3rd Tie-Dye Party

Ava was so tired after her long day she crashed.





I love this picture, notice all of the minivans, or swagger wagons.







This week has been "b-e-a-u-tiful!" Blue skies, high 70s, low 80s and almost zero humidity.

What a rarity for us Ohioans.

Since it's July 4th week (one of my fav. holidays ever, I have been really enjoying this week. Monday we had an awesome tie-dye party with some of our friends. The blue sky, mid-70 temps and july 4th festivities were catching. We had a ball and about 35 people were there. This is the third year we have done this and it was so much fun. Thank you again Molly and Kelly for your extra help getting things ready, getting donuts, getting dye, finding dye etc. :)

What a great group of women. My fingers are finally their normal shade now.

Fun weekend.

We visited Poppa and Luke and Kelly on Saturday and Ethan and Charlotte.
Saturday had the bluest skies. So pretty. And I got to get in a five-mile run in with Molly (i did some prelaps) in downtown Dublin. So fun running on trails and in quaint Dublin. After that I had a Groupon for Pai Yoga behind Trader Joes. I signed up for Hot Yoga, which was around 9:15 on Saturday. A hot yoga newbie, I really enjoyed this class. I walked in and the heat like kicked your face. :) It started at 94 and went to 101. Was it overwhelmingly hot? No, I thought it would be a lot worse. The yoga teacher had us doing fun flows that weren't just warrior 1, warrior 2 (dislike) and challenged us to do other poses if we felt up to it. Only like one person did the hard pose so you didn't feel pressure. I left feeling worked, but great and really clean. They had a place to stash your shoes and bags as well. And the front desk lady was very helpful and nice. Plus. The only thing that I disliked was yoga-ese. "Let your belly button yawn," etc. I almost laughed out loud...
Brandon went with his friend Kevin to the Tour de Grandview, a pro biking event near Columbus. He really enjoyed it and watching the lawn parties around Grandview.


Sunday we also went out to lunch with friends and then to Lola's 3rd birthday party at Pump It Up. The girls had so much fun and Lola was adorable. Ann and Tommy had a great party and it was fun to see little Eliza.
Ann and Lola
Cutie patootie Eliza.
Michelle and Grace, Ava's little friend and our family friend.


Brandon after his softball game - they won!
Ava and Sophia playing with their bubbles from Lola.

Brandon did this pic in instagram. He said, "I really like your dress." To which I said, Okay, I will buy it in all of the colors....

House browsing

I love to browse houses on zillow.com and herrealtors.com. Driving past open houses, I always think it would be cool to drop in.

Now I can get that with Younghouselove.com. They have a great section where they go through people's homes! Love this!

Five Acre Woods

Making a map with your kids

Cars 2 came out last week. However, I am more excited about "Winnie the Pooh" opening July 15. It's got really great reviews and is only 69 min., quick enough for a toddler to watch and not lose interest.

WINNIE

Ava, Sophia and I were going to do a bike ride with trailer on Friday, but sometimes the girls balk at getting in the trailer for long rides. We did about 7 miles around our neighborhood.

We had watched "Winnie the Pooh" from our library that day so I made both of the girls maps detailing our route and they got to pick out where we were based on the map. We had the Christopher Robin field (lots of robins and dragonflies), gently waving pond, schools, 5 acre woods, Singing Woods, etc. This was a great idea that you could use for summer road trips, bike rides, walks, etc. And i might or might not have raced a runner on the way back. :)

Map of the Hundred Acre Woods

"If you want to do it, all you have to do is do it

My little trainers. These guys mean business.

Ran this morning, pretty windy.

2.5 miles/

1. 9:20 mile

2. 8:59 mile

.5 cooldown

lifted, pushups

Have you seen the the Ben Does Life and his Youtube video?Wow. What an inspiration. And get out your tissues, I was needing them by the halfway point.

Ben's epic YouTube video chronicled his journey from 360 pounds to 240 pounds in 21 months.

I swiped below from Healthy Tipping Point:

Ben inspired so many people with his YouTube video that he decided to create an entire Do Life Movement with his dad and brother, Jeb. Together, they are caravanning around America, making pit stops at big cities and hosting unofficial 5K meet-ups.

"If you want to do it, all you have to do is do it,"

Ben

Our "hiding place"

"Pooped."

Do you ever feel so tired that you just can't fold another load of laundry? You are exhausted by your endless to-do list, calendar item or not getting to see your kids enough?

Sarah Groves writes one of the most beautiful songs about hiding places and our quiet time with Christ. It's moving, powerful and refreshing. God is our refreshment, our sustaining power and friend. Charles Spurgeon, a famous preacher, said that when we have lost our rest, we must find it in Christ alone.

PSALM 116:

Return, unto thy rest, O my soul. He calls the rest still his own, and feels full liberty to return to it. What a mercy it is that even if our soul has left its rest for a while we can tell it—"it is thy rest still." The Psalmist had evidently been somewhat disturbed in mind, his troubles had ruffled his spirit but now with a sense of answered prayer upon him he quiets his soul. He had rested before, for he knew the blessed repose of faith, and therefore he returns to the God who had been the refuge of his soul in former days. Even as a bird flies to its nest, so does his soul fly to his God.

If you struggle with knowing that Jesus is your hiding place, I really encourage you to take a verse that speaks to you and tape it somewhere where you can see it. And to make some time in your day for even a moment of "hiding place" time.

I love to hang verses up around the house. It makes verses real and you see them everyday. I have Hab. 3:19 on my window frame. And making time or space for God even in the two or three minutes when you get up makes all the difference.

Hiding Place Lyrics

Early when the day is new
Before the stirring
I will come and talk to you
And confess the ways I am broken
To recall the words you've spoken
And to try to comprehend
The love you have for me

You are my hiding place
You fill my broken heart with songs
Songs of deliverance
You sing of how the weak are strong

You never meant for me to walk alone
You are always for me
As the truest lover of my soul
You hear my desperate calling
You have kept my feet from falling
And have set me on this rock on which I'm stand now

You are my hiding place
You fill my broken heart with songs
Songs of deliverance
You sing of how the weak are strong

And I believe you
For you've saved me from my darkness and my shame
And I believe you
For I hear your song of beauty (??-through the) pain
From David"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and Earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in form this time on and forevermore."

Amazing

My sister in Colorado, God's country :), wrote this amazing story in her church's magazine. Love it! Jessie is a great leader in MOPS and a wonderful mom and sissy.

She wrote a great article describing MOPS in her area that reaches many, many moms who need Connection and Christ.

Thanks for sharing Jess. Awesome article.

From her article

So what is mops? ladies who love to clean? Crazy man-bashers? no, neither. mothers of preschoolers (mops) exists to help every mom be the best she can be. We grow through speakers, creative activities, delicious brunches, and sharing with other women who are at the same place in life. it is all about Connection.

Empowerment comes as we see there are other women who struggle...and overcome. our ladies come from all beliefs and walks of life. in the name of Jesus, we welcome every mom with open arms.

“...i actually Got buzzed after beinG With these Women... like too much caffeine, but in a Good Way.”

And the winner is...

Rachel Heath was the winner of the Starbucks Nap Giveaway!

Get it...You get caffeine?

She had tried to get on but blogger wouldn't let her (darn you blogger.com. You give me grief. So I added her comment to the list manually.

Rachel Kuhns Heath
I wasn't able to sign into your blog to comment, sorry. But, no napping here really unless I'm trying to avoid a project or something, that Starbucks card would come in handy for that...

Random.org picked her from the list of 10 commenters. No. 2 was Tonia Hayes.

RANDOM.ORG offers true random numbers to anyone on the Internet. The randomness comes from atmospheric noise, which for many purposes is better than the pseudo-random number algorithms typically used in computer programs. People use RANDOM.ORG for holding drawings, lotteries and sweepstakes, to drive games and gambling sites, for scientific applications and for art and music. The service has existed since 1998 and was built and is being operated by Mads Haahr of the School of Computer Science and Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin in Ireland.

6.25 more hours to post about your naps!

Do you nap? See post below for a chance to win a $5 Starbucks card! Whoohoo big money. Please post on blog post below, not this post.

Are you a napper? Comment and enter to win a Starbucks card!

Waking up early is always a great way to start the day. You are jazzed by the bright beautiful sunshine, you get a great 3 mile run in with your friend Jess (whooho), and you sip your coffee and enjoy the quiet before the kid storm. But, then you crash. Hard. And get to take a quick nap to get back to life. And you awake fresh, loving the world again.

Aren't afternoon naps the best?

Do you take naps? I feel like either people are a nap person or they aren't. What do ya think?

I can take an afternoon nap and still go to bed by 9:45 or so. I just need lots of sleep. What about you? If work didn't interfere, would you take a nap or get things done around the house or watch your fav. show or do a hobby.

I will giveaway a $5 Starbucks card to a random commenter who leaves a comment. Yes, I will do anything to get a comment. ha. ha. The random commenter thingy ends tomorrow at 3 pm.

Okay, ready, set --- Comment away!

Rain, Rain go away.

Ava has been singing Rain, Rain go Away this whole Spring it seems. The weather has been either blistering hot (yest. around 91 at 4 with Ohio humidity) or monsoon weather at 70 degrees.

Yesterday we had a blast at the Dublin Rec Center. We aren't members but we got our moneys worth staying there from 10:30 am to 2.

I got to see some friends there, which is always fun too! The one reason I love going there is that the Wee Folk room is so amazing. The girls call it their "school" and they always have a friend or two in the room. I always feel really safe leaving them for a much-needed mommy break.

I ran for about 4.5 miles (8:56/mile) and my cool down was around 9:30 mile pace. It felt really good after my biking/running the day before. After that I was going to tackle the swim part of the brick.

I got into the lap pool and found my lane after talking with a lifeguard. I have never ever swam laps before and have a little fear of deep water (ask Becca after my scuba diving experience). I swam a couple of laps and thought, wow, I must have done like 250 yards! No, I had done 75. I was exhausted and getting lapped on one side by an older woman in her 70s and a tri guy (lapped me multiple times) on my right exhibiting perfect form and showing off goggles and swim cap. Hmm. Is it mandatory to wear the swim cap and goggles? Swimmers?

My mom is a swimmer. I remember her swimming laps during rest time at our pool during the Summer. She would always glide along, free from the cares of taking care of five kids. It must have been heaven to her. :)

So, I thought as I was swimming. "Well, this is good for a person. It's always good to do something that you are 1.)afraid of and 2.) look horrible at." You can't be afraid of doing something because you will perform poorly. Everyone starts somewhere. It really struck me how learning something new all of the time is really good for a person. It makes life interesting.

I finished about 200 or so yards and went and picked up the girls from class and went swimming with them. We had a great time.

Tell me - are you learning something new right now? Do you want to try something but your afraid of starting?

My first "brick"

I have been wanting to try a "brick" training after reading a couple of blogs on tri-athalons. It's on my bucket list so I did a run through tonight.

Workout:

Bike-7 miles, 29.55 minutes

Run-2 miles, 8:15/mile or 16:?? something- on my garmin.

I took Brandon's Trek hybrid and went for seven miles. I loved biking, but it was right after the rain and the road was slick so I played it safe. I would like to get this under 26 or 27 min. I also had to stop at all of the stop signs and make turn signals and whatnot. How do triathletes train? Head to the country? Our "country road" is beautiful and deadly. It's a state route so it's not the safest.

I came back and time my transition time to get my bike put away and the helmet off --13 sec. And then forgot I didn't have water and ran in the house for some water and then trotted down to the trail to run 2 miles. My legs, really quads, were sore. Very fatigued after biking up the last hill. But I started running and was at a 8:03 pace and was like, "hello?" I thought I would be more fatigued, but the biking really made me go faster, which was not what I thought would happen. I stopped twice to unload my phone and fix my falling ponytail (note to self: bring bobby pins) and ended the run at a 7 minute something sprint. It was a really fun workout and nice to change it up.

Would you ever do a tri? Have you ever done one? What would be your fav. part? My fav. part would def. be the running followed by the bike. Swimming is def. my weakest area.

Shaun, host with the most

Somedays are just pajama days. Your laundry is in piles, waiting to be folded (maybe if it's lucky), your kids are content to watch pbs kids and your house gets a good cleaning. It feels good. "Feels real good." It feels like you got something accomplished.

Yesterday we had a ton of fun. We had a great father's day breakfast complete with sausage for Brandon. And then we did the two's room at church with a pre-stop off at Starbucks for extra energy. We came home and had a quick lunch and Sunday nap and then went to my cousin Shaun's for Father's Day cookout.

Shaun is a great host and made amazing ribs and flank steak with these yummy potatoes. Our family can cook. We had salads, fresh corn relish, Rita's perfect brownies, asparagus, marinated veggie salads and cookies, lemon bars. I made Jeni's recipe for Strawberry Buttermilk ice cream with fresh strawberries and it was amazing. There were a lot of different steps (using cornstarch to thicken it -- make sure you dissolve it!, cream cheese) that were a little intensive, but it was worth the effort.

It was also awesome to see family that we haven't seen for awhile! Can I just say how pinchable little Garrett's legs are--too pinchable...

In thinking about honoring fathers, what's so cool to me is that God is our forever father.

No matter what your situation with you father is, God is always waiting for you.

“Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all." 1 Chronicles 29:10-12