I know this weekend is all about the fourth but today we’ve been celebrating a very special fifth! It’s Sullie’s FIFTH birthday! I bet you’re thinking, “another birthday!?” Brandon, Sullie and I have birthdays within three weeks of each other!
If you’re a regular reader PBR, you know that Sullie is basically our dog child. We got her when we had just moved to Birmingham for Brandon to attend law school. We planned on waiting until second semester so that Brandon could get settled into school but then we made the mistake of starting to look “just to see what was out there.” The next thing we knew, we were coming home with a 10-week old golden retriever puppy!
We feel so lucky to have such an amazing pup. Seriously, we ask each other all the time if she could possibly be any sweeter. Sullie is so affectionate, obedient, tolerant, friendly, loyal and just ridiculously cute. I could go on and on but instead I’ll just share some pictures from birthdays over the year since I’m an insane loving dog mom and have pretty much documented her whole life.
Day One
First birthday – complete with hats and a cake.
Clearly, she’s thrilled to wear this hat! 😉
Second birthday, a little unsure of the cake this year!
(Third birthday – I can’t find a photo. I fail.
We were in the middle of moving from Birmingham to Charlotte and life was crazy!)
Fourth birthday!
And finally, five years old today!
Begging for the peanut butter banana Kong that I made for her!
Am I the only crazy pet parent out there? Please tell me that someone else bakes for their dog and makes them wear birthday hats! 😉
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July 22, 2026
I am such a creature of habit when it comes to breakfast. 95% of the time I’m craving a breakfast that is on the sweet side. That mostly alternates between smoothies or yogurt bowls with overnight oats, chia pudding or oatmeal occasionally thrown in there. On the rare occasion I go savory – it’s scrambled [...]
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July 19, 2026
I want to bottle up this summer and make it last forever (well, maybe minus the wildly hot and humid weather that makes running a big thumbs down). I mentioned this in my last post…but I am really enjoying the slower pace and the days that feel like they have more space. While I’m trying [...]
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July 10, 2026
Happy Friday! I hope this post finds you well and enjoying the summer. We are in the dog days of it over here in Charlotte – the heat and humidity is off the charts – but it’s something I’ll embrace because I deeply appreciate the massive slow down that summer has brought. A lot of [...]
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June 21, 2026
I recently traveled to Big Bear Lake, California for the inaugural Big Bear Peaks + Pines three-day stage race hosted by TransRockies Running. This was my third TransRockies event in 12 months (see also Colorado + Moab) and I’m here to tell you that they can do no wrong when it comes to race organization [...]
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May 30, 2026
Happy weekend! Another week in the books! I got three runs in (6.5 miles, 5.5 miles, 5.5 miles) and I have a trail run planned for tomorrow. Total weekly mileage will end up around 30-35 miles depending on if I go for 13 or 17 tomorrow! I’m 16 weeks out from the Golden Ultra so [...]
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May 23, 2026
Happy Memorial Day Weekend. It’s a very rainy one here in Charlotte and while I am a little bummed not to be spending the weekend in Florida with the fam or by the pool at our swim club (just opened for the season!), I’m also welcoming a slower pace and time at home. It’s been [...]
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May 3, 2026
Hi and happy May! As we roll into the first full week of a new month, I have almost a month’s worth of lunch ideas for you. It’s a great mix of sandwiches, bowls, salads and wraps. I hope you enjoy and find some inspiration for your midday meal! Open-faced chickpea salad sandwich on toasted [...]
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