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