Cowtown 09

Yay!!!

 My first official race is now hours in the past. Hard to believe I really did it! In fact, if it werent for the medal on my kitchen table and pain in my knee, I'd think I was having another race-inspired dream. Jennipher was the greatest running partner- encouraging until the very last 0.1 mile! She broke her personal record and I guess I set my own- 2:48! (side note: the official race clock said 2:53 BUT that was from the start of the race and due to the crowd -see pictures below!- it took us about 5 minutes to get to the starting line, so I just subtracted 5 from the finish time. I hope sometime soon to see my official time online) So I totally met my goal and then some! 

It was coooooooooold!!! Of course, all week long it was in the 70's-80's and even one day up to 90, but this morning the temperature was 37 degrees. With wind! Jennipher suggested we dress in layers and so I wore an old pair of fleece pants over my running tights, which some homeless guy (well, girl) will love- I lost them about 3 miles into it. You could tell everyone was beginning to warm up because there were shirts and gloves and hats all over the sides of the road! Pretty funny!! It wasn't until we crossed the finish line and I slowed down and stood around in the frigid cold that I wished I had my pants again. All in all, it was a pretty great experience! 

The Back of the Pack

Running Buddies!!! 

My sweet hubby was there to support me through the whole experience!

3727

Tomorrow is the big day!!!

The Cowtown will start bright & early (& cold & windy) at 730 on Main St. in downtown Ft. Worth. I'm excited to be running with my friend Jennipher and she's graciously said she'd entertain me the entire 13.1 miles. Say some prayers for us- for energy & stamina & warmth! My one goal (other than having fun & making it to the finish line) is to complete this in 3 hours. It's my first race and I havent done a long run in weeeeeks (remember the ice bath post?) so I hope I am right on target with my goal time. Jennipher said we'd go at an average of 12-13 min/mile. The race starts going down a big hill and finishes coming back up a big hill, so pacing will be super super important! Poor Jennipher doesn't know what's coming to her. 

I've got my tracker on my shoe!

I've got my gels packed & ready!

I've got my bib (#3727!)!

I've got a cute black & pink polka-dotted head wrap! (who says I cant be fab?!)

(pics to follow!)

Oopsy daisy!

I guess this is what I get for starting a blog on one computer and finishing it on another! I completely forgot to post a picture of the shower invite (I know many have been asking to see it!) So here it is:

Disappointed? Me too. I probably could have gone all-out with fun black & white additions, but when you gotta make 60+, you keep it pretty simple and that's exactly what I did. It still took me and 2 other people several hours just to get these together! And I didnt see until Saturday when I got my invite that i'd stupidly stupidly STUPIDLY spelled one of the hostess's names wrong! Oh what Humiliation!!! I'm a do-do head.

So what's next on the scrap/paper/cards front? Making some personalized stationery for a coworker friend of mine. I'm pretty thrilled for another paid gig... and hope maybe some more will come tumbling my way afterward! :) She's given me almost full creative leeway- she wants some casual and some formal and the main color is sage green. Otherwise, it's allllllll me. And that's pretty fun :) Time for a product plug? I think so.

I'm not usually such a fan of the DCWV stacks- mostly there's only 1-2 pages that I kind-of like and then the rest is just wasted paper-- but that allllllll changed when I set my eyes on the green stack! I saw this a month or so ago at a scrapbooking get-together at Shady Oaks and knew immediately I had to have it! And what's best? Its made from recycled paper! Yay for earth lovin, tree huggin, granola crunchin recycling! It has matching chipboard... what more can you ask for? I cant say if I'll ever use the animal sheets- if just for a kid's birthday card or something similar, but I cant get enough of the nature-inspired pages!  Love it! 

I'm on a mission for a few fabulous new outfits! I've got a lot of semi casual/dressy events coming up soon (Jordan's ordination, Jordan's many interviews, Jordan's graduation... my life revolves around my husband- can you tell???) and J's given me the go-ahead to buy to my heart's content! Well, to be more specific, I can get an outfit or 2. I dont know what I want, but I know I havent liked anything I've seen recently. Even my go-to stores are incredibly disappointing this time of year. So I need some suggestions! What is your no-fail store of choice when looking for fab new outfits? 

A Salute to Baby Carter!

It's finally come & gone!

The shower I've been planning since Catherine was 8 weeks pregnant is now hours in the past- hard to believe she's almost 36 weeks now!! So here are a few of my favorite pictures from today:

Our gorgeous mommy really really racked up on some great gifts! I am totally coveting the baby bag she got (pictured above)! Who knew there were baby bags that cute?? I think she got enough diapers to stock the hospital for... well maybe just a day. 2 diaper cakes, several boxes of diapers, like 4 jumbo packs of baby wipes. She'll be set for all of Carter's babyhood. 

Isnt Sheri's house beautiful??? We toured her house after the shower had ended and the rest of the house was just as incredible as the dining room. I think I could fit our entire apartment in her bathroom/closets. She has the cutest little murals on her kids' walls- her boy's room has a train going across the room with all sorts of things in the cars that are meaningful to him (including a painting of their dog, Dallas!). Her little girls' room has fairies and flowers and glittery fairy dust! Totally incredible. I think my favorite thing by far of her entire house was her refrigerator. Seriously- it was the size of 2 regular fridges side-by-side. Of course, it was completely camouflaged with custom cabinets. Can you even imagine it? Top to bottom, one side opens to the refrigerator, which is the size of a regular fridge/freezer (like the kind all us normal peeps have). And then you open the other size which is completely freezer- top to bottom, just like the fridge. I should've taken a picture of it. 

Yummmmmmm. Cupcakes. :) 

The fearless hostesses from L to R: Jennifer, Michele, Myself, Allison & Sheri. I'm thrilled to say that there was NO. Zilch. Zero girly drama. We had a fantastic time, of course, with a belly full of Taco Casa how can anyone not have fun!? I definitely didn't regret letting go of my control issues, because the girls didn't leave one detail unnoticed! 

Pretty mama & baby Carter! I hope hope hope she had a great time. It took a lot of work, showing the mini Martha Stewart that she's not the only one who can throw a cute shower. :) Seriously though, Catherine and Curtis are always hosting every type of gathering for any type of event that comes up. I can usually always count on her to host something for me, considering our apartment isn't always the most accommodating. Honestly- they're like our Texas family and I just want them to know how much Jordan & I love them!!!

Congratulations Curtis & Catherine!! Jordan and I cant wait to meet sweet little Carter! 

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Boy, what a wild few weeks we've had here...

Time to backtrack a bit, if I can remember where I left off last.

Last week prior to Baytown was a mass of babies. Probably some of the most hectic, crazy days at work I’ve experienced yet. People are still talking about how ugly last Tuesday & Wednesday were. Some of our awesome night shift girls are picking up extra shifts this week which made for a much needed reprieve from the chaos. Monday wasnt bad at all. Tuesday turned into one of those days that, as a labor nurse, I always hope to avoid. I tell people that L&D is 98% happy and 2% devastating. The 2% is enough to drive some people out of L&D and into other units. I have never once cried over a patient until Tuesday. It was the most heartbreaking situation i've been apart of to date and I left that night feeling like I'd been beaten. Just rehashing the events in my head has made me uneasy.

And to lighten the mood: one of the strangest requests from a patient recently? A pork-chop-scented-candle. Nice.

The big run is a week from tomorrow, which is SCARY. I'm afraid I am not in any way ready for all 13.1 miles I'm scheduled to do. My sweet friend Jennipher insists that I will do wonderfully- she's been such an encouragement! I haven't done another long run since the 8 miles I did a few weeks ago, and next week I'll have lots of time (I took some vacation time since I thought mom would be in town), but I dont want to do a long run the same week as the race. Yikes. Yikes. Yikes. Yikes. 

So we've now had 2 interviews! I've told several people so far what I think of these interviews. An interview for a secular job (for example, nursing) consists of submitting a resume, a 20-30 minute interview with at maximum 2 people; one from HR, one manager-type. Then it's either a yes or no. Easy! There's a maximum of 20-30 minutes of awkward questions, silly answers and strange pauses. Interviews for a church position are as follows (with some variations between churches...) : submit a resume with a picture and testimony, filling out a questionnaire or short phone call interview, meet and interview with the search committee, meet and interview with the personnel committee, meet and interview with other staff members, preach if asked to, go before the church for a vote. Then it's either a yes or no. Be mindful that usually days or weeks pass between each step in the process as committee members reconvene and pray together about God's will for their church. So instead of 20-30 minutes of awkward questions, silly answers and strange pauses, we're looking at 2-3 months of awkward questions, silly answers and strange pauses. The first interview was over Valentine's day weekend in Baytown/Dayton/Mont Belvieu/Old River TX. Basically, this is what it looked like:

I'd never been so close to SO many HUGE oil refineries!! Exxon, Shell, etc.... they were all there. It wasnt the most beautiful or sweet-smelling countryside, but I understand it's a big big part of this community. The church is actually in Old River (hence Old River Baptist Church), which is only probably a couple of square miles. Mont Belvieu has 2 stoplights. This is definitely a small industrial community. It's about 30ish minutes from Houston and about an hour from the in laws (they're on the southwest side of Houston). We arrived Friday afternoon, met with one of the youth workers, met the pastor, met the search committee. Then Saturday, Jordan's parents drove out and took us around the city and out to Pearland. Sunday, we went to sunday school and church and then out to lunch with the other ministers. It was a nice weekend, however, I dont think we have gotten a peace either way regarding this church. 

Then yesterday/today, we were in Rockport, TX  at First Baptist Church Rockport and this is what it looked like:

 

This was the pier off our hotel! It was beautiful! No hard feelings towards the church in Old River, but the hotel in Rockport was pretty incredible. Lets compare: On I-10 vs. On the Beach; Smoking vs. Non Smoking; Waking up at 2am to sounds of drunken hotel guests vs. waking up in the morning to the sounds of the ocean; Single room vs. Suite. Anyone looking for a wonderful summer retreat, look into the Lighthouse Inn. 

And obviously, our decision is based on more than a fabulous night in a beautiful hotel. The trip to Rockport was much abbreviated in comparison to Baytown. We drove (yes, drove to Rockport... which is a small peninsula to the northeast of Corpus Christi) down Thursday, ate dinner with the search committee, which was really dinner and not a firing squad of questions. After dinner, we toured the church and had a round-table interview with the search committee. After that, a sweet lady drove us around the city and down to the bay. This morning, the pastor and his family took us out to breakfast and we got another tour of the city (in the daytime). Shortly thereafter, we headed back to Fort worth. We are feeling pretty positive about this experience and are hoping that the committee chooses to continue to the next step (which, for FBC Rockport, I'm not sure what that step is.). 

We're just praying that God makes it completely clear to us where we're supposed to be. It may not necessarily be what seems most comfortable. Maybe the oil refineries are where it's at. And maybe we're meant to be beach bums. And maybe we're meant to be someplace else entirely... like, say Garland? Jordan has an interview in Garland tomorrow afternoon. 

Unlike the past interviews, I will not be at the Garland interview. I will be at Catherine's baby shower! I'm so excited- and relieved for this shower to finally be here. It's been monopolizing my life recently, which is partly my fault. I have some control issues (surprise!). I'm afraid there will be some girly drama brewing tomorrow, which hopefully will be avoided... somehow. I just owe Catherine so much and I hope that she is wonderfully blessed, surrounded by friends who love her and little Carter. I think if everyone can keep in mind that we're trying to in a small way repay the queen of hostessing, that in the end, little petty differences arent a big deal. I'll post pictures of the big day soon!!! 

Can you believe I went to San Marcos and didnt buy a single thing? What a shame.

Day # 9,012

Isn't it incredible the way God blesses us? 

"The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; he will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small & the great." Ps. 

115:12-13

I am continuously amazed at God's provision in our lives. He knows our needs before we even face them. 

Poooooooo

I am bummed.

Due to an unfortunate oral surgery my mom's had in the past week, and then her doctor's order for no exercise for 4 weeks.... she wont be running with me in the Cowtown. 

I hate that she has to endure some nasty nasty surgery (long story short: one of her crowns broke and got decay underneath and into the tooth. The tooth rotted away through her jawbone and up into her sinus. So the tooth and part of her jaw is gone now). I know she's having a lot of problems with pain, and knowing her previous issue with pain killers, she doesn't want to take narcotics. I hate that she's going through all this. 

And I really dislike that she's not going to be here with me. Running for 3 hours all by myself doesn't sound all that great compared to running for 3 hours with my mom there to encourage me. Jordan says I have to do it because I've already paid the registration fee. I should've run today but I'm so disappointed I just had no desire to go. I'll run tomorrow for sure and I'll keep running- I can finally see some sort of change in my body and running style. I've finally reached the point where running isn't such a chore and I hope to keep in shape for a long time. I kind of am surprised in myself that I've done so much already all by myself- I've trained up to this point with no partner and only the encouragement from my mom (from afar). Running 8 miles was pretty boring and I cant imagine that running 5 more than that will get any more exciting. I do know a few people that are planning to run and I'll hit them up for a little company and hopefully the 13 miles will go by quickly. 

Recents

Thank You Card

Valentine's Day (or other love-y occasion)

Kid birthday

Just a few things I've done recently. I keep meaning to take pictures of the cards, invitations, and announcements I've made, but for some reason dont. I've started making duplicates of my cards, just to save time later... like I think I have 6 other thank-you cards that look just like the one up top. I havent really done any scrapbooking whatsoever for all the cards and occasions I've been making stuff for recently. I could kick myself for not taking a picture of this card I made for a lingerie shower- it was probably one of my very favorites! I made this little bra & panties on the front with black glitter paper, zebra stripe paper, and black ribbon- all on a hot pink card! So CUTE! 

Week 4

Ok, so my schedule for week 4 is as follows: 4.5 - 3 - 4.5 - 8.

And with a 5 day work week (Yes, I'm an idiot- that's FIVE 12 hour days I signed up for.) and an ice storm thrown in the middle, I didnt come close to finishing the week. I knew I'd be working a lot, which was the main reason I wanted to do 8 miles last week. The ice storm closed the gym down for several days and I'm not dedicated enough to run in 20 degree sleeting/raining weather. So I only ended up completing the first 2 days. Shameful, I know. This week should be better (plus, I'm not working 5 days... just the usual 3.), although I run 5 - 3 - 5 - 6.5. That makes me tired just thinking about it!