Goodbye 2007

More to come soon....

Fabulous Saturday

What a fun day! I started by exercising with The Firm, something I haven't done in a while due to marathon training. It was really tough to get motivated but somehow when I put my workout clothes on I sort of have to exercise. So I was really proud of myself for going through with the DVD and starting the work out regimin so soon after the race.

Later this morning I met Jaclyn at the mall and we headed straight for Starbucks to warm ourselves. I tried a new latte, the peppermint mocha and it was soo yummy. I also took the opportunity to buy some very important people Christmas presents. One year I waiting too long to buy the gift cards and they were sold out of the Holiday theme cards and more importantly the very cute card holders, so I jumped on the chance when I had it. After a couple of sipps of my fantastic latte we headed down the walkway to a salon for pedicures. I seriously can not remember the last time I had a pedicure. Since Cary and I are heading on a cruise here shortly I figured now is the best time to pamper my feet. As an extra special treat I requested some dazzle be added to my toes in the form of a rhinstone flower.

We just chatted, laughed and drank our coffee while the worries of our worlds were being massaged away. (sigh) I want to do it again!

Next we went for some lunch. We induldged ourselves with wine and appetizer and then I had a really good salad with salmon. As we headed out of the restaurant I said to Jaclyn, "I'm amazed that we trained every week together for a marathon, ran a marathon and then a week later are spending the day together and STILL have not run out of things to talk about." Now that's a good friend!

With our tummies full and Anne Taylor Loft being across the walk way we made a bee line for some shopping. I hit the sale racks and found some really cute clothes on sale. One shirt I purchased was marked $40 and when it rang up it was $9.88!!! Now that got me excited. Jaclyn bought the most adorable and classic holiday tank with this fabulous silver jacket. Really, it looks like something Jaqueline Kennedy would wear. It took some convincing for her to purchase it, but I was the PERFECT person for the job. Now I just hope that I can borrow it! ;) Lastly we took a spin through Macy's to check out the new fragrances. I found one I really like by Usher and picked up a couple of samles; there's even a cologne sample for Cary.

I'm home now and waiting for Cary to come in from mowing the lawn so I can give him a fashion show and see what he thinks of my fantastic finds.

Jaclyn and I have been planning this day of celebration for quite a while now and it lived up to every expectation. We also decided that we needed to do this again as a Christmas present for each other, dedicate the day to hanging out! Yes, this goes down in the books as a fabulous Saturday.

Wound Up

I have been a grump today. Plain and simply not someone fun to be around. Some of my co-workers found my tone funny, Cary on the other hand did not. Hopefully dinner with a friend in a cozy restaurant will help calm the grump inside.

Marathon #2

My dad had my camera and didn't realize that it was set for video instead of pictures.

It's done! Wow, what a great race. I'm so excited. Yesterday afternoon I thought to myself "I think I was born to run marathons." Not that I would necessarily win any of them, but to know that I can run a long distance and feel great, meet goals and most importantly have a good time leads me to believe I was born to run marathons. Makes a person wonder what other untapped abilities they might have. Who knew?! Cary did great. He didn't make his goal time but what I consider "great" is the post race attitude. He suffered from muscle cramps 2/3 into the race and once that sets in, you pretty much suffer the rest of the race. We just have to figure out how to prevent this problem for future events.

My finish time goal was between 4:15 & 4:30. My actual finish time was 4:23. The cool things is that we beat the estimated finish time (based on the 1/2 marathon time) by 5 minutes!

Today the knees are sore and it takes work to get up and down steps and sit or stand up, but once I'm up, then I feel fine. Okay, I'm a little tired but after the race I did nothing but lay around the house. Check out this website video, it's pretty accurate as to how we are moving today.

http://www.realbuzz.com/en-gb/Your_pictures_and_videos/index?pageID=3174&ht_do=view&id=130

Now that the race is over it's kinda bitter sweet. I'll miss the weekend runs with Jaclyn and the training team but there will be other events.

Race Day

Here it is! After 6 months of training today is Marathon Day. For those who might be interested this is how the day has started....

5:00 AM -- alarm went off. The Lord was good and I slept so well last night. In bed with eyes closed by 9:20. I had a moment where I woke up and paniced thinking it was 5:45, but thankfully it was only 12:30. "Oh thank goodness"...that was my thought. I think last year I woke up several times during the night and that just doesn't make for a restful sleep.

I took care of the standard morning routines (brush teeth, wash face, etc.) and made breakfast.

BREAKFAST:

1 slice of bread
Peanut Butter
Whole wheat pasta w/butter & salt
Glass of water

Now I'm checking up on friend's blogs and the pre-race jitters have started. I plan to meet my friend Jaclyn at 6:15 so I have 1/2 hr. to get dressed and pack the rest of my bags. Cary's alarm is going off on the other side of the house so I guess he'll be in here any minute now.

Say a prayer for us over the next several hours and I hope to have some pictures to post later today or more likely tomorrow!!

I'm off to run a marathon! :)

Crazy Friday

I don’t know why it is, but sometimes I wonder if Friday’s are the busiest day of my week. Maybe I’ve had too much caffeine today but it’s been non stop and I’m just about over the edge. Thankfully Jaclyn and I are running together in about 30 minutes. Lord knows I need to blow off some “non-sense” steam. Since my work day is almost over I’m realizing that I haven’t accomplished nearly enough in the time given to me, but I just have to get over it.

Sort of Embarrased

I feel bad because the following posts are late. I tried to get this done as soon as we got back home, but tonight was the first opportunity I've had all week to tie up this one loose end. I hope you all enjoy the photos! Have a fantastic weekend!!

Sunday at The Homestead

After breakfast Cary and I went to The Bath House. Supposedly this is the oldest spa in the country.

There is a men's bath house and a women's bath house but during 1 hour a day both bath houses are co-ed, howevere bathing suits are required.

This was one of the highlights of the weekend for me. Just ask Cary how unsure I was of this activity, but man oh man when I stepped foot into this spa/tub thing I was in 7th heaven. It's like the perfect bath that never gets cold and you have lots of space to wiggle around. FYI, we had yellow and pink noodles so I didn't have to touch the smooth rock floor (there were a few slimey stones which totally wig me out).

Here is a first for me, watch...

After the Spa and Shooting range it was back to the hotel for a nice nap before another huge dinner. I absolutely loved the bed. The difference between this bed and my bed at home was a fantastic thing called a feather bed. Good Lord was that glorious! I was even a little sad when we got home and I had to crawl into our bed because it wasn't nearly as comfortable.

The Homestead

We went to The Homestead this weekend. It was so much fun! I'll get right down to it...here are some great pictures!

Saturday morning began with a hike. I've had some pretty aweful hiking experiences so it was nice to be able to smile through this one!

The whole trip was along this beautiful creek with amazing waterfalls.

Cary decided he would pretend he was "Survivorman" and see what it would be like to drink water from a leaf on our path.

I have no idea why he is making this face.

Only to be "fair" I feel it's necessary to post a funny picture of myself.

Later that afternoon we met Cary's parents and family Wally & Kitty for afternoon tea! From the left, Wally, Kitty, Lynn (Cary's mom), me and Cary! Walter, Cary's dad was the photographer.

Approximately 600

I wondered how many calories a person can burn while swimming. Last night it felt like I burned a ton. Why is it that when we are out of breath doing an exercise we want to believe that we are just tearing through those unwanted calories we have accumulated throughout the day? As much as I would like to dream that last night I worked off the few small chocolate candies I ate mid afternoon, research says that in my 90 minutes in the pool I probably burned 600 calories. How many calories are in those small chocolate candies, you know the 1" x 1" milky way, 3 musketeers, snickers that you can get in the Halloween bags? I think ignorance is bliss when it comes to that answer and I'll just be happy with my 600 calories burned from swimming.

Babysitter

Today is much better than yesterday. I spent a solid 2 hours at clients house while some tile was being replaced, which meant that I got to watch HGTV and Food Network. Yet another perk of the job. Someone told me last week that being a project manager in construction is like being a babysitter for adults. I totally agree!!

Last night I was in the pool for 1 hr & 45 min. I arrived early so I could practice what had been taught so far. Surprisingly I wasn't tired by the time class ended. Well, I was out of breath because our strokes have advanced, but last night was the first night I have felt comfortable breathing in the water.

Tonight I get to run 10 miles. Fun times....

Update

2 or so hours later and I seem to be okay. Maybe this day is salvagable after all....

Bad Mood = Bad Day

Or is it the other way around. Regardless I'm really struggling with a seriously bad attitude today. I want to be just down right nasty to people, but I wont. Instead I'll just yell at other drivers when I'm confined to my car, that's probably the safest thing for me to do. At least it's mid morning and the whole day is ahead of me to work myself out of this extreme negativity.

From the Proverbs 31 Blog "Get Real"

I read this blog posting this afternoon and it really hit home. I remember watching Desperate Housewives a week or so ago and all the ladies, Lynette, Gabrielle, Susan and Bree were sitting around discussing secrets. Lynette made all the women promise to not keep secrets from each other. Funny, each and every one of them have “deep dark secrets” they are hiding from each other, yet they all made the promise. Oh how ABC can paint the picture of drama. But that moment is so true, as is the blog posting below from the Proverbs 21 Ministries.

I wonder how long it will take for me to break through the fear of transparency and actually share my true life experiences with those around me whom I am supposed to trust the most…..Enjoy this posting and I hope you can take something away from it as much as I have!

I was sitting in Sunday School listening to prayer requests being mentioned. Prayer needs varied - someone’s neighbors were having marital problems; a co-worker was having a problem with her boss; a friend whose child was being rebellious; a family member’s health issues. A few were personal requests such as an important decision about work, a scheduled surgery, and safe travels for vacation. All the prayer requests were valid and prayer-worthy, but I started to wonder if we were really being real with one another. Why were we not asking for prayers for our own struggles - our own marriage struggles, our own children, or our own challenges in living a Christ-like life?

I had many prayer requests on my heart that morning but instead of sharing them with my Christian friends, I kept them hidden in my heart. Part of me yearned for their prayers, but part of me also feared sharing my most personal issues and concerns with others. Instead of focusing on the truth that God would hear the prayers of these prayer warriors and divinely intervene in my life, I focused on my own insecurities, and the fear of being judged for circumstances in my life or the condition of my own heart. I finally realized we all needed to get real, and that by keeping our struggles to ourselves, we were denying each other the opportunity to be encouraged by hearing the triumphs over trials in other people’s lives.

In today’s society, we have a tendency to focus more on outward appearances than on the inward condition of our hearts. We may have a smile on our face on the outside; but on the inside, our heart is aching, and our soul is pleading for someone to care enough about us to speak with God on our behalf. Our hearts need to be in God-condition for us to be confident enough in our faith to allow us to solicit the prayers of others. In so doing, we glorify Christ through our lives. If we truly desire a character like Christ’s, we must be willing to expose our weaknesses, shed our hypocrisy and stop pretending that our life is a bowl of cherries. God calls us to be transparent.

The Lord made it clear to Samuel that he did not care about what was on the outside. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’" Samuel was in the process of determining which son of Jesse God wanted to become the king of Israel. Samuel was looking at the outside, instead of the inside condition of the heart.

When I am transparent, I allow people to see, pray for, and love the “real me.” Being real and vulnerable helps me to be usable for God. Once my mask is removed God can use the “real me” to minister to others. Sharing about a restored marriage, about forgiving someone who betrayed you, about a repaired relationship, about spiritual healing from an abortion, or recovery from an addiction could be exactly what someone else needs to hear so that their life, and their heart, can be changed. If people think we “have it all together,” they are less likely to share their struggles. This could close the doors God opens for us to minister to others so that we can help them remove their masks, as well.

By removing our own masks, we can be transformed into vessels for to God use to bring glory to His kingdom. Not only will people see the prayer needs in our lives, they will also see the transparency of a sinner being transformed by being real and praying to a faithful God.

Update

Okay, here are some pictures of my office. Unfortunately I came in around 2:30 this afternoon so I haven't been able to get good morning photos but hopefully this will post clearly enough.





Last night was my first swimming lesson and thankfully I was not the only woman nor was I the oldest person there! We began learning some basics and I think this is going to be fun. A highlight was when I would be floating down the lap lane and all of the sudden I would hear the instructors voice (from under water) yell "Great Job Leah! Looking Good!!" WOW, finally I was doing something right! :) This is going to be so much fun.

Ahh Much Better

I spent the day cleaning up and revamping my office. It all began with a shopping trip to Target where I don't even know how much money I spent (seriously). My philosophy is that if I'm going to spend so much time in this room, then it should feel like home. So I moved some furniture around, found some pretty accessories, hung my diploma and the best part is I even got a plug in air freshener. The walls could use a little paint touch up. I need new and matching chairs and I wouldn't complain if I could swing an area rug. But for the mean time this will do. I have to take some pictures in the morning because the sun shines right through the windows at this hour of the day and makes good pictures impossible. I would call this day at work a success! ;)

Leah the Swimmer

I'm sooo excited!! It's been a quiet day at work, since my earlier post, and I decided to go online and research more on swimming lessons. Since I've been dabbling in triathlons this summer the sport of swimming does not come naturally to me. I struggle whenever I get into the pool and I'm tired of it. So, I found this guy Som whom Cary has spoken to about me taking swim lessons. To make a long story short, Som called me this afternoon and now I'm taking LESSONS!! Just imagine if I was telling you this in person I would be jumping up and down swinging my arms and acting like a total goof cause that's how excited I am. The classes are every Tuesday and Thursday for 8 weeks. I have high hopes for this experience and those are that one day I'll look like Courtney Cassada. As the 1st and 3rd place female winners of the Taylor Love Sprint Triathlon said of Courtney "Man, she looks so graceful and comfortable in the pool. I wish I looked like that" Maybe, just maybe, one day someone will say that about me.

Hmm, something interesting. I did ask Som if I would be the oldest person in this class (because 12 year olds can swim better than I can) he laughed and said "no, but you'll probably be the only girl." I can handle being the only girl. Something I didn't ask if I would be the only girl and OLDEST person there. What if the other participants are 12 year old boys!!! Grrreat. ;)

Humbled.....AGAIN

I just had an epiphany (well sort of). Sometimes I feel very insecure in my ability to make the right decisions. I think if I consult a stronger Christian friend or parent then what they say will be the right thing to do. The last couple of weeks I have really struggled with some things and when I had my quiet time I would pray that God would tell me what to do and direct me in His ways. Well dag gonnit I didn’t listen!! There was one particular event last week when I questioned my actions. I even asked other people if I should proceed with doing something and I heard “yes, do it.” So I did it. Ever since then I’ve felt very unsettled. What was done, is done and there is nothing I can do. But it wasn’t until about 3 minutes ago that I realized I should have listened to the still small voice in the back of my head that gave me some doubt. I need to trust that when my spirit is questioning something, usually it’s for a good reason. I need to learn that although some of the people around me and influencing my decision making are good Christian folks and do impart good wisdom in my life, there is no one or thing that can take the place of the Holy Spirit. Now I’m frustrated that I didn’t listen and will have to deal with the consequences of my decision.

I really hope I don’t forget this lesson. There seem to be too many times in life that we easily and quickly forget the lessons the Lord is trying to teach us. I don’t want to live through this one again.

Sacrifice

Cary would say his marathon of a season for sacrifice began April 23, 2005 (our wedding day).

We were driving to our flip house this morning for some serious yard work and I just thought to myself "what has happened to my life?" Cary is putting in some incredible hours to cleaning up/renovating a condo which was left a disaster after some tenants left quickly. We have a flip house we are trying to finish but it seems to be going at snail speed. I have a job site and clients who haunt me in my sleep and take hours of my Saturday. Then there is marathon training and work. I feel like I don't even have time to clean my own house! I dream of the day when I can have lunch with some girlfriends, go shopping and feel care free. Yes, everything we are working on is temporary. There will be a day when we can reap the benefits of all this hard work, but until then, tis the season for sacrifice.

Hormones

Tonight after dinner (and 2 glasses of wine), Cary told me he wanted to go for a run and get it out of the way so he can start working earlier tomorrow. I burst out into tears. I'm talking the uncontrollable sobbing, cant catch your breath, definite tear duct over processing tears. Yes, it's 8:00 at night and I am worried about him, but I also know that the Lord has to be the one to take care of him. So I have his cell phone b/c he took mine on his run. The sobbing has to be an indicator of some crazy hormones. I would just find it hard to believe that 2 glasses of wine could produce such an emotional reaction....

Reflection

Yesterday I felt like a failure. But today I realized that there are times in life when you feel like a failure but the Holy Spirit is working in you and in those around you. So how is that failure?

Living Proof Ministries Blog

"Hard times come and go, hormones rise and fall. But when the foundation of daily surrender and the filling of the Spirit are there, getting through the day is a lot easier and more enjoyable."

The Week In Review

We had so much fun last week hanging out with our friends in the Outer Banks of NC. Some of the highlights include:

• Staying in the guest house
• Biking with Courtney before Cary woke up
• Margaritas almost every night (soo yummy)
• Brownie bites after lunch almost every day
• Ice cream Sundays almost every night
• Pride & Prejudice in the theatre room
• Playing with the kids in the sand (and water if it was no deeper than my calves)
• Talking to Rebekah about her daily school routine
• Carrying Bailey and Mason
• Watching Jacob sign “drink” to Chari
• Countless fantastic conversations with the girls
• Lots of laughs

Beach Pictures

As promised...

A view from our balcony

All the girls, with the exception of Stacie Eagan.

Bailey liked to play with her baby stroller by the pool. On a couple of occasions we found the stroller in the bottom of the pool. At least it was the stroller and not Bailey! How cute is she?!

Bailey loved jumping into the pool as long as Pat or Cary caught her.

Brian, Mike and Michelle worked so hard on this sea turtle. I think it turned out pretty good. Funny thing is, the turtle was in tact the next day we hit the beach.

It’s quickly becoming a tradition to take the kids for a go-cart ride one night and then get some ice cream...

I really think Rebekah is in love with Cary and to be honest, I can see why.

Last year Joshua was a bit intimidated on the go cart, but not this year… he did so well and had fun.

Courtney and Bailey while everyone else was on the go-carts.

Ice Cream Social

Some pictures of us chowing down on some delicious ice cream after the go-cart ride.

Courtney and Bailey sharing ice cream.

EJ, what else can I say? By the way....HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Classic Brian...

Chari and Jacob

The kids...

Back to work

A few thoughts from the day already...

7:15 (brushing my teeth) "....Oh Crap! I forgot to post those vacation pictures. Hey, where is my camera...."

8:30 "...Man I love Starbucks....Hmm, 'The most important thing in life is to stop saying 'I wish' and start saying 'I will.' Consider nothing impossible, then treat possibilities as probabilities." The quote from David Copperfield on my non-fat vanilla latte from breakfast.

8:45 (filling my gas tank and listening to a new CD) "Sweetie really does love me" (remembering finding the new Kenny Chesney CD under my pillow last night while crawling into bed).

"....I can't belive I'm actually looking forward to going to work! How long will this last?..."

9:55 (sitting at my desk listening to more of this fantastic CD) "....is it really almost 10 AM and I still haven't done anything really productive?"

Off to get some real work done. I promise I'll post the pictures....

Home Sweet Home

We are officially back. Arriving last night from Greensboro, NC and man was it glorious to sleep in my own bed. I am sad that we have to get back into the groove of working tomorrow. I'm even more sad that I wont see our friends from the beach for a while. I will download the few pictures I have and post them later today. Until then we have lots of cleaning, grocery shopping and errands to run. Thank goodness Cary had the foresight to get us home last night so we have the whole day to switch from vacation mode to life mode.

Bit It

What a day! Almost too tired to type this post but I'll do it anyway...

The run went surprisingly well. Several girls ran together and our pace was faster than usual. I would guess that's probably why our legs and feet felt like they were going to fall off around mile 10. I was so ready to have that task checked off my list at mile marker 10. The biggest story of the day was when I bit it on the run. Coincidentally enough, somewhere about mile 4 or 5 I thought to myself (and was about to say it out loud but didn't for some reason), "Man it's about time someone took a tumble. Last year this time several folks on the team bit it. I don't think I've seen any skinned knees once yet this year." Well, well, well....about 1/10 of a mile away from the finish line I was forcing myself to continue to run the last hill. A couple of ladies behind me decided to quit walking and talking and to "finish strong." Normally I would cheer myself on to not letting them pass me, today I could have cared less. No more than one minute after they had decided to conquer the hill, did my right foot decide to get a bit too lazy and down skidding on the concrete bridge I went. The seconds I was down felt like eternity. I thought "oh my gosh, I'm actually skidding...Hmm now this is interesting. Not fun, but interesting. Lord don't let me break anything!" The hill conqueres decided to rush over to me (like 2 feet) and check if I was okay. Immediately I had to recover and act all sportsman like, so what did I do? Jump up and firmly announce "I'M OKAY, I'M OKAY, I'M OKAY....LET'S GET THIS THING DONE!" Off I went down the hill and paying a little more attention, round the corner and through the finish parking lot. Thank God that is over and I survived....Now I'm going to bed!!

A quick shot of my knees. Nothing too exciting. My hands seem to be more painful, but then again my hands come in contact with a lot more pressure and objects than my knees. For some reason the camera didn't want to take a good picture of my scared hands....maybe that's a good thing.

15 miles

That's the distance I'll be running with in the hour. I guess I slept o.k. last night but would have much rather slept past 6:00 on a Saturday morning. When I get up for marathon training my first task is to make a PB & J then sit down at the computer and look at the route. Here is the link to our route today

http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=160680

Good Lord this is long! I don't remember dreading 15 miles last year.....

Once that is done (and I can walk again), Cary and I will be doing lots of errands and project which need completed before we head off on vacation. One of those errands will be putting some time in at a work jobsite and rental property jobsite (even more fun than running 15 miles). I just need to focus on the fact that tonight I'll be eating Mexican food with a Jumbo Margarita and then we are off to the beach. Good times are soon to come....

Charlie Brown

These are my grandparents; "Grandpap and Grandma Brown" as they are known in the family. They live in Daytona Beach Florida. As a child I grew up spending weeks of summer vacation and spring break visiting. I will never forget running into the ocean with my grandpap and we would watch for the waves. As soon as one came upon us he would lift me sky high in the air so as to keep me safe. I would laugh so hard and squeal with excitement every single time. My grandpap was and is one of my favorite people. I still experience the same joy and excitement when I talk to him today. Every once and a while I get the urge to call and check in on him. When he answers the phone I always say "Hi Grandpap! It's Leah!!" As soon as I hear the shear excitement in his voice from my phone call he makes my heart soar. I have yet to find someone on this earth that can make me feel so loved and adored. In that moment, it's as if he was lifting my heart out of the mud of daily life and letting my heart soar in a clear, sunny sky. I just absolutely adore him.

Prayer is definitely a part of every conversation. He is the prayer warrior of our family and that is a God given gift. When Grandpap prays, the earth shakes and tears fill my eyes. I am so blessed to have a grandparent who prays for me daily and I know that God listens. What in the world would I do with out my Charlie Brown? Thankfully, I don't have to know the answer to that question. For now I will just enjoy every precious moment I have with him and thank God for his life and his love which makes my heart soar.

Lord Help Me!

This has been my prayer when the sun rises and when it sets. He has shown me that I have control over nothing but myself and my attitude. Every single day I face a mountain of negativity from others around me and from within myself. And in the midst of it all I seek Gods guidance and direction. He is faithful to bring me to the end of each day and no matter how tired and emotionally drained I might be, I continue to pray for His peace and acceptance. Through it all I must be diligent with every single task I am given. I must make the conscious decision to believe that His will is prevailing. And then He blesses me with glimpses into the life of friends, those who are experiencing the first day of school with all the joy, excitement and a different sense of anxiety. Another way the Lord leads people to trust Him. So tonight I go to bed with my heart full of love for the families who have embarked on new journeys with school, a tired body from a long day of work and a hope that tomorrow God will show himself faithful one more time.

Stress Free

8:30 Sunday morning Amos began barking and there was Chad, ready to cut down some dead trees. We've been waiting almost a year for the right time to cut down several trees in our side yard. Every storm this summer brought an added stress and the thought "Oh Lord, will one of the trees fall on the house?" Thankfully we can now live tree stress free!

Chad attached the rope to the tree and our Explorer and Cary just drove off while the tree came down into the driveway. Very cool, and loud!

The final product.

My challenge

Today I need patience and peace. Right now all I want is for my 2 projects to be complete. I want this almost more than going on vacation! It seems like nothing but problems are happening at both jobsites. Unreliable people really frustrate me. In the midst of all the chaos, frustration and sense of hopelessness I have to find some peace. I need to know that God is in control and everything works according to His timing. Why is this so challenging?

Addiction

I need chocolate!!!

Kenny Chesney

Oh my gosh I can not tell you how much fun we had this past weekend. Saturday was very long but filled my heart to overflowing with joy and excitement. The day began with the inaugural Patrick Henry Half Marathon. My two friends Jaclyn and Kathy ran with me and although the heat was almost unbearable at times we made it across the finish line. There is no way I would have had a successful race with out Kathy's incredible support and talent. She qualified for the Kona Ironman championship race which is later this year so this half marathon was just another avenue for logging the training miles (plus some). Thank you Kathy and Jaclyn!!


Once the race was complete and I was able to stand up, Cary and I headed up north to see the one and only Kenny Chesney. Our friends Pat and Courtney were by our sides and it was fantastic to be able to see their new gorgeous house and spend some quality time with them. The concert was amazing. I danced my heart out and really wanted to cry when it was over. This is definitely something to add to our summer traditions.

I love these cowboy hats!

They guys were such sports to tag along with 2 crazy Kenny fans. Thanks again Pat & Courtney for a fun night. We can't wait to see you all at the beach in only a few weeks!

Long Week

This is the end of a seemingly very long week. Last night I hosted a Southern Living at Home party. Yes, I am that girl who has those parties and funny enough I LOVE them! I sat in the back of my living room last night just smiling large and trying to keep the giggles of excitement to a minimum. There is just something about pre-party stress, making dinner for friends, setting the house up all nice and pretty and then a joyful release of tension when I see all of my friends from very different walks of life get together and have fun. I just love it. Not to mention I love the Southern Living products.

Anyway, I crawled into bed around 10:30 or 11:00 last night absolutely exhausted. My alarm went off at 5:30 AM for the weekly marathon training run. Today was 9 miles and other than sore feet I felt great. It was so nice to just run off the tension and stress from the past week at work. Today we experienced more hills than any other route thus far in our training. I charged those hills and allowed myself to be proud when I crested the top. What a feeling of accomplishment. Although I knew this already, today's montra was "you can do anything you put your mind to."

So far, it's been a good day.

My First Triathlon

Okay folks, here are some pictures from my first triathlon yesterday.

This is my friend Kathy who stopped by to drop off some food and show me her loving support.

I'm heading out on the bike! Moments after this picture was taken, while trying to get onto the bike, I fell off!!

After 1 hr. and 23 minutes I completed a 300 meter swim, 12 mile bike and 3.1 mile run. Cary volunteered and was just as tired as I was when we got home. He said he would rather race than volunteer! I was so thankful to have a wonderful husband who took care of me the rest of the day. We endulged ourselves in napping, lounging and eating; after all we did earn it.

Spiritual Bonding

I'm reading a book entitled "A Marriage After God's Own Heart" by David Clarke. The following statement hit home last night and I really need to work on this concept.

"When you spiritually bond, it is no longer the two of you who do the loving. It is God Himself who does the loving. My marriage is not just a matter of me trying to love Cary; it's a matter of God loving Cary through me. It's not a matter of Cary trying to love me; it's a matter of God loving me through Cary. Our love will never fail because it flows from our precious heavenly Father."

Tomato Thief

We have a tomato garden in our back yard. Somehow out of the 3 varieties of tomatoes we have only been able to harvest a few small cherry tomatoes. However, I have been very suspicious of our dog (Amos) lately. As I left for work I noticed his face, which is typically white with a little grey, was showing signs of lime green. Hmm...he has been getting into those tomato plants! One morning as I came into the laundry room, he was laying down with part of his face hidden. He refused to move his head up to look at me. When I came close he became very excited and lifted his head. Yep, sure enough his face was a new and fresh shade of lime green. Finally this afternoon I caught him in the act. I came into the kitchen and watched from the window as he emerged from under the deck and walked right up to the tomato plant, stuck his face in and pulled a green fruit from the vine. I hurried to grab my camera so Cary would finally believe me, but all I could manage was a short video of Amos swallowing the last of his afternoon snack. Dang dog. I wonder if we'll ever be able to enjoy the fruit of the summer sun.

Insanity

Folks, this is what insanity looks like.




Brian asked me to join him this morning at 5:30 for the marathon training hill workouts. As you can see, this is not my most flattering time of the day and my mood pretty much matched my face. Some might wonder, what does an early morning run conversation sound like? Something like this…

Leah: Brian, it’s cold!
Brain: Leah, don’t complain. When was the last time you were cold in July?

Brian: How many are we doing, 4 or 5? (he was referring to the drills)
Leah: I have a meeting at 6:00 tonight so I can’t do anything after work.
Brian: How many are we doing?

Brian: Leah, don’t yell at me!

By the end of our drills and on our way back to the cars we were both very proud of ourselves for dragging our sad bodies out of bed early and getting the work out done. Good Job Brian!!

I Love Summer

Sure, there is a ton of work to be done in my office. I have so many papers stacked on my desk and in the file folders next to my computer monitor it's not even funny. But a few minutes ago I decided it was too cold in my office so I opened the window right next to my computer station. The breaze is blowing through and warming up my cold skin very nicely. A bird is chirping away and if I closed my eyes I could be anywhere but at work. So instead of permitting myself to stress out if my phone rings in the next few minutes, I am choosing to smile and be very thankful it's Summertime and I don't have to be in a cold boring office; I can be in a warm office, listening to birds sing along with Kenny Chesney and accomplishing many things!

Family Time

This past week we experienced the passing of a grandmother. Mrs. Ayers died on Tuesday. She lived a good life and we are all very thankful the Lord has taken her to be with Him for eternity. There is always divine timing in situations like these. Cary's brother Parker had been planning on visiting us from Washington state since early spring and there couldn't have been a better time for such a visit. After the funeral on Friday we (Cary, Parker and I) took some time to ride the "new" tractor and play around on the Ayers family farm. I had a fun time meeting extended family and getting out of town for a few days.

Friendly Neighbors

This weekend our neighbor Adrienne hosted an Ice Cream Social. She is one of my favorite neighbors and is a blessing to our small community, I simply adore her. Each family brought their favorite sunday topping and we all dug in. It was a great way to spend a hot Saturday afternoon.

We were able to meet several families who have recently moved in. One family is in the process of building a new house right across the street from Adrienne. Another couple have lived on our street for many years and have seen this quiet neighborhood burst with growth.

The kids met one another; but Victorias picture below sums up the afternoon. It was hot and humid but the ring of chocolate ice cream around her mouth shows she really enjoyed chowing down on her favorite sunday.

Mom Time

This picture was taken on Wednesday when my mom and I learned how to prepare a Simple Summer BBQ at Sur La Table. How fun?! We created BBQ sauces and rubs then grilled chicken, baby back ribs and flank steak. This was the highlight of my day, a little shopping therapy, good food and a fabulous mom. What girl could ask for more?

6 AM

I did it. I got up early and went for a run. When I got home Cary asked if I had seen anything, thankfully the answer was "no." As I left the front porch I prayed that a particular dog, who is usually allowed to run free, would be nice and cozy in the house. Having a barking dog chase after me with some serious determination was not my idea of a good morning run. The Lord heard my prayer and answered it. This morning, an uneventful run was a perfect run in my book.

Job Update

Well, my client loved the design idea; fabrics and wall covering. Now it just needs final approval from the husband and then we're off to the next phase-purchase materials and schedule installers!! She made a fabulous decision.

Why I Love My Job

This photo encompasses why I love my job. Here is the color palette for a guest bedroom I am designing with a client. She has a classic and gorgeous mahogany four poster bed and matching suite for the furniture. The wallpaper is the floral print. The stripe on the right is a silk cream on white which will be the panels for window with a beaded trim. Lastly the green and cream cascade of fabric is bedding. I am pitching this idea to my client this afternoon. Cross your fingers and hope she likes it as much as I do. This room will feel very serene and relaxing. :)

It's That Time Again...

Time to start waking up earlier on Saturdays than I do during a regular work week. Time to keep my toe nails really short and say "no thanks" to pedicures just so I can keep my caluses. No more Friday nights out with friends and enjoying a glass of wine. No, it's time to catch up with old friends and share life with folks whose paths I typically don't cross. Time to buckle down and get serious about nutrition and cross training. It's marathon training time!

Believe it or not I was really excited to get up this morning at 6:30 and get out to my training team. It was so nice to see old friends and to finally not be the new guy. I love group running. There is something about accumulating miles on my feet early Saturday mornings when the air is cool, the sun is low and I hear my feet creating a hypnotic rhythum with the road; this really starts the day off right. Somehow I need to practice discipline and be like Courtney, find a morning weekday group run and just do it.

This year my team color is purple. We are the "fast group of novice runners." When someone told me that this morning I couldn't help but chuckle. Fast is such a relative term. Personally I felt slow this morning, but I know I was faster than a year ago this time. Truly marathon training to me isn't about how fast you go but the relationships you build with new friends. It's about pushing yourself to a physical point where you don't think you have the ability to go one more step....and then you do. So whether we are the "fast novice runners" or "slow novice runners" who cares. I looked at my team this morning, composed of 30 some people and thought "now which ones of you will actually make it to the start line." Last year, those of us who did make it to the start line did it all together. There were maybe 10 or 12 who began the race together. I'm stoked to find out who will be there this year!

So here we go team Purple, the long road to run is before us now let's get it behind us!

Summer Time

You know it's summer when Amos turns into a muppet!

Happy Birthday Carter!!

Well, I haven't done a lot of posting this week because it's been especially busy with a new arrival! Carter Edward Roper was born on Friday at 5:02 PM weighing in at 6 lb. 15 oz. and 20" long. I am absolutely thrilled and couldn't be a more proud "aunt."

Becca went into the hospital Thursday afternoon. So of course I immediately came to visit! Doesn't she look amazing?!

And here I am with the little guy. He is so precious. We instantly bonded. I really think he recognized my voice! ;) I can't wait to watch this wonderful baby grow up.

Other Stuff

Here are some more pictures of what we occupied ourselves with this past weekend.

It was a simple task really...drive a nice large riding lawn mower and jam with Kenny Chesney. Now that's not a bad way to spend an hour or so on a Saturday afternoon. Here is the fruit of my labor. Now, Cary has something to do with this lush green lawn. Maybe I should have involved him a bit more with those poor seeds....

Although it may not look like it, I did work very hard to clean this front porch. Birds have made many nests and therefore have left many "presents" for us on our siding. But now it's clean and we can enjoy it from our swing.

Since we were on a roll, I just had to dress up our mailbox with some pretty flowers. Several friendly folks drove by while I managed to change the knees of my jeans from blue to black. The highlight was meeting a new neighbor!

Cary planted some boxwoods and a blackberry bush in the back yard.