Sock it to ya

The Peachtree Road Race. An event I had no business being a part of. Except for maybe sitting on the side of the course, atop a cooler, eating a doughnut.
But no. I decided I needed to be one of the cool kids.
And you know what? I finished it damn it.
The whole 6.2 miles. I did it.
I walked most of the way. But I walked like a champ.
And I did it in style. Striped socks and all.
And at the finish I got to see my baby girl and the man of my dreams who finished 17 minutes ahead of me.
But they were there waiting. Because they knew I could do it.
Yep- I can do anything. Because I am motivated by a desire to be the best I can be for my family.
Once I was weak, but now I am strong.
The sky is the limit. Who knows what I might try next!

We have been on a much needed vacation.
This is the first full length vacation we have been on where it was just the four of us. And I have to say that is has been really refreshing.
Evan and I both resolved that we would completely forget about work and enjoy our week as care free as possible. We managed to do just that and it has been so nice.
I fear the days after we get back as I know they will be very busy. But I think the break was worth it.
A few highlights from our week were:
1. We actually slept in every day and so did our kids. Big deal as we needed the rest.
2. Britton learned to swim! And now I can actually sit back and enjoy the sun without being paranoid about him drowning. He's actually like a little fish and beat his sister by about 5 years as a swimmer since we just convinced her she had to be able to swim to go to middle school. True story.
3. Both kids will get in the ocean now and enjoy it. Before it was like a form of torture for them. Now they are wave jumping hulligans.
4. Dinner at 4:00 every day is kinda nice. And its a must in Panama City if you don't want to wait 2 hours.
5. I love vacation. I'm already planning our next one. Its like an addiction for me.

Just Some Stuff

We have been so busy lately I have not managed to blog at all lately.
Not even sure we have done anything that amounts to much, but I feel like we have been running around like crazy lately.
I thought Summer was a time for relaxation and unwinding, but it seems like we are in full force right now.
What have we been up to? In case you care, here's a little recap and some clues and answers to some of my previous posts.
1. I had a health issue that truly scared me. As I've posted about so much in the past, I am a gastrointestinal nightmare. So in and amongst all of the testing that my doctors were doing to find a way to get me better, they did an CT Scan and found a spot on my liver. Just what I needed right? A spotty liver. And for 3-4 weeks I got more tests scheduled and sat around and waited for what the spot might be.
As it turns out, it's a cyst. That's good news I guess. Except it does seems to be causing symptoms. So the plan right now is to watch the cyst and try and control the symptoms with medication. Seems to be working ok with the exception of the right side pain I have all the time. Oh how I wish I had a relative in the medical industry. I would totally bug the crap out of them until they solved my pain issue. But since I don't I guess I'll just be as I am.
2. I surprised Evan with a weekend trip to Disney World for his 35th birthday. The entire trip was supposed to be a true surprise. Like Evan shows up at the airport to price a "job" and I surprise him with his suitcase and plane ticket. That all unravelled quickly the day before when it was determined that he had pushed some work off from earlier in the week until Friday, the day he was supposed to be gone. So I basically had to call him and tell him on the phone that he was not going to be at work the next day, he was goignt o Disney World. Not exactly as I had dreamed it all out, but it worked. And we had a blast. Just the two of us. Running around an amusement park like little kids. Although each night when we got back to our room, we could tell we were getting older. My legs hurt for days after that!

What else? We are planning a vacation, speaking at a retreat, working like crazy and keeping up with two kids. Sounds like a lot but man are we blessed.
Now off to do some yard work that I've neglected!

Waiting rooms

I am pretty much over hospitals, doctor's offices and labs.
I'm writing this post from a waiting room. A place I feel like I have been one too many times.
I have to have one more scan in hopes of figuring out what the heck is wrong with me.
This one is a little more scary than all of the others, but I don't mind.
As long as I know something after it's over. Well I mean, I'll know something in a week.
And for all of these people sitting around me in this room, I hope that they all know the love of Jesus and they put their trust in Him.
I'm not sure how I would get through times like this without my faith.

Ballerina Girl

If I could have fabricated a plan for the perfect child, I imagine that child would be the spitting image of our daughter Haley.

It's hard as her mom to convey how wonderful she is, as it might be considered bragging or boastful. But honestly, I just adore her with all of my heart.

Her spirit is just so beautiful. She truly loves everyone and everything.

Most importantly, she holds a strong faith in God and uses that as a foundation for the rest of her life.

She happens to be quite beautiful in my opinion, but her true beauty runs deep into her soul.

Haley is smart, imaginative, witty and has a contagious personality. She can quickly make friends with people both old and young, and she has a natural motherly disposition that makes her love toddlers and babies.

Did I mention she also loves sports like golf and kickball, but can dance ballet with a grace like no other?

There is nothing I don't just love about my sweet girl.

And I see her growing up so fast right before my eyes. But unlike most her age, I see her growing in her faith and in her heart more than I see her being selfish and self-centered.

My hope and prayer for Haley is that she will always be reminded of how beautiful her heart is and that she will use it to make a difference in this world that needs people like her.

I envision her as a missionary. I simply think she will always be a servant of others. Whether that is in the mission field or in a classroom or in corporate America is up to her. But I feel certain she will lead and she will make a difference.

It's strange now to think back to the time when I was so scared of having a little girl. What would I do with a girl? As it turns out, I haven't had to work that hard, as God gave me a sweet little image of himself to share my life with.

One final Milestone

Last night I completed the six weeks of maintenance with Weight Watchers and became a lifetime member! Basically that means I don't have to pay anymore to go to meetings as long as I stay within my goal range.
I am super excited to be at this stage as not many people carry it through to the end, so it's a part big deal.
Part of my reaching lifetime meant that I had to do a little talk during our meeting about what this whole journey has meant to me.
That was tough. I teared up a few times as the emotion of the last few years was brought full circle. Standing in front of our group and explaining that I am who I am today because of trials like my husband's cancer and my own poor health was hard. But as I lloked around the room at people I have gotten to know pretty well, I realized that everyone needs to hear that success can come from adversity.
I imagine most people attending something like a Weight Watchers meeting want to hear that they are not alone. That one day their story might matter to someone else. And that is exactly what I told them.
SO I'm finished. I've said my WW testimony and I'm rockin' a healthier, trimmer body.
And it is my hope that like all of the other stories I've shared with people in hopes of being an inspiration, I will continue to share my weight loss story with those that want to hear it.
Did I mention I've been asked to apply for a job with Weight Watchers?? Oh dear!

May oh My

I'm not real thrilled with the month of May right now.
I won't go into details, but man am I worn out from all of the drama that has been going on.
A little bit of Grey's Anatomy with a sprinkling of The Apprentice and a dab of Days of Our Lives.
Hopefully things will wing down just like the above stated TV shows are coming to their respective season finales.
Here's hoping the summer gets here sooner than later!