to run for a mom.

this morning dawned bright and early.

my body did not want to get out of the warm covers that it was buried in. 

but, we had something we had to do.

it had rained the day before and during the night.

rain was expected for today too.

daddy, mom, and i--with dry clothes and bib numbers in tow--loaded up at 6:20 am.

we were running for a mom--dallas and quinn's birth moms.

www.runforamom.org

by the time we arrived at our destination, the rain had stopped.

we were thankful for God's blessings He was already bestowing upon us.

arriving 30 minutes early, we unloaded and pinned our bibs and back "run for a mom" bibs on.

mom and i took a jog around the parking lot to get warmed up for the 5k.

right before the race began, we shot a picture and participated in the stretches led by one of the sponsors.

the race began and we waved to the sister who had just arrived and was sitting in the truck, in the parking lot, cheering us on.

it was steamy because of the earlier rain.

racers was sweating and putting their all into the race.

it was good.

small hills and twists and turns in the neighborhood.

clocking 3 miles, i turned the bend and saw the finish line in the distance.

sprinting the last hundred yards i crossed the finish line.

29:56.

the running group we formed--miles for mamas.

God then started the rain and the sprinkles felt SO GOOD.

we had our picture taken with Big Al and was able to visit with friends that we don't see often.

everybody then headed inside for food, door prizes, and awards.

oh yeah, mom won a door prize.

no, it's not a pole.

that my friends, is a rug.

what a door prize, huh?

aaaaand she won first in her age division....again.

daddy holding mom's rug while talking with friends.

after the race and after changing our clothes, daddy headed home and us girls went to the movies.

moms night out is the greatest.

you neeeed to go see it.

the end.

Stats for Agape Run for a Mom 5k:

Chip Start: 7:32:02

Gun Start: 7:32:00

Finish: 8:01:58

Chip Elapsed: 29:56:360

Gun Elapsed: 29:58:915

Age Division: 20-24

Place: 4th out of the 12 in my age group

Overall Place: 85 out of 400 runners

w e e k e n d.

this past weekend was wonderful.


saturday.

cheering mom on at crossing the creek adventure run.
downtown cityfest.
strawberry picking at u-pick.
a cook-out with friends and family.

sunday.

church.

afternoon movie watching.

evening worship.

a dinner of leftovers and movie night with brother and sis-in-law.

monday.

a phase 10 game--just me and him.

sad goodbyes--already looking forward to next time.

my boyfriend drove down from his hometown in kentucky friday night.

due to a tire blowout, he was a tad bit later  than was planned so mom and i went to the area wide singing--waiting for his arrival. he arrived around 9:30 pm and we went to work dressing spooky's (my horse) abscessed hoof. he left for nana's house around 10:30--his hotel for the weekend. :)

he got to our house at 6:50 am--bright and early--in order for us to leave to go to mom's race.

she was the second overall woman winner--getting beat by a 14-year-old by a mere 4 seconds.

cityfest was enjoyed and kettle corn was bought.

a lunch at mcalister's deli was consumed and a trip to the strawberry patch was made.

back home, dinner preparations were made and friends arrived.

grilled chicken, bbq, baked beans, hashbrown casserole, and salad was on the menu.

lots of laughter was shared.

he met us at church the next morning and my family worshiped the Lord together 

(minus the sister and the brother-in-law).

nana and grandaddy joined us at home for a feast of homemade lasagna, garlic bread and salad.

he and i watched gifted hands after our company left.

church that night.

monday morning dawned and after he filled up with fuel, he came to see me at home.

we sat on the couch and talked about this and that and then debated on whether to play checkers or phase 10. 

my suggestion won--phase 10.

 (it's a secret as to who won *wink wink*)

10:00 am rolled around--the time he had to leave.

i watched as he drove off--back to his hometown....until next time.

happy birthday, little sister.

my little sister.

the one who (along with me) stuffs her face with cotton candy 

while watching the main street electrical parade at disney.

the one who could live at disney world--seriously.

the one who thinks golf is boring.

the one who has a love for bright colors and beautiful things.

the one that can find a piece of trash and turn it into a treasure.

the one who motivated and continues to motivate me to be a runner.

the one who met a guy in fifth grade, had a secret crush on him, 

his eyes were finally opened, and married him at age 19.

(hehe!)

the one who totally ROCKS the baby bump.

the one who is going to be an a m a z i n g mom and, along with her hubby, will be the best parents ever.

the one who i want to be like when i grow up....

the one who i adore and could not imagine life without.

here's to number 20 and many more "sister moments" with you.

i. love. you.

happy birthday, big brother.

my big brother.

the one who keeps us laughing.

the one who comes to my rescue when my tires need air in them.

the one who will watch pride and prejudice and actually enjoy it.

the one who has a random turtle obsession--so much so that he'll see it, stop, and pick them up from the side of the road and then let them go when he gets home that evening.

the one who randomly calls to chat and see how my day's going.

(oh yeah, and who else has a brother who calls to wish you a happy Hump Day?)

the one who will be a daddy for the first time in july.

the one who is the spiritual leader for his family and is already planning, along with his wife, to train and nurture their children in the Lord.

the one who lives life with tons of happiness and hardly ever has a grumpy day.

the one who i couldn't be more privileged to call "brother."

here's to number 24 and many more happy and crazy years of life.

i love you more than words can say.

instagram

@purposelyathome

to run a race.

hi. it's me.

 you know, the one m.i.a. for the past month?

yeah, so i'm back and hopefully back for the long haul.

life has been busy.

life has been blessed.

and since life has been so crazy good, this little space of mine has been put on the very back burner.

so, here's to loving this little space of mine again.

today's update has to do with something that is kind of important in this household.

running.

since updating my blog, i have run in two more races:

Shamrock Shuffle 10k

mom and i jumped our of bed early on this saturday morning (3/15) and slipped in our running gear. leaving the daddy in bed sound asleep, we began the 45 minute trip to the location and prepped for the 7:30 am race. it was a very pleasant, cool morning. mom and i both placed second in our age divisions.

and i was able to beat my time from last year by 14 minutes.

Stats for Shamrock Shuffle 10k:

Time: 1:02:51

Age Division: 20-24

Place: 2nd out of the 4 in my age division

Overall Place: 60 out of 130 runners

Mustang Stampede Glow Run 5k

this run took place on april 11 at 7:00 pm. mom and i donned our neon running shirts and headed to the elementary school where the race was to be held. earlier that week, we had received an email saying that the run would not be a timed event. our competitive spirits were slightly dashed, but mom and i were thankful for the laid-back atmosphere. the race began, and mom and i both clocked one of our fastest times.
my time: 29:07

don't forget to keep running the most important race.

the race with the most important prize--heaven.


a lot of times, the "races" in life are super difficult.

our legs get tired and we become weary.

but, just like in a 5k, when you know that the clock is ticking, we have to keep pushing on and focus on the finish line ahead.

so go at it.

push on.