Wow! Where do I even begin?

Even though it has only been a month since I last blogged, I feel like a TON has happened, so here’s a quick update on my life.

Alaska

Alaska is still Alaska. . . cold, wintery, and I am still not diggin’ it.

While the rest of the United States experienced an abnormally mild winter, Alaska was the exact opposite. So far this winter (yes, in my mind it is still winter here), we have recieved 130 inches of snow (okay, 129.4 inches to be exact), which is over 10 FEET of snow!!

Fortunately it has been melting quite a bit lately, but there is still a ton out there. Plus, we *always* have one more snowfall in April. And if we receive at least another 3.3 inches of snow, we will break the record for the most snowfall in a winter.

On top of the insane amount of snow we’ve had, it has been a bitter cold winter as well. For example, our average temperature in January: 2.7*F. (Our average usually is 15* F.)

(And people wonder why this girl who has always strongly disliked winter wants to move!)

For comparison:

Last winter at this time:

This winter:

And that snow is deeper than it appears!

Running

Running has been going very well actually!

It hasn’t been fun dealing with the snow and cold, but I’ve been feeling great and putting in a lot of miles.

March 12 – 18: 47 miles

March 19 – 25: 57 miles

March 26 – April 1: 60 miles

I am currently training for Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth Minnesota on June 16. I ran this marathon two years ago when I first started my blog, and I loved it! I can’t wait to race it again and hopefully qualify for Boston this time.

Food

I have been eating in a very similar fashion, but I have made some modifications recently:

- carbohydrates: I have actually been trying to reduce my gluten intake to see if that minimizes my bloated feeling in the evenings.

- fruits and vegetables: I’m trying to eat more vegetables each day and limit fruit to 2 servings a day–instead of the 3 servings I would normally have before.

- sweets: I have not been buying ice cream or chocolate at the grocery store, so I have not been tempted with “needing” to have dessert every evening like I used to. I probably have a dessert about twice a week at a potluck or when Craig and I go out for frozen yogurt.

I also wanted to mention that I recently had blood work done to be tested for food sensitivities—along with having my level of iron tested, calcium, B12, thyroid, and maybe one other thing?? I haven’t gotten the results back, but when I do, I’ll be sure to do a post on it.

Last night I made Kristin’s Thai Fried Quinoa, and it was very good! Kristin blogs over at Iowa Girl Eats, which is definitely one of my favorite blogs to read. Plus, I can always count on delicious recipes from her!

Work

The big news in terms of my job is that I have resigned! Yes, it is official, after this school year is done, I will no longer be a teacher, and I am very excited to try something new!

Hawaii

And last but certainly not least. . . our amazing trip to Maui!! Oh my gosh, I don’t even know where to begin!! It was by far the best trip on my life.

We have been back for almost 3 weeks, but not a day goes by that I don’t dream about the beautiful beaches, the warm sun on my skin, and the smile that never left my face.

I am definitely going to have more blog posts detailing our adventures, so keep checking back!