Being Thankful

Summertime has arrived. It sure is HOT here in Texas. So much hotter so much faster than I ever thought possible. Its the beginning of June and my car temp has registered 100 or more several times already! Which brings me to my next point ... I am thankful for the rain! The thunderstorms cooled things off quite nicely today.

I'm thankful for great conversations with new friends. I enjoyed one today while our children played happily with each other!

I am thankful for my family, though we are far away, we can Skype! Thanks, Dad, for your great advice =)

I am thankful for my husband who is ALWAYS pushing towards the goal.

I am thankful for my children and their sweet hearts. I love it when they give unsolicited compliments, kisses and hugs.

I am thankful for today. It has been a great day =)

I Did It!!!

I did something I never thought I would or could do. I ran a race. It was the most challenging thing I have ever done. But I did it!

Disney's Race for the Taste 3K was a short run according to the world of runners, but a HUGE accomplishment for this new "athlete." My goal was to run without stopping. It was NOT easy, and there were many times I wanted to quit. But I didn't. Many thanks go out to the Disney workers who lined the course, clapping and cheering, and sometimes spouting encouraging words. I needed to hear every one of them. They really helped! At one point, a quiet older woman said to me as I ran by "You can do it." And that is what I need to hear at that very moment. I could do it. And I did. It felt good to conquer what I thought I could never do.

This run was dedicated to my peeps: Chris (the man I love.. and a fearless father who watched the kids while I was away for 5 days on this trip), Angela T. (my partner in crime and so much more ... I loved running with you!), Kandice (my running partner and so much more),and Karen (my Zumba instructor and athletic trainer). Thank you for helping me change my life!

One race down ... now on to the next one!

I Need A New Excuse

Have you ever had a milkshake from Chick-fil-A? Well don't start now, my friend, unless you want to be hooked. Its a life sentence, really. I love these things. So thick and creamy. Its the kind that gives you fatigue because you try so hard to suck it through the straw but its no use because its so thick. Yeah, that kind. Scrumptious. (Thank you to Avery, MH, and Kendra for that word. Its the word of the week in our house).
Well I used to deter myself from buying these devilishly good things by saying they are way too big for just one person. At 18.25 ounces, a chocolate milkshake packs a whopping 740 calories and 28 grams of fat. But aparently Chick-fil-A got word of this tactic and has upped their game. They have introduced a smaller size. Now just 15 ounces, "just" 600 calories. Ok, maybe I'll get a small and share it?

The Best Jokes Begin Like This...

The best jokes always begin like this...

... A Catholic, A Baptist, and a Jew...

The best jokes always start with Angela, Emily, and Michele! We have had some fantastic laughs this year teaching together at school. When one of us was missing, the day just didn't seem right. From our early morning gatherings to our after school meetings, we have been there to encourage each other ... and laugh. Lots of laughter!

I am so blessed to have friends of different faiths. We love each other despite our differences, and encourage each other to a more committed life. We respect each other, and accept each other.

I am going to miss my girls when I am away from "The Hill" next year. Will you come visit me?

Its the Simple Things

In six short years, the things I considered exciting have drastically changed. It used to be that exciting for Chris and me was a night out, a new restaurant, Lincoln Road on South Beach... anything new. Now, as a mother of a preschooler and toddler, my idea of exciting looks VERY different!

I am about to head to Target. And I am excited. I will be there all by myself. I will roam aimlessly through the aisles and probably mutter out loud bits and pieces of the conversations taking place in my head. I will buy diaper cream, breakfast sandwiches, and a new hairdryer. I will even consider splurging on some new pajama pants.

My youngest brother and his bride are currently sightseeing on the streets of London, all in the name of business. My older brother and his wife just returned from the Bahamas. My middle brother and his wife are probably tending their garden, eating homemade gourmet food, or hiking the Red River Gorge. Chris just put the kids to bed. I am going to Target.

Its all about perspective. I am still excited.

Exercise

Today I was at the gym doing my thing, trying to stay focused and "in the zone" when started thinking about the evolution of gym clothes. I remember going with my mom to her Jazzercise classes in 1980 something... There was a lot of blue and purple shiny spandex, leotards with belts, headbands, and very poofy leg warmers. I haven't seen any of that at my gym, but I secretly hope I do just because that would be so entertaining.

What's Missing

Here's Chris with his medal for completing the 5K.

Avery and MH pose with their medals for completing the 100 Meter run.

So can you tell what's missing?
Yeah, its my medal.
I'm working on it.
Until then, I think I get the medal for my personal triathalon: diaper bag packing, child safety coordinating, and pep rally cheering.

Summertime Favorites

Its Summer.... probably. I haven't checked when summer actually starts, but the weather outside tells me its summer. All of my magazines have summertime features. Bathingsuits and Shorts, flip flops and sunglasses are out on the shelves. Summertime is HERE. Of course, summertime was probably here on store shelves right after the Easter merchandise was clearanced out, but that's a different story!I digress.

I do love summer. I always have. Summertime means vacation, which is coming soon for my family. (YAY! Destination TBA). It also means BBQs and swimming pools. I would say that summer time means lots of outside play... but I live in South Florida where it has topped 90 degrees in May. Which means if summer equals lots of outside play it also means red faces and heatstroke. We won't be going there.

Some of my favorite icons of summer are:

• Lemonade with perfectly square ice cubes floating alongside a perfectly round lemon slice.


• Cakes topped with light and fluffy whipped cream and berries of deep red and blue hues.


• Classic hamburgers and hotdog cookouts. There I will always find baked beans, potato salad, friends, and laughter.


• Ice cold IBC Rootbeer and the always crisp and ridged Ruffles potato chips.


• BBQs.

I acknowledge that I don't live in a movie, and there is no white picket fence surrounding my life (although, believe it or not, "white picket fence" was my given nickname from our school resource officer), but still when I think of summer something cinematic takes place in the space between my ears. It unfolds like this: Summer is standing under a shade tree, chatting with girlfriends, barefoot with blades of grass playing peek-a-boo between my toes. Sounds of children in the distance squealing with laughter as they run about. The crack of a bat followed quickly by chatter from teammates calling for the ball, and cheers from the fans for a base well stolen. Children with dirt smuged knees, sweat soaked hair, and smiles from ear to ear. A family who is happy because this day they spent together. Laughter, exercise, time... quality time.

Anniversary

As I write this post in the comfort of my bed, I hear from just one room away the sounds of little squeaky voices laughing and playing with their Daddy. I think he may be reading them a book. I am thankful for a few quiet morning moments that my love has afforded me. Today is our anniversary. And this is a perfect time for reflection.

Five years ago we began The Chronicles of Chris and Em. (Okay, so probably more like 8 or 9 years if you count dating... I digress...). Our wedding was a beautiful time. My favorite part was that Chris surprised me by singing to me! I was, to say the least, EXTREMELY HAPPY. I soaked up every minute of it! It was romantic and sweet and so personal for a very private Chris. We had our little moment, just us, no matter how many eyes were upon us. When the song was over, the pastor, our friend Steve Pridmore, said "You're a brave man!" Everyone laughed. He was brave... and he still is. My husband takes all kinds of risks to go out of his way to show me he loves me.

Looking back at the video and our wedding pictures, Chris and I are amazed by how youthful we are. Also, we are trying to figure out how, in 5 short years, we look so much older! All we can figure is that having kids ages youthful appearance to look a tad more "mature"? We don't know. But then we laughed at what the next five years might do. Holy Cow!

No matter how we age, or as the song says "Grow in Beauty," we will be doing it together.

Spring Tea

I love to teach... not elementary school, but people. I love to encourage women in their relationships with each other and with God. Many years ago I dreamed of becoming a speaker, but wasn't sure what path to take to get there, or even what exactly I would talk about. So the dream laid dormant ... until now.

I recently had the opportunity to speak at our church's Spring Tea! It was wonderful! I loved the whole thing. I had a great time and I think that the ladies did, too. Oasis Church will have it as a pod cast for those of you who weren't able to be there but would still love to listen. (Check for the podcast in the next several days. Its not up yet 4/22). If you do listen, let me know what you think!

A synopsis of what I shared:


Most women experience a feeling of insecurity or inadequacy at some point in their lives. For some women its a daily struggle. For others it pops up its ugly head every once in a while, maybe just at times when they run into old classmates, or spend time with others who have lots of money, greater possessions, or a "happier" life. The tea was an opportunity for me to share with the ladies how God has helped me overcome those feelings. I, like many others, began to believe that in order to do away with that negativity I should focus on the positive, the popular psychology that says "I need to learn to love myself." The truth is, I already love myself! What I really need to do is stop focusing on ME and start focusing on HIM! It is only when our focus is on the dependable, faithful God who desires our full trust can we put to death the awful feelings of insecurity in ourselves and begin trusting and accepting His design for our lives!

My challenge:


Explore God, get to know His true character.
If we only rely on our perceptions of God, we will inevitably have a distored view of ourselves. But when we know who God is, we will have a true picture of who we are in God.