Hello Again

Hello again!  It has been unbearably long since I have blogged, and I apologize for my absence.  These past few months have been busy, crazy, fun and just ordinary...we had the whole gambit happen.  I wanted to take a break from blogging about my life, and concentrate more on simply living and enjoying it.  And it has been wonderful!

Phil and I signed up for the Half Marathon and Full Marathon up in Tulsa.  I had been training pretty consistently and was super happy with a PR time that was 7 minutes faster than the Super Bowl Half Marathon I ran last year in the Springs.

Phil completed his first full marathon and did it in a little over 5 hours...I was super impressed!

It was a wonderful day and a long ride home...three hours made for some very stiff muscles on our already sore bodies.  But, it was so worth it!

I was running on that half marathon euphoria and signed up for a full marathon in OKC in April, so I am continuing my training and getting (or attempting to get) into marathon shape!  Prayers are appreciated :)

Phil and I also expanded our family by four more paws:

Penny is Max's new sister!  She is almost 16 weeks old and is as adorable and sweet as can be!  Phil and I love her so much already!   She is my little shadow, where I go, Penny goes and that just makes my heart happy.  She and Max wrestle, chase each other, play tug and are figuring out how to be siblings...pretty soon they will be inseparable I believe and that also makes my heart super happy!

It actually snowed here in OK so Phil and I made good use of it and did a brisk 4 miles in the elements.  Call me crazy ( I will not be offended) but I love running in the snow: the peace, the quiet, the feeling of serenity.  After everything warms up, it feels really great!

Layers, runny nose, and frozen cheeks, but a smile that was real!

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year!  While the barrage of weight loss and dieting commercials/products/offers floods in, I am going to make a different type of resolution this year.  I will be working on having more patience with life.  My Type A personality can bring out the best and worst in me, and patience is something I want to have more of.

What kind of resolutions are you guys working on?

Have a happy and restful New Year! :)

Wedding Dresses, Disappointment & Running

Hello everyone!  Sorry for the absence, life has been CRAZY lately, and honestly, I am just enjoying the ride.  I took a whirlwind of a trip back home because my cousin is getting married and I'm her MATRON OF HONOR!!!  So I am super, super excited! So I flew home for Fall Break because it was time to find her wedding dress!  She did say yes to her dress and she is absolutely stunning; I cannot wait for June to get here so I can watch her and her fiancé make the vow of forever :)


After that it was a whirlwind until Halloween!  I love Halloween, I love watching Hocus Pocus, Scooby Doo movies, pumpkins, decorations, and most of all, trick-or-treating!  Last year we lived in a neighborhood that had lots of kids and I was blessed with only THREE trick-or-treaters.  This disappointment is strong to this day my friends.  Well this year, we live in a neighborhood with kids again and I was ready!  I had Halloween music playing, a big bowl of candy (all chocolate) and a cute dog!  Wonderful!

No, it was bad, awful, and just sad.  Max and I had only TWO trick-or-treaters!  I was soooo bummed!

Max was just as unhappy...

So, I compulsively ate 5 pieces of candy and we watched the Hocus Pocus marathon on TV.  I think I am boycotting the trick-or-treat part of Halloween next year, my heart cannot continue to take this disappointment.

Poor Phil has been in the field this past week and a few days this coming week; well he gets home around 9-10pm and then is out of the house at 6am.  I think that is worse than just being out there completely!  But with him in the field this weekend, I thought it was a good idea to get some good gym time in, walks with Max and some running done.  The only time I have been running lately is when I have a race, and I mean I only run the day of the race, nothing leading up to it.  I had gotten back in the habit, but then I went home and things got crazy!  But this weekend I have put in 7.5 miles (total) and I am feeling good about this start.

I really want to sign up for a half marathon up in Tulsa next month, but for some reason I am having a hard time actually doing it.  I feel excited, but super nervous!  Does that happen to anyone else?

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!  There is a LOTR marathon on TV today and Max and I are holding down the couch: snacks and sweet tea included! :)

Linking up with Bianca!

Dogs, Running, & Food Trucks

I had an earth-shattering epiphany this week: maybe if I ran steadily, I wouldn't be in soooo much pain after I decide to run a race.  I was thinking this as EVERY muscle in my body from my ribs down were boycotting life on Monday and Tuesday.  So, in order to remedy some of that, I have ran every night this week!  I have ranged from 1-2 miles and they have been just slow and steady...definitely not breaking any speed records or coming close to my race times, but just an easy pace to get back in the swing of things.    It has actually felt really amazing (except on Monday and Tuesday, that completely sucked, not going to lie) and it makes me happy getting back into running.  I have been more focused on lifting and exploring exercises with weights that I have let running slip on by (that and it was 100+ degrees everyday in the summer).  I still lift after my runs, but it just makes my heart happy to be running steadily once more.

On Saturday, Phil and I, along with some friends, went to Wichita Falls, TX to just poke around.  And to participate in the Food Truck Fest! I have never really eaten from a food truck and I see them on cooking shows all the time, but haven't ever eaten at one.  But you bet I got a street taco from a legit food truck on Saturday!  It was so fun to mix and mingle and people watch! The hardest part was choosing which truck I wanted to eat from!

Once the school year starts, I have a hard time fitting in any reading time.  I read a lot and it is one of the ways I unwind and relax, and I (as well as Phil) can always tell when I haven't been reading enough.  This week I destroyed this book:

It was really good and the first of a series!  I have the next one arriving on Monday...happy day!

Max is also obviously, very excited...

Speaking of Max, we also have had the pleasure of having a guest dog in the house!  His name is Bear and he is amazing...literally! He and Max had their first playdate last week and Max has been a whole new dog having Bear here in the house.  He has been back to his happy self and this dog mama couldn't be happier!

It has been so fun having them both here, definitely contemplating that second dog now! Maybe over Thanksgiving or Christmas Break...

Max is now snoring on the couch as he has played more in the last few days then he has in months!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! :)

Anyone have any cute fall decoration ideas for outside?  Phil and I are thinking of decorating the outside of our house and any ideas are appreciated!

Linking up with Bianca!

Early Mornings, Visits, & Running

So back in the winter I was trying that whole "workout before work" thing in order to fit extra training in for our half marathon on Super Bowl Sunday.  Once that was over, I dropped that like a hot potato and gained an extra hour or so of sleep in the morning.  That being said, for the past three weeks, I have been getting up at 4:30am to hit the gym before work.  It has just seemed a lot easier because after school I have cheer practice (I am the assistant cheer coach at my middle school) and by the time I get home from that, all I really want to do is eat and sit on the couch until I can go to bed.  Surprisingly, I really LOVE getting up and hitting the gym early!  It is not the struggle it was in the winter at all! I start the day feeling super productive and awake! And having my metabolism revved all day is a nice side benefit.

Max typically isn't a fan of that alarm, but he doesn't like any alarm, so there's that.

Speaking of Max, he got to have a great play date with his new doggy pal Bear!  This was so awesome because I think Max is going through withdrawal from seeing all of his friends (and girlfriends) at doggy daycare, so this was much needed!  Phil and I got to have a people date with our friends, and our dogs got to run around like crazy, sniffing and licking everything...it was pretty great for these dog parents!

Look at that doggy grin!

Phil had signed us up for a 10k race up in the city this morning about three weeks ago.  Now in the time he told me about it, signed us up,  to this morning when the race actually occurred, I ran a total of ZERO times.  I had every intention of running a bit to keep in shape and all that jazz, but it really just didn't happen.  But, this morning I actually had a great race!  I hit a PR and placed third!  I am super happy about that, because somewhere around mile 4, I was really thinking of how I wanted a drink and to stop.  I shut down that negativity in my head, and just kept plugging away and it actually worked...who knew?

I think the best part of the race is Phil's outfit...

Phil and I are doing the dance where we think about getting a second dog again.  Normally, we dance, I overthink, and we move on.  However,  lately, it does feel like Max is just sad or lonely and it is really starting to get to me!  Does anyone have any advice on getting a second dog?  Max will be 4 years old in December and it probably won't occur until after school is out for the summer, but did anyone overthink as much as I do?  Did your dogs get along?  Is it better to get a girl since we already have a boy?  So many questions!

Any advice is appreciated!! :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! :)

Linking up with Bianca!

Friends, Leaks, & Life

People often say, "When it rains, it pours" and that was definitely the case here in Oklahoma for the past week.  Rain fell out of the sky every single day.  It was insane!  I of course was not super prepared because I did not have rain boots or a rain jacket (that was rectified this weekend...I now have amazing Hunter Rain Boots!).  All was well until I woke up to this disaster at 5am....

I was not excited to say the least, and Phil was still out of town at that particular moment.  Isn't that always the way?  He leaves and everything decides to start a mutiny and add chaos to my life.

But, we are getting that assessed on Monday (Phil is back and scheduled that appointment, woohoo!) and it has stopped raining (so far) so it can actually get fixed!  You cannot fix a roof leak while it's still raining, makes sense right?  It only stopped raining today...

Max was super stressed about the rain:

As you can see, he was completely beside himself about the leak in the roof...

I am super excited that my friend Maddy and her husband are moving here to Oklahoma!  They are getting stationed here and will be in the same brigade as Phil! Maddy and I met at a Family Fun Day in Colorado Springs and have been besties ever since! So I am super excited that we are going to be reunited!  You can check her blog out here!

I am super proud of Phil as he did the Bone Frog Obstacle Course Run while he was home and took home first place in his age group and placed 9th overall!

He and I are signed up for a 10k race next weekend (probably should start running a little for that...) and he is searching for obstacle course runs for us to do as a couple....definitely need to continue hitting the gym to find my upper body strength.

I am so glad he was able to go home and visit his family, but boy am I happy to have my man back!  Not just because he had sweet tea waiting for me when I got out of work/practice on Friday, or that he is meeting with the maintenance guy this week, or that he's taking Max to the groomer on Tuesday (he is pretty amazing!!), but because it just feels awesome to be able to go on our "adventures" and have him by my side (and driving) like normal

I like nothing better than to just ride around with him and Max enjoying the day :)

Note sweet tea cup...addiction is still holding strong.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!! Happy first day of October!

Does anyone else have any experience with obstacle course runs?  I think I will actually need to put in some training time for those...


Linking up with Bianca!

Sneakers, Anniversary, & More Sneakers

Phil and I celebrated our two year wedding anniversary this week!  This year was extra special because he was actually here to celebrate with me!  I swear I look at that man and the butterflies still just flap away :)

This is one of my favorite photos from the big day <3

He also surprised me at school with flowers...needless to say, I was a puddle when he showed up to my classroom door looking all handsome in his uniform (he graduated from CCC that day!)

He also got to meet a few of my students....they all want him to come back to school so they can ask him questions.  It was a very, very cool day!

Phil made the mistake of taking me to the mall Saturday night...I say this because we happened to stroll on by the Journeys store and lo and behold, there were shoes I just had to have!

A pretty pair of pink Converse to be exact!  I was looking at the neon pink ones and decided that they are just a tad too loud (neon toenails, yes, neon Converse, just couldn't do it) and then Phil found these beautiful pale pink/charcoal gray ones and I was hooked!  It was love at first sight!

Then I also saw these beauties:

I walked out of Journeys wearing my new pink Converse (with my formal dinner dress...heels went in the bag) and those beautiful Adidas creations.  They are super supportive and were immediately tested out today on our walk with Max and trip to the gym.  MEGA LOVE!

New shoes, a truck, a puppy, and an amazing husband equals perfect a Sunday to me!

Speaking of perfect Sundays, this is what is happening on this wonderful afternoon in the Sutton Household:

Max is snoozing, Phil is playing Destiny 2, and I am reading, stretched out on the couch...perfect!

Phil is heading home for a little while to do some much needed catching up, so Max and I will be holding the fort down here in OK.  I wonder what kind of mischief we will get into....never can tell! (insert mischievous laugh)

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! :)

Anyone else have a sneaker obsession like me?  What are they?  Please share!

I am linking up with Bianca this week!

New Pants, 5k's, & Gym Etiquette

There are very few things the make me irritated, but every once in a while I get a little cranky about certain things.  One of these things is Gym Etiquette.  When you lift and grab your plates, load up your machine, and get your reps in, you are supposed to re-rack your weights.  NOT JUST LEAVE THEM THERE FOR ME TO RE-RACK YOUR 215 lbs!  If you can get them on there, you can take them off and put them back.  I realize that after your reps, the muscle group you were working is reasonably tired, however, I do not want to heft all of that off, to put on my own, to lift, and then put them away...no thank you!  I don't understand how you could watch me re-rack your 215lbs and trot your happy butt off to the next machine...next time there will be words friend.

Ok, rant over!

In other news, Phil came home from work on Thursday and said he signed us up for the Devil Dog 5k here at Fort Sill.  Exciting!  Except that I haven't ran in a solid 8 weeks (I ran once, maybe twice, and I am really not sure it counts).  Saturday morning, we were up and at it!  Race started at 8am and we were ready to rock and roll!  At least as much as someone is at 8am on a Saturday running a race they hadn't prepped for....

It was awesome!  I actually ran my fastest 5k time ever!  I credit that to the Stair Stepper, my competitive nature, and the fact that Phil stuck with me during the race (races are always better with a buddy!)

Post run happy!

We also finally got a couch this weekend!

It is a sectional that fits perfectly into our living room space without crowding it too much!  Phil and I finally were tired of waiting for the claim to go through, so we picked it out after the race on Saturday and it was delivered that afternoon!  I forgot how wonderful it is to have a couch to sit on :)

I have also been shopping...I decided to splurge and try Lululemon athletic wear.  It was recommended by a friend and I had never tried it, so it was destiny.  I am now the proud owner of a pair of Lululemon cropped spandex pants and I am in love!

I wore them to the gym on Sunday and loved the way they stayed in place the whole time and really how cute the pattern is! They have all kinds of colors and I am in serious love!  I may have two more pairs in my shopping cart as we speak...

I also made Phil take a selfie with me at the gym...I needed the photo of my pants!  And he is too cute, that is also a huge factor :)

You can check out the leggings on Lululemon's website here.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!  :)

Does anyone have any other favorite athletic clothes that they love and recommend?

Linking up with Bianca!

Football, Ice Cream, & Snoozing

Phil and I have actually decided to take a leap out of our box and get involved with the college football scene here in Oklahoma.  So, we bought a Oklahoma University (the Sooners) hat for Phil and a t-shirt for me.  I know, pretty crazy!

We took that hat and t-shirt to the home-opener on Saturday and it was awesome!  Our college did not have a football team and I have only been to one college football game so I wasn't quite sure what to expect...wow was I not even close!  Apparently there is college football, and then there is COLLEGE FOOTBALL!  The place was packed! There were people tailgating, walking, talking, buying drinks, food and other OU paraphernalia, and it was just epic!  They even closed down the street! Like what?!?!

Of course that meant that I made Phil take some selfies to commemorate the experience, because if there isn't a self, then did it really happen?  Kidding!

 He was awesome!  I can't help that I am a picture addict when we are together!

Our seats were pretty great too!  Right by the end zone!

It was so fun!  The weather was hot, the sweating was intense, and our smiles were big!  And those Sooners won!  Very rarely do Phil and I actually have a chance to cheer for a team that is actually good and wins (we are Bills fans, Sabres fans, etc...life can get a little tough somedays...)

After the game called for some celebratory fajitas and THE BEST ICE CREAM COOKIE SANDWICH IN THE WORLD!  Sorry for the all caps, but this ice cream cookie sandwich blew my mind!  Homemade cookies with homemade ice cream!

 It was also the size of my palm!  I couldn't finish it, but I sure tried; next time I am skipping actual dinner and going right for the prize :)

I took this photo of Max last week in his usual Sunday position:

And on this Monday that feels like a Sunday, he is enjoying the very same position.  Lazy afternoons at home are the best.

I splurged and got new shoes:

 My very first pair of Converse!  They are this awesome gray color that go really well with my jeans, shorts and khakis (for when I want to feel cool at school).  My students thought they were awesome and I totally gained more cred for that, and Phil, the sweetie that he is, told me that in my Converse I am almost cool...I'll take that!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! :)

Does anyone else have crazy college football stories?

Linking up with Bianca! 

Teaching, Running, & Colds

We made it through another week and that is always a plus in my book!  The kiddos are starting to settle in and we are bumping right along!  With the help of some awesome people, my classroom is also not looking quite so bare-bone-ish:

I have some very cool painted signs that really spruce it up!

You can't see it, but my sweet tea cup is totally on my desk...addicted!

I am not sure if it is allergies or a cold, but my head is so congested and my nose is running like crazy!  Oh and I basically sneeze every three minutes...anyone have any cold/allergy medicine recommendations?

Saturday I went to a professional development class up at Oklahoma University called Ipadpalooza and it was out of this world! I learned sooooo much about what to do with the iPads in class that my mind was literally blown! I think I am actually still processing all of that information.  I am going to try one new thing that I learned yesterday to implement in my classroom this year, and then add another next year, and so on.  Now I just have to figure out which one I am going to implement...

I bought these adorable new Nike sneakers around the Fourth of July, but haven't worn them because of being home, then moving, then unpacking the house, and I literally just found them again!  I really need to finish unpacking my clothes from the RV...

They have this cool lace-type pattern on them with slight pops of a neon yellow!  And they make me look so much more tan than I actually am :)

I have been having a really hard time getting motivated to run lately, Phil and I have been lifting at the gym for the past 5 weeks and I really love it!  I never thought I would actually like lifting weights ( I was under the misconception that it would bulk me up...false!), but I really love getting stronger.  We do a cardio warm-up, but instead of jumping on the treadmill and getting a few miles in, I have been hitting the Stair Stepper and getting my butt kicked.  Maybe once it cools off I will pick my running back up, but right now, I am really into getting stronger and more toned with the weights.

Phil surprised me with flowers on Thursday:

I was having a bit of a frustrating day and he walked in the house with these and two sweet teas...he really is amazing <3

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!! :)

Is anyone else trying new exercise moves and want to share?

Linking up with Bianca! 

School, Hugs, & Gym Time

The first full week of school is done! And Week #2 is ready to start tomorrow! It has been a crazy week!  Apparently in Middle School, kiddos still hug the teacher; I didn't know that (my high schoolers weren't super big into hugs) so I was very surprised when I received many First Day of School Hugs, Monday Hugs, End of the Day Hugs, Open House Hugs, Friday Hugs, etc.  Hugs on hugs on hugs.

Along with the hugs, you get the thugs...or the students who think they run the hard life, can Netflix and Chill, and all that business.   Well, their attitude is no match for my own and they realized who actually ran the classroom...its me.  Plus, they look kind of cute when they act all tough, I didn't tell them that so I didn't ruin all of their "street cred", but let's face it, they are 11 years old, cute is all they can manage at this point.

This was an adorable card I received on Friday...they really can be so stinking cute!  It made me feel so good!  I also hung it up on my filing cabinet so I can look at it whenever I need a boost.

I also appreciate that he spelled my last name correctly :)

Max has also been adjusting to this new work schedule:

Life is ruff...

But he was a good boy for the groomer and scored a brand new bandana!  Look at that handsome little bud!

Phil and I had joined a gym that is literally across the street about a month ago and have been religiously hitting it 5-6 times per week.  I was a little hesitant at first about the two of us being gym partners, you never can tell about your spouse until you're both lifting weights, but it has actually been awesome!  We lift each other up, keep each other motivated, and it is a nice hobby that we have together :)

That being said, sometimes I do make him take selfies with me at the gym...I can't help it, he's cute!

I love that he humors me!

Last week was intense with our gym routine, I had gotten out of Teacher Shape: standing all day, pacing all day, knowing all of the answers to all of the questions, and being responsible.  Whew! Definitely an adjustment compared to summer break!  But, we did it and I feel ready to hit it again this week!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!  May your caffeine be strong and your attitude high! :)

Linking up with Bianca!

Reflections, Musings, & Thoughts

As summer comes to a rapid close, I always like to reflect on summer: what I've done, what I forgot to do, and what I will miss most.  I do not sit still very well, or at all really, so I am very excited for school to start; too much summer is not a good thing!  Unfortunately for Phil, I also cannot sit still for very long over the summer either...this usually ends up with us going on a sweet tea run at various points in the day (addiction still holding strong)

Phil and I actually got to spend the entire summer together!  This is a concept that was completely unheard of!!  In our almost five years together, we have finally managed to do summer fun activities: we went hiking, walking, boating, on rides, spent our first Fourth of July together, moved into a house, enjoyed the RV, played corn hole, etc.  It was so awesome!  With that, I also made him take a crazy amount of pictures with me!  He was such a good sport:

With school starting for me and his training coming to an end, I find myself a little sad to let all of this time together shift, but such is life and life is actually pretty awesome.  He will go to his new unit in October and the crazy long work days and the questions of deployment will start again, but this summer has been what we have both needed: a chance to relax and enjoy being together!

And enjoy our energetic, high strung, crazy dog!  

I feel rested, relaxed and ready to take on the Middle Schoolers this Friday (yikes!) and am excited to see what comes next!  Life after all, really is the most incredible ride.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!! Phil and I are celebrating our 2 year Wedding Anniversary next month and he will (in theory) be here to celebrate with me this time!  

Does anyone have any suggestions on good anniversary gifts????  Help would be greatly appreciated! 

Linking up with Bianca! 

School, School, & School

HOLY CANNOLI SCHOOL STARTS IN A WEEK!!!!!!

When did this happen? How did this happen?  Where did summer go?  And oh my goodness am I excited!!!!

It is finally here: the prepping, the decorating, and the First Day of School Dreams have come back into my life like thunder.  One minute I'm looking at new vacuums (as per move), and the next I am figuring out how in the world to decorate my classroom.

I have always shared a classroom and relied on my partner to take the reins on that particular facet of education; it has never ever been a strength of mine.  I look at Pinterest and am out-gunned on all of those designs.  It really is fortunate that I am a Middle/High School teacher and not Elementary...

*Any of my Elementary friends want to visit me in Oklahoma and decorate my room, I will love you forever and shower you with sweet tea, chocolate and puppy snuggles*

Since I am a perky person, I went with the neon dots my friend and I had used in our room about two years ago to give it a little pop of color:

I have a lot of cork-board space!  As well as shelves, cabinets, and cupboards...I am sure I will find stuff to store in there eventually.

I dragged a friend to help me put up all of those dots as well as to put up some fabric boarders.  Due to my amazing (eye roll) photography skills, I have no photos of the boarders...oops!

This gem also came in the mail so I have been placing my bookmarks, sticky notes, and date dots getting it all ready for the first day!  I absolutely LOVE Erin Condren planners!

Check them out at her website! https://www.erincondren.com

I do believe the only one who is NOT excited about school starting is Max, he now has to get up early again and everyone knows how he feels about that...

(that is a photo of him at my parents house this summer, but he is feeling the same way now, trust me!)

I hope everyone is having a great week and has awesome plans for the weekend! :)

If anyone has some extra classroom ideas, please let me know :) I love buying school supplies and decorating supplies, so don't be shy!