From Blah to Beauty

You know those days that you wake up and just don't feel good about yourself?  Well, that is how I felt everyday from 6th grade to Junior Year of College.  I was never picked to play kickball in elementary school and I was the one who always was made fun of, or giggled about, behind my back.  Honestly, not the greatest feeling, and that is why my heart goes out to all of the chunky kids in America!!!  Oh obesity :)  However, I was always told by my family that I was 'big boned,' not fat.  That doesn't even make sense!  Haha.  But, nonetheless, I believed it!  I didn't hold any self-confidence and my athletic abilities were suppressed by my appearance and lack of motivation.  Who knew, under all that excess skin, I had legs that would faithfully carry me almost 900 miles in running - that is only with the right Nike Kicks!!  I don't want to write a testimonial for Nike, rather, a testimonial for Seneca Walton.  Sophomore year at Linfield she introduced me to running, eh hem, fast walking!  She would take me out for runs - almost like a dog on a leash - and slow down or stop whenever I grew tired.  What a faithful and loyal owner!  But, all honesty, it taught me not to dread running.  I didn't like to sweat...probably the number one reason I was so attached to swimming.  Sweat scared me because it meant that I was working too hard or that I most likely had Lake Michigan dwelling under each of my arms.  But I started to look past the saltiness and pure grossness of it.  Hmmmm....I was liking this running thing.  After even a half of a mile jog around the campus I came back feeling like the skinniest person alive.  Now, that wasn't true, but I enjoyed that euphoria.  Check out those chunk arms in the first picture...definitely not the arms of the skinniest person alive.  But soon enough I picked up the pace and frequency.  My diet soon paralleled my newfound exercise routine and I began losing a little bit of weight. 

January 2007

Now I am a run-a-holic!!!  I can't stop!  I love the feeling and the experience it brings.  My husband thinks I'm crazy!  I eat super healthy.  For example, today I had a bowl of oatmeal with raisins for breakfast, a whole wheat pita with peanut butter and jelly, an almond chicken salad, steamed brocolli with cheese, and another salad with corn, cheese, carrots, and sunflower seeds on it!  Oh, and 5 bites of cheesecake!!!  Yummmm!!!!  But, yes, most days I will eat salads for 2 out of my 3 meals and not even realize it because I am addicted!  I crave fresh veggies and fruits!  But, hard work pays off!

October 2010

If I can do it...anyone can!

In Perspective

Today I ran a 5 mile run, fueled solely by sadness that my sister is leaving Spokane, WA tomorrow.  I mean literally fueled the jaunt...I had only had a small bowl of oatmeal, a piece of toast with hummus, and some gluten-free Almond crackers (thanks Molly), and lots of coffee!!!  These last few weeks have been one emotional merry-go-round but I at least feel as if I have been privileged enough to ride one of the prettier ponies and not get stuck on the boring bench that parents sit on as I go round and round.  Molly has been the peanut butter in my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, the Bert as I'm the Ernie, and Lilo as I've been the Stitch.  Essentially, we have been pretty much glued together the past few months, which has been amazing!  It has been such a blessing to live so near to her and know that we have each other...through thick and thin.  I am pretty sure I was roommate #7 in her house?  Yup, yup, that sounds about right!  But, all in all, it's a season of change.  Now, as some of you may know, I am not a fan of change, and regularly do not handle it well.  The first set of tears has already happened and she hasn't even left yet!  Oh boy!  The Lord has blessed Craig and I here in Spokane so much!  If it weren't for Molly, Spokane would have been a lot more foreign to me.  Thanks for sharing your senior year with my Sister...and your welcome for letting you have VIP access on our first year of marriage!

Oh, the Places You'll Go! 

Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

Now on to the ONLY perk of Molly and her 6 roommates leaving Spokane....our new stocked fridge, cabinets, shelves, and pieces of furniture!  That's right, all perishable (and imperishable foods for that matter) came to live with us!  Hello $400 worth :]

Top Twelve List

Top 12 Reasons to say "Happy Birthday" to Craig tomorrow

[may 19, 2011]

Reason #12...

Reason #11...

10.  He has only received two birthday cards in the mail.

9.  It might boost his confidence in turning a quarter of a century

8.  I can only tell him once without it getting annoying

7.  I don't even have the opportunity to say it enough times to annoy him because he leaves for school at 7:15am and we both work until 9:30pm.

6.  It might cause him to smile, and if he gets a lot of '"Happy Birthdays" it might permanantly make his face stay that way!

5.  Well, you probably didn't get him anything, or even send him a card for that matter, so you could consider the phrase a gift from you to him.

4.  Shoot!  What if I forget to say "Happy Birthday"...then you all have covered my tail for me!

3.  It is his first birthday as a married man of God (yes...that's a legitimate reason)

2.  He really deserves it

1.  And, most importantly, it IS his birthday tomorrow!!!!!

Craig, Meg, and Molly's Day 'O Fun

"I need Coffee" says Craig as we sit down to right this blog.  The rain is pounding on the window sill and we are wishing it was 78 degrees as it was this past week.

Side note: Craig has moved into the kitchen and is making himself a cup of instant VIA because he can't wait until small group in 20 minutes, where there will be FREE coffee there.  But Craig "claims" he can't concentrate without coffee.  I say, "you really need that before we sit down to write a blog?"  We live a fantastic life on Sunday evenings.

Today we got to spend all day with Molly, my sister, Craig's sister-in-law.  Craig made Molly oatmeal for breakfast and then we went to church, TJ Maxx, and Winco.  We worked out (like mad warriors I might add) and then made HOMEMADE hummus and pita chips, proceeded by a delicious chicken dish I stole from my 60-year-old Spokane friend.

Phase 10: Molly and Craig tied and I lost....and I am a sore loser.  This is why it only deserves a sentence worth of writing in my blog.

This pictures just needed to be inserted.  They were from graduation weekend last weekend.  Please notice my Grandparents on a carousel...now doesn't that just scream "enjoy life to the fullest - even when you are near Heaven's gates?!"

Kick-Off Photos

Molly & Ben are GRADUATING this weekend!!  My little sissy is graduating with her Bachelors Degree in Communications and My little cousin Ben is graduating with his Masters Degree in Accounting (smartie pants!)  Here are two photos to kick off the weekend with the family!  


Red Robin with Uncle Greg...

Where is the weekend's itinerary you ask?  Thanks to Molly, here it is...

Molly’s finished Gonzaga in 3 1/2 Semesters, one summer session and one summer in Florence, let’s celebrate!

Friday

Rehearsal-2:00-3:00 (McCarthy Athletic Center)

Dinner at Anthony’s-5:30

Dessert at Bozarth Mansion-7:00-10:00

Saturday

Presidential Toast and Reception- 10:30-12:30

  --Foley Field

  --Light refreshments are served

  --If there is rain, event will be moved to the Field House.

Mass - 1:25- 2:50

  --Graduates line up at 12:45 (Martin Center)

  --Doors open at 12:15, Academic Procession at 1:25 (Main floor of McCarthy   Athletic Center)

Ben’s Big Day! 4:45-6:45

  -- Academic procession at 4:45 pm in the McCarthey Athletic Center on  the Gonzaga campus and we anticipate that the ceremony will be over at a 

  approximately 6:45 p.m. immediately followed by a social on the south lawn

Sunday- THE BIG DAY

  --Molly needs to be there BEFORE 9:00 a.m. in the Spokane Arena.

  --The academic procession will begin at  9:35 a.m. The actual      speaking part of the ceremony will begin at 10:00 am and we anticipate that the   ceremony will be over at approximately 12:45 pm immediately followed by a   social on the Johnston Mall in front of College Hall

  --Family will head to the Dollhouse after for a house celebration

Finishes

As proud as I am of my Bloomsday results, I must say that Molly and Craig capture "excitement" better than I do in these pictures...

Finishing in 64 minutes with a pace of 8:36 per mile

Finishing in 69 minutes with a pace of 9:19 per mile

Finishing in 82 minutes with a pace of 11:07 per mile

Molly & Craig make me smile every time I am with them - they entail so much positivity, which is so good for the soul!  I am so proud of them :]

Bloomsday 2011

5K check!
10K check!
12K - checked today!!!

Pre-race

post-race @ the finish line

showered, clean, and sporting our Bloomsday 2011 shirts

Google Bloomsday: largest public race in the world.  Craig and I forged our way, with 54,000 other people, to the finish line.  7.46 miles and we survived.  They start you in waves of 5,000, so the first mile I was dodging in and out of people because it literally felt like I was in a herd of cows.  It was a lot of fun though...ran it with Molly, Dustin, Craig, and Angela, and 53,955 others!  And it definitely felt like there were that many people there.  I set a PR (I think)...results will be posted on Tuesday.  It was too exciting to handle.

Things to look forward to this week?

Monday: nothing
Tuesday: nothing
Wednesday: My Mom's birthday
Thursday: Bible Study and Cinco de Mayo
Friday: family comes in to town!!
Saturday: fun times with the family
Sunday: Mother's Day and my little sister graduates!!!!  Eeek!