I WANT to Get Back There + Monday Matters!

Just in case you missed out last week, the top three most viewed posts were:

*A very awful day (but we are okay:).

*8 Week Skye & Postpartum Update!

*Experiencing Turbulence + Workout of the Week!

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I’m not going to lie, my day yesterday was extremely uneventful but after the previous few days… I was very happy about that and decided to just stay home except for a walk.  We kept it low-key and I got a lot of organizing done which felt so good.

Andrew and I took Skye on a walk before he headed up to the airport to go get Brooke in California.  It will be very nice once Brooke is old enough to fly there on her own to visit her dad… many airlines let kids do this starting at 5 years old but I think we will still wait a few years for that.

Andrew is clearly a huge football fan as he was sporting his Angels jersey.  He says he loves the Super Bowl for the fact that it just means baseball season is closer to starting.

We split a Costco poppyseed muffin before he left.  Those muffins are actually too good and we got the chocolate ones too.

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I started making lunch and took out the potatoes as soon as they were done.  Then they sat on the counter for a very long time because Skye was wanting to eat and party.  I tried to make my own version of nachos for Super Bowl Sunday (even though I didn’t watch any of the game) and they were pretty good.  Next time I will have more patience and microwave the cheese all of the way.

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The next two pictures were what the majority of our day included (including a wardrobe change due to spit up).

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We also were able to FaceTime some of our family and catch up with them!

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Andrew picked up Brooke and they hung out at the airport for a little bit before flying home!  Brooke was asleep by the time she got home so I am very excited to catch up with her this morning.  I’m also very excited for the new This is Us today (I couldn’t get our TV to work yesterday.. I was quite upset).  Please do not tell me what happened in the episode:)

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Dinner time to bedtime is Skye’s hard time and you usually only get about 7.3 minutes of her being okay not being held so cereal for dinner it was and some snacks that I could eat while holding her later on!

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My soreness was gone yesterday so I might take it outside for a run but I also might just walk.  I’m not sure yet but either way, Friday made me beyond grateful that we weren’t injured severely or something!

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I’ve got a few Monday Matters to share today!

*Skye is going to be really excited to get her older siblings back home!  The way she looks at them…

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*Anyone else play our favorite game, ‘guess the color of Skittle just by taste.’   I am 0 for 184 but Andrew is usually pretty accurate!

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*She is trying really hard to find that thumb to suck!

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*This was Skye’s little outfit on Friday and I really loved it:)   Kids are way more fun to get dressed… give me a sweatshirt and leggings every day and I am happy.

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*Yep.

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*I don’t have any of Brooke’s baby stuff (when she was one I moved back to Utah from California and left everything there) except I did find her mini Patagonia coat and it made me happy.  I think Skye will be using this next winter, and once Skye is one I will have a lot of Brooke’s old clothes for her to wear.

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*I wore my Boston shirt yesterday and every time I looked at it it made me REALLY HUNGRY to get back there.  The year I did it the weather was nuts (raining the whole time like crazy) so I really want to get back there to experience the course even more!  Here’s to working hard this year to qualify and anytime I am feeling a loss of motivation I’m just going to put this shirt back on and get excited again.

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*Friday morning I was able to get outside for a 4 mile run.  Andrew’s plane was delayed so he told me to go enjoy some endorphins.  I tried to jump over below hurdle and it did not go well but the rest of the run was pretty great and I’m excited to start running again.

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*Andrew and I were watching the movie Oblivion (well, I fell asleep about 7 minutes into it).  Tom Cruise was running on this sweet treadmill in the picture below:)  Talk about a hamster wheel… but I really want to try something like this someday ha!

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*This is random but I’ve been searching for a post where I had a bunch of awesome strength moves for runners and I finally found it—> HERE!  I’ll be doing the exercises from that post (all of the explanations on how to do them are on that post too) today after my run (or walk if my body tells me to walk instead)!

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I saw my friend post this on Facebook and I wanted to know your answers too.  For me:  Friends, The Office, This is Us, Gilmore Girls, Parenthood and New Girl.

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On yesterday’s post a few of you left recommendations about cars and I WAS LOVING IT.  I was so excited to read each new one SO if you wouldn’t mind… can we keep that going?  What do you drive and do you recommend it?  We need a car that seats 7 (I would love to have two more kids eventually), is VERY safe, it does well in the snow and those are the main things we are looking for!  We will probably buy one that is 2-3 years old (I bought my CRV brand new thinking I would drive it for 15 years… but nope so now we will buy used)!  Thank you for doing this, I really like hearing what you guys like and don’t like etc!

If you had a Super Bowl party, what was the yummiest thing that you ate?  

Share one of your running/fitness goals that you have this week please!!

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76 comments

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I used to live on top of a mountain that got quite a bit of snow (in Northern NM) and my Volvo wagon handled it extremely well. It wouldn’t be quite big enough for your crew, but it looks like the XC90 has a 7 passenger option. Our current Subaru Outback does well in the snow, and their newer crossover has a 7 passenger option, so those might all be worth checking out. The Consumer Reports review of vehicles is really helpful if you can get your hands on it, it is how I picked out both of my cars (haha I’m turning 38 this year and have only had two cars). Good luck!

I want to run Boston, too, have to get that qualifying time, but triathlon takes up so much of time time I hardly ever get to run marathons.

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I don’t know about driving in the snow, but the Nissan Versa (Hatchback) is a nice, reliable car. Drove it in college and halfway across the country and back for an internship during grad school.. good little car; I didn’t know anything about tires and the mountains, and the poor car kept me going on like 3psi safely for weeks because I’m a dunderhead (it had warnings about it!! I just thought it was off, lol…)

Happy, happy Monday, Janae! Take it easy!!

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Oh also another popular car that’s similar to the Nissan Versa and perhaps better is the Honda Fit!!

Best wishes!

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YES to all of those shows! Plus The O.C., though there weren’t many seasons of that. Also, please tell me that cereal combo is Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Honey Nut Cheerios??!! That’s one of my go-to combos for sure!

This week, my goal is to continue to build mileage and to get my tempo paces to keep dropping lower until I’m back to where I used to be (or faster). I’ve been doing strength training and am starting to feel a lot stronger, so hopefully I can be back to racing regularly again soon!

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I’ve been doing the Runner Touch for years now and it’s very, very effective! I couldn’t remember where I originally got it from, but it must have been your blog. I’m going to add the rest of these strength moves into my routine from now on- thank you!!!

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So glad you and Skye are ok! As far as vehicles I’m a Toyota girl and LOVE my 4Runner. It’s amazing in the snow and has a 3rd row too! I will say 3 car seats in the 2nd row is tight and for that reason I would recommend a highlander or sequoia. If my hubby and I had more than 2 kids we would have bought the Toyota Sequoia. I know they are pricey but Toyota’s last forever!!

As far as a fitness goal I recently started Burn Boot Camp at my gym and I’m going for push ups on my toes this week! I’ve got this is what I keep telling myself!

Have a great week!!

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I drive a mazda CX5 and I love it for winter driving. We actually switched from a Kia to the Mazda because I spun my kia out on an icy patch and it really scared me. The mazda is 4 wheel drive, which is perfect for winter conditions – we live in Eastern Ontario, Canada and we get a lot of snow and ice. I suggest the CX9 for a 7 seat option. They handle really well, are really solid, are great on the highways and are shockingly pretty fuel efficient.

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Out of all the cars I’ve had my favorite is my Subaru. Living in Utah it does wonders in the snow and is VERY safe. Not sure if they make one for 7 ( yet) but I have the Forester and enjoy it.

My fitness goal this week is simple: Find time just to work out! I’m so tried between work, school and the kids stuff that I want to be in bed by 7!

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I have seen every episode of all of those shows too! So good!
I drive a GMC Yukon XL and LOVE it! I’ve had it a little over a year now and am so happy with it. It handles the snow well, seats 7, and is super safe! Good luck car shopping!

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My mom has been wanting my daughter to fly by herself to visit since she was a toddler- lol! We ended up having her “practice” flying by herself first- my step-dad was on the flight with her, but he sat away from her and we had her booked as an unaccompanied minor so she would get the “real” experience. That definitely made her feel comfortable flying on her own. :)

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I have had my Honda Odyssey for over 10 years now! It is still my favorite car purchase EVER! You can’t beat it as far as storage room and ease of putting the back seats up and down. 3rd row in an SUV is usually not a FULL real seat ( the floor usually comes up higher and no big kid can set back there. My son is 14 and already 5′ 9. they grow up fast! you can’t beat the sliding doors for drop off and pick up and fitting in the garage and loading the violin right into the middle seat floor with you bc there is no hump and plenty of room;) I could go on and on…..;) I do not know how it does in the snow;) I live in Tx;) good luck! Its never easy to buy a new car…..especially at a time you were not planning on it:(

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I have turf toe. I actually searched your blog because I remember you having it. This means my fitness goals for this week are strength and spin bike cardio.

Ymmmy super bowl food: Chicken cheesesteak sandwiches.

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We live in New Hampshire and we bought a Honda Odyssey earlier this year (my other car is a Honda Fit, good luck fitting any extra kids in that car :-D). I have been so impressed with the Odyssey. It has been doing great in the winter weather (we have had a really crummy winter this year) with just snow tires. For the most part we aren’t going on back roads in the mountains when we need 4×4 capabilities anyways.

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I’ve never owned a car in my life! I got my licence when I was 19, after 2 years of lessons because my Mum wanted me to, but I have never liked driving and have always lived in places where I could walk/cycle/ take public transport wherever I needed to go. So, I don’t have any advice, sorry!
I have seen every episode of Friends and How I met your mother. I just find them so funny! I’m currently watching Mozart in the Jungle because Gael Garcia Bernal is so handsome! I can’t wait for the new season!

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I needed something that would fit 4 car seats (momlife, right??) so we have a Toyota Sequoia. I can fit my circus (family of 6) plus 2 more people.

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Get a Subaru Tribeca! It fits 7 and Subaru’s are the safest and most durable! I have a Forester (the smaller SUV version) because I only have one child, but if I have more, I am hoping to get the Tribeca! I love my Forester- it is very roomy and they are made very well!

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Hi Janae!
For what you need, I’d highly recommend the AWD Toyota Sienna. It seats 7, is big and safe, and is the only van out there with AWD. We are in Boston so we need it.
It was hard for my ego to drive a min-van, but I can’t imagine life any other way.
One thing, though, it can be hard to find used ones, as most people drive them into the ground. But maybe you’ll get lucky!
So relieved to hear you are all safe. I’m soo sorry about your accident. Take it slow. You’ll start to feel normal soon!
As for a fitness goal this week, I want to try a strength class. I’ve always been scared to do fitness classes. I get self-conscience because I’m competitive by nature, so it’s hard to start something new. But I think getting out of my comfort zone (which is treadmill and outdoor running mostly solo) will help my overall fitness. Wish me luck!
Have an amazing week!
Mary

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Oh no! I am just catching up on posts from the weekend and I’m so sorry about your accident. But so so glad that you and Skye are ok!

My fiance just got a Suburu Imprezza. That one’s probably too small for what you are looking for, but they have some nice SUV’s/ mini vans too. And the reason he was interested in a Suburu to begin with was because of their really good safety ratings. Might be worth checking out. Good luck with the search!

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We have a GMC Acadia and we really like it. Third rows are a little tight in most SUVs, so we will probably be getting an Odyssey this year! Glad everyone is okay!!

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I have also seen every episode of Gilmore Girls and The Office. Also Game of Thrones, 30 Rock, and Parks and Rec!
I drive a teeny toyota, so I don’t have too many tips about what bigger car to buy… BUT I have had to play taxi driver for way too many family members after their Ford engines blew out. Ford does a good job with smaller cars but their bigger cars are notoriously unreliable I feel. And when they go, it’s catastrophic.
I am excited to get back on track with my marathon training this week after being super sick all last week. This year’s cold/flu season is so, so rough.
Happy Monday! good luck car shopping:)

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When I was 7 and my brother was 9, we flew from Tokyo to Seattle, changed planes, then to DC, by ourselves….and then back to Tokyo at the end of the summer(My father was in the foreign service and my mom lived in the DC area). That was the first of many flights by ourselves. So when my kids flew on a direct flight by themselves from DC to Providence, RI when they were 10 and 12, several Moms asked me if I was worried and I said “Nope”. My husband took them to the gate and watched them get on the plane, the flight is slightly more than an hour and my Mother-in-law was waiting for them at the gate. I was more worried about my husband driving them on the highway to the airport.

But I agree that 5 is way too young.

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Shows I’ve seen ALL of: X-files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, West Wing, the 100, Firefly, Dollhouse, True Blood, Orphan Black, Stranger Things, and The Good Wife.

Currently watching (and will eventually probably see all of): Vikings, Top Chef, Amazing Race, Mr. Robot, Homeland, Game of Thrones, and Transparent.

Hmmm…apparently I watch a LOT of TV. Some of these I watch with my husband, and others I watch while I work out by myself….

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I’m pretty sure I’ve seen every episode of M*A*S*H. I love the mix of funny and serious.

I got a Toyota Highlander in November and have been loving it! It seats 8 (or you can get 7, with bucket seats in the middle). Amazingly I’ve only had to drive in the snow ONCE in it this crazy Utah winter, but it was to get to my family’s Christmas party, and it worked like a champ!

My goal is to make it out walk-running 4 times this week. I’m working my way back from a looooong break in running. I’m loving every minute of it!

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I said before, but I love the pilot!

My sleep has been CRAP the last few days. My goal for the week is to run at least 3 times this week. Last week I barely made the three haha. I’m also making a goal to get more sleep so I can run more than that. ;)

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We have a both a Honda Pilot and like it. I’ve always driven Honda’s because I love the safety of the cars. I live in FL now, but when we lived in NC and visited the mountains, it did okay in the snow. Glad you and Skye are ok!

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I don’t have one personally but I have a friend who’s family has had Honda Pilots for years and they are SUPER nice. I highly recommend them – I can’t tell you how many road trips we took in them as teenagers, college kids, etc. Plus I don’t feel like they handle like a big, bulky SUV. We live in the Midwest where there is a lot of bad weather in the winter and they never had issues with them.
My friends had a SB party and all of the food was so good, I don’t know how to choose… but I feel like I need to not eat the rest of the week to counteract it (just kidding!!).
Running goal this week – I’m working a modified schedule at work this week and I will be running in the morning. When the weather is nice, I have no issues with getting out of bed and running. But when it’s 10 degrees and dark… no thank you. I can’t even hardly make myself get out of bed to go to the gym! But my goal this week is to be like Nike and Just Do It. :)

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I love all those shows, plus I would have to add Parks and Rec and How I Met Your Mother to the list.

As far as cars…I have to recommend a minivan. We have a Chrysler Pacifica currently, but have also had a Honda Odyssey and they are so great with kids. Your ego will hate walking up to it every time, but you won’t care when you are driving it. So roomy, huge storage space for strollers and all the baby/kid gear, even if you have the third seat up, which is comfortable even for an adult. Plus automatic sliding doors and trunk are life changing when you have your hands full.

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Also great in the snow with snow tires!

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We don’t have a car (we live downtown within 1/2 mile from work) so I am no help there. I have seen every episode of way too many shows to name, but my favorites are Friends, Psych, Full House, and The Middle. Seriously, my husband and I own the full seasons of shows we love, and I have seen SO many!

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I would recommend a 4-Runner! (My husband won’t let me get a minivan sadly ;))
We enjoyed the superbowl with my in-laws and homemade guac stole the show! I think I could eat the whole bowl!
I can’t wait to watch the new episode of This Is Us! (I must remember to take off my mascara first…I know it’s going to be a sad one :(…)
Have a great day Janae!

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We have an Odyssey. The second row has a removable seat, but with it, you can fit 8 total. AND, the trunk is a generous size even with the third row in use. I haven’t started using the double stroller, but my single running stroller fits back there and there is still room for groceries! I hate loading and unloading the stroller because I hate to end up somewhere wishing I had it so I like to just leave it in the car which makes me happy I can and still have trunk space :)

Knock on wood, we have not been in an accident in it, but my mother in law was in a minor one with hers and was ok and my husband’s grandmother was in a pretty serious one with her 20 year old odyssey and she was fine. My husband was in an accident in his civic and he was fine, so we have personally just felt comfortable with the Honda brand. Not to say others aren’t safe, but it just tipped the scales for us.

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We were in a car accident almost a month ago, I was driving and 30 weeks pregnant and it was terrifying. Thankfully all three kids, and the hubs were ok. Baby was ok although it sent me into preterm labor but they were able to stop it after 2 days in the hospital. Teens driving are now my worst fear (he was at fault). We have a Chevy traverse that seats 8, it drives well in the snow (a requirement for the southern ca transplant- were in Vineyard now) but we got a Ford Expedition as a rental while they fixed our car and it was amazing. Handled the snow so well, was higher up, heavy, I’m obsessed and hoping we’ll get it before baby comes. My biggest recommendation is to get captain chairs in the second row, we have two benches and it’s a pain. My oldest is nearly 8 and he’s a tall boy and watching him climb over the bench to get to the back is a joke. I thought I would Love the 8 seats because we could fit more, but with car seats and booster seats it’s such a pain and so the kids have to climb over to get to their seats. I’m only doing captain chairs from here on out! The traverse does make captain chairs on the second row but they’re harder to find. I really wanted a mini van but my hubs has since changed my mind, it just doesn’t handle the snow well!

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Hi!
First of all, thank God you and Skye are ok!
My family is actually buying another 4Runner today! My husband was in an accident 2 weeks ago (he’s ok) and our 4Runner was totaled. It was a 2005 with 166,000 on it and it would have kept going! So it was an easy decision to purchase another. I have 2 girls and we are getting one with 3rd row capability this time around.

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We have a Buick Enclave and I love it for our family of 4 but I don’t think I’d recommend it for any more. I love the bucket seats because if we do have more people you can easily get to the 3rd row seat but if we are ever traveling somewhere with more than 4 people there isn’t a ton of room for storage in the back but it does work good in the snow. When we were in AZ we rented a Pacifica and for a mini van there was ton of room and I loved it! My husband is a big guy and fit comfortably in the 3rd row seating and tons of storage in the back! I also loved that you could just push a button on the sliding doors so they are easily opened by kids when our hands are full. The back seat windows also rolled down which was pretty cool for a mini van ha!! It’s the little things :) Good Luck car shopping, I really want to get a new vehicle but don’t want the hassle of the payment and search!! Anxious to hear what you guys decide on :)

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Yummiest Super Bowl food—toss sup between the macarons (Oreo and Salted Caramel) that I special ordered for the game—yowza good! and a classic cookie cake with tons of icing on it. I was clearly in it for the desserts. ha ha

Goal for this week—I actually have a workout on my running calendar tomorrow, so I want to go into that feeling calm and confident. And, another goal is to get my butt to hot yoga still even though life is getting busier and my running calendar is getting busier.

Hope you’re feeling good and that the soreness has subsided!!!

Oh, one other thing. I thought of you this weekend when my oldest daughter and I did a Valentine candy run to Target. We ended up with Sour Patch Hearts and a bag of Now and Laters Reds–all of the pink/red flavors. Love Now and Laters, but the sour ones in that bag are SOUR! lol

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I have a 10 y.o. Volvo XC 90 and LOVE it. It seats seven, handles the snow really well and is very reliable. It is a little more expensive to maintain then other SUVs but the safety factor is worth it. I also owned an XC 90 before this and was t-boned on my passenger rear wheel. The guy ran a stop light going probably 30-35 mph and my vehicle hardly moved. Of course, the wheel, the axle and the bumper were not happy. My husband drove a Suburu for awhile and it was great. Company car or we would probably still have it. I like the Volvo because it isn’t huge and isn’t a pain to park. Sometimes when it is packed to the gills with kids and dogs and suitcases, I long for a bigger SUV but since that happens only 4 or so times a year…

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I have a Chevy Tahoe and LOVE it! Yes it is big, but it’s a lot easier to drive and park than I thought it would be! I was actually in a wreck with mine a few years ago. I was 7 months pregnant and had my at the time 4 year old with me. We were hit directly on the drivers side by a really big truck and both me and my son who sat behind me walked away just fine. I went to the hospital to check on the baby and we were all good there too. I credit both my Tahoe and God that we walked away from that one. So scary! So glad to hear you and Skye are fine after your wreck. It’s always so much scarier when your precious babies are with you.

I would love to qualify for Boston also so I will be working toward that goal with you!

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My goal this week is to get back in my running routine now that we have a puppy. It has been a battle to get my miles in because normally I would wake up at 5 and get my miles in before everyone wakes up but she wakes up as soon as I come downstairs and then she needs to potty, play, snuggle. So I have to figure out a new plan.
We have a Chevy Tahoe and a BMW X3. The Tahoe seats 7 (or 8? the back row is removed right now so I can’t confirm) and I really like it. I love being up high where I can see the car in front of the car in front of me. Less unexpected sudden braking when I can see that the car in front of the car in front of me is slowing down. The X3 only seats 5 and is much smaller.
The best Super Bowl food I had was Chocolate Covered Katie’s cooke dough dip with pretzels. Kind of healthy (there are chickpeas in it) and my kids love it too!

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I’m pretty sure that I’ve seen every episode of Gilmore Girls – even the terrible revival. Those 4 episodes were so bad! I’ve also seen every episode of Mad Men thanks to Netflix.

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I have a Subaru Outback. Subarus have great safety standards and they are coming out with one that will have 3rd row seating but then you couldn’t buy used. So I am not much help.
We made homemade pizzas last night for the Super Bowl and I also made mini cheesecakes. Everything was so tasty.
My only running goal this week is to run! We are supposed to get a ton of snow plus its in the single digits. So running outside won’t be happening for awhile and sometimes its just really hard to talk myself into treadmill run at the gym. I also swear my gym keeps its thermostat at like 80 degrees! I need like 10 fans on me while I am running.

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So i have the 2017 4runner. and don’t get me wrong for us right now in the situation we are in with only 2 kids ages 10 & 12 it is perfect for us.& we do love it. we purchased it last year brand new with all the bells and whistles including the 3rd row. but afterwards realized it is not meant for large families, the 3rd row is literally a couple inches from the back door you could only fit MAYBE, maybe an umbrella stroller at the most, you cant even place groceries behind the 3rd row. So i just keep my 3rd row seats always folded down. Also there is no third row air vents also a downside. again for us only being a family of 4 its a great vehicle but as we want to extend our family as well it just wont always work in the future. It might would be a good 2nd family car in the future for your husband Andrew, bc it is a great outdoors vehicle. we can fold down all the seats and place our bikes inside (taking a couple wheels off of course). the back glass slides down so if we have something long/large like the area rug i just recently bought we could still go home with it without needing to get the truck. those features are nice as well as the cross bars for our kayaks.

I would recommend looking for something with captain chairs also so the kiddos have easy access to getting into the back seat and then plenty of cargo room behind the 3rd row for trips, strollers and groceries. Maybe the sequoia? or infiniti qx80? tahoes are nice too.

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We bought a Toyota Highlander last summer and have loved every single thing about it. The thing I love most are all of the safety features. It’s all-wheel-drive, has lane drift assist (beeps if you’re leaving your lane without a blinker on and will even gently pull your steering wheel back into the lane), and blind-spot monitors. It beeps if there is a car or person near you when you’re in reverse and the back-up cam has a wide angle. And I LOVE the adaptive cruise control. It can sense the car’s speed in front of you and adjust your cruise to match it. Makes driving in the carpool lane a breeze. It has the third row option that we have used a few times when we have extra passengers, but you get tons of trunk space when you’re not using it. And it’s just so comfortable. We had a hard time choosing between a 4-runner and the Highlander, but the 4-runner drives more like a truck. I know some people like that, but I like a smoother ride. The Highlander is the car that people keep the longest – an average of 12 years. We bought ours from Mark Miller Toyota in downtown SLC and they have been amazing with customer service. They were by far the cheapest option. Good luck! The car hunt can be stressful but so fun, too!

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I love my Chevrolet Tahoe. The middle seat has two captain chairs instead of the bench seat. That makes getting to and from the third row much easier!

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We have a 2006 Porsche Cayenne. It would be too small for your family, but we got it through E-Bay motors and saved a ton! We test drove one locally so we knew we liked it, then found a bargain from a dealer in Atlanta. It only had 7,000 miles on it, so it wasn’t technically new, but close enough. We had it shipped out (I think we paid $1,000.) It had full warranty and we haven’t had any trouble. Just another avenue to consider. And our other car is a 1992 Saturn that we bought brand new! We drive our cars forever ;)

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Just have to say that I totally agree with Andrew’s thoughts on the Super Bowl. I wore my Red Sox tshirt yesterday and it was NOT to show support for the “other New England team”. It was to show my joy in the fact that baseball is coming! 52 days till Opening Day!

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We have a 10 year old Suburban and I love it! We got it when I was pregnant with my 3rd. My only regret is not doing captain’s chairs, because the benches were a pain when the babies were little. I love that I have tons of storage room and it handles really well :)

We had our family over to watch the game (I watched half time and chatted with everyone :) ) My favorite food was nachos and Costco’s mini tacos! Your nachos look great though!

No real running/fitness goals this week other than to get out there :) I am traveling to FL from CA with my sister and my mom to meet up with my other sister, so I’m just hoping to squeeze some workout time in there!

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Glad your soreness from the accident is going away!
I have watched every episode of This is Us, Friends (multipletimes), and How I Met Your Mother (highly recommend this show!).
We own a Ford Flex, fits 7, drives like a car, has 4 wheel drive and is very comfortable in the back. I love it!
The yummiest thing I ate yesterday at the super bowl party was homemade Mac and cheese! It was delicious!
My goal for running this year is to get back into it, I plan on running next week at 9 weeks postpartum. And complete at least two 5ks.

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I drive an Eacalade but the Chevy Tahoe or GMC we’ve also had and sold on. We can fit 7 you just need to look for the bench middle seat and not the bucket seats.
If you want to have lots of space Chevy Suburban.

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It’s true the captain seats are easier to get in and out, however, you will want that extra seat when they are teenagers you can put the seat down and they can hop in and out…think long term. They always want a friend with them. lol

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Oh my goodness, Skye’s little vest is adorable!! She’s so teeny tiny!! She and Brooke look so much alike!!

We went over to my boyfriend’s parents house to catch a little bit of the game! We didn’t have any delicious snacks which was a little saddening but we came home and ate some after halftime which made up for it! :)

I hope your Monday is awesome Janae!!

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I love my Ford Explorer. It seats 7 and does great in the snow (I live in central PA) and it has a good safety rating. The back two seats fold down when they aren’t needed. I love mine! So blessed and thankful you are all okay.

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Car Thoughts:
I was always morally opposed to minivans. HATED THEM. I did not want to be that stereotypical soccer mom, but my husband talked me into a Honda Odyssey and it is the best. Lower to the ground than the CRV (my previous vehicle) or Pilot and automatic doors. SO EASY and convenient for pick ups and drop offs and road trips. Fits a bajillion car seats (okay, two big Britax car seats, one booster and one Chicco Keyfit 30) with a bit of room to spare. Easy for grocery trips and does well in snow. When my kids don’t have car seats and can open and close their own doors without a lot of fuss I’ll probably convert to a Pilot or comparable model. I love the reliability and gas mileage of Hondas.
*hint- if you do end up going for a minivan, buy it in Salt Lake County. There is a wider selection of used minivans because they don’t get snatched up as quickly.

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I’ve seen every single episode of CABLE GIRLS! It’s SO GOOD and it’s on netflix–there’s 16 episodes. You gotta watch it, Janae!

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I love, love, love my HIghlander! I went from a CR-V to my Highlander because I needed more space when I got remarried. Best decision ever. We purchased new because it was a Toyota and we couldn’t find much that would be worth it used, but we are both so happy with it! It has tons of room and fits kids comfortably. The middle row is adjustable to make more room for kids in the back! I’m so glad you are all okay.

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I realize how this will sound and feel free to ignore me but I recently test drove the Tesla Model X (the suv) and was VERY impressed and it’s the safest SUV ever made. A few things that made me think of it:

1. It comes in 5-7 seat options.
2. It is impossible to flip (they test all suvs flipping as part of the safety test and were totally unable to flip the Model X).
3. It’s extremely heavy (6600 lbs, compared to most suvs its size at 5000 lbs), which means it inflicts more damage than it takes. Which in turns means the people inside it are that much safer in an accident.
4. It comes standard with a number of safety features that end up driving the price of other cars way up… like the backup camera, blind spot warning, automatic breaking and accident prevention, etc. (Some of those features (automatic breaking!) I would be reluctant to employ on a lot of vehicles but they really do work on the Tesla!)

It’s expensive (starts at 79k), but there are used vehicles available. Anyhow, just wanted to mention it in case it could be helpful. :)

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When my twins were newborns, we realized very quickly that their carseats (rear-facing) and their big sister’s carseat were not all going to fit across the back row of my Toyota Highlander; so, while my boys were in the NICU, I tearfully sent my husband out to get us an AWD minivan (we live in CO and travel to the mountains frequently). So, being big Toyota fans, we got the Sienna XLE, which is AWD. As much as I’ve always hated minivans, it was a fantastic vehicle for our family for a few years until I could down-size again. I put 100,000 miles on it in three years and it worked exceptionally well while we had it. I now drive an Audi Q7, which is also AWD and seats 7. It is very comfortable, gets great gas mileage and is bomb-proof in the snow. I’d certainly recommend either one! Good luck on your choice!

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Did not watch the Super Bowl and instead caught up on Grey’s Anatomy :) … BUT I did make awesome chocolate chip oatmeal cookies that hit the spot! Nothing better than warm, under-baked dessert!

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I love my 2015 Acura MDX. It has a third row (seats 7) and all the airbags you could want. Plus it’s just fun to drive!

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I have a Honda Pilot and it is my favorite car ever! It is great in snow, fits everyone and runs great. Mine is 12 years old and is still running wonderfully. It has 170,000 and I am planning to drive it for at least 5 more years.

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Hands down a Chevy suburban! I love mine! Seats 8 and nice big trunk space.

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I flew on my own for the first time when I was 9 and I loved it, but 5 sounds too early. The flight attendants were so lovely and I just loved the perks of skipping lines and going on the plane first:) I have a similar situation (but a bit more distance, England to the states) and fly to see my dad every couple/few months and have been doing it for so long, I now prefer travelling on my own. Brooke will be a seasoned traveller in no time:)

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Hi Janea, Glad you are alright. I always felt really safe in my Lexus LX 470. I don’t think they make them anymore and the LX 570 is the newer version. They are expensive but I have almost 300,000 miles on mine. Bought it used with 43,000. They last forever.
Seats 8, very comfortably.

-Denise

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Hi Janae! Car-wise I would say go big or go home! We outgrew our Subaru Forrester when we had our third baby (born this Dec. 5!). We went back and forth but finally decided on a Suburban. We wanted two bench rows and not many other cars offer that. Also 4 wheel drive for camping and trips to Tahoe, and they are very, very safe. Its a beast and took some getting used to, but it has tons of sensors and a camera that really helps. Overall it just really fits our family’s needs and it would probably be a really good fit for you too! Good luck!

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Honda Pilot – hands down! I love mine so, so much. It seats 8, but does not feel big or bulky at all. Does great in the snow and I feel super safe when driving in it. I have 3 car seats on the second row and they still have plenty of room, allowing me to have TONS of space in the back. When we have had company ride with us, they couldn’t believe how roomy and comfortable the 3rd row was. In my opinion, I can’t think of one bad thing to say about it.

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I am paying attention to your comments on cars. I am looking for a car with a 3rd row option. We are a family of 4 but with play dates and the fact that I travel as part of my job and keep my teaching/therapy bags and materials in my car is making my Toyota Camry feel very small. But if anyone out there is looking for a sedan with best option for 3 carseats across, the Camry is your car. I am not a fan at all of vans and test driving one years ago made me so nervous so I know for me it is not an option. We also get a lot of ice and snow.
My girls favorite super bowl item I think was our crescent roll wrapped Archer farms turkey dogs! Go Eagles!! We are from the Philly area so it was a BIG DEAL.

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Thank God you send Skye are fine!!!! I drove a Honda pilot 4×4 for 2 years but we just got rid of it due to a car accident as well. LOVED IT but now I’m thinking about the Toyota Sequoia but it is a bit pricey so we will see. Good luck on your search

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I drive a 2011 Honda Pilot and love it! Other than routine maintenance I haven’t had any problems with it, and when I was rear-ended I swear the car that hit me practically bounced off the back of it! The third row is really easy to get up and down (my kids can easily do it themselves)so I can cram plenty of kids in when I need to drive carpool, etc. I have always felt really safe in the Pilot – it’s big enough to feel super sturdy but not so huge that I can’t eaily maneuver it. A perfect family car, IMO (though I will say, mini vans seem great for larger families! My friends with 3+ and/or younger kids love their Odysseys and Siennas).

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We just got the Acura MDX With the advance safety features and it’s wonderful. Seats seven. It has the backup cameras, lane sensors, front sensors, and side lights when someone is in your blind spot. So comfortable. Drives great. It’s so nice and we got a two year old one. I would say test drive one if you can. Good luck!

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Love my MDX!

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I recently upgraded from CRV to Pilot last year after a lot of research and we’re really happy with it. I wanted to get the Odyssey but could not commit to minivan status just yet. The pilot is a great option because it is basically a minivan but doesn’t look like one. I wanted a 3rd row cause 2 car seats in the CRV made it really tight when I needed to sit in the back with the kids. In the pilot, the 2nd row is sooo roomy that I haven’t needed to use the 3rd row. It has a button on the console that says “SNOW” but we will probably never use in Texas. Good luck with your search!

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I have a Honda Odyssey mini-van and I LOVE IT! I moved to the van from a CRV also (and my husband still drives a CRV). There’s a part of me that always wants to get the Honda Pilot instead but I just can’t give up my sliding doors. I think that’s my favorite thing about having a van, is the doors. When we get in and out of the car I don’t have to worry about how close we are to the person next to us before my kids go throwing the doors open. We’ve used our van for many adult trips as well and we just love traveling in it. It has enough room for all of us and it’s easy to get in and out of. It’s also easy to put the back row of seats down if I need to bring something big.

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I can’t have Costco muffins anywhere near me without devouring them! So good!

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We love our 2013 Toyota Highlander! It has 2 rows in the back.

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I was on the “I’m never driving a minivan” side of the car argument. My husband wanted one since we had our first (we have 4 now) and I was adamant that I would lose my identity if he made me drive one of those! ;) I won the argument and we ended up getting a Honda Pilot. It was great! We had 3 across the middle and was a little tight but we managed. Then when #4 came one kid was moved to the back which made it difficult for him to get there because he had to climb over all the car seats every time he got in and out. Well my husbands car died and it was time for a new one and this time – he won the argument and we got a Toyota Sienna and let me tell you – I wish we would have gotten it sooner!! I didn’t know what I missing until we test drove it and the sliding doors, automatic opening back trunk and all the features make it so easy to get in and out for my kids. No more hoisting them up to get in the car! They can open and close the doors with a push of a button and it seats 8! The Honda Odessey had a recall on it when we went car shopping last month so they stopped selling all used models which is why we went with Toyota but we love it. The Sienna SE is also a little sportier looking. I’m not sure which side of the fence you are on when it comes to minivans but I would encourage you to at least test drive it before you say no!!! You might be pleasantly surprised – I definitely was!! Good luck!

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Since you are in Utah, look at Rands Auto in North Salt Lake…, they sell lease buy backs from the auto auction. Best cars, best customer service, their prices are the best I’ve found. Plus you can check their inventory online with pricing and features. Their inventory turns over quick so if you see something you like, don’t wait!

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I don’t know if you read comments from older posts so you may not even see this but my 7 month old is the same way Skye is in the evenings. Super fussy and it makes getting things done, including eating, impossible! I know she may be too little to do it now but when she is big enough (maybe a month or so?) try lining a laundry basket with a fluffy blanket and filling it will all of the toys. I have been doing this for a while now and it allows me to get things done and bring him around the house with me as he sits in there and plays plus he can’t tip over or roll out! Also the Fisher Price Sit Me Up chair is amazing if you don’t have one. It helps them build those skills to sit up plus you can attach toys to it.

As for cars, I have an Audi SUV that has 3 rows and still has room to fit our 4 fur babies. Volkswagen have the same type of SUV room also. Good luck on the car hunt, I am sorry you need a new car but very happy you both are okay!!!

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