Letter from Chip

So we made it to Arkansas (with very smooth traveling for once) and are now enjoying time with family. We left Chip & Cooper with Maggie, our wonderful dog sitter, on Thursday afternoon. The following was the email I received this morning from Chip. (Thanks, Maggie!)

Dear Mom,
Well, I was sad when you left, but Maggie picked me up and hugged me and then played with all of us. Then we went for a walk; Cooper still thinks he's some sort of sled dog with all that pulling, me I just meander here and there and Howie (Maggie's dog) just walks by her side. (I don't think he "gets" what walks are all about yet.) Then it was time for a nap. I had to teach Maggie the wedge thing and that she should never stop rubbing/petting/stroking me, or I have to nudge her hand with my nose. Don't worry; she gets it now. Cooper takes his "front and center spot" and hogs up most of the room. We did leave room for Howie, though. We slept just fine down in her room but not on the bed. The next day we had another walk, more playtime, and helped Maggie work out in the yard, followed by a nap and more play. It's exhausting. I do miss both you and dad but since we dogs only live mostly in the moment, I'm doing just fine. Maggie is quite amazed with how fast Cooper eats and then falls in love with his empty food bowl. She wants to know if you've ever tried a puzzle cube? It would slow him down and provide some mental stimulation. Hope you're having a good time, we sure are!
Love, Chip

PS Cooper will write next!

Where does it go?

Time...has anyone else noticed how elusive it is? My goodness. In some ways, blogging has made me see more than ever how quickly the time goes. I look up to do a post, and it's already a new month. How does that happen? Sheesh! Well, anyway, I guess a lot has happened since my last update, so I'll just go over a few of the highlights.

November...really is a great month. Not only do I get to celebrate my birthday for a whole week, but I also get to celebrate the birthdays of two of my favorite people in the world...Susan and Laura. Susan is my amazing sister-in-law who just happens to be pretty high on the friend list (even before she was my sister-in-law). Susan is one of the sweetest, hardest working women you will ever meet. During November Susan booked a plane ticket to come see me in January for almost a week while Ricky is in Orlando at umpire school. I can't wait for that girl time. :-) Laura also celebrated her birthday in November, and she is one of those people who was put on the planet partly so I could live a more full life. She and I are like the same person in many ways (majored in psych, graduate degrees in school psych, fourth degree black belts, conducted research projects involving peanut butter...the list goes on but you get the point), but we are different, too. And that makes things perfect. She is more artistic and creative than me while I have the organized and planning pieces down a little better. Oh, and she married Kyle who is one of my other favorite people in the world, too...and pairing Kyle and Ricky with me and Laura...it's pretty close to perfect. Now Laura and Kyle have added Abby to the mix, and it just couldn't get any better.:-)

Speaking of Kyle, he and Ricky are contemplating applying for the amazing race...two men whose wives are best friends all of whom are black belts in taekwondo (oh, and kyle's legally blind)...think it could be a good sell, what about you?

Back to my birthday. I had a great birthday week. I got a new water bottle, a little travel purse, an itunes gift card, Kris Allen's CD, two pretty lanyards for my work ID, a new sport watch, a trip to Cheesecake factory, AND tickets to the Trans Siberian Orchestra. (I've wanted to go for several years). It was great. We had a very fun time at the concert. I have such a thoughtful hubby. The picture above is a quick self-pick at the concert.

Well, there we are... a quick update. In less than two weeks, we'll be traveling to Arkansas for a good visit with family. I'm looking very forward to it, despite the bittersweet fact that I will be returning without my husband for a few weeks. Sigh. Life will fly by, though, I'm sure.

I HAVE to get my dissertation written up in January. :-)

"There could never be...

...a more beautiful you."

Recently, I added a few new songs to my i-tunes collection, and one of them has really spoken to me. As Ricky and I have worked to get back in shape over the last few months, I've found myself thinking a lot about my body image. I realize that I am in no way the only one who has struggled with this. In fact, I'm guessing pretty much everyone has. But God has been changing my perspective, and this song by Johnny Diaz "A More Beautiful You" is just right. I think we can spend our whole lives never being satisfied with who we are or how we look, but if we do that we are likely missing out on what God wants us to experience in life. I'm not saying we shouldn't strive to be healthy or make good choices; we should do that, too. But, I'm really working to be happy with who I am and to focus, instead, on what it is that God created me to do...and let's face it, it wasn't to be a supermodel! ;-) That being said, Ricky rented a fancy camera lens a month or so ago and took some "practice" shots of me.

So, I leave you with some of the lyrics from Johnny Diaz's song and some new photos of me...learning there could never be a more beautiful me.

Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine
Says she wants to look that way
But her hair isn't straight her body isn't fake
And she's always felt overweight

Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could see
That beauty is within your heart
And you were made with such care your skin your body and your hair
Are perfect just the way they are

There could never be a more beautiful you
Don't buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

So turn around you're not too far
To back away be who you are
To change your path go another way
It's not too late you can be saved
If you feel depressed with past regrets
The shameful nights hope to forget
Can disappear they can all be washed away
By the one who's strong can right your wrongs
Can rid your fears dry all your tears
And change the way you look at this big world
He will take your dark distorted view
And with His light He will show you truth
And again you'll see through the eyes of a little girl

There could never be a more beautiful you

Don't buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

On the home front

I've been meaning to update a couple of random things that have happened around here. I announced a while back that I got my fourth degree, so here's a quick picture of me in my updated taekwondo uniform (new black stripe on the pants leg and wider black collar).

Shortly after we moved into the new house, Ricky and Tim added this beautiful gate to our front yard so that the dogs can safely be in the front or the back yard for playing. We still need to stain it, but it turned out pretty nice.

And this next pitiful picture was of my excitement a couple of Fridays ago. Cooper managed to pull out a toenail. We aren't sure how it happened but suspect it may have gotten stuck in between one of the slats on the back deck. Cooper came in to the house wagging his tail and acting totally normal except that every time he moved around, he left a bloody paw print on the floor. I picked him up and noticed he was missing his toenail. Luckily, our new vet squeezed us in an emergency visit just before they closed at 7pm! He wore the bandage over the weekend and was a good sport about it. The vet took it off and he has been such a trooper (leaving it alone for the most part). Our new vet is so great they even called to check on him later in the week (post bandage removal). AND they are open on the weekends. Hopefully, these hours will result in fewer emergency vet visits with Cooper...we'll see. :)

In other news, we ventured to the Oregon zoo recently as well as spent some time exploring the Columbia River Gorge. Stay tuned for those stories and pictures. I only have a few from my iphone but Ricky has some on his camera to pass along to me.

Here are a couple teaser pics...

A scenic overlook of the Columbia River Gorge. We are standing in Oregon, Washington is across the river.

Ricky and a lorikeet at the zoo. They were pretty fun to interact with.

I've missed you.

It has been a while since I've updated my blog, and I'm not sure why. I really think it's because the end of the summer wasn't super eventful and then work started and I was so busy and overwhelmed that I didn't even want to think about something else. As I've eased into work, I've wanted to work on my blog again but have felt like I "needed" to update 5 plus weeks of my life--which feels overwhelming. So, sitting here on an evening that is becoming damp and cool (really feeling like fall), I've decided to at least say hi again without trying to play major catch up. Instead, I just want to see what ramblings appear and enjoy blogging again. :)

Where to start? Well, this fall has turned into a much more busy fall for our "family" than Ricky or I anticipated. We moved to Portland thinking he would just do some "on call" athletic training and odds and ends until he goes to Umpire school in Florida for 5 weeks in Jan-Feb. Ricky committed to some Saturday work to help pay the bills and then an athletic training position opened at Clackamas High school (5ish minutes from my work). The high school operates differently from his previous job, a lot of which he doesn't care for, but it worked out for him in that they were willing to take him until December (knowing his umpire plans for January). We really felt like, financially, it would be best for him to take the position and it has, ultimately, been what's best for us. But that has meant we have both been working A LOT and our schedules aren't lining up very well (I leave at 7:30 and get home around 4:30, he leaves at 2:30 pm and gets home between 8-11pm). And I miss him. I know it's for the best, and we are thankful that God has provided for us in every transition. But the selfish side hates that he's working so much, and I know he feels the same way. On the fun side, he's still been able to squeeze in some senior picture taking, and I think that's been an enjoyable experience for him.

My job is going great. It's the same and different from what I expected, but all the important pieces are there. I have a great supervisor and a great working environment. I'm getting to do a wide variety of things and expand my skills in lots of directions. I think I'll probably stay in this position one more year and then look for positions in academia. Hopefully, I will have the luxury of targeting my job search to the "region" closer to home.

It seems like now, more than ever, for a lot of reasons Ricky and I are looking forward to moving closer to home. We are in a big transition time in our lives right now but can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We always said we'd start trying for kids once I finish school, which (hopefully) will happen in June. Crazy!! I really can't believe that we are nearing our 10 year high school reunions (Ricky's in 10 and mine in 11). Where does the time go?

In the taekwondo realm, I've been able to start learning some of my new form. I think I like it, but learning new black belt forms is always "interesting." I really miss having a taekwondo school close. I especially miss the teaching piece. It's been such a joy to be a part of so many people's lives (little kids, big kids, and adults) through taekwondo. I love, love, love teaching and watching the students grow. It is my favorite part, and while I'm able to continue to work out with Mr. Duer and learn new material, it is not the same. It confirms in me my desire to keep the teaching part of taekwondo a big part of my life in the future. While I've never really wanted to commit to owning a taekwondo school as my "Job" (because it's my fun thing), I really do miss the "human/teaching" part of it. I have been able to take some fun classes at my local gym (kickboxing and power) that keep me busy, but it doesn't quite fill the void.

Well, this was a longer ramble than I intended. I promise to update more regularly again. :)

Passed!

I passed my fourth degree testing!! It only took about 2 months for me to get the results, which makes things a little anti-climatic. However, I'm still really excited about getting to advance in rank and learn new material (and even more excited about avoiding another fourth degree testing). ;-) I also get to put a cool black stripe down my white uniform pants! Oh, the little things in life.

In other news, things are falling into place in Portland, and Ricky & I are enjoying the new city. He's taking off with his photography and is learning to ref football for the fall. He's also done a pretty good job of rounding up random athletic training work to help us pay the bills. I still need to take some pics of the house and get those uploaded...it's in the works.

Portland

It is official. We have moved to Portland. We packed everything up in a big truck and got it all unloaded on Sunday. We've since had some of the hottest weather on record in Oregon, and so it hasn't really felt like we moved only a couple hours away. It's felt a bit more like Phoenix or New Mexico. However, we did have sense enough to buy a little window unit on Saturday before the heat wave really hit, and we were so thankful that we did. I'm not sure how we would've survived without it (and there certainly weren't many left in stores after Monday). It was money well spent. The window unit is in the living room, and Ricky and I have slept on the couch or blow-up air mattress since we've been here. It's returning to normal (even though the high is still 92), and I've finally found the sheets for our bed and put them in the washer. Hopefully, we'll be sleeping back in the real bed pretty soon.

Our new house is starting to feel like home, and we both like the character and charm of it. It's only two bedrooms, but it's working out nicely. The guest bedroom/office is going to work double duty (we pushed the bed in a corner so it's like a daybed) and there's plenty of room. We've made a couple of trips to Ikea (worthy of a whole separate post...Laura, do you know what Ikea is?) and are getting organized. Ricky finally has his much coveted recliner.

We joined a gym, and it is literally across the street. It's a local place, Cascade Fitness, and I really like that. We checked out some other franchise gyms but I wasn't super impressed. I like that people know you when you come in and care about your well-being...not to mention I like that the employees look like normal people and not like they have been on steroids since they were toddlers.

The dogs seem to be settling in nicely, too. The house has a pretty large back yard with a deck and a privacy fence, so they've got new area to explore and sniff. Chip loves that there's carpet in the bedrooms, and his new favorite spot is under our bed. Cooper likes the daybed set up in the office and has made that his favorite napping spot. The front yard is almost fully fenced, and Ricky has a project in mind to make a little gate so that the dogs can have the run of the front or back yard.

So, I'm off to do more unpacking. It's amazing how it seems to be never-ending (but unpacking is way more fun than packing). I need to get the office organized soon or I'm never gonna finish my dissertation. I'll post pictures when we're a bit more settled.

Exercising

Well, it's been a while since I posted on my newfound interest in running, so I thought I'd give you a quick update. I'm hanging onto my routine for the most part. I send Laura my updates almost daily, which helps with accountability (and for celebrating accomplishments). I've been doing a good job of staying in the workout routine even with the busy summer. The nice thing about running is that you can do it anywhere. I've gone on a couple outdoor runs around the park in our area but for the most part I've been sticking to the gym. My regimen has typically consisted of 25-30 minutes on the treadmill, and I always go at least two miles. Even days like today when I didn't feel well, and I told myself I was only going to do one mile, I stayed on for the second. Some days I push myself to run more for endurance at a steady pace and other days I push myself in intervals. I've also added a bit of incline for interest. In addition to the time on the treadmill, I've also jumped back on the elliptical regularly. I find this to be easier on my body (I don't feel totally exhausted the next day) but still a good workout. Plus, it breaks up the monotony. So, I've been doing at least an additional 2 miles on the elliptical. I also like increasing the resistance and the incline on the elliptical to get a different workout from running. Since last Thursday, I've gone to the gym 5 times and logged about 25 miles total. I took two days off (one for a wedding and one for a haircut) and still got that in. I've also added back some weight lifting every other day or so. It feels good to be sore in my upper body again, too.

So, what's the goal? I'm not really sure. I know I've probably lost about 7 pounds from where I was before I started running (and I was not happy with my body at that time), and I'd like to lose about that much more. After that I think I'll be happy to maintain and keep toning. I can really tell my body is re-shaping itself, and that is keeping me that much more motivated to keep working out. Not to mention my hubby. He's been doing great and has lost about 20 lbs.

In addition to my physical motivation, I got new running shoes at the nike outlet store and it makes the biggest difference. So, if you are exercising, make sure you have running shoes that are less than 6 months worn or you're doing yourself extra harm and enduring undue hardship.

A quick shout-out to Laura who is back to the gym after some time in Florida. I'm proud of her and know she will meet her new short-term goal. ;-)

A bit more...

I can't believe it's already been almost a week since Chris & Susan went back to Arkansas and Ricky headed to Europe. I've been crazy busy. Here's the rundown of the last few weeks.

I spent the week after father's day in Arkansas. World Championships for taekwondo went well. I passed my fit test and am waiting to hear about the traditional testing (it was close either way). I got to visit with my parents quite a bit, work out with Ms. Danley (my amazing first taekwondo instructor), take my parents to their first opening ceremonies for ATA (and their first visit to Verizon arena), go with my parents car shopping (they bought a new honda accord in charcoal gray), see Ricky's parents and family a couple times, and squeeze in a half day of shopping with my mom.

I returned from Arkansas late on a Saturday, taught taekwondo all afternoon the following Monday, and then went to Portland on Wednesday (7/1) to sign the rental agreement on our Portland house and pick up Chris & Susan from the airport.

On Thursday, Susan and I had a great girls day. We had lunch, got pedicures, and went and saw My Sister's Keeper at the movies. It was fun. We met up with the boys for a trip to Autzen stadium (where the UO Ducks play football) and some dinner.

Friday we went to Portland to have lunch with Kris Allen. It was a blast. We laughed so. very. much. First, Ricky was navigating us (on foot) in the total wrong direction of the restaurant, then we had a waitress who talked out of the side of her mouth funny (which became quite amusing), Kris Allen got asked to sign an autograph and spelled "Thanks" like "Tanks." On the way back from lunch, both Chris and Kris needed to pee. But suddenly, Kris Allen was no longer just Kris. Four grown men ran out of a restaurant to ask him for a picture (he obliged and then had them take a picture of the five of us), then a lady with a baby in a stroller wanted one (but she realized her memory card was full so she needed another on her phone), then another couple. We kept stopping in shops and banks to look for restrooms but no one had public ones. We kept heading toward the hotel and only had to pause for a few more autographs. Once we made it back to the hotel, we enjoyed really yummy fruit popsicles that the hotel gave out. It was a good time. In all the hustle of picking up Kris and deciding on a restaurant for lunch, we forgot which floor we parked on in the parking garage. Subsequently, we had to stop at every floor in the elevator until we found our car. (I think it was like floor 7).

On the way back, we stopped at an apple store so Chris could purchase an iphone. And that evening we went to a fireworks show. I love love love fireworks. It was nice.

Saturday was July fourth. We went to the Saturday market (so Chris and Susan could have the true Eugene experience), had bbq for lunch, and we grilled out (chicken, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, etc) for dinner. Cooper went crazy barking at all the fireworks, which stressed me out. But we all survived.

Sunday was the AI concert. We stopped at the outlet malls on the way up, and I got a new pair of running shoes from the nike store. They make running so much more pleasant! The AI concert was amazing. Our seats were far away, but we had a good view. The show sounded awesome live (and it was the first one). Kris got us backstage passes, and we were able to meet all ten idols. It was fun. Sunday night we stayed at the Portland house.

Monday was a BUSY day. We got up and grabbed Kris from his hotel again and headed to the Original Pancake House BUT the silly restaurant was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. So, we had to find somewhere else to go. We ended up at a diner that had a crowd waiting outside. It was featured on "Man vs. Food" so we knew it must be good. We had to wait for---ever.... But the food was great. I had banana bread french toast, Chris had a "mancake" so huge he ate less than half of it, and the others also had good food. The service was not good but the company was. ;-)

After dropping Kris off, we headed to Seattle. We arrived in the afternoon, checked into the hotel, and headed across the street to Cheesecake Factory for an early dinner (Chris & Susan's first experience). It was yummy. Susan and I sent the boys to a Mariner's game, and we hit the stores. I found a new bag/purse that I love and a few inexpensive tops. I learned that WA doesn't charge sales tax to OR residents...Yay!!

Tuesday we hit up Pike Street Market. It was wonderful. Vendors of all types from fish to flowers to jewelry to purses to artwork to baseball cards and candy.

Ricky also found this cool hat store that had been in the location and owned by the same family for 75 years.

Indiana Jones times two.

The perfect one.

We saw the original starbucks and ate lunch at the crab pot--another "Man Vs. Food" feature. The crab pot was fun. You order steamed pots with variations of seafood and just eat with your fingers.

Tuesday evening we all went to a Mariner's game (got to see Griffey leg out a double) and then drove back to Portland.

On Wednesday, I took Ricky to the airport at 6:30 am, dropped Chris & Susan back off at 11:30 am, and headed to a research meeting from noon-2pm. After that, I headed back to Eugene and went to a bachelorette dinner for Miranda that evening. I had the coolest drink--a lava flow that was a berry flavored margarita but get this...with Pop Rocks on the rim. It was kinda weird but good. ;-)

Friday was the wedding rehearsal and dinner, and Saturday was the wedding at King Estates Vineyard. It was cool and windy but a beautiful wedding. I didn't get home until after 1am. Sunday was the "picnic" taekwondo testing that had to be moved in doors because it was cold and storming all day.

Today was my first day to start packing and preparing for the yard sale. I made good progress on the office and will tackle the rest of it tomorrow. I should also mention that it is Kyle and Laura's second anniversary (well, here it still is anyway). Happy Anniversary!! Phew! What a summer so far. I need a vacation!!

Preview

Hi,

I'm running on fumes and am off to a bachelorette dinner for my friend Miranda, but I wanted to give you a taste of what's to come. I have LOTS of updating to do. We had an amazing visit with Chris and Susan (and even quite a bit of KA, too). :-) Enjoy the preview. I'll be back with lots more pictures and details soon.

Enjoying a warm afternoon in Portland.

The girls and Kris.

Waiting to go backstage after the idol concert.

Girls with Allison.

Adam poses for a picture post show.

Kris and the Arkansas friends after the first show.

Seattle Mariners game.

Pike's Market, Seattle

Tidbits

I don't really have a ton to post about, but in the spirit of trying to post more regularly I'm gonna post anyway. :-) School is "out" for summer, and I'm officially on break. However, when I think about my summer, it's going to slip away very quickly.

Next week, I head to Arkansas to test for my fourth degree black belt. I'm excited, but right now my body is exhausted. If you didn't know otherwise, you'd think I'm being beat up. My right shin has a huge bruise from sparring without shin guards, my right forearm is swollen and yucky black and blue from sparring an out of control green belt who's about twice my size, and my right foot is bruised from breaking boards (sometimes they "bite" when you break them). Everything is sore, but it's all worth it. I've been training really hard and am excited that it will pay off. In addition to training at taekwondo, I've been keeping up the regular work out routine on the treadmill and elliptical. Testing is Thursday at 10 a.m. at the LR Convention Center.

When I come back from Arkansas, I have a few days until Chris and Susan come visit. We have plans to visit the coast, see American Idol at their first stop in Portland, and head to Seattle for some Mariner's baseball (and shopping!!). Then, Ricky heads to England for 10 days with the Soccer team. When he gets home, we will be packing for the move to Portland. We have August to spend enjoying the new city, and then work begins full time.

Somewhere in here, I hope to get my dissertation results and discussion section finished and passed on to my committee. I think I can do it! ;-) I really, really want to have it pretty much done by the time work starts in the end of August.

I'll leave you with a few pictures...

Family Portrait ;-)

Voodoo donuts in Portland. They make them almost any way you can imagine. A sure tourist stop for any of you who come to visit us while we live in Portland.

Ricky excited about voodoo donuts.

Running

Well, as I mentioned in a previous post, I'm learning to run as a form of exercise. Novel for me. I've always been intimidated to run. I know it's hard, and I have kinda gimpy knees. I always preferred to get my cardio an "easier" way (the elliptical, taekwondo workouts, biking). I've avoided running for most of my life---until recently. Several months ago, something inspired Ricky to start working out more seriously again, and this time he engaged in running as part of his regular workout. I'm not exactly sure if, for him, it was the chance to go to umpire school or just a more general desire to get back in shape, but shortly after he began, I became inspired.

This husband of mine (who I'd never seen be at all interested in cardio...he'd do it now and then because he should and then quickly jet off to the weight room to spend most of his time) was spending a lot of time on the treadmill. Not only that, he really seemed to be enjoying it. I was intrigued. I also thought that if he really learned to run and enjoyed it, that it would be good if I could keep up. After all, we live in "track town USA" where there are more running trails than I could ever explore and amazing weather to run outside.

So my quest began. I'm trying to retrace my journey and remember exactly when I stepped on the treadmill for the first time in ages. I know it was sometime before Mother's day but not much before. So, that means I've been learning to run (notice I'm not saying I'm a "runner"---F.A.R. from that and more on that later) for at least 6 weeks. I'm making good progress, but it is HARD. The first day I could jog for about 6-7 minutes at a time before needing to walk. This week, I had several days where I ran for 30 minutes straight a little faster than 5mph average (5mph is a 12 min mile). One day, I ran over 4 miles. I'm feeling more confident, but each date with the treadmill is a challenge. However weird it sounds, learning to run has been a fun challenge. I can feel the effects of the work out all day long. My body is re-shaping itself a bit, and hopefully, I'm losing a few pounds too.

Today, was a new challenge. I did my first outdoor run. It wasn't too far, and I wasn't too fast. But I survived. Running outside is hard for me. I knew it would be. I have no idea how to pace myself, and I have less will-power without the treadmill forcing my steps. But, Ricky ran with me (he's done the outside adventure a few times now) and encouraged me. We ran for about 20 minutes, came back by the house and got the dogs, and ran/walked briskly with them for another 15 or so minutes. It was fun, and I'm looking forward to the next time.

All this to say, I'm really enjoying learning to run. I'm enjoying the challenge, and I'm enjoying that Ricky and I are kind-of doing this together. I appreciate the support and competition to keep up with him. I appreciate that this is impacting other areas of our lives (how we eat, etc.). It's really not about weight loss (although, that's a nice perk). It's becoming something we can enjoy and do together, something that makes us feel better, and something that is a new challenge. I KNOW I'm far from being a "runner." I see others around me who are runners, and I am not there yet. Not sure if I'll ever be...don't really think I want to be (but that may change). But, I'm learning to do something new, and I'm enjoying it.

Related to seeing runners around me. Ricky and I got to go with his friend Tim to the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene last Sunday. It was great. It's a really fun track meet, and this year they had more olympic medalists (34) compete than ever before in an American track meet. We saw several fastest runs of the year and some other cool records. I definitely felt that I could appreciate what the athletes do now that I've embarked on the journey of learning to run...and understanding the work it takes me to run a mile in 11 minutes ;-).
Among lots of other neat races, we saw 13 of 16 men run a mile in under 4 minutes.

And we saw Jennifer Berringer from Colorado become only the 3rd American woman to ever run a mile under 4 minutes. She finished a close second in the race, but I'll leave you with this picture of her as she realizes what she's just done as an inspiration for us. So, while I may never be a runner like Jennifer, I am excited about learning something new and am looking forward to reaping the benefits in other areas of my life, too! Hopefully, we will remember to seize each day as a new opportunity and enjoy the challenges (and obstacles) as well as the victories.

Perspective for fun

I ran across this picture just in case you ever wondered how big Dwight Howard really is...Kris sang the national anthem at the NBA game earlier this week. 

Updates...

Hi my blog readers. Sorry I've been slow to post lately. Life has been busy... busier than usual, so I'll give you the quick updates and then I promise to be a better blogger this summer. My goal is at least 2x a week whether I have anything to say or not. ;-) I've found that some of my favorite of my blog friends' posts are when they are just random. But this one is purposeful, so here goes...

Last Wednesday I officially attended my last day of class as a student (ever) unless I go back to school for something else. The joke with my parents is that I should try law or medical school next, but I think I'm ready to see what it's like to be a member of the working world. As many of you know, I have accepted an internship position in Portland for next year as a Behavior Support Specialist, which means moving to Portland (2hours from here). I do still have graduate work to do--a dissertation to defend in October and internship requirements to fulfill. If all goes according to plan, I will graduate with my PhD next June.

Last Wednesday Ricky officially resigned from his job here in Eugene. He is on a ten month contract but spreads his pay over 12 months, so he will receive pay through August. He was hoping to take a leave of absence and have the option of coming back next year, but with budget cuts, his class was taken (for now) making his position either .8 or .9 FTE. The district won't grant leave of absences for less than full time, so he had to stay or resign. He chose to resign so that he can move to Portland with me and attend umpire school next winter. I know this was a very difficult decision for him, but he is excited about the opportunity to explore something he's always enjoyed. I'm excited for him (and for us). We will be completely out of our house in Eugene by the end of July.

So, last Friday we went to Portland so I could work for the day and we could look at potential houses to rent. It was a productive day, and we've found a house. You can see pictures if you follow the link:http://portlandcreativerealtors.idxco.com/idx/3112/photoGallery.php?idxID=037&listingID=8105432

The landlords are first time landlords who were trying to sell the house initially but had no luck. The furniture is theirs but you can get an idea. We're excited. It has a yard for the dogs and is in a good location. It's about 10 minutes from my office and about 15 minutes from downtown. There is a MAX stop a few blocks away, meaning we can take public transit to downtown easily. The bike path is only a couple of houses down as well, so we can take the dogs for walks or we can enjoy our bikes. There are a couple of great fitness centers within walking distance as well.

Speaking of fitness, Ricky has been working really hard to get in shape for umpire school and has lost at least 10 lbs. He started running on the treadmill and has made great progress. Somewhere along the way, he inspired me to try running (he seemed to be getting great "bang for his buck" in terms of an extensive workout in minimal time). I've joined him on the quest, and although it's hard, we are making progress. The first day I ran, I could barely jog about 6-7 minutes at a time. Now, I'm running 25 minutes straight at a brisker pace. Some days are harder than others, but I always feel great when I've done. So, thanks to my hubby for inspiring me. :) 

Also related to fitness, I'm headed to Arkansas June 22 to test for my fourth degree black belt on June 25 at World Championships. I'm excited. The testing requirements have changed some, and I now "get" to do a fitness test in addition to the testing. For the fitness test, I have to do a total of 300 techniques in 5 minutes one minute each of: push ups, sit ups, kicks, combinations, and punches. For my testing, I will demonstrate my form, sparring, and break 3 boards. Pray for my confidence for this. If I pass, I'll have the summer to work on my new form before moving to Portland. 

In other news, we are excited for Chris and Susan (Ricky's brother and sister in law) to come visit us early July. We are looking forward to seeing Kris Allen, the Idol concert (first stop is Portland). In addition, we are taking couple of days to head to Seattle and see the Mariners play, eat some great food, and do some shopping (at least Susan and I are excited about that). 

I think that's about it. Oh, and laura recognized my blog with this great award (the link to her blog is on the right of my page). Thanks, Laura!

4 years

Yesterday was a fun day. Ricky and I celebrated our four year anniversary. It's crazy to think how much has change and how much has stayed the same in four years. 

Since getting married, Ricky has worked at two different high schools, become actively involved in his umpire association, asked to join the college association, and learned a lot about photography. In the same time, I have completed my Masters degree, advanced to doctoral candidacy, proposed and collected my dissertation data, and accepted an internship position as a Behavior Support Specialist. 

We now live over 2200 miles from home and have made at least 9 airplane trips back to Arkansas for Christmases and weddings (and coincidentally Kris Allen day). We became parents of two dogs (and have made a total of 3 trips to the emergency vet), met new school/work/taekwondo/umpire friends, vacationed in Hawaii and on the Oregon coast. We have become god parents to Abby Shachmut. Since we've been married, I have learned to snow ski, and Ricky has learned to fly fish. We've bought and sold a mini cooper and now own a CR-V. We've paid off my car, the washer/dryer, our bedroom furniture, and several computers. 

In four years, Ricky and I are as at ease and comfortable with each other as we have ever been. We get along and try not to sweat the small stuff. Our marriage is strong, and we are still a great fit for each other. It feels nice to know I've found and am spending each day with the person God made for me. Being married and living with Ricky has been fun. I can't wait for the next 4 years, and the 4 after that, and after that and after that...

Now a summary of yesterday. The day started pretty much like most others. Ricky had a morning meeting and I headed to the gym and had some errands to run. Late yesterday morning I got the following email:

Sometimes you ask " why do you love me?".
Your laugh
Because you let me rub you
The way you kiss me when you leave in the morning
b/c how excited you get about owning a house with me and being a mommy someday
The way you support me with my overwhelming obsessions
b/c you appreciate my cooking
b/c you love our dogs
b/c you always put me first
b/c you care how you look to me
b/c your hair is so pretty when straight and curly
Boobies(you know me I had to go there)
Honestly there is a lot I could say. Mostly because God created you for me and it just feels better than anything else I could imagine.  Love you I do.

When I responded with a thank you and a mention of my teariness in response, he responded, "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention how you cry." :)

We received some nice congratulations from several friends. This one put it into perspective and was one of my favorites:

billie jo & ricky ro

congratulations on completing your undergraduate in marriage. i wish you much luck as you pursue further endeavors in the field. 
it seems like yesterday you guys were just freshman, just learning the ropes, jumping into cars & speeding all over the place. and laura got so sick that time...man...time flies ;-). 

Have a great day!
-Kyle-

 When I made it home to let the dogs out for a few minutes, I found a nice surprise in the fridge--An edible arrangement. Even better than flowers! :)

Cooper cracks me up in this picture. He was excited, too! ;-)

We met for dinner at one of our favorite places, "Hole in the Wall BBQ." This restaurant is totally us--low key, locally owned with regular workers who know us, southern comfort foods including sweet tea and cornbread, and great food. Ricky arrived first and let them know we were celebrating our anniversary. I walked in to lots of congrats and smiles. We ordered our favorites from the menu, and in southern style, we met some nice business men who were in for a quick trip from LA (one was a transplanted Bostonian, which was fun). They quietly bought us an appetizer (hot links) and asked questions about Eugene. It was a great visit. The waitress brought us a dessert on the house, which we shared. She also took our picture with their little mascot pig, which was kind of funny. 

A few more pictures from 4 years ago.