Approaching the Finish Line of 2010

It is hard to believe we are at the end of 2010...... it has been a good year, full of change. i am so thankful for the year i have had. i passed a couple of math classes(miracle in itself)........ met some amazing friends,lost my dear granny, moved out of the house i raised my boys in, ran in several races, joined a group of amazing runners http://www.runnersinaction.com/. moved into a new work space http://www.phfs.org/. trained for 5 months and ran a half marathon at the OuterBanks, it was one of the best weekends of my life, some of the people that mean the most to me shared my moment , i couldn't have been happier or more proud to have them with me.

As i am crossing the finish line of 2010 and looking to the start line of 2011, i am reminded of the blessings and the gifts God has given me. i want to remember to run my race.

"i run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free" Ps.119:32

......"let us run the race with perserverance the race marked out for us...."Heb.12:1

your race might be... a slow jog, a waddle, a sprint or a crawl........ finish it laffing!

Gifts

Today when i was driving to see Clients, i was thinking about Christmas and the gifts i would be purchasing for my loved ones and then i started thinking about how every day people give me gifts. These are some of the gifts i receive, i might not get them ALL EVERYDAY but throughout the day i do receive some........

• Words of kindness


• a smile


• a hug


• encouragement


• a pat on the back


• consideration


• a wink


• a listening ear


• time


• gratitude

As i think about gift giving i am going to work on things that don't cost me anything first.....i might just need to be more in tune with those around me, looking for those who might need a free gift!

just remember ........ keep laughing!

Happy Birthday Jamie!

Top 22 for Jamie's 22nd

Birthday

1. 
   
   
   He is Loyal



2. 
   
   
   He loves God



3. 
   
   
   He is a HUGE fan of all Michigan sports



4. 
   
   
   He qoutes movie lines all the time



5. 
   
   
   He once sang a solo as "Melvin"



6. 
   
   
   He can be a tad "dingy" $72 profit



7. 
   
   
   He is a hard worker, yet hates manuel labor



8. 
   
   
   His friends call him mom or dad because he parents everyone



9. 
   
   
   He likes nice clothes and a little OCD about them



10. 
    
    
    He panics at the thought of being far from his phone..



11. 
    
    
    He doesn't like chocolate



12. 
    
    
    He took spanish 2 years in a row and failed both years



13. 
    
    
    He eats, talks and walks in his sleep



14. 
    
    
    His favorite book is, Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller



15. 
    
    
    He worked at Putt-Putt for 5 years



16. 
    
    
    He once threw up at the doctors office because he had to get a shot..... He was a freshmen in college



17. 
    
    
    He is a natural salesman.. he was a Real Estate agent at age 18



18. 
    
    
    He would love to travel all over America in an RV with his brother (they have actually priced RV's)



19. 
    
    
    He once dressed as the Easter Bunny and waved at people on the side of the road.. it was a payed gig!



20. 
    
    
    His brother calls him "the mayor" because he knows everyone and has never met a stranger



21. 
    
    
    He calls his mom everyday... somedays more than once..



22. 
    
    
    He is one of the sweetest guys... and i am very proud of him!!!!love you Jamie!

Change

well, it has been awhile since my last post, i have had a good summer... can you believe a new school year is right around the corner?? CRAZY!!

This summer was busy, i made a couple of trips to Kentucky, a trip to Michigan (spent time with a friend from middle school, her husband and 2 boys in the northern michigan). My Grandma "Granny" passed away this summer, she was a funny, sweet, and caring lady! she celebrated her 90th birthday on June 10th and she passed away on June 27th.

Granny was someone that made me laugh, i have many memories of her, one of my favorites is when Granny, my mom and i took a road trip to michigan a couple of years ago.... she was game for anything she was funny and she didn't even know she was funny. i loved to ask her questions about her life growing up and how she met my grandpa . One thing i loved about my Granny was she had a deep faith, i know she prayed for me. She also, ironed EVERYTHING!!!! her sheets, her P.J's, her jeans everything... She will be missed!!

Change......for the past 5 years i have worked at The Family Alliance, i love my job it is rewarding and challenging. On July 1st our agency merged with another great agency in our community The Presbyterian Home and Family Services (http://www.phfs.org/) we are moving onto the campus of PHFS on Tuesday!! what a huge task, it is good,exciting and a bit nerve wracking!!The campus is BEAUTIFUL!!!

Change...... Jamie and Andrew moved into a house with a couple of their friends, it is a great move and i know they will have a lot of good memories. Andrew is working for a Steel company and he has been traveling, he is gone monday through thursday... he has been learning alot!! i am so thankful for who my boys have become, they are kind, compassionate, funny, hardworking, and loving!! they make me very proud.

Change..... i have been running a lot lately! last saturday my long run was 9 miles! yeah right!! no, really!! i have learned that like life, running takes alot of dedication, patience and persistence. i am training to run a half marathon (13.1 miles) in november. i am soo excited about this, i can't wait..... that is a big change in my life. i have never wanted to run 13.1 miles... now that is what i have my sight set on!!!

Change is inevitable it is all around us, sometimes change is good, hard or sad. The one thing that will never is change is God's love for us.

livelaffing!!!!

Happy Mother's Day

Kathryn is an amazing Woman, she is God loving, kind, thoughtful, encouraging,hard working, intelligent, beautiful, she puts others first and she is my mom. She has taught me so much in my 42 years of life, but one thing she didn't teach me was how to drive a stick shift and how to make jello, she doesn't do either one of those very well, have you ever met someone who could not make jello? well, let me introduce you to my mom!!

a few years ago(almost 10) i bought a book for her to write her story about herself with one stipulation, when she was done i got it back! well, she did it, and it is a book i treasure, it is my mom's life story.

as i read my mom's life story there was a reoccurring theme that i read over and over, and that was God is faithful, and that has been so evident in my mom's life. She is the most encouraging person i have ever known, her faith is HUGE!! if i need someone to pray for me, the first person i call is my mom, i know she prays for me and my boys everyday.

one of the things my mom wrote in the book was, " I would like to leave a legacy that people would remember that i had a strong faith and that i treated others well, and that i was an encouragement to others and lived a life that was pleasing to the Lord, that i lived what i believed and i wasn't hypocritical or judgemental toward others." She is definitely leaving that legacy!! i have often told people my mom is my biggest cheerleader, i am so thankful for her!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

ONE YEAR!!!!!

I love roller coasters all of the twists turns, down hills and the jerky movement uphill and then the upside down.....WEEEEEEE!!! since April 09 i have been on a roller coaster that doesn't stop, it all started in March 09, i didn't feel comfortable in my own skin and i knew i had to do something. The something for me was join ...

this week marks the one year anniversary of the roller coaster ride, and it isn't over yet! i have lost 46 pounds and have about 30 to get to my goal. I have learned a lot in the past year about myself, others and weight loss. i have learned i can do this thing that has always been hanging over my head, ya know i have never been a "little girl" so losing weight is something that has always been nagging me. it has been great to be able to follow a plan and see results, sometimes very slow, but results nonetheless.

The exercise part of weight loss has been the easiest part for me, because i like to be active, and i have an incredibly faithful exercising partner. Lori and i have known each other for about 15 years, she was a freshmen in college when i met her. We have stayed in touch through the years. she is now married and has 2 adorable boys. Lori and started talking about getting together to exercise and decided the only time that would work for both of us was at 5:45am. We have been exercising together about 3-4 times a week in the wee hours of the day. i am so thankful for Lori, she is funny, kind, thoughtful and is always willing to do the crazy routes that i think up, whether it is flats, hills, intravals, or circuits she is always willing and just laughs her way through it all. One thing that i love about Lori is when she is not really enjoying herself and thinks i am not enjoying myself, she starts talking about food, not like fruits and veggies, i mean like mac and cheese, desserts and stuff. Thank you Lori for the many miles we have shared together!!

My boys don't particularly like to ride roller coasters sitting next to me, because most people yell on them, well, i laugh from the time the thing starts until the ride ends. i can't help it, i just laugh.enjoy your roller coaster ride and remember to live laffing!!

Spring has sprung!!

Virginia is beautiful all the time, but especially in the spring. i was beginning to think we would never see this season again. i think i have become spoiled with Virginia weather..... i am a Michigander, but i have realized i don't care for cold weather!!

This past weekend my sister and i went to visit my mom. we had such a great time together. we shopped, ate, cried, and laughed. my mom gave my sister and i each a photo album with pictures from when we were young. it was a lot of fun to look at those pictures and talk about the memories. it is funny how a picture can take you back in so many ways. when i was growing up we lived next door to an older couple, Mr and Mrs Frank.,they were from Germany, i used to love to go to their house and listen to their stories, they had the best accent! they had a big impact on my life, it was my first introduction to people who were different from me and my family. i am so thankful God put them in my life at such a young age. you never know who you are having an impact on, even when it is not intentional!!