This Crazy Life of Mine | Tag Archives: family

Friday Five: Friday Favorites

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Nanci

I am excited for a few things today. One it’s Friday and I love Fridays! The other is this is the first time I’m taking part in this Friday Five hosted by Courtney at Eat Pray Run and others. Also, my friend Haley at Running With Diapers does this one as well and I decided I wanted to join in!

1. PiYo.

Oh my goodness, I just cannot get enough of PiYo. Many moons ago, back when hubby and I were first married I remember I had a Pilates DVD workout that I did several times a week. I loved it. Then in 2007-ish, I tried Yoga for the first time and fell in love with it. So this concept of mixing the two for a major sweat session of strengthening, lengthening, and tightening up everything is perfect. It’s going to be such a great compliment to my marathon training which officially starts in one week. All you need is a mat, floor space, and 25 – 40 minutes depending on the workout. It. Is. Amazing.

2. New running shoes

I recently got new running shoes. Two pairs to be exact. I bought the Asics Gel Nimbus 16 and I love them. The colors are so cool, I love how bright they are. They are also very comfortable and plenty of cushion for all the hundreds of miles I will be running. It is very exciting to me that these are the shoes that will get me over that finish line in November.

3. My niece.

I mean really, how can I not adore this little person? She brings me such joy whenever we spend time together. She is just the sweetest little girl. I get to see her this weekend for some fun girl time AND she will be with me for the day on Monday.

4. Coffee.

Yes, I love coffee and I can definitely say I am addicted to it. My recent addiction would definitely be for Trader Joe’s Cold Brewed Coffee. This stuff is super strong, which is how I like my coffee and it is amazing in my morning Shakeology. Can’t wait till Monday to get my hands on the two bottles Caitlyn has for me!

5. The thought of crossing the finish line after 26.2 miles

Can a thought be a favorite? Absolutely, it can! I think about this a lot. I try to visualize myself running 26.2 miles and crossing the finish line. I remember how I felt when I finished my first half marathon – I cried like a baby. I can only imagine what this will feel like. I will have to stuff tissue down the my shirt, I’m sure.

What are some of your favorites on this Friday?

Dance, dance, dance!

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Nanci

For the last three years, I have watched my niece grow up from a shy little 3 year old starting out in dance class, to a 6 year old who has her own sense of style and is the happiest kiddo I know. Each year takes her from the cutie-pie she is to being a beautiful little girl. I am so blessed to have her in my life and love being her Aunt Nanci.

Last weekend, was her annual dance recital and it was wonderful. Her dance school puts on quite a production – two acts with 78 performances total, and it is held at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. It was a full house for the recital, proud parents, family and friends all there to watch their loved ones perform.

The dancers range in age from sweet little 3 year olds up to high school graduates. The older dancers are amazingly talented. The younger ones are so fun to watch – they are all so precious. Some are shy and reserved, some are born performers. Each performance is a joy to watch.

This year, Autumn was in a group with 11 others, all close to her age. They tap danced their little hearts out to “Bigger Isn’t Better”. They were all so sweet in their costumes. In the picture on the left, Autumn is second from the left. In the picture on the right, Autumn is the cutie pie turning around looking at the audience.

After the recital, we all met Autumn outside and of course we took pictures. Her mom and dad gave her beautiful flowers and being the sweet girl that she is, she gave me one. See? I’m a lucky girl to have such a sweet niece.

Family time!

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Nanci

The last week has been spent having fun with my Aunt Darlene from California. We are very lucky to have her visit us just about once a year now and we enjoy her visits very much. We sadly said goodbye to her today as she hops on a plane to fly back home this evening. There has been a lot of Starbucks coffee, eating out, shopping, laughing, and enjoying her time here. Darlene also got to meet hubby’s grandmother. And like the rest of us, she thinks she is a real hoot!

I am always sad to see her leave, but we made a lot of fun new memories this week!

Here is our week in photos!

On Friday, hubby and I are going to Vegas. He’s going for work and I am tagging along for fun! I am so excited to get the heck out of town for a few days and I will likely be behind on my posts again… There will always be time for that when we return!

Currently | February Edition

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Nanci

I almost forgot to do my Currently post for this month! Take a couple days away for a shorter month and it just messes me up!

Current book:

I have been so busy, I have not had any time to read. But, I did get a couple new YA books the last couple of weeks at book events that I attended with my sister-in-law Jenna. I have met both authors and both are very cool!

(source: www.goodreads.com)

Current music:

Still in a country music mood like last month, but I’ve been listening to Luke Bryan like crazy. If it’s possible to wear out a CD, it will happen with this one. The whole CD is great, every single song. “Drink A Beer” is my favorite song on the CD, but “Play It Again” is a very close second and is also the newest single out. So, basically, I can’t stop listening to it. I hope there is an official video soon! In the meantime, there’s this….

Current guilty pleasure:

In January, I posted about dreaming of a new Garmin watch. Hubby, being the wonderful hubby that he is, surprised me with one for my birthday. I love it so much, it’s perfect for all the running I do. It’s so cool!

Current drink:

Shameless plug here, but it would have to be Shakeology. I have both Chocolate and Vanilla, and I enjoy both. It has been my breakfast all month and it is very filling. Even better, it’s only 3 WW points before adding any extras such as milk, fruit, peanut butter, etc…

Current food:

I am still loving power foods and WW Simple Start. Several times this month, I have mad a very simple meal that is perfect for lunch. It heats up quickly and is so full of flavor. I still need to do a post with the recipe, but basically it’s lean ground beef, zucchini, squash, onion, whole grain brown, rice, and Italian diced tomatoes. I love all the colors, too. Food tastes better when it’s pretty.

Current show:

Wahlburgers. No question about it, we’ve been recording it and watching it when it replays. I have always loved Mark Wahlberg (who doesn’t?!), but after watching the show, I think I may like Donnie the best. I love the family dynamic they have and their mom seems like a real character. Have you watched it?

(source: Facebook)

Current wish list:

I still want to buy all the clothes. The cooler weather is going away, sadly, which means it will be time to buy shorts and tank tops. Last year I wore shorts that I had from a few years prior. This year, I am buying new shorts that will fit the 2014 me.

Current triumphs:

Since I am currently all about races, my most recent triumphs are PRs! On February 1, I ran the Best Damn Race half marathon and finished with a PR of about 4 minutes over my previous time. And just last weekend, I ran the Gasparilla Lime Cactus Challenge which was the 15K and 5K. Having never run a 15K before, it was an instant PR and I was very happy with my time of 1:39:53. And the 8K, I ran in 51: which was 14+ minutes faster than last year. I was surprised at this just because I was pretty sore from the 15K on Saturday, but I managed to pull it off. (and I still have to write up a race recap for it!) It really is true… The best way to be a better runner is to run more.

Current links:

Athlinks – if you are a runner and don’t know about this site, you need to check it out. It’s a great place to keep track of all your races and finish times. I just came across it a few months ago.

Alex and Ani – I am obsessed with Alex and Ani bracelets and I have to get a couple. I love the look and the style and the motivation of them. Yes, I will buy one. This is the first one that I want…

(source: www.alexandani.com)

Current needs:

Come May, it’ll be time for another new pair of running shoes. I doubt I’ll be able to find my beloved Brooks Glycerin 10 anymore, so I will have to find a new style. I’m sure I will stick with Brooks, they have worked very well for me ever since I had my gait analysis done back in 2012. I am very curious about the Brooks Transcend. Aren’t they fabulous?

(source: www.brooksrunning.com)

Current indulgence:

Signing up for my first full marathon, the Space Coast Marathon in Cocoa Beach on November 30th of this year. I am still kind of in shock that I am going to run one, but it’s very exciting. I have a lot of of training ahead of me, and my goal will really be just to finish it, and I’m going to do my best to enjoy every single minute of it. Who knows if it will be my one and only full marathon…

Current outfit:

I bought a couple new running tops and I love them. One is from Old Navy and the other is from Target. I like to run in a tank top, so these are perfect. Both have built-in bras and racer back straps.

Current excitement:

My Aunt Darlene is coming out in March and I cannot wait to see her. We have such a great time when she visits and we get to play tourist, play Scrabble, and do a lot of laughing. I’m so excited to see her!

Current mood:

Right now I am excited about this weekend and Best Damn Race in Orlando. I am running the half marathon, which will be #8. Hubby is running the 10K, so we will be driving to Orlando dark and early Saturday morning. Can’t wait!

What are you currently loving? Share!

Favorite posts of 2013

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Nanci

Another year is coming to an end… As I look through posts from this past year, it’s amazing how much has happened, how much was accomplished. Running, weight loss, personal growth, and more…. My blog has turned out to be the best form of a scrapbook I have ever done. And now it’s time for me to share my favorite posts of 2013. Since I just shared all my race recaps for 2013 yesterday, I did not include those in this list…