Pumpkin Time

I have had such a craving for pumpkin  stuff lately!  I don’t know hwat it is, but pumpkin beer, coffee, cookies, muffins, cake, anything pumpkin!

I guess it is because it is everywhere and I can only find it this time of year. Who knows.  Well, this morning I was running late and didn’t have time to make breakfast so I stopped at Dunn Brothers Coffee in Freindswood to fulfill my pumpkin craving.

I would like Pumpkin Latte Drink (kind of like Pumpkin Frappucino) and Pumpkin Muffin please!

Yummy, Pumpkin Muffins!

Question of the day:  What is your favorite pumpkin item?

I got one!

The other day I got an email back from one of the troops in Afghanistan that I sent a care package to!  I really didn’t expect to hear back from any of them, you know since they are fighting for our country and all, but I did!

The email was very sweet and said thank you for the care package and he even invited me to be a friend on Facebook!  Cool! 

He also mentioned my 30 under 30 list and that he thought it was a really cool idea and how he likes the adventure items like skydiving (#10) and the roller coaster (#24)…typical boys loving adventure. lol

I will keep you updated if I get anymore correspondence for them.  God Bless America!

Question of the Day:

Have you ever sent a care package to a soldier overseas?

Run, Run as fast as you can!

These are some running T-Shirts I want.  If I can't find them online somewhere, I will just make them!

-Will Run for Margaritas

- Ready or Not here I run

-I thought they said “RUM”

-13.1 Miles ‘cuz I’m only half crazy.

-Running like the Wind

-I may be slow, but I’m faster than you!

-Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us-Hebrews 12:1

-Pain is temporary, Pride is forever

-Don’t pass me, I’m not in your age group

-The faster you run, the faster you are done!

Question of the Day:

Are there any running shirts that you have seen that are funny?

Haiti mission trip

On Sunday after church I went to a BBQ fundraiser for my New Hope Church’s mission trip to Haiti.  It was in Pearland so I drove over there and met my friend Lynda for lunch. 

I was super hungry so I didn’t get a picture of my plate, but it had a brisket sandwich, potato salad, and beans.  Yummy!  I also just happened to somehow purchase a piece of yellow cake with chocolate icing. ;)   All for $7!  What a deal.

If you would like to donate to the Haiti mission trip you can go to my church’s website and donate. 

McCheesy

I have been creating lots of sandwiches lately.  This one is a twist on my childhood favorites, GRILLED CHEESE!  Instead of having boring sandwich cheese I added Horseradish cheese, Chipotle Gouda cheese (double Yumm-o), avocado, and tomato.

Add one slide of cheese

Add avocado and tomato

Add another piece of buttered bread (butter side up)

Eat and enjoy!

Add butter to one side of bread (butter side down in skillet)

Jump on it, Jump on it

Look at this adorable Chunky Monkey in his bouncy door hanging thing.  So adorable. I went to my sisters on Tuesday night and Cole was jumping in his bouncer. 

Look at those legs! 

Toughest 10K

On Saturday I did my first ever 10K, The Toughest 10K Kemah in fact!  I had only ever ran that far once before (the weekend before) and I was nervous!  I can do it though!

The race is called the Toughest 10K because it is over the Kemah bridge twice (four times completely).

My aunt Laura came, her friend Kim, and my cousin Richard all did the race also.

The race started promptly at 7:30 so we were off!  I felt good and was keeping up with the crowd (the back of the crowd, but the crowd!) and even did great on my first hump of the bridge.  I finished one side of the bridge and was going underneath it to make it to the other side when this guy passed me.  It was the #1 runner that was on his second lap!  Whoo hoo!  I had just finished one side and had 3 more to go and he had only 1 left.  Good for him. 

I didn’t let him defeat me though, I kept going!  I was headed down my second side of the bridge when I saw my family (they were walking the entire race).    I waved to them and kept going. 

On about 4 to 4.5 I started loosing steam.  I drank some Gatorade but I was still getting tired so I ate some Jelly Belly Energy jelly beans and they really helped.  I had tried that Gu stuff before but never the jelly beans.  My aunt had bought them for me before the race and I was so thankful for them then!

I finished my last side of the bridge and ran the last mile to the finish line.  Whew I was tired, but I finished at 1:22.1!!!!!!  I think that’s pretty good for me never running a 5K and it being the toughest 10K in Texas.  At the end of the race they gave me a medal for finishing!  It is my first ever race bling! Isn’t it beautiful!

I wasn’t sure how long my family would take to finish so I went to the restroom (lots of Gatorade and water goes right through me), got some oranges, pretzels, and a water bottle and went the finish line to watch my family finish.

I sat there and didn’t see them so I got up, got a popsicle and hten went back to wait.  It was about 15 minutes til the 2 hour time limit so I texted my aunt ot see where they were.  Surely if they were done they would see my text and come find me at Starbucks.  They didn’t text me back so I thought they must still be on the course.

Well, it was 1 hour 57 minutes when I saw them down the street, I yelled to them to hurry up so you can get an official stop time and a medal for finishing.  My cousin ran to the finish line fast before I could get out my camera.

Here is my aunt running to the finish.

 

Kim running to the finish.

All three of them did end up finishing under the 2 hour time frame and got medals also.  Kim was the last one to finish and as they were putting the medal around her neck she asked “Are you giving this to me because I’m last?” the volunteer said, “No, everyone gets them”. Kim:  “Oh.” LOL, I love that! So funny.

They said that the last mile was really, really stressful since the chase police car was right on them inching their way up closer to them as they tried to finish, pushing them along.  Oh well, at least they finished!

Oh, and as a side note, the winner finished a 6K in the time it takes me to do a 5K.  BOO! Time for me to work on my speediness I guess.

That’s the story of my first ever 10k!!!!!  Hope you enjoyed it.

Upcoming October Races

Wanna run with me?  Please do!  These are the races I am doing in October (so far)

October 1^st – Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K

October 15^th – Friendswood Monster Mash 5K

October 16^th – Houston Texans Run with the Bulls 5K

October 22^nd – Run for Your Life 5K

I might do another race the weekend of the 29^th, but I am not sure.  I plan on going to SFA for homecoming but that might change.  If not, look for a race that weekend also!

Running for Cupcakes

At work one of the guys were talking about this new cupcake store that opened in Friendswood called Rise Cupcakes, so I decided to check them out.  Since my race on Saturday I have not run at all this week, (Lazy, Lazy, Lazy Stephanie) so I decided that I was going to run to it last night. 

I thought the cupcake store was about 2 miles from my house, so it would be about a 4 mile total run.  I. Was. Wrong.  It is a 2.72 mile run ONE WAY!  That would be 5.44 miles total. YIKES! Obviously I know that I can run 6.2 miles without stopping so this should have been a problem, but it was.  Between my house and the road 2351 there is about .1 miles of sidewalk, and the rest is unpacked and uneven grass, brides (where you have to cross WITH the traffic-scary!), ferocious dogs, and cars!  Oh the cars!  Sometimes the weeds were to thick so I would have to cross the street so I could continue on.  Lots of criss crossing and waiting for cars to clear so I could cross.

Finally, after 2.72 miles I got to Rise Cupcakes!  The store is beautiful and very chic.  The staff was very friendly, especially since I walked in dripping of sweat and huffing and puffing.  They thought it was funny that I actually ran there, they said most people just joke about it but I actually did it.  They closed in about 15 minutes so I had to be sure and get my cupcake.

I really didn’t feel much like eating (I usually don’t after running) but I was determined to eat my freakin’ cupcake! I earned it.  They only had 3 flavors left since they ran out of all the other ones, so I had Vanilla.   Check out the menu from their website, it has all of the great flavors.

I wanted to eat my cupcake there (since I couldn’t take it with me) they put it on a really cute plate and I sat down to eat it with my water bottle.   I only ate a few bites before I couldn’t eat any more.  It was good, but I can’t really eat right after my run but I ate about ¼ of it (plus icing!) before I stopped.  Next time I will have to go without being tired from running.  I actually think we are going to go at lunch time today!

Everyone needs to visit Rise Cupcakes in Friendswood, I met one of the owner’s last night and she was super sweet.  Go check them out!

Sandwich Creations

This is my favorite new sandwich! I literally have had it 5 days in a row.  It’s a Almond Butter and Apricot Jelly sandwich with Frosted Flakes added for a crunch.  YUMMY! 

I had heard that Almond Butter is really good and just as healthy as Peanut Butter so I thought I would check it out.  The Frosted Flakes were just a last minute add-in because I didn’t have a banana ßweird substitution for a banana, I know.

Question of the Day:

Do you have any weird things that you add to your foods?

Hikin’ In Garner State Park

What? What?! Why yes, I did knock off another item of my 30 before 30 list…thank you for asking!  # 23 in fact.  That’s right; I have 5 down and 25 more to go!

At the front entrance to the Park, it’s a tradition that we take a nice picture by the sign and a funny picture of us trying to jump at the same time (that one didn’t work out so well so I won’t paste it).

I love Garner State Park and I have always loved the mountain (hill?) Old Baldy.  My mom says that I climbed it when I was a kid but I don’t remember doing it so I did it again!  However, no one told me that you are supposed to bring a rock with you to the top and sign your name to it and leave it up there with you.  I will have to go back and do that, but for now I completed my mission!

Wanna see some pics? Ok, let’s dive right in.

A trail hike is not complete with our sunscreen, trail mix, and Gatorade

At the trail head of Old Baldy, we are about to start!!!!!

My friend Kathy at the trail head

This is the view from about ¼ of the way to the top.

Steep part of the trail.  Be careful not to slip and slide.

It’s yours truly!!

This is near the bear cave entrance

View from ½ way to the top

At bear cave-I don’t see how a bear could fit in there.  Maybe bat cave but no bear cave.

 

Me on top of the world!

Me and Kathy at the top of hill (this is where the pile of rocks with everyones name on it).

View from the top-Beautifully breathtaking

I hope you enjoyed #23 on my list! 5 down, 25 to go. Visit Garner State Park soon, I know you will love it too!

Question of the Day:

Is there any place you have always wanted to hike?

Superman….errr Supercat!

I took Jabba’s picture this morning.  He is a nut. Does this remind you of someone?!

SuperCat!!!!!!!!!!!!  LOL! This is actually one of his favorite ways to take a nap or lay down.  I catch him like this all the time and it’s my favorite.

Question of the Day:

Does your pet do any silly things or sit/lay in weird positions?

We Run these Streets

Last Thursday night my friend Hector and I drove up to Nacogdoches, TX to visit Driving Jacks.  What is Driving Jacks you ask?   Well, Driving Jacks is a non profit designated driver program that is FREE to all students and Stephen F. Austin State University and also anyone that lives in Nacogdoches (or visiting).  Driving Jacks runs completely on donations and sponsorships so students can focus on getting home safely.  Read the Driving Jacks mission here or learn how you or your company can sponsor Driving Jacks here.

I actually helped start Driving Jacks when I attended SFA.  I was in Student Government and they made an announcement about wanting to start a designated driver program at SFA like at Texas A & M (their program is calling C.A.R.P.O.O.L.). 

On January 25^th, 2007 Driving Jacks gave their first ride and to date has given over 11,000 rides!!!!!   Hector and I were both Presidents of Driving Jacks at one time so we went to surprise all the members.  It was super fun!

Since I left in 2007 Driving Jacks has had two offices, this one being the biggest and best yet!  I was so jealous of the room (we originally got a little desk and a corner of a lounge area…that was before they realized how COOL we really are). Now Driving Jacks has some sweet diggs.

I was running late (as always) and Hector stopped at Walmart to pick out a gift for them.  I believe it was a game and some lime green colored items for parties (forks, cups, table cloths-all Driving Jacks become OBSESSED with lime green by the end of the semester).

These are all of the trophies Driving Jacks has won over the 4 ½ years it has been operating.  I think they have gotten organization of the year 4 years in a row!!  There is also a picture of Amy Shields and her favorite poem (Amy Shields was one of the founding members that got killed by a drunk driver the fall semester of her senior year.  Amy never got to see Driving Jacks in operations, but her parents come to events throughout the year-for more of the Amy Shields story go here).

These are my favorite promotional item I saw that night!  Bumber ribbon magnets!!!!!!!!!!  I have now attached one ot my car!  The inside of the ribbon is a magnet for your refridgerator.  I just love these things.

This is me and Hector with our friends Britney (current President) and Garrett (VP).

Pic of the some of the faithful Driving Jacks that were working on the first night of the semester (Driving Jacks operates on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights from 10 pm to 3 am during the semester only)

Me and Brittney! Past and current Presidents-ladies represent!

Hector and Brittney

Me and Hector posing

Miss you SFA!! 

Driving Jacks is a great program that is very rewarding to be a part of.  For more information about bring a program like Driving Jacks to your school or town go to www.SRPU.edu

Remember, Driving Jacks only runs on donations so if you have some change to spare-DONATE!! J

No Veggie No ‘Mo

Today marks the end of my 1 month of being a VEGETARIAN!!!!!  Whoo hooo!!  I made it.  I get to mark one more off my 30 Under 30 List.

In addition to being a vegetarian for a month I wanted to learn more about the food industry and why some people choose to be vegetarian in the first place.

To do this I focused watched the movie Food Inc. and read the book Skinny Bitch. Both made me think very hard about what I have been putting in my body for the last 29 years.  So I decided for the time being to stay a semi-vegetarian.  Semi? Yes, semi. 

When I went out with friends I always felt it was a hassle to ask the waiter for special accommodations.  It was always a great conversation starter as to why I was doing it and it always led me back to the list.  So now I am being a semi vegetarian.  I am not going to worry about what it is I am eating for that one meal, because overall I am making a difference.  If I go on a date and can’t find something to eat, I won’t make a big deal out of it, I will just eat fish or something. No big deal.  I do plan on eating fish now (during the 30 days I didn’t) especially shell fish because I love shrimp, crab, and crawfish way to much to give them up completely. 

So let’s look back to what I have been eating for the past 30 days shall we?!  Yummy, Yummy, get in my Tummy!!!

Bean Nachos-OMG I love these and have to have them all the time!

Bean Burrito bowl from Bullrito’s filled with lettuce, jalapeños, cheese, beans, corn salsa, green salsa, red salsa, and pico di gaieo (sp?)

Fried Pickles and ranch dressing-one of 4 my appetizers that made a meal.

Habanera Margarita-All I can say is YUMMMMMMMYYYYY!  Can’t wait to go back to get another one.  Yes, that is an actual real fresh jalapeno sitting on top of the margarita.

Luby’s Vegetable Soup and Salad-This was day 5 because I posted it on my Facebook page.

Vegetarian sushi X’s 2-Love, Love, Love sushi!

Salad Xpress-salad bar with yummy toppings that if I wouldn’t have been a vegetarian I probably would have never tried such as chickpeas, bean sprouts, field peas, and beets.  Many other things were included on the salad like romaine lettuce (always had gotten iceberg before), tomatoes, cucumbers, black and green olives, onions, eggs, and broccoli.

Spinach quesadillas with whole wheat tortilla, steamed zucchini and squash, with corn salsa

Sweet potato, spinach, and bean enchiladas.  It was an interesting combination, but I’m not sure that I would make it again.

Stuffed Veggie Avocado-normally I would have gotten a beef stuffed avocado, but this one was oh, so good!

Veggie sandwich from Jimmy John’s with salt and vinegar chips and tea.  The sandwich was huge!

Whole Wheat Waffles with peanut butter and trail mix.

  Most importantly, who can live without water in a FLAMINGO cup?