November...

So...I've decided to challenge myself next month. I did it last year, and while it was a challenge, I loved having to think outside of the box and come up with new things to blog about since I tend to blog only when I have an event that I've taken pictures of and can post them. Gotta love it. Starting Sunday I'll blog every day for a month. Lucky I have my fancy camera this year, so maybe this will force me to get out and practice using it as well so that I'll have some pictures to post!

Retreating

A couple of weekends ago, I headed out to Pine Cove camps for our annual Hideaway retreat with our high school students. I usually love this weekend away with my girls. And while this year proved to be a little more difficult to enjoy due to some emotional drama (theirs, not mine) and different circumstances, I think the girls had fun all the same. The speaker was incredible and spent the weekend walking the students through 2 Corinthians 5. I love when pastors/speakers walk you through a passage in the Bible - it's my favorite, so I thoroughly enjoyed that part of the weekend!

We started the weekend off with a giant spoons tournament and then some worship around the campfire. The flamingo football game from last year escalated into an all out tournament this year with everything from football, dodge ball, volleyball, knockout, and noodle hockey…all with the boys ankles tied together and the girls playing normally. It’s always entertaining. And Saturday there was a “disco” party. Dancing, yes, but not so much to disco music.

spoons!

silly girls!

jumping girls!

mike's wonderful photography skills.

super fun swing = super fun faces

flamingo football shirt that maddie designed.

i love these girls.

um yeah. there are no words.

community group girls. katie, me, sarah, karla.

Atrophy

So...as I'm slowly easing myself back into running, I realize how much my running muscles are out of practice. I was reading a blog that I read frequently this morning, and very much related to the analogy she used to talk about how relationships take work in order to stay in shape the same way our muscles do. I tend to forget this. For some reason I think that my friendships can run on auto-pilot. I am about the worst person at keeping up with friends. You can ask any of mine that have ever moved away, it is not my strong suit. This is my favorite part from the entry:

"Anything atrophies if we stop using it. Including relationships. Especially relationships.

Marriages and friendships are either getting better or getting worse. There is no hover posture for relationships.

We are either taking steps to repair, restore and increase closeness and intimacy, or we are not. And when we do not, it begins to atrophy. The relationship loses effectiveness and impact."

I see this as a challenge. A challenge to fight for the relationships God has placed in my life. To not sit by idly as they atrophy.

Worship

Last night I was sitting and catching up on my bible study for community group. I was loving several things it had to say about the greatness and goodness of God and how that should stir our hearts to worship. I was particularly hit by this quote from Louie Giglio's book The Air I Breathe that was in the margin.

"Worship is our response to what we value most...So how do you know where and what you worship? It's easy. You simply follow the trail of your time, your affection, your energy, your money, and your allegiance. At the end of that trail you'll find a throne; and whatever, or whomever, is on that throne is what's of highest value to you. On that throne is what you worship."

Those words were super convicting to me. It was very humbling to sit and think about how often people or position or things have ended up on those thrones! And challenging to consider how I make sure I get God there and keep Him there.

Fun Times in Cabo

So...I'm a little slow on updating on our Cabo trip, but life has been a bit crazy since we got back a week ago. The trip was really great, and relaxing and pretty much everything I hoped it would be. Apart from the power being out at the airport when we got there, all the travel went really smoothly. Our hotel was amazing. I can't believe Deborah won a whole week free. There were four of us in the room (me, Deb, Laura, and Deb's friend Kate), and it didn't feel that crowded. The resort itself was really uncrowded as well - I believe it is the off season. We slept in every morning. We worked out at the fancy fitness center a couple of days. We watched almost the entire first season of the O.C. We spent our days at the pool overlooking the ocean. I got a bit of a sunburn (okay, so actually a pretty bad one) the first day and had to spend the rest of the days under and umbrella, but it was just awesome to be laying outside by the pool reading. And we spent our evenings either in our room watching the O.C. or in town eating wonderful food. It was a great trip, and I'm so glad I went. It was just what I needed!

The view from our balcony.

beautiful beach

sunburned sisters.

nighttime view from our balcony.

our view from our seats by the pool

kate. debs. me. laura. our last night.

the bestie.

Back in the game...

I'm doing it. I'm going to really start running again. Not just the two or three miles I do on the treadmill at the gym a few times a week, but really running and training. I signed up yesterday for the Dallas Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon on March 14th. It leaves me plenty of time to get in shape before the real training begins. I have missed having a race to train for since Lisa, Kyla & I did White Rock two years ago. I'm excited for weekend mornings running around the lake again. And for training in the winter as opposed to the summer...hooray! So...if anyone wants to run it with me, it should be fun!