"The days are long, but the years are short."

It's hard for me to believe, but it's been 5 trips around the sun with our baby girl. She is no longer a toddler or even a preschooler. Yes, she's beautiful and smart, and she has some major anxiety, but she is so much more to us. I cannot wait to see who she will be.

Here is a little slideshow I made of her first 5 years. I made one for her first year as well. Making the video, it was even more evident that time flies quickly. "The days are long, but the years are short."

Book Club

My book club lasted about a year and a half. It was really a lot of fun, and I kinda miss it. Everyone just got busy, and it ended up just 2 people each month for a few months. Boo!

I was browing through Books a Million the other day and noticed they have book clubs that meet once a month. I think might have to ask for more details next time I'm there.

In other reading news, I figured out how to borrow library books on my Nook. This is so awesome. No, they do not have every title, but they do have some available. Free always makes me smile.

Running Playlist

After reading a Facebook status update that referred to a fear of pulling out the iPod cord at the gym for everyone to hear she's working out to 'Billie Jean', I thought of my list. Playlists are funny things. I just use shuffle, so this isn't the order.

Suddenly I See KT Tunstall
Harder to Breathe Maroon 5
Club Can't Handle Me Flo Rida ft. David Guetta
Train In Vain The Clash
Nothin' Better to Do LeAnn Rimes
Dynamite Taio Cruz
Footloose Kenny Loggins
Catch My Disease Ben Lee
Pump It Up Elvis Costello
Another One Bites... Queen
Runnin' Down a Dream Tom Petty
Like a G6 Dev
DJ Got Us Fallin... Usher
Only Girl Rihanna
Bulletproof La Roux
King of Anything Sara Bareilles
Here It Goes Again Ok Go
SOS Rihanna
Cooler Than Me Mike Posner & The Brain Trust
Nine In the Afternoon Panic At the Disco
Rock That Body Black Eyed Peas
Forget You Cee Lo Green
Yeah 3X Chris Brown
Gives You Hell The All-American Rejects
Born This Way Lady GaGa
Firework Katy Perry
The Lazy Song Bruno Mars
Beautiful Day U2
outta here Esmee Denters
You really got me The Kinks
Hot 'n' Cold Katy Perry
C'Mon C'mon Von Bondies
Down on the Corner Creedence Clearwater Revival
All The Small Things Blink 182
Eye of Tiger The 80's Collection
Let's Get It Started Black Eyed Peas
Semi-Charmed Life Third Eye Blind
Proud Mary Creedence Clearwater Revival
Crazy Bitch Buckcherry
Bleeding Love Leona Lewis
American Girl Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Shake It Metro Station
Fighter Christina Aguilera
Just Dance Lady Gaga Feat. Colby O'Donis
Faith George Michael
Walk This Way Aerosmith
Love Song Sara Bareilles
It's Your Life Francesca Battistelli
Unwritten Natasha Bedingfield
Boom Boom Pow Black Eyed Peas
Poker Face Lady Gaga
Bounce Bon Jovi
how far weve come Matchbox Twenty
Mercy Duffy
More Usher
...Streets Have No Name U2
Grenade (CPR Remix) G.G
Big Girls Don't Cry Power Music Workout
Carry On Wayward Son Kansas
Live Like We're Dying Kris Allen
Losing My Religion R.E.M.
Shiny happy people R.E.M.
Someday Rob Thomas
Start Me Up Rolling Stones
Soak up the Sun Sheryl Crow

I can see the clock!

I had PRK and LASIK eye surgery done 2 weeks ago. Now, most people don't get the opportunity to experience both of these procedures, but I am special - just like my parent's told me when I was little.

I've been wanting LASIK ever since the Air Force paid for Joe to have PRK done 5 years ago. Every time I had to take my contacts out or put them in, I was jealous that he did not have to do that. Not to mention, his vision is 20/12! Spectacular! I was not envious of the pain he experienced. They say everyone is different with PRK. I'm not sure why, but some people do experience pain. Joe's not usually one to complain and seems to have a pretty decent tolerance for pain. I'm always the one whining when I'm sick.

Most people can get LASIK and see beautifully the next day with little to no discomfort. Here comes the part where I'm special. My cornea is too thin on my left eye for LASIK. LASIK leaves a flap, which acts as a bandaid, but if I were to have LASIK on my left eye, I may not have enough cornea left for later. In PRK, they use a contact lens to act as the bandaid instead of a corneal flap.

My eyes are -5.75 on the left and -2.75 on the right. Both eyes are well within the parameters for LASIK, so it didn't have anything to do with my horrible vision.

I was pretty saddened by this news after remembering the pain that Joe experienced with PRK. But, it didn't take long for me to change my mind and go ahead with the surgeries. PRK on the left and LASIK on the right. At least, I'd have one good eye, right?

So, I had my surgeries on the same day. It was weird. It's easy not to blink because they have this piece that keeps your lids open. And, you never see anything coming at you. You just stare at a green light the entire time. I wasn't really prepared for how long it would take though. For some reason, I thought it was just a minute or so, but maybe it was more like 5 min for each eye. That might not seem like much, but it's just weird. The laser gives some kind of burning smell. Definitely not something I had thought about before. The most uncomfortable part was just trying to focus on the green light while he was repositioning the flap. I kept losing the light.

The PRK eye was creepy. They do some sort of scrubbing and while you can't feel anything (They numb your eye), you can tell. Your eyeball is moving all around from it.

I could see better immediately, but the eyes were watering like crazy within in 5 minutes. I couldn't even open my eyes. It never hurt. Maybe just a little burning at times...like chlorine from swimming...but mild. The LASIK eye was fine after a couple of hours. The PRK eye annoyed me for a few days. He gave these dilating drops that lasted an entire week in that left eye. Definitely annoying, but it was supposed to make me more comfortable along with the numbing drops and Tylenol 3. For the first 2 days, I stayed on T3 and numbing drops. The eyelash sensation (feels like there is an eyelash stuck in your eye) stayed for about a week.

Everything gradually gets more clear for the left eye. They say it takes longer the worse your prescription was, so it should take a nice long while. The epithelium has healed, and I just wait. It took a few days before I could drive though because of the sensitivity to light. The right eye, the LASIK eye, was 20/20 pretty quickly. But, it could take 3 months for the PRK to catch up because the prescription was so bad before.

Would I do it again? Definitely would do LASIK again. Very easy! Piece of cake. Ask me in about 3 months for the PRK. Really, it was fine. But, it's weird to have had your vision corrected to 20/20 for so long, and now it's 20/25 and you can't correct it. I just walk around with a little blur until that left eye catches up. I'm right eye dominant anyway, so it compensates a little of the blur from the left. The best part...seeing the clock in the morning and not having to bother with contacts! And, that was the point, right?

The road less traveled...

May 1st was the day of my first marathon. I trained for that day. I chose the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon because it was also where I ran my first half marathon one year earlier. I was mostly ready. My training had gotten me to the 20 miler! I did battle strep throat and then tendonitis, which interrupted my training right when I needed the confidence boost, but I did complete the training. The entire week before, Joe and I scoped out the weather to have an idea of what to expect...and more importantly, the proper running gear to pack. There was a chance of rain, but mostly just showers. And them temperature was forecasted to be decent, upper 50s.

We wake early on Saturday morning to make the drive to Oklahoma City. When we get there, we go straight to the expo. I got my foot taped by the K-Tape people for the tendonitis, and bought my 26.2 sticker for my car. It may have been a little presumptuous of me, but I figured it could be Joe's if I didn't make it the entire way.

After the expo, we drove the course. Now, here is where I really start to get nervous. Abilene is flat, and while the course isn't exceptionally hilly, I am still nervous that not only do I have to go 6.2 miles further, I have to climb these hills.

Later we eat dinner...pasta, of course. Then, we head off to bed around 8pm, and my mind is spinning with all kinds of scenarios...I can do this, You can't do this, You trained for this, Your foot hurts, etc, etc, etc.

We wake up in the morning and the forecast is mostly the same, but it does look like there will definitely be some light rain during a part of the course. I get out my appropriate gear. Short sleeve shirt, shorts, and a throw away jacket. Overall, I'm thinking great weather.

We drive on over to the start of the race...boom, lightening. Are you kidding me? They better not cancel this race. On the walk from the car to the start, it starts pouring. I'm freaking out now because here I am ready to do this, and I really want to do this after all of this training. They delay the start by 30 min. With all of the thunder and lightening, I keep thinking please don't let me get to half or 20 miles and them make us stop. That would be HORRIBLE!

We start. My pace is good. I feel like I'm the only one running the full marathon back there. All the full runners are at the front because they are faster. This is the junk that runs through my head. There are puddles everywhere, and it's still raining. I'm certainly glad for that jacket that I bought for $7 at WalMart to throw away. I won't be throwing it away. I need it. It's cold with the rain.

The wind is blowing hard, 40 mph. We get to the point where the half turns and the full marathoners keep going. The field thins. I still feel like I'm alone out there with the relayers. My pace is still good through the halfway point. Just before that I spot, Danielle Nicole Bell's sign. At OKC, they place banners with the names of the victims of the bombing all along the course. Danielle Nicole Bell was a child that was in the childcare center during the bombing. Obviously, we have a name in common, so I think of her, and how I am lucky to be able to particpate in a marathon.

Just after the halfway point, the sun comes out for all of 15 minutes. I almost even tossed the jacket. I kept thinking the rain was going to stop; the 2nd half will be better. But it never stopped. It rained, it thundered, there was lightening. But we kept going.

I started to lose it. My knee started hurting, it started hailing. It was the last 10K, and it just got hard....REALLY HARD. But, it's not a cardiovascular thing. It's a sheer exhaustion and your joints just start hurting. Oh...and it's cold because of the wind and hail, puddles and rain. I'm really wishing I had worn tights instead of shorts, and a longsleeve shirt, so I could ditch the jacket.

Somehow, the finish line got closer and closer though. I just pushed forward. Then, I see the finish, and pick up my feet faster and faster. I smiled the entire last stretch. I heard the announcer call my name and I put my hands up. Joe heard him say my name, and came right up.

I get my t-shirt and medal, and checked bag and start to shiver violently. We made it back to the car. I'm pretty sure I would have experienced hypothermia if we were out there for too much longer.

There are no great pictures because the weather just didn't allow. It makes me a little sad, I admit it. You talk to people about what they remember most, and it's that finish line moment. The post race adrenaline and pure happiness. I was happy. But, I must run another...because that was not what I trained for. I will likely never find a marathon that I am completely prepared for though.

Joe finished 2 hours in front of me, and said the worst part was waiting for me. He finished before the worst of the weather and hail, which, of course, makes for an entirely different experience.

Statistics say that .1% of the population has completed a marathon. But, that changes every year, and I some say that 1-2% will complete a marathon in their lifetime. I wonder how many have run a marathon in hail. Joe hasn't. But I can say that I have. I am hardcore even if it did take me 5:19 to get to the finish.

Taper Madness

If there are some that don't already know, the OKC Memorial Marathon is less than a week away. What usually ensues about this time is taper madness. It truly is a symptom of tapering or reducing your mileage before a big race. Runners are used to running 20+ miles a week or much more depending on the length of race you are training for, but that number is cut considerably during the last couple of weeks in order to let their legs rest. While the legs are resting, the mind is going crazy...literally.

Joe has been checking the weather 10 times a day. He is checking quite a few sites including some local OKC news weather stations. I won't go into detail about the extent that he is obsessing, but it's boderline OCD.

I, on the other hand, came up with an injury just before taper time. Posterior tibial tendonitis. It really was hurting and messing with my walking gait. I was limping around everywhere a week ago. I started some anti-inflammatories, ice, rest, K-tape, and arch supports. It's getting better. But, I still limp around sometimes, which is how I know I'm going mad. It's not hurt anymore, so why am I limping around? I just can't help it. Subconciously I'm trying to protect that foot. Now, that I realize how mad I am, I'm starting to wonder if it ever was a real injury.

Here is a funny article that a friend sent me about Taper Madness. It's old, but definitely hilarious. And, I apologize to all of my friends, who are so tired of me talking about this race. It will stop at some point. I have great friends because none of you have complained yet.

http://blog.runnerslounge.com/2008/09/symptoms-and-tr.html

Books and Movies

Water for Elephants, the movie, comes out this week! I'm really excited to see it. I know that the movies are usually not as good as the books, but I still love to see my favorite books on the screen. The Kite Runner turned into a fantastic movie. I couldn't find one spot where they veered from the story, and it wasn't corny either. It's been awhile, but I remember enjoying the movie Lovely Bones as well.

They are also making Hunger Games into a motion picture as well. Now, this is VERY exciting. I never thought I would enjoy the Hunger Games series, but it was one of the best stories I've read in awhile. It's target audience is for a younger crowd, and I don't think that means 31-year-old moms, but I thoroughly enjoyed all three of them. As a matter of fact, I was pretty sad when I had finished the series. You know it's a good book when you miss the characters.

Everyone knows the Alice in Wonderland story, which is also obviously a movie. Right now, my book club is reading Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin. I'm only about 50pages in, but I like what I've read so far.

Here's a little blurb from the author's site http://melaniebenjamin.com/alice-i-have-been.php
"A love story and a literary mystery, Alice I Have Been brilliantly blends fact and fiction to capture the passionate spirit of a woman who was truly worthy of her fictional alter ego, in a world as captivating as the Wonderland only she could inspire"

I may just have to reread Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland next. Especially since Elle's dance studio is performing it on stage next month. Let's hope Elle hangs in there long enough to make it to the performance. She is really protesting dance class lately, but always has a blast once she's in there. I'm actually to the point of pushing her in the door and running out before she can catch me.

Long time, no blog

It's been awhile... Let's see...Joe and I celebrated our 9th anniversary. We marked the midweek occassion with a trip to Perini's. I love their chocolate cake! Elle wanted us to get married again, so mommy could be a queen again. She waited for March 16th since the beginning of the month when she saw it marked on the calendar. It came and went, and she did not ask me to be a queen...thank goodness! That weekend we went to Longview. Joe and I ran in the Longview Half Marathon. It was hot with rolling hills, but we survived. It marked my 5th half! And, all five were done within one calendar year, which is pretty exciting to me. Not much else to report. We've been busy on the weekends with birthday parties. There have been a lot lately, and we're booked up through the middle of the month.

Keira's 3!

Keira's 3rd birthday was February 7. I'm a little late. My sweet little Keira was such a surprise when we found out we were expecting her. She's only 18mos younger than her big sister, and we certainly didn't plan it that way. I won't lie and say I wasn't nervous. I was terrified of having two little ones so close together. I think anyone that had Elle as their first child would be at least a little nervous. We never doubted that Keira was a blessing, but she eased my mind so quickly. She was a very laid back and easy baby. She would sit in her carseat carrier during an entire playdate for her sister. At home, she would sit in her bouncy seat and just be content. Let's just say that her sister was nothing like that.

Then, Keira got older...

She is still very sweet, but this little one is demanding, and she's not afraid to let you know. Sassy! She loves dress-up. Just this morning she woke me up dressed up as Cinderella with her dress, crown, purse, heels and necklace on. She often sleeps in her dress-up clothes, too.

Keira is also a little piggy. Tonight she ate two servings of lasagna, then got a treat for finishing her dinner. Not even 20 min later, she was asking daddy for a granola bar. Yesterday, we took the girls to Pizza Inn and she had 2 pieces of pizza, 2 servings of spaghetti, 2 breadsticks, a piece of dessert pizza, and cucumbers. Mommy, Daddy, and Elle had been done for 15 min before we finally said take the breadsticks to the car with you. Out we went with Keira double fisting her food out the door.

The little thing talks so much that I often find myself asking if she can just be quiet for 10 seconds. She is starting to recognize a ton of sight words. I would say she probably knows 30-50 words. She knows all the sounds of the letters and can do simple (very simple) counting. Smart...just like her big sister. They both amaze me in this. They take after their Daddy.

All Keira ever wants to do is play games with daddy. She makes him play 'dollies' (magnetic dress-up dolls) at least once a day and usually a memory game or two. Hungry, Hungry Hippos is another favorite. She never leaves Daddy alone though.

Gymnastics started a few weeks ago. Keira loves it. When she 'flies', she shouts, "...look at me!" 'Flying' is using the swing thing-a-ma-jig that goes around your waist. She's a fan of 'rolls', too.

I am told that she took a little longer to warm up at school, but we've gotten some stories lately about her. Recently, she ordered the teachers to 'Wait!' before the prayer because wasn't done rubbing her hands together with the hand sanitzier. Her favorite part of school is music class, which she calls dance class, and chapel. And, she loves Mrs. Clark. This is great because Mrs. Clark is one of our super, awesome babysitters.

Little miss KeKay, our KeiraBoo, is such a doll. She can pout and cry Crocodile tears with the best of them, fart on demand, and has the most delightful belly laugh. We can't help but love her to pieces.

And, they're off...Aramco Houston Half and Chevron Houston Marathon

From Danielle: 13.1 miles 2:18. Finished in top 33% of women ages 30-34. I was happy with my performance. Usually I start breaking down around mile 10 or 11, but I was able to hold my pace the entire time. While it wasn't a PR, it really was the smartest race that I've run. And, it was just 3 min off from my PR. I felt much better in this race, too. I'm sure you've all already heard about the humidity and rain. The spectators were fabulous though as was the organization of the race. You definitely missed something if you wore headphones for this one. I'm looking forward to maybe running Houston again next year. They really did a fabulous job of making all of the runners feel like superstars. I don't know how all of the volunteers were able to keep up their enthusiasm for hours like that. Even through the post-race breakfast line, they were congratulating and cheering for us.

The only thing that was frustrating was the start. Even with the two starting times, it was congested in the beginning, enough to slow me down for more than I would have wanted. Actually, even the end was pretty bad for me. I was trying to sprint in to the finish and was having to dodge people to the finish line. But, I don't know really what they could do about that. I guess I just need to run faster, so I can be where it's more thinned out. Ha!

I made some friends along the way, too. Joe likes to make fun of me, but I tend to chat with my fellow runners along the course. I tried to run while drinking the water and gatorade, and I think it was the right decision. I did walk through the stops where I took my Gu though, which was twice.

It was so great to meet April, one of super fast Joe's running friends. Aside from finishing the race without much of an annoyance from the hip, my favorite part was watching April & Joe finish the marathon. April got 3:16 for the 26.2 miles, which is insanely fast to me.

Next year, I'm not letting Joe pick up our packets at the Expo though. I apparently missed a lot of fun and free stuff.

To give you an idea of the spectator support, here's a fun article about a runner whose friends surprised him and every runner with a message at each mile. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/run/7420702.html
My favorites were:
Mile 6 - You're not slow. You're enjoying the course.
Mile 7 - Relax. You're not going to win.
Mile 9 - 26.2, because 26.3 would be crazy.

From Joe: I'm posting Joe's race report because it is so thorough and there's no way I could ever beat his report.

Weather predictions were all doom and gloom the night before, but the thunder and lightning stayed away on race day. It rained off and on the entire race, soaking us to the bone, but at least we had a race. The bad part was the unseasonable warmth. The temps were in the mid-60s the whole time, with about 90% humidity. I decided I better start slower; I even told Mark last night I would run 7:40s and 7:50s in the first half because of the heat. I guess I lied. Miraculously, we bumped into April before the race among the 20,000 participants and made our way to the starting line. The mile splits below are from Garmin.

Miles 1-5: 8:02, 7:34, 7:36, 7:42, 7:42. The gun went off and April and I started together. I ran with her for about 3 steps and she was gone, picking her way through the crowd. The first mile was really clogged up. I noticed about an 8:30 pace about halfway into that first mile, but didn’t panic, and used it as a nice warmup. Obviously it opened up a bit after that because I was in the 7:30s pretty quick. 5K was 24:04. I focused on shortening my stride to keep the pace slower but I felt really great.

Miles 6-10: 7:33, 7:30, 7:39, 7:37, 7:36. Whoops. I started running by feel. It felt so very easy, so I threw the conservative plan out the window and listened to my body. That probably would’ve worked if it was 20 degrees cooler, but not today. 10K was 47:55. I saw my dad around mile 8, which was awesome. The crowd support was unreal – people lining the streets in the rain all 26 miles.

Miles 11-15: 7:28, 7:35, 7:35, 7:38, 7:40. Still feeling ridiculously great. My plan was to hang around 3:20 pace just in case, and I was still right on it. In mile 13, I ran right by my childhood best friend’s house and saw his mom out there – pretty cool. I went through the half in 1:40:22 (nearly a PR) but was still breathing really easy and didn’t feel a big toll on my legs yet.

Miles 16-20: 7:37, 7:36, 7:50, 7:35, 7:49. Ok, doubts started to creep in mile 18. 30K was still a great split, 2:22:51 (7:40 average so far). I slowed down as the legs were starting to burn a bit in 18. Then I inexplicably sped up in mile 19, feeling strong again – maybe I shouldn’t have done that. By mile 20, I was giving more effort but the pace was starting to bleed out for good.

Miles 21-26.2: 7:55, 8:04, 8:19, 8:39, 8:58, 8:43, 2:27 (0.33 miles on garmin). Cue death march. Looking at the splits now, I thought it would be worse (wasn’t looking at my watch much at this point, but every time I did I thought I saw 9-something). I saw my dad, brother and his fiancée at mile 23 (brother lives in an apartment right on the course). I faked a smile for them, and then went back to pathetically staring at the cement 3 feet in front of me. My lovely wife had finished her half marathon and was there cheering for me with about a tenth of a mile to go! I saw the clock, and put on a furious sprint (8:00 pace was a sprint) and officially beat 3:26 by a second to get a 3:25:59! I think the bonk should be mostly attributed to going too fast in the early miles on a hot, muggy day. Still, it wasn’t an aerobic wall – I actually caught my breath a little but just could not will myself to pick up the pace. So, I gotta think part of it was also mental, but maybe part fueling? I had a total of 5 gu and took Gatorade pretty much every stop. Weird to think that wasn’t enough, but my stomach felt fine and I could probably tolerate more; I really think I was burning fats at the end, but I’m not experienced enough to know for sure. A real learning experience, but I’m still really, really happy with the time given the conditions.

Some stats from runpix – I finished top 6% overall, top 8% of men and top 12% of my age group. That also feels pretty good, because it lets me know everyone struggled as well. First half was 1:40:22 (7:39 pace), second half was 1:45:37 (8:03 pace). My first 20 miles was 2:32:54 (7:39 pace). Last 10K was 53:05 (8:32 pace). So there it is.

Off to the races...

We headed out the Wednesday before the races and went through Austin, so Joe could check out Baby Carter. Baby Carter and Joe were instant friends. Seriously, he was laughing for him and everything. I admit I was jealous, but I did get to hold him a ton. He loved sleeping on me. And, I'm pretty sure I helped spoil him because I hear Baby Carter cried unless the daycare provider was holding him on his first day in daycare. Whoops!

On Thursday, after a stop to see Joe's grandparents, we headed out to Houston. We even stopped in Giddings along the way because Joe's aunt owns Loebau Candle Co, and I was ready to do some sniffing. Cinnamon Vanilla is my absolute favorite, but she makes plenty of creative scents with very fun names, like Homewrecker. There are so many funny ones, but I can't remember the exact names and don't want to mess it up.

We did the Houston Zoo with the girls on Friday. They enjoyed the lake in front of the zoo. I, on the other hand, was terribly freaked out that they could fall in. You laugh, but I have gotten a call while at Hobby Lobby that Elle had fallen in a lake in Abilene. I won't mention who was with her.

Saturday came and it was time to leave the girls with Baba and Grandpa Tom. Neither of them even shed a tear! Woohoo! We checked into our hotel, which was so close to the starting line. Then, we got ready for dinner with April. April is a running friend of Joe's, and she's super fast. I think I got a second faster just from eating dinner between the two of them. We ate at Carrabba's - the original one in Houston. Carrabba's is our absolute favorite place to eat, and the one on Kirby in Houston is the best one ever. They don't have one in Abilene, so we try and go every chance we get.

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and went to bed at 8:30p to rest up before the race.

To be continued...

He's Home!

After 6 months (plus a couple of weeks-sorry, I have to mention that over and over), we welcomed our guy home. He's a lucky guy to be welcomed home by 3 girls. A few of my friends came out to help with the picture taking, so we have these to share with you.

Keira is so funny. All she wanted to do was eat with Daddy at the airport. Thankfully, we got out of there without having to fulfill that request.

He came home on Tuesday afternoon and we just lay low the rest of the day. On Wednesday morning, the girls went to school. Yes, I still headed to my PumpIt class on base. Homecoming is no excuse to get fat - especially when I knew I was going to Brick Oven Pizza afterwards for my lunch date. It felt so great to have lunch with Joe - just the two of us. I didn't put both girls in school until after Joe left, so this is new for us to have alone time like this. It was wonderful.

After we picked up the girls, we got Elle all suited up for a run with Daddy. Joe tried to take her the short way, but she insisted on the long route. It ended up only being about .6 mi, but she ran the whole thing. She has been waiting for that run for awhile now. Elle wanted to go "rocket fast" with Daddy in her new running shoes.

Last Saturday

What the last Saturday night looks like...

Great time with a family friend for dinner. Now, the girls are in their rooms. Fire going, Scentsy on, a glass of wine, and a movie. Maybe hottub later. You'd think I wouldn't want it to end, but I am so ready for next week.

Brrr...

I have been taking some time off from running in order to avoid injuring my hip worse than it already is. I tried running on Monday and had to stop at a little over 2 miles. But, tomorrow I really need to try to get in a long run. Problem is that the weather forecast says brrrr.... Wind chills in the 20s and 30s and winds 13-16mph. I'm actually a little anxious about this, but I won't get a chance for another long run until mid week next week. I guess I'll start and see how far I get. I complain about the heat. Then, I complain about the cold. Maybe I'll just remember trying to run in the summer, and that will help me appreciate the cold wind a little more. Brrrrr....

Hot Question

I went to the doctor for my hip pain. It was getting to the point where it was stopping me from running. I had run out of anti-inflammatory. Anyway, diagnosis is hip bursitis. Yea! He did give an x-ray to rule out arthritis. Thank goodness I don't have that. Anyway, just an overuse issue. Problem is that the Houston half-marathon is on the 30th. It'll be fine, but no one likes pesky injuries showing up right at the end of training. And, just OTC Aleve. Boo!

Reading: Just finished I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali and Delphine Minoui. Really a great story about a young girl in Yemen, who was "forced to marry a man three times her age." It's very short and an easy read.

And, to answer the hot question...no, we still don't know when Joe will be home.

And January is here...

Finally, it's January! January means we are nearing the end of Joe's deployment. A military family is a ball of nerves before a homecoming. Elle knows it's January, too, and so she asks (along with all other friends and family), "When will he be home?" The problem is that we still do not know the answer.

Today, January 4th, marks his 6 months. They made it pretty easy for me to remember the date when they deployed him on July 4th. Halfway through, we noticed that his orders say something about 6 months plus training the new guy. So...we are still waiting with no return date. This is just torture.

On the bright side, he still should be home this month and that's something to celebrate!