Update on Life

No water running lately...very little walking or activity for 2 weeks straight until my trial run next week. I was having some minor aches and pain after water running, so my sweet husband suggested *no activity at all*, which was very wise. I have been following his orders and am feeling better this week. My plans are to walk and try running early next week and just see how it feels. I'm really excited about it! I hope it goes well. This week will be a rest week, so I am not going to be updating my blog until I see how I do with the running. So, check in with me next week and hopefully I will have some good news! Please pray that this week of doing nothing(physically) will finalize the healing process for me. Thanks so much!

I am so ready to be out there again.

Congratulations on all of you training for races! It is so inspiring to read about your progress and determination! I am excited for you all!

Gracie attended the Honor's Symposium these last 2 weeks and loved it! She met so many new friends and learned quite a bit. She attended Bible, anthropology, literature, and worldview classes. They even went camping and built a tabernacle(like OT) and constructed all the areas. They toured it and finished with singing *It Is Well With My Soul* as the veil was torn. Such great memories for her!

Now we are planning college visits for the fall. It is crazy trying to fit all of this into our already busy schedule, but we really want her to visit a few places to compare and see what would be the best place for her to learn and serve. She really wants to visit Union University and Cedarville University. She would love to visit Master's College...but we have all agreed that is it too far to visit and for her to go there for college...even though we know it would be great! Something about a daughter being that far away doesn't sit well with us. I am still realizing that I am a mother to a senior in high school. What craziness...but at the same time, God's plans are perfect! We are also signing her up for this worldview camp for next summer. I am so excited about this...I want to go to this, it sounds excellent. Please pray for us as we seek the Lord through the college decision process! Our heart's desire in all of this is to glorify God and to seek His wisdom.

Our next oldest will be going to Kanakuk later this week. We really like that camp, but have not sent our kids every year. I am praying that God will use this week in Abigail's life to draw her to Himself...and that she will meet other girls who are truly living for the Lord. What a blessing to be able to allow her to go!

Lots going on. Now I need to start working on ordering homeschool stuff! I think this is the latest I have ever began working on this! I must get started!

Have a great week everyone and I will be back next week. I am studying Romans 8 this week. What great truth to meditate on!

Engine 2

Love this blog...I don't have his book yet, but it looks great! Here is a link from Good Morning America where you can see his *Rip's Big Bowl* recipe.

I like the health info on the blog, but some of the content can be kinda inappropriate(language,crude)so be aware of that.

Another link to watch. Rip is Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's son...the author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. Interesting stuff.

Our Weekend

Yummy vegetable kabobs from our cookout last night.

JH and Abs in a tree!

Mike and JH walking down a trail today. We went right after church, so Mike is still in his church clothes. I sat on a bench like a nice little injured runner should.

Thankful for Today!

I am actually feeling good today--really good. So good that I think I might could run for a few minutes...but I won't. I have the first week of August marked on my calendar as the first time I will try to run a very short trial run to see how I feel...so I will be patient and wait. That date will be nine weeks from the onset of the injury. I still have achy days, but the good days seem to be more consistent now...so I am praying that the bone is healing and it won't be too long before I can begin running again. I must be careful and start slow. I also think that I will probably still rest another month after the August date, just to make sure all is well. It is a slow process, but I have read about quite a few runners who it has taken a year to completely heal. Wow! I think about 3 months is the norm, so I am praying that is the case for me.

On a sidenote from the topic of running...Mike and I are celebrating 21 years of marriage today. I am so thankful for these years together. What a true blessing from God! I often tell Mike how God was so gracious to me in giving him to me as my husband. I won't go into details, but I will just say that I was very undeserving of such a godly man to love me! But God in His kindness has allowed me to experience such joy and love in my life. God has really blessed our marriage, also. We have been through difficult days, just like most couples, but God always brought us through those times with forgiveness and love for another. That love has grown stronger and more comfortable over the years. I love the *comfortableness* of our marriage. I just feel like I can be myself at all times...have complete down time with him and feel totally accepted and cared for. There is no one else I can be like that with. What a gift from God! Thank you God for giving me such sweet days with my wonderful husband.

21 years is a long time, but all of you know how the time seems to pass so quickly when looking back on it. That kinda makes me sad, knowing that time moves on and things change...kids grow older, family life is always changing and growing in new ways, the future is unknown...but one thing is for sure and does not change--God. He has been the One constant in my life and I am so thankful to be able to say that my hope is in Him. I want to treasure these days as gifts from God...loving my husband, caring for and loving my children, and seeing the simple things in life as the best things.

I am resting in His grace today...rejoicing in my marriage and seeing His hand in all things.

Sumo Water Wrestling

I'm a little sore today. I've been doing some variations with my aquajogger and have found that adding some variety really works other muscles well...and today I am feeling it in my inner and outer thighs! The aquajogger came with a dvd that shows different moves to do. I have been running pretty hard for about 15 minutes, then switching to the sumo wrestler move...don't laugh. It is pretty funny looking, though. I have to say that it is working different muscles than the regular running does and it feels great. Then after doing that for a while, I switch back to running. Also, I am using these for resistance while running and my triceps and deltoid muscles are getting a pretty tough workout. It really burns. I am using the ones with 60% resistance. The first time I used them, I could only do it for a few minutes at a time. Now, I am happy to say I can do it for most of the workout. Even though I prefer running on asphalt, as opposed to water running, I am working different muscle groups and I think I will be stronger at the end of all of this.

I had the most amazing lunch today. Not only was it so tasty, but it was loaded with nutrients, phtyochemicals, and vitamins. I just have to share! The lunch included some black bean salsa with baked tostitoes. And, I made a portabella mushroom and spinach sandwich. It was so good! Everything was so fresh and delicious!

Here are the recipes:

Black Bean Salsa

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can niblets sweet corn,drained
1 large tomato, chopped. I bought some yummy locally grown tomatoes today and they are so delish!
1/2 purple onion, chopped
A bunch of chopped cilantro...the more the better in my opinion!

Dressing: Juice from 1 lime and about 1/4 cup of rice vinegar. Toss together and chill. This is good with baked tostitoes or even over some crisp romaine as a salad.

Portabella Mushroom and Spinach Sandwich

1 whole wheat bun, toasted
Red Pepper Hummus...just a tad to spread on bun
Chopped cilantro
Grilled or pan seared portabella mushroom cap
Tons of organic spinach stacked high

Just toast the bun, spread with hummus, and sprinkle with cilantro. I pan grilled the mushroom with a tad of balsamic vinegar...just cook until brown and tender. Add the spinach, smash the sandwich together, and enjoy!

For dessert, I had a small bowl of locally grown blackberries. Perfect!

Getting Through It

I have had some success with the water running...I ran for about 30 minutes yesterday and felt no pain. Later in the day when I was tired and having to be out late with my older girls at youth group, I started to feel some muscle pain in my lower abdomen and groin area(like I did from the water running last week). I am hoping this is from using different muscles with the water running and it is not related to the injury...but it is on the same side. Hmmmm....I'm not sure. I need to be careful. The problem with this kind of injury is that it won't heal if I am not resting enough...the injury will hang around longer if not allowed to heal. So many runners that I have read about would run or walk when they were not sure what it was and that made the stress fracture last for months longer than it should have. I feel like I am making some progress, but just want to be careful not to do too much. The goal is to run again, so the sooner the better!

I have been reading through *The China Study* again and have become more convinced in the benefits of a mostly vegan diet...so I am trying to be consistent with that. Have you read that book? It is amazing what the study showed from an unbiased point of view about the health, or lack of, we have from our diets. I just want to make sure I am getting plenty of Vitamin D and calcium as I heal. I think the two can really help in the healing process since I am convinced this is bone related.

Today Evie has a friend over to swim and play. They are in their princess dresses right now while Jack Henry is following them around trying to play with them! So fun!

Tomorrow Gracie is going to an Honor's Symposium at a college for 2 weeks! It should be so interesting...plus it will give her 3 college credits. They will be writing, debating, listening to speakers, working in groups, and even going camping. Mike and I will be attending a banquet tomorrow night for the parents and students. I know this will be a great experience for her.

Busy and fun days!

I am missing the running, but I have come to terms with the fact that this is going to take some time. What has God been teaching me through this injury and this difficult time? That God is sovereign over every disappointment that comes my way. He has a wonderful plan...and I can rest in His grace. These light afflictions are temporal...but His eternal glory last and that is where I want to focus my eyes and heart.

Funny!

A Praise and a Prayer Request

We are so thankful to have Gracie back home....but disappointed that they could not stay for the duration of their trip. She has been in Honduras for a short term mission trip and while they were there the president was overthrown and some violence broke out, mainly in the capital of Honduras. The group was about 2 hours away from the capital and were in a very safe area. But, when they found out the president was coming back and there could be some problems getting out of Honduras, they decided to come home early. I know it was a difficult decision. God was so kind to allow them to get so San Pedro Sula without any trouble and then safely fly home. She is home now and we are very thankful. I know that the adults who went with them were very cautious and did what was best. I am so thankful for that. They were in good hands and God provided for them! Gracie is a little disappointed that the trip she has been waiting on for so long ended early, but we also know that God has a plan in all of this. We are very glad that so many people heard the gospel in such a short amount of time. With all that was going on, the children in the area were let out of school, so they had many more children to minister to than expected. So even though the trip was shorter than planned, many children heard the gospel. That is a blessing!

Please pray for me....after tripping a couple of nights ago and landing with my weight on the hurt leg, it seems that the pain is back...not as bad as before, but much more achiness and groin pain than I had been having previously this week. (I thought it was getting better!) I guess I will have good days and bad until this completely heals. Also, I am wondering if the water running may be bothering the injury. I am going to rest from the water running for a while and see if it gets better. I am still contemplating an MRI because of the risk with a femoral neck stress fracture....I don't want it to be that and I don't think it is, but I just want to make sure. I just don't really know what I should do, except keep on resting it...and that's the plan for now.

To those who are running in races tomorrow...have a great race and enjoy!!!