Nothing is Impossible

A few weeks ago, I ran a 10 K with my sister in law Echo and my husband. I was trying to reach my personal best for a 10 K. Needless to say, I did hit my personal record by 9 minutes. While doing this 10 K, I met a few people. I do a walk run strategy where I run for one minute, walk one minute, run twenty seconds, and then run forty seconds. During one of my one minute walk, I got to talking to two of the girls I met. We were talking about our first 10 Ks. I mentioned this was only my second and that I had done a half marathon. They asked more questions and I told them about how I broke my leg last Easter and was just excited that I was able to get up and run again. They asked me how I made it through the 10 K in January when I had just started running again in November. I told them the truth. I kept telling myself "You have to do this. You have to finish. Only so many miles left." I do this with all of my runs. They both then told me that I was such an inspiration to them. They told me that I was so strong and a rock star. All this time I thought I should be further along. I thought that having to start completely over with training and having a weak ankle made me (for lack of better word) weak. These girls made me feel so good about myself. I know that I have come a long way. I have been told so many times how difficult it is to come back from a broken bone or ankle/leg surgery. I had both. I thank God every day for the strength he gives me to keep going. He gave me such great friends and family that helped me. I truly believe that if it was not for their support and love and prayers, i would not have improved as quickly. Yes, some of them pushed me pretty hard to try to do small things on my own, but because of this, I was able to help myself a little more. I did need the babying and love from my husband and a few others, but I needed the push from my mother as well. I needed to know that I could get help if needed, but that I could also do some stuff on my own. I know I'm not making any sense. Let me try to explain this a little better. With my two year olds, they need to know that I am there to help them put a puzzle together, but they also need to be pushed to do a little more of the puzzle by themselves each time. I think that for all I went through last year, I still had an amazing year. I learned who my friends are. I learned that I could lean on my family. I learned that I don't need to feel guilty for needing help. I learned to be patient while on nearly three months of bed rest. I learned that my boss was also the best friend I could ever ask for. I learned that working with pre-school children is truly my calling in life. Without Dawn and her family, I wouldn't have had a job to miss. I wouldn't have known just how much I needed Emily. I wouldn't have gotten the job at the pre-school. I would have never known what it was like to WANT to go to work. I wouldn't have over 35 children taking up residence in my heart. I no longer see my broken leg as a hindrance to my life. I see it as a learning experience. The word impossible is no longer an obstacle to me.

Pet food drive

Hello friends. Today I want to talk about something very close to my heart. This would be pets. I love my dog, Draco. I couldn't imagine my life without him. For this purpose, I wanted to do a fundraiser to help animals that don't have a warm bed and a full belly. I contacted the SPCA of Tampa Bay. They approved for me to do a Pet Food Drive. I am in the process of contacting local businesses and setting up a paypal account for donations. What I am looking for is pet food (any type), toys, blankets, puppy pads, leashes, bowls, and money donations. If you don't have much, that's OK. Even a penny could be the difference between a hungry belly and a bag of pet food. With our shelters packed full this holiday season, these innocent animals need all the help they can get. Once I have the actual website up for this fundraiser, I will post that as well. For now, I have provided the link to the FaceBook event so that you can keep up with the progress we make. https://www.facebook.com/events/567712306617490/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming. Please consider helping our cause. I thank you in advanced.

FTLM Days 13 through 15

Coleen- For those of you who do not know me, Coleen is my birth fathers wife, making her my Step Mother. Coleen is so good to my dad. When we found each other, she was supportive of our decision to stay in each others lives. I love Coleen more than I let on. It is impossible not to. She is so beautiful and is so kind. I cannot imagine my dad having a better wife. I hope to be able to establish a closer relationship with her.
Uncle Mike- I have not met my Uncle Mike. I simply wanted to say what a great man he is. I can not wait to meet him and get to know him. He has been so great and so wonderful. My sister and father talk highly of him.
Uncle Kevin- My Uncle Kevin is a very special person. He has a special nickname for me. That nickname is Sweetness. I will not let anyone else call me by that name. I have always had a strong relationship with my Uncle Kevin. He was in the Navy and I didn't get to see him very often as a child. This made the times he was there very special. He would always bring my brother and I something small when he came home. He would make Mexican Lasagna and play with us. He would watch the movies we wanted. My Uncle Kevin was a super hero in my eyes. He is a great man and I am so very lucky to have him in my life.

FTLM days 9 through 12

I have some exciting news! I finally got my own car. I am so happy about this. I am so sorry that I am posting in chunkd like this for Feel The Love Month. Midterms kicked my butt this week. I have one more that I will do tomorrow. Here are the four friends that I want to mention for days 9 through 12.
Kate Hanna- Kate is very special to me. She is more than a friend. She took me in when I was going through a rough patch. She allows us to have playdates with our dog and hers (when we both aren't busy of course) Kate has been there for me from day one of my diagnosis with depression. She has helped me get through all the hard times, and is still there on a whim if I need someone to talk to. She is always very supportive of my dreams and achievements, and she always knows how to make me feel better when I fail. There aren't enough words to describe the love that Kate generates naturally. Just being around her would make anyone smile.
Danielle McLane- Danielle is one of my friends from back home. I am not sure how I met her. I simply remember seeing her at church and just being able to say anything to her. Danielle is assistant manager of the Humble Bee Facebook page and the Humble Bee blog. She has been super helpful and has been such a great friend to me. She has taught me that beauty is more than your apperance. That was a lesson that I needed. She is such a beautiful person and spirit. I always feel comfortable around her.
Corrine- Corrine is my sister in law. She is married to my husbands oldest brother. Corrine has such a happy demeanor. She can make anything seem funny. Being married to a Johnston herself, she and my other sisters in law knew exactly what kind of advice to give me when I got married. Corrine is the type of person that can see the good in just about anything. I know she doesn't always feel beautiful, but she is. I am so envious of her beautiful hair and eyes. She is one of those people that just makes everything seem prettier.
Cindi- Cindi has been like a mother to me. She took me under her wing when I first moved here. She helped make me feel more at home by helping me keep traditions from my own family. At Christmas time, we try to get together to bake cookies. We always bake three or four different kinds by recipe, and then we invent one or two. Cindi has such a joyous spirit. She is very uplifting. It is almost impossible to feel sad or upset around her. When I broke my leg, she came over as often as she could just so I could have someone to talk to. I will never be able to thank her enough for this.
These four women are very beautiful people who are family to me. They have seen me struggle and fall. They have seen me succeed. They have seen me at my best and my worst. Even so, they love me and support me. I can not thank God enough for these four women.

FTLM days 3 through 8

Today I am making up for five days of Feel The Love Month. I am sorry that I have not been on to post. My husband ran his 10 miler this weekend. I am listening to my ankle and taking one more day off of running to let it heal from being rammed by a stroller several times. The first person I would like to talk about is my biological father, Charles.
Dad- My dad's birthday was this past week. I am happy to be able to celebrate his birthday with him very soon. He was out of town with his wife for his birthday, so we will get together soon. I am very lucky to have him in my life. When I went searching for him Halloween of last year, I wasn't sure what I would find. I am very happy that I have been able to reconnect with him. He is way more than I could have imagined. He and my stepmother have been so wonderful. I am so glad that he excepted me back into his life. Now that I know him, I couldn't imagine my life without him. He is a great dad, and I can't wait to spend several more years knowing him.
Mom- My adoptive mother, Ruth, is an amazing women. She never once tried to hide the fact that I was adopted. In fact, she was very happy for me when I found my birth father. My mom raised me religiously. I grew up knowing that I am a daughter of God and that I am very loved. My mom and I butted heads a lot. We are both very stubborn and set in our ways. I wouldn't say I was a difficult child or teen. I simply had a mouth and I was not afraid to object to something that I felt was unfair. A lot of times my mom and I would have to walk away from each other so that we could think about the points that we each made. We always came back and worked things out. I still call her every Sunday to talk. She still supports my ambitions. My mom has always been a great mom and I could not have asked for better. She sat up with me when I was sick. She laid in my bed when I was in so much pain from female issues and just held me while I cried. She stayed home from work when I had the measles to make sure I had what I needed. She would take me to the mall just so we could hang out. She came down for a week when I broke my leg to help me out.She is a great mom. She is the reason I am the person I am today.
Daddy- When I say Daddy, I am talking of course of James, my adoptive father. I have always been a daddies girl. I am lucky that I now have two dads, but my daddy kissed my booboos and held me as I cried over my first crush and first fight with my best friend. When I had nightmares, he would let me snuggle in next to him. My senior year, I got sick enough to go to the hospital. My daddy held my hair when I threw up and yelled at the nurses who just didn't understand how sick I was. He ran with me in his arms into the hospital and made sure I got back right away. I will never be able to repay him for the things that he or my mom sacrificed to make sure that I was safe and happy. I owe them so much, but I know that they do not see it that way.
Echo- My sister in law Echo, was the first Sister in law I met when Brian and I got engaged. She has been such a great sister. She has been there for me these past few years. She has helped me through some major situations and has been honest with me no matter how hard it was for me to hear. I only wish she lived closer so that we could spend more time together. She has been an inspiration to me and does not judge me based on my image. She sees me for who I really am, and it is really nice to have that in my life.
Dawn- Dawn has become one of my best friends. She started out as my employer nearly two years ago. I started watching her little princess in January of 2012. She has shone me that I do not have to be perfect for people to accept me. It's perfectly fine for me to be me. She taught me that my past does not define me and that not all people will see only my depression. She is one of the only people who saw ME. She took the time to get to know me. She talked to me. She helped me. She even listened and gave me plenty of hugs when my aunt and I found my brothers obituary. She took the time to see me and to learn about me. She became more than just my employer, she became part of my family. Words cannot express how thankful I am to her for everything she has done for me. I have the job I have now because of her recommendation. I will be forever grateful for the chance she gave to me. She didn't even know me when she hired me as her babysitter. She was going off of a recommendation of a mutual friend. I am so very grateful that this mutual friend pointed us towards each other.

I promise that I will be better about updating this month :)

FTLM Day 2

Today I want to talk about a very special person in my life. He is my best friend, my true love, and a great support in life. Of course I am talking about my husband. Does that surprise you? I met him in July of 2005 at EFY. This man has been there for me ever since. He has helped me through so much and is the one person that I can say absolutely anything to. He isn't always romantic or mushy, but that just makes it even more special when he is. He is my eternal companion and I am so very glad that I sat next to him that day at EFY. He proposed to me on Sunday, October 4 2009 and we were married and sealed for time and all eternity on March 6 2010. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can not believe how lucky I am to have such an amazing person in my life. I know this is short, but hopefully it is sweet as well. I hope that everyone gets the opportunity to find someone who makes them as happy as my husband makes me.

Feel the love month

I have decided that every day this month, I will post a blog about a friend (or family member) that means something very special to me. I got this idea while asking a friend when we could get together. It really hit me that I always talk about my husband and God and how grateful I am to the people in my life, but I never really talk about anyone in specific. I am going to declare October as Feel The Love Month. I am going to talk about TWO very special people today. The first person is my sister Tabitha. I have only hung out with her once and have only know for just under a year; However, it's just like we have grown up together. We talk about the craziest things, send each other the most random pictures, and are there for each other no matter what happens. I love my sister very much. I know she loves me too. The past few days we have talked everyday. She sends me a good morning message and we talk about the craziest things. I have never had a sister (a blood sister). Or I did, I just didn't grow up with a sister. I have to say, it is such a blessing to have a sister. Especially one like Tabitha. She is very talented and very beautiful and just everything I imagined my sister to be. I am so very lucky to have her in my life. Just know, that even though we didn't grow up together, if ANYONE hurts her, I will not hesitate to defend her. Oh yeah, and she is a great singer! I love when she posts videos of her singing. It brightens my day!
The second person I want to talk about is my friend Alannah. She is such a strong person. She went through some pretty tough trials and is still coming out on top. She always manages to make me laugh on Instagram. She helped me out when I needed clothes (the first time I lost a bunch of weight), she talked to me when I worked for her mom, AND she likes Hockey! What?!?! She introduced me to Duck Dynasty. If you haven't seen it, watch it. She is a truly great person and is filled with so much love. She is a beautiful daughter of God and I am very blessed to call her my friend. She will be such a wonderful mother to her precious baby girl.
These two women have done so much for me without even realizing it and without expecting anything in return. They are both very wonderful, talented, beautiful, daughters of God. I am so very blessed to have them both in my life.