Graduations

Going back a bit in the year (since I have been a horrible blogger).

We had 3 graduations this year in our home.  It was a busy (but fun) season for sure!

Bradley graduated from Moody Bible Institute with a degree in Church Planting & Revitalization.  They let him walk in May with his class even though he was technically still in his 2 semester internship and then mailed his degree once the internship was finished.  He didn't necessarily want to fly home to walk but I may (ahem) have insisted that I wanted him to. 

Next up was Matthew who graduated from high school (Downers Grove North).  Our quiet, goofy and completely introverted son grew up at some point (when did that happen?!?).  He was not interested in going away quite yet so is at home going to a local school.  He is taking classes working towards a 3+1 degree with a local university in Computer Information Systems.  If he stays on this course, he will go 3 years to the local school and 1 year to the university and will graduate with his Bachelors from that university (saving us lots of $$ and not making me say goodbye to another kid quite yet!).

Lastly, the baby of the family (Caitlyn) graduated from Junior High.  Not quite as significant of a milestone as the other two but there was a gown and a ceremony and we celebrated.  :-)  She is a high schooler now involved in cheerleading, band, private oboe lessons and youth group.  She keeps me busy!!

I am counting my blessings this week as we lead up to Thanksgiving.  I am blessed with three awesome and completely different kids (and a great husband too)!

What are you thankful for this season?

Engaged!

We have a wedding coming in a few months!

Back in January, I brought Bradley out to Utah for what I thought was a 2 semester internship as a Pastoral Intern at The Mission Church.  They warned me when I dropped him off that they were going to try to convince him to stay out there permanently to do ministry with them.  It didn't take too long for him to figure out that he wanted to stay there.  Problem was, he had a girl here that had his heart. 

He flew back home in April and surprised her when he showed up and proposed to her. 

So there you have it.  There is much more to the story that I am not taking time to type.  Suffice it to say, we are thrilled and couldn't be happier for them!

What will be hard is watching them leave when they head to Utah together. 

Post-Christmas

Christmas is finished and days later, I am sitting amidst the aftermath and reflecting.  This was such a busy season in so many ways and it passed in such a blur.  I wish I would have slowed down to enjoy it more.

It gets so busy because of the extra things that I need to do in addition to things that I like to do to make Christmas special.  Shopping (lots of shopping!), Christmas cards, decorating, baking (and eating!!), wrapping, Christmas parties, all in addition to my already busy life.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas!  It is one of my favorite times of the year.

In addition to adding those "extras" into my life, working for a church makes this season extra busy too.  Christmas and Easter are two of our busiest times of the year and we get busy preparing for all of the guests who will come through our doors.  This being the first Christmas that I am full-time on staff played a big part in how much time I had to squeeze the extra things in too.

Add in there that Bradley finished his classes on campus and we moved him and his roommate completely out of their dorm room (permanently).  Now we are getting everything ready to move Bradley across the country for a 2 semester internship in Utah (more on that in another post). 

The thing is, I'm sad it's over so soon.  I feel like I missed it.  I think next year I need to go into the season with a plan.

How was your Christmas?  Do you have any traditions that you want to share?

Training Again

My favorite race weekend of the year is coming!! 

Ok, truth be told, it has been almost my ONLY race weekend of the year for the last few years (with the exception of a Disney half in there somewhere). 

Every year I have great intentions of losing weight and training well and rocking the race.  My full marathon and half marathon PR's are both from this race.  Trouble is, we don't run this one for time.  We run it with friends and have fun and the fact that it is for a great cause just sweetens it. 

Now that I am a bit into my training, I am hitting mileage that actually takes time for me to run.  Today was 7 miles.  I felt good and kept up my intervals until the very end.  I consider that a success. The weight loss and calorie counting haven't been going well and I can tell the extra weight I am carrying is slowing me down.  I need to get a grip on my self control where eating is concerned.  I am a stress eater and work is extra stressful right now and by lunch-time, I find myself saying screw it, eat what you want.  That needs to stop.

Ok, now that I typed that, I have to stick to it.  Right?  I'm headed out to lunch with a friend and I need to not eat all of the calories I just burned.

If you are looking for a great race and an excuse to get away to Florida in February, you should seriously consider running the Donna Breast Cancer Marathon or Half Marathon.  For more information, go to:

http://breastcancermarathon.com/

Hope to see you there!

Starting Over...Again

I have started over.  I fell off the wagon hard over the past 18 months and gained back a large percentage of the weight that I lost.  I also stopped running (or exercising of any type).  A few months ago, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure.

Time to wake up and take action.  That is not how I want to be.  I have started running again and started counting my calories again.  We are still working on the right mix of medicines to control my blood pressure.  One single medicine hasn't worked for me so we are working with combinations of two different meds right now and that seems to be working better.  Save the rash I am dealing with that we think could be an allergic reaction.  I know, it's a process and we will get there.  I am still fighting the fact that I have to be on meds at all.  Yes, it's hereditary but that isn't making me feel any better about it.

I also feel like I am fighting an uphill battle with the weight thing.  I waited a little too late in life and apparently being a "middle age woman" makes it twice as difficult.  Wahoo.

Time to count my blessings.  Today I am going to focus on the fact that I can run.  I am healthy enough and my legs work and I have actually found pleasure in running again.  It is my alone-in-my-head time.  If I want I can get lost in my favorite music.  I feel great when I get that endorphin high after I'm done.  I have some races coming up that I get to travel to.  I am blessed.

Have a great day!

Testing Out The Blog...

Does it still work?  I may have forgotten how to do this blog thing it has been so many years since I have written anything.  As life is taking some unexpected turns, I thought now might be a good time to jump back in.

More to follow...

500+ Days And Going Strong

I realized a few days ago that I have been using my fitbit and have been tracking my food for well over 500 days now (522 to be exact).  I may have missed the mark on getting my 10,000 steps on some of those days and I have gone way over my calories on many of those days, but I have not skipped even 1 day of tracking my food. 

I am cautiously optimistic that I have learned how to maintain my current weight (something I have never before been able to do).

Now I need to find the motivation to get down to business.  I have 10 pounds to go to hit my original goal.  Where oh where has that motivation gone?