Girls on the Run

This is a BIG deal for me.
I ran my first ever 5K. I ran for the first time ever yesterday.
Well, minus that one time we tried to "train" for this thing. HA!

A few months back I had this brilliant idea, as most of mine ideas are; that we should train for a 5K.

Please note that:
1. I don't even want to run 4 houses down to get our mail.
2. I was a born sprinter. It was a God given talent that made me and my 2 sisters track stars without even trying. We showed up, boom, took home the gold.
3. Did I mention I hate running?! I mean who runs miles for fun?! I am fairly certain that even if a bear was chasing me, I would just lie down and play dead and pray.

Back to my brilliant idea, I hear running is a good calorie burn, Meg wanted to get in shape and I thought it would be something Chad and I could do together. All the makings of a brilliant idea.

LET'S DO THIS!

Let's see Meg and I ran together 2x way back in September and Chad was never able to come. BUT I had already signed Meg and I up for this run. We were doing it.

Meg and I we are not only track stars, but we are "world class fly by the seat of your pants and still knock it out of the park"  types. We were a tad worry as race day was looming; but I had faith in us. I knew what kind of bad-A's were were. No one else did. BUT I DID!

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar

Yep, no one. Not even my own husband believed in me to do this. Even Leighton laughed. My parents laughed. You know that kind of hurts. How would they like it we laughed at them when they went out to do something they set their minds to. Even if you don't think we can, just believe in us. But that's okay. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And you know what as I walked out the door to the sounds of Chad "mocking" me I said "I'll show you! I CAN do this and I WILL prove you wrong." That's usually all it takes for me, someone to NOT believe in me to show them I WILL do it. Just to spite you. I am sure that is totally Biblical, but the passage is eluding me. :)

Almost race time!

So we ran. We only stopped very briefly for a quick minute or two walk 2x. I actually felt really good the whole way. I didn't feel like I couldn't do it. I felt empowered. And the weather was A-MAZING! Warm, with a strong cool wind that felt good on sweaty face.

Meg was a trooper with me...but not sure I can convince her run another one. 

1/2 done!!

When I ran towards the finish line I picked up the pace as the song "Loser like Me" from Glee comes blaring into my ear buds. Hearing the chorus of "Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth--So everyone can hear--Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down" As I crossed the finish line was perfect! Because that is how I felt. No one believed we could do this, but we did! I finished with a time of 34:23! Not bad for my first run. Just doing it all was a huge accomplishment. I couldn't wait to get home and gloat share my good news with Chad.

Everyone did apologize for not believing in us and were proud of us! Now I can't wait to do another one! What is coming over me?!

We DID it!!!!

The Lyrics to the Glee song are below:

Yeah, you may think that I'm a zero
But, hey, everyone you wanna be
Probably started off like me

You may say that I'm a freak show
(I don't care)
But, hey, give me just a little time
I bet you're gonna change your mind

All of the dirt you've been throwin' my way
It ain't so hard to take, that's right
'Cause I know one day you'll be screamin' my name
And I'll just look away, that's right

Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth
So everyone can hear
Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down
Baby, I don't care

Keep it up, and soon enough you'll figure out
You wanna be, you wanna be
A loser like me
A loser like me

Push me up against the locker
And, hey, all I do is shake it off
I'll get you back when I'm your boss

I'm not thinkin' 'bout you haters
'Cause, hey, I could be a superstar
I'll see you when you wash my car

All of the dirt you've been throwin' my way
It ain't so hard to take, that's right
'Cause I know one day you'll be screamin' my name
And I'll just look away, that's right

Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth
So everyone can hear
Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down
Baby, I don't care

Keep it up, and soon enough you'll figure out
You wanna be, you wanna be
A loser like me
A loser like me
A loser like me

Hey, you over there
Keep the L up, up in the air
Hey, you over there
Keep the L up, 'cause I don't care

You can throw your sticks and you can throw your stones
Like a rocket, just watch me go
Yeah, L-O-S-E-R
I can only be who I are

Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth
So everyone can hear
Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down
Baby, I don't care

Keep it up, and soon enough you'll figure out
You wanna be, you wanna be
A loser like

Go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth
So everyone can hear
Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down
Baby, I don't care

Keep it up, and soon enough you'll figure out
You wanna be, you wanna be
A loser like me
A loser like me
A loser like me
A loser like me
A loser like me

Pumpkin Patch

Back tracking a bit to the pumpkin patch.
This is a tradition we started when I turned 24 as a way to celebrate my birthday. My sisters, you see are born right after the 4th of July; their birthdays have always been surrounded in hoop-la of the 4th festivities and mine well, let's just say they at least never forgot my birthday. And before you say, "ah, poor Michele", please know that I hate my birthday. I have for quite sometime. I am not sure I really even cared about it as a kid, presents sure, but a party and tons of attention poured on me; not really my style.

Anyway, apparently 24 years later my family felt bad that my birthday wasn't a full on hoop-la bash like my sisters and started this, most likely they just wanted to go to a pumpkin patch and used me as an excuse. :) Just kidding; I think...

Now that we have kids of course the pumpkin patch is a must. We use to frequent Papa's Pumpkin patch, but now that my parents moved it didn't makes sense to go there, so we tried Apple Jacks. It was awesome.

Micah, loved this teeny tiny slide the best. When we went to the fair, which I am aware has yet to be recorded into history, patience grasshopper; he loved all the rides. Even the big rides. Then a few weeks later we went to our city's carnival and rode the same tilt-a-whirl, and ever since then he has REFUSED rides...I am not sure what happened, but this is as good as it gets people.

Unless of course you count bouncy things as thrill rides. Oh my word I thought the child {MW} would NEVER EVER get off of this bounce pillow. I thought I would throw up and die after 5 minutes. It was very wild with a 1000 kids jumping and jumping.

Yes, I am aware these pictures are horrible and need edited. 

But you get what you get and you don't...pitch a fit. :)

Sass on the other hand had exploring to do.

Finally coaxed MW off the bounce pillow. For now...

Sass loved the train. MW again refused to ride this crazy train. HAHA get it...

So they are 2 years apart and pretty much the exact same size. Nuts.

Pumpkin time!

So Mr. Big Shot thinks he can ride a bike like sissy. So I had to "nonchalantly help." It was a good workout and he was none the wiser. :)

Petting zoo.

Zip line. Sass is a thrill seeker. She will do just about anything. Just like her momma. MW gets his safety Marshall attitude from his paternal side. :)

Hip Hooray one last jump before closing time!!!

Oh and then there was my birthday...remember. Yeah, I am 29 and 24m old. Congrats to me. I officially side with parents now on tv shows and don't appreciate these "youngster" mentalities. My youth is officially gone.

The End.

My 29y12m Birthday Festivites.

So I had a birthday.
And we celebrated.
Here are the memories. Sorry I am too lazy for collages today. Although, after I did this I found picmonkey again, and wow, easy peasy lemon squeezy doesn't convey how easy it is to use, not to mention free. So there you go.
Now onto the memories from my 29y12m birthday. :)

First stop QT. Whenever, my kids see a QT they start saying how "thirsty" they are. They love those slushies. They fight over them. So I keep a spare cup so we can split the ultra sugar beverage between them. O Happy Day.

Then when we got to my parents they surprised me with a trip to Brookville Hotel for lunch. It is a fried chicken, homestyle cooking place. It is yummy and something fun and different to do.

We were suppose to go to the pumpkin patch after lunch, but it rained until it poured all day. Have I mentioned we have been in a drought for o, I don't know a year, but on my birthday it decides to rain. Awesome. So we painted pumpkins, in our undies, we got from Dillons instead. Lo glitterized hers! It really is beautiful!

Here is what I think of turning 30.

But I do love me some mint chocolate chip brownies.

And apparently so does MW!

For my birthday, ok not really, but it brought me HUGE joy, I got new countertops. Woot woot! Good bye ugly green countertops, hello lovely neutral countertops! I still have painting and decorating to fix, but it is a start!

However, I saw this shirt on pinterest the other day and showed Chad, so I got one. I love it! I really hate t-shirts, but this one I like! I love that Keep Calm stuff. It says {Keep Calm and Wabash On}--it's a KState thing. ;)

I also celebrated my birthday with a birthday dinner with my MIL, but neglected to bring my camera. It was an uber long weekend spent singing 4 services at church, followed by Judgement House rehearsal and then my party. I was beat, so I would have looked terrible in the pics anyway. :)

And that is how I spent my 29y12m birthday!
The end

In My Next 30 Years...

 I think I’ll take a moment, celebrate my age

The ending of an era and the turning of a page

Now it’s time to focus in on where I go from here

Lord have mercy on my next thirty years

Hey my next thirty years I’m gonna have some fun

Try to forget about all the crazy things I’ve done

Maybe now I’ve conquered all my adolescent fears

And I’ll do it better in my next thirty years

My next thirty years I’m gonna settle all the scores

Cry a little less, laugh a little more

Find a world of happiness without the hate and fear

Figure out just what I’m doing here

In my next thirty years

Oh my next thirty years, I’m gonna watch my weight

Eat a few more salads and not stay up so late

Drink a little lemonade and not so many beers

Maybe I’ll remember my next thirty years

My next thirty years will be the best years of my life

Raise a little family and hang out with my wife {husband}

Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear

Make up for lost time here, in my next thirty years

                                                                 In my next thirty years

~~~Tim McGraw

 Funny how a song can ring so true and put all your thoughts in perspective. I think I really heard this song for the first time a few months ago as my 30th birthday was quickly approaching.  I have had a lot of mixed emotions about turning 30. 

On the one hand I am sad because 30 seems old. Not in a "check me into a nursing home" old, it is just when you are little 30 is the age you first deem to be old and not cool.

But then again, being 30 has given me more self esteem and confidence. When you are 20 you care about every.little.thing. people say or think about you, or at least I did. You are constantly trying to please everyone, look a certain way etc etc. Now, I don't care. I am coming into my own. I am firm in my beliefs and don't feel the need to sway with the crowd. I have more respect for my parents and realized how right they were at different times in my life. It's a weird perspective you get as you age and I imagine only more will come as I continue to grow up.

Finally, I have done a lot in my 30 years and I have little desire to go back to 15-18-or even 25. I love my life and proud of what I have accomplished.

1. I met Chad, fell in love and we married at the mere age of 21! Seems like eons ago...please note how young we look! AH!!

2. Graduated college and eventually finished up to become an RD. {Registered Dietitian}

 

3. We moved home and 6 months later bought our FIRST home. I loved that place, I still do. It holds so many great memories there!

 

 4. Brought home two fur babies. One in 2006, Tucker James and the other in 2008, Tobias Sebastian.

Tucker

 

  

Toby

5. After 15 months of infertility I finally was blessed with this beautiful baby girl, Leighton, in 2009! One of the best days of my life was giving her life. 

6. Then 15 months after Lo was born finding myself pregnant again, with the little boy I never knew I always wanted, my Micah Bear!

And here we are much older and wiser and quite possibly happier!

 Easter 2012

Thank you family and friends for all you have done for me these last 30 years. Each of you have shaped me into who I am today, and for that I am thankful. I feel blessed, even if I feel slightly old now. HA! Now on to see what my next 30 years hold...