A Run-derful Weekend!

Well, I took an unintended mini break from blogging and it was actually pretty nice. :) 

Before I get this post started I just wanted to report that my sister's sweet pup, Clarence, is cancer free! His surgery was successful in removing the cancer and he will just have to have checkups periodically. Thank you all for the well wishes!

We had quite the busy weekend. We participated in the Fall Fermentation race series, this meant running three 5k races in 24 hours. 

We started with the No One Fights Alone 5k held at the Night Hawk Winery in Paola, Kansas. The morning was dreary and a bit rainy which made for a muddy course especially since it was a packed gravel road course. The location was beautiful and the organizers were wonderful! We appreciate courses that are a loop course versus an out and back. It's nice not having to pass the same thing twice. 

They had free wine samples at the end of the race and we were given souvenir wine glasses to take home. The results were posted and Kyle ended up placing 1st in his age group! Of course, E just wanted the medal haha. 

 This race was about an hour away from home so we headed back to shower, change, eat lunch, and put E down for a nap. We got some stuff done around the house before changing to head out to the 2nd race of the series. 

The next race was the Louisburg Cider Run 5k held in Louisburg, Kansas. We have been here before when we went to the Cider Mill and it's such a cute town. Very small town USA with wonderful people. They had food vendors set up so we walked around prior to the start. We chatted with some other people who were at the morning race. Before the event got started the announcer had a moment of silence for Las Vegas, that was an emotional moment for sure.

This was another beautiful course! A portion of it ran along a lake at a golf course and the weather was perfect. A little humid but not unbearable. We finished the race and grabbed our free drinks. You could either get regular apple cider or hard cider. I opted for apple cider and Kyle took the hard cider. By this point results were posted and we placed! I placed 2nd in my age group and Kyle placed 3rd. Let me just say that we never have an goal to place we just go out to have fun. 

We got home around 8:30pm. E was such a trooper, she is the happiest kid and just goes with the flow. We fed her and put her right to bed because we knew we had another early morning. 

Sunday morning rolled around and it was time to head to Martin City for the Oktoberfest 5k. This was the last leg of the fall fermentation series. It started out pretty chilly but quickly warmed up, thank goodness! This was the flattest course out of the three and we were so happy haha. I swear every race we have done has had some sort of horrendous hill, so this was a welcome change. 

It was a semi out and back but only about the last 1/4 mile. I could deal with that, the straight away to the finish was downhill! Brilliant! 

I finished a few minutes after Kyle and we grabbed our medals for completing the series! This ended up being my fastest time of the weekend and I was shocked when I found out I placed 1st in my age group! We also received beer steins for running this race which for Kyle was the best part haha. 

This event has put us at 97 races (well Kyle is at 98 but I will even us out when I run the KC 1/2 in 2 weeks) and we are close to our goal of 100!

We decided to finish the weekend with a trip to Wamego, Kansas. It was almost a 2 hour drive but it was worth it. They have the Oz Museum and Oz Winery there. On Saturday, they had the OZtoberfest, which we heard was awesome but really busy. 

We enjoyed the museum and picked up some wine from the winery. The museum has over 22,000 artifacts revolving around the book and movie. It was so cool seeing everything. We saw the original ruby slippers in the Smithsonian several years but it was amazing seeing all of these items. If you are ever in this area, definitely go!

We spent about 2 hours there and then stopped in Topeka for lunch.

I decided last night that it was time to do a little treat making and introduce the mice for 2017! I love this time of year because it means I get to make these!

We had such a great weekend, it was tiring, but so fun to make so many memories together! 

Hope you all had a great weekend! 

How To Help

There are really no words to express how I am feeling about the tragedy that occurred in our hometown. We have dear friends that have been affected, and it's absolutely devastating and we have been affected emotionally. There are still some who have not been accounted for and waiting is the worst. This is still my home and I will always consider it home. I was born, raised, and spent 22 years of my life living, working, and loving this city. It may not always be perfect but in times like this the spirit of all the wonderful people there is shining through.

I have had several people reach out to me and ask how they can help in the wake of what happened.

Here are some thing that can be done if you are in the local area or far away. 

1. Donate Blood.

This is one of the most immediate needs right now. As there are hundreds upon hundreds who have been injured the need for blood in the valley is at an all time high. Here are locations you can go to in order to donate if you are in the area.

*As of this moment they are not accepting any further blood donations but these services will be needed in the future so please be willing.*

2. Donate Money.

The Sheriff of the LVMPD (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department) and the Clark County Commission Chair set up a go fund me account that is directly for the victims and their families. This fund has been remarkable thus far and have successfully raised over $2 million dollars. Please consider donating! While supplies are wonderful, it becomes difficult for organizations to find ways to transport these supplies especially when shipping is involved.

Las Vegas Victims Fund

There is also the National Compassion Fund that has been setup for victims as well. 100% of these donations will directly go to them.

National Compassion Fund

3. Share Mental Health Resources.

When a tragedy like this occurs it is imperative to ensure that all those left behind have access to services that they need. I have several friends who are mental health professionals and they have been offering their services to those who have been affected by this. 

Crisis Call Center's 24 Hour Hotline: 1-775-784-8090

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

There is a need for mental health professionals! If you are in the area please help.

4. Gift Card and Toiletry Donations

There are two points of contact that can be utilized.

Liberty Baptist Church
6501 W. Lake Mead Blvd
Las Vegas, Nevada 89108

The Las Vegas Convention Center
3150 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109

5. Support First Responders and Medical Staffs

Also, if you are in the local area consider taking meals or coffee to first responders who are working tirelessly at hospital. UMC Hospital is the facility that is handling the most urgent and horrific injuries because they have the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the entire State. These individuals are working tirelessly to save lives please consider helping them as well. Even if you aren't in the area you can call orders into local restaurants and have food delivered. I know several people who have done that.

6. Write Your Representatives.

I do not want to make this a wholly political post but if you feel that gun laws need to be and should be adjusted please write your representatives and make your voice heard. Senseless tragedies like this should not happen. More needs to be done. I obviously do not have all that answers and I don't think anyone does but we all need to be educated regarding gun safety and teach the youth of this country the same.

I hope that these resources are able to provide support to those who need it most during this horrific time.

#VegasStrong

Highs and Lows

Of course in life there are highs and lows that always seem to impact us. We are lucky that we have few lows these days but unexpected ones tend to creep up. 

Here are some highs and lows from life lately.

Low: This is the biggest low for sure. My sister, niece, and nephew's sweet pup, Clarence, was diagnosed with cancer last week. He is the sweetest guy and a big baby who just loves everyone and everyone loves him. He will have surgery on Wednesday and we are hoping that everything will turn out okay. If you wouldn't mind sending some good thoughts that would be wonderful. I do wish I could be there to give him lots of snuggles.

High: Kyle and I ran two races this weekend. Both were equally challenging but so much fun! On Saturday we ran the Triple Trot 5k where Kyle placed 1st overall and I placed 3rd overall for women (E is chewing on our trophies in this picture haha). It was the 

Yesterday we ran the WWI 8k race that was pretty unique (We ran a 5k stopped for 30 minutes and finished the additional 3k). It was held at the WWI Museum and beautiful! I ended up placing 2nd in my age group with my friend, Lauren, placing 3rd. 

 Low: This isn't so much a low as it is an annoyance but it's still a downer. One of the biggest pains of being military is dealing with vehicle registration. Some states are ridiculous and won't let you renew if you don't live there (looking at you, Louisiana!), even if you are military. So now we are in the process of moving my registration back to Nevada and good gracious it's expensive. $$$$$$$$$ Oh well, it must be done. It will be nice to have everything back in one state.

High/Low: We have a walker in the house!! E has been taking steps here and there but walking is now her preferred method of movement! It's so fun watching her walk around the house and discover everything, well except the things she shouldn't be getting into, haha. Yes I categorized this as a high and low because it's equally amazing and sad that our little girl is growing up so fast. 

What are some highs and lows you are experiencing lately?

Hope you all have started October off on a high note!

*Let me just say that this post was written before the tragic events in my hometown of Las Vegas. My heart is breaking for the city that I was born, raised in, and called home for 22 years of my life. We still have family and friends there, some of whom were at the concert last night. I'll be sharing a post soon regarding ways to help in the wake of this terrible tragedy.

Mug Love Exchange

A few weeks ago I signed up for the Mug Love Swap hosted by Danielle at Sparkles and Lattes and Stephanie at Wife Mommy Me

I absolutely love swaps like this. It's a good way to meet new bloggers and send/receive fun things in the mail. Because let's be honest, who doesn't love getting things in the mail!? 

I got paired up with Echo at The Mad Mommy. I knew from the moment I read her blog that she is awesome. She focuses a lot on being a parent which I really appreciate especially as a relatively new parent. I love her writing style and you really should go check out her blog! 

I was so excited when I received the package in the mail. I wish I had taken a picture of the box because it had Disney stamps on it. Yes that excited me to no end haha.

She sent me some of the best stuff! (I didn't get great pictures because I was actively trying to fend off a one year old that was clawing at my leg lol). 

Let me start with the beanie and cozy socks! We are starting to have cooler weather here and they are perfect. I've worn the socks every night since I got them. 

I also received a cute little notebook and a chocolate sundae candy bar. The candy bar has already been consumed haha. I was nice and shared with Kyle. 

Lastly, she sent me a great mug with berry blast tea. I am NOT a coffee drinker so this tea was perfect. It has a great berry flavor but isn't overpowering, so it's a win in my book. 

I absolutely love the mug! It's perfect for these colder Kansas nights and it has quickly become a staple in my mug rotation.

Thank you, Echo!!!! It was great swapping with you! 

Thanks, Danielle and Stephanie, for hosting such a great swap.

Have a great Thursday!

Never A Dull Moment!

I feel like I need a day to recover from our weekend! It was so fun! 

We kicked off the weekend on Saturday with a trip to the Louisburg Cider Festival. It's about an hour away but it was really worth it. They had a pumpkin patch, hay ride, corn maze, animals, and fun activities for kids. In the actual festival part you could watch them make fresh apple cider and apple cider donuts. They also had vendors with so many cool things for sale. We of course had to buy some cider, donuts, and make our way through the corn maze. It was so so worth it! 

It was an unusually warm day but that didn't stop us from exploring. E was a trooper and had so much  fun playing in the corn and eating some yummy donuts. 

Afterwards we ran a few errands and had lunch before heading to another farm near our house. We went a bit later in the day so there was no one there. Since it was later we opted to not do the hayride but we did go through the corn maze. It was fun because they had special placards you had to find in order to figure out the code word. It was a cute farm and we have plans to head back again with friends.

Sunday was an early morning for me and Kyle. We were up at 5 to get ready for the Broadway Bridge Half Marathon. Since they didn't allow strollers on the course a good friend of ours was gracious enough to come and hang out with E at the house. We did miss having our little sidekick with us.

The race was held in Kansas City and it is the only race that runs over the Missouri River, which to me is pretty cool. This race was HARD. I'm not going to lie. However, I was more than thrilled with my time and was proud that we conquered so many ridiculous hills haha. It felt like there was a hill after every single turn, the challenge makes it worth it though.

With the completion of this race we also completed the Heartland 30k series. It was such a fun series and I'm so glad we did it.

Of course the fun didn't end there. We purchased tickets to go to the Renaissance Festival with friends later in the day. Now let me say that I'm a total nerd when it comes to this stuff. I performed at a Renaissance Festival when I was in HS. I got to sword fight as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, told you I'm a nerd.

This festival was AMAZING! Definitely one of the biggest ones I have ever been to. There was so much to do and see. We watched the joust, walked around and enjoyed looking at all the goods that were for sale. We had a great time with our friends.

We were also able to enjoy FaceTime calls with family! I love being able to see E interact with family and see how much she loves them. She has started kissing the phone when you ask her for a kiss and it's the sweetest thing ever. Our sweet nephew has the flu right now so it was good to see his face and make sure he was doing okay.

It was such a fun filled weekend and I'm so glad that Kyle just goes with the flow and is up for whatever crazy idea I have haha. 

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Friday Favorites

It's Friday which means it's time for a run down of some of my favorite things. 

Here are some of my favorite things lately.

1. Caramel M&Ms. 

These things are ridiculously addictive. Yes, I'm sure you can gather from this picture that I was eating them in the comfort of my car haha. In my defense, I was waiting to pick Kyle up from a unit social. But seriously, go buy these! They are so good!

2. Dachshund Crib Sheet.

My awesome friend, Lauren, handed down to us this handmade dachshund crib sheet. I was so excited when she gave it to us. It makes me smile every time I look at it. 

3. Framed paintings of Emma and Fishy. 

I had these paintings done when we were still in Louisiana. I finally got around to framing them and hanging them up. I love how they look in our house. 

4. Fall in Kansas.

I mean how beautiful is this!? I am still pinching myself that we get to live there and enjoy this beautiful place. I am loving seeing the leaves change, the pumpkins everywhere, and the smell of the season!

5. This meme! Haha!

I mean when you register for as many races as we do it's pretty accurate. I sent it to Kyle and he got a pretty good laugh. 

What are some of your favorite things lately?

We have another packed weekend coming up. We are heading to the Louisburg Cider Fest tomorrow, running a half marathon on Sunday followed by the Renaissance Festival.

Have a great weekend!

Life Lately

I feel like we have had a lot and nothing going on all at the same time! Does anyone ever feel so drained at the end of the day but you can't remember what you did?! Haha that's me.

Here are some things happening in our house lately!

*We have Kyle's yearbook photo for his class on Friday. Yes you read that correctly, a year book photo. The awesome thing is the soldiers have the option to take it with their families if they choose to (and if they have one, there are also those who have taken them with their pets). It will be fun getting a little dressed up to take this photo. I will never turn down a chance for a family photo. I'm just glad that it will be an excuse to get him out of class a little bit early haha. With all of the guest speakers and extra modules lately he has been pretty busy with assignments and reading at home.

*Speaking of Kyle, we picked up his new fancy mess dress yesterday. It came in a month earlier than we expected so that was a nice surprise. Now all we are waiting for is for him to get promoted so he can wear said uniform for special occasions. Fingers crossed that happens before the end of the year (I'm looking at you Army and your low sequence number selection!). 

*E and I are meeting up with a friend on Friday to have her 1 year photos done! My photographer friend is the one who took our family photos and I'm so excited to see how these photos turn out. E absolutely loves her so I know she is bound to get some great shots. I saw some of the setups yesterday and it's going to be good. 

*We have finally made the transition from formula to whole milk in this house! Let me just say YAY!!!!!!!! We slowly made this transition and started before her first birthday and it has been a huge success. She loves milk and that has made things so much easier. SO we will say farewell to this wonderful Baby Brezza haha. I did jokingly ask Kyle if he thought we could turn this into a hot chocolate making machine hahaha! 

*Since I go to my workout class 4-5 times a week my body is usually wrecked by the end of the week so I finally booked a massage with the gift card that Kyle got me! It's going to be glorious and I can't wait. Hopefully, she can work out the kink I've had in my neck for a few days.

*Lastly, there is this little lady! She is growing by leaps and bounds. I love watching her grow and develop. She has the best personality and cracks us up on a daily basis. She has a new obsession with the books in her room. We will sit up there during the day and she will "read". She has quite the collection so she is always finding something new. 

*I'm slowly working on the posts for our home tour! Hopefully I will have that up before we PCS again haha. Just kidding, you should hopefully see those posts in the coming weeks.

Have a great Wednesday!!!!