My Man

I wanted to post a few pictures that I haven't had a chance to get to because of all the craziness going on in our lives...and from the looks of Facebook it seems to be that way for a lot of us right now!

Recently, last month, my better half celebrated another year of life!

Yeah, I know.  He may look scary but he really is a big sweetheart! ;-)  My son's LOVE birthday cakes and, like most kids, like to blow out the candles as well.  As you can see, Corban is mesmerized by the candle flames.

The cake was actually extra layers from a previous order and so I used them to make his cake.  I know, I'm a bad wife.  It was all I had time to do.  Definitely not my best work.

Time to blow out the candles!  As you can see, Casey, in the back, is not close enough to do any damage but he still gets into the spirit by puckering up!  Love my lil' Mogli!  He is so much like both of us.  Corban is always "at the ready" to blow out them candles whether it's his party or not!  We are trying to teach him a bit of candle blowing etiquette, I promise, but since this was daddy's it's ok.

Okay, you've seen the pictures so now let me share a bit about my man.  He is and always will be the most incredible man I have ever met!  Was it luck that I got married to such a wonderful?  Absolutely NOT!  God's hand was on our relationship from the very beginning!  He was the man that I had prayed for all those years growing up.  God was preparing him, as He was preparing me, to receive one another when He finally did bring us together some 14 yrs ago.  I know I probably sound like some fruity, nutty, hopeless romantic cheesehead but I cannot express enough how much this man means to me.  He IS my other half.  He completes me.  I can't imagine myself without him.  Does that mean our life is a bed of roses?  We never fight? Never disagree?  Don't, at times, NOT like each other?  No.  We deal with all the same junk, trials, hardships and disappointments.  But it also means that we share in each others victories, aspirations, dreams,  triumphs and blessings.  The best part is that we don't have to go through any of it alone.  I wouldn't change that for the world.  I thank God for the time that he's been in my life and for the many years I will yet have with him.  Rick, I love you.

My First 5K

Good evening folks!  I hope you have had as an incredible day as I've had!  What?  Your day wasn't incredible?  Well then, let me tell you about my day so that you can share in the incredibleness of my day, shall we?

As stated in the previous post I have begun running.  It wasn't easy and it wasn't even something that I ever viewed as something I wanted to do.  Well, Rick, my hubby got started a few years back and has been doing incredibly well.  He's completed 3 Triathlon and several other small runs here in our area.  He also got picked (lottery system this year) to run in the Houston Marathon coming up next year in March, I believe.  I am so proud of him and he has come such a long way.  Not only has he improved his health but he looks incredible as well!  Love you my Honey Bunches of Oats!  Along this incredible (there's that word again) journey he started he has researched, read magazines, talked to anyone and everyone who runs, bikes and swims, and has read forum after forum regarding these sports.  So, you see, by the time it actually got around to me putting on a pair of shoes (recommended by my hubby of course) he had done all of the hard work for me!  Essentially, he became my coach, trainer and biggest supporter!

I started my "athletic" journey just about 7 months ago.  I started out walking of course.  I use the BuddyRunner app on my phone to log my walks/runs.  It's actually pretty cool because it tracks your course, elapsed time, pace in min/mile, elevation fluctuations and of course your distance.  I can sync all of this info to  the web and track my progress.  Anyhow, I started out walking and my first logged walk was .62 miles in 21 min and 17 sec.  Yeah, I was turtle slow.  I wasn't fully on board yet so that affected my effort.

As you know from my previous post as well, we have 3 dogs.  Two of which are large breeds and need good consistent exercise so they don't go stir crazy.  I used them as motivation to get me moving and Rick had taken one of them on a couple of his runs before so I knew they were up for it.  So having the "incredible" (word of the day people) support of my husband and some great dogs, not to mention protection, to run with I began running!  I don't want to bore you with all the details of my past runs but I'll just tell you that I started with my first 1.5 miles in March in 23min 49sec at 15'10" min/mi, to my first 3.66 miles in September in 54min 47sec at 14'57" min/mi, to TODAY!  I ran my first 5K race which is about 3.1 miles and I did it in 34 min at a pace of 10'41"!  Now that may be a bunch of mumbo jumbo to a lot of you but to a runner that's what it's all about!

Here are a few pics, albeit bad, from my phone's camera to help you share in this incredible event from today.

Us before the race.  Since Rick had signed me up through his work we had matching shirts, "awww", and we were trying to look for others from his work but there were so many people we couldn't find anyone.

The SEA of people!  This was only a small portion.  I believe the announcer said they started with about 1,800 racers for the first one and today there was over 38,000!  That's a lot of people ya'll!

We were in the non-competitive category and the Family walk started first then the Competitive Runners then us.  So we were able to get closer to the front once they started.

After the race they had a huge area where everyone could go and hang out.  People were handing out snacks,  water, hand towels and other goodies.  While walking around we ran into one of our good friends who has a prosthesis on his left leg from a motorcycle accident.  He and his wife are incredible people and we are blessed to know them.  It was great to see him out here too!  Yes,  that is a banana sticking out of my belt and a Luna bar. :-)  I told you they were handing out snacks!

So, that was the start of my incredible day!  Yes!  There's more!  Since the boys stayed with Papa (thank you Papa!) Rick and I were able to stay downtown for a bit and spend some time together.  After the race we went to, REI, an outdoor recreation merchandise store.  If you haven't been I highly recommend purchasing a membership and going!  We hung out there looking at cool stuff and trying on shoes.  Then, we went to a very unique Persian restaurant called Kasra's.  It was very delicious!  Sorry, I don't have pics of that. :-(  We got to sit and eat and talk!  Without being interrupted by little munch-kin voices! But wait!  There's more!  When we got home I went straight up stairs and took about a TWO hour nap!  Oh man, that felt good.  I ended up bathing the dogs when I got up and just hanging out with my honey and boys...how awesome is that!

To round out this incredible day I will go to sleep knowing that tomorrow will be me and my sweetheart's 12 year anniversary!  Yes, I have been blessed with being with one INCREDIBLE man for over 12 years and I wouldn't change it for the world!  So, I leave you with this...aren't we cute...

God bless!

Random Randomness

Well, hello everyone!  It's been a while since I've posted.  To be honest I got a bit frustrated with trying to come up with something and then when I did I didn't have the time!  Se la vi!

So, today I'm just going to share a few very random thoughts with you.  And I mean RANDOM folks!  You'll probably be asking, "where did you pull that from?" Wouldn't you like to know.

Anyhow, first I'd like to share a little gem with you that my husband got me hooked on a few months back.  Drum roll please...

COCONUT WATER!!!!

It is pretty amazing stuff, this Coconut water.  Pictured above is the Goya brand, which also happens to be the cheapest at a whopping 17.6 fl oz for $0.97!!!  Yes, folks, you heard that right.  $.97!  There are other good brands line O.N.E. and Vita Coco but they cost at least twice as much for almost half the volume.

...I wonder if Goya will send me free Coconut water for this free marketing I'm giving them?...

Here are a few benefits of consuming Coconut Water-

-Low in Carbs
-99% Fat Free
-Low in sugars
-Contains 15x more potassium than a banana

...and a few more...

Coconut water contains organic compounds possessing healthy growth promoting properties that
have been known to help
1. Keep the body cool and at the proper temperature.
2. Orally re-hydrate your body, it is an all natural isotonic beverage.
3. Carry nutrients and oxygen to cells.
4. Naturally replenish your body's fluids after exercising.
5. Raise your metabolism.
6. Promote weight loss.
7. Boost your immune system.
8. Detoxify and fight viruses.
9. Cleanse your digestive tract.
10. Control diabetes.
11. Aid your body in fighting viruses that cause the flu, herpes, and AIDS.
12. Balance your PH and reduce risk of cancer.
13. Treat kidney and urethral stones.
14. Boost poor circulation.

So drink up everyone!  There is much to be had from Coconut Water!

My next random thought actually ties to my drinking more Coconut water so it's probably not as random as I'd hoped.

I've started "running".  Running being a very loose term as I don't do it as consistently as I'd like but am really trying.

...As you probably know we have 3 dogs, a Miniature Schnauzer, Shadow.  He loves to play soccer and the harmonica.

Demi, our Great Weimer, as we like to call her (she's mixed but shhhh, don't tell her), loves to act silly and play with her bunny.

...and our newest addition to the family, Rachmaninoff or "Rock", a Great Dane who is the still a wee pup at about 11 months.  He loves to take long walks and lounge around.

"What do your dogs have to do with you running?" you may ask.  Well, they help motivate me to run because if I don't get them out at least 3 times a week they start going bonkers on me!  So, about 3 times a week I take Rock and Demi on a 3 miler or so and then when I get back I take shadow out for a few minutes just so he doesn't feel left out.

My husband has signed me up for the Susan G Komen, Race for the Cure tomorrow but since we'll have the boys I'll only be able to do the family K walk.  Oh well, there's always another race.

Okay, if you've read this far, I thank you.  For my final random thought I am choosing cookies!  See how I did that?  From Coconut water to running to cookies!  That's pretty random, huh?  Boom!  That just happened!

So, the other day...Tuesday I think...the cooler weather was really making me feel good and I decided to do some baking!  I've never really been a sugar cookie fan but figured I'd try my hand at decorating a few since I had some leftover icings.

I used the recipe found on this post by Bakeat350.  She's a sugar cookie expert here in The Woodlands so I knew she wouldn't let me down.  I was right!  These cookies came out great!  I already had some pumpkin cookie cutters so I used those and made some circles just to use up the extra dough.  This is what I came up with!  I think they turned out pretty cute, not to mention delicious!

 For the orange icing I had leftover cream cheese icing that I tinted orange.  The I piped Royal icing, tinted green, to make the stem and curly twigs.  The round ones I iced with white royal icing and added the green on top.

I was on such a roll that I decided to make my absolutely scrumptious ChocoPeanutbutter Oatmeal cookies too!

The recipe for these I stole from the back of my Imperial brand Brown Sugar bag then tweeked it to make it good!

ChocoPeanutButter Oatmeal Cookies

Cream together:

1 stick butter

1/4 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar

1 egg

Then add:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Fold in:

1 package (12 oz) chocolate chips

1 1/3 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup of oatmeal

2 Tbl of Peanut butter

Bake approximately 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees on an parchment covered baking sheet or until edges brown.

Until next time...drink coconut water, go for a run and eat cookies!  Happy Fall ya'll!