I wanted to start this post by sharing a fun fact with you all! December 1, 2015 marked the 6 month anniversary of semibalanced.com! My very first post took me over 15 minutes to hit publish, I was prepared but so nervous. Now many, many views later and I still can't believe it!!! Thank you to each and every one of you who has read this blog, shared this blog and commented on how this blog has helped you in some way. It is so humbling, and I have had so much fun molding this into what is it today. That being said, I have some exciting changes coming and I can't to hit the ground running next year. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!
Oh my gosh, did we have a good month! First of all, Ryan was home the entire month with us! After working for 3 months straight, he earned some time off. And let me tell you, Luke loved it! I don't think they were separated for more than a few minutes the whole month.
Oh my gosh, did we have a good month! First of all, Ryan was home the entire month with us! After working for 3 months straight, he earned some time off. And let me tell you, Luke loved it! I don't think they were separated for more than a few minutes the whole month.
We decided to do a little staycation and rent an AirBNB place up in Phoenix. The rental was was so cute and quaint. They had fresh oranges, which were amazing, and it was very homey! If you have not checked out AirBNB, do yourself a favor and look into it. It is significantly cheaper than a hotel room, and for those of us who need a kitchen and a fridge, it makes it so much easier!
I had previously registered for the Girls Run Fast 10K, which is the main reason why we did our staycation in Phoenix. They are such a great company, and it is a pleasure to be an ambassador of theirs. Make sure to check their goodies out, and order one for your favorite runner.
We had to leave SUPER early Sunday morning to make the race, so I had everything packed before hand. Well, everything but my running tights for the race! WHO DOES THAT? Luckily, I had a friend who was running and she brought me a backup pair, but I ended up finding an extra pair stashed away in my car (looking back on the situation, who stashes running pants in their car?). After a rushed and stressful morning, I did really well with the 10k, placing 1st in my age group and got a PR of 59:18! It was a pretty race, with lots of volunteers and good aid stations.
Throughout the few days we were in Phoenix, we really just took it easy and enjoyed each other. We had plans to do a bunch of sightseeing around Phoenix, but since we were there on a Monday, a lot of the places were closed. We were able to celebrate my future brother in law's birthday, Monday night, which was SO fun. We also ate out, A LOT, which is always special since I cook most of our meals.
The kids likes his pizza!
We also visited the Arizona Natural History Museum. This has been on my bucket list for quite sometime and I was not disappointed. It had just enough to keep Luke entertained, including a dinosaur hall and an activity room, and Ryan and I loved it!
We have lived away from "home" for over 8 years now, so spending holidays away from family is something we have learned to live with. What makes it easier is that we have a family here in Tucson! Lisa and Jay have known us ever since we moved here, and since we decided to buy a house roughly 2 miles from them, they have become our stand in family. Lisa hosted dinner this year, and she did not disappoint. The day was filled with love, thankfulness, eating, drinking and lots of football. It was perfect!
How cute are these two?
Family pictures in Lisa and Jay's gorgeous backyard!
I love making the turkey, and this year was no different. I typically do a boring old turkey with LOTS of butter and seasoning. So, this year I decided to spice some things up and make a turkey that I saw on the Today Show. It is called a Cajun Roasted Turkey, and was presented by Jamie Oliver. Since Matt Lauer said it was the best turkey he had ever tasted, I thought that it was a must. I had never brined a turkey, and this recipe called for that. So, I went to Wal-Mart in search of a pot large enough to brine (or soak in laymans terms) the turkey. While I did not find a pot, I did find a decorative vase large enough, and thought, "hey two birds with one stone!" It turned out SO yummy and SO moist. You must try this recipe if you are in the mood for a new style of turkey.
Other than the main events of the month, we did quite a few other things!
We bowled...
We had s'mores in the backyard...
We redid our downstairs (more on that in a future post)...
All in all, it was a wonderful month, filled with lots of love. Deployments are rough, but I always look forward to the time Ryan has off when he returns. We made the most of it and now on to the most wonderful time of the year, CHRISTMAS! I have a few posts coming that are filled with Christmas cheer.
I am working on a really exciting series that I will be starting next year, and of course look forward to #freezerlovefriday posts coming back at you in January!
Here's to the next 6 months,
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