End of Summer Days

  Summer is coming to and end, and I am OK with that! Fall is my favorite time of the year, and I am really looking forward to some rain and cooler temperatures. Here in Boise, it has been a miserably HOT summer, with NO RAIN, and nasty fires. For the last few weeks, I have been waking-up to the smell of thick smoke in the air. It has been pretty gross, especially in our neck of the woods. It has made running difficult. I am excited for it to clear out -- hopefully soon! I actually started praying for rain, it has been SO BAD! 

I have been trying to run more often, and I have been out for some 7 mile runs. It is super-slow-going because I push the beast-master double-stroller -- which is hard to do on a very good day, and even harder when I am still trying to just heave my own body forward! (And even harder when I am sucking-in smoke!) But I don't care. I just keep moving forward, super-slow, and steady -- building up my endurance and strength again. And hopefully jiggling off some of my extra baggage. I know it will take a while, but I gotta do it. There is nothing for it! 

A few weeks ago, I woke-up, and laid in bed for awhile. I could feel EVERY extra ounce of chub on my body. It was really uncomfortable, and I felt heavy and gross. It was like it was pressing me down into my bed, and making it so I did not want to get out. I decided that I can either be uncomfortable when I wake-up in the morning because I am chubby, or I can feel uncomfortable when I am working hard running. Which uncomfortable is worse? Guess. 

You guessed right. 

Anyway, so pounding the pavement I go. I don't care how long it takes me, it is a forever process, there is no end to exercise (darn it!) . . . I am in the middle of life forever, remember? Basically, the more steps I take, the better! Oh, and I started bringing music with me (Pandora on my phone). I just put it on top of my stroller and turn it way up. I often play Louis Armstrong and other upbeat oldies, and so I sound like the ice-cream truck. I'm just waiting for neighborhood kids to come running out with money in their hands -- disappointed when it is only me, and my motley running crew. :-) 

Hmmmm . . . ice-cream sounds good. 

On one of my last long runs, I had to stop and feed Henry. Yeah, I stop and start again, when I go far. I don't mind, it is great! (That is what I am trying to convince myself.) Henry was loving the pit-stop, he was lying on the grass staring up at a beautiful Weeping Willow tree. When we were done with the breastfeeding break, I got up again, and kept going another couple of miles . . . you do what you gotta do, right? :-) No stress, no pressure . . . just keep moving forward! 

 SO precious how much he loved to see the trees and the sky . . . enjoying the NOW. The simple things. Taking in the moment . . . there is much we can learn from babies and children! 

 Sammi's all red from riding her bike along side me. It takes us a good couple of hours to do the long runs because I am SO STINKING SLOW. But it is great to just be outside, even in the heat. (It is usually about 90 when I run.) Yikes! 

 I was trying to get a picture of the kids different shades of blue eyes. They say eyes are the window to the soul . . . 

Sammi

Daniel 

 William 

 Henry

 The whole crew -- hot and tired

 See my running shoe? . . . Proof that I was really running. :-) 

Autumn running, here I come! My new "plan" is to be out for 2 hours a day, just moving. I can run, walk, skip, hop, whatever -- but I have to keep moving. I will do this while William is in half-day Kindergarten. That way I will only have to push a SINGLE stroller during the school year -- how AWESOME is that?! Pretty dang awesome! 

Yee-ha!