So sore...

Yes, the March of Dimes 5K Run was yesterday, and yes, I had no clue that I would wake up this morning so sore! I have been working out for this for the past couple of months and I really didn't think I would be sore, but I really am feeling it this morning.

Yesterday, I ran the 5k run with my sister, dad, and grandfather (yes, he's 72!) Well, I guess you can't really say we ran it together, because we all finished differently. Let me give you an idea of it all.

Okay, so I went in with the knowledge that when you start the race, be careful to pace yourself and don't just run as fast as the crowd. OOPS! Well, let me tell you. As I have been working out, I have been running a 12 minute mile. This has been a good pace for me so that I can run the whole 3.2 miles. Well, my dad and I were running together at this point and we get to the first mile marker where they call out your time, and when she said "9 minutes 12 seconds" I just laughed (through the huffing and puffing). I couldn't believe it! Well, maybe I could because I was already hurting. So, needless to say, I slowed it down a bit so that I could make it. All in all, I did pretty good. My goal was just to be able to run the entire race without stopping, but that didn't happen. I did have to stop a couple of times to walk for a minute. But, the greatest part of all, was my time was great for me, still with having to walk a few times. I finished the race right under 33 minutes. At the gym, I have been running the 3K in about 36 or 37 minutes. WOW! I was definitely proud of this, even if I did have to take a few breathers.

I don't really like running outside. I'd rather run on a treadmill in front of a TV to take my mind off the running. But, my IPOD kept me pretty occupied, along with my mind praying for the Lord to just help me finish. It truly was a battle of the mind just as much a battle of the body! My sister, dad, and grandfather did great too! My sister and dad finished around 30 minutes (my sister was first, GO JILL!!) Then Papa made it right under 40 minutes! It was such a great experience for all of us to do together! I hope we will do it again!

So, it is finished, and for that I am glad. But, I will continue trying to run better and hopefully do another run in the fall. (not to mention, continue working on getting rid of that stubborn baby weight! YUK!) We'll see! So, here are some pictures of our fun time at the park!

The four of us right after we got to the park! I was so nervous!

My sister and I before the race

At the starting line! Getting my music going! Shout out to Marla since her husband, Justin, was what I started the run to!

Finish Line! Don't be fooled! We didn't finished at the same time. My sister came to run with me for the last couple of steps (after her 3 minute breather.)

We finished!!! Post-run picture


This is my good friend, Mandy's, parents. Mike was running (Carol walked later) in memory of their 3 month old granddaughter, Lilly, who passed away a couple of months ago.

Eisley's much better...

So, yes, Eisley is doing so much better! Ever since we went to the dr on Wednesday, she just made a complete turn for the better! The best news is that we weighed her on Sunday, and it appeared that she had gained a pound and a half since WEDNESDAY! Yes, that is ridiculously amazing. We had to weigh her several times just to make sure there wasn't a mistake, but nope, it was true. She was weighing in at 12.6 pounds. This was amazing, and just made me laugh. Its amazing what getting over a sickness can do for an appetite. So, needless to say, I am very excited to go in for her 6 month appointment on Monday, she might finally make the percentage chart. I hope that our scale wasn't doing something weird.

So, this weekend we had a garage sale with my sister and brother. And, although they both did really well, I didn't so much. I still made 75 bucks or so. Not too bad for just stuff I could have taken to GoodWill. It always feels good to get rid of excess, and then put some cash in the pocket! This weekend, we also stated Eisley on baby food. She's been doing the rice and oatmeal cereals for awhile now, so I thought I'd start the food. We started with Green Beans. She really did pretty good. I'm going to start making her baby food too. Has anyone else done that? Surely its as simple as steaming the vegetables and pureeing them, right? And smashing up fruits? I thought that would be very "Green" of me (since it is Earth Day today!) Any advice, please throw it my way. So, here are some fun pictures of the first time with Green Beans, YUMMM! (Be warned, if you have a weak stomach, these pictures are not so pretty!) Enjoy!
Green Beans, don't they look appetizing???

Still sick...

These pictures sum it up for me this week so far. This has not been a very fun few days in our house. Jody got home Sunday night from my brother's bachelor weekend. We were all so excited to have daddy home, but what happens, oh, Jody gets sick with a stomach bug. Oh, don't forget, all weekend, Eisley too was sick with a stomach bug, and everything that that involves. Not fun. Needless to say, I was quite frustrated. I know, I know, a wife is supposed to be by her husband's side at all times to care for him, in sickness and in health. Well, I wasn irritated, and I know it showed. I tried, really I did, but why was it so hard. I'll tell you why...I was sick of sickness. I had cared for two girls all weekend, one who was sick, and was just plain tired, and ready to have someone help me. I know, very selfish, but at least I recognized it. Lord, please help me show comfort and compassion when my husband is sick, just as I do for my children. Jody stayed home from work on Monday, but was feeling better today, and is now out this evening playing in a softball game.

But, my other sick baby, sweet Eisley, is still sick. Not fun. I put a call into my dr today, but she is out of the office on Tuesdays, so she will call me back in the morning, hopefully. We'll see if there is anything else we can do for her. I am just so concerned for her weight. It'll be good, I know. For now, I will just keep on loving on my baby. One pretty good thing happened today. I ran 3.2 miles today. (5k) The 5k is a week and a half away, and this is the first time I was able to push through. Now, to be honest, I walked a 10 minute "warm-up" (only because my sister was telling me a story) and then ran for 34 minutes. So, I didn't technically run an entire 3.2 miles, but it totaled that, and for that I am excited. We'll see if I can do better before next weekend. I'm determined.

Inspired...

So, today was a long day, but none the less, an accomplished day. So, my brother, sister, and I are having a garage sale next weekend at my parent's house while they are out of town so I have been meaning to go through all our stuff and get rid of any unnecessary items. Now, before I got married, I was always very good about keeping only minimal items, and always kept my room very clean and neat. But, little did I know that when I made my vows, I was marrying someone who did not seem to care as highly about neatness as I did. Now, if Jody was here, he would really want me to inform everyone that he may be un-neat (I know, that's not a word, but it makes the point.) but he is not dirty. So, yes, that is true, but his un-neatness has rubbed off on me. Its so easy to just put things down with intentions of putting it away later, but never happens. I will tell you though, that at least once a week, the piles of stuff becomes seriously overwhelming to me and I freak out a little bit, okay, sometimes a lot. I'm just telling you, I am more at peace internally when my house is picked up. Its the way the Lord intended, I am sure of it!

Now, to get back to the point. My sister is the queen of "bare essentials" and neatness. So, she so kindly offered to help me organize today. We only tackled Mia's room, her closet in particular. And if I may say so myself, we did amazing! Now, my room is filled with garage sale items that I am hoping to make some great cash on. I am so inspired, that I have been cleaning all this evening too while the girls are down for the night. I have also found a new friend...the Magic Eraser. Its amazing and truly magical. It got crayon off Mia's stage and cleaned my stove top very nicely. I recommend this to everyone! So, now, I thought I'd post some before and after pictures of Mia's closet. Please only look if you promise to not judge me. Hopefully this too will inspire everyone to do some Spring Cleaning of their own.

Fun times...

So, my husband went out of town this afternoon for my brother's bachelor weekend. But, what happens only an hour after he leaves? My sweet Eisley begins to throw up, a lot. Yes, I know, funny how that happens. This seems to happen to me a lot. There have been several times that Jody goes out of town, and I end up at the dr's office with sick children. Oh well, better me than him. (I can say that now, since both girls are in bed.) :) Due to Eisley's low weight, I knew that we did not have any time to waste with her throwing up and possible weight loss. So, I called the dr to see what to do, and of course, they wanted her to come in. I am so thankful for my pediatrician. I love that she takes such great care of us, and that I don't feel like just "one of her patients." We are blessed! SO, Eisley does have a stomach bug, and has been on only Pedialyte for the entire afternoon until the morning. No formula. Not fun. Poor baby, she's got to be hungry. But, she is sleeping now, and hopefully she won't wake up hungry in the middle of the night. She's hasn't thrown up anymore this evening, so that is good. Hopefully the bug has come and gone.

But I did have a great evening with my sister. We braved Eisley's sickness (selfish, I know.) and went out anyways. Since both of our husbands are with the guys, we decided to hang out. Her mother-in-law watched her girls and Mia so that we could go to dinner. Eisley was pretty fussy until she finally gave in to her sleep. It was nice to go to dinner. Thanks again, Jill, for the yummy Carinos. Oh, and thanks also for the trip to Wal-Mart so that my organizational process can begin. I think I will need more tupperware boxes though, we'll see.

I'll keep each of you posted on how the weekend finishes out. Hopefully we will have happy girls by the end of the weekend, oh, I mean, by morning. Please Lord!!!

Eisley Update...

I hope everyone had a great weekend! We sure did! It went too fast though. Jody and I went on a date Friday night. (Which was long over-due!) We went to Canyon (a small town outside of Amarillo) for dinner just so we could feel like we were getting away. It was so fun. We then just went shopping a little bit and got coffee. Its amazing how a little one-on-one time with my husband is so refreshing. Thanks Mom and Kim!!! Last night the Ingrams came over for some grilling out. We always have a great time with the Ingrams. Brad and Ashley are always the kind of friends that are just easy to be with. You know, those close friends that you don't feel like you have to entertain. We are so blessed with their friendship!

I just thought I'd catch everyone up on Eisley's weight, since it seems that there is a lot of misinformation floating around. People keep asking me if Eisley's sick, and to answer that, no. Its funny how information is turned around. She is doing fine. We went to the dr about a week and a half ago. She had gained a little over half an ounce a day for that week (which is just fine. They are looking for half an ounce to an ounce a day.) Yes, I was hoping for the full ounce a day, so I was a little disappointed, but my dr was not. She reassures me every time, that she is not concerned with Eisley's weight. Yes, its slow going, but she is healthy. As we were talking, I mentioned how I was a little curious to why I have to wake Eisley up to eat. I almost always have to wake her up around 9am for the morning, then I also have to wake her up from every nap to eat. (Shes on a four hour schedule of eating, so I don't let her go any longer than that.) Having told the dr this, she measured Eisley's head to see if its still growing well. And it IS. She is exactly where she should be. But she did want to refer her to Early Childhood Intervention (ECI). They will come to our house and do an evaluation here. Its really just a second opinion for her slow growing and to make sure this is not hindering her development. Again, I want to say that our dr is NOT worried at all, so, therefore I'm not either. She told us they may come out and say she is perfectly fine, just a little girl. I am looking forward to the second opinion. God has brought me to a great place with Eisley's weight. I'm no longer fearful for her. She is doing just fine. She is her own individual. We are learning more of her personality too, and she is simply a very laid back, passive girl. We increased her formula dramatically this week too, and are not being so overprotective with her spitting up. Yes, she still spits up a lot, but so did Mia until 8 months, so we are just going to deal with it. No big deal. The good news is that I weighed Eisley this morning, and she has gained almost a pound this past week! This is amazing! I think that increasing the formula has made a big difference! So, all to say, Eisley is doing just fine. We do thank you for all your prayers for our family! So, here are some pictures of how big Eisley is getting. (Almost 12 pounds now.)

(I promise, she does have a right hand. Even though its only a blur.)

I got tagged...

Thanks a lot Ashley! I really don't enjoy doing these things, because it really makes you have to think. I feel like I am a normal, average, not too quirky kind of girl, so these things kind of stress me out. But I want to follow through with this, and cause my mind to work a little harder. Trichelle, also tagged me, so I need to do that one too. Soon enough. But here is one of them.

So I was tagged by my great friend Ashley (I don't know how to link her though). She really probably knows all these quirky things or facts about me since we have been friends for almost 10 years now, but maybe I can surprise her. Here are the rules.

Here's the low-down:
1. Link your tagger. Post the rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself (random and weird).
3. Tag 7 friends.
4. Leave a comment letting them know they've been "tagged."

1.) The day I got my driving permit, I was driving home to my house in my mom's mini-van, with her by my side. I did a really great job, and was quite proud that I had made it home without my nerves getting in the way. So I opened the garage door, started slowly pulling into the garage until I got the break and the accelerator mixed up, and ran into the house, yes, into the laundry room. I was horrified! Thankfully my parents laughed. But I was not able to laugh until about a year ago. Just kidding! Hey, its a tricky thing, those pedals.

2.) I get really excited when a new month arrives. Not because it may bring a new season, but because I get to change my refrigerator dry-erase calendar. I can't explain the joy it brings me. I love the look of a clean calendar. Oh the joy!

3.) When I am filling the dishwasher, I like to be very organized in the location of the cups and dishes. I have a particular place for everything. Its a good thing that Jody doesn't load it very often because it stresses me out internally when things are out of order. But don't tell him that.

4.) My favorite part of my body is my nose and eyes. They are two things that don't change, stretch, or get bigger when pregnant.

5.) I sing on Jody's new CD. Yes, its true, I sing BGVs (Background vocals) on two of the songs. It has taken much, much prayer and will power to get me to sing out, and I'm still working on it. I love to sing, and grew up singing, but to sing where people might hear me has been a very big fear in my life! The Lord is setting me free of that fear, slowly. Well, the slowly part is my fault. But I do love leading worship with Jody and enjoy doing it as often as possible, and miss it when I don't get to.

6.) I had ear surgery in third grade, due to having a hole in my right eardrum. I am now hard of hearing in my right ear.

7.) I love cloudy days. I get really excited when it is cloudy, rainy, or thunder-storming. It really does bring me joy! That seems pretty pessimistic, but I do love it.

So now I will tag...
Megan
Amy Meek
Marla
Emily
Mandy
Sunny
Jennifer

I love Spring! Here is a picture looking up at my favorite tree in our backyard. I love the short week that this tree is covered in pink blossoms! It makes me smile! Happy Spring!

This is no "April Fools"

Happy first day of April! I just wanted to announce that the long-awaited day has arrived. Last night, we received six large and heavy boxes full of Jody's first CD!!!!! We have been waiting for this day for a very long time now! He started recording in December, and now the final product is here.

Jody will be having his CD Release Party a week from Thursday (April 10th) at our home church, Messiah's House. It will be at 7pm. It will be an amazing night of great worship. Everyone is invited for this night. It will also be a great chance to pick up your CD at the special rate of $12. We would love all our friends and family to join us for this exciting night. Here are a few pictures of the CD. We are so excited! I am so proud of Jody and all of his hard work. He has put so much heart into this CD, and it is a great first CD. There is no one else I enjoy worshipping with more than my own husband, and that's not a very common thing for worship leader's wives. I am very blessed to have a husband who seeks after the Father the way he does, and especially as he is leading! I am so blessed to be by his side! Again, I am so proud of you Jody, and the CD sounds amazing!