Adventures

Great start to the day! Hearty, farm-fresh breakfast
and English Breakfast tea with honey from Wyoming!

So, last week, I ordered kitten food from Walmart because it was a really good price.  I decided to try the ship to store for FREE option for the first time.  Wellllll, I'm about to admit something to you.  We were getting pretty close to running out and the shipment wasn't to be in until tomorrow.  So, I prayed.  And I kid you not, a few minutes later as I was working in my home office, I heard a strange noise that came from the kitchen.  I stopped what I was doing to go check it out.   The dogs were still napping and weren't bothered by it at all.  I just couldn't figure out what it was until I decided to go  check outside.  And there was my evidence.  Yep, a bird ran smack dab into our window and the poor soul didn't make it.  It was then that I could see where he had hit the window.  That really has only happened a few other times here.  Since, he didn't make it and I was going to have to remove him from the area, I decided I would feed the cats.  I told Heath when he got home that God sure does have a sense of humor.  Pray for cat food --> receive a bird (food for cats) hitting the window.

A short while later, Kristin came to the house to go for a walk.  The dogs get so excited when they see her truck they were just going crazy.  She needed to come in for a moment before we left and they were barking and jumping around in circles!  They just love to G-O and anymore their bodies aren't letting them go as far or as fast as they used to.  Now, we walk 1-2 miles and sometimes throw in a jog.  They have recently put me between a rock and a hard place as if I don't take them, they get upset and if I do take them, they get sore and stiff.  So....our compromise....a 1-2 mile walk/jog on the ditch bank.  If I want to go further, I take them home before I finish and they feel better about the whole situation at that point having already been out.  The time we have is lovely, surrounded by nature and wildlife!

Bike ride to Bridgeport!

I have been wanting to take my tri bike to Bridgeport for the longest time!  Today, was finally that day that I made time to do it.  Heath is in pea harvest.  They take in dry edible peas -- like for split pea soup.  The ones the farmers grow out here are yellow.  They are a great dryland crop that doesn't need much water which is good out here!  Anyway, I suited up and headed out.  It's been a while since I have done a bike ride like this.  It was a gorgeous day.  I figured that 25 miles wasn't far (that is about the distance of the bike portion of an Olympic tri), so I didn't bring any snacks.  BOY, was that a bad idea.  I was famished...lol and for those of you who know this area, there is nothing between here and there but w-i-d-e open spaces.

You know that time from when you get done with work until time to eat at supper?  Well, this was that time.  Usually that's a great time for a snack, but I was so excited to just GO, I didn't prepare properly.  Luckily, Heath finished working before I got totally into town and he rescued me with a snack and we got to ride home together!  My plan is to do this a ton more this fall during bean harvest.  Since, he will be working late, it will be something fun for him to break up the day a bit and fun for me to get exercise!

Life

Repurpose ~ Reuse

The ole' washpan on the left is from Garry and Barb's dump and the ole' canner on the right is my Grandma Lee's!  How incredibly special!  Really enjoying my herbs!

Lunchtime swim OUTDOORS!
1st one since moving back!

* Beauty ALL Around *

*Pausing* to capture a Moment like This!

Stunning, absolutely stunning!
Thank You God for *this* moment!

Life

So, I had the wonderful idea to run to my PT appointment this morning, you know, multitasking.  I made the mistake of thinking that it wasn't that hot.  By the time I got there (insert HIGH humidity), 2.25 miles later, I was drenched in sweat.  Oh well, they were super nice and totally didn't mind at all.  After my session, I started heading back across the road to head home when I saw a very familiar truck drive by.  Red.DodgeTruck.RamBoxes.  Yep, it shortly thereafter circled around and my Prince Charming came and rescued.  (I think he thinks I am crazy half the time for some of the things I do, but at least it makes him laugh!)  Honestly, his timing was perfect!  I was so happy to see him and I need to work my way into this humidity so that I don't get sick again like last year.  I was also on a bit of a time crunch as I was preparing to leave for work for the rest of the day.

Rough life at the office for Petey!
Yes, he put himself in this fort.
*3 beds*

After work, I met Heath over at Bill's as he was reorganizing his pickup for the kids' arrival tomorrow.  I had done all the prep work for dinner before I left for work.  I stopped by the house to pick it up and threw some quinoa and noodles on the stove.  We had deer with a thai fling...ginger and coconut milk over quinoa (me) and noodles (Heath).  Click *here* for the recipe, but I didn't really follow it.  Just used it as a guideline for spices and such.  Turned out pretty good for spur-of-the-moment idea!

~Mini Tri Morning~

"Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be."   

  -Dr. George Sheehan (1918-1993) cardiologist, runner, author

I got wild hair last night and decided to do a mini tri this morning, so I did.  I swam 1200 m (kick-only), biked 13.1 miles, and ran 3.1 miles.  Thank you Lord for my ability, desire, and drive!  I had the opportunity to try out my new seat and handlebar set up we worked so hard on yesterday.  Outcome:  front is excellent, seat - much better, just need to get some miles in the saddle and see if we need to make a few more small changes.

Sweat, sweat, and more sweat.
Sweat in eyes.
Burning.

I was ssssssooooooo excited for breakfast when I got home!  I cooked some eggs with fresh kale and basil, S + P, and leftover jalapeño brat (with the casing removed).  I added more protein with a scoop of peanut butter and a swirl of my Wyoming honey from Morgan!  To get my fruit this morning, I made a smoothie.  It was pretty simple this morning....frozen blackberries from Sprout's, frozen banana, ice, and almond milk.  That's it.  Simple.Fresh.Delicious.

This is a picture of my new seat.  It was a good ride today...finally out on the roads.  Since I was solo, I just hung around Cooper neighborhoods for lower traffic and congestion.  I wore bright orange and my reflective vest for added safety.

One of the other pieces of advice from my seat fit yesterday was to use the wheel on my road bike (so graciously loaned to me by Kristin) and put my trainer tire (rubber part) on it.  This way, while on my trainer, I won't wear out my nice tire/wheel combination.  What a great way to use your resources!

Headed for a weekend with my hubby followed by our guests of honor arriving next week.  Justin, Andrew, and Jaime will flying in on Tuesday evening.  We are super excited and pray for a safe trip and a great week of fellowship, connection, and family.

Day Off

I knew today was going to be a really packed "day off" so I didn't get up before the sun.  It was nice!  I went for a quick 30 minute trainer ride this morning before it got hot, then went straight over to physical therapy.  I had an excellent 2 hour session on the pilates machines and worked with really nice people!

While I was in therapy, I received a text from my friend I was meeting for lunch at 1 pm.  She was getting hungry and wanted to meet earlier.  I love it!  She and I worked together remotely while I was living in Nebraska.  Today, was the first time to meet in person.  I hurried up and showered and headed her direction!  We ate at a place called Jason's Deli and had great conversation.

On my way home, I stopped by PlayTri McKinney to have my bike seat refitted.  It was a great session!  I learned so much about my bike and how to make it work for me.  Even though I just got it last summer, my body has changed and so now we make the appropriate adjustments to the bike to make it even more comfortable.  So great!

After the bike fitting, I met Heath over at Bill's to go for a relaxing swim in their beautiful pool!  Dinner and then a little Magnum PI reruns with my hubby!  Crazy to just relax, I like this!

Fresh dinner!  Watermelon, carrots, kale, asparagus,
homemade chicken salad with grapes, and feta.
Add a little S + P and you've got YUMMY!

Texas Heat

YAAAAYYAYAY!!  I made fried eggs this morning WITHOUT destroying the yolk.  They were good, but still not as good as Heath's.  He has these perfected!

Pictured:  MAH cup with my name on it (thank you MAH!), yellow swim cap (a favorite from a fellow swimming
friend), Speedo goggles (been swimming with this style for years, and my new Garmin VivoActive HR.
Combined with some sun and water created a great combination!

After a few appointments this morning, I did a brief kick-only session on a kick board on loan from my physical therapist at 11 am.  (Interesting concept....I had to call the office and ask how to use the thing....lol!  She said I will learn more about the ergo-dynamics and proper body alignment tomorrow in my PT session.)  Looking forward to it!

It's been sooo long since I swam with the sun out that I totally had to adjust many times while on my back.  While kicking, the lane lines and I had several disagreements as I had to close my eyes due to the shiny, bright, blinding *sun,*  In the mornings, while still dark, it is a totally different experience!  Today, they had the aerator things on (you can see them on the right side of picture above) that sprinkle over the surface of the pool to help keep it cool and safe for swimming laps.  This pool is absolutely amazing and I am blessed to have the privilege of training here!

When Adversity Comes

This is posted on our bathroom mirror!**

After my shoulder popped last Saturday at work, so I did some research and found a new orthopedic doctor.  Our Friday morning started with Dr. Nickson and team at Next Step Orthopedics  (Sport Medicine) (http://www.nextsteportho.net/).  Dr. Nickson and his nurse were awesome and I would recommend to anyone!  He reviewed my previous MRI, took shoulder x-rays, and scoliosis x-rays.  I am so happy he took the scoliosis x-rays because I haven't had that done in a while to see if my curve has progressed.  He definitely could see the curve causing some of my shoulder pain.  It is at 25* currently and he said that it can progress to up to 1* per year.  When I told Mom the curvature, she was happy and said that it hasn't changed much....I don't remember what it was after I got out of wearing my back brace in high school.

Outcome:  Dr. Nickson said that I have pain in the front of the shoulder because of tendonitis of my bicep where it connects to my shoulder and pain in the back of the shoulder due to weakness of muscles around my scapula from scoliosis.  He gave a cortisone shot to bathe the tendon to get reduction of inflammation and hopefully some pain relief.  He also set me up with a physical therapist who he said if anyone can fix it, she can with her 25 years of experience.  Followup with him in 1 month.  Good news, I start PT on Monday!

Next Step:  pulling out of Buffalo Springs Ironman 70.3 on Sunday June 25th.  We are blessed to have searched and found another willing soul to swim the 1.2 miles, wet suit legal, leg of our 70.3 in Lubbock next weekend.  Today, I got final word from the race director that I had been officially removed from the team and he has been added!  This was a blessing, a tough but easy call.  It's hard to let go of a goal, but I have learned that listening to my body is most important.  Longevity of that shoulder is what I'm after, not just one more race to put in the books.  If I have longevity, there will be many more races throughout my lifetime, Lord willing.  :)

What was awesome about this appointment this morning is that Heath was able to attend with me.  This meant the absolute world to me.  There is always so much information given at these types of appointments and honestly, he can describe the diagnosis better than I can.

After the appointment, I got to be with him all day on his jobsites because I had the day off!  God is good!  He knew that I needed that added support after pulling out of that relay so he gave me blessed, valued time with my hubby.  Instead of sitting around all next weekend wondering how my team is doing, Heath planned a weekend getaway for us.  I'm excited now for next weekend and not as bummed about pulling from race.

God's plan is always the best!

**So the above is a picture of our bathroom mirror.  The top yellow sticky note is a love note from my husband that I found one day in my gym bag.  The next picture is a picture of my dog Briggs with the word Chairein.  This is the greek word meaning "consider it pure joy."  This is part of a very influential Bible study I did back in Nebraska on James.  James 1:2-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  Attached with Briggs just loving life and smiling.  Just like I need to remember all the time, God's got this!  Then, as soon as I was asked to swim in the 70.3 relay, I started looking at the course and praying about it.  I posted the course and reminded myself to keep my eyes focused on the Lord and not my own strength.

God's Got This!!

Thankful for Time

After I got off work this afternoon, I stopped by the Bonnie Wenk Dog Park and took myself for a lovely walk along several trails (concrete, but still surrounded by big trees).  It was nice and hot.  I started out walking, but then had the strong urge to run.  Soon, I realized that the shoulder still plays a very important role in running.  Due to limitations, I would run short intervals which worked as my interval training.  Whenever my heart rate would drop below 100 bpm, I would settle into a little run, then walk again until my heart rate dropped to around that 100 bpm range and then run again.  It was fun and it took care of my need to run for the moment.  You get to see more trail that way much faster.  :)

I took full advantage of my half day at work and visited a farmer's market after my walk!  This is one I'd been wanting to experience for a long time, so I stopped!  This farmer's market is located in  the beautiful Adriatica area.  I purchased some fresh, locally grown, perfectly imperfect kale, arugula, peaches, and asparagus.  The arugula had been attached by some beetle and the peaches had little dimples in them.  Embrace the imperfections of nature in it's natural form.  YUMMY!  I look forward to creating something fun with these  stunning ingredients!

Heath was home when I got home, so that was an awesome surprise.  We didn't have any oblications, so both had the opportunity to relax.  (I worked on our new scrapbook.)  I had NO idea what time it was, but I was getting hungry so I made us some nachos.  After we were finished, I asked Heath, "So what do you want for supper?"  He laughed and just shook his head.  I eat ALL the time!  Apparently, this was supper since it was 6:30 pm.  I happily went back to scrapbooking after we ate.

Suddenly, I got up from the table and walked into the bedroom.  I came back out wearing my bike clothes.  I sort of surprised myself as well as Heath.  He was very curious as to what I was doing until I informed him that I was getting antsy and need to go for a bike.  It was getting dark, so it would be on trainer, of course.  He addressed this thought with a better idea, something easier on the shoulder...."How about a walk instead?"  he offered.

I knew he was probably right, so I went ahead and changed clothes again.  I quickly texted Raquel to see if she was up for a quick night run (no sunlight, a bit cooler).  (Run/walk, same thing right?!)  She wasn't able to run, but said I could swing by.  She lives about 1.5 miles from me, so I headed that direction after putting on my reflective vest, blue blinking light, and filling my water bottle.

It was truly my intention to just briefly stop and say hi and head back to Heath.  Upon arrival, she invited me in and  soon her son told me all about his most recent visit to Cooper Aerobic Center and about riding bikes with a stellar athlete/friend while his mom worked out.  Raquel and Gilbert set the best example for their kids, teaching them and showing them the importance of actively seeking to be healthy!

Heath and I had agreed that I didn't have to take my phone since I was just going for a short run. When I left Raquel's, I asked her text my phone so that Heath would know I was on my way home.  Somehow, all my adventures this week have turned into social ones.  I learned my lesson tonight = c-o-m-m-u-n-i-c-a-t-i-o-n.  Also, when going for a run by myself at night, take phone and tell my husband when I will be stopping by a friend's house....that way he can assume that I *accidentally* started talking again instead of getting worried or sending out a search team!  Lesson learned.  Let's just say that I am a slow learner and I have a very patient husband!  I am blessed!

A Favorite

It's DONE!  Our brand is now represented on my bike!  It looks awesome!  It completes the red, white, and blue American pride with God and my husband represented.  This is really special to me!

Before

This was given to me from the TriShop, where we
purchased the bike.

After

*Sexy*

Oh and on another note:

This.salad.is.awesome!  

From Walmart/Sam's ~ easy, healthy, and YUMMY!  A top fav right now for quick/easy/nutritional!

Monday

I packed Heath's lunch and got back on my bike again this morning AND....I SWEATED ALOT!  See picture below:

The summer heat hasn't fully arrived yet and for that I am thankful.  The summer battle is to workout A)  in the mornings while the sun is still asleep and have high humidity or B)  workout in the evenings with the sun and lower humidity.  Don't ask me which is better because I haven't figured it out yet.  :)  I will say that even though my bike session was a quick 30 minute-er, it was intense intervals which got my heart rate a-goin' and then drop back down, and repeat, and repeat, and repeat....you get the picture.

Heath headed out during my cool down and left with a quick, sweaty kiss.  What a gentleman who loves me no matter what....the sweat didn't even scare him away.  Quick shower and some breakfast before I headed to Nancy's.

Nancy has gotten herself a new toy!  A Cricut 3.  She had me download the software to my laptop and told me we could play today and play we did!  In less than 5 minutes, we had Heath and I's brand cut out on sticky vinyl.  Do you know how long I have wanted to put our brand on my bike!?  There is the perfect spot for it under my seat post, I just didn't know where to get it done.  Wa-lah!  5 minutes and we had a masterpiece!  We just have so much fun together.  Her love for God and crafts really shines through in our time together on Monday mornings.

If I have to be somewhere on Monday's, I have to set an alarm otherwise we could chat and play alllllll day!  We just have an absolute blast.  {insert alarm going off in other room}  {SNOOZE}  Just one more snooze??!!  I tried to ignore the alarm coming from the other room, but "Kinsey, your phone is making noises!"  Ok, now Norman had to get involved....I couldn't deny it anymore, I had to go.

Off to my appointment and then stopped by Walmart to grab a few things for the week.  It was truly a rocket run/shop that ended up taking me 3 trips up the stairs...LOL.  Bum shoulder slowing me down a bit in daily activities.  Much to my surprise, I fully utilized the small window of time I had.  I  managed to plan and lay out supper before heading off to work.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."  Colossians 3:23

Heath had encouraged me to try swimming after work to see how my shoulder would do.  I usually don't swim in the evenings as my masters' team swims in the mornings.  I kid you not, it was the most God presence I have felt in a while, all within a 2 hour period!

It was truly incredible starting with seeing my physical therapist as I walked up the stairs to the entrance of Cooper.  We talked for a while about my symptoms and he suggested making an ortho appointment which I had already done.  I then got no further than the front desk and the front desk lady, asked me if I was still missing those shoes from several months ago!??  What, she remembers me out of all the people in this gym?!  Yes, she did.  She went to the back closet as I was secretly holding my breath and pulled out a pair of pink and purple Altras that looked exactly my size.  Crazy, but those were the exact pair I was wearing tonight.  The ones I lost were pink Altras, but white instead of purple.  She was super sweet to even think of me and remember from waaaay back in January.  I proceeded to the pool and ran into a guy from the swim team that has been off from swimming to prepare for his 100 mile race in Florida.  (*Also, the gentleman who deserves the credit for my "fun lap" that I use to conclude every swim workout.)  Sure enough, Mark has successfully completed his first 100 mile run.  INCREDIBLE, AMAZING, GOD!  So many things to say and so awesome that we talked about how much he felt God's presence in his race and how he so humbly accepted the help of his wife and kids along the route.  He wants to write a book about aging and pursuing goals....basically that just because you age, doesn't mean that God doesn't still have a plan for your life.  Never give up!  Pursue with purpose!

Ok, wrap up the inspirational conversation with my 100 mile athlete friend (not only from an athletic point-of-view, but also spiritually) and try to see how that shoulder was going to work.  Yep, made it to the flags....yes, the ones 2 meters from the wall.  No pushing through this pain, I lost all power on my stroke.  Hmmmm...never thought about getting out of the pool because on a regular day, it's a simple tricep push out at the end of the pool.  Today, the ladder on the side of the pool....or wait...how do you climb a ladder without the use of one arm....done...not pretty, but I made it out of the pool.  Just about the time, a friend of mine that I met when we first moved here, got done coaching her swim team.  We had a very long, very inspirational, spiritual conversation about life and marriage.  Truly a blessing all around.

What could have been a very disheartening swim session turned into something that I couldn't have planned if I tried.  @Godknowsbest  It was incredible and Heath heard all about it when I got home.  He was sweet enough to have waited for me to cook dinner since I told him I would....I just didn't know it'd be at 10 pm, but we had a blast eating and watching cartoons at the kitchen table!  A blast from the past!  @lifessimplemoments  @captureeachmoment

If this leaves you wondering why I do not typically workout in the evenings?!  Now you have it, I would never get a workout done due to my social life.

Workout = check

Fellowship = check

Appointment = check

Groceries = check

Prepare supper = check

Work = check

Swim/Fellowship/Awesome God moments = priceless

Dinner with Heath and watched cartoons at 10 pm = perfect end to the day!

Wow, I didn't mean to get so windy, but WOW did God have alot to tell me and show me today.  For I am grateful!  :)

Sunday Morning Ride

I woke up this morning ready to roll, so I hopped on my bike (on my deck).  A little unsure the noise from my trainer would wake our neighbors, I soon decided it was after 8 am so it would be alright.  I left Heath still sleeping, all tucked in and in the dark.  Into my closet I went, by feel - not wanting to turn on the light and wake him up.  I felt around for my bike shorts (cushion galore), so they were easy to find, then next drawer - tanks - whatever was on top!  Honestly, couldn't even told you what I wore this morning other than I know for sure I sweated ALOT.

First, get dressed, then air up my tire and adjust the tension on the back tire.  Set up my laptop, pick a workout, and get my sensors connected via the help of bluetooth.  Wait, I forgot that I had a couple spoons of freshly ground peanut butter and some almond milk before filling my bike bottle with water and tart cherry juice.  (The cherry juice is supposed to reduce inflammation which I am currently fighting in my right shoulder.)

"Stop messing around Kinsey, just get on your bike!  The longer you mess around, the shorter time you have to make and eat breakfast before church."  It's amazing to me that I actually mess around alot more when my workout is right out on my balcony vs. driving all the way to the gym.  I amaze myself sometimes.....sigh!

Still learning my new watch and how everything works, it took me a few tries to get it all working together.  Turn on the fan and push play AND GO ~ finally.  I chose a 60 virtual ride with people that must be from another country because they ride on the left side of the road...lol!  Here is the link if you are curious:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUKL8NMwA9Y.  We did intervals which got pretty intense towards the end.  I hung with them though and really got my heart rate going, dug deep into those gluts.

60 minutes came and went...After a short cool down (incorporated into the workout), I quickly jumped off the bike, released the tension from my back tire, grabbed my computer, flipped my bike shoes off, and ran to the shower.  About 10 minutes later, I was showered, hair dried, fully clothed in a cute sundress (to match Heath's Hawaiian shirt) and making my smoothie.  I grabbed a protein-packed homemade muffin and my smoothie on the way out the door.

{Smoothie recipe was a grab and go:  scoop of old fashioned oats, almond milk, tart cherry juice, handful of frozen cherries (will stain your hands red), half a frozen banana, and ice.  Blend in Nutribullet for a few seconds and ta-da it's already in a serving cup for the road.}

Our drive to church is only a few minutes.  I try really hard not to employ the use of my cell phone during those few precious moments with Heath.  Instead, trying to focus on the beauty around me.  When we arrived at church, I was still sipping down my smoothie.  Once we entered the building we were welcomed with incredible energy.  One of the things I love about Rhea's Mill Baptist Church (http://www.rheasmill.org/) is the wonderful mix of age groups.  This church has a vibrant children's ministry, young couples, up to aging seniors.  It is incredible to find such a wide array of ages to all learn, share, and fellowship with one another.

Speaking of which, I so look forward to my time I will spend with Mrs. Gound tomorrow.  She offers such inspiration and wisdom.  I will just give you a heads up, she got a new toy called a Cricut 3 and we get to work with it tomorrow!  Like two kids in a candy shop, watch out world!

Packet Pickup Day

Heath made me breakfast in bed and then took me to Cabela's for the Saturday Only fresh, hot kettle corn!  He sure knows how to speak to my heart!  Food and quality time mean SOOO very much to me.

Stopped by the Tri Shop to pick up my packet for my first tri of the season....open water, Olympic distance.

To my very pleasant surprise, this is the bag our sway came in!  YAY for agriculture!

At the packet pickup, the very nice lady helping get my race number gave me a very interesting bit of news.  Due to the high winds forecasted for tomorrow, they will be moving the swim course for the X-50 and Olympic distance in closer to shore for athlete safety.  Their concern is the choppy waters and possible white caps.  My swim portion is 1500 m, so instead of just one huge loop around the buoys, we would instead swim the Sprint distance course 3 times.  We would swim three smaller loops and each time we would circle back to the beach, get out of the water, and run to begin the next loop.  Never done a swim/run/swim/run/swim transition to bike before, but I have also never swam in open water white caps!  A new experience in store for tomorrow!

* SWIM * BIKE * RUN*

Gathering my things to compete tomorrow!

Good Friday!

Today was a blessing!  I got to snuggle my hubby.  We haven't had alot of time together.  We will sneak in any moments we have been given together!  Then, I got to be in HIS Word!  It is truly amazing when I put HIM first, then I receive the joy.

When I got up, I went to the kitchen to make me some homemade granola.  Since I couldn't decide which kind to make, I just made them both.  They both provide different flavors and are perfect for any time of day....breakfast, lunch, dinner.....as a cold cereal, mixed in with oats, on top of yogurt, on top of ice cream, plain as type of trail mix, top dressed on a salad, and the list goes on....give me some of your favorite granola uses and recipes if you have them!

Original Granola:  This recipe was given to me quite some time ago by a family at the ranch I worked on in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Mrs. Moon.  This is a veggie oil based granola with honey and brown sugar.

Sweet Potato Granola:  A friend of mine, Lisa, gave me this after a winter bike ride with Zwift.  It is a coconut oil based granola which adds a different flair to the granola.  I like the sweet potato in it because then I feel like I am getting my veggies at breakfast, snack, lunch, or whenever I eat the granola!

http://minimalistbaker.com/sweet-potato-granola/

I'm not going to lie, each time I make these, they taste different.  I am not the best at following recipes to the tee....I just use what I have and if I don't have something, I either go without, or substitute.  Heath has questioned my substitutions at times, but usually everything turns out great!  (I might be a bit partial.)  The thought of going back to town after I am home, does not appeal to me at all...even though Walmart is only a couple miles away.  This probably stems from my country living days.

I was blessed with a 10 am start for work today which allowed me the extra time at home.

Honestly, I cannot think of a better way to start my day.  It is amazing how much better my day goes if I give it to Him first and then proceed.  That diligence, which is hard sometimes, totally pays off!

Bountiful Blessings

Late last night after looking at my training schedule, I decided that instead of swimming today, I still needed to get in another run and bike.  With that, I texted my friend Raquel.  It's a whole lot more fun and usually much faster to run with a friend.  Raquel said she'd love to run so we met at Starbuck's this morning.  We ended up running 6 miles.  She qualified for Boston, so she is super fast.  She definitely pushed me this morning as we watched the sun rise over the Stonebridge Lake.  We kept the same time I had on Wednesday for only 3 miles.  Getting stronger!

*Blessings*

Done with the run, onto the bike before  heading to work at 10 am.  My friend, Lisa, got me started training with an online program called Zwift for the winter.  It's pretty neat because I can ride from the apartment (on my trainer) and still gauge how much power I am using via some computerized mechanism she loaned me.

Wednesday - Run - Swim - Beads - Fellowship - Work

Feeling accomplished this morning after finishing an awesome run (with Cooper Fitness Runners) and swim (with my Cooper Master's Swim Team) by 6:51 am!  Done with workouts for the day!  This leaves me feeling good physically, mentally, and emotionally as after I got home, I had a lovely hot breakfast and a nice quite time with God!  Totally charged up and ready for my day!

After the awesome early morning, I went to spend a couple of hours with Mr. and Mrs. Gound to help prepare the individual earring packets for our craft night coming up.  It was really fun to see how Mr. and Mrs. Gound were so in tune with each other, each ever-so-kindly helping the other.  (Marriage is a beautiful thing when God is in the center!  Thank you for your inspiration Gound's!)

Awesome Saturday Morning!

This morning, I headed out to ride with Lisa and Lifetime Fitness bike group.  We met at Cooper to park and then rode our bikes to Lifetime.  It was a good group.  I even knew one of the ladies from Cooper Run Club!  This sport is such a blessing to me, I cannot even explain it.  It brings joy as we are riding in the sunrise, watching light come over God's creation.

After the awesome bike ride, Lisa and I went to Cooper Master's Swim Clinic.  Coach Cole, our swim coach, put it on for us to learn more about freestyle.  (This is the stroke of choice for triathlon as it is the most efficient over a long period of time.)  We met in the classroom for about 45 minutes and then transitioned down to the pool.  By that time, the sun had fully come out from behind the clouds and it was perfect for filming.  Coach wanted us each to have our swim filmed so that we could review it and learn by seeing what we are doing.  Since most of us swim in the mornings, the light does not allow for this.  Today, we each got to take home a video of our stroke.  His wife was so sweet to join us to help with the filming!  Thank you Mrs. Cole!

Ahhh, shower time!  Cooper has showers, towels for swimming, towels for showering, soap, lotion, hair dryers, dry sauna, steam room, whirlpool and the list goes on and on.  I am totally at home at this place as they even have a retail store that sells shoes and a cafe that serves healthy 'made-to-order' food.

When I got home, Heath was till working.  He is working on a demolition site, helping to clear it for new development.  So, I decided that I would do some housework, although not much since he had done that all earlier this week.  I then wanted to make some refills on my essential oil products.  I remade my peppermint/lavender sports hydration lotion (see recipe below), tea tree and lemon kitchen cleaner, peppermint vitamin C spray (for skin softening after the pool), and pure lavender in a roller bottle mixed with a little coconut oil.  This should last me a while!

I just added Oregano to my supply.  This is good for when you are sick.

Finished products!

Recipe!

Time to get beautiful for date night!  Heath and I had been talking about getting my ears pierced for quite a while now.  Today was the day.  He told me this morning to find a place to do it, so I researched.  I found a lady who specializes in piercings.  I sent her a message and told her that I was 31 years old and wanted to get my ears pierced.  She was super sweet and messaged me back and forth all morning, answering all of my questions.  When Heath called and said he was on his way, I knew that I couldn't back out now.  :)

Before!

After!

Yay!  I did it!  Thanks Heath for your support!  I was nervous, especially since there were so many people in the waiting area....I had lots of time to think about it.  One of the other girls looked at me and asked, "Are you nervous?"  How could she tell?!  Maybe it was the pacing around or the tapping of my foot...LOL!  She was super sweet!

Time to eat!  Babe's is a really good chicken place down here and it was close, so that's where we went!  To be fair, this is where our idea came from for our grain bin gazebo!  With a 50 minute wait, you know it is good!  They had Allison Krauss and bluegrass/country playing in the background, the temperature was perfect, and our evening had begun!

Babe's = Family Style Dinning = Great Time with MY Babe!

Prayer and Share Today

Great morning ~ lifting and a bike ride!  I was able to train with an online program called Zwift today at the apartment.  Works great and it keeps you moving at a certain functional threshold power level for various intervals.  Keeps the mind working for sure!

After my second breakfast, I took a thirty minute nap before heading down street for the monthly Prayer and Share with a lady's group from my church.  I met them last April when we first moved to Texas.  They reached out to me and are an absolutely wonderful *BLESSING* to me!  We meet at a quaint little restaurant in a beautiful location called Adriatic.  They meet every 3rd Thursday of the month in the morning for breakfast and praying.  I have been blessed to attend a few sessions when I am not working.  It is an AWESOME group of ladies!

Columbine Cabins ~ Steamboat, Springs

Imagine with me for a moment....getting off work, driving all evening, and getting in late (and in the dark)....THEN....waking up to this in the morning!!  Stunning, absolutely, STUNNING!

NOT TO MENTION THESE!  God's BEAUTY!  :)

I did some yoga on the front porch of our little cabin.  So peaceful!

Speaking of which, here are some photos of the inside of our cabin.

There are some several different options for cabins.  I chose one with electricity and running water.  They have a very nice bath house just up the mountain from us.  See trail below.

Trails to the bathhouse!

After we got all settled in our little cabin, I rode my bike to Steamboat Lake, the place of the triathlon.  I used it as my "pre-race warm-up."  I wasn't very far at all and downhill.  Overcast and a bit chilly as I was speeding down the mountain.  Heath met me there to pick up my race packet.  It was fun once I got there because they were having a pre-race Q/A session and I got to feel the water temperature.  Definitely a wetsuit kind of race!  After I got my packet, Heath drove me back toward the cabin and we stopped at a little "off-the-beaten-path" restaurant.  It was soo much fun!  As the breeze blew in, so did some heavy clouds that looked like rain.