Hello from Winnipeg!

Hey everyone!!! First of all I have to say a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my amazing hubby who turned 27 today! YAY! I have missed posting so much and can't wait until I get home to post all my fabulous pictures and tell you a little more about our latest family adventures! I ran as part of a relay team in the Manitoba Marathon on Father's Day and it was SO MUCH FUN! I couldn't believe how friendly everyone was! This was the first run I have completed outside of B.C. and I dream of traveling all over the World to taste vegan foods, run a race or two (just for fun), and explore!!! Our team ran the Marathon in 3 hours and 56 minutes! It was a very hot day (I have huge and funny tan lines), and let me tell you how DIFFERENT the experience was compared with running in Victoria!!! First off, there was no ocean or sea-breeze (sniff, sniff), and there were no hills! When running in Victoria, I love running hills and training on trails and/or on the beach! The terrain was FLAT in Winnipeg (no surprise) and so HUMID! It was remarkable though how supportive all the Manitobans were to all the runners! There were over 13,500 runners this year! As I ran my portion of the race, there were people with hoses standing at the edge of their lawns to hose folks down, there were bands playing (I kid you not), and way more hydrating stations then I had ever seen before! It was great! The support was outstanding and really pushed me to run my personal best! I finished the race by running into the UofM Stadium and as I ran around the track with the crowds cheering, I felt such a high! After I finished they had yoga instructors offering circles of yoga stretching! How great! I totally participated and was glad to stretch my muscles! They definitely thanked me! Yoga is one thing that I definitely want to get more into. I think when you are involved with many high-impact activities and/or are feeling stressed, yoga really can benefit you on so many levels; spiritually, emotionally, physically. I was so inspired from my post-race yoga stretch that I went to Indigo with Ally and bought the Bob Harper (aka Biggest Loser), Yoga DVD. I tried it earlier today and it's AMAZING! I actually was sweating and found it quite difficult! I noticed how 'tight' my muscles feel and that's a BIG sign that I need to take more time out of my busy day to relax and stretch to prevent injury and for overall well-being! So I am HAPPY that I indulged in this yoga DVD! I like how it progresses at 3 levels. I started at level1, weeks 1-2. This DVD takes you on a 6-week journey!

I will post pictures from my Winnipeg adventures once I return home. Unfortunately I don't have what I need to transfer pics from my camera onto the computer...I'm excited though because Dan is out right now with his mom and Ally buying a new lab-top! He will need it for med-school and it will also allow us both opportunities to work on separate computers while we're at home (which means more BLOGS from me to you)!!!! YAY! Well, I'm excited what can I say! Easily excitable, that's me!!!!

Ally posted about our FUN Father's Day bbq which we had here at the Barnes' household! The Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups were SO DELICIOUS (from Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet book). I wasn't sure if I would like them as I am trying to steer clear of indulging TOO much and I also don't really LOVE peanut butter the way some folks do (like my hubby and Delaney for example)....but I LOVED THESE!!! You MUST try them! Check out Ally's latest blog for the recipe or buy The Kind Diet because it's the one book I use the MOST!!!!

Anyways, I just wanted to tell you where I'm at and Ally and I are going to check out a new vegetarian place in the next day or two so we'll be sure to let you know how that goes!!!! It's called the Boon Burger Cafe and if you have a chance, are interested or are in the Winnipeg area, then check it out! You can check-out their website at www.boonburger.ca or go to their facebook page where you can actually view their menu! If you don't live in the Winnipeg area, you can at least gain some inspiration for a burger creation you might just make up on your own! I haven't been but am happy to hear that they are very accomodating to vegans!