Weekend Recap

Happy Monday, everyone! 

I hope y'all are ready for Halloween this week. I am thoroughly excited to see all of the costume photos on Wednesday. 

We had every intention to have a jam packed weekend, but you know what!? It just didn't happen. No Oktoberfest and no Boo at the Zoo. We were perfectly okay with that. On Friday, we had planned to go car shopping for Kyle but it rained from sun up to sun down so that didn't happen. We opted for dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings and then a quiet night at home.

Saturday morning we headed off to a 5k in a neighboring town. It was a chilly morning but that made for a really good run! Kyle was 2nd overall which is pretty impressive for pushing a stroller. I was 3rd overall for females but it was such a fun event. It was HILLY though, my calves are still feeling it! Haha. A lot of people were dressed in Halloween costumes and it was pretty awesome.

E was obsessed with a lady who was dressed in a t-rex costume. She wouldn't get terribly close to her  though haha.

One of the sweetest things was watching E cheer on the runners at the finish line. She was clapping and saying "good job!". It was adorable!

We decided later that day to attempt car shopping again. We made our way to a few dealerships but nothing really jumped out at us. As we were driving home we stopped by the Nissan dealership and encountered one of the nicest sales associates. He and Kyle sat down to figure out what exactly he wanted and then he said he had the perfect car. Well, he was right! 

We could not pass up the deal that they were offering. At the end of the day we walked out with a brand new 2019 Nissan Sentra. Kyle hasn't had a new car in 15 years, he really deserves it. We ended the night with celebrating Kyle's beloved Washington State Cougars beating Stanford! 

Sunday was a lot more low key, we stayed in pajamas for most of the morning. We did end up running a few errands and had lunch out. E was easily entertained with the train set up at Barnes and Noble.

The weekend ended with lots of family time which is the best part of all. 

While this weekend wasn't exactly how we envisioned it, it was perfect for us.

Hope y'all had a good one! 

Friday Favorites

I can't believe it's already the last Friday of October! Where has this month gone?! I've decided that I will share my favorite things on the last Friday of every month. I'm looking forward to this! 

Here are some of my favorite things from October.

* Trips to Pumpkin Patches*

We had so many fun outings this month but I really feel like we saved the best for last. We went to Naylor Farms last weekend and it was so much fun. With paid admission we had access to a corn maze, hayride, pumpkin patch, giant play fort, animals, corn crib, slides, and a giant jumping pad. We had the best time! E was in her element running all over the place and we just loved seeing her so happy.

*Lasagna Soup*

Well, actually all soups right now are my favorite but this one is the best! With temperatures getting cooler here, I could eat this soup every day. If you love soup and lasagna, you must make this recipe!

*Heavy Weight Pumpkin Workouts*

Haha this may sound extremely weird but it's so much fun! When I first started attending Stroller Strong Mom Classes in Kansas, we did a class using pumpkins as our weights. I was so excited when we did the same here in NC. My goodness, it's challenging but so much fun! This was our workout a few days ago.

Squat pressing a pumpkin is not as easy at it sounds haha.

*Holiday Baking*

I haven't gone crazy this month with baking but I did make two things. One, of course, are the infamous mice that I make every year. I didn't make a lot of them but what I did make went to work with Kyle and he said they were a hit.

The second thing I made were mini cupcakes for E's dance class. They had a Halloween party last night and they were the perfect little treats. All of the kiddos loved them.

*Quality time with Kyle*

For those who have been reading my blog for any length of time you know that we are a military family. Kyle's new job and schedule isn't very forgiving with time so we have to make the most of what we do have. We have been thankful that he has been home weekends this month but he will be leaving again soon. He works pretty late most days but such is life. We make the most of it. 

 We are looking forward to a fun weekend! We have a 5k, Oktoberfest, and Boo at the Zoo to keep us busy.

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

What I'm Watching

I'll be honest and say that I generally don't watch popular TV shows. It takes me quite a while to get on board with most shows. In our house the channel is either on Disney Junior, Food Network, or Travel Channel. However, I do make exceptions for a few shows throughout the year. 

Here is what I'm watching right now.

1. American Horror Story: Apocalypse. 

I have always loved the American Horror Story series and I feel like they keep getting better (well let's not talk about the last 2 seasons they were meh). This seasons brings back a lot of characters from the 1st season and it makes me happy. Every week I am just in awe of what creator, Ryan Murphy, comes up with haha.

2. Law and Order: Special Victims Unit

I CANNOT believe that this show has been on for 20 years! It doesn't get old and I just love Mariska Hargitay. I will say that I am thoroughly bummed that ADA Barba is no longer on the show but I will get over it haha. The stories are always so relevant and I appreciate that. 

3. Making a Murderer- Season 2

I know this docuseries is highly controversial but it is one that I just can't seem to turn off. I started Season 2 a few days ago and it has me questioning so many things. No matter the outcome of this series in regards to appeals, it's a sad story all the way around. 

4. The Haunting of Hill House

I had no idea about this show until my sister suggested that I watch it. All I can say is holy cow. I'm a few episodes in and it is spine tingling. It is rare that a show makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up but this one does it. Ultimately at the root of it, it's a story about the human condition and how we all deal with different circumstances. As a psychology major, I appreciate this. This show is based off the 1959 book of the same name by Shirley Jackson. Once I finish the series, I will be reading the book. 

5. Halloween Wars

I look forward to this show every single year! It's one of my favorites on Food Network. I loving seeing the work that these artists do with pumpkin, cake, and sugar! It's so darn impressive. One the first episode there was even a baker from a town close to where we live. His team got voted off first but I definitely want to visit his bakery. I am always amazed at the pumpkin carvings, I can barely carve a pumpkin without it looking horrendous haha. 

What shows are you watching?!

Life According to E

When we decided to enroll E in preschool we were hopeful that she would enjoy it. I am SO happy that it has turned out that. We really hit the jackpot with her school. We couldn't have asked for better teachers or a better director. Every day E is so excited to go! One of the best parts is getting periodic updates with photos. It's so fun being able to see what they are doing during the day. This past week was STEM week, they were able to participate in fun experiments with baking soda.

She has been attending since the beginning of September and I can already tell a huge difference in a lot of things. For one, her speech is so much more clear. She has always been talkative with us but we can really see a difference. We do learning activities at home but I know going to school 3 days a week has benefited her immensely. 

I always laugh when I get photos of her sitting still because that sure isn't her at home haha.

She will have her very first school picture taken tomorrow and I am SO excited haha.

I have had a few people say to me that preschool as a 2 year old isn't necessary and is a luxury. While that might be true, I also see the huge benefits. She is becoming more social and she is understanding and respecting authority from others that aren't her parents or other family members. They do follow a curriculum and I appreciate that. It's really a win/win. She gets to attend school and I, on the other hand, am able to get things done that can be tedious with a toddler. Obviously, what works for us may not work for others and that's okay! To each their own. :)

Another activity we have recently started is Dance! A few weeks ago she really started to show an interest in dancing. She kept asking to dance and would always ask to watch a movie called "Leap" on Netflix. After searching all over town, I finally found a dance center that has a class for 2-3 year olds.

She had her first class last Thursday and it was adorable! The parents get to watch through a window and bless her teacher and helpers for keeping these kiddos on track for an hour. She came out so happy and we decided to register her for the rest of the dance year. Here is to a fun year!

It has been so fun discovering what she is interested in and how much she is changing and growing. Even at 2, she amazes us everyday with expressing herself and showing just how smart she is. We have the best time exposing her to different things and seeing how she takes it all in. Every day is an amazing adventure with her. 

What's Next?

I've actually had a lot of people ask me what's next as far as big running events. Of course we are continuing to run local races, to me there is nothing better than running a 5k for a good cause. 

Besides the one race I've done since coming back from Chicago, I have not run at all. It's not because I don't want to but I needed to take a break from the self imposed pressure to run. I promised myself that I would take 2 weeks off from consistent running and just enjoy the races we are doing. I'll go back to running 3-4 times a week but nothing significant until marathon training starts again in December. I have been enjoying a relaxed schedule of just going to SLAM. 

As far as big events (10 miler and above) here is what is on the schedule:

1. Fort Bragg 10 Miler

I just can't resist a good 10 miler. I know this course like the back of my hand (I ran it several times during training) and it's a good one. The only downside is that Kyle will be gone so that means I'll be pushing E. Several other Moms from SLAM will be doing it and pushing their kiddos, so it should be a great morning. My goal is to just have fun.

2. City of Oaks Half Marathon

Here is where I get looked at like I'm nuts haha. This race is the day after the 10 miler. So that means pushing E for a combined total of 23.1 miles in 1 weekend. It could be worse right?! Ha! I registered for this race before we knew that Kyle would be gone but I'm committed now! 

3. Disney Fairy Tale Challenge

Come February, I will be able to check off 2 more Disney races off my list! My sister and I will be running the Fairy Tale Challenge (10k and half marathon) and we couldn't be more excited! If you have never run a Disney event, I highly recommend it! There is no pressure and it is nothing but pure joy.

4. All American Marathon

I am SO excited for this! This has been on my bucket list since it started and I can't wait. Kyle along with several other friends will be running the half marathon and it will be amazing to have them at the finish line waiting for me. Training for this will start December 1st and I will follow the same training plan that I used for Chicago. It served me well. Oh and if you're in the area and run to the full or the half use the code JENALLAMERICAN for 15% off! ;) 

Not counting these races, we have 7 others that we are doing. It's so fun supporting local communities and meeting new people! 

It Feels Like Fall!

Happy Monday!!

First, I just wanted to say thank you to those who reached out and asked how my family was doing after Hurricane Michael. They live in the Florida panhandle but thankfully they are okay. I am beyond grateful for that.

Last week felt like a blur and I didn't blog as much as I wanted. After returning from Chicago (you can read the recap here), E ended up in the ER with a rash (thankfully it was nothing serious and is already gone) and then we received remnants from Hurricane Michael. We had 1.5 days of constant rain and high winds. The only upside to that is that it brought cooler temperatures here that we have been desperately needing. 

Kyle was at Camp Lejeune for most of Friday but when he got home I knew I wanted to head out to enjoy the weather. We packed up and headed to our favorite farm here, Gross Farms. They have the best corn maze! It's about 5 miles in total and E rocked it. She had so much fun running around and finding the check points. She also enjoyed the views from Kyle's shoulders haha.

After we finished the maze we hopped on the hayride and E was so fascinated by everything. She loved seeing machinery.

Lastly, she raced over to the pumpkins. I'm pretty sure she tried to pick up every single one.

We didn't even get home until 8pm and it was so worth it!

Saturday was an early start for an 8k in Pinehurst! It's a beautiful golf community and we love running there. It was partial trail and I made the mistake of trying to keep up with Kyle haha. Not a good idea 1 week post marathon. It was for a great cause though and so worth it. 

That night I headed out with my SLAM ladies for a Mom's Night Out. I look forward to these every month and it's such a fun chance to get together and do something fun. This time we went to a make your own sign place and it was a blast. We were all able to pick our signs in advance and everything was ready for us when we arrived. I chose an outside welcome sign.

Everyone's signs turned out great!

It was definitely a great way to spend a few hours.

Sunday was more relaxed. We headed downtown to walk around and enjoy the weather. We grabbed lunch while we were out and then headed home to just hang out. We even managed to clean out our cars which was long overdue haha. Overall, it was a wonderful weekend!

I am definitely hoping to blog more in the coming weeks. I have been working on some content and hopefully can make it happen.

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

Chicago Marathon Weekend

Well, it's finished! I finally checked the Chicago Marathon off my bucket list! 

I honestly don't know how I can put this entire experience into words. It far exceeded my expectations and I am still riding the high from this weekend. 

It all started on Friday when I arrived in Chicago. I headed straight to my hotel from the airport to get checked in and settled. My friends were due to arrive in a few hours so I opted to go to the Expo to pick up my race packet for Sunday. It was a few miles from the hotel but it was well worth the walk. The scenery was amazing and I stumbled across the start line for Sunday. Talk about surreal.

 

My friends, Lauren and Anne, arrived around 6 and it was so awesome to see them! We were all stationed in Kansas together and we haven't seen each other since May. It was a great reunion. We went to a local make your own pizza place for dinner and it was delicious!

They surprised me with this sweatshirt and card which was pretty awesome!

We were all running the International 5k together on Saturday and we woke up to rainy weather. I honestly thought the event was going to get canceled due to lightening but thankfully the bad weather passed and we were able to run! The 3 of us loved running together in Kansas and it was so fun getting to do it again.

After the race, we showered and changed, then headed out to site see! What a fun day it was! We walked all over the city. We went to Millennium Park to see the bean, had lunch at a delicious Italian restaurant, and then went to Navy Pier. We ended the night with cupcakes at Molly's Cupcakes (they have won cupcake wars) and lots of laughs. It was so great hanging out together again, it was like no time had passed.

The time had come for the big day! I was up at 5am so I could get to my corral at a decent time. I wasn't scheduled to start until 7:30am but I wanted to get there so I could relax and get mentally ready. All of the training was finally going to be put to use and I was ready.

It was a rainy day but the temperature was around 59 degrees which is ideal running weather!

I crossed the start line at 7:44am and I knew by the 5k point I had went out too fast I did my best to pull myself back but I just went with it and knew what I was capable of. I wanted to be under 4:30 but I didn't want to kill myself for that. 

I made a promise to myself to just enjoy the entire experience. The crowds and volunteers were absolutely spectacular! I saw my friends cheering me on at mile 2 and it was so fun hearing my name being yelled from the crowd. They managed to get this photo of me.

The atmosphere was absolutely electric and I've never experienced anything like it before. It honestly felt like the miles went by quickly because there was so much to focus on. I was feeling really good until mile 23, the top of my right foot started to hurt just a bit so I stopped and adjusting my shoes laces just to be safe. I pushed through and just kept telling myself that I could do this.

I made a conscious effort to smile the entire time. Even though it was raining almost the whole time, I couldn't help but smile. The constant high fives and words of encouragement were the best. The blaring music, dancing, and cheers coming from the crowd were second to none.

I remember hearing my friends yelling for me at mile 26 as I was turning the corner for the finish line. I saw the finish line and thought to myself, "you can do this, don't look at your watch, just go!" I crossed the finish line and had absolutely no idea what my official time was. I let out a huge sigh of relief and then the emotions came.

I immediately called Kyle and he told me: 4:27:14! I was over the moon! I accomplished my goal. The last 3 months of hard work had paid off. To run this with 44,570 other spectacular athletes, to include those running on blades, blind runners, wheelchair athletes, and others with disabilities, was unforgettable. Running a world marathon major was something I never thought I would get to do.

My phone was inundated with calls, texts, and Facebook notifications from family and friends. It was amazing having so much love, support, and encouragement from everyone. It means the world to me. I headed towards the runner reunification area so I could find Lauren and Anne. It was great seeing them afterwards! I'm so thankful that they took the time to drive up from Tennessee to spend the weekend with me and enjoy this crazy adventure!

It was an absolute honor to run this race for Homes for our Troops. We exceeded our fundraising goal by a lot and I couldn't be more proud of our team. I am so grateful to all those who donated.

This weekend was made possible by so many people. To all of my friends and my SLAM family for cheering me on every step of the way! Also, for helping me train and keeping me in shape! I was far more prepared for this marathon than I was my first and SLAM had so much to do with that. 

Most of all to my family who has supported me from Day 1 when I first said I wanted to run this. To my Dad for coming up here to help Kyle with E while I was gone in case the Army called. To my sister, brother in law, niece, and nephew for the constant words of encouragement and telling me I could do it (to include the video of congratulations they sent me!). But most of all to Kyle and E for ensuring that I could get my training runs done despite his hectic work schedule and providing me with the tools (a treadmill haha) to make it happen. They motivated me so much and never doubted for a second that I could do this.

I am so proud to call myself a Chicago Marathon Finisher.

If the stars align I will be back in 2019!