Follow up: #20minutesofrunning

Last month I completed a running streak challenge with a few family members.  Not wanting to stop there, however, I knew I needed a new goal or commitment in the area of exercise.  I was vacillating between a few ideas near the end and decided to train for a 5K, improving my pace.

The first few days of May I actually kept running daily to finish out Dave's #20minutesofrunning 30-day streak.  Afterwards, we started Jeff Galloway's 5K training schedule that is 15 weeks long. Before starting, I did another timed "magic mile" to determine a run/walk interval strategy.  My 9 minute mile (more or less) allowed me to "level up" to an interval strategy where I run for 2 minutes and walk for 30 seconds.  Since we had already been running for the past month, we started in at the middle of Week 7.  The plan has one rest day a week, plus walk/cross-training days mixed with the running days.

I love the agility and flexibility of teenagers.  Rebekah has recently joined us for a few of the runs and hasn't missed a beat.  Way to go, girl!!!

Also, not wanting to miss out on daily exercise, I decided to rely on Google Fit to track my steps on the 'off' days to get at least an hour of activity, but shooting for 10,000 steps which seems to be a slightly challenging, yet achievable, goal for me.

So, today, besides being our pet Schnauzer's 8th birthday, marks a streak of #46daysofdailyexercise.

Enjoying a swing in the hammock

Happy Birthday, Kaixin!!!

Joseph is 7!!!

Our kids are all just about 2 years apart, some people call it "stepladder" . . .. Well, on the 8th of this month, our third "rung" turned a year older, completing the sequence - Rebekah - 9, Joseph - 7, and Jonathan - 5. He requested a pool party, and there are only a few ways to complete this request: rent a party room with a pool, know someone who has a pool and will host your party, or have a pool yourself. Secretly (or not so secretly) I have been wanting to invest in one for our family since we have about 1 month in the year where it would be too "cold" to swim. So, we made the plunge (no pun intended, Sky!) and purchased a 12' soft sided pool. On his birthday, we came to the school with a cake so that we could celebrate. His friends sang to him in English and in Spanish. After school he picked the restaurant VIPS where we enjoyed a famiy meal and the kids had their pick of food and ice cream for dessert. The following day was the party at our house during the early afternoon. He invited kids from school and from church. It used to be my "thing" to make a special cake for each child on their birthday. I think I got that from my mom (good memories!). But, since we've been here, I've decided to give up on making the cake (stress, heat, weird oven, comparitive cost of store-bought cakes, etc.). I did, however, make the food. We enjoyed sloppy joes and chili dogs and all the stuff that goes with it. These were some "new eats" for our Spanish-speaking friends. Very yummy!

www.flickr.com kelmom23's Kids' Celebrations photoset

Click on the flickr link in order to see more photos of Joseph!

Joseph seemed to enjoy himself and that always makes a mom smile.
Happy Birthday, honey - we love you!!!

Happy Birthday, Rebekah!

We recently returned from an incredible trip to Pennsylvania and Washington DC to visit family over the holidays. Immediately after returning, we left again for a Medical Outreach to Tabasco. They day we left for Tabasco was Rebekah's birthday. Consequently, we celebrated the exciting occasion of our daughter turning 9 beforehand in Erie with yummy cake and ice cream and in our nation's capital with blueberry cobbler. AND, on her birthday she got calls from family wishing her a happy birthday and sung to with guitar acompaniament after our stop for supper on the way to Tabasco. On the finally day we had ice cream at DQ and returned to our host home to celebrate with a cake - WOW! Thank you to everyone who made our daughter feel special despite our travel plans! Guess who's getting cake brought in to school tomorrow to celebrate with her classmates . . . :-)

Also enjoy this group of photos I put together of her birthday celebrations.

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

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Turning 5

Happy Birthday Jonathan!

Our little guy is not so little anymore . . . he turned 5 on the 8th of this month. He enjoyed several days of celebrating which started on his actual birthday and lasted through Sunday. We have made the tradition of allowing the kids to pick a place to go and eat for their birthday dinner. So, on Thursday we went to a place called El Portón. You could probably liken it to Bob Evans in the sense that it is a "nicer" place to eat, but they have "packets" for the kids that include a drink, dessert and a prize when the meal is over.
Friday was his party at school. He was VIP all week and the parents of the VIP bring in lunch for the whole class. We also celebrated his birthday, of course, with singing and a cake.

On Saturday we celebrated with the kids from church. This party took place at our house where we rented an inflatable jumping thing - they're called brincolines here. From when we were kids, we remember one called the MoonWalk in Erie. Does that still exist? The kids had a blast although we did have a few collisions, including Jonathan who got bonked near his left eye . . . again. Nothing like a shiner on your birthday - poor thing!

On Sundays at our church they celebrate those who had a birthday the week before, so Jonathan along with another young person in the church went up to the front to be prayed for, sung to, and hugged by the rest of the congregation! Here he is getting a hug from his brother.

He actually still has a few presents that he has yet to open. Dave thought it would be a good idea to elongate the process so that he could enjoy each thing that he receives. He hasn't complained yet, so we may continue this idea for the other kids as well! ;-)