thanksliving

Thanksgiving - one of the very best days of the year.  It should be a way of life and celebrated everyday of the year.  Thanksliving.

This year we were purposeful about trying some new things.  We allowed ourselves to let go of some old traditions.  We had roast beef with potatoes and carrots instead of turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing.  I LOVE the leftovers and we didn't have to find a way to carve the turkey (that was always my step daddy's job and we just can't replace him). 

We started the day with another new tradition - a 5k race in Wichita.  Almost our entire family participated.  We had 3 generations ranging in age from 6 to 63.  We had perfect weather and so much fun!  The name of our team was the Crawlin' Rawlins (my mom's maiden name is Rawlins).  We may have sand bagged a little and added a few very speedy Valdez runners to our team, hoping to "pad" our time a little.  Maybe.

(Eli was already at the front of the race with a friend and my sister was hooking up with a another friend to run - we just weren't fast enough for them!)

True story - Eli was not planning to run because he wanted to sleep in.  My 8 year old niece was planning to run but she got sick.  At the last minute, Eli decided to run in Cassidy's place using her race bib.  Long story short, turns out he's faster than all the 8 year old girls and won their age/gender bracket.  We were honest and didn't take the prize but my niece was pretty impressed with what her cousin would do in her honor ;)

Not my most flattering photo, but proof I do run...

(Wish I knew where this camera was posted.  I would have tried to smile and look happy!)

We must have been really happy with the meal because I have absolutely no photos.  We were just too busy eating :)

We did snap a couple of our traditional family photos after lunch.

(my favorite mommy and her favorite grandkids)



As the sun began to set on Thanksgiving, the black friday ads quickly made their way to the dining room table and lists were made. 

We stood (or sat!) in line at Walmart for 1 1/2 hours before the 8:00 event.  We got the toys we wanted and were out of there in a record 12 minutes.  I'm not even kidding.  We then stood in line in the cold wind at Target for 35 minutes for their 9:00 opening.  We found our way to the incredibly long electronics line and waited and waited and waited.  At 9:45, Abi and I took off for Walmart again to hit their 10:00 event while the rest of the crew waited and waited and waited some more at Target.

After getting all the toys and electronics we were hoping for, we hit the McDonald's very late night drive-thru and devoured all the naughty things we haven't eaten for months and months.  We may have done some serious laughing when we found ourselves sucking the grease and salt off our fingers - it was just so finger lickin' good after a fun and exhausting day.

(not a very good photo but you can see we were having fun)

Here's what you don't hear on the news about black friday shopping - there are really nice, wonderful and generous people out there shopping.  We met some new friends in line for toys who were shopping for needy families from the KFDI list.  Abi and I were at the end of the Nook line at Walmart when a super sweet family approached us with an extra Nook.  We probably wouldn't have gotten our Nook if it weren't for their generosity.  There was no shoving, yelling, screaming, kicking or name calling.  Just kind people paying it forward.  We got everything on our lists and went back on Friday for some more :)

Eli was a little disappointed he got an "easy black friday" for his inaugural event.  I think he was hoping for a little more "thrill in the chase".  My kids know most of what they will get to open on Christmas morning.  I'm really good with it.  They enjoyed planning, plotting and strategizing their shopping trips.  They learned the value of shopping ads and looking for the best deal.  They really did love the thrill of the chase and had lots of fun spending time with their mommy, Grandma Susan, Auntie Michelle and cousins (don't count how many seat belts should have been used in my van!).

One last thankful note.  I won this adorable little running skirt in an online contest on Thanksgiving morning...

I can't wait to get this "happy mail".  My very classy running friend, Lisa, is getting a skirt of her own.  We're going to be so stinkin' adorable in our next race!!

love this boy

This boy makes me smile every.single.day.
Matter of fact, he makes me laugh every.single.day.

I used to have to beg and plead with him for months and months to get a haircut.
Honestly, he would get 3 haircuts in a good year.
We just weren't going to fight over it.
We took a friend with us several times to try to sweeten the deal (thanks Jake!).

Suddenly, he has discovered girls and has been asking for regular haircuts.
Interesting how that works.
Adidas body spray is on his Christmas list.
Very interesting.

He did me a major favor the other day and I told him he was absolutely, positively my favorite son.
His response - "it's because I don't get a period, isn't it?!"
LOVE THIS BOY!!!
Love how he makes me laugh :)

addictions

I heard a very profound statement on the radio today.  It's been stirring in my spirit all afternoon and evening.  I guess I'm going to work out my issues on your time.  There's my disclaimer :)

"Addiction is not an illness.  It is misplaced worship; basically, it's idolatry."

Whoa.  That kind of rocks me at my core.
When I googled "addiction", I found it is defined as "devotion; great interest in a particular thing to which a lot of time is devoted".  That sounds very similar to worship.

I guess that means addiction is NOT an illness.  It's a choice to place something in my life before Jesus.
Can it be said that addiction is like filling the God shaped hole in our hearts with something else?  Something that will leave us feeling empty, alone, unloved?
What do you think?

I like to think I don't have any addictions.  That it's never been a problem for me.
But then I remembered some things I've really enjoyed for a time but later regreted.  Maybe I regreted them as soon as I was finished.  Or maybe I regreted them a while later.  Like...

Diet Coke (gallons and gallons of diet coke!)
Shopping...for a lot of shoes ;)
Approval from men
Eating...a lot of eating

Thank goodness, a cigarette has never crossed my lips.  Otherwise, I'm sure that would be on the list.  Or gambling.  I'm sure I would totally get caught up in that too, if given the chance.
Are there healthy addictions?  Is it ok for me to be addicted to eating healthy?  to running?  to spending time with my sweet man?

If something is more important to me than spending time with my Savior, it's not healthy.  I can get pretty grumpy if I don't get a run in most days.  Does that mean I'm addicted?  Dang it. 

I guess I'm going to have to do some serious soul searching.  I'm going to have to evaluate my priorities.  I love my alone time with Jesus while I'm running.  Does that mean it's ok?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on addictions.  Are all addictions bad?

Yes, yes I do ...

lost keys

Some days, I have the luck of a lost kitten at the dog pound.
Yesterday may have been one of those days.
You know that big crack between the elevator and the floor?
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you dropped your keys through that crack?
Yeah, me either.

After yesterday, I know what happens if you drop your keys through that very scary crack.
The keys drop all the way to the dungeon and you find out who your true friends are.  Well, maybe they are the creative friends who enjoy a good challenge.  Either way, I'm glad I know them.

I did call the building manager of the Old Mill before we took matters into our own hands.
Turns out, you can't get to the dungeon of the Old Mill without calling the elevator company (who happens to be out of town).  It's a very costly call, I'm told.  And there's no guarantee when they will make it to Newton.

Thank goodness, I work with a couple of very creative people who are always up for a challenge.
We used a happy birthday streamer/wire decoration and taped a heavy duty magnet to the end of the wire with some packing tape.  Pretty resourceful, don't you think?
The tricky part was feeding the magnet through the crack.  It kept sticking to the metal side of the elevator car on the underneath side.  We found a heavy duty stick and whacked it a couple of times.

Ok, maybe "we" didn't do all this.  I took the pics and cheered :)

It didn't take long to grab the keys with the magnet once it was 8 feet below the elevator.
Very carefully, "we" brought the keys back up.

Phew!!  I was beginning to get worried I might not get to leave for lunch.  Or ever.

inspire hope

Have you ever agreed to something and then thought "What was I thinking?!" 
Have you ever been so anxious and excited you had butterflies and diarrea?  Yeah, me too. 
Matter of fact, that was me Friday morning when I woke up and realized I had promised a friend that I would run the Inspire Hope 8k race with her.  That's 5 miles folks!  Not only had I agreed to do it but I paid to do it.

So the thoughts started racing through my mind for the next 24 hours - "Really?!  What were you thinking?  Lisa has run 2 marathons and delivered her 5th baby in the last year.  You think you can keep up with her?  She ran her first marathon in San Francisco.  Why would she want to run with you?"  Oh.my.gosh.

(Can you say GORGEOUS?)



So, I got up bright and early Saturday morning to get ready for this great adventure.  I choked down a piece of peanut butter toast and made several trips to the bathroom.  How nice of T.O.M. (time of month - are you kidding me?!) to visit me on my last trip to the bathroom before dashing out the door.  It was 40* and the wind was blowing 289 mph.  Perfect for a run, don't you think?  Well, nothing like a sweet friend to force encourage me to face my fears.

We chatted all the way to Wichita and then sat in the car watching all the other crazy racers arrive.  Nothing like a good chat to make a girl feel comfy and forget her fears.  We hit the porta potties one last time on our way to the start line (I have totally mastered the porta potties after 2 races).  We were the VERY LAST RUNNERS to cross the start line but we were far from last to finish.  We were rock stars!

The race was exhausting, exhilerating, challenging and more fun than I could have ever imagined! One of my favorite days EVER.

I've learned a whole lot about myself and running over the last 2 1/2 months.  I know I have a lot more to learn but I want to look back on this time and smile next year when I realize how much more I can accomplish.  Here are just a few of the things I've learned:

• You can totally justify a new pair of shoes and all sorts of accessories to run :)
• The only thing nastier than sweat dripping down your cleavage is pee running down your leg.
• Poise pads are a girl's best friend when she runs.
• Apparently, I feel way more comfortable blogging about bodily functions now.  Jeesh.
• You are stronger than you know and braver than you realize.
• "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:13
• Sore muscles make a girl feel strong and beautiful.
• A good support system of online friends and real-life running friends is an incredible source of inspiration, motivaton and great advice.  Thank you, Lisa and Carmen, for being so patient to run with me and share all your wisdom.  You are super heroes in my book.
• I may not be a competitive gal but I'm very determined.
• Rest days are as important as long run days - thank goodness!
• 20 miles/week = more calories each week.  Big YEA!!!
• The 1st mile of every run is the hardest.  Dang it, you have to run it every.single.time.

It's been hard to see myself as a runner but I'm beginning to wrap my chubby little brain around it.  It's hard for me to imagine my life without running now.  Never thought I'd be saying that at this stage of my life  :)

last one

I have totally fallen off the blog wagon.  As in, "Help!!  I've fallen and I can't get up!"
Oh well, I'm here today and trying to get back on the ol' wagon.

We have only 1 trick-or-treater left at our house.
And I'm pretty happy about it!
I'm the lame, don't-really-like-Halloween, mom.
I endure it, only because I can't wait to get to Thanksgiving.
Matter of fact, I've been known to tell my kids I will pay them $20 if they can put together their own costumes from stuff we already have so we don't have to brave the costume shopping crowd.

Abi chose $20 this year and did a bang-up job.

We hit up all our neighbors and then drove around to the grandparents, great-grandparents and some of our favorite people.

It's kinda weird having just 1 kiddo to trick-or-treat. 
It makes it really tricky to steal candy - there's only 1 bucket to dig in.  Bummer.
But this girl LOVES being the only kid...

This is Abi's favorite stop.
She loves to go see Jackie, her daycare provider from many years ago.
I think we have this same photo for the last 9 years.
We sure do love Miss Jackie!

There's my obligatory Halloween post...now, let's move on to Thanksgiving :)