It's your Birthday

We're going to party like it's your Birthday.  Clearly given the huge hint on Friday everyone out here in the blogosphere should have known that it was someone's birthday and my birthing day. Yes, this is now a thing in which a mom can use at her discretion (more on this shortly)  Numero uno agenda of the weekend was to celebrate. 

First though...the boys at work on Friday went out and picked up these garlic bread pizza burgers.  Glorious and I did not eat supper that night.  Will be looking at recreating shortly.

 

Saturday morning I pulled the it's my birthing day card and went out for breakfast.  There is a health food store one town over that also serves food.  Hearing glorious things about it, I had to try it.  Of course, say health food around the hubbie and you get the nose cringe, which is why you need to pull the it's my birthing day card.

After a very glorious breakfast, we decided to take a little walk thru the downtown area.  It was such a beautiful warm fall day. 

 

With the morning excursion complete, it was on to taking the boat out for one last time.  We had the absolute perfect day for this also.  How I shall miss the warm long weekend days of summer...

Then since we truly do live a rockstar still life sometimes...it was off to grab a teenager for his birthday dinner.  Buffalo Wild Wings it was.   And when someone decides to be a slightly grumpy little terd on there birthday, we will tell the server....who then will proceed to obtain a birthday crown for you.

Heck yeah that will get you mom of the year any day...such a happy boy.  We of course worked on modeling this correctly for him...and the little bro enjoyed the birthday ice cream for him.

 And of course a birthday cannot be complete with out cake and a present wrap up to round out the weekend.

 

There you have our little weekend that was.....it's your birthday, we're going to party like it's your birthday.  Happy Birthday

 

 

Marathon Monday

It is here, the final count down to the marathon. The shaky panic is setting in.  Details...all the details is where I need to focus.

The rest of my runs last week were spot on perfect.  I have one more longer run this week and then a quick shake out the nerves 1 mile run.  

After all that my focus is purely on feeding and watering the machine.  Biggest challenge for me in that respect will be Saturday.  It is much easier to structure your eating at work.

Well for now that is all I have to say...short and sweet.  Time to move the brain to another topic.  This talk today is just making a little more nervous then what I would like.

Until next week...when I will confidently say I did it....26.2.

Forest Five

Today's Friday Five is dedicated to the little man who changed my world forever, my Forest.  Five of my favorite Forest moments/things etc. in the last year. 

1. He started officially dating K and in turn will do things that she wants him too...like boat with us :) 

 

2. It took his strength (what little there is) and a baseball bat to bust open the piñata.

 

3.  The day after 16 miles when I was tired, exhausted, and hurt in places I forgot about, he came out of the door and clapped for me and cheered. 

 

4.  Silliness...now this is clearly just one where I happened to catch it on camera.  He is my funny little dork and I love that.

 

5. This moment is only a fave because the strength and perseverance he showed that day made me so proud of him.  Granted I hated that he hurt, but he never gave up.

 

and did I mention his goofiness...the random moments where he stops being so darn serious.

 

.  My Forest, you are my world, the reason I wake up in the morning, and the reason why I busted my behind to get where I am ...for you. Every single day you make me proud, I am truly lucky.

I love you Forest, with all my heart and soul.  Cheers to another year!

 

Random Thoughts

Time to clean out some cobwebs from the brain...which means you are graced with a random thought dump today!! Ready set go...

TV Time: Is it sad that after hearing on the radio a new season of one of my fave shows is starting I call my hubbie and explain to him that we need to set up a reserved time to sit down and watch TV.  Like I am talking sending a meeting request and ensure I get notified on my phone type of shizzle. American Horror Story. 

Editorial Calendar:  Printed one off  to be filled in for my blog. This editorial calendar thing makes me seriously start to hyperventilate.   Holy hell I am planner...but maybe it is just the whole commitment side of it.

Planners.  I am an avid planner user.  And I swear that on the face of the earth there is not the perfect planner for me. I have reviewed some of the daily ones and even made an attempt. A daily planner is not a good fit for me. I have outlook and I am not at home managing littles.  Next up was a weekly one.  There is one that I have used in the past, but again was lacking some of the things that were nice that I found in a daily planner.  Argh.  Then a new weekly planner came about.  Giving it a shot.  And my list has already began of needs this needs that, can I do this.  Now my brain has gone into over drive and I will be working out a new planner for myself and all the other people who just can't seem to find the right fit and hoepfully mine will be it for them.

Stepmothering. The other day on social media I shared a link: "I am not just a stepmom." This article rings so true. I am not wicked nor evil and I will love you as my own. Stepparenting is not easy. Choosing to love another as your own, wanting the best yet not being able to give or do for them what you feel they deserve. Stepparenting is a struggle. I can only hope my children will walk away as better individuals.

Children. Speaking of children, with the school year starting brings all of the where are your assignments, why the bad grade on this, and unexcused absence...say what moments.  Oh how at those moments do I miss the lazy days of summer. 

Now I am sure that there was something else stirring in the deep dark corners for now though, I will leave you with the above.   Until tomorrow...

Organized crazy aka Family Picture time

Tis' that time of year when I feel the overwhelming urge to make everyone dress up all nice and go take some pictures.  Fall is the prettiest time of year after all.  Ok, well it was a little soon for the whole beauty of the changing leaves thing, but still it happened anyways. Lately the chance that my whole entire family will be together on a perfectly nice day is starting to become a one in a hundred chance. 

 

First up acting like we like each other and taking our 2nd year anniversary pictures, which this year we actually took these the day after our wedding anniversary.

Of course then you have the difficult decision of which one to place on the wall.  And I have decided that every year we are going to take them in the same spot since mimicking a wedding picture taken in Colorado is pretty much out of our financial reach.  Of course, if anyone would like to give us an annual free trip to Colorado with no strings attached, this girl will not pass it up.  And now for some outtakes...

Looking all bad ass Men in Black like.

Now seriously the only thing I was thinking in this picture was "goodness I seriously hope I did not completely flash the little old couple reading on the bench."  During our little picture taking session a family walks by and gives us the question...engagement pictures?  We are like nope, just anniversary pictures.  Same spot as last year.  Yes, I love that.

Speaking of people acting like we all like each other and achieving the impossible of two dogs, two teenagers and two adults all being spot on for a family picture...let's just see how we did.

Think my little chiweenie was ready to attack the bullet in this one.

And my one little thing when it comes to our family picture, how we dress.  More often then not I see people try to coordinate the outfits, colors, styles etc.  While this is all nice, I prefer that we reflect us who we are as a family.  This comes thru in each of our individual styles because each of our little craziness and style makes up who we are and why we work as a family.

And now which should grace the wall?

And so it goes...

Another weekend has past.   Kind of wet and rainy here in Wisconsin.  Boating season is basically at a close.  I get one more weekend soon of boat time, so we can winterize and put our swagtime to bed for her long winters rest.

This last weekend was pretty much dedicated to making my wallet whine.  Actually whine is an understatement, it screamed.  Did the house shopping and got all the things we needed to care of the lawn outside plus ended up buying a coffee maker which led to needing new coffee to of course.

Was looking at getting a new Keurig until I discovered that on the new ones, which comes with a pot, you can only use the keurig cups endorsed by Keurig and cannot use the filter insert.   That basically made the Keurig purchase a hell no.  Sorry cost of those little cups too much for the amount of coffee I consume.  While wandering around Menards, I stumbled on the above.  Everything I wanted and almost half the cost of Keurig.  Hamilton Beach for the win it was. 

And then there was the curtain purchase.  I opted that I would be changing out curtains and linens etc in the living room versus picking a paint color that I would not like in a year.   Over the weekend we got the curtains, that will be gracing the windows over fall and winter.   Then of course I pulled out and started decorating with the fall items.

Of course the outside needed a little touch of fall also, so I got the mums to put in the pots for the front stoop. Now in the midst of removing the old flowers from summer, I pulled one of the plants and discovered the crazy root it had going on.

So strange, it actually got thicker towards the end.  Oh and also found a squirrels nut that was nicely buried in one of my planters.   Just left that on the walk for him and I was pretty sure I saw him running around with it later in the day.   I also was able to check off my Vegas collage for the house...only took me over a year.  Oh well, done and ready to be hung.

And as everyone should know around here by now Sunday is all about family dinner day. 

Oh yes auntie Dawn got them new cups with cool little straws that go all around it.

Chuck is still rocking his bow tie.  Such a dapper little dog.

 

And let me not forget what was found by the littles....remember these?

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekends and got as much accomplished as I did.



 

 

Marathon Monday

Usually you come into this post all prepped to hear about the long run of the weekend or lack there of...not this time around though.  Instead you will be graced with the dumpings of what is/has been going on in this runner's brain over the last few weeks.

Since the beginning of September it has been a struggle. A struggle to get my behind out of bed and struggle to put one foot in front of another.  Truly not a good problem to have since you are attempting to run a crazy 26 mile distance.  What was to be my last long run actually required a pick up.  This was illness though. 

My motivation has just not been there.  Something I have been so determined to conquer and yet I could not find it. A brief moment in a conversation with the little bro, in which he said " kind of late to give up now."  I won't give up though.  That is not how I work.  Where did my determination, zealousness for this go though?  What was missing? 

It is a new week.  I decided to run today (usually I run on Tuesday).  I needed to run today.  I needed to find in the moments of solitude and methodical foot patterns on the forever turning belt the what, why, and how could this be. More determined then ever I set out.  I set up the treadmill as always with my tablet, phone etc.  Going to watch a you tube video maybe.  Then I decided no, why not just drift into the music, let myself float away with each passing note.

It was there in those notes that I found the beat, the movement, and the senseless calm that washes over me.  The reminder that this is about me.  I need to do this for me and no one else.  I have overcome a lot in my life to get to this point. And my run was good, glorious in fact.  When the treadmill decided that I should go no more, I wanted to push the start button.  Just another hour, but no I need to go to work. 

As I turned and stepped off, Christy (the athletic trainer) with a huge smile on her face goes how long today? My reply 6.5 running and it felt great, could've have kept going.  Then it happened...the tears and the worries spilling out. The smile not wavering for a second from her face she reminded me  in her ever stern yet mothering voice that I have this, I am doing it right ,my fears of not finishing, not making my time are Ludacris and my run today was glorious.  She knew it.

After that moment I knew where my problem has been, it was in the trials of feeling alone. The loneliness that I gravitated towards during my running actually was the problem.  At this distance, these moments  I needed more support, needed the cheers and the company.  At this distance I needed someone besides myself.  That is what was missing.  Thankfully in less then two weeks I will be surrounded by others just as crazy as myself embracing and seeking to conquer the 26.2 that has been stirring in our souls.  Cheers to great runs and keeping my sanity during the taper.

 

 

Fall for Friday

Now who doesn't just absolutely just fall head over heels for Friday.  Well unless you are in a service industry where Friday truly doesn't mean you are having your weekend just yet. 

Everywhere you look Fall is just slowly peaking out. On my drives home a few of the trees leaves are beginning to turn.  The mornings have the crisp cool air lingering about. Since it officially begins next Tuesday, I thought todays five could be dedicated to things that I am looking forward to this fall.

1.   Fall Fires

There is nothing better then a fire on a cool fall day wearing your puffer vest and sipping on some warm beverage.  And Fall means that I am rocking that puffer vest with flannels every chance I get. Hey it only happens for one season.

2.   Fall Smells

 

Yes, yes and yes please.  The candle smells for fall are a complete love of mine.  That warm smell...glory.

 

3.  Carmel Apples

Or carmel apple sundays....either way that needs to be in my belly like asap again.  Oh and lets not forget that the salted carmel also comes back to starbucks this time. 

 

4. Pumpkins and Pumkin Farm time

 

It was so much fun going with my littles last year to the pumpkin farm, I can't wait to see their excitement again.  And let's not forget there fruitless attempts to pick out the biggest pumpkin they can find and stuff it into their little bags.  Or the fact that they were completely content to just sit and play in the hay barn.

5. Halloween Pub Crawl

Last year was the first time we did this and quite a bit of fun.  So this year we will be doing it again, plus the little bro won't be away this time and will get to join us.  Now to figure out some costume ideas.  The hubbie will have a hard time topping this from last year.

 

There you have my five things I am looking forward to doing this fall.  It is such a beautiful time of year and I can not wait for all the fun that goes along with it.

What are you looking forward too ?