12.31.2004

Wanna see a white Christmas? Check out the photos my mom took of their property in Stephenville. Hondo the horse loves snow and eats it like cake!

Happy holidays to everyone! Was good to see all the family we could. I'm currently really enjoying my Polar S625X running computer, and Rafi is loving his new bbq grill (our gifts to each other). Now it's time for another year and many more adventures!

Marathon training update:: Longest run to date: 15.75 miles. Total miles run this month:55 miles.

11.30.2004

We're going to Disney World!! Well, actually we went already! We were so fortunate to go to Orlando to see Mickey, and more importantly, Rafi's parents this month. After Disney World we explored Universal Studios - photos of both can be seen here. If you ever go, "The Mummy" roller coaster is superb! The four of us had a fabulous time. It was a wonderful way for Rafi's dad to spend his birthday - along with the Dolly Parton Dixie Stampede! Read more about our trip on the Travel Page.

Happy Thanksgiving! This year Mom cooked what she claims is her best Thanksgiving dinner - and we're not arguing! From the turkey to cornbread dressing to the special individually baked sweetpotato and marshmallow cups, everything was delicious. Thanks, Mom! Unfortunately I was sick for most the weekend, but not too sick to miss out on seeing some high school buddies - and even going for a nice 8 mile run with one. It was great to see you, guys!

I also ran the Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot this year - a 5 miler. Somehow among the thousands of runners there, I ran into our friends Victor, Carlos, Kristen, and some of their friends, so we ran together - competing at the end, of course. It was one hilly course - thank goodness for my hill training! And for the record, I think we all know who won. ;-) Didn't get many photos at this one, but here are a few not-so-great ones (I'm in the green) .

And congratulations to Carlos & Kristen! We wish you all the best life has to offer. :)

Marathon training update:: Longest run to date: 20K. Total miles run this month:56.7 miles.

10.31.2004

The Cadle family had an exciting month, as Mark got to come to Texas for a visit! Although Mark ended up working a bit while he was in the 'Ville, he and Dad were able to enjoy a fishing trip or two together. We enjoyed having him at our house for Halloween weekend, where he got into the spirit with us by breaking open glowsticks and slinging the glowing goo into the trees - always a crowd pleaser.

Speaking of Halloween, since we were still in the process of installing new flooring in our house (yes, the carpet is now gone - being replaced by "dog-nail-friendly" maple laminate), we didn't get around to dressing up. However, we outdid last year's house decorations and had kiddos screaming and running away! Score! We did dress up the dogchildren, though. Check out the photos! (You can also sneak a peek at our new flooring - shhh!)

In running news, this month I earned my first medal - FIRST place! I have placed before, but always second or third. But this month I won first place in my age group with a time of 24:09 in the No Guts, No Glory 5k. The course is rumored to have been short, however, so that time may be a bit fast. But it sure felt good getting that medal placed over my head. :)

Marathon training update:: Longest run to date: 12 miles. Total miles run this month: 61.7 miles.

09.30.2004

Rafi really enjoyed September - full of travels! And even though the travel was work-related, that didn't mean he didn't stop to have fun now and then. He especially enjoyed visiting New York.

We celebrated our 2nd official anniversary this month with our annual trip to Six Flags. We tried out some new rides that were closed last year, and the lines were short, so we really enjoyed this trip. Rafi gifted me with some marathon books (which I read within the week, of course), and I surprised him with magic tricks (that he spent hours practicing to impress the inlaws). :)

After more mystery knee pain, I finally had an MRI done on my knee and entered rehab. Turns out I have patellofemoral syndrome and a very tight lateral ligament. Rehab, kneecap taping, and ultrasounds have been prescribed. Let's hope it does the trick.

Marathon training update:: Longest run to date: 7 miles. Total miles run this month: 62.

08.31.2004

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas - or so they say, but I'm here to spill the beans! We were actually on a trip to visit Mark in Yuma, but we decided to make a vacation out of it, so we took a car trip to Las Vegas, baby! After a long, grumpy car ride (who knew it could rain so long or so hard in the desert?), we arrived just in time to see Mystere (Rafi was on the ege of his seat the entire time). If you ever want to be fascinated, see this show! It was absolutely incredible.Over the next couple days we took in more shows, visited several casinos, and lost most of our money. One of us almost passed out (hmmm...wonder who?), we ran into a couple celebrities (any guesses?), and crowned Krispey Kreme the food of choice! Read more about our trip on our Travel page.

This month we also got to visit with Rafi's dad, who was in Dallas on periodontal business. :) We had a great time eating good BBQ (though not comparable to Rudy's in Rafi's eyes), shopping at the mall, and just visiting in general. We had a great time and thank them so much for the nice shirts and candy! We look forward to seeing you guys in a few months!

"Pixelino-pan-y-vino" is officially in training right now. Keep your fingers crossed that his school for "special" doggies works! hehe... He's our special dog alright...

Mom ran her first 5k! She and I participated in the Keep Austin Weird 5k. Supported by a "Who's Who" of Austin based businesses, the run benefits one of Austin's treasures - Barton Springs Pool. And all of us weirdos came out to help! There were costumes of all sorts (we dressed as "running bunnies"), food, and lots of live music. And, of course, Mom got her first race t-shirt! She did great for a 99 degree humid day in downtown Austin!

I'm currently either making the biggest mistake of my life or embarking on the best journey ever! Yes, folks, I am a future marathoner! I started training this month with Round Rock Fit (associated with USA Fit) to prepare for the Freescale (former Motorola) Marathon in February. So far I have enjoyed my workouts and seminars and am optimistic - but give me a month or two and I'll get back to you!

07.31.2004

Well, you can't beat Austin for a hot and humid July! Thanks go out to our friend and neighbor Deanna for throwing a great July 3rd party at her house - doggies included! And we want to send out a big "We'll Miss You" to our dear friend Andres. Good luck to you in Boston - we hope this opportunity soon leads to an even bigger opporunity back here in Austin!

July was quite a month for injuries. On the same day I was stung by an extremely painful mystery insect (guessing it was a scorpion), Mark suffered an unexpected health crisis this month, too. While playing basketball he suffered a partial lung collapse and mild heart attack. No one knows why this happened, but the important thing is that after a few days worth of recovery, he is back to normal - living large in Arizona! Mark, we're glad you are okay. :)

Also while rehabbing a small knee injury, I started taking up the Bikram yoga again - that's the kind of yoga done in a hot studio, so you sweat buckets! I quite enjoy it, and have noticed a huge improvement in my flexibility, strength, and balance.
I also received quite a surprise in the mail this month. Remember that Memorial 5k I ran (see May's update)? It seems that I actually earned 3rd place in my age division - got a nifty engraved keychain! So with that as more inspiration for myself, on I go in my battle for fitness!

06.30.2004

Another month and 2 races later we are all doing fine. This month brought the Dublin Dr. Pepper 4K and the Express 5K for me. The Dr. Pepper run was not certified, so my suspiciously fast time of 19:30 can probably be attributed to a short course. But the atmosphere was fun, and I enjoyed having my parents come see me run. Even Pixel got in on the action!

And I can conversely blame my extra long Express 5K time (34:30) on 100 degree heat, no shade, and an asphalt course. Actually, everyone's times for this race were quit long - in fact, I won 2nd place out of 10 in my age group! Additionally, the Express 5K was a fun race because the last leg was inside the Dell Diamond - home baseball field to the Round Rock Express. I was on the jumbotron!

We also had some yard improvement projects this month. More are to come in the backyard.

Pixel is doing well and is quickly outgrowing Marley. They quite enjoy wrestling and stealing each other's toys. Hopefully we'll be able to report some progress with Pixel's jumping problem next month!

On a more serious note, we would like our wonderful sister-in-law Mónica to know that we are thinking of her every day and wish her the best health. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.

05.31.2004

May was a month of achievements for our family. We finally got our new baby - Pixel Pecoso. He is a black and white tricolor English springer spaniel. So far he has been fairly mild mannered, although I think big sister Marley would say otherwise! He adores his daddy, though, and wants only to be in his lap. In other doggie news, Marley celebrated her 1st birthday!!

I also attained a goal this month - ran my first 5K in 14 years! I beat my personal goal by coming in at 29:35. I placed fourth in my age group. The race was called the Memorial 5K, and runners were to run in memory of lost loved ones, so on my back I carried the names of Nanah (my grandmother), Sue Carlson, Linda Lowry, and Samantha, a close friend of a good friend. It was moving to see the names of loved ones on the backs of the people in front of me. On a humorous note, I also ran in memory of my lost 32 pounds. :)

Rafi also enjoyed the E3 conference in Los Angles, California this month. He spotted a few celebrities, viewed some of the latest innovations in gaming, and partied hearty! And you *might* look for him in the future in the background of Missy Elliot's upcoming reality show!

And welcome to the world, little Carmen Gabriella Choi! Mommy Vanessa and Daddy Bernard are doing well. :)

Mark is doing well, as he is basking in the glory of helping to capture a wanted murderer in Arizona - of which we are very proud but makes us nervous, too. Granddad is still making a slow but sure recovery, so we send him more good health vibes.

I'm sure June will bring us even more achievements!

04.30.2004

Whew! April is over, and we're pooped! First and foremost, Rafi is officially 30! And the lucky guy got to enjoy TWO birthday parties - one here in the states and one in Panamá.

We were lucky enough to be able to spend almost three weeks in Panama visiting with friends, family, and doing some traveling and relaxing. Read all about it and view all the photos in the Travel Section. Needless to say, we had a great time, although Rafi always finds it difficult to leave again. We also want to mention that before we flew out of Miami to get to Panamá, our friends Marco and Pilar generously let us stay with them the night before in their gorgeous new home. We want thank them for the stay and for letting us enjoy some time with Tony!

While in Panamá, yours truly had some dental work done - a major feat for me, seeing that I have never had any kind of good experience with dentists. Thanks SO much to my talented father-in-law and his partner for restoring my faith in the dentistry profession. :) (Had two cavities filled - in case you're wondering...haha. Wanna see an oh-so-lovely photo of me that my oh-so-lovely husband took? Guaranteed to cause laughter.)

It feels good to be back home. Sigh...... Okay, that's enough. Bring on the next vacation!

The 15th of March was a special day for us - our third anniversary in one year! We celebrated by returning to the grounds of our wedding, taking a stroll, and then having our same wedding night dinner at the same location. Talk about eating too much! It was a lovely evening full of memories of family and friends.

This month also brought us snow! No, not here in Austin, but at Kirkwood near Lake Tahoe. You can read all about our ski trip in the Travel Section. It was my first ski trip, but it definitely won't be my last! Our trip ended for Rafi with GDC - Game Developer's Conference - in San Jose, California. I won't go into details, but from what I hear the event was filled with beer, booth babes, food, and, oh yeah, work. (Riiiiiight...)

One of Rafi's childhood friends, Alex, paid us a visit this month. We enjoyed chatting and a nice lunch at Oasis here in Austin. And we helped Ed celebrate his 26th birthday, too! Happy birthday, Ed!

Next month will be very, very busy, so stay tuned!

Well, not too much went on in February. For Valentine's Day we had lunch at the Oasis, which is a local restaurant known for it's view of the lake and sunsets. We didn't do much other than just enjoy the day together.

This month was monumentous for Marley, however, who got her first haircut. I'm not sure she cared too much for it, really, but she adjusted after a few days. I sure didn't recognize her, though, when she was first brought out to me!

We also want to wish a Happy Birthday to my granddad, who is getting better day by day!

01.31.2004

With New Year's Day, new resolutions, a birthday, trips to the park, and medical recoveries, January came and went in a flash!

New Year's Eve found us at Speakeasy downtown in Austin. We celebrated by enjoying a band, drinks, and the company of our friends Andres and Anna. It was bittersweet, though, as the next day promised healthy eating and more exercise. ;) But so far we have continued hitting the gym and getting ready for our upcoming April travels.

I had a wonderful time celebrating my 26th birthday with friends at the Cheesecake Factory. I felt very special to have so many friends attend. Originally we had planned to go dancing afterwards, but a big meal, cheesecake, and several martinis later, that plan was abandoned in favor of sleep! But we made it up several weeks later when Rafi and I went dancing at Miguel's.

And lest we forget our "darling" (using that term loosely) dogchild Marley. While Marley has proven herself to be completely reliable outside of her crate, being alone in the house while we're gone, and with housebreaking, she has continued to become a horrible thief and eats (I mean *digests*) anything from socks to pillows to her very own plush toys. Ack! But here are some nice pictures we took of her at the park. And here is a silly picture of the hairdo I accidently gave her when trying to figure out how to put bows in her hair. (Let's just say that she still isn't wearing the bows...haha.)

On a more serious note, my granddad is doing better but is still having a rough go of it during his recovery from heart surgery. He is at home now, and we plan to visit during February. We continue to pray for his health and speedy recovery.

Until next time!