Frothy Goodness

I really don't need a good excuse to drink coffee. It takes very little justification on my part to purchase a 5 dollar, 500 calorie, 12oz sip of heaven.

Thanks to the genius' at Starbucks and the good hearted people of (Product)Red I have a new excuse to purchase my deliciously sinful treat.

If you haven't heard of this great winter promo, let me inform you. If you purchase an Espresso Truffle, Gingersnap Latte, or a Peppermint Mocha Twist, Starbucks will donate 5 cents to the Global Fund to help save lives in Africa.

Okay, so you can once again justify your overpriced coffee purchase. Go to the (Starbucks)Red website and you can even make a commitment to help out. Now, your spouse should completely understand the $30 in coffee purchases this month. You are helping children in Africa get medicine, after all.

It may sound like I am making light of this but in truth this is a something dear to my own heart. If we can help anyone, in anyway, we should. If you don't think your five cents can make a difference, here is the quote from a recent (Product) Red post.

In just the few weeks that the drinks have been available your purchases
have helped generate a contribution to the Global Fund that can provide more
than 1.4 million days of antiretroviral therapy for people who need it. This
means 3800 people living with HIV could get a year’s worth of medicine, all
because of you making a simple choice at your favorite coffee shop.

Hank Williams Got It Right

I had two really bad weeks in a row. At least that is how I felt. I was slow and mad because I had to workout on the Dreadmill. I would love to always have a positive post for our training but it is so easy to get discouraged. Holiday eating is not helping either, makes me feel ick because I just eat too much of it. Last week, every workout was comparable to a dentist appoint. I even talked myself out of working out twice in the morning. Eventually I did them in the afternoons because I knew I needed to.

Ted says that it is important to keep things fun and try not to make our running feel like work. He has a point. It felt like work last week. I knew I needed to do it and it was hard to find the motivation. In my mind I can't imagine that every time I go out and run that it is suppose to be a good time. I mean, this is six months of training. Oh, and I want to run a marathon. Ted is content with the benefits of what is happening today. He would be thrilled to make it to marathon day and actually run it. Me, I want to run it. I want to run the whole thing. Somedays, that is so completely overwhelming that it knocks the wind out of me.

This Monday, I got on the scale as I do every Monday. Expecting to see a weight gain or breaking even I was pleasantly surprised with a 2.2lb loss. WooHoo!! Not expected, at all. This weight thing drives me nuts. One week I kick butt all over my work outs and gain a lb. The next week, I feel like I have had a root canal and I loose two. I know it is a process of time and metabolism, etc...but really?! So, I am now down 11 lbs. And, that got a little more motivation for this week.

I was able to run outside on Monday because it wasn't raining and it was actually over 40 degrees. Yeah! I pushed myself a little too much and ended up with my knee bugging me all day. So, I iced, compressed and took Tuesday off. Back on the horse on Wed and I felt great. Great workout today too.

My playlist pick this week is for the old school rocker in me and christian music lover (okay, I know I have multiple personality issues) but it is a new song (Aug 2008 release) and new to my playlist and great for picking up my pace on the Dreadmill.

Decemberadio: Gasoline

Eat Too Much, Drink Too Much

Dec 8th was the beginning of our Week 11 in training. Ted started with all good news and a 4lb weight loss....seriously....Me on the other hand put on another .4 lbs....my competitive spirit finds it extremely annoying that he is loosing weight so easy and yet I am very proud of him for all of his hard work and the truth is, easy isn't a very good word to describe all of the determination and commitment that he is putting into this.

So, the week was a pretty uneventful one. Most of the running was done on the Dreadmill due to really cold and wet weather. Still, not my favorite way to go running so I have added in alternating the elliptical machine because it isn't as hard on my knee and I find more joy in it. Oh, yeah, my knee has started bugging me a little bit. I don't think it is anything serious but it feels tight. I haven't been spending my usual time doing yoga and stretching and I think it is having an effect on it. I will get back to yoga this week and see if it helps out.

We are having trouble making time for our long runs on the weekends. The commitment is there but we are having trouble finding time. We now need about 2 hours for the run. Madi is currently playing basketball and has a game every Sat until the end of January. To top it off, we need a sitter. Someone to come and play with the girls while we run. So far, we can't find anyone. It is also the holidays and there are lots of to-do's.....I am in need of a little refocus and solution finding.

As you can tell from my tone, I have been feeling discouraged. There are just times when the goal is just far enough away that all of the obstacles become distracting and make it hard to see where we are headed. I know where I want to be and I know hurdles are a part of the process. So, on to a new week.

My song pick for this week is Dave Matthews Band: Too Much (disclaimer: the video is the live version and the language isn't censored.)

All Right Now

Week 10 was not a particularly great week for training. I put on a pound over the the Thanksgiving holiday. Not bad but not great. I had a really good run on Monday and then....

....the crud got me and I was down for the rest of last week. It was hard to convince myself that I needed to rest and get better before going out and running in the cold. Dang, it sucked though. I get tripped up so easy and missing 4 days of running is not a good thing.....

Trying to look forward and keep moving....

This is my playlist choice of the week, mostly because sick days come and go and it is going to be alright.

Free: All Right Now

Deliverance and A Revelation

Have you ever had one of those eerie, scary movie moments in your life?

On a recent date night, we were going with some friends to a Third Day concert. Our friend Jacque took the girls for the night, Ted came home early from work and we headed out to meet up with Curtis, Robin and Adam. All of us piled in the mini-van by a little after 4pm and we were on the road. The concert was in Asheville, so we had about a 2-2 1/2 hour drive in really cruddy weather.

The trip was moving along great. Adam was surviving the intense crash from the energy drink he had ingested during the first 10 min of the drive. We stopped at a BK for potty breaks and burgers. A very intense red shirted lady was irate at our slow movement at the soda fountain, then we all waited another 15 minutes for our food. Nothing like hurry up and wait. On the road again, we googled the Civic Center address and plugged the info into Jill (the Garmin so affectionately named).

No reason not to trust Jill, she knows where to go. Well, she knows where we told her to go. Things are good until our left turn becomes a right and we are in a suburbanite neighborhood. No worries, Jill knows. Another left, right, around a bend, now things are looking a little rural. Seriously. Maybe she knows the back way, we will get great parking. It is only 7:02, we are just missing the beginning of Brandon Heath, no worries.

Now, there is something that in all of Jill's great functions that she is missing. Instinct. Like when Curtis pulls up the road and sees it turn to gravel and without hesitations has us completely turned around....where, out of know where is a pick up truck with it's head lights blaring straight at us (can you hear the banjos playing)...now, at the same time Robin gets a phone call from an unavailable number, some crazy Southern preacher talking about whores in East Tennessee and going to Hell. It was so totally time to get out of there, regardless of Jill's opinion on the matter.

With some panicked urgency we found the real address to the Civic Center and made our way to the concert. After the insane traffic we should have been battling 30 minutes earlier, we made it in time to see Brandon play his last couple of songs. Didn't miss a minute of Third Day. (Can I get an Witness?!)

It was a great night. Our Deliverance moment makes a great story. It is nice to get out and listen to great music that glorifies our Father. I have seen Third Day six times now and would go again tomorrow.

For your listening pleasure:

Third Day: Revelation

Set Apart

On November 30th we were honored to support our friend Zach as he accepted the Lord’s call to serve and be Ordained. Zach (now Pastor Zach) and his family are a blessing to Canvas Fellowship… and to our family. We are all proud of his accomplishment, but we know it’s not in Zach’s character to think any of this is about him. Zach serves the Lord… and we know everything he does is meant to glorify God.

Thank You Pastor Zach! You honor God as well as so many friends and family with your service.

Ordinary Days Are Full Of Extraordinary Moments

If you ever wonder where time goes, take pictures. I couldn't believe I was two weeks behind on making posts here....then I started going through the pics. My goodness.
We had a great visit with Grandma. Ellie and Madi love to curl up for movie night.

We got a little snow and had to run out as fast as we could before it melted away...

Madi's Basketball season is in full swing. We are having a great time watching her learn all of the fundamentals of the game. She still needs a little help with her competitiveness but that should come. In her first game she made a free throw, an assist and a rebound....

Ellie is already Madi's biggest fan. "Go, Sissy!"

Men in Tights

We love when Grandma Joanne comes to visit. Whenever she is here we do fun things we have never done before. This trip we decided to go to the ballet at the Tennessee Theatre. It was a beautiful place. I highly recommend seeing a show in this auditorium, it is gorious.

In all honesty, this is mine and Madi's first time at a ballet. It was the Nutcracker performed by the Moscow Ballet. Wow, it was truly beautiful. They didn't allow photography during the performance, so no pics. But trust me on this, there are men that look good in tights......

Madi had a really good time. I think it is something we will do again. Her favorite part was the snow flakes. We grabbed a couple of packages of M&M's to munch on during intermission. Learning to not crinckle the bag during the second act was a bit difficult.

After we finished the show we headed home and enjoyed the traditional Thanksgiving meal we had prepared in the morning. Yummy. Ted was kind enough to keep his eyes on the turkey while we were gone.

A Royal Feast

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love getting together with friends and sharing good food. This year was especially wonderful. There is so much to be thankful for. We were honored to accept the invitation to Lord Farquaads for a royal feast prepared by Mama Franqui.

The Boys (Marcus, Ted, Xac, Daniel and Geoff) BTW: they are not watching the game, they are watching cartoon videos of forest animals being slaughtered. Gotta love the Internet.

Caty and Madi had a good time playing Outdoor Challenge on the Wii.

Misty is planning her Black Friday attack. Or maybe she is seeing if anyone starts their sales at 2pm...

Zoie and Ellie. The two best looking at the festivities.

The Stolpe's and Grandma Joanne that flew from Oregon to visit with us this Thanksgiving.

The Stolpe's with Zoie because she was happy and said she would smile with us...Ellie was being a grump.

We had a great day. We are truly blessed by the great people that are in our lives. Thank you for the wonderful food and great friendship.

For Me To Poop On

Marcus really had no idea that we had trained the girls' stuffed animals to retaliate when messed with......

Hope that cleaned up for you alright Marcus.

Ted and Madi Show: Episode 1

You Can Ponder Perpetual Motion

This is for the week of Nov 24th. I apologize for being so far behind. It is hard to keep up on the blog when we have company. I promise if you every come to visit that I will also use you as an excuse to procrastinate my posts.....

So, we were truly blessed to have Grandma Joanne come and stay with us for Thanksgiving. I feel a little bad for some of the time we spent running while she was here. I know she understands. But, truly, I don't think I see the amount of time we are spending on our commitment to the marathon training. I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Grandma for being so understanding and for watching the girls for our Thanksgiving Day run.

We had a good training week and of coarse the high of the race was a great motivator for the rest of the weeks training.

No playlist would be complete without a little Creedence, so my addition this week is:
Up Around the Bend by Creedence Clearwater Revival




oh, check out the side bar. I am trying a new widget that is the list of the entire playlist in one place....

8k equals 5 miles

We did it. We ran our very first race. Bluecross Autumnfest 8k in Knoxville. Well, we weren't racing really. Ted and I used the run as part of our marathon training. Part of training is also learning what to do with all those jittery nerves that show up during race day with other runners around us.


Instead of getting up at 5:30 am to put a turkey in the oven on Thanksgiving morning we got up to go running. We had to get up so early so we could "fuel" up and have it digested before the race. On the menu: 1 Banana, 2 pieces of wheat toast, 3 tablespoons of peanut butter and water. Lots and Lots of water.

It was about 30 degrees out when we got to the venue. Brrr. We went to the registration and picked up our chips (it is this little thing you put on your shoe that does the timing). We met these two really nice ladies that are both from the West Coast while we were patiently waiting. Whenever we saw them we would throw the W sign and yell West Coast, hehehe (runners are funny people).

The race started at 8:30am....it was so cool. Everyone crowded together. I think there were almost 900 runners. Have I mentioned that this is also the first time Ted and I had run a continuous 5 miles. Oh, yeah.... We did it in 54:56. Placing 751st and 752nd. Our pace was 11:02 a mile. Perfect. We were able to talk to each other through the whole five miles and really enjoyed the entire experience.

It was really amazing and I wasn't nearly as nervous about the whole thing as I thought I would be. I felt really prepared. There is also something to say about Ted's calming effect on me. Having him there, running next to me, makes this an even more wonderful experience.

Food, Yummy, Food

About the time the kids bring in the large buckets full of Halloween Candy until the beginning of New Years Resolutions there is a ritual performed with much gladness. Eating. Besides being a little more cautious of our serving sizes I can't say that Ted and I have really been leaving anything out of our diet during our yearly ritual. This really is the only time of year that I find it necessary to do any form of baking.

My girls love licking out the bowl and eating warm chocolate chip cookies, I really shouldn't deprive them the other 10 months of the year from yummy milk dunking goodness.

Now, I took this picture while we were out doing some shopping with Grandma. In a disagreement over menu choice and me giving in to the fact that I may have to finish her meal along with mine. (Or take it home to go bad in a doggie bag). I let Madi order the 1/2 rack of Baby Backs that she so desperately had to have. She ate them all. I didn't even get a bite.

Yes, this is homemade pie. It was really yummy. No one in my family really likes pie. So, I made Cherry instead of pumpkin because that is what I wanted. And when you are the cook you have ultimate control and get to make what you want. So, I did.

Shout Out

I know, I know....I am totally behind with the blogging. With any luck I am catching up.

I have a special SHOUT OUT to my baby girl Ellie.

While Great Grandma Joanne was visiting for the Thanksgiving holiday....Without a whimper or a tear she got her little ears pierced. She was so adorable. Patient.

She listened to all of the instructions and waited as the kind woman marked her ears with the pen and gave her a Claire bear to hold.

After the first, not a noise. After the second, nothing. We all watched and waited, the nice clerk told Ellie she was done and all we got was a big ol grin from ear to ear.

So, the next time you see Grandma or Ellie tell them how nice their earrings look. Ellie will be more than proud to show them to you.

Coupon Madness Has Begun

A couple of weeks ago our church put together a coupon class. In an attempt to help us all save a few dollars on our household expenses we got together to learn how to be successful coupon users.

It was pretty overwhelming at first. Lots of little tricks to learn. Trade secrets that are only shared from one coupon clipper master to the novice. I have never been above using coupons for meals or family entertainment. I have always been a supporter of the school coupon books. Usually using about 5 or so to get the value for my 10 bucks.

Any one that knows me or has been to my house knows that I have paper stacking issues. Seriously, I own filing cabinets but never use them. I apparently enjoy the stress filled moments of digging through stacks of unopened mail and school notices to find the important document I need. Really, this is a serious flaw in my personality. So, couponing has always been a bit of an intimidating thought. I do what I can to keep my paper clutter to a minimum, coupons do not help. My first thought is that I will have stacks of unread, unopened newspapers and magazines just waiting for me to find the time to clip coupons out of them. Can you imagine my halls lined with stacks of paper? Irrational I know, but this is a real fear of mine. It is genetic, you should have seen the stacks of newspapers my Great Grandparents kept in their house.

I digress......back to coupons.

So, this very handy little class got me motivated. I have bought into the idea that this could potentially save my family some money on our household expenses. I have gotten myself a notebook, baseball card sleeves, subject dividers, pencil pouch, scissors, paper clips, pens, a notepad and envelopes. I have been at it for about 3 weeks now. Guess what?!! I am saving money, almost 40 a week on our basic grocery bill.

Let me put a disclaimer on this coupon thing, it takes time. I mean, time to organize and learn. Time to clip and compare. There is an investment here and you have to decide if it is worth the work. To my family, right now, it is worth a few hours a week on my part to save whatever I can. Hopefully, the better I get and the more I learn, I will make my 40 turn into 60 dollars of savings a week. My current $800 a month budget for our household goodies is already going down to $660.

As mom, manager of all things household related, I feel pretty good about this couponing thing. I am hoping to continue to see more savings as I get to know more tricks of the trade. Hopefully I will share a few nuggets of info with you too.

Here is the pick of my couponing notebook and my bin for things that need to be clipped and sorted. Thought I would start out with an organized routine so that I can avoid the newspaper lined home.

Gettysburg

Last week I was on a business trip in Westminster Maryland… and on the last day I had a few hours to burn before heading to the airport. I knew Gettysburg Pennsylvania was only about 40 minutes away, so I wasn’t about to pass it up.

• For the purposes of clarity… Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) is the site of a major Union victory in the Civil War which stopped Robert E. Lee's invasion of the North. This is also where Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous (and appropriately named) Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863.
  
• Also for the purposes of clarity… I did not do the above history lesson to patronize you. I did it because I find more and more people whom apparently did not benefit from the same 5th Grade curriculum I did. I’m sorry if this offends you in any way, but tune in to Jay Leno’s “Jay Walking” sometime and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

When I arrived in Gettysburg, the battlefield was greatly obscured due to dense fog and slightly overcast skies. It was interesting to find out that this is probably what it looked like on the morning of July 1st 1863 as the first shots were fired.

The battlefield grounds are well kept yet the overall imagery is quite unassuming. For the most part, it looks like any other open field in the countryside. Don’t get me wrong, there is no need for anything grandiose or flashy… as it would probably just distract you from the reality of what happened here. The site is perfect just the way it is… with well crafted and sparsely placed monuments. All in all, I was quite humbled by the experience, yet “humble“ doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling you get when standing on the battlefield.

Personally, I think its impossible to come to a place like this and not learn something… nor could you come here and not feel something. Anyone can pick up a book or search the web, but that will never connect you to what happened in the same way that actually standing here does.

______________

Standing in the grass on the battlefield at Gettysburg… amazing!
____________________

The experience generated all kinds of feelings and emotions. It was sorrowful yet inspiring… depressing yet motivating,.. surreal yet celebratory… awesome yet awful. I know these words seem contradictory, but I simply can’t describe it any other way. I’ve never felt anything quite like it. You suddenly realize you are standing in the very place where hundreds of people fought, suffered and died for an idea. You are standing in a place where some of the bravest men in history stood… where our great Forefathers stood… where great Americans stood.

Only a few of the names of those who fought here.

All in all… I am grateful to have come here… and I’m humbled by the service of each and every one of our Nations Soldiers... past and present.

Thank You!

Resolution of Happiness

130 days and counting....that is how long we have until the starting line of our 26.2 mile run.

7 days and counting...that is how long we have until the starting line of our very first race. An 8k on Thanksgiving Day. Yesterday, we filled out the registration and paid the entrance fee for our first official run. I am a little freaked. Not so much about running the 5 miles but about getting to the starting line. The worst part of my personality is that I am not a very good starter; I am okay once I get there but the anxiety of getting to the beginning almost requires self-medicating.

Last weeks training was okay. Not my favorite, mostly because Wed through Sat were on all machines and not outdoors. I much prefer the change in scenery, even if it does require the occasional dodging of vehicles that don't expect a woman to be out running at 5:30 in the morning. I still managed to total 22 miles last week. Woo Hoo!!

This week has started out well. I had a great Monday and did 4 miles in 40 minutes. I was booking it. I don't know where the spurt of energy came from. It has been cold, I think I just wanted it to be over as quickly as possible. Today I did another 4 but it took 50 minutes. Seriously, it took me almost 20 to do the first mile, but then I kept good pace. It was 22 degrees when I ran this morning at 4:45am (Ted had to go to work earlier today). Maybe that was the problem, that is too early and too freaking cold.....

So, this Saturday we start running our long runs with the local running club. I am excited and nervous. Hoping there are more beginners than just Ted and I. But they teach us how to refuel and have other clinics and there are about 100 runners that we will be able to learn from.

This weeks song I like for the fact that it is a classic and like most of my other choices has some great guitar that keeps me moving at 5am. While I realize my choices are not the usual hip-hoppy aerobic/cardio expectations of an athletes playlist, I will not apologize for enjoying good music.

INXS: Don't Change

Weekend Update

Time just keeps moving, doesn't it? Last week was long with Ted out of town on business. We stayed busy with a girl scout meeting, small group and the beginning of basketball season for Madi.
Friday after I picked Madi up from school we decided to go see a movie. The girls and I hit the cheap theatre, $4 for a movie popcorn and soda; only 12 bucks for all three of us. We saw Journey to the Center of the Earth with Brendan Fraser. It was good family fun for the afternoon. A text from Ted let me know he was running two hours late due to flight delays in Atlanta so I decided to join the Farquaads and Dukes for Shrimp Pasta and adult interaction. I was desperate for some conversation with people over 9 yrs of age. It was wonderful company. We played Scattegories and Guesstures. I love board games, brings out my competitive spirit. Before I knew it, I had gotten another text from Ted saying he should be in around 1am. Yeah......

Okay, this is where I official win a bad wife of the week award. I assumed Ted meant that he would be landing in Knox around 1am....so, I called him around then and he says, "I am walking in the door, where are you and the girls?!!" Oh, yeah, I suck. Poor guy has been away from home for an entire week and I was off playing board games with friends when he finally gets home. I immediately pack myself and the girls up and head home in the pouring down rain where no one on the interstate can move faster than 40 because of the rain and fog. No worries, Ted isn't mad at me and most definitely didn't make me sleep on the couch. I just feel a little like a looser....

Saturday was great. We slept in until 10am. Wow, haven't done that in a while. Because of the nasty weather, we did our run on the dreadmill in the gym and did some good muscle exhausting on the weight circuit. We went grocery shopping and I made some amazing homemade chicken noodle soup with perfect biscuits. It was great, the perfect food for a comfy day.

Sunday was another good day. We spent the first part of the day at our church. We then went over to hang with the Wiedemeiers and watch the Green Bay/Chicago game. Ted worked up some great Braughtburgers on the grill, Brandy made her killer dip and chili. Yummy!! Packers kicked some serious tushy and that always makes for a good day. Then we watched the NASCAR championship. Took Madi to basketball practice. She picked her jersey, number 23. The coach says to her "that is an awesome number, that is Michael Jordans number." She stares at him with that, okay whatever, I don't know who that is look on her face. Oh my gosh, she doesn't know who Jordan is. I am a bad mother....