Alyson Frederick has been stolen

This is how I start every morning.  I just came in from a short run (it's cold out there!).  Poured myself some coffee and sat down at the computer.  It's not long before I hear little bare feet slapping across the tile floor.  "I waked up, mama."  It's hard to believe my baby is so big.

We're in countdown to marathon time.  I have a 9 miler this weekend, 22 next weekend, an 8 mile taper weekend, then the official 26.2.  I missed registration for the 9 miler (Tulsa Run) so I'm going to try to bandit run.  I'll let you know if I get arrested.

Speaking of getting arrested, I went to renew my driver's license yesterday.  The lady said I needed to go to a corporate tag agency (didn't know there was such a thing) because they couldn't do it there.  I'd gotten it done there before.  I've lived in Owasso for 32 years and I don't even have a ticket on my record.  What in the world?  She said someone with my name or birthday was probably into some trouble so I just needed to take my original birth certificate and social security card to prove that I am who I am.  In other words, stolen identity.  Maybe.  I guess we'll see.  I'm going to try to get it all fixed today.

I'm leading 2 Choose to Lose teams at the Y for the next 4 weeks.  These are weight loss accountability groups with a personal trainer (me) and nutritionist to coach you through each week.  So awesome.  I love these classes!  I don't really have time to add more things to my training/teaching schedule, but these are definitely worth the extra effort.

My stroller classes will come to an end pretty soon with this weather changing.  We were out walking and running yesterday in the 75 degree morning when the wind shifted and the temperature dropped 20 degrees in a matter of 2 seconds.  Craziest thing.

I LOVE it when Target cleans out their seasonal flavors.  

Four bucks for good coffee.  Don't mind if I do!

Give Thanks, Embrace Peace and Joy

These are just a few excerpts from one of my favorite blogs: When you are giving everything you have and you can only take so much — Christ kneels close with arms stretched open wide: “Let Me take the rest.”

… “be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:16–18).

Thanks to God is what that calms the wild heart.  Anger makes us sick and weak and bound and the therapy is in the thanks. Thanks therapy is God’s prescription for joy.

I couldn’t sleep. Until I started Thanking Him. For everything. It was the only thing that calmed my heart…”

No big trial here.  Just the daily battle of a tired mom training four children to follow Christ, be thankful, embrace joy instead of anger, and peace instead of strife amidst the busy schedule, dishes in the sink, etc.  

No matter the jarring, a jar of fresh water can’t spill filthy water. When you’re upset, you upset what’s really in you.

What do I want my children to remember — my joy in clean floors, made beds and ironed shirts — or my joy of the Lord? You will be most remembered — by what brought you most joy. The joy of the Lord is your strength and the person of Christ is your unassailable joy – and the battle for joy is nothing less than fighting the good fight of faith.

"You don’t think about how you can open your mouth and let the sharp side of your tongue tear the innards out of a soul —- and there’s no way you can stuff the whole bloody mess back....

Busyness and tiredness are no excuse to lose it.  Peace lives in me.

Nap time: most anticipated time of day.

Many people have said to me, "I don't know how you get it all in." So, here's the secret and the key to staying motivated, energized, and on top of it all (if you're a stay-at-home-mom)...TAKE A NAP!

Seriously, I'm up at 4-4:30 every day of the week to workout and pray uninterrupted. When I'm back from my workout the kids are waking up. Breakfast, get ready, school, school, school, lunch, NAP TIME (for the girls and I - boys get quiet time in their room).

Before children I envisioned nap time being the catch up, clean house, mommy creativity time. That was delusional. ;)

And I got a hair cut and a little more blonde. Fun!

The Menu

Eating Clean in October - Breakfast, Dinner and Snacks are recipes from He & She Eat Clean and Lunch recipes are from 100 Days of Real Food

Monday, October 1st, 2012

Breakfast: Egg quiche muffins and java

Lunch: apple slices with peanut butter and raisins

Snack: Pumpkin Protein bars

Dinner: Blackened Salmon with Mango Salsa, steamed broccoli and smashed sweet potatoes

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012

Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats

Lunch: Peanut Thai Pasta

Snack: Pumpkin Protein Bars

Dinner: Zucchini Lasagna

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012 (Pierce's 6th Birthday)

Breakfast: Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes with real maple syrup

Lunch: quesadillas on homemade tortillas

Snack: Protein Bars

Dinner:Homemade cheese pizza

Thursday, October 4th, 2012

Breakfast: leftover pancakes

Lunch: leftovers

Snack: fruit

Dinner: Tilapia and steamed veggies

Friday, October 5th, 2012

Breakfast: leftover oatmeal

Lunch: Veggie Pancakes

Snack: Protein bars

Dinner: Quinoa and Mixed Veggies with Chicken

Saturday, October 6th, 2012

Breakfast:  Eggs and biscuits (homemade)

Lunch: Cream Cheese on Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread (He& She Eat Clean)

Snack: Pierce's Birthday party!!!

Dinner: Black Bean Sweet Potato Turkey Chili in the crock pot

Sunday, October 7th, 2012

Breakfast: Protein Shake with Toast (homemade bread)

Lunch: Grilled Cheese and Chicken Noodle Soup in the crockpot (use chicken broth instead of water, add garlic and carrots, use whole wheat pasta instead of egg noodles).

Snack: Protein Bar

Dinner: Protein Shake & Popcorn