This weekend we had a family reunion with Justin's mom's side of the family. It was the inaugural event on what will hopefully be an annual gathering with family we see not near often enough. As we sat at my in laws last night eating, drinking, telling stories, watching our children play in the yard, simply enjoying each other's company I was blown away by how lucky I am because I have 3 wonderful families.
I have my Minnesota (and now spread to Ohio and California) family who I love and miss dearly. They are the ones who can tell stories about my childhood, laugh about the crazy clothes i wore in junior high, etc. They are the ones I share blood with and although I only see the entire extended family now once or twice a year (3 times if i am lucky) it feels as though i have only been gone 9 days instead of 9 years.
My immediate family (who i see more often, maybe once every 10-12 weeks) is beyond incredible. I have a father who loves his children (and grandchildren) and shows that love through his actions. Many people long for the love, respect, appreciation and attention from their dads...I am so blessed to know without a shadow of a doubt my father loves, respects and appreciates me.My dad is my rock. My mom is my example. She showed me how to raise a family, how to be a wife, how to balance my responsibilities and most importantly how to love unconditionally. I have an older sister who was, and is, an incredible role model, someone i still go to for advice and who i still consider to be my best friend. I have a brother who brings joy to my life, who is humble, who was my partner in crime, and who challenges me to be more like Christ. I have a younger sister who is more full of passion and drive than anyone else i have ever met, she inspires me to be better and i can't wait for her to move to texas.I have an andrew who challenges me to think, rethink and think again. I have an Andy who has taught me what forgiveness looks like in the real world. I have grandparents who taught me what marriage looks like and i want to follow their example and raise my family to be Christ followers. I pray I get to stand by Justin's side for 50+ years before one of us is taken home. I have aunts, uncles and cousins who are more than family...these people are all my friends. I choose to be associated with them whenever possible.
And now my Texas family...I am so blessed to have married into such an incredible family (both Justin's immediate and extended). I have a father in law who will drop what he is doing to help us. My mother in law who gives so unselfishly and I am blessed to call her not only my mother in law but also my friend. I have a sister in law who challenges my creative juices and is a great listener. I have a brother in law who keeps me laughing and inspires me to be a good steward. I do not have the typical "in-law" relationship with these 4 people, they are truly my second family. they have taken me in as one of their own and I am so humbled.
Oh, and I have 2 nieces and a not quite out of the womb nephew who complete our families.
I also have my own family: 1 man and 2 boys who are my life, my reason, my pleasure, my everything. I have a husband who is my best friend, my companion, my daily dose of laughter, my confidant, my greatest advice giver, the father of my sons, my soul mate, my true love. He completes me and I choose to do this life with him. I have my Hunter who is so smart, witty, loving, gentle-hearted, kind and honest. He loves with his heart on his sleeve, he asks a million questions because he wants to know the answers, he is a know-it-all, a chatterbug, a mamma's boy and the moment i held him in my arms i was so completely, helplessly in love. I have my Judah who is so full of life, my gentle giant, my crazy boy who will always keep me on my toes. He is passionate, compassionate, empathetic, sneaky and hilarious. Judah is my snuggler, who loves to give kisses and hugs. He is my baby, he will always be my baby. I love them. I cannot provide a quantitative measurement of how much I love them, but I would give my life for any of them without a second thought. These 3 men are my whole world. Again, I am so blessed.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
i survived.
I made a new years resolution this year, well 3 of them. 1.complete an official bike ride 2. complete another 1/2 marathon 3.complete a race (bike or run) out of state, and on Jan. 17,2011 I signed up for the inagural Round Rock Express 77 mile bike ride. On Sunday, April 10th.2011 I completed the RR Express Inagural Bike Ride.
Now this is not a post to gloat or to make others feel lazy but I am proud I finished due to the adverse weather conditions I faced. I have ridden th VCBC 200 mile ride on 2 seperate occasions, both without a day of training, so I knew I could ride the miles. I have ridden in the rain, in the wind, in the blazing heat, in the cool texas winter, so I thought i was prepared for whatever Sunday's weather would hold. I was not prepared. I woke up at 545 Sunday morning and checked the weather hoping the windy forcast had somehow changed to nice, clear, calm April morning...no such luck. winds were blowing SW at a sustained 30 mph, gusts were hitting upwards of 40 and this was in town and knowing the rural terain we were riding on i knew that the winds would be even gustier out there. But, nevertheless I packed up my gear and headed to the Dell Diamond where I joined about 250 other riders on a very blustery morning. During our safety meeting before we began the event director was encouraging people to utilize the support vehicles that would be circling if they could not handle the winds or to opt out of the long course and just do the 27 mile short ride that was also being offered. not exactly the "you can do it!" pep talk i was hoping to hear and at 7:18am I set off and started to fly. The course was 1 giant loop and we began heading NE and so we were cruising because the 30 mph wind was pushing us along. I completed the first 32 miles in just under 90 minutes. Awesome. I was thinking, "this is a piece of cake!" and then i turned and began riding directly into the wind...and i literally stopped. I had to pedal the entire time or my bike would not move forward, coasting was not an option, downhill was not much of a relief and the wind just did.not.stop.blowing. I paced with 2 other guys (not too many other female riders out at this event oddly enough) and we averaged a whopping 7.3 mph for the next 40 miles, it took us 4.5 hours to go the rest of the way as it was back into the wind. It took all of my mental stamina to ignore the support vehicles as they drove by full of people headed back to their cars and I mustered all of my strength to get back on my bike after the 3rd and 4th rest stops. Additionally, I did not think about the fact that i was riding during morning and mid-day and i had forgotten to put on sunscreen, so i am fried. i will have these bike short tan lines for quite possibly the rest of my life. but, at the end of the day i did it. i finished. i beat the wind advisory. i am not a competetor, i have no desire to win these events but i will not give up either.
Not only was i proud to finish but i was maybe even more proud at this comment (after I mentioned something about one of the boys), "what?! you have kids? i would have never guessed." thats right friends, i may be a full time working mom of 2 young boys but i officially weigh less now and am more fit than i was before having the beasts and that i am proud of.
Now this is not a post to gloat or to make others feel lazy but I am proud I finished due to the adverse weather conditions I faced. I have ridden th VCBC 200 mile ride on 2 seperate occasions, both without a day of training, so I knew I could ride the miles. I have ridden in the rain, in the wind, in the blazing heat, in the cool texas winter, so I thought i was prepared for whatever Sunday's weather would hold. I was not prepared. I woke up at 545 Sunday morning and checked the weather hoping the windy forcast had somehow changed to nice, clear, calm April morning...no such luck. winds were blowing SW at a sustained 30 mph, gusts were hitting upwards of 40 and this was in town and knowing the rural terain we were riding on i knew that the winds would be even gustier out there. But, nevertheless I packed up my gear and headed to the Dell Diamond where I joined about 250 other riders on a very blustery morning. During our safety meeting before we began the event director was encouraging people to utilize the support vehicles that would be circling if they could not handle the winds or to opt out of the long course and just do the 27 mile short ride that was also being offered. not exactly the "you can do it!" pep talk i was hoping to hear and at 7:18am I set off and started to fly. The course was 1 giant loop and we began heading NE and so we were cruising because the 30 mph wind was pushing us along. I completed the first 32 miles in just under 90 minutes. Awesome. I was thinking, "this is a piece of cake!" and then i turned and began riding directly into the wind...and i literally stopped. I had to pedal the entire time or my bike would not move forward, coasting was not an option, downhill was not much of a relief and the wind just did.not.stop.blowing. I paced with 2 other guys (not too many other female riders out at this event oddly enough) and we averaged a whopping 7.3 mph for the next 40 miles, it took us 4.5 hours to go the rest of the way as it was back into the wind. It took all of my mental stamina to ignore the support vehicles as they drove by full of people headed back to their cars and I mustered all of my strength to get back on my bike after the 3rd and 4th rest stops. Additionally, I did not think about the fact that i was riding during morning and mid-day and i had forgotten to put on sunscreen, so i am fried. i will have these bike short tan lines for quite possibly the rest of my life. but, at the end of the day i did it. i finished. i beat the wind advisory. i am not a competetor, i have no desire to win these events but i will not give up either.
Not only was i proud to finish but i was maybe even more proud at this comment (after I mentioned something about one of the boys), "what?! you have kids? i would have never guessed." thats right friends, i may be a full time working mom of 2 young boys but i officially weigh less now and am more fit than i was before having the beasts and that i am proud of.
Monday, April 4, 2011
We're back!
We are back to the world of blogging after a mini vacation with my parents, sister and niece! The boys (and me too) had a BLAST over the last few days spending some quality time with 1/2 of our MN family. We played outside, visited multiple parks, picked strawberries at a farm with goats, took a nice drive through the beautiful texas hill country, went to the rodeo, celebtrated hunter's birthday and oh, bought a house! (Stay tuned for pictures!)
So, I am exhausted and instead of writing about the stories i will post a couple pictures shebz took :)
So, I am exhausted and instead of writing about the stories i will post a couple pictures shebz took :)
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Hunter and Judah LOVED Evie.             And tomorrow...back to real life with work and 2 seperate audits going on at the same time... |
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