How we spent the last day of the year + most importantly…

2018 is here!  I cannot wait to see what is up ahead for all of us this year!  I have a feeling we are all going to have one of our best years of running ever this year… anyone else feeling like that?

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I can fully, 100% say without any exaggerations that breastfeeding makes me 3 times as hungry (and thirsty) as marathon training does.  I’m trying to remember if I felt this way with Brooke when I was able to breastfeed her but I’m hungry.  Three eggs and a Kodiak Cakes waffle for my first breakfast of the day!

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Skye just kicked back and relaxed for her Sunday morning.  I love how alert she is getting!

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After breakfast I went through Brooke’s room to pack up all of her old toys (for Skye once she is older:) to make room for her toys from Christmas.  I think that the feeling of organizing a room is almost equivalent to the feeling I get after a really good run.

And then Skye and I drove up to Salt Lake City to get Brookie.  Knox and Andrew went to church:)

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I listened to this podcast (I’ve gotten behind on my Oprah!!!) and it was SO good.  I really loved what this guy had to share… check it out and let me know what you think.

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Like always, it felt really really good to have Brooke back home again.

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Brooke had three people that she was most excited to see:

1.  Her sister.

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2.  Knox.

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3.  Beretta.  Yes, our family considers her a person;)

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She’s just one of the crew.

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Brooke enjoyed her donut that Knox picked out for her.

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And a little later on I enjoyed some chocolate from Mer while Skye got her foot massage from Andrew.

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I could never ever get sick of this view.

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I spoke too soon the other day because Utah has actually warmed up and cleared up a lot so we decided to go on a short walk!

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The kids rode their bikes and Skye was in her Mutsy stroller that I am obsessed with.  I will write a full review once we test it out a bit more but there are going to be thousands of walks together with this stroller.

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The kids celebrated the new year (at 6:30 pm) with sparklers.

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Andrew and I celebrated the New Year with the most delicious cinnamon rolls (the Rhodes Rolls ones).

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MOST IMPORTANTLY TODAY… HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MER!!!  I can’t wait to celebrate with you:)

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Happy New Year everyone!  I hope today is the perfect start to your 2018!

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Did you stay up until midnight last night?

-Not even remotely close.

What are you doing today (do you have the day off?!)?

What was the last thing that you listened too… podcast or music in the car or on a run?

Feel free to tell Mer happy birthday, she is a reader of this blog:)

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56 comments

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Happy New Year & happy birthday to Mer!! She’s the cutest.

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Happy Birthday to Mer!
Today is work and a treadmill run………because for some crazy reason it is 14 in Tennessee right now. And only a high of 30 something all week. What is the deal? Is it summer yet?

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Happy birthday, Mer, from Truro, Nova Scotia!

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happy birthday to you, beautiful mer!!! i LOVE when you make an appearance on the blog! will you PLEASSSSSE do a guest post sometime?!?! hope you enjoy your day and feel so special and loved!

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Happy, happy birthday Mer! Happy New Year Janae to you and your lovely family :-)

Podcast wise you introduced me to Up and Vanished which my husband and I loved. Payne Lindsey has a new podcast- Atlanta Monster coming out January 5th and I can’t wait to listen to it!

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Happy birthday Mer! I hope it’s a great day for you! We made it to 11. It would have been much earlier but my kids really wanted to stay up. When did my kids get old enough to make it to 11?!
Last thing I listened to was 90s pop on Pandora for our family New Year’s eve and it was excellent!

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Happy birthday, Mer!!
Skye’s little outfit with the sweater jacket and pants is so stinkin’ cute (as is Skye, and the rest of you, for that matter!)
I am jealous of your weather! I took my little guy out in his stroller just once this year (He’s almost two months old). We’re in a deep freeze! It makes hibernating during maternity leave extra snuggly, though.
I was up at midnight, but I was feeding the baby. We went to bed at nine, but he’s still on a 2-3 hour schedule. Boy needs to eat! haha
Breastfeeding also makes me super hungry. I can always tell when my baby is going through a growth spurt because he’s cranky all day and I am RAVENOUS. I think it feels different than marathon (or even ultra) hunger. Breastfeeding hunger feels like an emergency to me — like, if I don’t eat something substantial RIGHT NOW, I’m going to wither away :)

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Yes, I stayed up til midnight… but on my couch next to the fireplace with the cats and a book. Wind chill was like -7° last night, so I was NOT leaving the house.

Catching up on video editing today and attempting a 5 mile run at the gym. Glad it will most likely be filled with folks trying to get healthy for the new year, but also selfishly hopeful that I can get a treadmill. (Yes, thankful for the day off!)

Honestly – last thing I listened to was music in the shower, which I always always do. Haha

Happy birthday, Mer!

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Nah. I have learned from experience that the nights when you’re “supposed” to have fun are never the ones when you ACTUALLY have fun. So I helped my dad renovate his living room all day then was in bed with a book by 9pm.
Today is my last day of break! Back to teacher lyfe tomorrow. I need to get a run in today, but it is -10 outside so clearly I am going to have to hit a treadmill at the gym.
I listened to Ali on the Run’s episode about her california road trip in the car yesterday. I did a similar road trip a few years back, and experienced a lot of the same realizations along the way.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MER! hope it’s an awesome one!

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Happy New Year to you all, and happy birthday, Mer! We celebrated New Years Eve with friends and our neighbors and stayed up until 2.30 am. I slept in a bit, and I went for a run with my running buddies. It was sunny but windy. We had to run through big puddles on the pad we chose. Cold but fun, once my feet were wet (I’m not a mud lover at all). Great that you could go for a walk with Skye in the stroller. Now I’m trying to make myself fold a mountain of clean wash, while listening to the radio.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MER!

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Happy new year, Janae! And happy birthday to Mer! :)

I didn’t even come close to staying up until midnight yesterday, and I’m totally OK with the extra sleep I got! I have off work today and will probably go for a walk at the beach this afternoon before the College Football Playoff.

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Happy Birthday, Mer!

I wish Mer would write a blog, too. :-) The things she would have to tell us!

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Happy birthday Mer! Happy new year everyone!!!

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Nope. I went to bed at my normal time around 9:30. I’m glad I did because my baby slept for 6 hours! I would have been so mad if I had wasted that sleep lol
I’m teaching a team-taught Jazzercise class today at noon. I’m not ready to teach a whole class yet but I’m excited to get on stage for two songs.
Happy birthday Mer!

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Breastfeeding makes you constantly hungry. I’m pretty sure that every time I nurse a baby we end up never having food in our house because I eat enough for 3 people.

I didn’t stay up until midnight but I woke back up at midnight in a panic because our neighbors were having a huge celebration and there were big fireworks and lots of cheering. I’m super glad they had a fun night but I was really tired and it took forever to get back to sleep after that haha

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We stayed up until the East Coast midnight! We’re in central time and couldn’t make it a second longer! It was still a fun relaxing night in though by the fire with our sparkling white grape juice! :)

I’m doing little bit of yoga and may get out for a walk or something too but it’s absolutely FREEZING here in Arkansas today, so we’ll see how it goes!

Yesterday on my run, I listened to the Lindsey Hein I’ll have Another podcast with Des Linden and it was awesome!! It was such a good podcast to run to!

Happy, Happy birthday MER!!!!

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Our little girl joined us on 12/26, so we made it nowhere near midnight. I have snack stations all over the house because of how hungry I get breastfeeding, current craving is PB crackers at 3am? I live in Minnesota and the last 3 days have held a -37 degree windchill, so we literally haven’t been outside in forever….it’s supposed to warm up to 1 degree today, so I guess that’s something? :-).

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So fun that your New Year gets to start with a good dose of Mer! Happy birthday, pretty lady!

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Happy New Year to you and your sweet family! And happiest of birthdays to Mer!

And can I just say that I join you in the whole organized room thing!!! I helped my 14 year old daughter straighten her room yesterday. Whew!! The all-finished-freshly organized room is a pretty amazing feeling. Comes awfully close but a nice long run is always the best feeling of all!! ?

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Happy New Year, Janae!

And Happy B-Day, Mer!
(It’s also the B- day of my sweet grandmother, she’d turn 105 today!

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Happy birthday Mer! I agree you should do a guest post! :)

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Happy new year! We watched the ball drop from our couch, which was a lot of fun, but it meant staying up way too late! I’m so excited for what 2018 has in store!!!

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happy birthday, sweet Mer!! stayed up until 12:15am then crashed. :)

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Happy New Year to your beautiful family, Janae! 2018 is going to be great for you guys, I just know it! You are so blessed. Happy birthday to Mer!

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Happiest of Birthdays Mer! I can tell you are one special lady by how much your family adores you:) I hope you feel speical today while celebrating with family:)

LOVED that podcast on Happiness! I listened again and took notes at home later;) “Happiness is the joy we feel while striving for our potential.” #truth

Happy New Year Janae to you and your sweet family:)

It is 14 degrees today in Texas……I FROZE going to the gym this morning, and then getting donuts for us:) My teenage son thought I was a bit dramatic about the temps….but seriously in gym clothes it was biting! I am a cold weather wimp since I have lived in Tx all my life! Glad you are getting some warmer weather so you can get out a bit;)

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That’s amazing you were all able to go outside for a walk in Utah in December! It must have felt so good to get some fresh air and exercise. I stayed up past midnight and paid for it this morning oops. Luckily I have the day off so I plan on reading, taking the Christmas tree down (it may or may not be on the verge of dying…) and heading to the grocery store for a few staples we need.

Happy birthday to Mer! Happy New Year!

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Happy Birthday Mer! Would she mind you sharing how old she is? I just love when you post photos with her. Happy New Year to you and your family! I’m with you–I do think it’s going to be one of our best running years.

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We made it up until about 11:30pm then passed out. So close! Those cinnamon rolls look amazing!!! We made the TJ brand ones today for breakfast. They’re actually pretty good.
I feel like I should go into lab today to get some work done but I’m probably not. I’m going to pretend that I will get some work at home done which I probably also won’t do. But hey, it’s the last day of the holiday season so I’m not going to feel guilty about it. At least not until tomorrow. =P

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Happy Birthday Mer!! Wishing you a wonderful day filled with all the things you love!

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Happy Birthday Mer! Your day sounds perfect. I stayed up until midnight….but unfortunately that isn’t out of the ordinary and I need to change that habit. Maybe I will in 2018 ;) My kids stayed up until almost 11 and were mad when I wouldn’t let them stay up another hour.

I am cleaning the house today and nagging Ross to get the tile done.

Bold New Mom was the last thing I listened to yesterday morning while I was getting ready for church.

Hope you guys have a good day and that it includes 9 meals and a nap.

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Happy Birthday Mer! Hope you have a fantastic day.
We are just chilling out today. Maybe cleaning up the house…maybe not. haha
Did not make it til midnight. We watched a movie, that all 3 of us fell asleep on. We shut it off and got up and went to bed at 11:30. lol Lively bunch here.
Last thing I listened to was the story about the lady from the Shine Project. I may have heard about from your blog a few weeks ago, not sure. But it was a tear jerker.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the lovely Mer! Brooke’s 3 favorite things are great – dogs are definitely members of the people…I’m pretty sure I like my dog more than most people… ;)
HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and your family! It’s not going to take much to have a better year running this year – I’m really hoping to run a good race at some point in 2018, but I’m not sure which one/distance yet.
We took down the tree and put Christmas away this morning – serious case of holiday blues for this girl.
During my 10 mile run the other day I listened to an audiobook: “The Silent Wife” by Kerry Fisher. The narrator has a British accent so it adds an interesting twist ;) I’m about 75% done, great read so far!

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Utah definitely has some of the best weather….short seasons of cold would be so perfect for me….

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Happy Birthday Mer!!

No way did we stay up until midnight, however my 7 year old daughter ran into our room at 4:57 am yelling happy new year!!

That last thing I listened to was my treadmill playlist, while watching a virtual walk on mute from you tube of walking around the Boardwalk at Disney World. That’s what gets me through the workout!

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Oprah’s podcast is SO good. I feel like I love every episode more than the last. My mom got her book of like “best ever quotes/stories,” and I need to order a copy, too. I feel like I can’t take enough notes when she or her guests are talking!

We also did not even come close to staying up until midnight, but I’m not mad about it one bit. It worked out well though, because we got up early, drove home from up north, went grocery shopping, went to a yoga class, and now are home for the rest of the afternoon cleaning, meal prepping, and watching Lost until The Bachelor starts tonight!

Happy birthday to Mer! How fun to have a birthday on New Year’s Day :)

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Happy Birthday Mer!!!

Happy New Year Janae to you and your entire family ….and also to this very special community of your readers here. <3

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Have you listened to the Making Oprah podcast? (I’m pretty sure that’s what it’s called.) It’s all about how she started her career and how she grew her empire.
Happy new year!

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Herzlich Geburtstag to Mer!

Stayed up to midnight-New Years is a big deal in Germany and there are fireworks everywhere. Too loud to sleep through. It was a struggle to stay awake though!

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Happy Birthday, Mer!!
Just relaxing today. Back to work tomorrow.
Listened to the musical Waitress while on the elliptical. It’s too icy (and cold) out there for a run today!

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Happy Birthday Mer!!

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Happy Birthday Mer and Happy New Year to all!!

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You’re so lucky to have a Mer! Happy Birthday! I want to adopt her as my grandma. I don’t have one! My grandma died tragically in a car accident in 1986 and then my grandpa passed away 2 years later from a broken heart. I named Jake’s middle name after them (Douglas) and Freddy is named after my grandpa (Frederick).

Okay and yes, breastfeeding hunger and thirst is remarkable, isn’t it? I’d mow down 4 granola bars in the middle of the night each night at the beginning there!

Oh, I know what I was going to say… I have a podcast suggestion for you. Once in a while I listen to Rich Roll and just recently he published a best of 2017 part 1 (on Christmas Eve) and part 2 (on New Years Eve). Definitely check out part 1 and listen to the Australian ultra runner near the end! The whole episode was a really good one and it’s 2 hours long.

I could leave a novel-sized comment so I’ll just slowly back away from the computer now. OH okay one more thing… so last night my daughter Katie (she’s 12) had her cousin over (my niece is 13) and just as we were going to bed, my niece felt sick. She had a fever and proceeded to throw up all night long. So, I got no sleep last night and didn’t party AT ALL. So? Now I’m drinking the wine I bought yesterday. Oh, and spraying the house down with Lysol. Not kidding.

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Happy Birthday to Mer:-) would also love to read a post from her. It was 17 in Dallas this morning and went for a 3 mile run. Brought back fond memories of 5 years in WI before moving to Dallas. It is so refreshing to run in the cold! Here today gone by the weekend. ( back in the 50’s) Happy 2018!! Love your blog.

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Happy Happy Birthday beautiful Mer!
Happy Happy 2018, Janae! Wishing you and your family the best year with many blessings!

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Happy birthday, Mer!!!!!!

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Happy Birthday, Mer!! What a fun day to have a birthday on!

My pajama pants match Skye’s ;) I most definitely was in bed by 9:30! We streamed the ball drop for the kids and played Yahtzee and Catan, toasted at 9, and then hit the sack = perfect night!

Today was my longish run (9.2 miles) day, followed by making freezer meals, and watching Suits.

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Happy, Happy Birthday, Mer!! Hope it was a great day, & a wonderful year!
Ditto on a guest blog post! Would love to read one from you soon.
God Bless you, & your sweet family, Janae.

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Happy Birthday Mer!!!

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Happy New Year!

I fell asleep but the other half woke me up at midnight to say happy new year:) After which I promptly fell asleep again. I barely made it to midnight and probably won’t again for an entire year…

We spent the day climbing a mountain in Squamish today (so much snow and so beautiful). We had stayed the night in a hotel in Squamish last minute as a New Years Eve treat to ourselves after we spent the day snowshoeing in Whistler yesterday. We are tuckered out now.

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Happy birthday to your grandma. Thanks for the podcast suggestion. Just listening to it now

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I just listened to the Shawn Anchor interview this morning!! So great, I love Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations!!

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My husband and I made it to midnight but the struggle was REAL! And then it was straight to bed after I signed up for two half marathons that open at 12:01AM. The first 1000 people to register get in at the lowest price so you just HAVE TO stay up to register, right?!?! Monday morning I did a Resolution Run 5K in downtown Indy. It didn’t start until 11:00 AM so that was nice but…the temperature was -6 and with the windchill it felt like -20!! But I wasn’t about to kickoff 2018 with a DNS. Happy Birthday to your grandma. I only knew one of mine growing up and she passed away when I was 18. The others had dies before I was born. How lucky your family is to still have her! HAPPY NEW YEAR.

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happy new year! altho i didn’t get to do a run on new year’s day, i did manage one on new year’s eve :) i got a quite a few stares.

Did you stay up until midnight last night?
same as you “Not even remotely close.”

What are you doing today (do you have the day off?!)?
clean up and pack up while having a dance party with the LO!

What was the last thing that you listened too… podcast or music in the car or on a run?
kidz bop station on pandora – during the dance party!

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I listened to that Oprah episode over Christmas. I loved it and I actually bought one of Shawn’s books to read on my kindle.

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I have never been as starving IN MY ENTIRE LIFE as I was in the first few weeks breastfeeding my baby. I estimate I could take down about 10,000 calories a day – it was crazy.

I was in bed by 10:30 on NYE :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MER!!!

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