Little Successes!!

       Good morning world! I hope everyone is having a great day. Life has been crazy as usual here. I have been working on applying to grad school, working and also applied for a promotional job at work. I will hopefully be hearing about the job next week and have my school applications in as well. On the weight loss front I have lost 6 lbs!! I am so excited to finally be able to see progress of more then a single pound or a few ounces. I stopped weighing myself several weeks ago because I was getting discouraged and obsessed all at once. I had started weighing myself daily and caught myself doing it several times in one day. I determined that was unhealthy for me. So I haven't weighed myself in 3 weeks, been working out 3-4 times a week, drinking almost strictly water, watching what I eat and cutting out pretty much all fast food. It is not always easy (I really like soda) but I am starting to feel better and I can feel that it is all helping. I hope to be able to continue with posts about weight loss and other successes. I hope everyone is doing well and seeing success in their personal lives as well.

January 2013 Book review

For January I have read a book recommended by a friend. I read The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury.

This is the first time I have read a books by Karen Kingsbury and I must say I plan on reading more in the future! The focus of this book is a bookstore in Franklin, TN (about 20 minutes from where I live). It is set in present day and talks about places that I know. This book is an easy and quick read. I believe I started reading it on Sunday of last week and had it finished it the same day. I highly recommend the book. 

Welcome 2013

Hello blogging world. I am here and still alive. 2012 had a lot of ups and downs (mostly ups). I had a wonderful holiday season and spent some great time with family. I have decided that I am going to make some goals for this year and hopefully by writing them down.
 So here are my goals for 2013:

 1) Lose 30 lbs. I am not comfortable putting up how much I weigh but it is too much. I plan on losing the weight by running and biking (spin classes here I come), weight classes and possibly a month of boot camp.

 2) Start grad school!! I plan on starting grad school this summer/fall to get my Masters in Social work. It is scary but a necessary evil to further my career.

 3) Read 1 new book a month. Enough said on this one.

 4) Run my 4th half marathon. My real goal with this is to continue to run 1 half marathon a year. I did my first race in 2010 and as much as I bitch and moan about the training and running long miles by myself I really do love it.

 5) Run 3-4 5k races. I am planning on doing the Color Run in March and the Foam Fest 5k in May for sure and am not sure what other race I will do.

 6) Blog more. I say this all the time, but I really do want to blog more and link up with others blogs and try to grow my followers.

 7) Run 500-600 miles this year.

 8) Read through the New Testament.

 9) Get on a cleaning schedule for the house.

 These are all the goals I have for right now. I was hoping to get 13 but 9 will do for now.

In a rut

I haven't posted forever and for that I am sad. Life has been busy lately and when I do have a few quiet moments I don't want to think or write. My 3rd half marathon is 6 1/2 weeks away and I found out yesterday I may not get to run it. I ran 6 miles on 8/6 and stretched and felt great. Then Monday rolled around and my ankle was stiff and it hurt to walk. I sucked it up and went to work and came home and tried to do 3 miles on the tredmill, that turned into only 2 miles at the slowest pace ever! I took some meds and went to bed. Woke up Tuesday and much of the same as far as pain. Wednesday was no better and I attempted to do 5 miles that night (I only managed 2.5). Thursday I went to work in a pair of ballet flats and an ACE wrap. I went to work on Friday but by 10 am was in tears from the pain. I went home and went to the doctor. He had me get a better brace, had me taking 2400 mg of advil and gave me Lortab as needed. He wrote me off of work through yesterday and sent me to a sports med foot and ankle doctor. Yesterday I went to the specialist and he said it is either tendonitis, a stress fracture, or both (so reassuring)! He took x-rays, gave me a cortizone shot and told me no training for 5-7 days. If the pain is not subsided by Friday I get a soft boot cast. If I get the cast no race. If it is just tendonitis it is up to me if I can be ready in time. I cried the whole way home on Friday and cried somemore yesterday. Today is not looking up for me and the pain is bad. I am back to work today and it has been rough. Hopefully the cortizone will work and all this is is tendonitis. Please pray for me! I promise I will write more soon and that it will be happier and that I will post more often.

Getting to know you Sunday

So I am going to work on linking up with other blogs to help me blog more often. Today I am linking up with for Getting to know you Sunday! I hope you enjoy.


1. Have you ever gone to see a movie by yourself?
No, never. I hate to go most places by myself.

2. Would you rather go through a tornado or a hurricane?
Tornado. I have grown up living through several and prefer for the storms to pass quickly.

3. Have you made summer vacation plans?
Yes!! The hubby and I are finally taking a vacation that is not traveling to Ohio! We are going to the lake for a week at the end of June with our best friends.

4. What's your favorite accessory?
Either my pearls or my cross necklace.

5. Have you ever been thrown a surprise party?
Yes twice! The first was in college by some of my great friends after complaining that my hubby planned surprise parties for everyone but me. The 2nd was by my Nashville family but it got ruined a little because the hubby brought me to the restaurant before any of our friends got there.

6. Are you friends with your neighbors?
Not friends. We talk with our neighbors and are social but we aren't calling each other to eat dinner.

7. What's the last movie you saw in the theater?
We went to the movie theater last week and saw Fast Five! It was the first time we had been to the theater in forever.

8. What's your favorite food network show?
Semi Home Made by Sandra Lee. My SIL and I love watching it and making fun because there is always a cocktail drink.

Crazy days

Life has been a whirlwind lately. Work, training for the half, spending time with friends, and being a wife. I feel like I have slacked on being a wife. It is so much easier to finish a run day, make dinner and crash on the couch for the evening instead of cleaning up the upstairs or downstairs. I am looking forward to this weekend and not thinking about work. I have decided not to take work home with me, literally and figuratively. When I am home I really want to be home. I miss being a housewife. I miss my husband feeling like when I am home he is all that matters. I miss feeling like I care.
That is enough of that! On to better things, no more harping. I am in a girl's bible study right now that I love!! We are reading Donald Miller's A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Amazing! I am in love with this book. We just finished section 1 and on Monday I decided that I was going to write a better story with my life. I am not great at it yet, but I am taking daily small steps to become better and stronger. I want my family and friends to remember me I want others to remember me, or at least that I touched other's lives in some sort of way. If you haven't read this book I highly recommend it!
Training for the half is going well! Last weekend friend Tiffany and I ran 10 miles in 2:25:30. Not the best time ever, but I will take it. This weekend we are on to 12 miles and I can't wait. I promise you that a year ago I never would have typed on of the last sentences. I can honestly say I am addicted to running! It is a stress relief, it is fun and healthy. Since January, just by making slight changes in my diet and running, I have lost 11 pounds. Not quite where I hoped to be in weight loss, but I am certainly on my way to hitting my goal!! My second half marathon is on April 30th and I can honestly say I am already planning and working on my training schedule for my 3rd half in Sept! Life is good!

ABC

Age: 26

Bed size: King

Chore you dislike: Folding and putting laundry away

Dogs: Nope

Essential start to your day: Kiss from my hubby

Favorite color: red

Gold or silver: Silver (or white gold)

Height: about 5'11''

Instruments you play(ed): flute, tenor sax, bass clarinet, baritone, violin

Job title: Child abuse investigator

Kids: Not quite yet

Live: Tennessee

Mom’s name: Meems

Nicknames: Landis or Ellie

Overnight hospital stays: 1 time when I was 19. I had an allergic reaction to some post op meds.
.
Pet peeve: When I have to tell people how to raise their kids.

Quote from a favorite movie: "I haven't left home without Lycra on these thighs since I was 14.
Well that's because you were raised right."
-Steel Magnolias

Righty or Lefty: Lefty

Siblings: Madison, Brittney and Dylan

Time you wake up: 6:00 AM
Underwear:My business

Vegetables you don’t like: Beets

What makes you run late: talking to people

X-Rays you’ve had: mouth, chest, knee, ankles (more then I can count)
Yummy food you make: Chicken Alfredo

Zoo animal favorite: Manatees