Better late than never

Just realized that I didn't ever do the blog post I was intending to do months ago...about the day I ran 5 K!

I did mention that I started running, though. Did any of you actually believe me that I'd complete my goals? I know I wasn't so sure. As I said before, I started running while we were living at camp. My friend and I trained every other day (ok...for the MOST part) and on some painfully long gravel hills. All of which were uphill. I continued my training once we moved in with Mitch's parents and his mom and I would sometimes go for runs together. I was pretty sure I had been running 5k already until one day I looked at my routes and realized I had only been doing about 4.2. Killer! I thought I was doing SO well and it turned out that I hit my exhaustion point long before I was supposed to finish. The other problem was that I didn't realize this until the week before the run.

The run I trained for was the children's hospital fundraising efforts. I heard about it in the summer and after experiencing first hand how hard it is to not have proper facilities in your home town, I felt it was extremely important to support the cause however I could. I also really felt like doing this run was for Tyler. I know it didn't directly benefit him at all, but as I pushed myself as I ran each time I remembered how much pain he had gone through and I knew that I could push myself to do this run for him. Maybe that doesn't make sense to anyone but me...but that's ok. It doesn't have to.

The run was supposed to start at 7 (um...I think? or 8? I don't remember now). It was at the end of September, so you'd think the temperature would be mild. Yeah...except when it decides to be heat stroke season and we were above 20 by 7ish. It was SO hot. I was nervous like crazy because I'd never actually finished five full kilometers before. Aside from me, Mitch, his sister, his parents, and our friends Jeff and Jen ran with us. They are all more seasoned runners and went ahead of me pretty quickly. It was...the longest 41 minutes of my life, but I ran the full five. Yep, ran the whole thing. Pride intended.

I still think back and can't quite believe I did it. Mostly because I haven't run a step since that race. Found out the week later that I was pregnant and my body warns to kill me if I even think of running, so I'll hang up my shoes until later. But I did. Mitch had finished long before me and came back to run the last leg with me. I looked up and saw Tyler waiting for me at the finish line and bawled the whole last 5 minutes. It may have looked like it was from sheer exhaustion, but it really was just out of thankfulness that I have my little boy around to run for, with, around, and beside.

Holidays or Christmas?

Since I'm not in my own home, Mitch has been saved from our yearly conversation that usually starts...oh about the second week of November: "Um...can we put up the Christmas tree yet?" (It works in his favor that I feel so strongly about this being a family event that it does not go up without his consent and participation).

Since I have no place to put a tree, no functional railing to place a garland, and no cupboards to top with christmas-y things, I find myself just spending time contemplating the holidays (and PICTURING where everything will go, of course).

Here's what I'm finding thought provoking as the Christmas season is just around the corner (and in many places already beginning to sparkle):
I hear many comments through people I know, don't know, facebook, etc about how SAD it is this time of year. How FRUSTRATING it is that Christmas has become about shopping. How RIDICULOUS it is that non believers have no idea what they're celebrating. Yes, yes, and yes, I do agree that Christmas is not about commercialism, that it's so sad that not everyone recognizes the gift of our Savior's birth, and that our society tends to do this holiday fairly over the top.

However.

Is it worth getting this frustrated over? Do we want to spend the majority of this season worrying about what others are spending, how others are not giving credit, and how others are not appreciating the true meaning? I don't know. I don't think I can say yes or no just yet.

What I do think is that we need to be careful to check our attitudes as we look forward to celebrating one of the most special times of the year. I have decided that I'm going to appreciate the glitz and glamour of early Christmas decorating. They are reminding me already in November that Jesus came! Get ready to celebrate. I am going to buy my family gifts because it reminds me that God sent us the greatest gift of all, and also because I love showing love and appreciation to my family this time of year. I am going to sing Joy to the World and proclaim that truth, and I am also going to teach my son Jingle Bells because we can be thankful for the joy and fun that can be brought by this winter season of snow and wonder. I am going to enjoy all of the traditions created to remember Christ's birth, and I am also going to participate in some that were created by those who haven't yet heard the good news but still understand in some way that there is significance this season. I'm not going to waste my time tsking as I drive by packed shopping malls because it just isn't worth it.

Ok, strongly worded rant. Thoughts?

Mum's the word

So...the best way to keep a secret is just not to talk at all! Seriously I've been wanting to blog for SO long, but wasn't ready to say until now that we're PREGNANT!

Baby #2 is due June 7th and I'm beside myself with excitement. I have loved being a mom to Tyler every minute of every day and I can't wait to begin fresh with a new little one.

Pregnancy so far has been pretty good, all things considered. I have to say, spending the first two months of pregnancy living with the inlaws has been so perfect. Think about it: My wonderful mother in law cooks the majority of the meals, there is always someone to watch Tyler if (when) I need a nap, and it's just so much less stress. I have had a little nausea, but nothing significant and it's pretty much done. It's been an almost identical pregnancy to Tyler so far, which is good because his was easy!

We are almost finished the house and it looks like our goal of Dec 1 just might be attainable! Mitch has worked tirelessly every single night of the week to get things done and while I miss having him around, I know that this final push means that we will soon be in our house and have our evenings back...and just in time for the Christmas season. I can't wait.

So close

So we are in week five of living with my inlaws. We have settled in here as much as one can settle outside of your own home and we're anxiously waiting the finish of our own house. We are hoping to be done by the end of November (only two months past our original hopeful finish date) and now that we're so close I just want to get in!

I truthfully don't have much else to say. We're in limbo and my brain kind of feels like it is too. Just felt like I should update so my blog doesn't collect too much dust.

shake shake shake

I feel a little bit like someone has taken the box that holds my life, turned it upside down, and started shaking. Pieces are falling out everywhere and I'm holding on by elbows and toes, grabbing things are they fall past me, trying to make sure I don't miss anything important. Our old house is in boxes and semi-moved out, our new house is about a month away from being finished, and we are going to try to live in a state of limbo for this time period with everything packed away somewhere. Still not sure how this is going to all work out...but it will.

We are also transitioning at camp this week, and are in the process of moving our offices from the camp back to our city office. I pack on my days off and then pack while I'm at work. If you ever need help moving, I've got tons of experience. Um...but no will power. On second thought, don't ask me.

I haven't seen much evidence of all this craziness affecting Tyler until today - where I took some of his less used toys and put them in a box and he proceeded to panic. Like..."what? wait. give me that. i've played with that before! i love this one. um, and also that one. you can't take this! or that! ahhhh!"

After we survived that box, he decided to join ranks and pack a whole box full of our shoes. And then throw the rest of his remaining toys down the stairs to the basement. Yes...I suspect he is processing in his own little way. He remains a trooper though and now just plays hide and seek around boxes and mess, and helpfully puts little bits of paper and tupperware lids in the garbage for me. (We are still working on what is and is NOT garbage...)

Everything is good right now...just...unsettled. I can't wait until October (Lord willing) when we can move into our beautiful new home and re-settle. It's been a long 6 months of building, attempting to sell, work, and now moving. I'm exhausted.

Sentimental

We're moving out of our house in 9 days and it certainly has me feeling a bit sentimental! This was our first (owned) house. We laughed in that kitchen with friends over games and cups of coffee late into the night. We sat in this living room and talked for hours after we found out we were pregnant. We sat on that deck and watched lighting storms and marveled at God's power and beauty. We brought Tyler home to that nursery and rocked him to sleep many nights. We wore pathways through this hallway while trying to ease his pain after surgery. We watched our growing boy throw those rocks that line the driveway outside. That's the floor that Tyler learned to walk on, and that's the window that he sits patiently by to see the first glimpse of daddy coming home after work.

We lived in a house after we were married while we went to school, spent a year working and living in a city apartment and learned much about life, love, and marriage...but this house is different than the others. We brought our son home to this place. What a wonderful place to start a family.

Looking forward to new memories.

Ankles, hips, knees, thighs

...all hurt. BUT. I have started running! I didn't want to write about it until I had actually committed for more than a few runs because my track record with starting things like this is terrible, but I feel like it's time to fess up. Oh, how I am loving to run!

It started this summer when I heard about a fundraising run for the children's hospital which is scheduled to be built here. We've definitely experienced the frustration of having to go to a whole different province to obtain proper child medical care and I feel very strongly about supporting the future children's hospital here. We moved out to camp shortly after I heard about this and so me and my friend who was also living out there decided to murder our bodies get up early and run the gravel road full of hills and dead snakes every other morning (or so...).

The first day I wanted to die. I did exactly what they tell you not to do on your first attempt at running: I ran until I couldn't run anymore. Which was about 1.5 min, but still. It was up a hill, ok? I couldn't recover and thought I would pass out. However I had purchased running shoes and promised the bold promise to my husband that it would NOT be a waste of money, so I dragged myself out of bed two days later and tried again. This time we brought along my sister in law who happens to be a personal trainer. She gave me a good routine to follow and I ended the run feeling fantastic (once I recovered from not being able to breathe, that is).

Yesterday I ran for almost 4k straight without stopping. I know it's not much, but it felt amazing. I am not really a physical activity kind of person. My body seems to be put together wrong for any sort of hard usage, so this is a bit of a push for me. Admittedly I have to ice my ankle every time I come back from a run and it takes a day or two to stop limping, but it's getting better and I feel so. good. It helps that every time I feel like giving up I remember what I'm training for.

I've heard from other people who run how addicting it can be but I didn't believe them until now. I mean, we'll see just how addicted I am when the snow falls and I don't feel like running on ice, but until then I will keep enjoying these beautiful post summer/pre fall evenings running in the evenings through the wonderful little paths in our town.