Back to the start...

Originally I started this blog to document my journey to a marathon.  Two years later I have yet to run a marathon and my blog has transformed into more of our family life, it's highs and lows.  So, how has my running been, you may ask??

I started back running as soon as the doctor released me post-delivery.  It was very slow and I wasn't anywhere close to where I left off.  But it felt great to be back at it.  We (my two running partners and I ) had a few months of outside running before it turned off to a typical Iowa winter.  We moved indoors and did treadmill runs 5 or 6 days a week.  Not my favorite.

Over the last two months we've had more outdoor runs than indoor. It's been cold, but that's why we layer up.  The fresh air is very nice :-)  Our runs have been split between running in Montezuma and New Sharon.  Our runs in New Sharon are easy and fast, as there aren't many hills.  Our runs in Montezuma include Diamond Lake, a.k.a Killer Hills.  There's nothing mundane about it.  It also helps we talk the whole time.  You'd think we'd run out of things to talk about, yet we don't.

Our runs have been early... very early.  Due to time restrictions with jobs, we start at 4:50am.  You read that right.  If we're lucky we can wait as late as 5:00.  Even on weekends we go that early.  Life is so jammed full.  On days we run in Montezuma I leave at 4:35.  It's awesome to have pounded out 5 or 6 miles before most people get out of bed.  I also have no excuse to not go.  I can sleep when I'm dead.  Isn't that the saying?

One other challenge was I nursed until now.  There is no way I could have ran without pumping.  So, I would wake up at 4:10 to pump two bottles worth (usually half asleep), throw on clothes, pop in my contacts, and rush out the door.  I was lucky my supply stayed strong.  I worried about that at first.  Lately it's been the opposite.  My body is taking longer to quit producing that I thought it would.  I enjoy the extra 10 minutes of sleep nowadays. 

I have a few races on the horizon.  First one is Market to Market.  It's a relay race from Jefferson to Des Moines.  I'm running it with 7 other gals.  Two of which are my mom and sister.  I'm excited for it, yet nervous about the unknown.  This will be my first relay race.  Second is Dam to Dam.  This year it's a half marathon instead of a 20K.  It's a personal goal to do a half post-Sawyer.  Third is Warrior Dash the weekend of Sawyer's birthday.  There's a group of us doing it.  I have only done it once since I was pregnant the other two times.  I"m sure I'll pick up a few other 5K's before the year is over. 

I've thoroughly enjoyed running again.  If it wasn't raining and storming right now, I'd be tempted to go for another run after I post this. 

Happy Running!!!

First race of 2014.  25:44 and the first woman to cross the finish line.  Too bad it wasn't timed or have awards. 

2014 so far...

Time to catch up on the ol' blog...

January: Kincaid participated in the North Mahaska wrestling tournament (previous blog post).  He did awesome and we're proud of how much he improved this year.  He continues to excel in school.  He isn't a fantastic reader, but he works hard with few complaints.  He does very well with spelling, math, and social studies.  He continues to run over a mile in PE and is excited to tell me how many laps he ran.  He was outside as much as possible.  The cold weather was giving him cabin fever though. Kincaid also lost his first tooth on January 1st.  Exciting day for the Mitchell's!

Sawyer at 5 months

Sawyer turned 5 months.  He was still exclusively breastfed (or frozen milk).  We switched daycares.  He now goes to the daycare center.  Both boys are within feet of each other.  Sawyer could look out his window and see Kincaid playing at recess. 

Michael's dad, Mike, had a heart attack.  It was very unexpected.  Who thinks their dad/father-in-law will have a heart attack at 60?  Since, he has changed his diet and started tracking his blood sugar (also diagnosed with type II diabetes). 

February:Kincaid and Sawyer got to have some grandparent time.  Michael had training in Tennessee so I tagged along.  Michael's mom stayed with the boys from Monday through Thursday.  From Thursday night through Sunday they went north to stay with my parents.  The time away was awesome.  We drove so we had a lot of one-on-one time.  I've always said I love being in a vehicle with Michael.  No other distractions.  Just us.  We were in Nashville so we soaked up the nightlife downtown most nights.  Over the weekend we went a little further south to see a friend.  Tennessee is one state I think I could live.  I can't wait to go back.

Enjoying the Nashville night life.

Michael and Scott

I switched to 10-hour days.  I work Monday through Thursday and have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with my boys!  It gets a little long and nights feel rushed, but Friday makes it worth it. 

























We went to Minneapolis to celebrate Zeke and Kincaid's birthdays.  First stop was the Historical Center, followed by snow tubing at Elm Creek Park.  Kincaid and Zeke would have tubed all night.  Of course the "magic carpet" took us to the top of the hill.  Not much exertion.

That's an impressive plank, Sawyer.

Elm Creek tubing hill

March: Kincaid turned 7!!!  Where has the time gone?  I cannot believe he is so old!  I feel like we just brought him home from the hospital.  I love the boy he has grown to be.  He is so tenderhearted and sensitive.  He cares about others.  He loves having fun.  He is the best big brother to Sawyer.  He had his first friend party at The Jumping Station.  He and 6 friends played hard for a couple hours.  He has really nice friends. 

Kincaid is 7!!

Kincaid's friend party

Sawyer hit 7 months.  His biggest change... he became mobile.  He went from planking to crawling in a week.  He loves exploring Kincaid's room or the bathroom.  He crawls up to the tub expecting to get a bath.  He weighed in at ~21 pounds.  Still chunky, still cute. 

That's one cute set of buns :-)

My 7-Month Baby

Michael and I got another night out.  We got tickets to Jim Gaffigan at the Des Moines Civic Center.  He's my favorite comedian.  When Kim was sick we'd watch his clips on YouTube.  We would laugh and laugh.  My parents and good friends, Bishops, went with us.  Jim did not disappoint. 

Kerri and I at Jim Gaffigan

I hit another milestone... 34 years old.  Every birthday is bittersweet.  I have hit 3 more birthdays than Kim.  I have outlived her.  Does that mean I'm the older sister now?  In Heaven will she always be 31?

The boys love playing together!!!

I think I'm caught up.  I'm sure there is more that I missed, but these are the highlights.  

Wrestling

This was started a looooong time ago, but I never posted it.  I'm so proud of Kincaid I'm still going to post it. 

Kincaid participated in wrestling again this year.  This is his 4th year.  The first two we didn't have him wrestle in any tournaments.  Last year and this year he did the North Mahaska tournament.  I didn't get to watch him last year so I was excited for this year.

His first match he lost by points, but wrestled hard.  I was impressed with his moves.  He must be paying attention during practice.  His second match he pinned his opponent!!  It was so awesome to see his excitement and pride in himself.  His third match he was pinned.  Overall he placed third in his bracket.  I was very proud of how well he did and his sportsmanship.

2013 In Review

*January*
We started the year with a bang!  I was pregnant once again.  As exciting as it was, I knew I wouldn't relax throughout the entire pregnancy... and I didn't.  We had gotten this far too many times and ended in a loss.  Michael started his third job change at CPS (Crop Production Services) as an agronomist.  His commute went from 5 miles to 15.  Kincaid also experienced his third bout of the stomach flu.  I did not know it was possible to have it so many times in one season.
We went "Gazelle Intense" on our budget and working towards debt free.  Michael paid off what was left of his student loan (so little he should have paid it off years ago).  We started making triple house payments. We got our retirement funds set up with monthly contributions.  It has been a great year of working together financially.  It was the one area of our marriage we paid little attention to.  Now we're working together and are within a few years of having our house paid for!!  

*February*
We revealed to both our families we were expecting.  Many tears were shed.  They were as excited and nervous as we were.  We went to our 8th Bremwood Ball in Waverly.  It's a fund raiser for Bremwood campus, a home for troubled kids.  Hearing their stories makes me realize how fortunate we were to grow up in loving, nurturing homes.  I strive for the same for my children.
Kincaid got moved to the other room (smaller bedroom, but bigger closet).  We have a day bed in the baby's room (for the nights he/she is awake a lot) and not everything fit in the smaller room.  At first Kincaid was leery, but adjusted quickly.  

*March*
Kincaid turned 6!!!  Where did the time go?  Both our families made it for his birthday party.  We went bowling, then swimming at the hotel my parents and Jay and Kathy stayed at.  I continued to volunteer in his class.  It was so fun seeing him in his school world.  And I love getting to know the kids in his class.
Pregnancy was still going well.  I was past the tired/nauseous stage.  My clothes were getting much tighter :)



*April*
Spring is one of Michael's busy times.  This year was no different.  He works crazy hours, but handles it
well.  The weather started warming up so Kincaid and I went on many walks and played at the park.  He's definitely an outdoor kid.  We celebrated Easter in Hampton.  The kids had fun doing an egg hunt.  My parents had a special egg.  My sister announced she was expecting also!!!  I was beyond ecstatic to be pregnant the same time as her.  Michael's sister, Alison, was also due the same time as Katie.  Baby boom in our family!  The end of the month I went to Manhattan, KS with my boss for a work meeting.  It's always an adventure with Robin.  We had a great time and ate at some interesting establishments, including Waffle House.  She makes even the most boring of meetings worthwhile.



*May*

On the 3rd we got snow!!  That's the latest I can remember getting snow.  It was Kincaid's first Grand Friends Day at school.  He took Grandpa Leon.  I went with my niece, Chelsey.  Kincaid taking Leon is a memory I hope he never forgets.  Kincaid and I went to the Shriner Circus in Mason City with some of my high school friends and their kids.  They all loved it!!
We started working on the baby's room too.  We repainted and cleaned out the closet.  It was starting to get real!!
Kincaid finished Kindergarten.  He enjoyed his first year of school, but was looking forward to summer vacation.  He matured so much in that short time.  He started reading and doing math.  His favorite part of school was lunch because it was healthy. 




*June*

Kincaid went to Vacation Bible School for the first time.  He really enjoyed it.  In New Sharon it's a community VBS, so all the churches in town participate.  It's really fun for the kids to be with all their friends.  T-ball is also in the month of June.  Kincaid had 8 games this year.  The first couple games were rough but after practicing batting with Michael, he greatly improved.  He even hit a few balls out to the green!
The end of the month my parents, friend Courtney, and Katie's sister-in-law Janna ran the Warrior Dash in Minneapolis.  They rocked the course while Katie and I took care of Kincaid and Ezekiel.  The boys especially loved splashing in the mud.  That night Courtney, Janna, Katie, and I went out on the town.  I was 34 weeks and Katie was 25 weeks pregnant.  We were a sight to see.  We hit a restaurant downtown and patroned Wild Bill's Sports Saloon.  One last fling before the babies came.


*July*
Kincaid started out the month in Minneapolis with Grandpa Ron, Grandma Sandy, Rory, Katie, and Ezekiel.  They went to the Como Zoo.  Kincaid loved the time with family but glad to come home.  Michael's sister Ashley moved to Vermont earlier this year and was back for a short visit.  The Mitchell Family went to an Iowa Cubs game.  Katie and Rob decided to celebrate Zeke's February birthday in July (park party).  The rest of the month was spent preparing for Baby Mitchell.
I do not remember a year when Katie and I did not go to the Franklin County Fair.  We meet up every year and take the boys.  This year was no different.  It was one of the hottest days of the summer, but with boys and bellies we enjoyed homemade ice cream, tractors, animals, and trains.
My very dear friends threw me a surprise diaper shower.  I woke up that morning with a nagging thought.  Courtney, Mallory, and I were supposed to go shopping.  Michael and I were looking for a new vehicle and I suggested we go look at it that day.  We didn't have much time before the baby came.  Instead he encouraged me to go shopping.  Always a red flag :)  When I was back in Hampton Katie was having a phone conversation with Kris about something she wouldn't tell me.  Another flag.  Then on my way into town I saw Mike, but no Barb.  But, on the way I met my friend Jentri headed the other direction.  I thought it might be at Courtney's house.  When I pulled up and no others cars were there, I felt extremely vain.  So, Mallory and I jumped in Courtney's van and headed east.  We turned to go to Courtney's church to "drop something off".  I knew it was a surprise shower when I saw Wendi's car, then more cars I recognized.  Kerri and Courtney had put together a guest list and invited all my area friends without me knowing or anyone spilling the beans.  I was much impressed and felt very loved.  Baby Mitchell was set for diapers and wipes.  (We're still using them now!)
My parents took Kincaid and Ezekiel to Adventureland the last day of the month.  I think the boys had a lot of fun with their grandparents.  Kincaid even went on one of the rollercoasters.  He gets praise from me... I can't stomach them.

*August*

This is one of my favorite months because of the Iowa State Fair.  I love the state fair.  I look forward to it every year!  This year Kincaid and I met my parents and Rory there.  I was 39 weeks pregnant.  It was hot.  Both kids were great and we trekked all over the fairgrounds.  The older Kincaid gets, the better it is.  Every year we have to see the Super Bull, Big Boar, Knapp Animal Center, walk through the animal barns, the ag building, and the Varied Industries building.  Of course Kincaid's favorite part is the machinery.  Both kids climbed all over the skid loaders, tractors, combines, and mowers.  We even rode
the sky glider this year.  Kincaid made me laugh when he said "Mom, this is the first time you've ridden on the sky glider while pregnant."  Yes, it was.
The following Saturday morning I woke up to contractions.  We rushed to the hospital and Sawyer Boo was born a few hours later.  Only one day after his due date.  Life has been amazing having two boys.  Kincaid is an awesome big brother and Sawyer is a great baby.
Two days after we came home from the hospital Kincaid started 1st Grade!  Where does the time go?  I was more emotional this year.  It was hard being home with a new baby while my other baby left for the day.  He fell back into the school routine very quickly.  He continues to do well and loves it.
Michael got a promotion at work.  He went from the agronomist to the manager.  It has come with added responsibilities and stress, but he's getting used to it.  It's the first time he's had to manage people (more than interns).  CPS also started building the New Sharon location.  It's Michael's project so it's been fun watching it progress and how he handles being in that position.  

*September*
I went back to work part-time.  Sawyer was home with me while I issued phytosanitary certificates.  It gave
me routine and accomplishments for the day.  It was the best of both worlds.
Michael took his first work trip after Sawyer.  I was nervous before he left, but both boys did very well.  I wasn't worried about Kincaid... more how I was going to function if Sawyer was awake all night.  Again I worried for no reason.
Sawyer was baptized.  All of our families made it.  The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed showing off our adorable family.
Kincaid started the youth group at our church, G2C (Generations to Come).  Every Wednesday night he eats and does activities for two hours.  Our church is amazing when it comes to the youth.  He looks forward to every Wednesday.


*October*

Sawyer started daycare.  Again, it was harder with Sawyer than Kincaid.  I think it's because I know how fast the time goes.  He adjusted well.  Harvest was in full swing.  Both boys got to ride with Grandpa Leon and Grandpa Ron.  Even if Sawyer was fussing, the minute we got in the combine, he calmed down.  I think we're raising two future farmers.
Both our families expanded in October.  Michael's sister Alison had Braxton Keith on the 14th.  He weighed a whopping 9 lbs 6 oz and had tons of hair!!  A week later Katie gave birth to Oliver Robert, who weighed in at 9 lbs 3 oz!  I thought Sawyer was a big baby, but both of his cousins showed him up.  It will be so much fun seeing them grow up together.
The end of the month we took the boys Trick-or-Treating.  Kincaid wanted to wear his SpiderMan costume again.  I'm down with re-using costumes :)  Sawyer was a banana, just like Kincaid was his first Halloween.  We had a great night.

*November*

 Sawyer made his second trip, and first hotel stay, to Minnesota for Oliver's baptism.  All of our family was together for the first time with both babies.  Braxton was dedicated the next weekend.  With Thanksgiving also this month, we had lots of family time.
I participated in my first race since Sawyer.  My cousin asked me to run the Living History Farms race with her.  I wasn't back in my normal running routine, but with several creek crossings, I knew we wouldn't run the full time anyways.  I was glad I did it.  My running bug has returned :)

*December*
 We celebrated our 10-year anniversary!!  Michael was gone the Monday through Thursday before our Friday anniversary.  Within 3 hours of him getting home, the stomach flu struck me.  Not the way I was hoping to celebrate.  He lived up to his vow of "Through sickness and in health".  I thought death was at my doorstep.  Luckily by Saturday I woke up a new woman and we celebrated by going out for supper and to a movie.  It was also the first time we got a sitter for Sawyer.
The week around Christmas we spent a lot of time at my parents'.  Katie and family were there.  Unfortunately that also meant germs spread like wildfire.  Kincaid was hit first on Christmas Eve morning, followed by my mom and Katie getting it that afternoon.  Not the kind of gift anyone wants.  It was fast moving so by the next day all three were feeling better.   Christmas continues to be magical.  There's something about seeing the excitement in Kincaid's eyes that takes me back to my childhood.  Santa brought Kincaid cowboy boots and Sawyer toys.
While in Hampton Michael played in an alumni basketball tournament.  He loves any chance he has to play.  Surprisingly he wasn't too sore the next day.  We got to see a lot of friends we haven't seen for a long time.

2013 ended while the boys and I were in bed and Michael was watching a movie.  Maybe next year we'll get a little more exciting.

2013 brought many blessings!  I look forward to many more blessings in 2014!