Going...

Rogue.

Just started reading it. I didn't really care one way or another about Sarah Palin, but this book will light your patriotic fire, give you hope for America, and will sell you out for Sarah Palin. She is governed by convictions and 'the people', not politics.

You will also see why the left wing media hates her and tries to destroy her...because, in my opinion, liberals want to be the flagship for compassion and they are not compassionate for many reasons, but the most obvious, to me, is their view on life...if only you could ask the unborn babies and their mothers, almost all mothers regret and grieve over their abortion, I think they'd agree...

but Sarah, she is compassion...

Charlie flew home...

tonight. He's our Elf on the Shelf. Named by Brooke, but always referred to as female. "She moved!" "She's cold." "She's gonna tell Santa."

We had a lot of fun doing this with the girls this year...even though it didn't improve behavior...pretty sure my girls names should be on the naughty list :)

Fearless...

by Max Lucado...just bought it today and I'm sure I'll read it fast...it comes highly recommended and for someone like me, fear is something I deal with, consciously and subconsciously, every day. Here's what Max says about his new book.

We fear being sued, finishing last, going broke, the mole on the back, and the sound of the clock as it ticks us closer to the grave. Every season seems to bring fresh reasons for fear.

And it feels dreadful. Fear sucks the life out of the soul, curls us into an embryonic state, and drains us dry of contentment.

Wouldn't it be great to escape it? What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats?

According to Jesus, this is possible. The one statement He made more than any other was: "Don't be afraid." In this book, Max Lucado invites you to consider Jesus' invitation to courage.

Fear will always knock on your door. Just don't invite it in for dinner. And for heaven's sake, don't offer it a bed for the night.

The promise of Christ and the contention of these pages are simple: we can fear less tomorrow than we do today.

Sounds good to me! Here's wise words on Wednesday:

John 8

Jesus condemns all sin, but He offers the gift of forgiveness to all who confess sin.

Receiving Jesus' gift of light---we have eternal life; rejecting Him---we walk in darkness and death.

True freedom is found when you believe and act on the truth of God.

Half and Happy

A half marathon is ENOUGH for me :) Rachel and I are DEFINITELY happy halfers...

We went to the 23 mile marker to see our friend Aimee and cheer her on and I can tell you, seeing the marathoners at the 23 mile mark is not pretty. Not at all. One man was completely bent over in a 90 degree angle from cramping and still running, every other man had blood dripping from their chaffed nipples, and all of the runners faces were disfigured with pain and sheer will to finish. I knew how I was feeling only doing half their distance and it isn't a feeling I want again any time soon...maybe ever.

Last night I vacillated between running and not running today. When I went to bed last night I was not running. But when I woke up and saw Rachel getting ready I changed my mind. I wanted to get this half over with...didn't want to train or sign up for another one when I was this close to being done with it. So, Kelly dropped us off at the American Airlines at 7 and we hung out in there with the other crazies. Took off at 8 and ran Turtle Creek, so pretty, and then uphill across 75, to Greenville, down the M Streets and back, down to Katy Trail...we ran the last three miles in 24 minutes...it was downhill and we were thinking maybe we could hit the 2 hour mark...didn't make it, 2:04, but we never cared about our time...only just at the end when we thought maybe we could do it...

Brooke called me after the race to ask me if I was missing her and to tell me that she worshiped and thought about God and how much He loves her today...she went to big church with Mimi and Papa to see Erin sing in the choir...Kyle taped Erin and boy, she LOVES to be on stage...she smiled so big and sang her little heart out!

Tonight I feel yucky and ready to go to bed...hopefully redeeming a gift certificate to Bella Renova tomorrow, if I can get in!

feeling...

GREAT today :) So thankful for all the well wishes, for a quick recovery, and for my parents who took care of my girls for two days! Being sick is a REALLY nice break...despite the sore yucky throat, fever, aches, and night sweats :)

I will take pictures this weekend with Rachel!

Getting nervous :)

it's...

strep, got a shot, and in bed...and running on Sunday is not out of the question :)

I'll know in a couple of days, after I'm feeling better, if I think I can do it...don't care about my time anymore, just want to do it...slow and steady wins the race!

It's the Climb

Prepare yourself, this is a cheesy post. Not my style usually :)

So, 102.1 is the temperature of my body....thinking it's the flu :( I had little energy this morning for our run, no appetite, and by 4 pm I was running a 100...which only climbed...

speaking of climbing, good segue, here's my thoughts tonight. Miley Cyrus' song, "It's the Climb".

There's always going to be another mountain,

I'm always gonna want to make it move

always gonna be an uphill battle

sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

ain't about what's waiting on the other side

it's the climb

and that is how I feel tonight...I'm sad I won't be able to race White Rock in Dallas with my sister this weekend, but it seriously was all about the climb...getting there...running early mornings, in the hot, in the cold, in the humid, in the dry, on the treadmill, wrestling with our children to get to the Y, arranging busy schedules, ditching the Ipods to talk instead, pacing ourselves, pushing ourselves, sucking in exhaust, up Research Forest, down Lake Woodlands...

it definitely is the climb that I'll remember :)

Brooke...

Brooke and I took a nap together just after I finished a white chocolate mocha...caffeine tolerance? I think so.

When I woke up, Brooke never fell asleep, she said:

Mom, while you were leep I was melling you, like this (sniffs my face starting at my chin all the way to my eyes) and you melled lalicious.

She cracks me up.

and she's off...

with occasional set backs...she's about 50/50...50% crab crawl, 50% walking :) I'm glad she's walking, but really loved having her on my hip...felt like she was still my baby. So no rush, Kameron, no pressure, mom is happy to carry you as long as you'd like!

here

I

come!

my snuggles...does looking at Brooke in this picture make you laugh too?

It's 2 am and I'm

sick...got in the shower and threw up. I'm thinking it's 'Mom's Tomato Basil Soup' I bought today at Kroger's or a virus. I shared some with Kyle last night, and right now he's doing fine, sleeping in a nice warm bed...me, not so much.

Watching Red Eye and typing a blog. Trying to keep my mind off the nausea. I'm just half a second away from from selling Buicks...that's what Kyle used to say in college...when you'd throw up it sounded like, "BUUUICK". So funny, almost made me laugh.

Hmm. What to do...trying my hardest not to visit the porcelain.

Maybe it's time to look at Facebook, get a blanket, some cold water, and try to figure what to do with my wet hair...