Happy Little Trees 5K

Back in April I ran my first virtual race! I've never been big into doing virtual runs because I like the whole race experience but when I saw this medal and shirt I HAD TO HAVE IT!!!

Some background information: I am an art teacher and am obsessed with Bob Ross. So I am always looking for Bob Ross things I can wear at work. I have pins on my lanyard, a Funko Pop on my bookshelf, a bobble head on my desk and a student gave me an ornament for Christmas. The kids get a kick out of it.

Best medal ever!

The race was called the Run for the Trees- Happy Little 5K. It was put on by Michigan State Parks and the proceeds went back to the parks to plant trees. It took place over the week of Earth Day.

I actually had a good time doing my first virtual race even though I was all alone on the roads. It felt a little different from just going for a run though because I was in the mindset that it was a race. I finished in 38 minutes, not my fastest but that's OK because I was enjoying myself and having a good time.

I hope you are staying healthy and safe! Run on friends!

Day 2 and protein shakes

Day 2 of being home has gone better than day 1 did. Day one was my birthday and I think that is part of the reason I was depressed. Not being able to go out, no birthday dinner, no cake, one to remember for sure. 

I have been doing the Strong Body Guide program since last October. I did REALLY well for the first few weeks and was really dedicated. Then the holidays came along and I completely stopped. There was too much going on and I had no time or energy to work out. I finally started up again a few weeks ago and although I have not been as dedicated with the meal plan, I have been getting all the workouts done. I am currently on week 9 and the last 2 days have been ROUGH. By the end of my workout I had done 160 squats!!! My hamstrings were killing me last night and today. 

We found out from our school system that we will now be out for a month. While the last 2 days have been trying (hello, small children) I have been working out hard. And when I finish weeks 9 through 12, I am going to start over. I am excited to see my progress at the end!

I have also been trying to change some things in my diet. This is one of them. I drink a protein shake every day. I use almond milk, ice, chocolate protein powder, a banana and peanut butter. I also picked up some greens and have been adding them as well. I tried them in a strawberry shake and I could taste them, but with the chocolate, peanut butter and banana, I couldn't. 

My other favorite shake to make is almond milk, ice, chocolate protein powder, strawberries and a banana. 

Post workout Mama.

Amazing Grass that tastes like grass!! Ha! It's not too bad mixed in with something.

So I hope everyone is staying healthy and making smart choices during this scary and uncertain time in our world! Yes it is hard being stuck at home, but it could be a lot worse. I talk to my friends through text, Marco Polo and Snapchat. I see what others are doing through Facebook and Instagram posts. I get to watch the Today show in the morning and I am already getting some books read that have been sitting around for months. We got a new oversized chair in our Florida room and that's where I have been camping out and reading. It's so nice!! Oh and napping. Man have I missed napping. 

Check back again for more! Ta ta for now!

Coronavirus Craziness

We are on lockdown y'all. This is bananas. 

Last week we were totally unprepared for everything that is happening. Thursday we were told that something was going to happen and the students would be out on Monday. At 4PM that afternoon we got the call that school would be closed for 2 full weeks. Nothing like that has ever happened before. Friday we spent the day helping students check out books from the school library while teachers prepared for what was to come. Friday a few of us went out for drinks to de-stress a little. Saturday was when it really hit me. We stocked up on groceries and everything else we thought we might need since we know we won't really be going anywhere anytime soon. 

Thankfully we live in a neighborhood with one acre lots and our boys have plenty of space to roam. We will be able to get out and run, walk and ride bikes so that is good. But we won't be doing much else. Keeping the boys occupied is going to be tough. 

I plan on working out a LOT. I've made a few changes to my diet and had already upped the amount I was running and had already started to see a difference. I wonder what I will look like at the end of this social distancing. Maybe some before and after pictures are to come. I'll probably be blogging more now that I have lots of time on my hands. 

Stay safe everyone. Take care of each other. 

Sunday Runday

Sundays are supposed to be my training day. That has happened once...hahaha.
Life always gets in the way of training. I ran 3 miles a few weeks ago and it was roooooough...I am so out of shape for running.

I'm a turtle!!!

I ran 2.5 miles today and I was stiff at the beginning but then it got a lot easier. I finished that in 30 minutes so at least I was faster than the other week. This weekend I need to run about 4 to 5 miles. Keeping my fingers crossed for decent weather so I don't put it off again...I CAN'T put it off again!

I am in desperate need of accountability y'all.

Trying to bring back the blog...

It's been 2 years since I last wrote. Two years too long, I know. I intend to get back at this, I promise.

I'm not only making that promise to you, but to myself as well. I fell off the wagon hard 2 years ago.

When I last posted, I was near the end of my second pregnancy and was so miserable in my own body. Not long after, in the early morning hours of March 23rd, our little butterball entered the world at 9 pounds. No wonder I had been so uncomfortable! He was all cheeks and still has those cheeks and is the sweetest little boy I could ever hope for. Our little Deuce, now named Sutton, is a total mama's boy. He also had major acid reflux, ear infections, was sick all the time and had to get tubes in his ears at age 1. The first year was insane and I barely slept, drank a lot of coffee, and never ran because I was too tired. So, so tired. I've never known tired like that.

My chunky little guy at just a day old :-)

I miss him being this small

4 months old and adorable!

Brothers having fun in the snow. I miss the moose snowsuit!

This past Christmas. They are so great together.

On top of having a new baby, we found a house on an acre of land that is in the county we live in so we decided to move. Probably not the smartest idea we've ever had, but we did it and somehow made it work. It needed a lot of remodeling so we lived with my parents for 2 months while we gutted the kitchen, took down a wall, ripped up flooring and so much more. We moved in 3 days before Christmas and still had no usable kitchen but we made it work with paper plates and the bathroom sink. I'm not gonna lie, it was like camping and it totally sucked. More on that in another post.

Right now I want to talk about running, and mental health.

When I started my running journey, I was 24 years old and going through a nasty divorce after an abusive marriage. Running was my saving grace and kept me sane. I didn't know it at the time but it was helping me in so many ways. I was never much into exercise, fitness or sports until I began running. Fast forward through a few years of therapy, running, meeting and marrying the love my life and having 2 babies and I realized that I've had anxiety my whole life. Which developed into post partum depression after my second son was born. The world came crashing down around me and I didn't know how to hold it together anymore. My OB put me on anxiety medication and my world is totally different now and it's better than it has ever been. The downside to it is that for unknown reasons, you carry around extra weight. For me, it's about 10-12 pounds. This has really started to chip away at me and makes running really hard. But that's all going to change.

As my baby approaches 3 years old, I am feeling more and more like myself. I'm not in a zombie-like fog anymore, somehow making it through the day. I've started doing more for myself and getting back to who I used to be. I found an exercise and meal plan that actually works for me (when I stick to it). I was doing really well up until the holidays and then I fell off that bandwagon pretty hard and gained everything back. I'm about 5 weeks in again now and still struggling on most days but making it more of priority. This weekend I am meal prepping getting everything ready for next week so there won't be any Chick-fil-a runs. Sorry CFA, you know we love you! I also signed up to run the Monument Avenue 10K this March. I ran my first mile last weekend and it hurt sooooo baaaaddd..... I am definitely starting over from square 1. 

So stayed tuned and see where this journey takes me!

Pack Horse Mommy

 I saw this picture on Facebook yesterday. I don't know where it came from but it totally summed up what happened when I got home.

Yesterday I started my maternity leave. My doctor gave me a note to work half days from now until delivery and HR didn't want to do that because I'm a teacher so they made me just start leave. I'm OK with this because when I counted the days, I should be in the safe zone for not having to return to work this school year (woot!) and honestly I really need the rest. My body has been struggling through this pregnancy and I've been in a lot of pain for weeks now. I would leave work limping some days, my legs and back and belly aching in a way I didn't even know was possible. So even though working makes the days go by faster, I am happy to be taking some time for me.

So yesterday afternoon I had a doctor's appointment and then I went to pick up my son from daycare. He always has to take a bunch of crap with him in the morning and it gets kind of annoying. A blanket for the car, a toy (or 2, or 3, or 4...) and his backpack for bringing home all the stuff he makes. We get home and I'm trying to get him out of the car and the next thing I know I've got my purse, a backpack, a blanket, a toy, my Tervis tumbler and a few other things overloading me. He then decides he needs more crap out of the bag of crap I keep in the car to keep him entertained when he forgets something. And guess what? He wants me to carry it.

I'm already tired and achy and cranky so I might have been a bit snappy. After I struggled to unlock the back door while loaded down like a pack horse, he refused to take off his shoes and a fight ensued that ended with him in time out.

Toddlers are great y'all. GREAT!

A week and half until #2 arrives. Whose idea was this again? Surely not mine.....

The land of Wal Mart

I do not frequent brick and mortar stores like I used to, well maybe except for Target because I am a mom and if you're a mom, you get that. But Target is it's own amazing shopping experience and almost always pleasant.

Wal Mart is your last ditch resort.

It's been awhile since my dog's flea and tick meds ran out and I don't worry much about it in the winter because she's not really outside much or around other dogs so I usually give myself a financial break during the winter months.  Plus since I switched vets she somehow ended up with 2 annual visits a year which ends up being a fair amount of money. I'm trying to make it to July for her next appointment so we are back to one a year.

Anyways, with all the warmer weather I've thinking it's probably time to get her back on some bug prevention. I usually go with the oral medication because of my toddler but a friend swears by the cheap stuff she gets at Wal Mart and  she has 3 or 4 dogs and a few cats so I figured if they work for her, they must be good enough for my dog. It's the kind that goes on their neck and is way cheaper so when B and I were over that way last week, I figured we would stop in Wal Mart and grab some.

Now, some Wal Marts are great. When I was in college I loved going to the local Wal Mart. Granted it was pretty much all we had in the small town, but it was clean and organized and we always managed to find fun things. Not so with out Wal Mart here.

When this Wal Mart was first built there was literally nothing in the area. There was a gas station, a car repair shop and a general store. Literally, barely even a dot on a map. Then all of a sudden someone bought a large chunk of land and BOOM there's this thing call Wal Mart that none of us had ever seen before. We didn't even know what it was. We quickly fell in love because it was one stop shopping and kept us from having to drive back across the river for everything. It wasn't long after that that the area exploded. When Wal Mart came, everything else followed and now the once tiny, insignificant dot on a map no one had heard of, has turned into a shopping and dining mecca. It really is insane how much the area has grown and changed in the last 20 years. You really have to know the area well to get around with any amount of ease and you have to know what times of day are best to go.

The weirdest part of the area to me now is Wal Mart. It hasn't totally kept up with the times and it attracts people that don't live in the area. I seriously have no idea where they come from. Locals go to the Target that is literally right behind the Wal Mart.

So I sucked it up and went into the Wal Mart the other day for the sake of my dog. When we walked in the door, my son immediately turned into a weirdo. He started punching himself in the chest and then yelling out "Stop hitting me!!!" I tried to get him to stop because I didn't want people to think I was hurting my child. He never does this and of course chose a moment in public to try it out. Thanks kid.

Once I got him calm we wandered around looking for a storage container I remembered I needed. We landed in the home goods department and I finally found what I was looking for between answering two thousand questions from my son. Then I stumbled upon a futon with a giant poop emoji bean bag on it. Now, I think the poop emoji is cute, but I would never buy a giant shit themed pillow for my house, or even my kids room. Blown away by the sheer size of this, I stopped to take a picture. My child decided he was exhausted from walking around and sat in the Big Joe bean bag chair that was on the lowest shelf right behind us.

Me: "Don't sit there it is going to fall"
My child: Chair falls off shelf as he sits on it.
Me: Sigh

I lean down to put the chair back and that's when I see it. Someone had chowed down on a piece of fried chicken and tossed the bone behind the chair. WTF.

Thoroughly disgusted I grabbed my child and dragged him back to the pet department just wanting to get out of there. I found what I needed and headed for check out. On the way out this nice older lady stops and stares at him and asks how old.

Me: "He's three."
Lady: "Oh he is adorable!"
Me: Smile politely "Thank you!" and start walking again, dragging B with me.

I can be a very outgoing person, but sometimes I just want to be left alone. This is one of those times.

As we are headed for the check out, this lady walks by. She looks to be about mid thirties and is pushing a child in a cart. I cannot tell you whether it was a boy or a girl because all I could focus on was the lady. She was dressed in pajamas. Not just any pajamas, unicorn pajamas. The type that looks like a costume with a hood that looks like a unicorn head. And she even had on slippers. I did the slow head turn and watched her as she walked by. She was babbling on her phone so she didn't notice me rudely staring.

We finally made it to check out and I did self check out thinking that would be faster. Of course not. After I paid, the machine couldn't print the receipt because it was out of paper. So I waited for someone to notice that I needed help and then waited while they changed the paper. Next thing I know, the old lady from early appears by my side and starts talking to me about my child again. Congrats on reaching creeper status. She tells me all about her kids and how far apart in age they are and I tried to stand there and be nice and smile but all I could concentrate on was how much I just wanted to get the hell out of there and go home so I could lay on the couch because I'm 8 months pregnant and miserable. I eventually had to cut her off when the WM employee finally gave me my receipt and yanked B out the door.

In short, our Wal Mart attracts some interesting things. Paying the vet the extra money is probably worth it.

Hello again, it's been too long

Oh well hello there, it's been awhile. Sorry for that. I know I dropped off the grid and it's because life has been busy and I guess, it felt rather boring for awhile there. I'm not really sure which, but I have been having a hard time tapping into my creative side in the last 8 months or so. My brain just sort of stopped and I hated it. I have been slowly getting back into the swing of things though so I hope to pick this back up and I hope that by next summer I will have some running to log about. Right now I don't have much to talk about running wise because....


That's right! One big reason for not running is this pregnancy. During my first pregnancy I felt good and I ran until about 10 weeks in. After that my back hurt so bad when I ran I had to stop. This pregnancy has been aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawful. Not gonna lie, I can't wait for it to be over. I've had every terrible pregnancy symptom you can think of this time. Horrible nausea that lasted all day. I could barely get off the couch. A gross metallic taste in my mouth all the time that was only cured with Peppermint Patties. Craving food and then wanting to puke after. Gaining weight really fast. Having to take iron supplements because my red blood cells are low but they make me sick. I passed my glucose screening test, but just barely so I have to watch the amount of carbs and sugar I eat just to be safe....it's been a real picnic. I can say for SURE that this is it for us. We are done. No more kids. I never want to be pregnant ever again. And not just because this pregnancy has been the pits, but because I think 2 kids is the perfect number for us. We love being parents and our son is amazing, but we know our limits and this is it.

My first bump picture. It wasn't so bad but people told me they could tell.
 


Then I exploded.
 

Not going to lie, I'm pretty miserable these days. The only relieve I get is when I lay down and this kid has room to spread out. Otherwise he's trying to spread out and gravity makes this miserable. So I've stayed pretty vertical lately.

Oh yea, and it's another boy.

We were convinced that it was a girl because my pregnancies have been so different, but it was plain and clear on the ultrasound at 22 weeks. I needed a moment, I've always seen myself with a daughter, but I will be a boy mom. I've been calling him Deuce for now since he's the second one and we haven't come up with a name yet. As we get closer to the day I get more excited. I am ready to be done with being pregnant forever, and concentrate on my kids. B has become a lot more fun as he has gotten older. Every stage hase been fun and special but now you can actually have a conversation with him and it's a lot easier to take him places. I'm looking forward to having a baby again but I'm really looking forward to having 2 boys who can play together and we can take places and do things with.

So that's my big update! I hope to be running next summer and eventually be running races again. It took me 3 years to get back to what felt "normal" for me. This past summer I was finally happy in my own skin again and felt really good, and then BAM, I got pregnant. I don't want it to take 3 years to get back to that again, so I'm blogging again to hold myself accountable.

Here we go!

Deltaville 5K 2016

I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing holiday weekend over the Fourth of July! We spent the last 2 days of June alone at the river celebrating our 5th anniversary! It was so relaxing and I had a great time being alone with my husband. 

On Friday my parents came down with B and on Saturday I ran my 3rd Deltaville 5K. I like running this race because it is small and flat and the start and finish are right at the end of our road so I can walk there and don't have to worry about parking. It makes it quite nice!

Last year I found out later that they have crab races and I made sure that I was there to see them this year. It was so funny to watch the kids squirt the crabs with water bottles to make them run, although I must admit I did feel a little sad for the crabs!

After watching the first race, B said he wanted to do it. I wasn't sure if he could participate since he is only 3, but the guy in charge said anyone could participate so he got the chance to try! We got a feisty crab but once we started squirting him he did not move much. It was fun though!

Squirt! Squirt!

Go B go!!

I finished in 35 minutes. Not my best time but not my worst. I wasn't really trying to make a great time because I haven't been running. I was going to a chiropractor this past spring and wanted to get through that before I started to really run again. It was a gorgeous day for a race. It had been rainy the night before but it pushed the humidity out and although it was warm, it wasn't as awful as last year. Last year was SOOO humid it was gross, but this year was quite enjoyable!

I hope that more races are as enjoyable as this one. I went slower than usual and I finished without pain. My knee was good, my hip was good, and it makes such a difference!

A Victory!!

Awesome news today!!! Such a great thing!! Read it and think about it.

http://nnedv.org/news/4736-victory-for-safety-scotus-holds-firearms-ban-for-reckless-domestic-violence.html#endDV

Our country is slowly taking steps in the right direction. Just 8 short years ago I was terrified to say anything, and did not say anything, to the police because I knew deep down that they would not be able to do anything about it and he would just lie about it all anyways. Contacting the police would also just escalate his abuse and control. It was awful to live through, but I hope that we as a country will get to a place where we believe the abused and not the abusers. Only then will we be able to end senseless murder and event like Orlando.

Monument Avenue 10K-April 2016

Hello again!! Sorry I have been so absent lately. Life is crazy and hectic but good. I have such a hard time remembering to keep up with this blog anymore, but I think it's time I got better, so here goes. 

Earlier in the month I ran the Monument Avenue 10K again! I have now run this race 7 times since 2008! Crazy!

I did not feel totally prepared for it this year because while training, the farthest I got was 4 miles. So I took it easy on race day and finished in 68 minutes! Which was only 4 minutes slower than last year and that was almost a PR. It was chilly that morning but once we got running it was perfect running weather and I really enjoyed the race! Although I have a special place in my heart for Monument Avenue, I feel like my love affair  with it has come to an end. My husband couldn't drive me down there this year and I was lucky enough to have a friend drive me so I didn't have to worry about parking. It also gets hard with the kiddo. Since my hubs coaches lacrosse he has games on Saturday mornings so I had to get my mom to keep B. It wasn't a problem, it just adds another level to the stress of it all.
So I think that next year I will be skipping out on Monument Ave. I want to find a less crowded 10K and see if I can finally hit my goal of 60 minutes or less. I think having less of a crowd will help get me closer to that goal. There is a lot of ducking and weaving involved with Monument Ave.

Although, now that they have medals, it will be hard to pass up the hardware ;-)

No races in my future as of right now. Next update will be about my new adventure with a chiropractor. I'll let you know how that goes!

A Heart Filled With Love

Today my heart is filled with love. Saint Patrick's Day is such a fun holiday and it is also my birthday. As I turn another year older, I've taken some time to reflect on things.

*I am so happy and grateful for the life I have. I have a wonderful husband who I adore and love and I am lucky enough that he feels the same way about me.
*I have a beautiful son who is so full of life and is such a happy and smart child. His smile lights up a room and watching him grow and learn brings me so much joy.
*We are blessed to have careers that are stable and allow us to live a comfortable life.
*I am so lucky to still have both of my parents in my life and that they are still together after 40 years. I am also so lucky that my parents have been supportive of me all of my life.
*I work with awesome people. Despite our differences, we are a family.
*My life has had some tough times, but they made stronger and made me become the person I am today.
*I am so thankful that at 33 I still have an active imagination and am able to use my talents of art and writing. I am excited to discover where those two passions take me in the next few years.
*The older I get, the more grateful I become for my health. I am so blessed and grateful that above many other things, I am healthy. I have a strong heart and a body I try to treat well and take care of because that means I get to be here for my son.

Life is full of beauty and I am blessed to be able to experience it.

keep moving

I ran three miles today. It was the farthest I've gone since December. It was kind of a struggle, not gonna lie. The morning was cold, but felt good once I got moving. My legs just weren't totally in the game.

It's been such a struggle to find motivation these last few months. How do you go from constantly training for half marathons to not wanting to move from the couch? Pregnancy, a toddler, a full work week, a knee injury...and a total loss of motivation. Running always takes a back seat to everything else these days and I'm beginning to realize just how important running is to my well being. It seriously helps me keep my sanity. There is something reassuring about running in a straight line, seeing where you are going and how far you've gone. Feeling the earth thud beneath your feet and how that contact affects the rest of your body.

I'm getting better, slowly but surely. It's going to be an uphill climb, but I'll get there.

Treadmill Dreadmill

It's officially time to start training for the 10K. Starting out on the old treadmill. 

Here's a quote for the day:

"Life is meant to be lived. Take risks. Feel passion. Discover love. Run free."

Still snowed in...

We are still snowed in here but making the best of it! I'm not gonna lie, it has been awesome to be home and not have to go anywhere. I kind of love it. No, I REALLY love it. I love spending time with my son and I love not having to be up at a certain hour and rush around like a maniac all day and have no time left for anything else because I either get home late or I am exhausted or both.

That's about all I have to say today. Here's our cute snowman we made yesterday.

New Year and a Snow Day

Well the blizzard has definitely hit here in Virginia! This storm is seriously crazy. Yesterday was great. I woke up early, got a quick run in before the boys were awake, showered and got all snuggled up under a blanket with my coffee before the storm even started. It was magical! Plus, I love getting to watch the Today show.

So what happens when we have a blizzard in this South? This. This is what happens.

Stole this little gem from a Facebook friend.

Yesterday I was feeling plucky and all full of energy, so I baked an apple pie from scratch. Yes, totally from scratch. Even the crust. It is the seriously the best apple pie I have ever tasted and I am not usually an apple pie fan. 

Today, the storm continues to rage on. Its almost white out conditions out there. I don't think I will be running outside again anytime soon. I don't know how long life will be at a stand still here, but I am hoping for a few more days off of work.

Not today!!! LOL!!

Surf-N-Santa 5 Miler 2015

On December 19th, I ran my 47th race. That is a powerful statement. Just 8 years ago on the same exact date, I reached a tipping point in my life and just 3 months later ran my very first race. If you would have told me back then that just 8 short years later I would have so many races under my belt, I wouldn't have believed you. The past 8 years have really been amazing for me, and I have more self confidence than I ever had before. I can thank several things for that, but number 1 on the list is running. It has been a game changer for me.

All that being said, I have been in a bit of a running slump since going back to work. I just cannot seem to find motivation to run at all. I hate it. I thought that signing up for this race would change that, but it didn't. So I went out and ran 5 miles with hardly any training and could barely walk at the end.

Even though there was a cold snap that day, it was actually a really great afternoon for a run. Once we got moving the air felt nice and running on the boardwalk was really enjoyable. I liked seeing all the lights. If you are not into running, you can always go down to Virginia Beach and drive through the lights too. It is a pretty neat set up, and who doesn't love the beach?

Shrub and Bryan ran it too!

I taped up both of my legs, but by the time I drove 2 hours to get there, it didn't seem to matter. My muscles were stiff and even though I jogged a little around the parking lot, they would not loosen up. It was really painful. The first mile felt alright but after that things started to hurt and I ended up walking and near the end could feel myself starting to limp. Not to mention that my old hip injury came back. Ugh! There were a few moments near the end where I could feel the tears in my eyes and hear the nasty voice in my head telling me this was it, the end of my running days had finally come. But I pushed it deep down inside of me and made it across the finish line. My quads felt like tight rubber bands that snapped as I walked. After a beer and a little standing around I started to feel better.

Free beer! Yay we finished!

Jess came out to support us too!

Obligatory beer chugging picture.

It was crowded in there!

All in all, it was a great night for a race and I would definitely do it again. About 2 months ago I had the idea in my head that I would run another half marathon this spring. I think after this race my short term goal is going to be just to make it through Monument Avenue 10K in one piece. And to somehow dig up some motivation from somewhere.

What keep you motivated?

600 miles!!

Oh my gosh!! I just noticed I have a total of 600 miles on my mile counter! How awesome is that??

I have a 5 miler tomorrow night I am looking forward to. Promise to update before Christmas!

And today was the last day of school! I made it to winter break!!! Holla!!!!

HCA 8K 2015

Saturday November 14th I ran the HCA 8K which is part of the Richmond Marathon. I have run the half marathon 4 times, but with so much going on at work, I knew I would not have the time to dedicate to training for a half. I barely had time to train for the 8K. Being all ambitious, I even made a training plan back in September since I had slacked of once again and I couldn't even keep up with that.

Wave 1??? Aww crap. I guess that's what I get for not training.

My athletic supporter! Our squinty eyes tell you just how exhausted we were.

Even with the little training I did manage to complete, I finished the 8K in 50 minutes 48 seconds.

Boom. Drop glitter.

I'm awesome. Just kidding.

True, I ran the whole time with a side cramp and was breathing like I was in labor but I did it! I had a good laugh when I saw the photos and saw how I was smiling as I crossed the finish line.

Big smile cause I knew I did pretty darn good ;-)

It was a great morning for a  race and all in all, I had a good time, but there was a dark cloud hovering just on the horizon.

The terrorist attacks in France really got to me on Friday night. I did not realize what was going on since I was at the mall with my parents and then took B back to their house for the night. When I got there, dad had the TV on and was watching what was happening.

I am so sad and tired of people harming and killing other people in the name of whatever they believe. So what if someone believes something different from you? It makes the world a more interesting place. Why can't people just live and let live? Sometimes I feel like we are back in the freaking middle ages.


I try to keep hoping that some day, there will be total peace in this world.

While I was running back towards the finish, the sun was in our faces. I happened to look up and see this beautiful, classic diamond shaped kite. It was yellow and someone was flying it from the roof of their building. There was a tree between the kite and me. Most of it's leaves had fallen off so I could see the kite on the other side of the branches, the sun shining across a cloudless sky. The sight of it made me smile. Despite the evil in this world, there is still so much beauty.

Urbanna Oyster Festival 2015

This picture starts off the post because it started off my weekend and it's one of my most favorite mugs ever. 

I took Friday off of work because it was the annual Urbanna Oyster Festival! My first experience of this Virginia tradition took place last year, and it was fun, but this year was much more fun. Mostly because my hubby got to go this time and B was a year older and he was much easier to deal with all day. While he still takes a daily nap, we knew he wouldn't take one today so we just powered through.

About 70,000 people attend this festival in tiny Urbanna, Virginia every year. It takes place the first Friday and Saturday of November. We go on Friday because it is the less crowded day. The weather this year was AMAZING! It was a record high in the 80's! I was super happy to walk around in flip flops all day.

B got to experience his first pony ride! He did great and held on tight.

Virginia is for Lovers! 

There is so much here. Lots of vendors and lots of food! I do wish there were more local vendors. They have a fair amount of food vendors that are the ones you see at the state fair and sell you one corn dog for $5. We found the Lions Club stand that was selling yummy food for a fair price and it all goes to charity. There are also some food vendors that are local which was nice. Always try to hit those up.

There are quite a few other vendors selling the same odd things...like weird puppets that look mass produced in a back room in Mexico and those funky hippy/poncho hoodie things that all the stoners wore in the 90's. I'd really like to see more home made vendors. I bought 2 Christmas ornaments: one was a shell made to look like a snowman with a Santa hat on that was made from a Steelers pattern and one that was an oyster shell that looked like a beach and had a little sign in the sand that said "Urbanna". I tried to convince dad to get the dried out crab wearing a Santa hat but he wouldn't go for it. 

They also had a stage with different bands. B hopped out of the stroller, grabbed 2 sticks and took a dance break! This kid LOVES to dance. I have no idea where he gets it from. 

Eventually we made it down to the harbor where our friends had their boats docked. This was probably the most fun. The festival is big and it is nice to have a home base where you can sit, relax and drink a beer. I loved boat hopping. 

Dad and I continued our Jell-O shot tradition we started last year! Thanks Marsha for bringing those!

Uncle Rusty, Michelle, Me, Mom

Our buddies who are hysterical! Love hanging out with them. Also great because B has so many people watching out for him and mama can take a break.

My little captain! Seriously, how great is this picture? I had to take about 10 pictures before I got this one, but it is perfect.

Oh heeeeey! Just pretending to drive this yacht the size of a house!

Before we left we went over to another marina and found another friend who was there on a boat he bought that he is fixing up and re-selling. He does this with everything. There is nothing this guy won't sell. This boat was 51 feet long, had 3 state rooms (bedrooms) and a head (bathroom). There were 2 seating areas with tables and benches. I could seriously get used to that. I don't know if I would ever want to own a boat like that, but it would be hella fun to go out on it once in awhile.

See? It was huge. (That's what she said.) Apparently it was owned by a the owner of the Redskins at one point.

I greatly enjoyed spending the day with my man and family. It was too pretty of a day to be stuck at work, so I was happy to off. This has felt like the longest weekend ever and I've loved it. 

He finally crashed when he decided to head back to the car. He was such a trooper. We are so blessed that we have such a smart, easy going kid.


http://www.urbannaoysterfestival.com/