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...

wise words...

John 6

Stepping out in obedience to Jesus is the process thru which faith grows.

Walking in faith doesn't mean a life free from storms, but trusting God in the storm.

The first step in having a satisfying life is to believe in Jesus.

Satisfaction is found in the person of Jesus Christ.

Jesus securely holds all those who believe in Him.

I am...

thankful.

For so much.

For my Savior and Friend, for Kyle, my children, my parents and in-laws, my sisters and brother, my family's good health, my good health (enough to run a 1/2 in a few weeks), freedom, loving friends and neighbors, a great church and awesome ABF teachers, Ms. Betty, a warm home and reliable cars, for Fox News, good healthy food, and not so healthy food, cold water, and cold pepsi in a can, sweet hugs and kisses from my girls, unsolicited 'I love you' from Brooke, creative artwork from Erin, and steps taken by Kameron...

overwhelming thankful that God is here, with me, always, until the end of the age.

this is where...

we've been :) The best Market in the Junior League history and chaired by my sister Rachel :) She blew attendance, fundraising, and morale out of the water!!

ticket booth in the front of the convention center at the Marriott on the Waterway...

the closers (except Amber)...so many, many dedicated and hard working ladies make this show successful!!!

Okay, so wise words...I know you missed that!

John 4

Jesus Meets Our Needs

The greatest need in a life of a believer is to know and do the will of God.

Each one needs to know Jesus first hand, not second hand.

Faith is the will to act in a positive way despite uncertain feelings...faith is not how you feel, it's what you do.

Jesus knows our greatest need is to believe His Word, not just His works.

I love animals...

particularly dogs, more specifically pugs :) We lost Ginger, our pug, three years ago and it was tragic and it hurt bad.

But I love children more...

Every time I see the the Humane Society commercial to 'stop animal cruelty', which is terrible, sad, and should be stopped, I cannot help but be infuriated. Where is the commercial to 'stop killing babies'? The pictures of the dogs, cats, horses, and cows being mistreated and abused could so easily be replaced with the hundreds of babies that deserve a chance at life. The captions could all be the same too...just read the list below and tell me that each baby in their mother's womb isn't saying the exact same thing...

What did I do wrong?

Why did they hurt me?

Why did they abandon me?

Will I die today?

The narrator goes on to say that thousands of animals a day are tortured, neglected and even killed. She also says, they can't speak up for themselves, but you can, you can make a difference between life and death, and if these animals could talk they would say they desperately need you to save them right now...all so true for the unborn baby.

The Silent Scream, is a website and a book written by a doctor who aborted 65,000 babies until he saw it on ultrasound. The baby, at 11 weeks, would move from the probe entering the mother's uterus, and literally would open her mouth, to cry, when she was ripped from her mother's womb. Just so you know, at 11 weeks, her heart is beating, she has brain waves, she can squint, swallow, and can make a fist, she has fingerprints and can kick, she is sensitive to heat, touch, light and noise, she sucks her thumb, all her body systems are working, and she could fit comfortably in the palm of your hand.

The last question on the commercial is this and it is so true for the baby too...

Won't you help me?

The humane society rescues hundreds of animals a year, and so does the 40 Days for Life...this fall 450 women changed their minds because of the silent peaceful prayers around the gates of Planned Parenthood. We will begin again in the Spring, for 40 days, and you are invited!!

Her name...

is Allice, and she's my grandmother...she passed away tonight. She had two sons, one being my dad, and she lived 9o years on this earth.

She was learned woman, a scholar, who loved to write and still wore her sorority letters around her neck. I remember my dad faithfully writing letters to her when I was growing up because she lived so far away...way up in the Northwest...Oregon, to be specific. He wrote letters to her every week. I asked him a few days ago, when we got the grave news of her health, if they had ever missed a week and he said 'no'. 40 years of writing letters. I know he'll miss that.

She named my dad, Michael Mckenzie, because she loved the Mckenzie River. She was married and lived on the River for over 40 years...the river is beautiful and loud...Kyle and I stayed on it as newlyweds and decided to name one of our own after the Mckenzie...Brooke Mckenzie.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer a little over 5 years ago, it spread to her neck and collar bones, and just a few weeks ago she began having pain in her abdomen...it was in her liver. She never took pain medicine because she wanted to be fully coherent to write and work her crossword puzzels...her body was failing, her hearing too, but her mind was as sharp as a tack.

When my dad arrived to her bedside today, she grabbed his hand with both of hers and kissed them. She was waiting for him. He kept a vigil by her side this afternoon, told her he loved her and that he would see her again, and held her hand while he sang hymns to her...she took her last breath to Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

And they did sing tonight, as they welcomed Allice home.

wise words

Jesus Reveals Living Water to the Samaritan Woman

John 4

Jesus stopped at the well in Samaria, a place where Jews did not go.

He also spoke to a woman, with quite a reputation, at the well where He asked her for a drink, another thing a Jew would not do.

Jesus tells the woman about the living water that can quench her thirst forever and that only He can give.

We all will look for something or someone to satisfy our thirst, but there is only One who can satisfy and bring contentment.

Only Jesus living within can meet the deepest needs in our lives.

Jesus said she could have the living water but she needed to repent or turn from her sins.

Living water and true faith go hand in hand with repentance.

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