Thankful for October

Oh I love this month of October! I cannot believe two weeks have already gone by. Some months may have been better for others but I have to say, October is definitely treating me fabulously well. So far, so good! 🙂

Here’s a list why I am loving this month of October.

1.) Grill Upgrade!

My husband loves to grill! He’s from Texas and he loves meat! We used to have this small charcoal grill from Wal-Mart but he got tired of how slow the charcoal would heat up and how much time it takes to cook food.

Then we bought a small gas grill.

The small gas grill was fine for the two of us but it’s difficult when we have guests and family coming over our place. Trying to squeeze chicken breasts, corn on the cob and veggies onto a small grill at the same time was impossible. Since we are just renting our place for now, we never really thought of getting those big grillers. We try to control ourselves from buying stuff for the house because we know we are still moving out. Then one day, we thought, whatever, we’ll just have to deal with that when the day comes. Plus his Texan friends were already making fun of him when he posted that pic above on facebook. LOL

We finally thought about getting a big grill!

Hello, beautiful!

So excited to have the new “real” grill! LOL! I am excited to no longer be boiling hot dogs and baking chicken all the time! 🙂 And I’m so happy that it’s not just me who’s cooking in this house. When this new grill came, my husband was the one who prepared and cooked dinner for the past week while I stay inside and wait. Two thumbs up for that! LOL! To all wives out there – *hint *hint! This is an effective way to put your husbands in charge of the cooking (*evil laugh*).

He loves his new grill so much! We invited our friends to come over for dinner to break it in. It was so convenient. I am so amazed how all the meats & veggies cooked together quickly. It was fun!

2.) Our First Cook Books!

I have never really bought cook books in my life. I have some cook books that were gifts that I have never really read properly or tried out any of the recipes. This is actually the first time my husband and I bought cook books for ourselves. Since he’s raving about his new grill, he searched for good grill cook books online (amazon.com). He also got me one of those slow cooker cook books. Wait, why did he buy me that? I thought with the new grill, I’d be able to skip cooking, I guess not. Lol.

3.) REI Store! YAY!

My husband and I love REI Store!

REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) is a national retailer that sells outdoor gear and clothing. It is where we usually get our snowboarding gears and other outdoor stuff. We used to shop and order through their website (www.rei.com) and I’m so excited that they just recently opened a new branch here in Cincinnati (Rookwood Commons). For me, this is the best outdoor store anywhere!

So last weekend, we went to visit the new store.

My goodies from the store. 🙂 More workout clothes from Brooks Running!

I’ve always been curious to know how it feels like running with this.

4.) We Are Snowboard Season Ready!

Yes, we are! 🙂 I know a lot of you are dreading the cold weather, but we can’t wait to hit the slopes this year! I am also excited because my family from the Philippines are coming over to spend Christmas with us. Relatives and cousins from Canada are coming over too. It will be fun! My younger sister and brother from the Philippines would like to try snowboarding. So, in preparation for their arrival, my husband bought a roof rack for our snowboards. He ordered them at REI.com and bought some parts at the store last weekend.

He was so excited about it. I woke up one morning and was surprise to find him busy fixing it.

He woke up so early just to install the roof rack onto his car.

And the final product!

5.) New Running Shoes 🙂

I don’t know when to really replace running shoes but I’m already feeling discomfort with my old one. My husband thinks his running shoes are not the best kind for him. He’s been dealing with ankle pains with his shoes. They say your running shoes lose shock absorption, cushioning and stability over time which causes pain and injuries. So, with all the pain and discomfort we’re feeling, we finally decided to get new pairs of running shoes.

My husband went from Brooks Adrenaline GTS12 to Newtons Sir Isaac

He’s been running with midfoot strike so his transition to Newtons was good.

I, on the other hand, who’s still heel striking but would like to transition to a midfoot runner. I went from Brooks Pure Cadence (which I really really love) to Newtons Lady Isaac S.

I did a 3-mile test run on this shoe, it didn’t feel right on my feet. It felt a little bulky for me. I went back to the store to return the shoes and they recommended the Newtons Distance U for me instead.

This definitely feels a lot better than the Isaac. It is close to the feel of my PureCadence. It’s very light and very comfortable. I did a test run yesterday and I felt my calves get a little sore as well as my shins. They said this is common when you are transitioning to this kind of shoes since a midfoot strike engages the calf muscles. It would take time for me to learn the proper running form but I know it’s going to be worth it. Learning the proper way to run prevents me from injuries and knee pains. I’d probably still wear my old running shoes for my next half marathon race (Indianapolis Monumental Marathon) which is already in two weeks. After that, I will concentrate more with these shoes and my running form.

By the way, I’m still a Brooks fan. I still love Brooks Running. It’s my first love. 🙂

6.) Someone’s Getting A Year Older In a Few Weeks

That’s me!

I’ll be turning the big 3-0 on the 26th. It’s the end of my 20s! I’m not quite sure how I feel about that.

I still get mistaken for being in my teens or early 20s, so I’ve never really felt my age. Just last weekend, after we visited REI store, my husband and I ate dinner at a restaurant. I ordered a mojito and the server asked for my ID. When I handed him my drivers license, he gave me this weird -“really-you’re-29”-look. It’s flattering but sometimes a bit embarrasing.

But, I’m kind of excited for my birthday. I get a lot of freebies from restaurants and stores. I get free meals in Red Lobster, ice cream in Cold Stone, burger from Arby’s, coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks… etc. 🙂 One of my favorites are the ones I get from Sephora.

Every year, they never fail to give me awesome birthday gifts. 🙂 I always look forward to getting their card in the mail. I can’t wait to claim this at the store.

It’s been amazing to look back and remember the days when I was still in my early 20s- the love, laughter, sadness, and life it gave me.  I had a wonderful and beautiful 20s. It was the years that I really ventured out and made decisions for myself. And now, I’m given another year of life to live. I’m grateful for another birthday.  I have sooo many things to be thankful for, I don’t even know where to begin.

I am thankful for nine years of friendship and three of those being married to the best man on this earth. I love this man!

I am thankful for my family, who have always been there for me.
I am thankful for good health.

I’m thankful for three awesome years of living here in the US. It sure was difficult to adjust with the culture difference but it was one exciting adventure!

Thankful for awesome neighbors, my husband’s friends from work, my friends from the Philippines, and my new friends here in the U.S. We have so many!

Thankful for nature! I am so refreshed and revived when I get into God’s creation during my trail runs.

Thankful for simple pleasures like food, water, …coffee. It’s the simple things in life and sometimes I forget that.

So long for now 20s. Thanks for all the memories! Here’s to my 30s and many more years to come, God willing. Cheers!