Tuesday Tunes

an oldie but goodie..always makes me go faster...

kings of leon

sex on fire

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

"Running the Gulf" 615 [deployment] Miles!

If y'all know me by now, y'all know I love CHALLENGES!!

And, now I jumped into a hefty challenge. The MWR STENNIS, announced their, "Running the Gulf", by running/elliptical 615 miles until the end of deployment. Sweet, right!?

What does this mama do on a Monday, laced up her running shoes, and headed to the gym after snack time. It was a CRAZY WINDY morning, leaves were flying everywhere, grounds were covered in fabulous colors. My girls were loving the walk to the gym, KIDS RUN THIS TOWN MILES!! I patiently waited for a treadmill, I stretched while those other joggers did their thing, and 30 minutes later it was time. Luckily, my girls were pretty content during that wait and while I went running. There were a few walking intervals and I kept pushing myself, I aimed for a 5k but decided to keep going. I was pouring sweat, like major, I stinky sweat. My bondi band was soaked, as was my shirt. 
Finished Strong; 3.84 in 40 minutes. 

I've created a document to log in my 'stennis miles'. I'm excited for this 'deployment distraction' and love racking up those miles. There's a game plan in motion too, and I'm pretty excited!! Now, to get my husband on this challenge!! 
JOIN IN; it'll be a nice distraction. You know you want to RUN!! :D

Geez! Time flew by today, It's almost time to go pick up my oldest from school. After, my run, we came home, prepared lunch, cleaned, got the girls down for naptime. And, then got busy LIFTING for week 10/day 1 of Les Mills Pump. Whewww, my upper arm was sore from this morning Flu Shot but I got it done!! I definitely earned my mid-day shower, I was a SWEATY HOT MESS!! Now, to continue my cleaning frenzy, tonight Mama gets to R-E-L-A-X!!

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Motivational Monday!!

get ir done.

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Ohhh, Zombies!!

So, this Mama got to RUN, 2 days in a Row!! Whoop! Whoop!!
Pretty exciting weekend, but I was mostly exhausted!! 
In all things RUNNING-RELATED; here's my weekend race re-cap. 

Friday: Dawn of the Dead Dash 
After a 4 hour shift, I had to rush home, get changed into my running gear. I didn't really plan on dressing up, I was pulling out my warm running tops from my drawers, hadn't used them in a while. Leanna suggested I dress up as a Princess Runner...princess? Okay. She gave me the running skirt I had won a few months ago, Sparkly Aqua!! And, said to wear my sparkly runner band. Then, I added in a pair of high socks, that had a little sparkle to them. I felt a little silly but they were totally smiling. We headed out a later than I planned. It was a rainy drive, rainy!! We found a SONIC once we made the 50 minute drive to Tacoma; HAPPINESS!! Then, it was off to drop girls at a friends house. Once, I found the address it was back out into the Friday Night Traffic on I-5N..did't expect that, add in unfamiliar roads and I was a little worried. I found a parking spot and RUSHED to the meeting venue. 

While, I was jogging UPHILL, I started to notice runners w/bibs going downhill. They had started and it wasn't even 7:30. It was about 7:15, so I was racing up to check-in. Got there. Got checked-in. Got my bib & shirt and info on what's going to happen. Then, I realized this wasn't at all what I 'expected'. There was no exact course. They gave you a map, and the crossroads for checkpoints, then you had to 'get there' and not be tagged. Okay. Okay. I was scared at that point. I was alone. Made it out the venue, asked a couple to snap a quick photo of me and asked them if they were familiar with the area. They said, yes. Then another 2 minutes of chit chat and I was joining their group. Cool. UNTIL, we heard craziness nearby and everyone started running. ZOMBIE!! And, I was flying, like lost the 'new running friends' flying. There was ANOTHER couple, and I asked if they knew where...yeah, I was a dork. Turns out they did...and I stayed with this duo. We took other routes to stay away from the 'popular' streets. There was real life still going on, people still driving to/from places, going out to dinner. Made it to checkpoint 1, where they met up with more friends. Checkpoint #2 was crazy infested!! And, one of the teammates and I made a QUICK run to the 'safe zone', I was tagged, but still got checked in, which made me think, did they tag me after I stepped in, since I was running hard into the zone. I don't know. I just continued on with the team, UPHILL, running from zombies. Running from possible zombies, Running & Running. Jumping over a fence because the alley was blocked off. Laughing. It was COLD. Luckily no rainfall. Wet Roads. Chatting. Continuously saying, "oh sh*t!" We heard from other runners that Checkpoint #3 was crazy infested and we made a plan of attack. Well, after all that planning, and ducking, hiding behind trees, taking it silly serious, checkpoint #3 was NO WHERE to be found. And, about 15 other runners had also scoped the scene with nothing. Ah, well. It was a hilarious/spooky 2 1/2 hour FUN RUN!! Once, I saw that it was almost 9, and I was FAR from my parking spot, I was literally running through the area, a good mile! Ohh, and I was loving it!! The weather was just perfect.

Saturday: #anywhere5k Zombie Run.
I was exhausted after the drive home and a sleepless night but I had planned to get my virtual race done. Another runner mama, was going to be running with me and since there was rain in the forecast, we planned for a treadmill 5k. We met up and I did my 5k first. It was ROUGH, I was a little worn. And, I actually ran Mile 1 in 9:50!! Not too bad. I had a pretty LONG walking interval which slowed my pace down drastically. My legs were a little beaten up from killer hills, walking them even got me. Washington has some STEEP hills. No joke. After the recovery walk. I picked it back up to to finish strong. 
5k in 42:42. Not my best on the treadmill but I got it done. Notice the shirt, it's the swag from the Dawn of the Dead Dash. I would much rather receive a shirt vs. a medal any day and I have with most local races. Other, than the virtual races. Medals aren't that big of a deal, I still love them and get happy when I receive them. I'm REALLY excited to see the Memory Run Medal with a photo of my dad. I love to sport my tops more. And, you will see me wearing them,at least, weekly, not the same ones since I have several. You really can't walk around sporting your medal. Yes, I have them proudly displayed on my bling/bib board. And, I've been thinking of a way to display the bibs instead of just stacking them. 

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Thankful Thursday!

What are you thankful for?

Tonight, I am thankful for a wonderful support system!!

From family to still breastfeeding to school to work to military life to fitness...I've got it all covered. And, I'm very thankful for those that are apart it. Lately, I have started to re-read, Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives. It's an excellent book, and I kind of read through it before deployment started and didn't digest it properly. Now, I've got a new outlook into reading it and I am identifying to it, open-heartily.

Some days,  some weeks become overwhelming, but like many others, I get through it. No matter what. I sometimes go harder in a workout routine, or spend more quality time with my girls. Remember, I have 3 girls; 6, 3, 1, all demanding ages, all different personalities, each needing my attention. With daddy on deployment, it's be ROUGH, giving them each my all. Juggling different roles, motherhood be the most demanding of them all. I have my good/bad days, days I felt as if I've failed, others I am on that super mama high. My husband is continuously praising me, reminding me that I do A LOT, a lot that other mama's might now do. I am very  much involved with them, from an early age teach them, opening their creativity, showing them the world is an adventure. I haven't stopped enjoying myself just because my husband is away. I'll be honest there has been several days, that I do breakdown with emotions because I do miss him. And, that's completely fine. I've seen many other military spouses via facebook groups, express misery, express how life sucks without there other half home. What I don't see is how they are enjoying their children or themselves. How miserable is that? A waste of time, if you ask me. I make the best of life while he is away or at least I try by hardest. I've embraced the deployment, I've set goals, I've planned out months, outtings for my girls, I've made things happen to keep us distracted. Later, this year we will be traveling to Texas for the Winter Break, it's going to be our first time flying from Washington an my first time traveling with my 3 girls. It's going to be pretty memorable. And, I am totally looking forward to it. We get to spend Christmas with family, I get to RUN a lot and just enjoy time in Texas.

When, it comes to fitness, it's also been challenging but I have put myself out there with friends via the world wide web, they have been apart of my journey, they have seen my success, they have seen Rosanna WORK her ASS off to get her body back after kids. And, they have become INSPIRED, some have jumped on and off, others have had their own success stories, and some are back with me. This brings me to a story in the book,Conquering Resentment, ....... "How can I serve others this week?" No matter how challenged I am in my life, I have to get myself out of that and move forward. I'm self-motivated, a go getta, a woman on the go. And, that's one reason I started setting up bootcamps, started this past April, for fellow military spouses, it's been off/on with our husbands schedules and recently with my knee injury. I'm happy to say, that it's back on the calendar this week. In September, once school started, I began hosting weekly run with Moms Run This Town, another way to keep myself busy and moving, to motivate other moms. Other wives know that I love all things fitness-related, they know I have 3 little ones, and know that I am always ready to get busy. 

Getting crafty, staying social. Those things people already know I enjoy, plan. And, it's been happening lately. We've got our second {eat.craft.drink} event coming up; Pie & Mug Swap!!

One of the chapters that caught my attention early on was, In Everything GIVE THANKS. 
And, I do that often. I am thankful for many things throughout the day. I don't take things for granted, most especially, the time with my girls. I know that on the other side of the ocean, my husband, is missing them. He is making us proud and doing his job which he loves. The deployment factor isn't permanent and we survive. We are proud of our sailor, we are thankful for him.

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Moms Run This Town!!

Aghh, it's been happening, almost daily. Waking up to a headache and it lingers on throughout the day. Not quite sure what is going on but I still got out there for some miles.

Today, we enjoyed walking instead of running during our Moms Run This Town Meetup.
We also had our preschoolers off from school, so it worked out perfectly. 


The morning was chilly, no rain, a little sunshine. perfect really. Just another fabulous fall day in Washington. We've gotten lucky with our MRTT Meetups lately, no rain. I REALLY have to order my rain cover soon, for when we aren't so lucky. My girls were full of DRAMA, in and out of the jogger, on and off my hip. Added resistance during the walk. 



We chatted, laughed, talked about upcoming events, like the Disney on Ice show we are taking our kids on. A SURPRISE for my girls and FIRST for us. I'm SUPER EXCITED!! 


We logged in 2.40 in 1:27:19.
I'll certainly have some fresh legs for tomorrow nights Dawn of the Dead Dash, especially after my first shift at work. Looking forward to a busy FUN day!!








"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Tuesday Tunes

....Pick you up, let you down

When I wanna go

To a place I can hide

You know me, I had plans

But they just disappeared

To the back of my mind......

The Black Keys - Little Black Submarine

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

This or That?

Here goes it..

1. Coffee or Tea?
I do both, wake up with coffee, maybe 2. Chai Latte can go in the mix. My favorite teas are Green Tea with a little honey and Chai Green Tea w/a little honey. Yum!!

2. Morning or Evening Workouts?
Lately, I have flipped flopped. Since, the weather has been COLD, I've been having a harder time waking up to get my workouts in, so I've done them in the evenings, after my girls are in bed.

3. Spinning to Music or TV?? It really depends on my mood, sometimes I'll watch something on my DVR, sometimes, I just want to turn up the music!!

4. Cravings: Sugar or Sweet?
Lately, it's been SWEETS. Go figure, since there is Halloween candy all over the house.

5. Jumping Jacks or Standing Mountain Climbers?
Dude, both of them are killer!! However, SMC are crazier, works the core too!!

6. Tony Horton or Shaun T?
Shaun T is Bananas, yo!

7. Living Room or Garage Workout?
Garage but I still take it indoors.

8. Weights or Kettle Bells?
Both are awesome for an overall workout. I've been a bar kind-of-girl for the last 9 weeks. 
I have picked up the kb for some halo's and russian twists. 

9. Smoothies or Juices?
Hmmm, smoothies are my friend. And, I kind of want to venture into the juicing world but I'm not in a hurry. And, I actually haven't had a smoothie in a few week. STILL on the search for a perfect blender. :D

10. Butt Kicks or High Kicks?
Wheww, High Kicks!

Go, go, go; Answer them yourself.


"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Hello, there!

The last few days have been INSANELY BUSY; the last thing I wanted to do was plant my booty in front of the PC!! I've missed RUNNING, and missed slipping into those running tights. However, I did LOVE feeling the difference in my jeans, slimming down!! Whoop! Whoop!!
 

 Saturday: I watched my girl get busy on the field during SOCCER!! She is getting aggressive with those boys. She is the only girl on her team and I believe it's rubbing off on her. She gets after it and when playing defense, blocks em'!! And, we chant her on from the sidelines, PROUDLY! After, soccer, it was a mad dash to go find the 'perfect' princess costume. Leanna said I looked 'fabulous' even though I felt silly. We originally were going to dress up as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles but of course my girls changed their minds. So, we are princess'.







 Later that night, I finished up last minute crafts; Spooky Pins & Pumpkin Game Stand. I loaded my car with hay bales (yes, actualy HUGE hay bales) for the Fall Photo Display!!! Also, with a few totes of decorations and supplies. 













Sunday: My FIRST event as Social Chair was a crazy success; Fall Festival. 
Many, Many, Stennis Families came by, they decorated cookies, made crafts, played games, turned in/decorated their family leaves and entered raffles, had fun with the crazy pinata & got to trick r' treat at the end. My co-chair and volunteers did a FABULOUS job!!!
I was SO happy to see so many families come out and enjoy the event with their kiddos. Someone, even bought out ther 'flat daddy' and had him displayed for pictures. I REALLY loved that idea, a little creepy but totally memorable!! hahaa




Monday: No time for "rest", car pooled with a friend as soon as our kiddos were at school, to a town 30minutes away for a KEURIG PARTY!! A friend was a host applicant/winner, for a Keurig (to keep) and party to host. She made a yummy brunch and there was lots of chatting with other mama's. Great Morning. Afterwards, we enjoyed the rainy drive to Toy R Us, for some Christmas Shopping. As soon as I got home, I got busy with folding 4 loads of laundry. And, then babysat her kiddos. Finished the night off with crafts, week 9/day 1 of les mills pump and Spinned 10 miles!!

These are the latest Hoop Art on display; Navy Love!!

Today: Mama on the go for school drop off and then back home to walk Leanna to school. Add in a dramatic little nursing monster. We Headed back to Ailea's school to join in her First Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch. We had a GREAT time, luckily NO RAIN, although the cold wind was picking up a little. Brr!! Both girls, saw several farm animals, walked the corn maze, yelling "PUMPKINS", and picked their own little pumpkins. 
We currently have a total of 9 pumpkins in our home. No carving this year, we've had fun painting and decorating them. 

It's Back to the routine tomorrow, got myself a morning run, Moms Run This Town Meetup on Thursday and then Friday Night, Dawn of the Dead Dash!! I recevied the email with all the DETAILS, I'll admit I was SPOOKED!! I'm super excited though, not sure how far I will go, and I'm sure I will be screaming more than running. Hahhaa, good times ahead!! 

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Memory Run

I signed up for a virtual race a few weeks ago, over at FUNd Run 4 Bling.

And, I've been avoiding it since then.
Why?

While, I was excited about it when I signed up, I was sad too. Overwhelmed, actually.
You see, it's called, "Memory Run".

"This run is a run that you will dedicate to someone in your life, past or present. Maybe even a cherished pet?! The bling is a frame medal. Instead of having an insert on the front you will be able to insert a picture! You have the option to email me the pic (or snail mail) and I will affix it to the medal before it is shipped to you! (I am a scrapbooker and have acid free glue that should work nicely without wrecking the photo). Also I would like to have the bling out early so that you receive the medal before your run so that you will have it as soon as you finish!"

 Tonight, I finally emailed the photo of my dad. He's always on my mind, heavy in my heart. Especially, while running. I started running last summer, like REALLY running. I was back in my hometown, and it was staring right at me. I had no other choice but to face the reality of what happened. It was always "easy" for me to deal with family loss, since moving because I didn't see the hurt of family in my face. I could easily distract myself with my girls, my family, anything really. I was miles away and phonecalls was all I had between them. And, to be home and not see my dad when I went over to my mom's, their place. To see my little brothers still at home, 16, 7, 5..hurting for our dad. It.was.rough. So, I would run at night, the only peace I found, and I ran A LOT! So, with every.single.stride I take, he is already on my mind. 
I've associated running several times with feeling close to my dad. It's not only "my" time to breath, de-stress, feel free and powerful because I have total control of it. My emotions have been off the wall lately, like seriously crazy!! Crying for the littlest things, feeling overwhelmed because so much is happening with my girls and my husband isn't home. And, my mom and siblings back home. Call me a baby. Call me human. Call me an emotional runner.


"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

One Year Ago

"A YEAR AGO, we drove up to our new home, WASHINGTON STATE!! I instantly fell in love with my new environment, quickly adapted & didn't let the rainfall keep me indoors! It's been a LONG year & I wish I could say he has been here for as long as we have. ♥ That's alright. Not really. That's sea duty life, I guess."

I'm a HAPPY WASHINGTONIAN!!

 I LOVE the pacific northwest!! 

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Thankful Thursday!!

Stealing a few minutes while my girls snack before another BUSY evening!!

This Thankful Thursday is for Patience and Creativity!! 
Those who know me personally, already know this. My ever-growing PATIENCE with my surroundings, children, deployment, etc...it's not always pretty but I am thankful for those days that remind me. And, I'm always thankful for my ever so growing CREATIVITY that INSPIRES many and the many opportunities I have to SHARE IT!!

Last night after soccer practice and FRG Meeting, coming home at 9pm was ROUGH!! 
Add in baths & bedtime, I was beat. BUT I had my workouts waiting, Week 8, Day 3 of Les Mills Pump and a Spin Session!! Got it done; 40 minutes of lifting and 45 minutes of Spinning [12] miles! Whewww!! 

Today is a REST day from Les Mills Pump but there's never much "REST" for this Mama. It's what I refer to as 'Active Rest', I babysat my friends 3 kiddos this morning, then picked up my girl from preschool at 12:45, ran a few errands before my first grader had her Thursday early dismissal at 1:55. 

Later, I'm dropping them off at my friends place, and heading over for TRAINING from 4:30-8:30. I'm a little nervous and excited. I've also got a few craft items to continue prepping tonight, once I get home, after the bath/bedtime rush. 

Tomorrow, is another BUSY day full of last minute prep in the AM, meeting with my Social Co-Chair and Last minute purchases for Sunday's FALL FESTIVAL!! Then, my first {Eat.Craft.Drink} Event in the evening, 4 Mama's, 12 Kiddo's, and Holiday Crafts!! WhooHooo!! I've also scheduled my November {Eat.Craft.Drink} Event, a Pie/Mug SWAP; Yuuummmmm!!!! More Mama's and lots of Creative Excitement!!! And, December's Event is already on the calendar too with a Fabulous Cookie Exchange!! 

Okay, I'm rambling,  time to get a few things taken care of before heading out!!

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Vlog, Vlogger, Vlogging; Hi!

Threw myself into the vlogging world tonight. 
I don't have much time to update my Tuesday blog a day. 
So, here goes it.

*ignore the craziness behind me. Hah!

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

The Cupcake Classic!

We ran for cupcakes during today's Moms Run This Town Meetup!! 
We got lucky with sunshine after a few rainy days. 
And, it was Crystal's, mama runner friend, first time running a virtual race.
She's a cupcake lover & baker, so it was PERFECT for her!!
She did awesome and she's hooked for a few upcoming virtual races!!
We ran, we took walking intervals, we had a fabulous time!

There's still time to register for The Cupcake Classic, run between October 14th - 21st.
There's some fabulous prizes to enter for!! Go check out Run with Jess. Hurry!

The Cupcake Classic is a fun run for women of all fitness levels. There are no awards, as fitness offers its own rewards! You can run, jog or walk. As sisters, moms, daughters, friends, we make choices every day to lead our families and communities towards a healthier life. The Cupcake Classic celebrates those daily efforts.  Gather up your friends, go for a run and then treat yourselves with a cupcake... because the FIT LIFE IS SO SO SWEET!

Yep, I earned that Yummy Cupcake!!

The View from here; perfect morning!

 There she goes.

Run, Mama, Run!

Trail View

We did it!

3.18 Miles in 55:01

French Toast & Bacon Cupcakes 

at the finish line!

Crystal did an Amazing job!!

 "Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Mama on the G-O!

Wheww!! Monday way busssaaaayyyy!!

After our quick morning errands, we came home and I spent some cuddle time with my little monsters. Before taking them to a friends for a few hours. Some days, I need to quiet time but today was a different kind of away time. Orientation. Mama is going back to work.

I'm excited for the HUGE step I took, it's a small start but it's something. Orientation was LONG, 2 1/2 hours and every.single.time. I'm away from the girls, I go into a "relaxed" mode where I can literally fall asleep standing. In this case, I was sitting, fighting to pay attention. Agh!!

We had a RAINY afternoon and my friends asked if I could pick up her boy before coming over, which worked out perfectly, since I had to grab my girl too. And, it was easier for both of us since we have little ones we'd have to lug out in the rain. 

We had a successful Fall Festival Volunteer Meeting, the big event is on SUNDAY!! And, I'm getting busy with prep work for crafts/activities/decor. Even an evening chat with the vice president of the committee to go over the details for the millionth time. So, much involved and I'm happy it's almost over!!! 

I also received Happy Mail; Sweat Pink Ambassador Swag!!
And, I moved my SPIN BIKE back into my living room, squeezing in 8 miles before bed and a kickboxing session with Jillian!
I laced on my running shoes with the fabulous pink laces, I'm excited to REPRESENT during today's Moms Run This Town Virtual Race; Run with Jess The Cupcake Classic 5k!! One of my Fabulous Mother Runners has made some Delicious looking (fb posted last night) Frenchtoast & Bacon Cupcakes!! SO EXCITED TO RUN & GRUB!!

Happy Running Y'all!!



"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Motivational Monday!

Happy Monday. Happy Running. Happy Sweating.

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

The week ahead...

While folding laundry, I kept thinking of the week aheaddd....it's a BUSSAAYYYY one!!

And, tonight's craft project was just perfect. 

My latest craze in my creative crafts; Wood!!

It's FABULOUS. It's MEANINGFUL!

It's PERFECT!

Back to the week ahead; along with the daily craziness of 3 girls & household duties.

Week 8 of Les Mills Pump/Kickbox Combo. Morning errands with my baby girls. Coffee dates. Orientation. Meeting for Volunteers for Fall Festival. Spinning for Recovery Week. Double School Mornings Tuesday and Thursday. Moms Run This Town FIRST Virtual Race; The Cupcake Classic 5k. Fall Festival Prep. Soccer Practice. FRG Meeting. Hosting FIRST {Eat. Craft. Drink} Event. Soccer Game. Fall Festival Event. 

I'm thankful for busy-filled weeks. These are the kind of weeks that make me forget about deployment. It gets rough some days, I break down in tears, I miss my husband, my partner in parenthood, my best friend. I have to keep on keeping on for myself and my girls. Because they miss their daddy just as much. We have some special crafts we are working on to add to his care package. Special for him, he is a family man, the most amazing father.

Hurry, deployment, be over already!!

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Runner's Rant!

Happy Sunday y'all!!

Another early morning wake-up from the girls. No, sleeping in for this Mama!

After breakfast, they got crafty painting pumpkins!! 

. We have some GIRLY painted pumpkins, and they are PERFECT!! 

Then it was time to gear up for a morning run; the last few miles for the Boo! Half-Marathon. 

Treadmill View

No climbing baby girl!

  MAJOR SWEATFEST!!

Sweat dripping from my chin, down my neck, chest; WHOA!

FABULOUS FEELING!!

Ran 3.11 (36:34) Boo! Miles for a total of 13.52 in 4 RUNS!!

I definitely earned that BOO! BLING on my FABULOUS RACE Board!!

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"