There are many progress shots to come but I wanted to make sure and post a picture of what my latest project looked like the day I got it. Updates coming soon!

In 27 days I am going to run 13.1 miles. I will finish the marathon my Aunt Nancy is starting that morning. Together with the support of our amazing ACS staffer Alex, we will run to raise money to find a cure for cancer. I am extremely proud to be part of Team Dancin’ Machine and part of the DetermiNation program. I can think of no better way to spend an afternoon than celebrating survivors and remembering loved ones that we’ve lost to this devastating disease. Any size donation will help us run faster and further. Click here to donate and help us reach our fundraising goals.

The first photo above is a picture I sent to Ryan while he was out of town for work. I was so happy that the daffodils had finally started to bloom. The sudden burst of spring weather led us to get our gardening tools out and get to work. We got a new Jack Daniels whiskey barrel to use as a planter and got some new flowers to add some more color. It sure is a more inviting area to come home to now!

This weekend I got to see Rachael and her team play (and win!) their last game of the season. Congratulations to the 2012 Metro West Tournament Champions. But next time girls, lets seal the ‘W’ a little sooner. I almost had a heart attack – the suspense was just too much for me!

Ryan and I just so happened to be in Vermont for the annual chili festival this year. If you’ve never been, I highly suggest it. For $3 you get a spoon and get to hit as many tents as you can to taste more varieties of chili than you could even possibly begin to imagine. We tried seafood chili, venison chili, pineapple chili, veggie chili and so many more. I had a hard time picking a favorite and was absolutely stuffed by the time we left.

Everything in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was breathtaking. The rides were amazing, the castle was unbelievable and even all of the Hogsmeade shops looked exactly as you would picture them. HoneyDukes (the candy shop) was by far my favorite. The colors were so bright and fun and the variety of candy was wild. If you haven’t been to Universal Studios in a while it may be time to make a trip.

I seem to have an eye for spotting lizards. When we were in one of the gardens at the Ringling Museum they seemed to be everywhere! It was a little tricky trying to get close enough to take a good picture but I got pretty good at being stealth.

One of the best parts of the Ringling Museum was being able to explore the entire grounds it sits on. The area includes so many thing to see that it is hard to choose where to go next. I loved all of the trees that we saw. The looked like they were growing from the top to the ground. They were unlike any trees I’ve ever seen.