The following post was inspired by a question presented to me on Facebook, see below…
Becky, first of all let me start by saying – being a mommy & finding the time to run is quite the chore! Time for yourself is hard to come by when you work full-time, are a wife, a mom, a chef, keeping the house clean, doing the laundry, and the list goes on & on! Its just absolutely crazy busy. Honestly, the only solution I have found to work is this…
Ryan & I rotate out mornings that we run. I will typically get up around 5:45, which I’m not going to lie is very hard to do! I either go to the gym by 6ish and run on the treadmill 3 to 5 miles and then lift a few weights. Or, now that its lighter earlier, running outside is an option again. (I’m a scaredy cat and won’t run outside alone in the dark.) I don’t get to run or work out every day…I just can’t. But doing every other day seems to work just fine for us. Plus it gives your body time to rest. Then, on Saturday’s we take turns running our long runs….8-10 miles. Sometimes when Jen is home, Ryan & I run together…or Jen runs w/me. But seriously, getting it out of the way first thing in the morning seems to be the best option for us. Because after work, you are not only tired from the day, but you have to do dinner, kids’ baths, etc. Plus, I want to spend as much time as possible in the evenings together as a family…playing with the girls, watching TV with Ryan, and just chilling! So, getting it done while they sleep in the mornings works perfectly. I will say that when we were living in Quitman and commuting to Tyler (barf) – mornings weren’t an option b/c we already were getting up so early so we could leave Quitman by 6:30 to head to work! So, nights were the only option at that time….so we would wait until after the girls were in bed, and then hit the treadmill, otherwise known as the dreadmill. Sometimes we’d be out there at 10 p.m….ugh. I am SOOOO glad, for multiple reasons – many of which don’t pertain to running at all, that is not the case anymore! I love to run in the morning because it just helps me to get the day going on the right foot (pardon the pun) and I feel healthier and have more energy throughout the day. Plus, if you throw some worship music on your ipod and also use it as your quiet time – its even better! So there is how we fit it into our crazy schedule…it works for us. I know every situation is different for everyone, but I hope this helps you somewhat! Other mommy’s out there…I’d love to hear what works for you! How do you fit working out into your schedule?
Here is a pic of Becky & her husband John that I took about a year ago at our coffee shop in Q-town…Studio Java after the Cents 4 Sophie 5K….
Oh, one more thing Becky…we are planning to do the Austin Capitol 10k next April…you guys should join us!
Until next time…run on!
Love, Traci
This picture was in the girls’ school newsletter that came out this month. It just totally cracks me up! Kamryn is obviously having a blast painting her pumpkin! And the sweet girl next to her is looking at her like she’s lost her mind! Hahaha. I think she has more paint on her face and hands than on the paper plate. Her teachers must do an awesome job cleaning her up before she comes home in the afternoons, because I had no idea this happened until I saw this pic! My kids are sooooo crazy! They bring so much joy into our lives.
Yay! Ryan & I are now officially registered for the Dallas White Rock Half Marathon. The race is Sunday, December 13 – it begins and ends at Victory Park at the American Airlines Center. My dad, sister and several of our friends are running as well. Woohoo! I’ve always wanted to do this race. Ryan ran in it the year I was pregnant with Kamryn….it was actually very close to my due date, so he carried his cell phone the whole time in case I went into labor! My dad, sister, and older brother have all run in it a few times too.
Race day is only 6 weeks away…let the training begin to another 13.1! Lately, my running schedule has been something like this:
Run 3 to 5 miles 2 to 3 times a week at the gym. I try to lift weights and do abs while I’m there too. Then on Saturdays, run longer outside – somewhere between 6-10 miles. So for the next 6 weeks, I’ll try to up my mileage to 5 miles – 3 times a week and then 8-13 miles on the weekends. I’ve been working on my speed lately. I ran 3 miles the other night at 8:22 pace…which, for me, is blazing! 2 Saturdays ago, I ran 10 miles at 9:12 pace. My pace at San Fran was around 9:45, so if I can beat that at White Rock, I’ll be happy! I’m always just excited to finish.
So far, the people I know that are doing this race are: me, Ryan, Dad, Jen, Jessica, Kyle, Justin & Jana. If you are running it, let me know. It will be great to see familiar faces as we set out for 13.1!
Another eventful weekend! They say (whoever “they” are) that this time of year has more parties than any of the other months. I believe it! Showers, parties, festivals, OH MY!
We went to my cousin Kacie’s wedding shower this weekend in Quitman. Our family is growing like crazy! Weddings & new babies have been the theme of the Skinner clan recently. Its awesome! We also went to Jeff’s birthday dinner at my parents house on Saturday night…can’t believe this guy is 19. Wow, that makes me feel old.
This evening, we took the girls to the Block Party across the street from our house at the park. Our church, along with several other Tyler churches, put on this event each year for Halloween. Our community group did the ring toss booth as well. It was fun! The girls wore their new costumes, courtesy of Grandma Clark. Addi was a princess (shocker) and Kamryn was Snow White.
Next weekend, for Halloween, we will head to Q-town for Trunk or Treat on Lane Street….another round of costume-wearing, candy-eating fun! Then, its date night for Ryan & I! Not sure what we’ll do yet…we have been invited to a costume party & we may go catch a scary movie. Yay, I love date nights! A lot going on this time of year….hard to believe Thanksgiving & Christmas are just around the corner.
On another note, we will be registering for Dallas White Rock 1/2 marathon this week. Which means, we will be stepping up our training over the next couple of months. Since San Fran, we’ve been steady with our running routine, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to get back up to 13.1 by December. Plus, we have the Turkey Trot (8 miles) coming up on Thanksgiving day. The cooler weather has been awesome for running!
Have a great week friends & family! Love to all.
Traci
For those of you that have been following Ryan’s cousin, Aaron & Jamie’s story of adoption from Haiti, please read Aaron’s latest blog here. STORY IS HOME! So, so awesome. However, she really needs our prayers….she is very sick and in the hospital right now. Please join us in praying for this sweet girl. Also, pray for Jamie as she has got to be SO very exhausted. You can see some pics of their amazing homecoming arrival at the Austin airport that Tim, Aaron’s brother, took on his blog here. I love it! Wish we could have been there. We love you Ivey’s!
We had a great time in Dallas last night celebrating w/Danny & Kelly at their beautiful wedding. Addi & Kam had a blast dancing the night away! Ryan got a video of our dancing queens, but its rather large & needs editing…so I’ll try to get that posted soon too. Its adorable!
Hello friends & family! I don’t know about all of you, but I am happy its Friday. The weather here is awesome today – a cool & crisp Fall day, just the way I like it. I can’t say it enough – I love this time of year!
We have a busy weekend up ahead! Tonight is fajita night at the Dixon casa…another recipe Ryan has mastered. Also, Jen comes home from California this evening, so we’ll be picking her up at the airport…its nice living in a town that has an airport again! Saturday, I SHOULD be running in the Tyler 1/2 marathon, but due to various reasons that I won’t bore you with, we will just be running a long run from our house instead…which is fine by me! But I would like to wish Lauren & Amanda best of luck! Can’t wait to hear how it goes, and hopefully I will be able to join you guys next year. Anyways, back to the weekend…Saturday evening, one of my cousins, Danny, is getting married in Dallas. It will be a blast to see everyone in the fam as we celebrate w/Danny & Kelly! Ryan, the girls, and I are driving up there tomorrow afternoon for the wedding & reception…then, we have to drive back home afterwards – yikes! Pray that the girls will be troopers b/c they will be up WAY past their bedtime. And pray for our patience as we travel in the car with them! Sunday morning, Ryan has a live recording gig. Higher Trails (Joe Wayne Reynold’s band) is performing at a cowboy church here in Tyler and wants to make a live CD. How fun! Ryan is excited to have this unique opportunity & I know he will do a killer job…he always does. Sunday evening, our community group from church is having a cookout at the park which will be a lot of fun. We really look forward to building relationships within this group! So yes, as you can see – its gonna be a busy weekend for the Dixon’s.
I’ll leave you with a few updates/prayer requests…
-Memaw Bade (my Dad’s mother) is still in the hospital, but improving daily. They ran more tests, so we should have more answers hopefully today. Please continue to pray for her & for my Dad as he is at the hospital with her.
-Ryan had his 30th birthday this week! He’s the cutest, most handsomest, bestest husband I could ask for & I continually thank God for blessing me with such a great man & partner to share this life with.
-My poor Mom has a severe sinus/bronchial/ear infection and has been home sick for several days. Pray that she gets better soon…we don’t like it when Grandma’s sick!
-We got to have dinner this week with Gena Smith, which was great. She was in town as she takes courses at a college near Tyler. Its neat to catch up and visit with old friends!
-Kamryn tee tee’d on the potty this morning! It was SO cute. I know…sounds strange to say that someone going tee tee is cute…but you Mom’s know what I’m talking about! Ryan got her out of bed and her diaper was dry – so he just asked her if she wanted to go on the potty and she said “uh huh”, so he took her – and she went! She was so proud of herself…what a doll. Looks like she may be easy to train!
-If you haven’t heard or read it yet – Aaron & Jamie have a VISA appointment next week for Story, their baby girl they are adopting from Haiti! Please continue to pray for them through this process and also for Amos, that things would speed up so they can bring him home soon as well. Also, Jamie if you are reading this – the box of clothes is on its way!
-Texas better stomp OU this weekend. And of course, I’m hopeful for a big win against Nebraska on Saturday – GO RAIDERS!
-I’ve been slacking on the picture taking lately, but I got this the other night w/my iphone and I just love their faces! Gotta love baby bath pics…
That’s all for now! Have a great weekend! Love & hugs.
Ryan and I had a great weekend getaway,camping at Beavers Bend in Broken Bow, OK. We had such an awesome time! It was so nice to escape to a place where there is no schedules, no responsibilities, no TV, no stress…nothing but peaceful sounds of nature, the smell of campfire, beautiful scenery, good food, and the ability to just focus on each other. Seriously, its just good for the soul. Not to mention great for a marriage! We set some new goals for our marriage and for parenting…and have come back with a renewed vigor for life.
I had such a blast watching the little boy come out of Ryan as he put together our tent and built our fire each night & morning. He loves camping and everything about it…his smile the whole time, made the trip even more worth it. Friday afternoon, we got down there in time to set up camp and get the fire going before it got dark. Ryan cooked us sausages and beans on the fire…no girly food allowed here! For dessert, we were all pumped to cook some s’mores and then we had a creepy little visitor. Ricky raccoon seriously jumped up on our picnic table, stuck his nasty germ-infested head in our food box, took out the whole bag of marshmallows and ran off! Are you kidding me?! So, we did what any true campers “roughing it’ would do…we got in our car, found the nearest grocery store with our Garmin, and drove to town to purchase some more! And boy was it worth it…the s’mores were amazing. Nothing beats charred marshmallows. Saturday, we got up with the sunrise and made coffee and breakfast burritos. Mmmm, coffee in the woods on a brisk morning while you are overlooking a flowing river – heavenly. Then, we headed out to hike some trails. I’m not sure how we do it, but we always seem to get off track when we hike, it never fails. We ended up on a different trail from the one we started on and it took twice as long! But it was a ton of fun b/c we got to cross a really pretty brook and hike up some pretty steep hillsides that we would have missed otherwise. That afternoon, we took a canoe ride down the river, which was definitely the highlight of the trip. Basically, you just sit back and the river floats you along about 2.5 miles back to the place where you dock. Such a beautiful and very peaceful experience. That evening, Ryan cooked probably the best fajitas I’ve ever had. Peppers, onions, steak, black beans, grilled tortillas…all on the campfire.
The weather there was chilly, but not too cold…just right for camping! The leaves are changing colors – beautiful oranges, reds, yellows, etc. It was fun taking pics here. We took most of them with our phones, since our camera battery died the first day! Bummer. I do have to add that it felt kind of weird to have my iPhone while camping…I still was able to check email, Facebook, and get online to check the Tech score. (By the way – GO RAIDERS!) While we were canoeing, I got an email & then later a text. That just seems so wrong! Hehe.
Thanks to Grandma, Jen, and Jeff for watching our girls so we could have this time away. And for those of you who haven’t been to Beavers Bend that live here in East Texas – you should definitely go! Only takes about 3 hours to get there and its such a neat place. Here are some pics for our weekend. We’re hoping to do this once or twice a year!
This morning, we went to Pappy’s Pumpkin Patch at Bell Family Farm here in Tyler. It was such a cute place! These people just open their farm with all of this fun stuff for kids as a service to the community on the weekends in October and bonus…its all free! Hayrides, pumpkin patch, kiddie train, playground, pumpkin carving, etc. Although the girls weren’t in the best of moods (Addi’s been sick w/a cold & Kam’s had pink eye), I did manage to get some good pics. Such a beautiful day! I absolutely love this weather. Enjoy the pics…and enjoy your weekend!
~ i love this time of year…change of seasons to the fall (YES!) and football season. i posted a blog a long time ago about reasons i love fall & winter.
~ both of our football teams lost this weekend. boo!
~ lots of birthdays coming up! my dad, jen, ryan, jeff – all over the next few weeks.
~ 1 of my cousin’s has a wedding in dallas, 1 of my other cousin’s has a wedding shower, and another cousin has a baby due all in october!
~ ryan & i are going camping in t-minus 12 days…we’ll be heading to beaver’s bend for a peaceful weekend alone!
~ a few of my very best friends have 5k’s this upcoming weekend. good luck danny, ashley, & rachel! let me know how it goes. i’m so proud of all of you.
~ ryan & i have started lifting weights at the gym at his work. its nice, not to mention free! trying to incorporate more cross-training in along side my running.
~ ryan made these chicken enchiladas the other day & they were absolutely amazing…you should definitely add this to your recipe book.
~ addi’s teeth & gums are healing nicely…it looks almost back to normal & she doesn’t seem to be in any more pain. whew!
~ ryan & i have officially joined grace community church this weekend. we love the values & vision of the church & are pumped to get more involved. ryan has been helping on occasion w/the audio. we also plan to join a small group in a couple of weeks…looking forward to being part of community again.
~ rumor has it that we may be enjoying this on saturday night in celebration of jen’s bday!
~ the office this season has been hilarious thus far…i love this show!
~ the girls love to watch videos in our bed while i’m getting ready. so i will end this post with a pic of my cutie pie punkins cuddled together in “momma & daddy’s bed.” have a great week friends! until next time…
