Vigor Utah Solitude Trail Run 5K

Jeff and I ran our first 5k together on the 17th of August, 2013.

It was a really great experience.  It was a trail run at Solitude.  It was so beautiful!  We were so lucky to run with really great friends! We all placed in the top 3 and celebrated at The Porcupine for breakfast after the race.

Jeff placed 1st overall! How awesome is that?!  I came up 2nd right after him and placed 1st in womens.

We plan on doing more races, but not anything too crazy.  I'm thinking no more than 10 miles.

Jeff was able to get a video of me crossing the finish line! It was a great feeling! 

The Latest and Greatest!

On Wednesday, we went to "StreetFeast" in Bountiful.  It was part of the Summer Fest in Bountiful.  It was a really cool festival, but we actually didn't end up eating anything. (Which was the whole point on "StreetFeast" haha) But it was pretty neat little event with some dancers and music.

On most every Friday, my friend Jess and I go on an adventure.  Sometimes it's a hike or a swim or a random trip somewhere.  This time we went climbing in American Fork canyon! It was a good time, but the routes can be hard to find in this canyon because the guidebook was published in 1995!  Many things have changed since then.



Friday night Jeff and I went on a hike at Deuel Creek in Centerville.  Here is the view just above the trailhead.  So pretty!



There was a ropeswing about halfway through the hike! We had so much fun playing on it.

Waiting to jump from the rock and swing into the trees!

There was also a fun little waterfall that you could climb on top of.

My dreamy stud muffin.

On our way back out as the sun is setting across the Great Salt Lake!

Gorgeous and clear views of the valley.

Saturday we went rock climbing in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Always a blast!



Jeff rapelling down a route.

After climbing on Saturday, we tubed the Weber River with our good friends Amber and Kirby.  It was so much fun! The weather was perfect and the river was a good mixture of relaxing and exciting.  It was a 2 hour trip.  In the course of the river, there was a little area you could pull off and swing off a rope into the river.  Jeff and Kirby went several times.  Jeff did backflips and received much applause! I went off one time and it was awesome! 



On Sunday (today) we hosted a celebration for my sister Hailey's birthday! We had a sub sandwich bar and had a picnic in the backyard. 

Weekend Wrap-up

Ruth Lake in the Uintas



Jess rapelling down a route in the Uintas! We took a small climbing road trip to climb where the weather was cooler!

Me climbing at Ruth Lake.  It was cold enough to wear a jacket in the shade and it was 104 in SLC!

Jeff and I went up to Georgetown to visit my little sister, Abby and my mama at "Twin Creek Days".  We had a fun time ;)

Abby, Me, Mama

On our way back home from Georgetown, we went to a housewarming/birthday party at our friends Jeff and Amber's house.  Jeff had a blast for HOURS in this bounce house playing with the kids!

We went on a Sunday morning hike at Brighton!



We hiked to Lake Mary, Martha and Catherine.



Love birds with sweaty backs!

We went with Austin, Hailey and cute baby Olivia!

At the top, at Lake Catherine!

Germany & Bear Lake

Jeff on his way to Germany.  His company sent him there to learn more about the machines he is in charge of.  He was there from Saturday to Friday and was missed very much.  He had a wonderful time and has lots of phots that I will have to post another time!

While he was gone, I went to a wedding and in between the ceremony and reception I went to Farmington Station and made a stop in to IT'SUGAR.  It's a candy store! It is full of delicious goodies at outrageous prices.  $12 per pound! I got a little less than 1/4 pound because I felt I needed to for the experience ;)

My $2.96 bag of candy. I savored it and saved one of each kind for Jeffy when he got back!

I also baked more bread while he was gone! I made a jalapeno cheddar loaf and a cheesy garlic Italian herb loaf.  Soooo delicious!  I swear... this bread-making is my new obsession.

I also made more freezer meals when he was out.  I made 40 breakfast burritos and 2 pans of tempeh enchiladas.  (I also made 2 pans of zucchini penne bake today!)

Here we are... ready to see our one true love!  On our way to the airport!
Funny story: I had to get gas on the way to the airport... While the fuel was being delivered, I went inside to get Jeff some beer (much needed after flights full of babies).  When I got back out, I just pulled the gas nozzle out of my car... prematurely.  I was not aware and began spraying gasoline all over.  Panic.  I shoved it back into the pump. Thankfully it stopped. Yea... I was just a little excited to hit the road to pick up Jeff!

Jeff was a trooper.  He got back Friday night and we headed for Bear Lake the following morning.  Our Andreason family goes to the lake every year around the 4th of July! We were so happy we could make it even just for one day.  Here I am sunbaking in between the intermittent rain showers while the boys stay in the shade.  (Steve, Jeff, Cody)

Ike's first dip in the lake! He was so cute! He HATED it at first.  Until he saw other dogs in the water playing around.  Then he was just splashing and jumping all over!

Cutest dog in the lake!

A rainbow on our way home.  A wonderful end to a fabulous weekend.

Summer Fun!

Frozen yogurt is the best at Orange Leaf! We have only gone 2 times so far, but I am not against making it a weekly occurrence.

Running is getting better and better.  I was running on average about a 7:30 min/mile, but have learned that if I want to be a distance runner, I need to pace myself.  So I have been trying to keep in between 9 and 10 min/mile.  It has made a world of difference in how I feel when and after I run.  (I now know what a runner's high is!)

I mowed the lawn to surprise Jeff and ended up demolishing a sprinkler down to the pipes... He fixed it and I sunbaked.  What a good husband ;)

We have a nice row of raspberry bushes in our yard. They are now yielding at least 15 ripe raspberries per day and we can tell that soon there will be more than we can eat! I am not complaining. We have requested that the neighbors help us to keep them under control haha!

I crafted a wreath for 4th of July! I love having a home to make crafts for.

I made this.  Yes.  ME!  I am so proud of myself because most of the loafs I have made in the past have been too dense.  This was an italian loaf from this recipe: http://www.simplysogood.com/2010/03/crusty-bread.html

This recipe is seriously life changing.... I don't think I will really need to buy bread anymore.  I have a cinnamon loaf rising as I write this blog at work, and the next one I will try is wheat.  So EXCITED.

We went to a wedding and had fun in the photobooth. It is our first one since our own. :)  Not sure why/if that is momentus.  Congrats David and Carlee! They were so gorgeous and I'm sad I didn't take photos of them.



Oh my gosh.  Boba World.  It's this quaint little Chinese restaurant in Bountiful that we had heard rave reviews about.  We decided to give it a try, even though neither of us really love Chinese food that much.  Man oh man, are we glad we did! It is phenomenal.  The drink is a "mango slush" or "boba" or "chewing drink". I love them, Jeff doesn't.  But we also had cream cheese wontons and Shrimp Shanghai Noodles. SO DELICIOUS.  Also, this sweet couple (regulars of Boba World) gave us the scoop about the owners and the menu and shared some of their food with us! Not sure what it was exactly because they just asked the owner, Dawson, to make something his grandmother would make for him in Shanghai and it was delicious too!



Cute Ike.  Pictures of him never get old. :)  He loves to lounge in the grass at our feet.

You'd think based off this photo that we (my cute friend Amber and I) are just hanging out in an industial parking lot... Poor choice of backdrop. (we don't want to get our phones stolen/wet/lost inside the park)  We are actually at Seven Peaks in Provo.  Jeff and I have used our Pass of All Passes many times this summer already.  We have gone 4 times so far! Great way to beat the summer heat!

Bits of my Bucket List

There are several things I have completed that would have made it on this documented bucket list such as getting married, traveling out of the country, buying a house and flying on an airplane.  Here are some more things (not all) I hope to get accomplished in my life:

1. Travel to Europe
2. Travel to Hawaii
3. Complete a triathlon
4. Graduate college

I have been so fortunate lately.  I feel like all at once all of our dedication is paying off, and it inspires me to continue reaching for new goals.

(Any takers on joining me for a triathlon?!)

HOME

First off, Ike is LOVING his yard! I am so happy he can roam free out there!

Our move was SO successful! I wish I would have taken pictures of everyone in action! We sure do have some amazing friends and family who were willing to give up their Friday to help us move.  I'm so glad we didn't have to do that alone! 
We also learned that we have an incredible neighborhood.  WOW.  That is all I can say in response to their kindness.  3 different households in our neighborhood came on over as soon as we started unloading the truck and without even asking or saying anything, started grabbing furniture and boxes and bringing them into our house.  It was incredible! They are genuinely kind people.  Over the weekend we met 6 different families- all sorts and sizes.  We were given a 2-foot-long sandwich, 3 bags of chips, Milano cookies, the BEST homemade chocolate chip cookies, and many, many "Welcome to the neighborhood" greetings!
We are so thankful!
It definitely feels like home. 

I gave a facelift to our hutch and our old coffee table:



We bought this on KSL and I use it for all of my baking stuff!




I should have taken a picture before! It was black and scratched and stained. It definitely needs decor, but I am wondering: to distress or not to distress?? What do you think?  (Ike is a photobomber; that is his new favorite place to lounge.)


Jeff and I went for a run Sunday night.  There is a loop that starts and ends at our house that is exactly 1 mile long.  Half is uphill and half is downhill.  It is quiet and safe and provides a wonderful view of the valley! We were rewarded with a beautiful sunset at the end of our run.


 We are on week 6 of 8 in the couch-to-5k program! I don't remember any time in my life that I have stuck with a running plan. The most I had ever ran on a regular basis was a mile.  We've been running 2 miles 3 days a week! We feel so good.  Last night, Jeff thanked me for dragging him out the door to run with me (he thought it was too late and that we should go to bed). I've never understood the "runner's high" but now I do.  Sometimes, when the couch-to-5k app lady tells me it's time to start walking, I just keep running.  Weird, I know.

We bought a chest freezer! Something I have wanted to have for so long because I love making freezer meals.  If anyone wants to join me, I want to either get a group together and make a bunch of different meals that day OR arrange to have each person from the group make a certain dish, but make triple/quadruple the amount made so we can then trade dishes between families.  If you are interested, let's do it!