Well I survived the half marathon! It was so much fun! Matt ran it with me, even though he didn't train for it...so by the end he was pretty much a dead man but it was still pretty cool. The entire fam, including the aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins were all along the course cheering us on. Taking off with about 1,000 people was a rush!!!! And finishing in the Notre Dame stadium was pretty cool despite my deep dislike for the fighting irish! Running down the tunnel was awesome and i pretended it was the Michigan Big House instead hahaha. 
I have the best family and boyfriend ever! Thanks guy!!! 
 
Jon really got excited and was sad he coulsn't have done it with me...so we plan to do another one once in arkansas....I think everyone should do something like it....even if it's just a 5k! It is easier than you expect! I promise.....coming from a girl who once could not run a mile!

I can not wait to move to Arkansas....I am so ready....
At the same time I am realizing how very much i will miss my family! I have the best family. Of course sometimes they drive me up the wall...but still, they are the greatest. If you don't know them you are really missing out :)

As far as moving, I got some amazing deals on furniture this weekend. I hope that my apartment screams "please come in and feel at home!!!" I want to have a place for people to come over and just enjoy and relax! Keenan and I are gonna be class A chefs and bakers...we want to take a class or something and try all kinds of exotic entree's.....man, what an adventure.

So besides that I am gearing up for the summer...being a girl scout counselor most likely for 6 weeks before the big move. And a couple weddings, including Jon's sisters! The best part is the dancing at the weddings and my hot boyfriend in his sexy suit swing dancing me around the floor :) hahaha...i will sure miss him!!! (but don't worry, he is supposedly moving down later this fall) 

Well....i just thought i would do some random babbling for the sake of putting off cleaning a little bit longer....my room is preeeeeeetty messy at the moment....ok, time to just do it!

Later

Everyone should get Jon Mclaughlin's new album "Indiana" ...it's pretty awesome... plus is little wife Amy is a darling!
Check out the site: http://www6.islandrecords.com/site/artist_home.php?artist_id=596

So I would just like to say that God is Faithful! So so so very faithful!!!!! :) Wow. I didn't know how I would pay my bills this month cause of being gone a lot with arkansas and not subbing much... well this week, when i thought all the teachers would be in school.. i got called every day... So God is taking care of me! I have to just remind you all that when we tithe we never ever need to worry that He will meet our needs!!!!! Stay faithful...it is SO worth it, and I am really learning for teh first time this year how to be joyful about it....Jesus you are so crazy-awesome-good!

Wish me luck, tomorrow i am hitting the garage sales hard to furnish my new apt. with some sweet vintage finds....also attacking 10 miles with matt... yikes.

Battle with Body Image

Ah, yes.. the ever present battle with how we look as women. I wonder if there is a woman who exists who has not had this struggle to some degree at one point or another in her life. Now.. the reason this comes up is because there is a sweet girl whose site I saw and was quite taken aback by how many comments she was getting with pictures of teensy tiny skinny people.. one of a itty bitty girl sitting next to a toilet (obviously portraying bulimia), some with starving looking bodys with the words written on them...am i beautiful now? and other holly wood stars who have been anoriexic or bulemic. It breaks my heart....truly truly breaks it. I for one hate how much we are pushed by society and hollywood to look great. We as women are trapped honestly. This country is blessed with food... too much that it's a curse... we are the most obese in the world i believe... and we have every kind of delectable delight at our fingertips... and then we see all these pictures of glamourous movie stars and super models who are size 0, 2, or maybe, heaven forbid even 4. It's a terrible thing really...who doesn't love to eat? Who wouldn't love to be model size and look amazing in everything she wore? Who feels pressured to feel confident with her body, but at the same time feels pressured in someway to be a certain shape? I gag looking at magazines now a days....so dreadfully skinny, and hopelessly unhappy many of the girls i see. Broken little girls in tiny little bony bodies.
       Don't get me wrong, I stand for health. I exercise and would like to stay at a healthy weight. I want my body to look good...but for heavensake lets have some healthy boundaries. I am a woman who loves my chocolate and have some almost everyday...but also am training for a half marathon in a week and a half... and praise Jesus I am dating an amazing, incredible, sexy man who absolutely LOVES my ghetto booty and has specifically asked me not to work out too hard.. he doesn't want to see any of it disappear.
       Beauty is a word that can cut some girls to the bone. But they don't know what it really is then.... Beauty.. true genuine gorgeous breath taking beauty has nothing at all to do with our skin, our frame, our bone structure, our hair, or our cellulite. Beauty is in our words, our actions, our thoughts... it is when we reflect Jesus most and love the way he loves... and most of all are intimately pursuing him, that we are the most beautiful and yes scandelous that we can be. Forget perfectly porportioned bodies and one meal a day.....bring on the Joy, laughter, chocolate, dancing, filet mignon, and my ghetto ...yeah, i shake what i got and I love it. I am gonna go eat some potato chips, spend some time with Jesus, and get my miles in today.
Blessings to you all.