A Wedding and Father's Day Weekend in Savannah

We were in Savannah this weekend for what felt like a whirlwind trip! Saturday morning we left Atlanta and began heading to Savannah. It was a very pleasant trip. William did so good. He watched the movie Bolt and then took nap. We arrived at my Aunt's house and spent some time with my family. Later in the afternoon, Ed and I started getting ready for the fantabulous wedding of Kristi & Joel. William stayed with my parents. He was so busy playing with his Aunt and Uncle and was not really too concerned that Mom and Dad was leaving. He waved and hugged as goodbye and went back to playing.

It was an outdoor wedding and the Savannah heat was definitely on! :) I love weddings. Always remind me of ours. To this day, I still smile big when I think about it.  The couple was so laid back and it was reflected well on their big day. Good company and we really enjoyed our night.

The ceremony was held at Columbia Square. The couple exchanged their vows in front of this beautiful fountain. Here's my groom and I snapping a cute photo op.

How adorable is this cupcake tower! Very yummy!We send off the bride and groom with this fun sparklers.We all got up early(way early) to attend mass at the Cathedral of St. John The Baptist. Absolutely stunning church filled with history. 

After church, we strolled around some more. Here we are at the famous Forsyth Park Fountain. This beautiful fountain is so ornate. Very picturesque. Father & Son in front of the City Hall. William adores his Dad. Ed is really such a wonderful Dad and a great example to William!

More pictures of Ed and William-enjoying the park that is surrounded with majestic oaks and it's hanging spanish moss. A true reminder that you are in the romantic deep South.

William and Tita Susan admiring the fountain at Johnson Square. One of the many famous squares of Savannah.

We all worked up an appetite and was ready for lunch. A very special lunch at Paula Deen's Lady & Sons Restaurant. It's so famous and people from all over line up very early to get in the restaurant. Lucky for us on Father's day, the restaurant takes reservations---on any other days the only way to get in is to wait in line. So, yay for us! 

Crowd being welcomed as they open the restaurant.

My super handsome and special Dad! He is absolutely nothing but the best! I am so thankful to have such a wonderful Dad.  

Very happy and excited diners.

Yummy fried green tomatoes.

Closest picture that I could take of Paula and I. Was really hopeful that she was going to be at the store. Emphasis on "hopeful" :)

30 Days of Shred

I just completed 30 days of Shred by Jillian Michaels. It took me 44 days to complete it but for great reasons. Breaks were accounted for being out of town, getting ready for races and for a movie night. Inspite of this, I still ripped the benefits:

• Lost a total of 9.5 lbs. I've also been running 4 times a week. Logging in at least 10 miles/week.
• The shred prompted me to renew my interest in running.
• I have more energy and so happy to find a balance between my personal and professional life. I learned to work out smarter. We have a gym at my work's basement. Three times a week, I run at the treadmill. Once, William goes to bed in the evenings, I squeezed in the shred. What I love about it is this workout takes 20 mins. Leaves me plenty of time to spend with family. Another note on the 20 mins, it's also what keeps me going to finish strong. When I'm struggling, I keep on thinking that in a few mins, it'll be over so might as well do it right. It's all mental, I know :)
• I'm stronger. I was able to complete 2 races and I am also signed up to run a 10K in July. My very first day of shred, I stuggled to complete 30 second of jumping jacks. Now, I can do jumping jacks while holding weights
• I eat better. I have started packing lunch to work. Saves me money and it is super healthy.

I encourage you to try it. At this point in my life, this works perfectly for me. There are tons of health blogs that discuss shred. The stories are truly inspiring. Happy Shredding yall!

Sneak Peek - Mommy and William

I couldn't rave enough  how much I love these pictures taken by my wonderful friend and super talented photographer Lori Gordon of Shooting Star Photography. She's now officially based in Birmingham but has alloted a couple of spots for her Atlanta clients. 

Two different moods but each truly captures my relationship with William. I can't wait to see the rest of the pictures from our session.  Stay tuned for more pictures of William, family photos and a couple of photos of Ed and me.

{4 mile run}

I'm so excited and happy to share with you that I just completed my 2nd race this year. Even better, my BFF Wynell joined me in this race.  I'm sooo glad that I went back to running. I love the feeling of reaching the finish line. Races are also my biggest motivator. It keeps me focus on logging those miles.

Finished this race in 47:03. Wynell did a fabulous job and ran it in 42:00. I am so proud of her! A couple of years ago(pre-baby and pre-wedding) she had a hard time running a 5K with me. This time, she was so strong and ran the entire race. I can't wait for the next race. If anybody has an extra Peachtree Road Race number, I'm looking for one. I'm on day 2 of Level 3 shred. I'll be sure to posta review once I complete the 30 day workout---8 more days to go.

Here are some post race pictures...

My biggest supporters.

Wynell and me enjoying the post run celebration.

Wynell and Mohammad.

William having a blast and running around.

{William's Swimming Lesson}

Today was William's first day of swimming lessons. He LOVED it! William's teacher, Miss Diana is so sweet and is really gentle and accommodating to the toddlers. Several of my friends from my Mommy board also have their lil one(Daniel's Ridge and Carrie's Colin) in this class.  I told Ed that I honestly think that being in daycare really helps William in a learning setting like this. He knows that he needs to listen to the teacher and participate in the activities. We are all looking forward to the next lessons.

Look at this big smile!

 Group warm up
Floating and trying to grab the ball.

Back float

Look Mom, I'm on my own :)

{Laila's Pool Party}

This sweet lil girl had a fun backyard and pool party this weekend.When her parents sent me some pictures of their pool in construction last year, I was so excited and expected nothing but the coolest pool from their family. They are a fun loving bunch and we always have a great time hanging out with them.Check out the cool slide. This was a must have for Laila's daddy :)They have 2 playsets that were nothing short of spectacular either. William had soooo much fun!

Look who showed up to help Laila blow her cake! Minnie! I guess this is to be expected around every kid's birthday party. Everybody huddles around and gets excited with the presents! Happy birthday Laila!