5 more days

This is me 5 years ago. I am running my second marathon..The Rock and Roll. I was very happy not knowing anything about time or what was expected. I was proud to tell people I ran a marathon in 5:17 minutes. I felt like I had accomplished the impossible. I held my satellite radio the whole time just like that I had one arm up in the air ..I am sure it hurt but I was on cloud 9. I ran this one with team in training. I ran it for my first husband Roger. I had his picture behind my bib and when I would get tired I looked at him. It was a great way to remember him and give to a great cause. I ran this whole race for him. I guess that's why I was so happy because I was so in love with him. He was a good husband to me. I think I was a great wife too..

I totally got off the subject..My point is that I love this stage of life when we don't know if we are good or bad we just love what we do. I guess starting a hobbie is so much fun because we get super excited just like little girls. We are so proud of what we are doing and we want to share it..We want show our friends. It kind of sucks that we grow out of that stage ..That just like me with running now I want to make it official. I want to qualify. I know there is a way to find a happy medium. I think that would be to play along the way, not to forget to be present for the journey. To do it because we love it. Sometimes when we forget why we are doing it. Thats when we need to stop and try hard to get our center back. Life is to short to be serious all the time. We need to be like little girls as often as we can. We need to do things we love and that we feel passionate about..Why? because it will keep us young at heart and allow us to keep that little girl in all of us alive.

6 More days..

The count down officially begins today..in six days I run The St. George Marathon. What does this mean to me? that after 26.2 miles I will have a great story to tell and I will really consider the fact that maybe I am crazy. I think this will be my 7 Th marathon. These races become huge events in my life. Each one has made me stronger in all sorts of ways. I know that I will have the best day dreams while I run. The weirdest thoughts come to me while I run. I invent things and I plan vacations with my kids that are crazy fun. I write a book as I run and I make mini-books, I will sing and rap and dance all while I run..I am so in love with running its a happy pill for me. Give me some tennis shoes and shorts and consider me happy..
but here is the part that scares me. I am running for certain time. I would like to do it in 3:45 ..I did the Rock in Roll in 3:58 ..So what happens if I run it in 3:45...I can go to Boston. Holy cow..If that happened I would poop my pants. I just don't see how I can do that.It's crazy how our mind does that. I think I can do 3:50...but not 3:45.. I never cared about time much but I guess I do now..no matter what it will be a good time..My dad and my kids will be cheering me on. I will totally keep you posted no matter what my time is I will run my little butt off...Do you have something thats you do that makes you crazy happy ?

It's Sunday.

Sweet 16..

My sweet Paola is 16 today....
I love you Miss P..You are the light of my life..
Your smile makes my heart melt..

I am so lucky to have you as my daughter, I adore you my sweet P...Thank you for your patience and understanding..I love being your mom..

My reality today !!!

I am learning a whole lot over here. I am working and its interfering with my crafting ! I really have not had a full time job in over 10 years. Yes, I think that was a true blessing not because I don't like to work but because I got to stay home with my kids and I got to scrapbook and run..but things have changed and I am learning. Here's a couple things I have learned about not having a-lot of money and working. Its not so bad so far. I explained to my kids the situation and they totally understood. They help me out more . Christopher takes out the trash and my 16 year old....are you ready for this..She cleans my entire house about once a week.(yeah I still cant believe it) . She says I get home before you so I can do it. We have not been late once to school this year because I have to be at work at 9. So they all work hard at getting ready early. We are planning our outings more carefully. My kids are being really understanding of the situation and I feel like they are being more considerate. This is one of my life lessons..More is not better. My kids don't need all the expensive stuff. They want to play with me. They want to ride there bikes and talk to me..( holy cow) do my kids talk.(when one is done the other is waiting) so I tell them when I am frustrated or when my patience level is at level 2..I say I need a break so I am going to my room or I go to the bathroom and just sit in there with a magazine (does anyone else do that?)..Oh yeah, and I had to apologise to Isabella yesterday because I yelled at her.and I felt so bad all day. I was frustrated and I could have handled it differently..So I said Isa I am so sorry for how I behaved. She said OK mom just don't do that ..I make a ton of mistakes and I get it wrong one day and OK the next. We just keep making those baby steps to what feels right when raising our kids. I still say to myself..OK Miss G..today is a good day to start over(everyday is a good day to start over) ...I drew our family portrait while working (shh) its a fun picture of us and it makes me smile...me and my little peeps...

It's Sunday.

Post # 300 is on Love.

These 3 kids fill my heart with so much love. Its that time of year now. I can feel things changing and just a little bit. I have had a really nice week. I have done lots of addition worksheet with a new second grader that just cant seem to sit still in the best way. A new fourth grader that is writing a new video game and yes we are learning about the railroad system. An amazing young lady that is going to be 16 on Friday . I was told last night that she would like me to go with her to her next concert. (not sure if should be scared or excited) but I am going. One of these little kids sleeps with me in a huge bed every night. The other wakes up super early and lets everyone under this roof know its time for school, work so everyone get up. I cant forget the person who tells us if we look cool or like an old lady. Its so amazing to be a part of such an amazing family. Sitting here in my bed while they sleep I am reminded that its all worth it because we have each other..I think this goes for all of us. We have each other..I am so using that, I have my friends that I call. I have my friends I talk to on face book. The ones that need my prayers and the ones that pray for me. Some of us have our kids and others have amazing husbands that adore us sometimes. We have mothers that still tell us how to dress, We have our co workers that say good morning to us everyday. We have sisters and brothers that call on our birthdays. Oh yeah we have neighbors that wave to us in the morning. I cant forget the friend that lets us complain. You now the one that we call when every things gone wrong. The friend that knows were crazy because everyone else thinks were fine. We have all these people..I am very grateful that I have people. I have my three little people that look up to me for direction. Its a little scary that we have so much love around us . That we can choose every morning how we react to all these people. Even when we feel like shit we can chose to react well or not. To love with patience or not. To be available to them or not..I know it cant always be good. I do believe that we or I can make small consistent choices to smile back. To answer the phone. To adore our kids. To show up for the people in our lives. I believe we have that choice. To love each other. Lets do it !!!

Little Hats for lilly Octopus

Since its almost fall I have been making my little Lilly Octopus Small little bear hats..
Here she is posing for me..Holding a little sign that says Cool math : Happiness

Add : and multiply

as you divide it with others.
Well that's all for now..oh yeah I have to tell you I am excited and a little scared since I have two weeks until the St. George marathon ..YIKES.. this is not my first marathon but I am scared because I really want to do well....

Learn something new everyday.

back to my mini-book..I took this picture the day my kids got back from being on there summer break with there dad. This is the longest I had gone without seeing them. 5 weeks. What I learned from having them gone is how much stability they bring to my life. Yes I got more running in and biking but for the most part I felt like I was missing a big part of my body. I was very happy to have them home. I told my neighbor as soon as we got home..Would you take out picture my kids just got home!
This is a page from a catalog..It was a still day.
This was Carries Birthday ..On this day I learned to let go of how I thought people are and to enjoy who they are that day ,that moment ..I get caught up sometimes in the what I might have heard or the what might have happened. When really what matters is now...

Thank you Thank you !!!

I met this girl named Karen Tessandore in Utah about 2 years ago. Jane and I drove 12 hours to Art nest. We were really excited about meeting all the girls. The amazing artist we were going to take painting and soldering classes from too. I sat and painted away as Kelly Rea taught the first class and during I walked around and stopped at Karen's spot and just fell in love with her beautiful sweet girls. I remember going to get Jane and saying look Jane I love her girls. We got to know Karen and hung out with her. She told us a little about her life in Alaska and I was excited to look at her blog. She told me in Utah how she wanted to be in Summerset blog... and she made it happen.

Last month I was reading her blog and she was having a giveaway for a copy of the magazine . I left a comment and crossed my fingers and guess what I won..Then to my surprise I opened the box and all I can say is Thank you Karen !!!She sent me a treasure box full of goodies ..A copy of the magazine she was in a book and a painting..Yes a painting , of one of her girls..You made my month..Thank You Karen.

Happy Monday to you..

This is Monday and guess what I start a new job today...That's all about the whole job thing for now. I have been slow on the blog situation and I plan on getting my blogging fairy back. First I want to share that I am taking this class..
Learn Something new everyday by Shimelle . I took it last year and I did not finish it, so I am doing it again. I love that she sends you a little something everyday to prompt you on your way to learning something..Its simple but I do really enjoy getting her emails everyday. I am a journal junkie. I am looking around me and I have 3 journals in hand. So inspiring. For this class I took an Anthropology Catalog and some chipboard and scrapbook paper and its coming together. I am thinking I might keep putting stuff in this little book until it looks big...
I have been feeling like I am in huge learning stage of my life. I think for many years I was just trying to get by. I felt shy inside I am not sure if I was or not but I felt that way. I was afraid people would not like me . Maybe I didn't like me...(light bulb) I am awake now and I am feeling it all . I like that. I am putting as much as I can on paper too..I love scrap booking and journaling because I can actually trace my feelings and were I was.. Its magical to look back and say I made it ...

Sunday.

My grandmother ...

Here we are my grandmother age 91 and me age 38. I want to say that she is an amazing woman. She was born in Mexico and had 10 brothers and sisters. I think 7 sisters and 3 brothers. She was very beautiful when she was young. She looked like a movie star. She always wore long dresses with gloves . When she went for walks she took an umbrella. She told me this morning that when she was 6 years old she heard some cousins of hers play the guitar and she told her father she wanted to do the same thing. She said her father thought that was a great idea and looked at her and said I will buy you one this week. Her eyes glittered when she told me this. I felt like she was also telling I was his favorite daughter. A year later after many hours of sitting in the back seat of an old broken truck she learned how to play the guitar. She was so good that sometimes at the age of 7 she would stop by the bar on her horse after school and play..She said to me this morning..Honey they gave me money to play so I played. I also know that she got in big trouble with my great grandmother for not coming straight home after school but she did not care..She knows how to play the violin , piano, guitar, accordion .Have you ever heard someone play the spoons well? my sister and my grandmother can play the spoons.

She grew up on a ranch with a huge peice of land. She rode a horse to school everyday. Sometimes with one of her sisters but often alone. (wow hu!!)

All the girls cooked and did lots of house work and the helped with the cows and chikens and horses. I have always known that by the age of 7 she knew how to cook enough rice for ten people without burning it, that was not aloud and she did laundry by hand everyday for the whole family. To this day she cooks and loves to clean the kitchen.
She got married to a man 20 years older than her and they had 5 kids. My dad being her youngest son. My dad needed the most love from her so she loved him a-lot. When I was born as soon as I came home from the hospital I slept with my grandmother. My mom was in the other room resting and my grandmother took care of me. A-lot of things happened my parents divorced I moved to San Diego to live with my grandmother and I slept with her most of my childhood. She has never yelled at me . She has only given me unconditional love..

I can honestly she is a remarkable woman. I hope to be spending most of tomorrow with her as she is recuperating . I adore her..

Carries Birthday..

My friend Carrie had her birthday this weekend..It was a-lot of fun..We got all cute and headed over to one of our favorite beer places..
Melanie joined us too. We had yummy cheese fries and I had the beer of the month.(modelo)
Here we are April, me, Terri ,Melanie and the birthday girl Carrie.. April made us laugh so much I had no idea she was so funny..I love funny people. Guess what even my dad joined us. He loves Carrie too. Cant help it she is just that like able. Happy Birthday Carrie.

It's Sunday.

I love Orange..

I love the color Orange ..
I really really do..
I am crazy about Orange..
Now how about you ?
I would love for you to tell me what color makes you smile right now....

Thinking on the run

Every day of our lives we are on the verge of making those slight changes that would make all the difference. -Mignon McLaughlinI feel like I am becoming a crazy runner..Its becoming my favorite place to find answers . I do not know if any of this will make sense but its working for me so if just maybe it works for you I want to share it. Let me first say I feel like a-lot of us are having a weird emotional month. I know its been like that for me. Not really sad but I think emotionally uncomfortable . I go through this often so in the process I try really hard to find a way to shift my energy..I found something this summer that's been working for me.

Here it is..here's my example. I have been dedicating my problem or the feeling of being overwhelmed to movement. Now the movement can be different for all of us..I run and I have friends who walk and I know girls that ride there bikes and some that do yoga. It can be any kind of movement I guess this is how I pray but this works so well for me. I get ready to run and in the process I claim my problem..I try really hard not to lie to myself. Then I start running. You can do any kind of movement but you have to get your body moving for a while like 30 minutes or so. Just go. Try not to let your mind wander to much really take charge of the problem AND DON'T STOP MOVING.. It might take a little time find yourself in this practice but don't give up. I find that near the end of my run I see the problem completely different. I might not have the quick answer but I have strength to go through it. Most of the time I feel really enlightened. I see whats bothering in a completely different light. I hope you can try this its like a Sunday for your inner being and just maybe it could help...

With love and hope,

G

She turned 30

My friend Ally turned 30. She is full of energy and spunky and she loves the color pink. Her best friend set up a little birthday party .
I love this picture ..It shows girls in the moment of just celebrating our friend. I love how we can do that for each other. Show up for each other even if its once in a while for small amounts of time. Specially when you have some one like Ally who took the time to say. You girls are the best. I guess giving and receiving its all a gift ..
So our wonderful scrappy cool chick Ally is 30...Happy Birthday !!!!!!!!