I work out

I have been on summer break for almost a month, which is sad to think how fast this is going.  There are many perks to having the summer off, and one of the big ones for me is I get to workout in the mornings.  I am a morning person, all the way.  I can wake up at the crack of dawn, and be wide awake almost immediately.  So working out in the morning is pleasurable to me.  And working out, I have been. 

I am currently training for the Peachtree 10k, on July 4th, and the bike portion of an Ironman that will take place Oct. 26.  And of course in the back of my mind I am already planning out my training for the Goofy which is in January. 

The Peachtree won't be too big of a deal, as I technically started training for it 3 weeks ago, running 3 times a week.  I added a mile on to my runs each week, so this week I am running 6 miles on my training run.  The added bonus is I have been taking Cade in the jogger with me, which means my training runs are a lot more difficult than the actual race will be.  But let me tell you Cobb County sidewalks are a disaster.  There are a few roads that I feel are a little too busy, hilly, or curvy for me to run in the street with Cade.  And so I am forced to suffer pushing the jogger over tree roots, trash, over grown fields, cracked sidewalks, curbs (because half of these sidewalks have no ramp, which I am pretty sure makes them NOT ADA okay), and manhole covers that are about 2 inches higher than the rest of the sidewalk.  It was manhole that almost sent Cade flying through the air a week ago, but thank goodness I had my hands on the jogger, and caught it as it went airborne.  Still that scared me enough for me to stop my run, turn around, and walk back home.  But all in all I really enjoy my runs, so no major complaints.

Now this relay....Let me take you back.  I think it was sometime in the fall, and I sitting around a table with three other fabulous ladies.  Only one of us there is an Ironman.  But we are all athletes in our own ways.  I wish I could say there were drinks involved when this plan was devised, but no.  Just a bunch of crazy ladies, with big dreams.  And the thought of a medal.  When we left our dinner that night a relay team was born, and I had somehow agreed to do the bike portion.  I am not a fabulous biker.  I am a great runner.  But I am always wanting to better myself, and I thought I can already run a marathon.  Just thinking about a 2.4 mile swim makes sweat appear on my forehead, so that leaves the bike.  112 miles of biking.  The day I agreed to be on this team I hadn't ridden my bike in over a year.   

In my mind, working towards this relay goal is a big deal to me.  I am one part of a team.  If I am poorly trained, give up, or can't make cut offs, that doesn't just effect me this time.  It would mean a medal for two others.  I put a lot of pressure on myself, and now doubly so.  There are two others counting on me to train, prepare, and survive 112 miles of biking.  Everything I do this summer, well actually anything I do up until Oct. 26 will be with this 112 miles of biking in mind. 

So that being said I am biking.  A lot.  I started back in January on my trainer, for 30 minutes, then 45, then 60.   Then I took the bike back out on the road, and did quite a few 60 minutes out and back.  Then when I started summer break I switched to getting in actual miles.  I hope to be able to do 100 miles by Sept. 8, and then I hope to do 100 again on Oct. 6.  Whew, that scares me a little bit just typing the dates out.  I am currently up to 45 miles, which took me just over 3 hours.  I average 15 mph, but where I am training has a lot of stop lights, and traffic, so that does slow me down a bit.  I am giving up about 7 hours a week towards this goal. 

I know I won't be able to give up that kind of time when school starts back up, so I am trying to do what I can before summer is over.  Not only is this a lot of time to give up on a weekly basis, it has also been a little tricky figuring out when to go.  Cade can't go in the bike trailer until he is a year old, and we haven't even purchased one yet, as he still has a while to use it.  So I can't take Cade, Jacob works 3rd shift and sleeps during the day (which is a whole different blog post on that tackling that), and then to top it all off Jacob has been gone with the Army since the 17th and won't be back until the 30th.  To say I could have every excuse in the book to not workout is an understatement at this point.  But I have worked it out with a neighbor girl who comes over 3 times a week to watch Cade. 

Working out has always been important to me, and I am going at it full force this summer.  I have about two weeks before my trip to MI, where I hope to be able to still get in some rides.  I will have to do some juggling, but if something is important to you then you will make it happen.  This is important to me, so I will make it happen.

Puerto Rico Recap

So rewind back to the second week of April and I found myself on my spring break (one of the perks of being a teacher).  Many of you know I went to Puerto Rico.  Many times I wanted to sit down and write out my thoughts on traveling with a 7 month old, but working full time, training, and caring for said child prevented me from this.  But here I am with a few moments of spare time so I am writing our adventure out many months later.

When my dad first spoke to me about visiting him over my spring break, I was extremely apprehensive. I knew Jacob couldn't take any vacation time, so that would leave me taking Cade alone.  My dad and Gary didn't exactly have a whole bunch of kid stuff, which meant I had to bring a lot with us.  I would have to take a stroller, car seat, a week of clothes for both of us, homemade baby food, bottles, the list could go on and on.  I couldn't even imagine myself walking the stroller (which holds the car seat), with a carry on, and luggage.  And then taking MARTA (our subway system) to boot, as I wouldn't know what shift Jacob was working on that certain day.  Nope.  Wouldn't do.  Sorry.  No. 

Then my dad enticed me a little more.  Him and Gary would pay for the plane tickets for Cade and I.  Then he started talking about the ocean (which if you know me, access to open water is the only thing I miss about the state of MI), how warm the weather was, and how relaxing it would be.  But I was still stuck in my ways, it would be stressful with a baby. My dad and Gary run on a different schedule than Cade.  He would get off schedule.  I would have to explain how to do everything, from bottles, to diaper changes, to rocking him to sleep.  And again, the plane ride did not sound stress free at all.  This trip was a no go.  I wouldn't travel alone with a 7 month old. 

My dad came at it again.  He would pay for someone else to come along with me.  He wished it could have been Jacob, but "it is what it is", and so he wanted to know if I could find a friend that wanted to go to Puerto Rico, understanding they would be there to help travel with Cade.  So I started thinking of people who would want to go on vacation with a 7 month old, only to find all of my teacher friends were on a different spring break than me.  Again a dead end.  I stood my ground. I didn't want to travel alone. 

Then my sister devises a plan.  She angles that she could fly to Atlanta, fly to Puerto Rico with Cade and I, then fly back to Atlanta, then back to Michigan.  I figured dad would never go for it.  Not only is that 3 plane tickets from Atlanta, but an extra round trip from Michigan to Georgia.  I felt pretty secure that he would not go for it. 

His answer was yes. 

Dread set in.  I was really. really, really, really hesitant scared to death to travel with Cade.  Not only all the stresses I listed above, but now that it was closer than ever to happening I started thinking about all that Jacob was going to miss out on.  Cade's first plane ride, his first time in another country territory, first time in a pool, the first time in sand, and then the ocean.  Jacob LOVES the ocean.  He would miss Cade's first time in the ocean.  As I explained all of this to Jacob, tears spilled down my cheeks.  I didn't want to go on vacation because he would miss out on so much.  I didn't want to be the cause to him missing out on so many memories.  He promised me he didn't feel that way.  He went into all the reasons why I should go.  Relaxing.  The beach.  The warmth.  Just not being at home. 

Well we went.  I made a list of all the items Cade uses in a day, and then discussed with Dad and Gary what they would need to purchase as I didn't want/couldn't travel with them.  I can proudly say they are now well prepared for all the grand kids to follow.  Then I packed only things I couldn't buy there.  I bought formula, snacks, water diapers, and premade (yes, Gerber, in plastic jars....) baby food.  And we all survived.   I couldn't have traveled with anyone more equipped than my sister.  She is all knowing when it comes to infants/babies. The trip would not have been such a success without her.

After coming back and reflecting on the trip here are a few things I hope to remember for the next trip.

* Cade will get off his schedule, and it is okay.  I need to be a lot more flexible when it comes to this.

* Babies will fuss when you don't want them too.  They will scream loudly in quiet places.  I need to with it.  I tended to freak out, and my stomach would churn when he would start acting up in public.  I need to breath, and take him out of the quiet place, to somewhere he can make the screaming noise.

* Allow others to take over, and then just leave.  I didn't want to ask others to help because I didn't want it to seem like I couldn't handle it.  But I really, REALLY, loved my morning run on the beach that didn't have a baby in tow.  It was refreshing.  It took me 4 days to be without Cade.  That was WAY too long. 

* Just laugh and apologize to the people you run over with the stroller, hit in the head (yes, I hit 3 people in the head with Cade's stroller....super funny but long story for a later time), or make wait in lines because you can't seem to fit through a door, or close the stroller in an appropriate amount of time.  I need to laugh more at these situation in the moment, and not just as funny stories a few days later.  I don't really like babies and if this happened to me I wouldn't be totally upset, I would be understanding.  I just have to assume most of the human race is too.

Well I will leave this post with a few of my favorite pictures from the trip.  Overall I am super thankful to my dad and Gary for taking care of most of trip, and of course making it possible for me to spend time with Trisha, in a beautiful setting.  There has to be a first time for everything right?

In front of the fort which protected the island for many years

Little model

Slide time at the park

Around the cruise ship harbor

Downtown Old San Juan

Gaga and Cade

Papi and Gaga soon after we got off the plane

Enjoying the balcony with Papi

Papi with both of his grandsons!

Cade's first taste of the pool

Swing time at the park

First time in the pool.  He loved it.  Or at least he didn't scream.

The four of us at dinner.

Cade Babe

Enjoying the beach

First time in the ocean (he preferred the pool)

Goodbye PR - until next time

Doin' it with Duane

Jacob and I bought a house for two main reasons.  It was cheaper than renting, and our dog Lola needed something bigger than an apartment.  Of course there were other perks that went along with a house, but we always had dreams that our "starter" house was just that, and not necessarily our final home.

Then life happens, as it usually does, and 5 years later we are still in the purple house with a little man added into the mix.  Three years ago Mom and Duane came down for an extended trip.  We added in a few house projects, and a new tradition was born.

Now mom and Duane use their soon to expire vacation days to come down and help us with odds and ends.  And since the invention of Pinterest it is easy for mom and Duane to look at my boards and pick out what they want to work on while here.  Last year, of course, was getting the house ready for baby.  So this year it was to better the house, as it looks like we are here for a few more years at least. 

Words can not express how thankful we are for parents who are willing to get dirty, work hard, and sweat, on their vacation none the less.  Duane is possibly the most handy man I know.  He can dream up anything we want done.  We give him an idea, and he sees it through.  And not just we will do it quickly so it is done, but done the right way, so we are only adding value to our house.  I guess this blog post is an attempt to thank Duane and mom for all of their hard work.  And really to show off what Duane can do.  His passion is really working on projects, and making ideas in our heads come to life.  His work is done correctly every time, and done beautifully!  Just look and see what you think!

Curb appeal was on the TOP of mom's list this year.  She has been working on our flower bed for a year or so, and she couldn't wait to get her hands in the falling apart tree in the front of our yard.  We dug up all the circle bricks, to find they were put in upside down, hence the constant slopping.  While digging up the tree, we dug up and replanted the massive amount of daffodils.  We replanted daffodils around the mailbox, which desperately needed a new coat of paint.  We also repainted our front porch, which added a really nice pop of color.   The last step for the front yard was to trim, and hopefully save our front tree.  The previous owners placed the bricks on top of the tree's roots, which caused part of the tree to die off.  By readjusting the bricks we are in hopes we have saved this tree.  Duane and Jacob braved the humidity and opened the front yard up.

The manly men after the tree had been chopped up

HAHA!  Manly Men!

Our mailbox looks fresh and a new flower area!

Our porch is bright white now!

Mom and I did a lot of work on the inside just decluttering, and clearing items off of the floor, as Lil' man is on the move, and into anything he can get his hands on.   We organized 3 (well technically 4) closets, to make room for the many items that have to be put away temporarily.  I love organization so I enjoyed loved this process. 

Check out that AMAZING pegboard!  Takes everything off of the floor!  AMAZING!

Look at all that room for more stuff!  This closet used to be stuffed full!

This is my cleaning/extra linen closet!  So pretty

 Jacob and I had painted our living room/hallways (THANKS to mom and dad Larkin for the mass amount of paint it took to do this large area).  We had completed putting up cat shelves, and then painted out the second mantel we wanted.  Then Duane and mom made it all happen.  The living room and hallway are COMPLETE!  The second mantel is more than we even dreamed!  It is a perfect addition!  Duane's ability to take a piece of wood and create our projects is awesome.

Our new fireplace!  Seriously perfect! 

I think this is Pin worthy on Pinterest!

A complete look of the living room.  You can also see the new baby gate is in place. 

New art to add some color above the couch

A picture collage.  Also the cat shelves to the right.  Greg is demonstrating! 

You can't see the pictures, but they are baby pics of the new main man Lil' Boo!

The 3 sets of grandparents in the hallway!  A perfect fit!

Another piece of art to add a splash of color.  I guess we are becoming adults...with art pieces...

A huge new concern for us was the dog/cat food.  With Cade being mobile it never fails that he heads straight for the dog dishes (that were on the floor), and only a matter of time of knocking over the cat dishes that were on a small table.  So we created our own animal center! We already had the hutch, just re-purposed it.  We also painted the one wall in the dinning room the color the kitchen/dinning room will all be.  We had to get this wall done, as the big blank spot on the wall will soon house Jacob's fish tank again.  I love the yellow!  It really has brightened up the whole area!  I can't wait to finish painting!

A look at the dinning room as a whole.  The blank area will be home to a fish tank soon.

Our pet center.  Dog dishes below in the drawer.  The cats have their own spot.  Again, Greg is modeling for you. 

This is what our center looks like all closed up.  Perfect if you ask me!

And then the BIG project of the week.  Jacob's dream fish tank stand.  Him and Duane talked before their trip down here.  Jacob did his research, and got a majority of the supplies to get a start, but him and Duane were committed and completed way more than Jacob ever imagined!  Jacob has been looking at stands for a while, and they were priced around $1500.  The time and effort that Duane put into this would make this piece worth at least double.  It is a beautiful piece of woodwork.  What an awesome piece of furniture we will add to the dinning room soon enough!  Words can't describe how excited Jacob is! 

Here it is! Still in the basement.  It will be painted/stained black before it goes upstairs.

Simply perfect!

Custom shelves, drawers, and filter mechanics. Gorgeous! 

WHEW!  All of this in a week's time.  And we had time to experience some great restaurants, play with Cade, enjoy some shopping, and many memories made at home.  I think we can say we are closer than ever to having a real home.