Saturday, April 06, 2013

A dedication

Since my very first race 7 years ago, I have dedicated my races.  I remember reading that it helps you to focus on something else.  Lisa and I dedicated our miles to different people when we did our first half.  For me, it stuck.  I love to run and pray!  My friend Joy and I run and pray at least two days a week.  In my opinion it is one of the better ways to pray- eyes open, moving fast, in nature.  Sometime I dedicate the whole race and sometimes different miles.  God always seems to press people on my heart for the race.  

In December, my friend Matthew's father died.  We went to the funeral in Memphis to be with Matthew and Genna.  It was a sweet time with friends and a good bit of it was spent at his cousin's house.  Ashley, William and their 3 young children hosted countless people for dinner the night before the funeral with amazing ease and grace.  Peter and I were very taken with Ashley and William.  William spent the whole night waiting personally on people.  We left Memphis and on the way home commented on what absolutely delightful people they were.  As it turned out, we had several common friends.  We left saying they should come to St. Louis sometime.  

A few weeks ago, Genna called me on a Saturday afternoon and told me that Ashley's sweet husband had been killed suddenly in an accident.  My heart has been broken for Ashley since that moment and I've prayed many prayers for Ashley and her sweet family.  So when it came time to make a dedication, God put Ashley on my heart.  I often do this race in memory of my mom who died very close to the time of this race, but this year is going to be 100% a prayer run for Ashley.  Not sure that my little run or prayers effect much change.  I thought I might ask any of you who follow me to spend from 7 am for  2 hours or so praying for Ashley and her children.  When you are stuck in traffic because of a marathon or getting ready for church or drinking coffee.  Please join me in lifting up this sister and her kiddlets.  Pray that God is very near to her and that He will provide for her.  Pray for sleep for all of them.  Pray for peace even when life super stinks.  

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Teeth are a weird thing!

I'm not a huge fan of the loss of baby teeth.  I just think it is gross!  I recently had a conversation with some other mothers who keep all of their children's teeth.  They asked what I did.  My response, "I take them out of the tooth fairy pillow and throw them in the trash."  The other mothers were horrified, but what the heck are you going to do with those baby teeth I ask?  I certainly do not want mine.  Tonight, Lillian lost the first tooth in a very long time.  She asked if I keep them, I honestly responded, "No".  She left this note to the tooth fairy with her tooth in Grayson's tooth fairy pillow.

Dear tooth fairy,
I have lost a tooth.  But this time I would like to keep it.  If that is not possible, you can take it.  Please give me extra money because I'm very "excided". and you gave Grayson extra money.  Also, I've lost my pillow.  I'm very sorry.

Lillian Maynor

My response

Dearest Lillian,
This is an untraditional request of the tooth fairy.  Rarely do children request to keep their teeth.  I will, therefore, grant an untraditional gift.  On the day of your choice you may ask your parents to take you and your brother out for frozen yogurt.  Make sure you choose the BEST toppings.  I LOVE THAT YOU THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX.

Love,
The Tooth Fairy


Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Out of the mouth of babes

I decided to cook only vegetarian dishes and fish/seafood for the month of January.  Just to push us a bit and kick off the year healthy.  I don't really think we will become vegetarians, but thought it would help us move away from a meat based diet.  Last night I made a roast beet, spinach, orange and quinoa salad for dinner.  When I handed Grayson his plate, he said, "I don't eat this."  I replied, "You don't know that you have never had it.  We are trying it.  Now, who wants to pray?"  Grayson offered to pray.

"Oh please Lord don't let me mom ever make this again for dinner and thank you for our day."


The kids were not fans, but Peter and I loved it.  It may be a long month for some of us.

Wednesday, January 02, 2013

14 years

At this time 14 years ago, I was dancing at my wedding.  I had NO idea the grand adventure that would follow.  We often joke and say that our first day of marriage was our worst day of marriage. 14 years ago this time tomorrow, I was sleeping in a 3rd world country with my brand new husband.  Peter from the first 24 hours has made my life an adventure.  I will be forever grateful to God for making Peter my man.  He continues to make my life super interesting.  The gift of a vintage camper this year just proves that the grand adventure has barely started.  Peter remains my very favorite person in all the world to hang out with and lets face it a lot of marriage is hanging out.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Chasing Heaven

A little over a year ago, my friend Lisa started talking about running a marathon in her 35th year of life.  She asked me to join her in the goal.  I put her off for weeks as we trained for the Rock and Roll half marathon last Fall.  A marathon was not on my life goals.  When she picked up her race packet for last year's race, she found out that we could sign up for the marathon at a sale price.  She called, it was on sale.  I said yes because the truth is I love a good sale.  That half went great.  We spent the winter doing our normal workouts and come Spring the marathon talk began.  Four other friends signed up and in May the training started.  Five days of running a week every week for 6 months.  Yikes!  I tried to just look at the next day and not worry about the whole schedule.  I repeatedly told Lisa I was running this for her.  Just a few weeks in she looked at me very seriously and said, "You can't run this for me.  It is going to take a huge commitment and you need to do this because you want to do it."  That proved to be an excellent point.

School ended and it turned out to be one of the hottest summers since I have lived in St. Louis.  It is easy to find someone to run with during the school year, but come summer we all had kids and vacations.  I started having to run alone 4 of the 5 days.  I had to get up early and go alone.  This was new territory for me.  I'm not an early riser and I don't always push myself.  The running started to go really well and I began to crave it.  It was like my personal time alone with the Lord and His creation.  I prayed and listened to beautiful music.  And just about every time I start a run, I think to myself... I can't do this, but almost every time I do.

Running meets me at the core of my fears and questions about life.  I often operate with the belief that God is asking more of me than what I am capable of doing.  The secret I'm finding is that He knows I can do way more than I believe I can.  Every time I get to the end of a run whether it was fantastic or a huge struggle, I feel like the Lord says, "I told you that you are capable in ways that you don't believe."  I don't really mean that I am a more capable runner than I believe although I finding that is also true.  Running is a microcosm of my life.  The thing about the running is it is a place where the Lord meets me.  It is a place where I fight out my insecurities of the gospel.   And in this season it is a place where the Lord meets me.

Around July, I was feeling like a running rock star and then the kids and I got what I refer to as the "death bug".  We got the worst stomach bug of my life.  I was seriously sick for almost two weeks and lost 9 pounds.  It was awful and I was sure that I could never recover the running equity I had gained.  Slowly, but surely I started again and eventually caught up with the group just in time for my friend, Lisa, to have a race ending injury.  So it really did become my own thing.  All of my major runs have been with Lisa and it was her idea after all.  At this point, I was convinced this was a goal I really wanted to meet for myself.

So, I continued the training with any of the other 4 in the group who wanted to run.  Getting up at 4:30 or 5 am countless Sundays to do the long run with the group before church.  Trying my best to get in 40 to 50 miles a week and somehow love my family well.  We have gone from a long run of 6 miles to a long run of 20 miles.  We completed 20 miles 3 times.  Crazy stuff!  You get to the crazy level one mile at a time one foot in front of the other and at some point it doesn't seem crazy at all, but rather the thing you do before church on Sunday.  All the while hoping the sermon will be good so you don't fall asleep when you finally get to sit down in church with a bottle of gatorade and a snack no doubt.

So, this Sunday is the marathon.  I'm six months into my training.  My entire life style has changed.  I function like a pregnant woman.  I'm either starving, sleeping or waddling around because I'm so sore.  I logged somewhere in the range of 640 miles.  Could have almost run to my dad's house at this point.  When I think or talk about the marathon at this point, I feel like a might just throw up.  It still seems a little bit crazy.  I want to complete and I want to do my best.  I have some ideas of what that would be.  Come Sunday I'm just going to try to put one foot in front of the other one mile at a time til I can see the Arch again and get to that glorious 26.2 mile mark.   Along the way, I have fallen completely in love with running.  I think about it so much.  I have finally come to a point where I can call myself a real runner.  I suspect this marathon thing could happen again.  Who knew?  If you had asked me a couple of years ago if I would run a marathon, my answer would have been a resounding "HELL NO!"  Apparently, people change.

I'd love for you to join me in this adventure.  I love to dedicate my miles to people.  I'm working on my list.  Let me know if you want me to run a mile for you and which mile.  Mile 21 will be for Lisa and her mom.  Lisa's mom died on October 21st, the day of the marathon.  I'll be doing mile 21 for my crazy friend who talked me into this and her mother, Linda.  Wishing both of our mothers could see the women we became.  Our running careers started by running the Race for the Cure to honor our moms.  We have come a very long way.

I'd love to sharpie my arms with words of encouragement from the people I love.  It will be like you are there along for the journey.  Leave them in the comment section or email me with them.  Peter will sharpie me up the night before.  There has been so much joy in this journey that I really want to share it with all of you.  Almost every time I run, I think of the The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis.  In the end, the characters that you have loved dearly throughout the series have this time when they go heaven.  They keep going further up and further in realizing as the walk then run that they are arriving in that Holy place.  There is a moment when they look around and realize they are keeping up with the centaurs (half horse/half man).  I think of that moment often when I run.  A moment when I am running and running fast toward my sweet Lord knowing the journey is done.  What will it be like to look around and be in my redeemed state.  I can only imagine that it will be a glorious moment much crazier than running a marathon.  This marathon thing is me chasing heaven.  I'm chasing a moment when I get a taste of myself redeemed.  Those moments are few and far between this side of heaven, but they are so rich you can't stop chasing them.  For me running is worship and while I will not be in church on Sunday, I will certainly be dancing with the King.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

G, oh G

Me:  G, are you going to miss Miss K (his teacher) this summer?
G:  No, she gave me a packet of homework for like the whole summer.  I didn't even tell you about the one from last summer.

What a crack up!

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

G's 7 year check up

Took Grayson for his 7 year check up today.  He weighed in at 46 lbs and was 47.5 inches tall.  The doctor said he appeared to be more than healthy and a very active boy.  The best news was that his allergy medication that is needed from about September to March is going generic in August.  Praise the Lord this is good news for us.

I will leave you with one of the interchanges between G and Dr. Holmes.

Dr. Holmes:  Grayson, how are you doing in school?
Grayson (with a totally serious face):  Well, I'm very funny and that gets me in trouble a good bit at school.

At least he is honest.  I'm very glad to have a healthy, happy 7 year old.

Sunday, April 08, 2012

He is Risen!





Loved worshiping at Grace and Peace with my family.

Tuesday, April 03, 2012

Grayson is 7






Grayson's birthday is almost always over the kid's Spring Break.  This year he wanted to go camping to celebrate his birthday.  We headed with our pop-up camper, 4 bikes and 3 kayaks down to Orange Beach, AL.  It took about 13 hours, but it was so worth it.  We arrived Wednesday put up the camper and quickly grabbed boiled crawfish/shrimp.  We ate on the beach.  Why don't we live at the beach?  Not sure.  We spent the next few days riding bikes, kayaking and playing on the beach.  The weather was perfect.  G could not have been happier.  He could ride his bike for miles and learned to ride with no hands.  On his birthday, we met friends at this super fun restaurant complete with huge sand pile, foaming bubble machine, games and bouncing bunggy swing.  Grayson was thrilled.  We had such a great time!  I feel like we were completely able to celebrate Grayson's spirit of adventure.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Oh Grayson

This morning Grayson came up to snuggle me in bed.  He was supposed to distract me while Lillian made me coffee and brought it up.  Love that kind of team work.

Me:  Grayson, I can't believe you are almost 7.

Grayson:  I know and my pits already stink.


If I'm going to parent  this kid, I definitely need to start my day with coffee in bed.