A Big Fan

Well, I'm sad...Spring Break is over.

I have really enjoyed having my kids home, sleeping in, having lazy days, not working, and having almost no place to go! We heated the pool all week and took advantage of it with lots of swimming, sleepovers, went to the movies, the rodeo and just really spend some family time together. Now it's back to the REAL WORLD!

A highlight of the week took place tonight. Cale and Braeden were invited to an FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) banquet by a dear friend. Colt Mc Coy (former University of Texas stud) was the speaker and even though we're an Aggie family, Cale and Braeden were so excited at the opportunity to meet him, get his autograph and hear him speak. Cale has become a part of the Houston FCA and is really getting involved. There is nothing better than being able to share his love of sports and Christ in the same setting and he's really enjoyed sharing it with Braeden.


We are so thankful for this opportunity!

Here is Braeden with Colt Mc Coy...look at the little man's smile! I have a feeling he's going to be a big Colt Mc Coy fan from now on!

We definitely enjoyed the break this past week but it's time to get back in the swing of things. Enough being lazy, eating out every meal, lounging by the pool...I've got to get moving! Our family is officially back under Mamma's Bootcamp!
...at least until I leave for Las Vegas with my hubby later this week!

Texas Independence Relay

I'm back in the game and couldn't be happier!!

I've been on a hiatus from running for 2 months and well, to put it in simple terms, I've been grumpy! I am miserable without running in my life. It just plain makes me happy which makes me a better wife, mother, trainer, etc. I need that "endorphine high" or "adrenaline rush" or whatever you want to call it. With my foot being out of commission, life hasn't been the same.


This weekend changed everything! I'm running again! Man it feels good!

A few weeks ago, Cale got a call from one of his old buddies who has an injured foot and needed Cale to take his place in the Texas Independence Relay. The TIR is a relay (a team of 12 runners) that starts in Gonzales, TX and finishes in San Jacinto. The race takes 2 days and is continuous throughout the day and night. Cale agreed to pick up some legs on Saturday to help out. A few days later, another runner had to drop out so I was asked to take her place and agreed to a few short legs but knew I'd be slow because of my foot. We received our leg assignments Thursday evening and were surprised to learn we were each running 3 legs (totaling about 15 miles for each of us) within a 10-11 hour window. Whew! I was freaking out!

Being the stubborn person I am, I agreed to run my assigned legs and mentally prepared myself. We started out early Sat. morning with Cale running Leg 1 and then I took over with Leg 2. I began my Leg 2 at a reasonably slow pace to test the legs and my foot. That didn't last long. My body was cooperating and off I went! I kept an 8+ minute mile for most of my runs and felt awesome! I can't describe how good it felt to get out on the open road again and to be part of a team. I won't lie, it wasn't easy. My last 4.5 mile leg was excrutiating as my legs were locked up from the 6 hour rest I'd had but I pushed through it with determination. Cale rocked his runs and gave our team some great leads! Overall, it was a blast! Cale and I were honored to be part of such an amazing team of runners (they are still going as I type this). To all the Texas Trailblazers out there...You guys rock and we are thrilled we were able to be a part of the team!

So, my words of wisdom to you...Don't give up! Don't count yourself out! You body is an amazing machine and can do anything you put your mind to!

Yes, this is my husband, Cale, dressed and ready for his run. Needless to say, he was a hit with the audience!

This is me on Leg 1 and smiling!

My weekend project

Here's a picture of my weekend project I completed...




I got my garden planted!
I always look forward to spring so I can get my garden underway with lots of fresh veggies and herbs. I planted cilantro, basil, oregano, parsley, lavender, onions, peppers, zucchini, peanuts, etc. I'm still looking for extras to fill in the holes but I've got a good base going. I love watching the plants grow and we'll have lots of goodies in the next few months!



For those of you without a garden or the space to start one, you can also plant some herbs in containers as I did here with thyme and oregano. They look great in containers! Lavender is beautiful in a container. Once the purple flowers bloom, you can snip a small bundle, tie them with ribbon and hang in your kitchen and they smell so good!!

Here's a handy little tool I just purchased. It's an herb mill and the perfect tool to quickly chop your fresh herbs for cooking. You can get it at www.microplane.com.

Grow 'em, Wash 'em, Chop 'em, Cook 'em and Eat 'em...how's that for DIY cooking!

I hope you give gardening a try. I'm by no means an expert but we've done it for several years so I'm happy to make some recommendations. Happy gardening!