My favorite things:Picture Edition

 1. My family

 2. Kids who are not picky eaters.

this kid will eat ANYTHING!

 3. Watching the boys frog hunt on summer nights

 4. My oldest son, who is NEVER too embarrassed to hang out with his dorky mom.

5. My son, who will do anything for a few dollars...including wearing goggles in public places. LOL!

 6. Running and all of the great things that go along with running...endorphins, de-stress, quiet time with God, meeting new friends, new bloggy buddies, cute skirts...I could go on and on.

7. Giving back: The Fetal Hope foundation  is a foundation near and dear to my heart.  Go HERE to learn more about my story.

I'm thankful for all of the blessings in my life. 
I pray you are all having a wonderful week...it's half-way over!!!

Grace and peace,

43.4

That is how few miles I have run this month

1
that is how many blog posts I have posted this month

18
place out of 30 in the Splash n Dash Aquathlon on June 4th..slow swim but top female finisher in the run portion!

13
number baseball games I have sat through

90+
the temperature while watching said baseball games

4
races I wanted to do this month but couldn't fit in my schedule.

5
the number of days I spent laid up on Florida beaches last week

12
lbs. lost since Christmas

3
lbs. to race weight

19
weeks until Rock N Roll Marathon in Savannah GA... my first attempt at a BQ...it's probably time to start taking my training to another level.

Vacation mode.....over.


4
kiddos that I am absolutely in love with....would not trade a single moment with them!!!

I have a fantastic review and giveaway that you will L.♥.V.E...coming later this week!

If you're new to my blog, welcome! If you're not new, thanks for stopping by!  I appreciate your comments and feedback!

Grace and peace,

Proud Momma Moment

Saturday was the Love Your Library 5k.  LP and MP were planning on running it, but LP had baseball practice early, so it was just MP for his first 5k.

almost finished

Since I was working the water aid station I didn't get to see him start. :( But it was so exciting watching for him and seeing the look of determination on his face.  My friend and Fleet Feet racer Jon, ran the last part with him and really gave him an extra boost of confidence at the end.

I tried to help him prepare like I would for a race. Wake up early. eat breakfast. get dressed....he was not interested in any of that.  He rolled out of bed, threw some clothes on(not the ones I had laid out) and took one bite of a banana.  It tried to explain to him about fueling your body...blah blah blah...he wasn't interested. He just wanted to run.
 

Skipping breakfast certainly didn't seem to slow him down.

But when he was finished...the child ate like it was nobody's business!!!

eating straight out of the box! LOL!!

 he ate at least 20 doughnut holes, 10 orange slices, 1 bagel, 1 banana, and 1 apple.......
On top of that he drank about a gallon of water and Gatorade! The doughnut lady actually cut him off....so he found someone to go get him more.

mouth full of doughnuts

When he heard the announcement for the 1 mile fun run, he asked if he could run that too.  I told him it probably wasn't a good idea since he had just ingested about 20lbs of food, but he insisted on running it.  I told him if he felt like throwing up to stop, throw up, then keep on running.  He said no problem but wanted to know if he could put some extra doughnuts in his pockets for the run! I of course told him NO! but as you can see from this next picture he is still eating at the starting line of the 1mile.

1 mile starting line

Amazingly, he finished strong!  I can not believe this kid!  He said he felt good the whole time...he was just hungry. Go figure! If anyone wants to send donations for my future grocery bills email me!!lol!
  He finished 4th in the 0-14 age group and was the youngest in his age group!

gosh I love this kid!

He has definitely caught the race bug and is already filling up his own race calendar!
Saturday was a proud momma moment. It's in those moments that I realize God's love for us. And how much more does he love us with His perfect love....

Have you had a proud momma (or daddy) moment lately?

Grace and peace,

Marathon training season kick off!

Brook Hill 5k 8/14/10

Running

I took a little break from running the months of June and July and only ran 63 miles total for both months.  I did a couple 5ks here and there and my time really suffered for the lack of running.  So as of August 2nd I have officially started marathon training.  Right now my main focus has been building my base miles back up.  As of today I already have 83 miles for the month compared to 29 last month, so I would say training is going well.  My main goal for training is to train smarter.  The last time I ran a half marathon I did little to no speed work.  This time I have 1-2 days every week of speed work i.e., intervals, hills, or tempo runs. Today I did sprint intervals and I am feeling it! I also have a fantastic running partner who is willing to get up and run with me in the wee hours of the morning.  She is training for her first half marathon.

Racing

I am so excited about the fall/winter race season.   I have several good races planned and finally a full marathon on the books.   I have 3 half marathons, and one full marathon(my first) coming up in the next few months.  First up is the Women's Half in Nashville, TN on September 25th.

Followed by Life Without Limits Half in Florence, AL on  October 30th,

the Huntsville Half on November 13th,

and the grand race finale will be the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, AL on December 11th.

My Life Outside of Running

Two of my three Little Princes started back to school Aug 9th, 1st grade and 4th grade.  I still can't believe I have a 4th grader.  I don't feel old enough to have a child that age...  until I look in the mirror...yikes!.my crow's feet and the parentheses around my mouth tell me that I AM old enough.

We had a fantastic summer and I poured as much of myself into my boys as I possibly could or that they would allow ;)---spending time, exploring, playing, teaching, and just talking.   I was a little sad for school and soccer to start back up because the time just seems to fly during the school year.  Our schedules fill up so quickly and we have less down time.  My goal for this school season is to create more down time. Time so we can just chill and enjoy each other.....

I hope you are all having a fantastic week! 

Grace and peace,

Three Things Thursday

1. Littlest Prince's room is finally finished! We had water damage in his room a little over a month ago and had to gut it and fix a "bunch of stuff"(that is actually the technical term).  The carpet was put down today and that was the final step!  He has been sharing a room(not sharing my bed ..I don't do animals or kids in my bed) with us for one month too long.  I'm a light sleeper and any little noise he would make would wake me up.  I'm looking forward to peaceful uninterrupted sleep tonight.  During the construction on his room I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and have 2 of our bathrooms tiled.  In my head this made sense, my house would already be a mess from contractors coming in and out tracking dirt all over the place.  For the record, contractors do not care how clean your floors are or walls for that matter. 

From now on, one project at a time!!  The house was in total chaos and for a type A personality like myself I don't do chaos well.  At times I was down right irrational(shocker, I know.) and I would be on my hands and knees cleaning the floors and wiping down walls.  I even considered asking the workers to remove their shoes before coming inside. 

2.Tomorrow night I have a date with my boys.  I am taking them to see Alice in Wonderland and then to Maggie Moo's Ice Cream & Treatery (where I plan on overindulging in an Udderly Butter Bebopper) so Yummy!!  I have heard that Alice in Wonderland is a bit trippy, but I don't care.  Alice in Wonderland is my ALL time favorite movie from childhood. 

3. Next week is Spring Break and we were planning on spending it on the white, sandy, beaches of San Destin, FL.......not so much. Wah, Wah, Wah... Hubby had to work.  So I will be taking off work to have a "stay-cation" with the kids at home.  Actually, it will probably be more like a "work-cation" as there is a ton of stuff to be done around the house.  My brother is getting married in a few weeks and guess where the reception is.....my back yard. Woot. Woot.  So my list of activities include cleaning out the garage that we can barely walk through, tilling up the garden(yes in AL it's almost planting time), mulching the flower beds, and a bunch more stuff that makes me sleepy just thinking about.  Of course, I don't want the boys to have a sucky spring break so we'll hit up the local indoor pool, go to a museum, and do some other local activities that they are less than thrilled about. They really LOVE the beach. Hubby says he'll make it up to us.  I'm thinking a Caribbean cruise should do the trick.;)

Running
I'm doing my first training run on hills tomorrow.....pray for me....I don't do hills....not that I can't...I just don't. I have the Rocket Run 10 miler on the 20th and I hoping hills will help take my running to another level.....
Goal for Rocket Run: sub 1:30:00

Oh one more thing! I know I called this Three Things Thursday but what I meant was 5 things... I've been doing the 30 Day Core Challenge hosted by One Run At A Time..and I am really feeling it today!

If you're new to my blog, welcome! If you're not new, thanks for stopping by!  I love reading your comments and feedback!

Grace and peace,

I Want to be a Runner Like You.

 This week my little princes' are celebrating Read Across America week at school.  Today all the kids were supposed to dress up as what they want to be when they grow up.  When I asked the boys what they wanted to be Prince #1 said "I want to be a runner like you." LOL!!  My first thought was "this is going to be an easy costume, go throw on a pair of sweat pants." My second thought was "does he really think that I run for a living??"  How fantastic would that be to get paid to run! I'm not even going to correct him, I love hearing the from their teachers all the stories that my boys tell at school. I can hear it now "Tyler says your a professional runner.",  and I would reply, "why yes, yes I am."..LOL!!  When Prince # 1 was in Kindergarten I was at the parent/teacher conference and his (very proper, southern belle)teacher had a very concerned look on her face, I knew something big was coming, she said "Tyler tells me that sometimes you punch his daddy in the neck." HA! I almost fell over! I used to say that to hubby all the time in jest that I would punch him right in the neck if he forgot to take the garbage out, or if he was being crabby, it would always make me laugh(apparently I have a warped sense of humor). I would never actually do it! So I had to explain to this teacher that I don't actually abuse my hubby and that I just think it is something funny to say. She was not amused....I don't say it when the kids are around anymore. Though a few weeks ago hubby was picking at Prince #1 and he yelled "MOM! Come punch daddy in the neck!"....It's still funny to me!

Ok so I took a little tangent...so Prince #1 wanted to be a runner...what did Prince #2 want to be?
Our conversation went like this:

Me: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Prince 2: Boba Fett.
Me: You can't be Boba Fett.
Prince 2: Why?
Me: Because Boba Fett is not real.
Prince 2: Yes he is. What about Darth Vader?
Me: How about a fireman or a police officer?(we have those costumes so that would be easy)
Prince 2: No. How about I can be a pollen jock? (He loves the Bee movie)
Me: *sigh* you have to be something that is real, a pollen jock is a bumble bee. You are not a bumble bee.
Prince 2: I might be one day
Me: No you won't.(if it wasn't 6am, I would have been laughing but at this point I was done talking) You will be a police officer or you won't dress up.
Prince 2: Can I bring real handcuffs and my BB gun?
Me: We don't have real handcuffs and cops don't carry BB guns.
Prince 2: If I'm a fireman can I bring a water hose?
Me: No, now get dressed!

I wish I would have snapped some pics this morning because they were a sight! 

They will be running in the 1 Mile fun run this Saturday and they are both pretty determined to set PR's.
I, on the other hand did not run Tuesday or Wednesday due to a case of crazy schedule-itis I am really looking forward to a 6 miler at lunch today and then tomorrow morning I am going to do a nice easy run with my friend Angie who is running the 5k with me Saturday.  We will also be brainstorming to come up with a name for my Garmin.  She calls hers "Huzzy" because it beeps at her and tells her to speed up all the time!

Any ideas for names for my Garmin?

 If your new to my blog, welcome! If your not new, thanks for stopping by!
I love reading your comments and feedback!

Grace and peace, 

Mad Props to Stay at Home Moms!!

Wow! Back to the office after a long, unexpected 4 day weekend.  The kids had snow days Monday and Tuesday.  They were thrilled to be out of school.  Me, I have a new found respect for all stay at home moms. Especially those of you who still find time to run.  When do you do it??
It was chaos! I love schedules...LOVE them.  If I don't have a schedule my world spins out of control.  Ok, maybe that's a slight exaggeration...but you get the point.  Monday I woke up and got ready for work, got the boys ready for school and Grandma's, we were ready to go by 7am when the phone rang, no school.
So we all changed back into our pj's, after all, we had no where to go, and couldn't even if we wanted to because they closed several roads due to ice.

The rest of my day went something like this:

  Laundry, fix kids snack, laundry, sweep floors, empty dishwasher, load dishwasher, fix kids more snacks, clean bathrooms, watch the View(love those girls!) while re-hanging the mirror above the fireplace(it was crooked), fix kids lunch, put little prince down for a nap, contemplate laying down with him, decide this will be my only opportunity to get a run in, sit prince #1 and prince #2 in front of the Wii and pray they play "nice"... hop on the dreadmill, manage to chugg out 6.5 miles before little prince wakes up..hungry....Geez! These kids eat A LOT!!! Fix little prince snack and organize the junk drawer...found a $20 spot..Woo hoo!! I'm sure it's hubby's secret stash, but I've earned it.......feel guilty....put $20 spot back in "hiding place", little prince is done, play wii with prince #1 & #2 while little prince screams for the remote.....prince #1& #2 quit because I ROCK at Super Mario Bros.....sore losers...just kidding...but really I do rock at it....look at the clock realize hubby will be home in 30 mins, start supper....oops, i haven't showered yet and I stink!  Hmmm.....shower...supper...shower...supper...decided to finish supper, it's not like hubby hasn't seen me funky before!  By the time hubby walks in the door all I want to do is take a shower and a nap.

The next morning we got the call School cancelled again..... Day #2 was similar to Day #1 with a little more Super Mario Bros..;) , plus I managed to pound out 4.5 miles and a Jillian Michaels Trouble Zone Workout(see my review HERE). 
Of course it is always great to be with the boys and I miss them like crazy today, but I'm back in my office today on a schedule....(*sigh*)

***I am behind in my 1000++ miles goal for the year, hoping to catch up in the next few weeks. I have a couple long runs planned and I'm excited that Spring weather is right around the corner!!!! Oh Happy Days!! 

If your new to my blog, welcome! If your not new, thanks for stopping by!
I love reading your comments and feedback!

 

Grace and peace,

A Little of This & That

RUN
I really don't have anything pressing or inspiring to post. Just a little of this and a little of that.
I had a great run today! I ran 5.2 miles at a 9:30 pace.  It was beautiful out, 60 degrees and sunny.  Feels like an early spring day. I've been taking it kind of easy this week and have kept my daily mileage under 4 miles everyday, though today I just did NOT want to stop.  I have a 10 miler planned for Saturday and I'm praying the weather stays nice.

Dirty-Nasty
It finally arrived!  Our new couch!
It took us almost 6 months to decide on a couch that we both liked and that could also withstand 3 rough and tumble boys.  Our old couches were so nasty that when we had company over we would keep the lights turned down low so that they couldn't see "dirty-nasty" in all it's glory.  A word of advice for anyone buying furniture B.C.(Before Children), do some research.  When we first brought Dirty-Nasty home, she was beautiful!  She was a  light, sage green with soft cotton fabric and big overstuffed cushions.  We loved her...... until Tyler was born.  The first time his projectile spit-up hit the back of her cushions we knew we were in trouble! No matter what we did the spot would not come out.  Flash forward a few years, I woke up one morning at 5am and found Tyler, then 3yrs old, sitting on the couch eating a stick of butter, his reward to himself for the lovely artwork he had created on the couch out of butter.  Two whole sticks of butter MASHED into the couch!  We started tying the fridge shut after that!  That was just two of the many incidents and accidents that have happened on that couch.  Oh we have had Dirty-Nasty professionally cleaned several times but she was never the same.  The last straw was 6months ago when Sebastian had the stomach bug....just use your imagination.....YUCK!!
So this time we went with leather.  Hubby called me at work today around lunch and the delivery guys had just dropped it off.  I can't wait to see it actually in the house.  Would it be wrong to make the kids sit on the floor from now on? LOL! Just kidding........but really?

Today is the end of my work week! I am going to take advantage of the spa g/c that Hubby and the boys gave me tomorrow.  I'm going in for a sugar scrub body polish and a one hour deep tissue massage. OOOOhhhh I can't wait!  Then tomorrow night is "Ladies Night In"!  This is a night when several of my girlfriends and I meet and one of the ladies' houses and eat, talk, play games and just hang out with no kids.  We do it once every month or two.  Will be a good day!

I am really enjoying reading all of your blogs!  I have found inspiration, encouragement, and great tips on running and life!  I hope you all are having a wonderful week!!

*Oh almost forgot! I have been reconstructing my blog. Do you like?  I love green!  I am working on a design for the header but have not had time to finish it yet....so stay tuned! ;)
I really don't know what I'm doing and am surprised I haven't messed anything up too bad.


Grace and peace,

My Race Report- FINALLY!

I attempted to sit down and post this several times...to no avail!  I have had the last several days off of work so there should have been plenty of time, right? WRONG!!  Hubby left to go on a hunting trip and left the 3 boys and I to do everything but blog! The fact that I have even been able to get in a run today is borderline auh-mazing!! That being said, here is my race report.

Winter Misery One Miler- Race Report

First of all thank you to RunningLaur for hosting such a wonderful virtual event! 
I thought this would be a great race to run with the boys, so Christmas Eve morning we got up early and bundled up.   The temp was 50 degrees with wind gust up to 40 mph.  We pinned on our racing bibs and headed out after snapping a few pics.

Sebastian's game face!

Ready, set, go!!

Off we went to do a little warm up around the block.  After about 4 mins of running into the wind(which was brutal) the boys decided it might be best if they went back and got their bikes.

This was fine with me, I thought it would give me a chance to really push it and maybe even PR my mile.

I felt pretty good and was on course for a 7min 30 sec mile. Then, Sebastian fell off of his bike. I didn't want to stop (he wasn't hurt) so I slowed down to a jog, grabbed him and his bike, threw him back on it and continued to run. That and a combination of the 40 mph wind gusts set me at a 8min and 10sec mile.  Not a PR, but I'm happy with it.

We all had fun and maybe next year the boys will finish. They should be seasoned runners by then;)!

I didn't have a chance to do a Christmas post, so here are a few pics from our Christmas:

After Santa came to visit

That is a look of excitement!! He finally got a camera!

 

I ♥ Sarah Palin

totally hubby's idea!

Again....thanks to hubby!

 

Maddox was so exhausted from all the festivities he fell asleep half standing!!!

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I have really been praying and meditating on this past year and the new year to come. Hopefully I will have the time this week to post about it!

Random note:
Hubby's Uncle has been very sick and they don't expect him to make it much longer.  The family has asked me to come to Nashville sometime this week to pray with him and the family before he dies.  I am so humbled and honored that they would ask me.

Giveaways:

RUN FASTER MOMMY  is raising money for a great cause by hosting a raffle for an amazing prize! If you have the chance, go check it out!

 Hopefully I will post my New Year post tomorrow, if not, I pray you all have a wonderful and safe New Year with many blessings to come!!

Grace and peace,

Whirl wind Week

Actually I should say "Weeks".  December is by far my favorite month of the year, however, it always seems to go by in a blur. Christmas parties, Birthday parties, Christmas programs, shopping, baking, we cram so much "fun" into the month as we possibly can. Every year I make a point to say "next year we won't do so much".  Yet, here we are again squeezing every drop of Christmas fun out of the holiday season. We are definitely enjoying ourselves and so are the kids!

This Christmas season has been different in a way that I didn't imagine it would be last year.  My boys Tyler and Sebastian have run 2 races in the last few weeks.  When I start to lace up my shoes at home both of them are at the door ready to go run with me.  I am usually not a credit hog, but I am taking all the credit for this one! I am so proud to see that competitive spirit growing in them.  We ran in the Rudolph Run 5k and 1 mile fun run this past Saturday.  Both boys wanted to improve on their past time and they both did! PR's all around!

Before the Run

Not only the fact that they are beginning to foster the same love of running that I do, but they are becoming more aware of their bodies and nutrition in a way that I didn't until I was in my late 20's!  I'm so proud of my little men! Now if I could just get hubby to lace up his shoes!;)

 Giveaway Alert!!

○By the way, there is a fantastic holiday giveaway over on  Tall Mom on the Run's blog! It is GU-liscious!!   Check it out!
○Also A Merry Christmas Giveaway at One Run At A Time! Check it out for a chance to win the much coveted 2010 Runner's World Calendar!!