1/2 Marathon Training and EO's

If you're on facebook, you probably got an invite to an online class my friend Amanda is graciously doing for me!  She introduced me to essential oils and they've made SUCH a huge difference for my own family that I am dying to tell all my friends about them!  I blogged about them right after I got my kit but I have to tell you my latest EO news... not only do they help my kids sleep, improve my skin, keep us all healthy, they're fabulous for 1/2 marathon training too!!

Yesterday was my first official long run - I say official because I had done a few longer runs on Saturdays but the training program that I'm following started Monday, so this was the first "official" long run.  Not to mention it's been ridiculously cold and snowy over the last several weeks so all training has been basically put on hold.  I don't think I had run over 4 miles in almost a month and I was scheduled to run on Saturday.  Needless to say, I was more than a little nervous about this run.  But I had three good running buddies lined up to run (and a 1/2 marathon registration fee already paid), so there was no backing out!  Before the run, I rubbed a little valor on my lower back to try to work out some stiffness.  I also inhaled some peppermint because I had read it was supposed to be energizing.  We took off running about an 8:45 pace (a little slower than my "normal", but a good pace) and gradually sped up so that by the end our overall average  for 7 miles was 8:24 and miles 4-7 were all right around the 8:00 mark.  I seriously felt SO good the entire time, I was honestly amazed at how well it felt, especially considering how fast we were running (fast for me anyway).

When we finished, we were walking the last 6 blocks back to the Y and I could almost immediately feel my knees getting stiff (this happens anytime I run more than about 4 miles....I have seriously crappy knees but I'm also convinced that prior surgeries on both knees didn't really help, so I'm not willing to do that again).  I did my usual stretching and headed home with still stiff knees.  When I got home, I decided to try out my oils.  I rubbed some panaway on each knee and literally, within 2 minutes, all stiffness was gone and it has not returned at all.  (it's now Sunday night!! - Praise the Lord!!)  After I showered, I also decided to try out my new Young Living Ortho Sport Massage oil (made with essential oils).  I coated both legs in the oil and went on about my day.  My legs NEVER got stiff or sore...woke up this morning, still no sore muscles.  Seriously, my legs felt so good I just about skipped my rest day and went for another run - just for fun! :)

Last month when I started doing some 5 and 6 mile runs on Saturdays, I was super sore all day Sunday and barely ready to run again on Monday morning -- I can't even tell you how excited I am to have such a simple solution make such a HUGE difference in my training regimen!   Whether you're training for a race or just wanting your kids to sleep better, I'd LOVE to share more about Young Living Essential Oils and the difference they're making in my life!  Feel free to comment here or find me on facebook! :)

A heavy heart

I've always had a heart for kids....especially troubled kids.   I think I first realized this the summer after my freshman year of college when I went to work at a day reporting center for juveniles who were in trouble with the law.  I worked with some pretty bad kids -- they were into drugs and gangs, they were failing school and causing problems and breaking the law and not exactly the kind of kids you'd want your kids hanging out with.  But the more I got to know those kids, I saw something that very few other people saw.  I saw potential.  I saw broken homes and missing dads and poor parenting and hurting kids who were acting out and trying to get attention in all the worst ways.  I was less than 10 years older than most of these kids (and only three or four years older than some!), but we were worlds apart.  These kids had seen more and been through more than I hope I ever go through in my lifetime.   My heart broke for these kids -- they needed a chance, they needed someone to see the good in them, to believe in them....and if nobody else was going to do, then I was!

Fast forward a few ten years....yikes that makes me sound old.  I had the privilege of meeting a particularly special kiddo.   The Court called to see if I would serve as guardian ad litem (a fancy name for an attorney appointed by the court to look out for a child's best interest) for a teenage girl.  She was hospitalized after a nearly successful suicide attempt.  She had already spent nearly two years in residential treatment and had been home only a couple of weeks when she attempted suicide.  Her mom was  at the end of her rope and had turned to the state for help.  And so, I took the appointment and met this precious girl.  She struggled with mental illness, chronic depression, eating disorders, and self-harming.  She pushed people away and continually struggled with believing that no one wanted her (and worked hard to prove herself right with her behaviors).  But I looked at her and saw potential.  I saw a little girl who had been through more than any little girl should ever have to go through.  I saw a little girl so hurt by the people she should have been able to trust that she couldn't trust anyone.  And over the next 3+ years she bounced between foster homes and residential treatment, but I watched her grow to trust me, and figure out that I was going to be there no matter what.  I'd cheer her on when she was successful and when she made a bad choice, she knew she could expect me to call out her but to remind her that she one bad decision (or even twenty bad decisions) didn't define her.  We talked often about the need to pick up and move on and I can't even tell you the number of times I told her, "this decision doesn't define who you are...learn from it, decide you're going to make better decisions next time and move on."   Last year she turned 19 and my work with her ended.  Or at least my "official" work ended, but I couldn't make myself just walk out on her.  After all, that's what nearly every other adult in her life had done and I wasn't going to be just like everyone else.  So she kept my cell phone number and I assured her she could call anytime...and she did.  We'd talk on the phone weekly and it wasn't uncommon to get a text message nearly daily.  Just before Christmas I made a trip to Omaha and we went out for dinner and went shopping.  We had a great time....but I had no idea it would be the last time I would ever see her.  You see, I got a phone call yesterday telling me that she had committed suicide.

I wish I had a coherent thought process about all of this, but I just don't.  I'm heartbroken that yesterday afternoon she was in such a horrible place she didn't see any reason for living.  I'm ticked off that as a system, we failed her.  I wish I had solutions -- I don't know how you deal with severe mental illness but  I do know this....the system we have right now doesn't work.  There's a problem when someone can spend YEARS in residential treatment and outpatient counseling and take every medication known to man and still be stuck in the same chronic depression and desperate situation they started with.  But amidst all this frustration and heart break, I have a renewed passion for the work that I do and the opportunity that I have to make a difference.  May I take my work seriously, continue to see the best in the kids that I work with and give these kids the chance they've never had.

Essential Oils

A friend of mine recently introduced me to Young Living Essential Oils -- I've watched her blog posts and facebook posts but I'll admit I'm a skeptic.  I'd read through her posts but never gave much of a thought to trying them.  Then a couple of weeks ago this friend held an online "class" via facebook.  I decided to check it out -- and then the same week, the flu bug went through our house and left NO.ONE unscathed.  And after 17 million loads of laundry and catching more puke in towels than one should ever have to catch and missing an entire week of work (because of course we couldn't all get sick at once, we had to pass it from one person to the next for an entire week), I decided I would try about anything. :)

Truthfully, the online class was totally fascinating and I loved seeing the testimonials of people using the essential oils for all sorts of ailments.  Long story short, I decided to check it out for myself.  I've had my kit just over a week and I have to admit, I'm SOLD!  We've used various oils on everything from tummy aches to head aches, skin rashes to cracked heels with amazing success!

My favorite though is using lavender on Micah man at bedtime.  If you know Micah, you know he goes 100 mph ALL.THE.TIME.  And the kid has been a pretty terrible sleeper since birth.  He didn't sleep through the night until he was almost 14 months old.  Even now (at almost 4 years) he takes a long, long time to settle in at night (which doesn't work well since he and Makenzie share a room).  It's not uncommon for us to go in five or more times a night to tell him to lay down/be quiet/quit playing toys/make one more peep and you're getting a spanking/etc..... and then he's up super early in the morning.  He had been stuck in a rut of getting up BEFORE 6 am.  Seriously, his {lack of}sleep made me want to scream.  Enter essential oils.  I read that lavender was good for calming, so I started putting some on his feet before bed and sometimes, I mix a drop or two of lavender with coconut oil and put it on him like lotion.  Literally, the first night we used it, I tucked him into bed, he got up once for his trip to the potty and then went to sleep and didn't get up until 6:30 the next morning.  I still thought maybe it was a coincidence.  Night two....same story.  And it has continued every single night.  He's going to sleep quicker and sleeping until 6:30 or even 7 in the morning.  Today I had to wake him at 7:15 so we could get everybody out the door to school/daycare!

Mama friends (and non-mama friends :)), if you've never heard of essential oils, you should check out this page. My friend Amanda (who introduced me to the oils) keeps this blog and it's a great resource!  (You can also check out her facebook page - Our Grace Filled Life for more info on essential oils).  And if you think you'd like to try the oils for yourself or just want more info, I'd love to chat!!  I'll try to share more stories on here too so you can see how we're using our oils!

New Year, New Goals!

2013 was a good year – and there were some things that went really well, that I want to continue….so we’ll start with those. 

1.  Keep running!  I made it almost 375 miles between February 25 and the end of 2013, so my goal for 2014 is 500 miles for the year….and a Half Marathon in May.

2.  Continue with Hello Mornings challenges.  This challenge has helped me more than you can imagine!  In 2013, I made my mornings a priority – which meant setting my alarm for 4:50 Monday through Friday.  Crazy, I know….but this lets me get in some time with God and a workout BEFORE I start chasing children….and I’m a much nicer mom when that happens! J  I also started planning my weeks – laying out the schedule for the week (hello, shared google calendars), planning meals, planning activities to do with the kiddos and of course my always too long to do list.  I’d like to say this made all our weeks smooth and peaceful and pretty much perfect but I’m pretty sure you know me well enough to know that’s not true….but it did help immensely!  And if nothing else, it gave me a plan and helped me be intentional about what I was doing!

3.  Keep reading – Reading 6 books a year has been on my list for the last two years and it’s here again!  The number of books isn’t so important to me as just making sure I’m reading – I love reading and it’s good “me” time!  Here’s the list to start 2014:  Finish Out of the Spin Cycle, then (in no particular order) Train Up A Mom, Sparkly Green Earrings, and Lead Your Family Like Jesus. After that I’m not sure….I’ll take suggestions if you have them.  I’m a big fan of dccebooks.com – they post a new FREE ebook every week, so my ipad is loaded with TONS of options!  Now if I just had the time to get through them all.  J

And here’s the NEW goals for 2014:

4.  Limit phone/email/facebook time so that I can be more intentional with my family!   You don’t need a big long explanation; I just need to DO IT!

5.  Be more intentional with our finances.  I’m not really sure what this looks like – it needs a little more planning (and probably some chatting with the hubby J), but here’s what I do know: we could steward our resources better!  I’m good about setting up a budget every month (and maybe not quite as good at sticking to it every month), but whether it’s spending money on things we don’t need (and by we, I mean I) or donating $25 to every.stinking. person that knocks on the door raising money for who.knows. what….we could use a little thought and planning.  I’d like to give more to causes we really believe in (and maybe not give to things that don’t matter) – coming up with a plan is definitely going to be the first step.

6.  No more yelling.  I hate, hate, hate to admit it, but I’m a yeller.  And there’s nothing that makes me want to yell more than bad behavior or stinky attitudes out of my little darlings.  But we have a problem – they’ve started yelling.  And it’s awful….and I’m pretty sure that me yelling at them to stop yelling isn’t going to do the trick.   So this one’s a family goal and I know it has to start with me.  Deep breath, count to 3…I can do this.  J

I’m still working on some goals with the kiddos, but I LOVE this resource!  2014 marks the 3^rd year we’ve used this to set goals for/with the kids and it’s super fun to see the progress we’ve made (and it’s good to see the things we need to keep working on).  I feel like so often in parenting I’m just trying to survive the day – keep the kids bathed, clothed, fed and not fighting is sometimes a monumental task by itself and I feel like I miss the big things.  The truth is, it’s those big things that matter.  20 years from now I’m not going to care about whether we missed a bath or two or ten, and my kids probably won’t remember that they had PBJ sandwiches way too often…..what matters is that they learn to love Jesus.  And that means I can’t get so caught up in surviving each day that I forget to point them to Him and His truth and love and mercy! 

So, here’s to a fabulous 2014!  Oh yeah and one more goal – I hope to blog here a little more often than I did last year, so hopefully you’ll see more of me! J