Pacing with Music

I just found this LINK to a site that takes your min/mile pace and suggests appropriate music for your speed. Awesome!

Pumpkin Oats

0.5 cup oats

1 cup original almond milk

dash vanilla extract

truvia to taste

-cook per oatmeal directions, after cooked add 0.5 cup of canned pumpkin

-top with chia seeds for crunch and sunflower butter

Spider lillies

Picked a giant bouquet of spider lillies from a neighbor's yard. These are Mema's favorite flower and they make me smile. Now they are gracing my counter in a giant vase.

Spark Challenge

5 things I love about my container (body)

1. My teeth/smile

I used to be so self-conscious about my teeth. I have very large front teeth on the top which stood out a lot more when I had a Madonnaesque gap in between them. Thanks to braces the gap is gone and other than the occasional need for whitening thanks so coffee stains I LOVE my smile. I have also made it to 27 with no cavities,which I give the credit to sugar free gum, abstinence from flossing, and good genetics. I am so thankful for the gift of braces and good dentition! I see people's photos sometimes where they are half-smiling, obvious they are embarrassed to give a big grin, and I feel so bad for them. It is great to be able to show your happiness all over your face!

2. My Hair


Not the best picture to show off my hair, but I am always wearing it up. Oh, just remembered that I have a great pic of it from my wedding...digging that up and will post now.

I love my hair red, I dyed it myself about a month before my wedding not knowing that I was going to be getting married so soon. My husband does not like my hair any color other than natural (dirty-blonde, with natural highlights). I had to go to a salon and spend 6 hours bleaching and dyeing my hair back to a more natural color for the wedding, but the pre-wedding photos were with my red hair. Regardless of the color, I love my hair. I have a thick head of fine hair, it is very straight and easy to manage.

3. My Legs

Always the relative smallest part of my body, my legs are the feature I do not mind showing off. They are strong and muscular, sometimes they have a nice tan. They are long and are part of why I am so tall.

4. My Newly Discovered Collarbones


5. Strength and Well-being

I have always liked feeling strong. I was a tom-boy: climbing trees, riding bikes, rollerblading, exploring. I like to have muscles and I would rather be strong and healthy than rail thin. I can lift heavy things at the grocery store, I do not always need help to rearrange my furniture, I can pick up my doggies (or my mom) and give them big hugs. I also have been blessed with good health, no major medical issues and I am so thankful for that. As a nurse I see every day how many people's lives are touched by devastating illness, I know how truly blessed I am.

Nap Time

Got off Friday morning and stayed up all day with Clay running errands. We got home around 6pm which meant I had been up about 25 hours. I went outside to sit for a minute and enjoy the beautiful weather and yesterday Clay sent me these photos to remind me that I fell asleep out there. Glad I didn't wake up with a crick in my neck!

To do list:

1.) Make this muffin

2.)Eat this muffin

I Need Glasses?

It had been about 5-6 years since Clay got his current pair of glasses and had been about the same amount of time since my last eye exam so we made a date together to the optometrist. I laughed at Clay because he had his eyes dilated and got to wear those super stylish sunglasses. I was polite and did not take a photo to place on here as well. I was STUNNED however when I was getting my eyes checked and the guy kept asking questions about my self proclaimed increased distance blurry vision and it was like he knew exactly how my vision was. Turns out I am a "textbook" example for needing reading glasses. I couldn't help but exclaim "How old lady!" Clay couldn't resist some jokes about me wearing one of those librarian chains for my glasses. So I found my glasses after trying on almost every pair they had: womens, mens, kids (they did not fit my big head).

I had decided not to get these because they won't match everything since they are red and I figured a black pair would be more practical.

I couldn't decided between 2 pair of black ones and sent the pics to Ally and she agreed with me that they smaller ones were better so these are going to be my first pair of glasses. I lucked out though and they were on sale, so I got the red pair that I really loved for the same price as adding the insurance, and I will have an awesome back up pair.

In other news, Clay ordered a new pair of awesomely hot blue and black framed Randy Jackson glasses. They have a set that has longer arms on the sides and fit Clay's unusually large head to a T. He did not however buy the signature Randy Jackson cardigan that I suggested to go with.