Simplicity and Thanks

We had nice Thanksgiving. We spent time with family and ate yummy food.
In many ways, Thanksgiving is like Christmas without the shopping and commercialism--which kinda makes me enjoy it more. Most Christmas seasons I don't really enjoy shopping, I worry about it--which is a shame. This year I have been trying to simplify things so I don't have as much to worry about. I can't completely eliminate the need to shop, but I can cut out some non-necessities. For instance, I think we may be sending an email Christmas card this year. I have always frowned on doing this in the past (when Eric has suggested it) , but it will save me a lot of time and money--both of which are in shorter supply during the holidays. A few non-emailing relatives will get "real" cards, but everyone else will get a virtual greeting. Today as we decorated our house for Christmas, I tried to think about what we really enjoy seeing, and left the rest in storage. With a busy toddler, I'd be a glutton for punishment to have some things out. If anyone has suggestions for simplifying the holidays, I'd love to hear them.
Taking my sister Sarah's lead (she did this on her blog) , I'd like to list a few of my blessings for which I am most thankful right now:

• My knowledge of my Savior Jesus Christ and of His plan of happiness for God's children.
• My dear husband Eric who works hard as a provider, a spouse (I keep his nose to the grind!), and a father. All of our boys are "daddy's boys."
• Eric's job. We aren't the most wealthy people on earth, but we have sufficient for our needs and for many of our wants.
  
• This free land I call home. I have mentioned this previously, but in reading about Germany during and after WWII, I have felt increasingly grateful for the U.S. Constitution and feel a strong need to elect leaders who will protect this inspired document.
• My home. I hope we never have to move. It is a work-in-progress and probably always will be, but we have room to spare and are surrounded by beauty.
• Friends. I haven't had as active a social life this last year because of spending so much time up at school volunteering and with my kids' sports, but I still love talking to dear friends in person, on the phone, or on Facebook.
• My mom, dad, 6 sisters and 1 brother. I love my big family. We grow closer as time goes by. I can say or do anything and know they will still love and accept me.
  
• My health. I feel an obligation to use my health to bless others. I believe good health is like a talent that God doesn't want us to bury or waste. And we never know when it could be taken from us, so we should seize the day!
  
• And last, but far from least, my children. Though they each frustrate us daily, they also bring so much joy and focus to our lives. I'll share one little jewel about Brandt: He had some intestinal issues for a couple of days and his bottom became broken out. He would barely walk because of the pain. I had to put some Desitin on his little buns.This morning when he first woke up, he came down to our bed wearing a big grin. Then he annonced, "Mom, that medicine you gave me made my bottom happy!!"

This is the GIANT card that was on the table on the morning of my birthday.

Workouts this week:
Monday: I ran 5.85 miles in 49 minutes. I kept a really good pace on the flats, but I started pretty slow and slowed some on the hills.
Tuesday: I biked 52 minutes and did weights.
Wednesday: I did speedwork on the treadmill: 13 minute jog warmup. 20 minutes of 40 seconds at 10mph, followed by 20seconds of rest. Then I jogged to cool down for about 10 minutes. This was a tough workout for me. That afternoon Melyssa and I took the kids on a hike in the Sports Complex. I was thankful for the chance to get some of the lactic acid out of my legs.
Thursday:I ran 1 hour 2 minutes on the trails. I'm not sure of the distance--I think close to 7 miles. I love having trails so close--something else I'm very grateful for.
Today: I biked 46 minutes--15 miles and did weights. I stayed up too late last night, and I could feel it during my weights. They were much harder to get through than usual. Maybe some of that triptophan from the turkey, too.

Time

This has been a weekend to remember--for many reasons. Friday Eric and I went out on a date--which is rare enough these days to be a noteworthy event. We went to our favorite Chinese place and then to see Twilight. We both really enjoyed it. I wonder about the "repeat watchability," but it had good acting and definitely followed the book. It was mostly just nice to go out sans kids.
Saturday evening Mom, Jill, Hannah, Lia, and I went to Atlanta for a quick night on the town! We went to Ikea (which none of them had experienced before), and then to my friend Emily Christianson's dance performance. It was really exciting to see a friend from high school who has become such talented dancer and coreographer. It was a modern dance all set to James Bond movie music--very cool.

Today I turned 30--old, I know.

I just heard that a dear friend passed away today after a drawn-out battle with cancer. Gail was the mom of one of my best childhood friends. During the years my family lived in Hermitage, TN, we spent more time with Gail and her kids than any other family. She was a FUN mom. She encouraged the hair-brained ideas that we would come up with--when most parents would probably stifle. We dressed up, performed, danced, cooked, created, and went crazy with her approval. I loved going to her house. She was the rare parent that every kid felt comfortable around. She just exuded love. All who have had the privilege to know her in this life can count themselves blessed.

Workout log:
Monday:I ran 52 minutes on the trails and did weights.
Tues: I biked 45 minutes.
Wed:I ran 52 minutes with Ashley. It was COLD!!
Thurs.: I did weights only.
Friday: I biked 20 miles
Sat.: I ran 1:09. COLD again.

Power Ranger Turkey

Brandt's "Dress Your Turkey" project.

Asher looking especially cute this morning. AND he stayed in Nursery the whole time.

1,000 words

My last post was pretty lengthy, so I'll let the pictures speak (mostly) for themselves this time.

In his element

How Real Men blow leaves.

The second-grader.

The kindergartner.

The busy-body.

These last two are of my latest art project (and Eli "humanizing" the picture).

Workout log: Monday: I didn't get much of an aerobic workout in b/c Asher was sick and I had to take him to the Dr. I ran 1.4 miles on the treadmill and did full-body weights.
Tuesday: I biked 20 miles in 1:03.
Wednesday: I ran 42 minutes with Ashley at a pretty good clip.
Thursday: I ran intervals on the treadmill: 13 min warmup, 9 400's at 10mph with 1 minute of rest between each one, then a cooldown jog. I also did weights.
Friday: I biked 40 minutes. I pushed the pace since I knew I wouldn't have alot of time (I woke up late) and did 13.5 miles.
Saturday: I ran 9.65 miles in1:22. I did a loop I haven't done in a while. It's hilly.

Deep (and Shallow) Thoughts

Obedience
I few years ago I heard a speaker at a youth conference I attended (as a leader), who posed the question: "Why should we obey God?" One of the speakers in church today spoke about obedience as well, and it made me reflect on what I learned at that youth conference. Several of the youth rattled off answers including: Because it's our duty to obey God; Because we fear being punished; Because we want to be blessed; Because we have a testimony of Jesus Christ. I don't remember exactly how each of these reasons was responded to, but none were exactly right. These are not bad reasons to obey, but they are not the best reason. I remember being surprised that the last reason given--our testimony of Jesus Christ--wasn't the right one.
In 1 John 2:3, we learn that the we gain(or strengthen) our testimony of Christ by obeying, not the other way around. Titus 1:16 reminds us that just because someone claims a knowledge or testimony of Jesus Christ, doesn't mean they will be obedient. The answer lies in one of the most quoted scriptures in Christendom, John 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." We should be obedient because we love God.

The Economy
This article, written before the "stimulus" package was approved, and before the election was decided, pretty much sums up my feelings about the state of our county's (and our personal) finances.
I think it is a BAD idea to bail out these automakers because they are in a slump. I was taught in Econ 110--if a business fails in a free market, this is because consumers are not choosing to consume there. Bailing out Ford or GM will not suddenly make consumers start buying more cars from them. It will just postpone the inevitable. Sure, some jobs may be lost, but thanks to the Invisible Hand, the consumption that used to be with Ford is now somewhere else, perhaps with Honda or Toyota, and autoworkers can try to get a job there--since demand will be up and they will need to match with their supply. Artificially creating jobs in an industry just to help a company,even--no ESPECIALLY--a big company has been done before. In socialist states such as East Germany and Russia.
And I can't understand why powerful people--be they Repulican or Democrat--can't seem to apply to the government what we try to apply to our family budget when we accrue a little debt--CUT SPENDING. Wow. We don't go get another credit card to pay off the one we've maxed out. I don't know what the equivalent to raising taxes in a household would be--but we don't do that either. We just hold off on eating out, going to movies, or taking trips for a while until we can get back on top. Why can't our gov't do that??!?!

Mean Dog
I've had a certain Mean Dog chasing me on at least one run a week since we moved here almost 5 years ago. I've trained him now to turn and walk away when I point my pepper spray at him, but this progress only came after he once bit me on the heel. It didn't break through my shoe, but scared me nonetheless. I had the thought on Saturday as he started after me, and I turned to cock my wrist at him, "Dogs are so much braver than people. Can you imagine biting a person's heel while they are running?" This kind of courage/stupidity, thankfully, is not a part of the human genetic makeup (except for, maybe, Mike Tyson.)

Yogurt
I have started eating yogurt regularly. Without going into details no one would care to hear, I believe it has helped prevent some minor health issues I had been dealing with for a while from recurring. Anyway--so since I now eat it almost daily I have tried several new kinds (and if you don't eat yogurt often, stop and look at the VAST variety out there these days--you could probably eat a different flavor every day for 6 months). I now have, not just a favorite yogurt, but probably a new favorite food. Yo-Plus Blackberry Pomegranate. It is heavenly. And all natural.

Workout Log:
Monday: I ran pushing the jogging stroller 7.5 miles with Asher.
Tuesday: Biked 55 minutes downstairs. Did full-body weights
Wednesday: Ran with Ashley 6.2 miles, averaged an 8:01 minute/mile pace.
Thursday: Biked 45 minutes. Did full-body weights.
Friday: Ran on the trails 52 minutes. I love that it is now light enough outside at 6am to run the trails. It's pretty much impossible to run really fast on the trails, which is kinda nice.
Saturday: Ran 9.5 miles. My legs were a bit tired, but I managed to keep about a 8 minute pace for most of the run.

Gentle Torture

One fun thing about parenting is enjoying--and at time taking advantage of--your children's innocence. After looking at the pics we took of our boys in-costume for "Nursery Rhyme Dress-up Day" at their school, I think I may have taken a little advantage. The school won't formally acknowledge Halloween, so they get around it with this dress-up day. So Brandt went as a cute little mouse and practiced quoting "Hickory Dickory Dock" all week. Eric initially thought the headband looked a little too girlish, but when he saw how much Brandt liked it, he relented.
Eli was Jack from "Jack and Jill." I had him roll up his jeans and put a couple of band-aids on his head (for the "broken crown"), and he carried a pail. I think the idea sounded better than it ended up looking. I have decided, however, not to regret that I sent my boys to school looking somewhat ridiculous, but to enjoy the fact that I could send them that way and have their full cooperation! These days will pass before I know it.


Asher got ahold of the camera one day this week. Here is one of his self-portraits.

Workouts for this week:
Monday- I ran over to Sherman Oaks and did two laps around that heinously hilly subdivision at an easy pace. I was gone about 54 minutes. Tuesday: I biked on the stationary for 50 minutes and did full-body weights while watching the 1963 movie, Cleopatra, in which I learned that a G-rated movie from back then may still have a topless dancer (seriously.).
Wednesday : Ran at a pretty good pace with Ashley. We went 5.96 miles in 47.45.
Thursday: Biked 50 minutes and did full body weights while watching the 1969 movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, in which I learned that Robert Redford used to be pretty attractive, and mixing in an artsy black and white montage accompanied by "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" doesn't really work in a shoot'em up Western film about glorified outlaws. It was entertaining, nonetheless.
Friday: Intervals on the treadmill. after a 13 minute warmup, I did about 20 minutes of 1 minute intervals. The first 3 or 4 I ran at 9-9. 5 mph, and gave myself 30 seconds of rest (jogging slowly). The last 7 I did at 10mph and rested 1 minute between each one. I jogged for my cool down about 5 minutes.
Today: I biked 16.9 miles on a very hilly route. It took 1:04. I pushed it pretty hard. I somehow missed the turnoff I had planed to take and ended up going down one of the steepest hills I have on the road. Since I hadn't ridden it before, I didn't try to go as fast as I could, but gravity got me going pretty darn fast. Here is a topo of the ride ( notice the steep drop in the second half).