If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

Oh boy…I just went to write my blog and realized I was the last one to post a blog. Last Monday. Yikes. We really blew it this last week. In our defense, we were a bit busy. I'll give you the full scoop. Sorry this will bore you.

We started in on a kitchen remodel. It was a bit of a "if you give a mouse a cookie scenario." Every homeowner knows exactly what I'm talking about. It started with our refrigerator. To put it nicely, it was horrible. A side-by-side that had just enough room for nothing that hadn't made ice for months. (Anyone else need bigger fridges because they have two shelves full of meds? What's with Cayston packaging? It's really well laid out and helpful…but it's HUGE). We were going to get a cheap additional fridge for the garage, but it seemed silly to not just replace our current fridge, that at some point needs to be replaced and was worthless, and use it as the extra fridge. But our previous fridge was white. And well, we prefer stainless and if we want to resell the house at some point, people will be hoping for stainless. So that would mean a stainless fridge. Which would mean all new appliances so they'd match. Which wasn't a bad idea since our microwave would randomly turn on (seems like a fire hazard, doesn't it?) and the dishwasher was rusty in spots. So there was it was, we made the decision to get new appliances. But wait, new appliances? Let's look into getting the cabinets re-stained like we planned to do all along. AND wait, if we are doing the kitchen cabinets and they are already staining, let's see if they'll just throw in the bathroom cabinets. And that my friends is how you end up redoing your kitchen, and re-staining your bathrooms, all from wanting extra refrigerator space.

The project was supposed to take a week. That was 3 weeks ago. Gotta love contractors and home renovations, right? Well I'm happy to say, after 3 weeks of hard work by our trusty new friends, we are very pleased with the outcome.

The kitchen looked like this to start...

Then it looked like this…for a very long time because we got held up. For a girl who considers organizing just hiding things behind a closed door, this was like airing dirty laundry…Anyone that came by saw my dirty little secrets.

Then it looked like this. Please note all the murder scene plastic that cloaked the house for weeks. Thankfully we trusted our helpful contractors, or I would have been nervous they were preparing to kill me while Ronnie was out of town.

Now it looks like this! The back cabinets are a dark walnut and the island is an off-white with brown "antiquing". We are still waiting for the appliances that started this whole mess. They get here today.

The desk area…usually the mail covers the whole thing. So if you ever stop by for a visit, you won't be able to find said desk.

The roses are a nice touch thanks to hubby for V-day. He had flowers show up to keep him out of the dog house for being out of town on the day of love…well played, Senior Sharpe.

Another angle.

This is what the bathroom looks like now (used the be the same color as the kitchen). The other 2 are the same color now but too small to really stand in and take a picture.

Meanwhile, Ronnie was in San Fran all week for work…that's his excuse for not writing. (He can thank me later for making an excuse for him.) Mckenna and I had fun having a girls week full of fun with friends, playdates and lots and lots of playing outside in some gorgeous weather.

And lastly, a cute, exciting, and semi-sad update…we signed Mckenna up to start preschool in July. Yippee and boohoo. She is so excited. We went for a school tour last week, and I had to carry her out kicking and screaming…literally. Our little social butterfly can't wait to spend two and a half hours, two days a week with friends. And the best part is her best friend since the day she was born will be in class with her. They will be so good for each other. Mckenna is uber outgoing, bossy, and doesn't think before she does anything. Her friend is more careful, shy and  we can't wait to watch her step into a new stage in her life. It will be a proud moment to see her walk into school for the first time, knowing she's headed into a chapter that will be full of trials and triumphs for her. Our prayer is that we all navigate the chapter well.

The Impact of a Stranger

This may be the world's most random blog post, but I'll write it anyways.

Mckenna and I take lots of walks lately. The weather has been gorgeous, and I love nothing more than strolling (we move SLOW) down the sidewalk listening to Mckenna ramble as she pushes her baby in a stroller, rides her bike, rides her tryke, walks etc. We were out on one of our walks when we ran into a man. We chatted a little while making friendly neighbor chat. He is in town for a couple months with his wife staying in his son's house to escape the cold winter in Canada. He's originally from Ireland. He passed on little words of wisdom on child rearing. He told me what a "lovely job" his wife did raising his 3 sons and bragged about all 4 of them. His eyes twinkled. He charmed me in the way an accent and 75-year-old smile lines can. He was dear with Mckenna. And in a tip of his adorable beret, he rode home. I had a smile on my face for the next few hours; my heart warm from the interaction with a sweet, caring old man.

Fast forward a few days.

Mckenna and I were out on another walk. I saw the same gentleman riding towards us. I recognized him first by his beret, and then by his smile lines. He hopped off his bike to chat. I apologized for not getting his name the last time we talked. Michael…pronounced "me-hall" in Gaelic. He gave me the full history. A long history. But essentially he would have been a Prince. I laughed and told him I would just call him Prince "Me-hall". No one in the neighbor had to know the long back story. He smiled. "Do you have a sweetheart name I can call you?" He quipped back. "You can just call me sweetheart," I laughed. He had one of the biggest smiles I've seen. And then he told me he wanted to recite a poem for me. He has memorized 300 poems to ward off Alzheimer's, he informed me. Mckenna waited patiently on the curb as Prince "Me-hall" told me about the poem. A poet, W.B. Yeats met a woman he loved that refused his marriage proposal multiple times. He wrote her a poem and had it read at the alter at her wedding to another man, and then sent it to her every year after. And then, using a piece of padding from Mckenna's helmet as a prop, he recited the poem to me. He started…

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book (handing me the prop)
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep…

I let me eyes leave his for a minute, and looked into Mckenna's.

He stopped. "I'm reciting you a love poem and you look at your daughter? She's just your daughter!" He laughed. "Sorry! Sorry! Start again"

He started again. I felt a little uncomfortable. I hate eye contact for too long. It makes me uncomfortable. But I made myself look into his sweet eyes the entirety of the poem.

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And his face amid a crowd of stars.

He finished and the serious look that was on his face as he recited the poem melted into another grin. I told him it was beautiful. "Amanda, I will give you a copy of that poem, so you will remember me until the day you die." I smiled. "I leave in 2.5 weeks. Surely you'll be sad." "Of course. Mckenna and I will both wear black as it will be a day of mourning." I grinned. He jumped on his bike and as he rode away, he looked back, tipped his beret, and yelled, "You are special, Amanda."

I'm not sure what it was about our encounters with Prince "Me-hall" that warmed my heart so much. Maybe it was the twinkle in his eyes, or the way he imparted wisdom in a way I wanted to take notes. I don't think I'll ever forget Prince "Me-hall". It reminded me just how much knowledge and wisdom our elders can have. It made me wish that I could have tea with him every afternoon, and that he would be here year round to have Mckenna go over and learn from the trials and triumphs that created each of the lines on his face. But more than anything it reminded me of the impact of a stranger. I need to always remember my interactions with people could have an impact just as he had an impact on me. And maybe I need to read more poetry, that poem was beautiful!

Thankful Thursday: Vitamix & Bravery

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 getting back into Intensity. I took some time out of our class at the gym, Intensity, when my mileage started to pick up. It was too much time, and wear on my body, to do both. But I decided it was time since the race was last weekend and I'm almost over my cold (can you believe it's been 10 days and I'm only 90% better?!). Well it was amazing to be back. It's crazy how hard that class is. I just ran a marathon and that felt AWFUL! Marathon shape is different than the kind of shape you are in doing that class (just like I couldn't run a marathon by just doing that class). Anyways, I'm excited to get back into the class 3 times a week!

I'm thankful for neighbors with kids. Our neighbors have 2 daughters, one's Mckenna's age and one's 4. Mckenna loves them. Lately, the last hour before dinner, we all enjoy time together. The girls play while we chat with their mom. It's a really nice time to spend together, enjoying the nice weather and good friends.

I'm thankful for the Vitamix. I think this was on Ronnie's list awhile back, but I'll mention it. It's so nice to be able to make yummy smoothies in a flash. Mckenna has at least one a day, usually two, and it's nice to know she's getting tons of fruits and some veggies all in one pop.

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for a brave little girl. I'm sure that having a daughter that's willing to risk an injury in an attempt to challenge herself on the playground will not always be ideal, but I enjoy it for now. She has very little fear when it comes to climbing, leaping, leaning, grabbing and jumping all over the playground. I'm very proud of the risks she takes and it's cool to watch the confidence she has in her own capabilities grow.

I'm thankful for brother time. I'm fortunate to have a little brother that lives about 15 minutes away and that I get to see on a pretty regular basis. I also have a little brother in Tucson that tries to come up to Phoenix as much as he can. But Andrew (the one 15 minutes away) and I get to hang out quite a bit and do things we both enjoy - gardening and Arizona basketball watching! It's always nice to have a hand at growing vegetables and cheering on the Cats :)

I'm thankful for web conference technology. Having sites that I can access to hold calls online sure makes life easier. It's just so useful to have a place I can schedule a call, share my computer and talk with my colleagues all in one place. It makes working from home much more manageable and many of the projects much easier to accomplish. 

What about you? What are you thankful for today?

I Choose to Look Outward

So, I don't really ever go into detail about my faith on this blog or do too many scripture quotes (although I hope it apparent that I'm a Jesus freak), but after my bible study this morning, I wanted to write about what I read.

These verses in Romans 4:19-21 in particular caught my eye and got me thinking. They say:

"¹⁹ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. ²⁰ Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, ²¹ being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised."

Let me first give you just the quick backstory...

The "he" in the verse above refers to a man by the name of Abraham. Abraham was a great man of faith and ended up being used by God in big, big ways. God promised Abraham that he would have a child with his wife Sarah. Now, at face value this seemed like a pretty crazy promise since Abraham was about 100 years old and Sarah was well past her child-bearing years. So what did Abraham do? He simply believed God would do what He said He would do. Abraham didn't focus on his present circumstances and weigh them against God's promise. He simply turned his focus completely outward to the God of the universe while ignoring any inward struggle his circumstances may have provided. If you know the full story of Abraham, you'll know that he was not a perfect man, not even in this regard, yet God still used him and counted him as righteous to be the "father of many nations"(the simple fact that God never seems to choose people who have it all together to accomplish His Will encourages me every single day).

So, why did this verse stand out to me this morning? I don't really know. Maybe it's the fact that there have been times in my life where it seemed that because of my present circumstances, there was no way that God could use me to accomplish great things. Maybe it's because I feel so strongly that God has His Hand directly in my life guiding me through daily decisions that will ultimately lead to me being with my family for a long, long time despite what the statistics say. Maybe it's because I was told that I would never be a father, yet I had a desire to be a father at a very young age, never doubting that God would provide me a family. Maybe it's because my whole life someone has reminded me that the "median age is this" or the "life expectancy is that", but God seemed to always remind me that He was bigger and more powerful than any disease life could throw my way. Maybe it's because any time I start thinking that my God doesn't care, is too busy or maybe even to small to deal with the circumstances in my life, He always shows up in a BIG way.

Here's what I know. I serve a God that keeps His promises. I serve a God that promises that His Will will be done. I serve a God that uses the imperfect, the sinners, the diseased, the outcasts, and everyone in between to do His Will. I serve a God who can use a disease to accomplish His Will. I serve a God who doesn't waste pain. I serve a God who is not done with me yet.

"When there is no contest, it is true, no one, as I have said, denies that God can do all things; but as soon as anything comes in the way to impede the course of God's promise, we cast down God's power from its eminence." - Calvin

My prayer is that I can become even more encouraged by the fact that God has me right where He needs me. I pray that instead of focusing inward on my present circumstances, I can turn my focus outward, and have my faith strengthened knowing that God keeps His promises and has the power to overcome anything that this life has for me. I hope that I'm a man that trusts God in all of my circumstances, not just when life is good, but when life throws me a curveball...or a disease.

"What in the World?!"

There are a couple things that Mckenna does lately that I love, so I figured I'd write them down so I actually remember them when these early years become a blur.

"I missed you" - Mckenna tells me or Ronnie that she missed us frequently. Whether it's in the morning when we get her up, or if one of us has been back in the office working for a few hours, she tells us often. It is the sweetest thing. It's usually accompanied by a bear hug and some sweet snuggles. I'm not sure I'll ever tired of hearing "I missed you mommy" come out of her mouth.

"Bear down, Daddy" - If you know Ronnie, you know he loves his Wildcats more than life itself. I think if I forced him to choose between me and his cats, well, I may be packing a bag…eh, forget that, if he chose the Cats over me, I'd make him pack a bag..hehe! Anyways, point is, he loves them. He started singing their fight song as a cheer of sorts for Mckenna when she would do something cheer-worthy (a little self-serving, but she liked it, so it worked). Now whenever Mckenna does something she thinks is cheer worthy, like puts on her own shoes, goes potty and gets her own underwear and pants back on, is a good girl, she runs to Ronnie and says, "bear down, Daddy." He asks her what she did, she tells him, and the singing begins. The cutest is to watch her little eyes. They light up and then they, almost timidly, scan Ronnie's body and her own. She looks at his feet, and then her own to make sure she's doing it the same. Then she looks at his leg and then her own to make sure she's doing it the same. It's the sweetest thing to watch. And why does she ask daddy to sing it, you may be wondering. I don't know. Mom doesn't cut it. She may sense that I don't have the same love for the Cats that he does.

Baby Walks - Mckenna has asked to take her baby for walks at least once a day now. She gets her baby all ready in the baby's stroller, and then pushes her as we walk around the neighborhood. It's endearing to see her loving and caring nature shine through as she stops, takes baby out of the stroller, and proceeds to bounce and shush baby as she informs me that baby is crying. Once baby stops crying, back in the stroller she goes and we are off again.

"I'm a sorry Mommy" - That's how she says sorry, "I'm a sorry". I'm not sure where she got the "a" from, but it makes it even sweeter to hear her apologies.

"I dock it. I dock it" - This is actually "I've got it. I've got it"…but she says, "I dock it"…and it's awesome. She says it all the time. All. The. Time. When she wants to flush the toilet, put on her own shoes, dress herself, get her own snack, open a door, you name it. This one she's said for a long time, but it only increases in frequency as she insists more and more on being independent.

"Mandi Sharpe" - At some point she has realized this is my name. And now, it randomly makes its way into play time. The other day she was pretending to be on the phone and the conversation went like this, "Hello Mandi Sharpe. Are you running? Ok. Bye." The way she says my name makes me melt. However, it's less than amusing when she's in bed and wants out and I hear "Maaaannnndddiii"…umm what? I will never answer to my first name to you. Learn that and we will all be better off ;-) For a while now, she's "known" Ronnie's name. But I don't think she knows it's his name, instead she thinks it's how you're supposed to call for him in the house (I wonder who she's modeling!) "Hey Ronnie!" She yells (more like "Hey Wonnie")…But I think she thinks "Hey Ronnie" isn't "hey __(insert name of person)__" I think she thinks it's just one word "Heywonnie."

"You kidding me?"- This one is new in the last few days and cracks me up. She hasn't figured out the correct usage totally yet, but it's adorable even still. Today she was looking for pants in the dryer and I heard a muffled, "you kidding me?" to herself!

"What in the world?" - Another new one in the last few days. My mom reported hearing it the other day. My parents were sweet enough to offer to watch Mckenna all day Friday and Friday night so Ronnie and I could have hubby/wife time. Well Saturday morning Mckenna wanted to go for a walk, but Nana told her it was probably too chilly out still. "I have a sweatshirt in my bag," Mckenna negotiated. What Mckenna didn't know was that her mom usually is good like that, but this time her mom packed as if it wasn't January, at least not January on the equator. They went into Mckenna's room and as Mckenna pulled out shorts and t-shirts she exclaimed, "What in the world?"

…Gosh I love this stage!

Thankful Thursday: Grandparents & Softball

We're getting real good at posting these on Friday!

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 wonderful grandparents for Mckenna (and fabulous parents for Ronnie and I). They offered to take Mckenna all day today, and tonight, so Ronnie and I could enjoy some husband/wife time. Mckenna loves her Nana and Papi and I couldn't be more thrilled that they live close enough for Mckenna to have this kind of relationship with her grands!

I'm thankful for good health. We have a cold (maybe the flu) making its way through our house; Mckenna had it, I have it, Ronnie has it. It makes me thankful that we usually are in good health around the Sharpe household.

I'm thankful for the ability to run. On Sunday, I was able to cross a marathon off my bucket list. I am so thankful God gave me two legs, arms, feet, lungs, you name it, that enabled me to run 26.2 miles. I know that some of it was hard work and training, but I know a majority of the accomplishment was made possible by the fact that I am abundantly blessed.

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for raw honey. I'm not sure why, but I've been digging raw honey lately. I've been snacking on it by the spoon full and I've convinced myself that it helped stave off whatever has been going around my house...and by stave I mean not seem as bad as my girls. When it's mixed with some natural peanut butter, it makes a pretty awesome fatty snack as well! 

I'm thankful for layout changes. We've made a few simple layout changes with some of the furniture in our home, and always, it surprises me how a small change can make such a big difference. In case you're curious, we moved a sofa out of the playroom into a sitting room, and took the desk in the sitting room and put it into my office (we moved out my old desk). I'm not sure where Mandi is going to work now, but that's not my problem ;)

I'm thankful for softball season. Another softball season is fast approaching and I'm excited to get it started. I didn't think I would enjoy it quite as much as I do, but it's nice to get out and be competitive with a group of guys once in a while. It also provides a very good workout since I play the outfield!

What about you? What are you thankful for today?

Mandi Monday: My First Marathon

I did it! I ran a marathon. It crept its way onto my bucket list and I actually checked it off. I'll give you some of the details. And by some I mean more than you really care to know.

Beeep Beeep! My alarm went off at 4:30am and I peeled myself out of bed to make a bagel, drink a cup of coffee, and chug a gatorade. I then jumped into the shower, to loosen up and wake up a bit. I got dressed, got all my things together, and went in to wake up Mckenna and Ronnie (who were both sleeping in our bed because Mckenna has been sick and couldn't sleep Saturday night, so we pulled her into bed with us, and I went and slept in the guest bedroom). Mckenna really likes helping me "get ready" for a race. And she likes "getting ready" herself…as if she was running also. Here she is, ready to go in her black "running" pants, gray shirt like mommy's, number on, and bag.

We all jumped into the car and headed on our way to the start. Ronnie and Mckenna dropped me at the start where I met up with my mom, dad, and our family friend, Ian. 

                                      

We got all ready, went to the bathroom 34839 times (I have a nervous bladder) and stood around taking pictures of ourselves.

Dad tried to intimidate me and other runners by flexing.

We saw the 3:30 pacer. That was the last time we saw him…except when he blew by us. 

Josh and Chrissy were there and amazing. They saw us at 13, 20 and the finish! Josh ran with us a bit.

Mom and Ian were great spectators. They saw us at miles 5, 13, 20 and the finish. At mile 20 mom ran with us a bit while we sipped on a Redbull they brought us.

Dad is a beast. Blowing by some unsuspecting victim at mile 26!

I'm not sure what's better about this picture. The fact I was able to lift up my arms at mile 26, or the huge grin on my mom's face behind me!

Thrilled I could see the finish. Fist pump for the end!

Almost there! Mile 26.1.

I look really energized and happy. Mile 26.15

Together at the finish! We did it!

Lots of thumbs up happening.

My Favorite photo series of the day. One of my greatest accomplishments running to congratulate us on our accomplishment.

Our amazing spectators. Blessed to have so much love and support.

And lastly the splits…for people into that sort of thing. Only one of you? Ok perfect, you are welcome! I ended up finishing in 3:34:56…qualifying for Boston by all of 4 seconds (whew, good thing I decided to "sprint" to the end). All in all it was an amazing day. The race was fun...and by fun I mean painful but rewarding and a great learning experience. Here were my 4 take aways:

1) Anyone can run a marathon. I heard a few scoffs…hear me out! If you asked me 10 year ago if I'd ever run a marathon, I would have said no way. And yet, I did it. I was never a runner, but I started running. And anyone else can work up to it too. You may not be fast, it may take a long time. But in theory, I've been training for a marathon the whole last 10 years…increasing distance little by little. If you want to run a 5k, 10k, half marathon or marathon, just start running.

2) My mind is far stronger than my body. I'll be honest, my body wanted to give up around mile 21. It didn't hurt, per say. I mean it ached all over; both muscles and joints, but I wasn't in actual PAIN. For the last 5 miles of the race, it was a matter of my mind being stronger than my body. Every hill. Every step. Every mile. My body wanted to stop. But I kept talking to myself. I kept allowing my mind to control my body. I need to use my mind to push my body even more on a daily basis. I'm sure I could do far more if I forced myself.

4) If you decide to run a race, find someone to train with. I feel really good about the accomplishment, but I feel even better about the countless hours spent with my dad every week. When I think back on my first marathon experience in 50 years, I won't remember my time, but I know I will remember the hours of conversations, the laughs, and the strengthened friendship. Those are the things that matter most!

3) Lastly, but by far the most important. I need to spend more time every day focusing on things that are eternal. I ran a marathon yesterday. But as I sat in the bath yesterday, thinking about the morning, I couldn't help but think, "welp, that was short lived." I did far better than I anticipated. I even qualified for Boston. But in 2 weeks, let alone 2 years, what does it matter? It literally changes nothing. At all. Yet I spent hours upon hours every week training. I spent a lot of energy and time focused on something so fleeting. It is a good reminder that goals are fabulous. Accomplishing things on earth is wonderful. But I should be more focused on what I can accomplish that has a lasting impact for God's kingdom. Hearing "well done, good and faithful servant" at the end of my life is far better than being handed a dinky metal at the end of a race.

Thankful Thursday: Dad & Mentors

I know, I know, it's Friday and....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!! WE MISS YOU AND HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON.

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 girl time. My mom, Chrissy and I all went out to dinner on Monday night. I was nice to spend some girl time together without our male counterparts.

I'm thankful for great friends. I have a girlfriend, Angie, that I adore. I'm sure she's not reading this, so I'll take a minute to brag on her. I think this may have been on my list last week or the week before, but I don't care, I'll add it again! I feel so blessed by her friendship. She's someone I would choose to be friends with even if she didn't have kids (which isn't always the case with mommy friends, right moms?!? Be honest!) As an added bonus, Mckenna LOVES her daughters and one of her daughters and Mckenna have been friends from birth. I especially love that she is the kind of mom that is never competitive; you may not do everything the same way but you know there's never judgement; and most of all, I know I can have a mom-fail moment in front of her and just laugh. Most days we hang out there is an epic fit or utter chaos that ensues at some point. At some point one of us loses our cool or one of us lets out a HUGE sigh..you know, the kind you let out instead of blowing your top…and the beauty of it is neither of us think twice. I feel like I can learn so much from her as a mom and a woman, and I love her dearly. Ok, I'll end the love fest now!

I'm thankful for my dad. As race day creeps closer, I find myself more and more excited. I'm ready to lace up my sneakers and pound out 26.2 miles. It will feel good to accomplish a goal; to check something off of my bucket list. But more than that, more than any other aspect of the race, I am excited to do it with my dad. We may not run all 26.2 miles side by side, but just the fact that I will start the journey with my dad by my side, like I've started so many other journeys in my life, is pretty special.  


Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for my my wife, and particularly, her dedication. My wife is a machine. Well, a (sexy) human machine. When she decides to accomplish something or knock out one of her goals, she makes a plan and just does it. No waffling. No excuses. She just put's her head down and kicks booty. I will continue to learn from the example my wife sets each and every day for our family. I'm one lucky dude.

I'm thankful for *knock on wood* Mandi staying injury free throughout the course of her marathon training. She's battled poor knees for much of her running "career" and we were afraid that they would rear their ugly head and prevent her from properly training. To our delight, although they have been sore, they have not held her back one bit!

I'm thankful for mentors. I've been fortunate enough to hook up with a couple of guys who have really mentored me through some various business related ventures recently. It's such a blessing to be able to draw upon the knowledge of someone who has been there and is willing to share their wisdom with me. I can feel myself growing in this part of my life and it's pretty sweet!

What about you? What are you thankful for today?

The Simplest Thing: Put It Back

Today, I want to talk about one of the most simple things you could do to brighten up my world.

We all have pet peeves. We all have things that rub us the wrong way or get under our skin. I, in all honesty, don't have very many, but the ones that I do I am very passionate about. At the top of my list?

Shopping carts everywhere in the parking lot except for under the "return the shopping cart here" sign. 

Let me give you a couple of different scenarios that drive me up a wall:

1.  I try to pull into one of the very few parking spots left in a very full lot only to find 5 shopping carts haphazardly blocking the once open space. Please don't be the first person to put their cart in an empty parking space. Your cart becomes a magnet for the others who "don't have enough time".

2.  Watching a kid who is getting paid $7.25 an hour chase down 1700 carts left by his or her perfectly able bodied fellow citizens while sweating in a 110 degree Arizona summer. I know, I know, he's getting paid and no one is holding a gun to his head. But put yourself in his shoes, he gets paid to collect the carts, not cover up your laziness.

3.  Seeing gravel/rock/dirt/vegetation strewn all over the parking lot from a shopping cart forcefully placed on top of some innocent land. Now your creating work for even more people...not that creating extra work for others seems to bother you.

Recently, I saw a woman exit a store with a cart full of goodies. She unpacked the goodies into her cart and then placed her cart in an open parking space catty corner to her cart. Since she didn't put her cart back in the cart return, I figured she had a life-or-death emergency back at home. I was wrong. She then proceeded to walk into another store which required her to walk past a cart return. I kid you not. This isn't the only time I have witnessed this either.

Are there valid reasons to leave your cart wherever, whenever? Probably. But I can guarantee you that those valid reasons are rarely the case. So please, help me out here, is there a bigger reason other than laziness? Maybe, inconsideration? Elitism?

I don't know what it is exactly, I just know that whatever it is, I don't like it.

Am I being too tough on those who insist on not simply putting their cart back where it belongs? Maybe. But if I can have just one of you actually put their cart back into it's proper place after a shopping trip, then I would consider it a worth being too tough.

/rant

Race Week Jitters

Oh boy. 3 months of training has come and gone and race week is here. I'd love to say I've followed the training plan to a T and feel more than ready to smoke 26.2 miles. But that's not really the case. I've stuck to the training plan pretty closely, but I haven't been perfect. There's been a few exceptions here and there because it's quite interesting trying to train with Ronnie being gone for 3 weeks and traveling a fair amount. But I still don't quite feel ready. My legs the last week or two have just been heavy. They don't hurt, they aren't tired, per say. Just heavy. I can still do all my runs, but I don't end a run thinking, "well that was a walk in the park, 26.2 will be a breeze."

But regardless, race day is quickly approaching, so I'm choosing to flip my mentality and get this show on the road. I've never run a marathon, but I've run enough races and exercised enough in my life to know that very little has to do with your body and A LOT has to do with your mind. If I go into Sunday thinking I'm not ready, Sunday will suck majorly. If I go into Sunday thinking I'm going to glide through the race without a care in the world, it will only mildly suck! HA!

Here's what I'm doing to get ready this week:

1) Eating - Ok, you caught me, I eat every week. But this week I'm focusing on eating A LOT of carbs. I'm eating carbs until carbs don't look good anymore. I'm trying to be smart about all my carb consumption because I'd prefer not headed into the race with tons of extra pounds to carry, but I'm focusing on eating a lot of carb rich foods. Bagels for breakfast. Fruit for snacks. You get the trend. I'll focus on getting my carbs in all week and then on race day I'll eat what I always eat before my long run: a bagel with peanut butter and a banana.

2) Sleeping - I'm big on sleep in general. I like to get 7-8 hours a night. I'm happier when I sleep more, which in turn means Mckenna and Ronnie are happier (when momma's not happy, aint no body happy!) But a night or two a week I'll only get 6 and be dragging the next day. This week I'm focusing on getting a solid 8 hours a day so my body is well rested before I beat it up.

3) Drinking - I drink water like a camel. Ever since pregnancy and nursing I have continued to drink about 100oz of water a day. So I'll just continue fueling my drinking problem through the week.

4) Tell myself I'm awesome - Oh goodness. I wish I was kidding. About 3% of me is kidding on this. Unfortunately the other 97% of me is completely serious. While tapering, your mind can play all sorts of tricks. You come off running 40+ miles a week and are essentially barely running, and you begin to feel lazy and out of shape. You wonder if you've done enough. You wonder if you should do more. But this week I'm going to shut down all the thinking with one simple (and humiliating phrase): You're awesome. Ha! I'm going to feed myself that line until I believe it, and then I'm going to feed myself full of it some more. I want to strut to the start line, and tell myself I'm awesome. I want to remind myself of that at mile 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, and as I drag myself across the finish. Because if I don't believe I'm awesome enough to complete the race, I probably won't be awesome enough to complete it. So…this week, I'm going to fake confidence til I feel confident :)

Thankful Thursday: Routine & Smoothies

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 routine. The whole month of December we were out of our normal routine since Ronnie was in the hospital, it was the holidays and we were traveling. You never quite appreciate routine until there's not structure in you're life and then you realize routine is awesome! Mckenna is still a little out of whack as we get back into our groove, but I'm thankful to be back to normalcy again.

I'm thankful for mommy friends. Mckenna and I had a playdate this morning with one of my favorite mommy friends! It is such a blessing to have a girlfriend to share life with…the fact our kids love each other is icing on the cake.

I'm thankful for my legs. As I get into the final week of training for my marathon, I am thankful for my legs. They may always be a bit tight these days, but having them ache a little is a great reminder of how blessed I am to have them AND to have had them carry me all these miles. Perhaps our biggest blessings in life are the ones we never take time to thank God for…and legs are one of those things!! In fact, just the other day when Mckenna was in the tub, I happened to start asking her playfully, "Did God bless you with two ears?" "Yep!" She'd respond. "You lucky duck." I'd banter back. "Did God bless you with two arms?" "Yep!" "You lucky duck." We went through all her body parts. I didn't mean it as a lesson. I did it to work on vocabulary (body parts and numbers) and mainly just to be playful during bath time. But as I went through all her body parts I couldn't help but think to myself just how much of a blessing it is that she was born with all her body parts.  
Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for my hamstrings feeling like they are going to rip in half. This can only mean one thing - I got back into the gym this week. After a long layoff I'm so thankful to be back at the gym sweating my tail off and breathing like I have some undiagnosed lung disease ;) The act of working out never feels great, but the sense of accomplishment and the open lungs afterward are worth the pain.

I'm thankful for smoothies. I've gone a bit smoothie crazy over here. There are two reasons for this: After the three week stay in the Hole and the holidays, I have a bit more weight to carry than is comfortable, and one of our Christmas presents was a Vitamix blender. They really are a little piece of magic sitting on the kitchen counter. I love it.

I'm thankful for routine. Our routine has been thrown off for a while and we're now settling back in to same ol' same ol'. Most people aren't excited about same ol' same ol' but I can tell you, we are!! I love knowing what to expect and when to expect it. Our family definitely thrives on structure and routine.

What about you? What are you thankful for today?

The Key is Consistency

No, I'm not talking about this blog (although I am going to try my best to get back to being consistent), I'm talking about exercise.

From June of last year until November 2013, I was an animal at the gym. I was doing our 45 minute work-so-hard-you-pass-out-or-throw-up class at least 3 times a week, and a lot of weeks, I was doing it 5 times. The first month or so was super tough, but as usually the case, it got easier as I got in better shape. By the end of the summer, I was kicking booty and taking names. I rarely had to catch my breath and I was almost always able to complete the full workout without feeling like I was going to die.

My energy level was awesome. My lungs were awesome. My sleep was awesome. My appetite was awesome (probably a bit too awesome). My fitness was awesome. My health was awesome.

Around the beginning of November, I started battling a lingering foot issue that has given me trouble before. I scaled back my workouts as much as I could. I still was at the gym, I just wasn't doing as much at such a high intensity. My foot didn't really get any better, and after 3 weeks of a scaled back workout routine, I was in the Hole.

This is probably a good time to stress again how important exercise is in my life. Would I have ended up in the Hole (hospital) if I was able to continue exercising at a high intensity? Who knows. However, if I was a betting man, I'd say NO. It's happened before and I'm sure it will happen again - When my workouts suffer, my lungs suffer.

Anyway, after 3 weeks in the Hole and 2 weeks of Christmas and vacation, I was back to the gym on Monday. It sucked. (Usually I'm able to stay somewhat active in the Hole, but due to around the clock IV antibiotics, this stay was a little tougher to do so.)

I was sucking so much wind it was embarrassing. It's amazing to me how out of shape I've become in 5 "short" weeks.

Today, I helped a woman out who was new to the class. It was only her second time doing the workout. We were sucking wind together. It was almost as if it was my second time in the class ever. I was able to encourage her after class by letting her know what I have written above - consistency is key, if you keep coming, it will get easier.

Now, I know there are times when we can't control if we go to the gym or workout. Injuries happen. Hospital stays happen. But, if you're able to control it, please, do so. Not for me, but for you. Taking time off feels good at the time, but you'll pay for it down the road.

Consistency is key. It will get easier.

*Now I've got to go and take an ice-bath. I hurt :)

We're Alive and It's 2014

How has it been 2 weeks since we've posted a blog? I blame it on Ronnie. He's in charge! In my defense, I only missed ONE post…he missed 849320842987 (that may be a slight exaggeration…slight). We didn't blog for so long we actually had some people check to see if we are ok. I'm happy to report, we are so ok we forgot to blog. Classic case of all fun and no work ;-)

Anyways, life is good. So I'll try to bring you up to speed…and I promise to give you the super brief cliff note version with lots of pictures…who reads the text anyways?!

Let's start with December 2nd. Ronnie wasn't feeling great so he went into the hospital…

…Uh oh, I think I just heard a few people hurl themselves out of their windows. I won't back up that far and I'll speed it up...

Ronnie was in the hospital. Mckenna and I kept ourselves busy. This stay was actually really great. As I mentioned, I decided to try something new this stay. Mckenna and I took a trip. I was nervous because I had never taken a trip just the two of us, but it actually went flawlessly. We flew to Florida to visit my Grammy. We spent 5 days there and then, since we flew in and out of Orlando, we spent 3 days in Orlando and went to Disney. Here are a few pictures from that adventure:

The plane ride there looked about like this…SCORE!

We did some exploring at Grammy's

We got lots of Grammy cuddles

We took lots of selfies at Disney because that's what you do when you're alone with a kid waiting in lines.

We napped on a train at Disney

We took more selfies (she looks excited, I look tired)

We waited...

And waited…but sometimes with new "friends"…for all you germophobes, I'm sure the ground she's laying on is suuuuper clean. I may or may not have remembered to wash her hands before eating. I may or may not have lost mom of the year (again) through this series of events that day!

We even took selfies on rides. She looks less excited because this was the end of the day…I look more excited because this was the end of the day!

The plane ride home was just as easy as the plane ride there

We looked like this going through the airport…some people smiled at me. Some shook their heads. Every mom gave me that "You got this, Mom. You can do this." look! You moms out there know exactly that glance we give each other!

We then got home and time slowed a bit. We had killed two weeks of Ronnie's stay getting ready for and being excited about our trip, and then we got home and the clock stopped. We did some daddy visits (which actually make time go REALLY slowly. I think hours are twice as long when you have a toddler in a hospital room, right? I think that's scientific fact). Then Mckenna and I went and saw Santa. It was a 4 hour drive there and a 4 hour drive back. And we got stuck up there, caught in a snow storm. I may never go to the North Pole ever, ever again. It would have been worth it, except Mckenna was pretty miserable 98% of the time.

This is how she felt about pictures all day.

She looks happy, but I think she was actually mocking me…how does it start so early?

She was REALLY excited to see Mrs. Claus…until she saw her.

She was equally as suspicious of this elf.

This was my 4th attempt at a photo with the Polar Express train…Are you noticing a trend for the day?

We were snowed in…so I taught her the art of room service and breakfast in bed.

I've read this is the safest time to take a picture ;-)

But before we knew it, Daddy was home. And all was right with the world:

Ronnie came home on the 23rd. So that brought us right into Christmas. We had a wonderful Christmas. We saw his family on Christmas eve, and mine on Christmas day. The day after Christmas we headed to Mexico for a little family getaway with my parents and brother and sister in law.

All in all it was a great holiday season, and we are so thankful for all the many blessings and memories in 2013. 2013 was full of a lot of highs and a handful of lows, but through it all we are so grateful for all we have been given. We are excited for whatever is to come in 2014!