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Thanksgiving Photos

We're so thankful for our house. We have space to invite others over more frequently. We were excited to host Thanksgiving at our house this year.



Jill, why are you smiling so big???

Me with 7 month old Isaac

Lots of little cousin playtime. Why they are all playing with a baby doll is beyond me...

The little kids had to eat in the garage. Noise stays outside and easy cleanup! :) And yes, we put a heater out there.

Grandma Judy feeding Isaac some sweet potatoes. How Thanksgiving-appropriate. :)

Paul is home from college and requesting extra time to sleep. Christine is checking out the black friday ads.

Grandpa Gary finds time for a nap on the couch.

Once he wakes up, Paul and Noah destroy the couch and construct a fort.

A heated game of Dutch Blitz... Ok, maybe not that heated....

Isaac gets to eat again.

Mark and Noah cuddle up with Noah's blankie to watch a movie, Marley and Me.

Isaac is eating again. All this kid does is eat....

Mesmerized by the movie

Hang out time.

fun with wrapping paper

Noah got into a half-used roll of wrapping paper, unrolled it, and proceeded to tear it apart. So instead of trying to salvage the roll and re-roll it, we played with it! I wrapped HIM up in the paper! He's wrapped up all the way to his feet, so there was much waddling like a little penguin. (He's not smiling in this pic, but there were plenty of giggles!)

Isaac is 7 months

Happy 7 months to Isaac!

He's a happy, smiling, giggly kid. He "talks" a lot now, saying "ma" :) "ah" "ga" "da" and the like... He loves chatting with anyone who will listen.

This is how he wakes up from naps: always smiling!



He is now sitting up pretty well on his own. He still falls over sometimes, so we don't usually let him sit up for long without a Boppy pillow around him. (Gotta work on those core muscles, Isaac!)

Isaac and Noah are becoming best buds. Noah sometimes feels threatened when Isaac plays with his toys.... I keep telling him that this is only the beginning!

Isaac now travels from the house in a cocoon like state. He has a tiny hole to peek out from his cozy carseat. Most of the time we are able to skip putting a bulky coat on him, and this keeps him warm! Isaac is really getting heavy in his baby carseat. We know the time is coming in just a few months when we will probably have to move him to a bigger rearfacing carseat (which is Noah's current convertible carseat).

We haven't seen any real signs of crawling yet, but Isaac definitely kicks and flails his arms to reach for his toys. He does scoot a little and manages to get stuck under things such as the couch.

A new thing Isaac has done the past month is to start eating baby food. Until now he has been exclusively breastfed. This month he has now tried brown rice cereal, mixed vegetables, carrots, corn, sweet potatoes, and a tiny bit of bananas.

However, his number one favorite food is Cheerios. He's working on that pincer grasp (first finger/thumb) but until then, he takes fistfuls of cheerios but only about 1/4 of them make it to his mouth.

Here is Isaac's first attempt to drink from a sippy cup. He didn't get much.

As of this week, Isaac now has THREE teeth!

Video: Noah and Benny fixing things

Noah and cousin Benny both enjoy working with their little play tools. I thought this was cute when they were playing together one day and both "fixing" something.

Noah's Bedroom

Since we bought a foreclosed house, oftentimes there is plenty of work to be done to bring the house up to the position of a standard house on the market. Like most of the rooms in our house, Noah's bedroom was a sloppy paint job that needed to be repainted.

Before.


Before. Why did it need to be repainted?

Before. I don't think the previous owners knew to take off the outlet covers before painting....???

Before. And maybe they didn't realize there are angled trim brushes or even tape for painting straight lines....

Jason starts the endless process of mudding holes and dents in the walls.

He then sands out the spots so we can prime the walls. This turned out to be quite a big job.

Jason puts down tape on the trim for a clean line. Notice that we do take the outlet covers off.

The new paint is dry, and Jason hangs the blinds. The new paint looks the same color as the old paint, but it wasn't really that close. The new paint is more aqua.

After. Carpet is cleaned, curtains are hung and Noah's room is back in order.

The project cost was relatively low: the cost of primer and paint!

Tips to Start Running

If you are interested in trying out the sport of running, here are some tips to help get you started. (Keep in mind, I am still much a novice runner myself.)

1. Determine your motivation. Identify why you want to run. If it is simply weight loss, unless you are amazingly self disciplined and have a great accountability system, more than likely you will quit. You have to have a reason that is more meaningful and more long-term. For me, I started running to do something good for myself and give me a break from being with my kids all day.

2. Set a goal. Do you want to run one mile? Or a 5K, 10K, or half marathon race? Sign up for something so you have an authentic purpose to motivate you. Then tell everyone you know that you are going to do it. (It's really hard to back out on it when everyone knows!)

3. Make a plan. Print off a training plan such as the Cool Running Couch to 5K training plan or search online for other training guides. Hal Higdon has a great beginning guide to a half marathon. Figure out what days of the week and what times you are going to dedicate to running and exercise. Write it down on your calendar like any other appointment. That time is officially reserved for running.

4. Find places to run. In mild or pleasant weather, many people find running outdoors to be an enjoyable activity. In extremely hot or humid weather or cold weather, some people prefer running indoors on a treadmill or an indoor track. Check out Map My Run to plot out the distance of your possible outdoor routes. Ask other people where there are trails, tracks, or other places they enjoy running.

5. Buy a running item. Whether it is new running shoes, music for your iPod or a pair of workout shorts, knowing that you have invested financially in your endeavor should motivate you to go use that new thing!

6. Track your progress. Log your runs. You can use a Word document, Excel spreadsheet or numerous websites such as Active Trainer and Map My Run. Get excited as you see your mileage increase and your pace improve!

7. Get a support network. Surround yourself with positive people who will encourage you and motivate you to keep working at it. If you don't know any runners, get online and find running groups in your area that meet occasionally to encourage each other and run together.

Final Tips:

• Stretch before and after runs. This will reduce injury!
• Try to do a cross-training activity at least once a week such as biking, swimming, dance class, etc. Also work some strength training into your routine if you have access to weights.
• Slow down!! Run slow enough to carry a comfortable conversation. If you are huffing and puffing the whole time, you are likely running too fast. This might mean you need to run at a much slower pace than you think you should. Fear not, over time, many people get faster.
• Do not compare yourself to other people. Someone will almost always be faster than you. Just be who you are and be proud of yourself for getting out there and doing your best!

Never give up. If you want to do it and set your mind to do it, you can do it.

Content & Thankful

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Phil 4:11b

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thess. 5:18

I wish I could say this is true of me in my own life, but the truth is I'm not always the most content or most thankful person. There are times that I gripe, complain and wish I had a new or different material thing or circumstance in my life. But clearly this attitude is not right. God desires that we have a content and thankful heart. Whatever the circumstance.

Ways I can encourage contentment in my own heart and in the lives of my children:

--Spend more time investing in people God has placed in my life.

--Share with those in need, giving of my time, money and other resources.

--Be a good steward of what God has already given to us. Organize, clean and maintain those things.

--Simplify what we own. Give away, sell or donate things we don't use, like or can't maintain.

--Use what we have. Paint, clean, reuse, repair or repurpose older things. God is also in the business of restoration.

--Thank God for His blessings each day.

--Ask God to help me see each day in a positive light with a thankful attitude.

How Noah Packed a Shoebox

This week Noah packed a shoebox with gifts and toys for Operation Christmas Child. The host organization Samaritan's Purse distributes Christmas boxes to needy children around the world, sharing the love of Jesus with them and their families.

Noah started with an empty, wrapped shoebox. Mommy helped with the wrapping part.

Next, he colored some pictures and answered some questions about himself to mail to the child. He told me that his favorite color is blue, his favorite food is noodles, and his favorite drink is water.

He picked out a couple of pictures of himself to add with the letter for his shoebox.

Then Noah found special toys and gifts that Mommy collected for this project. Many things were free or very inexpensive using coupons and deals throughout the past year. We also added some special toys that he had gotten in kids' meals from restaurants.

We put toys, games, balls, pens, pencils, notebook, crayons, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, playdough, bandaids, and more in our box along with our letter and pictures.

Finally we closed the lid and prayed for the little boy who will receive this special gift. We prayed that he would know how much Jesus loves him.

Noah was very enthusiastic about putting together this box for our special friend. It's exciting to find ways to begin teaching Noah (even at 2 1/2 years old) about ways we can help others.

We will take our shoebox with us to drop off next week at the church where we go to MOPS. Next week is Operation Christmas Child collection week across the entire country.

Costumes!

Last week the boys dressed up in costumes as Bob the Builder and a froggy. Bob's costume was all borrowed or his own, and the frog was passed down from a friend. Gotta love spending $0 on costumes!

While I wouldn't saw we exactly celebrate Halloween, we did take the opportunity to meet some more of our neighbors that live around us and participate in our community. Eating Noah's candy afterward was a nice benefit too. =)

Half Marathon Recap

My First Half Marathon story... (Beware, it's long. Most of it I am writing so I will be able to remember.)

5:45 a.m. The alarm goes off. I get up and eat Cream of Wheat and drink a cup of coffee and several glasses of water and start preparing all of my gear for the big day. While getting ready, I check the current temperature: 26 degrees. It's gonna be a cold one!

7:50 a.m Jason and I arrive in downtown Indy later than we'd planned, partially due to the fact that our car's driver-side door would not latch (possibly due to frost??)! We had to spend a few minutes figuring out what was wrong with it. Since I knew the race began at 8 a.m., I was slightly nervous about the delay! As we near the starting line I give him a quick kiss, hop out of the car and find the "10 minute mile" sign in the starting corrals. About 8000 others are jumping around, chatting, and fiddling with hats, gloves, iPods, Garmins, and other running accessories. I regret that I drank so much water already when I see how long the port-a-john lines are. There is no way I am getting in one of those lines at this time. I will just survive!

8 a.m.
Mile 1 - The Monumental Marathon race begins! Due to the crowd in front of me, I have to wait about 4 1/2 minutes before I can actually walk up to the starting line. There is a lot of adrenaline flowing and I want to run fast. But I knew this would happen, so I make a concerted effort to hold back to a slower pace to warm up. There are fans cheering and people holding signs everywhere. We run by Lucas Oil Stadium and see the Colts cheerleaders. It is definitely cold out, but within the first two miles I warm up enough to take off my fleece jacket and tie it around my waist.

Mile 2 - Jason cheers me on at mile 2-3 and snaps this picture. I toss him my sock hat.

(Jason leaves and goes to spend some quality one-on-one time with Isaac. He told me they spend a long time in a nice hotel lobby just playing together!)

Meanwhile....


Miles 3 and 4 - We run through the streets of downtown Indy. The fans hold signs like "Run Jessica Run" and "If Sarah Palin can run, so can you!" I am running just like I've trained, and it's so much fun. On my iPod I hear songs like "Alive" by P.O.D. and "I'm Alive" by Jeremy Camp, and it describes how I feel. I run behind a gal with a label on her back "Marathon Pacer Mandy 4:30." I can't remember exactly what pace per mile this is, but a Half-Marathon would be half of that, so a 2:15 time. I figure that I should be okay following her for a while. I mark my time on the iPod with each passing mile, and she's running around 10:25/mile.


Mile 5 - I am ready to run a little faster now that I've warmed up. I know I can push myself just a bit more. I pass the Pacer and see where my legs will take me. I pull out my Clif Energy Gel and eat it. (They're kind of gross, but it was probably a good placebo effect to help me run a little faster.) I simply go with what feels comforable for me and mark the mile. 9:22. I surprise myself that this feels comfortable, but I keep going.

Mile 6 - I take water at the water station. I really am starting to need it now, unlike some of the previous water stations. I realize I am capable of finishing this thing in less than 2:15 if I keep up this pace and stay comfortable. I pass the 10-Kilometer marker at 1:02:24 with an overall pace of 10:03/mile.

Miles 7-8 - I keep marking the miles on my iPod timer. I am doing better than I had expected, maintaining a 9:30 or less pace. The half marathon and marathon splits off at mile 7. Some people seem to slow down around me after the split, so I kick it up a notch and start passing people. I think this boosts adrenaline even more.

Mile 9-11 - We run down Meridian Street toward the Circle. But I can't see the circle because it is still so far off. Music like Hillsong United's "Take it All" and Desperation Band's "I am Free" keep my feet moving. I remember some people telling me they hit a wall at mile 10. It is getting harder, and my heart hurts a little. Remembering that the cardiologist encouraged me to run but to listen to my body, I slow down a little and pray that it feels better. I make a conscious effort to smile at spectators and thank the volunteers. I am thankful for the Gatorade at the water station. I slow my pace to 10:02 for one of the miles. My heart stops hurting, but I am getting tired. I start to tell myself encouraging things like,

-You trained for this.
-You've run farther than this.
-Now is the time to do your best.
-You're over halfway done.

I also see my favorite sign during this part of the race: "Random Stranger -- I'm so proud of you!" I thank that fan. I give high fives to two little girls who are holding their arms out.

Mile 12 - We run through Monument Circle again. The crowd is everywhere. I know I just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I listen to MercyMe's "Hold Fast" and am encouraged by the lyrics, "One thing greater than my strife is His grasp, So Hold Fast, Help is on the way." Jason cheers me on down the street and snaps this picture.


Mile 13 - I know I am almost there!! I just have to keep moving. A sign I pass reads "DIG DEEPER" and encourages me. I run faster.

Mile 13.1 - I pass the 13 mile sign and I know we are SO close. I see the finish line ahead. I want to slow down. But I muster up everything left within me and SPRINT to and through the finish line.

Finish - I did it!!! I mark my time and see 2:08:37. My overall pace for the entire race was 9:48. I was proud of myself that I sped up during the second half, which is hard to do when you're tired. I ran the last 6.9 miles at an average 9:35 pace.

I finished 196 out of 441 women 25-29.

Overall I placed 2073 out of 4153.

Finishers were awarded a half marathon medal. Then we got a space blanket, a running hat, bananas, bagels and peanut butter, cookies, chocolate milk, apples, and on the list goes. After I met up with Jason in the recovery tent we took some more pictures.

My little guy is hanging out in his cozy carseat.

Running this thing was a great experience for me. It reminds me of why I like running. I have never been an athletic person, so knowing that I am capable of running a long distance was pretty amazing. Instead of feeling bad that I will likely never be a "fast" runner, I was encouraged that there are so many other people who run similar paces to me.

I am ready to run another half and plan to train for the HUGE half marathon in May.