Run for life

Toward the end of last week, Cate started talking about running in a local 5K. I didn’t want to discourage her from doing so, but I wasn’t sure how that would go for my 8-year-old girl who had never done anything like this. So the day before our favorite local 5K, I decided to run too. Y’all, I hadn’t run since the same race THE YEAR BEFORE.

Life House Care Center’s Run for Life is our favorite 5K because it’s our favorite cause. Life House helps women choose life for the babies growing inside them. Life House offers women counseling and resources to prepare them for motherhood or adoption and provides support to women who didn’t choose life in the past. Greg serves on the board and helps organize the run. We’ve given diapers, money, and even the crib we didn’t think we needed any more to this organization so they can help more women and babies.

So, if I’m going to run in a 5K, this is the one I would choose every time.

I told Cate about the course and how she should be careful not to start out too fast. She didn’t seem unsure – especially when her cousin and a friend from church were going to run too. I loved seeing her excitement about this.

She took off at the start – so fast I tried yelling her name to tell her to slow down. But she couldn’t hear me. So I just jogged in the pack behind her. I could see the edges of her pink shorts beneath her too-big T-shirt she’d gotten when we signed her up to run.

Cate ran and walked and ran some more. And I’m sure she talked the whole way. She followed the group of runners in front of her and glanced behind her toward me. She told me later about the people she met on certain stretches of the 3.1 miles.

I hadn’t run in a year, but I ran the first three-fourths of a mile before slowing to a walk for a while. Then I ran more. I chatted with an acquaintance who was running her first-ever 5K. I thought about these women who face crisis pregnancies but choose life anyway.

And it took me about 2.5 miles to get close to my daughter again. I cheered for her run the last stretch toward the finish line. And then I finished not too far behind her.

My son – who had run a much shorter kids Fun Run earlier in the morning and already declared his intention to run next year – met me at the finish line with a bottle of water. I don’t really like running, but there’s nothing like finishing.

I heard people cheering for me – even though I was among the slower people to finish – and imagined that’s like the great crowd of witnesses that encourages us in the race God has for us (Hebrews 12:1).

The race we’re called to run isn’t always easy. But it’s marked with such goodness. {Tweet that.}

Keeping up with my daughter wasn’t really an option for most of those 3.1 miles, but seeing her independence and excitement brought much joy to my momma heart. Finishing the race marked before me gave me a sense of accomplishment that will encourage me in other endeavors.

In that sense, running is much like faith. Let’s keep going.
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I wrote about this race last year too. 

Want more insights? "Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family" is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin', or subscribe to receive "Insights in Your Inbox."

Run the race

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." {Hebrews 12:1-2}

I felt sluggish and defeated about half way through a 5K race Saturday when a woman I'd never met ran up beside me with encouragement and vulnerability. "Every step is for a life," she said, alluding to the local charity that organized the run to raise money and awareness. The goal of Life House Care Center goal is to save a child’s life and share the gospel with their parents by providing pregnancy testing and counseling, community referrals, and other information and support.

"Yes, both my kids are adopted so this cause is close to my heart," I tell her as our steps become in sync for this stretch in the middle of 3.1 miles.

Instead of running on, she slowed down and shared a piece of her story: "I had an abortion many years ago, when I was 33 and old enough to know better. I realized I could forgive myself because of a Bible study at Life House."

She shook my hand and told me her name. I told her my name. Then I told her our pasts don't define us. God makes us new. We both knew this, but it never hurts to remember what matters.

And then she ran ahead. But those moments in my fourth-ever 5K changed me.

Instead of feeling defeated, I thought about our story. I thought about how two women chose life for babies they wanted us to call daughter and son. I thought about a woman we know of who recently delivered twin babies and then had to return to jail while her tiny son and daughter remained in the NICU.

I thought about how God redeems the hard seasons.

Instead of dwelling on how my calves wanted to give out on me, I thought about my dear friend who is walking through a dark season with some relatives and how it’s been weighing on my heart for her. I thought about my other close friend who has lived in a hard season in her home. I thought about how another friend confided in me something I never knew about her as I trusted her with part of my story.

Everybody goes through hard times in life – and we’re better when we make ourselves vulnerable because it helps us heal and reminds others they aren’t alone.

Messages of truth were coming through my headphones: “Lay ‘Em Down” by Needtobreathe. “All Things Possible” by Mark Schultz. “Remind Me Who I Am” by Jason Gray. “Gold” by Britt Nicole. “Home” by Phillip Phillips. I splashed water from the drink station on my face, never stopping my stride. The water mixed with my tears. I was physically exhausted but spiritually refreshed. I kept running – and praying and praising God for the details in this life, both in my own story and in others’.

On the second to last turn in the 5K race, my left foot turned as I rounded the turn eager to head up the small hill toward the finish line. I thought I was going to fall down, but managed to keep my balance. My ankle ached immediately, but I kept going because I was almost there. I made it and it didn't even matter it was my slowest 5K race time yet.

And such is taking steps in life.

Sometimes the journey is hard, especially when we don’t feel prepared for what comes our way and end up hurting. But choosing life is a choice we make over and over again. Thankfully, we don’t have to run this race alone.
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I'm sharing this post with Beth Stiff's Three Word Wednesday, Holley Gerth's Coffee for Your Heart, and Jennifer Dukes Lee's #TellHisStory.

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{Three Word Wednesday} Find Your Balance

El Dorado Royale in Riviera Maya, Mexico. Sept. 2013.

I feel like I'm the most uncoordinated person in the gym. I know I'm the least flexible. Chances are I sweat the most too.

But I try to keep up and follow along.

The exercise instructor says, "Find your balance first," as she starts to stand on her left leg with 5 pound weights in each hand. Then she raises her arms up in front of her and then spreads them out to each side.

I find my balance and copy her.

My arms are tired. My legs feel wobbly. But my head is filled with a reminder that applies to so many aspects of life beyond the gym: Find your balance first.

Find your balance at home.

Find your balance in the community.

Find your balance with your husband and kids.

Find your balance with your friends.

Find your balance with your dreams.

Find your balance whenever you are.

My husband and I returned earlier this week from five days in Mexico. We talked about how I hold on too tightly too life sometimes. I told him I knew God was calling me to find my balance. Just because something is good doesn't mean we are called to be part of it. God is leading me to let go of some things I like because they're distracting me from what I am to love. 

But truth is sometimes finding your balance is hard. Sometimes it means making hard decisions and having hard conversations. Sometimes it means doing things different than you've always done them before. Sometimes finding your balance means freeing your calendar or opening your home or reaching out beyond your comfort zone. Just thinking about it makes my legs wobble sometimes.

But God doesn't wobble.

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." {1 Peter 5:7}

Jesus says: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." {John 16:33}

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." {Matthew 6:33}

And be sure to stretch afterward. Reach high. Reach far. With your arms wide open. It may hurt at first, but it'll be worth it. This finding your balance and keeping it while waving your arms with weights in hand can be quite the endeavor. Good thing we don't have to go at it alone.
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Linking up with Jennifer Dukes Lee for #TellHisStory, Beth Stiff for Three Word Wednesday and Jen Ferguson's Soli Deo Gloria party. 

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Hello Mornings, Hello Exercise

Goodbye summer snuggles. Hello early mornings ... 

Hello, 6 o'clock hour. Honestly, I'm not really that into you, but you've actually been good to me and for me this week.

It's true. I've been getting up before I have to get up. And it's been good. It's been an emotional week, but waking up 30-45 earlier than necessary to get kids ready for school has been good for my soul. I'm doing a Bible study on Ephesians with a small group that "meets" on Facebook each morning as we each begin our days.

So, yes, this is me saying I'm glad I signed up for The HelloMornings Challenge. Having a more regular time of study and prayer is one of my goals for this school year. The other is exercise.

First week in: I got up early all five days to read about Paul and his letter to the Ephesians. And I exercised three of the four days I had planned to either go to a class at a gym I'm considering joining or walk/run with a friend. And the only reason I cancelled my exercise plan on Monday was my son's emergency room visit on Sunday created some extra things for me to do to start my week.

I'd say that's a good start. 

And I'm glad I'm not doing it alone. For exercise accountability, I'm thankful for my friend's guest passes that have allowed me to try out this class and for my other friend's offer to meet at the park to walk and run. Admittedly, we both needed to talk Thursday about some things going on in our lives so we walked a few miles instead of picking up the pace to a run, but, still ... I'm developing a routine, which is what I needed.

For the Bible study, I'm making new friends online and joining two others {Kristen and Mel} I met through our God-sized Dream Team. I'm certain this Bible study will spill over into my everyday real life too.

Especially when I read words like this ...

"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as your truth in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God."

{Ephesians 3:14-19} 

What powerful words. And even more powerful is knowing God can transform us like that. For me, right now, it's helping me to set the alarm a little earlier and schedule exercise of some kind in my day. What happens during those times affects the rest of my day, my conversations and my relationships. Some mornings will be hard. I'll get distracted or feel defeated. But the next morning will come, and God's new mercies will be there.
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This post is linked up with other women who are sharing what they've learned this week in The HelloMornings Challenge. Want more stories? Like 152 Insights on Facebook. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram. Follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin'. Subscribe to receive "Insights in Your Inbox."

Finishing the race

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

{2 Timothy 4:7}

I ran in my third 5K since March this past weekend. I had trained the least for it, but my goal was still to run it all and finish. Since January, I've been "running." I was diligent training for my first 5K  and ran regularly leading up to my second, which was a month ago. Between that one and this one, I ran twice. Only twice. Yet, I fastened that bib number, had my running playlist ready to go, and managed to do finish in a time {34:47} close to what I did the other two times {34:24.9; 33:48}.

I've run more than 2 miles exactly three times this year, all in 5K races. With training like that, you'd think I didn't know 5 kilometers equals 3.1 miles. Obviously, I hesitate to call myself a runner. Really, I still don't even like running. But I like finishing. 

But, you know, in order to finish, you have to start. 

In the two other 5Ks, I ran with my friend Emily, who wasn't able to run this time. I wasn't sure how I would do setting my own pace. But I managed to do alright. The first mile was a little slower than I would have liked, closer to 12 minutes than 11 minutes.

The hardest part for me is the middle. That 1.5 mile to 2.5 mile section is rough. I know when I'm there, I've made it half way, but I still have to go farther than I usually go. This 5K route was on residential streets. In this second mile, a guy was watering his yard ... and us runners who passed by. I seriously thanked God for him. And it wasn't even nearly as hot as it could have been.

I continued on. Nobody was running next to me. There were plenty of people in front of me and others behind me. I passed a couple. Several passed me. There were walkers and runners who were pushing strollers. There were lots of people younger than me and quite a few older than me. But nobody was running next to me. I've felt like that in life before. I have some of the best friends a girl could have. Our families are supportive. I'm an extrovert. Yet I've found myself alone before. The quiet can be good for my soul; the quiet can be haunting. Either way, it almost always brings about reflection.

Admittedly, I thought about walking. But I managed to run through the temptation. I remembered my goal and favorite part of running: Finishing. And then I thought about how running a race really is like life.

You have to start. Often the middle is hard. Maybe you're waiting for a phone call. Or an invitation. Perhaps you are mourning a loss or recovering from a failure. Decisions can be hard. Enduring the mundane can make you weary. But there a blessings, like a spectator with a garden hose, along the way. Being grateful helps us continue. And then there is the finish line.

When I crossed the finish line, my 3 1/2-year-old boy was there offering me water. Apparently his daddy put him up to it, but, still, I can't imagine a better prize. My 6-year-old girl captured my finish line. It's not exactly flattering, but it's real.

Finishing the race you start is always worth the hard stretches. I couldn't hear them in that middle stretch, but my family was there, cheering me on. At the end, there is relief and refreshment. Accomplishment wins. God may reveal what he's been orchestrating behind the scenes. If nothing else, you can say you did it. You endured, leaving your faith more confident.
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I'm linking up with Jen Ferguson's Soli Deo Gloria party, where encouragement abounds, as well as Jennifer Dukes Lee and other storytellers for #TellHisStory. 

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What's on your ...

This post is inspired by one Ali Edwards wrote last week. I tweaked my list a little, but it's a fun way to document the right now in my life. 

Perennial to-do list :: Scrapbook. Organize pictures that I've printed. Put together a hanging display for postcards. Mop and clean the toilets and showers also hang over my head.

Refrigerator shelves :: Left over deviled eggs. Milk that I bought on the way to school this morning and then proceeded to pour some into my preschooler's cup. Coke Zero. Lettuce. Beef thawing for dinner tonight.

Front porch :: A bird made a nest. Less pollen because the lawn care guy blew off the porch.

Nightstand :: Kindle. "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young.

Calendar :: Carpool this afternoon. Greg turns 35 today. Cate and I also have birthdays within the next two weeks. Four more weeks of school for Cate. Three more school days for Ben.

Dream itinerary :: Pretty much anywhere, especially places that are warm.

Playlist :: "Promise of Summer" by Jackopiece.

iPhone :: Map My Run. Instagram. Words with Friends. Facebook. Twitter. Texting. ShopShop.

Workout plan :: Run a few times a week in preparation for a 5K on May 25. I ran 2.09 miles this morning.

Bucket list :: Load up my family in an RV and travel to all the MLB stadiums during baseball season. Write a book.

Mind :: Dear friend Sarah and sister-in-law Angela are expecting babies soon, like this week. People I want to make plans with. A neighborhood party. Updating our adoption home study, again.

DVR :: "The Good Wife" is all we really record these days, but we're caught up. I don't really expect to watch the "Mob Doctor" episodes, but we haven't deleted them yet.

Blogroll :: Jennifer Dukes Lee. Chasing Blue Skies. Big Mama. Jen Hatmaker. {Just to name a few ...}

To-read list :: "Desperate: Hope for a Weary Mom" by Sarah Mae & Sally Clarkson {And the Kindle version is just $3.99 today!}. "Interrupted" by Jen Hatmaker. "You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One)" by Jeff Goins.

Tell me about your right now.
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{No More Perfect Moms} Imperfection on the inside

I wear an insulin pump because my pancreas decided to stop producing insulin nine years ago.

My neck and shoulders have been tense, carrying the physical impact of motherhood right into little knots that the massage therapist once described as "layers of issues."

I've started running this year and a 2-mile run makes me think my ankles and shins and thighs are going to give out. Yet I managed to finish a 5K and plan to run another, even though the cold weather has kept me from running for a few weeks now.

I wear contacts because my vision is terrible otherwise. I wore braces twice and my teeth still don't line up perfectly. I've lost count of the number of fillings in the back and certainly don't know how many have had to be repaired because my teeth have weak enamel.

I {mostly} don't bite my nails like I used to, but don't study the skin around them.

And I haven't even touched on the infertility issues that mentally exhausted me when we spent almost two years trying to conceive. I took medicine, had surgery, took more medicine, had blood drawn more times than I care to count, met with a specialist who wanted to in-vitro fertilization. My imperfect body led us to adopt, which turned out to be a perfect decision.

Even among all the imperfections, taking care of myself is important so I can take care of my family, serve others and live this life God has called me. Truth is, God wants us to tend to our hearts first. Yes, he wants us to care for our bodies {First Corinthians 6:19-20} so we can serve him, our families, our friends, our neighbors, our community, and wherever else he takes us. But, more importantly, God  wants to shape our hearts before our waistlines so our lives can attract people to Jesus.

"When you look at yourself in the mirror, what filter do you see yourself through? Do you compare what you see in the mirror to what you see in magazine and television articles? Or do you see yourself through God's eyes? His eyes care more about the condition of your heart than the condition of your skin."

{From "No More Perfect Moms" by Jill Savage}

Our bodies are God's creation. We should care for them. Move them. Exercise them. Use them. Nourish them. Rest them. Clean them. But we shouldn't compare them and allow ourselves to be stricken with the Perfect Infection. That's certainly a diagnosis our bodies don't need. 

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I'm linking up with Jill Savage's Hearts at Home Blog Hop. This is another post in an ongoing series about how God's teaching me to embrace imperfection. I received a free PDF copy of Jill Savage's "No More Perfect Moms" as part of the book's launch team, but I truly want to embrace this message and the opinions and experiences are mine. You can buy the book at Amazon, where it's on sale for $7.19. 

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3.1 in the snow

In January, my competitive nature got the best of me. Greg said he was going to run a 5K, so I decided I would too. It should be noted here, I don't really like running. But since the beginning of the year, I've been running regularly. Our family's Saturday runs have been my favorite. I'd been running 2 miles pretty consistently for the past few weeks, but I hadn't gotten beyond that.

Well, you know, a 5K is 3.1 miles. 

Oh, and, hey, it was snowing and 31 degrees.

We're off. We're smiling because this is just the beginning. That's my friend Emily to my right. Y'all, I was so grateful for her. I was nervous about setting a pace. Greg said he'd run the first part with me, but then was going to go faster. He stayed with us for the first 3/4 mile or so. Emily ran a pace slightly faster than I had been running but was consistent, which kept me from jetting off too fast with the mob mentality of the real runners in front of me.

We did it! While going up a hill right before the last stretch to the finish line Emily reminded me the best part of running is finishing. She's so right. I don't love running, but there was such a satisfactory feeling of accomplishment to run that last stretch, finishing something I started that doesn't come easy for me.

I finished in 34:24.9. Greg had told his mom, who was sitting in the car with our kids while we ran, that he'd finish in about 30 minutes and I'd probably take about 40 minutes. I was so glad to beat his estimate. I'd running 2 miles in about 24 minutes, so I was thrilled to finish the way I did, especially because snow was coming down the entire race.

Such sweet faces were awaiting me at the finish line.

On a medical note, I usually take my insulin pump off just before I start running. But I took it off about 30 minutes before today, thinking I was running farther and my blood sugar was at a good level when I woke up this morning. {Exercise naturally lowers blood sugar levels.} After the race, my blood sugar was high and got even higher in the afternoon. Not sure what that's about.

Regardless, a couple people told me on Facebook that running is addictive. I'm not sure I'd go that far, at least not yet, but I am planning to run a second 5K in May. I'm assuming it won't be snowing then.

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{#TellHisStory} Run your race

Yesterday at Madeira Beach, Florida.

We were going to run almost a mile from the condo that was ours for four nights to that green condo down

the beach. And back. As music spurred me on, I continually glanced toward the green condo and was tempted to turn around when we were almost there. The excuses filled my head: Running almost to the green condo is better than not running at all. I'm just doing this for myself, what does it matter how far I run? I still have to run back to our condo, so it's better to turn around now.

While these things are true, they aren't the Truth.

Then I noticed my shins weren't hurting like they had been back home on asphalt. Score another point for the beach being a good retreat for me. The sand gave my shins a break from feeling like they were pounding into Kentucky pavement. This fact gave me a burst of energy. Had you been running along side of me, you may not have actually been able to see it. But I could feel it. Inside myself.

Nothing God says in the Bible applies directly to how far I should/could/would run. But he does promise to finish what he's started. He does ask us to take care of bodies, where his spirit dwells. And he gives hope.

So as much as I wanted to, I didn't turn around early. I even made it by the flock of birds that I feared would fly near my head. {That's my husband threatening to scare them away as he runs in front of me. That is love.}

While I felt the tiredness in my legs, God reminded me that he'll replace our anxiety with his peace as we press through the temptation to quit. He'll be on the other side. He'll be there when it's time to turn around. And he'll be there when we're tired from yet relieved with finishing what we started.

Take heart, friends. Run through the finish line. 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow wearing and lose heart. 

{Hebrews 12:1-3}

Yes, glance ahead and know what's coming and where you're going. Maybe even give yourself a chance of scenery. But trust the maker of it all to get you there, past your fears, with earthly support by your side. The victory is coming because it's already won. A few nails sealed it. Today is the beginning of Lent, a season that anticipates the resurrection of our savior. What better time to commit to run the race before us. 

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I'm linking up with Jennifer Dukes Lee and other storytellers. #TellHisStory is a chance to tell a story that connects your story to God's story. Want more? Subscribe to get "Insights" in your inbox. Like 152 Insights on Facebook. Or follow me on Twitter.

Faster. Run. Hey Mama. Home. Count on Me. Mercy.

I told my daughter I like to listen to music while I run because it makes me run faster. Really, that's not true. Actually, the music drowns out my heavy breathing, so I mentally can ignore the fact I'm exhausted and panting as I feel my feet pounding into the pavement.

There have been three Saturdays in this new year, and my family has gone on morning runs all three of them. The park across the street from our house has a trail that is a three-tenths of a mile loop. This is how it's gone: Greg runs ahead. He's faster and he's choosing to run farther. I push Ben in the stroller. Cate runs and walks around the loop, offering high fives and asking questions as we each pass by her.

Plus I've been running a couple other times during the week. We've had weird winter weather around here, so a few mornings it was in the 60s. Other mornings it was in the 20s and I loaded the stroller and went to the track inside the basketball arena. Temperatures on the three Saturdays we've run outside were 38, 67 and 52. Welcome to Kentucky.

Greg decided to prepare for a 5K in at the beginning of March and another at the end of May. Of course, we're slightly competitive, so I told him I'd run too. I'm not sure what I was thinking. Honestly, I don't really like to run. I've gone through phases of running before {this past summer being the last time ..}, but never with an end goal in mind. I know 3.1 miles isn't very far for you runners in my life, but my shins and thighs feel like they may give out after the 1.5- and 2-mile runs I've done the past few weeks.

I'm going to keep trying. Greg is convinced if I continue pushing the stroller that when I find myself running without the stroller {I have no idea when that will actually be ...} then I'll be faster by default. I think I like pushing the stroller because it's a good excuse for not being very fast, which, honestly, I'm not, regardless of the 30-pound kid in tow. My goal is the run the 5K without stopping. And it would be nice if I didn't finish dead last.

Better crank up that music ...

"Hey Mama" by Mat Kearny
"Faster" by Matt Nathanson
"Brigher Than the Sun" by Colbie Caillat
"The Outsiders" by Needtobreathe
"Mercy" by Dave Matthews Band
"Some Nights" by Fun
"Slumber" by Needtobreathe
"Count on Me" by Mat Kearney
"Home" by Phillip Phillips
"The World's Greatest" by R. Kelly
"Closer to Love" by Mat Kearney
"Modern Love" by Matt Nathanson
"When We're Together" by Mark Harris
"Dynamite" by Taio Cruz
"Run" by Matt Nathanson

Do you have any tips for running for someone who really isn't a runner? What do you listen to so you'll get movin'?
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happiest on the move

We took our first family bike ride of the season last night. Ben got to move from the baby seat on the back of my bike to the trailer with Cate. And, really, it wasn't as bad as they make it look! Ben wanted his helmet off, but he got over it once we started moving.

For all 16 months of his little life, he's been happiest on the move ... in the baby swing, in the stroller, in the carseat in the car, on his knees, in a park swing and now on his feet. He likes to move.

And then there's Cate. She just wasn't interested in looking at the camera. But, of course, she wanted to talk about it. "Can I see the picture? Did you get a good one?"

"Um, not right now. And, no, I really didn't get any good ones."

Cate continued with the conversation: "Why not?"

"Well, Ben is screaming and you didn't want to look this way. How about we go on our bike ride now?"

Rainy Friday

I've mentioned before both my love of summer and my yearning for the transition to fall. Today seems like that kind of in-between day. The sunshine is a dear friend of mine, but I am embracing this rainy day.

Our stroller exercise class that is usually outside was moved inside for the first time since we started in mid-June. I ran only drive-thru errands [three banks and a post office ...]. And I don't plan on leaving the house again today.

Some friends are coming over for taco soup, chocolate chip cookies and Settlers of Catan. That's a seriously perfect combination of friends, fun and food for a night like this. And I'm OK if the outside temperature doesn't reach the called-for 85 degrees.

And, OK, so I'm also hoping it's not the hot, humid 88 degrees indicated for tomorrow on The Weather Channel app on my iPhone. The predicted morning showers are fine. But I'd really like to have a cool, fall evening for Murray State's first home football game. My daughter really wants to see Racer One run around the track, so hopefully MSU manages to score too.

Until then, I'm going to enjoy the feel of fleece socks on my feet and the quietness of my kids soaking in the dreariness that is perfect for napping. Then I'm sure Ben will pull himself up to another window to watch the rain and Cate will lead her baby brother on another trail to discover their toys in new ways.

Have patience ...

Greg and I prayed together yesterday morning. He said something about me having patience. I guess he knew something I didn't know. But I should have known how my day would have gone as soon as I heard those words.

I spilled my own Diet Dr Pepper in the first hour of my morning. It got all over the laptop cord, but thankfully the spill somehow avoided the actual laptop. Then later in the morning, I thought it was a good idea to let Ben attempt a sippy cup, so I poured some formula from a bottle to the cup ... and all over the counter and my foot.

We met Greg at Quizno's, the lunch place I chose because a free kids meal comes with an entree purchase. I was holding Ben, the Floppy Seat that I put in the high chair because my son chews on everything and the diaper bag while making sure Cate stayed close and didn't walk off with the chips we hadn't paid for. All was well, I managed to pay for our food. All before Greg walked in the door because I was a few minutes early because I was hungry. I think running in 100-degree weather makes a girl hungry.

Anyway, I realize when I'm finished my Honey Bourbon Chicken sandwich that I paid too much for our food. I looked at my receipt and, sure enough, the lady charged me for my free kids meal. I went up and they corrected it, no problem. Just an extra step in my day.

After lunch I headed to Kroger because I had forgotten chicken when I was there Monday and I wanted to make General Tso's chicken. Yeah, an important ingredient. I suggest to Cate that she and Ben sit in the two-seater car cart, which she used to want to do when Ben was still in his infant carrier. But now that he's sitting up like a big boy, I thought it might be a good day to try it.

I have to say, grocery shopping was the best part of our day ...

Ben watched Cate "drive," and then figured out that he could too. Ben liked sitting up with his big sister. And Cate liked being close to her little brother. There was no complaining or whining.

We came home for nap time. Earlier in the morning, Ben had followed me around with his ever-improving crawling skills while saying "mamamamama" in baby whine. Cate had been acting tired, but thankfully my 3-year-old girl can express her feelings a little more clearly than my 8-month-old boy. I figured nap time would be a good break in the day ... for everyone.

Well, it didn't last as long as I had hoped and both kids woke up whiny. We tried going on about our day ... them playing in Cate's room while I organized some clothes they had outgrown in recent months. That didn't last very long. I sent Cate back to bed. I fed Ben and then put him back to bed.

Round two of nap time actually happened. Well, Cate would tell you it was "rest time."

Back to General Tso's chicken now that I had chicken. I get out the recipe and realize I'm missing the chicken broth that is listed first. Apparently I didn't really comprehend this recipe when I read it before I went grocery shopping ... either of the two times this week! Alright, regroup. The good thing about having meals planned is I should have the ingredients on hand for multiple meals. Black bean tortilla back and Spanish rice it is.

While preparing dinner, I also was feeding Ben. I started mixing the canned tomatoes, black beans, enchilada sauce and spices to the meat and onion mixture ... and I realized just as I dumped the last of the tomatoes that I doubled the amount that went into the two batches I was making. Like each recipe called for one can, and I used a total of four cans. Twice the total amount for my two casseroles.

Oh, well.

Moving on to Spanish rice. I'm cutting up the green pepper, red pepper and onion to mix with the rice. Then I realize I don't have any diced tomatoes because, well, they are all in the black bean tortilla bake. So I add extra tomato juice hoping that will help the flavor stay the same.

The black bean tortilla bake turned out fine and the Spanish rice was so-so. At least we had dinner on the table. And my husband who had prayed for my patience was home to help me with the rest of the day.

This week ...

... we've had a good time being at home. I'm working on not planning all our time away -- something that takes a conscious effort given our culture and my perfectionist, planning ways. Cate has been really great about helping with Ben. She thinks feeding him is fun. And she tells me the instant he puts anything in his mouth during those moments that I turn my head slightly in the other direction for even a moment.

I've swept my floor more than usual this week, thanks to Ben's putting-stuff-in-his-mouth habit I just alluded to. Yep, anything and everything goes in his mouth. Just today I fished out a small hair rubberband, a plastic dime and a raisin from who knows when. Other recent rescues include a tiny, pink wooden bead, a mushy Cheerio that I didn't recognize at first and a carpet thread.

Yeah, so, I just didn't want you to think I sit around a read books, watch TV and take naps. Although, on that note, I did finish "The Help" this week. I highly recommend this fiction book that deals with race relations in Mississippi in the 1960s, but, more generally, it spoke to me about friendship and purpose and doing what's right despite what people think.
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... Greg and I celebrated eight years of marriage. We bought ourselves a bike trailer for Cate and to make family bike rides possible. Of course, we had that out of the box and on the road before Aug. 3. But to celebrate our actual anniversary, we went out to eat and to a movie while my mother-in-law hung out with my kids and made me chocolate chip cookies at my husband's request. Yep, Greg had his mom help make my day special. Hey, works for me. He also gave me eight new pens. Nerdy, I know. But I guess I stole a few too many from his office. He claims he didn't make the connection of buying two packages of four and the years we've been married.

We saw "Salt" when we went to the movies for the first time ... since I'm not sure when. I guess "The Blind Side" was the last theater feature for us. Anyway, I'm not a huge Angelina Jolie fan, although I do like her more than Tom Cruise these days, but she was good in her climb-up-walls-and-down-elevator-shaft role. And, really, I liked the CIA story line and admittedly hadn't exactly figured it all out before the credits rolled.
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... Ben met the sippy cup. Pardon his applesauce mess. I decided it might be a good time to at least introduce this new, soon-to-be-trusty friend because he is always wanting our drinks ... with straws, in bottles, in regular cups.

Mr. Sippy Cup also is acceptable to chew on, unlike the other items he tried this morning. It was brief, though, when he realized there was a greater purpose ...

Ah, yes. Good job, Ben.
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... a third tooth came through. In fact, the top left tooth must have come in overnight because I noticed it this morning when I rescued the yellow hair rubberband. [Yes, this mouth thing is becoming a theme ...] The neighboring top right took is peeking through as well and should be totally through any day.
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... has been hot. Unless you live on the other side of the world, like my sister, who I'm missing after knowing she was in the United States that last couple of months even when she wasn't actually with me, then you know it's hot. It's probably hot where you are too. I just don't remember this kind of hot, and I consider myself a lover of summer. When the high is triple digits and the humidity makes it feel like even higher triple digits, then it's hot. Really hot.

We went swimming yesterday and apparently Jennifer added some cold water not too long before because the water was rather pleasant, meaning it was cooler than the bath water-like temperatures I was expecting. Swimming was refreshing, and really the only possible outside entertainment.

I did have my stroller fitness class twice this week. On Monday, we ran more than I've run since I was in seventh-grade and Katie and I thought running track was a good idea. Then on Wednesday, when it was even hotter, we stretched and used exercise bands under a tree. Who knows what my new friend Cassandra has in store for us tomorrow.

It'll still be hot then.

But you know what else is possible when it's hot? Playing in front of the fan. Yes, that's Greg showing his daughter how to talk into the fan, thus distorting his voice.

Why were we in a place that required fans and not our nicely air-conditioned house, you ask? Well, Uncle Dwain wanted a catfish lunch with his family and car dealership employees, so that's what he go. It was in the service area, which is like the indoors with outdoor air. So the fans helped. And we enjoyed celebrating Uncle Dwain with catfish and strawberry cake.

Ben had another idea to pass the time ...

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... we learned more about the logistics of Cate's pre-school, which starts in less than two weeks. Yes, pre-school. Crazy, huh? I can still see her newborn picture and now I'm making a list of what I need to get her before she goes to "school." She'll go three half days (meaning 3 1/2 hours) each week to a pre-school program I've heard good things about at a local church. Next week, she'll meet her teachers and see her classroom and then the week after that she gets to go. She's excited about this thing called school I talk about, but she has absolutely no idea what it all means.

And, you know, I don't really either. I think I do, as I think about our new fall routine. [Can it be called "fall" when it's triple-digit temperatures outside and only mid-August when this new routine starts?] But, really, life is beautiful and filled with unexpected moments and seasons. And I have the feeling I'm entering one.

Maybe it will be cooler in this new season. Like in the 80s? I mean, I don't need snow or anything. Just a break in the humidity that makes me sweat when I walk down the driveway to get our afternoon paper.

safer family biking

In case you were wondering, we all have helmets now. I've loved being able to go on family bike rides around the park across the street and our residential area with plenty of sidewalks. While pedaling, I often reminisce of my childhood, when countless days were spent riding my pink and black 10-speed through Mockingbird Valley.

family biking & exercising

I'm on the move. And now they can go with me.

Greg and I have been talking about going on family bike rides for some time now. We got all the pieces in place, finally, tonight, just in time to ride a few blocks near our house. We're looking forward to more [and longer!] outings. As you can see, the kids seemed to enjoy it too.

That bike trailer Cate can ride in was my anniversary gift from Greg. We ordered our gifts together the other night. I requested this trailer that Greg can pull when we go on family bike rides. He wanted some new golf clubs after a mishap with his driver in Hilton Head. Romantic gifts, I know. And the UPS guy delivered them today, which happens to be two weeks and a day before our actual anniversary.

Hey, at least we're already putting one of the gifts to good use!

Also, while I'm thinking about exercising, I realized I hadn't shared about my the stroller fitness class I'm loving. I've posted about walking and exercising before, so here's an update: In mid-June, Jaclyn and I were walking like we often do at Chestnut Park when another lady ran up to tell us about the class she was starting. Right there. Across the street from my house. I could bring my kids while I exercise.

Totally a solution to something I had gone over and over in my mind.

I've been doing it two days a week for about a month now and I'm loving the motivation and accountability being part of a class gives me. Plus, I enjoy being around the other moms. In fact, I am thinking about adding a third day in August. Here is a recent article about the New York version of the class, which Cassandra started locally after going to some training in New York.

We walk and jog with the stroller. Today I thought my thighs were going to explode when we did lunges down Eighth Street. We use benches for all sorts of arm and leg exercises. And, really, my kids fit in quite well.