Weekend recap

I was bad this weekend…I didn’t get a single run in. I was just so exhausted all weekend that even the thought of going on a run made me tired. I was aiming to get a 9-miler in at some point to keep on schedule with my half marathon training, but that certainly didn’t happen. And to make matters worse, I ate a bunch of junk that I shouldn’t have…pizza, Easter candy, banana bread, and powdered donuts. I’m not proud of it, and I certainly can’t continue on this pattern. I’m make a small goal for this week…I want to work out every week day, even if it is just a short run or some crunches and push ups at night. If I think in small terms, maybe I won’t be discouraged like I was at the thought of running for an hour and a half this weekend.

On the positive side, I did get a lot accomplished this weekend. I went to our church’s scrapbooking event and got about five pages completed. I haven’t touched my scrapbooking since the last retreat, which was a few months ago. I colored my hair, which didn’t turn out like I wanted…it was much more of a reddish tint than I thought it would be. I’m planning to re-color sometime tomorrow since that will be the 48 hours I need to wait between colorings. I also completed all of the things we need to send in our taxes, which I’ll be doing tomorrow. And I even painted my nails tonight. They’re now a pastel pink, in honor of spring. Which, by the way, has not come in full force like I’d like for it to. I’m ready for weather in the 60s with no rain. I’m so tired of this dismal rainy weather, and it’s really starting to bring down my normally happy demeanor.

This weekend was way too short, and I’m sad to have to go back to work tomorrow. The only thing that makes me excited for it is the fact that the UPS guy will be delivering my new toy, the Canon 40D with the 50 mm lens, f/1.4. Otherwise, it will be a sad day…I have to get my allergy shots and I have to go to my fundamentals of imaging class. Don’t get me wrong, I’m learning a lot, but it’s amazing what two extra free days during the week can do to your schedule. I’m ready for classes to be overwith so I can start putting what I’ve learned into action and booking some clients.

 

Highs and Lows of 2007 and a Fast-Forward to 2008

Highs:

1) Finishing the Evansville Half Marathon without passing out. As many of you know, I wasn’t that lucky in 2006. And considering how hot the weather was in October this year, this is definitely something to be proud of.

2) Tyler’s band, BorrowedTime, got off to a good start. They played a handful of local shows and one in Columbus, Indiana. Tyler, BJ, and Cassie are the core members and they’ve had some turnover throughout the year. As of now, it’s Tyler on drums, BJ on vocals and lead guitar, Cassie on vocals and accoustic guitar, Logan on the saxophone, and Daniel (aka Dandy) on bass.

3) I really grew spiritually. Much of this is thanks to a little book called Captivating but mostly to some really awesome, authentic Christians in my life. I’m even unofficially getting the youth group at our new church, Sojourn Newburgh, off to a start. I’m very excited about what the future for this church holds.

4) Tyler and I celebrated our second anniversary with a trip to St. Pete Beach, Florida. We had some rough times in our first two years, but we made it through. And we’re stronger than ever. It was a great trip, but we found out we’re kind of boring when we don’t vacation with at least one other couple.

5) We found out Tyler’s sister is pregnant (I can’t WAIT to be an aunt!). It’s a girl and her name is Elizabeth and she’ll be here in April! We were totally shocked by this because Adam and Kyla swore they’d never have kids. In fact, when Tyler’s parents tell people they’re going to be grandparents, everyone assumes it’s Tyler and I who are expecting.

6) I earned some extra income by writing/photographing for the Courier & Press and also by doing some copy editing. There were some really fun stories that I was pretty proud of and that allowed me to be creative. It was a lot of work at times, but I was glad to earn the extra money so I could buy Tyler an iPod Touch for Christmas.

7) I went on Accutane for my acne. It sucked that I had to do it, and there were times that I hated the medicine with a passion (dry skin, always thirsty, blurred vision, fatigue), but I’ve been off of it for about 3 weeks now, and my face is clearer than it’s ever been. I’m praying that my face stays clear, because it was a lot of effort and it was NOT cheap.

8) I got to go home for Christmas. I hadn’t been up north since May so the trip was long overdue. It was great to see my family (although I only got to see my mom’s side) and share in a tradition that was such a huge part of my childhood. There was nothing like Christmas at the Jones’.

Lows:

1) Tyler’s papaw had a decline in health, thanks to Parkinson’s and Alzheimers. He is now in a nursing home, where we don’t get to see him too often because of his eating and sleeping schedule. I would love nothing more than for him to have a complete turnaround and get better. It saddens me to see a man once so full of life ravaged by these horrible diseases.

2) My allergies were horrible this year. I had to take several days off to take care of them and to basically sleep them off. I’ve been on Allegra for over a year and it still didn’t help. I’ll soon be going on allergy shots soon, which I’m not too thrilled about.

3) I was really sick for about three weeks. In fact, today is the first day that I actually feel better than 90%. This not only made me cranky at home, but also really made me miss a lot of work and get off of my running routine. It was a nasty virus that I just couldn’t shake.

4) I have lost touch with a lot of friends I hold very dear. Life is busy, plain and simple. But that’s no excuse to forget about friends who have made you who you are.

5) We didn’t have any measurable amount of snow. My poor Tyler’s only wish was to have snow to go out and play in. Every time we’d have snow in the forecast, he’d wake up in the morning and check outside, only to be disappointed. It would be great to have a big snow so we could go out and throw snowballs at each other and also so Lola could try to eat all the snow in sight. Seriously, she has her tongue out the entire time just licking at the snow. It’s pretty cute.

Up for 2008:

1) I start classes at Ivy Tech in January. I’ll be going back so I can learn the basics of photography and hopefully build up a clientele so I can have a business. It would be great to be able to stay at home when I’m a mom (one day).

2) Borrowed Time will record a demo in Nashville in January. They will spend an entire weekend as well as the following Monday recording about 5 songs. (I’ll spend much of my time taking pictures and scrapbooking with Rachel.) The band hopes to make it in the lineup for some summer festivals. It would be Tyler’s dream come true.

3) I’ll be running the 500 Festival Mini Marathon (the biggest half marathon and 8th-largest road race in America) in Indy with my college friend Jaimie. She currently lives in DC where she is a law student, but she’ll be coming back to practice law and live in Indy a couple weeks before the race. I’m really looking forward to connecting with her and catching up on things. 

4) We’ll be going to Hawaii for our vacation. A woman I work with is graciously letting us stay in the home she owns on Oahu - for free. I’ve already purchased all the plane tickets and booked our hotel for while we are in Maui for one night. We’ll be going with BJ and Rachel, so it should be a lot of fun.

5) I’ll be doing less work on the side so I can focus on family and friends. This means turning down some stories, but it will be worth it. I haven’t had a chance to breathe lately.

6) Sojourn Newburgh will launch at the beginning of the year. New year, new location, and a lot of faith in what God is doing we hope will equal helping to change the lives of people in the area. We could certainly use prayer, but if you’d like to give, you can do so online at www.thesojourn.org. I’m going to be trying to find interesting ways to decorate the youth room, so if you have ideas, let me know. Right now, I’m thinking chalkboard paint on the walls.

I may add some more later as they come to me, so check back.

 

It’s been a while…

No, I’m not posting the lyrics to the Staind song. I just realized today that I haven’t posted a blog in a while. Here’s what’s been going on in my life:

• I’ve taken a break on reading the book unChristian for now, mainly because I’m busy with doing some extra work so we can put money into our Hawaii account. What I’ve read so far has been highly inspiring and humbling at the same time. Some of the issues the book points out are issues I’ve had to deal with because of churches I’ve gone to, so I want to make sure that I don’t repeat the things that have made me feel farther from God.
• We went out with Matt (our pastor) and his wife MaryRuth for dinner on Friday. We went to RiRa’s, which I wasn’t very impressed with. The atmosphere was great, but the food was horrible. I had the fish and chips; the chips (just fries, really) were great, but the fish was slimy from the grease/batter. I don’t think anyone else was too impressed with their food either. After that, we went to Coldstone Creamery to get the bad taste out of our mouths. Seriously, we just had a craving for some good ice cream, and CC didn’t disappoint. I had my usual Birthday Cake Remix. Fabulous!
• Saturday we went to Nashville for a day trip. I won tickets on the radio Friday to see Ronnie Milsap at the Grand Ole Opry (I won them when I qualified for a trip to the CMAs, which I will find out if I win that on Saturday). With such short notice, I wasn’t sure we’d be able to go, but one of the girls offered to take Tyler’s Saturday work shift so we could. I was so ecstatic! Neither of us had been to the Grand Ole Opry, so it was a neat experience. We only knew one of Ronnie’s songs and were by far the youngest ones in the crowd, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. We did some shopping at Opry Mills Mall, then went to the Cool Springs Galleria to see our friend Cassie, and then back to the Opry Mills Mall for a dinner with our friends Nick, Randi and Jill Jones, who moved down there from Evansville this past year. It was such a great trip, but we got back pretty late and had to get up for church the next morning. We sure were tired, but it was worth it to be able to have some fun with Tyler and our friends. Definitely a break from the ordinary.
• I’m having dinner with my sister at El Maguey’s in Boonville tonight. Nothing like some Mexican food to make a belated birthday celebration great! I’m super excited about spending time with my sister. We may live a town apart, but I rarely get to see her. We’re hoping to make the meal a monthly thing.
• This weekend is our friend’s bonfire to celebrate his birthday. I’m so excited about cooler weather and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. I can’t wait to get bundled up in a big, comfy sweater and hat. It’s great cuddling weather, too.
• We’ve been spending a lot of time with people from church. Our church is about to undergo a lot of changes and I’m very excited about the possibilities of where it might take us. For once, I feel like I’m a part of a family at my church and we’re ready to make a difference in our community. Tyler and I have been praying about what that might mean for us as far as our involvement. Let’s just say I never thought I would even think about taking on this type of responsibility in the past, so it must totally be a God thing.
• I haven’t been running much lately. Too busy with family stuff. Hoping to get back on that train this weekend with at least an 8-miler. Still contemplating the Indy Half Marathon, too. Not really sure what’s holding me back since I know it would be a blast and I’d get to hang out with my college friend, Jaimie. Maybe I’m just a big wimp…the thought of running with 35,000 people is a bit overwhelming!
• I’ve been doing a little writing for the Courier & Press. It feels so good to flex my writing muscles! I’ve also been taking some pictures for the stories I’ve done. It makes me so happy to see what I can do with a camera.
• I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. Tyler and I have been doing so great. We’ve really learned to communicate and make quality time for each other. And the time we’ve been spending together has been a lot of fun, too. He really is such a great man and I’m very lucky to have him.

I’m hoping to rest up a bit this weekend. I’d like to get some scrapbooking done, too (which if I haven’t mentioned it, scrapbooking and photography have become two of my biggest passions). Also, I have some things going on in my life right now, so I could use some prayer.

 

Birthday Wish List

As previously promised, here is my birthday wish list:

1) Nike+ System: I just found out you don’t have to have Nike shoes to make this work (thanks Jaimie!!). But, you do need the iPod Nano. From time to time, I carry my XM radio, which is kind of big and heavy, so this would allow me to be more hands-free when running.

2) iPod Nano: See #1.

3) Nike armband or any of the nano armbands: Not absolutely necessary, but really nice so you don’t have to carry it when you run.

4) Shoe pouch: Black or gray, please.

5) A day at the spa: Because my body will need it after I run the half marathon.

6) Scrapbooking stuff: One of my favorite new hobbies. Or you could just get me a gift card to Hobby Lobby, Jo Ann’s, or Michaels. Or buy Creative Memories stuff from Rachel.

7) Gift cards to: The Limited, Target, Barnes and Noble, Coldstone Creamery (haven’t been there in AGES), etc.

8 ) A pull-over jacket, much like this one. I need it to be warm enough that I don’t freeze on the cold fall morning on the way to work or evenings at football games.

9) A road bike. I’d seriously like to take up riding as a way to cross train for running. It’d be fun, too.

10) A chance to hang out with some of my friends from high school. I seriously feel like it’s been forever since we’ve all been together.

11) A road trip. Just for a day, maybe to Brown County. I love traveling with my Tyler!

While all of this stuff is great, all I really want is time with friends and family. I’ll be in Indy for training on the 9th and 10th, so that means I get to have my birthday dinner with my parents. I’m super-excited about this.

I have to admit, though, I’m a little scared of turning 25. It is, after all, a quarter of a century. I feel so old. Especially when my hubby is 2 years younger than I am.

 

Living in Harmonie

This weekend I stayed at Harmonie State Park with 9 amazing women. We stayed in the family cabins for my church’s women’s retreat. Although the cabins were made for 8 people (2 bunk beds, a double bed, and a hideaway bed) we managed to squeeze all 10 of us in the cabin. Those of us who didn’t get a bed slept on the floor on air mattresses, while others slept on air mattresses on the screened-in patio. The weather was just amazing…70′s all weekend with a light breeze. Couldn’t have asked for a better setting.

While it was a church event, it wasn’t your run-of-the-mill retreat. Most people, when they think of a church retreat, envision women sitting around the table, Bibles open, discussing Scripture all weekend long, and learning how to be a more Godly woman. While we did discuss Scripture at our own leisure, there was no schedule. Instead, we did what we enjoy doing: scrapbooking, photography, knitting, crocheting, reading, etc. I even was able to get my 10-mile run in to keep in schedule with the training for the half marathon I have in three weeks (YIKES!). We also had plenty of time to sleep in, take naps, take walks, and just get to know one another.

I was amazed at the fact that despite all 10 of us being crammed in the cabin all weekend, we got along amazingly well. There were no incidents of arguing or even anyone getting annoyed with another person. We were all as relaxed as we could possibly be. And it showed on our faces…smiles and laughing the entire time.

While I got A LOT of scrapbooking done, the best thing I accomplished was to grow closer to these women. I went to the retreat knowing these women as church members and left knowing them as friends and even sisters. It was amazing. And we loved it so much that we decided we needed to do it more often than once a year. We are hoping to schedule the retreats every four months, especially since there were some women who were not able to attend this weekend. I don’t have the pictures off my camera yet, but when I do, I’ll be sure to post some of the pictures that show just how much fun we had.

 

Emerging from My Cocoon

Metamorphosis: n., A profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism, as from the caterpillar to the pupa and from the pupa to the adult butterfly.

I decided to start this blog because I want to document how I change over time. Hence the name. And the quote just seemed to fit perfectly: “The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” I don’t want to let time pass me by; I want to savor every moment, make the most of the life which I’ve been given.

God has given me so many passions, many of which I’ve just discovered. Realizing these passions makes me so excited to be alive and about what lies ahead. Fitness, music, travel, photography, scrapbooking, writing, and the outdoors are just a few of the things I adore. You’ll see those topics come up several times as I write about my life.

You’ll also read about my walk with Christ. Life as a Christian can be a bit of a rollercoaster at times, but it’s all a part of the journey. Although He was perfect, Christ didn’t have an easy life when He came to this earth; he was mocked, spit upon, ridiculed, and, ultimately, beaten and crucified. What could I endure that could even compare to that? I’ve also come to realize that being a Christian is not all about rules. It’s about a relationship, a romance with Christ. It’s so freeing to know that. 

I hope that what I write in this blog will give you a little glimpse into my world, but also remind me that I am alive. And always changing. Hopefully, one day I’ll see myself as that beautiful butterfly. Because I know Jesus already does.