Interview with Isaac at age 8

This post is dedicated to my sweet, spunky little boy ISAAC! He turned 8 years old last week and I recently interviewed him to capture this time in his life. My plan is to interview each of they boys around their birthday each year so that we can see how they change over time. It was really fun to sit down, one-on-one, with Isaac and get into his head a little. Some of his answers surprised me and I can't wait to see how some of them change as he gets older. Here is my interview with Isaac:

 

 

1. Name: Isaac Paul
2. How old are you? 8 years old
3. What is your favorite thing to do? play sports & get active
4. Who is your best friend? Matt & Dirk
5. What is your favorite color? Green turquoise- a blueish green, it's beautiful
6. What is your favorite food? Dad's pizza
7. What do you like to do with your family? go hiking
8. What is your favorite toy? X-box
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? Police Officer or Veterinarian
10. What makes you happy? getting to see my friends almost everyday at school
11. What makes you sad? when people be mean to my friends
12. What is your favorite show? Kickin' It
13. What is your favorite book? Poacher Panic
14. What do you love to learn about? math & animals
15. What was the best part of your birthday? getting to spend time with my family
16. Where do you like to go? to Elkader to Grandma's
17. Who is your teacher? Mrs. Odegaard
18. What is your favorite treat? apple (shocking to me because he loves candy of any kind)
19. What do you think about before you fall asleep? what I am gonna do at school the next day
20. What was your favorite birthday present? Spark Scooter
21. What sport do you like best? baseball
22. What are you really good at? writing stories
23. What would you buy if you had $1000? a new car for Mom & Dad
24. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? vanilla
25. Who is your biggest hero? Police Officers- they protect all of us
26. What do you hope you'll get to do before your next birthday? go somewhere I haven't been
27. What do you like to do best with your friends? have a sleep-over
28. What is your favorite song? Gangham Style
29. I am very proud because....    I can run fast. (Note: his mile time on 5/8/13 was 7:43 and he came home beaming with his time written on his hand so he wouldn't forget what it was)
30. I am afraid to....   mess up in a baseball game.
31. Imagine that you can become invisible whenever you wanted to. What are some of the things that you would do? Scare my brothers.
32. Pretend that you can fly whenever you wanted. Where would you go? Los Angeles, that is where they make movies and where the people in movies are at.
33. Where do you want to go on vacation? DisneyLand
34. What is your favorite thing to do with Mom or Dad? go places- travel

Isaac with his best friends- they came for a sleepover for his birthday.

What a year it has been! We have had our ups and downs but it is all part of the journey and it is making us who we are today. Isaac is helping me learn to be more patient and understanding and he has made me a better person because of it! We have dealt with multiple incidents of Isaac being bullied at school and have really had to work hard at helping him to see that he shouldn't let one or two people get him down along with giving him ideas on how to deal with it. This year we also discovered that he is dyslexic and we have been working hard to help him in whatever ways we can to deal with that- helping to boost his confidence to realize that it won't hold him back. He can accomplish anything he wants with hard work and determination. Isaac is strong-willed, stubborn, and determined- at times that can cause problems for us as parents but in the future it is going to work to his advantage as he has those characteristics to accomplish all of his goals! We are working to help him realize when to put those traits to good use!These situations have made us step back and realize how we deal with others and that we all need to have more patience and understanding for those around us as we don't know what they are dealing with in their life. 

Isaac is an active, spunky, energetic 8 year old that loves to be outside. He is super sweet, loving and caring. He is very sensitive and feels bad for others if they are having a tough time. He is a great helper and is proud of himself when he can make someone else feel good or when he can step in and do something for someone else. He loves animals and has a special gift when dealing with them. I am starting to see him have more confidence and more pride in himself when he accomplishes something. It breaks my heart that kids can be so mean and that they can knock someone down so much. I hate that he has to work so much harder on things that can come so easy for others! I love him with all of my heart and I can't wait to see him continue on his journey to becoming who he is destined to be! I have no doubt that he will accomplish what is important to him!

The Weekly Chase

 

I had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday and hope that all of you did as well! We took off early and headed back to Iowa for a quick trip to surprise my mom and I am so glad that we did. It was my weekend to work (2:30-11 PM- Friday, Saturday and Sunday) so she didn't think that she would see us at all. We pulled up to her house and went to the front door and rang the doorbell instead of just going in the back door like normal. It was priceless to see her reaction when she saw it was us standing there! It was well worth getting up early and making the drive even though we had such a short amount of time to spend there. 

 

Me with my mom and my boys

After dividing some of her perennials so that we could take some home with us we headed to a local restaurant to meet up with her mom and all of her sisters and brother. Once again my Grandma was surprised to see us. I love to surprise people! It is so much fun to see their reactions when they don't expect to see you! It was nice to be able to see my family and my Grandma as I haven't been able to attend many family functions due to them falling on my weekends to work.

Me with my grandma, my mom, and my boys

We were very limited on our time there so once we ate, visited for a bit it was time to head back north for me to get to work! As we were driving I realized that we never got a picture of just me with the boys! We made it back to my work with some time to spare so we were able to get a few pictures before it was time for me to finish my Mother's Day out by celebrating with my work family and other new mom's as they were celebrating their first Mother's Day! Nothing better than new babies born on Mother's Day!!

I love this picture! Me with my three favorite boys:)

These three boys are my greatest blessings! They make me so proud and have made me who I am today! I want to be the best example to them that I can in all aspects of my life! It brings tears to my eyes to see how big they are getting already! Where has the time gone? 

 



Riley- Mother's Day 213

Isaac- Mother's Day 2013

Aidan- Mother's Day 2013

Today Aidan and I tried a new snack that I found while "stalking" Let's Move it Momma's over the weekend! Marissa's blog was one of the very first ones that I started following and I love her! She is such a great mother, is dedicated to being a wonderful example to her boys, and is someone that I can totally relate to. She has been making huge progress with her eating and fitness this year so I went back over the weekend and read through some of her ideas.


Super easy and very yummy snack!!!
Apples with a little peanut butter and sprinkle of cinnamon.

Aidan gave this snack a thumbs up!

 

Aidan wanted me to add a picture of the two of us when we were making our snack.
I love this little boy:)

Now it is time for another Weekly Chase!

 

 Here were my goals for the past couple of weeks:

Challenge Goal: Improve my eating habits!

• This week I will make sure to have at least one fruit or vegetable with each meal/snack. I would say I was about 75% successful with this over the past few weeks. This something that is going to be hit hard in the future.
• This week I will remain aware of portion sizes and not have seconds. I was more aware and did very good with this over the past few weeks. I think I did have seconds a few times but it was better than in the past!

Challenge Goal: Become a stronger runner!

• This week I will do my daily planks and at least two core workouts. I only missed 3 days of doing my planks (weekends- ugh!). My focus has really been running and getting through marathon training so I only did my planks and no other core work.
• This week I will make sure to get in at least two cross-training session. Done!
• This week I will get all of my marathon training runs completed. Almost! I missed one 4 mile run due to life getting crazy with baseball last week.

Challenge Goal: Become a better mother!

• This week I will make time to spend time with Isaac individually. Done! I had a few opportunities over the past few weeks to get some time with Isaac.
• This week I will have conversations with the boys about what they would like to see change in our life/family so that we have stronger connections. Still haven't gotten this one. I have a plan for this week though!

 

Now for my goals for this week!  It is a new month and Molly has a new challenge for us! It's called Bring a Friend Along. Bring a friend into part of your goal making...whether it be for exercising, sanity, prayer partners, etc. We all know how important goal setting is...let's get our friends involved with us!



With our marathon being on Sunday my goals are very simple this week!

• Hydrate properly each day this week in preparation for the marathon.
• Eat right- make good choices, watch portion sizes, and skip seconds.
• Sleep- start getting a good nights sleep each night this week.
• Taper- continue to follow the training plan and do the miles it tells us- no more than what it says because they don't feel like enough!
• Enjoy the weekend in Green Bay with my best friend, her husband and my wonderful hubby!
• Enjoy our first full marathon!

My wonderful husband has been right by my side through this incridible journey and I can't wait to do this together! My best friend has also been along for this whole journey (she inspired it when she ran this marathon as her first a year ago). I am excited that she will be there running the marathon too!

 

Did you have a good Mother's Day? How did you celebrate?

 

Do you like surprising people or like being surprised?

 

What is a new favorite snack/meal that you have tried lately?

 

Any final tips for our last week before the marathon?

 

Catching Up

What happened to all of those posts that I had planned for the past week or so? Oh yeah, that's right- they never made it from my head to my blog! The past couple of weeks have been a blur of activity and craziness - now it's time for me to get caught up (I apologize- this will probably get long!). I have had 5 or 6 different posts planned in my head for the past few weeks but life got in my way.

Baseball tryouts are over and teams have been formed. I think baseball is the sport of choice for both Riley and Isaac. I am very excited to go watch them play this summer but it also means that life is about to take crazy to a new level with our schedules! This week brought coaches calling to let us know of last minute practices and trying to arrange schedules to get everyone where they needed to be. It is only going to get worse as the summer arrives- Riley will have games on Tuesday/Thursdays and Isaac will have games on Monday/Wednesdays. That also means they each have practices on the opposite nights- the nights the other has games. It is a good thing that we are getting to know some of the other families and that we can carpool to make things work!

It's time to PLAY BALL!

We are also in the end of the school year rush to get things done before school lets out. Riley will be moving into middle school next year -I can't believe that I will have a middle schooler- how did that happen? He is excited but that means the past few weeks have been a bit crazy as he has had to make decisions on his music options and we have had (or I should say Tim has had to go to meetings while I had to work) to learn about the middle school and get all of the band information. Riley has decided that he wants to play the saxophone so that has meant that we had to get him signed up for summer band lessons trying to work around the other activities and fun classes he is taking this summer. 



Please help me to have patience and
for my ears to be forgiving as he learns to play!

I would like to take this opportunity to apologize now to our neighbors- I am very sorry that the first lessons will take place during the summer when the windows are open. At the same time I also appreciate that you will get to enjoy this experience with me!!! Our summer schedules are starting to look very crazy! I don't think the boys will have much of a chance to say that they are bored!!
The past week has also been busy getting Riley ready for the big 5th Grade field trip to Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center. Each of the elementary schools in our district take turns taking their 5th grade on this three day/two night field trip. The classes do all kinds of fundraising throughout the year to help pay for the trip. I know he has been very excited since he first heard about it when a few of the neighbor kids went several years ago. He will be doing all kinds of things that he loves and I can't wait to hear what he thought about it!

Yesterday (and even some the day before and on our weekend trip to Iowa) we celebrated this special little boy!!

At 4:07 PM on May 9, 2005 he entered our lives- screaming (for the first SEVERAL hours) and ready to take on the world! What a journey it has been since! I can't wait to see what the next several years will bring. The above picture is a great reflection of Isaac- so full of life and excited to see what is next! I am planning to do an "interview" with him to help me remember him at this age- watch for that to come in the next few days.

Tim and I had a great time volunteering for the first time at a race- we helped out at a water stop for the Grandad Half Marathon last Saturday. Last year we ran but with Green Bay coming up soon and the course change to include a 2 mile downhill start, we didn't want to chance anything. We decided that we wanted to do what we could to support the race by volunteering instead. It was fun to be on the other side of things once and I am sure we will be volunteering for more races in the future!

Tim and I at the water stop!

 After the race we loaded up and made a visit to our family back in Iowa for the rest of the weekend. While we were there we were able to get in our 12 mile run on a beautiful (and very quiet) stretch of Iowa gravel road along the Turkey River. We ran to the locally "famous" 10-Mile Bridge and had my mom and the boys meet us there to pick us up (and bring Gatorade).


Such a clever name for a bridge that is 10 miles
up river from the Keystone Bridge in Elkader.

What a beautiful place to run!

Tim caught me being silly with my favorite fuel- Honey Stinger Chews!
That reminds me that I need to get more before the marathon!!

Doing a little stretching while we waited for our ride. I am loving my ProCompression socks on my long runs and for recovery after! I need to get hooked up with them to do a review/giveaway!!

I had also intended on doing a great post about May being Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month and Monday, May 6th being Melanoma Monday. Even though the 6th has past it is never too late to talk about it! Here is a great  post that I found by Running for Bling that I wanted to share- Are you sun safe? Check it out!

I know that I am working on being more sun safe! I am still not perfect but after having melanoma once I am more likely to get it again. It was such a scary time in my life and continues to be scary everyday! There are still times that I get a feeling of panic out of the blue (more often than I would like to admit)! They told me during one of my appointments that every little twinge of pain or every cough, etc. would make me wonder if it was something more. At the time I didn't think that I would think that way- I was just relieved to know that they had gotten all of it! I was wrong- I wonder all the time if little things are a sign of something more! When out for a run and I am more short of breath than normal, I am thinking that it is in my lungs- never mind the fact that I am running faster and pushing myself more, I automatically think it is the cancer! When my legs are sore or I feel shin splints coming on- I think maybe it is something in my bones, never mind the fact that I have increased my miles drastically getting ready for my first marathon! The fear of recurrence is never far away and it only takes something little to bring up in my head. I don't want anyone else to have to face this so I can't say enough about prevention! Wear your sunscreen- it only takes a few minutes to apply and it could save you in so many ways down the road. I also can't say enough about detection! I can't help but wonder how things could have been different if I would have asked about my spot sooner! I had noticed it for years. Would the outcome have been different if I had checked it out sooner- I will never know! Don't worry about your doctor thinking you are overreacting by asking about spots that you are worried about- do it before it is too late! It is better to at least have them look at it than to worry or to have waited until it has progressed to something more! OK- off of my soapbox!

I missed doing  The Weekly Chase for this week and at this point I will wait until next week to review my goals and make new ones. This week I have continued to work on the same goals from last week.

The last random thing I wanted to catch up on was my April totals.

April Stats

• Total= 148 miles
• Running= 112 miles
• Biking= 31 miles
• Swimming= 1 mile
• Walking= 2 miles
• Yoga= 3 classes attended

First Quarter Stats

• Running= 342 miles
• Biking= 181 miles
• Swimming= 6 miles
• Walking= 8 miles
• Total Human Powered Miles for 2013= 540 miles

One of my 2013 goals is to run 1000 miles. Here is where I stand with that goal:

• January= 68 miles
• February= 72 miles
• March=90 miles
• April=112 miles
• Total for the first quarter= 342 miles
• Only 658 miles to go to reach my goal!

This post was very random and very long but I think it gets me all caught up! All of the craziness is finally out of my head! I promise I will work harder at keeping myself on track with my blog posts in the future!  

I will be working all weekend so enjoy it for me too!

Family Bike Ride and The Weekly Chase

It took a while but the nice weather finally arrived over the past several days! Although it doesn't sound like it is going to last long. We made sure to take advantage of it! Our marathon training plan for yesterday was a "REST" day so we decided to head out for a family bike ride.

Riley

Isaac

Aidan being silly before the ride

 This year Aidan is finally big enough to use the tag-along bike instead of riding in the trailer- he is loving that he gets to ride the "big boy" bike now! He did great - he sang, talked, squealed, and made is motor sound for the whole ride. I am not sure how much he helped me pedal but at least he was having fun!

My rear-view

 Riley and I (and Aidan) rode together and Tim and Isaac teamed up behind us. It was a great opportunity to chat with Riley about school- I can't believe he is going to be in middle school next year. We are at the point in the year where people from the middle school visited his school and answered questions yesterday and he will get to visit the middle school soon. It was amazing how much we were able to talk and how much I learned from him during our bike ride!

We rode one of our favorite routes and had to stop at the "farm" for a quick water break.

 In the end we were gone for about an hour and rode 7 miles together. It was a nice way to spend time together!

These were closed when we left for our ride but were beautiful when we got home!

 

As soon as we were finished with dinner the boys headed back out to play baseball in the yard so Tim and I took Mollie for a short walk. It was different to just walk but it was nice to catch up a little. During our walk he asked me if we needed to look up the definition of REST in the dictionary when we got home! He continued to tease me because it is so hard for me to rest and/or relax. Am I the only one that struggles with this?

 

On to the Weekly Chase! I try to always have goals for the week- they don't always happen but they are something I shoot for!

 



Here were my goals for last week:

Challenge Goal: Improve my eating habits!

• This week I will make sure to have at least one fruit or vegetable with each meal/snack. 75% of the time! Still something that I am striving for!
• This week I will be more aware of portion sizes and not have seconds. 90% of the time! I feel like I did really good with this over the past week but it is something that I need to continue to be aware of!

Challenge Goal: Become a stronger runner!

• This week I will do my daily planks and at least two core workouts. Fail! I have really been focused on my running to get through marathon training. I know doing these things will help my running and I will continue to work on including them... right now- I am in survival mode!
• This week I will make sure to get in at least one cross-training session. Success!!! We biked on Sunday and Monday! Last Tuesday I also did yoga and biked.
• This week I will get all of my marathon training runs completed. Not quite! Last Tuesday I did yoga and rode the bike in the morning thinking we would run in the evening. As I was leaving the Y Tim called to say that we were going to pick up our new van that night... run missed! Then on Wednesday the boys schedules were crazy and we were feeling a bit of burn-out so we opted for only 3.1 instead of the 10 on the schedule. We did get in the long 20 miler on Saturday so that was my main focus!

Challenge Goal: Become a better mother!

• This week I will make time to spend time with each of my boys individually. Almost! I had a great time chatting with Riley while we rode bikes last night so I count that as time with him. I get all kinds of time with Aidan during the day. Next week my focus will be to spend individual time with Isaac.
• This week I will have conversations with the boys about what they would like to see change in our life/family so that we have stronger connections. Didn't happen! I would still like to have this conversation with them. As we are getting into baseball season it is getting harder and harder to sit down as a family for dinner- maybe the conversation will have to happen in the car!

Overall it was a fairly good week. I had some good intentions that didn't pan out but I also had several successes. That is what it is all about! I keep plugging away and eventually I will get there! I am once again going to keep pretty much the same goals for this week!

This weeks goals:


Challenge Goal: Improve my eating habits!

• This week I will make sure to have at least one fruit or vegetable with each meal/snack.
• This week I will remain aware of portion sizes and not have seconds.

Challenge Goal: Become a stronger runner!

• This week I will do my daily planks and at least two core workouts.
• This week I will make sure to get in at least two cross-training session.
• This week I will get all of my marathon training runs completed.

Challenge Goal: Become a better mother!

• This week I will make time to spend time with Isaac individually.
• This week I will have conversations with the boys about what they would like to see change in our life/family so that we have stronger connections.

What do you like to do as a family to be active together? What are some of your goals for the week?

American Cancer Society Family 5K Walk/Run Recap

 Finally, a recap for the ACS Family 5K that was just over a week ago! I wanted to get this recap done last week but wanted to wait for my age group award to arrive so that I could have a picture of it. Go figure, I place 1st in my age group and then due to the weather the awards ceremony got cancelled and they just mailed the awards to us.

This was our first time doing this race so we didn't know what to expect. Registration was very easy- we just stopped by the American Cancer Society office and filled out the forms. Since we were registering on the Friday before the race we were given our shirts at that time. We had to pick up our bibs the day of the race. They added chip timing this year so that was something new for them.

We woke up on race morning to snow on the ground (April 21st... CRAZY Wisconsin Spring Weather)! The start time for the race was 11:00 so we got to sleep in and get a good breakfast before the race. It was still snowing as we headed to the race. Water was also running like small rivers through the streets! We arrived a little early to pick up our bibs and get everything situated.

pre-race

We did a little stretching and also jogged a bit around the start/finish area to get our legs warmed up and get the stiffness out from our 18 mile run the day before. I really had no expectations for this race after doing the long training run the day before. Doing the race was important to me so we just went into it thinking it would be whatever it was and we were ok with that. We just wanted to do it and finish.

 

 They announced that start time was getting closer so we headed to the start line where it felt like we waited forever! It got chilly as we stood there. About the time we were starting to get really impatient to get going the front of the group moved closer to the start line and next thing we knew, we were off! There was no big send off horn or anything. For the first 1/4 of a mile or so we were doing some weaving through people and tried to find our pace. We actually ran part of this route the day before on our long training run so we were familiar with it.

 

As we got to mile 1 I looked at my watch and it was just over 8 minutes. At that point I told Tim that we started out too fast. I was already breathing very heavy and wasn't sure that I could keep it up at that pace for the whole race. We backed off just a bit at that point. Shortly after that we started to meet the leaders making their way to the finish. That was enough motivation to pick it up again. It wasn't long after seeing them when we rounded a corner and the whole road was slush - we broke our stride and sort of jumped around the worst of it but it didn't matter- our feet got soaked! We kept pushing which was now up hill! I tried to really push myself up the hill and then coasted a bit and caught my breath on the way back down.

 

As we got close to the mile 2 mark we started to meet the walkers that started a bit after us. Some of them were good about moving over to the side to give us room but there were a few that we came up on as we rounded a corner that wouldn't move at all for us. The one was using the Nordic walking sticks and almost tripped me! I was super frustrated with them but I used that to help push me! I was starting to really feel it shortly after that but we rounded another corner and had another small downhill. In this stretch we passed a few people so that helped me feel better! As we got to the bottom of the hill I felt like I was loosing steam but Tim was great about encouraging me and telling me that we were almost there. We made that last corner and were headed to the finish line when the wind hit us like a wall! For the last 1/4 of a mile or more we were bucking the wind but we kept pushing. There were people along the road cheering everyone on so that helped. As we got closer,  I could see the finish line clock and I couldn't believe what it said (I had stopped checking my watch after the first mile)! I started to sprint because I wanted to get as close to 25 minutes as I could. I stopped my watch as we crossed the line. Then as we walked, and I tried to keep from puking, I looked at it- 25:01. I was super excited because I knew that was a PR for both of us!

Tim right after finishing.

Me right after finishing and trying not to puke!

Post-race
A big thank you to my wonderful hubby for pushing me!

 We walked for a bit to keep me from getting dizzy. After I race I have to keep moving! If I stand in one place too soon I get really dizzy and my legs stiffen up right away- doesn't matter the distance! Then we headed toward the car and the post-race area. Tim needed to run home to get Riley to baseball tryouts. I decided to stay behind and grab a banana and Gatorade and he would just bring Isaac and Aidan back with him. When I got to the post-race area they had computers set up that we could check our official times on and immediately see where we stood. I put in my bib number and about fell over when it came up! My chip time was 24:59.8! I actually made it under 25 minutes! Then I saw that I was first place for my age group!! I think I was shaking as I put Tim's bib number in. His chip time was 24:59.5 and I believe he was 6th place for his age group. I got out of the line and had to call him right away!! I was so excited!! I never thought I stood a chance at placing- EVER!! After talking to him I grabbed a banana, apple, cookie, and Gatorade and found a warm place in one of the tents to wait for him and the boys to come back.

When Tim, Isaac, and Aidan got there I took them to the computer to show Tim the results- part of me still didn't believe it and I thought they were going to be different for some reason. I went with Tim and the boys to grab them a snack and then we found out that there wasn't going to be an awards ceremony due to the weather :( Of course! I placed in my age group and then there wasn't even going to be an awards ceremony and I had to wait for my medal!

Just before heading home

We had Isaac take one last picture of the two of us and headed home! When we got home and got cleaned up I checked out the site that the timing people gave us and found out that I was the third place female cancer survivor as well!

 

I have to say that this was a good race - and not just because I placed. Supporting the American Cancer Society is very important to me and this race was a little emotional as well! It felt great to really push myself to see what I could do just months after going through my surgery and being so scared about what the outcome was going to be! I am sure we will be doing this one again in the future! Maybe next year we will get the boys out there with us. Maybe we will have to get a team together for the race!



Shirt, bib, and my age group medal

 

1st place female age 30-34 (front)

1st place female age 30-34 (back)

Turn up the Heat... The Extra Degree

Last week I had an amazing running week! This week should be our biggest mile week for marathon training but it is finding me in a funk. Today I have gotten sucked into "Social Media" and have been finding motivation and inspiration all over! Enter in: 212 Degrees- The Extra Degree

 

A big thank you to my Scentsy Director for helping to pull me from this funk! She posted this video on Facebook in response to a few of us "venting" about our struggles. When I watched it I felt like it really hit home with so many things in my life right now (marathon training, Scentsy Family business, work, and family life)!

 

"At 211 degrees, water is hot.

At 212 degrees, it boils.

And with boiling water comes steam.

And steam can power a locomotive.

The one extra degree... makes all the difference!"

 

In the video it breaks it into the following categories that could be used in all areas of my life:

• Attitude
• Kindness
• Belief
• Focus
• Perseverance

I can't help but think about what could happen if I turned up the heat and added just that one degree in all these categories in each area of my life! I also can't help but think about what could happen if I model this to my kids. What could happen if I got my kids pointed in the right direction (doing these same things in each area of their lives) and on that locomotive with me - we could do amazing things in our lives!



What a wonderful weekend!

 I needed a weekend like this! What a great weekend! We started the weekend off with "date night" on Friday night. Tim and I went with our friends/neighbors to another friends house for a wonderful dinner and then headed off to Rodney Carrington. Like I said in an earlier post, I have heard of him but I had no idea what to expect. For some reason I thought he was a singer - boy was I wrong! He is a comedian! I am not sure that I have ever heard that many swear words used in that amount of time! At times it felt like they were really not necessary but I do have to admit that he was pretty funny at times too! It was a fun night out with my hubby!

Saturday we played lazy and slept in. Once everyone was up and had eaten breakfast we decided that we better get our butts moving for our long run. Finally it was a beautiful spring day in Wisconsin - the sun was actually shining for a change! Riley and Isaac headed off to a local park with some older neighbor kids so they could play tennis and baseball for the afternoon. We loaded up the stroller with our water and Honey Stingers and some snacks and activities for Aidan and we took off on our 18 mile training run. We used the 4:1 run/walk ratio again and it worked great. In the beginning we had to tell ourselves to slow down and pace ourselves. We kept trying to push ourselves too much during the running portions which I think was the problem with our last longer run that sucked a couple of weeks ago. At about the 6 mile mark we made a quick stop at Kwik Trip for Tim and Aidan to use the bathroom. We also grabbed lunch for Aidan and Gatorade for us to split. After our stop the route got a little hilly.

Aidan enjoying the beautiful spring day!

This is where I really started to notice that I was pushing the stroller. It was great to have the stroller to carry everything though! At one point we had 7 deer run right towards us and then cross the path about 15-20 feet in front of us. Aidan loved seeing them that close! Tim and I talked a lot during most of the run. It was a great way to get caught back up after not seeing each other much last week due to me working extra. Other than my right arm/hand being a little sore from pushing the stroller, it didn't feel too bad! The last few miles were tough but as we looked back at our splits we started to speed things up a bit at that point. It was the longest run for all of us! In the end we got it done - 18 miles pushing the stroller, done in 3:12:10 (average pace 10:38/mile).

Playing at the park!

 Aidan did a great job being content in the stroller for that long - as soon as we got home he got on his bike and we walked with him to a local park where he got to play while we stretched. We are working on building his endurance on his bike so he can eventually ride while we run. We have a ways to go but we will get there!

Sunday Tim and I were registered for the American Cancer Society Family 5K Run/Walk. I wasn't sure how doing a 5K would go the day after doing an 18 mile training run but doing this race was really important to me so we decided to go for it. It was a wonderful race - I couldn't think of a better outcome than a 5K PR the day after doing 18 miles pushing the stroller.... or maybe I could.... first place in my age group!!!! Details to come soon in my race recap!

American Cancer Society Family 5K Run/ Walk Pre-Race

 Once again it is Monday and that means it is time for The Weekly Chase!

 The following were my goals for the past couple of weeks:

Challenge Goal: Improve my eating habits!

• This week I will make sure to have at least one fruit or vegetable with each meal/snack.- Accomplished about 75% of the time. Still something that I need to work on but it is getting better.
• This week I will be more conscious of my water intake and I will get it back to where it needs to be each day.- Accomplished 100% of the time! I have been very good about making sure to get the right about of water each day. Now I just need to keep it up.

Challenge Goal: Become a stronger runner!

• This week I will do my daily planks and at least two core workouts.- Only missed 3 days over the past two weeks doing my planks. I also got in one core workout each week.
• This week I will add in at least two strength sessions. Didn't get this one done. I have really been working on my running for marathon training and need to get the strength training back into the mix!
• This week I will make sure to get in at least one cross-training session. Done! I rode bike each week and got back in the pool once.
• This week I will get all of my marathon training runs completed.- This week I was successful with this and even made up for the week before when I was sick and missed some training runs.

Challenge Goal: Become a better mother!

• This week I will make time to spend time with each of my boys individually. I am still struggling with this. It is hard to get time one-on-one with the older two boys. I did have time with each of the older boys while with Aidan and that was fun. I need to make this a priority over the next few weeks!
• This week I will have conversations with the boys about what they would like to see change in our life/family so that we have stronger connections.- I still haven't done this but will make it a priority over the next week when we are all able to have dinner together again.

Here are my goals for this week:

Challenge Goal: Improve my eating habits!

• This week I will make sure to have at least one fruit or vegetable with each meal/snack.
• This week I will be more aware of portion sizes and not have seconds.

Challenge Goal: Become a stronger runner!

• This week I will do my daily planks and at least two core workouts.
• This week I will make sure to get in at least one cross-training session.
• This week I will get all of my marathon training runs completed.

Challenge Goal: Become a better mother!

• This week I will make time to spend time with each of my boys individually.
• This week I will have conversations with the boys about what they would like to see change in our life/family so that we have stronger connections.

How was your weekend? What are your goals for this week?