Chasing My Joy

My journey to becoming an Ultra Runner and Ironman

In This Season + Highly Recommend!

We woke up to more snow to fall all day in the forecast. Emmy was excited to get to go to school anyway.

I am excited to get more snow this year than least year. Last year we didn’t get any snow until late December and it wasn’t great for our snowpack.

It was very cold so we played at the indoor playground for a while then came home for the afternoon. I ran on the treadmill again, then did a Peloton ride. I miss my old spin classes but this will do for this season of life.

I finished up with some PT with help from Humphry.

I try to do my strength training barefoot or in socks to help strengthen my feet.

In the evening we started the movie Slumberland and it’s so cute. It’s very long so we will finish it tomorrow, so far I highly recommend!

Done is Better Than Perfect

It’s a just get it done kind of week, I don’t mind the extra quality time with the kids but I will be glad when Cory is around to help until 8 am again next week!

We are breaking out all the Christmas gear this week because I can’t wait anymore!

We did our normal morning routine and started school. The kids have really settled in and seem to like our routine pretty well. After lunch I still needed to get my five mile run in and I wanted the kids to get some sunshine and exercise as well.

This is where I got a little creative with my run. We started outside with the kids on their scooters with me running behind them.

They can’t go 5 miles on their scooters so we headed home where I let them have “down time” (aka a show) and ran the second half of my run on the treadmill. Not perfect but it got the job done. Done is better than perfect.

I will cry when our treadmill finally gives out, we bought it in 2014 used so who knows how much longer it will last.

Cory home and we had turkey chili for dinner, perfect for a cold day.

We are also being treated to more snow and cold, let’s hope the treadmill hangs on all winter! I don’t think I will be out on icy streets in the dark.

Do you have a treadmill in your home? If so which one and do you love it? Or do you go to the gym, just run outside? How do you get it done?

Snow Day + Thanksgiving Play Kitchen

It was our first snow day of the season!

We took advantage of the 3ish inches that fell overnight and went sledding in the morning.

It was great fun and a nice way to try out our new ski gear.

We didn’t bring out the actual skis but we did like our new snow gear and sled (all from Costco).

I love that this sled hill is just about a mile from our house!

After sledding we settled in at home with hot chocolate and school. I know that homeschool ins’t for everyone and I can’t believe it’s for me, but we are LOVING it so far.

After school and lunch we braved Costco, it was a mad house! Then PT and a couple miles on the treadmill for me. This week Cory is working on the floor (where they actually build the space ship) to help make sure the design, what he does, is being implemented correctly. That means about 10 hours at the office and we just aren’t used to it. He leaves around six am before it’s actually light out so running outside this week will not be happening much, especially with the snow. Super grateful for our treadmill and an adjacent playroom on days like this.

If you’ve been around here for anytime, you already know that we love holidays and any theme. I tend to change up the kids’ play kitchen about once a month. It keeps them interested and I think it’s fun to decorate it a little. This month the theme is Thanksgiving.

I am seriously in love with this little felt pumpkin pie, found at HomeGoods as a garland, I just cut off the string.

I think I have loved our Valentines and spooky kitchen best so far.

Can’t wait to decorate it for Christmas!

Do you like running on the treadmill?

Do you switch things up seasonally?

A Playdate + Gearing Up

We had our (sort of) typical Monday morning with school at home.

I love slower mornings where we just get to be together. It was not just a typical day because Cory is helping on the production floor and has to leave by 6:15 in the morning. Also my parents dogs came to hang out with us.

My Dad had surgery on his shoulder and they weren’t sure how long they would be gone. I asked to have a playdate with their doodles so it was one less thing my mom had to worry about. We loved having their sweet little faces with us. Humphry loves having his buddies here with him.

Cannon and Emerald loved taking them for a walk even though it was really cold today.

I was very happy when my Dad was done with his surgery and even got to go home! The doodles went home and we went out to a playground in the late afternoon.

We then grabbed Cory from work and went to Christy Sports to pick up our season rentals.

We decided to go with rentals for our boots and skis this season because we are just figuring this all out and the kids will grow out of the gear every year. A great perk of renting from Christy Sports is that we can exchange the gear anytime during the season. So if the kids have a growth spurt in the next five months we can go in and exchange for a bigger size.

I think Emmy’s little skis are the cutest things ever. Both kids are very excited to ski now.

Since we were already in downtown Boulder we went to one of Cory’s favorite restaurants. Rincon Argentino has the best Empenadas!

We got home and put the kids to bed way later than we should have, it’s become a bad habit. Especially since Cannon still thinks it’s cool to get up at 5:30 AM (boo).

Mueller State Park + An Unbirthday

After our trip to the North Pole we spent a little time playing in the campsite. Then we decided to get a little evening hike in before dinner.

On the way to the trailhead we saw a friendly deer.

It was a little chilly but not too bad.

We went on the nature trail and had a little pamphlet to tell us about the environment we were hiking in.

It’s fun to get out and hike in the snow.

Actually kind of looking forward to this winter.

The sunset in the mountains is gorgeous.

After our hike we ate inside our trailer, which we rarely do but it was in the 20s. We are happy to hike outside in below freezing but not just around in our campsite. This is when I am very thankful for our heater and warm bed with a down comforter.

In the morning we hiked to the highest point in the park.

The views were stunning.

The kids loved playing on the rocks at the top and would have stayed there all day but we needed to get out of our campsite and back home.

Both my brother and I have birthdays in September but we hadn’t yet been able to get together to celebrate. Some reasons were great, we were in France in early September and my brother and my parents were in Oregon for both our birthdays. By the time everyone was home then we were very sick, for weeks. Then my mom had a terrible accident, spent time in the hospital where my parents caught Covid and were sick for almost three weeks. Finally everyone is home and well (I am so so grateful that everyone is fine now) so my mom hosted an unbirthday party for my brother and I. It was so sweet and thoughtful! I wish I took pictures!

I did take a picture of this yeti mug my parents gave me and I LOVE it!

A Visit to the North Pole {Colorado}

We woke up Saturday morning very excited to surprise the kids with a trip to the North Pole. I learned about the little theme park called the North Pole last year and have been wanting to go since then. We were supposed to go when we were visiting this area last year but Cannon got sick and we went home instead. This year feels like it might be the last year that both kids really believe in all the magic of Christmas, Cannon has been asking a lot of thoughtful questions and it won’t be long before some of the magic is gone. This year seemed like the perfect time to take the kids on a surprise trip to the North Pole, see Santa and kick off our holiday season. 

This little theme park has been around for 66 years and is dripping in nostalgic fun. It’s also in the mountains neat Pikes Peak so it feels very magical tucked into the side of the mountain. 

There are lots of little rides holiday themed and fit for little kids. 

Thier Santa was REALLY good!

And there are some bigger rides if you are looking for a thrill but it’s no Six Flags. 

The kids said they liked it better than Disneyland so I guess I’ll never get to go back. 

They are open more than just the Holiday Season and I think it would be kinda fun to visit again in the summer sometime. There is a North Pole in the park that is made out of ice and remains frozen all year. 

They have the highest ferris wheel in the world, the views from the top were spectacular.

We all had a great time.

The kids really liked the big candy cane slide. I think they each went down five or six times. For being a peak Saturday it was not overly crowded.

We spent about six hours in the park and could have stayed longer, but we wanted to get back to our camper before dark. 

We got back with time to do a little sunset hike before eating dinner then snuggling in for the night. Both kids said it was the “best day ever’

A Little Winter Camping

We have been home way more than we usually like so we decided we needed to run away and go camping for the weekend. 

Cory worked a half day while the kids and I ran around getting packed and ready to go. It always surprises me that it takes almost as much time and effort to pack for a weekend then it does to pack for a week or two away. 

Gingerbread girl coffee cup helped me get going!

Once we were all ready we drove down to Mueller State Park near Pikes Peak. It’s nice that they have camping open all year. We often like to “wild camp” without any amenities but this time of year it’s nice to have electrical hookups for our trailer. 

We need the electricity for our tank heaters so things don’t freeze. The lows were in the teens overnight so it was also nice to be able to plug a heating pad. 

Our trailer does have a gas heater so we do have heat off grid, which is essential for winter camping in my mind. 

We enjoyed more inside time than we usually do while we are camping because the evening was so cold. 

The kids made themselves at home (and made a mess) on the bed and hung up some Christmas lights since this trip kicks off the holiday season for us. 

Our trailer is very small but we enjoy the closeness. 

We had a few rounds of competitive Uno, it’s one of our current favorite games.

Do you ever camp in the fall/winter?

What are your favorite family games to play?

Running All Over + A Ski Season?

When we started the school year I thought that Thursdays would be my “easiest” day. I don’t have to teach and both kids are in school. I assumed I would have lots of time to get things done. As it turns out it’s always my busiest day.

On this Thursday Cory dropped Emmy off at her school while I was dropping off Cannon. They both love their schools this year. 

I did find time to do some Christmas shopping. 

Megna-Tiles are the most played with toy in our house!

I also found these little star sippers in the Target dollar spot, perfect for New Years or kids that love Mario.

I spend most of the afternoon running around in the car picking up the kids from school. I did fit a couple miles in on the treadmill between all the driving. I really need to get before the kids get up on Thursdays so I can be sure to get my run and PT in. I always think I will have more time than I actually do.

 I spent the evening trying to figure out skiing this season. Cory and I grew up in Portland and didn’t ski much and have never been skiing in Colorado so this is all new to us. I have wanted to get us all started skiing for the last couple years it all seems kind of overwhelming to me. I got over myself and finally found a place to get season long rentals and also season passes to a ski resort. We could have gotten Cannon a free pass if we had been on it earlier this year but I was too busy planning for the school year and France so we are paying a bit more this year. I am very excited to get up to the mountains and start experiencing what Colorado is most famous for. 

Do you ski or snowboard? At what age did you or your kids start skiing? 

Old Faithful + The Good Old Days

My day started very early at 5:30 with kids who don’t understand the concept of the time change.

I got out my Minnie Christmas mug because it holds a lot of coffee. When Cory got up I was then able to get in some PT and strength training.

Then we had school to get done, days where we are all home are my favorite!

Since I didn’t get my run done in the morning I jumped on Old Faithful (our treadmill in the basement) while the kids played in their play area until Cory got off work. I love running outside but I don’t mind the treadmill at all to just get it done. 80 minutes of running for my mid week “long run”.

I got this cup last Christmas before our big Southwest trip and I still love it. We need to get on planning a trip for this year!

We wanted to get the kids out of their own exercise as well so we all went out for some bike riding.

They are so fun!

I brought my AG1 with me so that I wouldn’t forget to get it in for the day.

I was really cold when we got home from biking so we broke out our heating pad, and while it may make me feel 80 years old it also feels really nice. Emmy shared it with me, this kid likes the good life.

Randomly I found this tree on Amazon for our “owners suite” and I am so excited to add it our bedroom for more Christmas magic.

I Hope you Do + Hard ≠ Bad

We started out the day with a little Mother/Son run.

Well, I was running and Cannon was on his bike. I am getting so spoiled not having to get up super early to get my run in plus I have the best company! When I start running longer I will have to do loops or just make Cannon ride super long with me.

Cannon really liked biking through the tunnel.

He really is my little ray of sunshine and makes everything more fun.

I enjoyed my post run coffee in this giant mug (Hobby Lobby from last year).

Then we were off to drop off our ballots and Emmy at school. It’s interesting explaining voting to kids, I think Cannon is really getting it this year. I hope you made your voice heard today too.

I got this platter delivered and already started using it, love it!

I tried the Gingerbread creamer, I give it a 7/10. It’s a nice change up but I don’t want it all the time.

Been dreaming of having this morning view again, can’t wait! We do a live tree so we wait until after Thanksgiving.

Also been doing some Christmas trip planning…this is a dream (for me) trip and will likely be highly edited. We’ll see what we actually end up doing. Last year’s Christmas Cactus trip was epic.

While I was running the other day I was listening to a podcast where Callie said that she went after things that scared her. And while I have heard that sentiment before it really resinated with me. I remember saying I would never do a full Ironman because the distance terrified me and I thought people like me didn’t do things like Ironman races. But when I challenged myself and actually completed one, nothing felt like that accomplishment.

So now when I am asking my kids to challenge themselves, to try new things and push out of their comfort zones, I ask myself if I am doing the same. So this year I am committed to pushing myself to do something I have never done before, something that feels impossible, and scary like something other people (not me) do. I want to show my kids that I will get in the trenches with them, that I will do scary things too. I want to show them that hard isn’t bad and that we are a team helping each other reach our dreams.

So that little thing that you tell yourself you can’t do, that’s too hard, that other people do. But you secretly wish that you could do….. I hope you do it, because I believe you can and it will be so worth it when you do.

Do you have anything that you say you never could do but wish you could?

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