The Motorcycle, Mt. Dora, Sugarloaf Mountain and the Lighthouse

Travis took me on a day date yesterday. We rode his motorcycle over to Mount Dora and sat on a bench by the lake in that touristy town. It reminded me of Chelan, but with water you don't want to get into because all the signs said "Don't entice the alligators." We walked along a "nature path" in which I was sure we were going to lose a couple limbs by the time we were done. It was a wood plank walkway over swamp land... Mount Dora's version of Riverwalk Park. We didn't see the alligators (they were hiding, ready to eat us) but we did see huge snakes wrapped up in the weeds. Travis had to drag me along several times because I was sure we were going to die. The little old folks walking the same path didn't have that same fear though. I guess when it's your time, it's your time.
A little while ago I mentioned to Travis that I wanted to see all the lighthouses in Florida. I don't know if it was just a lucky destination on his part, but I like to think that he planned our date so I could see the lighthouse in Mount Dora. Very sweet of him :)
After our life threatening jaunt through the swamps, I was happy to get back to the safety of the bike. We rode around town and looked at the old houses then headed up to Sugarloaf Mountain. I love the mountains, and while this one was more of a big hill, it felt good to be on top of it. I miss my Cascade Mountains.
We finished the night off with a movie and me realizing, yet again, that I am one blessed woman.
Pictures to come.

Daytona Beach

I'm in love. The man. The beach. The rainy weather. Life is good. I can fall into the "It WOULD be better if... " trap and list off a couple of things (like family being closer, more money, master's degree, etc) but I won't say any of that :)

Yesterday we drove the hour over to Daytona beach to see Trav's cousin Dave and his family. They were staying in a condo right on the beach and I was excited to put my swimsuit on after 2 months of not using it at all. That is a crime in Florida! Swimming should be part of my bi- weekly schedule. Walking on the beach with Travis, especially when he writes TV + LE in the sand and even when he picks me up and threatens to throw me into the ocean, is one of my favorite things. I have a keeper.

We went to Sam's club and bought Travis a pair of swim shorts (next time he should be more inclined to listen to my opinion) and dinner which Dave made. It's hard to top steak, baked potatoes, salad with full-fat ranch, garlic toast and wedding reception punch aka sherbet and sprite. We all ate way too much but it was worth it.

On the drive home we spent the whole hour continuing the conversation we started with his cousins about Preach My Gospel, missionary struggles, the discussions, etc. Travis was a discussion Elder and I was a Preach My Gospel Hermana, so we had a lot of stories to compare and in the end decided that there wasn't such an extreme difference between the two. It obviously wasn't a argument over which one is better, just a discussion on how they each work and push the missionaries to develop greater teaching abilities. We came to the conclusion that we are going to study Preach My Gospel more and together. Travis is a fun one to study with since he insists on deeper understanding while knowing that you can't skip over the simple things. We had a really interesting talk about the 2 fascimilies in Abraham and I suggest a study of those much overlooked pages. It was enlightening :)

Rain, rain...

I stole this picture :)

The past couple days have been ridiculously rainy. I come home from work drenched and have to put the blow dryer on my shoes for an hour to dry them out. I walk with my feet completely submerged in water just to get to my car in a flat parking lot. Florida is a moody woman with her crazy weather. Travis and I have been sharing my car since it isn't very safe (at least in my opinion!) for him to ride his motorcycle with several inches of water on the road.

I love the rain.

Lindsea vs. The Button-up Shirt

(Yes, my photography skills leave a lot to be desired, but you get the idea... )

About 8 years ago I bought a black button up shirt with cute embroidery on the cuffs and white pin stripes. BUT... it was too small. I can't even remember why I bought it, though I'm sure it was somewhere along the lines of, "I'll lose a few pounds and it will be perfect!" 8 years later, I have never worn it, yet it continues to make the college back and forths, Boise, Utah and Florida treks. In the back of my mind was the thought that it WOULD fit me soon. It has been tried on about 4 times a year and it was always too small. It isn't so much that I love the shirt as it has become a competition and challenge to wear it.

Well the other day I decided to try it on and.... it fit!! I was in shock when I was able to button up every single button. Awesome. I kicked some button-up shirt booty and wore it out today.

New Goals

In an effort to better prepare for the upcoming half and full marathons, I have decided to start now. My schedule keeps changing along with the weather and I'm hoping a weekly mileage goal will prove more doable. Right now that goal is 15 miles a week. 5 times of 3 miles is a good base to work from and then I can add a mile or two every week.... hope Travis can keep up!

May 8th: Pig Jig 5K
September 5th: Disneyland 1/2 Marathon
October 31: Marine Corps Marathon
January 8th: Disney World 1/2 Marathon
January 9th: Disney World Marathon

We are hoping that running the 1/2 marathon in September will help us train better for the Marine Corps one so we don't embarrass ourselves too much. The Disneyland 1/2 Marathon goal I set for myself is 2 hours 30 minutes which would put me on pace for my Marine Corps Marathon goal which is 5 hours. That is 1 hour and 39 minutes less than my last marathon, and a pretty decent time.

Disneyland 1/2 Marathon

Ok, so it has been almost 2 months since we ran the FULL marathon here at Disney World and I'm getting excited to run another race. Travis keeps coming up with all of these marathons we need to do, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't extremely tempted to run them. The next race I will run will be the Pig Jig 5K while we are home for Apple Blossom. It will be followed (hopefully!) by the Marine Corps Marathon (full 26.2 miles), Disneyland 1/2 Marathon, EPCOT 1/2 (can't remember the name), then the Disney World 1/2 Marathon followed by the Disney World Marathon the very next day. It's called the GOOFY for a reason!

The Marine Corps Marathon has me very excited since the route includes various monuments in Washington D.C. It's a way to see the sights that you don't always get to enjoy. I am also looking forward to the Disneyland 1/2 marathon. Trying to get family to go for the weekend and run with us has proven a little challenging, but I'm still hoping! Janae, Rissa and Whit have all expressed their interest in going. It will be a lot of fun.... promise! If I am able to run a full marathon, anyone in my family is capable of finishing the 1/2. Most of them could kick my trash too. It will be fun! :)

The feeling of accomplishment after finishing a race like this is enough to make me want to do it again. And it's a wonderful family bonding time! Nothing says I Love You like running, sweating and going through a *little* pain... TOGETHER.