She Runs By Faith

Summer has somehow slipped away and here we are, on the verge of returning back to school. Back-to-school brings about various reactions from parents. Relief, excitement and/or maybe some sadness? As a homeschooling mom, I feel like we're transitioning from the laid-back summer schedule back into "game on" mode. Our family thrives on routine but outdoor time was priority this summer. Summer t-ball, swimming lessons, fairs and park time was really refreshing. It had been a looooong winter! Now it's time to focus on school prep. Last year, I used My Father's World's Kindergarten curriculum along with Singapore's Earlybird Kindergarten Mathematics books for my oldest son, which was perfect for our first year of homeschooling. Now with E in 1st grade and W in preschool, we will be following  A Gentle Feast , a Charlotte Mason inspired curriculum that easily accommodates teaching multiple students. As I gathered books and resources over the summer, I h...

Recently the coolest hands-on STEM learning project arrived on our doorstep... Meet Artie 3000 The Coding Robot: Artie 3000, a coding robot by Educational Insight, makes coding a creative and fun process for kids. He comes with four washable markers and follows code to create designs! Along with the markers, a quick start guide and pre-coded design activity cards are included. Artie 3000 does require 4 AA batteries that are not included in his box. (Thankfully we have a plethora of those at home!) Our children are 6 years old, 4 years old and 1.5 years old, which is a little younger than the 7+ recommendation for this coding robot but we have still had a great time with him. The quick start guide is very easy to follow and set up is quick. Artie 3000 actually has a built-in WiFi server and connecting him to our Macbook Pro was a breeze. I expected the process to be much more complicated! Our first test run with Artie was his easiest pre-coded design: a square. We...

Disclaimer: I received Science in Sport Gels in exchange for my review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador) and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! When it comes to fueling as runners, generally you're either a gel person or you're just not. The thick texture of some gels can be off-putting during a run but not all gels are not created equal! Recently, I have been using a style of gel that feels more lightweight and refreshing than pasty gels I have used in the past. Even if you consider yourself to be "not a gel person", I still recommend giving these a chance. Allow me to tell you a little bit about them and then Enter to WIN a pack for yourself! As a BibRave Pro, I received quite a load of Science in Sport Energy Gels - from the energy+electrolyte gels to energy+caffeine to isotonic - it's a wonderful variety. So what's the difference between all those gel types? Energy+El...

Disclaimer: I received free entry to the DC Wonder Woman Run Series as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! Races have been on a roll this Spring and the Wonder Woman Half Marathon was next on my list. I left for the race on Friday afternoon, picked up my sister-in-law, Danielle, in Grand Forks and then we were Fargo-bound! The expo was our first stop, followed by a trip to the Savers thrift store (of course!) The Wonder Woman Expo was pretty quiet around 5 pm when we arrived. Picking up our numbers and race packet was a quick process. Our Wonder Woman race kits were styled in true Wonder Woman fashion and the race photos and finishers video for this event were free. Yes, FREE! I received a race kit upgrade and decided to run in the golden Wonder Woman Visor. It was a little too warm for the caped socks. The rest of the expo had a dance floor set up and a bunch of Wonde...

Disclaimer: I received a Strava Summit Subscription and additional Strava swag as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador) and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! This spring has been full of racing excitement! After running a freezing cold Frozen Feat 10k in February, I headed to Fargo Marathon in May and then we had this local 5k in June. Fargo Marathon was a huge PR breakthrough for me and the June Bug 5k ended up being the same! As a BibRave Pro, I have been using Strava to log my running workouts and races.  Strava is the #1 app for runners and cyclists that offers training/mileage tracking with a "social networking for athletes" appeal. I used Strava to save the course maps from our June Bug Run races this year. Though I really didn't specifically train for the June Bug 5k in our new hometown, I went into the race hoping the training benefits from Fargo Marathon would still pull me thr...

Disclaimer: I received coaching from  Team Endure Strong  in exchange for my review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador) and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! I have always been a self-coached runner but have wondered how a coach could help me out, especially in my running weaknesses. Over the past couple months, I have had the opportunity to be coached by Jared Ward and Andrew Webb with their Team Endure Strong .  As a BibRave Pro, I received this coaching opportunity as I train for my half marathon at the end of June. When I began working with Jared and Andrew, I was already about 15 weeks (of 18) into training for the Fargo Marathon and nearly to the taper. I didn't expect to use the coaching services much at that point, since I was already so far in to the Hansons Marathon Method plan, but Jared and Andrew prescribed a couple key workouts that I believe made a big difference on ra...

Marathon #11 is complete! Finding time to even type up this recap has been a tad bit difficult. Life is just rolling; and with great, exciting things. Loving on my three kiddos, finishing up our homeschooling year and starting up with fun spring/summer activities just feels like a very full plate. (I know years from now I will look back and think of how "simple" these young days were, I'm sure) Let's jump in here before I run out of time. Fargo Marathon in one word:   Finally ................................................ Friday, May 17: Kid Drop-Off & Travel Day My husband and I loaded up the kiddos (+ dog) and hit the road to Grandpa and Grandma's farm on Friday morning. First things first: drop off our oldest's t-ball registration form at the elementary school. He's super excited about that. Then we were on the road for the 1.5 hour drive there. Arriving at the farm, my husband helped my parents and the vet work cows for preg checking...