I won free stuff!

This morning I ran a local 5k. It was actually my first time competing in a 5k & to be honest, I kinda hated it. I hated all 3.1 measly miles of it! Ironically, it was the shortest distance race I've ever competed in, but I was just not "feeling it" this morning. Don't know why...maybe because I was sick this week & I'm not fully recovered? Maybe because I haven't been training as hard lately (haven't done much speed work the last 2 weeks)? Maybe I didn't get enough sleep last night? I dunno. Whatever the reason...it was one of my worst racing experiences. By that, I mostly mean I just worked harder than I anticipated to finish near my goal time. My goal for the race was to finish in 23 mins or less (which I didn't quite make). My official time was 23:10.

So, that was the downside of the race this morning (enough of my whiney review). On the upside... I won a free pair of Mizuno running shoes from Fleet Feet because I was the 2nd female finisher (1st in my age group). I've never run in Mizuno's but I just read a bunch of reviews & it'll be fun to kick off my Asics & Sauconys to try something different (though I do love my Asics!) I might even go for something a little more bold & crazy like these- just because I can!

Okay...these got great performance reviews. I'm much too practical to own shoes "just because"....even if they were free!

Reaching

It seems trendy these days to say that you don't make New Year's resolutions. Call them what you want...goals, resolutions, aims, plans...I make them! I've recently become more aware of the fact that I'm a competitive person (often just competing with my own expectations for myself or the expectations I perceive others have of me). Psychologically, I think I need clear & defined goals and expectations to aim for. I'm constantly setting goals (whether I say them out load our not).

The list of goals I have floating around my mind right now is rather long, but here are a few:

(1) Be more resourceful & minimize waste-

Plain & simple...I'm trying to get better at creatively using the resources we have at our disposal. Small things like cooking up the dry beans we stocked up in the cabinets instead of buying canned beans. Using leftovers instead of letting them waste or throwing them out. And I'm trying to get back to baking more of our breads again. Lucy & I made homemade french bread on Friday to go with the Navy Bean soup we made for dinner that night. She LOVES to help with baking, washing dishes, cleaning, etc... and she's actually got an amazing attention span for a 4 yr old!

*fresh herbs (rosemary from our garden)

for our navy bean soup*

(2) Intentionally try things that force me to grow/stretch-

I generally avoid conflict like it's the plague. As a people-pleaser, I'm easily made uncomfortable if I can tell I've done or said something that makes someone else uncomfortable or unhappy. But, I'm realizing that I'd rather have more honest & genuine relationships (even if it means confrontation from time to time). Not going out of my way to create conflict, but I am trying to be more open and honest in all of my relationships.

(3) Get better at planning ahead-

I'm focusing on things like planning better for meals and grocery shopping (boring!)

So yeah...nothing mind-altering here (although, come to think of it...in the week or so that I've really made an effort to do this, it has actually altered my state of mind significantly!)

A bit of back story...I'd gotten in a pretty bad habit of basically going to the grocery store at least once a day (usually Safeway right after taking the older kids to school in the morning or in the afternoon with all 4 kids after school). This "system" was not great for our budget nor helpful for my sanity. Since moving to Paradise, I've done less grocery shopping in Chico but the grocery store options up here are pretty limited (Holiday- while it's 100 yards away and super convenient, not great for the budget. Safeway- if I buy only what's on sale, not horrible for our budget, but still not ideal. Grocery Outlet-great prices but scary for dairy, meats, etc...must check expiration dates and still can't find everything you need there. SaveMart-neither convenient nor all the helpful for our budget).

I decided to start making weekly menu plans and grocery lists again and then shopping in Chico. I shopped at WinCo the last 2 weeks...left in a horrible mood the 1st time because the store was a "zoo", the produce looked "questionable" and the savings (in my opinion) were "hit or miss". I do like the bulk/bin area at WinCo, but I've realized that if I don't get to the store before 10am, I might as well shop somewhere else (I hate fighting a crowd!)

*I know...not rocket science!*

(4) Prioritize & Refocus-

Again, nothing real exciting...just trying to minimize the ADD/scatter-brained way I normally approach tasks around the house (and life in general). Also trying to be more intentional about my time management ("work" vs family time). Making more of an effort to stick to designated "work time" (during naps or after the kids are all in bed at night) for graphic design jobs & photo editing. Sounds silly, but I'm trying to get more disciplined about finishing a task/project before moving on to something else. I'm HORRIBLE about this! (Not sure if it's because I'm constantly getting interrupted by 1 of my 4 children, or if I'm just easily overwhelmed/distracted by my seemingly endless "to-do" list?). I'm just now really starting to get my photography business off the ground (www.organicshoots.com) so I feel I'm gonna need to be better at prioritizing if I'm going to juggle kids, home, photography, graphic design, etc.. and keep my sanity.

Also trying to be more intentional about my time with the kids and hoping to have more "dates" with each of them individually. The weather's been colder & rainy more often these days so the kids & I have spent more time at the library. They love that! I still prefer a park or playing outdoors if it's nice weather :)

(5) Just Keep Running!-

This one's simple: When I run, I'm a happier person! Good or bad, I've become a bit of a "running junkie" and I really depend on the endorphins & stress-relief I get from running. One of these days I'll do a blog post just on running and why I love it so much! (Priorities right?) I signed up for the local race series for 2012 which should be fun! Just thought it would give me another reason to keep with the running!

Joshua started running again too, which I'm super excited about!!! I've been both anxious and slightly terrified to have him out running again since he got diagnosed with Diabetes this Summer. He doesn't enjoy running like I do (okay, that's an understatement! He pretty much abhors running!), but when we get the chance to run together, he says it's at least tolerable and it definitely seems to makes a big impact on his blood sugar levels for 48 hrs following a good run. We managed to run twice together in the past week!

*My personal running goals for this year:

(a) Right now I'm working on my pace (the fastest mile I've done so far was 6:56-not breaking any records but maybe occasionally setting a new PR if I'm lucky!) My half marathon PR is 1:48 and I'd like to break 1:45 on my next half which will be the Bidwell Classic in March.

(b) Last year I signed up for 3 races (2 half marathons & a 10k). This year I'm hoping to do at least 5 or 6. The first race I'm doing that will count towards the race series is a 5k next month (haven't solidified a goal time for this race yet, but probably looking at a 23-24 minute finish time). I was reminded yesterday while I was running that I'm definitely not a sprinter! I always prefer the longer distance runs.

(c) Stick with my strength training workout once a week. This is the hardest part for me, but it makes a huge difference in my running performance! The plyometrics workout I do for leg strength is pretty brutal! LOTS of squats & repeats! I made the mistake of taking a break from these workouts for a couple weeks and when I did plyo again this past week, I was sore for the next 4 days!

(6) Prepare & eat healthier meals-

We've started trying to eat more high protein/low fat breakfasts (Joshua's idea) and it's been good so far. I'm trying to keep a better variety of chicken, red meat, fish, soups & salads on our dinner menu for each week (we were eating significantly more red meat and heavier meals).

(7) Think globally (& be open to change & taking risks)-

This one's sort of random, er...undefined I guess. It's a "mishmash" of things floating around in my mind lately. But, I'd really like to make an effort to be more mindful of global issues and find ways to help educate/expose the kids to these issues. I think it's good for all of us to be more aware of the "larger picture" and less focussed on ourselves. I'm not sure yet how I'm going to accomplish this for myself or for our kids, but I'm processing, planning &

setting goals :)

That's all for now. Gonna go enjoy some sunshine with the family!

Have a wonderful day and if you have thoughts or suggestions on any of these topics or want to share some of your current goals, resolutions or dreams, I'd love to hear them!

Christmas, Simplicity & Countering Consumerism

About 2 weeks ago, some older friends of ours gave us a Nativity set they'd had for many years and were getting rid of. They thought perhaps our kids would like to set it up in one of their rooms or play with it at Christmastime. As soon as Joshua brought it home, 4 yr old Lucy excitedly whisked it away to her room to set it up. A few hours later, I rescued the various pieces of the Nativity set which were now strewn about on Lucy's bed. Without too much thought, I set the Nativity up in the middle of our dining room table and no doubt, hurried on about my day.

I'm curious....when you hear the word "Christmas", what are the thoughts & images that immediately come to mind? If you can honestly say that Jesus, Bethlehem, HOPE, Peace, LOVE & Joy are the first things popping in your head, well...you're a better person than I. If I'm honest, when I think of Christmas, a flurry of red & green images clutter my thoughts (things like wrapping paper, bows, shopping, cookies, Santa, reindeer, snow, egg nog, hustle & bustle, mistletoe, stress, stockings and ornaments immediately come to mind).

About 4 years ago I saw "The Nativity Story" for the first time. If you haven't yet seen this beautiful movie, I really hope that you will! I'm generally not a very emotional person who cries easily at movies (with the exception of Toy Story 3- that movie gets me every time!). The Hallmark/Kay Jewelers commercials don't work on me. I've heard & read the story of Jesus' birth more times than I can count, but watching this movie changed something in me. I sat stunned....as though I'd just received HUGE news and I didn't know what to do with it! As I began processing this all in the days, weeks, years that have followed....it's become very clear to me that I have a real problem. (I'm calling it my "Christmas conundrum"). My issue is this: I simply cannot reconcile the beautiful & humble birth of Jesus that I read in Matthew 1:18-25 with the chaos, excess, road rage, consumerism & self-interest that I observe all around me this time of year.

Last year, in the midst of the wrapping & unwrapping of presents and the hustle & bustle (and stress) of the Christmas season, I realized that something absolutely needed to change! It seems to me that each year it gets worse. Listen to the conversations people are having in the checkout line at Safeway. What are they talking about? The long list of things they still have to do and how crazy the traffic & stores are with all the Christmas shoppers. They're talking about how stressed they are and how happy they'll be when Christmas is over. People are stealing parking spots and shouting angrily out their car windows at strangers. Heck, some people are even getting trampled in Wal Mart on Black Friday (which has now trickled into Thanksgiving night. Don't get me started on what I think about that!) So, I sat there under all the Christmas chaos & I looked at the excess that had hit my living room once again last Christmas morning and I felt disgusted. I thought about how terribly far we've wandered from the quaint scene in the Bethlehem stable and I felt completely ashamed! And, I felt compelled to actually DO something to change this. I don't want to be the person who gripes about how hectic the holidays are but never actually DOES anything to affect change.

What now? Joshua & I committed to try our best to simplify and to change the way we celebrate Christmas as a family. As a parent, I recognize that my attitude very much affects the way my children perceive & experience things. Change has to begin with me. I wish I could say that we've got it all figured out, but we don't. Not by a long shot. This Christmas season still included at least one trip to Wal Mart to buy Legos & Play doh sets. Admittedly...we're still working on ways to combat consumerism. We did make several dozen bees wax candles & goodies to give as gifts instead of buying all our presents this year and I'm determined to keep our Christmas stress-free. The Christmas season has been (mostly) lovely so far.

I've come to really appreciate the second-hand Nativity set our friends gave us. It's old. It's scuffed up & slightly dusty. It's missing a couple of fairly key figures. It's not modern. It's not chic. It's not hipster or cool. It's unassuming. Unpretentious. It's humble and I love it! It's sitting there in the middle of our table, passively reminding me that I committed to celebrate Christmas with simplicity. It reminds me that Christ did not come to earth with flashing lights or fanfare. He didn't force himself upon the planet in a way that was obtrusive or harsh. He chose to come in the form of a tiny, newborn baby on a quiet night in a small town full of commoners and unimportant people. My hope is that the magic of Bethlehem moves us in ways that affect not only how we choose to celebrate Christmas, but that we might live our ordinary days in an extraordinary manner!

~May we all find meaningful simplicity in our Christmas celebrations!~

Catching Up

Obviously, blogging hasn't been top on my list of priorities lately. I think it goes without saying that 2010 was a very busy year and the past few months have not allowed much time for "luxuries" like blogging. :)

The last months of 2010 were a flurry of shuttling kids to & from school every day. Ethan's doing good in 2nd grade and especially enjoys socializing & playing sports at recess. He's made new friends this year in class and still has some of his good buddies from Kindergarten & 1st grade too. He got a great report card at our first trimester parent conference. Very proud of him!

I've missed being able to help in Ethan's class every week like I've done the past 2 years. I was able to help for some "special events" like their jog-a-thon, class Halloween party and the Mexican fiesta they had before Christmas.

(Ethan ran 18 laps-approx 2.5 miles)

(all red in the face after the jog-a-thon)

Karis is flying through kindergarten, soaking up every minute of it and learning soo much so fast! She has actually surprised me a bit by what a "social butterfly" she's become. She was picked as "student of the week" for her school in the beginning of December (chosen for her enthusiasm) which included getting her picture in the Paradise Post newspaper. She was very excited about this! She also lost her first 2 teeth recently. Can't believe how much she's grown & changed since this summer!

(Karis on Scarecrow day w/ friend Kristopher)

(Karis the evening she lost her 1st tooth)

Lucy turns 4 this weekend and has more spunk & personality than her tiny body can contain. She doesn't just walk to get somewhere, but bounces pretty much everywhere she goes! She says some of the most hilarious things with awesome facial expressions to boot. Her most recent obsession is watching "Eloise" on Netflix (rawther amusing since she reminds me of Eloise). She also still really enjoys teacher Lori's tiny-tots class on Tues & Thurs mornings. Aside from all that, Lucy loves to "mommy" her baby sister. Elah seems pretty amused by this (most of the time) but I'm less impressed when it involves Lucy trying to pick Elah up.

(Lucy and her "loved-to-pieces" little Hippo)

(sister love)

And that brings me to Elah, who just turned 9 months. What can I say about this little one? She's full of smiles and plenty of trouble too. Definitely the most social of our kids at 9 mos. She's not quite crawling yet but scoots and rolls where she wants to go when she's on the floor. She has 2 bottom teeth and still eats mostly mashed or pureed foods. Last month she went through a phase of what seemed to be separation anxiety when I couldn't even leave the room without her freaking out. Not saying words yet, but when she's wanting mom she calls for "Hmm" (kinda cute). She normally goes to bed around 8-8:30pm and wakes up around 3-3:3ish and then again maybe 5:30ish. Normally, she'll wake up around 7:30 am or I wake her up around 7:45 when I take Ethan and Karis to school.

As usual, I have a list of other things I really need to catch up on before tomorrow (Lucy's birthday) so I'll have to finish the rest of this post another time. No guarantees...it may be June by the time I get back to blogging :)

***funny detail...I just realized the date on this post is January 10 (the date I actually started working on this) and today is actually February 18th!***

Just For Fun...

A few recent photos of the kids:

(Karis & Ethan at their school ice cream social)

Our First Stitches

Last Wednesday evening Lucy pulled the girls' armoire over on top of herself. I was in the kitchen finishing dinner when I heard a loud crash in the back of the house followed by Lucy's muffled cry. I looked down the hallway to see the armoire flat on the floor! I quickly ran to their room and pulled the armoire off of her at which point (I freely admit) I freaked out as I looked down to see her forehead covered in blood. There was a big gash above her right eye but I couldn't tell if that was the only place she was bleeding from. I told Joshua I thought he needed to call 911 which he did. The fire department got here within a few minutes and by that time the bleeding from her head was mostly stopped. They looked her over, asked us a few questions and decided that she'd probably need stitches but we were ok to drive her to the ER ourselves.

I stayed home with the other 3 kids while Joshua took Lucy. She ended up getting 5 stitches and was very brave about the whole thing. She was able to get the stitches removed on Monday and it looks like it's healing up just fine. I guess we were pretty fortunate to have dodged that bullet for so long and I'm pretty sure those won't be the last stitches in our house.

(in the ER with Dad waiting for her stitches)

Back To School

This morning Ethan and Karis started a new school year. Ethan is in 2nd grade and Karis in kindergarten. Yes, kindergarten! I'm really excited about the class Karis got in. She has several of her tiny tots friends in there and I can already tell that Mrs. Levin knows how to make kindergaten tons of fun!

Ethan has several friends from first grade in his class and a couple from kindergarten also. He has 2 teachers who will co-teach the class. I hear they're excellent too!

As I type, Karis is sitting next to me already working on her first set of "flash cards" (talk about self motivation-I have a feeling homework won't be an issue for her).

(Karis sitting next to friend Brycen from tiny tots class)

(Ethan at his desk next to friend Dominic from kindergarten)