Wednesday, December 12, 2012

I'm doing well (155.6)

Work & home are crazy busy right now, so here are the highlights.

*I ran 8 miles Saturday afternoon and they were glorious!  It was cool but not cold; rather damp actually, but not windy.  My time was 1:33:30, which is an average pace of 11:41.  For a long run, that's a great pace for me.  At least 2 minutes faster per mile than the half I ran in February.

*I ran 3 miles yesterday after work and they were great, too.  I am running at around 10:30-10:45, but can't keep that pace up for miles, so I take walk breaks.  That is the pace my body settles into and wants to run.  I don't fight it.  I just go with it and soon enough I'll be holding that pace for longer distances.

*Food is good, still abstinent.  The scale reflects that.

*Kids are wonderful.  They performed their short plays for their acting classes on Saturday.  Luke was wonderful!  It was his first time on stage, and he loved it.  He wasn't nervous, and he delivered his lines and stayed in character perfectly.  Sophie's part was smaller, but she was still fabulous.  She's been on stage so much, I can't even keep track.  Luke's play was the Rainbow Fish and Sophie's was the Lion King.

*Christmas--ugh.  I am so not ready.  I have been buying small gifts for the kids here & there, and have just stuck them in the closet.  I don't have a handle on how much I have for each of them yet--that's the weekend's project.  I'm hoping everything else I can buy online.  I don't want to think about how awful the stores will be this weekend. 

We have Christmas eve lunch at mom's house, then have church that night at 7 pm (I sing in the choir so I'll have to be there early--an also serves as an excuse to leave mom's at an early hour).  Christmas day we have NOTHING!  Just the four of us.  Since Mark's sister moved to Indy last year, we now have that day free.  Last year was so delightful...no stress, no where we had to go. 

We have two events on Sunday 12/23.  At 1 pm, our Nicholson family reunion is at an historic restaurant near us. This is the whole Nicholson clan. There were 10 kids in Mark's dad's family, and they have been getting together at Christmas for 50 or 60 years.  Probably about 100 people still come.  Then after that at 3 pm, we have a going away party for some of our close friends.  We have known them for 17 years, went to St. John with them in 2009, and Paula has been a rock for me when I've been at my lowest.  They are moving to Des Moines for his job.  I've been in denial that she is leaving.  It's going to be really hard.  Their families are still here, so I'm sure we'll see them a couple times a year. But it's going to be hard.

That's it for now.  I'm happy things are trucking along & hope they stay that way.

5 comments:

Jill A said...

A few years ago we designated Christmas morning as a time for just the five of us. That's when we do Santa and open our gifts to each other. We used to make ourselves crazy trying to run from one relative to another, but that got old quick. I don't mind getting together that afternoon, but Christmas morning has become sacred time for us.

Good job on the running!!

xoxo

Vickie said...

I think it is really important to prioritize your immediate family for holiday. Because you want your growing kids to be interested in holidays with you (and not associate Xmas at grandma's or where ever) and not think of holidays with you as hectic or stressful or not fun. It is a real effort for older kids to get home for holidays or for all their college breaks. My husband always did as quick a trip as possible. By senior year he was figuring out anything at all to do instead of going home for summer (his mom could only be nice for about two days).

Is it absolutely amazing to you how easily your weight is coming off? Does it feel easy/quick to you?

Vickie said...

A whole day at Christmas is a real treat. You are very fortunate.

We have always stayed in town, but were dealing with my mom's house each year. Thanksgiving 2011 we broke with that tradition by going to Washington, D.C. So this is our second year of break and it has made a huge difference (mostly for me, which then in turn impacts them)

Shauna said...

Lovely Laura it sounds like things are going well overall. I so hear you on not being ready for xmas but it's fab you're eating well and taking care of you despite all going on, yay :)

Laura N said...

Jill, I'm glad your family is together on xmas morning. I can't imagine not being home that morning! We used to go to Mark's sister in the late afternoon, and not going anywhere now is supremely perfect.

Vickie, the answer to your question warrants a post.

Merry Christmas, Shauna!