Thanks 2012!

2012 

What an exciting year you were!

Savannah and I tried every Pinterest Craft I could find

I ran my first mile

My parents got me a new brother, Tucker... He's been so much fun

Ministry with EPIC Youth Group @ MCC was fabulous

I added to my tattoo collection

I got lost running...seriously, I got lost

12 of my friends had babies in 10 weeks

My sister and brother-in law gave me a new niece, Selah Grace

Allan and I both turned 30

Savannah started gymnastics with her best buddy, Jaden

My best friend, Rachael had TWINS

We went boating with the Biser family and it was AMAZING

Savannah found that she loves to "run" too

I ran my first marathon - Chicago 2012

Savannah ate pizza without having a reaction

I ran my first 10K with a tutu that looked like a turkey

I fell in love with running and ran a total of 926 miles!

For 2013 my running goals are:

1.  to run a total of 1200 miles
2.  complete the Mini Heart Half Marathon in March
3.  complete the Flying Pig Marathon in May

Happy New Year!

Here's to a wonderful, exciting, and successful 2013!

Birthdays are fun!

Savannah and I celebrated our birthdays together Friday night!  She turned 4 and myself... well, I turned the BIG 3-0!  It was a wonderful evening with family.  We kept it quiet this year, typically we go all out for Savannah but if you have a December birthday or know someone with a December birthday, it's hard to plan a party!

This is Savannah- Thursday, December 27th.  The blue gifts are from her Auntie Nicole, Uncle Dave, & cousin Ethan in Canada!  They got her an AWESOME dinosaur box to put all of her dinosaurs in!  The pink box was from us, her very first doll house!  Savannah enjoys small things, so the doll house is hysterical.  She spends hours playing with the miniature furniture and dolls.

When my sister and I lived at home with my parents, the night before and of our birthdays my mom would come in our room, sit at the side of our bed, hold our hand and say; "I remember when your hands where this tiny!" Then she would go off on favorite memories, we would laugh about things, and say; "MOOOOM... you're so weird!" and pull our hands away.  We always thought it was so funny.

Now that I have a daughter of my own, I totally get it :)  I found myself sitting on the edge of Savannah's bed, holding her hand, thinking... I cannot believe you are 4 years old!  It truly is a blessing to be a parent and I love watching Savannah grow, learn, and love life.  But it goes so fast!

This is one of my FAVORITE pictures of Savannah!  Her first Christmas & Birthday - 2009!

Happy Birthday, sweet one!  You are loved by so many!

From text messages, phone calls, and hundreds of posts on Facebook - I sure felt the LOVE on Friday! Turning 30 wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.  For some reason I thought it'd be this crazy change but so far, I feel the same!  It's weird saying THIRTY but I have a feeling my 30's are going to be a lot of fun!

Family picture

Savannah asked me to make her a gingerbread house birthday cake... 

it was quite the difficult task but turned out super cute!

I hit the road Saturday and today because we got a FABULOUS snow fall that is ridiculously BEAUTIFUL!  I couldn't wait to get on the road and get lost in my miles!

This year, I learned a lot about myself and what I'm capable of... running has given me so much!  It has not just given me confidence but I truly enjoy the miles I log.  Whether it's with a running buddy or just me and the Lord on the road... I've learned so much and am very excited for what 30 has in store for me, my family, and within the ministry!

As far as running in 2013... I am really looking forward to setting & crushing new goals!

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Do you have a running goal for 2013?

What's your favorite birthday memory from childhood?

What did you learn about yourself in 2012?

Christmas Goodness...

Christmas is my favorite holiday.  I love everything about it... the transformation that takes place in every business, shopping center, house, and heart.  Christmas is the most magical holiday.  As a mom, I'm learning each year how magical Christmas truly is!  From reading, singing, and teaching Savannah... the glimmer in her eye for the magic of Christmas, the JOY of Jesus' birth, love of giving gifts, starting traditions, curled up watching Christmas movies... the entire month of December is a blast!

If you're a parent, you know how FUN buying gifts for your kid is...whether it's Christmas or not!  This is one thing I definitely struggle with... I LOVE buying gifts for Savannah!  She's so easy to buy for, she loves everything, and she makes you feel so great when you give her something.

Allan and I have agreed on the 4 gift Santa rule:
1)  Something she wants
2)  Something she needs
3)  Something she can wear
4)  Something she can read

Then we fill a stocking from Santa and Allan and I each get her something special.  This year I bought her first gymnastics leotard.  She's been in tumblebees (gymnastics for kids) for the last 6 months and has always worn just a tshirt and pants.  Mainly because they're SO EXPENSIVE!  But there was a sale where she takes class and I caved.

This time of year is super exciting for Savannah, not only is it Christmas but it's her birthday!  Tomorrow, December 27th... she will be 4!  So she goes all year without anything then BAM!  Completely overwhelmed and slammed with a sea of gifts!  We are so thankful for all the family and friends who love on Savannah and find her some of the most wonderful and thoughtful gifts!

Allan and I were well taken care of by Santa and Family as well... we got a new tv and I got some pretty awesome winter running gear stuff!  My favorite gift?!  Has to be from my mother-in-law!  She found this insanely amazingly adorable apron that I wish I could wear in public, that's how cute it is.  I actually wore it this evening while baking Savannah's birthday cake!  It's so fun!

Saturday, Sunday, & Monday I logged about 20 miles so I could eat all the yummy Christmas goodies that I wanted.  Like these guys... cupcakes with a chocolate chip cookie inside... yes.  AMAZING!

It's been snowing for the past 24 hours and I'm itching to get out and log some miles in this snow and try out my new gear!  I haven't gotten to run in it yet but Savannah got out in the snow today and she loved it, the first thing she wanted to do was make a snow angel... she made about 15.

Tomorrow we celebrate Savannah's 4th birthday and she has requested a gingerbread house birthday cake... I honestly don't know how in the world I'm going to make it happen but I'm in the kitchen baking away!

Happy 4th Birthday, sweet Savannah!  You are a blessing, joy, and have forever changed our lives.  

We love you more than you'll ever know!

Cold runs...

This morning while I was drinking my coffee all I could think about was logging a longer distance today.  This month I've taken a break from distances over 8 miles to allow my body rest before marathon training starts back up in January.  It was the strangest feeling but I was excited to hit the road for a long run!

Instead of mapping out my route, I decided to listen to my body and go...  I'm pretty familiar with the roads now that I've been running them a year and can tell approximately what mile I'm at.  You're going to think I'm absolutely crazy but this weather today... 33 degrees, low wind, and sunshine may be my favorite weather!  I love running in the cold weather!  That first mile can be a bit brisk but by the time I'm at 2 miles, I'm taking the gloves off and unzipping that first layer!

Buckeye Running Company (in Mason) has some awesome Brooks running gear right now that is perfect for cold weather runs!  My two favorite running gear brands are Reebok & Brooks.  I have bought other products but these two have been the best quality wise!  I also have a pair of thermal running pants (I got from Buckeye Running Co.) that I'm in love with, they're SO WARM!

I found my groove around mile 4 and felt comfortable taking on some hills.  As I hit mile 7 I was thinking to myself, should I push to 10 miles or just go home at 8?  Sometimes pushing yourself an extra mile is just what you need!

Here I am at mile 9.5 just a half mile from home.

I spend time reading a lot of motivational quotes and encouraging ads from different running companies and Runner's World has become a new favorite magazine.  I can get so inspired and motivated by reading these ads & quotes.  One of my favorite motivational ads out there right now is by Nike it says;

“You pretended the snooze button didn’t exist. You dragged your butt out of bed while others 

slept. While others ate their pancakes you had a feast of protein, glucose and electrolytes. 

You double-knotted. You left the porch light on and locked the door behind you. You ran

5ks, 10ks, 26.2 miles. Some days more, some days less. You rewarded a long run with a 

short run. And a short run with a long run. Rain tried to slow you. Sun tried to microwave you. 

Snow made you feel like a warrior. You cramped. You bonked. You paid no mind to comfort. 

On weekends. On holidays. You made excuses to keep going. Questioned yourself. Played 

mind games. Put your heart before your knees. Listened to your breathing.  Sweat sunscreen 

into your eyes. Worked on your farmers tan. You hit the wall. You went through it. You 

decided to be a man about it. You decided to be a woman about it. Finished what you 

started. Proved what you were made of. Just kept putting mile after mile on your internal 

odometer.”

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Do you have a favorite running quote that inspires you?

What's your favorite season to run in?

What is your favorite cold weather running gear?

Christmas Cookie Goodness!

Because of Savannah's food allergies, baking traditions have been non-existant these last 4 years.  It's been hard for me because I absolutely LOVE baking and the holidays are no exception.  In an effort to create some sort of tradition, we've become known for our cupcake making!  Over the years, cupcakes have really been the only thing we could make and although Savannah LOVES cupcakes... there's only so many holidays cupcakes will suffice ;)

You can't deny it, at Christmas there's just something about homemade cut-out cookies.  Working all day in the kitchen, flour everywhere, picking out the shapes for your cookies, finding the best recipes, and icing and decorating them beautifully.  So many fun memories are created in the kitchen.

Back in November, Savannah went for her yearly check-up with her allergist.  He told us she should be growing out of her dairy allergy and was cleared to try pizza!  Out of everything we eat, pizza is definitely the one thing Savannah has always wanted to try!  So we were VERY excited to introduce her to pizza!  Of course she LOVED it and has had it 4 times now.  From homemade, Larosas, Chuck-e-cheese, and Donatos... Savannah is a pizza lover!

If you're a parent of a child with a life-threatening allergy, you know the anxieties that come with introducing new foods and trying new things.  Over the last few years the Lord has had to remind me of a few things 1) He can heal her and 2) I am not in control.  No matter how hard I try to control her surroundings, He ultimately has her life in His hands.  That's been a very tough lesson but in return, He's blessed Allan and I with a feeling of freedom.

We continue to use wisdom but when it comes to being in public places but we are learning the importance of trusting Him with her life.  As we introduced pizza, there was some fear.  I had all of her meds on me ready for a reaction but she had none.  It was a great time of rejoicing!

So here we are... Christmas time and the LAST thing I want to do is make cupcakes with Savannah.  I wanted her to experience the mess and time of cut-out cookies!  As we all know, cut out cookies contain at least 2 sticks of butter.  Savannah has a delicious dairy-free butter but I'd never made homemade cut-outs with it and that stuff is SO EXPENSIVE the last thing I wanted to do was waste an entire container of it.

This may seem silly but I decided to try a recipe with butter.  My friend Katie made these INSANELY AMAZING cut-out cookies for her son's 2nd birthday... so I snagged that recipe from her.  Here it is, make them!  This has to be not only the easiest recipe but the most delicious- you will eat all of them!

http://iambaker.net/christmas-cookies-cookie-recipe/


I've also always envied those moms that could make that hard icing, with the outline, that's all shiny!  Guess what?!  It's SO EASY to do and absolutely yummy!

http://iambaker.net/sugar-cookie-decorating-101/

Ok, so Savannah and I mixed all the ingredients and started rolling it out...  I knew I would be able to tell immediately if Savannah was going to be able to eat them because with the dairy allergy, she breaks out in hives wherever it touches her.

As we rolled out the dough, started putting our cookie cutters on it, and touching it... she had no reaction - Other than complete awe in how AWESOME cut-out cookies are to make :)

As she held her very first cut-out she said; "Mom, this is AMAZING!"  Yup, she may be a spitting image of her father but she's totally my kid!

PRAISE THE LORD!  She was touching the dough with no reaction to the 2.5 sticks of butter... yup, 2.5 sticks of butter!  This is why I run folks...

Icing time... the icing is homemade as well, so it clearly has milk in it.  I was so nervous, as awesome as the cookie dough is, the icing makes them.  And it's always so fun to lick it off your fingers and test the cookies while you're decorating!

As we iced and decorated she was licking her fingers, sneaking bites from "bad" cookies, and having a blast.  It didn't even phase her!  Savannah not only baked but ATE (without any reaction) cookies that had butter and milk in them!

I am so thankful for the Lord and His healing!  He is so worthy to be praised, not just for this miracle but for His mercies that He grants in my life daily.

I know this is just the beginning of Savannah's testimony of healing from her Heavenly Father!  He is real, He is our healer, He is faithful!  I do not know when but I believe she will be 100% healed of her life-threatening peanut allergy!  We faithfully pray and seek Him for her complete healing.  We are thankful for her health, that she is growing, learning, and turning into such a sweet and sensitive little girl.

This Christmas,  I am so thankful for the memories of our first mother-daughter Christmas cookie night!

I am thankful for His healing, His provision, and His unconditional love - 

even though I do not deserve it!  

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What are your favorite holiday traditions?

Has the Lord healed you?  If so, what from?

What are you thankful for this Christmas?

Christmas goodies...

My runs for December have been pretty decent.  The weather's been a bit nutty... 60's, 30's, 50's... really?! Make up your mind! But outside of that, I can't complain!  Beautiful pitch black skies, a beautiful blanket of stars, and a moon that shines crazy bight!  There's something very special about running country roads.

This month I'm giving my body a break and only logging between 20-25 miles/week.  I'm going to enjoy the smaller miles and begin a cross-training program, marathon training kicks into gear January 2.

I'm absolutely LOVING the cross-training program.  It's 35 minutes of tabata style exercises once a week. I really feel challenged & not defeated...plus, I'm sore for 3 days.  I definitely prefer running but like the change up cross-training is bringing to the table.  Hopefully, it will make me a stronger and better runner.

One of our running buddies, Courtney, moved to Toledo last weekend :(  We miss her dearly and look forward to future races and runs with her!  This week was our first week running without her and it definitely wasn't the same.

If you're in the Maineville area and would like to join us for runs, we are always looking for new running buddies!  Doesn't matter your pace, experience, or level... we would love for you to join us, set goals, and crush them!  Message me if you want to join in :)

The last few weeks I've allowed myself to give into sweets... if you know me, you know that sweets are my weakness.  I could honestly eat candy all day long and never get sick of it.  That's disgusting and definitely an issue, I know this :)

My favorite Christmas candies are these two guys...

I am not lying when I tell you that I will knock off a bag in less than 24 hours... I can't stop eating them.  I honestly do not have the will power to stop, I will get sick before stopping.  How silly is that?!  More importantly, how disturbing is that?!  Yikes...

Sometimes I wonder why I enjoy candy so much.  It can become such a comfort in times of celebration, sadness, or boredom.  Removing candy from my diet back in May was the best thing I could have done for myself.  I allowed myself to have "sweets" on Sundays but it was always a healthy amount.  I would never keep it in the house and when I did eat sweets, I could barely finish the serving.

Now that Christmas is here, all my favorite candies are out and I just can't say no to them.  I've got to learn better will power.  I bought one bag of each and told myself they had to last to the end of the year, I was only buying one bag of each...

Let me tell you how well that went over, the bags didn't make it 24 hours.  I'm a mess.  So that's done, no more candy is left in the house and it's so sad.  But I promised myself I wouldn't buy anymore and I'm not.

We've started Elf on the Shelf with our daughter, Savannah.  She turns 4 this month and is all about the Christmas magic.  She definitely got the Christmas gene from me... I love sharing this time with her and creating memories as a family.  She loves waking up every morning and seeing what kind of "trouble" Elfie Rojo got into overnight.  I've enjoyed teaching her Christmas songs, watching our favorite holiday movies, and reading about the manger, Jesus' birth, and the real miracle of Christmas.  The joy & excitement she has is contagious... I just love watching her soak it all in!

With that being said; I've started re-reading a book - Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver.  It's an excellent book that invites us "Martha's" to put aside all the things we are so busied with and enter into "living room" intimacy with Jesus.  As much as I am really enjoying reading it again, it's so convicting.  My heart aches with inadequacy and hungers to have the same "living room intimacy" Mary got with Jesus.

"Our Father desires to share intimacy with us.  

Not because we've earned it, but because he hungers for it."

Reading this book has also uprooted and exposed my battle with Spiritual Pride... ouch.  When I find myself vulnerable at the foot of the cross it's definitely embarrassing and humbling, it hurts to see the ugliness of my heart.  Boy am I thankful for His unconditional love.  I truly desire to have a hunger for intimacy with Jesus because of my love for Him.

Have a great weekend friends!

Have you tried tabata style work outs?  Do you like it?

What cross-training workouts are your favorite?

What's your favorite holiday treat?

  

What is your weakness during the holiday season?

Is there a book that has impacted your life that you enjoy reading over and over?

Welcome!

Welcome to my Running blog!

I started my running journey in January 2012 and although I am new to the running community I have accomplished more goals in the last year than I ever thought possible.  I still have a lot to learn but am loving my new life as a runner!

January 2012 I set what seemed to be an unattainable goal:  Run the 2012 Chicago Marathon.

That's not an unattainable goal, you say!  Well, for me and most of the people who knew me, it was!  People in my own family were doubting my goal all the way up until that morning of the race!  I couldn't even walk a mile in January 2012.  I was unhealthy, overweight, and had some terrible habits! I skipped over the 5K, 10K, and half and went straight for the full marathon.  I know, it was insane!  But I needed something insane to fuel me!

The transformation of my body has been quite crazy.  Watching fat leave, muscles form, definition begin, and feeling better in daily life.  Not getting sick and being healthy is pretty awesome!

I set my mind, started a program, changed my eating habits, surrounded myself with better runners and athletes, started training, and began to hit milestone after milestone.  I have to say, hitting new milestones is one of the most exciting feelings in the world!  No one can take that feeling away!

It wasn't until May that the Lord started speaking to me on my runs.  As my distances got longer my reliance on the Lord became greater.  It was in my 9 mile milestone, I knew I could NOT do this in my own strength.  That I needed Him more than ever.  If I was going to successfully complete every milestone and cross the finish line, I needed Him and His strength.

It's funny how the Lord teaches me life lessons.  This lesson has been all about shutting up and listening.  I'm a terrible listener, I love talking, sharing my opinion, my thoughts, me, me, me.  BUT when it comes to running, I can't get a word in with the Lord.  He speaks in a gentle voice and I listen.  What He speaks to me on my runs is so important.  It is in my daily miles that He convicts, exposes, reveals, encourages, inspires, and plants seeds.

In September the Lord placed this blog and a running group on my heart.  I run with two amazing girls, Erin and Courtney!  They are such a blessing and I truly cherish their friendship.  It's so exciting watching them set goals and hit milestones.  They run with me at least 3 if not 5 days a week!  We are always looking for new friends to run with!

Many assumed after the Chicago Marathon I would stop running but I have a new love and respect for running.  It is something I truly look forward to.  I won't lie, there are days my alarm goes off and it takes everything in me to get up... but after I run, I am so happy I did!

Completed Races:

1. 2012 Chicago Marathon - October 7, 2012
2. 10K Turkey Day Race @ Lifetime Fitness - November 22, 2012

Upcoming Races:

1. March 17, 2013 - Mini Heart Half Marathon 
2. May 5, 2013 - Flying Pig Marathon

I'm not sure the entire vision for this blog yet but I do know the Lord has placed it on my heart to begin!

The rest of December is going to be light, fun running!  I'm going to rest my body and stick to lower miles and enjoy shorter distances.

January 1st kicks off my 18 week marathon training again and this time around will be a bit more intense.  I've got a lot of hill training and muscle building ahead of me as the Flying Pig is one of the most difficult marathons in the US (due to hills).

I hope you decide to stick around and see the fun and exciting things that can happen when you let go and run!  You can do it!

So welcome to my running blog.  I am very excited to share with you, encourage and be encouraged, and to hear your thoughts!