Couch to 5K

Last week on Monday, I was all excited to jog for 25 minutes, which would be a new personal record.  And then I failed.  I only made it 15 minutes (when I had jogged for 20 minutes two days before!).  So needless to say, I was very disappointed in myself.  I hate making excuses like "Oh, it was an off day for me" or "It was late in the day, so I was tired" or "I hadn't drank enough water that day."  This was the first time in the Couch to 5K program that I hadn't been able to jog the required amount.

I started to get really down on myself, thinking thinks like "Maybe I can't do this" and "I should just quit."  And I might have if it hadn't been for Brian.  We didn't run for a week and then finally today we got back to it.  I was not looking forward to it because I thought that I probably wouldn't be able to jog for 25 minutes, just like last time, and then I would just be mad at myself again.  Brian tried to encourage me, but I wouldn't listen.

So, today we repeated our Week 7, Day 3 workout.  Somehow, even with all of  my negative thoughts, I jogged for 25 minutes!  And I made it 2 miles!  And I felt amazing.  Now I once again feel like I CAN do it.  I will be able to run a 5K.  I am nearly two-thirds of the way there!  Thanks, Brian, for your words of encouragement.  They helped, even though it seemed as though I was resistant to hearing them.

Balsamic Chicken

Hello everyone!  I thought today I would share with you one of the tastiest, easiest chicken recipes I have ever made.  It is Balsamic Chicken in the crock pot.  Here is the recipe:

2 pounds chicken thighs, with skin on
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup Coke
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce (if you like a bit of spicy)
some black pepper

You just put all the ingredients in the crock pot and cook it on low for 4 hours, so easy and delicious!  When the chicken is done, I like to take it out and take the skin off and the bones out, then throw the pieces of chicken back in for a few more minutes to soak up some extra flavor.  For a side dish with it, I like to make mashed potatoes, but you could do pasta or rice, too.  Enjoy!

The Color Run

Exciting news!  There is a new date on The Color Run 5K schedule and it is June 23 in Tulsa!  So Brian and I signed up this morning and we are super excited!  Brian's sister, Katie, and her husband, Jonathan, are doing it with us, as well as my sister, Kara.  We are trying to get more of our friends in on it too! (You know who you are).  In case you have forgotten what this 5K is all about, here is a link to the page.

Brian and I are making great progress with our jogging.  We have only skipped two workouts in the 6 weeks that we have been doing the program.  We reached a new personal best yesterday of 14 minutes.  It was only supposed to be two 10 minute jogs, but on the second one we didn't hear the timer go off and ended up jogging for 4 extra minutes, no problem!  Tomorrow is two 10 minute jogs (with less walking in between) and then Friday is a 15 minute jog and I am so excited to conquer it!  If you had told me 2 months ago that I would be able to jog for 15 minutes straight, I would have said you were crazy!

I love being able to do this with my husband, to help him get healthier and be there every step of the way to support him.  I love you, babe! :)

Jogging

Brian and I took a big first step today.  We started a running program called The Couch-to-5K Running Plan.  Basically, you have a different regimen of running/walking every week and you do it 3 times each week.  We have decided to do Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.  Each workout takes 20-30 minutes.  Click here to see the details if you are interested.

Now, I'm the first one to tell you that I do NOT like working out.  I hate that it takes time out of lying around the house.  I used to enjoy running in high school, when I was on the volleyball team, but the only reason I did it was because the coach was forcing me to, every day.  I'm not very good at self motivating, so that's why I never kept it up.

Buuuuut, Brian really wants to do this in order to get in better shape, and I am doing it solely for him.  So today, at lunch, Ava and I were in our running gear ready and waiting when Brian got home.  Today's workout was "brisk five-minute warm-up walk.  Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes."  Sounds easy, right?  That's what I thought, and it really wasn't too bad.  Brian struggled with the jogging part a couple times, so I was forced to be his motivating factor, saying things like "Come on!" "Pick those feet up!" and "Do it for Ava!"  I have to admit, a part of me enjoyed yelling at him to do better, and he said that it actually helped and I wasn't too mean, so I think I will carry on with it.  I'm sure there will be times in the process, too, when I need his help and encouragement, and I believe he will be up to the task (as long as he isn't out of breath).

Ava did great in the stroller the whole way.  She was about ready for a nap when we set out, but she kept her eyes open for a while to take everything in.  About 10 minutes in she whined for a minute before she drifted off to sleep.  I can only hope that this is the case every time.  Our stroller is not a jogging stroller, but it worked pretty well today.  We are hoping to find a decent jogging stroller (probably a used one) for a good deal.

Our goal is to run in this 5K.  It is called The Color Run and it looks pretty awesome.  As each runner reaches another kilometer, colorful powder is thrown at them, so by the end you hopefully end up looking something like this (although maybe without the beard).

The only thing is that the run does not take place in Oklahoma.  There are several different locations throughout the year, but the closest ones are all coming up too soon for us to participate.  We thought we might be ready in time for the Kansas City one, but it is on the same day as a friend's wedding.  We ended up deciding on the Chicago race that takes place on June 2, 2012.  I know, I know, that is a long way to travel just to run a 5K.  But Brian has family that lives there and Katie, Jonathan, and T.J. said they want to go with us and run also.  And you have to admit, this 5K looks like way more fun than a 5K with no color.

So, day one, check!  Hopefully we can keep up our good work and in 9 weeks we should be able to jog 3 miles!  And if this jogging thing works out, all I have to do is have another kid and learn how to knit and I'll be just like one of the people I admire most!

Colorado Ski Trip

Brian and I went on a ski trip to Colorado last week with Katie, Jonathan, and Grant.  We were gone for four days, Saturday through Tuesday, and Ava stayed with her grandma and grandpa.  I must admit, it was difficult for me to leave her for so long, but it was also nice to have a little break.

We flew in to Denver on Saturday and met up with my cousin, Cori, who lives there.  I hadn't seen her in a year and a half so it was so good to hang out with her and catch up!  She suggested an awesome Mexican restaurant called Lola for lunch and it was delicious!  A few of us started the trip off right with some cocktails and we had the best guacamole I've ever had.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Then we walked around downtown Denver for a while and Cori pointed things out to us; buildings she had lived in, cool artwork, and some of her favorite things.  Here is a picture of us downtown.

The next day we went skiing!  It was Brian and I's first time and after much deliberation we decided not to take a ski class since we were only doing it one day and we didn't want to spend the whole time standing around listening to an instructor.  I think we made the right decision because we caught on very quickly and after about an hour on the bunny slopes we headed up the mountain! I didn't even fall down all day except at the bottom of the mountain on my last run of the day.  Katie and I took a wrong turn and ended up at the top of a very steep slope that was labeled green (although I'm not sure why) which is supposed to be the easiest.  Well, I never really learned how to control my speed so I ended up wiping out about three quarters of the way down because I was going way too fast!  But luckily only my pride was hurt.  Brian only fell a few times, and unfortunately might have sprained his ankle.  Overall though, we loved skiing and had a great time doing it!  Here we are at the top of the bunny slope (we got photo-bombed).

On Monday we went on a guided snowmobile tour up a mountain.  This was the event that the boys were most looking forward to.  Grant, Jonathan, and Brian drove snowmobiles and Katie and I rode along with our husbands.  At one point though, Brian and I switched and I drove for a few minutes, but I liked riding better because I could look around at the beautiful scenery.  It was a beautiful, clear day and we got to ride on some awesome trails that had just opened for the first time this year thanks to the snow that fell on Saturday.  The tight trails surrounded by snow-covered evergreens reminded me of something out of a book, it was so picturesque.  When we reached the top of the mountain we were surprised when the guide said it was 5 degrees up there because it was about 28 degrees at the bottom of the mountain.  Luckily we were so bundled up that it didn't make much difference to us.  Here is all of us at the top of the mountain.

And Brian and I on the snowmobile.

After snowmobiling we had lunch and then went to a tubing place.  It was so much fun especially because there was a conveyor belt that you stand on to take you to the top of the hill!  So easy!  I was super excited about it when I first saw the big hill from a distance.  I thought, "This looks awesome!"  Then as we were walking closer to the hill its immensity began to hit me and I started to get a little nervous.  When we got to the top I began to second guess myself, "Why did I agree to this?"  But I gathered my courage and went down the easiest part of the hill and when I reached the bottom I concluded that it was, indeed, awesome!  By the end of our hour I only wanted to go down the most steep hill because it was so much fun!  Here is a picture (although you can't really tell how tall the hill is).

On Tuesday we drove to Fort Collins to tour the New Belgium Brewery.  They make a beer that Brian loves called Fat Tire.  Much to his dismay, you can't buy their beer in Oklahoma because it has to be shipped cold and the law in Oklahoma says you can't ship in cold beer (or something like that).  The tour was really cool, we saw some huge 2-story containers mixing beer, the packaging line, and the guide was pretty funny.  The highlight, though was all the free beer we got to sample.  I lost track after number 5, I think...  We even got to choose and pour our own beer at one point, so that was fun.  Then at the end we could ride down a one-story spiral slide if we wanted to, and of course, I did!  Here is a picture of Brian and I at the brewery.

After the tour we ate lunch, got ice cream, and headed to the airport.  That was the longest flight ever (even though it only lasted an hour and a half) because I could not wait to see Ava!  We had a fun-packed trip with awesome friends and family and made lots of great memories :)

A Great Friend

I'd like to start off by saying sorry it has been so long since my last post.  It seems like whenever I have time to blog I can't think of a good subject, and when I think of something good, I don't have time.

Today I want to talk about my wonderful friend, Jenny P.  She is 39 weeks pregnant with her second baby and is planning on having him tomorrow and I am beyond excited to meet him!  So needless to say, she has been in my thoughts and prayers a lot lately.

Jenny is such a wonderful friend and human being, I don't even know where to begin.  She is the main reason I began blogging in the first place.  Hers is the only blog I have ever read religiously and I can confidently say that I have read at least 95% of her entries.  She is a wonderful writer and one of the smartest people I know.  If you want to see Jenny's blog, you can click here.

Another reason I love Jenny is because she is always there for me.  She is always ready and willing to give me advice or simply talk to me when I need it.  This was especially helpful all during my pregnancy and the first few months that Ava was here because she had recently had a baby and knew what I was going through.

I admire Jenny for her sensitivity to other people's pain.  I'm sure it is a burden for her at times, but she is always so compassionate and I think her empathy is off the charts!  When she tells me a story about someone who is suffering, I can see in her face that she is carrying their troubles with her.

Jenny and I are great friends because I love her go-with-the-flow attitude and constant optimism.  Her cheerful attitude and friendliness always brightens my day.  And even if we go a while without talking, we always pick up right where we left off and she makes it seem like we just saw each other yesterday.

Jenny is a great role model for me of a strong, capable woman and a loving wife and mother.  Here is one of my favorite pictures of Jenny and her sweet little (growing) family.

Last Wednesday, Ava had her first ever play date and it was with Jenny's son, Silas.  At first Silas wasn't sure what to think about this baby girl playing with his toys, but he soon figured out that it was just like regular playtime and he went about his business.  Ava and I had a great time hanging out with our friends!  Here they are playing together (sort of)

We can't wait to meet Jenny's new baby and I'm praying that she has a smooth delivery tomorrow!

At this time last year

Hi readers!  I apologize, you may have thought I had forgotten about you, but I haven't.  I have just been a little busy and trying to find the right blogging inspiration.

I know today is October 25th, but I want to talk about this time last year on October 21st, when my husband and I discovered that our lives were changed forever.  We went to the OBGYN and found out that we were going to have a baby!  I'll never forget that day and how overjoyed I was to be blessed with this amazing gift and to be sharing it with the man I love.

The nurse called my name and as she was taking my weight in the hall, she asked me why we were there.  To that I replied, "I think I'm pregnant."  In my mind I thought they would take a urine sample to see if it was true, but no.  She said, "Oh, okay," with a smile and showed us right into an ultrasound room, immediately got out the heart monitor, and began rubbing it on my belly.  Next thing you know, we were hearing a tiny, super fast heartbeat, and she said, "Yep, you're pregnant alright!  There's the baby's heartbeat."  Right away the tears started falling as both of us became overwhelmed with joy.  Then she threw out some numbers and said the heartbeat was perfect!

Next, Dr. M came in to see us and this was the first time we had met, but I knew his family from church.  He started the ultrasound and that was when we saw our little baby Ava for the first time!  I remember staring at the screen, amazed and so incredibly happy, trying not to breathe or move so that the image on the screen wouldn't go away.  He told us that I was 9 weeks along and that everything looked great!

I think it's safe to say that most people are a little wary when visiting a new doctor for the first time, wondering if they will like them, understand what they're saying, and be comfortable around them.  I think that is especially true when visiting an OBGYN, especially when it's a male doctor, and you want to have the same doctor for 9 months, so it is a big commitment and I definitely had my concerns before the appointment.

But all my fears were soon relieved when Dr. M made a Friends reference during our ultrasound (talking about when Rachel said she could see the baby on the screen, but as soon as the doctor left she started crying and said she couldn't see it).  At that moment, I knew that our doctor/patient relationship was meant to be!

So, that's the end of that story.  We have a busy, busy weekend coming up, like most people probably do for Halloween.  I'll post again sometime next week and let you know how it goes!