A challenge for all mothers...

I read this off of a friend's blog, and she got it from her cousin's blog, but I LOVED it and had to pass it on! It is EXACTLY what I needed to read this week...and I think it is exactly what some of you need to read too.

 

How do you think of your children? On any given day, would you say your children are a blessing or a burden? Here is a challenge to you…How are you?”…“How is the baby?”…“How are your kids?”… We all hear these questions every day. Do you know a mom who always answers something like this: “Well, I haven’t killed my 2-year-old yet, so I guess that’s good.” Or, “I’m just exhausted,” or, “Things are absolutely crazy – I am so stressed out!”

Maybe that frazzled, haggard, bewildered mommy is someone you know. Maybe it’s you. I know I’ve been there. Here is my question to you today… are we bearing our blessings as burdens? Those babies that we dreamt of and prayed for, that we had so much fun choosing names for, that we counted the days to meet… are they burdens to us now? Those homes that we were ecstatic to move into… are they burdens now? That husband that we couldn’t live without, that we picked out the wedding dress for, that we cried and ached and waited by the phone for… is he a burden now? That job you needed, you wanted and prayed for, that provides food and clothing for your family… is it a burden now?Sometimes it seems to me like a mantle we as moms must carry. We must be tired, we must be stressed out; we must be harried and frazzled, we must be lucky just to make it through the day. Are we bearing our blessings as burdens? Are we tired? Absolutely.

As moms, we know about the 2 a.m. feedings, the nightmares, the wet beds, the midnight curfews. Do things get a little stressful between PTA meetings, dance class, the T-ball game, and dinner on the table at 6? Sure they do. Are husbands always a joy when they get home from work? No way. Is scrubbing the potty, doing the laundry, and cleaning the high chair tray the greatest thrill we’ve ever known? Of course not.

So how do we look past the burdens and see the blessings of our families and our homes? Do you know any women who would give anything to have a baby to nurse at 2 a.m.? Anyone who would love to have those clothes we are sick of washing, or that house we just can’t keep clean. Do you know any women whose husbands aren’t coming home?

I challenge you to joy, to smile, to persevere. I challenge you to bear your burdens as blessings and watch as they multiply. And the next time someone asks you how you are, throw off that identity of stressed out, frazzled mommy, find your smile and answer, “I am blessed!” 

 

 And all I can add to that is, "Amen!"

Thank you Brinley's cousin, for such amazing insight and perspective!

Too cute of a giveaway!!

So...I know this amazing woman named Suzy. She is the mother of all mothers! Talented and so stinkin crafty! I was supposed to be her daughter...but Jeigh shoved me out of line, and I fell and scraped my knee, and fell back a few years too. At least Jeigh made up for it by introducing me to Russ...and making me her sister-in-law instead of sister! Hopefully the rest of our children are behaving up there in Heaven while they are waiting to come to earth...

But the true reason for this post is I would so desperately like to win an adorable prize that Suzy made and is giving away! If you are interested then click www.suzis-spot.blogspot.com "Towels for Mom"

I'm crossing my fingers...

Whew! *sigh of relief* Washable....scribbles...

 

Late this morning, I attempted to put Carter down for a nap in my bedroom. You should all know that:
#1. Carter is a two-year old.
#2. He was born with a very small conscience
#3. He despises nap-time....kicking, crying, and even yelling out in angry outbursts...FUN!!!
This is what I found instead of a peaceful, sleeping child:

My peaceful, sleeping very TIRED child.

He tried wiping the marker off with toilet paper. Didn't work!

Then he just started putting toilet paper pieces

in the toilet.

For fun.

Good thing we buy WASHABLE markers...

And it's a good thing, too, that this kid is so DANG CUTE,

even while covered in scribbles!

So...instead of taking a nap...we went to the Madison Homecoming Parade.

It was a GREAT compromise...

And now Carter is sleeping soundly...

and there are no

scribbles

upon his dimpled cheek!

My Son Is...

 

ADORABLY CUTE!

 

And very LUCKY too!

Especially so very LUCKY to have such an awesome mom...

Yup...that's me!

Someday, he will thank me for posting that cute, adorable, dimply bare bum!

Don't you just want to pinch it???

My Daughter is...

AN AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL PASTRY DECORATOR!!!

If you must know, Anna and I have a lot in common...and I have to say that we thoroughly enjoyed making all of this:


What could possibly be better than having a campfire of mini Reeces Pieces on a bed of fluffy pink cream cheese frosting with a few gummy bears for company???

It's a four year old's DREAM!


There's nothing better than creating a little HAPPINESS on a cookie!

Except when you get to EAT the happiness!!!



Hey...stop smiling and go make your own cookies!!!!

I am...

An Investigator....

I came upon five brightly colored Dum Dums arranged neatly upon the bathroom sink...

Hmmm, I wonder, who could be up to such atrocities. Such yummy sweetness should never be wasted!

Suspect #1: Anna. Her breath smells fruity, but not Dum Dum fruity, but a lovely Starburst kind. (Do you see the yellow fruity goodness in the side of her mouth?) She has an alibi too...she's been in my room the whole time, sneaking Starbursts from the dresser drawer where Russ and I have them "hidden". Then, from out of her mouth, she says, as she ALWAYS says, "It was Bubba, mom, not me!" I must go and investigate further...the little pink polka-dot lady has been known to tell lies...
Suspect #2: Bubba. On the carpet surrounding his feet I find Dum Dum wrappers...and in his hand he is holding a Pina Colada Dum Dum. It smells wonderful. He offers me a taste. "Mom...gucker....mom.....good" He then attempts to bite the sucker and gets frustrated easily telling me, "MOM! Gucker.....tuck....bite it!" He would like to bite it off the stick, but alas, it is stuck! So, I watch him place it neatly by the other five Dum Dums and head over to the cookie jar to get a new one! Perhaps the next one won't be stuck to the stick like the last SIX!
Dum Dum....Yum yum... covered in bite marks....

Six lovely suckers going to waste on the bathroom sink....do you think I let him get another??? This picture is an EXACT replica of what happened when I told him, "No more suckers!"

OH!.....doesn't life "suck"???

And the results are in...

Drum roll please...

(Oh...and the music I picked for this post just so happens to be two songs (Dixie Chicks, Ready to Run and Earl Had to Die) that were regularly sang by me and a few other running friends of mine in high school, when we were out in the grueling heat running on some back road and cursing ourselves inwardly, wondering why we willingly tortured ourselves each year to do cross-country!)

Okay...

Hmmm, let's start with my favorite...Anna. She makes life quite interesting. She has been talking about her race for weeks! She has been practicing too! As the officiator went over the rules and explained where everyone should start and end, Anna held onto my hand...and would NOT let go!

"Ready, Set, Go!"

And Anna cried the whole way to the finish line...while I practically pulled her! Ha! Thanks Anna, for always making moments like these memorable! (My niece Rylei, though, ran her little legs off, and got second overall! Great things to come from both of these two girls!)

My "Proud" moments:

Ben (9yrs.) ran the mile and a half in under 12 minutes, and placed first in his age group! My nephew Carson (9yrs.) placed second...just a few seconds behind Ben. My nephew Jacob (11yrs.) placed second in his age group and ran his mile and a half in under 10 minutes!!! Carli (7yrs.), my niece, also ran the mile and a half, and if they had given an award out for her age group, she would've placed in the top too! Amazing...all of them! And then Dallen, 13 yrs old, ran the 5k...and wouldn't you know, he places first in his age group and takes third overall!!! Did I say AMAZING yet??? It was the BEST feeling in the world to see all those kids race and to see in their eyes and faces the excitement they felt and feeling the accomplishment of training and then running and finishing a race having done the very BEST that they could do! We are so so so happy for every single one of them!

Sorry....***Yawn***...whew.... I am plum tuckered out...

For those who INSPIRE me:

My sister-in-laws Chelsea and Jenilyn. They ran the 5k and did Awesome!!! They have always pursued other interests in life and I think they would agree than running is not a favorite of theirs, but they did great! Jenilyn's dedication to start running and get into better shape no doubt helped to inspire her children to do the same. Because of her example, ALL of her children participated in the Pocatello Marathon!!! Now, Chelsea doesn't have any children yet, but I have watched her over the past year, consistently go to the gym so she could get into better shape, and start eating healthier too. Super dedicated! Since her missionary came home and they got engaged, she hasn't made it to the gym for over a month, but she went out there today and ran her race in 31 minutes! I am so glad they were there today with me! It made my race so much better.

As for me...I was VERY nervous! Sleeping was quite difficult. I woke up early to have a breakfast filled with carbs and protein...and lots of WATER! We got the kids fed, dressed, and ready too...while I continued to sip my WATER! On the way to the Ross Park Aquatic Center, where the buses were departing to take all the runners to their starts, I drank a bit more of...can you guess...WATER!

We arrived at our start...and when I got off the bus (sitting in the very back) there was two very LONG lines in front of the porta potties! And I had to GO!!! The officiator told us we would be starting in 7 minutes!

It seemed that everyone ahead of me just took their sweet little time peeing. They did. And soon we had a three minute warning. I thought about just holding it until I finished...but I really had to go BAD!!! And after having two kids...I must admit that those muscles down yonder just are not the same as they used to be! I really did not want to pee my pants and then run over 6 miles in wet spandex pants. So...I watched as most of the 10k runners took off as I stood in line and waited for two ahead of me to go. My turn...I jumped into the potty and honestly peed in seconds and then made a mad dash to the road! I was at least a minute behind. Doesn't sound like much, eh? Oh but it is!

I ran my little heart out...without letting myself overdo it...to catch up with the group! Luckily, I had some amazing music that Chels and Wes put on my mp3 player that kept me moving, and slowly, one by one, I made up the time I had lost.

I got to see my LOVELY husband and children along the way hollering and cheering me on, and grandpa and Carter even ran a bit beside me! I love them so much! Thanks, guys, for your support and encouragement!

The finish line came sooner then I expected...which was a pleasant surprise...and I finished!!! They had water, powerade, bread and butter, oranges, bananas, ice cream, chocolate milk, and a free dinner of baked potatoes, shredded beef sandwiches, or hot dogs for ALL runners. It was great!

It was so fun to see old friends there...one especially...who is just dying to know how I placed!!! Cami...are you SURE you want to know??? I know that if I give you my time, you will surely whomp me next year! Okay, okay....here's how I placed:

I ran my best time: 51 minutes and so many seconds that I don't remember now. I was shocked, to say the least! I was guessing more around 59 minutes! When they finally got our age group placing posted (and Cami, I think you were long gone by then...it took awhile), I found:

Female 10k Age 25-29

1. Amber Meredith
2.An amazing runner who I don't remember
3.Yet again, another amazing woman runner

Yeah...I got to go stand (after an eternity of waiting for the awards to be passed out to the marathon runners and half marathon runners) on a stage and have my picture taken with a flower and a plaque! All my family there cheered extremely loud! It was fun!

Soooo...

See ya next year!

Anyone want to run the 10k with me???

September 5, 2010! Cami...you better be there...and I totally won't care if you whomp me...as long as I come in second!! haha! And make sure you pee BEFORE you get on the bus!!! Or be the first in line...otherwise....you pee in your pants or get left behind!

(I have a few pictures...but in my haste, I left the SD card at home, and so Russ could only take 3! Oh well...next time!)

Suffering from some SERIOUS nerves!!!

(Ahhhhhh! Yes, I would like to scream like this!)

(could possibly describe how I am feeling)

So...

This Saturday I am running the 10k in the Pocatello "Running the Gap" marathon race. I know, it is only Tuesday...but I am feeling the worst kinds of butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it!!! I haven't raced since high school, and yet it is all coming back to me very clearly! And the main question I keep asking myself is:

"Why do I have to be so dad-gum competitive??? Why?"

So, this is what I found myself doing a few months ago after I registered for the 10k (thanks, Jan, by-the-way, for the birthday money in which I used to register....if it wasn't for you, I probably would not have registered at all for lack of money...being married to a poor college student! haha!)

Anyway, upon registering, I decided to look up last years women's results...of course telling myself it was just out of curiosity...and that I really did not care what place I got...just as long as I finished. I have had MANY friends and family tell me I am an awful liar.

Hmmm, let's just think here for a minute...

Do you REALLY think that I can even possibly run a race and NOT try to win??? I mean, come on...I am trying to fool myself to think that I will just run for PLEASURE and nothing more! I was born with a competitive streak far too dominant to sit there and all of a sudden become recessive for the sake of my own silly lies! The reality of the situation hits me hard, even at this very moment, as I am blogging and eating pretzels and yet my body is already suffering from the "flight or fight" response!

So...over the last few months of my "training" I have tried to get into a pace of running consistant 10 minute miles, and that would allow me to run the 10k in an hour. Results from last year, for the women's age group 25-29, the top three finishers ran it in 59 minutes to the fastest time of 55 minutes. The question I keep asking myself is, "Can I do it??"

That question is what is making me so blasted nervous! And this is why:

A week ago on Monday, I ran 6.5 miles in exactly an hour. I was, to say the least, THRILLED! So, pushing my limits a little further, yesterday evening I ran about 7 miles in an hour. I timed each lap (which is 0.5 miles) and most laps I ran in 4 minutes with a few in 3 minutes and a few in 5 minutes. When I finished, I still felt strong and realized I could have pushed myself a little faster. That's a good thing when you have a race to run in a week.

So...there is a possibility, considering who is running the 10k this year in my age group, that I could place....and you have no idea how BADLY I want to!!! My stomach is churning and palms are sweating!!!

To make the weekend even better, also running in races are: My sister-in-law Chelsea running the 10k as well, Ben and my nephews Carson and Jake, registered in the 1.5 mile fun run, Anna and my neice Rylei, registered in the 0.2 mile fun run, my sister-in-law Jenilyn and her sister as well as Jenilyn's son Dallen, registered in the 5k. It will be a whole family affair!!!

I cannot wait for Saturday to come, and I will make sure Russ takes lots of pictures of all of us to post! I am so proud of Ben for being tough and running so well to get ready for the race and I have been amazed by Anna and her enthusiasm to run at such a young age too! I could not be a happier mom than to see my children go on and pursue the joy that running and physical activity has brought me in my life...and I hope they will find the same joy in their lives too. They always say that if you want your children to be more active, then they need to see their parents become more active as well. Be your child's best example.

Good luck to any of you who might be participating and wish me lots of luck too!!!