Next Year

Yesterday, I ran in the Space Coast Marathon.

To say I ran it is an overstatement.  I more like hobbled to the finish line.  It was my worst race ever.

Whether I ran it, walked it or limped over the finish line, I still earned a medal regardless of my time which will forever be listed on Active.com with all my other race results and my husband and my kids were there to for cheer me.  Having them there meant the world to me.

Now, I’m healing my body to start training all over again for my races coming up in the new year.  And I’ll run another marathon, maybe Palm Beach, Jacksonville or New York.  It doesn’t matter as long as I can redeem my performance next year.


Visit Xmas Dolly and Hairbows & Guitar Picks for more Music Monday fun.

Working the Women’s Half Marathon

I hadn’t planned to run the Women’s Half Marathon this year since Space Coast Marathon falls a week later.    Then, I heard my friends at Suncoast Running sponsored two water stations at this Women’s Half Marathon and needed about 3 dozen people to help work the stations.  I jumped at the chance to be part of a race without the training and roped my friends, Chrissy, Faith, Michelle and Raffi into helping too.

I have always wanted to give back to the sport that has given me so much.

I loved witnessing the different emotions (joy, elation, pain and exhaustion) as a spectator.  I had felt those emotions many times.  Sometimes all those emotions in one race.

We cheered and celebrated their victories while serving them water with smiles.

For me, working the water stations at the Women’s Half Marathon was far more enjoyable than running it and I would definitely do it again, if they’ll have me.  Hopefully, I didn’t scare anyone with my crazy pimp hat dumping feathers in anyone’s water or my loud mouth boisterous cheers and praise.

*Droid photo submitted to*

Unknown Mami

 

Sunrise Through the Trees

As I mentioned in my Friday Food Fight post, my family and I spent the weekend camping in Hillsborough River State Park. Camping or not camping, I’m always up before the sun and my family, but then I capture moments like this.

Catching a glimpse of a sunrise through the trees is always sweet moment while camping, besides s’mores of course.

Psssst…While you’re visiting here, don’t miss my giveaway which ends tonight at midnight.

*Droid photo submitted to*

Unknown Mami

Camping with Pigs in a Blanket

For this week’s Friday Food Fight, I’m flinging my breakfast from Hillsborough River State Park campgrounds.

Since we’re tent camping, it’s not 5-star accommodations or dining, but the food is served hot and thanks to our portable heater, the tent is cozy warm.

One of our usual camping breakfast meals are pancakes from the box. *gasp* Shocking, I know, since Iron Chef Allan enjoys his from-scratch pancakes best, but it’s all about convenience and ease when you’re camping and box pancakes fit that bill.

This is the first time we tried Quaker Oats Oatmeal Pancakes and I was pleasantly surprised. The whole grain batter offered a lovely mealy texture and you certainly need a hearty meal when you’re hiking trails, canoeing or in my case, chasing a rambunctious toddler around the campground.

My camping pancakes are always served with a side of Al Fresco Breakfast Chicken Sausage. I’ll wrap a hot off the griddle pancake around the sausage, pig in a blanket style. No forks necessary, just a dish to dip your pig in some syrupy mud.

Pigs in a blanket are the perfect breakfast on a cool camping morning!

Now link up and see what Karen of If I Could Escape and Kirsten of Gone Banans are servinng.

Fall in Florida

We’re into the second week of November and autumn has finally arrived in Tampa Bay.  A Florida fall consists of much cooler weather with highs in the upper 70s and lows in the lower 50s.

And if you’re very observant, you’ll start to see some leaves turn colors.

It always makes me sad when the cypress trees in my neighborhood turn shades of brown.

 

Once the cypress trees begin to go brown, they lose their leaves quickly and their drab gray branches make the trees appear dead.

 I wouldn’t mind barren trees if they were covered in white snow.  Well, I would mind the snow, but at least the cypress trees wouldn’t look so lifeless.

I miss the green already.  Is it too early to put up my Christmas tree?

 

Mama’s Losin’ It

“Fall in your neighborhood! Share some Fall pictures that capture the season in your neck of the woods.”

Snapshot Sunday

These photos were taken at the end of a very long and fun day at SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular.  You can read all about our fun here.

Today, I’m linking up over at Gone Bananas for Kirsty’s new meme called, Snapshot Sunday.  If you have a photo or photos you ‘d like to share, post it and then link up over there.  (Sorry for the lame poem.  It just flowed out me like that.  I’m a poet but didn’t know it.)

Unknown Mami

SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular

SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular has become a Halloween tradition for my family.  For this year’s visit, the girls wanted to wear the real costumes, like the ones they would wear trick-or-treating on Halloween night.  Thankfully, I shopped early and bought their costumes.  Otherwise, they would be wearing whatever dress-up clothes or pumpkin shirts I could find in their closets.

For this year’s Spooktacular event, SeaWorld added Penelope’s Party Zone, located at SeaWorld’s Bayside Stage.  In this lively underwater environment, kids (and even big kids like me) can flap their flippers and shake their tails while immersed in the wonders of the sea with kid-friendly music, games and colorful characters.

Countless bubbles floated overhead and colorful pumpkin fish and other sea-themed characters glided around the party zone.  Truly, this underwater Halloween dance party was non-stop fun for all ages.

 

Once inside Penelope’s Party Zone, we found fun new craft stations that offered something each of my girls could enjoy.  At the Apple Decorating Post, kids and parents alike can dive into some sweet fun by creating their own tasty treats.  Large tasty apples can be dipped into decadently flavored sauces, such as white chocolate, fudge, or caramel and then topped with sprinkles and other candies and sweets.

The Apple Decorating Post was certainly the apple of my candy apple lover’s eye.

My little artist, Allana, loved the Spooky Sand Art Station.  Allana and Emmalynn worked together to create and decorate a sea glass and sand seahorse Plaster of Paris sculpture .

And of course, like previous years, there were lots of candy stations to visit for trick-or-treating.

As previous years, they healthy trick-or-treating stations as an alternative to all the candy, such as peanuts.

But Emmalynn was really happy to see that the baby bananas back this year.

Although my children absolute adore SeaWorld and all the fun SeaWorld’s Halloween Spootacular offers , I love that all the trick-or-treating stations, Halloween shows and character spots are included in a one-day admission to SeaWorld.

That definitely puts the happy in my Halloween.


About SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular:

“Create family memories during SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular, the ultimate family-friendly event featuring an ocean of Halloween fun where children can trick-or-treat, dance with whimsical sea creatures, catch silly and spooky shows and create sea-themed arts and crafts.

SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular takes place THIS WEEKEND, October 28-30 and the  daytime event runs from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., leaving the littlest of trick-or-treaters wide-eyed for the fun-filled activities.

If you don’t already have a season pass or Fun Card, the best deal available right now is kids half off with a full-paid adult ticket.” 

Get more information and the scoop on all of the “spooktacular” savings at SeaWorldOrlando.com.”

Things Heard at Our Girlfriend Getaway

Things Heard at Our Girlfriend Getaway in Anna Maria Island


Keep your hands off my wet noodle.

This is my own personal noodle…from home.

Poist mussies

I love you, but I’m not going to make out with you.

I don’t do girl on girl.

I wouldn’t kiss my sister like that.

How was that empanada?

You know, they’re turkey.

They’re grown women. They chose to drink it.

What’s the stain on the mattress?

Is she breathing?

I’m not dead yet.

Quacktastic.

I heard it was the penultimate.

What happens in Anna Maria, stays in Anna Maria.

(Unless Denise blogs about it.)


*A shout out to Kelly for capturing these fun moments and sharing the photos with me.*