Running Update

Yeah!! I have achieved my first running goal.

Last night I ran for 30 minutes...2.5 miles

I didn't die.

I thought I was going to.

When I got off the treadmill I laid down on the bench and said my farewells to Cindy...who by the way walked for 15 minutes after her 35 minutes on the elliptical...I am so proud.

Next goal will be 45 minutes.

Then I can train for a 6K!!!

Maybe not quite yet.

Running

Heather Hendrick has started a trend.

If two people are a trend. I think they are.

Last night I too ran for 10 minutes.

I have never had any feelings either way about running other than looking at people running and saying "I don't think so."

But yesterday I got on the treadmill and starting running.

I didn't mean to.

It started out perfectly innocent. We did our time on the elliptical machine and Cindy Freeman said lets just try the treadmill.

We got on and started walking and all of a sudden I started going faster and then I began running. I said "Look Cindy I am running".

I was excited for about two minutes.

Then I started to hurt.

But I knew that I wanted to do it for at least 10 minutes.

Every minute I would shout out

7 more minutes...

6 more minutes...

About half way through, Cindy, who was walking on her treadmill, asked me if my calves were hurting. I told her pretty much everything from the waist down was hurting.

It wasn't pretty. I definately run like a girl and I turned pretty purple.

Then she informed me that I was sweating...you think!!!

Mark my words, she will be number three in our trend.

I was very proud of her. She said she was only going to walk for five minutes. I asked her to stand next to me so that I wouldn't stop.

She continued to walk the entire ten minutes.

Acountability partners are great!!

I told the boys that momma ran for 10 minutes.

Michael said "around the whole gym?"

Alex was not impressed...running to him is like breathing.

After the initial pain wore off and I got my breath back I felt great.

I will do it again and I will add to my time.

My goal now is thirty minutes...

and then an hour.

It will happen.

Cindy hold me accountable...

Legacy

I love that song "I want to leave a legacy, how will they remember me..."

I have been thinking about that a lot lately.

On Sunday one of the last things that Butch said was "how do you want to be remembered?".

There are so many possible answers to that question.

A good daughter, mother and friend.

Loving and faithful.

Dependable and trustworthy.

Joyful and content.

A woman of prayer.

These are all great answers, and I do hope that I am remembered for all them.

But these are all overflow of the answer that I want to sum up my life.

When people speak of me I want the first thing that anyone thinks of me to be is

"That Kathryn, she sure does loves Jesus"

It makes me smile to type it.

The only reason I can be remembered for any of the other things is because of my Savior. We have such a short time to make Him known.

I don't ever want anyone to wonder what I was about...

I want my children to know that that is what their mother is about.

I want a hundred years from now for my great grandchildren to be talking about Nanny Lil' Krunk Kat, how much she loved Jesus. Jenn, you can have Nacho Mama and Heather, you got Honey, but I am sticking with Lil Krunk Kat...it kinda fits me.

I want generations of children to fall in love with Jesus.

Because it has to start with me.

I didn't grow up with that. I waited until I was a grown up to find and fall in love with Jesus. I don't ever want that for anyone else in my family.

How awesome is it that my children will be able to say that they can not remember a day that they did not know Jesus. I love that when Alex talks about Him, he says "you know Jesus in your heart". I love that He is real to them.

I love it.

So one day when I stand before Him I will hear "well done my good and faithful servant, you left a wonderful legacy".


Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. Ephesians 6:24

Kids Say AND Do the Cutest Things

Kids Say AND Do The Cutest Things
I wish there was a way to preserve the cute things that kids say and do when we least expect them.

I love how Michael will be speaking seriously with great sincerety and all of a sudden he will say the cutest things without even realizing it.

A couple of great examples are...

A few weeks ago on a Saturday morning we were hanging around the house...Michael was on the couch watching television.

I was at the table reading or writing or something.

Alex was off in his room recreating Wild Kingdom with his three million (I am not exagerating) animals of all different species...

As I said Michael was watching television...Animal Planet...one of the only channels ever on in our house...he was watching a show on monkeys and apes.

He was telling me (as I was reading and writing) all about the monkeys he was watching...out of nowhere he says..."mom do you think monkeys have portable thumbs?"... he didn't miss a beat.

I had to think for a minute.

I said "No, humans are the only ones with OPPOSABLE thumbs"...he says oh yeah...that's what I meant!!

Too cute.

Another day, not too long after that, I picked Michael up from school.

I asked him how his day was, he said "ok, his teacher had gone home sick so they had a substitute".

Michael loves his teacher, she is really great. I didn't think too much about it.

The next day when I picked Michael up, he looked a little sad. I asked him how his day was. He said "bad news mom", I am thinking all kinds of things at this point.

"What's the matter , Michael" I said.

"Ms. Duggan had to go to the hospital"

"Oh my goodness, why", I said.

"She had to have her INDEPENDEX taken out".

So cute.


Alex has imaginary friends...friends being more than one.

There is Bubby...he has been around the longest and he has his own house.

It is on Southwest Parkway.

Then there is Daddo-Deedo and Little Deer.

They usually travel together and I guess they live at my house, because I have not heard of their house.

Alex LOVES his friends...I truly believe he sees them and talks with them.

One day Alex, Bubby, Daddo-Deedo and Little Deer were playing out in the front yard.

They were having a race.

Alex was on his scooter. I am not sure what the others were riding.

I was working in the yard and I could hear him racing.

He would ride across the driveway at 90 miles an hour and then I would hear

"YES, I won"!!!

This went on for a while.

The next thing I hear is Alex crying.

It was an upset cry, not a hurt cry.

He was so serious.

"What is the matter Alex", I said.

"I lost" was all he said.

So sweet, so honest and so real.

Children speak exactly what is on their minds.

They have such faith.

"Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
Matthew 18:4-5

Thank You God for these little children.

It will NEVER cease to amaze me how two children, born from the same mother who

live together

share a room

and

share a BATHROOM

can look EXACTLY the same and yet be 100% different in everything they do.

It also amazes me how completely I can love both of them.

God has been growing me in abundance in this area. Teaching me to embrace their differences. Showing me that they are BOYS and how different they are then ANY other creature in the world!

My boys

Michael so sweet

So gentle

So EXACTLY like me

So when he asks "when are we doing something, what time, where, how long long will it take and what will we do when we are done with that".

I am both equally frustrated and in awe of how exactly like me he is!!

God says "don't fight it, embrace it"

God embraces me when I say "when are we doing something, what time, where, how long will it take and what will we do when we are done with that"

Alex

So loud

So funny

Such a performer

He is NOTHING like me, yet I can't do anything but laugh when he turns his head sideways and says "momma".

He is a think outside the box, live on the edge, fly by the seat of his pants kinda kid.

Amazing.

I praise the Lord for using my children to show me how to love.

How we are all so different, yet God loves us all the same.

He embraces each one of us because we are all His.

Amazing.

New Highway

Well originally I started this blog for two reasons.

One, to be able to post comments on other blogs

and

Two, to actually see if I could do it. One of those "Pat yourself on the back, look what I did" moments.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that people would find it and COMMENT on it.

How did you find it by the way? I have tried to find other people's blogs and not had any luck. I guess that is my next conquor!!

So, that means I have officially become part of the blogging world and I will try to keep it somewhat updated.

This is hard work.

They say "just write about your life", easier said than done. To take all of the great things that go on in your life and put them into words, add pictures and post. It is truly a gift.

Well all of that being said, let me get onto the purpose of this post. I want to take a moment to write about my HOPE group. HOPE groups are small groups of 8 to 10 people who meet in a person's home and organized through my AMAZING church Living Hope.

I know I could say that I have the best HOPE group ever, but everyone thinks theirs is the best.

BINGO.

That is the way it should be.

I started at this HOPE group with much hesitancy, because I was already in the best HOPE group ever.

But we had to split.

A dreaded necessity...but always a God thing.

I was a part of the Campbell's HOPE group. It was right down the road from my house. All of my friends were there. It was perfect.

When we split we drew names. I knew where I was going. I just needed the piece of paper that said "Carpio's" on it.

So that is it.

After last Christmas break I was to go to the Carpios.

The Carpio's live ALL THE WAY IN BRYAN...I was the only other "adult". I know Carpios that you are adults. But lets face it Kaylene...I still got almost fifteen good years on you!!! Yikes! I just typed that out loud!!!

So me, my boys, the Carpio's (and Easton...little tootnannie!!) and a BUNCH of college students.

I ran...this was not my comfort zone. Where are my friends who know me and love me? Who know what being "older" is like?


I tried to justify my disobedient thoughts by saying "Bryan is too far to go".

Well God showed up and showed me differently.

About the same time my mother got REALLY sick and was in the hospital. I had to take care of my father.

They live in Snook.

Yes Snook.

Forty-five minute away... out in the country with the cows Snook.

I had to drive out there MANY times to take care of my dad.

On one of those long, quiet trips (because my children had fallen asleep from boredom).

God spoke.

He said "Bryan is not that far to go".

Wow. How cool. Thank you God for being real.

You know God is real when He speaks to you in Snook, Texas.

I was excited. I knew what I was supposed to do and I couldn't wait to be obedient.

Briarcrest was not looking that bad.

When God speaks to you and you are obedient, He can't do anything BUT bless the socks off of you.

All those college kids I spoke about earlier, are the best stinkin group of college students EVER.

And Carlos and Kaylene...you pretty much rock.

So now, each week Wednesday rolls around and I am pumped. I make LOTS of food, cause I can cook and college kids can eat

and I load it up and my two boys in their jammies...who love these college kids more than even I can...and those college kids LOVE my kids

and I make that LONG trip to Bryan...Oh and God has a sense of humor. This summer the Carpio's moved...to College Station...NO!!!...to BOONVILLE ROAD...but that is ok because

Bryan is not too far to go.

God is good!!!

Yeah! I can post a picture. This is me and my two precious boys. Michael is the oldest, he is 7 years old and Alex is my baby, he is 4 years old. This is us in the traditional bluebonnet picture.

Yeah I did it

I wanted to see if I could post and I can. I am so excited!!!