I'm here!

Yikes! I know it's been several weeks since I posted, but since I got the "nod" from my sister Heidi over at Everday Cookies
(http://www.everyday-cookies.blogspot.com/ ),
I thought I better say something new here.

This is supposed to be sort of a running-mom blog....sometimes more "running" blog, sometimes more "mom" blog. I've pretty much been running now for about 2 1/2 years. I was a runner in high school and college, but took a long hiatus after having my 3rd and 4th children. I developed asthma and thought I couldn't run any more. I am so thankful for Advair, which got me breathing again; and for Kathy Smith walking tapes/CD's -- she's great!; and then for Curves, which got me a little stronger all over; and last but certainly not least, I am thankful for my friends who I started running with.....and we just kept going and going. We call ourselves the Trail Mix----we run on a beautiful TRAIL, and we are a serious MIX of from all different walks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_mix

We run almost every day---well, someone from the group is there everyday----rain or shine----in the heat and humidity and in the frigid cold. Well, I'm not usually there on Sundays as I go to church instead, and my attendence on Saturdays is a little spotty, too. I don't like leaving my family when they're all home.

We've run in some 5K races and in a couple of Half Marathons, and some of us even trained for and ran a marathon---the Disney Marathon---that was a blast!
Here's an old blog on that--although a little jumbled in the AOL to Google transfer: http://nc-mom-on-the-run.blogspot.com/2008/01/disney-marathon.html

We've been training this fall for a Half Marathon in November and for another in January (the one at Disney!! I think 12 of us are signed up!). Today was our last long run (15 to 17 miles)---only I didn't run it.

I've had walking pneumonia for over two weeks and just can't seem to shake it. I took TEN WHOLE DAYS OFF from any running or exercise and am on my second round of antibiotics and I'm still sick. I walked the trail today (3 miles) with a friend and was huffing and puffing and coughing. I can't believe that two weeks ago I RAN nearly 15 miles!!

Life can certainly throw you some curve balls.
I think my neice got one last week, too. She was just diagnosed with mono--Get well soon, e.beck.artist.daughter.!

My Trail Mix friends all reminded me this week that we're training FOR LIFE and not just for one race. And yesterday, on my first day back to walk, 4 friends walked with me, instead of their usual run. Wow, that meant a lot. (I'm still way happy for the others who chose to run! It was great fun cheering for them as the pack ran by!).

So, sometimes we have to slow down and be spectators. Or be the receiver of the chicken soup (thanks go to a dear friend who was my supplier this week!). Or take naps instead of do whatever it was that we thought we had to do.

With four kids, my life is pretty busy to say the least, but I have a dear Godsend of a husband who takes care of me and I don't think I'm too hard on myself. So how in the world did I get so sick? You know, it doesn't really matter....maybe it was just "because", or maybe God wanted me to just slow down a bit.

It has been really hard for me to slow down. I have two high school age boys finishing up their soccer season, and a middle school daughter on the volleyball team. And then there's #4 in elementary school who needs a little help every afternoon with homework, and someone to listen to her play her songs on the piano. Dinner, laundry, yardwork, cleaning, beds, parties, friends over, bills, cooking meals for others, cooking snacks for school, volunteering, school activities,etc, etc, etc. We all have our lists don't we? And, I must say, that daughter #4 did have a fabulous birthday party last weekend for 15---we carved pumpkins, played, decorated Halloween buckets, and frosted cupcakes. I'll post a photo soon.

We've also had a lot of fun this week getting "Boo-ed" and "Boo-ing". See a sample here:
http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/halloween/l/blhalbooed.htm
Ring and run does really get your heart pumping! I think that 7 houses on our street have been "boo-ed" so far!

I also went to a very moving funeral this week for a neighbor who passed away. She was an amazing woman. I didn't know her very well, but wish I had. She was a dear friend to a close neighbor on my strret. You can read her blog here:
http://diaryofadyingmom.blogspot.com/

So, what did I learn this week?

**Each day is a gift.

**Slow down a little bit.

**Friends are wonderful.

**It's amazing and exciting watching your children grow, and learn, and mature.

**A loving husband is truly God's best gift.

**How to pray a little more specifically for my children.

**We need to take care of ourselves and also to take care of each other.

**I don't really care for the slow cooker recipe: "There's more in the kitchen."

**Eventually you might let your daughter wear dresses that have spaghetti straps.

**There's a cool new show called Robinson Crusoe - the season premier movie was on tonight.

**I miss my friends more than my running when I can't run.