Running update

Just thought I'd give an update on my running adventures! I start my 1/2 marathon training TODAY! I will be running 4-5 days a week and cross training/strength/stretching 2 days a week! I'm soooo excited! I need a challenge and a goal...and this is it! I've been doing 3 miles through various routes here in town. I've been scared of the hills behind my house... I ran it once in May and quit halfway up the first hill. Just QUIT! Saturday, I took my dog and we went to attach the hills. It was FUN! Maverick took my mind off the hills and I loved the view. I'm looking forward to more runs out in the country with Maverick! He needs to get in shape too!! Did I mention that I'm running the Rock and Roll Dallas Marathon? I'm VERY excited!!

Have you heard about Ryan Hall? His story is AMAZING!

"My parents were strong Christians," he continues. "I definitely believed, but I wasn't really strongly pursuing my faith. I was playing baseball, basketball, football--I was into, like, the cool crowd at school. And then one day traveling down the mountain to a basketball game, I got this random--I describe it as a vision, but you could call it an idea, whatever--this thing pops into my mind where I am looking out at Big Bear Lake, and I think, well, it would be a great thing for me to try and run around that."

Within a few days, him and his dad ran the FIFTEEN miles around that lake. He was only 13...they only stopped ONCE! He then dedicated his LIFE to running...and his faith in God. I recommend reading the story. He's a humble, yet dedicated young man! You can read the whole article here.

Are you talking to me?

My kids say the cutest things!! Before I start my list, I thought I'd clarify that Natalie's "talking" is probably not understood by most people. I'm with her 24/7...so I understand it. haha...and who knows...maybe I'm ASSuming she's saying things...but I really thing she is!

Cole:

• "Grandma need be nice" this was AFTER a nap...he was scared of my mom...only thing we could come up with is he had a bad dream. After about 10 minutes...he was in love with grandma again.
• "oops...Cole toot!" (needs no explanation)
• "I ove you too Mommy" (or Nini, or daddy, or baby, etc)
• "Cole want Apple" This can actually mean, "Cole want waffle" if he says it after he is asked "What do you want for breakfast?"
• "Cole not a baby, Cole BOY!!" This is usually after he pees his pants and I ask if he's a baby.
• "Cole a dough boy"...not sure why or where this came from...
• "tootles" This has always been Mickey Mouse. On the disney show they say, "OH TOOTLES!" so...it was one of his first words. haha...
• "atties" Batteries. you may think...why would a 2 year old say batteries? WELL...what do choo choos run on? Batteries. At United there is a big energizer battery on top of the display. Cole always finds it and says, "OOOOH...BIG Attie!"
• "Papa eel" translation-Papa wheel...or a Semi Truck. Justin's dad, "papa" drives a semi...therefore ALL semi's are "Papa Wheels".
• "NO!" This is his favorite word these days!

Natalie:

• "Nack" This is "snack". It means goldfish or puffs. She points at the cabinet.
• "awa" This is water. She may point at the fridge OR to the bathtub...ha.
• "na na" Naked. She does this when we are changing her clothes. She rubs her tummy and says it. very cute! (or when taking a bath)
• "Anta" Santa! I didn't believe justin at first when he told me she said it...but she knows who santa is!
• "pee pee" Today I was blowdrying my hair in the bathroom. I saw her by the toilet. Then I saw Cole's potty seat on the closed toilet. She said, "PEE PEE!!" So I put her on the toilet to go....she didn't. Oh well...
• "baby" She LOVES dolls! Anytime she sees one, she must hold it and says "baby". This is why santa is getting her 2 :)
• "choo choo" This either means a train (we have a lot around here) or a movie. She thinks ALL movies are choo choo movies. haha...

Books

I've been a crazed reader lately!!! I re-read the Twilight Saga before I saw New Moon. Then I moved onto my book club pick, "Sheet Music". VERY good book!!! I highly recommend it to couples on the verge of marriage...possibly even young women. It really emphasizes saving yourself for your husband. Anyway...every married woman & man would learn A LOT from it!!

December's book club book is "The Christmas List" by Richart Paul Evans. You should read it! It is about a man who wakes up to read his obituary in the newspaper....pretty much saying how mean of a person he is. He wasn't dead though. It follows him as he goes on after the obituary...kind of Scrooge like? Anyway...AWESOME! I cried! Finished it in 24 hours...hahaha!

Yesterday I finished, "The Last Summer (of you and me)" by Anne Brashares. She also wrote The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. ANYWAY...It's a story about sisters and a friend that meet every summer at Fire Island NY. It's about sisters...love...friendship. It took a while to get into it...but I hated to put it down & hurried to finish it. I really liked it!! (read it in 24 hours too...I'm crazy!)

Next up: Some book that I got at B&N on sale...forgot the name and it's in my nightstand, Sarah Palin's book, and I hope to get some Jane Austin books for Christmas (hint hint). I watched "Lost in Austin" and I think it's about time I read Pride & Prejudice. I don't know why I've boycotted it for so long....seems like a good story! Happy Reading!

5 Things I LOVE & 5 Things that irritate me!

What a silly thing to blog about!

5 things I LOVE:
1. Family...Justin, Cole & Natalie...need I say more? I absolutely love these guys!
2. My house decorated for Christmas. My last house was a "Fall" house. This house is DEFINITELY a winter/Christmas house! What season is your house?
3. Baking. I love to bake all sorts of yummy things...especially chocolate things. If you come across a good recipe...send it my way!
4. Running. Yes, I'm baaaack! I love a good run!
5. My new running tights. Champion C9 cold weather tights. they are AMAZING!

5 things that IRRITATE me!
1. Liberals (sorry...but you do...that doesn't mean I don't love some of you crazy liberals!)
2. People who have to "one up" their child(ren) to mine all the time. COME ON! Your kid(s) are beautiful and wonderful...and so are mine! It's a tie...they are all great! No comparing needed!
3. Me when I'm in a bad mood. I say things I don't mean to and immediately try to take back my words. SIGH...I'm sorry if you've ever been on the receiving end of this!
4. Really cold days when I need to run. This gets me off schedule....not a good thing!
5. Walmart. Don't get me wrong...I do buy things there when necessary. But it's the thorn in a United Manager's side...especially in a small town. Therefore...it's a thorn in my side. Just a reminder...United's prices are either the same price OR cheaper! ha!

Ahhh....I feel so much better!!!!! Tonight is book club! We are having an ornament exchange! Can't WAIT! Childress girl nights are THE BEST!

Thanksgiving

We had such a great Thanksgiving! For the first time in sooo long, I haven't made a turkey! I love cooking...so it was a little sad for me. I did, however, make pumpkin spice muffins with cream cheese icing. YUMMY!!

We started off in Vernon and then off to Lubbock on Thursday. My mom, sisters & I went off to Black Friday deals at 3:30am Friday morning! It's a tradition and I LOVE it! I didn't get much...just dvds and some porch lights.

Cole and Natalie got to spend a lot of time with grandma & grandpa and they had such a good time! And it was great to see MY grandma, aunts & uncles & cousins. We were missing Amber, Mike & Taylor! :( Hopefully we'll see you soon!

Running Again!

I've gotten sooo tired of starting to work out and then stopping because its hard to bring a DVD and workout when traveling (which me & the kids do often). Soooo...I've decided to start running again! I avoided it for a while, but now I'm back in! My goal is a 1/2 marathon which will be April 11th in Dallas, "The Big D". My sister is running and maybe my mom! I'm trying to get some Childress girls in also!!!

If you're reading this and thinking...NO WAY could I run a 1/2 marathon (13 miles), YES YOU CAN! My mom had never run in her whole life...well...maybe a little here & there. She just finished a 1/2 marathon earlier this month! It took her about 7 months to get up to it. It is possible.

Right Now I'm working up to a 5k. I'm following a program called "The Couch to 5k". It involves walking and jogging for 25-30minutes 3 times a week. By the end you are running a 5k in 30 minutes (or quicker). today I did 2.3 miles in 25 minutes. Not great...but my best time all year (that involved walking...fyi!)

And...my motivation? Sarah Palin. She's one smokin' hot momma who always finds time to run!

Not to mention I love her politics. But that's another blog...haha!

Getting ready for Christmas!

Look what we've been up to!

Trying on Christmas Clothes!

(yes...that's the painted paneling...now awaiting new plug covers and baseboards & crown moulding!)

r

CHEESE! After we plugged in the tree (Sunday)

For Suzanne: She was LOVING on her "kiki"!

I am SOOO excited about this Christmas season! I think the kids will have a BLAST! They each have a little tree in their room with lights. We've been singing, "Happy Birthday Jesus" and today we are putting up the Nativity set. One of my FAVORITE memories growing up was putting out the nativity set at my Grandma & Grandpa Schwertner's house. Grandma would let one of us put baby Jesus in the cradle. Usually it was the youngest...or the one who begged the hardest (I was the oldest but begged ;)) Sooo...this is Cole's 3rd Christmas of us doing that!!!