Two Little Birdies

I had a moment today. My older sister Amy had the sweetest little baby named Audrey almost 2 months ago and she is such a doll. I cannot wait to meet her. I have another little niece on the way, Ashby noel and I am so excited to meet her too. I tear up a bit as I think about how much I love my nieces and how eager I am to spend time with them. I genuinely love them already and I know the minute that little squeaker decides she has had enough of mama's tummy I will be overjoyed to hold her and kiss her little nose. I love new life in the midst of lots of unknowns, an unstable economy, a horrific disaster in Haiti and the world in all different gloomy and hopeless situations. God gives us this beautiful little life, these pure eyes that gaze into yours, untouched by the ravaged world, their little hands grip to your fingers and something simply amazing happens to your heart. Unexplainable. I love you.

http://standwithhaiti.org

Partners in Health has been working with Haiti over the past 20 years and has provided ways to support relief efforts. Check it out.

Early Mornings and Wrap Around Porches

My friend Cassie reminded me the other day of how much I love porches with a view. I have always wanted to design my own house (dream house) and have my house be a place where friends and family gather. Well, here are my pre-requsites: tall ceilings, loft, wrap around porch with big cozy chairs, indoor and outdoor fireplaces and good lighting! I love the IDEA of waking up early, grabbing my favorite book and warmest blanket, crawling under the blanket on my porch, sipping my tea or hot chocolate more likely (because I am not a coffee drinker) and soaking up the morning lost in a book. Here is the problem, I am in no way, shape or form a morning person. Ask my sister, literally I say things I don't even remember in the name of getting 20 more minutes of sleep while I am dead asleep. But, I have a mother and sister who wake up at ass crack of the morning and have already solved world peace by 7am. So maybe there is hope for me, someday. So, in the meantime maybe I will have dreams of my morning porch dates with the sunrise. OH, and I might need to find a house with a porch first too. As for the sugar fast, had a cara cara orange for dessert tonight post run and it was delish.

"Sugar is the Devil"

This is a quote from the book Skinny Bitch. So, for the next 26 days I am ridding my diet of sugar/sweets. I want to see if sugar really is the devil and see how my body feels eating significantly less sugar. Now, you must remember that I grew up in a house where my mother made carmel icing cake for birthdays/every occasion she could make the excuse (literally made with sugar, cream and butter) and ate brown sugar by the spoon full! Well I hate to say it but the apple does not fall far from the tree (I do not hate to say it, I love my mom, just hate the sugar tooth I inherited). So, needless to say this is a big challenge I have ahead of me. So wish me luck and I let you know what I think.

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Thoughts

So, I did some thinking today...I know, I know, surprise surprise right? I was at work, organizing some of my to do's (my favorite thing to do, mindless work) and I got to thinking about all the little hobbies that I want to be pursuing that I have currently pushed to the back burner. One thing I have learned recently when it comes to those things that mean a lot to you, but you just do not do for one reason or another, is just go for it. Who cares if your plan fails miserably or if the result is far different than you envisioned, at least you are taking steps closer towards the end point. And the truth about end points is there generally is not an end point, just another bend in the road that could not be seen from the previous vantage point.

So, as this time of year generally brings forth New Year's resolutions and fresh beginings, I too am begining a little something new myself. I plan on doing a lot more of those little things that I think about doing or say to myself "one day I will..."! I will is not going to be in my vocabulary anymore. So, I am making a list of things I want to start playing more with in my free time and see which one I really love and make them more apart of my daily life:

1) Cooking
2) Running-new routes and challenges and locations (travel to different places for races)
3) Photography
4) Travel
5) Basketball
6) Ragner Relay BEING AMAZING
7) Doing my hair and make-up more:)
8) Hike/surf/something in the great outdoors 1 x a month
9) Reading 1 new book a month
10) knitting/painting....

Those are the top ten that came off my fingertips, this is more a way for me to process my thoughts, so hope you enjoyed reading whoever you are!