This, That, & The Other...

This House is Gorgeous

2012-01-29T23:11:00.000-06:00

Whew, it's a little late for me to be up. I just got through working on a freelance project, it's the same one I've been working on for weeks now. I'm about 3 hours from completing it -- I hope. At this point, my only motivation is pay. It's so tedious...it's probably the most tedious freelance job, I've ever done. I'm thankful for the work, but I'm just saying --

Well, today, has been a good day. I slept in until 7:30 am and then our family went to church. For lunch, we tried this awesome taco shop == it was so good, I can't wait to take all my friends there.

Afterwards, we walked the model home in our neighborhood. It's gorgeous! Sorry people, but we were told this home just sold. I love the kitchen, it's the same layout as our kitchen, but this one looks all fancy, since it's a model.

Master Bedroom. How do couples sleep on a queen or full size bed? I'm all about king size. Speaking of mattresses, we need a new one. We've got a hump in the middle of ours. If I lay in the middle and slightly lean to one direction I'm bound to roll off the bed. WHEE!

Cheyenne was excited when she saw this girlie room. I told her, this is how her room will look one day, since she'll be sharing with Dakota. She seemed happy about that.

Later, Cheyenne and I went grocery shopping. She asked for candy, but I said no -- so what did she do? She stood there the entire time I was checking out and grabbed handfuls of candy bars, just shuffling them like cards. Okay. At least she didn't throw a fit.

I Totally Passed Out

2012-01-29T09:07:00.002-06:00

What happened last night? I passed out around 9:30 pm. I'm pretty sure, I slept for 20 hours, I feel amazing! I had started this post last night, so here it is, this morning....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looks like we're still celebrating Trey's birthday. Chey and I made him a birthday cake. It's a strawberry cake, a recipe his grandmother makes. It's one of his favorites. The last time we made this cake was back in 2008. Trey and Cheyenne loved it. It's a little too sweet for me, but still tasty in small quantities.

Do you guys FaceTime or Skype with relatives who live away?
We do. We FaceTimed with Trey's mom. She was showing us some Care Bears she bought for Cheyenne.

I'm so jealous! Remember my generic childhood Care Bear?

Right now, Chey is really into Care Bears. We found a few CB movies on Netflix and this has made my child unbelievably happy.

Oh, on a side note, Trey called me Friday and said he found out the iPhone is not fireproof. WHAT?! Something about he was working on a ladder, explosion, fire/flames, him leaping off the ladder....ends up his phone caught on fire, while he was working on a unit and now has an imprint and crack on it. It still works, but I'm sure it's annoying seeing a crack on his phone.

This morning (Saturday), I went for a 10 mile run on the trail. Around mile 6, I needed to use the bathroom, but I was a mile away from the porta potty. That mile was the longest mile of my life! Ugh! The PG version thoughts that were going through my head: Don't crap yourself! Don't crap yourself! Don't do it!" I made it safely to the bathroom and no one was harmed.
Long distance runners know what I'm talking about, we all have our storieSSSS (plural).

Oh, last night we had a family date night and I finally tried the protein style burger from In-N-Out. Holy Goodness! It was the best! I got the single patty, but next time I'm probably going to double it. For you health councious readers, I think the double patty is around 500 calories. I didn't take a picture, but I found an online pic. This is what a protein style burger looks like. source. There fries are also tasty. :) Our family date was only $13.15.

20 Weeks: Pregnancy Snapshot

2012-01-27T16:45:00.000-06:00

How far along?
20 weeks. Half-way there. 20 weeks to go.

This time around, I'm in no rush. I'm excited, but now I understand the whole --- It's soooo different with your second one. I get it. When I was pregnant with Cheyenne and I was 20 weeks, I was so involved in reading up all about pregnancy and baby gear and now I'm like -- I know everything. <------Not really, but I feel like I'm better prepared, since I've gone through pregnancy before. Does that make sense? The excitement is there, but I'm not as anxious.

The picture on the left is Dakota and I (present day) AND the picture on the right is when I was 20 weeks pregnant with Cheyenne. I overheard Trey describe my size to a friend of his...he said I'm as big as a house. Ha-ha! He jokes, I think.

How I feel:
Great. I have lots of energy - thank you 2nd trimester. I ran 4 miles this morning before work. The time is not important, only the distance :). I have my blah moments, but for the most part, it's been a good week. Wearing comfortable clothes and not overeating makes a world of difference. I hate that overstuffed feeling.

What annoys Me:
My normal shirts are starting to ride up. It's time to make the big switch to maternity tops. Also, my bladder is extra sensitive. TMI? IDK. Sleeping on my stomach is uncomfortable. I'm still sleeping on my back -- but not a lot.

Food Cravings This Week:
Limon Chips (ALWAYS), Panda Express, Roasted Veggies, and Hard Salami. Last night, I was craving chips, so after dinner we stopped at the grocery store. Gosh, I'm high maintenance. "Yeah, I just ate dinner, but can we stop and get chips -- oh and frozen pizza too." Please tell me I'm normal.

What I've been doing to prep for Dakota's Homecoming:
Nothing. Trey suggested I sort through Cheyenne's newborn clothes and organize the closet. That sounds like a good idea.

What I've bought:
Nothing. When I go shopping, I plan on buying diapers and wipes -- maybe not every trip, but at least every other time I go. I think we are set on most of the big baby items and clothes, although I need some small random items. We'll be borrowing a few things and reusing Cheyenne's baby crib, which means we'll be in the market for a toddler bed. OR daybed. Not sure, yet.

I'll be reusing my breast pump -- Dear Jesus, I hope that it holds out for another baby. Lord knows, I spent more time with that pump the first year of Chey's life, than I did with Trey. It's got a lot of miles on it, but it's a Medela, so it better make it another round.

Gifts:
Our neighbors bought this for Dakota. I'll be rolling this all around the house. It'll be in the bedroom, when I'm sleeping at night, guest bedroom for naps, and the living room during the day. We are thankful for the nice gift, thanks neighbors!

What are your plans for tonight and this weekend?
It's a pizza and movie night for us. Lately, Trey's been playing video games at night, while I fall asleep watching episode of How I Met Your Mother. BUT tonight, I want to watch a movie!!! Any Netflix recommendations? QUICK, we'll be watching soon!! I have the Fighter in my instant queue, that sounds good to me.

Have a fantastic weekend and if you are running long tomorrow, good luck. I'll be running too!

Happy 29th Birthday to Trey!

2012-01-26T21:01:00.001-06:00

I love Trey's deer in headlights expression! Maybe at the very moment, he realized he's one year away from turning 30. This is probably the widest Trey's eyes have ever been. He usually squints them and sometimes they disappear when he laughs.

Cheyenne gets double use out of her 3D glasses....ends up they are also excellent sunglasses, since you know it was dark outside.

This evening we loaded up in the truck and headed to Ihop to celebrate. Did you know if you are part of the Ihop email club, they will send you a free birthday coupon? A lot of restaurants and fast food places offer deals like this. My favorite birthday freebie is a Red Robin burger.

Trey ate the Rooty Tooty Fresh 'n Fruity and I enjoyed a short stack.

The Birthday Boy

Trey wanted to take the truck. This is the current state of the interior.

It's a work in progress.

My Ballerina

2012-01-25T21:45:00.000-06:00

My beautful Cheyenne at ballet class. I wish I could make it every time. She couldn't wait to come home and show us what she learned. I love that she's taking ballet. I've been looking into summer ballet programs. When I shared the info with Trey, he was like -- Whoa, slow your roll, let's see how she likes this class first. Hmmm, fair enough.

Hey, Texas -- Thanks for the widespread rain. No, really. It gave me a good excuse to take the day off from running, yesterday. It was still damp this evening, so I drove to the gym. I remember the good ole days, when all I had to do was crawl out of bed throw on some clothes and running shoes and hit GO on my own treadmill. That was so easy! I don't know how much longer I can go without my own treadmill. I need to come up with a financial plan to buy the expensive treadmill replacement part. It's going to take some creativity on my part, but I'm up for the challenge. Operation Fix Treadmill! I'm sure I could dip into our grocery budget. I mean really, do we have to eat everyday?

Time to get some rest. Lately, I've been so sleepy. I could just rest my head on my desk and pass out any given afternoon. I think that's a sign I should get more sleep. Goodnight.

Winter Gardening in Texas

2012-01-24T17:35:00.000-06:00

But first a quick update on Cheyenne:
She woke up feeling much better. Actually, she was awake at 4 am requesting cartoons. So, yes -- she's doing fine. I made it to work on time and she made it school and ballet.

Now, I'm the one who feels a little under the weather. My head has been throbbing since I got to work. Sinus pressure is annoying.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winter Gardening in Texas
One thing I didn't think I'd be talking about mid-Januray is gardening, but hey I'm doing just that...
It seems as though my herb garden is thriving, even though I rarely water it. We haven't really had a harsh winter, so that probably explains why the cilantro is still alive. Here recently, it's felt like spring. Check out my dead basil in the very back. I'm not sure if I should uproot it or leave it, you know in case it comes back to life in the spring....Anyone know this? I'm too lazy to google the answer.

Skinny Rosemary plant.

Oregano. I need a bigger plant, it's hard to cut these short leaves because they all bunch together.

Here is the other side of the garden bed. It's bare and lonely.

It's been months, since I bought cilantro from the grocery store. It's nice to go outside and pluck as much as I want, when I need it.

Don't Be Impressed with My Stitchwork

2012-01-23T19:53:00.001-06:00

For weeks, my running tights have been ripped. I've been wearing them like this (this is a better pic of the rip)...I only have this one pair of full length tights and I don't have the cash to replace them anytime soon, so I worked my sewing magic. Me sewing? Yeah, sure....I did a simple hand stitch. We'll see how this patch work holds up, wash after wash. Have you guys priced run tights? They are crazy expensive. A good pair can cost $80 - $110. I've owned this pair for several years.

The finished product.
At least my muffin top won't be oozing out anymore. What I like about these tights is they also double as compression tights, even more so -- since I've gained pregnancy weight.

While I was working , this monkey face ran up to me and made me smile.

FEVER
And today, this is how she looked.

Big difference! She started to come down with a fever this afternoon and I'm almost certain it's tooth related. At first she complained her right cheek was hurting and that's when I felt her face and she was burning up. I stuck my finger in her mouth and felt her gums, in the very back of her mouth and she said it hurt.

She went to bed at 7 pm. I hope she sleeps the fever off and is back to her old self soon. I have a meeting with the Dean tomorrow, so I don't want to miss work. I'm trying to stockpile all my sick time for when Dakota comes. I'll miss work if I have to. I won't have a choice.

DailyMile Stats
Here is my training from last week. I didn't count my time on the elliptical as mileage, so what you see here is all running. This morning I went to the gym and ran 8 miles on the treadmill. My shins were killing me during the first mile. I don't know what was up with that. It's rare that I have shin splits. Maybe I was going too fast....once I slowed down, it didn't hurt as much.

Let's Talk About Cravings

2012-01-22T17:49:00.002-06:00

Here are just a few of the things I've been craving...I sent Trey to gather the goods and like a fantastic husband he delivered.

Cravings, during this pregnancy:
-Panda Express fried rice with a little bit of red sauce
-Limon Chips. Limon Chips. Limon Chips!!!!!
-Chocolate and Popcorn - a bite of popcorn with a bite of chocolate
- I don't seem to eat it that often, but Little Caesar's pizza
-Paleo Pizza Crust with Strawberry preserves
-Ramen Noodles. Ramen. RAMEN. RAMEN! I need help.
-Hard Salami

So, there it is. That's what I've been craving during this pregnancy. I recall craving nachos, chocolate covered pretzels, apples, and waffles when I was pregnant with Cheyenne.

Chances are most people reading this post, is not pregnant -- but I'm curious do you have food cravings? Sure you do. What have you been craving lately?

Zero Desire & I Want a Toy

2012-01-21T20:48:00.000-06:00

My alarm went off this morning and all I wanted to do was stay in bed. I procrastinated for almost an hour - I ate breakfast and watched an episode of Jersey Shore, before I finally went for a run. As soon as I stepped outside, I was like, man this sucks! I planned on running 8-10 miles, but honestly I had zero desire to run. ZERO. Somehow I ran 4 miles.

There was no football on TV today, at least none that Trey wanted to watch so, we spent the majority of our day out on the town. This is the time of year, when I get my husband back! That's right, the NFL season is almost over, so I'll be interacting more with Trey on the weekends. One place we went was the Disney Store. I fell in love with these dolls.

Oh, yeah and Cheyenne liked them too.

These two are my favorite: Snow White and Belle. Would that be weird if I bought myself one? I'll just say it's for Chey.

What was I thinking wearing high heel boots? We were walking around for hours and my feet hated me. While we were out, I bought a pair of shoes. Before we left the Target parking lot the sparkly shoes were on my feet.

Highlight meal of the day was at Chuy's Mexican Resturant. I tried the Nachos for the first time. I highly recommend them, however next time I'm going to ask them to take it easy on the cheese.

Tonight, we plan on staying in. We've done enough running around for one day. Time to relax.

Ballerina Twirls Can Be Dangerous & My Home Elliptical Set-up

2012-01-20T12:25:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week, Cheyenne had her first ballet class. I left work early, hoping to see her dance, but between traffic and taking the wrong exit (pregnancy brain spasm), I missed it. As I walked into her class, they were dismissing. Boo!!!!!

From what I can tell, Cheyenne loved it. When we got home she was showing Trey her ballet moves. She twirled and hit her head on a cabinet. What a dangerous sport, ha!

This is Chey hugging her BFF Brianna. Doesn't this look like a photo greeting card?

After class, I tried snapping some photos, but Chey was running all over the place. Be still ballerina, I'm trying to capture memories!

She paused for a moment.

My Home Elliptical Set-up
This week, my elliptical has been receiving more attention than I would like to give it. Trey decided to go to the gym several times this week, which means I've had to cut my morning runs short. The thing about being a responsible parent is that someone has to watch the child, even if she is sleeping. Yeah, I know!

This is my current, elliptical set-up.

It has wheels in the front, so it's easy to maneuver. When we have guest over, I can easily transfer it to the guest bedroom or position it right in front of the TV. I like it in this location, but this is where my treadmill use to be. Here comes the tears. Wait for it....(tears). I miss my treadmill so much!!! It's still out of service and will be until I pay for a pricey replacement part. Every time I see it in the garage it makes me sad.

This is my point of view, kind of offset from the TV, but still not bad. This morning, I watched an episode of Whitney.

I use a bar stool as my holding station.

(Back tracking) First thing this morning, I went for a run and got a text from Trey, saying "I'm ready to go to the gym." -- That was my cue to end my run and high tail it home. I only ran 3 miles and I was hoping to run at least 4, so Trey agreed to let me run one more mile (brownie points), before leaving. If my treadmill was in service, this wouldn't even be an issue. When I got home, I put my run/winter gear on this stool. I like having the remote and my phone nearby.

Elliptical flashback to 2008. I was about 5 months pregnant with Cheyenne. Our dinning room was bare. This was before we got a table and blinds.

What is everyone doing this weekend?
We don't have much planned. It's looking like another weekend, like last week. We'll just play it by ear and we'll see what's in store for us. I think Trey plans on working on his truck. I would like to sit on the sofa the majority of the weekend and do nothing. What? I'm just being honest.

P.S. Drake Concert
After Tasha read yesterdays blog post, she called me and she was "crying with excitement." I'll take that. In case you missed it, I surprised Tasha with tickets to a Drake concert. Here is the post: I Want to See Tears!!!!!

I Want to See Tears!!!!!

2012-01-19T12:27:00.001-06:00

Surprise! I have a graduation gift for a special someone and she's finding out the same way you are via blogger. I'm taking my little sister, Natasha, to a Drake Concert this spring! But before I hand her ticket over, she has to cry for it. Why? Because she told me she would cry if I took her. TEARS! I want to see TEARS, woman!

You see, a while back I told her about the show and I kind of mis-lead her into thinking it was a closed event, only for UTA faculty, staff, and students. Which, is kind of true. Only those listed, can PURCHASE tickets. HOWEVER, those listed can also bring guests. Lucky for her, right?

Do you know who Drake is? Trey didn't, but that didn't surprise me? Yesterday, he just found out who Salma Hayek is and he's been known to confuse Katy Perry, music with Justin Bieber.

I'm so proud of Natasha. She deserves to go out and have fun. She's a single teenage mother, works part-time, is about to graduate from high school, and did I mention she's really smart? Her math grades make me sick (only because I struggled with math) and don't even ask about her ACT score (oh, yeah -- I chocked on my ACT, but I totally kicked butt in college: top graduate award). I'm just really proud of her and I'm looking forward to taking her to the show.
Also, joining us will be Brittany and Artese. As soon as Brittany found out about the Drake concert, she started harassing me to purchase tickets, our friendship depended on it. Ha, not really. We're all excited about the show.

P.S. I planned on blogging about something else. Remember those pictures I had mentioned, yesterday? --- BUT I was so excited to share this news with Tasha. That post can wait.

Blog BLACKOUT/Awareness Post

2012-01-18T11:07:00.004-06:00

I'm turning off the lights. BLACKOUT on my Blog for ONE DAY. (Well, sort of...)

I was going to spotlight several photos, but instead you get to view this image. Not as cute as what I planned on posting, but I'm trying to make a point...keep reading.

If you follow this blog, you know I post about once a day. News about Internet censorship, specifically SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act), has really got me thinking. Now, I'm not an expert on this debate, so I'm pointing you to sources to educate yourself, as well as a few links that are petitioning the proposed SOPA and PIPA bills.

SOPA. PIPA.
The bills were designed to stop piracy of copyrighted music, movies, and television shows. But critics including Google, Twitter, and some of the original architects of the Internet itself, say the legislation could censor the Internet, hobble online innovation and change what made the Internet what it is today. Credit

How does this affect You?
These acts are stopping developers from coming up with the next big thing in the online market that could change how we use the internet. Let’s say that these acts were around back when the internet was started, how many of the most popular sites would still have come into fruition. There would be no Facebook, YouTube, MediaFire, SoundCloud, Twitter, DropBox, or any other site that can be targeted as a place where online piracy could take place. Is it even possible to think about what the internet would be like without sites like this?
Credit.

If You Are a Blogger...
These acts make it the blog owners responsibility for everything that is displayed on their site, including the comments of visitors. Credit.

More information to read.

Do Something!
Tell Congress Don't Censor the Web. (DONE)
Contact your representative. (AND DONE)

Okay, normal blogging will resume tomorrow! I know you are dying to see the photos I have to share. :)

Date Night & Paleo Bread Solution

2012-01-17T16:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Trey and I did something spontaneous. We went on a date. He took me to see Mission Impossible. I say it was spontaneous because it seems like if we plan a date, we usually have a babysitter booked in advance, this time we didn't. We were fortunate our friends were available to watch Cheyenne for us, on such short notice. Have you seen MI? I went into the movie knowing it was over 2 hours long. For my bladder, 2 hours is way too long of a movie. However, I was surprised, the movie was so good that the time flew by and I didn't pee myself. Win.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I love me some b-r-e-a-d, but if I get carried away, which I usually do, it can leave me feeling puffy. I found the perfect paleo (grain-less) bread solution. It's the same recipe I used for the the pizza crust that I made a few days ago. I made a batch of this flat bread and I plan on freezing it.
Mmmm, it has a hint of honey and Italian herbs.

Today, Cheyenne starts ballet classes.

Running Front:
I read a great article in Runners World about running during pregnancy. Here are some highlights.

"It is important to focus more on getting in the run by effort (feel) than to go by your watch."
That's been my approach, here recently. It was so nice to see it in writing. I've found that I actually enjoy running more, when I'm not competing with my former non-pregnant self.

"Although some women run hard while pregnant, I still believe this is not the time to push to that level, because your body is already working hard to create life."
Okay, now I'm just hearing is take it easy, take it easy. I'll take it because that's what I need right now. The author is right, creating life is tiring. Scaling back the intensity is key.

"The idea is to re-frame your goals toward running regularly and consistently rather than linearly like a marathon training plan (when you increase mileage). This may look like running 4 or 5 days per week for 40 to 60 minutes. It could also include some longer runs. All of these should be done at an easy to moderate effort where you can just hear your breath, but you're not reaching for air."
I'd imagine as I get further along in the pregnancy, I will be able to run for 40 minutes, but instead of covering 4 miles in that time frame, I may only be able to cover 3.25 miles. Same amount of time, but shorter distance.

Here is the full article.

A Little Bit of Randomness

2012-01-16T15:51:00.004-06:00

My training from last week. Lots of running and 2 miles of cycling. This morning, I went to the gym and got lost watching TV. Before I knew it I ran 8 miles. Not a bad way to start my day. Chey was in the childcare area. She seems to enjoy it and doesn't have separation anxiety, so she's pretty easy going when I drop her off. She's like bye mom, see ya later!

I'm really digging (did I just write that?) paleo oatmeal, so I processed half a bag of pecans for the recipe. It's nice to have it ready, so I don't have to prep every little portion when I feel like eating it.

Have you ever had Sam's Club Pizza. Oh, my goodness!!!!! This was Trey's idea of dinner, last night and I didn't put up a fight. We ate this and watched the NFL playoffs.

Another great thing about yesterday, was that I was asked to fill-in for the bass guitarist at church. I hope they ask me to fill-in again, I really enjoyed it. I've missed playing.

Something random:
I'm enjoying this mochadoodle scentsy. The scentsy was a gift from Trey's parents and Brandon and Maghen got us the fragrance. It makes my home smell like a coffee house.

Every Girl Wants to Be a Ballerina

2012-01-15T21:06:00.001-06:00

Guess who is taking ballet lessons? Me!!!! I wish.
No, I'm not, but Cheyenne is. I guess, if I really wanted to, I could always take adult ballet with Texas Ballet Theater. I took a class with them at Lululemon and loved it. I have a feeling Chey is going to enjoy ballet too.

She's my little dancer and she is sooooooo excited. I could barely get her to stand still to take a photo.

Wait a moment, jazz hands aren't ballet or are they? I don't know the first thing about tutu's and tulle. The real reason, she's taking classes is so she can teach me how to be a ballerina. Teach me! Teach me!

Her first class is this week, but last night we had a dress rehearsal to see how her clothes fit. The top is a little big, so I'm going to exchange it.

I won't be able to go to the majority of her classes. #WorkingMomProblem #GuiltTrip #BooHoo #IWantItAll
BUT Erin has enrolled Brianna, so Chey will be in great company going with them each week. Erin will be taking photos and video, so I'll be sure to share them with all of you. I love that woman, Erin!

So, it's official---OFFICIAL. I'm drinking in decaf city. I'm trying to stick with my new year's resolution of buying more off brand items, so I went with the Great Value brand. I plan on mixing it with gourmet coffee to get more bang for my buck. Stretch that 100 dollar a pound bag of coffee out!

Did you know Starbucks is promoting a new line of coffee called Blonde? Last week, they were giving out free samples. I picked up two packs and mixed it with my decaf. Not bad. Not bad -- and I love free stuff. I'm a fan.

Pizza & Puzzle Night

2012-01-14T15:44:00.001-06:00

It wasn't take-out, but last night pizza was served. I made an almond-flaxseed crust and topped it with my favorite toppings. I made Chey and Trey pizza subs because that's what they wanted. Chey had some leftovers of my pizza and liked it.

It was tasty! A few months, ago I made a similar paleo pizza, but this time I tried a different recipe. This recipe is much better. I ate this meal for dinner, breakfast, and lunch -- and I STILL have leftovers.

While I was prepping dinner, Chey and Trey were putting together puzzles.

I joined them for one.

This morning, I woke up and ran 10 miles. I had to stop mid-run to pee and by the end, I was dying to pee again. ANNOYING! Earlier this week, I worked out with EnduraLab and I'm still sore, so I took this workout real easy. It felt incredible to run and not worry about my time. I like this new way of running.

After my run, I rushed and got dressed for the day. We made it to the early showing of Beauty and the Beast. See, I got my movie. It's not Mission Impossible, but I'll take it. Cheyenne loved watching it.

She Has A Name

2012-01-13T11:52:00.001-06:00

Dakota Sky Anderson

Dakota is the name Trey originally picked, but after we found out the sex, he started exploring other names. He was tossing out names like Diane, Diana, Debbie, Daisy, Delilah and Mackenzie (just to name a few). We both agreed on Dakota. Plus, Cheyenne and Dakota sound like a good pair. If you know anything about Cheyenne's name and the truck reference -- Dakota fits right in with that theme too. <<<<----Which is incidental, I think.

My mom has three grandbabies....
Angelica, Bella, and Cheyenne or as she likes to call them ABC. She needs her D, so that played a factor in the name game.

DAKOTA SKY - I love it! Fantastic job Trey!!!!!! It kind of sounds like it would be a title to a meditation CD or something.

At first, Cheyenne didn't like the name, she kept arguing with us saying, the baby's name IS Baby Cheyenne. At first, I thought she was referencing herself, saying she was the baby. Nope, she really wanted us to name her sister Cheyenne. I had to explain, it would be confusing if we had two Cheyenne's in the house. Now, she's accepted the name and it's so cute to hear her say it. She likes to talk to Dakota. She'll say wake up baby or goodnight and kiss my tummy.

Weekend Plans:
- Tonight sounds like a great night for pizza.
- It also sounds like a perfect night to watch a few episodes of How I Met Your Mother.
Out of six seasons, I'm halfway through season five. What am I going to do when I finish watching all the episodes? What shows are you watching?
- I've got a long run scheduled in the morning, so I can't stay up too late.
-Saturday afternoon, I'll probably just stay home and watch football with Trey.
-Sunday, ~~I'd really like to go to the movies with Trey to watch Mission Impossible, but we have to find a babysitter for Chey.~~ I've been informed it's playoffs season, therefore, we won't be going. Can we just jump ahead to the Super Bowl?

That's what I have planned. How about you?

- Have a great weekend!

P.S. Here is a Blog Post From 2008, when we Picked Cheyenne's Name.

Rock STAR!!!! & No Plan (Wo)Man

2012-01-12T17:45:00.000-06:00

SHE'S BAD TO THE BONE!
Little thing, got her first guitar from Uncle Bubba. She loves it! He even got her a little portable amp, that goes with it.

In similar fashion, my first guitar was also a flying v. I bought it for about 70 bucks at a pawn shop, when I was thirteen. My next guitar, was an acoustic Jasmine Takamine, also purchased from a pawn shop.

No Plan (Wo)Man
I'm training for the Cowtown Half Marathon. There is a training program posted to Cowtown's Website. Here is the link.

I've been using the long runs as a guide, but for the most part I run whatever I feel like. For instance, this morning I woke up and thought, I want to run at least three miles, but when I completed 3, I felt like going for two more. I kind of love this training method. Would I recommend it? No, but it seems to be working for me. It actually makes me want to run more because I don't have a calendar telling me what to do. Does that make sense? The reason why I think this works for me, is because I have been running and have a solid base of miles under my belt, another thing -- since I'm not trying to set any PR's (personal records) I don't have to run fast. Yay!

Speaking of running fast (Pace).....
For a while now, I've been keeping track of my run time and posting to DailyMile. Call me a dork, but I like looking at all the numbers, not just the miles. BUT the further I get along in my pregnancy the more I know I will need to scale back my intensity. I'm already seeing it. I use to run effortlessly at a 9:25'ish pace and these days, on a flat course, I'm comfortable at 10:15 - 10:30. So, I've decided to stop posting my run duration/pace for the world to see. I may post it every now and then and even share some numbers on the blog with you all, but I know by making the decision to not post it EVERYDAY, like I have been, I will relieve MYSELF of the stress to compete with myself.

I'm sure when I'm postpartum, I will go back to posting my time, until then it's all miles on deck!

It Must Be Nice & Too Much Power

2012-01-11T17:30:00.000-06:00

Cheyenne had a PJ Day at her school. She looks so comfy. Dallas Cowboys slippers and a fleece robe. It must be nice. Hmmm, I suppose I can't complain. After all, I do wear stretchy pants all day-everyday.
Hello, pregnancy.

NAME GAME:
As you know, Trey gets to name the baby. He gets the first name and I get the middle name AND because of THAT, I've decided he has too much power! He's been coming up with the most random name suggestions and I can't tell if he's being cute or serious. You'd think after all these years, I'd be able to tell. A few months ago, he had a name picked out, but now he's changed his mind or has he? I don't know! It's hard to come up with a middle name, when I don't know the first name. So, I will wait (I have no choice), until Trey makes a decision.

Who Am I?
I want more than one cup of coffee a week, but I don't want to drink a lot of caffeine, since I'm pregnant. So, I'm doing something, I never thought I would....I'm switching to decaf. GASP! I know!

So, far, I've had two cups and I can't tell a difference. I like coffee because it gives me that extra umff, but more than anything I love the morning ritual. Something about sipping black coffee during my morning commute, brings me so much happiness. Coffee lovers, you know what I'm talking about.

I had to dip into my coffee reserve because I'm completely out or my usual stuff...
Luckily --- When Trey knocked me up, I mean when we went to Port Lavaca, I saved the coffee packages that were in our hotel room. I have a few more of these to hold me over until the weekend.

THIS IS SO NICE
Chey has been using her portable DVD player everyday. She enjoys using it most, during our morning and evening commute.

Recently, she's been hooked on Care Bears. I love Care Bears! It was my all time favorite cartoon! The first thing I bought myself when I was a wee lad was a generic care bear. It was generic because I didn't have that much money saved, but I really wanted the bear...Now, Chey gets to enjoy him/her - I don't know, I guess it's a unisex bear.

Time Saving Idea

2012-01-10T17:50:00.000-06:00

Remember that Paleo Oatmeal recipe I made, Sunday? Well, I enjoyed it so much, but let's be honest -- it's a time consuming recipe for the weekday and I'm so busy in the morning. In order to streamline it, make it faster, I did some prep work last night. I measured all the ingredients and placed them in Ziploc baggies, so I don't have to measure or chop anything before heading to work. I'm so smaurte!

4 bags for 4 days of the week. All I have to do is add the wet ingredients and fruit toppings. Oh, yeah and cook it, duh.

Chopped Pecans -- After I chopped this mountain, I was thinking why didn't I use my food processor? WHY?! Next time. Seriously, it would've taken the food processor 5 seconds to do what it took me 5 minutes to do. Sometimes it's okay to be lazy and let appliances do all the work.

These baggies came in handy this morning. It didn't make early to work, but that's not the oatmeal's fault.

This picture is from the enduraLAB grand opening party. We met our friends out there for a game of tag and tacos. Miss Cheyenne dressed herself. Can you tell?

She loves Dora, actually if it was up to her -- her sisters name would be Dora. Are you familiar with the Dora characters? I'm more partial to the name Isa. She's the dinosaur looking creature or is she a lizard? IDK.

I'm tired of seeing this news:
My bedroom is in desperate need of paint. Someone, please paint it for me and for free. Thank you.
In return, I can take photos of you... painting my room! NO?
I would like to edit my New Years Resolution to include, finishing the bedroom remodel.

Lakeside Happy Place

2012-01-09T15:02:00.001-06:00

You know what is amazing? Running lakeside and watching the sun come up. I was in my happy place, until I realized, I was going to be late to the enduraLAB grand opening. NOOO!!!! So, I picked up the pace and high tailed it home.

Luckily, when I arrived to the party, there were a few people still trickling in, so I didn't miss the 5K. We ran an easy 3 mile fun run on the trinity trail. In a few weeks, I'm going to check out one of the gym classes. The cool thing about this gym is that it's the only gym in the DFW area that specializes/caters to endurance athletes. The runner in me kind of nerds out, when I hang out with these folks. :)

This is Isis. She's one of the gym owners.

Sunday I made sure to sleep in as long as possible. This is what greeted me when I woke up. Thank goodness for king size beds.

The Gender of Baby 2 Revealed!

2012-01-09T14:35:00.000-06:00

Cheyenne and I got our way...........

We're having a baby GIRL!
I thought I was going to find out the gender of the baby next month, but since Trey was at the appointment that I had this morning, the doctor asked if we wanted to know, today.....YES, PLEASE! Trey, Chey, and I are extremely excited. I'm having another girl! I have two sisters and I just know Chey is going to love having another girl around. Poor Trey is going to be in a house full of estrogen, but he's so good with Chey, he's going to be a great daddy to our second daughter.

We saved a few boxes of Chey's baby clothes, so this will help us out. We can put more money towards diapers and wipes. I get to mark one thing off my New Year's Resolution...I paid the doctors bill in full, today. Yay! #financialpeace

Disclaimer: The doctor is 90% sure it's a girl, so there is small chance it could be a boy.

This morning, I met Katy and Krista at the gym. We're going to meet once a week at the gym, this will replace our tea time date. Today, I ran 6 miles, 5 on the treadmill and 1 on the indoor track and rode 2 miles on the bike. Yesterday, I swam laps, (real laps) for the first time in years. It was challenging. It made me appreciate swimmers. There were kids in the pool who had better form and speed than me. It was humbling. Ha!

The baby has been eating good. Last night, I made paleo chicken tacos. AMAZING!
The tortillas are the bomb dot com. Ingredients: Almond Meal, Eggs, Honey, EVOO and Salt. Here is the recipe if you're interested.

Speaking of food, here is how Chey and I pack snacks on the go....
Okay, now I need to brainstorm on baby names. Have a great day everyone!

Paleo Oatmeal

2012-01-08T09:12:00.000-06:00

I woke up craving oatmeal, but I didn't want a large amount of milk and oats. I found this paleo recipe, so I gave it a whirl.

My pantry was not prepared for this recipe, so I made due with what I had on hand.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped walnuts -- I used pecans
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 banana, mashed
3/4 cup liquid egg whites or 3 egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk -- I was out of almond milk, so used 2% milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract -- I WAS OUT!!!! Ugh!

Mix all the ingredients and cook on the stovetop. I topped mine with blueberries and later I added sliced bananas. I have got to make this again, but next time with vanilla extract and almond milk. Even without those ingredients it was pretty good. Yup, I got my oatmeal fix and now I'm so full.

This made a big portion size for one. I'm going to give the rest to Cheyenne. I hope she likes it too.

Coton Bowl 2012

2012-01-07T16:29:00.001-06:00

Before Trey and Cheyenne went to Cowboys Stadium to see Kansas vs. Arkansas, they stopped by my workplace. Trey wanted me to fix Cheyenne's hair and Chey wanted to show me her new booster seat. It was a nice pick me up seeing them during my work break.

Before they left, Chey said, "Momma, you stay here!" She thought I was going with them and she wasn't having it. It was HER Daddy time and she didn't want a third wheel. Well, then!

Heading to Cotton Bowl 2011.

Heading to Cotton Bowl 2012. Make room for one more, we've got a baby on the way. Looks like he'll be taking two kiddos to the game, next year.

Packed Dinner 2011. PASTA.

Packed Dinner 2012. PASTA.

Hanging out before the game 2011.

Hanging out before the game 2012.

View from their seats.

Uncle Bubba met Trey and Cheyenne at the game. This is his friend...sorry, I don't know her name.

They went early to the game to catch the Pep Rally.

This is the video of them last year at the LSU Pep Rally.

They had sooo much fun and Trey said Chey did great. By the time they made it home it was one o'clock in the morning. Trey said Chey fell asleep on the way home. Since she was in the truck, riding in the middle seat, she was snuggled up next to him <--------- that is the sweetest thing!!!!!!! Now, that's a great finish to a daddy daughter date. <3

I'm so glad Chey got a chance to spend time with her Daddy.

Riding on Flames

2012-01-06T21:30:00.000-06:00

Tonight is the Cotton Bowl. Trey took the day off to spend time with Cheyenne. I totally forgot to leave the carseat with Trey. We only have one carseat for Chey, so Trey went to the store and bought her a new one, but not just any seat --- a booster! She picked out the seat with flames all by herself. I'm not going to ask how he got her to the store to buy it....I'm so happy we now have a back-up seat.

Tonight, I went out to dinner with Justin and Brittany. Tomorrow is Brittany's birthday, so I made her a scarf, similar to the one I made last week. I almost didn't gift it to her because (to me) it has a lot of imperfections, luckily the type of yarn I use is forgiving. :) The good thing about infinity scarfs is when you wrap it, the yarn blends and it looks pretty no matter what.

Trey and Cheyenne are still at the Cotton Bowl. They are staying up late, while I'm at home in bed about to fall asleep. What is everyone doing this weekend? I just watched a movie on Netflix called HappyThankYouMorePlease. It was alright. Now, it's time to rest and prepare for my run tomorrow.

This picture was taken about a week ago, I just keep forgetting to post it. Pregnant Belly. I have another doctors appointment in a few days and hopefully, next month we'll find out the sex of the baby.

Our Family Christmas Video

2012-01-05T17:45:00.000-06:00

The last two years, I've set-up the camera to record our family Christmas festivities.

Here is a short highlight of our Christmas Eve --
Making cookies for Santa and opening presents, Christmas morning. Memories!

At the end Chey says, "We don't eat paly-doh. Only the baby eat play-doh." Gold.

Bill Tracker

2012-01-04T13:40:00.000-06:00

It's a new year and I kind of feel like getting things organized.

Since 2004, we've been keeping track of our monthly bills. This is our bill tracking method. Everything is in there.

It's simple. It's a notebook. Nothing fancy. There is a list of our monthly bills, due date, paid date, amount paid, payment method, conformation #'s, balances and notes. We store the paper bills in a file cabinet, that's in another location. Trey is the one who started us on this method and it's come in handy. I've lost track of all the times we've had to go back and make reference to this notebook.

It's interesting to look back.....
Back in 2004, when we first got married and moved in together we were paying a few hundred dollars a month for rent. Oh, the good ol' days.

Although this system works, I get tired of handwriting the same thing over and over again, so I created a document with our most common bills and a few blank spots for unexpected items. I think this new system will work better than the old way. Out with the old and in with the new and improved.

How do you organize bills?

A Chance To Recharge My Personal Battery

2012-01-03T16:49:00.002-06:00

Today, was my first day back at work. I've been on holiday break for over a week and it's be glorious. I feel like the break was productive, yet restful. I didn't fill my schedule up with a lot of things to do, which gave me lots of free time to sit around and recharge my personal battery. It's just what I needed.

Yesterday, morning we went to the gym and walked the indoor track as a family and then Trey and I left Cheyenne at the gym childcare center while we worked out. We ran and rode bikes. I love when I get to workout with Trey. I try to hide my excitement because I know my enthusiasm scares Trey.

For the past few days, I've been kind of sick. I don't know if sick is the right word. It's more of allergies and sinus pressure junk. I've been sleeping with the humidifier on and using the best kleenex in the world...Puffs Plus. Have you tried this stuff? It has Vicks Vapor Rub in each tissue.

In unrelated news, look what is being built in my backyard. Trey and I like to refer to it as the mansion. It's huge! This picture only shows the side of the house, there's more that couldn't fit in the frame of the picture! The new neighbors can build on my lot if they want, as long as I can swim in their pool -- it's a fair deal.

Going the Distance, All the Way to Canada

2012-01-03T11:47:00.001-06:00

In 2010, I ran to Green Bay.
In 2011, I ran all the way to CANADA!

If I decided to walk to Canada it would take me 19 days and 21 hours. No, thanks. I'll stick to logging my miles over the course of one year.

I need to start packing a bib for this girl. Typically, she's a clean eater, but not when it comes to spaghetti. And this girl can throw-down some Italian food. This picture was taken during our New Year's Eve dinner at Pizza Inn aka our new favorite place to eat.

Trey's birthday is in a few weeks. We walked the aisles of Academy and he pointed out items he would like. I think he was joking when he pointed out football gear. Right? He was joking, I think.

Cheyenne got a few color books for Christmas, so we've been spending quality time coloring in the evenings. Coloring is so therapeutic. She has the cheap-o crayons and a few name brand ones. I can tell a huge difference between the two. I know one of my resolutions is to buy more off brand items, but I think I'm going to have to make an exception, when it's time to replenish her crayons.

2012: A New Year & New Goals

2012-01-01T15:22:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year to you!

Last night, we went to a buffet and I ate, like it was my last meal on earth. I'm actually quite embarrassed about the amount of food I consumed. Oops.

2011 was a great year for the Anderson's. I think the highlight of the year was when we took our first family vacation to Palo Duro. This year, I'm not sure if it will be possible for us to take another trip, since I won't have much vacation time to spare.

2012 Goals
1. Financial Goals
- Pay off the doctor bill before baby arrives. Have $ set aside to pay the hospital bill all at once.
- Cancel Satellite Service when football season ends.
- Buy more off brand/generic items. Cents add up to dollars.
- Add nothing to credit.
- Start saving to build a home gym/Game Room. Trey and I would like to close in the back patio. I don't anticipate starting construction this year, but we would like to start saving for it.

2. Go on a Trip with Trey before I have the Baby
- We already have hotel accommodations taken care of, now it's just a matter of deciding on the date.

3. Run/Bike/Swim 800 Miles this year
- Last year I set a 1,500 distance goal and I surpassed it, covering 1,510 miles. It wasn't easy. This month, I felt like all I was doing was running my butt off. I was so determined to reach my goal I was on a 12 day running streak. If I run today, the streak will continue....

This year, since I'm pregnant and will take several weeks off from physical activity, I think 800 is within reach.

4. Eat Healthy
- One thing I learned from participating in the Paleo 30 day Challenege is that as much as I love the way grains, dairy, and legumes tastes, my body does not react well to them. This year, I will do my best to eat them sparingly and ease my way back into a paleo'ish lifestyle. Did you hear that pregnancy cravings? But trust me, I won't go all paleo natzi.

This was my first meal of 2012...I'm already off to a fantastic start and for lunch we went out with Katy and Chad and I had a chicken salad. Pat on the back --- right here.

5. Spend more time reading Scripture and meditating
-I do best when I have a devotional/guide.

6. Less Snuggle Time with My Snuggie
- Remember that silly Resolution? I said I would spend less time getting cozy with it and more time getting cozy with Trey. Yeah, I need to work on that one...repeat resolution for 2012.

Do you have any goals for 2012?
Trey's mom wants to walk a 5K this spring. That's pretty awesome, if you ask me.
Trey has no goals...he thinks they are silly. Psssh, goals who needs them?

I Want to Keep This Gift I Made for Someone Else & NYE

2011-12-31T19:07:00.001-06:00

What do you do when you make something for someone, but then you want to keep it for yourself? That's the case, with this infinity scarf I just completed. The scarf is for my mother-in-law. I hope she loves it as much as I do.

I need to get around to making myself one of these awesome scarfs. I'll get around to it one of these days. Hey, I can wear the one I made for Cheyenne...I have that.

I'm losing track of how far along I am in the pregnancy. I think I'm 16 weeks. Stretchy clothing is my friend.

Trey shaved his Manstache! Now, he looks like he's 16. I already miss his man hair.
I would like for him to grow it back. Chey and I have been calling him baby face.

What are your plans for tonight? We might get out for dinner. BIG PARTY RIGHT HERE!!! Oh, and when you can't toast on NYE you can always ring in the new year with brownies.

That's about as elaborate as our NYE plans go. Everyone be safe and have fun ringing in the New Year!

Images From My Past

2011-12-30T17:32:00.000-06:00

I've been working on this freelance project and decided to take a break and scan some of my own images.

Crying with Linda at my bachelorette party. You know why we were crying. Haha!

Cooking with Tara at the party.

Jennifer & my sister Amy. The party got crazy, they dropped the noodles AND we still ate them.

High School Years:
Winter formal. My sophomore year. Why didn't someone tell me I looked like a ghost? Trey was a gentleman and told me I looked beautiful. Before heading to the dance we ate at pizza hut cause we're fancy like that.

A boat ride in New York City. We went with Upward Bound to visit Columbia and NYC University.

Trey and Linda on the boat ride.

And last, but not least and photo of Trey at a food show. I think he was a freshman. This is what he looked like, when I first met him.

Work & Play

2011-12-29T21:15:00.001-06:00

Is this Christmas Vacation or Spring Break? I can't tell...we are having unusually warm weather for December, but then again this is Texas, so I guess that's not saying much.
Today, I took Cheyenne to the park, to wear her out before nap time.

A little girl, she was probably 4 years old, told Cheyenne she wasn't suppose to be on the slide because she was a baby. Cheyenne ran up to me and cried, "Momma, she called me a baby." I told Chey the girl must've made a mistake. Later, the girl told her again, "Babies aren't allowed on the slide." Cheyenne responded, "I'm not a baby! Don't call me a BABY!" And then she slid down the slide.

Oh, all I want to do is to protect her, even from toddlers who taunt her.

And throughout the day I worked on a freelance project. I'm scanning a million photos. It's a tedious process and it's more work than I anticipated. I feel like I barely made a dent in the project. I'll work on it more tomorrow. I made the dinning area my temporary office. There is plenty of workspace.

Taking Down Christmas is So Depressing

2011-12-28T19:05:00.000-06:00

Honestly, I was excited to take down the Christmas decorations because I was ready to have the house back to normal. Cheyenne was so upset. She cried as I was putting away the ornaments. For every three ornaments I took off the tree, she put one back on. It was so sad, I had to break her heart, but I assured her, Christmas Time happens every year, so next year --- we'll get to decorate and celebrate again.
Today, we met Jayme for lunch at Zoes Kitchen and that seemed to help Chey get over her Christmas hangover. Jayme and I talked about running, it's nice to have a friend who shares my obsession.

For dinner, I tried something new. I made zucchini spaghetti. I sautéed one zucchini with EVOO and one clove of garlic -- Then I topped the dish off with a beef tomato sauce and a few sprigs of fresh oregano. Delicious.

Veggie Noodles.

Cheyenne requested pizza.
Kid Friendly Cheese Pizza on Wheat Crust...She ate one and half of these, she loved it.

Car Wouldn't Start This Morning & Swimming in December

2011-12-27T20:59:00.002-06:00

I woke up this morning with the intent to drive to the gym. I went to start the car and once again the car would not start. Trey was concerned it was something major, but it appears the battery officially died. We replaced it mid-morning and thus far, everything has been fine.

Since, I planned on running first thing this morning and I was ready to go -- Trey suggested I just run to the gym. But it's cold! I got over it and went. I ran the indoor track, where it was nice and toasty. I also rode a few miles on the bike. Before leaving, I signed our family up, for a membership. Even Cheyenne has a gym tag. The gym has childcare, so that will come in handy. I really feel like we are getting an amazing deal at this place.

Mid-day, I took Cheyenne swimming at the gym pool. It was a great way to wear her out before nap time. I think we may go a few more times this week.

Cheyenne using her new apron, she got from Grammy. Chey was suppose to be helping me with dinner, but instead she was sampling everything I chopped.

Yesterday, Trey had the day off, so we went to the movies and watched the early-EARLY showtime, Alvin and the Chipmunks. Cheyenne is a great movie watcher. No bathroom interruptions.

Another thing about yesterday.....
I got a head start on organizing Cheyenne's room. Now, all that's left is the closet. That will be a daunting task. I don't know what to do with all her clothes. Maybe I should wait until February, when we find out the sex of the baby. That way, I know if I should hold on to Cheyenne's girl clothes.

It's Not Cute to Threaten Me with a Taser

2011-12-26T15:11:00.002-06:00

For some reason, Trey thinks it's cute to scare me with the taser gun. He keeps taunting me with it. I was screaming so loud while he was waving it near me, I'm surprised I didn't wake up Cheyenne from her nap.
Can you guess the movie we were watching? It's a movie we like to watch every Christmas.

Yesterday, I was so excited to test out my new watch. I ran my own little Christmas 5K in 28 minutes. I pushed myself and today I'm feeling it.

It's so convenient to have all my stats on my wrist. Before I would use RunKeeper or Nike+ Running App on my iPhone. They are great apps, but once I start a run, I rarely look at my phone during the workout. I wait every mile to hear the stats.

This morning I went to the gym and ran on the treadmill. I used my watch and even though the satellite signal was weak...acutally, I'm not even sure it ever connected, but the foot pod WAS fairly accurate. I cross referenced the numbers with the treadmill monitor and it was off ever so slightly. I also ran a mile on the indoor track and it worked fine. This made my day.

My runs sync automatically with the Nike Running website. Here is my Christmas 5K...

The other night, I left the back hatch of the ELEMENT open all night, so when it was time for us to go to the Christmas Eve church service I noticed the car would not start. The battery was dead. So, Trey's truck saved Christmas. Afterwards we drove around looking at Christmas lights. It was great because we could easily see Cheyenne's reaction. We stayed around our neighborhood and in less than 30 minutes Cheyenne fell asleep.

Christmas Joy

2011-12-25T19:13:00.000-06:00

6:20 am - Christmas Morning
We woke up, ate some cookies, set up the camcorder and started opening gifts.

It was so delightful, to see Chey's face filled with excitement. I have some video clips, I'd like to share with you all, later.

A few months ago, Trey went to a gun show. He's been telling me for weeks, that he got me two presents from the show and he was so excited to give them to me. One gift was pepper spray. I think I still have my pepper spray keychain from 2005, when I lived in Los Angeles. It never hurts too have too many, that is unless they are in your eyes.

The other gun show gift was a taser gun. What? Don't mess with me! I might be carrying this during my runs. You never know. Such a strange gift to give, but I appreciate it. Thanks Trey.

I knew Trey got me dishes, I just knew it...I like this set, even though I asked for white. COLOR, you gotta live a little, so why keep it boring (Cowboys Blue). Plus, this set kind of looks like the fiesta brand. Now, come on over so I can use them. I love hosting. What should I make you?

After I unwrapped the gift, Trey insisted I take out all the dishes. I thought that was strange, but I went along with it.

As I was taking out one of the coffee mugs, I was like what in the world is this?
Trey stashed a Nike+ GPS Tom Tom Watch in the mug!!!
Someone paid attention to my Christmas wish list. (Blog POST)
The watch was really a far fetch wish. I never thought he'd get it for me. I hoped he'd get it, but I wasn't going to hold my breath.

You know how some people make ugly faces when they cry? Well, it looks like I make a super jacked-up --- ugly face when I'm surprised. Whoa, I need to work on my surprise face. Ha! If I don't embarrass myself, who will? Christmas joy to all.

Chey playing with her portable DVD player. This will come in so handy during long commutes and road trips to Abilene. Thanks Nana and Poppy.

In case you are wondering what I got Trey, he played Santa for himself. He bought all his gifts before Christmas, so I didn't have any fun getting him anything, big. His big gift was a portable quick shade stand. He uses it at work, it protects him from the heat when he's working on hot roofs and such and also protects him from snow/rain. Oh, he also got a new PS4 game, Battlefield. I got him a few stocking stuffers though = Wife of the year award right here.

Chey scored big time. Thanks family and friends for sending us gifs. Chey loved what you got her and we made sure she knew who got her what.
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas. Thanks for reading our family blog. I enjoy sharing our experiences with you all.
Merry Christmas again!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T09:43:00.002-06:00

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T21:35:00.001-06:00

It's Christmas Eve!

I started my morning with a 10 mile run. Now, I'm only 31 miles away from reaching my distance goal...I'm SOOOOO CLOSE! I'm not sure if I will take the day off from running tomorrow or not. I have some wiggle room for the rest of the week, so I might take advantage of that and just rest. If I do go running, it will probably be later in the afternoon, NOT Christmas morning. You better believe I will be lounging in PJ's as long as possible.

Today, we spent a lot of time at home, where else would we be? Not shopping. I went grocery and last minute gift shopping yesterday at 6:30 am. I went right after the gym. I looked like a mess, but hey, I didn't have to deal with the crowds. So worth it.

While we were at home, we played a few rounds of Jenga.

Look what else we did.

Mid-afternoon, Chey took a nap and that's when Trey and I turned into Santa's Little Helpers. We wrapped all the presents. Trey did most of the work, I supervised. Good Job. Keep it up! After a while, Trey caught on and then made me wrap the remaining gifts. Boo!

2011 Christmas Eve Cookies
Before heading to the Candlelight Christmas Church Service, we made chocolate chip cookies for Santa.

Notice how Chey is wearing PJ's. I like to take her to the church evening service wearing PJ's because afterwards we eat dinner and then go look at Christmas lights. So, by the time we get home, we are ready for bed. It just makes sense, plus she looks super cute.

2010 Christmas Eve
Right after we made cookies we headed off to church.

Trey's face looks so naked! What a baby face. Hey, that's the same Cowboys hat he's wearing this year.

Remember the Gingerbread House? Well, this is all that remains...

One Last Thing

The Candlelight Christmas Church Service was wonderful. We worshipped, heard Scripture read by the children of the church. The last song we sang was Silent Night and everyone held a candlelight. It was beautiful and a reminder that He is the reason for the season. Thank you Jesus.

Glow Run with Lululemon

2011-12-23T15:47:00.002-06:00

Last night, Lululemon hosted a Glow Run in downtown Fort Worth. We met at Frankie's Sports Bar and Grill and from there we ran through Sundance Square. The main highlight of the run was running through The Chesapeake lights display. The entire block is lit up and it's beautiful. It would make any Scrooge melt.

This run made me fall in love with Fort Worth even more. This was my first time to run downtown and it was cool to see everyone hustling and bustling....shopping, going out, people watching. There were about 50 of us running. We wore glow sticks and jingle bells on our feet. Afterwards, we ate at Frankie's compliments of Lulu.

This is Jayme, the Lululemon Run Ambassador. She joined me on a long run a few months ago, when I was training for Palo Duro. I think she's pretty cool.

I ran with my friend Justin and my new friend Bonnie. She's does triathlons...impressive right?

This run was casual and short. We ran under 3 miles and kept the pace steady.
'
Guess who is with me? Cheyenne! I picked her up a few hours ago. This is a photo she took at Aunt Shelly's house. She made Christmas cookies with her. Mmmmm...

Holiday Break Agenda

2011-12-22T16:56:00.001-06:00

My Winter Break has officially started. Here are a few things I would like to do during my vacation.

1. Run. Bike. Run. Run.
2. Find time to swim, since I'll have a nifty gym membership and one of the benefits is access to the pool.
3. Go to the movies.
4. Organize Cheyenne's room.
5. Start a freelance photo archiving project for a Hispanic Organization.
6. Complete season 2 and maybe 3 of How I Met Your Mother.
7. Have a lunch date with a girlfriend.
8. Make two scarfs. One is for my Mother-in-law and another one for a friend.
9. Try a new recipe. One that the whole family can enjoy.
10. I would also like to experiment using these spices from Penzey's. My favorite PhD faculty gave these to me as a Christmas gift.

They are salt-free.

Last year, the same faculty got me wine, but since I'm pregnant, she knew the Penzey gift would be more appropriate. She said next year, to expect another bottle. Yay!

As you know, I like an occasional glass of wine, but since I'm pregnant and plan on nursing, it will be a year and a half before I will have another casual drink. Pumping and dumping is no fun. It's more work, than it's worth. My previous doctor told me the occasional glass of wine during pregnancy is fine. He said it's frowned upon in America, but in other cultures it's more common and accepted. What are your thoughts? I won't go out and buy myself a whole bottle, but if I'm at a social event, I'll sip a few ounces.

What do you plan on doing during the Christmas Break? Do you get one?

I've Been a Good Girl

2011-12-21T14:23:00.001-06:00

6 miles Everyday From Here on Out

2011-12-20T20:34:00.002-06:00

Here is the update on my 1,500 mile distance goal for 2011...

At the moment, I'm at 1,433 miles.

In order to reach my goal, I must run, bike, or swim 6 miles everyday from now, until next Saturday. That sounds like a lot of work.

This morning, I joined Trey at the gym. I'll be visiting with him all this week and next week, we'll be official members. EXCITING! Lately, my legs have been achy, I'd imagine it's from the extra 10 plus pounds I'm carrying. It's tough on my calves and knees. One thing I'm still trying to get use to is walk breaks. I'm barely at the point, where I'm comfortable running a slow pace.

My stats from last week.

I'm working this week and everyone in the office is starting to hand out Christmas gifts. This year, it seems like everyone is handing out treats, more so than any other year. This morning, I was sill high from my morning workout and I saw this sitting on my desk. Don't ask me how I resisted this all day long, IDK, but sweets are everywhere.

My First Gingerbread House

2011-12-19T21:32:00.001-06:00

This evening we went to a Christmas party at Dave and Heather's house. Each family decorated a gingerbread house. This was my first one, or at least that I can recall. Mom, did I make one in elementary? I don't know, is this what happens when you get older, you start to forget stuff?

Cheyenne wasn't with us, so Trey and I built this on our own. In case you are wondering, Cheyenne is spending a few days in Abilene. If you see her in town say hi! I'm scared to tell her about all the fun we had without her, she would've loved this fun activity. I kind of feel guilty. I'm the one that should be jealous. On second thoughts, see picture below. Nah, I'm good.

At one point we all got icing on our face, hands or hair. Nice face, ginger. Get it, my ginger making a gingerbread house. Love it! Oh, Trey is not amused.

We are missing a few, but this is our small group. We studied the Word and prayed for each other for the past few months. These guys are great.

The front of our house.

Look, it's a cookie cutter neighborhood.

Play-Doh & I Sucked at Middle School Track

2011-12-18T21:08:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, we celebrated Brianna's third birthday. There was pizza, cupcakes and a play-doh station for the kids.When I was younger, my mom never bought me any play-doh because she said it's too messy. I don't mind if Cheyenne plays with it, as long as she stays at the table.
This morning, I skipped another morning run. I think I'm going through a I-don't-want-to-run-because-I-have-to-run-PHASE. This feels like middle school cross country all over again. Some people, assume I ran track in high school, but the only running experience I had was middle school track (hurdles) and cross country. When it came to jumping hurdles, I thought I was big stuff, but then I went to my first track meet. I was humbled. I sucked, big time.

This evening before dinner, I ran four miles. Those numbers should help with my 1,500 mile running goal for the year. Tomorrow, I'll look at the numbers and see how far behind I am. I feel like it's a hopeless cause, but whatever --- I'm going to keep going...

Here is everything I've been craving, lately. I made this for lunch and it was so delicious. This is kind of what my weekday lunches look like. Not bad. Oh, on the last post I wrote Trey got the 16 oz ribeye, it was actually a 12 oz. Same difference. It was huge.

Bunless? Yay or Nay?

2011-12-17T20:30:00.000-06:00

My alarm went off and I swore, I immediately woke up in a sleepy haze, walked outside and checked the weather. It was raining and I was so happy, to crawl back in bed. Ends up, the only thing that really happened was my alarm went off. Eventually, I woke up on my own, after 6 am and Trey asked if I was going running. I guess so, since it never rained. I wasn't feeling it all. Somehow, I forced myself to run 4 miles. It was 35 degrees and the grass had a layer of frost. It was cold...

Trey's truck was covered too.

For the past few days, Trey has been talking about how great Logan's Roadhouse 16 oz ribeye steak is. So, guess where we went for lunch? I love Logan's Roadhouse! If I have to pick between Logan's and Texas Roadhouse -- Hands down, I'll always pick LOGAN'S! It looks like Trey is puckering up for a kiss.

Trey's plate --- and scroll down to see my plate.

I got the bunless burger entree. I've always wanted to try it. I have to say, with a little bit of steak sauce, it was AMAZING and only 7.99. I highly recommend it. Now, I want to try a bunless burger at Red Robin's and IN & OUT Burger. I think they call it protein style at IN & OUT. So, are you a fan of ordering a burger without the bun? Don't knock it, til you try it.

Hair News.
My roots have grown out about an inch or so and I'm thinking about going back to my original color. I keep going back and forth -- I might highlight it again, I might not. I just don't know.

We went to a birthday party today, but right now, I'm too lazy to grab my camera and upload the images. I'll post those later. Goodnight. Have a fantastic Saturday night. I plan on watching at least 3 episodes of How I Met Your Mother. I started watching the series a few weeks ago and now I'm hooked. I'm about to start the second season.

Star Light, Star Bright: Christmas Performance

2011-12-16T08:40:00.000-06:00

Even though, I could not attend Cheyenne's Christmas Performance, Trey did a fantastic job - capturing stills and video.

During a break, I texted Trey, to see how things were going.

It's true, she was wearing a Valentine t-shirt. Oops, but it's one of the few red items she owns. Here is a cute video of all the kids singing.

Notice the carpet that all the kids stood on. That's a neat idea.

After a long day of work, Trey suggested we go out for dinner at a nearby Italian Resturant. Good idea!

I Felt Like THAT Mom

2011-12-15T20:33:00.001-06:00

Today, Cheyenne had a Christmas performance at school and I missed it because I had to work. Yes, I felt like THAT mom -- the working mom (INSERT THE GINORMOUS GUILT-TRIP I HAD --- HERE). I got over myself pretty fast, once I knew Trey confirmed he would be able to attend her performance. Plus, Trey's parents were in town, so they went too. Trey said she didn't even ask for me. I guess, that's a good thing?

Out of all the days, I work, today was one of the busiest. This morning, I had a video shoot and later in the afternoon a photo shoot. Two big productions. Lots of pressure, but the good kind.

I was so thankful the university set-up this backdrop. It was perfect for taking group and individual photos. Over the next few days, my goal is to sort through all the photos. All 600 of them. I forgot to mention I also had another photo shoot yesterday evening -- So, my week is flying by. I like to have a quick turn around, on my work...no more than four days. I don't like for them to sit on my hard drive for too long. Plus, I know the students are anxious to see them.

During one of my breaks, I walked the campus housing model. Not too bad for college living.

Trey said Cheyenne's performance was fantastic and she sang her heart out. I'll share pictures and VIDEO soon.

My Secret: How I Still Fit in Skinny Jeans

2011-12-13T17:45:00.000-06:00

I've been packing on the pounds and I wanted to share a little secret with you. This is how I can still fit into my "skinny" jeans. I don't want to rip the button or stretch-out the material, so it's been decided I will retire them...I mean it this time.

See you post-pregnancy favorite jeans.

Yesterday, I had my third prenatal visit and I scored more vitamins. Thank you, wonderful nurses! I also talked with the office staff and found out what my total bill will cost, prenatal visits + the doctor charge at the hospital. Merry Christmas, to my doctor. Haha, actually the total cost was more affordable than I recall paying for Cheyenne's doctor, but Trey says it's about the same. Too bad, babies aren't free, but thank goodness for health insurance.

I took Cheyenne with me to the appoitment and we were both excited to hear the baby's heart beat. The doctor took a sonogram picture. Allow me to translate what you are viewing. The picture on the left, is the baby facing down. It's head is the circle region. The picture on the left is a 3D image, looking at him/her from behind. His/Her face is not showing.

This is a great picture of his/her spine. I could see him/her kicking its legs. There was a lot of motion going on in my stomach. The baby is measuring around 3.5 inches. I don't know if I mentioned this before, but Chey is hoping for a sister. Trey thinks it would be nice to have a boy, and I think it would be great to have another girl. Now, that I wrote that, it will most likely have a boy....I just know it. I'm okay, either way - obviously. Around February, we will find out the gender. You all will be the first to know.

After my visit, I babysat for my neighbor. This is William.

William and I watched Nick Jr, while Cheyenne napped. When she woke up they were both hungry, so they attacked my pantry. Cheyenne was giving me a look like: Woman, I know you have cookies in here!!!!!!!!

Infinity Scarf

2011-12-12T22:14:00.000-06:00

Cheyenne is modeling my latest creation, an infinity scarf. I finally found something I can crochet, that looks half-way decent. I don't know what it is, but around this time of year, I just want to create and be crafty. Making scarfs should keep me occupied for a while.

This scarf also fits me, but I think it looks better on Cheyenne. It's just her size.

I was inspired.....Thanks to a YouTube DIY video from ThreadBanger.

Cheyenne was walking around her room with a baby in her belly. Oh, by the way, I had a doctors appointment, more on that later.

A Little Hobby

2011-12-11T21:23:00.001-06:00

Lately, Chey's favorite pastime is putting puzzles together. She's pretty good at it too. When I was little I loved puzzles. In this picture my child is pant less, of course. Well, at least we were home. When I went to church this morning, I was concerned the workers were going to have to pull me aside to tell me my she would not keep her pants on, luckily that was not the case. She kept her clothes on, the entire time.

Today, thanks to Trey, I tried my first cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee. I've heard it's the best. It was the regular blend and it was pretty good. I saved half of it and I plan on drinking it cold ice, tomorrow morning.

Highlights of the day:
1. 6 mile Run
2. Italian Theme Potluck at Church - Amazing food and fellowship - I made Italian Sausage with tomato sauce and seasoned it with rosemary and oregano.
3. Talking to Linda on the phone for an hour - Her and her newborn baby are doing great. He's two weeks old.
4. Visiting with Trey's parents
5. Coffee from Trey
6. Crocheting a second infinity scarf. I'll post pictures of the one I completed. I'll do that in another post.

How I Cut Onions and Crockpot Comfort

2011-12-10T21:15:00.001-06:00

My morning started with a 10 mile run. I set my expectations low and figured I'd run close to an 11 minute pace per mile. I ended up running closer to a 10 minute pace, so that was a confident booster for this expecting mommy. I know it's early, but I'm telling you at 14 weeks -- I'm already feeling the baby move. During my run, I felt it and again a few hours later.

After my run, I didn't bother taking a shower because I went straight to yoga class at Lululemon. Cheyenne joined me. About 10 minutes into the class, Cheyenne approached me and I noticed her pants were missing. She was walking around the store pant less. She's going through a phase right now, where she wants to take her pants off, it's usually when she's at home. This is the first time she's done it in public. Everyone in class got a kick out of it. I have to admit it was more cute than embarrassing.

I've had this crockpot chili recipe for weeks and I finally made it. It could be paleofied, but I decided to add kidney beans. Here are the ingredients: Beef, garlic, cumin, chili powder, kidney beans, onions, green peppers, tomato sauce, and salt/pepper. I left it in the crockpot for 5 hours.

I can't stand how painful it is, on my eyes, when I chop onions. I started to cut the an onion for the chili and my eyes were burning, I stopped and searched Trey's gym bag and put on his googles. I'm so smart!

A few weeks ago, our neighbor, (the cookie baker) gave Trey a bag full of chocolate chip cookies. I kid you not, the bag was gallon size, the big freezer size -- full of cookies. Trey ate a lot and the next day, I was meeting Krista for coffee and I took her a small bag full. When Trey got home there were only four cookies left and he flipped out. Ever since then, he's been talking about how I gave his cookies away and basically I'm a terrible person. He's been asking me to make it up to him by making him cookies, so today I finally did. I think I saved our marriage. :)

Cheyenne enjoyed the cookies. Notice how she's not wearing a shirt...I'm telling you, she's going through a phase. First it was no pants, now she wants to lose the shirt too. What am I going to do with her?

Life Does Not Have to Be Perfect

2011-12-09T17:36:00.000-06:00

Here are some quotes that hopefully brighten up your day.

What do you have planned for the weekend? Here are my two priorities.

I'll be awesome by running this weekend. You know what? I have somehow managed to stress myself out with this 1,500 miles in 2011 - running goal. I'm already 10 miles behind for this week. It's not looking good. I may have to reel myself in. Time for a reality check!

Other than running, I plan on making tonight a pizza night, relaxing at home and trying a new crockpot chili recipe sometime Saturday or Sunday.

One last thing........

Last night, I was working out, at home, on the elliptical and Chey kept putting her Dora stickers on me. Attractive, dry legs -- I know.... I don't realize how dry my legs are until I get home from work and put on shorts. Nice.

December Birthday's

2011-12-08T16:28:00.001-06:00

Are you a December baby? It seems like there are a lot people I know who have a birthday this month. This past weekend, we celebrated Caleb's first birthday at Dave and Heather's house. If you ask me, it must be cool having a birthday in December, because you get so many gifts. Birthday + Christmas!
This is Heather and the birthday boy, Caleb.

This reminds me of cheyenne's first birthday.... It tastes so good, but has so many calories! I know, baby! It's a tough life.

Oh, my daughter can't keep a straight face. She's going to be making this same face in her wedding photos, I just know it!

In other news, today at work we had an amazing holiday reception. It was for the entire faculty and staff. There was a great jazz band and catered food. The decor was top-notch. This was my second year to attend. It was the highlight of my day. FUN Times!

PS......................................
I miss my treadmill, so much I could cry. This week is the perfect example why, having a treadmill is so convenient for me.
If Trey has to work late.
If it's too cold to run outside.
If I don't feel like being outside.
If I want to distract myself with TV.
SO many examples!!!!!!!! I could go on, but I won't.

By the way, I will most likely get a gym membership at Trey's gym at the beginning of the new year. It's only an extra 18 bucks a month for me to be added to his account. So, I'm in! I'm both excited and scared. I'm starting to show and I don't want to get any hate stares at the gym because I'm running during pregnancy. I'll keep you updated on the my gym status.

Christmas Photo Shoot

2011-12-07T17:50:00.000-06:00

Alright, my work here is done. Erin and Mike's Family photos are done. Here is one photo of the girls, I'll let Erin and Mike share their favorites with everyone.

Trey and I have not planned on taking Christmas photos, but I can always use the old tripod and self-timer. That should be interesting with a toddler. If I'm brave enough, I'll give it a try. The least I can do is take some snapshots of Cheyenne.

Are you guys doing Christmas photos this year? Need help? Let me know... I've got a camera or two and an assistant!

On The Pregnancy Front
The last few days, people I don't really know have been brave enough to ask me, if I'm pregnant. It must be obvious. The two things I crave today --- pizza hut and pop-tarts. I don't have those items readily available to me, so I guess those cravings will go unanswered. That's probably a good thing. Actually, Pizza Hut is walking distance from my office, but they only sell personal size pizzas. Those kiddie size portions don't fill me up. Anyone with me on that one? Or am I the only one willing to admit it. (Crickets)

Helpful - An Ongoing Theme

2011-12-06T21:45:00.001-06:00

Lately, Cheyenne has been my little helper -- photographer and now cook. She helped me make an Italian meal. Her main job was to stir the sauce.

And on a complete random note, I need to clean my purse. During the weekday, I don't carry a purse. On the weekends, I'll throw receipts, snacks, my camera, water bottle, make-up in my purse -- everything goes in there. It looks so chaotic. When I'm searching for something, it's like searching an abyss. All I can say is my house is cleaner than my purse. I have that.

Up and Coming Photographer

2011-12-05T20:56:00.001-06:00

You might want to start booking this photographer now because the more experience she gets, the more her prices will sky-rocket.

Today, Cheyenne helped me with Erin and Mike's Christmas Photo Shoot. I had two DSLR's. I prefer shooting with two because it's faster than having to transition when I use multiple lenses. Espeically, when you're photographing kids, you've gotta be fast.

Considering the type of lens Chey was using, I think she did a good job.

She was really getting into it. I don't think I'll be able to use any of the photos, but I will keep them for my own keepsake.

Gripping the camera like a pro! She was surprisingly comfortable with the camera -- I was impressed.

She was even telling the girls, MK and Brianna how to pose. CUTE!

Okay, I'll post some of the pictures of Erin's family, when I have a chance to sort through them. I wasn't planning on taking any Christmas Portraits, but Erin asked me and I was like sure! So, if you are interested, I'd be happy to help you too.

Christmas-fied & Visiting a Gym

2011-12-04T21:20:00.001-06:00

We've been busy this weekend, getting the house Christmas-fied.

While Chey was napping Trey and I got the Christmas decorations out of storage, moved Chey's craft table and set-up the tree.

By the time Chey woke-up, we were ready to put the finishing touches on it. I cannot believe how helpful she was. She took care of the bottom portion and I took care of the middle and top sections.

For a brief moment, I placed my new yoga mat under the Christmas tree and giggled with excitement. Tomorrow, there is a good chance of sleet and ice. It'll be a perfect day to stay in and practice yoga on the mat.

Send me your Christmas Card...I'm ready to hang it up.
Hey, last night, Trey's parents came to town for a Christmas party and they spent the night at our house. Andy, our nephew also spent the night. The boys stayed up late playing video games.

Tonight, we watched the Cowboys game. What the What Cowboys! Ugh! I want a winning team like Green Bay. I'm getting tired of these 4th quarter - nail biters.

Desperate Times, Call For Desperate Measures
My last run, was on Thursday. I told Trey, if I don't run today--things are gonna get ugly. The weather today was freezing and wet, so running outside was not an option. I drove to the gym and checked-in as a guest. I have a few more free passes before I have to make a decision to join.

At the gym, I ran 9 miles on the treadmill. OH MY GOSH! The first machine I ran on was messed up! It stopped 4 times. The TM message read: No user detected. At first I thought it was something I was doing, but after 4 miles of stop and go, I asked a staff member and she suggested I use a different machine. I switched to a different TM, I did the exact same thing and there were no surprise stops. I watched about 30 minutes of Clueless and then watched the Cowboys game. I also rode 4 miles on a stationary bike. This was my POV on the bike. The treadmills have personal TVs, but the bikes don't.

The Gift of Yoga

2011-12-03T17:11:00.001-06:00

This morning, Chey and I went to Lululemon's Christmas Party/ Gift of Yoga Class. Chey loves going with me to that store and she is usually well behaved (I hope I didn't jinx myself) -- except one time she had a melt down when it was time to go.

I like how the store is kid friendly. They have a big box of toys and some of the other parents also brought their children, so the kids were entertained.

I was talking with the store manager afterwards and was explaining how the majority of my Christmas List is primarily Lulu. She noticed I had two old yoga mats with me. Here is the one I used today.

I've had them (the other one is not pictured) for at least five years. I got them at Wal-Mart and the latex is starting to peel on both of them. They are in bad shape. I've been wanting a Lululemon mat AND guess what was gifted to me, today?!! Thank you Lululemon! I love my new YOGA MAT!!!!!!! Merry Christmas to me.

This is called THE MAT and I hear it's great for hot yoga.

Look at the toys next to me. I placed the toys there, so I could keep an eye on Chey while she was playing. She chose to spend the majority of her time, in the back, playing with the other kids.

Every so often she would run up to me and hug me and tell me something. It was so cute.

If I would've thought about it then, I would've dressed Chey in her tutu when we went to Barre Class a few weeks ago. This is a tutu Serena made for Chey. This girl loves it.
I'm so thankful for a new yoga mat and a great yoga class and also for spending time with Cheyenne. We had a great morning. Namaste!

Put Your Big Girl Panties On and Deal With It!

2011-12-02T16:15:00.000-06:00

I hope you are ready for a lot of randomness.

Yesterday, Cheyenne ran around the corner and scared me, dressed up like this....She also decided this outfit was perfect bedtime attire. T-shirt Reads: Put Your Big Girl Panties on and Deal with it! Well, said.

Right before, I went for a run, a caught a glimpse of my profile in the mirror. I was amazed at the size of my stomach. Already! OH and look at my monkey. She insisted on wearing her mask to Mrs. Erin's house, today.

The past two nights, Trey has been feeling sick, so we've been sleeping with the humidifier on. I love the humidifier, especially during the dry winter. I sleep better and my skin feels so soft. Plus, I like the noise it makes. I think I'm channeling Liz Lemon. Any 30 Rock fans? --- Trey says we need a good humidifier. Yeah, you know you're getting old, when we start discussing NICE humidifiers.

Trey wasted no time moving my treadmill to the garage. I pulled into the driveway yesterday and he was rolling my TM out the front door. I was like: HEY! What do you think you're doing?!

The treadmill was in the living room, now my small elliptical is occupying the space. Don't get too comfortable.

Tasha got an iPhone4!!!! I'm so excited for her. Now, I can FaceTime with my Mom and Bella -- oh yeah and Tasha too. Don't spend too much time looking at my picture. I just got back from my run and I was tired.

This month I have two freelance photography jobs. I'm so thankful for that! So, I finally invested in a Gary Fong Lightsphere. It's a flash diffuser that should help diffuse harsh shadows and help minimize oily faces. My friend, David Ruiz who is also a photographer recommended it. You should check out his site. He takes amazing photographs. He needs to give me his camera and then school me on how to use it.

Christmas Consumer Post. Three Things.

2011-12-01T17:40:00.000-06:00

ONE:
For the past few days, Trey has been asking for my Christmas Wish List. This year, I did something different. I utilized Pinterest.

This is from my Gotta Have Board. Oh, wow -- I'm so obsessed with running. By looking at this you can see I love running and apparently, Panda Express. That's a pregnancy craving of mine. Actually, that was mainly during the first trimester. These days, I crave Taco Bueno. Yesterday, I gave in and got a muchacho. So, good.

TWO:
My treadmill is still broken. Trey says he'll call the company to see what they say and see if we need to buy a replacement part. I hope it's nothing too expensive. So, for the first time in years, I'm considering a gym membership. Trey and I could combine our membership and get a family discount. It's actually quite affordable in comparison to most gyms in DFW. OH, and it's nice.

EDITED: Treadmill Update: It will cost $200 for a replacement part. That's what I want for Christmas! Agh! Trey said he's not buying me that for Christmas. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Probably a good thing. Christmas gifts in December and Treadmill in ???? January???? I can only hope. If I get my treadmill fixed, I'm not getting a gym membership. Hold me to that.

THREE:
Some of you may already know about this online store, but I just discovered it, like a month ago and it's now my favorite. It's UrbanOG. They have super cute, super affordable boots. They also have a fashion channel on YouTube. I bought these riding boots. Cheyenne likes to call them, hunting boots. I found a coupon code online and only paid 32 dollars. That's it. Now, I need grey or brown leggings. I don't own any brown clothes. Brown clothes and shoes usually scare me, fashion wise -- IDK why. Maybe because black is so easy to mix and match. I've never really invested in a neutral/brown wardrobe. I guess, I better start because I'm not a fan of the whole black with brown look and I've got new boots.

Look What the Mailman Delivered

2011-11-30T21:57:00.001-06:00

Trey and Cheyenne received their Cotton Bowl Tickets. This is an event Trey wants to take Cheyenne to every year. Last year, he didn't have to purchase a ticket for her, but this time, he had to.

Here is a random look at my entryway.

This is my running pile. Jacket, gloves, SPIbelt, headphones and ear warmers. Yes, it's winter running.

Discovered Some Photos

2011-11-29T14:36:00.001-06:00

Saturday, I borrowed my old Canon EOS Rebel Camera from my in-laws, since my camera battery died. While I was downloading photos, of the birthday party, I found these photos. These pictures were taken a while back. I think this was from Cheyenne's last Abilene trip, pre-thanksgiving.

This is her cousin, DJ.

I love her expression!

During Chey's birthday party, Hilario said, "hey, that looks like Tasha!" She does! (see picture below). She looks like Tasha when she was younger. I couldn't stop laughing. Oh, and just so you know, this blanket is so soft. It would be a great Christmas gift, to a little girl or boy. Chey loves it.
Before we left town, Chey had to have her nails done.

Quality time with family is the best.

Getting Back To It

2011-11-28T21:15:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving break was so much fun. I enjoyed seeing all my family. Here is a photo I forgot to post. I come from a family of girls. I wonder if I will have a girl or a boy, this time around. We need boys to help balance us out. Poor Frank, Hilario and Trey, they are out numbered.

It's a new week and I'm trying to get back to my normal routine. We arrived at home yesterday evening. I had plenty of laundry to do, but I started my morning with a run. I had to wait until Trey got back from the gym, which wasn't a problem -- I was so tired. He actually woke me up and asked, "aren't' you going to go running?" Umm, yeah.

I had the hardest time convincing myself to go outside to run. Why? I checked the weather. It was 29 degrees and my bed was so toasty. In the end I got my miles. 4 miles. Later, before dinner time, Cheyenne joined me for a walk. She almost walked a full mile. It took us almost 30 minutes. She would walk, sprint, get out of breath, rest, and then repeat it all over again.

This afternoon, I got Cheyenne some flavored greek yogurt. Erin, recommended it. Sam's Club sells a 12 pack for 10 dollars. It's a really good deal. I don't eat much yogurt, but I might have to dig into this stash. It's pretty good.

My workouts from last week. Short 2 miles of my goal. Not bad though.

Cheyenne's 3rd Birthday Party

2011-11-27T21:03:00.001-06:00

This weekend we celebrated Cheyenne's 3rd birthday with our family, in Abilene.

Mom and the birthday girl

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to....

Angelica and I wore the same thing to the party. Gosh, how embarrassing! Ha!

Girls!

Cheyenne was taunting Nanny with celery. That's not nice.

They made the kid table look fun.

Oh and so much Dora!

Tasha and Bella

Amy cooking in her PJs. Who says you can't wear PJs to an afternoon party? WHO?!

She even had a personal size Tinker Bell Cake.

One of her gifts

One of her favorite gifts she got, it's a porcelain tea set.
Tea Time

She got so many gifts. Thanks, everyone!

Welcome to the World

2011-11-27T07:38:00.001-06:00

Friday, morning Trey called me to say Linda's water broke. She was in active labor. I spent the majority of my day anxiously waiting to hear more details. A few hours later, Steve (her husband), texted me to say they were at the hospital ready for take-off.

Around 8 pm, I finally got the message she delivered a beautiful-healthy baby boy. Allow me to introduce you to Evan. This is his first blog debut. Welcome to the world Evan!

Thanksgiving in Abilene 2011

2011-11-25T15:37:00.001-06:00

We spent our Thanksgiving with Family in Abilene. Wednesday evening, we hit the road and faced bad traffic in Weatherford. We were hoping to have dinner with family, but the traffic held us up, so we just got food on the road. I want to say, we were on the road for three hours. I took this picture when our side of the road, cleared up, however you can see how bad the oncoming traffic is. That's what we had to deal with too.

Cheyenne was watching Tangled on my phone, Trey was listening to talk radio, so I entertained myself, by taking pictures of the car stereo. I should've conserved my camera battery because now it's dead and I forgot my extra pack and I have no charger. A photographers worst nightmare! I still managed to take a few photos on Thanksgiving.

We are so blessed, we had two Thanksgiving meals. One meal from Trey's side of the family and another from my side. Here is my Mom busy in the kitchen. Frank and my Mom, recently bought this new house. They also announced they have set a date to get married. It'll be spring 2012. EXCITING! I know a photographer and videographer....Family Discount = free.

Chey was my personal taste tester. I stirred. She tasted. We made a killer jello chocolate pie.

It's a Kraft Recipe. Here it is, if you are interested in making it yourself. Super-Easy and kid friendly. And for the record my photo looks better than Kraft's. Boom!

Hilario and Bella were patiently waiting to eat. Notice the Cowboy Jersey. Represent!

Did anyone brave the Black Friday crowds? I did! I didn't do the 10 pm/midnight shopping. Actually, I'm not a fan. What is that --- a new thing? It's like opening all your Christmas presents on Christmas Eve, it just takes all the special out of Christmas Day. Do you know what I mean? Maybe it's a good thing, I don't know. All the die-hards were in bed by the time I got going, so maybe it was a good thing. Actually, the crowds were reasonable. Really.

Trey's mom and I started our morning with H-E-B coffee and La Popular breakfast burritos. Our first stop was Shoe Carnival and later we hit up the following stores: TJ Maxx, Old Navy, and Wal-Mart.
Notice how Mom and Nanny are matching....They said they didn't plan it....sure. Shopping Twins!

Around lunch time, I met up with the Trey and the rest of the guys. We ended up going to Game Stop, an instrument store and several pawn shops. The guys found a great deal on an electric guitar. I'm glad they found a deal, but for the most part, I think Pawn Shops are a rip off. Check out this old Apple iBook for $250. C'mon now, this is worth maybe $50 bucks. I would know, I have the same computer at home.

Cheyenne's first Black Friday. Today, all she kept saying was, "I want that. I want that." So, I can basically get her any toy and she'll be happy. In this photo she was holding a DS Nintendo Dora the Explorer game. While she was with me I did some of her Christmas shopping. Nana distracted her, while Trey and I bought her presents and took them to the car. We're so sneaky.

Okay, it's time to hit the bed. I've been awake since 5 am. I've been on my feet. I even went for a 6 mile run this afternoon. Oh, and afterwards -- Chey joined me for a cool down. She ran and walked about 0.75 miles. I think someone is almost ready for a 1 mile fun run!!!! Speaking of running --- Thanksgiving morning, I met up Sherri and a few Abilene Runners Club folks. We had our own little Turkey Trot.

Here is the most recent photo I have of Sherri. This was at Palo Duro 50K.

I ran 8 miles. For the first 3 miles Sherri forgot I was pregnant and we were running a 9 min. pace. I wasn't dying, but I wasn't having the time of my running life either. Sherri and her friend did most of the talking for the first few minutes, they probably thought wow, Dom is a great listener. Haha! Later, Sherri told me she felt bad for pushing the pace, because she remembered I was expecting. I was fine. The remaining miles were at a more relaxed/easy pace.

Turkey Day Plans & 11 Week Pregnancy Snapshot

2011-11-24T05:15:00.000-06:00

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving! Here are my plans for the day: run, eat turkey for lunch and dinner, watch the Cowboys game, visit with family and spend way too much time looking at Black Friday ads.

This photo is from Thanksgiving 2006, when my mom helped me make my first turkey. She was at my house, overseeing my work, but she refused to touch the bird. She wanted my hands on it and there you have it, my first turkey.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pregnancy Snapshot
Hello, bubbly belly. You are making an early appearance. Body, pace yourself, this is not a sprint, it's a marathon. I'm showing much faster this time around, see for yourself.

12 weeks with Cheyenne

From Pregnancy

Yesterday, I had an eating breakthrough, my spring salad looked and tasted great. Maybe I can start packing them for my work lunch again.

How to Make the Most Out of a Tight Schedule & Birthday Celebration

2011-11-23T12:21:00.001-06:00

I'm on track with my morning workouts, however I'm not racking up the mega miles, like I had hoped. Yes, these days 30 miles is a big deal. Trey has recommitted going to the gym every weekday. That's fantastic news! I know, but that means I'm pressed for time with my morning workouts. This is when having a working treadmill would be nice. Yesterday morning, I only had time to run 2 miles and this morning I squeezed in three miles.

I think I found a strategy to make the most of my run time before Trey heads to the gym. I run as many loops around my neighborhood as I can. One loop equals 1 mile. I love my neighborhood, I may never move. As long as I have a 10 minute window that allows Trey to get to the gym, I'm good. Sometimes he runs late, so if I have 10 minutes to spare and he's not ready to leave I can sprint the road that's right in front of my house (back and forth). He won't have to call me to tell me he's leaving because I will see him and then I know, ok -- it's time to go home. That's what I did this morning and ended up running an extra mile, just waiting for him to leave. I still have extra time to workout indoors before getting ready for work, so the last two days I've rolled out the elliptical and weights. That's how you do it people!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last night, the birthday girl wanted to eat Italian food, so we celebrated at Pizza Inn. There pizza is so good and they have so many options on the buffet. Cheyenne loves spagetti more than pizza.

I think she was mad because she had to stop eating for a moment, in order for me to take a photo.

Piggy-Back Ride. Oh, me next!

Trey bought her an individual size tangled cupcake. We sang happy birthday and put her to bed with a belly full of sugar. Thanksgiving is tomorrow! I know a lot of people are traveling today, so be safe on the road. We'll be on the road too. Off to Abilene. We are looking forward to seeing all of our family and friends.

My Birthday Girl. Three Years Old.

2011-11-22T08:02:00.001-06:00

Today is a special day. Today is Cheyenne's 3rd birthday. This morning I took her to get donuts. That never happens, so she was surprised. This is the first year, she understands it's her special day. Trey wished her a happy birthday and she asked, "What did you get me?" She's a smart girl!

Tonight, Trey and I are going to take her out and later this weekend we'll celebrate with the entire family. That's the great thing about her birthday falling so close to Thanksgiving.

The necklace I got her came with dangly earrings. She asked if she could wear them. Sure. Why not?

She's had her ears pierced since she was 6 months old and we've never taken them off. One day, I'm going to get her diamond earrings, but I want to wait until she's old enough to appreciate them. Actually, I think it would be sweeter if Trey gave them to her. I think it would mean more to her, coming from him. Or maybe I'm just over thinking it.

My little girl has grown so much.

It seems like just yesterday. Is this what I will be saying when she leaves for college?

Now, she's a lithe person. She has so much energy and joy. She is such a blessing to us.

Early Present

2011-11-21T21:00:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago, a friend told me about a store that sells reasonably priced jewelry. This morning, I took Cheyenne shopping there. She picked out an early birthday present.

Most of the jewelry is .99 cents.

While we were out, we had my favorite comfort food simmering in the slow cooker. I love Paula Deen's Taco Soup Recipe. I first discovered/made the recipe, while I was in college. I don't make it often because I'm the only one who eats it, but today I found out, Cheyenne likes it too. Here is the recipe if you are interested. I cut the recipe in half. No cheese, no sour cream, no chips.

Here is my mileage from last week. My goal this week is to wake-up early and run before work. My goal is to run at least 30 miles.

Faithful Teachers

2011-11-20T14:21:00.001-06:00

This morning our Sunday School surprised our Sunday School teachers with a party. Guy and Gwen have been serving as teachers for our class for years. Today, was their last day to teach and they were so excited to see a room full of friends.

This couple inspires me. They married young and shortly after, Guy fought in the military during World War II. They've served the Lord for decades. They are full of more energy than most 60 year olds I know and they are in their 80's. They go to a gym several times a week. The gym program they are in, is called silver sneakers. Too cute.

Before heading to the party, we stopped and picked up donuts for our class. I didn't want a whole donut, so I asked Chey if I could have a bite of hers -- I was denied (see previous blog post).

Every family was asked to bring something to the party. I was afraid everyone was going to show-up with donuts. Luckily, we were the only ones who brought some. Whew!

West 7th Family Date Night

2011-11-20T13:49:00.001-06:00

Last night, we went out to dinner and afterwards, Trey wanted to take us to Sweet Sammies.

We sat on the Movie Tavern patio and people watched.

I was so full from dinner, so I picked at Chey's ice cream. Krazy Kookie Dough Ice Cream, you gotta try this flavor.

Lately, she doesn't like sharing her food with me. She'll say, "Momma, don't eat all my food!" It's embarrassing when she says that when we're in public. People probably think I eat her food all the time. -- BTW I don't :) In this photo, it looks like she's about to punch me with her sprinkle cookie. I'm telling you, she doesn't like sharing with me.

Would like to Reach 1,500 Miles For the Year

2011-11-18T17:35:00.000-06:00

Playing with Dora, while watching Dora.
I don't have an update on the treadmill. It's in the same condition. Trey has been working late and hasn't had a free moment. I hope he makes it a priority this weekend.

Since I'm dealing with some pain in my left leg, I haven't been itching to run. Last night, I did P90X Plyometrics. I don't have the extra energy I use to. I had to modify a few of the moves and drop my intensity. It would be nice to run this weekend, especially, since my goal is to run 1,500 miles this year. I'm close to reaching my goal, but I can't afford to take a lot of days off from running. I think I need to run around 28 miles a week from now until the end of December.

Registered for a Half Marathon & Sad News About My Treadmill

2011-11-16T20:55:00.001-06:00

Last night, I waited 2 hours before the Cowtown registration price increase, to sign-up for the Half Marathon. Now it's official. I would say, let the training begin -- but I've been training so let the training continue.

I have some sad news about my treadmill.

Last night, I was running on my treadmill and out of nowhere it abruptly came to a halt. When I tried to restart it, I got an error message. Trey said, great that's just one more thing I need to fix. He can add that to his honey do list.

Trey's Honey Do List:

1. Fix Plumbing in the bathroom

2. Fix the ice machine

3. Give me a massage :)

I deserve a massage, especially after he made a mean comment about me -- He said I broke the treadmill because I exceeded the weight limit. I'm only 10 weeks and he's already coming at me with the pregnancy jokes. It's going to be a long pregnancy.

Family Date Night

2011-11-15T17:40:00.000-06:00

Somebody has strong pregnancy cravings. Friday, before dinnertime I told Trey I was craving pizza or mexican food. We ended up going to Rosa's. It was so nice to have an impromptu date night with the family. We should do that more often during the week. And we should obviously bring back pizza and a movie night on Friday's. All in favor say I. I --- infinity!

Do you have a scheduled date night with your family? I know a few couples we go to church with make it a point to go out once a week as an entire family. I don't think the restaurant needs to be expensive, it's just nice to all go out, enjoy each others company.

Anytime, I order food from a drive thru, Cheyenne will start yelling, "I want a burrito!" It doesn't matter if it's a hamburger joint or Chinese, the girl wants a bean burrito.

Our Thanksgiving with Friends

2011-11-14T12:12:00.001-06:00

I've always wanted to have friends over for a thanksgiving dinner and last night, I finally did it. I started cooking at 2:30 pm and dinner was ready at 7 pm. Trey was doing his normal Sunday thing -- sitting on the sofa watching football. He asked me, "Do you need any help?" I answered, "No, you're doing exactly what you need to be doing." With that being said, he did help me clean up some of the mess before our guest arrived. So, thanks!

Mike, Erin and their two girls joined us for a Thanksgiving feast. Erin watches Cheyenne during the work week. Erin has been to the house numerous times, but this was the first time to have the entire family over for dinner. It was a real treat.

Before I started making anything, I called the expert, my mom and asked her for some turkey advice. The last two times, I made turkey she was with me...this time I flew solo. Thanks mom for answering all my questions. I was terrified, it wouldn't be ready in time and it wouldn't cook all the way through. But it turned out great.

A good portion of the meal was paleo friendly.
The Menu
Turkey
Paleo Stuffing
Holiday Yams
Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
----Crowd Pleasers for Everyone---
Creamy Macaroni (Paula Deen Recipe)
Cranberry Sauce (The Can, Trey's Favorite)
Rolls (Whole Wheat Rolls, homemade by Erin)
Oreo Cookie (another homemade recipe by Erin)

All of the paleo recipes I got from Everyday Paleo. Here is my cheat sheet. I can say all the recipes I made are keepers. SERIOUSLY.

Paleo Stuffing - No, bread stuffing. I was cooking with chicken sausage, which I never use and I threw the sausage with the wrap in a heated pan. I wasn't sure if I could cook the wrapped sausage, so I had to grab it out of the pot and peel it off. I'm such a rookie.

Holiday Yams were surprisingly delicious. I usually prefer just salt and pepper on my sweet potatoes, but I have to admit it was fantastic with all the extras.

Erin made homemade Oreo cookies. So good.
What a great night! What are your plans for Thanksgiving? Lots of yummy food, I hope.

My Favorite Workout Partner

2011-11-13T09:00:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, Trey and Cheyenne joined me for Barre class at Lululemon. No, Trey didn't workout with me, he just spectated and eventually moved in the back to sit on the sofa. Cheyenne joined me for a portion of the workout. Here is a clip of us, working it out. Before heading to class, I ran 8 miles. I'm following a half marathon training schedule, even though I don't know for sure if I will be racing the Cowtown half marathon in February. I just want to be prepared in case I do race it.

Welcome to the World Sofia

2011-11-12T20:50:00.001-06:00

My friend Serena gave birth to Sofia earlier this week. I just wanted to say congratulations. I saw her and baby briefly, Thursday afternoon.

I took Serena's maternity portraits in September. Congratulations, Gabe and Serena! Parenthood is amazing. The first few months are exhausting, but trust me you will adjust. Just when you think you can't take it anymore, your baby will do the cutest thing and melt your heart.

My next friend due to have a baby is LINDA. I'm excited for her and Steve. I think she is 38 weeks. So, really any day now, she could go into labor. My turn will be this summer. I guess I still have plenty of time.
I totally ripped this picture off of Facebook. :)

In my pregnancy world, it looks like I will be retiring my EXPRESS shirts. I'm only 10 weeks and I'm retiring shirts...Can you believe it? You don't even want to know how long I've been wearing maternity pants. It's true what "they" say, you really do start showing a lot sooner on the second one.

I Was Going to Get Braces But....

2011-11-11T10:58:00.001-06:00

When I was elementary age, I fell off my bike -- and landed teeth first. I ate dirt. My two front teeth almost fell out. They were loose, but over the course of a few days they went back to "normal" (kind of). Ever since that fall, they didn't line up straight...they were crooked. Because of that, for the last five years, I have been talking about getting braces.

This picture was taken in 2009. The two front teeth sat back behind the others and they were turning grey. The color change was so gradual, I didn't even notice it until my dentist pointed it out.

This is the first year, I started taking action steps, to get braces. This spring, I met with an orthodontist. She gave me a $3,500 dollar quote and said before she could do any work, my dentist had to examine my two front teeth. I was so frustrated. At that point, I just wanted metal in my mouth and I knew if my dentist needed to do work on my teeth first, that was going to cost more money. Since I was serious about getting braces, I met with my dentist and over the course of several months, I've had two root canals and two crowns placed on my two front teeth. All this time, I had no idea the work my dentist was doing was actually going to make my two front teeth straight. Imagine my surprise....

So, I am beyond excited!!!!
1. I don't really need braces anymore
2. I've saved thousands of dollars (literally)
3. I can smile and not feel self conscious (that feels AMAZING)
4. And did I mention I saved thousands of dollars

Eventually, I might get more cosmetic dental work done, which may or may not include some kind of braces, but for now I'm really pleased with these results.

$mile big! Yesterday, I got fitted with my permenant crowns, they are pretty. So, no more cautious chewing for me. Someone bring me steak.

If Cheyenne needs braces, I'm going to get them for her. I think it's worth it.

About the above pictures. Trey said if I wanted to go running, last night, I had to make him chocolate covered pretzels. He's so demanding and spoiled. This morning Cheyenne had a hard time waking up, so I lured her out of bed, by promising I'd give her some...I'm turning into that mom. Haha! You know you can relate...

Running Down Hunger

2011-11-10T17:35:00.000-06:00

Lululemon and EndurLAB are teaming up with Tarrant Area Food Bank for the month of November. This month you can drop off nonperishable foods at the Fort Worth Lululemon location. For More information check out EnduraLAB's website. Side Note: HUGE congratulations to EnduraLAB on their big announcement. They are opening Fort Worth's first endurance specific gym! If you are an investor, they've got some options for you.

Look at all those pretty girls...

I have to admit this...when I talk about other run groups in town, I've been known to break them down into groups..... I can't help it. This is my observation.

When I think of Luke's Locker, I think speed demons, super fast, serious runners. I don't know if I could hang with them.

When I think of Ft. Worth Running Co. I think of runners who have a full calendar of races lined up. They are a cool group. I've ran with them once.

Now, when I think of the Lululemon Run Group, I think best dressed, pretty girls, who will surprise you with their speed. Oh, I love this run group! I don't go often enough. You should join us. It's free, it's open to men and women, we usually do speed work, so if distance running is a concern to you -- no worries. We usually do running drills and everyone runs at their own pace. Join us next week and bring some food for the Tarrant Area Food Bank collection.

Oh and one of the most convenient things about run group --- children are welcome. This is Cheyenne acting silly while I was running.

She was trying to hold Jack, Isis and Lee's baby. She's going to be the best big sister.

This is Hard. I Can't Decide.

2011-11-09T20:40:00.000-06:00

I've got some decisions to make....Race Decisions. There are several races coming up and I have not made up my mind if I'm going to register.

Dallas White Rock Marathon
Hmmm -- Well, I've made up my mind about this one.
Pre-pregnancy, I had a feeling I was going to skip this one. WHY? Because after training for Palo Duro, I was burnt out on 3 hour long runs.

2010 Dallas White Rock (4:15:29)

5K Turkey Trot
This is the race on the front burner. 20 dollars on a Turkey Trot race or 20 dollars to spend on black friday? Or should I be a responsible adult and spend zero $ because it's looking like it might be a tight Christmas....Especially, since my dentist office called and said oh, by the way -- we messed up and it looks like we forgot to bill you for one of the crowns. Bye-Bye hundred dollar bills....and hello emergency fund. At least, I can be thankful for freelance projects coming up in December.

2009 Fort Worth 10K Turkey Trot with Cheyenne in the baby jogger (1:01:15)

Lake -- Half Marathon
I've ran this race 3 years in a row. I like it because it's the most affordable half marathon you can find in the area. The downfall, is there are not enough aid stations, but that's an easy fix -- handheld water bottle.

2010 Lake Half Marathon (2:02:10) in the freezing cold!

Cowtown Marathon
This is a Fort Worth tradition for me...not running it would be like not celebrating Christmas. If I ran Cowtown, the marathon and ultra are not an option --- I'm leaning towards the half marathon. If my calculations are right -- I will be around 6 months pregnant. I'm already carrying extra weight, so thinking about carrying an extra 10 plus pounds or more sounds exhausting. But at the same time I really want to run it. I have got to make up my mind because the first registration deadline is quickly approaching. NEXT WEEK.

2011 Cowtown Ultra Marathon (5:27:24)

Already Working on That List

2011-11-08T16:56:00.001-06:00

So, maybe my daughter is a little excited about Christmas. Who isn't? She's so excited she's already working on her Chrismtas list.

We have a Wal-Mart toy catalog and she's circled everything she wants. Lucky girl, also has a birthday coming up.

I'm going to follow her lead and post a few of my wish list items. Remember this is a wish list, but I hope my Santa takes note. Uhhh-hmm -- TREY.

Lululemon Brisk Run Gloves. I can use these and still control my iPhone.

Nike GPS Sports Watch Powered by Tom Tom

Lululemon Reversible Wunder Unders

I a new set of dishes would be wonderful. My current set is in bad shape. Santa, I prefer classic white.

That's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure if you give me more time I can come up with a longer list. So, what do you want for Christmas? Or is it too soon to even think about it?

Belly Rubs & Kisses at 9 Weeks

2011-11-07T16:10:00.005-06:00

I know this much:
I'm 9 weeks pregnant.
Food tastes good again.
I'm gaining weight like crazy. I should probably slow down.
When I run, I breathe like I'm out of shape.
These days, 10 minute 30 seconds is a decent running pace.
On a great day, it's 9:30.

Today, I met my doctor. I like her. She's easy to talk to. She doesn't know I'm a runner. She said, the elliptical is a good way to workout during pregnancy and if I do run, the treadmill is a good option, but keep it at 3 mph once I get into the 20 weeks stage. Umm, 3 mph is walking. Trey was there with me and neither one of us mentioned palo duro. I'm sure she'd be fine with me running throughout pregnancy. My previous doctor was like....oh, yeah run till the end, but you'll probably be slow. He was right. I ran up until the very end and I was slow like a turtle.

So, here is our little baby.

Cheyenne has decided she's growing a baby too. She's been more excited about this pregnancy than I thought she'd be. She likes to rub, kiss and talk to my belly. Sometimes at night she'll kiss my stomach and say goodnight baby. She is going to be a great big sister.

These two pictures are from earlier today. Krista came over for coffee and a play date. I'm glad someone is drinking my coffee. Pre-pregnancy I drank two cups of black coffee everyday. Now, I only have maybe one cup a week. I just don't crave or want it, as much as I use to. I'm sure after the baby arrives I'll be back to it.

Below I posted my Daily Mile stats from last week.
You guys---have got to try BARRE! I went to my first barre class at Lululemon this past Saturday. I loved it. It's like ballet for adults. I'm so sore because I'm not use to working out those little muscles.

iPhone Update:
Oh, I almost forgot to mention -- Trey got his iPhone replaced from Apple, free of charge. Yay!

I Like Daylight Savings Time Change & Football

2011-11-06T19:20:00.000-06:00

How is everyone adjust to Daylight Savings Time? This runner loves it! Last night, I stayed up late watching a movie and instead of sleeping in, I woke up at 5:30 am, WIDE AWAKE. So, at 6:30 am the sun was out and I took advantage of it by going on a 3 mile run. I appreciate the early sunrise, again. I've missed it. However, the downside of it is --- when I come home from work, it will be dark. How depressing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY FOOTBALL
This morning, Chey and I went to church and then hurried home to catch the beginning of the Cowboys game.

Meanwhile, Trey was at the game. LUCKY!!!!
Next time, he better take me with him or else...
Maybe I'll go on a cooking strike or something.

And here is a photo that does not relate to this post, but I thought it was cute. It's Trey's parents. Look at those love birds.
Everyone have a great week.

HVAC Team Photos

2011-11-04T20:15:00.000-06:00

This morning, I met with Trey and his co-workers at Cowboys Stadium parking lot. They wanted me to take a team photo of them for the company newsletter. The company Trey works for has multiple locations in the state of Texas. Each month they spotlight a region and I guess, its the DFW's turn.

Nothing says DFW like Cowboys Stadium. Gotta represent.

The Service Technicians

This last photo is my favorite. I was concerned about the morning sunrise and the harsh shadows, but we worked around it. I kind of had to...

Speaking of Cowboys Stadium, I'm so jealous -- Trey will be going to a Cowboys game this weekend, without me. He's going with the guys from his fantasy football team.

How I Want to Camp

2011-11-03T21:00:00.002-06:00

This past weekend, Jari and John rolled into town with this beast. It's nice. That's what I call camping. It was great to see them and their new baby.

What do think of the cold front that just rolled in? The colder temps have me craving comfort food. The other morning I was watching WFAA Daybreak News and I came across this simple chili recipe. I made it and it was pretty good. I didn't add the beans, so it was basically a tomato and beef chili stew. It was delicious.

It was not a crockpot recipe, but I desperately want to use my crockpot to make something good. Got any ideas? Think comfort food. Well, think healthy comfort food. Does that exists?

In money down the drain news. It looks like we have a plumbing issue in the master bathroom. It's a problem Mr. Handyman can't' fix. What? I didn't know that was possible...He tried fixing it, but the problem is beyond him. So, it looks like we're going to have to call an expert. This stinks so bad.

Freebies and Crappy Food

2011-11-02T19:37:00.000-06:00

Here are some "freebies" I got at my initial doctors appointment. The nurse asked, "Do you want a little bit of samples or do you want a lot?" I said, a lot PLEASE. These prenatal vitamins should last me at least two months. This time around, I'm using a different doctor. The reason why I chose a different doctor is because of scheduling. My old doctor does not see patients on the day I prefer to go --- but this new one does.

Here are the goodies I got, when I was pregnant with Cheyenne.

Well, tonight the electricity on our block went out. I had no electricity to cook dinner and it was really dark in the house, so we decided to go out for Italian. There is a locally owned Italian restaurant close to us, so we went there.

Ever since our vacation, I've been eating like crap. Processed food = CRAP. It's just like I've said before, food taste different and it's hard for me not to gag when I think about eating an entire salad and salads are suppose to be my thing! I'm going to suck it up and go back to my old habits, starting now. I just don't like the way I feel when I eat processed food, for more than 50% of my meals. I feel super gross, but that could just be my prego hormones too.

Here are some pictures of Cheyenne eating spaghetti.

Burnt Ice Cream & Cracked iPhone

2011-11-01T12:10:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I planned on meeting a friend at Yogurtland, but she totally forgot. What's up with that? She felt terrible, sooooo we're still friends. Chey and I were already in route to meet her, when I got the news she wouldn't be there--- Trey called to tell me he got off of work a little early, so we decided to meet for dessert with him. WIN.

The Mini Blizzard is just my size. Too bad it didn't taste right. It had a weird burnt after-taste. I'm going to blame it on the pregnancy. There is a growing list of foods that don't taste the same, now that I'm pregnant. Weird, I know, but it's even more annoying.

This man loves Dairy Queen. I think his soul purpose in life is to eat at every Dairy Queen in the state of Texas. Every small town we drive through, he tells me, "I've ate at that one. At that one. And that one. OH, that's one I haven't bee too, I need to make sure and stop there." Ice cream isn't my thing, but it's alright every now and then.

A few hours before we met, he cracked his iPhone. He even had it in the Defender OtterBox and the glass, still cracked. If this was my phone, there would've been tears.

Do you have a heavy duty phone case? I've damaged to many iPhones. I don't trust myself with an uncased phone. My iPhone is rarely out of its OtterBox. When I purchased it, the phone went from iPhone box to heavy duty protective case. I guess, this proves, not even the OtterBox is invincible.

Trey has an appointment at the Apple store, so we'll find out in a few days what they can do for him. This is his company phone. The good thing is, the phone still works.

Trick or Treat 2011

2011-10-31T20:41:00.000-06:00

Trick or Treat!

We spent our evening at a community fall festival. We ended our night walking half a mile around our block. We made a killin', on candy. If you want to get "the good candy" you need to come this way. These people don't play. The couple, who live two houses down, were giving out full size candy bars. Full Size Candy Bars! We also found out the people who are building behind us are building a one story mini mansion -- oh, yeah and a pool. Cheyenne did a good job of sharing her bit of news too...She told every other person, "I'm going to be a sister!"

My little ladybug.

Trey was helping Cheyenne put on her boots.

Her mask glowed in the dark.

I asked her to take it off, for a moment and she was not happy.

We found Cheyenne's buddy at the fall festival.
Dave, our friend and life group leader was volunteering at the festival. He was a Christmas Tree. Nice skirt!

Trey insisted on wearing his bubba teeth. Trey, you're embarrassing me. Haha! But really, those teeth are not flattering.

Our AM

2011-10-29T15:32:00.003-06:00

This morning, I called my Mom. I'm pretty sure I woke her up. I couldn't help it, I was excited to wish her a Happy Birthday. So what do you give a woman who has everything and has given you life? I don't know, so I got her a baking dish. We have the same taste, when it comes to kitchen stuff -- I like it, so I figured she would too. When I showed Trey he asked, "So, what is this, old people dishes?" NO! It's Paula Deen brand.

I wish I was with my mom, to give her this gift and to celebrate with her.
Mom, have fun in Abilene, partying!
Check out my temporary $mile. I kind of love it. I'm still waiting on the permeant crown, in the meantime, I will continue to chew with caution.

Well, my morning started with me snoozing my alarm. I finally woke up, around 7:15 am -- that's so late for me. I wanted to go for a run, right away, but then I remembered my running clothes were in the washer. I planned on running 8 miles, but only completed 6. I'm cutting myself some slack. I'd like to get out tomorrow and try for another 6 miler.

During my run, I couldn't decide whether I wanted to run to the trail or lake. I ended up running to the lake because I had to stop and use the bathroom and stop for water and there was a rest stop on the way. I think I left my Nike bottle in Abilene. NOT GOOD. Look at the fog hovering over the lake. Spooky!

It was cold and I loved it. 37 degrees and no wind. It was great running weather.

I was about a quarter of a mile from home, on my way back, when I saw Trey and Cheyenne in the ELEMENT. They stopped to tell me hi and tell me they were heading to get donuts.
Reminder: This is why Daddy is Awesome-------

After that, they went to Lowe's to buy some brackets for the garage. And of course Cheyenne spotted this Dora book. Dora is everywhere.

Trey cleaned the garage and installed brackets to free up floor space.

Here is a closer look.

Sharing a Room

2011-10-28T11:19:00.001-06:00

Happy Friday! What do you have planned this weekend? We don't have too much going on. I will attempt a long run at some point. Stay tune for that...I think Trey plans on cleaning the garage. Fun. Fun. I would love for this cold-dreary weather to stick around. It really helps me get into a fall mood.

Sharing A Room with a Sibling
The other night, I told Cheyenne, she was going to have to share her room with the new baby. She was not excited. I don't think I'm ready to give up the guest bedroom and Chey's room is big enough for a toddler bed and a crib. She'll learn to love sharing a room --- I hope.

I was thinking we could put a crib or bed on this side of the room and move the rocking chair somewhere else. This is an old photo. Right now, we have that same rocking chair and a Dora the Explorer Play Kitchen, in that area.

Did you share a room with a sibling, when you were younger? I did. I shared a room with Amy. She was my cool big sister, so it was fun for me. She probably hated it because I'm sure I got on her nerves. I always wanted to hang out with her and her friends.

I'll leave you with this little video clip of Cheyenne. I got all fancy and added music.

Food. Who Needs It?

2011-10-26T17:35:00.000-06:00

The sight, the thought of food disgusts me----in case you were wondering this is pregnant Dom talking. Not ultra runner, burns 3,000 calories a week -- I need food --- Dom. Speaking of which, this was my running/workout stats from last week. Pathetic.

The only thing that sounds and taste half-way decent is Panda Express. Thank goodness for one being on campus and close to home. Can you believe this side of rice only cost $2.43. Yeah! I wish healthy food was that affordable. Speaking of healthy food/Hmmm-Ummm Paleo....It's been so hard these last two weeks to stomach salads. This makes me sad. Really sad.

In other news. Here are a few cute pictures of my niece, Bella.

She's so sweet and if I had more of an appetite, I'd eat her up!
Hmmm, it looks like Cheyenne is thinking about it.
So, that's Bella's Halloween costume. What are you going to be?

Palo Duro Official Race Results

2011-10-25T19:04:00.002-06:00

Distance: 50K (31 miles)

Duration: 5:49:23 (5 hours. 49 minutes. 23 seconds)

Average Pace Per Mile: 11:15

Age Group Place

Female Age Group (1-39 yo)

4th out of 16 women Runners

Overall Place

22nd out of 122 Runners

Instead of a finishers medal, we received a hat. I'm not much of a cap girl, but the Palo Duro hat is one I worked hard for, so I'll wear it proudly. Plus, it has some cool reflectors on it.

Yesterday afternoon, I went for a run and it was so hard. Why did I choose a hilly route? Why? I don't know how I'm going to keep up running in the first trimester. I don't recall it being this difficult. I'm so thankful, I blogged during my first pregnancy because I can look back and see how this pregnacy differs or relates to my first one. I can already tell this "morning sickness" is already winning. I've been so nauseous and it hits me in the evening and in the morning. This morning I threw up and today I've lost my appetite. Who am I?

It Was a Little Traumatic For Me

2011-10-24T09:56:00.000-06:00

The last few months, I've had a lot of dental work done. Last week, my dentist put temporary crowns on my two top front teeth. It looked good. Really, good.

Since they are temporary crowns, there is a chance they could fall off. Sunday, I was in Abilene. My mom made me lunch. I was eating with her, Tasha and Bella. I was chewing my soft burrito and all of a sudden I felt and heard it CRUNCH!!!!!!
WTF!!!!!!

One of my front crowns fell off. I ran to the restroom and sure enough, my temp crown broke into a million pieces. I walked out of the restroom, told my mom and sister and I cried. I'm so dramatic, but you would be too if you looked like a hillbilly. It was the most vain thing, but I don't care I was so upset.

After a few minutes, Tasha was laughing. I called her out on it and she said she was laughing at the situation. Okay, okay....It was pretty funny. I told her not to make me smile too big. You should've seen me. Mmmm, maybe not.

So, I had to walk around looking like a freak until this morning. I went straight to the dentist office. The staff tried to tell me, I would have to come back tomorrow because the dentist was out of the office. I almost cried again and I said, MY TEMP CROWN FELL OFF AND I'VE GOT A GAP IN MY MOUTH. A dental assistant, the one who put the temp in originally, said she could help me. THANK GOODNESS.

Let's hope this temp doesn't fall out again, but if it does: Who wants to see a hillbilly picture of me?

First Run - Post Ultra

2011-10-22T20:21:00.000-06:00

This morning, I met Sherri at Frontier Texas. We went for a 7 mile run in downtown Abilene. She was helping Abilene Runners Club prep for the Cancer Services Network 5K Race. I thought about racing it, but decided it would probably be best just to spectate.

Pre-Race:
Sherri and I ran the race course twice and then some. I felt alright. The first three miles were tough. We started too fast, but eventually we settled into a nice 9:30-ish pace.

Tomorrow morning, my goal is to sleep in and wake up without an alarm. If I'm feeling up to it and not sick, I'm going to go for a short run. Maybe a 3 miler. We'll see how I'm feeling. This morning I felt nauseous and probably would've scrapped my run, if I hadn't already made plans to meet Sherri. Oh, the joys of morning sickness. BLAH! That's how I feel.

Don't ask why I'm wearing a cotton shirt. I haven't worn a cotton shirt to run in --- in a long time. I was reminded why after about 2 miles of running and my shirt was drenched in sweat. My shirt felt so heavy and gross.

We're Expecting Baby #2

2011-10-21T14:21:00.002-06:00

I'm pregnant. If you ask me, I think it's Trey's turn to bare a child. That would be incredible. Really, I don't mind being pregnant, however I could really do without the first trimester. Really. Honestly. Please Make it Pass.

So, now that you know the news --- I can start complaining openly how hungry, nauseous, and exhausted I am. Yay for that!

In no time-- I'll be looking like this, again. Oh, dear...I think I'm ready.
That hump there is baby Cheyenne.

I had a feeling, more of a naueous, I might vomit kind of feeling, leading up to the race, that I was preggers. I wasn't worried about completing the distance if I was, because I had trained for the race -- months of training, so I felt like I was healthy to complete 31 miles, carrying a little baby. Pea Size.

Several months ago, Trey and I discussed, the idea of me being pregnant during ultra training --- he was fine with it, as long as I knew my limitations. So, that's that.

Cheyenne is extremely excited about being a big sister. She's the one who shared the news with Trey and our parents. She told them, "Momma's gonna have a baby." She kind of butchered the sentence when she told Trey and he didn't understand her the first time, so I had to whisper it in her ear and then she told him again. He is over the moon excited. He was like, OH MY Gosh! I've gotta tell the guys, I work with...right now!

The State Fair of Little Rides & Big Food

2011-10-20T15:46:00.000-06:00

Last week, we experienced the State Fair for the first time. The fair I'm most familiar with is the Abilene West Texas Fair and Rodeo. So, I was kind of expecting it to be like that, but bigger. It was bigger and I was surprised there was pavement to walk on. Every time I'd go to the Abilene Fair, I'd wear my oldest, dirtiest shoes because I knew they would get covered in dirt.

Does anybody else think Big Tex (or whatever they call him) is super creepy and has really skinny ankles? He's a giant and I'm sure he scares young children.

Riding on the Ferris Wheel. She's not scared of heights.

Family Picture

I've decided I'm over fair food. It's over-priced and usually gross, EXCEPT the funnel cakes -- Yes, those are overpriced BUT they are delicious. These nachos, in the picture below, came back to haunt me. It must have been the fake liquid cheese. Great, now who wants dinner? Ha, sorry.

We bought a lot of tickets and we needed them. Most rides were 3 to 4 dollars per ride.

Cheyenne enjoyed it, so it was worth it, considering it was vacation and all...I guess :)

Okay, totally worth it.

Since the ride was at a stand still, we were simulating our excitement. Whee! Fun! Oh, wait...we're not going anywhere....
The ride, twirled us in circles. I love circle rides. Rides like that make Trey vomit, literally.

A Big Boy Ride, Trey could handle.

He had more fun, than the kid behind him.
No hand pilot move

We ended our day at the Auto Car Show. This is Cheyenne driving a Camaro. Remember when Trey wanted a Camaro? Not anymore. Thank goodness.

Diner at Red Robins
After an 8 hour day, we decided to leave the fair grounds and have dinner at Red Robins.
I almost flipped out when I saw that they had sweet potato fries on the menu.

Look at us, we're so ~~weird~~ AWESOME!

I Tricked Trey

2011-10-19T19:38:00.000-06:00

Somehow, I tricked Trey to go on a bike ride with me, during our vacation. How did that happen? I don't know. We stopped to eat Chick-Fil-A, during our bike adventure -- so maybe that was the bait.

What's with the face? You know you enjoyed it. Admit it! A 6 mile bike ride is a piece of cake.

I on the other hand, should have worn bike shorts. My butt was super sore.

Look at my sad lake. It's so low. It makes me want to cry. We need more rain.

The rock area, should be covered in water. A few months ago, it was covered in water.

I won't leave on a sad note, so I'll include some random pics, taken during our Target Trip.
Trey recommended I use this as an office lamp. Oh, so professional.
This cup was made for me.

2011 Palo Duro 50K Official Race Photos

2011-10-18T15:41:00.000-06:00

Here are my race proofs. The grin on my face reminds me of Cheyenne. Today, I'm feeling good. I feel like I could do some light cardio or lift weights, but I won't. I'm going to take advantage of this mandatory rest.

I guess the vacation is over? Today, was my first day back at work, since October 11th. I was fine. I just picked up right where I left off. I'm in the middle of editing some footage. I got a new HD camera, so I had to do some research today on the best way to compress the AVCHD files. Fun stuff! But really, I enjoyed it. :)

I still feel like I'm on that trail running, race high. It feels so good.

Fellow runners: Have you ever bought race photos? I haven't, but I might this time.

Now I can't help but wonder, how long would it take me to run a 50 miler?