7:00am

It's 7:00am the Tuesday after seeing my parents for the weekend.  The Tuesday before the 4th of  July.  The Tuesday before my 30th birthday.  :)

I'm at work - officially on the clock now that it is 7:00am.

So - I just really wanted to check in and say "hi" to the blogging world.  I'm still here.

Bullet point life highlights.

•  I've begun to fall in love with a handsome man.  
• I'm loving summer at Lydia. 
•  I'm still training for the marathon.  
• My birthday is Friday.

I need to get back to work because all I can think right now is "I need to be working.  I need to be working. I need to be working."

Mucho amor. 

1 step toward #12

#12 Run the Chicago Marathon

Thanks to the support and encouragement of my friend Susan, I registered for the Chicago Marathon last Sunday.

Two days later registration closed.

Registration opened and closed in a record number six days.

Last year registration closed in 31 days. 

45,000 people is the max registration.

Amazing.  

So, in honor of my long Saturday morning runs I walked over to my gym and peered at the treadmills.  Dread was pouring through my pores.  I had no desire to run six miles on the piece of machinery while it was sunny outside, even if it wasn't quite above zero degrees.

So, I walked out of the gym, back to my house and bundled up for a long, Chicago winter run.

One hour later I found myself still smiling and enjoying the run in the sun (aside from the slight pain in my right knee...)

And, as a perk a car honked their horn at me and gave me cheering arms while I was running.

Those Chicagoans, they encourage my crazy cold runs.

a highlight of 2012

I'm not much of a Superbowl fan, yet somehow this year I found myself in Indianapolis watching the game.  My roommate is from Indy and so we spontaneously decided to drive down to watch the game wherever we could find a TV.  We were able to park at her house and avoid the $100 parking prices being asked downtown.

Artsy photos on the drive to Indy...

...and then we found ourselves surrounded by all things Superbowl.

The roommates and I in the middle of the chaos

Yes, ice sculptures.  Ridiculous and amazing.

Odd thing was, someone forgot to tell the locals that the Colt's weren't playing.
There were more Colt's jerseys than anything else.
Though it did not take me long to learn that Colt's fan = Gian't's fan

A pic of someone on the zip line through Superbowl Village

The zip line loading dock.

We found some TV's  at a little place called The Ugly Monkey.
and here he is THE ugly monkey!

As one not much into football I spent my time taking pics...

End of the game pic before going home...

one of those days...

Today was one of those unexpectedly wonderful days.  

I love it when that happens.  

Last night I ended the day sharing with my mom how I was not looking forward to today.  There were many unknowns, it was a different schedule than my normal workday, different kids...different challenging dynamics between kids...ugh.

I left the classroom with my older kids at 9:30 this morning trying to decide how to kill half an hour.  A game of Chutes and Ladders later we walked back into the classroom to a Hawiian party in full swing!  Lei's were properly draped, blankets wrapped around as "grass skirts", and a dance contest happenin.  Everyone, including my older kids, were enjoying our time on the beach.  

My biggest moment of praise was being outside at the park and watching two of my kids who do NOT get along play "pretend" together.  They are both older, big and they regularly get in some mean fights.  Today they not only played "pretend" together but I also caught them having a regular ol' conversation while we walked down the hall.  Not a single fight between them all day!

I think I'm amazed because so often I think I know what the day will hold.  In my job now when I think I "know" I'm usually fearful of having a terrible day.  Yet today was one of those days when I had many "I LOVE my job" moments.  Amazing.

Just a little shout-out and thanks to God for being so much bigger than what I think I "know".  Walking by faith - it's for the faint of heart.  :)

My fellow Hawiian teachers 

  

Childlike Honesty

The other day I wore eyeliner to school, which is not totally out of the ordinary.

A very sweet 3 year old named 

Joanne asked: "Ms. Bethany, what's on your eyes?"

Me: "Makeup.  Why?"

Joanne: "It's ugly"

End of conversation.  

I did tell her mother, and we both laughed.  

12 Things...

As it is almost January 12th, I thought this in order.  

My Personal List of 12 Things to Do in 2012

1. Become a more confident city cyclist

2. Read a book by N.T. Wright

3. Buy a new computer

4. Go to Lincoln's Presidential Library in Springfield, MO

5. Start and finish a craft on pinterest

6. Visit Kelch's in Wooster, Ohio

7. Karaoke

8. Go to an opera

9. Join a running club

10. Go camping with friends

11. Turn 30

12. Run the Chicago Marathon

And four belated pictures of our grand New Years celebration.

You see, it all started because I have these two friends who had these beautiful dresses,

and this is how we celebrated.

Milano via Beatkitchen

This past weekend I went to a show.  It's been years since I attended a good ol' rock show.  Not much had changed, there was still an awe of the people on stage, too many people in one small hot room, not enough people dancing...I loved it.

There was something about being little me trying to see over the guys in front; watching the chubby Asian in the hipster glasses tap his toe to the music...I loved it.

Here is my miniature attempt at documenting the event.