God's Refinement in Suffering

6 “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1Peter 1:6-7

Social distancing, schools being canceled for months, extra curricular activities postponed until further notice, restaurants, salons, harbor shops, anything "non-essential" being forced to close, death tolls and the number of positive patients with the virus rising, and a threat of mandatory curfew lingering for many US cities. Suddenly, our schedules are quieted, the busyness swept away, we’ve been asked to stay home and wait out the storm. 

This is unchartered territory for those of us who have been slaves to an overwhelmed schedule. How will we choose to spend our time? Will we fall victim to the fear that is almost palpable in every media outlet we turn to? Or will we choose to find the peace and joy in our circumstances? 

In 1 Peter 1:6 Peter challenges us to find joy in our trials. He tells us that we will face many in our lifetime and along with those trials there will be grief and suffering. How do we find joy in the conditions we’ve been given? How do we find joy in isolation? 

We can choose to see our circumstances as a trial or we can see it as a blessing. Perhaps God is giving us this opportunity to reconnect, enjoy the simple things, and focus on the priorities that He wants to see front and center in our everyday lives. This freedom in our schedule opens up the opportunity to be super intentional about how we spend our days. For the moms who are able to stay home with her children during the weeks to come, maybe you schedule out your days in advance. You can bring back the basics that you learned to know and love as a child, pre-tablet, phone, and social media. Dust off the puzzles, books, and family recipes, roll up your sleeves and reconnect with your children. Have a quiet time together as a family. Easter is around the corner, dig out the children’s bible and delve in. Choose a story a day and choose a child to read that story, discuss it, and pray together. Make a prayer list. Who or what can you pray for in the weeks to come? Write them down and revisit them daily so that you can see God’s activity in and through this crisis. 

Peter goes on to say in verse 7, “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith.” Many people will be watching. They want to see how a professing Christian will handle the anxiety and fear of the unknown. What happens when we show others that our trust and faith belongs to an all knowing, all loving, sovereign God? We have an opportunity to show others that church isn't about a building but a group of people who place their faith and hope in the unseen, the God of all creation. God has given us an open invitation to let go and lean in. To give our worries to Him. When we do, we give Him glory and His time to shine in and through us. 

At the end of verse 7, Peter states that when we cast our fears and anxieties on Him they “may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” Friend, we have an opportunity to glorify Jesus in all of this. Whether we realize it or not, believers and non believers alike are looking for refuge in their worry. Will you take these circumstances as an opportunity to show them where they can place those fears? Will you show them that our God is Lord of your life? That you refuse to fall victim to fear? That worry has no place in the heart of a girl who loves the Lord with all their heart, mind, and soul? 

Dear Heavenly Father, 

Lord, thank you for choosing me for such a time as this. Thank you for your love, patience, kindness, and provisions. Thank you for shelter, food, health, and my precious family. I pray, Lord that you give me a spirit of power, strength, and endurance in the days to come. That you wash away any temptations to fall into a valley of fear. Give me the strength to refocus and realign my thoughts. Challenge me to find joy in the days and weeks to come. Thank you for the stillness of my schedule. May I fill them with meaningful connections with my family, inviting You into the center of each and every precious moment. Break my heart for what breaks Your's, Lord. Show me opportunities to be Your hands and feet. I know and trust that you are a God of provision. You’ve provided, comforted, restored areas in my life in the past and Lord I trust you will continue to do so in my future. 

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

When God Quiets Our Schedules

Social distancing, it’s a foreign term, a phenomena that we’ve never had the opportunity to navigate. Schools are canceled until further notice, the babies are home, you want to be intentional about the time you get with them over the next couple of weeks. What does that look like? How do we fill that time with meaningful, intentional, family time with our children? 

Here are some of the things my husband and I have come up with....

• Quiet time-start the the morning with quiet time as a family. We LOVE the "Jesus Storybook Bible." It's been our favorite for 14 years. Take some time and begin your day with reading God's word and praying together as a family.
• Read-together in the same room for a certain amount of time. Set a timer (for us it will be 1 hour). Share what you have read.
• Write a note, letter of encouragement-have each child choose a recipient of an encouraging, hand written note. Help them write it if necessary and send it. Yes, snail mail. Who doesn't enjoy a sweet, little surprise in their mailbox?
• Bake-have each child Pinterest a recipe they'd like to try (grocery store pick up is where it's at).
• Make dinner together-allow the children to create your dinner menu and cook it together. Make it big and fancy, dinner plates, place settings, napkins. Sit down and eat as a family. Pray, have intentional conversations. Talk about their fears with regards to the world around them right now. We are no longer a slave to an extra curricular schedule, take advantage of this.
• Get outside- walk, run, ride bikes, go in the woods and explore (my kids like to build forts in the woods behind our home, find "fossils", bugs, worms, all the squirmy, slimy things), we plan to plant some seeds and watch them grow over the coming weeks as well. 
• Play board games-each day assign a child to choose a board game they'd like to play with the family.
• Write-a short story, here are writing prompts for young children https://www.journalbuddies.com/journal_prompts__journal_topics/story-writing-prompts-for-kids/, middle schoolers https://www.journalbuddies.com/creative-writing-2/creative-story-ideas-for-middle-schoolers/, high schoolers https://topicsmill.com/short-story/short-story-ideas-for-high-school/.

• Paint, draw, color-the key is to be in the same room, together as a family, you don't have to be doing the same thing. My kids enjoy different media (4 kids, 4 different personalities and interests) It's presence that matters.
• Put a puzzle together (a BIG one)-I remember back in the day, my grandmother would always have a large puzzle with tons of pieces in progress in the living room on a card table. We would love to visit and help her create her little masterpiece. 
• Dance party-when you just need to get jiggy with it, break it down!

• Chores-put them to work! They want to help. It makes them feel like they've accomplished things. 
• All things Disney+-Sorry, the Disney lover in me had to! I am pretty sure there are some classics that we could revisit as a family. Choose one a night. Alternating which family member gets to choose. I find that creating a calendar (I do all things in birth order) alleviates arguments in advance! I printed this one https://www.betacalendars.com/march-calendar.html/printable-march-2020-calendar.
• Journal-at the end of the day, sit down as a family and journal. What was special about the day? What did they enjoy most? How did they extend love and kindness today? Who showed them kindness? What is one thing they'd like to do tomorrow?

In all the uncertainty, God has quieted our schedules. That's a blessing in and of itself. I challenge you, mama, if you can and if you have the ability, make this time count. We have an opportunity to take this time to be super intentional, get back to basics, and enjoy the simple, yet precious things.

Stay well, friend! 

XOXOXOXO,

Trudy

Be a Super Sleuth

“Mom, where are my shin guards?”

“Mom, do you know where my turn shoes are?” 

“Hey Mims (that’s what my 14 year old calls me), do you know where a charger is?”

My newest response? “Be a Super Sleuth!”

That phrase comes from a Disney Junior show called, “My Friends Tigger and Pooh” where a team consisting of Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Darby, and Buster go on sleuthing adventures and investigations throughout the Hundred Acre Wood. It resonates with my older children because they grew up watching this sweet little show. 

In parenting, the easy button isn’t always the best option. Giving into our kids when they’re throwing a tantrum in the middle of the candy aisle may make them quiet for the time being but what happens the next time we are in that very same aisle? Are we going to continue encouraging the tantrum or be the adult when it’s hard, set boundaries, and expectations?

The easy button and coddling feels good! It makes us feel accomplished in the realm of mommyhood. It allows us to be the hero in the eyes of our children. In a world where we are constantly comparing our kid’s science projects to someone else’s beautiful Pinterest worthy approach, we want to measure up. Keeping up with the Karens. 

Confession, up until my recent discovery of how I was raising my kids, I did practically everything under the sun for them. It wasn’t until I began listening to podcasts about helicopter and lawn mower parenting that I realized that I wasn’t doing my kids any justice by solving their every problem and filling their every need. My job is to equip, prepare, and encourage my children to navigate this big scary world on their own. I can’t be their side kick all the days of their lives and I absolutely don’t want to be. 

In Julie Lythcott-Haims book, “How to Raise an Adult” she talks about how parents over involve themselves to the point of following up on college interviews themselves, uprooting their lives to live near college campuses, and approaching professors to question their children’s grades. As parents we want to see our kids succeed so we go to great lengths to ensure they do so. Sometimes crossing boundaries and lines. In the process we aren’t equipping our children and empowering them to be their very own advocates. 

A recent epipheME (that’s what I call a personal revelation)...my oldest is 14, a freshman in high school, a perfectly capable human being. I was still making his lunch everyday before he went to school. I hadn’t given him the opportunity to make his own lunch. I wanted to have the satisfaction of making it, writing a perfect little inspirational quote for him to find each day, and feel super special in doing so. My excuse, he’s a vegetarian and there aren’t vegetarian options at school. I need to make sure he has something to eat. Reality...he is, and has been perfectly capable of making his lunch for quite some time. I NEEDED to let go of the reigns. Give my kids the tools to succeed, sit back, and PRAY that God work in and through my absence.

When I let go, I give my kids independence and an opportunity to figure things out on their own. An opportunity for self motivation and to be empowered by the decisions they get to make all by themselves, which my 14 year old applauded me for later. He said he was thankful that I was giving him space and an opportunity to figure things out on his own. 

So mama, I get it! I want to make things super easy for my kids. I don’t ever want them to feel like they are struggling, alone, or anxious or scared but when I give them the tools to navigate life’s throws, I give them an opportunity to celebrate their very own triumphs.

Dear Child, I Give You Permission to Fail

Dear Child, 

I give you permission to fail.

In fact, I insist that you do.

While that may seem cruel and unusual in our current culture of parenting, it’s my way of teaching you how to be a grown adult.

I will abstain from Pinteresting the best science project and recreating it for you. That is your job, not mine.

I will no longer bring you a forgotten lunch box, school project, soccer cleats, etc. You need to learn the consequences of your irresponsibility.  

I will no longer hover on the playground, intercede when you have a conflict with others, meddle in your friend circle, or pretend to be your best friend. I am not your friend, I am your parent whom you will respect. 

I will no longer coddle and protect beyond reason. You need to learn how to deal with disappointments and failures all on your own. 

In my vow to let go, there’s an opportunity for growth, learning, development, empowerment, awareness of self, and independence.  

An opportunity to help you see the world through a different lens.

An opportunity to discover your own unique you, outside of me.

A chance for you to explore your abilities and capabilities.  

Dear child, you are destined to do amazing things not because I do them for you but because God has made you for such a time as this.

If I continue to force my agenda in your life there is no opportunity for you to see your own God given, God breathed, God and Spirit led potential.

This promise comes out of love and surrender.

Giving your life over to you and your Creator.

Trusting that you will faithfully follow His plan and purpose in your life in every single thing that you do.

My sole/soul responsibility is to build a strong foundation in that faith alone.  

To lead you and point you to Him in our daily living which in turn will help you live a prosperous life built on a Rock and foundation that cannot and will not be shaken. 

There is only meant to be one Redeemer and Rescuer in your life and that is not me.

Loving you always,

Mommy

When Your Child Does the Terrible, Unthinkable

Dear Mama,

Ever get that call telling you that your child did the unthinkable???

The jaw dropping, nauseating, instant feeling of wanting to puke THING that you thought would NEVER happen.

Yeah, I got that call this past Wednesday.

I am here to tell you that your child's actions DO NOT define you as a person or a parent.

In the situation there is an opportunity to learn and possibly see the good.

Pray, mama.

Just pray that God lead you in the horrible, unthinkable.

That He would give you the words to say and the actions to take.

Cover your child in truth and scripture.

Girl, our kids are HUMAN and sometimes very impulsive.

Many times, I have expected my child to act like a 35 year old..."What were you thinking? Are you kidding me right now?"

Truth is they probably weren't thinking, their actions and behavior were too quick for a thought process to take place.

In this, there is GROWTH.

For you, your child and an opportunity to give the situation back to God, asking for forgiveness, redemption, mercy, and grace.

An opportunity to give the circumstance back to Him so that your child's dependence upon Him becomes bigger and stronger.

You are NOT labeled by your child's mistake.

You are NOT and were not meant to carry that burden.

Pray.

For your heart, your child's...that He would turn what the enemy meant for harm, into something so good.

Surround yourself with prayer warriors who know your heart, your child's heart and the intentions of it.

Those that know your heart will extend you mercy and grace....those that don't...they will be quick to judge.

Not your people.

The world today is so quick to be offended, pass judgment, and take sides.

Stand firm in who you are, the child that you are raising, and the values you as a family hold near and dear to your heart.

This too, shall pass.

In and through the journey is an opportunity to point ALL things back to Him.

Your sister in Christ,
Trudy

New Year, New Family Goals

A friend of mine requested that I blog about family fitness! So here goes! It's so EASY to let the kiddos sit at home on their electronics and totally dismiss the fact that physical activity (at least 1 hour per day for children 6 years and older per the American Academy of Pediatrics) is an important part in a child's physical development and overall health! So where do you begin???

1) If it's nice outside, it is not unreasonable to make them go outside and play or ride bikes or scooters (in a safe environment of course)! Better yet, get outside with them! Make a fun relay race or a competitive race around the house! Set up cones and play soccer as a whole family!

2) Find a sport that your child enjoys! Not all children enjoy sports but the rule in our family is that you have to choose 1 physical activity per season, Summers are off!

3) Train for a 5K together as a family! Want to get those competitive juices flowing??? Run a 5K as a family! The couch to 5K program is a great place to start (http://www.c25k.com) AND if you have little bitty ones you can push them in a stroller!

We have trained our children on how to properly use the treadmill (age 9 and 10) and they run when outside weather does not permit them going outside.

4) Go swimming together! This is difficult to do in the winter if there aren't indoor swimming options available in your area.

5) 3) Workout together as a family! The options are ENDLESS!!! My children LOVE Adventures in Fitness found on Roku http://www.rokuguide.com/channels/adventure-fitness.  It is a fun-filled little workout that doesn't seem much like a workout but my children definitely SWEAT and have a good time while doing it! OR last but definitely NOT least, you can choose an at home workout for your family to enjoy together! There are many options in the Beachbody library of home workouts (I wouldn't recommend weight lifting for small children) and I would be more than happy to help you find the BEST possible fit for you and your little fam! One of our childrens' favorites is Cize, a dance workout!

Encourage one another! Positively reinforce your children in the area of physical movement! This will foster a life long appreciation for physical heath and fitness!

Have questions? Maybe I didn't cover something you need more information about??? Please reach out to me at trudy.lonesky@gmail.com!

My Baby Has Left the Nest, Now What???

So today this happened....

my baby boy (the last of the Loneskys) went to his first day of preschool! In the busyness of our crazy lives, I didn't have time to process what this meant for me, a stay at home mom! My nest is now empty for about 3 hours, 4 days a week! After dropping him off (of course he didn't look back, he's the 4th child and very independent) I went back to my van and sat.  My mind went blank! What do I do now??? There's no baby in my car! My to do list left my mind and I sat in my seat and sobbed! Where do I go from here? What do I do with myself? How do I function? My heart ached, my tears flowed, I couldn't catch my breath!

All I've ever wanted to be ALL of my life is be a mom, a stay at home mom just like my mother! That was my life ambition, however pathetic that may be! I wanted to raise little me's to be the best possible version of themselves.  While my job as their mommy is far from over, I couldn't help but feel unneeded (I may have just made up a word).  For the first time in 10 years, I didn't feel needed by one of my children.  

After my little pity party, I realized that NOW is the time to find purpose in myself! To dream BIG, to pray for God's hand to guide my paths, to live out God's big plans for me, to NOT be average!!! Now is the time to find my identity, to learn, grow and be the best possible me! I may have 12 hours to do this per week, but mark my words, those 12 hours will be well spent, soul searching my God given purpose!

So mamas who dropped their babies off at school today and are feeling the same way that I did this morning....I want to encourage you to find PURPOSE in your life (not that raising our children isn't the single best purpose for us because it is)!!! What has God called you to do??? How can you move mountains??? How can you make a difference TODAY??? 

"Decide what to be and go be it!!!" ~Avett Brothers

A Very Princess Kind of Weekend

The Disney Princess Half Marathon has been a bucket list item since my dear friend, Mary Glynn ran it a few years ago! When I heard of the Glass Slipper Challenge (a 10K on Saturday and a Half on Sunday) I was ALL in!!! I am up for any challenge that requires physical strength and endurance! This past weekend my prince and I conquered this challenge!!!

I can't say enough about this man!!! He is my rock, my cheerleader, my support, the person who challenges me to reach out and make those BIG scary goals! He's my life long partner and I am so thankful that God put him in my life 18 years ago! I mean, how many men do you know that would train with their wives and run in a "Princess" half marathon??? I didn't see many! So thankful for this amazing man in my life!

We arrive late Thursday night after delays in our flight.  On Friday, we head to the Expo! So much fun running gear and adorable clothes! I could have spent a fortune but thankfully I had Mr. Frugal with me to keep me in check! ;) 

After the Expo we headed over to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure! We are BIG Disney fans and weren't sure if my kids would be old enough for Universal or IOA so we wanted to check it out on our own while we were by ourselves!  We rode the Dragon Challenge in the Harry Potter IOA area and Tim was green after we came off! After a few more motion sickness type of rides we decided to call it a day and head back to the home we had rented.  Here are a few pics of our day on Friday! 

Nerves began to build as we were about to embark on our first challenge, a 10K! I had an overwhelming feeling of self doubt.  Doubt that I was ready, doubt that I would finish, and doubt that I had trained hard enough! 

I woke up at 3:00am and did some 21 Day Fix Extreme Yoga with Autumn Calabrese! Those nerves began to subside and I was starting to feel better about the race.  We left the house at 4:15am and headed over to Epcot.  

Passing through the Disney World sign NEVER gets old!!! Call me a sap but I get chills and tears EVERY TIME we enter Disney World Resort! Without fail!!! 

Parking was easy, we got there in plenty of time! Got to use the porta potties that were "fit for a princess" several times before heading to our corral.  Corral A!!! WHAT?!?! Completely humbled by our placement in the race! 

We were required to be in our corral at 5:00am so there was plenty of time to get nervous all over again!!! Tim joked and made fun of me, passing the time as we waited for our walk up to the start line!

Our race began in the parking lot of Epcot and took us out into the highway, through the World Showcase in Epcot, and to the boardwalk! I remember coming around the turn into the World Showcase, it was beautiful!!! Music was playing, people chEARing us on, and lights everywhere! It still gives me chills to think about it! Tim looked at me and we shared a wink! AMAZING feeling!!! Our splits were much better than anticipated! We really hustled! As I approached the finish line a princess who had been with us throughout the race looked back at me and said, "Let's DO THIS!!!" I reached for her hand and we crossed the finish line together! Hand in hand with a complete stranger! That was awesome!!! 

We finished at 55:30 and I placed 380 out of 10,989! Not my best but not too bad! We needed to save some gas in the tank for our big run the next day!

We showered and got ready to spend the day in Epcot! Tim's idea! He wanted to just "lay low!" LOL! 

I definitely sported this outfit all around Epcot that day! Yep! It was tacky and borderline hideous but it was fun and you can only get away with stuff like this at Disney!!!  

We rode Soarin', one of our favorite rides at Disney World, with an elderly couple! It was their first time experiencing the ride and it was so nice to experience it through their eyes!!! The oooo's and ahhh's were contagious! Such a sweet couple! Their bond was evident! 

After walking another 7 miles, we decided that it was a good idea to head back to the house! The weather was finally perfect to put the top down on our convertible rental! Good times!!! Isn't he HOT?!?! 

We went to bed early, 8:00pm, because we had to be up really early the next morning to ensure we got to the race in time! There were 15,000 more runners running the half and the corrals were at least a 20 minute walk from the parking lot! 

I woke up at 2:30am, couldn't sleep! Got up and got dressed, made our E&E, and waited for Prince Charming to stir! 

We left the house at 3:40am and made good time in order to park and head to our corrals! There were 16 corrals in all, ranging from letter A-P.  We were placed in corral B based on our time in the Paducah Iron Mom Half Marathon.  Our goal was to finish the race in less than 2 hours and to beat our time of 1:57 at our last half!

Running is a mind game for me! I can either have an awesome race or a not-so-good one depending on my mindset! When our corral arrived at the start line my music was not working! Ugh! I had forgotten to turn the wifi off and it was messing with my Hal Higdon app and music.  It took me quite a while to get my music to begin! I began the race frustrated and already off on the wrong foot!  My app wasn't working and therefore I didn't know my pace.  Every five minutes Tim would look at me and tell me our splits.  Each mile he looked more disappointed than the last.  I was feeling defeated, feelings of self doubt were creeping in! Our pace was faster than we had trained for and I kept doubting that I could keep up with the pace that we were currently running.  I reminded myself throughout the race where I was and how fortunate I was to not only be here but to be physically able to run this race! I kept telling myself to be thankful! 

Then there was Main Street! At about mile 5 we came around the corner and entered the one and only Main Street! Crowds EVERYWHERE, thousands of people chEARing!!! We turn the corner and we see the CASTLE glowing a beautiful color of blue! Chills, tears, an overwhelming feeling of gratitude to be here IN THIS MOMENT!!! Tim looks back at me, tears are filling his eyes as well! That's magic, baby!!!  We head to the front of the castle and over to Tommorowland and back towards the carousel.  It's lit up and going around!!! So beautiful! We then enter the castle, more tears!!! What did I do to deserve this??? This was my dream come true!!! We agreed that we would stop for a potty break at mile 6 so we did and we stretched!  

We head out of Magic Kingdom and the self doubt began to creep in again! Tim still telling me our pace and looking kind of disappointed that we weren't meeting his expectations.  I began the negative self talk and went back and forth between I can't do this to YES YOU CAN!!! At mile 9 when my legs felt completely numb, the song "Oceans" began to play!

"Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)"

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

[6x]
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

Oh, Jesus, you're my God!

I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine

I began to worship the God who made this all possible! Hands raised high! The numbness subsided, the sun began to shine bright! There was a shift in my attitude and a belief that I COULD do this!!! At mile 11 1/2 I came to the realization that we would finish!!! I finally believed that I could finish! 1 mile later, Tim looks at me and says, "We are going to do this!!!" We came around into Epcot, Sofia is there (you know Sofia the First), I couldn't help but think of my little Lola and how much she adores her! More encouragement to keep on going! We have a half mile left! While approaching the finish line we hear, "Mr. Tim and Mrs. Trudy Lonesky from Somerset, KY representing the Bluegrass!!!" That felt good!  Hand in hand I cross the finish line with my prince!!! AMAZING!!! That feeling of accomplishment!!! We DID it!!!

We finished in 2:02:58 and I placed 868 out of 26,000 people! 

Our flight was to leave Orlando/Sanford airport at 12:00pm and we needed to be out of our rental home by 10:00am so we quickly headed back to the house, showered, packed up, and headed to the airport!  Riding in a car and in an airplane after running a half marathon was not fun! Soreness set in REAL quick! Live and learn right!  However, we wanted to get home to our children!!! 

Little Lola Cakes was over the moon excited to sport mommy's medals and her ears! She was so proud! 

I woke up the next morning to this little dude and his snuggles!!! The best! I soooo missed my babies! 

We didn't reach our goal and I spent all day Monday wallowing! That negative self talk was happening all over again! "You should have trained harder, you should have eaten better, you could have pushed harder!" I was down, emotional, tired, and drained!  Tuesday came and I felt better! Instead of drowning in self pity I decided that next year I WILL train harder, I WILL push harder, and I WILL eat better because I KNOW I can!!!

Until next year, Disney Glass Slipper Challenge!!!

Disney Princess Glass Slipper Challenge

Today my husband and I leave for the Disney Princess Glass Slipper Challenge!!!  If you would have told me 2 years ago that I would be running 19.3 miles within 24 hours, I would have told you you were crazy! Here is a picture of my husband and I, 2 years ago at our son's first birthday party.  We were overweight, tired, and lazy just going through the motions of life.  We spent evenings sitting on the couch and watching tv, wasting the precious time we had with our children! Four months after this picture was taken we decided that we were going to LIVE our lives and make a change! We decided that we were important and worth the time and investment in ourselves!!!

This journey that we are on has brought us closer as a couple and as a family! Eating well and exercising has forever changed our lives!  Here we are just 2 months ago! 110 pounds lost together, hand in hand, high fiving each other every STINKIN' difficult step along the way!!! He is my rock, my cheerleader, my biggest supporter, and biggest motivator! He is up for any challenge I put in front of him even if it is a princess race! Keeper??? I think so!

As we pack our things and get ready to embark on this major bucket list item, I am weepy because never in my wildest dreams did I think that at age 37 I would be conquering such a huge accomplishment!!!  I am excited, scared, but thankful for my health and my God who allows me to get up each and every morning and reach my goals!!! Lets do this!!! Cannot wait to share my experience with you when we return!!!