Running out of 2014

The past two nights, I have had some solid runs at our local gym.

I was pretty geeked when I ran for 45 minutes. I haven't ran in so long and I know mileage/ speed probably isn't where I want it, but I can honestly say i for sure got 3 miles in there if not more, i just stopped counting the laps around the track.

Last night, I decided to smash out some speed drolls, which almost took out me. I was feeling great, running hard in a brand new pair of shoes, just really wanting to break them in and I started to see a black spot. I could immediately tell if I didn't slow up my pace, I was going down so, i slowed up my pace, waited for it to pass snd then continued with my drills.

I geel like I am leaving 2014 with some good runs behind me and ready for 2015. I can't wait to take on some races!!! 

Q: What races are you running this upcoming year?

Christmas 2014

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! We spent time with family and also had some nice down time this year where we weren't running from house to house and thing to thing. It was nice to enjoy Christmas movies, cookies, ect! I can't believe another Christmas has come and gown. It's so sad. I'm not ready to put away the decorations, but it's rathering depressing to look at them. 

We had a great time with family, and this year some of our family was in different places which was harder.

This year, my husband's grandparents are in Arizonia for Christmas, which they usually don't leave till after Christmas, so that made the Holidays different. We saw them in October for Christmas and I'm not a fan of this arrangement. We won't see them till May!

We spent time with the inlaws on Christmas Eve. It was great to spend time with them before going to Christmas Eve service at church.

I love Christmas Eve Service! 

We then headed home and turned on some Christmas movies! We opened stocking too, which is our Christmas Eve tradition!

My favorite stocking item was my ornament! 

Drew and I hung out Christmas Morning together opening gifts and being goofballs! We did this at a more relaxed pace and it was so great! 

We watched the Disney Parade did you?? It's our long standing tradition of course! I do really miss Regis! I've been watching that parade as long as I can remember. 

We then went over to my parents house where it was chaos and fun! I was sl glad to see my brother. I don't see him very often because of his job, so it was great to see him!

Check out this sisterly love right here!!

Speaking of sisterly love, she has a new guy in her life.. These two made some pretty ugly sweaters if I do say so myself. These things even light up! C'mon those are pretty snazzy!

We had a great Christmas celebrating with my family. My brother probably got my husband his favorite gift. It's actually a "we" gift, but I know who will use it more. He bought us this awesome waffle maker and we made waffles the next morning!

It's like you're at Disney World for breakfast!!! They were pretty fantastic! Still working on the reciepe for the batter. It isn't quite my favorite yet. 

Overall, we had a great Christmas, despite that it was quite different than years passed with family being spread in diffferent places and our first Christmas that Grandma Storm was not here.

Q: How was your Christmas? Did any new traditions start as a result of this years Christmas?

Quilts of Love- Masterpiece of Marriage Review

New from Abingdon Press’ Quilts of Love series | Masterpiece Marriage

He wants to save his business. She wants to be a professor. But are they asking for more than they can really have?

After a flood damages the looms at Zenus Dane’s Philadelphia textile mill and the bank demands loan payment, Zenus turns to his aunt for help repurposing his textiles. Trouble is . . . his aunt has already been hired by the lovely yet secretive Englishwoman Mary Varrs.

Eager to acquire his aunt’s quilt patterns, Zenus attends the summer Quilting Bee, a social event his aunt has uniquely designed with the secret purpose of finding Zenus a wife. However Zenus only has eyes for Mary, but Mary has no such desire for him.

Though his aunt is determined to design a masterpiece marriage, both Zenus and Mary will have to overcome their stubborn ways. Can he realize that love requires stepping out of his routine? And will she recognize that following her heart doesn’t mean sacrificing her ambition?

Find out more and purchase a copy at the Quilts of Love website.

My Review:

Typically, I love the Quilt of Love series and really enjoy it. This book was not my personal favorite, but I enjoyed the main character Mary, who is an independent woman who does not need a man and struggles to find her own identity and being a woman. She would rather study the seedlings of tomato plants, then looking for a mate. I really admire this about her. I can personally relate to her character and I found this to be one of the most unique things about this particular book. I did not like how Zenus, chased after Mary and it almost seemed obsessive. One draws a fine line between chasing after a woman and then being so obsessively involved. He towed that line in my opinion. Overall, this is not my favorite book from the Quilt of Love Series, but don't take my word for it, read it yourself.

Thank you to Abingdon Press and Litfuse Publicity.

 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas filled with laughter, family and great memories!

The Storms

   ^“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:11-12

Dear Christmas…

Dear Christmas…

This year I have so many things to be thankful for. It has been a crazy year of many ups and downs, with lots of unexpected surprises.

This year I have just a few wishes...

1) Can you pay the remaining balance off on my car? It's not that much and we will that much closer to debt free living!

2) I really want to start running again and finish this 25k, so no more head injuries! I really want this medal in May! 

3) Finally, I wish to pass my state licensure exam. If any of these things could come true for Christmas, I would be so thankful! 

Q: What are you hoping comes true for Christmas?

Swept Away

Are you looking for a quick read? Something to sweep you off your feet? I've got the perfect read! Look no further!

New from Abingdon Press’ Quilts of Love series | Swept Away

Sara doesn’t think she wants love. But her grandmother has other plans.

Sara Jane Morgan is trying to balance teaching with caring for her ailing, stubborn grandmother. When school lets out for the summer, the plans are for Grandma to teach Sara Jane to quilt as they finish up the Appalachian Ballad quilt Grandma started as a teenager. But things don’t always go as planned.

Andrew Stevenson is hiding from his past—and his future. He works as a handyman to pay the bills, but his heart is as an artisan, designing homemade brooms. When Sara Jane’s grandmother hires him to renovate her home, sparks fly between Drew and his new employer’s granddaughter.

Still, it doesn’t take Sara Jane long to see Drew isn’t what he seems. Questions arise, and she starts researching him online. What she discovers could change her life—and her heart—forever.

My Review:

As always, The quilts of a love series does not disappoint! Another excellent book to add to my collection. A grandmother who has a secret plan to match make her granddaughter with a man named Drew, but his past is something Sara Jane discovers in a journal he wrote while hiking the Appalachian Trail. Will this teacher find love with Drew or will she find a relationship with God? I also loved Grandma Sari and her determination to finish her ballad quilt, despite battling a memory disease. This book is full of adventures, unexpected things and two people finding their way home again.

Thank you Litfuse for allowing me to review this book! I really enjoyed it! 5 stars!! 

Christmas Addictions or maybe Traditions

When Christmas comes around, I have this tendency to buy certain things that revolve around Christmas, but I don't do this with other holidays. I'm wondering if you had the strange addiction too?

When it comes to magazines, I'm all in. I love looking at Christmas magazines! I just can't help myself! Seriously, my husband gets super annoyed because I literally scan the aisles at the grocery store looking at magazines that I have not seen yet, that I HAVE to purchase! Even the cashiers will try to check us out to speed the process up and I will have to tell them we are not ready.

Now if I'm honest, I really don't HAVE to purchase any of these, but I love them and they make the season a little brighter for me. Weird? Maybe!

I also have this thing about trying Christmas food. I am what the marketing department loves, especially when they're trying to sell a new product especially at Christmas!

Are you like this too?? Please tell me I'm not the only one! Or else, I'm a sucker for the marketing techniques and it gets me every time! 

I'm also a sucker for movies, especially Hallmark movies. C'mon don't tell me you don't curl up on Friday nights and watch these?? They are the best! When I find a movie I like, I must have it!!

These are just a few of my yearly traditions or possible addictions depending on how you look at it, either way, I love Christmas and I love these things about myself.

Q: What are your Christmas addictions or maybe traditions?

The 1 mile Success

They say you start where you start.. Well, I'm starting at rock bottom. Last week friday I ended up in ER with Costocondriris, which is inflammation of the rib cage / cartilage. It's so painful. 

You actually think you could be having a heart attack from the deep chest pains, but thankfully that was not the case. I was told no heavy breathing.. Like I'm going to listen?

Yesterday, I hit the gym and biked it for 40 mins and then jumped on the track for a mile run.

I was in my glory days! It was beautiful!! Although I was slow, I had a blast! I shouldn't have been huffing and puffing as much with my breathing, but a mile is done and I'm not even suppose to be running. Of course, my chest flared up and the inflammation kicked in, but well worth the mile run!

Q: When do you push yourself beyond physical limits ?

The ultimate guide to the Daniel fast

The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast is written by Kristen Feola. This recipe book contains over 100 recipes +21 daily devotionals to kick off your way to a healthier lifestyle and to great healthier eating patterns! Some have even made the Daniel fast a part of their lifestyle!

This book will help you learn to get rid of sugar and any process ingredients out of your daily diet in order to embrace a healthier eating life style, plus allow you to discover greater awareness of God's presence.  Sugar really slows your metabolism down and ultimately makes me feel like garbage! 

The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast equips you to use practical tools during your fasting experience, which allow you to eat foods that are better for you, which lead to healthier and more longer life.

It also includes 21 devotionals that will help feed you on God's truth! Many of the recipes are so easy and can be swapped out of many of the great foods you love!

I like that this book had so many recipes to plan meals for each week. If you are someone who loves carbs, this diet can difficult because it focuses a lot of avoiding those things, but it does incorporating more whole foods. You can eat breads, rice and beans, just more healthier versions- whole grain options. Also, you want to focus on staying away from sugar and eating real foods like raw vegetables, fruits, legumes and things that grow from plants. This diet is perfect is start slowing incorporating, especially with the holiday season.. We are all trying to watch our calories.  Our church always starts this diet up in January, so I cannot wait to use many of these recipes.

Thank you Book Sneeze for providing me a copy of this book!