first half = new hobby!

on sunday i ran my first half marathon here in dallas, the rock n' roll half marathon. i ran with my brother, josh, which made it extra fun. :) i started training in january after running the white rock marathon relay with my brothers and dad, and feeling very inspired. over the course of the last few months, i can honestly say i've gone from someone that ran some for exercise to someone that really loves running.

for years asthma and sports injuries kept me from really being able to run much more than three to five miles, but thanks to advair (asthma medicine) and ibuprofen, i think i may be able to keep up my new hobby.

our race was great. pre-race i kept saying i just wanted to finish, but internally i REALLY wanted to make it in 2 hours. with one bathroom break and a dead sprint at the last turn, we finished in 2:00:08! so exciting!! thanks again to my family members and friends that were able to make it out. it meant SO much to us that you were there!

now, to find another good half somewhere...any suggestions??

a week in review

dirt and chocolate after a full day, this is typical pre-bath link, 7pm

i'm so happy it's spring. i have been and will continue to spend the majority of it chasing my rowdy, loud, funny, sweet son all over this universe! we spend all of our time outside, and i am not exaggerating. from the moment he wakes until he naps or sleeps for the night, he is ready to go outside and play, non-stop. i wouldn't have it any other way. link is a lot like his parents, in that he wants to go, go, go all the time. we love that he shares our zest for life, so we are just hanging on for the ride! in the last week(-ish) he has enjoyed his first stars game, another trip to austin, a couple of cookouts with friends at our place, and his second st patty's day on greenville. busy boy. here are a few pics from our last week...

first stars game, in the suite for family night with the fine family! thanks, dan, steph, and jules!

st patty's day on greenville, cook out at our place with friends.

corn dog at shady grove on sunday night in austin. good times.

life is good. we are all sleeping a lot later, thanks to daylight savings, and because of that, we are now officially down to one nap, typically from 1-4pm, give or take. we are two days from link officially being a year and a half old (on the 25th), so it's a good time to mark some memories for the baby book:

- you love being outside more than anything

- you climb. and climb. and then you climb some more. we have put a tent on your bed, and on a trip this week to austin, you climbed out of your pack and play. our days of cribs are short lived, i fear. but it is so cute that you are so active. it reminds us of us. :)

- you love people and love social interaction.

- we can't pass our church without you crying to go in, you ADORE your wilshire family. :)

- you love to stroll the neighborhood in your bob stroller, or any of your various cars. you just love all forms of transportation, especially trucks and AIRPLANES!!

- you are communicating on such a different level now, and it amazes us.

- you love your music class, and loving all that structure has surprised us, but then again...

- you are loving books. that makes me so happy. as active and crazy as you are, you still love to cuddle with mama and read a good book after your nap. :)

- you know how much you are loved. i can see it in your eyes, the way you look at us as your parents, the excitement as you see your hunny and papa, the way you pet your dogs, play with your friends (or pretty much anyone); you expect love, and i love that about you. it's precious.

i'm so proud and happy of my sweet son. sometimes i cannot believe it as i watch you grow and play, that God has blessed me with the son i always dreamed of as a little girl. your dad and i consider ourselves so blessed to have you in our lives. happy (almost) 18 months!

the jetsons

do you ever imagine what it would be like to be yourself at age ten, looking over your shoulder into your life today? maybe i'm the only one, but i think i would be AMAZED. and no, not at the fact that i was married, living in a great house with two dogs and a beautiful son. nope, because those are things i was definitely dreaming of doing someday when i was ten years old. (although admittedly, it would be pretty trippy! but that's a lot deeper than i was thinking...) :)

at the risk of sounding old, here's where i am going with this thought...

what would amaze me are little things, things we take for granted now. like cell phones. the cell phones i remember were in a few of my friends parents' cars, mounted in the front console and were roughly the size of a microwave oven (something our parents would have never have envisioned as kids, btw - a microwave or a phone in their cars!). but now, we have these tiny, thin, phones. and for a lot of us, the phone portion of the phone isn't even the part we use most! haha. jay and i were talking about the fact that our first few years of dating were also about the time we both first started texting. and not many of our friends were texting yet because their phones WEREN'T CAPABLE. i mean, now we text videos, pics, and everyone is participating (even the grandparents!), just a few years later. what will what will happen in the next ten?!?

and this morning, i was driving to the gym. link was in the backseat, and a really fun song came on the radio. link's eyes lit up, he started clapping and head bobbing, so i did what any mom would do, i pulled out my phone (at a stoplight, of course :)), pulled up my shazam app, found the song, and downloaded it from itunes. SERIOUSLY. think about your ten-year-old-self seeing that! BAM! age-ten-katy used to sit for hours with a blank tape loaded, listening to Y95 (radio station) waiting for THE song to come on so i could tape it. and really, REALLY, that was just twenty years ago?

there are clearly SO many more examples, but the above is what had me laughing. in the span of about 20 seconds, an unknown song came on the radio, was discovered by my phone, purchased and downloaded, all at a stoplight.

what will they come up with next??

fun with a REAL camera

jay's company, the wolf group, does lots of fancy schmancy media stuff. soooo, they also have lots of cool cameras. and this weekend, we got to play with one! i LOVE photography. it was probably my favorite class in college, but unfortunately the technology has quickly surpassed the nice camera i got as a graduation gift. but, the love hasn't died, and what a fun subject i had for my first time with a REAL camera. i can't believe a lens can cost 10 grand, by the way. wow. anyway, we CAREFULLY took turns snapping some photos today and had so much fun! here are some non-iphone pics for ya for once!! :)

doesn't he look like he just found out he won a new car on a game show?! haha.

sweet boy.

our little explorer

one of his favorites, opening and closing the front door

mother and son. :)

my funny valentine

this was a fun valentine's 24-hours. last night the hubs took me out for sushi - kenichi sushi, which is sushi on a whole 'nother level!! this is good, good grub, peeps. it's always nice to get a date night, not to mention time with my valentine, whatever the occasion, right??!?

today was link's day at school, so he had a big valentine party with his little friends and teachers. normally when i come to pick him up there is a moment of nervous cry and laughter while running for the door, desperate to be reunited with his mommy. WELL, for the first time EVER he didn't come running to the door when he saw me appear. instead, he waved and shoved another cookie in his mouth, all the while running to the teacher to beg for more. i was laughing right out loud. can you blame him? the boy has his priorities!

this afternoon we went to a neighbor's house for a cookie party and time in the bounce house. he had so much fun, got so dirty, and declared his love for all things bounce house. he was hurling himself in and out of that thing, with sticky face and fingers covered in dirt and grass and an adoring mom watching on from afar.

spring weather is upon us and we have been outside NON-STOP for the last few days. it's made me realize how much my boy has grown up since fall (when we were also outside non-stop with the great temps!). and considering in texas "winter weather" is typically only a couple of months, that was a lot of maturing pretty quick. but he is so much more independent and capable. so fun to see him growing into a confident, self-assured little boy.

what a day! i think valentine's day is a hit with this kid. and so are cookies. :)

what a fun few days we have had around here! friday morning link and i went to a-town to see hunny and papa. then that evening we met up with jay and went to fort worth. link got to play with his little cousin, jack...so cute. they are exactly nine months apart and both so interested in each other. :) then jack's nanny put the kids to bed and all us old folks went out to lonesome dove for dinner. if you haven't been, go. and try the white truffle mac and cheese. t0-die-for.

link is borrowing jack's teething ring. those dang molars are torture! :)

saturday night jay took one for the team and let me go out with a group of my college girlfriends. we got a back table at taverna and stayed for hours. we had so much fun. we all get together a lot, but we are usually surrounded by toddlers and babies. while that is fun, it's soooo nice to get together with just us girls now and again. i can't say how lucky i feel to have bonded with such a great group in college and even more, to have all remained so close. shout out to the baylor girls...love you all (and love to the girls we were missing that night, too)!!

oh, and my dad would want me to share that link has "papa" in his regular vocabulary now. when they are not around, he loves to point, giggle, and smile at pictures of his hunny and papa, all the while walking around saying, "bopa" (papa) over and over again.

but for now, link would like to dazzle you with his awesome dance move. yes, i said move because there is only one...that he does everywhere. and i mean, everywhere, he is given the opportunity. and then he always looks up as if to say, "did you see that? i just did that. i'm awesome." giggle. wait for it, wait for it...

hope everyone is having a great week!!!

happy 2011!

a few years out of college i remember complaining that every year was starting to seem the same. go to work, hang out with friends, take a weekend trip here and there, see movies, take the dogs to the dog park, work out, sleep in...wait, what was i complaining about, again? :) but it seems that from the moment jay and i got engaged, each year has been a new adventure and a new roller coaster, which i love. i guess that's what happens when you go from a lifetime of taking care of just you and start a life with another person (and then start creating other little people!). gosh, it's been fun.

it always seems like each year flies by, and then i look at pictures and realize how much has really happened in such a seemingly short time. it's unbelievable to see a year on a toddler (teenagers seem to be the same way - every time i see my older nieces and nephews they look five years older!). i thought these "stages" i always heard about would be six months long. heck, some of them are six days long! too funny. anyway, it is hilarious to me to look back at link last january...

just chillin on the couch

taking care of some tummy time

and hanging out with mama

and now...my big boy that can't stop growing...he's grown almost three inches since his birthday in september! when did this happen?!

now he can dunk ;)

run...

and climb up on anything he wants!

read (vanity fair! ha!)...

and jump on the bed with his doggies!

2011 has a lot on the calendar for the pritchards...check in for updates when you get a chance, and keep us posted on you! can't wait to see what this wonderful year full of promise will bring. happy new year to you and yours!

christmas.

15 months old on xmas morning - and loving his toys!

christmas eve was spent with just the three of us. link, jay and me. we went to our awesome church, wilshire, for the christmas eve service. watching link's face light up during "silent night" with candlelight all around us was definitely a moment. one of those that pulled me in and brought tears to my eyes. link knew this night was special and it definitely was for us, too.

after the service we went to the grape. what a wonderful place and so close to home. love it. we came home, put the boy to bed, and started our work as elves. jay had a couple of clark griswold moments putting together the toys. but heck, jay has clark griswold moments everyday, which is part of why we love him. but seriously, what a great night. a great time of worship, a great meal, and spending time with my husband preparing for our child's christmas. beautiful.

so christmas morning came, and just as we expected, link was THRILLED to see his new toys. we had so much fun here and then headed to my parents for time with some more family, games, more presents, and some seriously good home-cooked food.

still loves the car and his stocking

with big o on xmas eve

i love christmas. it is such a wonderful time for reflection of our faith, time with family, and lots of fun!!!

what a weekend...

we had the link family christmas, went to the big 12 championship, and ran the rock! WHEW! let me say before i even start, that is too much in one weekend, even if it was reeeeeaaaally fun. :)

so friday we just played around at my parents house, had christmas dinner and opened presents. link had such a blast. he LOVES his big link cousins (all seven of them). and they all get the biggest kick out of him. after all, it's been several years since we've had a baby around, so it's pretty fun for all involved.

HOOP IT UP!

SLAMMA JAMMA with josh

papa taking caroline and link in the wagon :)

saturday we shopped here in big D, had dinner at the new babe's chicken house in arlington, and headed to the big 12 championship! it was so much fun and an incredible game. OU and nebraska are old rivals and to have nebraska's final game as a big 12 participant played against OU was fun for all involved. we got hooked up with great seats from our friend, craig (thank you!) and took most of the fam. BOOMER SOONER!

big 12 trophy presentation

sooners take the field!

OKLAHOMA, BIG 12 CHAMPS, AGAIN!!!

after a VERY short nights rest at my parents house, we were up bright and early to head back to dallas and run the white rock marathon relay. i really wish i had more pics of the day. it was my nephew, kyle, dad, brothers, (josh and jarrod) and me, running in that order. everyone runs between 5 - 6.5 miles to complete the race. it's like a scavenger hunt getting everyone in place and jay did a great job helping us out and getting the rest of the fam to different locations to cheer us all on. white rock is such a great event and this is definitely something we will all do again. the family that didn't run all seemed to want to participate next year because it is just so fun! we had a goal to run it under 4 hours and beat our own goal, which was exciting!! i got to finish the race, which was so much fun. there were thousands of people cheering us on at the finish line. what a pumped up feeling that was! great event, great cause. and can you believe we didn't take ONE picture? we may have to pay to order a few since we were too pooped to remember!

we wrapped it all up with a trip to our favorite spot, mi cocina, after the race. it was a GREAT way to start off the holiday season and totally got me into gear. december, i LOVE you! not only do we get to share the advent season spiritually, but it is such a wonderful time of year to enjoy our family and friends. good times this weekend and good times ahead. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

giving thanks.

(linkers with some of his best pals at lunch recently)

gosh. we have some great friends. and some really great family. we are blessed. it's fun to see link becoming buds with my friends kids. not to forget that he is totally adored by his older cousins, and trust me, the feeling is obviously mutual. they have so much fun when they all get together. :) it's a-mazing. i am thankful.

i have told friends lately that i feel like i am always sweating. and that is not just because i love to work out. that's because i have the most. active. toddler. that has EVER lived! (i swear, some days it feels like it. :)) but you know what? i could not be more thankful for that fact. link is a healthy, happy, energetic little boy and i thank God everyday for this incredible gift. i thank God i get to watch my parents be his hunny and papa. that i get to see his face light up with joy when they walk in the room and i feel a lump in my throat because it touches me so. being a mother is a wonderful gift, like none other i have experienced thus far.

i thank God for my husband, my little boy, all of my family, friends, church, home, all of it. i believe life is all about perspective, and even when it gets tough sometimes, from where i'm sitting, life is pretty, pretty (insert larry david voice) good!

"Attitude" by Chuck Swindol The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important then appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our ATTITUDES.

i remember...

a time not so long ago...

when i said i will never:

- stay home on a weekend night (haha...and i thought i would hate it. that's even funnier.)

- not be a totally focused career-woman (hiiiii, link!)

- put my kid on a schedule, b/c isn't that so annoying?! haha. (can i also say how thankful i am for "healthy sleep habits, happy child"??? maybe the best book ever!? dr, weissbluth, we love you.)

- work-out in the mornings...(coming from the woman who now runs at dawn and gets to the gym the moment the childcare opens. at 8am. :))

- continue in my baptist-raised tradition with my own family (if you know me well, you can ask...it's been a long journey over the last year...fair to say, i'm baptist. an apathetically democrat voting, not-your-typical-baptist, but none-the-less, baptist, mama)!

and so much more. life has changed a lot, and really most all of it has been good. :)

but so much has changed so quickly. and not that i was ever the type to tell other parents, friends, family, how to live their life or raise their kids, but inside i had my own thoughts and opinions on the above and so much more. it's amazing, the more i give of myself, the more i discover about myself...and the more i let go and give, the more i learn. i know that i have by no means figured it all out, but it is nice to see myself discovering new things. i just gained another year and can't wait to see all that is in store for me to learn. on my own, with my family, and with my friends. i love and am thankful for you all. :)

a disco dancin' halloween

disco man.

when the nightfall hit, we were all dancin' fools.

dinner and passing out candy

yoga to prepare for his big dance moves

good times :)