Sentence Per Picture + My Nephew’s Mission Call!

This running group is trying to kill me off…  Speed workout Tuesday and challenge run Wednesday.

But first, I woke up to this….

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Currently experiencing our third winter.

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We usually do challenge runs on the trails but we did them on a hilly road route instead yesterday and pushed it on the uphills—>  8.17 miles @ 8:07 pace w/ 718 ft of climbing.

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The hardest part of the run with this .57 mile stretch and I was so excited to get to see on Strava that I set a PR on this segment until I realized it was the first time I’ve ever done it ha.

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Skye has been sleeping in her crib again but in the morning she gets into bed to snuggle with Brooke.

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Beck had a Dr. appointment and he is growing fast.

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Hung out at home with the crew.

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Not sure how Andrew is fitting it all in right now… oh yeah, he doesn’t sleep ha.

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Now this dinner was delicious—> Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork.

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My nephew will be serving a mission for our church and last night we found out he will be going to Peru for two years!

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For those of you that have been reading this blog since the beginning, he looked like this when I first started putting him on the blog and now he is a full on adult!

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We celebrated with Rice Krispies Treats—> The most underrated dessert in my educated treat opinion.

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I AM SO BEYOND EXCITED ABOUT THIS… can’t wait to see what she does in April, she needs to average faster than a 6:02 mile to break the record.

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Do you use Strava?  If not, what do you use to track your running?

Do you think Des will be able to take the 50K World Record?

Do you speak a second language?  Where is the farthest that you have travelled from where you live?  Farthest you have moved?

Give me your sentence of the day!

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46 comments

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Loved that snowy photo from your run – looked like a winter wonderland to me! In terms of Strava… it’s a love/hate relationship for me. I love how it tracks my runs and how many miles I put on my shoes, but I don’t like how I have very limited access to most of the features when using the free version. I also feel pressure to up my pace on recovery runs because I know it’ll be displayed on Strava. I would love to know another way to electronically track my workouts!!!

I speak French and German! I love other languages and being able to use them when I travel.

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Hey Charlotte! You speak French and German?! WOW! I totally see what you are saying about Strava.. as far as recovery runs go I tell myself I want to be a good example on there to people to slow down on those days??‍♀️! Have you tried Garmin Connect? People love that too. I hope your morning is off to a great start!

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Yes, I think Des can do it! I’m also very excited about that.
Congratulations to your nephew! How does he feel about it- nervous? Excited? How does your sister feel?
Hope you have a great day Janae!

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Hey Jenny! They were both crying last night! He is a little nervous, my sister is so proud but she is also sad because she will miss him so much! Luckily they can FaceTime each week! I hope you have a beautiful Thursday and thank you!

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I would kindly like to argue that bread pudding is the most underrated dessert in the world.
I would agree that we need more homemade Rice Krispie treats, scoth-a-roos and puppy chow in all of our lives though!!

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Hahaha well now you need to share with me the best bread pudding recipe because I need to try it again. And now I also need a scotcharoo, it’s also been too long since I’ve had one of those. Happy Thursday Mollie!

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Peru?! That is SO exciting!!! Your sister must be so proud of him! I’m actually kind of curious how missions work in a pandemic world. Is it basically normal or are they limited to where they can go? Everything is so wonky now, it’s nice to hear that he can still do it. Wishing him the best of luck!!
I didn’t know Des was going to go for that!! That’s so exciting. I think she can do it. Crazy that 6:02 pace isn’t even that fast for her. haha

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Hey!!! So the letter said that if he isn’t able to go straight to Peru first then they will send him somewhere in the states! Right? A 6:02 is a recovery pace basically for her haha… I think her pr marathon was a 5:27 pace! Have the best day Mollie!

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That is very exciting about your nephew!

I hope your winter ends soon! In MA it will be 70 today but 30s again on Monday. I want all our snow gone!

I took French all through middle and high school and part of college. I went to France twice when I was 16 and 32. I got all excited to re-learn it after a 2016 trip to Montreal where I saw how French it is. Me and my husband were supposed to take a 15th anniversary trip to Quebec City last year. I started doing Duolingo a year ago but as I approach my 365 day streak I am losing interest because we aren’t sure if we will be able to go anytime soon.

France and England are the farthest east I’ve gone, Hawaii is the farthest East, Cozumel is the furthest South and Newfoundland the furthest North. But except for college in western NY (a 6-7 hour drive), I’ve never lived more than an hour from where I grew up.

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Thank you so much Jessey! 30s on Monday? Noooooo. I really really wish that you two are able to go to Quebec City soon… and 365 day streak, keep going! I’m cheering for you! You have been to some incredible places and I love that you’ve stayed close to home as far as living goes❤️ Have a wonderful day friend!

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I can’t believe your nephew! I know the years have gone by, but how is it possible for him to be old enough for a mission trip? Crazy! When does he leave?
Oh I hope Des can break the record. I think she can, she is amazing and so focused. It will be fun the follow for sure.
I have been tempted to use Strava, but haven’t yet. I already get sucked into the comparison trap, and I think Strava might make that worse…. I just track my runs with my Garmin, and just upload them to my computer. What are your thoughts on Strava?
Off for my early morning group run! And it is 43°, which is “cold” for us… Ha ha
Have a good Thursday Janae ?

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Seriously, I looked at him yesterday and just could not believe how big and incredible he has become! He leaves this summer ahhh. Good for you to know what makes you happy and avoid things that take away your joy! So I just have a few people that follow me and a few that I follow… so basically people I already know what they are running for workouts etc! I do know a lot of people that it brings them down so you are smart to just avoid it! Group run… yay! I hope you had a blast and that you stayed warm. Enjoy your day Wendy!

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I speak French and understand a little bit of Spanish. I can also understand a little Italian but only enough to know when someone is talking about me. (I was a French minor in college and have barely used it except in my last job when I travelled to Italy once a month. Not glamorous, really. Anyway, older Italians speak French. I also could understand weather conversations and discussions about animals as many of the words are similar to French and Spanish…) The farthest I’ve travelled is the Qinghai Province in China where my youngest daughter is from. I’ve been in Peru and your nephew is going to LOVE it.

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Jackie, that is incredible that you speak French and can understand some Spanish and Italian! You have done a lot of incredible trips. I would love to learn more about your daughter and the adoption process if you ever have the chance. Thank you, I am so excited for him! Have a great day!

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Actually, both of my daughters are Chinese. My oldest was a non-special needs adoption and she was 8.5 months old when we travelled to get her. She is from a city close to Shanghai. My youngest was a special needs adoption and was 2.5 years old when we got her. (She was born with a mild form of spina bifida that was surgically corrected in Hong Kong when she was 8 months old.) She is from a city perched on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Both adoptions were very different but I love to talk about it to anyone that will listen!

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Thank you for sharing this with me. What an incredible story and your girls are the luckiest to have you. Andrew and I have talked about doing something similar in a few years so I want to really start doing my research!

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Oh wow I cannot believe your nephew is old enough for his mission trip. He was just a kid when this blog started!

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Right? He was just Brooke and Knox’s age which scared me thinking how fast that time flew by! I hope you have some delicious food today! Tell Jason hi for us!

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Peru! So cool, we just watched the “Down to Earth with Zac Efron” episode on Netflix where they visited Peru. Such a diversity of plants there!

Have you watched the “Down to Earth with Zac Efron” series? We’re about halfway through the first season. I found out about it after hearing Darin Olien (his partner on the show) on a Podcast talking about it.

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I am going to have to watch that one with him! Andrew and I have watched a few episodes together and we love it… I need to watch more now. Have a great day John and how is the biking going?

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Biking is going well. i rode my first gravel route last Saturday, Thrilla in Woodinville.

Here is some old YouTube footage (not mine): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qgiu0WiDgwY

Andrew needs to come up and show me how to ride that terrain, I am so new and slow ,lol.

Do you guys think you could run/ride all the way up Heart Attack Hill? I only made it maybe 1/3 of the way up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhVOuFBSgwc I think it is a 20%+ grade all the way up?

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Okay, I just watched that clip about Thrilla and now I need to run there while Andrew bikes with me:). Andrew would LOVE to come show you… I am sure you are doing an amazing job! Hahah and Heart Attack Hill would kill me… I could hike it:).

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Your kids would love it too! I passed literally dozens of horse ranches along the 19 mile route.

And if you think about that for a sec… it makes the course all the more challenging because you have a lot more “obstacle piles” to dodge in the middle of the trails. You have to pay close attention…

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Hi Janae! Peru sounds so exciting! My first thought is that Peru is where Paddington bear is from and my second thought is that many cities there are at altitude until I realized so is Utah. So your nephew may or may not get some good altitude training. Still that is so awesome though.
I’m sure Des can break the record. I do wonder though if it’s a road 50k or a trail 50k, they are quite different. But if she’s going for the record my guess is it’s a road 50k though I haven’t heard of one in real life. Happy Thursday! Have an awesome day!

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Hey Amy! YES, so much altitude. My brother went there also and lived on the top of a mountain but yes, coming from altitude will totally help him too! Oh that is a good question… I am guessing it’s the road 50k too! Thanks Amy, you too!

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I am so excited for your nephew, Peru sounds amazing, I am sure you will all miss him so much!

All that running is amazing, I can’t wait to hear which race you choose to do this year. My husband doesn’t sleep either, he is at work most of the day, hangs with us in the evening then goes back and works until the early AM. I am so impressed with how he can function. A few days with less than seven hours a night and I am not doing well.

I think we are behind you in terms of weather here in Colorado, we just had fool’s spring and are headed for second winter this weekend. We will be in mud season from now until May ;)

Your girls are just too sweet, sisters must be the best.

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HEY BETH! We really are going to miss him so much… It is going to be so weird to have him gone! I can’t wait to figure out which races to do this year too! How do they go without sleep? I do not understand. Good luck with your winter this weekend ha, I’m back to guzzling hot chocolate. Thank you friend, have the best Thursday!

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I don’t love Strava, to be honest I have way too many running apps, from different running phases in the past but they all connect to my Garmin Connect, so I keep them bc some have different challenges. Strava connects to my work health app which I get points for and I can also connect Charity Miles which donates money for each mile you run to whatever organization you pick which is really nice. I think I like MayMyRun best though… not sure if it’s bc that’s what I used the longest, but i like their challenges.

I do not fluently speak any other languages. I learned spanish throughout high school, but definitely wouldn’t say I’m fluent. I’m also half korean and don’t know any korean, so I got Rosetta stone and it’s my goal this year to learn it. We went to Korea in 2019 and while some of my cousins could speak english very well, there were more that couldn’t, especially my aunts so it was hard to have that barrier. We plan to go back in January of 2022 for a wedding and hoping by then I can speak a bit more!

My furthest travel would have to be to New Zealand. It was the longest flight ever with way too many connections… My other longest trip was to South Africa! I sure do miss being able to travel!

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Hey Kathy! Charity Miles?! How have I never heard of this… I have to join! That is really awesome you got the Rosetta stone and you’ll have to keep me updated with how your Korean is going! I am so happy you will be visiting Korea again next year. South Africa would be amazing to visit! I bet you have some really incredible stories. Enjoy the rest of your day Kathy!

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That’s wonderful news about your nephew. Just curious… Did you and your siblings do missions? Did Andrew? Wishing all of your family the best.

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Hey Christine! Thank you so much! My brothers all went –> Portugal, Peru and El Salvador and Andrew went to Ohio! My brother that also went to Peru is so excited for my nephew. Thank you friend and I hope your morning has been a great one so far!

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Ok if you like Rice Krispie treats, try them with fruity pebbles mixed in. My ratio is 2/3 Rice Krispies to 1/3 fruity pebbles. Trust me on this.

I don’t really speak any languages..I did a study abroad to Germany and “learned” German, but never really used it and was never fluent. Also studied French and Spanish, but again I don’t remember any of it.

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Ummmm I will absolutely try this. Sounds like something my family would LOVE! Thanks Karin. You did study abroad in Germany, that sounds amazing. I hope you have a beautiful day!

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We like to make them with Cheerios. All flavors are great. Has anyone mentioned how much Beck looks like your nephew? I also think Skye looks so much like your Mom. Love those strong family genes! Have a wonderful day!

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Winter reappeared in So Cal, too! It was in the 30s this morning. Thanks for reading my mind and posting a picture of your nephew when he was younger. So excited for his mission.

I’ve been on Strava for years and it’s hard to get PRs anymore. I need to find some new streets!

I took one year of French in high school and didn’t retain any! I have traveled to Europe twice (over 6,000 miles) and the Philippines twice (over 7,000 miles.) We’ve moved into furnished condos in Hawaii, but I can’t technically call that a move since we’ve kept our home here. I did move a little over 200 miles when Les and I got married.

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HEY KATHY! 30s in California? Okay, that sounds crazy! Yes, find some new streets and segments… that’s what I’m going to keep doing ha. You guys have traveled to some amazing places… I can’t wait to hear about you both returning to Hawaii again! Happy Thursday Kathy!

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Des is my favorite! I hope she makes it, but regardless she’ll make it look easy:)

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Right?! She is seriously the best.

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We are definitely in the spring of deception here in Chicago!

I was lucky enough to go to Peru for work two years ago. It is such a beautiful country!! I enjoyed my trip so much and look forward to returning. I’m so excited for your nephew and hope he has a wonderful mission.

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I hope your spring of deception lasts for a while ha. That is so cool you were able to visit Peru! I am so excited for him and I hope you are able to return again soon. Thanks Julie!

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OH WOW Janae. That is amazing that your nephew is going on a mission! I have been reading your blog FOREVER and just cannot believe how grown up he is. You all must be so very proud of him!

The pics of Beck are always AMAZING. All of your children and your entire family are fabulous Janae. You are truly blessed.

I hope you are having a wonderful day and a have a great weekend!

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Hi Janae! I’ve been reading your blog for years and had to comment today because I am Peruvian :) I’m so happy he’ll be coming down here! Please let me know if there’s anything I can help with. Hopefully by the summer things will be more normal pandemic-wise. Cases are starting to drop and vaccination is going strong.
I speak English and French, and Spanish obviously! I need to practice my French though, so hopefully a trip to Paris is in my near future ;) Europe is the farthest I’ve travelled to.
Have a nice day!

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Your comment made me sooooooo happy! I really will be reaching out if that’s okay! So good to hear that things are going better there no and hopefully by the summer it will continue to get better! English, Spanish and French… you are incredible. I really hope that trip happens! Keep in touch!

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Of course! Reach out, I’ll be more than happy to help with whatever your nephew needs, information about the area, recommendations, etc. It’ll be a fantastic experience for him!

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Thank you! That means a lot!

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So this doesn’t answer any of your questions but I have a little one the exact same age as Skye and he tried his big boy bed for a month (and NO ONE got any sleep) and now he’s back in his crib too and we are all so much happier. Guess we just weren’t ready. I read a quote that essentially said, it’s only a bed and if no one is sleeping in it than what’s the point. The next day we put the crib back up, ha! Here’s to sleep!

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