Ironman Training - Digging Deep

Ironman is getting close. I can hardly believe that it has been ten full months of training!! Ten! I have been training hard for *pretty much* six days out of the week, for ten months. I am not a mathematician  so I won't crunch the numbers, but I think that many days is close to a million. Or at least it feels like it. Honestly, though, I have loved almost every minute. The days that I did not want to train were few and far between. Luckily, these past ten months have flown by. I have worked hard, put in my time, and enjoyed the grueling schedule of endurance training.

In the past few weeks I have accomplished some things that were FAR beyond my comfort zone and WAY into my "impossible's".

Here are my milestones:

I ran 28 miles (with my Ironman training gals). It took us 5 hrs 40 min.

I biked 116 miles. It took us a million hours. Or 8 hrs. I'm not sure which one yet.

I swam 3 miles. It took us around 2 hrs 50 min, I think.

Here we are after running 28 miles

If you would have asked me a year ago if I would be running 28 miles, riding a bike for 8 hrs, or swimming for 3 miles....I would have called you crazy. Those things are NOT things that Crystal does!! At least not ten months ago Crystal.

I feel like a new person. Not because I ran, biked, or swam those distances. The physical was actually not that hard. I am different because I had the courage and determination to do it. I didn't give up. I finished what I started. I get to carry around in me the courage that it took to begin and not give up. I get to carry around my new found determination. I get to hold onto that power I found of digging for more of yourself when you just don't think you have any more left.  I did what I had always known was impossible. However, impossible is only impossible...until it's not. Right?

The whole reason I even began training for Ironman was to get to that point. I am so close now that I can taste it. I know that Ironman day won't be easy. I know I will still have to dig even deeper than I have yet. I am ready. I am ready for my impossible to be possible.

Mommy In Training

Sisters. 

There is something about being a big sister.

I am a big sister and I remember thinking that my little sis was more than just a sibling. She was like my wanna-be child. I wanted to mother her way more than be her sister. At least most of the time. 

And now that I have my own house of kids, I am seeing the same pattern.

Gracie loves her baby sister.

She acts like it is her own child so much of the time.

She wants to hold her, feed her, clothe her, diaper her, bathe her. Most of all, though, she wants to love her. She wants her baby sister to know that she loves her.

It truly warms my heart. 

Sisters.

There is just something about being a sister.

Myleigh Turns 5 - Part 1

Myleigh Hope turned five! I am still trying to truly believe that she is five years old! They really do "grow up so fast"! She wanted her hair straightened for her big day, so I made her famous curls straight. It was hard for me but she was so happy!!

The cutie-pie wanted to eat at CoCo's Crepes. YUM!! We stuffed ourselves with chocolate and fruit crepes!   

Then we decided to have Grandma picture time. Here she is with her Mimi.

And here she is with her Nanna.

Cake time!! I *tried* to make a Frozen cake and failed miserably. At some point I need to put the picture on Pinstrosity. Luckily we were able to buy a Frozen cake last minute. 

She had a fun night! We aren't doing parties this year and I was worried that the kids might feel less "birthday-ed". Nope! We have had a blast keeping it low key. I mean....look at those smiles!!

Happy 5th Birthday, kiddo! 

Speaking Delanish

Delaney has her very own special language. Actually it is almost entirely one word turned into an entire vocabulary.

 Here is your guide to speaking Delanish:

Dad: da-da

Bye-bye: Die-die

Yes: da

I want that: daaaa

Peek-a-boo: Pa-ba

I love you: daa-daa (and always blows a kiss)

Hey: DA

Stop(when referring to a sibling): DAAAA

Mama: ma-ma

Mimi: Meh-meh

Paw-paw: pa-pa

She also has her own way of telling someone she is thirsty! She simply opens her mouth as wide as possible (and as long as possible) and hopes for a drink to appear!

Duck Dynasty Birthday Party

Since One year olds cannot decide on themes for a birthday party, I took the opportunity to do something that I would want to do!! AND.....since we LOVE Duck Dynasty in our house, we thought it would be fun, fun, fun to have a party - Duck Dynasty style!

irst things first, I had to send out invites. I wanted Duck Dynasty but with a verrrry girly approach. Frilly, pink Duck Dynasty. So I scoured the internet until I came across a camo/bachelorette invite. It was the perfect combo of pink/classy/camo!

Then I spent hours upon hours researching pinterest for creative ideas. I love this part. It gets my creative juices flowing and I feel like I could move mountains!! I get SO MANY ideas and get super excited about making my ideas come to life!

Finally I get to buy and decorate. It wasn't hard to find things for decorations. I think we all know that. Duck Dynasty stuff is EVERYWHERE, y'all. It was kinda hard NOT to buy stuff.

My hubby was amazing (as usual) and built us a HUGE Duck Dynasty sign (like they have on their warehouse). We put it up on our walkway up to our front door. It was massively impressive, if I do say so myself!

Here we are tacking the paper to the wood slats.

Partially done!

All done!

The hubby found some free fence slats on craigslist. Then he cut them to correct size and nailed them into a sign. We printed out the letters on paper and cut out the inside printed parts. Finally, we tacked the paper to the wood slats and spray painted! Voila!

Then it was time to collect party decorations. I don't like it when I have to piece together decorations because my theme isn't available. However, I equally don't like it when there are TONS of decorations with my theme. I have a hard time sticking to a budget and not just buying every stinking thing I see!! As every person in America knows....Duck Dynasty stuff is everywhere. I had a hard time deciding what Duck Dynasty things I would buy to make my party look very festive but not cost me a trillion dollars. One of the most important items on my list was Uncle Si cups to use/give away as party gifts. I needed 24 cups. Not a cheap purchase. I bought cups SEVERAL times and took them back each time. None of my purchases truly even resembled his famous plastic cup. And the ones that were authentic were only available online for an OUTRAGEOUS cost. However, just like all good stories, the moment I was about to give up on my idea I happened to stumble upon perfection. Uncle Si plastic cups....for (pretty) cheap!!!

Here are my cups, ready to party!

 Then I gathered as many of the cheapest decorations I could find. Walmart had wrapping paper, books, etc. I figured I could do something creative with it? I knew that I wanted the party to look "back-woods Louisiana-ish". So I found a moss tree and stole a trash bag full of moss. I went to the park and gathered as many nice branches/sticks that I could find. Green, pink, and camo tablecloths and butcher paper were next on my list. I found some old stuffed animals and luckily found a squirrel and duck!! I borrowed some boots, a barrel, and some netting from a family member. A few ACTUAL Duck Dynasty items found their way into the budget and soon I was being swallowed by bags and bags of party decor!!!

 The week before the party I creatively tried to put all of my cheap decorations together. It came out much better than I expected!

My HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY sign made from cut-out foam board

From one of the Duck Dynasty Word of Wisdom books that I found at Walmart, I cut the pages out and put them inside dollar store frames. Then I used some small sticks and hot-glued them to make a "rustic" frame.

My next creations were my "trays". I wrapped the butcher paper around cardboard. Then I used more sticks and hot-glued them to create the outside of the tray. I used these trays for my cups, bags of chips, and the marshmallows for the chocolate fountain (aka - tire mud).

Next was the cake. I really wanted to have the cake stand high on the table so I asked my hubby to make me a stand out of wood. Then I bought a chocolate cake and placed the Uncle Si bobble head on top. Then I threw some moss, some old plastic vines, and a few pinecones around the table! Easy-peasy!

 Another part of the party was my weekly pictures. Again, I wanted it to be "rustic" so I (well the hubby) hung 52 pictures from some huge branches.

The weekly pictures hanging

The take home cups

The party was so much fun!! We played "redneck" games and ate tons of food.

We played:

1. Shoot the birds (with a marshmallow shooter)

2. Throw a ball at the deer

3. Spitting seeds into a bucket

4. Washers

It was so much fun!!

Happy Happy happy Birthday to our Delaney Love!!!

Birthday girl and her daddy

Birthday girl and her mommy

Daddy-Daughter Dance

My sweet Gracie got to go to a daddy-daughter dance at Lifetime gym. For months she was excited about this event. It gave me some serious previews for what to expect during homecoming/prom/wedding time. Sigh. She is so much like me when it comes to big events like this. She is THRILLED to get very dressed up and wants every detail perfect. For weeks she fretted over what she would wear. She dreamed and imagined what the night would entail. She even irrationally worried about her dress getting messed up!! All things that I (used to) do. It is hard for me to remember that she is only seven years old sometimes. 

The big night came and we spent hours in front of the mirror. I try to incorporate the wisdom that outside appearances are not as important as inside; however, it is fun to get pretty and we did just that.....we had fun. We giggled and played in the make-up. I curled her hair. She used perfume. Except for the (very expected) meltdown about her hair not being perfect and her dress not feeling comfortable, we had the best time!!

And.....just like a true mother....I took TONS of pictures.

Her "bow" half up-do

Twirling

Twirling

And....more twirling

My beautiful princess

Can't have a daddy-daughter dance without the Daddy

He loves his Gracie!!

They came home with memories they will keep for a lifetime.  I know she will keep in her heart that her first dance was shared with her first love.....her daddy.