Get Ready, Get Set

Seriously, I am so far behind on this blog, it's sad. And then to think, I will be doing another one! It's TRUE! I'm hoping to post six days a week, and it's all about my journey to running a marathon. Included will be the honest truth of icing feet, stepping on the scale, running hills, and fartleks... Not to mention, the fundraising I'm doing for RAINN. So go ahead, I know what you're thinking, I can't see her successfully do a blog about nothing, let alone something specific... It's true, I tend to start and not finish... But at least I got off the couch! :) Stay Tuned, it's coming soon, October 1st, to be exact. So Grab Your Shoes, Ipod, and Vasoline (I'll explain later) and let's do a run together!

Decluttering, life is good!

Fun Projects:

Armoire - TOTAL disaster - Cleaned, sorted, organized. Lovin it!

Book Shelf - Collection of junk thrown together - Emptied, Dusted, Style added!

Kitchen Shelf - Seriously overrun with appliances, books, and an easy place to put things out of reach - Tossed the junk, reorganized the shelf, looks great!

I love the feeling of tackling the HOT SPOTS in the house - It's almost like I'm nesting... is this like preparation for back to school? Either way, I'll take it!

One Step Closer.

I've been on a journey this year. I entered into a valley - a yucky lonely place. And slowly together with my rockin' husband holding my hand, have been climbing out. (sometimes I feel like I'm wearing a boot in this climb) But I found this article accidentally (yeah right) and really loved it.

And today, I got rid of some baggage. I was holding on to a few little things, reminders of this old me. I didn't want to fully let go. I just wanted to hang on to a little piece of the past. You know like 'just a little'... When I realized, that wasn't me, and I let it go. I tossed it happily in the trash, and did a fist pump in the air, with a HUGE smile on my face, and I could feel myself, climb one step higher.

You know, I'm not the only one having a hard time letting go of this 'one thing' you know you need to change about yourself. Why do we let it drag on? I don't have the answers, except to take it one step at a time. Hopefully, I can inspire you to toss some old part of you in the trash, that is holding you back from even greater blessings. Get going. Those blessings are waiting for you, from a loving Father in Heaven.

Looks like a good read.

Tids and Bits

I volunteered to be the PTO President at the kids school. Yes I did. I must have been under the influence. Ha! No, I'm really excited, it's going to be F.U.N.

I only have a week left in the boot.

Charlotte and Laila are hysterical together. Except for the times when they discover body butter, popcorn, or shampoo.

Hallie and Colson are a nightmare together. Fighting ALL the time! Please help.

Made some great new friends in the ward at church, so nice!

Josh and I are doing better than ever.

I'm reading the Book of Mormon again, but this time super quick with a specific topic in mind. It's changing my life. Seriously.

That's it for now!

Pictures to come soon!

Summer Vacation

Instead of going on vacation, we're here, at home. enjoying things like our play set, our gym membership, local events, and friends close by.

My summers usually consist of trips to the orchard, or zoo, or water park, or even a trek home to Indiana. But this year, we haven't done those things. We've spent time at home.

We've worked on our house: painted shudders, doors, the basement, replaced the damaged carpet, spread mulch (26 Cubic feet of mulch to be exact), painted an accent wall in the living room (RED of course), hung pictures, replaced hardware, finished the bathroom project.

We've also worked on our marriage. Talking, time together, dating, not to mention all the previous projects we've worked on together, and instead of watching TV at night, we've gone back to the beginning when we didn't have TV and read in bed at night. Our marriage has never been typical, and never on the top of our priority list, finances, kids, jobs, and moves took up a lot of our time. For the first time, we are making it a priority. Things have changed. We've changed. It's kind of crazy to see where we have come all of these years. We both were so unsure and yet attempted to navigate ourselves through this life of ours. It's been an incredible journey, of ups, downs, joys, sorrows, laughs and tears.

Sometimes I wonder why I write about the things I write about. Why do I sometimes share TOO much? I think because we are on this journey together. I don't have my life together, and I'm d*mn sure you don't either. So as I continue to "Find" joy in my journey, sometimes it gets a little ugly before it's pretty. It's not always rainbows and lollipops - that's for you Collette!

However, I know one thing for sure. Never would I amount to anything if I didn't know what I know. I know there is a purpose in this life. I know there is a Savior. I know that some things don't make sense, some trials seem too difficult to bear, that our hearts ache for peace. How do we ever make it through?

We have to TRUST the purpose. Have faith that His plan is better than our plan. We must forgive. We have to let go. We have to "give more than we get". (Michael Buble ;)) We have to serve, love, and press on.

Changing our hearts isn't easy. In fact, its down right impossible on your own. But I believe in miracles. I hope you do, too.

Happy Summer.

A new hobby.

Thanks to this:


I've been doing this:

My dad told me so.

Earlier in the day on the 4th, I called my dad to wish him a Happy Birthday. I enjoyed a fun chat, usually we celebrate back home in Indiana, but not this year.

I decide to throw my own party instead of the traditional trip home. I bought candles, fireworks, glow bracelets, bottled beverages, stuff for s'mores, and the list goes on.

Activities for the party included sidewalk chalk, croquet, a new playset, and a bonfire. I know it's hot, but really, I had a pile of crap I was tired of looking at, from the snow storms this year. Josh and I have seriously had no fewer than 5 bonfires. We do it regularly. NEVER, have we had a problem. EVER.

UNTIL we had twenty witnesses.

Back up to the phone conversation, I told my dad all about the party, including the bonfire. He says to me and I quote: "You need to have not one, BUT THREE, buckets of water, you know, just in case." "ok, dad". We only did ONE.

Imagine now, dry grass, huge fire... now to grown adults using buckets, coolers, lids, etc. to get this fire put out. Seriously, TOTAL mayhem. Thanks to some people with quick thinking we were able to put it out without any major damage.

But the lesson learned?

Dad ALWAYS knows best.

and P.S. Heath parties are always rockin'. Sorry you missed it.

Number Three Turns Three - Happy Birthday Laila!

Today's the day! She arrived in a hurry, I went to the hospital at 6pm she came at 9:30pm... My only entirely drug free birth, I guess I had a tylenol for a headache...

Her name came from Laila Ali - who was on Dancing with the Stars the season before she was born. I thought for sure she was a boy, my biggest surprise!

And Laila has definitely thrown us for a loop! She's the kid we have tried hard to figure out. We still have no idea what's going on with that girl. But she's so fun, and lovable, and beautiful. She has a way with showing love to EVERYONE. Sometimes I wish I could help her more, and wonder if I'm doing enough... but somehow we muddle through.

Laila, today is your day!

Happy Birthday!

An awakening.

Joy in my Journey today:

The Gospel of Jesus Christ
My Main Squeeze
My Posterity
A Body that can Move

WHERE IS MY DARN CAMERA CHARGER??

Pictures to come one day...

Our 3rd Home.

Finally, one we don't have to mortgage.

Good Things to Come

Good Things to Come

Running Now because I Couldn't Then.

As a few of you know, I am a Survivor.

And One in Six women are.

I once had a counselor that said Victims of Abuse often choose running as a way to heal. They choose it because it was something they wish they could have done, but couldn't. There are many reasons why I picked up the habit, but I'm sure this is one of them.

Anyway, I did some research and found a perfect organization, RAINN.

My Goal: $2620 - $100 dollars per mile.

Please Help by Going Here.

Also, I would like to dedicate each mile of my marathon, to a survivor. If you, or someone you know, were a victim, I'd love to run for you. Send me an email, let me know. The only person that will know is me. I want to think about that person during their mile.

* Update * 2 Miles Reserved *

Thanks a million times over for your help with this, please spread the word, any amount will help.

With Love,

Lucy

Hotel Booked

It's even more official... I booked the hotel for my Marine Corps Marathon.

I also did my two minute time trial in the rain at 6:00 a.m.

There was some debate, my time was 16:16 or 16:17 FOR TWO MILES.

Freaking Awesome.

Marathon Training Day 1

Three cheers for my "Running Coach". He's a volunteer, you could say... Not getting paid, I think I might be his 'experiment'. He really believes in me. Something that might just come in handy on mile 24. Just a hunch. But he's set a plan for me... a really thorough plan. So I plugged away at my 3 mile tempo run today, and I felt entirely out of shape?!? But it still felt great!

I'm sorry if you're not a fan of running. I think my blog has shifted to this focus, because hey, it's my focus these days! I will try to post pictures of my kiddos as soon as possible. It seems that's all anybody really wants to see!

Hopefully, I will pop in a little more frequently, but you never know, summer is just around the corner...

Half-Way There.

So I didn't win. I did finish. I felt awesome (other than absolutely needing a bathroom...). Had to take two detours, easily lost 15 minutes off my time. But I RAN all 13.1 miles.

I even overslept and ALMOST skipped the race, but I got up, flew out the door, and made it with ten minutes to spare. I'm so up for the Marathon. The crazy thing is, I'm thinking about some wild time goals... I have to figure out what exactly I'm up for...

Anyway, another medal added to my growing collection! (finisher medal of course)

One of those weird days.

Early Early this morning I got a text from Josh telling me he was headed to bed, but made it out of Afghanistan, into Kuwait. He's beginning his trek home, and I see a break in my future... Good news, right?

My sweet visiting teacher invited me for lunch today. I showed up along with several ladies and realized she was hosting a luncheon... Good news, right?

Came home the weather looked great, decided my VERY LONG grass needed mowed. Used whatever gas I had left, oops in went the oil/gas mix... Not good news, right?

Lawnmower started up, seemed to be fine, hit a root of a tree, and the blade went all wonkie on me... Not good news, right?

Finally planted the tomato plants I've had for a week... Good news, right?

Hallie and Laila were watching a cake decorating show, when Hallie told me it smelled like smoke, o.k., ignored her. Hallie came to get me again, it really smells like smoke, mom. Ok, fine go check, and it stinks like burning plastic, with a ton of smoke... Not good news, right?

Apparently she had turned on the heater and it was too close to the couch, you can figure out what happened there...

Some days are not great, other days awesome, and then there are those days, where you are all over the place... Today was an all over the place kind of day.

Lucky 13.

I'm hoping that my 3rd root canal, on the same tooth, will be my last. Fun day for me.

Dinner and An outdoor adventure...

A SUPER EASY recipe for a yummy dinner to go: Asparagus Gruyere Tart

And after an entire afternoon of shoveling mulch, I'm off with the kids to a 'new' park to play.

Have a great Monday!

This thing we call life.

Finding Joy Today:

1. My super amazing gym. I enjoyed my first run since the race, I took it easy, my calf muscles are still pissed, but it felt great to get moving. 3 miles is easy.

2. Adventure Central. A day for Hallie to play, use the computer, learn to cook, play outside, just enjoy a day of her spring break!

3. Photography. I taught a class last minute for the young women, and I think it went well! I looked up some old photographs, isn't it great to document our lives through pictures?

4. Sisters. I can count on my sisters anytime. (except for when they are together shopping at Aldi's, WITHOUT ME...)

5. Beautiful Days. I can't seem to get outside enough, these days. Even in the heat, I love being outside. I'm anxiously awaiting Josh to come home so that I can enjoy several runs outside... in preparation for my newest adventure.

6. Marine Corps Marathon. I absolutely love setting goals and achieving them. I dated this guy who told me I could never run the Indianapolis Half Marathon. I hated his arrogance. I ran a half about five years ago, just fine, so there! And now, for me, a goal I've wanted to accomplish for years is on the Horizon. I'm looking forward to having this focus.

And for kicks, I am not thankful for stinky gym guy sitting next to me while I blog.

Enjoy your day!