Travel Weather Craziness

Hey guys! Sorry I have been MIA but I had a blast in Disney and was supposed to go home yesterday, but due to some severe weather, I wasn’t able to make it home. 

Yesterday was quite the draining travel day and I will be happy to be home today. It started on Monday when I checked in for my Tuesday flight and I realized there was going to be severe weather when I was supposed to be flying into New Orleans. I then became nervous the rest of the evening and even tried to get an earlier flight but they wanted $170 extra dollars. 

Tuesday morning I took the shuttle to the airport and kept an eye on the weather the whole time. The plane was on time and we were to be landing right as the bad weather approached…and approach it did. 

It got bumpy as we went to land, and when we were less than 1,000 feet altitude, all of the sudden we heard people’s tornado alarms go off on their phones and the plane quickly pulled up into the air. I was freaking out a bit, and after 30 minutes of circling we finally landed only to find out the reason we pulled up is because there was a TORNADO a couple blocks from the airport when we were trying to land. 

Ok, so I escaped death once, got my bags and headed to my car. I proceeded to drive across the huge lake (24 Mile bridge) and heard reports of huge water spouts on the radio. When I made it to my parents, I saw on the news a video of the water spouts. So scary they were there right before I came through! 

  
I escaped danger yet again, and decided to spend the night at my parents house because the bad weather was straight up and down the interstate I would have to drive to get home.

About an hour after getting home, my phone beeps and we are under another tornado warning and there was a tornado on the ground headed straight for my parents area of town. We had pillows, blankets and other items ready to hide out in the hall bathroom. It was not fun. 

  
Thankfully the threat passed and there was just a ton of rain filling the ditches and my parents backyard. 

  
I was pretty exhausted after this crazy day  but am also happy to get home to my family! I can’t wait to share all the details of my fun trip over the next week so stay tuned! 

QOTD: anyone have a crazy weather story? 

 

I DID It!

Hi everyone!  just a quick iPhone post to say I AM A MARATHONER! We had a blast on Sunday and I can’t wait to share pictures! We did it. All 26.2 miles, and I have the Mickey medal to proove it! Lots of fun stories to tell! I will be back Sunday night, still lots more vacation to be had! Thank you all for your kind encouraging words, I really appreciate them all!

I am having a few things worked on for the blog so please stay with me until things get back to normal! I caught a cold after the race so I am not feeling too great.

 

Marathon Time!

Good morning! I have free Wi FI thanks to the lovely Hampton Inn Tallahassee! We woke up at 5:30, which in our brains is 4:30 and are about to head to breakfast and then to DISNEY! We will hit the expo, lunch at the Grand Floridian Café, then check into the Wilderness Lodge.

I just wanted to blog my thoughts today on how I feel about coming “full circle” to this race. As I have said before, two years ago, I watched the Disney marathon, with tears in my eyes, so inspired by the people running! I went home, started training, and ran my first half marathon in Disney last year..the first part of my journey.

I went home, ran 3 more half marathons as well as some 5k’s, and then this summer I did something I never dreamed I would do…I signed up for the Disney full and began my training.

I can’t believe it has been two years since I first caught “the running bug” but that is my true story. I know I will ball my eyes out when I cross that finish line. I love having a tangible goal, and then have it come to reality, and to me this is about as good as it gets in that department!

Marathon training was hard for me, but I did it, my husband and I WE did it, and I am so proud of myself, and I can’t wait to feel that Mickey medal around my neck on Sunday!

If you are new, then Hi! go back and read last year’s Disney race recap under my “races” tab, or sign up for runner tracking to track me for FREE by text or email during the full marathon on Sunday! Look me up under HEATHER MONTGOMERY right here.

Ok, I have to go to Disneyworld now! I won’t be posting this week unless I can find Wi Fi, so I will try, but I WILL be updating via Twitter and facebook, so make sure you follow me and join my fan pages in the right sidebar.

Wish me luck!

 

4 Years with my Best Friend

 

Four years ago today, I married my best friend.

My family and bridesmaids all stayed in a hotel in the french quarter, and we all got ready together in our presidential suite.

Our ceremony was at First Baptist Church New Orleans.

we had a 6:30pm  ceremony with over 240 of my closest friends

After the ceremony, we were whisked away in a limo, and we all followed the police escort to Southern Oaks Plantation.

We had a big surprise waiting for us. The amazing owners had surprised us and had a horse and carriage waiting for us. We rode and followed a New Orleans Jazz band around the grounds as guests watched.

But it wasn’t over there. The carriage parked in front of the plantation, and while the band continued to play, we were treated with an amazing fireworks show in our honor!

We were taken inside where we took pictures while the guests began to eat and get settled in. The bridal party had our own food and drinks to keep us sane while we took pictures.

After we were done with pictures, Bobby and I were brought into a room with a table with food just for us, and a guard at the door so no one could bother us! Most couples don’t get to eat at their own wedding because they are busy dancing, having fun, and thanking guests. Southern Oaks has AMAZING food and they want you to get some time alone and some nourishment, so I think this is a GREAT perk.

After we had our fill, we were announced and had our first dance, and father daughter dance.

We had an amazing live band and had a great time dancing the night away!

After awhile, it was time to cut the cake. Another thing I loved about Southern Oaks, is Bobby and I, and both sets of parents had our own personal assistant who did everything for us. brought us drinks, bustled my train, told us when it was time to cut the cake, etc. so we didn’t have to do anything!

Here is my cake I designed myself.

We had a blast with our friends!

and we capped off a great night the way you must at a wedding in New Orleans…with the second line dance!

 

and now, my favorite part! If you would like to see our two recap videos (They are short, just the length of a song each) go HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page, we are the last two recaps!

I know this was long so kudos if you read the whole thing!

HAPPY 4 YEAR ANNIVERSARY BOBBY!

 

 

 

Crunch Time!

 

Good morning! Sorry I was MIA yesterday. We had a really rough weekend. I am trying to stay positive, but it’s hard to when you have two houses to sell and an estate to settle. We know it will all work out eventually but it could take awhile. We were prepared for that but it still stinks!

I am so glad I will be gone for a week so I don’t have to think about it!

Isn’t it funny how when it rains it pours? Not only is all this stuff going on, but in the past week I have had a LOT of stuff going on with work, while it was dead the week before and after Christmas! Now I am trying to get it all done and I haven’t packed a THING yet and we leave TOMORROW! I am way to type A to have not packed yet, but I haven’t had time! We got back in town from Mississippi last night and I have been working on Disney stuff for other people all morning. (Which is fine because I love it!) I still have to do more Disney stuff, run, and pack all by tomorrow at 2:00!  eeekk!

It is definitely crunch time! When I am in “crunch time mode” I don’t get on facebook, twitter, or read other blogs until I am done with everything I need to do. (Trust me, it is killing me!) So hopefully I can finish and get back to my normal internet crazed life!

Thinking about how I don’t allow myself to surf the web when busy, I started thinking about other things I can do to ensure I get things done when I need to. This is what I came up with:

1.)NO social media (facebook, twitter, etc.)

2.)no web surfing, including blogs and websites

3.) only check work e-mail

4.) eat lunch while I work to maximize time

5.) no TV playing in the background (I get distracted easily)

6.)make a list, and prioritize so I get the most important or time sensitive things done first. (scratching things off a list is liberating!)

7.)enlist help if possible. If I need laundry folded, ask hubby if he would mind doing it while he watches TV, etc.

8.)realize as much as I like to think I am, I am not superman and can’t do everything or be everything to everyone!

9.)If I start to feel overwhelmed, take a 10 minute break, but set a timer so I don’t end up wasting time.

These are things I have found the personally help me get things done! Now, get off the computer and work, work, work! (Unless, that is, you work ON the computer, like me!)

QOTD: How do you prioritize your time?

(this girl is a huge distraction!)

 

De-Stress

Today has just been one of those days. You know, the ones where your brain starts to hurt, and everything just annoys or upsets you? There is just so much going on in my life right now. I am trying to balance so many things and problems and it just all kind of got to me today.

Dealing with selling two houses and handling Bobby’s dad’s estate is so draining. I know I haven’t said much about it but let’s just say I have learned to not trust anyone. People you thought you could trust can turn on you when it comes to money. Ug.

Sadly being up here in this city and in our old house brings up bad memories and just gets me going all over again. I can’t wait to start over in a new house in a new city very soon.

We spent the day running errands, paying bills for his dad’s house, Bobby was on the phone trying to get bills forgiven, talking to our two realtors trying to figure out how to sell these two houses etc. I spent a lot of time doing Disney quotes, cleaning the house, doing laundry, and trying to figure out what to pack for our trip that we leave for in 3 days. (haven’t packed a thing by the way.)

I definitely need this vacation for sure! I am looking forward to being away from reality and having fun with Bobby and some friends.

This got me thinking…unfortunately, every time we get stressed, we cannot go on vacation. So, I decided to try and figure out some things I can do to de-stress when going to the happiest place on earth is not an option.  This is what I came up with:

1.) take a nap– I llloovveee naps. Usually when I am emotionally drained I am physically drained too, so this usually helps.

2.) go for a run or walk– sometimes when I am stressed, I need to blow off some steam and have a lot of energy to get rid of, so physical activity is a good way to calm myself down.

3.) play with my dogs– this sounds so simple, but it really works for me. When I play with Bella and Sassy, I think about how they don’t have any cares in the world, and are just happy to be with me and no matter what kind of mood I am in, they are happy to see me. It makes me smile.

4.) take a bath-You know, candles, music, bubbles, and an US weekly. I don’t do this as often as I would like. I think it’s because I am lazy and it takes too much effort some days.

5.) Watch a funny movie-I am a sucker for a good comedy, and I can forget my troubles for 1.5-2 hours and hopefully get a good laugh. I especially like funny movies where I can laugh at the expense of someone else. You know, like Meet the Parents, Dodgeball, etc.

Bobby and I just watched a comedian on YouTube. While it didn’t get me out of my stressed out state completely, it did help me forget about things for a few minutes. Maybe I will go soak in the tub and turn in early tonight. Tomorrow is a new day!

QOTD: What do you do to relieve stress?

 

A Week From Today…

I WILL BE A MARATHONER!!! AAAHHH!

I can’t believe it is finally here! We leave in 4 days for Disney, and I feel so unprepared/excited/anxious/nervous all at once! To top off my nerves, I just found out the Saints playoff game is Saturday night, the night before the race. Yup! Not only did I freak out and hurry and change my 5:30 dining reservations so I won’t miss the name, but now I know I won’t get much sleep the night before the race!

A few housekeeping items today. If you would like to follow my progress during the race, you can opt to get FREE texts or emails by going HERE. It’s easy to sign up! enter in my full name, HEATHER MONTGOMERY and you can follow me!

You can also follow me on twitter or join either of my facebook fan pages on my RIGHT toolbar. I will be tweeting and posting pictures on FB and twitter during the trip, after the race, before the race, etc. So that is a good way to keep up with me over the course of my trip!

Also, don’t forget, I am a travel agent! I booked mainly Disney and Universal, but I do other things and cruises, too so just ask! My services are free to you! Contact me at heather@travelwiththemagic.com for a free no obligation quote.

and now, for a couple of flashback pictures from last year’s race!

QOTD: Do you have any race goals for the year? Run a 5k? Get a new PR?

 

Happy New Year! It’s 1-1-11!

Welcome to 2011! I hope today has been a good one for you and your family! My 2011 was supposed to start with a 6 mile run…my LAST long run of marathon training! But the weather had other plans. It rained and thundered all morning, so we have to run tomorrow instead. We spent a lazy morning with my parents instead, had lunch with them then drove to our house in Mississippi to spend a few days taking care of some things. We are Mexican for dinner and went to the grocery store (where they have EASTER CANDY OUT! NO JOKE!) and now we are at home trying to stay warm. Let’s backup to our very exciting New Year’s Eve…

Partying like us crazy kids do…sitting by the fire with the dogs. This is humorous because Sassy HATES Bella. Sassy had the good seat closest to the fire, then Bella comes and starts leaning over toward her, but Sassy stood her ground and refused to budge. It. was. hilarious.

Last night of Christmas decorations. I love my parents house decorated for Christmas!

Look at our fun New Year’s hats!

Dad was asleep by 8:30

Mom was asleep by 9:30

We were out at 11:30. Woo. hoo.

People in my parents neighborhood were going crazy with fireworks. It sounded like they were blowing up the street from about 7:00 till well past midnight. Bella was not a fan and kept barking and growling!

The girls love when Grandpa eats because they usually get some food. This picture was cute. They are sitting watching him eat and he dropped a piece and they both looked down, but it is too far of a jump, so they didn’t know what to do or how to get to it!

Regardless of if you stayed home or partied all day and night, I hope you had a safe and Happy New Year! Now, it will take me until March to remember to write “2011” and not “2010”…..

QOTD: What did you do last night to ring in the new year?

 

2010 In Review

Happy New Year’s Eve! I will be honest…Today feels like any other day. We aren’t big partiers so New Year’s Eve is usually pretty boring around here. It’s been raining on and off all day, so there will probably be a lot of unhappy drunk people in New Orleans tonight.

When I did a post on my one year blogiversary, I pretty much covered all of the big events that happened this year. So, as to not bore you with the same thing all over again, I thought I would just list a few of the more popular posts based on page views and comments. So, in no particular order, here ya go!

Disney Half Marathon 2010 

Blogging Tips

The Birth Control Pill Debate

Mardi Gras RnR Race Recap

Best Husband Ever Take Two

As I think back on this year, I can honestly say it has been one of the hardest, if not the hardest year of my life. Some GREAT things happened, like I took up blogging and ran 4 half marathons and a few 5k’s. I also started training for my first full marathon. Some not so great things happened, too…Like Bobby’s dad passing away this summer, making the decision to close up Bobby’s law firm and move 3 hours away so Bobby could take a new job, as well as dealing with some very very tough personal things I have yet to share about on the blog. (No, I am not pregnant, and yes, we are both healthy.)

We are also still trying to sell two homes and build another while I am living an hour and a half from my husband at my parents house. We have laughed, we have cried, we have faced a lot together this year, and I can honestly say I am more than ready to close the door on 2010 and step into a brighter 2011. I do not wish anything away that has happened to me, I firmly believe there is a reason for everything and I try to look at my trials as a learning experience. God has taught me a lot this year, and it hasn’t always been the easy way, but I can be hard headed like that.  

With that, I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my blog and post comments this year. I love reading and responding to readers, you are truly an inspiration and part of why I do what I do!

So, with that, I will wave goodbye to 2010 and, smile heading into the future. I can’t wait to see what is in store!

Cheers to a happy and healthy 2011!!

QOTD: Do you have any big goals for 2011? Share!

 

Packing for a Destination Race

Afternoon, I hope today has been pleasant! I have been a busy bee this morning! One of the things I have been working on is packing for my marathon trip. that’s right folks, I leave a week from TODAY! Very excited but very nervous as well!

Anyway, I am petrified I am going to do something stupid like forget to pack running socks or something so I decided to make a packing list and pack all my race day gear in a separate bag so it’s all right there and ready to go!

So, behold…THE LIST!

-Running shoes (MOST IMPORTANT!)

-running socks/compression socks

-running skirt(s)

-running tights

-long sleeved shirt

-short sleeved shirt

-tank top

-running outerwear

-throw away outerwear

-gloves

-hat

-sunglasses

-body glide

-athletic tape

-IT band strap

-Garmin/charger

-camera/charger

-multiple GU’s

-hot hands

-hair ties and clips

-sunscreen

-sunglasses

-sports bra

-tissue

-chap stick

-needed medications

-band aids

-extra safety pins

-spibelt

-yurbuds (I probably won’t use)

-iPhone/pod/charger

-banana and breakfast bars

-arm band/holder for iPod/iPhone (I probably won’t use)

Is that all? I am probably leaving out something totally obvious but these are the things I have packed so far JUST for the actual race. WOAH that’s a lot of stuff when you think about it. I also will be packing things like other running shoes to walk around in after and before, foam roller, etc. etc. But I think this about covers the necessities!  Bobby and I have the luxury of driving so we can take as much crap in my monster SUV as we please. This is a MAJOR plus to us as a reason to drive!

QOTD: Did I leave anything off the list?