My New Year's Resolutions for 2011

1. Learn to laugh at myself when people are just teasing. (I am extremely sensitive and I need to learn to let go and just laugh along with others when we are just having fun)

2. Look for ways to reach out to others and be more uplifting to people around me.

3. Actually SPEND money once in a while for a fun night with friends. (I love to save money, and that is not a bad thing, but I should also enjoy living in the moment too!)


I can't believe 2011 is almost here! I am sure it will be a great year! GOD IS GOOD!

game night!

Game nights with friends are always so much fun! My cheeks hurt from laughing so hard!


I took the quiz for discovering my LOVE LANGUAGE, and mine is definitely by far, hands down...QUALITY TIME! I love just spending time with family and friends. We can just have a simple night of playing games or just catching up on life and I am TOTALLY SATISFIED!

:)

What's YOUR love language?

Looking back on 2010...

I can't believe this year is almost OVER! Wow! Time sure does fly by!

anyways, I wanted to take time and reflect over 2010.

1. Decided on a whim to participate in my very first 5k, and did it in 27 minutes!

2. Developed really close bonds with the people in my small group.

3. Went on a couple dates with 2 guys, didn't turn into anything special, but it was fun to get all excited and dressed up to go out with a guy.

4. Attended my 2nd wedding ever, but first wedding of a FRIEND, instead of family! What a great time of celebration! Love you Meagan and Scotty! [now they are expecting a little baby boy, Weston! HOW FUN!]

5. Went on my first PARENT-FREE trip to Florida with my girl friends!!! We had a blast!

6. Competed in the Urban Quest race and came in 2nd place by 2 itsy bitsy teeny weeny minutes! Regardless, it was still lots of fun!

7. Started serving every single week in Grace Acres at church. Really started to get close with the other volunteers and started occasionally working in the playroom as well. I really enjoy volunteering! It makes me happy to know that the kids are having a good time so that the adults can really pay attention to the sermon. (I never really felt like it was doing that much until the Christmas Eve service, where there was NO childcare...it was very distracting with all the babies/kids making noise. I feel extra helpful now knowing that volunteering in Grace Acres really makes a big difference!)

8. Ran my first (AND LAST) HALF-MARATHON in 2 hours and 10 minutes! Yes, 13.1 miles!! That experience of training and the actual race is something I will never ever forget. I put so much time, effort, and heart-felt endurance into that half-marathon! It was a great experience, but I'll let Casey stick with those..haha, I'm not going to do one ever again! I thought I fell in love with running during my training, but about a month after the race, I decided it was pure LUST and quit cold turkey! I am going to stick with my YMCA workouts! :)

9. About a month after my half-marathon, I ran a 10k (which is about half of a half-marathon) with my friends Nikki and Krissy. It was nice to run with friends, but after that race was when I quit running!

10. Some of my fellow PEAY!NUTS and I competed in the Fight-Song competition and came in 2nd place! I was so proud!

11. I cooked my first WHOLE MEAL for my parents and they loved it! (Ham and Cheese stuffed chicken with baked potatoes for them and a sweet potato for me!)



I know I didn't write down everything that happened, but this is just a few of the big moments that I remembered! 2010 has been such a great year and I'm sure 2011 will be just as good, if not better!

time for another new layout!

It was time for a new layout! CHANGE IS GOOD!

:-)

Today was my mom's birthday. We went to see a movie and went out to lunch.

For dinner, I created an incredibly delicious and HEALTHY "breakfast for dinner"!!!

I scrambled some egg whites, then added chicken & ham pieces, and melted some swiss cheese on top! It was VERY tasty!!!

tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and I asked if my family could go to the service at Grace this year, and they agreed! YAY! Can't wait to see what Grace has in store for the Christmas Eve service!

Hope everyone has a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Christmas in Florida!

we had a SUPER QUICK trip to Florida.
Drove most of the way on Friday, stayed in a hotel, and drove to my mom's side of the family on Saturday.
That night, we went to my dad's side of the family and woke up and went to church.
After, we had a get together at my uncle's house for burgers and then went to my other aunt's house for a Christmas party.
It was a lot of fun!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Greetings from little Blake and me!

:)

how sweet.

Myrtle made this for me.

<3

Ice Skating fun with friends!

Yesterday was our second annual CHRISTMAS MEMORY with my friends. We went ice skating and out to dinner. Then, we actually watched a Dave Barnes Comedy Show DVD at a girl's apartment. (last year we went to the actual show at a theater) It was tons of fun and I accomplised my goal - to never fall down while ice skating! wahoo! :)

CHRISTmas break!

I'm freeeeeeeeeeee!!! I'm officially on CHRISTmas break!!! :)

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it!!

Kids say the darndest things...

so tonight I said Hey! to little 4 YEAR OLD Blake, and he replies with "HEY HEY HEY It's FAAAAAAAAT ALBERT!" and he sounded JUST like they do on the movie!

i could not stop laughing!

oh, kids are so funny!

:-)

it's tradition..

We make Christmas countdown chains every year.
I love my little sister Myrtle!
:-)

proof that I can make an Oatmeal Pancake!! :-)

YUUUUUUUUUUUUM!!!

oh, the fun things you learn about while babysitting..

I'm gonna be honest...I did not know dogs could SNORE SO LOUDLY! I was just cracking up when I first heard the dog snoring!

completed...

I have all of my Christmas shopping done! wahoo! I'm really excited to do "A Christmas Memory" again with my friends this year! :) We haven't gotten the exact details worked out, but ICE SKATING is definitely part of the plan! wahoo!

what I'm thankful for...

First of all, I am thankful for GOD. Without Him, I would not have anything else to be thankful for! He is my Lord and Savior and I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful Heavenly Father!

2. Family. Although we are not all under the same roof anymore, I am so grateful that I have the family that I do. We may argue at times, but I love them sooooooo much! I'm also thankful for my family beyond brother, mom and dad. I miss being able to hangout with my other family a lot of the time, but I'm thankful for facebook, email, and telephones so we can stay in touch!

3. Friends. I have the best friends a girl could ask for. They are not only fun to hang out with, but they keep me accountable. We all help each other with our struggles. We all attend church together and lots of church functions as well as just fun hanging out times!

4. Health. I am so thankful that God has blessed me with a body to workout, eat healthy food, and just live life to the fullest!

5. Church. My church is awesome! I love the contemporary service, but I also love that we are like one big family! We don't have a normal "building", but we are active throughout the community and can reach a lot of people! I love Grace Community!

6. Babysitting. I could not have picked a better job if I tried! I absolutely positively ADORE my job and I'm so grateful for all the wonderful families that I get to be a part of their lives!

7. APSU. Yes, I am a huge APSU fan, and PROUD OF IT!! :) I love it and I'm so thankful to be a part of it!

I just LOVE the sound of a child laughing...

so, Chandler has the sweetest laugh in this video. It makes me laugh every time I watch it. I just LOVE a child's giggle!!

Oatmeal Pancake! :)

I made my first OATMEAL PANCAKE and it turned out great! Healthy AND delicious! Can't beat that combo!!! :)

Operation Kelsey Cooks was a SUCCESS!!! :)

I DID IT!!! I cooked an entire meal ALL BY MYSELF!
and it didn't come out of a box or require a microwave!!!
YAY!


Ham & Cheese Stuffed Chicken and Baked Potato!
(sweet potato for me of course!)
YUUUUUUM!!!


My parents really actually liked it! Dad even ate EXTRA!!!
whoop whoop!

I also made some spinach & egg white mini quiches to freeze for later. Of course, I tested one out and they were DELICIOUS!!

:-)

Diamond Dash

well, we didn't win...but we sure had fun! This year it was an even playing field because you HAD to only use your feet. no bikes, scooters, etc were allowed. The only thing was that daddy and I were at a slight disadvantage because we just used a regular phone. if you had an iPhone, you could download an APP that let you see all of the clues and you could answer them in any order you wanted. whereas, with our regular phone, we just had a clue texted to us, and we had to go in the order we were given. regardless, it was still a lot of fun!

my brother's girlfriend actually has a brother and sister that live here, so she actually came and played with her brother...and they came in SECOND!! and the kicker is that they lost by ONE STINKIN' POINT!!!!!! ahhh so close! I think that stinks worse than the way daddy and I felt! haha...oh well, we still beat mom and Kacy, so we were happy! ;)

tomorrow is my first cooking attempt for my parents...hope it goes smoothly!!!

oh yeahhh.. :-)

I get to create a powerpoint presentation in place of taking the final for my SPED 3000 class!!! WHOOP WHOOP!!!

Powerpoints are so easy and FUN!

:-)

(and it gives me something to do now since I'm done with everything else! haha)

Christmas ... already jammin' to the music...

I can't help it. I've been jammin' to the Christmas tunes already. Our small group had a Christmas party last Sunday, so I guess that put me in the mood...and I'm definitely NOT complaining! ;)

Our party was really fun. We did the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. We all brought in something to fill the boxes with, and something to eat. There was lots of yummy food, wonderful Christmas music playin in the background, and tons of shoebox filling! We filled a total of 12 boxes!

I WON A CONTEST!!! YAY! :)

I won a contest from Attune Foods! They sent an email that said to write a tip on how you "stay healthy" during the winter season on their Facebook wall. I wrote one, "I stay healthy by eating different fruits and vegetables that aren't available all year long. My favorite is HONEYCRISP apples! YUM!"

well, I won! I won an Organic Fruit Picks Variety Pack and chocolate bars. I asked them if they had any bars that are not chocolate, because I don't like it, and they let me CHOOSE a cereal instead! WHOOP WHOOP!

I can't believe I won! I'm so grateful!!!

:)

letting go...

As you all know, I am currently single. I admit, yes, I get sad sometimes, but the message at church today was PERFECT for me! Our pastor talked about just letting go of trying to control everything and do it all by ourselves. God is the one who controls everything, so we need to quit worrying and just let him take over! Well, I am tired of worrying about being single. I'm tired of feeling sad about not being in a relationship. I am giving it all up to God and letting Him take COMPLETE CONTROL! He knows exactly what He is doing and I'm thankful for that, because I know I would be totally lost if it were up to me.

THANK YOU JESUS FOR BEING LORD OF MY LIFE!


I know God has somebody special for me...I'm just going to be patient for Him to show me who that special man is.

baby steps...

I actually COOKED this week! Sweet potatoes! YUUUUUUUUM! They were so good! Baby steps, people, baby steps for me! haha. Watch, one day I will be on TV for cooking something spectacular! (okay, maybe not, but hopefully I will be able to cook an entire meal WITHOUT using the microwave)

:)

check out my very own COMMERCIAL!

http://www.facebook.com/KelseyKemmer#!/video/video.php?v=451180975747

LOVE.

so, I watched precious little Maddie the other day. When I walked in the door, she got a huge smile on her face, got all excited, and even did a happy dance! It made me feel SO GOOD! I really love babysitting, but moments like those just reinforce that love. :)

then, last night, I watched Blake, and he told me at least 5 times throughout the night, "Kels, I love it when you come over. I really enjoy it!" how sweet is that?!?!? he said that all on his own! he is pretty cute. He cracked me up as I was getting him ready for bed. I was in the middle of reading some books when I remembered he needed to brush his teeth. He said, "it's okay Kelsey, you stay here, I am a big boy, I can do it all by myself." so he walked to his bathroom, and pops his head back out and says, "Kelsey, you can just talk to yourself while I'm in here if you want!" HAHAHAHAHAH! He is so funny!

:)

well...

I think I fell in LUST with running. I am just not a natural lifelong runner like some people. I am going to take a break from running, but don't worry, I will still be working out at the Y like I always do! Fitness will ALWAYS be a part of me! :)

WHOOP WHOOP!!!

I made a 94 on my big Diversity midterm! I studied my butt off for that thing and it paid off! wahoooooo!!!

update. kinda boring. haha

We are officially at the point in the semester where I feel relaxed, and the rest of the student body seems to be stressed to the max. I LOVE the feeling of being done with all of my big projects! I hope I can keep this up for the remainder of my college education.

This Sunday we are wearing costumes to Small Group. It's gonna be fun!

10k...check!

Nikki, myself, and Krissy after our 10k!
FUN RUN with friends!
:)

...

Tomorrow is my 10k race! I'm super excited! It's literally 5 minutes walking distance from my parents house. I'm pretty sure the course is where I do my long runs every weekend, so hopefully I will do pretty well! :) I'm just running for fun no matter what!

POWER UP! (Devotional)

I got this Devotional from FCA sent to me by my dad. I LOVE IT and just had to share it!


P.O.W.E.R. Up
Monday, October 18th, 2010

READY:
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”
-2 Timothy 1:7

SET:
It’s all about power these days. We have Power Bars, Powerade®, Power Play, Power Training and Power Ratings. The world of sports is addicted to power. Bigger, faster and stronger is the ticket.

Strength training for any athlete is essential—you need to be an athlete of power. We know what an athlete of power looks like physically, but do we know what an athlete of power looks like spiritually? God wants us to be an athlete or coach of spiritual P.O.W.E.R. This is not power that the world offers, but the kind of power that only comes from God. What kind of athlete do you want to be? It’s time to P.O.W.E.R. up.

P - Pursue Purity
Athletes must pursue purity in all things. Sexual purity is essential, because purity paves the way to intimacy in all relationships. The purity game plan is explained in Psalm 119:10: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.” Purity becomes a lifestyle when you hide God’s Word in your heart.

The second greatest decision you can make (after surrendering your life to Christ) is deciding to be an athlete of purity. In 1 Corinthians 6:18, Paul warns us to, “flee from sexual immorality.” He was probably referring to Joseph in Genesis 39 when Joseph fled from Potiphar’s wife. We need to “pull a Joseph” when there is sexual temptation. Run! Sprint! Flee!

Pursuing purity stretches beyond sexual purity, too, into having right actions, thoughts and motives in all areas of our lives. A life of purity is one that is marked with excellence. An Athlete of Power understands that there is spiritual power in purity.

O - Obey the Call
God places a call or a mission in each of us. The question is not whether you are called to do God’s work, but whether you will respond to the call God has on your life. He doesn’t try to hide His will from you or make it difficult. Your goal is to do what David writes in Psalm 27:4: “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life …” When you seek Him, He will reveal what you are made to do. Your gifts, talents and skills can and should be used to glorify him. Zig Ziglar nailed it when he said, “You are the only person on earth who can use your ability.” An Athlete of Power is willing to obey the call in his or her life.

W - Worship Daily
Get your spiritual workout in by learning when and how to engage Jesus Christ daily. Worshipping God is like breathing. It’s not just important; it’s mandatory! Seek God constantly. Pursue Him with everything you have. He will never disappoint you! Walk with Jesus daily by getting your face in the Word of God. An Athlete of Power realizes he or she can’t survive without worshipping God daily.

E – Engage Others
Proverbs 13:20 says, “The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.” Find some good friends and do life together. Great friends are like rare, expensive diamonds—hard to find. But once you do find them you should value them greatly! Surround yourself with people who want the best for you. Developing these significant relationships doesn’t come easy. It’s hard work. Proverbs 18:1 says, “One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment.” Don’t pull away and isolate yourself. An Athlete of Power surrounds himself or herself with the right people, and those relationships will determine his or her direction in life and the quality of their life.

R – Reject Apathy
Everything in your body says “Do Nothing.” Don’t take the easy way out. An apathetic spirit is the “I don’t care”attitude. We need to care. Athletes of Power approach life as if it is an adventure, not a chore or duty. Every moment counts. So, ask the Lord for the courage to be bold and maximize every moment. Don’t stay on the sidelines of life. Proverbs 28:1 says, “The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” Be bold as a lion and lead courageously. Courage is moving forward while you have fear, not when fear is absent.

Being an Athlete of Power means doing the right thing. Ask the Lord to give you the wisdom to know what’s right and the courage to do what’s right even when it’s hard. Every time you step up, God will show up. Lead and serve with courage! Don’t pull away. An Athlete of Power rejects the apathetic spirit and leans into the power of Jesus within them.

So, what kind of athlete do you want to be? The choice is yours. Choose to be an Athlete of Power!

ABOUT ME

Hello!

My name is Kelsey and I am currently attending APSU to obtain my degree in Elementary Education. I absolutely adore little kids and babysit all the time! It's so much fun! :) My blog is a combination of my fun babysitting adventures, my new recipes that I've tried, some of my workouts, and just my life in general.


Some random facts about me:

I love Jesus Christ with ALL my heart!

I HATE chocolate. Period. I don't even like the smell of it. GROSS!

I usually eat an apple every single day. My favorite is HONEYCRISP. OMG YUM!

My favorite color is PINK!

I am the BASKETBALL HORSE champion. (I beat guys all the time and they get so upset! haha)

I would love to teach Kindergarten or Pre-K.

I eat Peanut Butter Crackers like most people eat Oreos. (Split them apart, lick off the peanut butter on one side, eat that side, then eat the other side. haha!)

My favorite song of all time is "The Revelation Song" by Phillips Craig and Dean.

I am OBSESSSED with Zumba!!! It is SO much fun! I can't dance by any means, but it is so fun just to go into the class and SHAKE MY GROOVE THANG!!

I enjoy eating healthy 90% of the time, but of course I indulge in junk food every now and then!

If you would like to know anything else, JUST ASK! :)

picture time!

My 21st birthday was AWESOME! My friends spoiled me! We had a lovely dinner at the Blackhorse.

I finally got an updated picture with Robbo! :)
I convinced him because it was my birthday! muahhaha!

more pics from the race...

WHAT A GREAT DAY!!!

:)

HALF-MARATHON SUCCESS!!!

I DID IT!!!
The race was such a blast! The entire time, I was so impressed by the amount of encouragement and support from EVERYBODY around me. Not only were the other runners encouraging one another, the fans on the sidelines were as well! Along the course, people were cheering and they even PERSONALLY cheered for people because our names were on our bib! It was SO NEAT to have complete strangers cheer your name and it just gave me such an extra boost in motivation! Words cannot express the amazing feeling of completing my first half-marathon!!!

on top of that, I actually did pretty well...
My official time was 2:10:59 and I was number 62 out of 230 in my age group!!!

I am definitely in love with running now. I have even already signed up for a 10k to run on October 23rd!

I am so thankful for all of your prayers and support. Thanks again Casey, for being such an inspiration and encouraging me to accomplish this!

But, most importantly, I thank God for helping me get through this!

"I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!" - Phil. 4:13

I LOVE MY MYRTLE! :)

Myrt is quite the little ballplayer.
She's playing Fall Ball with the boys, just like I did!
:)

The adventures of CKC & Kels...

helping me study...
ready for a nice stroll...

kisses!

CKC thinking "Kels, you are so silly!"

last long run before the BIG DAY next Saturday!!!

I ran my last long run (8 miles) this morning and it felt GREAT! (besides the fact that I was freezing my little tail off..haha) For some reason I always get anxious and wake up earlier than I have to! I guess I'm just excited to run! If you said that would come out of MY MOUTH prior to about 3 months ago, I would have thought you were insane! I am so grateful for my running coach and good friend, Casey, for encouraging me to do this! I have fallen in love with running and can't WAIT to cross that finish line ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!!

:-)

This week has been flyin' by!

I love staying busy!

:-)

I'm getting soooooooooo excited...my Half-Marathon is in 9 days!

getting ahead...

I FINISHED MY SPED 3000 PAPER last night! whoop whoop!!! :) I'm sending it to the essay help online. (they tell you some mistakes you might have made and help you correct them before you turn it in to your prof!) this is definitely a plus of working ahead! and it's completely FREE, so why not take advantage of it and hopefully improve your grade????!!!??

Today I stocked up on groceries after class, worked on a little homework for my Assessment&Evaluation class, and now my Monday Night (well technically afternoon) Small Group is coming over! We're having it at my place now!

FUN SATURDAY!!

I started my fun Saturday off with a lovely 9 mile run!

Worked on my SPED 3000 paper. (got MOST of it done! Just have to work on the conclusion)

Went to little Blake's 4 year old birthday party.

Wrapped it up by going to Ruby Tuesday and Riverfest with my new friend, Krissy! :)

FUN SATURDAY!!

wahooooooooo!!!!!

I RAN THE WHOLE 12 MILES of my long run this morning!!! omg, that felt so good, and I was so overcome with joy at the end that I even shed a few tears! (my running coach told me she cried at her first race, so if I cried today, I can't imagine what I'll be like at the race! haha)

it was freeeeezing this morning, but I pushed on through. my hands are usually cold already, but today they were so cold that I actually had trouble opening my water! haha

then, on top of that, I got chased by a dog! so, I definitely ran a bit faster for a while...haha!

(who knew the secret to increasing your speed was to have a dog chase you???)

first week of my JUNIOR year!

school started back up this week. so far, I love my classes and my teachers seem pretty nice! I have lots of friends in every class, so that's always fun! My favorite part of the year is the first day when we get to stand up and introduce ourselves. I am not shy, so I think that is lots of fun! It's interesting to hear about hobbies and things that other people like to do.

My schedule is pretty nice as well. I am done at 12:40 on Tues/Thurs and 1:15 on Mon/Wed/Fri. On top of that, Friday, I only have one class that starts at 12:20, so I can sleep in a little. Which is greatly needed considering that I get up around 5:37 am everyday! Gotta get my workout and shower in before classes so my afternoons are open for homework/babysitting!

:)

11 miles

I.ran.11.miles.

and it felt GREAT!

The weather was PERFECT, the scenery was beautiful, and I actually felt like a runner!

I ran the WHOLE time, with the exception of 3 walk breaks

(2 water and 1 refuel gel)

for a total of about 2 minutes.

I am SO pumped for the race now!

ONLY 4 WEEKS LEFT...

time flies

WOW! this week has gone by soooooo fast! I'm loving it! Staying busy is so much more fun! :) a few highlights from the week...

When I went to babysit baby Chandler (keep in mind I haven't seen her in a good month or two because they have been traveling all summer) held up her hands for me to pick her up RIGHT WHEN SHE SAW ME AS I WALKED IN THE DOOR, and gave me a hug! That just made me feel so good! :)

Little Blake invited me to his 4 year old birthday party. (His mom handed me the invitation and said, Blake said it was VERY IMPORTANT that you received this ASAP!)

My half marathon training is going wonderfully! I am so excited for the race and it's only a 4 weeks and 2 days away! YAAAAAAAAY!

well deserved TREAT DAY.

so, today I finally decided to take a day to actually spend my hard-earned money and treat myself. First, my friend Nikki and I headed to Hendersonville to watch a movie. It was really funny! Then, we browsed around the outdoor mall for a little while, before heading to Cheddars to eat dinner with Aunt Toni and Anna Kate. The whole reason for Cheddars as our dining experience was so I could indulge in my FAVORITE DISH OF ALL TIME... drum roll please...

THE MONTE CRISTO.

i fell in love with this MASTERPIECE of a sandwich a few summers ago when I was on vacation in Florida. We went to some restaurant in the mall with my grandma and she ordered it. I was skeptical at first since I was such a picky eater back then so I ordered something else, but THANK GOODNESS, she let me try a bite of hers. With that one bite, it was LOVE AT FIRST BITE!!! ;) haha Seriously, this is the best thing I have ever eaten in my life. So, today, as I claimed it my "treat day", I decided to go all out...it's either go big or go home! so I was so excited to have this lovely thing as one of my many splurges of the day!

Isn't she a beauty? :)

So, today was a GREAT day!

1) Ran TEN MILES.

2) Spent some of my money on a movie at the theater!

3) Hung out with an awesome friend.

4) Went out to dinner and ice cream afterwards!

5) Got to spend some time with my Aunt Toni and little cousin Anna Kate!

Devotional I had to share...

so, my Daddy sent me this FCA Devotional and it really caught my attention. I wanted to share part of it with you. :)

Do you realize that someone is watching you? Be assured that they are, whether you know it or not. Is your life worthy? Are you bearing fruit and striving to know God more each day? Whether we want them to or not, people are watching to see how we will respond to what life throws our way. Jeff now sees clearly how others are watching him, and I know he will continue to do his best to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. So, are you?

I am around tons of little kids all the time, so this really spoke to me as I need to be a good role model for them, and later on when I'm a teacher. I also need to be a witness to people my age to show that we can still be strong in our walk with Christ even in college! God loves us no matter what!!! :)

busy little beaver...

I've been loving my half-marathon training so far, but I have one question that just absolutely puzzles me...why is the FIRST mile of every run the hardest? haha. I think it's funny, but after the first mile, something just kicks in and it gets easier..and when I hit 5 miles, it's like I get a complete second wind!!!

I have been training in the mornings, and babysitting in the afternoon/night. It's so much fun! Last night I went to meet a family with 5 kids! I went over to see their normal routine and all I have to say is WOW! That mom is SO tough to handle all of those little munchkins by herself! Her husband is in Iraq and comes home in 2 and a half months! The kids were really sweet though, but they definitely entertain themselves, which is a big help! haha.

I've gotten 2 new jobs this week, and a 3rd one called me earlier today, but I gave her my friends' numbers because I was already booked when she needed me.

I LOVE BEING BUSY! It's MUCH better than being bored!



Anyways, I have a couple pictures to share.


Blake and I created a lego IronMan. He "flew". haha. Fun times!

sleeeeeeeeeeep.

I slept til TEN O'CLOCK this morning! 11 hours of sleep total! WOW! I feel a lot better after that because I didn't get much sleep this weekend since I had to wake up early and run 8 MILES Saturday morning. I DID IT! whoop whoop! Afterwards, I always feel so accomplished, and I can't even begin to imagine how awesome it's going to feel crossing the finish line at my HALF-MARATHON! (which is only 6 weeks away!)

new adventure

so, my baby brother left for college yesterday. I'm really gonna miss him, but I know he is gonna do GREAT! I'm so proud of him! I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!

random fun!

so, today my brother came over for lunch, and we went bowling. it was totally spur of the moment and we had a blast! I think it finally hit him that he is really gonna be moving to Roane in a few days. I know he won't admit it, but he's gonna miss us! I hope I don't cry on Sunday!

three weeks of training...CHECK!

today's long run was 6 miles! I ran in my parent's neighborhood and omg. I have one word to describe it...TORTURE. haha. the hills were killer! I had to walk up a little on the big one, but I ran the rest of the way! I can't believe that I ran almost HALF of what I will be doing on race day. After I finished, I felt a huge wave of accomplishment. I also had a little taste of what it's going to feel like to cross that finish line and let me tell you, it felt GREAT!




so..I found these AMAZING ice cream bars in Walmart the week before I started training, and I decided it was the PERFECT treat for me. There are 10 in the box, so I decided that I would get to eat one every Saturday after I completed my long run...such a great decision because they are AWESOME!

when life hands you lemons...MAKE LEMONADE!

when life hands you lemons, make lemonade! especially when you go in to get an oil change and end up having to buy two new tires. Thank goodness I didn't find out later when I had an accident because my tires had barely any tread! THANK YOU JESUS!


Today Myrt and I had girl time and saw Ramona & Beezus, just the two of us! It was fun. I love that little girl!

check out the HUGE truck that was in the movie theater parking lot.

she looks SO LITTLE beside it! haha

just like when I was little...

We made a super fun "PIRATE SHIP" fort today.

:-)

the more I enjoy babysitting, the more I want to get my certification to teach PRE-K.
I just love the LITTLE munchkins!

Road Trip with my bro!

so Kacy and I made a bro-sis road trip to see his new apartment. We had a good time. It was nice to spend some quality time with him before he leaves in two weeks! I'm gonna miss him, but I am proud of him for getting his scholarship at Roane. I hope he loves college as much as I do!

(no trip is complete without a MONSTER energy drink! YUM!)

new running shorts!

So, I finally found some new running shorts that are a "swishy type material". They worked SOOOO much better than my usual Sofee shorts. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Sofee shorts, but they just don't work quite the way I need them to when I have sweat dripping off me. haha.

because I'm old enough...

I VOTED TODAY.


=)

1 week down...

I RAN 4 MILES THIS MORNING!!!

1 week down, only 9 more to go!

=)

I'm so happy I decided to do this!

Working towards a goal has been great for me!

"Thank you Jesus for helping me with my goal."

Jump Zone!!!

I took the little rascals to the Jump Zone today!
Basically, it has all those inflatables in one giant facility.
YES, I did go on some, and yes, I had FUN, and yes, I am just a big kid! haha