Preparing for the Half

This weekend marks my first half-marathon, and I'm more than excited.

First of all, I'm so happy to finally see and catch up with this girl.

And this girl.

Such beauties with even more beautiful hearts (Oh, I'm also thankful to see West, but he's not running with us, so I'm not counting him. Sorry, West.).

But in preparation for the 13.1 mile showdown, I'm taking it easy this week. Because it's been absolutely b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l outside, I've been taking walks every single day.

Walk Photo

I also busted out my old Power Yoga video with Denise Austin. Denise definitely keeps it real. While part of me can't stay focused on the yoga because of the music in the background and Denise's thorough directions to feel the power of yoga, it's been helpful to get my IT bands all stretched out. They've been kind of tight after my crazy trail run this past weekend. 

I ended up running 11 miles on the trails at the National Whitewater Center this past Saturday. It wasn't 13 miles, but I bet it was more difficult than what I'll be running this coming weekend. The roots were definitely a force to be reckoned with, and I spent most of my time thinking about where I was going to put my next foot or how I was going to run over a bike jump hill rather than my usual meditation on the life and times of the LaCross family. 13.1 miles will be hard, but at least I won't have to worry about roots and gravel.

But, back to this week. I'm going to try and run once tomorrow, a short 2-3 miler, and then I have a walking date Thursday. 

I've also been trying to eat pretty healthy this week. A friend asked me this past weekend what I've done differently in my diet since I've been training. The truth is, I haven't done too much.

I've cut out most everything I drink except water. That may seem like a feat in and of itself, but I had a stomach virus that made me get over my caffeine addiction, so it wasn't too hard to stop. I just didn't start drinking coffee again after I felt better. I guess there was some good to come from that stomach virus.

I also haven't been drinking alcohol. I don't drink much, but I find I feel much better and less full of carbs/beer in the morning if I don't drink a beer the night before. My one exception is that Tyler thought I deserved a nice night of a glass of wine, dark chocolate, and a good conversation. How can I turn that down? So I did let him treat me to some wine that night. I've consumed some hot teas when I'm really chilly, but usually I pick one without caffeine in it and rarely add anything to it.

As far as food goes, we eat pretty healthy around here. I didn't have to cut out fast food, because we don't eat it unless we're traveling and desperate. So I didn't have to wean myself from fried foods and jump to eating tons of fruits, veggies, and proteins. I am eating more food and making sure I eat carbs the night before a long run. 

But being a typical vegetarian, I did struggle to add protein to my diet. I've been eating many more seeds and nuts. I've also added a bit of fish into my diet to make sure my body has enough protein to recuperate from the runs. A personal favorite is a fruit smoothie with some soy protein powder added. Smoothies are liquid heaven.

But it hasn't been all that easy. My sweet tooth, or every tooth in my mouth for that matter, has been so desiring to just eat whatever sweets I want because, "Hey, I'm burning tons of calories a day! I can do what I want." But, I've found I don't feel as well after I eat sweets, and they definitely don't help me run faster. So, it's been a struggle in the sweet department.

I haven't decided exactly which clothes I'll be running in Saturday, but I'm bringing a few options and a sweatshirt to wear before we start running. Faith is planning to cook a scrumptious meal on Friday night and have bagels, peanut butter, and apples for breakfast Saturday.

Spinx Run Fest, here I come!

The Power of the Pumpkin

Just a few pumpkins. (Image from http://www.aftonapple.com/pumpkins.htm)

Is it just me, or is the pumpkin spice flavor taking over the world this fall?

Everywhere I look, at every grocery store I shop, and every blog I read, pumpkin is taking over. I love pumpkin, so I'm obviously taking advantage of it's presence.  But I also wonder if every company has seen what Starbucks has done with pumpkin and are now following down the same path. Or has it been like this every year, and I'm just now catching on?

Seriously, I've found pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie Pop Tarts, pumpkin chocolate bark, pumpkin muffins, breads, and pancakes, pumpkin bagels, pumpkin streusel, pumpkin cream cheese, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin hot tea, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin yogurt, pumpkin pizza dough...Ok. I actually did not find pumpkin pizza dough, but it should definitely be up for consideration, especially with some goat cheese, spinach, and sliced tomato on top with a butter sauce. Mmmm. I may have to make that now that I'm thinking about it. I've seen pumpkin so many times the word is looking like I'm spelling it wrong. It's one of those words that if you stare at it enough or for long enough, you could double guess yourself on how it's really spelled.

I don't mind this pumpkin kick, though I need to ask if my whole family is in consensus with this or if it's just me. However, I have noticed that I fall prey to the whole scheme. I buy a few "extra" things at the grocery store simply because they are pumpkin, and these are things that we don't necessarily need. Therefore, it makes it much harder to stay within our budget for groceries during these fall months. All the pumpkin delights are never necessities, but the so-called Seasonal Specials or one place even called them Harvest Specials. It made me feel as though I was a farmer reaping all the benefits of my hard work. This may be an exaggeration, but I definitely felt like I was getting a deal, something special, something my family needed to enjoy fall in style.

I love pumpkin, but my wallet does not. It's time to work on self-control.

Let's Be Honest - Hibernation

It's October 9, and I already want to hibernate under the covers all day long.

Hence, I didn't post yesterday. Hence, it's after 5 p.m. and I still haven't posted today.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not just being lazy around here. I ran five miles today, watched some kids, went to a bible study, did some laundry, but all I want to do, and mostly what my heart thinks about, is crawl under the covers with a good book. Our house is less than 65 degrees. I can't see the point in turning on the heat in October, but it definitely encourages bundling up.

I finished the Harry Potter series last night, so I'm currently between books. This poses a problem for my hibernation desire. Any suggestions for new books to read?

Here is the problem with my need to hibernate:
1. I'm not a bear, snake, or other animal. My life continues even during the winter.
2. It's not even that cold out, yet. I'm not donning my North Face (I don't have a North Face) or wearing mittens or anything. I really haven't even worn a scarf yet.
3. The south really doesn't get really cold weather in the winter, so I have nothing to complain about.
4. I teach a night class on Tuesday and have a busy day Wednesday, so there is no hope of me hibernating any time those days.

Fall Break is Thursday and Friday this week, so I bet you could find me under a blanket, a mug of hot tea nearby, and a good book in hand. Here's hoping I'll make it through the winter.

New Beginnings

It's almost officially Fall (Eeeee!!!) and while Spring is typically considered the season of new beginnings, I'd like to nominate Fall to replace Spring. The beginning of the school year just makes everything feel new.

Last night I found myself making a new meal I found on Pinterest, Spinach-Artichoke Baked Pasta, to go over to our friends' new home for the beginning of our new small group. It was pretty delicious and less than $10 to make.

Spinach-Artichoke Baked Pasta

I met some new people (no pic - I didn't want to be the creepy girl taking pictures of the new guys) and really enjoyed getting to know some people from our church I hadn't interacted with before.

We are studying a new book, How People Change by Paul Tripp.

The weather was gorgeous for the cookout. Blue sky, nice breeze, no clouds. I'm enjoying the forecast for the rest of the week as well. Usually we're still in the 80's around here. Saturday is looking like the perfect day for a football game!

My hair is finally long enough to sport a new style. Hallelujah! I got a braid out of it last night. It's hard to see because my hair is so dark and we have bad lighting in our house, but I'm pretty pumped to make it this far.

Long enough for a braid!

Everything feels refreshed, crisp, and clean.

Here's a song for your new season.

Asheville, Stomach Bugs, and Many Pictures

A nasty bug kept me away from the computer for most the week last week. I battled and grappled with it for a few days, and it went on to attack E. Of course, he kicked it's butt in a mere 12 hours. He also started praying to Jesus in the bathroom after his first episode, so I think he was cured faster for his faith.

He asked great questions including, "Is there really a bug in my stomach right now," "Does the thermometer read how much bug is left in my body" (E, I wish this was true. If only we got more from the thermometer than body temp), and, "I guess I won't get perfect attendance this year." This was only E's 2nd stomach virus in his 8 years, so his comprehension of sickness is much less than other children.

So Tyler and I found ourselves on Friday afternoon at five with a dilemma. We had to decide if we were going to pack up our whole family and haul ourselves to Asheville for the family weekend (planned since last year) with my parents and my sister's family.

E had been throwing up all morning, I was on my first day without fever and hadn't thrown up, and we were all exhausted from sick times.

Of course, we decided to go. We can talk about how wise of a decision that was another time (One of our deciding factors was the fact we had our own hotel room for quarantining purposes).

It really worked out well. I made sure E went to bed early and was forced to stay in the room after that. I didn't want to be arrested for leaving an 8-year-old in a hotel room by himself. It wouldn't look good to a court, especially if he had a stomach virus. So I got some extra sleep time as well, probably more than I would have gotten at home.

Saturday we went to Carrier Park in Asheville. It was amazing. The park was an old speedway turned velodrome, roller hockey rink, and giant play-ground, much like our favorite park in the Clemson/Pendleton area. E and my dad loved watching bikes in the velodrome, play on the Spirit of the River airplane, and conquering the monkey-bars.

Spirit of the River

E and Papa - Velodrome

Lee Bee

Tire Tube

Monkey Bars

Tyler took some great pics of E and Lee Bee both Saturday and Sunday.

After the park Saturday, we left the kids with my parents and Jen, Darren, Tyler, and I went to Brewgrass 2012! We were definitely not as gung-ho this year with Jen's cold, my stomach virus, Tyler's fear of the stomach virus, and Darren just being discouraged by us. Actually, it was a great time.

The Official Brewgrass Glass

But it was dang hot. Brewgrass takes place on a baseball field, so absolutely no shade. It was so hot that I captured this picture of Tyler. I may or may not have promised not to post it.

Unbuttoned with Homemade Root Beer

It was so hot that I got a sunburn. I know that sounds silly, but that says a lot. I don't burn. There is nothing more unattractive than peeling, burnt lips. I've got them, watch out!

The music this year was much better than last year. I really enjoyed Cutthroat Shamrock, though I was skeptical at first because of their name. I also really liked Town Mountain. We even got up from our cozy chair/blanket post and watched Town Mountain at the front.

Darren and Jen

Tyler and Me

The beer was good. I didn't do a good job trying most everything, but I did get a few good things. Tyler had one beer that wasn't even deserving of the name 'beer' and Darren forced him to dump it out. The big hit of the day was from Wicked Weed Brewing, a brewery in Asheville that will open very soon. Their debut at Brewgrass was one of the first Wicked Weed tastings. The line was about 45 minutes long, so I opted out. Darren and Tyler enjoyed it though. The term 'wicked weed' refers to the quote from Henry VIII, "Hops are a wicked and pernicious weed." Little did King Henry know...

We enjoyed some good beer, conversation, music, and yummy food from some of Asheville's signature restaurants.

Photo by Tyler LaCross

And now that we're back from such a whirlwind week/end, I'm glad we went. I'm still worn out, frustrated I haven't been able to run yet, and with a wreck of a house/nursing station to clean up, but I'm looking for the positive. I saw the people I love, I feel better, and there are signs of fall in the air. Plus, Tyler promised to help clean the house tonight.

Fall's Coming.

What has Starbucks done to us?

Oh baby. The Pumpkin Spice Latte is back. And the Salted Caramel Mocha, and pretty soon I'm going to see Gingerbread, Peppermint, Egg Nog, etc.  'Tis the season...for Starbucks.

Many of you have already had at least one fall drink (and I don't mean Pumpkin Ale). I'll admit it. I've had one Pumpkin Spice Latte. I wanted to get a Venti, but I resisted on account of no one needs that much milk in their stomach at once.

If I didn't feel like a sell-out, I would pin this Starbucks ad on my "Fall" board on my Pinterest. However, I'm much more inclined to post DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte recipes and pictures of fun fall clothing rather than this Starbucks pic. But the truth is, when I think of fall, I think of Starbucks.

They have successfully crept into my brain, unbeknownst to me, and planted their seeds of Starbucks necessity. They've sprouted, grown, and blossomed. Now I, among many Americans, associate the words fall, cool weather, and leaves changing with the amazing drinks I can consume at Starbucks.

While I typically may hate "the man," I have to hand it to Starbucks. No one does it quite like they do. Not that their quality is better than another coffee shop. It absolutely is nothing compared to places like this, this, or this (Shameless plugs for some of my favorite coffee places in areas I've lived).

However, Starbucks knows how to sell coffee. I'm not going to protest or scream and rant about how people shouldn't support them. I'm thankfully past that stage of life these days, though I will continue to support my favorite places. But dang it, Starbucks. You sure do create a great advertising campaign.

Parties, Parties.

While I was there for less then 24-hours, my time in the small hometown, Florence, was well spent this past weekend. I got to have dinner with my parents and my in-laws (they get along well, so that's never a problem). Then I had a cake-making party with this one.

Sifting Taiter

I was so excited to see my lovely Taiter and make cakes with her until the middle of the night. We literally finished everything around midnight and then chatted until I fell asleep on the couch around 1 a.m. I'm an old woman.

Saturday was so joyful as we celebrated Charlotte's little boy. I was so touched to find they've decided to name him Jack Lawson Culotta. He's named after Charlotte's dad, Jack Lawson, who died last year after battling lung cancer. I am so excited for little Jack and the name he's inheriting because his granddad was really special. Some pictures from the weekend.

All Star Party Decor by Lindsey Bibler

My Baseball Cake

Charlotte and Dr. Anna

Baseball Cupcakes

Caroline and Itty Bitty EC

Gifts - Cutie Elephant

Lindsay and Lindsey with Olive

Lindsey, Anna, Charlotte, Me, Caroline, and Lindsay

It was a great shower. And then, by no surprise, I was chased by a giant storm system as I hurried back to NC. I made it back without rain, though dark clouds threatened me the whole way. To finish up a great day, Tyler and I had an amazing date at this Italian place in Charlotte. I had the mushroom risotto special. It was absolutely amazing. Tyler and I also tried stuffed mushrooms and some great glasses of red wine. 

To top it all off, the weather has been so amazing. It's reminding me of this era of life.

I love Fall. I love Apple Picking. I love my boys. Circa 2009.

I had my pre-fall celebration run by hitting a 5-miler last night before dark. It was one my best runs in a while. And then I snuggled up with Harry Potter before bed. I'm working through The Order of the Phoenix. And now we're back to a new week. Happy Monday!

A Game Night with Friends

Last Saturday we celebrated Clemson's first game by hanging out with some of Tyler's fellow Clemson Graphics Alumni. It was great fun all around.

We had yum-o food: including these puff pie wonders (filled with avocado, cream cheese, and some spice) from the recipe here. I discovered Trader Joe's White Bean and Basil hummus (amazing!). David and Kristin made quesadillas and the infamous Mexican Layer Dip. To top it all off we had Banana Pudding, which apparently rivaled one of David's favorite Clemson restaurants. 

Tyler and David each provided their beer of choice for the night. David is devoted to Punkin Ale and Tyler wanted to refill our huge growler from OMB. 

David and Kristin

But the most exciting thing was to see these two for the first time since their engagement! I was so happy to celebrate their engagement with them over Clemson football and Punkin ale. Kristin's apartment is decorated adorably (check out her amazing crafts on her blog, here) and I know their wedding is going to be just as amazing. I even got a sneak peak of her dress. Even if the Tigers hadn't won, it still would have been a great night.

E got in on the fun and made forts, drew jets and battleship with David, and had plenty of treats and Cheerwine. He even got to stay up until 11, definitely passed his bedtime.