Sunday, again!

Happy fall Sunday blog readers,

Where has the month gone?  We are already over halfway done with our Whole 30.  WOW!  And I am happy to report that I have not knowingly cheated!  I say "knowingly" because in the beginning I was not as good about reading those pesky labels.  My DH is not being as strict as I am about this round.

As you know, I am a Girl Scout leader.  In the fall, in our Council, we sell nuts and candy.  (Cookies are in January!)  I ordered a couple of items from each of the girls to boost their sales and was so excited to get my cans of Whole Cashews.  Then I read the label: Cashews, Salt, Peanut Oil.  Wait, WHAT?!?!?  Why would you put peanut oil on cashews?  Yesterday, I was at Aldi, and DH likes the Lightly Salted Almonds.  I read that label and there is peanut oil on those roasted nuts too?!?!  Who knew?  Well, know I know and sadly the can of cashews will be wrapped up for the bus drivers Christmas gift.  So, I guess that is a small win, as I won't have to decide what to get her.  😉

So, I think I told you all that DH borrowed the Whole30 book from his bus buddy.  I found a book store in my area that is sadly going out of business.  I got the last copy of the book!  Woo Hoo for me!  We gave Bus Buddy the new copy, since we are wearing the copy they borrowed us out.  I am loving everything that I have tried, except the mayo recipe.  I cannot figure out how to get it to emulsify.  I am pretty sure I added the oil too fast and now I have a jar of separated mess in my fridge.  I am going to try again, as I really want to make Deviled eggs for one of my Thanksgiving treats.

Was texting with my sister-in-law last night.  We are spending a few nights with them for Thanksgiving.  She has a son in college, a son who is a Sophomore in High School and an eighth grade daughter.  My brother, owns a farm and these kids help out AND are active in athletics and other school activities.  Add my three and we need to cook up a few feasts a day to feed this crew.  So, we laid out a meal plan.  I did tell her that DH and I are doing the Whole 30, so we will be bringing some of our own ingredients.  She suggested tacos/nacho bar for one night.  I just found this great recipe I want to try for Sweet Potato chips as your nacho chips.  If this works, I will be snacking on chips and salsa again really soon!

I love Pinterest.  For Thanksgiving, we will be going out to a restaurant to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary.  This will be our brunch/lunch time meal.  For dinner, we are all pitching in and bringing food to serve the masses.  I am going to try these stuffed mushrooms, I found them this morning on Pinterest.  I am also going to bring the Chicken Pot Pie soup I Pinned and my family LOVES!  And I will see if anyone is bringing a veggie tray.  I need to try the Ranch dressing from the Whole 30 book, so we can dip our veggies legally, if we want to.

Today is a Girl Scout meeting.  We are going to be finalizing the plans for the Winter Wonderland Brunch that is in less than 2 weeks.  Ack!  I have 8 registered girls, and I know that 2 of them are not going to be at the meeting.  We have a lot to do with so few girls in attendance.  Wish me luck.  And have a great week everyone.  Happy Thanksgiving, if I don't get time to blog again before then!  I have been thinking a lot about the new year coming and what that might look like for me and my family.  My son, needs to get a fire lit under him so he can rank up this spring before tennis and baseball season.  My oldest daughter needs to get started on her Gold Award project so that we can have it approved and work all next summer on it.  My youngest wants to earn her Bronze Award this summer before she bridges up to be a Cadet Scout.  Whew that makes me tired, but also makes me excited to see what the kids dreams are and where life will take them.  I will be having my meniscus repair surgery on December 21, 2017.  So, I hope to get on the road and actually run a bit in the new year.  We will see.

Off n Running,
AnnMarie

I'm baaack!

The starting line at Division 2 Sectional 8, WIAA Girls Cross Country

Here we are, October 25, 2017.  I have been thinking about this blog for what seems like a million years!  I am failing on this New Year goal, of blogging more.  I cannot believe how quickly this past year has gone.  I need to update everyone on myself, but I am going to brag about my kids in this post!  😜

This year, I have two high school students!  SwimChick is a Junior this year.  She decided to go out for Cross Country AND Swimming this fall.  We have had an average of two swim meets and one cross country meet a week since Labor Day.  ChessMaster, who needs a new name on my blog, is a freshman and went out for soccer.  I will post about him on another day.  

Today, I am going to write about my daughters great Cross Country season.  I pray she doesn't end the season and say, "I wish I would have..." because this has been an amazing season.  First let me tell you, that to do two sports in one season you must get the permission of the Athletic Director and both team coaches.  SwimChick has wanted to do both since being a freshman.  I was not too sure how her grades would go, and her swim coach that year would not allow it.  So, she swam.  She did well for a freshman.  She swam Varsity, to the annoyance of the upper class-men.  She swam well enough to go to the State meet as an alternate on a relay (or was it two, I don't remember and she didn't swim at the meet.)  Her sophomore year, she had a couple of hard classes and a new swim coach.  We had tossed around the idea of just running CC and not swimming, but she loves the water too much.  So, she only swam.  It was another good season, that ended at State as an alternate again.  

So, here we are Fall of 2017.  Sometime in the summer, we were told we had a new swim coach.  AND a new Athletic Director.  SwimChick and I drafted some emails to both and they said, "let's do it!"  DO WHAT?  Well, SwimChick had decided to run Cross Country AND swim.  All the coaches were on board and so was the AD, and on August 8, 2017 she started swim practice.  We really love the new young lady swim coach.  She is fun, as long as you don't cross her or break any rules.  The CC coach is really laid back and understands that swimming is SwimChicks first sport/love.  A week or so, after swimming started, CC started.  The rag tag group consisted of my girl and a freshman girl, and two boys, who are also on the boys soccer team.  

The first meet, coach put SwimChick in the JV race, so she could test out the grass and get a time.  She finished in 4th place!  She wore her regular old running shoes over the 5000m course in a time of 23:34.9.  The next week, we went to the shoe store and bought her a pair of racing spikes!  She was so excited.  The next race, she ran a 21:32.5 in the Varsity race.  Her fastest time of the season occurred at the Conference meet on October 16.  She traversed the 5000meter course in a time of 20:49.9 and placed 14 in the Conference.  Woo Hoo!!!

Saturday October 21, 2017 was the WIAA Division 2 Sectional race.  My rock star ran the course in 21:06.5 for an overall finish of 10th place!  There are two ways you can move on to the State competition, first is by being on a team that finishes first or second.  OR you be one of the top 5 individuals, not on one of the top 2 teams.  SO, my girl finished 4th individually, sending her onto the State meet this weekend.  

We are so proud of her.  She will be running at the State Meet, representing her school.   We are still waiting to find out the last time someone did this for her school!  

Go Get Em Girl!!!!