A Litttle Somethin' Somethin' From My Camera Roll...

I might need to chill..

Yes, as the title suggests I might need to chill.  About a lot of things, but we don't have the time for that post!  I need to chill slightly with my running schedule.  Did you all know I was training for a half-marathon...snicker, snicker.  Of course you did!  Well then you know all about my Hal Higdon marathon training schedule, and then my very own spinoff version! 

Friends my days are not my own...it's right there on black and white paper.  But here lies the problem-sometimes LIFE happens and my schedule cannot go on like planned.  9 times out of 10 there are no hitches.  But this morning there was a hitch.  See my classroom sounds like an infirmary.  I kid you not- I have 23 students, and I think 20 of them are sick with some type of cough/snotty nose/sneezy head/fever/achy body thing. (yes that is an official diagnosis).  So of course yesterday I woke up with a sore throat and stuffy nose.  Then this morning when the alarm went off I just COULDN'T pull my body out of bed.  I was tired, my nose was stuffy, and I just wasn't feeling it!!  Boo to that..I regretted it the minute I was out of the bed at my normal non-run time.  The thought of my 5 miles NOT being run today just about put me over the edge.  To top it off, it was a balmy 60 something degrees here in KY, and all day all I could think of was ARGH!!!!  I SHOULD BE RUNNING MY 5 MILES NOT TEACHING THESE CHILDREN!!!  Yes, I have a problem.

Sooooooo-I pick up my three darling children from school, shuttle them home, bark orders for them to throw on some clothes and tennis shoes, load the bikes in the truck, and head over to the water park.  My glorious plan was for them to ride their bikes (and a scooter) and me to run behind.  In my mind we would glide around, and around, and around, and around the trail...not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, but 5 TIMES (for 5 miles of course).  Yeah, that DIDN'T happen.  Shocker I know.  So we left the water park after 2, two, T-W-O times around (and they were a rough 2 times I tell ya!!!).  And it just ate my insides that I only ran 2 miles today. 


Sooooooo-I planned another glorious plan, and that is to get up at 4:45 tomorrow and run a speedy 3 miles and be back by 5:30 so my hubby can leave for work.  See friends, isn't it genius?  Crazo me cannot just let it go...noooooooo.  I have to have those 5 miles under my belt. 

But wait...there's more!  Saturday is supposed to be my long run day.  Check out that schedule up there-it's 11 miles.  The weather has decided that it is NOT going to cooperate, and instead of being precipitation free...it is going to rain.  The nerve!  So I spend all day preoccupied by the fact that I didn't run 5 miles today AND it is going to rain on my long run day.  Rest assured I have a plan though-if it does rain hard all day (sprinkles don't count...I am ALL over running in sprinkles) then I will default to running on Sunday, after church, after lunch, with a semi-full belly...BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.  Not really excited about that, but not running my long run might just put me over the edge folks. 

Have You Read Romans?

Sunday our pastor referred to Romans 12:1 in his sermon.  I had my bible (remember the one my dad gave me and has taken thorough notes in) opened and 12:9-21 caught my eye.  Have you read it?  How about, "...Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."  Or "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves."  What about "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay".  Oh how these words go against the grain in our society today.  Today we are supposed to tolerate evil.  We pay to watch it, listen to it, and willingly partake in it.  Society pushes and pushes that we think about ourselves, look out for ourselves, make sure that we are taken care of, when God tells us very plainly that it should be the other way around...we should be honoring others before us!  That's a paradigm shift!!!  And let's not start on revenge!!!!  How many reality tv shows focus on revenge...payback...righting the wrongs.  Stop...wait...the bible tells us as much as we can to live in peace with one another.  Let God handle the revenge.  Is it only my heart that is being convicted?  If we profess to be Christians (ugh-I dislike that word) or how about followers of Christ- then shouldn't we act like it?  As corny as it sounds, the bible is our instruction manual...we should read it and follow it.  We should not accept the things society throws at us.  How would our nation be different if followers of Christ really acted like followers of Christ? 

My Boy is 8!!!!

Today left me a little speechless...

So today was interesting...waaaaay interesting.  At one point I was standing in my classroom, with feathers on the floor, in pajamas, with blue rubber gloves on, holding pee stained pillowcases in one hand and a Kroger bag in the other wondering what I could tell my principal/superintendent if they just so happened to walk in at that moment.  And yyyyeeeessss, there were students in the room...this was not some crazo-banano dream!  And nnnnooooo I don't teach kidnergarten.  And nnnnooooo we do not have a class pet.  This my friends, was just another day in the life of an elementary school teacher.

Gatlinburg Get Away!

Hip, hip, horray for 3 day weekends!!!!  Double hip hip horray if you are lucky enough to have a snow day to make it a 4 day weekend (like my lucky duck hubby!!!).  Well, we packed up the truck and headed to Gatlinburg with 5 other couples...yes 12 people under one roof!!    We arrived Friday and loved the cabin!  It was a little bit of a crazy layout, but we were happy as pigs in slop with the hot tub, kitchen (beautiful view from the sink & wall of windows), fire place, theater room, etc.  It was a nice time relaxing with friends, shopping (GREAT finds at the outlet mall!!!), eating, and running...yes running!  A friend's hubby and myself went running down our mountain.  You noticed I said DOWN not UP.  My hubby was nice enough to "lead" us down the mountain in the Armada, and then drive us back up.  It was a steep 2 miles down (withsome MAJOR inclines) with a beautiful view. 

My legs were WAY sore the next day- which was awesome!  I haven't been sore after a run in a while and I actually like that feeling...crazo I know :)  

 

There was also some good eatin' out...Flapjacks, The Old Mill...yum yum in my tum tum!  I didn't get too out of control, but did allow myself some slack :) 

And we had some good eats at the cabin!!!  My mouth waters every time I look at this plate...delish!

  

New friendships and good memories were made; fun and relaxing times were had by all!  Hope YOU enjoyed the lo-o-o-ong weekend too!

Checking in on those resolutions!

Well, I'm happy to report I'm doing well on my new year's resolutions. I had predicted that #s 7, 2, and 1 would prove to be WAY hard.  So here's the update on those first...

#7-making responsible financial decisions.  I recreated our budget.  It's a little bit more user friendly (for me), including a checklist for each month after I pay a bill.  I've broken it up into a bill and an expense section.  I'm sure this makes NO SENSE what so ever, but I assure you...it's working so far.  Kevin and I have also dialoged about not rushing ANY big (or bigger) purchase...we are going to pray about it and sleep on it for sure.

#2-feeding my family healthier.  We returned the yucky-blucky, mistreated, hormone fed chicken back to Wal-Mart and got fresh, organic, packaged here in Kentucky yummo chicken!  We also have a freezer full of fresh deer meat. I made granola bars, granola, and yummy energy bars Sunday and surprise, surprise they are gone!  The boys love it (so did we)!  Round two this Sunday. 

#1-more time with God.  I have been waking up about 10/15 minutes earlier each morning and after I get ready and head out to the kitchen, I read my devotional book, bible and spend time in prayer.  It's wonderful!  Have y'all read Esther?  It's GOOD!  I didn't want to stop reading that morning.  And starting your day off in prayer is the best.  I love my time with God.

So yay me!  If I can keep up the ones that I know are going to be hard for me, then I KNOW I can handle the others.  Smooth sailing folks, smooth sailing!