Happy Winter Solstice

It has finally arrived! Take time to celebrate today because the days getting longer from here on out. I know I will be probably on my trainer for a couple more months dreaming of warm sun on my skin!

Surprise!...

...visit from my parents that is!

 

(notice my Dad is wearing his Packers XLV Superbowl Champions hat)

I came home Friday night after work and two workouts to open the door to a flashing orange light. It was my parents taking a picture of me screaming as they shouted Merry Christmas!

The surprises did not end there! We decided to open up mine and the boy's Christmas gifts the next morning since both of them really couldn't be mailed. My sister and my brother-in-law joined through Google+ hangout since they are hanging out in England for the next 3 years. The boy got a fancy plunge router and I unwrapped a power strip.

Yeah, I was confused...until they told me to follow them downstairs.

(holding the computer with my sister and brother-in-law on the other end)

The boy was in on it all and provided a couple measurements and a good hiding spot until the reveal! I definitely didn't put this on my Christmas list, but it has been something on my own to-do/honey-do list for the early spring.

 

A custom built lighted plant stand hand crafted by my Dad and inspired by my Mom. This has everything I could ever want and a way better job of me slopping something together. My Dad has some serious skills. Since moving from Maryland to Michigan the vegetable season got a whole lot shorter and this will help me get a great head start. I must start planning! Expect a post about all the fabulous vegetables I will be planting. My sister gave me a stainless steel compost pail too so I should be set for a full home grown organic garden this year.

I am so thankful for having awesome, thoughtful, smart, creative, and caring family.

Cookie Monster

I really need to start posting more about Triathlon and less about food, but I can't help it. Don't they say Nutrition is the 4th discipline. Well this might be able to be considered nutrition during an Ironman.

Last week I made some cookies for a party at work that turned out delicious. Enter smitten kitchen, one of my favorite blogs for simple recipes.

Thank you sister for your stand mixer! Let the baking begin!

I decided to make those peanut butter cookies with a twist replacing the chocolate chips with Reese's minis. Do you think I can contact Reese's for a sponsorship? Seriously, the new minis are the best! If you have not tried them go now!

They turned out delicious and irresistible. I made a double recipe to make sure I had enough since I was taking some to work. There are only 4 cookies left after 4 days! I think I am going to try the dark chocolate chips next time, because you can never go wrong with dark chocolate.

Speechless, thankful, and excited

I am not going to brag about being humble, because that just wouldn't be really humble of me, but I have never won anything or really had the chance to say, "Hey look at me I am cool!" Well I do now. It was announced late last week that I will be a member of the 2012 Revolution 3 Team. I had every intention writing this post immediately after I found out and then publishing it when I was announced. Although I had thoughts of excitement in my head it never made it to the computer with life/work getting in the way.

And for the humbleness...Now that I am here at the computer and still ever so pumped and really can't wait for 2012 to start I am finding some other things more interesting for me to post about and connect with my news. This year is going to be epic and change everything which was blatantly put by my coach. Yeah, I said it, a coach! I never thought I would come to this. He is the man that turned me on to Rev3. He recently won his first full distance Ironman triathlon and I thought this would be an appropriate time to introduce him. Yeah that is right, I said WON! Follow his blog here to find his Rev3 Ceder Point Race Report and to keep you mildly entertained. This man can get coke on demand from the back of an SUV. Amazing.

It is actually more of an informal agreement with a well-respected friend where I asked for some initial planning, general advice throughout the year, and 2 months of more detailed workouts and feedback leading up to my peak race. Mainly to keep me honest! I am excited to be able to bounce things off someone who is knowledgeable, leads by example, and awesome enough that he has two first names.

Time to resort the schedule and plan for some awesome Rev3 races around the country!