To be the best Wife, Mom, Daughter, Sister, Friend, and Runner I can be...God willing!

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

It's Rodeo Time

I never gave two seconds thought to a rodeo before I lived in Texas.  They give it A LOT of thought here.  Now that we have four kiddos they give it A LOT of thought....especially on GO TEXAN Day. 

Our cowboy and cowgirl clothing selection is quite limited and a little tattered, but we do our best.  I think they all looked ready to Rodeo!


Tuesday, February 28, 2012

26.2 verses and then some

I have completed my journey of learning/memorizing 26.2 (really 27) verses to sustain me during the marathon.  When I first decided to do this, I thought I would select the shortest verses possible.  I wish I could say that I stuck to that plan!  I am also kind of sad that this part of my marathon journey is complete.  I really, really enjoyed picking my verses and learning them.  I have probably read more of the Bible in the past three weeks than I have ever!

What I have come to realize is that I (without knowing it) picked verses that are applicable for different parts of the race.  I also know that these verses do not relate to running in the Bible stories; however, they apply to me and my journey.  So, here they are:

Verses for before and the first miles of the marathon:

May He give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
Psalm 20:4

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him.
Psalm 37:5

Humble yourself before the Lord; He will lift you up.
James 4:10

Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed.  
Proverbs 16:3

Anything is possible if a person believes!  
Mark 9:23

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Great is His faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
Lamentations 3:23 

I am with you and watch over you wherever you go...
Genesis 28:15
Do you not know that those who run a race all run, but only one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may win.
1 Corinthians 9:24

Verses to sustain me during the marathon:



Be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.  
Chronicles 15:7

Be sure of this, I am with you always even to the end of the age.  
Matthew 28:20

With God's help we will do mighty things.  
Psalm 60:12

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future.
 Jeremiah 29:11

Let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles; let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:1

I consider our current suffering are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us!
Romans 8:18

But glory in our sufferings for we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character hope; and hope does not put us to shame.
Romans 5:3-5

The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you.
2 Thessalonians 3:3

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.
Isaiah 41:10

And we pray that you...may be strengthened with all power...so that you may have great endurance.
Colossians 1:10, 11

For those last killer miles:

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13 

I have fought the fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith
2 Timothy 4:7

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31

In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.
2 Samuel 22:30

So don't throw away your confidence for it will be richly rewarded!
Hebrews 10:35

I press on toward the goal to win the prize...
Philippians 3:14

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Isaiah 40:29

My heart and flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and portion forever.
Psalm 73:26


Yes, I memorized 28 because I miscounted.  However, I believe each of these verses serves a purpose for me.  I don't think it is an accident that I learned 28.  I also believe that a verse will come to me when I need it.  I am feeling ready and I know God will be running with me!

Monday, February 27, 2012

My getaway

This past weekend was our church's women's retreat.  The theme was "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!"  I was all in when I saw that....love that verse and a weekend away equals double bonus.

Well, it was not all I made it up to be in my mind.  Unfortunately for me I did not really connect with the speaker's message.  I was quite disappointed by this.  Her messages seemed too lofty and scholarly for me.  I do not enjoy almost two hour discussions/lectures on who I am and who God is.  I guess I am more of a simpleton.  I try not to think too much about things.  I know who I am and I know I need work...who doesn't?  I know who God is and I know I can know Him better/more, but I just can't do it for two hours.  I just can't do it.

Thankfully, as is with most things, there were some takeaways for me.  Sunday's session helped to redeem the weekend for me.  There was a lot of discussion about Lent.  I thought this was strange because of the verse, but oh well.  I always have thought about Lent as a time of personal sacrifice.  A time when I can give of something that challenges me so I can perhaps better understand the sacrifice God made for me.  I realize that is very simplistic...again I think I am a simpleton...,but it has worked for me.  This weekend Lent was presented in a much different way.  Our speaker discussed Lent as a time to make room for God.  A time to prepare room for God in your life, in your heart, in your whatever.  So, for example, if I spent too much time focusing on something that used up my energy I would give that area of concern to God.  If I was a worrier, I would focus on not worrying during Lent.  I would give it to God.  Just like that!  Hopefully the process would allow me to see the different ways God worked in my life during Lent and hopefully deepen my relationship with Him.

So, where does this leave me.  I honestly do not know.  I appreciate the new way of thinking about Lent.  I still like my interpretation of Lent.  I think they can both work for me.  I guess I will have to see where I feel moved!

Oh, and what did I really enjoy about the retreat....all my girl time. I had so much fun getting to know and know better different women from church.  The property was so pretty and we had a lovely fun walk on Saturday afternoon.  Game time was fun.  Personalities flourish in such a setting and that was fun to see.  Despite not feeling "filled" with the message, I still felt "filled" by the fellowship.

MT: It is over!

I truly cannot believe it, but I only have two more runs and my training will be finished.  I guess the Post title is a little misleading, but running 4 miles on Wednesday and 2 miles on Friday does not really count as training.  It is more like releasing nervous energy.

So, with that said, I ran 30 miles last week...so easy peasy at this point.  I dare say that I miss running more mileage.

My plan for this week is to take it easy when running.  I also have planned a light week at home too.  Who knows what my house will look like come Saturday!!  Basically I have to try from going nuts with anticipation, nervousness, excitement, etc!

Wow...5 days until I am standing in Corral A!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

17 miles of verses

So, I decided to memorize 26 verses for my marathon and I have been diligently working my way to my goal.  This is hard.  I am not in the habit of memorizing anymore....I left that behind in college!  I scribble my verse for the day on paper and carry it with me all day.  Some days I have several papers in my pocket so I can review all day long.  I have given myself quite the assignment.

The first five were:

Be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.  
Chronicles 15:7

Be sure of this, I am with you always even to the end of the age.  
Matthew 28:20

Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed.  
Proverbs 16:3

With God's help we will do mighty things.  
Psalm 60:12

Anything is possible if a person believes!  
Mark 9:23
My latest are verses are:
For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future.
 Jeremiah 29:11
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31
I have fought the fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith
2 Timothy 4:7
Let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles; let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:1
I consider our current suffering are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us!
Romans 8:18
But glory in our sufferings for we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character hope; and hope does not put us to shame.
Romans 5:3-5
The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13 

May He give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
Psalm 20:4

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him.
Psalm 37:5

Humble yourself before the Lord; He will lift you up.
James 4:10

Since I like to think that everyday as a stay at home mom is a little like a marathon, I have already used these verses to supply my needs.  Everyday is tough and great!  The race is going to be tough and great!  I know God will get me to the finish line!

Monday, February 20, 2012

MT: Recap Week Fourteen

People say time passes too quickly when your babies are little.  I think the same is true for marathon training.  In 11 days, I will be in my corral probably ready to puke (sorry, but true) with all my training completed!  Where does time go?

I have started my taper which means I will hardly be running any mileage during the next two weeks.  This past week I only ran 36 miles.  I am sure I will be filled with lots of extra energy.  BUT, my body needs this time to recover from all my running and to renew so I can bring in on 3/3/12!

Week fourteen held my last double digit run...12 miles.  Seriously at this point 12 miles seems like nothing and it is still almost two hours of running.  It was a very successful run because I ran the last 6 miles four minutes faster than the first 6.  This is just how I want to run the marathon...getting stronger with every step!

All my runs were a little tentative this past week because I was trying to recover from my fall.  My head is finally better.  It is still sore to touch so I don't really do that.  My knee hurts when I am finished running, but does not bother me too much when running.  The healing process from the gross scrape/cut is still ongoing.  It is quite bothersome and I need these last two weeks for it to heal completely!

I have 9 runs left.  That is less than two hands....oh my!  I feel ready, but I am getting nervous. 

I just learned my bib # is 535 and I am in Corral A.  I will be in the same corral as the elite runners.  That is hilarious on so many levels.  I am totally excited for race day to be here!

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Samuel's present

Today Samuel turned 4!!!  WOW!

So, what do you get a four year old boy????   A bike of course!  A blue and orange bike! 
Seeing his bike for the first time!
Running to "meet" his new bike!
He is already to ride!
Off they go to the bide riding spot!
Samuel loved his bike so much that he decided to crash it on its inaugural ride!  He has a few scrapes, but he is fine and so is the bike!

Happy Birthday Big Boy!

Happy Birthday to Samuel...oh my he is 4!!

My dear Samuel,

Today you turned 4!  It is hard to believe that four years have passed since you entered our lives.  I remember that morning like it was this morning. 
Just a few days old!
You entered in a fuss causing problems and not much has changed since then. You proved to be stubborn from your first moment and you are still stubborn.  But, it is you and we love you.  Someday that stubbornness will serve you well!

You have lots of love.  You love to play, to be outside, to be with your Daddy, to be learning, to listen to music, and to be loud!  You are filled with lots of love.  Sometimes it is misdirected, but your love is always evident!  Someday your immense ability to love will lead to your passion!

You have lots of energy.  You run, swing, jump, ride, and just play with wild abandon.  Someday, this energy will fill your life with so much adventure.

You are so many things Samuel.  Mostly you are MY Samuel and despite the bumps in the road I would not change a thing about you.  I love you!
I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.
1 Samuel 1:27 

Happy Birthday Samuel!!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Saturday was my birthday and I love birthdays!  I have the awesome habit of counting down the days until my birthday.  I remind Drew regularly how many shopping days are left before the big day.  I love my birthday!

Drew is awesome and he does not need reminders.  They are just for fun and to build up the day.  Drew and the kiddos always make the day super special for me and this year did not disappoint.  I was given beautiful flowers.  My tea mug was waiting and personalized when I woke up at 8am!!!!  What a joy to sleep in so late!  Drew made me fettuccine for lunch...my favorite.  Then, he made the best thing ever for dessert which was creme brulee with strawberries.  Oh my was it GOOD!


I was showered with love and given lovely presents.  As much as I love the attention, I love to see how happy it makes my sweet kiddos to show me love.  They get so excited to give gifts, to open gifts, to blow out candles, and the list goes on.  It is wonderful.  I loved my Birthday!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

A little something sweet

Each third Thursday of the month our church hosts "Golden Gathering".  Taken from our church's website, it is:  

Golden Gathering volunteers throw a theme party for our "Care Partners" who have early dementia/Alzheimer's. It's a morning of fun, music, entertainment, and we conclude with lunch. 
  
I would love to volunteer, but my kiddos prevent that from happening at the moment.  So, I have the pleasure of helping provide the dessert.  I love to bake and I love to help others so it is a win-win!  This month the theme was "Presidents"  so I made Black Forest Cupcakes in honor of George Washington...you know the whole cherry connection!  They were so good!

 
For me, part of serving others is that I must first serve my family.  When I agree to make food for others I always ensure that I make enough for my family.  Drew and my kiddos are my first mission and I never want them to feel second to anything or anyone.  So, the benefit of this belief is that we have a great dessert the third week of the each month!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Samuel's birthday party

I can hardly believe that Samuel is going to be four...4....in a few short days.  As Samuel is getting older he is starting to make his own friends.  This year for the first time we had a birthday party for him and invited just his friends.  It was such a fun day for Samuel!


On Tuesday, Samuel's three friends came over to play, have lunch, and eat cake.  I love the simplicity of that kind of party.  Jackson, Travis, Greg, and Samuel played hard for one hour before the festivities began.  Samuel requested a "Nemo" themed party.  So, we had fish shaped sandwiches, gold fish, fruit, and a "Nemo" cake.  Again, that is so simple and just what he wanted.  That made it perfect!

The PB and J and Turkey and Cheese fish sandwiches
The "Nemo" cake made by a friend...simply amazing!
The back of the cake
Samuel and Elena "oohhhing and aahhhing" over the cake
Samuel being overjoyed at the singing...silly boy!
Greg, Samuel, Travis, and Jackson
Samuel received lots of fun presents...monster trucks, a "Toy Story" toy, and a shooting spider man toy.  He was such a happy boy.  I was such a happy mommy to see his face filled with such joy!  I can't wait to celebrate his real birthday in a few days!!!!

Wednesday's dose of cuteness

This past weekend it was actually cold and Emma had the wonderful idea to roast marshmallows inside.  Because this was a spur of the moment plan, we did not have all the fixings for s'mores.  So, we decided to use Carmel Delights (the awesome Girl Scout cookies) and it was a delightful combination!

Daddy and Samuel busy roasting the marshmallows
Everyone had to help of course!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

We do not make a big deal of Valentine's Day at our house.  I did get awesome flowers and a card from my love!  Emma and Jonah had heart shaped sandwiches for lunch and Hershey Kisses for dessert.  There were a few other cards given to one another, but that is really it.  We show lots of love everyday so today is really just another excuse to eat junk (just kidding kind of)!

To show my family some extra love I made homemade chocolate hearts.  I bought the strawberries.  The chocolate was amazing!  I might never purchase chocolate from the store again.  Even Samuel who does not like chocolate thought it was pretty tasty!  Plus, they are super cute!!

Monday, February 13, 2012

MT: Recap Week Thirteen

This was my last big week of training.  The marathon is in 18 days and I feel ready.  That is a little scary to admit, but I am very pleased with how my first marathon training has gone.

This past week I nailed my runs.  My times were great.  My legs performed despite being tired from the "simulator" run.  I am now 51 miles closer to the starting line!

Despite my big fall yesterday my body is feeling good.  My aches are minimal.  My foot is awesome.  I can hardly believe that it has healed with all the running I have done in the last three months!

It is time it taper and stay sane!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Strength in Falling

Today was my last long run of my first marathon training cycle.  I was scheduled to run 20 miles and I planned on running 20-22 depending on how I felt.  Again, it was freezing as in 32 degrees.  This happened the last time I ran 20 miles and I am pretty sure these are the only two days it has been this cold all winter!  Luckily this time I could run the entire run in the daylight...yeah!

Off I went at 7:30a all bundled up ready for 3+ hours of running.  My legs felt really tired so I kept my mind busy with praying and scripture.  I was all about avoiding how tired I felt and how cold I was.

Life got easier and the miles starting passing quite quickly.  I felt like I could run 22 with no problems until mile 13.  I was putting my glove back on when everything changed. I had stopped watching the ground because of messing with my glove.  I fell and I fell hard.  My hands were busy and there was nothing to brace my fall.  I remember my knee hitting the road and hearing my head bonk hard on the road. 

I hardly remember anything I think about when I run, but I remember everything that went through my head in that 30 second span.
What happened?
Oh, my knee.  It is bleeding and my freaking pants ripped!
My head is killing me, but there is no blood.  That is good.
I better get up.
Oh, my hat flew off too...awesome!
I need to call Drew.  I can't call Drew.  I don't have my phone and he is at church.
What am I going to do?
Well, I should stretch my hip.  It was hurting before I fell (so I did).
Now, what.  It is a 2.5 mile walk home.
I have at least 7 more mile to run.  I should just run.
Sh** my knee and head hurt.  Oh, my hands hurt too...gross more blood on my pinkie.
I can do this.  You got this.  Just run and run fast.

So I started running and way faster than I planned.  I ached, I was bleeding, and I was mad.  I knew if I stopped running to walk it would hurt more.  I knew if I tried to run later I would hurt too much.  I knew it was now or never and I picked now.  Every step hurt.  Every step got harder, but I repeated scripture and listened to my music.  It carried through until I reached home.  I ran 21 miles and 8 miles after my fall.

I did not know if I could run the entire marathon until today.  I did not know if I would be mentally tough enough.  Would I keep on running when it hurt?  I know after today that I will.  No muscle pain will feel as bad as the pain I experienced today.  Unless I fall during the marathon, it won't be a mentally challenging as today.  Today was HARD!  I pushed on...I was "strong and courageous and my work was rewarded!" (Chronicles 15:7) God is faithful!

My injury tally is a goose egg on my left eyebrow and it is so sore.  My left knee is quite scraped and cut.  It hurts and also has a big bump on it.  Both my palms are scraped, but were saved by my gloves.  My left pinkie is cut and still bleeding occasionally.  I have a scrape/rash burn like thing on my left shoulder.  I obviously fell on my left side (for some reason I just now realizing this).  My pants ripped and I threw them in the trash.  I am thankful for all my layers.  I truly believe that they saved me from further injury.

The verse I was memorizing today is "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 41:31)  Truly that is the only way I made it home today!

Orphan Hope Marathon

Yesterday Emma and I woke up super duper early because we had to drive to Huntsville.  We were volunteers at the Orphan Hope Marathon.  My friends were the race directors...how cool is that!

The Marathon was on trails, which is the reason I did not run.  I am not a dirty, muddy, trail kind of runner.  The marathon raised money for international safe houses for orphans.  What an amazing cause!

So, we arrived in the freezing (literally) cold weather and were put to work.  Emma and I helped set up a cupcake stand for the runners...an awesome post run treat!  We helped set up the marathon and relay turnaround point.  I also helped direct runners at the turnaround.  It was a long, cold morning, but it was very inspiring!  I loved being on the other side of a race and I was so thankful Emma gave of her time to be with me.  Emma was definitely a trooper!  She was super cold all morning!
Emma and I all bundled up!
Do you see the runners?  We were on the other side of the lake.
Emma was trying her best to stay warm at the cupcake station!
We did not stay until the end because it was a "people's marathon" (the course was open for 10 hours).  Emma and I did not have the stamina or time for that.  We had other commitments for Saturday.  However, it was a great way to give of our time in the morning!  I am already looking forward to next year!

Friday, February 10, 2012

5 Miles of Verses

My latest challenge is to memorize 26.2 scriptures for my marathon.  Really, I will be learning 27 or I hope to learn 27 verses to carry me through from start to finish.

Being that I find this to be a huge challenge (I am not great at memorizing stuff), I am picking short verses.  So, the five from this week were:

Be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.  
Chronicles 15:7

Be sure of this, I am with you always even to the end of the age.  
Matthew 28:20

Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed.  
Proverbs 16:3

With God's help we will do mighty things.  
Psalm 60:12

Anything is possible if a person believes!  
Mark 9:23

The first verse listed already carried my mind through the last 2 miles of my 10 mile treadmill run today.  My plan is already working!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Three Things....mostly about Samuel

 All things Samuel - Samuel is the "Star of the Week" for his preschool class this week.  It has been a very fun adventure for him.  Over the weekend, we found lots of fun Samuel pictures for him to take to school.  We also took this picture since working with Daddy in the shop is one of his favorite things!  He told his class about the pictures and what made each picture special...so fun!  On Wednesday, he took one of his favorite toys and books to share with his class.  Tomorrow he is taking one of his favorite snacks to share....chocolate chip pumpkin bread!  That is correct....homemade yumminess and not store-bought grossness. 
And more Samuel - Next Tuesday Samuel is having his birthday party.  Yes, it will be Valentine's Day, but Samuel will be celebrating being 4 with his friends.  The theme is Nemo and today we are off to buy all things related to Nemo and fish.

And what would a post be without something running related - Emma and I are volunteering at my friends Orphan Hope Marathon on Saturday.  We will be up before the sun and I am not even running.  I am very excited to "be on the other side" of running for a day.  Emma was excited to be with me and I am all for fostering her "like" of all things running!  It should be a wonderfully inspiring day!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

It's the Little Things

I often say "I want to remember that. I should write it down."  However, I so rarely do that.

Yesterday at my MOM'S group the discussion centered on "Faithbooking."  The idea is to combine faith, one's journey, one's special moments into books.  The center is not to be pictures because maybe there wasn't a picture for "that" moment.  The center is to be you or your child or your sister...whatever the moment or memory was. 

I loved this idea because it was not really scrap booking.  I don't do that.  I definitely don't have time for that.  However, I think this is my way to leave memories for my family.  I write down what I think about, what is important to our family, what great things happened to any of us.  But, these are the bigger moments.  What about all those day to day things that are so precious in the moment.  I love those moments and they make my day.  These are the things I want to remember as well.

For example, Jonah says "Ummm-a" when he is thinking or about to say something.  Jonah's favorite bedtime song is "Thy Word is a Lamp Unto my Feet"!

Elena does not say yes.  She knows how to say yes, but instead she says "huh" for yes.  Elena also "pants" when she gets really excited to tell you something....so adorable!

Samuel likes to pick out my clothing and jewelry.  He especially loves when I wear purple.  Samuel's favorite bedtime song is "Seek Ye First"! 

Emma gets up every morning all by herself, makes her breakfast, and does all the other getting ready for school things totally independently.  She is only 8.  It makes me proud and a little sad at the same time.  Emma wants to be sung to at bedtime and she likes a little song I made up for her!

These are the things that will fade into the background as time moves forward.  These are the moments that help knit the fabric of our family.  These are the moments I need to remember as my babies grow!

Monday, February 6, 2012

MT: Recap Week Twelve

Wow!  I will be running my first marathon in less than one month...I am nervous!

It is also a good thing I have one month remaining to train.  This past week was not so hot.  I was quite sick early in the week and missed two scheduled running days.  I also felt like junk on two days that I did run and only close to normal on the third day.  Yep, I only ran three days last week.  I have no idea when I last ran only three days in one week.  Granted, in those three days I ran 30.2 miles so the week was not a total failure.

The Simulator that I wrote about yesterday went well.  My coach had great words of encouragement for me after the run...love that!

"You did that on tired legs after being sick. Trust that the taper will refuel you to be able to hold that pace. And if you get to the start and want to be more conservative, that's fine too, but you are capable. Believe it!"

This next month will be nothing but positive thinking and fueling for me.  I will not be reading any recap's of another person's marathon experience.  I want this experience to be my experience.  I have read enough material at this point to feel confident in running well.  There will be more to learn after the race, but no more for me at the moment.

In addition to positive thinking, I am going to memorize (or do my best to memorize) 26.2 scriptures for my race.  For each mile, God will have a lovely piece of encouragement for me.  I wish I could take credit for this idea, but it is all Mile Posts!


Four weeks to go and my last high mileage week!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

The Simulator

In October I read about "The Simulator" from the Hanson Brother's Project.  They are coaches from Michigan who train crazy awesome athletes.  They believe in never running more than 16 miles, but almost all runs are done on tired legs so it seems like you are running more miles. 

"The Simulator" is a 26.2 kilometer marathon run at race pace.  I asked my coach if this could be incorporated into my training plan.  This all seemed great in October, but not so great this week.  Having been quite sick earlier this week, I was super nervous about this run.  My new pace zones had me running this at an 8:29/mile pace.  That is fast!

I prepped as best I could and headed out the door this morning!  The weather was almost perfect.  It was windy (not perfect), but it was kind of chilly (high 40's)!  Could I do it?  I had no idea, but I planned to run as strong as I could for 16.3 miles.

My mantra for this run was "The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you."  2 Thessalonians 3:3  I repeated it again and again when I was getting tired or bored, but mostly tired.

My splits were
8:06
8:09
8:22
8:18
8:33
8:12
8:38
7:57
8:18
8:12
8:54
8:37
8:18 (unofficial 13.1 PR in 1:49.20)
8:05
8:07
8:38
7:39/mile pace for 0.3 miles for a total time of 2:15.47!

During the last 1.3 miles "Strong Enough" by Matthew West started playing on my iPod!  Isn't God wonderful??!!  When I needed encouragement and strength I found it in the encouraging words of the song.

With my warm-up and cool-down I ran 19.2 miles for the day.  I did not give in and pushed through the wind and tired legs and sore hip.  Who knows what 26.2 miles will bring on race day.  Can I run that long this fast?  Will the weather be in my favor?  Will I be mentally tough when it gets hard?  I don't know the answers to those questions.  What I do know is this was a big confidence boosting run for me.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Three Things...when Momma goes down

1.  Last week Jonah had croup and a fever for several days.  He still has an occasional cough, but he is feeling much better.  So far everyone has escaped the horrible wrath of THE VIRUS except me!

2.  I started feeling kind of yucky Sunday morning.  I was achy, tired, and just feeling off.  I ran and probably should not have run.  I fear it kicked THE VIRUS into overdrive.  By Sunday night I felt like total junk and just muddled through Monday.  By Monday night I barely made it to bed alive and I did not leave my bed until lunch time on Tuesday.  I hung out with Samuel on the couch for the rest of the day (Elena was napping).  I was totally worthless....fever, aches, chills, cough, runny nose.  You name it and I probably had it. 

Because of THE VIRUS, I have not run since Sunday.  Monday was optional so that was okay.  Tuesday and Wednesday were scheduled running days, but I stayed in bed.  I barely missed running (shock!)!  My body ached more from being sick than it did after my 20 mile run.

3.  While I was stuck in bed, Drew stayed home from work.  He did not have a choice.  I was incapable of caring for Samuel and Elena.  I was/am so thankful that Drew gets the big picture.  We are a family first and support each other.  Samuel, Elena, and I needed him and he knew it.  I was/am so thankful that Drew's boss gets that big picture too!  What do moms and dads without this kind of support do? 

I am hoping I can breathe clearly today. I am hoping my voice returns today.  I am hoping I can run today.  I am hoping that no one else catches THE VIRUS!  I am officially evicting it from our home!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Our weekend in Louisiana

I must admit that I was not overly excited to spend a weekend in Sulphur, LA.  The choices of what to do are not overwhelming.  Luckily, the weather was amazing...like 60, sunny, and breezy amazing.  That allowed for lots of outdoor time so that is what filled our Saturday afternoon.

We hung out at Millennium Park in Lake Charles.  It was a super nice park.  There was a marina, a nice playground, lots of walking paths along the water, and very cool things like helicopters and tanks to explore.  There was also a very nice 9/11 memorial.  This park had something for everyone, which is probably why we were there for almost three hours!



1st family picture of 2012

The marina with a large boat...the boys were so happy

How can I get up there?
With a little help from Daddy...the kids sitting on a tank


Samuel hanging out on the tank
Jonah climbing on the tank
The sky was amazing and I just love this picture!
The Vietnam War helicopter
After some Cajun food we headed back to the hotel.  Of course, I took some more pictures! 

This was our dessert after a spicy Cajun meal...milkshakes!
All cuddled and ready for bed!
And, yes, one last picture of gymnastics...well kind of!  Jonah started early Sunday morning and Elena did not feel like changing out of her pj's...she is so cute!
Eating breakfast in her pj's at the meet!

Gumbo Cup---Jonah was up second

Jonah was sick all last week.  He missed three days of school and if I had not been a mean mom, he probably could have missed four days.  The poor child coughed so much all day and night.  By night, I mean that Drew and Jonah hardly slept for two nights trying to care for him.  The cough turned into croup and Jonah developed a fever....really!  We visited the pediatrician, got some medicine, and prayed Jonah would get well so he could compete at the Gumbo Cup.  Thankfully by Sunday Jonah was feeling much better, but he was not a 100%. 

This was Jonah's first out of state meet too!  Jonah was excited for the meet or so he said.  It is hard to know because Jonah is so nonchalant about the meets.  The beauty of being 6 is that Jonah does not care much how he performs at a meet.  He sees gymnastics as fun...not work.  He does not really get all the little things like pointed toes, straight legs, and serious faces.  I love that about Jonah.  He is 6 and he is being 6!  I love that his coach lets him be 6 and congratulates Jonah for working hard and doing well!

Jonah did well considering he missed a practice and still was not perfectly healthy.  He has earned higher scores, but he had fun.  This was evident by the smile on his face between events!!  Jonah did not place individually in his age group and was 7th overall for 5-6 years olds.


What made me sad was seeing Jonah face after the awards ceremony.  He was sad that he did not get an individual medal.  Part of Jonah must care more than he acknowledges to anyone else.  Drew and I talked with him about how great he did and what he could do to improve for his next meet.  We shall see...the next meet is in three weeks!

Gumbo Cup---Emma was up first

Friday, January 27th Emma competed in her first out of state gymnastics meet...The Gumbo Cup!  Yes, we traveled to Louisiana for the meet.  She was so excited for two reasons.  One, it was an out of state meet.  Two, it was her last time to perform Level 3 routines.  She had one goal for the meet which was to score two 9's.  Being the proud momma I am, I have to say that she did AWESOME!

Emma scored two 9.150...one for vault and the other on beam.  She scored an 8.950 on floor, which was her highest score on floor all year!  Her bar score (8.375) was not great, but she was okay with the score.  Emma was so thrilled with her meet and so were we!

She placed third in her age group on the vault!

She placed 6th overall in her age group!

She just beamed all weekend!!


We are so proud of Emma and cannot wait to see what Level 4 holds for her!