ATM update

Well I'm pretty pumped about how ATM went. I had been praying for my niece but ironically, my nephew is the one who really enjoyed the message. He even wanted to spend the night so he could go back the next day again. Instead they're coming to visit again this weekend! Here's a couple of pictures from this weekend.

 David is riding on the motorcycle because Nicholas wanted no part of it.

It meant he was that much closer to the Lorax and he was NOT ok with that!

Overall, it was a good day. We went to Fuddruckers afterward, and I ate a wonderfully cheesy burger with fries. Yep, not something I should have eaten. I definitely paid for it the next day when I went for my run. Was worth it though. Every cheesy bite!

After that we played some Wii and Nicholas definitely entertained everyone with his killer Michael Jackson moves. I swear, the boy can dance. Right now he's obsessed with "Smooth Criminal" and I love it! Oh and don't worry, I'm definitely taking videos of it so I can use it as black mail when he becomes a teenager. 

AT THE MOVIES

Today begins At the Movies, and I'm so so excited! This is a BIG time in our church where many people that don't know Christ will walk through our church doors and have their lives transformed as they hear about Jesus in a way they've never heard before. I think when you have seen it impact people the way that it does, you'd be just as excited as me. And not just adults, I've seen kids so excited and changed after hearing these messages about God. That is what really gets me. It's just amazing.

 Andrew & I prayed last night that lives will be transformed through these messages, and I strongly believe that they will.

My sister-in-law and her family are coming today to be apart of the opening day. I pray and hope that today's message impacts especially my 13 year-old niece. She's getting older and is officially a teenager this year. (Not sure how that happened. She was a tiny, innocent little 5 year-old when I met her.) She's being exposed to so much out there in the world, and hopefully this will resonate with her in a way that will help her tackle any peer pressures she may face this year.

I'll make sure to take some pics while I'm there. This year's theme for our decorations is, "The Lorax". Truffla trees everywhere!

Busy bee

I haven't posted in a few days because I've actually been busy. Not busy as in stress from work kind of busy, but just keeping myself occupied busy.

For Fourth of July, I actually woke up and hit the track. It was my toughest run so far, but I did it and am ready to do it again today. After that I came back home and made the family breakfast. Later on we went to my sister's house and enjoyed some great food, company & swimming. Nicholas LOVED the water this year which made for an even better time. We didn't stay for fireworks because little man wore himself out, plus everything is "loud" right now and we weren't sure how he'd react to the fireworks.

Potty training is complete. No more diapers! Pretty darn excited about that. I'm proud of my little guy!

Maybe because I haven't been changing diapers, I've been able to get more things done around the house? lol Yesterday, I did laundry, swept and mopped the floors, cleaned the bathrooms from top to bottom, and even cut and weed-eated the grass. I even cooked dinner and cleaned up.

Ok, I know I am tooting my own horn, but really...I'm pretty darn impressed. I don't have very many of these days so let me indulge for just a sec.

I think the next few days I'm going to work on getting my collage together on that large wall in the living room. It's still pretty bare and it's driving me crazy. Here are some ideas I have. Thoughts?

"Chalk-o-lit cake"

Is pretty sure I've gone to the 'potty' about 20 times today, and only a few of those times were for me. Yep, it's potty training time in this house. And I have to say, the boy is getting it. I've even ventured out to stores, a train ride, the mall and a restaurant. Through all of that, only 1 accident in public and it was outside as we got off the train. All in all, it's going well, and I couldn't be prouder of my BIG little boy! He's so good.

So good that I opted for shakes tonight instead of going running. Bad move, I know, but hearing him say, "chalk-o-lit cake, momma" made it all worth it. Instead I'm going to suck it up and get up early in the morning and run before church. Just two weeks until my 5K!

I got my Trek shirt in the mail a few days ago, and I can't wait to wear it for Trek as I run my 5K. I'm running the race for my baby but am wearing that shirt proudly for Trek. Also, tonight I found out that I got an email from the Ingram family thanking me and asking me to take a picture of myself in Trek's shirt as I run my 5K. You can bet you I will! I actually think it would be neat to wear his shirt for all of my races. Losing babies you've never met is one thing. And believe me, it's hard, but losing a baby that you held in your arms for 14 months has to be devestating.

My babies will never run a 5K and neither will Trek, but I feel like through others, they can do anything and their memory will live on.

Rest in peace angel babies, and rest in peace Trek.

At least they get it.

Recieved some not so great news today regarding the baby. Something was wrong. It wasn't just something that naturally happened. Yes, I'm glad there's an answer but it's not something that I can fix and that's what scares me. I told several people who are close to me in one way or another, but the only ones who truly got the severity of my news (besides my husband) were my 2 best friends. They not only got it, but they got it immediately.

So thankful for them. On to more tests now and with support like theirs, I know I'm going to get through all of this in one piece.

"Worry about nothing, pray about everything." - Craig Groschel

I'm working on it...

STRIKE IS OVER!

YESSSSS! The Lockheed strike is over & I couldn't be more excited! Andrew will finally be able to enjoy dinner with us and have a weekend off. More importantly, we'll get to go see family. Especially my mom who is sick and needs support right now. So so excited!

Great motivation for my run tonight. But right now I have a very unhappy 2 year-old who just woke up from his nap. Hoping I'll be able to coax him into going to the grocery store with me. Yeah, wish me luck.

Lots of luck...

New perspectives

So no more babies. Not for awhile at least. My last pregnancy nearly ripped my heart out. Getting so excited about a baby only to have them taken away is one of the hardest things I've experienced. The only thing that could make that worse is having to do it 3 times. So yeah, I'm done for awhile.

Since April so much has happened. Brother graduated from college and I'm so proud of him. Relay for Life came and went. The strike is still going on but hopefully it's coming to an end. Mom is sick and while it's scary, I know God will take care of it. Baby Trek said goodbye just a few days ago. And as I type this, I realize it's been 5 years since I've said goodbye to my grandma.

Goodness, 2012 feels so full of gloom and doom. And as hard as it is, I'm trying to bag up all these emotions and make the next 6 months of the year better ones. Instead of dwelling about my angel babies, I plan to honor them as I embark on a new journey of running.Yep, running. I want to run a race for each of them this year. And not just any race. A 5K, 10K, 15K and in November, a half-marathon for all of them & Nicholas. I think it's a great way to honor them while also helping me cope and move forward in a healthy way. Plus, running helps me to clear my mind and just talk to God. I know I'll be doing a lot of it, which I need.

My first 5K is next month, July 15 and I'm nervous yet excited. Goodness, July 15 is just a few weeks away. Ahhhh! This should be interesting...