Slow and steady wins the race!

Or at least just finishes it!

My dear friend Kady (the very same Kady who wrote this post) and I ran the Fun 5K today. We’re not really runners. It’s not really our cup of tea. But we still do this race every year, probably because it really IS fun!

Last year we ran it in 30 minutes. Not too bad…nearly a 4 minute improvement from the previous year. But last year we started off really strong, too fast really, and we ended up having to walk much of the second mile. I had a side cramp most of the way and I remember just wanting it to be over. Near the end, I was feeling pretty good so I breathlessly asked Kady “Do….you…*pause for breathing*…do you mind…if I run ahead? I think I can go faster now.” She said sure, I don’t care. So I started sprinting…there was seriously only about 75 feet to the finish line. But me trying to be a hero…it didn’t work out so well. As they say, “Pride cometh before a fall”…well, I almost fell. My vision started to black out, and I felt dizzy. Definitely not a good sign! So I had to stop and take a breather. Kady ran past with a quizzical look, beating me. Me, the hero! I learned a lesson last year, did not make the same mistake this time around!

So yeah. We paced ourselves well this year. It was kind of tough not running fast and catching up with others ahead of us, but we totally made it the whole way without stopping. All 3.1 miles. I’m not sure of our time, but they’ll be posted soon. Beating our old time would be a nice touch to our accomplishment of running the whole way! We’ll see. :)

Here’s our picture after running the race last year. 

 

And here’s the after shot of today’s race:

Quite a difference! Go us!

Change

I've been thinking a lot about change lately, specifically how it's handled. I think this was brought on by winter giving way to spring...a very lovely change, in my opinion. But I find it so strange how we humans so quickly forget what our situation/circumstance was like before the change. I know for me, when winter is here it seems like it's been winter forever and that warm weather will never come again. Summer is but just a memory. But as soon as the weather shifts and summer is in full force, it seems to me that winter never was. The idea of  icy cold air and gray skies seem so strange, because I only feel the sun and a warm breeze. Isn't it odd how this works?

The same applies to our circumstances and moods in life. I know when I'm having a bad day, it seems hopeless. I cannot remember not feeling crabby or irritable, and it seems that my mood will never change. And likewise, when I'm happy I cannot remember what it feels like when everything is going wrong. It is such an interesting phenomenon!

I find the same to be true with the Israelites, wandering the desert. God would provide mightily for them, and their hearts would be full of gratitude. But soon that would wear off, and it seems they could not remember the blessings God poured on them so freely. They became unhappy and demanded that God do something. During the bad times, they could not remember His provision. And during the good times, they could not remember their need and praise Him for His lavished love.

So basically I see similarities between these two stories. And also a call to change, when life...errr...changes. :)

1) Practice remembering. In good times, remember the bad so you are able to thank God for His love and provision. In the not-so-good times, remember the good and realize there is hope. (But our true hope is in Jesus, not our circumstances or emotions).

2) Toughen your faith. Like I said, not faith that things will turn out "right" or the way you imagine they should, but faith in God and His faithfulness. Trusting Him to provide and knowing He is full of grace.

Just a couple of things I need to teach/remind myself. I'm happy if it helps you out, too!

Just for fun…

Ever since I was little I have loved dressing up my pets. Most of these were cats, and most times I had little themes going on- a baseball theme (the cat would wear a baseball cap and be sitting next to a bat, ball, and gl0ve), a bedtime theme (the cat would wear a nightgown of sorts, and be sitting next to a story book and pillow). It’s kind of weird, I know…maybe it makes me a crazy cat lady. What I’m sure of, though, is that it’s fun…at least for me. Probably not for my pets so much. :)

I found some of these great pictures from years back…please enjoy.

This is my cat, Mosa, dressed up in a dress and apron. Not sure if she had the bloomers on, but there were definitely bloomers that went with this dress! (It was originally for a stuffed rabbit of mine).

 

One time when I was in 4th grade, we found three baby bunnies at the state fair. They had been left in the rodeo arena by a classmate of mine on our field trip, which was very stupid…I have no idea why he moved them from where he found them in the first place, but they were most likely going to get trampled by livestock if my mom didn’t allow my sister and I to rescue them. So we brought them home and tried to feed them and let them grow up. Unfortunately, they didn’t live, but the short time we did have them we loved to put them in little “scenes” around the house. Here is an old kleenex box cover (not sure why we had this in the first place!), with our little bunnies all cozy around it. Note the use of a green t-shirt for grass. :)

Here are the bunnies taking a ride in Barbie and Ken’s hot pink convertible. They (their names were Hopalong Cassidy, Summer, and Clover) look so snuggly!

Here we have 2 kittens of ours- I believe these were Stormy and Misty. They were the perfect size for doll clothes…so…why not? :)

Over spring break, with a need to do something fun and creative indoors (since it was snowing), I got my dog Gabby to dress up for me! She was very patient. I could tell she didn’t really like this, but her loving self put up with me anyway. This is Gabby’s Slavic gypsy look.

 

Here’s another style. I think it looks like a boy scout.

We tried to get her to wear aviators, but she wasn’t too keen on doing that. Her patience ran out had run out by this time!

 

The final pose. Fed up with our nonsense. But still lookin’ cute anyway.

I love it.

Let’s get on with it already!

As much as the calendar tells us otherwise, winter is still here.

The past few days have been not so much fun. We were teased with spring, only the find the cold winds and snow here once more. I don’t know how much longer I can bear it!

I think of it this way. It’s cold, and I can hardly stand it. I just want warm weather to be here- and be here for good- and I can’t really make myself be comfortable with anything else. It’s like the one time I was riding in the car with my friend, on a trip that lasted about 3 hours. I had just met this girl not long before, and she wasn’t someone I was yet comfortable enough with to point out that the a.c. was turned on way too high and I was freezing my limbs off! I sat in her car with perpetual goosebumps, counting down the hours…minutes…seconds…until we would reach our destination and finally be able to open the car door to the welcoming warmth. I’m weird, right? That’s how I roll…I’m shy until I feel comfortable around you…then you probably wish I still felt shy. :)

But anyway. This crazy recollection has a tie-in with my main point. The weather right now is like I’m sitting in that uncomfortably frigid car. I just cannot WAIT until I can feel warm again! I am counting down the hours…minutes…seconds…until I see perpetual blue skies, luscious green grass, and can no longer feel the biting cold. Just my late night wishful thinking. :)

 

Perhaps I should live somewhere with less winter?

On the verge…

I want this again.

And this.

Look at that green grass.

We are on the verge, people. The other day I saw a group of 9 robins. Nine. Shouldn’t that mean…spring x 9? I think so.

But today…today was good. I bet you could even see the grass growing, if you watched it for long enough. I swear…when I came back from class, I think there were twice as many tiny green blades poking out from the brown dead-looking ones. Isn’t it unbelievable? Seeing all these changes…all these miraculous resurrection events…it makes me feel so hopeful. There is hope in spring.

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Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.  ~Virgil A. Kraft

The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring.  ~Bern Williams

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

This is me.

Lately, I’ve been struck with the realization of all the things that make me, me. I love the way God has created each of us with our own unique identity- from our DNA to our favorite types of music. Like the quote from Billy Graham says:

“The older you get, the more like yourself you become.”

This is completely true; year by year, I am able to see a clearer picture of who I am. With this being said, here’s a couple of pieces of…well, me.

 

Things I for sure like (as in I never get tired of these things!)

*Funny animal videos. Like this one……….(or this one, too!)

*Mustard in my macaroni and cheese. It just isn’t complete without it.

*Salami guacamole sandwiches! Unheard of, but so so good.

*The way the laundry aisle smells in stores. I want a laundry room that smells like that all the time someday.

*I like to do things unconventionally. Most people like to do things the fastest, easiest, most sensible way. However, I do not always find this the most satisfying way to do things!

 

Dislikes (I just don’t know if I’ll ever like these)

*When people take pictures of themselves, but do not look at the camera. They look slightly to the left, or right, and it drives me nuts!

*Water chestnuts. Weird texture.

*Talk radio in the morning. Why is it that the hosts ALWAYS have annoying laughs?!

*I’m trying to lose my teenage lingo…it occasionally comes out, and I don’t really care for it. It’s not becoming of me.

 

Other miscellaneous quirks about me

*I recently learned that Minnesota has a state muffin. Did you know that? It is the blueberry muffin, that it is.

*I also just learned that Jacksonville, Florida is the largest city in the continental U.S. in terms of area. Very soon Jacksonville will have a special place in my heart; I am very excited for that.

*I’m addicted to the Discovery Health channel. Blood, needles, all of that…I can’t stand. But for some unbeknownst reason, I am intrigued by this particular channel. I could watch it for hours on end.

 

 

….I think that’s it for now. Later gators.

Guest blogger: Kady :)

My friend Kady took such pretty pictures of our beginning-of-March snow the other day that I couldn’t resist asking her to share them on my blog! She agreed with her usual bubbly enthusiasm, and so you have it. A post by none other than Kady!
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Hellooo! I’m Kady – Kimber’s friend and future roomie.  We have some pretty crazy and interesting adventures together, but they are always fun :) The other day it was so wintry outside.  Usually I hate winter….especially when it’s March and my favorite season, spring, should be here.  But I found myself loving it – it was so peaceful and frosty, a winter wonderland.  Here a few pictures that captured the beauty.


After recently reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I couldn’t help but imagine this is what Narnia looks like!




Frosty branches – ahhh they look so fuzzy!




These perfect ice crystals remind me of how wonderful God’s creation is.




I couldn’t help but capture a picture of this ironic placing of a icy twig on the statue near the UNK library – too funny!




My favorite. Hmmm….I wonder if they would taste like frozen grapes?





After our wintry afternoon adventure! What a perfect way to relax after class :)