So much to be Thankful for...

I will continue my month of Thankfulness here on my blog instead of on facebook...

Day 7: I am thankful that I have a boyfriend who will listen to me complain, and even cry, when I am tired of life.
Day 8: I am thankful for my health. I may not be in the best shape. But I could run a mile. That's more than a lot can day.
Day 9: I am thankful for the junior girls who eat lunch in my room. They make me laugh.
Day 10: I am thankful for new friends. And old ones. And that they can mix together for a night of fun.
Day 11: I am thankful for the Veterans who fought for my freedom. Thank you Grandpa Arensdorf, Grandpa MacDonald, Dad, and Cousins Breck, Mike and Troy.


My grandpa Arensdorf who served in WWII


Day 12: I am thankful that I have found my passion. I can't imagine going through life not knowing if I was doing what I loved or what I was supposed to be doing. I have found my life's calling.
Day 13: I am thankful for the opportunity to give back. I have been blessed beyond measure and I want to share some of it with the world.

Bear I made to send to the Methodist Mission Home in Waco, TX

Day 14: I am thankful for my apartment. It may be small but it is dry and warm.
Day 15: I am thankful for music. And I am thankful that I am able to fill my life with music.

I hope you are keeping track of what you are thankful for this month. And the whole year.

Love Always,
Cynthia

30 Days of Being Thankful...

November is for being thankful and I have much to be thankful for this year. I have so many blessings in my life that I want everyone to know about...but I am REALLY bad about posting stuff on facebook...so, I will post it here. That way if you want to read it, you can. If you don't...well, just close this page now. :)

Here is my list so far...

• Day 1: I am thankful that I have only worked ONE fourteen hour day this year. Not NINE like last year. And I am thankful that November 1st is done.
• Day 2: I am thankful for my awesome co-workers who have turned into friends.
• Day 3: I am thankful for co-workers who will give up their Saturday to work because what we do is important.
• Day 4: I am thankful for my best friend who I am lucky enough to have in my life.
• Day 5: I am thankful for the opportunity to go to school and that I have the means to pay for it. Even if I complain about all the work it takes.
• Day 6: I am thankful that I live in the USA and get to VOTE for my government representatives.

Happy Election Day!

Love Always,
Cynthia

The irony is not lost on me...

It's been a CRAZY past 7 days...

Last weekend Greg and I went to New Braunfels to hang out with one of my friends from college and run a race on Saturday morning. I had been looking forward to this weekend for MONTHS. I was excited about getting away and relaxing for a few days away from Dallas. Unfortunantly, it did not turn out the way we wanted...

Friday started out great. Greg and I got out of town around 10:45am. We got to the outlet mall in San Marcus around 4pm. I was in HEAVEN shopping there and Greg was great about just walking around to whatever store I wanted to go to. He's pretty fantastic.
When we finally got the lake house we were staying at, it was about 6:45pm. We met Evie (my friend from college), her husband Corey, and a couple of Evie's coworkers/friends at the house. They were waiting for us to go over to another one of their co-workers house for a while. We stayed there for a couple hours. We then went back to the lake house had dinner and went to bed.


It was a little cold at the start line on Saturday.

 Unfortunantly, the house where we were staying had dogs (a Golden Retriever) that lived there normally. This was NOT good for me. I am crazy allergic to dogs, which I don't really like to tell people and I try and deny, but when you start sneezing and itching and not being able to breathe, its pretty hard to hide. I didn't sleep well on Friday night, I woke up with a allergy headache AND I was having trouble breathing on Saturday morning. I knew, IF I survived the race, I would be misrable the whole time. But I got ready and went to the race anyways. Greg drove me to the start line and stayed until I started (first time he has done that) but I knew about .5 miles in I wasn't going to make it so I stopped and called Greg in tears. I felt like a failure. Greg was great and just came and picked me up and we went to breakfast. After talking about it with Greg, I decided that I set myself up to fail. If I had trained correctly, if I had been excited about running the race, if he had not been there, if I had slept in my own bed, then I probably would have finished. But I didn't. And that's that. But I have decided I WILL be more prepared for my next half.

After breakfast, we went back to the race to see Hope and Evie finish then went back to the house showered, changed and decided to come back to Dallas a day early. It turned out to be a great decision. We watched TV until late on Saturday and went to the Dallas Museum of Art on Sunday. The weekend turned out to be relaxing anyways...once we got back to Dallas. The irony is not lost on me.

Fun at the Dallas Museum of Art

This week has been full of classes, work, tests, volleyball games, and homecoming hallway decorations. But because I was so relaxed to start with, its been easy. Tonight I am off to the homecoming football game.



Chaos.




It finally came together...around 10pm




Done at 10pm


I am crazy lucky that I have a job that I LOVE and a boy who loves me...



Me and a few of my seniors.

 Life, my friends, is good.
Love Always,
Cynthia

Who knew Fairview had so many hills?

This past Saturday I ran my first half marathon in 7 months, The Showdown Half in Fairview, TX. And there were many differences between this one and the first one. Some were good differences and some were bad...

1. I was definitely less nervous about this one. But I still didn't sleep all that well the night before. I dreamed about forgetting stuff and getting stuck on the course. (neither of which happend, by the way)

2. I was NOT in as good a shape as I was for the Rock 'n Roll one. I didn't train the way I should have and did pretty much none of my mid-week runs. And I only trained to 8 miles. And I felt every bit of my lack of training on pretty much every mile.

3. I carried my own water this time. It was so much better than having to depend on aide stations.

4. Because I didn't train past 8 miles, I miss judged my food. I was crazy hungry by the end of the race. Not good. But definitely a lesson learned.

5. Heidi and I stayed together for most of the race. In the Rock n Roll I went ahaed and finished about 10 minutes ahead of her. Not this time, we finished together. She might have even beat me. But it was good to run together. We pretty much kept each other going.

6. This was a much smaller race. It was easy to get to, easy to park, and easy to grab lunch right after. I LOVED that part of it. Not sure I will ever do a big race again (okay, I MIGHT do another one, I just really liked the size of this one).

7. Greg met me at the end. I loved seeing him at the finish line after I had just ran 13.1 miles AND he gave me a kiss even though I looked gross and I didn't even want to touch me.

8. I finished 30 minutes slower this race. That's not good BUT it has given me motivation to get in more training (and maybe loose a few pounds between now and my New Years Day half)

9. Hills. I hate hills. I pretty much stay away from hills on all training runs and I don't look at elevation maps before races because its never been an issue before BUT I was mistaken this time. Who knew Fairview had so many hills? I do now. Because I ran EVERY. DANG. ONE. of them on Saturday.

Elevation for Showdown Marathon

 And since I was fooled on this race, I thought I would look up the elevation for my next half in two weeks...

Elevation for Chosen Marathon

AND now I am officially scared for the Chosen Marathon in New Braunfels. Maybe I will 'injur' myself between now and then and I can just cheer Evie on rather than have to run it myself? It's not like I get a medal at the end. Hmmm...

I have made the decision to not run the Dallas Half (which I had sort of set my sights on before Saturday) and drop my training all the way back down to 6 miles before training up to a New Years Day Half.

In other news...

I am still in grad school (and beginning to have lots of assignments due)
I am still a high school teacher (and beginning to drown at work)
I am still dating Greg (and it just gets better)
I am still trying to loose weight (this will be a life long struggle)
I am still hanging out with my fantastic friends (although not nearly as often as I would like)

That's all for now...

Love Always,
Cynthia

This Weekend...

Okay, friends, my first half marathon in 7 months is TOMORROW. I am nervous, scared, and really, just praying that I finish. So, please join me in that same prayer. I AM excited about the meal after though.

Here are the statistics for the weekend...

Goal: FINISH

I will write more when it is over. :)

Happy Friday!

-Cynthia

My heart grieves

When a young person dies, my heart grieves. It grieves for memories not made, loves not realized, fun not discovered, and a life not lived completely.

This school year has been like no other. 2.5 weeks ago we lost a senior boy. He was a member of the Varsity football team and was popular around school. I didn't know him but I knew his sister and many of my students knew him and were friends with him. I grieved for him, as the school grieved for him, but I wasn't as affected by it because I didn't notice the absence or quiet in my class that day, or any of the weeks that have followed.

Then, this past weekend, I got the news that one of my own students had committed suicide. A life cut short too soon. A death that could have been prevented. And I ask why.  Why did he think things were so bad that he needed to end his life to escape? Was he looking for attention? Did he really understand what he was doing? I don't think we will ever know. And we are left to question what we did to affect this kid. What was the last thing I said to him during 4th period on Friday? Was he thinking about what he was going to do while sitting in my class doing his work? Did I spend enough time getting to know him and too much time teaching geography? Because when it comes down to it, my job is about people and relationships. Have I invested in my students enough? There are so many questions.

And because I don't have answers, I cry. Because I don't know what else to do, I cry. I can't bring him back and have a chance to help him seek help. I can't make the hurt any less for those he left behind in his classes, in his school and in his life. I can't cure the silence that now haunts my 4th period because they all know he is gone. So, I cry. Life has been put in perspective. And things that used to matter don't matter as much. Is it more important to count calories or just enjoy the company I am with when I eat? Is it more important to get up and work out at the sacrifice of spending time with the people I love the night before?

So many questions. Not enough answers.

So, I cry for two lives lost too soon. And I cry for a group of students who have been confronted with the reality of life in a very real way.

And I pray. For the administrators, counselors, and teachers that work with a school that is grieving. I pray for Jesus to wrap his arms around Creekview HS. I pray for this to make us stronger. I pray for us to be able to seize these teachable moments that have been given to us. But mostly I pray for comfort and peace. For that is what we all need right now.

But I know, at least for the next few weeks, my heart will grieve for two high school boys lost too soon.

Love Always,
Cynthia

The Stats:
# of workouts: 6/7
# of days eating right: 2/7
# of lbs lost (total): 8

One Week Later

Hello Friends!

This past week has been full of ups and downs since my post last week.

Let's first talk about the low points...

Eating. This is always the hardest part for me and again, I didn't eat well this past weekend. There were times that I got so hungry and tired that I just ate whatever I wanted. Not good. I can excercise all I want but if I don't eat right, it doesnt matter. Ugh. Must. Do. Better. This. Weekend.

Working out. I didn't work out Sunday-Tuesday of this week. Must do better on this next week as well.

BUT...there were some high points...

I worked out 6 days in a row last week and was really good on food for 4 of those days.

After my last post, my friend Heidi emailed me and offered to run with me on Saturday (because she is training for the Showdown Half) and I took her up on it! We met at Celebration Park in Allen and put in 8 miles. 8 miles, people! That's huge for me right now. And while it hurt while we were doing it. And we did walk for a bit, I felt good afterwords. No soreness at all. I was on cloud nine all day on Saturday. Well, until I crashed around 10pm while having a conversation with Courtney and Greg. Oh well. It's a good thing they understand.

My friend Evie also contacted me and shared with me that she is in the same place as me mentally preparing for this Half. The 27th should be interesting. But we will survive together.

In other news, Greg and I had a fantastic weekend laying low and just hanging out together. Friday night we went to a local concert in Lewsiville and enjoyed good food and good music. Then on Saturday we just hung out and grilled for dinner. Well, to be real, he grilled and I played on pinterest. Then on Sunday was church, lunch, and a Sunday afternoon nap. My kind of weekend.

I also went over to my friend Courtney's mom's house on Sunday evening for an awesome dinner and good company.

Overall, it was a great weekend for me. I hope it was for you too.

Love Always,
Cynthia

The stats...
# of Workouts: 6/9
# of days eating right: 5/9
# of lbs lost: 4

It's Been Too Long

Since my running adventure last semester ended I haven't felt like I have had a whole lot to write about. I was busy getting to know Greg more and more and life just got crazy busy and it had nothing to do with running or working out. And as a result I have gotten out of shape and have been going crazy because of it. So, in June I decided that I wanted to run a race with my friend Evie from college. We set our sights on the Chosen Marathon in New Branusfuls on October 27th. I was still 4 months out and I thought it would be super easy to get in shape again. After all, I had done it once, it couldn't be THAT hard. Yeah, I was wrong. Fast forward to now and I am 6 WEEKS out and I can't even run longer than 3 miles without stopping and I haven't gone longer than 5 miles in total. I am frusturated with this. I should be farther along than this. And I can keep coming up with excuses, like school started and I am tired (true statement) OR its more fun to hang out with Greg than get up and run (which it is) OR I have homework I have to do. But the truth is, running is just hard right now, I don't have a running partner (I miss you Heidi!) and I simply don't want to do it. I need to get back to the point where I do. I want to be able to run the Dallas Half Marathon in December and I want to be able to improve my time at the New Years Double in December/Janurary. I stopped working out with Will so I have gone without weights for a while but have recently starting lifting weights again because I know the benefit when it comes to leg strength. I am hoping it begins helping.

I have also decided I am going to start blogging again. Hopefully at least once a week...perhaps more. If I am thinking about it more often it will motivate me to get to where I can run again and I will want to run again. Also, Teal and Beth are going to begin training for another marathon and I am always inspired by other runners so I am hoping to feed off of them.

So here it is...my goals for the month of September and October...

Fitness Goals:

1. Loose 10lbs. I have done nothing but gain weight since March so this is super important to me. I am not going to be able to run 13.1 miles if I am carrying around this extra weight.
2. Run 3 times per week, including my long runs. I am not sure my body can take the 4 days a week training schedule I did before but I HAVE to run at least 3 times to get my legs to where they will carry me 13.1 miles.
3. Survive the Chosen Marathon on October 27th. That's it. Just survive.

Life Goals:

1. Find a balance between my friends, boyfriend, family, work, school, and accomplishing my fitness goals. There has got to be one...I just need to find out what mine is.

That's it, my friends. Easy, right? Yeah, probably not. Just continue to pray for me. Ask me how it's going. Or offer to work out with me. :)

Until next week...or tomorrow...I will continue my journey...one step at a time.

Love always,
Cynthia

Turths

I get this every year in an email of some form, but everytime I read them I am reminded of just how true they are. I thought this would be fun to share on a Friday (and the last day of work for me!)

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this - ever.

15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

20. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

21. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

22. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

25. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?

29. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode
of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.

31. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

Happy Friday!

-Cynthia

Another School Year Down: Thanks You's and Lessons Learned

Those of us not working in the real world start our years in August and end our years in May. We write New Years Resolutions in August and say our goodbyes and have party's in May to celebrate the ending of yet another school year.

As I look back on this past year it has definitely been an up and down ride. So many high's such as running a half-marathon, being back in grad school and meeting Greg. And so many lows, like being sick for three weeks in April, sitting at countles cheerleading events and moving in the middle of the year. No matter what happend this year, there were so many people who helped me get through. They listened to me complain, cry, whine, and place blame. Then they helped me enjoy life, laugh and smile. And told me that it will be okay. And it was.

So, to them, I say thank you...

Courtney - my best friend who listened to me talk about almost everything this year. From cheerleading drama, to grad school frusturations, to running stories...she listened to it all. And is still my friend. Be impressed folks, she's kind of amazing.

Greg - when we met I kept telling him not to get too comfortable until he had survived the school year with me. I'm not sure he knew what he was getting himself into, but he did stick around long enough to figure it out. And he's still around...3 months, 2 weeks of sickness and 1 spring show later.

Mom - Thanks for answering the phone at 7:30am. And for coming into town occassionally to have lunch.

Heather - There were times this year where you single handedly allowed me to survive in the classroom. And you listened to me complain about cheer and talk about life. You make me want to be a better teacher and allow me that opportunity by your generosity.

Teal - You gave me so much this year...encouragement, listening, laughter, stories, inspiration, accountability. Thanks for everything.

Laurie - Thanks for the occassional dinner/lunch/breakfast to talk about life and love. You are the best. And you're children are kind of cute. I may love them.

John, Solomon, and Kristin (and all FUMC Youth and Counselors) - Too often I didn't show up or follow through with commitments or events this year. And you all just understood and welcomed me back whenever I could come. Thanks for being flexible with my schedule and telling me to keep breathing...probably when I needed to hear it most.

Through everything I have also learned a few lessons...

1. Life is easier when you work out/run everyday. The only reason I didn't lose it this year was because I was running 45 minutes everyday.

2. There will always be people who make your life harder. Find the people who make your life easier and spend your time with them.

3. Sometimes the hardest decisions to make are the ones that turn out to be the best for you. And sometimes you hurt people in the process. And that's hard. But it doesn't mean it was the wrong decision.

4. Life changes really fast.

5. There are times to take control of your life and times to let go. The first is easier but the second is more fun.

6. The only way I am productive is if I make myself a list.

7. It is important to be a global citizen. If there is one thing teaching world geography has taught me, it is that there is more than one story about a place and it is our job to learn a different story and then tell it.

8. Laughter and long talks are the best cure for anything!

9. I really do love to learn. Being back in graduate school has reignited my love of learning something new and challenging myself.

10. I am stronger than I think I am.

Now, I am ready for summer!

-Cynthia

11 NEW Things about me...

I started this blog in January with a post that included 11 things about me. So much has happened in the past 5 months that I feel like maybe I need to modify my list of 11 things about me...

1. I am (still) a Jesus follower. Still trying to follow and worship Him everyday. And still failing. But still trying again.

2. I am (still) a high school world geography teacher. But next year I get to add the title of 'AP Government' teacher as well. I am hoping I am a better world geography teacher next year than I was this year.

3. Still in graduate school. Done with my first two semesters. I am no longer trying to graduate by next May. I will be lucky to get out by August 2013. And I am okay with that. All in good time, my friends.

4. I am NOT a cheerleading coach. After having spent 3 years as a middle school coach and 1 year as a Freshman cheer coach, I think I have officially retired my pom-poms. I might have even burned them. This year was hard, really hard. I spent the year frustrated and tired and cried many tears. But I am done. And I am thankful for that.

5. If running 13.1 miles through the streets of downtown Dallas makes you a runner and an athlete, then I AM a runner. Now if I could only figure out how to motivate myself to stay that way.

6. I have discovered pinterest and I am maybe a little obsessed. Maybe...

7. I am in a relationship. His name is Greg and he is fantastic. 

8. I (still) LOVE to shop. Not sure that will ever change about me. And it's summer. So, of course, I need cute summer clothes. Right?

9. I am getting really excited about the Summer Olympics. I am ready to just watch sports all day long for two weeks. Even if it means watching rowing...

10. I am learning to love baseball. Especially my Rangers.

11. I am discovering the fun in cooking something new. Even if it doesn't always turn out. It's fun to try.

One more week of school...

-Cynthia

About those May Goals...

Hello Friends!

It's been awhile. Probably too long.

The last time I posted, I wrote some goals for the month of May and I thought I would do a status check on some of those things even though the month is not over.

1. Do cardio 5 days a week. I started out strong but then got sick. REALLY sick and have been down for the past 3 weeks. I am hopefully going to get back to it this next week. I went twice this week and will go again tomorrow. That's 3...which is better than 0. Right?

2. Intentionally run. Nope...haven't done this in 3 weeks. That race on June 10th is going to be bad...

3. Run a 5k. I don't think I am going to get around to this 5k. Oh well.

4. Eat better. Haven't really done this either. There is always tomorrow...

5. Try a new recipe every week. Again, with being sick I certainly haven't felt like cooking, but this week I have tried four new recipes. One didn't turn out, but the other three were fantastic. I am not sure Greg thought so...but whatever. :)

Strawberry Limeade Bars

(Mine did not look like this...but probably tasted the same)

Pesto Chicken

(I love Pesto and this was super simple to make)

Zucchini Bites

(so good and easy)

Garlic Bread

(maybe my favorite of all 4)

6. Finish the semester strong with graduate school. I did great in one class and did okay in the other. Stupid multiple choice tests...BUT the most important part is that I am FINISHED until June 4th. Breathing a little easier these days...

7. Go through all my clothes. Slowly, I am getting this done. I will hopefully get it done in the next couple weeks and take it all to metrocrest.

8. Spend more time outside. I went for a walk outside this morning. It was wonderful. I need to do it again soon. 

In other news...last week my friend Teal Perez graduate from UNT with a masters in counseling so Greg and I went out with her and some friends to celebrate on Saturday evening. We had so much fun even though we had to wait 1.5 hours for a table at Coal Vines. The food ended up being good and the company even better.

(Sommer, Teal and myself...I miss working with them so much)



I am also no longer a cheerleading coach. For those of you who know me, know that this has been a long time coming and is a HUGE celebration. I will still be really involved in my school, but it will be in a new and different (and hopefully less stressful) way.

I am getting excited about summer and everything I have planned. But mostly I am excited about spending time with my friends and family. Something I have not had a lot of time for this year.

-Cynthia

New Goals

So it has been 5 weeks since I ran my 1/2 marathon and I am completely out of shape. I mean, I barely made it 1 mile this morning. And it's my own fault. I was just so tired and busy after the 1/2 that I didn't want to wake up and run and I couldn't run in the afternoons because life got busy. But all the excuses end NOW. I have decided to steal Life is a Run's idea of writing goals for the month. Perhaps I am a little early for May, but here are my fitness and personal goals for the month.

1. Do cardio at least 5 days a week. That gives me one day during the week to "sleep in" and I am letting myself take Sunday's off because getting to church at 9:45am is hard enough...

2. Intentionally run. I am signed up for a the Wounded Warrior 10k on June 10th so I need to actually start running again if I have any hope of completing it.

3. I want to run at least one 5k in the month of May. I don't know which one yet but I will try and find one I can fit into my schedule.

4. Eat better. This means eating knowing what I eat and holding myself accountable for what I put in my body.

5. Try a new recipe every week. I always make and eat the same boring stuff. I have discovered pinterest and want to branch out with new recipes.

6. Complete both graduate classes I am taking this semester strong. I have one test and one project due before I can call this semester complete and I would like to do really well on both of them.

7. Go through all my clothes and send the ones I don't wear any more to metrocrest. I have too many clothes just taking up space in my closet. It's time to give some away for someone else to enjoy.

8. Spend more time outside! Because weather doesn't get better than spring time in Texas.

I will let you know in June how I do. But now that they are out there, I feel like I need to at least make an attempt to complete them.

-Cynthia

April is the Best Month of the Year!

Life has been a little bit crazy lately. Between the boy, grad school, cheerleading, Easter, my birthday, and my real job I have been a tad busy. But here is a short update on life, lately.

Easter:

So, anybody who knows me knows how much I LOVE Easter. I love everything about it, the Easter story, Easter Sunday worship, the Easter egg hunt with my cousin's kids, the awesome food and spending time with my family. This Easter was a little different, good, but different. Instead of going to Sunrise Service with my family (which had always been a requirement before) I went to church with Greg at First United Methodist Church, Lewisville. It was good, but I did miss singing Morning Has Broken next to my dad and Up From the Grave He Arose next to my sister. I guess change is inevitable. After church we rushed out to Royce City (because they were waiting on us to eat) where my mom and dad were hosting Easter for the first time. There were so many people there. It was so much fun. I also got to have a fantastic strawberry birthday cake. It was a good, good day.

My Birthday:

So, I turned 29 on April 11th. Not quite as scary as 30, but still, I'm getting up there. I went out to eat with (most of) my favorite people on April 9th to celebrate because I thought I was going to have to work on the 11th. We went to Whiskey Cake...if you have not been, GO! It's fantastic. I had fun hanging out with my friends and talking and laughing. Thanks to everyone for coming!

(My friend Laurie Endsley brought her 'real' camera and she sent me this picture. So talented.)

On my actual birthday I had to work but I did get a special suprise during 3rd period that made my day all the more fantastic (because birthday's are always fantastic!).

After I worked late, I went over to Greg's and he made dinner which was a great end to the day. 

Old Friends:

Last weekend my friend Evie was in town to run the Big D Marathon. So, the night before we met up with some of our other friends from college who live in the area and had dinner at Maggiano's and then went to Pokey O's for dessert. AND if you have never been there, GO! It was such a fun night hanging out with Evie, Corey, Jessica, Matt, Courtney and Greg. Here are some pictures from the night: 

Red Raiders:

Me, Evie, Jessica, Courtney

Best Friends: Courtney and Me

At dinner

The Gym:

The gym and I have not been friends lately. I just can't bring myself to get out of bed and go. I know I need to get back into the habit but it has been disrupted by early morning cheer practices or late night grad school classes. And really those are just excuses. I have goals I want to accomplish and by sleeping in I am not accomplishing anything. Oh well. I am hoping once Spring Show is over things will get easier. I will keep you updated. I might even steal the idea of posting monthly goals from Life is a Run. So look for those in my next post.

And on a more exciting note...only 29 more days of school until summer. I have officially hit survival mode.

-Cynthia

I am a 1/2 Marathoner!

Hello Friends!!

Wow! I cannot believe it has been almost 3 weeks since I ran my 1/2 marathon! Sorry I have not posted a re-cap of the race or the celebration after. It has been a crazy 3 weeks. But here is the recap...

The Race:
We got to the race early and did a lot of standing around. I was kind of nervous during this time but definitely not freaking out. I was more calm than I thought I would be. I was more just ready to begin the race. Once we started running I got a little more freaked out because the first mile was hard and Heidi took off in front of me. But after the first mile I really calmed down and settled into my pace. I was good for the first 6 miles of the race. Heidi and I were running together (until mile 5) and I was able to just run. About mile 6 I was getting a little bored but I knew my friends Courtney, Kari and Bethany would be along the side during mile 6 so I just kept telling myself to keep running until I got to them and I could stop and talk. It was AWESOME to see them and talk to them. It made me understand how important it is to have people out there cheering you on along the course. I didn't think it would be, I was wrong. After I stopped to talk for about 5 minutes I was ready to get back on track. Miles 7-10 were good too. I saw Will (my trainer) and Nemo (another trainer who works with Will) around mile 9 and it was good to see them along the course. Miles 10-13 were HARD. I had never run past 10 miles and I ended up walking more than I wanted during this stretch of the race. I think total I probably walked a mile (including all the water stations and my breaks during the last 3 miles), which isn't bad for my frist time. The FINISH was the best part. I saw Teal and Michael when I first entered Fair Park, then I saw Courtney, Kari and Bethany closer to the finish line and I saw Beth right before I finished. I was so happy when I crossed that finish line. It is crazy to me that I ran 13.1 miles but it definitely is an awsome feeling to think about.

When people ask me how I did, I say I finished and that is all that matters. And it is. My official time was around 2:44 and I know that it wasn't the best race I could have run and I learned some lessons but I reached my goal which was simply to cross the finish line. And I am happy with that. But ready for the next one. White Rock anyone?!?

My boyfriend, Greg, were tracking my progress along the course with his phone so it was fun to get a text from him as soon as I crossed the finish line (he had to play and run sound in church that day so he couldn't come).

Here are some pictures from before, during and after the race.

Celebration:

In the days before the race, I think I was more excited about the celebration after than I was the actual race. Mostly because it meant I was going to be done, but also because it meant I could eat whatever I wanted. Unfortunantly, it did not go the way I wanted it too. My friends Courtney, Kari, Bethany, Heidi, Kristin and myself were going to gather at a restaurant for brunch wtih Teal and Beth and their crew. Sadly the place we wanted to go was crazy busy so we ended up at Hacienda on Henderson becasue the could seat us right away. Which was great, too bad they didn't have a waitress who actually wanted to help us out. We got our drinks (yes, I got a mimosa...or two) and chips but then had to ask for menus, silverware, and had to ask to order. 1.5 hours after we sat down we got our food...well, everyone else got their food. My friend Kristin and I did not. I eventually got my food but not before a little bit of harsh words for the manager's at the restaurant. Needless to say I will NEVER be going back to that place. It was misrable. But the company while I waited was great and I cannot say thank you enough to all my wonderful friends who was there for me during and after my run. It means so much to me.

What's Next?I knew I would want to take at least a week off of running after the race, but in the past 3 weeks I have only run twice for a total of 5 miles. I have been hanging out with Greg more and just not as interested in running. Part of my excuse was I needed a new pair of running shoes and I had convinced myself I couldn't run without them so this past saturday I went to buy some new ones. So, I have no excuses any more. I have decided to start running next week again. At least, I need to start running again next week.

April is perhaps the best month of the year (and this April has been the best one yet...) so I will have to update you soon on everything that has been going on during the past few weeks. Until then...happy running!

-Cynthia 

13.1 miles is a long way...with many lessons learned...

Well, race weekend is here. On Sunday I will run 13.1 miles. It's crazy to me. I am scared, excited, nervous, but mostly I am ready. I have put in the miles, I have put in the time at the gym, I have imagined myself finishing this race for 12 weeks. And on Sunday, it all happens. But please, say a prayer for me.

In honor of the race here are 13.1 things that I learned or observations I have made during the training process...

1. I am stronger than I think I am.

2. Anyone can run a half-marathon if you train for it.

3. I can run 10 miles one day and not be able to run 2 miles 3 days later. And I don't understand it.

4. There were more than a few times when I wasn't sure I would survive my mid-week runs. And I felt like a failure because of that.

5.I have amazing friends who have listened to me talk about this race for 12 weeks. And still talk to me.

(My best friend, Courtney, who will be there to cheer me on on Sunday)



6. You have to commit to not only running almost everyday, but you have to commit to getting enough sleep before your runs.

7. Running with a partner during long runs is the only way to get through them. Even if you don't always stay together.

(My running partner, Heidi. Sadly, this is NOT a great picture of me. )

8. You only have to run for the next 5 or 10 minutes. And if you keep telling yourself this, eventually your running 2 hours and doing it 10 minutes at a time.

9. Having friends who have been there and done that helps when you have questions or need to vent.

(My friend Teal, who has listened to me complain and answered ALL my questions.)

10. My friend from college, Evie, and I have re-connected through running. Which is probably funny for those who knew us in college.

11. Throwing a boy in the mix during the last 2 weeks of training makes things are little more interesting. But worth it. 

12. Thank God for Spring Break. It's probably the only reason I was able to survive (and run) the week in between my 9 mile and 10 mile run.

13.  I am quite certain the only reason I have survived this semester is because I was actually training for this half-marathon. I forced the world to slow down for at least 45 minutes a day.

13.1 - I CAN and WILL do this on Sunday. If it kills me, I will run the whole dang thing and cross that finish line. Probably with a big smile on my face!

Stay tuned for a race and celebration re-cap. I can't wait to write about it!

-Cynthia

What I Believe

Here are the 11 things I know I believe after this week...

1. I believe that if I had facebook and/or twitter during the time that I was getting my undergrad degree, I would have never graduated.
2.  I believe that a good conversation over a good dinner with good friends is the best way to end the week.
3. I believe in the importance of sharing more than just “one story” about a place with my students
4. I believe it’s okay to cry when your feelings are hurt.
5. I believe that I am stronger than I think I am. And will continue to prove it to myself and the world.  
6. I believe that it’s important that people know what you believe in and where you stand. In life.
7. I believe it’s important to stand up for yourself. In all situations.  
8. I believe in the importance of worship. Every day.
9. I believe the only reason I have not gone crazy this semester is because I run 4 times a week. And life has no choice but to slow down for those 45 minutes.
10. I believe it’s important to have great co-workers, bosses, and friends who can support you. And tell you to keep breathing. 
11. I believe that trying new things is scary. But can turn into amazing blessings.  

   -Cynthia

-

Feeling Rested in Him

Let's just call it how it is, I am behind in life right now. And I am not sure I will ever get ahead.

But 2 months ago I made a commitment to go on the senior high retreat to Bridgeport with the youth at my church. This was a particularly hard commitment to keep. Going this weekend meant I had to make several sacrifices: I knew I wouldn't get good sleep (which is something I crave on the weekend these days). I knew I would have to get up extra early to get in my 8 mile run. I knew I would have to have all homework done before I left and just hope I didn't forget anything. I knew that I wouldn't be able to eat right all weekend. And I knew I would be exhausted when I got back.

And I was right about every one of them. 

But I also knew that this was something I needed. I needed to get away and just be with God and His people in His creation. For 40 hours I went without an agenda or a to-do list. I worshiped, played, laughed, ate, talked, loved and just rested in Him. 

One of my biggest worries for the weekend was my 8 mile run. I talked about how worried I was for weeks ahead of time. But I completely relied on God to get me through all 8 miles of my run. And He did. And even better, when I got back to the cabin we were all staying in the boys formed a tunnel for me to run through. I am not sure there is a better way to finish a run. If I had stayed here, I would have still run 8 miles but I certainly wouldn't have had that kind of finish. God is good. 

If I had stayed here maybe I would have gotten a few more things checked off my to-do list. Maybe I wouldn't be so exhausted. But I also would have missed this...

. 

-Cynthia

It's going to be worth it

Six weeks. That's it. Six short weeks. And its scary. 

Six weeks from today I will be running my first half marathon.

I know so many people who have tried, and conquered, the half-marathon. And so the fact that is freaks me out makes me feel a little ridiculous. I mean, its not like I am trying to run the whole marathon. Just half. 

But this is something new and different for me. I have never been an athlete. I always wanted to be an athlete. But I am not the most athletic person. I played basketball in elementary school (and passed the ball as soon as I got it), I played volleyball in MS (and loved it, was pretty good, but didn't believe in myself enough to do it in HS) and I was on the swim team in HS (I was not competitive, but I tried). And it wasn't until I was out of college that I found running. And the great thing about running is you are just trying to beat yourself. And nobody really cares where you finish, as long as you finish. And that is why I get up and run. To take it one step at a time until I reach my goal of 13.1 miles. 

And so far things are going well. But I have trained to 7 miles before. I know I can do 7 miles, on a Saturday morning, alone. That much I know. 

What I do not know is if I can run 8 miles in the hills of Bridgeport. Or 9 miles around White Rock Lake. Or 10 miles around Celebration Park. Or 13.1 around the sheets of Dallas. And its the unknown that scares me. 

And it is just going to get harder from here. I am tired. All the time. And it might not be all due to the fact that I am running 20 miles a week, but that is definitely a factor. 

 Long runs have been good, its the miles in between that get harder and harder to do. 4.5 miles on Monday mornings aren't easy. The 3 miles on Tuesdays ALWAYS feels like at least 6. And the 4.5 miles on Wednesdays are torture. 

I saw this quote on Friday and I immediatly thought about my half-marathon adeventure..."i'm not telling you it's going to be easy, i'm telling you its going to be worth it."

With this quote in the back of my head, I will continue doing what I am doing. And perhaps six weeks from today I will have completed my first half-marathon. And EVERYONE will be invited to the celebration afterwords because it's going to be worth it. 

Life, lately...

I like twitter because I can follow whomever I want. Some people I choose to follow are funny, some are informational, some are inspirational, and some I follow to remind me how to live my life.

A few weeks ago I opened twitter on a random Tuesday and the Christian singing duo Shane and Shane had tweeted this…worship is far more than the songs we sing. Make sure you worship on Tuesday just like you worship on Sunday.

Life has been difficult lately…

• I keep adding miles to my weekly running schedule and I am beginning to feeling it in my everyday life.

• Graduate school is back and in full swing. Assignments are due, readings need to be done, and driving to Denton on Thursday nights is hard.

• Teaching is never an easy job. But these days it seems to be a lot harder than usual.

• I feel like Cheerleading has taken over my life.

• It’s hard to do everything I have committed to.

But please don’t misunderstand this post. I am not telling you my life is horrible, it’s just hard sometimes, (isn’t everybody’s?) and I don’t want you to feel bad for me. I know I am blessed in so many ways…

• I can get up and run whenever I want.

• I can afford to go to graduate school.

• I have a job that I love.

• I have an opportunity to work with a small group of students on a different level.

• Everything I have committed to is worth showing up for.

But sometimes I forget that everyday I should be in worship to Jesus. I should be trying to be like Him in everything I do. Even when I am exhausted from running. Even when I am sitting in traffic, class or at home doing homework. Even when I am frustrated at work. Even when I am sitting at a basketball game. Even when I don’t really feel like worshiping.

And I always come back to… worship is far more than the songs we sing. Make sure you worship on Tuesday just like you worship on Sunday. Thanks ShaneandShane, and twitter, for the good reminder of how to live my life.

-Cynthia

My List.

Yesterday, I kept (half) joking that I had started a “list” and this list was not something you wanted to be on. But instead of writing my “list” here, I will instead make a list of 10 people I thankful for.

I am thankful for…

1. My best friend, Courtney. She always answers the phone and listens to me complain. And she goes with me to Cedars Woodfire Grill whenever I want. She even told me she would rescue me if I ran out of gas this morning on the way to the gym. At 5:30am.

2. My crazy co-worker, Tim McAtee. He was my first friend at my new job this year and has, on so many occasions, helped me out of situations I didn’t know how to get out of. I am pretty sure I would have quit by now without him. 

3. My mom. Although we don’t talk as often as we used to anymore, I still loving picking up the phone and calling her in the mornings before work.

4. My workout friend, Teal. I am pretty sure I would have quit working out and definitely stopped running without her encouragement. AND she bought a swim suit and started swimming with me on Friday.  Yay for cross training.

5. My running partner, Heidi. I have to run on my own this weekend and even though I have done it before, the last two long runs have been so much easier with her by my side.

6. My friend, Kristin. She led HS bible study on Wednesday night so I could stay home and do homework for my Thursday night class.

7. My graduate school friends…pretty much it’s the only way I get through class most nights.  

8. My trainer, Will. He and I have been teaming up for 4 years now. He listens to me when I complain, and challenges me when I need it.

9. My friend, Heather. Without her help this year I am quite certain my students would not have learned anything. Some days she has single handedly kept me and my curriculum afloat.

10. My friend Lindsay. Our bi-montly phone call came this week and it is so good to talk to her and catch up on life. I love friends that you can just pick up where you left off after months and everything is good again. 

I am also thankful for jeans on Friday and the weekend. 

-Cynthia

Why we do what we do.

On Friday, two of my favorite former students (read that as, my favorite student, and his best friend) came to see me at work. They go to one of the other high schools in the district and they came all the way to my school to see me and another teacher they had in middle school.

The more I talked to them on Friday, the more I was blown away by the young men they have become. Saying, ma'am and sir to anyone they talked to. Shaking hands at an introduction. Talking about how they want to go to Duke or Baylor and become a surgeon and OSU or A&M to study aeronautical engineering. They told me about how they are going to go to junior college this summer to take government and economics dual credit so they can have room in their schedules to take 4 (yes, 4!) AP classes next year. They explained that they didn't hang out with certain people anymore because they do not have the same goals in life as them. They know their class rank and are doing everything they can to raise it in the next 1.5 years. They have already signed up to take the SAT twice before the end of their junior year. See? I was blown away. These are two students that don't come from the greatest home life, got in trouble in MS and have a hard road to travel. But they get it. And they get it as 17-year-old. They are special young men.

And I am just lucky enough that they feed me enough information about their lives to get to watch it all happen. Even from across town. They assured me I would get an invitation to their HS graduation next year and it wouldn't surprise me at all if in 5 years I get an invitation to their college graduations. And in 9 years, I expect to get an invitation to Ismael's med school graduation.

And I walked away remembering that THIS is why we do what we do. And my heart is full of joy.

-Cynthia

Scared and Excited.

My alarm goes off at 4:30am every week day morning. It's too early. And EVERY morning I have to decide whether or not I really am going to get out of bed. It's a decision I make EVERY DAY. And I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least a little bit tired because of it. And yet, almost every morning I make the decision to get up and go to the gym. Most mornings my friend Teal meets me at the gym. And it's at this gym, and with Teal by my side, that my running story begins...

Teal has been running half-marathon's for a little over a year now. She makes them look easy, even though I am sure they are not. But I have watched her suffer and train hard for what she wants. And I have decided that I want the same kind of satisfaction that comes from completing a half-marathon (I am not crazy enough to try a full one...yet). 

A little over a year ago I had foot surgery. It might have been the worst decision I have ever made. But it happened and for the past year I have been dealing with the pain of recovering from the original injury and then the surgery. My foot is finally starting to feel normal (which is different than the normal from 3 years ago, before the original injury) and I have decided that its now or never. So, I did it. I am signed up for the Dallas Rock 'n Roll half marathon on March 25th. I am scared and excited at the same time. And after only 2 weeks of training I have never been more aware of my tired legs as I am now. And I am on WEEK 2. See? That's where scared comes in. 

But I have decided I will make it all 13.1 miles, with my friend Heidi at my side, and we will complete it. One step at a time...

-Cynthia

The Beginning

I like to write. I really do. I just don't usually have anything interesting or fun to write about. But I have been reading lots of other blogs lately and I have decided that I, too, can blog. Maybe some weeks I will have nothing to say, and other weeks I will have so much I won't know where to start. But here it goes...one step at a time.

So, to begin here are 11 things about me (I was born on April 11th at 11:11pm...I like the number).

1. I am a Jesus follower. I try to live every day in worship to Him. I fail. A lot. But I am trying. 

2. I am a high school World Geography teacher. And I love it. Everyday is a new challenge and there are days that I would give anything to have an "easy" job, or a job where I walked in at 8 and out at 4, but when I think about it, I truly know I am called to do this job. 

3. I am a graduate student at UNT. I am working on my Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. I am crossing my fingers I am done in the Spring of 2013. 

4. I am, and will always be, a Red Raider. GUNS UP!!

5. Sadly, I must admit that I am a cheerleading coach. Freshman Cheerleading to be exact. And some days I think it will be the death of me. 

6. I am becoming a runner and an athlete. I don't think I am there yet. But I think I will become one someday. 

7. NCIS is my favorite show on TV. It has been for the past 7 years. And I think I will cry the day it goes off the air. 

8. I like to read. But not books. I like to read magazines, newspaper articles, blogs, and the occassionally non-fiction book. 

9. I  have the best family. I mean, we have our problems, but who doesn't? In the end, I know they would drop everything to be there for me. 

10. I LOVE to shop. And at some point I will run out of room in my closet. 

11. I work with the youth at my church on Sunday evenings and lead a high school girls bible study on Wednesday nights. And the truth is, they teach me so much more that I will ever teach them. 

-Cynthia