made it Mine

I have started another blog for all of my crafts, projects, etc. It is called made it Mine and you can find it at www.madeitMine.blogspot.com. Add it to your list of favorites and check it out from time to time to see what I've been working on!

Pre Race Prep...the stuff no one talks about

I'm running another race this weekend. My mind has been in prep mode. It occurred to me that there are many things that runners do to prepare for a race but they aren't the typical things you'd find when Googling "Pre-race preparation".

1. Pick out your outfit - There are a couple of rules to abide by while picking up your outfit. No "underarmour" tops for men (the tight ones)...especially not with basketball shorts. Women must not bare the midriff unless it has been verified by someone other than yourself that you INDEED HAVE A SIX PACK....of muscle...not fat rolls. Even then, you might be considered self-absorbed, unless you're competing in a triathlon as that event requires more technical clothing. No-show socks are a must. And the last outfitting rule which is generally accepted in the racing community is that you must not wear the race shirt for the race in which you are currently participating. This screams ROOKIE!! It is, however, OK to wear a race shirt from a prior race AS LONG AS you ran the race and didn't borrow it from someone else. It's even better if you wear a shirt from a more difficult race than the one you're currently running.
   
2. Clip your toenails - Taking preventative measures such as this may not ensure that you will not lose your toenails but it will help minimize impact of toes hitting the end of your shoes repeatedly, thereby causing the bruise and blister beneath the nail, resulting in the ever-so-lovely mutated toenail. I've lost many a toenail due to running and my only advice for those who suffer this fate is that you can somewhat conceal the fact that there is no toenails by painting the nail bed instead of leaving it blank. Think of it as a toupee of sorts.
   
3. Set your alarm - The most important reason for this is not only to make it to your race on time, but to allow ample time to get things moving. It is the runner's worst nightmare to have to stop and poop on the side of the road....or to SEE another runner pooping on the side of the road. This is why I recommend that you wake up at least 2 hours before the race, eat a very small meal (I usually choke down a banana, part of a granola bar, and a Diet Coke with Lime), walk around, jog in place, do some squats...do whatever it takes!!
4. Prime the playlist - Music is a powerful tool during a race. It has the ability to turn a painful 1o minute mile into an 8 or even a 7 (confession: I don't run 7 minute miles). It's important to pick music with the right BPM (beats per minute) so that you can match your pace to the music. In my second marathon, I didn't turn my music on until mile 22 and once I did, it was like I'd been immediately pumped full of adrenaline. It really sucked when my stupid Shuffle (the old, white, long kind) died at mile 25 and I was left to the painfully slow rhythm of my feet hitting the asphalt. That's why I recently invested in a new iPod Shuffle...it better work.
   
5. Dream about the post-lunch - One of the reasons I love running is because it allows me to eat whatever I want--and I do! A post-race feast is a great way not only restore glycogen stores, but also a great way to reward yourself for a job well done. I've been doing some thinking and my loyalty is torn between Cafe Rio and Red Robin. Who knows who will win in the end?

I have a 2 year old

Baby Jonah turned two last week on Tuesday. Jon and I can't believe time has gone by so fast. Jonah understands the concept of presents but I'm not so sure he understands birthdays. We had fun nonetheless!

Here are some memories of Jonah boy. He has taught us so much and has been such a joy in our home. We love you Jonah!!!







Here are pictures from his birthday celebration this week.

Jonah got blocks for his birthday. He loves them and was busy building the second the package was opened. This was his first creation.


Jonah loves bikes, helmets, and the Disney movie Cars so we thought he'd like this Cars helmet that he can wear with his bike. It came with these sweet knee pads which he insists on wearing.


To go along with the Cars theme, I made this cake for him. It is an extremely simplified version of my first Cars cake visions but he loved it and so did all of his cousins. My brother-in-law commented yesterday whilst we were all partaking of the desserts that, "the second [I] put Lightning McQueen on the cake, it made it a thousand times more delicious"...which proved to be true.


Jonah loved the cake and fully took advantage of the attention of his cousins. He's already showing signs of taking after his dad as the class clown.

Stats

We went to the doctor yesterday for Jonah's 2 year checkup (OH MY GOSH!! 2 YEARS!!...more on this later) and for Sophie's 4 month checkup. Here are the stats:

Jonah
height - 91st percentile
weight - 25th percentile
summary = tall, skinny, incredibly cute

Sophie
height - 98th percentile
weight - 50th percentile
head - 72nd percentile
summary = tall, plenty of rolls, large noggin, cutest baby i've ever seen

Details of Jonah's birthday celebration to come.

Families that run together, stay together

Yesterday we returned from a weekend trip to Moab where I ran the Canyonlands Half Marathon with several of my wonderful family members (Laura, Jake, Annie, Audra, and Jenny--my pseudo-sister). We stayed in Monticello with Annie's aunt and uncle who were two of the nicest people I've ever met. They cooked amazing meals for us and were just wonderful all around. Jonah called Annie's uncle "Papa" which is what he calls his grandfathers so he obviously felt right at home and adopted them as his own.

On Friday, we went to Moab and hiked to Delicate Arch. Jon carried Jonah and I carried Sophie. It was beautiful scenery and a fun hike but I regretted this activity the second I started running the next day. It wore me out being exposed to the sun and hiking the day before the race. I couldn't be in Moab, though, and not see any of the famous scenery.

The race was tough. It didn't start until 10am, so it was already quite warm. I was happy with my time considering I had a baby just 4 months ago and wasn't able to train very well for it. Everyone else did a fantastic job and we all had a lot of fun spending the weekend together.

Cougars for LIFE

WARNING: I'm about to brag/give over-the-top praise to my husband.

Ready. Go.

I'm so very proud of Jonathan and all the effort he has been devoting to his applications for grad school. He has been exhausted since Sophie's arrival but has still managed to put a lot of hours into GMAT study and filling out enormous grad school applications--all while working full time and being an awesome dad and husband.

Jon found out last week that he has been accepted to the BYU MBA program. This was very good news for us and we're very excited for him to start school again in the fall. This does mean that we'll be staying in Utah a bit longer. I love Utah for many reasons but I'm a Colorado girl at heart and would love to go back one day. But for now we'll continue to enjoy having Jon's family so close and my lovely sister close as well!

OK. Bragging complete.

Top o' the muffin to ya!

Saint Patty's Day Traditions

1. Wear Green (sorry I didn't get pictures...sheesh)


2. Eat a Reuben at The Smoke House

On another note-

Jonah has an obsession with bikes, as I have mentioned previously. Since the weather has warmed up, we've been spending lots of time outside. Jonah loves to ride his bike. A couple of weeks ago I used duct tape to tape his feet to the pedals so he'd learn how to use them. It must have helped a little bit because he rides like a pro now! I'll try to get some video soon...our video camera battery has to be charged on-demand so I don't often catch the "first time" moments.




Here are more random pictures of the kiddies.

In case you're wondering

In light of the new emails circulating cyberspace, I wanted to do my part to set the message straight. If you are not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and want to know why we have temples, here is your answer. If you are a member, its a nice reminder.

Like a kid in a candy store

I got a gift card to Barnes & Noble for my birthday 2 months ago and just got around to using it last night.

First, let me tell you how much I love book stores (and books). I could wander in a book store all day long and be completely content--I'd have a couple of hot chocolates and pastries, of course. When I go into a book store I get the urge to pick up about a thousand hobbies--even the crazy ones like making sushi or becoming a master henna artist.

The first department I visited was the Travel section. I wanted to buy a book that my mom has called 1000 Places To See Before You Die. But instead I meandered (quite intentionally) over to the Craft section. I was torn between 2 books and should have just gotten them both but instead told Jon that I wanted the other for Mother's Day--add it to the list!

I decided to go with a book called Sew Darn Cute. It has some awesome craft tips and ideas on embellishing and sewing and I plan on starting them ASAP. The other book has a naughty word in the title so I'll take the liberty of editing since this is a family blog. It is called The Big-Arse Book of Crafts. It's also an amazing book with tons of ways to create inexpensive crafts with stuff that you'd never think of.

Posts on projects and ideas to come.

He won't eat ice cream but he'll eat DEODORANT?

Yesterday, I found my adorable son at the table, quietly enjoying a snack. Only, the snack wasn't your conventional snack--no fruit snacks, crackers, or cheese this time. This time Jonah was sucking on his father's deodorant. Oh yes!! For some strange reason Jonah refuses to eat ice cream or drink chocolate milk but he'll suck on Old Spice "Swagger" flavored deodorant.

I guess I'll have to write Haagen Dazs and ask them to start making "Swagger" flavored ice cream.