Happy Holiday!

It has been a whirlwind since my last blog.... I cannot believe it was in November. The past month or so has been busy with various holiday activities... such fun! I love the holidays but I am also ready for recovery after them. We did do a couple fun things- one was my daughter was a little mouse in the Nutcracker. (see pic) . What a wonderful opportunity for her, she absolutely loved it! We also attended a doll tea- all 3 girls love their dolls and this was a fun new thing to try. We also saw Santa at the Wildlife Experience nearby our house. Outside and beautiful albeit brain freeze cold that night! Our holidays were spent with family which is always fun watching all the cousins reconnect. Now it is time to focus on 2009!!

Trail Dust Video

thought I would post this video of the girls line dancing!

Halloween

Sorry a bit out of sequence here but I just realized I never posted a Halloween pic of the girls. Katelynne was a flapper, Amanda a Panda (really??) and Devon was a frog! They were darling and we had lovely weather here in Colorado which is notorious for being cold and miserable on Halloween. It was a nice treat to see all the kid's costumes and the parents sitting outside passing out the treats! Unfortunately, the night before, my girlfriend Kristen's dog was attacked by a mountain lion. An 85 pound lab, Ally whose 10 month old puppy, Sadie saved her by chasing the mountain lion back into the scrub oak! Needless to say we were all with our kids as they trick or treated!!

Amanda's Birthday!

Wow it has been a busy few weeks! My older girls were off school and while they were off Devon had a week break and 2 Fridays too! We have kept busy, mostly with playdates, movie trips, shopping excursions, swimming trips and birthday parties (Nov is a busy month!). I have also had several trunk shows during their break and now I need to catch up on my work!! They head back Monday so I will be busy playing "catch up".

Amanda turns 9 tomorrow! We had her birthday party last night at Trail Dust Steakhouse with 10 friends of hers. They had a ball!! Learned how to line dance and went up and down the slide a gazillion times!!

Tomorrow is her actual birthday and my girls each get to pick a meal out for their birthday. Amanda wants to go to a Japanese restaurant and have hibachi. Katelynne has Nutcracker rehearsal most of the afternoon so we hope to hit a movie first. Amanda also had a Swim Meet this morning, she had to get up REALLY early after a late night but it was her last meet as an 8 & under- now she gets to swim 50s which is up and back....

Marathons and Wine!

Well my husband and I got away for a few days.... without kids. It was hard on all of us. The kids stayed with their grandparents which hasn't happened for them so there was a bit of a learning curve for all involved! We headed out Sat to San Fran as I was going to do the women's marathon! Cars, trains, planes, trains and a bit of a lost walk around San Fran, we arrived at the Marriott hotel and checked in! We then walked over to the EXPO. It was VERY crowded!! I picked up my stuff and we checked out the Nike goodies. I told my husband he had it lucky as I bought 2 pairs of socks and a cap! They were personalizing sweatshirts and other items, very cool but I didn't want to wait in the long lines. We had a walk, some shopping and then went out for early Italian at Kuletos. Seems a lot of people had the same restaurant on their mind! I had a wonderful big bowl of pasta! Got a good nights sleep which is unusual for me. We were able to walk to the start which is a huge plus for me!! We started in the dark even though it was 7, the air was brisk and there was a good wind unfortunately. I opted for a short sleeve and shorts but could have worn a lightweight long sleeve. I had no idea what to expect so I popped in my corale and chatted with a lot of friendly women. I think 1000 of the finishers were men. We were off and I started cruising downhill. Felt really good, the air brought out my asthma but after a few hacks (sorry to those around me) I felt pretty clear! I enjoyed the run at sea level :-) The course was beautiful and provided stunning views, especially from the tops of the hills we climbed! There were more hills that I had psyched myself up for in the first 1/2. I didn't have my Garmin set to tell me cumulative time, just pace and mileage so I had no idea what I would do. In the end I squeaked in under 3:28 at a 3:27. I was happy, I got a bit tired at the end but no major cramping or bathroom breaks. I picked up my Tiffany necklace which is VERY cool! You can see my pic holding it at the finish line!! We waited in a long line for the bus which was heated and took us back to Union Square. A quick turnaround and we were off to wine country! We stayed at the Sonoma Mission Inn and did a tour at Vianasa on the way! Lovely wines and great food too!! We had a nice dinner that night and an early turn in and lie in! My kind of trip! The next day it was off for more wine tasting and tours, lunch and another nice dinner. We then caught an early flight out Tuesday morning and returned to the kiddos! A fun but brief getaway for my husband and I's 11th wedding anniversary!

Sleep

Well just a few days out before the Nike womens marathon. I am very excited to run this. Sort of wish I had allocated a bit more time to train but sometimes it just doesn't happen. I am looking forward to the chocolate aid station, the pedi station, the jamba juice aid station. I think this will be a lot of fun!! I am a little concerned as Devon, my youngest, has been determined to not let me sleep. Last night wasn't so bad but the night before I was up at midnight, 1, 3, 5, 6. So much for deep sleep! Luckily I can fall back asleep easily! Katelynne is home this week with symptoms of strep- low grade fever, headache, tummy ache but so far her culture is negative? Unfortunately for her it is her last week before tracking off so she is bummed. Plus she isn't sooo sick, just enough to keep her home so as to not spread the germies. Well that is about all for today! My photo today is Devon in her Halloween costume- she is a froggie!

Mimzy is Here!

Most of you are asking who is Mimzy? She is our newest addition to the family! A beautiful little 3 month old calico girl. She is the sweetest baby, she purrs at everything, even in this crazy loud house!! I am attaching her first photo! She barely weighs in at 2 pounds, that could be because we cannot get her to stay still on the scale. Anyhow... the Wilkins girls are in love! She is such a little prissy thing, so different than Tigger who drinks by sticking his entire head in the water bowl and comes up dripping! Mimzy is very clean!!

Speaking of clean, I have 2 girls upstairs in a bath while daddy helps Katelynne make a bit of progress on her book report! I say a bit because there is not much actual work going on. Katelynne is easily distracted!

Tomorrow is a run with friends which should be fun! I hope my legs feel better. The last run I felt like I had two tree posts! I have been fighting off this root canal thing and a cold. The Root Canal Guy (what is their official title?) gave me some wicked medicine to help heal it and so far it is working! My hope is my stomach likes it ok!

Well I spose I am going to make some brownies or something sweet- gotta test out that tooth :-)

Root Canal?

Today was an exciting day for me as my first Press coverage occurred on Fox News. Joana Canals from the Fit on Fox segment wore one of my outfits for her two segments. She promoted Twist and for anyone who didn't catch the segment if you click the link above, you can enter fitonfox and get 15% off your purchase for the month of October!! So I have been sort of busy :-) and at night I have had an ache in my tooth that wakes me up. I am not a fan of the dentist (that is an understatement) but woke up this morning knowing I needed to be seen. I came mighty close to root canal territory but escaped with a 'watch & we hope it is reversible' and a slight shave of the existing crown! Pretty lucky! I really just don't want this tooth to flare up the day before the San Francisco Nike Womens Marathon! I am pretty excited to do this one, I lucked out and got in through the lottery with my girlfriend but she has since decided she is unable to make this one so it is just me. In fact, I don't know anyone else doing it. I hope they allow iPods :-0) I haven't had much time to train so I am relying on past knowledge and 'general fitness' to get me through it. My husband and I are heading to wine country after to have some alone time. I have a bunch of friends running St. George this weekend and wish them all the best!! A couple are hoping to qualify for Boston and one is suffering IT issues and is hoping to make it to the finish!! Good luck girls!

Sick Baby

Back to school brings the inevitable sickness with it. Devon is the first to succumb. Poor baby, just crying and cannot get comfortable. She had a 104.5 fever and with Motrin it only went to 102. Her throat is on fire and now her tummy hurts- could be the Motrin and Tylenol?? Mark and I were unable to go out with some neighbor friends last night as it would not have been right to leave a sick baby with our sitter, Megan so.... we watched a mindless 'chick flick' as my husband calls them and ordered in sushi. The girls fave!! I got up early and tried to get in some resemblance of a training run in. I can't say I am training for San Fran, just relying on what I enjoy and not looking at a watch, miles or reading a book. I hope I don't suffer those last miles too badly but I cannot seem to catch the training bug. I did log 18, it was painful at the start especially after 2 nights of being woken up with a crying, sick baby (ok she is 4 but she is my baby!). It breaks my heart to see her hurt. Anyhow... I met my girlfriend Karen at mile 5 so I had company for the rest. We made it- yeah! Hopefully I can get Dev on the mend!!

Stairway to Heaven

Today was one of those days we live for in Colorado! Beautiful cloudless blue skies and wonderful crisp mid 70's temps. Just love it! Luckily I had a rare Girls Day scheduled with my friends Kristi, Alyson and Michelle to go climb the Incline! Literally a stairway into the sky!! Today, we did the Incline, you have to see it to believe it! We all trudged up this 1 mile staircase, sweating, drinking, talking to the other folks on it as we went up! It is hard to explain that hurt so good, but LOVE it feeling! I felt a little dizzy today for some reason but love to feel my heart pounding. I wish I had my heart rate monitor but for the upteenth time, I forgot it! I did wear my great Twist bamboo tank top which was ideal for this warm, fall day!! We got some great photos at the top. I also threw in a picture of my friend Kristi and I at the top of Pikes Peak.

Gone Fishin....

Okay, we didn't fish but we did survive our first pseudo camping experience! We went to Wellington Lake which ironically Mark & I have been to before! We mountain biked there in our pre kid craziness. A beautiful lake surrounded by pine tree filled mountains (for those of you reading that means all peaks below 12K feet). We managed to pitch our tent and unload the car just in time for a rain storm. The girls were able to swim while we got things unloaded. The rain storm turned to hail, we had to laugh! Luckily our tent withstood the elements!! Sleeping was a challenge but I did get a few winks. We hiked and enjoyed the scenery! I think Mark and I agreed that next time a bit more privacy would be nice but still a lovely spot with quick access from Denver!! We returned home, unpacked and immediately had a tornado warning! Crazy!! My good friend Jen got some great footage of it! Check it out! I wanted to point out as well that my youngest and oldest are both in Twist sweatshirts. My middle daughter Amanda is a Panda fanatic and until I learn how to tie dye a panda, she will prefer her panda sweatshirts :-) LOL!

Going Camping!

I must start off by saying, I really used to like to camp! As far back as childhood, I was often being perused for ticks, yes I was one with nature!! This continued in my post college days as I liked to trek all day into the wilderness and pitch a tent, sleep on rocks :-) yes, I called this fun. Now, however, as my age gets the best of me, sleeping on rocks or maybe even 'not sleeping' on rocks stuffed into a sheet of nylon with a family of 5 doesn't sound so enticing! That coupled with my cold, wet weekend last week, leaves me skiddish. But... the kiddos are SOOO excited to go and the car will be next to the tent. I have to ask if this counts as camping? Still, a good first place to start! My husband went and took advantage of the REI sale! Yes it has started for those of you waiting for a bargain! I got the obligatory s'mores, baked beans, gorp, etc. at the store so we are heading out. We are going to Wellington Lake, I will update shortly with photos of the adventure!!1

Missing you...

I had so much fun on my first blog, I had to do another one. See, Twist, was started by my girlfriend Charo. Charo has just moved and is the chaotic process of settling into life just N of Dallas. I miss her dearly and my whole family misses them too! I just had to send good thoughts to them as they settle in and prepare to head to school next week. It is always an adjustment moving and we wish them all the best!! If not for Charo, Twist wouldn't be a reality! I miss you girl!! luv, me

My First Blog.... Back to School week

Well not only is this my first time to blog ever it is my first time to blog on www.TwistYogaWear.com. This has been a big week for me! I must start out by talking about the coolest race I have ever run. See, being a native Coloradoan, we get to run in the mountains. That said, I don't get up there much so.... my crazy girlfriends Dawn and Alyson suggested a run called the Pikes Peak Ascent? I initially thought they were MAD! Seriously, running up a 14er, climbing nearly 8000 feet? That is for those crazy people who eventually climb Mt. Everest, not me! Well.... being a challenge lover, my common sense lost out and I signed up but not before I convinced my equally crazy running partner, Kristi to join in our quest! Poor Kristi knew if this didn't go well, she would be living elsewhere as she was one of the rare few who survived last year's Chicago marathon.

Well as they say in Colorado, the weather changes hourly. Unfortunately for us, the weather decided to change for the worse but continued to get worse. Many veteran Pikes Peak runners claim this is the worst year ever! We nearly called it and I thought when starting in Manitou Springs and there was thunder, immediately followed by lightening, the race director would call it but no! It was a go! So off we went in our trash bags, rain ponchos, Gore-tex and lots and lots of layers that would soon be soaked! It rained until we hit Barr Camp, with 5.6 miles left I thought this isn't so bad! No major puddles, I could still feel my fingers and toes, proceed! The next place to see was with a little more than 3 miles to go and they shouted "Gropple ahead". Us not so mountaineering types asked what Gropple was? Probably not a good sign, FYI... it is little pellets of frozen rain, sleet where I come from! Oh, and 20-40 mile an hour winds. A few people started to turn around. Hmmm, rethinking this one. Then I started to question which was a better decision? 10 miles down in the rain or another 3 up? Guess which I chose? Up I trudged, much better word than ran, not too much of that going on at this point!! I attempted to put on gloves with my teeth, they froze approx 10 mins later! There were 4-6 thunder lightening combos above tree line and reality set in! We are messing with mother nature here and I sort of wigged! Thanks to a nice man in front of me and behind me who stayed by me I got up. I lost my friends earlier due to the crowds and the narrow trail. We made it! I finished, frozen and a bit delirious. I managed to get inside the Summit House and asked a very nice lady from Texas to open my bag with my warm gear for me. My hands were frozen. I am thankful for making it, experiencing it and that no-one got seriously hurt! Out of 1900 starters, only 760 finished that day with 80 being treated for hypothermia. At the A frame they started to turn around runners due to the impending storm. They closed the mountain down as well. Colorado has wonderful weather but it can turn treacherous on a dime.

I initially said back to school. My girls all headed back to their respective schools this week. Although I love the freedom to actually get some things done, like Twist..... I miss them and their constant mom this and that! Hopefully if you are reading this you got my back2school coupon to save 20%. That is my way of saying thanks for helping me with Twist and getting it off the ground!! I promise to blog more.... I have never been much of a writer, just a talker. Those who know me and run with me, know that I can find something to talk about all the time- even on those dreaded 20 milers. :-0)

I hope others will blog too! Just in case anyone is interested in the Pikes Peak Ascent, visit their website. Their msg board is entertaining too!
On a closing note, I must offer my deepest sympathy to a family in my neighborhood that lost 2 very young children this week in a tragic accident. My heart weighs heavy for their entire family! Bless you all!

Getting started

so we have a blog page. That was the easy part. Now to adapt the L&F to match our site...