Oh, my Aching Bones

(image credit here).

Operation Disciplined and Intentional is in full swing, and I just need to tell you that my body is in protest. Seriously. Apparently, it forgot what it feels like to be exercised.

I, apparently, forgot how uncoordinated I am. Yesterday morning, I woke with full intentions of starting the day with my Pilates DVD. I lasted about two minutes before I remembered why I stopped using the video in the first place: I'm terrible at getting all my parts moving in the right direction at the right time. I spent most of the two minutes craning my neck up at the TV from the floor wondering how on earth I was going to get my body to do that.

So I quit.

I picked up my hand weights and did some arm and ab exercises, then I did crunches and called it a morning.

Better than nothing, right?

Those 250 crunches did a number on my belly. It's been screaming at me ever since.

After Micah woke up and ate breakfast, we packed up and headed to town to pick up a few essential items, including a new workout DVD. I tried it this morning, and although it was difficult, it's at least doable for me.

Last night when Dennis got home, I laced up my running shoes and hit the road. I'm following a simple 5K running plan, and I'm hoping that this time it sticks. I haven't run in over two years. My last semester at Beeson, back in 2008, is the last time I remember running. Then I got pregnant, had a baby, and couldn't figure out when running was supposed to happen anymore.

After the failure of yesterday morning, I thought there was no hope for the running adventure, but then I surprised myself by completing all 10 minutes of running without too much trouble. It felt good to run again.

Have I mentioned that I'm out of shape??

The plan is to work out each morning at home, either with my weights or with a DVD. When Dennis gets home in the evenings, I'm headed out the door for 30 minutes of running/walking. My goal is to do the videos 5 days a week and run 4-5 days a week. At the end of 10 weeks, I should be able to run for 30 minutes without stopping, which will put me on track for running a 5K sometime in the spring. I've just got to find one.

So that's my workout plan. What about you? How are you working out these days?

Until next time, grace and peace.

I am Resolved: Disciplined & Intentional Edition

I don't generally make New Year's resolutions. I usually have a vague sense of a goal or two that I would like to accomplish during the year, but this year is different. I've been living a bit haphazardly lately, letting schedules slide and allowing situations dictate my days. Last week, I read a post about resolutions on Bloom that helped me clarify a theme for 2011. In the post, Danielle chose one word to define the upcoming year. Her word was gumption. As I mulled over all the different goals I have for this year, two words came to mind: disciplined and intentional.

Since I graduated from seminary and became a working from home staying at home mommy, I've lost a lot of the discipline that defined my life when I had four papers and three books to read each week. That lack of discipline has filtered into all sorts of areas of my life, and I'm ready to reclaim it. That explains why I chose disciplined as one of my theme words.

My reasons for choosing intentional are a bit different. Being a mother has forced me to question why I do the things I do. I want to raise a daughter who is thoughtful and mindful, which has forced me to become more thoughtful and mindful about how we do life in this household. I want to be intentional about the things we watch, the books we read, and the traditions we practice. I'm not interested in living haphazardly any longer, but I am interested in intentionally cultivating a sense of wonder and faith in my baby girl. That process starts with me.

Those words are my themes, and I've got lots of ways I'd like to see the words define this year. My list of goals runs from losing 25 pounds to paying off student loans to rising each morning with Dennis. I want to read the Bible using M’Cheyne's Bible Reading Plan and start a bit of Bible-reading with Micah. I plan to post more frequently, run a 5K, and sign up for more writing projects. I also want to read more books (which should be easy since this year I only finished one) and live more generously. Being disciplined and intentional will help me accomplish all of these things.

I am resolved to be a disciplined and intentional woman this year.

What have you resolved?

Until next time, grace and peace.

Making Memories at the State Fair

The coming of fall means more than pumpkins and cooler weather; it's also the season of carnivals and fairs across the South. Memories of "The Fair" fill my childhood, and I was really excited to share some of those same memories with Micah last weekend at her very first trip to the Mississippi State Fair.

It's always comforting to know that some things remain the same, and going to the fair was like visiting with an old friend. We ate the same taffy, looked at the same displays in the Trade Center, and even saw the same games on the Midway. I'm so glad that I get to share a part of my childhood with my own children, and I hope a trip to the fair is a tradition we won't neglect.

We started in the Trade Center, which is always filled with the best of the best when it comes to crafts and canning. We checked out the jams and jellies that garnered first place in the state, then we meandered through the arts and crafts section, where this delicately crocheted blanket and pretty little button tree caught my eye.

By the time we made it outside, we were all hungry, so we headed to the Midway to search for some lunch. I knew what I wanted before we ever arrived at the fair, and it didn't take long to find what I was looking for: chicken on a stick from Penn's. Dennis' mom ordered some fried pickles, and we found a shady spot to enjoy our meal.

After satisfying our appetites, we headed to the petting zoo so Micah could check out all the animals, but she wasn't a fan. After a goat stuck its head out of the fence at her, she clung to her daddy and looked on from arms length. She wasn't into the petting part of the petting zoo, but she's a curious girl, and there was a lot to look at in that little tent.

As soon as we left the petting zoo, the carousel caught our eyes, and since Micah LOVED the carousel at Dollywood this summer, we snatched up a few tickets and Gran hopped on with her. We should have watched the carousel for one round before we threw her on a horse. The horse that she's on looked crazy for a reason. That was seriously the fastest carousel I've ever seen, and Micah wanted off immediately, but there was no stopping that crazy ride yet. She gladly dismounted when the ride finally stopped, and I vowed to never do that again. From now on I will watch a ride before I put Micah on it. Lesson learned.

After the carousel adventure, we strolled through the livestock barns to check out the cattle show. In case you didn't know, my husband is a country boy, and he grew up in those barns {showing sheep, not cattle}. My family, on the other hand, may have stepped into the barns on occasion, but it was not the main part of our fair experience. Our fair experience revolved around food and rides. Dennis' fair experience revolved around animals. We are so. different.

And then, it was time to go home, but we had one last stop to make before leaving the fair. Dennis and I may have had very different childhood experiences at the fair, but there is one thing that we both share: Malone's Taffy. The fair is not the fair without Malone's taffy. It is, by far, the best thing about the fair. Prices are a little steeper than they used to be, but a box of the sticky sweetness is more than worth the $9 price tag. Yum. We'll be savoring that taffy for a while. If you're lucky, we might share a piece with you.

But only if you're lucky :)

If you live near Jackson and you haven't yet made it to the fair, it's not too late. You have until Sunday night to get out there and enjoy all that the fair has to offer. After that, you'll just have to wait until next year.

Until next time, grace and peace.