{12 in 13} April update

Four days, folks. Four days. That's how far I made it into my daily Bible-reading plan for the month before I missed a day.

But you know what? I'm all about finishing the race, even if I mess up along the way. I am going to persevere. I haven't been keeping track of how many days I have missed or not missed, I am just going to try again each morning.

One way that this is going to happen is that I have joined "The 6 a.m. Club." One of my dear sister-friends sent me a book called Shopping for Time, by Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters (of girltalk fame) which builds the book around an analogy. The authors describe a well-planned-out shopping expedition, where the shoppers clip coupons, make lists and maintain their focus on the end goal, moving from store to store until they accomplish their mission. We always want the best deal, the most for our money. How much more should we be intentional about how we "spend" our time, which is not, in fact, an unlimited resource? They offer five tips for 'making the most of every opportunity':

1) Rise early
2) Sit still (at Jesus' feet)
3) Sit and plan (taking a personal retreat)
4) Consider people (evaluating relationships carefully)
5) Plan to depend (being productive in daily life)

Under the first category the authors bring up the idea of the "club" they started in their family to help each other get up earlier. (Theirs is "The 5 a.m. Club," but I have little desire to go quite that far... at this point in time...) They emphasize the importance of sitting at Jesus' feet first thing in the morning, before everyone else gets up, before the day's demands descend on unsuspecting households, and you find yourself merely surviving, 'same song, different verse.' It's a pretty solid point, I think, that it's crucial to "Eph. 6 it" as my friend Mallory says; we face trials and challenges so much better, and we respond so much more kindly to others (esp. the little people at our feet!), when our minds are prepared for action, and our hearts are refreshed by the truth of the Word.

I know I do not have the self-discipline to get up... and stay up... when I try to get up early. I have demonstrated that to myself often, especially since my kids will sleep until at least 7 usually, sometimes until 8 a.m. I have enlisted the help of Mallory once again. She has graciously agreed to give me a little ringy-ding each morning at 6:05 my time. It's working! Because even though the call is only 30 seconds or so, I know I would be more miserable if I let myself down and got back in bed, than if I just slogged through those first few minutes of waking-up-when-I'd-rather-be-hugging-my-pillow. And it doesn't hurt to hear her cheerful Southern voice, either! :) Love you, Mal.

I've been enjoying that hour or so when the house is quiet. (I can see why Sean likes it.) I keep the curtains drawn though, because, frankly, I bet I will someday enjoy seeing the sky's early-morning dimness, but for now I don't want to be reminded that it's not light yet. :)

A note on the {12 in 13} adventure: I'm finding, as I pursue these monthly goals, that I've really been learning a lot about myself, and about how to live this life well. Even though I have been far from nailing every goal 100%, it's been so neat to experiment, in a way, and strive toward something. Ultimately I want to strive toward "finishing the race." (Can you tell I'm doing a Bible study on Hebrews?) But it's been cool to see what works, what doesn't, and to test myself in different ways. I'm both scientist and guinea pig in this endeavor. :)

I'm excited for next month: the Bull Canyon Run is only a few weeks away! That race will seem easy in comparison to getting up early every day. To each his or her own!

Until then... look to Jesus, friends!

12 in 13

Ok, folks, here are my 12 goals for 2013.

January
Goal: Potty-train Caleb. My plan is to look up the "boot camp" method (2-3 days of focused concentration on learning the skill, vs. a more gradual approach) and execute it together with Sean during the long weekend of 19th-21st January (the Monday that is MLK, Jr. Day).


February
Goal: Share love. I will focus on sharing non-romantic love by preparing and giving care packages to neighbors or friends. I hope to start Caleb (and our other kids) young on an others-focused, "better to give than receive" mindset... even though I myself am still far from really embracing that, if I'm honest, though I know that's what God and His love are like, and what we are called to emulate. It's just as much training for me as for him, I think! I know it will be fun. I'm thinking we (Caleb and I) will make heart-shaped cookies to give to our neighbors, perhaps with a little Gospel tract or some sort of message to go along with the treats... about the BEST love there is-- God's perfect, undeserved grace expressed in His kindness toward us in Jesus.

March
Goal: Start a garden. Sean wants to learn how to "build stuff," and we are thinking about making some raised beds for our back yard. I'd like to try some strawberries, lettuce, maybe spinach, carrots, beans, berries... there are lots of options. Need to research and decide what exactly we will plant, and whether we will go with seeds or seedlings.

April
Goal: Establish daily prayer/Bible-reading habit. I will set aside a little time to read and pray for 30 days straight during the month of April. I think choosing, and sticking to, one specific time each day will help it happen (i.e. after breakfast or during naptime). I haven't decided where in the Bible to read, or how to pray, or how long I want to shoot for, but I will decide by April. :) I'll admit I'm not very consistent at either of those disciplines right now.

May
Goal: Complete the Bull Canyon Run 10K. This will require starting to run again... soon... as in, starting as soon as I am able to exercise more vigorously. I haven't run in... several months. Maybe about nine. :) Is it cheating to have a goal that is not completely contained in the one month? I will build up two miles per month (Feb, Mar, Apr) till I am able to complete a 10K, or 6.2 miles, in roughly 10 minutes per mile. That's my goal. The last 10K I attempted was last May, when I was 10 weeks pregnant. It was not pretty, but I finished! It didn't help that the first four miles were uphill. But Sean and our friend Cameron were kind enough to run (ok, jog) with me the last few miles and it was a really fun day overall. Hey, this time we will be at sea level! This race is special to me, because the first 5k race I ever did was the Bull Canyon Run in May of 2008.

June
Goal: Fast from refined sugar for one week. I've read a lot about refined sugars, and have read about people who have eliminated it from their diets... but I think the most I could handle would be a week at first. I put white sugar in my coffee. I sprinkle brown sugar on my oatmeal. I bake (and eat) cookies. Sugar is in a LOT of things that I prepare and eat-- even store-bought peanut butter has sugar in it, as an example of places you wouldn't think to look for sugar. Right now, I try my darnedest to avoid high fructose corn syrup, but I do allow other sugars into my home.

July
Goal: Sew, sew, sew! I'd like to work up some inventory for the September goal. :)

August
Goal: Look into homeschooling resources. Caleb is doing great with colors and numbers, which he comes across in some of his books or out in the world. (e.g. Red means stop!). I'd like to look for something a little bit structured, even just to give me some ideas for how to occupy him when I am nursing or trying to do something that requires both hands and concentration.

September
Goal: Open Etsy shop. I have a lot of research and fine-tuning to do before this point! There are a lot of great tutorials on the Etsy site and elsewhere.

October
Goal: Memorize one chapter of Scripture. Chapter TBD. :)

November
Goal: Prepare for the Advent season. This will include buying new Advent candles (ours melted sometime during the past year); researching kid activities/devotionals; purchasing any other supplies for crafts or nativity-set creating; and brainstorming gift giving ideas for our family members and our giving budget with Sean.

December
Goal: Make and execute a "giving list"... not a "wish list." Our parents ask for our lists each year, which is great because we will love what they give us! They want to bless us, and I appreciate that. I am really enjoying the CD, Boppy cover, spatulas, cooling racks, etc. I asked for. :) I'm also enjoying the things I didn't ask for. Some good reading-- I hope to share more about that later. What I don't like is that I start thinking a lot about what I want, even though I have more than I need. My desire this year is to focus on giving and not ask for anything, except maybe two chickens and a goat or education for girls.

There you have it! Twelve goals, some spiritual, some physical, all doable with God's help! I'm excited. Do you have any ideas for your own 2013? I'd love to hear about it!

Run!

Today's forecast: 60's and mostly sunny; 100% chance of run in the afternoon.

We did it! Caleb and I went for a run... though I must say he gets the easy end of the deal. :) It was really windy, the kind of wind that snatches the breath out of your throat and causes temporary panic. It was also the type of wind that provides significant resistance! For precisely that reason, I chose to alter my Bullet out-and-back route by turning right instead of going straight down Bullet Road. When it's really windy and you're running outside, you know one half of your run will be pretty much miserable, and the other half will be a breeze (ha). You'll feel like you're flying when the wind is at your back. Well, I didn't want to start out with a miserably slow first half. So we turned right and had a cross-wind, somewhat challenging but not impossible to deal with. It was lovely! Overcast and windy, but not freezing! It was a great time. Here's how it went, in minutes.

1:45 -- starting to feel warmed up, muscles are remembering what they are supposed to do

4:45 -- tired legs, they remember too well!

10:10 -- rounding the final corner for the home stretch

12:45 -- done!

I consider this a smashing success. No collapsing strollers, no injuries, no walking, no tears of defeat. It was good. I am thankful for days like today where things actually go okay.

I'm considering signing up for the Bolder Boulder, supposedly the second-largest race in the US. I thought I saw that stat on the web site, but now I can't find it (it's always good to verify your facts...). This year's race is going to be on May 28, 2012, Memorial Day! That is 96 days from now, plenty of time to work up to a 10k. :) We'll have to see if Sean wants to make it happen. Boulder's a couple hours from here, and we might need to stay there the night before since the race starts first thing in the morning. I think it would be fun! Sean and I did a couple 10k's last summer and it was a great experience each time. We shall see! (No strollers allowed at the BB, so we'll have to figure that out.)

Until next time.... walk in grace!

On grand entrances

Today was going to be the day. Projected high of 48 degrees, plenty warm outside. Energy, motivation, and free time were all mine. Today was the day I was going to start running again!

I have missed running-- the endorphins, the fresh air, the permission to eat more freely (not the least significant benefit, in my mind!). Pregnancy nausea and winter weather had made it all but impossible to run outside, which I vastly prefer to running inside. I have been feeling better recently, and it was such a warm (relatively) day, that I decided I would get down the jogging stroller off its hook in the garage, bundle up Caleb, lace up my running shoes, and go for it. Even if it was destined to be a short jaunt, I was okay with that. My goal was to make it all the way down Bullet Road (about a mile out from our house) and back. If I had to walk partway, and I was pretty certain I would need to, I was okay with that too.

Well, I got as far as the driveway. Caleb was a little red-jacketed Michelin man strapped into the jogger. I had inhaler, phone, and garage clicker in hand. We started walking down our driveway, which boasts a fairly steep slope. I guess I had not securely locked the jogger into place, because it started collapsing as we went down the driveway. I am SO thankful Caleb was not harmed. He just sat there on top as it folded down on itself, probably a little flummoxed that he was so close to the ground. I, however, did not escape without injury. Somehow I managed to whack my shin pretty good on the jogger as I tried to catch it without falling down the hill, hard enough to create a lump and a deep gouge. It didn't bleed much, but as I looked at it I didn't think it would be wise to try and run on it.

I managed to get the jogger upright and locked into place with Caleb still in it, and gingerly conveyed it and my throbbing leg back up the driveway. I took Caleb inside, removed his jackets and hat and shoes moments after putting them all on, and got some ice for my leg. I must admit I cried a little as I sat there holding a towel-covered bag of ice to my leg, mostly from the frustrated hopes of not getting to go outside and run, partly from the pain. Why does everything have to be so difficult? It would be easy to get inordinately upset over this kind of disappointment. I think it drives home the point that there are trials of all shapes and sizes (and outcomes). It might be a miscarriage-- been there, doing that-- it might be a job loss; it might be a broken pencil or a paper cut or a loved one's death or a thwarted plan-of-the-day.

I am so glad God's plans are never thwarted! I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. (Job 42:2) He is the only one who can definitively, authoritatively "say the word" and guarantee that it will happen exactly as He planned it. That is a comforting thought, even with a bruised shin and a disappointing lack-of-run this afternoon. As Sean comforted me, there's always tomorrow! Stay tuned for the next chapter in my up-and-down-and-all-over saga. :)

I'm back!

Hello! So... it's been awhile. :) I dropped blogging shortly before my sweet boy Caleb was born, but now feel that I have both the time and inclination to resume writing and posting, especially since he's been taking such good naps during the day! (much rejoicing...)

Life is really hard and really messy sometimes. God is really good and really strong all the time. That's a good way to sum up recent life, I think. I've decided to be real and actively include Sean's daughter Nalani on this blog. She's part of our life, and it feels fake and sanitized to be silent on that front. The situation provides a constant challenge to love someone who is antagonistic toward you (Nalani's mother), and to actively practice trusting God to be sovereign, wise, and loving, as we know He is. We had a wonderful visit with Nalani over Christmas, so I would like to post some pictures of our time with her. Stay tuned!

I've been working at getting over my aversion to running outside in the winter weather. California has spoiled me. :) So far, I've run five or six times with gloves, ear warmers, hoodie, underarmour long-sleeve shirt and pants. It's still kind of a weird feeling to run with so many clothes on, but it feels so good to get some heart-pumping exercise. (Last time I took off the gloves about 10 minutes into it.) We Skype with Nalani twice a week for about 15 minutes each, Thursdays and Sundays, so on Thursdays Sean gets to come home a little early from work. We've been trying to arrange it so I go for a run after we Skype while Sean watches Caleb, so that's at least twice a week we have a time slot for me to run! I can now handle temps in the 30's-- have tested that hypothesis! Temps in the 20's... haven't attempted yet. I read an article that claimed the burning-lung-and-throat feeling you get from the cold air goes away over time. Sounds fun, right? Sean and I plan to sign up for a St. Patrick's Day 5k in the Springs, as extra motivation. I can run for about 30 minutes straight now, but it's very s-l-o-w. Taking a year off from running means you gotta work back up to both rate and distance! I am thankful that I seem to have lost the baby weight (it's hard to tell sometimes with those winter "survival instinct" cravings that cause you to gain a protective layer of fat to survive the cold!).

I've also been trying new recipes! Soon to come, posts on:
Sweet Potato Ragout
Orange Barley Chicken
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Chicken Caesar Salad (w/ homemade dressing and homemade croutons!)

Thanks for listening. :) Until next time...

Something must be done!

During our down time lately, we have been so lethargic that we decided the only (or at least the most effective) way to motivate ourselves to be active was to register for a race of some sort. That certainly adds some urgency to our workouts. :) We have experientially proven the notion that it's way easier to get out of shape (just don't do anything!) than to get back in shape (work, work, work). Thankfully, we found the Chilly Cheeks Duathlon Series in Denver, with a race coming up in February! They do the race "snow or shine," so it should be interesting. You never know what the weather will be like in Colorado in February, apparently. My friend Jill told me recently that here we usually have more snow at Easter than at Christmas! That will be a new experience. Since we don't currently own bikes, we pounced on the "four-mile run only" option, which is long enough to be decently brag-worthy, but short enough to train for adequately in two months after a spate of ZERO physical activity. Cold weather impedes the California-acclimated outdoor runner, but earmuffs, gloves, lots of layers, and Underarmor do much to make it bearable.

This afternoon, in fact, we initiated "Training Session #1," a.k.a. a nice hour-plus jog/walk at Cottonwood Creek Park, not too far from home. It has warmed up so much from last week, and we now deem a temperature in the high 30's to feel amazingly pleasant. I think we're adjusting to the climate! Most of the snow on the roads has disappeared, and only patches remain in grass areas or shaded roof angles. In our wandering through the park, we invented a game! We found a large area of iced-over creek (and checked for thickness before stepping out onto it, don't worry, Moms). I must objectively report that Sean "won" the competition of seeing how far we could slide on the ice on our feet, after a running start. I was a little too timid, and wary of falling on the slippery ice, so I didn't get up as much speed. :) It was so beautiful, and so refreshing to be outside. There's something cathartic about gazing up at wispy clouds in crisp winter air, or stopping to ponder a bird on the topmost branch of a bare, spindly tree. There's such variety in creation. What a great God we know and love, who made it all out of nothing.

One week 'til Christmas! :) Actually, I think we will celebrate our little "Allen Family Christmas" on the 22nd due to Sean's work schedule. Should be fun! We are very much looking forward to our first Christmas together. Last year he helped me and my then-roommate Amy decorate our tree in our apartment... but things are way different now! We weren't even dating at that point. How things change! :) We hope to create special memories to cherish in the future.

-M