Running - Just Keepin It Real

I had the great idea to run a 5K.

Those of you who know me can pick your jaws up off the floor...

thankyouverymuch.

I've been needing to do "something".

I never gained the Freshman 15,

but I got the I-stopped-nursing-my-second-child-and-didn't-stop-eating-everything-in-sight-15.

So tonight was the night.

I got my Couch to 5K app all ready on my iPhone,

put on my who knows how old sneakers because I never need actual athletic shoes for anything,

found my 15 year old sports bra,

and took off.

And the verdict is in...I still don't like running.

Am I seriously the only person on the planet who does not get energy from exercising?!

All I want to do is sit on the couch with my eyes closed...

not even sleep...

just sit...doing nothing.

Sleeping would actually be more productive...

but no...too tired for sleeping.

I've never liked running.

There's been a few times in my life that I've run.

Like in high school when they made me run the mile in gym class and my friend and I protested and walked half of it and finished in like 16 minutes.

No regrets.

And there was that semester in college when I would go to the fitness center on campus every day with my friend and run on a treadmill while watching reruns of Saved By The Bell.

There was that super cute guy that was there every day at the same time...

that was slightly motivating.

Again no regrets ;-)

So how do I motivate myself to get out there again?!

Like for real...me no likey.

But I want the end result and I'm assuming that if I stick with it then it will get less horrible.

This is where my hubby would point out that I am a negative person and then I would say

"nuh uh...I'm just keepin it real"

(with my best thug face)

But for reals people...how do I get back out there?

Yo quiero advice :-)

On an unrelated note...

this is a pic of my cute babies at the beach :-)

Best.Picture.Ever!

Get ready for the best.picture.EVER!



Love how it looks like we actually got some air.

But let's zoom in a bit.

We were told to jump like ninjas.

Steve decided making the ninja sound would help him.

Apparently, I was playing the part of a terrified ninja.

Let's zoom in once more.

best.picture.ever

El Fin

Let's Talk

If you are my Facebook friend, then you know...

I enjoy FB ;-)

IMO - it's such a great way to keep in touch with people,

to get to know people better,

to keep up with people's lives who live far away,

to continue to develop existing relationships,

and to help foster new ones.

Not to mention sharing pictures and commenting on your friend's cute kids' pictures :-)

Blogging is different.

There isn't as much interaction.

You might leave me a comment...which I LOVE...

but I don't know how to turn that into a conversation :-(

I try to comment back...but you probably don't see that.

Unless...I'm missing something.

Am I missing something?

I want to interact with you all!!!

I am new to this blogging thing...

so it is highly likely that I am missing something.

So how do we do this?

How can we interact more?

Suggestions please :-)

[Pretend like there is some amazingly funny or witty picture right here

that exactly captures the message in this blog post]

[and then enjoy this picture of my cute kid]



"you KNOW you want to be my friend"



Impromptu Groupon Dates!

I am thankful for:

1. Impromptu dates with the Hubby 

2. Friends that will watch our kiddos at a moments notice

3. Trying out new restaurants

4. Not letting a Groupon expire, because my smart hubby realized on the last day we could use it!



this picture was actually taken in CO this summer, because the thought didn't even cross my mind to take a picture on our impromptu date last night :-)



I've been kind of MIA this week!

The stomach bug that hit my family this past weekend has really thrown me for a loop.

I'm out of my blogging groove.

Hoping to get my groove back soon :-)

Can you picture me grooving right now?

I am.

I'm a pretty sweet groover.

Oh ya.

It's My Birthday!

Some people like to hide the fact that it's their birthday so people won't fuss over them.

I'm not one of those people ;-)



My 1st Birthday!




My 3rd Birthday!



My 4th Birthday!



My 5th Birthday!



My 11th? Birthday!  Check out those awesome glasses!  I wouldn't be keeping it real if I didn't add an "awkward" pic in there.



We are headed to the zoo today to celebrate my birthday.  Hoping to not sweat to death in our lovely fall weather here in Orlando (high of 91).  I'm sure I'll be back with some fun "kids with zoo animals" pictures next week ;-)

Leave me some birthday comment love!  I love me some blog comments!

New Favorite Show

I think I have a new favorite show :-)  Not that there are many to choose from right now in TV land!  Come one new shows and start up already!

Picker Sisters on Lifetime makes me happy.  It has the pickin fun that we love...but then they make amazing furniture and decorator pieces out of the old junk.  You should check it out!

Check out this chandelier made with an old rusty metal ring...

Photo from here

 And this chair made from a....cilo...yes...like the thing that holds corn!

Photo from here



But let's not forget my obsession with American Pickers.  LOVE the show!  We even stopped by their shop - Antique Archeology - in Iowa on our long drive back from Colorado this summer.

Do you have a favorite show right now that you think everyone should be watching??

Tijuana Pics

I was going through some old pictures and came across these fun ones.  When hubby and I were dating I went out to San Diego to meet his family and see where he grew up.  We went to Tijuana, Mexico for a few hours (that was back when Mexico wasn't so scary for tourists...we probably wouldn't go back now).  We decided to get our picture taken with the "Mexican Tiger"...I'm pretty sure that's what they were calling the poor donkey painted like a zebra lol.

Then I found out that my grandparents had gotten their picture taken in Tijuana 50 years earlier!

How awesome is that?!  My Grandma is "OH BOY" with the cute puddle jumpers on and my Grandpa is "CISCO KID".  They had my mom the next year.

I love stuff like this...don't you?!

Hidden Cell Phone Towers

I have a weird fascination with hidden cell phone towers.  I love finding them!  I think "AHA! You can't fool me!" every time I spot one ;-)

This one is less than a mile from my house!  My hubby is the one that spotted it one day...it was really "hidden."  We drove up and down streets until we found the one that led to it.  We've lived in this house for almost 4 years before we spotted it!

I spotted this one in Colorado this summer.  It's a bison silouhette on a hill...wins the prize for most random I think :-)



Sideview so you can see the cell towers on it





This one was also in Colorado.  It's not super hidden...but they used an existing factory chimney thing instead of building an ugly metal tower.

There are hidden cell phone towers ALL OVER San Diego (where hubby is from).  Next time we're out there I'll have to get more pics of them.  Here's what they look like there.

Have you spotted any hidden cell phone towers in your area?  Did you take a pic?  I'd love to share it on my blog for the world to see...or maybe just those handful of people who actually read this lol!

Comparison Es No Bueno

I was able to attend the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit this year.  There were amazing speakers!  Like really amazing!  I was tempted to shout out loud AMEN! a few times, but just felt too white to do it.

Anyways, the quote that I heard at the Summit that will forever be engrained in my brain came from Steven Furtick, a pastor in Charlotte, NC. (btw...the pic on the top of his blog major creeps me out...makes him look like one of those tv healers...glad I saw that AFTER hearing him speak)

Here's the quote:
"We compare our 'behind-the-scenes' with other's 'highlight reel'."

Can I get an AMEN!?

Isn't that SO true?!

Love this video :-)



BTW!!!  Can I give a huge shoutout to my hubby for adding a Facebook Like button to my blog.  I "Like" him :-)

Yup...that's me in the background.  Maybe I should have used this pic yesterday ;-)

I'm Baaaack!

I have lots of reasons why I stopped blogging for almost a year.

• I realized people were actually reading it and I felt super vulnerable and naked.
• Life got busy.
• I didn't feel like I was as good as other bloggers.
• I got an iPhone and stopped being attached to my open computer.

But...I've decided to try it again.  No pressure this time.  My goal is not to get 1000's of people reading it and following me and getting ad space and craziness (not that I ever thought that would happen in the first place...but there was definitely a part of me that wanted it to!).  My goal is to share my thoughts with whoever wants to read them.  Honestly, it's a good outlet for me to document thoughts in my life.  I'm not a "journaler"...so if I have a thought I usually forget it, because it's not written down anywhere.  And another "honestly"...sometimes I have funny thoughts that I think you think will be funny too and that makes me happy.

So this is me...and my thoughts...no judging...k?  thanks.

No, I Want Daddy!

"No, I want Daddy!"

I hear this phrase quite often in my house. It's like hearing "You're not good enough and you don't give me what I can get from Daddy." My usual response in my head or let's be honest, it's usually said under my breath (insert thick sarcasm) "That's ok...all I did was give you life and take care of you every day of your life!"

Isn't that like our relationship with God? How often do I tell Him "You aren't good enough. I want this or that. Those things fulfill me more than you do."

And He's up there thinking "I gave you life. I take care of you every day. Why isn't that enough?"

Awesome Baby Halloween Costumes

If you still need ideas of how to dress your kiddos up for Halloween, then check out this slideshow that The Bump came up with.  They have some great ideas ;-)  My favorite is #6.  Too bad I don't have a little boy!



My girls are actually going to be Minnie Mouse (costume purchased from Ebay at a good price) and a princess fairy (costume purchased at a garage sale at a very good price).  Now I just need to buy some Minnie ears and make a ginormous cute bow for Ellie that is princess worthy :-)

What are your kids going to be?

A friend of ours let us borrow his Camaro for our date night a couple weeks ago.

All dressed up for our date!

This was my view from the front seat :-)  I kept asking Steve to stop and get me some phonebooks to sit on :-)

Interesting Lawn Ornaments

Lawn ornaments I've seen around town...

I'm guessing this is in place of a watchdog.

In case you can't see, this is a "frog" with it's "tongue" extended

trying to eat a "bug" hanging in the tree.  Ya, you can't make this stuff up.

I'm 30!

Yesterday was my 30th birthday!

So long twenties...you were a fun decade.

Someone recently asked me how I felt about turning 30.

My response - "It feels like it's about time."

I spent a lot of my birthday caring for a sick and miserable 5 month old :-(

And that is what life is like as a 30 year old.

I'm the same...just with a few added responsibilities ;-)