The Gambler Half Marathon

Today I finished my second running event of the year. The first one was in March in Lincoln, the State Farm 10 mile run. That was a pretty, flat run helping me prepare for the 1/2 marathons I had in the books this spring.
Today, in Council Bluffs, my friend Jen and I took on the Gambler Half Marathon. We have been running together for months and thought we were prepared for anything. But we were not prepared to run in pouring rain! It was insane! Puddles, mud, water dripping on my eyes and down my body...but the temperature was a comfortable 55 degrees. I started in shorts and a rain coat but stripped the rain coat at mile 2 (and drove back to get it later). In these running events, I try to find someone to follow...but there really wasn't anyone. I followed a guy for a while but he was running too fast (7:20 minute miles). So I had to slow to my pace and run alone. At one point I turned around to see nobody and I could see someone way ahead of me. I was running all alone. Thank goodness for my music wrapped in a Baggie to keep it dry!
The course was mostly flat, kinda scenic, out and back. I liked the course. The weather may have messed with the organizers, I don't know, my my friend Jen (who got third place!) didn't know where to go at the end due to poor markings. She thinks she may have gotten off course with another guy. The police and volunteers didn't seem to know where to tell her to go either. Awards were not handed out either because of a computer clitch and the weather.
I was happy with my results: unofficial 1hr39 min 7:35 min mile average. And best of all...my garmin is really waterproof.

Now onto one more scheduled spring half marathon before the fun Chicago marathon training begins!

March 2015 in Review

We went to the ocean and back in March! Okay...maybe not all of us...but 2 of us!
So, the month started with my big birthday in Florida (where else?!). We kept busy with haircuts, trips to the forest, playgrounds, I ran a 10m run in Lincoln, the kids started doing daily chores (which is awesome!), Asher finished basketball and is now onto soccer. Alivia is now in soccer too with Chris as her head coach and the assistant on Asher's team (when he can). Alivia is also taking a competitive swim class on Mondays where she swims her little heart out for 45 minutes before going to her 1 1/2 hour soccer practice. Pretty intense! She has decided that she does not want to be on swim team even though she is quite fast (just maybe not competitive). The kids ended the month with spring break where we visited friends at Mahoney, went to playgrounds, hit up the movies, visited the farm, and had MANY (too many) sleepovers! Chris left and started a new job that he is hopeful about this month, too. What a month!

Here are our pictures from March, many (too many?) from our trip to Florida. I begged Chris to let me stay but he brought me back home.


MARCH PICTURES!

Happy Birthday to Me

Last week, Chris and I took the first Allegiant air flight out of Omaha to Clearwater Beach, Fl to celebrate my big 40th birthday. I bought this trip for myself.  I have to say...I did good!

We arrived Thursday night just in time to eat at our hotel restaurant, the Palm Pavilion. It was amazing! Chris and I both had shrimp salads and they were filled with shrimp! Yummy!! We hotel was also the Palm Pavilion. It was perfect for couples. And the restaurant was right there on the beach! Loved it!

We got up Friday morning and Chris hit the local crossfit box while I hit the beach to run. 6 miles and a handful of shells later I was back exhausted. I was quickly getting sicker with my chest cold. Friday turned out to be rainy as Chris and I got trapped down at the pier and had to run back. Icecream helped is warm up, lol. Hey, it was my birthday and I wanted sorbet! We went back to the Palm pavilion for dinner because it was that good!

Sunday Chris ran with me. It was freezing and I was seriously sick. Chris found 5 whole sand dollars and a starfish though! He is a good luck charm! We then picked me up some drugs for my cold before making our way to to St Petes Beach. We fed the meter and just laid in the sand  listening to the ocean. Chris got a little too much sun on his face but it felt great. So relaxing...just what we both needed. We topped off the night with local pizza from Kings in Clearwater Beach (very good).

Sunday morning we had to leave...boo. Allegiant air may be cheap but they only fly out a couple days a week. It was a quick yet fun trip and a great birthday present. 

When we arrived home at lunch time, the kids surprised me with decorations and little presents they bought me (the only ones I would open). Super sweet. My kids and my parents are amazing.

I think I will buy my own birthday present every year. :) I did good if I do say so myself. I can't wait to go back to Florida in May with the kids!

Saying Good Bye to My 30's

Tomorrow marks the end of a decade. That's right, tomorrow is the last day I will be 30 something. That's hard to type out and admit frankly.

Sad.

I will be the big 4-0 on Friday.

Luckily, Chris is older than me and has experienced the big birthday already. That should make me feel better...but it doesn't.

I know, I should be thankful that I get to experience 40 at all. I get that. It, for whatever reason, doesn't make me feel better right now.

I am thankful for what I accomplished in my 30's though. I had 2 out of my 3 babies during my 30's (I know, I am an old Mommy. If I had it my way I would have had 3 babies in my 30's! That may be my biggest regret). I was a working Mother, a SAHM (Stay at Home Mom) and back to a working Mother...all in my 30's. I now know I should have quit my job when I had Alivia in my 20's, and I probably should have never returned to work. :) I ran in my 30's. I ran a half marathon and ended my decade with 2 full marathons. That is a big deal for an old gal like myself! We traveled, we moved, we grew older together as a family, while I lived my 30's.

It was a good decade. I suppose I should grow up and be ready to be 40.

My friend Heidi said it this way, and I am not quoting but this is what I got from talking to her. Forty isn't so bad. But after 40 comes 50 and that's bad. So I guess I better be okay with the age I am at now because I am not going to get any younger.

So Happy Birthday to Me. I bought myself a trip to Florida for my birthday. We only live once, and we don't know for how long, so I am going to enjoy my BIG day on the beach with my toes in the sand. I may just stay there, too.

The Beginning (of yet ANOTHER decade)...

February 2015 in Review

Short month.

Thank Goodness! I could not survive the cold if the month were any longer. Gees!

The month was full of really cold days, Valentine's Day, Addison's school music program, Asher's basketball games (ending the month scoring 2 points which is big for him!), swimming lessons finishing up for Addison and Asher (and Alivia going on to prep for swim team), piano lessons, working, sleepovers, and keeping warm. I don't know how many days I ran when the feels like temperature was below 0. I really want to move South now more than ever! So much so that I booked a weekend trip next weekend to go South (if only for the weekend).

Tomorrow is March. We can only hope March will be warmer. Even though today's temp felt like -5 when I ran my 10.5 miles, I did see a group of robins, a cardinal and a blue jay. I am hoping they know something about spring that we can't see coming yet. :)

Happy March!

FEBRUARY PICTURES OF US. We tried our best to capture the moments of February.

Auto Decision

The decision has been made.

We are keeping the van...at least for a bit longer.

First of all, we had 3 people look at the car and they didn't want it until the 100,000 mile repairs were done. They are pricey. Nothing is broken, it is just preventative stuff. But, we are not putting out $1000 just to sell it.

Secondly, Chris is opening up his resume again. Yes, again. So...now would not be the best time to be adding stuff to the family budget.

And finally, we were not completely set on any car. There is a new version of the Honda Pilot coming out this summer that we would like to throw into the mix. And, I would like to see if the Enclave adds tech to the car in 2016.

So, today the van got souped up with new tires. In a couple weeks, we will have the 100,000 mile cha ching preventative checks done. After that, we will keep the van for a while. It is probably just getting broken in anyway. After all...it's a Honda!!

Here's to a few more months without a car payment! :)

January 2015 In Review

One month of the year is over already! That went by crazy fast!

This month brought Alivia's school program, Asher got student of the month, and Addison turned 8 1/2 years old (yes, we celebrate 1/2 birthdays too!). Chris and I kept busy with working, Crossfit (for Chris) and running in the freezing cold for me. Did I mention I should live in the deep warm South?

There were a couple nice days were we were able to hit the playground. And, did I mention new car shopping?! Boy, that is fun I'll tell you. :) Oh, and did I mention Alivia and headlice?! Yikes! Talk about laundry for 2 weeks. Seriously. What a total nightmare.

Bring on the month of LOVE. 

JANUARY PICTURES!!

Shopping for the Perfect Family Car

It is unfortunately that time. We are in the market for a new "Family Wagon."

For the past 2 weeks, I have invited my Dad to town to go car shopping with me. We started at Toyota where we ruled out the Sienna mostly because it was a van and Chris and I really don't want another van. We kept the Toyota Highlander in the running, though. I liked the highlander, but I was not sure the back row would be suitable for growing kids. I need to bring Alivia along to see.
Next up was Acura and their sweet MDX. This is a sweet crossover. It is fun to drive, too, and it NOT A VAN! LOVE IT! The downfalls (because why make the perfect car?) is the 3rd row sits low to the floor which makes it not as comfortable as our kids reach the upcoming teen years, limited cargo space, and PREMIUM GAS!!! I hated the fact we had to get premium gas with the Audi. COME ON!! So annoying and expensive!!It does, however, score great in gas mileage.
At Honda we looked at the Pilot and, of course, the Odyssey Touring model. The Pilot is big but looks like a box. The Odyssey is a van. It looks cheap inside unless you pay the extra for the bells and whistles. Then, we may as well just get a better vehicle. Additionally, the 2014 model of the Odyssey has lackluster reviews. Since we are new into 2015, it is too soon to tell if they made improvements over last year. I do not want the lemon that is being described of the 2014 addition. And, its still a minivan.
Moving on. We went to Ford as Chris wanted me to look at the Explorer. They look nice on the road. The third row seat is difficult to get to. I was not impressed. We have to be assessing it daily, and it just seemed to difficult and not kid friendly (or adult friendly for that matter). And, the dealership we went to set me up with a limited English speaking sales person who appeared to be on his first day on the job. He found me the cheapest looking Explorer on the lot. It was a step above total crap for thirty some thousand dollars. I was far from impressed.
Dad and I then paid Buick a visit. We checked out the Enclave. It is a bigger car with a more comfortable seating arrangement for sure. The third row is even comfortable for me to sit in! It rides very quietly. Although a large step above a van in looks and price (unfortunately), this vehicle misses out on some of the features I would expect from this price range. The dash board and its features appears outdated with a big ol' clock on it along with the mapping system. The features found standard on the MDX are found on the top of the line of the Enclave if at all. Oh, and the most annoying part, it has a key!! The Highlander and the MDX have push button start (I have seen much less expensive cars going keyless now. Come on Buick?!?! What gives?!). Let's face it, this is an expensive car. The model I like is more expensive than the MDX but it does not have the same features. It is difficult for me to wrap my mind around that one. The Buick does not get very good gas mileage either at 19/23 I believe.
Lastly, we have checked out Lincoln. The car I liked only seated 5 so the very nice and good sales man (which I am are difficult to come by) selected the MKT for our family.  Eh, it is a wagon. Not really the car I had in mind. I showed Chris the picture of it and he immediately was turned off.

Chris checked out the Lexus at the car show, but the back opens to the side. That alone stops me from even looking at the car. I have checked out the Infinity QX60 online but have not seen it. For whatever reason, this car does not pop up on "Best of" reviews, so I have not checked it out.

So...we are down to the Acura MDX, Toyota Highlander and the Enclave. I took Chris out last weekend to check out each car. We "looked" at the MDX but didn't drive it as nobody at Acura of Omaha waited on us (Guess being dressed in jeans and hoodies made us not looked qualified to buy an Acura??? Their loss). We went to Performance Toyota in La Vista. I will be writing an online review of this place. They claimed to not have a single Highlander on the lot. Seriously?! Not a one? There are 2 other dealerships in town selling new Toyotas, but unfortunately we did not have time to shop everywhere. We did go to and actually drive the Buick. Chris was impressed. But, it was the ONLY car he was able to drive. So, compared to the van, yes, it is impressive. But, any car would be!

How did you find you current wheels? Happy with them? We need help. :)

Happy New Year 2015

Seems like yesterday we were celebrating y2K! I feel old. Oh wait, I am old!

Every year I come up with this long or short list of goals. This year is really no different. Last year I wanted to run a marathon and ran 2. This year have scheduled myself for a couple, at least, half marathons and hope to throw in a full marathon at least once this year for fun. I want to travel with the family as much as possible. I really enjoyed all of our trips last year. I hope to spend nearly a month at the lake this year with the kids.

Last year Chris set out to climb Longs Peak and did so last July. He is remaining pretty quiet about 2015s plans. So, I guess I will be surprised.

We have plans to travel this year. Addi would like to go to the Mall of America during spring break. In May, we are taking a beach vacation to Florida (and I can't wait!), and in July the kids and I will try to spend the month at the Lake. Chris and I usually go somewhere for our anniversary in August, too, but I'm not sure what we will do this year.

As far as home improvements, they are still up in the air. We need to replace the van this year...so that is our first priority. Getting Chris and I off of work on the same day when dealerships are open and when we have someone to watch the kids is very tricky. We don't even know what car we want yet!

Really, I would love to get out of Nebraska and move someplace warm. I hate winter so much. I considered briefly signing up for a spring marathon until I went running today. Too cold. I hate winter training...so never mind already!

We will see what 2015 brings...but Chris is optimistic it will be a good year. And, he is always right. ;)

Happy New Year!! What are your goals?

Christmas 2014

Merry Christmas!!

After a month of prep by our little elf, we were ready for Christmas. With my working and then the disney trip, Santa didn't get as much purchased as She would have liked. But, all in all, the kids were still spoiled with the help of their Grandparents.

The kids were awake at 6:30 am to have all of their presents opened by 7. They ate a little breakfast, homemade cinnamon rolls gifted to us by our friends, before making it to 7:30 mass right at 7:30!  We came back home briefly before slipping off to Iowa for the day. We opened presents at my parents first before going into my Aunts house for dinner. My aunt played a game with the kids hiding their giftcards and candy in her cupboard. Drama unfolded but it was a fun idea. :)

It was a fun and mostly quiet day spent with my small little family. The girls got mostly clothes, Legos and barbie things while Asher received clothes, Legos and some Nerf things. We gave our parents name engraved rocks. It sounded good at the time and something I didn't think they would think of.

Chris and I gave each other clothes. We mostly buy our own gifts anymore. Pretty boring.

We would not change a thing. We spend family time together at disney and came home to calmly celebrate Christmas. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Trip to Walt Disney World!

After all the planning...it was finally here.

On Saturday morning, December 13, at 4:15 AM, we woke up the kids, had them brush their teeth and comb their hair, and come down stairs for a surprise.

They came down the stairs to find a red gift bag on the counter. Inside they found t-shirts (with pants and socks to be ready to go) that said, "Keep calm think Disney".  None of them quite understood what was going on.

What was going on?

SURPRISE??!?!?! We are going to Disney World...in 10 minutes!! Grandpa Bob was there ready to take us to the airport.

We arrived in Orlando at 12:30  and to the resort a short 40 minutes later. Our bags, well Disney got them from the checked area and brought them to our room! Amazing! After a quick stop at our room at Art of Animation in a Cars themed room, we were off to Epcot where we road Mission Space, Spaceship Earth, and Soarin ( is a hang glider simulator that "flies" over various areas of California and is a very cool ride!). We also checked out Journey into Imagination with Figment,
Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable, Living with the Land. For Dinner, we had reservations (for 6 months!) at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall for Princess Dining. We arrived, waited a bit, got a picture with one princess and were shown to our table. We quickly went through the appetizer buffet before the princesses started walking through the rooms. The kids did not like the main course of the meal so we were lucky they liked something on the buffet. It was a fun way to start but we were not impressed with the dining experience. We made the mistake of going back to ride Mission Space again. Once in our rocket, we were strapped in and the instructions were read, then nothing. The young girl came around and said they had an issue and would be with us shortly. 20 minutes past with us harnessed in. We were not happy. Time was ticking as we wanted to watch Illuminations, A nightly fireworks and laser show that tells a story about the creation of Earth to celebrating the people of the world. We had to run to the show to see it. On the way there, Addison, Asher and I lost Chris and Alivia. We watched the show apart, then tried to find each other. The show, by the way, was fabulous!! Chris was not happy, though. We ended up meeting up at the bus stop. It was beyond crazy.

On Sunday we went to the Animal Kingdom arriving at 9 am at opening. We had 3 fast passes again, which are wonderful. We hit Kilimanjaro Safaris, which is a safaris through their animal area seeing elephants, tigers, giraffes and more. It is pretty cool.  Expedition Everest was by far our favorite ride. The girls started crying asking us why we were making them do something they didn't want to do. We had a rule if one wanted to go we all had to go. Well, Asher, Chris and I wanted to ride it. Initially, they babied out and left with Chris (I would not have let them leave) and Chris got a switcher pass to go again. A switch pass is a fast pass for 3 people that helps in odd events or if a child is not tall enough, etc. Chris ended up going once with Alivia and then going again with Addison. They both claimed to not like it. The ride had no hills or anything. It did go backwards and was super fun (check out my facebook page to ride the ride with Asher and I. I videoed it and showed it to Alivia.We also had a fast pass to Dinosaur, which must not have been memorable because I don't really remember it. :) We rode the Kali River Rapids and got wet and then froze all afternoon. We left the ponchos in the room! Big mistake. We saw the Festival of the Lion King (good show), walked trails by the cool Tree of Life, The kids played in the Boneyard (which is an open play space and they loved it), and saw the wonderful show, "It's tough to be a bug." So fun! For dinner, we ate at the Rain Forest Cafe, which was fun and good. It was late when we left the park and we were ready for bed!

On Monday we hit Hollywood Studios. We started off seeing Buzz Lightyear and Woody at Pixar Place. Our first fast pass was to Toy Story Mania, an interactive 3D shooting gallery featuring characters from the Toy Story films. I personally thought the ride was silly and not worth the 90+ minute line people were waiting in. I mean seriously, 90 minutes!! That is crazy!! We went to Star Tours, a 3D motion simulator ride, set in the Star Wars universe. It is the refurbished prequel to the original attraction. It is a cool ride. We used a fast pass but the main line was only 20 minutes. We could pick from Toy Story or Rockin Roller Coaster for a fast pass and you could only have one of those 2. So, we went to Hollywood 2 days picking one of those fast passes per visit. Now that I know, I would have skipped the silly Toy Story to go to Rockin Roller Coaster. But, Asher was too short for Rockin. I'll get to that. We also had a fast pass to Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, a thrill ride that drops in an elevator with multiple high speed drops and ascents. Special effects include smell, lighting and sound. Very cool ride. Alivia and Addison called it the Terror of Torture. It was not bad...it was fun. Hollywood has many shows, too. We saw (rode) the Great Movie Ride (also silly), Beauty and the Beast, Indiana Jones, watched the Jedi Training with Dark Vader, Muppets in 3D (very cool show), Lights, Motor Action stunt show, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and the kids liked Honey I shrunk the kids play area. We waited in a freakishly long line to see the Frozen Show and just got in. We had a fast pass for Friday but it was not until 12:15 and we had to be back for our airport bus at 1:15, cutting it too close. At night we saw Fantasmic, This nighttime spectacle with water projection screens, fireworks, and Disney character. My favorite was Osborne Street of Dancing Lights. All the buildings are covered in lights and dance to Christmas Music. It is Fabulous!! We ate diner and the Sci-Fi drive in diner. It was just like a 1950's drive in including the old cars to eat in. It was fun!

Tuesday and Wednesday we went to Magic Kingdom. We arrived and watched the opening of Magic Kingdom on Tuesday at 8 AM when all the characters come out to greet everyone and sing. It was fun and exciting. Magic Kingdom is huge. And, not knowing this, the fast passes I selected were all over the place. The websites did not say anything about this (or I missed it if they did). We walked and walked!! We road space mountain, a roller coaster in the dark, the haunted mansion, big thunder mountain railroad, pirates of the Caribbean,  Magic Carpets of Aladdin, took the Jungle Cruise, walked through the Swiss Family Treehouse, road its a small world (and Asher wished the ride would GO FASTER!!), road the teacups (Mad Tea Party,), watched Mickey's Philharmagic, road Peter Pan's Flight, Road a Little Mermaid ride, Road Buzz Lightyears Space Ranger Spin, Astro Orbiter, Tomorrow land speed way which were little cars you could drive around a race track, the transit authority (which was to be the transit of the future), and watched Monster Inc's laugh floor (which was really funny), and the kids liked this smaller roller coaster, The Barnstormer. It was maybe a 45 second ride. There is a lot to do at Magic. We ate a buffet lunch at the Crystal Palace where the kids saw Pooh and friends. I would recommend this one. Eating buffets seemed to be the way to go because the offerings were so limited on the other menus that many times there was nothing we liked. On Tuesday I had purchased tickets to Mickey's very Merry Christmas because I had read there were fewer people, lines, during the event. Um, not true for the most part. Chris was exhausted so saved us a spot for the Frozen Castle Event, Christmas Parade and Fireworks while the kids and I road the 7 Dwarfs Mine train. The line for 7 dwarfs is typically 60-90 minutes at least. It said 60 minutes when we jumped in line but the line didn't look that long AND I was hoping the timer was wrong. It turned out to be about 35 minutes. We finished up and raced to get back to Chris who was seriously getting lost in the crowds of people. When we got dinner of hotdogs! there was no place to sit. I walked for 10 minutes to find a place where we stood to eat. It was insane. The Disney cast members are very rigid with their rules, too. They are like walking, talking robots. It was weird and a little creepy actually. The Frozen Castle show, lighted Castle show and fireworks were seriously amazing!! HOWEVER, the kids were exhausted. We arrived a the park at 8 am because I thought the Christmas Party was WEDNESDAY NIGHT! So it turned out to be a very long day. After the fireworks, we went back inside the park to find the free cocoa and cookies that came with this $$$ Christmas Party Tickets. After a little rest, we decided to get in the lower line for Ana and Elsa from Frozen. During the day it is usually 90+ minutes to see these 2 but it said 30 minutes when we got in line. It was an hour. Seriously!! They were WAY off! The kids were laying on the ground by the time we reached them, but they perked up when they met the princesses. Then it was back to the bus. We waited probably an hour and a half for a bus. There were lines of people. And, wheelchairs and scooters can ride ride up to the bus and get on without waiting, sometimes filling up the bus with the chairs and scooters because their families can get on to. I understand they have special needs but come on. We got back to our room at 1 AM!!! It was crazy!!

On Wednesday, we slept in a bit and arrived at the park after 9 (and Magic opened at 8). We road the haunted mansion again for Addison and Big thunder mountain for Alivia, space mountain for all, and used the fast pass we had so Daddy could ride 7 dwarfs mine train. We also road Splash mountain with ponchos. We did not know how that would work with its 50 foot drop, but we all survived without any tears (and they liked it!). For Lunch we ate at Cinderella's Castle. We saw all the princesses (even though we had seen pretty much all of them at the first dinner). It was cool to be inside the castle eating. Asher even got a sword. Very cool and fun. We left mid afternoon to go to the resort so the kids could swim a bit. For dinner, we ate at Chef Mickeys, a buffet at Contemporary Resort right next to Magic. The buffet was wonderful (although Asher could not find a thing to eat!). The desserts were amazing and cute! We ended day 2 sitting down for an hour waiting for the electrical parade and meeting some new people from New York. The parade was fun and cute too, just as I remembered Disney Lands electrical parade I saw as a kid. Another "Magical" day.

Thursday it was back to Epcot. We road Fast Track with a fast pass and saw the remaining shows we had not seen, Turtle Talk with Crush and the Seas with Nemo and Friends (both cute). We then walked through the Epcot Worlds. Our friends Jen and Dan had told us about being able to select pearls at Epcot in Japan. We found the store and Alivia and Addison picked out the ugliest, hairiest oyster in hopes of getting 2 pearls. They got 2!!! It was so fun! The lady taught the girls to say 1, 2, 3 in Japanese (sun, knee, itchy!). Addison said it was the best part of her day. Now, we have to make them into necklaces for them. After all the fun, we went to Downtown Disney to go shopping. The kids were exhausted and hated this. We split from there and they swam. We planned on going back to Epcot for the Evening Entertainment, but the kids wanted to eat at the resort...so we did.

Friday morning we went back to Hollywood for our final day. We got right on the Tower of Terror walking right on without a line! Then we used our fast pass to the Rockin Roller Coaster with Aerosmith. Asher, at 44 inches, could not ride as the ride required you to be 48 inches. He was VERY disappointed!! We got a switch pass. Alivia and I rode first, then Chris and Addi rode, and then Addi and I rode again. They do have a single person line that is shorter than the 90 minute normal line. We then went back to see the Frozen Show again so we could video it. It is a very good, fun show.

It was then time to go. We went back to our hotel and fixed things on our bill. We had the dining plan but they charged our credit card instead of our dining plan (very frustrating!). They fixed it and gave us extra credit on our credit card. Very nice! We had meals left over when we left though. So...in the end, Disney came ahead.

Websites I used to plan: http://wdwprepschool.com/ and easywdw.com and http://yourfirstvisit.net/. We loved Art of Animation and would recommend. But, if you have a smaller family and can afford it, staying at the Contemporary resort would be great as it is close enough to walk back and on the monorail if you don't want to walk. Stay on Disney to make your life easier. Believe me, you do not want to have to drive back. And, you keep your vacation Disney focused. We did not stress about going to the beach. We asked the kids and they wanted to swim at the pool...so that is what we did. We will do a beach vacation next time. Pack in layers, at least in the winter. It is chilly in the morning and evening but warm during the day. Take a carry on bag filled with snacks. You will eat the snacks and then have the carry on bag to put souvenirs in for your return trip home. It worked great! Check your Disney dining plan daily so you know what you have left to use (which we did not do) so you are not getting 15 snacks upon check out (which is what we did) and leaving behind meals that you paid for. And, go to Disney. It is worth the money for a lifetime of memories.

We will return. We loved Disney. Everyone is happy there (except Addison). We learned a lot about our family. Chris is very laid back, I am not. Alivia is a worrier about everything and saves her money. Addison likes to whine, is rarely happy even at Walt Disney World, and spends every single penny she has (she bought something almost every day we were there!) and Asher has so much energy and can be very ornery. Asher picked on his sisters a lot! He drove me CRAZY!! with his endless energy. It was an amazing trip, a trip of a lifetime, magical :). We are thankful we saved and were able to go...finally.

Here is to returning again, someday.

November in Review

NOVEMBER PICTURES

BUSY BUSY BUSY!! With Asher in Basketball, the girls in piano, all of them in swim, Alivia having a tutor, we are crazy busy after school and on Saturdays. Gees! Addison is now on her second lesson books in piano and is practicing Bella's lullaby. :) She likes piano! Asher, although not tall at all, is progressing in basketball and having fun. November was full of lots of work and little play. We did end the month celebrating Asher's birthday and Thanksgiving and seeing the Rocketts (they were amazing!). That was fun! December is when we will do our share of playing.

Happy Holidays!

Tired All the Time

If I had a theme song for this week, it would be tired all the time. Seriously, I am dying here.

I worked Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights 12 1/2 hour shifts (meaning I left home at 6pm returning home shortly after 8am). I'm exhausted! When I work, I sleep from 8:30-2:30, drive up to get the kids from school, then go to after school activities every night of the week (except Monday basketball practice is at 5:30) and Fridays (we have NOTHING on Fridays!!), come home for a quick shower before heading back to work. It is seriously exhausting. Tonight I am back for one more partially overtime shift, if I am not cancelled. I will be off tomorrow night (Saturday) before heading back to work Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. UGH!

Why? I am required to get in 96 hours a month at the status I am at now. With vacation and winter break coming up, I needed to jam all my hours in the beginning of the month. If I am lucky, I will get 7 out of the 8 required shifts in, then just need one towards the end of the month. That will have to be a Friday or Saturday night because I will need 12 more weekend hours and that is the only way I can do it and sleep with the kids at home.

I need a break.

Oh, wait...I think one is coming! YEAH! Can I take vacation and just sleep????

Today I got in a 9 mile run and ran part of it with my eyes closed. They just hurt from being open. Insanity. 

Dreaming of sleep,
Krista

Asher's 7th Birthday!

Last Saturday Asher Wade turned 7 years old! Craziness! Where has the time gone?

Asher woke up sheepish about his birthday. His friend Michael came over in his PJs and they shared cinnamon rolls together and then played (while his Mom Jen and I worked out :) ). The day continued like this. We got ready for the party and before long it was 12:45 and his friends were showing up.

Asher's party was at the Aksarben Cinema where they saw Penguins of Madagascar. We drove 7 boys there and one met up with us there and we drove them all home. That part was quite loud. Once there, the experience was very organized. They each got popcorn, a drink of their choice and a fruit snack before being escorted first into the movie into great seats. It was fun. Overall, the boys appeared to enjoy the movie.

After the movie, we drove everyone back to our house for soccer ball cupcakes, presents and playing soccer outside on what turned out to be a fabulous day! It was 70! degrees!!! We drove most of the boys home at 4:45. Asher had a blast.

After the main party, Asher played with his friend Michael while we prepared for the Grandparents to arrive. Asher wanted a hot dog for his birthday dinner, which is difficult to find at a restaurant that grandparents would like. So, we hosted at our home instead (which turned out to be a dangerous choice). We ate dinner, chatted, then Asher opened his presents. He got a cool soccer jersey, clothes and soccer gear from his Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Bob and a dually basketball hoop game from Grandma Bet and Grandpa Bill. From us he got a indoor soccer shoes, football, under armour clothes, soccer bag, and more random stuff. Asher is difficult. When we ask him what he wants for his birthday or Christmas, he doesn't know. I asked him what he wanted from a friend that asked, and Asher said socks or clothes. Really?! How weird. His favorite gift was from his friend Cameron who gave him basketball socks and wrist bands. Buying things for him is a total nightmare. He doesn't know what he wants but is easily disappointed when he doesn't like what he gets. Ugh.

After presents, the kids and the men went downstairs to put up this huge hoops set. Meanwhile Alivia was upstairs trying to pull out a tooth, so Chris' Mom, Grandma Kathy, went up to check on her. Before long, Alivia was running down the stairs with Grandma following her. Next thing we knew, we heard a loud thud and Grandma Kathy was on the floor. Long story short, Grandma does not know what happen but her one foot gave out (before he leg broke) and she fell onto her other knee. After the weekend and Monday in miserable pain, she is now moving some with a walker but is pretty immobile. This is why we should have future parties at restaurants just to be safe.

Asher is an active 7 year old. He likes to play soccer, toss the football around, shoot hoops in the front yard (and now in the basement) and be active. When he is not being active or loud, he likes to watch Netflix. He is addicted. He sometimes is found on his iPod too, but would prefer to watch on TV now a days. Asher is 44 lb and on the shorter side at 3 ft 11in. He is wearing a size 6 in pants and 6-7 in shirts.

Asher's Favorites at 7 years old.
Color: Red
Toy: "I don't have one"
Fruit: Apples cut up
TV Show: Kickin It
Lunch: Hamburger, french fries and chocolate milk
Game: Diablo
Animal: Tiger
Best Friend: Cameron
Cereal: Chocolate Chex without milk.
Favorite thing to do outside: Play soccer
Drink: Lemonade
Holiday: Christmas
Take to bed at night: Stuffed Dog
Favorite Breakfast: Chocolate Chex
Birthday Dinner: Asher wanted to go out for Hot dogs. So we grilled hot dogs and hamburgers at home, along with grapes, salad, and chips. He had soccer ball cupcakes too!
What do you want to be when you grow up? A Football Player...Really? "Yes, when I grow up and get big." Funny.

Asher had a sleepover here with his friend Michael. Asher still is not a good sleeper, staying up late and running to Alivia's room many nights during the week. He likes our door and his door to be open with his lamp on (I can't stand his light shining in our room! But, someday I will miss it I am sure). He does not like cold lunch but takes his lunch 4 times a week to school. Talk about a challenge! He still loves his eggs and bacon and sometimes a homemade waffle. Bread? No way! He is kind of a picky eater! He still loves his Mommy and Daddy, loves to give hugs and kisses. I love this!!

Happy Birthday Little Guy! We love you!

October 2014 in Review

I get so far behind on my blog. Life just gets busy and the blog gets forgotten about. It has been months since I edited a fair amount of pictures!

October flew by. The month started off with Chris loading up his backs for a 2 week trip to Denver for an UX certification coarse. He had a little fun, checked out the Denver crossfit and came home to pass his certification exam with flying colors. Meanwhile, Asher finished up his soccer season taking second in the final tournament. The kids had 2 days off of school making for a long fall weekend (Note to self, next year go to the lake!). We were able to visit the forest and the zoo and take in the nice weather.  Alivia received the First Student of the Month for 5th grade. She was quite exited about that.
Of course, it would not be Halloween without booing and trick or treating. We of course Boo'd our friends the first of the month and ended the month with a little candy. Alivia and Addison were vampires and Asher was a soccer player.
Now onto the busy November where Asher will turn 7!! years old and we will celebrate Thanksgiving!

Stay warm and keep in touch!
The Austin Family

Halloween 2014

Happy Halloween! Hope you all had a spooky good time! What a busy day!

The kids dressed in their Halloween attire to go to school on this Friday Halloween. They were so excited for the "Fall Parties." Heaven for bid we call them what them are, Halloween Parties.

Anyway, I arrived at 2pm to help at Asher's 1st grade Halloween party. The party was well organized and fun. They made witches brew, played 3 games (pin the nose on the pumpkin, bean bag toss and toss the pumpkin into the can) and made a hand print craft that turned out really cute. It was a fun party. I did get to sneak out and peek into Addison and Alivia's parties too. They looked fun, too. Alivia had nachos at her party!

At home, the kids had more candy before prepping for the big trick or treating event. Alivia and Addison were both vampires and Asher selected to be a soccer player (cheap costume for us!). Alivia's friends arrived before 6pm. She invited Emma and Lizzy to trick or treat with her. Addison and Asher kept together. We set out just after 6. We were the first ones out but we saw kids at the bottom of the hill (so not THAT early). Our neighbor Kathy was dressed up as Elsa from Frozen, so that was pretty fun. The night was cold, but not windy. So, we survived. The kids got boxes of cereal, Big candy bars, baggies of candy, $1 bills, and Chris and I were offered the usual "Daddy Juice" aka beer. It was a fun. Michael caught up with Asher and they set out together. They had fun RUNNING from house to house. Thankfully Michael had on glow sticks because if we looked away, we would lose them. They were that fast! We came back home 2 hours later with a lot of candy!! I have yet to sort it out (what they like and what we can donate) but we will do that in the next couple days. It was a fun night!!

Happy Halloween from our spooks to yours. :)

Post Marathon Thoughts

It's been weeks since I crossed the finish line to the Omaha Marathon. The pain, like childbirth, has been forgotten. However, the early morning training runs are still fresh in my mind (wait, I am still running pre dawn...maybe that's why!).

I decided not to run the Des Moines Marathon. I may be crazy...but not that crazy. That is just plain nuts. I have lost the desire to run long runs like that to prepare. I just don't have the drive to run another marathon so soon. I guess I am not that competitive.

I did, however, find the time to call Boston last week to see if I qualified for the 2016 Boston Marathon. Come to find out, your time has to fit the requirements for the age you will be at the date of the race. My age bracket changes between now and 2016. So, now I have to finish in 3 hour and 40 minutes but to run in 2016 I would need 3 hour and 45 minutes. Therefore, my finishing time of 3 hour and 41 minutes was 4 minutes faster than the time needed to qualify! Although I am super excited, I know that it is not a guarantee that I will be able to run. They start having people with really fast times sign up first with the people closer to the cut off last. Therefore, you can make your time by a minute and still not get in because they are full. Crazy, right? So, we will see. I have to wait until NEXT September since the Omaha Marathon was one of the first qualifying Marathons for the Boston 2016 Marathon. Who knows what can happen in that amount of time.

I do plan on running another marathon next year. I want to run a destination marathon. I have not selected the destination yet though. I am not fond of winter training runs...so I am thinking no on Lincoln. I also have been there, done that. I want to run somewhere new!

I am still running with my friend Jen in the mornings. I am cross training some. I was even able to get a 15 miler in last week! It felt awesome! That is the perfect distance. It is the 22 milers that take it all out of me.

Now onto researching my next challenge. Marathon #3. Humm....suggestions???

Busy Busy

Chris and I used to think our lives were busy when are kids were little. We would hear from parents of older children who would tell us to enjoy them now as things just get busier once they are all in school. We wondered how we could get any busier.

The kids have all been in school over a year now and we are busy. The kids have at least one activity every day except Friday nights and Sunday's.  When I work, I come home form work, sleep, wake just in time to get to school to pick up the kids, then quickly take the kids to their activities. I am lucky to get home in time to get a good shower in and quickly get ready for work. I usually am running out the door with something to eat on the way to my work assignment. I'm also lucky to see Chris for even 5 minutes between, getting home, Chris getting home and me going to work. It is busy!

All three kids are in swimming lessons, the girls are in piano, Asher is in soccer with practice twice a week and games on weekends, and Alivia has now one tutor (Although she did have 2). It is just crazy busy. The days fly by without being able to reflect what is happening. Birthdays slip by. Where is all the time going? Our little babies are growing up while we are too busy to appreciate everything.

As I was getting my hair cut last week, my hair dresser told me how busy they were. She has a daughter who is a freshman in high school. I thought...I must stop being busy. We have to cut some of this out. It is good for kids to be active, but I want them to remember childhood as childhood and less of a circus.

Now...what can I cut? Time will tell but we will be making some cuts soon. I want our peaceful family life back! Wait, did we ever have that?

Alone

For the last week, I have been juggling it alone. I am only half done.

Chris is in Denver at a certification class. I knew it was coming months ago. This is a good thing. I got up early in the morning last Sunday and took him to the airport. I was so tired, I didn't feel anything when I said good-bye. My only thoughts..."Can I go home and go to bed?" Luckily, the kids let me sleep until almost 9. I woke up sad. Funny, I thought I was looking forward to Chris being away. Look at all the stuff I will get done. Yeah right.

Last week was a blur. We were busy nearly every night. I was running here, there and everywhere crossing things off my never ending to do list. I went out to Zorinsky and ran twice. That is something I have been wanting to do but haven't had time to do since last winter. I went to the Mart to look for things unsuccessfully. In the end, I got a lot crossed off my list but nothing really done. No worries, I have another week and another long list.

My Mom did come down one night so I could go to work. How else was I to get in 96 hours during this month, my minimum requirement, with taking 2 weeks off. Chris' Mom will be coming this week so I can work another night. I have to say, I love the fewer hours.

I have more appreciation for Chris now that he has been gone. One, I miss him. It is lonely here without adult interaction. I don't know how single parents do it. It is nice to bounce ideas off another adult. I find myself talking to myself more not having him here, asking myself those important questions. I know, sounds nuts. I better stop doing that when he gets home. :) The kids miss him. Although he is only in Denver, our paths cross at night. With soccer, swimming lessons, tutor, piano, play dates, we are rarely home until bedtime. Then, I just want everyone in bed so I can go to bed. Chris called one night after I had been asleep for an hour. It took me 2 hours to get back to sleep. :(

One more week. I will cook, clean, mow, work...and he will be home. I am not going to let him leave for a very long time.

2014 Omaha Marathon

This Sunday I ran my second Marathon and my second marathon of this year. Yes, I may be nuts.

The weather turned out to be perfect. 50s to start with a light breeze. There seemed to be few porta potties with many people needing to use them before we were off for our run. We rushed through a long line and made our way to the line.

My friend Jen (who ran the half) and I warmed up a bit running in place to keep warm, stripped our warm up clothes and got in the starting area. They did not have us placed by pace (annoying!!) and we were all crammed in there. I was just hoping nobody would trip in front of me. It was not a good set up. Jen, who is clearly smarting than I am, squeezed her way up front. I remained towards the middle. Dumb decision...but I will get to that.

Where I was, the gun went off without much warning. We were crawling when we got to the start and I started my watch. I ran towards the outside to get around the slower runners (and walkers!! Seriously...you are walking already?! Get to the back then!). I paced 7:45-8 until mile 14. I felt great, but I was to be pacing at 8-815. So, I knew I was going off to fast. I had thought about resetting my watch to beep when I was going over pace but I forgot. It is so difficult to slow down when you find people around you to follow.

It was crowded until right after the 6 mile when the half marathoners turned to go back towards their finish. Finally, I could see who was running the full and find someone to run with.

I had to go to the bathroom, but I couldn't find any. It wasn't unbearable, but I thought I could run more comfortably. So, I followed a couple girls until the bathrooms finally appeared at mile 11-12. It took too long in there (lesson learned, do not drink with breakfast...save drinking to right before the run if at all!) because the paper was all stuck. Annoyed.

Out of there I felt better to get going. At mile 12 1/2 maybe, I stepped in a huge pot hole and twisted my body all up. I did not notice the effects of this until later when my hip was sore. The roads on this stretch were not all the good.

The scenery was pretty good. The run took us along the river, through Carter Lake area, through tree lined streets and another park. All in all, it really was a scenic run. After about mile 18, I could not see straight and was only concerned about my feet and shady areas. Mile 22-25 were pretty bad, slowing to upper 8 minute miles, then 9 as I walked some. Jen (who finished 5th overall in the half with a time of 1hr 30!! and first in her age group) and my friend Heather caught up with me at the 22-23 mile mark. I was dying a slow death at this point. I kept stopping and Jen kept telling me to get going...I was so close to the 3h 40min Boston cut off. I was on the verge of tears. I was a wreck. I saw the kids at maybe 23 and that got me going for a short second, too. Somehow, Jen convinced me to get going and finish, finishing in the stadium after going around a lap in a time of 3h 41min, missing the Boston cut off by 1 minute!!! NO WAY!!!!!!!!! (one less walk, shorter time in the potty, less time at water...I'm killing myself over that minute!!)

Review of the marathon.
* Scenic
* Not too hilly (probably similar to Lincoln's marathon maybe?)
* Very little crowd support
* Creighton students rocked with enthusiasm and water. So did Team Jack.
* Water was there but seemed less than at Lincoln. Maybe it was just me. There was one water station at mile 12/14 where you had to get out your own cup and get your own water. Chris volunteered here for an hour and could not keep up!
* Chris was able to bike behind me or around me from mile 14 through nearly the end. I LOVED THAT!!! There were no crowds and he was my little cheerleader. He was quiet knowing at anytime I could completely fall apart. He was there for water and just there. I did not need him for more than to be there for me. There were not too many people around me at this point, although there were at the end.
* Loved that the girls could run with me in the end. LOVED THAT!
* Police did a great job manning the streets, too.
* Metals were nice and so were the shirts. I will wear the shirt (unlike Lincoln's ugly shirt this year!).
* The results. I was officially 18th in women. But right after the race, they put my time as 4hr and 43 minutes. That was really frustrating. But, it appears to be fixed now. Too bad my time didn't improve. :)

All in all, it was an okay run. Thought the start needed much work, jamming us all in there without pace is wrong. Speaking of pace, where were the pacers?! I saw the 3h 45 minute but there wasn't one for the 3h 40 minute. The finish was not all the good either. It is really annoying to run all that way and not have anyone be able to see you finish (they did not allow people into the stadium). The stadium track was a mess with wet red sandy stuff as turf. Weird. I just wanted to run in and finish. It worked but was odd. Then they had you come outside to the food. I liked that they allowed family in there to great you, making it easier to greet family (Lincoln's meet the family set up did not work for me). I tried by banana and threw it out, grabbed an orange slice and chocolate milk but both came back later to haunt me.

After the run, I knew my time was limited as I felt the nausea at around 19 and fought it off. It was coming and fast. I was very dizzy and needed to get home. At home, I thought it was too late to eat. Chris tried to make me food, but I was getting sick before he could get it to me. I was less sick than after Lincoln, but I stayed in bed until nearly 3 (and finished before 11am).

My reward, Orange Leaf Yogurt. Chris got it for me around 5pn and it never tasted so good. I was still weak and exhausted but it was still yummy. I sat outside enjoying the rest of the day. Jen and her hubs, Dan (who is training for the Des Moines half), walked up to talk. Jen suggested I run the full in Des Moines. OMG, really?! 3 marathons in a year?! I still have not decided. I did Pilates yesterday, but struggled with feeling awful with some chest discomfort (not sure what that was!). Today I went out and ran 6 in the ran and it felt okay. I am still stiff but tolerable. I will rest tomorrow as I go back to work tonight. Des Moines is in mid-late October...so 3 weeks from this Sunday ( or 4 weeks between marathons if I do it.). We will see.

Until then...I will keep running. :)