Thankful Thursday: Shared Moments & Flexibility

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for inspiration. During a race it is easy to drown out everything around you, turn off your brain, and just focus on yourself. But during my race on Sunday, as I headed up a hill during mile 10, I looked up to see a dad pushing a strolling with his son (I assumed) in it. His son looked to be about 6, and he had no legs and what looked to be only half of each arm. Both the dad and son had huge smiles on their faces. I smiled. In that moment I couldn't help but smile. I was certain there was a greater purpose in the dad's running since his son came into this world. I imagined them training together. I smiled thinking that running is a passion they shared, though they experience it two different ways. I ran the last few miles with more appreciation and determination than I would have had I not seen them. (I should also mention they were way ahead of me...that dad can run FAST even pushing a stroller!)

I'm thankful for shared moments. Mckenna has little things she does with Ronnie and little things she does with me. One of my favorite mommy-Mckenna things is when I say "Mckenna, look in mommy's eyes," she stops everything and truly looks at me. Then I whisper, "I love you" and every time, like clockwork, while still looking deeply in my eyes she whispers back, "I love you." The way her little eyes twinkle as it unfolds...Ahh I love it.

I'm thankful for slow cookers. They make life easier...and more awesome! Need I say more?! I think the awesomeness of slow cookers is an undisputed truth!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for new medical equipment. I'm trying out a new vest called the Respin11, and so far, so good. It has different mechanics than the current Vests on the market, and even though it's early, I think it may end up working better for me. Only time will tell.

I'm thankful for quite time. A while ago, I decided that the only way I was going to consistently have time in the Bible was if I did it first thing in the morning. Because of our schedules, this meant that I had to start my devotions around 5am. Although it's early, it's also quite, dark and peaceful. And I'll be honest, I'm pretty sure coffee tastes better at that time too.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to go on family trips. I'm so thankful for the flexibility in our lives. Our trip to California last week was planned about 2 weeks in advance and we were able to go with little worry. As a bonus, my two brothers, mom and brother's GF were able to join us. It was so much fun!!

What about you? What are you thankful for today?

Question from Reader: Air Travel for Little One with CF

I thought I would share in case others out there had similar questions and/or concerns.

Reader:

Hello Ronnie!  I hope all is well!  I was wondering if you could give me some advice / tips for traveling with cystic fibrosis.  I'm about to take my 6 year old daughter to Denver and had a few questions...

1. Do you have to check The Vest?  Or can it be a carry on because it's medical equipment?

2. Do meds have to fit in a quart zip lock bag in the carry on, or ar they exempt from that?

3. Should I have her wear a face mask on the plane?  Cold and flu season and  all.

Ronnie:

1. No, you do not have to check the Vest. It can be carried on and will not count as a carry-on since it is medical equipment.

2. I have never put my meds in a zip lock bag and always carry them on. Just remember that if your meds are on a carry-on that also has non-medical items (clothes, etc), it WILL count as a carry-on.

3. I've never worn a face mask on a plane, but it is certainly dependent on the comfort level of the individual (or their parents).

Hope this helps!! Don't hesitate to ask more questions

Reader:

Have you ever been to Denver or somewhere similar?  We live in Iowa, met you at the CF Family day a couple years ago , and she's never left the state.  Do you have any issues with the thinner air?  I know each case is different, just wondering. Thank you so much!!!

Ronnie:

I didn't have any issues with altitude or thinner air until much later on in life. And when I say issues, they were minimal at most. I would bet that any change she would feel, you would feel also.

If you have a question that you would like my input on, please never hesitate to email me at ronnie@cysticlife.org!

Another Half Under the Belt

My marathon training plan called for a half marathon this past weekend. So being the obedient little minion I am, I looked for a race. There was one here in Arizona and one in southern California. I took one look at the course map for the one on Coronado and it was a no brainer. The Silver Strand Half Marathon is 13.1 miles of beauty. Pretty much the whole race you can see water. It was described as "flat and fast". It also meant a good excuse to head to CA for the weekend. We invited Ronnie's mom, brothers, and brother's girlfriend along for the trip and made a fun weekend of it.

The race went well. My main goal was to set a PR. This was the first half I've done that I actually trained for, so it was going to be a good indication of what kind of improvement I had made and what I could do if I was actually running before doing one. I ended up beating my last half PR by 10 minutes with a finishing time of 1:41, which is a 7:45 pace…way better than I anticipated. It wasn't totally comfortable at the end, but hey, no pain no gain, right?

Perhaps my favorite thing about this race (better than a PR, beautiful weather, family spectators and incredible scenery), was the way the day started. Mckenna happened to wake up early (thank you time zone differences), about 5 minutes before my 4:30am alarm went off. So I got her out of bed and let her go through my pre-race routine with me. We ate a bagel with peanut butter together, took a shower together, drank gatorade, got all geared up, and headed off to the race. She thought it was pretty cool to help mommy get ready for my race. It made me smile thinking about years from now, possibly getting ready for a race we would run together, just like my mom and I do. How soon can she start that it's not child abuse? Ha!

Here are some pictures from race day:
                                                

The view driving to the start line…full moon, a harbor, and sailboats…PERFECTION

I really liked the view

We all look sleepy. Mckenna looks thrilled to be there…NOT!

"Where'd mommy's race go?" Mckenna kept asking. She didn't quite get that the race stretched as far as she could see…and then some.

The stats

Apparently mile 4 didn't feel as good as the rest

More numbers for fellow running nerds

About 5ft from the finish line

Mckenna enjoyed all the post-race food and drinks (apple juice in hand in this picture). I'm sure there's a rule against that…don't rat me out!

Races are tiring. Right, Mckenna? Hey, it was an early morning for her too.

It was a great weekend, a great day, and a great race!