Weekend in Review

Happy October!!! It's hard to believe that we are so close to the end of the year already. 

We definitely took advantage of our time together this weekend and it was the best! 

Kyle was home relatively early on Friday (thank goodness!!!) and we headed out for an early dinner and grabbed some ice cream afterwards. We took a trip to Target to pick up a few things and E was happy as could be pushing the cart with Kyle haha.

We got home and I decided to put out some of our fall decor. I didn't want to overwhelm our porch but I love how it turned out.

It was an early night for us as we had a race on Saturday morning.

We got up early and headed off to Pinehurst for a 5k. This area is known for it's historic golf course. It's such a beautiful area and less than an hour from us. This race was held at a community college and much to our surprise ended up being a complete trail 5k. As usual Kyle was awesome and opted to push E. He was happy he did because that course was rough. It was really fun though! 

Much to my surprise I finished as 3rd overall female and 1st in my age group. 

We knew afterwards that we wanted to go on our first pumpkin patch trip of the season! We headed off to one about 20 minutes from us and we had so much fun! E loved picking up all the pumpkins, going down the giant slide, and running through the corn maze. She got to see a lot of farm animals as well.

It was such a fun way to spend a few hours.

Saturday night I had a Moms Night Out with my SLAM group and it was so much fun. It was at our SLAM boss Amy's house. We ate, tie dyed shirts, and got to check out some fun workout gear. It was nice to hang out with some great ladies!

Sunday was more low key but we still opted to go on an adventure. We drove up to Raleigh to go to the mall there, which if you ask me is pretty amazing. As soon as we walked in we decided to take E to Build A Bear. 

It was so cute watching her pick out her bear and then pick out the outfit. It was definitely a fun experience for her and for us. 

We ended the day with Chinese takeout and I knocked out my last long run before Chicago. 

It was a great weekend! I'm so glad we were able to pack so much into it. 

Let Me (Re)Introduce Myself

I've been seeing so many of my favorite bloggers do reintroduction posts lately and I thought it would be fun to do the same. 

I'm Jen! My husband, Kyle, and I have been married for over 10 years now. I'm not going to lie, that is really odd to write out because it doesn't feel like it has been that long. Despite being married for 10 years we have known each other for 22 years. We met in 6th grade history class back in our hometown of Las Vegas. Yes, that Las Vegas. Haha. He is one of the most loving, hardworking, caring, sarcastic, stubborn, and giving people I know. He has a quick wit and I just love that about him. 

I have my Masters degree in Psychology and will eventually find the right opportunity to put that to good use. I am extremely proud of that degree, because I worked my butt off to get it. For now, I am a SAHM and loving every second.

We are the very proud parents of a rambunctious and rad 2 year old named, Emersyn. She is our very precious rainbow baby. We struggled with infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss for 7 long years before we were extremely blessed with her. 

She is the perfect mix of both of us. She is cautious but determined and extremely sarcastic. Which is pretty impressive for a 2 year old. She has a mind of her own and does not let anything get in her way. I'm not going to lie, this makes me fear her teenage years haha.

We are a very proud military family. Kyle has been an active duty Army officer for the last 11 years. We have called many places home over the years. North Carolina, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Kansas, and most recently we have landed back in North Carolina. 

One of the things I am most passionate about is running. I began running 5 years ago and it has changed my life in more ways than I ever expected it to. I've logged thousands of miles and we have completed over 130 races. 

I'm also a tried and true member of Stroller Strong Moms. This group has been absolutely incredible for me. Being able to work out with other mamas and take E with me is the best. It has made me stronger, faster, and more confident. The best part is the friendships I've made and continue to make. It's been pretty amazing.

I am extremely close to my family! That bond was made even closer when my Mom passed away from cancer in 2011. You never realize just how much family means to you until something like that happens. 

So in a nutshell: I'm a wife, mom, runner, Disney fanatic, purveyor of sarcasm, Starbucks lover, and someone who truly enjoys living life to the fullest. 

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know me all over again!

Now that I've re-introduced myself, tell me about you!!! 

12 Days.....

As of today I am 12 days away from running the Chicago Marathon. I honestly can't even believe that it's so close. When I started my training back in July, I felt like it was so far away but now I can see the finish line. 

I only have 8 training runs left and they are all relatively short distances. I ran my last double digit run this past Sunday and it was so gratifying. I know that I am ready but gosh the nerves are starting to set in. I know once I get to Chicago I will relax and the excitement will kick in. Also, to be able to run with Team Homes for our Troops is pretty darn special. I am really looking forward to meeting the rest of my team at our dinner that Saturday night. 

I am beyond thankful for family and friends who have supported me on this journey since I found out I was going to run it last November. I can't thank Kyle enough for encouraging me to do this, he has been my biggest supporter and cheered for me the whole way. I really wish he and E could be there with me but I know that's just not possible with his work schedule. I am thankful that my Dad will be coming up here to NC to help with E. It really takes a lot of the stress away. 

I am even more excited because two of my really good friends are driving up from Tennessee that weekend! We are all going to run the International 5k on Saturday and they will stay to watch me run on Sunday. It will be so fun to explore the city, run together, and just have a good time. It means a lot that they are coming. 

The bottom line is, I'm ready. I'm ready to check another marathon off my list and I'm ready to put all of this training to use. I am ready to see that finish line and know that hard work, determination, and the support of so many people got me there. 

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!! 

Can I just say that I'm extra happy that today is Friday!? Why you ask? Kyle comes home this weekend! It has been a long few weeks so it will be great to have him back until his next TDY (and I've already made an appointment for a pedicure haha). 

It's been a while since I've shared some of my favorite things, so there is no time like the present!

1. Heavy weights SLAM class. 

Now you all know I love my SLAM classes. In Kansas we typically stuck to our normal HIIT workouts, running, etc. However, when I got back to NC I discovered my SLAM here does a heavy weights class and it's AMAZING!!!! We work with weights that range from 20-50 pounds, it works muscles I never thought I was had. Let me just say that doing goblet squats and deadlifts with a 50 pound weight is intense. I look forward to this class every single week.

2. An organized pantry

Prepping for the hurricane forced me to organize this space. It always just seemed so disheveled with things thrown everywhere. I finally cleaned out all of the baskets and got rid of stuff we didn't need and sorted the can goods. It's amazing how more relaxed I feel when I open those doors haha. 

3. Cinnamon Streusel Cake

This cake is divine!!!! The recipe is so easy but it does take an hour to bake and that's the worst part haha. It's great for breakfast or dessert. I highly recommend making it! 

4. Cat and Jack Halloween clothes.

Target gets me! Haha! They know I have zero impulse control especially when it comes to buying clothes for E. Adding in Halloween patterns makes it even more difficult to say no. How cute are these leggings?! I snagged the last pair of 2T at our Target. I also picked up a few Halloween long sleeve shirts and a pair of pajamas. E is ready for some spooky Halloween fun!

5. Arbonne- It's A Long Story Mascara

I am very picky about what type of mascara that I use. Every since I had LASIK my eyes are extremely sensitive. Certain types of mascara would cause my eyes to water and I had to be careful which ones I used. Finally, I found one that doesn't irritate my eyes. A good friend of mine sells Arbonne, and she suggested this mascara. GAME CHANGER!! I absolutely love it and have had no issues for the last 6 months that I've been using it. I honestly was expecting to have to change brands after a few months but nope. It's pricey but so worth it to me. 

What are some of your favorite things lately?

Hope y'all have a great weekend! 

Venturing Outside

It's so easy to take little things for granted. Since we have been housebound since last Thursday we were finally able to venture out on Monday. 

We ran a few errands and enjoyed the sunshine. Yes, that's right, the sun came out!

We were able to take a long walk in our neighborhood. E found every possible stick she could and carried them around, haha. 

It looks like we have more rain in the forecast starting on Sunday, so outside is where we want to be right now. E has been such a trooper and a big help in cleaning up outside.

She kept grabbing the broom so she could sweep. Eventually she gave up and just picked the leaves and branches up one by one haha.

We went on a 5 mile run yesterday and it was really nice. I turned some music up loud and just enjoyed it. 

I'm definitely not taking these days for granted.

Have a great Wednesday! 

An Update: Hurricane Florence

As you all have seen Hurricane Florence has devastated the Carolina coast and brought about torrential rainfalls inland. 

This storm has left 18 people dead, thousands displaced due to flooding/damage, and thousands of others without power/ or supplies that they need. Watching the news coverage has been horrendous and hearing stories from friends about their family members who had to flee the coast. Most have no idea what they will return to when the time comes. 

This was the boardwalk at Atlantic Beach. 

The images that we have all seen are unimaginable. 

Seeing the images of Wilmington flooded and damaged breaks my heart. That city holds special place in my heart.

We live approximately 81 miles from the coastline and since Friday morning we have been experiencing unrelenting rainfall in our area, coupled with high winds and it has been awful. We have received anywhere from 4-10 inches daily since Florence made landfall. The likelihood of flooding became very apparent over the weekend. They began mandatory evacuations in our town for those who lived 1 mile or less from the Cape Fear River. This river will flood when it reaches 35 feet, it is expected to reach over 64 feet by Tuesday. It will be devastating.

We live a little less than 10 miles from this river so we won't see flooding due to it but it breaks my heart for those who had to leave their homes. We have several dams in our area and they are expecting those break and to flood as well due to the continuing rain. 

Portions of the 95 have been closed coming into NC, officials are pleading with people to basically go around the state if they must travel North or South. Schools are closed through Wednesday and the situation will be reassessed then. 

I will say that we have been extremely lucky through all of this. We did lose power right before midnight on Saturday night and it was restored late Sunday morning. We have a drain in our backyard so we have avoided standing water in that aspect as well. We have offered to open our home to several friends who don't have power if they need it. Despite a case of cabin fever we are managing okay. 

Florence is finally expected to leave our area late tomorrow. We are so thankful as she has already devastated our city and this state so much.

These are photos of our downtown area, so many places in our city look just like this. Areas flooded and roads closed. It's just going to continue to get worse especially with more rain expected tonight.

I am so grateful to the first responders, federal/local agencies, military, and volunteers that have worked so hard to bring aide and take care of those who have been affected by this storm. 

If you feel so inclined to donate to the relief effort you can visit these sites:

Red Cross

Humane Society

Thank you to all those who have sent good thoughts, prayers, well wishes to us personally and to our entire state. 

Goodbye Sweet Boy

As some of you may have already seen on social media we experienced another devastating loss in our family on Monday. We said goodbye to our sweet kitty, Fishy. 

A few weeks ago he was diagnosed with pancreatitis and by all accounts he was doing well thanks to antibiotics and other medications. However, it just wasn't enough. He has never been the most lovey cat but you knew when he wanted snuggles. He slept on the bed close to me on Sunday night and I wonder now if that was his way of saying goodbye. He was spunky on Monday morning, enjoying being pet, and E chasing him. Unfortunately, when we arrived home after running errands several hours later, he had peacefully passed. I am beyond grateful for a vet here that did all they could to help. 

You see, Fishy, by all accounts should not have made it to the age of 11. When I found him near an abandoned house in my parent's neighborhood he had a severe upper respiratory infection, and the vet did not expect him to live. He was critically ill and only 4 weeks old.

I wasn't about to give up on him and bottle fed him until he was big enough to eat on his own. 

He had been a part of my life ever since. He grew up with Emma and she treated him like he was hers when he was a kitten.

He grew to be the fluffiest and the grumpiest cat ever haha. We knew when he was tired of being touched because he would lovingly bite you until you stopped. 

I know he loved me but Kyle was his favorite person. I can't tell you how many times he would be on Kyle's lap while he played video games. This whole thing is compounded by the fact that Kyle isn't here, he is devastated by the loss of Fishy.

He was finally getting used to the idea of E, he would let her pet him and she would giggle when he ran away.

Fishy has been a part of our family for 11 years and embarked on 6 moves with us. It is so hard to believe that I won't stumble across him on the stairs or that he won't rub up against my leg when I'm doing dishes. Our hearts are broken. 

To lose both him and Emma this year has been absolutely awful, but now they will be able to play together forever. 

We love you, Fishy, and we will always miss you and love you.