bangs + braids

I've been a full-fledged stay-at-home mom for exactly a year now and it has taken me nearly that long to get my mom-style on target.  I spend approximately 90% of my time in my running gear (nike capris, a tank/shirt/zip-up long-sleeved, and running shoes.  (I do actually run, nearly every day, but am sure to do some sort of exercise every day.  I'm not just sporting my yoga pants around town--even though they are so very, very comfy.)  I have yet to figure out what to wear in the remaining 10% of my time (dates, errands, church, etc).  I was pregnant or nursing up until six months ago and I always favored convenience over fashion.  And then summer came, and who can really think straight in 99% humidity?

While I am still struggling to find my "feminine boho" look that won't show my booty while I'm chasing after my toddlers I have at least one piece figured out: my fall go-to hair style

shameless selfie

bangs + braid

As a mom, bangs are a fashion lifesaver.  They are cute and prevent ponytail monotony.  You can push them back with a wide headband when needed.  But the biggest advantage is that you can have days old greasy hair and wash your bangs and look semi-decent (if you hair is in a pony.)

The Elsa-inspired side braid is also amazing.  It works better with dirty hair (check) and your three year old daughter will think you are so cool.

So, I'm still not sure if I am too old to wear the dressing/leggings/boots, but I will definitely be sporting this hairstyle all winter long.

clubble

One of the things that I love about Young Life is it's passion to present the gospel in a creative way; to grab a kid's attention and tell them with the greatest story ever told.  We do that in some pretty wild ways: square dances, muck wars and even rapping yodelers.

Yesterday Josh and the Young Life leaders at Stillwater High School built a giant "bubble" for club.  It was awesome to watch it all come together, and I was glad we had a cool evening so it was less of a sauna than I expected!

Here's Elliot testing out the Bubble with Princess Twilight Sparkle (her unicorn):

photo credit: Maddie Churchwell

Club + Bubble = Clubble

Love it!

we get some pretty amazing sunsets out here:

photo credit: Josh Jones

perfect shadow puppet:

photo credit: Josh Jones

32

I just turned 32.  To celebrate, I wanted to run 32 miles.  I've heard of a lot of cyclists (and a few runners) that celebrate their birthdays with coordinating mileage and it sounded like a great challenge--and if I ever wanted to do the challenge, I should probably attempt it before I get any older!  

The longest I have ever run in my life was 19 miles, so I knew a consecutive 32 wasn't really possible.  I decided to set really flexible rules for myself; the only thing that mattered was completing the mileage on my birthday.  I knew several marathoners that advised walking during their races, so I figured it was ok if I walked some as well.  And I wanted to enjoy my birthday, so that meant a celebratory breakfast with my kids and date night with my husband.  I wasn't quite sure how the mileage would work out, but I accepted the challenge.

Here's kind of a breakdown of the day and my thoughts about the segments:

6:00 am: 5.1 miles on the dreadmill at the gym. (i loved getting up early; it made my day feel longer and gave me more confidence that i had enough time for the challenge.  this was perhaps the hardest segment because the treadmill was directly in front of a wall and i couldn't people watch, which i really love) 

7:00 am: back to the house to change clothes and eat belgian waffles with the family (best breakfast ever.  endorphins in full effect and i had zero guilt about indulging in extra butter)

9:00 am: 10.8 miles on the OSU cross country course (definitely my favorite segment.  we live about a mile away from the course and it has it all: wide open fields, hills, woods.  i can see why it attracts a lot of local runners)

11:30am: lunch outside with my feet propped up on the table (ibuprofen for dessert) (i used to think eating alone was awkward, but now that i have two toddlers i recognize how blissful the silence can be)

1:00 pm: 16.1 miles on pavement/sidewalks (i ran from our house, "across" town, around a small lake and home.  i love how accessible our town is for runners.  i used our house as home base and didn't bother to bring water or snacks with me.  BIG MISTAKE.  i totally bonked when i got to the lake.  i was miles from home with no money and no nutrients.  fortunately the lake has several water fountains, but i had to walk 3/4 mile to get to one.  i could not believe how low energy i was.  i drank a few sips, walked to the next fountain and drank a bit more.  when i got back to the house i grabbed two water bottles and slowly rehydrated while walking.  i had around 5 miles left and i was so mentally and physically exhausted!  i managed to run/walk the last few miles, but they were very hard!)

4:30 pm: stagger back home

post run----sprawled out on the driveway

I posted this shameless selfie on instagram just after I finished my run.  I am truly thankful for the filter that made me look 300% better than I felt!

As far as recovery goes, I'm feeling pretty good.  I took three rounds of ibuprofin and I have a small popped blister on my left heel, but otherwise I'm doing great.  My "schedule" has me running 5 miles tomorrow and lifting weights, after two full rest days I think I'm up to it!