Thanksgiving 2013

This Thanksgiving was a bit different for us. I guess I should start out by telling you all that earlier in the week, my dad was taken to the Hospice House, so my mom could get a little help and rest, and so dad could rest while healing a leg injury (He falls a lot these days) and have extra help, and hopefully eat some good food, put on a little weight, get a little stronger, and relax.

My husbands sister, his nephew and his momma flew in from SC and Florida, so a big Bruckner Thanksgiving was in the works. I couldn't remember just how long it had been since we have had a Thanksgiving like that, but I know Tristen has never experienced one.

It was an amazing day, surrounded by beautiful people. Cousins were loud, and laughing, and fighting, though never for very long. Cell phones were stolen, and selfies...perhaps over 60 of them in some cases, were taken on stolen cell phones.  Brothers and fathers were outside, deep fat frying a turkey. Prayers were said, and hands were held. Nieces and Nephews gave out hugs, and climbed up on laps, even if only for a moment. Sister in laws sat at the table with Danny's mom, and may or may not drank an entire bottle of wine, talking about nothing, yet talking about everything. A mean game of Pictionary on the Wii was started, and a war begun.

I am incredibly thankful and grateful for the family I married into, and for the memories made.

(My heart was a bit sad, as I thought about my sister, being away from her family for the first time in her life on this day. My parents were not even home--my mom had spent the night with my dad at the Hospice House, so she didn't have to fight traffic and would be able to spend the entire day with him. I was sad they would be eating off trays, and not the grand home cooked meal. I missed them all! But I am thankful my dad still here with, my sister is only a text away, and is still close enough I can see her whenever. I have learned this past year that that is ALWAYS ALWAYS SOMETHING to be thankful for!)

Only a small part of us:



Sister in Law Stacey is in the doorway, with nieces Victoria, and Chloe. The other woman is Stacey's mom. The guy in the navy blue shirt is Tony, Danny's brother. He is married to Stacey. Danny is cutting up the ham, with the facial hair and camo hat, and Jacob and nephew Caleb are watching. The woman in the red is my mother in law,  Diane.




Making sure Uncle Danny (or Dad) cuts that ham JUST right.



Tristen and Connor. Connor belongs to Danny's sister, Sarah. One of his memories  when he grows up will surely be of his crazy aunt who loved to stick her finger in his dimples. They are HEAVENLY!

 

Jacob and Caleb, who belongs to Tony.  Jacob was one of the tallest people at dinner, and was a bit miffed he had to sit at the kids table! ;)

And now....NOW the tree is up,  Jacob has hung our Christmas lights outside, and its socially acceptable for me to play Christmas music.

It's my favorite time of year!!!

Running By..

..To say HI!!!

Yep! Still here!!! I only realized this morning I hadn't updated since the race post. I'd like to tell you I have a good excuse...and I do...I'm living life! ;)

In a nut shell--Boys are keeping us busy as usual. The older they get, the harder they are to keep up with! We recently had family photos taken, and I can't WAIT to share them with you all!! We are receiving sleet...blah..at the moment, which makes me nervous,as I am suppose to spend the day shopping with my sister and Jayden tomorrow.  My sister in law, nephew, and mother in law are flying in as well...this will be the first Thanksgiving in YEARS and YEARS we will be with Danny's family, and ALL of his siblings and his parents will be under the same roof!!!Many MANY THANKFULS this year, but this is high on my list!

Promise to update soon!!!!

Who Did a 10K???

This girl!!!

And...get this!!! I didn't walk all of it!



Finished 6.2 miles with a time of 1 hour, 33 minutes, and 51 seconds.  I was booking it and feeling pretty confident and excited after seeing my time on my phone for miles 2 and 3 that I would finish around 1-15. That was before I finished  the 5K  part and split to the 10K course. It involved a huge county loop, with sand roads, and chickens, and a cattle guard you had to tip toe over, and a path through a pasture where the ground was muddy and uneven, and even a tree limb pile that was on fire. I really struggled and got slowed down quite a bit with miles 4 and 5.  HOWEVER, I got angry, did it, and completed it.  Eminem, Kid Rock, Pitbull, and Paramore can get you through some pretty tough stuff!  My initial goal was to finishing under 1-40, which I did.

Today finds me with a blister..no joke!...the size of a half dollar on the side of my foot, a hip flexor that hates me..it feels like I have just given birth, and my butt hurts something fierce.  Through all of these aches and pains, I am still smiling.  I feel like I conquered the world.

I realized a lot about my self. I am stronger than I thought I was, and more determined than I ever imagined.

My husband is my biggest cheerleader.  I know that sounds like such a cliche, but that guy willingly stood for half an hour before the race started and then an hour and a half waiting for me, surrounded by loud music and people, some in awkwardly weird costumes, just to see me cross that line.  The 10K course started right behind where we had started the initial race. I came out of a road, and looked over, and there he was, looking the other way, down the road, looking for ME!  He was standing in front of a giant speaker, and I couldn't get his attention, but I'll never forget him searching for me and how that made me feel. He told me later he DID see me, just as I was disappearing.

My best friend, Lori, ran the half marathon. She got 1st place for the women and finished with a time of 1 hour, 50minutes, I believe.  That's over 13 miles, people!!!! She's amazing.




Funny and Random things I don't ever want to forget:

Those texts and Facebook messages I got that morning. My support system is AMAZING. 

I was the girl that was texting my husband during the race.

There was an angel on the course with me. Her name is Christina, and she had beautiful kinky curly hair.  We spent most of the 5K course passing each other, catching up, passing... On the last stretch of the 5K,  I was about to go on the second course, (and mentally starting to wonder just why I thought I could do this!!) while she was about to finish the 5K part, she looked at me and said "I know you can do this! DO IT, GIRL!" She gave me just what I needed at the exact time I needed it. I hope I see her again someday!

The guys in the pickup that honked and yelled GO #120!

The signs they had people holding on some of the corners. "Yea, we got up early for this too!" "In 2 miles, you can have a Snickers bar."  They made me laugh and gave me something else to think about.

I would have ran a lot more had I not been so worried about my pants falling down. I wore cute yoga style pants, but it had no elastic. They are hard to describe, but more just like stretchy fabric folded over on top. Super cute, and super comfortable, and horrible about not staying where they are suppose to be while you are running. NEXT time, I will wear better pants!  Every time I ran I had to try to very discreetly and cutely pull those suckers up.(By the way, I'm not complaining...having pants falling down isn't really all that bad of a problem to have! ;) )

There where chickens scratching around in the ditch on the country loop. They didn't like me and chased me a little. 

We were about to start the race and I saw someone we knew. Tanner is from our town, graduated last year, and was our 4-H club president. He was running the race for his final in a cardio class. (I would have so flunked!)  Anyway, Danny got to watch him cross the line and he got 3rd in the 5K.

I have never high-fived so many people I didn't know in my life.

It rained a soft, lovely, rain, and then an amazing rainbow appeared.

That amazing, delicious, never have I had anything so wonderful, cup of coffee I had after I was done.

The sight of those beautiful people waiting at the finish line, just for you and how good that feels!

 

I was going to run through the last bit, but got confused. The last bit wasn't really marked and I had it in my head I would be coming in the same direction we started so the road I was on didn't "feel" right. Instead, it ended with us coming UP the road we went DOWN when we started. Think a fish trying to go up stream. So I walked up, and was trying to act cool to see if I was going to the right way, and if not I was going to hurry and go back around. Then Lori started yelling for me and I thought it would be awkward to take off running then, so yea..a total Becky moment.  So I walked in.

 
I sure do love this girl!!!

 
 Me and Miss Maci. She calls me Becky Becky and always hugs me when she sees me.  She reminds me of sunshine. 

"Above all, challenge yourself.  You may well surprise yourself at what strengths you have, what you can accomplish. ~ Cecile M Springer

40 POUNDS

During this weight loss journey I have tried really hard not to be dominated by the scale.  Some weeks it moved quite a bit, other times it only moved down once or twice a month.  I've decided it doesn't really matter, as long as I am doing my part to move my butt and to eat the right foods, it all is ok.

I plateaued at 35 lbs. I stayed within 2 lbs, up or down, for 2 months. 2 MONTHS!!!!  I tried to keep the attitude that it was great practice for maintaining.  Recently, I just got really mad, and decided to just beat the living snot out of those 5 lbs so I could hit the 40lb mark.

And, as of this morning, I have lost: 40 POUNDS!! 

40 lbs. At the beginning this seemed so far away, and I still can't believe I've done it!

I recently joined a FB page, and  am in love with a blog called ONE FIT WIDOW. She talks a lot about non-scale victories.  So, for my 40lbs loss, I thought I would share some of my victories.

1. My cheerleader and walking partner, Amy, and I have shaved 5 minutes off of our walking time since we have started walking together.

2. That black butterfly print dress that has haunted me, hanging up in the closet..the one that I couldn't WAIT to wear again someday. I finally got up enough nerve to try it on again, and it now looks like a maternity dress. 

3. My calves have definition. Holy Moly, there's a muscle in there!

4. The feeling of pure satisfaction first time I was out helping Danny do something and "Can you get it?..oh, well, never mind then."

5. The first time I climbed over a gate and jumped, landed, and ran, without even thinking about it. A year ago, I would have opened the gate to walk through and certainly would not have ran.

6. July 25th I did a 5K. And I finished it. No really...I have pictures:


           Amy and I after! =)



7. I signed up for 10K for October 23rd and am very pumped about it! I REALLY wanted to do it, but was scared and a bit anxious about it, which told me I NEEDED to do it, so, I AM!

8. Wearing out a pair of tennis shoes. Not like "oh I think I should get some new shoes" type of wearing out, like "no tread left on the bottom, you pretty much are not even wearing shoes" type of wearing out. I've never worn out a pair of tennis shoes like this before, and I wish they could tell me how many miles I logged in those bad boys.

9. No soda since December 12th.

10. For the first time in my 34 years of life, I am doing this RIGHT.


Stay with me..this story is far from over! Bring on the next 40!!! 

Birthday Blessings

Last night we celebrated my dad's 56 birthday. I had called him to come in and "eat birthday cake" with us, but we really had planned a pizza party and cinnamon rolls, complete with a surprise visit from my sister, Tarquin, and Baby Jayden.

 We are loud. And rambunctious. And some of us make inappropriate body noises while trying to take pictures. Some of us whine about pictures. Some of us don't know how to work cameras.  But together...we are US.

Everything is better with a birthday candle!!

My parents and their GRAND-blessings

Sometimes it takes us a few tries to get a decent picture:


 

 

But eventually we get something decent!

My siblings and our children, with my dad. This picture makes me laugh every stinking time I look at it. We did get a good picture, but I love this one. 

And here is the whole lot, minus my mom, who was taking the picture.

=)

Little Baby Jayden

Our hearts are overflowing with joy this week! Tuesday my sister brought a 7lb 7oz, 20 1/2 inch long, ADORABLE little guy into the world.

 Michelle brought Jayden Michael into this world at 9:00pm, with my mom and Tarquin by her side, and the aunties and other family waiting patiently in the hallway, SHUSHING ANYONE who was making too much noise and causing us not to be able to hear what was going on behind that door! All I had been was excited. I hadn't really thought about watching her be in the pain. That part was hard for me and I'm pretty sure she needs a superwoman cape!  I think she's amazing.





She had a really long and very slow labor. Her Dr said she sure wouldn't have won any races, but she got the job done anyway.



The hospital and her dr were amazing. She wasn't strapped to a monitor. She was free to move around and eat as she needed. Her Dr came in at times between his patients, just to feel her belly and to see how we were all doing.  I asked him how many babies he had delivered and he told me that after 3,000 he had lost track.  He was the perfect cross of the dr that delivered Tristen, and an old beloved dr we had here in town for years and years and we immediately felt at ease and trusted him. And I KNOW NOW why my sister chose to deliver there.

 

He's beautiful and perfect and tiny and smells like Heaven. I always forget what an absolute miracle  new babies are. And the fact that a human body can grow and then bring a new life into the world is just..well, a miracle! The entire thing is a miracle.

YIKES

Does anyone read my blog anymore? It seems I've become a lazy blogger, but I swear I've been busy!

So school started, and all the craziness that comes with that. But that first day, as I was sad to see them go out the door, I had more done an hour later than had done all summer. Not really, but it sure felt like it!

I have a sophomore. Gulp. Almost half way though high school now.  Jacob decided NOT to play football this year.  Lots and lots of reasons why. I have mixed feelings. The football mom in me is sad, but JACOB'S MOM is happy. Happy he took a turn from the crowd and what you are "suppose" to do, proud he is thinking for himself and stuck with his decision. It will be diffrent this season, but I sure won't miss eating walking taco's 3 times a week! Work, 4-H, Youth Group, and gearing up for hunting season and trapping are all keeping him plenty busy.

I also have an 8th grader, who is in full swing football  mode. He's loving being an 8th grader and so far seems to love school...would probably love it more if his mother would get off his back about reading and getting a head on his accelerated reading goal.

I've been busy! I took a sanity summer and only watched a handful of kids. I'm now full again, and running my hind end off.  My container garden is still going strong. The banana peppers and green peppers are constant, as are the okra.  I got some tomatoes and then they just stopped, but after our beautiful rains we have gotten, they have started setting TONS of fruit again. They are not very big..they all seem to be around golf ball size at the moment, but that is just fine! I have plans to at least double what I have this year! I've enjoyed this way of gardening SO much!



My tomatoes are as tall as the fence but have laid over since all the rain. I need to get out there and tie them up.
 
Friday I had the pleasure..HA..of having a cyst removed from my scalp. I had been putting it off for a long time, but it had gotten so big that it was just time!  None of my big strong men would go with me. So, I did what any 34 year old anxiety ridden girl does...I called my mom! ;)  She went with me, held my hand, and didn't even complain THAT much when I squeezed her hand REALLY tight.  The worst part about the entire thing was the shots they give you to numb the area. I could tell when he was cutting, and could tell when he was putting my stitches in, but no pain. 5 stitches later, my ogre bump is gone and my head is round again! YEY!

Michelle is exactly one week from her due date. I'm sure she's feeling like a watched pot at this point, but man oh man I can't wait to meet this little boy! She came to visit Monday, and during one of our sisterly chats over the dining room table I just stared at her and smiled.  How can you tell someone exactly how much their life is about to change. How much joy this little boy will bring her. How you can love a little tiny wrinkled person SO much. Please continue to pray for a safe and easy delivery for her!

Thanks for checking in on us!! I have quite a few projects I've been working on the past month so..stayed tuned for that post!!