Yoga and Swimming

Well, over Thanksgiving weekend I decided it was probably time to retire my basketball shoes for a while. I've been struggling with sciatica quite a bit, and it culminated to the point that I was having a hard time even walking... so, I've changed things up a bit. Now, instead of basketball and running, I'm doing yoga and swimming.

I called up a friend and asked her to be my swimming buddy, thus ensuring that I actually go when I plan to go. So far, it has been absolutely wonderful! I feel like swimming is one thing I can actually do without really feeling pregnant. I feel weightless and normal again. I love it! I can actually push myself when I swim without much prego-effect.

So, even though I haven't been able to run the entire pregnancy, I'm happy to report that I'm still staying active... which was my biggest goal when we decided to have another baby.

The Kitchen Overhaul

Over Thanksgiving, I conned my parents into helping us do a little work on our kitchen. We...

replaced counter tops

added some cupboards
and refinished our old cabinets

It was so great to have my parents here to help us. I think we would still be without a kitchen sink if it weren't for them. :) However, I'm a little worried they will never come visit us again, for fear that we'll make them work the whole time.

Here's a few pictures before and after... and a one of the good lookin' help. Sadly, my parents never stepped in front of the camera. But I promise, they were there.

First off, the cute boys. Boy they grow 'em really cute around these parts. :) I especially like the tall one.

The sink area before sporting lovely white counter tops.

And after, with the new counter top and dirty dishes to make you feel at home.

My massive amounts of counter space to work with... see that foot long space on the end, that's where I do all my food preparation. Seriously.

And now look at all that space, it's so wonderful! You get an even better look at it in the next shot.

This kitchen was built to have a side by side washer and dryer in it. Since we have a stackable, we had a ton of dead space in the kitchen that I desperately wanted to put to work. I decided to put in one more base cabinet and LOTS more counter space.

... and when I say "I", I really mean, "Scott and my dad". :) I supervised now and then, but really the credit goes to them for making me a very happy wife/daughter/mommy. :)

And this is the end of the lengthy blog about our kitchen "Overhaul" I hope you enjoyed your time and now have a longing for more counter space. I think I'll be satisfied for a few more years.

Jeff's amazing tower!!!

Jeff and his accomplice, Nate.


A modern day Tower of Babel. From the top of the ceiling (fan) all the way to the floor.


I'm happy to report that both boys still speak English.
Just so you know, these are magnetic and Jeff magnetized them to the ceiling fan, it's actually just barely hanging above the floor. Not a very firm foundation, if you ask me. :)

Sick baby

Today, I have a sick two-year-old. I think this is the worst age for it. He is too young to understand he needs to throw up into something (other than my carpet and couch) but old enough he's all over the house, so you never know where's he going to strike next.

The good part about having a sick boy, is that he will cuddle with me for more than three seconds. This is a rarity in my house. My boys usually don't sit still long enough to let me snuggle them.

Here's to a sick free tomorrow!

Fit Pregnancy

I've been trying to keep running and playing basketball throughout this pregnancy in an effort to be more fit than I was with my first two babies. While I'm sure there's going to be some positives to this choice, it has also proved to be a little bit frustrating.

Why, you might ask... well, I'm used to putting effort into something and then slowly getting better at it. Right now, I'm putting effort into something but I am getting progressively worse. I'm slower, and less coordinated.

I know it's bound to happen, but when I didn't play/run at all with my first two babies, I didn't see the regression. I didn't notice how ugly it was getting. I definitely saw it when I tried to start back up again, but by that point I was on the upward battle and I would get better.

So, while it is a bit discouraging, I'm talking solace in the hope that labor will be easier and getting back into shape will be easier too. I'll let you know how it goes in about four months. :)

Prego

So last night I was laying in bed trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in and it became very apparent to me that yes, I AM PREGO.

Why is it that I all of a sudden feel it? This morning, I could hardly tie my shoes, I haven't noticed it at all until today. Picking things up... it's getting ugly. I have felt semi-normal for most of my pregnancy, but all of a sudden it just feels different. Anyone else feel this way?

Just wondering. :)

It's a girl?

We had an ultrasound yesterday (the second one to find out the gender) and the technician said,

"Well, I think it might be a girl, but I'm not convinced."

Which says to me... "Don't really believe me when I say this, you might have a girl, you might have a boy, and to be honest, you really don't have any better of an idea now what it is than you did four months ago when you suspected you were having a girl because you were so sick"

I'm really not all that bent out of shape about it, actually, I think it's funny. Scott has always wanted a surprise, but I'm too chicken to go through with it. So, I guess now he will get a semi-surprise and I will get to semi-know. It really is a win/win situation.

That being said, I'm going forward as if this really is a girl. I'm thinking up girl names, I'm collecting girl clothes, I'm even going to buy a few things (and keeping the tags on) so I feel like I'm making progress on preparing for this baby. I actually made a pink rag quilt for her a few months ago... so, we'll be prepared for a girl, and if it turns out to be a boy, we'll have clothes we just need to pull out of storage. And as for a name, we'll have to wing it. :)

Galveston

We had a great time in Galveston. I LOVED it! The water was super warm and the weather was perfect. We thought we would do lot of things, but it turns out when the water's warm, there isn't much else you want to do other than body board. Since we happened to celebrate our anniversary on my birthday, I was extra spoiled. I love love love that tall skinny guy.

Speaking of Scott being skinny, here was a conversation Scott and I had a few days ago.

Me: So, I saw the scale was moved, did you weigh yourself?

Scott: Yep. (man of many words)

Me: So, how much did you weigh?

Scott: (told me his weight... I'm not sure how I would feel if he posted my weight on a blog, so I won't tell you his either. ;) )

Me: Wow, aren't you supposed to be gaining weight since you've been running and biking and swimming so much?

Scott: I read somewhere that the REAL runners look unhealthy because of how skinny they are.

Me: Oh boy. :)

Five Years

This picture is a few weeks before we got engaged. We went boogie boarding on the Oregon Coast.

Scott and I are headed out of town this weekend. With the help of a few good young women and some great friends... we get to head to Galveston to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary!

I was thinking about the fun things we have done in the past few years to celebrate our lives together. Here's the breakdown.

1st anniversary- Quiznos subs in the park around the corner from Scott's parent's house. Simple, inexpensive, and just the two of us.

2nd anniversary- Spent the day in NYC (we lived just across the bridge) doing all the things I found online that we could do for free. Riding the ferry to Staten Island and back, going rock climbing in Central Park, and eating dinner at an outdoor cafe (not free)... a great day!

3rd anniversary- Kayaking the Delaware Water Gap for the day. Eating a picnic lunch along the river, getting rained on during the last mile of the trip... simply wonderful.

4th anniversary- Sea World water park. We acted like kids and enjoyed no lines since it was the off-season. I think we also caught a few shows. And... it was mostly free because we had tickets that were good from a few months earlier that we got to use until the end of the year.

5th anniversary- Staying in a hotel (yes our first overnight away anniversary) on the beach with a beachfront balcony. Eating at the Rainforest Cafe, and enjoying a nice mile long walk along the seawall on our way back to our hotel. Taking our little candle operated fondue pot for some strawberries to enjoy in our room back at the hotel. I think I'm even going to get some sparkling cider. Love that stuff. :) Then the next day, Scott has all the plans for us. We have all day to reminisce and enjoy the love we share.

After five years, I am very in love with my husband, much more than I could imagine when I told him I would marry him in the middle of a potato field. He is my best friend in the whole wide world. He is my confidant, my cheerleader, my everything. I am so happy he is mine forever and that we share something so special. I honestly can't imagine how I could ever be more in love with him than I am right now, and yet... I think I remember feeling that way every year we've been together.

Marriage is a beautiful, wonderful thing, and I'm so happy it's all a part of God's plan.

Baby #3

We are going to have a baby in February. We're pretty excited about it. Today we went to the doctor to find out just what type of baby we will be welcoming into our home, alas, the little peanut was a bit shy. We'll schedule another ultrasound for a later date. I started out VERY sick, but after some prescription anti-nausea pills, life got much better. Now I'm feeling great, and anxiously awaiting the news to determine if I get to buy pink this time around, or fish out my box of boy clothes out of the closet.

That's the update!

Goodbye

I kidnapped Scott to take him to Sonic during Happy Hour to get half price slushes. We had about 20 minutes to kill and this conversation ensued.

Scott: "We've got 20 minutes, what should we do?"

Me: (pulling over the van and putting it in park, deciding to be funny) "I know what we should do, let's kiss."

Scott: "Okay!"

* I take off my seat belt, lean over and kiss Scott a few times *

Jeff: "Bye, mom"

Apparently, in Jeff's mind, we only kiss when we say goodbye. We'll be sure to do a lot more kissing at non-goodbye moments from now on.

Pocatello Tri

We did the second annual Cheney Family get-together yesterday. It consists of participating in the Pocatello Tri, sleeping, eating, and visiting. We had a blast. This year we also did a "mini-tri" for the grandkids. They loved it!

Here's the results!
Me- I ran the 5k leg of the race and my nephew did the bike and my neice did the swim. I was slow, but I never stopped, puked, or passed out. Success!

Scott- Ran the 5K in 24 minutes, biked 12 miles in 47 minutes (with a few extra spent going too far and finally turning around), and swam 500 yards in 16 minutes! He did AWESOME!!! He cut 12 minutes off his time from last year and was an overall stud!

Jeff- Ran the whole way smiling the entire time around the block (just a little under a 1/2 mile) and biked around the block enjoying every bit of it. We didn't let him do the swim because we had to jump in the car and drive to Utah and didn't want a sopping wet boy, but he did so great! I was so proud of him! All summer he has been begging to do a race, and would frequently tell me that he needed to practice running. He is such a fun little guy.

Nate- Ate six bananas, one ice cream bar, three pieces of watermelon, one yogurt, one sloppyjoes, several candies, chocolate milk, homemade ice cream and apple crisp, and who knows what else he got when I wasn't looking. His shirt was covered in all kinds of food mixed together. :) We hope to get him into the running soon... :) Right now, he is a food man. However, he's only two... so he's got time.

Hope you all had a fun weekend too!
Love,
Sadie

Red Light

I'm not a writer, but I wrote this... and decided to post it. It is an experience I had in Boulder over the summer.

Red Light

I saw the sign first. In bold capital letters scrawled on a piece of cardboard it read, “FEED ME”. It caught me off guard. Most of the signs said something along the lines of “Out of work, anything helps” or “Lost my job, spare change please”.

Once the shock of the sign wore off, I looked at the boy holding it. His fingers were long and thin, and though I couldn’t see from where I sat comfortably in my minivan, I instinctively knew there was dirt under his fingernails. His arms were much the same, long, thin... seemingly the same diameter all the up to the shoulder showing no sign of muscles beneath the skin. They were either tan or dirty, probably both. The white shirt didn’t leave anything unseen. It showed evidence of lying on the ground, and being acquainted with dirt, not the garden variety. It was more of a dusty, tired kind of dirt that sat on you and weighed you down. It was obviously too big for him as it sagged on his boney shoulders.

His pants were the type an athlete would wear, the windbreaker variety. They seemed empty, lacking the body to fill them out. They just hung, blowing in the breeze. I didn’t notice shoes. I’m sure they were worn, but they didn’t impress me like the rest of his attire.

Then I saw his face. He seemed young, maybe a teenager. His eyes sunk deep into his face and seemed to almost bug out at the same time. His other features seemed to disappear when his eyes were visible. They became unimportant compared to the deep tired, hungry look of his eyes.

He noticed some people crossing the street and he made a motion with his hand, in his own way asking for a cigarette. They both shook their heads and blew out puffs of grey smoke into the air as they passed by him. He seemed undeterred, making the same motion to the people in the car in front of me. No response.

I finally came to myself and realized he was walking my way, and I was no longer just a spectator. I looked around the floor of my minivan, and spotted a small plastic bag of snow peas. I picked them up and held them to the window, wondering if he would take them, or say he only wanted money.
The dark eyes brightened and I quickly rolled down my window and held them out. The light changed, and the interaction was quick. In a congested nasally voice he said “thank you”, and then I suddenly saw that the teenage boy was really a woman, maybe in her forties, maybe even younger, just aged by her lifestyle. I realized my assumption was due to the overall lack of shape and curve that would indicate a woman’s body. She had none of that, just strait, long, thin lines.

She walked away, and instantly I wanted to cry.

Colorado

We really are still alive. I know I haven't posted anything for a LONG time... sorry. We don't have internet and thus, you get nothing. It's really not my fault. :)

Updates...

Scott likes what he's doing and has been biking like a fiend. He bikes up this huge hill to work each morning and his legs are rock solid. I think he'll do pretty well in the tri this year.

Nate has learned how to dance like a robot. I don't know where he learned it, but he is really good. I'll have to try and catch it on camera. Cutest thing ever!

Jeff has been planning his birthday for the past two months and can't wait for Grandma and Grandpa Goddard to come for it. He is going to the "Mickey Place" aka Chucky Cheese and going bowling and getting legos. He's got a plan for everything. He also plays camping all day long until we actually go camping.

I've been busy building a bike, that I just finished and rode tonight for the first time. It's to replace the one that got stolen two weeks after we moved here. It isn't as nice, but it will be great to have.

That's us! Hope y'all are well!

Sadie

Retrospect

One of my favorite things to do when I have a little spare time is to read my old journal entries. Usually it is just entertaining, especially when I read the ones form junior high and high school, but today it was more than that. Today I recognized how much the Lord has blessed us in the decisions we have made in the last three years.

I was reading from my entry I wrote about three years ago. We were living in New Jersey and Scott was working as an actuary. He had only been there for a few months before he realized that this was not the career for him. However, he decided that he was going to stick with it for a few years to prove to himself that he could do hard things.

While he was toughing it out, I was looking for a better option for us. I did lots of research. I checked out other companies that might be a better fit for us and I also started looking at graduate school options. We didn't even know what Scott would want to get his graduate degree in, but we started researching different schools and programs. We also wanted to buy a home, so that was factored into the equation too.

We researched, interviewed people, made lots of phone calls, made spreadsheets, looked at housing markets, talked to more people, made up mock budgets... just about everything you can do without actually DOING anything. It was all theoretical.

These were all the things we were doing two to three years ago. There wasn't a clear path that was obvious for us. However, today, looking back... I can see the guidance we received that has put us where we are now. The path had always been there, we just had to find it.

I by no means think we have arrived, I only know that we can be guided gently to where we need to be if we will be humble enough to trust that the Lord knows better than we do the path we should take.

I think it is not only good practice to make decision that have such a great impact on our lives, but it is also an adventure.

As of late...

We're getting all geared up for our move. We'll be heading to Boulder, CO on the 20th, and we're pretty excited about it... except for one thing...

I get homesick when I leave this place. I got to take a great trip out to Idaho and Utah about a month ago and I had a great time. However, it was on that trip that I realized how homesick I get when I leave Bryan, Texas.

Okay, so yes, Scott was not with me most of the time, and that definitely played into it, but it was more than just Scott. It was that this is HOME.

This is the place where I have a schedule. Not the type of schedule that makes sure I feed my kids and all that (though I do feed my kids) but a schedule that lays out all the fun things I can plan on doing. Its the place I have a list of like 30 people who I could call during the day and say, "hey, I'm going to the park, d'you want to come?" and they would. And then while we were there, we'd see some of our other friends who had the same idea.

It's the place I'm social... which is where I'm comfortable.

I'm sure I'll love Boulder. I'm sure I'll meet some really cool people. I think I might even make a friend... but there will always be facebook and I'll always see what my gals in Bryan are doing and I'll get homesick.

To the Lovely Ladies of Bryan...

Love, Sadie

Romance gone wrong

A conversation with hubby today.

Scott: I like your ears, they are so cute.

Me: Thanks, I actually like my ears too. It's my nose I don't like.

Scott: I like your nose too.

Me: If I were ever to have any kind of surgery, it would be to fix my nose.

Scott: (in compete innocence and sincerity) But if you changed your nose, how would I find you in a crowd?

Me: I'm convinced, it's my nose I'll fix.

Scott: No really, I love your nose, its so cute and small, and I like it...

In defense of my sweetheart, he really does like my nose... it was just too funny not to post.

Counting Calories

I'm on day three of keeping track of everything that goes into my mouth. Even gum. I am amazed at how much I'm not eating because I know I'm accountable for it. As if watching my hips get bigger isn't keeping me accountable. I guess it's just instant accountability. :)

Anyway, I'm using this great website called sparkpeople.com. It's free, and to me is just as good as doing weightwatcher online. Maybe better. AND IT IS FREE! Seriously, can you beat that?

I'm loving it. At the end of the day I get a report that tells me how I'm doing. Like on the first day, I learned that I wasn't eating enough protein. So today, I'm eating more chicken. I'm also learning that I'm not drinking nearly enough water.

I really feel that this is helping me make some progress to becoming a healthier me. Food has been and still is my biggest weakness. I love to play, so getting exercise isn't too hard for me. It's not eating that cookie with sprinkles that's tough.

I know I've only been doing this for three days, but if I can do this, ANYONE can. So, I hope that progress continues to be with me. :)

Thanks for listening. Hope y'all have a wonderful Easter. I'll be counting how many jelly beans I eat.

Boulder, CO

Above is the building Scotty will be working in. How cool is that?!

Scott and I are moving to Colorado for the summer. We are really excited about it. We'll only be there for ten weeks, then we'll be headed back to Texas.

Scott's going to be working in wind field research. He thinks it will be great for his career, and he's also excited to see if he likes it enough to focus his future research on this type of topic.

We are in the process of looking for housing, and so far, it's been a little tricky. Hopefully we'll get that all squared away soon.

One of the first things I though of when we found out that we would be in Boulder for the summer was that I'd have a chance to train at a high altitude before the triathlon in August. In Texas we are at 343 feet. Ouch, that would have hurt me going to Idaho for a race, but now that we'll be at 5430 feet for a few months before the race. :)

And, the mountains!!! Texas doesn't have 'em, and I can't wait to be at the foot of the Rockies for a nice cool (compared to Texas) summer. :)

The man I married

There are some quiet moments in my life, when I start to think about things. I get pretty involved in my thoughts and it's sort of like a conversation I have... with myself. So, here was my conversation last night.

Me: How did I get so lucky in the man I married?

Me2: I don't know, but he's pretty much amazing.

Me: You are so right. Have I told you all the things I just love about him?

Me2: I'd love to hear all about it. I kind of like him too.

Me: He is gentle, kind, selfless, thoughtful, clean, smart, funny...

Me2: Oh, don't forget talented, patient, forgiving, fun-loving...

Me: Yeah, he is all that too, and hard working, committed, loyal, and so very good looking.

This conversation continued, but I won't post it all here. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I feel very, very blessed that Scott is my husband. He makes marriage and family a thing of pure beauty and joy.

Male bonding

Today I asked Jeff what the next baby in our family should be. (This is not an announcement). I asked if it should be a brother or a sister. He said, "sister"... and then I asked him what he wanted to name her. He said, "Mom". :)

I just love the fact that my little boy likes me enough to want to name is sister after me. :) I hope that this mom-liking will continue for a very long time. However, this leads me to mention a concern I've had.

It's just natural that boys don't really bond... with much of anyone it seems. Girls bond. They BOND! Girls have kindred spirits, and bosom buddies, and people they open up their hopes and dreams to.... and boys... play sports. At least, as far as I can tell, that's how they bond. Either sports or video games. I think they call it male bonding.

Okay, now back to the concern. How will I have an open, strong, healthy relationship with my sons as they get older? I realize it wont be like a mother/daughter relationship, but I still want to be really close to them... especially if I am blessed with all boys. (However, Scott said if the next one is a boy we'll trade him out for a girl with a family who has all girls. He is dying for a girl.)

So, is there hope for me? Is it at all possible I'll have a son who will come home from school and tell me all about his day and what makes him happy, and which girls he likes, and how he is going to ask someone out for Prom?

Before and during pictures

Here are a ton of before/during pictures of our new-to-us condo. As you can see, the flooring DESPRATLY needed to change. We also put in new appliances, but you can't see how bad the older ones were by these pictures. We also decided to put in a brick patio.

I know in most of these pictures Scott is the one working, but I was usually there helping him. In fact, the big pile of bricks was moved solely by me. It took eight hours. With two kids... I feel I can watch him work for a while now. :) Really though, having a home of our own is so fun because I get to watch Scott work on it. I don't know why, but it is so attractive. Especially when he's under the sink. :)

Oh, and the boys like the new place too. Jeff still calls it either the camping house (we let him set up his tent the first few nights we lived in it) or, he calls it the broken house. I don't know why? It's mostly put together. :)

Still working on it

When we were looking into buying the condo, and it looked like things weren't going to work out, my sister (in an effort to make me feel better) said this, "Just think how much time you'll have to do things as a family since you'll be renting and not have to worry about taking care of a house". To which I said, "Jen, it's a tiny 2 bedroom 1 1/2 bath condo with a tiny patio area... how much work could it be?"

The answer, A LOT!!!

It seems like we just can't keep up with all the little projects we've got going. Here's the list:

Vinyl tile laid (done)
Baseboards put on
Brick patio laid
Finish inside of storage shed
Build shelves inside storage shed
Install more cabinets in kitchen
Frame in mirror in bathroom
Re-caulk tub
Build raised garden bed

Notice how only one thing is checked off. Yeah, me too. :)

Jen was right, but... we still took a weekend to go camping. Even though we had lots to do here, we just couldn't pass up the good weather and good friends.

And, thankfully, my sweetheart likes to be a handyman. It's a good thing, because this is only the first of many lists. :)

Receiving Service

We closed on our condo on Friday at 2 pm. Saturday morning at 8:30 am we started scraping up old linoleum and pulling up carpet. Everything was going so quickly until... we got to the downstairs bathroom floor. This is a space of no more than 4 feet by 4 feet. We still only have about half of it done, and that is after about 6 hours of working on it. I worked on it, Scott worked on it, Jared (a friend from church in his suit) worked on it. It's still haunting me.

On the up side, we have been overwhelmed by help from those around us. We have had multiple people watch the boys, and offer to watch the boys. We had dinner delivered to us last night as we worked into the wee hours of... okay, 11:55. But still, that's late for me. One friend and new neighbor brought over an ivy plant as a house warming gift.

Today, in Elder's Quorum they started getting volunteers to help us move on Saturday. They are also doing a blood drive, so they were instructed to give blood after moving the heavy furniture. :)

I was telling Scott today how hard it is for me to accept so much help without feeling guilty. I accept it, because we need it and because I know how good it makes me feel when others let me help them, but it is hard. I know I'll be spending the next five years trying to pay everyone back for their generosity.

One wise friend told me to not keep score, but to just pay it forward. So, I guess that's what I'll do.

Any of you ever been on the receiving end of service and have a hard time with it?

February

I love February! There are a few reason I love it...

1. February is a short month which means there are fewer days in which to spend money, thus making it easier to stay on budget.

2. It is the month we get to celebrate LOVE. In high school, I really hated Valentines day, but now that I've got a cute hubby to be in love with, I like it a lot better. There is no sitting in class third hour loathing the girl next to me because she got flowers from a secret admirer and I didn't. Actually, now that I think about it, one year I did... but then it turned out the flowers were from the father of the only other Sadie I have ever met. I only got flowers from a secret admirer because of a mistake, which was not all that romantic.

3. February is the month that we can start to think about spring and how great it will be when it gets here. Thankfully, now that we live in Texas, I can think about how much sooner spring will be here.

4. In February the parking lot at the gym isn't so packed with cars (like it is in January) since people are starting to fall of the "get into shape" band wagon.

And there you have it, a few reason I love February! Hope you all enjoy the month as much as I plan to.

Cheers,
Sadie

Does this count?

One of my goals for the new year was to lose those pesky ten pounds that I've been aching to see go. I decided April 10th would be good date to shoot for... but...

I did it early! Okay, so what if I've had the flu for four days and those ten pounds will probably be back in about three short hours as my body rehydrate. Ten pounds is ten pounds.

It still counts, right?

in sickness or in health

I've been sick these past few days. It is some kind of stomach virus that last too long, in my opinion. If I do anything other than lay in bed, I feel horrible. Insert two rowdy boys into this and you can guess what my house looks like.

I think I got it from my dad, but when I'm sick... I'm a total wimp. I just want to cry half the time and other half I sleep.

Well, this morning when I was still laying in bed, in self-pity, Scott decided to stay home and take care of me. All day he's been doing laundry, changing diapers, cleaning the house (that was destroyed under my watch), and supplying me with crackers, soup, and Gatorade. I have literally laid in bed the entire day while he has taken care of everything.

I'm just so thankful for a husband who sticks with me even when I'm sick. Especially since I'm such a baby about it.

Thanks, Babe! You're the best!

the floor debate

Scott and I are in the process of buying a small condo. The flooring in the kitchen and bathroom (and I'm adding dining room) has to be replaced. It's a big debate on which type of floor to use. Here's the ideas and the pros and cons (in my mind) for each. Please offer any advice you might have.

Tile
Pros- looks nice, is durable, and will help with resale
Cons- expensive, more work to install, and I hate cleaning it

Laminate
Pros- easy to install, cheap, can look really nice
Cons- prone to water damage, a little noisy when you walk on it

Bamboo
Pros- cheap, not too hard to install, looks pretty nice
Cons- can scratch, no the easiest option to install, could go out of style

Linoleum
Pros- super cheap, super easy to install, super cheap
Cons- tears easily, a little out of style, no my favorite look

I go back and forth everyday on which one we should use. I think right now my top choices are the laminate or the bamboo... let me know what you think.

I started my weeks training schedule and realized there are too few days in the week. Between all the sports I want to play and all the training for triathlon season that I need to do, there just isn't enough time to quench my thirst to play.

I recently took a color personality test and was reminded that I am very much a yellow person. By the looks of my schedule, I don't think that will be changing anytime soon. The desire to play is just too much...

Monday

6 to 7 am - basketball
8:30 to 10:30 am - racquetball

Tuesday
6 to 7 am - swimming
10 to 10:30 am - yoga

Wednesday
6 to 7 am - basketball
8:30 to 10:30 am - running and weights
8:30 to 10 pm - volleyball

Thursday
6 to 7 am - swimming
10 to 10:30 am - yoga

Friday
8:30 to 10:30 am - running and weights

Saturday
8 to 9:30 am - biking

I know I should be finding more time to run and bike... but I just can't give up the playing yet. Now all I've gotta do is learn how to control my appetite and I might be able to kick free from those pesky 10 pounds I've decided to lose.

Lately

Things that have occupied my time recently:

reading- about millionaires, Ironman finishers, and the best American short stories
sports- basketball, bowl games, ultimate frisbee, biking, running, and racquetball
cooking- cafe rio burritos, Hawaiian pizza, and pasta

That's the basics. I haven't been much for blogging lately, but I am still alive and as happy as ever.