OKC Marathon

The Oklahoma City Memorial MARATHON (finally) came and went this last weekend. It seems like we spent most of the last month getting t-shirts printed, making hotel and travel arrangements. training, anticipating, and the weekend went by way too fast. 

As usual, I didn't take enough photos. I was recovering from a minor tummy bug on Saturday so I felt kind of out of it having been up most of the night before. On Race Day (Sunday) there was just so much going on that I just plain forgot that my camera was hanging around my neck most of the morning. It seems that's always the way it goes, right?

Saturday, after a spaghetti supper OCU put on for the runners,  we all headed down to the OKLAHOMA CITY NATIONAL MEMORIAL. Like all memorials, it was a place of remembrance. I love memorials. I love the way each and every aspect of all memorials is intentional. I love the way they honor those we want to remember. 

Those of us there on Saturday were spending that time at the Memorial remembering not just those killed in the bombing, but also our own sweet Madison. It was a time to be together and remember.

I got one photo of our group (minus myself and Levi Knebusch because we were taking photos). 

Adam, our youth minister, is one of Phoebe's favorite people. She told me once that she didn't love Mr. Adam like she loved God or her daddy, but she loved him like he was her friend. So discerning at so young!

Our Huddle group. Eli was missing because he was walking around with his Nena, learning all about the cool stuff at the memorial.  That is a boy after my own heart. There's history in his blood. 

Phoebe, too, apparently. She told Mr. Bryan all the things she'd learned from her brother. I'm not sure how accurate or understandable she was, so I'm hoping Mr. Bryan has his own copy of the memorial brochure. :)

You see those two little heads poking up over the wall? I thought it was sweet the way Eli wanted to share all the information he got with everyone. He was showing his friend, Corbin, something very important, I'm sure, and I just loved their little hats peeking over the top. 

Sunday morning dawned bright and early. And I mean e-a-r-l-y. We had to be on a shuttle at 4:30am. Well, Brad, my mom, and the kids had to be on a shuttle. Dad and I were taking their car downtown to the race loaded with 40+ pink balloons that we had picked up the day before. The runners were going to grab them from us just before they crossed the finish line. In some small way, it was as if Madison were running along beside each runner as they crossed the finish line.  It was powerful. 

This was about the time I had too much going on to take a lot of photos. Here are some I got before everyone headed down to their designated racing corral.

(Back row left to right: Lonnie, Becky, Leslie, Londen., Gary, Adam, Missy, Mark, Heather 

 Front row left to right: Blakelee E., Hayleigh G., Catherine M., Eli, Corbin, Hannah)

Ms. Mary (our children's minister) and the "kids" in our group. Each of these kids ran in the 5K. Ms. Mary ran the 1/2 marathon because she's awesome that way!

(Standing left to right: Hannah, Ms. Mary, Phoebe, Adley, Britton, Emma, McKaden 

Sitting: Eli, Corbin)

Ellie, Conner, Chelsea

The 4:00am wake-up time was a little early for Phoebe. She spent her morning high as a kite or falling apart tired. She got a quick rest in her daddy's lap while we waited.

Nena and Grandaddy came up to watch Eli (and Brad) run the 5K. I could not have been the "balloon girl" without their help. It was crazy keeping track of 40+ balloons, but they were so much help! 

(Michelle and Blakelee)

(The Green Girls: Hayleigh, Liz, and Hannah)

(Mary and Catherine)

(Adam, Missy, Adley, Corbin)

Eli in his participant bib. I have no idea what is up with that goofy smile!

Around 6:30, we took up our post at the corner where the races would meet up before they crossed the finish line. Thank goodness there was a local coffee shop that opened at 6:30 so we could re-fuel. Thank you, COFFEE SLINGERS!

Brad came by a little later and grabbed a balloon from Phoebe. 

And a quick kiss. 

Eli came by a little later. 

I was so proud of this little guy! He ran the entire time. It made my heart happy to see him zip by!

He's pretty proud of this metal. So proud that he locked it in the hotel room safe when we got back to the room. 

My two runners. Again with the goofy smile. 

Grant jumped in on the second photo. What a goof!

By this time, I was delirious with exhaustion and stopped taking photos. We stuck around to watch a few of the half-marathoners finish up and then headed over to a local church who serves a pancake breakfast at the race every year. Thank you, FIRST CHURCH! It even inspired Phoebe's newest song, "I Love Butter!" I'm hoping the video I took does it justice. I'll try to get that posted pretty soon. 

Sunday afternoon we headed home. It had been a great weekend. One spent with friends, family, and friends who seem like family, remembering that sweet, special girl we ran for, Madison Taylor Knebusch. 

Project 52: Green

This week's theme was "Green". I thought and thought and thought all week long for something inspiring and unique and thoughtful and awesome.

I didn't come up with squat. I took the above photo yesterday in my craft room.

It's the only green I could find handy. It's not my favorite color. We aren't really "green" people (we don't recycle and I use a lot of paper towels). I live in on a dry, dusty prairie that's in the middle of a drought. That photo was all I had.

 Uninspired

 Unexceptional

 Unremarkable

 Blah

I wish I could take a photo of what has been sitting on my shoulders, weighting me down, making me feel as if everything I am is not enough. That little green monster of compression. And he would be greener than green this week...this month. He's been telling me that everyone is thinner than I am. That no one's legs look as bad as mine because I'm so pale. That everyone else is a better mom than I am. That everyone's children are smarter than mine. That everyone is less awkward in social situations that I am. That everyone else has their priorities straight while I spend more time sweating the small stuff than I do on the important stuff. And on and on and on it goes.

 It's silly, I know. It seems like a very jr. high way to feel. That, now that I'm in my thirties, I should be past all that and not worry about silly comparisons. I should have realized by now that my strengths are my strengths and that I was made by my Creator for a bigger purpose than trying to be good enough for everyone else. Apparently "my thirties" aren't as old or wisdom-filled as I had always assumed everyone's was.

I'm trying to shake that not-so-little green monster that consumes way more of my time than it should. He's a tenacious little booger, though. Just when I think I've knocked him off, he shows me another mom who's child does not have ADD or one who was blessed with a gentle spirit and I'm off again making a list of all the ways I don't measure up.

 My PROJECT 52: GREEN. Not so much a photograph as it is a feeling. One that I know I'm not alone in experiencing, but yucky nonetheless. Thanks for indulging my written post. It's not a photograph, but it's all I've got this week.

Why We Run

The OKC MARATHON is coming up rather quickly (quicker than I'd like, actually). On the website there's a place where you can write why you run. I'm not running, but many of my friends (and Eli!) are. We wanted to post why our group felt the need to run in memorial for MADISON and this is what I wrote. I'm worried it's too long because I haven't received an email confirmation that it has posted, but I wanted to share it here to share why we run.

 My good friends, Bryan and D'Lynn, are runners. I am not. They have run the OKC Marathon several times now and I've always been so impressed (and a little intimidated) by their love and dedication to this marathon. They tell me it's because, out of all the half-marathons and marathons they run, the OKC run is the most inspiring. Several years ago they ran next to a Marine in full combat gear, carrying a flag, running for his friend, who had died in the OKC bombing. Can you imagine that? Running in full combat gear, carrying a flag, for a friend he could no longer call on the phone or visit with at a family bbq? Bryan and D'Lynn were so affected by that show of friendship. They were inspired by his depth of friendship and willingness to work and sweat for a friend who was no longer there. The fact that a total stranger inspired them made them want to run to inspire others. To make everyone who saw them a better person because they had run.

 Fast forward to last fall. Bryan and D'Lynn co-lead a high school small group from our church with my husband and I. We've been with our current group since the fall of 2010, when they were entering high school as freshman. In this group was Madison. She had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer after a tumor was found in her throat the previous summer. I know we all say that those battling cancer are brave and strong and inspiring and amazing. And they are. But no one was more so than Madison. She had a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye that gave us a brief glimpse into the strength and warrior-soul this tiny, beautiful girl possessed. With her illness, there were ups and there were downs, but she always fought and never ever wavered in her faith and trust to God. Last fall, when we all thought Madison was getting better, Bryan asked her if she wanted to run in the marathon with them. Do you know how long it took her to decide? To say, "I'll do it"? About half a second. This was a girl of determination and conviction. She made us all want to be a better person.

 Heartbreakingly, she passed away January 12th. How it shocked and hurt our community. But in that shock and pain and heartache, we saw the beauty in the life Madison had lived. She fought hard and loved fiercely and sang beautifully and laughed a lot. She made all of us better people to have known her. Her life, and even her death, was a testament to the God she served. That His power is made perfect in weakness. That He has overcome the world. Even her favorite verse, "I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done" gave us hope in a God who promises everlasting life.

 At her memorial, there was a balloon release. This was a girl who loved pink! And as we watched hundreds and hundreds of pink balloons rise up in the blue West Texas sky, we felt a little hope in the midst of our pain. Madison will always inspire us. A part of her will always be here. So several from our church are running for Madison. We run, not so much to remember her because we need no race to do that, but because of what she taught us. She taught us that a life lived by faith and love, no matter how short, is a life of hope and light and laughter against all odds. All who knew her try a little harder every day to be more like Madison. To laugh and dance in the rain that the world dumps on us.

And our runners will run the last few yards with a pink balloon in their hands. The pink balloon that has become Madison's trademark. In that way, she is running with us all. Because there is no more life inspiring than that of Madison Taylor Knebusch. That's why we run.

Project 52: Things That Grow

This is my boy.

The boy I butt heads with everyday because we're so similar.

The boy I worry about so much because I see him make the same mistakes I made.

The boy who was dealt the ADD card and we're still trying to negotiate those rough and choppy waters.

The boy who pushes every limit everyday.

The boy who loves to laugh.

The boy who is stubborn and persistent and heard-headed.

The boy who doesn't give up.

The boy who is always "too much".

The boy who loves the beauty of a sunrise or a bluebonnet patch.

The boy who is growing like a long and lanky weed. The kind of weed that is sturdy and strong and annoying, but, like the bluebonnet, gives you a brief and brilliant glimpse of his beauty.


Go HERE to see other Project 52: Things That Grow participants!

Show and Tell: My Great-Grandmother's Quilt

Buried deep in the bag I received full of my great-grandmother's quilts (some of them finished, some of them torn, some of them given to me because I'd always wanted THEM), I found a quilt top. It was completely finished and almost big enough to cover a full-sized bed. It took me awhile to find it since I'd never taken everything out of the bag until I re-organized my craft stuff and decided storing all those quilt pieces in a big ziplock bag wasn't the best plan. But when I did, I knew it had to be finished.

This quilt is h-u-g-e. Like I said, it was almost big enough to cover the full-sized bed I wanted to use it on. It only needed about seven more inches of boarder. That's easy. Unless you're not good at math and instead of adding seven inches to the length and width (which would mean adding 3 1/2 inches to each side), you add seven inches to each side making it almost bigger than a king-sized quilt. Sheesh.

How I wish I knew where all the fabric came from that she used. Were they scraps from other quilts? Articles of clothing she loved? Just pretty pieces of fabric she liked? I hope I've done it justice. I know I love the way it turned out. I tried to use retro-inspired fabric for the boarders I added, the backing, and the binding.

And you know what's really cool? The quilt now sits on the bed that once belonged to my great-grandparents. That bed is in the room where I sew on the table that was once her dining table where she spent time sewing herself. I wonder if the quilt feels like it's come home. That it feels at peace with its hand-stitched center and machine stitched boarders. That on some level, all is right with the world.

I know I feel that way.


(And, yes, my quilts do have feelings and personalities! Don't yours? And I apologize for the weird lighting in my craft room, giving that last photo an odd look...it's the best I could do! There are also new recipes up at Eating At The Taj McCall You can find them HERE, HERE, and HERE!)

Bluebonnet Photos

One of the things I miss most about living in West Texas are the bluebonnets.

Growing up, they were the first herald of Spring. They turned ugly highways into bright bursts of color. They were uniquely and utterly Texan.

And they just flat out don't grow in West Texas. I don't have annual photos of my children in the bluebonnets. I can't mark the passage of time with them...watching my children grow up among those wild, beautiful flowers.

This year, though, I was able to take some. We spent Easter at my parents' house, right smack dab in the middle of bluebonnet country!

The photos aren't amazing, of course. I took them myself. The morning we headed out looking for the perfect bluebonnet patch ('cause there's no reason to plop your kiddos down a few feet from the interstate to get those photos) was cloudy and overcast...perfect lighting for amateur photographers like myself. But just as we found the perfect spot, the sun came out. It bathed the area around Bristol, TX in a beautiful light making me long to live in Central Texas like I don't usually experience, but it kind of screwed up my photos!

I did the best I could with 4 kiddos (three under 5) and patch of bluebonnets.

They still make me heart happy, though!

Did you take your bluebonnet photos this year?

What To Do With Book Jackets

If you have children, you probably have a bunch of children's books.

Many of them probably have book jackets.

And you probably spend a lot to time putting the book jackets back on the correct books...or turning them right side up...or taping them together after some rough handling.

A few weeks ago, I'd had enough. I took all the book jackets off all the books we own. It was an impressive stack, and I just couldn't bring myself to throw them away. I put them in a drawer in the attic (and labeled it, of course) and began the process of trying to justify throwing them out.

Then I remembered something a creative pre-k teacher I'd taught with in Lubbock did with book jackets from the library. Most of the books in our library had were new and the librarian took them off and stacked them up in the storeroom...probably trying to justify throwing them out like I was doing. This teacher took them, stapled paper to the inside and then put them in her writing center. It was brilliant!

Actually, I'd never forgotten, but I'm the daughter of an elementary school librarian who reveres books and stories and it seemed a little sacrilegious to use the book jackets this way. But then I decided that these were my books and they were so worn out well-loved that anyone using them after us wouldn't be surprised by missing book jackets.

So last week, after one too many "I have nuffing to do," complaints, I pulled this trick out of my hat.

It was a hit!

Phoebe spent a good 45 minutes writing and illustrating her first book. (She lost a little steam on the second book, but it was still well-thought out.) I had reminded her to think about her story and make sure it had a beginning, middle, and end. And I made sure I stapled way more papers than I thought she would need...just in case. That's all the instruction I gave her.

These were the two book jackets she chose.

I'm only sharing one here because the other one (while an exceptional story, if I do say so myself!) was drawn in mostly peach-colored crayon and the illustrations were very hard to see.

Cute story, huh?

I'm going to put it out there, too, that my children are not the "smartest" kids on the block. If you've read this blog for any amount of time, you probably know a little about Eli's reading troubles, but Phoebe isn't a reading genius either. She doesn't know all her letters or all her sounds. She can't identify sight words or read at all. But she did love this little activity. I think any kid who likes to draw and has any kind of imagination (and what kid doesn't?) would love this. If nothing else, it kept her occupied for the better part of two hours giving me time to deep clean my fridge and freezer.

Good times, folks. Good times.

I'm linking up with KRISTI for MOP IT UP MONDAY...although I may be breaking the rules by actually getting some Spring Cleaning done while this project was going on. Y'all be sure to check out the other fun projects crafters are up to on the blogosphere.