Starting a new chapter

On Wednesday August 12, this sweet chocolate face will be starting kindergarten.  As you may or may not know, I'm a stay at home mom.  I have been since Mr. D was about 4 months old.  I've always wanted to stay home with my kids.  My mom stayed home with me and I always thought that was so important to raise my kids. I have nothing against working moms, I have lots of friends who are, just for ME this was of high importance. So I have been home with my babies for the better part of 9 years.  Yes you read that right, 9 years! 

But in just about a week this sweet little girl who has become my favorite shopping buddy will leave me for the big exciting world of kindergarten. Look at that face!  How can you not just wanna eat her! LOL 

And while I'm excited to find more time for working out (hello marathon in less than 100 days!) and having lunch dates with this hottie, my heart is also very heavy.  I remember Mr. D's first day of kindergarten and the anxiety that he was feeling about being away from me all day with people he didn't know.  I remember hugging him and telling him I loved him and to shine for Jesus. I also remember sobbing the entire drive home praying that he would be ok and that school would be a good experience for him.  When I dropped Mr. S off I remember shedding a couple tears but that boy needed to go to school!  He is way to smart for his own good and needed the challenge that school brings.  He was more than ready and so was I!  

But this?  My baby girl?  The child for whom I prayed and begged God to give me?  When I got pregnant with Miss V we had decided it would be out last child.  My body doesn't handle pregnancy well and having 3 under 3 was definitely a handful. So we decided boy or girl we would be done at 3.  So I immediately hit my knees every night begging and pleading with God to give us a girl.  Actually I prayed for twin girls but that is a whole nother story.  But I prayed and prayed for her to be a girl.  To be a healthy baby girl.  And praise Him she is happy and healthy and has been from the start.  I even have this verse in her room because I found it to be so true and fitting for us.

But now that desire of my heart is getting ready to go out in the big world and where does that leave me? Am I still a stay at home mom if there are no kids at home? I know that my place is still here taking care of my family.  I know that my days will still be filled with laundry and dishes and cleaning the house and making sure everyone has everything they need.  But without doing things with them, what does that make me?  Where does that leave me? I'm struggling with this a lot.  A lot more than I would care to admit.  I feel like I'm having a midlife crisis.  The woman that I have become over the last 9 years is suddenly in a place where she has never been before.  Some times freedom and new experiences are good and some times bad but they almost always come with some anxiety for me.  What will life look like for me over the next year? Will I still feel useful and like my place is here as they all get on the bus and I'm left alone? Is it selfish to do my training while they are gone and focus on me for a bit? I have so many mixed emotions. I'm not ready for next week but I don't have to be! We will take it one day at a time and God will give me the strength and peace to put that sweet baby girl of mine on the big yellow bus and wave happily while they drive away.  

Love, Lacey

Family Vacation 2015 PICTURE HEAVY!

Hello Little Loves!  We spent our annual family vacation in Port Clinton, OH.  Its such a nice little place with some many things to do. I didn't take pictures of everything but I will share as much as I can!

This is the beach where we stay.  So beautiful!

Miss V was in a picture taking mood so the next couple are her pictures.  I think she did pretty good with this one!

She also took this one and I love it!

There are my littles! 

We stumbled upon this winery!

They had the best little area to sit and the tastes they give you were very generous! I'm not a red fan but I thought all of these were  pretty good! The setting made this is fantastic place for me! 

We went out to Marblehead lighthouse for a little while.  It is really beautiful and I could have sat there all day watching the waves and exploring the rocks.  

(I stole this pic! sshhhh)

One day we went to Monsoon Lagoon . I'm not big on water parks but I wanted to be a good sport because everyone else wanted to go!  This place turned out to be the best kept secret!  It wasn't very big which worked to our advantage but you got so much for your money.  We went on a weekday so the price was $20 per person but that got us the water park, unlimited putt putt, bumper boats, & go karts.  We could also go out to our car any time so we packed a lunch and sat in our van to eat.  The park was small enough that we didn't have to mother hen our kids the whole time.  They could play and run and enjoy and so could we!  It even had a swim up bar with daily specials that we may have enjoyed!  Highly Highly Highly recommend if you are in the Port Clinton  or north /west of Sandusky go check them out!! Well worth it!

Mr. J and I snuck out for a date one night while my sweet mother watched the kids.  After a lovely dinner at a winery (Mon Ami Winery) we decided to find the sunset and found a lovely little pier to walk out on.  This was right after the sun set and it was one of the most gorgeous skies! God was definitely showing off his painting skills all week!  We were treated to so many gorgeous views! 

Until this happened on Thursday!  That's algae bloom.  It basically turns the water into pea soup and you can't go near it.  It disgusting! So we decided to leave after breakfast on Friday morning and do some more exploring on the way home!

I'm glad we did because we found this place right out side of Toledo in a town called Perrysburg.  If you haven't been here (and you live in the area) you need to go!!  It was SO neat!  We are already planning our return trip for this winter.  Lots to see and great prices on clothes and gear! We loved it!

I met a new friend! You know that moment when you question if it's really dead and trustworthy? this was that moment.  My face was as close to his mouth as it could get without touching.  PHEW!

And I found my new favorite brand!  Ok it might not be my absolute favorite but I'm loving the name!

All in all this was the best vacation we have had as a family.  Usually we deal with rain, sickness, moodiness, & bad listening skills.  But this one was smooth sailing from start to finish.  I still can't believe how good it was.  It was a vacation to remember and one that went far too fast.  We are already planning our return for next year with lots of adventures in between! 

Love, Lacey

I'm still alive!

Hello my little loves!!  I'm sorry I have been gone for so long.  I just really wanted to enjoy summer with my kiddos and not be sitting here at the computer.  But with that being said, summer is coming to a fast end so I'm back with pictures and stories and training and secrets and all sorts of good stuff for you!  I will share a few pictures with you and work on getting back to chatting with you more often! Although on that note, I do post almost every day on Instagram and Facebook.  Look for me!  My username is LoveLacey365.

I made Mr. J do a T25 workout with me and he almost died! LOL This is his fake smile.

I'm still swimming each week.  I'm also still trying to figure out my goggles.  Those giant bags under my eyes are from the goggles. Not very flattering but hey I didn't drown! 

I did drink some wine this summer! 

Mr. J and I went to see Shania Twain (yep that's her in a tepee of lights).  She was AMAZING!  She came out of the floor of the stage, She rode around the crowd in a little cart, and also flew around on a jeweled saddle! She was SO good!!  And I hope I look half as good as her at 50! Holy thigh high boots! 

And despite his face here he did have fun! LOL 

Afterwards we went out to the Wild Beaver Saloon!  That was SO much fun!

I have been running semi-regularly with these Yetis!

And last but not least we just got home for our annual trip to Lake Erie!  We had SO much fun and I will share a lot more pictures on that soon!  

I have been taking tons of pictures and thinking about what I want to share with you guys a lot lately.  So I will definitely be posting more.  The kids start school in 2 weeks!  That includes Miss V going to Kindergarten.  Where did my baby go?! A part of me is ready (the need to bust out some miles and get super serious about training) but part of me is NOT ready at all (the I want my littles to stay little for a long time!). It's just the start of a new chapter in our lives! 

Anyways!  What have you been up to? Did you miss me?  What do you want to see on my blog?

Love, Lacey

RunnerBox May 2015

YES!!!  I got my RunnerBox for May 2015 so I thought I would share with you what I got.  I have already eaten/traded some things so I had to steal a few pictures from the website but hey that's life!

There's my box! 

First up some products from a company called Hydrate!  They sent 4 different flavors of drink mixes.  These are basically liked a powdered sports drink you mix with water. They also sent 2 different gels that can be used before, during, or after a run. I did try the orange flavor of the drink mix and it was pretty good!

Next up is a "buttered oats shooter"  from a brand called Rani's. It looks like granola to me so I'll be anxious to try that on some yogurt.  Also pictured is a Fruigees fruit snack.  This reminds me of the kids applesauce or toddler snacks. I haven't eaten that either but it seems like something I will put in my purse for emergencies. And last but NOT least is the bumble bar! They sent two and I already ate one.  It was AMAZING!  It's not like any other bar I've ever had.  It was actually made of sesame seeds.  It was a little crunchy, a little chewy, & a lot delicious!  I can't wait to eat the other one!

These are two of the most interesting items to me. First up the IPS Egg white chips! The card says they are made with healthy egg white protein for 6 grams of protein per serving and half the fat of fried chips! I haven't tried these yet (as I'm a little afraid to) but I'll let you know! Something I did try and didn't care for (maybe the flavor) was the Run gum.  This is a gum developed by an Olympian to help give you a boost.  It says it's zero calorie, sugar free and gives you 50mg of caffeine, 20gm of Taurine & B-Vitamins! I tried the fruit flavor and was not impressed.  I will try the mint especially on a long run as I like to chew gum to keep me focused. I will report on that one also! 

Udderly smooth is a body cream to use on areas prone to chafing prior to running. I'm a huge fan of body glide so maybe I'll give udderly smooth a try next time! Lasting smiles chap stick is a pretty run of mill chap stick but it does give back.  With every 1000 balms sold it funds one cleft lip surgery.  So that's a great reason to check them out! And a bottle opener for your keys!  Who doesn't need one of those?! (People who drink wine!  That's who!  Where's my bottle stopper? or wine glass? hmm?!)

Go Tap is a kinesiology tape used to help with join and muscle pain.  I have use something similar in the past when my knee was acting up. I may just save this! The ICE3 (Ice-Cubed) is a body cooling towelette. Basically after (or during) a long run you can wipe yourself down with this and it will cool you down. I tend to use baby wipes but will give this a try! 

The Body Armor super drink . . . I drank! I needed some hydration so I tried it.  I got the strawberry banana flavor and it was pretty good.  Again not something I would normally drink or buy but it was good to try! 

And this product I traded away!  I know I'm horrible I didn't even try it but K wanted it and I took her gum so hey! But I've tried things like this and they were ok.  Again things like this tend to get stuck in my purse for emergencies! 

So there it is!  The May Runner Box.  I'm always amazed at how much stuff you get for $20!!  I love trying the new products and seeing what is out there that I haven't even thought of (cooling towelettes!).  If you want to get your own runnerbox you can click HERE and sign up! They also have CycleBox and TriBox if you or someone you know are interested in one of those! You can do a subscription (every other month) or just a one time box as a gift!  It's really a great company!  Go check them out!

Love, Lacey 

DISCLAIMER . I am not sponsored by RunnerBox.  I pay for the subscription myself and all views and opinions are my own!

Weekly Training Round Up 05/04/15

Here is my what I did this past week.  I try to plan out my workouts and runs on Sunday before the week but as you all know some times life gets in the way.  This is the 3rd week I have been training and I have to say I'm pretty proud of myself!

I spent my Monday miles with these 2 yetis! We did 4 miles. 2 nice and easy and 2 progressive! 

I came out of the pool on Tuesday to see this?!

I actually thought "Oh no I'm going to get wet!"  How crazy.  I just spent an hour in the pool but I was worried about getting rained on?  Oh well.  When I got home my hair was crazy!

Speed work Wednesday! I did what I call ladders.  I did a .25 warm up then did a 2 minute run and a 1 minute walk.  I went from 6.0 - 7.0 going up .2 each time. The sprinted 1:30 min at 7.5 & 8. Then back down 1 min run and 1 min walk. And then a .25 cool down.  Felt SO good!

Then on Saturday K and I had a race!  It was a 4 mile run for Breast Cancer Awareness! If you don't know this is a cause near and dear to my heart.  I ran for 4 different people who have fought this monster. I decided to do progressive miles again just to try to slow myself in the beginning.  I ended up finishing 42:01 and coming in 10th out of 16 in my age.  I'm really happy with this race.  I pushed hard and even kicked hard to the finish! Love this race and can't wait to run it again next year!

I missed my workout on Thursday because it just was a crazy busy day and then I thought I'll do it on Friday but guess what?!  Life didn't slow down.  Both days I got up at 6am and didn't sit down until 4pm. At first I was upset that I missed a workout but then I realized that I wasn't just sitting around I was very busy! So I don't feel bad about it and this week is a new week!  Can't wait to share my training with you each week!

Love, Lacey

Two week round up! End of April 2015

Hello Loves!  Its been a few weeks since I talked to you.  If you missed why you can go read it here. But I haven't been MIA with my workouts.  Like a lot of people my workouts, especially my runs, are my time with God and the time that I pray continually about those I love or issues I'm facing.  So I thought I would give you a little update on the last 2 weeks.  I'll save my weekly round up for the weekend or next week.  But  here is what my last 2 weeks have looked like!

The week of 4/20
Mon - Run 3
Tue - Speed Work
Wed - ZUMBA!
Thur - Rest
Fri - Swim 15 laps
Sat. - LSD - 6.2 miles
Sun - REST

My marathon Monday miles!

This guy loves to try to kill me with speed work!

Long Slow Miles! 6.2 to be exact!

The Week of 4/27

Mon - Run 3

Tues - ZUMBA

Wed - Speed Work

Thur - Swim

Fri - REST

Sat - LSD 6

Sun - REST

Some nice easy Monday Miles with my favorite running partner!

Then these 2 tried to kill me with 6 x .25 speed!  YES!

Then I did some Long Slow Distance alone!  6 miles!

Then to reward myself (or at least this was my motivation) Mr. J and I had a business dinner to go to on Saturday Eve.  I was trying to earn my food and drinks that night.  But I'm so happy with this picture.  I love spending time with this guy and being able to be all dressed up is a bonus!

So there ya go!  That's my last two weeks.  This week is going well too!  So I can't wait to share that with you! 

Love, Lacey

I want to be happy

I want to be happy.  I think that is something most people want. . .  But today (this whole week really) isn't the time.  You see one of my best friends has lost someone so near and dear to her that my heart breaks just thinking about it.  She lost her big brother.  Death is a really sad, hurtful, horrible thing for those of us left here.  Even when someone is old and you can say "She lived a long full life" it still hurts.  I remember being at my grandmother's funeral and thinking "She lived a long time. I shouldn't' be sad.  I'll see her again." But you know what? I was sad.  And I still am some times.  When I see something that reminds me of her.  Or think of how she used to answer the phone or her beautiful wrap around porch at her house. Or when I look at Miss V her namesake.  I can't help but think what would Grandma think? She never met my husband or saw my kids or our house.  What would she think? She was the most loving & kind hearted person.  She was a widow at 30 with 2 kids at home and 1 on the way. They lived on a farm with crops and cattle and other livestock and she never remarried. I often wonder why but do you think I thought to ask her while she was here? Nope! My guess is her kids came first and she was so busy supporting them that there was no time. She was truly an amazing person.

But back to being happy.  I just can't.  Does that mean I'm walking around upset and mad and feeling emotional all day?  Not at all.  But this verse came to mind.

I have lived this verse so many times.  Thankfully most of them were rejoicing with my friends and family.  So many weddings, babies, jobs, houses, cars & answers to prayer.  I rejoice when my friends rejoice.  I'm happy for them when they are happy or something good happens to them.  But the verse doesn't stop there. It goes on to say "Mourn with those who mourn" or I've heard "weep with those who weep".  Mourn seems more appropriate today as I walk through a sad horrible unthinkable time with my friend. So while I want to be happy and show you so many great things that are happening in our house I just can't.  I want to share how my running is going, I want to show you this amazing new bookshelf I found, but I can't. I'm trying to be respectful of my friend and her loss.  I want her to know how much she is loved & how her brother will not be forgotten. That life will get better.  That grief and loss are a roller coaster.  As you know we experienced a loss in our family earlier this year and most my days are fine. But every now and then I'll find a picture or hear a bird or go to text our family and think of our loss.  I don't text or call my brother-in-law & sister-in-law as much as I should.  I don't tell them enough how I'm praying for them. But I do constantly. Death is a strange, sad, empty thing for those of us left behind. So bear with me while I mourn with my friend. I promise to update you this weekend or next week about my training & show you my bookshelf. I love you all.  I pray for peace and comfort for those who have lost someone dear to them. 

Love, Lacey

Cross Training?

When I started running, I did it just for fun.  My goal was just to finish a 5k.  I was 3 months postpartum (and c-section) after Miss V and I remember it was a very slow (somewhere around 48?) and painful race.  I didn't have much faith in myself.  I had run a fair amount but didn't really know about training or pacing.  

Jump ahead ALMOST 6 years and I have grown so much as a person and as a runner.  First of all I call myself a runner.  I have run numerous 5ks, a few 4 mile runs, a hand full of 10ks, & 4 half marathons. Second I KNOW what it's like to train.  I know what it looks and feels like to be out running 3-4 times a week.  I know that running 9 or 10 miles to train for a 5k is something that my former running coach told me is important.  Third I also understand nutrition and how important it is to running.  Also hydration!  I have always struggled with getting enough water and correct nutrition.  But as a runner I understand (even if I don't always follow it) how important those things are.  

One thing that I have been told over and over and see on a lot on the running pages I follow is cross training.  Cross training is basically any exercise that you do besides running.  A lot of runners swim or bike or do weight training.  I haven't ever been too serious about cross training.  I have done some weight training but never gotten too serious about it.  Until this year!  The year of the marathon means there are NO EXCUSES! So this week my running partner Kellie and I decided enough is enough and we went to our local high school to sign up for swimming.  Our high school is lucky enough to have an indoor pool with lanes and a dive well.  We decided that we would swim once a week and keep setting goals for ourselves and really get serious about cross training.  

So you know I got serious and bought a swim cap! I wanted to look official! Do I look like a swimmer?! 

Hey we may not to be the BEST swimmers or go very far but you know what? We gave it our all and were still smiling after!  We did 10 laps (down and back) with varying strokes.  We both felt like we had a great time and got a good workout.  We decided to calculate how far we went . . . are you ready?  We swam . . . a total of .284 miles.  YEP!  Just over a quarter of a mile.  It's not much but that's farther than I've done before.  I've set a new goal for this weeks swim so we will see how this week goes!  I feel like I need some swim goggles because of my contacts but maybe I'll just try to go without my contact. 

Watch out world!  We are not messing around!  We are ready to get in shape and tackle this marathon!

Love, Lacey