Shopping

I'm going to try to sell a few things on zazzle.com. I don't think I will earn a ton of money, but maybe a little here and there might help out. I will post on my facebook page what is for sale and maybe some of you would be interested. Here's an item I have for sale right now...

<embed wmode="transparent" src="http://www.zazzle.com/utl/getpanel?tl=My%20Zazzle%20Panel&at=238893991697136076&cn=238893991697136076&st=date_created" FlashVars="feedId=0&path=http://www.zazzle.com/assets/swf/zp/skins" width="450" height="300" TYPE="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><br/><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/">create & buy custom products</a> at <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/">Zazzle</a>

And my store...

http://www.zazzle.com/sstoms

The Uphill Battle

Today I ran my first 5k in California. My 5k history started about two years ago in Las Vegas when Stephen and I ran 2 races in Las Vegas. Those first two 5k's were very difficult and I can remember thinking to myself that I will NEVER run 3 miles without walking because it's just too hard! Well, I can no longer say that of myself.

Since I moved to California in June I started my training pretty much immediately. I have either been running or walking a 5k five days a week since. It was only about a month ago when the 5k began to be easier and I ran all of it more than not. So, those memories of "never being able to run 3 miles" were long behind me. I set a goal for myself...to find a 5k to run by sept/oct and run the whole thing in a race. Before I go on I have to define "run." I have never been a distance runner. In High School I was a sprinter. Distance just wasn't my thing and I HATED running long distances. You can imagine how difficult 3 miles seemed in my mind after all the sprint training I had in my youth. As I run my 5k's, to me, I'm running. To any other die hard runners, I'm positive they will say I'm jogging. My speed is between 10 1/2 and 11 min per mile. Although not fast, to me its just the right pace....for now.

Today came quickly and I had to prove to myself that I could do it. I could run the whole 5k without walking. I didn't know what the course was (which was probably a blessing) so I just went with the flow. I have been training on a pretty flat course around my neighborhood and haven't done hills at all. Low and Behold, this course today had HILLS! No kidding HILLS! But I took it in stride (no pun intended) and just told myself, in my mental conversations, "It's alright, you can do this, just slow down a little if you have to, but push through it. It'll all be over soon and you'll be happy you did it...hills and all." The first mile was not too bad, despite the smallish hills I wasn't expecting, but then came the next 1 1/4 miles...OMG! When I saw what I had to run up I almost defeated myself, but alas, I stuck with it and persevered. Despite feeling like I was gonna throw up, my legs felt good, no pain, no exhaustion. I concentrated on controlling my breathing and kept looking forward to the down hill run I knew was coming, because what goes up must go down. And boy did that hill go down! It was pretty steep and I was grateful to relax my legs and my breathing and just let the road take me down. I was greatful that the last 3/4 mile as all either flat or downhill. Then came the excitement of my cheering section! I couldn't wait to get to the finish line and see Stephen and the kids waiting for me to cross it. I was so excited to tell them that I DID IT! I RAN A WHOLE 5K IN A RACE! Something I couldn't do 2 years ago, let alone, 3 months ago. And I even ran steep hills to boot and I didn't die! So, for the last 50 yards, in true sprinter fashion, I kicked it into gear and sprinted, yes, SPRINTED, across the finish line. According to Andrew I finished the race in 33:42. I guess we will see if he's right in a few days if they post the race times online.

Meganne was soooo funny! She brought her pom poms and was my little cheerleader girl and asked me "Mommy, did you win?" I said to her, "No I didn't win the race, but I won for myself, because I ran the whole race, I didn't walk and I ran up some killer hills!" She was proud of me and gave me a big hug. As for Alexander, well, he's a 14 year old...what more can I say other than I got him to pose for a picture with me. He did say good job once I think. Anyway, now I have to come up with a new goal for myself because in just less than a month I'm running the color run in Pamona. Back to training on Monday!!!

A good Move

We have pleasantly settled in to our new home here in California. We've enjoyed the cooler weather, though it's been pretty warm here the past couple weeks. I've been enjoying 2 straight months of exercising 5 mornings a week and improving my strenght, weight loss, mental health and over all body health. The kids have started school this week and so far they love it. I know it's still the honeymoon stage for them though, so any day now they will all get up and start in with the complaints of "I don't WANNA go to school! I HATE school!" Just a fact of life. Stephen seems to be fine with his job. I like the access to the trains into Downtown LA so I don't have to drive there if I want to visit him or sight see. All in all, we are happy with our new surroundings, we are happy to be a family again, and we are happy to think about our future here in California and hope it lasts a long long time.

New Beginnings

It's been a while since I've written my blog. But now I've moved on to a new place, a new house and a new beginning. Getting settled has been a lot more work than I've imagined, but it's been totally worth it to be a family again. The kids are adjusting, Stephen's happy to have his family back and I'm happy to now live in a place that doesn't get to 115 degrees. I've registered my car, which, to my surprise, was cheaper than RE-registering in Vegas. I've passed the written test to get my license and now wait for it to come in the mail. I've scheduled Dr. appointments for me and the kids, but still need to schedule an eye exam for Andrew. I also have to schedule Dental appointments. But, first things first, getting the kids registered for school next week. So, now that everyone is settling in to their new surroundings it's nice to enjoy the weather and the family we only got to see a few times a year. Our dog Bo, however, is having a hard time adjusting, and 4th of July didn't help him at all. Apparently he's afraid of the fireworks and since there were TONS in Azusa, he still hasn't recovered, especially since people haven't run out of them yet. I think I need to get him some anti-anxiety meds or something because it's become rediculous!!! The other thing that's been nice is that I've taken up running again and plan to run another 5k by the end of the year. It's been so nice to run in the morning and not roast to death! I love it!!! So, all in all, this has been a good move and I'm happy we did it.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

So, the long journey that changed our life in March of 2011 is finally drawing to a close and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I can see the door open a crack and I can't wait to go through it to discover what waits on the other side. I don't expect it to be easy, I don't expect it to be a walk in the park, but what I do expect is to have my family back again under the same roof. (Even though that roof is smaller than it is here in Vegas.) I have a ton to do when I get there...register the kids for school, schedule dr. appts and dental appts and vision appts. I have even more to do here to prepare for all of it...finish packing, sending medical record requests to our new health insurance, my to do list on the house is rather large and needs to be finished before I can rent out the place. But, alas, it's all going to culminate in a wonderful ending, or should I say beginning, to a new chapter of my life. While I'm here I'm spending my last moments with my friends that I won't see for a while. I'm enjoying my last days in a city that I've called home for my entire life. (Well, half of it anyway since my first 19 years were my upbringing in Boulder. Close enough!) I will be sad to leave it behind and to leave my friends, but I hope to find long lasting friendships in my new home in Cali. I hope to find a great Parish that needs my services. I hope to let my kids connect in a new way with the family they've had a long distance relationship with. I'm looking forward to never having to live a summer where it's 115 degrees! I will miss some of the things that Vegas is close to that I enjoy visiting for weekend vacations...I.E. Zion! My favorite place on Earth! Or Hiking in Red Rock or Valley of Fire. But then, I gain the closeness to the beaches, Disneyland (my other favorite place on earth,) Museums, Plays and Shows....Ahhhh, the changes to look forward to. So, as I close this chapter of my life, I close it with a smile on my face and a promise to visit as often as I can.

"Doors" open and closed

Last night was the end of another chapter in my life. For the past 8 years (I think 8) I have been the coordinator of the RCIA program at Our Lady of Las Vegas Parish. This program was my baby. I poured my entire soul into it and to have to leave it behind to move forward in my life is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I know that the Lord has a plan for me and I hope that it will be to share my knowledge with a new group of people and with a new parish. I have met so many wonderful people running this program and have even gained some wonderful friendships because of it. I am greatful for all I have learned from these people and I hope that they will always remember me. So, as the OLLV RCIA door closes I will go on the hunt for the next door that is open for me, wherever that  may be.

The Future is clear

Wow, time has flown since my last post. It's hard to believe all that has happened. I am happy to say now that our future is no longer in limbo and we have a place to live. Our new home and destination will be Azusa, CA in a very cute 3 BR home with big front and back yards. AND we may be able to get the kids in the school district we want AND we get to take our pets with us. I had my last yard sale today in hopes to sell all my stuff, but, alas, I ended up filling my entire van and dropping it off at Savers. I am really looking forward to this weekend when I get to take some of our belongings to the house and I anxiously await the BIG MOVE DAY on June 4th when EVERYTHING will go to the new house. I have to say, all the little details that are involved in a move really suck, but very, very soon it will all be over and I will be able to relax again as a family of 5 in the beautiful weather of California.

There are some things I will really miss about Vegas. I will miss leaving things I don't want on my curb and having someone take them away. I will miss the donation drop off trucks parked in convienent locations for donations. I will miss all the Quick Care facilities that are available 24/7 in Vegas and aren't in California. (Having kids, this is a big issue in the middle of the night on Weekends...those parents out there can concur I'm sure.) I will miss the 24/7 convieniences of some businesses that aren't 24/7 in Cali.

OF COURSE I will miss my family. They are all here and I no longer will be. I will miss all my wonderful friends. I will miss my job at the Church and running the RCIA program. Speaking of which, Wednesday is my last night :( The Pot Luck may be more difficult than I expect. I will miss the schools that the kids are in now, but look forward to new adventures with new schools and teachers for them. It IS hard to leave something that has been my life for 39 years.

What am I  looking forward to? Being a Family again is #1 on my list. Living in my own place instead of sharing a building like an Apartment with 200 other people. All the things you can DO in California...Zoos, museums, theme parks, the beach, the mountains....THE WEATHER! (I will NOT miss 115 degrees at all!!) I like that we have a big outdoor area for the kids to enjoy. They are looking forward to all the adventures they will have in that yard. The parks will be nice too. I'm also very greatful that we are moving near family again. Since Stephen was job hunting in places all across the country and even in other countries, it will be nice to live near a support system again. This way we get DATE NIGHT!

Anyway, I can now count on my two hands how many weekends are left before the official move and the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and brighter. Wish us luck on our move and keep us in your thoughts. We will miss all of you here in Vegas and look forward to visits! God Bless Everyone!!!

So much to do So little time

As I sit here and ponder my future and look at everything I have to do before the end of the school year I realize that a month has already flown by and I've done virtually nothing to prepare. I've packed a few small boxes and had a yard sale to get rid of a few things, but I still have to get rid of so much more. I've got some projects to wrap up and I don't feel like doing any of it. I have had some time to spend with my friends and family before I leave, but there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to make me feel satisfied in what little time I've spent with them. How do I create more time? Haven't figured that out yet. And the parts that boggle my mind are the transition periods. Like silly stuff...my car registration is up in April, I think, well, I'll still be here, but I will only be here for 2 months so, do I register my car here or do I take it to California so I don't have to register it twice. Alexander needs to get refills on his meds once a month but the new insurance only covers Dr.'s in California and not in NV so how do I get the refills without having to pay full price? Hmmm, mind boggling to me. Stephen's solution is just to move sooner, but that would mean gypping my kids out of the end of their school year and shortening their time with their best friends. So, all in all, it's hard to make everyone happy. And, once again, there is still so much to do and so little time to do it all!

Feeding the Masses

Tonight was the first night where dinner was completely MY responsibility. Ugh! Did I ever mention I hate to cook? Well, I think it was somewhat successful. I made Stir Fry chicken and Rice with Salad. The boys asked for seconds, so that made me happy. I guess it was somewhat successful if they aked for more of my horrible cooking. But then again, it must not have been that horrible if they ate it. I hope being in charge makes me a better cook buy summer, but I'm definitely going to be a happy person to hand the duty of cooking back to Stephen. It'll be a long road to haul, but I think I can make it work. Keeping my fingers crossed anyway!!!