What a year! You have grown, in incredible ways, in every facet of your life this year.

September 2012:

You got your new piano!

You turned 4!

You got your first pedicure

You got your first pair of cowboy boots and decided to chop your hair off:

October 2012:

You started ballet.

You got your Blending Badge!

We took family pictures:

You were a pumpkin for Halloween!

November 2012:

You practiced your name (and drew a skeleton):

You took a really unfortunate school picture:

And then a MUCH better one!

December 2012:

We picked out our Christmas Tree. You actually had a blast this year, you were just cold by the time we got a picture!

You got your very first Bogus Season Pass!

You got some serious ski gear for Christmas. You learned how to REALLY ski! We started going down blues this year!

January 2013:

You had your very first piano recital.

February:

You and Daddy built a rocket!

You did a Flower Girl Fashion Tour

March:

We learned that you were NOT allergic to wheat and you got to spend the day in the hospital when they put a camera down into your stomach.

April 2013:

You drew this amazing picture of Daddy.  He’s eating a burger.

You had a sushi date with Mommy:

We went to see Swan Lake.

May 2013:

You drew some amazing cows!

You started reading non-Challenger books!

You rode the mower with Daddy.

You learned to ride a two-wheel bike!

You and Tessa discovered getting your faces painted at the Farmer’s Market!

You had your second piano recital.

You had your first dance recital.

June 2013:

You grew-A LOT!

You got your first Library Card!

You caught your first fish.

You love your whole family and wish your cat didn’t die.

July 2013:

You played at home with Mommy.

You had your first lemonade stand and bought ice cream with the profits.

You cuddled with Daddy in McCall.

Your style!

Aunt Marci made you this one

You giggled A LOT with Aunt Marci.

You went on a farm tour.

You learned how to swim UNDER WATER this month and you learned how to ride your BIG two-wheeler bike!!!

We went to San Diego to visit Mommy’s side of the family.

August 2013:

You got new fast shoes for kindergarten.

You hung out with Miss Amelia!

We did a Tour de Fat.

You started kindergarten!!!!

With Mrs. Joelson and Mrs. Matheson.

You discovered your LOVE of homework.

September:

Your handwriting blows Mommy out of the water.

We went camping in Silver City, ID.

You wrote your own spotlight paper with very little help from Mommy.

You turned 5!!!

 

Happy birthday big girl.  You continue to amaze me and Daddy every day.  We are so thankful that you were brought into our life.  You make us be better people, you challenge us, you open our eyes to new things, you make our family complete. We love you.

Sunday: Spaghetti Leftovers
Monday: Pizza Bombs for Lu and Shaun, chicken and veggies for me
Tuesday: Meatball soup
Wednesday: Kafta and cauliflower
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Chicken and veggies

12 weeks out! Ack!!! I will be focusing more on swimming this week which is hard with my shoulders.

Monday Swim: wu: 4×150 (alternate swim and kick), main: 1650 ladder, start with 275, then 250, and so on. cd: 200 easy

Tuesday: Off!

Wednesday Bike: 1 hour ride with climbing/low cadence. RPE 3-4 on flats, 7-8 on hills

Thursday Swim: wu: 200 swim, 200 kick, main: 16×50 every 1, 5, 9, 13 hardest effort with the others descending effort,  cd: 200 easy

Friday Run: 45 minutes with strides

At some point over the weekend, back to back: Easy 30 minute run, 60 min bike (alternating big and small ring every 10 minutes), 30 minute swim, RPE5

It’s a REST WEEK!!!! WOOOO HOOOOO!!!!

Monday Bike: 30 min RPE 3
Monday Run: 30 min RPE 3-4

Tuesday Swim: 5×200 (50 Easy, 50 Build, 50 Easy, 50 Hard), 150 Easy 
Tuesday Bike: 30 min RPE 3

Wednesday: Off

Thursday Bike: 60 Minutes RPE 3

Friday Run: 30 minutes with strides every 5 minutes
Friday Swim: 4×300 (300 easy, 300 kick, 300 easy, 300 kick)

Saturday and Sunday: ski, ski, and ski some more.  Lu is doing ski lessons right now so Shaun and I get 3 hours of hard core skiing on Saturday and Sunday.  We did that this weekend and boy am I sore!  I would love to have my rest day be tomorrow but Lucy has a dentist appointment on Wednesday so it’ll have to be in the middle of the week.

Sunday: Chili
Monday: Stuffed Cabbage with Sauerkraut
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Pork Chops, Sweet Potato Fries, Brussels Sprouts
Thursday: Spaghetti
Friday: Leftovers

I made a dozen hard boiled eggs and I’m going to roast a chicken for quick breakfast and lunch options.

I also mentioned that I was trying to spend only $300 on groceries in February.  This would more than cut my grocery bill in half.  I almost did it.  I spent $350.  I call it a success!

I am starting The Whole 30.  Here’s the plan for this week.

Sunday: Drumsticks with the seasoning from this recipe, Brussels Sprouts roasted with pecans and no sugar bacon fat.

Monday: Ribeye with roasted okra

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Farmer’s Pie

Thursday: Fried Eggs and green beans

Friday: Fajitas

14 weeks to go!

Monday Swim: wu: 4×75, main: 500 swim, 500 kick, 500 swim, 500 kick, all RPE 4, cd: 100 swim, 100 back

Tuesday Bike: 1 hour, easy
Tuesday Run: 30 minutes, RPE 3-4

Wednesday: Rest Day

Thursday Swim: wu: 400 continuous, main 10×100 EBEH (easy, build, easy, hard), cd, 6×25 each one easier than the last
Thursday Run: 90 minutes long run, RPE 2-3

Friday Bike: 90 minutes

I’m FINALLY feeling better.  I’m STILL not 100% but I’m getting there.  This has been a ridiculous cold.

Monday: Off

Tuesday Run: 30 Minute Easy Run
Tuesday Bike: 1 hour, mostly easy pace, rolling hills

Wednesday Swim: wu:300 continuous 25 swim/25 kick. main: 20X75 hold constant pace at RPE 5. cd: 200 easy
Wednesday Run: 75 minute long/tempo run

Thursday Swim: wu: 200 Swim, 200 Kick, 200 Swim, 200 Kick. main: 1500, RPE 4, cd: 4×50

Friday Bike: 1.5 hours
Friday Run: 30 minutes after work, easy

Saturday and Sunday: Ski

Well last week was a bust.  That sickness kicked my bootay.  It’s a new week, right?

Monday Run-30 Minutes, Easy

Tuesday Bike-1 hour-hills
Tuesday Swim-30 Minutes recovery swim after bike

Wednesday Swim-wu:200 continuous, main: 1×2000 at RPE 4,  cd: 4×50

Thursday Run-1 hour-strides every 10 minutes
Thursday Bike-30 minute recovery bike after run

Friday Bike-1 hour RPE 3

Saturday and Sunday-Skiing

I’m not slacking, I came down with the flu 🙁 I can’t catch a break this winter! I thought that once I got through the first year of teaching that my immune system would be awesome. Yeah, not so.

Here’s the scaled back plan for this week.

M-recover and break fever (I successfully did that!)

T-recover

W-Easy Run

Th-Easy Spin

F-Easy Swim

Weekend-Skiing!!!!