a strange anniversary

today i realized while talking to a friend that it had been 6 months exactly

its not a day that i had on the calendar

its not a date that i even care to remember

but, it crept into my head and i was almost surprised by where i was

 

today is 6 months since my life was changed

when i went to bed on June 15th, i didn't know how i would make it a week on my own

i remember leaving all the lights on in the basement and thru the house because i was scared

scared to be alone, scared of the choice that we had made and scared for my future

i called my cousin much to late at night, luckily she picked up (thanks Anne) and she listened to me talk and cry and tell her what i was scared to tell the world

then i remember hitting a week 

and then a month 

and then a new season- I was never more ready for fall to arrive

and then i opened up on the honest mom blog and received so much positive feedback that i took a deep breath and kept going

and here we are 6 months into it, and i'm still here

and i'm so grateful for all of my friends and family that have "picked up" 

picked up to call, to send a text or a card, or to go on a run or share a beer

it has been a life changing 6 months to say the least but we are still doing ok

the boys are good and crazy as ever

 

2015 is going to be bright 

and though i'm not totally sure what it has in store, i know its going to be good!

when motivation is low

it usually starts as one missed workout
and then two
and then work gets crazy
and life gets crazy
and then something even crazier happens
and then you eat a whole bag of m&m's in less than 24 hours (hypothetically speaking, of course)
and then you feel like a sloth

but at that moment, the one where you are considering just wearing yoga pants for the rest of your life, you sometimes come across something that you need to see and hear

this is EXACTLY what i needed
getting back on track tomorrow!

leg lamps do run

This past weekend, my running bestie and finally ran a race together!!! We have been running together for over a year and have helped each other train for lots of races but have never run the same race (and leg of the race) together. So, finally we got our chance at the Christmas Story 10K in Cleveland!

We wanted to run last year and never really got around to doing it, but this year we made it happen! We put on our fishnets, tutus and sneakers. The weather was rainy right up until we took off and then it cleared up, our own little Christmas miracle. It turned out to be pretty awesome weather for December to run. It was an awesome crowd and some really cool costumes!

this leg lamp dude even had music playing under his lampshade!

showing off our awesome tattoos

we even stopped at the casino (the old higbees) to gamble for a few minutes

We had an awesome time and cant wait to do it again next year!

#runCLE

The Cleveland Marathon has always been my race

i love it, 

i love the city, 

i love the race, 

i love that the first time i ran my mom, sister, and cousin all ran it together

i love that i have run with friends

i love that its something that my boys see me train for and complete

i love the route

i love the spectators

i love the scenery

its my scene and i dig it.... A LOT!

last year i noticed that the race had official bloggers that you could follow and i started following a few of them . It was cool to see how they were training and the different things that they did to prepare and i remember thinking that maybe i could do that too. It looked cool to have people see how their training was going and get feedback and good ideas to keep them motivated. 

so, when the time came, i filled out my application fully thinking that there was no way that they would pick an averaged paced mom of two that trains in between nap time and on my work lunch breaks. 

but guess what?!?  they picked me!!!  I have never been more excited!!!!  

the phrase "fake it till you make it" is my life in a nutshell and i feel like i have finally faked it long enough and now, quite possibly, i have made it!  

i cant be more excited to be an official ambassador for this race that i love!!!!

i cant wait to meet the other 14 people that are ambassadors and hear thier stories and what they are doing to train.  

keep your eyes out for all of these awesome people!  check out their blogs, IG accounts, and twitter accounts too! show them a little love, and maybe a high five for being so awesome! 

you can see all of the links HERE

2015 is going to be an amazing year,

i can tell already!

it takes a village

I was at lunch telling a friend about what was new with the boys and telling that how grateful I was to our awesome daycare lady and how she is working so hard with Ryan with potty training. And then in the next breath I said that my amazing neighbor found Jack his Halloween costume, I just haven’t made the effort to go out and she came across it and it worked out great. And then i said it really takes a village. 

And even though I knew how true this statement was, IT IS TRUE!  It takes a freaking village!  And it’s a good thing!  I’m so damn lucky to have a village of willing participants to help with the kids. People that not only help but lovingly help and really enjoy spending time with them. 

No parents can do it all alone and you will kill yourself trying to get everything done and be everything to your kids that they need. And isn’t it wonderful that they have all of these people in their lives that provide all kinds of different learning’s and different ways to teach?

If I did the whole feeling emoji thing on facebook (and I don’t), I would be feeling grateful with a smiley face with heart eyes because I am so grateful for all of the people that love our boys and enrich them in ways that we can’t. I know that I have guilt when I’m not with the kids. I feel like working full time, the time I do get with them is precious. But, I am also fully aware that taking time to do things for me makes me a better mom.

I just thought it might be a good reminder to anyone who needed it today, because even thought I knew it, it was a good thing to re-learn today at lunch.

photo credit

race day

it never gets old
some people ask me what i'm running for, like for what cause
and then sometimes i feel like a jerk, because its for me
its the energy, a pure runners high
not that im not for running for a cause, but
there is nothing like a crowd on race day to make you want to run every freaking day of your life
the cowbells, the signs, the kids reaching to high five you....
it's the glory lap of all of you training

this weekend was no different
it was the Akron Marathon
i was part of a 5 person team that together did a full marathon!  i have done the relay twice before but this year i was able to do the last leg and it was my favorite. we were running along the same route as the full marathoners! it was insane!!!  these people are so motivating!  i started when these people were at the 20.5 mile, it blew my mind! and it makes me want to do it too! (maybe)
i finished the race up in the stadium and it was nothing short of amazing :)

my parents were there waiting with Ryan and a big sign and i got to do my leg with my good friend.
Ryan and the cute sign even made it in a story online!

it wasn't my best time, but it was probably the most fun i have ever had and im counting the days until my next race and ill see you next year Akron!

finish line selfie

my biggest fans!

we are done!

me and my best running bud!!!