Thursday, September 8, 2011

Challenge II, D11: Wrangling {Goals}



It's been a week of transition. And it's obvious to me that (a) Mother Nature thinks so, too and (b) Mother Nature (like me!) is stubborn & does not always deal well with change. This week we have been blessed with cooler weather, but also a lot of gray and rainy skies.

Honestly? I don't mind too much. I love crisp gray fall days, when you can smell the chill in the air and the trees are vibrant against a dark sky. Also, this is perfect weather for hot tea, cozy blankets, pillar candles, kitty snuggling and sweatshirts.

Not bad at all, in my opinion :)

And now here we are, teetering on the cusp of another weekend. I love holiday weekends, and the way the following week seems to fly by afterwards (you know, which is only fair, as the week preceding a holiday always seems to creep by ;) It's been (as always) a good & busy week for us. ...One which I will attempt wrangle into submission via stories, pictures & memories.

{Wrangling}

(A weekly round up. Each week I am going to “wrangle” my life's happenings into a post filled with pictures, lists & general tidbits about the past 7 days.)

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Our CA trip is coming.... Soon!

Exactly 10 days from now I will be in Northern California with the love of my life, on a trip of a lifetime. And so tonight I celebrated with a glass of wine. (Duh.)

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Just to keep it real here: I like to be as positive as I can be (in real life & on the blog), but I am most definitely a normal human being. Frustrating & annoying things happen to me all the time.

For example: Here's my Tuesday...

(I am pleased to report that I was not, in fact, harboring a stowaway mosquito...)

And then this morning I missed my mouth & poured piping hot coffee down my cleavage. (I couldn't make this stuff up.) Trying to figure out how to discretely stuff tissues in my shirt to mop it up was, in a word, tricky.

As part of my "woman of grace" initiative, I am working to bounce back quickly in these situations; to smile & move on....One day at a time...

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Marathon Training Update:

It's been a rather mellow running week, apart from the race on Sunday. Which has been nice for two reasons :)

First off, I did just run a race on Sunday. An awesome, empowering, exhausting race. I needed some recovery miles after that, for sure.

And secondly, I *gulp* am running 20 miles on Saturday morning. ...Which, needless to say, will blast my weekly mileage well above what it's been before.

I am actually quite nervous about Saturday's 20. Realistically, I know that it's just 2 miles more than the last long run I did. ... But 20 miles sounds incredible long ;) Nerves or no... I know I can do it, and I'm looking forward to reporting back to you later.

As a further update, I was able to identify & set some marathon goals for myself this week, and I'd like to share them with you. I take no credit for the a,b,c tier system, but I think the idea is a fabulous one! Here are my goals for my very 1st marathon:

A: (My feel good, I can't believe I did this goal): Finish the race (upright) with a smile on my face.
B: (My "you go, girl... you surpassed your own expectations' goal) Finish the race in 5:25.
C: (My "Holy *bleep*, NO WAY, THAT'S AWESOME!!!" goal) Finish the race in 5:20.

(Please note: I would prefer to be smiling & upright in *ALL* scenarios!)


Stay tuned to see how it all unfolds :)

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... Speaking of goals, I was having a good time looking through my old posts the other day (tell me I'm not the only one who does this...) and I stumbled upon my "28 Things by Age 28" list. Just for fun, I decided to give a little update (I am about 1/2 way through my 5 year time frame, after all!)


Amy's 28 by 28 (original post here ):
  • Visit Carlisle, PA with J. Completed June, 2010.
  • Go to San Francisco with J. To be completed September, 2011.
  • Go to Boston
  • Go to an all-inclusive Sandals Resort with J (perhaps for our 5th Anniversary?)
  • Run a marathon To be completed October 16, 2011.
  • Write out a life plan and start making it happen. An ever evolving process. See below...
  • I'd really like to attend a Healthy Living Summit one of these years :)
  • Buy a house with J Completed April 1, 2010.
  • Have a baby
  • Help out with a Chrysalis Flight
  • Host a holiday dinner for my family - I DID host the 4th of July celebration this year, but that wasn't really what I had in mind... I plan to check this one off the list in December, 2011.
  • See my all-time favorite band (AC/DC) in concert.
  • Do a TTD/ Fearless Bridal portrait session with Kelly.
  • Go hiking in the Rocky Mountains
  • Go back to Gatlinburg with J.
  • Start playing guitar again.
  • Get involved with a "young adult" bible study. A real one :) I will be participating in a 10 week study entitled "4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice"... starting next Monday!
  • Run an 8 minute mile. Oy.
  • Run a sub-2 hour half marathon.... Oy vey
  • Visit the Napa and Sonoma Valleys-- Tour lots of wineries! To be completed September, 2011.
  • Go to a Country Music Concert :) Completed August, 2010
  • Go on a roadtrip with J. (This is something he's always wanted to do-- I think it would be fun to go with him!)
  • Go to Europe.
  • Keep a garden. Sigh. Currently, I feel like an 8 minute mile is more attainable... but I'd like to keep it on the list of goals!
  • Learn to fold a fitted sheet Check & mark!
  • Bake a cake from scratch Yup. I've made vanilla cupcakes & bohemian wedding cake (a la Jenna at Eat, Live, Run)-- can't wait to make the wedding cake again soon ... it's a pumpkin-y fall treat!
  • Go see "The Nutcracker" downtown at Christmastime Maybe this Christmas? I'm actually (please don't kill me!) really looking forward to Christmas all ready. Going to do a lot of things differently this year ♥
  • See a Broadway Show

As I was looking through the list, I was really awestruck by the phenomena of shifting priorities... As we grow into the people we were meant to be, it makes perfect sense that our priorities change. And that is in no way a sad thing. It is a good thing. Who am I to think that I can plan all the little details?! (And how painfully boring my life might be if I could!)

I am excited to look back on this list again when I turn 28. To see how much I have accomplished ... but also to reflect on all the things that have been accomplished that I never dreamed of when I developed the list. I created this list 2 years ago, and all ready, some of these items aren't as important to me.

It's a beautiful thing... this crazy life of ours ♥

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"I love this day."

I've been seeing this phrase popping up everywhere this week, and I like to think perhaps the universe it trying to tell me something.

"I love this day, indeed."



Have a wonderful Thursday night, friends :) I'll see you back here tomorrow for another "Good Friday"!