Jagger Rides

Jagger Michael learned how to ride without training wheels today!! Yes, he is 6..we waited a little longer. Daddy took off the training wheels after lunch and five minutes later I walked out and there was Jagger just cruising up and down the street. So proud. Next up...swimming without a life jacket!

Running for my LIfe

I'm alternating biking and running right now. As disgusting as it is, I love the sweat that pours off me here in TX. Makes me feel like Superwoman with every drip that runs down my face/neck/back/boobs...whatever!

I'm still in a funk. And I can't seem to shake it. So, last night when I started to cry I just threw on my running shoes and went out for a run. It takes more concentration to run than cry so the tears dried up pretty quick. Unfortunately, running when you're upset leads you to run aimlessly and by the time I got home I had run farther than I was expecting to. Oops! Sore thighs this morning!

I'm reading a book called Run Like a Mother. First of all, this is NOT a book for beginner runners! Anyone who says that they get up for a lovely 10 mile run on a Sunday is way more committed than I'll ever be!!

Anyways, in this book it describes what you should be doing in order to be getting ready for each distance of a race. At this point you should know that I have a hope of wanting to run the Houston Half in January. Back to the book...they say in order to run a 10K I should be running 3 miles easily (really?? a mile isn't even easy for me after a year and a half of running!!), minimum requirement is running 4 days per week, with one run at 5 to 6 miles, at least 15 miles per week.

Really?? I'm being dead serious when I say how hard this is for me. I want to die just looking at that training schedule for a 10K...how the heck??!!

Well, I don't know about the Houston Half but I'm pretty sure I am going to run myself right out of this funk!!

Coming Up Roses

Well, not really roses...but, hibiscus. My very favorite flower! This is a variation of the hibiscus that I have never seen before and just had to have for outside my kitchen window so I could wake up and see it every morning.

One Step at a Time

Moving back to Baytown, TX has not been easy. In fact, it's been downright hard! I wish that I could just close my eyes and open them back up and I will be sitting in my house in Colorado and that Julie will be on the way over with her kids and Kaylee will be out playing with her friends...that life would be just the way it was 5 months ago. Sometimes I will lay on my couch and close my eyes and pretend that I'm in the old house...I put the couch right where it used to be and see if I can really make it happen. It doesn't.

Our reasons for coming back will never change. Schools are losing so much money out there and it scares me for my children's futures. We missed being close to family. And we never found a church that we knew was home.

We love that our children will go to great schools here in TX. We know that they will be pushed to their limits and will go to college and be successful in whatever they do. We are grateful for that.

We LOVE being close to Mom and Dad again. It's a beautiful thing to watch our kids interact with their grandparents and know that these are memories that they will share with their children one day. I love that I can go see my Aunt and Uncle and it's like a little vacation with the whole Terry side of the family when I do that. It's home. I am blessed.

We are back at Second Baptist and we definitely know it's a great church and it is a church that you cannot just find anywhere Unfortunately, I feel farther away from God then I have felt in a long long time. This is especially where I feel like I just have to put one foot in front of the other. I just get up for church. I sing the songs. I keep the car radio on KSBJ. I pray with my children. And I seek Him. But I feel lost. I miss the fire. I expected it to come rushing back to me when we got back to Baytown...it hasn't. I am thankful for the foundation that I have built my life on and I know that I just need to keep seeking. I know, without a doubt, that God has not forsaken me...I just can't remember how to hear him.

I miss my Julie.

I feel sorry for myself right now.

And it all sucks!

So, I have decided to go with the flow. If someone asks me to do something, I just say yes. Go to the pool with you this week? Sure, I'ld love to! A ladies night out at church? I'll go and see who I'll meet up with. Lunch with a friend? Why not! This is new to me and it has gotten me out of my box a little. It's been fun too. I'm praying that God will lead us to new family friends that we can share life, laughs and fun with.

I want to start making tiered platters. I am interested in learning photography. And refinishing furniture.

I am going to go to work when school starts this year. I have already put in one application at the school district. I don't know that the job is a perfect fit for me but I need to start somewhere. My kids are growing up and what else am I going to do while they are at school all day?

So, you see, I do have plans. I do see a future. I am not so depressed that I have no idea how to function. I'm just sad. And a little lonely. And in need of some structure and routine in my life.

Or it could be that my husband has been working a shut down for 2 months and I'm tired of being alone with the kids.

Or that it's Father's Day and I miss my Dad today.

Or that I have my period....just sayin'!

But this is a blog and these are my thoughts and this is what you get when you put it all together....

Facebook Withdrawals

Ok...this isn't all it is cracked up to be! I don't miss reading random nothingness and spending hours doing so, but I miss knowing what is going on around me. How am I supposed to know that Jane Doe is going swimming and wants to know if anyone wants to join her? Or that John Doe is having a last minute BBQ and anyone can come over and join. I'm looking for an antique hutch for my french country living room and how am I supposed to know if anyone has seen a cool one lately if I can't ask on facebook?? See, this is a problem!!

But where, oh where, is that happy middle ground??

Planting a Home

We have made a few changes to the outside of our home....

Here is the before pic....


And the after installing solar screens and planting some greenery....



Does anyone know what this is?? It was left behind by the previous owner and had 2 green leaves on it. I've been watering it for a week and it's doing really well. But, I have no idea what I'm growing!!

And it wouldn't be a country home without a lizard hanging out on the side...

There's A Hole In My Wall

The house we bought is only 15 years old. But, it was built in the style of a much older home where all of the rooms are very separate. We like that to a degree. However, we have a kick-butt kitchen on one side and a great fireplace in the living room. Since 99% of my time is spent in the kitchen I decided that I wanted it open so that we can entertain and I can cook all at the same time. Plus, the kitchen gets hot and the living room stays cold so we knew we had to do something to create better air flow. Our solution..knock out the wall!! Here is the result:

Before...

During...

And after...(don't mind the mess or the mismatch furniture....we are still in move mode!!)...

Now we have a lovely 5 inch strip of concrete between the tile and the carpet. So the new thing in house decorating!! Next up on the priority list...wood floors in the living room!

From Facebook to Blog

Well, I have stopped using Facebook. I still use it to see family pictures...but that's it!! Sooo liberating. However, now I have all these status updates in my head and all these hours of leisure that I will have to dispense of somewhere else...so, I am sure to back in the blogging world!

We have finally bought a house and we are somewhat in the "country." Not everyone would agree with that but we have well water, a septic system, snakes are found in our neighborhood and it takes me 30 minutes to get to the grocery store...this is about as country as I'm ever going to get!

Well, I'm lovin' it! It feels like we are getting back to a simpler life. We don't go out to eat...what fun is that when you have to calculate in 45 minutes travel time to and back?? Kaylee and I have stopped using Facebook. I've taken Kaylee's phone away from her. We go for family bike rides and runs. We spend more time playing games and reading than watching the TV. It feels like we are getting back to the basics of life...and I LOVE IT!!

We are doing a few things to the house to make it more our style. We have put up solar screens...HEAT RELIEF!! And we took down a wall between the living room and kitchen to open things up a little. We have a priority list of things that need to be done and I am loving having a new canvas to mold, shape and decorate! I will start posting pics within the next couple of days!

I am happy to be back to blogging and I look forward to sharing all the fun things going on with the Clinton family this way again!

Happy Friday!