CPA Swearing-in Ceremony

About a month ago, we went down to Austin for my CPA Swearing-In Ceremony. This was the culmination of a year of hard work and many long hours of studying as I received my CPA certificate. It was extra special because my grandfather, who is also a CPA, got to present my certificate to me.

Thankful for a very supportive husband...

...and parents...

...and grandparents!

Book #6 - Stuck in the Middle

A few weeks ago I finished book #6 of the year, Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith. It's about a girl that's the middle sister and is trying to match up to her sisters and be what she thinks a guy wants her to be instead of being herself. Here's the synopsis from Amazon:

Joan Sanderson's life is stuck. Her older sister, Allie, is starting a family and her younger sister, Tori, has a budding career. Meanwhile, Joan is living at home with Mom and looking after her aging grandmother. Not exactly a recipe for excitement. That is, until a hunky young doctor moves in next door. Suddenly Joan has a goal--to get a date. But it won't be easy. Pretty Tori flirts relentlessly with him and Joan is sure that she can't compete. But with a little help from God, Allie, and an enormous mutt with bad manners, maybe Joan can find her way out of this rut. Book 1 of the Sister-to-Sister series, Stuck in the Middle combines budding romance, spiritual searching, and a healthy dose of sibling rivalry.

This was a book I downloaded for free on my Kindle and I enjoyed it. Joan does get a little bit whiny and oh poor me at times, but overall it's a good book. Of course, it is very predictable, but if you like a good love story, then you should give this book a try.

Race for the Cure Plano

 

On June 8th, Josh and I ran Race for the Cure in Plano. I was very proud of how I ran and my finish time of 37:32. It made the running to train for the race worth it and makes me want to run more. The early mornings and hot days aren't always fun, but it's worth it for me to feel good and to be proud of myself for what I can accomplish.

Before and after the race

My division and official time

At the start of the race

Evidently I look like I'm dying towards the end of a race on a hot day.

He's going for the pass...

Josh doesn't have the dying look down yet.

If you want to see more pictures from the race, you can click here.

Pinterest-Inspired: Race Bib Holder

Pinterest strikes again! I had some race bibs sitting around and wanted to do something with them, but knowing I would like to do more races this year, I needed something I could add to later on.Well, I saw this race bib holder on Pinterest and thought that it would be perfect, but I was not about to pay $36 for it on etsy. Luckily, Josh has lots of scrap wood in the garage, so I went and rummaged around and found the perfect piece. I sanded it down, painted it, added the hooks (the only thing I had to buy), and TA-DA! my new race bib holder!

2nd Anniversary!

Happy 2nd anniversary to my amazing husband!! It's crazy that we've been married for two years already! Here's to many more!! Love you!

 

Photo by McGowan Images

Book #5 - Bringing Down the House

A week or so ago I finished book #5 of the year, Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich. It's the story of a team of MIT students that used card counting to win big in Vegas. The movie, 21, is loosely based on this book. It's a very interesting read and even if you've seen 21, you should read the book. The movie really doesn't do this book justice (as usual). Here's how Amazon summarizes the book:

The amazing inside story about a gambling ring of M.I.T. students who beat the system in Vegas -- and lived to tell how.

Robin Hood meets the Rat Pack when the best and the brightest of M.I.T.'s math students and engineers take up blackjack under the guidance of an eccentric mastermind. Their small blackjack club develops from an experiment in counting cards on M.I.T.'s campus into a ring of card savants with a system for playing large and winning big. In less than two years they take some of the world's most sophisticated casinos for more than three million dollars. But their success also brings with it the formidable ire of casino owners and launches them into the seedy underworld of corporate Vegas with its private investigators and other violent heavies.

Filled with tense action, high stakes, and incredibly close calls, Bringing Down the House is a nail-biting read that chronicles a real-life Ocean's Eleven. It's one story that Vegas does not want you to read.

Reading this book got me even more excited for our trip to Las Vegas this summer. I don't think I'll try card counting, but it is good to know the basics of card counting since it could help with maybe giving a little edge in Blackjack. :)

Head for the Cure

On Saturday, I participated in the North Texas Head for the Cure 5K to help raise money for brain cancer awareness and research. I walked it with a couple of friends from work representing Team Dr Pepper.We had a good time running a little, but mostly walking the course. It was a fun way to get exercise while helping out a great cause.

Running through the crowds at the beginning

This is what we looked like most of the time

"Sprint to the finish!" - me, Jeanine, and Edna crossing the finish line