Couch to 5K

Yes, you did read that title right. For those of you who know me I'm sure you are thinking that this must be a joke but I assure you it is for real. And in case that hasn't knocked your socks off yet, I am actually the one who came up with the idea. I convinced a friend of mine (Courtney) to do this adventure with me, partly because I want someone to run with and partly (mostly) because I need someone to run with to encourage me. For those of you who don't know I am not a runner. Let me tell you that again...

I AM NOT A RUNNER.

I never have been and honestly never thought I would be (although it is still safe to say that I am still not a runner). I'm not sure where this desire to do a 5K came from. My only guess is that is came directly from the Lord, trying to encourage His child to take care of the body He has given me. Part of me wants to do this to lose weight but really mostly I just want to be in better shape.

Couch to 5K is a training schedule/podcast that basically tells you when to run and when to walk (briskly). It's a 9 week training, three times a week that by the end of we should be ready to run a 5K. I'm being completely honest when I say that I'm pretty positive I could not finish a measly one mile with the shape I am in now. I'm going into this knowing that it is going to be tough,
I mean really tough but having Courtney there to run with me/encourage me (once a week) and my husband to run with me the other two days and encourage me when I want to quit (which will probably be every day).

Courtney and I are still trying to find an actual 5K to be a part of at the end of August but if we can't find one we are planning on making our own race where our husbands and friends will be at the mile markers cheering us on. Of course if you enter an actual race you get a t-shirt which is one of the thing that makes us excited about doing this so if we build our own race we will for sure be making t-shirts of our own to receive at the end of the race!

Anyway, I just wanted to fill you all in on something that I feel is pretty huge in my life and in case I write multiple times on here about wanting to quit I'm hoping I will receive encouragement from all of you to keep pressing on.

I LOVE GUNS - Contest

Field and Stream is Brett's favorite magazine and to his enjoyment it came in the mail again last week. When we get these magazines in the mail they often sit on the kitchen table for at least a week if not longer.

Anyway, in this months issue they are having a I LOVE GUNS - Contest with a rip out page that looks like this...

This has been hanging on our white board waiting for a great photo idea.

What you are supposed to do is go out and shoot the targets on the page at whatever distance you want and then take a creative picture with the target. Brett informed me that this is something we must do and that we must get very creative and take the best picture. The idea is to "shoot" with a gun and then "shoot" with a camera.

...and what does the best photo receive???

a Smith & Wesson M&P15 MOE rifle

Now maybe to you that means something but to me it's just a gun of some sort that my dear husband could win. Knowing the pure excitement that winning this gun would give him has caused me to rack my brain trying to think of something creative we could do...

...still not coming up with anything too creative I thought what better way than this...

...ask the readers

so to all you creative geniuses out there "shoot" me an idea!

128 Miles

Last night as my hubby and I were driving home from picking up Josiah at Grandma & Grandpa's house we marveled (yes, even I) at the large thunder head up ahead. I asked Brett if he thought it would head towards us this evening (I like to know so I can figure out about how much sleep I will get with a storm lurking in on us). He responded with a "I don't think so but we can check when we get home". As much as I hate and do not do well with storms I was rather enjoying watching this one as I felt safe with my hubby at my side and what seemed to be some distance between us and the storm. When we arrived at home, tucked in the little man, and checked weather.com we were both surprised to see that the lighting we were viewing in the distance was a whopping 128 miles away. I was shocked. I mean I knew it was not right over us but still one hundred and twenty eight miles away and we could still see it as if it were just over the hill! I was in awe of God's creation and in awe of South Dakota and its vast open spaces from which you can see literally hundreds of miles away. This would never be the case in MN at least not from what I can remember due to the beautiful trees filling it's beautiful state.

Finally an Update...

I know, I know, it's been well over the allotted blog posting time but I mostly blame it on the fact that it's summer which brings us outdoors a bit more leaving less time for the computer (probably a good thing). Anyway, I am updating and hoping to make it less of just updating and more of everyday life but I don't want to make any promises.

What we've been up to:

1. Planting...it's all done! Josiah and I spent many afternoons in the tractor with Brett. We only got kicked out once due to Josiah wanting to touch every button. :)

Brett filling the planter.

2. We spent a few days in Minnesota for a wedding and enjoying time with family and friends that we haven't seen for a year while they are back from Lithuania for a few months this summer.

Becky and EJ back from Lituania for a few months.

3. Bike rides. Most of the time Josiah enjoys them and when he doesn't it makes me push harder to get home faster.

4. Early, early mornings with the little man. Since MN he has decided that getting up between 5 and 5:30am is a reasonable time to get up...we are trying to do everything we can do change that.

5. Mr. Bob's. For those of you who don't know Mr. Bob's is a drive-in restaurant in Selby that is obviously only open for the summer so I feel as though I must get there as much as I can while I can.

6. Josiah recently turned 15 months old! He is now 23lbs! Loves to read books. He will go and get a book and bring it over to us for us to read, sometimes he lasts for one page other times he will make it through a whole Dr. Seuss book. He loves to play in the water. Thinks it's funny when he crawls on hard floors. Started walking around at about 13 1/2 months. Eats almost anything you give him although he does have a few texture issues. Along those lines, he can eat a full sandwich, full banana, and something to drink all in one sitting.

Eating cowboy hotdish...he went straight to the tub when he was done.

He loves to play outside. He is still shy to others but seems to slowly be coming out of that little by little. He loves to give kisses. He gives almost everyone huge teethy smiles as long as they don't get too close. He has 16 teeth.

A view at his many teeth.

He is completely attached to his blankie. He babbles all the time but still no actual words (the doctor says she is not concerned at this point which gives me a bit more comfort). He screams in frustration of not being able to communicate (which in turn makes us want to scream in frustration that he is screaming, but we don't). He loves to sit in any thing he can climb into.

Sitting in his favorite toy.

Sitting in his Mr. Potato Head container. He thinks this is really funny to do (and we laugh pretty hard ourselves)

7. Play dates. Enjoyable for both Josiah and myself.

Josiah and his buddy Liam at one of our pool play dates.

8. The Well. Brett and I and two of our close couples here started up an hour long worship hour (that we call, "The Well") once a month on the last Sunday of every month. It's been incredible to see God use this ministry to touch the lives of those around here. This also keeps us busy with practices, picking music, finding a speaker (we have someone do a 10 min. devotional), and all the other odds and ends it takes to put this together.

9. Mowing the lawn which seems endless.

I know this picture was in the last post but it's one of my favorite of my two favorite guys!

10. I was able to spend a day at the spa about a month ago with a close friend here who celebrated her 30th birthday.

Amber, picking out polish. This was my first time having my toes painted since high school.

11. Women's Bible study on Tuesday mornings. What a blessing that is. Thank you ladies.

12. Learning how to be parent. This isn't just since the last post but it seems to have really hit us hard lately.

13. I've had the privileged lately to get my photography business going a bit more and recently just did a 5 family photo shoot. This has kept me busy doing editing while the little man is napping.

One of the families from the shoot.

14. Spending time with good friends.

This picture is from this winter but it's the only picture of all four couples that I have. Guess I'll have to take another one soon.

Well, I know there is much more that I have not listed but with trying to keep this update somewhat short I will stop here.

Thought I would end with a picture of us from the wedding in MN...one of the few "happy" moments Josiah had on the whole trip.