Wahoo!
So - last night we signed a 7 month lease to rent a house in Ames! It is absolutely perfect for us...perfect location, perfect size, perfect kitchen, perfect with the dogs perfect price, perfect landlord, perfect everything! God is so very good to provide for us in His own timing. We have LOVED living with my parents, but are also very excited and ready to have our own space again.
Things I'm excited about:
1. Unpacking our boxes for 18 months ago! It's going to be like Christmas. :)
2. De-junking! With my new-found desire for simplicity, I'm going to be SERIOUSLY purging.
3. Inviting people over.
4. Having our own space.
5. Living with our dogs again.
6. Having a guest room. :)
7. Bible studies/game nights/parties.
8. Scrapbooking our India year.
9. Getting involved with the international scene at Iowa State - inviting international students into an American home!
10. Having a "my" home to go home to.
11. Cooking
12. Cleaning
13. Decorating
14. Making our house smell good.
15. Garage sales
Yippee!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
I've half marathoned!
So, I made it! This last weekend I ran the Road to Education Half Marathon with my sister, her roommate, and my friends Laura and Marie from Minnesota. And, we finished! It took us 2:16, but we finished.
And, it was awful. I have literally never had a more horrible running experience! All you runners out there - you know when you just have "one of those days" where nothing seems to fit together? Your legs are going one speed and your lungs are going another speed, and everything is hard and you never find the "zone"? Yep. That was the race. The WHOLE RACE!!!! I thought I had found a zone right around mile 2, but it lasted about 4 1/2 minutes, and I was back to the type of running that was anything but enjoyable.
I have to say though, I LOVED having to push so hard. For the last 3 miles my sister and I just talked (out loud...got some goofy looks!) ourselves into putting one foot in front of the other, and we eventually finished. And, I will most definitely do another one. After all, I can only go up from here, right?!
Embarrassing story: Chris and Matt came to cheer us on, but we had told them to come late so they could see the end since it was kind of a hard race to follow. SO - around mile 12 Chris and Matt show up with their video cameras and ridiculous amounts of energy. And apparently, I GLARED at them. No happy smile, no glad to see you, just a glare. And then I said, "You guys better be at the finish line" and ran off. I'm claiming temporary insanity due to physical duress!
SO - anyone up for a spring race?! Ragbrai? Another half marathon next fall? Looking for new "goal" buddies to add to our group!
And, it was awful. I have literally never had a more horrible running experience! All you runners out there - you know when you just have "one of those days" where nothing seems to fit together? Your legs are going one speed and your lungs are going another speed, and everything is hard and you never find the "zone"? Yep. That was the race. The WHOLE RACE!!!! I thought I had found a zone right around mile 2, but it lasted about 4 1/2 minutes, and I was back to the type of running that was anything but enjoyable.
I have to say though, I LOVED having to push so hard. For the last 3 miles my sister and I just talked (out loud...got some goofy looks!) ourselves into putting one foot in front of the other, and we eventually finished. And, I will most definitely do another one. After all, I can only go up from here, right?!
Embarrassing story: Chris and Matt came to cheer us on, but we had told them to come late so they could see the end since it was kind of a hard race to follow. SO - around mile 12 Chris and Matt show up with their video cameras and ridiculous amounts of energy. And apparently, I GLARED at them. No happy smile, no glad to see you, just a glare. And then I said, "You guys better be at the finish line" and ran off. I'm claiming temporary insanity due to physical duress!
SO - anyone up for a spring race?! Ragbrai? Another half marathon next fall? Looking for new "goal" buddies to add to our group!
Monday, October 18, 2010
It's the little things...
Lately there have been some little things that have popped up as "extra exciting" in my life. In keeping with my blog's title, I've been really aware of how things that were mundane and normal "pre-India" are now luxurious and exciting "post-India." Here are the things that fall into that category from the last week or so.
1. Electric tooth brush. We had one before we left, but it got "fried" from the electricity issues in India. SO - we just got another one, and my teeth are unbelievably happy twice a day. :)
2. Shampoo. I've been using bad quality shampoo for a while. While Redken shampoo will never fall into the "need" category, it is something that I tend to splurge on consistently when it's available...and this week the splurge happened. My hair is also unbelievably happy. :)
3. Driving/Owning a car! In rural/small town Iowa, we're realizing that it's almost mandatory to own your own vehicle. Since we either walked or taxied everywhere in India, I really missed the independence that comes from being able to drive yourself everywhere. Thankfully I didn't forget how to drive, and have really appreciated the independence-factor every time I get in the car.
My brother has graciously let me drive his siebring since we moved back, but this last week we took the leap and bought me a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica. It has quite a few miles on it, but is an awesome car, and is exactly what I was dreaming of, even before I knew it existed. The car itself isn't a "little thing", but the change in my attitude towards cars and the freedom they bring is something that has changed dramatically!
Other than that, hmmm...half marathon is this weekend. Not setting any goals other than just to run it and have a good time - then we'll see how it goes, and goals will happen from there. I've been travel-dreaming again, and have tentatively set this year's dreams in this order: Chile, New York, Haiti. More to come as they are dismissed or become reality. :) And, we have an in-service today at school, so I'm loving life and short school weeks!
1. Electric tooth brush. We had one before we left, but it got "fried" from the electricity issues in India. SO - we just got another one, and my teeth are unbelievably happy twice a day. :)
2. Shampoo. I've been using bad quality shampoo for a while. While Redken shampoo will never fall into the "need" category, it is something that I tend to splurge on consistently when it's available...and this week the splurge happened. My hair is also unbelievably happy. :)
3. Driving/Owning a car! In rural/small town Iowa, we're realizing that it's almost mandatory to own your own vehicle. Since we either walked or taxied everywhere in India, I really missed the independence that comes from being able to drive yourself everywhere. Thankfully I didn't forget how to drive, and have really appreciated the independence-factor every time I get in the car.
My brother has graciously let me drive his siebring since we moved back, but this last week we took the leap and bought me a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica. It has quite a few miles on it, but is an awesome car, and is exactly what I was dreaming of, even before I knew it existed. The car itself isn't a "little thing", but the change in my attitude towards cars and the freedom they bring is something that has changed dramatically!
Other than that, hmmm...half marathon is this weekend. Not setting any goals other than just to run it and have a good time - then we'll see how it goes, and goals will happen from there. I've been travel-dreaming again, and have tentatively set this year's dreams in this order: Chile, New York, Haiti. More to come as they are dismissed or become reality. :) And, we have an in-service today at school, so I'm loving life and short school weeks!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)