tomorrow is the day

In less than 24 hours, I will be running the streets of Columbus.  Truth be told, the feelings I have about this 26.2 are reminiscent of birthing a baby.  The date has been on the calendar for months, but now that "the day" is near, I feel the urge to do some serious back-peddling!  While I am so excited, know that I've put the time in, & daydream about *that* moment of finishing, I am anxious about the unknowns.  How long is it actually going to take?  At what point will it start to hurt?  How much will it hurt?  Do I have the grit to push past the hurt & keep going?

 

 

Trust your training, "they" say.  My training began 16 weeks ago, a couple weeks past when most started, but I was still rehabbing from a nasty hamstring injury, & this is when I got the go-ahead from my doctor.  But I found this 16-week plan that closely resembled one of the trusted 18-week plans, so I printed it out & hung it on the fridge.

 

 

My 2 oldest daughters sent me these 2 inspirational quotes this week.  They are perfect reminders that I do need to trust my training, but not just the physical training.  My training log shows the physical training miles I put in, but I need to remember that it also represents the mental training & prayers said.  It takes some type of will & heart to pull myself out of bed between 3:30 am-5:00 am, depending on the training of the day, to run X number of miles, most before the sun ever came up.

 

 

So, come tomorrow, I will pray for the confidence to run this race before me, knowing that I put in the work, trying to embrace & savor the moments.  If I should waiver, I will pray to refocus on thankfulness to God for all that He has taught me leading up to this day & ask Him to once again renew my courage to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

 

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

celebrating hope

It is hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that this amazing little girl turned 3 years old this past Friday.



Each of the little girls has a middle name honoring the unique paths that the Lord led us on to becoming a part of their precious lives.

 

When I think about 3 years ago at this time, we knew she had been born, but that was all we knew.  We didn't know her face, we didn't know her touch, we didn't know her cry, & we didn't even know for certain if we would be her parents. 

 

 It was such an uncertain, emotional time, but what we clung to was Hope. Hope in God's plans for our family & for this little girl, trusting in whatever direction things would go.

 

What a humbling moment to learn that a little girl miles away would indeed become our daughter.

 

 

Every day with this daughter of mine is a reminder & a challenge to choose hope.  In days of uncertainty or times when things are just not going the way we envisioned, we have a choice.  We can choose to allow temporary circumstances to define us, or we can choose to have hope in the plans He has for us.

 

Kendi Hope, thank you for reminding Mommy every single day of how trusting & hoping in God's plans for my life & our family is where the greatest blessings can be found.  You are so loved & treasured as one of those blessings!

excitement over missing shoes {a Kemeri update}

It's been awhile since I've given an update on Kemeri Abigail's progress since coming home.  Can you believe she's been home a year and a half now?  Me neither!

 

Kemeri has experienced becoming a daughter, sister, granddaughter, & friend, a major surgery, many doctor appointments, lots (& lots) of firsts, & starting preschool.

 

One of Kemeri's favorite things to do is play dress-up.  Constantly.  She has even started venturing into Kaya's drawers when the normal dress-up clothes selection becomes boring.  It's no wonder all I do is laundry!  She also loves doing her hair & mine (this does not hurt my feelings!).  It is amazing to see what she CAN do with her little hand, which includes putting a rubberband in her own hair as well as mine.  As a matter of fact, this morning she proudly came out with her hair in a ponytail for preschool, complete with a headband, so you better believe I let her sport her original look to preschool.  Here is yet another of her original looks:

 

 

She adores spending time with extended family.

 

She also adores her siblings, but Kendi is more than that...they are best friends.  I'm not just saying that because it's what I had hoped for them.  It is even more than what I had hoped for.  They play together all the time.  Recently, Kemmy had to "take a break" because she was having some attitude issues.  After a few minutes, Kendi came to me and said, "Mom, can Kemeri just say she's sorry?" Somebody was looking to bust her buddy out of solitairy.

 

 

The way they play pretend is so cute, & considering that Kemeri had very little experience with play in her orphanage setting, it makes me smile all the more.  One thing they dreamed up all on their own is what they call "Mama/Shelby".  One of them is the mommy & the other is Shelby (I guess they just like this name??).  Many times I hear, "Mommy!", & when I answer, they promptly inform me I am NOT a part of their game.  My bad.  And they wear each other out.

 

 

Kemeri has come a long, long way in a lot of areas.  Once we got through the initial medical stuff, we realized she was delayed in many areas.  We began in the early intervention program, & once she turned 3, she received an IEP (individulized education plan) & started preschool, where she receives therapies in speech as well as fine/gross motor skills.  In all of these areas, speech has probably been the biggest hurdle.  Words do not come easily, & when they do, it's typically one or two at a time, so imagine my elation yesterday when I heard, "Mommy, I can't find my shoes!"  A WHOLE sentence, plain as day!!!  I can't say that I've ever been so happy about missing shoes!  Her teacher even made a special trip to the car today to tell me that they are seeing such progress in her communication at school.  I am so happy for her since this has been a point of frustration for her (I mean, seriously, when you're 3 years old, you have lots of opinions that need expressing!).

 

 

Her attachment has been good.  As with any attachment journey, there are different bumps in the road.  Thankfully, hers have been relatively minor, but for a long time she struggled with me being gone, especially at bedtime.  She still struggles with this at times (& when I say struggle, I mean full-out meltdown), but I have found that if I tell her I am leaving but will be back, she seems to handle it much better.  I think the area we have seen the most growth is in her relationship with Daddy.  She has gotten so she asks specifically for Joe during the day, & has started taking initiative with affection (hugs & "I love you, Daddy").

 

 

Kemeri, Kendi, & friend, Colby

 

It's hard to believe Kemeri will be turning 4 years old in six short months.  I'm looking forward to seeing her continue to blossom & watch her determined little self conquer obstacles.

an apple a day. . .

Well, we might be eating an apple a day after our trip to the apple orchard!  This is one of my most favorite things about the Fall...visiting one of the beautiful area farms.  No pumpkins on this day, but we picked a bushel of apples, took a hayride, & saw some animals in the barn.

 

 

 

 

 

It just wouldn't be a trip to the apple orchard without pitch & catch with apples! Crazies!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

just sayin' hi

Since I'm just sitting here with Daisy Mae, thought I'd share a few pics of life's happenings.  I think Daisy insists on hanging out with me because she knows I'm not feeling the greatest.  The good news is that I successfully completed my final 20-mile training run this past Sunday & have begun the taper phase of my marathon training.  The bad news is that I evidently have a displaced rib that makes my side feel like somebody took a baseball bat to it.  So, Daisy is concerned (as is Ella, who is at my feet on the floor) as I sit here icing.

 

 

Joe took Kaya & K'Tyo to a home football game recently, & they got pics with the varsity cheer coach, who just happens to be their sister. :)

 

 

 

And these two...I love, love, love my camera phone at these moments.  The best thing about this scene is that it's all their idea.  They readily share hugs & hold hands all on their own.

 

 

Seriously, is there anything better than running in wide open spaces?  Ella & I just enjoyed strolling behind.

 

 

Kearsten continues to settle into life in her new community, which now includes her new buddy, Rooney.  I'm so happy they have found each other...he had a super rough start to life, & she has always wanted a rescue dog.  Yay!

 

 

This was another sweet moment this past week.  While Kemmy was at preschool, Kendi was a sweet helper as Mommy got a haircut.  Since it was lunch time when we were finished, we ran through the drive thru to get some lunch.  Kendi said, "Mommy, can we eat outside in the sunshine?"  I am thankful that these kiddos remind me to slow down & enjoy simple, impromptu things like picnics in the sunshine.

 

 

 

Hope you have a wonderful rest of the week...I hope to share some pictures from our outing to the apple orchard soon!

26.2 or bust

Holy blog neglect!  Sorry.  I've been running...Running miles, running kids, running laundry, just running.  So, here's an update of sorts because I want to remember this time.  You may have read my post 13.1 or life? that I posted after running my first half marathon.  I have found this journey to running my first full marathon is just that...a journey full of self-discovery, faith, challenges, & falling down.  Literally.  Just like life.

 

 

Yes, I really fell.  One mile into a 16-mile long run, I was turning a corner, got distracted by traffic, & hit that darn sidewalk entry wrong. The worst part was that it was light out & there were lots of people to witness me fall.  I typically run in the dark, but on this particular Saturday, I started later.  Nice move.  But I know I got back up & finished 15 more miles, so just whatever.

 

Another surprising aspect of this journey has been the Lord impressing on me the importance of community.  A lot of things in this last year have been as raw & painful as my above-pictured knee, & we (Joe & I) found ourselves isolating a lot.  Sunday mornings were just easier spent at home. I guess it's our prideful nature to not want others to see us emotionally bloodied.  But seriously, how stupid is that?  It's flat out buying into the lie that everyone else has life wrapped up all neat & tidy while we're over here in the ditch.  The truth is that we find strength & encouragement within community.  Thankfully we got our heads screwed on straight & found our way back into our church family.  So, what does this have to do with my running journey?  I have always trained by myself. I told myself it was because it was *me* time.  The truth is I was afraid.  Afraid of failing; afraid of falling on my face; afraid of not performing to expectation...I don't even know, but I have had myself completely freaked out about running with other people. 

 

Thankfully, God doesn't leave us to our own destructive thinking.  He sends people your way to bully tell you to quit being a stupid hermit silly & join in on life.  Our town has a running club on FB, so on a whim a couple weekends ago, I connected with some girls to run a half marathon as a training run about an hour away.  Though I look slightly possessed in the picture & the humidity was ridiculous, I had a great time. 

 

 

This past Thursday I had decided to take the day off, but my friend, Kate (this is Kylie's mom, & Kylie is part of my inspiration for training for this thing in the first place...Read about it at www.gokylie.com) informed me she would be picking me up at 9:00 PM for a 5-miler with a group. I'm pretty sure I told her no twice, but she was still here at 9.  About a mile into that run, it was POURING (like windy, in sheets pouring down rain) for the whole blessed rest of the run...& it was AMAZING!!! I love running in the rain, but it was even more fun to laugh with other people about it. AND we ate cupcakes soaking wet to celebrate Jill's birthday when we were finished.  At that point, I committed to meeting up with these crazies for the Saturday 20-mile long run, commencing at 4 AM. Yes, 4 AM.  I know, right?   

 

 

It was hard & wonderful all at once, & I hope I always remember the flashlights & blinky lights for safety, the "woo-hoo, one mile...19 more to go!" {oh my!}, the dark & quiet of the country roads, the flying roadkill (don't ask, but it's funny now), conquering silly hills, running while the sun is coming up, detouring into the corn at mile 15 (Kylie's mile) for a picture, the gallon of water one runner had planted to share right before mile 17, & finishing. 

 

Mile 15 ~ Kylie's Mile

 

Truly, the best part of finishing was having other people to celebrate it with.  Just as in life, the race isn't supposed to be run alone.  We run it together, to give encouragement & receive encouragement, spurring one another along to the finish.

 

 

This post has gone surprisingly sappy on me.  It has & continues to be a journey of the heart, soul, mind, & of faith.  I'm not running this thing to impress anybody, break any records, or to be skinny (over a year later, & I am still not weighing myself, thank you very much).  This experience has & continues to be a challenge to my mental, physical, & spiritual being.  I am praying that my mind stays strong, that my body stays healthy, & that my faith continues to grow.  The fact that the Lord has shown me friendship in a community of runners has been a surprise blessing in the midst of the journey, so I am looking forward to more memories with new friends, too! 

 

**On a side note, I love the above 26:2 scripture!!  Do you have a scripture or inspirational saying that moves you?  I would love for you to share it with me to get me through the next few weeks!  Please leave it in the blog comments or if you're reading from FB, you can leave it in the comments there, too.  Thanks! :o)

back to school days

It all started Monday.  Kam & her best friend, Dante, headed off as college freshmen (they are both commuting).  Never too old for a first day of school pic! :)

 

 

Tuesday, K'Tyo headed off to 2nd grade.

 

 

Today, Kade began his 8th grade year.  Doesn't he look excited?

Yes, somehow he escaped the obligatory first day of school picture on the porch, so I pulled out my phone to snap some in the car & he opted to do selfies, & this is what I get.  Goober.

 

And Kaya started kindergarten!!!  I can't even believe it.

 

 

 

Kendi & Kemeri were all smiles here getting ready to walk the kids to the bus.  Those smiles quickly turned into wailing as they had to watch their beloved partners in crime sister & brother leave them for the day.  Seriously, they cried all the way from the corner back to the house.

 

 

 

 

And then there's this one.  Kyler is a senior!!!!  What?!?!

 

 

One beginning grade school & another one finishing.  And 2 of my babies are no longer students at all!  Kaelee & Kearsten are beginning their first year as teachers.  Maybe Kendi & Kemeri had the right idea with their pouty faces & tears.  This mommy heart is a strange thing as it feels so much joy & sadness all at the same time.  Mercy.