running thoughts: suck it up buttercup

As some of you know I'm training for a half marathon in two weeks in Austin. My best friend Cori and I have always wanted to go run one together and we are finally doing it. Plus it's a way to help me lose the rest of the baby weight....not gonna lie folks, I've still got a few pounds hanging out.  And it's my free therapy...I do a lot of thinking, praying & sometimes crying out there. I gut it out and come home refreshed. Since the end of January I've been "training" which basically consists of trying to squeeze in a long run on the weekends between photography sessions, trips, weaning a baby and a super busy husband's schedule. (And just so you know...as of yesterday C is officially weaned. Not sure if I should celebrate or cry)

I was 100%  dreading yesterday's run. Don't know if it was the extra glass of wine I had with friends on Saturday night, the heat wave we've had here in KC lately or the 45 MILE PER HOUR wind storm (yes you read that correctly). I sucked it up and did it... just eager to have the 12 miles behind me. Not gonna lie, it's a good thing I was running solo because I grumbled through most of it....it was hot, the route was hilly, the wind was too strong, I was tired, my ipod was goofing up, my water belt was annoying me...I'm embarrassed to say I definitely sounded like a super wimp out there.

{Stick with me, I promise I'm getting somewhere} 

So towards the end of the run...right around 9.5 miles, I hear all of these sirens ...fire trucks, ambulance, police cars...all going to a house near by. This house was right across from a park, so I did what any other nosey concerned citizen would do and detoured through the park to check things out. Somebody's house was on fire...I'm going to be honest, I couldn't see any flames, but they were hooking up hoses, rushing in with their pick axe things and going to town. After about 5 minutes or so, I decided they really didn't need my help and I went back to my route to finish up this run.

That's when it HIT me like a slap in the face....Here I am whining about the heat, wind, hills etc while this family's house is on FIRE. They are in danger of loosing everything... or worse a family member. OUCH. Why is it in life that sometimes our greatest blessings become sources of complaint? I should've been so thankful to be ABLE to run, to be HEALTHY, to have a husband who loves hanging out with our baby even when he has worked all night so that I can go get my run in, to have beautiful neighborhoods to run through - yet I chose to use my time running to whine because the conditions weren't perfect.  We complain about needing to clean, do laundry, yardwork etc... I bet there a quite a few families in Japan who would LOVE to be able to do anything normal like that right now. (Flashback to complaining about doing my nightly dishes chore when I was 10 and my dad always saying, "There are little boys & girls in Africa who would love to have dishes to do" Yes dad, you definitely made a lasting point.)
Serious attitude check at mile 9.5. As I use to (sweetly) tell my students if they were whining, "Suck it up buttercup" The rest of the run I kept thinking of the One Republic song Good Life and the lyrics, "This could really be a good life...please tell me what's there to complain about!" It's definitely a lesson I've been learning lately. Life is crazy busy right now. (And yes I know you mamas that have multiple kids or work full time... or both... are rolling your eyes at me right now...it's okay) Between shooting / editing several sessions a week, juggling errands, play dates, dinners for friends, training for a race, Mat's moonlighting schedule....  it just seems we are always on the GO. I realized recently that I can sigh & talk about how CRAZY it is and feel overwhelmed...or I can put on my big girl panties and not only EMBRACE a busy schedule but also ENJOY it. And let's be honest, the more kids we have, the crazier life will get. I am so thankful that I have gotten to start my own business...that I get paid to do something I absolutely love; thankful that my husband moonlights so that I can stay home with our daughter. I am deep down thankful that I lead such a blessed life...that I am surrounded by amazing friends & family.

So today ... no menu plan, if you need a good one check out Carissa. (and seriously...those enchiladas look amazing!) Here's a picture that kind of sums up the craziness of the past few weeks. In short I needed highlights...desperately. It had been since November... I was looking seriously sketchy, friends. So the salon told me my girl Megan was booked for WEEKS and there was NO way they could even attempt to squeeze me in. So I did what any desperately-seeking-highlights-girl did and texted Megan myself and what do you know? She got me in two days later. LOVE that girl.  (BTW...Megan at Bijin. Hook it up. And no I won't give you her personal cell phone number) So I got in at a time that Mat is typically home, but unfortunately had to work late...so what does a girl do? She takes her 9 month old with her. Yep...and this isn't exactly a salon that you take babies too... You should have seen the looks I got...But who cares...C LOVED it.  I had always envisioned mother daughter spa dates with her...just not at 9 months=) And just so you know, my husband left work as soon as he could and came and rescued me her. (and yes...she is wearing that same darn owl onesie. We have definitely gotten our $$ worth!)

So there you have it. Suck it up buttercup...what's there to complain about?