9/9/09

It's 9/9/09 today, a special day with the numbers aligned, right? Since it's a special day, some of my friends & I decided to either A) Start, B) Stop, or C) Continue a habit or life choice for the next 30 days in order to help reinforce making good choices. Mine are as follows:

~Run at least 15 miles a week

~Lift weights at least 2 days a week

~Get at least 7 hours of sleep per night, at least 6 days a week. (Right now it's less than that & I'm tired!)



I've got to get ready for bed soon since I've got to get up early to run! I encourage you to join us in our 30 day challenge.

Noah's Family Book

Noah & Mommy look at his new family book.

Noah loves looking through the hard-bound photo books that I've made through the years. I decided to make him his very own book, and it arrived today. I put pictures of his family in the book, and he had so much fun looking through the book and pointing to all his family.

Quick Labor Day Reflection

This weekend went by too quickly, so I thought I'd reflect on some of my recent intentions. Let's see. The cooking is going better, not that we cooked any all weekend unless you count eggs! We've made healthy enchiladas, spaghetti, and I even cooked fajitas tonight after being at the psych unit all day (working, not as a patient yet!) I've gotten into my running groove and this week logged just over 35 miles of running, which included taking Wednesday off, so that's progress. I'll keep persevering where that's concerned. The Fort Worth Mud Run is this November and it's basically a 6 mile, military-inspired obstacle course through the mud. I've never done anything like that before, so I think I'm going to get out of my comfort zone and get drenched in mud. I'm not exactly sure how to train for that, though. I'm just putting that energy into my intention for after the 1/2 marathon. This weekend my sister-in-law, Rebekah, and her wonderful family are coming to our house to keep Noah and Michael & I will have our first mini-getaway since Noah was born. We've been so busy that we haven't even talked about what we'll do. I'm looking forward it, and the weekend will be here before you know it. So, overall, things are all going great. One interesting tidbit...I've been getting peer pressure to join Facebook, and have adamantly resisted....until today. I see this one coming a mile away. The reason I resisted for so long is because I'm so meticulous with my time, energy, and how it's utilized. I have enough vices already, and I've heard about lots of people getting addicted to that site. The last thing I need is another addiction! Shoes, gardening, chocolate, pictures....no more addictions please!!! I THOUGHT I signed up on my iPhone, but as luck would have it, I think I probably misspelled something and the Facebook site isn't letting me log in. I've already spent over an hour just trying to fix it! This is not boding well for the Facebooking. I have a limited amount of life force and it's not off to a good start! :) I'll try to keep an open mind and see if the Facebook people fix it quickly. If not, I'm outta there!

On a deeper note...yes, I am a therapist...I often do psychotherapy groups with folks regarding how they'd benefit from RELEASING certain things. We often make resolutions every year without first releasing those thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that contribute to our sense of inadequacy. So, rather than making a new year's resolution this year, some friends and I decided to write down things that we wanted to release. One of mine was releasing being disconnected from friends since having a baby. It's a lot more work to stay connected after having Noah, but I've connected with a few older friends and hope to continue to cultivate new friendships. Sometimes, in our family or extended relationships, we want more than another person is willing to give. I try to be mindful and conscious of the things I can and cannot control, and have made diligent efforts to work on one relationship in particular, but, have experienced a lack of reciprocity in that relationship. It is my intention to release the expectation that if I do more or try harder, the other person will do the same. That has become an energy vampire, and I need all the positive energy I can get. Rather, I will be flexible with my expectation of the relationship, and focus my time and energy on relationships with those that reciprocate in a loving manner. This is my intention and my prayer as I prepare for rest tonight.

A Weekend With Grammie

Michael's mom came to visit this weekend an we had such a great time. I know that I'm one of the rare people out there that actually ENJOY spending time with their mother-in-law, but I do! We started our time with cocktail hour because Noah was napping. We were able to really just sit on the back porch, and talk about life. It's so refreshing to have honest conversations about life. I always learn something new and feel so much more connected.
Noah woke up to new toys that Grammie brought and he had so much fun being the red-headed apple of her eye! They played and played, laughed, built blocks (that Noah swiftly knocked down) and gave lots of kisses. Each night we ended the day with a walk through the neighborhood. Grammie said she needed some pictures, so I was able to get her a CD of over 1,000 pictures with relative ease (That was just August 2009 and up to this point in September:) The weekend just went by too quickly!
We had such a great visit with Grammie! Come back soon! We love you!

Larson Baby Shower

The Larson's recently adopted a beautiful baby boy, Micah David. He is an absolute angel! He's a wonderful baby with a precious temperment and a cheerful smile. Christine hosted the party and the decorations, food, and drinks were awesome! Wait until you see the picture of the adorable cupcakes (below). I felt quite inferior!!! Children were invited to this shower, and it was so nice to see all the kids playing together. Noah had a ball! There was a table of lots of different types of candy for the kids and all the kids would go get their sugar fix. Noah had cotton candy for the 1st time today and loved the sugary goodness! (Can't say I blame him!) It was really special when Marcia's dad and family gathered around baby Micah and gave a special blessing for the baby. It was nice to sit with the girls and chat a bit while the boys watched football. Just a nice shower. Good job Christine. I know it was a lot of work! The girls enjoy some table time
Marcia, Duwayne, Daniel, Baby Michah, and Marcia's parents

Blessing Baby Micah

Noah tries cotton candy for the 1st time...YUM!

The most adorable cupcakes!!!

Happy Daddy is feeling better

Ice cream for Daddy

Noah making a basket in his new basketball goal

Happy boy loves his surprise

We're doing a lot better since Michael is feeling better. Noah has been so happy to spend more time with his daddy. Michael brought home a small basketball goal for him. Noah loved it. They played and played and finished it off with some ice cream. Tomorrow Michael's mom is coming to visit and we have a baby shower so it'll be a busy day. Happy Friday!

Best News Ever!

I received a MIRACLE call late last night. As I previously mentioned, my Uncle Larry (pictured below in blue shirt) was diagnosed with an incurable (by man) brain cancer. He went to Houston to explore alternative treatments, and the pet scan showed NO ACTIVITY OF CANCER; GENETIC MARKERS NORMAL! This is incredible news, and a testament to the power of prayer. Uncle Larry is a preacher, has 6 kids, and now 17 grandchildren! He spent the night at my dad's house last night & we all met for breakfast this morning at the Edom Bakery. We had such a wonderful visit and circled the table, held hands, prayed, and praised God for this wonderful news. We're still taking it one day at a time but this is a huge blessing. He's going to explore alternative treatments in Kansas, his home state. Please continue to pray for him and his family.

Susan (my step-mom), My Dad, Matthew (Nephew), Susie (Younger Sister), Aunt Kathy, Uncle Larry, & Nick Nick. Nicholas is 5 months older than Noah but weighs a lot less!

Aunt Kathy (my mom's sister) & Uncle Larry

My dad (also a pastor and therapist) in true form...helping Uncle Larry map out the best route home. Dad loves that stuff! Bless his heart, he has 3 girls and we don't even know how to read a map, so mapping out directions with someone who can read a map is a real big treat!!

Love you, Dad!