Two roads diverged...

A few years ago I had a kind of personal epiphany that helped me to understand the importance of the choices I have made and will make in life. My great Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Winston had come to visit us in Arizona. This aunt and uncle have been like grandparents to me and my siblings ever since my Grandmother Fleming died, so I was thrilled to have them travel all the way from Memphis, TN, to our home in Arizona to visit. Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Winston have one wonderful son and daughter-in-law and one terrific grandson, Martin. Aunt Dorothy had a nephew who also lived in AZ, so when they were there, we all met together at her nephew and his wife's home for dinner. At this dinner, I was struck by how much my dear great aunt and uncle talked about me and my brother and sisters and our families, along with their son and his family. They had little "brag-book" pocket picture albums they pulled out with pictures of me and all of my family members, and they went on and on about what was going on with our lives. We (along with Martin) were just about all they talked about. Sometime in that evening I realized that this is what life is all about. If this aunt and uncle had never had children and had never spent time fostering and growing their relationships with us during holidays and family gatherings, now that they are elderly and retired, what would they have to bring joy to their lives? As I write this, I'm reminded of the play "You Can't Take It With You," the story of an eccentric family that are unusual but happy and supportive of each other, and when contrasted with a more ordinary family whose priorities center on the materialistic, teach the audience that it's the relationships we build, not the awards we get, the money we make, or the things we aquire, that are really lasting.
This weekend my dad's family met up in TN for a family reunion. Just Brandt and I were able to go from my little family because of sickness, but while there I again just felt so grateful for family. Everyone loves and supports each other regardless of the differences in our lives, simply because we are family and that's what families do. I could have worked for several years before we had children, and we would probably have had a bigger house and newer cars, but that isn't the path we chose, and I'm glad. Nothing brings me more joy than my husband and children. They bring challenges, headaches, and heartaches, but the joy always outweighs the trials. ( I know---we haven't reached teen-hood yet..)

I have had a great week of working out. Monday I ran pushing the jogging stroller for 52 minutes and went 5.8 miles. My legs were pretty tired from my race last weekend, so I took it easy.
Tuesday I biked 45 minutes and did full-body weights.
Wednesday I ran with Ashley for 6.5 miles. I'm not sure how long it took because I forgot to re-start my watch at one of the traffic lights.
Thursday I biked 50 minutes and did full-body weights.
Friday I ran 8.6 miles in about 1:11. I felt GREAT on this run. I started pretty slow, but ran a sub-8 minute pace for about 7 miles of it.
Saturday I got up at about 4:15 a.m. to workout before we left for the family reunion up in TN. I did speedwork on the treadmill: 12 minute warm-up, then seventeen 40 second speed bursts at a 6 minute-mile pace with 20 seconds of rest between each one. I then jogged to cool-down for 10 minutes. I did some push-ups and ab-work afterward.