Hazel-friendly Oatmeal Pancakes

I was browsing pinterest one day and came across some oatmeal pancakes.  I like oatmeal.  I like pancakes.  So, they should be good, right.  Wrong.  They are A May Zing.  They had tons of dairy in them (cottage cheese, milk AND eggs).  So, I actually combined a few different recipes and then vegan-ized them for Hazel.  So scrumptious!  Hazel inhaled six of these babies in 4 minutes flat.  Cannon is my tougher critic as he doesn't like most of my Hazel-friendly recipes - but he also gobbled down 6 of these leaving only 2 for me.  If you should feel so inclined as to try this recipe, please splurge on some real maple syrup.  Pretty please?  You won't regret it.  I'm thinking these with some sliced strawberries on Christmas morning.  Can't wait!  They're pretty healthy, too.





Dry Ingredients:

• 1 Cup whole wheat flour
• 1 Cup rolled oats (or you could use instant oats but rolled oats are so much better)
• 2 Tablespoons Sucanat (which is evaporated cane juice or you could use sugar)
• 2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups almond milk with 1 1/2 tsp. of vinegar mixed in and set to rest for a minute (or buttermilk)
• 1/2 Cup rice or almond milk
• 1/4 Cup olive oil
• Egg replacer for 2 eggs

Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Then mix in all the wet ingredients and let it sit for 10-15 minutes so the rolled oats get moist and soggy.  You could at this point blend it in a blender if you want it smooth but don't add the baking powder to the blender or your batter will explode.  Personal experience.  But I promise you won't notice the oats if you let it sit long enough.  Spoon about 1/4 cup onto a hot griddle and brown each side.  Serve with coconut oil and maple syrup.  Enjoy!

What the Wednesday!

We woke up to a newly festive Christmas tree

Alphie got into Cannons underpants drawer

And put underpants all over our tree!

That naughty little elf!

I really really really

Want to learn Japanese

I can sing a song and say please and hi

 I'm almost there

Hazel told me this morning

"Perry is a platypus"

But it was the cutest thing I've ever heard

pwat-a-pwus

I've been making her say it every 30 seconds

Don't you love when 2-year-olds say cute things?

The Nightmare Before Christmas

It's more of a Halloween movie, right?

I mean, they talk about Christmas

But it's kind of scary for little kids

It was on as a Christmas special the other night

Cannon was loving it

Hazel not so much

She's terrified of witches

She talks about them all the time - it's pretty bad

I turned it off after the first song

She still had a nightmare

before Christmas

Jarom came home with this the other day

We lost the cow the first 24 hours we had it

Tore the house apart looking for it

Awesome

 I just love Christmas time

Everything about it makes me happy

And chubby

It has been SO cold this week

Like 30* as the high

Morel like 5* with the wind

But still no snow

It just doesn't feel like Christmas is really coming

Until we get a good snow

My back!

I think I did something horrible

But I just woke up on Monday with pain when I move

It's fine if I'm sitting or laying down

But getting to those positions is painful

It's like at the top though

Just between my shoulder blades

Today it's worse

Cannon jumped on me and I screamed

I feel like I'm 87

Help!!

Have a painless Wednesday!

What the, umm, Thursday!

Meet Alphie

He's our Elf on the Shelf

I found him at Thanksgiving Point's Emporium

The kids love him so far

They whisper little secrets in his ear

And they know he's reporting what he sees

Every morning we have to find his new hiding place

Oh, man, it's fun!

Hazel loves her some "guacaroni"

Which is actually just regular guacamole

She eats it with a spoon and begs for more when it's gone

Robin Hood has been on constant replay at our house

Ooodalaly!

Thanksgiving was pie-licious

I still have some chocolate silk pie in my fridge

And I swear it calls my name at least 3 times a day

Help!

Christmas just gets better every year

This year both of the kids know exactly what is happening

It's a lot of pressure, though

Seriously

Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday

I'm about 75% done with Christmas shopping

Hooray for screaming deals!

Watch this

Is that not the most awkward thing you've ever seen?

I'm so glad Jarom and I kissed a few times
(heh heh, okay a LOT)

Before our wedding day
In front of everyone we know
I feel bad laughing
But it's just SO hilarious




I made the best salsa last night
 But I just kind of dumped stuff in the blender and hit pulse a few times
Now I'll never be able to make it that good again
Sad




 Have a happy Thursday!

What the Wednesday!

Jarom's youngest brother moved in with us

He's a great kid and my kids love having a live-in jungle gym

Now I have a slight idea of what it's like to have a teenage son

And how much they eat!

Every time I look in the fridge, we're out of something

But he cleaned out my workout room

And takes out the trash

And did my dishes

So I guess he can stay

Thanksgiving is tomorrow

Pie cookin' day is today!

Oh, how I love Thanksgiving

Last week, Cannon and Jarom watched

How it's Made

It was about sardines.  gross.

Cannon was obsessed and talked sardines all week long

So when I made our grocery list and I asked him what snack he wanted

Of course, he said "SARDINES"

I wrote it down but hoped he would forget when we got there

Oh no

He saw them on the aisle with the mustard and pickles

A can was only $.75 so I let him carry it through the store

Anytime he could get someones attention

He would go into great detail about how sardines are caught and packaged

He would talk about how he couldn't wait to get home and eat them

So that night, Jarom opened them up

And the smell alone sent Cannon running out of the room

"EWWWWWW!"  He screamed

And he hasn't spoken of them since...




Meanwhile on that same shopping trip
I had a couple bunches of kale in my cart
And I didn't notice for a little while
But Hazel scarfed down two whole kale leaves
Like they were made out of candy
That's what you get when you have a child who can't eat anything!

I'm running a turkey trot tomorrow

It's a good think I haven't run the entire month of November

Heaven help me!

I'm thankful for scarves

I'm thankful for my van

(never thought I'd say that)

I'm thankful for naps

I'm thankful for you

Have a thankful Wednesday!

What the Wednesday!

Tuesdays are officially dubbed my most dreaded day of the week

Why?

It's shopping day

Hazel refuses to keep her boots on 

I lose Cannon at least once an hour

They whine, they cry, they bother each other

Yesterday it was Good Earth, Costco and Walmart

By the end of it my face was red, I was flustered, disheveled, ornery

I just can't win

It's time to look at my week and see when I can possibly go shopping without them

Grrrr...

 Piano music has made a huge difference in my house

It calms us all down and makes our mornings go so smoothly

Okay, sometimes I get sick of it

But my taste in music is that of a 13 year old girl most of the time

Try the Jon Schmidt station on Pandora

So,

Jarom got called into the bishopric on Sunday

He'll be over the youth which he loves

I have mixed emotions about the whole thing

I'll actually see him more often on Sundays which is great

And I love the men and their families that will be serving with him

Plus, the bishop is awesome!

I just feel so very inadequate

It will be good

I just realize I have a lot of growing up to do

Starting with complaining less

And not yelling at my kids as much

And wearing pants more often

That's for you, Kendra ;)

Got these at Costco yesterday

(sorry I can't find a better link than that)

I can't describe how yummy they are

Just buy them, please

The way Hazel says pumpkin

Makes my insides turn into soft, whipped fluff

Po'nkin

Speaking of pumpkins

I think I'm going to try out 3 or 4 different vegan pumpkin pie recipes 

In preparation for Thanksgiving

I've got to get it just right

Hazel best be prepared to enjoy herself some pumpkin pie

I'm a Thanksgiving-ist

Just so you know where I stand on the ever-polarizing 

Thanksgiving comes after Halloween issue

Thanksgiving is a holiday, too

And it's certainly one of my favorites

I could do without the football

But other than that, it's just perfect

I don't think we'll be making a tofu turkey, though

Just FYI

Jarom rented a carpet cleaner and cleaned my carpets on Saturday

It's amazing how good they look

He's a keeper

Have a refreshing Wednesday!

A Few Favorites

My sweet friend, Mandi, did a great job this year.  We threw together this photo shoot in about 24 hours and I'm so glad we did.  I was kind of planning on just not having our photos done this year because we were running out of time and I couldn't imagine putting outfits together.  It's a very daunting task.  I put these outfits together the morning of our shoot and I borrowed about 75% of my outfit from Mandi's oldest daughter.  The dress is mine and that's it.  I desperately need some cute boots, though.  Just FYI.  Without further ado...

This is Halloween

Cannon all ready for his preschool party

 

He's the "fastest motorcycle rider in the earth" just in case you're wondering.

And we didn't have to purchase anything for his costume.  It was all in his closet for riding his little quad.  Score!

And my pretty little Belle

Together all ready to trick-or-treating

Yes, she's wearing mascara.  I felt kind of weird about putting it on her - like a toddlers and tiaras mom.  But, seriously.  Check out those lashes. 

Oh, man.  What a great year!  They were both so excited about Halloween.  Hazel loved knocking on the doors and seeing the people all dressed up.  She was a little scaredy-cat at some doors and would repeat "I won't be scared" over and over as a positive affirmation while clinging to me whenever she saw something that was even slightly alarming.  Cannon was a total professional.  He would say "trick-or-treat" at each door followed by "Happy Halloween" as he walked back to the sidewalk.  They loved carving "po'nkins", visiting the pumpkin patch, seeing the farm, the hayride and going to see the pirate ship (a family in our neighborhood builds a whole pirate ship in their front yard and fries donuts and makes rootbeer on Halloween night).  So fun!  Halloween hasn't ever been my favorite holiday but I like it much better now that I can do fun stuff with my kids.  I hope you had a great Halloween!

What the Wednesday!

Bowling with the family

More fun than it sounded at the time

The kids were delighted

I try my hardest to be fashionable

But my quest to be comfortable usually wins out

If only hoodies and jeans were more vogue, ya know?

I'll check faint at the temple

off my bucket list this week

Along with cry from embarrassment

And make everyone think I'm pregnant

(I'm not)

Apparently I have lots of friends who sew

And could have helped me with the tinkerbell fiasco

I just hate burdening people with my desire to be a cute and crafty mother

That's all

It's our annual preschool pumpkin patch field trip on Friday!

Directly followed by me passing out on my bed for 2 hours

Hey, it's a tradition

Baby Mine

From Dumbo

Makes me weep inconsolably every time I hear it

I promise, I'm not pregnant

 We attempted family pictures this week

I think they even turned out cute

Especially the ones of the kids

But it's a good thing we only do it once a year

 Have a conscious Wednesday!

What the Wednesday!

 

She's feeling so much better

Thank you for dusting off your prayers for her

Now to keep her healthy through cold and flu season...

Fall Break is this week

It will be the first year we don't go to California

in over 5 years

Jarom is feeling really homesick

Haven't been running consistently

I hate that!

Sorry, Kendra

But I have to tell this story because it makes me die with laughter every time I think about it

A couple weeks ago, it was tuition day for preschool

It was also a crazy day and the same week I had been taking care of sick Hazel

Two nights with a couple hours of sleep 

So after preschool I decided to take a nap

after putting both my kids down for their naps

I took off my pants because they were really tight

(something to do with that not running thing, ugh!)

And laid in my bed

But I couldn't get to sleep so I turned on the tv

VH1 brought back pop-up-video (love)

All of a sudden, I see light flooding into my house

So I knew someone opened the door

I assumed it was our neighbor girl 

Who walks into our house all the time

So I leaned forward to tell her to go home since my kids were asleep

Well, it was a neighbor, but not a little girl

Kendra was standing there with her check for preschool

And I was sitting on my bed without pants on

I threw my comforter around me

I blurted something about "ummm, sorry, I don't have pants on!"

We both just started laughing

I don't know who was more embarrassed

It's a good thing we're friends

But I still think it's the funniest thing ever

I NEVER just take off my pants during the day

And Kendra doesn't make it a habit to walk into houses

She heard the TV and assumed Cannon was watching something 

so we couldn't hear her knock

I'm going to do better at locking the door from now on

No Halloween decorations up at my house yet

Now that's scary

I started sewing a tinkerbell costume for Hazie

But I sewed it together the wrong way.  Twice.

So I wadded it up and threw it in the trash

We visited the Disney Store yesterday

And bought a costume for the same price I bought all that fabric

But the tinkerbell costumes were ridiculous 

($40 for the costume and $40 for the wings)

So she's going to be Belle

Or in her words "Pincess and a Beast"

All the Halloween costumes for boys are lame

pirate or super hero.  double lame.

The Muppet Movie collection by OPI just came out

Here's the thing when you wear a glitter

You have to wear it with the shortest nails possible

(mine are even maybe a little long for a glitter)

Or it will look tacky

Here's Rainbow Connection:

It reminds me of a New Year's Eve party in a bottle

Chunky glitter in orange, light blue, green, silver and pink

and micro glitter in just about every color you can imagine

What the Wednesday!

I should call it What the Tuesday

Because of our crazy day yesterday

We're fine now but

Hazel went to bed with a fever on Monday night

Woke up struggling to breathe on Tuesday morning

She calmed down and I snuggled her until she fell asleep again

But while she was sleeping I heard the wheezing and labored breathing start

She had a raspy voice and barking cough

I called the nurse at her pediatricians office

Who told me to take her in immediately

So I did

She has croup

But coupled with her asthma and already weak lungs

It was a scary situation

She had to be on breathing treatments for a while

Then got a shot of something that starts with a D??  Whatever it is it helped her lungs

But it was the hugest needle I've ever seen

And all she did was ask for a sucker

Her fever spiked to 103 while we were there

So they wouldn't let her leave until it was lower than 101

So scary

When I checked her in

I was so flustered

I had to ask the receptionist if it was 2010 or 2012?

Umm

It's 2011, just FYI

When they put the mask on her face

They said she'd probably scream

And try to take it off

She cried "Mommy"

A few times

I told her to close her eyes and go to sleep

So she did

So obedient

She just can't catch a break

I slept on her floor last night

Not the most restful sleep

But she was breathing so much better

And her fever finally broke

This morning she wanted cookies

I think that's a good sign

I don't know how other parents do it




In other news
Jarom and I went to the BYU/Utah State game on Friday
It was the most exciting football game I've ever been to
I'm sure Bronco would have liked it if it had been less exciting
When the cougars scored with seconds left
The entire stadium errupted
It was awesome
I bet my dad was kicking himself
For giving his ticket to me
But I had a blast
And I got a kiss for every 1st down
On second thought
I'm sure my dad was glad I was the one there

What the Wednesday!

Sunday we went to my parents for dinner. 

The kids went downstairs and nobody heard from them in a while. 

I went downstairs hoping they hadn't made a huge mess 

and found them like this on my sisters bed. 

They are the cutest. 

My grandma made the yummiest apple crisp. It was heaven

Last Thursday I had to take Hazel to the Dr. 

because she's had some major digestive issues lately

Ugh, it's another story

After our appt, we had time to kill 

so we drove up to Logan to spend some time with my sister, Haley

It was just the relaxing day trip I needed

Isn't Logan the best?

October General Conference 

Is one of my favorite weekends of the year

I'm thinking French toast (vegan for Hazie) 

And freshly squeezed orange juice (also vegan)

Mmmm...

I really want some new cute clothes

At least some really well fitting jeans

Seriously considering getting rid of my iphone

But what will I ever do without my Nike gps app? 

Or angry birds

Wants? Needs? 

I really can't tell the difference

Scholastic book orders make me incredibly happy 

Hazel really freaked out her babysitter today

(sorry, Erica)

By deciding to have an allergic reaction

It wasn't too bad and she's fine now

But her swollen little face just about put Erica over the edge

I forget how scary it is the first time you see it...

Just another day in the life

Raced the Dirty Dash on Saturday

Never been so filthy

Or laughed so hard while exercising

So freaking fun

I'll try to post some more photos

It was too good not to share

Have a despicable Wednesday!

What The Wednesday!

I totally made pickles and salsa straight from my garden this week.
Gardening is officially an obsession
Saweet!

Finally went for a run on Saturday. 

It was so nice to get out. 

It was just after a rainstorm and nice and cool. 

I just put my headphones in and blasted my music and ran until I wanted to stop. 

It ended up being 3.4 miles. 

I realized I hadn't listened to my songs I put on my ipod for the race. 

Because I ran the Half marathon without music. 

Totally unplanned but one of those cool bragging moments. 

Apparently running 13.1 miles without music is hard!

While I'm on the subject of totally bragging about myself, um.
Yeah. I got nothing. 

I got a sourdough start from my mom this week. 

I am completely and utterly fascinated with sourdough. 

My moms start is allegedly over 100 years old and hails from Alaska during the gold rush. 

Not sure if that's true, but still. Cool. 

I'm "reviving" my start right now which takes a few days 

but I plan on making some FABULOUS things with it. 

Pizza, Navajo tacos, tortillas. Yum! 

It takes longer to rise and it's totally an art. 

So cross your fingers I can get this start going.

BYU... So embarrassing!
Jarom refuses to talk about it.  Sore subject.




It was national speak like a pirate day on Monay
So we went down to the Chik-fil-a
Where they were giving out free entrees
To all people dressed like a pirate
My kids really got into their characters
Hazel got a fruit salad
And I finally got me some waffle fries
Mmmmmm...
Dressing like a pirate was never yummier




After organizing the pantry

I hate my kitchen slightly less




Rejecting everything I ever learned about nutrition
On behalf of my daughter
Is so exhausting
I think I need a support group
Or a massage
Or a donut




Have a revolutionary Wednesday!

Arr

Welcome to my Pantry

I spent today organizing and cleaning my pantry.  I threw out the last of the Neocate and got a little emotional placing it in the trash (it was expired or I would have found a family to give it to).  I had Hazel do it and I said "look, Hazie, that was your food!"  She said something like "yup, I remember drinking that nasty stuff 3-6 times a day and loving every ounce.  Thanks for taking such great care of me and finding nutritious and palatable entrees for my little allergic self."  Yeah, it was something like that.  There was also some of the rice crackers that she ate in there that were the only thing aside from Neocate that Hazel lived on for a year.  I don't have a "before" photo for two reasons.  First, I just forgot to take one and second it would have been super embarrassing!  It was bad!  Just imagine boxes of food falling all over the place and wheat berries all over the floor.  Yuck!

Here is the "after":




I got two large bins to put my pyrex containers separately.  I hate the plastic food-saving containers so I just use the pyrex but the lids and containers still get lost and separated.  I'm hoping this way they'll be separate from the start and easier to find matches.  Hopefully. 






I bought a cricut machine from one of the moms from Cannon's soccer team.  I put it to good use labeling all the grains and sweeteners.  I also labeled a little box with Hazel's name full of the foods and treats she can eat.  Now I can leave her at home with a little more peace of mind.  She has her soft-baked allergy free brownies, animal crackers, almonds, dried cherries, fake cheese sauce, egg replacer and smarties.






Here is my other favorite part, the grains and legumes.  Who knew I had so many?  I got some great containers and labeled them.  Sucanat is a sugar replacer (evaporated cane juice) that I use in our pancakes and waffles each week.  Quinoa (KEEN-wa) is a grain and it's super delicous and light.  Just in case you were wondering.  Before  Hazel, I had no idea what those things were.  It's so nice to have it all in nice containers instead of in half-opened bags all over the shelves. 





And that's how I spent my Tuesday!

What the Wednesday!

Just a warning

You'll probably have to hear more about my race

So if you wish to stop hearing about it

Don't read ahead

You've been warned

I was fine until yesterday

But then I just started crying and couldn't stop
(today is much better)

It's so weird

Mandi says it's like having a baby

And I never really believed her

Until now

I worked so hard all Summer

And now it's just over

And I can't explain why I cried about it

I think the key for me to move ahead

Is to find a new goal

But I'm kind of stuck

I know I'm not ready for a full marathon

I really want to work on increasing my pace and endurance

So I'm thinking another half marathon is in my sort-of-distant future

Sorry, Jarom

Hazel woke up inexplicably at 3:30am yesterday

And was completely awake and ready for the day

She has NEVER done this

I made her lay down in the bed with me

And she was chattering

Just as I wanted to yell at her to be quiet

She bursts out singing

"I Am a Child of God"

How in the world can you get mad when a cute little 2-year-old voice

is singing that?

Even if it's 3:30am

So we sat on the couch and watched Dora until everyone else woke up

So tired

Jarom says that the next time I'm mad at him

He's going to start singing

"I Am a Child of God"

In a cute little 2-year-old voice

And see what happens

I'm guessing it won't work as well

But who knows?

Cannon cries at every soccer game

I really think Hazel might be red/green color blind

She has all the other colors down and points them out all the time

But red and green always throw her off

She'll either switch them

Or she calls green yellow

And red purple

I know she's still little

And it might be a fluke

But it's starting to worry me a little bit

Speaking of colors, here she is reading Brown Bear

If you haven't seen it already

Jarom is super pumped about the Raiders game on Monday

I have to admit it was an impressive win against the Broncos

65-yard field goal and all

And I'm the one who didn't know what the yellow line on the football field was for

 (not Jarom's proudest moment of me)

Have a chipper Wednesday!

Nebo Half

For the past few years, I've had a goal to complete a half marathon.  Ever since I got home from the Wasatch Back, I knew I could do it.  I looked and looked and got a suggestion from my friend, Mandi, to do the Nebo Half.  It was the inaugural year and was a perfect 12 weeks away for plenty of training time.  Plus, the canyon is beautiful and the weather would be cool and lovely. 

I started my training with the intention to run the whole thing.  I didn't have a time goal until a few weeks before the race but I knew I wanted to run the whole time.  There were two girls in my neighborhood that started out with me.  They both got injured during training and were back and forth on whether they would actually run it.  It scared me to do it alone, but I was determined to finish what I had started. 

While running my 9 mile training run after a completely exhausting week, I hit a wall and could only run 8 of the miles.  It was a bump in my road that I happily overcame with rest and dropping a day of running.  I talked to two of my Wasatch Back teammates and they gave me lots of encouragement and advice that helped me on my long runs.  They both signed up for the race and ran along side me on my last 3 long runs.  Kim and Mandi will both deny it, but I don't know if I could have kept going without them.  They are wonderful, supportive angel cheerleaders.  I was happy to know they would be with me along the way.  Just before the race, one of the other neighborhood girls decided not to run (which I think was a hard, but necessary choice) and the other decided to do it.  Her injury was painful but not made worse by running.  I worked hard all summer and put in countless hours of training and rest so my body would be ready to endure 13.1 miles. 

I had butterflies the whole week before the race.  Any time someone mentioned it, my stomach would flutter with nerves and excitement.  The night before the race, my friends sneaked into my garage and decorated my car with 13.1 and other messages for me.  They left a cute card and some gifts including some Halloween nail polish (they know me so well) that I used for my race manicure.   We had a pasta party and it was nice to sit with them and ask questions and ease my mind. 

I got up at 3:30am the morning of the race.  My alarm was set for 4, but I just couldn't sleep thinking about it.  My heart was pounding and my mind was racing.  I gathered my things and got dressed while taking deep breaths to calm myself down.  Jeannette picked me up at 4:30 and we drove the Payson High School where the buses were ready to pick us up.  Interestingly enough, by the time we got to the school my nerves turned into excitement.  I knew I was ready.  I knew I had worked hard and put in my miles.  Mandi and Kim got there just as we did.  I was so happy to see them! 

The bus drove us up the canyon we had to run down and I'm glad Kim distracted me by talking during the ride up or I would have spent the bus ride wondering how in the world I was going to run down every inch of the canyon. 

There were fire pits at the start because it was so cold!  I stood by the fire for a few minutes while the music blasted and people were stretching and hopping up and down to get warmed up.  It was a tiny race - only about 150-200 participants.  I'm glad it wasn't intimidating because I don't know if I could have calmed down enough with more people.  They gathered us at the starting line and blew an airhorn to signal the start.  I didn't start my gps right then so I didn't get a completely accurate time/distance but it was close. 

The first 8 miles flew by.  Mandi and Kim stayed right with me and helped to pace.  They were great distractions and we talked about Hawaii (where Kim grew up), our kids, running, Willie Day (as in Willie Nelson), and life.  We saw cattle, deer, and a really cool caterpillar.  It soon warmed up and we trusted our warm gear with a girl named Jazz at mile 7.  We stopped to use the honey buckets twice but ran the whole time.  It really was a beautiful run.  Before I knew it, we were at mile 11.  Then it got hard.  My legs were stiff and it was warming up.  The course began to level off and go up and down a little before we were out of the canyon.  At mile 12, Kim and Mandi started yelling encouragement and I could feel my body resisting the run.  I didn't want to slow down and I knew I could run one more mile.  I didn't slow down and pushed through it.  At .6 miles left I wanted the throw up but they told me not to stop so I kept running.  and running and running.  I could see the 13 mile marker as I rounded a corner and just after that I saw Jarom standing on the sideline.  It was just the boost I needed and I gave my last burst of energy right then.  Cannon saw me and decided to race me to the finish instead of holding my hand and running through with me.  The last number I saw on the clock was 2:38.  The last .10 is the hardest thing I've ever done (aside from childbirth).  That .10 is there for a reason and it's what makes you reach down for the last piece of effort you can give.  I crossed the finish line and I was relieved and happy.  I still can't believe I did it!  I ran a half marathon.  It was hard but I did it.  I'm so happy with how it went and I wouldn't change a thing. 

I paused my timer when we stopped for bathroom breaks and my time was 2:31 but the official time on the clock was 2:39.  Either way, I just wanted to be somewhere under 3 hours and I was.  I ran faster than I have ever run before.  I was on such a high all day.  I got home and couldn't sleep - my mind was jumping from one memory to the other and I ran errands instead of sleeping.  The next day, however, was a different story.  I'm still so sore and I can tell it's going to be a while before I can walk like normal, let alone run again.  Now for my next goal! 

Here's the pics.

Starting line

Finish Line - Mandi, Jeannette, Ashley Kim

Almost there

Still smiling

I finished!

My cheerleaders

Kim, Ashley and Mandi in front of my pimped ride!

Soccer Sharks

I mentioned before that we are coaching Cannon's soccer team.  Actually, Jarom and one of the other dads are coaching.  I'm more of a facilitator.  I took their team pictures a couple weeks ago and they turned out pretty cute.  Here's Cannon and his team.  Pretty cute, right?  Go Sharks!

So Proud

Today was his last first day of Preschool. He woke up early and couldn't wait to get there with his friends. He got his backpack ready all by himself and walked all the way downstairs for his first day. He was such a big boy helping the younger kids find their seats. A lot has changed since last year and his almost daily time outs. He told me that he is excited to be the big boy this year. Oh, I'm in trouble when he hits Kindergarten less than a year from now. I will be one sad Momma. I'm so thankful I get to help him learn for one more year. It's going to be good, I can just feel it.

What the Wednesday!

Preschool starts this week!

Bring it on you 3-and-4-year olds

I'm prepared for the best school year ever

Ever.

10 days until my half marathon

I get butterflies every time I think about it

But I've put in all the hard work

I've been running all Summer

There's nothing else to do

But why am I freaking out?? 

I've learned that my mom was right

I can't please everyone

Dang!

Laundry

Ugh!

Does anyone really enjoy it?

Our little soccer team is undefeated

Go Sharks! They are really good!

Cannon said the score last night was a brazilian to none

But, sadly, I have nothing to do with it

Especially since my son insists

on catching butterflies

instead of scoring goals

At least he's cute out there

Here's an argument

Jarom and I have every single year

When I have the open-house for preschool

The night before preschool starts

Should we have our bedroom door open or closed?

People have to walk right by it to get downstairs to the classroom

I think it's weird and awkward to have it open

Jarom thinks it shows we have nothing to hide

But I'm a private person

And he's an open book

Go figure.

If you are one of my words with friends friends

I'm sorry

It's not that I don't like you

I just really really suck at that game

I was driving Jarom's truck last night

And ran out of gas

Like completely couldn't turn it on 

And there was a huge line of cars behind me

The man in the truck behind me pushed me about 50 feet to the gas station

I had to sit in the parking lot until I stopped shaking after I filled it up

Yet another reason why I HATE his stupid truck.

Have a full (as opposed to empty) Wednesday