by the numbers

16 days until I go back to work
106 days until my next marathon
6.5 miles run today
100 miles run this month
180 dollars spent at the vet this month
10 days for the dealership to get the part and fix the recall on my car
588 miles run this year
1007.5 (half of 2015) miles pledged to run with my running partner
27 books read this year (goal of 40)
6 books read this month
2 cups of coffee I've had today
239 number of cups my sister probably needs after Jane's first night in her big girl room

links I love

More Harry Potter films on the way? Perhaps this is old but it's still exciting news to me.
More on Fantastic Beasts

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What it's like listening to your kids talk about Minecraft

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I've lost 16.5 pounds this summer with the help of Diet Bet community to keep me motivated. I'm starting another round tomorrow. Put in $20 and we'll split the total pot if we win. Want to join me in losing 4%?

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This looks like fun.

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The Night We Lost Santa

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26.2 Surprises I'm not gonna lie. It made me tear up a little.

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stories

"Mom, remember at Wings at the beach how they had all those little glasses with people's names on them?"

"Yeah."

"Well, how did they know who's name to put on there?"

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"There's all these bubbles under water. It's like you're swimming through jello!"

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"Mom, why does the day go by so fast when you're at the beach? Why does it go by so slow when I'm at school?"

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Josh's cousin was crying. He covered his ears and said, "I don't want to hear the mandrakes!"

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"Mom, I've never had a brother. When can I have one?"

"Probably not ever, Josh."

"So your tummy isn't feeling weird?"

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"Mom, when I get to be an adult is Jules going to be retired?"

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"How old will Jane be when you're ten?"

"Six."

"Good. How old will she be when you're eight?"

"Four."

"That's right! Now how old will Jane's baby sister be when you're ten?"

(thinks a long time) "Four."

"Good!"

"How old will I be when you're twenty?"

"Dead."

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stories

I handed Josh a tank top to wear on one of the scorching days we've had lately and he said,  "I don't think this is going to be good. "

I said, "It'll be very good. It'll keep you cool today."

His reply? "Like my armpits are pressing on air?"

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Pap kissed me. Josh saw it and said, "Pap, just because you're her dad doesn't mean you get all the kisses."

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We got to the beach and Jane declared to the entire car, "Jane's going to be crazy til midnight!"

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Josh at one point was in the back seat teaching Jane how to say certain words and then I hear, "Can you say Chick-fil-A sauce?"

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(In the car listening to Casting Crowns "Sing Until the Whole World Hears")
Josh: What's a demon?
Jules: That's easy! It's the offspring of chaos, a devil, or such.

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"Mom, there's going to be a party in my bed tonight and I need your help!"

then and now

Then

Now

recipes i love

Summer just screams good food to me. Maybe it's because I'm off work and have the extra time and can put more thought into getting dinner on the table in more than twenty minutes. Also, all of the fresh fruits and veggies are delightful. Makes it so much more appealing when you can cook with fresh ingredients. I can't wait to get a chance to go pick blueberries again this summer!

Anyway, here's some of the recipes I've been loving lately. Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Creamy Sausage and Spinach Tortellini

1/2 lb ground sausage
1 pkg cheese tortellini
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup asparagus pieces
roughly chopped bell pepper
chopped zucchini and yellow squash
chopped onion
handful spinach

Boil tortellini according to package directions. In a separate pot brown the ground sausage. Add vegetables and saute for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, cream cheese, and chicken broth and still until combined. Drain the tortellini and add it to the other dish.



Blueberry Cake With Lemon Glaze

1 (15 oz) box yellow cake mix
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 cups blueberries

Glaze:
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix first 4 ingredients well.
3. Fold in blueberries (these may be dusted with flour or powdered sugar to keep them from sinking).
4. Bake for one hour in a tube or bundt pan which has been greased and floured.
5. Allow cake to cool.
6. Mix the glaze and drizzle over cake.


Quick and Easy French Bread Pizzas

loaf of French bread
creamy Parmesan Italian dressing
thinly sliced onion and fresh tomato
pepperoni
shredded mozzarella
shredded cheddar (I like Cabot sharp cheddar)

Slice the bread lengthwise and open up. Spread dressing on both sides. Top with pepperoni and cheese. Broil for 5 minutes.


In case you need more, here's some old recipes I've posted including Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Banana Peppers, Giant Birthday Banana Splits, and Stuffed Summer Squash.

Mmmmmmm, now I'm super hungry!

ziplining in north carolina

One of the things Julianna wanted to do for her birthday was go ziplining or to a ropes course. It was still a little cold around her birthday at the end of March so over Memorial Day weekend we went ziplining.  We took both kids. We bought a Groupon for Beanstalk Journey in Morganton, NC. It was only $59 for two so about $120 for all four of us. We called and scheduled an appointment for a Sunday morning at 10 am. It was a gorgeous day and we had a blast.

We started on the simple ropes course. There was a hanging bridge (that Josh's feet couldn't even reach when he was tethered to the line so he went tandem with Jonathan to push him along from behind). There was a V-shaped net to climb and the guides issued challenges like try walking with your feet up high on the sides. It was a fun way to get acclimated to the height and harness.

Josh was hilarious. As we were sometimes waiting for the person on the other side of the line to disconnect, one of the tour guides would take Josh's harness and swing him out over the ground and off the platform we were standing on. Josh would just hang there with no expression with his arms drooped down like he had no care in the world. It was so funny to see his crazy amount of courage too. He would sit on the edge of the platforms without hesitation. Sometimes we were fifty or sixty feet in the air.

Julianna had a great time too but occasionally she would be a bit of a drama queen and say things like, "Oh no!" and "Here we go!" in total dramatic fashion. She was so brave though. One girl we were with was obviously frightened but did it all anyway. I think everyone enjoyed it and although I'm not sure that one little girl would go back, I know we would.  In fact, Josh has already asked when we can return and Jules keeps asking questions about how much it cost like she's interested in saving up to go again.


Here's one of my favorite pictures of Julianna with her arms spread wide. I didn't get any pictures of this but on one of the ziplines we were given beanbags to toss down at a cornhole board as we went zipping by. It was so much fun.

Love my family and loved sharing this experience with them. I'd highly recommend Beanstalk Journey!

Have you even been on a ropes course? Ziplining? Would you go?

how to make the most awesome afternoon snack

Get a plate and put some tortilla chips on it. It should be Tostitos Brand tortilla chips but of course that's just my preference....

Then shred some cheese. Definitely choose Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese if you want it to be the best.

And add some more cheese.

I'm a little bit kidding. That's probably a tiny bit too much.

Now you should melt the cheese in the microwave.

Add Pace Salsa on top. Of course, it doesn't have to be Pace Salsa but if you want it to be good....

This is not an ad. I was not paid to write this. It's just taken me several years to perfect the art of the best afternoon snack and I thought I'd save you the trouble.

There you have it. The Most Awesome Afternoon Snack.

You're welcome.

Overheard

"Dad, what happens to the clouds at night?"

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"Dad, there are plants in this Biology book! Hahahaha isn't that funny?!"
"Jules, that's because Biology is the study of living things."
"It is?"
"Yep, it is."
"Ohhhhhhhhh"

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Jonathan on the results of our recent Bath and Body Works shopping trip:
"It smells like a pina colada in here."

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The kids were having a conversation about how to make a baby and Jules told Josh that the girl has to have an egg. Josh's response: "But I wanted to hatch an egg."

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And this one's my favorite... sort of reminds me of the time Julianna blamed her mess on the Pilot Paula Fischer Price Little People figure....

"Jane, who got the marbles out?"
"Josh did it."

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links i love

My name would be Mackenzie if I was born today. What would yours be?

"Courtney" was the 68th most popular girl's name in 1978. Jonathan would be Dylan, Joshua would be Ethan and Julianna would be Aiyana.

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Fleet Feet's Summer Training Program information is posted! I'm signing up for Speed Series and Marathon Training.

There's a new program as well for beginners. It's called "Make It A Mile" and program information is here.

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I ran this race a couple of weeks ago and it was really well done. It's one I'll definitely be back for and it's good to see things like this popping up in my social feeds. High Point officials should get the recognition they deserve for coordinating all of the details of such a large event so well and kudos to Mike Clark of Junction 311 Sports too!

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Yes. This.
What You Can Get Done in 30 Minutes Without Your Kids vs. With Your Kids

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Of all the stunning pictures in this post number 14 is my absolute favorite.

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Almost finished with Season 1 of the highly recommended Serial Podcast.

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What's a link you've been loving lately? Leave me some link love to help me get through the six (6!) teacher work days I have after the students are gone.

reasons you should never marry a runner

My husband is a saint. When I started this running gig 3.5 years ago I never imagined that it would stick. I never imagined that I would run countless half marathons, 25k's, 30k's, and a few marathons. I never signed my husband up for all that either, but somehow we did it. This weekend he put in 24 hours of running/camping/running with me and thirteen other people. It's not something he would have signed up for on his own and I'm so thankful he came with me. We did a 24 hour relay called Black Mountain Monster and between ten people we ran almost 140 miles and came in second place in the 24 hour team division. I thought it was a lot of fun and I don't know what my husband would say but in honor of him tagging along with me I thought today I would give you my top reasons why you should never marry a runner.

Reasons Why You Should Never Marry a Runner

• They might consider pet and/or baby names based on where they ran their first marathon. Doesn't Raleigh sound like a cute little kitty (and/or little girl) name?

• They're too competitive, sometimes just with themselves and unfortunately sometimes in the plank challenge you do together. Right, booger?

• They can't drink or eat at strange places on Friday nights. Good thing my husband likes Jersey Mike's! We eat it every Friday night during marathon training.

• During peak training season they always go to bed early. Friday after work: "Goodnight, babe! See you Saturday afternoon!"

• You have to listen to them talk about poop entirely too much. This picture is one Jonathan actually saw on Instagram and tagged me in it.

• You'll do a lot of babysitting. I mean A LOT. I ran over 255 hours in 2014 and during that time my kids were either with my mom or my husband. That's a whole lot of Go Fish, folks.

• You'll feel a little bit guilty if you don't spend an occasional weekend morning standing on the side of the road holding a ridiculous sign.

• You'll have to research running routes and hotel gyms before every trip together. Like when we went to Mexico and I made Jonathan run ten miles on a treadmill.

• You'll have no other choice than putting up with their moods when they're injured or otherwise missing a run. When Jonathan looks at me and solemnly says, "You need to go for a run," that's when I know I must be in some kind of mood.

• They obsessively check the weather forecast on Fridays.

And the number one reason why you should never marry a runner is because

• they'll try to convert you and you'll find yourself signing up for 24 hour relays where you get no sleep, run twelve and a half miles or so, have to smell each other's tired and stinky feet, pack up a whole car load of stuff, drive two hours, feel like you're running through a scene of The Blair Witch Project, lay on the ground with ear plugs so you don't hear the crazy people talking and the trains going by, and then get up to go to work the next day.

And then they'll want you to do it again next year.

Anything you want to add? (Anyone except my husband may answer. Ha!)