Monday, September 27, 2010

1/2 Marathon Photos


Sprinting to the finish line. People were yelling "way to finish" and "go sprinter!" It was fun :)
There were a ton of great moments during the race, here are a few...
1. Running behind a couple of ladies with the verse "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" on the back of their shirts. A great motivator. I almost felt bad when I passed them, but not really :)
2. I was about 8 miles into the race when a great christian song came on the radio. It was about how each moment in life is important. During one line of the song it says "it doesn't matter how far you've run, but how much you've loved" I wanted to yell '"now you tell me" :)
3. When I approached the finish line I heard Aaron yell "Go Amy!!"
4. Laughing (inside) at the people who started walking a 1/2 mile into the race..really??
5. Running across the 74 bridge, it was beautiful :)
6. Watching the marathon winners run past me. They make it look so easy!
7. Crossing the finish line and knowing I had beat my goal time by 15 minutes!
8. My kids telling me "you were fast!" Oh how I love them :)
If you are wondering how I'm feeling..well lets just say I'm hobbling :) But I am looking forward to next year!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

2:15 Baby!

I completed my first half marathon this morning! I had two goals 1-run the entire 13 miles 2-finish by 2:30. I am happy to say that both goals were met :) I finished at about 2 hours 15 minutes! :)
Me and the kids after the race

Friday, September 24, 2010

Day After Tomorrow

Today is going to be crazy. We have a few odds and ends to finish in school. Followed by a long reading time. Joshua is finishing up "The Secret Garden" and Asher is reading "The Mouse & the Motorcycle". And if the weather holds out we will be heading to the local pumpkin patch for a field trip.

The kids and I will also be packing for a weekend trip to Grandma Sandy's. Normally this would be an easy task. But I will be running a 1/2 marathon on Sunday. As a result I need to bring all my "stuff". All my race clothes and supplies (water belt, race belt, nutrition, shoes.). I will also be bringing all the food I need to make dinner for everyone on Saturday night. Something I am excited to do. What a runner eats the day before the race is REALLY important.

I also need to pack everything for my breakfast the morning of the race (blender, protein powder, frozen fruit, yogurt, cooked turkey bacon- which I have not cooked yet). That is just my stuff. I also need to pack clothes, snacks, and supplies for all the kids.

In the middle of this craziness I am feeling awesome! I can't believe that the day after tomorrow I will be running the QC half marathon! I have been training for this race for three months. I remember telling Aaron I could never run a 1/2. At that time I thought my max was 3 miles. And here I am packing to leave for the race :) I can't wait to line up at the start, to run over the 74 bridge, and to accomplish my goal!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Friday Night Project

When I get an idea in my head I normally run with it (which is sometimes good, sometimes not so good). Today I thought, wouldn't it be cute to dress up Elliana's play house? She needed a board put under it to make it a little bit easier to play in (it had a dirt floor). Why not go a little crazy and make it adorable? So one trip to Menards and 1 1/2 hours later she has a cute little cottage :)
Before
After
Elliana was speechless! She especially liked the stepping stones :)

Thursday, September 16, 2010

One Phone Call Away

My love for my family, both immediate and extended, puts me in a situation that is less than comfortable. I have learned throughout my life that each day is a gift. These wonderful people God has put in my life can disappear in an instant. I am literally one phone call away from my knees. And so are you.

Because I love these mortal beings so much, I worry about them. I want my kids, my husband, my brothers and sisters, and my parents to be healthy and live long lives. Not only for themselves but (selfishly) for me. I want to always have these gifts in my life. The thought of losing even one of these treasures terrifies me. Yet I know that this is a possibility, everyday. So I endeavor to daily lay these beloved beings at the feet of Jesus. Sending petitions for their safety.

Most days that is enough to quench my anxiety. Yesterday was not one of those days. Tuesday night Aaron and I noticed another bump on Asher's forehead. It wasn't little. In fact it looked like he had been hit really hard or fallen very far. There were two problems with this lump. 1. This was not the first time we had noticed a bump on his head. In the past we had seen them several times, but we assumed he had gotten hit and didn't remember. 2. I was with him all day and night. I knew for a fact that he had not been injured.

My momma brain started freaking out. Worst case scenario for me was cancer. So I started researching signs and symptoms. I stumbled upon Leukemia. Two symptoms matched.

Asher went to bed and woke up with a bigger knot on his head. Aaron and I agreed that he needed to see the doctor. I called and prayed the nurse would get me in ASAP (in the past the bumps come and go). She called me back within an hour and had me in Wednesday morning. The doctor, who normally acts laid back, went into action when he saw Asher's bump. He said he wanted to run a full spectrum blood test to rule out the serious stuff. He started to use a bunch of words that I had read the night before, when I was researching Leukemia. So I told him, "I am afraid that its Leukemia." He said "That is what the blood test will tell us."

Asher was super brave during the blood draw. He wiped away a few tears but he didn't say a word. We went home and waited. The doctor had assured me that the results should be back by the end of the day. It was 11:30 am, how long must I wait.

The hours went by slowly, we attempted to go about our day like normal. But I was only half present. Part of my mind was constantly worrying, nervous, anxious about this one phone call. I stared at Asher's bump all day. It was a constant reminder of my fears. Aaron came home from work and still no phone call. Then at 4:15 pm the phone rang.

I was completely aware that this one phone call, this one conversation could change our lives forever. It would either break our hearts and cause uncontainable sorrow, or bring complete and utter joy. I answered and the nurse started saying a bunch of words about his blood test results. The only ones that I remember are "normal" and "nothing in his blood shows Leukemia". I made her repeat it twice and she and I were both laughing and full of joy.

Thank you Lord for getting Aaron and I through yesterday. I will endeavor to stay on my knees for those I love. Leaving them at the feet of Jesus. And praise God that He will be with me on the good days and on the days when I am one phone call away from falling to pieces.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

A new view on beauty..

I listened to an amazing sermon this morning about beauty. It was given by Pastor Bob Smart at Christ Church. I encourage you to download Zechariah 3:1-5 Glorious Ruins. Let me know what you think!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Finally!!

I just finished running 12 miles. My last long run before the half in 15 days. I am so happy to have that behind me! My remaining distances do not exceed 6 miles. So it is a cake walk until the big day :)


Wednesday, September 8, 2010

A Little Update

About a week ago Aaron suggested I get the next upgrade done to my bike. I am pleased as punch to have my new aero bars. It is like riding a whole new bike. I took my ride out for a 4 hour ride last Saturday. It was a lot of fun, but would have been even better with less wind. My goal is a century next July (100 miles for all you non-bikers).
Yesterday we took the kids hiking at Starved Rock. They had a lot of fun. It was nice to get away from everyone and everything for awhile.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Spelling Help

This is Asher's first year of spelling tests. We do a lot of different activities to help him learn his spelling list. At times I write his spelling words on index cards (each word broken up by syllables-one card says "up" the other says "set" for upset). Then I hide them in the backyard and have him go on a treasure hunt. I also quiz him orally and have him write out each word. In the future I am going to take him outside and let him use sidewalk chalk to spell his words all over the drive way.

Today was a rainy day and I wanted to do something a little different to keep Asher interested in the task at hand. So I pulled out Alphabet Avalanche and let him spell all his words at the kitchen table. Finding all the letters he needs for each word is an excellent way to learn spelling. If you need help teaching spelling or reading (you could also make sentences) check out this neat tool.
Elliana had fun finding all the letters and trying to spell words. To my astonishment she spelled mom (she thought it said mommy, but that is pretty close!). She was pretty happy with herself.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Kids of Steel Triathlon!!

Joshua competed in the Kids of Steel Triathlon again this summer. He did a wonderful job and had a lot of fun as well. Here are some pictures of my little triathlete :)
Asher is excited to join his brother next year. I love getting my kids active!