Strong Tower - Promise Keepers (Jason King)

I absolutely love this song.....it speaks volumes to me......it always has and has such a place in my heart especially now......Tony is losing his job due to budget cuts, so life is a bit of a whirlwind right now......He is fairly new to this company, as we have only been here for about 6 months, so hearing the word we may have to move/relocate, depending where he can find a job is a bit overwhelming.....The good thing is the company he works for right now is working hard to find him a place and a job, it is just going to be a matter of if we want to move.....Moving isn't a foreign word for us, we have moved so much over the last 13 years, the longest we have ever been anywhere was 5 years and that was 8 years ago....so this should be cake for us! I just hate having to start over, especially when we have started to settle in here and grown accustomed to this area, but maybe God has other plans and I have to respect that.......So as I type we are getting ready to take a tiny trip, due to an awesome friend willing to take on our four kids! Tony has an interview on Friday in Orlando FL, so we, he and I, are leaving on Thursday morning and driving out there.....I get to go with him, so I am just a tad excited, this should alleviate a bit of the stress and strain on our brains, right?! Anyways.....this song is pertinent to our lives right now and I wanted to share it!

up and down....up and down....up and down....

I honestly think when God created "life" He honestly created it to represent a roller coaster......Many things in our lives can be classified as so called "roller coasters" Specifically for me, it is my yo-yo dieting slash weight....I get on an all time high and push through, then I crash to an all time low and say "forget it!" Now this is completely my fault and my lack of self-discipline, lack of will power, wanting to overeat, whatever you want to call it....or just plain ridiculous is what it should be labeled! I have recently found a "new" love for running and was going strong, but then sprained my ankle and had to take a month off....this literally hindered me completely.....I still found ways to exercise, but my eating has never been controlled, so that will catch up with me! If I could just get through the "diet" plan I would be skinny again! I exercise to an obsession! So in my head I have a goal to run a half marathon in Sept....not sure that will happen, I guess I can out talk myself! Just finding my groove again has been extremely difficult. But once I get there it is so rewarding, it is just a matter of getting there......

Amusing running adecdotes......

I was strolling through the blogging world today and came across one that had a really cool suggestion....a six word sentence about your running....here are a few I wanted to share/list....

Mind willing. Body able. I run...

Stubborn spirit strongest part of body.

Mind races when body stands still

Insanity only other option

Running is my free mental theraphy

Mind willing. Body able. I run.

Strong body, strong mind, strong Mother

runners aren’t born. they are made.

I run cause I can’t fly

Time to run, spare children’s lives

Running doesn’t love me back today.

Gently beating my body into submission

Running strong, away from self-doubt

feet touching earth equals happy soul

Endorphins are my drug of choice

I never wish I hadn’t run

Without running, I am not whole

Before… scattered, fragmented pieces. After? Peace

I run to get out of my head

Midwife running off the birth hangover

Running saves mommy from the crazy-house.

Mind over chub rub–just go.

Crawling.....

Well I don't know if it is the lack of running for last month or the fact that it was too hot at 8:30 this morning....I am starting to seriously reconsider what distance to train for in September. Right now I am training for the women's half in Nashville, I have not signed up yet, but believe that I can accomplish this! But I have started this week, with 14 weeks to train, because of my silly ankle sprain....But only running one mile every other day, uuuugggghhhh! But needless to say I have run a mile, then power walked the next mile....My schedule called for 2 miles, so my long run is Saturday, 3 miles.....so I guess we will see and base it off of how I do then! Afterall it couldn't get any worse right? 6:30 in the am might help! It is honestly like starting all over again after being forced to take a month off....Grace needed, much grace!

Random jibberish

Well the last couple days have been a whirlwind, should I say the last week! After months of baseball/softball season for the four kiddos, I know who signs up all the children at once, that would of course be me! You would think a break would be in stow....nooooo.....I had to jump on the "free" did I mention, "free" tennis lessons! After all their mother never had any coordination at all when it came to anything to involve a ball! So I jumped at that and of course they all could play. I should mention that we have tennis everyday except Friday! And then there is drama camp, really not "drama" but a real drama camp at a price I can't ignore, for the two older girls.....So everyday is jammed, except Fridays, with a twoish hour window in between! Whew, I am tired just blogging about it! Sooo....it has been a little crazy here! Needless to say less than 4 weeks left of the madness! Then I will force myself to take a break.....but did I tell you we will be starting back to school in July, "Oh, MOM!" I love it though! I wouldn't have it any other way....
Now I am finally getting to the point where I am going to have to force myself out of my cozy bed in the morning and run at least if not earlier by 6....this Tennessee heat is just brutal!
I went to my first "official" training for the half....met with the CRC(running club) at Austin Peay for a 1.1 mile warm up and then 4-6 laps on the track, which was awesome! These were run hard and then jog......so after surviving my first week back into running without breaking or reinjurying anything, I have an emotional high about me! Although my ankle is a little stiff from yesterday's run I am off to tackle the roads again tomorrow, bright and early. There is something about belonging to a running club honestly....even if you can't keep up with the fast pack, or you lag behind or fall in the middle, it is exhiliarting! I ran next to one man and expressed how I felt like I was in highschool cross country again, he I am sure thought I was a complete dork! But that is okay....Running makes me feel free, free from all the distractions, the business of my life, the frustrations that I feel, the resposibilities that wait at home for me.....it is my time to just breathe and relax.....I really do love it!
In other news we finally, yes I mean finally have another car. A working, functioning vehicle! Praise God, I am amazed, but God does have a tendency to surprise me once in a while!
So for now these are just random thoughts that have tumbled out of my brain tonight.....

Running is my therapy.......

Well I am happy to say I am getting back into blogging, hopefully it will last....I feel sometimes it may be a ministry and at other times just an outlet for my emotions.......I found this picture, up above, after I had googled runners. Running has become a passion for me over the last few months, I never realized how much of a passion it was until I sprained my ankle and was out of commision for about a month. I was grumpy and just plain ol frustrated because I could not, and should not run....oh believe me I wanted to run, but I think if I tried my husband would have had me committed! Anyways back to the picture, I was thinking about it this morning. It shows a woman jumping over this "city" I think for us, as women we feel that we have to be super woman and leap tall buildings and accomplish great things in our lifetime...while for others we may look at this picture and at "our own superwoman" and wish we could be like her....we feel inadequate to accomplish anything on a regular day. I battle with this, more so in the past, but I have realized and by the grace of God, I am not superwoman nor do I have super powers. And however how hard I try to be I always end up failing miserably. Having four children and homeschooling and being a wife, a help mate rather than a constant nag, has it's challenges......But I encourage you to take one day at a time, see what's important to you, really step back and examine your priorities......

Happy Father's Day

Today was one of the laziest days ever.....what a blessing for all of us! Video games, video games, video games.......Of course this gave me more computer time to check out more things! I have an amazing husband that is an unbelievable father. I love him so much and appreciate him deeply.....The kids and I made dinner for him....we decided to take on a new project and went to food network, Big Daddy's......used his father's day recipie.....steak, smashed potatoes, spicy green beans with almonds and homemade pudding, i have never done, with strawberry sauce....No catastrophes, each child took part in helping, AWESOME day!