Thursday, June 7, 2012

thoughts

i've been thinking lately.
thinking about where God wants me.
i confess i haven't been very good at trying to listen to His direction as of late.
perhaps it's because i've been trying to plan things on my own.
thinking, "i can do this... just gotta keep plugging away... minding my own business... doing my own thing."
not giving Him much thought in my schedule.
a few things have been falling through for me...
giving me a feeling of defeat.
feeling like He doesn't know what my heart desires.
i know it isn't true.
i know that He loves me and directs my paths.
but i can't help feeling frustrated right now.
and wondering why i'm dealing with these unexpected bumps.
i don't have any real answers.
just wanted to say that this is what i'm dealing with right now.
i have hope that some encouragement will be around the corner...
just when and where, i don't know.
but these kinks in my life do one thing well...
point me in the direction i should have been going all along.
sometimes i just need a little help... need a little compass.
(photos taken near Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland)

Monday, June 4, 2012

pathetic excuses... and a race

yeah, i suppose i am pathetic.
blogging... such a love/hate relationship.
honestly, there's probably only a handful of people that actually read here, (99% of them i know in real life) so i feel what's the need to do regular posting.
and since i'm pretty sure only 3 people read my blog, i don't have to feel guilty.
right?
i see my home page on the computer all the time...
and it seems to never change.
ha!
that's b/c i just don't have the motivation to do a new post.
ever since our trip i feel like i have to have awesome amazing trip posts.
but alas, i've not been motivated to edit through my hoards of photos to post.
so... i just keep walking by... not posting.
sounds sorta pathetic.
although i am busy.
we got baseball 2 times a week... swimming two times a week... and general 'having fun' as a family busyness.
plus, i sorta have been training for another 1/2 marathon.
so that takes up my time and energy too.
funny!
i keep saying, "when that is off my plate i'll get to it..."
but i still have oodles on my plate.
so i'll just have to have a few non-trip related posts for a bit 'til i'm done with picture editing.

i'll start with this one....
on mother's day (less than 48 hours after coming home from europe) i was able to run a 5K race.
not just any 5K race... this one was with my oldest daughter!
(pre-race)

yay!  first time ever running a race with her!
it was awesome and amazing!
my middle girl did a little kids run too.
also, her first race.
they both did fantastic.
but my big k... well, she was incredibly and inspiring.
(and... we're OFF!  you see us waving?  mamas behind their girls... that didn't last long.)

motivation for her came in the form of water stations (b/c it was hot)... sprinklers and hoses that people were spraying at participants... and the promise of treats at the end and some fun in the jumpy houses.
ha ha ha!
after a race the last thing i'd want to do is jump in those sweaty hot jumping castles... but that's my girl!
(after about a mile and a bit... just after a water station and feeling refreshed in the heat, the 4 of us trudge on.)

we got to run with one of my closest friends and her daughter (which happens to be big k's bff).
it was interesting to run with the girls since they've never run that far for that long before.
(you'd better believe i hauled out my iphone and took pics during the race!)

they see their mamas running all the time and so they're interested.
and because they could do the race together along with their moms... they were in!
during the race they kept saying, "we wanna be done... when's the end?"
or, "i'm NEVER doing this again!!!"
(after getting doused by water from a hose.  she was already pretty pooped but we only had just under a mile to go.)

they did amazing and our time was a little over 35 minutes.
i was very proud of my girl!
and guess what?
afterward, a few hours later, they both said they wanted to do it again next year.
ha ha!
i can totally and completely relate! ;)
(running into the finish line... so thrilling! little j ran just in ahead of us with a burst of energy at the end!)

i hope this is just the beginning to a great running relationship with one of my daughters.
hopefully all three will be hooked with running races in the future!
(right after the race... feeling hot but happy!)

knowing that they can run a race and accomplish a goal will help give them confidence in themselves.
it works for me... it'll surely work for them!
and nothings better than feeling the "runner's high" after a race!
clearly big K felt it too... for she committed to the race again next year within about 5 minutes (after she had some water and recuperated, of course).
(another shot of us after the race... a little more rested up!) 


here's some more shots of race day...

the kids waiting in line for the jumpy house after the race.
of course!

little k during her race!!!
she booted it for the entire 300 meters!
seriously loving it!

the kids race finish line!

pre race with my running pal!
us mamas were let off the hook a bit running with our 8 year old daughters. LOL

of course pre race... look at how pumped they are!!!
k and j!!

all four of us... embarking on the race!

my girl and i, pre race... love her smile!

neighbours... running partners... best of friends... these girls are life giving to me!
D did the 10K alone... so she didn't run with us... she booted it instead! :)

my regular running buddy... she just finished the 10K and i got to cheer her in!
we're doing the half in a couple of weeks... so you'll see more pics of us in running gear.
just you wait... we have matching shirts this time!!!  LOL

and one more picture of us at the finish line...
check out k's mouth.
just running hard... all the way to the end... her tongue is sticking out!
what a great race... and a fantastic day!
cheers to all runners out there!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

insta-trip recap

our trip was, in one word, jam-packed.
full of so many sights, sounds, tastes, smells.
it was amazing.
and it flew by, like i knew it would.
suddenly, we're on this side of the trip.
we planned this trip for a solid 9 months...
and now it's over.
crazy!
i took over 2900 photos with my DSLR.
yup.
almost 3 thousand.
i am nuts.
now, i need to find the time and motivation to go through them...
edit them...
make albums on iphoto to show my friends...
(because, let's be honest... who wants to look through my 2900+ pictures besides me?)
print, print, and print more of those photos...
and relive each and every experience of our trip THROUGH those photos.
ah, that's the reason i took so many!
sooo... before i actually get the real deal photos... here's a taste of our trip.
courtesy of instagram.

we ate a lot of this.
a lot, a lot.

we did quite a bit of dining alfresco.
(ahem... dining outdoors.  my italian is SO good now!)

drank so many great coffees/cappuccinos.
(i can't drink my gross dishwater coffee maker coffee now. blech!)

saw the most beautiful church building in the world!

walked all 425 steps up to the top of said beautiful church.

ate gelati... but, of course!
"when in rome..."
oops... i mean, "when in florence..."

took more pics in front of that beautiful church.
(thanks elissa for the photo op idea!)

toured through the chianti region of tuscany on a scooter.
and stopped to take pretty pictures in a random vineyard.

did some k-i-s-s-i-n-g.
"when in rome..."
(this time it works. pic taken at trevi fountain)

took some obligatory cheesy touristy shots!

took some wildly gorgeous shots of the cutest fishing village!

took in the view of the sea... again... and again... and again.
sigh... it never got old.

put my toes in the sand.

did some crazy ass hiking.
remember, we're from the prairies...
we ain't got no hills where i'm from.
hiking up and down these hills was a wicked workout!

took the time to relax afterward.
i could get VERY used to that view.

ate some yummy seafood... my favorite food of the trip!
i'm a sucker for anything with googly eyes and a crustaceous exterior.

took in a few amazing waterfalls.

went up a high mountain, made famous by 007.

ate more awesome regional cuisine!

channeled my inner fraulein maria.

watched my insane husband float through the sky!
and, thankfully, land safely.

drank some more great coffee...
this time a little more expensive (like everything was in switzerland).

channeled my inner tyra!
and posed in front of this famous peak!

lugged around these companions through airports and many train stations.

dined some more alfresco... this time in picturesque lucerne!

and waved "ciao" and "tschuss" to all our new friends.

like i said, in one word, jam-packed.
but so amazing...
and we have the pictures to show for that!
and the memories, which are even better!