Running Reflections from a Non-runner

To catch you up, Mom, Crafty Sister and I started training for Disney Princess Half-Marathon back in August. In my title I refer to this post as "Reflections from a Non-runner" because I do not consider myself someone who likes to run or is good at running but together I would say we are a great team of three normal people who are just trying to get in shape and are using a disney event as a goal. We call ourselves "Team MNM" (for our last names) and we are having a blast (on most days)! Keep in mind this blog post is just my reflection of how our training has been going (my sister and mom might have completely different thoughts).

So far, our training schedule has consisted of 30 minute runs on Mondays and Wednesdays and long runs every other saturday (on the off saturday we do 3 miles). Mom also does a power walk on Thursdays. Although, we have had some small set backs since we started (mom has bad knees, we found out crafty sister is flat footed, and I had a small pulled muscle in my right foot), we have not suffered any big injuries and we are very very thankful for that! Disney requires us to have at least a 16 minute mile pace (or else we get picked up by the goofy mobile..OH NO!!) So far we are sticking to about a 14 minute pace (I know this might sound really slow but to a non runner this is awesome). Our goal is to finish the half marathon so every mile farther we go than the last week is really encouraging to us and its really fun to be able to say "I ran __ miles today" something many people can't say. 

Since none of us have participated in any sort of running event before we have had to build up our inventory worth of running things which has been fun. This past week mom brought a running belt and we tested it out on our long run. The week before we brought energy blocks, gu and gels to taste test. Before that it got cold and so we all went out and got cold weather running gear and before that we bought running shoes. 

This past Saturday Team MNM went out for our 8 mile long run. I was pretty nervous for this run because the past two weeks I have been trying to stay off of my right foot so I skipped out on a few monday/wednesday runs. It was really cold! We got out on our normal saturday trail at about 8am and it was in the upper 30s (yes that says 30s!) BRR! Have I mentioned how much I hate the cold... well I do! I discovered on this run however, that I would much rather run in the cold than in the hot humid weather. Eventually it gets warm (although this saturday it took me to about 3 miles before I felt warmed up). Man oh man the first three miles were painful. Everything in my body felt so stiff (especially my calfs). Around mile 4 (which happened to be the turn around point) I started to feel really great though. The sun was shining, the air was cool and crisp, pandora radio was playing great songs and my endorphins were kicking in. There is not a more natural high than the one I get on these long runs with my mom and sister. My brain goes crazy with all the different sensory information coming in. We run past amazing smells like fresh cut grass, houses burning wood in their chimneys and breakfast cooking and then bad smells like asphalt and dog poo. I mentioned the music... lately I have been listening to pandora's  "I gotta feeling" radio which plays anywhere from black eyed peas to lady gaga to blink 182. An AWESOME station!! It never fails to pick me up and keep me distracted from the pain in my legs. My newest project is to create a play list we can all listen to the day of the half marathon which will include a mixture of oldies, newbies and disney songs (if you have any suggestions please send them to me!!). There are lots of different sights along the way as well. We run on a trail with lots of woods and houses and shops and roads but its also fun to people watch as we go. We run past lots of different types of people:  people we know, other people like us that are training for events, dog people, old people, teenagers, mothers running with babies, walkers, bikers.. etc. Oh! and It has also been fun to see all the Christmas decorations on our night runs! 

Anyway, all of this has again made me feel very thankful for my heath and my supportive family. Without those things I could not be doing this. Although I consider myself to be a non-runner I have discovered its not so bad in good company. 

Until next time, 

Being Thankful.

I can't believe it is already Thanksgiving break!

First an update on the house buying process. Justin and I put our offer in on our Short sale back in June. It took the owners of the house a whole month to get back to us and to accept the offer. The next step was for the sellers agent to get all the paperwork sent into the bank so they could start the short sale process. So we have been waiting.. and waiting.. and waiting... Jman and I were getting really stir crazy about not hearing anything except "haven't heard anything new" for 3 months. We went and looked at some other houses that were on the market because we were really hoping to be into our new house before Christmas. But Finalllly! last week we heard something positive from the sellers agent. The bank has done the appraisal of the property! Hopefully this is a good sign that they will make a decision in the next few weeks. Although we probably will not be out of my parents house before Christmas now, we kind of see the light at the end of the tunnel.. (maybe).

So with all of this house stuff going on I would like to do my own version of 30 days of Thanks.. I have seen many people on facebook doing this and I think its really cute. Plus it helps people put the holiday season into perspective. One of my goals this year is to not get wrapped up into the craziness of gifts. So here it is.. 18 Things I am thankful for this year.

1. A place to live- Thank you to my parents for generously opening their home to Jman and I while we search for our house.
2. My Husband- It has been an amazing 8 months of marriage!
3. My Parents- I am grateful for everything they have taught me. I would not be the person I am today with out their love and support!
4. My Brothers and Sisters- Although we have had our ups and downs, I can't imagine life without them
5. My "in-laws"- I fell in love with Jman before I met his family but they definitely helped seal the deal! They are such an amazing family to be married into. I am very very thankful and lucky for my Husbands parents, sister and extended family.
6. My job- With unemployment as high as it is, I am so very thankful that I have a wonderful place to work.
7. My coworkers- Working at such a crazy school is so much easier and fun with awesome coworkers to lean on!
8. My car- I can't imagine not having one.
9. Food on the table- I am always thankful for the meals we have.
10. A warm shower- So many people don't get one. I am certainly thankful for the one I get to take every day!
11. This country- God Bless the USA.
12. The president- I don't agree with most of what he does but I am thankful to live in a country where we have a voice and opportunity to choose our leader
13. Power!- After living without power during hurricane sandy for a few days I am very thankful that on most days we have it!
14. My education- GO STATE! I am thankful for all of my teachers who helped me, challenged me and inspired me to be a more educated person.
15. My kitty- Animals have a way of making you feel loved even on your worst days
16. My health- I am so thankful to be healthy enough to be training for a half-marathon!
17. Our service men and women- Thank you for keeping America a safe place to live!
18. My friends- I am thankful for all of my friends who know me and still love me and stay by me through thick and thin!

yes I know I am supposed to do 30.. but I ran out of time and need to clean and pack!! We are headed to NC for Thanksgiving!! YAY.

Until next time,

Summer Swim Team

Just in case you were wondering what I have been doing all summer..

I got paid to sit by the pool and "play" with some awesome kids!

The following pictures are taken from Mr. Dave Scrivener! 

Who's next to swim?!

They are probably telling me some awesome story about what happened to them when they were swimming. 

High Five!

For those of you who have never experienced a summer swim team meet.. 

"Swimmers, Take your mark"

Our littlest girls lining up and getting ready to swim! 

The following photos are taken from Mr. Eric Planck. 

Team Meeting before the meet!

"GOOOOOOO!!"

No swim team has more fun than ILBC!

Warm ups.

Reminders and the team cheer before a home meet!

Go ILBC!

Our beautiful boat club! 

JUMP!

Coaches :)

They were probably asking me if we were winning..

Get your cap on!

It was definitely a summer to remember! Lots of great memories :)

A New Adventure

So if you have followed my blog for a while, or you know me personally then you know I love the thrill of setting a goal and accomplishing something I have never done before. Last year I decided to train for a Triathlon. It was one of the most rewarding things I have done in my life. At the Team in Training end of training party, a bunch of friends put a thought in my head.. "Steph! You should do a 1/2 marathon!!".. in which i answered along the lines of.. "yeah right, you guys know how much I hate running!" Everyone continued to talk about how much fun the Disney Marathons are. Less then a year later I found myself getting the itch. So the adventure begins!

I started doing research on the "Disney Princess Half Marathon". First of all, I have heard this is the best first half marathon to do because "Every Mile is Magic" according to Disney. Disney marathon participants rave about how entertaining it is. There are characters lined throughout the entire route that you can stop and take pictures with. There is music throughout the park and so much support for the runners. I started reading blogs and reviews from participants to gain an understanding of exactly what this race was all about.

The next part of the adventure involved finding a running mate. Many of the reviews of the race recommended doing it with a friend. A few team in training friends committed to the race but I still wanted more in a running mate. I wanted to find someone close to home, with the same running ability as myself, and someone I thought would actually go through with it. Naturally, I thought of my crafty sister. She is the perfect running mate but did not lack the same enthusiasm or motivation that I had (at first).. So Step One was bombard her a million times about how I needed a running mate. Step Two was making this awesome motivation poster:

8 Great Reasons to do the

Disney Princess Half Marathon

8. So Steph doesn’t get kidnapped

on the side of the road when training

during the winter months

7. You get a really cool Disney Medal

and a Pin to add to your collection

6. You get to eat your favorite/yummy carb filled

foods with no worries about getting fat

5. You will get to dress up like your

favorite princess

4. You will get in shape, lose weight,

feel sexier and look great!

3. Quality Time with steph

2. Another excuse to go to

Disney world

1. An awesome feeling of Accomplishment!!!!

Step Three was sending her blogs of other women who successfully did Disney Half Marathons. After all of this I decided to give up and just do it by myself (Well actually not really by myself because I have my TNT friends!! ) And in the end, I was never actually the person who motivated her to say yes.. Apparently one of the biggest motivators is telling someone "You can't!" Someone told her she couldn't so she decided to prove that she could!! YAY Crafty Sister is finally on board with the adventure!! Now to recruit more.. wahaha! Watch out! You could be my next victim. 

Anyway, my dad (always concerned for safety and wellness) is afraid we will get injured. So he brought some books for me to read on training for long distance events! We will start training end of August which will give us 6 months! Look out for more posts on this new adventure! 

P.S. (OUR OFFER WAS ACCEPTED ON THE HOUSE!! Now we are waiting on bank approval! More to come with details soon :) 

Isn't life beautiful! 

Until Next Time, 

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

Summer time is here! This summer is especially exciting because Jman and I are ready to buy a house.

A few weeks ago Jman and I started the process by contacting our real estate agent and our mortgage guy. Jman and I discussed looking at short sales because of a few factors. First of all, we are in no hurry to get out of my parents house. Although we are excited to have our own space and to start using some of our wedding gifts, we have no lease or anything putting us on a time table. Also, we could get a really great deal going with a short sale in this market. After being pre-approved, I sent our agent some short sales that we wanted to see.

The first house we saw was a huge fixer-upper. Not something Jman and I could take on at this point in our life. It had not been lived in for a few years and there was a mold problem. A big red flag for us.

The second short sale we saw we fell in love with. It is a HUGE split-foyer with a beautiful kitchen, lots of property and a great deck. It is in the perfect neighborhood about 15 minutes from my parents house and closer to both our work places. The basement needs work (wood paneling from 1970s?!) but it is completely finished. Jman and I knew right after we left that we wanted that house. I didn't even want to see any more houses. We told our agent to get more information about the house and the next thing we find out is it has other offers put in on it. OH NO! My parents came out to see the house and they loved it too! (We feel like their opinion is important). So we decided to put an offer in on the house.

Since then it has been a whole WEEK and still no word on whether our offer has been accepted. Our agent told us that it is a huge waiting game with short sales. Potentially it could be weeks before we hear anything. So we are just sitting, waiting, wishing. If we don't get it, it will be back to the drawing board. At this point, if it is meant to be it will be. I kinda have a feeling getting the second house we saw is too good to be true.

During this process we realized something. Jman and I are really good decision makers together. We don't dwell at all. It either is or it isn't. Its black and white. I love that about us. This happened to us a lot when we were planning our wedding. We went with the first reception place, first photographer and first cake place... Now don't get me wrong, I did a lot of research and read a lot of reviews before we went and talked to the reception place, photographer and baker which made the decision process a lot easier. Some people feel the need to look around just in case they find something better. For us, we have the philosophy that if we love what we find.. why keep looking? So far it has worked out well.  I think we are a great team and it only further confirms why I love my Jman so much!

Until next time,

Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly baby photo books are the perfect way to preserve your baby's precious moments.

Come and Gone

I believe the last thing I wrote in my last blog entry was "I will try to blog about the details in the next week or so!! " Oh how naive I was to think I would actually have time to blog the last few weeks before the wedding.. ha ha ha! 


Well the wedding has come and gone. I have so many emotions running through me all at once. Poor Jman. At least he knew I was emotional before he decided to marry me! First, I felt so relieved. Relieved it all went smoothy and relieved that nothing bad happened (including all my silly wedding nightmares). I felt relieved that I no longer had to come home from work and do wedding stuff all night long. Then, for about a week after we got back from the honeymoon, I felt sad. Sad that it was all over. Sad that this day in my life that I had been dreaming about, planning, saving..etc was all over and I would never get that day back. I felt sad that all of my memories will only become more distant memories. The dancing, the people, the food, the laughter.. 10, 20, 30, 60 years from now I will hardly remember the little details and this fact still makes me a little sad. Now, as life as gotten back to "normal" I feel happy. Happy that I am so blessed to have great family and friends in my life. Happy to have found my soulmate. Happy we could even afford to have such a beautiful event. I have started scrap booking and working on editing wedding video and those things help me not feel sad that its over but happy that it happened. Every once in a while, justin and I will just be sitting and thinking and he will catch me cracking up (I don't even realize I am doing it!) and he will say "what are you laughing about!?".. and it will just be some little moment that happened at the wedding that I was thinking about. I am so very happy that I can look back at these memories and smile/laugh. It is all I could have ever wished for in a wedding. 


Heres some of the details!! 

We had a wine theme going.. We did everything ourselves including the wine cork name tag cards

Our centerpieces were wine bottles with lights strung up in them

The table numbers were years and at the table were pictures of us from that year. (Thank you pintrest!)

I love love loved my shoes! My brides maids had matching gold shoes. 

JMan, My brother-in-law, and my brothers

Me and my awesome bridesmaids (my sisters, sister in law, and nieces!)

We did a "reveal" before the ceremony that way we could get all the pictures out of the way and be able to enjoy the reception. So happy we made the decision to take our chances with "bad luck".

after 2 weeks of beautiful 80 degree weather.. it was cold and cloudy.. My photographer said it was the best picture taking weather!

All of my students think I look like Katy Perry.. 

Both my family and Jman's family!

"Now kiss... Everybody say EW!"

I had to have a dip picture!

I loved by flowers! Tulips and callalilies! 

Dad looks awesome! 

Prayer

We did a sand ceremony. 

Kiss the bride!!

Our dance to "Here, There and Everywhere" By the Beatles. 

We practiced this dip quiet a lot!!

According to dad: This was an auspicious day to get married because it was the day the MEGAMILLIONS was the largest jackpot ever! Too bad we didn't win

Chocolate moose and carrot cake cupcakes! They were amazing!

Dad and I danced to "God only knows" by the Beach Boys. 

Jman and his mom danced to "In My Life" by the Beatles

There was lots of dancing and partying.. this isn't even a fraction of the awesome dancing pictures I have... 

JMan and I after tasting the cake!

I love this pictures.. 

"We are family!"

The rain held off for the Sparkler farewell!!

I had to have the cinderella picture!

LOVE this picture!