Spring Fever

We're busy this weekend cleaning the house and crossing those chores off my to do list. Windows are washed, woodwork is polished and the kids' dressers are cleaned out. It's amazing how a clean house makes you feel so good!

I went for a long run Saturday morning in prep for the half marathon,  now only a month awa u! I went 11.3 miles so I'm feeling it a bit today but that's ok!

The kids have been outside most of Saturday brushing up on their baseball skills in anticipation of little league which is (sigh) still 2 months away! We got out the bikes and went for a ride. Lots of puddles and mud were found, especially by Nolan! Thank goodness for washing machines!  Sounds like today is going to be another beautiful day!

Key Lime Pie

When we were in Florida this winter Randy found a new love for Key Lime Pie! He's been working hard this weekend on butchering some pigs so I thought I'd make a pie to surprise him! The recipe was super easy but after tasting it I'd definitely add a bit more lime. If you're looking for a light thinking -of - summer -dessert,  this is it!

3 egg yolks
1/2 cup lime juice
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 Graham cracker crust
Cool whip

mix egg yolks, condensed milk and lime juice. Pour into crust and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cool completely and add cool whip to the top. Enjoy!

Early Easter Activities

We got together with some friends this past week. It was a great time to catch up and the kids got to coloring Easter eggs. They also did an egg hunt. As you can see they thought it would be fun to draw pictures of their mommas:)

Celebrating a Decade

First my apologies for the spelling errors on the past couple of posts. Our desktop computer has a bit if an issue and I've had to resort to posting from my phone:) oh technology!

Today we celebrated a decade of ERYN! Yes hard to believe but this sweet little girl is growing up! On Saturday we took her and some of her friends to the Cresco Fitness Center to swim. We had her requests for supper of spaghetti bake and garlic bread. This morning our family came to visit and have cake. Of course no birthday is complete without presents!

Half Marathon Training

It's about 6 weeks until the half marathon.  For the past few weeks I've been able to get away from the treadmill and hit the pavement for my long runs. YEAH! I used to really dislike running outside but now I really enjoy the peace and tranquility of being surrounded by nature.

I've steadily been upping the mileage on my weekend long runs. I started with 6 miles a few weeks ago on vacation.  Last week I stayed at a little over six and this past weekend 9.1 miles. I plan on increasing by 1.5-2 miles per week to get me to the 13.1 mark well before race day. I've also been experimenting with some gummies and gel during runs to keep the energy levels up.

I've also been using the many run app on my phone. It's a great app to track miles, pace and calories.

Birthday road trip!

My nephew's birthday was earlier this week. He turned 10 on Tuesday so we went down to celebrate with him this weekend.  The boys had fun playing Xbox while the girls and Derek did some shopping. 

Rocky's return

Rocky got home from the vet yesterday.  We were all so happy to have him home. Now it's a routine of meds and re - potty training.  We kinds had to start over but that's ok!

Rocky's Rocky Road

Well the first week with our little puppy has been tough.  He has come down with a virus and being newbies to owning a pet we relied on friends and took their advise to get him to a vet on Thursday.  Turns out he has had to stay, be hooked up to iv fluids and given antibiotics to fight this virus.  The kids were devastated when they came home to find no kennel.  Through lots of tears (both the kids and myself) we are optimistic that he is a tough puppy and will fight this.

I can now appreciate the love that owners have for their pets as well as the emotional bond that forms. It makes think of the old saying "don't judge someone until you've walked a day in their shoes." It applies to all life situations and I'm grateful for that reminder.

In the meantime I anxiously await the updates from our wonderful vets to let us know how he's doing. I stopped by to see him on my lunch break yesterday. It was reassuring to be able to show the kids a picture of him to let them know he's doing better. We are hoping he can maybe come he today.

Our new addition!

Mist of you know that miss Eryn has been a hopin' and a prayin' for a puppy for a few years now. I always said good things come to those who wait. Well, the waiting is finally over. We welcomed little Rocky, a shih poo mix, to our home on Saturday.  We are all in love with is little bugger and are finding out what a true responsibility a pet is. We are trying to potty train and get into a routine. I su
ppose it's going as well as we can expect! Stay tuned for updates and information!

Belated birthday celebration

Mom turned the big 6-0 in January.  All she wanted to do for her special day was to take a road trip to Leclaire Iowa, home of American Pickers. So we made a visit to this quaint small town this past weekend.  We had a great time!!

Catching up!

With this crazy winter we've had its been difficult to schedule gatherings. Last week we were able to get together with some friends for supper.  The kids played while the adults caught up on what's been going on. Although I don't see them as often as I'd like they are wonderful people I am so grateful to have on my life:)

Florida!

 

We returned from warm and sunny Florida hoping for signs of spring back in Iowa, but no luck.  Nonetheless, we had a great time!  We definitely missed the kids, but were glad for some time away.  Here's just a few of the pictures we took.  We had a great time with great friends. I can't wait to go back!

 

 

 

Speedway at night

On the set of Fox Sports 1

Palm Trees!

Randy and I at the race on Sunday (before the big rainstorm). It was warm, sunny and humid.

I captured pictures from our balcony almost every morning of the sunrise.  This was one of my favorites.