Running Around

So last July (2009) I registered to run the Houston Half Marathon in January 2010. July began with the training. Not fun. Not fun at all. I got up during the week and met my friend Robin to run each morning at 5:00 AM. We followed a schedule and then Saturdays were our 'long runs'. The training program we were using would send a map each week for the Saturday runs. The same time I began this training my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. So I didn't always make the weekend runs because sometimes I was in Iowa visiting her or other things came up. My goal for the marathon was to finish. I didn't care if I ran a 10 minute mile or a 13 minute mile, I wanted to finish. I didn't care if I had to walk. I just wanted to finish. Well my mother passed away in January and we were not in Houston for the half marathon, so I did not run. I will sign up again in the summer to run next year's marathon. I did, however, run a 10K run in February for the Rodeo Run. The before and after were fun. I ran with some girls from my school. The during was not fun - but I finished and that is what is important.

It's been a LONG time!

WOW! It really has been a long time since I have blogged and so much has happened. Anyone who is a teacher, understands how hard it is during the school year to do everything that needs to be done, plus anything extra! I always tend to add the extra - and not just a little extra, but a lot of extra. For example, I teach 4th grade, am one of the 5 administrators for the National Board cohort for our school distinct, and I teach adult classes online for the Alternative Certification for Teaching Program! That doesn't not include anything else I do like be a mom to a WONDERFUL 5 year old, try to keep my house clean, take Sweet Pea to birthday parties on the weekends, cook, laundry, etc, etc, etc!
So last weekend my fairly new laptop crashed. Fun. So today I am going through the stuff sweet Hubby recovered for me and decided I should blog. I reread everything I wrote before and decided I needed to get caught up.
It's been a very long year. Lots has happened. On July 28 my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and she passed away on January 9th. It's been 4 months tomorrow and I miss her like crazy. She fought a very long and tough battle though and I know she is much better where she is now, looking down on us! It's been tough on Sweet Pea as well. Poor baby cries for her grandma daily.
I'm off to a baby shower, but will blog tonight. Need to recap on the rest of the year, including that half marathon! :)

Btting the Bullet

Last January my Hubby ran his first half marathon. I drug Sweet Pea down there with us at 0400 in the morning so she could watch too and honestly, who wants someone knocking on their door to watch a 3 year old at that hour?! Anyway, it was a long morning with a toddler, but it was so fun. As I sat there waiting for hubby to cross the finish line I decided I would register for the Houston half marathon in 2010. I know, I know, I'm not a runner, but I think I can do this. Right before I thought hubby would cross the finish line Sweat Pea decides she has to use the restroom. Lots of thoughts passed through my mind - do I let her wait, does she really have to go, are there some woods some where, etc... I decided I better take her because I would hate for her to wet herself! So we hurry back down to the restroom and then back to the bleachers by the finish line and I knew at that point I had missed Hubby crossing the finish line. Yes, I could watch it again online and there was a picture of him, but still. I felt terrible we missed it, but I felt better about myself that I hadn't let her wet herself.
So this past weekend was the registration for the 2010 marathon and half marathon. The weekend before I joined a training group and ran my first 3 miles. UGH! I made it though. So anyway, the registration opened at midnight and I tried to register when it opened but I couldn't get through so I got up early this next day and got Hubby and I registered! I am trying to run each day to train, but it's tough for me. I know I can do it. The half marathon filled up in less than 24 hours. Good thing I got up at 4:00 to register for it! :)

Friends

I have been thinking a lot about the friends I have. I have really great friends. I mean, the absolute best! This week I have seen two of them doing things for me that went over and beyond being a good friend.
On Thursday I took Kennedy to the Children's Museum with a very good friend and her two children. When we left Kennedy wanted some milk so I type fast food into my GPS to get to the nearest place I could drive through and get some milk. The GPS said there was a McDonald's about .5 a mile away and my friend asked the address and I told her and she said that was in the Science Museum. Thank you to her for not letting me drive around the circle looking for the McDonald's. I could see it now! What a great friend! She tells me there is a Wendy's near by so I follow her there. At this point I have no idea where I am, but that's okay because my trusty GPS will guide me home. Well she decides to wait for me and I get stopped at a red light and she had gone on through. This FRIEND waits for me at the next light that is green! She waits until I can come through. Now that is a great friend.
Then today I decided to join Kingwood Fit. We will go into that craziness in another blog! Anyway, This morning was the time trials to see which running group you will be in. I already knew which group I would be training in, but I wanted to know I could do the 3 miles. So my friend and I start off together but she went on and I kept running. I did really well for never running before. I was almost finished, probably had 1/2 a mile left when here comes my friend running back to get me to help me finish! What a great friend!
I am truly blessed! These are just two examples from this week. My friends do things like this for me all of the time. Thank you to all of my friends.

Suitcases

Anyone who knows me knows I have traveled a lot. It was not uncommon for me to be at the ticket counter rearranging stuff in my suitcases because they were overweight. I would go overseas for at least 3 months at a time and you never know what you might need. Is 50 pounds really enough weight? I don't think so! When I moved to Colombia my dear friends threw a couple of really great parties for me. One was so great that when I got on the plane to Miami for a 3 day conference about acclimating myself in another place I was still highly intoxicated and my dad was shoving mints in my mouth! The classic of this is I, once again, was moving stuff around in my suitcases because they were too heavy and I couldn't see to open the locks. I told my mom it was because of how early it was (or possibly the fact that I was so drunk still) but when I got to Miami and was filling out very important documentation about my life I still could not see. When I finally got settled into my hotel room and a moment of peace and quiet to myself I realized I did not have my contacts in my eyes! NO WONDER! Also anyone who knows me knows that I am BLIND without any form of help to correct my vision. I think my mom was finally able to laugh about this after I was safely in my apartment in Colombia!
So this summer we once again when to Colombia. On our way there we were reminded frequently as to WHY we do not make that trip very often. It is ALWAYS something. This time on my way down there I decided I'm going to write a book titled How to be a Savvy Traveler, but first I need to finish the book How Not to be a Savvy Traveler because we definitely have that down! Anyway, we had a midnight flight from Houston to Bogota this time and at 6:00 PM I notice a tear on the outside of my suitcase. I get out my needle and thread and Juan tells me that is not going to work just to go to Ross and get a new one. So I hurry myself down to Ross and quickly go through every suitcase they have on their shelves. I was going to grab the UT burnt orange one but thought I better not so I grab the biggest black suitcase they have. Run back home and get everything transferred. We get to the airport to find this new suitcase is OVERWEIGHT and OVERSIZED! They weren't going to let me take it on the plane but then found that there were some exceptions (there are ALWAYS exceptions!) but it was going to cost $50 for being to heavy (in fact it was so heavy we had to take stuff out in order to get to the point that they would let us take the suitcase!) and $100 for being oversized! When we got through that area Juan and I both looked at each other and said 'that suitcase is staying in Colombia! And it did! We had one suitcase filled with stuff for his family so we were able to get everything in the suitcases we had. So of course there is more to the story! When we land in Houston on the way home a leg is missing on one of the 2 suitcases we had left and now falls over when trying to stand it up! WHY ME! I am getting ready to travel to Atlanta for the National Board for Professional Teachers national conference and I need a new suitcase! Yesterday I was in Ross with every suitcase with 4 wheels laid out in front of me. I was about to select one I really didn't want when right above me was the perfect one! We will see how this beauty makes the trip!

Today

So I really need to keep up with this better. Today I took Sweet Pea to tennis camp and then to the Children's Museum with her good friend. We met her friend (and mom and little brother) in the HEB parking lot to follow each other to the museum. I didn't tell Sweet Pea ahead of time that we were going until I was 100% certain we were going. One of her field trips last fall with school was to the Children's Museum and she has been asking to go since I got out of school for the summer. On the way down there she told me 'Mommy, you make all of my dreams come true'. That is the best thing she could have said to me. I mean, honestly. I need to remember that when she is 13 and completely mad at me for some reason or another and I'm not 'making her dreams come true' because I truly care about her well being!

Getting Started

Well here I am, finally setting up my blog page. A little about me, I'm originally from Iowa and ended up traveling the world while in undergrad. I did my student teaching in Australia and landed my first job in Colombia - yes the country. I stayed there for two years and brought home a walking souvenir and we have been married for 8 years now and have a 4 year old daughter.
I titled my blog traveling through life because each day is a travel or an adventure for me. Even if I do not try for it to end up that way, it is!
I have been teaching for 10 years now. I taught first grade for 2 years and then fifth grade for 8 years. This year I will try fourth grade. I also teach adults online to become teachers. That is very interesting, I have found adults to act much like my fifth graders at times!
Anyway, enjoy the ride! I will post pictures and updates later.