Our Little Garden

It's that time of year again.

 

This will be my second attempt at a small garden. Last year, I started with mostly seeds, this time I decided to go with transplants.

Now that you've seen the end result (the first pic), let me show you what I started with --
It was a dry neglected-wasteland.

Before I did any work, I noticed the cilantro came back to life. I pulled it and I plan on eating it this week. NOTE: One-third is already in my tummy.

And a green onion also survived. NOTE: The onion is gone...in my tummy.

Chey and I took on this dirty project and Trey helped till the soil. He has big muscles and is more efficient with the shovel than I am. 

We needed extra soil, so I sent Chey to the compost bin to gather the goods.

She has a look on her face, like I'm making her do all the work, but I promise you she was begging me.

We found a worm in the soil!

This girl, isn't afraid of dirt and worms.

Left Side of the Garden:
Peppers, tomatoes, and you can't see the bulbs, but there are also purple onions.

Right Side of the Garden:
Sweet Basil, Rosemary, Oregano, Parsley, and Sage (not pictured).

Rosemary from last season. I have a feeling she will come back to life.

We are going to add more tomatoes and herbs for sure, but I feel like this is a good start. I can only hope we don't have any freezing weather...let's hope it stays nice. C'mon Texas weather.

The Beginning of Spring

I have a lot more photos, that I will post later, but I wanted to let you know what we've been up to this weekend --- GARDENING!

Bring on the veggies, herbs, sunshine, grilling, longer daylight in the evenings, bring it all. 

Speaking of grilling, this evening, we fired up the grill. We made steak fajitas and invited our neighbors over to join us. I used some fresh cilantro to make a salsa. Yummy. 

St. Patrick's Day: 5K Race

Distance: 5K (3.1 miles)
Duration: 25:13 (start time) / *26:07:06
Average Pace Per Mile:   8:08 *8:25  *8:08 
My age Group: Out of 60 female runners, I placed 1st. <--- That's a first. Jayme was ahead of me and would've got that title if she wore her chip.
Weather: Sunny. Hot. Windy. I'm not sure what the actual temp was, but it felt like 80 degrees.

Here is Team Lululemon. All the girls represented by wearing lulu and most of us wore - Cool Racerback Tops. We were easy to spot in a sea of leprechaun's.    :)

Courtney, Jayme, and I

Here is a video clip of Courtney, right before she crossed the finish line.


Race Details:
So, my race was difficult. I felt nauseous and at every mile mark, I got a whiff of foul odor. I could smell restaurants and on a normal day it would've smelt good, but since my stomach has been upset, it smelt like garbage. I pulled through and finished without puking.

Trey planned on watching the race, but had to leave when he recived a service call. So, Isis watched Cheyenne for us while I raced. THANK YOU! Chey stayed behind and played in the kids corner at the Lululemon Showroom --- It's an area with toys and books...how cute is that?!

She got carried away with the chalk....She had may have had a meltdown when I told her it was time to leave. I pulled a parent card---I took her to the bathroom and we had a nice little chat about her behavior.  Lots of screaming and tears. On the way home she fell asleep in the car.

*I'm not sure what was up with the timing system on this race, but when I crossed the finish line my watch read 25:13 (8:08 pace), but when I looked up my online time it read 26:07 with a pace of 8:08, when in actuality would put me at an 8:26 pace. Weird. 


Hmm, Okay -- I think I figured it out  --- they didn't list the start time in the race results. Tisk, Tisk.  

I Got the Bug Too

Yesterday, I was struck with a stomach ache, stomach virus, stomach bug....whatever you want to call it. I drove to work and only last two hours at my desk, before calling it quits. I drove myself home and spent my entire day on the sofa. I fell in out of sleep and watched three movies. If you like dramas, you should watch The Town.

Well, today, I will attempt to run a 5K. I'm running it with team Lululemon. I was hoping to race, but now I just plan on having fun. I am over the stomach virus...let's say it moved fast and furious through my system.

Lately, Cheyenne and I have been looking for recipes. We're in the mood to try something new.

She wants to try something from this cookbook. Good choice, baby. 

Street Legal!

Insurance: Check
Registration: Check

Inspection: Check
80 miles to the gallon: CHECK! 

I've had this scooter for a few years, but it's been forever since I drove it. During pregnancy, I stopped and it's been sitting in the garage ever since. Every so often Trey will ask me, "You want to sell the scooter?" NOOOOO!

Last year, we decided not to pay to update insurance and everything else. So, the last few days, we've been busy getting this baby street legal and now she's ready! SHE? I guess my scooter is a female. Does she have a name? IDK. Vino. 

I'm going to enjoy riding this spring. Wow, my hair looks frizzy and that furry hood doesn't seem to be helping. 

Soooo shiny and pretty....

There is plenty of room for you to hop on too. Actually, my upper body is not that strong, so I may not be able to hold both of us up...Just wait until I complete P90X and then you can hop on and I can take you for a ride. 

Piles of Paper Drive Me CraZy!

Sick day #2:
Cheyenne went to bed and woke up with a fever. At first I was questioning whether it was the right choice to stay home with her, but then she had a bad episode, which confirmed that I made the right decision. Trey is sick and at home too. I guess you could say, I've been playing nurse all day.

I was thinking Trey would feel better by the afternoon and possibly go to work, but that didn't happen.

Last night, he scattered papers across the kitchen island and it was driving me CRAZY, so I gathered all of them and put them in one pile. Apparently, Trey had a system and I messed it up. Piles of paper make me nervous/anxious...I don't really know the word, but they bother me.

Then he got mad because they fell off the counter. Oops!


P.S. Check out this Sony Walkman giveaway at Runner's Rambles Blog! I want it!

Future Heartbreakers

Remember that photo shoot I mentioned, when we made our last trip to Abilene?

Well, here is the print.

Popcorn Makes a Sick Day Better

It's a sick day for the little one. So, far we've been busy reading, napping, watching TV, and sharing a bowl of popcorn. I'm three runners world magazines behind, so I'm trying to catch up to the current issue.

My bowl. My magazine. Chey has the little bowl.

I think she may have a stomach virus. For the most part she seems to be in a good mood, but she's not moving much. She must feel weak. Plus, she lost her breakfast snack on Mrs. Erin's living room floor. SORRY! 

She's not too sick to smile. 

Recently, she has started watching a show called Word World. Anyone ever heard of it? It's a PBS show and she seems to like it. 

P1X: DAY ONE

I'm about to embark on something more challenging that an ultra marathon. P90X. and this time it won't be 30 days, it will be the full 90.

90 Days of fun? torture? pain? (fill in the blank)  -- Let's face it -- this program works and it's not a walk in the park, I will earn every ripped ab and muscle definition, that's for sure.

Trey will be joining me on this audacious adventure. Last time, we started the program together and he only made it through ONE day and then sporadically did a few workouts here and there. This time he plans on working out with me...to a certain extent -- more on that later.

If you've been reading our blog for a while, you may remember I tried doing the program while training for Dallas White Rock Marathon. I saw results like WHOA. I lasted 30 days on the program and that was including my normal running schedule 30'ish miles a week. It was too time consuming -- committing myself to both running and P90X. Something had to give and I decided to focus more on running.

My 30 day progress:


This time I will try to modify the P90X program to suit my running addiction. Here is the plan for the next two weeks:

Sunday- Rest
Monday - Chest and Back + Ab RipperX
Tuesday - Plyometrics or Running 4 -6 miles
Wednesday - Shoulders and Arms + Ab RipperX
Thursday - YogaX or Running 4 - 6 miles
Friday - Legs & Back + Ab RipperX
Saturday - Long Run (8 - 14 miles)

*Trey won't be doing any of the Ab RipperX workouts with me and if he doesn't want to do the cardio or yoga workouts, I'll substitute that day with running -- if I'm in the mood. I'm not training for a race, so this flexibility is nice.

If you are not familiar with the P90X workouts they are usually 60 minutes long. Ab RipperX is 15 minutes, and YogaX is an hour and a half long. This is a huge time commitment, but I plan on working out in the mornings. Here's to 90 days! I'm not married to this plan, but I want to strive to work towards a goal and I think this is a great roadmap. I'm thinking about writing a weekly update on our progress to stay motivated and keep you posted.

Anniversary...SAP.SaP.Sappy.

Yesterday, Trey and I celebrated our SEVEN year wedding anniversary. I love him and I want to be sappy, so this is for him. :) I hope I don't embarrass him too much, but chances are he will be blushing.

I've known him since I was in middle school. This photo was taken of us when we were in high school. We went to New York City to tour two universities with Upward Bound.

Prom: After party at Landrea's

At this time, I would like to crank up the sappiness to infinity, by dedicating this Jack Johnson song to him. When I hear this song, I think of Trey.

10 Mile Social Run

Distance: 9.69 miles
Duration: 01:40:00
Average Pace Per Mile: 10:17 (easy-peasy)
Weather: Cool. 31 degrees. Mild wind.
Notes: This was my first long run since Cowtown. With that being said, I think a 1:40 time was a nice way to ease back into running.

This morning, I met up with a few of my Lululemon buddies. Lee, Jayme, Courtney, and a few new faces. When we started it was dark and cold. Once we got going we warmed up. Half of the group, ran 20 miles. I only joined for 10 miles. Brandon and Meghan were in town visiting, so I wanted to get back home to visit with them before they drove back to Abilene.

The 10 miles that I did run, felt alright. I almost forgot what it felt like to run that pace on purpose, it was a nice change.

Here are a few pictures we took after the 10 mile mark.

See my headband line on my forehead? NICE. That line took about one hour to fade. Jayme's looking strong, considering she just ran 10 miles.

Courtney and I. To read and see more pictures from this run, check out Courtney's blog.

Diva!

Guess Who is Visiting Us?

Baby DJ!

Joe T. Garcia's Mexican Restaurant & A Surprise Party

Happy Birthday Isis!

Lee planned a surprise party for Isis at Joe T. Garcia's Mexican Restaurant. She said, "I posted on FaceBook that I was going to yoga class!" She was surprised to see about 20 of her friends at Joe T's. We were there to wish her a happy birthday.

Make a wish

Have you ever been to this restaurant? I really hadn't heard much about it, (I'm probably the only person in DFW).  It was a neat experience and extremely romantic. We sat on the patio and there was a mariachi band playing, candlelights, a shallow pool in the background...really amazing atmosphere.

Trey, Chey and I shared the fajita plate. Later, we indulged in birthday cake. Oh, I love recovery week, it's almost as good as taper week. Hmmm, My stomach is not use to so much over indulgence and I have to admit she has hated me on several occasions, this week. Dear stomach, don't worry, we'll be back on track soon.

Cowtown Ultra Marathon Race Photos

First things, first....Let's get the awkward photo out of the way. It looks like I just passed gas. Now, moving on...

Runners World, here is your front cover model.

Shout out to Jose, who did an effortless job, pacing us slow-pokes.

Lost Puppy Look. This must've been after I lost the pacer. JOSE, wait.

I was only smiling because the finish line was right in front of me.

About to finish my first Ultra Marathon! HOLLA!

Yawn. Nap time.

Something to Add to the Wardrobe

Did I really run a 50K a few days ago? I'm feeling super-duper and I feel like most of my soreness is gone. Like I promised myself, I've been staying on track with my recovery. I've rewarded myself with chocolate and since Monday, I've watched three movies. I think my treadmill is starting to collect dust. This evening, I will take a stab at running -- I know, already?...I'm feeling that good. I'm going to run with a group, so it should be more social than strenuous.

Ultra Marathon Finisher Long Sleeve Shirt -
It looks like a Texas Rangers Blue.

Last year, when I finished the half marathon, race organizers ran out of small finisher shirts, so I got an XT Large for Trey. He likes wearing it to the gym, so people can think he's a runner. This year, there was no way in hell he was going to get my ultra finisher shirt! NO WAY!
Back of the shirt -

Cheyenne and I took this picture at the expo. She accidently stole a pair of running socks from one of the vendors. Don't worry, I made her return them.

Finisher Medal

Isis took this one, at Fuzzy's Taco, when we meet up after the race. I didn't want food, but I forced myself to eat it and mid-way through the meal, I gained an appetite and started to enjoy it. That evening, after I had a chance to rest-up a bit, I gained my appetite.

Technical Shirt - I think all the marathoners got this one in their race pack. I saw a few runners wearing them during the race.

Back of the Technical Shirt. What am I, a running billboard?

I finally unloaded all the "free" gels I accumulated from Sunday's race. Oh, and my favorite flavor is the vanilla bean. That worked out nicely for me. I kept stuffing my bra with these things because my back pocket was already full of the gels I had brought from home.

How much are gels these days? I'm guessing I saved about seven dollars picking up these freebies. While I was running by, one volunteer had a hard time handing them out, so he just tossed me a handful. I took two for myself and handed the rest to the runners around me. GU.GU.GU.

My Morning Sweetheart

Running is small stuff, in comparison to this cutie pie.

I just want to shrink her and carry her in my pocket, so she will always be with me. This morning she was so lovable. Trey was working out of town last night and she missed him. I told her, "Ok, sit still, so I can take a picture of you and send it to Daddy." She said, "Ohhh-KAY!" Teddy Bear and Baby were off to the side....I had to wait until she had both of them under her arms, before I could take the photo.