Places I Want To Visit

I keep a note in my phone of places I want to visit. It's always being updated and changed, it's fun to research and find new places to go. 

Here is my current list.

1. Branson, MO.

It's only 4 hours from us and I have heard amazing things from friends who have visited. Silver Dollar City is an amusement park that looks like a lot of fun. They also have the Titanic Museum there. Based on this info from Trip Advisor it looks like we would never be bored. I hope we can check this off my list before we move.

2. Denver, CO.

I have only been to the airport in Denver a handful of times but I have never been able to explore the city. It is only a 9 hour drive which could easily be done during a long weekend. All of the hiking and  outdoor activities is what has me drawn to visit. I've heard nothing but amazing things about this city. 

3. South Dakota.

This place has been on my list of places to visit since I was a little kid. To be able to stand in front of Mount Rushmore and The Crazy Horse Memorial would be incredible. There is so much to do and see there. It is only 10.5 hours away and it would be the perfect family vacation. Exploring a new area together while exposing E to so much incredible history. I am so excited that we will be checking this off my list in March. We decided to make this our Spring Break family trip. :)

4. Biltmore in Asheville, NC.

Since we are heading back to Bragg in June the Biltmore is high on my list. We never made it the first time we lived in NC (we had 4 years and failed lol). I've only seen pictures and it looks amazing. Friends have told me how wonderful it is. They have everything from a winery, carriage rides, biking, river float trips, and much more. 

5. Great Smoky Mountains.

This pick goes back to how much I love the outdoors. We drove through the Smoky Mountains when we moved to and from NC. I've always wanted to go back and it would be roughly a 6 hour drive. Between the hiking and waterfalls it would be the perfect weekend trip. They have the Element Ghost Town to explore plus Dollywood is only 30 minutes away. 

Hopefully we can check a few of these off my list.

Where do you want to visit this year?

Life in the Smith House

As of yesterday we are finally back into a routine. Kyle is back in class while E and I have resumed our normal daily schedule. Before I get started I want to say Happy Birthday so our sweet furry kiddo, Emma! She is 14 years old and still spunky. I have had her since she was 6 weeks old and she has been the best companion. <3 She is even starting to warm up to her little sister, which is the cutest thing.

We have, however, enjoyed the last few days of Kyle being home. We have been experiencing pretty frigid temperatures but we have tried to get out of the house for at least a little bit. 

This is what it looked like on post on Friday. I went on a run with friends and they took this photo. I mean it's absolutely beautiful and during the run is started snowing. Let me just say that this desert girl was giddy haha. 

E is not a fan of the cold weather so when we were out shopping on Saturday she was bundled up. 

I will say though that I have become a huge fan of layering while running haha. It made the fact that it was 10 degrees out somewhat bearable (Don't let E fool you, she was only mad because we stopped lol). 

We had a low key NYE which is exactly what we wanted. I picked up some party hats, we wore them for a bit and played around the house with E. She passed out at 7 and then I watched a show on Netflix and Kyle played video games until 11:45. We waited until midnight said Happy New Year and then went to bed haha. Emma and Fishy even got in on the festivities. :)

We were up bright and early the next day for SLAM. I love when Kyle has a day off so he can go. He really enjoys going and admits that it's a hardcore workout.

We were both hurting at this point haha!

Lastly, as of January 1, Kyle is officially a Major according to the Army (we will have his ceremony at the end of the month) so in honor of that I wanted to share his CGSC yearbook photo that we had taken back in September.

I love how classic it is. I am so happy that we were included in the photo. 

Have a great Thursday!!!

Goals for 2018

Hello, 2018 and Happy New Year, everyone!

As with every year, my first post is always focused on goals. I'm not one for resolutions as I feel they are easier to just throw aside after a while. Goals seems easier to obtain and achieve. Here are my goals for the year!

1. Pay Off Credit Card. 

We got somewhat off track with this last year. I blame the move and setting up a new household. But let's me honest there really is no excuse. One of the things we did do in 2017 was pay off my car 3 1/2 years early. All we have left is this credit card. While it's not an astronomical amount, it's something we desperately want to eliminate. My goal for this year is to pay off this card. Kyle will earn a pay raise due to promotion this month so we will making more substantial payments. They will be automatic so I won't be tempted to alter them. 

2. Eat Better

I would be lying if I said that I ate the best all the time. However, I want to get better about making certain choices. My workout group is starting a challenge on January 15th and I'm hoping it will help me incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet. I eat them but not regularly. It's a small change that I know will make a big difference for me.

3. Train and Run Chicago Marathon

It's no secret that I am running the Chicago Marathon in October. I am both terrified and excited. I've ran a marathon before but I did not train as much as I should/could have. I want this time to be different and I'm going to work my butt to ensure that it is different. Of course, on race day anything can happen but I am determined to go into it feeling the best I can. I am working on my training plan but I have a variety of races that will fit into my training schedule which I am excited about.

4. Read More

Since E was born I have read absolutely nothing, I know it's terrible! To be honest, it makes me sad. There are so many good books out there and I'm determined to jump back on the bandwagon in 2018. I want to take the time before bed every night to read instead of playing on my phone and zoning out in front of the tv. I know it will help relax me. I do have a list to start from but send me any book recommendations you have.

5. Be More Present

I set this goal last year and I want to continue it. I want to put my phone down and truly enjoy every moment I can with family and friends. I need to realize that I don't have to document every little thing. It's okay to not have a photo that goes along with a story or experience. It's about living in the moment and I need to do that. 

What are your goals for the new year?

2017 Recap

Well I can’t believe that in a few days we will say goodbye to 2017! I feel like the year just started.

I thought it would be fun to do a quick recap of the year we have had.

January- We found out that Kyle made the promotion and that we would be moving to Kansas.

February- E and I spent Valentine's Day in Florida! With Kyle working so much it was nice to stay busy.

March- I submitted my thesis for grad school and officially graduated with my Masters in Psychology! It was such a huge relief to be done. 

April- We spent Easter in Florida. We were lucky that Kyle had a long weekend so we jumped at the chance to drive down and spent it with family. It was so fun experiencing E's 1st Easter.

May- My sister and I flew to Disneyland to run the pixie Dust Challenge! What an unforgettable experience that was. Running a 10k and half marathon back to back was no small feat.

We also spent Memorial Day in Florida and took E to the beach for the first time! Beach days with family were definitely one of my favorite things.

June- We said goodbye to Fort Polk and started a new adventure in Fort Leavenworth. 

July- I joined a workout group called Stroller Strong Moms and it became a huge part of my life and fitness journey. The friendships I’ve gained from it have been amazing. This photo is from one of my first classes.

August- Kyle and I were able to have a night out for his Commandant's Reception. It was nice to get the chance to meet his classmates and see where he spends his days.

We also took E to her first concert! It was a hit.

September- Family flew into town and together with friends we celebrated our precious E’s 1st Birthday! It was such a fun party and we were so thankful that family made the effort to be there.

October- I ran the Kansas City Half Marathon and PR’d my time by 15 minutes. It was an awesome feeling!

We also celebrated our first real Halloween with E! She carried her bucket around everywhere for every single event we went to. She was so happy.

November- Kyle and I ran our 100th race and it was pretty amazing! A huge milestone that we will never forget. 

I got to see Waitress live in Kansas City with friends.

We also kept our tradition of going to at least one tree lighting!

We also celebrated Thanksgiving with friends and it was really nice!

December- We were able to drive to Florida and spend a week with my family for Christmas. It was so fun spending that time together. Seeing E soak up all of the love and attention from everyone was the best. She was a happy girl especially getting to play with her cousins. We played games, ate lots of food, hung out, saw Christmas light, went shopping, and just enjoyed the time together! It was the best!

Needless to say it was a pretty awesome 2017 but we are so excited to see what 2018 has in store of us!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a very safe New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Well, we made it to Florida to begin our Christmas vacation! It's so good to be here with family. We are already enjoying our time together. It was amazing seeing the kiddos play.

I don't have plans to blog again until after we get home next week but I might check in if I have the time. I will be back though to do a year in review.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!!

Weekend In Review

Hello Monday!!! I can't believe we are officially one week away from Christmas. How did that happen? 

We enjoyed a pretty busy weekend which is never a bad thing.

On Friday, Kyle got home a bit later than normal but we were able to enjoy a late night fire with neighbors and it was really nice to just be able to relax and decompress after a busy week. 

Saturday morning I was up at 6:30 to join a few friends (and fellow SLAM moms) for a long run. It was nice to get out and enjoy the chilly but clear weather. It was a nice moderately paced 10 miles. I would love to start doing this every Saturday morning with friends, it was such a great way to start the day. 

After I got home, we all got dressed and headed to the cemetery on post for the Wreaths Across America event. This was the first time we have ever volunteered for it and I'm so glad we did. It was a truly humbling experience seeing over 1,500 people dedicating their time to laying these wreaths.

This is definitely something that we want to continue doing as E grows up. It is important to raise her to respect and honor those who have given so much. 

Afterwards we had brunch with one of Kyle's classmates and her husband. It was nice to chat with them and enjoy a good meal. 

We had just enough time to get home and put E down for a quick nap before we headed off to the city. We had reservations for the Kansas City Southern Train experience. It's a train at Union Station that is decorated for Christmas that you get to walk through and also a chance to get a photo with Santa. 

E wasn't quite sure about Santa but she didn't cry so we call that a win. It was a 

It was free and we are so glad we were able to go. 

Sunday morning I went to a SLAM Ugly Sweater Scavenger Hunt event. Kyle and E were going to come but he wasn't feel that great so they opted to stay home. We got broken up into two teams and we had a list of things that we had to find and take photos with. The entire team had to be in the photos so I had a trusty selfie stick to help with that. It was such a blast!

This was one: take a photo with a reindeer. Mission accomplished haha.

We started at about 10:10 and had until 11am to find everything and meet back in the designated spot. The first team to make it back by 11 with all of the photos completed would win. My team was pretty amazing and we made it back first, completing everything including the bonus ones.

We were happy winners with our peppermint patty medals! 

The other team was not so happy. ha!

Despite who won or lost we had an awesome time!! We are hoping to do another one in the spring.

The day ended with a trip to IKEA with a friend and LOTS of laundry haha! We are preparing to our holiday trip and I swear the laundry doesn't end. 

I hope you all had a great weekend! 

Running in 2018

One of the things I always look forward to in a new year is the new events that we get to run! Since we only have about 6 months left in Kansas, we are going to be checking off some fun events.

Here is what we already have planned for 2018.

1. Battle of the Bean 5k

Kyle is excited about this one because the finisher prize is a coffee mug. However, he is Team Coffee and I'm Team Cocoa. It looks to be a fun event to kick off 2018.

2. Kickoff 5k

This one happens on Super Bowl Sunday. We couldn't think of a better way to spend the morning than running. It's an excuse to indulge in all the yummy game day food.

3. Sweetheart Run 10k

I love a good 10k race and this one I have heard is amazing! A local running company (KC Running Company) organizes most events and they are always the best. 

4. The Storybook Run 5k

I think this is the one that I am most excited about. They encourage you to dress up as your favorite storybook character for the event. I am still figuring out what we will dress up as but I can't wait.

5. St. Patrick's Day 4 Miler

We always love a good theme race and what a better day to run than St. Patrick's Day. A few friends of mine ran this last year and had a blast. I knew we had to add it to the list.

6. Great Plains 10k

This event occurs in 3 different locations to include Kansas City. It is one of the most popular events in the Spring and I didn't want to leave here without doing it.

7. Brew to Brew Relay

This is a 44.4 mile event that can be done solo or with a team. You can have up to a 10 person team to complete it. As of right now a group of us from SLAM will compete and Kyle will compete with members of his small group. Individuals will run from Kansas City, MO to Lawrence, KS. 

8. Heartland 39.3 Challenge

This is the event that has me the most nervous, haha. That's saying a lot because there aren't many things that make me nervous. For this event we will be running 3 half marathons in 5 weeks. Rock the Parkway Half, Garmin Half, and the Running with the Cows Half. We completed the Heartland 30k series this year so we figured why not complete the 39.3 mile challenge.

All of this will be leading up to Chicago Marathon on October 7th. These will be vital training miles as well as fun. Speaking of the marathon for those that are interested I am still actively fundraising for Homes for Our Troops. Feel free to share my page and lets get the word out about this amazing organization. Homes for Our Troops Fundraiser

Here is to an active 2018!