Abbie's Place

Rick and I visited a school this morning in Stamford, CT that we might consider sending Abbie to next year. The school was impressive. The teacher/student ration was 1:4. All kids at the school have learning disabilities, with 70% being language/auditory processing issues. EVERY SINGLE teacher is a licensed special education teacher. The application process is arduous, but it has to be done quickly. Once we apply, if they feel Abbie might be a good candidate, she will be invited to attend school for 2 days there. After that, the teachers and therapists will meet to decide if she will be a good fit or not, and where she should be placed. Once all that is done, we start applying for financial aid. The school is a mere $40,000 a year(: so we would definitely need aid. Our only concern with it is her speech therapy would be much less intense than what she gets now. That is a huge concern, but the class size and environment would be one in which she could thrive and would not stand out like she does now. We are praying for God's timing, direction, and plan.

Those 4 Weeks

It is Christmas time! How I love Christmas time. Before I had kids, I used to get so annoyed at radio stations that switched to all Christmas music for the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now I am loving it! I jam out every time I am in the car. Before you have kids, the "mood" of Christmas is created for you. Once you become Mommy, you have the responsibility to create that "mood." Music gets me in the mood.

Speaking of the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the time has flown by! My parents flew up to New York for Thanksgiving weekend. Because they arrived late afternoon on Thanksgiving, I made the entire meal by myself. Can I brag? It was delicious!!! The turkey was a bit dry, but everything else was great. Nothing came from a box - it was all homemade from scratch. What is so funny to me is that it was last Thanksgiving that really set me on a path of cooking from scratch. Leigh, one of my best friends, and her family came up for Thanksgiving, and she and I made the meal together. I realized that it was not that hard. Since then, I have been a cooking machine!
Ok, so back to my weekend with my parents. My mom had hopes of doing major things like heading into NYC, but my dad just wanted to chill. He won. We piddled around the nearby area and really got to enjoy being together. The night before my parents left, we put up and decorated the tree together.

Then we worked on that "perfect" Christmas card picture. My mom helped me decorate the house for Christmas, too. I loved having my parents here. It made me a little sad that we live so far away, but I enjoyed the time for what it was.


We also got to host our annual Christmas party open to the entire church. Our house is smaller than the one we were in last year, so I was a bit nervous, but it all worked out. The party was a drop in, but once people got here, no one seemed willing to leave. That was fine by me - the more the merrier! We probably had about 80 people in all, which is not bad turnout. That is half our church!

Amidst holiday chaos, I am in the final weeks of marathon training. I have my second 20 mile run this weekend before I start tapering for the big day. That basically means the two weeks before Christmas will be made up of shorter runs, preparing my body to run the full 26 on January 9th. I am still very nervous, but I am getting more an more excited! My nerves are more about bathroom issues and what could go wrong. I know I have put in the hours training, so I am excited to put it to the test!

Now we are preparing to leave for Tennessee. All fifteen of us will be under one roof this year. I am so excited!!! Have a safe and merry Christmas!

From Trail to Life

Well, I did it today - I RAN 20 MILES!!! I can hardly believe I did it. I actually should say WE did it, for it is by God's grace alone that my body is enduring! I was a bit anxious this morning, but just like when you run a simple 5 or 10 miles, it is one step at a time.
This marathon training has truly changed my life. I have learned so much about myself and have been able to change "on the trail," then change in my life. I have learned it is about forward motion. If you get caught up in performance or refuse to rest when needed, you do not feel as strong. As long as I continue to move forward, I am going to cross the finish line. Forward motion is success. So it is with life. We face interruptions, juggling schedules, illness, etc. We are sometimes forced to slow down. That is okay! We just have to keep in mind forward motion is what matters. I have also learned slowing down keeps you going. In life, I am also learning to slow down, mentally and physically. I am astounded at how my reserve has built.
Probably one of my biggest lessons has been in optimism and being in the moment. When we do our Saturday long runs, we do those on the trail, which stretches from our city all the way to the Bronx. What this means is whatever we travel one way we will have to travel the other way when we turn around. When we first started, I found that rather than enjoying the downhills and "coasting," I was grumbling internally and worrying about the inevitable reversal where I would have to go uphill. How pathetic. I realize I am a little like that in life when it applies to me personally. I worry, worry, worry. It deprives me of enjoying the moment. I disciplined myself to change on the trails, and have noticed it transition into my life.
Even my stress fracture I have fought off has taught me things. The first 20-25 minutes are excruciating, as far as my lower leg goes. Once we traverse what we call "Mount Kilimanjaro," which are 2 hills back to back that are quite steep, the pain begins to diminish. In life, when I feel I am facing an uphill battle that does not feel good at the time. I recall that I am "building heat" and will be in a better place in life once I crest it.
So, if you are not a runner, this may all seem cheesy to you. I am a different person today because of my training, regardless of what my body does on January 9th, I am a success. God has also allowed me to build a beautiful friendship with my running partner. Training long distances with someone is quite intimate. You experience so much alongside another person, you struggle together and succeed together. I am so thankful God gave me Mary Cay to run alongside!