a child at play

little e is just so creative.  She got this idea for her Dad for Valentine's day.

And though everyone just laughs when they see it...

she sure looked cute making it.

love her.  and her dad.  

my choice is you

Last year for v-day I made Jeffree a little pizza love.  I just trimmed a whole wheat pita into a heart and topped it with some pizza yums.

I know you can just buy this at papa murphy's, but for someone on a budget, I didn't think it was too bad. And of course, Jeffree loved it.  Now I just have to think of something for this year.

i'm captivated by you, baby

I might be biased, but I think this little girl is pretty cute.  Even if she's 9 months old and only weighs 15 big ones.  (That's the 2nd percentile for those of you who are counting.)

But all 15 lbs are too adorable.  Especially all bundled up in more cuteness.  I cannot get enough.

love the way her nose scrunches.  so stinkin cute.

irresistible?  i think so.

how can you not want to kiss these cheeks.  

As we speak, she is jumping up and down, scrunching her nose, and flirting with her dad.  And I am loving it.  Turns out being a mom has its moments.  Really sweet, fulfilling moments.

*disclaimer:  I should tell you that the "moment" in the photographs was over a month ago.  The last time I tried to bundle her up like this to take her outside, she screamed until she gave herself a bloody nose.  Ah, the joys of motherhood.

there were never such devoted sisters

I love having my sisters so close.    LOVE.

Oh my cuteness.  And we didn't even match on purpose.

till you believe

I’ve gotten 5 questions from several peeps about my half marathon-ness.  Here are the answers.

1.  What training program did I use?

I went to halhigdon.com.  Hal Higdon is one of the most well-known marathon coaches.  I chose his program because it was really straightforward.  I did the novice 1 training, though I’m going to use his novice 2 program for my next one.  I wish I had worked up to more miles before the big day.  The bonus of the novice 1 program is that it conditioned me in building up milage.

2.  How much weight did I lose?

None.  I want to clarify that my goal in running a half marathon was just that: to run a half marathon.  It was never my focus to lose weight.  I actually gained weight in the last couple of weeks.  Don’t let that scare you!  I don’t think that’s very common and I attribute it to contracting Epstein-barr, but it is common to maintain your current weight.  You are putting a lot of stress on your body, so don’t expect to come out looking like Miss America.  There were skinny people running and there were heavier people running and it really didn’t matter.  We all just wanted to finish the race.

I did, however, slim down a bit.  I started taking my measurements in October and took them once a month.  I lost about 2 inches on my “mom tummy.”  [It’s still there and I still rock it.  After all, I am a mom, so what’s wrong with looking like it?]

3.  Why did I decide to do a half marathon?

I was running with a friend a couple of times a week, but it was too easy to miss a day.  I knew I wanted (and needed) to be more consistent with exercising.  I needed a goal.  A realistic goal.  I’ve wanted to do a marathon, but knew that it was too big of a project for me right now.  Once I found out about the St. George half marathon, I just knew.  I knew I was going to be able to do it – that I had to do.  So I recruited my sisters and we started running.

I had a good talk with Jeffree about why I needed to train and run this race.  We both agreed that he needed to make it a priority as well.  On the days when I didn’t feel up to it, he encouraged me to run anyway.  Having him on board was so crucial to my success.

4.  Was it hard?

Um.  Yes.

5.  Would I do it again?

Um.  Yes.

  

in the pouring rain

I did it.  It was so hard.  But I'm so happy that I accomplished my goal.  13.1 miles.  In the rain.  Sore muscles that I didn't even know I had are still aching.  But it was worth it.  And I just might do it again.

i can see it now

dear world,

tomorrow i am running a half marathon.  i've trained for 12 weeks, ran over 150 miles, and it all comes down to tomorrow morning... and into the afternoon.

it's been such a cool experience to work up to this.  i remember looking at the training schedule and thinking, wow!  in a few weeks 3 miles will feel like a short, easy run.  sure enough.  and i feel so cool.  like, way cool.  and i've a feeling i'll feel even cooler tomorrow.

it's been exhausting, especially because i contracted the epstein-barr virus (just found out yesterday what it was for sure).  i've been struggling with fatigue and knowing now what the cause is, i feel awesome that i didn't give up on my goal, even though it was harder than if it had been normal circumstances.

i am so grateful for a healthy body that allows me to discover and reach great potential.  i am grateful for a sweet husband who made my training his number one priority these past few months.  i'm grateful for little e, even though she laughs when she watches me run.  i'm grateful for karin, who has trained with me and will be running alongside me tomorrow.  and a shout out to sarah, becca, brittany, and rebecca who have also trained with me.  a special thanks to family who made their restrooms readily available to me on my long runs :)

i'm so excited to see jeff and e waiting for me at the finish line.  and i'm so excited to finish.

here's to tomorrow!

love, me