Weekend..this is what I forgot!

It was a soccer filled weekend. Logan had his last games in a Woodbury Tournament both Saturday and Sunday. They ended up winning both games Saturday and Sunday which meant.. they had to play one more play off game on Sunday for 1st and 2nd place winner in U11 soccer. 

 Logan's soccer team ended up taking 2nd place for the tournament. Can't win them all and all the boys played really well, which is always fun to watch. Good thing Sunday was super nice outside because I spent hours outside!

 Saturday.. very, very cold! Did not like it and we were not prepared for the chill down.. 

 I love seeing Celina and Logan playing soccer together. They both really like it..

Sunday night.. Steve made another super Family dinner.. 

 rice, mushrooms, onions and stuffed roasted peppers

Eggplant with homemade tomato sauce with cheese. Plus, Steaks for all... We should stick with tenderloins.. they are the best and other cuts just don't do it... 

I will run eight just for this!

I am fully aware at how much effort it takes to run 8 miles. Most days I try to run at least 6 if not 8. When I'm feeling lazy.. or super short on time.. 4 miles of running will have to do. 

I will gladly run 8 miles every day just so I can have yummy, delicious, fabulous desserts like these from Cosetta's in St. Paul. (I hope I spelled that right?)

 Where do we even start to decide which to try? It was really, really hard but we picked out the desserts in the first pix.. and will all share them tonight. I am Dying to try them so it's taking a lot of willpower at this moment to wait! Well, I cheated and decided not to share my chocolate-cream filled doughnut thing.. it was the Best! Wish I would have bought 2 because someone else in our family needs to know how good this was besides me. Guess that can only mean.. we will have to go back again and buy more! 

 They certainly don't come cheap and I think I could make some of these myself.. the lemon tart or apple.. and I certainly can make cream puffs and eclairs.. but its sure great to just have them made and ready for eating on the spot! 

 I'm obviously still drooling.. I do love my sugar. Yes.. still need to lose a few pounds and I'm working on that too but I still can have a few good things once in a while.. all in moderation. I'm not about to torture myself just to lose a few pounds. It will come off all in good time.. slowly but I will lose it!

After having a great 8 mile run this morning.. outside, looking at the beautiful peak fall colors.. We had some walking to do.. but first a trip to Ikea for breakfast. 

Ikea no longer has bacon.. sausage instead.. not my favorite.. nor are the eggs so I only ate the potatoes.. with the cinnamon roll.. I do like those cinnamon rolls! Plus, brought bananas from home and 20 calorie hot chocolate package to dump into a cup of coffee. 

We were off to enjoy our Monday.. of together-ness.. 

Our stop.. Minneapolis.. sculpture gardens.. What else the cherry on the spoon!

Then off to a few more of the sculptures.. 

More strange stuff to look at .. not sure of the purpose.. but it entertained us for about 2 seconds. 

Now to where I had wanted to go all summer long! I really would have Loved to run this Stone Arch Bridge.. we walked it instead.. 

I have far too many photos of the bridge to post all so I'll just add a few..

It really is a beautiful bridge and a really cool place to be able to walk, run or bike along the river front. 

Just a few more.. to share of our fun Monday.. 

We do need to get out and explore more of Minnesota.. I think this weekend we might just be able to do that!

Where else did we go?

More random photos.. I think the rest of the pictures from our trip will go on the Family blog.. 

 Iguana's were every where at our hotel.. these guys can run really fast and climb trees at lightening speed!

Just more palm trees.. ocean sand.. ocean water.. Key.. Florida.. 

Relaxing after my run.. at the salt water pool.. There was also a fresh water pool and of course a huge hot tub. 

This is where we snorkeled. Really cool things to look at.. 

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The kids on the beach...Body boards were a must for the ocean!

Key West Beach... nice.. sandy and a beautiful day at the ocean! Key West was the last vacation place I went to with my father. I thought I'd be sad... but was super glad to just go back again..

We also went to Marco Island to swim.. Waves were crazy HUGE! Lots of shells on the beach which was tough for walking bare foot. 

Everglades.. Swamp-jungle Cyprus walk.. were we didn't see any Alligators this time.. Too much water as Florida had way too much rain. 

Miami.. one of the best beaches.!! South Beach Miami.. Everyone was fit.. looking good and the ocean, waves.. sand perfect! Aqua blue and white sandy beach! Nice!!! 

Fort Myers.. nice white sand.. nice clear water.. Great waves! 

Keys.. Florida

This was definitely one of the best family vacations.. Ever!!!! 

I don't think it really mattered where we went on vacation.. but we all do really love the ocean!

We started off our vacation being very good about getting in a early morning workout.. Run for me.. bike for Steve. I had this awfully pretty running route right next to the ocean, on the beach and ran it at sunrise.. the most beautiful time of the morning.

I'm going to have to make an extremely large photo to take with me while I run in the gym of this beach.. I can just stare at it and think I'm back running on the Florida key beach

 As I was running up and down the beach...I'd stop to take photos of the beautiful sunrise. 

This was the best place to snorkel.. we saw some cool fish, crabs and other things..

 One of the good things about running on vacation.. is you get up early.. (no sleeping the day away) and you have lots of extra calories to eat Key Lime Pie... 

 There were so many different kinds of key lime pie. We made it our job to try every restaurants pie. 

 We actually ended up buying a whole pie.. because we know how to do it right!

I determined this Mile High Meringue Key Lime Pie to be the best. It had the right amount of lime and what fun to add all that meringue on top. I'm going to have to make this pie!

We also did a lot of sitting around at the pool.. its good to rise off all that salt water.. 

BRAVE...

"Brave"...  

a great song to run 8 miles to this morning... 

You can be amazing
You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug
You can be the outcast
Or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love
Or you can start speaking up
Nothing's gonna hurt you the way that words do
And they settle 'neath your skin
Kept on the inside and no sunlight
Sometimes a shadow wins
But I wonder what would happen if you

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

Say what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

Everybody's been there, everybody's been stared down
By the enemy
Fallen for the fear and done some disappearing
Bow down to the mighty
Don't run, stop holding your tongue
Maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
Show me how big your brave is

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

Say what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

And since your history of silence
Won't do you any good
Did you think it would?
Let your words be anything but empty
Why don't you tell them the truth?

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

Say what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you.

Songwriters
BAREILLES, SARA / ANTONOFF, JACK