Better Late Than Never!

I know, I know, it has been too long since my last post. I am just going to start typing and see what comes out.

We have started giving the boys an allowance. We tried this in the past with Bryson, but I think he was too young to really understand what was going on. Here is what we came up with: The first week they do their chores without complaint they will receive $1 each. The next week they do their chores without complaint they will each receive $2 each. This will continue each week until their reach their maximum of $5. It will remain at $5 per week as long as they do their chores without complaint. As soon as they complain about doing their part in our family, they drop back down to $1 per week and have to earn their way back up to $5. So far, we are on week 3 and they haven't complained about keeping their rooms clean, emptying the trash cans, taking out the trash and recycle things, cleaning their bathroom and vacuuming the house. I am only out $6 so far and it has been good. Drew didn't think it would last this long, but they have proved him wrong. They have also learned that money is hard to earn and it doesn't go as far as we want it to.

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We spent the first week of Christmas break in Oklahoma. I LOVE being up there with my grandparents. I know they won't always be around, so we are going to try to spend as much time as we can with they while they are still here. My granddad wasn't feeling too well while we were there and that is always hard to see. I hate seeing him suffer and in pain. He seems to have many more bad days than good days and I know it must be hard to live like that.

The first night we were there Addison kept complaining that her stomach hurt. She finally threw up early in the morning. Bryson followed suit the next evening. I was so afraid that the rest of us would get whatever they had, but we never did. Thank goodness! I become CRAZY when someone is sick! I HATE stomach bugs and go a little nuts. Hopefully, it will not resurface. Enough about that!

We came home on Christmas Eve and spent Christmas morning at our house. We haven't done this many times since we have been married and it was nice. I liked not having to load up all the presents and Santa stuff and take all of that with us out of town. We may have to do that again next year.

This week we have just spent some time at home relaxing and hanging out. It has really been a good relaxing break and hopefully will allow us to get through to Spring Break! I'm not sure how many weeks away that is, but I will assume that it is around 10.

They boys are spending the night with their cousins tonight, so we are just a family of three for an evening! Addison is enjoying the extra attention and I am enjoying not having to listen to fighting sounds all night! If you have boys, you know the sounds I am talking about!

I know this wasn't a very interesting post, but I plan on coming back in the NEAR future with something a little better. Right now I am going to go lay on the couch and see if Drew will rub my feet! :0)

Runner's High?

I will admit that I am not a very good runner. Maybe it's my attitude that makes me a poor runner. I don't work out all my problems or lose myself in the scenery. I just try to get through it. I took up running because I knew it would change my body. I have worked out for years, but I wasn't seeing the results I wanted to see. I couldn't get rid of the 20 pounds I wanted so desperately to lose. I knew running would do it, but I also knew that I don't enjoy it.

It helped to have the half-marathon as a goal. I kept my eyes on that and that is the only thing that got me to run some days. There were days I wanted to stay in bed instead of get out in the cold, dark morning, but I wanted to be prepared to run. Some days were TOUGH. One day I made it to 5 miles and couldn't do any more. I walked and ran the remaining 4, but I felt like such a failure. I cried during my walk/run part that day and questioned why I ever thought I could do something like this. After beating myself up all week about it, I went out and ran 10 miles the following Saturday. I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.

Now that the half-marathon is over I don't really know how I feel about running. I still have 5 of the 20 pounds to lose. I know I can get it off if I continue to run, but I don't know if it is worth it. I am taking a week off from running in hopes that I can get some of the desire back.

I don't think I am built to run long distances. I have short, big legs and wide hips. No serious runner is shaped like me. Runners are sleek and small. I am neither of those. I could run until my feet fell off and I would never be built like a runner. I think I may be better at a 5k or 10k distance. Maybe I wouldn't have to spend an entire day recovering after a shorter run. Running anything over 6 or 7 miles just does me in. It is at those distances that I start to have a horrible attitude about running. I don't know, maybe it is just my horrible attitude right now.

Right now I am cranky and tired. I don't know if it has anything to do with the run on Sunday or not. I feel like my body is just tired. My chest is tight and I don't feel like I can take a deep breath. I feel like I want to sit down all the time. I don't even want to be around people. It's almost like a form of depression. I hope this is normal and things will regulate themselves. If this is my body's response to running, I don't think it is worth it.

Hopefully my week-long break from running will help. I think what I am going to have to do is not worry about what everyone around me is doing and just do what is right for me. I always feel like I have to be a certain size or number on the scale or perform at a level that may not be right for me. I'm not saying I don't want to better myself or push myself, I just wonder when the cost is too high.

These are some of the things I am going to have to work out in my head. I am going to have to decide what is best for me and my family for that matter. Drew has to do some of my share of the work when I am too wiped out to function after a long run. Seriously, I can barely get out of bed for several hours some days after a long run. Is it worth it? I'm starting to think it's not. Time is bed it time not spent with my kids or with Drew. It is time that he has to work extra hard when I could be helping him around the house. I have some serious thinking to do.

So, "Runner's High?" I haven't ever really experienced that. Maybe I am trying too hard and should just let my body be the guide.

NEVER AGAIN...

(Here we are at the start of the race. Notice that I am smiling. The smile faded at about mile 5. It didn't come back until we were finished and I realized that I was, indeed, still living!)

well, maybe.


Yesterday was the big run we have spent the past 12 weeks training for. I am not a runner and this was one of the most difficult physical challenges I have ever encountered. I didn't know if I could do it, but I wanted to give it a go. I decided that if I was going to run that far I needed to lose some weight. My goal was to lose 20 pounds by race day. I didn't reach my goal, but I got close. I lost 15. I still want to lose the remaining 5, so I won't give up, yet.

Pily and I talked about training for and running a half-marathon back in the Spring. We decided to just do it. I also asked my friend/co-worker/workout partner if she wanted to join us. Nancy and I already run and workout together during the week, so we just added a long run outside on the weekends. We started out with a 5 mile run and either repeated the distance the following weekend or added one mile. After 11 weeks we worked our way up to 11 miles. I won't lie and say the training was easy, but it was easier with a running buddy. I don't think I would have been able to do it alone.


( After the race. It took us a while to meet up with Drew. There were A LOT of people there. Drew was awesome to come out and support us. He even brought all the kids and Pily's mom. I think he deserves a medal!)

On Saturday we drove over to Dallas to pick up our race packet. We also spent a little time walking around the Health Expo. It was fun being around all the serious runners. Running is such a life style. I don't think I have it in me to be a serious runner. Who am I kidding, I KNOW I don't have it in me to be a serious runner! I'll just pretend occasionally!

On the way home, we went to Academy. We were second guessing our choices in running apparel. The temperature was supposed to be in the 30's and windy. We wanted layers, but didn't know how many or how thick. I guess you learn from each race and just do the best you can do. Overall, I think we made some pretty good choices, but we spent A LOT of time thinking and talking about it!

(After the race. We were biting our medals. This was Drew's idea and our tribute to the Olympics!)

We got to the Dallas early the next morning. A lot of people-watching and talking was done while we were waiting. About 30 minutes before the scheduled start we decided we had better use the restroom. Well, the other 20,000+ runners had the same idea. We decided the port-a-potties were going to be the fastest/best choice. Apparently, the thought of running that far makes people nervous and, well, let's just say that it can cause, um, digestive difficulties. At least it wasn't hot outside, but it was windy. We got to experience some, um, interesting odors. Okay, moving on...

(Me and Pily after the race. The smile was back. I think I am still delirious at this point!)

The runner were broken up into corrals depending on your running time. The fastest runners were in front, so we were WAY in the back. After the 8:00 start, it took our group almost an HOUR to get to the starting line! When we finally started, I was feeling good. Pily told us to go on without her. Nancy and I took off and I felt good. I felt fine until around mile 5. That's when I realized we still had a LONG way to go. I don't know if we started off too fast (it wasn't faster that we had been running on the weekends) or if not knowing the course was the problem, but it got harder and harder to keep going the farther we went. By mile 7 I had sworn to myself that I would NEVER do this again! By mile 10 I didn't think I would LIVE to do it again. From mile 10 to the end I was just focused on finishing. That was all I could think about. Nancy could have run faster than I did, but she stayed with me. For that, I am forever grateful.

I bought a 13.1 sticker the day before and I told myself that I could only display it on my car if I finished without walking. That $2 sticker was my motivation to finish the run. That sticker is what kept me moving. I know it sounds stupid, but that's what did it!

We finished in 2 hours and 6 minutes. Our official time is 2:06:20. My goal was to have a time right around 2 hours. I didn't make my goal, but I wasn't too far off. Overall, I am proud of my time. I just wish I could have finished a little stronger. It was rough at the end!

After we finished, we picked up our medals, a finisher t-shirt, some drinks and fruit and waited to reunite with Pily. She wasn't too far behind us, so she found us pretty quickly. After picking up our bags we went out to find Drew and the kids. At this point I told Nancy and Pily that I would NEVER do that again. There was no way they were going to talk me into running another one.

When we got home and showered I sat down and felt sick. I have felt this way after all the long runs. I don't know why I feel like that, but I do. It is a nauseous, dizziness, head-achey, shaky, feverish feeling. It goes away after several hours, but until it does I just feel horrible. This is the worst part and I KNOW it's coming every time. Maybe I am doing something wrong. I don't know.

So, a day after the run, I can't say that I will NEVER do another one. I think I MIGHT like to do ONE a year. I would also like to do some shorter runs (5k's 10k's) throughout the year to better prepare for a half-marathon. I need to learn how to pace myself and how to better prepare my body for a long run like a half-marathon. I don't want to do another one any time soon, though!

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Through all of this training I have to say that Drew has just been the best husband. He has been very supportive of me and has let me do what I need to do to train. On the days when I came home from a long run feeling sick he let me stay in bed as long as I needed to. He would even bring me food in bed and he took care of the kids so I wouldn't have to. I know this has been hard on him and I really appreciate all of his support. I love you, Sweetie!

Reason #1,398,387 Why I Should NEVER Cook

Drew is coaching a basketball game tonight, so it is my night to cook. My kids LOVE egg salad, so I choose to make this often when it is my night. When we get home, I put the eggs on to boil while I give Addison a bath. Then I decide to make some fruit salad to go with it. (Yes, I have read that Dr. Oz recommends eating fruit on an empty stomach, but I still like to have it with a meal.) I cut up some apples, add some Mandarin oranges, open a can of fruit cocktail (in lite syrup), cut up some bananas and sections a couple of grapefruit. I like to mix canned fruit with fresh fruit because it makes it sweeter and takes less time. I usually add some coconut and chopped pecans, too. Anyway, after I sectioned the grapefruit I put the remnants in the garbage disposal. Citrus makes the disposal smell good. I let it run for a minute or before I realized my feet were getting wet. I began yelling, "NO, NO, NO!" trying to get the water to stop coming out from under the sink. I came to my senses and turned the water off, but it just kept coming. I opened the cabinet under the sink and it looked like the sink had vomited grapefruit~ a rather LARGE grapefruit. The pulp and rind was on EVERYTHING under the sink and in the water that was filling the kitchen floor. Apparently, the pipe that connects the sink to the garbage disposal shook loose from all the disposing of the grapefruit. I just wanted to cry. Or crawl in bed. Or leave. Or eat a bunch of chocolate. But, I didn't. I put my big girl panties on and started to clean it up. Well, after I took a picture of it with my phone and text it to Drew and said that this is why I should NEVER have to cook. The boys brought me every old towel in the garage and I began cleaning up the mess. And what a mess it was. Right now the kitchen rugs and ALL the towels from the garage are in a heap in the back yard. I don't even know where to begin cleaning all of that up. Drew should be home soon to help me or, hopefully, do it for me. This just proves to me that I shouldn't cook ever again. Something ALWAYS happens when I am in the kitchen. Now where is that chocolate...

Not Really Sure How to Title This One!

Clearly I am not very good at keeping up with my blog. I have great intentions, then they go away! I am on Facebook a lot, so that has taken up a lot of my blogging time. I will try to do better. Now for a funny little story. You may think it is TMI, so consider this your warning! :0)

This morning Addie was calling me from the bathroom. I knew she wanted me to wipe her butt. She usually does it herself, but there are times when she feels like she needs a little assistance. I did the deed and she jumped off the potty. She looked down and said, "That's a big family." I replied, "Addison, that is NOT a family." She looked up at me and said, "Yes, it is. It is the Poop Family." Then I sent the Poop Family on their merry way!

30 Days of Truth~ Day 5

Day 5~ Something you hope to do in your life.

I could say travel or visit far away lands, but what I really hope to do in my life is retire! I have a great job, I have great friends at work, I get the summers off, I get to play with kids and have fun with them I get a pay check every month and I get to have my own kids at school with me. But I really hope that I will get to enjoy retirement one day. I didn't start working until I graduated high school (unless you count the month I worked at Six Flags when I was 16!) and I have been working ever since. I enjoy working for the reasons mentioned above, but, frankly, I'm tired! My body is tired. My mind is tired. I so look forward to the day when my biggest decision of the day is whether I want to actually get dressed or stay in my pajamas all day! I know everyone plans on retiring, but not everyone gets to do it. I just hope I make enough of the right decisions now so I can actually retire one day and enjoy it.

30 Days of Truth~ Day 4

Day 4~ Something you have to forgive someone for.

I can't really talk about the details, but I have to work on forgiveness daily. I was hurt very badly by someone in the past and I have yet to get over it. It may be because I was never apologized to by this person. I know that even though I may NEVER receive an apology, I must still forgive. I know it is holding me hostage. I know I won't have a good/honest relationship with this person until I forgive. Most of the time I do okay, but I have days where I relive the whole experience. I still have some (some days a lot) of resentment, but I think it is getting better. I'm sure time will help. I know this person wants to be in my life and wants to have a relationship with me and my family, so I have the desire to forgive. I know with time and with lots of prayer it will be made right. How is that for vague!

30 Days of Truth~ Day 3

Day 3~ Something you have to forgive yourself for.

Again, I have so many. First and foremost, I must forgive myself for not being a good daughter. Oh, how selfish I was growing up (and still struggle with). I only thought of myself and didn't really care about what was going on with other people. My mom and I didn't see eye to eye on very many things. I know now (since I am a mother) that she was just looking out for my best interest, but I didn't know that then. Then, I just thought she was trying to take the fun out of everything and I showed my resentment by being mean, rude and hurtful. How I wish I could take back all the mean, hurtful, disrespectful things I did. I know I can't take them back. I can't even ask my mom for forgiveness since she is no longer here, but I also know that I have to forgive myself. If I knew then what I know now, I certainly would have acted differently. But, the truth is, I did what I did and have had to live with the consequences~ guilt, shame, being shunned by family, etc. I know I can't take it back, but I can move forward. To move forward, I must forgive myself. I can only hope and pray that I will have open communication with my own children, so they won't have to go through some of the things I did. I will say that I have learned from my mistakes and really think about how my actions will affect others before I act. That doesn't mean that I still don't make mistakes, I am human. But, I am more aware of my actions and how they affect others than I was when my mom was still here. Mother/daughter relationships are difficult at best, but mine and my mom's was more than difficult. I said things just to hurt her and did things to her just to make her mad. I am not proud of these things and know that some people still hold these things against me, but I must forgive myself to move forward. I know I am a different person than I was just a few short years ago and will hopefully grow even more as the years pass. So, although I am ashamed of my past behavior, I must forgive myself. Hopefully, my mom knew I loved her and felt my love from time to time. This truth stuff is hard! :0)

30 Days of Truth~ Day 2

Okay, I should have seen this one coming. I thought about not doing this one, but then I would be a quitter after one day. I have more pride than that!

Day 2~ Something you love about yourself

I can think of a million things I don't like about myself, but finding something I love about myself is hard. I know most of us are like that. We don't want to sound boastful or anything, so we usually just talk about the things we don't like about ourselves.

I love that I am a child of God. I know that I know that I know I will see heaven one day. I know (and love) that I have been saved by a loving God and I don't have to worry about where I will spend eternity. I also know that I will see my sister and mom one day because they were Christians too. I love that, although I am unlovable, my God loves me no matter what~ flaws and all. I love that I have peace and reassurance about this daily.

On a different note, I love that I can laugh at myself. I mess up DAILY and I can usually laugh at myself about it. I am SO not perfect and I mess up A LOT, so I think the ability to laugh at myself comes in handy! :0) I try not to take myself too seriously. I like to laugh and since I mess up so much I might as well laugh at myself!

I love that I love with my whole heart, also. This may hurt at times, but in the end I know that loving fully is so worth it.

What do you love about yourself?

30 Days of Truth

I am copying this from another blog I read. She may not do this for 30 consecutive days, so I will just follow her lead and post when she does.

Day 1~ Something you hate about yourself.

There are several, but I will try to pick just one (or two!). I cry easily. Happy, sad, angry, overwhelmed, exhausted, embarrassed, nervous or frustrated all result in crying. Talking about my kids or any kids for that matter can bring on the tears, too. Just THINKING about my family makes my nose burn and eyes water. I will cry during TV commercials, too. Just today I watched Cougar Town and cried at the end when Courtney Cox was talking with her dad. If I see someone else crying, I cry. If I listen to music, I cry. I have told Drew many times that if there was one thing I could change about myself it would be that I cry way too easily. He, being the wonderfully supportive husband that he is, has told me that it is something he loves about me. He may love it, but I hate it. Just sitting here typing about this is making me tear up! For as long as I can remember, I have been this way. I guess I am just overly sensitive. I have tried to accept that this is the way God made me, but it is still embarrassing when I tear up for no apparent reason. I don't want to make people uncomfortable around me, so I try to hold it in as best as I can. I guess this is just something I will have to continue to live with.

The next thing I hate about myself is that if I am afraid I will fail at something I won't try it. I don't like to fail~ who does, right?! I know I have held myself back from some things because I am afraid of failure. I know this is just part of my insecurities (I have MANY), but it is still hard to overcome.

So, there you have it, two things I HATE about myself. I don't hate myself, there are just some things that I wish were different. What do you hate about yourself?

Progress

I have debated about blogging about this for a few weeks now, but I have decided to just go ahead and do it. If nothing else, it will be documentation for me that this truly did occur in my life!

I started doing Weight Watchers Online about mid-summer. I knew it would work because I have seen it work on other people. I didn't think I would last very long, though. I love to eat! I knew it would be hard to make the necessary sacrifices to lose weight. I am not terrible over weight, but I am heavier than I want to be (aren't we all!). My goal was/is to lose 20 pounds. So far, I have managed to lose 11. It has come off very slowly. Eleven pounds in three and a half months is not much to brag about, but at least it is coming off and not coming on! :0) I won't say I never stray from Weight Watchers, because I do. I'm sure it would come off a lot faster if I stuck with the program exactly, but I would like to enjoy life (and food) a little bit!

I also started training for a half marathon about six weeks ago. This is something I NEVER thought I would do. Running is just not my thing, but I decided to give it a go. I, along with a friend and my little sister, signed up to do the White Rock half marathon in December. Right now the training is going well. I run at the gym two days a week and do a long run on the weekends. I am also still strength training four days a week and doing some cross training two days a week. The last two weeks we have run eight miles on our long runs. Our average time per mile was just under 9 minutes per mile. Not too shabby, I guess. I don't really have anything to compare it to, though! This Saturday we will run 9 miles and I hope we can maintain the same pace. My original goal was to just finish the half marathon without walking, but I think I am going to have a time goal as well. We'll see how the rest of the training goes. I think I have six weeks left before race day.

So, with all this watching what I am eating and extra running going on I have managed to lose 11 pounds, but I have also gone down a size in my clothes. I have lost several inches all over my body (I took measurements before starting) and I am finally able to see a difference in my clothes. I still have days where I feel totally "fat," but those days are getting fewer and farther apart. I hope I can finally beat this horrible "fat trap" that I have been in. I really want to be comfortable with the body I have been given and don't want to obsess over every little thing I put in my mouth. It is a struggle, but I am hopeful that I can rise above it. Until then, I will continue to run and will try to do my best to eat healthy food each day.

Pictures

We have been VERY busy this week and last week and the week before that, well, you get the idea. So, I am just going to post some pictures I have taken lately. Enjoy!

Searching for Balance

Today I just needed some time to be still and quiet. I finished with my last class at school and the boys were in my office with me. They were doing what all kids do when they are together~ talk, make noise, touch each other, argue, etc... As I was sitting there trying not to lose it with them, it dawned on me~ I don't have any time during the day that I am able to just sit in silence. At the gym in the mornings there is music blaring. At home someone always needs something. At school, 400 someones need something. In the evenings we are making dinner (Yes, I make dinner sometimes!), taking baths, doing homework, getting ready for the next day, etc. Yes, I am thankful that I am able to go to the gym, spend time with my kids, have a job, cook dinner and do homework. I am just craving some time to sit in silence and rest, reflect and maybe breathe a little. When my life is hectic for long periods of time I feel myself coming unraveled. I feel like that right now. I need some time where I don't HAVE to do anything. I need some time with no responsibilities. Please tell me other people feel the same way. I don't want it to seem like I am ungrateful for all I have been given. I am so very thankful. How do you find the right balance? I am searching for that right now.

October

Tomorrow is October 1st. I have always loved October. I love the weather, football season and the fact that my birthday is in October. (It's the 18th in case you were wondering!) Growing up I would tell every one that I had a "Birth Month" and not just a birthday. I hoped it would bring me more gifts, but it didn't!



I don't love October as much as I used to. Six years ago on October 1st my mom died. (I blogged about it here a couple of years ago.) Her body wasn't found until October 3rd, so that date is her official date of death. We know she died on the first, though. She was wearing the clothes she had on at work on October 1st. One of her friends had driven home with her that day and confirmed this. So, even though her head stone says October 3, 2004 we know it was really on October 1, 2004 that she took her last breath.



I think of her all the time and still have the urge to pick up the phone and call her. I know one day I will see her again. I know that she was proud of me and loved my boys like no other grandmommy ever could. I know she knew I was taken care of and she was comforted by that.



I am thankful that my mom didn't suffer when she died. She had, evidently, lay down on her bed to take a nap after work and she never woke up. I imagine she never knew she was about to take her last breath and that she was completely peaceful when the life went out of her. There was no sign of a struggle and no indication that she suffered in any way. In that I take comfort.



Mothers and daughters have a dynamic relationship and ours was no different. I was not always the best daughter. I was not always patient. I didn't always say kind words. I didn't always show my appreciation for how hard she worked and the sacrifices she made raising two girls as a single mother. I haven't always been good at sharing my feelings and showing affection, but, I know for a fact that my mom knew I loved her.



So, even though October is a tough month for me now I will try to enjoy my "birth month" as much as I can. I know my mom would want me to do that.

My Super Sweet Son

Me: Eww. I took off all my makeup and I don't look so hot.

Jackson: But you are.

Could he be any sweeter?

Our Weekend

********If you are reading this and expecting to find great writing skill, you are going to be very disappointed! I am just writing to chronical the things that happen in our lives. I am no writer~ never have been and never will be. Read if you want!********

Friday I took off work to go to a funeral. One of my grandmother's brothers died last Sunday. My grandmother hasn't been feeling well lately and I wanted to see her. With school starting and all that goes along with that I haven't been able to get away. So, Friday I made the time. I knew seeing Addison would make her feel better, too, so I took her with me. She didn't know we were coming. I wanted it to be a surprise. She doesn't get too many surprises these days. I didn't take a change of clothes or anything to spend the night because I didn't want to be tempted to stay. I really didn't think they felt up to having company, so I didn't take a thing. I was glad I did this, because I would have stayed the weekend otherwise. I love it up there.

We left around 6:30 Friday morning which was about 30 minutes later than I had planned. I knew it would take 3 1/2 -4 hours to get to Broken Bow, so we didn't have any time to play with. I had to call them when we got to Honey Grove because I didn't think we were going to make it by the time the funeral started (10:00). She seemed genuinely surprised when I told her we were on our way. It was 8:30 when I called her and she didn't think we would be there in time either. I told her we would try our best to get there and that if we were late we would just slip in the back. We drove like crazy and didn't stop to even go to the restroom. We pulled up to the church just as the family was walking in at 9:59! We made it.

Addison went right to my grandparents and they were pleased as punch to have her sit with them. I was worried about her talking during the service, but she didn't make a peep. She and I talked about what was going to happen and I tried to tell her what a funeral was and what she would see and hear. She did great and I was very proud of her. At the grave site she sat with my grandmother and didn't make a sound there, either.

The church had lunch for the family and Addie enjoyed putting on a show for my grandparents! Of course, she wouldn't talk to any body else who tried to talk to her, but she talked to my grandparents and made them happy. My grandmother's aunt was there and tried to play around with Addie. I think she is 98 years old and seemed to enjoy "bugging" Addison. Addie didn't seem to mind, but when we left she said, "That old lady pulled my hair!" We hated to leave, but my grandmother was getting tired and needed to go home.

On the ride home Addie took a nap. It rained on us off and on the whole way. It took a little longer to get home because I didn't drive as fast through the rain. We were tired but very glad we went and even happier when we pulled into the driveway!

Saturday Nancy came over for our long run. It started raining as soon as she got there but we decided to run in the rain. We had a good time running and talking. We ran 6 miles in 56:16. Next week we are scheduled to run 7 miles. It has been fun having a running buddy. I never thought I would enjoy running with someone, but I really do. It makes the time go by so much faster. I feel like I am holding Nancy back because she runs faster than I do, but she says I am not. So, we will continue to train and keep our sites on our run date~ December 5th.

Later that afternoon I had an appointment to get my hair cut and colored. I have been trying to grow it out for the last 6 months or so. I decided to go a little darker with my color. Veronica added some red to it and I really like it. I always enjoy getting my hair done and spending some time alone without kids!

After my hair appointment I had an appointment to donate blood. I started donating three years ago when my dad was in the hospital having his by-pass surgery. They were having a blood drive that day and I have been donating ever since. It is something easy to do that can help save some one's life. This time, however, it was more painful than usual. I thought I was just being a wimp and didn't say anything about it hurting while the needle was still in my arm. When the needle was taken out of my arm I noticed that it was swelling and painful. A couple of people who worked there also commented on the color of my blood. It was very red compared to another bag of blood they held up next to it. I didn't really think anything about this. I don't see bags of blood every day so I don't know what is normal and what is not. They briefly wondered if the girl who stuck me had hit an artery instead of a vein, but decided that I didn't bleed fast enough to indicate they hit an artery. They still seem a little concerned, though.

I didn't say anything about the pain and went to eat my cookies and drink my water. (It's also a good excuse to have some cookies! I always get the Nutter Butters! I love those!) After standing there for just a minute I started to feel light headed and my arm started to hurt more. I showed my arm to Matthew, the guy who finished my draw, (I was his PE teacher many years ago when he was in elementary school. He is usually the one who draws my blood, but this time another person did it and he finished up with me.) asked if this was normal. It had never happened to me before. He got a strange look on his face and had me sit back down. He called a couple of people over to look and they seemed very concerned. I told them I was a little light headed and they raised my feet up. They started rushing around and this kind of scared me. They determined that the girl that stuck me went through my vein and blood was leaking out of the back of the vein. Whatever, I just knew it hurt and was swelling quite a bit.

Matthew got an ice pack and put it on my arm. He held it there for about 10 minutes putting constant pressure on my arm. He told me what to expect over the next few days (pain, bruising, tenderness) and got me some hot and cold packs to take home. When they determined that I was okay to leave, they sent me on my way.

In the car I called Drew. At this point my arm was so swollen I couldn't bend it to hold the phone up to my ear. I also had some waves of light-headedness as I drove home. Throughout the evening it became more and more sore. I kept ice on it for a little while and wrapped it up to keep some pressure on it. It was achy throughout the night and it starting to bruise some. It is very tender. I know it is going to be fine, but it may be tender for a while.

I haven't felt so great today. I don't think it has anything to do with my arm. I think I am just tired and worn out. We stayed home from church today and I went back to bed for a couple of hours. Hopefully I can get rested up today for the week. Life doesn't stop just because I am tired! :0)

So, that is how our weekend has gone so far. Right now the Cowboys are playing and actually winning, so I am going to go watch the rest of the game! Have a great week!

In Full Swing

School is in full swing and I am feeling it! I don't have the time (or energy) to do ANYTHING when I get home, so this blog has dropped way down on the priority list. We go home, take baths, make dinner, do homework and try to talk to each other a little bit before it is time to go to bed and do it all over again. Drew is gone on Monday and Tuesday evenings with football games and he doesn't get home until close to six on the other nights. I try to be in bed by 8:00 because I get up so early in the mornings. I know, I know, that is SOOOO early, but I have to try to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night or I can't make it through the next day. I have tried to stay up until 9:00, but I just can't. I know where I am weak and sleep is one of those places, so I just try to deal with it the best I can. I really don't have anything interesting or important to say, but I felt like I needed to post so my dad won't text me with a reminder! :0) Have a great day!

Dinner

Drew made a YUMMY brisket yesterday and we had lots left over. On the way home today I was trying to think of something I could make for dinner that was quick. I decided to chop up some of the brisket and heat it with some bar b que sauce. Yes, I am a genius, thank you. I cut up some watermelon, also. So, for dinner we had chopped brisket sandwiches, watermelon, pretzels (always need something crunchy!) and some left over corn and black bean relish. Addison and Jackson made some chocolate chip and pecan cookies (break and bake). While we were eating Bryson said, "Wow, Mom, you actually made something that tastes good." Was that a compliment?!?


Jackson and Addison were so cute "making" their cookies. Jackson set the temperature on the oven and got out the cookie sheet. Both of them had fun tearing the cookies apart and placing them on the cookie sheet. Addison opened the oven door and Jackson put the cookie sheet in the oven. (Don't worry, I was supervising the whole time.) Jackson set the timer and Addison pushed start. They were so proud of themselves and really felt like they "made" cookies! It was cute to see them working together.

This has turned into a bunch of random thoughts.

I had a great Saturday. I took the kids to the gym with me so I could go to my kickboxing class. Drew had to go give a scouting report, so they couldn't stay with him. That is okay, though, because they love going to the gym! Before I left Drew told me to just relax when we got home. He said he would clean the house. I am not one to disobey :0) so I followed his orders! When he got home he surprised me with a gift certificate for a mani/pedi. He wanted me to go yesterday, but I really didn't even want to leave the house. He started cleaning and I went outside to watch Addison play. We ate lunch and he went to get groceries. Addison went to her room to watch a movie and I went outside to read a magazine. The boys played in their rooms. After dinner (Drew ordered take-out from a Chinese food place.) I plopped down on the couch for some foot-rubbin'! I went to bed early with the help of two Simply Sleeps! What a great day! I wish every Saturday could be like that!

I slept for a little while and then couldn't sleep at all. I tossed and turned all night long. I guess my body can't take too much of a good thing!

Today Drew is making brisket. We plan on hanging out around the house all day watching football. I just wish it was a little cooler so it would feel like football season.

I think I mis-counted my "Days until Summer 2011" a couple of weeks ago. I am pretty sure the correct number is 254 as of today. So sorry if I have disappointed anyone! I put a counter on my side bar, but it just shows months, weeks and days. I will occasionally post the number of days in my updates because months just seem so long.

This has turned into a bunch of random thoughts, but I will just keep on going!

One of my good friends had her first baby last Monday. He is just beautiful and I can't wait to watch him grow. Welcome to the world, Baby Jack!

Jackson has learned to ride his bike like a pro. He loves to ride and asks every day if he can go ride his bike. Drew bought them helmets yesterday, so I feel better about their safety. Now we just need to teach them to stay out of the way of cars. They think they own the road and that the cars should move for them.

Tomorrow starts our "official" day of training for our half-marathon. It is really no different than what we have been doing. We are just going to add a long run day to our week. We run in 12 weeks and I hope I am ready! I have never run that far, so I am a little nervous that I won't be able to run the whole thing. That is my goal~ run the whole thing without walking.

I guess that is all for now. I am ready to relax the day away, again!

It's Labor Day and I don't feel like "laboring," so I am going to update with bullet points!

• We finished our second week of school. I had one BAD day, but I am determined to stay out of the funk I let myself get into last year. I pulled my big girl panties on and got over it! Here's hoping I can do that every time I have a bad day.
• It's a holiday weekend and I am LOVING it!
• Saturday I went running and didn't feel like I was going to die. The weather was beautiful at 7:30 in the morning and I was able to do 5 miles. Later, I took a nap on the couch while Drew rubbed my feet~ pure bliss! Around 4:00, we went to Drew's mom's house for our second annual Simmons' Back to School Blast. We had fun playing games, eating and hanging out. We stayed until 8:00 or so.
• Sunday we decided to clean the blinds, window sills and baseboards. Then I painted the baseboards. I did most of them a while back and just finished what I didn't get to before. I also painted our fireplace. It was already white, I just repainted it. It was looking pretty dirty.
• Today I went running again. It was a little windy, so I didn't run as fast. That's okay, though, I can't be "on" every time I run. I also got on the scale today and found that I have lost 10 pounds since the beginning of July! I have worked really hard at losing weight, so I have been waiting for the -10 pounds mark. I finally made it! I have 10-15 more to go. I am going to try to get it off before we run our half-marathon in December.
• We took the kids to the park. Addison and I played on the playground while Drew and the boys played baseball. There was another dad and his son playing, so they asked Drew if they wanted to join them.
• We went to Wal-Mart to get new inner tubes for the boys' bikes. Jackson has learned to ride his without training wheels and did a great job learning to turn around today. Last week (on trash day) he was using the neighbors trash cans to stop! Now he knows how to use his brakes and turn around. There is no stopping him now!
• Drew is grilling BBQ chicken tonight. I can't wait to eat. I am so HUNGRY! I haven't eaten much today so I can eat A LOT tonight!
• Addison will try a gymnastic class tomorrow. One of the little girls at Miss Linda's goes to gymnastics and we are going to see if Addison will participate with her there. We are going to a free trial class, so I am not making a commitment yet. She has been talking about and seems excited, but she's three and can change her mind and mood without a moments notice!
• Drew has his first middle school football game tomorrow. The craziness is about to begin. It doesn't help that I have signed up to lead a running club two days a week at school. I am determined to have a good attitude about working after school this year and not let busyness get me down. I will just have to put things in perspective and realize that most things that seem to go "wrong" really aren't big deals. How's that for being really vague!
• I have to go look in the oven now, Drew is baking rolls and they smell scrumptious!

Week One is over!

So, the first week of school is over. It is always good to get that first week out of the way. We reviewed rules and expectations, practiced some procedures and learned some new games. Now the real work can begin. By Friday, I was EXHAUSTED, though. I was in bed each night before 8:00. I know what you are asking. How do you get everything done at home and get in bed by 8:00? Let's just say that I have an AWESOME husband who does everything within his power to make sure I have very little to take care of during the evenings. The kids are at good ages, too. They help clean up the kitchen after dinner and can help do other things around the house. When they start having homework it will get a little tougher, but we can do it. We just have to work together and I have to not get so worked up about having everything in my house "perfect" all the time. Why, yes, I think I am growing up. Thanks for noticing! :0)

I am back to getting up at 4:00 in the morning to go to the gym. I meet a friend/co-worker there and we work out together every week day. We even take a kickboxing class together on Saturdays. In the next couple of weeks we are going to start training for a half-marathon. We are running in December, so we are going to be on a 12 week training schedule. We run three days a week right now, but we are going to have to make one of our running days a long-run day. Also, right now we run on the treadmill at the gym in the mornings. Running outside is a completely different running experience than running on a treadmill. We are going to run outside on our long-run days. That way we can still run/workout in the mornings, but get some outside running in on the weekends. My goal is just to finish the half-marathon. I am, by no means, trying to compete with anyone but myself.

Football season has started and I am starting the season with a better attitude than I did last year. Hopefully my good attitude will carry me through November. This year it helps that Drew's school starts 30 minutes later than the elementary schools. He is able to take Addison to Miss Linda's in the mornings. This cuts my morning commute almost in half. I am very thankful that he is able to do this for me. It has helped out TREMENDOUSLY!

Those are just a few of my thoughts from this week. I am hoping to update at least once a week now. I don't even know if anyone reads this anymore besides my dad, but that is okay. At least he will know what is going on with us!

Oh, and for those who are counting down with me: only 267 more days until Summer 2011!

Another Year and Some Random Thoughts

Tomorrow starts another school year. I have always loved the first day of school. When I was little I had trouble sleeping the night before the first day. Now I just take a little sleep aid to ward off any anxious thoughts! :0) I love the promise a new year brings and I love that the kids are on their best behavior at the beginning of the year.

Bryson will start 5th grade this year and Jackson will be in 1st grade. This will be the last year Bryson is in school with me. I have enjoyed being with him each day and watching him grow as a student. It's not always fun being his PE teacher, but that's a small price to pay to have him at the same school with me.

Addison will be in school in two more years. She so wants to go to school NOW. She knows when she turns 5 she will get to go to school and have her own teacher and a desk. She says she wants to go to ballerina school, so I may need to brush up on some ballerina techniques to teach her in PE in a couple of years! I am so amazed at how fast time is moving. I know it just makes me sound old, but time just seems to go by faster and faster every day!

I didn't do a very good job making the boys read over the summer, so we will see how much they have regressed. I know, I know, I should have MADE them read a little every day, but we were just too busy having fun to stop and read! Judge me if you will, but we thoroughly enjoyed our summer. We may just have to play catch up for a few weeks. It was totally worth it! :0)

We had our No Technology Tuesdays for several weeks until Drew finished summer school. That worked out well. It was harder on me than it was on the kids to stay away from the TV and computer. We played games and actually talked to each other on those days. We even read some. Does that make me a better mom in your eyes? Oh, who am I kidding, you know what kind of mom I am!

This year I am planning on spending less time on the computer after work. I don't know how ofter I will blog. I am planning to clean one room every evening after work so we don't have to spend a couple of hours on Saturday cleaning the house. I will let you know how that goes.

I am going to try to have a better attitude this year than I did last year. I got really down and depressed last year. It lasted for several weeks and I don't want that to happen this year. It is no secret that football season is hard on me. Drew knows this and he tries to make things as easy for me as he can. Football requires a lot of his time and he is gone at least three nights a week. I am basically a single parent most of the time and that is hard. I don't see how my mom managed to raise two girls by herself all those years. I would not wish single parenthood on anyone. It is NOT a fun job. Anyway, I am going to work really hard on my positive attitude and see if I can make it through this year better than I did last year. I barely survived last year. It was BAD.

Hopefully, I will be able to report back in later this week and let you know how wonderfully the first week of school was. Until then, have a great week!

• Made my breakfast
• Packed some extra clothes for the kids for Meet the Teacher night
• Took my staff shirt to school to wash it because I forgot to wash it the night before
• Took Addie to Miss Linda's
• Met me for lunch and had my lunch waiting for me when I got there
• Drove back to my school after he was already home because I accidentally left my car key in the bag he took home for me
• Went to WalMart after I got home to pick up some "stuff" that I needed DESPERATELY
• While at WalMart he picked up some things for school that I mentioned needing
• Brought home some ice cream (Blue Bell Blackberry Cobbler in case you were wondering!)

These are most of the things Drew did for me on Thursday. I don't know what I would do without him.

Perfect Day

I think today was about as perfect as a day can get. I went to my kickboxing class this morning without having to take the kids to the kids club at the gym. While I was gone, Drew cleaned the house, changed the sheets and did the laundry. When I got home I took a long, hot bath~by myself (Yes, this is rare! Usually, Addison has to join me and that is anything but relaxing!). Then Drew went to the store to get our groceries for the week. We stayed home and ate lunch. After eating lunch, I took a nap on the couch while Drew rubbed my feet. Then he made homemade salsa and fajitas. Oh my goodness, it was SO yummy! Now, we are waiting for it to cool off a little bit so we can all go for a walk in the neighborhood. It doesn't get much better than this!

It's back to work on Monday, but I won't think about that right now. I don't want to ruin my perfect day.

Oh, yeah, only about 286 days until Summer 2011!

More Pictures!

Pily is here for the weekend. She had an interview this week in Fort Worth, so she decided to stay the weekend and hang out. She and Addie have had a great time playing together. Pily is starting to see Addie's personality shine. She is one crazy girl! (Addie, not Pily!)

Friday we went to NRH2O for the day. I only got two pictures while we were there. I was too busy playing and trying to spend time with each of the kids separately. We had a good time. I hope to go back one more time before we have to return to work. I just wish Pily was here all the time to help me out!

Addison is becoming quite the little fish in the pool. She is essentially teaching herself how to swim. She can swim about 6-8 feet underwater by herself. About 3 weeks ago she realized she didn't need to be afraid of the water. Since then she has done great swimming. Of course, I am right there to help her if she needs it.

Last week we ventured up to Oklahoma to "The Pond." A couple of my cousins and their kids were there for a few days with us. My Aunt Pat was there, too. I did get some pictures of her, but she told me not to publish them! She was in her swimming suit so I totally understand. Just trust me that she was there with us!

This is a picture of my grandmother and Caitlin (my cousins' oldest daughter) on their back deck.

Grandmother and Addie.

Saturday we went to Broken Bow Lake. It is about 30-45 minutes from the pond. The water there was COLD! It is spring fed and was pretty chilly. It took us a while to get in.

Once they were in, they were good. My cousins' wife, Jo, swam around with the kids while I took some pictures. She was so good and patient with them. Maybe because her two kids had been with Nana all week! :0)

More swimming around.

Jackson

My grandmother hanging out at the lake. I think she had a good time watching the kids swim. We packed a cooler and had lunch out there, too.

Jackson caught a grasshopper. That will always make a little boy happy!

The water was so cold Addison didn't want to get in much. She spent most of her time playing in some water we put in a plastic tub.

The Relaxation Station!

Jackson and Cameron hanging out. They thought they were pretty cool with their shirts off!

Addie and Granddad. He read Cinderella to her over and over again. She loves her great-granddad!

Addie and Jackson fishing at the pond.

Jackson.

Addie.

Homemade ice cream! Yummy!

Hi Ya! Jackson being silly as only Jackson can be!

Taste test. Bryson is almost as tall as my grandmother. When did this happen?

Addie waiting for some more ice cream!

Drew. I'm sure he was happier than he appears in this picture. Why wouldn't you be happy at the pond?

My country girl.

Bryson climbing the rope. This is one of their favorite activities.

There, that's more like it!

My cute little girl posing for the camera.

Jackson and Grandmother on the four-wheeler. He can drive now when he has an adult with him. This is his absolute favorite thing to do. He feels so grown up when he is driving.

Addie, again.

Jackson climbing the rope. He wasn't too happy here. He made it to the top and got scared. We told him he had to find a way to get himself down. He made it, finally.

I just love the way Addie is looking at her daddy in this picture. I wish I could have known what they were talking about.

Fishing on the dock.

See, I was there too. Don't you just love my necklace Addie made me. I wore it proudly!

CHEESE!

We have had such a fun summer and I am sad to say that it is almost over. Why does it have to go by so quickly? We have one more week before we have to officially be back at work, but I'm afraid I am going to spend this next week gearing up for it.

Summer, you were great and I can't wait until we meet again in 296 days. But, who's counting!?!

July~ in pictures

I don't know where July went, but I do have some pictures to prove that it was, in fact, here. Instead of trying to summarize everything that we have been doing, I am just going to post a bunch of pictures and comment about each one. It will be less wordy this way! :0)

We have spent a lot of time this summer watching the boys play baseball. After several rain-outs they finally got to play. Jackson loves playing and Bryson is starting to enjoy it. This is Bryson's first year to play, so he was a little behind some of his teammates.


Jackson hit a double in his last game. He is turning into a pretty good hitter! This is him running from second to third.

Bryson usually gets a hit or two in his games, too. This, of course, is his favorite part! In his last game he received the game ball. He was very excited about that and has displayed his ball proudly in his room.

Last Saturday, we left for San Antonio. Bryson took this picture of us at the Guenther House. It is a little restaurant right next to the Pioneer Flour Mill. They have the BEST cinnamon rolls and pastries EVER and I HIGHLY recommend going there if you are ever in San Antonio. Their other food is good, too. (They are only open for breakfast and lunch.)

I took this picture of Addison while we were waiting for a table at the Guenther House. It is just beautiful there.

Addie just waiting and being cute!

After we ate at the Guenther House we went to El Mercado and walked around a little bit. We have been there every time we have gone to San Antonio. We were trying to think of something to do after that and remembered passing a Dave and Busters on the way to breakfast. We knew the kids would enjoy playing video games and we would enjoy being someplace inside out of the San Antonio heat and humidity. While we were there two different people gave us their cards with tickets left on them. The tickets are used to redeem prizes. One card has almost 2,000 tickets on it and the other had over 500. With our tickets we one plus the two cards given to us we had almost 5,000 tickets! The kids had as much fun in the store as they did playing the games. All three got the suckers pictured above and some other things. Drew and I got four Dave and Buster glasses, because we are classy like that! Next time you come over, ask for a drink in one of our new glasses! :0)

After two nights in San Antonio, we drove to Medina Lake to stay at Drew's Aunt Jeannie and Uncle Wayland's house. All the cousins were there along with aunts and one uncle. (Sadly, Uncle David had to work.) Drew's mom (Gram) was there, too. Aunt Kelly bought water guns for every one. That was a lot of fun! She sure knows what the kids like! Thanks, Kelly!

This is Jackson swimming in the lake the first day we got there. They were a little unsure of the water because they have watched too many episodes of River Monsters. It didn't help that Drew and Matthew kept screaming like girls when the fish would try to nibble their moles off their backs! Gross, I know!

Jackson and Taryn took a raft ride in the lake. They were so cute paddling together.

Addison walking down to the lake from the house. She made it all the way down without shoes. It is very rocky and I know that had to hurt.

Landri swimming in the lake.

Kelly relaxing on the Relaxation Station. We had fun sitting on this talking and soaking up the sun. Thanks, Drew for buying this for us to use!

Drew swimming in the lake.

Landri, Aunt Jeannie and Addison. They just LOVED her. She sang songs to them and treated them like they were her own. Thanks, Aunt Jeannie for loving on them so much!

Jackson and Jarrett riding on the pontoon boat.

Jarrett.

Addison

ME!

Kian.

Addison and Landri. These two little girls really had a good time playing together.

Drew on the boat ride.

Uncle Wayland driving us around.

This is what the sky looked like when we were riding around in the boat. It was so pretty.

Jackson and Addison playing on the back deck.

Landri posing for a quick picture. She loves to have her picture taken.

I tried to get a picture of all of them, but I only managed to get 6 out of the 8.

All the adults~ Carrie, Matthew, Cheryl, Me, Drew, Aunt Jeannie, Uncle Wayland and Kelly.

On Tuesday, some of us ventured over to Bandera. We were driving around in a neighborhood and in a vacant lot we noticed a deer. She had a baby deer near her and as we were looking around we noticed 5 or 6 other deer in the same lot. I'm sure the neighbors thought we were crazy taking pictures of deer that they probably see all the time.

Bryson in the lake.

Carrie on the Relaxation Station.

I just love this picture of Jonathan! Something was pretty funny.

Kian on the Relaxation Station.

ME!

Kelly.

Addison fell asleep in Aunt Jeannie's lap. She just had too much fun that day!

Landri and Addison "helping" Aunt Jeannie make ice cream. She makes some good ice cream! Her Big Red ice cream is YUMMY!

Me with two sweet girls~ Addison and Landri.

This is the room Drew and I stayed in. It is so cute.

Addison on the boat.

Right before we left one of Drew's cousins showed up with his kids. He took some of them for a ride on a small sail boat. Jackson thought this was pretty cool!

We packed a lot of fun into four days! Summer is winding down and that makes me really sad. I have had a great time this year relaxing and spending time with family. We have one more trip planned before we have to be back, so be on the lookout for more pictures!