Day 27,28, 29 Summer is almost over!

Day 27- Finished my 10K!!!

About a month ago, I set out to complete a 10K as one of my goals for summer. Last Friday night, I smashed that goal!

Shane and I had arrange for my dad to come out and spend the night. He was going to help support me at the race and watch Taylor. He came over right after work and enjoyed dinner with us. Then he played with Taylor and watched Frozen for the very first time. It was sweet to watch him spend some one on one time with her. It was so funny, because Taylor had seen only pieces of the movie before because she couldn't sit still. This time, she was so captivated by it and couldn't look away!

Taylor and Grandpa Steve mesmerized by Frozen.  

After Taylor went to bed, I had to wait a couple more hours before it was time to head down to the race. It started at 11:30 so my dad and I headed down at 11pm. I had decked myself out neon clothes and glow sticks. My friend Molly met me down there and she had made herself some pretty awesome glow in the dark braids!

Molly and I before the race!

This was a big deal to me because I hadn't been able to run like this since way before Taylor was born. Within a month, I was able to get myself to run a mile, then 2, then 3, and then 4. I was going to run 6 miles and my promise to myself was that I wasn't going to stop and I wasn't going to go slower than about a 12 min mile.

Molly and I ran together the entire time giving ourselves pep talks to keep going. It was such a nice night out and the trail was great! Little lights from glow sticks could been seen bouncing all along the way. We ended up running a lot faster than anticipated! We completed it with an 11 min mile and we both sprinted across the finish line. Molly was the 17th  person to cross the finish line and I was the 20th! 

I did it!

My dad had returned home to watch Taylor so Shane could greet me at the finish line! I felt so alive sprinting my hardest during the last few seconds of the race. It felt so good accomplish something that proved to myself I CAN!!!

Now, I don't want to lose motivation or ability so I've signed up for another 10K on August 9th. Pushing myself to go farther, I've also signed up for my second half marathon! On August 30th I'll be running a half marathon down Emigration Canyon!

http://www.sports-am.com/Emigtation-Half-Marathon.html

Day 28- My Summer Bucket List

I used to be really into Pinterest. During the spring I was so excited for summer break that I kept looking at Pins for all these fun ideas and activities to do with Taylor. Some of the Pins would be title "Summer Bucket Lists"... things that you had to do before summer was over because they were just that awesome! Well, I came up with a summer to do list of my own and now that summer is almost over I can either look at the list and get all frantic about all the things that I haven't accomplished yet or be happy to be enjoying summer with my little girl and the memories we've made. 

• We've gone on picnics
• We've gone on many MANY walks
• We clean the house together
• We cook together
• We play sidewalk chalk together 
• We blow bubbles together
• We play in her little pool together
• We water the flowers together
• We go to the community pool
• We took swim lessons together
• We went camping together
• We color and paint together
• We sit on the porch together
• We've laid around watching cartoons together
• We've done our own "preschool" most mornings where she's expanded her vocabulary
• We've gone out to lunch just the two of us
• We go to the library weekly
• We've watched fireworks together
• We read scriptures together
• We've cleaned the church together
• We've visited family and friends
• We've worked out together!!!
• We've been to the aquarium
• We've been to the zoo
• We've been to Thanksgiving Point
• We've milked a cow
• We've napped together....

I don't need Pinterest to tell me the most important 100 things that I need to do with my child over the summer to make it meaningful. Just being together and doing what kids do in the summer was meaningful for me. Sure, there's things on my own to do list that will still probably not get done before I go back to teaching mid-August. I'm ok with that. She will only have ONE summer where she is one year old. I know that I haven't missed it. I've loved our summer together!

My favorite thing? Sitting out on the front patio as the sun sets and watching Taylor play. Taylor is squealing because she is excited she found another rock to show me. Shane is sitting next to me.

Day 29- Plans and Plateaus!

I only have a couple of weeks left before I'm back at work. One of MY goals that I had this summer was to kick a plateau I've been on with my weight loss. Plateaus occasionally happen and no matter how long they lasted I always broke through! I know that hard work and adjustments help push me through so I continue to reach new fitness and health goals. 

Right now, I'm running and doing PiYo. I love it!!!

I know that my eating needs to be better and that I need be focused on my long term goals and not instant gratification. Cold Stone Ice Cream is instant gratification... Just saying. Some days I've even worked out three times, but fitness is nothing without nutrition. 

I'm excited for my last Challenge Group for the summer. It's a 60 day challenge focusing on nutrition and fitness. The complete package. We're going to follow a 30 day meal plan and I'm starting the challenge off by doing 3 Day Refresh. It's brand new from Beach Body and so many people have seen great results and have loved  it! I'm not hoping- I'm COMMITTED to refresh my body and get off of this plateau on the 28th. That's when our challenge starts. I'm so excited. This is the biggest challenge I've done so far. I'm excited for the challengers that will be doing it with me and the progress that I know they will make!!! For myself, I'm going to lose 10 more pounds before school starts. Hopefully, we will be able to get pregnant this fall and I want to be at my goal weight before that happens. I want to be healthy for this baby!

Also, I'm getting to the point where I need several other coaches working with me. I know there are people out there who are wanting to help motivate others (and themselves) while they are on their own fitness & health journey.  I want to find them! 

When I first became a coach, I thought the discount will be great and I'm excited to learn what my coaches have learned. Now, I'm grateful that I am blessed to be in a position to help, coach, and motivate people to go after their goals. This job entails my favorite things- teaching, marketing, inspiring, and fitness/health. It not only holds you accountable but it seriously makes you walk the walk.

I want to help one person learn about this job and work with them! 

Day 18- My Favorite Job of All...

So while I was busy at school today thinking about all the things I needed to do this week to get my classes ready for their final tests, what I needed to do to clean and organize my classroom, and what I needed to start doing to prepare for next year's classes- I started thinking about my FAVORITE JOB OF ALL!

I love being a mom and wife! I love grocery shopping, making dinner, giving Taylor a bath, the satisfaction of a clean house after a deep clean, going on walks with my family, reading with Taylor, family scripture reading on weekday mornings when I'm on a school break, folding laundry, planning meals, planning our week, planting flowers, watering the flowers, wiping Taylor's hands after a meal or snack, teaching her and showing her something new, hanging out with Shane, improving myself, educating myself, working out, inspiring others, taking pictures, and writing about my life and family.

Yes, I enjoy teaching and my students. I love business/marketing and DECA. My favorite job of all is being a mom and wife though. I am excited because I have found a new passion which combines teaching and nutrition/fitness- coaching! This summer I will get to stay at home and be a full time mommy while I continue to coach and help others reach their fitness and health goals.

I'm going to love what I do every day this summer! It also makes me look forward even more to when I switch to part time or completely leave teaching to raise my little ones.

I feel peace and comfort about this decision. I just can't wait!!!


Tonight's dinner was pretty good and would make a great dinner for a camp out!

Chicken Foil Dinners-
raw chicken breast, cut into strips
red pepper, chopped
onion, chopped
thyme
sea salt
black pepper

Wrap completely in foil! Bake or grill for 25 minutes!

Day 5- I figured it out!!!

I figured it out!!!! Today while I was at work I decided that I'd work out right when I got home. It worked! I worked out while Taylor played in her high chair. Hit 25 is my favorite! Then Taylor and I went to a fundraiser at the Which Wich sandwich shop in Midvale to support Hillcrest DECA. A lot of my students were there! They are so amazing! I'm so lucky to know and them and to get to work with them! I met with the owner and thanked him for working with us. Taylor was practicing saying "por favor" in the car on the way home.

After we ate our delicious sandwiches I took Taylor upstairs for a bath and bed time. She still tasted like pb&j when I kissed her goodnight. I realized though that tonight I wasn't tired. I still had energy to play, clean, or do anything my heart desired ( or that hanging out in my pajamas would allow).

I'm so happy that I figured out a better way to schedule my day though! Work, read scriptures at lunch, work, pick up Taylor, work out while Taylor eats a snack and plays, dinner, play, family prayer, Taylor's bed time, time with Shane and blog. So maybe my sink is full of dishes, but I'm happy and my family is happy!

Today when I prayed with Taylor I can honestly say that I know my prayers are being heard. I know that I feel closer to my Heavenly Father and that I feel humbled when I recognize all that He has done for me. I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost and know that when I listen and follow the Holy Ghost, I am able to recognize His voice more easily and more frequently in my day to day life.

DAY 3- Enjoying the sunshine!

It was so nice outside today! It was wonderful! My teaching scheduled got finalized for next year! I'm super excited to teach IBCC, Internship, Accounting, and Marketing! It does give me mixed feelings though, because I can't wait to spend summer with Taylor... but sad that it will end so quickly.

Today was the perfect park weather! When I picked Taylor up from daycare she was so sad to leave. She used to crawl or wobble towards me with excitement. Now, she's upset to leave because she wants to play with the kids. I feel bad that we don't have regular play dates with neighbors. That's something that will definitely have to change for the summer. So I brought her home, started to marinate the chicken for tonight's dinner, and walked with her to one of the near by parks. She loved it! We stayed for about an hour. When it was time to leave to go home and make dinner. Taylor kept scrambling out of the stroller and then crying because she'd get stuck. Finally I strapped that little girly down. I hadn't used those straps since she was just a little baby. 

I made grilled chicken and mango/avocado salsa with a side of asparagus for dinner. Yum! Then after Shane came home from work and ate, we headed to a different park! Taylor loved hanging from the monkey bars and trying to do the climbing wall. She's definitely strong enough, but not quite tall enough. It'l be nice this summer to go to a different park every day. 

We played a little longer together and then said our prayers and she went to bed. Since Taylor has started walking, I've noticed a stronger willed little person. She wants to be independent and be in charge. She is becoming more vocal though which helps us understand her better. It's funny though because she talks A LOT but we can't understand a lot of what she says. I'm starting to think that some of it is in spanish since her daycare teachers are all spanish and speak spanish with the kids. Taylor know several phrases in spanish. I love that!

Cool experience today while reading my scriptures- I was in charge of monitoring a hall by the gym during an assembly today. The assembly was at the other end of the school so there wasn't supposed to be a lot of traffic over where I was. I decided to take a book instead of taking all my grading or laptop over there. Sitting on some steps in the hall, I read my scriptures while I kept an eye out for students wandering. A young man started to hang around the hall and was marking dance moves while he quietly talked to himself. I asked if he was ok and he said he finished his run early for gym. I was then realizing that he was practicing a routine for dance company. He asked what I was reading. I said "Scriptures". He asked which one. I simply told him "The Bible". He said "Cool!" with a big a smile on his face. Then he went on with what he was doing. I first felt almost worried about a student knowing I was reading my scriptures while at school. But, a lot of teachers bring a reading book with them to monitor the halls during an assembly or during a dance. My book was the Old Testament. After the student had a positive reaction to my response I felt good that even if a student had different beliefs that at least in that moment I was saying something about who I am and that what I believe is important to me. 

My goals for today:
Water- check!

In bed at 9- check!

Work out by 8- got distracted by skittles and by Sheldon Cooper. Decided today (instead of tomorrow) will be my rest day.

Taylor's goals for the year:
First tooth- CHECK!!!!