Pay It Forward...

This last week has been one of the more challenging weeks that I can remember having in a long time... Honestly, I have found myself quite exhausted..in every since of the word. I am a determined soul and will not give in or give up! That Greek/Chalos family stubbornness is good for something....sometimes (smile). However,  I could use a break to catch my breath...

 *Among other things...my youngest (Gus- my 9mo old lab) I believe has hit the terrible twos chewing  everything within reach including my new boots, an iron, extension cord, phone charger (still plugged in-ha!) and is no longer satisfied with only destroying his chew toys like Mr. Sock Monkey

*Last week was the last week before a two-week break for the Holidays for school. I'm sure you know from your own experiences how fun that can be...

*Sometimes the holidays bring out the best in people and sometimes they bring out the worst in people. I have seen and experienced both extremes of that statement in the past week. I wish I could say that I reacted appropriately in each situation. Although, that has not always been the case... I digress... what's done is done, and with forgiveness, compassion, and a little Christmas spirit moving forward I will try to pay good things forward.  Even when one is on the receiving end of  "a bunch of crap"...they can choose to look for the positive, and most of the time there is some positive to be found. And when there isn't anything right then...look to the future...it is what you make it.



*Friday night we were doing our regular thing and shopping for groceries...always a treat with the whole family in tow (yes, sarcasm) and I had really just tuned out at the register and decided to do what anyone else would do, of course...and scroll through facebook. When it was time to go, I stuck my phone in my pocket and we headed out to the car. When we got home, NO PHONE!! Somewhere between the checkout line and my car my phone fell out of my pocket. So my wee-one and I head back to the store to search the parking lot, store and check with customer service to see if anyone returned it... The Mr. (who wasn't too amused, or pleased with me) went to a game at a local high school with Syd.

No phone in the lot. No phone on the floor. No phone at customer service.

I immediately headed to the Sprint store to report it lost or stolen and see what my options were. They were very nice, but I am not due for an upgrade til September and since I didn't want to pay retail I sadly went back home.

I get home and the Mr. had called and said someone turned in my phone to customer service!!! Truly a Christmas Miracle!! I was sooooo shocked that 1. it wasn't run over and ruined in the parking lot, and 2. that someone turned it in to customer service! It is too easy to just walk by and not do anything, or take something for your own, especially right before Christmas!  So off we went (me and Zach-Zach) back to the store (for the third time now) and got my phone back!The next day I was able to call Sprint and they activated it again with no extra charges, and I was one happy girl!  So for this, YES I will try and pay some good deeds forward this Christmas!! ....and beyond

*The picture above was taken (with my blackberry-thank you Wal*Mart Angel!) at Grace Assembly of God in New Whiteland Indiana (near Indianapolis). We went to their Sunday evening production of The Singing Christmas Tree Spectacular. It was terrific!!! My kids were on the edge of their seats the whole time, and asking if we could go again even before it was over....a great way to end the weekend.

~ I do hope for a less eventful week this week!

Running was my "only" option today...

 Today I set out with my not so "wee one" on a mission to swim. Yes, it is the middle of December...in Indiana. However, if I'm ever going to put into reality my goal of completing a triathlon anytime in the near future I have to get back in the water.

We weren't quite this festive today. This was last weekend before a local "Jingle Bell" 5k. We both came home with some hardware...I think it was the socks! (*wink)

I was very fortunate to have received a stipend check this year. Really nice this time of year...feels like a Christmas bonus. I went to a local "Do it yourself" kind of store yesterday in hopes to plan a new bathroom with my "bonus". I found some nice stuff, and have a plan. However, I believe it's going to take quite a bit more than what I have to make my plan come to fruition. Since I will have to dip into savings to complete my project anyway, I might as well use part of my new found $$ for some fun, right?

I spent part of today looking up membership costs to local gyms. Yes! not a typical move for me...I am getting a jump start on the "new year" goals....or if you want to look at it in a "negative" light, I am still working on 2011 goals?? What can I say? I am a work in progress!!! (SMILE)

I narrowed it down to 2 places. One has a pool, the other doesn't. hmmmm.... Let's go swimming! So we gathered all our gear and headed out. When we got there, this very nice kid...(yes, I am old! Ha!) told me that we couldn't stay and play today, but had to come back tomorrow during regular business hours. What the heck? Boo! I was more than a little disappointed. Ever get all geared up and excited about something...and then not be able to ...well, you get the idea... Disappointment!

So, this left me alone for my exercise session today. The weather was a bit cold, but nice and sunny. Since my bike currently has a flat tire (different story for a different day..) my only other options were be a slacker or go for a run. Sydney opted for slacker...momma went for a run!

This is not a pic of me...found it via google images, but I have these shoes and love them!

I got in a very nice 7 miler in just under an hour!!! Felt great!! It has been a while since I've been out for that long of a run...just me, my music, and the pavement = good day!

Holidays....caution looooong post ahead!

I love holidays!! Yes, one of the reasons I like them is that usually I don't have to work on holidays! One of the perks of being a teacher. I look forward to Valentine's Day (great chocolate!), Presidents' Day (great sales!), Easter (salvation!), Memorial Day (Indy 500 and family picnics), July 4th (fireworks!), Labor Day (parade/family picnic), Columbus Day (covered bridge festival), Veterans' Day (Pride in being a WWII vet's daughter...YES my dad had me late in life!~go dad!) and of course there are others that aren't celebrated as much..Flag Day, Arbor Day...and the reasons I listed are not the only reasons I enjoy the ones that I did list.

But there are two holidays that seem to be "the mother" of all holidays: Thanksgiving and Christmas...and there is something about these two holidays that tend to stir a bit of emotion for me. I probably don't spend nearly the appropriate amount of time that one should reflecting. Personal reflection can be a great tool in learning and growing. However, I find myself soooooooo extremely busy and "stressed to the max" a little more often than I would like...which then leads to a flood of emotions when things slow down this time of year.

I am a self proclaimed "Daddy's Girl", but this time of year really makes me miss my mom! Three years ago, she passed away the Tuesday before Thanksgiving....I have always assumed God new what a terrific cook she was and new she would enjoy being healthy again for the celebration in heaven. The Lord, family, and cooking along with gardening were just some of her passions....so this time of year was one of the special seasons that she shined. As a matter of fact I think she would start baking shortly before Thanksgiving and not stop 'til Christmas. We had to make sure EVERYONE got their box of baklava for the holidays. :)

I learned what true selflessness was from my mom. She always put others first. She was the first to serve and the last one cleaning up... her mom died from cancer when she was 9 years old and she continued to take care of her dad and brothers, and the household jobs that needed taken care of, and continued taking care of others until she was too ill and needed others to take care of her. She was beautiful, and strong a true reflection of the God's goodness. Man, I fall so short compared to my mom....I can tend to be a little selfish. well...maybe more than a little.. sigh* So the rest of this post will be all about Mom....love you~

 My parents were married in Greece. I really think they both look pretty good! ...thanks for the good genes :)

 My dad was my mom's whole world...today's society would frown on that...but she wouldn't have had it any other way.

Just some of my Big Fat Greek family. This is my aunt's front porch...in the evening time the family would gather around under the grape vines and the stars and visit until the early hours...occasionally even til the roosters and donkeys started to stir in the morning. We Greeks now how to have a good time!

see! good times! I love, love, love this pic of my mom! She is with her brother and her best friends...

My mom also loved the beach...if we couldn't vacation in Greece we were heading to the beach...I definitely get this from her too!

 She loved to take pictures....even when nobody was looking...this was the year dad got her a new camera and I finally stopped paying attention to all the flashes...it was a strobe flash at that! ha! I was so irritated...had I only known then what I know now, I would have embraced it instead of thought I was beyond it. Dumb teenage years...

When mom wasn't able to prepare the lamb, pastichio, salad, turkey, etc. etc. etc family chipped in and made sure there was plenty for everyone! Oh yeah! We know how to eat too!!!

                                      Christmas 2005

This was my split of the cookies that we made. I went to my cousin's (previous pic with food) house and took my mom and Sydney and made all of the traditional cookies that we used to make together...and video taped of course....such a great time!

 Christmas 2007, Mom's last Christmas with us...at my house.  She was unusually clear this night, and talkative and giggly... (frontal lobe dementia sucks!) But I was so grateful for every minute!!!!

Some days I wish I could rewind...but really and truly when I think about it...through it all I am so thankful for every part of the last 30...ISH * years because good and bad...I would not be who I am today without those experiences.  And hopefully all of my experiences will make me a better person, wife, parent and friend enjoying every minute along the way.  ....or at least learn to appreciate them in retrospect.

My New Running Buddy....Gus

You know those days that you just need a little motivation to get out there and run....when it's in the mid 40s and rainy...when you just don't want to settle for a treadmill, but are having a hard time lacing up the shoes to face the elements? It's been dreary and rainy hear for several days in a row. Actually, today was the first day we had dry running weather in about 4 or 5 days. Blah...makes me just wanna curl up under the covers and sleep the winter away.

Well, I have found that a running buddy that loves the rain! He doesn't mind the rain, as a matter of fact when we take him out to "do his business" and it's raining, we have to get a treat to get him to come inside. I don't mind running in the rain...it can be fun, but after a couple of days of it, and it's cold....I'm really just not feeling it. But Gus....he's all about it!

Gus is a smart boy! Today is his 8 month birthday! We have had him for 3 months. As soon as I start putting on my running gear he gets super excited!!! He loves to run, just like his momma of course (*wink)! And check out those big brown eyes....A girl can just melt with those puppy dog eyes...of course I'll take you for a run big boy!!! Who's a good boy?! 

 So....this past Saturday my boy Gus and I headed out for a short and easy run in the rain. He started out fast like I knew he would, but I figured we could take it down a notch after the first mile...nope. We kept a pretty decent clip for 4 miles and had a blast jumping through the puddles. After we were done I helped him up in the hatch and we were both completely drenched and yes...we both smelled like wet dog.

I always keep a blanket and some extra towels in the back...They came in handy this day! 

*For those of you reading this, that I would call running buddies...no worries!!! Gus is still too small for the longer distances, and you know who you are...And of course great friends (*and family) are hard to come by and even those big brown eyes could never replace you! <3

~Happy running! From Kathy and Gus :)

Competition is Good for the Soul!

A little competition never hurt anyone. As a matter of fact, it feels pretty darn good! I have spent the past several many weeks watching my baby girl train and run cross country. This is her first year in middle school, and her first attempt at running. It all started when I told the coach that she was too lazy to ever want to run. He told her, and the rest has been history! She did start out slow and steady. Through much pain, sweat, a little blood (she's a little clumsy like her mother-ha!) and yes even tears she has pushed herself beyond anywhere that I thought she would go.

I am so very proud of her. It really was like at some point after the season started something clicked and man was she competitive...is this the same girl that cleaned the dirt off the bases and play with the grass in tee-ball, the girl that showed up for tennis in the summer heat, and go to basketball practices just to see her friends.

In her first meet she heard one of her coaches tell her that there was a girl right on her tail, and she kicked it in to finish ahead of her....I think it was like a shot in the arm for her. Her self confidence has boomed and has transferred over in her school work and everything... Yup! That's right! My babygirl made high honor roll her first grading period of middle school. Oh yeah!

 She still has fun with her friends, but when she's running it's game on! This was at a regional meet in Michigan. She finished 37th out of 250+ out of 6th grade girls. The boys and girls started at the same time. This was the largest race she has ran in to date.

 It has been fun taking the whole family along to different meets to cheer her on! This is Zach and our newest member of our family~ Gus! He was so excited to take him with us to this invitational...Gus has been a great addition to the Miller family! Getting him was a story in itself, we were able to rescue him from our local shelter....Share the love! Adopt a pet! :)

So, in the middle of all of this cross country traveling and cheering on I was also in the middle of my volleyball season. Both of these activities were great for different reasons. However, I chose to put my own training on hold a bit in order to do them. In the last two weekends I competed in a 5k and 10k. The picture above was from the 10 k. It was tough, but my mantra that I kept repeating to myself was "no regrets-don't give up!" It was a family event. My "wee one" ran the 1 mile fun run, and the Mr., Syd and I ran the 10k. We had a good day! I finished my first 10k in 52:43 not a bad time at all! But guess who beat me by 20 seconds.....yep Sydney! I told you she was competitive (wink*) ..the Mr. beat us both cause he's fast like that.

I started out too fast, and stopped to puke twice...first time was gross (mental note, not to eat too much for breakfast even if you think you have "plenty" of time to digest)...second time just dry heaves.. it was a tough course, but felt soooooooo good to be running a race again.

I have started helping coach the off season cross country group...she thinks it's so I can spend more time with her, but it's really so I can get faster so she doesn't beat me at the next race!!! kidding...kinda' ;)

..That and the core work they do is torturous, I need to get a jump start on bikini season Spring Break isn't that far off....

~happy running!

Crash, Splat, Almost Splat, and Zing

....So go my recent riding adventures...

I am very grateful for the weather and the time off where I have been able to get out and ride more this summer. I've even talked the Mr. into riding more with me. This has been fun! I really enjoy alone time, out on a run or ride...just me and the elements I can see how far I can push myself, or not worrying about easing up a bit and just enjoying the solitude. However, there is a whole other level of enjoyment when you have good friends, or family, or both to share the experience with.

It's probably been about 3 weeks ago now that the Mr. and the kiddos and I went out on a family ride...Usually we have the kids ride and we run behind them along an 8 mile out and back trail, but this time we all went along for the ride. Most of the way is free of traffic, but when we were almost at a complete stop my little guy edged out a little too far for my comfort level and I tried to reach out toward him...I was already clipped out of one pedal, but ended up falling the other way...this of course led to him freaking out because I "CRASHED" in front of him, but really it was just like tiiiiiiiiimmmmmbeeerrrrr.... BUT I did kinda do something henky to my wrist when I fell, and it's not quite been the same since. hmph! Being we were almost home I sucked it up, it was only two blocks, I could manage that (wink)..

The SPLAT happened on a nice ride on my own. I only had time for a shorter ride so I made it hilly to get the heart rate up! Anyway, on my way out a bird found me as a reasonable target and yep.....all down the arm !!! Niiiice...Nice shot considering I was going about 17 mph at the time.  So I did like anyone else would do and wipe it off and carry on... can't let a silly bird mess with my attitude..Sorry no pic on that one though, it was quite nasty!

The ALMOST SPLAT happened about a week and a half ago...I went out with some friends super early on a Sunday morning for a ride. This was probably my fastest and longest ride of the summer....yeah, I've been riding, but I'm not too good about pushing myself past comfort zones...anyway, great ride with some really great peeps, but being a longer ride I had to portion out my carbs and keep my blood sugar up enough to not bonk! Well...I was almost completely successful until we were riding along and I missed a turn. If it weren't for the person I was riding with yelling out "car back"....well it is probably just a really good thing they did. Turning around and getting on the right rode led me to run off the edge of the shoulder. I was able to keep it upright (yay!! for improved bike handling skills) ...and Emily immediately asked "Do you need sugar?"  ....good call!! I loaded up and we carried on...

And lastly, the ZING...yesterday I went out for a 20+ ride with Becky and Mark (more awesome family) and maybe at the 2 mile point I feel these sharp sticking pains in my back!!! What the heck!! I stop quickly and yell out "I think I have a bee in my jersey!!!" I ride up to where they are and strip of my shirt (thank u sports bras for covering the necessities) with my arms flailing around and shaking out my jersey....I'm sure I looked ridiculous, and how did it get down in there anyway?? ..I have been known to blow up like a big red puffy mess from bee stings. I never saw what actually came out but we carried on to finish our ride....I wasn't gonna let a stupid bee rob my ride, plus Mark is a police officer, I figured he's been trained in life saving skills if needed (smile).  It didn't bother me too much on the ride, later on after showering and what not I was aware of the stings but nothing unbearable...but this morning I wake up with these babies...

Notice the two giant red welts on my back....yeah...it hurts a whole heck of a lot more today than it did yesterday....STUPID BEE!!!!

So...is there a lesson to be learned in all of this? Not sure....but I plan to carry on regardless...

~Later

Yay for Warranties and Overnight Shipping!

Sooooo....there we were having a great time at this water park that is about an hour from where we live.... We went with some family, and were having some pretty good fun! The weather was perfect a few clouds every now and then just to take the edge off. This place was very family friendly, if you pick the right spot you can almost see everywhere...a parent's dream. That and taking along some young cousins to help keep the eye on the wee ones. I was able to have fun myself ie. water slides, diving boards, etc.

 Sydney (my baby girl), Courtney, Jorden, and me

*thank you to Jorden for saving the twins

...the little white dot on my side is my pump site..

always fun to watch people's faces when you know they're wondering what's "wrong" with me..I like to behave as though nothing is, but it's days like this that make me feel so handicapped, and discouraged about everything. I really HATE feeling "broken". I try very hard to control my diabetes, and not let it control me, but sometimes stuff happens and makes things difficult to say the least. 90% of the time I almost "forget" about it (so to speak)...I don't let it "define" who I am. Not sure if that is a right attitude or not, but it is the one I have. It's just that 10% of the time it can really kick my butt.

I even got a smile out of her

(a tad blurry, my phone takes crap pictures)

Sydney has really started to learn to swim this year as well.

I'll turn my kiddos into beach vacay kids eventually!

 Mr. Fish (my zach-zach) finally put together how to swim this week and had a complete BLAST!!

Sooo fun to watch! He even went off of the diving boards. This child was terrified of the water two summers ago, and wouldn't get in past where he could touch last year. So very proud of my little man!

We had a really nice time! Reasonable drive, great price on admission and food.

     And then the Mr. comes up and says "Why does your pump have all that writing on the screen?" Hmmmm..I look down to see and my pump says "BUTTON ERROR" See, I'm a type1 diabetic, and I wear an insulin pump. It is hooked up 24/7 unless I am swimming, or running short distances...or showering and what not. Anyway, I didn't realize how "attached" (yes! pun intended) I was to this thing until it quit working. YES, I said QUIT working. 

    

     CRAP!!!! Well, now what? Do we stay longer, and I just go without, or do I make everyone leave because "I have diabetes". Sometimes diabetes truly SUCKS! So I call the product support number and they confirm that yes, it is broken and that they will send me one in the morning. The really good news is that it is still under warranty until this October. Whew! 

    

     So in the mean time, I went back to using syringes until it came. This meant I had to check my blood every  couple of hours to make sure I didn't spike up to high because I only have the fast acting short lasting type of insulin because of the pump system...that and drink lots of water. That seems to help keep the body flushing out what it needs to. I was told it would come by 10:30 the next morning (today)...

 And low and behold it DID!!! (10:16AM) Yay!! I think I could have given that UPS guy a hug! I almost thought to ask him for a pic, but then thought that would be weird so sorry no pic of the UPS dude! (*wink)

So for those of you who often wonder how all this works...first I take the vial and connect the container to draw out the insulin that I need that stays in the pump.

and there's the disc with the canule,  and needle that goes under under the skin. The needle pulls out and the canule stays under the skin to deliver the insulin.

And for anyone that knows me at all, I am a "due date" kind of girl. The very kind lady that helped me when I called customer support told me that it was very important that I send back the broken meter in 3 days, in the prepaid envelop otherwise there would be a $3000.+ charge to my account. Needless to say right after I was all hooked up I went directly to the UPS store and sent off the broken pump....(good girl, right?)

What did it in?? heat and humidity! Yep, condensation under the button caused a malfunction and the pump recognized it as the button being held the hold time and it permanently locked it up. Weird...but I'm glad it is over and I am back to being connected.

Being 200+ for more than15-18hours really kinda took it out of me. Then I bottomed out this afternoon...so I kinda feel like I've been on quite the roller coaster ride - not just a few water slides...so I'm just take'n it easy the rest of the day....

~maybe I'll knock out some Homework