Everyday things that make me smile...

Flowers-roses and lilies, but especially Gerber daisies. I have a pot of Gerber daisies out my kitchen window that makes me smile all summer. And in the winter I try to keep fresh flowers around.

My boys and Elsie-they tell lots of corny jokes, that make me smile in spite of myself.

joke glasses

goggle pictures are always good for a grin

Elsie in all her princess glory

 

Baby smiles-Meredith's huge toothy grins. I love how when you smile at a baby, they smile back. Its amazing.

Clean babies-that powdery, clean baby smell.

Order and neatness-when everything is in its place, it makes me smile.

Sunshine-I live in MI. Need I say more?

Teaching-telling children stories, and passing on cool things I've learned. It is so much fun to connect the dots, and see the understanding in their eyes.

Pandora stations-Motown, Leahy, and the Beach Boys.

Chocolate-I bet nobody would have guessed that one.=)

Milk and cookies.

Snail mail letters-not just bills and junk.

Coffee-that indescribable first sip of the day. I always have hot cocoa in the first cup. Delicious habit.

The guy that has brought me coffee almost everyday for the past 10 years.

Good books-Personal favorite is Pride and Prejudice. "It is universally understood that a young man in possession of a fortune must be in want of a wife." Makes me grin every time. And it just gets better. I love character nuances. 

The sound of water-Waves crashing on beaches. Fountains. Waterfalls. I DON"T smile at the sound of rushing water when Brian Marcus is doing the dishes. Nor at the size of the resulting water bill.

Reaching goals.

A good run.

Scotch tape-I LOVE the smell of scotch tape. It is the only thing about gift wrapping that makes me smile.

The scale number slowly creeping downward. I'd smile bigger if it moved faster. But, progress is progress.

Hanging with friends, family, and Brian. That always makes me smile.

Writing this blog-it is a lot of fun.=)

how can you NOT smile at/with them?

Toenail polish-another blog for another day.

Fall-apple cider, donuts, crisp mornings, warm days, colorful trees.

Racing P.M.

This Saturday marks my first race "post Meredith." Two years ago I ran my first race-the Susan G. Komen-at Rivertown. As I get back into running, I think it is fitting that I am running the same race again.  Running has been a stretching/raising the bar experience for me. I really don't enjoy running. I love the high I am on when I am done. And I really like racing. I'm not the fastest runner ever.(that is a putting it mildly) But racing is amazing. You feel part of a community as you are generally racing for a cause. It is often intimidating-seeing all these runners in professional racing duds and wondering if you are way out of your league, and will come in last. I remember being at the Komen race, and lining up according to your pace. There was the 6 minute milers, 7 minutes, 8 minutes, 9 minutes...and I'm looking for the 10 minute pacers. Not anywhere to be found. I thought, "I'm going to be last, I'm going to be last." And yet I wasn't. And I discovered I could go a whole lot faster than I thought. All those early morning runs paid off. I was hooked. I ran several more races in the next year-5ks, 10ks, and my personal high and favorite-the half marathon. I was at my peak. It was beautiful running through Holland. I did better than I thought I would. It was great. An amazing experience. And then I got pregnant...and hardly ran at all for 10 months. I was determined to run a race this weekend though, so I started training again in July. There were bumps to overcome, like a hip out of joint from baby. And nursing a newborn, and trying to get a schedule that works for both of us. And extra weight. Let me tell you, a little extra weight goes a long way-toward making your run harder. Everything just didn't pop back the way I hoped it would. Hills were hard, muscles needed reminding, breathing needed regulated. So here I am, at my goal race time, and I don't feel ready. Will I truly be last this time? Will I be able to run most of it? I know I can finish, but how well?

I have raced to tunes, and not to tunes. I've decided music-less is the way to go for me. But each race God gives me a verse. My mantra. For the half marathon it was, "run with endurance the race set before you...looking unto Jesus."(Hebrews 12:1, 2) This week God gave me Philipians 4:13-"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." So, it may not be pretty, it may not be my best time, but it will be God who keeps me going, my legs a-pumping.

Just Starting Out

As I contemplated starting a blog, I wondered, why? Aren't there enough other people talking about themselves? What would make mine any different?
I guess I can say, this won't be a rant or political blog. I vote, I occasionally read the Drudge report, and I read the funny columns in the biweekly political magazine we subscribe to, but I'm really not "in" to politics. Though I can be described as a barefoot hippie, I would never be described as "green". I believe in conservation, not tree hugging. I don't recycle, though my husband's scrap metal recycling pays for a lot of our dates. I eat healthy-lots of fruits and vegetables-but I don't do organic. Probably if there is a band wagon, I'm not on it.
See, I've always been a do my own thing kind of girl. Even when everyone else looks at me like I'm crazy. That's why I didn't wear panty hose at my wedding, I have home births and I believe in "just saying no". I was raised in the 80s, and learned that lesson well, though I don't think I apply it the way it was intended.=) I made a decision at age 12 that I wanted to serve Jesus Christ with my whole life, whatever that would look like. He is my Lord and Savior-He died on the cross to pay the price for my sins. I owe Him everything. And I try to filter every activity though that filter.
So, though this won't include politics, or rants, it will maybe cover a little bit of everything else. I love to cook and try new recipes-so maybe I'll include some of those. I have 4 kids-Brian Marcus(9), Ethan(7), Elsie(4), and Meredith(3months), whom I love, and with whom I spend a ton of time, so it may have some stuff about them. I love my husband, Brian, too. We've been married for 10 years, and our favorite thing to do is spend time with each other. So, I will probably talk about him too. I love eating out, when I'm not cooking, so maybe I will share some restaurant reviews. I'm always reading, so maybe I will review a book or two. I swim and run for fitness and fun, so I'm sure those activities will get time too.
Life isn't just about the "big" things. The mountains. It is about the everyday WALK. I hope to share some of that...what my life consists of, what's happening, what I'm learning. All the little stuff that makes life very enjoyable.