Cali May's Daze

Half Rev3 Anderson SC Recap

2013-10-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

So two weeks ago, I did a half ironman distance race. Wow! I can't believe it's already been two weeks. I wanted to write this race report awhile ago, but things have been a little crazy in the Smith house. Four days after my race the baby and I flew to Colorado for my cousin's wedding. Then we were both welcomed home with sickness. Now that I have recovered from my race and my trip to Colorado, it's time to share about my race before it's old news.

The week before the race, I took it easy. I rode my bike trainer for about 2 hours Monday, 4 mile run on Tuesday, and 3 mile run on Thursday. Throughout the whole week I was pretty chill and not too nervous about race day. On Friday night my brother and sister-in-law arrived. We had our church retreat on Saturday, which ended up being a good thing. I was pretty distracted with my family coming into town and get the details together for the church retreat. Then on Saturday afternoon after lunch, I had a friend ask me how I was feeling. That's when it hit me. Reality set in. Ahhhh! I was about to embark on the longest day of exercise I had experienced yet.

Matt, Baby C, and my brother, Trevor headed to Anderson for packet pick up and to drop off my bike. The first stop once we reached Anderson was the Civic Center (where Transition 2 was located) for packet pickup and the athlete meeting. No surprises there. Everything that was mentioned in the meeting I had already read in the athlete guide. After the athlete meeting we headed over to the Multi-Sport Ministries. There was a group of about 10 people. We gathered for a short devotional thought and prayer time. I mistakenly raised my hand for a prayer request. Almost immediately I started crying. I just turned into a blubby mess. How embarrassing!

Enjoying the Athlete Meeting with my Little Buddy

Transition 2 the day before the race

The next thing on the list was bike check-in at Darwin Wright Park (Swim & Transition 1). Everything was nice and smooth. After dropping my bike off and checking out the swim exit, we were headed home.

She's ready to ride!

When we got home, I was beginning to get more and more nervous. I finished getting all my race gear together and bagged. Then I crawled into bed. I have to add that I have to sweetest husband that slept in the other room with the baby monitor so I could get a better night sleep. (He also did this Friday night. What a guy!)

Race Day arrived very early the next morning. I attempted to eat some eggs for breakfast and jumped in the car as soon we could. Baby C did so great. We transitioned him to the carseat, and he slept to whole way to Anderson. The car ride was no problem with one quick nervous stop at a rest stop before arriving at the race.

First stop was Transition 2. I set up all my running gear, and we were off to Transition 1. Matt found a great parking spot at a church parking lot across the street from the park. I headed to my bike, got the tires pumped up, and set up all my biking gear. I had a great spot in both transitions, right on the aisle.

The waiting game began.... But before we knew it was 7:30am, time to nurse the baby. One of the things I was most nervous about was nursing/ not nursing all day. Now looking back I don't think it could have gone any better.

I think I was the only triathlete that morning nursing. :)

After nursing I slipped into my wetsuit. We headed over to the swim start. My parents and brother and sister-in-law arrived. I took a quick dip in the water to adjust to the temperature.

One happy triathlon family

After some tears were shed, it was race time and I jumped in the water. I took it nice and easy. No rushing. I felt very comfortable in the water. My wetsuit and goggles fit just right. The temperature of the water was great, not too cold or too hot with the wetsuit. I seriously felt like this swim would never end. We swam around a peninsula with four red buoys. Finally I saw the shoreline. The end was in sight. My swim cap started to come off, but no problem. I just ripped it off as I was approaching the shore. I got out of the water at 46:35. Right on target! I got out the water and chit-chatted with my family in transition as I was setting up to head out on the bike. With T1 at 5:21 (also right on what I had planned). Then it was time for a bike ride.

Ready to ride

I was excited to get out on the bike. This was a great course. Absolutely beautiful with nice rolling hills! At first was surrounded by other riders. I was quickly being passed by the Olympic collegiate racers. It was really nice the first 10-12 miles with all the other riders. But then I was out on my own as the Olympic course went right and the Half stayed straight. Occasionally other athletes would come a go. Then at mile 30, I stopped my family out on the course. I was so excited to see them! The ride continued. While I was out there, I started wondering if I was the last one out there. But I wasn't I even passed a few people out on the course. My nutrition and water was great, just enough but not too much. I finished up with 13.5 mph. I was really satisfied with that, because I was estimating 13 mph. I will say that I have never been so excited to get off my bike!

Mile 30

It felt so good to come around the corner to see Transition 2. I got off my bike and got ready for my run. Then headed to the porta-potty. My legs felt good. As I headed out of transition, I joined lots of people on their second lap. I just kept going. I ran the entire first lap. As I was finishing up my first lap I got some major chaffing. Matt ran to the car and met me with some Tri-Slide as I was starting my second lap. After that it was smooth sailing. I walked with Matt up a hill close to Transition but then started to pick it up again. I continued to run until about mile 11, where I started to walk occasionally just because. I felt really good about my overall time, and I knew I was going to make it under my 8 hour goal. So I decided to be a little bit more comfortable. As I approached the last aid station, the volunteers asked me what I needed and I yelled out, "the finish line". I was so close! For the last quarter mile Matt ran with me carrying the baby. Then we saw the finish line. I grabbed the baby and ran through the finishers.

Starting the second lap with Matt and a granola bar

Finishing the race with my favorites!

My finish time was 7:48:30. I was very satisfied. My goal was 8 hours. I did it!!! What a transformation from a year ago. Pretty crazy that I was able to complete this race just 10 months after having a baby. Thanks so much for all the support!!

Colleen, my hero, and fellow triathlon mom

Family cheerleaders

I big special thanks to Matthew!! There is no way that I could have done this without you. What a great year this year has been!

Thanks so much to my brother, Trevor, and sister-in-law, Wyntre, Colleen and Abby, and my parents for making the trek up to Anderson to cheer my on!!!!

Since race day, I haven't really been working out, but who knows what the future holds!

Let's do this!!

2013-09-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

Let me first start out saying... I'm tired! The last couple of weeks of training for Rev3 Anderson have been wearing on me. I will be excited when I don't have to drag myself out of bed to go on a long ride or run.

A couple of days ago, Matt and I took a trip up to Anderson, SC to ride the course for my race. We wanted to see if it was what we expected. The night before Matt's mom came down to watch the baby for us while we rode the next day. We left the morning of and drove the hour drive to the Darwin Wright Park. Isn't that awesome that the race is only one hour away? We unloaded the bikes and hopped on the course. Within the first couple of miles there is a decent climb, but overall the climbs aren't necessarily more than we were expecting. Overall the course is good and is going to be a beautiful ride. My preview ride of the course was rough, mostly because the course is not marked, has lots of turns on back roads, which made us stop several times, and it was HOT! I hope it starts to cool down before race day. Because riding 56 miles and following it up with a half marathon in 90* weather is not really ideal for me. I followed the ride up with a 2 mile brick run in the park (not on the run course). The ride was rough, but the run made up for it. The run gave me the confidence I was looking for. Now all I have to do is run 11.1 more miles.

I was running, even though in this picture it looks like a walk. :)

As the week continues, so does my training. Yesterday, I did a long swim, which was just average. Then today I did another 10 mile run. This was the worst run I've had in weeks. But the good news is I ran the whole thing, no walking. Again it was hot, and I didn't have enough water. I was so exhausted this afternoon, the baby and I took a two hour nap. I don't think I have gotten a nap that good in a very long time!

More good new is... I'm only planning on doing TWO more 10 mile runs and 55 mile rides! I'll do a long ride and run next week, then vacation week, another long ride and run week, and the a rest/taper week. Now that's exciting!!! Race day is coming! The thing that keeps me going is running across that finish line with my husband and carrying my baby.

Thanks to everyone for asking about training and giving me encouragement!

I'm married to an IRONMAN!

2013-09-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

A huge milestone stone has happened in my husband's life in the last week and a half. And although he did turn 30 last Friday that is not the milestone I'm talking about. Matt completed his first Ironman. I am so proud of him. It is such an awesome accomplishment. It was a long day for all of us, even though Caffrey and I didn't race. I could give you all the details I remember, but my husband says it so much better. If you haven't already read it, check out his race reports from the swim, bike, and run.

Matt & our buddy Josh after completing Ironman Louisville

So since Ironman Louisville Matt has been taking it pretty easy as far as training goes, and he totally deserves it. But I on the other hand have not. I've got my first 70.3 coming up in five and a half weeks. After spectating at a 140.6 event, it makes me nervous about my 70.3, even though it's half the distance. I will say that this will not be the fastest 70.3 out there. My goal is to finish before the cut off. First of all, I am not a fast triathlete to begin with, and second I have a nine month other baby that is exclusively breastfed which takes precedence over my longer workouts. So in other words a lot of my workouts are geared around the baby and Matt's schedule. It's pretty exciting to look back over the last three weeks to see what I've been able to get accomplished in my training schedule. I've been able to ride a 48 mile and 50 mile outdoors and run 10 miles three times. I've done a couple longer swims, but I've been trying to put more time in on my rides and runs, because that is where I believe I can improve the most.

Just after registering for Rev3 Anderson

I'm excited to see what I can accomplish in the next couple of weeks. Here I come Revolution 3 Anderson 70.3!!

My Favorite Baby Things

2013-08-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

Recently I was talking to a friend that is in the beginning stages of pregnancy. She was asking me about different products that she should put on her baby registry. So instead of just sending her an email, I decided to blog about it. That way I can refer other people to it also in the future.

First of all registering for a baby is so much more intimidating than registering for a wedding. When Matt and I were registering when we got married for the most part we knew what we wanted and how to use it. For a baby it was a totally different situation. We had no idea what half of the stuff even was. When we were registering we asked other people that have recently had babies, but I also used a blog, Create Studio, that my sister told me about. The author wrote a blog post "How in the World to Register for Your First Baby!". So I mostly went off this list, but I had some things that I liked better than what she recommended. When registering for/ buying baby products, keep in mind that every baby is different. One thing that my baby liked, yours may not like. So here we go!!

Layette

Aden & Anais Swaddling Blankets- I used these all the time for the first 3 months until baby learned to get out of the swaddle. I will say that only about 4 of these blankets are really necessary.

Halo SleepSack- We used this swaddling blanket from about 3 months- 5 months. We used the microfleece one, only because baby was born in the winter. One or two of these may be useful, but you could survive with just one.

Aden & Anias Sleeping Bag- Now we use this and have since baby was 5 months. We don't use it every time we lay baby down, only when baby is cold. I also bought the "cozy" one, only because I found it on sale at BabySteals.com. (Two other website to check out for cheaper baby items are BabyHalfOff.com and Zulily)

Nursery

Summer Infant Baby Touch Digital Video Monitor- The things that I like about this monitor are: you can rotate the camera from the video screen, it clicks in easily on the charging dock, and a percentage of battery life is on the screen.

Portable Crib-

There are lots of options out there. Probably the most common is the Graco Pack N' Play. We got one with a reversible napper/ changing station.

It seemed like a good concept. But the napper/ changing station was never level when we flipped it. So if I bought another one I would buy one with separate napper and changing station

The Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light 2 looks to be pretty cool. It is super light, small, and goes up quickly.

Phil & Teds Lightweight Traveller is very similar to the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib, but it looks like it may require a little longer assembly. This one does has a zip away side, though.

Guava Family Lotus Everywhere Crib is basically the same concept too.

Swings/ Bouncers- We got a used swing from a friend and a new bouncer seat with music and vibrations. We put baby in the swing more often then the bouncer seat. Although, I wish I would have just registered for a Portable Swing.

Mobile- I never found a mobile that I liked and matched the baby room. So my sister in law made a really cute decorative one. But now that baby is pulling up in his crib, we took it down. I don't think it's a super necessary item, but I have heard of it entertain baby, especially if they can start the motion.

Feeding

Bibs- I've heard the Baby Bjorn Soft bibs are great. I don't have any yet.

Breast Pump- I have the Medela Pump In Style Advanced.

I have loved it! But have I really needed this pump, since I'm a stay-at-home-mom? Probably not. If you are not going to use a pump daily, a Medela Swing may be a better choice economically.

Nursing Cover- There are lots of covers out there, but Bebe au Lait Nursing Cover is one of the biggest and has a stiff rim to look in while nursing.

Nursing Bras- I bought the Medela Ultra- Soft Cotton Nursing Bra and the Medela Ultra-Stretch Nursing Bra. Both of them have been good. I never got a sleeping bra. I just wear nursing cami/ tank top with bra inside.

Bottles- I rarely use bottles, but I have just used the 4oz Medela bottles that came with my pump. I did try a Calma nipple. It worked well when he was young, now the regular nipples that came with the pump and bottles work best.

Nursing Pillow- My Brest Friend was my favorite over the Boppy, because it was firmer and more supportive.

Nursing Pads- A friend recommended Lansinoh Ultra Soft Disposable Nursing Pads. They are pretty much all I've used. They have worked well.

Soothie Gel Pads were awesome, especially the first few weeks. They really helped with soreness, especially when they are cold from the refrigerator.

High Chair- We have just started using ours, but the Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair is great and turns into a booster seat when baby is bigger.

Bumbo Seat- I've heard other babies and parents love these, but our baby could only sit in these for a few minutes before he was tired of it.

Travelling

Stroller- We got the Baby Jogger Summit primarily for jogging. Some the feature we liked best are: hand brake, shocks, rubber handle, and folds up with one pull. We did not get the adapter for our infant carseat, just to save the money. We put baby in the jogging stroller fully reclined when he had pretty good head control and was six weeks old.

Since the jogging stroller is bigger and heavier, we also got an umbrella stroller. We didn't get just any old umbrella stroller. We got a Chicco Liteway Plus. This stroller is awesome! It can hold our carseat and has a seat.

Car Seat- We got the Chicco Keyfit 30. We love this carseat. It is so easy to install.

Baby Carriers- I have used my carriers probably more than I have used our strollers. Our baby loves baby wearing.

Moby Wrap- I used this all the time until baby was about 4 months old, when he was a little too heavy for the Moby. I used it every week at church and even flew with it when baby was 10 weeks old. Highly recommend.

Just a heads up at first they are kinda complicated to tie. So here's the video I used to learn how.

Baby Ergo- This is an awesome baby carrier, very supportive and comfortable. The only down fall is that I need help snapping it in the back. You can wear it on the front or on your back, but I have only worn it on the front. I did get the infant insert, but didn't use it much. I used the Moby instead when he was smaller, unless I was walking outside in the cold.

Bathing

Some of my favorites are the Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo and Coconut oil for diaper rash.

Apps

I use the IBabyLog all the time to track nursing, diaper change, sleep, pumping, medication, and bottle feeding. It tracks lots of other things too, but this is what I use it for.

Books

There are tons of baby books out there. Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child is what I use as far a sleep patterns and sleep training. The other book that is helpful as far as development and stimulation The Wonder Weeks.

Another helpful blog post to help with baby savings is How to Save on Everything Baby.

Well, there it is... My favorite things! Sorry, for the lengthy post, but hopefully it's helpful. I hope you enjoy these products just as much as I do!

Here we go again!

2013-06-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

I go through phases of blogging and not blogging. So here we go again. Just a heads up, I'm going to to do a little catching up since the last blogs

At the end of April Baby C and I went to California to visit family. I was a little nervous flying by myself and with a layover. Once again little man amazed me. He did great! We'll see if he continues to be a awesome airplane traveler when we fly again in October.

Flying to California

This is my Aunt Sandy. Sandy and her husband, Nan, took us to Newport beach for the weekend.

Baby C got to meet my dad's parents, Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Stout.

He also got to meet my cousin, Kristy, and her fiance', Phillip. (He was about to go to sleep, that's why he's swaddled. I don't usually keep him in a straight jacker.)

We got to see my cousin, Mandi, while we were out in California.

Thanks Sandy and Nan for a great trip to California.

We were both very excited to see Daddy when we got home.

We had kind of a traumatic evening one night in May. Poor baby knocked one of his teeth out in his crib some how. :( His gums are all healed up now, just minus a tooth.

We also got an unexpected visit from my brother, Trevor, and his wife, Wyntre, when they had to cut their backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail short.

At the end of May we headed up to Tennessee for the Georgia Cumberland Conference campmeeting. The highlight of the trip was staying with Matt's sister, Mindy, and her family.

Fun times with Cousin Brynlie!

First time in the swing

Aunt Mindy is such a good auntie and mommy juggling two babies during storytime.

We also made it to Zoo Atlanta for the first time. Caffrey didn't really know what was going on, but it was good outing for me to do with another mommy friend.

So I've been trying to fit in my training in the midst of mommyhood. I mentioned in past posts that I wanted to do Ironman Augusta 70.3, but.... It is now filled up, and I can't do it. :( My plan now is to do Rev3 Anderson. It is also a 70.3. It's two weeks later and a smaller race. I'm also excited, because Matt and Caffrey can cross the finish line with me.

Enjoying some swimming/ training at Collins Hill Aquatic Center

Picnic & playtime, post-ride on the Silver Comet

My mom, Caffrey, and I just got back from a vacation to Branson, MO. We had a lot of fun. This baby continues to amaze me. He did so well with the 13 hours on the road there and back. He did great, but I am really trying to limit his time in the carseat and enjoy as much time as we can at home for the next few days.

My mom, Mimi, & Caffrey looking out the observatory overlooking Branson

This little boy loves to swim

Just outside one of the cafes about to head home

Overall the last three months have been a lot of fun. We have many more memories to make in the next couple of summer months. I'll try to be better about staying up to date, especially as Rev3 Anderson gets closer.

It Just Keeps Getting Better and Better!

2013-04-02T18:35:00.001-07:00

The Smith family has been enjoying some fun adventures recently. I have a lot to catch up on, seeing that it's been a month since I've written a blog.

Since we moved into our house last summer, we have been chugging away on some home projects. We knew when we bought the house that we wanted to put some work into it. Last year we did some projects like painting the whole inside of the house, new carpet everywhere, and concrete countertops in the kitchen. But in the last month and a half we have really been doing more. Matt fenced in our backyard, thanks to Tom and Colleen for the supplies. Maglee has really been enjoying the back yard. We also bought new blinds, put up a tile backsplash in the kitchen, new lighting in the kitchen, resealed our counter tops, and started improving the landscaping in the frontyard. Check out Matt's blog for more details and pictures. We still have long ways to go, but I am loving the improvements.

We also had Baby C's 3 month pictures taken last month. He is getting so big and becoming so much more interactive.

My sweet baby boy

We are really enjoying living in Atlanta. One of the fun things we've been able to enjoy is Stone Mountain. So far we have only made it up the mountain one time, but we got a season pass. There are lots of other trails there too, besides the one to the top of the mountain, that allows dogs. This is also a potential place to bike and run.

Hangin' with my buddies in Stone Mountain State Park

This past month we also joined the Collins Hill Aquatic Center. This is an awesome pool. We only got a two person family membership, since we'll mainly use it for swimming laps. But we can take Baby C too, we'll just have to pay $3 every time. There's an awesome indoor pool perfect for lap swimming and an fun outdoor pool with slides and fun stuff.

Another first this past month was leaving Baby C for a full day. Even though I am not working right now, I am keeping my dental hygiene license current. To keep it current, I have to do my continuing education. There is a great dental conference that comes to Atlanta every year, The Hinman Dental Conference. Fortunately Matt was able to stay home with Baby C. I'm nursing so this was a little bit to juggle. I have a new respect for nursing working moms that have to pump while at work. So I managed to pump while I was at the conference and kept my handy breast pump by my side. (By the way... May I recommend the Medela Pump in Style Advanced. It's great!!! It doesn't obviously look like a breast pump which was nice, since I had to carry it around the whole time. It also can plug in the wall or battery power, which was nice since most bathroom stalls don't have an power outlet.) While I was at the conference I got to see some friends from dental hygiene school.

Last week Baby C got to meet two of his cousins and aunts for the first time. We took a trip up to Grandy and Mimi's house (my parents) and met up with Aunt Jenn, Aunt Juli, Cousin Raleigh, and Cousin Daisy. Baby C had so much fun watching his cousins. He's not used to being around so much action. While we were up there I got to clean some teeth too. That was fun!!

Baby C & Cousin Raleigh

Baby C & Cousin Daisy

Aunt Jenn is holding Baby C while I clean her teeth

Today was Baby C's first day out in the bike trailer. Matt pulled him, and I followed behind. We only did 13 miles, but it was so much fun! This was great practice for us before we try out the Silver Comet next week when the weather is supposed to be awesomely warm.

Just after our bike ride

My Biking Buddies

One more thing... Today I met my Weight Watchers goal weight. I am super excited I am now a current Lifetime member. This means that I can continue using Weight Watchers online tracking system, if i weigh in every month and stay within two pounds of my goal weight. I also found out some other great news when I went to weigh in today. If you become a Lifetime member and then become pregnant, you get the first three months free after having a baby. So I got all my money back from doing Weight Watchers, since I did it in three months. I can't say enough good things about Weight Watchers. It is an awesome weight loss program and has now worked for me twice (before and after a baby).

Sorry for the long post! Hope y'all get the beautiful spring weather that we are enjoying here in Georgia.

Home Again, Home Again...

2013-03-03T09:56:00.001-08:00

Well the Smith family has done some traveling in the month of February. In my last post I told you about our trip to Cohutta Springs Youth Camp for Matt to speak for a high school spiritual retreat. Since then we have been to Colorado and back, and then we went Cohutta Springs again.

Baby C is now a veteran air traveller. I think every mom is a little anxious about getting on a plane with a young child, especially when you get glares from other travelers as you board the plane with a baby. But I have to say he did great! Our flight left on a Sunday afternoon from Atlanta. We arrived at the airport about an hour and a half before our plane was scheduled to leave. We checked one bag and a carseat (fyi for other moms: you can check a carseat and stroller without charge!). Then the attendent asked us if we had Baby C's birth certificate. Ooops... Fortunately, they still let him board the plane after they added him to my ticket as a lap child. Security wasn't too bad either. I carried Baby C in the Moby Wrap. (Also fyi for other moms: you don't have to take a baby out of the carrier if he is on you when going through security, they just do some wipe on your hands after you've gone through the metal detector.) We got to our gate and boarded the plane shortly after. I fed Baby C when taking off and when landing to equalize his ears. He slept and played quietly in between take off and landing. Probably the best thing that I brought was my nursing pillow. I took it on the plane with me. It made it so much easier!! Also another tip for travelling moms... We did not bring the carseat base this time, because we knew we weren't going to be in the car that much.

We had an awesome week at Campion Academy with Nick and Taryn while Matt spoke for Week of Prayer. It was an awesome experience and lots of fun to hang out with our friends. But we were pretty tired and ready to be home (for one night).

Matt, Baby C, Me, Taryn (Baby Clark in the oven), & Nick

The day after we got back we packed our bags again and headed for Cohutta Springs for Matt's ordination review. On our way up, we got to see some family. First we stopped at a Cracker Barrel for breakfast to meet Bear (my dad), then to Grammie and Grandpa's house (Matt's parents) to see them and Great Grandpa and Grandma Smith (Matt's grandparents), and then to Grandy and Mimi's house (my parents) to see Mimi and Nana (my grandma). Then we finally arrived at Cohutta! A big thanks to Grammie for driving up to Cohutta to take care of Baby C while we were in our interview.

Grammie (Matt's mom)

Great Grandma (Matt's mom's mom)

4 Generations: Matt, Grandpa (Matt's dad), Great Grandpa (Matt's dad's dad), and Baby C

Nana (My mom's mom)

On Thursday Mimi came to visit. We spent the whole day at the mall. That was a long day and the longest Baby C has been out and about. Then on Friday morning Mimi took care of Baby C while Matt and I got to go swim at the community pool. I will admit, it was a short swim, but at least we made it to the pool. Grandy did some biking and camping on Thursday night and Friday in preparation for a big ride him and Mimi have planned at the end of March. On Friday night Grandy and Mimi read Baby C his bedtime stories. On Saturday Mimi and Grandy came to church with us, and then we had a fun family lunch with Mimi, Grandy, Uncle Johnny, Aunt Ammie, and Cousin Rosie. We were sad to see them leave yesterday afternoon, but we enjoyed our low key Saturday night and Sunday!

Baby C, Big John (my step-dad), Cousin Rosie, & Uncle Johnny

This week we are home, with some fun outings planned!! I'll let you know all about our adventures soon.

"How's the training going?", you say. Well, I didn't exercise much while we were in Colorado or last week. But I have managed to hop on the trainer now and again, and I have high hopes of swimming now that we have a pool membership. Hopefully the sun will come out and warm everything up, and I'll venture out for a run or two this week. Even though, I didn't exercise much, I am getting closer to my pre-pregnancy weight, only 10 lbs to go (as of last Monday).

Thanks for reading!

Out and About

2013-02-11T11:50:00.001-08:00

Recently I've been trying to venture out with Baby C more often. When Baby C was 4 weeks old we went to Daytona Beach, but I felt like I was just trapped in the hotel room the whole time. When we got back I attempted to go to church, but I got there late and left early. Since then I have been much more successful. Two weeks ago my brother, Trevor, and his wife, Wyntre came to visit for the weekend. I decided that I was going to attempt to go to church again. I woke up on Saturday morning and made it to church (only a few minutes late). We even stayed for lunch following the service.

Hangin' with Uncle Trevor after church

Baby C loves being with his Aunt Wyntre.

A week ago Matt had the opportunity to speak for a high school spiritual retreat at Cohutta Springs Youth Camp. I was really looking forward to it, because I love Cohutta Springs, and it's great to see Matt to connect with youth. The whole weekend went so well. Matt spoke on Friday night, Saturday morning, and Saturday afternoon. I was so excited that Baby C and I were able to make it to all three of the meetings. It was also pretty exciting, because Baby C got to see his first snow.

Things are continuing to get easier and easier as far as getting out of the house. This past Saturday we made it to Sabbath School (the equivalent to Sunday school) and church. After church we stayed for lunch again and a meeting afterwards. At lunch one of the little boys was making funny faces at Baby C. Then he said, "His eyes look like blueberries." I thought that was too cute. Then I thought they really do look like blueberries.

Even though we love to get out of the house, we love visitors too. Matt's parents, Grandpa and Grammie, dropped in for a visit on Thursday. Our good friends Josh and Brittany were visiting Thursday and Friday. (I unfortunately didn't get any pictures with them this time.)Then yesterday we got a visit from Grandy, my step-dad.

Baby C fell asleep while Grandpa and Grammie were here

Baby C and Grandy

Tomorrow we are planning to meet Mimi, my mom, in Marietta for lunch. We'll see how that goes that will be the longest drive with Baby C without Matt.

Next Sunday we are head out to Colorado for a week. Matt gets to speak for Campian Academy's week of prayer. The highlight of this trip for me will be, seeing our good friends Nick and Taryn. We don't get to see them often enough. So we'll see how Baby C does in the airport and airplane. It should be exciting.

Last Thursday was another first for Baby C. He got his first shots. I was so anxious about it before. Because I hate to see my baby hurting. He did great! His check up was great. He is 11 lb 15 oz and 24 inches long. He's growing like a weed.

He had no idea what was about to happen.

As far as fitness/training goes... I'm still trying to get out there. I ran twice last week. It's been kinda fun, because I've been able to run with my sweet dog, Maglee. Hopefully this week, I'll get on the trainer. It's been awhile since I was on my road bike.

Thanks for reading!

The Beginnings of Motherhood

2013-01-24T16:47:00.001-08:00

Lots of things have happened since I posted last. My last post was one week before my sweet little boy was born. He came nine long days past his due date. Fortunately I went into natural labor and didn't have to be induced. I went into labor early in the morning on December 8. I had mild contractions throughout the day. I was admitted to the hospital late that night. After many uncomfortable contractions, I decided to get an epidural. That was a great decision. Matt and I got to sleep for about 2 1/2 hours. When we woke up I was fully dilated, then pushed for about 3 hours. Then at 11:02 am on December 9, 2012 my life changed. I became a mom!!! Baby C weighed 8 lbs 5 oz and was 20.5 inches long. If you want to read about it from a daddy's perspective, check out Matt's blog post.

My two favorite people!!!

So now that Baby C is 6 1/2 weeks old, I'm starting to get the hang of it. With long sleepless nights to nursing every other hour, it has all been worth it. (I can say this now, because he slept two 5 hour segments last night.) Motherhood, so far, has been unbelievable, yet unpredictable. I'm so excited about what is to come. He is starting to become so much more fun. He is much more alert (for the few hours of the day that he is not sleeping). I know he is only going to become more fun. He is also growing like crazy. He is wearing 3 month old cloths and weighs over 11 lbs.

Happy boy!

It's also amazing how a woman's body recovers after nine months of pregnancy. The year before I got pregnant I lost a significant amount of weight, about 20 lbs. As my pregnancy progressed, I became slightly discouraged as I saw the scale go up and up at my Doctor's appointments and my fitness level go down, even though I knew it was for a good reason. I am excited to say that I have lost almost 25 lbs (since the week before he was born) and can fit into my non-maternity clothes. About two weeks ago I joined Weight Watchers. This is an amazing program. This is the program I used in 2011 when I lost weight before. I love it because I can eat what I want, when I want. It is just promoting a healthier lifestyle and encouraging better portion control. So I am losing weight again!! And I am also starting to get my fitness back too. Yesterday was my first run since last spring. It wasn't far or fast, but I got out there and did it. I ran, with Matt and Baby C in tow in the jogging stroller, at our favorite park near our house, Little Mulberry Park.

I am excited about 2013 and all the new things that are in store for me. My big goal this year is to do a Half Ironman. I've picked out Ironman Augusta 70.3 on September 29. My training for Augusta doesn't officially start until mid May. But until then I'm going to try to build up a nice base. I also would like to do some other races between now and Augusta, probably a sprint & olympic triathlon, and possibly a half marathon (don't hold your breath, running is not my favorite of the three sports). I'm a goal oriented person so I need something to work towards, otherwise I'll just sit on the couch.

I'll keep you posted about all the adventures 2013 has for me, whether it be motherhood or triathlon training.

I'm back!!!

2012-12-02T11:57:00.000-08:00

So I haven't written in quite awhile. A lot of things have happened since April 2011! Not to go into too much detail, I'll just give the details from 2012!

First things first, in March we found out that we were pregnant!!! So exciting! We are having a little boy, due on November 30 (Yes, I know that has already pasted. More on that later)

This is around eleven weeks.

In May we moved from bitter cold Michigan to my home state of Georgia. Matt became the pastor of the Buford Family Seventh Day Adventist Church.

At the end of June we closed on our first house! Now we're really grown ups, right?

Since buying the house, every wall has been painted, new carpet throughout the house, made our own concrete kitchen counter tops, new recessed lighting in the kitchen, and many other smaller projects. But unfortunately there is still so much to do. There will be many more renovations to come in 2013.

When we moved from Michigan and found out that we were pregnant, Matt and I decided that we wanted me to stay home full-time when the baby got here. But since Georgia has made it anything but easy to get my license as a hygienist in this state, and who wants to hire a pregnant lady that will only be there for a couple of months, I've been home since the move. You may ask, what have I been doing? Well, sometimes I wonder that too. But I'm so much less stressed, the house definitely feels much more livable, and Matt and I have had a lot of fun just hanging out the two of us.

So, our baby boy was due on November 30; it's December 2. Unfortunately, he has not arrived yet. We're growing very impatient. Since I have no pictures to show you of my precious little boy, here are the major changes that have happened in the last couple of months.

May 30, 2012 (14 weeks)

December 2, 2012 ("40 weeks")

With all the exciting things that are happening in my life currently, I really wanted to get back to blogging. (Matt is very excited!!)

Some exciting things that we have planned for 2013 are: learning what in the world it is like to have an additional person to be responsible for (I know my life is about to change), Matt is going to do his first Ironman, and I'm going to attempt to get back into triathlons soon (not sure what it will be like mixing training with motherhood).

So stay tuned.... Hopefully a little boy with arrive soon!

Poo on the Holy Half

2011-04-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

I'll just get right to the point on this post. This past Sunday I did my second half marathon. Matt and I had been training since January. We both were doing great on our training schedule and our pace continued to increase as we progressed in our training. Although, we were not prepared at all for what hit us on Sunday! Sunday was an abnormally warm spring day, especially for this region of the country. The temperatures reached 85* by the time I finished my race. Until this point the highest it had gotten was in the low 70s, and we hadn't done any long runs above 60*. Needless to say we both bonked!!! So discouraging!!!!!

These are all the runners (left to right: Josh, Matt, Me, Taryn, and Carolyn)

Right before the race began I started to get butterflies in my tummy. Nothing unusual. I've done other races and the same thing happened. Only these butterflies continued for quite a while. This was a smaller race than our last half, but this time it felt so much more crowded (at least at the beginning). The race was on all sorts of terrain. We started out in an asphalt parking lot, then concrete sidewalks, then a gravel/dirt trail around two lakes, and then more sidewalks. All of our training runs were on asphalt roads. It's unbelievable what a difference just the terrain can make. Also this race was seriously lacking in water stations. They were only about every two miles. Pretty rough for such a hot, sunny day. When I got to the first water station, there was a line. So frustrating! I didn't want to "waste" the time while the clock was ticking. Big mistake!. So overall I believe it was the heat along with the lack of hydration, electrolytes and energy that killed it for me.

This is at about mile 5. At this point I was really wishing I was only doing the 10k.

Carolyn and Taryn were very excited about finishing their 10k.

Matt also had a rough race. You can read about it in his post.

My fans found a sign for me to cheer me on to the finish line!

Finally finished! Looking pretty rough and feeling like I'm going to throw up!

We all survived!!

So I've got to learn from the "failures". First thing I learned was never depend on the race to provide the water and electrolytes that you need. Second I'm going to be using some energy gels or goo chomps to refuel during warm, dehydrating workouts and races.

On to the next event. I've already been bummed for 4 days about this race because I didn't reach my goal, and it went so much worse than I could have imagined. I've got an Olympic Triathlon coming up in June, a century bike ride in September, and probably another half in the fall. I can't let this one race bring me down!!!

So lets get riding. Today was in the 60s and Matt and I took a chill 16 mile ride. Nothing better to brighten the day!!

Hebrews 6:12 NET

so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.

Spring is not quite springing!

2011-04-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it... March was a rough blogging month for me. I was doing so well in January and February. But now we are in April, I've got a fresh start.

Matt's parents were here two weeks ago for the tail end of Matt's spring break. They arrived late Thursday night and left early Monday morning. The Thursday that they were driving here was the most beautiful weather we have had in months. It was sunny and in the 70s!!! It was awesome! Friday the temperatures were dropping and have continued to do so since then. For the past two weeks we have had highs in the upper 40s and in the 20s at night. Needless to say, it hasn't really felt much like spring in Michigan, except that there is no snow on the ground.

While Matt's parents were here we went to St. Joseph and walk out to the light house.

This was the classic hangout... We played quite a few games while they were here: Ticket to Ride, Mexican Train, Skip-Bo, and Blockus.

While they were here we also did some exploring around Andrew's University campus by following the Arbor Trail. Who knew there was such a variety of trees on campus. The day before they left it was pouring down rain. Before the raining really started coming down Matt and I got a ten mile run in for our half marathon training. Then we chowed down at a fantastic mexican restaurant, El Rodeo. Then we ventured up to Fennville and at some delicious pie at Crane's Pie Pantry. We all tried something different raspberry rhubarb, peach, apple, and blueberry.

This is a picture of the pie. Excellent food! We can't wait to go back and check out the rest of the menu. Check it out! www.cranespiepantry.com

Nothing too much has been going on in the Smith house recently. We've just been working and doing school. The next big thing is the Holy Half marathon coming up on April 10. I will admit that I am very nervous. The week before we started training I slipped on some ice and rolled my right ankle. It just hasn't been the same since. A couple weeks ago I got a brace and that seems to help a little bit. Also last week we skipped our 11 mile run, because Matt had class all day. We did run three miles later that evening and six miles on Monday. I rode the bike trainer on Tuesday, and the rest of the week just went down hill. Tomorrow we are scheduled to do our last long run 12 miles. The weather looks terrible 70% chance of rain all day. We'll see if we can find a two hour period of light or no rain. Good news is next Sunday, as of right now, it will be a high of 55* and sunny. Perfect running weather!! So keep us in your prayers as we finish up our training and the race next week.

Exciting news for today... Our 1963 Volkswagon Bug is out of winter storage. Matt just a has few things to tinker with before you see it out on the road!

Leaving Berrien County Youth Fair Grounds

Now she's tucked in in our garage

Can't wait for things to get warmer and really enjoy the springtime!!

2 Corinthians 5:17 The Message

Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!

Spring Break!!!!

2011-03-16T17:51:00.000-07:00

Oh spring you are so close!! Today was the warmest it has been in a very long time. I absolutely loved it. The highest I saw was 62*. Awesome!!! I am so excited about spring. In honor of the beautiful weather today, Matt and I went on a 3 mile jog in SHORTS! My legs felt naked after all the running I've been doing in tights.

Speaking of jogging... Matt and I are still training for the Holy Half marathon in South Bend, IN on the campus of Notre Dame. I am definitely not a fast runner, but recently I've been enjoying it more and more. I'm super excited to see my time continuing to get better and better! A week ago Sunday, I did my long run (9 fmiles) and averaged 24 seconds a mile faster than my goal. Then the next week on a short run I probably did my fastest 3 miles ever. I'm really excited about seeing improvement.

So Sunday's are usually our long run days, but we decided to take a break and do a day trip to Chicago.

We hit up on the Shedd Aquarium...

...and then chowed down on some grub at Ed Debevick's.

Over all a super great way to start off spring break. The time change has also been great. I'm loving it that the sun doesn't go down until 8pm. We have also gotten to do some other fun things this week. Tuesday night we went to dinner and a movie with Nick and Taryn. Then tonight (Wednesday) we went over to some friends' house for dinner. We went to Connie and Roger's house. We got to know their daughter, Kim, and Kim's husband, James, just as we were moving from TN. Kim and James' dog, Levi was staying with Kim's parents. So Maglee and Levi were reunited and got to play in the backyard while we all ate a delicious autumn stew and cornbread.

Maglee was more interested in licking Levi than posing for the picture.

More fun is in store for the rest of the week and weekend. Matt's parents are coming to visit. I'll have to let you know about all the stuff we get into.

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. ~Proverb

Chicago, Chicago... It's my kinda place!

2011-02-27T16:36:00.000-08:00

I had plenty of adventures to go around this week. Monday I worked at a dental office. It was a great day, but didn't get home until 7:30pm. I did squeeze in a bike ride on the trainer. It was starting to get cold again, so some exercise indoors was necessary. Tuesday we got more snow, and I rode inside again. I also started to pack for my trip to Chicago.

On Wednesday afternoon around 4pm I began my trek to Chicago. I rode the South Shore Line from South Bend to Chicago. It took about two hours and 30 minutes. It was quite a shock to start at the small airport in South Bend and get out of the train on Michigan Ave. in Chicago. I then walked about a half a mile to the hotel I was staying in with my parents. I had to wait for awhile until their flight got in. So I read a lot of a new book I'm reading, Born to Run.

Once the parents got in we got to enjoy a yummy dinner at Kitty O'Shea's.

On Thursday, Big John, my stepdad, and I headed over to the Mid-winter Dental Mettings. He's a dentist, and I'm a dental hygienist. I was pretty fun because we got to hang out and talk about teeth! After our meetings my mom, Big John, and I met up with my cousin Emily. We ate a classic Chicago pizzeria. There's nothing like Chicago pizza.

Friday, Big John and I had more dental meetings. We did get to enjoy more good food that night. We ate at one of my mom's and my favorite restaurants, The Walnut Room, inside Macy's on Michigan Ave. The best part was dessert, Frango ice cream pie.

After eating and avoiding Chicago traffic, we headed back to Berrien Springs, where I was reunited with my wonderful husband.

Saturday we got to enjoy more time with my parents. We decided to celebrate Mom and Big John's birthday, because both of their birthdays are in March. We got them the game, Ticket to Ride. A fun game we were introduced to by our friends Carolyn and Tiago and Nick and Taryn. Overall a super great day!

This morning we got up and met my parents at their hotel and headed to St. Joseph. We ate a greasy, but good, breakfast at Thornton's Hometown Cafe. We started to walk around St. Joseph, but the wind was too brisk. We did catch a glimpse of Lake Michigan. It amazed us how much of the ice had melted in just a couple of weeks since the last time we had been there. We did a little bit more driving around St. Joseph and Berrien Springs, but then we had to say our good-byes. My parents are now safely back in Georgia.

Thanks Mom and Big John for the fun week. We had a great time and were sad to see you leave. Love you!

Matt and I did get an 8 mile run in this afternoon. We're getting closer to the Holy Half. I am enjoying running in 40* weather much better than 10*-20*.

Proverbs 15:20 The Message

Intelligent children make their parents proud; lazy students embarrass their parents.

(I hope we are the intelligent ones, not the lazy ones!)

Here comes the Sun... There goes the snow!

2011-02-20T18:37:00.000-08:00

This week we were tempted with springlike weather. Most of the week was above freezing and most of the snow has melted. Although, this coming week it's supposed to be cold again. Oh well... We enjoyed it while it lasted.

Monday was Valentine's Day. We have some friends that have a tradition of going to a new pizza place every Valentine's day. So we decided to start the tradition this year. We ate a delicious pizza at Silver Beach Pizza and then Dairy Queen afterwards. All in all a very good Valentine's day!

We were so excited about the pizza we couldn't even wait to take a picture.

Tuesday, Maglee got to get of the house and enjoy her walk.

The leftovers of our igloo

Wednesday, I went bowling for Girl's Night.

Katie

Eri

Kessia

Brittany

Thursday, Matt and I just relaxed and hung out at home!

Friday, Maglee got to enjoy two of her favorite things... napping on a down comforter and in the sun!

Saturday, we enjoyed hanging out with friends and taking Maglee and Laela on a walk in the field. They both got baths when we got home, because they were covered in mud from the melted snow.

Today (Sunday), Matt and I enjoyed working together doing some data entry!

Overall a very fun week! I did get some running in too. Just a few weeks away from the Holy Half. I only did 4 miles today, because it started raining on me. Freezing temperatures and raining are not good for a girl recovering from a cold.

My parents are coming this week to visit. I'm super excited about all the fun we have planned!

Proverbs 16:15 The Message

Good-tempered leaders invigorate lives; they're like spring rain and sunshine.

Fun, Fun, Fun!

2011-02-13T18:10:00.000-08:00

I was kinda sad when I was looking over my pictures from this week. I realized that I missed taking a picture on Monday. I was doing so well. Although... I was a little bit busier this week. I worked at a Dental Office on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I love working at this office, but the downside is I usually don't get home until 7:30 or so. So I missed my picture on Monday.

Maglee got the picture for Tuesday.

Wednesday is usually Girl's Night, but most of the girls could not come this week. So it turned into a couples night. Taryn had pizza, salad, and apple pie. We had a lot of fun hanging out with four of our favorite people: Nick and Taryn and Josh and Brittany.

Thursday night was date night. We headed down to South Bend and ate at Chipolte. We made a quick trip to the mall and then headed to Walmart for some grocery shopping. We actually really like grocery shopping, especially together. So it was worthy of date night. This Monday is Valentine's Day. Matt and I don't really make a big deal of the day, but we did get some treats for each other at Walmart. This is our Valentine's candy. These are really treats for us, because I can't even remember the last time we bought bags of candy.

This weekend we got another treat. My cousin, aunt, and uncle were in town for my cousin's basketball tournament. It was extra fun because this is the high school Matt and I went to and played on the basketball teach.

This is from the game on Friday afternoon.

On Saturday we had Aunt Judy, Uncle Steve, and Brooke over for lunch. After lunch Brooke decided to rest up for her championship game that night while the rest of us headed over to Lake Michigan.

When we got to St. Joseph we found out there was an ice sculpting festival going on. This was my favorite sculture.

Me, Judy, and Steve standing on Lake Michigan. No worries it was very solid!

Matt and I also got a pic!

Brooke's team played awesome on Saturday night. Unfortunately the game just slipped through their fingers in the last two minutes. It was a very exciting game!

The snow is starting to melt. Matt, Nick, Taryn, and I did our long runs today. 40* is not bad running weather. Later in the day we took Maglee for a walk by that time it was 47*. She was loving the sunshine and warmer weather.

Matthew 12:35 The Message

A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard.

It's been a busier week!

2011-02-06T19:16:00.000-08:00

This week has been a busier week. I don't think I have the right to say it was a busy week, because it wasn't overwhelming. It was just busier than normal. It included a few runs, lots of snow, data entry work, dental hygiene work, birthdays, and much more.

The week began last Sunday doing a long run on the roads close to our house. We had fun running with our friends Nick and Taryn. The guys ran 6 miles and the girls ran 5 miles. It was a pretty good day to run, especially since the sun was out.

This is after the run, and we are starting to get cold.

Monday was a low key day. So all you get is a picture of my dinner. This is how it goes around the Smith house: quesadilla, popcorn, and apple sauce.

Tuesday morning I was woken up at 6am by an office manager from a dental office in South Bend asking me to fill in for a hygienist. I scramble to get ready to get down there in a timely manner. Then she calls me as I just start the drive and tells me she doesn't need me until 11am. So I go back home and watch the Today show. Glad I got to work, but it would have been nice to get the extra sleep. I'll never turn down work, though!
It took me twice as long to get home Tuesday night, because the "blizzard" had started. I made it home safely. Matt and I decided to make the rest of the night a game night, just us two.

Holla, Mancala!

Rack-O... Super fun game!

Wednesday we woke up to about an additional 20+ inches of snow. Matt was excited, because Josh and him headed out and made some buck snow blowing driveways. Also Andrews University took a rare snow day. They have only taken 4 snow days in the past 12 years, quite different from the south!

We did make it to our friend Joshua's b-day party on the blustery snowy day!!

As you know... Thursday night is date night. Matt and I have really been enjoying having date night at our house instead of going out. We also got a 3.5 mile run in too. The snow really messed up our running schedule. Kinda difficult to run in a foot of snow.

We mad pigs in a blanket!!

Friday I had a working interview in South Bend and got home when our cell group was supposed to be meeting. I was exhausted, but so glad I could spend the evening with good friends and digging in the word. Check out John 17... Good stuff!

It was Michelle's birthday. So we celebrated with Indian food, date bars & pistachio pie (per Joshua's birthday request), and yellow cake with chocolate icing (per Michelle's birthday request).

We had a lot of fun with our friends this Saturday after church. We ate meatless meat loaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, salad, homemade bread, juice, and coconut pie. Don't get too jealous!!

Josh and Brittany chilling with Maglee!

Nick and Taryn

This morning, my husband was so sweet and made a good breakfast for me. It included some Taryn's homemade bread toasted, eggs, tots, and O.J. I have had a little bit of a sore throat/cold, so Matt took me to the store to get some yummy tea. So far today I have drank 4 cups. (Thank you, Taryn for convincing me that I like hot tea!)

This afternoon we decided that even though it was flurrying outside and there was snow on the ground, we would run our scheduled long run. Matt ran with Nick at a faster pace, and I ran behind them. I was so proud of myself, I did all six miles by myself with no ipod. My running buddies, I've run with in the past, weren't able to get together today.

Matt and I decided that the Super Bowl is even more fun, just us two at our cozy little home.

This is us "watching" the Super Bowl. Really Matt did most of the watching. I finished a book, read a magazine, and now I'm doing this blog.

So that was my busier than normal week!

Proverbs 6:6,7 The Message

You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do.

Ordinary to Extraordinary!!!

2011-01-29T16:19:00.000-08:00

This week was an interesting week. We did have some extraordinary moments this week, but it was mixed in with the ordinary. I got a little down about the Michigan weather this week. A wind shield wiper blade on the Civic broke on Wednesday while the snow was coming down after I had to walk through all the slushy snow. It's also kinda depressing that the sun rarely comes out, but when it does... I can't get enough of it.

Maglee is a little chilly and is going crazy with the lack of time she is getting to spend outside. I think she looks cozy in the scarf. (She is not demon-possessed. It was the flash from the camera!)

Tuesday night we met my Aunt Cheryl in Kalmazoo. She treated us to BD's Mongolian Grill. It was neat that we got to spend some time with her. She lives in Washington state and was in town on business. Thanks for the fun night and the yummy food, Aunt Cheryl!!!

You got it... Thursday is date night. Matt treated me to homemade pizza. Don't get jealous as you look at all the delicious pictures!!!

Yes, it tasted as good as it looked. Yes, I ate all four pieces and enjoyed every bite!

I apologize this is the only picture I got of our wonderful dinner at the Bennett's for cell group on Friday night. We had corn cakes, rice, black beans, homemade salsa, guacamole, cheese (that's what we contributed) and tomatoes. This was followed with some fantastic juice and homemade oatmeal, coconut, raisin cookies.

Our cell group meets every Friday night. We have dinner and then a Bible study. We just finished the book of Nehemiah. What a blessing!! Who knew all that good stuff was packed in those 13 chapters?

This morning we went to church. I never get pictures while we're dressed up. So I thought today would be the day, and we had a few extra minutes that doesn't ever happen. Probably the highlight this morning was the little girl behind us belting out "To God be the Glory". Awesome!! Nothing like children praising the Lord!

Today we wanted to truly rest and spend some time with our family. We read this afternoon. Matt actually started and finished a book. We also took a little snooze.

Then we headed out on a walk and decided to build an igloo.

It was starting to get dark. So we stopped at three layers.

The pup had a blast because she got to spend an hour and a half outside.

This is how we left it. But plan to return tomorrow with some extra hands. You can't build an igloo in the south!

Highs and lows this turned out to be a pretty good week. I even got some good running in too. Tuesday 3miles, Wednesday 2.68 miles, and Friday a 30 minute bike ride on the trainer and a 2 mile run. Tomorrow I'm doing 6 miles. Kind of exciting!!!

The Lord has blessed us so much. I need to take the time to enjoy the small things in life that may seem ordinary but are really super extraordinary!!!!

1 Thessalonians 1:11 The Message

Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time -- pray that our God will make you fit for what he's called you to be, pray that he'll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something.

Let the Good Times Roll!

2011-01-24T17:43:00.000-08:00

I don't have a lot to report, but I did have a really fun weekend!

Saturday night we went with some friends to a church in St. Joseph, MI to hear Bryan "Head" Welch. He was in the band Korn. I never listened to Korn. But he has a really awesome testimony. Check out his book, Save Me from Myself: How I found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Live to Tell my Story.

Saturday night we also had a game night at our house. Lots of good friends and lots of fun!

Here are the guys, Josh, Nick, and Matt (minus Tiago) hanging out with Maglee after the games.

Here are the girls, Brittany and Taryn (minus Carolyn and me) hanging out eating some yummy snacks!

Sunday, I did my "long" run. I ran 5 miles. I started out at Nick and Taryn's house with Matt and Nick in front of me and ran to my buddy, Joshua's house. It's about 1.5 miles from Nick's house to Joshua's house. Then I ran about 2 miles with Joshua and ran back toward Nick's house.

This is before the run begin. The weather with cold, 16 degrees, but the sun was shining!

Sunday, we also made a trip to Home Depot to use the gift card my dad gave us for Christmas. We bought fluorcent compact light bulbs and a humidifier.

Today, Monday, was a pretty busy day. I had an interview for a dental hygiene job. I'll keep you posted on that. I also worked and did 6 hours of data entry.

I also made some "no bake cookies". I've got a sweet tooth!

Proverbs 25:27a The Message

It's not smart to stuff yourself with sweets...

I'll ration the cookies and not stuff myself!

Frosty the Slow Woman!!!!

2011-01-21T14:24:00.000-08:00

This was a pretty exciting week. One of my New Year's resolutions is to run a half marathon. Matt and I had already decided which one we were going to run, but it is sure sneaking up on us. This week marked 12 weeks from the Holy Half Marathon in South Bend, IN on the campus of Notre Dame. So let the training begin. Matt and I ran a half marathon on Thanksgiving day in 2009. After beginning my training this week, I realized we had it much better training in the fall in TN than training in the winter in MI.

Monday was a pretty chill day, as you can see from the puppy sleeping on the bed. Sundays are the days I do my longer runs, and Monday will usually be a rest day.

Tuesday was the first of many frigid (34 degrees, the high for this week) runs. It was a lot more fun with good company. Nick and Taryn ran too and are planning on doing the half marathon with us.

Wednesday, we made it to the cornfield for Maglee's walk. But all the snow has a layer of ice on it from the warmer temperatures.

Poor Maglee, got scratched up by all the ice, but she still thoroughly enjoyed her walk (actually more like run for her).

Thursday, is usually date day/night. This week we decided to do something a little different.

Matt picked up a delicious sub from Baguette de France, probably one of our favorite restaurants here, and we just ate it at home.

Thursday night we also made it to Petsmart. This was Maglee's first time there, and she did so great! She even came out with a sweater. Just so you know I'm not one of those people that dresses my dog up. This was strictly for warmth. My dog is from the south, just like me, and she is freezing in this Michigan winter. She will be much warmer now!

This morning (Friday), I did the coldest run I have ever done. When we started it was 16 degrees. When we finished it was 12 and snowing a pretty good bit.

Here's Matt covered in snow with icicles from his goatee. He is looking very chipper!

I am also cover in snow with icicles all over my face. We both had on lots of layer: 3 on top and 2 on bottom. I did run in gloves too. At this point I wasn't really cold just wet from sweat and melted snow. Matt and I are strongly considering getting gym memberships soon.

This is kind of off the wall, but I was very proud of myself. This is our shower. I scrubbed our shower clean for about an hour this afternoon. Originally the entire shower was the orange color around the handle in the picture on the left. But now the whole shower is white like the picture on the right. This is one the many things I've experienced in Michigan, lots of iron in our water. It doesn't taste as good as the water in GA or TN either. Yay.... Now I can get clean in a clean shower!

Psalms 51:10 The New Living Translation

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

I'm having a blast in Berrien Springs, MI!!!!!

2011-01-16T19:15:00.000-08:00

Recently I have been having a lot of fun in Berrien Springs. It's a really fun phase of life. It's like going back to college, but I'm married this time and so are most my friends. Matt and I are so blessed. It's pretty cold up here, a lot of snow, but all the friends totally make up for it. So here is all the fun we had the last couple of days!

Thursday, we finally made it to the corn field for a walk. Maglee was so excited to get out of the house. She was so tuckered out after hopping through the two and half feet of snow. She slept for the rest of the day.

Maglee wasn't the only one that got to play in the snow. This is pretty deep snow.

Since getting this new job, I've been hanging out with my computer a lot. This is view that I've had the past week. It's actually is a really nice office. It is in the corner of the building, and there are two huge windows.

One of my favorite traditions is having cell group on Friday night. We get together with 9 of our good friends every Friday night, eat dinner, usually sing some praise songs, and have a bible study.

These pictures were taken this week at our house. As you can see, it's a tight squeeze.

Saturday, we hung out with some other friends of ours Nick and Taryn and Carolyn and Tiago. We also got to do a little celebrating too.

Taryn had a birthday this past week. So Matt made a chocolate cake for the celebration.

Yep, it was as good as it looks.

Maglee is having a blast with all our friend. She doesn't hide under the bed any more when people come over. This is a huge improvement!

Saturday night, we went over to Josh and Brittany's house to watch the Falcons game. Unfortunately it didn't end the way we were hoping. Poor Falcons...

Kessia and I are matching. Both in our navy cardigans, scarves, and khakis.

Today was a great day too. This morning I had brunch with some friends. I didn't get any pictures. But it was a lot of fun! I also got a lot of things done around the house and even worked a few hours.

These are the same icicles from Wednesday. They are really growing. Eventually we won't even be able to see out our living room window.

Proverbs 18:24 The Message
Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.

Where Ya' Been???

2011-01-12T15:33:00.000-08:00

This week has been an unusually busier week. For the past five and half months, I haven't had a consistent job. I have been doing fill in work at dental offices when they need a sub. Some months were busy and some were extremely slow. But the Lord has blessed us, and we never came up short on the budget. Most months we actually had a surplus. I really love dental hygiene and cleaning teeth and didn't want to give up any chance to work as a dental hygienist. I had an opportunity come up recently for "job". It's not a dental hygiene job, but it brings in some extra money. I'm working with a retired professor from Andrews University doing data entry for a German English Religion and Theological Online dictionary. Pretty cool! The best part about this job is it is very flexible, and I can continue filling in as a hygienist. I can work up to 25 hours a week. So far this week I've been going in around 9am and leaving around 2pm or 3pm. Also eventually I'll be able to do it from home. I'm excited about this opportunity, and hopefully it will continue being as good as it seems

Matt came home from D.C on Monday afternoon. Yay!! I picked him up at the South Bend, IN airport. While in South Bend, we decided to go on a "date". We went to Steak N' Shake. Definitely not the healthiest meal, but oh so good.

We splurged and got a Mint Cookies and Cream Milkshake.

We really did share!

One of my favorite past times is road biking. Michigan doesn't make for very good winter road biking. So we have bike trainer that we ride in our basement. It's really a lot of fun and a lot warmer than outside. Matt and I are counting down the days until it's warm enough and cleared of snow. I rode on Monday night, which reminds me, I better get on the bike tonight too.

Tuesday night we took a drive in very snowy conditions to Griffith, IN. We came home with this...

We are now proud owners of a snowblower. It will be very helpful and will even bring in some extra money too. Matt and our friend, Josh, are doing a snow blowing business together. It's pretty rad, good money for usually not that much time.

We got it on CraigsList. Recently we have become very avid buyers and sellers on CraigsList. We sold our PC desktop on Tuesday too before we bought the snowblower.

Today (Wednesday) I was very impressed with the icicles. There is one that is almost 3 feet long right in front of the living room window.

It has really been snowing here the last few days. This is a picture of the sidewalk in front of our house about 3 hours after Matt blew all the snow off.

So maybe the next couple days, I'll have some more fun and exciting events and pictures.

Psalms 51:7 The Message

Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean, scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life.

Recipes

2011-01-08T21:37:00.000-08:00

I've had some requests for recipes. So here they are.

Granola- from Better Homes and Garden Cookbook
2 c regular rolled oats
1 c coarsely chopped almond, walnuts, or pecans (I usually use pecans)
1/2 c coconut
1/2 c shelled sunflower seeds
1/4 c wheat germ
1/2 c honey
2 Tbs cooking oil

1. In a large bowl combine the oats, nuts, coconut, sunflower seeds, and wheat germ. Stir in honey and oil. Spread evenly in a greased light cookie sheet or cooking pan. Bake at 300 oven for 15 minutes, stir and bake for 10 more minutes until lightly brown.
2. Spread on large piece of foil to cool. Store in airtight container up to a week.
(Makes abou 6 cups)

Mimi's Cafe Corn Chowder
2 Tbs butter
2 lg celery stalks, chopped (about 1 1/2 c)- I leave this out because I don't like cooked celery
1/2 c cup diced white onion
4 c water
2 c peeled and cut potatoes
1 bay leaf
1 15-oz can cream-style corn (with liquid)
1 15-oz can whole kernel corn (with liquid)
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/s tsp salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper- I just used black pepper because that's what I had
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c half-and-half- I used skim milk, again just because that's what I had

1. Saute celery and onion in the butter for 5 minutes in a large saucepan or stock pot. Don't brown.
2. Add 4 cups of water, chopped potato, and bay leaf. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3 Add creamed corn (with liquid), canned whole corn (with liquid), sugar, salt, and white pepper and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Combine flour with half-and-half and stir until smooth. Add this mixture to the soup and simmer for a n additional 10-15 minutes or until think.
5. Serve with sprinkled minced fresh parsley on top.
(Makes 2 qts- 8- 1 cup servings)

And the Days Go On and On...

2011-01-08T15:52:00.000-08:00

So lots of things have been happening the last couple of days. On Thursday I worked at one of my favorite dental offices. It was a great day. Lots of fun, interesting patients. Thursday night is usually our date night. So Matt and I went to El Rodeo in Benton Harbor. Then the highlight of the evening.... Grocery shopping!!!!

This is after our date night and grocery shopping. I'm still trying to get better about taking pictures. At least I remembered after we got home.

So one the big adventures this weekend was Matt's trip to Washington D.C. We left for the South Bend airport at 4am Friday. His flight left at 5:30am, and he was in D.C. by 9am. After driving to the airport I drove back home and slept for another 4 hours. Why did he go to D.C., you ask? A friend of his asked him to preach at his church for a special service. Lots of fun for Matt. But I'm counting down the hours until he comes home on Monday afternoon.

Friday we got some snow. Maglee and I got to do a brisk walk in the corn field. I got all bundled up!

I never could get Maglee to look at the camera.

Then this morning (Saturday) I woke up to about a foot of snow and even more has accumulated throughout day. Now it's probably at about two feet.

Snow and soup go well together. (Technically it's chowder!) I absolutely love Mimi's corn chowder and had the recipe. So I made it on the cold winter day. It was so yummy!

Maglee and I had to get a walk in today. It was quicker, because Maglee was getting a little chilly. I decided to walk on Andrews University's plowed sidewalks instead of attempting the corn field.

I'm enjoying my weekend and the quiet time the snow is providing. I didn't go to church this morning, but I watched the live stream. So glad that I did. It was awesome... Pastor Dwight Nelson talked about being a radical and having a missionary heart, like Abram when he left his home. Very inspiring! Here's the link for the audio. http://www.pmchurch.tv/article.php?id=43

Here the quote for the day. It's from the sermon I listened to this morning.

“It‟s a foundational truth: God creates, blesses, and saves each of us for a

radically global purpose. But if we are not careful, we will be tempted to make

exceptions. . . . But where in the Bible is missions ever identified as an optional program

in the church? . . . Indeed, Jesus himself has not merely called us to go to all

nations; he has created us and commanded us to go to all nations. We have taken this

command, though, and reduced it to a calling—something that only a few people

receive. . . . In the process we have unnecessarily (and unbiblically) drawn a line of

distinction, assigning the obligations of Christianity for a few while keeping

the privileges of Christianity for us all. In this way we choose to send off other

people to carry out the global purpose of Christianity while the rest of us sit back

because we‟re „just not called to that.‟” (Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the

American Dream 71-73)

Run, Forest, Run

2011-01-05T18:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, so my entire day did not consist of running but is was a part of it. I did some other fun things too! Let me share!!!

One of my favorite treats is homemade granola. I am not a big breakfast eater, but I always eat breakfast. It usually consists of cereal and maybe some fruit. But I love it when I have granola, because it actually sticks with me longer than a bowl of Cheerios. Although I gotta love me some Cheerios.

I also got to go for a run with my buddy, Brittany. It was freezing cold, but we bundled up and did it. This picture was taken a little while after the run, hence why we're not wearing any shoes. I also had a little bit more clothes on too. The run was good, but the most fun was hanging out with Brittany and later Josh for a few hours this evening.

Yay, Matt got a new coat. Matt now has a coat that is insulated and will hopefully make the Michigan winter a lot more bearable. (Look at that obedient dog sitting and waiting to get some attentions.)

Also started a new book today. I am very excited about it. I read it about two years ago. But I feel like I need a refresher course. Highly recommend it. Check it out at http://www.creationhealthbreakthrough.com/.

Psalms 31:1 Message

I run to you, God; I run for dear life. Don't let me down! Take me seriously this time!