Alaska Zoo run for kids and family in town

Do you ever have one of those days that somehow ends up being packed to the very brim and you're not really sure how it happened? That was our Saturday. I registered Riggs for the Zoo Run a few weeks in advance, so I knew that was going to be a big part of our planning for the day. But then spur of the moment a bunch of other things came up and we didn't stop going from 6am until 10pm. Whew!

Luckily we were busy doing fun things and seeing some of our favorite people. The weather was just beautiful, it was a great day for a kids run. Riggs was so excited to participate in the race with his cousins, and we all had fun despite how crowded and crazy it was. The narrow trails of the zoo weren't the best for hoards and hoards of parents eager to see their kids run and to take the perfect picture.

We decided to leave shortly after the race finished because it wasn't really feasible to go see the rest of the animals with many of the trails blocked off for the races and the kids all hyped up from running. We ate our lunch in the bed of the truck in the sunny parking lot before heading over to the Classic Car Show at the Tesoro Sports Center in South Anchorage. Steve and Riggs were really into the cars and Raina and I tagged along politely.

Next we met Steve's brother and his family to help them divide and conquer to complete there big shopping trip (they stock up when they're in town from Homer) and then we all headed to Girdwood for some swimming and family time.

Cousins are so much fun, especially when they're so cute!

 two babies in a floaty

Right around bed time we got out of the pool, got dressed, said our goodbyes, and headed back home. We were both pretty tired once we got home, got both sleeping kids tucked into their beds, and the truck unloaded. It felt like two or three days all rolled into one, but it sure was fun!

our favorite (simple) green smoothie

I'm always looking for ways to add more greens to our lives, and a smoothie is probably my favorite way. It's definitely Riggs' favorite way, so I try to make a green smoothie nearly everyday to share with him (and Raina too now that she's eating solids). 

There are many many smoothie 'recipes' out there, this just happens to be my favorite at the moment. It tastes so rich and sweet, is packed with nutrients, and best of all, is very simple to throw together. Some smoothies tend to get a little excessive with ingredients, at least in my opinion. Less ingredients are easier to keep on hand, and this smoothie uses staple ingredients that most people will have on hand at all times.

simple green smoothie

1 small banana

1/2 cup frozen berries

2 tbs milled flax seed

2 tbs peanut butter

2 heaping cups spinach

1/2 cup almond milk

dump ingredients in order into vitamix and blend until smooth. enjoy.

*Technically this recipe makes one serving. I share this exact serving with Riggs and call it good. Also, this recipe is totally customizable. Use half a banana, or a large banana. Use almond butter or powdered peanut butter. Use a different kind of milk. It will still turn out great and taste amazing.

 **I also add a scoop of this superfood powder from amazing grass when making our smoothies. As you can see it's packed with nutritious ingredients and helps pack even more servings of fruits and veggies into our diet.

Alaska Heart Run recap

My first race of the 2015 running season was the Alaska Heart Run, which took place last Saturday. My sister and her two boys ran too, and our mom came to cheer us on. This was my first time participating in the Heart Run. The first time I registered and planned to run, the race was cancelled because of snow.

This race signals that spring is really here in south-central Alaska and is the 'season-opener' if you will for the summer road-race season. Ever since being on the cross-country running and skiing teams in high school, I've loved to be apart of the running/skiing community. Races are a great way to stay motivated and on a running/training schedule, as well as a great way to stay active in the running community. They are so much fun, and if you've every participated in one, you know that you just can't beat the energy at a community race. 

You don't have to be an elite athlete or even a runner at all to participate, and that's the true beauty of these races. People of all fitness levels can come out and be active together. And even though there can only be one winner, there are many other reasons to feel excited and motivated to do your personal best in a race. Beating a prior PR can feel nearly as exhilarating as winning the entire race (not that I've ever won, haha). 

It was a little chilly as we arrived but it really turned out to be a beautiful day. It was my sisters first race and I was so proud of her and my nephews for how well they did! My oldest nephew even ran the entire 5k, when he had only been planning on running the 3k. I've been back to running three times a week for the last month, and ran with the intention of trying to give the race my all. I finished with a gun time of 25:06 (I was a bit back in the crowd at the start) and a chip time of 24:52, which means I ran at roughly a 8:01 min/mi pace, which I'm really happy with at this point in my 'training'. 

The fastest 5k I ran in high school was 24:36, so I'm looking to beat that time at some point this summer. The older I get the more I love running, and the longer distances I enjoy running. With two kids who don't always nap at the same time, running can be the only time I get to myself during the day to reflect and just sort of zone out. I run 98% of the time with the kids in the stroller, and find myself running longer distances when I'm running with them, mostly because if I'm going to the trouble of loading them up and getting out with them, I want to enjoy my time to myself as much as possible!

I registered for the Her Tern Half Marathon in mid-July, so I'll be running four days a week from here on out and increasing my mileage every week from the 11-12 miles I've been doing a week for the last month. I'll also be doing the Twilight 12k in June, and I'm looking forward to it. I've done it a few times in the past couple of years and should be going into it this year with the most training, so it will be exciting to see if I can increase my pace enough to get a PR. 

Riggs and Noah goofing around at lunch after the race

Raina Grace: nine month update

Is there anything sweeter in the world than a nine-month old baby? I just don't think so. They smile, they giggle and play. They eat and crawl and still sleep (hopefully) two times a day. They interact more than ever before and it's just glorious. Raina is all of these things, and I love her so very much. 

This month has been another full of milestones for our little 'chunk of joy' (Steve's favorite name for her haha) including eating solids, pulling up to stand, and sleeping her crib the entire night instead of with us. Each is met with joy and a little sorrow by her mother, whose heart aches to see her baby grow up so fast, yet swells with each new accomplishment she masters. 

She has two bottom teeth and as I type this just shy of her turning ten-months, no new teeth seem eager to make an appearance. She chews on everything in sight and unlike Riggs at the same age, everything goes in her mouth, from grass to rocks to tiny legos.

Luckily for me, Riggs is almost more attentive than I am when it comes to his baby sister and he notices usually right away when she puts something off-limits in her mouth. He's such a great big brother and for the most part is very sweet and kind to Raina.

She really started getting into solids about halfway through her ninth month, and now has worked up to quite a voracious appetite. Her favorite foods are strawberries, avocado, cottage cheese, and egg yolks, although she happily eats anything I've given her so far. She only breastfeeds about three times during the day, sometimes more or even less.

Unfortunately she makes up for it in the night, nursing typically 2-4 times throughout the night. I am totally comfortable with two times during her 12 hour sleep cycle, and if she gets more into a routine of only waking twice I probably won't do anything to night wean for quite a while. But lately it's been three times each night and last night it was four times, which really starts to affect how well I make it through the following day. We did just transition her to sleeping in her crib the entire night, rather than starting the night in there and then ending up in bed with us, so I want to give her a little time to see if her night waking gradually balances out on it's own.

At her nine-month appointment Raina measured 28.5 inches which puts her in the 75th% for length, 20lbs 3oz which is 76th% for weight, and her head measured 47cm which lands about in the 99th%. She wears size 4 diapers and probably will for quite a long time, as she is leaning out and her diapers and clothes are fitting differently with each passing week since she has become mobile. She still fits in many of her 6-12m clothes, but I fear they will have to be put away and replaced with all 12-18m sizes soon.

I am blessed beyond measure to have her in my life and everyday I squeeze her and hug her and kiss her neck until she squirms to get away. I try so hard to savor every moment of her first year and yet find that despite my efforts the time is slipping away more quickly than I even though possible.  The next update I do will be her twelve month update, and she will be moving onto her toddler years, forever leaving her babyhood behind.

Raina,
These last nine (nearly ten) months have been so full of love and light, and as the days pass I find that I only love you more and more. As my love grows, so does our relationship, and even as I mourn your passing babyhood, I look forward eagerly to all that yet stands before us in our lives together as mother and daughter. You are a precious gift that I cherish dearly and I hope that you always know that.
Love,
Mama

gloomy mornings are for walking

It has been pretty gloomy the last couple of days but we've still managed to get out in the mornings. Since Riggs has turned three, it is like everything about him is amplified. It seems as though his feelings are felt more deeply and his energy has tripled. So, we start everyday with a walk. I notice such an immense difference between the days we get out first thing and the rare days that we don't, and that difference is what gives me motivation to get out when I'm otherwise lacking. 

Usually we walk a small loop near our house but today we both just felt like going further, and so we did. Riggs would have kept going when I decided we needed to turn around, but I knew he would be getting tired soon, and I didn't want to have to carry him and his bike back home. I love his adventurous spirit and how capable he is becoming as he gets older. 

In the end we walked about two and a half miles and I think he was pretty tired out by the end. He kept stopping to rest, laying his head on his handlebars and saying, "I'm tired out, mama." I so love his sweet little face. ♥

February in Reveiw

So...February. I have no idea where this month has gone. I kept meaning to write a blog post, but never actually used any of my precious free time to do so. Here I am now, playing catch-up on the last day of the month, wanting to share some of the things we've been doing this month, if only to have a record in this online journal of mine. 

It was not the best month I've ever had: the snow all melted, it's been alternating between a muddy/icy mess outside, and we have all been sick going on two weeks now. Despite that, we still had many good days, with beautiful memories made. My babies are now one month older and even when times are hard and winter drags on without snow to make it bearable, I don't want to wish away these in-between days for promise of spring (which is still months away up here). I am hoping March is easier on us, and on some of my friends and family who have had a rough month as well. 

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Mat-Su Ski for Women | we rang in the month with the Ski for Women up at Government Peak Recreation Area. Riggs skied the very first bit and then both kids napped in the chariot while I pulled them behind me for the rest of the course. It was such a beautiful day, although a little too warm for my taste (over 30). The potluck afterwards was pretty amazing too, so much for to meet new people in the skiing community.

Steve went to Homer over the first weekend of the month and brought back Raina's mobile from Opa (Steve's dad). She loved it instantly, and it's such a special gift that I know she will treasure forever.

After a few days of warm temps the snow melted enough that skiing close to home wasn't really fun anymore. So we walked and hiked around. These pictures are from the Morgan Horse Trail up on Lazy Mountain.

I had to document the exorbitant amount of peanut butter-chocolate no-bakes Steve and I consumed during the first half of the month. I think I gained five pounds, I'm not even joking.

One of my favorite things about this month has been how much Riggs and Raina's relationship has blossomed. They are interacting more every day - Raina adores her big brother and thinks he's the funniest ever, and Riggs is so sweet with her: getting toys for her to play with, showing her what he's doing, hugging and kissing her, and looking at her adoringly then telling me, "I love her, mama." Oh how I love them!

Raina got an ear infection towards the beginning of the month and was extra snuggly. I was sad that she felt bad, but loved the extra snuggles. I'm so much more laid back this time around and hold her while she's sleeping so much more than I did Riggs. Partially because he slept so much better on his own but also because I worried about holding him "too much". Now that I know firsthand how fast babyhood passes, I want to savor every nap she takes in my arms or on my chest. 

Raina loves her daddy so very much and always has a few extra smiles for him, it's the sweetest thing.

Over Valentines/Presidents Day weekend we met up with my family at a cabin in Cooper Landing for a family getaway, similar to what we did over Thanksgiving last year. It was so much fun, despite me being very sick (first fever in over a year!); I just love having so much time together, from the moment we wake up until we go to sleep at night. I wish we could have gotten outside more, but there was no way with how sick I was.

It was kind of a blessing in disguise to be sick over that weekend, because Steve actually had a class in Anchorage he had to go back for, and so my family was there to help me with my babies. And I got to be surrounded with people who love me even when I wear my pjs all day and go through a box of kleenex a day, haha.

This picture pretty much sums up this month's weather: icy, wet and muddy all at the same time. Poor trees are probably going to have a rough time this spring and summer. There have been buds on some trees since January, with more popping out every warm spell we have. It's just not right...

My amazing older sister watched both my babies overnight so I could get a good nights sleep and have a date night with Steve and when I went back to Anchorage to get them the next day, I got to spend some time with my nephews after school too. My oldest nephew, Corbin, has the sweetest spirit and loves little Raina so much. I looked back and this is how they were sitting, my heart just about melted!

After recovering from her ear infection for a little over a week, poor Raina was the first in the family to get the same cold/whatever that I had (followed by Steve and now Riggs). She had a fever for two days and is just now getting over her stuffy nose and ragged cough. She has been sleeping on my chest every night while I sit upright and has still slept fitfully despite being snuggled so close. We took many middle of the night steamy showers to help her breath a little better the week after her fever and I barely slept at all for three nights when she was the worst. I just felt so bad for her and am so thankful she's feeling better now.

I love getting Raina dressed up for church every Sunday, it's so much fun. She's getting big enough to sit in the pew next to Lyla until it's time to go back to nursery, I just love it!

After being sick for over a week we decided we needed to get out of the house, so we went to Anchorage. Steve had to run a few errands and I thought it would be fun to walk around downtown. Both kids had fun and Riggs was obviously thoroughly worn out, as he fell asleep before he could even finish his Great Harvest bread.

We've been getting outside so much more as a family, walking first thing in the morning and then in the late afternoon before dinner and it's done us all loads of good. The fresh air is so nice and as Riggs gets older he has so much more energy he needs to expend.

I've been trying so hard to get back into old routines, and library group is one of those routines we've been missing for the last two months. It felt great to be back at it, and I got to meet a momma of two girls and a boy on the way who read my blog, so that was fun (Hi Amanda!). 

Anyway, that was just about the longest post ever. I really hope I am able to make more time in March to blog more, I truly miss this little space so much!