Here's the story

The cat's out of the bag. Yes, we are moving to Ohio. After what felt like months having to hold in the news, Ethan finally announced it at church yesterday.

Just so everyone is clear, we are all moving! Not just me. There is no divorce! I guess I started a rumor yesterday on Facebook....oops!

Ethan took a senior preaching job in Columbus, Ohio. The whole thing happened so fast I'm still not sure it's hit me. We are all very excited but so sad at the same time. In June we would have been in Delaware for 12 years. This is our home and we never expected to leave. But God loves changing our plans, doesn't he.

We will be moving the end of February so we have started packing. What a mess! Church, work, kids, school, laundry, cooking, and training makes this an insurmountable task. My house is out of control!

We still haven't found a house to rent. Anyone is C-bus have a house for me?

I'm not ready to get get mushy yet. I'm recovering from the announcement at church yesterday.....it was pretty ugly. So I'm just giving you the straight forward details at this point.

BUT, I did find a half IM very close to where we'll be. I'm going to need some cheerleaders!!

Swim lessons

I joined the Y last week so I could start getting in regular swims. My goal is to swim 3 times a week for about an hour. I accomplished my goal and I must say I really enjoy swimming. It's very relaxing for me. But this week I learned some things about swimming I'd like share.
1. Don't choose the old man back stroking to be your lane buddy. You might end up with black eyes.
2. Don't make eye contact with the guy in the lane next to you. He'll talk your head off.
3. Swimming makes my hair gross, skin dry and really hungry.
4. Circle swimming is not fun!
4. Learn to breathe bi-laterally. It really does help.
5. I need to learn how to flip turn.
5. Pool swimming is much easier than open water. I could be pretty fast at an indoor tri.
6. I can breathe every 7-9 strokes. Who knew?
7. No one is cute in cap and goggles....blech.
8. Swimming in the afternoon during senior water aerobics.....pretty funny. They had 50's music blaring.
8. Swimming is more fun when you have friends with you!
9. I really want an underwater iPod.

Little girl in the big city

We have been telling the kids for 2 years that we would take them to NYC. So we thought Lucy's birthday would be the perfect time. She was so excited to finally go! She couldn't wait to see the statue of Liberty. She looks excited doesn't she?

We accomplished so much in  a few hours. Some pointers. Take the ferry! Take a cab! Especially if you have kids with you.

They see her!

They couldn't believe how small she was.

I tried to explain the bear and the bull but they didn't understand. I don't either.  But it was dressed for Christmas so it was ok.

Lombardi's! The first pizzeria in America and our favorite. We studied it in school so this was a field trip....right?

You don't see this often so here it is!

This is the first time I saw the tree. I was more excited than the kids!

She got an American girl doll. She chose Rebecca because she looked like her and grew up in NYC.  That store is insane! Don't go there unless you have to.

Trey loved the big piano!

Legos!

In awe of Times square

Birthday floatie in the light up cup that cost $8.

She was so embarrassed when the whole restaurant sang to her.

Do you know how many people have yelled this to me? lots

In the subway getting ready to head home. It was a fun day, one I hope they never forget.  Happy Birthday Lucy!

Stephanie's super seeds

Here's the story. My dad's side of family exchange small gifts for Christmas. Everyone gets the same thing. My dad wanted to do something a little different. He usually gets a book for everyone.

Anyway he was asking me if I ever heard of chia seeds. Does he know who he's talking to? Um...yes dad I do.

So.....I had an idea!!! I love to give the gift health. So I took him to whole foods and went to the bulk section, probably the best place in world. We picked out different kinds of nuts and seeds along with cocoa nibs and raisons.

We put them in a bag and added a note with the nutrition facts of each ingredient.

My mom was so embarrassed! She said we were going to look like freaks.

When they opened the bag they looked at my dad like he was crazy. Then my mom quickly threw me under the bus saying it was my idea. I'm not ashamed people!

I loved it when my dad told his brothers not to smoke the hemp seeds. Good one dad:)

If your interested in trying Stephanie's super seeds here are the ingredients.
hemp seeds
pumpkin seeds
sunflower seeds
almonds
raisons
cocoa nibs
chia seeds
Add it to oatmeal or on top of toast with coconut butter. I eat spoonfuls of it. Don't knock it till ya try it!

My favorite place in the world

This is my Grandparent's house, my favorite place in the world. I only get to visit at Christmas and if I'm lucky one time in the summer. They have lived in this little house for 60 years. I love visiting there because it's so cool to me that my kids eat off the same plates as I did growing up. Drink from the same cups, play the same card games, play in the same rocks and sit on the same tractor. I am just at peace when I'm there. But the best part is the river.

My favorite time every summer was the week I got to spend here. We swam, fished, roasted marshmallows, hunted minnows and crabs, jumped of rocks and slid down the slate slides.

Diesel isn't your average outside kind of dog but even he loved it. He tried to go swimming but we all know he couldn't swim if his life depended on it.

 Lucy didn't want to come.....I almost disowned her! She wanted to stay and play games with great Granny. Trey and Cross loved it. It was cold but they would have stayed down there forever. In the winter we would ice skate but it wasn't quite cold enough for that this day.

I think Lucy would "freak her freak" if she saw the minnows, crabs and water snakes in the same water as her. I hope she ends up loving like me.

Ethan trying to soak me

Why is it so fun to throw rocks into the water?

He loved the real Christmas tree in the yard.

So my Grandpa had to go get water to fill the well so they had running water in their house. This  is no joke! Up until about 4 years ago we weren't allowed to flush the toilet unless it was a number 2. I'm showing you this because I had to climb in this thing one summer to rescue the lid. I always wanted to "swim" in it and was so excited to finally get my chance. My Grandma was scared to death of me getting stuck. But we all know I'm a monkey and I saved the day!

Best climbing tree ever! I used to love just sitting up there and doing nothing. It makes me happy to see Trey climbing it.

I'm very blessed to have my Grandparents still around and able to live on their own. My Grandpa just turned 89. They still garden, landscape and mow the yard. I'm even more blessed that my kids know them. That doesn't happen very often.

Trey is going to stay for a few days this summer and I can't wait to hear about his adventures in the river! 

Not the average triathlete

First of all I want to clear this up. I don't really like to call myself a triathlete. And I really don't like to call myself an ironman. I think to call yourself an ironman you should have completed one, right? So let's just say I'm an ironman hopeful:)

I was teaching one of my classes Thursay and I had a conversation with a lady blew my mind. Her husband has done lots of IM's he's very fast! I could only be that fast in my dreams. Anyway, he signed up for St. Goerge IM. The one in the mountains......insane. But what got me is that he is taking a "business trip" in Utah just so he can run the course and then write it off. What?!?! Come on, who can really do that? Not me.

A few things I've learned about triathletes this year. They are single, married to a triathlete, older with grown kids, no kids, and usually have plenty of money. I am not any of these.

I am a preachers wife with 3 young kids who I homeschool and have very little money.

Let's start with preachers wife. Ethan is probably the most supportive husband I have ever met but he is NEVER going to train with me. He pretty much thinks triathletes are idiots. "What? Your going to pay money to do 140.6 in one day? You get a t-shirt and a slice of pizza for finishing? You look like a dork with your helmet, bike short and goggles!" Yep, that pretty sums up my hubby. I love you Ethan!

Doing triathlons on a preachers salary is not the easiest either. I love my job and get paid great but I only work a few hours a weekso it doesn't add up to much.

Just some of the costs of a triathalon
-bike
-bike gear
-bike parts
-swim gear
-running gear
-nutrition
-pool fees
-race fees
- travel fees
Just to name a few.

Kids.....need I say more? This is a day in the life of me. Up between 5-6 am. Bike trainer for about an hour. Shower, get dressed, eat, read my bible. Kids up around 7. Get breakfast, get dresses, feed animals,clean up. School around 8:30. Chores. Lunch, cleanup, napkins for Lucy and Cross. More school with Trey. House work, get dinner ready. Head to the gym to teach a class, stop at the grocery store and home to take a shower. Get kids to bed and then usually fall asleep on the couch by 9. That's just an average day. Sometimes I have more to do, sometimes less.

I love the days when I can sneak a nap in!

I realized this week it's going to be so much harder to fit training in than I thought. Right now I only have to fit in an hour a day. I've only just begun.

I had a lady tell me awhile back that the sport of triathlons is very selfish. Now I understand! It would be easy to train if it were just me but it's not, thank goodness:) I made a promise to put training way down on the list. God and family first....must keep priorities straight!

I have yet to meet a mom of 3 young kids doing ironmans. If your out there let me know how you do it.....without your husband wanting to kill you.

I get dinner ready.....see you soon!

The year of the ironmom

I can believe it's 2012! This is going to be a great year, I can feel it. Some things I'm looking forward to are:
-by the end of the year I will have an 8,5 and 3 year old.
-I will have a 3rd grader and a kindergartener.
-I will be turning 29 again.
-Ethan and I will celebrate 12 years of marriage and 12 years at LCC.
-2012 Olympics! I pretty much don't leave the couch during these 2 weeks.
-Louiville Ironmam! Yikes

I started this blog to try to get free stuff from Vega. They told me if I got some some followers they would give me free product to blog about during training. If you haven't subscribed please do so:) Anyway, I wanted to write about trying to balance training while being a mom and wife, products I use, food I eat, good workouts.....bad workouts and just life.

Well I start training tomorrow! I decided not to go with a coach which scares me a little. I'm pretty clueless about triathalons. I can swim, I can ride and I can run. Other than that....well that's about it.

I do know I will be in the Ohio river a loooong time and the Ohio river might not have sharks but I hear it has enormous catfish. And i seem to recall a dead person being fished out. It's going to be 100 degrees. I'm going to be dead tired. It's going to be hilly. But I know I can do it.

So I'm hoping to write a bit each day about what's going on with training and I hope you would join in this journey with me. You can be my cheerleaders!

Happy New Year!!