Valentine's day

Remember our early plans for Valentine's Day? Classroom party, games, mommy gets to come and volunteer, etc.? Well, Valentine's Day turned out to be not the pinkiest, sweetest, most funnest holiday for Ella, as we had planned and hoped. Due to her upset tummy she had to stay home again yesterday missing the festivities at school and not being able to eat cake, candy, and the like. Instead, she visited the doctor's office, got a stool culture, and was told to drink even more gatorade and pedialite to help stay hydrated! Luckily, since she's been on the BRAT diet for a few days now, she was released to eat regular food. But didn't really have an appetite for it anyway. Poor thing, I felt so bad for her. She had made so many plans, wanted to give out her hand-made Valentine's, and just be there with her friends. (She's home today still, hoping tomorrow she can return to school.)



She taped a Valentine's themed pencil on the back of each of the bookmarks which she made with very little help from mom and I.

Since she was able to get back on her regular diet, mamaie made a cake for her last night and I prepared a "fancy" lobster dinner, baked salmon, couscous, and spring mix salad. She ate a little bit of everything except for the salad.

Messing around with the lobsters.

Hrishi and I were going to catch a movie after Ella went to sleep but were too tired to do so. Instead, we watched a "Mentalist" episode, one of our favorite TW shows. (It was a very good one. I love this show. It never gets old, at least for me.)
Oh, and here's part of my Valentine's Day present from Hrishi:

(Building that home gym, one piece at a time. The rest of my present is still in the mail. I have a feeling Tony Horton will soon become my best buddy!! :-)

Now some random pictures I've been taken and not posted.
Baked and decorated cake pops with mamaie:

Watering some freshly planted primrose bunches:

 
Finally, some beautiful portraits, by Ella:

I did it!!!

I ran   in this...

Yes, this Saturday I ran my first 15K race ever in the freezing cold temperatures above. The news of nasty weather ahead didn't change the feeling of excitement and the rush I had started feeling a week before the race. Of course, the night before the race I got hardly any sleep. Mixed in with the excitment was a little bit of nervousness as around midnight I checked my email on my phone and the organizers were advising 15 K registrants who ran 12 minute mile or more to switch over to the 5K race due to the freezing cold temperatures. I wasn't going there for a 5K, so I decided to 'man up' and stick with the 15K. I had planned on wearing enough layers and my heart was willing beyond anything.

Shoes equipped with the little D-tag that was going to record the start and finish times, feet ready to run! :)

Start line: the energy there in the middle of the crowd was electrifying!!!

And here I go... Hrishi somehow took a picture of me, a little after we took off, we're going uphill.

The miles were long but running along side the rest of the 2,999 runners registered for the 15K, was like nothing I had experienced before. It was worth every bit of effort. Positive thoughts of recognizing how blessed I was to be able to do this and that I was there to enjoy it because it was not going to last forever, helped me through. There were a few moments of pure exhaustion but there also those of exhilliration where I would sprint and feel free as a bird in the wide blue sky. The mile markers with timers helped a lot. Seeing that I was running a 10 minute mile was HUGE booster for me. A new personal record. The adrenaline had something to do with it, I'm sure.
(The Gatorade handed out at every mile marker was pure manna, too.)

At some point on the last mile and a half, I was feeling like my feet were going to detach from my legs. I knew the Finish line couldn't be that far but yet it seemed like it was going to take forever to reach it. I instantly told myself that this was my time to enjoy, my time to feel and experience it all, pain and joy all mixed together, that once I crossed that Finish line, I was going to feel like I never felt before and so it was.

On the last 50 yards I sprinted like a mad woman and crossed the Finish line with a huge victory shout or growl or I don't know what because I was so high!! (I wonder what others might have thought, haha!! But I didn't care! I had done it! I had ran my first 15 K!) When I saw Hrishi, I just crashed into his arms and started sobbing uncontrollably, yes I know, prett crazy! But this was so huge for me.

With my greatest supporter, ever!! Freezing and worried for me. While he didn't doubt that I could finish, he was worried about me getting a bad cold. He is a sweetheart, isn't he?!!

After I found a little spot to stretch out, we quickly made our way inside the Automotive building where the amazing rich (almost too rich for me) hot chocolate and fondue were flowing rivers. :)

No, I'm not kidding here... :) (sprinting madness!!!!)

Just because I like numbers:

My other cheering squad was eagerly waiting for me at home. They were so sweet to take a picture of my wind jacket:

Having the house up for sale has caused quite an inconvenience having to keep it un spic n' span condition  and leave every so often on very short notice for one or two hour blocks.  Yesterday, after the race, we had to rush home, pick everyone up and go to the gym so that I could take a hot shower to warm up. (I am still not completely warm, I don't think. That cold got in my bones, that's for sure.) Unfortunately, Ella had developed a fever that morning, had a sore throat and was feeling yucky. So after the gym shower we went to Urgent Care fearing strepthroat. Luckily, she didn't have strep, just a viral infection. As it turns out, it's really stomach flu. Blah!!! But she's so sweet and selfless: today she told me that she'd give me anything I needed (knowing that I was sore), and massaged my legs. My wonderful daughter.

Finally, after the showings we came back home and had a little 'after-the-race' party: grilled some yummy pork shoulder, baked sweet and yellow potatoes, threw together a garden salad, and some steamed brocolli and had a feast! Oh, and Hrishi made these yummy refreshing fruitty drinks out of mango nectar, grenadine, and coconut cream, to die for!!

To some it may sound like I'm making too big a deal out of it. And maybe I am, but you know what, it helps me appreciate and be grateful for how far I have gotten and motivates me to keep going further and further. Placing overall at #1960 out of 3,000 participants, and  #283 out of the 480 women in my age group, has made me realize (once more) that there is no limit to what you set your mind to do, if you do believe in yourself and work hard enough to see it through. It strengthened my belief that this, my body, is capable of doing much more than I thought it would; that there are hardly any limits that can't be broken through.

So this was my wish, to be a runner. I can confidently say that I am one after this Saturday's race. I can be a better one and I will. I want to run a half-marathon by the end of the year and I will, God willing.

I will keep celebrating this victory of mine with much gratitude to Him for making it possible for me to do this, for giving me a healthy body and a willing heart. Willing enough to train hard and push my limits. I am so so thankful for the wonderful husband, daughter, parents, and in-laws that I have. For the friends who cheered and supported me so far. I'm grateful for my trainer, the one and only John Lee who put those dumb bells in my hands and taught me that nothing is impossible, that discipline, hard work, and dedication are the ingredients for success in sports, as welll as in everything else.

(In my case, I have never even dreamed to get/run this far.) 

What started back in 2010 as a weight loss program, is now a lifestyle change, a great gift of joy that keeps on giving.

I look forward to getting back in the gym tomorrow to work this body again. :)

News

I guess it's almost time to share the news. They haven't gotten up on Facebook yet and won't become "official" until we notify our supervisors at the office.

WE ARE MOVING! Yes, we are moving out of what I call my dream home and dream neighborhood. But it's really not too bad when I come to think that we're still going to be in Texas, my dream weather state! :

Hrishi got a new job opportunity in Houston and we're excited about the great things waiting for him there. This comes after much prayer, job searches, and a ton of work. So we are very proud of him and know that he will do an amazing job! Those of you who have moved or planned to move before, may know that moving is not an easy thing. The logistics are mind spinning. So for the past couple of weeks we've been working on getting the house ready for sale (cleaning, painting, staging, packing a few things), doing online searches for homes in Houston (rental or to-own), looking for schools, etc., etc., etc. It's been crazy!  The search is not over but we're hopeful that we will find something soon and most importantly, that we'll be able to sell this our beautiful home quickly. I will so miss it though!! But as they say, home is where the heart is so we're going with our heart. Dallas though will continue to have a very special place in there for us. Lots of great memories and life have happened over the past year and a half we've lived here. Plus, with Ella's immuno therapy for milk, we'll be commuting here hopefully every week or every other week.

The biggest change will be for Ella who has to start at a new school, with new teacher, new friends, find a ballet school at least as good as the one she is currently attending (this will be a hard one!), find a new piano teacher (another hard one, as Ms. Bell will be very hard to replace!), etc. But that's just life and if we're going to move, this is probably a good time to do it before we grow too deep of roots here in Dallas.

We're hopeful that I will be able to keep my job by working from a home office and if that's the case, this will become my dream job as I always hoped to be able to telecommute. Many prayers going up for that!

It's been really wonderful to have mom and dad here helping us every day, especially now with getting the house ready for sale, tending to Ella, and just having them with us. They're flying back in a couple of weeks and oh, they will be missed. :( 

Gone Running!

Life has been very good but busy: lots of office work, daily doses of milk, homework, piano and ballet practice, and training for my 15K run next Saturday. It'll be the Hot Chocolate race, also dubbed America's Sweetest race. (Yum for all the fondue I'll be stuffing my face with after the race. Just kidding! :)) Judging from the event website, this is one of the favorite races of the amateur running crowd (could it be the chocolate involved??)

Bottom line is that I love running and am looking forward to this race; there's something about being surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of others just as excited as you are (or more excited) that makes me giggle! Running is a lot of hard work, it's true but is so worth it. For someone like me who has an inherently higher heart rate at rest, is particularly harder, as I need to make sure I stay below the top of zone 3 in order to sustain a good pace on long distances while not giving myself a heart attack. Besides the actual event excitement, I look at this as a big stone for getting myself ready for my half-marathon. And I am truly grateful for being able to do it, physically and mentally.

Packet pick-up at the expo:

The race was sold out. It was quite amazing to see hosts of people swarming in and out of the building like bees to get their packets. There was a lot chocolate and hot chocolate sampling involved, live DJ, and some other cool stuff.

Hrishi almost caught the bug but it'd $165 same-day registration which he's not willing to pay. :-) Maybe next time! :)

Anyway, Saturday will be a great day, inspite of the fact that I'll be starting my run at 7:50 am in 30 degree Farenheit temperatures! Brr!!!

 I'm also trying to get back to my 3-times a week weight training regimen as I'd really love to do the Alpha Showdown hypertrophy again this year.

Other goals I've recently set for myself include no yelling, more patience (these two are so interrelated), and more spirituality. Oh, and no more bad food eating after work hours. You see, I'm doing very well 8-5:30 when I'm at the office, but when I get home I tend to spluuuuurge...on foods that I really should not. Why oh why can't I just have fresh carrots and spinach just like I do for breakfast next to my protein?? :-)

And finally another little inspirational tidbit of a picture (I love these, can you tell??)

Something I got to get better at...NOT doing!

The "Justin Morgan" Horse

There is no surprise by now that we LOVE horses in this family, especially Ella. The fascination with horses probably got passed down through the genes, as I always dreamed to care for/own a horse. They have a soft spot in my heart for their beauty and stature. Although we haven't owned one yet, we've been very blessed through the years to be around horses. When we lived in Omaha, we would drive to the Mahoney State Park almost every Saturday to ride ponies, pet and feed larger horses, and just stand there in awe and watch them graze. Here in Texas, although we haven't yet found a close-by place for pony rides, we've been so lucky to see, pet, feed, and watch horses pretty much any time of the day with the neighbor's horse boarding ranch right across the street from us. Yes, that is pretty amazing and that is why I call this, my dream home and neighborhood. We could not ask for more (in terms of horse proximity and other things.) The horses living next door are all so beautiful and different, and intelligent. Some temperamental, some sweet; we love them all and know most of them by names.

There is a beauitful bond between these two. He walks or trots from wherever he is in the field over to the fence when Ella is there.

He is her best horse friend.

This one is beautiful too. She thinks it's a Justin Morgan horse. Why? Well, Ella picked up a book from the school library that tells you almost everything about Justin Morgan horses. Judging by its appearance, you would think it is. Back to the book: reading it with her has been great equestrian education for me (and her, of course.) We plan to one day, who knows when, to raise our very own Morgan horse. Just like this.

(Note the pretty red bow on the mane!)

You see, Justin Morgan horses are very special. Their lineage traces back to Figure, an almost legendary  horse born around 1789, with a lot of traits and qualities that made him famous enough to have its own pedigree. The horse was at some point renamed after his second owner, Justin Morgan, and has been known by this name ever since. Amongst those traits and qualities were: strenght, willingness, speed, endurance, gentleness, intelligence. Justin Morgan was as good of a workhorse, as he was a race horse. These character traits, as well as its beautiful physical traits were passed on to each and everyone of his offsprings, and that's what makes this breed so special and America's oldest.

More on this here, here, and here at the Morgan Horse Association's official website.

Oh and yesterday Ella brought home a book about this other beautiful horse breed, the Appaloosa. Good stuff, I already read it and I'm now excited to read it to her!! I just love little horse lover, such an avid reader and all-animal lover!! :)

Attitude

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”


by Charles R. Swindoll