Seaside Half Marathon

A half-marathon has been on my bucket list for several years.  I finally checked it off my list a few weeks ago!  Training for a half-marathon is a huge commitment and requires lots of discipline and perseverance.  I am not the best with commitment, discipline, or perseverance.  I am, on the other hand, really good at excuses and quitting.  I am also a big scaredy cat and do not like to participate in activities in which I might not do well.  That is nothing by PRIDE...the ugly side of pride. 

 My theme for the last six months or so has been Joshua 1:9:  "Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged.  For the Lord your God will be with you where ever you go."  My word for 2014 is "finish."  I am so bad about not finishing what I start.  I have a half upholstered chair in my bedroom.  It's been that way for over 6 months!

By the grace of God and awesome running friends, I finished all of my training and completed the half marathon in 2:30:27.  It wasn't pretty.  I even had to walk some of the last 3/4 miles.  I did not walk during any part of my training so this was very disappointing for me.  Disappointment followed me for several days after the half.  I thought about all of the "what ifs" that would have made my time or mental focus better. Instead of enjoying my accomplishment, I had a little pity party about how it wasn't good enough.  I battled blisters the last couple of months of my training and they hurt terribly after mile 7/8 during the race.  My hurting feet were definitely a mental and physical distraction.

This little guy was the best cheerleader.  He was so proud of his momma.  It was an awesome feeling to see him and Darren at the finish line.  

We also enjoyed some fun in the sun.  It was a beautiful weekend to be at the beach.  I cannot believe how much Nate stayed in the water.  It was like ice, no kidding.  But it didn't slow him down.

Tomorrow will be four weeks since the race.  I have a much better attitude about my performance and finish.  I am still running and honestly couldn't imagine not running a few days each week.  I have grown to love it, I just don't know if I love distances over 8 miles.  Running has made me more disciplined in many areas of my life, which I am very grateful.  Now I just have to decide if there will ever be another half marathon in my future.  Maybe?

Co-op Talent Show

Nate recently participated in our home school co-op talent show.  He performed two simple magic tricks.  It was a proud parent moment for me and Darren.  He was awesome!

He rehearsed a lot and was very prepared, but he totally played to the crowd and added funny things to his "script." He was a natural on stage.  He was 100% comfortable and enjoyed having an audience.  This was a side of him we've never seen.

Darren was his assistant on the first trick.  It involved using a dollar bill to magically join two paper clips together.

His teacher, Mrs. LaShea, assisted him on the second trick.  It involved Nate using his mind to slice a banana.

We were so proud of Nate.  He truly did a great job.  He was very entertaining.  We also enjoyed watching all of the other acts.  We have so many wonderful, talented kids part of our co-op.  It's been a fun year getting to know other home school families.

Snow

We were blessed with a beautiful snow a few weeks ago.  Unfortunately, there was a layer of ice under the snow that left people stranded at work and students stranded at school.  Several of our friends had to spend the night at work.  Some of them started home and had to abandon their cars and walk several miles back to work so they could have a warm place to sleep.  It happened so fast and really caught us off guard.  Ice and snow was accumulating on the roads just after 30 minutes of snow.  Thankfully, Darren and all of his co-workers were able to make it home. 

Darren came up with a "sled" to pull behind the four-wheeler.  He found an old trunk lid in the barn.  It worked perfectly.

We were so thankful for all of our warm snow ski gear. 

Warming up :)

The snow was extremely dry so we couldn't make a traditional snowman. 

I think this is the most beautiful sunset I've seen.

Nate loved watching the cat slide around on the frozen pond.

Nate loved breaking the ice.

It was so much fun, but we were glad to see it go.  We've had an extremely cold winter.  We are ready for spring!