Found this article this morning....priceless!

Olympic athlete's grandmother, 78, chased and caught a mugger
The 78-year-old grandmother of an Olympic sprinter has shown that athleticism runs in the family, after she chased and caught a mugger who stole her purse.

Pearline Williamson, whose grandson is 100m runner Simeon Williamson, was out shopping when a young woman ran past her, pulling the purse from her hand.
Without a thought for her own safety Mrs Williamson sprinted after the woman, believed to be in her early 20s, and managed to catch her.
The furious pensioner then shook her attacker in front of fellow shoppers in Edmonton, north London. The thief dropped the purse and escaped.
Mrs Williamson said: "She must have thought I was an easy touch because I'm elderly.
"When she took my purse I had to do something so I ran after her and grabbed her as hard as I could. She said she hadn't taken it at first, so I shook the life out of her until she finally gave it back."
Olympic hopeful Mr Williamson, 22, said: "It's typical of her as she stands up for everyone else, so it's no surprise she stood up for herself.
"She can be very friendly but also pretty scary when she wants to be – you wouldn't have wanted to be the thief.
"And there's no controlling her – you just have to stand back and hope she's alright as she doesn't think about the consequences."
Mrs Williamson said she had her purse stolen four-years ago on a bus and since then she has vowed to fight back against criminals.
She added: "I have never been scared of anyone. If I see someone being taken advantage of I do something.
"It makes me so mad when people try and take your things. Back in my day you had to work so hard for every penny. "My kids tell me not to get involved, but you have to try – if you don't do anything then bad people get away with bad things."
Her grandson will race at the Beijing Olympics as Britain's number one sprinter. He clocked a personal best of 10.03sec at the recent Olympic trials.
Mr Williamson said: "Her attitude would make her an Olympic gold medallist if she were just a few years younger.
"She's from a different generation and had to work for everything she has, so if someone takes what's hers then she will defend it. "It's that sort of stubborn belief that makes you a champion and that's exactly what she is."

It MUST be me.....

It's H-O-T!! And--it seems that I can't escape the heat. I received a call from my husband yesterday that our air conditioner at home wasn't working. Ugh. The temperature DOWNSTAIRS was 89 degrees...and who knows what it was upstairs. We have a supremely old unit, so there is only one for the entire house. We are trying to let it limp along--since it's covered under warranty. Eventually, we will get two new units for each floor; however, we have too many expensive projects going on right now to update the house!

So, one of my co-workers followed me home last night and was able to diagnose the problem. We were able to locate the part that was faulty and voila~ it was fixed! We decided to stay at a hotel last night since it would take all night to cool the house. My job puts me in contact with many people, one of which is a nice hotel chain manager. He put us up in a nice suite for free. Can't beat that! Okay -- so I'm walking into work this morning and guess what?!?!? The air conditioner isn't working!! All I could say was, "You've got to be kidding me..." It was 85 degrees in the office. Finally, it was fixed and it's tolerable now. I'm almost afraid to drive my car---should the a/c quit working!

Last night we had planned on going over to some friends house, but the whole a/c thing put a kink in the plan. We decided (after much deliberation) to go ahead and go, even though it was much later than anticipated. We had a great time....and it turned out to be very therapeutic!

Here are my random numbers for today:

9 - days until my kids are all home

15 - minutes it took for the judge to shoot down my ex-husband's attempt to gain custody of our three children AGAIN (fourth time)

15,000 - dollars my ex owes my attorney for his repeated attempts

infinity - times I will thank the Lord for his protection from repeated attempts

250,000 - dollars a U.S. citizen can be fined for having Cuban cigars

10 - years in addition to the $250,000

1 - acquaintance who has said cuban cigars

0 - times I will admit to knowing acquaintance who has said cigars to anyone who asks

1 - day I've been back on the weight-loss-bandwagon

0 - pounds I have lost...lol

Have a great day!
fondly,
fit

It's Monday--- ALREADY?

Where did the weekend go? Seriously....


Had a great weekend, but I couldn't tell you what I did. I know I took a really long nap on Saturday--FOUR hours. Whew! I was tired! I know we went to church yesterday. But aside from that--it's all a blur. Oh well, I guess some weekends are just like that, huh?

Oh yeah, I remember -- I took Jake to basketball practice. Yet AGAIN, his father fell through on taking him. I find it interesting that since he's been at his father's house the last 3 weeks, I have taken him to practice all three weeks. Hmmmm....Can you say non-committal? self-absorbed? convenience-minded? yeah--all those things [and more]

Speaking of Jake, he's playing in the Primetime Sports National Basketball tournament this weekend. Over 700 teams are expected to play from across the country (ages 8 and up). He's very excited. Last year, it was reported that over 300 college scouts were present at the tournament. Talk about great exposure!! Anyway, his first game is Thursday morning at 8am. And guess what?!?! His dad can't take him. Imagine that. So--I'll be taking off work to make sure he gets to the game. I'll probably keep stats for the team, too. Oh well, I keep telling myself that Jake WILL remember who supported him. Right?!?

Here is Dirk Nowitski, Jr.--he's actually grown several inches since this picture. He's 6'4" (maybe a little more) now. He's the tallest on his team as well as the youngest....lol. [Okay -- enough bragging...]

Church was good yesterday. We haven't been in a few weeks due to all our traveling, so it was good to be back in the Lord's House.

Sorry for such a boring post....I'll do better next time.

fondly,

fit

T-G-I-F!!

Love this picture...it really depicts my week (and maybe even my hair). Been a tough one--but it's almost over!

Not quite sure what exactly has made it so tough. I haven't seen much of my sweetie, which I'm sure has added to the situation. And--it seems like when I saw him, I was a total crab. [sorry baby] I haven't seen my three older kids in a week. Work has been busy. I was given clearance to run by my doctor (Yay!) after a cortizone shot in the foot (ouch!) and some orthotics for my running shoes. Still dealing with the ex-spouse (referred to as "bump") and his insanity.

Maybe I'm feeling just a bit nostalgic today....so bear with me. I came to a realization yesterday that was very upsetting. I grew up with a close-knit group of friends. We have known each other for practically our whole lives. Well, some have moved off and we all have different lives now...duh. I miss having that closeness. I miss being able to be myself with someone and not feel judged or evaluated. I came to this realization after I had an emotional situation come up yesterday and had no one to call to talk to. My husband is my best friend, but he was tied up at work; and I grow tired of dumping my problems on my family. I have prayed for years for God to bring a friend into my life that I can laugh with, share with, cry with, support, etc. I have a wonderful friend (probably my closest aside from my husband), Susan, but she lives in Tyler and I never get to see her. Most of the ladies in my class at church have "get togethers" during the day with all their kids (none of them work outside the home) and it leaves me feeling isolated and alone. Then, there's the issue of having a wide range in the age of the kids. I have teenagers AND a preschooler. I know, I know....quit having a pity party.........................Okay - I'm done.

Anyway, I have a friend who refers to her belly fat (you know--the part that hangs over your pants when you sit down?) as "muffin". I think that is hysterical and I laugh everytime she uses it. I would like to introduce you to "the shelf", as I call it. You know---it's the fat that hangs over your c-section scar? Yeah, it looks like a big blob of fat hanging over a shelf. Now--all you that had "regular" births won't really understand. However, if you've had a c-section...you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. [Unless, of course, you have less than 10 percent body fat. If that's the case, then I hate you...no offense.]

I wanted to post a few more "before" pictures of the house:

I plan to take some pictures this weekend and give you some idea of the progress....

Have a great weekend!

fondly,

fit

Ouch!!

I like to run. More importantly, I like to run with no pain.

I went to see a foot and ankle specialist yesterday to find out why after about 1.5 miles of running my foot is in escruciating pain. Well--now I know.
I have "neuromas" on both feet. Here is the clinical definition:

"A neuroma is the swelling of nerve that is a result of a compression or trauma. They are often described as nerve tumors. However, they are not in the purest sense a tumor. They are a swelling within the nerve that may result in permanent nerve damage. The most common site for a neuroma is on the ball of the foot."

Ouch!


My doctor, Dr. Korpinen, [http://www.premierfootankle.com/], is very good. He came highly recommended from a co-worker and fellow runner. Although I had done a large amount of research before the appointment, he was very informative on my condition. He gave me a cortizone shot in my foot (P-A-I-N!) and put me in orthotics for my running shoes. I'm supposed to continue running (supposedly with no pain...) and come back and see him in 3 weeks. If I'm still having trouble, then he will proceed to Plan B, which is deadening the nerve itself. But--all in all, he seemed very upbeat that it was not an issue that would keep me from running. Yay! Now--since it's been over a month since I last ran--it's going to be interesting to see how out-of-shape I've become! I've done "some" cross training; however, I haven't wanted to overdo it, so it was minimal. I have a 5K on September 14th and a 10K on September 20th. Guess we'll see, huh???
fondly,
fit

Pleasing God or Trusting God?

I found this devotional this morning and it made me stop and take a look at my relationship with the Lord. I have decided that I give more effort to "pleasing God" rather than "trusting" Him. Read this -- it's quite insightful:

TODAY’S VERSE “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
TODAY’S MESSAGE In their book “True Faced” the authors pose this following scenario. “As we’re walking down life’s road, we arrive at a tall pole with signs pointing in two different directions. The marker leading to the left simply says Pleasing God. The one leading to the right reads Trusting God. It’s hard to choose one over the other, because both roads have a good feel to them. There is no third road. We must choose one.”

At first glance it seems obvious to me. I want to “please God” more than anything. I want to bring Him joy and thank Him for everything He does. Or at least that is where my mind starts. In truth, who is “pleasing God” really about? Is it really about God and how much I want to thank Him by pleasing Him? Or is it really about me and how I want to make God happy with my behavior?

The real answer is we should take the “trusting God” fork in the road. Why? Because with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we already please God. Paul reminds us that we are saved by God’s grace, not by any of our own works. No behavior on our part could ever please God the way His own grace does. God loves us and we don’t need to earn it by “pleasing” Him. Instead, when we really realize what grace is all about, we will want to trust Him fully. When that happens, it will be our praise and adoration that pleases Him, not our vain efforts to gain His love.

******

WOW...I think I just had an "ah-ha" moment! For many of us, we concentrate so hard on pleasing others that it naturally just rolls right over into our relationship with Christ. The fact that I accepted His precious gift of salvation pleases Him most. All I have to do now is trust Him. Sounds so simple....but can I do it?

fondly,

fit

State of the Union...or rather Dis-Union

For those of you that know, we are remodeling our house. We bought for a great price as an investment. It needed some serious updating, but was in really good condition. Well-this endeavor has proven to be a L-O-N-G and drawn out process. I'd love to say that it's because we're "just doing things right" but truthfully....it's a matter of $$$!! Everything is SOOOO expensive! Anyway, we just re-did our living room floor--removing some OLD, yucky, gross carpet and replacing with wood floors, or rather, laminate. It's looks very nice, but I'm not quite used to the "clicking" sound.

In our kitchen, we have put in new counter tops, new oven, new stove, new sink and a new floor is on the way. I will post some before pictures --and when the living room and kitchen are done, I will post the after pictures. It seems that all we do is work on the house. Every bit of spare time is jammed full of work, work, work. Ugh. I know it will pay off, but good grief! I'm tired!

Here is the living room with the carpet pulled up:

I have more to post, but have run out of time.....see ya tomorrow!

fondly,

fit

26 and Counting...

Only 26 more days until I see the kids....

Here are my random numbers for today:

5 - Number of times I woke up during the night

5 - Really weird dreams I had!

2 - Number of loads of laundry we were able finish before the washer broke...AGAIN.

24 - Hours until the washing machine guru looks at it to see how much $$$ it will cost to get it fixed.

0 - Number of contacts I could put in my eyes this morning....My allergies are terrible!

25 - Number of people who asked if I "just got glasses"

10 - Amount of push-ups I can do (that's pathetic!)

27 - Days until our family vacation

0 - Amount of money saved for vacation

This past weekend we were able to drive to Shreveport to see my brother-in-law who has been in Iraq for the last year. It was wonderful to see him! The sacrifices he has made for his country are unbelievable. He missed his firstborn's birth, Christmas, New Years, etc...while he was gone. Besides that, during the end of my sister-in-law's pregnancy she developed some serious problems and had to be bedridden [she lives about 1000 miles away from "home"]. Her parents were able to be there during her labor and delivery and then promptly packed her up and took her to Shreveport so they could help her. While there, she received word that a pipe had burst in her home and completely flooded it. She had to drive back home and deal with that huge problem. All by herself, brand new baby, flooded house, etc....Can you imagine??? Needless to say, this whole ordeal has given me a real look at the enormous sacrifices our troops make AS WELL AS THEIR FAMILIES.

We took a ton of pictures, so I will try to download some tomorrow. There are some beautiful pictures of their daughter's baptism Sunday. My brother-in-law was quite emotional....it was incredibly moving.

I tell you what, though....my little Nicholas had a real tough time "sharing the spotlight" with his new little cousin! He's used to being the only little one around......and getting all the attention. Whew! It took some real patience to get him to understand that the world doesn't revolve around him....lol.

Check back tomorrow...

fondly,

fit

How cool are these pictures??? My brother's church in NW Arkansas had a "Freedom Fest" this past Sunday. They all met on the lawn outside of the sanctuary and watched fireworks over the lake behind the church. I wasn't able to be there, of course, but the pictures of the event look incredible!

We don't have any plans for tomorrow, July 4th, but on Saturday we plan on going to see some family. I'll write more on that later...

Have a great holiday weekend!

fondly,

fit

All Alone???

The last couple days have been W-E-I-R-D. My friend, Susan, and her family came to visit this past weekend. She asked if she could take Nick back with her for a few days and I agreed. I had no idea how strange it would feel without him around! He's four (almost five!) and although independent, he's very much into EVERYTHING.

Anyway, I called yesterday to check on Nick and Susan asked if he wanted to talk to me and he said, "Noooooooooo!" Apparently, he was playing a spying game and hiding behind furniture and shooting at the t.v. with his nerf gun. Needless to say, he was too busy to talk to Mommy. LOL

Last night we decided to take the older kids to see a movie before they shipped off to their dad's house for a month. While we were watching the movie, I received a text message from Susan with a picture of Nick:

"Swimming in the bathtub!"

I know he is having a BLAST at Aunt Suzie's house.....She loves children and, in fact, was a preschool teacher for a number of years. Susan and I met when we were both on a Nursery Committee at a church we both attended. I was immediately drawn to her fun personality! Her oldest daughter, Katie, was our babysitter. Even though she moved away about 7 years ago, we have stayed in contact. My car can probably drive to her house on auto-pilot! She has been there for me through many, many trials. I know I can always go to Susan for whatever I may need. She's helped me through some very tough situations by praying for me and holding me through my tears. It now seems that the tide has reversed and now she is needing me to be there for her. She has endured much hardship over the last two years and it seems to have come to fruition in the last couple months. I pray for her as often as I can remember----that God will put a hedge about her and help her make it through the difficult times with His love to carry her.
So--tonight I will be parting with my sweet kids around 6pm. After that, I'm ALL BY MYSELF!! Robert has to work tonight....so it's just me. I can't tell you the last time that has happened. Seriously. It's gonna be weird.

fondly,

fit