I FINALLY Started 'Fueling'

As I've shared before, my husband and I are in the midst of yet another DIY house project.  When we bought our house about 8 1/2 years ago we didn't finish the basement and also settled on some of the quality on flooring, doors, trim etc.  Don't get me wrong, it worked out great but over the last few years we've been remodeling and finishing the house the way we want it.

Our latest project has been the basement.  We're finishing our large entertainment area, as well as, my craft room.  There's a lot of things I can't help with but UNFORTUNATELY I can help with painting.

My dear husband had me on a ladder AND painting this weekend.  Two things that I strongly dislike, but if it gives him more time to do the tough stuff, then I guess I'll get after it!  We'll call this task a success as I didn't fall off the ladder and neither did the paint!

It can be such a challenge to balance our time on the weekend.  We try to keep working on these projects, but the time with our kids is so precious too.  I love how Joshua randomly took a few minutes to teach the kids how to build paper airplanes (or jets as Jayce calls them).

I also had a 9 mile run on the agenda for the weekend too (while also trying to fight a cold).  I almost slept in and scratched the run, but I remembered how I posted on my Facebook page that I had this run on the agenda.  It's amazing what a little accountability will do.  I knew that due to all the work around the house on Saturday and fighting off a cold that having the energy was going to be a challenge.

I finally decided to try some 'fuel' during my run.  I've read so many things about gels, honey, beans, etc. that runners/athletes use to fuel their bodies while doing a long run or intense workout.  I have such an incredibly sensitive stomach that I've always been afraid to try anything.  Simple math of a long run (empty stomach and burning 1,000-1,800 calories) has made me realize that I've been depleting my body too far on long runs (between 8-13 miles).  A good friend of ours gave me some Clif Shot Bloks to try.  He also has a sensitive stomach and said that these don't bother him at all.  

The flavor I tried was strawberry.  They don't taste bad at all and have the texture of gummy bears. They're also in easy 'bloks,' making them easy to grab and eat while running.  I ate one before I started and another one every 35 minutes, so I only ended up using 3 out of the 6 bloks, which is 100 calories.  It was hard for me to gauge if they gave me any more energy as I was already feeling a bit sluggish due to fighting off a cold.  What I did notice though was I didn't have any side cramps like I normally do on long runs, and I also didn't get a headache at all today after my long run.  A lot of times, I'll get a minor headache after a long run due to depleting my body so much, but the bloks combined with good water intake today, I was able to avoid the headache.  I'll definitely be ordering some more!

As I shared on my blogs Facebook page this morning, my run wasn't fast, it wasn't pretty, but it did get finished!  I didn't realize until later today, that I haven't run this far since my last half marathon last October.  It feels good to get back to this level and I will continue to work on my pace!  It was also a great way to start my Sunday before heading to church :)

There's nothing like competing with yourself to go a little further or a little faster than before, but please try to fight the urge and try not compare yourself to other runners/athletes.  It can deplete your joy so quickly.  I have learned over the last couple of years though, that the running community is a very encouraging and supportive community!!!  Have a great week!

Blessings,

Krystal

Stitch Fix #6 - Review

About six months ago I shared about a new experience with Stitch Fix!  Well... I'm officially addicted.  I enjoy so many aspects of having a personal stylist.  I have absolutely no fashion sense, so the concept of someone picking out clothes for me is just wonderful.  I also hate going shopping, so the idea of a little box showing up at my home is absolutely stress free!  I've decided to begin blogging about my fixes to just share about my experiences and to share pictures with my stylist so that my 'Fixes' just keep getting better!

I always enjoy the little note from my stylist!

Here's some pictures of my most recent fix.

 

Below From left:  

   Pic 1 - Colorado Chevron Printed Raglan Blouse (Stitch Fix) with Clay Roll-Cuff Capri Jean (Stitch Fix) 

   Pic 2 - Elizabeth Geo Print 3/4 Sleeve Dress (Stich Fix) with Navy Cardigan (prior Stitch Fix)

   Pic 3 - Staci Embroidered Detail Pintuck Blouse (Stitch Fix) with Clay Roll-Cuff Capri Jean (Stitch Fix)

      

The pictures don't do these pieces justice (I'm terrible at setting the timer and/or using the remote on my camera)... I enjoyed this fix so much!  The pink top was definitely my favorite piece of this Fix!  One thing I always share with someone when they're considering Stitch Fix is to make sure you share your thoughts on each and every Fix so that your stylist can improve.  For example, when scheduling this fix, I asked for some earrings.  Although, they sent me some cute colored gem stud earrings, I didn't even think to tell them that I prefer dangly earrings due to my new haircut.  I still kept them, but made sure I shared this information for future fixes.  It's really been fun rebuilding my closet from the comfort of my own home!

I highly recommend Stitch Fix as a way to freshen up your closet!

Blessings,

Krystal

Team Beef ~ Colorado

My dad has worked for the Cargill beef division for over 30 years and therefore my love of beef came at a very early age.  He's also been involved with NCBA (National Cattlemen's Beef Association) and KLA (Kansas Livestock Association) over the years.  As soon as I was old enough, I began showing steers, which was a huge part of my childhood.  I enjoyed working with the cattle, loved the people I met and appreciated the program!  I appreciate the hard work and lessons my parents taught me through these experiences!

I instantly fell in love with the agriculture industry and everything it stands for!  When I was in high school, my dad encouraged me to get a job at the feedlot he managed.  Oh, the memories I had from this experience.  I helped the maintenance department, which was anything but a glamorous job.  This job certainly taught me about hard work, getting dirty, feedlot operations and a lot about the process of how beef ends up on our tables!  

I still love being a part of the agriculture industry in my career as a financial controller for M&M Cooperative!  This career gives me the opportunity to do what I enjoy in the accounting world and still be connected to the agriculture industry, which is where my passion lies!

Beef is a great source of protein both for every day health, as well as, for athletes.  I'm SO excited to announce that my dear husband and I are 'officially' a part of Team Beef this running season.  'Beef Running Team members recognize the nutritional benefits of lean beef and the vital role this high-quality protein plays in their training.'  I'm so grateful some dear friends shared with us last year about Team Beef!  It's an incredible opportunity to bring two passions together... a love for running/fitness and promoting beef as an incredible source of protein!

I'm so excited to be on this journey with this special man!

Picture taken by our sweet daughter!

Our kiddos are excited for a new running season too!  

Miss Ky is trying to pick what race she wants to do as well!

The Ballah crew is proud to be a part Colorado Team Beef!

Blessings,

Krystal

A Trip to the City

My dear husband has been working so hard to finish our basement! I'm truly blessed to have a hard working and talented man! We finally got to the point that we were ready to find the furniture to furnish our entertainment/relaxing area of our basement. Since both my husband and I work outside the home we actually don't enjoy shopping, but we were excited for this little getaway! Last Saturday we were all up and out of the house by 5:00 AM (ON A SATURDAY).

We had an appointment in Ft. Collins at 8:30 AM with Black's Glass to pick up the custom mirror for the fitness room in our basement. If anyone is ever looking for a custom mirror in Northeast Colorado or the Front Range, I 'highly' recommend Black's Glass! They are a small company, but absolutely wonderful to deal with. They were very timely in responding to our emails and very reasonably priced. They even agreed to meet us on Saturday to pick up the mirror even though they're typically not open on the weekends. The gentlemen that met us was also extremely helpful in making sure we had the mirror safely loaded and tied down in the trailer to minimize the risk of it breaking. It was just great to see a company focus so much on customer service! Thanks to one of my readers who recommended them! We're not quite ready to install it as we're finishing up the floor and trim first, but I will be certain to share a picture of my new home gym when we get it all finished!

One other stop I so desperately wanted to make was at Goldworks! About a 1 1/2 years ago I had to have my wedding ring resized after losing some weight and let's just say there was a slight malfunction in the process. My very sweet husband decided to have a new ring designed, which integrated the diamonds from my original wedding ring. Again, the customer service we received from Tom & Sandy with Goldworks was amazing! Through the process of having my new custom ring designed and made, Josh was able to visit Tom Linnenberger, see the equipment he uses and pick out the new diamonds, but it never worked out for me to meet him. I was so excited to meet them on Saturday, get my ring cleaned and have them resize another ring for me.

The kiddos were then super hungry so we asked Tom & Sandy where they recommended us to have lunch. They recommended Austin's Grill. The was by far the best salad I've ever enjoyed! It had salmon, a light dressing, perfectly ripe avocado, and other goodies! Joshua enjoyed the chicken pot pie and the kids had some pretty typical kid favorites... macaroni, corn dog and of course ice cream! 

Even the presentation of the salad was delightful!

I'm not sure what his deal was, but his pouty face makes me giggle!

Time to fight over the ice cream!

 

Love this sweet girl... and yes I had ONE bite of her ice cream!

It was finally time to go furniture shopping and gather some additional construction supplies!

We've enjoyed working on these house projects as a family!

Jayce had to get comfortable to help us decide on furniture! 

Kylee & Jayce discovered an Etch-A-Scetch at one of the furniture stores.  

We were sad when we realized they had never played on one before!

Here's the best way to test furniture... my sweet boy taking a nap!

 

It was an incredibly long day but I was so pleased with the customer service we experienced at each and every stop!

We know word of mouth is the best advertising, so I just wanted to share our wonderful experiences with these businesses!


 Blessings,

 Krystal

A Day in My Kitchen!

Clare with Peak313 just recently wrote a blog post that really touched my heart called 5 Misconceptions about Healthy & Fit People.  I can relate to these misconceptions so much and there have been a few times where these misconceptions almost prevented me from continuing to blog about my journey.  My health and fitness journey is just like everyone else's and I am a constant work in progress.  I have struggles, enjoy a sweet treat once in a while and some days wander if it's all worth it.  My purpose for blogging about my journey is to share how God has carried me through every struggle, success and/or just encourage someone else on their own journey.

My precious family has been sick on and off for several weeks, which has resulted in inconsistent eating, fewer miles on the treadmill, and laundry that just won't end!  These are just aspects of life where we must grant ourselves the same grace that God gives us.  Although it's been a priority for us all to love and care for each other, I've greatly missed my time in my kitchen (and so has my little man).  I absolutely love stocking up on healthy snacks to put in the freezer, preparing meals for the week and just trying a new recipe.

Both of my kids enjoy being in the kitchen with me, but my youngest tends to come 'running' when I'm baking on a Saturday morning.  As I've shared before 'Granola Energy Balls' are a staple and favorite in our house.  Since Jayce wanted to help me make them this weekend, I let him pick the 'sweet' to go in them.  He picked mini M&M's to go in them.  Was it the healthiest choice?  Of course not, but it is an option that they enjoy and one that Mommy can be okay with.

I love this time with my little man!

Ready to go in the freezer and be enjoyed as a snack or dessert!

I also need to share a little funny and epic fail from my kitchen this weekend.  For those who have frequent restaurants with me, you know that I constantly ask about sweet potatoes and avocados.  These are two of my absolute favorite foods!  I've seen several recipes on Facebook, blogs and Pinterest that are brownies made with sweet potatoes, avocados, applesauce, etc.  I finally decided to make some.  My family thought I was absolutely crazy for making brownies out of sweet potatoes and avocados, but that certainly didn't stop me from trying.  And not only did I make a single batch to try, I decided a double batch would be worth the effort.  

Here's a picture of the end result.

The picture is definitely deceiving!  My family were great sports and actually tried them, but along with them, I had to admit that they were bitter, the texture was no where close to the consistency of a traditional brownie, and they were just terrible (with the exception of the frosting, which was amazing).  Even though I didn't care for them either, I still found myself sensitive to the honesty given by the 7 and 4 year old.  They naturally went on and on about how terrible the brownies were, which of course made me upset.  I ended up throwing them all out.  After Jayce noticed how upset I was, he said 'Mommy, I think you need to go take a nap.'  We all laughed and appreciated his concern and recommendation.  I'm not sure I'll get my family to try this combination any time in the near future again, but putting avocados in brownies is definitely something we'll be giggling about for quite some time!

The lesson on this day in my kitchen... there are times you're going to fail.  When that happens, just throw it in the trash and go take a nap!

Blessings,

Krystal

One of My Favorite Mommy Moments!

When Joshua and I were first married (almost 13 years ago) one of THE hardest things for me to do was learn how to cut his hair.  His dear mother had always cut his hair so it was my turn to learn how (and do it gracefully).  The first time I cut his hair, I was literally in tears.  And I took so long that Joshua finally grabbed the clippers and gave himself a haircut, which made me cry even more.  This is definitely not one of my favorite tasks, in fact there are times where I put it off until looking at his hair drives me crazy.

After having our little man, I always joked that some day they could cut each other's hair so that I could have a break for a few years.  Well my friends... we are on our way!!!!  What I wasn't prepared for this evening was what a sweet moment this was between my two men.

Jayce was trying to be so careful with Daddy.  

Yes, I let my four year old run the clippers (with Mommy's help)!

Daddy was a little concerned at first, but was incredibly patient!

It really is the simple everyday memories that can mean the most!

Almost Done!

My two very handsome men with fresh haircuts!  Thanks for your help, Jayce!

Jayce had so much fun helping Mommy cut Daddy's hair.  I just loved watching these two.  Sometimes life can get so busy that we forget to capture these special moments.  I'm so very grateful that we were able to slow down for just a bit this evening for a haircut!

Love you boys,

Mommy

From Bitterness to Gratefulness!

I've always heard how very different each child is, but never 'really' understood it until we had our little boy.  Oh, how I love this little boy.  He's extremely silly (trying at times), loves an audience (even when it's not appropriate) and is just down right funny!

Although, I absolutely love this little man and everything about his sweet personality, this post is a thank you on behalf of a little girls' Mama.

Just like with any child, some days can be hard and sometimes there are people who may unintentionally hurt our kids or us as parents, but if I've learned anything over the last couple of weeks, it's that life is short and forgiveness is crucial!  I just recently spent some time reflecting on all the different ways others' have blessed us through loving on our kids.  Miss Kylee is what most people would call 'shy.'  I prefer to refer to her personality as reserved and genuine.  Believe me, I know how frustrating it can be to speak to a reserved child and not get a response.  It's also been a challenge for us to teach her that it is okay to be reserved, but not okay to be impolite.  With that in mind though, I absolutely love seeing relationships form with Miss Kylee as she gets comfortable with someone and develops a very 'genuine' relationship.  I'm also so blessed to see the joy in other's when, after they've tried for so long, this little girl finally opens up to them or simply gives them a hug.

Here's a side of Miss Kylee that not everyone gets to see.  She has such a fun loving heart (thanks to the dear friend who made Kylee this hat to support a friend with breast cancer).

Another special side of Kylee is her love of music.  We pray that she continues to use this gift for God's glory and we greatly appreciate all who have encouraged her on this journey!

I love this little girl with all my heart and have a little thank you to some very special people...

• Thank you to our dear friend who has watched this sweet girl from the time she was just six weeks old.  You have helped shape and love on her like one of your own. 
• Thank you to the elderly man at church, who goes out of his way to say hi to her each and every Sunday, even when she just smiles back.
• Thank you to the sweet man at church who wouldn't let Kylee leave church until she gave him a hug after he's worked so hard to develop a friendship with her.
• Thank you to the sweet friends who brought Kylee flowers for her first piano performance at church, which was such a big day for her.  You touched this girls heart more than you could imagine.
• Thank you to the dear friend who spends time out of her week to teach Miss Kylee how to play the piano (and to the special guy who picks her up after school each week to take her).  She truly lights up every time she plays and absolutely loves this special time with you!
• Thank you to all of the teachers and staff at her school and church, who love on her.
• Thank you to our sweet photographer who ever so kindly and gently is able to capture the beauty and personality of Kylee.
• Thank you to the dear friend who went out of her way to give this sweet girl a piggy back ride through a derby track just to show this girl how much you love her.  She just recently requested that photo be hung in her bedroom and thinks so much of you!
• Thank you to this girls sweet aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents who love her for the special girl she is!
• Thank you God for loaning this special girl to us!  We pray that You continue to give us the wisdom and encouragement daily to help her grow to love and trust You!

This list could go on and on and on to all the countless people who have showed their love to this sweet girl with countless acts of kindness.  Each and every one of you has not only made a lasting impression with this girl, but you've touched her Mama too!  May God bless each and every one of you.  May God continue to teach me to love my children just as they are and just as He designed them!  It is inevitable that at some point someone will hurt our children (typically unintentionally), when (not if) that happens I challenge you to quickly forgive and reflect on the many people and times that someone has loved on your child.  It will quickly change your heart from bitterness to gratefulness!

Blessings,

Kylee's Mama