My Magic Number

I would have to say that since I last blogged, 26.2 has been a significant number in all of our lives. Not only did my marathon change me and how I view what I can/can't do but it certainly changed everyone in my house! Everytime I accomplish something that I never thought I would accomplish I always look back and say - I don't know how I did that! Amidst all the things I had going on in my life at the time: work, kids, husband, soccer, events, training, the list goes on, I managed to train for 6 months for a marathon and succeed. Looking back now that I am a few m onths removed, I am pretty certain that I was borderline crazy but I don't regret one minute of it! I would venture to say that God fixes our lives to adjust to the things that he deems important. Just like shedding the weight, the marathon was a huge accomplishment that gave me just the confidence I needed at that time. It was like magic all of a sudden - I felt like superwoman! Now that we've moved on to 2012, I'm looking for the next best thing while still doing what I do! Ha!

Whenever, Wherever, Whatever!

(Picture of Dylan taken at the State Fair of TX! - We actually were featured in a local newspaper as one of 5 finalists in a photo contest!)

I discovered my blog again....but I know myself better than anyone else and this is just one post. Since I have blogged last, I am still fighting with the 9 pounds but that's old news! I am currently working on me and what I need to do to make me better. So, in a nutshell, here's what's been going on:

Renee: Well, I am pretty settled in my job since I am rounding out year 2. I guess I can't really say that I am "new" anymore even though I would like to use that as an excuse anytime I mess up something! ;o) I have been on a rollercoaster of a ride and although there are some days I want to get off permanently I'm still strapped in. I have been training for a full 26.2 for the past 3 months and I am about to embark on something I never, ever thought I would do. Running a marathon is a bucket list item that scares the crap out of me but I know that when it's over I'll be much better for it!
Other than that I am trucking along still saying yes to things I should say no to and working hard at being the best me I can be to all the people I interact with. It's a hard job sometimes but somebody's gotta do it!

Shannon: Working hard and being a great dad is what Shannon does best! Does he do it with the greatest of attitudes sometimes - negative! BUT I love him still and appreciate that I have a husband who loves me fully-even with my quirks and flaws!

Dylan: First grade has arrived quickly and he is just a sweet, sweet boy with a very non-chalant personality. I LOVE that about him. He's a great big brother and a funny little guy who is full of competition! More stories to come!

Camille: She really is the glue that keeps us together and although she is small in stature, she is the boss of us all! Funny, sassy and full of life is how I would define her. I can't wait to see what she turns out to be!

Back At It

So I am back at it after a trying summer filled with croissant sandwiches, cookies, snacks, cupcakes and so many other delicious treats! Payback, however, is nothing nice as I am now battling the 9 pound influx around my mid section. Not to be discouraged because I have recommitted myself to the morning workout and the careful counting of points in order to get back to my "happy place!"

There are many lessons learned this summer - some great, some challenging and some that have definitely made me "check myself." Although I hate to admit defeat, I was probably a little bit too confident in my ability to cheat the scale. Disappointed is how I feel most days that I would have allowed myself to indulge in all things sugar and full fat but after a year and a half of constantly being in the zone, 9 pounds is certainly better than 65 pounds. You win some and you lose some and today I am considering myself a winner because I am not starting from that place; rather, I am setting a new goal and challenging myself to surpass that goal. After all, I am much better with a goal!

It's been a while.....to say the least!

So I know it's been a while but life happens and lessons are certainly learned along the way. When I accepted my new position I knew that there were challenges ahead; however, I did not know that I would have to encounter them so soon! Needless to say, the hardest thing to overcome sometimes is having to hear that you need to change something that has worked for you in the past to make it work in a totally new situation and environment. Why fix the wheel if it ain't broken? We'll just call last week my "mid flight adjustment" and file it in the "still learning" folder!





I will say that life experiences, whether they are your own or someone else's definitely makes you re-evaluate and gain new perspective. Sometimes there are no good words to offer and sometimes you just need to figure out what role you need to play in someone's life. Regardless, you tend to find out who your real friends are in the midst of turmoil.





July has officially made it's prescence known and I can hardly believe that we are IN JULY!!!! The holiday weekend was lots of fun. We spent time with family and friends and enjoyed all of our time together. Although I was a bit bummed that I wasn't home visiting, having the friends and family that I have here makes times like this so much more fun and takes the edge off of the homesickness.





Crystal came over on Friday night and she successfully re-created the white chocolate pretzel pancake!!!! I can't lie....it was amazingly good! I think she was a chef in her former life!

I give you permission to imagine how good this tastes because I promise it tastes just as good as it looks! YUM!!!! Yay for Crystal! ;o)

Out the Norm!

2 posts in one day!!! I got some catchin up to do! So, one day last week it was finally above 60 degrees - my car was spawning stuff on the inside and I couldn't take one more day of it! What's a girl to do when her car is a moving trash can? Well, you take matters into your own hands of course! Hence a trip to the Dollar Store to purchase a bucket, sponges and some other essential car cleaning materials all while on the way home from school. It turned out to be one of the best evenings we've had yet! Who knew putting on bathing suits to wash mom's car would be so much fun?

JUST BE!

Sometimes it's hard to "just be" and to let life "just happen." Easier said than done but after a great mother's day weekend and some much needed family time I can see how this can actually be a reality.

Friday I came home to my mother's day gift: a gift card to Run On for new running shoes, a big ole bottle of Barefoot Moscato (I know, not the best for those wine connoisseurs out there but good enough for me!), a sweet card that was written and not bought and Sprinkles! And yet, I was slightly annoyed b/c.....well, it wasn't MOTHER'S DAY!!! My husband, over the years has decided that he is impatient and cannot wait for the actual "holiday." This is kind of funny though b/c in the past it was the other way around. I am not quite sure what that says about us as people. Maybe he's becoming who I used to be and I am becoming who he used to be. Anyway, I normally would have said something about this but really who I got great stuff that I wanted and he was excited to give them to me so it doesn't really matter when it happened.

Saturday I had a long run with my friend Theresa and we always have lively conversations about random things. Her question to me was: are we doing 7 or are we doing 9 b/c you have to run a 1/2 not me! (keep in mind that she has already run 3 1/2 marathons this year alone and it is only May) My reply was 7 but when we got to 3.5 I knew that I didn't want to run the same path we had just run so it changed to 9. Ultimately when I am running I start out pretty conservative and doubting my ability to really complete the challenge that's ahead. I mean, when you stand back and look at that big lake, you really just want to stand and look at it and not run around it but after I am done, I usually feel much better about the day and my accomplishment. I returned home to get ready for a birthday party and it was great b/c we all went to the party and although we have to talk around kids, over kids and translate conversations, I was able to spend time w/my favorite people. We came home to prepare to have folks over for a small cookout. I would love to say that we were ready and prepared to have people over but if you know anything about me and my husband.....we try....we really do try! Needless to say, I spent 30 minutes assembling a small pitt for my husband who replied when I expressed frustration: "we are doing this together as a team." I could only smile b/c although I asked him to buy the pitt 4 days earlier, he was right. We were spending time together, creating memories in our backyard and working as a team. Everything turned out fine and it was another reminder of how much we are enjoying our new life in house with our own 4 walls!

Sunday was very special. My dear friend Rani came over to watch the children while Shannon and I enjoyed breakfast out and we actually went to church! I opened Mother's Day gifts from Dylan and Camille. Gifts they made at school! It was really special. They were 2 framed pictures and a card from Dylan that said, "I love you mom!" It was super sweet and what was even sweeter was that there was no crying, fussing or falling out before we left; just a simple bye mom and dad! (They love Rani!) The rest of the afternoon was great b/c I got some "girl time" in and Camille and I ran some errands! She has been extra sweet lately giving out free kisses and hugs.....not sure what that was about but I'll take them while I can.

So, this weekend, in short, we just let life happen and didn't really stress about the small things. It was relaxing and fun and everything I had imagined being in a house would be like. There's so much to look forward to and so much to appreciate in the small things. It's great to "just be" in the here and now and to enjoy it!

Another Month Bites the Dust....

WOW!!! Can you believe that we are already done w/April and moving into May? Sometimes I wonder where the time goes. This week was a great week for me to catch up on work and to start thinking about the month of May and everything that May will bring with it. For starters, the end of what seemed like a long academic year! I am so happy for the Seniors that are graduating but extremely excited for the summer and the new crop of students starting in the fall. So far 2010 has been great for a number of reasons and I am just excited to embark upon a new journey this summer.

As usual, I was reading my daily meditations and came across one that I thought to be quite relevant to my life at the moment. It stated that "The greater the value of what you want, the greater sacrifice you will have to make." When I think about making sacrifices, I tend to always think about the outcome but I also try to think about who the sacrifice is ultimately affecting and when the sacrifice seeps over into someone else's territory I am less likely to travel down that road. For example, my moving into management class was discussing the Doctorate degree and most people who know me well, know that I would like to pursue my doctorate. However, I feel like pursuing the doctorate would be a huge sacrifice and one that would not only affect me but my family and the more that I think about it, the more I know that this would not be the time to do it. When we decided to be parents, we decided to no longer be the selfish people that we were as a couple. Decisions are never made without considering how they will ultimately affect the children and in this particular case, the spouse. So for now, I have assigned that "to do" a new number. No longer is it a "priority" b/c at some point I have to be content with what I've got

because what I've got is pretty good.