I Survived

Here I Come

And There I Go

Today I ran my first 5k race. I have walked the Race for the Cure 5k for the last 5 or 6 years, but wanted to see if I could manage running. Ten weeks ago I started the Women Can Run Run/Walk Clinic. I went to the track twice a week with the other participants and trained to run a 5k. We started out running for one minute and walking for four. As the weeks went by, we worked our way up to running for 30 minutes straight, and today we graduated by running the race. I managed to run the entire 3.1 miles, and was invigorated afterward. I was stoked when I crossed the finish line and forgot to even check the clock to see what my time was. The results should be posted in a day or two, but I think it was around 37-38 minutes. Definitely not blazing speeds, but I am still very proud just to have finished. One of the most amazing feelings of the whole race was when I saw my family standing on the sidelines cheering me on. It made my feet a little lighter and gave me that extra push to carry on. And believe it or not, I actually look forward to doing it again.

Tipsy Pots

These are my Mother's Day gifts from my family this year. Aren't they neat? I had been wanting to add some planters to my deck and these neat pots are what we got. I love the unique look and even more I love that Brian built them and the kids helped to plant the flowers. Now I just have to remember to water them.

Christmas Traditions

I was recently reading an article about Christmas traditions that got me to thinking about some of the traditions in our family. One of the few things that we have done every year since the kids were born is that they always get to open one gift on Christmas Eve. They have caught on to the fact that it is always a new pair of pajamas. I just thought it was nice for them to have nice new pj's on in all the Christmas morning pictures. We of course leave milk and cookies for Santa. Before they were born, I bought a little plate that says Cookies for Santa and a mug that says Milk for Santa.

There are some traditions that I remember from childhood. We always got fruit in our stockings...though we didn't always have a stocking...sometimes Santa would leave the fruit in a bowl that he borrowed from my mom's kitchen. I also remember going for drives on Christmas Eve to look at lights. We would always manage to see Rudolph's nose blinking. Of course this was long before you could track Santa's route on the Internet. I also remember my sister always waking up extremely early on Christmas morning. That was the only morning that she was an early riser...and the only morning my dad ever wanted to sleep in.

While reading this article, I came across a tradition that I think I would like to add to our Christmas. Save your Christmas cards in a small basket and then each night pull out the top one and add that family to your nightly prayer. Then tuck their card to the back of the pile. Continue that nightly and you will spend the year praying for your loved ones.

Christmas Toys

So when you get yourself a new toy for Christmas, do you put it under the tree and make yourself wait until Christmas to enjoy it? Usually I would answer that question, "Yes." But this year it seems the answer is no. After five years of arm twisting, Brian finally talked me into getting a laptop. It was delivered today, and yes we are now using it. I haven't formed an opinion on it yet, but I figure I will grow to love it.

On another note, the weather has turned frightful, and I don't like it. Yesterday it was near 70 degrees and today we had sleet and freezing rain. The roads were covered in slush as we headed home from work early. The kids are going to be thrilled to find out in the morning that they don't have to go to school though. As for work, Brian's employer has announced they will begin work at 10, so we will at least get a late start to the day if nothing else.

I Love My Sis

My sister and me on Thanksgiving. And I even remembered to smile.

Best Thanksgiving Quote

"You looked better when you were fat." And no she wasn't commenting on the turkey.

Mmmmm - Thanksgiving

So, Thanksgiving is only a week away, and already my mouth is watering thinking about all of the holiday favorites that will be adorning my grandma's table. Of course, one of my all time favorites is the dressing. I love my mom's dressing - it is always so moist. I have never been good at making it myself but I am considering trying a recipe I have found for Crock Pot Cornbread dressing. If it turns out good, I will share it.

I am going to be taking deviled eggs - Skylar's all-time favorite - and sweet potato casserole. I love sweet potatoes. I may also whip up a crustless pumpkin pie since that is Stephen's favorite. Oh my poor waistline. It is already expanding just thinking about all of the food.

So, what are your favorite can't have Thanksgiving without it foods? Feel free to share in the comments section.

Fire the Canons

While on vacation we visited the Pea Ridge National Military Park. While I don't call myself a history buff by any means, for some reason the civil war era is quite interesting to me. This is the second battle field that we have visited. Last year we went to Shiloh in Tennessee. There were not nearly as many monuments at Pea Ridge, but the film they showed was much better. There were also a lot fewer people there so we were better able to enjoy ourselves. Stephen really enjoyed it, though Skylar was more than ready to leave soon after we arrived.

Christmas in July

Well we made it back from vacation - whether we wanted to or not. We had a very enjoyable time. We saw lots of interesting things, rested, swam, shopped and did all the things you are supposed to do on vacation. I am ready to go again.

We visited the Daisy Airgun Museum while in Rogers. It was a neat little place telling the story of the B-B Gun. If you know Brian at all you know that one of his all time favorite movies is A Christmas Story. And if you have ever seen the movie, you know it revolves around a little boy who badly wants an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle. Well we saw the official rifle made especially for the movie as well as a replica of possible one of the most famous lamps in the history of movies...see for yourself.

Now that - if you didn't know is one major award!!!

A Little Time Off

Well it's vacation time again. And I am sooooooo ready. This year we decided to stick close to home. We are going to be spending a few days in Northwest Arkansas. We will only be about 2.5 hours from home, but at least we will be somewhere. We don't really have anything scheduled to do. We are just going to play it by ear. I know there will be swimming as Skylar's only requirement was that the hotel have an indoor pool. In fact she just wanted to go back to the same place we went last year. So of course, I obliged her by finding an indoor pool. We really just plan on relaxing. Maybe seeing a movie - there is still a drive-in movie theater up in that area. Of course, I am sure there will be some shopping. Stephen was even excited to hear there were some Civil War battlegrounds near there. He really must have enjoyed that last year. Anyway, I am sure we will find plenty to keep us busy, and I will try to give a full report - or at least some pictures - when we return.

Valentine's Day

There were no cut flowers, no chocolates, no balloons, no teddy bears - no none of the traditional gifts most people expect to get on Valentine's day. Brian has always been good at coming up with the most original gifts. I received this cute t-shirt with the Chinese symbol for love on it - personalized with our names and anniversary. He also gave me a personalized coffee cup with the symbol for eternity on it. The kids each gave me a miniture rose bush that hopefully I can keep alive long enough for spring to arrive so I can plant them outside.

I gave Brian the shelf you see behind me in the photo. My mom and dad built it to hold ALL of the cd's and dvd's that we have. The sad thing is that after loading everything in it there is only one empty shelf left. Luckily the shelves are adjustable and I have already requested a few more. The funny thing is that it has been sitting in my parents' living room where Brian has seen it almost daily as they worked on it. He never once suspected that it was for him. In fact, earlier this week he asked my mom if they could build a shelf to go on top of our entertainment center to hold our dvd's. She found that quit amusing and told him it would have to wait until they finished some other projects.

So there you have it - our Valentine's day in a nutshell. Now if I could just remember to smile when I am having my picture taken.

One Room at a Time

On a rare occasion, I wake up in the mood to clean. It doesn't happen very often. In fact it doesn't happen nearly often enough, but I have been bitten by the cleaning bug twice already this year. New Year's Day, I tackled our computer room/closet. Today it was the living room. What started out as just vacuuming, ended with what most would classify as "spring cleaning." With Brian's help, all of the furniture was moved, everything got dusted, and even the corners were vacuumed. The only thing left to do is clean the carpet and then install a device to electrically shock the kids when they deposit their junk in the floor... wonder if they make one of those...hmmm.

So now that two rooms in my house are presentable, I have a new goal. At some point in my life, I would like for my whole house to be clean at one time. Usually, I can manage to get one or two rooms in the house to a point that I would not pretend not to be home if someone showed up unexpectedly, but to have them all clean at once almost seems like an unattainable feat. There are always a couple of little elves going behind me messing faster than I can clean, dirtying laundry and dishes at an unimaginable pace. Those same elves seem to magically disappear at the mere mention of cleaning.

If you have any tips on keeping a house clean, short of locking everyone outside, please let me know. In the meantime, I will continue to tackle it one room at a time, hoping the cleaning bug bites a little more often. And if you happen to show up at my house unexpectedly, and no one answers the door, but you are sure someone is at home, you will know that the elves have been hard at work.

What a Rip Off - or Why I Don't Go to the Movies

After Thanksgiving, we promised Stephen that if he reached a given number of Accelerated Reader points before the Christmas break, we would take him to the movies. Well, he reached his goal, so yesterday afternoon we made good on our promise.

Now we are not a movie going family by any means. The last time we loaded everyone up and headed to the theater was when Cars was released. I think Brian and I have each been once since then - though not together - that would sound too much like a date. And lets not forget that I am a notoriously cheap person. So when we reach the ticket window and it costs us $24 for the 12:45 matinee, I was a little more than mildly annoyed, but hey we promised.

So we go into the 1/2 full theater and pick out 4 seats and patiently wait to be entertained. And wait. And wait. I only remember going to the movies a few times as a child, but I saw my fair share in my teen years. The way I remember it was, you saw 2 or 3 previews and then the feature started. If you arrived at the theater more than 10 minutes after the start time, you were bound to miss the opening of the movie. Not now. When the theater finally darkened, we were first shown previews, but a solid 10 minutes of commercials. Yes, paid advertising on the big screen. This was followed by previews for more movies than I could count, and finally 25 minutes after the advertised start time of the movie, we actually got to see the movie.

We watched Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was very cute and the kids really enjoyed it. They have been quoting one-liners ever since we left. However next time we decide to bribe the boy, I am going to suggest we buy a movie and stay home. At least then we can afford some popcorn to go with it...

Merry Christmas to All

Hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas...I just wanted to share a few pictures of some of our Christmas traditions. Gift pictures will follow in a few days - maybe.

Brian's tradition is lights. He likes to think of himself as the Clark Griswold of Oppelo. He loves adding something new every year to his light display.

This is our outdoor manger scene we added a few years back. This sign in the background is this year's addition. We like to remind everyone of the real reason we celebrate.

No Christmas Eve would be complete without leaving a snack for Santa. Every year we set out cookies for the big guy. This year's fare was a 100-calorie pack because we heard that Santa was watching his weight.

Just a Pic

Here are my 2 kiddos and my nephew on Thanksgiving...

My Adoring Fans

I was informed that my fans miss me. Well I really appreciate that. I think I am about to get over being sick. I still have a headache and a cough that rears its ugly head a little too often for my liking but I do feel much better.

All is well with the kids as well. Skylar is no longer sick and Stephen hasn't caught anything yet. We did all wait patiently in line Friday afternoon to get our flu shots. Hopefully that will prevent us all from getting that dreaded wintertime illness. If you haven't got your shot yet I highly recommend it.

Skylar is going to be the flower girl in a wedding this Saturday. We spent all weekend looking for shoes. Who knew it would be so hard to find a simple pair of white dress shoes in her size. Everywhere we went either didn't have ANYTHING in white or her size. By the time we finally got sick of looking, we settled for a pair of strappy white shoes that are almost sandals. Not what I was looking for but they will do.

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is only a week away. The kids will both be out of school for the entire week. I think I will take an extra day or two off myself, if it works into the schedule here at work. We don't have any definite plans yet. When or should I say whether we do anything with Brian's family depends on how his dad feels. He has his last chemo treatment this week. If he feels up to it we will have Thanksgiving there on Thursday at lunch. When my family will get together hasn't even been discussed yet. Somehow we always get stuck scheduling around everyone's other plans.

I would like to go to my grandmother's as well this year. I haven't been there for any holiday in years. I have finally gotten past all of my personal problems with her and it just feels like it's time to let my kids get to know her a little better. She turned 80 a couple of month's ago, so there may not be that many holiday's left to celebrate with her at all.

Checkup Time

We took the kids to the doctor today for their annual checkups. All is well. They were none to happy to find out they needed booster shots though. Skylar had 4 and was definitely not happy by the time they had stuck her 4 times. She was very brave though, holding back most of the tears as she clung tightly to daddy. After seeing Skylar be so brave, Stephen had to be brave to, but you could tell he didn't really want to. He only had to have 2 shots, and it is a good thing because I don't think I could have held him for anymore. He is getting so big.

Tomorrow is the big party. I have the cake almost complete. Just a few finishing touches to finish up in the morning. I know all day we will hear, "Is it almost time for my party?" "How much longer until my party?" It almost makes me wish I had scheduled it for early morning instead of afternoon.

Brian made it home fine yesterday. Other than a bad headache, he had no ill effects from the flight home. He took off work today to recouperate. I hope that by tomorrow his headache is gone, and he is good as new.

Better Days

Well if all goes as planned Brian will be getting on a plane and heading home soon. They released him from the hospital yesterday afternoon with a diagnosis of vertigo and his equilibrium was out of balance. Now Brian is one of those people who gets dizzy just watching the kids on the merry-go-round, so one would expect the sudden room spinning induced by vertigo to make him sicker than a dog - and it did. At least that is what the doctors said. He seems to be feeling better but isn't looking forward to the plane ride home.

On another note - 4 years ago today (at 4:09 AM to be exact) Skylar made her debut into the world. She is very excited that it is her birthday and she can't wait until her party on Saturday. Of course it will be a princess party because after all she is a princess - just ask her. I will be sure to post pictures of the cake and the birthday girl blowing out all of those candles.

Don't Ask Why

It is hard not to ask why when bad things happen to good people. Romans 8:28 says,

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

I know God has a plan and everything works together for his plan, but it seems here lately that so many things have been happening that are hard not to question.

Brian's cousin and close friend was diagnosed with colon cancer last week. He is only 35 years old, and he has two young boys. They did surgery yesterday and found that it had spread to his lymph nodes. The prognosis isn't good. I know that God can work miracles, but it is still hard not to wonder why this is happening. I will be praying daily for a miracle, as well as for God to give him the strength to endure, and the comfort that only God can provide.

Another friend of mine lost a cousin to cancer yesterday. He was only 40 and had only been diagnosed for seven weeks. It progressed extremely fast. He left a wife and three children. His family really needs our prayers during this time. I can't imagine how they must be feeling. They are a Christian family as well, so I pray that they receive comfort from God during this heartbreaking time.

Meanwhile, it really makes me thankful for my health as well as the health of my family. It also makes me realize how important it is to see a doctor at the first sign of anything out of the ordinary. I will be making an appointment soon just to get a checkup and I suggest that you all do the same.

Up All Night...

Up all day - hey wait - that's not how Slaughter sings it. But so goes my life. Friday night was the Relay for Life and needless to say there wasn't much sleeping going on, but I did enjoy it anyway. The plan was for me and the kids to leave around nine and go home and get some sleep, then Brian would come home around two and I would go back. But by the time the luminary service and the fireworks were over (which the kids insisted on staying to see) it was nearly 11:30 before we got home and in bed. Then at 2:15 I was up again. Nobody could believe I actually came back. Trust me it was tempting to stay there in my nice warm, comfortable bed, but when I say I will do something, I try my best to do it. I went back and stayed until 6:45. I was back home by 7, and after walking almost 38,000 steps or 12.5 miles in 24 hours my body was weary. But I had a hard time sleeping. I napped until 9 am then I was up the rest of the day. I still haven't completely recovered, but I will survive.

I went to a family reunion Saturday. I wasn't really in the mood considering my lack of sleep, but I did enjoy getting to see some cousins that I haven't visited with in a while. It was also a boost to my ego because several people that had not seen me in several years had to ask who I was. They couldn't believe how much weight I had lost. That was definitely an nsv for me.