LIfe in the fast lane

Hi everyone! It seems like things have been so busy! It seems like having a newborn is a never ending task(which I love, but can be trying at times.)

For the past few weeks we have had my little brother staying with us while my parents are in Rome celebrating their 20th Wedding Anniversary...I know how romantic! 

Grandma touring Rome

I dont think I realized just how busy it is caring for a newborn and a teenager that has something going almost everyday between school, homework, church, activities, you name it; hes got it. Thankfully for me my brother and I are extremely close and he is very helpful with his baby Nephew.  

Then it happened, we all got sick starting with baby Nathan!

at the doctor

Elmo got sick too!

In a family, sickness just seems to go from one person to the next. We were very concerned about Nathan getting a cold because he is still so little. We took him straight to the doctor. They told us to watch him close and if it gets worse to call. Thankfully everyones cold cleared up and everyone was their happy selves again. I was worried because I couldn't talk to my mom and get her advice. It was a learning experience, and we all survived. 

hanging out with Uncle

It's been a fun couple of weeks! More to come....

Caution! Slow Running Mom Approaching

Running, let me start off by saying that Im not the best at it to say the least, but ready or not I am going to run my very first 5k....SOON! Yes, I can't believe it either, I never thought that I would be signed up to run a race. I am very nervous and scared. Let me tell you how it all began.

As some of you may already know, my husband is a runner. He has ran several half marathons, and he will run his full marathon when I run my first 5k, thats so neat that both of us are embarking on something that we have never done before, together! I see my husband, sweat and be in pain almost everyday as he runs, but one of things that I admire the most about him is that he never quits.

Finishing his half marathon

 My father in law is also a runner. He is the reason Adam started running in the first place, He is great at helping us reach our goals.

Run dad Alex Run!

 Now, let me talk about someone very special in my life, my mom! It was always her dream as a little girl to run a marathon, but she didn't even know where to begin. Thats where my great Hunny stepped in and started training her to run her very first half marathon...SCARY!!! I remember watching my mom in pain and tired, but did she quit? Nope, she pressed forward and ran her heart out and and finished that half maraton with pride, it was a very emotional time as we all celebrated in the accomplishments that everyone worked to hard to reach.

Adam and mom starting the race!

SHE DID IT, SHE DID IT!

Now some of you may be thinking why didn't you train with your husband and mom??? Well at that time I was very pregnant with our little boy:)

9 months pregnant

After nine long months of being pregnant, our beautiful baby boy came into this world!:)

sweet baby

I really enjoyed watching my family train, but now its my turn.
I have just gotten started and it is not easy. I feel like the worst runner in the world. I feel like I am going to die before I reach a mile!!! I have been running for about a week now and believe it or not I am slowly improving. 

fastest mile so far!

So for all of you out there that say it is too difficult; you can do it!! just baby steps...and for me it is baby, baby steps:) so just determine that you are worth it and give it a try.

I am counting on this blog to keep me accountable and not quit. I'll try and post weekly and keep you all up to date on how I am doing... "slow and steady wins the race!" 

It's that time again

Fall...oh fall is one of my favorite times of the year. All the warm smells, changing leaves, fall decorations, and most of all memories being made.

This is the season for yummy, warm, comfort foods that just seem to make everyone happy. Being a stay at mom I enjoy my husband coming home from work with a hearty appetite. The first sign of the new season for me is slow cooked beef stew. We are going to make that today....here we go! 

The first thing that we need to do is get all the ingredients. Stew is one thing that you can personalize to your preference. Our family enjoys carrots, potatoes, celery, and baby pearl onions. You can ad what you and your family enjoy. One thing that you should always put is one or two bay leaves and beef stock, this will give it that rich taste that we all love.

fresh, healthy ingredients

The next thing you need to do is first brown the meat till cooked completely, then add all the rest of your favorite ingredients! I recommend that you put a whole box(about 16oz) of beef stock.  

simmered to yumminess 

 You need to cover the pot and let cook on low for about 2 hours. This is a great way to make your house smell delicious and inviting. I like to serve stew with cornbread, but you can use any bread to soak up the goodness:) 

I hope that you enjoy making this fun fall dish as much as I did. this is something that the whole family can enjoy, and is very nutritious and healthy. Bon Appetit!

Lunch for my Honey

 This lunch was inspired by one of our favorite places to eat, Firehouse Sub! It is a very yummy and fun place to go, but it cost at least ten dollars every time that we went. So I thought that that I would try and make it at home. To my surprise it was pretty good and very easy to make. 

Step One: cut a piece of whole wheat french bread and load with your favorite lunch meat and cheese..(my husband and I love onions, so I put that in the middle and on top) and place in the oven at 350 for about 5 minutes.

Step Two: take out of the oven and load with your favorite goodies. On this one I put avocados,  tomatoes and onions. Yum! and then I topped it off with a little bit of fat free ranch dressing.

I packed him some salad that was leftover from last nights dinner, a water and yogurt.

 I received this bag from a ladies meeting that I went to this year and it works perfect for my husbands new lunch bag!

I hope that this quick and easy lunch is helpful and fun for you to try, and that it puts some spice in just the average everyday sandwich:)

It's cooking time!

Im on a mission to cook healthy meals for my family. I have been married for about a year and a half and I have cooked several times, but I want to start making new things and putting them all together for others to enjoy. I am on a mission to good healthy meals for my family! I hope you enjoy as I start cooking.

Getting you up to Date

My Wedding Day

 I got married in March of last year to a wonderful, godly man. Our wedding was amazing, and it was a blessing to be around friends and family.

A magical day

getting ready in my parents room

And then the honeymoon......HAWAII here we come!

Mr. and Mrs.  Sandoval

The ocean was breath-taking

We were so blessed to be able to have such a great time in Hawaii, it was an experience that we will never forget.

And then came baby!

mommy and Nathan

So thankful for our precious gift

6lbs 10oz beautiful baby boy

These are just some of the highlights in my life since my wedding day that I wanted to share so you could get to know me more. 

Hope you come along on my journey

Hi everyone!

My name is Samantha Sandoval and my husband has a family blog Our Continuing Journey. I thought it would be helpful (and fun) to have a wife and new mommy's view on whats going on in "our journey" I hope and pray that this blog can be an inspiration, encouragement, and blessing to all the ladies out there that are striving for the same goal; to glorify our precious Savior. Hope you read along as I share my New Moms Journey.