Hello Monday

I'm linking up with Lisa at Lisa Leonard Designs for some hellos this week.  Have you thought about what to get your mom for mother's day?  Go on over and check out some of her pieces, they are beautiful and I guarantee you will have a hard time leaving one behind.

What a great weekend it was, but boy did it go by fast!  The weather is getting warmer and the leaves are coming out on the trees.  Our tulips have finally decided to peek out and life is pretty good.

How about some hello's for the week???

 

GOODBYE marathon training!!! We took you on and kicked your butt!  My husband ran awesome and I finished right where I wanted to be.  We had other friends and family who ran and did awesome as well.  We ran the ENTIRE race in the rain and wind... Not so much fun!

 

Hello so sore we can hardly move this morning.  I haven't been this sore since the birth of my son almost 6 years ago...OUCH!

 

Hello doctor... Yes, it is finally time to get my pelvis back in line.  I can't wait for the relief....

 

Hello spring!  You are FINALLY here.  The leaves on the trees are out, the grass is bright green, the tulips have bloomed, the sun is shinning..

 

Hello big cup of coffee....

 

Hello Mom and Dad... They celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on Saturday.  40 years is a long time and they have loved each other through some pretty tough spots in their lives.  They are an inspiration...

 

Hello ending of a crazy busy month and beginning to a much more relaxed schedule... It is all about wrapping up the school year this month....

 

Hello sunshine... Hello 70 degrees... Hello to playing outside all day...

 

Let's get started.... Ready, Set, Go...

 

Link up with us at LLD!

 

Happy Monday Friends!

To those of you...

 

 

 

who never thought that running was a possibility...

 

who run in sunshine and rain, snow and sleet... Hot weather or cold... It doesn't matter...

 

whose lives have been changed by what running can do for your health...

 

Who want so bad to begin...

 

who think that 5K, 10K, half marathon or full is too hard...

 

Who started out with just a walk...

 

Who have lost the final pounds...

 

who go through running shoes like you go through toilet paper :0)....

 

who are thinking about it....

 

who have signed up and trained...

 

on the fence....

 

stressed....

 

who need an outlet...

 

who want to be a part of something greater than yourself...

 

For those of you...

 

lost...

 

wanting to challenge yourself...

 

who get "that" feeling after finishing a run..

 

who are ready to take on the challenge...

 

 

You can do it.  Running changes you.  You will take yourself to limits you have never known.  No one has ever said you need to be the best.  You just have to believe in YOU... Go on... take it one day at a time and see what you can do... You just might surprise yourself... 

 

Good Luck to all of you out there!

 

I would love to hear your stories...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Hello Monday

Hi there everyone and Happy Monday!

I am linking up with Lisa for some hellos this week...

Hello Glass City Half Marathon... We are tapering and ready to take you on this Sunday.  6 days to go... It is weird to think that we will be done with 13.1 miles by 9 in the morning.  Not bad for a days work!

 

Hello sunshine.  Oh how I love you!

 

Hello summer list ideas waiting to be written down...

 

Hello cup of coffee... You are always there for me...

 

Hello coughs... My Big guy is home sick today with his normal spring time cough... He feels okay but he just sounds horrible.  Hello breathing treatments and icy cold water bottles....

 

Hello busy week...  Soccer practice 2 nights this week, skating lessons one night, track meet another,  wedding reception on Saturday evening, and race on Sunday.  Yikes!

 

Hello little one FINALLY starting to sleep through the night...

 

Hello pop-up camper.  We cleaned you and are working on getting you ready for our first trip this year.  We can't wait!

 

Hello Dad... Today is your birthday and you get to celebrate it in the sunshine.  I hope your day is great and the year that follows too.

 

Hello friends... It's going to be a great week. 

What are you saying hello to this week??? Come link up with us at LLD!

Random Thoughts...

Today was a gloomy day... After such a beautiful one yesterday, I couldn't help but feel a little sad.  I really wish spring would come.  Our family is an outside family.  When the weather is warm we start the day with coffee outside on the deck and finish the day playing with the kids in the yard as the sun goes down and the street lights come on...

Honestly, today was one of those days that I put the kids to bed with a heavy heart.  We didn't accomplish much today.  The truth is, all of the indoor fun stuff is exhausted.  The play doh, shaving cream, paints, chalk, making cookies, board games....You name it, we have exhausted it...  We probably spent too much time watching TV and we didn't get out of pjs until we went to dinner tonight.  We had pizza for dinner and I didn't feel like fighting the kids on veggies, so I didn't... Of course that was the highlight of their day!

Nine days from today I will be running the Glass City Half Marathon.  It is weighing on my mind.  I have been training hard for it.  I'm ready... I haven't raced or trained in this capacity since The Chicago Marathon in 2005.  Back then I was 23, just married and had life by the horns... Now I am 30, a mother of three under age 5 and really working on keeping running my priority.  More than anything I don't want to fail... Fail myself that is... I know I can run 13.1 miles, I just don't know how well.  Will it be the 7:45 pace that I am shooting for?  Will it be the 7:15 pace that I am running now?  Or will it be worse?  I don't have a goal for a reason... The job is done.  I wanted to train hard, have a reason to run, and feel the rush of working towards something.  This race has done that for me.


LNC Designs has had a lot of activity lately and that feels nice.  If you haven't stopped by the shop, please do.  You can find it here.  You can also look here for the descriptions to a lot of the products I sell here and here.  I always love to hear what people think, so if you like what you see or if you have any suggestions let me know.  I would love to hear from you.

We have a busy weekend planned.  Soccer games tomorrow morning, our last long run tomorrow afternoon, and a birthday party in the evening.  It's going to be a great one! 

 

What are you up to this weekend?

boston... something's gotta give...

I was standing at soccer practice yesterday evening enjoying the beautiful sunshine and watching my little innocent Madison kick a soccer ball around for the first time.  I had just completed a 3 mile run that felt like it was about a 6 miler... I came home upset and frustrated that in a week and a half I will be expected to run 13.1 miles and that may feel like an eternity... Then I got the news...

BOSTON....

I am affected by every tragedy that happens in our country and in our world.  So much so that I rarely watch the news or read the paper.  I guess to keep myself a little sheltered from what is happening in our world?  The truth is, since I became a mother it is all too raw.  It hurts so much harder when I know that I have three little ones who are going to have to experience this too.  Thank the Lord they are too young to understand right now.  More than anything, I am having trouble grasping the idea that the last two incidents are direct parts of my life... Not only that, but the areas of my life that make me the happiest. 

I have a child that is the same age as the children in Connecticut...

 

I run and race marathons... and when I ran The Chicago marathon, I was finishing around the 4 hour mark...

It is all so so real.  My heart pours out to all of the people and families involved in Boston yesterday. 

 

I have been there... cheering on someone who has worked so hard to accomplish their dreams...

 

I have been there.. putting in the 5 months of training and dedication to finishing one race...

Yesterday was a date that was on so many people's calendars.  They have trained before and run a marathon before in order to qualify... They had put in the time, the sweat, the training...The joy and sense of accomplishment for so many people was stolen from them yesterday.  And once again, we are looking at innocent lives altered and changed forever because of another stupid thoughtless act. 

For some people it will be the last road race they will ever run...

 

For others it will be on their mind EVERYTIME they stand on that starting line with their watch ready...

 

And for others... The pain may be so deep, they may forget running altogether because it hurts so bad to think about...

Something needs to happen with the nonsense that is going on in this country... I walked into an MC Sports (sporting goods store) and was stopped dead in my tracks reading a sign that said

Due to the overwhelming demand for firearms throughout the country we may not be able to meet your merchandise needs.

Really???  I am here for my 3 year olds soccer socks...

On that note, I think that we have one serious job to do...

 

God Bless everyone....

hello monday

Hi Friends!  It is a new week and I couldn't be more excited!  The sun is shining, our spring schedule has set in and we are looking towards the end of a school year and the beginning of an amazing summer.

 

How about some hello's for the week?

Hello warm sunshine gazing in on me this morning.  We haven't seen you in a few days... Won't you stay a while?

Hello humongous mug of coffee.  Oh how I love you!

Hello little buds ready to poke out of your homes... It is spring, you can come anytime. 

Hello two more weeks of training for the Glass City Half Marathon.  I can't wait for you to be over but I know I will miss you when your gone.

Hello pop-up camper.  We bought you last year and gave you only a preview of the places we are going to take you. 

Hello looking for places to get away in upper Michigan this summer... I am thinking Sleeping Bear Dunes... Does anyone have any places they have been...? Camper friendly of course...

 

Hello summer list.  I can't wait to start you...

Hello "birthday season."  From this month until November we have oodles of birthdays to celebrate... That means spending extra time with our families.  So wonderful!

Hello Monday it is going to be a great week.  This week is all about the kids.  We have soccer practice two nights this week, skate one, and soccer games on Saturday!  I guess it is time to hit the ground running! 

Happy Monday Everyone! As always, have a great one...

 

It's your turn!  Head on over and link up with Lisa at LLD...

 

 

Hello Monday!

Happy Monday! 

 

I hope everyone had a great weekend surrounded by family and friends.  Spring is here and the weather is getting warmer, I can feel it on the days when the sun shines.   We had a wonderful weekend surrounded by our family.  Our kids had such a blast hunting Easter eggs and spending time with everyone. 

 

How about some hello's for the week?

 

Hello sunshine... You are so warm and cheery... I love opening the curtains in the morning to your warmth...

 

Hello spring break with the family.  No track this year, it is going to be a goody.

 

Hello peak of our 1/2 marathon training... We are on our way down in our long runs and it feels great.

 

Hello happy kids... They LOVE being outside...

 

Hello parks.  Ready or not, here we come...

 

Hello tulips... You are so close to peeking your little heads out.

 

Hello new week... please don't go by too fast... we love family time...

 

It's your turn, go on, link up over at Lisa Leonard Designs.