Traffic Jam.... Nebraska style

Had to stop for a minor traffic jam the other day when we were heading back to work.... definitely a sign that spring is near. We have since seen them all over the yard, the roads, and the neighboring fields. I love to watch them run (or waddle quickly).

Happy spring!

Signs of the Time

We recently took a cross country road trip to see the in-laws and had to snap a few photos to document all the crazy things we saw. Who knew a 20 minute country drive could be so entertaining.

Deer at a watering hole...

Old windmills are the greatest photo op ever. I never get tired of seeing them!

This creative rancher anchored his corner post with a small bolder. People in agriculture are never short on creativity!!! (Look close to see the wire wrapped around the rock that connects it to the post)

And of course, the endless country trail. You never know what you might find but it's bound to be interesting and entertaining to say the least!

Kitchen Reveal - BEFORE AND AFTER!!!

We finally finished our house remodel after 18 months of destruction, construction, and general mess. What a relief it is to come home and not clean up saw dust and drywall mess. We haven't got curtains and artwork, etc... back up but we are getting closer to being done! Thought I would share some kitchen before and after photos. It's still remarkable to me and hard to believe the transformation it made!

Here are a few early photos from when I first rented the house back in 2000. After Gail and I got married, we did some minor updates to get by until "someday". I believe the beautiful green oven (with matching sink) quit working and that started the whole process. We got rid of the lovely wall paper and put drywall over the old paneling. A new backsplash and countertop did wonders for the look but it was still a TINY little one butt kitchen!

No... we don't let our children climb ladders unsupervised, and yes... that is Allison about 7 years ago!!! Always has and always will be a great helper!!!

Right before tearing out the kitchen...

This shows the old walls that separated the kitchen, living room and laundry area. They are all gone now and it totally changed the look!

Here we are during the destuction phase.... What a mess we lived in for so long. But TOTALLY worth it!

We spent a few months eating out of the new laundry room while the old kitchen was torn out!

And I will leave you with one last shot to drool over. I know I do everyday when I come home. I LOVE LOVE LOVE our new space!

2010 Mileage Review

Thanks to Daily Mile (think facebook for athletes), I can log all my runs and look back on times, mileage, calories burned, etc... I set out for a lofty goal of 500 miles last January. Since I had only run off and on for a few months prior to this, it was a shot in the dark as to how I would do. As you can see from the chart below, I started out pretty strong but faded fast.

January thru March was a real confidence building phase. My longest run was 10 miles and it totally changed my perspective. I found difficulty making time for runs in the spring, with lack of daylight, long work hours, Gail's work schedule, kids activities, house remodeling, and a whole host of other life chores that always took precedence. I don't blame any of them. It was my choice, but I do realize that a 30-60 minute break makes for a much happier and less stressed me.

It's funny to me when I look back my progress. At first, the thought of a 5k (3.1 miles) was daunting, if not impossible. I distinctly remember being so proud that I could run a whole mile without stopping. And then two. And then I signed up for my first 5k and thought if I just finished I would be happy. Now I come home and the kids ask how far I ran and I say "JUST three". Now six seems respectable and three is what you do if you are in a hurry. I suppose it continues on with unlimited boundaries and that's why they have half and full marathons, ultras, iron man races, etc...

You will also notice in the monthly graph that I made a comeback at the end of the year. I managed to make it to a total of 300 miles for the year, which I am very happy with, and I have been blessed with good weather this winter to allow me to keep it up. My confindence continues to grow and I "want" to lace up, rather than feeling like I "have" to lace up. I couldn't do it without the support of my family... especially Gail.

I think 600 is a realistic goal this year and I hope to develop and maintain a consistent enough base to someday run a half marathon. But above all, I just want to feel better, set a healthy example for my kids, and take 30 minutes out of the day for some down time. What are you doing this year to take steps to a healthier YOU?

Happy Thanksgiving... Counting your blessings!

Food, Family, and Fun. What every Thanksgiving should be about. This year we made the 3 hr road trip to Gail's sister's house. It was a blessing to spend the day with a four generation span of family. I was reminded of the excitement of firsts having a new baby in the family, the excitement of wedding planning with two new fiances in the family, and the blessing of having grandparents there to share it with.

Thanksgiving is always a good time to stop and reflect just how lucky we are, so catching up on my Thankful 30 list this month...

• Day 20 - My babysitter. She is a blessing, a saint, an angel, and every other wonderful description you can think of. We are blessed to have such a great family looking after our kids when we can't. They are like an extension of our family and we love them for it!
• Day 21 - Wildlife. It is abundant around here and sometimes we forget how lucky we are to see it so routinely. I took this photo of a buck when I was driving to work the other day.

• Day 22 - Texting. With the race we all live in everyday, it's nice to be able to take 3 seconds to send a message that just says hi but really means "You are in my thoughts and I luv ya!"
• Day23 - Digital Cameras. I've been working on a big Christmas project at work and I have a zillion old pictures to scan into the system. Made me realize how great digital cameras are and how easy they make sharing special moments in life!
• Day 24 -My mother-in-law. Sounds funny to call her that. I just think of her as a second mom I've been blessed with. Here she is with her great grandson Caden. It was so much fun watching them interact.

• Day 25 - Turkey Day Food. We had enough to feed an Army and still have leftovers yesterday. We are so blessed to have so much. Not to mention we are blessed to have some pretty darn good cooks in the family!
• Day 26 - Kids. Right now they are trying to use the self-timer on the digital camera to take a photo of the two of them. It's hilarious to watch them try to beat the timer and then race back to see how it turned out. They have also lined up all the baby dolls, tractors, and stuffed animals to take a "family portrait" of them. I think Lori took too many pictures yesterday and now they are addicted!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and find yourselves as blessed as we feel that we are!

Poppy anyone?

Last Saturday, the kids and I had the opportunity to take a 2 hour shift at a local fundraiser on behalf of their 4-H club. The local VFW post was selling poppies in honor of Veteran's Day and they were taking donations to raise money for our Veterans. It was fun to see the kids interact with strangers and to see how grown up they have become. It was also a great way to teach them about community service and giving back. The thing that stuck with me most, however, was the wide array of customers and their stories. Here are just a few that touched me the most...

• An elderly lady stopped to speak to us and we discussed how the weather drastically changed that day for the worse. Rather than complain, she said "I thank God every day that I live in Nebraska and get to enjoy all the different weather we have. I would hate living in the South where it was just sunny all the time!"
• Since we were stationed in front of the grocery store, we got to see all types come in the door. One lady had her hands so full of reusable water jugs and grocery bags that she could hardly walk. I commented that being environmentally conscience takes a lot of effort and she said "Yeah, but it's soooo worth it for my grandkids to have a better place to live!" Sidenote: there was only one other person in the two hours we were there that had reusable bags to get their groceries. That should be our next project!
• After one gentleman donated money, the kids and I thanked him for his generosity and he said"No, thank YOU for spending your Saturday afternoon contributing to such a good cause!"
• A lady came in who was obviously pregnant and had two little kids in tow. She appeared to be disabled because she had a handicapped parking permit and could hardly walk. You could see the struggle with every step and she seemed overwhelmed with the little ones and the task at hand. But instead of grumbling, she had a smile on her face the entire time. She even brought her cart back into the store when she finished loading her car, while 90% of the capable individuals just left them all over the parking lot! Clearly, positive attitude goes a long way.
• The most touching interaction was with a gentleman who asked what the donations were for. When we told him it would go to the veterans, he said that was a good cause because he was a veteran. He proceeded to completely empty his wallet which happened to be a rather large sum of money. When I asked what branch he was in, he told me he served in the Army in Vietnam and that when he came home his brother was sent over. His brother didn't make it back.

And suddenly I realized it wasn't so much about the money we raised, but the act of showing respect and honoring our veterans. It is beyond comprehension what sacrifices they make for us. Veteran's Day should be celebrated every day in this country!

So on day 19 of thankful 30 month and a week after the official Veteran's Day celebration, I hope you join me in continuing to be thankful for our Veterans!

Scenic Views

I think the photos in this post will speak for themselves. These were taken in 4 consecutive days, some in the morning, and some in the evening. The sunrise and sunset have been spectacular EVERY. SINGLE. DAY lately! I carry my digital camera in my purse and I'm forever pulling over to take pictures because they are just beautiful. So today, I am thankful for God's beauty in the everyday occurences of our world!

Speaking of being thankful, I need to get caught up on my Thankful 30! I jot them down when I can't get to my computer so here's what I have since my last post:

13 - Selling poppies with the kids to raise money for the VFW (post coming soon about this!)

14 - Gail taking the kids for a few hours so I could finish some projects and get a 4 mile run in!

15 - Having lunch with an old friend that I hardly ever see these days

16 - Talking to my brother and his kids and being able to tell my niece Abby happy birthday!

17 - A nice compliment from a customer... it made my day to be appreciated!

18 - The SUNRISE that you see in the first photo above... it was amazing!

Have a great day!