I miss her.

... her crazy sense of humor
... her chocolate chip cookies
... her reading to me
... watching her do crossword puzzles
... always seeing a People magazine on the bedside table
... running threw her sheets right after she'd hang them up on the clothes line
... Eskimo kisses
... her compassion
... her passion
... her special nickname for me
... Connect Four
... her jewels
... the smell of White Diamonds
... our visits

In the end, all we have is memories.

may you rest

You passed away 12 hours ago.

Somebody has bigger and better plans for you.

I've never been a believer of God. God doesn't take people you love away from you. He doesn't hurt you. He doesn't cause you grief or pain. He always has a bigger and better plan.

But today, today I believe.

Today he took you from us. He has a bigger and better plan for you.
Much bigger.
You were tired, hurting, and had lived an amazing life. It was time.
We all loved you to our greatest capacity. I believe we even loved you above and beyond that, and you most definitely loved us.

I know you may have spent the past 7+ years in nursing homes but I truly believe you had an amazing life. A life full of love and happiness and now it is time for you to have peace.

May you always have unlimited visits to Hawaii with Grampa who has been patiently waiting for you for 25 years, may you eat macadamia nuts till you're about to explode, here's to hoping you will always be by the ocean, the place you always took me to, and may there always be a crossword puzzle ready to complete.

Love you always,
Jenn

why I run

I never ran. I never even exercised before. Ever.
I'm the girl who couldn't lose weight so I had to have gastric bypass surgery or my future was not going to be that sunny shade of yellow I needed it to be.

8 years after surgery I'm running and it feels good.
I have been able to keep the weight off with just the guidance of gastric bypass but it's becoming harder and harder everyday, so I decided it was time to do something else.

This is the addiction I chose.

It has been a slow starting progress but I am getting there.

I run because...

... it's peaceful
... rewarding
... exhausting. After I'm done, I take some of the greatest naps!
... energizing. I do some of my best housework when I return from a run!
... I need discipline
... I need motivation
... I'm tired of saying "I wish I could run like that" when I see someone run
... I want to be that person people see and say "I wish I could run like that"
... I'm learning knew things about my body
... I want my son to grow up and see me doing something healthy
... someday, maybe my son will run with me
... it has built connections with people I never knew existed
... I look at myself differently
... I think about myself differently
... I want others to look at me differently
... I am no longer the girl who "just had gastric bypass"
... I am doing something physical
... I want to race in a 5K
... or more.
... I want my races to be for charities so my growth is their gain.

I run because I want to!

making progress

I'm so sorry I haven't been keeping up with ya'll blogs (this Mainer just said ya'll-- we never say ya'll; funny) anyways... but I will soon. Promise.

Since the whole fiasco with Mr. I'm going to Date You but Put up A Personal Ad has happened I've buckled down and become very serious with working out and running. Taking care of me.

and YES!

Running.

I started the couch to 5k program and absolutely love it! I'm even enjoying my gym workouts. I have no idea who I have become but I think I can deal with it.

So today's interval was a 5 minute walking warm up then 20 minutes of running finishing with 5 minutes of walking.
I am so excited that I was able to run at least 20 minutes, I signed up for a 5k race!

Do you remember last year I talked about the Dempsey Challenge?
Well, I decided this year, I'm going to have my first 5k race not only be about my progress but be for someone else; those who need it! It's really not about me, it's about them.

So this is what I'm asking you, my readers. Please consider donating to the Dempsey Challenge.
We've all been affected by cancer. It may not have been us personally but it has been someone close to us; a mother, father, brother, sister, grand parent, even a neighbor.

I have to raise $150 in donations, please spread the word and make my first 5k race one that will be memorable not only to me, but also to you and to those your donations will help in the future.

Thank you.



Click Here to Donate