Land of Make Believe - Vacation - Part 5

On Thursday we went to the Land of Make Believe in Hope, New Jersey. I really enjoyed the drive to the place because we took a lot of back roads and two lane highways to get there. It was beautiful. I never knew so many trees and farms existed in New Jersey. It was like being in Pennsylvania - well we practically were since PA was only a few miles away.

The Land of Make Believe is made for little kids. There is one section with a bunch of kiddy rides and another section with a pool, lazy river, and slides.

Here is my niece, Alexa.

Don't I have the cutest kids?

Mikayla loved riding all of the rides. This place was perfect for her.

My sister in law, Sue and Alexa.

My brother in law, Chris and Kyle.

Having fun in the pool.

Can you believe this lady gave birth to twins 18 months ago? She looks great!

Kyle - You gotta love his facial expressions and his "talking"

Mikayla was able to see Santa in July!

Lily wanted nothing to do with Santa.

When I saw this picture the first thing I thought was, Why is Sue holding Lily? Then I looked at the outfit and said to myself, that is not an outfit that Lily has. Oh wait - that is Alexa. It is those blue eyes.

Lily wanted to go on a ride but as soon as it started quickly decided that was the wrong decision.

Mikayla of course had a blast.

We had a great time at the Land of Make Believe and I see us going back next time we are in New Jersey.

That is my last post on New Jersey - it took me awhile to get all of them in. I am glad Joe took so many pictures because I am horrible at remembering the camera and then if I do remember it I forget to take pictures.

Homemade Pancakes

So I am sitting at my desk and I am in need of my 9:30 snack. I brought some homemade pancakes to work and this is what I just enjoyed and boy was it good!

Homemade Pancakes
basic from scratch pancake recipe
plus - wholewheat flour instead of white
ground flaxseed meal
all natural peanut butter (nothing but peanuts)
blueberries

over homemade yogurt with a dash of honey.

I will have to do this again!

Bronx zoo - Vacation Part 4

On Wednesday of the week we were gone we went Bronx Zoo. On Wednesdays it is pay what you can - and that you can. That is my kind of admission. Joe, the girls and I were the only ones who went. No one else wanted to deal with the heat and the twins would not get anything out of yet. It was hot but since there were plenty of trees it was bearable.

We saw plenty of animals to keep us busy. Here is a snow leopard (I think).

The polar bear was really cool. I kept hoping he would dive into the water for a swim but he decided to take a nap instead.

The seals were swimming all over the place. This spot was out in the open with no trees and therefore hot. I really wanted to dive into the water with them.

Lily relaxing.

Notice the big gorilla right behind Mikayla.

Gariffs are in the background.

A monkey's rear-end in the back ground.

Zebra

Mikayla's first animal site of the day. Lily kept calling it a cow. But she is also the one who moos at cows and horses whenever we drive past them on the ranches that surround town.

Lily was being Lily and did not want her picture taken.

We really enjoyed the zoo but I am glad that Joe drove instead of me. Driving over the George Washington Bridge was scary, too many cars, and the car lanes in New Jersey are way too small for me. I prefer the big open car lanes of the west. Then we also got lost so we toured the Bronx on the way to the zoo.

Long Run

I am finally getting back to running. I took a month off and I don't think I helped any of my injuries, but I am ready to get running and I need to get in shape for the full marathon in mid-September. I ran every day this week except for Thursday. My goal was to run everyday with a minimum run of 2 miles.

Today, we headed up to Crested Butte because I wanted to run the Lower Loop. It was beautiful, hot, pretty wildflowers and just great. I was really out of shape. I was hoping to get in 7 to 8 miles and I finished with 6.2. I got a lot of running to do to get back in shape but I will get there.

Vacation Part 3

At Grandma's house you can always find misc. fun stuff. Here is a pair of glasses that she has for Mikayla to play with. Lily kept putting them on and calling them her goggles.



We spent two nights at Joe's brother's house, Chris. We took over their master bedroom and one morning Lily woke up and was playing happily in her "nest" on the floor. I was shocked because she has never done this. I looked over at Mikayla and she was laughing quietly to herself because Lily was being so funny. What a wonderful way to start the day. A little bit later the girls started playing together on the couch in the bedroom.


Chris and Suzanne have a long living room and they have turned one section in the kids play room. Everyone had fun playing with all of the toys.

Beach - Vacation Part 2

On Tuesday we all headed to the beach. Originally this was suppose to be a beach vacation in Cape Cod but that did not work out but we still had to go to the beach. It was also too hot to stay at home anyway.

The beach was wonderful. I have only really swam in the ocean on our honeymoon in Hawaii. This was the first time I swam on the Jersey shore. Normally it has been too rough for me. This time the high tide was coming in but it did not seem that rough so I kept heading in. The water felt so good.

Here we are, Grandpa, Grandma, Lily and me enjoying the day.

Suzanne and Alexa. The babies were not very happy at the beach. I remember last year when we went and Lily was the age they are now. It was not a fun day for me that year either.

Please ignore the farmer's tan. In Gunnison I don't wear my swim suit much.

Lily

Lily is 2 and 1/2. She is a very cute kid and is saying all sorts of things. Lately we have been trying to get her to ask to be excused after dinner.

I noticed one day when she threw a fit about saying excuse me she kept looking at her feet. I put her in time out and when she came back she walked up to Teo (our old, chocolate lab sits by her feet at the dinner table and normally she has to walk around him to get down and leave the table.) and said excuse me. Teo at this night was sitting in a different part of the kitchen. I finally figured it out. She was not asking to leave the table she was asking Teo to move so she could get around him!

We have made it a point to all ask to be excused many times so she could see what we are doing but she still asks Teo, "excuse me."

July 4th - Day in the Pool - Vacation - Part 1

Last Saturday we flew to New Jersey to spend a week with Joe's family. I learned one thing about Lily that day. She does not like flying. On the first flight the man sitting by the window was nice enough to give her the window seat. At first she was sitting happy, until the plane started to take off and then she started to shake and cry. I had to get her out of her seat and hold her tight to make her stop crying. She kept saying down, down. Eventually I settled her down enough to watch Pooh on the computer. If we kept her window screen down she was ok, but when it was time to land she was back in my lap. On the next flight she slept. Eventually on the way home she was use to it, a little bit.

Sunday was the 4th of July. Nothing was planned just a day sitting around house. It was super hot in New Jersey (100 plus). We pulled out the pools and sat around outside in their backyard, playing in the water and staying in the shade. By the end of the day the smallest pool was filled with hot water - that is how hot it was outside.

Joe's brother Chris joined us at their parents house. Chris is married and they have 18 month old twins, one boy and one girl.

Here is Joe, Lily, Alexa, Kyle and Mikayla playing in the pool.

Later that night we sat outside on their front porch to watch fireworks. I ended up trying to put Lily to bed right before they started. As I was reading to her they started so we went downstairs to watch but she kept saying bed so that night she fell asleep the fireworks.

Mikayla being silly.

Later that night we sat outside on their front porch to watch fireworks. I ended up trying to put Lily to bed right before they started. As I was reading to her they started so we went downstairs to watch but she kept saying bed so that night she fell asleep the fireworks.

Relaxing Evening

Tonight I did not clean after work and therefore I got home earlier than normal. Also, the house was still cleaned and picked up from yesterday (meaning after I left for work the girls did not destroy it), I decided to make lunches in the morning. So this is what I did:

• Made homemade yogurt
• Watched the girls go on a nature walk
• Sat outside and talked with my hubby
• Played with my girls

Mikayla wanted to make mud pies in her sandbox.

Lily wanted to swing on her tire swing.

• And I even had a few minutes to write this blog.
• But now I release that it is almost 7 and the girls need a bath because they are messy from making mud pies in the sandbox.

So, what did you do this evening?

1000 Mile Club

Tall Mom on the Run on the run opened her 1000 mile club this week. If you have at least 333 miles this year and sign up before the end of the week you can sign up to. When I saw this I was so excited. I don't think I will get 1000 miles this year but I am going to try my hardest.

We are off to New Jersey this week. I am actually sitting in the Colorado Springs airport right now waiting for our flight. When we get back next week I am going to re-focus on running and get in shape for a full marathon in mid September right here in Gunnison.

Have a Happy 4th of July!!

Another Yummy Healthy Receipe

Please check out my food blog here for another yummy and healthy recipe.

Lock of Love

I am been waiting to donate my hair to Lock of Love for a while now but I have not really wanted to cut my hair in order to do this.

Well, last week I decided that it was time. My hair was long enough, I needed a hair cut and I decided to just go for it.

Here is my before pictures:




12 inches later here are my after pictures:

The hair cut ended up being shorter than I planned on but I am glad to have cut it off and it is going to a good cause.

Workout in the Grass = Bug Bites

I went home at lunch time to do a strength training workout outside. We have a big beautiful and private backyard. I was not thinking about the fact that I was wearing a sport's bra and doing crunches in the grass. Now I have at least 3 new bug bites, I am ichy all over and I think I am getting another one on my rear end!

Too cute

A friend of mine, Sherri, has a 2 year old boy named Sam. Sam and my daughter Lily, who is 2.5, have been friends since the day he was born. They had to become friends with how much time Sherri and I spend together and now they two kids also go to the same daycare. Sherri is a teacher so Lily does not see Sam everyday at daycare anymore.

Last night I was watching her kids and mine for a little while. Sherri dropped her kids off and we were playing outside. Joe got home about 10 minutes later with our kids. Lily came running around the corner saying, my Sam, my Sam, my Sam. It was took cute. A little bit later they started running around the house, yelling, ahhhhh and then they would stop and laugh together and then head outside and do the same thing. They are too cute! You gotta love 2 year olds!

No Time For Running Right Now

I am really slacked off on running and I am not planning on picking it up in the next few weeks. I really slowed down due to a couple of minor injuries. I am not running right now to try and re-hab them. I had to go home for a funeral. My beloved Aunt Jo died last week. She never married nor had any kids and therefore all of her nieces and nephews had a very special place in her heart. We all had very fun and loving memories of her. She always had a smile on, even when she was very sick. I was told that she finally stopped smiling about a week before she died. But now Aunt Jo is no longer in pain, she is in heaven smiling.

I have also slacked off on my Run 175 miles in 7 weeks. I was so ready to give that challenge a try but it did not happen. I am sure Kristen is still going strong. I know that I am not going to hit 1000 miles this year, I am too far behind but it will be interesting to see how close I get to that number.

Since I am not running the next couple of weeks I will have to take some pictures of the girls and post them.

Oreck Platinum Pilot Vacuum

Head over to Musings of a Housewife and enter her giveaway to win The Oreck Platinum Pilot Vacuum retails at $599.

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

I just finished Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. As he decribes it, it was a book about "a Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen." Chris goes into Mexico and finds the Tarahumara Indians. They are runners who will run 60 miles at the drop of a hat, run a deer to exhaustion, and have foot races between tribes. In reading this book I learned a lot about running. I took the principals of the Tarahumara Indians to heart and the next day ran 10 miles. That 10 mile run was one of the best runs I have done in a long time. I was strong, fast and very happy the whole run.

Chris also goes onto talk about shoe technology and how modern day racing shoes are the cause of our injuries. 8 out of every 10 runners will suffer an injury and the "better," more expensive your shoes are the more likely you are to suffer an injury. That hit home because ever since I started running I have been dealing with some small injury here and there and the only cure has been to stop. But I love running too much to stop.

In another chapter Chris talks about how as a human race we are meant to run. We are not built to be sprinters but to be marathoners.

This book is a must read for every runner out there. It is well written, keeps you thinking, keeps you on your toes and you will not want to put it down until you are done.

175 Miles in 7 Weeks - Week 5

At this point I should have run a total of 125 miles, but I have not. I was sick with a cold one week and therefore only ran 1.3 miles that week. Then last week I got super busy at work and therefore I only ran one day. As of Sunday I have run a total of 73.55 so I am short by over 50 miles! I am going to finish this challenge but I don't think I will get in 175 miles in 7 weeks.

On another note I forgot to post by year to dates miles at the end of May. I have run a total of 342.37. I am not on track to run 1000 miles this year but wow - as of today I have run over 350 miles! How cool it that!