Determined

I have always been a very strong willed person. I am extremely stubborn too! If you know me, I can hear you laughing and nodding your head because you know it is true! Last year, Sam and I decided to make a change. We were tired of feeling bad about our appearance and not taking care of ourselves. I believe I have told you this before. Well, last year my goal was to drop 20 lbs. I got really close, but ended up about 4-5 lbs short of the goal come Dec. 31st. Sam didn't necessarily have a goal to meet, but he dropped a crazy amount of weight.

This year Sam is wanting to bulk up with some muscle mass. He has been working out like crazy. I am determined to get rid of the last 4-5 lbs that I didn't get off last year, but I am adding to that list. I am currently training to run in the Country Music Half-Marathon. I am training with my friend Amanda as an accountability partner. She is running the half to try to raise money for a mission trip that she and her husband are going on in June. She knew she wouldn't be truly motivated if she tried to do it alone, so I said..hey why not!?

I am determined to do this! Training is not an easy process at all. 13.1 miles seems like a million miles as I am running 4 miles. I know that it will get better, but this is not an easy task. I am determined to put my mind over pain. I have shin splints that are trying to keep me on the couch and off the road. Come to find out all I have to do is stay off the treadmill and my shin splints cool off! Apparently I don't know how to run on the treadmill!

This past Saturday Amanda and I had our long run which was 4 miles. I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but it was the longest one that we have had so far. As a motivating and uplifting factor, I decided after we completed the run to look up the results from the 5K that we ran together back in May of last year. We ran 5K (3 miles) in 42 minutes. Yesterday, we ran 4 miles in 47 minutes. I don't know about you, but I feel that that is pretty impressive compared to a year ago. Hopefully, that number will keep getting better and better as we continue to train. For having one been training for two weeks, I'd say we are off to a nice start!



This is the after photo of the 5K from May 2011. I am looking forward to being able to post an after photo in April after we finish our goal of running this half marathon. I know I am going to do it. I am determined!

Christmas 2011

To start out the Christmas season, the girls have always gotten together to have a cookie and ornament swap party. This year plans changed at the last minute, so our group was a little smaller than in years past. One thing that we learned this year is that it is getting more crowded with little ones! We would sit down to start working on cookies and a baby would need feeding or be crying or just want attention. It was definitely a lively time! We all enjoyed the time together and look forward to having more little ones running around next year. Notice baby Hannah Claire that will be partying with us next year!

For the past three Christmas', we have been running from one place to another on Christmas Day. This year we were able to spread out our Christmas celebrations. We only had one Christmas get together a day starting on Friday and ending on Monday. It was really nice to get to chill out at every get together and not feel rushed to get from one place to another. It was even more fun because this was the first Christmas that the Claud's have had a little one to spoil. Granted Boone was only 3 months at the time, but it was still a nice change to our Christmas. At the Ellis Christmas, we had a crazy hat theme to our Dirty Santa exchange. It was so stinking hilarious! Here are a few pictures from our Christmas gatherings!


The Ellis Family Crazy Hat Christmas


Christmas Morning 2011






Farmer Sam and Tennessee White Trash Holly
(That really is what my hat says!)




These hats were the hit of the party! Grandma Ellis rocked it!

Christmas always seems to come and go so quickly, but it really seemed to this year. Even though it flew by, we all still enjoyed laughing and eating until we couldn't breathe!