A new look/Best weekend EVER!

Well friends, how do I look? (This is the blog speaking).

I decided to give it a much needed overhaul. Feels good. I like orange. In most areas of my life I can't get away with making things orange (clothes, shoes, home decor, etc.). So the blog gets it. "A penny for your thoughts"...you are orange.

This has been one of the busiest and most tiring weeks in a long time. I've been running consistently again (since I was sick) for 2 weeks now and it feels good. Well, I say it feels good. Mostly I'm just trying to create a self-fulfilling prophesy. It doesn't feel good right now. Most days I'm tired before I even begin, and when I finish I just want to die. Hopefully this is just because my week has been so crazy and next week will be better. Tomorrow, Liz and I are going to do my 2.5 mi. loop 3X. 7 1/2 miles. That will be the longest either of us has ever gone. Pray for us. : )

Tonight Nathan and I are going to see Don Giovanni at the PAC downtown. Tulsa Opera always does a really good job, but I'm especially excited about this one because I know so many songs from it. Nathan and I actually did a duet from this opera when we were both still in college together. Nathan has also done several of the tenors solos. Should be an awesome time. I can't wait to see it tonight!!

I'm making wedding cupcakes for this weekend. I'm going to hang out with my church friends from high school, who are becoming just my regular friends again, instead of my old friends. LOVE this development. The cupcakes are because this time when we hang out we've decided to go with a "wedding theme". Stephanie is getting married and we're going to help her with plans and watch wedding movies, and they don't know this yet, but eat wedding cupcakes! I went to the sugar art supply store by my work and got some pink and green fondant, fondant cutters (flower shaped), and piping bags. I already have all kinds of sprinkles. These cupcakes are going to be LEGIT! Vanilla cupcakes, with buttercream and strawberry icing and layered fondant flowers. Yummmmm....

Also, tomorrow I'm going shopping with my sisters and their friends for "prom underwear." Apparently my mom couldn't bear to go with them on this excursion. Thats alright. Haha. I can't believe they're seniors. I love them so much.

So in other words, this is going to be THE BEST weekend EVER. I'm looking forward to it all - especially Sunday when, hopefully, I will have a few hours to relax. Cheers!

Nathan and I the last time we went to the opera

I will carry a cross and a song where I don't belong

When we were in high school together, my older brother, Daniel, used to say that your friendships have levels. 1s - Best Friends. Kindred spirits. Bosom buddies. Life-timers. 2s - Really really good friends, people that you love dearly but you wouldn't tell your deepest secrets. 3s - People that you know, and are nice and friendly with, but you wouldn't really hang out with outside of where you know them from. 4s - Aquaintences. Wave and smile - but do you know their first and last name? "I know we're friends on facebook, but..." This is awkward. 5s - Enemies. We all know what an enemy is.

You can't look at a friend and lable them as one number for a life-time. Relationships go through cycles. A friend that was once a 1 might now be a 3. Maybe in a couple of years they'll be a 1 again. I've been thinking about this lately. A lot of my relationships are in weird transitions. Some for the better, some not so much. I suppose this is ok, even expected. But knowing that doesn't make the process less painful. Mmm, I just have to keep reminding myself - it takes one to know one. Be a friend. Love people no matter what. Some times I wish that God would just let me in on his plan. In the meantime - everyone needs a little Switchfoot in their life, they just do.

This song pretty much sums it up for me right now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wlePWP7QvM

The Beautiful Letdown - Switchfoot

It was a beautiful letdown

When I crashed and burned
When I found myself alone
Unknown and hurt
It was a beautiful letdown
The day I knew
That all the riches this world had to offer me
Would never do

In a world full of bitter pain
And bitter doubts
I was trying so hard to fit in
Fit in, until I found out

I don't belong here (I don't belong)
I don't belong here (I don't belong)
I will carry a cross and a song
Where I don't belong
I don't belong

It was a beautiful letdown
When You found me here
Yeah, for once in a rare blue moon
I see everything clear
I'll be a beautiful letdown
That's what I'll forever be
And though it may cost my soul
I'll sing for free

We're still chasing our tails
In the rising sun
In our dark water planet still spinning
In a direction no one wins
No one's won.

See, I don't belong here (I don't belong)
Well, I don't belong here, I don't belong
I will carry a cross
With a song where I don't belong
I don't belong
I don't belong here (I don't belong)
No, I don't belong here, I don't belong
I'm gonna set side
And set sail
For the kingdom come, kingdom come
Your kingdom come
Won't you let me down, yeah
Let my foolish pride forever let me down

Ah, Easy living, you're not much like the name
Easy dying, you look just about the same
Would you please take me off your list
Easy living please c'mon and let me down

We are a beautiful letdown
Painfully uncool
The church of the dropouts
The losers, the sinners, the failures, and the fools
What a beautiful letdown
Are we salt in the wound
Hey, let us sing one true tune

I don't belong here (I don't belong)
It feels like I don't belong here, yeah
It goes like I don't belong here
I don't belong (I don't belong)
Won't you let me down (I don't belong)
C'mon and let me down (I don't belong)
You always let me down (I don't belong)
So glad that I'm let down (I don't belong)
C'mon and let me down (I don't belong)
'Cause I don't belong here
Won't you let me down.

G

My Valentine's Day gift from Nathan. Love love love!

I feel like things are back to normal today. The kids were able to have outside recess at school. It definately makes a difference for the them, but I noticed that being able to get outside in the middle of the day did me some good as well. Must be the vitamin D. Mmmm.

Today was pretty glorious, and the first day that I feel all the way well enough to run. I was dreading it a little, but it ended up being absolutely amazing. The weather coupled with being well rested made for a great time.

Nathan and I celebrated Valentine's Day yesterday with dinner at Red Lobster, a movie, and exchanged of gifts. As always it was a wonderful time. Yesterday out weekly Sunday lunch at the Hearns included ALL of the Hearn kids and their "loves." And we had steak. So good. It was pretty awesome to see the huge dining room table completely full. I love those people!

Friday night I had a girls night with my mom and sisters. We went to TGI Fridays, and let me just say it was SO MUCH FUN. They are the best friends of my life. I'm so thankful that God has made it possible for us to be close. I consider this a huge blessing. I LOVE `em!

I'm embarrassed about how completely excited I am that The Bachelor is on tonight. I can hardly stand it. 35 more minutes....

Happy V-day all!

G

I like using the word "googly" to describe things...

On Sunday Nathan took me to urgent care where they told me that my sinus infection never went away with the antibiotic that I got 2 and a half weeks ago, and that I also had the flu. This came as no shock to me. The frustrating thing was the amount of coughing that I have had for about a month now. I am happy to say that with my new antibiotic, my coughing has all but disappeared. St. Mary's had school Monday and Tuesday, and I missed both days because on the medicine I'm taking you're not supposed to drive or work. That was kind of a bummer, but I completely understand why they suggest doing neither of those things while on this medication. The best way I can think to describe the feeling is "googly." Googly, nauseous, and impared.

St. Mary's cancelled school today because we got another 10 inches of snow, so I got an extra day to recoup. Which is nice because the googly medicine is helping a lot, and tomorrow I'll have to stop taking it so I can go to work. Its not actually called "the googly medicine." Its Lortab. The doctor said that it has the same active ingredients in cough medicine (hydrocodone), so I didn't have to get 2 different prescriptions - they're knocking out the body/head aches and the coughing with one medicine. We'll see how tomorrow goes. I know I'll be completely exhausted by the end of the day, but it'll be good to see my precious students again. THAT, I am really excited about! Nathan dug my car out of the snow and turned it around so I wouldn't have to back out in the morning when I'm leaving for school. It has been 10 days since I have driven. Thats crazy, and might be a record.

Let me just say that Nathaniel David Hearn is the most wonderful person I've ever known. He takes care of me like no one else can. I love him dearly. So so grateful for him in my life.

Tomorrow its back to everything. It has been a week since my last run. I'm thinking that over training might have been partially to blame for the poor quality of my immune system. So I'm going to take it a bit easier now. Freaking out and trying to do a 5-miler right off the bat won't work. We'll try 1.5 or 2 for tomorrow and see how it goes. I'll get there...can't get ahead of myself. Hopefully I won't have to take a week off again.

List update: I went to Purple Glaze and Ida Red. My reaction to Purple Glaze was that it would be awesome to go there and spend the day - but that place takes time - something I did not really have. Its not really a stop by and browse kind of a place. I'll have to bring a friend and make a day of it. If I could do that, which I will, that place would be totally awesome, although a little pricy. Ida Red was pretty much a big fat disappointment. The people that work there were all talking to eachother when I walked in and didn't even look up when the little bell rang announcing my entrance. Oh and that never changed as I browsed around the store - it was like I was invisable. Not cool. Also, besides an extensive Toms selection - which was cool, the actual merchandise was pretty lame and way overpriced. While I will definitely make a point to return to Purple Glaze when I can do the experience justice, I will not make a repeat visit to Ida Red.

There you go.

G

The snow must go on...

Haha, best blog title ever. SO MUCH SNOW! Everyone is complaining about it, and while I realize that it has created some problems and extra work for people, I don't hate it. This has actually been an awesome week. Nathan and I have been finding creative ways to entertain ourselves and today we finally ended up getting out of the house. The primary reason being that I was/am in desperate need of a breathing treatment (our friends Bobby and Liz have a nebulizer for their little boys) so we braved the roads, which are in fact, prety terrible and getting worse. So we're hanging out at the Reed's and enjoying it immensely. We brought things to make pigs-in-a-blanket (PIAB) and funfetti cookies. PIAB were a big hit, and we're gonna make the cookies with the boys in just a bit.

Right now Liz and I are watching Julie&Julia. I have to admit it has been nice to have companionship from someone of the same sex. Nathan and I have watched some weird movies the past couple of days because we've been trying to watch things that both of us would like. Some of our netflix selections include: The Outsiders, Part One of The Fellowship of the Ring, Going The Distance, and thats all I can remember right now.

One thing that I can definitely say that this snow storm has taught me is that I am married to the perfect person for me. Anyone else I probably would have killed or been killed by, by now. I love and treasure everything he is, so much. He's sitting across the room right now. He's just about it for me. Alright, I'm done now. : )

Blogging is a great way to pass the time while snowed in. I am enjoying it. Precious people. I am blessed.

G

Here are some fun snow pictures....

Snow angel...

Deep snow...

I love him...

Our hike to Wal-Mart...

HAPPY SNOW DAYS!!!

Birthday Blizzard

Snow days are so weird - and fun. They don't feel like a Saturday...but they don't feel like week days...And in this snow, there's not really much you can do in the way of playing in it, at least until it stops actually blizzard-ing out there. Nathan suggests that we walk to Quik Trip (1.25 miles away). I asked him why, and  he said,"To get stuff." Not motivation enough for me. Its probably not a good sign that I'm already feeling sort of cabin feverish...we're less than 24 hours in....

I have been texting my little sister who just told me that my brother wanted pizza so badly, that he set out walking to the nearest convenience store - BJ's - about a mile and a half from my parent's house. Well no one heard from him for awhile so my mom called BJ's and asked if he had gotten there yet. They said he had just gotten there. He left like an hour and a half before. My sister was telling me this, and said that no one in their right mind would be out in this weather...and thats when I said,"This is why Joel is out in this weather." If you knew Joel, you would know what I mean. He's CRAZY! (Not literally, because talking about him being crazy if he actually was, would be mean. He's just irrational - haha). Hope he got his pizza. I told her to text me when he got home - she hasn't texted me yet. Its sad that I am relying on her text to provide some excited in this day. That, and The Biggest Loser, tonight. But thats still 2 hours away.

Found out about an hour ago that we don't have school tomorrow either - huge surprise there. Hopefully tomorrow we'll be able to go outside and play in the snow. So much for running at all this week. I don't even think I could get to the gymn at The Greens to use the treadmill. Gosh. Yesterday I got a pretty good one in - 3 mi. That'll have to last me for the week. Alright, I'm done here.

P.S. Joel just got home. He got his pizza!