The 5K

So as I mentioned in a previous post I mentioned I ran a 5K.  I feel like all over facebook people are running marathons, half marathons, iron mans, posting their milage, etc, so my little 5K race is pretty puny for most people, but it is a big deal for me.  Lets get a few things straight about me I am not a goal setter, my nerves are the opposite steel more like water the tiniest pebble can send a ripple right through me, I am not slim, and I have not exercised on a regular basis in quite some time.  So this winter I was just done with being lazy and after 2010 kind of kicked my ass, I needed something.  I felt like I could honestly hear the Lord say to me, "Just move your body."  I needed a tangible goal to work towards, and Couch to 5K seemed like to best route for me.  This winter in the Lou was one of the coldest and wettest I can remember so I did not start training for the race until March 12.  It the first nice day we had in ages, I had gone to Fleet Feet that week and bought my new shoes, and I decided this was the day I was going to run.  

Here is the very first work out in C25K:

It was the first time I had real sweat, and not from fear that I had lost my child in the park, but from moving and working my body hard.  The first couple weeks of training I was running at all different times of the day because I had thoroughly convinced myself that I would not be able to run in the morning for a couple of reasons.

1.  It takes me a couple of minutes to wake up in the morning and popping out of bed to run sounded terrible.

2.  I had some guilt leaving Josh with the kids in the morning before he had to go to work.  Since our kids are early risers I was never sneaking out of the house before everyone was out of bed. 

I decided to bite the bullet a few weeks into training and run in the morning because looking for child care at random times of days was wearing me out.
Luckily Josh was super supportive about the mornings because in reality I was only out about three days a week, gone for about 30 or 40 minutes, and home by 7am.  I quickly realized running in the early morning was the way to go.  I feel like that is when my running changed, I really started to enjoy it and felt successful.  I really started challenging myself with the hills in my neighborhood, and running through the walk cycles and the cool down.
About a month before the race I also started doing Insanity workouts with my 19 year old friend/babysitter Kalie.  If you want a good work out, Shaun T will give it to you, and working out with a 19 year old will also kick your ass.  This also helped my running immensely, honestly I don't think my I could have completed the race without doing Insanity.
As the race approached I became more and more nervous.  As I mentioned before I have the worst nerves and I am usually overtaken by them.  As I wondering around aimlessly in front of the science center before the start of the race I think I held back tears three different times.  I tried to get a picture of the fear in my eyes with my phone.

       A few minutes before the race started Josh and the kids met me at the starting line.  I wish I could say it calmed my nerves, but it didn't.  It was nice to get one more hug and kiss from my little family.  The horn sounded, and I was off...sort of.  It is so crowded in the beginning and everyone was trying to find their own pace.  I am also used to running all by myself in the early morning, when there was a pause in my music I hated hearing the footsteps of all the other runners.  Mentally it was really tough to get passed by what felt like 800 people.  I had to let it go, and just keep running and not worry what everyone else was doing.  This past week I was reminded that comparison is just making yourself feel better than someone else or worse than someone else.  While I was running I stopped comparing myself to other people because I didn't want to put anyone down who was working as hard as I was.  It did take the entire first mile and half to calm my nerves down.  It took everything I had in me to not turn around and walk back to the starting line because I felt like was a fake.  I felt like I didn't belong there with all these people who knew what they were doing.  When I hit mile three, I finally realized I was doing it, I was running in a super hot race and I was almost done.  The sun was blazing on mile three, but all I wanted to do was run the entire race.  I didn't care how slow I ran, I just didn't want to walk.  About a quarter a mile from the finish line Josh and the kids were there to cheer me on.  I almost started crying because part of the reason I started running was for them.  I wanted to be better and stronger wife and mother.  In the beginning of my training when I was trying to get up some killer hills, I would picture my little sweet family cheering me on, and it would bring tears to my eyes.  Then to see them really there in Forest Park, I almost couldn't take it.  I kicked it up as best as I could after I saw them, and then there it was, the finish line.  
I had made it.
My hard work had paid off.
It felt so good.
My official time was 34:07
14th in my age group
42nd in overall women.
I did check to see where I would land in the 20-29 age bracket, and it was 18th.
Here I am very hot, but FINISHED!!!

I went inside the science center to use the bathroom since I had to pee since mile two.  The air conditioning felt amazing.  I couldn't believe more people weren't inside.
All in all it was a great morning.  I am so glad I did it, and stuck with it.  A huge thank you to friends and family who encouraged me, watched my kids, and believed I could do it.  
Thank you to the Lord for whispering in my ear to move more.  
I am so grateful.

Now 10K training, who is with me?

Six Month Check-In

Well it has been six months since I made my 2011 To Do List.  

I have accomplished five out of nine on my list.  

Not to bad if I do say so myself.  

I know you all five of you are dying to know what I have done.  

Check it out:

1.  I have an appointment set up with a primary care physician.  My appointment is not until September because this physician set asides an hour to hour and half for your first visit, so those appointments are limited.  

2.  I went to the dentist got my teeth cleaned and an old filling fixed.  Sonya also had her first trip to the pediatric dentist this winter.  She did awesome and got a "keep up the good work" report from the dentist.  

3.  I am headed to the dermatologist this week to my skin and moles checked.

4.  I ran a 5K race on June 4th, more on that later.

5.  Be with my kids and not entertain them.  I know I am only one week into summer, but I have to say we are having a good time.  We have a lot of fun things planned and my two sweet kids are really becoming best friends.    

Ummm Good

This past week I was scheduled to bring an item for a potluck style brunch for my summer moms bible study.  I was trying to think a little bit outside the box on what to bring instead a boring breakfast item.  Two weeks ago a Great Harvest Bakery opened in Kirkwood, and I think I have already been there three times.  My absolute favorite bread from there is the cinnamon chip bread, it is to die for.  

I thought about what would taste good on the bread, and this what I came up with.

I sliced the cinnamon chip bread as thin as I could, then buttered it on both sides, and then grilled it on a flat griddle.

What would be better on grilled cinnamon chip bread, than pork tenderloin.

The day of the brunch, when I got up first thing in the morning and prepared a brine  (two quarts of water and 1/2 a cup of kosher salt) for the pork.  

I did a quick brine, only one hour.   

I rinsed the meat off, and then seasoned it.  

I made up a rub with smoky chipotle seasoning and then added brown sugar and raw sugar to get a nice caramelization on the crust.

Then I cut the sliced bread into thirds, and made little sandwiches.

Let me introduce you to what I like to call the

french toast slider.

I think this little sandwich was down right delicious.  

I will say this sandwich could have probably used a sauce or a chutney of some sort, but there was no time for that.  

This dish also makes me think of my sisters, it is true Orwig food at its finest.  

This is a super simple fun food to take to party and look fancy. 

Enjoy.

    

Last Day of School

I can't believe the school year is over.  I feel like I took Sonya to her first day of 3K yesterday.  Hands down she had an amazing year.  Mrs. H and Mrs. M loved my girl like she was their own.   Sonya's character, imagination, literacy skills, have grown by leaps and bounds over this past year.  As much as we are excited for JK next year, my heart is a little broken that this time is over.  3K just has such a special, almost sacred, feel to it.  I know the Lord was planting seeds in the kids hearts over the school year, that will bloom when the time is right, and ways we don't even know how.  

Our entire family was blessed by this year.

Here is my girl on her last day.

Sonya wrote notes to her teachers.

To Mrs H she wrote, "I love the 3K friends."

To Mrs. M she drew her whole family as snowmen.

It was adorable

         We also gave gifts to Sonya's teachers.  I know I should have given them giftcards but I wanted to given them something from my heart.  I love to bake and cook for people, so I made them each a loaf of this bread with three little jars of olive oil, parmesan cheese, and kosher salt.  I attached a noted that said, "Thank you for teaching Sonya she does live by bread alone."  Her teachers really did love their gifts, I am sure they would have  loved a giftcard more, but oh well.

Sonya decorated the bags with the other gift we gave her teachers.

It was really a gift for the next years 3K class.  

Sonya and Teddy love these dot paint/markers, so I thought they would be the perfect thing to give to the classroom.

 Teddy decorated this bag.

Well, I made the three, Sonya made the K, and TR did the rest.

I also made the secretary at school a box of cookies.  She is a dear friend of mine from back when I  was involved with Young Life, and I loved reconnecting with her this past year.  It was so nice to have familiar face at a new school, and know we would be taken care of.  

I made her salted chocolate chip cookies and put them in a super cute box.

She loved them!!

All in all it was a great year.  

 We made awesome new friends, connected with old friends, and we knew we were in the exact spot the Lord wanted us to be in.  

I can't wait for Teddy to be in 3K.

  

The Boy and I

  Sonya goes to school three days a week, so it is just Teddy and I on M-W-F.  Normally I just drag in him on errands to the grocery store, Target, etc.  I have felt really bad about not spending intentional time with him.  Teddy can be a tough cookie.  I feel like I am still figuring him out, and how to really meet his needs.  One thing I have figured out about my boy is that he wants, or should I say needs to RUN on a regular basis.  We have finally had a few nice days in the Lou, so Teddy and I headed to Powder Valley.   I thought about just doing the short trail with him, but then I thought what the heck I am going to see if he can walk the entire long loop, 1 and 1/5 mile.  

He did not disappoint. 

He loved running over the bridges and looking at the "wawa."

Here is the view from the bridge.

We stopped and I let him throw rocks into creek.  

We walked over to an especially jagged rock, and he needed my help to climb on.

"Mama, pease hans."

Yes folks, my two year old wears a size nine shoe.

He also has banana hands.

After the creek, Teddy kept trucking along.  We I talked about how God created the birds, leaves, trees, rocks and we have to take care of what God gave us.  He kept wanting to "push" the trees, but I told him we have to give the trees a "nice touch," and love what God made.  

After I explained that, he started kissing the trees.  

We had a wonderful morning together.  

What he needs from me is, is just me.  

He likes to have my undivided attention, which I don't like to always give him, but when I do he is in heaven. 

I love him, and I love how the Lord is teaching me through him.  

Teddy likes face to face time with me, exactly what the Lord wants from me, too.  

Thank you Jesus for showing me what my son needs and what I need.    

Tape Paint

A few weeks ago the kids and I needed a project to do.  I had picked up a few canvases and some acrylic paints at Hobby Lobby (those are words I never thought I would say).  I pulled them out and started to brainstorm.   I got the blue painters tape out to make a pattern on the canvas.  I am sure I had seen this idea some where among all of my blog reading, but I have no idea where.  I tried to explain to Sonya how to make a pattern, she made a pattern in school so I thought we could build on what she had already learned.  She didn't care to listen to me.  Then I tried to encourage her to make some letters, again my words fell deaf on her ears.  

Finally I let her create whatever she wanted.

Here is what we did

I tore up strips of blue painters tape and let Sonya place them on the canvas...however she wanted.

  Then she painted over the strips of tape.

Once we were done, I let it set for just a little bit then tore the tape off the painting.

A fun and easy project that has endless possibilities.

As always, here is the mess...

And here is what Big Baby T did while we painted the canvas....

He painted himself.

The Birthday Girl

My girl turned four years old on April 28th.
You can read about her entrance into the world here.
Here is what she has been up too:
She had a great year at 3K, and we are looking forward to JK next year.
She lives in a fantasy world of princes, princesses, and Star Wars characters.
When I asked her what she wanted to be when she grows up her response was,
"a mermiad."
She loves paint and draw.
Her favorite color is still blue.
She takes a "swim" in our bathtub almost every afternoon with all of her Barbies.
She and Teddy race to turn off the TV every night after their night time show.
I think she has a slight addiction to fruit bars right now.
She took gymnastics and swimming this past school year.
She sleeps in the top bunk in her bunk bed.
She is a very good eater.  
Her favorite foods are
noodles
fruit: blueberries
veggie:  belle peppers
dessert: Yo My Goodeness
  restaurant:  Deweys or Woofies
She LOVES all of her friends.  
She is just like her daddy and THRIVES in a social environment.
Recently at school Sonya and another boy were kissing in the carpool line.  It wasn't just a peck, as her teacher put it "It was kind of a long kiss."  I told her teacher I would have a conversation with her about appropriate behavior at school.  When I had the conversation with Sonya about who we are allowed to kiss her response was so simple and sweet.  She said,
"But mama, I love my friends."
She is always able to find her favorite videos on YouTube, here are a few:
Little girls swimming in their Mermagica Tails
Star Wars Tom Tom commercials
Princess cake tutorials
She is my buddy, my love, my girl.
Happy birthday little thing.