Favorites Day 9 - Garmin

Garmin GPS Running Watch

I ran a half marathon today! My goal was to beat my last half marathon time from Oregon and I did well over a half minute per mile faster! Yay!

 My 'favorite thing' today is a gift my husband gave me a year or two ago and has changed my running life...a Garmin gps running watch (the "Forerunner"). Am I the last one to get one?:) Any runner in any phase of life would benefit from it. Mentally it was so helpful to know how I was doing and how far I was in the race but my favorite part is not having to plan a running route in training. I just strap on my watch and go!

It gives overall time, mile split times and pace and beeps at each mile to signal.

And keeps records of each run if you want.

I'm sure there's even more, but that's what I use it for.

My mental plan was just to "hit my stride" and keep going in this race.

When I glanced down at my watch at mile 5 I was going almost a minute per mile faster than I thought I would. I had a moment of panic but it felt comfortable and I kept going.

Sometimes I wonder how I would do if I REALLY committed to running. Like ran every day except Sunday. But when I hear about people whose lives revolve around exercise it just sounds so imbalanced. So not like that. Maybe someday I'll hardcore train for a race, but maybe I'll just enjoy it and be grateful for a body that allows me to run. I am; sometimes I think we take our health for granted.

I think about the month before I had Mackayla when I had to plan the route I would crawl around the room to get things when I moved. That's not even a big deal, but it is a good reminder of how hard it is not to be able to move easily and to appreciate when I can.
post post Edit: I don't know why I don't usually record my times. But then I don't record my times and always wonder what they were. I just don't like others to compare themselves to me I guess. This time I got 1:44.

Did You Know...

A great way to improve running time without actually getting in better shape is to improve your running economy. And you look like a better runner:)! Basically not making a ton of extra movements saves energy. Just like fuel economy for cars. Keep your body streamlined, arms down in a comfortable L, not all over the place. In a short distance it's not a big deal, but makes a huge difference in long distances. 

The race today double backed on itself several times with runners on either side of the roads. There are big medians on all roads here (they're annoying when you want to turn in to a store and you can't!). But watching the fastest runners is cool because they have great running economy. It's interesting to see someone running outside just booking it but flailing all over the place. It's obvious they are just running a mile or two because that kind of poor form is impossible to keep up.

And

Running a mile at a 6 minute per mile pace

and walking a mile at a 13 minute per mile pace

Burns roughly 100 calories

(and everything else that equals a mile:))

It's true. Going faster doesn't mean more calories...it's still the same distance!

Favorites Day 8 - Mackayla

Mackayla
Of course my kids are at the top of my favorites! The 'favorites' are in no particular order, as I pointed out to my husband who thought he should have been first:) So, youngest first in this case.

Angel Mackayla, That's what I used to call her as a newborn.

She really is so sweet.

Don't get me wrong, she has a side that is a force to be reckoned with.

She's pretty dang tough physically, but emotionally so sensitive.

She has a special bond, like all our kids, with her daddy. I love watching them together.

But lately if Ben says "I love you Mackayla" while I'm around

She looks at him firmly and says "I Lub Mom" without batting an eye. We think it's funny.

She and her dad share a common love of animals.

Her favorite, if you ask her, are horses.

But her real favorites are dogs, or "GOGS."

If we pass one by without asking to pet it she will have a full scale melt down. This is not an exaggeration.

After every single ride at Disneyland she will say "Let's go see more animals."

Somehow she learned all her colors at a very young age. Wasn't me. Must have to do with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and older siblings.

She repeats everything Macey says.

They are the best of friends and the worst enemies.

We hung out with a new friend the other day and she was asking if they got along. Just as I looked over to answer they were playing in the sand and hugging. "Yes" I said. Then I thought about it. "It depends on the moment." Five minutes later they were in a fight.

One time I came in at bath time to break up a fight just in time to see Mackayla jump and do a full body dive onto Macey and start trying to bite her. It's seriously hard not to laugh and be an effective parent at the same time.

I used to be of the mindset that your kids will eat what you give them. That's why I have the kids I have I suppose (it reteaches me to never say never!). I do refuse to make separate meals for my kids. Mackayla is our picky eater. She won't touch meat of any kind with a ten foot pole. I still give it to her, but she's also WAY funny about food being on her plate. The floor seemed like a good option at first until we let her know it wasn't. Now someone else's plate or at least arms distance is good enough for offensive food:).

So now, I give her food, and casually encourage her to eat it. She'll decide what she's going to eat and then nonchalantly moves the rest. I try not to make a big deal of it because I'm going to keep giving her food to try until she decides she can at least taste it again. But she will choose starving over eating things she doesn't like. I'm sure she'll get better as she gets older...

The perfect food I decided for her is vanilla yogurt, strawberries, blueberries and granola. All her favorites. A fruit parfait!

Yesterday she started crying saying "It's Stuck" pointing to her nose. I had her blow her nose and thought that was that. But then she said "No. Lego." This happened to Cody a couple of years ago - sticking something in his nose. Macey never did it because she watched the Cody ordeal:) So I ran and got what I used for him: the vacuum and some random tweezer things. But I stayed calm and happy and told her to blow. After a few minutes it came right out.

So much less stress than with Cody. It's funny how doing something the second time is so much less of a production. Those poor first children. Everything seems so much harder the first time!

Currently, she has six blankets, five dolls, books, and countless stuffed animals in her crib.

She has almost stopped taking naps. 

I go back and forth on this one. I know if I keep consistently laying her down she will sleep but then she goes to bed so late. She needs it, but I Hate naps as much as she does. I love the freedom of no nappers! Sometimes just putting her down earlier at night is totally worth it. Last night at about 7 she told me she was ready for bed.

We kept going back and forth. Me: "Okay let's go to bed."

Mackayla: "No. Go to crib."

Me: "Right. You can lay in your crib." Two seconds later, forgetting. "Let's go to bed!"

Mackayla, "No. Go to crib."

Right...

Her stats from her two year check up, which was in November...and was three months late...and I'm just getting this in. sigh. You do get worse at recording this stuff even when it's as easy as blogging.
Weight: 28 lbs.  65%
Height: 34 1/2 in.  45%

Names are very important to her and she is very good at remembering them. If we are reading a book she will ask ten or eleven times what the names are on each page, then remember them for next time.

Other favorites for you include drawing, reading, and playing with your brother and sister.

We love you.

Favorites Day 7 - Forced Finances

As college students, Ben and I had a budget that went something like this:

only buy what is necessary to survive.

I am eternally grateful that we learned, at the very beginning of our marriage, how to spend our money. Our forced situation was a blessing. Not saying we're perfect, cause we're NOT, but I just feel like it was a good way to learn. Obviously it started before that with our parents, but being married with all those responsibilities is different too.

Graduation brings a few extra liberties but there's always something.

Maybe, someday, we might want to own a house.

And there are those pesky students loans.

And this and that...college for kids, retirement. You know.

A couple of months ago I bought us a new set of sheets on sale at Target.

It was the best purchase I may have ever made. Our old sheets were stitched up in one place (at Ben's feet, he he) and you could pretty much see through them in a couple places even though they were red.

The new ones are so soft and...not falling apart! It's the little things.

I used to joke that once we graduated I would go on a crazy shopping spree and get a new wardrobe. haha. I knew things don't magically change after graduation. Still outdated, oh well:)

I think college was the perfect grounds for setting boundaries on spending. Everyone is poor!

And what's more, if someone had nice new stuff and was living the "high life," it was not even tempting because you knew they were in ca-razy debt to do it!!

It is amazing to me what you can live Without.

It's also amazing to me what others deem wants vs. needs.

"How much" need is very negotiable.

Well off people aren't necessarily people that make a ton of money.

They are people that know how to spend, or not spend, the money they have.

This month we are trying not to spend ANY money!

Obviously we have to pay rent and utilities.

And we have to eat.

But everything else is extra!

Actually, we never eat out, so eating won't be bad. I know - that puts us in a lame, boring category. I do like to eat out and I'm sure we will later on in life. It's definitely not a priority for us. Really, an added bonus is I probably don't make healthy choices when I eat out (the good ones are always unhealthy) and I can control how I cook.

We made a few big purchases a month or two ago so this will be a good thing.

It won't be perfect because we're traveling, but other than that - nada.

The inspiration came from 31 Days of Living Well and Spending Zero.

Favorites Day 6 - Essential Oils

Essential Oils

I told one woman who had chronic pain about these and she just laughed and said

Oh anyone that uses those practically bears their testimony about them.

So here's my testimony:) just a couple of random ways I have used them...

 OnGuard is probably the one we use the most, and a close second is Breathe that helps when you have a cold. Especially for little ones, diffusing it into the air at night.

If my throat tickles at all I just drop a drop on my mouth and wait for it to "knock my socks off" - that's what I tell my kids when I have them do it! You can gargle with it too. It magically takes any hint of a soar throat away.

I most often rub it on the bottom of my kids' feet for them. They love it.

PastTense is for headaches and tension. Ben uses it a ton. I actually use it on Cody when he has growing pains and it seriously instantly takes them away.

This terrible picture is of those little clear things called capsules.

You can drop oil right into them and swallow them like pills.

I just learned from my mother in law that basil can help with cholesterol. Drop a couple drops in a capsule each day. Her friend did it and it lowered 25 points.

I had a nail fungus. Gross I know. But I didn't know what it was because I lose nails all the time from running. I just figured I was losing my nail but it stayed for 6 months. Then when I found out what it was I put melaleuca on it and the next day it was gone.

There is pretty much an oil for every ailment known to man:)

I have frankincense and have read that it enhances the use of other oils. I figure it's probably awesome if the wise men gave it to Jesus.

These are DoTerra oils. You have probably heard of them.

But if you haven't...TRY THEM, You will thank me!

Favorites Day 5 - Carbs Carbs Carbs

Bread

This one was inevitable.

Here is a step by step:)

Start with Hard White Wheat.

It is sooo good.

I don't think it's quite as healthy as red wheat from what I've read, but waaay healthier than white flour. A perfect medium ground because it tastes exactly like white bread but has wheat nutrition. I used to always use red wheat but I really do like this taste better and my kids LOVE it.

I think the LDS store has the best prices.

 I have a magic mill III, handed down from my mother. Add this much wheat...

 it's grinds to a perfect fine flour and I love it. (I'm going to guess that's 6 cups?)

 Add it to 5 cups of warm water and 2 T. yeast and mix on low speed for 5 minutes.

 Let it sit 15 minutes. It will look like this (minus the sugar I added already)

 Add 3/4-1 c sugar (you choose how sweet, you could even use honey), 1/4-1/2 c fat (butter, oil or shortening), and 2 cups flour. Shortening tastes the best fyi, but obviously isn't the healthiest.

Start mixing. Add 1 T salt and then more flour until the dough looks like this and cleans up the sides of the mixer.

 It should stick to your fingers when you touch it but also easily pull off. Soft but not too soft.

This is how I like it...I'm not a professional.

 I just grab hunks of dough after that and add it to 4 bread pans, flat so they rise evenly and the middles aren't way higher. Cover for an hour or two.

Bake 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until it's about this color and the middle is cooked through.

Eat a piece every morning, toasted and buttered, with hot chocolate.

 MMMMMMM

White Wheat Bread
6 c (ground) white wheat flour
2 T yeast
5 c warm water
Mix 5 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes.
Add:
1 c sugar
1/4 c oil
2 c white flour
1 T salt
More flour, enough to make soft dough.
Mix until blended well.
Let rise in 4 bread pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

These freeze well too but I usually keep them in the fridge until we eat them.

Favorites Day 4 - gospel

The Gospel and a Ward Family

I love meeting members of our ward and hearing their life stories.

It makes moving to a new place so easy because anywhere we move we know we'll immediately have a 'support group'. Even if we don't need it, it's comforting to know they are there.

In Oklahoma we were invited to dinner the night we moved there. Our bishopric was awesome. Our sweet bishop gave me a heartfelt thanks every single sunday for coming by myself with my three tiny kids. It made me feel appreciated even if that's not a huge deal.

In Oregon within the first week we were invited to a party with a few awesome families in the ward. It was so fun to get to know them. Several of my favorite families had us over for dinner throughout our year there. There are such good people all over the country, and Philomath, Oregon definitely has some of them. And I would want to be there in a natural disaster, they are prepared:).

Here reminds me somewhat of Utah. Many people have family nearby and everyone is friendly if not already established in their circles of friends and family. I still love it and just realize it will be a more gradual full welcome into the ward. It's probably our turn to have people over to our house for dinner now that Ben is around.

I am the primary secretary and I mentioned before that we have sixty (plus more now!) kids two and under! Our ward boundaries are small, just a half mile by a mile...that is a lot of little kids in a tiny area! With our new ward boundaries I got to redo all the rosters and put together all the "lists" for primary. 

And so, one TIP for any secretary in any church calling

I LOOOOOVE GOOGLE DRIVE.

It is AMAZING. 

USE IT.

And be careful who you give editing power to.

Everything that needs changed can be changed, instantly, for everyone.

I love getting to know all the kids; they are good. They have to be strong to live in a world like this.

Don't get me wrong, a ward family is not WHY I love the gospel. That is one of the perks of belonging to this church. 

I Love this gospel because

it's true. 

I love that we are children of our Heavenly Father and we can be with our families forever.

There is a plan.

The Book of Mormon is another testament of Christ.

I'm a Mormon.

I know it. I live it. I love it!

We had a Meet the Teachers activity yesterday. 

Everyone got a name tag and went to their color table with their class to decorate a poster A

 Then they dressed up their new teacher and the teacher got to walk down the "red carpet"/green tape.

It was so fun:)