Last Saturday, Aaron and I participated in Pat's Run. It's an annual run to support the Pat Tillman Foundation. It was crazy! There were something like 28,000 people, way too crowded. I signed up for this run to keep me motivated. Aaron could have ran laps around me but he was supportive and stayed with me all the way. It was 4.2 miles and I did it in 48:11. I'm pretty slow but I tried not to get wrapped up in the time. There will always be people that are faster and people that are slower. If you would have told me a couple of months ago I could run 4 miles without stopping I would have thought you were up in the night. I did it, that's all that matters to me.
My parents were here for a visit last week. It's always great to have them visit and the kids love it because they get spoiled with attention. I'm the worn-out mom trying to keep it together. I need a vacation so bad!
I don't know if I'm ready for May. May and December are the craziest months of the year for us, is that true for anyone else?!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
The zen of doing
“Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.” ~Zen proverb
Post written by Leo Babauta
In the chaos of the modern world, there is a beauty in simply doing.
We’re buffeted wildly by whatever emails, conversations, news, events, demands, that are going on around us. Our minds become a constant deluge of thoughts dwelling in the past, worries of the future, distractions pulling us in every direction.
But all of that melts away when we focus on just doing.
It doesn’t matter what the doing is: sitting, walking, writing, reading, eating, washing, talking, snuggling, playing. By focusing on the doing, we drop our worries and anxieties, jealousies and anger, grieving and distraction.
There is something profound in that simplicity. Something ultimately heart-rendingly breath-takingly gorgeous.
“When walking, walk. When eating, eat.” ~Zen proverb
You are in the middle of your day today, and you’re caught up in the sandstorm of thoughts, feelings, to-dos, meetings, readings, and communications of this day.
Pause. Breathe. Let all of that fade.
Now focus on doing one thing, right now. Just choose one thing, and clear away all other distractions. Seriously, clear it all away. Turn off your Internet. Stop reading this article (OK, read a couple more sentences, then close your browser!).
Let all thoughts about anything other than the doing also fade away. They’ll come up, but gently make note of them, and then let them go. And return to the doing.
If you’re washing a dish, do it slowly, and feel every sensation. If you’re eating a fruit, taste it, feel the textures, be mindful of your hunger or lack of it. If you’re writing something, pour your heart into that writing, become the writing, inhabit the words.
Just do.
The rest of the world becomes meaningless distraction. It’s just you, and your doing.
And you realize: this is all that matters. In this, there is everything.
“Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.” ~Shunryu Suzuki
Post written by Leo Babauta
In the chaos of the modern world, there is a beauty in simply doing.
We’re buffeted wildly by whatever emails, conversations, news, events, demands, that are going on around us. Our minds become a constant deluge of thoughts dwelling in the past, worries of the future, distractions pulling us in every direction.
But all of that melts away when we focus on just doing.
It doesn’t matter what the doing is: sitting, walking, writing, reading, eating, washing, talking, snuggling, playing. By focusing on the doing, we drop our worries and anxieties, jealousies and anger, grieving and distraction.
There is something profound in that simplicity. Something ultimately heart-rendingly breath-takingly gorgeous.
“When walking, walk. When eating, eat.” ~Zen proverb
You are in the middle of your day today, and you’re caught up in the sandstorm of thoughts, feelings, to-dos, meetings, readings, and communications of this day.
Pause. Breathe. Let all of that fade.
Now focus on doing one thing, right now. Just choose one thing, and clear away all other distractions. Seriously, clear it all away. Turn off your Internet. Stop reading this article (OK, read a couple more sentences, then close your browser!).
Let all thoughts about anything other than the doing also fade away. They’ll come up, but gently make note of them, and then let them go. And return to the doing.
If you’re washing a dish, do it slowly, and feel every sensation. If you’re eating a fruit, taste it, feel the textures, be mindful of your hunger or lack of it. If you’re writing something, pour your heart into that writing, become the writing, inhabit the words.
Just do.
The rest of the world becomes meaningless distraction. It’s just you, and your doing.
And you realize: this is all that matters. In this, there is everything.
“Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.” ~Shunryu Suzuki
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Where does the time go?
{me @ 27, Braden age 3, Paige age 1}I came across this picture a few days ago. This was taken in the spring of 2003 by my aunt Apryl.
7 years...just like that.
Where does the time go?!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Iceblocking
The kids were out of school on Friday so we got together with Tara, Austin and Mason for some lunch and a little Iceblocking. Tara and I are always trying to come up with things to do with the kids and they had fun. I just learned this weekend that they will be moving this summer :(
Braden and Austin became best friends in 1st grade. Tara and I hit it off right away and she is one of my closest friends. I'm going to miss her!!! I'm so sad to see them go but I'm excited for them and their new journey.
(I'm trying to be positive but it bums me out!)
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