March on May Day. against the Arizona Bill

So last minute, my friend Anna and I decided to join in a March against the new Arizona bill that will bring racial profiling and discrimination against many people. It was good to see democracy at work and people of every walk of life coming together and peacefully demonstrating the need for change and reform on such an important issue.
I also learned something valuable this week which was a semi-hard lesson, and made me realize that even in this day and age of instant communication from practically anywhere with practically anything, you can still be misunderstood in your intentions. Case in point: I posted a remark on my Facebook status that people began to sound off on, some were in agreement with my status and some were not. As I responded to comments, ther was one active participant in particular, that I thought we were just having a lively debate about a very important issue. I later learned that my active opponent thought that I was personally attacking her with my statements. I was shocked, because that was not my intention at all. I was just responding to what was being said. Anyway, this person privately emailed me and said as much and then deleted me as a friend before I even got the chance to respond to what I was accused of. Until that point, I never had taken anything that was said personally. I did take the "unfriending" really personally though and in the first time in a long time, a person other than someone in my immediate family made me cry. I couldn't believe that out of the two of us, the active debator thought I was the one doing the attacking. Out of anyone, I thought I should be the one entitled to being offended, since I have myself have an immgrant husband and mixed race children as well as many friends who I know that are not legal residents of the U.S.A. but who contribute in many valuable ways to our community. Anyway, I did respond to the email I was sent, and explained in much more detail my position that I could not really state in such a public forum as my Facebook profile page. The person turned around and added me back as a friend, and I didn't hesitate to accept the request, because out of everything that was said, I had never felt malice or ill will towards this person.
This situation has made me pause and think a bit about all that's going on in our crazy country, and how miscommunication, misunderstandings, and a total lack of willingness to see things from the point of view of others can and will make rifts and damage people's relationships. Usually, I just shut my mouth and don't comment on others political views, but in very rare cases, I cannot help but let my voice be heard especially on something that can potentially put my family at risk and in danger.
I have decided that I refuse to be cowed on this subject. I do not want to be unreasonable, but I will no longer feel bad or guilty if someone's feelings get hurt when they decide to take me on in matters that are close to my heart. And if they don't want to be my friend because everyone has to agree with them, or sugar coat things, then they are not worth my time, and they can unfriend me all they want. I will never unfriend someone who disagrees with me or whatever, but I think I have learned a certain amount of tolerance and patience in my life and have learned that not everyone has to be like me, think like me, act like me or even like me. You might wound be, but you will never break me.

Patience and Prayers

I think Heavenly Father may be trying to teach me something. Well, I think He's trying to pound it into my being until there is nothing left but peace and serenity as I wait *patiently* for answers to our prayers.
Beginning in September our family has been praying everyday for Heavenly Father to help Colata get a fellowship after graduation. After many many applications and several interviews, things just didn't seem to be heading in the right direction. I was getting nervous about the future because I don't like not "knowing" what is happening, especially knowing that our current status as "students" was quickly coming to an end.
But no matter, we kept praying. And thankfully, my husband is VERY, VERY proactive and was seeking help and information from all fronts.
One Sunday he met with the Bishop and asked him for a blessing. Bishop was prompted to ask me to join them for the blessing. Prior to the blessing, Bishop Wilcox asked what it was Colata was in need of. Colata explained our situation and asked that the Bishop help him as he interviewed and saught out job opportunities after graduation. As we were speaking with the Bishop, he remembered a man he served with in his prior stake who was a hospital administrator. He told us that he would contact him and ask him if he could put Colata in touch with his friend.
A few weeks later, Colata got the okay to email his friend and was later able to speak with him on the phone and discuss the possibilities of a fellowship or job after he graduated. Through his interaction he was able to schedule a face to face meeting to hopefully encourage the administrator to be willing to push forward with an employment opportunity.
After this meeting we were told he would be contacted about going through a fellowship process.
It felt like we were playing the waiting game for many months, when finally, things started to roll, and in a few weeks, Colata will be hopefully finalizing this whole process and coming home with a definate yes for this job.
I am so grateful for many things. I am first and foremost grateful for my Heavenly Father who loves us sooooo much that He takes care of our needs, the ones I know of, and the ones I don't. I am grateful for a wonderful husband and bestfriend who works so hard day in and out to be the loving husband, father, and provider for our little family. I am grateful for my children who brighten my days with laughter and love. I feel so blessed right now.

My first 10k

Kaisha recieved the honor of being the top of the pyramid because she was the first to cross the finish line.

Showing off our big muscles!

Yay us!

Saturday, April 17th, I ran my first 10k. The first half (5k) of the race I completed in 33:52, and that was my personal best time. I lost a little bit of steam there after and walked on and off the rest of the race and finished the whole 10k in 1:13:32 seconds. That means I averaged a pace at about 11:50 per mile I think.
I also realized that even with all my little injuries that I am trying to overcome, the biggest challenge for me at the moment is the mental game of having the mental stamina to finish the race without walking. Anyone have any ideas on how to do that? I guess I just have to be like the little engine that could and tell myself "I know I can, I know I can etc" and not give up. I know my body could have physically finished it, but I was mental exhausted.
So in May, my friend Anna and I signed up to do a half-marathon in Spokane, Wa. I am super excited and hoping to enjoy the scenery and company of my friend for the event. I am also looking forward to my visit with the Sports Med Doc who will hopefully figure out why I am always having the pain in my ankles. Hopefully he can help me improve my technique and/or tell me what else might be causing the problem.

Oh my aching feet!

So last week after my 3rd 5k, I have challenged myself to take on the idea of doing the Earth Day Half Marathon on April 20th. This week I have been focusing on increasing miles I log in. I hope to log in at least 10 miles before the race in a day. This week, I have logged in a total of about 27 miles, and 8.5 miles came from my exercise today. My feet are really sore, and I added a blister here and there, but I am trying to work my way through the discomfort "walls" that I encounter as I have been pushing myself harder to increase my stamina. I have been icing my ankles, as they seem to feel the most distress and pain from my increased efforts (which makes sense, because the left ankle I sprained really bad about a year ago, and the right ankle I sprained a few years before that, and they seem to still be rather weak).

I must say that I am quite proud of this small accomplishment. A year ago, I would have given up after my first blister, and now, I am motivated to keep going despite the blister. It's the little things on this journey of health, wellness and weightloss that are making be happy and content with myself. It's the little victories that I find that keep me up beat and satisfied with my progress. I think in the past I used to be so caught up in success = weightloss, but now, I am finding I am loving it when success=portion control, or success=not bingeing, or success=running 3 5k's in 3 months.

3rd times a charm... almost!

Today I finished my 3rd 5k race with a Personal Record of 34:32 seconds. That's an 11:08 minute mile for all of you who were wondering. I almost ran the whole way, but stopped to walk once on a hill that I just thought I wouldn't be able to get up without wasting all of my energy for the rest of the race. So close, but not quite reaching my goal of running the whole race all the way through. I would say I'll do it next month, but I am not sure if I am running a 5k in April or will be doing the special Earth Day half marathon. I am still debating myself on this one. On one hand, being able to say I did a "half-marathon" is really cool. On the other hand, I doubt I can run it the whole way, and walking/running it off and on, it will take me over two hours to finish the race, probably closer to three.
For now though, I will keep my training up, and try to work on endurance levels, so that I can work my way to feeling more confident about competing in a race that is 13.2 miles long...

In sickness and in health...the Peacemaker Saga continues

Being a peacemaker is hard to do, and its even harder to do it when you don't feel good. My family has been fighting a flu bug for the past two weeks passing it back and forth and it has really been hard to remember to be peaceful when all I wanna do is have someone else be "mommy" for a while so I can lay down and catch a break.
I've also had to come to the realization that as a Mom, sometimes the way I must keep the "peace" is by discipling my kids and correcting bad behaviors that I have let them get away with for to long. Gabe has had several "time outs" in the corner for climbing and screaming, and he hates it, but he has learned from these experiences because he isn't climbing up so much, though the screaming is something I am still trying to figure out how to manage.

The influence of music on being a Peacemaker...

Music, we all know has a profound impact on our moods. For me, when I am running on the treadmill and trying to improve my time, I need fast paced beats and music that is fun and seems to keep my feet moving up and down. But if a slow song is thrown in the mix, it throws off my pace and my motivation, and I seem to stutter and lose the "endurance" factor, and have to slow down and take a breather. I don't know why that is, but the music impacts my "will power" to keep going.
And tonight, after FHE, I was looking at the LDS.org site and while I was just "looking around" I came across the music site which led me to find a song that won the Award of Distinction for 2009. It was a submission by Sally Deford (I love her music and arrangements) and went to her site to listen to it right away. The song was beautiful, and as I was listening to it, the mood in the house changed. I wasn't even trying to change the mood, it seemed fine to me, but It brought the noise level down, and Jada started doing a beautiful interpretive dance and Gabe came and sat next to me just to listen to it. We listened to it about 5 times.
Even though the song has long stopped playing, the mood in the house has lingered, and I can't help but be encouraged that good, beautiful music that invites the Spirit, also invites and helps me be the peacemaker I need to be. So, if you are struggling with being a peacemaker, put on your favorite church song, or hymns or arrangement, and let the spirit of that song take hold of you, and I bet that you will not be able to help the peace and love you bring to your home because of that Spirit that you feel.

Peacemakers... a rough week

This week wasn't as smooth as the last one. I had high levels of stress and low levels of sleep that contributed to the sketchiness of the peace, but even though there were times when I had to backtrack and remember that I was to be promoting peace and not breaking it, I think when you are even just thinking about it, it makes a difference.
Hopefully this upcoming week will not be so stressful and I'll sleep a bit better. I never thought about it too much before, but I am definitely a big grouch when I am too tired, and when I am stressed I have a short fuse. I guess I should just go to bed earlier and not over-worry about things that are out of my control.

Blessed are the Peacemakers End of week one.

All in all, I think this week was a success. I can't recall one incident that I got overly angry or that there was any serious contention in the home to derail the peace I have been trying to foster. It's amazing what a little consitent and conscious effort can make. It seems so subtle, yet it has made a profound difference in the quality of conversation and communication in the home. I would also have to say that I think that there has been alot more laughing and less complaing and crying this week as well. Of course this is not scientific, and I am not documenting each and every detail that occurs everday, but I know that the feeling I have is more peaceful and content, and I think that is a great indicator that this experiment is working.
I wonder how my Miamaids are doing or all the Young Women and leaders who were challenged. I hope that they are all making an effort to do it.
Here's to a brand new week, and hopefully it only gets better from here.

To be a peacemaker... get a good nights rest. Day 5

Today I realized that I have a much easier time at being an advocate for peace in my home if I don't feel exhausted from the moment I wake up... I have been a little bit more irritable, though I have managed to take the beginnings of what could have been a silly argument and stop it in it's tracks before it was able to take off and become a full-fledged contentious time in the house.
I definitely am glad that the weekend is here and the pace in the house will slow down a bit. Hopefully I will get a good night of zzz's too.

Blessed are the Peacemakers Day 3

I have helped prevent little fires between all members of the family the past couple days. It really takes a lot of diplomacy and trying to point out the good things and ignore some of the bad. It also has taken a real effort to not raise my voice when I get frustrated and not take offense to some of the off-handed comments my husband might say. I am also trying to not assume what he said was meant to hurt my feelings, so I am not "over-reacting". I must admit though, I do feel a little bit like Carol Brady or Mrs. Cleaver from "Leave it to Beaver". Only, I will not vaccum the house in high heels and a dress.
I wonder if at the end of the month anyone else in my little family will notice a difference in the home? It feels like I only notice all the avoided conflicts because I am the acting peace maker and I am helping steer everyone clear from potential disasters. It is definitely an effort, and there are moments when I catch myself on the verge of saying something that would make me a "contention maker" but so far, I haven't slipped to much, and hope to keep up the "peace" in the home.

Blessed are the Peacemakers....

Yesterday, my Bishop challenged me and the rest of the Young Women and the leaders to be peacemakers in our families and homes for the next month. We are not to let anyone in our families know that we are doing this, as this might ruin the experiment. I am taking this seriously, and am trying really hard to put out the "fires" of contention that arise.
I started to notice yesterday afternoon how much our words and the way we say things to our loved ones can cause hurt feelings or contention.
One disagreement occurred between Colata and Jada, and it was about "how" to do something. No one was wrong, and each opinion had value, though, they were arguing about who had the better idea. They turned to me asking me to pick a side, and I diplomatically pointed out the value of both of their ideas. I also made a conscious effort to not become impatient and to use kind and respectful words when I needed or wanted something. In return, I got the same responses back.
Today, I don't think there was any contention in the home at all. No arguments to dispel or tempers flaring. Though Gabe needs to learn how to have nicer hands after he is told "no". But he also said "please" when he wanted something and "your welcome" after he received it (he gets "thank you" and "your welcome" backwards) I hope this journey will continue, and I hope that I will become a better person by being more conscientious of my influence of peace in the home.

My 2nd 5k race...

Ran my 2nd race yesterday. I was a little bit more nervous this time around. Funny, huh? I think it was because I had something to live up too... my previous time. What if I did worse than before? What if I tripped, or it rained or something crazy like that? Well, the nervousness was for nothing, though it did start to sprinkle before I finished the race, but it was a blessing because I was getting warm with my scarf on. I finished at a personal best time of 35:00mins exactly, and I didn't think I would do so well. I was hoping for at best 36:00 or 37:00mins. I was running with my iPod on, so when I passed the first mile marker, and I thought I saw the race volunteer mouth something that looked like (10mins) meaning I had just run a 10 min mile, I thought I must have read his lips wrong, because I have never run a 10 min mile brefore.
Anyway, I think last time I posted about my previous 5k, I had stated that my goal was to run the whole race without walking. I didn't make that goal. I admit, I had to walk a few times, but those recovery walks for me were short and few. So though my time was definitely improved, I think I will keep my goal of trying to run the whole race. That gives me a month to build up my endurance. I think trying to push through those walls that come up and tell me it's time to take a rest will be a better test for me than trying to get an improved time. Though, if that happens, that would be great too.
On a related note, I do most of my training on the treadmill. Though my actual race time is way better than anything I have done on the treadmill so far (my race time beat my treadmill time by a whole minute) mentally, I find it easier to run on a treadmill because I am perfectly aware of how fast I am running, how far I still need to go, and how long I have been running. When I am in the race, I can't tell how fast I am running, and I am never exactly quite sure how far I have come (though there are the occasional markers that will tell you 1mile, 2mile, etc) though, I can check on my watch how long I have been running. I am too busy concetrating on my breathing to try to do the math to calculate my pace. The positive thing about running in the race is that because of the other participants and the lack of knowing pace/distance/time, I set my sights on keeping up with those around me. When I fall behind or pass someone, it helps to push me to do better and to work harder, than when it's just between me and the treadmill.
So I think I mentioned already that my race time was 35mins, and my previous race time was 38:35 or something like that, so that was a full 03:35 min improvement. I will eventually shoot for running the 5k in 30mins, but that just maybe an unattainable goal, but one I will try to get as close as possible too.
Here's to next month's race in March. I hope I am able to run the whole race this time!

running woes.

So as a first time runner, I have come across some hard times these last few weeks. It has limited my ability to actually train for my next 5k. I am not quite sure exactly what happened, because I was feeling great, then got the flu (aches, pains, stomach bug) and was flat out for a couple of days, and then, when I went to get back into my routine, I felt better, except when I ran, I felt like I still had the flu in my lower legs. I tried pushing through the pain, and did it for a week thinking that it would eventually work it's way out, but it didn't. So I did some internet research and thought maybe I had shin splints or runner's knee, and both prescribe me to not run until the inflamation has gone down. So instead I have been cross-training, doing swimming and the eliptical, suprisingly, all this week, no pain in my legs. So My next 5k is in a week and a half, and I am going to start slowly jogging again tomorrow. If there is no pain, I will continue to slowly get back to my running. If not, I think I will have to go see a doctor and see if there is anything else I can do to help me out of this tragedy.
Any runner's out there with any advice for this novice?

Finished my first 5k.

Wow. It was hard. But I feel really good for accomplishing this goal. I ran my first 5k in 38mins and 35 sec. When I say "ran" I mean jogged/walked. I did it in intervals, just trying to keep myself going the whole time. It was cold and foggy around Lake Washington, but as I started on my second lap, the fog began to lift, and you could see the beautiful lake. I am all set to sign myself up for next month's 5k, and hope to be able to improve my time. Maybe by then I will be able to run (jog) the whole thing without stopping. So that's my next goal. Not necessarily to have a better time (though, that would be nice) but to keep my feet going at the same pace the whole time. The next event is February 13th. That's about 4 weeks away.
I also know that now, I need to implement some incline changes into my treadmill routine so that it resembles more closely a real race trail. Thanks to the Skyline Running Club for setting up the event at Magnuson Park in Seattle, Wa. There was something for everyone (kids, animal lovers, runner's with strollers etc) and it was well organized and friendly. Here is the link for anyone out there looking for a friendly and fun event for all levels of runners http://www.magnusonseries.org/
Can't wait for next months run.

My first 5k this Saturday.

So in keeping up with my goals for the year, I entered into a 5k race to help me stick to my daily exercise. I am a little nervous because I don't think I have competed/ran/ thought about/ a race since I was 8 years old. To prepare for this momentous occasion in my life I looked up some running websites that help someone like me train for a 5k. In fact, I think the one I have been following is called "the couch to 5k" or something similiar. I modify it a bit so it works for me, but so far, it has. I have already improved my time alot just in the past week and a half of doing it, and I am feeling pretty good. I am not going to push myself too hard on Saturday, as I know running on a treadmill is completely different than running on real turf with differnt kinds of inclines/declines and smooth/rough terrain.
I really hope it's not pouring out. I want the sun to be on my face, I think it will help my experience be great if the sun is out, well, it will at least make my mood better to begin with.
Wish me luck!

A New Year, a new family goal

Every new year, our family has the tradition of setting some family and personal goals (NOT resolutions). We talk about what we know will happen during the year (such as Colata graduating from school) and things we need to work on (ie Jada being obedient the first time she is asked to do something and not the fifth) and then we try to come up with a theme that will help us achieve our goals.

So, the family theme is one taken from Spencer W. Kimball "Do it. Do it right. Do it right now." It is very fitting for us as a family and for me personally. We are trying not to focus too much on things that are out of our control, but more on the things that are within it.

So that's about it for now. I have lots of things I am personally working on, that will always be a work in progress, such as eating right and exercise. This time, I have a friend who is coming along for the journey, and it is really great to have someone to talk to and confide in who is going through the same things I am. We are also going to do a 5k run next Saturday. I know, I know, we haven't even trained properly for it, but this way, we will get our "base" rate, and hopefully improve from there. The organization that is running the 5k has events every month at the same park, so we plan on doing one every month. On Earth day, they have an half-marathon. I don't know if I'll be ready for it, but it will be a good goal to set to get there (I think that Earth day is in April) I am hoping that since I have something to work towards in the exercise department, I will be more consistent because I won't want to go slack and hurt myself trying to do it when I am not ready or prepared.
I am also doing Weight Watchers. I really like the program, because you don't have to sacrifice any of the foods you love, you just learn how to eat it without overdoing it. The key to being successful with WW is writing everything you eat down and going to meetings every week. If you get lazy with your writing, you stop losing the LBS. Another thing that I am doing to help me stay on track, is that I have a "food" notebook that I plane my weekly meals in. Then I go shopping according to that list. Also, it really helps me during the day. When I wake up, I check what's for dinner and pull out items out of the freezer if necessary and dinner is much quicker. I learned that if I don't know what I am making for dinner before lunch, I am more likely to make something processed and junk and i snack and nibble a lot more because I am so hungry and dinner isn't ready yet. The other change I have made that I am hoping will help me is that I won't have any sweets in the house. If anyone in the family is wanting ice cream or cupcakes etc, we will just go to the store and buy a single serve. It can seem a little pricey, but it is a lot better for me because if a whole box of oreos is in the house i can't keep my hands off them. So those are the things I am "doing, and (hopefully) doing right, and I am doing right now." If anyone out there has any more suggestions, I will be glad to hear it!
I hope everyone out there in cyberspace has a great new year!