Vegas Baby Vegas

I am hitting the airport in about an hour to head to Vegas with the girls. We are celebrating our 40th birthdays and have 5 nights booked at the Aria hotel at City Center. I am so excited just like Christmas morning. It has been a while since I traveled without Blaise. I will miss him and his humor but will have an awesome time with the girls. Running is going well but I injured IT band on Sundays long 18km run. It was a great run with a few hills that were not that bad but final 2km I had to limp home. I am so annoyed but trying to take it in stride. I know what I have to do ( squats, roller time oucch ! and hip hikes ) hmm so now I really have to do them more frequently. I am icing and resting and having a massage when I get back from my trip. With the walking in Vegas I should be OK and hope to run on treadmill at least once this week. On another note Blaise and I are waiting to hear about two potential sibling groups that our names have been put forward. We have been there before so we are prepared that it may not be us. I am leaving it up to God to handle the details and praying if it is meant to be that we will be picked. Gotta go collect my stuff and check my to do list to ensure I did not miss anything. I hope to take lots of pictures and post when I get back. Cheers Karen

Hills and Spiritual Growth

I have decided that I have to change my mindset and thinking about running hills. Last night we did 7 hill repeats on Point Pleasant Drive. Oh my nerves it was challenging but I did it. Very tough and I am feeling it today as I sit and reflect. I am getting stronger and enjoying the running and the hill training purpose is to create strength and increase endurance. So why would I not like hills that is a good thing right? I guess like anything hard in life we want to avoid it and wish it away and hope that we have an easy time of it. Well guess what life is a journey and it was not given to use to have an easy road.

I have been thinking about this after my runs as I think about Easter weekend and the WOW of having the privilege and choice to participate and truly reflect on the great love of GOD. All we have to do is ASK, and open our hearts to the love and forgiveness or our Lord. However with this ask it brings great responsibility to try to live our lives as a reflection of Jesus and to serve our community with love, kindness and humility. It is hard, it is much easier to just be a 'little bit Catholic". As I was running hills last night I kept singing praise and worship songs in my head and the songs of Easter. Crazy eh ? At one point when I thought I had to stop and walk I realized that this exercise is making me stronger and in a funny way thought " Dear lord you carried your cross for me and suffered crucifixion for me and the world the least i can do is to not give up and keep running! Seriously that is what I was thinking. At this series time the holiest of weeks I like to think that Jesus still has a sense of humor !

Heading home today for the annual Simmons Hockey tournament. It is a great weekend and Blaise loves the hockey time and handing out with friends. We meet at this tournament 12 years ago so it has special meaning in our hearts. However I woke up this morning and have been trying to push away my thought of " well another Simmons tournament with no kids to bring to the rink to see Blaise " Where the hell did that come from. I don't want to be sad. I am doing so well but this kid friendly weekend and with all the kids around the rink it really tugs at my old heart strings. So yet again I have to be strong and smile and meet the new kiddies and be told " you guys are lucky you are so free to can do what you want ' Yes yes we are isn't it great we are so lucky we don't have to get up early for Easter morning! Really? We both would give anything to celebrate this special weekend with kids but have to wait and see what is in store for us next year.

I guess the honesty and pure rawness and strong emotions and meaning of Easter is opening my heart to feelings that I continue to bury. However I know my Lord Jesus has a plan for us and we have to use the waiting to build us up and offer this little ' suffering ' to God.

So I will keep running and I will look forward to hills as they strengthen me in body and my prayer and reflection is strengthening my spiritual life and the " hill's of waiting are going to be worth it in due time.


Manny Blessings this Easter Weekend

Karen