Get your Christmas Shopping done TOMORROW at the Jack Barnes Boutique!

So as if I am not already busy enough... my friend Amanda and I decided to put some of our skills to use! We have just recently started our own homemade wood decor company called Knot Too Shabby and have been very successful in a few boutiques already this season! Tomorrow (11/15) we will have our products in the Jack Barnes Boutique located in Queen Creek. Come check it out and get your holiday shopping done in one day! We sell a variety of picture frames, scrapbooking boards, magnet boards, holiday decor, etc.

The boutique information is as follows:

The Barnes Boutique offering candles, jewelry, holiday decorations, ornaments, cards, health & beauty items, fashion accessories, scrapbooking, baby & kids items and SO MUCH MORE. Saturday, November 15th from 8:30am - 1:00pm. Come early and get a jump on your holiday shopping or buy something fun for you. $3 for Early Bird Best Selection shopping (8:30am - 9:00am) and $2 from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Held at Jack Barnes Elementary School 20750 S. 214th St. off Queen Creek Road between Ellsworth and Crismon. Event is sponsored by the Jack Barnes PTO. Hope to see you there!!

If you can't make it tomorrow, I will be posting more information later on upcoming boutiques and the opportunity to order from our website (which is still under construction). I hope to see you all there tomorrow!

The BEAST!

Is it just me or does anyone have one of those days where nobody does anything right, your patience are non-existent, you want to bite the head off of anyone who comes within 15 feet of you, and you feel like the worst wife and mom ever? Well, today is one of those days! I am not quite sure what happened... maybe my college kids started me off on a bad note, I don't know, but I am the biggest grouch in the world today. After exchanging some "words" with my class today for being slackers, I finished up the lecture and headed over to pick up the boys. The minute I got there the kid drama started with the talking back, tantrums, whinning, etc. Then I met Glen at his mom's house and headed over to the MVD to deal with car registration crap (which by the way, I found out I need emissions done on my car that has 5 month old expired tags... how lovely!) while fighting the boys who were running around the MVD like they were at Disneyland. At that point, the patience were gone! Then I had to meet a student of mine to pick up her speech and on my way over I broke down and lost it on the phone with my husband. He insisted on meeting me to take the boys so I could have a break. I was so mad (a combination of frustration, pride and embarrassment) at the fact that I was to the point where he thought I needed "me" time. Needless to say, he took the boys, I stopped to grab a bite to eat (which could have been part of my problem... because I was hungry) and then I came home to work. I feel like I am attached to this computer all day long going from class to class to post, check emails, put out fires, and grade. My husband finally came home, put the boys down to sleep and here I sit... typing away, wallowing in pity and shame that I am such a mess today. Plus I figure if I hide out in the office, I won't bite my husbands head off again for no good reason. I am so grateful for such a wonderful, understanding husband who knew I needed "me" time and didn't let me talk him out of it and who forgives me for being such a cranky wife! I LOVE YOU babe! Hopefully tomorrow I will wake up on the right side of the bed.

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!

I actually did it! I successfully completed my first tri-athlon without drowning, crashing or passing out and I made it in less than 24 hours! :) For anyone out there who has ever considered attempting a tri-athlon... if I can do it, YOU can do it!! It was such a crazy, exciting, exhausting morning, but well worth it! The morning started bright and early at 4:30 am with a piece of toast with peanut butter (I guess it's good carbs and protein) as we headed down to Coolidge with my tri partner Alyssa and our husbands. Luckily we left all the kiddo's with grandma's/nana's so they weren't a distraction. The race started at 7:30 and it was called a serpentine swim (one person at a time in 10 second intervals) needless to say, we didn't actually start until about 9:00 because of all the faster tri-athletes in front of us. I was so nervous about the swim but after all was said and done, I would do the swim three times over if Ididn't have to bike or run! I felt good about my swim and even better when I passed about 7 or 8 other people. YEAH! The swim was 400 meters. Then we transitioned onto the bikes and let me just tell you, padded riding shorts and a gel seat... no, it doesn't help! The bike was much more difficult than I imagined. I tried to stay positive as I got a great view of the lovely Coolidge farm scenery for the 10.7 mile loop. About 3/4 of the way through the ride, the volunteer who was directing the bikers and stopping traffic yelled, "great job, you are half way there!". I just about jumped off my bike, punched her in the face and then crawled up in a ball on the floor crying. My hands were numb, my toes were numb and my "sitting area" felt like someone had hit me with a hammer over and over again. Of course, I survived the bike and then it was off to the run. At the transition point, I was so thirsty that I guzzled an entire water bottle (note to self - BIG mistake)! I immediately got a cramp in my side which of course started off the run on a good note. The run was probably the most difficult part of the entire race because I was so exhausted. All through the training process I was not real concerned about the run since I had done the 3 miles several times without a problem but I obviously didn't take into consideration that the run would be the last part. I was just jell-o legs by the time the run came and it didn't help that it started off in desert terrain full of washes, rocks, sand, hills, etc. With a mix of running and fast walking, I finally completed the whole race. Although I was flat out exhausted, it was such a great feeling to cross the finish line. I feel silly admitting it, but I found myself tearing up as I got to the end. It was an emotional, draining, tiring process but it was such a big accomplishment for me! It was also amazing to have so much support along the way with family and friends cheering us on. My mom and aunt Lyn competed as well and did GREAT! Although I gave them grief throughout the whole training process about the crazy idea they had to actually do a tri-athlon, I am so glad they convinced me to do it! My mom and aunt want to do another one in May in Vegas.... anyone want to join us?!?! :) Whose up to the challenge?


Alyssa and I getting our stuff ready!

The lovely swim... it's the cap sexy?

Coming in at the end of the bike, getting ready to transition.

This is about 50 yards from the finish line... we are dying!

YEAH!!! The FINISH LINE!

My mom, aunt Lyn, Alyssa and I.

Training buddies!

New Do!

With the seasons changing and the fall approaching, I thought what better thing to do than go darker! My friend Amanda did it and I love it! It's much better than the skunk look I had going on. What do you think? By the way, don't judge my picture skills, this is as good as it gets when I took my own picture! CHEESE!

Happy Halloween!

Well, better late than never huh? For Halloween we headed over to my mother-in-law's ward party. The boys had a great time playing all the little games...fishing, tractor ride, cake walk, etc., that the ward put together. After the sugar rush from cookies, cupcakes, and cotton candy, we headed over to my parents house to do the actual door to door trick-or-treating. The boys loved it and Jaxon was all about running from house to house looking for the next piece of candy. By the time the boys were done (or actually mom and dad were done) we took the boys over to my mother-in-laws where they had a Halloween sleep over so Glen Allen and I could go to the big kids Halloween Party! I don't typically dress up for Halloween but after much planning and shopping around we decided on some costumes. Glen Allen was the mummy and I was the vampiress! (pictures to come - I have to track them down from my sister-in-law). Our partying didn't last long because by the time we got there at 10:00 I was cranky from having nothing to eat all day and I was so worried about getting enough sleep for the big day ahead of me with the tri-athlon. On the way home, we hit up Wendy's (not smart at 10:30 at night on the night before a race) but unfortunately, there are not many options at that hour!