Tyler Rose Half Marathon

So yesterday I completed my SIXTH half marathon! Wow, who (that knows me well) would've ever imagined I'd do that??? Not even me!

No PR setting here (that requires way better training), but not my slowest (that was during my 2nd pregnancy)! Overall I'm very pleased. This course was HILLY!!!! So a hard one, but very pretty through the Azalea district in Tyler, which is similar to South Highlands back home!

A shout out to Scott for completing his first half with thanks to his mentor, Skinner! Daniel set a rocking PR (I'm jealous) & Julie didn't hold it against me that I left her (she usually beats the mess out of me!). Thank y'all so much for coming to Tyler and for running with me!!! Thank you for being great friends too, honest, supportive, hilarious friends!!!


Next up on the running calendar? Nothing!!!!!! Though talks of a full are spinning round out there (when pigs fly in cincinatti in 2012?!?), we'll see!

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Another Half Marathon

is tomorrow!!!! Yep, haven't written a lot about it because I've been a lousy training runner and don't think I'm going to be setting any PRs, but I'm doing it. I'm super excited that some of my runner family from Shreveport is coming to stay in Tyler tonight and run with me tomorrow!!! I can't wait to see Skinner, Daniel, and Scott! Julie is headed over from Dallas too, so we're going to have a blast! I'm cooking up some chicken pasta salad tonight for dinner, don't be jealous all of you who adore Ponchatoulas :).

So, be thinking about us tomorrow morning as we tackle 13.1 miles and wish Scott tons of luck, this is his first half, which is always a super fun time!! I'm expecting some emotion across the finish line! Oh, running, how I have a love/hate relationship with you! So glad the weather is going to be fab tomorrow!!!

Going to see Sugarland

Tonight I'm going to see Sugarland in Dallas with Julie and Becca, should be a blast. I love concerts and always forget how much I love them until I go to another one! I've heard they are very entertaining, and I like a lot of their songs, so I'm excited. Until then you can find me resting up on Julie's couch with a good book, some yummies from Eatzi's and a gluten free cupcake from Sprinkles! Yummy and Happy Friday to you!

Gluten Free Living

So, I think I've mentioned it here before, that I'm on a gluten free diet. I have always had stomach troubles, and had pretty much just assumed that was my life and I was dealing with it.

Over the past 6-12 months I've had a lot of (seriously, like 20) people mention to me the idea of being gluten intolerant, or having Celiac Disease. The testing for Celiac is extensive and I decided not to do that for now (back in 2005-2007 I spent literally those two years having tests run and appointments and trying new meds, the only thing that helped was having my gall bladder removed on the day my godson was born in 2007), but decided after reading a lot about it, just to try removing gluten from my diet. I had also read the book "Making Babies", which is very informative, but can also make you a basket case with all that it tells you, but it suggested for my type that I not eat wheat, which contains gluten, just further insistence that this could be bad for me.

So, as of August 1st I became gluten free, and have tried my best to avoid gluten at all times. It has been a little bit of a struggle, but I believe that it's helped with my weight, since it pretty much eliminates fried food because of the batter. Good-bye to my ever favorite Chick-Fil-A chicken biscuit after a long morning run (maybe that's why I haven't been running as much).

The results: almost no pain and a normal moving system that has been completely dysfunctional for about 2 solid years now. It has been glorious. I don't scope out bathrooms in stores so that I know where to run when the pain hits, and I just enjoy my day and feel way better. So, hubby says he doesn't believe it, but he's not in my body and can't feel or see the difference, so I'm still going for it.

For anyone who may be interested, fake crab meat contains gluten, no need to test this yourself, as I was a guinea pig for you. I just couldn't believe that it really contained it and enough to make me sick, but I assure you after a good serving of Krab Log over the weekend, it contains gluten, and it HURT me badly. I'm choosing to remain gluten free and enjoying it! I've purchased a bread machine to make my own gluten free bread, some have been a big flop, but the last one, I ate the whole loaf this week, so that was nice. Sometimes, you just need bread!

We're going to try corn flour to make a roux out of because I'm not sure that I can go without gumbo for the rest of my life, that would really be tragic!! When we do it, I'll give a report on how it turns out!!

Happy eating--I'm headed to the pantry now!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Pregnancy abounds...

but not yet for me. I have debated over and over on this post, and in favor of being honest and saying what so many people can't seem to say, here it is...

Four of my dearest friends are pregnant, I've found this all out in a matter of weeks. I can't begin to tell you what this does to me, it's such a happy time, so wonderful for them and such a blessing! Still, it is completely overwhelming for this girl who has watched 44 months pass with only 2 positive pregnancy tests and countless other babies born. Two of these friends are having their second babies, one is a BLM, and one has been trying for a long time and endured much heartache waiting for her dream to come true too. Having these friends have their dreams come true does give me hope, helps me know that dreams do come true, but it really is hard. The hard part is watching what I so desperately want happen to other people while it doesn't happen to me. It's so hard to have to defend myself, or feel the need to defend myself because I can't always jump up and down with joy for someone else, to feel bad because I can't be sympathetic about their pregnancy woes (because I'd kill for nausea, or sleep deprivation, or to have to pass on the delicious medium steak and goat cheese potatoes that I had for dinner--yummy!), to be unable to ask questions some days, and to continuously feel lapped.

I am trying very hard to be supportive, but some days are really hard, some days I see a baby that is the age that either of my children would be and I'm a mess. All of these friends have been exceptional to me through all of the loss we've endured. Each of them has asked me more than once how I feel, listened to me cry, and supported me, which is why I'm trying really hard to be as supportive of them as they've been to me. It does make a difference that these girls have been such great friends to me, it makes supporting them much easier, but it doesn't make it easy.

If you are pregnant and you have a friend who is desperately trying to get pregnant, or who has experienced loss, please know that they aren't trying to be hateful to you, that they aren't NOT happy for you, that they aren't mean horrible people. We are human, we are hurting, we are trying to navigate this life that no one would ever choose, and that we are clueless on how to get through. There is no manual on how to be a great friend to your friend who losses a baby, nor is there one on how to be a good friend when your friend has a baby and you don't. Please be patient with us, and know that we do love you, we are happy for you, but that grief is a devastating thing that sometimes controls us far more than we can control!

P.S. Special thank you to my sweet friend Rachel at Triplet Butterfly Wings for the butterfly release in honor of Layla and Michael (picture above).

Follow up

I just wanted to clarify following my previous post on adoption.

Thank you first of all for the support! I love the support of this community and am grateful daily that God led me here!

I just want to be clear that while I didn't appreciate the woman's attitude from that adoption agency and I really don't think that our desire to adopt with a Christian agency should be thwarted because we don't go to the same church, we are very peaceful with our plan. Having found a new RE, feeling very confident with his care, and adoring his staff really helps!! We are very excited to have a plan and have hope after a couple of years of feeling very hopeless!!

Thank you all so much and please just send up prayers for us as we move forward!


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