2010 is coming on us shortly...and that means it is time for a CHALLENGE!

August 22, 2010

What does this date mean?

It is my newest challenge...and while I am extremely nervous, I am also VERY EXCITED!

However, getting ready to run a half marathon is not the easiest thing for me, but I do enjoy running and I love the cause that we are running for...please go visit the site and if you are encouraged, please jump on the bandwagon and run the 1/2 marathon!

www.worldvision.org/team

Starting in January I am going to begin my training and then in April I will begin training runs with other people on the team.  I am excited because not only am I running this, but my husband and possibly some others from our family.  How exciting and something for all of us to share together!

Now, have I always been a runner?

NO!

To be honest, I was always the one that never finished the mile run and always ended up crying in the end.  I was always jealous of those that could finish and felt embarassed that I could not join in, in there excitement.

But that is all different now. 

I began my running last summer in 2008 and something inside of me changed and I loved every minute of running (both in and outdoors)

I ran my first 5K in the turkey trot and ran it in 35 minutes

I ran my second 5K in the Race for the Cure and ran it in 30 minutes

I ran my third 5K in my hometown with my husband and while he took third place, I ran it in 35 minutes

Before this half marathon I am going to be taking part in the Race for the Cure and hopefully an 8K and 10K, can't wait!

My running wishlist...

World Vision shirt...perfect for running!

New Running shoes

MUSIC

Must make a fun playlist as I will be running for quite sometime during this run and must stay motivated!

Any suggestions of songs would be greatly appreciated

I am sure there will be more to add to this list, but for now, this is good!

I am asking that you all pray for me and support me in this challenge!

I am so excited!

Inspired!

I was torn tonight...
Watch "The Biggest Loser" Finale or "So You Think You Can Dance"? 
I am so happy with my decision because I was truly inspired...

I watched "The Biggest Loser"

It was so good! 

After seeing all of the amazing reveals and hearing all about what each contestant went through...definitely encouraged me to go further with my workouts and to go further with my weight loss.  No more excuses, no more disappointments...this time I am going to continue and finish strong! 

Thank you "Biggest Loser" for not only enouraging and inspiring me, but doing that for many others!

Stressed!

For the few that read my blog, I apologize for not posting lately!

I have been tired and stressed a lot lately and have just been taking a little break, and honestly, just not a whole lot to post about!

However, tonight I thought it would be good to post about things that have been going on in the Holm Household....

*Next week Aspen has her preschool Christmas program and she is VERY excited about it!  Her teacher has told us that she is one of the louder singers in the group (she takes after her mommy).  I cannot wait to see her in her program next week...we definitely will be there with both camera and video camera.  And we are also excited that Grandparents and Aunt T will be there as well!

*This week Aspen has been very into singing "Jingle Bells" and so we have been singing it a lot lately...and it is really cute...I really need to post this video...but picture Aspen, Titus and I singing (if you will)
Aspen and I:  Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way.  Oh what fun, it is to ride, in a one horse open sleigh....
Titus: HEY!
Aspen and I: Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way.  Oh what fun, it is to ride, in a one horse open sleigh...
Titus: HEY!
It really is the cutest thing!  And he is so proud each time he says "Hey!"

*After LOTS of prayer...my sister who has been unemployed for awhile has found a job!  PRAISE THE LORD!  We look forward to seeing how God is going to use her!

*Our house if filled with Christmas decorations (pictures to come) and I just love it!  Titus is in awe of the Christmas tree!  It is finally starting to feel like Christmas now that snow has fallen and the kids cannot wait to go outside and play in it! 

*Tomorrow my husband (and MANY others) will be running in the Reindeer Run!  I certainly will be praying for him because it is going to be very cold...but he is going to have so much fun and I cannot wait to hear all about it when he gets home. 

There are so many more happenings going on in our family, something fun/funny/exciting happens each day!  I know that this blog post wasn't all that exciting (without photos), but I will definitely post some soon!

Hope everyone has a great weekend...and STAY WARM!

Thankful for...

friends!!!!

i am so thankful for friends! tonight i was sitting with my friend misty and it just made me just love my friendship with her, and just what an awesome gift friendship is! i love spending time with my friends whether it is over coffee (which is with most of my friends because we are all mommies), over a good chick flick, shopping, working out (right erica?), and best of all at MOPS!

speaking of MOPS...what a great ministry!

i was brought to MOPS shortly after i had aspen and it was the BEST thing! it was hard being a stay at home mom, not really knowing what to do, so many questions, and just longing for someone to talk to. my sister told me about MOPS (she had friends that were mommies) and so i did and found a group close to my home. it was great! i got to know other mommies and realized that i was not alone and it was just great to chat with other moms and also to be prayed for, comforted, and best of all just have fun with other women that were going through the same thing i was. God definitely does provide at just the right time! now i am blessed to be a part of MOPS at our very own church and it has been an answer to prayer because i have been desiring to have that happen and it did! i truly have met some of the most AMAZING friends from this group and i love how each one of us are so different, but yet the same in Christ! i could not ask have asked for a better group of ladies and look forward to what He is going to do within this ministy...He has already done so much!

soooooo...thankful for friends and thankful for how God has used my friends to impact my life in so many ways. thankful for friends that come and support me, pray for me, and uplift me no matter what may come my way. thankful for friends that love to laugh, have a great time, and just love to be crazy!

now, don't get me wrong, i love to be with my husband...he is my best friend! but there is just something about having a girl friend that is just awesome!

thank you very much to all my friends! i am truly blessed by each one of you, you truly are the best! each one of you have touched my life and have left many imprints in my heart. i have so many memories with so many of you and i will forever cherish those and look forward to creating many more memories.

and thank you to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with such amazing friends!

Free!

Today I was informed by a friend of mine that at Underwater World, if you are a teacher, you can get a FREE single membershp!

FREE???? Yep, that's right!

So, I took my YMCA badge and Zac took his badge and we both got single memberships for free! We then added the kiddos onto my membership card and the grand total for our trip was $11 (Titus is free until 3 and Aspen was just $11 to be added)

$11 to have fun at Underwater World for a year!

Yeah!

Thank you Jen! Great idea! The kids (and parents) had so much fun today!

Pictures to come!

Thankful Thursday!

I am going to start "Thankful Thursday"!

Lately, I have been constantly complaining about all that we do not have or always wanting more...do you ever get that way? I think that we all do from time to time.

A couple of weeks ago I was able to go and volunteer at "Feed My Starving Children" with my MOPS group and let me just tell you, that really hit home to me. Just yesterday, witnessing families that need to go pick up food from a food shelf because they cannot afford groceries, that hit home to me.

There are many other times where I have been reminded just how blessed I truly am, how blessed my family is!

We have a wonderful home, great friends and family, neighbors, jobs. Very thankful for that. Thankful for a warm home in the winter, cool home in the summer. Thankful for cars to drive to and from places, for clothes on our backs, and for always having food to eat. Thankful for running water to shower and bathe with and clean drinking water. Just THANKFUL!

While I am thankful for all that and more, I am reminded of how thankful I am to have Jesus in my life as my Lord and Savior. He has blessed me with so much, the BEST husband, the BEST kids, the BEST family, and the BEST friends. I am so thankful that I know Him and that He knows me and that each day all that He has blessed me with are constant reminders of His goodness.

So today, on this Thankful Thursday, I am thankful that 12 years ago I came to know Him and accepted Him into my heart and again thankful for all that He has done and will continue to do in my life!

Great Weekend!

We had such a great weekend...here is what we did!

My sister came to visit...the kids loved having there Aunt T here!

Saw Aspen in her first parade at preschool, she was a High School Musical Cheerleader

Aspen and I decorated cookies for Halloween

Trick or Treat at the MN Zoo and Mall of America

Dressed up - Aspen was Cinderella, Titus was a Crocodile, I was a Queen, Zac a King, and Aunt T as the Fairy Godmother

Enjoyed an extra hour of sleep

Stayed up late watching old episodes of the Golden Girls

Watched the Vikings beat the Packers

Played our usual games of Fill or Bust and Baseball

Captured lots of moments with photos

It was truly a fun weekend! Always fun when Aunt T visits and today when the kids and I brought her to the airport Aspen said (as we were driving away) "I am going to miss my Aunt T!" And she truly will...she already is looking forward to Christmas when she can see her again!