Kindergarten Round-Up! & Neighborhood Running Buddy

Today, I took Cheyenne to Kindergarten Round-Up. I got all the paperwork to register her. The packet is thick. I'm going to try to turn it in by mid-May. While we were on campus, we took a short tour of the building. Chey carried around a note pad and took notes. Her notes included a princess. She is sooo excited about school! She's so excited, that she was disappointed when she realized she is going to have to wait "a long time" before Kindergarten starts, in the fall.

Although, I'm excited about Chey starting school, I am also extremely stressed about finding an afforadable before and/or after school program or if I can find a friend who would be willing to work with me that would be even better. I know we will figure it out, but I just want this to be an easy transition.
New Run Buddy:
Last week, I had a high mileage week. This is the first time I peaked at 40 miles since Cowtown Ultra, back in Feb.

 Sunday, I met a new running friend for a short 3 mile recovery run. She lives in my neighborhood. Her background is mainly triathlons…like ironman (the full, not sprint). Our pace is not the same, she runs like 12-14 min. miles, but I think running with her will be great for recovery runs. So, that's what we did. I woke up early Sunday and ran 4 miles solo, before meeting her for 3 miles at a conservative pace.


There's another girl in my neighborhood who reached out to me about running shorter runs during the week. She also does triathlons, but I think she's closer to my running pace. I hope we get to run together soon!

Blue Angels Air Show

Ft. Worth Air Power Expo: Blue Angels

Before we headed to the air show, we met Chris for a bite to eat at Jersey Mike's…and then we had to stop for pictures outside! When there is a hippo, you have to!

We fought a long line of traffic, walked a mile and made our way to the air force base.

Chris is the one who told us about the show.

If you ever get a chance to see Blue Angels, you have to go! It was incredible watching them do all their tricks!!! Look how close they are!!!

Easter Sunday & Going Out to Eat Was a Real Treat!

I missed three days of work, last week. The girls were sick for a few days.
I'm extremely thankful for sick time and benefits. The girls are healthy, now. PTL.

I was praying that they'd be well enough to go to Church, by Easter Sunday. They both had GI issues, but thankfully, by Sunday they were feeling ok, so off we went.

This year, I didn't get the girls new Easter dresses. Actually, the dress that Chey wore last year still fit her and Dakota wore a hand me down dress from Chey. The dress I wore is a GAP dress. I've had it since high school. I'm surprised it's not a dingy white.

The girls didn't notice the not so new fashion, I didn't mind and everyone seemed happy.

Afterwards, we went to Fudd's, which was a wonderful treat! Especially, for me since I was at home for the majority of the week. I needed to get out! Another reason why going out was a real treat is because we've been cutting down on our entertainment and eating out fund. So, going out to eat these days is a big deal (for me).

The rest of the day, we stayed in...we played with the girls, I edited photos I took during church and we just enjoyed the down time.

 P.S. Here's an throwback of Chey and I (EASTER 2009). 

Easter Egg Hunt with Chey's Ballet School

Yesterday, we took the girls to an Easter egg hunt with Chey's ballet school.

A few of the older girls were there, dressed in costume. The younger girls enjoyed seeing them in tutu's and ballet slippers.

Last year, the event was at someones house, this year it was at a park.


A quick flashback of the easter egg hunt with her ballet school, from last year...

The girls have grown so much!

I Discovered a New Running Spot

This morning, I headed out for a long run. Sometimes, I'm not sure where to run. This morning I didn't have a plan, especially, since I'm not training for a race. This morning, I decided (as I was running away from my neighborhood), I wanted to be surrounded by trees, so I ran towards the Trinity Trails. The Trinity Trails looks like this…

For years, when I've ran the Trinity Trails, I've passed a dirt path and wondered about it. Where does it go? Is it a short trail? Is it a runner friendly trail? Is it even a trail or just a little path? Since I didn't have a distance or a time goal for the day, I decided what the hell….I'm going to check it out. Look what I discovered! Some of the areas were overgrown, so I avoided those trails, but from what I could tell, in general, it's a nice little area. If you are looking for miles of trails, I don't think this is it, but if you are looking for a beautiful view of Ft. Worth and a nice dirt loop with a few uphills, this is the spot!

I finally got some dirt on my new shoes!

When we Shop, We Get Free Cookies

When I was out of town, I missed these two like crazy! This past weekend, we didn't have big plans, so we spent the majority of our time at home and only getting out for grocery shopping, the mall and church. I have all kinds of fun things I want to do with them this summer - that involve getting out of the house. I have a list in my head, but I think, I should jot it down and share it with you guys.

So, when we go grocery shopping, we have to stop by the bakery and get free cookies. The girls expect it. It makes them so happy.

Yesterday, I helped Amanda by watching her boys for a few hours, while she ran an errand. The boys wore Dakota out.

She eventually woke up, as a new creature….bat baby!

She actually hated the mask, but I thought it was adorable on her.

Someone Was Scared of the Easter Bunny

While shopping, we spotted an Easter Bunny.

He looks like he's missing his ears, but I promise, they are back there. 

Dakota was scared.

Head Shots for Trey's Business

I'm taking a quick break from my last Las Vegas post to share the awesomeness of husband and his business…
I'm super proud of him.

The guys plan on using some of these photos in their marketing - like website and brochures.
It's good to know a photographer….
And in the summer, I always say, it's good to know an HVAC Tech!

Chris and Trey

Las Vegas Pt 2 of 3

I can't believe I was considering wearing heels (at night, in Vegas), but the day before leaving Texas, Jeri and I talked and we were both like NO! That was a good decision! We walked so much! Even with flats, Jeri got blisters on her feet.

Tuesday (last night in Vegas)
As soon as the conference was over I went to the hotel convenient store and picked up a bottle of moscato. So, we had pre-drinks on the cheap at the hotel, while we were getting ready. Best idea ever!

Jeri insisted I wear her green dress, so we could sparkle together, since she was planning on wearing a similar dress, but in gold. We did a smell check…haha…seriously. It passed the test, so I wore it. We headed to Caesars Palace and had drinks at a bar called shadows. I never know what to get at a bar when they don't have a cocktail menu (a sign that I don't drink at bars, often). So, I ordered a margarita. It was delicious.

I have several celebrity chef obsessions and one of them is Bobby Flay! Jeri was awesome and made us reservations at his Resturant MESA Grill. If you go to Vegas, you have to go! Tell Bobby, I sent you. :)

One of my all time favorite quotes is from Mr. Flay.

“If you aren't nervous about your passion, you aren't passionate about it.”

The bar,  MESA Grill and a nightclub - Pure are all in Caesars Palace.
A club promoter approached us and gave us VIP passes to PURE. They also had free drinks for us until midnight. I felt super special and cool, until I asked someone how much cover was and he said he also got a VIP ticket.What? Haha. I found it comical. But really, if you want to go to a nightclub in Vegas don't pay the cover, just walk around and a prompter will most likely give you free admission. I'm not a club goer by any means, in fact before this trip, I had never been to one. I figured I might as well do it before I'm 30, plus - it was so much fun dancing. PURE was super nice!!! I liked the music better at PURE than at the bank. At the bank was more of a rap mix, PURE had more of a dance DJ type of mix going on. If that makes sense.

We ended our night by stopping for dessert one last time at the sprinkles ATM. It was about 3 am Texas time.

So that was my Vegas / 30th birthday celebration / workcation with my awesomely sweet friend, JerBear! I'd love to do it again next year!!!!

Las Vegas Pt 1 of 3

Hi! I'm back from Las Vegas. My flight landed last night. I have the rest of the week off from the office. However, I have freelance projects, so I won't exactly be relaxing the next few days. I thought I'd give you guys 3 entries about my Las Vegas adventures. Part 1 and 2 will focus on the Vegas nightlife, hanging out with Jeri and part 3 will focus on the NABShow conference.

Sunday,  I woke up at 4 am to catch a 7:55 am flight. I got to Vegas around 9 am. I spent my entire day at the conference. Jeri was scheduled to land in Vegas like around 10:30 pm or something. We had already decided that when she got to the hotel, she'd drop off her bags and then we'd go out for drinks. Well, she ran into delays. She got to the hotel at 11:50 pm, but that didn't stop us from hopping on the monorail and going to the strip. Our first stop was at a pizza shop and then the sprinkles ATM.

When we walked through the Bellagio, a club promoter gave us free tickets to The Bank nightclub. By the time we got back to our hotel it was 3 am!!!! My eyes were bloodshot because I had barely got any shut eye! That night, I only got about 2 hours of sleep. Every intention Jeri and I had of running went out the window. Spoiler alert: we didn't run one time, while we were in Vegas. But we wore tons of sparkles, so we were fine!!
Monday, I had a decent break, from the conference, so Jeri and I ventured to the Bellagio Cafe.
 
That night, we didn't really have any plans lined up, but we were both exhausted. We had planned on napping before going out….that didn't happen. And Jeri was too busy that day hanging out by the pool to fit in a nap (vacation problems). So, instead of napping, I laid on the hotel bed for 20 minutes with my eyes shut. They needed to rest! We ended up going to the Cosmopolitan.
It was our favorite casino! Super sleek.

Jeri was dressed in sparkles so she got a ton of compliments on her dress. She looked amazing! 
I almost forgot, before heading back to the hotel we went to Serendiptiy!
Mmmm, it was yummy!

My Personal Photographer is 5 Years Old

My five year old daughter, is turning out to be quiet the photographer. I need to hand her my camera more often, to explore and be creative.
Thanks, Chey Chey!

Shop Space for HVAC Work

Before leaving to go to Las Vegas, I composed a few post, that should publish --- while I'm out of town. Enjoy.

Check out Twin Temp's shop.

All I see is photography studio space. haha. I'm kidding. In the summer it will be too hot in there.

The shop is quiet spacious. A trailer and service van fit nicely and there's still room...

My Days in Photos

My Days in Photos...AKA Photo Dump
Now that it's spring, I enjoy running around campus.
Earlier this week, my sister Amy and Angelica stopped by for dinner and brownies. I made enchiladas and the girls made the brownies.

Everywhere I go, I watch Frozen. UTA is going to host a Frozen sing-along. Sounds like fun!

Looking Sharp & 7 Year Work Anniversary

Someone at Twin Temp is looking sharp. The boss ordered some new apparel. He even got the girls some pink shirts. I think this means they are now official employees. It's not child labor if they are your children, right?
The guys had a big job today that required a crane and trailer.
He's not the only one working.
Today, I got some b-roll of my nursing students. I've seen so many students graduate from this place. In May, I will celebrate my seven year work anniversary!!!!
Like any job, work has it's ups and downs, but I prefer to focus on the positives. I get to work with friendly people, I'm surrounded by college students who are a delight to be around, and I get paid to play.

New Running Shoes. Reebok. NAB is next week!

I've been waiting since forever….(not really) for my new shoes and then Trey was like, "oh, yeah, they've been here for several days." He put the box in the entryway. WHAT? Thanks for telling me!

A few hours ago, I took these new babies for a 5 mile run around the block. I had to stop twice to adjust them. I started to doubt my decision to go with team Reebok. They felt stiff at first, but after 2 miles they started to feel better. More miles will tell if these are the right ones for me.

I'll be in Las Vegas next week for NAB!!!!, so I'm thinking about taking them with me. I hope Jeri wants to join me for a few runs. Did I mention Jeri is joining me in Vegas??? I'm so excited!!!!! She is going to lounge by the pool, while I'm at the conference and then we will be hitting the strip at night! Can't wait! Can't wait!! I'm just going to consider this NAB/Girl Time my 30th birthday treat!

My Medicine Cabinet

My mom and Trey's mom sell doTERRA. They kind of have me hooked on these essential oils. You can apply them topically,  sniff 'em, and even eat 'em. All methods are safe, even for kids.

I recently bought the family physician kit. Mom wants me to sell them. She said they sell themselves, she doesn't even host parties are anything like that. People just see her using them and they ask her about them. I haven't decided if I want to sell them, yet. Who knows maybe I will….leave me a comment if you'd be interested in purchasing if I started.

Since I bought this kit, I've been enjoying all of them. Chey has allergies, so I got the kit right on time. I've been giving her modern medicine in half doses (Children's allergy medicine), as well as applying the doTERRA oil on her body. It helps her for several hours and then I reapply the oil on her. I dilute the oil with water or coconut oil.

Other ways I've Been Using Them
I drink a ton of water, so I've been using the lemon and peppermint to add flavor.
Lavender - I diluted some in a small water bottle and I've been spraying it on my pillow, at night. I slept soooo good last night. I even put some on the girls bedding.
Lemon - I diluted some in water and I use it to clean my counters. It sanitizes the counters and it smells great.
That's how I've been using them so far, but there really are so many uses.
Cleaning, Mood, Health, Food, and more.