yosh and Silvia and we got a chance to meet some of their friends!

It was a great Saturday!

Sunday, after our little snow storm, Ben went back downtown for an Atlanta Hawks game with Pat and I ordered Chinese and watched Sense and Sensibility with Steph!

A very fun week/weekend!