Florida has been great so far. As you may have seen on Facebook, I successfully babysat three kids yesterday with no major issues. I was proud. Especially now that Ruby (the youngest) is mobile, it's harder to keep up with everyone. Luckily the older two play with each other a lot and don't need me to entertain them all the time.
I am taking in all the scenery as I go while I'm here in Florida, wondering how I will do as a parent if/when we have kids. It's really a scary prospect for me right now but I am sure it will be ok when the time comes. But the longer we wait, the more abstract the idea of adding a baby to our lives seems to be. I have worked with kids in almost every job I've had. I know how to do all the basics, but I wonder if I would actually be a good mom. Would I be able to set my selfish ways aside and truly enjoy each moment like it seems my sister-in-law Nikki can do?
Not only is my sister-in-law an awesome person, but she also puts so much love, thought, and heart into raising these girls. She truly wants nothing more than for them to be the happiest healthiest kids possible and will do anything for them to ensure that happens. I admire her a ton and she has set the bar high.
Today, we went to my mother-in-law's house to do some swimming. We played princess mermaids, and I got to be King Triton. I was big into Barbies as a kid so today kind of made me think I could just be a kid again if/when I have a kid right? I had a great time and as we were driving back to Nikki's house I felt like a little kid who played so hard that I could barely keep my eyes open. Good feeling.
Tomorrow we are heading to the springs to get some more sun and swimming in. Ellie gets to ditch school and Justin is ditching work so it should be fun! We only wish Jason could be here hanging out with us too. Then it would be perfect.
I snapped a few pictures the other day when we were outside but I plan to do more on Friday too so stay tuned for those pictures!
Colleen is a woman I met at my gym when I first started boot camp a little over a year ago. She was the first person to talk with me and encourage me and let me know that my goals were realistic and she gave me tips on what helped her be successful. Around that time, she told me she was thinking about competing in a fitness & figure show. We would always chat at boot camp but after awhile, I didn't see her as often and wondered where she went. Well it turned out she had been training like a crazy person for this fitness show...and when I saw her for the first time in months a few weeks back, she looked totally transformed! She is the epitome of dedication. I don't think I could stick to that strict of a diet for that long and workout that many hours a day, but she decided she wanted to do this and she did it! What an inspiration.
Colleen has also lost nearly 60 lbs in the last few years with the help of her (and now my) trainer Sarah at Success Personal Training in Maplewood. Way to go Colleen!
What was also really awesome was that she and Sarah asked me if I would be interested in taking some pre-show photos and also going to see the show with them and all of Colleen's other supporters. I happily accepted. Capturing all that hard work and strength in photographs was an honor for me.
I had a great time taking the pictures at the workout studio. The show itself was an eye-opening experience. These women work so hard and I had no idea it was such a popular hobby (not sure if hobby is the right word here!) There were tons of people in the audience, big groups of women supporting the women on stage as well as their husbands and families. I managed to grab a few photos at the show that I will share here as well.
Colleen did awesome for her first show and actually won 2nd place in one of her categories. That's a huge deal!
Here are some photos from the day yesterday!
my absolute favorite photo
outfit for her dance routine
those are some insane back muscles!
Sarah pushing Colleen to do her one armed push-ups
Last week, I got to take pictures of the adorable Lincoln and Lydia : ) Lydia was very cooperative and smiley...a little shy at first but we got lots of smiling pictures. Lincoln on the other hand had his own agenda, as most 2-ish year old boys do. Not interested in looking at the camera, let alone smiling. Luckily, I had a superhero cape, arm bands, and eye mask to get him to warm up. He wore it well and I am pretty sure he loved it. It was hilarious to watch and gave myself and his parents quite the laugh!
It was so fun to finally meet Lydia and see Lincoln again, I hadn't seen him since he was 4 months old. They are adorable.
Well, the sunny day meant to be spent on the lake isn't going to happen with the monsoon storm coming our way. Oh well. I'm sure we'll find something else to do...movie day perhaps?
In the meantime, I will share a few of the delicious gluten free recipes I've made recently. All of which were made in my new found free time which I am enjoying fully.
This first one was inspired by a trainer I used to go to. It has a nice mix of filling ingredients and it's a quick grab snack.
Protein Balls
Ingredients:
(This recipe makes approximately 20 balls)
4 cups of gluten free oats (or regular oats if you don't need to be GF)
1 cup of your favorite GF chocolate chips
3 tbsp flax seeds
1 scoop of protein powder (I used designer whey unflavored powder...but chocolate flavored powder tastes delicious as well)
1 cup of your favorite peanut butter, crunchy or creamy
1/4-1/2 cup of agave nectar or honey
Combine all ingredients. You may need to add more peanut butter and/or
agave nectar if the balls aren't sticking together easily. There's no
exact science and they always turn out tasty!
Take off your jewelry, turn on some music and stick your hands in the bowl and mush it all together!!! (my favorite part)
You can make your balls as big or as little as you want : ) Put them in a big tupperware and separate layers with wax paper. Store them in the fridge. Enjoy!
Next on the list, I made Chex mix : ) Luckily, almost all Chex cereal is made gluten free as it is. I based my recipe on the one I found from the Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom blog. She has some great gluten free recipe ideas on her site! I kind of tweaked her recipe to make it my own : )
Gluten Free Chex Mix
Ingredients:
6 cups of Rice Chex
3 cups of Corn Chex
1 1/2 cups mixed nuts (salted or unsalted)
1 1/2 cups gluten free pretzels
6 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
1 tsp garlic salt
1. Melt butter, add seasoned salt, garlic, and Worcestershire and mix together in small bowl
2. Combine remaining dry ingredients in large bowl
3. Pour butter mixture over dry ingredients, mix until all dry ingredients are covered
4. Heat oven to 250*, spread Chex mixture evenly on a cookie sheet
5. Bake for 1 hour, stirring mixture every 15 minutes
Enjoy!! It's tasty!
And last but not least, I re-made a recipe from when I first started the blog last year. The baja citrus chicken sliders were a big hit and I've been waiting for it to feel summery enough to make them again this year. Of course I can't have the bready bun part of the slider...that's reserved for Jason. Click on the link to get the recipe...the only change I made was I doubled the broccoli slaw recipe this year and turned mine into a salad of sorts...it was so good! Lime juice can really be a great salad dressing...mix in some cilantro and you're set for life! : ) And there's still a little salad mixture left in the fridge from the other day and it still tastes great, not soggy!
Alright, I'm going to settle into a day on the couch with my hubby...windows are down, I can smell the rain, and we are about to start watching Walking Dead on Netflix. Jason loves zombies. Should be a good day!
For some reason I've been thinking a lot about Peru a lot lately, Cusco in particular. I think it was in my dream the other night and I can not stop thinking about it.
Looking back on our trip now, it just seems like a big dream. Especially Cusco. Being in Cusco felt like living in a different time. Narrow cobblestone streets, people wearing ancient Peruvian clothing...it was amazing. I think the altitude messed with my head to make it seem dream-like too, but still...!
I would love to go back there someday and stay in Cusco for a while longer as well as the Sacred Valley again. Maybe we can bring our future kids there someday.
We heard from the couple we met on the Galapagos cruise who are from Australia. It was so fun to hear from them, and they are thinking of stopping by MN for a visit next year which would be awesome. But just hearing from them made me realize we have been back from South America for 5 months already. Time passes too quickly.
We are the midst of hopefully arranging another trip for this coming winter. I don't want to jinx anything since it hasn't been booked yet but we are hopeful that we will be embarking on Jason's dream trip by the end of this year. We are incredibly lucky.
In other news, I finished grading the rest of my papers for my clinical students as well as filling out their evaluations. I won't feel that final weight lifted off my shoulders until I drop the evals off at school tomorrow and drive away. Greatly looking forward to it.
I am already noticing my extra free time. I have more time to plan out meals (which is good because being gluten free requires that), run errands, and get stuff done. Today it was mostly selfish things. I managed to get acupuncture, a massage, and a facial. It was incredibly relaxing. I wish I could afford massages/facials all the time!
For those of you who have thought of trying acupuncture for any reason...don't hesitate. I swear by it! Check out Minnesota Community Acupuncture. It's super affordable compared to most places and the lady I see is really nice. Her name is Kerri. If you tell her I sent you, you get a discount and so do I. If you've even toyed with the idea, just try it! I promise you'll like it!
Now that I actually have time to sit down and write about my music loves....here goes.
There have been a few videos I have been wanting to share for awhile but I kept forgetting (or not having time). I know by now that the Civil Wars may be old news...but I think they have gorgeous music. I listened to them constantly in South America....hey maybe that's why I've been listening to them more and dreaming about Cusco! Anyways, check out their album if you haven't. Here's an awesome video I found....
The most interesting thing about this duo is that they aren't a couple. They may just have a good music chemistry but they kinda look like they wanna *you know what* each other....just sayin'. They are two good lookin' people. I'd be jealous of their chemistry if I were their spouses...look how they look at each other!
Ok, enough gossip.
Another great group Jason and I are both really into these days is The Pines. This song in particular I really like...
The Pines album is totally worth picking up if you haven't already. Support local artists : ) They are playing at the MN Zoo this summer (among other places in the cities I've just realized) but unfortunately it's the same day we are going to be at the River's Edge Music Festival in St. Paul. If you like them and are available, concerts at the zoo are always fun when I've been to them!
And last but not least, as many of you know I am an Amos Lee lover. I'd say Amos and Mat Kearney are my favorite musical men at this time (besides Elton of course). I've loved Amos Lee since his first album came out when I was in my sophomore or junior year of college : ) I've seen him in concert many times and he is lovely. Just lovely. (Saw him at the zoo one summer...top ten memory of Jason & my time together....perfect amount of drunk, beautiful summer evening...ended with rain....ahhhh).
He came out with this EP after his latest album. It's kind of an extension of his last album and has the same feel but has some really great songs on it. Totally worth checking out.
Eeeeee! I am just excited that I have time to write this blog post right now! I have nothing to do!! YAY!!!! : ) : ) : )
In fact I will post one more video...because I can! I know this song is all over the radio by now but it still makes me smile every time I hear it. So cute. Their album is also awesome and they are coming to Basilica Block Party this year : ) The Lumineers....
*I belong with you, you belong with me. You're my sweetheart*
(awwwwww)
Thanks for listening to my ramblings. It feels good to write stuff down, listen to music I love, and then sit back and give thanks. It helps keep me focused on what's important and even discover new things about myself and the world around me in the process. Who knew?
I have two night shifts ahead of me this week...and then crossing our fingers that we will be out on our boat for the first time ever this weekend! C'mon nice weather!
