Running My First Marathon: 10K ( 6.2miles)

This photo of my daughter holding a sign was shot by our local newspaper. My kids call me "Ma-ma", which is the sweetest name in the world to my ears. The bottom half of the poster says, " Pain Now, Ice cream later! I am very proud to announce that I ran my very first marathon, and best of all, I came in at 59:39! Now, for an experienced or elitist runner, 59 minutes is probably best earned on a bad  day, but hey, I am  a new  runner and the truth is, most people who begin running short distance marathons aim to run below an hour. Prior to the big day, I was hoping of getting a time of 1 hour and 08 minutes, so, I exceeded my expectations, and that is a great feeling. Now that I am going to continue to run marathons, I want to commit in improving my time and getting greater distance in. My next goal is to work on a half marathon and eventually work  my way to a 26.2 mile marathon. This will come in time.

Overall, my first marathon was a really wonderful experience.  With over 60,000 people in attendance  and over 4500 people  running the 10K along with me, I felt prepared and ready up until the man fired his gun to start the race, that is when the adrenaline starting kicking in and my anxiety levels started rising. My kick off song on my iPhone was, "Catch my Breath" by Kelly Clarkson, ladies, it's the cheesiest yet most empowering song ever :) Throughout the run, I kept thinking to myself,"please finish" there were many times during my run where I felt like stopping and taking a short break like I do on my practice runs, but I didn't  I think I ran faster in this run than any other time before because I was keeping pace with a lot of the runners around me. At one point I slowed down my pace significantly to catch my breath and I literately saw over 1,000 people pass right by me. Towards the end when I was around the finish line, I felt my legs getting weaker. People  around me were limping and getting slower and my anxiety levels rose again as the cheers from the crowds got louder. When I looked up and saw my timing from the distance, I was shocked to see how ahead of my projected time I was, so that is when I got my last breath and gave it everything I had. The best part of this whole experience is being able to share with my family. I want to be the greatest example and woman figure to my children, so I definitely hope to continue this new found commitment.

Spring from a Toddlers Perspective

Spring in Michigan is here! It came late due to heavy rain and floods. Right after we came home from Florida, It rained for three weeks straight! If you watched the news, you probably saw our city in complete crises. People's homes were destroyed and many civilians had to be carried away in emergency boats. Luckily, the floods did not harbor our neighborhood and I am thankful the chaos is over. There is nothing like a Michigan spring. Nature is of abundance. Because this will be our last Spring here, I am trying to photograph and soak in all that is beautiful, and all that is Michigan. I hope you will join me in this last journey in the next month.

 You may notice I tend to photograph my daughter more than my son. Well, the reason for this is because my son does not like to be photographed at this stage( unless I bribe him into it) Also, he isn't as animated and free spirited as my daughter. She is easy to photograph, just loves attention and she loves the camera.  My son in the other hand,  is  very reserved and serious.I tried to get him to smile in this photo session.. just once!! He wouldn't do it. He instead looked at me with discontent and was desperately trying to run to a near by playground. What can I say? Sometimes in photographing you win, and sometimes you have no chance. To help others who struggle to get that special capture, I have compiled a list that will help when photographing multiple toddlers.

Tips for Photographing Toddlers

1). Bring props and distractions: My son was hesitate in looking at the camera lens, no amount of adult goo goo talk will convince a toddler in their terrible two's to listen. So bring a prop, and if you dont have one, find one! We found a large branch on the ground. My son became so fascinated with the branch and I made him feel so special that he found it, and it made him smile with delight.

2). Bring Juice and snacks: I don't care how old you are, who doesn't like free food during a required event? Food and snacks takes off the edge at any age, and it helps mommy too!

3). Shoot at their level: If your tall, you must get down on your knees or bottom. Get down to their level and make sure your in paralleled with your subjects eyes.

4). Catch them being them: The most allure and stunning aspect of photography is capturing your subjects being them. Let them play, let them scream and let them run. I have found my most profound photography of my children is when you let them be, and capture their smiles and beauty when they are not looking.

Toddler Journal Update.

If you have been following my blog [crickets chirping], I had started a toddler journal for my daughter when she turned four years old. I thought 4 was a good age to start this because by this age, she is able to express herself more logically and intensively than previous years. I trust when she is old enough,she will write on her own.

What I found interesting about this activity is her perspective on life, especially, her perspective on me! On our most recent journal entry, I asked my toddler, "what makes mommy happy" and "what makes daddy happy". When I asked her on what made me happy, she said, " ice cream and roman noodles"! Oh dear, my secret love affair with food had been exposed by my four year old, heh.  I asked her the question again and she paused with uncertainty. I asked her again, " Lexi, don't you know what makes me happy"? She  finally said, "Jesus and ice cream"? Alright, she through me a bone and I glady accepted the answer (Ha). I than asked my daughter, "What makes daddy happy"? Without hesitation,  Lexi said, " Me..... I make daddy happy". Ok readers, all together now... "AWWW"! It appeared to me at that moment that she was more logical about the question than I gave her credit for, and I was a little taken back that besides food, she really didn't know what made me happy. Perhaps, my children are use to seeing me in full blown mother mode ( you know, cracking the whip and going ape shit by dinner time). Whatever the explanation, journal exploration is great activity with young toddlers because it opens up discussion. With these questions.I can open up the conversation to other deeper topics, and I as a Mom adore it. It's also a great keepsake for my daughter to look back when she is older, and when she does, I hope she knows, her and her brother make me the most the most happiest---happiest ever and always.

Drawing of my daughter. A picture of Mom and Dad.

Seasons Change- and so do we.

My little girl makes picture taking so easy. She has this amazing uplifting spirit that makes my photography look so effortlessly. Our family has been through a great journey the past couple of months and we are very excited to announce that we will be relocating to the Southern Florida area. In the past six weeks alone, we were scoping out the East and South Coast. I  must confess, my heart completely fell in love with the East coast.I would choose the East Coast over the south on any ordinary day, however, I have a great deal of family in Florida, and I want my children to grow up with both pairs of grandparents. Initially, Florida was a big no for me. We visited cities  in Florida including Orlando, Daytona and Cape Canaveral, and neither of those areas sparked a great interest for me ( my heart was still lost in the East Coast) until of course, we visited Miami. Southern Florida is a whole different world compared to the rest of the state. I love everything about Miami, the weather, the people, the diversity. In Miami, I feel at home. The ocean is a sanctuary and the night life is out of this world. Right now, we are back in the mid west cleaning out our storage and preparing for the great big move. If all goes well, we should be moved out of the mid west by this summer. This is really an exciting opportunity  for our family and I am really happy to finally move on from the Mid West.

Mama's Arroz con Pollo!

My Moms Arroz Con Pollo!

My mother made us Mexican chicken and rice today, also know in Spanish as arroz con pollo ( A-rose-cown-po-yo). Arroz con pollo, traditionally, is a Latin American and Caribbean dish that originated from Spain. If you get down to the foods root, the dish is an international influence. Chicken was brought to Spain from India and rice derived from Asia. The most interesting thing about arroz con pollo is that no two people will make  the dish completely the same, it doesn't matter what country you or orgin you are from.  I have seen a variety different versions. Some use carrots, peas, green peppers. Others are generous with different herbs and spices. Ultimately, how you make your arroz con pollo depends of who taught you.To me, Arroz Con Pollo is a very meaningful dish. It's so simple, but, its a big part of my culture and upbringing. My mom does her chicken and rice so simple and it's the best, because its all I have ever truly known. My heart awakens to the smell of my mother's cooking, especially, when the steam of the boiling rice fills the room with fresh garlic and herbs. It is a very comforting food,  and it's a joy to see my little children stuffing spoon fulls of rice into their little mouths.
There is no wrong or right way of making the perfect arroz con pollo, In fact, many times you work with the little you have at home. I was researching recipes online and they all seem like their adding too much into the rice. It should be simple but most importantly, the secret to making a great recipe, is that you make it your own.