New Years Resolutions

Right now, I am very lucky to be sitting on the couch of one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world. My girlies and I arrived late last night in North Carolina to visit Wen. I'm so happy to be celebrating the arrival of the upcoming new year with her and her hubby. We have some great meals planned and are just hoping to relax and soak up all the reasons why we love her until we need to leave on Sunday morning. Greg even suggested that we watch "The Hangover" and enjoy some wine while waiting for the ball to drop...sounds like the perfect way to spend my new year's eve this year.

In light of new years, I do need to think up some resolutions. I generally try to be pretty serious about new years resolutions, and to follow up on those from the previous year. This year, I won't be following up. This year, too much changed. Wen and I have been tossing some resolutions around for next year...stay tuned.

In the meantime, I'm off to enjoy some very delicious looking lasagna:)

Christmas spirit

This year, I'm having quite a difficult time getting into the Christmas spirit. I can't quite put my thumb on why.

I mean, there are the obvious life changes that may have put a damper on my Christmas spirit, but for some reason, I don't think that's it. I don't really have my own space at all, the girls are sharing with my parents. I won't have the girls on Christmas day either, which will be weird and probably a little sad.

Perhaps I'm more looking forward to my post-Christmas trip to visit Wendy. Maybe I'm anxious about what the future holds. I even found myself annoyed at the possibility of snow on Saturday/Sunday, thinking about my am runs and my girls getting home. How grinch-y of me!

I am cautiously looking forward to the new year, hoping that it does not bring any unwanted suprises, but instead brings hope for a brighter future. Regardless of my inability to get into the spirit this year, I will think of all of the people I have to be thankful for.

My December babies

Last week, my baby girls turned 5. I can't believe it! Its kind of funny because my girls don't fully understand the idea of birth "day". In their defense, we have not had a party with their friends on their actual birthday, ever. The celebrated with their father last weekend. Next, on Tuesday, their actual day, I sent cupcakes to school for the girls to share with their friends. We celebrated at home with a special dinner, on special plates, cupcakes and presents. Cici and Uncle Bri came to dinner and Laney and Alie were able to stay up late (they were obsessed with the leapsters that Cici, Auntie Wen, Uncle Bri and Uncle Greg gave them). Then, on Saturday, I hosted a the traditional, little kid birthday party for the girls and their friends at the bowling alley. Taking 8 5-year olds bowling is quite the adventure. After an hour of bowling, and hour of pizza and cake I was definitely ready for a giant nap. The girls and their friends all seemed to have a wonderful time launching balls down the alley and pressing the reset buttons. They giggled, hugged, wispered and laughed..and I smiled watching my daughters have such a wonderful birthday with their friends. They deserve it!

So it seems, birthday week is over for the year. After baking and icing 48 cupcakes and baking, icing and decorating one cake, I am happy to have a two day work week.

Ice Skating

Did you know...I used to be a figure skater. From the ages of 6 until 17-18ish, I was a rink rat. I spent the majority of my freetime spinning, jumping, ice dancing and talking. My life was set to music. I can remember specific years from the music I skated to. Skating is the sport that I know best. I LOVED it. I loved the smells and sounds of the ice. I loved the discipline and technicalities. I loved the way I felt when I was skating...fast, strong and confident.

I started to give skating up my junior year of high school. I had suffered a number of ankle injuries, two of which needed surgery. I got into ice hockey. When I went away to college, skating and I made a clean break. I would be lying if I said I didn't miss it sometimes. It saw me through my childhood. I defined myself as a skater for a long time. When I think about it, it seems crazy that so many people who are close to me now, never knew how dedicated I was to the sport for so long.

Sometimes, when I'm running, my mind drifts to skating. Sometimes its a because I think that someone should skate to a song i'm listening to. Sometimes its because I feel like I need a two foot glide. But sometimes, after running a long while and I've hit that perfect pace and stride, it takes me back. It's like a clean landing on my most difficult jump, incredibly elusive, but absolutely amazing.

The list...

With all the changes in my life, I've really been taking some time to think about what I want and what I've maybe wanted to do, but haven't because life has gotten in the way.

Yesterday, I was talking to my buddy Brian and he really summed things up for me quite succinctly. "Haley, you have a lot of life left to live". So, in honor of this, I have decided to put together a working list of things that I would love to do in the next two years. I hope to keep this list going, changing, adding, subtracting, but going for a very long time.

So now I'm thinking of things to add to my list....things that I really really want to do or see.

First on my list is a trip to California. I have never been to the west coast. I flew over it once on my way to Hawaii, but we didn't even so much as stop for a layover. While in California, I would love to catch a filming of Ellen (with my two besties of course!).

That's all I've got so far..ha! I have a couple of little things that I have kept meaning to do (like make it to the cape, run a half, work towards a doctorate, etc.) A work in progress....

Ten Years...

I realized this morning (during my run) that this fall marks the ten year anniversary of my diagnosis with rheumatoid arthritis. Its strange to think that its been that long. Ten years of good days and bad days, good months and bad months, helpful meds and awful meds. But its also been ten years of walking, dancing and running. It has been lifting my babies and walking along side of them. Its been sewing, knitting and writing. Ten years of pain but ten years of smiles and laughter. Most importantly, its been ten years of balance (or figuring out the balance). I certainly never thought that a sharp pain in my toe would have lead to this journey.

I will keep all of this in mind this weekend when I'm running in the Jingle Bell Run, in support of arthritis research. Not everyone is as lucky in pain management and long term damage control as I have been. I am thankful for my successes.