I Wish I Could Pick Up the Pen I Just Dropped

A couple of weeks ago i read a blog that completely convinced me of a workout called the 30 day shred.  In lieu of the fact that it was supposed to rain everyday this week and probably for the rest of my life according to the 10 day forecast, i decided this would be a smart buy.  Mainly because i know myself...and as long as i am regularly working out i don't have a problem staying motivated.  The slightest little hiccup though, like a lifetime of unending rain storms (that are forecast to last throughout my favorite weekend of the year...grrrr...) and i might as well throw my running shoes in the back of my closet for the next 2 months.

So yesterday afternoon, in anticipation of the thunderstorm that didn't come until 11:00 that night...i totally could have gone running...Callie and I pushed my giant ottoman out of the way, fashioned together metal rods to use as weights and hit play on the dvd.  

And then 20 minutes of crying and groaning and cursing ensued...

I'm kidding....Or am I?

I tell you for no other reason that to talk about the fact that every single time i've had to sit down today i've had to bite my lip to keep from crying out loud in pain....unsuccessfully.   But apparently i'm a glutton for punishment because i will be "shredding" again later today.

LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY WEEKEND!

(so good with the transitions, am i not?)

Friday night i headed to Bryant to have family dinner in honor of my dad's birthday.  Mom made her fantastic taco's...which i would have enjoyed way more if i had not drown myself beforehand in the beauty that is my dad's salsa.  This was a special night because not only was it my dad's birthday, but it was the last family get together we would have before babies start appearing left and right.  Well, hopefully not left and right, but you get my point.  Amanda was already having contractions, and bless her heart she did her best not to show her pain (so much like me today every time i try to sit down :)  ).  I headed back to Conway after dinner and Chris text me when i was halfway home letting me know they were on their way to the hospital but to sit tight...it would probably be a while.

So i took my sweet self home and got a good nights rest and then headed up there bright and early Saturday morning.  I hadn't been there long when...Wa La!  Mackenzie Brooke was born.

And what a beaut she is!

After about 7,893 pictures were taken i headed the two blocks over to check on my cousin Jeremy.  I am telling you, the faith and strength i have seen in my aunt during this whole ordeal...i pray that i can be like her one day.  Jeremy's sister in law had to be rushed to the emergency room the day before because they thought she was having a heart attack.  It turned out to be an anxiety attack because of all the stress the family is under right now because of Jeremy's health. My mom was telling me this story and it immediately got me down.  But then she told me my aunt's reaction.  She said that as soon as she heard what had happened that she called her daughter in law and said "Listen.  You cannot let this get you down or stress you out. We are believing God for his healing and we just have to let him do his thing.  There is nothing you or I can do other than pray and let God do what he does best".  

Said the woman that has been living in a hospital for the past 3 weeks while doctors tell her that her son may never be the same again.

That is faith.

After my tour of the hospitals I headed back to Conway and Callie and I outran the thunderstorms to Petit Jean to do some hiking.  Apparently we were focusing too much on outrunning the rain and we overshot our exit by about...oh, i don't know...30 minutes.  But somehow on our extra hour long jaunt we missed the rain, so i guess it worked?

Anyways, it was beautiful...everything was such a vibrant shade of green.  We spent about half an hour stalkishly watching a couple at the waterfall because we were completely sure the guy was about to propose.  But he never did.  Which was a shame because he had the perfect set up.

And on the way back i had to dodge around several dead raccoon carcasses, so i guess i'm not the only one that has had her car decimated by the vermin that roam Petit Jean.  However, i did almost lose my windshield because of the dinosaur sized bird that was devouring it's meal in the middle of the road and then decided to fly STRAIGHT AT MY CAR.

Apparently when my car makes the trip out past Morrilton every rodent and bird in a 20 mile radius want to try and see how much duct tape they can cause to be secured to the front of my Civic.  

Very funny, mother earth.