What I've Been Up To...

I know my 2.5 regular readers are wondering if I have managed to fall off the face of the earth.  I have not.  (breathe a sigh of relief)  It's not that I don't have a ton of stuff to blog about, because I do!  But, I am going back and forth about changing up the blog a bit.  But, change is hard...I man, I have been txrunnermom for 6 years!  But, my interests are shifting a bit...I am getting outside of my running comfort zone.  Yes, I transitioned from running to triathlons a few years ago.  But now, I find myself focusing more on all aspects of fitness - cardio (and not just running), strength training, and most importantly, nutrition.  As I evolve, I think my blog needs to evolve as well.  The biggest thing hold me back?  Technology!  As in, converting from Blogger to Wordpress.  I am scared to do it myself - I don't want to lose 6 years of posts.  But at the same time, I don't want to spend a fortune paying someone to do it for me.  I will get there eventually though, so be on the lookout for some changes in the coming months!

Of course, my blog would not be complete with lots of pictures of the kids.  Here's what we've been up to since Christmas...

As you know, before the holidays I discovered the trails near my house.  I love, love, love the trails!  It's so fun exploring them and I love being out in the middle of nature with a soft path beneath my feet.  And, I've taken the kids out for a few walks.  At first, they were a bit hesitant - I mean, there are bugs, scratchy bushes, weird noises, etc. 

One happy trail walker, one hesitant one...

But, once they discovered where we were going...they decided that they loved the trails!

Yes, it's winter and we are wading in the creek...warm air, freezing water!

Gotta admit, it's a gorgeous view!

The kids also ran a kid's 1-mile race and had a blast.  It was one of those mornings where the kids were a bit cranky and whiny (okay, a lot cranky and whiny!).  But, when we arrived at the race, they were happy and excited.  Of course having a playground at the race site certainly helped, lol!  I was super proud of how well both kids did - Riley ran the entire mile (when she typically runs about 1/2 and whines while she walks the 2nd 1/2) and Joseph ran about 3/4 of the way (also with very little whining!).  They both proudly wore their medals and enjoyed the post race festivities. 

My sweet kiddos post-race with their medals

Our local Luke's Locker recently hosted a craft night, so several of the folks from my running club met up for the festivities.  Hey, if there's wine there, we will be there!!!  We made coasters from our bibs and they turned out great.  Such a fun time with some awesome women!

Yes we are straining the wine with a coffee filter...long story.

Working on our coasters...





The finished product...

Before the event, I pulled out my stack of bibs.  I had a fun time reminiscing about all these races and the friends I ran with.  I also briefly wondered how much money I had spent in entry fees over the years.  Yeah, best not to think about that one too long!
 

So many races, so many great memories!

 The weekend after the Houston Marathon and 1/2 Marathon, our group met up for a short run and some breakfast.  Since this was our "Victory Run", we all wore our finishers shirts and medals...hey, what other time can you walk around wearing your medals and not get strange looks???  I've missed seeing these smiling faces every weekend and look forward to starting up training/coaching again this summer!

Part of my awesome crew!

I've also been trying out lots of new products, thanks to my subscription to both Bulu Box and Kona Kase.  I love getting those cute little boxes in the mail and seeing what kind of goodies are inside!  I am going to be posting some unsolicited reviews each week as I try the products...yummy!

Here's the type of stuff you get from Kona Kase each month...awesome!

The Bulu Box...just seeing this in the mailbox makes me smile!

In general, I have been trying to savor the time with the Hubby and kids and not take life so seriously.  Kinda hard when you're a type A like myself...but, I am trying to take the cues from my kids, who still know how to live life to it's fullest, one day at a time.  Funny, because we just went through a series at church called "The Art of Whimsy" that addressed this exact thing.  Perfect timing!  Here are a few pictures of some of the silly fun we've been having...
 

Only in Texas would you have a mechanical bull at Church...the kids loved it!

Ride'em Cowgirl!

 

Bingo night at the Kiddo's school...we were close several times, but never bingo-ed!  Next time!

Enjoying the awesome weather at the playground

Rainy day?  No worries...we can have fun indoors, too!

Being silly!

I hope your 2013 is going well so far!  I still need to post my 2012 recap and my 2013 goals...yes, this type A has been procrastinating on this.  I think this year is going to be my year to make some big changes...I'm working on it, anyway.  In the meantime, let's enjoy each day to it's fullest and appreciate all the little things that make life so wonderful...

Appreciate the beauty that is all around us!

What have you been up to so far in 2013?  Training?  Races?  Travel?  Lemme know!