Workout Wednesday

You peeps seemed to enjoy Mandi posting our workout last Wednesday, so we figured it could be something we do going forward. If it's something you want to try at home, some equipment may be needed, but it can be done at a pretty minimal cost. Also, much of it can be done with body weight.

Here is our workout for today:

WARMUP (*Each exercise is done for 45 seconds*)
Fast squats
Basement squats
Jump squats
Lunge forward right
Lunge forward left

STATION 1 (**Each exercise is done for 1 minute**)
Burpee
Squat front raise
Fast princess lunge right
Fast princess lunge left
Squat jump
Hover

STATION 2
Hang squat
Dead lift
High/Low up down
Princess lunge right
Princess lunge left
Fast squat

STATION 3
Sprawl
Triceps pushup
Swings
Plank to push up
Dips
Run 200 meters

STATION 4
Plank to pushup
Clean and Press
Squat upright row
Spider pushup
Mountain climbers
Hover

STATION 5
Squat press
Shoulder press
Squat jumps
Wall sit left leg only
Wall sit right leg only
Wall sit shoulder press


Active recovery
Hold a plank position for 15 seconds
5 push-ups
Hold a plank position for 15 seconds
4 push-ups
Hold a plank position for 15 seconds
3 push-ups
Hold a plank position for 15 seconds
2 push-ups
Hold a plank position for 15 seconds
1 push-up

Fast squats for 30 seconds
Basement squats for 30 seconds
Squat jumps for 30 seconds
Repeat sequence 4 times

DONE

I've Got A Bug In My Ear

No, seriously, like an actual bug in my actual ear. No, not right now, but last week yet it feels as if it was just yesterday. I'll write this in a way that you can hopefully get inside my thought process that night. Here's the story...

It was around 1:10am and I was sleeping like a baby. At 1:11am, a massive thunder storm rolled into our bedroom because all I could hear in my left ear was the rumbling of what seemed to be thunder booming in my ear. But wait, that couldn't be right. If it were thunder, I would hear it in both of my ears. So I went on to the second most logical reason for the thunderstorm playing in my ear - water. I dug around in my ear to see if I could feel any kind of liquid in there. I shook my head like a mad man seeing if I could get the water in my ear to drain. And, out of pure desperation it seems, I actually turned my cellphone light on to see if we had a leak in our roof above me as I could think of no other way that water got inside of my ear. After shaking, checking, prodding and poking - no water.

What could it be then I thought? Oh I know, somehow my eardrum was randomly punctured and now fluid was leaking from my ear. Did I turn on my pillow to fast causing a suction so powerful that it blew my eardrum? Did Mandi yell so loudly during her dream that my delicate eardrum was shattered? And just like that it was gone....

...or so I thought. Just when I thought my eardrum had magically healed itself, I heard the thunder again. Only this time, it definitely sounded more like scratching than thunder.

Oh my. It's a bug.

This is when the pain started. Not only am I now convinced there is a bug in my ear, but I'm pretty sure its trying to chew its way through my ear drum. Maybe this is where the fluid is coming from? Okay Ronnie, enough with the fluid, just worry about the bug now. Ouch, the pain in getting worse. I cupped my hand over my ear and had it act like a plunger trying to unclog a toilet. In between each bite, I thought maybe I could somehow suck this bug out of my ear by some type of reverse vacuum pressure that I was creating. Strike one. I know, I'll get a bobby pin and scrape this little bugger out. I was deep inside my ear. He was angry. I kept scraping. He kept moving. I scraped harder. He stopped moving. Oh, great, now my ear is bleeding. I sure hope this is because I split him in half and not because he finally burrowed his way into my brain. Maybe I should get Mandi. It'd be much better to wake her up, explain to her that a bug is currently eating my brain and that I'm going to E.R. than it would be for her to find me facedown on the bathroom floor due to a bug eating my brain. Before I get Mandi though, I should probably Google this.

Shoot, my ear is still bleeding and this guy is moving all around again. Okay, so I didn't kill him, but I definitely cut myself. At least he's not in my brain though, that's a relief. I stick some q-tips in my ear to soak up and clean off some of the blood before heading to the computer.

Google says that my best bet is to A) Fill my ear with olive oil to kill the bug B) Stick a syringe full of water in my ear and blast it in my ear canal as to hopefully wash the bug out and C) Make sure all of the bug is intact and no part is left in your ear.

Seems easy enough.

I grabbed a syringe, filled it up with water and gave my ear a fireman hose blast (I skipped the olive oil). Nothing. Fill up the syringe again. Push....nothing. Okay, if this doesn't work, I may have to call in a professional. Third time is a charm right? Blast.

And that's when it happened. First, he hit my shoulder and then down into the sink he fell. And there he was, looking as relieved as I was to be rid of each other....

An earwig.

Of course.

Faith Like a Child

I don't really have much to share today other than a little observation from the weekend. We've all heard the phrase, "faith like a child"…and it's so humbling (and inspirational) to watch.

Yesterday, Mckenna swam for the first time this season (it was finally warm enough to actually get all the way in my parents' pool). It was amazing. She was nervous, at first, to jump in off the side, something she loved to do last summer. But after a little time, and Ronnie and Papi (my dad) telling her it was ok, she jumped. And then there was no stopping her. She wanted to have tea parties underwater, touch her feet to the bottom, swim to the edge and pull herself up, swim across the pool underwater holding onto daddy and Papi. It was amazing. And the thing I kept thinking was, "she's trying all these things simply because she trusts her daddy." Common sense (and human instinct) tells us not to hold our breath under water for long periods of time, but daddy said it was safe, so she did it…over and over again.

It was a humbling reminder of all the fun and exciting things I could be doing if I just jumped in and trusted my (heavenly) father. What am I missing out on being too scared to make the first jump? How's that for a short and deep blog for a Monday?!

I'll leave you with this:

Thankful Thursday: God's Provision & "Our Thing"

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 6 minutes of squats. I love a hard workout…once it's over. Yesterday our class had a "half time break" that was 6 minutes of squats. 6 MINUTES! 30 seconds of fast squats alternated with 30 seconds of bottom half squats….for 6 minutes straight. It was brutal, but it was awesome. You could feel yourself getting stronger by the amount of burn that was happening in your legs. I'm thankful I have somewhere I can workout and push myself.

I'm thankful for hard boiled eggs. They taste delicious and are healthy…but above all, I just love the way Mckenna says, "hard boiled eggs". She has about 14 extra syllables in the words and it makes me smile every time we asks for them. 

I'm thankful for God's provision and goodness. I am constantly surprised by what God provides for our family. I'm not sure why, as eventually you'd think I'd realize He will always show up in a way that is best for us, yet, I am constantly in awe. Sure we don't get everything we want, but we get all that we need and all that is right for us. Even through disappointments, God provides in ways bigger and better than my original plan. We have a little mantra in this house, "God is always good," that I try to drill into Mckenna's head. When asked, "even when things aren't perfect, what do we always know?" Mckenna will respond, "God is always good." As of now, she's just being a parrot, echoing what she's been told, but if she can one day understand and truly believe in God's goodness, even in tough times or sad circumstances, life will look a lot different for her. Life will always feel more joyful and filled with so much more peace. What a joy it is to serve a God who is always good, always shows up, and always has a plan.

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for "our thing". On most Wednesdays, Mandi heads down to Tucson for a staff meeting which means it's just Mckenna and I from about 6am to 4pm or so. The ten straight hours is the most time we spend one-on-one with each other with no breaks, and I love it! Most Wednesdays we have the same routine which has become "our thing" - Breakfast, Treatment, Hang out (park, movie, bubbles, etc), Gym, Lunch, Nap, Mall, Costco, Home. She always gets special little candies at the mall, tours the puppy store and gets to play with 67 other children. We also get fun snacks at Costco and try to spot new items in the store. Wednesday is definitely one of my favorite days...along with the other 6.

I'm thankful for hard-boiled eggs. For the last week or so, we've all been really into hard-boiled eggs. We have eggs every morning, but usually would just do egg whites or a fried over easy/medium/hard. Mckenna seems to really dig them hard-boiled, and they've always been a favorite of mine, so I'm thinking we'll stick with them for a while.

I'm thankful for March Madness. There is nothing like the NCAA basketball tournament, and I can't wait to have it playing 24 hours a day. We all fill out a bracket - for nothing but bragging rights - and get sucked into many games throughout the day. By we, I of course am just talking about me...although Mandi did win the bracket competition last year.

What about you? What are you thankful for today?

Workout Wednesday: Today's Workout

We talk all the time on the blog about how much we love our Intensity class at the gym. It's 45 minutes worth of butt kicking. I thought today's workout was a good one, and one that can be done at home if you have some kettlebells, or you could do the exercises with just your body weight, dumbbells or resistance tubing.

Warm Up

15 burpees

50m sprint

50m frog jumps

200m run

Stations - The starred exercise is done between each exercise. Each main exercise is done for 1 min. Each starred exercise is done for 30 seconds. So it looks like main exercise for 1 minute, starred exercise for 30 seconds, main exercise 1 minute, starred exercise 30 seconds, etc...

Station 1

**Straddle jumps

Kettlebell Hang squats

Kettlebell Deadlifts

Kettlebell pushups

Kettlebell Sumo squats

Station 2 

**Burpees

Kettlebell Swings

Kettlebell Clean and press

Kettlebell Squat upright row

Kettlebell Squat press

"Half time" 

6 min of squats (no breaks between sets) - alternating:

30 sec fast squats

30 sec bottom half squats

Station 3

**Kettlebell Jack press

Jump squats

Alternating lunge back Kettlebell press

Fast squats

Squat step outs - step out with left leg and squat, step in with left leg and squat, step out with right leg and squat, step in with right leg and squat. Repeat.

Station 4

**Kettlebell Shoulder press

Jack pushups

Plank to push ups

Push up alternating leg raise (body in push up position, lift one leg, then the other. Repeat)
Bicycle crunches

Julie Montes - You Will Be Missed, Friend.

I don't do many memory posts (I believe this is my third one ever) on this blog, but after the recent
death of a cyster that I spent plenty of time with roaming the halls of University Medical Center, I felt compelled to. And it's funny, I don't feel compelled to because I think it will make any difference in her now awesome life, I'm not so sure she'll read it, but I'm doing it for me. Maybe that's why we all do it though? I don't know. I wasn't planning on writing about her or her death until about 3 minutes ago when this overwhelming feeling came over me that I needed to say something. I needed to write down what I remembered of her and needed to put to paper the different things about her that are currently making me smile.

Julie Montes was one of the softest, most gentle-hearted and loving people that I'm come to know within the walls of the hospital I've been going to my whole life. We saw each other very infrequently outside of those walls, but within them, we always connected. Conversation never waned, and although I hated seeing her under those circumstances, I was always eager to stop by her room for a chat when I saw her name on the "big board".

The first thing I noticed about Julie every time that I saw her was her eyes (I'm sure I'm not alone in this). It wasn't because of the physical presence or look of her eyes though, but because her eyes always told her story. You could see how she was feeling, or what emotion she was either exuding or holding back just by looking at her eyes. And when I picture her eyes now, I see a smile. Even though it was rare that I saw her smile, sense it was usually covered by a mask, I saw her smile through her eyes. She smiled a lot. She giggled often. Being in her presence always made me feel happy. That's just who she was.

I don't mourn her death though. My heart certainly breaks for her husband, friends and family she left behind, but I know that we are all currently celebrating the life she lived and more importantly, the life she lives now. Like me, Julie was a servant of Jesus Christ. We had many wonderful conversations about our mutual faith and both trusted the Lord fully with what He wanted to do with our lives. Although Julie was called Home much earlier than any of us wanted, her Father wanted her back. She was ready to go.

So Julie, tell Dad I said hello, and if you could, put in a word for me that I'm not quite ready yet. Thanks. You will be missed....but I will see you again, friend.

Mandi Monday: "Which One?"

Mckenna is still a talker. She talks ALL. THE. TIME. She comes by it honestly (whoops) as I talk a ton, my mom talks a ton, and my Grammy talks a ton. It's a blessing and a curse as a toddler (probably is also as an adult. Ha!) I love that she says all that she's feeling, so I know. I love getting into her brain. I don't so much love that she asks the same question 392938 times just to fill air time.  My favorite part about her talking these days, however, are the adorable things that come out of her mouth. Here are some recent highlights:

"I miss you" - Usually I can figure out the root of what she's saying, or what she thinks it means and therefore why she's using it how she's using it…but in the case of this phrase, I'm not so sure. She says it all the time. Sometimes she says it when we've been apart. But usually she says it when we've been together. She just randomly will say, "mommy, I miss you." I'm not sure if she thinks "I miss you" and "I love you" are interchangeable. Maybe she thinks "miss you" actually means the opposite of what it does. Regardless, I love hearing those three little words come out of her mouth.

"Thank" - This is Mckenna's version of "thanks". I've tried to emphasize the "s" to show her it's "thanks"but she doesn't so much care, and really, I don't care either. To hear a sweet little "thank" out of her mouth is cute.

"What time is it?" - She asks this when wondering when something is. "Today we have dance class." "What time is it dance class?" The funny thing is she wants to know an actual time…like "9 o'clock". She even repeats it back like she is confirming it. It cracks me up since she has no idea what time that actually is, how long 2 hours feels, etc. But it's just so cute as I try to explain all those things to her in question after question series of questions that follows the "what time is it?"

"Just a little teeny tiny…" - This is her bargaining method. When asking if she can use something, have something, etc she knows may not fly, she throws in that she wants "just a little teeny tiny" at the end of the request. She usually says it in an angelic voice while making the "small/little" sign with her fingers (you know holding your thumb and pointer finger close together), and adds this little cute shoulder raise she does when she's asking a question.

"Just like you" - Mckenna likes to do things like we do. She likes to use the cups we use, or eat the food we are eating, or partake in an activity that we are doing. This simple little phrase makes my heart so happy. I love nothing more than when she asks for something so she can be just like me. "I want wear my jeans, just like you…" It melts my heart. I remind myself, however, that she wants to be just like me…so I need to axe all the behaviors I don't want her emulating. "I want soda just like you"….umm no. "I want candy just like you"….errr not at 9AM.

"Which one?" - I have a love-hate relationship with this question. She asks it all the time. Most the time, it's not used correctly and I actually have NO idea what she's trying to ask, so I repeat back what I think she's meaning to say as the question, and then answer the question I made up. A conversation could go like this:
               Me: Oh look, a school bus!
               Mckenna: Which one?
               Me: What do you mean which one? The one right there.
               Mckenna: Which one?
               Me: Do you mean "where is it?"….It's over there (said while pointing)

But sometimes it can look like this:
               Me: Oh look, a school bus!
               Mckenna: Which one?
               Me: What do you mean which one? The one right there.
               Mckenna: Which one?
               Me: Do you mean "where is it?"….It's over there (said while pointing)
               Mckenna: Which one?
               Me: I don't know what you're asking. There's only one bus, so it's that bus. The bus right    there. The only bus you can see. Do you have another way of saying what you want to know?

It's semi-cute when she says it. But it also usually leads a really long guessing game that I only have patience for 60% of the time :)

I love hearing what's happening in that little brain in fragmented and limited words. I love when she misuses or mispronounces words. I love her little Minnie Mouse voice. I think these are some of the things I will miss most when she grows up.

Thankful Thursday: March & CF Community

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 late mornings. Mckenna is usually an early morning kind of gal…a gal after my own heart really. She usually is up between 5:45 and 6:15. But thanks to a little exhaustion from all of last week's traveling, she has been sleeping in this week until 7:15 (which in the morning hours, feels like an eternity)!

I'm thankful for smoothies. We've been drinking a ton of them as the weather is heating up, and boy are they delicious.

I'm thankful for March. March in Arizona is amazing. The weather is perfect. The sun is shining. It is a great time to be outside and enjoying all of God's creation in this area!
Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for powdered creamer. I go back and forth between milk with sweetener and powdered creamer, and right now, I'm on the dry stuff. Considering I'm probably knocking down 4-8 cups of coffee a day right now, it's a pretty vital part of my day. I'm not a drink coffee for energy kind of guy, I'm a drink coffee because its a habit and I love the taste kind of a guy.

I'm thankful for March in Arizona. March is probably my favorite month of the year. I have very fond memories of the buzz around the U of A campus during "March Madness" and the weather is almost perfect everyday of the month. Now that I'm a homeowner, it's also the month that the yard starts greening up like crazy!

I'm thankful for the CF community. I recently gave a call-out for those that would be interested in being a part of an advisory board we're putting together at CysticLife. Well, the response was so overwhelming, that we've had to add some steps to the selection process just to pare down all of the interested folks from the community. It's a great problem to have!

What about you? What are you thankful for today?

Wordless Wednesday: First Dance Class

Mckenna started some fun classes at a local rec center this week. Each class is 45 minutes long. Monday is dance, Tuesday is tumbling, and Friday is a "sports" class (where each week they do a different sport). We want Mckenna to be active, but don't care what she chooses to do for activity and exercise. We figured putting her in a bunch of different classes would allow us to see what she liked best and what she was good at, before throwing her into something more time consuming that we randomly selected for her.

So far, so good. She loved her dance and tumbling classes. It is possibly one of the cutest things of all time to watch her wiggle and move to music. She definitely doesn't look like a child prodigy so far, but it's super endearing to watch. It's heartwarming to watch her adorable little self try to emulate some of the movements and skills. I love watching her brain try to process what she's seeing and recreate the movement.

Here is a video from dance class numero uno:

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We're Still Here

Welp, clearly things have gotten away from us. Life has been a bit nutty these last couple weeks…shoot these last couple months, and well, this little journal we call RSBR has been a bit neglected. We promise to try to nurture this bad boy a little more going forward.

Here's what's been going on with us…

We went to Lancaster, PA last week, Saturday to Wednesday for my Grandpa's funeral. He passed away in AZ, but my Grandma is buried near where they lived in PA, so that's where he wanted to be buried also. Believe it or not, it is pretty easy (and inexpensive) to ship a body…if you're wondering how to transport your next murder victim. I kid. Anyways, we went to PA for a few days. It was a great trip. We enjoyed time with family, seeing and meeting all those who loved my Grandpa, and seeing a little snow. My Grandpa would have loved how the services went and turned out, and we were really grateful for all the people that came to celebrate such an incredible man. The one interesting aspect was having a toddler at an open casket visitation. Mckenna posed a lot of questions, but seemed to handle it all well. It's certainly an impossible concept to grasp that Pa's body is in the room, but that the rest of him now "lives in heaven at Jesus' house," as we told her. We weren't sure if we should let her be there and see him, but I'm glad we made the decision we did. I think we often make death so scary in our culture. But I want it to be something Mckenna feels comfortable with. I want her to learn that there's joy in a Christ-follower going to "live at Jesus' house". So that's what we did. We called it Pa's party and Pa's funeral party. We were real. We showed how we were feeling. She, of course, saw tears. But I tried my best to offset any tears with talk of how much joy Pa was feeling and what fun he was having.

When we got home from PA, it was a quick turn around. Ronnie had a work trip to FL already booked for a speaking commitment, and Mckenna and I had a trip to CA planned with my friend and her two girls. The trip to California was amazing. It certainly wasn't relaxing, as I'm pretty sure a trip with 3 little girls under 3 is never a recipe for R and R, but it was a trip full of fun, memories, and a lot a laughs. Here's the only group shot we got, and it's a miracle everyone was still long enough to fit into one frame…However, expecting all of us to be looking at the camera would have been asking too much :)

All in all it's been a busy couple weeks filled with a lot of love, a lot of quality time, and a lot of thankfulness for all our many blessings.

Thankful Thursday: Happy Ending & The Cross

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 a happy ending. My grandfather passed away late Sunday night (technically Monday morning, I suppose) and it was truly a happy ending. He was an incredible man. He lived a full 88 years of life, and he lived them well. He moved from Pennsylvania to Arizona (just minutes from my parents' house) in December, so we got to spend a lot of time with him in the last couple months of his life. He started feeling sick on Saturday night and went to the hospital, so we had an indication that things weren't great and all got to spend a lot of time with him on his last day. My aunt even had time get to AZ from Kansas City before he passed. And he took his last breaths, comfortably, with all of us holding him, telling him "I love you", praying together, and listening to his favorite song "It is well with my soul". While it is sad, and we will miss him dearly, I am so thankful for such a happy ending.

I'm thankful for the cross. Death can be sad. But when the person that dies is a believer, it's only sad for those of us left on this side of heaven. My grandfather knew Jesus. He believed that God sent his only son to die on the cross for our sins, and he had a personal relationship with Him. The best day of my grandpa's life was on Sunday. He was ready to go home, and I'm certain he's never felt joy like he did when he ran to meet his Savior face to face. I could not be more thankful, and joyful, about that reunion!

I'm thankful for humor. For those of you that know my family, you know that there is very little that will prevent us from joking around. In fact, there are very few subject matters and even fewer life situations that escape our humor. And man am I thankful for it. To be able to sit in a hospital room in a situation that could be very tense, yet have the ability to joke and laugh, it makes my heart so full. My grandpa felt "pretty miserable", yet he was cracking jokes as he laid there. Waiting in the hall during procedures, we had to keep our giggles down as to not disrupt his peers in the ICU. Sitting in his room after he had passed, even as death sat present in front of us, we found humor wherever it could be found. None of us take life too seriously, especially in some of life's most critical junctions. And I am really thankful that that is the case. A good laugh seems to make all things in life feel ok.

I'm thankful for opportunities to learn and to teach. This one may get heavy, but I'll go there. I'm thankful that in my grandfather's death, I was able to learn and to teach. I have never been present when someone has died, and I have never seen different aspects of the funeral planning process. But I was able to experience those two things this week and in a huge way, I'm thankful. I think things can look really scary in our minds. Yet often times, when we see them played out, they are ok, and in some ways, beautiful. Being married to someone with a terminal illness (even if they claim they will live forever - right, Ronnie?!) can bring a lot of questions surrounding death, dying, and details after dying. I'm actually thankful I got to see some of it played out this week because, well, it all felt ok! And I'm REALLY thankful for that. I'm also thankful that it gave me the opportunity to teach. Mckenna is young and doesn't get it, at all. But I know our words, attitudes, and actions will be buried somewhere deep in her little subconscious. I'm not sure what the future holds for any of us, but I am really thankful that I had an opportunity to have conversations with her about salvation, death, and the joy of going to heaven. I think we make death too sad and scary in our culture. We have a personal relationship with God, I think death should be celebrated, not feared. And I hope Mckenna can truly believe that in all of her life experiences.

Ronnie's List:


Mandi said that she had a lot to be thankful for and what she was sending me was going to be longer than usual. I decided to read her's before writing mine. After reading what she's thankful for this week, I think it may be best that I just tell you how much I love and respect my wife. I am so lucky and blessed to have her be my partner in crime and mother to my child. I love you honey.

What about you? What are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday: New Kitchen & BART

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 girlfriends. This weekend I'm headed up to Northern AZ with some wonderful girlfriends to enjoy some time together. And in two weeks, Mckenna and I head to California with my girlfriend and her daughters for a girls trip. I am so blessed to have such amazing women in my life. It's incredible to have fun, encouraging friends to do life with.

I'm thankful for our new kitchen. I feel so blessed to have been able to give our kitchen a facelift. I know that is was most certainly a want and not a need, so I feel so thankful that we were able to do it.

I'm thankful for this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/19/norwegians-boy-without-jacket_n_4815716.html. This video made me choke up and my heart swell with love and joy. In a world where the news is filled with horrible stories, this video is a ray of hope showing the love and compassion that is still everywhere around us.

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for free breakfast buffets. I stayed in a hotel all last week and was able to take full, and I mean FULL, advantage of all that it had to offer. Now, one interesting thing about this particular hotel buffet was that you had to microwave many of the breakfast foods - bacon, breakfast sandwiches, hash browns, etc - but, they did have fresh waffles with strawberries and whipped creme. Yes please.

I'm thankful for Happy Hours. On the same note, when I first got into San Francisco, I opened up my trusty Yelp app and identified all restaurants within walking distance that had Happy Hour specials. No, not because I drink, but because I don't like paying full price for food. So, between the free breakfast buffet and happy hour early dinners, I mostly lived off of 2 meals and snacks throughout the day. I easily ate for less than 20 bucks a day. Not bad.

I'm thankful for public transportation. There has never been a huge need for public transportation any place that I have lived, so when it's available, I tend to take full advantage of it. And I guess I should be clear, I'm not talking busses, I'm talking trains, subways and trolleys. I used BART as much as I could last week and I loved it!

What about you? What are you thankful for today?

Does CF Consume Your Life?

Do you feel like CF consumes your life?

I get asked quite a bit if it feels like CF consumes my life since I do so many treatments and make sure that I exercise daily. I of course don't feel like my life is all about CF, but I thought it would be handy to put it into numbers to see if I could make it more clear. So, for this little exercise, I'll take 2012 vs. 2008. I'm taking these two years because they seem to be the average year before and after I got serious, or better put, "re-serious" about my health.

2008 in hours
Treatments: 547
Exercise: 182
Hospital Stays: 1680
Total hours devoted to cystic fibrosis: 2409 or 28% of all available hours

2012 in hours

Treatments: 1095

Exercise: 547

Hospital Stays: 720

Total hours devoted to cystic fibrosis: 2362 or 26% of all available hours

So when you look at those numbers, it looks like a wash right? I'm still devoting basically the same number of hours per year towards "taking care of business" when it comes to CF. However, looking deep into the numbers you'll see that in 2012 I am spent double the amount of time doing treatments, triple the amount of time exercising but less than half of the time in the hospital when compared to 2008. I don't know about you, but I would MUCH rather be doing treatments and exercising vs. being in the Hole. 

There are a couple more important numbers however that need to be thrown into this equation:

2008 lung function

Highest high: 79% FVC 68% FEV1

Lowest low: 64% FVC 54% FEV1

2012 lung function

Highest high: 87% FVC 74% FEV1

Lowest low: 78% FVC 63% FEV1

**It should also be noted that

a) I started a new predicted model in 2009 that would have actually had my 2012 numbers even higher compared to my 2008 numbers and

b) Since "on average" "they" say that "lung functions declines by 2% per year", my net gain is actually even higher!

Now, CF is definitely more about lung function and those numbers don't always correlate with how I feel. I can tell you this without a doubt though, if I had to quantify how I felt in 2012 vs. how I felt in 2008, it wouldn't even be close.

In 2012 I could...

breathe better.

laugh longer.

run further.

sleep sounder.

expect a brighter future.

So if 2012 was an average year of awesomeness, 2008 wouldn't have even of registered on the same scale.

We all know that cystic fibrosis is about more than just numbers. But sometimes, numbers can help make things more clear. By looking at the numbers above, it's clear that the more I did for my health, the more my health did for me. Sure, a quarter of one's life devoted to anything seems like a lot, but I can tell you this, I've enjoyed the other 75% of my life a whole lot more in 2012 than I did back in 2008.

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.