The Flaming Family

Its like the first day of school

2009-08-24T14:21:00.004-05:00

Last week, Cali went to Doggie Day Camp! We had meant to send her long ago but we were a little hesitant. She kept trying to be dominant and hardly obeyed us. After many dvds of Cesar Millan and numerous frustrating walks, we finally got her to realize that we were the pack leaders.

Anyone who saw her antics before has seen a noticeable difference post-Cesar. We wouldn't have been able to have this type of success any other way. Cesar Millan's technique is not about training the dog, but changing their behavior psychologically. They NEED discipline and a walk is the best thing you can do for your dog. I highly recommend watching Cesar's dvds if you have any type of problem with your dog. His techniques can be used for any problem.

The next step was socializing Cali. She hadn't been around many dogs and we knew the sooner we did it, the better. Camp Bow Wow has a day camp for dogs. First, the dog has to pass an interview where they interact with one other dog in order to test their aggression and temperament. There is absolutely no tolerance for any type of aggression. Once they show any signs, they are out! If they pass the interview, they are taken into a playyard with all the other dogs...approximately 40 dogs or more depending on the day. They stay all day and play!

I took Cali into Camp Bow Wow last week for her interview. I stayed for awhile to see how she would do. I didn't want to get home and have to turn right around and pick her up because she wasn't welcome. The owner said they are really strict, which they have to be in order for owners to know their dogs are safe.

The interview was a success! They told me they were taking her into the playyard. This made me nervous, I had no idea how she would do with that many dogs. I watched on the camera monitor from the office and when they took her in, all the dogs started chasing her, trying to sniff and get a feel for her. It was so funny to watch. They all go to know each other and she was fine. So, I went home and Cali stayed for the rest of the day. I immediately called Steve to tell him how it went. He was at work and I was at home, we were talking on the phone, and watching Cali from our computer screens. We found ourselves watching her off and on all day.

It really was like the first day of school. The proud parents happy to have her making new friends and getting along with everyone!

Long Overdue

2009-05-19T16:18:00.013-05:00

After 6 months of intense training, it came down to this...70.3 miles and a little over 7 hours of agony... joy... exhaustion... pride... pain... and triumph.

I woke up at 4:30am to eat a big bowl of oatmeal amongst other things, about 600 calories worth. I barely slept the night before, but I knew I'd be nervous and unable to sleep well. I headed out to the transition area with the team at 5am to prepare for the long road ahead.

We had a late start. In fact, we started late enough for Steve to make it (he needed his sleep)! So he was able to take a few pictures of my start. We started in the water (instead of a beach start), so we had to swim a little way to the buoys in the 57 deg water! Luckily the wetsuits not only allow for warmth but also flotation, so I just reclined in the water preparing for the longest day of my life (so far).

As the countdown to our race began, my teammate and I squeezed hands in the freezing water and looked at each other with both horror and excitement.

Last few meters to the swim finish...

Lets just say that wetsuits are not flattering! Here I am trying to strip off my wetsuit while I'm running...you have to be a multi-tasker!

My transition to the bike went well. Thanks to the advice of a fellow triathlete, I was sure to spray sunscreen on myself after the swim. I knew I'd be out on the bike for over 3 hours and the Galveston sun is not very forgiving.

On my way out I felt very confident. My coach and I had put together a very strict nutrition plan and I was drinking and eating very well and exactly when I was supposed to. However, about an hour into the ride I started getting a terrible pain in my chest. I had never had problems like that on the bike before and kept trying to figure out what was causing it. Stopping was definitely not an option, so I rode sitting up as far as I could and slowed down my pace tremendously. My best guess as to what I was feeling is that I started eating solids at the beginning of my ride and it wasn't digesting. I switched to gels only and after about 45 minutes I was feeling better. It definitely slowed down my time, but at least I got through it.

(The Gulf of Mexico is over my shoulder. The entire bike ride was along the sea wall, very beautiful!)

One of my favorite parts of the bike ride was that you can see everyone on the course. So every time a Team In Training person goes by, we holler at each other "Go Team!" It was very encouraging. The cycling was my least favorite and definitely my weakest link. I did beat my goal by completing the 56 miles in less than 4 hours!

I knew after the 3+ hours on the bike I would be so happy to start running. Just me and my legs...

I continued to rock my nutrition plan and never, at any moment, felt weak or dehydrated. Steve and other teammates watching said that I seemed to keep a really good pace the entire time. I was determined not to stop except for the water stations. And after 13.1 miles of running and 2 hours 34 minutes, I finally crossed the finish line.

This experience was amazing. There were definitely times during my training when I thought "what were you thinking getting yourself into this" and "you will never make it". I'm sure some of you may have even thought it. It certainly would have been easier to quit. It would have been easier to make excuses why I didn't do it. But I didn't just do this for myself. I did it for others as well and I couldn't let them down, nor could I let myself down.

I remembered a quote I heard back in high school my freshman year during those cross country days and kept saying it to myself when I felt weak:

Pain is Temporary, but Pride is Forever.

I'd like to thank all of you who supported me: those who sent me money for my fundraising, those who kept up with my training and asked how it was going, those who said "good luck" or "congratulations", and those who believed in me.

Thank you for helping me see the "Ironwoman" in myself.

Thank you for helping me to support a cause that is way bigger than me and my accomplishment.

Getting Ready

2009-03-25T17:04:00.013-05:00

It's almost here...

I've been getting ready.

The St. Patrick's Day Triathlon was my practice race. It was a sprint: 300m swim, 12 mile bike, 3.1 mile run. I did really well considering the weather. I hopped out of the pool and ran outside to 40 degrees and misting. Here's what it looked like...

My transition area wasn't ideal. Everything was cold and wet and I struggled to put on warm clothes after the swim. Needless to say, my transition time was really slow!

If I look freezing, its because I was! My feet were frozen numb for the entire bike ride. Not to mention I was soaking wet.

But once I started running, everything warmed up (except the weather) and I felt much better!

My finishing time was really good considering long transition times and crappy weather. I had a lot of fun and learned so much after putting it all together.

Luckily, this past Saturday was really nice for our team practice triathlon. We met at the lake to practice our open water swims in our wetsuits. Do I look like a triathlete??!

I loved that I had another chance to practice my transitions. In fact, we practiced it 3 times!

I think my biggest challenge (besides the 70.3 miles I'll be doing) will be the transition from my swim to the bike. I have to run out of the water, strip off the wetsuit, try to dry off my feet, put on socks & cycling shoes, put on my helmet & sunglasses & gloves, and run my bike past the mounting line before I begin my cycling. Although I don't think I'm going to worry about it too much! I'm just going to enjoy myself and get through it the best I can!

Here's my bike! I've had a lot of compliments on it! It's so pretty, I LOVE the color!

As strange as it sounds, by the time I get to my half marathon, I'll be so happy!

I'm off to Galveston next weekend (April 4th)! I hope my nerves calm down by then.

Wish me luck!

Updates, Updates, and more Updates

2009-01-28T11:14:00.013-06:00

I have a ton of things to update you all on. For now I will just let you know what I've completed from my 101 in the last 3 months. Here goes:

#19 Visit friends in California
This was a bittersweet trip as we had other obligations while we were there, but it was great to see everyone and it was nice to be able to relax a bit with them.

#46 Run a 5k
I ran in the annual Dallas Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving day. It was a huge event, as there were close to 40,000 people there. I hope to do this every year, it was a great experience!

#52 Run 1001 miles
I thought this was going to be hard, but now after training for a triathlon it'll be a breeze! I'm already at 204 miles!

#56 Make a fancy cake for a family member's birthday (like Ace of Cakes)

This is probably the closest I'll come to doing such a fancy cake. My sister asked me to help her make my niece's birthday cake for her Farm party. Taylor kept calling it her "Babe cake" because she LOVES Babe (the pig movie)! Even though I had help, I'm still going to count it. I'd like to try to do another cake someday as well, but I think that this is more than enough to complete my goal.

#76 Go to 4 non-sport entertainment events
I just completed 1 out of the 4. I found out that one of my favorite bands, The Fray, was going to be in Dallas at the House of Blues. It's a very small venue, more like a bar than a concert hall. The show was sold out but I looked on craigslist & scored tickets 2 days before the show! I asked my friend Laura to go with me & she was excited that I asked. The band that opened for them was called Vedera. I was really impressed with them. I had never heard of them before, but I liked them so much I just bought some songs on iTunes. I also just pre-ordered The Fray's new album that comes out on Feb 3rd!

We got there and found a really good spot, I could have touched the stage I was so close! And, luckily, I picked the side of the stage that Joe King was on...he's my favorite member of the band, the guitar player & back up singer. It was an awesome concert! They are amazing live!

Here's Joe :)

The lead singer plays the piano for most of the songs, so here are the best pictures I could get of the entire band.

Here is Laura & I

#86 Buy a bike
I am now a proud owner of a beautiful Cannondale road bike! It was quite the journey in finding the right bike, but I finally found a perfect fit! I'll try to get pictures soon.

#93 Subscribe to Home Decor magazine

Steve's mom got me a subscription for Christmas! I am now receiving monthly issues of HouseBeautiful!

Stay tuned...I have lots more to share!

Pray For This Precious Girl

2009-01-28T10:58:00.003-06:00

I talked to my sister yesterday and she told me about a little girl named Cora who is going through a very difficult time right now.

Cora is the 10month old daughter of one of my sister's friends. She was born just 5 days after my nephew, Mason. Cora's parents went to the doctor for what they thought was a minor issue & found out she had cancer. In the last week this family has gone through so much, and yet they stay strong and optimistic.

I just ask you to take a minute to pray for this precious baby girl. And if you'd like to know more you can check out my sister's blog, Cora's parents' blog, or a blog created just for Cora:

http://thebalzerfamily.blogspot.com/

http://themcclenahans.blogspot.com/

http://corapaige.blogspot.com/

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T13:04:00.005-06:00

I know it has been a VERY long time since I've blogged. Things have been very busy with my training, the holidays, traveling, etc.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

On another note: I would like to ask for everyone's prayers as we travel back to California and deal with our litigation. We are hoping for a favorable settlement, but it's all in God's hands now.

As soon as we return, I will be posting A LOT to catch you all up on the last few months. Stay tuned!

Quick Costumes

2008-10-26T10:49:00.005-05:00

Our neighbors invited us to their Halloween party last night at the last minute. They said that most people would be dressed up, but that we didn't have to. Steve and I thought all day about whether we'd go & finally 2 hours before the party, this is what we came up with!

Steve had to do his Gene Simmons impersonation...not bad!

Our neighbors said that we had the best costumes of the night. We ROCKED!!

A Loaded Gun

2008-10-24T14:31:00.009-05:00

Yes, that's right everyone...I shot a loaded gun. This has always been a small fear of mine, but I knew I had to try it.

I had pretty darn good form...

I have been taking this class with the local police department, Citizen Police Academy, in an effort to figure out what I want to do with my degree. I've learned so much about their department and all the different things I could potentially do. Last Saturday our class went to the gun range. Everyone had the opportunity to shoot a pistol and shotgun...I did both. There was no way I was backing out.

First we started with the .357 glock. I loaded the magazine and released the slide myself. I had 10 bullets and here is what I did...

Police officers are taught to shoot: two in the chest - one in the head. So, I decided I'd try that out. Not bad, huh? Then I just started shooting at the chest.

Now, if you can see it well enough, you will only count 9 bullet holes. That 10th one was my first shot & I got him in the groin...tricky little sucker!

Here's the shotgun, a 12 gauge. I only got one shot & I didn't get a picture of the target, but it went into the chest. You trust me, right?

Now I can cross #90 off my list!

#47 to be complete May 3, 2009

2008-10-13T13:51:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited to tell you all that I took a huge step yesterday. I committed myself to complete a Half Ironman Triathalon for Team In Training on May 3, 2009 in St. Croix.

Team In Training is an organization with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in an effort to raise money for blood cancer research. I signed up to join a team of individuals and help support a great cause all while training and competing in a triathalon. I'm so glad I chose to do this. I will have a great support system, including a coach, a mentor, and training partners who have all had the same experiences that I will have. I also know that I'll have a great support system from all my friends and family!

My training begins November 1st. And for those of you who aren't quite sure what a Half Ironman means--it is literally half the distance of a full Ironman. I will be swimming 1.2 miles, biking 56 miles, and then running 13 miles (a half-marathon).

Please visit my Team In Training website http://pages.teamintraining.org/ntx/StCroTri09/rflaming. Help support me in my race, but more importantly help support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in finding a cure!

Go CATS!!

2008-10-13T13:22:00.006-05:00

We had been planning to go to the KSU vs. Texas A&M game for months. The time finally came...and it was well worth the wait! As most of you know, they haven't been doing too well this season, so we were a little worried that it wouldn't be much fun. But once the game started and the Wildcats scored on their opening drive, we knew we were in for a good game!

We left early Saturday morning to make the 3.5 hr drive down to College Station, hoping to miss most of the traffic. Plus there was an Alumni get together at a local bar we planned to attend that started at 9am. We got the car parked close to the stadium but couldn't find the bar...the address given was incorrect. So, we found another place where there were several other K-Staters.

Once the game started, we were so excited to finally get to see them play this season. The last time we saw them was last year's game at Fresno State in California, we lucked out they had that game on their schedule! Here's a pic of us during halftime when the score was KSU 27-A&M 10.

It was really hot...about 90 degrees, but that's actually good for Texas! When the game ended, the score was KSU 44-A&M 30. Their fans were pretty good sports, we got a couple "Good game" comments on our way out. So, all in all it was a great game & we had a great time.

The team was appreciative of the travelers' support, several players (including Freeman) came over to say thanks and give high fives. This trip made me miss K-State football season and being in Texas I really miss the fall weather. We definitely have to make a trip to Manhattan next year!

#20 --- Complete

2008-10-10T11:51:00.003-05:00

Steve and I babysat for his boss' children last Saturday. We had a great time and the kids were great! It was so fun to hang out with them, watching Dora, Diego & the Backyardigans. Hopefully we can do it again for them or anyone else that asks.

We're off to the KSU vs Texas A & M game early tomorrow morning. I'm so excited to finally get to see a live game! Go CATS!

Finished!

2008-10-01T17:26:00.002-05:00

No, I didn't finish all 101 goals, but I did finish coming up with all 101 goals! After those first 80-some goals its hard to come up with the last few. I wanted the majority of my list to be challenging. I know some of them are going to be really tough on me, but I'm really looking forward to the next 1001 days of my life!

I'd love to see what you have to say! Feel free to leave some encouraging words for me under the comments.

Also, if you'd like to be emailed everytime I post on my blog, please let me know and I'll add your email address to the list.

Our growing girl!

2008-09-24T16:51:00.007-05:00

Our puppy, Cali that is. We rescued Cali in Mid-June at 4 months old and about 20 pounds. Now, she is over 7 months old and a little over 40 pounds!

Cali is a Dutch Shepherd which most people have never heard of. The best explanation I can give is that they are similar to a German Shepherd in temperament and intelligence. However, they don't look the same. Another similarity is that they are both used as police dogs.

Here is a picture of a typical Dutch Shepherd from Wikipedia...

Let us know if you see the similarities. Since we got her from a rescue and don't know EXACTLY where she came from, there is no guarantee that is what she is. But I think she looks exactly like the dog in this picture!

We've definitely got a smart puppy on our hands! She is in puppy training and is doing a great job! We lucked out and actually have a private training, although we paid for group training. The other dogs never showed up! Her trainer and his dog absolutely LOVE Cali. She is a typical puppy that likes to jump and play. However, she jumps way more than she should. In fact, she can jump as high as Steve's chest/shoulders. Some things she is learning include: walking nicely on a lease (no pulling), stopping and sitting when we stop walking, sitting, laying down, getting in her kennel on command, rolling over, and a game called touch. The touch game is fun for her and us. We put our hand out at any height and she will come touch her nose to our hand. Steve will stick his arm out straight at shoulder height and she'll jump and touch her nose to his hand! Its so fun to watch! Another great thing she just recently picked up is to sit and lay down by hand signals ONLY! No verbal commands whatsoever.

I wanted to share a few pictures of her from last week. The first one is her and Steve's morning ritual. He lets her out before work and they sit in their chairs to relax a little.

She's so good at picture taking! She just sits up straight and doesn't even look at the camera!

Here is a picture of her on top of her kennel. Our trainer's dog has a bed on her kennel, so Steve thought it would be fun to teach Cali to get on top of her own kennel. Only problem now is that at class she'll get on the other dog's kennel too! Oops!

Slow but Steady

2008-09-17T15:58:00.004-05:00

I've already started many things on my list, as you can see. These are more long term items that I've been working on since day one. So, I've kept busy with reading, watching movies, and running. But more on that another day.

#72 - Going Green!

Doing things to help our environment is very important to me. It seems to be very popular these days, but still so many ignore their hazardous lifestyles.

I want to find several things in my life that I can change in order to benefit the next generation. The first step is to get rid of all those water bottles! Did you know that the average American uses 167 water bottles a year? And more times than not those bottles aren't recycled. I'll admit I've thrown away hundreds of water bottles in my life. Well...not anymore!

We have bought ourselves a Pur water filter pitcher! All we do is fill it up each time we use it & stick it back in the refrigerator. The pitcher we decided on also has a fruit flavoring injector. You can choose from several different flavors (raspberry, lemon, etc) and with the push of a button while you're pouring, you are left with a hint of flavor in your water!

Now when we go to the gym, we have our refillable water bottles filled with nice cold water and we have a little pride in our step knowing we've helped out our planet. We hope this blog will inspire many of you to do the same!

My New Adventure in Blogging

2008-09-15T10:32:00.002-05:00

I wasn't going to start blogging until our lives were a little more exciting, but I've recently seen some people start a goals list called 101 in 1001. They have made a list of 101 things to accomplish in 1001 days (about 2.75 years). I thought this was great! However, for those of you who know me well, I admit, I say I'm going to do something and never do. Well, this is my chance to prove to you and myself that I CAN and WILL complete these goals. And my new blog will allow you all to follow my adventures.

Of course, this blog won't be strictly for my goals, I will also keep you updated with what's going on with us...unfortunately we're rather dull right now!

My list can be seen along the right column of this blog. As you can see, I only have 87 goals listed. I am having a really hard time coming up with 14 more. If anyone can think of something I could add, please email me!

I hope you all enjoy keeping up with our lives. Stay tuned...